Preface. THE first two series of Family Prayers in this volume, as also the Sacramental Prayers, have been selected from the Prayers for Social and Family Worship,' already "authorised and heartily recommended" by the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Prayers for Special Occasions have been taken, with some changes of expression and arrangement, from the same source. The Family Prayers for the third and fourth weeks have not yet been sanctioned by the supreme ecclesiastical court. But the General Assembly of 1865, while reserving in the mean time any deliverance regarding their merits, has been pleased to allow their publication, either separately or in connection. with the Family Prayers already sanctioned. Accordingly, these Additional Prayers are now published, after further revision, in the hope that they will prove no unsuitable or unwelcome Supplement to the former Collection, to which they are now appended, and that, by the blessing of God, they may be instrumental in furthering the practice of Family Worship throughout the land. Some passages in the Prayers are enclosed within brackets, to indicate that they may be omitted, either when they are unsuitable, or when greater brevity is desired. The Committee on Aids to Devotion have much satisfaction in being authorised to prefix to this volume the Pastoral Letter on Family Worship addressed by the General Assembly of 1836 to the people of Scotland. THOS. J. CRAWFORD, D.D. Convener. Deliverances of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland on the Reports of their Committee on Aids to Devotion. At Edinburgh, the First day of June Eighteen hundred and sixty-three, The which day, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland being met and constituted, inter alia, the Assembly called for the Report of the Committee on Aids to Devotion, which was given in and read by Dr Crawford, the Convener. It was moved, and seconded, and unanimously agreed to, that— The General Assembly approve of the diligence of the Committee in prosecuting the important work intrusted to them, and reappoint them, and Dr Crawford as their Convener, with power to subcommit and to add to their number. The General Assembly learn with much satisfaction that the publication of the Committee's 'Prayers for Social and Family Worship' has hitherto been attended with a remarkable measure of success; and they authorise and heartily recommend the use of these Prayers by soldiers, sailors, emigrants, and all other persons deprived of the ordinary services of a Christian ministry. The General Assembly instruct this Committee, in concert with the Committee on Army and Navy Chaplains, to take all prudent means, by application to the authorities or otherwise, with the view of securing the distribution of the Prayers among Presbyterians in the British army and navy; and recommend all ministers and elders of this Church, more especially such as are connected with our various seaports, to farther their diffusion among sailors and intending emigrants. Extracted from the Minutes of the General Assembly by (Signed) JOHN COOK, Cl. Eccl. Scot. At Edinburgh, the Twenty-sixth day of May The which day, the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland being met and constituted, inter alia, the General Assembly called for the Report of the Committee on Aids to Devotion, which was given in, and read by Dr Crawford, the Convener; who also laid on the table a small Collection of Family Prayers for Two Weeks, designed as a Supplement to the Collection already published. The General Assembly approve of the diligence of the Committee, and reappoint them, with Dr Crawford as Convener. |