with sound counsel and wise conduct, the officers and soldiers with ready obedience and valiant resolution: bless their conflicts with signal victories; give them blessed opportunities of effecting the purposes of peace and justice with the least bloodshed. Preserve them from contagious diseases, from the violence of sword and sickness, from evil accidents or crafty designs, from treachery or surprise, from carelessness of their duty and from all irreligion, from confusion or fear, from mutiny and disorder. Give them a happy and an honourable return, that we being defended from our enemies, thy servant our sovereign [or supreme] may rejoice in thy mercies, and thy Church may give thee thanks in the days of peace, and all thy people may worship thee in a holy religion, giving thee praise, and honour, and glory for ever, in eternal ages, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Or this.

I.

O most mighty Lord God, who reignest over all the kingdoms of men, thou hast power in thy hand to cast down and to raise up, to save thy servants and to rebuke their enemies, and in all ages hast given victory to thy people, effecting by small numbers what man cannot do by the multitude of a host: let thy ears be now open unto our prayers, and thy merciful eyes upon our trouble and our danger. O Lord, do thou judge our cause in righteousness and mercy, prosper our arms, and defend our armies. Establish us in the rights thou hast given us, in our lands and in our goods, in our government and in our laws, in our religion and in all the holy orders which thou hast appointed to minister to all who shall be heirs of salvation.

II.

Never let ambition or cruelty, thirst of empire or thirst of blood, the greediness of spoil or the pleasures of victory, make us either to love war or to neglect all the just ways of peace and grant unto the army such piety and prudence, such happy circumstances and blessed events, that none of them may do any act misbecoming Christians, disciples, and servants of the Prince of Peace. Do thou, O God, bless them in all their just actions and necessary defences, that they

may neither do wrong, nor suffer any. Let not our enemies have their unjust desires, nor their mischievous imaginations prosper, lest we become a scorn and derision to our oppressors. The race is not to the swift, nor the battle to the strong, and a horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man; but our trust is in the name of the Lord our God, he is our strength and our defence: for it is thou, O Lord, who canst indifferently save with many or with few.

III.

Wherefore, from thy holy sanctuary, open thine eyes and behold; stretch forth thy hand and help; defend and save our armies and navies, O thou God of power, from all evil of man, and all evil of chance. Cover their heads in the day of battle and danger; send thy fear before thy servants, that our enemies may flee before them: let thy faith make them valiant in fight, and put to flight the armies of aliens, rebels, &c.; and by this shall thy servants know thou favourest us, in that our enemy doth not triumph over us, and shall always confess, to the praise of thy name, that it was thou, Lord, the shield of our hope, and the sword of our glory, who hast done great things for us; and evermore say, 'Praised be the Lord, that hath pleasure in the prosperity of his servants.' Hear us, O Lord, for the glory of thy name, for thy loving mercy, and for thy truth's sake; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

AN OFFICE FOR PRISONERS.

The foregoing ordinary Offices are fitted for all mankind in general,
and so may be also used by these in their prisons: to which they may
add what is fit for them in the following Devotions: and upon solemn
occasion, or upon special necessity or devotion, they may entirely
and distinctly use the following Prayers and Psalms, &c.

IN the name of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus.
Our Father which art in heaven, &c.

Versicle. O God, make speed to save us.
Answer. O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

The Psalm.

I will cry unto God with my voice: even unto God will I cry with my voice, and he shall hearken unto me.

In the day of my trouble I sought the Lord: in the night my sore ceased not; my soul refused to be comforted.

When I am in heaviness, I will think upon God: when my heart is vexed, I will complain.

O remember how short my time is: wherefore hast thou made all men for naught?

I go hence like the shadow that departeth, and am driven away as the grashopper: but the Lord shall endure for ever, he hath also prepared his seat for judgment.

For he shall judge the world in righteousness: and minister true judgment unto his people.

The Lord also will be a defence for the oppressed: even a refuge in due time of trouble.

And they that know thy name, will put their trust in thee: for thou, Lord, hast never failed them that seek thee.

Deliver me, O Lord, from the evil man: preserve me from the violent man.

I know that the Lord will maintain the cause of the afflicted, and the right of the poor.

Surely the righteous shall give thanks unto thy name: the upright shall dwell in thy presence.

O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee: according to the greatness of thy power preserve thou those that are appointed to die.

The humble shall consider this and be glad: seek ye after God, and your soul shall live.

For the Lord heareth the poor: and despiseth not his prisoners.

Who is like unto the Lord our God, who dwelleth on high,

Who humbleth himself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth?

He raiseth up the poor out of the dust and lifteth the needy out of the dunghill.

Blessed be the name of the Lord, from this time forth for evermore.

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Such as sit in darkness and in the shadow of death, being bound in affliction and iron:

He bringeth them out of darkness and the shadow of death and breaketh their bands in sunder.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness: and declare the wonders that he doth for the children of men! Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

Or this.

In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust, let me never be put to confusion but rid me and deliver me in thy righteousness; incline thine ear unto me and save me.

Be thou my stronghold, whereunto I may always resort: thou hast promised to help me, for thou art my house of defence and my castle.

As for the children of men, they are but vanity; the children of men are deceitful upon the weights: they are altogether lighter than vanity itself.

O trust not in wrong and robbery, give not yourselves unto vanity; if riches increase, set not your heart upon them. Up, Lord, why sleepest thou? awake, and be not absent from us for ever.

Wherefore hidest thou thy face: and forgettest our misery and trouble?

For our soul is brought low even unto the dust: our belly cleaveth unto the ground.

O cast thy burden upon the Lord, and he shall nourish thee and shall not suffer the righteous to fall for ever:

For this God is our God for ever: he shall be our guide unto death.

There the wicked cease from troubling: and there the weary be at rest.

There the prisoners rest together: they hear not the voice of the oppressor.

The small and great are there and the servant is free from his master.

Blessed is he that hath the God of Jacob for his help: and whose hope is in the Lord his God.

Which helpeth them to right that suffer wrong: which feedeth the hungry.

The Lord looseth men out of prison, the Lord giveth sight to the blind, he helpeth them that fall: the Lord careth for the righteous.

Praise the Lord, O my soul: while I live, will I praise the Lord yea, as long as I have any being, I will sing praises unto my God.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

Read Gen. xxxix.
xxxvii. and lii.

The Lesson.

and xl. Isaiah, xlii. and li. Jerem. xxxii. or Matt. xxv. Acts, v. and xvi.

Let these be read at several times; and if the Office be said in private, let him that reads and is interested, meditate awhile. After which, let him humbly kneel down and pray.

I.

The Prayer for all Prisoners.

O Almighty God, the merciful Father of all that put their trust in thee, look down from the beauteous throne of thy glory, with much mercy and compassion upon us thy servants, who are children of misery, full of sin and full of calamity, whose only hope is in the mercies and loving-kindness of the Lord. O do thou pardon all our trespasses and debts, by which we are in arrears to thee; put them upon the accounts of the cross; for our blessed and most gracious Lord hath paid our price to redeem us from the eternal prisons: and be thou pleased to enrich us with thy Holy Spirit; that we may be strong in faith, abounding in hope, established in a holy patience, and rich in charity; expecting with meekness and submission, when the times of refreshment shall come from the presence of the Lord, our blessed Saviour and Redeemer Jesus. Amen.

II.

For Prisoners of Debt.

Enable us, O God, thou Treasure of all goodness, and all plenty, and all justice, to do our duty to those to whom we are obliged; let not their kindness to us be injurious to them, nor our poverty become their calamity; but do thou enable us, by the miracles of thy mercy, to do what we are bound