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Memorials of John Ray : with his itineraries, etc / consisting of his life by Dr. Derham, biographical and critical notices by Sir J.E. Smith, and Cuvier and Dupetit Thouars. Ed. by Edwin Lankester
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57

PRAYERS.

The Editor* has been prevailed upon to add to Mr.Derhams life of this excellent man the following prayersand meditations, exactly copied from the originals in Mr.Rays own hand-writing ; the first two on occasion ofthe death of particular friends ; the last two may bepresumed to be the prayers he generally used, morningand evening.

i.

A Prayer upon occasion of Mr. F. W.s death.

0 Loan, thou hast been pleased to make a sad breach among us, todeprive us of our most dear friend and relation, a person that was to someof us as the very light of our eyes, the joy of our hearts, the greatest out-ward comfort of our lives. Give us a sanctified use of this heavy affliction;and when our hearts are moved and affected with a sense of our loss, give usto consider our sins, and to spend some part of our tears in lamenting them.Give us to consider the vanity and uncertainty of our lives, and the empti-ness and insufficiency of all things here below, to satisfy the vast desires ofour immortal souls. Comfort, O Lord, and support the hearts of thy ser-vants, who have the greatest interest in this loss; and be thou pleased alsoto counsel and direct them. Give us all, upon this occasion, to consider ourlatter end, and to prepare for it; to wait all the days of our appointed time,until our change come; to consider that we can die but once, and after deathcomes judgment; that upon this moment depends eternity; that as the treefalls, so it lies ; as death leaves, so shall judgment find us; as we spend a

* George Scott.