Chapter III: Front Matter (3)

O how easy is it for thee to forgive? For it is thy nature. How proper is it for thee to save? For it is thy name! How suitable is it to thy coming into the world? For it is thy business. And when I consider that I am the chief of sinners, may I not urge thee farther, and say, Shall the chief of thy business be left undone? Far be that from thee? Have mercy upon me!

I ask not of thee the things of this world, give them to whom thou pleasest so thou givest me mercy. O say unto my soul, _Be of good cheer, thy sins are forgiven thee_. O that I might never sin against thee more! And whereinsoever my conscience accuses me most, be thou most merciful unto me!

Save me, O God, as a brand snatched out of the fire.

Receive me, O my Saviour, as a sheep that is gone astray, but would now return to the great shepherd and bishop of my soul!

Father, accept my imperfect repentance, compassionate my infirmities, forgive my wickedness, purify my uncleanness, strengthen my weakness, fix my unstableness, and let thy good Spirit watch over me for ever, and thy love ever rule in my heart, through the merits and sufferings and love of thy Son, in whom thou art always well pleased.

Give thy grace, O holy Jesus, to all the world, and let all who are redeemed by thy blood, acknowledge thee to be the Lord. Let all Christians, especially those of this nation, keep themselves unspotted from the world. Let all governors, and especially our sovereign, rule with wisdom and justice; and let the clergy be exemplary in their lives, and discreet and diligent in their labours. Let our universities enjoy freedom from violence and faction, and excel in true religion and sound learning. Be an help at hand to all that are afflicted, and assist them to trust in thee. Raise up friends for the widow and fatherless, the friendless and oppressed. Give patience to all that are sick, comfort to all troubled consciences, strength to all that are tempted. Be gracious to my relations (――――)¹, to all that are endeared to me by their kindnesses or acquaintance, to all who remember me in their prayers, or desire to be remembered in mine (――――). Sanctify, O merciful Lord, the friendship which thou hast granted me, with these thy servants (――――). O let our prayers be heard for each other, while our hearts are united in thy fear and love, and graciously unite them therein more and more. Strengthen the hearts of us thy servants against all our corruptions and temptations: enable us to consecrate ourselves faithfully and entirely to thy service. Grant that, we may _provoke each other to love_ and serve thee, and grow up together before thee in thy fear and love, to thy heavenly kingdom. And by thy infinite mercies, vouchsafe to bring us, with those that are dead in thee, to rejoice together before thee, through the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, the blessed and only Potentate, the King of Kings and Lord of Lords, be honour and power everlasting.

¹ Here mention the particulars you would pray for.

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SATURDAY MORNING.

O GOD, thou great Creator and Sovereign Lord of heaven and earth, thou Father of angels and men, thou giver of life and protector of all thy creatures, mercifully accept this my morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, which I desire to offer with all humility to thy divine Majesty. _Thou art praised, O Lord, by all thy works_, and magnified by every thing which thou hast created. The sun rejoiceth to run his course, that he may set forth thy praise who madest him. Nor do the moon and stars refrain to manifest thy glory, even amidst the silent night. The earth breathes forth each day perfumes, as incense to thee her sacred King, who has crowned her with herbs and trees, and beautified her with hills and dales. The deep uttereth his voice, and lifteth up his hands on high to thee, the great Creator, the universal King, the everlasting God. The floods clap their hands, and the hills are joyful together before thee; the fruitful vales rejoice and sing thy praise. Thou feedest the innumerable multitude of animals which thou hast created; _these all wait upon thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season_. Thou madest light for our comfort, and broughtest forth darkness out of thy treasures, to overshadow the earth, that the living creatures of it might take their rest. _The fire and hail, snow and vapour, wind and storm fulfil thy word_, and manifest thy glory. Inanimate things declare thee, O Lord of life; and irrational animals demonstrate their wise Creator. Amidst this universal jubilee of nature, suffer not, I beseech thee, the sons of men to be silent; but let the noblest work of thy creation pay thee the noblest sacrifice of praise. O pour thy grace into my heart, that I may worthily magnify thy great and glorious name. Thou hast made me and sent me into the world to do thy work. O assist me to fulfil the end of my creation, and to shew forth thy praise with all diligence, by giving myself up to thy service. _Prosper the work of my hands upon me_, O Lord; O prosper thou whatever I shall undertake this day, that it may tend to thy glory, the good of my neighbour, and the salvation of my own soul.

Preserve me from all those snares and temptations which continually sollicit me to offend thee. Guide me by thy holy Spirit in all those places whither thy providence shall lead me this day; and suffer not my communications with the world to dissipate my thoughts, to make me inadvertent to thy presence, or lukewarm in thy service: but let me always walk as in thy sight, and as one who knows this life to be the seed-time of an eternal harvest. Keep me, I beseech thee, undefiled, unblamable, and unreprovable unto the end; and grant, that I may so diligently perform thy will, in that station wherein thou hast been pleased to place me, that I may make my calling and election sure, thro’ Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour.

Hear also, O Lord, my prayers for the whole race of mankind, and guide their feet into the way of peace: reform the corruptions of thy Catholic church, heal her divisions, and restore to her, her ancient discipline: give to the clergy thereof, whether they be bishops, priests or deacons, grace as good shepherds to feed the flocks committed to their charge. Bless King _George_ and all the royal family and all that are put in authority under him. Let them exceed others as much in goodness as greatness, and be signal instruments of thy glory. Grant that in the universities, and in all other places set apart for thy service, whatsoever is praise-worthy may for ever flourish. Keep, O Lord, all the nobility, gentry and commons of this land, in constant communion with thy holy Catholic church, in humble obedience to the king, and in Christian charity one towards another.

In a particular manner, I beseech thee to be gracious to my father and mother, my brethren and sisters, and all my friends and relations. Pardon all their sins, and heal all their infirmities. Give them that share of the blessings of this life, which thou knowest to be most expedient for them; and thy grace so to use them here, that they may enjoy thee eternally.

With a propitious eye, O gracious Comforter, behold all that are in affliction: let the sighings of the prisoners, the groans of the sick, the prayers of the oppressed, the desire of the poor and needy come before thee (――――)¹. Give unto my enemies (――――) grace and pardon, charity to me and love to thee: remove the cloud from their eyes, the stony from their hearts, that they may know and feel what it is to love their neighbour as themselves. And may it please thee to enable me to _love all mine enemies, to bless them that now curse me, to do good to them that hate me, and to pray for those who despitefully use me and persecute me_. Be pleased, O Lord, of thy goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom; that we, with all thy whole church, may have our perfect consummation of bliss, through _Jesus Christ_ our Lord, by whom and with whom, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, all honour and glory be unto thee, O Father Almighty, now and for ever.

¹ Here mention the particulars you would pray for.

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SATURDAY EVENING.

_Particular questions relating to thankfulness._

1. Have I allotted some time for thanking God for the blessings of the past week?

2. Have I, in order to be the more sensible of them, seriously and deliberately considered the several circumstances that attended them?

3. Have I considered each of them as an obligation to greater love, and consequently to stricter holiness?

O Most great and glorious God, who art mighty in thy power, and wonderful in thy doings towards the sons of men, accept, I beseech thee, my unfeigned thanks and praise, for my creation, preservation, and all the other blessings, which in the riches of thy mercy, thou hast from time to time poured down upon me. _Thou_, Lord, _in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the works of thine hand_. Thou createdst the sun and moon, the day and night, and makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to praise thee. Thou _formedst man of the dust of the ground and breathedst into him the breath of life_. In thine own image madest thou him, capable of knowing and loving thee eternally. His nature was perfect, thy will was his law, and thy blessed self his portion. Neither after he had left his first estate didst thou utterly withdraw thy mercy from him; but in every succeeding generation, didst save, deliver, assist and protect him. Thou hast instructed us by thy laws, and enlightened us by thy statutes. Thou hast redeemed us by the blood of thy Son, and sanctifiest us by the grace of thy holy Spirit. For these and all thy other mercies, how can I ever sufficiently love thee, or worthily magnify thy great and glorious name? All the powers of my soul are too few to conceive the thanks that are due to thee, even for vouchsafing me the honour of now appearing before thee and conversing with thee. But thou hast declared thou wilt accept the sacrifice of thanksgiving, in return for all thy goodness. For ever therefore will I bless thee, will I adore thy power, and magnify thy goodness: _My tongue shall sing of thy righteousness, and be telling of thy salvation from day to day_. I will give thanks unto thee for ever and ever; I will praise my God while I have my being. O that I had the heart of the seraphim, that I might burn with love like theirs! But tho’ I am upon earth, yet will I praise, as I can, the King of heaven; though I am a feeble, mortal creature, yet will I join my song with those that excel in strength, with the immortal host of angels and arch-angels, thrones, dominions and powers, while they laud and magnify thy glorious name, and sing with incessant shouts of praise.

Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord of hosts! Heaven and earth are full of his glory! Glory be to thee O Lord most high. _Amen. Hallelujah._

Accept, O merciful Father, my most humble thanks, for thy preservation of me this day (――――)¹. O continue thy loving-kindness towards me, and take me into thy protection this night. Let thy holy angels watch over me to defend me from the attempts of evil men and evil spirits. Let me rest in peace, and not sleep in sin, and grant that I may rise more fit for thy service.

¹ Here mention the particulars you would pray for.

O thou whose kingdom ruleth over all, rule in the hearts of all the men whom thou hast made: reform the corruptions, and heal the breaches of thy holy church, and establish her in truth and peace. Be gracious unto all priests and deacons, and give them rightly to divine the word of truth. Forgive the sins of this nation, and turn our hearts, that iniquity may not be our ruin. Bless king _George_ and all the royal family, with all those blessings which thou seest to be most expedient for them; and give to his council, and to the nobility and magistracy, grace truely to serve thee in their several stations. Bless our universities, that they may be the great bulwarks of thy faith and love, against all the assaults of vice and infidelity: may the gentry and commons of this realm, live in constant communion with thy church, in obedience to the king, and in love one towards another.

Be gracious to all who are near and dear to me. Thou knowest their names and art acquainted with their wants. Of thy goodness be pleased to proportion thy blessings to their necessities. Pardon my enemies, and give them repentance and charity, and me grace to overcome evil with good. Have compassion on all who are distressed in mind, body or estate, and give them steady patience and timely deliverance.

Now to God the Father, who first loved us, and made us accepted in the Beloved: to God the Son, who loved us and washed us from our sins in his own blood: to God the Holy Ghost, who sheddeth the love of God abroad in our hearts, be all love and all glory in time and to all eternity. _Amen!_

A COLLECTION OF
PRAYERS for FAMILIES.

SUNDAY MORNING.

ALMIGHTY and eternal God, we desire to praise thy holy name for so graciously raising us up, in soundness of body and mind, to see the light of this day.

We bless thee in behalf of all thy creatures; for _the eyes of all look unto thee, and thou givest them their meat in due season_. But above all we acknowledge thy inestimable benefits bestowed upon mankind in Christ Jesus. We thank thee for his miraculous birth, for his most holy life, his bitter agony and bloody death, for his glorious resurrection on this day, his ascension into heaven, his triumph over all the powers of darkness, and his sitting at thy right hand for ever more.

O God, how great was thy love to the sinful sons of men, to give _thy only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him, might not perish, but have everlasting life_! How great was that love which hath committed our souls to one so _mighty to save_! Which hath chosen us to be thy sons and heirs, together with Christ Jesus, and set such an high priest over thy house and family, to make intercession for us, to pour thy blessings upon us, and to send forth his angels to _minister unto them who shall be heirs of salvation_! O the riches of thy grace, in sending the Holy Ghost, to make us _abound in hope_, that we shall one day rise from the dead, and after our short labours here, rest with thee in thy eternal glory.

O that we could begin this day, in devout ♦meditations, in joy unspeakable, and in blessing and praising thee, who hast given us such good hope and everlasting consolation! Lift up our minds above all these little things below, which are apt to distract our thoughts; and keep them above, till our hearts are fully bent to seek thee every day, in the way wherein Jesus hath gone before us, tho’ it should be with the loss of all we here possess.

♦ “mediations” replaced with “meditations” per Errata

We are ashamed, O Lord, to think that ever we have disobey’d thee, who hast redeemed us by the precious blood of thine own Son. O that we may agree with thy will in all things for the time to come! and that all the powers of our souls and bodies may be wholly dedicated to thy service! We desire unfeignedly that all the thoughts and designs of our minds, all the affections and tempers of our hearts, and all the actions of our life, may be pure, holy, and unreproveable in thy sight.

_Search us_, O Lord, _and prove us; try out our reins and our heart. Look well if there be any way of wickedness in us, and lead us in the way everlasting_. Let thy favour be better to us than life itself; that so in all things we may approve our hearts before thee, and feel the sense of thy acceptance of us, giving us a joy which the world cannot give.

Make it our delight to praise thee, to call to mind thy loving-kindness, and to offer the sacrifice of thanksgiving. Help us to _take heed to ourselves, lest at any time our hearts be overcharged with surfeiting or drunkenness, or the cares of this life: to have our conversation without covetousness, and to be content with such things as we have: to possess our bodies in sanctification and honour: to love our neighbour as ourselves, and as we would that others should do to us, do even so to them. To live peaceably, as much as lieth in us, with all men: to put on the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit: and to take those who have spoken in the name of our LORD, for an example of suffering affliction and of patience; and when we suffer as Christians, not to be ashamed, but to glorify thee our |God| on this behalf._

And accept, good Lord, of all the praises of all thy people met together this day. O that _thy ways were known upon all the earth, thy saving health among all nations_! And that all Christian kings especially, may be filled with thy holy Spirit, and be faithful subjects of the Lord Jesus _the King of Kings and Lord of Lords_. O that thy _priests may be cloathed with righteousness, and thy saints rejoice and sing_; that all who are in distress may trust in thee, the _help of their countenance and their_ God. O Lord, hear us, and make thy face to shine upon thy servants, that we may _enter into thy gates with thanksgiving, and into thy courts with praise: that we may be thankful unto thee and bless thy name_. Amen, for Jesus Christ’s sake, in whose words we conclude our imperfect prayers, saying, “Our Father, &c.”

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SUNDAY EVENING.

O THOU _high and holy one that inhabitest eternity_. Thou art to be feared and loved by all thy servants. _All thy works praise thee_, O God; and we especially _give thanks unto thee_, for thy marvellous love in Christ Jesus, by whom thou hast _reconciled the world to thyself_. Thou hast _given us exceeding great and precious promises_. Thou hast sealed them with his blood, thou hast confirmed them by his resurrection and ascension, and the coming of the Holy Ghost. We thank thee that thou hast given us so many happy opportunities of knowing _the truth as it is in_ Jesus, even _the mystery which was hid from ages and generations_, but is now revealed to them that believe.

Blessed be thy goodness for that great consolation, and for the assistance of thy holy Spirit. Blessed be thy goodness, that we have felt it so often in our hearts, inspiring us with holy thoughts, filling us with love and joy and comfortable expectations of _the glory that shall be revealed_. We thank thee, that thou hast suffered us this day, to attend on thee in thy public service: and that we have begun in any measure, to pursue after that eternal _rest which remaineth for the people of_ God.

We offer up again our souls and bodies to thee to be governed, not by our will, but thine. O let it be ever the ease and joy of our hearts, to be under the conduct of thy unerring wisdom, to follow thy counsels, and to be ruled in all things by thy holy will. And let us never distrust thy abundant kindness and tender care over us; whatsoever it is thou wouldst have us to do, or to suffer in this world.

O God, purify our hearts, that we may intirely love thee, and rejoice in being beloved of thee; that we may confide in thee, and absolutely resign ourselves to thee, and be filled with constant devotion toward thee. O that we may never sink into a base love of any thing here below, nor be oppressed with the cares of this life; but assist us to _abhor that which is evil, and cleave to that which is good_. Let us _use this world as not abusing it_. Give us true humility of spirit, that we may _not think of ourselves more highly than we ought to think_. Keep us from being _wise in our own conceits. Let our moderation be known to all men._ Make us _kindly affectioned one to another_; to delight in doing good; to _shew all meekness to all men; to render to all their dues; tribute to whom tribute is due, custom to whom custom, fear to whom fear, honour to whom honour_; and to _owe no man any thing, but to love one another_. Make us so happy, that we may be able to _love our enemies, to bless those that curse us, to do good to them that hate us; to rejoice with them that do rejoice, and weep with them that weep_. Compose our spirits to a quiet and steady dependance on thy good providence, that we may _take no thought for our life_, nor _be careful for any thing, but by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, still make known our requests to thee our God_. And help us to _pray always and not faint; in every thing to give thanks, and offer up the sacrifice of praise continually; to rejoice in hope of thy glory; to possess our souls in patience_; and to _learn in whatsoever state we are, therewith to be content_. Make us _know both how to be abased, and how to abound: every where, and in all things_, instruct us _both to abound and to suffer want_, being enabled to _do all things through Christ which strengtheneth us_.

O that the light of all Christians did so _shine before_ men, that others might _glorify_ thee, _our Father which art in heaven! Send forth thy light and thy truth_ into all the dark corners of the earth; that _all kings may fall down before thee, and all nations do thee service_! Bless these kingdoms, and give us grace at length, to _bring forth fruits meet for repentance_. O Lord, save the king, and _establish his throne in righteousness_. Prosper the endeavours of all those who faithfully feed thy people, and increase the number of them. O that the seed which hath been sown this day, may take deep root in all our hearts; that being _not forgetful hearers, but doers of the word, we may be blessed in our deeds_. Help us in all the week following, to _set a watch before our mouth, and keep the door of our lips_. And _let not our heart incline to any evil thing_, or _to practise wicked works with men that work iniquity_. But _as we have received how we ought to walk and to please thee, so may we abound more and more_.

Protect us, we beseech thee, and all our friends every where this night, and awaken in the morning those good thoughts in our hearts, that _the words of our Saviour may abide in us, and we in him_; who hath taught us, when we pray to say, “Our Father, &c.”

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MONDAY MORNING.

WE humble ourselves, O Lord of heaven and earth, before thy glorious Majesty. We acknowledge thy eternal power, wisdom, goodness, and truth; and desire to render thee most unfeigned thanks, for all the benefits which thou pourest upon us. But above all, for thine inestimable love, in the redemption of the world, by our Lord Jesus Christ.

We implore thy tender mercies, in the forgiveness of all our sins, whereby we have offended either in thought, word, or deed. We desire to be truly sorry for all our misdoings, and utterly to renounce whatsoever is contrary to thy will. We desire to devote our whole man, body, soul and spirit, to thee. And as thou dost inspire us with these desires, so accompany them always with thy grace, that we may every day, with our whole hearts, give ourselves up to thy service.

We desire to be so holy and undefiled as our blessed Master was. And we trust thou wilt fulfil all the gracious promises which he hath made to us. Let them be dearer to us than thousands of gold and silver; let them be the comfort and joy of our hearts. We ask nothing, but that it may be unto thy servants according to his word.

Thou hast mercifully kept us the last night: blessed be thy continued goodness. Receive us likewise into thy protection this day. Guide and assist us in all our thoughts, words, and actions. Make us willing to do and suffer what thou pleasest; waiting for the mercy of our Lord, Christ Jesus, unto eternal life.

Blessed be thy goodness which hath not suffered us to wander, without instruction, after the foolish desires of our own hearts; but hast clearly shewn us where our happiness lies. O may we receive with all thankfulness, those holy words which teach us the blessedness of poverty of spirit, of mourning after thee, of meekness and gentleness, of hungering and thirsting after righteousness, of mercifulness and purity of heart, of doing good unto all, and patiently suffering for doing the will of our Lord Christ.

O may we always be in the number of those blessed souls! May we ever feel ourselves happy in having the kingdom of God within us, in the comforts of the holy one, in being filled with all the fruits of righteousness, in being made the children of the highest, and above all, in seeing thee, our God. Let us abound in thy love more and more; and in continual prayers and praises to thee, the Father of mercies and God of all consolation, in Jesus Christ our Lord.

And we desire, thou knowest, the good of all mankind, especially of all Christian people; that they may all walk worthy of the gospel, and live together in unity and Christian love. For which end, we pray that all Christian kings, princes, and governors, may be wise, pious, just, and merciful, endeavouring that all their subjects may lead peaceable lives in all godliness and honesty: and more particularly, that our sovereign, king _George_, may be blest with a religious, quiet, long, and prosperous reign, and that all in authority under him may seek in their several stations to right the oppressed, to comfort the afflicted, to provide for the poor and needy, and to relieve all those that are in any misery. Bless all those that watch over our souls; succeed their labours, and give us grace to follow their godly admonitions, and _to esteem them very highly in love for their work’s sake_. The same blessings we crave for our friends, relations, and acquaintance, that we may all live in perfect love and peace together, and rejoice together at the great day of the Lord Jesus; in whose holy words we sum up all our wants, “Our Father, &c.”

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MONDAY EVENING.

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father in whom we live, move, and have our being; to whose tender compassions we owe our safety the day past, together with all the comforts of this life, and the hopes of that which is to come: we praise thee, O Lord, we bow ourselves before thee, acknowledging we have nothing but what we receive from thee. _Unto thee do we give thanks_, O God, who daily pourest thy benefits upon us.

Blessed be thy goodness for our health, for our food and raiment, for our peace and safety, for the love of our friends, for all our blessings in this life; and our desire to attain that life which is immortal. Blessed be thy love, for that we feel in our hearts any motion toward thee. Behold, O Lord, we present ourselves before thee, to be inspired with such a vigorous sense of thy love, as may put us forward with a greater earnestness, zeal, and diligence in all our duty. Renew in us, we beseech, a lively image of thee, in all righteousness, purity, mercy, faithfulness and truth. O that Jesus, the hope of glory, may be formed in us, in all humility, meekness, patience, and an absolute surrender of our souls and bodies to thy holy will: that _we may not live, but Christ may live in us_; that every one of us may say, _The life I now live in the flesh, I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me_.

Let the remembrance of his love, who made himself an offering for our sins, be ever dear and precious to us. Let it continually move us to offer up ourselves to thee, to do thy will, as our blessed Master did. May we place an entire confidence in thee, and still trust ourselves with thee, who hast not spared _thine own Son, but freely given him up for us all_. May we humbly accept of whatsoever thou sendest us, and _in every thing give thanks_. Surely thou _wilt never leave us nor forsake us_. O guide us safe through all the changes of this life, in an unchangeable love to thee, and a lively sense of thy love to us, till we come to live with thee and enjoy thee for ever.

And now that we are going to lay ourselves down to sleep take us into thy gracious protection, and settle our spirits in such quiet and delightful thoughts, of the glory where our Lord Jesus lives, that we may desire to be dissolved and to go to him who died for us, that whether we wake or sleep, we might live together with him.

To thy blessing we recommend all mankind, high and low, rich and poor, that they may all faithfully serve thee, and contentedly enjoy whatsoever is needful for them. And especially we beseech thee, that the course of this world may be so peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy church may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness. We leave all we have with thee, especially our friends, and those who are dear unto us; desiring that when we are dead and gone, they may lift up their souls in this manner unto thee; and teach those that come after, to praise, love, and obey thee. And if we awake again in the morning, may we praise thee again with joyful lips, and still offer ourselves a more acceptable sacrifice to thee, thro’ Jesus Christ, in whose words we beseech thee to hear us, according to the full sense and meaning thereof, “Our Father, &c.”

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TUESDAY MORNING.

O MOST great and mighty Lord, the possessor of heaven and earth, all the angels rejoice in blessing and praising thee, the Father of spirits: for _thou hast created all things, and in wisdom hast thou made them all_, and spread thy tender mercies over all thy works. We desire thankfuly to acknowledge thy bounty to us, among the rest of thy creatures, and thy particular grace and favour to us, in Jesus Christ, our merciful Redeemer. O give us a deep sense of that love which gave him to die for us, that he might be _the author of eternal salvation to all them that obey him_.

And hast thou not said, that thou wilt _give thy holy Spirit to them that ask it_? O Father of mercies, let it be unto us, according to thy word. Cherish whatever thou hast already given us, which is acceptable in thy sight. And since at the best we are unprofitable servants, and can do no more than it is our duty to do, enable us to do every thing which thou hast commanded us heartily, with good will, and true love to thy service.

O that we might ever approach thee with delight, and feel it the joy of our hearts, to think of thee, to praise thee, to give thee thanks, and to offer ourselves with absolute resignation to thee. O that mercy may always please us, as it pleaseth thee! That we may be strictly just and righteous! May chearfully pass by injuries, freely deny ourselves whatever is not for thy glory; willingly submit to thy fatherly corrections, and perform the duties of our several relations, with singleness of heart. Render us so mindful of the great love of our Lord, that we may be zealously concerned for his glory, and use our utmost diligence to promote his religion in the world; delighting to commemorate his death and passion, making a joyful sacrifice of our souls and bodies to him, and ♦earnestly desiring that his kingdom may come over all the earth.

♦ “eatnestly” replaced with “earnestly”

Fulfil, most merciful Lord all our petitions; and as thou hast graciously protected us this night, so accompany us all this day with thy blessing, that we may please thee in body and soul, and be safe under thy defence, who art ever nigh unto all those that call upon thee.

And O that all men may be awakened into a lively and thankful sense of all thy benefits. Stir up especially the minds of all Christian people, to follow _the truth as it is in Jesus_, and _exercise_ themselves _to have a conscience void of offence towards God and towards man_. Bless these kingdoms, and endue our sovereign with such excellent wisdom and holy zeal, that we may see many good days under his government. O that true religion, justice, mercy, brotherly-kindness, and all things else that are praise-worthy, may so flourish among us, that we may enjoy the blessings of peace and plenty, and there may be no complaining in our streets.

We recommend to thee all our friends and neighbours, all the poor, the sick, and the afflicted, desiring those mercies for them, which we should ask for ourselves, were we in their condition. _O God, whose never failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth, keep them and us, we beseech thee, from all hurtful things, and give us those things which are profitable for us, according to thine abundant mercy in our_ Lord Jesus; in whose words we conclude our supplication unto thee, saying, “Our Father, &c.”

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TUESDAY EVENING.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, the sovereign Lord of all creatures in heaven and earth, we acknowledge that our beings, and all the comforts of them, depend on thee, the fountain of all good. We have nothing but what is owing entirely to thy free and bounteous love, O most blessed Creator, and to the riches of thy grace, O most blessed Redeemer.

To thee therefore be given by us, and by all creatures, whom thou hast made to know how great and good thou art, all honour and praise, all love and obedience, as long as we have any being. _It is but meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we should at all times, and in all places, give thanks unto thee_, O Lord, and devoutly resign both soul and body to thee, to be absolutely governed and ruled according to thy holy will.

Further, we pray thee, increase every good desire which we feel already in our hearts; let us always live as becomes thy creatures, as becomes the disciples of Jesus Christ. Incline us to be more and more in love with thy laws, till they are written upon our hearts. Stir up our wills, to _love them exceedingly_, and to cleave unto them as our very life.

O that we might heartily surrender our wills to thine! That we may unchangeably cleave unto it, with the greatest and most entire affection to all thy commands. O that there may abide for ever in us, such a strong and powerful sense of thy mighty love towards us in _Christ Jesus_, as may constrain us freely and willingly to please thee, in the constant exercise of righteousness and mercy, temperance and charity, meekness and patience, truth and fidelity; together with such an humble, contented and peaceable spirit, as may adorn the religion of our Lord and Master. Yea let it ever be the joy of our hearts to be righteous, as thou art righteous; to be merciful, as thou, our heavenly Father, art merciful; to be _holy, as thou who hast called us art holy in all manner of conversation_; to be endued with thy divine wisdom, and to resemble thee in faithfulness and truth. O that the example of our blessed Saviour may be always dear unto us, that we may chearfully follow him in every holy temper, and delight to do thy will, O God. Let these desires, which thou hast given us, never die or languish in our hearts, but be kept always alive, always in their vigour and force, by the perpetual inspirations of the Holy Ghost.

Accept likewise of our thanks for thy merciful preservation of us all this day. We are bold again to commit ourselves unto thee this night. Defend us from all the powers of darkness; and raise up our spirits, together with our bodies, in the morning, to such a vigorous sense of thy continued goodness, as may provoke us all the day long to an unwearied diligence in well-doing.

And the same mercies that we beg for ourselves, we desire for the rest of mankind; especially for those who are called by the name of Christ. O that every one of these may do his duty with all fidelity! that kings may be tender-hearted, as the fathers of their countries; and all their subjects may be dutiful and obedient to them, as their children; that the pastors of thy church may feed their flocks with true wisdom and understanding, and the people all may submit unto them, and follow their godly counsels: that the rich and mighty may have compassion on the poor and miserable; and all such distressed people may bless the rich, and rejoice in the prosperity of those that are above them. Give to husbands and wives, parents and children, masters and servants, the grace to behave themselves so in their several relations, that they may adorn the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things, and may receive of him a crown of glory: in whose holy name and words, we continue to beseech thy grace and mercy towards us, and all thy people, every where saying, “Our Father, &c.”

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WEDNESDAY MORNING.

O GOD, blessed for ever, we thank and praise thee for all thy benefits, for the comforts of this life, and our hope of everlasting salvation in the life to come. We desire to have a lively sense of thy love always possessing our hearts, that may still constrain us to love thee, to obey thee, to trust in thee, to be content with the portion thy love allots unto us, and to rejoice even in the midst of all the troubles of this life.

Thou _hast delivered thine own Son for us all. How shalt thou not with him also freely give us all things?_ We depend upon thee especially for the grace of thy holy Spirit. O that we may feel it perpetually bearing us up, by the strength of our most holy faith, above all the temptations that may at any time assault us! That we may keep ourselves unspotted from the world, and may still cleave to thee in righteousness, in lowliness, purity of heart, yea, the whole mind that was in Christ.

Let thy mighty power enable us to do our duty towards thee, and towards all men, with care and diligence, and zeal, and perseverance unto the end. Help us to be meek and gentle in our conversation, prudent and discreet in ordering our affairs, observant of thy fatherly providence, in every thing that befalls us, thankful for thy benefits, patient under thy chastisements, and readily disposed for every good word and work. Preserve in us a constant remembrance of thy all-seeing eye; of thy inestimable love in Jesus Christ, whereof thou hast given us so many pledges, and of the great account we must give to him at the day of his appearing; that so we may continue stedfast and unmoveable, and be abundant in the work of the Lord, knowing that our labour shall not be in vain in the Lord.

Deliver us we beseech thee, from worldly cares and foolish desires; from vain hopes and causeless fears; and so dispose our hearts, that death itself may not be dreadful to us, but we may welcome it with a chearful countenance, when and howsoever it shall approach.

O that our hearts may be so firmly established in grace, that nothing may affright us, or shake our constancy, but we may rather chuse to die than to dishonour him who died for us! We resign ourselves to thy wisdom and goodness, who knowest what is best for us; believing thou _wilt never suffer us to be tempted above what we are able, and wilt with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it_.

We commend unto thee all mankind; especially thy church, and more particularly these kingdoms, that we may all believe in our Lord Jesus Christ, and be zealous of good works. Bless our sovereign, his counsellors, his ministers, and all employed in public business, whether spiritual or civil, that whatsoever they do may be for thy glory, and the public good. Be gracious to all that are near and dear to us, and keep us all in thy fear and love. Guide us, good Lord, and govern us by the same spirit, that we may be so united to thee here, as not to be divided when thou art pleased to call us hence, but together enter into thy glory, to dwell with thee in love and joy that shall never die, through Jesus Christ our blessed Lord and Saviour, who hath taught us, when we pray, to say, “Our ♦Father, &c.”

♦ “-ther” replaced with “Father”

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WEDNESDAY EVENING.

O LORD, _how manifold are thy works! in wisdom hast thou made them all. The day is thine, the night also is thine; thou hast prepared the light and the sun._ We render thee thanks for all the benefits which thou hast bestowed on the whole world; especially on us, whom thou hast called to the knowledge of thy grace in Christ Jesus. It is a marvellous love wherewith thou hast loved us. Thou hast not dealt so with all people: and as for thy great and precious promises, they have not known them.

Accept, O merciful Father, the good resolutions which thou hast inspired us with by thy Spirit. Strengthen them, we beseech thee, with thy continued grace, that no sudden desires, vehement inclinations, ineffectual purposes, no, nor partial performances, may lead us into a false opinion of ourselves: but that we may bring forth actually, and with a constant spirit, all the fruits of righteousness, which are by Christ Jesus.

Deny not, O Lord, the desires of those souls, who would offer up themselves entirely to thy service. But preserve us always in seriousness of spirit. Let the sense of our weakness make us watchful and diligent, the sense of our former negligence, excite us to be fervent in spirit, and the goodness of thy commands render us fruitful and abundant in the work of the Lord. O that all our pious affections may be turned into actions of piety and holiness: and may all our actions be spirited with zeal, and all our zeal regulated with prudence, and our prudence void of all guile, and joined with perfect integrity of heart: that adorning our most holy faith here, by an upright, charitable and discreet conversation, we may receive praise in the day of the Lord, and be numbered with thy saints in glory everlasting.

O lift up our affections to things above, that we may have perfect contentment in well-doing and patient suffering, and the good hope we have of being eternally beloved of thee, may make us rejoice evermore. Free us from the cares of the world, from all distrust of thy good providence, from repining at any thing that befals us, and enable us in every thing to give thanks, believing that all things are ordered wisely, and shall work together for good.

Into thy hands we commend both our souls and bodies, which thou hast mercifully preserved this day. We trust in thy watchful providence, who _givest thy angels charge over us_, who _art about our beds, and about our paths, and spiest out all our_ thoughts. O continue these holy thoughts and desires in us till we fall asleep, that we may receive the light of the morning, if thou prolongest our lives, with a new joy in thee, and thankful affection to thee.

We desire likewise, O God, the good of the whole world. Pity the follies of mankind; deliver them from their miseries, and forgive thou all their sins. Hear the groans of every part of the creation, that is yet _subject to bondage_, and bring them all _into the glorious liberty of the sons_ of God. Hear the daily prayers of the Catholic church. Free her from all foul and dividing errors: let the truth as ♦is in Jesus, prevail, and _peace be in all her borders_. O that all Christian governors may _seek peace and ensue it_! Make thy ministers the messengers of peace, and dispose all who are called Christians, to keep the unity of the spirit in the bond of peace.

♦ “it” replaced with “is”

Enlighten the minds of all _Jews_, _Turks_, and Infidels. Strengthen all thy faithful servants. Bring back them that wander out of the way; raise up those that are fallen; confirm those that stand, and grant them steadily to persevere in faith, love and obedience. Relieve and comfort all that are in distress. Let the earth bring forth her fruit in due season: and let all honest and industrious people be blest in their labours.

Remember all those who have done good unto us, and reward them sevenfold into their bosom. Grant forgiveness and charity to all our enemies; and continue good-will among all our neighbours. Support the sick with faith and patience; assist those who are leaving this world. Receive the souls which thou hast redeemed with thy Son’s precious blood, and sanctified by the Holy Ghost. And give us all a glorious resurrection and eternal life. “Our Father, &c.”

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THURSDAY MORNING.

O LORD, the God of our salvation, _thou art the hope of all the ends of the earth_. Upon thee the eyes of all do wait; for thou givest unto all life and breath and all things. Thou still watchest over us for good; thou daily renewest to us our lives and thy mercies: and thou hast given us the assurance of thy word, that if we commit our affairs to thee, if we acknowledge thee in all our ways, thou wilt direct our paths. We desire, O Lord, to be still under thy gracious conduct and fatherly protection. We beg the guidance and help of thy good Spirit, to chuse our inheritance for us, and to dispose of us, and all that concerns us, to the glory of thy name.

O Lord, withdraw not thy tender mercies from us, nor the comforts of thy presence! Never punish our past sins, by giving us over to the power of our sins: but pardon all our sins, and save us from all our iniquities. And grant us, O good God, the continual sense of thy gracious acceptance of us, in the Son of thy love, that our souls may bless thee, and _all that is within us may praise thy holy name_.

And O that we may find the joy of the Lord to be our strength; to defend us from all our sins, and to make us more zealous of every good work: that herein we may _exercise ourselves, to have a conscience void of offence, both towards God and towards men_. O help _us to walk circumspectly, not as fools, but as wise_, carefully _redeeming the time_, improving all those seasons and means of grace, which thou art pleased to put into our hands. Sanctify to us all our employments in the world; our crosses also and our comforts; all the estates we go through, and all the events that befal us, till through the merits of thy Son, and the multitude of thy mercies, we are conducted safe to _be ever with the Lord_.

Thou _hast laid help for us upon one that is mighty_; that is _able to save unto the uttermost, all those who come unto God thro’ him_. Through him thou hast encouraged us to come boldly, that we _may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need_. Help us, we beseech thee, to demean ourselves as becomes the children of God, the redeemed of the Lord, the members of Christ. Put thy Spirit within us, causing us to walk in thy statutes, and to keep thy judgments, and do them. Yea let it be our meat and drink to do thy will, and to run the way of thy commandments.

O gracious Father, keep us we pray thee, this day in thy fear and favour, and teach us, in all our thoughts, words, and works, to live to thy glory. If thou guide us not we go astray; if thou uphold us not, we fall. O let thy good providence be our defence, and thy good Spirit our guide, and counsellor, and supporter in all our ways. And grant that we may do always what is acceptable in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord; in whose holy name and words we close these our imperfect prayers: “Our Father, &c.”

Let thy grace, O Lord Jesus, thy love, O heavenly Father, and thy comfortable fellowship, O blessed Spirit, be with us, and with all that desire our prayers, this day and for evermore.

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THURSDAY EVENING.

O LORD our God, thy glory is above all our thoughts, and thy mercy is over all thy works. We are still living monuments of thy mercy. For thou hast not cut us off in our sins, but still givest us a good hope and strong consolation thro’ grace. Thou hast sent thy only Son into the world, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish in his sins, but have everlasting life. O Lord, we believe: help our unbelief; and give us the true _repentance towards_ God, _and faith in our_ Lord Jesus Christ, that we may be in the number of those, who do indeed repent and _believe to the saving of the soul. Being justified by faith_, let us _have peace with_ God _thro’ our_ Lord Jesus Christ, let us _rejoice in him thro’ whom we have now redemption in his blood_; and let _the love of_ God _be shed abroad in our hearts, by the_ Holy Ghost _which is given unto us_.

And as we pray that thou wilt be to us a father of mercies and a God of consolation, so that thou wilt make us _followers of_ God _as dear children_, ever jealous over our hearts, and watchful over our ways; continually fearing to offend, and endeavouring to please thee. Thou knowest, O Lord, all our temptations, and the sin that doth so easily beset us. Thou knowest the devices of the enemy, and the deceitfulness of our own hearts. We pray thee, good Lord, that thou wilt arm us with the whole armour of God. Uphold us with thy free spirit, and watch over us for good evermore.