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Prayers'.

A form of prayer to be used in private houses every morning and

evening.

Morning prayer.

ALMIGHTY God and most merciful Father, we do not present our selves here before thy majesty, trusting in our own merits and worthiness, but in thy manifold mercies, which hast promised to hear our prayers, and grant our requests, which we shall make to thee in the name of thy beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord: who hath also commanded us to assemble our selves together in his name with full assurance that he will not only be among us, but also be our mediator and advocate towards thy majesty, that we may obtain all things which shall seem expedient to thy blessed will for our necessities therefore we beseech thee, most merciful Father, to turn thy loving countenance towards us, and impute not unto us our manifold sins and offences, whereby we justly deserve thy wrath and sharp punishment, but rather receive us to thy mercy for Jesus Christ's sake, accepting his death and passion as a just recompence for all our offences, in whom only thou art pleased, and through whom thou canst not be offended with us. And seeing that of thy great mercies we have quietly passed this night, grant, O heavenly Father, that we may bestow this day wholly in thy service, so that all our thoughts, words, and deeds, may redound to the glory of thy name, and good ensample to all men, who, seeing our good works, may glorify thee our heavenly Father. And forasmuch as of thy mere favour and love thou hast not only created us to thine own similitude and likeness, but also hast chosen us to be heirs with thy dear Son Jesus Christ of that immortal kingdom which thou preparedst for us before the beginning of the world; we beseech thee to increase our faith and knowledge, and to lighten our hearts with thy holy Spirit, that we may in the mean time live in godly conversation and integrity of life, knowing that idolaters, adulterers, covetous men, con

[These Prayers were taken from the end of an edition of Sternhold and Hopkins's Psalms by John Day, 1566, in the Library of the Rev. T. Lathbury, Bath.]

tentious persons, drunkards, gluttons, and such like, shall not inherit the kingdom of God.

And because thou hast commanded us to pray one for another, we do not only make request (O Lord) for our selves, and them that thou hast already called to the true understanding of thy heavenly will; but for all people and nations of the world, who as they know by thy wonderful works, that thou art God over all, so they may be instructed by thy holy Spirit, to believe in thee their only Saviour and Redeemer. But forasmuch as they cannot believe except they hear, nor cannot hear but by preaching: and none can preach except they be sent: Therefore (O Lord) raise up faithful distributors of thy mysteries, who, setting apart all worldly respects, may both in their life and doctrine only seek thy glory. Contrarily confound Sathan, Antichrist, with all hirelings, whom thou hast already cast off into a reprobate sense; that they may not by sects, schisms, heresies, and errors disquiet thy little flock. And because (O Lord) we be fallen into the latter days and dangerous times, wherein ignorance hath gotten the upper hand, and Sathan by his ministers seek by all means to quench the light of thy Gospel; we beseech thee to maintain thy cause against those ravening wolves, and strengthen all thy servants, whom they keep in prison and bondage. Let not thy long suffering be an occasion, either to increase their tyranny, or to discourage thy children, neither yet let our sins and wickedness be a hindrance to thy mercies, but with speed (O Lord) consider these great miseries. For thy people Israel many times by their sins provoked thine anger, and thou punishedst them by thy just judgment; yet though their sins were never so grievous, if they once returned from their iniquity, thou receivedst them to mercy. therefore, most wretched sinners, bewail our manifold sins, and earnestly repent us for our former wickedness and ungodly behaviour towards thee; and whereas we cannot of our selves purchase thy pardon, yet we humbly beseech thee for Jesus Christ's sake, to shew thy mercies upon us, and receive us again to thy favour. Grant us, dear Father, these our requests and all other things necessary for us, and thy whole church, according to thy promise in Jesus Christ our Lord. In whose name we beseech thee, as he hath taught us, saying. Our Father. &c.

We

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A prayer to be said before meals.

ALL things depend upon thy providence (O Lord) to receive at thy hands due sustenance in time convenient. Thou givest to them and they gather it; thou openest thy hand, and they are satisfied with all good things: O heavenly Father, which art the fountain and full treasure of all goodness, we beseech thee to shew thy mercies upon us thy children, and sanctify these gifts which we receive of thy merciful liberality grant us grace to use them soberly and purely according to thy blessed will, so that hereby we may acknowledge thee to be the author and giver of all good things, and above all, that we may remember continually to seek the spiritual food of thy word, wherewith our souls may be nourished everlastingly, through our Saviour Christ; who is the true bread of life, which came down from heaven, of whom whosoever eateth shall live for ever, and reign with him in glory, world without end. So be it.

A thanksgiving after meals.

LET all nations magnify the Lord, let all people rejoice in praising and extolling his great mercies. For his fatherly kindness is plentifully shewed forth upon us, and the truth of his promise endureth for ever.

We render thanks unto thee (O Lord God) for the manifold benefits which we continually receive at thy bountiful hand, not only for that it hath pleased thee to feed us in this present life, giving unto us all things necessary for the same, but especially because thou hast of thy free mercies fashioned us anew into an assured hope of a far better life, the which thou hast declared unto us by thy holy gospel. Therefore we humbly beseech thee (O heavenly Father) that thou wilt not suffer our affections to be so entangled, or rooted in these earthly and corruptible things; but that we may always have our minds directed to thee on high, continually watching for the coming of our Lord and Saviour Christ, what time he shall appear for our full redemption. To whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, for ever and ever. be it.

Another thanksgiving before meat.

So

ETERNAL and everliving God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who of thy most singular love, which thou bearest to

mankind, hast appointed to his sustenance, not only the fruits of the earth, but also the fowls of the air, the beasts of the field, and fishes of the sea, and hast commanded thy benefits to be received as from thy hands with thanksgiving, assuring thy children by the mouth of thy Apostle, that to the clean all things are clean, as the creatures which be sanctified by thy word and by prayer; grant unto us so moderately to use these thy gifts present, that, the bodies being refreshed, the souls may be more able to proceed in all good works, to the praise of thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So be it.

Our Father, which art in. &c.

Another.

THE eyes of all things do look up and trust in thee (O Lord :) thou givest them meat in due season, thou openest thy hand, and fillest with thy blessing every living creature: good Lord, bless us and all thy gifts which we receive of thy large liberality, through Jesus Christ our Lord. So be it. Our Father. &c.

Another thanksgiving after meat.

GLORY, praise, and honour be unto thee, most merciful and omnipotent Father, who of thine infinite goodness hast created man to thine own image and similitude: who also hast fed, and daily feedest of thy most bountiful hand all living creatures grant unto us, that as thou hast nourished these our mortal bodies with corporal food, so thou wouldest replenish our souls with the perfect knowledge of the lively word of thy beloved Son Jesus, to whom be praise, glory, and honour for ever. So be it.

GOD save the Church universal: our Queen and realm. God comfort all them that be comfortless. Lord, increase our faith. O Lord, for Christ thy Son's sake, be merciful to the common wealth, where thy Gospel is truly preached, an harbour granted to the afflicted members of Christ's body: and illuminate according to thy good pleasure all nations with the brightness of thy word. So be it.

[1 See p. 20.]

¶ Another.

THE God of glory and peace, who hath created, redeemed, and presently fed us, be blessed for ever and ever. So be it.

THE God of all power, who hath called from death that great pastor of the sheep, our Lord Jesus, comfort and defend the flock, which he hath redeemed by the blood of the eternal testament; increase the number of true preachers, repress the rage of obstinate tyrants, mitigate and lighten the hearts of the ignorant, relieve the pains of such as be afflicted, but especially of those that suffer for the testimony of his truth; and finally confound Sathan by the power of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Evening1 prayer.

O LORD God, Father everlasting, and full of pity, we acknowledge and confess, that we be not worthy to lift up our eyes to heaven, much less to present ourselves before thy majesty with confidence that thou wilt hear our prayers, and grant our requests, if we consider our own deservings. For our consciences do accuse us, and our sins witness against us, and we know that thou art an upright Judge, which doest not justify the sinners and wicked men, but punishest the faults of all such as transgress thy commandments. Yet, most merciful Father, since it hath pleased thee to command us to call on thee in all our troubles and adversities, promising even then to help us, when we feel ourselves (as it were) swallowed up of death and desperation, we utterly renounce all worldly confidence, and flee to thy sovereign bounty, as our only stay and refuge: beseeching thee not to call to remembrance our manifold sins and wickedness, whereby we continually provoke thy wrath and indignation against us, neither our negligence and unkindness, which have neither worthily esteemed nor in our lives sufficiently expressed the

[Late in the reign of Elizabeth this Prayer is sometimes found without its corresponding morning one, and slightly altered at the beginning. Both are in a collection of Prayers for domestic use, afterwards added to the Book of Common Order; but, together with the first two Graces, they were originally subjoined to a Geneva edition, in 1556, of a portion of the metrical Psalms.]

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