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which, are fet forth the duties of women in general, and of wives in particular. Some part of his fecond Epiftle is prophetical; warning the church of falle teachers, and falfe doctrines, which fhould undermine morality, and difgrace the cause of Christianity.

The first of St. John is written in a highly figurative ftyle, which makes it, in fome parts, hard to be understood; but the spirit of divine love, which it fo fervently expreffes, renders it highly edifying and delightful.-That love of God and of man, which this beloved apostle fo pathetically recommends, is in truth the effence of religion, as our Saviour himself informs us. Mrs. Chapone.

$196. Of the Revelations.

The book of the Revelations contains a prophetical account of most of the great events relating to the Chriftian church, which were to happen from the time of the writer, St. John, to the end of the world. Many learned men have taken a great deal of pains to explain it; and they have done this, in many inftances, very fuccefsfully but I think it is yet too foon for you to study this part of fcripture; fome years hence, perhaps, there may be no objection to your attempting it, and taking into your hands the best expositions, to aflift you in reading fuch of the moft difficult parts of the New Teftament, as you cannot now be fuppofed to understand.May Heaven direct you in ftudying this facred volume, and render it the means of making you wife unto falvation!-May you love and reverence, as it deferves, this bleffed and invaluable book, which contains the best rule of life, the clearest declaration of the will and laws of the Deity, the reviving affurance of favour to true penitents, and the unspeakably joyful tidings of eternal life and happinefs to all the truly virtuous, through Jefus Chrift, the Saviour and Deliverer of the world! Ibid.

§ 197. PRAYERS, &c. Before morning-prayer, read a chapter of the Gofpels, appointed by the Calendar; before evening-prayer, a chapter of the Epiftles and meditate on those chapters, or confult fome good expofition of them, in the courfe of the day. Begin with theie fentences, kneeling; and ufe fuch of the prayers, more or fewer,

as may best fuit your leifure and difpo fition, varying them, in order to excite the more earnest attention.

I acknowledge my tranfgreffions, and my fin is ever before me. Pfal. li. 3. Hide thy face from my fins, and blot out all my iniquities. Ver. 9.

The facrifices of God are a broken spi rit; a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife. Ver. 17.

Enter not into judgment with thy fervant, O Lord: for in thy fight fhall no man living be juftified. Pfal. cxliii. 2.

1. Confeffion.

Almighty and moft merciful Father; we have erred and ftrayed from thy ways like loft fheep. We have followed too much the devices and defires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone thole things which we ought to have done; and we have done thofe things which we ought not to have done; and there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miferable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confefs their faults. Reftore thou them that are penitent; according to thy promites declared unto mankind in Chrift Jefu our Lord. And grant, O moft merciful Father for his fake, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and fober life, to the glory of thy holy

name. Amen.

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6. For the Clergy and People. Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workeft great marvels; fend down upon our bithops and curates, and all congregations committed to their charge, the healthful fpirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy bleiling. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator Jefus Chrift. Amen.

O God, merciful Father, that defpifeft not the fighing of a contrite heart, nor the defire of fuch as be forrowful; mercifully affift our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adverfities, whenfoever they opprefs us; and graciously hear us, that thofe evils, which the craft and fubtilty of the devil or man worketh against us, be brought to nought, and by the providence of thy goodness they may be difperfed; that we thy fervants, being hurt by no perfecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee, in thy holy church, thro' Jefus Chrift our Lord.

We humbly befeech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and for the glory of thy name turn from us all thofe evils that we moft righteoufly have deferved and grant, that in all our troubles we may put our whole truft and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore ferve thee in holiness and purenefs of living, to thy honour and glory, through our

only mediator and advocate, Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

7. For all Conditions of Men.

O God, the creator and preferver of all mankind, we humbly befeech thee for all forts and conditions of men, that thou wouldeft be pleased to make thy ways known unto them; thy faving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good eftate of the catholic Church; that it may be fo guided and governed by thy good fpirit, that all who profefs and call themselves Chriftians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of fpirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteoufnefs of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodnefs all thofe who are any ways afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or eftate, that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their feveral neceffities; giving them patience under their fufferings, and a happy

iffue out of all their afflictions. And this we beg for Jefus Chrift his fake. Amen.

8. Thanksgiving.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy fervants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all men.

We bleís thee for our creation,

prefervation, and all the bleffings of this life, but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord for the hope of glory. And we beseech Jefus Chrift; for the means of grace, and thee give us that due fenfe of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we may fhew forth thy lives, by giving up ourselves to thy ferpraife, not only with our lips but in our vice, and by walking before thee in holinefs and righteoufnefs all our days, through Jefus Chrift our Lord; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghoft be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

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rife to the life immortal through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, now and ever. Amen.

2. Bleffed Lord, who hast caused all holy fcriptures to be written for our learning; grant that we may in fuch wife hear them, read, mark, learn, and inwardly digeft them, that by patience and comfort of thy holy word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the bleffed hope of everlasting life, which thou haft given us in our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

3. O Lord Jefus Chrift, who at thy firft coming didit fend thy meffenger to prepare thy way before thee; grant that the minifters and ftewards of thy myfteries may likewife fo prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the difobedient to the wildom of the juft, that at thy fecond coming to judge the world, we may be found an acceptable people in thy fight, who liveft and reigneft with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world with out end.

Amen.

4. O Lord, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might fuccour us; that whereas, through our fins and wickedness, we are fore let and hindered in running the race that is fet before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may fpeedily help and deliver us, through the fatisfaction of thy Son our Lord; to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

Epiphany.

1. O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people which call upon thee, and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and alfo may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the fame, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

2. Almighty and everlasting God, who doft govern all things in heaven and earth; mercifully hear the fupplications of thy people, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, Amen.

3. Almighty and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our infirmities, and in all our dangers and neceffities ftretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

4. O God, who knoweft us to be fet in the midst of fo many and great dangers, that by reafon of the frailty of our nature, we cannot always ftand upright; grant to

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us fuch ftrength and protection, as may fupport us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

5. O Lord, we beseech thee to keep thy church and houshold continually in thy true religion, that they, who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace, may evermore be defended by thy mighty power, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

6. O God, whose bleffed Son was ma、 nifefted, that he might deftroy the works of the devil, and make us the fons of God, and heirs of eternal life; grant us, we befeech thee, that having this hope, we may purify ourselves, even as he is pure; that when he fhall appear again with power and great glory, we may be made like unto him in his eternal and glorious kingdom; where with thee, O Father, and thee, O Holy Ghoft, he liveth and reigneth ever one God, world without end, Amen,

Septuagefima.

1. O Lord, we beseech thee, favourably hear the prayers of thy people, that we who are juftly punished for our offences, may be mercifully delivered by thy goodnefs, for the glory of thy name, through Jefus Chrift our Saviour, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

2. O Lord God, who feeft that we put not our truft in any thing that we do; mercifully grant that by thy power we may be defended against all adverfity, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

3. O Lord, who haft taught us, that all our doings without charity are nothing worth; fend thy Holy Ghoft, and pour into our hearts that moft excellent gift of charity, the very bond of peace, and of all virtues, without which whofoever liveth is counted dead before thee. Grant this for thine only Son Jefus Christ's fake. Amen,

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forty days and forty nights; give us grace to ufe fuch abftinence, that our fleth being fubdued to the Spirit, we may ever obey thy godly motions in righteoufnefs and true holiness, to thy honour and glory, who liveft and reigneft with the Father and the Holy Ghoft, one God, world without end. Amen.

2. Almighty God, who feeft that we have no power of ourselves to help ourfelves; keep us both outwardly in our bodies, and inwardly in our fouls, that we may be defended from all adverfities which may happen to the body, and from all evil thoughts which may affault and hurt the foul, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.

Amen.

3. We befeech thee, Almighty God, look upon the hearty defires of thy humble fervants, and ftretch forth the right hand of thy majefty, to be our defence against all our enemies, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

4. Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God, that we, who for our evil deeds do worthily deferve to be punished, by the comfort of thy grace may mercifully be relieved, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

5. We beseech thee, Almighty God, mercifully to look upon thy people; that by thy great goodness they may be governed and preferved evermore, both in body and foul, through Jefus Chrift our

Lord. Amen.

6. Almighty and everlafting God, who of thy tender love towards mankind, haft fent thy Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift, to take upon him our flesh, and to fuffer death upon the cross, that all mankind fhould follow the example of his great humility; mercifully grant that we may both follow the example of his patience, and alfo be made partakers of his refurrection, through the fame Jefus Chrift our Lord.

Amen,

Good Friday.

Almighty and everlasting God, by whofe Spirit the whole body of the church is governed and fanctified; receive our fupplications and prayers which we offer before thee for all eftates of men in thy holy church, that every member of the fame, in his vocation and miniftry, may truly and godly ferve thee, through our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

Eafter Even.

into the death of thy bleffed Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift; fo by continual mortfying our corrupt affections, we may be buried with him; that through the grave and gate of death we may pals to our joyful refurrection, for his merits, who died, and was buried, and rofe again for us, thy Son Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Eafter-day.

1. Almighty God, who through thing only begotten Son Jefus Christ, haft overcome death, and opened unto us the gate of everlafting life; we humbly befeech thee, that as by thy fpecial grace preventing us, thou doft put into our minds good defires; fo by thy continual help we may bring the fame to good effect, through Jefus Chrift our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghoft, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

2. Almighty Father, who haft given thine only Son to die for our fins, and to rife again for our juftification; grant us fo to put away the leaven of malice and wickedness, that we may always ferve thee in pureness of living and truth, through the merits of the fame thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

3. Almighty God, who haft given thine only Son to be unto us both a facrifice for fin, and alfo an enfample of godly life: give us grace, that we may always moft thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit, and alfo daily endeavour ourselves to follow the bleffed fteps of his moft holy life, through the fame Jefus Chrift our

Lord. Amen.

4. Almighty God, who fheweft to them that be in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of righteoufnels; grant unto all them that are admitted into the fellowship of Chrift's religion, that they may avoid thofe things that are contrary to their profession, and follow all fuch things as are agreeable to the fame, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.

5. O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of finful men; grant unto thy people, that they may love the thing which thou commandeft, and defire that which thou dost promife; that fo among the fundry and manifold changes of the world, our hearts may furely there be fixed, where true joys are to be found, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

6. O Lord, from whom all good things Grant, O Lord, that as we are baptized do come; grant to us thy humble fervants,

that

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1. Almighty and everlasting God, who haft given unto us thy fervants grace, by the confeffion of a true faith, to acknowledge the glory of the eternal Trinity, and in the power of the divine Majefty to worfhip the Unity; we beseech thee, that thou wouldeft keep us ftedfaft in this faith, and evermore defend us from all adverfities, who liveft and reigneft one God world without end. Amen.

2. O God, the ftrength of all them that put their trust in thee; mercifully accept our prayers: and becaufe, through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee both in will and deed, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

3. O Lord, who never faileft to help and govern them whom thou doft bring up in thy ftedfaft fear and love; keep us, we befeech thee, under the protection of thy good providence, and make us to have a perpetual fear and love of thy holy name, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

4. O Lord, we beseech thee mercifully to hear us; and grant that we, to whom thou haft given an hearty defire to pray, may by thy mighty aid be defended and

comforted in all dangers and adversities, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

5. O God, the protector of all that truft in thee, without whom nothing is strong, nothing is holy; increafe and multiply upon us thy mercy, that thou being our ruler and guide, we may fo pafs through things temporal, that we finally lofe not the things eternal: grant this, O heavenly Father, for Jefus Chrift's fake our Lord. Amen.

6. Grant, O Lord, we beseech thee,

that the course of this world may be fo peaceably ordered by thy governance, that thy church may joyfully ferve thee in all godly quietnefs, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

7. O God, who haft prepared for them that love thee fuch good things as pafs man's understanding; pour into our hearts fuch love towards thee, that we loving thee above all things, may obtain thy promifes, which exceed all that we can defire, thro' Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

8. Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; graft in our hearts the love of thy name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the fame, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

9. O God, whofe never-failing providence ordereth all things both in heaven and earth; we humbly befeech thee to put away from us all hurtful things, and to give us thofe things which are profitable for us, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

10. Grant to us, Lord, we beseech thee, the spirit to think and do always fuch things as be rightful; that we, who cannot do any thing that is good without thee, may by thee be enabled to live according to thy will, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

11. Let thy merciful ears, O Lord, be open to the prayers of thy humble fervants; and that they may obtain their petitions, make them to afk fuch things as fhall please thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

12. O God, who declareft thy Almighty power moft chiefly in fhewing mercy and pity; mercifully grant unto us fuch a meafure of thy grace, that we running the way of thy commandments, may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasure, through Jefus Chrift our Lord.

Amen.

13. Almighty and everlasting God, who

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