his kindness to me, or traffic with me. Forgive me all those sins and irregular actions by which I entered. into debt farther than my necessity required, or by which such necessity was brought upon me: but let not them suffer by occasion of my sin. Lord, reward all their kindness into their bosoms, and make them recompence where I cannot, and make me very willing in all that I can, and able for all that I am obliged: or if it seem good in thine eyes to afflict me by the continuance of this condition, yet make it up by some means to them, that the prayer of thy servant may obtain of thee at least to pay my debt in blessings. Amen.

V.

LORD, sanctify and forgive all that I have tempted to evil by my discourse or my example: instruct them in the right way whom I have led to error, and let me never run farther on the score of sin; but do thou blot out all the evils I have done by the sponge of thy passion, and the blood of thy cross; and give me a deep and an excellent repentance, and a free and a gracious pardon; that thou mayest answer for me, 0 Lord, and enable me to stand upright in judgment; for in thee, O Lord, have I trusted, let me never be confounded. Pity me, and instruct me, guide me and support me, pardon me and save me, for my sweet Saviour Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.

A Prayer for Patrons and Benefactors.

O Almighty God, thou Fountain of all good, of all excellency, both to men and angels, extend thine

abundant favour and loving-kindness to my patron, to all my friends and benefactors: reward them, and make them plentiful recompence for all the good which from thy merciful providence they have conveyed unto me. Let the light of thy countenance shine upon them, and never let them come into any affliction or sadness, but such as may be an instrument of thy glory and their eternal comfort. Forgive them all their sins: let thy divinest Spirit preserve them from all deeds of darkness. Let thy ministering angels guard their persons from the violence of the spirits of darkness. And thou who knowest every degree of their necessity by thy infinite wisdom, give supply to all their needs by thy glorious mercy, preserving their persons, sanctifying their hearts, and leading them in the ways of righteousness, by the waters of comfort, to the land of eternal rest and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

CHAP. IV.

OF CHRISTIAN RELIGION.

RELIGION in a large sense doth signify the whole duty of man, comprehending in it justice, charity, and sobriety because all these being commanded by God, they become a part of that honour and worship which we are bound to pay to him. And thus the word is used in St. James: Pure Religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, to visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and keep himself unspotted from the world. (James i. 27.) But in a more restrained sense it is taken for that part of duty which particularly relates to God in our worshippings and adoration of him, in confessing his excellencies, loving his person, admiring his goodness, believing his word, and doing all that which may in a proper and direct manner do him honour. It contains the duties of the first table only, and so it is called Godliness, (Titus ii. 12.) and is by St. Paul distinguished from Justice and Sobriety. In this sense I am now to explicate the parts of it.

Of the Internal Actions of Religion.

Those I call the internal actions of religion, in which the soul only is employed, and ministers to God in the special actions of Faith, Hope, and Charity. Faith believes the revelations of God: Hope expects his promises; and Charity loves his excellencies and