A Prayer suitable for Associations and other Meetings of the Clergy. in regard to our call to this ministry, and from all unfaithfulness in the discharge of it. O thou God of mercy, may thy presence and thy grace be ever with us. Open our minds that we may understand the Scriptures and the true doctrines of eternal life. Awaken in our hearts a holy zeal for the honor of thy name, for the prosperity of thy church, and for the salvation of ourselves and others. May it be our meat and drink, and the supreme desire of our hearts, to walk in the steps of our Savior, Christ, and to do his work. Remove from us the fear of man and all undue regard to worldly things; may we truly and faithfully declare to all who have ears to hear the whole counsel of God, and so plant and water that thou mayst give increase, and our labor be not in vain. In all trials and difficulties do thou, O blessed Lord, be our guide and support. Though bonds or afflictions, abide us, may none of them move us from our steadfastness: may it be our chief desire to finish our course with joy, and the ministry which we have received, and to testify the gospel of the grace of God. To thee, our God and Savior, would we devote ourselves, our soul and body and spirit, with all our faculties. Fill our memory with the words of thy law and the truth of thy gospel. Help us to minister the doctrine and sacraments and discipline of Christ, according as thou hast commanded, and to banish and drive away from thy church all erroneous and strange doctrines which are contrary to thy word. Help us to be earnest and faithful in prayers for ourselves and for others; and to be diligent in reading and studying the Scriptures, and in the use of all other means which, through thy blessing, will help us in the performance of all the duties which appertain to our office and ministry. And help us, O Lord, we beseech thee, so to A Prayer suitable for Associations and other Meetings of the Clergy. fashion our lives and to walk before the people, that we may be wholesome examples to the flock of Christ. Help us to follow after charity, which is the bond of perfectness, and to maintain and set forward as much as lieth in us, quietness, peace and love among all Christian people, and especially among them who are or shall be committed to our charge. Be gracious, O Lord, to thy church. May the borders of Zion be enlarged, till the kingdoms of the earth shall become the kingdom of the Lord, and all the ends of the world shall rejoice in thy salvation. And wilt thou, O gracious Lord, behold, with thy favor and blessing, the churches and congregations with which we are severally and more particularly connected. We beseech thee to pour out thy spirit and revive thy work amongst them. Bless to their edification the ministry of thy word. By thy mighty power may sinners be converted, and the careless awakened to righteousness. Strengthen those who stand; comfort and bless the weak-hearted; raise up those who fall, and add to thy church such as should be saved. Direct us, O Lord, in all that we do and ought to do, with thy most gracious favor, and further us with thy continual help, that in all our works, begun, continued and ended in thee, we may be instrumental in building up the Redeemer's kingdom, to the glory of thy great name, and the salvation of ourselves and others. These things, and whatever else thou seest to be necessary and convenient to us, and to the flocks committed to our care, and to thy whole church, we humbly ask, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ, in whose name and words we fur ther pray: Our Father who art in heaven, &c. Prayers to be used at the Opening of a Meeting. The two following forms of Prayer, to be used, the one at the opening, the other at the closing of a meeting, are chiefly from some forms compiled for the use of THE PROTESTANT EPISCOPAL CLERICAL ASSOCIATION OF THE CITY OF NEW YORK. Prayers to be used at the Opening of a Meeting. ALMIGHTY God, unto whom all hearts are open, and from whom all holy desires and all good counsels do proceed, cleanse the thoughts of our hearts, by the inspiration of thy Holy Spirit, that in all the exercises for which we are now gathered together in thy name, the words of our mouth and the meditations of our hearts may be acceptable in thy sight, through Jesus Christ, our strength and our Redeemer. Amen. WE presume not to come to thy throne of grace, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteousness, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy so much as to lift up our eyes unto heaven. We acknowledge the manifold sins which we have committed by thought, word and deed, against thy divine majesty. We beseech thee, O God, to behold us in mercy, not weighing our merits, but pardoning our offences. In the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, and through his merits, we would come before thy gracious throne, beseeching thee, for his sake, to hear our supplications and prayers. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us; Ans. And grant us thy salvation. O God, make clean our hearts within us; Ans. And take not thy Holy Spirit from us. Prayers to be used at the Opening of a Meeting. O Lord, unto us, who are but dust, and unworthy sinners, is this grace given, that we should preach the unsearchable riches of Christ: that we are separated unto the gospel of thy Son; made overseers of the flock which he hath purchased with his own blood. Thou hast committed unto us the word of reconciliation, that we should show unto men the way of eternal life. Having received this ministry, as we have obtained mercy of thee, O Lord, we faint not, but earnestly desire, by manifestation of the truth, to commend ourselves to every man's conscience, in the fear of God. We feel, O heavenly Father, that we are not sufficient for these things: that our wisdom is but foolishness; our strength but weakness; our love too cold; our faith too feeble, and our zeal too languid. Without thee we can do nothing good. Unspeakably precious are the souls committed to our trust; and if we are not faithful to warn them of their wicked way, their blood wilt thou require at the watchmen's hands. To whom can we look for succor but unto thee, O merciful Lord, whose grace is sufficient for us, and whose strength is made perfect in the weakness of thy ministers. Without thee, O blessed Jesus, who hast promised to be with them to the end of the world, we can do nothing; but in thy strength we can do all things which appertain to our office and ministry. Pour upon us the abundance of thy grace, that we may be strong in thee, O Lord, and in the power of thy might be able ministers of the New Testament. Increase our faith and trust in thee, and put upon us the whole armor of God, that we may withstand all the fiery darts of the wicked. These mercies we humbly beg, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Lord and Savior. Amen. Prayers to be used at the Opening of a Meeting. ALMIGHTY God, in thy great goodness to thy sinful creatures, be pleased to endue our souls with the spirit of love. May we love thee with all our heart and soul and mind, and follow after charity which is the bond of perfectness. Let the love of Christ so constrain us, that we may live not to ourselves, but unto Him, who died for our sins, and rose again for our justification; and grant us such fervent affection for the souls of men, and desire for their salvation, that we may be ready to impart, not the gospel only, but our lives also to those among whom we labor. May the weapons of our warfare be not carnal, but mighty, through God, to the casting down every thing that exalteth itself against thee, and bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ. Let not our speech and our preaching be with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power. Open thou our understanding, that we may know the way of salvation as revealed in the gospel, and be wise to win souls to Christ. Teach us to declare, in his spirit, the whole counsel of God, keeping back nothing that is profitable; that sinners may be humbled, the Savior exalted, and God glorified in all things. These things we also ask in the name of our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen. O MERCIFUL God, unto whom we must all render an account of our stewardships, deliver us, we beseech thee, from the fear of man. May we count it a small thing to be judged of man's judgment, knowing that he who judgeth us is the Lord. May all our glorying be in the cross of Christ. May we never be ashamed to confess him before men; but have great boldness in the faith, and speak boldly, |