Obrazy na stronie
PDF
ePub

perfevere;-and may I never wilfully give way to any diftracting thoughts. May I wait with patience, and leave it to Thee, my God and Father, how and when to grant my petitions. He that has learned to pray as he ought, has got the fecret of an holy life. It is of greater advantage to us than we imagine, that God does not grant our petitions immediately. We learn by that, that whereunto we have already attained, it was the gift of God.

The best way to prevent wandering in prayer is, not to let the mind wander too much at other times; but to have God always in our minds in the whole courfe of our lives. The end of prayer is not to inform God, but to give man a fight of his own mifery; to raise his foul towards heaven, and to put him in mind, that there is his Father and his inheritance.

Matth. vii. 7. Afk, and it shall be given you. Grant me, Lord, a faith which fhall make me knów my wants,

that

that I may ask them with earnestness and humility, and depend upon thy gracious promife.

The DUTIES of a CHRISTIAN.

That man leads a fincere Chriftian life,

ift. Who endeavours to ferve and obey God to the best of his understanding and power.

2dly. Who ftrives to please his neighbour to edification.

3dly. Who endeavours to do his duty in that state of life unto which it has pleafed God to call him.

Whoever would continue in the practice of these things unto his life's end, it is neceffary that he should— call himself often to an account, whether he does fo or not;-conftantly pray for grace to know, and to do his duty;-and preferve himself in fuch a teachable temper as to be always ready

to

to receive the truth, when it is fairly proposed to him.

It is a rudeness amongst men to afk a favour, and not stay for an answer. And do we count it no fault to pray for bleffings, and never to think of them afterwards,-never to wait for them,-never to give God thanks for them.

Let us make prayer familiar to us; for without the help of God, we are every hour in danger.

The Devil knows, that when we have a relish for prayer, and apply ourselves in good earneft to it, we are in the way of life; he therefore strives by all ways poffible to divert us.

7

Let us not run over our prayers with an insensible and distracted mind.

Let your prayers be as particular as may be, against the fins of your particular state, and for the graces which you in particular do moft ftand in need of. This is the beft prefervative against fin;-makes us beft acquainted with our condition;-puts us conti

nually

ually in mind of mending what is amifs;-lets us fee what particular graces we moft want, what are most needful for the cure of our own particular corruption and diforder;-and is the best trial of our hearts. For example; if I pray for charity, and for every inftance which is neceffary to render me truly charitable, I pray for graceto avoid evil-speaking, to pray for my enemies,-to do them good, &c. and fo of all other fins and

graces. God grant that I may never feek his face in vain!

Luke xi. 1. Lord, teach us to pray. Pour upon us the spirit of fupplication and prayer.

God will deny us nothing that we afk in the name of his Son.

PRAYERS through Jefus Chrift.

When we offer our prayers through his mediation, it is then be that prays, bis love that intercedes, his blood that pleads, it is he who obtains all from his Father.

PRE

PREPARATORY PRAYER.

O Holy Spirit of grace! give us a true fight of our miferies, and a fincere fhame and forrow, when we make confeffion of our fins ;-a feeling fenfe of our need of mercy, and an hope of obtaining pardon, when we beg it for thy Son's fake. May we refign our wills to Thee and to thy goodness, when we pray for temporal things; -and when we pray for fpiritual graces, may we hunger and thirst after righteoufnefs. Give us a real love for thy Holy Word, and grace to hear it with attention. May we thankfully close with all the means of grace and falvation. When we praise Thee for thy works of nature and of grace, and give Thee thanks for thy mercies, let us do it with high esteem and gratitude. Caufe us to hear thy Holy Word with faith and attention, and to profit by what we hear, that we may return from thy church with a bleffing.

Morning

« PoprzedniaDalej »