Psalms and Prayers of Thanksgiving for the Love of God, by young Persons and Widows.

O HOLY Jesus, who wert pleased to espouse every holy soul, and join it to thee with a holy union and mysterious instruments of religious society and communications; O fill my soul with Religion, and desires holy as the thoughts of cherubim; that I may love thee, even with all my soul, and all my faculties, and all the degrees of every faculty: let me know no love, but that of duty and of charity, of obedience and devotion. My soul is thine, O blessed Jesus, thou art my Lord, and hast bound up my eyes and heart from all stranger affections; give me for my dowry purity and humility, modesty and devotion, charity and patience; and at last bring me unto thyself, to partake with Thee the joys of eternity. Amen. Amen. Amen.

By a young Person before Marriage.

O MOST glorious God, and my most indulgent and gracious Father, who dost bless us by thy bounty, pardon us by thy mercy, support and guide us by thy Grace, and govern us, sweetly, by thy Providence; I give thee most humble and hearty thanks, that thou hast, hitherto, preserved me in my

virgin state with innocence and chastity, in a good name and a modest report. It is thy goodness alone, and the blessed emanation of thy holy Spirit, by which I have been preserved; and to thee I return all praise and thanks, and adore and love thy goodness infinite.

And now, O Lord, since, by thy dispensation and over ruling Providence, I am to change my condition, and enter into the holy state of marriage, which thou hast sanctified by thy institution, and blessed by thy word and promises, and raised up to an excellent mystery, that it might represent the union of Christ and his Church; be pleased to go along with thy servant in my entering into, and passing through, this state, that it may not be a state of temptation or sorrow, by occasion of my sins or infirmities, but of holiness and comfort, as thou hast intended it to all that love and fear thy holy

name.

Lord, bless and preserve the person whom thou hast chosen to be my husband let his life be long and blessed, comfortable and holy; and let me also become a blessing and comfort unto him, a sharer in all his joys, a refreshment in all his sorrows, a meet helper for him in all accidents and chances of the world. Make me amiable for ever in his eyes, and beloved by him. Unite his heart to me in the union of love and holiness, and mine to him in all sweetness, and charity, and compliance. Keep from me all moroseness, and ungentleness, all sullenness

sullenness and harshness of disposition, all pride and vanity, all discontentedness and unreasonableness of passion and humor: and make me humble and obedient, charitable and loving, patient and contented, useful and observant; that we may delight in each other, according to thy blessed word and ordinance, and both of us may rejoice in thee, having our portion in the love and service of God for ever and ever.

O blessed Father, never suffer any mistakes or discontent, any distrust or sorrow, any trifling arrests of fancy or unseemly accident, to cause any unkindness between us: but let us so dearly love, so affectionately observe, so religiously attend to each other's good and content, that we may always please thee, and by this learn and practise our duty and greatest love to thee, and become mutual helps to each other in the way of godliness; that, when we have received the blessings of a married life, the comforts of society, the endearments of a holy and uniform affection, we may for ever dwell together, celebrating the marriage supper of the Lamb to eternal ages, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, Amen.

By a young Person after Marriage.

O ETERNAL God, the Father of wisdom and mercy, Thou hast been my guide and my defence

all

all my days, Thou didst take me from my mother's womb, and didst conduct me, through the varieties of my life, with so much mercy, and the issues of an indulgent and wise Providence; I bless thy name, O Lord, for all thy dispensations; Thou hast done all things with infinite goodness and infinite wisdom. Thou hast preserved me from the effects of thy wrath, and the evils of my own infirmities; Thou didst defend me from evils by the guard of Angels, and didst lead me into good by the conduct of thy holy Spirit. Thou hast always heard my prayer, ever being more ready to bless me than I to ask it. Thou hast said unto me, I will never leave thee, nor forsake thee; be graciously pleased, therefore, to hear the prayer of thy hand-maid, that I may have the aids of thy Providence and Grace, to do my duty in all my relations, in all varieties and changes of the world, until my great change shall come.

Give thy blessing to thy servant my dear husband, give him a long life, and a confirmed health; encircle him with blessings, adorn him with thy Grace, nourish him with content, refresh him with a perpetual succession of comforts, let the light of thy countenance be upon him in all his actions, and the accidents of his life; and grant that he may still more and more increase in the love and fear of thy holy Name; that, despising the things of this world, he may hunger and thirst after the things of God and of Religion, and may have his portion in the gathering

gathering together of the Saints in the kingdom of Grace and glory.

Bless me, even me, O my Father, and grant that

may in all things do my duty to thee my God: give me a perfect command over all my passions and affections, that they being subject to my will, and my will guided by reason, and my reason by Religion, I may never suffer any indecency or violent transport, but may pass through all the acci dents of my life with meekness and a sober spirit, with patience and charity, with prudence and holiness. O be pleased to give thy servant a right judgment in all things, that I may not be amazed at trifles, nor discomposed by every contrariety of accidents, nor passionate for the things of the world, nor discontent if thou shouldst smite me: but that I may, with an even and a quiet spirit, do my duty, and comply with every variety of thy Providence, and obey my husband, and be amiable in his eyes, and useful and careful for his children: ever desiring to approve myself to Thee in a holy and hearty obedience, in piety and devotion, in patience and humility, in chastity and purity, in all holiness of conversation. And do thou give thy holy and blessed Spirit to guide and teach me all my days, that I may overcome all my infirmities, and comply with and bear the infirmities of others, and charitably pardon their errors, and fairly expound their actions, and wisely perceive their intentions, and with a Christian ingenuity deport myself