Second Week. Saturday Evening.

and aid our devotions, that we may worship thee in spirit and in truth. Dispose us to be penitent and humble, and to serve thee in all godliness of living. May we be careful to maintain good works, while we trust only in the merits of our Savior.

Give us grace to walk before thee in all lowliness, meekness and long-suffering, forbearing one another in love. Give us piety and wisdom that we may accommodate our desires and our whole conduct to the state of life in which it shall please thee to place us, ever praying that thy will may be done. In seasons of affliction may we neither despise thy chastening nor faint under thy rebukes, but in our patience possess our souls. Under bereavements, may we never murmur, nor charge God foolishly; but call to mind the days that are past, and remember thy mercies which have ever been of old, and how little we deserve the blessings which are continued to us. May we not forget that we must through much tribulation enter the kingdom of God, and that our afflictions in this life, which are light and of short continuance, will, if we trust in thee, work in us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory. From the sorrows of life may we, through thy grace, gather the peaceable fruits of righteousness: may tribulation work in us patience, and patience experience, and experience hope.

But thou knowest, Lord, our weakness, and how little it is that we can bear; if it be consistent with thy wisdom, wilt thou mercifully turn from us the sorrows and other evils of life: O lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. And in all our sufferings and distress, may we, like thy holy martyr Stephen, raise our eyes and our hopes to Him who once suffered for us upon the cross, and is now exalted at thy right hand: may we also forgive and pray for those who do us wrong. If thou art for us, none can be effectually against us.

Second Week. Saturday Evening.

Help us, O Lord, in all things to live according to thy word, and to let our light so shine before men, that they may see our good works; that they may take knowledge that we have been with Jesus, and give glory to thee for the power of thy grace. Make us ready to take the Savior's cross: may the disciples be willing to be as their Master, and the servants as their Lord. Set continually before us his holy example, that we may walk as he walked, and that the Spirit which was in him may also be in us.

And grant, O Lord, that we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of Christ, and faithfully obey the gospel. Strengthen in us the things which remain and are ready to die. May we, through thy grace, be renewed day by day, and continually increase in all virtue and godliness of living.

Make us thankful for our religious privileges, and for all the ordinances of the gospel; and especially for thy appointment of one day in seven to be a season of holy rest from worldly cares, and to be devoted to the securing of that heavenly rest which remains for the people of God. May the Lord's day which is approaching be our delight: prepare and sanctify us that we may keep it holy. May we be in a right spirit on the Lord's day, and experience the blessedness of those whose strength is in thee, and in whose heart are thy ways. By thy holy inspiration may we think those things that are good, and by thy merciful guidance perform them.

Assist all thy people in their public adorations and praise. May thy Spirit rest upon thy churches, and upon the ministers of thy gospel. Endue them with wisdom, piety and zeal: may they go forth in thy strength to their work, and thy blessing attend their labors. Let utterance be given them, that they may open their mouth boldly and

For Christmas Day.

make known the mystery of the gospel. Grant that they may not labor in vain, nor spend their strength for naught. Replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and adorn them with innocency of life, that both by word and good example they may faithfully and successfully preach the word. Pour upon them, and upon all thy people, every gift and grace necessary for the work of the ministry; for the perfecting of the saints, and for the edifying of the body of Christ; till we all come, in the unity of the faith and of the knowledge of the Son of God, unto the perfect man;-unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, through whom be rendered unto thee all might, majesty and dominion, forever and ever. Amen.

The most of the Prayers preceding may be used on any day of the week; and if found to be too long, any parts of them may be used, omitting the rest. The following are some shorter Collects or Prayers, which may be used with any parts of the foregoing, on particular days

or occasions.

For Christmas Day.

O LORD God, our heavenly Father, the Giver of all spiritual grace, and the Author of everlasting life, we render thee our humble and hearty thanks that thou didst so love the world as to send thy only-begotten Son to take our nature, to be born as an infant, and become the Redeemer of mankind from the power of sin and death. We thank thee, that he who was in the form of God, and might have continued equal with God, in that glory which he had with thee before the world was, for us men and for our salvation made himself of no reputation. We bless thee, O God, that he took not the nature of angels; but that we might have a high priest touched with the feel

For Ash Wednesday or other Fast.

ings of our infirmities, he took the seed of Abraham, and became perfect man without sin. Help us, O God, to be duly thankful for this unspeakable mercy. May glory to God in the highest, and peace on earth and good will towards men, inspire our hearts, and shine forth in our lives. May the example of Christ's humiliation make us penitent and humble. Give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor of light; now especially, in this season of the year, when to us the Child was born; when to us the Son was given. May we be regenerate, and truly thy children by adoption and grace; that in the last day, when he shall come again to judge the world, we may rise to life immortal, through Him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever.

Amen.

For Ash Wednesday or other Fast.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who hatest nothing that thou hast made, and dost forgive the sins of those who are truly penitent; who wouldst not the death of a sinner, but rather that he should turn to thee and live, mercifully forgive us our trespasses create and make in us new and contrite hearts. To thee, O Lord, belong mercies and forgiveness; to thee only it appertaineth to renovate the heart, and renew a right spirit within us. Spare us, we beseech thee: O Lord, spare thy people for whom the Savior shed his precious blood. Have mercy upon us, O God, after thy great goodness; according to the multitude of thy mercies do away our offences. Make us a clean heart, and renew a right spirit within us. Turn thou us, O Lord, and we shall be turned; make us sensible of our

For Good Friday.

vileness, and of the wickedness of our sins. Enter not into judgment with us, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no flesh living be justified. Make thy face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us; lift upon us the light of thy countenance, and give us peace. Give us grace to set the Lord ever before us, and to use such abstinence, that our flesh may be subdued to the spirit, and that we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteousness and true holiness, and finally obtain everlasting life, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

For Good Friday.

O LORD God, our heavenly Father, who of thy tender mercy didst give thine only Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer death upon the cross for our redemption; whose love to us was so great, that whilst we were yet sinners he died for us, behold us, we beseech thee, with favor and compassion. Make us deeply sensible of the sins which caused him to bleed and die; the just for the unjust. Raise us, we beseech thee, O heavenly Father, from the death of sin to a life of righteousness. May we never by our transgressions crucify him afresh; but sanctify the Lord God in our hearts, and live soberly, righteously and godly in this present world, through him who loved us and gave himself for us.

O blessed Lord Jesus Christ, who, in love to us unworthy sinners, didst leave the glories of thy heavenly throne, and come into this world to put away sin by the sacrifice of thyself; who didst become a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; and didst humble thyself and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross; spare