having thee for my God, and chiefest good, and my most gracious Father in Jesus Christ. O Lord, give me thyself, and then I have all; and for that best of gifts, I will bless thy name for ever more. Amen.

The Master of a Family, his Prayer.

MOST high God, the great Lord of all,

whose providence disposes the several ranks of men in the world; and thy word gives rules to masters, as well as servants, how to demean them. selves in their respective places. It is thou, my Lord, who hast made me the head of this house: O that I may walk in it with an upright heart; and not shelter any ill thing offensive to God or man, under my roof! but countenancing the pious, correcting the vicious, and yielding myself a pattern of all that good which ought to be seen in the rest; let me so command my children, and my household after me, that they may keep the way of the Lord. And as for me and my house, let us ever in faithfulness serve the Lord. O that there may not be a hypocrite, nor an unrenewed profane person among us. Let not me that am called a master, myself serve sin, nor be enslaved by my own passions and lusts; but have the dominion over myself; and keep my eyes ever waiting upon the Lord my God, even as the eyes of servants are in the hands of their masters.

O that my wife may be the spouse of Christ; my children the children of God; my servants the servants of the Lord! and all the members of my family the true members of thy church, and the constant followers of all that is laudable and good. Let me not carry myself with rigour and a high hand, or despise the cause even of my servants; but with pa

tience and fairness hear them; and give unto them that which is just and equal, knowing that I also have a master in heaven. Let me not insult over any that are under the yoke; nor be severe and cruel to them; nor oppress and defraud them in their wages, nor any rewards or encouragements that they may justly expect from me. But let my dealings with them, and my usage of them, be upright and candid, merciful and kind; taking care of their bodies and their souls, of their maintenance and their carriage, and all that concerns them as their benign patron, and their faithful friend; and treating them with all due regard, as my brethren and fellow servants, and my equals in the worship of God, with whom is no respect of persons. O give me, Lord, an understanding heart and prudent conduct, and such a spirit of government that I may go in and out before my people as one that is taught of God, and commanding nothing but in the Lord, according to thy will, and for the advancement of thy glory,

O bless my house, Lord, and preserve it from vice and ungodliness, and from all disorders and dangers, aud make it a nursery of virtue and piety, and all that is exemplary, and of good report. Direct, O God, and help us every one in the discharge of our several offices; that we may employ ourselves as we ought, and with quietness do our own business; never forgetting, but above all respecting and pursuing the great work of the Lord, for which thou didst send us into the world. O keep us all evermore in thy fear and love; safe under thy tuition and upon the holy way to thy heavenly kingdom; through thy mercy to us all, in our common Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Servant's Prayar.

GOD, the Father Almighty, maker of heaven and earth! it is the ordination of thy good providence, that there should be various ranks and degress of men; and that I should be disposed of in the station where now I am. Wherefore I submit, Lord, to thy most wise appointment of allthings; and desire, with content and thankfulness, to accept of my portion, how low soever in the world. If my blessed Redeemer, who is Lord of all, would take upon him the form of a servant, and conde. scend even to the meanest offices for the service of our souls; O why should I be aggrieved to be a servant under the yoke? when in serving man as I ought, I do also serve the Lord; and though bound to others I may be the Lord's freeman: yea, in faithfully discharging the duties of my place, I shall be as acceptable to my God as any that enjoy the highest station. I leave it to thee, O Lord of all, to choose my inheritance for me. Only I beg at thy hands that my lot may fall where my soul may prosper, though I work or fare the harder. For if my soul do well, I shall be for ever happy. If my heart be right with God, I shall have his blessed countenance and love. And if I be found in the way of righteousness, I shall be exalted in due time, however abased at present. O my supreme Lord! let it not be so much my care to get higher in the world, as to get more in thy favour, wherein is life. Let it be more my concern, to fill my place, and discharge my duty with faithfulness, than to change it for more ease, profit or honour.

O let me not be the servant of sin, but enjoy the blessed liberty wherewith Christ Jesus sets all his people free; the liberty from sinful bondage, the liberty to follow my Lord carefully, and to run the way

of thy commands with an enlarged heart. And, Lord, be thou pleased to fit me for, and teach and help me in the service to which I am called; that I may perform it to the glory of thy name, to the pleasure and welfare of those whom I serve, and my own true advantage and comfort. O make me true and faithful, careful and diligent, humble and obedient, meek and patient, fair and peaceable; doing the business of my place, not with eye-service as a man-pleaser; but in singleness of heart, fearing God. Not cross and froward, but apt to bear, and deny myself; not answering again, to stir up wrath; but with silence and submission, following the things that make for peace; not debasing my master to set off myself; nor doing him any damage for my own filthy lucre, or fleshly pleasure; but tendering his credit and interest, as one that would be found faithful in the sight of my God, who evermore seest in secret, and searchest the very heart and make me, I beseech thee, such every way towards thee, that thou mayest mercifully accept me, and all my service, for the sake of thy beloved Son, my blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen..

The Soldier's Prayer.

LORD God of hosts! who hast all the crea

tures in heaven and in earth ready to fight thy battles, and execute thy pleasure! thou didst not sow any seeds of enmity in our nature; but didst create man endued with all the principles of love and dispositions to peace. It is from our lust and sins, that the wars and fightings come amongst us. First we fell out with our God, and our happiness; and ever şince it is a contentious,quarrelsome world that we live in, where restless men are jostling one another, and striving for that ease and content which the world has

not for them. Now that I am in this military station, O Lord, instruct and enable me to behave myself therein as I ought. O make me the faithful soldier of Jesus Christ, in that spiritual warfare, wherein I am to combat with the enemies that war against my soul. And that I may have peace with my God, let me have no peace with my sins, nor any part or lot with the rebels against heaven; nor be carried away with any ungodly example, into such wickedness, against which thou, O God, hast declared thy wrath from heaven.

grant that I may never so strive with my Maker, nor allow myself in such a habit of mind, and course of life, as are enmity against God; but ever dread more to fall into thy hands than their's, that can but kill the body; and shew myself the more zealous for thee, the more I see others set themselves against thee. O Lord most high! make me valiant for thy cause, as well as that for man, wherein I am now engaged. And preserve me, O my God, from the profaneness and blasphemy, the lewdness and debauchery, the rudeness and violence that are most incident to men of this profession; that I may not be infected with their contagion, but preserve my integrity, amidst all the temptations wherewith I am surrounded.

Though the sword is in my hand, let the peace of God rule in my heart; and though I am a soldier, let me not be a man of blood, delighting in war; but a ready servant of my country, a faithful instrument for our common defence and safety, and a dutiful subject to the powers ordained of God, for the Lord's sake. O my strength and my Redeemer, strengthen my heart and hands for the service to which I am called; and make me successful and victorious, through thy blessing and power from on high. It is thou, Lord, only, that makest us to dwell in safety;