Glory be to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good-will toward men; for unto us is born a Saviour, who is Christ the Lord. We praise thee, we bless thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks unto thee, for this greatest of thy mercies, O Lord God, Heavenly King, God the Father Almighty. O Eternal God, Father Almighty, who in compassion to lost man didst send thy Son to become his Redeemer, have mercy upon us. Thou, who at sundry times and in divers manners didst speak in times past unto the fathers by the prophets, hast in these last days spoken unto us, by thy well beloved and only begotten, whom thou hast appointed heir of all things, by whom also thou didst make and wilt finally judge the world. In thine infinite wisdom, and perfect love towards us, thou hast wondrously appointed that the Word should be made flesh and dwell among us, that we might be. hold his glory full of grace and truth. We thank thee that the same blessed Jesus was born a helpless infant, subject to all our infirmities, was born in a manger, was born in poverty and want; that he did lay aside the glory which he had with thee before the world was, and, in the example of a great humility, did condescend to take the form of a servant, that we might from him learn to renounce all our pride, and become lowly and meek after him. Look down, we beseech thee, and vouchsafe to give us thy grace, that we may make him our pattern in all things, and become his obedient disciples. Have compassion on us, and perfect in us the work of our redemption. May he, who had his birth at Bethlehem, his baptism at the Jordan, his agony at Gethsemane, and his crucifixion at Calvary, be preached unto all nations, and be received into all hearts. May violence, oppression, cruelty, and all wrong, disappear at the bidding of this Prince of Peace. May those that are afar off be brought nigh by his precious blood, and the world be converted unto him; that at the name of Jesus every knee may bow, and every tongue confess that he is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. BENEDICTION VI. Amen. SERVICE FOR A DAY OF THANKSGIVING. L COLLECT. ORD of all power and might, who art the Author and Giver of all good things, incline us all this day, we beseech thee, to a sincere and fervent thanksgiving for thine innumerable mercies, graft in our hearts the love of thy name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. [The Psalms of the Sunday after Easter may be read, with any other appropriate passages of Scripture, and Prayers.] O GIVE thanks unto the Lord; for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of all gods; for his mercy endureth for ever. O thank the Lord of all lords; for his mercy endureth for ever. Who by his excellent wisdom made the heavens ; for his mercy endureth for ever. Who laid out the earth above the waters; for his mercy endureth for ever. Who hath made great lights; for his mercy endureth for ever. The sun to rule by day; for his mercy endureth for ever. The moon and the stars to govern the night; for his mercy endureth for ever. Who remembereth us when we are in trouble; for his mercy endureth for ever. And hath delivered us from our enemies; for his mercy endureth for ever. Who giveth food to all flesh; for his mercy endureth for ever. O give thanks unto the God of heaven; for his mercy endureth for ever. The Lord be with you, And with thy Spirit. Glory be to God in the highest; And on earth peace, good-will toward men. Let us pray. O Lord, show thy mercy upon us; And grant us thy salvation. O God, make clean our hearts within us; A THANKSGIVING. O THOU who art good unto all, who exercisest loving-kindness in all the earth, and who hast come nigh to us by Jesus Christ thy Son, it is thou who givest our daily bread, health in our habitations, and peace in our borders, and who crownest the year with thy goodness. We desire this day gratefully to recount thy mercies, and to ascribe blessing and honor and glory and praise to thee, our rock and fortress, our strength and redeemer. How precious have been thy thoughts unto us, O God, how great has been the sum of them! We bless thee for preserving our houses from the ravages of fire, for all the health and pleasure which we have enjoyed in them, for the bread which has given strength to our bodies, for the medi cine which has arrested the progress of disease, for the sympathy which has comforted us under trouble, for divine preservation in our journeys by land, for favorable winds on the ocean, for refreshing showers upon the fields. We thank thee for every cheerful sensation when alone, for the pleasures of friendly intercourse, for the benefits of good neighborhood, for the privileges of public worship, for the maintenance of civil order, the continuance of peace, the administration of justice, for every encouragement to well-doing, every manifestation of useful truth, and for all the advantages of our condition. Graciously direct us, O God, to a right improvement of all thy mercies. Preserve us from the wicked indulgence of all fleshly lusts, and from wasting our substance in riotous living. May we enjoy our temporal possessions with temperance, cheerfulness, and contentment. Protect us from the snares of prosperity. May we honor thee with our substance, be rich in good works, and duly esteem and praise thee, the rock of our salvation. Continue to us the enjoyment of our civil rights; rule in the hearts of our rulers, and direct them in all their designs and measures by thy wisdom and grace; make our land a quiet habitation; grant peace, order, and plenty in our families, our villages and towns, and throughout our country; bless all fountains of useful science; heal and cleanse their waters; dispel the mists of ignorance; arrest the progress of profaneness and vice; make the people of our land humble before thee, peaceable in their civil and social relations, and zealous for the establishment of liberty, order, and truth. May we never by our ingratitude incur that censure, I have nourished and brought up children, but they have rebelled against me. Grant this, O Father, for thine infinite mercy's sake in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. BENEDICTION IV. SERVICE FOR A DAY OF FASTING. [The Collects for Ash-Wednesday, and for the First Sunday in Lent, and the Psalms and Prophecies for the latter, may be read, together with other appropriate Scriptures and Prayers, at the discretion of the minister.] PROPHECIES. ISAIAH. FOR 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. For I will not contend for ever, neither will I be always wroth: for the spirit should fail before me, and the souls which I have made. I create the fruit of the lips: Peace, peace to him that is far off, and to him that is near, saith the Lord; and I will heal him. But the wicked are like the troubled sea, when it cannot rest, whose waters cast up mire and dirt. There is no peace, saith my God, to the wicked. Cry aloud, spare not, lift up thy voice like a trumpet, and show my people their transgression, and the house of Jacob their sins. Yet they seek me daily, and delight to know my ways, as a nation that did righteousness, and forsook not the ordinance |