A manual of family prayers

A%<-

'~) A

MANUAL

OF

FAMILY PRAYERS,

COMPILED BY

C. J. BLOMFIEL.D, D.D.

LATE BISHOP OF CHESTER, NOW BISHOP OF LONDON.

FIRST AMERICAN, FROM THE EIGHTH LONDON EDITION.

NEW -YORK:

Published by the New-York Protestant Episcopal Tract Socief}', and for sale
at their Depository, Protestant Episcopal Press Buildings, No. 46 Lumber-
Street, in rear of Trinity Church.

PBINTED AT THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL PBESe,

No, 8 Rector-Street.
1829,

\\

PUBLIC LIBRARY

ASTCm, LffNOX AND
TILBEN FOUMOATfONS.

P R A IT E R S .

SUNDAY MORNIXG.

Almighty and most merciful God, the Creator and
Preserver of all mankind, who hast brought us safely
to the beginning of this day, give us grace, we be-
seech thee, that we may now offer, with one accord,
our common supplications unto thee ; and in com-
passion to our ignorance teach us how to pray.

We acknowledge our transgressions, gracious
I>ord, and our sin is ever before us ; make the re-
membrance of it more grievous to us than it is : and
have mercy upon us, most merciful Father, for thy
Bon our Lord Jesus Christ's sake.

Make us to be a household fearing thee. Endue
us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that we may
amend our lives according to thy Holy Word, and do
every thing that is pleasing in thy sight. As our
blessed Saviour, who died for our sins, did, as on
this day, rise again from the dead, so may we be
raised by thy power to newness of hfe, and daily
advance in all virtue and godliness.

Thou hast been pleased, O Lord, for thine own
glory, and for the benefit of thy creatures, to set apart
one day out of seven, to be kept holy to thyself.
Give us grace, that we may sanctify thy appointment
to the honour of thy holy name, and the good of our
(Own souls.

4 PRAYER FOR SUNDAY MORNING.

Thou art in heaven, O Lord, and we, thy sinful
creatures, are upon earth : make us to worship thee
this day, with all becoming reverence and submission
both of souls and bodies ; and fulfil thy gracious pro-
mise, that where two or three are gathered together
in thy name, there wilt thou be in the midst of them.

Help us against the infirmities of our nature, and
the sins that beset us in our attendance upon thee.
Bless the instruction, which may this day be given to
all that profess the name of Christ ; that it may fall
upon serious and faithful hearts, to the strengthening
of belief, and the improvement of practice. Incline
us to hear thy word with attention, and to receive it
with meekness and gladness of heart. Dispose and
prepare our souls to receive the full benefit of those
holy ordinances which thou hast appointed for our
edification and comfort ; and grant that the effects of
our religious exercises on this day may be seen in our
Christian behaviour during the remainder of the
week ; that each succeeding Lord's day may find us
advancing in the great work of our salvation, and
better prepared for that eternal rest, which is in store
for the faithful servants of thy blessed Son.

O Lord, who art the Father of all mankind, receive
also, we beseech thee, our supplications for the uni-
versal Church of Christ. Pour out thy Spirit upon
all its members ; and bring into its bosom, in thine
own good time, all those on whom the light of the
Gospel has not yet shined. And may all, who have
received the word of salvation, contribute, in their
several stations, to promote the glory of thy holy

PRAYER FOR SUNDAY EVENING. 5

name, and to extend the kingdom of thy dear Son
upon earth, hy living in Christian hohness, and unity,
and godly love.

Accept, we beseech thee, O heavenly Father, this
imperfect expression of our wants ; and grant unto
thy servants whatever is most expedient for them,
for the sake of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and
Advocate. Jlmen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy
name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in
earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily
bread : And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive
those who trespass against us. And lead us not into
temptation ; but deliver us from evil : For thine is
the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever
and ever. Amen.

The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ ; and the love
of God ; and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be
with us all, evermore. Amen.

Almighty God and heavenly Father, by thy merciful
protection we are brought to the evening of another
Lord's day, and are met together to acknowledge thy
goodness, and to pray for its continuance.

Make us more sensible of thy mercies and of our
own unworthiness ; and teach us to value and im-
prove the privilege, which thou vouchsafest to us, of
drawing nigh unto thee in prayer, through faith in thy
blessed Son.
1*

b PRxiYER FOR SUNDAY EVENING.

We bless thee for all our opportunities and means
of serving thee ; that thou hast revealed thyself to us
in the Gospel of Jesus Christ ; that we have been
admitted into his Church by baptism ; and that we
have been born in a land where the true light shineth.
Give us grace, we beseech thee, to use these blessings
as we ought.

We thank thee, most merciful Lord, that thou hast
permitted us this day to attend thee in the courts of
thine house with the offerhig of prayer and praise.
Grant that we may not have gone thither in vain.
Pardon all the imperfections of our acts of worship,
our coldness of heart, our wandering thoughts, our
want of faith. Give us for the time to come an un-
wearied spirit of devotion, and a heart to love and
fear thee ; help us to grow in grace, and in the
knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ ;
that we may learn to take a lively pleasure in all the
duties of religion.

Thou hast promised to hear the petitions of all
those who ask in thy Son's name : may the things
which we have this day asked faithfully, be obtained
effectually, to the relief of our necessities, and to the
setting forth of thy glory.

Most merciful God, we beseech thee, accept the
praises, and return a gracious answer to the prayers,
of thy Church, which have been offered up to thee
this day. Grant to us, and to all thy people, every
where, that whatever good instruction we have heaid^
we may carefully remember, and diligently follow.
Let the seed of thy word take deep root in the hearts

PRAYER FOR MONDAY MORNING. 7

of all thy servants, and bring forth much fruit, to the
glory of thy name, and to the credit of our Christian
profession.

Whatever holy thoughts and good desires thou hast
this day put into any of our hearts, we humbly pray,
that by the assistance of thy grace we may bring the
game to good effect. Let the solemn ordinances of
religion be made by thy blessing the means of increas-
ing amongst us true piety and virtue : grant that all
who attend them, may do it with sincerity of mind ;
and to those who neglect them, be pleased to give
repentance and an obedient heart.

Continue to us, and to thy universal Church, the
means of grace and salvation ; and grant that thy way
may be known to all the earth, thy saving health unto
all nations.

We desire now to commend ourselves, and all for
whom we are in duty bound to pray, to the protection
of thy good Providence.

Defend us from all perils and dangers of this night ;
and if it please thee to bring us to the begini\ing of
another day, give us grace to improve it to thy service,
through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our Father, <$^c.

The grace of our Lord, df-c.

MOKDAY MORNIHTG.

O God, by whom the whole world is governed and
preserved, we, thine unworthy creatures, under a
thankful sense of thy providential care, draw nigh

8 PRAYER FOR MONDAY MORNING.

unto thee to offer our morning sacrifice of prayer and
praise.

O Lord, thou art about our bed, and about our
path, and spiest out all our ways. There is nothing
hid from thee : there is not a thought in our hearts,
but thou knowest it altogether- If there be any thing
there which oifendeth thee, O Lord, enable us by thy
grace to discover and cast it out, that we may come
before thee with the preparation of a clean heart, and
a right mind.

We thank thee, that thou hast protected us from
all the dangers of the night : continue thy goodness
to us through this day, and preserve us from all dan-
gers both of body and soul. Suffer us not to forget
the lessons of holiness, which we were taught on thy
day of sacred rest, but dispose us to manifest in our
behaviour this day, and during the week, the blessed
effects of thy word and means of grace.

We thank thee, O heavenly Father, for all the time
which thou hast given us ; and acknowledge that we
have greatly wasted and misused it. May we do so
no more. Make us to remember, that every day is
thy gift, and to be used in thy service, and in doing
the work of our salvation. O may we have time and
grace to finish our appointed task, before the night
cometh, in which no work may be done. Lord, spare
us yet awhile, that we may be better prepared to
meet thee at the last day.

We acknowledge thy numberless mercies vouch-
safed to us, and to all mankind : make us duly thank-
ful for them all ; and teach us to show forth thy praise
not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up

PRAYER FOR MONDAY MORNING. U

ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee
in holiness and righteousness all our days. Enable
us to resist the temptations of the world, the flesh,
and the devil : and dispose us to follow, in all things,
the motions of thy good Spirit, not trusting to our
own strength or wisdom, but looking to thee for
grace to establish us in every good word and work.

Increase in us true religion ; nourish us with all
goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same ;
that we may continue thine forever, and dail}' increase
in thy Holy Spirit more and more, till we come to
thine everlasting kingdom.

Be pleased, O Lord, to receive our humble inter-
cession for all orders and degrees of men ; for the
President of the United States, and all others in
authority,* that they may be thy ministers to us for
good ; for the appointed teachers of thy Word, and
pastors of thy flock ; and for all the members of thy
Church : that all may faithfully serve thee in their
several stations, and adorn the doctrine of God their
Saviour in all things.

We beseech thee, also, have mercy upon all those
who have not yet known thee. Turn them, O Lord,
to the way of life ; take from them all ignorance,
hardness of heart, and contempt of thy Word ; and
eave them, together with us, through Jesus Christ,
our only Mediator and Redeemer.

Our Father, i^c.

The grace of our Lord, cj-c.

♦ In this and similar cases, verbal alterations have, of course, been
made in the American edition. The remark also applies to a few othei
Instances,

to PRAYER FOR MONDAY EVENING.

O Lord Almighty, who art God in heaven above
and in the earth beneath, thou art worthy to be praised
with all pure and holy praise. What service can we,
thy sinful creatures, offer, which thou wilt be pleased
to accept 1 What is man that thou art mindful of
him ; and the son of man that thou visitest him 1

Thou, O God, art our maker, preserver, and guide :
it is not in man that walketh, to direct his steps ; we
f'.*e not able of ourselves to think any thing as of our-
t Ives, but our sufficiency is of thee.

We do not presume to call upon thee, O Lord,

usting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold
.Kid great mercies in Jesus Christ. We are not
I orthy so much as to lift up our hands unto thee :
. at thy property is to have mercy, and thou hast
j^raciously promised to hear those who ask in thy
■ on's name. For his sake, be pleased to listen to the
prayers of thine unworthy servants.

Pardon, we beseech thee, the sins of which we
have this day been guilty ; consider the weakness of
our nature ; and for thy dear Son's sake, be not ex-
treme to mark what is done amiss. We magnify thy
goodness, which has so long spared us, and has
panted us so much time for repentance : give us grace
that we may henceforth turn it to better account.

Thou art good, O Lord, to the unthankful and the
evil. If we can never deserve thy mercies, j-et teach
us to value and to use them as we ou^ht.

PRAYER FOR MONDAY EVENING. 11

Enable us this night to shake off worldly cares and
desires, and to meditate upon thee : let thy Holy
Spirit be present with us in our devotions, to purify
our hearts, and to bring before us the things which
concern our peace, and to inspire us with godly reso-
lutions.

Above all things, make us rightly to understand
thine infinite mercy in the redemption of mankind by
Jesus Chiist, and diligently to avail ourselves of all
our privileges, as his disciples, and thy children by
adoption and grace.

Look down, we beseech thee, with compassion
upon all thy afflicted servants ; grant them the com-
forts of thy Holy spirit ; and in thine own good time
visit and relieve them.

Establish thy kingdom in the hearts of men ; make
the Gospel successful, to the present hohness and
eternal welfare of us all ; and, more particularl}^ we
beg thine abundant blessing upon the Church to which
we belong.

O heavenly Father, we commit ourselves to thy
holy keeping this night, and desire to rest securely
under the shadow of thy protection. Defend us from
all perils and dangers, and especially from those which
may assault and hurt the soul. Prepare us by com-
fortable repose for the duties of the morrow ; and
grant that we may rise disposed and strengthened for
thy service, as faithful and diligent disciples of thy
blessed Son ; in whose words we further pray :

Ckir Father, ^c.

The grace of our Lord, <^c.

12 PRAYER FOR TUESDAY MORNING.

TUESDAY MORNIIVG.

O God, the King eternal and invisible. Maker of
the world and all that is therein, worthy art thou to
receive glory, and honour, and power ; for thou hast
created all things, and for thy pleasure they are and
were created. In thy hand is our life ; and thine are
all our ways ; we are thine by creation and redemp-
tion : not our own, but bought with a price, and
joined to thee in an everlasting covenant. Thy mer-
cies fail not, but are new every morning. We are
not worthy of the least of them all ; but thou hast
commanded us to draw nigh unto thee in prayer, and
our desire is unto thy name.

Accept, we beseech thee, our morning sacrifice of
prayer and praise ; and let the lifting up of our hands,
and the words of our mouth, be pleasing in thy sight,
for Jesus Christ's sake.

We praise thee for thy goodness, in having brought
us safely to the beginning of another day ; for thy
preservation of us during our past lives ; for all the
mercies which thou has bestowed upon us, notwith-
standing our repeated transgressions ; but especially
for Jesus Christ our Saviour, and in Him for all our
means of grace and hopes of glory.

That we may value thy goodness as we ought,
teach us to know our own unworthiness. We have
sinned with our fathers, and done wickedly. But, O
Lord, absolve us from our offences ; pardon the sin-
fulness of our corrupt nature, and the transgressions
wiiich by our frailty we have committed ; and de-

PRAYER FOR TUESDAY MORNING. 13

liver us from the bands of sin, that iniquity may not
be our ruin.

Give us grace, that, amidst all our worldly cares
and occupations, we may never forget thee, but re-
member that we are walking in thy sight.

Enable us to subdue all unholy desires, and, deny-
ing all ungodliness and worldly lusts, to live soberly,
righteously, and godly in this present world.

Preserve us from idleness in the concerns both of
our souls and bodies : that we may not be slothful
In business, but fervent in spirit, serving the Lord.

Dispose us to regard one another with brotherly
affection and good will ; and enable us to do our
duty in that state of life to which thou hast called
us, not with eye-service, as men-pleasers, but in sin-
^'leness of heart, fearing thee.

Be pleased, O Lord, to comfort and succour the
poor and the afflicted ; and dispose us to do good
unto all men, under a thankful sense of thy mercies
in Jesus Christ.

Bless our rulers, especially thy servant the President
of the United States ; dispose them to act as thy minis-
ters for the good of mankind ; and inchne us to ho-
nour and obey them for thy sake. Spread the know-
ledge of thy word ; and make thy Church the instru-
ment of diffusing and upholding true religion. Pre-
serve us all in the unity of the faith, in the bond of
peace, and in righteousness of hfe ; and finally bring us to
thy kingdom in heaven through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Our Father, <f^c.

The grace of our Lord, i^c.
2

14 PRAYER FOR TUESDAY EVENING.

TUESDAY EVEJVIJ^G.

Almighty God, the Father of our Lord Jesns
Christ, who art always more ready to hear than we
to pray, and givest more then either we desire or de-
serve, we, thine unworthy servants, again draw nigh
unto thee, with all humility and thankfulness of heart.

Lord, how precious are thy mercies ! how great is
the sum of them ! and the least of them all is more
than we have deserved. Thou art never weary of
doing us good, but daily loadest us with thy benefits,
even thou, the God of our salvation.

This day thou hast added to the number of thy
mercies in that thou hast preserved our lives, and
continued our comforts, and given us more time for
repentance. O gi^acious Lord, we are still too far
from thee ; we do not esteem thy goodness as we
ought, nor bend ourselves in earnest to thy service.
Give us a lively sense of all thy benefits ; and renew
a right spirit within us. Turn thou us, and we shall
be turned.

We have this day been wanting in many particu-
lars of our duty : we have left undone those things
which we ought to have done, and we have done
those things which we ought not to have done. Accept
our confession, O Lord, and make our repentance
sincere.

Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, for the
sake of thy blessed Son ; seeing that we pray to thee
as his disciples, with a lively faith in the atonement
which he has made for our sins.

PRATER FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING. 15

Take from us all ignorance, hardness of heart, and
too much carefulness'about the things of this life ; and
make us to be a household fearing thee, submitting
ourselves to thy good pleasure, and putting our whole
trust in thy mercy.

Be thou our protection this night, that no evil may
befall us, nor any plague come nigh our dwelling.

To thy blessing we commend ourselves, and all that
belongs to us, and all for whom we ought to pray.
Keep us in peace and safety ; grant that we may go
to rest in charity with all men ; and let thy Holy
Spirit so rule the hearts of all, that the course of this
world may be peaceably ordered, and that thy Church
may joyfully serve thee in all godly quietness.

Keep us, O Lord, if it seem good to thee, in health
and safety, to another day ; and give us grace to em-
ploy it to thy honour in the work of our salvation.
And whenever thou shalt be pleased to end our term
of days, and to call us out of this mortal state, grant
that our peace may be made with thee by Jesus
Christ ; and, at the last day, raise us from the sleep
of death to the resurrection of eternal life, through
Him, who died and rose again for us, the same Jesus
Christ our Lord.

Our Father^ tj-c.

The grace of our Lord, ^c.

IVEDNESDAY MORJVIJVG.

O God, thou art our God ; early will we seek thee.
Thou art good and doest good to all ; thy mercy is

16 PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING.

over all thy works. Thou madest us, and not we
ourselves ; we are thy people and the sheep of thy
pasture ; we therefore worship and fall down and
kneel before the Lord our Maker. Unworthy as we
are to offer unto thee any sacrifice, thou hast appointed
unto us a great High Priest, in whose name we come
boldly to the throne of grace, that we may find mercy,
and grace to help us in the time of need.

Grant that the frequency and earnestness of our
prayers may be proportioned to the greatness of our
wants. Make us to rejoice in every opportunity of
worshipping thy divine Majesty, and preserve us from
the sin of drawing near to thee with our lips, while
our hearts are far from thee.

We humbly thank thee, O Lord, that thou hast
preserved us the night past, and renewest unto us thy
goodness this morning. Take us again into thy guid-
ance and protection during the day ; and so govern
us by thy grace, that we may neither think, nor speak,
nor do any thing this day, which may displease thee,
or wound our own souls. Assist us to be sincere
and hearty in dedicating ourselves, our souls and
bodies, to thy service. Preserve us from the power
of evil : from the temptations incident to our respec-
tive callings ; from the lusts of the flesh, and the
vanities of a wicked world.

Send thy good Spirit to direct and guide us in the
ways and works of godliness : purify our affections ;
enliven our devotion ; teach us how to pray, and how
to bear, and read, and profit by thy holy Word. Make
us Christians in heart, and in hope, and not only in

PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY EVENING. 17

name. Teach us the value of our souls, and of the
salvation which has been wrought for them by Christ
Jesus. May we never be ashamed of confessing him
before men ; but, amidst all discouragements and
difficulties, give us boldness to show ourselves his true
disciples.

Let our conversation be such as becometh his Gos-
pel ; and whatsoever we do in word or in deed, let us
do all in his name, giving thanks to God and the
Father through him. And let the words of our mouth
and the meditations of our hearts, be acceptable in thy
sight, O Lord, our strength and our Redeemer.

Give us grace, we beseech thee, that we may be
just and honest in all our dealings ; kind and charitable
towards all men ; sober, temperate, and chaste ; and,
more particularly, careful of the duties which we owe
to one another, as members of a Christian family :
that having, by thy grace, been kept this day without
wilful sin, we may, at the close of it, lie down to rest,
with the answer of a good conscience towards God ;
and with a sure trust in the merits of our Saviour Jesus
Christ ; for whose sake we beseech thee to hear us,
according to the full intention of his own most holy
prayer.

Our Father, <^c.

The grace of our Lord, ^c.

WEDIVESDAY EVENIIVG,

O MOST holy and merciful Lord God, the fountain
of all goodness, wisdom, and strength ; we pray thee,
look down, from heaven thy dwelling-place, upon us

2*

18 PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY EVENING.

thine unworthy servants, vi^ho desire to renew our
praises and prayers to thy divine majesty.

We confess, that notwithstanding thy gracious deal-
ings towards us, we have neither loved thee nor obeyed
thee as we ought to have done.

We have been too much taken up with the cares
and concerns of this life, and too negligent in the
great work of our salvation. O gracious Lord, have
compassion on our infirmities, and for thy dear Son's
sake turn from us all those evils that we most justly
have deserved. Grant that neither the sins of this
day, nor the transgressions of our past life, may ever
be had in remembrance before thee. Look upon us,
O Lord, as reconciled unto thee in Jesus Christ ; and
grant to us for the time to come the aid of thy Holy
Spirit, that we may walk as becometh those who have
been redeemed of the Lord.

Let not sin reign in our mortal bodies, nor vain
desires take possession of our hearts : but by the
efficacy of thy grace destroy in us all evil habits and
all unholy wishes.

Convince us, we pray thee, of the shortness and
uncertainty of this life ; that we may always be in a
state of preparation and watchfulness, as servants,
who wait for the coming of their Lord.

Give us grace, that we may be daily more and more
sensible of the vanity of all worldly objects of desire ;
and more intent upon laying up for ourselves treasures
in heaven.

May we never slight thy warnings, nor neglect the
opportunities which thou affordest us. Make us to
jove thy Holy Word ; enlighten our understanding to

PRAYER FOR WEDNESDAY EVENING. 19

receive, and purify our affections to hold fast the
blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given
us in our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

Receive, we beseech thee, our intercessions for all
mankind, especially for our relations, friends, and
neighbours ; bring them all to the knowledge and
practice of thy law ; grant unto them all things need-
ful both for their souls and bodies.

Make this nation, O Lord, to be a people serving thee.

Root out from among us all ungodliness, all un-
charitableness, all indifference to religion ; that we may
be indeed thy people, and thou mayest be our God.

Bless and protect thy servant the President of the
United States, and all others in authority ; that under
them this nation may be godly and quietly governed.

Pity the afflicted and distressed in mind, body, and
estate ; and mercifully relieve them, as may be most
conducive to thy glory, and to their eternal good.

To these, our prayers and intercessions, we desire
to add our unfeigned thanksgivings for all the benefits
which thou hast conferred upon us ; for all the bless-
ings which we have enjoyed from our youth up until now ;
particularly for the mercies and comforts of the day
past ; but above all, for our redemption by Jesus Christ.

Be pleased to continue thy protection to us through
this night. Refresh our bodies with quiet sleep, and
our souls with the consolations of thy Holy Spirit ;
and when thou shalt call us out of this world, give us
everlasting rest and peace in thy eternal kingdom,
through the merits of our Redeemer Jesus Christ.

Our Father^ <^c.

The grace of our Lord, 6^c.

20 PRAYER FOR THURSDAY MORNING.

THURSDAY 3IORjVI]VG.

Almighty God, maker of all things, father of all
mankind, receive our morning tribute of prayer and
praise. We are thine ; and are bound to honour and
serve thee, as the creatures of thy hand, and as the
disciples of thy blessed Son.

Thou alone hast preserved us unto this day ; it is
through thy mercy that we have this opportunity of
magnifying and praising thy holy name.

We bless thee for the returning light ; and if our
souls have contracted aught of evil during the night-
season, cleanse them, we beseech thee, by thy Holy
Spirit, and dispose them to thy service.

We confess that we have sinned against thee, and
done much evil in thy sight ; neither have we obeyed
thy law with perfectness of heart.

Thou knowest, O Lord, the weakness of our na-
ture : have compassion upon our infirmities, and for-
give us all our sins, for Jesus Christ's sake.

Lift up the light of thy countenance upon us ; speak
peace unto thy people ; and let them not turn again
unto folly : but send them grace, to preserve them
from the power of sin.

Enable us this day to fulfil the duties of our re-
spective callings with truth and diligence ; that when
we again meet together to praise thee, our consciences
may not reproach us with having broken any of thy
commandments.

Grant that we may this day be set forward in our
Christian course ; that we may be more able to resist

PRAYER FOR THURSDAY MORNING. 21

temptation, more mindful of thy presence, more de-
sirous of thy grace.

To this end, open thou our eyes, that we may see
the wondrous things of thy law ; give us understand-
ing, that we may know thy testimonies ; and write the
words of thy Gospel in our hearts.

Bless all our honest endeavours ; make us content
with what thy providence shall order for us ; and
grant that no worldly business or pleasures may divert
us from the thoughts of the life to come.

Make us duly thankful for all thy mercies, and
mindful of the wants of others ; tender-hearted and
compassionate ; forgiving others, even as thou. Lord,
for Christ's sake, hast promised to forgive us.

May it please thee to forgive our enemies, perse-
cutors, and slanderers, and to turn their hearts.

Be merciful unto all men : convert the sinful,
strengthen the weak-hearted, raise up those who fall,
and finally beat down Satan under our feet.

We hurnbly thank thee, O heavenly Father, for the
continuance of thy mercies ; for all the good gifts
which thou hast bestowed upon us : for our life, our
senses, our worldly substance ; out means and oppor-
tunities of grace.

But above all, we desire to praise thee for thy
blessed Son, and for the redemption which He has
wrought ; and we beseech thee, for the sake of that
great Mediator and Intercessor, to accept these imper-
fect petitions, which we conclude with the words
taught us by the Lord himself.

Our Father, <^c.

The grace of our Lord, ^c.

2^ PR\TKR FOR THURSDAY EVENING.

THURSDAY EVENIIVG.

O Almighty and everlasting God, who art exalted
far above all blessing and praise, and yet humblest
thyself to the prayers of thine unworthy servants, be
present, we beseech thee, with us, who are now met
together in thy name.

Another day is taken from the sum of our lives :
give us grace to remember that we are so much
nearer to our latter end ; and fill us with a true re-
pentance for all the sins and follies of our past lives.

Grant that the opportunities which may yet be
vouchsafed to us, may be improved by us to the pur-
poses of our Christian calling : make us day by day
more serious, diligent and devout.

By all the dispensations of thy providence, whether
of good or evil, bring us nearer to thyself; and make
us thine, through Jesus Christ, in heart and affections,
as we are by name and in profession.

Quicken us in the pursuit of heavenly things, and
make us faithful in the discharge of every appointed
duty ; serving thee with sincerity of heart, and doing
to all men as we would they should do unto us.

Subdue in us, by. the power of thy grace, every evil
affection ; and make our conversation to be such as
becometh the people of the Lord.

Direct, sanctify, and govern both our hearts and
bodies in the ways of thy laws, and in the works of
thy commandments.

Let neither pleasure, nor profit, nor anger, nor fear,
make us forget the very least of thy commandments ;
but increase in us more and more all the Christian
graces and virtues.

PRAYER FOR FRIDAY MORNING. 23

Receive our humble prayers for all conditions of
men : ^rant that all, who confess thy holy name, may
live in unity and love.

We beseech thee, show forth the power of thy
grace, by enlightening those that are in darkness, and
by converting those that are in sin.

Endue all orders and degrees of men amongst us,
with those virtues, which may most conduce to thy
honour and glory, and to the good of thy Church and
people.

We commend to thy fatherly goodness all our re-
lations and friends ; beseeching thee to take them and
us into thy holy keeping this night, and to prepare us,
both in soul and body, to serve thee faithfully another
day.

Grant that we may go to rest this night in charity
with all men ; and give us time and grace to make
our peace with theC;, through Jesus Christ, before we
go hence and be no more seen.

Hear us, O Lord, for thy dear Son's sake, and an-
swer us according to the spirit of that prayer which
He has taught us :

Our Father, <^c.

The grace of our Lord, <5"C.

FRIDAY MORJVIJ^TG.

Almighty God, who formest the spirit of man
within him, and fittest him to serve and worship thee ;
we are thy servants and children, the work of thy
hand. Thou hast holden us up ever since we were
born ; our praise shall be continually of thee.

24 PRAYER FOR FRIDAY MORNINff.

We acknowletlg-e that we are not worthy to lift up
our hands unto thee : we have sinned and done amiss :
our transgressions are more in number than the hairs
of our head ; they are a heavy burden upon our souls.
We have sinned against light and knowledge ; against
mercies and warnings ; against providences, and op-
portunities of good. We desire not to justify ourselves,
but to confess before thee, that we are utterly unclean.

O Lord, enter not into judgment with thy servants ;
but spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed : for
the glory of thy name, and for the sake of thy blessed
Son, deliver us, and be merciful unto us.

Cast us not away from thy presence ; and take not
thy Holy Spirit from us : but remember us, for Christ's
sake, with the favour that thou bearest unto thy people,
and visit us with thy salvation.

Without thy help we can do no good thing : make
us to feel our own infirmity, and the comforts of thy
grace. Bear us up by the strength of faith, and by
the power of love and hope, above all the temptations
which may assault us ; that we may keep ourselves
unspotted from the world.

Let thy blessing be upon us this day, that we may
do nothing but what we know to be pleasing to thee :
enable us to avoid all occasions of sin ; and when we
fall into temptation, make a way for us to escape.

Grant to us severally such measures of thy grace,
as may fit us for the duties of our respective stations.
Make us humble to our superiors, friendly towards
our equals, kind and considerate to the poor and
needy, charitable and forgiving towards those who do
us wrona:.

PRAYER FOR FRIDAY EVENING. 25

Make us to take delight in the work of prayer and
praise ; in all the ordinances of religion ; and espe-
cially in picirtaking spiritually of the body and blood
of Christ our Saviour ; and grant that we may excite
others by our good example to glorify thee, our hea-
venly Father.

Hearken, O Lord, to our humble intercessions for
the whole race of mankind. Have mercy upon all
unbelievers, and bring them home to thy flock. Make
sinners to see the error of their ways, and turn them
to thyself Preserve the church in unity and peace ;
instruct the ministers and stewards of thy word and
sacraments ; and enable them, both by their preach-
ing and living, to show forth the power of the Gospel.

Assist the afflicted and distressed ; giving them
patience under their suffering ; and, when thou seest
fit, a happy deliverance from all their troubles.

O Lord, thou knowest all our necessities before we
ask, and our ignorance in asking : forgive, we beseech
thee, the imperfections of these our prayers, and gra-
ciously accept them for the sake of Jesus Christ,

Our Father, ^c.

The grace of our Lord, ^c.

FRIDAY EVE^IIVG.

It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord,
and to sing praises unto thy name, O thou Most
Highest ; to tell of thy loving kindness early in th€
morning, and of thy truth in the night-season.

Hearken unto the voice of our calling, O Lord,
3

26 PRAYER FOR FRIDAY EVENING.

our Maker and Preserver ; for unto thee do we make
our prayer.

We come befbrenhee, O heavenly Father, with all
humility of heart, as sinful and unworthy creatures,
less than the least of all thy mercies. We have all
sinned and come short of thy glory : but thou art
gracious and long-suffering, and hast compassion upon
the infirmity of thy servants, for thy dear Son's sake.

We are met together in his name : be present with
us, we beseech thee, by thy Holy Spirit ; dispose us
to serious recollection, and to earnest prayer.

Make us deeply sensible of our sins, and especially
of those which we have this day committed ; and so
quicken our repentance, and strengthen our faith in
the atoning blood of Christ, that we may be cleansed
from all sin, and be at peace with thee.

Awaken us, O Lord, from spiritual insensibility,
and bring us to a lively sense of our condition here, and
of the value of our caUing in Jesus Christ. Enable us,
by thy grace, to have our conversation in heaven, and
diligently to seek those things which are above.

Make us always mindful of our own frailty, of the
shortness and uncertainty of this life, of the eternity
of that which is to come, and of the unspeakable dif-
ference between heaven and hell ; that we may be of
the number of those who strive to enter in at the
strait gate, and, by thy gracious assistance, find it.

We bless thy holy name for all the mercies which
thou hast bestowed upon us : for our life, health, and
reason ; for all the faculties both of our souls and
bodies : grant that we may use and improve them to
thy glory.

PRAYER FOR SATURDAY MORNING. 27

We bless thee that we were born of Christian pa-
rents ; we thank thee for all the privileges and hopes
of the Christian covenant ; give us grace to use all dili-
gence, that we may make our calling and election sure.
We bless thee for thy patient forbearance towards
us, notwithstanding our repeated sins ; for thy pre-
servation of us from numberless dangers ; for the
bountiful goodness of thy providence, and for all the
blessings of this life.

But above all, we adore thy tender love and com-
passion to us, and to all mankind, in the redemption
of the world, by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ,
who humbled himself, even to death upon the cross,
for us miserable sinners, that he might make us thy
children, and exalt us unto everlasting life.

We also bless thee for all the means of grace,
which thou hast given us in thy word and sacraments,
in the ordinances of thy Church, and the opportuni-
ties of pubUc worship.

Grant that we may so esteem and profit by these
and all thy mercies, that having been faithful and
diligent servants of our Lord, we may finally receive
that crown of glory, which thou hast promised to
those who love thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Our Father, ^-c.
The grace of our Lord, ^-c.

SATURDAY MORIVTJ^G.

Almighty and most merciful Father, who, for our
many sins committed against thee, mightest most
justly have cut us off in the midst of our days, we

58 FRAYER FOR SATURDAY MORNING.

humbly thank thee, that in the multitude of thy mer-
cies thou hast hitherto spared us.

Accept, we beseech thee, our unfeigned sorrow for
our past transgressions ; and grant, that we may never
so presume upon thy mercy, as to despise the riches
of thy goodness : but let a sense of thy forbearance
and long-suffering work in us repentance and amend-
ment of life, to thy honour and glory, and to our
final acceptance in the last day, through the merits of
our Saviour Christ.

Keep alive in us, O Lord, a true spirit of devotion ;
and preserve us from the great sin of praying to thee
with our lips only, and not with our hearts and minds.

Convince us of our entire dependence upon thee ;
quicken us in the pursuit of things eternal ; that we
may continually press forward to obtain the prize of
our high calling in Christ Jesus.

Thou knowestj Lord, the dangers which beset us
in this present world : strengthen us by thy power,
against the enemies of our salvation ; hold thou us up,
and we shall be safe.

Dispose us, we beseech thee, rightly to discharge
the duties of this day. Watch over our paths ; com-
pass us about with thy favour ; preserve us in our
going out and coming in ; and direct all our steps in
the way of thy commandments.

Make us truly honest and conscientious in all our
dealings ; diligent in the works of our calling ; inno-
cent in our conversation ; meek, charitable and for-
giving towards others ; watchful over ourselves, and
ever mindful of thy presence.

Sanctify to us our crosses and afflictions, if it be

PRAYER FOR SATURDAY EVENING. 29

thy good pleasure to afflict us : and give us such a
measure of patience and godly resolution, that we
may be willing to take up our cross daily, and to follow
the Lamb, whithersoever he goeth.

O Lord, grant that this family and household may
abound more and more in love for thee, and in devo-
tion to thy service : that it may be amongst many
others, the humble means of keeping alive a spirit of
piety in this nation, that thou mayest bless them, and
visit them with thy salvation.

Have mercy upon thy whole Church ; more espe-
cially that portion of it to which we belong. Pour
out the graces of thy Spirit upon all its members, that,
if possible, it may be presented unto thee, through
Jesus Christ, without blemish and without spot.

O Lord, if we have now asked any thing amiss, we
pray thee pardon our ignorance and infirmity ; and
whatever is good for us, even if we ask it not, be
pleased to grant to us, in the name and for the sake
of thy dear Son Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and
Advocate.

Our Father, <^c.

The grace of our Lord, <^c.

SATURDAY EVEIVIK^G.

Almighty and most gracious God and Father,
who art good, and ready to forgive, and plenteous in
mercy to all who call upon thee ; have respect unto
tlic prayers of thy servants ; hear thou from heaven,
thy dwelling-place, and when thou hearest, forgive,
for Jesus Christ's sake.
3*

so PRAYER FOR SATURDAY EVENING.

Help us to approach thee at all times with reverence
and godly fear ; and at this time assist our prayers
that we make before thee, with one accord, as believers
in thy blessed Son.

We adore thy goodness, O Lord, that thou hast
given him to be a ransom for our sins ; to suffer death
upon the cross, the just for the unjust, to bring us
nearer unto thee. Give us grace to remember, that
He has purchased us unto himself for a peculiar peo-
ple, zealous of good works ; that we may walk worthy
of our calling, and adorn the doctrine of God our
Saviour in all things.

Grant that we may not be insensible to the blessings
of the Christian covenant ; nor neglectful of the means
of grace ; nor blind to thy mercies vouchsafed to us
in the whole course of our lives. It is by thy grace
alone that we have been kept back from the greatest
sins, and enabled to do the least good : make us duly
thankful for all the spiritual benefits which we enjoy.

Enlighten us to discern thy providence in all that
befalls us ; in sickness and in health, in riches and in
poverty, in tribulation and in joy.

During the past week we have had many occasions
to be thankful for thy fatherly kindness and forbear-,
ance : grant that the next may be spent in thy ser-.
vice, and in doing the works of our calling ; not in
sinful nor in vain pursuits. More especially prepare
us for the duties of the Lord's day, that we may
sanctify it by a holy rest ; ceasing from worldly cares
and pleasures, and giving up ourselves to thy service,,
and to the improvement of our spiritual state.

PRAYER FOR SATURDAY EVENING. 31

Make us sensible of our uncertain condition in this
life ; and teach us so to number our days that we may
apply our hearts unto wisdom. Let each night re-
mind us of the sleep of death, that we may live in
continual preparation for our change, and be ready to
lay aside the burthen of the flesh, when our appointed
time shall conje.

O Lord, be pleased to bless not only this family,
but all mankind. Establish thy kingdom upon earth ;
and more especially we pray thee that the Church of
Christ may be strengthened in this nation, that thy
blessing and favour may rest upon it.

We beseech thee to preserve and bless thy servant,
the President of the United States, and all others in
authority ; that they, remembering whose ministers
they are, may in all things seek thy honour and glory ;
and that we may cheerfully obey them in thee, and
for thee, according to thy blessed word and ordinance.

Give grace to the ministers and stewards of thy
mysteries, that they may persuade men to enter into
the true fold, to fear and love thee, and to trust in
Jesus Christ : and that they themselves may set forth
the doctrines of the Gospel, not only with their lips,
but in their lives.

Relieve, with thy comforts, the sick and afflicted, O
thou, who art a father of the fatherless, and the God
of the widow ; and do for all thy servants more than
they know how to ask, for the sake of thy dear ^SonJ
our Saviour Jesus Christ.

Qur Father, <$'C.

The grace of our Lord, ^'C.

82 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS.

A PRAYER

To he added when any memher of the Family is sick.
O Lord Almighty, who givest to thy creatures health
and strength, and, when thou seest fit, visitest them with
sickness and infirmity, he pleased to hear the prayers
which we offer in behalf of him who is now afflicted by
thy hand. Look down from heaven, behold, visit, and
in thine own good time relieve hiin. Bless the means
used for his recovery ; and dispose hi7n to place all his
trust and confidence in thee, not in the help of man.
Be merciful unto hiin, gracious Lord, not according to
his deservings, but according to the necessity of his
case, and according to the multitude of thy mercies in
Jesus Christ. In submission to thy most wise and good
disposal of all things, we beseech thee that this bitter
cup may pass aM^ay from thy servant : but if that may
not be, give hijn grace to improve it to the good of his
soul, and set him forward on his way to life eternal,
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A THA]VKSGIVI]!fG

To he added when any member of the Family has
7'ecovered from sickness.

We humbly thank thee, O gracious and merciful Lord,
that thou hast heard the prayers of thy servant, who was
lately brought low by the visitation of sickness, and
hast raised liirn up from the gates of the grave. Thou
hast delivered his soul from death, his eyes from tears,,
and his feet from falling. O Lord, let it be good for
him that he has been afflicted ; teach him and us the
uncertainty of this life, and give us grace to fix our
hopes upon thy promises of a better, through Jesus-
Clirist our Saviour. Amen.

A PRAYER

To he added, when any affliction has befallen one of the

Farnily.
O Almighty and most just God, who orderest all the
events of this uncertain life, righteous art thou iij all

OCCASIONAL PRATERS. 33

thy dealings, and holy in all thy ways. Give us grace
contentedly to bear whatsoever burthens thou seest fit
to lay upon any of us, assured that all things work
together for good to them that love thee, and seek thee
through Jesus Christ.

Be gracious. Lord, to thy afflicted servants ; comfort
the mourners, and impart to them the consolations of
thy Spirit.

Give us grace to make a profitable use of this, and all
thy dispensations. Make us to remember that this
world is not our abiding place ; that our life is but a
vapour, so soon passeth it away, and we are gone.

Lord, our times are in thy hands ; spare us yet a
little ; and teach us so to number our days, and to apply
our hearts unto wisdom, that we may pass, each at his
appointed time, to the reward which thou hast promised
to the faithful followers of thy Son, Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.

A PRAYER

To he added on the mornings of those days, upon which

tfie iSacrament oj me j^ora s t^upper is to be
administered.
Almighty God, whose blessed Son Jesus Christ, for
the forgiveness of our sins, did suffer death upon the
cross, prepare us, we beseech thee, by thy grace, for
the worthy celebration of that holy ordinance, which
He was pleased to appoint for a continual remembrance
of his death, for a pledge of his love, and for a sign and
means of grace, to our great and endless comfort. Make
us to discern the Lord's body ; to remember and adore
the exceeding love of Christ our Saviour, thus dying for
us. Give us repentance unto life not to be repented of.
Endue us with a lively faith, a perfect love, and an uni-
versal charity. Enable us spiritually to receive the
body and blood of Christ our Saviour ; that so all carnal
affections may die in us, and that all things belonging
to the Spirit may live and grow in us ; and that, being
continually refreshed and strengthened by thy grace,
we may persevere in all godliness unto our lives' end,
and finally receive an everlasting recompense, through
the merits of our Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen^

34 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS.

A PRAYER

To he used when any Child of the Family has been
baptized.

Almighty God, through whose gracious favour a
member of this family has this day been admitted, by
baptism, into the church of Christ, called into a state of
salvation, and made thy child by adoption and grace ;
grant, we beseech thee, that by the continual help of
thy Holy Spirit, he may be enabled to lead the rest of
his life according to this beginning ; walking uprightly
before thee in the true faith of Christ crucified, and in
the sincere practice of those things which thou hast
commanded ; that finally through the merits of his Re-
deemer, he may be saved from the wrath to come, and
enter into thy Church in heaven. Grant this, we be-
seech thee, most merciful Father, for Jesus Christ's
sake. Amen*

A PRAYER

To he used in the morning of New- Yearns Day,

A-LltflGtHT\ ^v^-, xiuru vi. .xxx. «xx« v. .,

who appointest to every man his portion of days, to be
spent in doing the work of his Christian calling ; we
bless and praise thy holy name, and acknowledge thy
goodness in having brought us safe to the beginning of
another year.

O Lord, when thou art angry, all our days are gone ;
we bring our years to an end, as it were a tale that is
told. How great is thy mercy, that notwithstanding our
neglect and abuse of the opportunities and seasons which
have been granted to us, thou hast yet spared us for a
time, and hast given us a further space for repentance !

Make us truly sensible of thy mercy, most merciful
God ; and give us grace to consider, that another year
of our uncertain life is passed away ; and that we are
so much nearer to judgment. Let us, in good earnest,
set about the work of preparation for death, that when
the Lord cometh, he may find us so doing.

If it please thee to spare us yet another year, make
us diligent and careful to redeem our time, and to spend
it in thy service ; that at the end of it, and at the great

OCCASIONAL PRAYERS. S5

day of account, we may not be found to have wasted or
misused a precious talent.

O Lord, it is with thee to dispose our hearts to thy
service, as it is to lengthen our days ; be pleased to
make us M'isc unto salvation ; that we may consider,
while it is yet day, the things that belong unto our
peace ; and that we may, by the help of thy Holy Spirit,
pass this year, and all the years we have yet to live, in
the comfortable hope of a blessed eternity, for the sake
of Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Some short devotional Forms, which may be used with
any of the preceding' Prayers.

Whom have we in heaven but thee, O Lord ? there
is none on earth that we desire besides thee. Thou art
our God, and we will thank thee : thou art our God^
and we will serve thee. Be thou our ruler and guide.

O gracious Lord, withhold not from thy servants any
of the gifts and graces of thy Spirit ; but as for the
things of this world, dispense them to us in such mea-
sure, as may best contribute to thy honour, and to our
eternal welfare.

O Lord, give us sincerity of heart to confess our sins
before thee, a deep sense of our own weakness and
want of grace, and a steadfast resolution to forsake and
avoid every thing which thou hast forbidden.

We implore thy pardon, not for our own sake, but
for the sake of thy blessed Son ; we plead thy gracious
promises in Christ Jesus ; we earnestly seek for the
comforts of thy grace.

' This is the confidence we have in God, that if we ask any
thing- according to his will, he heareth us. (John v. 14.)
Lord, may it be with thy servants according to this word I

May the kingdoms of this world become the kingdoms
of the Lord and his Christ ; and may all that own thee
for their King, become thy faithful subjects, and obey
thy laws.

Unto thee, O Lord, who art able to do for us abun-
dantly more than we can ask or think, unto thee be
glory in the Church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all
ages, world without end.

36 OCCASIONAL PRAYERS.

To God only wise, be glory through Christ Jesus for
ever and ever.

Grant, O Lord, unto all who are afflicted, that they
may search out their ways, and see whence their visita-
tion cometh.

Preserve, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy church from
all dangerous errors, from divisions, from indifference,
ajid from uncharitableness.

Lord, the frailty of man without thee cannot but falk
In all temptations we beseech thee to succour us, that
no sin may ever get the dominion over us.

"Who can understand his errors ? O cleanse thou us
from our secret faults.

O Lord, glorify thyself by the salvation of souls ;
especially deliver us, thy servants, from the bondage of
sin, and gather us to the number of thine own.

For thy name's sake, O Lord, be merciful unto our
sin ; for it is great. Show thy servants the light of thy
countenance, and save us for thy mercy's sake.

Godliness is great riches, if a man be content with
that he hath.

Blessed Jesus, support thy poor members under all
their troubles, and sanctify their bodily wants to the
improvement of their souls' health.

O Lord, the protector of all them that fear thee, set
thy saving mark upon this house ; and let not the
destroyer have power to hurt us.

Almighty Father, finish the work of mercy which
thou hast begun in us ; make us thine through Jesus
Christ, and preserve us unto the end.

Protect and keep us in the midst of this deceitful
world, and direct us in the way to life eternal, through
Jesus Christ.

O Holy Spirit of grace, help our infirmities ; restrain
our wandering thoughts ; fix them upon our duty :
make us serious and thoughtful at all times, but especi-
ally when we attend upon God.

O gracious God, make us to be steadfast, unmovable,
always abounding in the work of the Lord, that our
labour may not be in vain in the Lord,

THE ENIK

No, 34» July, I839.--.300a

^4