our outward ears, may be so grafted inwardly in our hearts, that it may bring forth the fruits of good living, to the honour and praise of thy holy name ; We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. M. That it may please thee to illuminate all bishops, and other ambassadors of the gospel of peace, with true knowledge and understanding of thy word and commandments, that they, both by their preaching and living, may set it forth and shew it accordingly; We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. M. That it may please thee to bless and prosper the United States, and to give to all nations, unity, peace and concord, and to spread the gospel of thy Son over the face of the whole earth, from the rising to the setting sun; We beseech thee to hear us, good Lord. M. That it may please thee to strengthen in righteousness and true holiness, the President of the union, and others in authority, may they be guided by heavenly wisdom, to rule in thy fear and love, for the preservation of our civil and religious liberties, and in the prosecution of the duties of their respective stations, be ministers of God to us for good; Vouchsafe them Lord thy assistance. M. We renew our addresses in beseeching thee to keep us from all sedition, privy conspiracy and rebellion, from false doctrine, heresy and schism, from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment; Good Lord, hear us. M. From pride, vain glory and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred and malice, and all uncharitableness; Good Lord, deliver us. M. From lightning and tempest; from plague, pestilence and famine, and other calamitous events through life, and from an unprepared dissolution; Good Lord, deliver us. M. Guide us we beseech thee by thy counsel, through all the changing scenes of time, that finally by our endeavours to im. prove it, we may be admitted to thine heavenly kingdom. M. Now to the king Eternal, Immortal, Invisible, to the only wise God, be ascribed honour and majesty forever. Amen. The Gloria in Excelsis, to be read or chanted occasionally, social. GLORY be to God on high, and on earth peace, good will towards men, who art a Being of all beings, fountain of all light and glory, gracious father of men and angels, whose universal spirit is every where present, giving life and light to all angels and glorified saints in heaven, and all creatures upon earth. We praise thee, we worship and adore thee, we give thanks unto thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly king, God the Father Almighty. O Lord the only begotten Son Christ Jesus, Lamb of God, the brightness of thy Father's glory, and the express image of his person, who art entered into the holy of holies, and sittest at the right hand of God, high above all thrones and principalities, who takest away the sins of the world, and art making intercession for all men. Thou who takest away the sins of the world, accept our address-be thou O Lord our light, peace and joy, now and forevermore. Amen. GENERAL PRAYERS. Public calamity in time of War. O THOU, who rulest without controul the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the earth, and givest no account of thy ways to men; nor may any say unto thee, What doest thou? let our minds, we beseech thee, be suitably solemnized by the threatening dispensation of thy Providence, and our hearts be deeply affected by this awful chastening of thine hand.. We have reason to lament the malignity of sin, and the extensive effects of our apostacy, which gives strength and perverseness to those lusts and passions of the human heart, which occasion wars and fightings; loading our atmosphere with pestilence and death, filling many parts of the earth with sighs and tears.. But Lord, all events are subject to thy controul. Thou formest the light and createst darkness, thou makest peace and createst evil, afflictions do not rise from the dust, neither does trouble spring from the ground, nor any evil in the city, but by thy permission. Help us to ex ercise suitable affections of soul in our present circumstances. Enemies have been permitted to rise up against us, and disturb our peaceful land, our hearts are pained within us, at the sound of the trumpet and the alarm of war. We acknowledge having forfeited all our blessings and mercies from thine hands. But may it please thee to dispose our enemies to reasonable terms to be at peace with us. We renew our address that thou wouldest sanctify this calamity, and prevent the immoral effects in such a state of things. May integrity and uprightness be the ruling principle of those who are intrusted with the affairs of the nation, and pray that thou wouldest scatter the nations that delight in war. But Lord, if thou seest it necessary farther to chastise us under this calamity, preserve us from dissentions, animosities, party spirit. Unite the hearts of this people as one man. Inspire them with magnanimity and patience in the defence of their invaluable privileges. When the hosts go forth to war, may we keep ourselves from the accursed thing, and by thy judgments learn righteousness. And may we be prepar ed for a region of perfect peace, and a society of perfect concord in thy immediate presence above, through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. A Prayer in time of Drought. O God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ has promised to all those who seek thy kingdom and the righteousness thereof, all things necessary to their bodily suste. nance, send us, we beseech thee, rain from heaven which now thou art withholding and threatening us respecting the fruits of the earth, the necessary support of man and beast. There are none of the vanities of the gentiles that can give rain, neither can the heavens cause showers. Thou Lord art he alone who can relieve us, therefore we wait on thee. Thou wast pleased to promise, that seed time and harvest, summer and winter, day and night, should not cease while the earth remaineth, remove, we beseech thee, the present aspects of thy providence, which seem to invalidate this promise, and let the grass grow for the cattle, and herb for the service of man, that in due time we may have a competent ingathering of the fruits of the earth, and have wherewith to come before thee, at the close of the year, with meat and drink offerings. We renew our address to thee, that in the midst of this chastening, thou wilt be pleased to send us spiritual blessings. Rain down righteousness upon us, and may a work of reformation be carried on, and the more we see of troubles and disappointments here, the more we may be prepared for a better world. Amen. For Fair Weather. O ALMIGHTY God, King of all kings and Governour of the universe, whose power no creature can resist, and to whom it belongeth justly to afflict sinners, we acknowledge that for our iniquities we have worthily deserved this scourge of immoderate rain and waters, |