Pagina-afbeeldingen
PDF
ePub

preached unto the spirits in prison; which sometime were disobedient, when once the longsuffering of God waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure whereunto even baptism doth also now

save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ: who is gone into heaven, and is on the right hand of God; angels and authorities and powers being made subject unto Him.

Then he says,

. Let us bless and praise the Lord.

R7. Thanks be to God, who giveth us the victory through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

A

. O Lord, keep us this night without sin;

Ry. And evermore mightily defend us.

Then all kneeling, say the following Confession :

LMIGHTY and everlasting God, graciously vouchsafe to hear the prayers of Thy servants, who confess and bewail the innumerable offences which we have most grievously committed against Thee, by thought, word, and deed; and as by Thy only Son Thou hast opened unto us the gate of eternal life, through His victory over sin and death, we beseech Thee to forgive us our sins, and so to confirm us by Thy grace, that we may walk like those who have been redeemed from sin; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then continue with the usual Tuesday Evening Litany, beginning, "O God, the Father of heaven" (page 72), to the end of the Tuesday Evening Prayers.

ASCENSION-DAY.

MORNING PRAYER.

All standing, the head of the family (or the priest or deacon, if present) says:

. O Lord, open Thou our lips.

Ry. And our mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.

. O God, make speed to save us. R. O Lord, make haste to help us. . Glory be to the Father, &c.

Ry. As it

was, &c.

Then he says the following Psalm :

PSALM 47.

CLAP your hands together, all ye people: O sing unto God with the voice of melody.

For the Lord is high, and to be feared: He is the great King upon all the earth.

us

He shall subdue the people under and the nations under our

feet.

He shall choose out an heritage for us even the worship of Jacob, whom He loved.

:

noise and the Lord with the sound of the trump.

O sing praises, sing praises unto our God: O sing praises, sing praises unto our King.

For God is the King of all the earth : sing ye praises with understanding.

God reigneth over the heathen : God sitteth upon His holy seat.

The princes of the people are joined unto the people of the God of Abraham for God, which is very high exalted, doth defend the God is gone up with a merry | earth, as it were with a shield.

[blocks in formation]

MAY

AY the reading of the Holy Word (or Holy Gospel) be unto us salvation and protection.

Amen.

1

Then he says the short chapter following:

From the Holy Gospel according | He lifted up His hands, and blessed

'AN

to St. Luke.

them. And it came to pass, while He blessed them, He was parted from them and carried up into heaven. And they worshipped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy and were continually in the temple, praising and blessing God.

ND Jesus said unto His disciples, Behold, I send the promise of My Father upon you: but tarry ye in the city of Jerusalem, until ye be endued with power from on high. And He led them out as far as to Bethany, and Amen.

Then he says,

. Blessed art Thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven. Ry. Thou art greatly to be praised and highly exalted for

ever.

[ocr errors]

. Our help standeth in the name of the Lord.

Ry. Who made heaven and earth.

. Send us help, we pray Thee, from Thy holy place. Ry. And mercifully keep us this day without sin.

Then all kneeling, say the Confession and Litany following:

LORD Almighty, look, we beseech Thee, with compassion upon us miserable sinners who confess, with shame and sorrow, the innumerable sins which we have most grievously committed against Thee by thought, word, and deed; and as Thy blessed Son Jesus Christ didst this day ascend into heaven to prepare a place for us, give us, we beseech Thee, humble contrite hearts, that we also in spirit may rise with Him, and be made meet at length to reign with Him in glory; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost,
Have mercy on us.

O Holy Trinity, three persons and one God,

Have mercy on us.

From all evil, from all sin, from the spirit of unbelief, from all abuse of this holy day and of those places which are sacred to Thee, from whatever is an offence to Thee or a scandal to the weak, O Lord deliver us.

From contempt of Thy worship, and all kinds of irreverence in Thy holy presence, from sloth, coldness, and levity in time of prayer, from neglect of prayer and of Thy sacred word, O Lord, deliver us.

1 St. Luke xxiv. 49.

We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord, and grant that we who believe that Thy only Son our Redeemer ascended to heaven, may celebrate this holy day with joy, and bless and praise Thee for it;

We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.

Grant that as Thy only Son Jesus Christ didst leave this world, and ascended to heaven when thirty-three years old, so we may dedicate the prime of our life to Thee; despise this world when we are best able to enjoy it, and reserve our full vigour for heaven and Thy love;

We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.

Grant that our hearts, having ascended to heaven with Christ, may never return to earth again, but may abide with Him for ever; that our hearts being united to Christ, we may be bold to confess Him before men, and be ever ready to part with any thing however dear to us, if it interferes with the love of Him;

We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.

Grant that we may do justly, love mercy, and walk humbly with Thee, denying our wills, ruling our tongues, softening our tempers, mortifying our lusts, and learn patience, meekness, purity, forgiveness of injuries, and continuance in well-doing; We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.

And grant that as Thou hast knit together the differing Gentile nations by the confession of Thy name; so all they who are born again in the baptismal font, may be one both in the belief of their minds and in the piety of their actions; through Christ our Lord;

We beseech Thee to hear us, O Lord.

O Lord Jesus Christ, hear the prayers of Thy servants, and have mercy upon us, who sittest on the right-hand of God in the glory of the Father and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

[blocks in formation]

Here may be said the Prayer which is to be used when there is Holy Communion (see Sunday Morning Prayer, page 11); and if Ascension-Day happens to fall on the Feast of St. Philip and St. James, he here says the special Collect for that festival (see Saint's-Day Morning Prayers).

Then he says the usual Week-Day Thanksgiving Prayer, as follows:

[ocr errors]

ALMIGHTY God, who observest all the actions, thoughts, and secret motions of our hearts, and who watchest over us with an incomparable love, every moment bestowing favours and shielding us from evil, blessed be Thy holy name: and may all creatures bless Thy goodness for the benefits we have ever received from Thee, especially during the night past; but, above all, for the surpassing riches of Thy mercy, in creating and preserving, redeeming and sanctifying us. And, Lord, we beseech Thee, never permit us to be so base and wicked as to repay Thy bounties with ingratitude, or Thy blessings with offences and injuries; but inflame our reins and hearts with the fire of Thy holy Spirit, that we may serve Thee with a chaste body, and please Thee with a clean heart, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then he says the two Collects and Prayer for a blessing, as in Sunday or Week-Day Morning Prayers (see pages 12, 50,

90).

« VorigeDoorgaan »