confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory, through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer of St. Chrysostom.

God, who

this time, with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; fulfil, now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants as may be most expedient for them; granting us, in this world, knowledge of thy truth, and, in the world to come, life everlasting. Amen. 2 Cor. xiii.

HE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore.

Amen.

Here endeth the LITANY.

PRAYERS AND THANKSGIVINGS,
UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS,

To be used before the two final Prayers of the Litany, or of Morning and Evening Prayer.

PRAYERS.

For Rain.

God, heavenly Father, who, by thy Son Jesus Christ, hast promised to all them that seek thy kingdom and the righteousness thereof, all things necessary to their bodily sustenance; send us, we beseech thee, in this our necessity, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort and to thy honour, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For Fair Weather.

Almighty Lord God, who, for the sin of man, didst once drown all the world except eight persons, and, afterward, of thy great mercy didst promise never to destroy it so again; we humbly beseech thee, that although we, for our iniquities, have worthily deserved a plague of rain and waters, yet, upon our true repentance, thou wilt send us such weather as that we may receive the fruits of the earth in due season; and learn both by thy punishment to amend our lives, and for thy clemency to give thee praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the time of Dearth and Famine.

God, heavenly Father, whose gift it is that the rain doth fall, the earth is fruitful, beasts increase, and fishes do multiply; behold, we beseech thee, the afflictions of thy people; and grant that the scarcity and dearth which we do now most justly suffer for our iniquity, may, through thy goodness, be mercifully turned into cheapness and plenty, for the love of Jesus Christ our Lord; to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

Or this.

God, merciful Father, who, in the time of Elisha the prophet, didst suddenly, in Samaria, turn great scarcity and dearth into plenty and cheapness; have mercy upon us, that we, who are now for our sins punished with like adversity, may likewise find a seasonable relief: increase the fruits of the earth by thy heavenly benediction; and grant that we, receiving thy bountiful liberality, may use the same to thy glory, the relief of those that are needy, and our own comfort, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the time of War and Tumults.

Almighty God, King of all kings, and Governor of all things, whose power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners, and to be merciful to them that truly repent; save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies; abate their pride, assuage their malice, and confound their devices; that we, being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify thee who art the only giver of all victory; through the merits of thy only Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

In the time of any common Plague or Sickness.

Almighty God, who, in thy wrath, didst send a plague upon thine own people, in the wilderness, for their obstinate rebellion against Moses and Aaron; and also, in the time of king David, didst slay with the plague of Pestilence threescore and ten thousand, and yet, remembering thy mercy, didst save the rest; have pity upon us miserable sinners who now are visited with great sickness and mortality; that like as thou didst then accept of an atonement, and didst command the destroying Angel to cease from punishing, so it may now please thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous sickness, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In the Ember Weeks; to be said every day for those that are to be admitted into Holy Orders.

ALMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who

hast purchased to thyself an universal Church by the precious blood of thy dear Son, mercifully

In the Ember Weeks.]—Referring, in this place, to a preceding note, it may be observed, that it is in this prayer we find the words "Bishops and Pastors" exchanged for those of "Bishops and Curates;" while, in the words which here present themselves ("give thy grace and heavenly benediction,") we see the meaning of the "continual dew of thy

look upon the same; and, at this time, so guide and govern the minds of thy servants the Bishops and Pastors of thy flock, that they may lay hands suddenly on no man; but faithfully and wisely make choice of fit persons to serve in the sacred Ministry of thy Church. And to those which shall be ordained to any holy function give thy grace and heavenly benediction, that, both by their life and doctrine, they may set forth thy glory, and set forward the salvation of all men, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A

Or this.

LMIGHTY God, the giver of all good gifts, who, of thy divine providence, hast appointed divers Orders in thy Church; give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the same ; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great Name, and the benefit of thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

A Prayer that may be said after any of the former. God, whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive, receive our humble petitions; and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulness of thy great mercy loose us, for the honour of Jesus Christ, our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

blessing," employed in the previous instance; and further proof that the "marvels" there referred to consist in miracles, or spiritual acts and gifts.

Ember, imber, or, ymber.] This is an Anglo-Saxon term, signifying periodical, or the returning of a thing in a circle, or at the end of a period.

In the ancient English Church the Ember Weeks were four in every year, and consisted of times of fasting and prayer, "for obtaining the fruits of the earth, and to give thanks for the same; and also to obtain the grace of the Holy Ghost when Holy Orders are given, and Ministers made.'

At present, the principal Ember Week considered is that of Lent; and in this, the Wednesday being called Ash-Wednesday, the mistake has arisen, of confounding the term ember in the Ember Week with the term embers, or ashes.

A Prayer for the High Court of Parliament, to be read during their Session.

;

;

OST gracious God, we humbly beseech thee as for this Kingdom in general, so especially for the High Court of Parliament, under our most religious and gracious Queen at this time assembled ; that thou wouldest be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations to the advancement of thy glory, the good of thy Church, the safety, honour, and welfare, of our Sovereign and her dominions that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and piety, may be established among us for all generations; these and all other necessaries for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A Collect, or Prayer, for all Conditions of Men, to be used at such times when the Litany is not appointed to be said.

God, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee for all sorts and conditions of men, that thou wouldest be pleased to make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially, we pray for the good estate of the Catholic Church; that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those who are any ways afflicted, or distressed, in mind, body, *This to be said or estate; [* especially those for when any desire the whom our prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort

Prayers of the Congregation.