but let truth and holiness increase in credit and authority till they reign and flourish even to the ends of the earth: grant this, we most humbly beseech thee, through the abundant grace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

A Prayer for the Reformed Churches abroad.

BLESS, O Lord, in an especial manner, all the churches that profess thy holy and eternal truth. Protect them from the enemies that have evil will at Sion; preserve them in the faith; and restore peace unto them, wherever they be in trouble; and wherever they enjoy peace, O cause them to know the day of their visitation, and so to improve this mercy that they may be edified and multiplied. Thou hast showed thy people hard things! thou hast made them to drink the wine of astonishment: O how long shall thy anger smoke against the sheep of thy pasture! make them glad according to the time wherein thou hast afflicted them, and wherein they have suffered adversity. Lord, how long shall the wicked triumph! how long shall they utter and speak hard things, and take crafty counsel against thy people, and consult against thy hidden ones! Arise, O God, plead thine own cause: remember how the foolish man blasphemeth thee daily. Help, Lord, for the godly man ceaseth, for the faithful fail from among the children of men, 0 that thou wouldst arise and have mercy upon

Sion; and that the time to favour her, the set time were come! Thou art our King, God; command deliverances for Jacob. Arise for thy servants' help; and redeem them for thy mercy's sake. Let not the rod of the wicked rest upon the lot of the righteous; but give a check and stop to the persecuting spirit that breaks in pieces thy people, O Lord, and afflicts thine heritage. When their enemies come to eat them up, let them stumble and fall: and let thy people never be ashamed. Yea, not only restrain the remainder of that wrath, but so turn it (as thou didst in the persecuting Saul), that the enemies and opposers of thy truth may become lovers and followers of the

same.

O hear the sighs, support the spirits, and hasten the deliverance of those, who, for thy sake, are killed all the day long, and counted as sheep for the slaughter. Make thy face to shine upon thy servants: and redeem Israel out of all his troubles. Be thou, Lord, a refuge for the oppressed; a refuge in times of trouble: and come in to the succour; and make them a way to escape out of the hands of such unreasonable men, whose very mercies are cruel. O break thou the arm of the wicked and evil man and judge the oppressed, that the man of the earth may no more oppress. Show thy marvellous loving kindness, thou that savest by thy right hand them that trust in thee, from those that rise up against them. When their power is gone, then manifest thine own: and

when there is none to help, then let thine own arm bring salvation. Pity such as are banished for righteousness sake, and driven to seek their bread in strange countries; grant them to find favour with those among whom they are scattered; let thy fatherly care provide for them; and in thy good time, restore them to their possessions, and to sure habitations, and to quiet resting-places. Or, if thou seest not good to abate their troubles on earth, enable them to glorify thee in the fires, and in due season bring them forth, as gold purified from its dross. Fill them even now with peace and joy in the Holy Ghost; and lead them to seek more earnestly those heavenly mansions, where they shall not only rest from their labours, but shall behold thy glory and sing thy praise for Amen.

evermore.

A Prayer for the Church.

BLESSED be thy name, O Lord our God, who hast called us to be thy people; and caused the day-spring from on high to visit us, and the light of thy gospel to shine upon us. Thou hast sent to us the word of salvation; and made thy holy religion to be our birthright, and the professed religion of our nation. Thou hast not been deficient in kindness to us, gracious Lord; but O how grievously have we failed in our duty to thee: Great things hast thou done in our behalf; but O how little have

we done in thy service; and how much against thy holy, good, and righteous laws! We have long experienced thy care and kindness, as the vineyard of the Lord, which thy right hand hath planted; thou hast hedged us about with thy providence; digged and pruned us with thy judgments; watered and refreshed us with thy mercies; and justly mightest thou expect to find in us fruits answerable to all thy care. But alas! we have brought forth wild grapes; and have been overgrown with the briers and thorns of contention. Our works have (too often) been no better than the unfruitful works of darkness. We confess, O Lord, that we have walked unworthy of our holy vocation, and that thou mightest justly take away the gospel of the kingdom from us, and give it to another people, that should bring forth fruits more worthy of it.

But, O gracious long-suffering God, who in judgment hast ever remembered mercy towards us! enter not into judgment with us for our unmindfulness of thee: lay not to our charge the numberless evils of which our own consciences accuse us; our barrenness under all the means of grace, our ingratitude for thy most precious benefits, and our abuses of the innumerable favours which we so long have enjoyed. Remember not our sins against us; but remember thy own tender mercies, and lovingkindnesses, which have been ever of old. O say not of this land, thou hast no pleasure in it; but return, we beseech thee, O God of hosts;

look down from heaven, behold and visit this vineyard, and the branch which thou madest strong for thyself. Be thou as a wall of fire about our church, to protect it against all that would invade its peace, corrupt its purity, or destroy its prosperity. And be thou as a refiner's fire, and like fuller's soap, in the midst of us; to purge away our dross, and to purify us yet more from all remaining errors and corruptions. Let thy church be established in the midst of us; let righteousness be the foundation of her walls, and peace the ornament of her palaces.

O may that right hand of thine which doeth valiantly, work wonders for our safety. Especially be thou pleased, O Lord, to work such a holy reformation amongst us, that we may not be nominally, but really, a reformed people, even a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Make us eminent for that righteousness which exalteth a nation; that thou, the righteous Lord, who lovest righteousness, mayest bless us, and compass us with thy favour as with a shield. Thou hast seen how much we have resisted hitherto the means thou hast used for our good; but be merciful unto us; and cause thine anger towards us to cease; and rejoice over us to do us good; and do for us what thou knowest will be effectual to reclaim and save us. Give us grace that shall be sufficient for us, and that shall constrain us to walk worthy of the calling wherewith we are called. Cast not out our prayer; but hear and answer