thou hast been merciful and gracious to us, and hast given meat, even the food of the blessed sacrament, unto them that fear thee, that by the participation of thy holy communion, we should have thee in remembrance, and ever be mindful of thy covenant: plant thy fear in our hearts, give us wisdom and good understanding, and make us to have pleasure in thee, and all thy works; that we, obeying the precepts of thy holy Gospel, and performing the conditions of thy covenant, which thou hast established for ever in truth and equity, in verity and judgment, we may worthily praise and adore thy reverent and holy name among the faithful in this life, and in the congregation of saints in the life to come, through thy mercies, O blessed Jesu, to whom with the Father, and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen. PSALM CXII. A Prayer for the Fear of the Lord, for Charity, and the Blessings of the Righteous. O Lord God, who art to be feared in the generations of the world, teach us the fear of thy name, that we may fear to offend thee, and that, delighting in thy commandments, we may serve thee, without fear of our enemies, in holiness and righteousness all our days. Let thy light arise upon the darkness of our understandings; let thy mercies and gentleness cure all thoughts of unmercifulness in us; and make us charitable, of tender bowels, yearning with pity over the needs of the poor. Teach us to guide our words with discretion, make us never to be moved from our purposes of holy living, stablish our hearts in thy love, that in the day of restitution of all things, thou mayest give us the portion of the charitable, the rewards of thy right hand; and when the wicked shall gnash with their teeth, and consume away in a sad eternity, we may be satisfied with the riches and plenteousness of thy house for ever; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. PSALM CXIII. A Thanksgiving to God for his Acts of Providence, and particular Care over the Poor and Humble. O Lord God, whose dwelling is on high, and yet thou humblest thyself to behold the things that are in heaven and earth, have mercy upon us thy humble servants, and lift us up from the gates of death; take us out of the mire, that we sink not into the bottomless pit of misery and infelicity: and when for our sins thou humblest us as low as the dust, let thy mercy exalt us, and restore us to the light of thy countenance and the joy of thy salvation; that when thou shalt call all the world to judgment from the rising of the sun to the going down thereof, we may be set with the princes of thy people, with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, in thine eternal kingdom, to sing praises to thy name from this time forth for evermore. Amen. Evening Prayer. PSALM CXIV. A Thanksgiving to God for the Deliverance of his People from Bondage and Misery. O LORD GOD, at whose presence the earth trembles, who workest salvation and deliverance for thy church in all ages, and didst deliver thy people from the bondage of Egypt with a mighty hand and an arm stretched out in miraculous effects; deliver us from the bondage of sin, from the tyranny of the devil, from the empire and dominion of the flesh: that our bodies and souls being mortified, our flesh brought under subjection of the spirit, our appetites made subordinate to reason, and our souls wholly conformable to thy will, our hard stony hearts may be converted into hearts of flesh, and into a springing well bringing forth the waters of repentance, and fruits springing up to life eternal; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1 PSALM CXV. A Prayer against Idolatry, and for Confidence in the True God. O Lord God Omnipotent, whose seat is in heaven, and thou hast done whatsoever pleased thee in heaven and earth, give us thy grace, that in all our troubles we may make thee our succour and defence, and put our trust in thee only; that we, receiving thy mercies and the satisfaction of all our hopes from thy plenteousness and loving-kindness, may give praise unto thy name, never ascribing to ourselves any honour, or the glory and thanks of any good action or prosperous success, but to thee, who art the Author and Giver of all good things. Preserve us from all dangers of idolatry, from worshipping or loving any vain imaginations, and making any thing to be our confidence besides thee, our God; that so thou mayest be mindful of us, and bless us in all our ways, and when we die and go down into silence, we may have our portion amongst the blessed of the Lord, in the inheritance of thy kingdom, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE TWENTY-FOURTH DAY. Morning Prayer. PSALM CXVI. An Act of Love and Thanksgiving to God, for Deliverance from Sin and Death. O LORD GOD of eternal mercies, gracious and righteous, give unto us hearts filled with love and praise to thy holy name; for thou hearest our prayers, thou breakest asunder the bonds of our sins, thou deliverest our souls from trouble and heaviness, and snatchest us from the snares of death, and savest us from the pains of hell. O merciful God, let our souls rest in thee, and be satisfied in the pleasures of thy mercy, that we may receive the cup of blessing and salvation, and celebrate the eucharist in honour of thy name, and in remembrance of thy infinite benefits which thou hast done unto us, and at last may pay our great Hallelujah to the Lord in the courts of the Lord's house, in the midst of the celestial Jerusalem, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. An Invitation to all People to praise God's Mercy and Truth. : O blessed Jesu, who art not only the glory of thy people Israel, but the light of the Gentiles, let thy merciful kindness be ever more and more towards the sons of men, that the nations which have not known thee, may hear thy truth, and feel thy mercies, and call upon thy name, and thy grace may be confirmed upon us, till we receive the fulness and perfection of thy graces, in the full fruition of the glories of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. PSALM CXVIII. A Psalm of Thanksgiving for the Mercies and Salvation, which are given us in Jesus Christ. O most gracious Lord, our strength and our song, thou art become our salvation, and thy mercy endureth for ever : be thou on our side, take part with them that help us, let the voice of joy and health be in our dwellings, and when thou chastenest and correctest us for our sins, give us not over unto death, but fix our faith and hopes upon the head stone in the corner, even our Lord Jesus Christ; that in all the assaults made against us by our ghostly enemies, the right hand of the Lord may have the pre-eminence, and bring mighty things to pass, even victory and deliverance unto thy servants; that we, putting no confidence in the best of men, may trust in thee, O Lord, till at last, when thou openest the everlasting gates of righteousness, we may enter in and give thee thanks and praise; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 1 Evening Prayer. PSALM CXIX. A Prayer for Religion, Zeal, Love of the Law of God, and Meditation in it. O BLESSED Lord God, whose words are light and life to the obedient and believing soul, let thy grace so purify our hearts and actions, that we may be undefiled in thy way, keeping thy testimonies, and seeking thee with our whole heart; that our ways being made direct without wandering into by-paths, we may go into our country, the land of eternal and glorious promises; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen... II. : Grant, O Lord, that our affections and endeavours be not divided between thee and the world, but that we may seek thee with our whole heart, cleansing our ways from all impurity, giving to thy service our youth and more perfect age, even all our days, and all our powers, taking more delight in the way of thy testimonies than in all manner of riches and fading pleasures; that we, delighting in thee, and the ways that lead to thee, may be beloved of thee with an eternal love; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. III. O Lord God, our Father and our Guardian, we are strangers upon the earth, far removed from our country, and we are in darkness and walk in the shadow of death; let not this darkness seize upon our souls, hide not thy commandments from us, but open our eyes with the light of thy Holy Spirit, that we may see the wondrous things of thy law, and admire thy glories, and adore thy might, and obey all thy righteous precepts: and although all our hearts be already enkindled with the love of thy law, yet make our desires to serve thee more fervent, that our lukewarmness may arise up to the flames and ardours of a cherubim; that while we are busied in thy statutes, making them our delight and our counsellors, shame and rebuke may always be turned from us, and we ever rejoice with hope and confidence in thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. |