our understanding, and fill our hearts with new affections and spiritual motions, and renew us both in soul and body, that we may die to sin and live to righteousness, and so in true obedience may praise the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and his Son our Redeemer, and thee also our Comforter, everlastingly.

HOLY and blessed Spirit, together with

the Father and the Son one true and everliving God, full of majesty and power, which with thy heavenly inspiration quickenest the minds of those that before were dead in sin, makest joyful the hearts of the faithful penitent, bringest into the way of truth all such as have erred and have gone astray, comfortest the souls of such as hunger and thirst after righteousness, and plenteously enrichest those with divers gifts, which ask thee in Jesus Christ's name; purify our hearts, we beseech thee, and inflame them with the fire of thy love; replenish them with thy heavenly benefits and spiritual blessings, that they may be made meet temples for thee; lead us into all truth, which art the only fountain of truth, and mortify in us whatsoever proceedeth not of thee. Arm us against the crafty assaults of subtle Satan, against the vain pleasures of the wicked world, and against the sinful lusts of filthy flesh; that we, being endued with grace from above by thy holy inspiration, may walk forwards in newness of life, in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life.

'You may also form your prayer to the Holy Ghost in this sort.

A FORM OF THANKSGIVING
TO GOD THE FATHER, THE SON,
AND THE HOLY GHOST.

WE

E render thanks unto thee, O almighty and eternal God, with thy dear Son our Lord Jesus Christ, and with thy Holy Spirit, for that of thine exceeding great goodness thou hast made thyself known unto us by most assured and evident testimonies, and for that thou hast gathered and chosen unto thyself a perpetual church, and wouldest that thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ should suffer death to restore us from death to life; for that thou hast given to us thy gospel and the Holy Ghost; for that thou forgivest us our sins, deliverest us from the power of the devil and from eternal death, and givest unto us everlasting life; finally, for that thou hast visited us with many great benefits, giving us life, food, doctrine, peace in such places as we have lived in, and hast diminished the pains which we have justly deserved.

2

WE give thanks unto thee, O Lord Jesus

Christ, Son of the living God, crucified for us and risen again, because thou hast coupled unto thee our human nature, and of thy inestimable love didst give thyself to death for us, turning upon thee the great wrath of God thy Father conceived against us, to reconcile us unto him, and to purchase us eternal redemption; because thou hast brought us unto this grace wherein we stand, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God; because thou dost preserve, cherish, and defend thy church

* A thanksgiving to the Son.

against the devil and all thine enemies; because thou givest and renewest often the light of thy gospel, and maintainest the ministry of thy word; because thou dost forgive us our sins, and givest unto us everlasting life; because thou art our Mediator, and makest continual intercession for us; and finally, because thou dost succour and preserve us in all our necessities, dangers, and afflictions.

'W

E give thanks also unto thee, O Holy Spirit, the giver of life, which wast poured upon the apostles, because thou kindlest thy light in our hearts; because thou rulest, instructest, admonishest, and helpest us; because thou governest and guidest the labours and works of our vocation, and sanctifiest us to eternal life.

A PRAYER AGAINST

OUR SPIRITUAL ENEMIES, THE DEVIL, THE WORLD, AND THE FLESH.

LORD God, the devil goeth about like a roaring lion seeking whom he may devour; the flesh lusteth against the spirit; the world persuadeth unto vanities, that we may forget thee our Lord God, and so for ever be damned. Thus are we miserably on every side beset and besieged of cruel and unrestful enemies, and like at every moment to perish, if we be not defended with thy godly power against their tyranny. We therefore, poor and wretched sinners, despairing of our own strength, which indeed is none, most heartily pray thee to endue us with strength from above, that we

may be able through thy help with strong faith to resist Satan, with fervent prayer to mortify the lusts of the flesh, with continual meditation of thy holy law to avoid the foolish vanities and transitory pleasures of this wicked world; that through thy grace we being set at liberty from the power of these our mortal enemies, may serve thee here in true holiness and righteousness, and after be partakers of the everlasting joys prepared for thy children; which as they are great and unspeakable, so are there few that do enjoy them. For strait is the way and narrow is the gate that leadeth thereunto, and few there be that find it. Notwithstanding, O God, thou hast a little flock to whom it is thy pleasure to give that joyful kingdom, whose names are written in the book of life. Make us therefore of that number for Jesus Christ's sake, and place us amongst those thy sheep which shall stand on thy right hand, to receive that blessed inheritance and dwell with thee for evermore.

A PRAYER

TO BE SAID BEFORE THE PREACHING AND HEARING OF GOD'S WORD.

A

LMIGHTY God and most merciful Father, whose word is a lantern to our feet and a light unto our steps; we most humbly beseech thee to illuminate our minds, that we may understand the mysteries contained in thy holy law, and into the selfsame thing that we godly understand we may be virtuously transformed, so that of no part we offend thy divine majesty; through our Saviour Jesus Christ.

A PRAYER

TO BE SAID AFTER THE PREACHING AND HEARING

A

OF GOD'S WORD, FOR THE WHOLE STATE OF

CHRIST'S CHURCH.

LMIGHTY God and most merciful Father,

we humbly submit ourselves' and fall down before thy majesty, beseeching thee from the bottom of our hearts, that this seed of thy word now sown among us may take such deep root, that neither the burning heat of persecution cause it to wither, neither the thorny cares of this life do choke it; but that, as seed sown in good ground, it may bring forth thirty, sixty, and an hundredfold", as thy heavenly wisdom hath appointed. And because we have need continually to crave many things at thine hands, we humbly beseech thee, Ŏ heavenly Father, to grant us thy holy Spirit to direct our petitions, that they may proceed from such a fervent mind, as may be agreeable to thy most blessed will.

And seeing that our infirmity is able to do nothing without thy help, and that thou art not ignorant with how many and great temptations we poor wretches are on every side inclosed and compassed, let thy strength, O Lord, sustain our weakness, and so assist us with thy grace, that we may be safely preserved against all assaults of Satan, who goeth about continually like a roaring lion seeking to devour us". Increase our faith, Õ merciful Father, that we do not swerve at any

1 Pet. v. 3 Luke xi. 4 Rom. viii. Jam. v. 1 John v. Rom. xii. Wisd. ix. 2 Cor. iii. John xix. Phil. ii. Ps. xl. 1 Pet. i. 51 Pet. v. 6 Luke xvii.

Numb. xxvi. Deut. ix. Josh. vii. 9 Matt. xiii.