them, Jam. v. 1, 2, 3, 4, 5. Go to now ye rich men, weep and howl, for your misery shall come upon you, &c. Let us then be perfuaded, as we love God whom we have not seen, as we love the gospel which we read and hear every day, and would preserve the reputation of it; as we would better the world, and the condition of mankind; as we love ourselves, and our own peace and happiness; to deal justly and equally with all men. Till we come to live by this rule of equity, we can never hope to see the world a quiet habitation. But if this were practised among us, then Glory would dwell in our land, mercy and truth would meet together, righteousness and peace would kiss each other; truth would spring out of the earth, and righteousness would look down from heaven: yea, the Lord would give that which is good, and our land would yield her increase; righteousness would go before him, and set us in the way of his steps, Pfal. clxxxv. 9, 10, 11, 12, 13. TO : γοΥ have here an end of this great work, and I can affure you, that I have faithfully discharged what at first I promised, which was, to give you these fermons truly tranfcribed from the orginals. I have sometimes put two fermons into one, or three into two, (as the author used to do in those he printed) and if on that account I have left out repetitions, or shortened some things which have been before printed, yet I never altered either the words or fenfe, otherwise than was necessary for the connexion; and as I did this purely to make the work more perfect, I hope I have rather obliged the publick, than deserved the cenfure of any. By these fermons you have seen how good and useful a Preacher the author was; and though the publishing of them was all I had to do, yet that the world may see that he was de vout as well as eloquent, I have ventured to annex fome of his prayers, with a short difcourse to his fervants before the receiving of the facrament, all written by his own hand. These are no great addition to the work, and will, I hope, be valued by some, or at the worst can only be blamed as the indiscreet zeal, rather than any interest or design of the publisher. Brasted in Kent, RA. BARKER. 288 PRAYER Composed by Archbishop TILLOTSON. To which is added, A short discourse to his servants before the facrament. G A Prayer before the sermon. Reat and glorious Lord God! the high and holy one, who inhabitest eternity, and dwel left in that light which is not to be approached: We pray thee to look down from heaven, the habitation of thy holiness and thy glory, upon us vile and finful creatures. Have mercy upon us, O Lord! and according to the multitude of thy tender mercies, blot out all our tranfgreffions: And do thou keep it for ever in the purpose and resolution of our hearts, to serve and fear thee for the future, and to keep all thy commandments always, that it may be well with us, and with our children after us. pray thee to this end, to write thy law in our hearts, and to put thy fear into our inward parts, that we may never depart from thee. We Grant us the grace of thy Holy Spirit, to become every day better, to reform and amend whatever is amiss in the frame and temper of our minds, or in the course and actions of our lives; to enable us to mortify our lufts, to govern our paffions, and to to order our whole conversation aright; to assist us to all that is good, and to keep us from all evil, and to preserve us to thy heavenly kingdom. We pray thee to instruct us in all the particulars of our duty, which we owe to thee and men; that we may herein exercise ourselves always to have confciences void of offence both towards God and towards men; that we may love thee the Lord our God with all our hearts, and with all our fouls, and with all our strength; and may love our neighbour as ourselves; and whatever we would that men should do unto us, that we may do likewise unto them. And let the grace of God, which hath appeared to all men, and brings falvation, teach us, that denying ungodliness and worldly lufts, we may live foberly, and righteously, and godly in this present world; waiting for the blessed hope and glorious appearing of the great God and our Saviour Jesus Christ, who gave himself for us, that he might redeemus from all iniquity, and purify to himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. And we pray thee to make us sensible of our own frailty, of the shortness and uncertainty of this life, and of the eternity of the next; to make us careful fo to live, as we shall wish we had done when we come to dy: let our loins always be girded about, and our lamps burning, and we ourselves like unto men that wait for their Lord.. We pray thee, with us, to extend thy goodness to the whole world. Let thy way be known upon earth, and thy faving health among all nations. Pity and relieve the miseries and afflictions of men; especially those in our neighbour nations, who fuffer for thy truth and righteousness sake. Support them, O Lord! under their fufferings; and in thy due time deliver them out of them. Bless thy church; reform whatsoever thou seest to be amifs in the belief and lives of Christians, and grant that all those who profess thy name, and the holy religion of our blessed Saviour, may live as it becomes the gospel, and may depart from all iniquity. VOL. X. In a particular manner we pray thee to be gracious to these sinful nations to which we are related; to pardon our great and crying sins, to prevent those judgments which our fins have justly deserved, and to spare us according to thy great mercy. In a more especial manner, we pray thee to pour down thy blessings upon thy fervant and our sovereign, by thy grace King of England, Scotland, France, and Ireland, defender of the faith, and in all causes and over all persons in thefe his dominions fupreme governor. Preferve him in his person; make his government a publick blessing to these nations ; let religion and righteousness flourish under the influences of it, and let there be abundance of peace in his days. Bless him in his royal relations,-and all the royal family. And thou who art the wise God, and governest all the affairs of the world, be pleased so to bless and direct all publick counsels and affairs amongst us, as that they may tend to the advancement of thy glory, the preservation of religion, and the peace and happiness of these kingdoms. Bless, we pray thee, all ranks and orders of men amongst us, and make them all in their several places and stations useful and serviceable to thy glory and to the publick good. Bless those to whom thou hast committed the care of instructing and governing thy church, by what titles soever they are distinguished, Archbishops, Bishops, and all others that minifter in holy things. We pray thee to make them faithful to that trust which thou hast committed unto them, and to grant that by their diligent labours and prudent carriage, and holy and exemplary lives, they may gain many unto righteousness. Bless the two Universities of this land; grant that they may answer the ends of their institution, that religion, and learning, and virtue, may be the glory of those pla ces. ! We pray thee to bless us thine unworthy servants, who at this time are affembled and met together in thy name; to be present in the midst of us, and to affist us in the work and service which we are about; and to grant that those truths which shall be delivered to |