An Office for Women with Child.

A Prayer to be frequently used by a Woman with Child.

O GOD, who art the Author of our Being, the Fountain of Life, and of all Bleffings Spiritual and Temporal; Thou art great and doft wondrous Things, thou art God alone; I adore thy glorious Majefty, which has begun an excellent Work in me, which no Eye but thine fees, and no Hand but thy Almighty Power can finish.

Be pleased, I beseech thee, in thy great Goodness, to perfect and complete that which thou haft now begun in me; give it its due Shape and full Growth, and preferve me from all Frights, or evil Accidents, which may caufe me to mifcarry.

And blefs it, O God, in Mind, as well as in Body; endue it with an Understanding capable to know thee, with a Heart ftrongly bent to fear thee, and with all those holy and good Difpofitions, that may make it always amiable in thy Sight. Oh! fanctify it, I beseech thee, from the Womb, and receive and reckon it for thy Child, as

foon

foon as it is mine; lent to me for my Comfort, but created and referved by thee, for thy Service and Glory.

O Lord, I humbly commit both myself and this Babe which is conceived in me to thy Mercy and Goodness: Strengthen and enable me, I befeech thee, to go thro' all the Pains and Uneafinefs of Childbearing, with Patience and Submiffion to thy Will; confidering, that they are the just Punishment of Sin: Give me an humble Truft and Dependance on thy Fatherly Care and Good Providence, and make me, in thy good Time, a joyful Mother of a hopeful Child, which may live to be an Inftrument of thy Glory, and by ferving thee faithfully, and doing Good in its Generation, may be received into thy everlasting Kingdom, through Jefus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.

A Prayer when the Time of Travail draweth

near.

O GOD, the Help of all that put their Trust in thee; the Support of the Weak, and the Relief of the Needy; look with Pity upon me thy Servant, who, in my beft Eftate, am but a weak and helpless 06

Creature,

Creature, and much more in the Condition I am now in, which is attended with many Pains and Uneafineffes; under which nothing but thy Power is able to fupport me.

O Lord, in thee is my Truft, who I know art able and willing to help me; I repofe myself, therefore, under the Care and Protection of thy Fatherly Goodness, defiring to rest upon thee alone for my Support, who art the Rock of Ages, and the Strength of all that put their Trust in thee. Oh! let me not be difquieted with the Fear of any Evil, fince none can happen unto me without thy Leave, nor be frighted with the Approach of any Pains; but give me Grace patiently to refign myfelf to thy bleffed Will in all Things, who knoweft what is beft for me, and who, I truft, will not lay upon me more than thou wilt enable me to bear.

O Lord, be thou graciously pleased to proportion thy Strength to my Weakness and when Pains and Sorrows have taken hold on me, leave me not under them, I befeech thee, but fave and deliver me for thy Mercy's Sake: And as I have hitherto experienced thy Fatherly Goodness in every State and Condition of my Life; fo let me fill find the Continuance of it, to carry methrough

through all the Troubles and Uneafineffes of this Life, and more particularly, to enable me to go through the Time of my Travail, which is now drawing near at hand.

O Lord, pardon thofe Sins, that have made me unworthy of thy Care, and deal not with me as I have deferved, but according to thy Mercy, and the Merits of thy dear Son Jefus Chrift the Righteous; to whom with thee, O Father, and the bleffed Spirit, be all Honour, Glory, Power, Thanksgiving, and Praife, both now and for evermore.

Amen.

Ejaculations to be used by a Woman during the Time of her Labour.

SAVE, Lord, and hear me, O King of Heaven, now I call upon thee in this Time of my Trouble.

Be not thou far from me, O Lord; thou art my Succour, hafte thee to help me.

Oh! remember not my Sins and Of fences; but according to thy Mercy think thou upon me, O Lord, for thy Good

nefs.

The Sorrows of my Heart are enlarged; Oh bring thou me out of my Troubles.

Look

Look upon my Adverfity and Mifery, and forgive me all my Sins; that I may fhew the Voice of Thankfgiving, and tell of all thy wondrous Works.

O hide not thou thy Face from me: nor eaft thy Servant away in Displeasure. Thou hast been my Succour; leave me not, neither forfake me, O God of my Salvation.

Hear me, O Lord, for thy Lovingkindness is comfortable: turn thee unto me, according to the Multitude of thy Mercies.

Thou art my Helper and Redeemer, make no long tarrying, O my God, nor fuffer me to fink under the Burden of my Pains.

O my Soul, wait thou still upon God; for my Hope is in him.

In God is my Health and my Glory, the Rock of my Might; and in God is my Truft.

Oh! be thou my Help in this Time of my Trouble; for without thee vain is the Help of Man.

Oh! look upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou useft to be unto thofe that love thy Name.

O Lord,