30 c° ^ 4^ "*V% ' "W k c^ v <■■ ** VJ V -J ^ "bo* J? * THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' MANUAL DEVOTION. BY WILLIAM BERRIAN, D.D. RECTOR OF TRINITY CHURCH, N8W-I03X. '4 NEW-YORK: PUBLISHED FOR THE EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE OF THE ARMY AND NAVY CONVENTION. //)% j Q0 JOHX, STREET j* , , s 'am 3* [/C **? f *f : %af& i Entered according to Act of Congress, in the Year 1844, By WILLIAM BERRIAN, D. D. in the Clerk's Office of the District Court of the Southern District of New- York. \Q &"? STEREOTYPED BY VINCENT L. DILL, No. 128 Fulton Street, New- York. PREFACE. This little manual of devotion was prepared, with the aid of the Liturgy and other devotions of a kindred spirit, at the request of a friend, once an Officer in the Army, but now a Minister of the Church, for the use of Sailors and Soldiers. A perfect adaptation of it to the peculiar circumstances of these two classes of men, could only be made by one intimately acquainted with their respective characters and habits ; who had been associated with them in difficulties and dangers; and who would therefore be touched with a feeling of their infirmities and wants. In the absence of qualifications so essential to the proper accomplishment of the work, it was undertaken with diffidence, and executed with fear and distrust. The hope nevertheless is fondly cherished, that the present effort, however imperfect, to supply an acknowledged and deep felt want will not be found so unsuitable to the design as to be altogether in vain. CONTENTS. Page A Player for a grievous Sinner, who has long delayed his re- pentance . . . . . . .7 Another Prayer after a long course of wickedness and impiety 9 A Prayer upon a relapse into sin » . . .11 A General and humble confession of sin . . . 13 A Prayer for repentance and growth in grace . » .15 " for one that is not duly grieved with his sins . 17 " against temptation . . * . .18 " for deliverance from evil . . . .19 " against inordinate desires . . » .20 " for temperance ... .21 A Penitential Litany . . . » » ♦ 22 A Prayer for humility ..... 27 " for obedience to Commanders on Land or at Sea > 28 Another for the Same ..... 30 A Prayer by a Commander for himself and others . . 30 " to be used by Officers with their troops, or Com- manders with their Crews . . » 32 Another for the Same in time of peace . . .36 A Prayer in time of war or tumults * . 37 " in time of war . . . . .37 Another ...»>.. 39 Prayers to be used before battle . . . .40 Thanksgivings after victory 41 A Thanksgiving for Peace and Deliverance from our enemies 43 " for restoring public Peace at Home . 44 A Prayer to be used by an Officer on Court Martial when Sen- tence of Death may be passed . . . .44 Prayers to be used by a Man under Sentence of Death . 46 A Prayer for a person going to Sea . . . .49 Another for a person either before a March or going to Sea 49 A Thanksgiving for a safe return from Sea . . 50 " after a Journey or Voyage . . .50 An Office of Prayer to be used at Sea . . , .51 " " to be said especially in a Storm or danger of Pirates or Shipwreck . . 54 1* VI CONTENTS. Page Forms of Prayer to be used at Sea. {From the Lit- urgy). . . . . . . .57 Two Prayers to be used in Ships of War . . 57, 58 Prayers to be used in Storms at Sea . . .53 The Prayer to be said before a Fight at Sea against any enemy 59 Snort Prayers for single Persons, who cannot meet to join in prayer with others, by reason of the Fight or Storm . CO Special Prayers with respect to the enemy ... 60 Short Prayers in respect of a Storm . . . .60 Thanksgiving after a Storm .... 63 Psalm 107. — Confiremini Domino . , . .64 Collects of Thanksgiving ..... 65 Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after a Dangerous Tempest 67 A Psalm or Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after Victory 63 Te Deum Laudamus . . . . . .70 A Prayer for Sunday Morning " for Sunday Evening A Morning Prayer . An Evening Prayer Another Morning P-rayer . Another Evening Prayer A Prayer to be used by a Person in and Friends A Prayer before the Communion A Thanksgiving after Communion behalf of absent Relatives 73 75 73 79 81 S3 85 87 89 PRAYERS FOR THE SICK. A Prayer to be said when first taken ill 91 Another ....... 92 " for Patience . . . • .93 Another ....... 94 " for Repentance and Pardon . . . .95 Another ....... 96 For a Blessing on the Means, which may be used for Recovery 97 Another • . . . . .98 Upon the Appearance of Recovery . . . .99 A Thanksgiving for the Beginning of a Recovery from Sickness 100 " for a Recovery from Sickness . . .102 When there is no hope of Recovery . . . 103 Against the Fear of Death ..... 104 Another ...... 105 To be used by a Dying Person, for his Relations and Friends . 106 The Office of the Visitation of the Sick, (From the Litiirgy.) . . . . .107 THE SAILORS' AMD SOLDIERS' HAWIDFA3L ©F DEYOTIEOSTo A Prayer for a grievous sinner who has long delayed his repentance. OMOST holy and merciful God, who wouldest not that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance, be merciful to me a miserable sinner. I have too long neglected my duty to thee, I have grievously transgressed thy righteous laws, I have trodden under foot the blood of thy Son, and done despite unto the Spirit of grace. My sins are gone over my head, and are, as a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear. Enter not into judgment with thy servant Lord, for in thy sight no man living shall be justified : How much less a miserable wretch who am the chief of sinners ! I have provoked thy Divine Majesty by a life of wickedness, for w r hich thou mightest justly have long since cut me off, and driven me from thy presence with everlasting destruction. I have been a blasphemer of thy name, a hinderer of thy word, a slave of my own 8 THE SAILORS* lusts, and a tempter of my brethren ; I have nothing to plead in my defence. I will lay my hand upon my mouth and repent in dust and ashes. But since in the very depth of my wretch- edness thou hast looked down upon me with compassion, and awakened me to a sense of my danger and guilt, Oh gracious God, complete the good work which thou hast begun in me ; remove the scales from my eyes that I may see all the sinfulness of my ways and the wonders of thy grace ; soften this stony heart and change it into a heart of flesh. Oh that my head were waters and mine eyes a fountain of tears that I might weep, day and night for my past transgressions ! But accept Lord, the feeble desires which thy grace has inspired ; break not a bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax; but enkindle in me such love towards thee for thy mercy that I may serve thee faithfully for the time to come, and fill me with such an abhorrence of my iniquities that I may sin no more. Create in me a clean heart and renew a right spirit within me, and as in the time past I have dishonoured thee by my trans- gressions, so now adorn me I beseech thee with all the gifts and graces of thy Spirit, and number me with thy saints in glory everlasting. Hear me O Lord in these my supplications and prayers, for the sake of my Advocate and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 9 Another Prayer after a long course of wickedness and impiety. O GREAT and merciful God, the fountain of wisdom, the source of grace and truth, the giver of pardon, of life, and of salvation, the help- er and comforter of all who flee unto thee for suc- cour; look down w r ith pity and compassion on me thy unworthy servant, lying in the pollution of my sins, in the fear of thy wrath, in the shadow of death, and within the very verge of the gates of hell. I confess to thee God, what thou knowest too well, but I confess it to manifest thy Justice and to glorify thy Mercy who hast spared me so long, that I am guilty of the vilest follies and sins which can dishonour the worst of thy creatures. I have been proud and covetous, envious and malicious, indevout and irreligious, restless in my passions, careless of thy counsels, and weary of the offices of thy holy religion. I can give no account of my time which has been miserably misspent, and I cannot reckon the sins of my tongue. In the remembrance of my misdoings which are intolerable, my imperfections which are shameful, my omissions which are innumerable, what shall I say unto thee thou preserver of men ? I am so vile that I cannot express it, so sinful that I am hateful to myself, and what then must I be in thy sight who art of purer eyes than 10 to behold iniquity! I have weakly yielded to the snares and allurements of the flesh and the devil, and I have sometimes sinned against thee, by courting temptation and shunning the ways of righteousness and peace. But yet God, since thou hast still left me so much grace as to be humbled by the remembrance of my iniquities, be thou also the lifter up of my head, and suffer me not to continue in sin nor to sink into despair, Let me not perish in my folly nor be consumed in thy heavy displeasure; give me time and space to repent and strengthen me by the aids of thy Holy Spirit, that as by thy gift and mercy I intend to amend whatsoever is amiss, so I may indeed have grace and power faithfully to fulfil the same. Support me in my tempta- tions and trials with a holy hope, confirm me in my purposes with an operative faith, and enkindle in my soul a bright and burning charity ; that walk- ing in thy light, following thy commandments, and delighting in thy service, I may be delivered wholly from my sin and for ever preserved from thy wrath, and may finally pass from a certain expectation to the actual enjoyment of the glories of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 11 A Prayer upon a relapse into sin. O GREAT and glorious God, I tremble to come into thy presence polluted and dishonoured as I am by the foul stains of sin, which I have once more contracted after having been cleansed by the blood of thy Son, and renewed by thy grace in the spirit of my mind. But I must come, or I perish. Wretched man that I am ! unfit to appear in thy presence, yet not daring to stay from thee ; shrinking from thy sight with shame and sorrow, and yet drawn to thee by the hope of mer- cy and forgiveness. Heavenly Father, I have sinned against thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. I have grieved thy Spirit and crucified afresh my Lord and my God. But the greatness of my sin brings me to my remedy, and the very sense of my wretchedness fills me with hopes of thy pardon and favour ; for a broken and a contrite heart, God, thou wilt not despise. It is only because thy compassions fail not, and are renewed every morning, that I am emboldened to hope for thy mercy : for, my God, what have I done ! whither have I fallen ! I was called by thy word, instructed by thy wisdom, and strengthened by thy might in the inner man ; I was blessed with the light of thy countenance, encircled with thy graces, conducted by thy Spirit, and sealed, as I had hoped, to the day of redemption. Yet, 12 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS 1 knowing my sin and seeing my danger, neither ignorant nor surprised, I have wilfully, basely, and sensually renounced thee for the pleasures of a moment; I have exchanged thy loving kindness which is better than life for that which has per- ished in the using, and have justly provoked thy wrath and indignation against me. I am ashamed O God, of my ingratitude and guilt, and put my mouth in the dust. But in the pangs of sorrow which pierce my heart, I still perceive the com- munications of thy love. Thou hast not left me to sin without compunction, nor taken thy Holy Spirit from me. If thou hadst not loved me and pitied me, thou mightest have stricken me in the act of my shame. I know the design of thy mercy and forbearance is to bring me to repent- ance and pardon, to life and grace. I thank thee O God, and humbly comply with thy gracious purposes. Receive then a returning sinner, sus- tain my wounded spirit, heal this broken and contrite heart, refresh and relieve me who am weary and heavy laden with my sins, strengthen me with thy grace, that hereafter, I may watch more carefully, resist more powerfully, walk more circumspectly, and serve thee without sin and without shame all the days of my life ; that passing the time of my sojourning here in fear and holiness, I may enter into the joy of my Lord in the world to come, through the merits of my Advocate and Redeemer Jesus Christ. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 13 A general and humble confession of sin. HAVE mercy upon me, God, after thy great goodness, and according to the multitude of thy mercies do away mine offences. For I will confess my wickedness, and be sorry for my sin. Lord, I am not worthy to be reckoned among the meanest of thy servants, nor to receive the slight- est of thy favours, but if thou wert to deal with me as I most justly have deserved, my portion would be with the fearful and unbelieving in outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnash- ing of teeth. The spirit of uncleanness hath entered into my body and unhallowed the temple which thou didst consecrate for the habitation of thy spirit of holiness and love. My senses have been the inlets to corruption and sin, mine ears have been open to slander and detraction, mine eyes have been turned to vanity and folly, my lips have uttered perverseness and been a cause of grief to myself and of offence to others ; my passions have been fierce and unruly, my desires impatient of control, and all the members of my body and the faculties of my mind have been the instruments of sin. But great God, it is not only my personal faults which accuse me and fill me with anxiety and fear. I have encouraged others to sin, quieted their apprehensions, hardened their consciences, and tempted them both by word and 14 the sailors' and soldiers' example to their ruin and mine, unless thy glori- ous and unspeakable mercy should prevent so intolerable a calamity. Lord, I have abused thy mercy, despised thy judgments, and turned thy grace into lasciviousness ; I have been unthankful for thy goodness and loving kindness ; I have sinned and repented, and then sinned again ; I have resolved to sin no more, and upon a fresh temptation have weakly and miserably broken my vows, till I am almost ashamed to ask for for- giveness, and am ready to sit down in hopeless despair. But Lord, not only are my open mis- deeds, but my secret sins set plainly before thee in the light of thy countenance ; those which I have noted and those which I have forgotten, those which might have been prevented by watch- fulness and care, and those into which I have fallen by presumption and neglect. God, I am confounded with their multitude and filled with horror at their remembrance. Since thou hast nevertheless spared me and given me space for repentance, I will still hope in thy mercy. Give me a deep contrition for my sins. Give me grace instantly and for ever to forsake them. Give me such a hearty detestation and loathing of them, that I may hate them worse than death with its sting, and the Judgment with its torments; and enable me to walk henceforth with such care and prudence, such watchfulness and fear, as to redeem MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 15 the time which I have so wofully misspent, that thou mayest have the glory of pardoning all my sins, and I may reap the fruit of all thy mercies and graces in living a holy life here and reigning with thee for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For repentance and growth in grace. O GRACIOUS and Eternal God, the fountain of mercy and holiness, hear the cries and regard the supplications of thy servant, though altogether unworthy to appear in thy presence. But notwithstanding my innumerable sins, my manifold abuses of thy goodness, and my heed- lessness and contempt of thy long suffering and patience towards me, thou still vouchsafest unto me the means of grace and repentance. Awaken my soul from this sleep of death, and make me duly sensible of the hatefulness and deformity of my transgressions, and of the dreadful and insup- portable eternity of torments, to which, if unre- pented of, and unforgiven, they must inevitably consign me. Give me a deep contrition for hav- ing offended thee my merciful Creator and Re- deemer. Work in my soul that godly sorrow which leadeth to repentance unto salvation, that heartily detesting and loathing all my past abomi- nations, and suing unto thee for pardon with strong crying and tears, I may obtain of thee, the 16 God of all mercy, perfect remission and forgive- ness. Thou who despisest not the sighing of a broken and contrite heart, give heed unto my prayer. Thou who hast a regard unto the desire of the sorrowful, incline thine ear and hearken unto mine. Suffer me no more to do any act of shame, let me not look back upon Sodom, nor delight to dwell in the regions of death. Endue me w r ith so firm a resolution, such a true repentance, and so pure and heavenly a hope, as that I may turn unto thee with all my heart, and no temptation from this time forth may ever prevail against me. Give me a holy and unreprovable faith, that I may be enabled to over- come the world, to crucify the flesh with its affec- tions and lusts, and to quench all the fiery darts of the devil. And let this faith fill me with charity, that my repentance may be perfect and acceptable, my hatred of sin may increase my love of thee my God, and love produce universal obedience to thy commandments, and obedience be perpetual and unbroken. Strengthen me each day more and more with thy Holy Spirit, that I may grow in grace, advance in holiness, live in thy favour, and die with thy blessing; and at the last day may have my portion in the resurrection of the just, and enter into the joy of my Lord to reap in a blessed eternity, what is here sown in MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 17 sorrow and tears, through thy mercies God, and the merits of thy Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ* Amen. For one that is not duly grieved with his sins. GAINST thee Lord, have I sinned and done evil in thy sight, and what shall I now say unto thee in excuse of my folly and guilt 1 I acknowledge my faults and my sin is ever before me, but not with that depth of feeling nor confu- sion and shame, with which I ought to be hum- bled and abased. I have offended thee and en- dangered my own soul, and though there is no sin which has dominion over me and none which I do not unfeignedly long and strive to shake off, I am still amazed at my apathy and unconcern. my God, arouse me from my insensibility and give me such a keen perception of my wicked- ness, that I may continually lament and bewail it, that rivers of tears may run down mine eyes because I have not kept thy law, that I may mourn in secret for my transgressions, and confess them with humiliation and sorrow in the congre- gation of the saints. Lord, who causedst water to flow out of the rock of stone, break this stony heart of mine and make it to gush out with floods of grief. Give me a heart of flesh that it may be sensible to any impressions, with which a guilty conscience is wont to affect a returning penitent. 2* 18 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS 1 Make me to loathe my sins, and myself because of them, to humble my soul before thee with the deepest abasement, and to supplicate thy grace and Holy Spirit with such earnestness and fervour, as that I may never leave thee till I have obtain- ed the blessing of pardon and peace. Let not my conscience accuse me, nor my heart condemn me in vain, until thou, who art greater than my heart and knowest all things, mayest justly stop thine ears when I cry unto thee in the anguish of my soul. Let me no longer sin with such heedless- ness and unconcern against the light of thy gos- pel, the terrors of thy law, the invitations of thy mercy, the rebukes of thy Spirit, the checks and remonstrances of my own mind and my most solemn obligations and vows. But absolve me from the guilt, deliver me from the power, cleanse me from the pollution, save me from the punish- ment of this and all my other offences; reconcile me to thyself here, and crown me with immortal glory hereafter, through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Against temptation. O HEAVENLY Father who knowest whereof we are made and rememberest that we are but dust, look down upon me I beseech thee, with pity and compassion, and graciously assist me in my temptations and trials. Guard me against the MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 19 weakness of my own heart, the allurements of the world, the lusts of the flesh, and the crafts and assaults of the devil. Suffer me not from an undue reliance on my own strength to be high- minded, nor timidly to distrust the sufficiency of thy grace ; but enable me to work out my sal- vation with fear and trembling; help me in my efforts and crown me with success. Be thou my rock and my castle, my deliverance and de- fence, that being protected through thy might I may fight manfully under thy banner, and con- tinue thy faithful soldier and servant unto my life's end. Nourish the grace which is sown in my heart, and make it fruitful unto every good work. Give me the increase of faith, hope, and charity, and that I may obtain that which thou dost pro- mise, make me to love that which thou dost com- mand, for the sake of my Advocate and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. For deliverance from evil. O GRACIOUS God, I thy unworthy servant, weak and ignorant, sinful and depraved, with affections inclining me to evil and unruly passions impatient of control, do call upon thee who art mighty to save, for help and deliverance. My adversary the devil, crafty and malicious, active and watchful, goeth about continually seeking whom he may devour ; and I, wretched man that 20 the sailors' and soldiers' I am, tempt myself, running' out to mischief, de- lighting in the approaches to sin, and loving the indulgences which with uneasiness and horror I ought carefully to shun. Pity me Lord, in the midst of my disorders and give me spiritual strength, firmness of purpose, and unceasing watchfulness to be my security in the hour of danger and trial. Give me thy grace to flee from all occasions of sin, that I may never tempt my- self, nor take delight in the opportunity of being tempted by others. Deliver me from sin and shame, from anguish and remorse, from the fear of thy wrath and everlasting damnation. Smite me here if thou wilt with a father's rod, but spare me hereafter ; and let me not have my portion in that region of darkness and woe, where the worm dieth not and the fire is never quenched. Grant this God, for the sake of our Advocate and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. Against inordinate desires. OHOLY and biesssed Jesus, who wast born of a pure virgin, and delightest to dwell in the hearts of the pure, behold with mercy thy frail and sinful servant, encompassed with infirmities and exposed to the temptations of fleshly lusts which war against the soul. I cannot stand Lord, in the day of battle unless thou coverest me with thy shield, and hidest me under thy wings. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 21 The fiery darts of the devil are ready to consume me, unless they be quenched by the continual dew of thy heavenly grace. Thou didst create me after thine own image. keep me so pure and spotless, so chaste and clean, that my body may be a holy temple meet for the habitation of thy Spirit, and my soul a partaker of thy purity and love. Purge me from all stain of sin, let me hate the very garment spotted by the flesh, let me mourn in bitterness of spirit over the impurity and corruption of my past life, and suffer me no longer to be the slave of my appetites and lusts. Kindle the holy fire of thy love in my heart, and let it consume all the dross with which it has been hitherto defiled ; and grant that I may no more grieve thy blessed Spirit by any work of darkness, but that after a pure and holy life here, I may be presented unto God, washed and cleansed in thy blood, and reign with Thee for ever and ever ; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory world without end. Amen. For temperance. O ALMIGHTY God the Father of angels and men, who openest thy hand and fillest all things living with plenteousness, and who in satis* fying our wants and multiplying our comforts hast given us unceasing occasion to praise thee for thy goodness and to rejoice in thy mercies ; grant that 22 the sailors' and soldiers' I may never by my folly turn thy bounty into sin nor thy grace into wantonness. Give me the spirit of temperance and sobriety, that I may always use the gifts of thy providence in conformity with the designs of thy grace, making them instrumental to thy glory and my comfort, and not to the unlaw- ful indulgence of the lusts of the flesh. Suffer them not to minister to sickness nor sin, but to health and holiness. Let not my body be oppress- ed with surfeiting and drunkenness, nor my soul debased by sensuality and vice. Enable me by thy grace to bring the flesh into subjection to the spirit, that neither my table may be a snare unto me nor my food a temptation or disease, but grant that I may watch over my appetites with so much caution and prudence, as to indulge them with moderation and thankfulness, and that in the sense of thy mercies and the strength of thy re- freshments, thy temporal blessings may only be an occasion of promoting my everlasting salva- tion ; through the merits and satisfaction of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. A penitential Litany. O FATHER of mercies and God of all conso- lation, who hast sent thy Son to redeem us from the bondage of iniquity, and to save us from thy wrath and everlasting damnation; have mercy upon thy rebellious and perishing children. B1ANUAL OF DEVOTION. 23 O blessed Saviour, who in compassion to our weakness didst take our nature upon thee and give thyself a sacrifice for our sins ; have mercy upon me, once miserable and lost, but now a sor- rowful and returning sinner. Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Father and the Son, who didst come into the world to sanctify and teach, to illuminate and guide it ; have mer- cy upon me in my blindness and folly, and lead me into the way of holiness and truth. Holy, Blessed, and Glorious Trinity, three persons and one God; have mercy upon me a miserable sinner. Pardon God, the vanities of my childhood and the sins of my youth, my proneness to evil and my backwardness to good, my early corruption and my slow return to a sense of my guilt and my duty. If thou Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss, Lord, who may abide it ? O God of mercy, pardon my want of restraint over my appetites and passions, my unwillingness to learn my duty and my aversion to practice it, my wickedness in admitting so readily and cherishing so fondly the first insinuations of sin, my delight in vain thoughts, my pleasure in evil remembrances, and my glorying in my shame. Cast me not away from thy presence, and take not thy Holy Spirit from me. 24 the sailors' and soldiers' God of mercy, pardon my foolish imagina- tions and my voluptuous desires, my wicked de- vices and my evil deeds, my secret delight in what thou hast forbidden, and my weariness and disgust in what thou hast wisely and mercifully enjoined. Turn thy face from my sins Lord, and put out all my misdeeds. O God of mercy, pardon the unnumbered omis- sions of my duty, my neglect in searching the scriptures and the infrequency of my prayers, my listless manner of attending to them when statedly performed, and my secret rejoicing when forced to omit them, the wandering of my mind, and the coldness of my heart in the public services of thy sanctuary, my deadness of faith and dulness of spirit in the reading and preaching of thy holy word. Put me not to rebuke Lord, neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure. God of mercy, pardon all the sins of my proud and prejudiced understanding, my wilful ignorance of the way of salvation and sinful ne- glect of the means of grace, the weakness and imperfection of my faith and the inconsistency and wavering of my unstable life, my distrust of thy power and goodness and my vain reliance on superstitious fancies and wandering dreams, my confidence and presumption in the time of ease and security, and my fear and trembling in the season of temptation and trial. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 25 O Lord, in thee alone may I put my trust : let me never be confounded. God of mercy, pardon the unruliness of my affections and the irregularity and disorder of my sinful life, my fretfulness and impatience under the most trifling provocations, the hastiness of my temper and the fierceness of my wrath towards my offending brother, my strange forgetfulness of my offences towards thee, and stupid indifference to thy displeasure. O take away from me my iniquities, and dispose me to forgive even as I am graciously forgiven. God of mercy, pardon my impatience and discontent, under the trials of my lot, my secret murmurs and open rebellions against the dispen- sations of thy providence, my provocations of thee to anger by rushing into dangers where I was not called, and hardening my face against thy right- eous judgments, my contempt of thy mercies in turning thy grace into lasciviousness, despising thy long-suffering and goodness, and trusting boldly where thou hast given us no ground of comfort or hope. cleanse thou me from my secret faults, and keep thy servant from presumptuous sins. God of mercy, pardon the innumerable sins of my tongue, my vain conversation and common profaneness, my bold and presumptuous appeals to thee to witness the truth of what I believed to 3 26 the sailors' and soldiers' be false or knew not to be true, my irreverent use of thy sacred and venerable name, my provoking others to anger and leading them to follow my horrible example, my crafty and ensnaring talk to entice my neighbour to sin, my secret whispers or open detraction to undermine his character and bring reproach upon his name. Father I have sinned before thee and against men, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. OGod of mercy, pardon all my rebellion against thee, and against thy representatives my lawful superiors who have the command over me, my want of respect for their station, my disobedience of their commands, my murmurs and repinings against their authority, my neglect of their per- sons and desires, my publication of their faults, my rejoicing in their infirmities, and whatsoever is irreverent or perverse, unjust or uncharitable towards my betters. Lord teach me obedience and submission, not only for wrath, but for conscience sake. O God of mercy, pardon all my cruel thoughts, my provoking words and injurious actions ; cleanse my hands from violence and my heart from blood- guiltiness ; forgive my breach of promise to men and of my holy vows to thee my God. Hide thy face Lord, from my sins and blot out all my transgressions. Correct me but with judg- MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 27 merit, not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. give me the comfort of thy help again, and stablish me with thy free Spirit; that the remainder of my days maybe passed in right- eousness and peace, and eternity be spent in thy glory and praise. Amen. For humility. O BLESSED Jesus, who in thy life and death hast set before us a perfect pattern of humili- ty, enable me by thy grace to imitate thy conde- scension, that I may not by my pride lose the hap- piness which thy humility hath purchased for me. Make me sensible of my folly and weakness, my baseness and ingratitude by reason of my sins, which render me contemptible in thy sight. Let the thoughts of my vileness cover me with shame and confusion, check my vain and aspiring thoughts, and wean me from too fond an opinion of myself. To thee be the glory of all the good I enjoy ; for from thee I received it. To thee be the glory of all the good I think or do; for it is thy grace which enables me both to will and to do according to thy good pleasure. let me never purchase the praise of men by mean flat- tery and sinful compliances, nor listen to their applause with too great delight; but make me humble in my thoughts of myself and patient un- der reproaches and indignities, because I know I 28 the sailors' and soldiers' deserve them, and because thou who wast without sin didst not disdain to suffer them for my sake. Grant this blessed Jesus, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen. For obedience to Commanders on Land or at Sea. O ALMIGHTY God, the fountain of truth and holiness, in whom to believe is life eternal ; let thy grace descend with power into my soul, beating down every strong hold, and bringing every proud thought and vain imagination of my heart into the obedience of Christ. Let me imi- tate the example of thy blessed Son, that as it was his meat and drink to do thy will, so also I may fulfil it with cheerfulness and humility; resting satisfied with the wisdom of thy laws, and submit- ting with patience to the dispensations of th)^ pro- vidence. Let thy Holy Spirit rule and sanctify every power and member both of my body and soul, that they may keep that beauteous order which in our creation thou didst intend and estab- lish, and to which thou dost restore thy people in the renovation of grace ; and let all my affections and faculties be devoted to thy service. And may the love which I show in obeying thee make me dutiful and obedient to my superiors also, upon whom with thine own hand thou hast stamp- ed the image of thy authority. Take from me all MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 29 frowardness and turbulence of spirit, all restless ambition and obstinate self-will, that I may never despise their persons, nor disregard their com- mands, nor choose my own work, nor murmur at their burthens. May I be lowly in my views and moderate in my desires, and resigned to the will of those whom thou hast set over me ; and since all thy creatures obey thy word, grant that I alone may not disorder the creation, nor destroy the links of subordination which connect us with those whom thou hast raised above us, and bind us all to the foot of thy throne. Bless the persons under whom thou hast more immediately placed me with thy especial favour, and crown them with continual honour. Grant them a long, prosperous, and religious command over the people committed to their charge, and grant us a quiet, humble, and obedient subjection to their will; that they ruling us prudently and in the fear of the Lord, we may obey them loyally with all lowliness and cheerfulness of mind, and that both we and they evermore endeavouring to set forth the beauty of thy Church militant here on earth, may be at last exalted to the glory of thy Church triumphant in the heavens, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 3* 30 the sailors' and soldiers' Another for the same. O ETERNAL God, great Ruler of men and angels, who hast constituted all things in a wonderful order, making all thy creatures subject to man, and one man to another, and all to Thee, the last link of this chain being fastened to the foot of thy throne ; teach me to obey all those whom thou hast set over me, reverencing their persons, submitting indiscriminately to all their lawful commands, and cheerfully undergoing the burthens which their wisdom or the public neces- sity may at any time impose upon me. Let me never murmur against their authority, lest the spirit of pride and mutiny, of disorder and misrule, should enter within me and consign me to the portion of the disobedient and rebellious, of the despisers of dominion, and revilers of dignity, whom thou shalt cast from thy presence. Grant this O God, for the sake of Him who for his obe- dience to thee hath been exalted far above all principality and power for ever and ever, thy Son our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen* A prayer by a Commander for himself and others. MOST holy and blessed Saviour, who for our sake didst descend from the glories of heaven to the labours and sufferings of this miserable o MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 31 world, who didst pass from a painful life to an ignominious death, from the bitterness of death to the darkness of the grave, and by thy divine pow- er didst raise thyself again from the dead in order that we might be exalted to life everlasting ; I give thee thanks for thine infinite love to me and all mankind, I acknowledge thee to be my Lord and my God, I adore thy majesty and rejoice in thy mercy, and I will praise and magnify thee for ever and ever. Give me grace I humbly beseech thee, to believe all thy doctrines and to obey all thy commandments, that after a holy and religious life spent in doing honour to thy holy name, I may be made a partaker of thy glorious ressurrec- tion ; passing from death to life, from the darkness of the grave to the light of heaven, from the frailty and error of this mortal state to the perfec- tion of holiness and the fulness of joy in thy ever- lasting kingdom. And since thou, who wert blessed for ever, didst stoop down from thy throne and humble thyself even to the death of the Cross ; grant that I may never be lifted up with arrogance and pride, but bearing constantly in mind thine unspeakable humility and mine own unworthiness, I may be always disposed to conde- scend to men of low estate. Make me to know that though clothed with authority, I am neverthe- less encompassed with infirmity, and that with power to determine the punishment of wrong do- 32 the sailors' and soldiers' ing, I am still liable to error in judgment. Give thy servant then an understanding heart, that I may discern rightly between good and evil, and while I exercise discipline with firmness, enable me also to remember mercy. Cause me to walk before thee in truth and righteousness, that I may not regard the person of the mighty and be afraid of his power, nor despise the person of the poor, and reject his petition ; but that doing justice to all men and showing consideration and kindness, I may receive mercy from thee, and love, duty, and service from those who are under my care ; through thy merits Lord, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen. A prayer to be used by Officers with their troops or Commanders with their Crews. O ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, the High and mighty Ruler of the universe, who dost govern all things both in heaven and earth ; look down with mercy upon these thy servants who are placed under my authority, and committed to my charge. Sanctify them with thy grace, preserve them by thy providence, guard them from all the evils to which they are exposed, direct them in the ways of peace and righteousness by the aid and guidance of thy Holy Spirit, make them par- takers of all thy blessings and graces in this world, MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 33 and fit them for the glory and enjoyment of that which is to come. Be Thou the light of their minds, that they may understand their duty — their counsel in all their doubts — their strength against all temptations — their wisdom — to direct and govern them in all that belongs to the state of life in which thy providence has placed them. Give Lord, thy blessing unto thy word, that they may read and hear it with meek hearts and due reverence, receive it with pure affection, and bring forth the fruits of the Spirit. May it become effectual to the conversion and salvation of those who are still in their sins, and confirm and strengthen those who have already forsaken them. May its dreadful threatenings and judgments arouse the ungodly to repentance, and its gracious promises quicken their obedience. Cause them God, rightly to understand and constantly to walk in the way of thy commandments, and lead them to life everlasting. Almighty God, who hast set me in a place of authority and made me a guide to others, suffer me not to go astray myself. Grant that I may never follow the inclinations of corrupted nature nor govern myself according to the maxims of an evil world, but give me the spirit and character of a true disciple of thy Son Christ Jesus. Holy Spirit of grace, sanctify my heart that no base or impure thoughts, no low or covetous 34 the sailors' and soldiers' affections may lodge there. Govern my tongue that no corrupt communications may proceed out of my mouth. Guard my eyes, purify my hands, guide my feet. Conduct my whole life, that by all the instances and proofs of a good example I may lead the people committed to my care in the ways of righteousness and truth, and that no irre- gularity in my life and conversation may be a cause of grief or offence to others. Blessed Jesus the Prince of peace and God of love, make me an instrument of peace and good will among those over whom I am placed ; that by thy gracious assistance I may root out all strife and variance, all hatred and malice, all ungodli- ness and vice, and that we may live together in quietness and love. Bless God the discipline of this (ship) portion of the army entrusted to my hands, and make it effectual to the correction of the restless and tur- bulent, and to the encouragement of them that do well. Assist me by thy Good Spirit to apply a proper cure to every disorder, that I may reprove with firmness and authority and yet without bitter- ness, censure with equity, and punish with com- passion. Pass by and pardon Lord, the imperfections and sins of which any of us may have been guilty, and give us grace to consider that by thy merciful goodness we are blessed with the comforts of MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 35 which we are unworthy, and delivered from the evils which we have most justly deserved. May we all gratefully acknowledge thy love to us, may we meditate on thy tender mercies, may we magnify and adore the ways of thy providence, according to thy wonted goodness Lord, pre- serve us for the time to come. May the same watchful providence which has heretofore defend- ed us from innumerable dangers, guard and pro- tect us through the remainder of our days, and may we so pass the waves of this troublesome world, that we may finally come to the land of everlasting life, there to reign with Thee, world without end ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Our Father who art in Heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. 36 THE sailors' Another for the Same in Time of Peace. OLORD God of Hosts, who rulest in the armies of heaven and among the inhabitants of the earth, we humbly beseech thee so to conduct and defend this army (fleet or ship) by thy watchful providence and mighty power, that whatever it may undertake for the protection of thy people, may be prosperous and blessed. Direct and lead us all in security and peace, grant wisdom and counsel to thy servant the Commander, resolution and firmness to my officers, and a hearty good will and cheerful obedience to all who are subject to our control. If in the pursuit of our lawful ob- jects we are brought unexpectedly into action, give us prudence and courage and bless the battle with success. But if it be thy gracious will Lord, preserve us from this painful necessity, and grant us the opportunity of effecting the purposes of Justice and Peace without bloodshed and mise- ry. Guard us from contagious diseases, from the violence of enemies, and from sudden death ; from evil accidents or crafty designs ; from treachery within or surprise without; from carelessness in our duty, from confusion and fear, from restless- ness and disorder, from mutiny and crime. Give us a happy and honourable return to our station and friends, that the country may be blessed by MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 37 our services, and we thy servants may rejoice in thy mercies; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer in time of War and Tumults. O ALMIGHTY God, the supreme Governor of all things, whose power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sin- ners, and to be merciful to those who truly repent; save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies; that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved ever- more from all perils, to glorify thee, who art the only giver of all victory, through the merits of thy Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer in time of War. OMOST mighty Lord God, who reignest over all the kingdoms and nations of men, who hast power to cast down and raise up, to save thy servants and rebuke their enemies, and in all ages hast given victory to thy people, effecting with a few by thine aid what cannot be done by the mul- titude of an host ; let thine ears be now opened to our prayers and thine eyes to our danger and trou- ble. Lord judge our cause in righteousness and mercy, strengthen our efforts, and prosper our arms. Establish us in our rights and guard us against all injury and wrong. Let neither cru- 4 38 elty nor ambition, the lust of empire nor thirst of blood, the greediness of spoil nor the pleasures of victory, make us either to love war or to neglect the ways of peace. And grant unto the Army (or Navy) such humanity and justice, that none who belong to it may do any act unbecoming the disci- ples and servants of the Prince of peace. Bless them God, in all their lawful actions and neces- sary measures of self-defence, that they may neither do nor suffer wrong. Let not the unjust desires nor mischievous imaginations of our ene- mies prosper, lest we become a scorn and derision to our oppressors. And since the race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, but only to those who put their trust in thy name ; be thou our strength and defence, our safeguard and deli- verance in the day of trouble. Look down upon us Lord from thy holy sanctuary, and stretch forth thine hand and help us. Cover our heads in the day of battle, send thy fear before thy servants, and let our enemies be scattered. Make us valiant in combat and put to flight the armies of the aliens ; that thus seeing thy favour in the defeat of our enemies, we may ascribe to thee alone all the glory and honour of our triumph, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 39 Another Prayer in time of War. O ETERNAL God, who by thy glorious wis- wisdom, by thy almighty power, and secret providence dost determine the issues of human counsels, the events of war and the returns of victory and peace ; let the light of thy counte- nance and the blessed influence of thy mercy be once more shed upon this afflicted land. Pity the evils which we suffer under the power and tyranny of war, and although we acknowledge thy Jus- tice in our sufferings and adore thee in thy Judg- ments, yet we beseech thee to hearken to our complaints and to provide a remedy for our calami- ties. Let not the defenders of a righteous cause go away ashamed, nor their counsels be brought to nought. Look with compassion upon our infirmi- ties and remember not our sins, but support us with thy staff, lift us up with thy hand, and re- fresh us with thy presence. And if a threatening cloud should still overshadow us, open unto us the window of heaven, that with the eye of faith and hope we may see beyond it ; catching a glimpse of those mercies which in thy secret providence and adorable wisdom, thou mayest still vouchsafe to thy unworthy servants amidst such sad and in- auspicious beginnings. Teach us diligently to do our duty and cheerfully to submit to thy will, and as we have put our whole trust in thy mercy and 40 THE SAILORS' laid up all our hopes in thy bosom, let us never be confounded. Place a guard of angels Lord about the Commander in chief , and uphold him with the defence of thy right hand, that no un- hallowed arm may do violence to him. Support him in all his dangers and trials, and give him the hearts of his people. Bless all his friends and confederates, direct their counsels, approve their actions, unite their hearts, and strengthen their hands. Sanctify the means and instruments which they may employ for their purposes, that they may not proceed with cruelty, injustice, or op- pression towards the accomplishment even of their lawful desires, and crown all their endeavours with prosperity and success. Give safety and honour to our rulers, and security and peace to thy peo- ple, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayers to be used before Battle. OMOST powerful and glorious Lord God, the Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest all things ; thou sittest on the throne judging right, and therefore we make our address to thy Divine Majesty, in this our necessity, that thou wouldest take the cause into thine own hand and judge between us and our enemies. Stir up thy strength Lord, and come and help us ; for thou give st not alway the battle to the strong, but canst save by many or by few. O let not our sins now MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 41 cry against us for vengeance ; but hear us thy poor servants begging mercy and imploring thy help, and that thou wouldest be a defence unto us against the face of the enemy : Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Lord be merciful to us sinners, and save us for thy mercies sake. Thou art the great God who hast made and rulest all things; deliver us for thy name's sake. Thou art the great God to be feared above all : O save us that we may praise thee. Thou, Lord art just and powerful ; defend our cause against the face of the enemy. God thou art a strong tower of defence to all who fly unto thee ; save us from the violence of the enemy. Lord of Hosts, fight for us ; that we may glorify thee. suffer us not to sink under the weight of our sins, or the violence of the enemy. Lord arise, help us, and deliver us for thy name's sake. Thanksgiving after Victory. IF the Lord had not been on our side, now may we say ; if the Lord himself had not been on our side when men rose up against us; 42 the sailors' and soldiers' They had swallowed us up quick when they were so wrathfully displeased at us. Yea, the waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul : the deep waters of the proud had gone over our soul. But praised be the Lord who hath not given us over as a prey unto them. The Lord hath wrought a mighty salvation for us. We got not this by our own sword, neither was it our own arm that saved us ; but thy right hand and thine arm and the light of countenance be- cause thou hadst a favour unto us. The Lord hath appeared for us ; the Lord hath covered our heads and made us to stand in the day of battle. The Lord hath appeared far us ; the Lord hath overthrown our enemies and dashed in pieces those that rose up against us. Therefore not unto us Lord, not unto us ; but unto thy name be given the glory. The Lord hath done great things for us ; the Lord hath done great things for us, for which we rejoice. Our help standeth in the name of the Lord who hath made heaven and earth. Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth for evermore. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 43 As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. ALMIGHTY God, the sovereign Commander of all the world, in whose hand is power and might, which none is able to withstand; we bless and magnify thy great and glorious name for this hap- py victory the whole glory whereof we do ascribe to thee who art the only giver of victory. And we beseech thee give us grace to improve this great mercy to thy glory, the advancement of thy Gospel, the honour of our country and as much as in us lieth to the good of all mankind. And we beseech thee, give us such a sense of thy great mercy as may engage us to a true thankfulness, such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit, as for all thy mer- cies, so in particular for this victory and deliver- ance, be all glory and honour world without end. Amen. A Thanksgiving for Peace, and Deliverance from our Enemies. O ALMIGHTY God, who art a strong tower of defence unto thy servants against the face of their enemies; we yield thee praise and thanks- giving, for our deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we were compassed; 44 THE sailors' we acknowledge it thy goodness that we were not delivered over as a prey unto them ; beseeching thee still to continue such thy mercies toward us, that all the world may know that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Thanksgiving for restoring Public Peace at Home. O ETERNAL God, our heavenly Father, who alone makest men to be of one mind in a house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and unruly people ; we bless thy holy name, that it hath pleased thee to appease the seditious tumults which have been lately raised up amongst us ; most humbly beseeching thee to grant to all of us grace, that we may henceforth obediently walk in thy holy commandments ; and, leading a quiet and peaceable life in all godliness and honesty, may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for these thy mercies to- ward us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer to be used by an Officer on Court Martial when Sentence of Death may be passed. O ALMIGHTY God by whom kings reign and princes decree justice, and by whom all the powers that be, in their several degrees are ordain- ed and confirmed for the welfare of thy creatures, look graciously upon thy servant in the painful MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 45 act of authority which he may soon be called upon to discharge. Lord, I am but an infirm man and liable to err in the judgment which I may form. Give me then an understanding heart, that I may be enabled to discern between good and evil, and more especially to determine rightly in the solemn case which is now before me. Let no vindictive sense of insulted authority, let no un- worthy fear of personal danger, nor callous indif- ference to the life of the meanest of thy creatures have the slightest influence on the decision to w r hich I may come. But while on these accounts alone thou givest me grace to shun severity, yet Lord, suffer no unmanly weakness nor false com- passion to shake my firmness in the discharge of my duty. Let a due regard for the maintenance of authority and the execution of the laws pre- vail over the mere impulses of feeling. Let me so minister discipline as to remember mercy, but not be so indulgent as to be too remiss; and when I shall have acted in thy faith and fear, then, whe- ther the sentence be for life or for death, enable me to dismiss all disquietude from my own mind and all concern for the opinions of others. Grant this Lord for the sake of my Advocate and Re- deemer Jesus Christ. Amen. 46 the sailors' and soldiers' Prayers to be used by a Man under Sentence of Death. OHOLY Jesus, who of thine infinite goodness didst accept the conversion of a sinner on the cross ; open thine eye of mercy upon me thy servant, who now desire pardon and forgiveness, though in my latest hour I turn unto thee. Renew in me whatsoever hath been decayed by the fraud and malice of the devil or by my own carnal will and frailness. Consider my contrition ; accept my repentance ; and forasmuch as I put my full trust only in thy mercy, impute not unto me my former sins, but strengthen me with thy blessed Spirit; and when thou art pleased to take me hence, take me unto thy favour: This I beg through thy merits, Lord our Saviour and Re- deemer. Amen. FATHER of mercies and God of all comfort; I thy unworthy servant who am now under the sentence of condemnation, fly unto thee for suc- cour. The day of my calamity is at hand, and I am accounted as one of those who go down into the pit. Blessed Lord remember thy mercies ; look upon my infirmities; hear the voice of my complaint; give me I beseech thee patience in this my time of adversity, and support under the terrors which MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 47 encompass me; set before my eyes the things I have done in the body which have justly provoked thee to anger; and forasmuch as my continuance here appeareth to be short, quicken me so much the more by thy grace and Holy Spirit; that I being converted and reconciled unto thee before thy Judgments have cut me off from the earth, may at the hour of my death depart in peace, and be received into thine everlasting king- dom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O GOD who declarest thy Almighty power chiefly in showing mercy and pity; I beseech thee to have mercy upon me thy unworthy servant, who for my transgressions am appointed to die. Grant that I may take thy judgments patiently, and repent me truly of my sins ; that I recovering thy favour, the fearful reward of my actions may end with this life ; and whensoever my soul shall depart from the body, it may be without spot pre- sented unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us, save me, and help me I humbly beseech thee, O Lord. In the midst of life we are in death : of whom may we seek for succour, but of thee, Lord, who for our sins art justly displeased? Yet O Lord 48 the sailors' and soldiers' God most holy, Lord most mighty, Holy and most merciful Saviour, deliver me not into the bitter pains of eternal death. Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of my heart : Shut not thy mer- ciful ears to my prayers; but spare me Lord most holy, O God most mighty, Holy and merciful Saviour, thou most worthy judge eternal, suffer me not at my last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee. The Almighty God who is a most strong tower to all those who put their trust in him ; to whom all things in heaven, in earth and under the earth do bow and obey; be now and evermore my de- fence, and make me know and feel that there is none other name under heaven given to man, in whom and through whom I may receive salvation but only in the name of my Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection I commit myself: The Lord bless me, and keep me : The Lord make his face to shine upon me and be gracious unto me : The Lord lift up his countenance upon me, and give me peace both now and evermore. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 49 A Prayer for a person going to Sea. O ETERNAL God, who alone spreadest out the heavens and rulest the raging of the sea, I commend myself to thy almighty protection on the great deep. Guard me I beseech thee, from the dangers of the sea, from sickness, from the violence of enemies, and from every evil to which I may be exposed. Conduct me in safety to the haven where I would be, with a grateful sense of thy mercies, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Another for a person either before a March or going to Sea. O ALMIGHTY God, who fillest all things with thy presence and art a God afar off as well as near at hand, who didst send thy Angel to bless Jacob in his journey, and didst lead the chil- dren of Israel through the Red Sea, making it a wall on the right hand and on the left ; let thy pre- sence I beseech thee go with me in my journey, (voyage) and be thou my guide and my guard, my light and defence. Preserve me from thieves and robbers, (pirates) from the violence of ene- mies, from quarrels and bloodshed with compan- ions and friends, from evil accidents and from sudden death. Prosper my journey (voyage) to 5 50 the sailors' and soldiers' thy glory and all my innocent and lawful pur- poses. Protect and deliver me from the assaults of temptation and the snares of sin, that I may return to my home in peace and holiness with thy favour and blessing ; and grant that I may serve thee in thankfulness and obedience all the days of my pilgrimage on earth, and bring me at last to that better country, the heavenly Jerusa- lem, where I may dwell with thee in perpetual rest and felicity, through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. X Thanksgiving for a Safe Return from Sea. MOST gracious Lord, whose mercy is over all thy works, and who hast been pleased to conduct in safety thy unworthy servant through the perils of the great deep ; accept I beseech thee, for this manifestation of thy love, the un- feigned offering of my gratitude and praise. May I be duly sensible of thy merciful providence to- wards me, and ever express my thankfulness by a holy trust in thee, and obedience to thy laws, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. After a Journey or Voyage. ALMIGHTY God, who savest my life from de- struction and crownest me with mercy and loving kindness, blessed be thy holy name that thou hast brought me in safety to the end of my MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 51 journey, (voyage) and preserved me from the innumerable accidents and dangers to which I was exposed. It is of thy mercy that I have been kept in life and health, notwithstanding the pestilence that walketh in darkness and the arrow that flieth by noonday. It is of thy watch- ful providence that I have been defended from the assaults and violence of wicked men, and of thy free and unmerited grace that I have been delivered from the snares and temptations of the devil and the flesh. Lord enable me to rejoice and triumph in thy praise, and not only to ex- press my thanks with my lips but to show forth my grateful sense of thy mercies in my life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. An Office of Prayer to be used at Sea. OUR Father who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. God make speed to save us. O Lord make haste to help us. Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help, and whose hope is in the Lord his God : 52 THE sailors' and soldiers' Who made heaven and earth, the sea and all that therein is. The Lord is great, and cannot worthily be praised: His dominion is from one sea to the other, and from the flood unto the world's end. Whither shall I go then from thy Spirit, or whither shall I go from thy presence 7 If I climb up into heaven thou art there, If I go down to hell thou art there also. If I take the wings of the morning and remain in the uttermost parts of the sea : Even there also shall thy hand lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Lord God of hosts, who is like unto thee ; thy truth most mighty Lord is on every side. Thou rulest the raging of the sea ; thou stillest the waves thereof when they arise. Thou shalt show us wonderful things in thy righteousness God of our salvation, thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad sea. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. O Almighty God and heavenly Father, who rulest the raging of the sea and settest bounds to MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 53 its power, saying hitherto shalt thou come, but no further, and here shall thy proud waves be stayed; look graciously upon us thy servants, who in the midst of continual dangers both by day and by night dwell, as it were, in the shadow of death. We know and confess Lord, that the storms of passion do frequently overtake us, and that we are overwhelmed in the floods of ungodliness. Our oaths and blasphemies are liercer than the winds, and call aloud to thee for vengeance upon us. But God, deal not with us according to our sins, neither reward us according to our iniquities. Still the tumult and disorder of our unruly wills and affections, speak peace to our troubled minds, give us rest and pardon, and comfort and joy in the Holy Ghost. Defend and deliver us Lord from all perils both of body and soul. Keep us from the fury of storm and tempest, and from the horrors of ship- wreck ; from the violence of open enemies and from the craft and cruelty of pirates ; from sick- ness, accidents, and death. Let our voyage be safe and prosperous, that returning to our homes with thy favour and blessing, we may glorify thee here in the land of the living, and finally continue thy praise for ever and ever in thy heavenly king- dom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 54* the sailors' and soldiers' To be said, especially in a Storm, or Danger of Pirates or Shipwreck. THE Lord is King ; ever since the world began hath thy seat been prepared : Thou art from everlasting. The floods are risen Lord, the floods have lift up their voice, the floods lift up their waves. The waves of the sea are mighty and rage horribly, but the Lord that dwelleth on high is mightier. Art not Thou, He, which hath dried the sea, the waters of the great deep ; that hath made the depths of the sea a way for the ransomed to pass over? Thou art the God that doest wonders, and hast declared thy power among the people. Thou hast mightily delivered thy people, even the sons of Jacob and Joseph. Thy way is in the sea, and thy paths in the great waters, and thy footsteps are not known. Therefore I will cry unto God with my voice, even unto God will I cry with my voice, and he shall hearken unto me. Let not the water flood drown me, neither let the deep swallow me up. Hear me Lord for thy loving-kindness is com- fortable. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 55 Who is like unto Thee, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders ? O hide not thy face from thy servants, for our souls are full of trouble and our life draweth nigh unto the grave. O let our prayer enter into thy presence, incline thine ear unto our calling. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Holy and blessed Saviour, who in the days when thou wert manifest in the flesh, didst com- mand the winds and rebuke the seas and they obeyed thee ; and who now that thou art exalted far above all principalities and powers, hast en- couraged us to come boldly to thy throne, that we may obtain mercy and find grace to help in time of need ; look down with pity and compassion upon thy servants in the depth of our misery and trouble. Speak peace unto our conscience,* and (command our enemies to be in peace with us, or to have no power against us ; restrain their vio- lence and keep them from outrage, plunder, and blood :) rebuke the winds and the storm that they may be still. Thou art a present help in time of trouble ; be now then our security and refuge, and deliver us from the dangers with which we are * To be used when chased by pirates. 56 THE sailors' threatened. Consider our cries and hearken unto our prayers. Our flesh and our heart faileth, but be thou the strength of our heart and our portion for ever. In thee have we trusted let us never be confounded; but be thou our protector and guide, a star in the night and covering by day. Strength- en our faith God, and increase our hope, that in the greatest danger we may ever hope against hope, and look with confidence for the salvation of the Lord. May thy goodness rescue us from our present fear, defend us in all difficulties and dangers, sanctify every accident which may befall us, and cause every event of thy providence to work together for our good. And grant Lord, that being thus blessed with the mercies of which we are unworthy, and delivered from the evils which we have most justly deserved, we may pass from the enjoyment of thy favour here, to the glory and bliss of thy redeemed in heaven, through the merits of thine own most precious blood ; to whom Lord with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory world with- out end. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 57 O FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA. (FROM THE LITURGY.) The two following Prayers to be used in Ships of War. ETERNAL Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end ; be pleased to receive into thy Almighty and most gracious protection, the persons of us thy servants, and the fleet (or ship) in which we serve. Preserve us from the dangers of the sea, and from the vio- lence of the enemy; that we may be a safeguard unto the United States of America, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful oc- casions ; that the inhabitants of our land may in peace and quietness serve thee our God ; and that we may return in safety to enjoy the blessings of the land, with the fruits of our labour; and, with a thankful remembrance of thy mercies, to praise and glorify thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jlrnen. 58 the sailors' and soldiers' DIRECT us, OLord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy con- tinual help ; that in all our works begui}, contin- ued, and ended in thee, we may glorify thy holy name ; and finally, by thy mercy obtain everlast- ing life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayers to be used in Storms at Sea. OMOST powerful and glorious Lord God, at whose command the winds blow, and lift up the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage thereof; we, thy creatures, but miserable sinners, do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help : Save, Lord, or else we perish. We confess when we have been safe, and seen all things quiet about us, we have forgotten thee our God, and refused to hearken to the still voice of thy word, and to obey thy commandments : but now we see how terrible thou art in all thy works of wonder ; the great God to be feared above all; and therefore we adore thy divine majesty, acknowledging thy power, and imploring thy goodness. Help, Lord, and save us for thy mercies' sake, in Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord. Amen. MOST glorious and gracious Lord God, who dwellest in heaven, but beholdest all things be- low; look down, we beseech thee, and hear us, calling out of the depth of misery, and out of the MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 59 jaws of this death, which is now ready to swallow us up : Save, Lord, or else we perish. The liv- ing, the living shall praise thee. send thy word of command to rebuke the raging winds, and the roaring sea; that we, being delivered from this distress, may live to serve thee, and to glorify thy name all the days of our life. Hear, Lord, and save us, for the infinite merits of our blessed Saviour, thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ, Amen. The Prayer to be said before a Fight at Sea against any Enemy. OMOST powerful and glorious Lord God, the Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest all things ; thou sittest in the throne judging right : and therefore we make our address to thy divine majesty, in this our necessity, that thou wouldest take the cause into thine own hand, and judge between us and our enemies. Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come and help us; for thou givest not alway the battle to the strong, but canst save by many or by few. let not our sins now cry against us for vengeance ; but hear us thy poor servants begging mercy, and imploring thy help, and that thou wouldest be a defence unto us against the face of the enemy : make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 60 the sailors' and soldiers' Short Prayers for Single Persons, who cannot meet to join in prayer with others, by reason of the Fight or Storm. General Prayers. LORD be merciful to us sinners, and save us for thy mercies' sake. Thou art the great God, who hast made and rulest all things : deliver us for thy name's sake. Thou art the great God to be feared above all : save us, that we may praise thee. Special Prayers with respect to the Enemy. THOU, O Lord, art just and powerful: O de- fend our cause against the face of the enemy. God, thou art a strong tower of defence to all who fly unto thee : save us from the violence of the enemy. O Lord of Hosts, fight for us ; that we may glorify thee. O suffer us not to sink under the weight of our sins, or the violence of the enemy. Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us, for thy name's sake. Short Prayers in respect of a Storm. THOU, Lord, who stillest the raging of the sea, hear, hear us, and save us, that we per- ish not. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 61 blessed Saviour, who didst save thy disciples ready to perish in a storm : hear us, and save us, we beseech thee. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. Lord, hear us. O Christ, hear us. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us, save us now and evermore. Amen* OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name ; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven; Give us this day our daily bread ; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation ; But deliver us from evil. Amen. When there shall be imminent danger, as many as can be spared from necessary service in the ship shall be called together, and make an humble Confession of their sins to God: in which every one ought seriously to reflect upon those particular sins, of which his conscience shall accuse him ; saying as followeth: — The Confession. ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men ; we acknowledge and bewail our manifold sins and wickedness, which we from time to time most 6 62 THE sailors' grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy divine majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto us; the burden of them is intolera- ble. Have mercy upon us, Have mercy upon us, most merciful Father: for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then shall the Priest, if there be any in the Ship, say, ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who, of his great mercy, hath promised forgive- ness of sins to all those who with hearty repent- ance and true faith turn unto him ; have mercy upon you ; pardon and deliver you from all your sins ; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanksgiving after a Storm. Psalm 66. Jubilate Deo. BE joyful in God, all ye lands ; sing praises unto the honour of his name ; make his praise to be glorious. Say unto God, how wonderful art thou in thy o MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 63 works ; through the greatness of thy power shall thine enemies be found liars unto thee. For all the world shall worship thee, sing of thee, and praise thy name. come hither, and behold the works of God ; how wonderful he is in his doings toward the chil- dren of men ! He ruleth with his power for ever; his eyes be- hold the people ; and such as will not believe, shall not be able to exalt themselves. praise our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard ; Who holdeth our soul in life ; and sufTereth not our feet to slip. For thou, God, hast proved us ; thou also hast tried us, like as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the snare ; and laidest trouble upon our loins. 1 will go into thine house with burnt-offerings ; and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips, and spake with my mouth, when I was in trouble. come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God ; and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. 1 called unto him with my mouth ; and gave him praises with my tongue. If I incline unto wickedness with mine heart, the Lord will not hear me. 64t THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' But God hath heard me ; and considered the voice of my prayer. Praised be God, who hath not cast out my prayer, nor turned his mercy from me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Psalm 107. Conjitemini Domino. OTHAT men would praise the Lord for his goodness ; and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men ! That they would offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving ; and tell out his works with glad- ness! They that go down to the sea in ships ; and occupy their business in great waters ; These men see the works of the Lord, and his wonders in the deep. For at his word, the stormy wind ariseth; which lifteth up the waves thereof. They are carried up to the heaven, and down again to the deep ; their soul melteth away be- cause of the trouble. They reel to and fro, and stagger like a drunk- en man ; and are at their wit's end. So when they cry unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivereth them out of their distress. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 65 For he maketh the storm to cease, so that the waves thereof are still. Then are they glad, because they are at rest ; and so he bringeth them unto the haven where they would be. that men would therefore praise the Lord for his goodness ; and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men ! That they would exalt him also in the congre- gation of the people ; and praise him in the seat of the elders ! Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen, Collects of Thanksgiving. OMOST blessed and glorious Lord God, who art of infinite goodness and mercy; we, thy poor creatures, whom thou hast made and pre- served, holding our souls in life, and now rescuing us out of the jaws of death, humbly present our- selves again before thy divine majesty, to offer a sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, for that thou heardest us when we called in our trouble, and didst not cast out our prayer, which we made be- fore thee in our great distress ; even when we gave all for lost, our ship, our goods, our lives, then didst thou mercifully look upon us, and wonder- 6* 66 THE sailors' fully command a deliverance ; for which we now, being in safety, do give all praise and glory to thy holy name, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O MOST mighty and gracious good God, thy mercy is overall thy works, but in special manner hath been extended towards us, whom thou hast so powerfully and wonderfully defended. Thou hast showed us terrible things, and wonders in the deep, that we might see how powerful and gra- cious a God thou art ; how able and ready to help those who trust in thee. Thou hast showed us how both winds and seas obey thy command ; that we may learn even from them hereafter to obey thy voice, and to do thy will. We therefore bless and glorify thy name, for this thy mercy, in sav- ing us when we w T ere ready to perish. And, we beseech thee, make us as truly sensible now of thy mercy, as we were then of the danger ; and give us hearts always ready to express our thankful- ness not only by words, but also by our lives, in being more obedient to thy holy commandments. Continue, we beseech thee, this thy goodness to us; that we, whom thou hast saved, may serve thee in holiness and righteousness all the days of our life, through Jesus Christ our Lord and Sa- viour. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 67 A Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after a Dangerous Tempest. OCOME, let us give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious; and his mercy endureth for ever. Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised : let the redeemed of the Lord say so, whom he hath delivered from the merciless rage of the sea. The Lord is gracious, and full of compassion ; slow to anger, and of great mercy. He hath not dealt with us according to our sins; neither rewarded us according to our iniquities. But as the heaven is high above the earth ; so great hath been his mercy towards us. We found trouble and heaviness ; we were even at death's door. The waters of the sea had well nigh covered us ; the proud waters had well nigh gone over our soul. The sea roared ; and the stormy wind lifted up the waves thereof. We were carried up as it were to heaven, and then down again into the deep ; our soul melted within us, because of trouble. Then cried we unto thee, Lord; and thou didst deliver us out of our distress. Blessed be thy name, who didst not despise the prayer of thy servants ; but didst hear our cry, and hast saved us. 68 the sailors' and soldiers' Thou didst send forth thy commandment ; and the windy storm ceased, and was turned into a calm. O let us therefore praise the Lord for his good- ness ; and declare the wonders that he hath done, and still doeth, for the children of men! Praised be the Lord daily ; even the Lord that helpeth us, and poureth his benefits upon us. He is our God, even the God of whom cometh salvation: God is the Lord, by whom we have escaped death. Thou, Lord, hast made us glad through the operation of thy hands; and we will triumph in thy praise. Blessed be the Lord God ; even the Lord God, who only doeth wondrous things ; And blessed be the name of his majesty for ever ; and let every one of us say, Amen, Amen. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. A Psalm or Hymn of Praise and Thanksgiving after Victory. IF the Lord had not been on our side, now may we say; if the Lord himself had not been on our side, when men rose up against us ; They had swallowed us up quick, when they were so wrathfully displeased at us. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 69 Yea, the waters had drowned us, and the stream had gone over our soul ; the deep waters of the proud had gone over our soul. But praised be the Lord, who hath not given us over as a prey unto them. The Lord hath wrought a mighty salvation for us. We got not this by our own sword, neither was it our own arm that saved us ; but thy right hand, and thine arm, and the light of thy countenance, because thou hadst a favour unto us. The Lord hath appeared for us; the Lord hath covered our heads, and made us to stand in the day of battle. The Lord hath appeared for us; the Lord hath overthrown our enemies, and dashed in pieces those that rose up against us. Therefore not unto us, Lord, not unto us ; but unto thy name be given the glory. The Lord hath done great things for us ; the Lord hath done great things for us, for which we rejoice. Our help standeth in the name of the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth. Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth for evermore. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 70 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS* Te Deum laudamus. WE praise thee, God; we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee, the Father everlasting. To thee all Angels cry aloud ; the Heavens, and all the Powers therein. To thee, Cherubim and Seraphim continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabaoth. Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of thy glory. The glorious company of the Apostles praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets praise thee. The noble army of Martyrs praise thee. The holy Church, throughout all the world, doth acknowledge thee, The Father of an infinite majesty ; Thine adorable, true, and only Son; Also the Holy Ghost, the Comforter. Thou art the King of Glory, Christ. Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man, thou didst humble thyself to be born of a virgin. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 71 death, thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers. Thou sittest at the right hand of God, in the glory of the Father. We believe that thou shaltcome, to be our Judge. We therefore pray thee, help thy servants, whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious blood. Make them to be numbered with thy saints, in glory everlasting. Lord, save thy people, and bless thine heri- tage. Govern them, and lift them up for ever. Day by day we magnify thee ; And we worship thy name ever, world without end. Vouchsafe, Lord, to keep us this day without sm. Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us. Lord, let thy mercy be upon us, as our trust is in thee. O Lord, in thee have I trusted ; let me never be confounded. ALMIGHTY God, the sovereign commander of all the world, in whose hand is power and might, which none is able to withstand ; we bless and magnify thy great and glorious name for this happy victory, the whole glory whereof we do 72 THE sailors' ascribe to thee, who art the only giver of victory. And we beseech thee, give us grace to improve this great mercy to thy glory, the advancement of thy Gospel, the honour of our country, and, as much as in us lieth, to the good of all mankind. And we beseech thee, give us such a sense of this great mercy-, as may engage us to a true thankfulness, such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord ; to whom, with thee, and the Holy Spirit, as for all thy mer- cies, so in particular for this victory and deliver- ance, be all glory and honour world without end. Amen. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. At the Burial of the dead at sea, when the Office in the Common Prayer Book is used ; only instead of these words, "We therefore commit his body to the ground, earth to earth," &c. say, " We therefore commit his body to the deep, to be turned into corruption, looking for the resurrection of the body when the sea shall give up her dead, and the life of the world to come, through our Lord Jesus Christ ; who at his coming shall change our vile body, that it may be like his glorious body, according to the might}' working whereby he is able to subdue all things to himself." MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 73 A Prayer for Sunday Morning, OUR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name, thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven, give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us, and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil ; for thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory for ever and ever. Amen. O GOD, who at the beginning didst graciously appoint the Sabbath unto man as a day of rest from his weariness and toil, and also as a sign of thy goodness and power in the creation of the world, and afterwards didst translate it to the first day of the week as a memorial of the highest act of thy mercy, in the resurrection of thy Son Jesus Christ from the dead ; grant that I may always observe it according to thy blessed design, making it as far as I am able a season of repose from all worldly labour, and spending it devoutly in thy service and praise. May the Holy Ghost, who on the first day of the week did descend in miracu- lous gifts and graces on the apostles, come down on me thine unworthy servant, that I may be always in the spirit on the Lord's day! May his blessed inspirations enlighten and assist me in all its religious duties and services both in the secrecy 7 74* THE sailors' of my closet and in the great congregation ; that my wandering thoughts may be fixed on heavenly things, my tumultuous desires and passions com- posed, my cold and languid affections quickened and inflamed with holy hope and seraphic love ! In entering thy courts give me an attentive ear and an humble mind, that I may offer up my prayers with fervour and my praises with joy, and hearken to thy word with reverence and fear. But my God, merciful and gracious, my soul groans under the load of its infirmities. When my spirit is willing my flesh is weak. My understanding is fee- ble and imperfect, my will wayward and perverse, my fancy wild and unfixed, my affections wander after strange objects, and all my senses minister to vanity and folly. Pity me then my God, in- cline thine ear unto me when I pray, and enable me to pray acceptably. Make me not only a hear- er of thy word, but a doer also, that keeping faith and a good conscience I may live in all godliness, honesty, and sobriety before thee and my fellow- men ; that thus passing thy holy day in the man- ner which thou didst design in its appointment, I may never defeat its gracious purposes, but that it may be, in my observance of it, an emblem of that heavenly sabbath which will still continue when time itself shall be no more. Grant this for the sake of thy Son, my risen Lord and victorious Saviour, Jesus Christ. Jlmen. THE grace of our Lord, Jesus Christ, &c. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 75 A Prayer for Sunday Evening. OUR Father, who art in heaven, &c. O ALMIGHTY God, who hast established the heavens and the earth in a wonderful order, making day and night to succeed each other for our comfort and refreshment 5 I cast myself in all humility before thy divine Majesty, begging of thee mercy and protection both this night and ever. Lord, pardon all my sins, my vain thoughts, my light and rash words, my unlawful desires and ungodly deeds. But more especially I beseech thee, to pardon the imperfections of my services this day either in the secrecy of the closet, or in the worship of thy courts. Mercifully receive the prayers which I have offered unto thee, have com- passion on my infirmities, forgive the dulness of my spirit, the coldness of my affections, and all the carelessness and indevotion of my wandering mind. Sanctify to me the means of grace, and let them never by my blindness and un worthiness be made of none effect. O let me not fall into the way of hearing thy word without profit, nor of drawing near to thee with my lips while my heart is far from thee. Quicken my soul which cleaveth to the dust, spiritualize my groveling affections, and touch my 76 THE sailors' lips as it were with a coal from the altar ; that my prayers and praises rising to heaven like the in- cense, may be an acceptable offering in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. O GOD of infinite mercy, who hast compassion on all men and relievest the necessities of all who call on thee for help \ hear the prayers of thy ser- vant, who though unworthy to ask any thing for himself, yet in humility and duty is bound to pray for others. O let thy mercy descend upon thy Church uni- versal. Preserve her in truth and peace, in unity and safety, amidst storms and troubles and against all temptations and trials ; that offering to thy glory the never-ceasing sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving, she may advance the honour of her Lord, be filled with his Spirit, and made a par- taker of his everlasting glory. In mercy remember the President of these United States. Preserve his person in health and honour, support him in his just and lawful author- ity, bless the country committed to his charge with peace and plenty, keep him perpetually in thy fear and favour, and crown him with glory and immortality in the world to come. Remember them that minister in holy things. Let them be clothed with righteousness, and tho- roughly instructed in the word of truth. Grant MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 77 to them zeal for the salvation of men, wisdom to conduct their several charges, and purity to be- come examples to their flocks ; that both by their labours and their lives they may promote the honour of thy kingdom, and that being burning and shining lights we may rejoice in their light and glorify Thee our Father in heaven. Remember all to whom I am bound by their benefits or prayers, returning their kindness dou- bly into their own bosoms and rewarding them with eternal glory. Grant this O Lord, for the sake of our Advocate and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. Amen. AND as I pray unto Thee God for myself and others, so I praise and bless thy holy name for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to me and to all men. I give Thee hearty thanks for my preservation the day past, and all the other blessings of this life ; but above all for thine ines- timable love in the redemption of the world by the death and passion of our Saviour Christ, who did humble himself, even to the death upon the cross for us miserable sinners who lay in darkness and in the shadow of death, that he might make us the children of God and exalt us to everlasting life. teach me to express my thankfulness, by submitting myself entirely to thy holy will and pleasure, and by studying to serve thee in true 7* 78 the sailors' and soldiers' holiness and righteousness all the days of my life. Accept Lord) of these my prayers and praises, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ my blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c* A Morning Prayer. OUR Father, who art in heaven, &c. ALMIGHTY God, Father of all mercies, I thine unworthy servant do give thee most humble and hearty thanks, for all thy goodness and loving kindness to me. Blessed be thy name for creat- ing me out of nothing, for bestowing upon me a healthful body and sound mind, for giving me a being from honest parents and in a Christian land, and for receiving me by adoption into thy holy Church, where thy true religion is purely taught and thy sacraments rightly and duly administered. Blessed be thy name for all the known, oi unob- served deliverances and favours, which in thy watchful providence and fatherly care, thou hast hitherto bestowed upon me through the whole course of my life. I thank thee Lord, that not- withstanding the errors and ignorances, the vices and vanities of my youth, and the follies and faults of my riper years, thou hast still dealt mer- cifully with me ; that thou didst not cut me off in MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 79 the beginning of my days and the progress of my sins; that thou didst give me time to repent and amend my life ; that thou didst restore unto me the joy of thy salvation, and uphold me with thy free Spirit. Good Lord, forgive me the great waste of my precious time in the days and years which are already past, and the many opportunities of doing good which I have irrecoverably lost, and grant me grace that for the time to come I may be truly wise, that I may consider my latter end, and work out my salvation with fear and trem- bling ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. An Evening Prayer. OUR Father^ who art in heaven^ &c* LET my prayer Lord, be set forth in thy sight as the incense, and let the lifting up of my hands be as an evening sacrifice. Let my heart be filled with gratitude for thy mercies, and my tongue break forth with praise. Lord God, what shall I render unto thee for all thy benefits? Thou art my Creator and my Father y my Guardian and Protector. Through Thee have I been hold- en up ever since I was bom. Thou hast fed me and clothed me, given me friends and blessed them, granted me many days of health and hap- piness, free from the sickness and sorrows with which many of thy faithful servants and saints 80 the sailors' and soldiers' have been afflicted and grieved. And in the days of darkness, thou hast refreshed me in my sor- rows and comforted me in my distress. And though I have broken thy righteous laws, indulg- ed in vanity and folly, and been dead in trespasses and sins ; yet thou didst pity me in my miseries, thou didst awaken me to repentance, and wouldst not suffer me to perish in my guilt. Impress me O Lord, with such a deep sense of my obligations to thee for life and health, for grace and salvation, that religion may be my delight as well as my duty. bountiful Lord and Master, who hast pro- vided for all my wants and necessities to this day, grant that no anxious thoughts and fears for the future, and no spirit of infidelity may ever tempt me to distrust thy providence or to better and se- cure my condition by any unworthy means ; nor let any doubt of thy goodness keep me back from thy throne of grace, whenever I shall stand in need of thy mercy and help. But that I may serve thee Lord with a quiet mind, forgive me those things whereof my conscience is afraid, and turn from me the judgments which I have most justly deserved. Remember not the offences of my youth and in mercy blot out those of my riper years. Pardon my sins of the day past and of my life past, and grant that they may never rise up in judgment against me. Give me a dread of the weakness and treachery of my own heart, and MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 81 make me sensible that without thee the frailty of man cannot but fall ; that in all my temptations I may fly unto thee for succour, and in all my dan- gers I may find help and deliverance. God, the Preserver and Defender of all who put their trust in thee, take me, my family, my relations, bene- factors and friends, I beseech thee, under thy gracious protection ; give thy holy angels charge concerning us, preserve us from the prince and powers of darkness, and from the dangers of the night, and keep us in perpetual peace and safety, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. Another Morning Prayer. OUR Father, who art in Heaven, &c. OLORD God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, blessed be thy name that thou hast brought me safely to the beginning of another day, and that I am yet of the number of those who have time and space for repentance. Make me truly sensible of this mercy, and give me grace to consider how short and how uncertain my time is ; that there is one day more of a transitory life passed over my head, and that I am so much nearer eternity. Grant that I may in good ear- 82 the sailors' and soldiers' nest think of another life, and be so prepared for it, as that death may not overtake me unawares. Lord pardon all my misspent time, and make me more diligent and careful to redeem it for the future ; that when I come to the end of my days I may look back with comfort on those which are past. Grant that I may begin this day with new resolutions of serving thee more faithfully, and if through negligence or infirmity I forget these good purposes, awaken me I beseech thee, to a sense of my danger. My heart is in thy hands God, as well as my time. make me wise unto salva- tion, that I may consider in this my day the things, that belong unto my peace, and that truly repent- ing of the errors of my life past, my sins may be forgiven and my pardon sealed in heaven be- fore I go hence and be no more seen. Grant God, that amidst all the difficulties and discouragements, the dangers and trials, the dis- tress and darkness of this mortal life, I may de~ pend upon thy mercy and help, and never sink down into gloominess and despair. Give me O Lord, the eyes of faith, that I may see the world just as it is, the vanity of its promises, the folly of its pleasures, the unprofitableness of its rewards, the multitude of its snares and the danger of its temptations ; and enable me to rise above it and to crucify it with its affections and lusts. Perfect God, the good work which thou hast begun in MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 83 me, and let me feel the effects of thy grace in the constancy of my devotions, in the care for my soul, in the faithful discharge of my duty, and in all those acts of righteousness, and piety, and charity, which I owe to thee and my fellow-men ; that I may pass the time of my sojourning here in the comfortable hope of a blessed eternity, and may at last be found worthy of a part in the resur- rection of the just, through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Another Evening Prayer. OUR Father, who art in heaven, &c. ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, I thy unworthy servant, come before thee in all lowliness and humility, beseeching thee to look down upon me with pity and compassion, and to pardon my manifold transgressions of thy right- eous laws. Forgive me Lord, the sins of my youth and the sins of my age, the sins of my soul and the sins of my body, the secret sins which I have striven to hide from others, and the presump- tuous sins which I have boldly committed in the face of the world. It is of thy mercies Lord, that I am not consumed. In my creation, my preservation, and the innumerable blessings of this life, and above all in my redemption from sin and eternal death by the precious blood of thy dear 84 Son; thou hast shown such unspeakable love to- wards me, as calls for my unceasing obedience, gratitude, and praise. And yet Lord, I have disregarded my baptismal promises, I have violated the vows which I have so often renewed, I have yielded my soul to the service of the world, the flesh, and the devil, which I had solemnly re- nounced, and despised the riches of thy good- ness, forbearance, and long-suffering, as if I had not known that thy goodness should have led me to repentance. But now, Lord, that thou hast awakened me to a deep sense of my guilt, enable me I beseech thee to sin no more. And since I am not mine, being bought with a price, but thine, therefore claim me as thy right, keep me as thy charge, and love me as thy child. Protect me when I am assaulted by my spiritual foes, heal me when I am wounded, and revive me when I am about to faint and fall. And daily increase in me the manifold gifts of grace, that I may walk in the ways of truth and righteousness and con- tinue thine for ever, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen, THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, &c. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 85 A Prayer to be used by a Person in behalf of absent Relatives and Friends. OGOD the protector of all that trust in thee, grant to thy servant, my partner in life, health of body and cheerfulness of spirit. Defend and guard her in my absence with thy tender- est care ; let thy blessing be upon her head, night and day ; support her in all her necessities, strengthen her in all her temptations, comfort her in all her sorrows, guide her in all the changes and chances of this mortal life, and make us both to rejoice in the light of thy countenance for ever and ever. Bless my children with healthful bodies and sound minds, with sweet dispositions and holy habits, and with all the gifts and graces of thy spirit. Keep them in simplicity, purity, and in- nocence. Guard them against the craft and sub- tilty of the devil, the influence of evil example and the deceitfulness and corruption of their own hearts. And so rule and govern their conduct in early life as to prevent the follies of their child- hood from growing up to sins in their youth ; and the sins of their youth from being confirmed into habits in manhood; and so deliver them in then- weakness, their ignorance and temptations, and guide them in the way of thy commandments that that they may continue thine for ever. 8 86 THE sailors' Look down with mercy Lord on my parents in the troubles and trials of this miserable world. As the years draw nigh when they shall have no pleasure in them, when their strength shall be labour and sorrow, and their flesh and their heart shall fail ; be thou the strength of their heart and their portion for ever. During the few and evil days of their wearisome pilgrimage let thy rod and thy staff support and comfort them; and the more the outward man decayeth and the world fadeth from their sight, strengthen them so much the more continually with thy grace and Holy Spirit in the inner man. Enable them to realize the truth of thy promises, and fill them with the hopes and consolations of thy gospel, that they may be at all times ready for their de- parture ; and whenever thou art pleased to take them hence, fulfil their joy in the bliss and glory of thy heavenly kingdom. Bless also my brothers and sisters, and all my relatives and friends. Thou knowest all their joys and their sorrows, their hopes and their fears; the number of their sins and the measure of their repentance. O grant them the grace which is sufficient for them according to their several neces- sities, and bless them with purity of heart, with righteousness of life, and with peace and joy in the Holy Ghost ; all which I ask through the merits and mediation of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 87 A Prayer before the Communion. O BLESSED Jesus, my gracious Saviour and Redeemer, King of kings and Lord of lords, whom the Angels look upon with wonder and worship with the deepest adoration ; what am I O Lord, that thou shouldest deign to dwell with me who am nothing but folly and infirmity, misery and sin, shame and death. I confess Lord, when I consider thy purity and my uncleanness, thy glory and my shame, I tremble to approach thy presence and to partake of the memorials of thy body and blood. But though my sins have made a separation between me and my God, thy love and thy passion, thy holiness and obedience, have reconciled me to Him whom I have so grievously offended. Blessed Saviour who for our sakes didst take upon thee our affections and passions, our weaknesses and sufferings, who wert hungry after the tempta- tion of the devil, weary and thirsty in thy dis- course with the woman of Samaria, who didst weep over Lazarus, wert exceeding sorrowful in the garden, and pouredst out thy soul unto death for the transgressors, and who didst thus become unto us a merciful high priest touched with a feel- ing of our infirmities; receive I beseech thee, thy unworthy servant, weary and heavy laden with his sins, accused by his own conscience, and pol- 88 the sailors' and soldiers' luted both in body and soul. I know that a thou- sand years of sorrow, the humiliation of the great- est penitent, the love of saints, and the purity of Angels, are not sufficient to make me worthy that thou shouldest enter under my roof, and that I should be strengthened and refreshed with thy body and blood. But what I cannot be of myself, do thou gra- ciously make me. I come unto thee wounded with my transgressions, for thou art my physician ; arise then with healing in thy wings. Thirsty and faint, as the hart longeth after the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee God, the eternal fountain, whence spring the waters of comfort and salvation* Heal my diseases, wash out my stains, and cleanse me from all pollution of flesh and spirit. Blessed Jesus, may this holy sacrament which is a memorial of thy death, be unto me a savour of life. May it purify my heart, strengthen my faith, enliven my hope, and increase my charity ; that being united with thee in the closest bonds on earth, I may finally be a partaker of thy glory and bliss in the kingdom of heaven, where thou livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever one God world without end. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 89 A Thanksgiving after Communion. MOST merciful and gracious God, who hast sent thy only begotten Son into the world to destroy the works of the devil, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to deliver us from the bitter pains of eternal death; I humbly beseech thee, to sanc- tify and bless to me the memorials of the body and blood of thy dear Son, which I have this day re- ceived, and to make me a fit habitation for his holy presence both now and for evermore. Blessed Saviour, I adore the secrets of thy wisdom and the depths of thy mercy, in the awful mystery of my salvation. Grant that in the re- membrance of thine unspeakable love I may show forth my thankfulness, by conforming myself to thy likeness in all things, in the imitation of thy actions, in the fellowship of thy sufferings, in the communion of thy graces, and the participation of thy glories; that beginning here to praise thy name for thy mercies, I may magnify and adore thee hereafter for ever and ever. Lamb of God, holy and spotless, who for our sakes wert pleased to endure shame and sorrow, to be brought before the tribunal of thy creatures whom thou shalt judge at the last day, to be ma- liciously accused, treacherously betrayed, unjustly condemned, suffering the severest torments which malice could devise or cruelty inflict; enable me 8* 90 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDI EKs' to see the baseness and enormity of sin, in the sacrifice which thou didst make for its full and per- fect atonement. May I abhor and detest my sins which were the cause of thy sufferings, and here- after earnestly endeavour to shun and forsake them. Lord, what am I, that thou shouldest be wounded for my transgressions, and that with thy stripes I should be healed ? I am unworthy of the least of thy mercies, and yet thou hast shown unto me the greatest which man can conceive or God can bestow. Complete then thy loving kindness, and carry me safely through all the temptations and trials of this dangerous world. holy and blessed Jesus, who didst look upon us with compassion lying in our sin and misery, and in the darkness of the shadow of death ; who didst bear our griefs and carry our sorrows, that we might be partakers of thy felicity; let thine eyes pity me, thy hands support me, thy holy feet tread down all the diffi- culties in my way to heaven. Let me be in- structed with thy wisdom, moved by thy affections, directed by thy will, and clothed with thy right- eousness, that in the great day of account I may be found meet to partake of the inheritance of thy saints in light; to whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory world with- out end. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 91 PRAYERS FOR THE SICK. A Prayer to be said when first taken 111. O MERCIFUL God and Heavenly Father, who givest us life, and health, and all things, and recallest them according to thy good pleasure ; grant that I may behold thy hand in everything that befalleth me. In all the afflictive dispensa- tions of thy providence, may I strive to improve them to thy glory and my own salvation. And now that sickness has taken hold of me I fly to thy goodness for comfort, and to thy almighty power for succour and relief. regard not my tmworthiness, nor refuse to hear me when I call upon thee. Give me grace to take the illness under which I am labouring as thy heavenly visi- tation, that I may both hearken to the rod and to him that has appointed it. May I bear thy chas- tisement with patience and submission, and as it is a scourge for my sins, let it also be a cure for them. May I no more return to vanity and folly, nor indulge in any thing which tends to thy dis- honour and my own destruction. And if in thy wisdom, thou shouldest not see fit to restore me to health but my sickness should be unto death ; O let me die the death of the righteous, and let my last end be like his ! And grant that I may leave 92 THE sailors' the world with a stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus, with an unfeigned repentance for all the errors of my life past, with a holy indifference to all tem- poral things, and a cheerful resignation of my soul into thy hands, as into the hands of my merciful Creator, through the merits and mediation of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Another. O GRACIOUS and merciful God, who in thy justice didst send sorrow and tears, sickness and death into the world as a punishment for man's transgression, and hast concluded all under sin, not to destroy us, but that thou mightest have mercy upon all, making thy justice to minister to mercy and the light afflictions of this life to an eternal weight of glory ; as thou hast visited me for my sins with sickness and trouble, so make these trials the happy occasion of my growth in grace in this life and the increase of my glory in the world to come. And as thou hast thus called me to a fellowship with thy dear Son who was made perfect through suffering, grant that I may be brought nearer to him and thyself in holiness, purity, and love. Sanctify to me all the changing circumstances of my sickness, relieve my pains, and support me in dejection and distress. Enable me to behave myself with humility and sorrow, with submissiveness and patience, as a child un- MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 93 der the discipline of a father, that if I shall be re- stored to health of body and vigour of mind, I may- return to the world with fresh strength for the race which is set before me and finish my course with joy \ or if I pass from hence through the gate of death, I may be mercifully received into the bosom of my Lord, to reign with him in glory and bliss for ever and ever. Grant this Heavenly Father, for the sake of our Advocate and Redeem- er Jesus Christ. Amen. A Prayer for Patience. RIGHTEOUS art thou Lord, in all the pains and sorrows which thou hast brought upon me for the punishment of my sins, and the trial of my patience. I receive my sickness with humi- lity as thy fatherly chastisement. Correct me Lord, but not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Let me judged for my sins here, that I may have nothing but mercy without judgment from thine hands hereafter. I lament and bewail my transgressions in bitterness of soul. Accept, I beseech thee, my unfeigned repentance, blot out all my misdeeds, and refresh me with the grace and comfort of thy Holy Spirit. But O Lord I be- seech thee, not only to give me pardon for my offences, but strength and patience in my suffer- ings and trials. Support me in the weakness of my body, guard me in the temptations which as- 94 THE sailors' sault my soul, deal out my sorrows with tender- ness, and turn them all to my good and comfort in the end. And since I rest upon thee as my rock and my stay, let me not sink under thy visitation into dejection and sadness, nor imagine my distress greater than I can bear. Let thy strength be made perfect in my weakness. Let no rebellious thoughts nor unholy murmurings arise within me, but give me a submissive and resigned, a patient and humble spirit whilst I live, and be my blessed portion when I die, through the merits and media- tion of my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Another. OMOST blessed and glorious Saviour, who didst suffer with meekness and patience those stripes with which we were healed, and who hast made the way of the cross to be the way of hea- ven, enable me I beseech thee, to bear the afflic- tion which thou hast laid on me with a calm and willing mind. I know that thou art as gracious when thou smitest us for trial and amendment, as when thou relievest us in compassion to our infirmities. But though my spirit is willing my flesh is weak. Lord Jesus, I am unable of my- self to stand under the cross. But thou who didst feel the burthen of it, who didst sink under it for a moment but afterwards triumph over it for ever, making it a perpetual sign of our deliverance MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 95 from sin and death ; fortify my spirit under the weight of my sufferings. Refresh me by thy grace when I am ready to faint and lift me up when I fall. Sanctify my sickness to me, support me in my weariness, calm me in my fears, and comfort me in my sorrows. Let me never in my rashness charge thee foolishly, nor offend thee by my im- patience. Let me neither secretly murmur against thy dispensations, nor weaken the hands and hearts of those who charitably minister to my needs. Make thou all my bed in my sickness, and deliver me not into the will of my enemies, but let me pass through this vale of misery and tears with a meek and quiet spirit and a grateful sense of thy mercies and merits blessed Lord, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost, ever livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen. A Prayer for Repentance and Pardon. O ALMIGHTY God and most merciful Father, who delightest not in the death of a sin- ner, but rather that he should turn from his wick- edness and live, give unto me thy unworthy ser- vant a deep contrition for all my offences, and strength to forsake them, grace to fear thee and grace to love thee, power to serve thee and time and inclination to finish the work thou hast given me to do ; that being washed in the blood of 96 the sailors' and soldiers' thy Son, sanctified by thy Spirit, and saved by thy mercy, I may here rejoice in hope, and here- after sing eternal praises to the honour of thy name, through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Another. OMOST glorious and blessed Saviour, who alone hast power to forgive sin, to rescue us from its dominion, and to deliver us from the wrath of God, be gracious to me a miserable of- fender who confess thy justice in my sufferings and implore thy mercy in the pardon and forgiveness of all my transgressions. Remember not the fol- lies of my childhood, nor the vanities of my youth, (the remissness and guilt of my riper years, nor my hardness of heart and contempt of thy word even in the infirmities of age.) Remember not the sins of my tongue, nor the outbreaks of my wrath, the unlawfulness of my desires, nor the wickedness of my deeds. Contend no longer with a miserable wretch, who acknowledges his guilty and earnestly begs for the remission of his sins. Thou hast glorified thyself in all generations of the world, by giving pardon to the penitent and ease to the afflicted, comfort to the comfortless, and refreshment to the weary. Behold Lord, the sorrows of thy servant, and do away mine offences. By thy manifold mercies and thine in- MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 97 finite merits, by thine agony and bloody sweat, by thy strong crying and tears, by thy bitter cross and passion, by thy mighty resurrection, thy glo- rious ascension, and thy effectual intercession and mediation, hear me Lord, and have mercy upon me. And however thou shalt see fit to deal with me here, vouchsafe at last unto my body a part in the resurrection of the just, and unto my soul the estate of joy, happiness, and immortality with all thy blessed saints in thy heavenly kingdom, through thine own prevailing merits Lord, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God world without end. Amen. For a Blessing on the Means, which may be used for Recovery. O FATHER of mercies and God of all conso- lation, our only help in time of need, I hum- bly beseech thee, to look upon me thy unworthy servant with mercy and favour, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body. Lay no more upon me than thou wilt enable me to bear. Consider my weakness and proportion my trials to my strength, that I may endure them with pa- tience and resignation to thy blessed will. Hear my complaints and remove the cause of them, as shall seem to thee most expedient for me. Give thy blessing to the means which may be used for my recovery. And since thou alone canst effectu- ally remove my maladies, and skill, medicine, and 9 98 the sailors' and soldiers' attention are only instruments in thy hands that work according to thy good pleasure, speak the word Lord, and thy servant shall be healed. But if thou shouldest not see fit to hearken unto ray prayer, fit me for whatever in thy wise providence thou shalt order forme. Give me ease and com- fort in my sufferings, or firmness and strength when my heart and my flesh are ready to fail. Guide me with thy counsel, and after that receive me with glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Another. OMOST blessed and glorious Saviour, the great Physician of our souls, the sun of righteousness arising with healing in thy wings, who when thou didst appear among men went about doing good, and healing all manner of dis- ease, and to whom now that thou hast ascended on high all power is given both in heaven and earth ; look graciously upon thy servant, here lying in great weakness and suffering under thy chastening hand. let the design of thy visita- tion be accomplished in the sanctification of my soul. And if it seem good unto thee Lord, be pleased also to bless the ministry of thy servant my physician, in the means which he may use for the health of my body. Direct his judgment in the treatment of the disease, give efficacy to the medi- cines which he may prescribe, and so dispose all MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 99 the changing- circumstances of my sickness, that I may perceive and feel the blessing and loving kindness of the Lord, in the relief of my pain and the recovery of my health ; that being restored to the society of the living and to the assemblies of the saints, I may praise thee for thy goodness among the faithful in the outer courts of the Lord, and hereafter in thy heavenly Temple for ever and ever. Amen. Upon the Appearance of Recovery. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom are the issues of life and death, who killest and makest alive, who bringest down to the grave and bringest back again ; receive the offering of thy humble servant, who with a grateful heart return unto thee my unfeigned thanks for the re- lief of my sufferings and the abatement of my disease. I praise thee for the happy consequences of thy seasonable correction to me, in putting me in mind of my. frailty and mortality, in weaning my affections from this vain and transitory world, and in exciting me to a more diligent preparation for that which is to come. Blessed be thy name that thou didst not cut me off immediately with- out warning in the midst of my sins, but that thou hast now in appearance allowed me a longer space for reflection and repentance, and hast given me hopes of bringing my holy resolutions 100 the sailors' and soldiers' to good effect. May it seem good in thy sight Lord, to perfect the recovery which thou hast be- gun in me, and to grant me a longer continuance on earth, not for the gratification of my worldly inclinations and sensual desires, but that I may redeem the time Avhicbi I have hitherto misspent, that I may pass the residue of my days in thy love and fear, and more effectually advance thy honour and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanksgiving for the Beginning of a Recovery from Sickness. GREAT and mighty God, who bringest down to the grave, and bringest up again ; I bless thy wonderful goodness for having turned my heaviness into joy, and my mourning into glad- ness, by restoring me to some degree of my former health. Blessed be thy name, that thou didst not forsake me in my sickness ; but didst visit me with comforts from above ; didst support me in patience and submission to thy will ; and, at last didst send me seasonable relief. Perfect I be- seech thee, this thy mercy towards me and pros- per the means which shall be made use of for my cure ; that being restored to health of body, vigour of mind, and cheerfulness of spirit, I may be able to go to thine house, to offer thee an oblation with great gladness, and to bless thy holy name for all thy goodness towards me through Jesus Christ my Saviour, to whom with thee and the holy MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 101 Spirit, be all honour and glory, world without end* Amen. It is very meet, right, and my bounden duty, that I should at all times, and in all places give thanks and praise, honour and adoration, love and duty to thee, Lord, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, w r ho hast known my soul in adversity and delivered me from the evils which I most justly have deserved. I confess, God, that I am less than the least of all thy mercies ; but thy unbounded love rejoices in doing me good, and in preserving me from evil. Thou art gra- cious even when thou smitest me ; but I cannot express thy loving kindness to me, when thou sus- tainest me in my sorrows, when thou hearest my prayers, when thou relievest my necessities, when thou deliverest me from thy wrath, and snatchest me from the power of the grave. give unto thy servant a thankful heart, an obedient mind, carefulness in my duty, zeal for thy glory, sub- mission to thy divine will and pleasure ; that serv- ing thee with all my powers, loving thee with all my heart and strength, obeying thee in all thy commandments, and delighting in thee in all thy dispensations, I may be conducted in safety through the various changes of thy providence, defended in the temptations of my enemies, re- lieved in all my necessities, assisted in all my du- 9* 102 THE sailors' and soldiers' ties; that so I may pass through this valley of tears in peace and quietness, in faith and charity, in the confidence of a holy hope, and in the strength of thy righteous promises, to the fruition of those mer- cies which are the portion of obedience, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanksgiving for a Recovery from Sickness. OGOD, who art the giver of life, of health, and of safety; I bless thy name, that thou hast been pleased to deliver me from my bodily sick- ness. Gracious art thou, Lord, and full of com- passion to the children of men. May my heart be duly impressed with a sense of thy merciful good- ness, and may I devote the residue of my days to an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee. Thou, Lord, didst revoke the sentence which appeared to have gone out against me. Unto thee may I ascribe the honour and praise. May I be glad and rejoice in thy mercy, for thou hast con- sidered my trouble, and hast known my soul in adversity. As thou hast spread thy hand upon me for a covering, so also enlarge my heart with thankfulness and fill my mouth with praise. And let thy favour and loving kindness endure for ever and ever upon thy servant, and grant that what thou hast sown in mercy, may spring up in duty. O let thy grace so strengthen my purposes, that I MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 103 may sin no more. Let me walk in the light of thy countenance and in the way of thy command- ments, that living here to the glory of thy name, I may at last enter into the glory of thy kingdom and spend eternity in thy praise, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. When there is no Hope of Recovery. OGOD, whose days are without end and whose mercies cannot be numbered, now that I am hastening to the end of my life, give me stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus and unfeigned repentance for all my sins, that my pardon may be sealed in heaven before I go hence and be no more seen. Let me come to my great change without guilt, and foresee its approaches without impatience or fear. May I always be ready with humble confi- dence in thy mercy for the hour of my departure. May I be enabled to fight the good fight of faith with constancy, and to finish my course with joy. May I never sleep in carelessness and sin, nor lie down in misery and sorrow. And since I am now summoned to meet the Bridegroom, dress me Lord, in a wedding garment, that I may be fit to appear in thy train. Give me oil in my lamp, that it may burn with perpetual brightness, and that when the door opens I may be ready to enter in with thee at whatever hour thou shalt come. Strip my soul of all earthly affections before it 104» THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS 1 take its flight from my body, that it may be a meet companion for the spirits of just men made per- fect in that blessed rest which thou hast reserved for thy chosen in paradise, and bring me finally to my perfect consummation and bliss both in body and soul in the everlasting glory of thy heavenly kingdom ; through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Against the Fear of Death. OMOST gracious and merciful Father, grant that I may be always ready to obey thy sum- mons and be willing to depart and be with Christ, whenever thou shalt see fit to call me hence. Forgive me all my sins which are the sting of death, and prepare me to meet it with firmness and composure, and enable me to regard it as a happy release from all the weaknesses and sor- rows, the troubles and trials of this mortal life. Let not my spirit be broken with the apprehen- sions of dying under thy heavy displeasure, but make me to rejoice in the sense of thy pardoning mercy here, and the promise of thy everlasting favour in the world to come. And give me an unwavering faith and a comfortable hope in the full and perfect sacrifice which was made on the cross for the atonement of sin, and grant that I may pass through the grave and gate of death to my joyful resurrection, for his merits who died MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 105 and was buried, and rose again for us, thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Another. OHOLY and eternal God, who for the sin of man didst send death into the world, and by the resurrection of thy blessed Son didst bring life to all believers ; have mercy upon me whom thou hast smitten with thy rod and brought into the valley of tears and the shadow of death. bless- ed Lord, let not this season so fearful to nature and so awful to the impenitent, have any terrors for me. Look upon me as a sinner whom thou hast pardoned, and as a prodigal son whom thou hast restored to thy favor. Take from me the fear, and if it be thy blessed will take from me also the sentence of death. Preserve my life and restore my health if it be best for me, for to thy power I submit, on thy goodness I depend, by thy wisdom may I be governed, and by thy love may I be directed in my choice. But if thou hast oth- erwise decreed, grant to thy servant the comfort of a holy hope, the strength of an unconquerable faith, the constancy of an immovable patience, and the meekness of a perfect resignation, that I may be able to say with the Apostle, " to me to live is Christ and to die is gain." Grant this Lord, for Jesus' sake, my Advocate and Redeem- er. Amen. 106 the sailors' and soldiers' To be used by a Dying Person, for his Relations and Friends. UNTO thee God of mercy and truth, I com- mit all my relations and friends, and more especially my wife and children, to whom I am bound by the tenderest ties. thou who art the father of the fatherless and pleadest the cause of the widow, provide for them according to all their temptations and all their wants. Leave them not, neither forsake them God of my salvation. Be thou to them when I am gone, whatsoever I would have been and more than I could have been, had I been spared to them. Enable them evermore to love thee with all their heart, and soul, and strength, and to put their whole trust and confi- dence in thy mercy ; and keep them from all the pollutions and dangers of this miserable world, which call louder to thee for thy succour and pro- tection than all their wants. Train them up in thy fear, preserve them from all evil, and bring them at last to the joys and blessedness of the world to come, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Jlmen* MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 107 THE ORDER FOR THE VISITATION OF THE SICK. (FROM THE LITURGY,) REMEMBER not. Lord, our iniquities, nor the iniquities of our forefathers ; Spare us, good Lord, spare thy people, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood ; and be not angry with us for ever. Ans. Spare us, good Lord. Then the Minister shall say, Let us Pray. LORD, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name; Thy kingdom come ; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven ; Give us this day our daily bread ; And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us ; and lead us not into temptation ; but deliver us from evil. Amen. Min. Lord, save thy servant ; Ans. Who putteth his trust in thee. Min. Send him help from thy holy place ; Ans. And evermore mightily defend him. 108 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS* Min. Let the enemy have no advantage of him; Ans. Nor the wicked approach to hurt him. Min. Be unto him, Lord, a strong tower, Ans. From the face of his enemy. Min. Lord, hear our prayer ; Ans. And let our cry come unto thee. Minister. LORD, look down from heaven, behold, visit, and relieve this thy servant. Look upon him with the eyes of thy mercy; give him comfort and sure confidence in thee ; defend him from the dan- ger of the enemy; and keep him in perpetual peace and safety, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. HEAR us, Almighty and most merciful God and Saviour; extend thy accustomed goodness to this thy servant, who is grieved with sickness. Sanc- tify, we beseech thee, this thy fatherly correction to him; that the sense of his weakness may add strength to his faith, and seriousness to his repent- ance : that if it shall be thy good pleasure to re- store him to his former health he may lead the residue of his life in thy fear, and to thy glory : or else give him grace so to take thy visitation, that after this painful life ended, he may dwell with thee in life everlasting, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 109 Then shall the Minister exhort the Sick Person after this form, or other like : DEARLY beloved, know this, that Almighty God is the Lord of life and death, and of all things to them pertaining; as youth, strength, health, age, weakness, and sickness. Wherefore, whatsoever your sickness be, know you certainly that it is God's visitation. And for what cause soever this sickness be sent unto you ; whether it be to try your patience for the example of others, and that your faith may be found, in the day of the Lord, laudable, glorious, and honourable, to the increase of glory and endless felicity ; or else it be sent unto you to correct and amend in you whatsoever doth offend the eyes of your heavenly Father; know you certainly, that if you truly re- pent you of your sins, and bear your sickness pa- tiently, trusting in God's mercy, for his dear Son Jesus Christ's sake, and render unto him humble thanks for his fatherly visitation, submitting your- self wholly unto his will, it shall turn to your profit, and help you forward in the right way that leadeth unto everlasting life. If the Person visited be very Sick, then the Minister may end his Exhortation in this place, or else proceed : AKE therefore in good part the chastisement of the Lord : for, as Saint Paul saith in the 10 T 110 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' twelfth chapter to the Hebrews, Whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth. If ye endure chastening-, God dealeth with you as with sons : for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not ? But if ye be without chastisement, w T hereof all are partak- ers, then are ye bastards, and not sons. Further- more, we have had fathers of our flesh, which cor- rected us, and we gave them reverence : shall we not much rather be in subjection unto the Father of spirits, and live ? For they verily for a few days chastened us after their own pleasure ; but he for our profit, that we might be partakers of his holi- ness. These words, good brother, are written in holy Scripture, for our comfort and instruction ; that we should patiently, and with thanksgiving, bear our heavenly Father's correction, whensoev- er, by any manner of adversity, it shall please his gracious goodness to visit us. And there should be no greater comfort to Christian persons, than to be made like unto Christ, by suffering patiently adversities, troubles, and sicknesses. For he him- self went not up to joy, but first he suffered pain : he entered not into his glory, before he was cruci- fied. So truly our way to eternal joy, is to suffer here with Christ ; and our door to enter into eter- nal life, is gladly to die with Christ ; that we may rise again from death, and dwell with him in ever- lasting life. Now, therefore, taking your sick- MANUAL OF DEVOTION. Ill ness, which is thus profitable for you, patiently, I exhort you in the name of God, to remember the profession which you made unto God in your bap- tism. And forasmuch as after this life there is an account to be given unto the righteous Judge, by whom all must be judged, without respect of per- sons ; I require you to examine yourself, and your estate, both towards God and man ; so that, ac- cusing and condemning yourself for your own faults, you may find mercy at our heavenly Fa- ther's hand for Christ's sake, and not be accused and condemned in that fearful judgment. There- fore I shall rehearse to you the articles of our faith ; that you may know w T hether you do believe as a Christian man should, or no. Here the Minister shall rehearse the Articles of the Faith, saying thus : DOST thou believe in God the Father Almigh- ty, Maker of heaven and earth 1 And in Jesus Christ his only-begotten Son our Lord 1 And that he was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary ; that he suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried ; that he went down into hell, and also did rise again the third day; that he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; and from thence shall come 112 the sailors' and soldiers' again at the end of the world, to judge the quick and the dead ? And dost thou believe in the Holy Ghost ; the holy catholic Church; The Communion of saints: The remission of sins ; The resurrection of the flesh ; and everlasting life after death ? The Sick Person shall answer, All this I stedfastly believe. Then shall the Minister examine whether he repent him truly of his sins, and be in charity with all the world ; exhorting him to forgive, from the bottom of his heart, all persons that have offended him ; and if he hath offended any other, to ask them forgiveness ; and where he hath done injury or wrong to any man, that he make amends to the uttermost of his power. And if he hath not before disposed of his goods, let him then be admonished to make his Will, and to declare his debts, what he oweth, and what is owing unto him, for the better discharging of his conscience, and the quietness of his Executors. But men should often be put in remembrance to take order for the set- tling of their temporal estates, whilst they are in health. The Exhortation before rehearsed may be said before the Minister begin his Prayer, as he shall see cause. The Minister shall not omit earnestly to move such sick persons as are of ability, to be liberal to the poor. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 113 And then the Minister shall say the Collect following. Let us Pray. OMOST merciful God, who, according to the multitude of thy mercies, dost so put away the sins of those who truly repent, that thou re- memberest them no more ; open thine eye of mercy upon this thy servant, who most earnestly desireth pardon and forgiveness. Renew in Aim, most loving Father, whatsoever hath been decay- ed by the fraud and malice of the devil, or by his own carnal will and frailness ; preserve and con- tinue this sick member in the unity of the Church; consider his contrition, accept his tears, assuage his pain, as shall seem to thee most expedient for him. And forasmuch as he putteth his full trust only in thy mercy, impute not unto him his former sins, but strengthen him with thy blessed Spirit; and when thou art pleased to take him hence, take him unto thy favour, through the merits of thy most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then shall the Minister say this Psalm : Psalm 130. De Profundis. OUT of the deep have I called unto thee, Lord ; Lord, hear my voice. let thine ears consider well the voice of my complaint. 114 If thou Lord, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss; Lord, who may abide it? For there is mercy with thee : therefore shalt thou be feared. I look for the Lord, my soul doth wait for him ; in his word is my trust. My soul fleeth unto the Lord, before the morn- ing watch ; I say, before the morning watch. Israel, trust in the Lord, for with the Lord there is mercy ; and with him is plenteous redemp- tion. And he shall redeem Israel from all his sins. Adding this : O SAVIOUR of the world, who by thy cross and precious blood hast redeemed us ; save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord. T Then shall the Minister say : HE Almighty Lord, who is a most strong tower to all those who put their trust in him, to whom all things in heaven, in earth, and under the earth, do bow and obey, be now and evermore thy defence ; and make thee know and feel, that there is none other name under heaven given to man, in whom, and through whom thou mayest receive health and salvation, but only the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 115 UNTO God's gracious mercy and protection we commit thee : The Lord bless thee, and keep thee : The Lord make his face to shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee : The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace both now and evermore. Amen. Prayers which may be said with the foregoing Service, or any part thereof, at the discretion of the Minister. A Prayer for a Sick Child. O ALMIGHTY God and merciful Father, to whom alone belong the issues of life and death ; look down from heaven, we humbly be- seech thee, with the eyes of mercy upon this child, now lying upon the bed of sickness : Visit him, Lord, with thy salvation ; deliver him in thy good appointed time from his bodily pain, and save his soul for thy mercies' sake ; that if it shall be thy pleasure to prolong his days here on earth, he may live to thee, and be an instrument of thy glory, by serving thee faithfully, and doing good in his generation : or else receive him into those heavenly habitations, where the souls of those who sleep in the Lord Jesus enjoy perpetual rest and felicity. Grant this, Lord, for thy mercies' sake, in the same thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. 116 the sailors' and soldiers' A Prayer for a Sick Person, where there appeareth but small hope of Recovery. O FATHER of mercies, and God of all com. fort, our only help in time of need ; we fly unto thee for succour in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under thy hand in great weakness of body: look graciously upon Aim, O Lord; and the more the outward man decayeth, strengthen Aim, we beseech thee, so much the more continu- ally with thy grace and holy Spirit, in the inner man : give him unfeigned repentance for all the errors of his life past, and stedfast faith in thy Son Jesus, that his sins may be done away by thy mer- cy, and his pardon sealed in heaven, before he go hence, and be no more seen. We know, Lord, that there is no word impossible with thee ; and that, if thou wilt, thou canst even yet raise him up, and grant him a longer continuance amongst us: yet, forasmuch as in all appearance the time of his dissolution draweth near, so fit and prepare Aim, we beseech thee, against the hour of death, that after his departure hence in peace, and in thy favour, his soul may be received into thine ever- lasting kingdom ; through the merits and media- tion of Jesus Christ thine only Son, our Lord and Saviour. Amen. MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 117 A Commendatory Prayer for a Sick Person at the point of Departure. O ALMIGHTY God, with whom do live the spirits of just men made perfect, after they are delivered from their earthly prisons ; we hum- bly commend the soul of this thy servant, our dear brother, into thy hands, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and most merciful Saviour; most humbly beseeching thee, that it may be precious in thy sight : wash it, we pray thee, in the blood of that immaculate Lamb, that was slain to take away the sins of the world ; that whatsoever de- filements it may have contracted in the midst of this miserable and naughty world, through the lusts of the flesh, or the wiles of Satan, being purged and done away, it may be presented pure and without spot before thee. And teach us who survive, in this, and other like daily spectacles of mortality, to see how frail and uncertain our own condition is; and so to number our days, that we may seriously apply our hearts to that holy and heavenly wisdom, whilst we live here, which may in the end bring us to life everlasting, through the merits of Jesus Christ thine only Son our Lord. Amen. 118 A Prayer for Persons troubled in Mind or in Conscience. O BLESSED Lord, the Father of mercies, and the God of all comforts, we beseech thee, look down in pity and compassion upon this thy afflicted servant. Thou writest bitter things against Aim, and makest him to possess his former iniqui- ties : thy wrath lieth hard upon him., and his soul is full of trouble : but, O merciful God, who hast written thy holy word for our learning, that we, through patience and comfort of thy holy Scrip- tures, might have hope ; give him a right under- standing of himself \ and of thy threats and promi- ses ; that he may neither cast away his confidence in thee, nor place it any where but in thee. Give him strength against all his temptations, and heal all his distempers : break not the bruised reed, nor quench the smoking flax : shut not up thy tender mercies in displeasure ; but make him to hear of joy and gladness, that the bones which thou hast broken may rejoice : deliver him from fear of the enemy, and lift up the light of thy countenance upon him; and give him peace, through the merits and mediation of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Prayer which may be said by the Minister, in behalf of all present at the Visitation. OGOD, whose days are without end, and whose mercies cannot be numbered; make MANUAL OF DEVOTION. 119 us, we beseech thee, deeply sensible of the short- ness and uncertainty of human life ; and let thy Holy Spirit lead us through this vale of misery, in holiness and righteousness, all the days of our lives : that, when we shall have served thee in our generation, we may be gathered unto our fathers, having the testimony of a good conscience ; in the communion of the catholic Church ; in the confidence of a certain faith; in the comfort of a reasonable, religious, and holy hope ; in favour with thee our God, and in perfect charity with the world : All which we ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. # - A Prayer which may be said in case of Sudden Surprise and Immediate Danger. OMOST gracious Father, we fly unto thee for mercy in behalf of this thy servant, here lying under the sudden visitation of thine hand. If it be thy will, preserve his life, that there may be place for repentance : but, if thou hast other- wise appointed, let thy mercy supply to him the want of the usual opportunity for the trimming of his lamp. Stir up in him such sorrow for sin, and such fervent love to thee, as may in a short time do the work of many days : that among the praises which thy saints and holy angels shall sing to the honour of thy mercy through eternal ages, it may be to thy unspeakable glory, that thou hast re- 120 THE SAILORS' AND SOLDIERS' MANUAL. deemed the soul of this thy servant from eternal death, and made him partaker of the everlasting life, which is through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A Thanksgiving for the Beginning of a Recovery. GREAT and mighty God, who bringest down to the grave, and bringest up again ; we bless thy wonderful goodness, for having turned our heaviness into joy and our mourning into glad- ness, by restoring this our brother to some degree of his former health. Blessed be thy name that thou didst not forsake him in his sickness ; but didst visit him with comforts from above ; didst support him in patience and submission to thy will ; and, at last, didst send him seasonable relief. Perfect, we beseech thee, this thy mercy toward him; and prosper the means which shall be made use of for his cure: that being restored to health of body, vigour of mind, and cheerfulness of spirit, he may be able to go to thine house, to offer thee an obla- tion with great gladness ; and to bless thy holy name for all thy goodness toward Aim, through Jesus Christ our Saviour : to whom with thee and the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory world without end. 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