the blessed portion of thy children, in that most glorious life, which shall never fail. Grant this, O merciful Father, for thy dear Son's sake, our only Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER IN BEHALF OF A WIDOW.

O MOST mighty God, the sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, who art righteous in all thy ways, and holy in all thy works; thou givest, and thou takest away; thou dost lift up, and in thy wise providence, thou castest down. Suffer not this thy afflicted servant, O holy Father, to grieve like those that have no hope, nor to entertain hard thoughts of thy providence; but enable her to submit to thy will, and to repose herself under the care of thy good providence, assuredly believing, that we can never be destitute whilst we have thee for our friend, nor miserable so long as thou art our portion. O do thou then supply her with whatever she may want of outward helps; and though thou hast been pleased to take from her a great blessing, yet, O Lord, deprive her not of thy spiritual mercies; but let the comfort of thy love, be her portion and inheritance, under all the troubles and afflictions of this world. Raise up friends, O Lord, that may assist her in all her exigencies; but especially do thou teach and instruct her, that she may manage those affairs which are now devolved upon her with prudence, justice, and integrity. O let this

loss, which thou hast been pleased should befal her, bring her nearer to thyself, and possess her mind with such a thorough sense and conviction of the uncertainty of all worldly blessings, that she may fix her heart, her hopes, and her desires, upon those pleasures which are at thy right hand for evermore. And grant, O merciful Father, that all who are sharers with her in this affliction, may be partakers, likewise, of thy support and comfort. Teach us all so to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto true wisdom; and so to fit and prepare ourselves for that great account which we must one day give, that when the time of our appointed change shall come, we may look up to thee with joy and comfort; and may at last be received into that place of rest and peace where all tears shall be wiped from our eyes, and all our sorrows shall have an end, through the merits, and for the sake of our blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen.

A PRAYER FOR THE AFFLICTED; OR, WITH THEM, UPON THE DEATH OF FRIENDS.

[Only such paragraphs as are most appropriate, need be used.]

O God, whose days are without end, and whose mercies cannot be numbered; in whose hands our breath is, and who dost admonish us by the death of those whom we have known and valued, while we are left the living monuments of thy forbearance and long suffering, accomplish in our hearts, we

beseech thee, the purposes of thy providence. Teach us by the daily instances of mortality which we behold, how frail and uncertain our own condition is, that we may apply our hearts unto true wisdom. Press upon us the consideration how soon we must follow the vast multitude that are gone before, and that are every day passing out of the land of the living; that so among the sundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may surely there be fixed where true joys are to be found.

Look with thy accustomed kindness and compassion upon these thy servants, who are here bowed down under thy afflictive appointment. Graciously apply to their hearts the doctrines, and the promises, and the consolations of thy Gospel. Do thou who hast sorely wounded, bind up and heal. Do thou who in sovereign authority hast bereaved, in divine piety and mercy repair the breaches in their comfort and happiness. Suppress every repining thought. Cherish their trust in thee, and their faith and hope. Reveal thyself to them as a God of consolation, and may they find and feel that thou art their satisfying portion-that thou, the eternal fountain of all good, art still the same, and in all these changes, never changest.

Most just art thou, O God, in all thy dealings with us; and our afflictions are always less than onr sins deserve. We humbly adore thy Majesty. We revere thy justice. We gratefully magnify thy past mercies. Sanctify, we beseech thee, to this

family their recent affliction. May the sense of the bereavement which they have sustained, lead them to cleave more closely to thee, their God. In all their troubles and apprehensions, may they remember thy faithfulness and truth; in all their sufferings may their trust be in thy mercies. And awakened now to a deep conviction of the shortness and vanity of human life, may they resolve to seek supremely those things which are above-to resign themselves and all their concerns, with unreserved submission to thy divine disposal; and in the fulness of resignation, may it be the language of their hearts as well as their lips :-"The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord."

Taught by the constant experience of the world, that death is the end of all men, may we, who are living, have grace to lay it to heart: so to lay it to heart, that we may contemn the world with its vanities and lusts; that we may seek thy favor, study thy will, cherish thy Spirit; and in all our actions, aim supremely at thy glory, at the salvation of our own souls, and of the souls of our fellow men. And when we are summoned to go the way of all the earth, may thy Spirit be with us, and thy presence go with us, to sustain and comfort us ; to lead us to a rest eternal in the heavens.

O heavenly Father, take our eyes, and hearts, and hope, off of perishing comforts, to fix them upon thee, the only satisfying good, in the enjoy

ment of which consists our true life and peace. And let the emptiness and frequent disappointments that we find in all the enjoyments of the world, teach us not to place our dependence upon them. Help us to disengage our hearts from them, and raise up our desires and hopes to the unmixed pleasures at thy right hand for ever more. O let us be more crucified to the world, where is nothing but emptiness, and vanity, and vexation of spirit; and may we have our conversation in heaven, where is our blessed Lord, and all his happy followers; that with them, we may attain at last, to live in the sight and presence, in the love and praises, and in the fellowship and enjoyment of thee, our God.

Spare us, good Lord; spare us, most merciful Father, until we have truly repented of our sins, and made our peace with thee our offended Judge. For thy Son, Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all our sins of which our conscience is afraid. For his sake turn away all thine anger from us. Enter not any further into judgment with us; and after the multitude of thy mercies, look upon us, and visit us with thy salvation. Raise us, O Lord, from the death of sin, to a new and holy life; that being partakers of the death of thy Son, we may also be partakers of his resurrection. O Lord, hear and answer our humble petitions. O Lord, have mercy and bless us; and grant us thy peace, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.