Knight, William, LL.D., ed. 97754 PRAYERS ANCIENT AND ADAPTED TO FAMILY USE. FOURTH THOUSAND. LONDON: SEELEY, JACKSON, AND HALLIDAY, 54, FLEET STREET, MDCCCLXXVII. PREFACE. VARIOUS attempts have been made, at different periods, to bring into use the devotional exercises of eminent men of former ages. If, however, ancient prayers are given unaltered, they are found, in most instances, to contain passages which, from their peculiarity of thought or style, are unsuited to the present day. The redundancies of some, the quaintness of others, the involved sentences, and often the florid phraseology, render them unfit for general use. Such a collection, although of the highest interest in itself, would be of little service as a manual of family devotion. On the other hand, a mere paraphrase, or translation of an old prayer into modern phraseology, would offend against good taste and right feeling. A happy medium has recently been shown, in the case of the favourite hymn, "Jerusalem the |