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Give grace to all the people of this land, that they may, under the government God hath set over us, live quiet and peaceable lives, in all godliness and honesty a, dwelling together in unity, that the Lord may command a blessing upon us, even life for evermore,

Let all of every denomination that fear God and work righteousness, be accepted of him b; yea, let such as love thy salvation say continually, The Lord be magnified, that hath pleasure in the prosperity of his

servants c.

(8.) For the several ages and conditions of men, as they stand in need of mercy and grace.

1. For those that are young and setting out in the world.

Lord, give to those that are young to remember their Creator in the days of their youth, that thereby they may be kept from the vanity which childhood and youth are subject to, and may be restrained from walking in the way of their heart, and in the sight of their eyes, by considering, that for all these things God will bring them into judgment d.

Lord, make young people sober minded e, and let the word of God abide in them, that they may be strong, and may overcome the wicked one g.

From the womb of the morning let Christ have the dew of thy youth h, and let him be formed in the hearts of those that are youngi.

Keep those that are setting out in the world from the corruption that is in the world through lustk; and give to those that have been well educated, to hold fast the form of sound words, and to continue in the things which they have learned l.

a 1 Tim. ii. 2.
d Eccl. xi. 9, 10.
h Psal. cx. 3.
1 2 Tim. i. 13.

b Acts x. 35.
e Tit. ii. 6.
i Gal, iv. 19.

c Psal. xxxv. 27. g 1 John ii. 14.

2 Pet. i. 4.

2. For those that are old and of long standing in profession.

There are some that are disciples of Jesus Christa, Lord give them still to bring forth fruit in old age, to show that the Lord is upright, that he is their rock, and there is no unrighteousness in himb. Now the evil days are come, and the years of which they say there is no pleasure in them c, let thy comforts delight their souls d.

Even to their old age be thou he, and to the hoary hairs do thou carry them thou hast made; we beseech thee bear, yea, do thou carry and deliver theme.

Those whom thou hast taught from their youth up, and have hitherto declared all thy wondrous work, now also when they are old and grey-headed, leave them not, cast them not off in their old age, fail them not when their strength fails g.

Let every hoary head be a crown of glory to those that have it, being found in the way of righteousness h, and give them to know whom they have believed i.

3. For those that are rich and prosperous in the world, some of whom perhaps need prayers as much as those that request them.

Lord, keep those that are rich in the world from being high minded, and trusting in uncertain riches, and give them to trust in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy that they may do good, and be rich in good works, ready to distribute, willing to communicate, that they may lay up in store for themselves a good security for the time to come k.

Though it is hard for those that are rich to enter into the kingdom of heaven, yet with thee this is possible l.

a Acts xxi. 16.

d Psal. xciv. 19. h Prov. xvi. 31. / Matt. xix. 26.

b Psal. xcii. 14, 15.

e Isa. xlvi. 4.
i 2 Tim. i. 12.

c Eccl. xii. 1.

g Psal. lxxi. 16-18. k 1 Tim. vi. 17, 19.

4. For those that are poor and in affliction, for such we have always with us.

Lord, make those that are poor in the world rich in faith a, and heirs of the kingdom, and give to them to receive the gospel b.

O that the poor of the flock may wait may know the word of the Lord c.

upon thee, and

Many are the troubles of the righteous, good Lord deliver them out of them all d; and though no affliction for the present seems to be joyous, but grievous, nevertheless, afterward let it yield the peaceable fruit of righteousness to them that are exercised thereby e.

5. For our enemies, and those who hate us.

Lord give us to love our enemies, to bless them that curse us, and to pray for those that despitefully use us, and persecute us g.

Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do h; and lay not their malice against us to their charge e, and work in us a disposition to forbear and forgive in lovek, as thou requirest we should when we pray l.

And grant that our ways may so please the Lord, that even our enemies may be at peace with us m.

Let the wolf and the lamb lie down together, and let there be none to hurt and destroy in all thy holy mountain; let not Ephraim envy Judah, nor Judah vex Ephraim n.

6. For our friends, and those that love us.

And we wish for all those whom we love in truth, that they may prosper, and be in health, especially that their souls may prosper o.

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ be with their spirits p.

a James ii. 5.

d Psalm. xxxiv. 19.

h Luke xxiii. 34.

/ Mark xi. 25.

o 2 John 1. 4.

b Matt. xi. 5.

e Heb. xii. 11.

i Acts vii. 60.
m Prov. xvi. 7.
p Philem. 25.

c Zech. xi. 11.

g Matt. v. 44.

k Col. iii. 13.
n Isa. xi. 6, 9, 13.

CHAPTER VI.

Of Addresses to God upon particular Occasions, whether Domestic or Public.

It is made our duty, and prescribed as a remedy against disquieting care, that in every thing, by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving a, we should make our requests known to God. And it is part of the Parrhesia, the boldness, the liberty of speech, (so that word signifies,) which is allowed us in our access to Godb, that we may be particular in opening our case, and seeking to him for relief; that, according as the sore and the grief is, accordingly the prayer and the supplication may be by any man, or by the people of Israel c. Not that God needs to be particularly informed of our condition; he knows it better than we ourselves do, and our souls too in our adversity; but it is his will that we should thus acknowledge him in all our ways d, and wait upon him for the direction of every step e, not prescribing, bu subscribing to infinite wisdom, humbly showing him our wants, burdens, and desires, and then referring ourselves to him, to do for us as he thinks fit.

We shall instance some of the occasions of particular address to God, more or less usual, which may be either the principal matter of a whole prayer, or inserted in our other prayers, and in some cases that are more péculiar to ministers, or others in common to them with masters of families and private Christians. As there may be something particular.

1. In our morning prayers.

Our voice shalt thou hear in the morning, in the morning will we direct our prayer unto thee, and will look up; for our souls wait for thee g, O Lord, more

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than they that watch for the morning a, yea, more than they that watch for the morning; and we will sing aloud of thy mercy in the morning; for thou hast been our defence b.

It is thou, O God, that hast commenced the morning, and caused the day-spring to know its place, that it might take hold of the ends of the earth, and it is turned as clay to the seal c.

The day is thine, the night also is thine, thou hast prepared the light and the sun d.

With the light of the morning, let the day-spring from on high visit us, to give us the knowledge of salvation through the tender mercies of Gode; and let the Sun of righteousness arise upon our souls with healing under his wings g; and our path be as the shining light, which shines more and more to the perfect day h.

It is of thy mercy, O Lord, that we are not consumed, even because thy compassions fail not, they are new every morning, great is thy faithfulness i; and if weeping sometimes endures for a night, joy comes in the morning k.

We thank thee that we have laid us downl; have had where to lay our head m, and have not been wandering in deserts and mountains, in dens and caves of the earth n and that we have slept and have not been full of tossings to and fro till the dawning of the day, that wearisome nights are not appointed to us, and we are not saying at our lying down, When shall we arise, and the night be gone? But our bed comforts us, and our couch eases our complaints o. Thou givest us sleep as

a Psalm cxxx. 6.
d Psalm lxxiv. 16.
h Prov. iv. 18.
/ Psal. iii. 5.
o Job vii. 3, 4, 13.

b Psalm lix. 16.
e Luke i. 77, 78.
i Lam. iii. 22, 23.
m Matt. viii. 20.

N

c Job xxxviii. 12-14.
g Mal. iv. 2.

k Psal. xxx. 5.
n Heb. xi. 38.

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