I acknowledge my transgressions: and my sin is ever before me. Psalm li. 3. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psalm li. 9. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm li. 17. Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the LORD your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel ii. 13. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him; neither have we obeyed the voice of the LORD our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us. Dan. ix. 9, 10. O LORD, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Jer. x. 24. Psalm vi. 1. I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. St. Luke xv. 18, 19. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O LORD; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psalm cxliii. 2. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 St. John i. 8, 9. DE ¶ Then the Minister shall say, EARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us, in sundry places, to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought, at all times, humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying A General Confession. To be said by the whole Congregation, after the Minister, all kneeling. LMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have ways lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, Ŏ God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen. The Declaration of Absolution, or Remission of Sins. ¶ To be made by the Priest alone, standing; the People still kneeling. LMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, hath given power, and commandment, to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins. He pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. The People shall answer here, and at the end of every Prayer, Amen. ¶ Or this. LMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who of his great mercy hath promised forgiveness of sins to all those who, with hearty repentance and true faith, turn unto him; Have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins; confirm and strengthen you in all goodness; and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then the Minister shall kneel, and say the Lord's Prayer; the People still kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and wheresoever else it is used in Divine Service. UR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy 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. ¶ Then likewise he shall say, O Lord, open thou our lips. Answer. And our mouth shall show forth thy praise. * B ¶ Here, all standing up, the Minister shall say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Minister. Praise ye the Lord. Answer. The Lord's Name be praised. ¶ Then shall be said or sung the following Anthem; except on those days for which other Anthems are appointed; and except also, when it is used in the course of the Psalms, on the nineteenth day of the month. Venite, exultemus Domino. COME, let us sing unto the LORD: let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation. Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving and show ourselves glad in him with psalms. For the LORD is a great God and a great King above all gods. : In his hand are all the corners of the earth and the strength of the hills is his also. The sea is his, and he made it and his hands prepared the dry land. O come, let us worship and fall down and kneel before the LORD our Maker. For he is the Lord our God: and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand. O worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness : let the whole earth stand in awe of him. For he cometh, for he cometh to judge the earth : and with righteousness to judge the world, and the people with his truth. Then shall follow a portion of the PSALMS, as they are appointed, or one of the Selections of Psalms. And at the end of every Psalm, and likewise at the end of the Venite, Benedicite, Benedictus, Jubilate, may be, and at the end of the whole Portion, or Selection from the Psalter, shall be sung or said the Gloria Patri: LORY be to the Father, and to the Son and to G the Holy Ghost; : As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen. At the end of the whole Portion of the Psalms or Selection from the Psalter, the Gloria in excelsis may be sung or said instead of the Gloria Patri. ¶ Then shall be read the FIRST LESSON, according to the Table or Calendar. After which shall be said or sung the following Hymn. Note, That before every Lesson, the Minister shall say, Here beginneth such a Chapter [or Verse of such a Chapter] of such a Book; and after every Lesson, Here endeth the First [or the Second] Lesson. WE Te Deum laudamus. E praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting. To thee all Angels cry aloud the Heavens, and all the Powers therein; To thee Cherubim and Seraphim: continually do cry, Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth; Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory. The glorious company of the Apostles: praise thee. The goodly fellowship of the Prophets : praise thee. The noble army of Martyrs: praise thee. The holy Church throughout all the world : doth acknowledge thee; The Father of an infinite Majesty; Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father. : When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man : thou didst humble thyself to be born of a Virgin. When thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death: thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all believers. |