right mixture of fear and faith, to keep me in an even temper, between presuming and desparing, that no crosses or evils coming upon me, may ever make my faith to fail or sink me down into such consternations as to unfit me for my duty; and that no successes, and fair prospects of the world's good before me, may harden me into a wretched boldness with thee, nor lift me up into wantonness and stubbornness against thee; but that I may keep up an awful regard of thy glorious Majesty, and a dutiful respect to all thy holy commands everniore. Amen.

A Prayer for the Love of God.

THOU infinite goodness and love, who art most sweet and amiable in thyself! and most full of invitation, for all thy own glorious excellencies, and unspeakable perfections; and also for thy loving kindness, and all the wonders of thy mercy and bounty to thy creatures! It is the riches of thy grace to make us capable of this blessed privilege, to love thee: Beyond which the highest angels know no greater bliss: Yea, thou hast not only given us capacities for it, but the greatest obligations to engage our hearts to it. Yet, after all the reasons and motives which we have to love our God, O how poor and defective has been my love! Yea, in what strangeness, and enmity to thee, Lord, have I lived! It is my sin and shame, and misery, to be so listless and backward to thy love. O my God, I have done foolishly and wickedly, in forsaking the fountain of living waters, to hew to myself the broken cisterns, that can hold no water; shutting my heart against the love of my chiefest good, who hast still been doing me good; and laid fresh obligations upon me with thy renewed favours every day: And preferring

any trifles and vanities of this present time; yea, and the satisfaction of my own foolish and hurtful lusts, above thee and thy love, which is better than life.

O good God, be thou pleased to pardon all the defects of my love to thee, and all the excesses of my love to earthly things; and turn my inclinations and affections from all vain objects to thy blessed· self, who art the worthiest of all love. And, to conquer all my prejudice, and for ever win my heart, O shew thyself to me as a pardoning God: full of compassion, ready to forgive and willing to save me. Yea, make me to know so much of the love wherewith thou hast loved me, that I may make better returns of love to the gracious Giver of all my good. Touch my heart with such a powerful sense of thy loveliness and thy loving kindness, that I may experience stronger desires and inclinations after thee, and greater complacence and delight in thee; and may love all other things in comparison of my best and dearest Lord, as if I loved them not.

The Lord direct my heart into the love of God; and shed abroad and increase thy love in my heart, that I may love the Lord my God with all my heart and soul and mind and might. O disgrace to me all such tempting things of the world as would draw away my love from thyself; and so discover thyself to my soul, as may take my heart: that this heart of mine which has been so cold and dull, and dead to thy love, may feel its mighty warmth and power; and from complaining of the want, may come to rejoice in the abundance of it. O my life, my hope, and joy, that hast so much and eternally obliged me! give me the grace and the power to love thee: Let me be still longing to appear before thee, and delight in the duties that bring me nigh to thee, and

that help me to communion with thee. Increase my love to thy word, and to all the things of thy Spirit and grace; and let me take more satisfaction and pleasure in the light of thy countenance than in the increase of corn and wine, and all the most desired enjoyments of this life. O let me not rest in the gifts, forgetting the bountiful Giver of every good thing, but draw and join my heart, dear Lord, still nearer to thyself with the cords of love. And together with all my enjoyments in the world, O let me enjoy still more of thee, my God; in the enjoyment of whom consists all my true life and peace, and happiness, here and for ever. Engage to thyself, O my Lord, the chief and choicest affections of my heart; and take it, the willing captive of thy love: And help me still to verify my love of God, by hating of evil, and keeping thy commands, and delight. ing to do thy will, O my God. Let the desire of my soul, the care of my heart, and the endeavour of my life, be to observe and please thee. And to secure my heart, Lord, to thee, that I may nct turn away from thee; but may be rooted and grounded in thy love; and through thy good help and grace, may keep myself in the love of God, looking for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ to eternal life. Amen.

A Prayer for Hope.

LORD God of hope, the blessed founder of all our great and glorious expectations! thou hast promised thy people such bliss and glory as is not only above all our deserts to enjoy, but above all our very thoughts to conceive. Yet it is not too great for thy Almighty hand and thy boundless love to give: And because thou givest so like thyself; and hast made preparations for thy people, answer.

able to thy own infinite greatness and goodness, therefore thou art not ashamed to be called their God. None has seen, or can tell, or think the things which thou, O God, hast laid up for them that love thee. But it is good to hope, and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord. Even in dark days and perilous times, that make us know adversity, and threaten us still with more; yet patiently to wait for what we hope, till he that hides his face from us cause the light of his countenance to break out upon us.

O my God! give me such a hope as may lift up my head and strengthen my heart, and embolden my spirit against all temptations and discouragements of the present time; that I may never yield to any consternations, so as to destroy my faith and hope, and unfit me for my work and thy service. O give me for a helmet the hope of salvation; that hope which may be as the anchor of my soul, sure and steadfast. O let me hope and praise thee more and more! and rejoice in the hope that leaveth not ashamed: yea, and hold fast the rejoicing of my hope firm to the end.

And though I am sinful and unworthy, yet let me hope in the Lord, with whom is mercy, and plenteous redemption, to redeem his people from all their iniquities. O gracious God, infinitely good! I could have no hope but in thy tender mercies in thy beloved Son, and in thy faithful promises; which do give assurance of pardon and acceptance to all that humbly and believingly apply themselves to thee, in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ. But I beseech thee, O Lord, remember thy word to thy servant, upon which thou hast caused me to hope. O seal me with that Holy Spirit of promise, which is the earnest of our inheritance, that I may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy

Ghost. O let Christ in me be my hope of glory : And having this hope in me, help me to purify myself, as my Lord is pure, that my hopes may be rational and well-grounded hopes, to see and enjoy the Lord, and to live in thy kingdom and glory most blessed for evermore. Amen.

A Prayer for Charity.

MOST gracious and merciful Lord our God, who art very goodness and love itself; thou hast commanded, that he who loveth thee should love his brother also! yea, that we should love our neighbour as ourselves. Father of mercies, forgive me all my sins of uncharitableness; and give me a heart to abound with loving kindness to all the partakers of my nature, that are the work of thy hands, and sharers in my hope. Let me not despise any for their low estate, nor hate any for their abusive carriage, nor cast off any as reprobate, for their scandalous wickedness; but be kindly affectioned unto all; desirous of their holiness and happiness, and contributing what lies in me to promote it; shewing the mercy which thou knowest I need; and forgiving others as I myself desire to be forgiven; yea, ready to distribute and willing to communicate. And as I would be glad to find favour and receive supply of my own wants, give me, O gracious God, a large heart, and according to my ability, an open hand, that I may give cheerfully, and sow plentifully while I have time, doing good unto all men, especially to them that are of the household of faith; yea loving the opportunities of such well doing; and blessing thy name, who hast so blest and enabled me; and refreshing my own bowels, in making the loins of the poor to bless me.