not punish us in thine anger, but chaftife us mercifully, and preferve that work which thou haft of thy mercy begun in us, that the whole world may know and acknowledge thee to be our God and Saviour, Thy people Ifrael have frequently offended thee, and thou haft justly punished them, but as oft as they turned themselves again to thee, thou didst always mercifully receive them into favour. And though their fins and tranfgreffions were never fo great,. thou didst always avert thy wrath and punishment. prepared for them by reafon of the covenant which thou hadft made with thy fervants, Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, fo that thou never haft refused to hear the prayers of thy people. And we have of thy mercy even that fame covenant, which thou haft erected in the hand of Jefus Chrift our Mediator between thee and all believers: nay it is now more glorious and efficacious, fince Chrift hath ratified and confirmed the fame by his holy fuffering and death, and entrance into his glory. Therefore, O Lord, forfaking ourfelves, and all human affiftance, we fly for fuccour to this bleffed covenant of grace, by means whereof our Lord Jefus Chrift (having offered his body once on the cross as a perfect facrifice for us) hath reconciled us with thee, for ever. Therefore, O Lord, look. upon the face of thine anointed, and not our fins, that thine anger may be appeafed by his interceffion.. And caufe thy face to shine on us to our joy and falvation. Take.us henceforth in thy holy guidance and.

-protection, and govern us with thy holy Spirit, who daily more and more mortifying our flesh with all its lufts, renews us to a better life, and produces in us fruits of true faith, that hereby thy name may be glorified and praifed to all eternity, and that we def pifing all tranfitory things, may with an ardent defire, fix our thoughts only on things heavenly.

And in as much as it is thy pleasure that we should pray for all mankind, we beseech thee to extend thy bleffings on the doctrine of thy holy Gofpel, that it may be preached and excepted every where, that the whole world may be filled with thy faving knowledge, that the ignorant may be converted, the weak ftrengthened, that every one, not only in word, but alfo in deed, may magnify and fanctify thy holy

name.

Send forth for this end faithful labourers in thy harvest. And alfo replenish them with thy grace,. that they may faithfully ferve before thee. On the contrary, utterly deftroy all falfe teachers, ravenous wolves and hirelings, who feek their own honour and advantage, and not the glory of their holy name on-ly, nor the welfare and falvation of fouls. Be alfo pleased graciously to preferve and govern all thy chrif-tian churches, fpread over the face of the earth in unity of true faith, and in godliness of life, that thy kingdom may daily increase, and that of Satan be destroyed, till thy kingdom is perfected when thou fhalt be all in all,

Particularly we pray for thefe United States of America; keep them under thy holy protection; profper them in their agriculture, manufactures, cominerce and literature; and let their civil and religi ous rights be preserved inviolate to the lateft pofterity.

Blefs and long preferve thy fervant, the Prefident of the United States. Blefs the Vice President, the Senate and Houfe of Reprefentatives in Congrefs. affembled. Blefs all placed in authority throughout the ftates, and especially in the state wherein we rerefide; the Governor of the ftate, the magiftrates,. and all others entrusted with powers either legiflativeor executive. Replenish them all with thy grace and heavenly gifts, each in his refpective calling and ftate, wherein thou haft placed him, that they maywifely govern, and ftrenuously protect the people,, whom thou haft committed to their care, faithfully defend thy worship, and rightly adminifter jufticeamong the people: prefide with thy holy spirit in their affemblies, that in all cafes they may refolve nothing but what is good and becoming, and let the laws be happily executed: that thefe United States. being preferved from all enemies, the evil-doers,. punished, and the juft protected, thy name thereby may be praifed, and the kingdom of the King of Kings, Chrift Jefus, promoted; and that we may lead a quiet and peaceable life in all godlinefs and honefty. Moreover we pray for our brethren, who

are under perfecution or tyranny; comfort them with thy holy Spirit, and mercifully deliver them; fufer not thy church wholly to be destroyed, nor the remembrance of thy name to be abolished from the face of the earth, left the enemies of thy truth triumph to the difhonouring and blafpheming of thy name. But if it is thy divine will that the fufferingchristians fhould die for the glory of thy name, and by their death witnefs unto the truth, comfort them in their fufferings, that they, confidering them as coming from thy Fatherly hand, may therefore, doing thy will, remain ftedfaft, whether in life or death; to thy glory, to the edification of thy church, and to their salvation. We likewife befeech thee, for all those whom thou dost afflict with poverty, imprifonment, ficknefs of body or mind, comfort them all, O Lord, according to their feveral neceffities. Grant that their chastisement may bring them to the knowledge of their fins, and to an amendment of their lives. Give them alfo firm patience, alleviate their fufferings, and finally deliver them, that they may rejoice in thy goodness, and eternally praise thy

name.

And, O Lord, take us, together with all that belongs to, or concerns us, in thy keeping. Grant that we may live in our refpective callings according to thy will, and fo ufe the gifts which we receive of thy bleffing, that they may not impede, but rather further us to life eternal. Strengthen us in all.

temptations, that we ftriving in true faith, may overcome, and hereafter enjoy with Chrift, life eternal.

We ask thee for all thefe things, as our faithful Lord, and Saviour Jefus Chrift bimfelf hath taught

Afterwards the congregation is difmiffed with the ufual bleffing.

Receive the bleffing of the Lord.

The Lord bless thee, and keep thee the Lord make his face to fhine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee: the Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace.

A Prayer before the explanation of the Catechifm.

Heavenly Father, thy word is perfect, converting the foul, a fure teftimony, making wife the fimple, enlightening the eyes of the blind, and a powerful means unto falvation, for all those who believe. And whereas we are not only blind by nature, but even incapable of doing any good. and alfo fince thou wilt help none, but thofe who are of a broken and contrite heart; we beseech thee to enlighten our understanding with thy holy Spirit, and give us a meek heart, free from all haughtiness and carnal knowledge, that we may hearing thy words