our hopes may reasonably be encouraged, that "He "will work for his own name's sake," and not suffer any enemy to prevail against us.

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FORM OF PRAYER.

MOST merciful God, who "doest what thou wilt "in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants "of the earth;" and orderest all things in perfect wisdom, righteousness, truth, and love; we desire to look to thee for help and protection in this season of peculiar danger and alarm. We acknowledge, O Lord, that thou mightest most justly leave us in the hands of our enemies, and by them execute deserved vengeance on us.-Thou hast, in a most distinguishing manner, favoured us as a nation with invaluable advantages, both temporal and spiritual, during a long term of years; so that no people on earth has been more highly favoured in thy providence. But alas! wc have been most shamefully ungrateful; we have grossly abused our peculiar privileges; we have multiplied our provocations; our own sins and the sins of our land bear witness against us; we blush and are ashamed to look up unto thee, and we fear that we are ripe for thy

heaviest judgments. Yet we humbly pray thee, "in "wrath remember mercy:" and while thou correctest us for our multiplied iniquities, do not give up a people, that is called by thy name, to be a reproach to the heathen, lest they should say " Where is now their "God?"

"We do not present our supplications before thee, "for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies.” We therefore beseech thee, O Lord, to glorify thy mercy in thy dealings with us. Thou art the Protector of all who trust in thee, and without thy almighty aid all human help is vain. O Preserve our country from war and bloodshed: permit no invader to land on our shores: let no domestick dissentions plunge us into those dreadful calamities which other countries have experienced: and suffer no persecutor to deprive us of our religious liberty, and our inestimable privileges.

Thou, O Lord, hast all hearts in thy hand. Turn the thoughts and desires of all parties, to peaceful measures. Say to the destroying Angel, “It is enough,

stay now thine hand." Speak the word, and the storm will subside into a calm. O thou God of peace, stop that desolating torrent which is deluging the nations. Rescue those countries which have so long been visited with the awful scourge of war. Sanctify the calamities to the surviving sufferers: and prevent the further effusion of human blood.

Over-rule, we beseech thee, the astonishing revolutions and convulsions of the past years, that they may prove an opening to the more extensive spread of thy gospel: and let it appear that thou didst permit the tem

porary success of infidelity and atheism, in order to prepare the way for the peaceful triumphs of pure Christianity, over every kind of irreligion, superstition, and false religion.-Compassionate, O God of mercy, that country, with which we are now engaged in horrid war; whose rulers have been employed as scourges of other nations, but have most of all desolated their own land. Send its inhabitants, O Lord, we pray thee, the blessings of stable peace, good government, rational liberty, and true religion. And may those, who once were distinguished characters, and who, amidst the most distressing and humiliating scenes, still survive, have their calamities sanctified to their everlasting benefit.

We beseech thee, O merciful Lord, to bless thy servant, our gracious King, with thy choicest blessings. Be pleased to defend him, and every branch of the Royal Family, against all dangers and assailants. Supply them with every good and perfect gift: and enable them to glorify thee and to serve their generation, in those exalted stations which thou hast assigned them; and at length bring them to thine everlasting felicity.

Direct and prosper the deliberations of the counsellors, ministers of state, and senators, to whom the affairs of the nation are entrusted. Endue them with wisdom and knowledge; dispose them to such measures, as thou wilt bless for the preservation of order at home, and the speedy restoration of peace abroad: and till thou shalt see good to grant our most earnest prayers for this blessing; defend us in that manner, if it be thy will, which may most conduce to the good of the whole human race.

O Lord, we pray thee protect our soldiers and seamen, and those who lead them forth to battle. Preserve their lives, sanctify their perils and hardships, and save their immortal souls.

We beseech thee, O Lord, to look upon that neighbouring island, nearly connected with us which is now in an alarming and awful state of distraction, and has been ́the scene of most terrible calamities. Calm, we pray thee, that tempest which now prevails. Direct the persons, to whom publick affairs are committed, to the wisest and most salutary measures; and grant, we earnestly beseech thee, that with returning peace and and order, some effectual means may be used to communicate the blessed light of divine truth to all the inhabitants.

Teach and enable, O Lord, we intreat thee, all orders of men in these lands, to seek thy glory and the publick good, by a due improvement of the talents which thou hast committed to their stewardship.

Prosper the labours of all those, whom thou “al"lowest to be put in trust with the gospel." May they increase continually in wisdom and knowledge, in zeal and love, in simplicity and disinterestedness, and in self-denying diligence and activity; and grant them the sweet consolation of witnessing an abundant success to their labours. Illuminate all who bear the sacred character, 'with true knowledge and understanding of thy word; and grant that, both by their preaching and living, they may set it forth and shew it accordingly:'—and send forth many labourers into the

harvest.

Bless all those, who in any station, stand in the breach, by their prayers and exertions, to turn away thine indignation from a guilty land. Prosper all means used for the reformation of our manners; the extirpation of national enormities; the revival of pure religion; the pious instruction of the rising generation, and in particular of those who are designed to fill the more important stations in church and state; the alleviation of misery and distress in these calamitous times; and especially sending the gospel of salvation to the dark regions of the earth.

Lift up a standard, we beseech thee, against infidelity, impiety, and profligacy, which at present threaten the destruction of our holy religion. Deliver thy church from whatever corrupts its purity, divides its unity, and weakens the energy of its testimony to thy truth. Grant that all who are called christians, may be led ' into the way of truth; and hold the faith in unity of 'spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of 'life.' Extend the boundaries of thy church: and hasten the times, when the poor benighted Jews shall be converted to their long rejected Messiah; when the fulness of the Gentiles shall come in; and when "the "nations shall beat their swords into plow-shares and "learn war no more."

O Lord, we intreat thee, hear and answer these our supplications; bless our endeavours; and fill our land with truth and righteousness: that it may for be thy glory, not only to preserve us from every enemy, and to continue our privileges to the latest posterity; but also to VOL. II. 3 T