“ May they ever worship thee in spirit and truth, and esteem this day their delight.
We beg thy mercy upon all those nations which yet sit in darkness and the shadow of death, that the Sun of Righteousness may arise upon them to guide their feet into the way of peace. O hasten the time, when all thou hast promised concerning the church in the last days shall be accomplished; bring in the fulness of the Gentiles, and let all Israel be saved. Revive and cause to flourish in all places upon earth pure and undefiled religion. ”

“ Thy hands have fashioned us in the womb, brought us into this world, and ever since we saw the light, filled us with variety of good. We adore thy sparing mercy. Justly mightest thou have brought upon us all the curses written in the book of thy law against thy transgressors: and had thy ways been as our ways, and thy thoughts like our thoughts towards our enemies, we had long since been past the power of offering to thee our thanks and praise, beyond the benefit of prayer, or the hope of pardon. ”

“ Accept our praises for our continued preservation by thy goodness, who has first brought us into being; for sleep upon our beds, for the return of the day after the shades of darkness, for the use of our reason, the comfort of this opportunity of worshipping thy name, and above all, for the light of life, the Son of Righteousness, Christ Jesus; for whom, with all that is within us, we shoud bless thy name; in whom we command ourselves and our services to thee; and to whom, with thyself and the Holy Ghost, one God over all, be all honour and praise, love and obedience, for evermore. ”

“ We are chargeable with the workings and defilements of pride and hypocrisy, of uncharitableness and sensuality of self-love, and worldliness of heart, notwithstanding all the methods thou hast taken to heal these diseases of our souls. We have sinned against the clear revelation of thy will, and the strongest obligations binding us to comply with it. We have sinned against thy most inviting promises, and thy most dreadful threatenings: against the frequent warnings of thy Word, the renewed motions and powerful convictions of thy Spirit, and the precious blood of Christ. ”

“ Inspire all who preside in families not only with justice, but with mercy and piety towards their servants. Like the good centurion, whose praise is in the gospel, may they sympathize with them in all their afflictions, be glad to alleviate their burden, when sickness and old age oppress them, and to sweeten the bitter cup that is appointed them to drink. Give them grace to teach their servants the fear of the Lord by their own example, and to let their light so shine before them, that they may be led to glorify God also, in whose hands is their breath, and whose are all their ways. ”

“ May all the appointments of thy providence, O Lord, be profitable to the souls of thy people. Visit the members of this house of mourning with thy favour, and let them know and feel, that thou art an all-sufficient help, in time of trouble. Knowing that we have no continuance in this life, but pass our days, as a tale, which has been told, may we act a wise and a worthy part, that we may find peace to our souls, in every time of review, and have good hopes in the prospect of the world to come. ”

“ When we join in giving thanks unto thy name, O make all thy goodness to pass before us. Excite in us such a lively remembrance of the multitude of thy mercies towards us, as shall fill our souls as it were with marrow and fatness, whilst our mouths are praising thee with joyful lips.—From the beginning to the conclusion of the service of thy sanctuary, by the perpetual influence of thy free Spirit, do thou uphold us, that we may be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house, and offer to thee a pure offering in righteousness. ”

“ We beg this of thee, O our God, in order that we may have our affections raised up to heaven, where Christ sitteth on thy right hand; that we may grow more dead to the world, and walk more becoming our Christian character: that we may be enriched as much as possible with light and grace, joy and peace in the present life; and to shew forth the praise of Him who hath called us out of darkness into marvellous light. ”

“ We praise thee if we have sanctified this day, and our holy services in it, to the honour of our Lord Jesus Christ, by looking only to the virtue of his atonement for the remission of our sins. We bless thee if we have found thy word sweet unto us, and the increasing discovery of thy love delightful to our hearts; if we have been filled with faith, and experience in our hearts the Spirit of Grace, of prayer and supplication; so that instead of saying, When will the Sabbath be gone, that we may buy and sell and get gain? ”

“ And, as thou, O Lord, hast ordained that the people should seek thy law at the mouth of thy ministers, do thou fill them with knowledge and sound doctrine; that they may preach not themselves, but Christ Jesus, the Lord. Under their instructions delivered according to thy will, may our ignorance be dispelled, our slothful hearts quickened, our fears removed, our hope encouraged, and our souls established in grace. ”

“ Let us not abuse our bodily strength to encourage ourselves in sinful security and impenitence. Grant that we may always be ready, by performing the will of our Lord, that whensoever he shall come, we may be found of him in peace and enter into his joy; that whenever our health is turned into sickness, and our strength into weakness, and our ease into sharp pain, we may not be cast down or perplexed, but feel in our souls those supports and consolations, which the world cannot give, nor death itself take away.
Hear us, O Lord our God, in these our humble requests; forgive us our sins ”

“ O LORD and heavenly Father, who has commanded us concientiously to discharge each duty we owe one to another, take away, we beseech thee, from us all stubbornness, pride, and self-conceit; all envy, hatred, and ill-will, which would lead us to despise thy gracious restraints, and destroy that harmony which thou wouldest have to reign in every family. From the least to the greatest member of each house, give them grace to walk before thee unto all well-pleasing. ”

“ How long has each of our family lain down and risen up, gone out and come in, in health, strength, and peace? How long has the candle of the Lord shone upon us without intermission? For these multiplied favours, blessed, O Lord, be thy good and holy name; since the smallest of benefits is more than we deserve, and the sharpest affliction less. ”

“ If we cannot assist the needy by our alms, or protect the oppressed by our power, O let us diligently exercise love, in abstaining from all uncharitableness of speech, from all frowardness and evil tempers: let us look upon the failings of others with pity, as if they were our own: make us kind and tender hearted, forbearing and forgiving all, as thou, for Christ's sake, hast forgiven us. ”

“ We bless thee that we have our habitation fixed in the land of liberty, under the bright beams of thy glorious gospel; that we can worship thee according to our conscience, no one making us afraid; that we are not required to pay adoration to those who by nature are not gods, nor compelled to bow down at tho altar of idols. We praise thee that we are in health and strength to use the sacred opportunity of going with the multitude that keep thy holy day, into the house where thou hast recorded thy name, and promised to meet and bless us. ”

“ Wherefore then should living men complain, men and transgressors, for the punishment of their sin? Shall we receive so much good at the hand of the Lord, and shall we not receive evil? patiently and contentedly receive evil also; this temper we know, O Lord, is our bounding duty; O form it in us. And as in great compassion to us, thou hast opened a way of relief for us under every trouble, by directing, commanding, and encouraging us in all our afflictions to pour out our complaints unto thee, and tell thee of all we fear and feel ”

“ The darkness is no darkness with thee, but the night is as clear as the day. Defend, we beseech thee, our persons, our dwellings, and our possessions. Refresh us with sweet sleep; and with the health and strength of our bodies, and the vigour of our minds, let us serve thee all our days, till through the gate of death we enter into that blessed kingdom, where there is no night; where we all receive the end of our faith, even the salvation of our souls, through Jesus Christ; in dependence upon whose righteousness and intercession we farther pray: Our Father, &c. ”

“ In the meantime, however, thou shalt think fit to dispose of him, O sanctify unto him this affliction; work in him deep humiliation for his sin; bless him with repentance unto life; enable him by faith to behold the Lamb of God, and to trust in the fountain opened in his blood for the remission of sins, that, being justified through faith, he may have peace with God through Jesus Christ our Lord. Make all his bed in his sickness, and let patience have its perfect work in his soul. ”

“ Let peace and gentleness, meekness and goodness, be exercised by all of us one towards another, and the only contention in our family be this, who shall conform most to the will of God, by abounding in brotherly kindness and fervent charity. Thou, O God, that makest men to be of one mind that dwell together, inspire us with a spirit of concord, and harmonize all our naturally selfish tempers. ”

“ Now teach us effectually to reverence thy sanctuary: make us feel awful conceptions of the God with whom we have to do, and of the infinite importance of the holy exercises in which we are going to engage. Thou knowest our souls cleave to the very dust of the ground. O send thy quickening Spirit to raise our thoughts and desires up to thee in every part of thy holy worship. ”

“ That we may none of us fall short of so glorious an end, O give us a clear knowledge of the excellency of our God, and a firmer dependence upon the word of thy grace. Grant us a strong love to the Lord Jesus Christ, and a greater resemblance of him; that each of us in our particular station may be zealous for God, full of mercy and justice towards men, and possess every temper whereby God can be glorified in us. ”

“ And thou, O God, so influence and form the minds of all children, and turn their hearts towards their parents, that they may behave towards them with all reverence, obedience and love; not stubborn when corrected for their faults, not heedless when instructed, not ungrateful to forget how much they are bound to administer to the comfort of their parents and to requit them. ”

“ Thou knowest, Lord, his frame; lay no more upon him than thou wilt enable him to bear with patience and quietness of mind. And O, thou great Physician, without whom all others are of no value, do thou direct to the most proper medecines, and bless the art of healing to his body, and our great comfort. In thy due time restore thy servant to health and strength again, that he may have a longer day of grace and salvation, prove more useful, and do more good in his geneneration. ”

“ Suffer not the hope of thy servants to be disappointed, but if death be in the cup, sanctify the dispensation, comfort the mourner, and receive the departing spirit into the fellowship of the saints on high. If life shall be prolonged, let gratitude prevail in the hearts of those, who are dearly connected, and let all diligence be given to train up the child, in the paths of wisdom and piety, and may every endeavour to promote a virtuous and holy life be successful, through Christ our Lord. ”

“ Grant them wisdom to consider their station not as any hardship, much less any disgrace to them, but as the post which thy fatherly love hath appointed them to fill. Give them to understand, to their great peace and strong consolation, that by doing their work from a principle of faith and love to Christ Jesus, they may stand as high in thy favour, and grow as rich towards God, as if their condition entitled them to all respect from the world. ”

“ Even when thou afflictest, and causest trouble and heaviness to fall upon us, it is that we may learn righteousness from thy judgments, and receive profit from thy correction.
Wherefore, though thou hast not visited our house with sickness, and art calling us to humiliation for our sins, yet we would still speak good of thy name, and love and bless thee. We desire at this season to remember all the past mercies with which thou hast been pleased to bless us and our household. God forbid that our present grief should make us unmindful of the constant benefits we have enjoyed. ”

“ In an especial manner we beg of thee, O God, that we of this family, who are now kneeling before thee may be forgiven for Christ's sake, all the instances of which we have been guilty, of irreverence, unkindness, and passion one towards another. Make us sensible of our transgressions, heartily sorry for them, and more vigilant for the future. ”

“ Be as a Father to the fatherless, the protector of the widow, and the orphan's stay. Bless those who are intimately, and feelingly connected, with the present dispensation of thy providence, and according to the circumstances of their lot, grant them consolation. As the depth and the length of their sorrows have been, so do thou comfort them and wipe away their tears. By the sadness of the countenance may the affections become better, and the conduct improved, that the heart may be spiritually glad. ”

“ When we are offering up our intercession to thee, give us to feel tenderness of heart, melting pity towards all our fellow creatures in distress, and very fervently desire that thou wouldst immediately appear for their relief. When we ask for mercy and forgiveness, strength and holiness of heart, may we ask with an earnestness suited to the value of these gifts, and with a strong conviction of our unavoidable misery, if our suit is rejected. ”