mercy, grace, and peace, to all that love the "Lord Jesus in sincerity;" and by the prevalence of thy gospel terminate wars all over the earth. Look in mercy on such as are confined from thy courts by sickness or family afflictions; and by thine immediate teaching and blessing, make up to them the want of publick ordinances. Pity the multitudes, who are every where profaning thy holy sabbath, and give them repentance unto salvation. Remember all with whom we have at any time gone to the house of God in company; and let our prayers, though now separated, be accepted for each other. Be with us through the day. May we be edified, and thy name be glorified; and may we meet in the evening, with peaceful consciences and thankful hearts. Hear us through the merits and mediation of thy beloved Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. A Family Prayer for the Lord's Day Evening. O THOU most holy and merciful God, we, thine unworthy servants, desire this evening to review, as in thy presence, the day past; humbling ourselves for our sinfulness, and thanking thee for all thy loving kindness. we When we endeavour to examine any part of our conduct, or to compare it with thy holy law: never fail to discover abundant cause for humiliation. Alas, not only have our actual transgressions and omissions been innumerable and aggravated: but each of us has cause to exclaim, when contemplating thy glories, "Woe is me for I am undone, because I am one of unclean lips, and "mine eyes have seen the King the Lord of Hosts!" O God! our very worship is so defiled and defective; that, instead of atoning for our past sins, or recommending us to thy favour, it needs thy gracious forgiveness, and must be washed in the blood of Christ. Pardon then, we beseech thee this evening, whatever thy holy eyes have seen amiss in the duties of the day: the wanderings of our hearts, the coldness of our affections; our want of reverence, love, and gratitude; the weakness of our faith, the wavering of our hope; the mixture of self-seeking and regard to men, with which our religious services have been contaminated. And grant that all our supplications and thanksgivings, as far as they have been uprightly presented before thy throne of grace, under the influences of thy Holy Spirit, may be mercifully accepted, through the mediation of our heavenly Advocate. We desire also, O Lord our God, to crave thy fatherly forgiveness of every thought, word, and action, by which we have grieved thy Spirit, dishonoured thy name, ot counteracted the gracious designs of this thy holy day. Wash us thoroughly from all our sins, in the fountain of atoning blood; and vouchsafe us the comfort of thy pardoning love, and the enjoyment of thy peace, before we close our eyes in sleep. Suffer not, O merciful Lord, the ordinances of this sacred season to rise up at last in judgment. against us, to our confusion or condemnation: let not thy word of grace be a savour of death to any individual now before thee. But, O thou Giver of every good gift, teach us to improve our advantages; and render the transient seasons of public ordinances a permanent blessing to our souls. Let us not rest satisfied, with having been serious, impressed, affected, or comforted, when hearing thy word; or with conscious sincerity in our worship [or in our engagements at thy table:] but let us so meditate upon these things with self-application and fervent prayer; that our judgment may be matured, our spiritual wisdom and discernment increased, our faith and hope established, our affections purified and invigorated, and our wills rendered more submissive, by every attendance on the means of grace. Thus enable us to "give the more earnest heed to the things we have heard; "lest at any time we should let them slip.". Suffer us not to be as "children tossed to and fro with every wind of doctrine:" but make us such Christians, as "by reason of use have their senses "exercised to discern good and evil." [And may we also remember that the vows of God are upon us: and in all the transactions of life duly consider, that we have avouched the Lord to be our God; and ourselves to be his people, as redeemed unto him by the blood of his Son.] May we carry the instructions of thy word, and the savour of thy holy ordinances, along with us, into all the secular affairs of the ensuing week; to teach us wisdom and circumspection, to arm us against temptation, to be the light of our steps, and the strength of our heart. Oh grant, that as the face of Moses shone, when he came down from the mount: so when we go from communion with thee, in thy solemn worship; our light may shine before men, to the glory of thy name, and the adorning of the doctrine of God our Saviour in all things. Prosper, we beseech thee, the labours of all those who have any where, this day, preached the word of truth in simplicity and godly sincerity. May thy people be edified in their most holy faith, and sinners in great numbers be converted unto thee. And, where serious impressions have been made, let them be rendered effectual unto eternal salvation. Hear all the supplications, which have this day been presented before thee by thine assembled people; for themselves, their children, and relatives; for thy whole church, for all ranks and orders of men, and for the whole human race; according to their several wants, trials, or circumstances. May thy cause every where prevail; may thy truth run and be glorified. Oh stop the progress of false doctrine, and lift up a standard against infidelity, impiety, and licentiousness: and let peace, and the gospel of peace, fill the whole earth. And now, O heavenly Father, we commend ourselves to thy keeping this night. Watch over us and our habitation. Give us the comforts of refreshing sleep; and defend us against all enemies, especially those that would injure our souls. And grant, that by hallowing thy sabbath on earth, we may be rendered more and more "meet "to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in "light." May all our days and weeks be thus begun, continued, and ended with thee: and grant that all we, who now unite in prayer on earth, may at length meet before thy throne in heaven, to sing thy praises and triumph in thy |