A manual of family prayer : adapted to the various seasons of the ecclesiastical year, with prayers and thanksgivings for special occasions
Croswell, Harry, 1778-1858
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This little work has been prepared, to supply a want long felt and often expressed by members of the Episco¬ pal Church. Among the excellent manuals of family prayer, already in use, there is none, so far as the author is informed, in which the daily devotions are adapted to the different seasons of the ecclesiastical year, as ar¬ ranged and designated in our public formularies : the same prayers and thanksgivings, whether for a week or a month, being used indiscriminately during festivals and fasts, and in joyous and penitential seasons, without refer¬ ence to the appropriate sentiments infused into the ap¬ pointed services of the Church. In attempting to supply this defect, it is believed that all the public observances, as well as the various circum¬ stances that may occur in a family, are amply provided for, without giving the work an inconvenient or expensive size. There is a series of stated prayers for Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany ; another for the season of Lent ; another for Passion Week ; another, extending from Easter to Trinity Sunday ; and another, from Trinity to Advent : besides special forms for days particularly distinguished in the calendar ; and occasional prayers and thanksgivings, to be used with the daily devotions, as circumstances may require. With regard to the language employed in these forms, it has been the aim of the author, to adhere as strictly as possible to the style of the Bible and the Book of Com¬ mon Prayer ; and, in every case, to study entire simpli¬ city. In the adoption of scriptural and liturgical phrases, he could not, had he been disposed, avoid the selection of 4 PREFACE. many of the passages found in other manuals. Drawing from the same sources, a similarity of expression must necessarily occur. With the earnest hope, that this little book may prove a welcome companion to many a household, already famil¬ iar with the sacred duty of family worship, and operate as an encouragement to others to erect the domestic altar, it is committed to the press, and commended to the favora¬ ble judgment of a Christian public, and to the divine bles¬ sing. H. C. Rectory , New-Haven, 1842. NOTE, FOR THE SECOND AND THIRD EDITIONS. Encouraged by the ready sale of the first edition of this, work, and the general approbation of his friends, the au¬ thor has been induced to make arrangements for the pub¬ lication of two more editions — the one on a duodecimo, and the other on an octavo page ; and both with a larger type. A few errors which escaped in the former edition, have been corrected, and the whole carefully revised. It has been suggested, that a few additional forms of Daily Prayer, without reference to the seasons of the ec¬ clesiastical year, might render the work more generally acceptable. The author, however, can see no good rea¬ son for making such addition. A sufficient variety of forms may be found in the different parts of the book, to supply the wants of those who are not disposed to con¬ form to the ecclesiastical order under which they are ar¬ ranged. The whole series of prayers, for example, from Trinity to Advent, may be used at any season of the year, with strict propriety. Ash- Wednesday, 1845.  - - 58 Collect for Epiphany, (Jan. 6,) - - 62 Lent. Ash- Wednesday Morning, - -  83 Wednesday Evening, - - - 86 Thursday Morning, - - - 88 Thursday Evening, - - - 91 Friday Morning, - - - 94 Friday Evening, - - - 96 Saturday Morning, - - - 99 Saturday Evening,   — Morning, - 125 Easter  145  Day — Evening, Whit-Sunday — Morning, Whit-Sunday — Evening, Trinity to Advent. Trinity Sunday Morning, Trinity Sunday Evening, Sunday Morning, Sunday Evening, Monday Morning, - Monday Evening, Tuesday Morning, - Tuesday Evening, Wednesday Morning, Wednesday Evening, Thursday Morning, - Thursday Evening, Friday Morning, Friday Evening, Saturday Morning, - Saturday Evening, Morning of the Fourth of July, Thanksgiving Day — Morning, Thanksgiving Day — Evening, 157 - 160 162 - 164 167 - 169 172 - 175 178 - 180 183 - 186 188 - 191 193 - 196 198 - 201 204 - 207 209 - 211 214 - 216 218 - 221 Occasional Prayers and Thanksgivings : to be used IN CONNECTION WITH THE OTHER DEVOTIONS. Prayers. For Communion Day Morning, - - 225 After Baptism, - 226 After Confirmation, - 226 After a Marriage, - 227 For the Children of a Family, - - 227 8 CONTENTS. For Sunday Schools, - - - 228 On the Birth-day of a Member of the Family, 229 For a sick Person, - 229 For a person dangerously sick, - - 230 For a blessing on the means of recovery, - 231 For a sick Person at the point of departure, 232 For a sick Child, - 232 For a Person troubled in mind or conscience, 233 When under Affliction, - 234 After a Funeral, - 235 For a Person at Sea, - 236 For a Person on a Journey, - 236 After an Ordination, ... 237 For Conventions, - 237 For Rain, - 238 For Fair Weather, - 239 In time of Dearth and Famine, - - 239 In time of War and Tumults, - - 240 In time of great Sickness and Mortality, - 240 Thanksgivings. After Communion, - - - - 241 For the beginning of Recovery from Sickness, 241 For Recovery from Sickness, - - 242 For a safe Return from Sea, - - 243 For a safe Return from a Journey, - - 243 After the birth of a Child, - - 244 For Rain, - 244 For Fair Weather, ... 245 For Plenty, - 245 For a return of Peace, - 246 For the restoration of tranquility at home, - 246 For deliverance from great Sickness and Mortality, - 247 Blessings and Graces at Table. Before Meals, - 248 After Meals, - - . 248 FAMILY PRAYERS. ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. Sunday Morning. Our Father, who art in Heaven, Hallowed be thy name ; thy Kingdom come ; thy Will be done on 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 King¬ dom, and the Power, and the Glory, forever and ever. Amen. Almighty God, who hast set apart this day for thyself, and hast commanded us to keep it holy to thy name, look down upon us in mercy, 2 10 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. while we dedicate to thee the first fruits of the morning. Give us grace, that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility. Prepare us for the various duties which are now before us, and especially for the solemn services of thy sanctuary. May we go with the multitude to thy house of prayer, with the voice of joy and praise. There may we give thee the glory which is due unto thy name, 'and worship thee in the beauty of holiness. And, O blessed Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written for our learning ; grant that we may in such wise hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy word, we may embrace and ever hold fast, the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] O Lord, remember in mercy all those who may be prevented, by sickness or any other providential impediment, from attending the ordinances of thy house, and the habitation which their soul loveth. Let thy presence be with them in their private meditations. Endue them with a spirit of supplication and praise. Let their prayer come up before thee as in- ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 11 cense, and the lifting up of their hands as an acceptable sacrifice. Look with pity, O Lord, upon the careless and negligent, and especially upon those who have hitherto misspent or profaned thy sabbaths. Grant them yet a day of grace, and still further space for repentance ; and teach them so to improve the opportunities that remain, that they may redeem the time which they have lost, and finally be accepted of thee, through the all-prevailing intercession of thy blessed Son. Pardon, O Lord, the infirmities and imper¬ fections of thy most faithful and devoted ser¬ vants, and manifest thy power in their weak¬ ness. Sustain them in all their troubles ; guide them in all their difficulties ; support them in the hour of danger, and guard them in the day of temptation. Let thy bountiful grace and mercy help and deliver them ; that so they may pass through all the trials of this life in peace and safety, and finally rejoice in the triumphs of redeeming grace. O Lord Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee ; grant that the ministers whom thou hast sent to preach thy word, and the appointed stewards of thy mysteries, may faithfully and diligently discharge their sacred duties ; that they may prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient / 12 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. to the wisdom of the just ; that so, at thy second coming to judge the world, both they who preach and they who hear, may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. 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. Sunday Evening. Almighty and everlasting God, we bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the bless¬ ings of this life ; but, above all, for thine un¬ speakable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace which thou hast bestowed upon us, and for the hope of glory which thou hast set before us. Heavenly Father, make us duly sensible of thy unspeakable gift, whereby we obtain the pardon of our sins, and all things necessary for our eternal salvation. We adore thee for the great mystery of the incarnation; for the coming of thy blessed Son in the flesh to dwell among us ; for the perfect example set before ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 13 us in his holy life ; for his painful atonement for the sins of the world; and for his glorious resurrection from the grave, whereby he hath given us assurance, that he is able also to raise our bodies from the dust, and to exalt us to his own right hand in the kingdom of heaven. We pray thee, O Lord, to impress deeply on our minds the great and solemn truths re¬ vealed in thy word ; that amidst the cares and occupations of the world, we may neither for¬ get our Christian privileges, nor neglect the duties to which we are called. Convince us of the vanity of the world, of the shortness of life, and of the unspeakable importance of preparing for eternity. Save us from the sins of indifference, carelessness, and levity, as well as from bold and presumptuous transgression. Purify our hearts by thy Holy Spirit, that we may be cleansed from every secret fault, and every unholy passion. And pardon, O Lord, the multitude of our past iniquities ; our for¬ getfulness of thee and of all thy mercies, and the coldness and hardness of our hearts, in the midst of all thy bounties. Thou hast nourish¬ ed and brought us up as thy children, and we have rebelled against thee. Thou hast sus¬ tained, and protected, and comforted us. Thou hast borne with our infirmities, and withheld thy chastening hand when we de¬ served nothing but punishment. Thou hast 2* 14 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. laid us under peculiar obligations to love and serve thee, and to praise and magnify thy holy name. But how little have we honored thee ! How little have we done to glorify thee ! O Lord, forgive our ingratitude to thee. Enable us to look up to Jesus, the great Mediator of the new covenant, for the remission of our sins, and for all the benefits of his glorious re¬ demption. [Occasional Prayers, & c.] We intercede with thee, gracious God, for all our relatives, friends, and brethren ; and especially for those who are in sorrow, sick¬ ness, or any kind of trouble. Give them the consolations which thou alone canst bestow. Pat into their hearts a holy trust in thee, and a sure hope in thy promises. And may those who are compassed with infirmities, and who feel that their outward man is perishing, be strengthened with might by thy spirit in the inner man ; that so their light affliction, which is but for a moment, may work out for them a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. Take us now, O God, under thy gracious care and protection this night. Let thy bless¬ ing attend us ; and thy good spirit rest upon us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Father, &c. The grace, &c. ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHAN Y. 15 Monday Morning. O God, oiu* heavenly Father, we bless thee for the return of this morning light. We bless thee for thy guardianship and care during the hours of darkness. Enable us, we beseech thee, to devote the first fruits of the day to thee. Accept our humble thanks for all thy mercies, and especially for the gift of thine In¬ carnate Son. Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, that he hath redeemed us, and raised up a mighty salvation for us ; that the day-spring from on high hath visited us, to give light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, and to guide our feet into the way of peace. We thank thee for that revelation, by which the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ are made known to us. We thank thee for the gracious offers of sal¬ vation, through his name and mediation ; and for that atoning sacrifice, through which our sins, though they be as scarlet, shall be as white as snow, and though they be red like crimson, shall be as wool. We thank thee especially for the sure word of prophecy, whereunto we are admonished to take heed, as unto a light that shineth in a dark place, until the day dawn, and the day-star arise in our hearts. And we beseech thee, O God, to grant us grace, that we may not receive this 16 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. revelation in vain ; that we may not be of the number of those who choose darkness rather than light, because their deeds are evil : But enable us to walk as becometh the children of light. Guide and direct us, heavenly Father, in the duties of this day. May a sense of thy con¬ tinual presence abide with us, to restrain every evil passion and propensity, and to support and encourage us in the discharge of our respective duties. Let thy fatherly hand be ever over us. Let thy Holy Spirit be ever with us ; and so lead us in the knowledge and obedience of thy word, that in the end we may obtain everlast¬ ing life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] We commend to thy fatherly care and pro¬ tection, all our friends and relatives. Give them grace as they may severally stand in need ; and order all things for their present and eternal good. Be a present God to all who are in any kind of trouble. Show the light of thy countenance to those who are weary and heavy-laden with the burden of their sins ; and comfort and sustain those who are suffering under any temporal calamity. May they receive thy chastisements as the lov¬ ing correction of a kind and beneficent parent, who dost chasten them for their profit, and correct them that they may live. And in the ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY 17 days of their prosperity, give them a grateful sense of all thy mercies ; and teach them, as dutiful children, and the humble partakers of thy bounty, to ascribe all the honor and glory to thee, their gracious benefactor, through Je¬ sus Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Father, &c. The grace, &c. Monday Evening. Our Father, &c. O God, merciful Father, we come before thee this night, as a sinful people, laden with iniquity. We humbly acknowledge that we have rebelled against thee. We have for¬ saken thy holy law, and provoked thee to an¬ ger. But, O God, we beseech thee, rebuke us not in thy indignation, neither chasten us in thy displeasure. Look down upon us, in mer¬ cy and compassion ; and, for the love of thy dear Son, forgive us all our sins. May the sound of thy blessed gospel, like the voice of one crying in the wilderness, awaken us to true repentance ; that the hearts of the disobe¬ dient may be turned to the wisdom of the just ; that, in every place, the way of the Lord may be prepared ; and that all flesh may see the 13 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS-EPIPHANY. salvation of God. Baptize us, heavenly Fa¬ ther, with thy Holy Spirit ; that we may bring forth fruits worthy of repentance ; that we may put away the evil of our doings ; that we may cease to do evil, and learn to do well ; that so, when the axe is laid unto the root of the trees, we may, through thy great goodness, escape from the wrath to come. We bless thee, O Lord God of Israel, for thy manifold mercies in Christ Jesus. Through him, thou hast visited and redeemed thy peo¬ ple ; and hast raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of thy servant David, as thou hast spoken by the mouth of thy holy prophets since the world began. Through him mercy and truth have met together, righteousness and peace have embraced each other. With his own right hand, and with his holy arm, hath he gotten himself the victory. Our souls do magnify thee, O Lord ; and our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour. O God, let thy blessing rest upon us this night. Make us deeply sensible of our help¬ lessness, and dependence upon thee. Let us meditate on our frailty, and consider the short¬ ness and uncertainty of our life. O let us re¬ member, that we walk in a vain shadow7 ; that our days are but a span long; and that every man living is altogether vanity. Let us re¬ member, that all flesh is as grass, and flourish- ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 19 eth as the flower of the field : It is gone when the wind passeth over it, and the place thereof shall know it no more. May these solemn thoughts humble us before thee. Thy merci¬ ful goodness endureth forever upon them that fear thee. Help us to cast away all confi¬ dence in the flesh, and to put on the Lord Je¬ sus Christ. Whether we live, may we live unto the Lord ; and whether we die, may we die unto the Lord ; so that whether we live, or whether we die, we may be the Lord’s. [Occasional Prayers, & c.] And now may the God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing ; that we may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost ; to whom, with the Father, and the Son, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen. The grace, &c. Tuesday Morning. Our Father, &c. O Lord God, our heavenly Father, grant us grace, at this time, to present our bodies a liv¬ ing sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable service. Let us come before 20 ADVENT— CHRISTM A S— EPIPHANY. thee, under a grateful sense of all thy good¬ ness. We will exalt thee: We will praise thy name ; for thou has done wonderful things in thy righteousness. We will be glad, and rejoice in thy salvation. Every day will we give thanks unto thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever. We commend ourselves, O God, to thy care and protection this day. Defend us with thy mighty power. Stretch forth thine hand to deliver us from every danger. Guide and direct us by thy good spirit ; that we may shun every evil way, and walk securely in thy com¬ mandments. Grant us grace, that we fall not under the power of temptation, nor indulge in any secret or open sin. Purify our hearts, and regulate our desires, and restrain our passions, that all our doings, being ordered by thy gov¬ ernance, maybe righteous in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] We bless thee, O God, that thou hast caus¬ ed thy holy scriptures to be written for our learning : And we beseech thee to grant, that they may prove profitable to us, for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness; that we may be perfected in obedience, and thoroughly furnished unto all good works. May we all be so taught of thee, that thy law may be written in our hearts ; ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 21 that we may call upon thee as our God, and be acknowledged as thy people. Grant, O Lord, that the ministers of thy word may go forth in all the world, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Grant that the dark and benighted re¬ gions of the earth may hear the voice of re¬ deeming love ; that the word that goeth forth out of Zion may extend to the uttermost bounds of the earth ; and that all men may know thee, from the greatest to the least. Has¬ ten the day, O God, when the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall he exalted above the hills, and all nations shall flow unto it. May many people go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of the God of Jacob ; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths. Hasten the day, when the nations of the earth shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks ; when nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither learn war any more ; when all may walk in the light of the Lord, and great shall be the peace of thy children. Prepare us, O God, for the hour of death, and for the day of judgment ; that when thy blessed Son, who hast ascended into heaven, and sitteth on thy right hand, shall come again, 3 22 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. _ with glory, to judge both the quick and dead, we may be ready to say, Lo, this is our God ; we have waited for him, and he will save us. Grant this, for Jesus Christ’s sake, to whom, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. Tuesday Evetiing. Almighty and most merciful Father, we ap¬ proach thy throne with humble reverence and godly fear. Bow down thine ear, we beseeeh thee, and hear us, for thy dear Son’s sake : And grant us thy grace, to purify our thoughts, and to direct our meditations. Set a watch, O Lord, before our mouths, and keep the door of our lips ; that this our evening sacrifice may be acceptable unto thee. We acknowledge the manifold and great mercies, which thou hast bestowed upon us this day. Thy favors have been multiplied, and demand our thankfulness. O Lord, who is like unto thee, that hast thy dwelling so high, and yel humblest thyself to behold all things in heaven and earth. Thou hast deliv¬ ered our souls from death, and our eyes from tears ; thou hast kept our feet from falling ; thou hast permitted us to walk before thee, in the light of the living. O, that we might ADVENT— CHRISTMAS-EPIPHANY. 23 praise thee, according to thy great goodness ! O, that we might magnify thy name forever ! Be merciful, O God, unto all our friends, relatives, and brethren. Lift up the light of thy countenance upon those who are here present, that they may worship thee in spirit and in truth ; that they may know thee to be their God, and feel the power of thy grace in the pardon of their sins. To those who are absent, whatsoever be their condition, or wheresoever thy providence shall direct them, extend thy guardian care and protection. Let thy Fatherly hand be ever over them, to de¬ liver them from peril and danger : Let thy Holy Spirit be ever with them, to keep them from the power of temptation : And so lead them in the knowledge and obedience of thy word, that in the end they may obtain ever¬ lasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] Let a continual sense of thy presence abide with our civil rulers and magistrates ; and so replenish them with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that they may always incline to thy will, and walk in thy way : Endue them plen- teously with heavenly gifts; grant them in health and prosperity long to live ; and finally, after this life, to attain everlasting joy and fe¬ licity. O Lord, may we remember, at the close of every day, that the end of all things is at hand. 24 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. May we remember, that the time must soon come, when we shall stand before thy judg¬ ment-seat, O Christ ; when every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess, to thee. And, O God, when those mighty signs shall appear, which thou hast foretold in the scriptures ; when the powers of heaven shall be shaken ; and when the Son of man shall be seen com¬ ing in the clouds, with power and great glory ; may we be found among the blessed number whose redemption draweth nigh : May we be prepared to unite in the triumphant song of Zion — Hosannah to the Son of David ; bless¬ ed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord : Hosannah in the highest ! We ask for all, in the name, and for the sake, and through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord ; in whose all-prevailing words we sum up these our petitions : — Our Father, &c. Wednesday Morning. Our Father, &c. Almighty and everlasting God, who hast taught us, in thy holy word, to make prayers, and supplications, and intercessions, and to give thanks for all men ; we humbly beseech ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 25 thee favorably to receive these our prayers, which we offer unto thy divine majesty. We bless thee for thy great mercy, in opening a door of access to thy throne, through the inter¬ cession of thy dear Son, who is revealed to us as the way, the truth, and the life. We bless thee for thy gracious promise, that whatsoever we shall faithfully ask of thee in his name, shall be given unto us. We come before thee, pleading this thy unfailing assurance ; and we beseech thee to look down upon us in mercy, and grant our petitions for Jesus Christ’s sake. W e pray for thy holy Church throughout the world. Inspire its ministers and members with the spirit of truth, unity, and concord ; that it may be delivered from all false doctrine, heresy, and schism ; from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment; and grant that all those w ho confess thy holy name, may agree in the truth of thy holy word, and live in peace, and harmony, and godly love. We pray for all Christian rulers and magis¬ trates ; beseeching thee so to direct and dis¬ pose their hearts, that they may truly and im¬ partially administer justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the mainten¬ ance of thy true religion and virtue. We pray for our common country ; that its civil, religious, and benevolent institutions, 3* 26 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. may enjoy thy blessing ; that its schools and seminaries of learning may flourish and pros¬ per ; that health, and peace, and plenteousness may abound ; that righteousness, which alone exalteth a nation, may prevail ; and that sin, which is a reproach to any people, may not be our ruin. We pray for all sorts and conditions of men ; that thou wouldst give them thy heavenly grace ; and especially to this family here as¬ sembled in thy name and presence ; that with meekness of heart and due reverence, they may hear and obey thy commandments ; truly serv¬ ing thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of their life. We pray for all those, who, in this transi¬ tory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sick¬ ness, or any other adversity. Of thy great goodness, O Lord, comfort and succor them. Show them the light of thy countenance ; sus¬ tain them in all their trials ; and make all things to work together for their present and eternal welfare. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] We thank thee, O God, for the good exam¬ ples of thy blessed servants, who have departed this life in thy faith and fear. Give us grace, so to follow them in their holy living, that with them we may be partakers of thy heavenly kingdom. ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 27 We ask for all, in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen. Wednesday Evening. Our Father, &c. Almighty God, the giver of every good and perfect gift, we bless thee for another opportu¬ nity of coming into thy presence ; and we be¬ seech thee, of thy great goodness, to accept our thanksgivings and receive our prayers. May we approach thy throne with due reve¬ rence and godly fear ; knowing that thou art everywhere present, and searchest out all our ways ; that there is not a word in our tongue, nor a thought or intent of our heart, but thou, O Lord, knowest it altogether. We acknowledge all our sinfulness. We have gone astray like lost and wandering sheep. But, O thou Shepherd of Israel, who came to seek and to save that which was lost, may we hear thy voice, and return unto thee. And we beseech thee to have compassion upon us ; and bind up the broken ; and reclaim the wandering ; and restore us to the paths of righteousness and peace. 23 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. When compassed about with infirmities, and sorrows, and sufferings, may we repose in perfect trust and confidence on thy promise, that thou wilt swallow up death in victory, and wipe away tears from off all faces. May we look upon our blessed Saviour as he is reveal¬ ed to us, a King reigning in righteousness. May he be unto us, as a hiding place from the wind, and a covert from the tempest ; as riv¬ ers of water in a dry place ; as the shadow of a great rock in a weary land. We commend to thy providential care, all Christian families, and especially those of our relatives and friends. Be thou present with them, when they assemble together this night to worship thee ; and hearken to their prayers, and assist them by thy grace. And grant that the united supplications of all thy people, in every place, may ascend to thy throne, and call down an answer of peace and consolation. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] Have mercy, O God, upon the poor, the desolate, and the oppressed. Be thou the widow’s God, and a father of the fatherless ; and raise up, we beseech thee, friends and benefactors for the needy and the destitute ; that they may be defended in all adversities, and provided for in all their necessities. We pray for our enemies, persecutors, and slanderers. Plave pity and compassion upon ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 29 them ; and grant them grace to see their wick¬ edness, and turn from their sins. Forgive them, O Lord, in thy mercy ; and grant us a spirit of forgiveness, that we may be ready to do unto others, as we would that thou shouldst do unto us. c Extend thy compassion, heavenly Father, to those wdio are spiritually blind and igno¬ rant. Cause the wicked to forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts, that he may turn unto thee, and be abundantly pardoned. £end out the light of thy everlasting gospel to the benighted heathen, and to all who are dwelling in darkness and the shadow of death. May the glad tidings of salvation be heard among them, as the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight. We ask for all, in the name and for the sake of Jesus Christ our Lord, to w hom, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen. 30 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. Thursday Morning. Our Father, &c. O God, we acknowledge thee as our Al¬ mighty Creator and most gracious preserver. Thou hast set all the borders of the earth : Thou hast made summer and winter : The day is thine, and the night is thine : Thou hast prepared the light and the sun. By thy goodness, we are brought to the beginning of another day. We lift up our eyes to thee, from whom cometli our help. Make ready our hearts, O God, to speak thy praise. Let them that put their trust in thee, rejoice. Let them that love thy name, be joyful and glad in thee. We will give thanks unto thee, O Lord, with our whole heart ; with grateful lips will we speak of all thy marvelous works. We especially thank thee, heavenly Father, that thou hast vouchsafed to call us to the knowl¬ edge of thy grace and faith in thee. We bless thee for the gift of thy dear Son ; and for the glorious immortality which thou hast brought to light, through his incarnation and mediation. We bless thee for the hope set before us in thy everlasting gospel ; and for the revelation, by which alone we are made wise unto salvation. May our knowledge be increased, and our faith ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 31 confirmed ; that we may continue thy ser¬ vants, and finally attain thy gracious promises. O God, enable us, through thv grace, to keep in lively remembrance the solemn vows by which we are bound to thee in our bap¬ tismal covenant. May we truly renounce the devil and all his works, the vain pomp and glory of the world, with all covetous desires of the flesh ; so that we may neither follow nor be led by them. May we steadfastly believe all the articles of our Christian faith ; and obediently keep thy holy commandments, and walk in the same all the days of our life. Grant that the old Adam may be so buried, that the new man may he raised up in ns. Grant that all sinful affections may die in us, and that all things belonging to the Spirit may live and grow in us. Grant that we may have power and strength to have victory, and to triumph against the devil, the world, and the flesh. Grant that whosoever is dedicated to thee, through the offices and ministry of thy Church, may be endued with heavenly virtues, and finally, by thy mercy, receive the rewards of thy everlasting kingdom. May we each of us remember, that by bap¬ tism we have put on Christ ; and that it is our part and duty, being made the children of God, and of the light, by faith in Jesus Christ, to walk answerably to our Christian calling, and 32 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. ^ as becometh the children of light ; that bap¬ tism represented! unto us our profession ; which is to follow the example of our Saviour Christ, and to be made like unto him ; that as he died and rose again for us, so should we, who are baptized, die from sin, and rise again unto righteousness ; continually mortifying all our evil and corrupt affections, and daily pro¬ ceeding in all virtue and godliness of living. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] Guide and direct us, heavenly Father, in all the duties and cares of this day. Protect us from every evil and danger. Guard us against temptation ; and sustain us amid the trials and troubles of this transitory life. Be merciful unto our friends and relatives, whether present or absent. Make them partakers of thy grace, and of all the benefits and consolations of thy gospel ; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee, O Father, and the Holy Ghost, be honor and glory, now and forever. Amen. Thursday Evening. O Lord God, heavenly Father, we humbly beseech thee to look down upon us in mercy, and receive our prayers and supplications, not for our merits or deservings, but for the sake A DVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHAN Y. 33 of our blessed Redeemer, and exalted Inter¬ cessor. Enable us, at this time, to present ourselves a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto thee, which is our reasonable service : And receive us, as thou hast promised by thy well beloved Son, saying, Ask, and ye shall have; seek, and ye shall find; knock, and it shall be opened unto you : So give now unto us who ask ; let us who seek, find ; open the gate unto us who knock ; that we may enjoy the ever¬ lasting benefits of thy transforming grace, and finally come to thy eternal kingdom. Give us a grateful sense, O God, of all thy mercies in Christ Jesus ; and make us partakers of the great salvation which he has revealed to us. Thou hast called unto all the ends of the earth to look unto thee and be saved. The word has gone out of thy mouth in righteous¬ ness, and shall not return, that unto thee every knee shall bow, and every tongue confess thy name. O, grant us grace, that we, thy servants, may be found among the happy number who obey this call, and submit to thy righteousness. And hasten the fulfillment of thy gracious promise, that thou wilt comfort Zion, and build up her waste places ; that thou wilt make her wilderness like Eden, and her desert like the garden of the Lord ; that joy and gladness shall be found therein, thanksgiving, and the voice of melody. O God, let thy righteousness 4 34 ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. draw near; let thy salvation go forth; let the isles wait upon thee, and on thine arm let them trust: And let the redeemed of the Lord return and come with singing unto Zion ; that ever¬ lasting joy may be upon their head ; that they may obtain joy and gladness ; and that sorrow and sighing may flee away. [Occasional Prayers, &c.] Hear our supplications, heavenly Father, for all sorts and conditions of men. O thou, on whom the Spirit of the Lord rested ; who wast anointed to preach the gospel to the poor ; who wast sent to heal the broken-hearted, to proclaim deliverance to the captives, and re¬ covery of sight to the blind ; to set at liberty those that were bruised ; and to preach the acceptable year of the Lord ; have compassion on all those who are in sorrow, sickness, or any other trouble. Keep them by thy mighty power, and comfort them by thy grace. Be gracious and merciful to all our relatives and friends. May they look up to thee in humble confidence and trust, and commit all their concerns into thy hands, as a constant preserver and bountiful benefactor. Guard us in safety through the silent watches of this night, and bring us in health and peace to the beginning of another day. And may it be our purpose and desire, with our renewed strength and ability, so to serve thee in this world, that in the world ADVENT— CHRISTMAS— EPIPHANY. 35 to come we may have life everlasting. Grant this, heavenly Father, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Saviour, in whose perfect form of words we sum up these our petitions : — Our Father, & c. 