VARIOUS PRAYER BOOKS.

SPECIAL forms of prayer have been issued at various times to mark certain events, usually of a national character. John Neilson, of Quebec, printed in 1814, a quarto book of this kind containing 14 pages. It has this extended title:

"A Form of prayer and thanksgiving to Almighty God; to be used on Thursday, the Twenty-First Day of April, 1814, being the Day appointed by Proclamation for a General Thanksgiving to Almighty God: To acknowledge the great Goodness and Mercy of Almighty God, who in addition to the manifold and inestimable Benefits which we have received at His Hands, has continued to us His Protection and Assistance in the War, in which we are now engaged; and has given to the Arms of His Majesty, and to those of His Allies, a Series of Signal and Glorious Victories over the Forces of the Enemy. By authority."

The same printer, in 1815, issued at Quebec, another little publication of a few pages, entitled:

"A Form of prayer and thanksgiving to Almighty God; to be used on Thursday, the Sixth Day of April, 1815, being the Day appointed by Proclamation for a General Thanksgiving to Almighty God: For putting an End to the War in which we were engaged against the United States of America. By authority."

"A Morning Prayer Service, arranged for use in the College of Philadelphia, was printed by John Dunlap in 1780, and "A Form of Prayer for the Seventh day of May," was issued by William Weyman, of New York, in 1762.

A thin octavo book was printed in Philadelphia in 1785, with this title: "The A. B. C. with the Church of England Catechism, and Prayers used in the Academy of the P. E. Church in Philadelphia; also a Hymn." This little publication is very rare.

While the limits of this book do not admit of any extended consideration of volumes of private devotion, it may be of interest to call attention to a collection of manuscript prayers found among the effects of George Washington. These prayers

are arranged for the days of the week, and as they are in the handwriting of Washington, were evidently composed by him. A facsimile repro

duction of the book was made in 1891, at Phila

delphia. The first page is headed The Daily Sacrifice. Then follows a prayer for Sunday Morning, in the following language:

Let my heart therefore glory and majesty of it, but wait on thee, and

Almighty God and most merciful father, who didst command the children of Israel to offer a daily sacrifice to thee, that thereby they might glorify and praise thee for thy protection both night and day; receive, O Lord, my morning sacrifice which I now offer up to thee; yield thee humble and hearty thanks that thou hast preserved me from the dangers of the night past, and brought me to the light of this day, and the comforts thereof, a day which is consecrated to thine own service and for thine own honour. gracious God be so affected with the that I may not do mine own works, discharge those weighty duties thou requirest of me; and since thou art a God of pure eyes, and will be sanctified in all who draw near unto thee, who dost not regard the sacrifice of fools, nor hear sinners who tread in thy courts, pardon I beseech thee my sins, remove them from thy presence, as far as the east is from the west, and accept of me for the merits of thy son Jesus Christ, that when I come into thy temple and compass thine altar, my prayer may come before thee as incense, and as I desire thou wouldst hear me calling upon thee in my prayers, so give me grace to hear thee calling on me in thy word, that it may be wisdom, righteousness, reconciliation and peace to the saving of my soul in the day of the Lord Jesus Christ, that I may hear it with reverence, receive it with meekness, mingle it with faith, and that it may accomplish in me, Gracious God, the good work for which thou hast sent it. Bless my family, kindred, friends and country, be our God & guide this day and forever for his sake, who lay down in the grave and arose again for us Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The prayers are arranged for both morning and evening for the days of the week.

A little book that ranks among rare Americana was printed at Ephrata, Pa., in 1767, for William Barton. It is entitled, "The Family Prayer Book containing Morning and Evening Prayers." It also contains "Directions for a devout and decent Behaviour in the Publick Worship of God," and the Church Catechism. On page 3, the author begins a letter to the members of the Episcopal congregations of Lancaster, Pequea and Caernarvon, in which he explains the origin of the book and its use, which was to assist them in family devotions. He speaks of two additions to the volume as follows:

In order to render this small Offering still more useful and worthy your attention, I have annexed DIRECTIONS for a Devout and Decent Behaviour in the PUBLIC WORSHIP of GOD, wrote by a worthy Divine of our Church. ***This little Tract has been received with Approbation; and to well-disposed Persons may be of singular Advantage in instructing them how to order their Devotion in the Use of the Book of COMMON PRAYER.

The frequent Complaints which I have heard made of the Scarcity of the CHURCH-CATECHISM have induced me to add this likewise, which I trust will remove that Backwardness which has appeared in many of your Children in entering the List of CATECHUMENS in the Church.

Praying that every Happiness, temporal and eternal, may ever attend you and them. *** *** *** *

Your obliged Friend and affectionate Pastor,

Lancaster, May 25, 1767.

THOMAS BARTON.

The copy of this book in the Library of the Episcopal Divinity School at Philadelphia, is the only one that has been located.

Bishop Seabury prepared a service entitled, "A Burial Office for Infants who depart this life before they have polluted their Baptism by actual sin." It is a shortened form of the regular burial service as found in the English Prayer Book, with some changes and additions. The committal service begins, "In the name of the most holy and undivided Trinity, Father, Son and Holy Ghost, in whose likeness man was created, we commit this body to the ground; earth to earth," etc. The second prayer is composed chiefly of the Collects of Easter Even and Easter Day, There are also prayers for the legislature and courts of justice. The little pamphlet is without date. There was a reprint published at Newburyport, Mass., in 1809. It was enlarged, for it contains also a Service for Fast Day, the Catechism, and Selections from the Book of Common Prayer for the use of families. In size it is a 32mo book of 32 pages, and is extremely

rare.

Nathan Davies compiled a book containing forms of prayer, in 1797. Who Mr. Davies was, whether layman or otherwise, early local histories do not inform us. He tells us on the title page that