danger; in supplying all my wants; and in giving me so many comforts and enjoyments. I thank thee for kind parents and teachers, who instruct me in useful knowledge, and also teach me my duty, and how I may gain thy favour in this life, and afterwards be taken up to heaven, where I shall live with thee for ever and ever. Be pleased to bless them, and to reward their tender care and affection, by my growing up their very dutiful and affectionate child. Take me, I beseech thee, this night, under thine almighty protection, and let thy good angels watch over me; and cause me to awake up in the morning, if I should live so long, a good and happy child, with a heart full of thankfulness to thee and to my parents, and full of love to all low-creatures. Amen, my fel Our Father, &c. (For a Child above nine years of age, or at an earlier period, is thought proper.) MORNING PRAYER. GREAT and adorable Lord Jesus Christ, I desire to approach thee this morning as my heavenly Father, who lovest me, and tenderly carest for me, and who hast mercifully guarded me from harm during the hours of darkness. I acknowledge with thankfulness, that thou art ever desirous of providing for my present, and everlasting happiness; and although I am a frail and fallen creature, thou wilt accept my imperfect sacrifice of prayer and praise. I lament my often undutifulness and unkindness, my discontent, pride, and selfishness; and I beseech thee, by the operation of thy Holy Spirit, to amend my dispositions, and to correct my ignorance, and to enable me from henceforth, to serve thee in humble love, and lowly fear. Re membering that thou seest my most secret thoughts and desires, may I act throughout this day, as in thy presence. Dispose me to honour and obey my parents, and to remember with gratitude their watchful care, and patient tenderness, from my earliest infancy until now, and the many benefits which I am daily receiving from them, and also their continual solicitude for my future welfare. Enable me to act at all times as becometh a child instructed in true religion, and the practice of goodness. Fill my heart with love to all my fellow-creatures. Let meekness and gentleness adorn my behaviour; and sincerity, uprightness, purity, and good sense, distinguish my conversation. And so far as I shun evil because thou hast forbidden it, and do good because, thou hast commanded it, enable me to ascribe all the merit thereof to thee, as the only Giver of goodness and wisdom, without whom I can do nothing. Bless, O Lord, my parents, relations, and friends. Bless my beloved country, and all mankind; and especially be pleased to prosper, extend, and establish thy New Church, which is called the "New Jerusalem." Hear my prayers further, I beseech thee, in that most perfect form of thine, which contains within it all that man can desire or receive. Amen. Our Father, &c. EVENING PRAYER. ALMIGHTY and most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, with thankfulness of heart I desire to offer unto thee my praises, and to acknowledge the many blessings which thy good Providence has this day bestowed upon me. Thou hast provided me with food, clothing, and instruction. Thou hast protected me from evil spirits, and hast com manded thy holy angels to watch over me in love. Thou hast given me thy Holy Spirit to withdraw me from evil, and lead me into good; and hast inspired me with good dispositions, and holy thoughts; and now thou art waiting to fill my heart with grateful love, and lowly reverence, while I bow down and worship thee in sincerity and truth. Enable me to fix my wandering thoughts on thy adorable perfections; and to raise my heart to thee, in adoration of thy holiness, thy goodness, thy wisdom, and thy power. Cause me to feel, that in comparison with thee, I am but as dust and ashes. Fill me with sorrow for my past sins and transgressions, by which I have wandered from the path of thy commandments. Cause me to feel ashamed for having neglected so many opportunities of improvement, which thy goodness hath graciously afforded. Henceforth, O Lord, be thou my only Ruler and Guide. Guard me from improper thoughts; from the evils of my own heart; and the destructive influence of bad example. Let me ever be esteemed for my sincerity and truthfulness; and let my upright and honourable princiciples and conduct, entitle me to the confidence of all who know me. As I grow in stature, may I grow in wisdom and goodness, and in thy love and favour. This night will I lay me down in peace and sleep, because thou, O Lord, makest me to dwell in safety. And if it be thy will that I live to witness another day, may I spend it in thy fear, and become better prepared for thy heavenly kingdom. Grant thy blessing and protection to my parents, relations, and friends, and accept my feeble prayers and praises, for thine own name and mercy's sake, O Lord, my Creator, Redeemer, and Saviour. Amen. Our Father, &e. HEADS OF SELF-EXAMINATION, FOUNDED ON THE DECALOGUE, BOTH LITERALLY AND SPIRITUALLY CONSIDERED, Designed to afford Assistance in the due Performance of that most salutary Christian Exercise; and being, at the same time, a summary exposition of that Divine Code. "If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there rememberest that thy brother hath aught against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way; first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift" (Matt. v. 23, 24). "Examine me, O Lord, and prove me; try my reins and (Ps. xxvi. 2). my heart" "And ye shall dwell in the land that I gave unto your fathers; and ye shall be my people, and I will be your God; then shall ye remember your own evil ways, and your doings that were not good, and shall loathe yourselves in your own sight, for your iniquities and for your abominations" (Ezek. xxxvi. 28 and 31). "I acknowledge my sin unto thee, and mine iniquity have I not hid: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord; and thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin" (Ps. xxxii. 5). "And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God: and the books were opened; [the interiors of the minds of those who are wicked] and another book was opened, which is the book of life; [the interiors of the minds of such as are good, on which the Word is inscribed by obedience] and the dead were judged out of those things which were written IN THE BOOKS, according to their works” (Rev. xx. 12). "Let a man examine himself, and so let him eat of that bread, and drink of that cup; if we would judge ourselves, we should not be judged" [or condemned] (1 Cor. xi. 28 and 31). 66 Examine yourselves, whether ye be IN the faith; prove your ownselves" (2 Cor. xiii. 5.) "If a man think himself to be something, when he is nothing, he deceiveth himself; but let every man prove his own work" (Gal. vi. 3,4). [Self-examination is to be entered upon with much seriousness, in a calm and deliberate state of mind, and after earnest and humble prayer to the Lord, that he will remove the deceitfulness of self-love from our hearts and minds, so that our investigation may be faithful, and our judgment a just one; and that he will vouchsafe the light of heaven, that light of divine truth which explores and makes manifest the quality of all things, that we may see as we are seen, be humbled under the conviction of sin, and hate that which is evil with a perfect hatred. In pursuing our examination, whenever we see no cause to condemn ourselves, we must take care to give all the glory of our fidelity and obedience to our Lord Jesus Christ.] 1. HAVE I so believed in the true God, our Lord Jesus Christ, as gratefully to remember him, both as my Creator and Preserver, and as my Redeemer from the bondage of hell, and my only Saviour from sin? 2. Is my belief proved to be sincere by my solicitude to acquaint myself more perfectly with God, his nature, his person, and his works, that I may be enabled more interiorly to adore, and more perfectly to imitate his goodness? 3. Although I have not committed intellectual idolatry by so resisting instruction as to persist in forming false conceptions of the divine character or mode of existence, have I nevertheless committed the more direful idolatry of the heart, by loving myself, or any thing in myself, or any created person or object, more than my Creator? 4. Have I remembered, that the supreme object of my love, whatever it may be, is, in reality, my object of worship, or god? 5. Have I joined with a belief in the true God, those feelings of devotion, and those exercises of pious worship, which he has commanded, by diligently, sincerely, and humbly performing my religious duties, both private and public? 6. Have I feared to offend man more than to offend God; proving, by a regard to the wishes of man in preference to the will of God, that my faith in God is unaccompanied with a true fear of Him, and a supreme reverence for his adorable nature; or have I committed or countenanced sin; or conformed to sinful customs, contrary to the |