UPON TRINITY SUNDAY.

O BLESSED, ineffable and most mysterious Trinity, how admirable are thy beauties, how incomparable are thy perfections, how incomprehensible are those relations of the three most blessed persons, which we believe, and admire, and adore, but understand not! The Angels are amazed in the unimaginable beauties of that glorious presence, and are swallowed up with the ocean of thy infinity. How then can we, who are in the lowest order of understanding creatures, and have removed ourselves farther from thee and the participation of thy excellences, by a sinful life, praise thee either according to our duty, or thy glories! yet be pleased to accept the humblest adorations, and, with a favorable, and a gracious, eye, behold the lowest worshippings and duty of thy servants. We confess and glory in thy omnipotency, thy immensity, thy goodness, thy uncircumscribed nature, thy truth, thy mercy, thy omniscience. O let us also receive thy blessings and gracious influences, that we may adore thee with all our powers, love thee with all our affections, serve thee with our best and earliest, and all our industry: that being here wholly devoted to thy service and the duties of a holy obedience, we may to all eternity rejoice in the beholding of those glories which are above all capacities, above all heavens, above all Angels, even those glories which stream forth from the

throne

throne of the Eternal God, the Father, the Son, . and the Holy Ghost, to whom be glory and dominion, honor and adoration, eternally confessed due, and humbly paid by all men, and all angels, world without end. Amen.

A Collect to be used upon any of the Festivals or Commemoration of the Apostles.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast built thy holy Church upon the foundation of the Apostles and Prophets, Jeus Christ himself being the chief corner stone, we bless and magnify thy name, thy holy and ever glorious name, for thy great graces which thou gavest to thy Apostles, and Prophets, and Martyrs, in the days of their flesh; and this day we have thy servant [St. Paul, St. Peter, St. James, &c. here name the Apostle, &c.] in remembrance; praising thee for the benefits which the Church hath received by his ministry and example; we pray unto thee to give us thy Grace, that we [obeying thy doctrine which he taught and published and] following his example as he followed Christ, we also may, with safety and holiness, pass through this vale of tears; that, serving thee in our generation, advancing thy honor, and obeying thy Laws, we may, in the society and communion of Saints and Angels, sing eternal Allelujahs to the honor of thy mercy, and of thy Majesty, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ON SAINTS' DAYS.

O ETERNAL God, with whom do live the spirits of them that depart hence in the Lord, and with whom the souls of the righteous, after they be delivered from the burden of the flesh, be in peace and at rest from their labors, and their works follow them, and their memory is blessed; I bless and magnify thy holy and ever glorious name, for the great grace and blessings manifested to thy Apostles and martyrs, and other holy persons, who have glorified thy name in the days of their flesh, and have promoted the interests of Religion and thy service and this day we have thy servant (name the Apostle or Martyr) in remembrance, whom Thou hast led through the troubles and temptations of this world, and now hast lodged in the bosom of a certain hope, and great beatitude, until the day of restitution of all things. Teach me to practise their doctrine, to imitate their lives, following their example, and be united as a part of the same mystical body to the band of the same faith, and an holy hope, and a never ceasing charity. And may it please Thee of thy gracious goodness, shortly to accomplish the number of thine elect, and to hasten thy kingdom, that we, with thy servants and all others, departed in the true faith and fear of thy holy name, may have our perfect consummation and bliss, in body and soul, in thy eternal and everlasting kingdom. Amen.

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A PRAYER

A PRAYER FOR FOOLS.

O ETERNAL, and most blessed Saviour Jesus, who art the wisdom of the Father, and who art made unto us wisdom, and righteousness, and sanctification, and Redemption, have pity upon the miserable people to whom thou hast given life and no understanding. Thou didst create us of nothing, and gavest us being when we were not, and createdst in us capacity of blessings when we had none, and gavest us many when we did not understand them; thou bringest infants from the womb, and from the state of nature to the state of Grace, and from their mother's breasts thou dost often convey them to the bosom of Jesus, and yet they do nothing, but thou art glorified in thy free gift. O be gracious to all natural fools and innocents, for thou hatest nothing which thou hast made, and lovest every soul which thou hast redeemed; we that have reason can deserve heaven no more than these can; but these do not deserve hell so much as we have done. Impute not to them their follies that are unavoidable, nor the sins which they discern not, nor the evils which they cannot understand; keep them from all evil and sad mischances, and make supply of their want of the defences of reason by the special guard of Angels; and let thy obedience and thy sufferings be accepted, and thy intercession prevail for them: that since they cannot glorify thee by a free obedience, thou mayst be glorified by thy free mercies to them; and for their destitution of good in this world, let them receive eternal blessings in the

world to come, through thy mercies, O eternal and most blessed Saviour Jesus.

Amen.

FOR MADMEN.

ALMIGHTY God, whose wisdom is infinite, whose mercy is eternal, whose tranquility is essential, and whose goodness hath no limit; in judg ment remember mercy, and do thou delight to magnify thy mercy upon them who need it, but cannot ask it; who are in misery, but feel it not; who do actions without choice, or chuse without discretion and sober understanding. Pity the evil they suffer, and pardon the evils that they have done, and impute not unto them the evils which they rather bear than act; and let not their entry into this calamity be an exclusion from their future. pardon; but let this sad calamity and judgment which they bear, be united to the sufferings of our Lord, and be sanctified by his intercession, and become an instrument of their peace. Lord, restore them to their health and understanding; take from them all violent passions, and remove all evil objects far from their eyes and ears: create a clean heart, and renew a right spirit in them. Give them sober thoughts and meek spirits, contempt of the world, and love of holy things; suffer them not to do violence to any man, and let no man do violence to them: let them be safe under the conduct of thy Providence, and the public Laws, and be innocent under the conduct of thy holy Spirit; that when thou shalt return and speak peace to thy people, they may rejoice in thy mercies and Salvation.

Thou