Page images
PDF
EPUB

to whom it belongeth justly to punish Sinners, and to be merciful to them that truly repent: Save and deliver us, we humbly befeech thee, from the hands of our Enemies; abate their pride, affwage their malice, and confound their devices, that we being armed with thy defence, may be preferved evermore from all perils, to glorify thee, who art the only giver of all victory, through the merits of thy only Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. In the Ember-Weeks, to be faid every Day, for thofe that are to be admitted into Holy Orders.

[ocr errors]

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who haft purchafed

to thyself an univerfal Church, by the precious blood of thy dear Son; Mercifully look upon the fame, and at this time fo guide and govern the minds of thy Servants, the Bishops and Paftors of thy Flock, that they may lay hands fuddenly on no Man, but faithfully and wifely make choice of fit Persons to ferve in the facred Miniftry of thy Church. And to those which fhall be ordained to any holy function, give thy Grace and heavenly Benediction, that both by their life and doctrine they may set forth thy glory, and fet forward the falvation of all Men, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer for the High Court of Parliament, to be read during their Seffion.

K

Paraphrafe on the Prayer in the Time of Wars and Paraphrafe on the Prayer for thofe that are to be ad

Tumults.

O moft mighty God, who ruleft over all the Kingdoms of the World with irrefiftible power, punishing the wicked and fhewing Mercy to the Penitent; preferve us we beseech thee from the affaults of our Enemies, humble their infolence, calm their ill will, and defeat their injurious defigns against us; that being, fafe under thy protection from all dangers, we may ever give thee praife; and this we beg for the Merits of Jefus Christ our Lord.

mitted into Holy Orders.

O moft mighty and gracious God, who through Jefus Chrift haft procured to thyfelf an univerfal Church; fhew favour towards it, and at this time fo influence its governors, that they may act with strict caution, difcretion and integrity, in their appointment of Perfons to the facred Miniftry. And give thy affiftance and bleffing, we beseech thee, to all who fhall be chofen to this Once, that both by their Doctrine and Example they may advance thy Glory, and promote the Salvation of all Mankind, through Jefus Chrift.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

OST gracious God, we humbly befeech thee, as for this kingdom in general, fo efpecially for the High Court of Parliament, under our moft religious and gracious King at this time affembled: That thou wouldeft be pleafed to direct and profper all their confultations to the advancement of thy glory, the good of thy Church, the fafety, honour, and welfare of our Sovereign and his Kingdoms; that all things may be fo ordered and settled by their endeavours, upon the best and furcft foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other neceffaries for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ our moft bleffed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A Collect or Prayer for all conditions of Men, to be used at fuch times when the Litany is not appointed to be faid.

God, the Creator and Preferver of all Mankind, we

humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of Men, that thou wouldeft be pleased to make thy ways known unto them; thy faving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good eftate of the Catholick Church; that it may be fo guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who pro

Paraphrafe on the Prayer for the Parliament.

O God of infinite goodness, we humbly addrefs thee, not only in behalf of this Nation in general, but alfo particularly for its Reprefentatives, now affembled by the appointment of our most pious and benevolent Sovereign: that thou wouldst be pleafed fo to influence their debates and refolutions, as may conduce to thy. Glory, the benefit of thy Church, the fecurity, dignity, and happiness of our King and his Dominions; that their acts may be fo wifely form'd, and fo firmly

+ As the Parliament is a part of the Conftitution and Government of this Kingdom, and as the welfare of the People greatly depends upon their determinations, fo it highly becomes us to pray that our infinitely wife God would fo direct their Counfels, that we may lead a quiet and peaceable Life in ail Godliness and Honesty.

This Prayer is compofed in the true Spirit of

eftablished, that peace, juftice, and piety may always flourish among us. Thefe, and whatfoever elfe thou fceft needful for them, us, and thy whole Church, we humbly intreat thee to grant for the fake, and through the Interceffion of Jefus Chrift.

Paraphrafe on the Prayer for all conditions of Men.

O God, the Father of all Men, let thy goodness and the light of thy Gospel extend to the People of all Countries, of what rank and condition foever: but more particularly we implore thy Bleffing upon the

Chriftian Charity. It regards, not one peculiar part of the human fpecies, but all Men-not one particular feet of Christians, but the univerfal Church of Chrift, wherefoever it is founded, and howsoever it is diftinguished. It ex ends not to Perfons under one kind of affliction alone, but to all that labour under any fort of diftrefs whether of Mind, Body, or Estate.

This to be faid

fefs and call themselves Christians, may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of fpirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally we commend to thy fatherly goodness, all thofe who are any ways afflicted or diftreffed in mind, body, or eftate [*efpecially thofe for whom our prayers are defired] that it may pleafe thee to comfort and relieve them according to their feveral neceflities; giving them patience under their fufferings, and a 'happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jefus Chrift his fake. Amen.

when any defire the Prayers of the Congregation.

A Prayer that may be faid after any of the former.

[ocr errors]

*God, nature and God, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive; Receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our fins, yet let the pitifulnefs of thy great mercy loofe us, for the honour of Jefus Chrift

our Mediator and Advocate. Amen..

+

La

[ocr errors]

A general Thanksgiving. harry Ln Lmighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy fervants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us, and to all Men

A

K 2

univerfal Church of Chrift; that it may be fo influenced by the governance of thy Spirit, that all Profeffors of Chriftianity may have a right understanding in all Things, and may prove the foundness of their Faith by their Unanimity, Peaceablenefs, and Holinefs of Life. To conclude, we commend to thy Mercy all that labour under any temporal Affliction of what kind foever; befeeching thee to afford them fuch comfort and relief as their wants may require, granting them a humble refignation to thy will under all their

Sin indeed is a Chain of servitude from which we can be loofed alone by the Grace of God through Jefus Christ.

†This general Thanksgiving prefents us, in order, with a comprehenfive view of all God's Bleffings beftowed upon us, both with refpect to this life and another. Our Creation is mentioned first because it is neceffary, that we may be capable of enjoying the reft.

[ocr errors]

diftreffes, and a happy releafe from all their Calamities.
This we beg for Jefus Chrift's fake.
Paraphrafe on the Prayer that may be faid after any of
the former.

O God, who art infinitely merciful, and ready to forgive the truly penitent, accept our lowly Requefts; and tho' the heinoufnefs of our Sins have justly provoked thee to permit us to perish in our Iniquities; yet mercifully deliver us we beseech thee from this fpiritual Bondage, through the Merits of Jefus Chritt, who pleadeth for us at thy right hand as our interceffor. And certainly it demands our highest Gratitude, that God has form'd us not Brutes, but rational Creatures, whereby we are enabled to contemplate, love, ferve, and enjoy him for ever. But how much are our obligations increafed, when we confider, that to him we fupport; without which we must quickly return to are indebted alfo for our continual Prefervation and our original duft-and that he has bestowed upon us

This to be fa'd when any that have been prayed for, de

[* particularly to those who defire now to offer up their fire to return praite. praises and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchfafed unto them.] We blefs thee for our creation, preservation, and all the bleffings of this life, but above all for thine ineftimable love in the Redemption of the World by our Lord: Jefus Chrift; for the means of Grace, and for the hope of Glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due fenfe of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we may fhew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to thy fervice, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days, through Jefus Christ our Lord; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, World without end. Amen.

[ocr errors]

A Thanksgiving for fair Weather.

Lord God, who haft juftly humbled us by thy late plague of immoderate Rain and Waters, and in thy Mercy haft relieved and comforted our Souls by this feasonable and bleffed change of Weather; we praise and glorify thy holy Name for this thy Mercy, and will always declare thy loving kindness from Generation to Generation, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the general Thanksgiving.

O moit mighty God, and moft merciful Father, we, who are not worthy of the leaft of thy Mercies, defire to offer up to thee our unfeigned Thanks for the various inftances of thy goodness towards us, and all our fellow Creatures. We praife thee for forming us rational Beings, protecting us from the many dangers to which our frail Natures are expofed, and beftowing upon us fuch innumerable comforts and conveniencies for the prefent life; but above all for the invaluable delive'rance of our Souls from Sin and Death through Jefus Chrift, for the powerful means of improvement in Holinefs, and the glorious Hope of eternal Happinefs which thou haft fet before us as an encouragement to our obedience. And we befeech thee to imprefs fuch innumerable comforts and conveniencies with refpect to the prefent Life, fuch as Health, Friends, Food, and Raiment, &c. But when to these we add the unfpeakable Love, which he has fhewn to Mankind in our Redemption from Sin and Death by Jefus Chrift -the powerful Means of Grace he has afforded us to help our Infirmities, viz. his Word, his Ordinances, and

upon our Hearts fuch a deep fenfe of all thy Mercies as may render us truly thankful, not only with our lips, but by dedicating our lives to thy fervice in all Holiness, through Jefus Chrift, to whom with thee, and the Holy Spirit be afcribed all glory and praise for ever and ever.

Paraphrafe on the Thanksgiving for fair Weather. O God the Lord of all things, who has juftly chaftifed us for our Offences by the late afflicting formas of Rain; and has mercifully relieved our diftrefs by reftoring to us fair Weather in due feafon; We offer unto thee our fincereft Thanks for this thy mercy towards us, and will always gratefully acknowledge thy goodnefs, through every period of our lives, through Jefus Christ our Lord.

his Holy Spirit-and the Hope of eternal Glory, which he has fet before us to encourage our Obediencefurely the least return we can make for thefe invaluable Bleffings must be not only by offering up to him the facrifice of Praife with our Lips, but by dedicating our lives to his fervice in all Holiness and Righteoufnefs.

The COLLECTS, EPISTLES, and GOSPELS,
To be used throughout the Year.

(

Note, that the Collect appointed for every Sunday, or for any Holy-day that hath a Vigil or Eve, fhall be faid at the Evening Service next before.

A

[blocks in formation]

Lmighty God, give us grace that we may caft away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life (in which thy Son Jefus Chrift came to vifit us in great humility;) that in the last day, when he fhall come again in his glorious Majefty, to judge both the quick and dead, we may rife to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, now and ever. Amen.

This Collect is to be repeated every Day with the other Collects in
Advent, until Christmas-Eve.

The Epiftle. Rom. 13. 8.
WE no man any thing, but to love one

that loveth another, hath fulfilled the law, fhalt not commit adultery, Thou shalt not kill,

Paraphrafe on the Collect for the first Sunday in Advent.

Moft mighty God, as thy Son Jefus Chrift was pleafed to come down upon Earth, in great Humility, to Redeem us from all Iniquity; fo enable us now to forfake all the Vices of Heathen ignorance, and to ac quire all thofe Virtues which may be a defence a

• They are supposed to be fo called, because they are generally collected out of the Epiftles and Gofpels that follow them, or because the Minifter, in thefe, collects into one Prayer the Petitions of the People.

↑ The Word Advent fignifies the coming or approach; and relates to that remarkable coming of our Saviour by his Birth, which we shortly after celebrate.

another: for he

For this, Thou Thou shalt not

gainft Temptation, and an ornament to our Profeffion: that at our Lord's fecond glorious appearance to judge the World, we may be raised to eternal Happinefs, through him, who reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit both now and for ever.

[ocr errors][merged small]
« PreviousContinue »