COL. GEORGE WASHINGTON FLOWERS MEMORIAL COLLECTION DUKE UNIVERSITY LIBRARY DURHAM. N. C. PRESENTED BY W. W. FLOWERS THE SOLDIER'S PRAYER BOOK Lord, tesujh us how to pr»y as John tmnght his disciples.— Lines xi, 1. Likewise the Spirit also helpeth our Infirmities : for we know not what we should pray for a.s we ought. : but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for na with groiin"ingi which cnnnot be uttered. And he that searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the uHU of God.— Rom. riii, 26, 27. CHARLESTON: PUBLISHED BY THE SOUTH CAROLINA TRACT SOCIETY. 1863. EVANS & COGSWELL, PRINTERS, 3 Broad street, and 103 East Bay, Charl.>ston, S. C. THE FLOWERS eOlLECnON 9-9-^,^^3^ DEDICATION.C Ttf^^;^^ 7^ This volume originated in the desire expressed by many soldiers to have forms _^of Prayer through which they might unite in social worship, and guide more perfectly their private devotions, and is now dedi- cated to George A. Trenholm, Esq., by whose approval and liberality it has been prepared and printed, and to A Captain in the Army, who has both encouraged its publication and will largely aid in its circulation. COIsTTENTS. I — Social Prayers — Gknkual. 1. For the Sabbath. 2. For any Occasion. 3. " " • 4. 5. • " II — Social Prayers — Spkcial. 1. In anticipation of Battle. 2. Prayer and Thanksgiving for Victory. 3. After a Repulse or I)efeat. 4. For a Day of Thanksgiving. 5. For a Day of Humiliation, Fasting, and Prayer. 6. For the Revival of Religion. 7. For our Rulers. , 8. For our Confederacy. 9. For Absent Families. 10. For Funeral Service. 11. Against our enemies and for Peace. 12. Thanksgiving for Peace. [II — Personal anu Phia^ate Prayers. 1. For a Professor of P»,eligion. 2. For a cold, careless Professor — a Backslider. .3. Of a Sinner, for mercy, repentanee, and faith. 4. For a Sick or Wounded Soldier. 5. On Recovery from Sickness. IV — Short Praykrs. 1; For Morning. 2. For Evening, o. On Going into Battle. 301067 6 CONTENTS. '■ 4. In Prospect of Battle. 5. On Sentinel and Picket Duty. C. Wlien Sick and Wounded. 7. For Divine Guidance. 8. A General Thanksgiving. 9. Thanksgiving. 10. General Prayer, n. Collect. 12. Confession. 13. For Defence. 14. For Soldiers under Sentence of Death. 15. For Forgiveness. 16. For Direction. 17. On Deliverance from Enemies. 18. For those Exposed to Danger. 19. During our present National Troubles. 20. To be used in Ships of War. 24. Sailor's Prayer. 22. During a Storm. 23. Thanksgiving after a Storm. 24. For a Sick Person. 25. After Sudden Visitation. 26. For Close of any Service. 27. Thfe Creed. 28. Gloria in Excelsis. 29. The Ten Commandments. SeT-ECTIONS of SCRIPTURF. 1. For a Day of Thanksgiving. r 2. For a Day of Humiliation. ?,. For Victory. 4. For Repulse. 5. For Funerals. 6. For Peace. SOCIAL PRAYERS. GENERAL. No. I. For the Sabbath Day. ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, Fa- ther, Son, and Holy Ghost, we thank thee for another Sabbath, which commemo- rates the finished works of creation and redemption. May we be enabled to rejoice and be glad in it, as the best of da^^s, and the emblem and foretaste of that glorious rest which remains for the people of God. Though away from home, and far from the assemblies of thy people in. our accustomed sanctuaries, may this Sabbath be made to each of our hearts a day of spiritual im- provement, heavenly consolation, and near communion with thee, who art the Lord of the Sabbath. Separated from friends, and gathered together in this desert place, may « SOCIAL PRAYERS. ^ve feci as did thy disciples when apart with tiiee in prayer. Be thou our Sanctuary. Make this solitary place a Bethel, none other than the house of God, and the very gate of Heaven. May our hearts be made to burn within us, and to exclaim, surely God is in this place, though we knew it not, to bless us, and to do us good. Draw our hearts to thee. Draw them away from the vanities and vexations of this world. Excite within us spiritual hun- ger and thirst. Feed our souls with the bread of Heaven, and give us that living water, of which, if any man drink, he will never thirst any more. O satisfy us with thy mercy, so shall we rejoice, and be glad^ all the days of our lives. May we find rest in thee from all sin, sorrow, and sadness. Give, us, O Lord, rest from our enemies who have come up against us, and wrong- fully persecute and oppress us. Let no rude alarms of raging foes disturb our peaceful rest this day. Eestrain their wrath, and make it to praise thee. But if compelled to fight, gird us with strength for battle, and enable us to contend earnestly for the faith once delivered to our fathers. Go uj) with us. Be thou the captain of our hosts, our GENERAL. V leader, and commandei*. Help us and fight for us. O thou who art a God of Battles, and a man of war, with whom it is nothing to help, whether with many or with few, them that have no power, send us not up against this great multitude unless tliou go up with us, for how will it be known that we are thy people unless thou go up with us. God, who art our fathers' God, we rest on thee; and in thy name as a just God, and the avenger of the oppressed, we will go up against them. Let us not be dismayed or terrified because our enemies are lively and strong. Put them in fear, O God. Make tliem flee before us. Ride thou upon the whirlwind, and direct the storm of battle. May w^e live to praise thy great and glorious name, who hast gotten for us the victory, and triumphed gloriously. AVith thy law and testimony before us, we appeal for the righteousness of our cause to thee, the Lord God omnipotent, who reignest with power supreme over all king- doms and governments. Unto thee, OLord, who didst give to our fathers, and to us by inheritance, this Southern land, and didst bring among us the heathen to be our ser- vants, for irood to them, and to the world, 10 SOCIAL PRAYERS. an^ for glory to thine own great name, unto tliee do we now fly for protection from cruel and unjust men, who seek to disinherit and destroy us. Arise, Lord, in thine anger. Plead thou our cause, and awake for us to the judgment thou hast commanded. Judge us, O Lord, and plead our cause against an iingodl}^, mei'ciless, and perfidious nation, ttnd grant that, being delivered from all connection with them, and dependent on thee alone, we may become a united and happ3^ people, whose God is the Lord. And now, O our Saviour, who didst on this day ascend far above all heavens, there to reign highly exalted above ever}^ name, until thou hast put all thine enemies under thy feet, come and reign in our hearts and minds. Set up within us thy kingdom of righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost. Eestore peace to our bleeding land. Eevive thy people who are scattered abroad everyw^iere. Reunite congregations and households. Restore commerce and agri- culture, and may the earth again yield her increase, and the abundance of the sea bring prosperity. May our colleges again become the seniinaries of learning, the jfountains of wisdom, and the nurseries of pious and pa- ^ GENERAL. 11 triotic citizens, and of faithful and zealous ministers of the everlasting gospel; and may order, harmony, and peace be effectually and permanently restored, and truth and justice, religion and piety, universally pre- vail. Hear us, O Christ, in these our prayers, which we offer unto Grod in thj^ name, and help us by the Holy Ghost, the Comforter, to call upon God, the Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, as thou hast taught, saying: Our Father, w4io art in heaven. Hallowed be thy name. Th}^ kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this da}^ 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 glor}^ for ever. Amen. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God our heavenl}?- Father, and the fellowshij) of the Holj^ Ghost be with us all, now, henceforth, and for evermore. Amen. 12 SOCIAL PRAYERS. No. II. ALMIGHTY, everlasting, and ever blessed God, who fQv thine own glory made us of dust and breathed into our nostrils the breath of life, and didst illumine our minds with the inspiration of understanding, that we might serve thee always; permit us now tb worship thee. ,We confess that we are sinners, and break th}^ laws every day in thought, word, and action. We confess that because of these sins we deserve to be cast into hell, and to endure thine anger for ever We confess that we are dead in sin, and cannot save ourselves from thy righteous condemnation and evci lasting death, since no sorrow for sin can satisfy thy justice, and even our best works are so mixed with sin as to demand punishment. We thank thee, therefore, O most merciful God, that thou hast devised a way to save sinners, through Jesus, thine only begottep Son, the Saviour of mankind. We bless thee that Christ became a man, kept thy law, and died on the cross for us ; that he rose again from the dead, and ever liveth at thy right hand, to plead for us in heaven; to give repentance and remission of sins; and to OKNERAL. 13 send the Holy Ghost, tlie Comforter, to con- vince, convert, and regenerate our hearts, and to help our infirmities by teaching us how to pray, to believe, and to repent, and by working in us to will and to do accord- in i; to thy good pleasure. We bless thee that, "when we could not obey th}" law on account of sin, God, sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, con- demned sin in the flesh. We bless thee that salvation is thy gift, freely offered to all men; and that thy Holy Spirit, as a Spirit of wisdom, and of power, is bestowed upon all who ask it in sincerity. Grant, God, we beseech thee, that Holy Spirit unto us now, w4io are in circumstances of peculiar danger and temptation, to enable us to seek and to obtain the salvation of our souls; to accept thine offered mercy and thy gracious promises ; to believe in Jesus Christ as set before us in thy glorious gospel ; to come unto Him and find rest ; so that we may take up our cross and follow Him, and never be ashamed to confess him before men, but may rather glory in his cross, and find his burden light, and his ways pleasantness and peace. Enable us to be frequent in prayer, and to offer up continually unto God the 14 SOCIAL PRAYERS. wishes of our hearts, casting all our cares and burdens upon thee, and ever looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith, for grace and mercy to help us accord- ing to our need. Give us saving faith, inspiring hope, cou- rageous confidence, and that love of Chri.:-t which will cast out all fear. Give us that true repentance which will make us forsake sin and dread to offend thee, our most mer- ciful Father; or to dishonor Christ, our most blessed Lord and Saviour ; or to grieve the Holy Spirit, our guide and guardian. Be- stow upon us while living grace to prepare for dying, and for that judgment which is after death, that so, dying daily unto the world, our hearts may live in heaven, and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Pre- serve us from the fear of man and from the power of our enemies. Prevent, if it be possible, the fierce conflict of battle, by making this war to cease, and causing even our enemies to be at peace with us. But if called ever to hazard our lives in bloody strife, teach our fingers to fight and our hands to war. Enable us to put on a 'manly courage. Imbue our minds with pure and lofty patriotism. Clothe us in the whole GENERAL. 15 armor of God. Animate us with a hol}^ boldness and self-sacrificing devotion, that we may contend earnestly and successfully for our wives, our mothers, and our sisters; for our homes and our sanctuaries; and for the blood-bought inheritance of civil and religious liberty bequeathed to us by our fathers. And grant that, if thou so ordain- est, we may willinglj' die; whether we live or die, may we be the Lord's, so that to us to live maj' be Christ, and to die gain — even an entrance among the righteous who die to live; whose departing spirits are with Christ in paradise; and whose bodies shall come forth from the grave and ascend, with Christ, into heaven, to reign with him in glor}^ through a blessed immortality. And now, O God, our heavenly Father! as w^e deserve nothing of ourselves, we be- seech thee to answer these our prayers for Christ's sake. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, etc.* The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc.* ^Repeat as found in No. I. 16 SOCIAL PRAYERS. No. III. OGOD, who art a Spirit infinite, eternal, jind unchangeable in thy btiing, wisdom, power, iioliness, justice, goodness, and truth ; we worship and adore thee. Thou art every- where present. Thou art able to do what- soever thou pleasest, and thou knowest all things. Our hearts are naked and open before thee, with all their sins and sorrows. Blessed be thy name, that while enthroned . in majesty thou delightest in mercy; and that while thy glory is proclaimed by the heavens, and the earth, and all things thou hast made, thy tender mercies are over all thine other works. We now approach thee as a God who is love; as the Lord God merciful and gra- cious; as the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ; as in Christ rec- onciling sinners unto thyself; forgiving iniq- uity and blotting out transgression, and not willing that any should perish, but that all should come unto thee and find grace and merc}^ to help them. Enable us to draw nigh in faith, and with a holy boldness through Jesus Christ, who is the way, the truth, and the. life; the Lamb of God, who GENERAL. 17 taketb away the sins of the world, and who ever liveth, as our advocate with the Father, to make intercession for us. O God, we are sinners before thee. We are guilty in thy sight. We are helpless and hopeless. We are without strength to save ourselves, and we are without excuse. We plead no merits of our own, for we have nothing of our own but our unbelief, ungod- liness, and ingratitude toward Thee, in whom Ave live and move, and have our being. O God, wert thou to enter into judgment with us we could not stand in thy sight. But, O our justly offended Father, to whom can we go but unto thee ? Thou alone canst save us, and pardon our sins, and justify us freely for Christ's sake. Our reliance is on thy mercy. Our confidence is in the Lord our Kighteousness. Our hope is in thy word of invitation, promise, and forgiving love. Thou hast said, ask and ye shall receive, seek and ye shall find, knoek and the door shall be opened. O Lord, behold us here asking, seeking, and knocking at the door of th}' grace. May we now receive thy bless- ing, and find mercy, and feel as children at home in our Father's house, and in the en- joyment of thy pitiful compassion and loving 18 SOCIAL PRAYERS. kindness. Thou, our Saviour, hast said, Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Lord ! through whom can we approach unto a holj- and just God but by thee, for there is no other name under heaven by which we can be saved but thine onlj-. O Lord our God ! thou Saviour of the lost ! thou Eedeemer and friend of sinners, wo now come to thee as a Prince and Saviour to give us repentance and remission of sins; to bestow upon us thy peace; to shed abroad in our hearts thy love; to impart to us the blessings of the gospel and the consolations of the Holy Ghost, that we may be filled with peace and joy in believing. Come, Saviour, near to us. Draw us nearer and nearer to thee. May we feel that thou art with us of a truth. May this camp be miado to us a Bethel, none other than the house of God and the gate of heaven. Away from home, may we feel at home with thee who art the dwelling place of thy children. Separated from the loved and yearned for friends of earth, may we hold communion with them around thy mercy seat. Alone, solitary, and often sad, may we feel that we are, nevertheless, not alone, because thou, GENERAL. 19 the beloved of our souls, art with us. Ex- posed to dangers, and to many hardships, and trials, and temptations, may we he sup- ported by thy presence, sustained by tliy power, and strengthened by thy might, so that we may feel — even in the state in which we now are — contented, cheerful, and happy. May our mutual intercourse be sweetened and sanctified, and may we enjoy much of the communion of saints, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit in our seasons of private and social worship. Preserve health whei-e it is enjoyed. Re- store it where it is enfeebled. Eenew the vigor of those that have been wounded, so that they may run and not be weary, and walk and not faint. Comfort all who are sick and sorrowful. Bless our absent fami- lies and friends. Eevive pure and undefiled religion in our churches, and pour out thy Spirit in a Pentecostal shower upon all our camps, until the voice of rejoicing and sal- vation shall be heard throughout our South- ern land. Enable her^ soon to accomplisli this warfare by the defeat of her enemies and the triumphant establishment of her independence, liberty, and peace. Remove from us, O Lord, this war which is tliy 20 SOCIAL PRAYERS.* sword. Put up thy sword into thy scab- bard and ordain peace for us, for thou art the God of peace, who hast prochiimed peace on earth and good will to men. Grant these requests, thou Prince of peace, and to thee, with the Father, and the IIol}- Ghost, we will render all praise, thanksgiving, and glory, now, henceforth, and for ever. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The ixrace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. No. IV GOD, who art thc'inspirer and hearer of pra3'er, teach us now to pray in an acceptable time in which we may be heard, and with the effectual, fervent prayer of the righteous, which availeth much. As thou hast given us a^i opportunity with one ac- eord to make our common supplication unto thee, so give us hearts to \)viiy. ^iay the Holy Spirit help our infirmities, for we know not how to pray, nor wliat we should pray for as we ought. O holy and blessed Com- forter ! make intercession for us, with groan- ings that cannot be uttered. And, seeing we have not a High Priest who cannot be touched with a feeling of our infirmities, but one who was in all respects tempted like GENERAL. 21 118 we are, yet without sin, ciuible us to come with boldness unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. And oh, do thou, who in the days of thy flesh didst offer up prayers and supplications with strong crying and tears unlo Him that was able to save from death, hear now our prayer. Intercede for us, and become thyself the author of eternal salvation unto each of our souls. We are now in the flesh. We groan under the bondage of its corruption, the lusts of the eyes, the lusts of the flesh, and the pride of life. The law in our members wars against the law of our God, so that when we would do good, evil is present with us. Give us, O Saviour, power to mortify our bodies, and keep them under, and to crucify the flesh with its afiections and lusts, that we may enjoy the liberty of the- children of God, and present unto thee body, soul, and spirit, as a living sacrifice which is our only reasonable sei*v'ice. We, Lord, are now, even as thou also once wert, in the wilderness, tempted of the Devil, compassed about with manifold trials, exposed to innumerable dangers, and encir- cled by malignant enemies, who wrongfully Z'Z SOCIAL PRAYERS. <:oiiio u}) against us and seek to destroy ns. O holy and syinpatliizing Saviour, permit us to lean upon thee as our Beloved. Keep us bj'- thy power. ()i)en up tor us in this dreary desert a fountain of living water and wells of salvation, and lead us, as pil- grims and strangers, in the right \vay to that iidieritanee which is incorruptible and, undefiled, and cannot fade away. Be thou our guide and guardian. Keep us near thy side. Uphold us by tin' powerful hand. ■Strengthen us in our weakness. Comfort us in all our tribulations. .Defend and de- liver us. Subdue our enemies under us. Give us valor and victory. Cause this war to cease. Make our enemies to be at peace with us. Compel their wrath .to praise thee, and the remainder thereof restrain. Per- form toward us the inercy shown to our fathers, and remember thy holy covenant with them, that we, being saved from our enemies, and from the liand of all that hate us, may serve thee, without fear, in holiness and righteousness before thee, all the days of our life. Let no trial come upon us but what thou, () our compassionate Saviour, wilt enable us to bear. Send forth ministering spirits GENERAL. 23 to minrster to our necessities, to succor us, and to encamp around about us and deliver us. Preserve the lives and health of our officers and soldiers. Give to our officers wisdom, skill, and power, that they may lead us in a plain and safe path because of our enemies. Put thy Spirit within them, and grant them thy salvation. Make them counsellors as well as commanders, that they may combine wisdom and sympathy with authority and strict discipline, and niay thus secure the devotion as well as the obe- dience of their troops. Imbue the heart of every soldier with the spirit of implicit and cheerful obedience. May they endure all their hardships, and discharge every duty, as im- posed by God; and do thou, O merciful Father, give them patience and resignation to thy will, and a single eyeHo thy glory, and to the honor and happiness of their country. Grant them a speedy release from the toils and trials of soldier life. Eestore them soon to their homes, and may they live long to enjoy the abundant blessings of peace and prosperity. Comfort all among them that mourn. Awaken, convince, and convert the impenitent. Guide the weary, seeking sin- ner to the Saviour, and grant him peace 24 SOCIAL PRAYERS. and joy in believing. Increase the faith and piety of thy true disciples. Ileal and restore the backsliding, and love us all freely. Prepare us while living for dying, and when dying for death, so that dying may be going home, a welcome discharge, and a joyful entrance into thine everlasting kingdom. Hear and answer these petitions, O God, for the sake of Jesus Christ, our blessed Saviour and Eedeemer, to whom, with the Father and the eternal Spirit, be everlasting praises. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. No. Y. ALMIGHTY God, fountain of life and im- mortality, source <5f every blessing, the gracious Redeemer of our souls, we praise and magnify thy glorious name for the gift of tliy onh^ Son, for the inspii-ation of the Holy ('Omforter, and for the blessed hope of everlasting life. We thank thee, adora- ble Redeemer, that thou didst so love the world as to pour out thy precious blood for sinful man, and that this da}" thy gracious intercession prolongs our life and secures GENERAL. 25 the innumerable blessings we continually receive. Would it please thee to pardon the sins we have committed against thee, for we have violated thy law; we have grieved thy Spirit; we have followed the desires of an evil heart; we have yielded to tempta- tions and lust, and pride and anger; we have sinned against thee with our lips and in our hearts through all our life. most merciful Saviour, forgive our transgressions. Bring us not into judgment. Banish us -not from thy presence, but in thy infinite com- passion renew and sanctify our hearts. Wash us in thy blood. Anoint us with thy vSpirit. Unfold th}^ character and law to our minds. Teach us to do thy holy will. And so sub- due and destroy all worldly passions and evil habits that we may adoringly love thee and possess the mind that was in Christ Jesus our Lord. O Spirit of all grace and comfort, quicken our conscience, grant to us the evidence and witness of acceptance, and create within us the holy purpose of consecrating ourselves unreservedly to the glory of God, and so guide us that we in ay live a useful and happy life in Christ Jesus our Saviour. Almighty God, we commit us to thy care. 26 SOCIAL PRAYERS. Guard ur in danger. Preserve us from dis- ease, and in the day of battle cover our heads. .Deliver us, we beseech thee, from ambitious, and revengeful, and blood-thirsty passions, and animate us with a holy love of country and respect for our officers, and give to us that unity of purpose and power, and so dis])lay thy providence that our enemies may be smitten, and tiie lustre of a great victory gathei" around the brow of the Son- of God. Save our country and our rulers, keep our people in union of spirit and dependence on Thee, and make thy law the great pillar of government. O Father of mercy, bless our homes, fold to thy guardian bosom those whom we have left, and console and preserve them with thy most tender care, should any of us be called to die. Deliver us from the temptations and depravity of the camp, and grant that in thy good providence we may return to onr homes to love thee with a perfect heart, and to serve thee with a willing mind. In ever}^ moment of darkness and fear, of weakness and want, in camp or in hospital, on the march or in battle, come thou near, O Son of God ; be thou our shield, and song, and the ^reat Rock of our defence. GENERAL. 2t O Father of mercy, our life, our souls, .our immortality are in thy hands. Increase within us a livel}^ faith in thy mercy through Christ Jesus, and in thy all-protecting prov- idence, that whatever our condition may be, in sickness or in health, in life or in death, we may find acceptance through his precious blood, and enjoy the blessed hope of ever- lasting life. O Lord, w^ would cheerfully submit to our duties, dangers, and difficulties, with an humble reliance on thy fatherly care. Strengthen our purpose, and confirm us in a determined resistance to ev.ery sin, and assist us in the regular and faithful dis- charge of every religious and civil duty. Hear us, we beseech thee, O Merciful Far- ther, and accept us in Jesus Christ who died for us; and to thee, the God of all grace, we will ascribe praise and glory for ever and ever, through the infinite love of .Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen, . Our Father, who art in lieaven, etc. The grace of our Jjord Jesus Christ, etc. SOCIAL TRAYEIJS. SPECIAL. No. I. A Prayer in anticipation of -Battle. GOD, Fiither, Son, and Holy Ghost, thou bast said, Call upon mc in the day of trouble, and 1 will hear thee and deliver thee. We, therefore, now approach thee in oui* time of erous future, and the blissful hope of evei*- lastino; life. Take under tli}^ most tender and compas- sionate care those whose wounds arc mortal, and whom thou iiast appointed to die. Dis- arm death of its sting, and the grave of its victory. In the midst of their torturing pain, and sinking spirits, and dying strife, may Thy consoLations delight their souls. Visit them with thy salvation. Oh, hoi}' Saviour, give them thy peace. Send them thy blessed Comfortei*. Make thy grace suf- ficient for them. Lift their hearts to thee, and to heavenly joys. Deliver them from all fears and doubts. Sustain and cheer them when entering into the dark valley of the shadow of death. Give them victory beyond the grave, and a crown of glory that fadcth not away. And now unto (Jod's gracious mercy and protection we commit ourselves. The Lord bless us, and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace both now and for ever- SrECIAL. 6 1 more. Amen. To thee, therefore, our dear Father, oiir Creator, Protector, Governor, and Defender, and to thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, our only Prince, Redeemer, Justifier, and Intercessor, and to thy Holy Spirit, our Sanctifier, Instructor, and Comforter, be all dominion, power, and glory, for ever and over. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. No. III. Prayer and Confession after a Repulse or Defeat. ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, our Heavenly Father, the protector of all who put their trust in thee, and the refuge of all who fly unto thee, and a ver}^ present help in time of need to all who call upon thee, thou seest us prostrate in thy presence to do homage to th}^ supreme majesty; to confess our sins to thee, and to cast upon thee our burden of grief. Did we follow the present emotions of our own hearts, we would not presume to approach thee, but would fly from thy presence. But, Lord, 38 SOCIAL PRAYERS. thoiigli our sins and miseries oppress us, thy mercies lift us up. We lay hold of thy sweet and soothing promises, which are all yea and amen in ('hrist Jesus, and secured to us by thine immutable covenant and unchangeable perfections. .Thou art a God merciful and gracious, slow to anger, and abundant in goodness; forgiving sin and imputing not in- iquity, compassioiiatel}' receiving thy back- sliding childi'cn who return unto thee Mnth penitent and contrite hearts, and exercising toward them yearning sympath}^, even when thou chastenest them for their good. En- coui-aged by such luerciful assurances, our trembling hearts, full of fears and cast down and disquieted within us, are inspired with ardent hopes that thou wilt grant us the present aid of thy po>vcrful providence and illimitable grace. We have dlicays, O Lord, need of thy com- forting, sustaining, and directing presence; but now we are in circumstances of such deep calamity and distress that thou alone canst direct and defend us. Thou hast put us to shame before our enemies. Thou hast deeply humbled our pride, and disappointed our hopes, and mortified our ambition. Thou hast not gone u]> with our armies. We SPECIAL. 39 thought, Lord, thou wert with us as at other times, and knew not that the Lord had departed from us. But thou hast discomfited us before the encm}^ and turned us back, and smitten us. We acknowledge, O Lord, tliy holy, wise, and pow^erful providence in our calamity. Thou hast brought this evil upon us, and it is by thee we have been stricken and afflicted. For all things come alike from thee, and thou hast taught us that no affliction springeth irom the dust, neither Cometh by chance, and that there can be no evil in a city which thou hast not done. Thpu, O Ijord, hast brought this evil upon us because we have sinned against thee and provoked thee to enter into judgment with us. Fatlier, we have sinned against heaven and in thy sight. Our own hearts condemn us, and thou, O Lord, art greater than our hearts, and knowest all things. Our daily lives, and words, and actions testify against us and condemn us. We have sinned with our lips, and our tongues have uttered un- godly speeches against thee. Out of our licarts have proceeded evil thoughts, fornica- tion, adultery, and impurity. We are selfish, sensual, and unholy. Pride has compassed us about as with a chain. We have uttered 40 SOCIAL PRAYERS. L;-reat swelling words of vanity, saying, who is the Lord that he should reign over us. We have lived as if we were our own, and not as those who have been created, an"d redeemed by thee. AVe have forsaken and forgotten thee, and lived without God and without hope in the world. We have set at naught th}' word and eommandnients, neg- lected thy great salvation, left unread thy holy book, dishonored thy holy Sabbaths, profaned thy divine and awful name, trifled with the salvation of our souls, refused to hear, to obey, and to believe upon thy Son, our blessed Loj-d and Saviour, and have withheld from him our hearts, and the open confession of our mouths, and the living sacrifice of obedient lives. We have grieved the Holy S])ii-it of promise, and resisted all his gracious influences working in us to will and do of thy good pleasure. We have trusted in our own wisdom, and might, and braver}', and boasted of our skill and su- periorit}', and glorified in our leaders and armies, and have said that by our own hands we have gotten us our victories. We have foi'gotten, O G:.d, thy manifold mercies in tlie preservation of our lives, the healing of our diseases, the deliverances of our armies, SPECIAL. 41 and defeats of our enemies, in tlie supply of our daily wants, and the protection thrown aro^ind our generals, officers, and soldiers amid the diseases of the camp and the dan- gers of battle. We have murmured and complained against thee on account of our trials, and forgotten all thy benefits with which thou hast daily enriched us. We have restrained prayer before God, and have not called upon thee in sincerity and truth, but luive moci\ed thee with words of prayer, ^vhile our hearts were far from thee. For these, and innumerable other sins with which wo and our people have sinned against thee, O G-od, thou hast righteously entered into judgment with us, and mightest justly cast us off for ever and give us up as a prey to our enemies. "^But, O merciful God and Saviour, though wo have thus grievously provoked thee to anger and moved thee to jealousy, be not very wroth with us, and retain not thine anger against us. Pardon our iniquities, for thy Name's sake, for they are great. Reconcile us unto thyself through Christ our Saviour, that we may have peace with thee. Forsake not thy sanctuaries, and for- get not thy covenant. Give not our glory to 42 SOCIAL PRAYERS. our enemies, even the inheritance which thy riglit hand purchased, which thou didst g-ive to our fathers after. driving out the heathen hefore them, and in which thou didst make them to dwell safely, so that they feared not. Keturn, therefore, O Lord, and let it repent tl^ee concirning th}' servants. O re- memher not against us former iniquities, but let thy tender mei'cies speedily restore us, for we are brouglit very low. Help us, Lord, for the glory of fchy name, and turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Forgive the iniq- uity of our people, and cover all their sins. Hevive us again, that thy people may re- joice. God of our fathers, and God of battles, hear these warriors who now call upon thee. Answer us from thy secret place of thunder. Keep npt silence, O God. Hold not thy })eace. Our enemies, with one consent, have taken crafty counsel against thy people and are confederate against them, saying, Come, let us cut them ort' from being a nation, that the name of the Confederate States may be no more in remembrance. O God, in whom, though thou slayest us, we will still trust, thou standest in the congregation of the SPECIAL. 4o might}' and jiidgest among tlicni wlio think they are gods. Arise, O God, and judge them, that they may kno\v that Thou whose name alone is Jehovah art the most high over all the earth. Be thou known a?nong them and in our sight, by revenging the blood of thy servants which they have shed like water. Pour out upon them thy wrath, for tliey have devoured our substance, and laid waste our dwelling places, and burned thy churches, and ravaged our cities, and outraged our women, and blasphemously set at naught all laws, human and divine. O thou Supreme Judge and Kulerof the earth, let these crimes, and the cries of mothers, wives, and daughtei'S, and of helpless widows and orphans come up before thee, and do thou avenge us speedily. Defend the poor and fatherless. Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee. According to the great- ness of thy power and mercy preserve thou those that are appointed to die. Eender unto our enemies sevenfold into their own bosom. Persecute them with thy ten\pest, and make them afraid with thj^ storm, and may the angel of death destroy them. Fill their faces with shame, that they may seek 44 SOCIAL PRAYERS. thy name, O Lord, and repent and be saved, lest they be confounded and troubled for ever, and perish with all thine enemies, O Lord. Quicken Thou us, so will not we .go back from thcc, and we will call upon thy name. Turn us again, O Lord of hosts, and cause thy face to shine upon us, and give us strength for battle and confidence, because of thy presence with us, and approval of us and of our righteous cause, and we shall yet be saved. So we, thy people, and sheep of thy pas- ture, will give thee thanks for ever. We will show fortli thy praise to all generations. Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. No. IV. For a Day of Thanksgiving. ri^HINE, O Lord, is the greatness, and the X power, and the glor3^ and the victory, and the majesty, for all that is in the heaven and the earth is thine. Boti» riches and honor come of thee, and thqu reign est over all, and in thine hand are power and might, aud in thine hand it' is to make great, and SrKCIAL. 4;) to give sti-eiiirth unto all. Thou, O Lonl, art our Father and our Kedceiuer. We thank thee, and praise thy glorious name, which is exalted above all blessing and power. O God, thou art our God, and wo will praise thee, our fathers' God, and wv> will exalt thee. Blessed be thy great and glorious name who hast done so great things for us, where- of we are glad. We rejoice in thy judg- ments, O God. We come into thy presence with thanksgiving, and make a joyful noise unto thee with psalms. We are thankful unto thee, and bless thy name. Thou, O Lord, art our rock, and our fortress, and olir deliverer. When the pains of death com- passed us and the floods of ungodly men made us afraid, in our distress we called upon thee, and thou didst hear our voice out of thy temple. Thou didst send from heaven and draw us out of many waters, from the power of our strong enemies and from them that hated us. Thou hast girded us with strength to battle, and hast subdued under us them that rose up against us, and broken their bands asunder. Let the heavens re- joice and let the earth be glad, and let men say the Lord reigneth. Unto thee, O Lord, 46 SOCIAL PRAYERS. we would give the glory due unto thy name. We would bring iih offering, and wcii-ship and bow down before thee in the beauty of thine holiness. How wonderful have been thy works to- ward us as a people, O Lord. Truly may it be said of us that as a nation we were born in a day. Thou hast not done such great things for any people under the whole heav- ens as thou hast done for us. We adore thy holy, wise, and powerful providence, which for so many years, and in such inscrutable ways, has led to the division of this great country, so as to sever us from a IJnion which was in its origin unnatural and im- politic,, and in its experience disastrous to every object contemplated by it, and to ever}^ interest of these Southern states, and perverted to sectional injustice, usurpation, and tyranny, and to a fanatical and irre- pressible conflict with the institutions, prop- erty, peace, and good name of the South. We adore, 0"(iod, that mighty, though in- visible power by which thou didst infatuate our enemies to prosecute this wai* against us; which united the people of our Southern i states with such marvellous harmony, un der a constitution recognizing Thy suprem SPECIAL. 4/ acy, and framed with humble prayer for thy guidance, and in confident reliance u])on thy protecting care; which has preserved us from all discord and division ; which has crowned our arms with such illustrious victories; which has sustained and encouraged us in times of disaster, and under all the inhu- manities of our merciless foes ; whicli has crayvned the year with thy goodness, and supplied the necessities of man and beast; which has given us fame and favor among the nations; which has preserved our slaves in loyalty and industrious quietness; which has made us mighty to resist the utmost power and gigantic resources of our ene- mies; which has more and more melted us a people into one concentrated mass of liv- ing valor and patriotic endurance, while our enemies have been divided and distracted; and which is now inspiring us with the as- surance of success, and the animating hope of a peaceful, propitious, and honorable in- dependence. We would in a special manner thank thee, O Father of mercies, for those recent events, etc. \^Here enumerate.'] And now, O Lord, our good and gracious God, continue with us. Abide among us. Go up with us and with our armies, and fight 48 SOCIAL PRAYERS. tor US, that all may know that thou art with us; that tliis battle is the Lord's, and that our cause is of God, and must prevail. Strengthen, therefore, the things which thou hast already wrought for us and by us. Give ear, O Shepherd of Israel; thou that dwellest between the cherubim, shine Ibrth. Stir up thy strength, and come and save us. O Lord, our God, how long wilt thouJ)e angr}' against the prayer of thy people. Turn us again, O God of Hosts, and cause th}' face to shine and we shall be saved. We bless thee, O Lord, who dividest the nations their inheritance, and settest the bounds of the people, that thou hast ])lanted us in a very Iruitful field,. and hast notmade the wilderness our habitation, nor the barren land our dwelling. Lord, thou hast dealt favorably with our land, and made it to yield its increase and bring forth abundantly, both for the clothing and the food of man. Thou hast given us a pleasant land — Emmanuel's land. Thou hast set up thy tabernacle among us, and thy sanctuaries are in the midst of us, and because thou hast loved our people, therefore thou hast set a good gov- ernment over us: to insure domestic tran- quillity and provide for the common de- SPECIAL. 49 fence; to promote the general welfare and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves* and our posterity. We have heard, O Lord, with our ears, and our fathers have told us what thou didst for them in their days; and as we have hearfl, so have we seen their glory made to appear unto their children. And now, as we think of all thy loving kindness in the midst of thy temple, let our 'thanksgiving and prayer come up with ac- ceptance before thee. May thy answer in our hearts cheer us, and thy presence em- bolden, and thy providence uplift us. Fill our hearts with the glow of Hying patriot- irsm, and nerve them with fortitude, and ! valor in enduring, daring, and doing all that , is needful to successful resistance and to I triumphant peace. Establish thou the work j of our hands; yea, the work of our hands establish thou it. Based upon justice, truth, and equity, im- bued with the spirit of honor, good will, and magnanimity, and guided by thy word, will, and providence, may our country be exalted more and more in name and in honor among the nations of the earth, and established as a hoi}" people unto thyself May she be blessed by thee in the city and in the field ; 4 50 SOCIAL PRAYERS. ill the fruit of her body a»d the fruit of her ''ground ; in the* fruit of her cattle, increase of kine, and flocks of sheep; in her basket and in her store; in her agriculture, her commerce, and her manufactures; in science, learning, and piety; in statesmanship and public faith. Let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish thou the just, O righteous God. Inspire many to stand up for thee against the workers of iniquity, and for the truth, purity, and power of thy glo- rious gospel. Counsel our counsellors, and give our senators wisdom, that the things which belong to a nation's peace and pros- perity may not be hid from a nation's coun- sels. May our rulers be just, ruling in the fear of God. May our judges remember that they judge not for men but for the Lord, who is with them in judgment, that the fear of the Lord may be upon them. Make all in authority over us a»ble men, men of truth, fearing God and hating covctousness, that they may defend the poor and fatherless, do justice to the afflicted and needy, and vindi- cate the oppressed. Bless, O Lord, our soldiers who jeopard their lives in the high places of the field. SPECIAL. 51, Give thorn the shield of thy salvation. Let thy right hand hold them up, and cover their heads in the day of battle. Through thee ma}^ they do valiantly. Yea, let God himself tread down our enemies. As they have taken the sword let them perish by the sword. Give them as dust to our sword, and as stubble to our bow. Let us be a people saved by the Lord, as the shield of our help and the sword of our excellency; and make our enemies sensible that the Lord of Hosts is with us, and fighteth for us against them. Preserve the life and health of our Presi- dent and generals, for whom we thank thtee, and for whom we supplicate thy continued blessing; that, endued with all wisdom, skill, and power, they may become our deliverers. Give unit}', efficienc}-, and all needful grace and guidance to our officers, and the spirit of obedience, 'alacrity, and devotion to our soldiers. Keep them in good health, heart, and hope, and comfort them under all their hardships. Eestore the strength of the wounded and sick. Prepare the living for dying, and the dying for the death of the righteous, and recompense them all for their heroic sacrifices and sufferings, with thy OJ .SOCIAL PRAYERS. favor and the everlasting gratitude of tlieir redeemed and regenerated countr3\ Pitifully compassionate the misery of them that are in captivity. Let the sighing of the prisoner come before thee. Give them grace, though bound in affliction and iron, to cry unto thee in their trouble, and to humble themselves, and pray, and seek thy face, so that even in the innermost prison they may sing praises unto God. Be with them as with Joseph, and show them mercy, and grant them thy salvation. Strengthen their faith and patience in suifcring. that they may both hope and quietly wait until thou shalt open their prison doors, and set them in safety" into a large place. May the time speedily come when our enemies shall be at peace, with us; when thou wilt break the bow, and the sword, and the battle; when thy people shall be no more terrified by rude alarms of raging foes; when thou wilt make this war to cease, and ordain peace for* us; and our people shall learn war no more. O Thou that savest by thy right hand them that put their trust in thee from those that rise up against them, show us th}^ marvellous loving kindness, and hide us under the shadow of thy wings. SPECIAL. oo Thou who liast delivered — doth deliver — we trust and pray, wilt yet deliver us from all our fears, that we may dwell safely under our own vine and tig tree, none daring to make us afraid. The God of peace accept our thanks, and( hear our prayers, and grant unto us the things we have requested of him, and cause his face to shine upon us for the Lord's sake, who is the son of his love; and unto God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost be glory as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. No. Y. For a Day of Humiliation, FaMing, and Prayer. ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, who art the Rock of our Salvation, our refuge and dcfenge, the hope of Israel and the Saviour thereof in the time of trouble, regard in tender compassion the supplica- tions of thy servants who now approach thee in the name of thy dear Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. In unison with thy people 54 SOCIAL PRAYERS. throughout our land, wc now luirably ap- proach thoe. the great and terrible God, to whom belongctli vengeance. Thy judgments are abroad among us. We are brought very low. The whole land mourneth because of #the oppressions of the enemy. Our cities are destroyed, our sanctuaries are desolate, our homes are ravaged, and our fields laid waste. Our people are scattered ^nd peeled, suffering the loss of all things, and enduring persecution, privation, and manifold calami- ties. O Lord, thou hast shown thy people hard things, and made us to drink the wine of astonishment. Because of our sins thou hast brought all these evils upon us, and given our enemies power to inflict upon us indescribable misery and irreparable Avrongs. And yet, O Lord (iod, to whom can we fl}^ for succor but unto thee, who hast stricken and afflicted us '/ O Lord, righteousness belongeth unto thee. Unto thee, O Lord God, belongeth also mercies and forgive- nesses, though we have rebelled against thee. Thou keepest covenant with them that love thee, and changest not. If thy children forsake thy laws and walk not in. thy judg- ments, then thou dost visit their trans- gression with the rod, and their iniquity SPECIAL. 55 with stripes, x^erertheless, thj" loving kind- ness thou wilt not utterly take from them, nor suffer thy fiiithfulness to fail. Be it unto us now, O Lord, according to these words in which thou hast caused us to hope. Be favorable unto thy land. Forgive the iniquity of thy people, and cover all our sins. Turn us, O God of our salvation, and cause thine anger toward us to cease. Re- vive us again, that thy people may rejoice in thee. Show us thy merc}'', and grant us thy salvation. Wilt not thou, O God, who hast cast us off, and who hast not gone out with our armies as heretofore, speak p- ace unto thy people, and . give us help .frofn trouble ? for vain is the help of man. We confess that we, our r^ylers, and oui' fathers have sinned against thee. We have done wickedly, and have rebelled, even by departing from thy precepts and from thy judgments. JSTeither have we obeyed the" voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us by his ser- vants. We confess and bewail before thee, O God, that pride, prodigality, worldliness, and covetousness which is idolatry in thy sight ; that profanity of thy holy name and Sabbaths; that drunkenness, gambling, and 56 SOCIAL PRAYERS. licentiousness ; that irreli^on, infidelity, and ntter iffeglect of thy Word, of Christ, and of the great salvation; and that spirit of boast- ing and self-confident glorying, which, to so alarming an extent, prevail among us. We have slighted thy mercies, and abused thy grace and goodness to hardened impeni- tence, so that because sentence against sin Avas not exacted speedily, the hearts of TTiany have been fully set in tliem to do evil. We have been forgetful of thy bounty, and regardless of thine honor. We have lived unto ourselves as if we were our own, and have not loved nor served Thee, who didst make us foi- thine honor and glory, who hast preserved and kept us alive, and hast bought lis with the precious blood of Christ. We have sinned, O Lord, and have offended against thee. We are accused by our own consciences, and our lives testif}^ against us. We are therefore covered with shame, and acknowledge that we are verily guiltj'' in th}' sight. Chastened as we now are by the strokes of thy providence [here emimer- ate the special gfounds of humiliation'], we confess that we have provoked thine anger, and although thou wert to afflict us with still severer judgments, we can only say Special. 57 that our crimes have deserved them all, and that Thou art a most righteous and mer- ciful judge, who punishest not thy people without cause. But, O Lord, thou art still doubtless our Father, and our Eedeemer, who delightest in mercy. Chasten us not in fury, but in the midst of judgment remember mercy. As thou didst open a door of hope and deliv- erance to thy people Israel, and to our fathers when they turned unto thee, and didst avert thy chastening hand and the calamities in which they were involved, and didst never reject their praye^, nor utterly forsake or give them over to the power of their enemies, so do Thou now^. Turn our hearts unto thee, O God, in unfeigned faith and sincere repentance, and turn Thyself unto us and bless us, that the whole world may acknowledge that thou art God our Saviour. Thou hast made with us an ever- lasting covenant, written in the blood and sealed by the death of Jesus Christ our Saviour, and now, renouncing all self-de- pendence and all other grounds of confi- dence, we fly to this blessed hope set befoi*e us. Look, therefore, O Lord, upon the face of thy Christ, and not upon us, and for the 58 SOCIAL PRAYERS. sake of His infinite merits and intercession, lot thine anger be appeased, and thj face fihino upon u^. For His sake forgive oiir- national, our family, our individual, and all other our sins and iniquities. Blot out our transgressions as a thick cloud, and say to us, I have forgiven you. And for thy name's sake, O God, pour out th}- Holy Spirit upon us as a Spirit of repentance and reformation, and create within us new hearts, and renew a right spirit within us. And now, Lord, that thou hast brought thy people forth from among our enemies with a high hand, and hast ordained for them a government, and hast preserved and prospered them, and blessed their counsels and their arms, and hast gotten thee re- nown, now, therefore, O our God, hear the prayer of thy servants and their supplica- tions, for the Lord's sake. Open thine e^^es and behold our desolations, for we do not present our supplications before thee'for our righteousness, but for thy great mercies. How long, Lord, shall our enemies ravage our inheritance and defile thy sanctuaries ? Wilt thou be angry for ever? Shall thy jealousy burn like fire? remember not against us former iniquities, but let thy ten- SPECIAL. 59 der mercies speedily prevent us, for we are brought ver}' low. Help us, O God of ou^r salvation, for the glory of thy Name, and deliver us, and purge away our sins. Where- fore should our enemies say, Where is their God ? Let Him be known among these boastful Philistines by the revenging of the blood of thy servants which is shed. And render unto our enemies sevenfold into their bosom their reproach whei-ewith they have reproached thee, O Lord. So w^e, thy peo- ple, and sheep of thy pasture, will give thanks to Thee for ever. We will show forth thy praise to all generations. Heavenly Father, for thy dear Son's sake, hear these our prayers. O Lord hear. Lord forgive, hearken, and do. Defer not for thine own sake, O our God, and for the sake of thy dear Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in whoso most blessed name and perfect form of words we further call upon thee, saving : Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. 6© SOCIAL PRAYERS. No. VI. For a Revival. OLOKD, our God and Heavenly Father, thou hast taught us that as eartlily parents, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto their children, much more wilt thou give thy Holy Spirit to them that ask it. O help us now so to ask that we shall receive the communications of this ever blessed Advocate, Comforter, and Sanctiner. May he be given unto us and abide with us. May he convince us of our sin in rejecting thee in thy law, and Christ in his glorious gospel. May he convince us of the divine claims of Christ, and of his cause to our love and service, by the workings of his mighty power within our hearts. May he convince us that we must all stand before the judg- ment seat of Christ, that we may receive, accoi'ding to the deeds done while in our bodies, whether they have been good, or whether they have been evil. May he work in us to will and to do, in order that we may successfully work out our salvation with fear and trembling, giving all diligence to make our calling and election sure. Come, thou transforming Spirit, and SPECIAL. 61 breathe upon our poor, weak, sinful hearts, which are like dry bones in the valley, very many and very dry. Dhad in trespasses and sins, may we be made alive unto God. Quick- en us b}' thy life-giving power. Breathe into us the breath of spiritual life. Awaken, arouse, and revive our sluggish souls. Bring home to our minds the truth of thy holy word, that, being received into good and honest hearts, it may enlighten our eyes, make wise the simple, convert our souls, and rejoice our hearts. Make eternal realities so to rest upon us, and the terrors of the Lord so to alarm us, that we shall fly from the wrath to come, and lay hold on the hope set before us, looking unto Jesus as the author and finisher of faith, and receiving and resting upon him for salvation. May we be born again, and made new creatures in Christ Jesus. O Lord, according to thy promise, pour out thy Holy Spirit upon our camps, upon our young men, and upon our servants. Ma^^ he enlighten our understandings, and shed abroad thy love in our hearts. May he guide us into all truth. May he open blind eyes and unstop deaf ears, that we may all be converted and saved. Grant unto us the 62 SOCIAL rilAYEUS, spirit of grace and supplication. Teach us to cry miglitily unto thee, and to wrestle with thee, and not let thee go until thou open windows of heaven, and pour us out a blessing, so that we shall not have room to receive it. Make this camp a Bethel. Show us thy glory as we have seen thee in th^ sanctuary. Wilt thou not review us again ? Lord, revive thy work; in the midst of wrath re- member mercy. Make thy word the sword of the Spirit, and sharper than any two- edged sword, and powerful in subduing the hearts of the King's enemies. May it be a discerner of the thoughts and intents of every heart, and the wisdom and power of God unto salvation. May sinners be con- verted unto God, and thy disciples be re- freshed. May their fiiith be increased, their courage confirmed, and their zeal inflamed. May love to Jesus and to perishing souls fill their hearts with prayer, and their mouths with arguments. Make them wise to lead souls to Christ, and do thou seal them unto tlie day of redemption. Make our tents vo- cal with prayer and praise, so that the voice of salvation and rejoicing may be heard in the tabernacles of the righteous. May there SPECIAL. ^3 be joy among the angels of God over many sinners that shall here repent, and in the last great day, when God maketh up his jewels, may it be said of this and that man that. he was born unto God here. And, if permitted to return to our homes, may we live spirituall}^, and our souls prosper and be in health, so that we may be ever found useful members of thy Church, blessings to the community, and sources of religious as well as temporal benefit to our families. Oh that thou wouldst rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence. Put on thy strength, O arm of the Lord., Subdue the people under thee. Make them willing, in this day of th}- power. ' Confound the worlds of darkness, and destroy that god of this world who has blinded the eyes of sinners, lest they should hear, and be converted, and be saved. O Lord, hear. Lord, forgive. O Lord, hearken and do. Defer not for thine own sake, God, and for the sake of thy Son, our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, in whose most blessed name and perfect form of words we farther call upon thee, saying — Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. 64 " SOCIAL PRAYERS. No. YII. Prayer for our Rulers. ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, thou art the governor among the nations, and the ruler of heaven and earth, the fountain of wisdom, and the source and origin of all order and law, who ordaineth government for the praise, security, and comfort of those that do well, and as a terror to evil doers. Thou hast made it our duty to pray for all who are in authority over us. We desire, therefore, to bring before thee the powers that are established among us. We ask for them that wisdom that cometh down from above from the Father of light, which is profitable to direct, to instruct, to correct, and thoroughly to furnish for every good word and worjc. Impart unto them the spirit of wisdom, and power, and of a sound mind. O give unto them the spirit of un- derstanding, of counsel, and right, a spirit of knowledge, and of the fear of the Lord, to make them of quick understanding. O remove not the spirit of the trusty, nor take away the understanding of the aged, nor ever let the things that belong to the na- tion's peace and prosperity be hidden from SPECIAL. G5 the eyes of those that are entrusted with the nation's counsels. Make it to appear that thou standest in the congregation of the mighty, judgest among the gods, and that when the princes of thy people and their wise men are gathered together, thou art among them. May a sense of thy presence and majesty make them suitably afraid, that all things may be done as in thy sight, to thine honor and to the glory of our land, that thou ma3'est be greatly exalted. Preserve a sound mind in a sound body to our President and each member of his Cabi- net, and of our national Congress, and of our state Legislatures, that they may devise wisely and execute firmly such measures as will promote the peace and prosperity of our beloved countr3^ We bless thee, God, for our generals, and we would entreat thee to be round and about them, to defend and deliver them, to inspire them with skill, confidence, and cour- age, that, relying upo^i thee and guided by thy Spirit, they may be wise-hearted to dis- cover and defeat the artifices of our enemies, to preserve the lives and secure the hearts of our soldiers, that under their guidance our armies may be made mighty through 5 66 SOCIAL PRAYERS. God, to the overthrow of our enemies and the establishment of our peace, indepen- dence, and prosperity', that we may be a people saved b}^ the Lord as the shield of our help and the sword of our excellency; and that our enemies maj^ be sensible that God is with us, and in the midst of us, and fighteth for us. Counsel our counsellors, and give our Sen- ators wisdom. Make all that rule over us just, ruling in the fear of God. Let those that judge remember that they judge not for man, but for the Lord who is with them in judgment, that the fear of the Lord may be upon them. Make them able men, and men of truth, fearing God and hating covetous- ness, that judgment may run down like a river, and righteousness as a mighty stream." . Hear, God, these our earnest supplica- tions. Bless our blessings, that all nations may call us blessed, a delightsome land, and that we may be made high among the na- tions in praise, and in name, and in honor, by being made a hol}^ people unto the Lord our God. Almighty God ! who hast graciously prom- ised to hear the supplications of all who ask in thy Son's name, we beseech thee to ac- SPECIAL. 6t cept the service and the prayers now offered unto thee. May those things which we have faithfully asked, according to thy will, be effectually obtained for the relief of our necessities and to the advancement of thy glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Unto God's gracious* mercy and protec- tion we now commit us. The Lord bless iis and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, both now and evermore. Amen. Our Father, who art in Heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. No. YIII. For our Confederacy. GOD, thou hast so ordained human gov- ernment as to make it necessary and wise that there shall be rulers and subjects, masters and servants, rich and poor, and that these inequalities of condition and di- versities of rank should be permanent and inevitable. From the beginning hitherto thou hast also, righteous God, associated OS SOCIAL PRAYERS. the institution of slavery as an organic form of involuntary labor with thy Church and people, thereby securing for slaves religious teaching and provision for their temporal wants, and to the world the benefit of ser- vice not otherwise attainable. Thou hast also in thy written word given us instruc- tion as to thy will, and our duty in the rela- tion of master and slaves, embodying this authoritative teaching and divine protection in thy holy and immutable LAW, and in the teachings of our Lord Jesus Christ and his Apostles. By thy holy, wise, and powerful provi- dence, Lord, thou hast introduced slaverj' into these Southern states, which thoii hast ?illotted to our fathers, and to us as a hab- itation for ever. Thou hast brought this people among us, and hast multii)lied and blessed them, and, by their labor, their social progress, their spiritual attainments, and their conversion to God, thou hast ordained out of their mouth praise to thy great name, that the tongue of thine enemies might be stilled, and thy wonder-working providence adored. And now, O Lord, it is time for thee to work, for men have made void thy law, and teach, for thy will, the command- SPECIAL. 69 mcnts of men, and philosophy, falsely so called. They consent not to wholesome words, even the words of our Lord Jesus Christ, nor to the doctrine which is accord- ing to godliness, but are proud and destitute of the truth, doting about questions whereof have come envy, strife, railing accusations against us thy people, and blasphemous speeches against th}^ holy Word and thy righteous name. For the truth of thy word, O Lord, which is for ever established in the heavens; for the justice and wisdom of thine eternal providence, and thine righteousness and con- sistency of th3^ dealings with thine aucicDt people. Patriarchs, Prophets, and Apostles, we are persecuted, defamed, and overwhelm- ed with the miseries brought upon us by malicious and merciless enemies, who neither regard God nor man. But thou, Lord, beiioldest from heaven the rage and mad- ness of this people, who have set themselves against thee, and against us who reverence thy word as the word of God, and as being all-profitable for doctrine and for instruc- tion in righteousness. And as thou hast commanded that from such men we should withdraw ourselves, we now invoke thine 7U SOCIAL I'KAYtllS. * omnipotent arm for our protection. O thou that art glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, a (xod doing wonders, in thy mercy- lead forth thy people, our wives and our little ones, our men servants and our maid servants, and guide ns in thy strength to thy holy habitation. Bring ns in and plant lis in the mountain of thine inheritance; in the place, Lord, which thou hast made for us to dwell in, and may we know by joyful experience the blessedness of that people whose God is the Lord, and whose law is thy sure and immutable Word, free from the despotic, interpretations and en- forcements of men. Establish us, therefore, O God, as a Con- federacy of states, and build us up on that rock of eternal truth against which the gates of hell shall not prevail. Unite us a people in the indissoluble bonds of liberty, equality, and fraternity. Harmonize the sovereignty of our states with confederated constitutional authority. May the spirit of Washington animate th'em all. and lead them ever to seek not merely their own interests, but also the common good of all, and to beware of sectional jealousies and party dissensions. SPECIAL. 71 Look down upon us especially as a slave- holding Confederacy. As thou hast bestowed upon us the blessing given in perpetuit}^ to the posterity of Shem and Japhet/^ do thou, in blessing, bless us, and make slavery a blessing to ourselves, to our slaves, and to the world at large. Let the blessing of Abraham, the father of the faithful and the friend of God, rest upon us and upon our servants. Pour out, as thou hast graciously promised to do, in these latter days,f the Holy Spirit upon our sons and our daugh- ters, and upon our servants and our hand- maidens, that thej^ may call upon the Lord. Preserve our slaves from the fanatical machinations of our enemies, who would delude and destro}^ them, and under the promise of liberty reduce them to poverty, barbarism, and exile from the Christian homes and happiness of their fathers. Im- bue their minds with confidence in their masters, and with a spirit" of cheerful and loving obedience. May they remain loyal and true, notwithstanding all the tempta- tions Avith which the}^ are assailed. Secure *See Gen. ix, 25-27. fSee Acts ii, 16-18, and Joel ii, 28, 29. 72 SOCIAL PRAYERS. to them their present rch'gioiis advantages, and dispose our hearts to be more faithful to their souls, and to render unto them things just and equal. May the issue of this war signally prove tliat this battle is the Lord's, and that thou hast made thy Word victorious. Ma}^ athe- istic blasphemy and blind fanaticism be openly rebuked, and the truth, purity, and power of thy Word, and the wisdom, equity, and mercy of thy providential dealings to- ward this people be gloriously established in the sight of our enemies, and before all nations throughout all generations ; and may glory rest on our land until it shall be made a praise in the whole earth. Hear, O Lord, in heaven, thy dwelling place, those our humble petitions, with which we would plead and wrestle with thee. Answer them in mercy, for Christ's sake, and abundantly bless us. Grant us the desires of our hearts in accordance with thy Word; and then will we ever bless and magnify thy groat and glorious name. Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen and Amen. SPECIAL. 73 No. IX. The Soldiers' Prayer for their Families and Friends.*"""",,' WHILE we thus plead with thee, O Lord, for ourselves, we desire affectionately and earnestly to commend to thy divine protection and abundant mercy our absent friends and relatives. Separated from them by the command of thy providence, and the call of duty to our endangered country, be thou, O God, our Heavenly Father, their guardian and their comforter. Be thou in- stead of son, father, husband, brother, friend, and lover. Preserve their bodies in health and their minds in peace. Deliver them from all anxious fears for our safety and the success of our righteous cause. 'Inspire them with such confidence in Thee that they may calmly commit to thy most powerful, wise, and just providence all their cares and bur- dene. Be thou thfe strength of their heart and the anchor to their souls, and keep them in peace, and quietness, and assurance. De- fend them from all danger. Help them in every time of need. Comfort them in all times of sickness, sorrow, and sadness. Per- -*fS.To be used as a part of any prayer. 74 SOCIA.L PRAYERS. feet thy strength in their weakness, and may thy grace be sufficient for them. Guide them in every difficulty, and hear them when they ask for wisdom to direct; instruct and thorough!}^ furnish them for every duty de- volving upon them. May their children and servants be disposed by thee to cheerful obe- dience and happy contentment. Provide for all their wants, and supply them out of thine infinite fulness. Secure to them kind neigh- bors and charitable. Christian friends. May every interest now intrusted to them prosper, and the fields yield their full increase. Let no evil come nigh their dwelling, and may ministering spirits minister unto them as heirs of salvation. Hear thou our mutual prayers, and, though sundered far, may we enjoy a sweet and sensibly felt communion around the common mercy seat. May our separation be soon terminated, and may we ere long meet and mingle as a happy band, in all the festivities of the home circle, and in all the privileges of social life, and in all tlie hallowed scenes of Christian worship, heavenly communion, and divine charity, each living under our own fig tree and in the enjoyment of a goodly heritage, none daring to make us afraid. Hear these Special. 75 our prayers, most merciful God and Father. Hasten it in our time, O Lord, that accord-, ing to the days in which we have seen evil we may rejoice and be glad before thee, and may praise and bless thy glorious name, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all the days of our life. Our Father, who art in heaven, etc. The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, etc. No. X. Service for a Funeral Occasion in Camp. 1. The leader will, if convenient, sing a suitable hymn. 2. He will then read a portion of Scrip- ture. 3. The following or any suitable prayer may then be offered : ALMIGHTY, everlasting, and ever blessed God, who art the Father of tlie Spirits of all flesh, thou hast taught us in thy Holy Word that affliction springeth not forth from the dust, nor cometh by chance, but that with God, the Lord, belong the issues of life and death. Thou takest away their breath; men die and return unto their dust. 76 SOCIAL PRAYERS. Thou bast appointed to man liis time upon earth, a time to be born and a time to die, 80 that his days are determined like the days of a hireling; and his bounds, that he cannot pass. We rejoice, O Lord, that we are thus in thine hands, who art too wise to err and too good to be unkind; that in thee we live, and move, and have our be- ing; and that thou hast the ke3's of death and the grave. Blessed be the name of the Lord. Help us, O Grod, while we now surround the body {or bodies) of our departed com- rade, to. acknowledge, praise, and glorify thee, to see thy providence, and hear thy voice in this solemn event; to lay it deeply to heart, to consider our own last end, and to prepare to meet our God. O may we deepl}^ realize the solemn truth that It is appointed unto each of us once to die, and that after death cometh the judgment, when w^c must each one of us receive according to the deeds done in our bodies, whether they have been good or bad". O most merciful Father, who liast taken our comrade and left us, may th}^ goodness lead us to repent- ance. May a thankful remembrance of thy mercy induce us to present our bodies, souls, SPECIAL. 77 and spirits unto thee as a living sacrifice, and as our most reasonable service. O our Father, who hast provided for us a glorious Saviour and a gracious Comforter, and hast promised to give the Holy Spirit to them that ask, may He now work in us to willand to do of thy good pleasure, and may He lead us in the way everlasting. Make us wise unto salvation, so that in this the day of our merciful visitation we may hear the things that belong to our peace, ere they are for ever hidden from our eyes. . We know not, O God, hoiv, 7vhen, or lohere we shall die; but we know that in the very midst of life, and strength, and manly vigor we are in death, and we cannot tell what an hour may bring forth. Grant, therefore, O holy and blessed Saviour — who for us, sinners, didst become man, and having endured the bitter pains of death, didst abolish its curse and open the kingdom of God to all believers — that, being justified by faith in thee, we may have peace with God and rejoice in hope of the glory of God. Disarm death of its sting and the grave of its victor}^, and inspire us with such a sweet sense of pardoned sin, and with a hope so full of immortality, that we shall fear no 78 SOCIAL PRAYERS. evil, knowing that if any man believe in Christ, though he were dead, 3'et shall he live; and that if the earthl}' house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a build- ing of God, a house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. Save us from pro- crastination and presumption. May we not trust to a dying hour, nor think that patriot- ism is piety, or a good cause a good hope for salvation. Help us, therefore, now to fly from all refuges of lies, and lay hold on the hope set before us in the gospel. Be thou, O Christ, the anchor of our souls, the rock of our foundation; the way, the truth, and the life; our wisdom, sanctification, and re- demption; our hope of glory, our all in all. We bless thee, Lord, that, while a long- life is not always a blessing, the shortest may be sufficient to secure the great end of life — even the salvation of our souls and a life everlasting/ Should we die young, or suddenly, as in a moment, may we not .die unprepared ; nor until, by faith, we have seen the Lord Christ, and know that our Re- deemer liveth, and that, although after death worms may destroy these bodies, yet in our flesh we shall see God, whom we shall see for ourselves, and our eyes behold him. Give SPECIAL. yy us grace while living to prepare for dj'ing, and when dying for dying in the Lord, that our last end may be peace. When heart and flesh shall fiiil us, be thou, O Jjord, the strength of our heart, ^mid the brief ago- nies of a violent death do thou, our Saviour, who didst endure the slow tortures of the cross, succor us Avith thy peace : that peace which the world can neither give nor take away; which passeth all understanding, and which can make even a gory bed feel soft as downy pillows are, while on thy breast we lean our head and breathe our soul out sweetly there. Though alone, and far from loving ones at home, may Thy presence be with us, and may Thy consolations delight our souls. Eeceive into thine hands our de- parting spirit. Cheer it with the prospect of victor}' beyond the grave, and a crown of glory that fadeth not aw^ay. May our death be precious in thy sight. May our parting soul be made perfect in holiness, and fitted for an inheritance among the sj^irits of the just. Borne by angels' wings to Abraham's bosom, may we find that to be absent from the body is to be present, that very day in Paradise, with thee our ever blessed Lord and Saviour. 80 SOCIAL PRAYERS. We thank tlie'e, O God, who art thyself a man of war, and the God of battles, and the giver of victory, for the patriotism, valor, w^illingness to die, and manly fortitude of our fallen heroic brethren. May their names . live in the everlasting remembrance of a ?"Tedeemed and grateful country, and irradi- ate their posterity with glory. God of our Fathers, and God of Nations, may their blood cry not in vain for vengeance on the per- jured, hypocritical, and blood-thirsty heads of our tyrannical oppressors. May their blood kindle into a flame our burning pa- triotism; dispel fear, and arouse the spirit of a noble daring, that we may emulate their example and secure for them the graves of freedom, or perish with them in the death struggle for liberty. God of our Fathers and of our Warriors, let no enslaved race of freemen ever live on soil made holy by the graves of our martyred dead. O Father ! Father of our Fathers! and of these slaugh- tered children of our Fathers! who didst give to them this goodly heritage, and impart to them a love for liberty stronger than the love of life, nerve our hearts to contend earnestly unto blood for our homes and hearthS; for our wives and our sisters, for SPECIAL. 81 our sanctuaries and cemeteries, for our holy religion, and for thy glory, O God, and to swear upon thine altar, and over the ashes of our buried con^rades — who have put" off their mortal clothing and put on' the im- mortal, and arc now crowned with victory — that while the soil of our country is pol- luted by the tread of a bai-barous foe we will either live with her, or die for her. • Oh Grod ! who art not unrighteous in taking vengeance, we, thy oppressed and outraged people, do now cry unto thee. Behold our tears; our wrongs; our dese- crated temples, our imperiled cities, liber- ties, and religion ; all that thou hast given us, and made dear to us as our own lives; and answer us from thy secret place of thunder. Make thj'self known by the judg- ments which thou executest against them who make might right, and, with perjured hearts and profane lips, seek to overwhelm us in the ruins of a constitutional govern- ment which their faithless fanaticism has destroyed. Arise, O God, Judge of the earth ! Cause judgment to be heard from heaven. Thou that sittest on the throne, judging right, maintain our righteous cause. Be a refuge to the oppressed. Make inqui- 6 82 SOCIAL PRAYERS. sition for blood, and remember