PRAYERS

FOR PERSONS IN PRIVATE, UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS.

A PRAYER FOR POWER TO LIVE BY FAITH UPON CHRIST, AND THE DIVINE PROMISES.

O LORD GOD, infinitely holy and just, to whom none can come but through a Mediator; and who alone can draw us that we may believe in him, to thee I come begging that faith which is thy gift. Lord, help my unbelief: Lord, increase my faith. O bless and enrich my soul with such a holy, lively, and unfeigned principle, as may enlighten my mind, and purify my heart, and govern my whole life; such a faith as may enable me to receive Jesus Christ for my Saviour, and heartily give up myself to him for my Lord.

For is it not thy gracious promise, Lord, to blot out thy people's transgressions, for thine own sake, and to heal their backslidings, and not let sin have dominion over them; yea, to have mercy even upon the wicked and the unrighteous man, forsaking his ways and his thoughts, and abundantly to pardon? Hast thou not promised, Lord, to give to thy servants a new heart, and a new spirit; to teach them,

and quicken them, and cause them to walk in thy statutes alway; to accomplish the good work in them which thou hast begun; and though they fall, to uphold them with thy hand; to put thy fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from thee, and to give unto them eternal life? O exceeding great and precious promises to the humble and penitent soul! Such are thy words, O my Lord, and they are ratified in heaven; and not one jot or tittle of thy word shall pass away, till all be fulfilled, for faithful is he that promised. O let me believe that I, even I, shall see it.

Great and holy Lord, in all that I am, and in all that I do, I cannot but see my extreme need of a Saviour, and that I am undone without the free grace of God in Jesus Christ. And, therefore, I desire to go even out of myself, and to be found in him; not having my own righteousness, but that which is through the faith of him; and to sit down under the shadow of that blessed tree of life, which yields fruits most precious to all believing souls. In my greatest darkness and distress, O let me trust in the name of the Lord, and stay myself upon my God; committing my ways unto thee, who carest for me; trusting in thy almighty power to help and save; in thy merciful inclinations to pity and relieve; and in the sure promises which thy love hath made, and which thy faithfulness will certainly make good, unto all that wait and call upon thee.

The blessed Jesus is my life and strength, my wisdom and riches, my health and joy, my glory and my all: there is no healing for my soul but in his blood; no peace for my conscience but in his reconciling me to God; no safety from the just judgments of heaven, but in that perfect sacrifice and atonement which meets even the strictest demands of Jehovah. O none but Christ, none but Christ! without this all-sufficient Redeemer, I am a lost creature. I beseech thee, therefore, O Lord, my God, whatever else I want, leave me not destitute of him; but give me Christ or I die eternally. Though I confess myself unworthy of him, because I have so wickedly neglected his great salvation, and abused all his grace, yet I dare not add this to all my other offences, to limit the efficacy of his death, and to despair of that mercy, which in him thou art pleased to proffer, even to the most guilty, repenting and turning unto thee. Seeing thou art reconciling the world to thyself in Christ Jesus, who came to seek and to save even the lost, and who invites to him the laboring and heavy laden, yea, bids whoever is athirst to come, and take the water of life freely, and promises that such as come to him he will in no wise cast out; to him, therefore, I come, and in him will I trust; and of thee, gracious Father, I beg for help to do it as I ought.

O be thou pleased to shine into my heart with thy heavenly light, revealing thy Son in me; and showing me his all-sufficiency for me, and my own

happy share and interest in him. Dear Lord, give me thy Spirit to draw me to him, and enable me. to take hold of him, to rely upon him, and to believe in him to the saving of my soul. And while I am humbly endeavoring to do his will may I never distrust his power, nor his love, who loved me, and washed me from my sins in his own blood. And the God of hope fill me with all joy and peace in believing, that this may be my soul's rest, to lie at the feet of Jesus, to cast my burden upon him, and to lean upon his promises. Though there is nothing in me but pollution and disorder, O let me not keep off from my Saviour, but come to him at his call, and so believe in his name, as to be made clean and whole. None can more need his help, Lord, than I do : let it not pass by me; but may the Saviour of the world, be the Saviour of my soul; and let Christ abide with my spirit, and be ever at hand to revive me with some token of his love. And let the hope thus afforded me, bear me up under all troubles, fortify me against all temptations, and quicken and enable me for the performance of all my duties. O that Christ may dwell in my heart by faith; and that the life which I now live, may be by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me; in whom, though now I see him not, yet believing, let me rejoice with joy unspeakable and full of glory. Let me lay up thy words of promise, O my Father, as the richest treasure, and confide in them as the