ing after. We are partakers every moment of thy bounty, of thy gospel; and we hope, in some measure, partakers of the grace of it operating on our hearts. O may it operate more and more, that we may largely partake of thine holiness too; that we may come nearer and nearer in the temper of our minds to thee, O blessed God! Let our souls be melted in the furnace, if we may but thereby be made fit for being delivered into the mould of thy gospel, and bearing thy bright and amiable image for ever. Amen.

PRAYER FOR A FAMILY.

When any Member of it is Sick; to be used either Morning or Evening.

Most great and glorious God; thou art the maker, and sovereign Lord of all! Thou killest and thou makest alive; thou woundest and thou healest; thou bringest down to the gates of the grave, and thou raisest up again! And thou dost according to thy will in the armies of heaven, and among all the inhabitants of the earth: and none can stay thine hand, or say unto thee, "What doest thou?"

Yet righteous art thou in all thy ways, holy in all thy works, and good in all the

dispensations of thy providence towards the children of men; even in those which are afflictive, and, for the present, not joyous but grievous !

We believe that thou dost never willingly afflict nor grieve the children of men; but that it is only if need be, that we, or any belonging to us, are at any time in heaviness through trials and distresses!

Although, therefore, thou hast now visited our family with sickness; and we are humbling ourselves under thy mighty hand; yet we would still adore, and love, and bless thy holy name.

We desire, at this season, to bless and praise thee, O Lord, for all the past mercies with which thou hast visited us and our household! God forbid that the present trouble and suffering should make us forget those many, those constant benefits. wherewith thou hast been daily loading us! How great is the sum of them! More than the hairs of our heads, and innumerable as the sands upon the sea shore !

How long have we enjoyed family comforts and blessings, without any interrup tion! How long has each member of our house been favoured with health and ease, and numberless bodily mercies! How long has thy candle shone upon our tabernacle,

without any interposing cloud! Blessed be thy good and holy name, O Lord, for these constant, these never ceasing favours! We are less than the least of all the mercy and of all the truth thou hast caused to pass before us. And when we consider how unworthy our sins have rendered us of the least notice and regard from thee; when we consider how we have exposed ourselves, by our numberless transgressions, to thine anger, and all the dreadful effects of it, both in time and to eternity, we are amazed that we are yet alive. We are astonished that, instead of suffering so little as we have, we are not sinking under the weight of thine heavy indignation! The least mercy we receive from thee is more than we deserve, and the greatest affliction less! Blessed be thy condescending goodness and compassion, that thou hast opened the way for our relief, under every mortal trouble, by thus directing in thy word," Is any man afflicted? let him pray!" To thee, O Father of mercies, do we direct our supplications at this time! O Lord, be not far from us when trouble is so near! In an entire submission to the determinations of thy wise and holy will, do we now earnestly pray for thy servant under thine afflicting hand, whose sickness fills

us with so much concern. Look upon him (or her) in his low estate, and remember him, because thy mercy endureth for ever! Suffer not, we beseech thee, O Lord, the disorder to proceed! Let not this sickness be unto death, but to the glory of God! Thou knowest his frame, Lord, lay no more upon him than thou wilt enable him to bear! And O thou great Physician, without whom all others are of no value, do thou direct to the most proper and suitable means, and give thy blessing, and the desired success in the use of them! And in thy due time restore thy servant to health and strength again; and to a capacity for honouring and serving thee in his family, and the world about him. In the mean time we desire and pray that the affliction may be sanctified to him (or her) Blessed is the man whom thou chastenest, O Lord, and teachest out of thy law ! Give him that patience and resignation that is so necessary and becoming in his condition! Look upon his affliction and pain, and forgive all his sin! And may he be raised up from his sick bed to praise thy name, to pay those vows which he makes in trouble, in the assemblies of thy saints, and to walk before thee in the land of the living!

And, O Lord, help us that are now in health to be preparing for sickness! Let not the youngest of us glory in our strength or vigour; but may we use our various talents in a course of well doing; that so, whenever thou shalt call any of us to our chambers and beds of sickness, we may not be affrighted at the summons. But may we then have those consolations which the world can neither give nor take away!

Now unto God, the only wise, be glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen.

A FAMILY PRAYER.

For Resignation when any Member has been removed by death.

O thou Father of our Spirits, we would lay our hands on our mouths, and fall down now before thee, humbly to own thy sovereign right to dispose of us, and all we have and are, as thou pleasest; we are in thy hands as the clay in the hand of the potter. May our language be, "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good!" "The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away, and blessed be the name of the Lord!" We desire to know wherefore the Lord is contending with us.