O thou that hast shown thyself graciously on my behalf, and hast brought me hitherto, I beseech thee, cast me not off, nor abandon me to myself, who am a reed shaken with the wind, a leaf driven to and fro; but let me still experience thy help at hand, and find thee to be an all-sufficient God, performing all things for me. I will go forth in the strength of the Lord God, and trust in the Lord Jehovah, in whom is everlasting strength. O my Lord! come to my succour, and be thou my helper; carry me on in thy holy ways; and make all that I think, and speak and do, acceptable in thy sight. O may I both put forth myself, to stir up the grace of God that is in me; and let me find such fresh supplies of grace, that I may see my desires accomplished, and my endeavours brought to good effect, through Jesus Christ, our Strength and our Redeemer. Amen.

A PRAYER BEFORE THE HEARING OF GOD'S WORD. O MOST blessed Lord, the God of all grace! who art pleased to send out thy light and thy truth among us; both to discover our sins unto us, and also to make the way of life and salvation plain before us; be thou pleased also to send the Spirit of thy Son into our hearts; to make it plain to our understanding, and to render it the savour of life unto our souls. O Lord, open our ears, and quicken our attention to the instructions that shall be given us, that we may receive thy word with all carefulness and meekness, yea, with all readiness and gladness, with an unfeigned delight in it, and a hearty desire to live and grow by it. And strengthen our memories, that we may treasure up and retain what we

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hear; that we may not let it slip, but may derive substantial benefit from it, and be to all eternity the better for it. O gracious God, teach us to profit; and make our improvement more answerable to those means of grace, which through thy mercy we enjoy. Let the word which shall sound in our ears, sink down also into our hearts, and take root within us, and produce in our lives the fruits of righteousness. Let us not be forgetful hearers, but faithful doers of thy word. O let the immortal seed of this heavenly word beget such principles of grace and holiness in our hearts, as may be in us a well of water springing up to everlasting life. Make us so obedient to thy holy precepts that we may also inherit the glorious promises of thy word. O let our teachers be taught of God; and direct the stewards of thy mysteries, to give unto every one his portion in due season. And whilst thy servants are planting and watering, do thou, O God, bestow thy blessing, and send an abundant increase. Make the waters of thy sanctuary healing to our souls. Yea, make thy word as fire in the mouths of thy messengers and make it to come home to our souls in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Let it be mighty through God, to the pulling down of strong holds, and subduing all opposition to the obedience of Christ. Come down in the midst of us, O God of our salvation; and cause thy word to do thy great and glorious work upon all our hearts; that we may have reason to praise and glorify thee to all eternity. Amen.

A PRAYER AFTER HEARING OF THE WORD.

WE bless thee, O Lord, the living God, who holdest our souls in life, and providest for us that heavenly food, by which we are to live for ever. It has now

been delivered and received; but the blessing is in thy hands, O gracious God, to make it prosperous and successful, to the gaining and saving of immortal souls. O wilt thou be pleased to send it home to the heart; and there make it to abide, till it has done thy will, and wrought thy work effectually. Make use of it now to build us up in the faith of Christ, and to help us forward in all holiness of life let every hearer become a doer of thy word, that we may all, in this world, be blessed in our deeds, and hereafter be for ever blessed in the joy of our Lord.

O that all who have been convinced of their sins, may also be converted to thyself! that they may not only think of the holy change that is to be wrought in them, but seek incessantly the attainment of it. And let thy blessed Spirit so prevail with them, that their good impressions may not be lost, till they have effected the work of thy grace within them. O make thy word mighty through God, to plant thy grace where it is not; to increase it where it is; and to bring us all into a state of greater nearness to thee, and more entire conformity to thine image. Let us find our knowledge more clear and spiritual; our faith more firm and operative; and all our graces continually increasing in strength and activity. Let us so hear, that our souls may live before thee, both now and evermore. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR MINDFULNESS OF GOD'S PRESENCE.

O LORD, the infinite, incomprehensible God! thou art the high and holy One, who inhabitest eternity, and dwellest in the light which no man can approach unto; and from thy glorious throne in heaven, thou lookest down upon all the inhabitants of the earth, to give unto every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. Though no mortal eye can see thee, no finite understanding comprehend thee, yet thou art here, and every where present; and now and evermore thou seest us, and understandest our thoughts afar off: and art thoroughly acquainted with all our ways. Yea, thou art so universally observant, as to have a particular concern for every person and action in the whole world. Great God! thou fillest heaven and earth with thy presence; O fill my heart with thy grace, and with a mindfulness of thy presence with me; that I may set the Lord always before me; and evermore remember thee in all my ways.

O that ever I should forget the God that made me; the God who quickens every thing that lives, concurs with every thing that moves, and upholds every thing that has a being, throughout the world! O that I should have been, as it were, without thee in the world, and forgetful of thee, in whom I ever live and move, and am; and who hast been watchful over me for good all my days! Holy God! because I have regarded thee no more, thou mightest make me sensible of thy presence, in judgements worthy of thyself. But, O Lord, in mercy pardon all such my sinful neglect and inadvertence. And as I am

ever exposed to thine all-seeing eye, make me to walk as in thine immediate presence. Let the remembrance of thy presence sway and guide me, in secret and in company, at all times, in all places, and in all my actions; let me demean myself as ever under the awful eyes of the great God of heaven and earth; and fear thee above all other powers, love thee above all other gods, serve thee before all other lords, and trust in thee more than in any other refuge. Yea, let me rejoice under the shadow of thy wings, and herein solace myself, that thou art my right hand, and ever with me. O let not the remembrance of my Lord be grievous to me; but let my meditations of God be sweet, as well as frequent; that delighting myself in the Lord, thou mayest give unto me the desires of my heart. And so guide me with thine eye, that I may not err from thy statutes, but be ever accepted in thy sight, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR DEVOTION, AND A RIGHT FRAME of SPIRIT IN THE WORSHIP OF GOD.

O MOST high and holy Lord God! thou wilt be sanctified in them that come nigh unto thee: thou art greatly to be feared, and to be had in reverence of all that are about thee. Be pleased to sanctify me with thy grace; and help me so to draw nigh unto thee in prayer, that thou mayest draw nigh unto me in the communications of thy love and mercy.

I desire, O my God, to meet thee in thy ways: and (in compliance with thy gracious appointment) I fall down and worship here at thy footstool in the name and through the mediation of thy dear Son.