ducive to thine honour, and necessary to my own salvation. O let me be found faithful unto death, that thou mayest give me the crown of life; not for worthiness in me, but for the worthiness of thy dear Son, and for the sake of thy own tender mercies in Christ Jesus. Amen.

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A PRAYER FOR TEMPORAL BLESSINGS.

O LORD our God, thou knowest that while we are in this life, we stand in need of continual supplies for the support and nourishment of our bodies: and thou hast promised to impart them unto all who seek first thy kingdom, and the righteousness thereof.

Thou hast also commanded us to ask of thee our daily bread; and to cast our care upon thee, for all that is needful for us. I pray therefore to thee, my heavenly Father, for such a portion, as thy wisdom sees to be suited to my condition. While I have a life to be nourished, let me not want the supports and comforts of it. Give me skill and ability to provide for myself: and add thy blessing to my endeavours. Where I cannot supply all my own necessities, O do thou raise up friends to help me that I may never be destitute of food convenient for me. And having food and raiment, let me be therewith content. In prosperity, keep me from forgetting thee: and in adversity keep me from thinking myself forgotten of thee. O keep me from all unnecessary cares, and unprofitable disquietudes. Teach me how to want, as well as how to abound. Add to me, O my Father, what at any time thou knowest me to need; and bless to me every thing which thou bestowest; that my bodily comforts may

not be to me an occasion of falling, but rather an encouragement to my duty, and an incentive to me to abound in thy love and praise. And in the want of all other supplies and succours, be thou, O God, my all in all, in life and death, and for evermore, for Christ's sake. Amen.

A PRAYER IN PROSPERITY.

BLESSED God, rich in goodness and mercy! thou art the portion of my inheritance and of my cup: thou maintainest my lot. The lines are fallen to me in pleasant places; and I have a goodly heritage. I abound and am full of thy good things; and am surrounded on every side with thy mercies. Thou makest my affairs to succeed in such a manner, that I cannot but be pleased and satisfied with my condition; and desire with all my soul to acknowledge, and bless and praise thee, for all thy special favours, wherein thou hast made me to differ. Glory be to thee, O Lord, who hast dealt so well with thine unworthy servant; and signalized me with such great and manifold blessings. But when thou hast made my mountain to stand strong, I must not say in my prosperity, I shall never be moved. I know not what shall be on the morrow, nor how soon the sun may be hid, that now shines upon me. O Lord, help me, in the time of my health, and peace, and proserity, to remember and provide for the time of trouble, and sickness, and death; when the world's enjoyments will shrink away from me, and prove utterly unable to support and comfort me. Yea, because the prosperity of fools destroys them, and the gaining of the world is the loss of so many souls;

grant, O heavenly Father, that this world may not be my portion, that I may not abuse the world's good to thy dishonour, and my own undoing; nor turn the gifts of thy bounty into weapons of rebellion against thee. But enable me to use them in thy fear; and to do thee better service in proportion to the obligations thou layest upon me. 0 make me as willing, as thou hast made me able, to refresh the bowels of my poorer brethren; and to give to them as freely as I myself have received. Let not my riches be kept to my hurt; but rather be laid out to do myself and others the most substantial good. As I have opportunity, let me do good to all; especially to them who are of the household of faith.

O gracious Lord! take the snare out of my worldly enjoyments; and preserve me from the danger and destruction that so commonly attend a full and prosperous condition. And rather deprive me of all my earthly possessions, than suffer them to impede my progress towards thy heavenly kingdom. O let me not want the affliction which thou knowest to be needful for my salvation. And though thou makest me poor, or givest me trouble, let me be contented, and bless thy name, as well when thou takest from me, as when thou givest to me. whatever I have here to enjoy, O let me never set my heart upon it; nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the ever living God, who alone can be a suitable portion for my immortal soul. O preserve me from pride and forgetfulness of God, from love of the world, and from all other vices and corruptions incident to a high and plentiful estate. And let none of my abundance or success in the world, ever puff me up with a proud conceit of myself, or a scornful

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disdain of others, or a wanton kicking against the Lord. O let it not turn me from thee: but with the cords of love do thou draw me nearer to thyself. And with all my other plenty, let me, O my God, enjoy the fulness of thy grace, and be rich in faith and good works. And with all my other successes, O that my soul may prosper, and be made glad with thy saving mercy, and thy favourable acceptance of me in Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR A BLESSING ON OUR INTENDED

MARRIAGE.

O MY God, thy bountiful favours have exceeded all my expectations, as well as my deserts: and though I have wretchedly abused thy kindness and love, yet still thou waitest to be gracious; and art not weary of showing mercy. Now thy good providence, O Lord, is opening a way for my future settlement in life if thou knowest it to be for my good, O Lord of love, promote and bring it to pass. But grant that I may proceed in thy fear; and that while I am seeking to have my own designs accomplished, I may have a just regard to the glory of thy name, and desire nothing any further than it shall conduce to the eternal welfare of myself, and of thy servant, on whom my thoughts and affections are fixed. O give me such a partner of my fortunes, as may be a blessing to me, for this life and a better. And make us truly beneficial and comfortable to one another in all the best respects, pertaining to our chiefest good. Grant, Lord, that we may be helps meet for each other, in reference to both worlds; and that our love may be sincere without guile; pure without

wantonness; and lasting without decay. O thou that fashionest all hearts, unite our affections upon truly Christian principles, that they may not speedily decline, but remain firm and durable to the end. Unite both of us to thy blessed self, as well as to each other; that our marriage may be in the Lord; and that it may not separate us from thee, but bring us nearer to thee. O grant us new supplies of thy grace, for this new estate of our lives: that we may fill up the relation into which we are entering, as becomes thy people. Let us not only be faithful, in keeping the marriage-bed undefiled; but be mutual helps and comforts, both in our temporal and spiritual concerns; and ever conspire together, to promote our mutual edification and comfort. Above all, let us live to glorify and praise thee our God, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR BLESSING, DIRECTION, HELP, AND GOOD SUCCESS, IN ANY GREAT ENTERPRISE.

O LORD God, infinitely wise and good, who teachest man knowledge, and givest both the skill and power to accomplish our purposes; I know not what to do: but mine eyes are upon thee; and all my expectation is from thee; and I desire continually to wait and call, and depend upon thee. It is a great work which I have now to do: but O how little strength to do it! All my sufficiency is of thee, who workest in us to will and to do, of thy good pleasure. Thou that hast been my help, leave me not, nor forsake me, O God of my salvation: but let me be taught of God, what I have to do: and let the