bless thee, Lord, that thou hast dealt well with me, and provided graciously for me. O continue thy goodness to me, in giving me knowledge and grace to demean myself aright in this relation; that I may honour and obey the Lord in reverencing and obeying my husband. Enable me to submit cheerfully to him in all things not forbidden by thee; and to speak of him, and to him, with such words, as shall mark the high esteem, and fervent love of my heart towards him. Enable me so to demean myself on all occasions as to give him satisfaction; that so his love towards me may be confirmed, and our mutual happiness increased. If at any time occasions of offence arise, teach me with silence, or with soft obliging words to quench the flames, and to keep the unity of the spirit in the bonds of peace. O give me that ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which in thy sight is of great price. Make me humble and modest, discreet and considerate, careful and diligent, faithful and constant, mild and patient; remembering not only the duties and comforts, but also the temptations and crosses, of the married state; and taking the worse with the better, as a part of my portion; showing myself herein a follower of wise and godly matrons. Bless my dear partner, O Lord, with the best of thy blessings; and love him, and keep him in thy continual care, till thou bring him to thy heavenly kingdom. O bind us both in faithfulness unto thee, as well as to one another. And as we are one flesh, so make us of one heart, and of one soul; that nothing but death may ever make a separation between us. And let our union be cemented, not merely by the considerations of honour and interest, but chiefly by an ardent longing for each other's spiritual and eternal : welfare that so we may admire, and love, and serve thee together in this world, and glorify thee together in the world to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE WIDOW'S PRAYER. O EVER-LIVING and all disposing God! thou hast taken from me the friend of my bosom, that was even as my own soul; and by the want, hast now taught me the worth, of that blessing, which I once enjoyed. I submit to thy righteous dispensations: and notwithstanding thy hand is heavy upon me, I confess that thou hast chastised me far less than my iniquities have deserved. I lament that I have provoked thee to anger: but, whatever has been the cause of thy judgements, deliver me from it, I most humbly beseech thee. Whereinsoever I have failed, either towards thee or towards my dear partner, O forgive it for thy mercy's sake in Christ Jesus. I bless thee for having brought me into a union with him. He was thy gift; and it was thy goodness that I enjoyed, and thy help and comfort that I found in him. And now thou canst supply to me, by thyself, what I received from thee by his hands. Thou art still the same Fountain of goodness, whatever means of conveyance thou cuttest off from us. O pity me, Lord, under the breach which thou hast been pleased to make upon me; and support me in the dejection of my heart; and guide and comfort me in all the perplexity of my thoughts. Withdraw not thou thyself from me, O my God, now that trouble is upon me; but make use of this bitter dispensation as the means of bringing me nearer to thyself, and of raising this heart of mine from the present world, to that better place, where I hope my dear friend is now in thine immediate presence. And now that I am a widow indeed, and desolate, enable me to trust in thee, my God, and to continue in supplications and prayers night and day. O thou that hast a peculiar care, and tender regard for the widows, be pleased to espouse my cause, and direct my path, and show me what I have to do, and fit me for every duty now incumbent upon me. Olet my Maker be my husband, to teach and help to defend and comfort me, to deal graciously with me, and to be all in all to me. And bring me safe, O my God, through this vale of misery, to the blessed kingdom of thy glory; for the sake of thy beloved Son, my only Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. THE ORPHAN'S PRAYER. O LORD my God! thou art he that took me out of my mother's womb; and art pleased to style thyself in a peculiar manner, the father of the fatherless. Now that I am left unto thee, mine eyes are upon thee, O my father, and I desire to pour out my soul before thee, and to entreat thy gracious favour. Have compassion on me, and leave me not desolate. Expose me not helpless and unprotected to the wants and dangers of this wicked world: but now that my father and mother have forsaken me, O Lord, do thou take me up; and be a father (and the best of fathers) to me, and still a gracious provider for me. Guide me, O my heavenly Father, and direct my friends also, who are concerned in the disposing of me and my affairs. O be thou pleased to choose my inheritance for me; and order all that concerns me for the promoting of thy glory, and the advancing of my present and everlasting happiness. Direct my designs, that they may be agreeable to thy blessed will; and bless and prosper my endeavours, that they may succeed according to my desire, and furnish me with continual occasions of praise and thanksgiving. My Lord, I commit myself to thee: O be thou my God and guide, even unto death. Be ever watchful over me for good, and preserve and keep me, and conduct and lead me, in all the variety of estates and affairs of this life, till thou hast brought me to inherit the blessed portion of thy children in that most sweet and glorious life, which shall never fail. Grant this, O merciful Father, for thy dear Son's sake, my only Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. THE AGED'S PRAYER. : O LORD of my life: thou art my God from the womb; my hope and trust from my youth. By thee I was brought into the world and upon thee have I lived all my days. O with what patience and longsuffering hast thou endured me! and with what loving kindness and tender mercies hast thou still prevented and followed me! how many have I seen snatched out of this life (as I fear miserably unprovided for their death;) whereas thou prolongest my days, and, together with more days, still addest new mercies to my life. O that the lengthening of my days may be a real benefit; and that, as my life is prolonged, so the whole work which God has given me to do, may be finished! may I redeem the time, and improve all the opportunities and means of grace which thou art pleased to put into my hands, for the everlasting advantage of my soul! And let my age be the good old age; and the remaining time of my sojourning here, be the best of all my time. Though my sight is dim to the world, let my eyes be ever towards the Lord, and open to see the things belonging to my peace. Though my ears are dull of hearing, let my heart be attentive to thy calls, and let me hear thy voice, while it is called To-day. Though I cannot (as formerly) relish the pleasures of meat and drink, yet let me taste the goodness of the Lord, and savour the things of the Spirit of God, and hunger and thirst after righteousness, and long for those pleasures which are at thy right hand for evermore. And though my limbs are weak, and my strength will not serve me to travel abroad as I have done; yet make me strong in the Lord, to do thy work, and to walk in thy ways, and to perform my great journey homeward, to my house eternal in the heavens. And, seeing there is no man that liveth and shall not see death, and the longer I have escaped it, the nearer I am now to it, and shall one day certainly fall by it, and must every day reckon upon it, and krow not but that my soul may this night be required of me: O let not my length of days tempt me to forget their end, or to put my last day far from me: but let me keep it ever in my prospect, as drawing nigh to me; that I may order all my concerns, not only like a stranger and sojourner, but as a dying man who is ready to drop into the grave, and as waiting, watching, and preparing for the coming of his Lord. O that at thy coming, thou mayest find me so doing! |