A Prayer for one entrusted with the Education of Children. Deareft Jefu, who gathereft thy Lambs into thy Bofom, and didft folemnly command thy Servant Peter, to feed thy Lambs; grant that I may fhew that I love thee more I than all Things, by doing as thou haft commanded him. Lord, who am I, or what is in me, that thou should thus put Honour upon me, in making me any way inftrumental to the preparing Souls for thee? O Saviour, I have finned against Heaven, and am no more worthy to be called thy Son, much less to be employed in the Service of thy Children. But fince thou haft been pleased in me to fhew forth all thy Mercy, and haft called me by thy good Providence to this bleffed Work, grant that I may always remember, that the ittle Flock committed to my Charge, are bought with the Price of thy own moft precious Blood. And let it therefore be my Meat Meat and Drink, to feed them with the fincere Milk of thy Word, that they may grow thereby. To this End, I beseech thee of thy free Grace, first to convert my own Soul, and cause me to become like a little Child myself, that from an experimental Knowledge of my own Corruptions, I may have my fpiritual Senfes exercised, to difcern the firft Emotions of Evil that may at any Time arife in their Hearts. Oh give me, I beseech thee, a difcerning Spirit, that I may fearch, and try, and examine the different Tempers of their Sin-fick Souls; and, like a skilful Phyfician, apply healing or corrofive Medicines, as their respective Maladies fhall require. Gracious Jefu, let punifhing be always my ftrange Work; and, if it be poffible, grant that they may be all drawn to their Duty, as I would be drawn myfelf, by the Cords of Love. And when I am obliged to correct them, grant it may not be to fhew my Authority, or gratify a corrupt Paffion, but purely out of the fame Motive from which thou doft correct us, to make them Partakers of thy Holiness! Oh! keep me, I beseech thee, from being angry without a Caufe: Permit me not rafhly to be provoked by the Infirmities and Perverfe nefs nefs of their Infant Years; but grant I may fhew all long Suffering towards them: And by exercifing fuch frequent Acts of Patience and Forbearance, grant, I myfelf may learn the Meeknefs and Gentleness of Chrift. O thou, who taughteft thy Disciples how to pray, pour down, I befeech thee, the Spirit of Grace and Supplication into their Hearts, that at all Times, and in all Places, they may both defire and know how to call upon thee by diligent Prayer. Father, into thy Hands I commend my own and their Spirits: Look down from Heaven, the Habitation of thy Holinefs, and bless them from thy holy Hill. Keep them, oh keep them unfpotted from the World: grant they may fly youthful Lufts, and remember thee, their Creator, in the Days of their Youth. Train them, I befeech thee, in the Way wherein they should go; and when they are old, let them not depart from it. O thou, who didft fanctify Jeremiah from the Womb, and calledft young Samuel betimes, to wear a linen Ephod before thee, Sanctify their whole Spirits, Souls and Bodies, and preferve them blamelefs, till the fecond Coming of our Lord Jefus Chrift. O thou, who didft endue Solomon with Grace, to chufe Wifdom before Riches and Honour; incline incline their Hearts to make the fame Choice of thee, their only Good; and may they always renounce and triumph over the Luft of the Flesh, the Luft of the Eye, and the Pride of Life. Finally, do thou, O bleffed Jefu, who at twelve Years old was found in the Temple, fitting among the Doctors, both hearing and afking them Questions, grant, that thefe Children may love to tread the Courts of thy Houfe, and have their Ears opened betimes, to receive the Difcipline of Wifdom, that fo, if it be thy good Pleasure, to prolong the Time of their Pilgrimage here on Earth, they may fhine as Lights in the World; or, if thou feeft it beft, to bring down their Strength in their Journey, and to fhorten their Days, they may be early fitted by Purity of Heart, to fing eternal Hallelujah's to thee, the Father, and the Holy Ghoft, in the Kingdom of Heaven for ever. Grant this, O Father, for thy dear Son's Amen. A O A Prayer for a Servant. Thou high and lofty One, who inhabitest Eternity, yet art pleafed to dwell with the humble Heart: O Bleffed Jefu, who hast made of one Blood all Nations under Heaven, with whom there is no Refpect of Perfons, and who in the Days of thy Flesh didft go down to heal a Centurion's fick Servant; have Mercy, I befeech thee, on me, even me, alfo a poor Servant, Stretch forth the Right Hand of thy Power, to heal all the Diseases of my Sin-fick Soul, and enable me by thy Holy Spirit, faithfully to dif charge the feveral Duties of that Vocation, whereto I am called by thee my God. Give me Grace, I moft humbly befeech thee, to obey my Mafter, according to the Flesh, in all Things; not with Eye-fervice, as a Manpleafer, but with Singleness of Heart, as unto Chrift; knowing, that whatfoever any Man doeth, the fame he fhall receive of the Lord, whether he be bond or free. Make my Obedience to my Mafter on Earth, like |