Imágenes de página
PDF
ePub

COVETOUSNESS.

Give me grace to forsake all covetous desires, and inordinate love of riches and pleasures, through Jesus Christ.

Grant that I may both perceive and know, what things I ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, through Jesus Christ.

Grant me, O God, the true circumcision of the Spirit, that my heart, and all my members, being mortified from all carnal lusts, I may in all things obey thy blessed will.

O that we, who know thee now by faith, may, after this life, have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead! In all our dangers and necessities, stretch forth thy right hand to save and defend us.

CHARITY.

O send thy Holy Ghost, and pour into my heart that most excellent gift of charity, that very bond of peace and of all virtue, without which whosoever liveth is counted dead before thee!

Grant, I do most humbly beseech thee, O God, that as by thy special grace preventing me, thou dost put into my mind good desires, so by thy continual help, I may bring the same to good effect, through Jesus Christ.

O everlasting God, grant, that as thy holy Angels always do thee service in Heaven, so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on earth, through Jesus Christ.

Grant me grace, so to follow thy blessed Saints in all virtuous and godly living, that I may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for them that unfeignedly love thee.

I pray God my whole spirit, (my understanding, will, and conscience,) my soul, (my appetites, affections, and passions,) and my body, (the tabernacle of my soul,) be preserved blameless unto the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ.

May I take pleasure in abiding in thy presence, O God; in depending upon thee; in leaving myself entirely to thy disposal, as a continual sacrifice to thy will.

Give me a victory over all my sins and imperfections; increase in me the graces of faith, hope, and charity, of humility, meekness, patience, and resignation, and all other Christian virtues; for Jesus Christ's sake.

Preserve me, gracious God, from spiritual pride, from ascribing any thing I have done, or can do, to myself, and robbing thee of the glory of saving me from eternal ruin.

Take possession, O Jesus, of thy right in my soul, which thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and root out all self-righteousness, self-interest, and selfwill;-that thou mayest be my righteousness, and all in me.

REPENTANCE.

Give me, O God, such a true sorrow for my sins, as shall enable me to embrace all the necessary means, how bitter soever, for rooting sin out of my soul.

HUMILITY.

1 Peter v. 5. God resisteth the proud, and giveth grace to the humble.

I have all the reason in the world to be humble. Without God I am nothing. Without his help and grace I can do nothing that is good. Without his word, I know nothing. Of myself, I deserve nothing but punishment. Of my own, I have nothing but faults, imperfections, and sins, an inclination to evil, an aversion to good, unruly senses, ungovernable passions, unreasonable affections.

1 Cor. i. 30. O Lord Jesus Christ, who art made unto us of God, our wisdom, by revealing him and his glorious perfections:-our righteousness, by satisfying the justice of God in our nature;-our sanctification, by procuring for us the Holy Ghost, and by restoring us, being sinners, to God's favour-our redemption, by redeeming us from death eternal. O Jesus, for these"

mighty favours, all love and glory be to thee, with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever. Amen.

THE WAY OF A HAPPY LIFE.

Lay nothing too much to heart; desire nothing too eagerly; rejoice not excessively, nor grieve too much for disasters;-be not violently bent on any design; nor let any worldly cares hinder you from taking care of your soul; and remember, that it is necessary to be a Christian (that is, to govern one's-self by motives of Christianity) in the most common actions of civil life.

Col. iii. 17. Whatsoever ye do in word or in deed, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus, giving thanks to God and the Father by him.

He that would not fall into temptation, must have a presence of mind, a watchful eye over himself; he must have great things in view,-distinguish betwixt time and eternity; or else he will follow what passion, not what reason and religion suggest.

CHRISTIAN PERFECTION.

Whoever aspires after, (being so united to God, as to be one spirit with him,) must resolve to do all things with this sole view, to PLEASE God. This I purpose, this I forbear, this I undertake, this I do, this I suffer, in obedience to the will of God. This should be our express purpose, at all times, when we have time to make it; and should be often renewed, lest our own will come to be the rule of our actions. If I am careful to do this, I shall always have my end, whether I succeed, or be disappointed, being convinced it is God's will.

Rom. xiii. 14. Put ye on the Lord Jesus, and make not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. Grant, O Lord, that "I may keep under my body, and bring it into subjection, lest by any means I should be a cast away." 1 Cor. ix. 27.

"Be ye all of one mind, having compassion one of another. Be pitiful, be courteous; not rendering evil for evil, or railing for railing, but contrariwise, blessing. For he that will love life, and see good days, let him re

frain his tongue from evil, and his lips that they speak no guile: let him eschew evil, and do good; let him seek peace and ensue it." 1 Peter iii. 8, 9, 10, 11.

Give me, O Lord, a wise, a sober, a serious, a religious heart.

Preserve me from evil councils, and rash enterprises. O make thy way plain before my face.

Support me this day under all the difficulties I shall meet with.

I offer myself to thee, O God, this day, to do in me, and with me, as to thee seems most meet.

Vouchsafe me, gracious God, the spirit of adoption, whereby I may cry, Abba, Father, and apply to thee, through Jesus Christ, not as an angry judge, but as a merciful and loving father.

Remember, that the life of a man is only to be valued for its usefulness.

John xv. 12. This is my commandment, That ye love one another.

O thou who hast given me this command and pattern, give me a sincere desire of following, and grace and power to do it.

James v. 15. And the prayer of faith shall save the sick; and the Lord shall raise him up; and if he have committed sins, he shall be absolved, (i. e. upon his confession.)

O Lord of life and death! have mercy upon all those who are visited with sickness; sanctify this thy fatherly correction, that they may search their ways, and see whence this visitation cometh. Have mercy upon all that are appointed to die, and grant that they omit nothing that is necessary to make their peace with thee, and tha. they may be delivered from death eternal. And God grant that we may apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, while we live here, which may, in the end, bring us to life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

NOON.

1 Tim. ii. 1. I exhort, that first of all, supplica tions, prayers, intercessions, and giving of thanks, be made for all men.

Acts xvii. 26. For we are all of one blood. And charity, that more excellent way, is a tender affection for the whole creation of God.

O God, almighty and merciful, let thy fatherly kindness be upon all whom thou hast made. Hear the prayers of all that call upon thee; open the eyes of them that never pray for themselves; pity the sighs of such as are in misery; deal mercifully with them that are in darkness; and increase the number of the graces of such as fear and serve thee daily. Preserve this land from the misfortunes of war;-this church from all dangerous errors; this people from forgetting thee, their Lord and Benefactor. Be gracious to all those countries that are made desolate by the sword, famine, pestilence, or persecution. Bless all persons and places to which thy providence has made me a debtor; all who have been instrumental to my good by their assistance, advice, or example; and make me in my turn, useful to others. Let none of those that desire my prayers want thy mercy; but defend, and comfort, and conduct them through to their lives' end.

"In every thing give thanks; for this is the will of God, in Christ Jesus, concerning you."

Cause us, O God, to profit by all the visitations of thy grace and mercy.

"It becometh well the just to be thankful."

O Lord and Father, I am not worthy of the least of all thy mercies, which thou hast showed thy servant, neither can I render due thanks and praise for them; but,' O Lord, accept of this my sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving.

For all the known, and for all the unobserved favours, deliverances, visitations, opportunities of doing good, chastisements, and graces of thy Holy Spirit, vouchsafed to me, I bless thy good providences; beseech

« AnteriorContinuar »