FIFTH SERVICE. One or more sentences to be read by the Spirit, that the praise and sup I Minister. HEARD a great voice out of heaven, saying, Behold the tabernacle of God is with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and he himself will be with them and be their God. And God shall wipe away all tears from their eyes; and there shall be no more death, neither sorrow nor crying, neither shall there be any more pain, for the former things are passed away. And he that sat upon the throne said, Behold I make all things new; I will give unto him that is athirst of the fountain of the water of life freely. He that overcometh shall inherit all things; and I will be his God, and he shall be my son. Where two or three are gathered together in my name, there am I in the midst of them. plications which we offer up with one voice and one heart may be acceptable to him, and bring peace. May the spirit of truth come and abide evermore in our souls, — the life of our lives, a fountain springing up within us to everlasting life, that we may never thirst again, and that these waste places, our hearts, may become like the garden of the to us an answer of Lord. SENTENCES. To be said by the Minister and People. LORD, open to us the gates of righteousness: And we will go in at them. Blessed is the man whom thou choosest and causest to approach thee; That he may dwell in thy courts. We shall be satisfied with the goodness of thy house; Even of thy holy temple. As rest is sweet to the weary and the cooling stream to him that is athirst, so let thy day and thy house be rest sweet unto us, and thy word a fountain of living water. As the hart desireth the water after thee, and our hearts and our flesh rejoice in the living God. brooks, so may our souls thirst | O Thou, unto whom all hearts are open, all desires known, and from whom no secrets are hid, cleanse, we beseech thee, the thoughts of our hearts by the inspirations of thy Holy Spirit, that we may perfectly love thee and worthily magnify thy hallowed name. Amen. And the spirit and the Bride say Come. And let him that heareth say Come. And let him that is athirst come. And whosoever will let him take the water of life freely. PRAYER. To be said by the Minister. LORD our God, who hast vouchsafed to us this season of holy rest: look down, we pray thee, on thy worshipping people now before thee. May we have in remembrance thy works of righteousness and of love, and in our humble measure feel what that divine goodness must be, which continues to take care of us from week to week and from year to year, and which was the same in the time of our fathers and the old time before them. But most of all, O heavenly Father, we thank thee for thy boundless grace and mercy in Jesus Christ. In his spirit may we come to thee at this time with our glad homage and filial obedience. SIXTH SERVICE. One or more sentences to be read by the Minister. LORD, thou art my God: I will exalt thee, I will praise thy name. For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat; and thou wilt take away the veil that is spread over all nations; thou wilt swallow up death in victory. Thou wilt keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee. Trust ye in the Lord for ever; for in the Lord our God is everlasting strength. And the redeemed of the Lord shall return and come to Zion, with songs and everlasting joy upon their heads: they shall obtain joy and gladness; and sorrow and sighing shall flee away. blessings of life, whom we may seek for guidance in our difficulties, for strength in our weakness, for pardon of our sins, and for renewal of our spirits. Let our resolutions of obedience, our worship, and our submission have faith and love in them, as well as sincerity and earnestness; so will this be a true meeting-time between the Father in heaven and his children on earth. SENTENCES. To be said by the Minister and People. GLORY be to God, all glory to Him who has created shine on the face of the deep! the light, and commanded it to How much more glorious is our minds, by the example of that light which shines in upon patriarchs, the revelations of prophets, the sweet solace of holy psalms, the instruction of wise proverbs, the experience of faithful lives! Blessed be his name for this light which no darkness overspreads, this sun which never goes down. God is the Lord who hath shown us such light. His mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth from generation to generation. O Thou to whom belong mercies and forgiveness, receive our humble petitions; and though we be bound with the chain of our sins, yet in thy great mercy, O Lord, help us, we beseech thee, that we may be set free, and be admitted to the glorious liberty of the sons of God. If thou wert strict to mark iniquity. O Lord, who could stand? fountains of prayer and holy meditation; reveal to us thy truth; quicken us by thy spirit; love us with the love which thou bearest to thy children. Thou hast given us thy best beloved Son: with him give us, we beseech thee, all other things that are needful for us. Amen. THE LORD'S PRAYER. To be said by the Minister and People. OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day 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 glory, for ever and ever. Amen. Now unto the God of grace: for the might of his Spirit and the love of Christ; Be glory in the Church throughout all ages, world without end. Amen. (A Hymn may here be sung.) SEVENTH SERVICE. One or more sentences to be read by the O Minister. MAGNIFY the Lord with me, and let us exalt his name together. Ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying, Abba, Father. Wherefore we are no more servants, but sons; and if sons, then heirs. of God through Christ. Behold what manner of love the Father hath bestowed upon us, that we should be called the sons of God! I was glad when they said. unto me, Let us go into the house of the Lord. Our feet shall stand within thy gates, O Jerusalem. Thus saith the high and lofty One that inhabiteth eternity, whose name is Holy: I dwell in the high and holy place, with him also that is of a contrite and humble spirit, to revive the spirit of the humble, and to revive the heart of the contrite ones. EXHORTATION. ASSEMBLED in the house of God, let us each inwardly pray for the spirit of Jesus Christ; and so let us offer up to the Lord of heaven and earth our humble worship and obedience. Let our prayers rise like incense to the very throne of God. So, by true spiritual worship, we shall go from grace to grace, and from strength to strength, until we stand for ever in his presence. SENTENCES. To be said by the Minister and People. THE Lord be with you. And with thy spirit. Come, let us return unto the Lord; and he will raise us up, and we shall live in his sight. Blessed be the Lord God, who turneth not our prayer away, nor his mercy from us. The Most High dwelleth not in temples made with hands. He is not far from any one of us. O Lord God, we will enter thy gates with thanksgiving; And thy courts with praise. Lift up your hearts. |