yj.C'y:y::::':c ::■::::■::::::::■:: :::>::sii^ ;&.'u Library of Congress. ^^ ^ ^ ^ Char. "E^^S.?--- | SHELF....L^.,S.(ai i gr>iUNITED STATES OF AMERICA.rWli A FORM OF PRAYER ISSUED By Special Command of his Majesty GEORGE III LONDON 1776 Imploring Divine assistance against the King's unhappy deluded Subjects in America now in open rebellion against the Crown IN THE COLLECTION OF THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL SOCIETY Held at Philadelphia for Promoting Useful Knowledge REPRODUCED IN FAC-SIMILE BY JULIUS F. SACHSE PHILADELPHIA MDCCCXCVIII 19181 Resolved., That authority be given to Mr. Sachse to reproduce the Form of Prayer for fasting and prayer ap- pointed by George III in December, 1776, on the breaking out of the Revohition in the American Colonies. — Extract from Minutes Am. Pliilo. Soc, Fchrnarv / Let the Enemy have no advantage againft us ; Anfw. Nor the wicked approach to hurt us. Priejl. Lord hear our Prayer ! Aiipw, And let our cry come unto thee. f ^befe Twa CoUi5lt to be ujed infiead of tin Firfi ColleSi for Morning Prayer, O Almighty God, wlio ruleft over all the king- doms or the earth, and on wiiofe mod gracious providence they depend evermore for prefervation and' profperity; Extend thine accultomed goodncfs to the people of this land, who looking up to thee as the fiipreme author of all bleflings, and then fufc fafeguard and mighty deliverer in all dangers and difficulties, do now implore thy watchful care and prote6lion j befeeching thee to guide them continually with thy counfel, to ftrengthen them with thy powerful arm, and to crown with fuccefs their ncceflary endea- vours in defeating the unjuft attempts of their rebelli- ous fellow- fubjedts againft the rights of our Sovereign, and the lawful authority of the legiflature of thefe kingdoms. Grant this, O merciful father, for Jefus Chrift's fake, our only Lord and 8aviour. Amens OLord God of our falvation, in whofe hands are the ifllies of life and death, of good and evil, and without whofe aid the wifeft counfcis of frail 4 men> Morning Prayer. men, and the multitude of an hoft, and all the in- ftruments of war are but weak and vain ; incline thine ear, we pray thee, to the carneft and devout fupplications of thy fervants, who, not confiding in the fplendour of any thing that is gfeat, or the fta- bility of any thing that is ftrong here below, do moft humbly flee, O Lord, unto thee for fuccour, and put their truft under the fhadow of thy wings. Be thou to us a tower of defence againft the aifaults of our enemies, our fhield and buckler in the day of battle. and fo blefs the arms of our gracious Sovereign, in the maintenance of His juft and lawful rights, and profper His endeavours to reftore tranquillity among His unhappy deluded fubjefts in America, now in open rebellion againft His Crown, in defiance of all fubordination and legal government, that we being preferved by thy help and goodnefs from all penis and difafters, and made happily triumphant over all the difturbers of our peace, may joyfully laud and mag- nify thy glorious Name -, and ferve thee from gene- ration to generation in all godlinefs and quietnefs, through Jdus Chrift our Lord. Amen. f Then Jkall follow the fecond and third Collecls at Morning Prayer : And the. Litany. C After the Prayer in the End of the Litany [We humbly befeech thee, ^f.] Jkall tbefe follomiing be added: O Loid, 8 The Litany. OLord, we befeedi thee, mercifully heaf out prayers, and fpare all thofe who confefs their llns unto thee : that they, whofe conferences by fin are accufed, by thy merciful pardon may be abfolved, through Chrift our Lord. Amtn "f Then the People Jhallfay this that foll Evening Prayer. nify thy glorious Name ; and ferve thee from eene ration to generation in all godlinefs and quietnefs through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. f the Second Collet at Evening Prayer. OG O p, from whom all holy defires, all good counfels, and all juft works do proceed; Give unto thy fervants that peace which the world cannot give; that both our hearts may be let to obey thy commandments, and alfo that by thee we beini de- fended from the fear of our Enemies, may pa(s our nme in reft and quietnefs, through the merits of Jefus Lhriit our Saviour. Amen. % T: he. Third Co.'leSJ, for Aid agmnji all Perils. Lighten our darknefs, we befeech thee, O Lord j and by thy great mercy defend us from all penis and dangers of this night, for tlie love of thy only Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift. Amen. OLORD, we befeech thee. mercifully hear our prayers ; and fpare all thofe who confefs their fins unto thee ; tliat they whofe confciences by fin are accufed, by thy merciful pardon may be ablblved, through Chrill oUr Lord. Amen. C 2 ^ fk,„ X9 10 Evening Prayer. f ^hen the People Jball fay this that followeth^ after the Minijien TURN thou us, O good Lord, and fo fhalL we be turned. Be favourable, O Lord, Be favourable to thy people. Who turn to thee in weeping, farting, and praying. For thou art a merciful God, Full of compaffion. Long fufFcring, and of great pity. Thou fparert: w^hen we deferve punifhment, And in thy wrath thinkeft upon mercy. Spare thy people, good Lord, fpare thenj. And let not thine heritage be brought to confufion. Hear us, O Lord, for thy mercy is great, And after the multitude of thy mercies look upon us, through the merits and mediation of thy bleued Son Jefus Chrifl our Lord. Ameti, OL O R D, moft good and powerful, we thy fmful people, here aflembled before thee, do acknowledge it thine vmfpeakable mercy, that for our manifold and heinous provocations we are not utterly confumed, and given over foi* a prey to the Enemy and Avenger. We ccmfefs, with forcow and confunon, our long unfruitfulnefs under the means of grace, the light of thy Gofpel, and the many wonderful deliverances of this Church and State, which thou, in thy great goodnefs, haft vouchfafed tmto us. O Lord, fhouldeft thou enter into judge- 4 ment Evening Prayer. 21 mcnt with us for the crying fins of this nation our profanenefs and infidelity, herelies and fchifms' our inordinate love of plealures, and other manifold oftences, thou mighteit juftly inflift upon us the ievcnty of thy wrath, and deliver u$ up to the re- proaches and infults of our enemies : but there is mercy with th^, therefore Hialtthou be feared- thou ait the Lord God, tender and full of compaffion, not wilhng that any (hould peiifh, but that all (hould repent and hve. Look down therefore, we befeech thee with an eye of pity and loving- kindiaefs upon thy fervants. who with broken and contrite hearts do here bewail our' tranfgreffions and wretchednefs. Let our land in this time of trouble ftill eniov the light of thy countenance, and the blelfings of thy bountiful hand ; and fo work upon our hearts and minds by the gracious inEueuces of thy holy Spirit that being turned from the error of our ways and cre^ed to newnefe of life, we may walk before thee m all nghteoufnefs and holinefs in this worU, and mherit thine everlafting kingdom in that which is 10 come, through the merits of Jefus Chiift our oulv Mediator and Advocate. Amen^ % 4^ter 22 Evening Prayer. ^ After the general Thank/ghing, lei the following Prayers be iifed. ^ A "Prayer for this Church and Kingdom. OBlefTed Lord, who haft manlfefted thine abun- dant favour to thefe realms, in thy marvellous ]iiote61:ion of our religion, laws, and liberties, from the fecret confpiracies. and o])en attempts of ou- enemies; we beleech thee to preferve evermore in our minds, fuch a grateful fenfe of thefe thine inva- luable mercies, that by our exemplary and religiou- life of them, and happy improvements under them to thy honour and fervice, we may oe accountea worthy of the continuance of thy bleflings to us and our pofterity. Take away from us, O Lord, all hardnefs of heart, all negle£l of thine ordinances, and contempt of thj word ; and endue us with a fpiritof piety and devotion, a fpirit of juftice and temperance^ of humility and charity, and of all other graces- which adorn the Chriftiaii profelTion j that io thy dreadful difpleafure and judgements may be ever averted from us, and iniquity not become our ruin. Be thou pleafed alfo with tliine efpccial favour to guard and profper our gracious Sovereign King GEORGE, with all the Royal Family. Be thou to Him, O Lord, an helmet of falvation againfl His enemies that delight in war. Do thou, we pray tiiee, fruftrate Evening Prayer, frtiftwte their wicked defigns, defeat their ftratacrems and fo put them to flight and confufion before" His face, that the terror of His arms may add dignity and luftre to His crown, and bring fafety, joy, and hao- pmefs to Himfelf and His ki^gdooL'. ' Srant thfs. O mercifal Father, for Jefus Chrift's fake, to whom wrth thee and the Holy Ghoft, be aU honour and gloiy' world without end. ^dmea, ^' f ^ Prayer for Unity . OGod, who haft taught us in thy holy Word, to mci-eafe and abound in Love one towards another, put away from as, we befeech thee, all Bitter- nefsand Wrath, and Evil-fpeaking and Envy; that our hearts may be firmly knit together in mutual Af- ^Aion, m Zeal for our Religion and Laws, in dutiful Obedience to tlie King, and all who are in Authority under him -y tliat as there is but one body and one Spirit,- and one hope of our caUing, one faith, one God and father of us all, lo we may henceforth be ail of one heart and of one foul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee. O God, through Jefus Chiift our Lord. Amen. % A Prayer for our Enemies. O BLESSED Lord, who haft commanded us by thy beloved Son to love our Enemies, and to extend our cliarity in praying even for thofe, who defpitefully 23 24 Evening Prayer. defpitefuUy ufe us. give grace we befcech thee, to our unhappy fellow fubjefts in America, that feeing and eonfening the error of their ways, and having a due fenfe of their ingratitude for the many bleflings of thy Providence, pafervcd to them by the indulgent care and protection of thefe kingdoms, they may agam return to their duty, and make themfelves worthy of thy paidon and forgivenefs : Grant us in the mean time not only ftrength and courage to withftand them, but charity to forgive and pity them, to fhew a willingncfs to receive them again as friends and brethren, upon juft and reafonable terms, and to treat them witn mercy and kindnefs for the fake of thy Son Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. f A Trayer of St. Chryfoftom. Lmighty God, -who halt given us grace, at this time, with one accord to make our common iuppiications unto thee J and dolt promife, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name, thou wilt grant their requefts : Fulfil now, O Lord, the defires and petitions of thy fervants, as may be moft expedient for them ; granting ds in this World know- ledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlafting. Amen, z Cor, Xin. 14. TH E grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the fsllowfliip of the Holy Ghoft, be with us all evermore. Amen. F I N J S. A