said in their hearts, there is no God, and that are corrupt, and have done abominable work a. Lord, maintain the honour of the scripture, the law, and the testimony, and convince those who speak not according to that word b, that it is because there is no light in them: magnify that word above all thy name c; magnify the law, magnify the gospel, and make both honourable d. Let those that will not be won by the word, be won by the conversation of Christians, which we beg may be such in every thing, that they who believe not, may be convinced of all e, and judged of all, may be brought to worship God, and to report that God is with them of a truth g. 8. For the amending of every thing that is amiss in the church, the reviving of primitive Christianity, and the power of godliness, and in order thereunto, the pouring out of the Spirit. Lord, let thy Spirit be poured out upon thy churches from on high, and then the wilderness shall become a fruitful fieldh, then judgment shall return unto righteousness, and all the upright in heart shall follow iti. Let what is wanting be set in orderk, and let every plant that is not of our heavenly Father's planting be plucked upl. Let the Lord whom we seek come to his temple like a refiner's fire and fuller's soap, and let him purify the sons of Levi, and of the seed of Israel, and purge them as gold and silver, that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness, pleasant to the Lord, as in the days of old, as in former years m. Let pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father, flourish and prevail every where n, that kingdom of God among men, which is not meat and drink, but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost a. O revive this work in the midst of the years, in the midst of the years make known b, and let our times be times of reformation c. 9. For the breaking of the power of all enemies of the church, and the defeating of all their designs against her. Let all that set themselves and take counsel together against the Lord, and against his anointed, that would break their bands asunder, and cast away their cords from them, imagine a vain thing. Let him that sits in heaven laugh at them, and have them in derision d; speak unto them in thy wrath, and vex them in thy sore displeasure. Give them, O Lord, what thou wilt give them; give them a miscarrying womb, and dry breasts e. O our God make them like a wheel and as stubble before the wind fill their faces with shame, that they may seek thy name, O Lord, and that men may know that thou whose name is JEHOVAH, art the most High over all the earth g. Put them in fear, O Lord, that the nations may know themselves to be but men h, and wherein the proud enemies of thy church deal proudly, make it to appear that thou art above them i. Let them be confounded and turned back that hate Zion, and be as the grass upon the house-tops, which withereth before it grow upk. Let no weapon formed against thy church prosper, and let every tongue that riseth against it in judgment be condemned l. Make Jerusalem a burthensome stone for all people, a Rom. xiv. 17. b Hab. iii. 2. i Exod. xviii. 11. c Heb. ix. 10. and let all that burden themselves with it be cut in pieces, though all the people of the earth should be gathered together against it a; so let all thy enemies perish, O Lord, but let them that love thee be as the sun when he goes forth in his strength b. Lord, let the man of sin be consumed with the Spirit of thy mouth, and destroyed with the brightness of thy coming; and let those be undeceived that have been long under the power of strong delusions to believe a lie, and let them receive the truth in the love of it c. Let Babylon fall, and sink like a millstone into the sead, and let the kings of the earth, that have given their power and honour to the beast e, be wrought upon at length to bring it into the New Jerusalem g. 10. For the relief of suffering churches, and the support, comfort and deliverance of all that are persecuted for righteousness sake. We desire in our prayers to remember them that are in bonds for the testimony of Jesus, as bound with them, and them which suffer adversity, as being ourselves also in the body h. O send from above, and deliver them from those that hate them, and bring them forth into a large place i. + O let not the rod of the wicked rest upon the lot of the righteous, lest the righteous should put forth their hands unto iniquity k.⠀⠀ Awake, awake, put on strength, O arm of the Lord: awake, as in the ancient days, as in the generations of old, and make the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed of the Lord to pass over l. For the oppression of the poor, and the sighing of the needy, now do thou arise, O Lord, and set them in safety from them that puff at them m. a Zech. xii. 3. b Judg. v. 31. c 2 Thess.ii.2,3,8.10.11. O strengthen the patience and faith of thy suffering saints a, that they may hope and quietly wait for the salvation of the Lord b. O let the year of thy redeemed come c, and the year of recompenses for the controversy of Zion d. O that the salvation of Israel were come out of Zion; and when the Lord bringeth back the captivity of his people, Jacob shall rejoice and Israel shall be glad e. O let not the oppressed return ashamed, but let the poor and needy praise thy name g. Lord arise, and have mercy upon Zion, and let the time to favour her, yea, the set time come; yea, let the Lord build up Zion, and appear in his glory. Lord, regard the prayer of the destitute, and do not despise their prayer h. O Lord God, cease, we beseech thee; by whom shall Jacob arise, for he is smalli? O cause thy face to shine upon that part of thy sanctuary that is desolate for the Lord's sake k. Let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee, and according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that for thy name's sake are appointed to die l. Let those whose teachers are removed into corners, again see their teachers, though they have the bread of adversity, and the water of affliction m. 11. For our country and the countries about us. Thou, Lord, art the governor among the nations n ; who shall not fear thee, O King of nations o? Thou sittest in the throne judging right; judge the world therefore in righteousness p. a Rev, xiii. 10. d Isa. xxxiv. 8. h Psal. cii. 13, 16, 17. 1 Psal. lxxix. 11. o Jer. x. 7. b Lam. iii. 26. i Amos vii. 5. c Isa. lxiii. 4. Psal. lxxiv. 21. Dan. ix. 17. n. Psal. xxii. 28. Lord hasten the time when thou wilt make wars to cease to the ends of the earth a, when nation shall no more lift up sword against nation, nor kingdom against kingdom, but swords shall be beaten into ploughshares, and spears into pruning hooks, and they shall not learn war any more b. Make kings nursing fathers, and their queens nursing mothers to the Israel of God c. And in the days of these kings let the God of heaven set up a kingdom which shall never be destroyed, even the kingdom of the Redeemer d. And whatever counsels there are in men's hearts, Lord let thy counsel stande, and do thou fulfil the thoughts of thy heart unto all generations g. 12. For our own land and nation, we ought in a special manner to seek the welfare of, that in the peace thereof we may have peace. 1. We must be thankful to God for his mercies to our land. We bless thee that thou hast planted us in a very fruitful hill h; and hast not made the wilderness our habitation i, or the barren land our dwelling, but our land yields her increase k. Lord, thou hast dealt favourably with our landl: we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have told us, what work thou didst for us in their days, and in the times of oldm; and as we have heard, so have we seen; for we have thought of thy loving kindness, O God, in the midst of thy templen. Thou hast given us a pleasant land o, 'tis Immanuel's landp, 'tis a valley of vision, thou hast set up thy taber a Psal. xlvi. 9. b Isa. ii. 4. e Prov. xix. 21. i Job xxxix. 6. m Psal xliv. 1. p Isa, viii, 8. c Isa. xlix. 23... g Psal. xxxiii. 11. k Psal. lxxxv. 12. n Psal. xlviii. 8, 9. |