with all fincerity of heart. Engraft upon my Soul all that meekness and contentednefs, that patience and refignation, with which the Saviour of the world bore pain and fuffering. And though, with forrow and confufion of face, I confess it, I have not at all times held fast Integrity, yet do thou, O Father of mercies and God of all comfort, accept the repentance of a heart, that fincerely returns to thee, and give me that peace, which paffeth all un derstanding. And this I beg for Jefus Chrift's fake. Amen. A Prayer in Confinement. * my Holy Lord God, who wouldeft not the death of a Sinner, but rather that he should turn from his wickedness and live: Lord, convert my Soul, remove my Sins, and frame my heart, affections, and life accord Art of Patience by the Author of the Whole Duty of Man. according to thy bleffed will. Thou who heareft the poor, and defpifeft not the wretched captive, vifit all that are bound: Lord, hear them in an acceptable time, and help them in the day of Salvation: preferve the opprefled and defpifed of men: fay unto the prisoners, Go forth, and to them that are in darkness, fhew yourselves: bind up the broken hearted, proclaim liberty to the captives, and open the prifon to them that are fhutup: comfort them taht mourn, let their deep fighing come before thee; and according to the greatness of thy power, preferve thou them that are appointed to die. Lord, lift thou up my head, enlarge my feet and bring me out of all bondage, that I may live to serve and praise thee in the Affembly of thy Servants: However thou pleafelt to difpofe of me, let all my fufferings redound to thy Glory, and my own Salvation: give me patience R to to endure, and a conftancy to depend on thee, a firm faith to apprehend thy promifes, and a hope to expect thy faving health: confider my weakness, and lay no more upon me, than thou wilt enable me to bear chearfully: fanctify my afflictions, and make them good to me in the fruits of righteoufnefs, which thou haft laid up for all thofe that reft on thee. Hear me, O Lord, and let my cry come unto thee, and have mercy upon me. Amen. A Prayer for Patience. * Moft gracious God, let not the Spirit of Impatience poffefs me, whereby I may in any measure incur thy difpleasure : Thou art my Maker, O let me not ftrive with thee, I am the work of thine hands, and therefore with thee there is no contending. If I provoke thee, by ftruggling From the fame. ftruggling under the yoke of affliction, the End thereof will be gall to my mouth, and bitterness to my confcience. But, O Lord, it is not my punishment thou purfueft after : it is my repentance, and amendment of life; and what thou art pleased to inflict upon me, is only to recall me to my duty; which, when I have perfeâly learnt, I know thou will fully reward and recompenfe my patience, that I may poffefs my own Soul in the day of the Lord Jefus. O thou who art the wife difpofer of all things, both in Heaven and "Earth, let me look up to thee, from whence cometh affliction, and then infpect my own heart, where I fhall. find out the real caufe: O let nothing then seem to perplex me, which thou, in thy good pleasure, knoweft to be advantageous, but let me ever be content to drink of the bittereft cup of affliction which thou haft al-. lotted me. O let thy good Spirit ftill frive with me, and draw me R 2 unto unto thee with the cords of thy love. It is of thy tender mercies that I am not confumed, but I know that thy compaffion fails not towards poor and wretched Sinners. Lord! give me grace to perform this duty, and fay of my affliction, as thou O Jefus didft of thy bitter cup and paffion-Father! if it be thy will, let this cup pass from me: yet not will but thine be done. Amen. my A preparatory Prayer for the Almighty Lord God, who haft appointed a day wherein thou wilt bring all the world to Judgment, with every fecret thing, whether it be good or whether it be “evil: make me to try my Soul, daily and hourly, at the bar of my own confcience, that, accufing and judging myself for my Sins and Tranf greffions, From the fame. |