PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN. 349 The young Person's Prayer for Lord's-day evening, to be used together with the other Evening Prayer. Ever blessed God, the Father of glory and the God of all grace, this day hast thou invited me to attend on the worship of thy house, and hast opened to me some of the treasures of thy sanctuary ; thou hast caused me to bear the words of eternal life, and called me to join with thy people, in the voice ofprayer and praise : But how poor and imperfect are my best services ? How unworthy of thy acceptance, O my God, who art surround- ed with ten thousands of worshipping angels, and the spirits of the just made perfect? I desire to bow my knees, and confess before thee with shame and sorrow, how heavy and dull my heart has been, amidst the quickening ordinances of thy house : How often have my thoughts stole away from thy presence, and wandered afar off among the cares, the businesses, or the vanities of this life ? In how cold and formal a manner have too many of my devotions, this day, been offered up to thy holy Majesty, and how little of thy word has been treasured up in my heart ? O most merciful God, forgive the iniquity of my holy things, and lay not sin to my charge. I humbly trust in the blood of Jesus thy Son, and his perfect righteousness, to answer for all my imperfections. Though the day be almost ended, let not the work of it be all lost. Let thy good Spirit bring to my reinem- brance, some of the sacred instructions, which I have heard in thy house ; and so far as thy ministers have spoken agreeably to thymind and will, let my soul retain the sense and savour of it, for many days to come. Let not all the good seed be sown in vain, but do thou cause some part of it to spring up, and bring forth the blessed fruits of righteousness, in my following conver- sation. O may 1 love God and man better, and rejoice in Christ Jesus, my Saviour and my hope. May I hate sin more daily, and find myself more weaned from this flesh and this world, which have been such unhappy clogs and hinderances, in my at- tempts to honour God. And yet, OLord, I would bless thy name also, that I hope there have been in me some sincere breathings of soul toward thee : I humbly hope, that I have found through thy grace sonic holy exercises of faith, submission and obedience while 1 heard or read thy word, and some relish ofsacred pleasurein thy worship, and that both in my solemn retirements, and in the congregations of thy people. Blessed be God, who has not utterly forsaken his own ordinances, nor forgotten his unworthy servant. Accept, I pray thee all my sincere endeavours to love and serve thee, in the name of Jesus, my only Mediator. Carry on thy own good work in me : Let every spark, ofthy heavenly grace, be cherish- ed and improved, till it.grow uphereafter to joy and glory. z 3
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