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2 Cor. 13. 14.

THE

HE grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us'all evermore. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the Bleffing.

My chriftian brethren, I fhall now conclude this part of the service, with the benediction used by St Paul, (2 Cor. xiii. 14.) configning over both you and myself to the care and protection of the ever-bleffed Trinity; befeeching the great God, who in one nature unites three perfons, that we may be abfolved by the grace which our bleffed Lord Jefus Chrift has obtained for us by the great work of redemption: that we may be justifed by the love of the Father, who is now reconciled to us through his blood and finally, that by participating of the communication of the Holy Ghoft, we may be fanctified. Amen.

Here endeth the Litany.

PRAYERS and THANKSGIVINGS

Upon feveral OCCASIONS,

To be used before the two final Prayers of the Litany, or of Morning and Evening Prayer.

PRAYER S.

For RAIN.

God, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jefus Chrift haft promised to all them that feek thy Kingdom, and the righteousness thereof, all things neceffary to their bodily fuftenance; fend us, we befeech thee, in this our neceflity,

PARAPHRASE.

On the PRAYER for Rain.

O God our Father, whofe habitation is the highest heaven, and whe hat promifed, by thy Son Jefus our bleffed Lord, that all thofe that feek the kingdom of heaven and the righteousness thereof, fhall have all outward things added unto them, we beseech thee to fend us, now that our neceffities require it, now that the ground is parched up for want of moisture, fuch

a kindly

fuch moderate rain and fhowers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth, to our comfort, and to thy honour, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For fair Weather.

who for the fin of man didft once drown all the world, except eight perfons, and afterward of thy great mercy didft promise never to destroy it fo again; We humbly befeech thee, that although we for our iniquities have worthily deserved a plague of rain and waters; yet upon our true repentance, thou wilt fend us fuch weather, as that we may receive the fruits of the earth in due feafon; and learn both by thy punishment to amend our lives, and for thy clemency to give thee praise and glory, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the time of dearth and famine.

God, heavenly Father, whofe gift it is, that the rain doth fall, the earth is fruitful, beafts increase, and

PARAPHRASE.

a kindly rain as may refresh the dry earth, fo that it may yield its accuftomed fruits to the comfort of us, thy poor creatures, who depend upon them for nourishment; that thereby we may be enabled to use them to thy honour and glory; which favour we beg for the fake of our blessed Saviour, Jefus Chrift. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the PRAYER for fair Weather.

O Almighty God, who when thou didst fee that all flesh had corrupted its way upon earth, (Gen. vi. 12.) didit by the deluge, deftroy all the inhabitants of the world, excepting only eight perfons belonging to the family of the righteous Noah, and didft afterwards fix thy bow in the clouds, as a fign that the waters fhould no more become a flood to destroy all flesh (Gen. ix. 15.) we humbly intreat thee, that tho' we, by our fins, have deferved to perifh by a deluge likewife, thou wouldft, upon our repentance, be graciously pleafed to grant us fuch feasonable weather, that the fruits of the earth being ripened by the foftering heat of the fun, we may gather them for our ufe at the proper season, and that we, feriously reflecting upon thy chaftifement, may learn to lead more holy lives for the time to come; and in confideration of thy mercy, which has fpared us after fo many reiterated provocations, may be ftill more strongly excited to praise and adore thy goodness, the greatest of all thy attributes ; and this favour we pray thee to grant us for the fake of our ever-bleffed Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen.

O om

fihes do multiply; Behold, we beseech thee, the afflictions elve of thy people; and grant that the fcarcity and dearth, hoc, which we do now moft juftly fuffer for our iniquity) may through thy goodnefs be mercifully turned into cheapnefs and plenty, for the love of Jefus Chrift our Lord; to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghoft, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Or This.

God, merciful Father, who, in the time of Elisha the prophet, didft fuddenly in Samaria turn great scarcity and dearth into plenty and cheapnefs, Have mercy upon us; that we, who are now for our fins punished with like to adverfity, may likewise find a seasonable relief: Increase the fruits of the earth by thy heavenly benediction; and grant that we, receiving thy bountiful liberality, may use the fame to thy glory, the relief of those that are needy, and our own comfort, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

the

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In the time of War and Tumults.

Almighty God, King of all kings, and Governor of all things, whofe power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth juftly to punifh finners, and to be merciful to them that truly repent; Save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies; abate their pride, affwage their malice, and confound their devices; that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preferved evermore from all perils to glorify thee, who art the only giver of all victory, through the merits of thy only Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

PARAPHRASE.

Paraphrafe on the PRAYER in time of War and Tumults.

O omnipotent Being, King of kings, whofe kingdom ruleth over all; whole will and power the mightiest are unable to refift; whofe fole prerogative it is to punish offenders with ftrict juftice, and to fhew thy mercy by fparing fuch as fincerely repent of their fins, we beseech thee to prefeave us from the hands of our foes; to quell that pride which has made them fo haughtily defpife our force, and invade our rights; to diminish that malignity of heart which excites them to perfecute us with fo much

eager

In the Time of any common Plague or fickness. Almighty God, who in thy wrath didft fend a plague upon thine own people in the wildernefs, for their obftinate rebellion against Mofes and Aaron; and alfo in the time of king David didft flay with the plague of peftilence threefcore and ten thousand, and yet, remembering thy mercy, didft fave the reft: Have pity upon us miserable finners, who now are vifited with great fickness and mortality; that like as thou didst then accept of an atonement, and didst command the deftroying Angel to ceale from punishing; fo it may now pleafe thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous fickness, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

In the Ember-weeks to be faid every Day for those that are to be admitted into holy Orders.

who haft

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chafed to thyfelf an univerfal Church by the precious blood of thy dear Son; mercifully look upon the fame; and at this time fo guide and govern the minds of thy fervants the bishops and paftors of thy flock, that they may lay hands fuddenly on no man, but faithfully and wifely make choice of fit perfons to ferve in the facred Ministry of thy Church. And to thofe which shall be ordained to any holy Function, give thy grace and heavenly benediction;

PARAPHRASE.

eagerness and fury; and baffle all thofe devices and ftratagems by which they endeavour to trepan us; that we, being fhielded by thy protection which is the beft armour, may be faved from all the perils and dangers by which this war is attended; and if thou art pleafed by thy gracious pro vidence to cause victory to decide for us, we may afcribe the gift to th bounty alone; and this we earnestly request of thee for the fake of th enly Son Jefus Chrift. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the PRAYER in the Ember-weeks.

Omnipotent God, our most gracious Father, who dwelleft in the mo exalted part of the heavens, and haft purchased to thyself a church, b the blood of thy own dear Son, (Acts xx. 28. Eph. v. 25.) we beseec thee to watch over the fame with thy efpecial Providence, and to direct b thy heavenly guidance the minds of the bishops and their affitting prefby

te

that both by their life and doctrine they may fet forth thy glory, and fet forward the falvation of all men, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or this.

the of all who of

divine providence haft appointed divers Orders in thy Church; Give thy grace, we humbly befeech thee, to all those who are to be called to any Office and Administration in the fame; and to replenish them with the truth of thy Doctrine; and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully ferve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and the benefit of thy holy Church, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

M

A Prayer for the High Court of Parliament, to be read during their Seffion. OST gracious God, we humbly befeech thee, as for in general, fo efpecially for the High Court of Parliament, under our most religious and gracious King at this time affembled; That thou wouldst be pleafed to direa and profper all their Confultations to the advance

this Kingdom

PARAPHRASE.

ters in the office of ordination, in fuch a manner, that, pursuant to the advice of the apoftle, they may lay hands fuddenly on no man, (1 Tim. i. 22.) but that they may with wisdom and fidelity make choice of perfons qualified by their piety and learning to be admitted into the offices of the miniftry. We befeech thee moreover in behalf of those, who shall, at this time be received into any of the ecclefiaftical orders, that thou wouldft bestow upon them fuch large portions of thy grace and blessing, that by their virtuous lives and orthodox doctrine, they may become ornaments to the holy profeffion wherein they fhall be engaged, and may advance thy glory, by promoting the falvation of fouls, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the PRAYER for the Parliament.

O God, who art always difpofed to hear us upon whatever occafion we address thee, we beseech thee to bestow thy bleffing upon this nation in general, but in particular upon the parliament now affembled under the King's most gracious majefty, that thou wouldst be pleafed, by the influence of thy holy fpirit, to govern their debates and refolutions in fuch a manner as may be moft conducive to promote God's glory, the church's good, the fafety of the king's perfon, his high character and welfare, M

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