of thy mercy and forgiveness, thy grace and guidance, thy blessing and assistance; without which we could never hope to escape the curses and miseries which are the due wages of our sins; nor ever to attain unto that glory and blessedness, which are the free gifts of God in Jesus Christ. The desire of our souls, therefore, is to thy name, O Lord, and to the remembrance of thee. Our eyes are towards thee, and all our expectation is from thee and still we wait, and call and depend upon thee, till thou have mercy upon us, according to our several necessities; and according to the riches of thy grace, and the multitude of thy mercies. O remember not against us our former iniquities: enter not into judgment with us, according to the desert of our sins: but according to thy mercy remember thou us: for thy goodness' sake, O Lord, blot out our transgressions. as a cloud and justify us freely by thy grace, through the redemption that is in Jesus Christ. And bless us, holy God of our salvation, in turning us from all our iniquities, and giving us grace, to repent and amend our lives according to thy holy word. And to this end, be thou pleased to enlighten our darkened minds with the beams of thy saving truth, that we may not be unwise, but understand what the will of the Lord is-And reform our depraved wills, inclining them to a cheerful and ready compliance with all the motions of thy good Spirit. Regulate our unruly passions; purify our corrupt affections; and convert all the faculties of our souls, to be instruments of thy glory, as they have been of thy dishonour; and make our bodies fit temples for thy holy Spirit to dwell in. Yea, sanctify us wholly, that we may, as we ought, sanctify thy blessed name. And quicken us, O Lord, to hear thy voice while it is called to-day: that we may make haste, and not delay to keep thy commandinents. O keep us frequently and affectionately mindful of the shortness of our time, the frailty of our lives, and the uncertainty of our being here in this mutable world, that so soon passeth away, and, were we have no continuing city; but are strangers and sojourners with thee, as all our fathers before us were. O let the remembrance and consideration of this have such a prevailing influence upon us, as to crucify the world to us, and make us more concerned for our everlasting welfare, and more careful to improve every present enjoyment to our soul's eternal advantage; and to grow holier still as we grow older; that the days which pass over us may not leave us, without any amendment wrought upon us; but that the work of thy grace may go on successfully upon our hearts, till it has made us ripe and ready for the joys and glories of thy kingdom. The same things also we beg in behalf of all that ought to share in our prayers. O forgive the sins, and relieve the miseries of thy poor creatures every where. Enlarge the borders of thy church, and make additions to it daily of such as shall be saved. O that all who are called Christians, may be truly christian, both in their right believing and their holy living. Advance the interest, and extend the limits of thy Son's kingdom, and may all nations flow into it, as to their rest. Bless our land, and endue our rulers,* and those who direct our public affairs, with wisdom from on high. Give our judges the spirit of discernment, and aid and countenance our magistrates in the faithful execution of their office. Make them all men fearing God, and eschewing evil.— Varied from the English copy; where the petition is for "the King, that he may judge thy people righteously, &c." And O that all who are called to serve at thy altar, may be blessed with skilful heads, and compassionate hearts, and exemplary lives. Make them wise to win souls, and faithful, industrious and successful in their sacred office, as workmen that need not be ashamed. Bless and prosper all the places of good learning and education; and make all this people the Lord's people; that they may all know thee from the greatest to the least; and so order their conversation aright, that they may see the salvation of God. Remember them all for good; who have been any way instruments of our good, such as have done us good, O Lord, reward them: and all that have, or would hurt us, O Lord forgive them. Give unto all that mourn in Zion, beauty for ashes, the oil of gladness for mourning, and the garments of praise for the spirit of heaviness. And in the time of our health and peace, and prosperity, O that we may remember, and provide for, the time of trouble and sickness, and death; when all worldly succours will fail us ; and the greatest powers on earth cannot deliver us out of thy hands. O make us now so mindful of our duty that then thou mayest remember in mercy; and be with us and support us, and never leave nor forsake us. Our own unworthiness would make us despair of obtaining all these great and good things which we beg at thy hands, O Lord; But the remembrance of thy continual bounty, and how much we are every day receiving from thee, puts life into our hopes, and encouragement into our prayers, and leaves us no reason to doubt of such tried mercy. And blessed for ever be thy name, that we have so much to say of thy goodness, by our own experience of the innumerable blessings thou art daily bestowing upon us. O good Lord! continue such thy gracious favour to us, and thy fatherly care over us this night. As we go to rest after the labours of the day, so help us to do thy work that we may enter into that rest which remains for thy people in the close of this life. And so discharge us from our sins and supply us still with thy grace that we may finish our course with joy, and in the end of our lives find the greatest of all mercy, to be received into thy glory: Which we beg for the all-sufficient merits of our only Redeemer: For whom, and to whom, with thee, O everlasting Father, and the Holy Ghost the Comforter, in the unity of the ever glorious Trinity, be all praise and honour and glory ascribed of us, and of all the Israel of God, now and for evermore. Amen. : A seventh Evening Prayer. LORD, the great and glorious God, infinite in power, wisdom and goodness: the wonderful maker and preserver, ruler and disposer, of us and of all the world! thou hast created all things by thy Almighty hand! sustainest and orderest all that thou hast made by thy wise and righteous Providence and thy mercy is everlasting, and over all thy works. O who is able to express or conceive the exceeding riches of that grace and goodness of the Lord, which in such a plentiful measure, is still descending and overflowing upon poor sinful creatures, who deserve nothing from thee but to be forsaken and abhorred by thee! This day, and every day of our lives, O Lord, we have tasted largely of thy mercy, and lived altogether still upon thy fatherly care and bounty. But notwithstanding all thy patience and gracious dealings with us, and all the repeated pledges of thy favour and kindness to us; O how ill have we requiF ted thy love! And what unsuitable returns have we made for all thy great and continued goodness that we have found! Besides the guilt of our inbred corruption, which, as a sore clog, hangs heavy upon us: we are amazed at the greatness and multitude of all our other sins that we have committed against the light and teachings of thy gospel, against the dictates and strivings of thy Spirit, and the love and sufferings of thy Son: against all the patience and long forbearance which thou hast exercised towards us: and against the many mercies and methods of our conversion and sanctification, wherewith from time to time, thou hast sought to make us such as thy word requires we should be. O Lord, we have given thee so great provocation, that we are afraid lest thou shouldst forsake us utterly, and cause the day of thy patience to be at an end with us, and grant us no more of thy grace which we have so greatly abused, no more of thy holy Spirit, which we have so frequently refused. And what have we now but judgment to expect from thee, O Lord, but that thy mercy rejoices over judgment! And thy word assures us, that thou delightest not in the death of sinners, but rather that they should turn to thee and live. Therefore still thou leavest us these opportunities to appear before thee, to plead with our God, for the life of souls that have sinned against thee. And what have we to plead, O blessed Lord, but thy own gracious nature, and merciful inclinations, and the many promises and declarations of thyself which thou hast made to returning sinners in Jesus Christ! Thou hast sent thine only Son to be our only Saviour: And he that did no sin was manifested to take away our sins. O for his sake be thou pleased to pity us, and spare us, and forgive us. Turn away thy wrath from us: receive us to |