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Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord! our heavenly Father, Almighty and Everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger, but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that which is righteous in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive, receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us, for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

EVENING Prayer.

The Psalms for the Day, being read, as before: Let a Chapter be also read out of the Epistles, beginning with that to the Romans, and continuing on to that of St. Jude.

Then let the Master of the Family proceed to Prayer in the following manner.

To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him, neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he has set before us.

Remember not, Lord, our offences, nor the offences of our forefathers, neither take thou vengeance of our sins; spare us, good Lord, spare thy people whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with us for ever.

Ans. Spare us, Good Lord!

O most merciful and gracious Lord God, who dwellest in the highest heavens, yet humblest thyself to behold the things which are done here upon earth; thou chargest thy angels with folly, yea, the heavens are not clean in thy sight; and what then is man that he should be clean? or he that is born of a woman, that he should be righteous?

O God! we confess, with shame and confusion of face, that we are not worthy of the least regard from thee whom we have so much offended; and whose patience and long-suffering we have so often and grievously abused. O Lord! we have sinned, we have done wickedly; we have broken thy holy commandments by thought, word, and deed; by doing

those things which thou hast forbidden, and leaving undone the things which thou hast commanded. And to make ourselves altogether sinful, we have gone on in a continued course of sin and rebellion against thee; and have persisted in it notwithstanding all the motions of thy Holy Spirit, and the checks of our own consciences to the contrary. Yea, this very day we have not ceased to add new sins to all our former guilt.f

And now, O God! what shall we say, or how shall we open our mouths, seeing we have done these things? O Lord! to us belongs shame and confusion of face, because we have rebelled against thee: but with thee there is mercy, therefore shalt thou be feared. Have mercy upon us, O God! after thy great goodness, according to the multitude of thy mercies do away our offences. Wash us thoroughly from our wickedness, and cleanse us from our sins: and grant us grace so truly to repent of, and turn from our evil doings, that our iniquities may not be our ruin. Give us a deep sense of our sins past; and a hearty sorrow and contrition for them: and so endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit, that for what remains of our lives we may walk more circumspectly before thee, redeeming the time because the days are evil.

To this end, purify our souls from all corrupt desires and affections; mortify all our carnal lusts and appetites; make us as constant and zealous to deny, as we have ever been heretofore ready to gratify and indulge them. Pour into our hearts a spirit of piety aud devotion; of love and charity; of humility and

Here, let a short stop be made for every one to call to mind wherein he has offended the day before.

self-denial; and grant that these, and all other Christian graces and virtues may more and more increase, and abound in us. Remove from us all envy, and hatred, and malice; and whatsoever else is contrary to our duty towards thee, or towards our neighbour: and so establish us in thy fear, that it may never depart from our minds; but be a constant security to us against all those temptations which either the devil, the world, or our own flesh, shall hereafter minister unto us; to draw us into sin, or to hinder us in our duty.

More particularly, we pray thee to pardon and forgive us whatsoever we have done amiss this day: O let us not lie down to rest under thy displeasure: but grant us that forgiveness of our sins now, which we may never have any future opportunity to ask of thee.

Take us, this night, into thine especial favour and protection. Give thy holy angels charge over us, that no evils happen unto us, nor any dangers approach us, to disturb our repose. Refresh us with comfortable rest, and raise us up in the morning with renewed strength and vigour to praise thy name. And now that we are about to lie down upon our bed of rest, grant us grace seriously to consider that time, when, in a little while, we shall lie down in the dust; and since we know neither the day nor hour of our Master's coming, make us so careful of our duty, and so watchful against sin, that we may be always ready; that we may never live in such a state as we should fear to die in; but that whether we live we may live unto the Lord; or whether we die we may die unto the Lord; that whether we live or die we may be thine, through Jesus Christ our Lord;

in whose most holy name and words we farther call upon thee, saying:

Our Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven; Give us day by day our daily bread; and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil; for thine is the kingdom, and the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

The Almighty Lord, who is a most strong tower of defence to all them that put their trust in him; to whom all things in heaven and earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey; be now and evermore our defender and preserver.

Unto his gracious favour and protection we most humbly commend ourselves, and all that belong unto us. The Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us; and give us his peace this night and for evermore. Amen.

NOTE, That these prayers may, with a very little alteration, be as proper for single persons to make use of, as for families.

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