tual welfare of our domestics. May it be a subject of eternal thankfulness to them that they were directed to tarry under our roof, and assist in our affairs. God of Eliezer as well as of his master Abraham! bless them and mercifully regard them. With good-will may they do service as unto the Lord and not unto men. May the good, they derive from their situation, be reflected on us. In their integrity, and holy influence over us and all, may we have our reward. We would share all our religious privileges with them; that there may be one law to him that is home-born, and unto the stranger who sojourneth among us. And while we remember our relative differences and respective duties, let us anticipate the scene in which all such social distinctions shall for ever terminate, and all Thy servants shall serve Thee! PRAYER FOR A CHILD LEAVING HOME TO ENTER UPON THE DUTIES OF PUBLIC LIFE. WE would commend to Thee such of our number as may be about to leave the shelter of our roof, and to embark in the necessary business of Social existence. Thou dost require us to provide things honestly in the sight of all men, and to work with our hands that which is good. God of the wandering but praying Jacob! the fear of whose father was always on him,-bless him who now goes to meet eyes and voices no longer tender like those on which he has hitherto looked distress, and be and hung. God of Bethel! Inspire his vow. Answer him in the day of his with him in the way he goes. port the heart of the stranger. Pity and supGive him favour in the sight of them among whom he shall dwell. God before whom our fathers did walk! God who hast fed us all our life long unto this day! The Angel who redeemed us from all evil! Bless the child! Prosper him as Thou shalt see it meet. And in future time may we welcome his visits, if remote be his abode, not as a prodigal returning to his home, but as a dew from the Lord! Let him not seek great things for himself, but live to honour his family, to serve his generation, to glorify Thee on the earth, to leave a store of holy influence and stirring example to those who shall come after him. We send him forth,the child of our vows,—the child of our prayers, -we tremble, we weep,-we make supplications for him. Fail not him, nor forsake him, -for no moment, at no step, of his course, -Thou Who only canst make him stand! PRAYER FOR THE LAST EVENING OF THE YEAR. THY Years shall not fail! Having brought us, O Lord! to this solemn crisis of our earthly history, having rolled away another large section of our time, we would pause and consider. We spend our years as a tale that is told! What forbearance dost Thou show toward us! Why cumber we the ground? What could have been done more to Thy vineyard that Thou We have been slothful We are covered with hast not done in it? and unprofitable servants. shame, and struck with consternation, at the review of the period which is well-nigh fled ! Truly there should be a remembrance again made of sins every year. Be merciful unto us, be merciful unto us, O God! Pardon our ini- quity, transgression, and sin! forget Thy goodness? Thy stream of bountiful supply has never failed. Thine eyes of pity have been fixed upon us from the beginning of the year even unto the end of the year. How precious are Thy thoughts unto us, O God, how great is the sum of them! What shall we render unto the Lord for all his benefits? Let us not soon forget Thy works! Let us feel that if we pervert Thy mercies, Thou renewest in these changes witnesses against us! Still thinking of our vileness, we can only exclaim: Do not abhor us! We look to a Sacrifice not offered year by year, continually, but which has been slain once for all! PRAYER ON NEW-YEAR'S-DAY MORNING. IT is of the Lord's mercies, that we are not consumed! The living, the living, we will praise Thee! What shall we say unto Thee, O Thou preserver of men? What a wreck do we survive! We are a little remnant. We are left but a few of many. What graves have we filled up along this wilderness. Lover and friend hast Thou put far from us. We have no continuing city. We often walk in a solitary way. And now we wonder and adore, that our forfeited lives have been ransomed, that we have not been given over to death, that we have not been called to our account. Another period of our life commences! But let not the false presumption mislead and blind us that the passage from one year to another is any pledge of continued survivorship, any security of living from one day to its to-morrow. Suffer us not to think that Thou must let us alone this year also. Oh to hear the voice of this solemn season! Thou seemest like the Householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers in his vineyard. Lord! we poor unworthy labourers would agree with Thee! Lead and we will follow, command and we will obey. And though it can never be reckoned to us of debt but only of grace,-yet' shall we henceforth receive wages, and gather fruit unto life eternal. We leave our times,-years,-moments, -in Thy Hand! There we commit our bodies, our souls! There we entrust our families, our interests! There we deposit our all! We offer ourselves anew to Thee, and now hold our yearly sacrifice here for all the family! Here again we lay hold on Thy covenant, and set to it our seal! PRAYER FOR THE RECOVERY OF A PARENT. THOU Who liftest up such as be cast down! Thy Hand is heavy upon us, and beneath its weight we look to Thee to sustain and cheer us! Thou before Whom it is good and acceptable that we learn to requite parents, mercifully regard the beloved Head of this family. Let not this sickness be unto death, but for the glory of God, that the Son of God may be glorified thereby! |