dear father and mother, brothers and sisters; bless my minister and teacher; bless all whom I love, and every body, for Jesu's sake. Amen. Our Father, &c. PRIVATE PRAYER FOR SUNDAY MORNING. Psalm cxviii. 24. This is the day which the Lord hath made, we will rejoice and be glad in it. O thou great, and good, and Almighty God, who art in heaven above, and hearest us who are living here below, and carest for us day by day, thanks be to thee for the sabbath day. In thy thoughts of mercy to us thou hast commanded us to remember the sabbath day and keep it holy: fill my heart, then, with thy Spirit, that it may be my delight to keep it holy. O teach me thy wonderful love, in giving thy Son Jesus to die for a sinful world, and a sinful creature like me, and to rise again, as on this day, to be my living Saviour. May I love this day as the best of the days in the week, because it is thy day, given us for thy worship and service, and shewing us the happiness yet in store for us in thy heavenly kingdom. May I go to thy house with a joyful and grateful heart, and when there may I remember that God is a spirit, and seeks those to worship him, who worship him in spirit and in truth. Oh send thine own Spirit into my heart, to help me thus to pray and thus to praise. Keep from me vain and trifling thoughts. Open my heart to attend to thy word, and to what I shall hear from thy minister. May I keep in memory through the week what I learn this day. Oh Lord, let thy word preached by thy servants here and in all the earth be powerful, by thy grace, to convert and to save innumerable precious souls, and to comfort and profit all thy people. Especially bless my minister with abundance of grace, and all my dear relations and friends, and fill their souls with all heavenly blessings this day, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. PRIVATE PRAYER FOR SUNDAY EVENING. Isaiah liii. 11. By his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many, for he shall bear their iniquities. Almighty Father, what thanks I owe to thee that I live in a Christian land, where thy holy day is observed, and thy house is open, and thy ministers have full liberty to preach thy word, and I can hear it, and have so many advantages for becoming wise unto salvation. And since thousands and tens of thousands, millions and tens of millions, are now living in the earth without these blessings: Oh pity them, and send thy gospel to them; and give me grace really to prize my greater mercies, and duly to profit by them. How much I need thy grace; for how wicked it is to draw near to thee with our lips while our heart is far from thee: and where was my heart this day! Oh my God, thou hast seen every vain, every foolish, and every wandering thought, while others could see, perhaps, nothing but seriousness and devotion. Forgive, oh forgive, the great sins of my holy things, and help me to look with faith, and love, and joy, to that blessed Saviour who bears my iniquities. Through him may I gain that peace which I can no where else obtain, and daily may I grow in grace, and in the knowledge of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Help me also now to be a doer of thy word; honor ing all in authority over me, and loving all men, and especially those who love thee; help me to be obedient to thy truth, attentive to all my duties, and above all to remember thee, my Creator, and seek thee in this accepted time, and this day of salvation, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. FAMILY PRAYERS. From the Forms of Prayer to be used in Families. MORNING PRAYER. The master, or mistress, having called together as many of the family as can conveniently be present, let one of them, or any other whom they shall think proper, say as follows, all kneeling :: Our Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done on earth as it is heaven; give us this day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation; but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Almighty and everlasting God, in whom we live, and move, and have our being; we, thy needy creatures, render thee our humble praises, for thy preservation of us from the beginning of our lives to this day, and especially for having delivered us from the dangers of the past night. To thy watchful providence we owe it that no disturbances have come nigh us or our dwelling, but that we are brought in safety to the beginning of this day. [When disturbances of any kind befal a family, instead of this, say—that notwithstanding our dangers, we are brought in safety to the beginning of this day.] For these thy mercies we bless and magnify thy glorious name; humbly beseeching thee to accept this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for his sake who lay down in the grave, and rose again for us, thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Dedication of ourselves to God. And since it is of thy mercy, O gracious Father, that another day is added to our lives, we here dedicate both our souls and our bodies to thee and to thy service, in a sober, righteous, and godly life. In which resolution do thou, O merciful God, confirm and strengthen us; that, as we grow in age we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Prayer for Grace. But, O God, who knowest the weakness and corruption of our nature, and the manifold temptations which we daily meet with, we humbly beseech thee to have compassion on our infirmities, and to give us the constant assistance of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be effectually restrained from sin, and excited to our duty. Imprint upon our hearts such a dread of thy judgments, and such a grateful sense of thy goodness to us, as may make us both afraid and ashamed to offend thee. And, above all, keep in our minds a lively remembrance of that great day, in which we must give a strict account of our thoughts, words, and actions: and, according to the works done in the body, be eternally rewarded or punished, by him whom thou hast appointed the Judge of quick and dead, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In particular we implore thy grace and protection for the ensuing day. Keep us temperate in our meats and drinks, and diligent in our several callings. Grant us patience under any afflictions thou shalt see fit to lay on us, and minds always contented with our present condition. Give us grace to be just and upright in all our dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all men, according to our abilities and opportunities. [Direct us in all our ways, and prosper the works of our hands in the business of our several stations.] [On Sunday morning, instead of this, say—and let thy Holy Spirit accompany us to the place of thy public worship, making us serious and attentive, and raising our minds from the thoughts of this world, to the consideration of the next; that we may fervently join in the prayers and praises of thy church, and listen to our duty with honest hearts, in order to practise it.] Defend us from all dangers and adversities; and be graciously pleased to take us, and all things belonging to us, under thy fatherly care and protection. These things, and whatever else thou shalt see necessary and convenient for us, we humbly beg, through the merits and mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. |