THIRD SERVICE. MORNING PRAYER. The people standing. ANTHEM. HOLINESS becometh thine house. For ever and AMEN. ever. Then shall be read the following sentences: Seek the Lord and his strength: seek his face evermore. PSALM CV., 4. Let us exalt the Lord our God, and worship at his footstool; for he is holy. PSALM Xcix., 5. Let us in an acceptable time make our prayer, even in the multitude of his mercies. PSALM lxix., 13. Prayer to be said by the Minister. Most glorious and eternal God, Father of mercy and God of all consolation, we worship and adore thee with the lowest humility of our souls, and give thee all thanks and praise for thine infinite and essential glories and perfections, and for the continual manifestation of thy mercies to us and to all men. We acknowledge, gracious Father, that we have deserved thy righteous displeasure. But thy mercy is greater than our sins: thou hast still continued us in life and given us time for repentance: thou hast opened unto us the gates of mercy and grace, and thou perpetually callest upon us to enter in and to walk in the paths of a holy life, that we may glorify thee, and of thee be glorified everlastingly. Behold, O God, for this thy unspeakable goodness, for thy preservation of us during the past week, and for all other thy graces and blessings, we offer up our souls and bodies, all that we have and all that we are, as a sacrifice to thee and thy service; humbly beseeching thee to pardon all our sins, to defend us from all evil, to lead us into all good, and to let our portion be with thy saints in thy kingdom of grace and glory. So guide us, O Lord, through all the changes of life, that in all things which shall befall us, we may preserve an even and tranquil spirit, and our souls may be wholly resigned to thy divine will and pleasure: neither murmuring at thy gentle chastisements and Fatherly corrections, nor waxing proud and insolent when the comforts and prosperous successes of this world are multiplied unto us. Fix our thoughts, our hopes, and our desires upon heaven and heavenly things. Teach us to repent deeply of our sins; give us holy purposes of amendment, and spiritual strength and assistance to perform faithfully whatsoever we shall intend piously. Enable us to think of thee and what is in order to thy glory and service; to speak nothing but what is acceptable unto thee and accordant with thy will, and do nothing but what becomes thy servants, whom thou hast created in thine own image, and made the heirs of everlasting life. O God, let all our passions and affections be so mortified and brought under the dominion of grace, that we may never by deliberation and purpose, nor yet by levity, rashness or inconsideration, offend thy divine majesty. Strengthen our faith, confirm our hope, and give us a daily increase of charity, that this day and ever, we may serve thee according to all our opportunities and capacities, growing from grace to grace, till at last by thy mercies we shall receive the consummation of our faith, and the reward of our obedience in the glories of thy heavenly and eternal kingdom, and in the full fruition of thy face and excellences O God, to whom be glory and praise, honour and adoration, given by all angels and all men, and all creatures, now and to all eternity. A-MEN ¶ And this. God of our fathers and Lord of mercy, thou that hast made all things by thy word, and ordained man through thy wisdom that he should have dominion over the creatures which thou hast made, that he should order the world according to equity and righteousness, and execute judgment with a true heart give us wisdom which is about thy throne, and put us not out from among thy children. O send her out of thy holy heavens and from the throne of thy majesty, that she may be with us, and labour with us that we may know what is acceptable in thy sight. For what man is he that can know the counsel of God, or who can think what the will of the Lord is, except thou give wisdom and send thy Holy Spirit from above. The Lord's Prayer, to be said by the People after the Minister. 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 them that 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. A-MEN |