Suffering.

O Lord, grant that, whenever I suffer, it may be for being faithful to Thee, and without drawing it unseasonably upon myself.

We are in God's hands; we often take ourselves out of his hands, by trusting to the help and protection of men more, than to that of God.

God will render none miserable, but those, whom he finds sinners. Let us apply this to ourselves when in affliction, but not unto others, nor to their personal faults.

Rev. iii. 19. As many, as I love, I rebuke and chasten; be zealous therefore, and repent. Blessed be God, who vouchsafes by salutary chastisements to awaken us, when we fall asleep through sloth and lukewarmness.

Grant, O God, that I may never murmur at thy appointments, nor be exasperated at the ministers of thy providence.

In Thee, O Jesus, we find matter of consolation in every affliction, that can possibly befal us.

All visitations are from God. He is not delighted with the miseries of his creatures; afflictions are therefore designed for your good. He will either show us the reason of this visitation or make us reap the fruits of it.

Persons, that may be well disposed, may yet live under the power of some evil custom, which is displeasing to God; a man may have been guilty of some great sin, which he has yet never truly repented of, or been truly humbled

for. This was the case of the sons of Jacob; they had attempted the life of their brother, and afterwards sold him, and endangered the life of their aged father; under which guilt they passed their lives well enough many years, till God visited them; and then they thought of their sin, confessed, and repented.

God by afflictions often fits us for greater degrees of grace, which he is going to bestow. Though I suffer, yet I am well, because I am what God would have me to be.

Lord, do not permit my trials to be above my strength; and do Thou vouchsafe to be my strength and comfort in time of trial.

Give me grace to take in good part, whatev er shall befal me; and let my heart acknowledge it to be the Lord's doing, and to come from thy providence, and not by chance.

God makes use of afflictions sometimes by way of prevention; lest I should be exalted, said St. Paul; to reform them; before I was afflicted, I went astray; to perfect them; patience, courage, and submission to the will of God are. graces not so much as understood by persons, who meet no adversities; we must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of God; to prove men, and show them for examples; if a man had no enemies, how could he show his charity in forgiving them?

John xi. 5. Afflictions are no marks of God's displeasure. Jesus loved Mary and Lazarus ; yet they were both afflicted.

Punishment is due to sin. We must be punished here or hereafter; it is the cause of all afflictions, and designed by our gracious God to bring us to repentance.

Prosperity is a most dangerous state; we fancy it is owing to our merit, and it is followed with pride, neglect of duty, and fearlessness.

It is happy for us, when God counts us worthy to suffer for his name's sake.

Afflictions, undergone with resignation, are the great test of our love of God; when we love him, then he chastens us. May God sanctify all our afflictions to us all! May I receive every thing with patience and with joy. God, in the day of trouble. grace from all excess of fear,

ness.

from thy hand. Remember me, O Secure me by thy concern, and sad

Let my afflictions be in some measure serviceable toward appeasing thy wrath.

Let them prove the happy occasion of forwarding my conversion and salvation.

Temptation.

We are exposed to temptation all our days. Men are never more dangerously tempted, than when they think themselves secure from temptation. This is a proof of the power, the devil has over them.

We tempt God, when we expose ourselves unnecessarily to dangers through false confidence of his assistance.

Despair.

Hope.

Grant, O God, that amid all the discouragements, difficulties, dangers, distress, and darkness of this mortal life, I may depend on thy mercy, and on this build my hopes, as on a sure foundation.

Let thine infinite mercy in Christ Jesus deliver me from despair, both now and at the hour of death.

Resignation.

Grant that I may receive the punishment of my sins with patience and resignation. Injuries. Persecution.

Give me, O God, a heart to consider, that man could have no power against me, unless it were given from above.

Enemies.

A Christian should not discover that he has enemies any other way, than by doing more good to them, than to others. If thine enemy hunger, feed him; if he thirst, give him drink. He will therefore be careful not to lose such occasions.

O Jesus, whose charity all the malice of thy bitterest enemies could not overcome, shed abroad in my heart that most excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace and of all vir

tues.

Eccles. viii. 7. Rejoice not over thy greatest enemy being dead; but remember that we die all. Our enemies are our benefactors, procuring for us a new right to Heaven. I pray God to convert all those, who hate us without a

cause.

I beseech Thee for my enemies, not for vengeance, but for mercy; that thou wouldest change their hearts by thy grace, or restrain their malice by thy power.

In Time of War.

Q Sovereign Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased, I prostrate myself before Thee, confessing my own sin and the sin of this people; acknowledging the justice of any scourge, which Thou shalt think fit to bring upon us; and trembling to think, how much I may have contributed toward it.

Thou hast already spoken to us both by thy judgments and mercies, both by the scarcity and plenty of bread; and we have not regarded it. Thou hast taken away the lives of many, very many, in their very sins, by which numerous widows and fatherless children have been left miserable.

The sins of whoredom and drunkenness; of swearing, lying, and perjury; of litigiousness, injustice, and defrauding the publick, are made light of. The sins of impiety, of profaneness, of despising the means of grace and salvation, are common among us. What shall we say, to prevail with God to avert the judgments, which these sins deserve?

God be merciful unto us, and put a stop to this torrent of wickedness; put thy fear into all our hearts, that we may return to Thee'; that we may repent, and bring forth fruit, meet for repentance; and that iniquity may not be our ruin.