guish you from hypocrites; which must settle you in peace, and make you an honour to your profession, and a blessing to those who dwell about you! Happy is the land, the church, the family, which consists of such Christians as these! These are not they who either persecute or divide the church; or who make their religion a servant to their policy, to their ambitious designs, or carnal lusts; or who make it the fomenter of sedition, or rebellion, or of an envious, hurtful zeal; or a snare for the innocent and upright in heart. When your religion consists in faith and love to God and man, in mortifying your sinful lusts, in self-denial, humility, and patience, in sincere obedience, and faithfulness in all relations, in preserving the unity of the church, in watchful self-government, in doing good, and in a divine and heavenly life, though it may be hated by the ungodly world, it shall never be a dishonour to your Lord, nor deceive nor disappoint your soul

A Prayer for a holy Life.

(In the Language of the Offices of the Church.) O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, our only refuge and strength, who art the Author of all godliness, grant that being called by thy holy word, and instructed in the heavenly doctrine of thy blessed Son and his apostles, I may not be carried away by every blast of vain doctrine, but may be established in the truth of thy Gospel; and forsaking all worldly and carnal affections, may give myself up obediently to fulfil thy holy

commandments. I beseech thee, O Lord, to pour thy grace into my heart, that I may love thee with all my mind, and with all my soul, and with all my strength; that I may fear thee; may worship thee; may give thee thanks; may put my whole trust in thee; may honour thy holy name and word, and serve thee truly all the days of my life. Give me grace to do unto all men as I would that they should do unto me; to keep my body in temperance, soberness, and chastity; and to do my duty in that state of life unto which it hath pleased thee to call me.

O God, whom truly to know is everlasting life; grant me perfectly to know thy Son Jesus Christ to be the way, the truth, and the life. Give unto me the increase of faith, hope, and charity; and make me to love that which thou commandest, and to follow after that which thou dost promise. Grant me by thy Holy Spirit to have a right judgment in all things, and evermore to rejoice in his holy comfort. O Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully hear my supplications; keep me under the protection of thy good providence; graft in my heart the love of thy name; increase in me true religion, and of thy great mercy keep me in the same. Of thine only gift it cometh, that I can render unto thee true and laudable service; let thy grace, I beseech thee, always direct, sanctify, and govern me, and make me continually to be given to all good works. May I, in heart and mind, ascend unto the same place whither my Saviour Christ hath gone before, and with him continually dwell.

Almighty God, who by thy providence and Ho ¡y Spirit hast appointed divers orders of ministers

in thy church, and called some to the office and administration of Deacons and Priests, and some to the work and ministry of Bishops, and hast built thy church upon the foundation of the apostles and prophets, Jesus Christ himself being the chief corner-stone; give thy grace to all Bishops and other ministers, that they may both by their life and doctrine set forth thy true and lively word, and rightly and duly administer thy holy sacraments. And grant, O most merciful Father, that may have grace to hear and receive what they shall deliver out of thy most holy word, or agreeably to the same, as the means of salvation; and continuing in the communion and fellowship of thy blessed saints in the mystical body of thy Son, and following them in all virtuous and godly living, I may come to those unspeakable joys which thou hast prepared for those who unfeignedly love thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

I

11

. DIALOGUE VI

THE CHRISTIAN INSTRUCTED IN FAMILY DUTIES; in a Dialogue between a Minister and his Parishioner.

Minister. NEIGHBOUR, I am glad to see you. How do you like the new life which you have begun? And what do you find in the practice of the instructions which have been given you?

Parishioner. I find that I have long and foolishly neglected a joyful and a better life; I have lost my time, and made myself both unskilful in, and indisposed to, the practice of my Christian duties; I find that the things which you have prescribed, are excellent, and doubtless must be very pleasing to those who have a suitable disposition towards them; and some pleasure I find even in my weak beginning. But the greatness of the work, and the great untowardness and backwardness of my mind, much abate the satisfaction of it, by suggesting many doubts, and fears, and difficulties. I foresee, however, that better things may yet be noped for.

M. Where is your great difficulty, that requireth counsel ?

P. I find a great deal of work to do in my family, to govern them in the fear of God, to do my duty to them all, especially to educate my

children, and daily to worship God among them. I pray you help me with your advice in this mat

ter.

M. My first advice to you is, that you resolve, by God's help, to perform your duty as well as you can; and that you commend your family to God, the Lord and Master of it. And I pray you let the following reasons fix your resolution.

If you devote your family to God, God will be the protector of it. He will watch over it, for safety and provision, as his own. But if your family be not God's, they are his enemies; and instead of the blessings of health, peace, and prosperity, you may either look for sickness, dangers, and death; or even your prosperity shall be a snare to you and yours.

How pleasant is it to join with one heart and mind in the service of God, and in his cheerful praises! But if your family be ungodly, it will be full of discord and vexation.

Your family hath such constant need of God, as requireth you constantly to serve him. As every man hath his personal necessities, so families have family necessities, which God must supply, or they are miserable. Therefore family duty must be your daily employment.

Holy families are the chief seminaries of Christ's church on earth, and it is very much their duty to keep up the interest of religion in the world. Hence come holy magistrates; and holy pastors and teachers, who, as Timothy, received good instructions from their parents, and grace from the Spirit of Christ in their tender age. Though learning be found in schools, godliness is often received from the education of care