PRAYERS WHICH His Lordship Ufed in his Family. Ο H moft gracious and merciful Lord God, thou only art God, and there is none befides thee: thou wert and will remain to all Eternity, the fame yesterday, and to day, and for ever, for in thee is no alteration, nor shadow of changing; thou standst in need of nothing, because thou art infinitely perfect, and therefore happy in thy felf: There is not any thing that can add unto thy perfection, for as thou doft not ftand in need of it, fo all other things are unmeet to be compared unto thee: what profit then are all our Devotions that we offer up unto thee? and, what art thou the better for all our Services? no Advantage can thereby redound unto thee, were they void of those Imperfections with which they are attended, for even the greateft Righteousness that we can boaft of, is but as filthy Rags; and yet, O Lord, fo good good and gracious thou art, that thou art willing and ready at all times to receive them, tho' they are no better; yea, thou calleft and inviteft us to come and worship before thee. We humbly confefs and acknowledge that we are finful Duft and Alhes, we were conceived and born in Sin, and have every moment of our lives added thereto many actual Tranfgreffions, both of omiffion and commiffion; we have finned against clear Light and the Conviction of our own Confciences; we have lent a willing ear to the Enticements of Satan, and the Alurements of our Lufts and Corruption, but have turn'd a deaf ear to all the Calls and gracious Invitations that thou haft given us to return into the path that leads to Life; we have endeavour'd to ftifle the Checks of our Confciences, and though we have not been able to blot out the impreffion and belief that there is a God, yet we have too much lived like practical Acheitis, and have walked fo loofely and carnally as if there had been no God to whom we muft render an account of all things we do here below, whether they be good or evil; we have finned beyond forgiveness, had not thy Mercy been greater than all thy works, and that thou canst pardon more than we can offend. O Lord, poffefs us with a true fence of thy Divine Majefty, make every one of us fenfible that we have done atnifs, let us bewail our Tranfgreffi. ons from the bottom of our Hearts, and make us truly forrowful that we have grieved thy Holy Spirit, and duly to confider how ungrateful a thing it is to offend fo good a God, a God by whom we live, move, and have our being, and from whom cometh every good and perfect Gift: make us con contrite for all our Offences, and for the future to take up Refolations of better Obedience, and of walking more humbly with thee; and especially let us avoid all thofe things, whereby we have brought publick Dishonour to thy holy Name, or been an occafion of making others to fin: let us redeem the time by a more exact obedience to thy holy Law, and the remainder of our days to work out our Salvation with fear and trembling, and be follicitous to make our calling and election fure; to that end let us be daily trying our ways, and Searching into our Hearts, to difcover the Sin that does moft eafily befet us; and in all we do, ftill to beg thy gracious affiftance, knowing that otherwife all we do will be in vain, for without thee we are not able of our felves fo much as to think a good Thought, much lefs to do any good Action: make us fenfible how weak and frail we are, and that the Devil is vigilant and diligent to draw us afide from the way that leads to Life; that he is fubtile, and knows how to fuit his Temptations to our feveral Difpofitions and Constitutions : make us daily to remember our latter end, and the great day of Accounts, and that Reckoning that fooner or later we must every one of us make: let us never forget how fhort and uncerfain our Lives are, that we know not the number of our days; that a time is set which we cannot go beyond; and that we are not sure of our lives one moment; that as the Tree falls fo it lies; that as Death overtakes us, fo Fudgment will find us : Therefore let us be fo prepared for our change, that whenever Death comes, it may neither furprize us, nor be unwelcome. Wean Wean our Hearts and Affections from the things of this World, and fix them upon those that are more folid and permanent: let us fee how vain, uncertain, and unfatisfying they are: let us remember that they are only lent, and not given us, and that when they are taken from us, no wrong is done; and therefore fo long as thou art pleas'd to allow us the enjoyment of them, let us thankfully receive them, and carefully employ and improve them; and when we are depriv'd of any of them, let us not repine, but in all things learn and practice a Submiffion to thy good pleasure. Good Lord, we beseech thee to blefs our King and Queen, in making them ever mindful for what end they were raised to fo high a dignity as to fit on the Throne of thefe Kingdoms, namely, to promote thy Glory, and the good and welfare of their People; let them fee that this only is their beft Intereft, and that nothing can make them fo great and happy as by being zealous therein: Let them with their Eyes drive away from their Throne all those that would draw them afide from thy Glory, or the Good of their People, and teach them the things that belong to their Peace. And be gracious, we humbly beg of thee, to this poor Land and Nation, make it happy in a long and profperous reign of our King and Queen, let all their Subjects confcientiously do their Duties in their several ftations, uphold every man in his Integrity, that feeks thy Glory, or wishes the Good of his Country; let them not be dismaid when they fee things go contrary to what they apprehend or wish they fhould do; let them remember that though there be many Devices in a Mans Man's Heart, yet that the Counsel of the Lord that shall stand; that God will bring about his own work in his own way, and accomplish his pleasure in his appointed time, and when that time is come, he will not want Inftruments to effect his purpose: and let us learn, that the wif dom of Man is foolishneß with God, for he can take the Crafty in their own Devices: Therefore howfoever publick Affairs may move for the prefent, let every one of us be diligent in our stations as we have opportunity; let us patiently ftand ftill, and fee the Salvation of God, and fubmit to his good pleasure, whatever it shall be. And let thy Bleffing reft upon this Family; lift up the light of thy Countenance upon us, and love us freely as it is a Family of note and eminency fo make it remarkable for fobriety and good order; and as it is above others, fo let it be exemplary for the good Converfation of every Member of it, and thereby give occafion to others to glorifie thee our Father which is in Heaven: Let us all be difpofed to do that which is good and acceptable; let those that are to inftruct others be careful to walk fuitable to the Precepts which they teach; and thofe that are to learn, let them be enclined and willing to receive Inftruction Let us all do our Duties faithfully and honeftly, not with Eye-fervice, like Brutes, but as Rational Creatures, that know how to chuse the good and refuse the evil. And vifit with thy Mercy, we beseech thee, all the Sons and Daughters of Affliction, relieve them according to their feveral neceffities, lay no more upon them than they fhall be able to bear, fanctifie thy Hand to every one of them, and in thy good |