THE PSALTER OF DAVID, WITH TITLES AND COLLECTS FITTED TO EACH PSALM, &c. THE FIRST DAY OF THE MONTH. Morning Prayer. PSALM I.* A Prayer that we may continually meditate in God's Law, and have no Fellowship with wicked Persons in the Manner of their living or dying. O HOLY Jesu, Fountain of all blessing, the Word of the eternal Father, be pleased to sow the good seed of thy word in our hearts, and water it with the dew of thy divinest Spirit; that while we exercise ourselves in it day and night, we may be like a tree planted by the water side, bringing forth, in all times and seasons, the fruits of a holy conversation; that we may never walk in the way of sinners, nor have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but that when this life is ended, we may have our portion in the congregation of the righteous, and may be able to stand upright in judgment, through the supporting arm of thy mercy, O blessed Saviour and Redeemer, Jesu. Amen. * To avoid enlarging the volume unnecessarily, the words of the Psalms have been omitted, as reference can easily be made to the Psalter. PSALM II. A Prayer to promote Christ's Kingdom, and for Grace to serve him with Fear and Reverence. O blessed Jesu, into whose hands are committed all dominion and power in the kingdoms and empires of the world, out of whose mouth goeth a sharp sword, that with it thou mightest smite the nations, and rule them with a rod of iron, on whose vesture and on whose thigh a name is written, King of kings, and Lord of lords; we adore thee in thy infinite excellency and most glorious exaltation, beseeching thee to reveal thy name and the glory of thy kingdom, to the heathen which know thee not, and to the uttermost parts of the earth, which are given thee for thy possession and inheritance. And to us give thy grace to serve thee in fear, and plant the reverence of thy law, and of thy name, in our hearts; lest thy wrath be kindled against us, and thou break us in pieces like vessels of dishonour. Have mercy on us, O King of kings, for we have put our trust in thee: thou art our Saviour and Redeemer, Jesu. Amen. PSALM III. A Prayer for Defence against all our Enemies, bodily and ghostly. O Lord, our Defender, have pity upon us: behold, the armies of the flesh, the world and the devil, fight against our souls, and multiply against us, every day, temptations and disadvantages. We are not able of ourselves, as of ourselves, to think a good thought, much less to put to flight the armies of them, that have set themselves against us round about. But thou, O Lord, art our Defender; thou art our worship, and the lifter-up of our heads. Up, Lord, and help us: arm us with the shield of faith, and the sword of the Spirit, and, in all times of temptation and battle, cover our heads with the helmet of salvation: so shall we not be afraid for ten thousands of our enemies: for salvation belongeth unto thee, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. PSALM IV. A Prayer in which we exercise an Act of Hope in God, and desire his Providence over us. O God, who art the Author of all righteousness, from whom all grace, and safety, and glory, does proceed, hear the prayers of thy humble servants, whensoever we call upon thee in our trouble; for our trust is in thee alone; and no creature can show us any good, unless it derives from thee. Show the light of thy countenance upon us, let thy providence guide all our actions and sufferings to thy glory and our spiritual benefit, and consign us to the blessedness of thy kingdom, by the testimony of thy Holy Spirit; that we may not place our joys and hopes upon the good things of this life, which perish and cannot satisfy, but in the eternal fountain of all true felicities; that, thou being our treasure, our hearts may be fixed upon thee by the bands of charity and obedience; that thou mayest make us to dwell in safety here, and when our days are done, we may lay us down in peace, and take our rest in thy arms, expecting the coming of our Lord and Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. PSALM V. A Prayer for a Blessing upon all pious People, and for Protection against the Malice of wicked Men. Ó most holy and blessed Lord God, who canst take no pleasure in wickedness, neither can evil come nigh thy dwelling; defend us and all thy holy church from the fraud and malice of blood-thirsty and deceitful men, and from the crafty insinuations of all them that work vanity but let thy blessings be upon the righteous, and let thy favourable kindness defend thy whole church as with a shield; that all those who put their trust in thy mercy, may be ever giving of thanks, and may be joyful in thee. O lead us in thy righteousness, that we become not a rejoicing to our enemies; but that we may worship thee in fear, and come into thy house to make our prayers unto thee, and to give thee thanks for the multitude of thy mercies, which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. Evening Prayer. PSALM VI. A Prayer of a Penitent Person for Remission of his Sins. O MOST merciful God, whose property is always to have mercy and to forgive, behold, with the eyes of thy pity and compassion, the state of thy humble servants, made most miserable by reason of our sins. Hear the voice of our weeping, pity our groaning; strengthen us, for we are weak; heal us, for our bones are vexed; and deliver our souls from death, that, being saved from the bottomless pit, we may give thanks to thy holy name. O turn from the severity of thy displeasure, and visit us with thy mercy and salvation. For all our sins give us a great sorrow and contrition, and in our sorrows let thy comforts sustain us; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. PSALM VII. A Prayer for Defence of our Innocence against the unjust Molestation of our Enemies. O God, from whom cometh our help, thou art a righteous Judge, and preservest all that are true of heart: deliver us from our persecutors, who travail with mischief against us, and have digged a pit for our destruction. O let their wickedness, and malicious devices against thy servants, come utterly to an end for evermore. Thou, O Lord, art strong, and able to take vengeance, and yet, being provoked every day, still art patient towards us, and compassionate. Deliver us from their wrath, to whom we have done no injustice or displeasure; pardon our offences against thee, and protect our innocency against them; that we may praise thy name, and give thanks unto thee for thy righteousness and salvation, who art blessed for evermore. Amen. PSALM VIII. A Contemplation of the Divine Beauty and Excellency manifested in his Creatures. O Lord God, Father of men and angels, God of all the creatures, who hast created all things in a wonderful order, and hast made them all conveyances of thy mercies to mankind; give us great and dreadful apprehensions of thy glory and immensity, thy majesty and mercy, that we may adore thee as our Creator, love thee as thy Redeemer, fear thee as our God, obey thee as our Governor, and praise thee as the Author and Fountain of all perfections, and all good which thou hast communicated to thy creatures, that they may all, in their proportions, do thee service, who hast to that end made the world, and redeemed us by our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. THE SECOND DAY. Morning Prayer. PSALM IX. A Prayer of poor and oppressed People against their Persecutors. O LORD GOD, who art a defence for the oppressed, and a refuge in due time of trouble, have mercy upon us thy servants, who are violently assaulted by enemies without, and weaknesses and temptations within. Thou never failest them that seek thee, but lovest to hear the poor make their complaint unto thee in their trouble, and art known to execute judgment upon them that oppress them. Pity us, and look upon the trouble we suffer of them that hate us; deliver us from the strivings of our adversaries, lift us up from the gates of death; that being safe under thy mercies and protection, we may give thanks unto thee with our spirits and voices, we may embrace thee with a lively faith, fear thee with all our hearts, serve thee with all our powers and faculties both of soul and body, all the days of our life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. PSALM X. A Prayer to God in Times of Persecution and War against the Church. O Lord God, who beholdest all the actions of men, and seest all the ungodliness of sinners, and the wrong they do |