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ful remembrance of what thou hast done and suffered for us, make me truly sensible of thy love, and of our sad condition, which did require such a sacrifice.

May I always receive this pledge of thy love-the offers of thy mercy, pardon, and grace, tendered to us in this holy ordinance, with a thankful heart, and in remembrance of thee, our great and best benefactor: In remembrance of thy holy example-of thy heavenly doctrine--of thy laborious life of thy bitter passion and death of thy glorious resurrection-of thy ascension into heaven-and thy coming again to judge the world!

And may I never forget the obligation thou hast laid upon us, to live as becomes thy disciples and to forsake every course of life contrary to thy Gospel!-Cease not, O Lord, to love us, and by the grace vouchsafed in this ordinance, cause us to love Thee with all our hearts. Amen.

Blessed be God, who by his grace, and by the voice of his Church, hath called me to repentance! Discover to me, O thou Searcher of hearts, the charge that is against me, that I may know, and confess, and forsake the sins I have fallen into. Give me that true repentance, to which thou hast promised mercy and pardon, that I may amend where I have done amiss, and that iniquity may not be my ruin. And, O blessed Advo cate, who ever livest to make intercession for us, I put my cause into thy hands; let thy blood and merits plead for me, and by thy mighty intercession procure for me the pardon of my past offences:-That thou mayest say unto me, as thou didst unto the penitent in the Gospel-Thy sins are forgiven-so that I may go with a quiet conscience to thy holy table. Amen.

This is indeed the first and great command, To love thee, O God, with all our heart; for on this depends our salvation. But even this must be the gift of thy grace:-for this grace I now apply to Thee, to make my love and fear of Thee the governing principle of my whole life-that I may always do what I believe will please Thee :--that I may carefully avoid what I know will offend Thee :-and that I may live as having Thee the constant witness of my thoughts, words, and actions.

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Give me a steadfast faith in thy word and promises; a firm trust in thy power. the fear of thy justice keep me from presumption, and a sense of thy goodness from despair. Defend me from all those bewitching snares which destroy our love for Thee: from worldly cares; from all sensual and sinful pleasures; from evil company; from foolish diversions; and from every thing that may make me forget, that Thou alone art worthy to be feared and loved: Grant me these mercies for thy Son Jesus Christ his sake; whose love and death we are going to commemorate. Amen.

Gracious God, who hast given us precepts, and an example to walk by, let the remembrance of them be always seasonably present with me. Give me grace to practise them conscientiously. To reverence my betters, and all that are in authority, and especially such as are ordained to pray for, and to bless us in thy name. Let my love for Thee, and for my neighbour, keep me from all acts of injustice or injury to his body or good name:-Let me never wilfully vex or trouble him ;--never covet what is his, or envy his prosperity. May I ever be ready to help and comfort all such as are in distress! Give me grace to be faithful in all things committed to my trust that I may never pervert truth and justice; never propagate slander, or raise evil reports, nor ever tempt others to sin. Give me the spirit of temperance and chastity, and grant that I may never provoke Thee, by any instance of uncleanness, to shut me out of heaven, where no unclean thing can enter. Give me grace so to order my conversation, that I may encourage others to live as becomes the Gospel of Jesus Christ: for whose sake I beg to be heard. Amen.

I beseech thee, O God, by that love which moved Thee to give thine own Son for lost mankind, give me a faith in thy promises for his sake, as firm as thy word, on which my faith is grounded:----and let me never presume upon thy gracious promises, without sincerely endeavouring to perform the conditions on which they were made, and without being zealous of good works, for which we were redeemed. May the remembrance of our Saviour's love, and of thy great mercy, be ever seasonably present with me, to keep me from despair! And may my faith in thy promises support me in the hour of death! May my Redeemer be my refuge, his blood and merits plead for me, that I may have my lot and portion with those whom he hath purchased with his most precious blood.

dinen.

Praised be thy name, O God, for the death of thy Son, and the infinite blessings I have received thereby. Add this to all thy favours, I beseech Thee, that I may never forget these mercies--never forget to be thankful for them but that I may preserve the remembrance of them in the manner which he hath ordained. I thank thee, O God, for that word, in which Thou hast caused these thy mercies, and his example, to be recorded. Make me truly sensible of that love which brought Him down from heaven ;-

and how sad our condition was, which required such a sacrifice. May I learn by hin patience, humility, self-denial, and resignation, what virtues are most acceptable to thy Divine Majesty:-and may I take Him for my Lord, and Master, and Teacher, and Example; and dedicate myself to thee, and to thy service, for his sake! Amen.

This is my Commandment; That ye love one another as I have loved you. Hear, O my soul, what thy Saviour has commanded thee----He who loved us, and gave himself an offering and a sacrifice to God for us.

May this, thy love, O Jesus, be the motive and pattern of my love and charity for all mankind;---where this hath not been my practice, I implore thy gracious pardon, and beseech thee to fortify my soul against all suggestions of Satan, or my corrupt nature and blind passions--that I may always be prepared to go to thine altar, with the same cha ritable dispositions with which I desire and hope to die.

Thou, O Jesus, madest thine enemies thy friends, by laying down thy life for them---be thou my Advocate with the Father, for grace to follow thy heavenly charity and ex ample, that I may overcome evil with good that I, and all the members of thy family, may love as brethren--that we may always meet at thy table as sincere friends, and part with true love and affection, as becomes thy disciples. Amen.

Grant, O God, that I may never draw down thy judgments upon myself either by turning my back upon this ordinance, or by going to it without thought, and unworthily. May thy mercy pardon what is past, and give me grace for the time to come, to conse crate my life to thee, and to embrace every occasion of remembering my Redeemer's love, and thereby securing thy favour, and my own salvation! And, if it be thy will, grant that I may always find such comfort and benefit in this ordinance, as may encou rage me to observe it with joy unto my life's end.

Suffer me to recommend to thine infinite mercy, the miserable condition of all such as neglect so great means of grace and salvation; awaken all Christian people into a sense of this duty open their eyes, and correct their mistakes, that they may be convinced, that this is the only means of making their peace with thee, and of rendering their persons and their prayers acceptable to the Divine Majesty, through Jesus Christ our Lord

Amen.

Suitable Meditations and Prayers will be found in "The Companion for the Altar: or Week's Preparation for the Holy Communion Consisting of a short Explanation of the Lord's Supper, and Medita tions and Prayers, proper to be used before, and during, the receiving of the Holy Communion, according to the Form prescribed by the Protestant Episcopal Church in the United States of America. By John Henry Hobart, D. D. Bishop of the Protestant Episcopal Church in the State of New-York." To be had at the Depository of this Society, Na. 127 Broadway.

No. 26.

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INVITATION TO PRAYER.

THE spirit of infidelity and irreligion which has manifested itself in our country, aiming to sunder and dissolve the ties which bind society together, and to destroy all the landmarks of moral principle, excites the most painful apprehension; while on the other hand, the successful exertions of religious and benevolent institutions afford a pleasing hope that seasons of promised blessedness are near at hand. In times of difficulty, however, and of danger to his religion, his country, or himself, the duty of the sincere Christian is obvious. The Divine precept is "HONOUR ALL MEN. LOVE THE BROTHERHOOD. FEAR GOD." The true Christian will, therefore, carefully maintain a spirit of unshaken attachment to the faith which is his chief treasure-will discountenance all impiety and disorder, and will promote, to the utmost of his ability, quiet, unity, and a devout reverence for Religion. This is his plain duty. But while he is engaged in the performance of it, his hope will be fixed upon the Lord his God; who alone can order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men,' and who alone can prosper the endeavours of His servants, by the blessing of His Holy Spirit upon them.

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Love for the brotherhood, therefore, no less than the fear of GOD, make it a plain and pressing duty of the Christian, solicitous not only for himself, but for posterity, to attend specially, at such a crisis, to the important duty of prayer; and more particularly of prayer for the promised effusion of the Holy Spirit upon all mankind;—that it may please Almighty God to put a stop to the spreading of infidelity, the growth of error, and the abounding of ungodliness; and so to diffuse the light of His glorious gospel, that for all generations, peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established and prevail at home, and be extended to the ends of the earth. And as it is de-. sirable that union of sentiment should prevail in their petitions, and some well disposed persons may not be provided with a suitable form, the following Prayer has been written for their use, either in private or family worship.

THE PRAYER.*

O MOST MIGHTY GOD, AND MERCIFUL FATHER, regard, we beseech thee, in thine infinite compassion, the supplications of thine unworthy servants, who now approach the throne of thy grace, in the name of Jesus Christ, thy beloved Son, our Mediator and Redeemer.

We confess, O Lord, with sorrow and with shame, that we have sinned against thee. We acknowledge and lament that we have broken thy laws, neglected thy gospel, slighted thy mercies, and hardened our hearts against thy judgments; and that while we have been receiving, as a nation, the greatest blessings from thee, the Giver of all goodness, we have been unmindful of thy bounty and regardless of thine honour. To us, O Lord, belongeth confusion of face,-to us, to our rulers, and to our people: but to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him. Encouraged, therefore, by thy mercies, we humbly implore thee, for the sake of thy dear Son our Saviour, to forgive us all our national, our family, and our personal transgressions against thee. Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of our sins; but spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever.

[More especially, we pray thee, to regard, with thine abundant favour, our President, and all others in authority. Endue them with thy Holy Spirit ; enrich them with thy heavenly grace. May the Spirit of wisdom and understanding rest upon all who are intrusted with our civil government. Send them help from thy holy place, and evermore mightily defend them. And grant that they may truly and impartially administer justice, to the punishment of wickedness and vice, and to the maintenance of thy true religion and virtue.]

Bless, O Lord, we beseech thee, all ranks and conditions of men amongst us. Pour out upon them the healthful Spirit of

Should any person find this prayer too long for use at one time, they may omit either of the latter paragraphs, marked thus, [] or use them alternately.

thy grace. Deliver us from all sedition and violence, and from discord and enmity. Save us from the gathering together of the froward, and from all the devices of the workers of iniquity. Put to silence the deceitful lips of atheism, infidelity, and irreligion; and show unto them that are in error the light of thy truth, to the intent that they may return into the way of godliness. May peace and unanimity speedily prevail amongst us. May true religion flourish and abound. May we be a people fearing God and working righteousness. May we live in dutiful subjection to the civil authority, and in fervent charity one towards another. And as thou hast in mercy blessed us with liberty and national prosperity, and hast hitherto preserved us from the judgments which have desolated many other nations of the earth, so continue, we entreat thee, to help and defend us in all our dangers and necessities, that we may not be destroyed by the overflowings of ungodliness, but that when the enemy cometh in like a flood, the Spirit of the Lord may lift up a standard against him.

But above all, may it please thee, to rule and govern thy Holy Church universal in the right way; and to grant that all who confess thy holy name may agree in the truth of thy holy word, and live in unity and godly love. Pardon and heal the divisions of thy people. Build up and strengthen the walls of Zion, that the gates of hell may not prevail against it. Send down upon the Bishops and all the Pastors of thy flock, the continual dew of thy blessing. May they all with one heart, and one consent, show forth and defend thy truth, not only in their preaching, but in their lives. May they be enabled truly and faithfully to serve thee, in their life and doctrine, and in the administration of thy holy Sacrament, remembering how great a treasure is committed to their charge, and the solemn account which they must one day give before the tribunal of Christ. May the Spirit of grace and of supplication rest upon them, and upon all thy people everywhere; and hear thou from heaven, thy dwelling place, the prayers they offer up in the name of Jesus Christ, our only Mediator and Advocate.

[Finally, let our petitions come up with acceptance before thee, O God, in behalf of all mankind. Be pleased to direct and prosper the endeavours of thy servants for extending the knowledge of the Gospel of Christ. May the word of the Lord have free course and be glorified, that thy way may be known upon earth, and thy saving health among all nations. Hasten, O Lord, thy coming, and thy kingdom; hasten the glory of the latter day.

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