In respect to the prayers, it has been my aim to give the utmost freedom, variety, and excellence of devotional expression. It was my hope to prepare them wholly from materials furnished by other hands; and only in a few instances has this course been departed from. I have sought where I could for models of standard excellence; feeling confident of this principle, that, while the best devotional expression is sufficiently simple as to form, even the youngest minds should be familiar from the first with what is most full in thought, and elevated in tone. By permission of the proprietors, the "Chapel Liturgy," and Furness's "Domestic Worship," have been freely used. The first ten of the accompanying prayers, as well as some later portions of the book, are prepared wholly from the Liturgy. Several others are gathered from sources so various as St. Augustine, Kempis, and Fenelon, Channing's Memoirs, and Miss Carpenter's "Meditations." For several, I am indebted to the kindness of my friends. In all, that only

is admitted which it is hoped may serve the higher purposes of such a Manual.

Either portion of the service may be omitted, or easily abridged, at the discretion of the reader.

My original intention was simply to supply a want which I have experienced in conducting the devotions of the Sunday School. In doing this, however, it has seemed desirable to adopt the tone, and include the larger range suggested in the title. With this view, as well as to make of it a convenient manual for professional use, I have added such other materials, as, without much enlarging the limits, seemed essential to the completeness, of the extended plan.

BANGOR, March, 1852.

J. H. A.