352 PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN. Confession and petition. Ah Lord, how wretched is our state by nature ! How ignorant are our minds ! How full are our hearts of iniquity and folly! and how sinful have our lives been in thy sight ! What shall we say unto th'e, O thou observer of men ? We lie at thy foot and cry for mercy. Save us from the miseries we have deserved, blot out our transgres- sions forever, and takeus under the care and power of thy grace, and the teachings of thy Spirit, that we may be made wise and holy. Petition and Pleading*. Teach us thy ways, O Lord, and let us grow, in all useful knowledge Hast thou not promised, to give wisdom to them, that ask it of thee, and to teach thy ways to the humble ? Or thus: Save us from the power of every temptation, for we are weak in ourselves, and cannot stand, without the aids of thy grace. Keep our hearts by thy power, for our own care and watchfulness are not sufficient for our safety, if God forsake us. If thou leave-us, O Lord, we perish. Or thus : Bestow all needful blessings on us, O Lord, for time and eternity : Has not thy Son purchased them, with his own blood ? And have we not encouragement to hope for them, when we ask in his flame ? Or thus: We are weak and worth- less creatures, yet deliver, and save us, for thy name's sake : Thy power and grace will shine the more gloriously in our salva- tion : Hast thou not saved many a sinner, as worthless and as ' weak as we are ? Petition and Thanksgiving. Lord, while, wè bless the., from our souls, for the many and undeserved instances of thy mercy, which we have received ; we present our humble peti- tions for new favours and blessings. We praise thee, O God, that thou hast bestowed on us the eomforts of this life : bestow on us also the graces of thy Spirit and the blessings of the life to come. In this manner, may young christ.ians learn to vary their methods of prayer, and to 'suit their adorations, confessions, pe- titions, pleadings and thanksgivings to all particular cases in their daily devotions, or ot( special occasions : Of which last I have given many instances, in the following composures. Examples of Prayer on Various Occasions. L Before Reading the Scriptures. CALLmy thòughts away, O Lord, from the things of this world, and compose them to attend to thy holy word. I praise thy name, that thou hast put into my hand, this best of books, which was written to make us wise to salvation ; yet I entreat thee, O God, leave me not to read it, without the instructions of thy holy Spirit. Teach a child to understand thy word, su x Note, These .two parts of prayer, are most frequently, intermingled.
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=