WITH MEDITATIONS AND HYMN S, SUITABLE TO EVERY CHRISTIAN FAMILY. BY THE REV. AUGUSTUS M. TOPLADY, A.B., LATE VICAR OF BROAD HEMBURY, DEVON. EDITOR'S PREFACE. Ir is presumed that the Christian Public will not be unwilling to receive with favour, a corrected Edition of the excellent little Manual of Devotion, usually entitled, "Toplady's Prayers," but which might be more correctly termed, “Toplady's Abridgement of Jenk's Family Devotion, with some trivial alterations." The Hymns, Poems, and Meditations, which accompany these Prayers, are the production of the Rev. A. Toplady, Vicar of Broad Hembury, Devon; and they will be found to breathe throughout, the spirit of exalted piety which marked the character of that good man, and honoured minister of Jesus Christ. As it pleased the great Head of the Church, to call Mr. Toplady from his earthly labours, at the early age of thirty seven, and as his works were given to the public after his death, it should not be deemed matter of surprise, that many inaccuracies have crept into them, and may be traced in almost every thing, great or small, which bears his name, but particularly, in the editions of these Prayers already published. I have taken pains to compare several of these, and I trust it will be found, that in the following pages many striking mistakes are corrected, which never could have escaped the quick and accurate eye of the author, had he been spared to revise his works for the press. His early departure to glory, will serve also to account for the publication, amongst his works, of Tracts and Papers, evidently produced in the heat of discussion, and which, had he determined to communicate them to posterity, would have no doubt been pruned of some expressions, which the excitement of the moment, under very peculiar circumstances, called forth. I have been encouraged to undertake the revision of these Prayers, by finding the prevailing sentiment of those acquainted with them, to be in perfect unison with my own; I believe them to express, in a simple, lively, and scriptural form, the breathings of genuine Christianity. Sound in doctrine, animated in style, pure in diction, they seem a happy medium between the extremes into which the authors of Family Prayers frequently fall. They are neither too lofty nor too familiar-they can neither be considered as approaching to the sermonic, nor to the essayic form-they are neither chargeable with prolixity, nor brevity: and it may, I think, be almost said of them, that they scarcely leave a feeling of the Christian soul unuttered, or a want untold. In families professing godliness, it is very desirable that family prayer be considered rather a delightful privilege, than a wearisome duty— the infirmities of the weakest or youngest member, should ever be borne in mind; the use of tedious lectures or commentaries, often becomes a burden, and engenders a distaste for that, which may and ought to be, the happiest part of the day's occupation; every thing tending to weariness should by all means be avoided, as the evil consequences are often severely felt. After a short prayer or hymn, I believe a regular portion of the Sacred Scriptures, elucidated and enforced, perhaps, by an occasional remark, will be found the best introduction to the morning and evening devotions. The language of Scripture is for the most part intelligible, interesting, and impressive, and peculiarly attractive to the minds of children. This, experience will convince us, is not the case with that of almost any of our commentators, and I doubt much, whether |