The Prayer of a Penitent.

ETERNAL God, most merciful Father, Who

Jesus, full of pity and compassion, merciful and gracious, long suffering, and abundant in goodness and truth, keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin; Be pleased to show forth these Thy admirable mercies upon Thy servant, whom Thou hast made to put his trust in Thee. I know, O God, that I am vile and polluted in Thy sight: but I must come into Thy presence or I die. Thou canst not behold any unclean thing, and yet, unless Thou lookest upon me, I shall perish miserably and eternally." O look upon me with a gracious eye; cleanse my soul with the blood of the holy Lamb: that being purified in that holy stream my sins may lose their foulness, and I may become white as snow: then shall the leprous man be admitted to Thy sanctuary, and stand before the throne of grace, humble and full of sorrow for my fault, and full of hope of Thy mercy and pardon, through Jesus Christ. Amen. (208)

A Prayer for Temperance.

LMIGHTY God, Who givest to all life, and breath, and all things, and bringest forth food out of the earth for the use of man and wine to strengthen his heart; Keep me ever in mind that this world, with all the glory of it, fadeth, and the fashion thereof passeth away; and grant that I may so use the fruits of the ground which Thou givest me, and all other Thy temporal blessings wherewith Thou crownest the year, that I abuse them not to the satisfying of my wanton and inordinate appetites; but may evermore serve Thee in Christian temperance and sobriety, as it becometh him who, living on earth, hath his conversation in heaven, that at

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The Prayer of a Lawyer.

ILL my heart and mind, O Lord, I beseech Thee, with a continual apprehension of Thy just julgement, that when pleading at the bar I may not dare to pervert or confuse the right; that when counselling in my chamber I may never advise what I know to be wrong. Let me ever be ready to help those who have neither money nor power to maintain their own cause: that what I lose at man's bar I may find at Thine. Let the poor be my client now, that at that day I may be Thine, and that Thou, Who art my Judge, mayest be my Advocate. Plead for me, acquit me, crown me, bequeath the kingdom to me. O Blessed Jesus, may it ever be so with me and to me, by Thy grace and merits, I beseech Thee, my God, my Judge, my Sovereign Lord, and only Saviour. Amen. (194)

The Prayer of a Merchant, Tradesman, or

Handicraftsman.

ETERNAL God, Thou fountain of justice, mercy, and benediction, Who, by my education and other effects of Thy providence, hast called me to this profession, that by my industry I may work for the good of myself and others; I humbly beg Thy grace to guide me in my intentions, and in the transaction of my affairs, that I may be diligent, just, and faithful; and give me Thy favour, that this my labour may be accepted by Thee as a part of my duty; assist and prosper me in my calling as Thou shalt in mercy choose for me; let Thy Holy Spirit be ever present with me, that I be not given to covetousness and sordid appetites, to lying and falsehood, or any other base, indirect, and beggarly arts; but grant me prudence, honesty, and Christian sincerity, that my trade may be sanctified by my religion, my la

a member of Christ, and an heir of eternal life; For this Thine inestimable favour, I do here gratefully commemorate that happy day, renewing in Thy sight, and in the sight of Thy holy angels, those sacred vows of faith and obedience which were then made in my name; most humbly beseeching Thee, of Thy great mercy, to pardon me all former breaches of my solemn promise, and to endow me so with the assistance of Thy Holy Spirit, that henceforth, holding fast the faith as it is in Jesus, I may walk in newness of life, worthy of that blessed estate whereunto Thou hast called me: and, keeping myself unspotted of the world, the flesh, and the devil, I may daily die unto sin, for which cause I was baptized into the death of Christ; and as I had my part then in the first regeneration, so I may at the last day have part in the second and great regeneration of the world, to live and reign with Thee for ever, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

(211)

All standing.

IN

the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

O come let us sing unto the Lord.

Answer. Let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving.

Answer. And show ourselves glad in Him with psalms.

PSALM CXLVIII.

Laudate Dominum.

PRAISE the Lord of heaven: praise Him in the height.

Praise Him, all ye angels of His : praise Him, all His host.

Praise Him, sun and moon: praise Him, all ye stars and light.

Praise Him, all ye heavens and ye waters that are above the heavens.

Let them praise the Name of the Lord for He spake the word, and they were made; He commanded, and they were created.

He hath made them fast for ever and ever : He hath given them a law which shall not be broken.

Praise the Lord upon earth: ye dragons, and all deeps;

Fire and hail, snow and vapours : wind and storm, fulfilling His word;

Mountains and all hills: fruitful trees and all cedars;

Beasts and all cattle: worms and feathered fowls;

Or this.

GOD, Who, passing over the sins of human frailty, dost vouchsafe to unworthy men the high office of the Priesthood, and not only pardonest sins but art also pleased to justify the sinners themselves, of Whose gift it cometh that things which are not should receive a beginning, having begun should receive nourishment, being nourished should bear fruit, and being fruitful should be helped to continue. O Thou Who hast created me when I was not, having created me hast endued me with steadfast faith, and given me, one of the faithful, although defiled by sin, the dignity of the Priesthood,-I humbly beseech Thine Almighty Goodness, to cleanse me from my past sins, to strengthen me in good works during my passage through this world, and to confirm me in perseverance unwavering. And make me so to serve Thine altar, that I may attain to the fellowship of those Priests who have been pleasing unto Thee, through Him Who offered up Himself to Thee as a sacrifice, Who is the Maker of all things and the only High Priest without spot of sin, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (200)

Or this.

LORD, as the rain cometh down from heaven, and returneth not thither, but watereth the earth and maketh it bud and bring forth, that it may give seed to the sower and bread to him that eateth, so let Thy word be that goeth out of my mouth, let it not return to Thee void, but accomplish that which Thou wilt, and prosper in the thing whereto Thou hast sent it, that the people committed to my charge may go out with joy, and be led forth in peace to Thy freshest waters of comfort, in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (201)