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fifhes do multiply; Behold, we beseech thee, the afflictions of thy people; and grant that the fcarcity and dearth, which we do now moft juftly fuffer for our iniquity) may through thy goodness 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 at latit 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 adverfity, may likewife find a feasonable 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.

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 refift, to whom it belongeth justly to punish finners, and to be merciful to them that truly repent; Save and deliver us, we humbly befeech 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 preServe 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 so 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 wilderne fs, 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 miferable finners, who now are vifited with great fickness and mortality; that like as thou didst then accept of an atonement, and didft command the deftroying Angel to ceale from punishing; fo it may now pleafe thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous ficknefs, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who haft pur

chased to thyself 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 serve in the facred Ministry of thy Church. And to thofe which fhall 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 best armour, may be faved from all the perils and dangers by which this war is attended; and if thou art pleafed by thy gracious providence to cause victory to decide for us, we may afcribe the gift to thy bounty alone; and this we earnestly request of thee for the fake of thy only Son Jefus Chrift. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the PRAYER in the Ember-weeks.

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

ters

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

Or this.

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy

divine providence haft appointed divers Orders in thy Church; Give thy grace, we humbly befeech thee, to all thofe 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.

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

PARAPHRASE.

ters in the office of ordination, in fuch a manner, that, pursuant to the advice of the apostle, 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 thofe, who fhall, at this time be received into any of the ecclefiaftical orders, that thou wouldft bestow upon them fuch large portions of thy grace and bleffing, 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 addrefs 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 moft 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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ment of thy Glory, the good of thy Church, the fafety, honour, and welfare of our Sovereign and his Kingdoms; that all things may be fo ordered and fettled by their endeavours, upon the beft and fureft foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and juftice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all other neceffaries, for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg in the Name and Mediation of Jefus Chrift, our most bleffed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A Collect, or Prayer, for all conditions of Men, to be used at fuch Times when the Litany is not appointed to be faid.

God, the creator and preferver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all forts and conditions of men, that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy ways known unto them; thy faving health unto all Nations. More efpecially we pray for the good eftate of the Catholic Church; that it may be fo guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profefs and call themselves Chriftians, may be

PARAPHRASE.

and the kingdoms which are fubject to his fway; that whatever in our excellent conftitution may be misinterpreted or perverted by the craft of defigning men, may, by their wifdom, be explained, and all defects rectified and amended, fo that fuch falutary laws may be enacted by them, that peace, juftice, and piety may be fecured amongst us upon the most folid and lafting foundation. These and all other things which thou, in thy infinite wifdom, fhalt think neceffary, either for that respectable body, or for thy holy church established among us, or finally, for ourfelves, we humbly beg thee to grant us, for Jefus Chrift's fake. Amen.

Paraphraft on the PRAYER for all Conditions of Men.

O God, who by thy omnipotence, didft call mankind into existence, and who by thy providence doft preferve them, we beseech thee to extend thy bleffing to all our fellow-creatures, whatever be their rank, condition, or country, and to grant that the light of the gospel may be propagated to the remoteft regions of the earth, according to the prediction of the pfalmift, (Pfal. Ixvii. 2.) but we ftill more earnestly put up our petitions for the welfare of the catholic church, befeeching thee, that the whole body of chriftians, in what part of the world foever they may be difperfed, may receive the true orthodox and catholic faith, that they may hold this faith, according to the expreffion of the apostle, in unity of fpirit and in the bond of peace, (Eph. iv. 3.) not divided by uncha ritable fchifms and feparations, but attached to each other by the fpiritual

bands

led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of fpirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteoufnefs of life. Finally, we commend to thy Fatherly goodnefs, all those who are any ways afflicted or diftreffed in mind, body, or • This to be faid when eltate [* Efpecially thofe for whom our any defire the Prayers of Prayers are defired] that it may please the Congregation, thee to comfort and relieve them according to their feveral neceffities; giving them patience under their fufferings, 'and a happy iffue out of all their affictions. And this we beg for Jefus Chrift his fake. Amen.

A Prayer that may be faid after any of the former.

whofe nature

property

and to forgive, receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our fins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us, for the honour of Jefus Chrift our Mediator and Advocate.

PARAPHRASE.

Amen.

bonds of chriftian charity; but chiefly, we pray that all who profefs the name of Chrift, may fhew them felves worthy of their holy profeffion, by leading a virtuous and pious life: laftly, we recommend to thee, who doit behold all thy creatures with a paternal tendernefs, all perfons who are vifited by any affliction, or oppreffed by any calamity, all those whofe minds are troubled with melancholy thoughts, who are tormented with anxiety and gloomy apprehenfions concerning their future state, or groan under the fhocking agonies of defpair; all thofe whofe bodies are attacked by fickness or any painful diforder; or whofe eftates are impaired by lofs, er the oppreffion of powerful adverfaries; that thou wouldst be pleafed to afford them fuch comfort and relief, as their refpective wants may require, and deliver them happily out of all their troubles, either by rendering their fituation in this world more defirable, or by placing them in a happier; all which favours we beg, in the name of Jefus Christ.

Amen.

Paraphrafe on the PRAYER that may be faid after any of the former. O God, who in the facred oracles haft revealed to us much of thy divine nature and attributes, as is particularly declared that thou art always ready to have mercy upon finners, and to receive them into favour, upon their repentance. We befeech thee to hear propitioufly thefe our petitions, which we offer to thee, with a deep conviction and humble fenfe of our unworthiness; and though our fins have got fuch a mastery over us, that we are altogether enflaved to them, and lie, as it were, fettered with their chains; yet as thy all powerful grace inclines and enables thee, fo we beg by the affiftance of that grace through thy great compaf

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