Sacramental Hymn..................... Devotional Exercise at the Lord's Table.......... Page 412 413 414 415 420 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS FOR A FAMILY.-For For a Family under heavy Affliction................ A Family Thanksgiving for the Recovery of a Sick A Family Prayer in prospect of a Journey............ 438 A Family Prayer for the close of an Old Year...... Hymn for the New Year....... A Prayer under Spiritual Decay......... PRAYERS FOR YOUNG PERSONS.-A repenting Youth at Prayer......... Hymn.--Seeking God....... A pious Youth seeking after God and rejoicing in him. Hymn.-The Encouragement Young Persons have to seek Christ. Child's Prayer to the good Shepherd. 442 446 452 455 457 460 462 464 466 467 468 A Mother's Prayer for her Children..................... 469 Child's Prayer......... The Prayer of Parents for their Children. INSTRUCTIONS FOR SELF-EXAMINATION. Marks of Growth in Grace....... Symptoms of Declining in Grace............................................ ........... Advice to doubting Christians. 471 474 482 485 PREPARATION FOR DEATH. ..................... Instructions to dying Christians.................... An Address to a dying Christian......... Consolations addressed to a dying Christian. THE POCKET PRAYER BOOK. INTRODUCTORY ADDRESS. My Friends, you will receive this Prayer Book, not as a set of forms to which you are to be confined, but as helps to lead you to devotion. It Prayer is your first duty, your highest privilege it is a communion of the soul with God; with your Father, your heavenly Father! It must proceed from your own hearts: it must be the language of your own joys, of your own wants and sorrows. will be the pleasure and comfort of your life to keep up this devout communion with your God: when loaded with mercies how pleasant is it to look up and say, "Thou crownest me with loving-kindness and tender mercies !"-" He that spared not his Son, but freely gave him up for us all, how shall be not with him also freely give us all things?" When burdened under a sense B of sin, what relief is there in going weary and heavy laden to a throne of grace, and pleading those gracious words, "I will give you rest." "Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out." When cast down with sorrow and overwhelmed with fears, you can go and cast all your care upon him that careth for you. Under all perplexities of life to be permitted to say, "Thou wilt guide me by thy counsel: though flesh and heart fail, thou wilt be the strength of my heart and my portion for ever," is à consolation which the world can neither give nor take away. The mind that thus converses with God, that is thus stayed upon him, will enjoy a peace which the world knows not of it passeth all understanding. Wait not for the solemn season of prayer, but let your mind ascend to God in every moment of difficulty, fear, or temptation; and let every new mercy raise your heart in praise. Why do Christians live so littleunder the power of religion, or experience so little of its comforts, but because they are such strangers to this devout communion with God! How many idle thoughts in the day might be exchanged for thoughts of God, and every thought be a spring of pleasure and holy delight! When prayer is mixed with your thoughts, your heart will breathe out such requests as that of the Psalmist, "Rejoice the soul of thy servant, for unto thee, O Lord, do I lift up my soul !" To promote this spirit of devotion, converse much with the word of God; let it "dwell richly in you, in all wisdom and spiritual understanding;" endeavour to imitate the lively devotion you meet with in the heavenly volume, and try to have your heart affected in the same way. Imagine that the invitation is directed to you-"O come let us sing unto the Lord, let us come before his presence with thanksgiving." Do you join the concert, and say, "I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live; I will sing praises to my God while I have a being.' Accustom yourselves to behold the blessed God in the face of his beloved Son, "the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person. Call upon him in the endearing relation of the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ-his God and our God-his Father and our Father! "Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who, according to his abundant mercy, hath begotten us again to a lively hope of an inheritance incorruptible, undefiled, and that fadeth not away.' Let some portion of the word of God be |