nacle among us a, and thy sanctuary is in the midst of usb. We dwell safely under our own vines and fig-trees c, and there is peace to him that goeth out, and to him that comes in d. And because the Lord loved our people, therefore he hath set a good government over us, to do judgment and justice e; to be a terror to evildoers, and a protection and praise of them that do well g. 2. We must be humbled before God for our national sins and provocations. But we are sinful people, a people laden with iniquity, a seed of evildoers h; and a great deal of reason we have to sigh and cry for the abominations that are committed among usi. Iniquity abounds among us, and the love of many waxen cold k. is We have not been forsaken, nor forgotten of our God, though our land be full of sin against the Holy One of Israel l. 3. We must pray earnestly for national mercies. 1. For the favours of God to us, and the tokens of his presence among us, as that in which the happiness of our nation is bound up. O the hope of Israel, the Saviour thereof in time of trouble; be not thou a stranger in our land, or a wayfaring man that turns aside to tarry but for a night; but be thou always in the midst of us; we are called by thy name, O leave us not; though our iniquities testifyagainst us, yet do thou not for thy name's sake; though our backslidings are many, and we have sinned against thee m. Turn us to thee, O Lord God of hosts, and then cause thy face to shine, and we shall be saved. O stir up thy strength, and come and save us a. Show us thy mercy, O Lord, and grant us thy salvation, yea, let that salvation be nigh them that fear thee, that glory may dwell in our land. Let mercy and truth meet together, righteousness and peace kiss each other; let truth spring out of the earth, and righteousness look down from heaven; yea, let the Lord give that which is good; let righteousness go before him, and set us in the of his steps b. way 2. For the continuance of the gospel among us, and the means of grace, and a national profession of Christ's holy religion. Ŏ let the throne of Christ endure for ever among us c, even the place of thy sanctuary, that glorious high throne from the beginning d. Let our candlestick never be removed out of his place, though we have deserved it should, because we have left our first love e. Never do to us as thou didst to thy place which was in Shiloh, where thou didst set thy name at the first g. " Let us never know what a famine of the word means, nor ever be put to wander from sea to sea, and from the river to the ends of the earth, to seek the word of God h. Let wisdom and knowledge be the stability of our times, and strength of salvation, and let the fear of the Lord be our treasure i; let the righteous flourish among us, and let there be those that shall fear thee in our land, as long as the sun and moon endure, throughout all generations that there may be abundance of peace k, a Psalm 1xxx. 2, 3. b Psalm lxxxv. 9–13. d Jer. xvii. 12. e Rev. ii. 4, 5. h Amos viii. 11, 12. i Isa. xxxiii. 6. c Psal. xlv. 6. g Jer. vii. 12. Psal. lxxii. 5, 7. and the children which shall be created may praise the Lord a. 3. For the continuance of our outward peace and tranquillity, our liberty and plenty, for the prosperity of our trade, and blessing upon the fruits of the earth. Let God himself be a wall of fire round about us, and the glory in the midst of us b, yea, let his gospel be our glory, and upon all that glory let there be a defence; and create upon every dwelling place of Mount Zion, and upon her assemblies, a cloud and smoke by day, and the shining of a flaming fire by night c. Peace be within our borders, and prosperity within our palaces, the prosperity both of merchandise and husbandry d, that Zebulon may rejoice in his going out, and Issachar in his tents e. Appoint salvation to us for walls and bulwarks, and in order to that let the gates be opened, that the righteous nation which keepeth the truth may enter in g. Make our officers peace, and our exactors righteousness; let violence never be heard in our gates, wasting or destruction in our borders, but let our walls be called Salvation, and our gates Praise h; never let our land be termed forsaken and desolate, but let the Lord delight in us, and let our land be married to him i. Let our peace be as a river, and in order to that, our righteousness as the waves of the seak; let that righteousness abound among us, which exalteth a nation, and deliver us from sin, which is a reproach to any people l. Never make our heavens as brass, and our earth as iron m, nor take away thy corn in the season thereof, and thy wine in the season thereof, but give us rain moderately n, the former and the latter rain in due season o, a Psal. cii. 18. b Zech. ii. 5. e Deut. xxxiii. 18. M c Isa. iv. 5. and reserve unto us the appointed weeks of harvest, giving us fair weather also in its season a. Let our land yield her increase, and the trees their fruit, that we may eat bread, and be full, and dwell in our land safely b. Abundantly bless our provision, and satisfy our poor with bread c, that they which have gathered it may eat and praise the Lord d. Blow not thou upon it, for then when we look for much it will come to little e, but bless our blessings, that all nations may call us blessed, and a delightsome land g. 4. For the success of all endeavours for the reformation of manners, the suppression of vice and profaneness, and support of religion and virtue, and the bringing of them into reputation. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, O thou righteous God that triest the hearts and reins h. Spirit many to rise up for thee against the evildoers, and to stand up for thee against the workers of iniquity i. Let the Redeemer come to Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacobk: and let the filth of Jerusalem be purged from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judg ment, and the spirit of burning l. Let all iniquity stop her mouth m, and let the infection of that plague be stayed, by executing judgmentn. Let those that are striving against sin, never be weary or faint in their minds o. Cause the unclean spirit to pass out of the land p, and turn to the people a pure language, that they may call on the name of the Lord q. Make us high above all nations in praise, and in a Jer, v. 24. b Lev. xiv. 4, 5. i Psalm xciv. 16. c Psalm cxxxii. 15. name, and in honour, by making us a holy people unto the Lord our God a. 5. For the healing of our unhappy divisions, and the making up of our breaches. For the divisions that are among us there are great searchings of heartb; for there are three against two, and two against three in a house c But is the breach wide as the sea which cannot be healed d? Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of our people recoverede? Lord heal the breaches of our land, for because of them it shaketh g. We beg in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that there may be no divisions among us, but that we may be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment h. Now the God of patience and consolation grant us to be like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify Godi, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and promote the common salvation k. Lord, keep us from judging one another, and despising one another, and give us to follow after the things which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another; that living in love and peace, the God of love and peace may be with us m. Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but every thing in lowliness of mind, and grant that our moderation may be known unto all men, because the Lord is at hand o. 6. For victory and success against our enemies abroad that seek our ruin. a Deut. xxvi. 19. d Lam. ii. 13. h 1 Cor. i. 10. / Rom. xiv. 3, 19. o Phil. iv. 5. b Judges v. 16. i Rom. xv. 5, 6, c Luke xii. 52. Psal. lx. 2. k Jude 1, 3. n Phil. ii. 3. |