night, and bestowed on us another day. O grant that on this day we may meditate on thy law with joyful veneration, and keep it in all our actions with firm obedience.

And, O thou bestower of all good, while it shall please thee to continue our easy tasks in this life, grant us strength to perform them as faithful servants; and when in thy wisdom thou shalt see fit to end them, admit us, not weighing our unworthiness, but through thy mercy declared in Christ, into thy heavenly mansions, that we may continually advance in happiness by advancing in true knowledge and awful love of thee. May the grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all for Amen.

evermore.

PRAYER XXXI.

A daily private prayer, suited to one who sustains the relations of father, master and husband, but which may be modified so as to be adapted to mothers, wives and mistresses, and, by the omission of certain parts, to any Christians.

O eternal Almighty, most holy but merciful Lord God; vouchsafe to hear the prayers of a poor sinful creature, who comes to thee weary and heavy laden with the burthen of his sins, but asking mercy and grace in the name of thy son Jesus Christ. O God, my sins are numerous and aggravated. My heart is hard. My mind is dark. My thoughts

are vain. My words are idle. I mispend my precious time. I abuse my talents. I neglect my duty. I forget thee, and disregard thy laws. I am earthly, sensual, devilish; being too much taken up with the things of this life; being under the power of my fleshly lusts, and having in me the evil tempers of the wicked one. I am prone to peevishness and anger. I fail in the duties of every relation of life. I want true love.

But, O God, guilty and wretched as I am, thou hast promised pardon and grace even to such as me. O that thou wouldst give me to see and feel the dreadful evil of sin, and make me truly to repent of all that is sinful in my heart and life. O that thou wouldst increase my faith in Jesus Christ, and fill my heart with his love. O that thou wouldst give me the constant help and comfort of thy Holy Spirit, that I may perform every duty aright, and rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. O that thou wouldst give me grace to overcome sin, so that it may not have the dominion over me. O for a heart weaned from the world, and devoted to God. O for the graces of charity, meekness, sincerity, truth, justice, diligence, zeal, and purity. O for a loving heart to God and man. O for a tender conscience and self-denying temper, a morified body, an humble spirit, a faithful soul, a heart ever thankful, a mind ever contented, and a will

always readily and cheerfully acquiescing in all the dispensations of Providence. O that it may ever be the chief desire of my soul, and constant labor of my life, to do good in the station wherein thou hast placed me.

For my children, O God, the prayer and desire of my heart is that they may be saved. Ever keep far from me all ambitious desires for them in this life. To thee and thy service I desire unreservedly to dedicate them. Teach me how, and give me grace, by example, instruction and godly discipline, to bring them up in thy nurture and admonition. Preserve them, O God, from the faults they behold in me, and let not my unworthiness prevent thy blessings from descending upon them. O that thou wouldst give me more patience, more love, more tenderness, more watchfulness, and more anxious solicitude for them. O that thou wouldst give thy Holy Spirit to them, that it may convert their souls to thee, and save them from everlasting misery.

O heavenly Master, hear me while I lift up my heart in prayer for those unfortunate beings who call me master. O God, make known unto me my whole duty towards them and their oppressed race, and give me courage and zeal to do it at all events. Convince me of sin, if I be wrong in retaining them another moment in bondage. While they are with me, give me grace to render unto them

what is just and equal, remembering that I have a master in heaven. Give me an earnest desire and longing for their spiritual welfare, and direct me into the best means of promoting it. Preserve me from all impatience and anger, and from all unreasonable expectations from them; from all unkindness of language, manner, or conduct towards them; from indulging a suspicious and complaining temper, and from that threatening which the Apostle forbids. May I take a generous pleasure in con-. tributing to their happiness, and never suffer them to want for that food and raiment, and those other comforts which they so richly deserve at my hands. Bless the labor of their hands to our common benefit, and may the earth yield its fruits for our com. mon use. But, above all, O God, convert their immortal souls by thy Spirit, and give them the glorious liberty of the sons of God.

I invoke thy blessing, also, O God, upon her whom thou hast given to be my companion in life. May I always love her, and never be bitter against her. May it ever be my delight to promote all her reasonable wants and desires. May she prove a great blessing to myself, my children and servants. Grant us a more pure and spiritual affection towards each other; and may our prayers ascend together fervently and effectually to a throne of grace; and, O God, if such a prayer be allowgrace;

able, long may she be spared to her unworthy husband.

O God, enlarge my heart in love towards all mankind. Give me a candid, charitable and loving spirit towards all the followers of Christ. Give me a perfect sincerity in all matters of difference among Christians. May truth and thy glory be the only objects at which I aim.

May I ever take works which thy

a lively interest in all the good servants are promoting upon earth, and never be wanting in the most active and liberal assistance which my ability and opportunity will allow me to afford. O God, prosper thou all benevolent and religious institutions, and, especially, be with thy missionary servants in foreign lands, so that the glorious time may speedily arrive, when the whole world shall be covered with the knowledge of the Lord.

O God, be with me this day in all places and employments. Keep me this day from all evil, especially from sin. Set a guard before my mouth, and keep the door of my lips. May the spirit of Christ be in my heart, and the law of kindness on my tongue. May my conscience be void of offence both towards God and man. May I never be unmindful of thy presence; and ever may I think, speak and act as one soon to die, and to be eternally rewarded or punished according to the deeds