OF PRAYER. I. For Particular PERSON S. 1. Afhort Prayer for the Morning. 2. Afhort Prayer at Night. 3. A longer Prayer for any other time of the Day. 4. A large Form, for more particular Occafions. II. For a FAMILY. 1. A Prayer for Morning and Evening. 2. Select Prayers, &c. out of the Common-Prayer, for Morning and Evening. Let every Man ftudy his Prayers; and read his Duty in his Petitions. Bp. Taylor's Holy Living, p. 234. LONDON: Printed for J. J. and P. KNAPTON, M DCC XXXV. PREFACE. T HE great defign of the Duty of Prayer is, To exprefs, under an actual Senfe of the Prefence of GOD, thofe good Sentiments, and pious Difpofitions, which it is proper for Us to entertain and cultivate within Us, confider'd as dependent, reafonable, and focial Creatures and particularly, as Creatures made capable of knowing One Supreme Maker and Governour of all things, and plainly accountable to Him for our whole Conduct. The Sentiments I mean are fuch as arife from our Dependence upon GOD; from our Obligations and Duty to Him; and from our Relation to one another, as Partakers of Humane Nature, and Members of Humane Society. are And then only it is, that We fully anfwer the defign of this Duty, when We perform it in fuch a manner, as that it may have a good effect upon Ourselves, by keeping up the justest sense in our minds, of all fuch important Confiderations as the true grounds of our Faith and Hope in GOD; and the strongest motives to our own conftant Practice of all that is good and praiseworthy. This indeed, I always confider as the great End of Prayer, as well as of Faith: and cannot forbear thinking that, in order to be effectual with GOD, it must be useful to Ourselves. With a conftant regard to this Notion, I have drawn up, for the ufe of fuch as have no better helps at hand, the following FORMS. They contain in them, Confeffion of Sins; Petition for all good things; Praife and Thanksgiving to our great and good Governour; and Interceffion for the whole World of understanding Beings: all which, are now, by cuftom, comprehended under the common word, Prayer. In what relates to Confeffion, I have purpofely chofen fuch general Expreffions as it may be proper for All to make use of; and avoided fuch particular ones, as They, who know know their own past life to deserve them, and think seriously of Repentance, may eafily fupply to Themselves, if they judge it neceffary. They alone are conscious of the particularities of their own Condition: and, as no other perfon can truly know them, no other person can pretend exactly to adapt any Words to them. But, for fuch as have happily, thro' the kind difpofitions of Providence, preferved themselves innocent from the common Vices of the World about them; I esteem it but an ill return to Almighty GOD, for These to put themselves upon a level with those Unhappy Persons who have lived in an habitual Courfe of willfull Sin; and a false humility, to speak of Themselves to Almighty GOD, as if they were guilty of Crimes in which They are not confcious They ever bare any part; or as if They thought, He made no diftinction between the Beft and the Worft of his Intelligent Creatures, in this imperfect State. Neither could I here fuffer Myself to direct any Christians to ask the Pardon of their fins, upon the bare Confeffion of them; or to expect it merely upon their Entreating Forgivenefs for the fake of Jefus Chrift: but have thought it agreeable to the Gospel to make it O 3 their |