trial of their faith work patience in them, and perfect them in hope and love (—)

Bless my father, &c, my friends and relations, and all that belong to this family; all that have been instrumental to my good, by their assistance, advice, example, or writing; and all that do not pray for themselves. Change the hearts of mine enemies, and give me grace to forgive them, even as thou for Christ's sake forgivest us.

O thou Shepherd of Israel, vouchsafe to receive me this night and ever into thy protection; accept my poor services, and pardon the sinfulness of these and all my holy duties. O let it be thy good pleasure shortly to put a period to sin and misery, to infirmity and death, to complete the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, and all that wait for thy salvation, may eternally love and praise thee, O God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, throughout all ages, world without end." Our Father," &c.

MONDAY MORNING.

General Questions, which may be used every morning.

DID I think of God first and last?

Have I examined myself how I have behaved since last night's retirement?

Am I resolved to do all the good I can this day, and to be diligent in the business of my calling?

O God, who art the giver of all good gifts, I thy unworthy servant entirely desire to praise thy name for all the expressions of thy bounty toward me. Blessed be thy love for giving thy Son to die for our sins, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. Blessed be thy love for all the temporal benefits which thou hast with a liberal hand poured out upon me; for my health and strength, food and raiment, and all other necessaries with which thou hast provided thy sinful servant. I also bless thee that, after all my refusals of thy grace, thou still hast patience with me, hast preserved me this night, (here you may mention any particular mercy received,) and given me yet another day to renew and perfect my repentance. Pardon, good Lord, all my former sins, and make me every day more zealous and diligent to improve every opportunity of building up my soul in thy faith, and love, and obedience. Make thyself always present to my mind, and let thy love fill and rule my soul, in all those places, and companies, and employments to which thou callest me this day. In all my passage through this world, suffer not my heart to be set upon it; but always fix my single eye and my undivided affections on "the prize of my high calling." This one thing let me do; let me so press toward this, as to make all things else minister unto it; and be careful so to use them, as thereby to fit my soul for that pure bliss which thou hast prepared for those that love thee.

O thou, who art good and doest good, who extendest thy loving kindness to all mankind, the work of thine hands, thine image, capable of knowing and loving thee eternally: suffer me to exclude none, O Lord, from my charity, who are the objects of thy mercy; but let me treat all my neighbours with that tender love which is due to thy servants and to

thy children. Thou hast required this mark of my love to thee: O let no temptation expose me to ingratitude, or make me forfeit thy loving kindness, which is better than life itself. But grant that I may assist all my brethren with my prayers, where I cannot reach them with actual services. Make me zealous to embrace all occasions that may administer to their happiness, by assisting the needy, protecting the oppressed, instructing the ignorant, confirming the wavering, exhorting the good, and reproving the wicked. Let me look upon the failings of my neighbour as if they were my own; that I may be grieved for them, that I may never reveal them but when charity requires, and then with tenderness and compassion. Let thy love to me, O blessed Saviour, be the pattern of my love to him. Thou thoughtest nothing too dear to part with, to rescue me from eternal misery: O let me think nothing too dear to part with to set forward the everlasting good of my fellow Chris tians. They are members of thy body; therefore I will cherish them. Thou hast redeemed them with an inestimable price; assisted by thy Holy Spirit, therefore, I will endeavour to recover them from a state of destruction; that thus adorning thy holy Gospel, by doing good according to my power, I may at last be received into the endearments of thy eternal love, and sing everlasting praise unto the Lamb that was slain and sitteth on the throne for ever.

Extend, I humbly beseech thee, thy mercy to all men, and let them become thy faithful servants. Let all Christians live up to the holy religion they profess; especially these sinful nations. Be entreated for us, good Lord; be glorified by our reformation, and not by our destruction. "Turn thou us, and so shall we be turned:" O be favourable to thy people; give us grace to put a period to our provocations, and do thou put a period to our punishment. Defend our Church from schism, heresy, and sacrilege, and the king from all treasons and conspiracies. Bless all bishops, priests, and deacons, with Apostolical graces, exemplary lives, and sound doctrine. Grant to the council wisdom from above, to all magistrates integrity and zeal, to the universities quietness and industry, and to the gentry and commons pious and peaceable and loyal hearts.

Preserve my parents, my brothers and sisters, my friends and relations, and all mankind, in their souls and bodies (-) Forgive mine enemies, and in thy due time make them kindly affected toward me. Have mercy on all who are "afflicted in mind, body, or estate; give them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions." O grant that we, with those who are already dead in thy faith and fear, may together partake of a joyful resurrection, through Him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end.

MONDAY EVENING.

Particular Questions relating to the Love of our Neighbour.

1. HAVE I thought any thing but my conscience too dear to part with to please or serve my neighbour?

2. Have I rejoiced or grieved with him?

3. Have I received his infirmities with pity, not with anger?

4. Have I contradicted any one, either where I had no good end in view, or where there was no probability of convincing?

5. Have I let him I thought in the wrong (in a trifle) have the last word?

Most great and glorious Lord God, I desire to prostrate myself before thy divine Majesty, under a deep sense of my unworthiness; and with sorrow, and shame, and confusion of face, to confess I have, by my manifold transgressions, deserved thy severest visitations. "Father, I have sinned against heaven, and am no more worthy to be called thy son:" O let thy paternal bowels yearn upon me, and for Jesus Christ's sake graciously receive me. Accept my imperfect repentance, and send thy Spirit of adoption into my heart, that I may again be owned by thee, call thee Father, and share in the blessings of thy children.

Adored be thy goodness for all the benefits thou hast already from time to time bestowed on me; for the good things of this life, and the hope of eternal happiness. Particularly, I offer to thee my humblest thanks for thy preservation of me this day (.) If I have escaped any sin, it is the effect of thy restraining grace; if I have avoided any danger, it was thy hand directed me. To thy holy name be ascribed the honour and glory. O let the sense of all thy blessings have this effect upon me,-to make me daily more diligent in devoting myself, all I am, and all I have, to thy glory.

I

O my God, fill my soul with so entire a love of thee, that I may love nothing but for thy sake, and in subordination to thy love. Give me grace to study thy knowledge daily, that the more I know thee, the more may love thee. Create in me a zealous obedience to all thy commands, a cheerful patience under all thy chastisements, and a thankful resignation to all thy disposals. May I ever have awful thoughts of thee; never mention thy venerable name, unless on just, solemn, and devout occasions; nor even then, without acts of adoration. O let it be the one business of my life to glorify thee, by every thought of my heart, by every word of my tongue, by every work of my hand; by professing thy truth, even to the death, if it should please thee to call me to it; and by engaging all men, as far as in me lies, to glorify and love thee.

Let thy unwearied and tender love to me, make my love unwearied and tender to my neighbour, zealous to pray for, and to procure and promote, his health and safety, ease and happiness; and active to comfort, succour, and relieve all whom thy love and their own necessities recommend to my charity. Make me peaceful and reconcilable; easy to forgive, and glad to return good for evil. Make me like thyself, all kindness and benignity, all goodness and gentleness, all meekness and longsuffering. And, O thou Lover of souls, raise in me a compassionate zeal to save the life, the eternal life, of souls; and by affectionate and seasonable advice, exhortations and reproof, to reclaim the wicked, and win them to thy love.

Be pleased, O Lord, to take me, with my father and mother, brethren and sisters, my friends and relations, and my enemies, into thy almighty protection this night. Refresh me with such comfortable rest that I may rise more fit for thy service, Let me lie down with holy thoughts of thee, and when I awake let me be still present with thee.

Show mercy to the whole world, O Father of all; let the Gospel of

thy Son run and be glorified throughout all the earth. Let it be made known to all infidels, and obeyed by all Christians. Be merciful to this Church and nation; give unto thy bishops a discerning spirit, that they may make choice of fit persons to serve in thy sacred ministry; and enable all who are ordained to any holy function, diligently to feed the flocks committed to their charge, instructing them in saving knowledge, guiding them by their examples, praying for and blessing them, exercising spiritual discipline in thy Church, and duly administering thy holy sacraments. Multiply thy blessings on our sovereign, on the royal family, and on the nobles, magistrates, gentry, and commons of this land; that they may all, according to the several talents they have received, be faithful instruments of thy glory. Give to our schools and universities, zeal, prudence, and holiness. Visit in mercy all the children of affliction, (- -) relieve their necessities, lighten their burdens; give them a cheerful submission to thy gracious will, and at length bring them and us, with those that already rest from their labours, into the joy of our Lord; to whom with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghost, be all praise, now and for ever.

TUESDAY MORNING.

O ETERNAL and merciful Father, I give thee humble thanks (increase my thankfulness I beseech thee) for all the blessings, spiritual and temporal, which, in the riches of thy mercy, thou hast poured down upon me. Lord, let me not live but to love thee, and to glorify thy name. Particularly I give thee most unfeigned thanks for preserving me from my birth to this moment, and for bringing me safe to the beginning of this day, (—) in which, and in all the days of my life, I beseech thee that all my thoughts, words, and works may tend to thy glory. Heal, O Father of mercies, all my infirmities, (-) strengthen me against all my follies; forgive me all my sins, (- -) and let them not cry louder in thine ears for vengeance, than my prayers for mercy and forgiveness. O blessed Lord, enable me to fulfil thy commands, and command what thou wilt. O thou Saviour of all that trust in thee, do with me what seemeth best in thine own eyes; only give me the mind which was in thee; let me learn of thee to be meek and lowly. Pour into me the whole spirit of humility; fill, I beseech thee, every part of my soul with it, and make it the constant, ruling habit of my mind, that all my other tempers may arise from it; that I may have no thoughts, no desires, no designs, but such as are the true fruit of a lowly spirit. Grant that I may think of myself as I ought to think, that I may know myself, even as I am known." Herein may I exercise myself continually, when I lie down and when I rise up, that I may always appear poor, and little, and mean, and base, and vile in mine own eyes. O convince me that "I have neither learned wisdom, nor have the knowledge of the holy." Give me a lively sense that I am nothing, that I have nothing, and that I can do nothing. Enable me to feel that I am all ignorance and error, weakness and uncleanness, sin and misery; that I am not worthy of the air I breathe, the earth I troad upon, or the sun that shines upon me. And let me be fully content when all other men think of me as I do of myself. O save me from either desiring or seeking the honour that VOL. VI.

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cometh of men. Convince me that the words of praise," when smoother than oil," then especially "are very swords." Give me to dread them more than the "poison of asps," or "the pestilence that walketh in darkness." And when these cords of pride, these snares of death, do overtake me, suffer me not to take any pleasure in them, but enable me instantly to flee unto thee, O Lord, and to complain unto my God. Let all my bones cry out, "Thou art worthy to be praised; so shall I be safe from mine enemies."

Bless, O gracious Father, all the nations, whom thou hast placed upon the earth, with the knowledge of thee, the only true God: But especially bless thy holy Catholic Church, and fill it with truth and grace; where it is corrupt, purge it; where it is in error, rectify it; where it is right, confirm it; where it is divided and rent asunder, heal the breaches thereof, O thou Holy One of Israel. Replenish all whom thou hast called to any office therein with truth of doctrine and innocency of life. Let their prayers be as precious incense in thy sight, that their cries and tears for the city of their God may not be in vain.

O Lord, hear the king in the day of his trouble; Let thy name, O God, defend him. Grant him his heart's desire, and fulfil all his mind. Set his heart firm upon thee, and upon other things only as they are in and for thee. O defend him and his royal relations from thy holy heaven, even with the saving strength of thy right hand.

Have mercy upon this kingdom, and forgive the sins of this people; turn thee unto us, bless us, and cause thy face to shine on our desolations. Inspire the nobles and magistrates with prudent zeal, the gentry and commons with humble loyalty. Pour down thy blessings on all seminaries of true religion and learning, that they may remember and answer the end of their institution. Comfort all the sons and daughters of affliction, especially those who suffer for righteousness' sake. Bless my father and mother, my brethren and sisters, my friends and relations, and all that belong to this family. Forgive all who are mine enemies, and so reconcile them to me and thyself, that we all, together with those that now sleep in thee, may awake to life everlasting, through thy merits and intercession, O blessed Jesus; to whom, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed, by all creatures, "all honour, and might, and wisdom, and glory, and blessing."

TUESDAY EVENING.

Particular Questions relating to Humility.

1. HAVE I laboured to conform all my thoughts, words and actions to these fundamental maxims: "I am nothing, I have nothing, I can do nothing?"

2. Have I set apart some time this day to think upon my infirmities, follies, and sins?

3. Have I ascribed to myself any part of any good which God did by my hand?

4. Have I said or done any thing with a view to the praise of men? 5. Have I desired the praise of men?

6. Have I taken pleasure in it?