COLLECTS AND PRAYERS,

TO BE USED BEFORE OR AFTER SERMON.

The following Collects and Prayers are adapted to various

subjects of discourse, and are arranged, for the sake of convenience, under several heads. The Minister is at liberty to use, instead of these Forms, Extemporary Prayer. GENERAL COLLECTS. ALMIGHTY God, unto

whom all hearts are open, O GOD, the eternal all desires known, and from source of wisdom and puri- whom no secrets are hid; ty, from whom all good cleanse the thoughts of our counsels, all holy desires, hearts by the inspiration of and all just works do pro- thy holy Spirit, that we ceed; we offer up our hum- may perfectly love thee, ble prayers unto thee, be- and worthily magnify thy seeching thee to enlighten holy_name, through Christ our minds, and sanctify our our Lord. Amen. hearts by thy heavenly truth. What we know not, O ALMIGHTY Lord, teach thou us; whatever and everlasting God, is amiss in us, dispose us vouchsafe, we beseech thee, to reform; whatever in us to direct, sanctify, and govis good, assist us to carry

ern both our hearts and forwards to perfection ; bodies, in the ways of thy which we ask in the name laws, and in the works of and as disciples of Jesus thy commandments; that Christ our Lord. Amen. through thy most mighty

protection, both here and ment of everlasting salvaever, we may be preserved tion; that among all the in body and soul, through changes and chances of our Lord and Saviour this mortal life, they may Jesus Christ. Amen. ever be defended by thy

most gracious and ready ASSIST us, O Lord, in help, through Jesus Christ all our doings with thy our Lord. Amen. most gracious favour, and further us with thy con- GRANT, we beseech tinual help, that in all our

thee, Almighty God, that works begun, continued, the words which we have and ended in thee, we may heard this day with our glorify thy holy name, and outward ears, may through finally by thy mercy obtain

thy grace be so grafted ineverlasting life, through wardly in our hearts, that Jesus Christ our Lord.

they may bring forth in us Amen.

the fruit of good living, to

the honour and praise of ALMIGHTY God, the thy name, through Jesus fountain of all wisdom, who Christ our Lord. Amen. knowest

necessities before we ask, and our WE offer these our ignorance in asking; we

prayers unto thee, O God beseech thee to have com

of mercy, with a humble passion upon our infirmi

confidence in thine unerties; and those things which ring wisdom and perfect for our unworthiness we goodness. We beseech dare not, and for our blind- thee to overlook the imperness we cannot ask, vouch- fection, and to accept the safe to give us, for the sake sincerity of our devotions. of thine infinite mercy in Of thy great mercy, grant Jesus Christ our Lord.

unto us such things as shall Amen.

be good for us, though we

may neglect to pray for ASSIST us mercifully, them; and deny us such O Lord, in these our sup- things as would be hurtful plications and prayers, and to us, though we should dispose the way of thy ser- earnestly desire them. Orvants toward the attain- der all things for us, as

our

we

seemeth right in thy sight; to magnify thee as we and do us good, both now ought ; to worship thee in and for evermore, accord- spirit and in truth, to bend ing to thy promises declar our whole soul and our ed unto us by Jesus Christ every thought in adoration, our Lord. Amen.

before the throne of thine

unspeakable majesty. And ALMIGHTY God, who

grant, O God, that by worhast promised to hear the petitions of those who shipping thee aright on ask in thy Son's name; we

earth, we may be prepared

to worship thee in heaven beseech thee mercifully to with all the true disciples incline thine ears to

of our Lord and Saviour who have made now our

Jesus Christ. Amen. prayers and supplications unto thee; and grant that those

WE acknowledge and things which have faithfully asked ac

that we

infinite in knowledge and ous to serve thee, and wisdom, we adore thee as anxious to please thee; the great source of light, and that at last we may the fountain of intelli- be received to thy presgence, the Father of our

ence and glory, through spirits, and the author of Jesus Christ our Lord. all good. Though thy Amen. ways are past our finding out, we are assured that

O THOU, who art the they are just and right. only living and true God, We would therefore sub- unchangeable in thy nature, mit all our desires to thy universal in thy presence, will, all our actions to thy and uncontrollable in thy government, and all our

dominion, (we adore and concerns to thy disposal; magnify thee as the greatand in humility and self

est, the wisest, and the best abasement we would now

of beings, from whom all and at all times offer up blessings proceed, and to our prayers to thee, the

whom all gratitude is due. only wise God, through We

pray may

have our Lord and Saviour Jesus worthy conceptions of thy Christ. Amen.

greatness ;

that we may en

tertain a deep and lasting [ We praise and bless thy sense of thy goodness; that glorious name, O Lord, for

fear thee as thou art good, and doest Master, and honour thee good continually, and thy our Father; and that mercy is over all thy works.

when we meet thee as our We thank thee for all the Judge, we may be acceptendowments, privileges and ed and pardoned, through opportunities of our nature Jesus Christ our Lord. and condition; for the in- Amen. structions and consolations of thy holy word; and for RELIGIOUS KNOWLEDGE. the blessed hope of everlasting life. Grant that we God of wisdom and may always look up to truth, from whom proceed thee as our protector,

and all the treasures of knowFather, and best friend ; ledge, and who by thy that we may be ever studi- Spirit hast given us under

we may

our

as

standing; we thank thee proper objects of thine apthat thou hast enabled us probation, and the rewards to know thee in thy works, of everlasting life, through to study thy word, and to Jesus Christ our Lord. hold communion with thee, Amen. the Father of our spirits. May we at all times be sen

O GOD, the Father o sible of our connexion with light, and of wisdom ; let thee, and above all things our minds be enlightened fear to degrade the nature with true knowledge. which thou hast given us. From a steadfast faith in Let us not fall from thy thy perfections, may we favour, by abusing our maintain a constant regard privileges and perverting to thine administration ; our powers. Mercifully as

submit with cheerfulness sist our weakness; reclaim

to thine appointments; live us from our errors ; en in thy fear, abstain from lighten our minds ; purify every appearance of evil, our hearts, and give us and order our whole contrue repentance for our versation as in thy sight. sins, through Jesus Christ May the expectation of a our Lord. Amen.

happy immortality sustain

our virtue in the midst of WE look up unto thee, the most powerful temptao infinite Jehovah, be- tions, and establish our seeching thee to open the souls in peace and joy ; eyes of our minds, that we for the sake of thine infimay discern spiritual things. nite mercy in Jesus Christ May we have worthy ap our Lord. Amen. prehensions of thy nature and providence, and a right O GOD, the Author of understanding of the gos nature, whose energy suspel of thy Son. Under tains, whose presence anithe influence of the great mates, and whose gracious truths of religion, may we influence blesses the unicorrect the vices of our verse ; assist us, we beminds, and amend the dis seech thee, to form wororders of our lives; that thy apprehensions of thy by purity and righteous- nature and character, and, ness,

we may become as far as our faculties will