II. A Confefsion and Prayer, commonly used in the Church of Edinburgh, on the Day of Common Prayer.

Dreadful and moft mightie God, thou that from the Beginning haft declared thy felfe a confuming Fire against the Contemners of thy moft holie Preceptes, and yet to the penitent Sinners haft alwayes fhewed thy felfe a favourable Father, and a God fall of Mercie, we thy Creatures and Workmanship of thine owne Handes, confeffe our felves moft unworthie to open our Eyes unto the Heavens, but farre leffe to appeare in thy Presence; for our Confciences accufe us, and our manifolde Iniquities have born Witneffe against us, that we have declined from thee: We have been polluted with Idolatry; we have given thy Glory to Creatures; we have fought Support where it was not to be found, and have lightlied thy most holsome Admonitions. The manifeft Corruption of our Lives in all Estates, evidently prooveth that we have not rightly regarded thy Statutes, Lawes and holy Ordinances; and this was not onlie done, O Lord, in the Time of our Blindness, but even now when of thy Mercie thou haft opened unto us an Entrance to thy heavenly Kingdome, by the preaching of thy hoG 8 4

ly

*This Prayer in fome Editions of the Book of Common Or. der, is printed amongst the Prayers that are to be used before Ser

men.

ly Evangel: The whole Bodie of this miferable Realme, ftill continueth in their former Impietie, for the most part, alas, following the Footefteps of blinde and obftinate Princes, utterly defpife the Light of thy Gofpel, and delight in Ignorance and Idolatrie; others live as a People without God, and without all Feare of thy terrible Judgements; and fome, O Lord, that in Mouth profefle thy bleffed Evangel, by their felanderous Life blafpheme the fame. We are not ignorant, O Lord, that thou art a righteous Judge, that cannot fuffer Iniquitie long to be unpunished upon the obftinate Tranfgreffors, efpecially, O Lord, when that after fo long Blindneffe and horrible Defection from thee, fo lovingly thou calleft us again to thy Favour and Fellowship, and that yet we doe obftinately rebell: We have, O Lord, in our extreme Miferie called unto thee, yea, even when we appeared utterly to have beene confumed in the Furie of our Enemies, and then didft thou mercifully incline thine Eares unto us : Thou foughteft for us, even by thine owne Power, when in us there was neither Wifedome nor Force Thou alone brakeft the Yoke from our Neckes, and fet us at Libertie, when we, by our Foolishneffe, had made our felves Slaves unto Strangers, and mercifully unto this Day haft thou continued with us the Light of thine Evangel, and fo ceaseft not to heape upon us Benefites both fpirituall and temporall: But yet, alas, O Lord, we clearly fee that our great Ingratitude craveth.. farther Punishment at thy Hands, the Signes whereof are evident before our Eyes. (For the whispering of Sedition, the Contempt of thy

Graces

Graces offered, and the Maintenance of Idolatrie, are affured Signes of thy farther Plagues to fall upon us in particular for our grievous Offences, and this unmeasurable Untemperateneffe of the Aire, doth alfo threaten thine accustomed Plague of Famine, which commonly tolloweth riotous Exceffe and Contempt of the Poore, wherewith, alas, the whole Earth is replenished:) We have nothing, O Lord, that we may lay betwixt us and thy Judgment, but thine only Mercie, freely offered to us in thy deare Sonne our Lord Jefus Chrift, purchased to us by his Death and Paffion; for if thou wilt enter in Judgement with thy Creatures, and keep in Mind our grievous Sinnes and Offences, then can there no Flefh escape Condemnation: And therefore we moft humbly beseech thee, O Father of Mercies, for Chrift Jefus thy Sonne's fake,to take from us these ftonic Hearts, who fo long have heard as well thy Mercies as fevere Judgements, and yet have not beene effectuallie moved with the fame; and give unto us Heartes mollified by thy Spirit, that may both conceave and keepe in Mind the Reverence that is due unto thy Majeftie, Look, O Lord, unto thy chofen Children, labouring under the Imperfection of the Flesh, and grant unto us that Victorie that thou haft promised unto us by Jefus Chrift thy Sonne our onely Saviour, Mediator and Law-giver, to whom with thee and the holie Ghoft, be all Honor and Praise, now and ever. Amen.

These two Prayers following are used in the French Church of Geneva; the first jerveth for Sunday

after

after the Sermon, and the other that followeth is faide upon Wednesday, which is the Day of Common Prayer.

III. A Maner of Prayer after the Sermon.

ALmightie God, and heavenlie Father, fince

thou haft promised to grant our Requests, which we fhall make unto thee, in the Name of our Lord Jefus Chrift thy well-beloved Sonne; and we are also taught by him and his Apoftle, to affemble our felves in his Name, promifing that he will be amongst us, and make Interceffion for us unto thee, for the obteining of all fuch Things, as we shall agree upon here on Earth: We therefore (having first thy Commandement to pray for fuch as thou haft appointed Rulers and Governors over us, and alfo for all Things needefull both for thy People, and for all Sorts of Men, for as much as our Faith is grounded on thy holie Word and Promises, and that we are here gathered together before thy Face, and in the Name of thy Sonne our Lord Jefus ) we, I say, make our earneft Supplication unto thee, our molt mercifull God and bountifull Father, that for Jesus Christ's fake, our onlie Saviour and Mediator, it would please thee of thine infinite Mercie freelie to pardon our Offences; and in fuch Sort to draw and lift up our Hearts and Affections towardes thee, that our Requests may both proceed of a fervent Minde, and allo be agreeable unto thy most

bleffed

bleffed Will and Pleasure, which is onlie to be accepted.

† We befeech thee therefore, O heavenly Father, as touching all Princes and Rulers, unto whom thou haft committed the Administration of Justice, and namelie, as touching the excellent Estate of the King's Majeftie, and all his honourable Counfell, with the reft of the Magiftrates and Commons of the Realme, that it would please thee to grant him thy holy Spirit, and increase the fame from Time to Time in him, that he may with a pure Faith acknowledge Jefus Chrift, thine only Sonne our Lord, to be King of all Kings, and Governour of all Governours, even as thou haft given all Power unto him both in Heaven and on Earth; and fo give himselfe whollie to serve him, and to advance his Kingdome in his Dominions, ( ruling by thy Word his Subjects, which be thy Creatures and the Sheep of thy Pasture) that we being maintained in Peace and Tranquillitie, both here and everie where, may ferve thee in all Holiness and Vertue; and finally, being delivered from all Feare of Enemies, may render Thanks unto thee all the Dayes of our Life.

We beseech thee alfo, most dear Father and Saviour, for all fuch as thou haft appointed Minifters unto thy faithfull People, and to whom thou haft committed the Charge of Soules, and the Minifterie of thy holy Gospel, that it would please thee so to guide them with thy holy Spirit,

that

In the Geneva Prayer it is, & fingulierement pour les feigneurs & magiftrats, que tu as establis fur nous pour tous leurs bons amis & alliez. &c.