PRAYERS FOR CHILDREN,, 389 bless them, that they may the better instruct you, is the know- ledge of all things useful for this world andthat to come. They pray for you, and you should pray for them. Have you not heard of magistrates and rulers, who keep all the town;; or city, and the whole nation round about you in peace ? Have you not heard of our most excellent king George the Second, who preserves the protestant religion among us, and keeps. us from being plundered and ruined by the cruel and bloody papists ? Have not you heard, of the royal family of princes and princesses, by whose means, we hope, this kingdom will be for ever preserved frompopery and slavery? And are you not bound to give thanks to God for such a protestant king, and pray for all blessings upon him and his royal house for ever ? And indeed you stand so nearly related to all mankind, that you should sometimes lift up a prayer to heaven for them. Pray for heathens, and Turks, and Jews, that they may be turned away from their follies and errors, and false religions, and be led into the ways of truth, and holiness, and eternal peace. And you should pray for the nation, also, to which you belong, that we all may be preserved in peace and prosperity : And can you not find in your hearts to forgive those that have injured you, and to lift up one prayer for your enemies, that God would forgive them too ? This must be done if you would be christians indeed. Since then, dear children, there are such a multitude of reasons, that oblige you to pray to God, since you see it is your constant duty, and it is your highest interest, if you would be safe and,happy in this world, or the world to come, I would per- suade myself, you will delay no longer, but begin this religious work immediately ; and I humbly hope and pray, that God would abundantly assist and bless you therein, that you may learn from your own experience, how sweet and profitable a thing it is, to call upon the name of the Lord*. Advices to Children relating to Prayer. I. Advice. If you make use of any of these prayers, let your parents or teachers assist you, in chusing such as are pro- per for your age and your capacity ; and be sure, that you learn to understand every wordand sentence in the prayer which you use : _If 'there be any expression in it which you do not understand, ask your friends the meaning of it before you speak it to God, that you may not speak words -like a parrot, who knows not what he says, or like the children 'of the papist who are taught to say their prayers in " Latin," when they do not understand one word of them. * To encourage you herein, read an excellent little discourse, lately pub+ lisbed, Called 't The Necessity and Advantages of Closet Religion:'
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