worthily magnify thy holy Name; through

Christ our Lord.

AMEN.

ASSIST me, mercifully, O LORD, in these my supplications and prayers, and dispose the way of thy servant towards the attainment of everlasting salvation; that among all the changes and chances of this mortal life, I may ever be defended by thy most gracious and ready help; through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Before Church Service.

LET the words of my mouth, and the meditations of my heart, be now and ever acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength my Redeemer.

and

When the Service is ended.

I THANK thee, O Lord God Almighty, for the opportunity I have had this day of attending thy house of prayer. May I be the better for it in this life, and eternally happy in the next, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

Grace before Meals.*

SANCTIFY, O Lord, this food to our use, and us to thy service, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

* A sensible and agreeable writer, very judiciously observes that, "to say Grace before and after, or to sanctify a meal by a previous consecration of food, and a subsequent act of thanksgiving for the refreshment received, is both right and reasonable. But profligate men of fashion have set the example of omis

H

Grace after Meals.

WE thank thee, O Lord, for what we have received; and beseech thee to feed our souls with the bread of eternal life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. AMEN.

sion, and they who are determined to follow the fashion in all its follies, think themselves obliged to omit a duty both easy and useful. They ought not to suffer fashion to supersede duty and decency: but they assert, that, such is the power of the arbitrary tyrant, they cannot do what they ought. A bad excuse, indeed, and such a one as will scarcely be accepted for an omission injurious to themselves, to their children, their servants, their neighbourhood, and the cause of religion.

"Independently of a consecration of the table being observed religiously by the politest nations of antiquity, (and a great number of examples from the classics might prove this), the primitive Christians, imitating the example of the Jews, and more particularly our Saviour, were strict in the performance of those pious duties which consecrated the table, and in returning thanks to God for the daily supply of necessary sustenance,"

The Lord's Prayer.*

THIS prayer stands unrivalled in every circumstance that constitutes the perfection of prayer, and the excellence of that species of composition. It is concise, it is conspicuous, it is solemn, it is comprehensive, it is adapted to all ranks, conditions, and classes of men; it fixes our thoughts on a few great important points, and impresses on our minds a deep sense of the goodness and greatness of that Almighty Being to whom it is addressed.

"The Lord's Prayer," says Paley, "is a precedent, as well as a pattern, for forms of prayer. Our Lord appears, if not to have prescribed, at least to have authorised the use of fixed forms, when he complied with the request of the disciple, who said unto him, "Lord, teach us to pray, as John also taught his disciples.”— (Luke xi. 1.)

The full meaning of this admirable prayer, and of the several petitions contained in it, may perhaps be not improperly expressed in the following manner.

O thou Great Parent of the universe, our creator, our preserver and continual benefactor, grant that we, and all reasonable creatures, may entertain just and worthy notions of thy nature and attributes, may fear thy power, and admire thy wisdom, adore thy goodness, rely upon thy truth, may reverence thy holy name, may bless and praise thee, may worship and obey thee. Grant that all the nations of the earth may come to the knowledge and belief of thy holy religion; that it may every where produce the blessed fruits of piety, righteousness, charity, and sobriety; that, by a constant endeavour to obey thy holy laws, we may approach, as