342

REMOVING TO A NEW RESIDENCE.

Family Providential Seasons.

CXLV.

REMOVING TO A NEW RESIDENCE.

O Lord, our God, without whose blessing no changes can be a real blessing, who hast determined the times before appointed, and the bounds of our habitation; we look unto thee to prosper this change in our dwelling-place to the spiritual as well as the temporal good of our family. We humble ourselves before thee for all our past sins, and thank thee for the many mercies received hitherto in the place of our abode; give us true repentance for the past, and grant that with a new abode we may put away all our idols, begin a new life, and still more abundantly partake of thy grace and goodness. May God be honoured in our family abode; may the Spirit be poured upon us, and our household be a Christian household, and our family thine from the very beginning; so may we dwell in a peaceable habitation, and in a sure dwelling and in a quiet resting-place.

Above all be thou, O Lord, our dwelling-place in all generations, and our strong habitation whereunto we may continually resort, in health, in sickness, in life, in death, in judgment, and through eternity, for our Redeemer's sake.

CXLVI.

FOR MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY ABOUT TO JOURNEY.

Bless, O Lord, especially, we pray thee, [those members] of our family about to leave home, for the journey which is now before [them.] May the designed end of the journey be accomplished. May [they] be a blessing wherever [they] go, and bring [them] back in peace if it be thy will, at the appointed time, to our beloved home. O how many are the mercies for which we have here to praise thee, and we would receive them as coming only from thy hand, and as earnests and pledges of higher blessings yet to come, in our Father's house, not made with hands, eternal in the heavens.

CXLVII.

FOR MEMBERS OF THE FAMILY ABSENT.

We commit unto thee those members [that member] of our family now absent from us. Be with them [him or her] watch over, guide, guard, and bless them. Let no evil happen to body or to soul. May prayer for each other still bring us together daily

344

THANKSGIVING FOR RETURN HOME.

before thee. May all the designed benefits of the absence be fully realized, and may we meet in peace again to praise together thy loving-kindness.

CXLVIII.

THANKSGIVING ON THE RETURN HOME OF THOSE

ABSENT.

We bless thee, O our God, for thy great goodness in re-assembling us once more around the throne of thy grace in family worship, and for all thy protecting care, and thy many providential mercies to those who have been journeying as well as to those who have remained at home. The Lord has been our keeper; he has preserved our going out and our coming in, and he shall preserve us from all evil. May we live to his praise and continually be greater helps and blessings to each other.

CXLIX.

BEFORE THE VISIT OF A FRIEND.

Bless, Lord, all who come under our roof; bless the friend whom we this day expect; may we both gain and impart spiritual benefits during his [her] visit; may we be honoured to assist each other in the way to heaven; and may our intercourse be holy and edifying, such as we shall look back upon with pleasure in thy heavenly kingdom. For Jesus' sake. Amen.

CL.

BIRTH-DAY IN A FAMILY.

We bless thee, O our God, for another year added to the years of one of our beloved family, and we earnestly pray together that this birth-day may be a season of special grace and spiritual blessedness; in an humbling and grateful recollection of that which is past, and in fresh purposes in thy strength to give the remaining portion of our time here below, more unreservedly to thy service. O that the great end of life, thy glory in our own salvation, and an abundant sowing of seed for a future harvest of eternal blessedness, may be more and more accomplished in us all.

CLI.

A SERVANT'S LEAVING THE FAMILY.

We commit unto thee that servant of our family about to leave us this day, humbling ourselves before thee for any thing wrong in thy sight, in our past relations to each other, in us, or in [her,] thanking thee for any benefits received or communicated, and beseeching to guard [her] and us from all spiritual danger in these changes, to bless them to our soul's welfare, and to grant that we may be increasing blessings to all around us.

CLII.

A SERVANT'S COMING INTO THE FAMILY. We desire to welcome into our household another member of our family, entreating thee, who hast appointed the various stations of life, for grace to fulfil the several duties of our stations to thy glory. May the master rule as knowing that he has a Master in heaven, with whom is no respect of persons, and ever giving that which is just and equal; and the servants labour, not with eye-service as men-pleasers, but with good-will doing service from the heart, as unto the Lord and not unto men, knowing that of the Lord they shall receive the reward of the inheritance.

CLIII.

FOR DIRECTION IN CHOOSING A SERVANT.

O Lord, who dost direct all things that concern thy people for their good, we beseech thee send to us a suitable and faithful servant for our family, who shall be a help and comfort to the whole household, and both do good and get good under our roof. Feeling our own darkness, and ignorance, and danger of being deceived, we ask of thee guidance and direction in this as in every thing connected with the welfare of our family.