gan of his praises; no unholy and unchaste action rend the veil of that temple, where the holy Jesus hath been pleased to enter, and hath chosen for his habitation: but seal up all my senses from all vain objects, and let them be entirely possessed with religion, and fortified with prudence, watchfulness, and mortification; that I possessing my vessel in holiness, may lay it down with a holy hope, and receive it again in a joyful resurrection, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer to be said by Married Persons in behalf of themselves and each other.

O ETERNAL and gracious Father, who hast consecrated the holy estate of marriage to become mysterious and to represent the union of Christ and his church, let thy holy Spirit so guide me in the doing the duties of this state, that it may not become a sin unto me. Do thou forgive all those irregularities and too sensual applications, which may have in any degree discomposed my spirit and the severity of a christian. Let me in all accidents and circumstances be severe in my duty towards thee, affectionate and dear to my wife [or husband], a guide and good example to my family, and in all quietness, sobriety, prudence and peace, a follower of those holy pairs, who have served thee with godliness and a good testimony. And the blessings of the eternal God, blessings of the right hand and of the left, be upon the body and soul of thy servant my wife, [or husband] and abide upon her [or him] till the end of a holy and happy life; and grant that both of us may live together for ever in the embraces of the holy and eternal Jesus, our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A prayer for the grace of Humility.

O HOLY and most gracious Master and Saviour Jesus, who by thy example and by thy precept, by the prac

tice of a whole life and frequent discourses, didst command us to be meek and humble, in imitation of thy incomparable sweetness and great humility; be pleased to give me the grace, as thou hast given me the commandment: enable me to do, whatsoever thou commandest, and command, whatsoever thou pleasest. O mortify in me all proud thoughts and vain opinions of myself: let me return to thee the acknowledgment and the fruits of all those good things thou hast given me, that by confessing I am wholly in debt to thee for them, I may not boast myself for what I have received, and for what I am highly accountable: and for what is my own, teach me to be ashamed and humbled, it being nothing but sin and misery, weakness and uncleanness. Let me go before my brethren in

nothing, but in striving to do them honour and thee glory, never to seek my own praise, never to delight in it when it is offered; that despising myself, I may be accepted by thee in the honours with which thou shalt crown thy humble and despised servants for Jesus his sake in the kingdom of eternal glory. Amen.

Acts of Humility and Modesty by way of Prayer and Meditation.

I.

Lord, I know that my spirit is light and thorny, my body is brutish and exposed to sickness; I am constant to folly and inconstant in holy purposes. My labours are vain and fruitless; my fortune full of change and trouble, seldom pleasing, never perfect: my wisdom is folly; being ignorant even of the parts and passions of my own body: and what am I, O Lord, before thee but a miserable person, hugely in debt, not able to pay?

II.

Lord, I am nothing, and I have nothing of myself: I am less than the least of all thy mercies.

III.

What was I before my birth? First, nothing, and then uncleanness. What during my childhood? weakness and folly. What in my youth? folly still and passion, lust and wildness. What in my whole life? a great sinner, a deceived and an abused person. Lord, pity me, for it is of thy goodness that I am kept from confusion and amazement, when I consider the misery and shame of my person, and the defilements of my nature.

IV.

Lord, what am I? and, Lord, what art thou? "What is man that thou art mindful of him, and the son of man that thou so regardest him?"

V.

"How can man be justified with God? or how can he be clean that is born of a woman? Behold even to the moon, and it shineth not, yea, the stars are not pure in his sight: How much less man that is a worm, and the son of man which is a worm ?" Job 25. 4, &c.

A Prayer for a Contented Spirit, and the grace of Moderation and Patience.

O ALMIGHTY God, Father and Lord of all the creatures, who hast disposed all things and all chances, so as may best glorify thy wisdom, and serve the ends of thy justice, and magnify thy mercy, by secret and undiscernible ways bringing good out of evil; I most humbly beseech thee to give me wisdom from above, that I may adore thee, and admire thy ways and footsteps, which are in the great deep and not to be searched out: teach me to submit to thy providence in all things, to be content in all changes of person and condition, to be temperate in prosperity, and to

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read my duty in the lines of thy mercy; and in adversity to be meek, patient, and resigned, and to look through the cloud, that I may wait for the consolation of the Lord, and the day of redemption; in the mean time doing my duty with an unwearied diligence, and an undisturbed resolution, having no fondness for the vanities or possessions of this world, but laying up my hopes in heaven and the rewards of holy living, and being strengthened with the Spirit of the inner man, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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CHAPTER III.

OF CHRISTIAN JUSTICE.

JUSTICE is by the Christian religion enjoined in all its parts by these two propositions in scripture: "Whatsoever ye would that men should do to you, even so do to them." This is the measure of Commutative justice, or of that justice which supposes exchange of things profitable for things profitable: that as I supply your need, you may supply mine; as I do a benefit to you, I may receive one by you: and because every man may be injured by another, therefore his security shall depend upon mine: if he will not let me be safe, he shall not be safe himself: (only the manner of his being punished is, upon great reason, both by God and all the world taken from particulars, and committed to a public disinterested person, who will do justice without passion both to him and to me:) if he refuses to do me advantage, he shall receive none, when his needs require it. And thus God gave necessities to men, that all men might need; and several abilities to several persons, that each man might help to supply the public needs, and by joining to fill up all wants, they may be knit together by justice, as the parts of the world are by nature: and he hath made all obnoxious to injuries, and made every little thing strong enough to do us hurt by some instrument