Imatges de pàgina
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A Prayer for Fair Weather.

I Acknowledge, O Lord, the Justice of

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thy Providence in the immoderate Rain thou hast been pleafed to fend upon the Earth. We have been unmindful of thee, who haft fo bountifully provided for us. We have abused thy Bleffings; fo that thou may'ft justly turn our Plenty into Scarceness. But I humbly befeech thee to put a Stop to thofe Rains, which have fallen in fuch Abundance, and to fend us fuch Weather, receive the Fruits of the Earth in due Seafon. Preferve our Cattle from being deftroyed by exceffive Floods. Grant that the Ground may yield its Increafe, to the Joy and Comfort of thy humble Servants. Keep us from abufing thy Bleffings by Riot and Intemperance, and grant that we may use them with Sobriety and Thankfulness, being bountiful and charitable to those that are in Want. Awaken in us, O God, a diligent Concern, not only for the Meat which perifheth, but for thy Grace, which may nourish our Souls to Eternal Life, through Jefus Chrift our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

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A Prayer for a Prifoner for Debt.

ALMIGHTY God, just and holy in all the Difpenfations of thy Providence to the Children of Men; the Difficulties and Sorrows 1 labour-under in this clofe Confinement, are perfectly known to thee, who doft fuccour the Miferable, and help the Friendlefs. O Lord, I most forrowfully con fefs, that I have deferved to fuffer much greater Punishments, and to feel the Severities of thy Wrath and Displeasure. For I have abused my Liberty, and neglected my Duty. I have gone contrary to thy holy Will, and refused to obey thy wife and righteous Laws. I do therefore moft humbly defire to submit to thy all-wife Difpofal, and patiently to wait for that Time, which thou fhalt think beft for my Enlargement. Let me receive this melancholy Restraint, as a juft Punishment for my Sins, and grant that ethers may be warned by my Example.

Let me in thefe difconfolate Circumftances, have the Comfort and Direction of thy holy Spirit. Affift me, O God, in calling my Ways to Remembrance; in examining into the State of my Soul; in repenting and humbling myfelf before thee;

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and in reconciling myfelf to thee my offended God.

Let me highly prize the Holy Scriptures, and follow the Divine Inftructions to be learnt from thence. Grant that the Promifes and Threatenings therein contained, may powerfully work in my Soul a firm and vigorous Refolution of obeying thee.

Wean my Mind from all carnal and vain Delights; and be thou pleafed to fuit my Defires to the Straitness and Difficulty of my Circumstances, and give me a perfect Refignation to thy holy Will,

Thou, O God, loveft Righteousness, and hateft Iniquity; and thy holy Word makes it a Part of the Character of the Wicked, to borrow and not to pay again; let it be therefore my Study and Care to content and fatisfy my Creditors to the utmost of my Power. O keep me from all Thoughts of using a Prison to cancel my Debts, and thereby defraud my Creditors of their just Due: for I know that by fo doing, I shall entail a Curfe on myfelf and Family; for how can I hope for a Bleffing from thee, -when I make ufe of finful Methods to provide for myself and them?

Touch the Hearts of my Creditors with a Senfe of my Mifery and Trouble, and difpofe them to accept of fuch Satisfaction

as I am able to make, that I may be dif charged out of this miferable Confinement, if it be thy good Pleasure.

And after my Difcharge, let thy good Providence direct me to fuch honeft Ways of getting, and fo blefs me in my lawful Endeavours and Undertakings, that I may be in a Condition to pay them what shall be behind, and fully fatisfy their just Demands, knowing that notwithstanding my Difcharge, and though I am out of the Reach of human Laws in this Respect, yet my Duty and Obligation in Equity are ftill the fame. But if thou fhalt think fit to deny me this Requeft, do thou, O God, make up their Lofs in fuch Way and Manner as thou pleafeft. Hear me, O Lord, for the Sake of thy Son Jefus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

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• Some of the Confiderations propofed to-Prifoners for Crimes, may be of Use to Prifoners for Debt, and indeed to all Chriftians, in order to the making their "Peace with God. Prifoners for Debt may likewife be affifted in the Examination of their Confcience, by the Office for Self-Examination in the Second Part of this Book.

I judge it needless to obferve, that

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⚫ though the foregoing Prayer be peculiarly adapted to the Cafe of Prisoners for Debt, yet it is not intended that they ⚫ should use that only; no, the rest of the Prayers in this Book, or fuch other as they find more agreeable to the Temper of their Minds, or expreffive of their Wants, are recommended to their Ufe, for which they will not want Leisure, and Opportunity.'

Some Confiderations proper for Prifoners for Crimes, in order to their making their Peace with GOD, as well before, as after their Condemnation.

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OFTEN

FTEN lift up your Heart to God, and beg of Him, for Chrift's Sake, that He will be pleafed in Mercy to enlighten your Mind, and foften your Heart, and give you a deep Senfe of your miferable • Condition, till you find yourself more concerned for the Salvation of your precious and immortal Soul, than for your temporal Life,

Confider that our firft Parents having fallen from God, and corrupted themfelves, all who defcend from them muft be corrupt, it being impoffible to bring: a clean Thing out of an unclean.

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• Confider

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