III.

Lord, impute not unto him the follies of his youth, nor any of the errors and miscarriages of his life; but strengthen him in his agony, and carry him safely through this last distress. Let not his faith waver, nor his hope fail, nor his charity be disordered; let him die in peace, rest in hope, and rise in glory. Amen.

IV.

Lord, we know and believe assuredly, that whatsoever is under thy custody cannot be taken out of thy hands, nor by all the violences of hell robbed of thy protection: preserve the work of thy hand, rescue him from all evil; and let his portion be with the patriarchs and prophets, with the apostles and martyrs, and all thy holy saints, in the arms of Christ, in the bosom of felicity, and the kingdom of God for ever.

SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us; save and help this thy departing servant, we beseech thee, O Lord. Amen.

UNTO thy gracious mercy and protection we commit him. O God the Father, bless him and keep him. God the Son, make thy face to shine upon him, and be gracious unto him. O God the Holy Ghost, lift up thy countenance upon him, and give him thy peace, both now and evermore. Amen.

A Thanksgiving after Recovery

MOST mighty God and merciful Father, we thy un worthy servants, desire now in behalf of this thy servant, whom thou hast raised up from a dangerous sickness, to return thee hearty thanks, acknowledging it to be owing to thy goodness alone that he is now alive, and has once more an opportunity of offering up his prayers and praises at the throne of grace. Thou, O Lord, hast chastened him, and corrected him, but hast not given him over unto death; blessed therefore be that divine wisdom which saw this late

affliction seasonable. Blessed be that tender compassion, which, in the midst of wrath, remembered mercy; which made all his bed in his sickness, passed by his many infirmi ties, and inclined a willing ear unto his supplications, when he cried unto thee in the time of his distress: blessed be the powerful influence of that grace which disposed his heart to consideration and repentance. But, above all, blessed for ever be that power and goodness, which, by sparing him when he had deserved to be cut off, has now given him an opportunity of rectifying the errors of his past life, and reforming whatever is amiss in him.

O Lord, let not this goodness of thine, nor his own serious purpose of better obedience, ever slip out of his mind; but preserve in him a constant tender sense of the great obliga. tions he is under of serving thee faithfully all his days; make him every day more and more zealous in promoting thy glory and the good of his brethren; in studying to please thee better than he has ever yet done; and in devo. ting the remainder of that life which thou hast given him, to the service of thee, his gracious Benefactor.

Give him grace humbly to offer and present unto thee his soul and body, which thou hast so mercifully preserved, beseeching thee to take them into thy custody. O let not the return of his health be accompanied with a return to his former sins and follies; but let the experience he has had, how little any thing will profit in the time of trouble besides a good conscience, so effectually convince him of the necessity of a good life, so powerfully persuade him to the practice of religion, that he may make it the great study and endeavour, the constant business and employment of his whole life, to love, adore and serve thee, and in all things to become such as thou wouldst have him to be.

But, O Lord, forasmuch as without thee he is not able to please thee, mercifully grant unto him such a measure of thy grace as may enable him to amend whatever has been amiss in the temper and disposition of his mind, or in any of the actions of his life. Oh! let him never more be led away by the deceitful promises of the world, the flesh, or the devil; but grant, O'our God, that his hopes and af. fections may be unalterably fixed upon that eternal and unchangeable happiness which thou hast prepared for them

that love thee. Let the thoughts and expectations of death and judgment be so constantly, so powerfully present to his soul, as effectually to work upon his mind, and to bring forth in him the fruits of a holy and religious life. Let the pains and troubles he has lately felt, inspire him with a tender pity and compassion for the miseries and calamities of others, and make him ready, upon all occasions, to contribute what he can to the wants and necessities of his brethren and oh! let those talents which thou hast afresh committed to his trust, be so faithfully improved for thy glory, the good of others, and the benefit of his own soul, that whenever thou shalt call him to give an account of his stewardship, he may not be condemned as an unprofitable servant, but may be found such an one as thou shalt then pronounce faithful, and bid to enter into the joy of his Lord.

Grant this, O merciful Father, through the merits and for the sake of thy dear Son Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with thee and the ever-blessed Spirit, be ascribed, as is most due, by him and every creature, all honour, glory, power, dominion, thanksgiving and praise, throughout all ages. Amen.

THE COLLECTS.

The first Sunday in Advent.

LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen.

The second Sunday in Advent.

LESSED Lord, who hast caused all holy Scriptures to be written read, mark, learn, and inwardly digest them, that by patience, and comfort of thy holy Word, we may embrace, and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The third Sunday in Advent.

LORD Jesus Christ, who at thy first coming didst send thy Messenger to prepare thy way before thee; grant that the Ministers and Stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that, at thy second coming to judge the world, we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The fourth Sunday in Advent.

LORD, raise up, we pray thee, thy power, and come among us, and with great might succour us; that whereas, through our sins and wickedness, we are sore let and hindered in running the race that is set before us, thy bountiful grace and mercy may speedily help and deliver us, through the satisfaction of thy Son our Lord; to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be honour and glory, world without end.

Amen.

The Nativity of our Lord, or the Birth-day of Christ, commonly called Christmas-day, and the Sunday after.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy only begotten Son to take our nature upon him, and as at this time to be born of a pure Virgin; grant that we, being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by thy holy Spirit, through the

same our Lord Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the same Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

The Circumcision of Christ.

ALMIGHTY God, who madest thy Blessed Son to be circumcised,

and obedient to the law for man; grant us the true circumcision of the Spirit, that, our hearts and all our members being mortified from all worldly and carnal lusts, we may in all things obey thy blessed will, through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epiphany, or the Manifestation of Christ to the Gentiles.

GOD, who by the leading of a Star didst manifest thy only-begotten Son to the Gentiles; mercifully grant that we, who know thee now by faith, may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The first Sunday after Epiphany.

O LORD, we beseech thee mercifully to receive the prayers of thy people who call upon thee; and grant that they may both perceive and know what things they ought to do, and also may have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Second Sunday after the Epiphany.

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in

A heaven and earth; mercifully hear the supplications of thy peo

ple, and grant us thy peace all the days of our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The third Sunday after the Epiphany.

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, mercifully look upon our inthy right hand to help and defend us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The fourth Sunday after the Epiphany.

GOD, who knowest us to be set in the midst of so many and great dangers, that by reason of the frailty of our nature we cannot always stand upright; grant to us such strength and protection, as may support us in all dangers, and carry us through all temptations, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The fifth Sunday after the Epiphany.

LORD, we beseech thee to keep thy Church and Household continually in thy true religion, that they who do lean only upon the hope of thy heavenly grace, may evermore be defended by thy mighty power, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The sixth Sunday after the Epiphany.

GOD, whose blessed Son was manifested that he might destroy the works of the devil, and make us the sons of God, and Heirs of eternal life; grant us, we beseech thee, that having this hope, we