blindness we cannot ask, vouchsafe to give us, through the merits of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

7. O God! the protector of all who trust in thee, without whom we have neither strength, nor faith, nor holiness of life, we beseech thee to increase thy grace in our hearts, and to multiply thy blessings upon us. Vouchsafe to be our ruler and our guide, that we may so pass through things temporal, as not to lose things eternal. Grant this, O heavenly Father! for the sake of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

8. O God! the strength of all who put their trust in thee, mercifully accept our prayers; and since, through the weakness of our fallen nature, we can do nothing good without thee, grant us the continual help of thy grace, that by keeping thy commandments we may be found acceptable in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

9. O God! who desirest not the death of a sinner, but art pleased to manifest thine Almighty power, chiefly in pity and forgiveness, mercifully vouchsafe to us such a measure of thy grace, that walking in the way of thy commandments we may obtain thy gracious promises, and be made partakers of thy heavenly treasures, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

10. Assist us mercifully, O Lord! in all our prayers and thanksgivings, and dispose the hearts of thy servants towards the attainment of everlasting salvation: that among all the changes of this mortal life, we may ever be defended by thy gracious and ready help, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

11. Almighty God! thou hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and hast promised, that when two or three are gathered together in thy name, thou wilt grant their requests. Fulfil, now, O Lord! the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them; granting them in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come, life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

12. Almighty and everlasting God! who hatest nothing which thou hast made, and forgivest the sins of all who are penitent, create in us new and contrite hearts, that lamenting our iniquities and acknowledging our wretchedness, we may obtain of thee, the God of all mercy, forgiveness and remission, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

13. O Almighty and everlasting God! who art always more ready to hear, than we to pray, and art wont to give more than we desire or deserve, vouchsafe unto us the abundance of thy mercies, pardoning the transgressions whereof our consciences are afraid, and granting us those blessings, which we are unworthy to ask, but through the merits and meditation of Jesus Christ. Amen.

14. O Lord! who hast gathered unto thyself a Church upon earth, and dost guide and sanctify it by the Holy Spirit, receive our supplications for all its wants, and for persons of every condition therein, that it may be to thee a Church glorious and without spot, and that every member of the same in his vocation and ministry, may serve thee faithfully. Hear us, in the name and for the sake of the head of that Holy Church, thy blessed Son, Jesus Christ. Amen.

15. O Lord! we beseech thee to keep thy household, the Church Universal, in continual godliness, that, through thy protection, it may be free from all adversities, and serving thee faithfully in good works, may glorify thy holy name. Hear, we entreat thee, the devout supplications of thy Church; and grant that those things which we ask faithfully we may obtain effectually, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

16. Grant, we beseech thee, Almighty God! that the words which we have this day heard, may through thy grace be so grafted in our hearts, that they may bring forth the fruit of good living, to the honour and praise of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

17. Almighty God! who has graciously promised to hear the supplications of all who ask in thy Son's name, we beseech thee to accept the service and the prayers now offered unto thee. May those things which we have faithfully asked, according to thy will, be effectually obtained for the relief of our necessities and to the advancement of thy glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

17. O Almighty and merciful God! the source of all good, and the author of every perfect gift, we bless thee, that we have been enabled at this time to meditate on the wholesome truths which thou hast revealed to us in thy word. Give us grace, we beseech thee, to profit by the instructions we have heard, and by the exhortations which have been addressed to us. So graft them in our hearts, that, being more and more strengthened in faith, we may serve thee with a pure con

science during the rest of our lives. Increase, O Lord, in our children, in our young people, and in all the members of this Church, a knowledge of thee, and the fear of thy name. Grant, that being steadfast in obedience, and faithful even unto death, we may obtain through thy mercy, that blessed and eternal life to which we are called, through Jesus Christ thy Son our Saviour! Amen.

18. O God, the eternal source of wisdom and purity, from whom all good counsels, all holy desires, and all just works do proceed; we offer up our prayers unto thee, beseeching thee to sanctify our hearts by thy holy word. What we know not teach thou us. Whatever is wrong in us, dispose and enable us to reform. Whatever in us is good, assist us to carry forward to perfection. Grant that we may go forth with the spirit of true religion in our souls, and spend all our days in thy fear and love; that we may depart from this scene of discipline, whenever thou shalt take us away, with christian hope, and be admitted into thy sacred temple above, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

19. Accept, O thou God of compassion, the thankful acknowledgments of our hearts for the privileges which we have enjoyed at this time. Forgive the imperfection of our devotions, and whatever thy pure eyes may have seen amiss in us. Of thy great mercy grant us such things as shall be good for us, though we may neglect to pray for them; and deny us such things as would be hurtful to us, though we should earnestly desire them. Impress upon our minds the solemn counsels of thy word, and let not the cares or pleasures of the world prevent or impair their efficacy. Help us to walk as in thy sacred presence; and at last vouchsafe to receive us into glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

20. Almighty God, our heavenly Father, through whose infinite goodness we have been permitted to offer up our united supplications, and to meditate upon the interests of our immortal souls; hear thou in heaven, we beseech thee, the petitions of our hearts, and give thy blessing to the lessons which we have learned, as far as they agree with thy truth in scripture. Establish our minds in the love of every christian ordinance and duty. Grant, that this house of prayer may become and continue to us the gate of heaven, the temple of devout and holy joy, the refuge of our souls from the trials and temptations of life, the school of genuine wisdom and virtue. Fit us

more and more perfectly for glorifying thy name upon earth, and for singing thy praise in the mansions of thy house above, through Jesus Christ our Mediator and Redeemer. Amen.

THE PRAYER WHICH JOHN CALVIN ORDINARILY MADE AT THE ENDING OF HIS SERMONS.

21. Let us fall down before the face of our God, that it may please Him to grant this grace,* not only to us, but also to all people and nations of the earth, bringing back all poor ignorant souls from the miserable bondage of error and darkness, to the right way of salvation, for the doing whereof it may please Him to raise up true and faithful ministers of his word, that seek not their own profit and vain glory, but only the advancement of His holy name, and the welfare of His flock: and contrariwise root out all sects, errors, and heresies, which are seeds of trouble and disunion among His people, to the end we may live in good brotherly concord altogether; and that it may please Him to guide with His Holy Spirit, all kings, princes, and magistrates that have the rule of the sword, to the end that their reigning be not by covetousness, cruelty, tyranny, or any other evil and disordered affection, but in all justice and uprightness, and that we also living under them may yield them their due honour and obedience, that by the means of good peace and quietness, we may serve God in all holiness and honesty and that it may please Him to comfort all afflicted persons, whom He visiteth after divers manners with crosses and tribulations: all people whom He afflicteth with plague, war, or famine, or other His rods: and all persons that are smitten with poverty, imprisonment, sickness, banishment, or other calamity of body or vexation of mind: giving them all good patience, till He send the full discharge of their miseries. Specially, that it may please Him to have pity upon all his poor faithful ones, that are dispersed in the captivity of Babylon, under the tyranny of Antichrist, chiefly which suffer persecution for the witnessing of His truth, strengthening them with true constancy, and comforting them, and not suffering the wicked and ravening wolves to execute their rage against them, but giving them such a true steadfastness as His holy name may be glorified by them both in life and death. Finally, that it may please Him to strengthen all Churches that are now-a-days in danger and assaulted for the quarrel of His

*He here specified the objects presented by his sermon.

holy name, and overthrow and destroy all the devices, practices and attempts of all His adversaries, to the intent that His glory may shine over all, and the kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ be increased and advanced more and more. Let us pray Him for all the said things in such wise as our good master and Lord Jesus Christ hath taught us to pray, saying: Our father, &c.

Also, let us pray our good God to give us true continuance in His holy faith, and to increase it from day to day, whereof we will make confession, saying, I believe in God, &c.

THE PRAYER WHICH JOHN CALVIN MADE ORDINARILY BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF HIS SERMONS.

22. Let us call upon our good God and father, praying Him to vouchsafe to turn away His face from the great number of faults and offences, whereby we cease not to provoke His wrath against us: and forasmuch as we be too unworthy to appear before His majesty, that it may please Him to look upon us in the countenance of his well-beloved Son our Lord Jesus Christ, accepting the desert of his death and passion, for a full recompense of all our sins, that by means thereof He may like well of us, and vouchsafe to enlighten us by His Spirit, in the understanding of His word; and grant us the grace to receive the same in true fear and humility, so as we may be taught thereby to put our trust in Him, to serve and honour Him by glorifying His holy name in all our life, and to yield Him the love and obedience which faithful servants owe to their masters, and children to their fathers, seeing it hath pleased Him to call us to the number of His servants and children. And let us pray unto Him as our good master hath taught us to pray, saying: Our Father, &c.

THE PRAYER USED BY THE REV. JAMES SAURIN, IMMEDIATELY BEFORE SERMON.

23. O Lord! our God and Father! thou seest us prostrate in thy presence, to render the homage due to thy majesty, to confess our sins to thee, and to implore thy favour. Had we followed the first emotions of our consciences, we should not have presumed to lift our eyes to heaven, but should have fled from thy sight. We are creatures mean and infirm, a thousand times more unworthy of appearing before thee for our depravity, than for our natural meanness. But, O Lord!