O Almighty and Everlasting God, whose gracious and never-failing Providence orders all things, both in heaven and earth; we, Thy unworthy servants, most humbly beseech Thee, to look with an eye of pity upon thy afflicted people. We have sinned, O Lord, and done wickedly; in the days of our prosperity we have forgotten Thee, the bounteous Giver of all good: but Thou dealest not with the sons of men after their sins, nor rewardest them according to their iniquities. Have mercy, therefore, upon us, O God, according to Thy loving-kindness: according unto the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out our transgressions. We know, O Lord, that Thy judgments are right, and that Thou, in faithfulness, hast afflicted us. But, O Lord, rebuke us not in Thy wrath, neither chasten us in Thy hot displeasure. Let mercy rejoice against judgment. And turn Thee unto us, and have mercy upon us: for we are desolate and afflicted. The troubles of our heart are enlarged: oh bring Thou us out of our distresses. Look upon our affliction and our pain, and forgive all our sins.
O Heavenly Father, our only dependence is upon Thy compassion. Thou art merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy. For Thou knowest our frame; Thou rememberest that we are dust. We come before Thee, therefore, trusting in the multitude of Thy mercies, and encouraged by the abundance of Thy great and precious promises. Incline Thine ear, O Lord, and hear the supplications of Thy people. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause Thine anger towards us to cease. Of Thy only gift it cometh that Thy people can do unto Thee true and acceptable service. Pour, therefore, we humbly beseech Thee, upon this land, the spirit of grace and supplication, the spirit of wisdom and revelation in the knowledge of the Lord, that it may know, in this its day, the things which belong unto its peace; and may flee to Thee for deliverance from the floods of immorality, profaneness, and infidelity, which threaten to overflow its borders. O Almighty God, who alone canst order the unruly wills and affections of sinful men, shed abroad, in the minds and hearts of this people, the enlightening, renewing, and sanctifying influence of Thy grace, that, recognising Thy judgments, submitting to Thy will, and profiting by Thy chastisements, we may humble ourselves under Thy mighty hand; and putting away from us the evil of our ways, may turn unto Thee with all our heart, and with fasting, and with weeping, and with mourning. And then, O merciful and long-suffering Lord, who willest not the death of a sinner, but rather that all should repent and live; spare us, good Lord, oh spare Thy people, whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood; and hear from Heaven, we implore Thee, and forgive our sin, and heal our land.
Furthermore, we earnestly address Thee, O gracious God, whose kingdom ruleth over all, in behalf of the whole race of mankind. Be pleased, of Thy great goodness, to grant, that now, when Thy judgments are in the earth, the inhabitants of the world may learn righteousness: and in every land they may receive grace to glorify Thee in the day of visitation. Oh bless and prosper, we pray Thee, the means employed for the spread of the light of Thy Holy Gospel, here and abroad,—for the promotion of Thy glory, and the extension of Thy kingdom. That, in Thy good time, the kingdoms of this world may become the kingdoms of our Lord, and of His Christ.
Finally, we beseech Thee, of Thy goodness, O Lord, to comfort and succour all them, who, in this transitory life, are in trouble, sorrow, need, sickness, or any other adversity;—more especially those who are set in the midst of so many and great dangers, by reason of the pestilence which it hath pleased Thee to send upon the land. Oh be Thou unto all Thy servants a refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. Be merciful unto us, O God, be merciful unto us, for our souls trust in Thee; yea in the shadow of thy wings will we make our refuge, until these calamities be overpast. Thou art our hope and our stronghold, our God, in Thee will we trust. O Lord, who art rich in mercy and goodness, suffer not, we entreat Thee, any evil to happen to us, neither any plague to come nigh our dwelling. And graciously produce in us such firm trust in thy mighty aid, amid all the trials and dangers of this mortal life, and such a blessed assurance, that, under Thy divine control, all things shall work together for our eternal good, that we may not be afraid for the terror by night, nor the arrow that flieth by day; nor for the pestilence that walketh in darkness, nor for the destruction that wasteth at noon-day. But that filled with joy and peace in believing, we may rest with humble and firm dependence, Heavenly Father, upon Thy sure protection, Thy blessed guidance, and Thy tender mercies, now and ever. So that when the hour of our departure shall come, we may humbly trust, through Thy grace, to meet death without fear or amazement; and stedfast through faith, and joyful through hope, to commit our souls to Thy safekeeping, O blessed Lord, as unto a faithful Creator and Redeemer, when Thou, in Thy infinite wisdom and goodness, shall see it fitting to take us unto Thyself. Vouchsafe, we earnestly implore Thee, O Almighty and most merciful God, to receive favourably these our humble petitions for ourselves and for all mankind, offered with deep humility and self-abasement to Thy divine Majesty, in the name and through the mediation of Thy Son, our most blessed Lord and Saviour, to whom, with Thee, and the Holy Ghost, be ascribed, as is most due, all honour and glory, dominion and power, thanksgiving and praise, and humble adoration, henceforth and for evermore. Amen.
A Prayer, which may be used in Health or in Sickness.
O Almighty and most merciful God, who so loved the world, that Thou gavest Thy only-begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life, grant unto us, Thy weak and sinful servants, we most humbly beseech Thee, sincere repentance and lively faith; that coming to our blessed Lord, as the Way, and the Truth, and the Life, we may, through His infinite and most precious merits, obtain pardon and peace. We are sensible, O Lord, of our natural corruption and hardness of heart, of the number and heinousness of our offences, and yet we are little acquainted with the extent of that corruption and guilt; for who knoweth the deceitfulness of his wicked heart, or who can tell how oft he offendeth? We deserve at Thy hand, O God, nothing but condemnation; and should utterly despair, were it not for the gracious assurance given in Thy Holy Scriptures, that Thou, O Lord, waitest to be gracious, and that the blood of Jesus Christ, Thy Son, cleanseth us from all sin.
We know that we are not sufficient of ourselves to think any thing as of ourselves, but that our sufficiency is of Thee, who workest in us both to will and to do, of Thy good pleasure. We beseech Thee, therefore, O God, to be graciously pleased, for Christ’s sake, to enlighten, by Thy heavenly grace, the natural darkness of our understandings, to rectify the perversion of our wills, and to sanctify the unholiness of our affections. We deplore, O Lord, our deadness to spiritual things: oh! of Thy great goodness, strengthen, we pray Thee, our faith, quicken our zeal, increase our love, and improve our obedience. Oh! grant us, according to the riches of Thy glory, to be strengthened with might by Thy Spirit in the inner man; that Christ may dwell in our hearts by faith; that we being rooted and grounded in love, may be filled with the fruits of the Spirit, may adorn in all things the doctrine of God our Saviour, and may know the love of Christ which passeth knowledge. That, having received the adoption of sons, the Spirit may bear witness with our spirit, that we are Thy children, O gracious God, to whom looking as unto a reconciled Father in Christ Jesus, we may cry, Abba, Father. And we may have our conversation in Heaven, from whence also we look for the Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ; who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the working, whereby He is able even to subdue all things unto Himself.
O Lord Jesu Christ, the Lamb of God, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us, and cleanse us by Thy precious blood, from the defilement of our past offences: Oh! enable us to come boldly unto the Throne of Grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. O Almighty and merciful God, who art faithful, and who wilt not suffer us to be tempted above that we are able; but wilt with the temptation also make a way to escape, that we may be able to bear it: we cast all our care on Thee, who carest for us: And oh! mayest Thou, Heavenly Father, who hast, of Thy free and unmerited mercy, begun a good work in us, perform it until the day of Jesus Christ.
Of Thy tender mercy, we beseech Thee, shed abroad in our hearts the consolations of Thy Gospel, and enrich us with Christian graces, that we may be supported under whatever afflictions Thou mayest be pleased to send, and receive them, and seek for grace to benefit by them, as being sent, gracious Lord, by Thee, in mercy and for our profit. That, under Thy most mighty protection and blessing, we may fight the good fight of faith, lay hold on eternal life, and finish our course with joy; by Him and through Him, to whom has been given a name that is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth: and that every tongue should confess, that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. Amen, Amen.
THE END.