The PRAYER.
O Holy and Eternal God, Father of the Creatures, and King of all the World, who hast imprinted in all the sons of thy Creation principles and abilities to serve the end of their own preservation, and to Men hast superadded Reason, making those first propensities of Nature to be reasonable in order to Society, and a conversation in Communities and Bodies politick, and hast by several laws and revelations directed our Reasons to nearer applications to thee, and per∣formance of thy great End, the glory of our Lord and Father; teach me strictly to observe the order of Creation, and the designs of the Creatures, that in my order I may do that service which every creature does in its proper capacity. Lord, let me be as constant in the ways of Religion as the Sun in his course, as ready to follow the intimations of thy Spirit as little Birds are to obey the directions of thy Providence and the conduct of thy hand; and let me never by evil customs, or vain company, or false persuasions, extinguish those principles of Morality and right Reason which thou hast imprinted in my understanding, in my creation and education, and which thou hast ennobled by the superadditions of Christian institution: that I may live according to the rules of Nature in such things which she teaches, modestly, temperately and affectionately, in all the parts of my natural and political relations; and that I, proceeding from Nature to Grace, may henceforth go on from Grace to Glory, the crown of all Obedience, prudent and holy walk∣ing, through Jesus Christ our Lord.