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FAST DAY.

EVENING.

throne in the We prostrate

O GOD, Thou hast established thy heavens, and thy kingdom ruleth over all. ourselves before Thee, deeply impressed with a sense of the vastness of thy agency and dominion. Thou changest the times and the seasons: Thou removest kings, and settest up kings. Empires rise and fall, and fade and flourish, at thy bidding: and all nations are in thy hand, but as clay in the hand of the potter.

But none of thy dispensations are arbitrary. Whatever Thou doest, is done, because O Father, it seemeth good in thy sight: and thy judgment is always according to truth. Thou art holy in all thy ways, and righteous in all thy works-and Thou art good: even in wrath Thou rememberest mercy and dost not afflict willingly, nor grieve the children of men.

Therefore it is, that we have been this day humbling ourselves in thy presence.

For we acknowledge that we have been deeply guilty. Thou hast nourished and brought up children, but we have rebelled against Thee. The ox knoweth his owner, and the ass his master's crib; but we have not known, we have not considered. Thou hast given us our corn, and wine, and oil, and multiplied our silver and gold; and we have prepared them for Baal. Because of swearing the land has mourned. Pride has compassed us about as a chain. Discontent has rebelled against thy appointments. How has the love of money, which is the root of all evil, abounded among us. How have thy sabbaths been profaned, and thy ordinances disregarded

How has the gospel been undervalued, neglected, despised.

And all our transgressions have been more aggravated than those of any other people, because Thou hast favoured us unspeakably more, than all the families of the earth.

Therefore, Thou couldst easily and justly have destroyed us but Thou hast not stirred up all thy wrath. In all that has come upon us, for our evil deeds, Thou hast punished us less than our iniquities deserve. Yet Thou hast testified thy displeasure, and visited us with thy. judgments: so that when we looked for light and peace, we have seen darkness and trouble.

O let us not be inattentive to the design of thy dealings, or insensible under thy rebukes. O let it not be said of us, as it was of the Jews, The harp, and the viol, and the tabret, and pipe, and wine, are in their feasts, but they regard not the work of the Lord, neither consider the operation of his hand. Thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; Thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than the rock; they have refused to return.

In the way of thy judgments, O Lord, may we wait for Thee. Thou hast said, Is any afflicted? let him pray. Call upon me in the day of trouble, and I will deliver Thee, and Thou shalt glorify me. Fulfil the word unto thy servants, upon which Thou hast caused us to hope. And O, let not the calamity be removed only, but above all sanctified: let it appear that we have heard the rod, and Him that appointeth it: and be able to say, It is good for us that we have been afflicted.

For which purpose, bless, we beseech Thee, the word of thy grace, which has been spoken: and grant that the professed humiliation of the day, may be real

for Thou lookest to the heart. And let it also be universal may it extend from the highest to the lowest may it pervade the court and the country: may it enter every church, and every family-let none of us lose sight of ourselves, in the public calamity. May each individual retire and ask, What have I done?—and what wilt Thou have me to do? And though other lords have had dominion over us, henceforth, by Thee only, may we make mention of thy name.

Regard the government under which we live. Bless the President of these United States; the representatives of the people; and the magistracy of the land—may all be wise in counsel, exemplary in conduct, and faithful to their trust.

And thus may we be reformed, and not destroyed. Thus may we be a holy, that we may be a happy people, whose God is the Lord. Return O Lord, how long? and let it repent Thee concerning thy servants. O satisfy us early with thy mercy; that we may rejoice and be glad all our days. Make us glad, according to the days wherein Thou hast afflicted us, and the years wherein we have seen evil. Let thy work appear unto thy servants, and thy glory unto their children. And let the beauty of the Lord our God be upon us; and establish Thou the work of thy hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands, establish Thou it.

And to the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, be rendered the kingdom, power, and glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

FOR A DAY OF THANKSGIVING.

MORNING.

O GOD, Thou art very great, Thou art clothed with honor and majesty: Thou coverest thyself with light as with a garment; Thou walkest upon the wings of the wind. When we reflect on the glory of thy majesty, we are filled with wonder at the vastness of thy condescension. For Thou condescendest even to behold things that are in heaven. What then is man, that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man, that Thou visitest him.

We rejoice, that we are under the governance of a Being, who is not only Almighty, but perfectly righteous, and wise, and good: that all things, in our world, are appointed and arranged by thy paternal agency; that thy providence numbers the very hairs of our head, and that a sparrow falleth not to the ground, without our heavenly Father.

Hitherto hath the Lord helped us. We bless Thee for personal mercies. If we are called, it is by thy word. If we are renewed, it is by thy Spirit. If we are justif ed, it is freely by thy grace, through the redemption that is in Christ Jesus. It is in Thee we live, and move, and have our being. Thy goodness has been always near us, to hear our complaints, to sooth our sorrow, and to command deliverance for us. And numberless are the instances of loving kindness, that, now, from ignorance, or inattention, elude our notice; the discovery of which will awaken our songs, when we mingle with those who dwell in thy house above, and are still praising Thee.

We thank Thee for relative benefits; for blessings on our families; blessings on our churches, and blessings on our country. We confess that we are not worthy of

the least of all thy mercies, and of all the truth which Thou hast showed unto thy servants. Sins of every kind, and of every degree, have reigned among us; have spread through all ranks and orders; and continued notwithstanding all warnings and corrections: and if Thou hadst dealt with us, after our sins, or rewarded us according to our iniquities, we should, long ago, have had no name, or place, among the nations of the globe.

But to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against Him. All thy dispensations towards us have said, with a tenderness that ought to penetrate our heasts-How shall I give thee up! Our privileges, never properly improved, and forfeited times without number, have been continued. We still behold our sabbaths, and our ears still hear the joyful sound. Our constitution, liberties, and laws, have not been subverted, or impaired. Thou hast given us rains and fruitful seasons: Thou hast filled us with the finest of the wheat: our garners have been affording all manner of store: our oxen have been strong to labour; our sheep have brought forth thousands and ten thousands in our streets. Thou hast spread thy wing, and sheltered us from the pestilence that walketh in darkness, and the destruction that rageth at noon-day. Civil discord has not raged in our land; our shores have not been invaded; we have not heard the confused noise of warriors, nor seen garments rolled in blood-it has not come nigh us. Our enemies have often threatened to swallow us up, but the Lord has been on our side, and they have not prevailed against us. We are this day called upon to acknowledge thy goodness in (——)*

God is the Lord who hath showed us light; bind the sacrifice with cords, even to the horns of the altar. May

*Here let the particular causes for thankfulness be expressed.

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