ness abound among us, which exalteth a nation; and deliver us from sin, which is a reproach to any people.a Never make our heavens as brass, and our earth as iron, nor take away thy corn in the season thereof, and thy wine in the season thereof, but give us rain mode rately,c the former and the latter rain in due season,d and reserve unto us the appointed weeks of the harvest," giving us fair weather also in its season,e Let our land yield her increase, and the trees their fruit, that we may eat bread and be full, and dwell in our land safely.g Abundantly bless our provision, and satisfy our poor with bread, that they which have gathered it may eat and praise the Lord.i Blow not thou upon it, for then when we look for much it will come to little, but bless our blessings, that all nations may call us blessed, and a delightsome land./ 4. For the success of all endeavours for the reformation of manners, the suppression of vice and profaneness, and support of religion and virtue, and the bringing of them into reputation. O let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, O thou righteous God that triest the hearts and reins.m Spirit many to rise up for thee against the evil doers, and to stand up for thee against the workers of iniquity.n Let the Redeemer come to Zion, and turn away ungodliness from Jacob ;o and let the filth of Jerusalem be purged from the midst thereof, by the spirit of judgment, and the spirit of burning.p Let all iniquity stop her mouth,q and let the infection of that plague be stayed, by executing judgment.r Let those that are striving against sin, never be weary or faint in their minds.s Cause the unclean spirit to pass out of the land, and turn to the people a pure language, that they may cal on the name of the Lord.v a Prov. 14. 34. b Deut. 28. 23, c Hos. 2. 9. g Lev. 16. 4, 5. A Hag. 2. 9. Make us high above all nations in praise, and in name, and in honor, by making us a holy people unto the Lord our God.a 5. For the healing of our unhappy divisions, and the making up of our breaches. For the divisions that are among us there are great searchings of heart;b for there are three against two, and two against three in a house.c But is the breach wide as the sea which cannot be healed?d Is there no balm in Gilead? Is there no physician there? Why then is not the health of the daughter of our people recovered le Lord heal the breaches of our land, for because of them it shaketh.g We beg in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ that: there may be no divisions among us, but that we may be perfectly joined together in the same mind, and in the same judgment.h Now the God of patience and consolation grant us to be like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus, that we may with one mind and one mouth glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, and promote the common salvation.k Lord, keep us from judging one another, and despising one another, and give us to follow after the things. which make for peace, and things wherewith one may edify another ;/ that living in love and peace, the God of love and peace may be with us.m Let nothing be done through strife or vain glory, but every thing in lowliness of mind, and grant that our moderation may be known unto all men, because the Lord is at hand.o 6. For victory and success against our enemies abroad that seek our ruin. Rise, Lord, and let thine enemies be scattered, and let those that hate thee flee before thee, but return, O Lord to the many thousands of thine Israel.p Give us help from trouble, for vain is the help of man; a Deut. 26. 19. b Judges 5. 16. c Luke 12. 32. through God let our forces do valiantly ;a yea, let God himself tread down our enemies; and give them as dust to our sword, and as driven stubble to our bow.b Let us be a people saved by the Lord, as the shield of our help, and the sword of our excellency ;c and make our enemies sensible that the Lord fighteth for us against them.d Those who jeopard their lives for us in the high places of the field, teach their hands to war,e and their fingers to fight, give them the shield of thy salvation,g and let thy right hand hold them up, and cover their heads in the day of battle.h 7. For all orders and decrees of men among us, and all we stand in any relation to, (1.) For our sovereign Lord the king, that God will protect his person, preserve his health, and continue his life and government long a public blessing. Give the king thy judgments, O God, and thy righteousness, that he may judge the poor of the people, may save the children of the needy, and may break in pieces the oppressor.i Let his throne be established with righteousness, and upheld with mercy ;k give him long life and length of days for ever and ever, and let his glory be great in thy salvation, and make him exceeding glad with thy countenance through the tender mercy of the Most High let him not be moved.m Clothe his enemies with shame, but upon himself let the crown flourish,n and continue him long, very long, a nursing father to thine Israel.o (2.) For the succession in the Protestant line, that a blessing may attend it, that the entail of the crown may prove a successful expedient for the establishing of peace and truth in our days, the securing of them to posterity, and the extinguishing the hopes of our popish adversaries, and all their aiders and abettors. Lord, preserve to us the lamp which thou hast or a Psalm 60. 11, 12. d Exod. xiv. 25. h Psalm 140.7. Prov. 25. 5. o Isa. 49.23. b Isa. 41.2 e Judges 5. 18. z Psalm 72. 1. 4. c Deut, 33. 29 dained for thine anointed, that the generation to come. may know thee,a even the children which shall be born, that they may set their hope in God, and keep his com mandments.b Let the Protestant succession abide before God for ever O prepare mercy and truth which may preserve it, so we will sing praise unto thy name for ever.c Thus let the Lord save Zion, and build the cities of Judah, and the seed of thy servants shall inherit it, and they that love thy name shall dwell therein.d Let their design who would make a captain to return into Egypt,e be again defeated, and let not the deadly. wound that hath been given to the beast be healed any more.g Let our eyes see Jerusalem, the city of our solemnities, a quiet habitation, a tabernacle that shall not be taken down let none of the stakes thereof be removed, nor any of the cords thereof be broken, but let the glorious Lord-be to us a place of broad waters and streams; for the Lord is our judge, the Lord is our law-giver, the Lord is our king, he will save us.h (3.) For the privy counsellors, the ministers of state, the members of parliament, the ambassadors and envoys, abroad, and all that are employed in the conduct of public affairs. Counsel our counsellors, and teach our senators wisdom i O give them a spirit of wisdom and understanding, a spirit of counsel and might, a spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord, to make them of quick understanding in the fear of the Lord.k O remove not the speech of the trusty, nor take away the understanding of the aged, nor ever let the things that belong to the nation's peace be hid from the eyes of those that are instructed with the nation's counsels.m Make it to appear that thou standest in the congregation of the mighty, and judgeth among the Gods,n and that when the princes of the people are gathered together, even the people of the God of Abraham, the a Psalm 132. 17. / Job 12. 20. b Psalm 78. 6,7. c Psalm 61. 7, 8, God of Abraham himself is among them; and let the shields of the earth belong unto the Lord, that he may be greatly exalted.a Let those that be of us build the old waste places, and raise up the foundations of many generations, that they may be called the repairers of the breaches, and restorers of paths to dwell in.b (4.) For the magistrates, the judges, and justices of peace in the several counties and corporations. Make those that rule over us just, ruling in the fear of God;c and let those that judge remember that they judge not for man, but for the Lord, who is with them in the judgment, that therefore the fear of the Lord may be upon them.d Make them able men; and men of truth, fearing God, and hating covetousness,e that judgment may run down' like a river, and righteousness as a mighty stream.g Enable our magistrates to defend the poor and fatherless,h to do justice for the afflicted and needy, to deliver the poor and needy, and to rid them out of the hand of the wicked, and let rulers never be a terror to good works, but to the evil.k (5.) For all the ministers of God's holy word and sacraments, the masters of assemblies. Teach thy ministers how they ought to behave themselves in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, that they may not preach themselves,m but Christ Jesus the Lord, and may study to show themselves approved to God, workmen that need not to be ashamed, rightly dividing the word of truth.n Make them mighty in the scriptures,o that from thence they may be thoroughly furnished for every good work,p in doctrine showing uncorruptness, gravity, and sincerity, and sound speech, which cannot be condemned.q Enable them to give attendance to reading, to exhortation, to doctrine, to meditate upon these things, to a Psalm 47.9. • Acts 18. 24. b Isa. 58. 12. c 2 Sam. 23 3. |