down where Babylon and Rome have gone before.

Whose smoke goeth up continually and their fire is not quenched.

But the chains are fast and heavy and loud is the weeping and gnashing of teeth.

Bnt turn us and make us to remember Thee for thy benefits: have mercy on us, and make us to fear Thee for thy judgements.

Bid us call to mind the days of old : warn us from thy dealings with our forefathers.

For Thou didst rise to take vengeance on their sins Thou didst send madness into thy people.

They feared not to slay thine anointed they brought his nobles to the dust.

Thou didst give our churches to desolation : and our bishops to the sword.

Brother stood up against brother : and the father was slain by the hands of his son.

The vile man was suddenly exalted to honour : and the honourable man was seen to beg his bread.

But Thou didst turn thy face again : Thou didst not forget thy people for ever.

Thou didst turn our desolation into gladness: and our mourning into songs of joy.

Be favourable to us, therefore, O Lord : harden not our hearts in the unthankfulness of unbelief.

Lest again Thou rise to smite us and our last state be worse than our first.

Humble the hearts which exalt themselves against Thee: disappoint the vanity of such as trust in their own arm.

Bring down the pride of the rebellious frustrate the cunning of the deceitful

boaster traitor.

But set high in honour the men that fear thy name prosper the counsellors whose wisdom is of thy knowledge.

Establish the throne of thine anointed: surround it with faithfulness and honour.

Clothe thy priests with righteousness and thy people with innocence.

So wilt Thou hear our prayer: and wilt accept our offering.

Thou wilt set up thy habitation among us : and no evil shall approach to hurt us.

Plenteousness and peace shall dwell in the land and truth and concord shall flourish in thy Church.

And we will sing and rejoice before Thee and bless thy name for thy goodness for ever.

XXVI.

A PRAYER OF PREPARATION.

SUGGESTED BY A DARK DAY.

O LORD, Thou hast a day in store : O Judge eternal, it is written in thy books;

When there shall be no blackness of the clouds of sorrow : neither rain of the tears of weeping.

But the Sun of righteousness shall shine continually forth and the silence of great calm shall be upon the deep of trouble.

Then shall there be joy before Thee and the song of holy mirth shall go up before thy throne.

For there shall be no business but that of thy praise and no pleasure but that of doing thy will.

The crowds that meet shall be the congregation of thy worshippers: the place of their assembly shall be thy everlasting habitation.

And their talk shall be of thy glory and their song shall celebrate thy mercy.

Worthy art Thou to receive honour and praise : heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Lord, sanctify to me this day: make it a preparation for that great day of thy coming.

Give me true and righteous judgment over my heart that I be not judged on that day.

:

Set me stedfastly down to do thy will: that I may accept with joy thy sentence on that day. Take away every thought out of my heart : if it will not abide the light of that day.

Open my lips to praise Thee cleanse my hands to spread out in worship to Thee. Lift up my heart from earth: exalt my spirit to thy throne on high,

Where Thou sittest in glory: and awaitest the day of thy appearing.

Let every thing that is in me be thine : for Thou, even Thou, O Lord, hast made me, and redeemed me.

XXVII.

THE RESPONSIBILITY OF OUR COUNTRY.

Ο THOU queen that sittest upon the waters: that settest thy throne on the great deep,

That exaltest thine horn over continents : and curbest islands with the bit of thy dominion;

Is it the wisdom of thine own counsel that hath prospered thee is it the strength of thine own arm that hath won thee thine inheritance?

Is it for thine own profit that thou hast been made rich: is it for thine own glory that thou hast been exalted?

Boast not thyself against the Lord thy

Maker: for his own purposes He hath appointed thee.

He hath made thy merchants kings and given thee kingdoms for provinces.

He hath set the poles of the earth for thy boundaries: He hath enlarged thee from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof.

Wilt thou forget the hands that made thee: wilt thou not proclaim his name to the nations;

And call them to worship Him with holy worship and cry unto them from the loftiness of thy seat, and say,

Hear me, all ye my people give ear unto my proclamation, O ye nations?

Do ye wonder at my strength, which hath bound your kings in fetters: do ye admire my glory which hath eclipsed the brightness of all your kingdoms?

Do ye praise my wisdom which hath made vain all the devices of your counsellors : and my boldness which hath set at nought the multitude of your hosts?

It is the Lord that hath established me it is the Lord that exalted me.

My knowledge He hath imparted from above my courage He hath

heart from his Holy Spirit.

poured into my

This is He that made me come, see how good He is.

Come, learn of me, and understand his