Meditations and Prayers for Various Times and Seasons
O THOU, Who hast put in Thine own power the times and the seasons: give us grace that in a fitting and acceptable time we may pray unto Thee;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who for us men and for our salvation
wast born in the depth of night:
grant us to be born again daily
by renewing of the Holy Ghost,
until Christ Himself be formed in us,
to a perfect man;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who very early in the morning,
at the rising of the sun,
didst rise again from the dead:
raise us also daily to newness of life,
suggesting to us, for Thou knowest them,
frames of repentance;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who at the third hour didst send down Thy Holy Spirit on the apostles:
take not the same Holy Spirit from us,
but renew Him daily in our hearts;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who at the sixth hour of the sixth day didst nail together with Thyself upon the cross the sins of the world:
blot out the handwriting of our sins
that is against us;
and, taking it away, deliver us.
Thou, Who at the sixth hour didst let down
a great sheet from heaven to earth,
the symbol of Thy Church:
receive into it us sinners of the Gentiles,
and with it receive us up into heaven;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who at the seventh hour didst command the fever to leave the nobleman’s son:
if there be any fever in our hearts, if any sickness, remove it from us also;
and deliver us. Thou, Who at the ninth hour for us sinners
and for our sins
didst taste of death:
mortify in us our members which are upon the earth, and whatsoever is contrary to Thy will;
and deliver us. Thou, Who didst will the ninth hour to be
the hour of prayer:
hear us while we pray at the hour of prayer, and grant unto us that which we pray for and
desire;
and deliver us. Thou, Who at the tenth hour didst grant unto
Thine apostle
to discover Thy Son,
and to cry out with great gladness,
We have found the Messiah:
grant unto us also, in like manner,
to find the same Messiah,
and, having found Him, to rejoice in like manner; and deliver us.
Thou, Who didst, even at the eleventh hour of the
day,
of Thy goodness send into Thy vineyard
those that had stood all the day idle,
promising them a reward:
grant unto us the like grace,
and, though it be late,
even as it were about the eleventh hour,
favourably receive us who return unto Thee;
and deliver us. Thou, Who at the sacred hour of the supper
wast pleased to institute
the mysteries of Thy body and blood:
render us mindful and partakers of the same,
yet never to condemnation, but to the remission
of sin,
and to the obtaining of the promises
of the new testament;
and deliver us. Thou, Who at eventide wast pleased to be taken down
from the cross,
and laid in the grave:
take away from us, and bury in Thy sepulchre,
our sins,
covering whatever evil we have committed with good works;
and deliver us. Thou, Who late in the night, by breathing
on Thine apostles,
didst bestow on them the power
of the remission and retention of sins:
grant unto us to experience that power
for their remission, O Lord,
not for their retention;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who at midnight didst raise David Thy prophet, and Paul Thine apostle, that they should praise
Thee:
give us also songs in the night,
and to remember Thee upon our beds;
and deliver us. Thou, Who with Thine own mouth hast declared,
at midnight the Bridegroom shall come: grant that the cry may ever sound in our ears,
Behold, the Bridegroom cometh,
that we may never be unprepared to go forth
to meet Him;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who by the crowing of the cock,
didst admonish Thine apostle,
and didst cause him to return to repentance:
grant that we, at the same warning, may follow his
example,
may go forth and weep bitterly for the things in which we have sinned against Thee;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who hast foretold Thy coming to judgment in a day when we think not, and in an hour
when we are not aware:
grant that every day and every hour
we may be prepared, and waiting Thy advent;
and deliver us.
Thou, Who sendest forth the light,
and Greatest the morning,
and makest Thy sun to rise on the evil
and on the good: enlighten the blindness of our minds by the
knowledge of the truth, lift Thou up the light of Thy countenance upon us, that in Thy light we may see light, and at length in the light of grace the light of glory. Thou, Who givest food to all flesh, Who feedest the young ravens which cry unto Thee, and hast held us up from our youth until now, fill our hearts with food and gladness, and stablish our hearts with Thy grace.
Thou, Who hast made the evening the end
of the day, so that Thou mightest bring the evening of life
to our minds:
grant us always to consider
that our life passeth away like a day;
to remember the days of darkness,
that they are many,
that the night cometh wherein no man can work;
by good works to prevent the darkness,
lest we be cast out into outer darkness;
and continually to cry unto Thee,
Abide with us, Lord,
for it is toward evening, and the day of our life is far spent.
The work of the Creator is justice;
of the Redeemer, mercy;
of the Holy Ghost, inspiration,
Who is the other Comforter,
the Anointing,
the Seal,
the Earnest.
Of
Two things I recognise, O Lord, in myself: nature, which Thou hast made, sin, which I have added. I confess that by sin I have depraved nature;
but remember Thou that I am but a wind
that passeth away, and returneth not again,
for of myself I cannot return again from sin.
Take away from me that which I have made;
let that remain in me which Thou hast made,
that what Thou hast redeemed
with Thy precious blood perish not.
Let not my wickedness destroy
what Thy goodness hath redeemed.
O Lord my God, if I have been able so to do
as to become Thy culprit,
can I have been able so to do
as to cease to be Thy servant?
If by my sin I have destroyed my innocence,
have I also by my sin destroyed Thy mercy?
If I have committed that for which
Thou mightest condemn me,
hast Thou at all lost that by which
Thou art wont to save?
Truth, Lord: in my own conscience
I deserve damnation, but no offence is so great as Thy compassion.
Spare me therefore,
because it is not difficult to Thy power, nor unbefitting Thy justice,
AN ACT OF CONFESSION l6l
nor unwonted to Thy mercy,
to spare the sinner.
Thou Who hast created me, do not destroy me;
Thou Who hast redeemed me, do not condemn me.
Thou Who hast created me
by Thy goodness,
let not Thy work come to nought
through my iniquity.
What is Thine in me, acknowledge;
what is mine, take away.
Look on me, the wretched,
O boundless Lovingkindness:
on me, the wicked,
O Compassion that extendest to all.
Infirm, I come to the Almighty,
wounded, I hasten to the Physician:
reserve for me the gentleness
of Thy compassion,
Who hast so long held suspended the sword of Thy vengeance.
Blot out the number of my crimes,
renew the multitude of Thy tender mercies.
However unclean, Thou canst cleanse me;
however blind, Thou canst enlighten me;
however weak, Thou canst restore me;
yea, though dead, Thou canst raise me.
Of what kind soever I am, be it good or bad,
I am ever Thine.
If Thou cast me out, who shall take me in?
If Thou disregard me, who shall look on me?
More canst Thou remit, than I commit;
more canst Thou spare, than I offend,
Let not harmful pleasure overcome me,
let not any perverse habit overwhelm me;
preserve me from depraved and lawless desires,
from vain, hurtful, impure imaginations,
from the illusions of evil spirits,
from pollutions of mind and of body.
of
0 GOD, Thou knowest my foolishness,
and my sins are not hid from Thee.
1 acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is
ever before me.
I cover not my transgressions, like Adam; nor do I incline my heart to words of wickedness,
to make excuses for my sins. I will confess my transgressions unto the Lord, and all that is within me and all my bones shall say, I have sinned, I have sinned against Thee; I have gone astray, like a sheep that is lost; I have been perverse, as a bullock unaccustomed
to the yoke; I have returned to folly as a dog returneth to
his vomit: as a sow that was washed to her wallowing
in the mire.
I give glory to Thee, Lord, and make confession that I have sinned; and thus and thus have I done.
Lord, break not the bruised reed;
quench not the smoking flax;
let not the waterflood overflow me,
neither let the deep swallow me up,
and let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Lord, all my desire is before Thee,
and my groaning is not hid from Thee. Thou knowest, Lord, that I say the truth
in Christ, and lie not,
my conscience also bearing me witness
in the Holy Ghost, that I have great heaviness and continual
sorrow in my heart,
because I have thus sinned against Thee; that I am a burden to myself, in that I cannot
sorrow more;
that I beseech from Thee a contrite heart,
groanings that cannot be uttered,
tears of blood.
Woe is me for my leanness,
for the hardness of my heart,
for the dryness of my eyes.
Lord, I repent; I repent, O Lord;
help Thou mine impenitence,
and more and still more bruise, and wound, and
pierce, and strike my heart.
Behold, O Lord,
that I am indignant with myself on account of the foolish and vain and mischievous
and perilous desires of my flesh; that I abhor myself for the madness and baseness
and vileness of those desires, worthy of confusion and reproach; that my confusion is continually before me,
and the shame of my face hath covered me.
Woe is me, that I did not reverence nor dread
the incomprehensibleness of the Glory,
the tremendous Power,
the awfulness of the Presence,
the strict Justice,
the gentle Goodness.
How have I been drawn away by mine own
lusts;
how have I hated reproof, and have not obeyed the voice of my teachers.
Behold, O Lord,
that fearfulness and trembling are come upon me, and the terrors of death are fallen upon me. What fear, what trembling, what terror, what agony, what extremity have I yet to see; what confusion will seize me; what shades will surround me. How terrible is Thy judgment seat, O God, when the thrones are set and the angels in
presence,
and men brought in, and the books opened,
and the works investigated,
and the thoughts scrutinised,
and the hidden things of darkness made
known.
What will be the judgment against me?
when there is the incorruptible Judge,
and the tremendous tribunal,
and the excuseless defence,
and the irrefragable accusation,
and the fearful punishment, and the eternal
Gehenna,
and the pitiless angels, and the open hell-mouth, and the roaring river of fire, and that fire
inextinguishable, and the prison of darkness, and that darkness
rayless, and the bed of live coals, and the restless worm, and the indissoluble chains, and the immeasurable
chaos, and the wall that cannot be passed, and the
lament that cannot be consoled, and none to assist, to advocate, to free.
Behold, O Lord, I adjudge myself worthy of, and amenable to,
and guilty of, eternal punishment, yea, and all the straits of this world. From Thee, O Lord, I have merited death, from
Thee, the Just One; but yet to Thee, O Lord, I appeal, to Thee the
Merciful One: from the tribunal of justice to the mercy seat
of grace;
permit, O Lord, this appeal;
if Thou dost not, we perish.
And, O Lord, carest Thou not that we perish? Thou Who wilt have all men to be saved, Who art not willing that any should perish.
Behold me, O Lord, self-condemned. Behold me; and enter not Thou, O Lord, into
judgment with Thy servant. I am less than the least of all Thy mercies; I am not worthy to be made even the lowest of
Thy hired servants; I am not worthy to gather the crumbs that fall
from Thy table;
I am not worthy to touch the hem of Thy garment. And now, O Lord, humbling myself under Thy mighty hand,
I bow my knees to Thee, and fall down to the
ground, on my face.
I stretch forth my hands unto Thee;
my soul thirsteth after Thee, as a thirsty land.
I dare not lift up so much as
mine eyes unto heaven,
but smite upon my breast.
Out of the depths hath my soul cried unto Thee,
and all that is within me.
For Thy great mercy, for the multitude of Thy
tender mercies, for Thy name’s sake, for the glory of Thy name,
be merciful to my sin;
for it is great, it is exceeding great.
For the multitude, the great multitude, the riches,
the abundance, the superabundance
of Thy tender mercies,
be merciful unto me, O Lord, a sinner:
Lord, O Lord, be merciful unto me, chief of sinners.
Lord, let Thy mercy rejoice against Thy judgment,
in my sin.
0 my Lord, where my sin hath abounded, there let
Thy grace more exceedingly abound.
OLord,hear; OLord,forgive; O Lord, hearken, and do;
defer not, for Thine own sake, O my God.
a <Eottfrg0iott of jFattf).
1 BELIEVE that, for a great mystery of godliness,
for us men, and for our salvation, Jesus the Man, the Son of the Father, the Anointed of the Spirit, our Lord, both as Creator and Redeemer, was God manifested in the flesh; that He worketh effectually and manifestly, by enlightenment of knowledge, and infusion of grace, in rebuke, and doctrine, and longsuffering, and assistance, and witnessing, and consolation,
the gifts and fruits of the Spirit. Give me grace unceasingly to return thanks to Thy Word and only Son, as the Purifier of our nature, in His conception
and nativity, the Deliverer of our persons, in His sufferings,
cross, and death,
the Conqueror of hell, in His descent,
of death, in His resurrection, our Forerunner, in His ascension, our Advocate, in His sitting, the Perfecter of our faith, in His second advent; Who to our destroyer opposes Himself as our Saviour, to Abaddon, as Jesus, to Satan, the adversary, as our Mediator, to the Devil, the calumniator, as our Advocate, to the accuser, as our Intercessor, to him that leadeth us captive, as our Redeemer.
a Dragee for
GRANT that Christ Himself may be formed in us, that we may be made conformable to His image; when I am lukewarm in prayer, and stand in need of any grace, or heavenly consolation, may I remember Thy sitting, to appear and intercede for us; when I am inflamed by passion and evil desire, may I never forget Thy dread judgment seat, and may the last trump ceaselessly sound in mine ears. For Thine Anointed’s sake, O Father, Who anointest, grant that we may receive from Thee Thine anointing, the grace that bringeth salvation, Thy unspeakable
gift of the Holy Spirit,
in saving compunction, in clearness of knowledge, in fervent prayer, in love shed abroad, in the witness of the seal and of the earnest; that I may never quench the Spirit,
nor strive against Him, nor grieve Him, nor do Him despite, O Lord.
Grant that we may be called in Thy Church,
may be living members thereof in wish and will,
as it is Catholic,
and may be partakers, as it is holy, in its communion of holy things and persons, holy prayers and service, unto assurance of the remission of sins,
and the hope of resurrection and translation
unto life eternal.
Lord, increase my faith as a grain of mustard seed. Let it not be dead, nor temporary, nor feigned; but a faith that worketh through love, and by deeds, that ministers to virtue, and conquers the world, a faith most holy.
&n &tt of Intercession.
O GOD of truth, the Prince of peace,
let there be peace and truth in our days;
let all that believe be of one heart and of one soul.
0 Thou Who breakest not the bruised reed,
Who quenchest not the smoking flax, establish all them that stand in truth and grace, restore them that are falling through error or sin.
1 beseech Thee, O Lord, of Thy mercy,
let Thine anger be turned away from this city, and from this house; for we have sinned against Thee. Be Thou pleased favourably to regard this place and all this land, tempering justice with mercy.
Grant that I may love them that love me, even
though unknown to me;
and bring them, as me, into Thy heavenly kingdom; and grant that I may shew them the mercy of God,
by remembering them in my prayers; that I, with those for whom I have prayed,
and those for whom I am in any way bound to pray, and with all the people of God,
may have an entrance into Thy kingdom, there to appear in righteousness, and to be satisfied with glory.
&n act of
BLESSED is the people that know the joyful sound: they shall walk, O Lord, in the light of Thy
countenance.
In Thy name shall they rejoice all the day: and in Thy righteousness shall they be exalted. My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord:
and let all flesh bless His holy name for ever
and ever.
O magnify the Lord with me,
and let us exalt His name together.
Come and hear, all ye that fear God;
and I will declare what He hath done for my soul.
Be Thou exalted, O God, above the heavens; let Thy glory be above all the earth. I will praise the Lord with my whole heart, in the assembly of the upright, and in the
congregation. Open Thou my lips; and my mouth shall shew
forth Thy praise.
I will praise Thee with my whole heart: before the gods will I sing praise unto Thee. Accept the praises which I, an unworthy sinner,
verily unworthy, yearn to sing: O that they were devout and acceptable to Thee. Thou art worthy, Lord God, to receive them; Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee:
Thou art my God, I will exalt Thee. I will sing unto the Lord as long as I live: I will sing praise to my God while I have my being.
Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward men.
Glory and blessing, strength and power,
honour and thanksgiving, riches and holiness,
praise and wisdom, power and salvation,
be to our God that liveth for ever,
that sitteth upon the throne,
and to the Lamb that was slain.
Amen: Hallelujah.
Hosanna in the highest: blessed is He
that cometh in the name of the Lord.
act of
BEHOLD me, O Lord, behold me, the greatest, the worst, the most wretched of sinners. And what shall I now say, or in what shall I open my mouth? What shall I answer, when I am guilty, guilty, guilty? I will go over my sins unto Thee in the bitterness of my soul; O that it may be in its bitterest bitterness! Behold, for my peace I had great bitterness. O Lord, if by these things men live, and if in all these things is the life of my spirit, so wilt Thou recover me, and make me to live. Like a crane or a swallow, so will I lament: I will mourn as a dove. I beseech Thee, O Lord, by all Thy mercy, let Thy most righteous indignation and fury be turned away from me, because I have sinned, and that grievously. I have sinned against Thee, most often and grievously have I sinned against Thee.
O Father of mercies, I beseech Thy fatherly lovingkindness, despise not an unclean worm, a dead dog, a body of death: despise not me. Yea rather regard me, O Lord, regard me with those eyes wherewith Thou didst regard Magdalene in the banquet, Peter in the hall, the thief on the cross; that with Peter I may weep, with the thief may confess, with Magdalene may love, may love Thee much, yea very much, as one to whom many sins are forgiven. Spare me, O Lord; spare me, a penitent, at the least desiring to be a penitent, and preparing thereto, recollecting my sins with bitterness, indignant with myself concerning them, remembering and laying hold of Thy most bitter passion. Spare, O Lord; have mercy. Spare me, O Lord; have mercy on me; pity me, because it is not difficult to Thy power, nor unbe fitting Thy justice, nor unwonted to Thy clemency.
That I should thus, for leeks and garlick, have left the bread of angels: that I should thus, for the husks of swine, have despised my Father’s table: O wretched, frenzied me! Who bewitched me to such foolishness? O that Thou wouldst deign to receive me again! My mind is wholly to return: better was it with me then, than now. Full therefore of confusion, unworthy to name, or invoke, or think upon Thy name, were it not for Thine own proper goodness, yet relying on that very goodness, suppliant, humble, prostrate, I return to Thee; nor ask I for any thing, but that which Thou hast bestowed most often, and bestowest most willingly; which unless Thou wert again and again to bestow, no flesh could abide, none could stand. Have mercy on me a sinner, the greatest of sinners, and for that very reason needing the greatest mercy. And Thy mercy is the greatest: it reacheth to the heaven above, it freeth from the lowest hell: it is marvellous. Magnify Thy mercy towards me; if Thou seekest to glorify it infinitely, extend it to me; at no time, in no place, hath it been, will it be, more glorious in the pardon of any sinner. If Thou wiliest, Lord, that I should leave Thee, give me another Thyself; else I will not give Thee up. Let the Spirit of truth lead me into truth.
To Thee, O Lord, I confess, because, if I would, I cannot conceal: to Thee my very many, my very great, my very heinous sins. I profess also to grieve, as Thou knowest. But I need more grief: I plainly need it. I am far from that which I ought to have. I can sin much; I cannot repent much. Woe is me for my dryness, my dryness; I cannot much: I would much. I know that even much is not enough. Would that I had such grief, or even more; but of myself I cannot obtain it: I am dried up, I am dried up like a potsherd: woe is me. Thou, O Lord, increase the fountain of tears that I have; supply that I have not; give me a molten heart, unutterable groans. Meanwhile, since my mind is willing, accept me according to that I have, not according to that I have not. I will prolong it, since I cannot increase it, through all the years of my life.
After so many backslidings, with what confidence can I now return? With none. Altogether confused, altogether covered with confusion, I walk, I sit, I lie down. Nor should I dare to do it, nor could I do aught but despair, and act like the desperate, unless there were yet a hope left. And what hope? That Thou wilt extend Thy mercy to seventy times seven. That measure of forgiveness Thou hast enjoined to us. Hast thou enjoined this to us, and wilt not Thou Thyself practise the same? Yea, and much more. That be far from Thee, that Thou shouldst require more perfection in us than existeth in Thyself: that we must forgive until seventy times seven, but Thou wilt not forgive. For Thy mercy surpasseth ours, as far as Thyself surpassest us. I then, trusting in Thy mercy, that forgiveth at the least seventy times seven, stand afar off; and lowlily, as I ought, and most humbly smiting upon my breast, say and repeat; again and again, God have mercy on me a sinner, on me a most wretched sinner, on me the chief of sinners, on me who am altogether sin, on me, who am a very hyperbole of sin, O Thou to Whom prayer can never be made without a hope of pardon.
Shall God forgive, and thou not repent? God forbid. I do in a sort repent; I fear me, not sufficiently. I would that it were more: I should rejoice, were it more; I grieve that it is no more. For I wish that I could more, and grieve that I cau no more. I confess that my very grief is to be lamented; and I grieve that it is thus to be lamented. And who will give me to lament it more? I would do so, were it in my power; but it is not. It is in my power to know that I ought, to wish that I did: to will is present with me; but how to perform that which is good, I find not.
Do Thou, O Lord, give me power; if Thou wilt, Thou canst: Thou canst turn even the hard rock into a pool. Give tears, give a fountain of waters to my head. Give the grace of tears. Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and bedew the dryness of my desert heart. Give me, O Lord, this grace. None were more welcome to me; neither riches, nor all the good things of this world were to be coveted in comparison of tears: tears, such as Thou didst give David of old, or Jeremiah, or Peter, or Magdalene. At least give me a dropping eye; let me not altogether be a flint. If I may not water my couch, nor wash Thy feet; if I may not weep bitterly as Peter, plentifully as Jeremiah (and yet, O that it might be even thus), give me at least one or two little tears which Thou mayest put into Thy bottle and write in Thy book. But if I cannot gain this much, woe is me, I am like a pumice, like very lime, fervent in cold water; careless of my state where I least ought to be so; mourning enough, when there is no occasion; cold, arid, dead, where there is the greatest.
At least give me some of the tears of Christ, which He shed plentifully in the days of His flesh. Bestow on me from that store; in Him there is superfluity for my deficiency.
of 23qptwation.
O LORD, Thou knowest, and canst, and wiliest
the good of my soul.
O wretched man that I am:
I neither know, nor can, nor, as I ought, will it.
Thou, O Lord, I beseech Thee,
in Thine unspeakable love,
so order concerning me, and so dispose,
as Thou knowest to be most pleasing to Thee
and most good for me.
Thine is goodness, grace, love,
kindness, benignity, gentleness,
forbearance, longsuffering, abundant mercy,
a multitude of tender mercies,
a heart of compassion. The Lord is very pitiful in passing by,
in overlooking, holding His peace,
many times delivering, many years forbearing;
He doth not afflict willingly,
nor stir up all His wrath,
nor reward us according to our iniquities;
in wrath He remembereth mercy,
He repenteth Him of the evil.
He rendereth double for all our sins;
He is ready to pardon,
to be reconciled,
to be propitiated.
&ct of Bqptwatum.
FATHER, the Creator,
Son, the Redeemer,
Spirit, the Regenerator,
destroy not me,
whom Thou hast created, redeemed, regenerated.
Remember not, Lord, my sins,
nor the sins of my forefathers;
take not vengeance for our sins, theirs and mine.
Spare us, Lord, them and me.
Spare Thy people,
and, among Thy people, Thy servant, who is redeemed with Thy precious blood;
and be not angry with us for ever. Be merciful, be merciful; spare us, O Lord;
and be not angry with us for ever.
Be merciful, be merciful; have pity on us, O Lord;
and be not angry with us to the full.
Deal not, O Lord,
deal not with me after my sins,
neither reward me according to mine iniquities;
but after Thy great pity deal with me, and according to the multitude of Thy mercies
reward me;
after that great pity,
and according to that multitude of mercies, which Thou shewedst to our fathers
in the times of old.
By all that is dear unto Thee,
from all evil and adversity
in all time of need,
from this evil and this adversity
in this time,
raise me, rescue me, save me, O Lord; deliver me, O Lord, and destroy me not.
On the bed of sickness,
in the hour of death,
in the day of judgment,
in that dread and awful day,
rescue me, Lord, and save me
from seeing the Judge’s face wrathful,
from being placed on the left hand,
from hearing the dreadful word, Depart from Me,
from being bound in chains of darkness,
from being cast into outer darkness,
from being tormented with fire and brimstone,
where the smoke of their torment
ascendeth up for ever and ever.
Be merciful, be merciful,
spare us, pity us,
deliver and save us, O Lord;
and destroy us not for ever.
Let it not be, O Lord;
and, that it be not,
take away from me
hardness of heart,
insensibility after sinning,
blindness of heart,
contempt of Thy warning,
a seared conscience,
a reprobate mind,
the sin against the Holy Ghost,
M
the sin unto death,
the sins which forerun
the sin against the Holy Ghost.
Deliver me
from all evils and troubles of this world: from plague, famine, war, earthquake, flood, and fire;
the stroke of immoderate rain and drought,
blast and blight, thunder, lightning, and tempest;
sickness, epidemic and malignant,
and sudden death.
Deliver me from ills and perplexities in the Church:
from private interpretation,
from innovation in things sacred,
from heterodox teaching;
from unhealthy inquiries and interminable disputes;
from heresies, schisms, scandals, public or private;
from making gods of kings,
from flattering the people,
from the indifference of Saul,
from the scorn of Michal,
from the greed of Hophni,
from the usurpation of Athaliah,
from the priesthood of Micah,
from the fraternity of Simon and Judas,
from the doctrine of men unlearned and unstable,
from the pride of novices, from people as they that strive with the priest.
Deliver me
from anarchy, multitude of rulers, tyranny;
from Asshur, Jeroboam, Rehoboam, Gallio, Haman,
the profligate counsel of Ahithophel,
the no counsel of them of Zoan,
the statutes of Omri,
the judgments of Jezreel,
the excesses of Belial,
the plague of Peor,
the valley of Achor,
pollution of blood or seed,
incursion of enemies, civil war,
bereavement of good and noble governors,
accession of the wicked and base.
Deliver me
from an insupportable life
in despondency, sickness, evil report,
distress, peril, slavery, tumult; from death in sin, shame, torture, despair, defilement,
by violence, by treachery:
from death sudden, from death eternal.
Give us help from trouble:
for vain is the help of man.
act of IBeprwatton.
LOOK down, O Lord our God, from heaven, from the habitation of Thy holiness and of
Thy glory. Thou, Who dwellest on high, yet hast respect
unto the lowly, look down upon us, and destroy us not;
but deliver us from evil. From all evil and misfortune deliver us. As Thou didst deliver our fathers in the times of old, deliver us.
By whatsoever is dear to Thee, or beloved by Thee,
deliver us.
In all our straits deliver us.
From the evils of the future state,
from Thine anger,
but yet more from Thy ceasing to be angry,
from everlasting damnation,
from all the terrors of the world to come,
from the wrathful countenance of the Judge,
from being placed on the left hand,
from the hearing of that dread and terrible word, Depart from Me,
from being cast into outer darkness,
from everlasting chains under darkness,
from fire and brimstone, where the smoke of their torment ascendeth up
for ever and ever, deliver us. Spare us, O Lord. Have mercy upon us. Deliver us; and let us never be confounded.
From spiritual evils:
from blindness and hardness of heart,
which lead to impenitence,
from wantonness and from stubbornness,
from a seared conscience,
and from being past feeling after sin, from a reprobate mind, from contempt of Thy threatenings, from the sin unto death, from the sin against the Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us, and deliver us, O Lord; that I be not parched among the tares and stubble, nor grieve among those that are on the left hand, nor wither in the tempest, nor lament in the fire that is never quenched,
nor be condemned to the flames,
nor suffer shame in Gehenna,
nor waste away among the overflowings of Belial,
nor weep in the chains of darkness,
nor gnash the teeth in the banishment of the reprobate,
being miserable, thrice miserable,
with the devils in darkness,
thrust down in the abyss, which even Satan him self dreadeth and abhorreth.
On the one hand
is the vision of God;
on the other
the hiding of His face.
It is hard to be separated from the saints;
harder to be severed from God.
It is shameful to be bound and cast out;
woful to be cast into the fire;
grievous to call and not to be heard;
bitter to ask unpitied
for a drop of water, and not obtain it.
Deliver me from all evil and misfortune, from men of corrupt minds, from Asshur, from Jeroboam, from Rehoboam, from the valley of Achor, from the evil spirit of the men of Shechem, from every stumblingblock, grief, infamy, from a deceitful tongue, from perverse lips, from snares,
from all enemies, visible, invisible,
corporeal, spiritual,
from vices and sins,
from lusts and temptations,
from the. molestation of devils,
from the spirit of fornication,
from the desire of vain glory,
from all defilement of flesh and spirit,
from anger and ill-will,
from polluted thoughts, from blindness of heart.
O Thou, who didst once say to Thy destroying angel,
It is enough; stay now thine hand:
hear me in my prayers and vows,
my straits and perils,
my infirmities and necessities,
my temptations and tribulations;
repel the concupiscence of gluttony,
give the virtue of abstinence;
drive away the spirit of fornication,
give the love of chastity;
extinguish love of the world,
give poverty of spirit;
restrain headstrong passion,
quicken in me the spirit of gentleness; remove the sorrow of this world,
increase spiritual joy;
repel boastfulness of mind,
bestow compunction of heart.
Give strength of faith, security of hope,
the defence of salvation.
Give contempt of the world.
Give me a place among those that shall enter into joy, into the joy that is full, into the joy that no man taketh away; that I may have a portion on the right hand,
in tranquillity,
in a place of verdure, of dew,
in paradise,
in a land of refreshment,
in Abraham’s bosom,
in the tabernacles of the saints;
that, being on the right hand of God,
I may be glad in His rest,
rejoice in His honour,
keep holy day in His eternity,
be glorified by Him that is Thrice- Holy,
be blessed among His angels,
and be joyful in His light,
amidst the psalms above, and songs of heaven.
Give me the girdle, the helmet, the breastplate, the shield, the sandals, the sword, above all things prayer.
Grant unto me the power and opportunity
of well doing,
that before the day of my death I may have wrought
at least somewhat whose good fruit may remain;
that I may appear with righteousness,
and be satisfied with glory.
O Thou that didst add fifteen years
to the life of Hezekiah,
grant to me such a space of life,
at least a sufficient space,
wherein I may be able to bewail my sins;
and, with Thy other blessings, send,
best gift of all, a good end:
a good and holy end of life,
a glorious and joyful resurrection.
Bless our provision from the fruits of the earth and its fulness;
make peace in our borders;
fill us with the finest of the wheat;
satisfy our poor with bread;
strengthen the bars of our gates;
bless our children within us;
clothe our enemies with shame;
grant us seasonable weather;
bestow on us the fruits of the earth;
repel carnal desires;
restore health to the weak;
to the fallen grant restoration;
to voyagers and travellers
a prosperous journey and a port of safety;
to the afflicted joy;
to the oppressed ease;
to the captives liberty;
to all health of mind,
soundness of body.
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PUT not Thy servant away in anger,
nor turn away Thy face, nor hide it,
nor cover Thyself with a cloud,
nor shut Thine ear,
nor forsake me,
nor leave me for ever,
nor despise me,
nor be silent,
nor slumber,
nor stand afar off,
nor cast me off,
nor utterly take Thy lovingkindness from me,
nor suffer Thy faithfulness to fail,
nor rebuke me in Thine anger,
nor chasten me in Thy hot displeasure,
nor cast me away from Thy presence,
nor count me a reprobate from among Thy children,
nor take Thy Holy Spirit from me,
nor forget me for ever,
nor be wroth very sore,
nor shut me up nor consume me in the hand
of mine iniquity,
nor tarry Thou,
nor gather my soul with sinners.
If by Thy permission we suffer for a while the
power of the enemy, yet let us not in any wise be swallowed up by his
devouring jaws.
Let the lion be conquered by the lamb,
the mighty spirit by feeble flesh.
&n act of
I. As RESPECTS GOD.
1. FROM THE NATURE OF GOD.
BECAUSE the Lord is merciful and gracious,
slow to anger, and plenteous in mercy; He will not always chide,
neither will He keep His anger for ever; He hath not dealt with us after our sins,
nor rewarded us according to our iniquities;
for as the heaven is high above the earth,
so great is His mercy toward them that fear Him;
as far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed our transgressions from us;
like as a father pitieth his children, so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him. Because He is good and ready to forgive,
and plenteous in mercy unto all them that call
upon Him.
The Lord is good to all,
and His tender mercies are over all His works;
He delighteth in mercy;
He is the Father of mercies;
He is Mercy;
His nature is to show mercy; and punishment is His strange and unaccustomed act.
2. FROM THE NAME OF GOD.
Let the power of my Lord be great, according as Thou hast spoken, saying, The Lord is long-suffering, and of great mercy, forgiving iniquity and transgression.
3. FROM THE NAME OF FATHER.
I ascend unto my Father, and your Father.
The Father of the prodigal son.
And what wilt Thou do unto Thy great name?
4. FROM THE NAME OF CHRIST.
The typical Lamb. Behold the Lamb of God!
The Redeemer. I know that my Redeemer liveth.
The Saviour. We know that this is indeed the Saviour of the world.
The Mediator. There is one Mediator between God and man.
The Advocate. We have an Advocate with the Father.
The Intercessor. He ever liveth to make intercession.
The High Priest. We have a great High Priest.
5. FROM THE NAME OF THE HOLY GHOST.
The typical Dove. I saw the Spirit descending
from heaven like a dove. The Anointing. The same anointing teacheth you
of all things. The Comforter. If I go not away, the Comforter
will not come unto you.
6. FROM THE PROMISES OF GOD.
Remember the word unto Thy servant,
upon which Thou hast caused me to hope; which God, that cannot lie, promised,
and confirmed by an oath;
which our unbelief shall not make of none effect;
if we believe not, yet He abideth faithful;
He cannot deny Himself.
7. FROM THE PRACTICE OF GOD.
Our fathers trusted in Thee; they trusted in Thee,
and Thou didst deliver them.
Remember, O Lord, Thy tender mercies,
and Thy lovingkindnesses, for they have been ever
of old.
Lord, where are Thy former lovingkindnesses? Look at the generations of old, and see; did any ever trust in the Lord, and was confounded? did any abide in His fear, and was forsaken?
II. As RESPECTS OURSELVES, RELATIVELY TO God. 1. AS THE WORK AND CREATION OF HIS HANDS.
Forsake not the work of Thine own hands.
We are the clay, and Thou our potter;
and we are all the work of Thy hand. Thou hatest nothing that Thou hast made.
2. AS THE IMAGE OF HIS COUNTENANCE.
Destroy us not.
Let us make man in Our image, after Our likeness.
Who is renewed in knowledge after the image
of Him that created him.
3. AS THE REWARD OF HIS BLOOD.
Despise us not.
Ye are bought with a price,
with the precious blood of a Lamb
without blemish and without spot.
4. AS CALLED BY HIS NAME.
Despise not the express image of Thyself.
We are called by Thy name.
Thy people are called by Thy name.
A chosen vessel, to bear Thy name.
5. AS MEMBERS OF THE BODY OF CHRIST.
Cut us not off.
Ye are the body of Christ, and members in particular. Know ye not that your bodies are the members
of Christ?
Know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost Which is in you?
6. AS HAVING A TITLE IN CHRIST.
I am Thine; save me.
0 Lord, truly I am Thy servant;
1 am Thy servant, and the son of Thine handmaid;
an unprofitable servant, yet a servant;
a lost son, yet a son.
We are all Thy people.
Carest Thou not that we perish? Yea, Thou carest.
III. As RESPECTS OURSELVES, RELATIVELY TO OUR NATURE.
1. FROM OUR WEAKNESS.
Have mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak.
Remember how short my time is. He remembered that they were but flesh;
a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. For he knoweth our frame,
He remembereth that we are dust.
As for man, his days are as grass;
as a flower of the field, so he flourisheth. For the wind passeth over it, and it is gone; and the place thereof shall know it no more.
2. FROM THE MISERY OF OUR CONDITION.
We are brought very low.
And He looked upon them when they were in
trouble,
and heard their prayer.
. IV. As RESPECTS OURSELVES, RELATIVELY TO OUR DUE OBEDIENCE.
1. BECAUSE WE REPENT.
A broken and a contrite heart, O God, Thou wilt
not despise.
For I will declare mine iniquity;
I will be sorry for my sin.
2. BECAUSE WE PRAY.
For I cry unto Thee daily.
How long wilt Thou be angry against the prayer of
Thy people?
I forgave thee all that debt, because thou desiredst Me.
3. BECAUSE WE FORGIVE.
Forgive, and ye shall be forgiven.
When ye stand praying, forgive,
if ye have aught against any: that your Father also which is in heaven may
forgive you your trespasses.
But if ye do not forgive,
neither will your Father which is in heaven forgive your trespasses.
4. BECAUSE WE PURPOSE FOR THE FUTURE.
My soul breaketh for the longing that it hath unto
Thy judgments at all times. My hands also will I lift up unto Thy commandments,
which I have loved.
I have sworn, and I will perform it,
that I will keep Thy righteous judgments. Thy servants, who desire to fear Thy name. That servant, which prepared not himself,
neither did according to his Lord’s will, shall be beaten with many stripes.
V. As RESPECTS THE EVIL WHICH WOULD ARISE FROM OUR DESTRUCTION.
1. IT WILL BRING NO ADVANTAGE.
What profit is there in my blood,
when I go down to the pit? Shall the dust praise Thee? shall it declare Thy truth? For in death there is no remembrance of Thee: in the grave who shall give Thee thanks? Wilt Thou shew wonders to the dead? shall the dead arise and praise Thee? Shall Thy lovingkindness be declared in the grave? or Thy faithfulness in destruction?
Shall Thy wonders be known in the dark? and Thy righteousness in the land
of forgetfulness? For the grave cannot praise Thee, death cannot
celebrate Thee: they that go down into the pit cannot hope for
Thy truth. The living, the living, he shall praise Thee.
2. OUR CREATION WILL HAVE BEEN IN VAIN.
Hast Thou made all men for nought? Enter not into judgment with Thy servant;
for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified. If Thou, Lord, shouldest mark iniquities,
O Lord, who shall stand?
If He will contend with him,
he cannot answer Him one of a thousand.
3. THE ENEMIES OF GOD WILL TRIUMPH.
Give not Thine heritage to reproach,
that the heathen should rule over them: wherefore should they say among the people,
Where is their God? Remember this, that the enemy hath reproached,
O Lord, and that the foolish people have blasphemed
Thy name. The tumult of those that rise up against Thee
increaseth continually. Wherefore should the Egyptians speak, and say,
For mischief did He bring them out,
to slay them in the mountains, and to consume them
from the face of the earth?
The nations which have heard the fame of Thee
will speak, saying, Because the Lord was not able to bring this people
into the land which He sware unto them; therefore He hath slain them in the wilderness.
VI. As RESPECTS THE GOOD WHICH WILL ARISE FROM OUR SALVATION.
1. FOR THE GLORY OF GOD*S NAME.
Deliver us, O Lord, for the glory of Thy name:
so we Thy people and sheep of Thy pasture
will give Thee thanks for ever:
we will shew forth Thy praise
to all generations.
2. FOR THE CONVERSION OF OTHERS.
Then will I teach transgressors Thy ways;
and sinners shall be converted unto Thee.
3. FOR AN EXAMPLE.
For this cause I obtained mercy,
that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth
all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe
on Him
to life everlasting.
4. FOR THE SAKE OF GOD HIMSELF.
I, even I, am He that blotteth out thy transgressions
for Mine own sake.
O Lord, hearken and do;
defer not, for Thine own sake. For His sake Whom God hath set forth to be
a propitiation.
Look upon the face of Thine Anointed.
Turn not away the face of Thine Anointed.
5. FOR THE OFFICE OF THE SAVIOUR.
The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, because He hath anointed Me to preach the gospel to the poor;
He hath sent Me
to heal the brokenhearted.
I came to call sinners.
God sent His Son, that the world through Him might be saved.
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A PRAYER FOR THINGS SPIRITUAL.
REMEMBER me, O Lord, with the favour that Thou bearest unto Thy people;
O visit me with Thy salvation:
that I may see the good of Thy chosen,
that I may rejoice in the gladness of Thy nation,
that I may glory with Thine inheritance.
There is a glory which shall be revealed.
For when the Judge cometh
some shall see Thy face with joy,
shall be placed on the right hand,
shall hear that sweetest word, ‘Come, ye blessed.’
They shall be caught up in clouds to meet the Lord;
they shall enter into the joy of their Lord,
they shall enjoy the vision of Him,
they shall be ever with Him.
These alone, only these are blessed
among the sons of men.
O to me the lowest grant the lowest place, there under their feet, under the feet of Thy chosen,
the lowest among them.
And that this may be,
let me find grace in Thy sight
to have grace
whereby I may serve Thee acceptably
with reverence and godly fear.
Let me find the grace also
not to receive that grace in vain,
not to come short of it;
yea, not to neglect it,
so as to fall from it;
but to stir it up, so as to grow in it,
yea, to continue in it
till the end of my life.
And O perfect for me
what is lacking of Thy gifts,
increase my little faith,
strengthen my trembling hope,
kindle the smoking flax of my love.
Shed abroad Thy love in my heart
so that I may love Thee,
my friend in Thee, my enemy for Thee.
O Thou Who givest grace to the humble,
give me also grace to be humble.
O Thou Who never failest them that fear Thee,
unite my heart to fear Thy name;
let my heart rejoice in Thy fear.
Let me fear one thing only,
the fearing aught more than Thee.
As I would that men should do to me,
let me do also to them likewise;
let me not think more highly than I ought to think,
but think soberly.
Shine upon them that sit in darkness
and in the shadow of death;
guide our feet into the way of peace,
that we may be of the same mind
one toward another;
and, if in anything we be otherwise minded,
may walk by the same rule,
whereto we have attained;
maintain order,
decency, and steadfastness;
rightly divide, walk uprightly,
edify one another;
with one accord, with one mouth
glorify God.
on tfje (fcattf).
A PRAYER FOR THINGS TEMPORAL.
REMEMBER, O Lord,
to crown the year with Thy goodness;
for the eyes of all wait upon Thee, and Thou givest them their meat in due season.
Thou openest Thine hand, and satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
On us also, O Lord, vouchsafe the precious things of heaven and the dew above
and the deep that coucheth beneath,
the fruits of the sun, the growth of the moons,
the chief things of the ancient mountains,
the precious things of the everlasting hills,
the precious things of the earth and of its fruit,
good seasons, wholesome weather,
full crops, plenteous fruits,
health of body, peaceful times,
mild government, equal laws,
wise counsels, just judgments,
loyal obedience, vigorous justice,
fertility, fruitfulness,
ease in bearing, happiness in offspring,
careful nurture, sound training;
that our sons may be as plants grownup in their youth, our daughters as corner stones, polished after the
similitude of a palace:
that our garners may be full,
affording all manner of store:
that our sheep may bring forth thousands
and ten thousands in our streets:
that our oxen may be strong to labour:
that there be no breaking in, nor g’oing out:
that there be no complaining in our streets.
Happy is that people that is in such a case:
yea, happy is that people whose God is the Lord.
an act df
PRAISE waiteth for Thee, O God, in Sion,
and unto Thee shall the vow be performed.
Thou art worthy, O Lord our God, the Holy One,
to receive glory, and honour, and power.
O Thou that hearest prayer, unto Thee shall all flesh come, shall my flesh come.
Iniquities prevail against me:
as for my transgressions, Thou shalt purge them away,
that I may come and give thanks with all Thy works,
and bless Thee with Thy holy ones.
O Lord, open Thou my lips, and my mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.
My soul doth praise the Lord
for the goodness He hath done
to the whole creation,
and to the whole race of men;
for Thy mercies towards myself:
soul, body, and estate, gifts of grace, nature, and worldly good;
for all benefits received,
for all successes, now or heretofore,
for any good thing done;
for health, good report, sufficiency,
safety, freedom, quiet.
Thou hast not cut off as a weaver my life,
nor from day even to night made an end of me.
He hath vouchsafed me life and breath
until this hour,
from childhood, youth, and hitherto,
even unto old age.
Thou holdest my soul in life, and sufferest not my feet to be moved;
rescuing me from perils, sicknesses,
poverty, bondage, public shame, evil chances;
keeping me from perishing in my sins,
waiting for my full conversion,
leaving in me return into my heart,
remembrance of my latter end,
some shame, horror, grief, for my past sins:
may it be fuller and larger, larger and fuller,
more and still more, O my Lord:
giving me good hopes
of their remission
through repentance and its works,
in the power of the thrice-holy keys,
and the mysteries in Thy Church.
Wherefore day by day for these Thy benefits to me
which I remember,
wherefore also for others very many
which I have let slip, from their number, from my forgetfulness, for those which I wished, knew, and asked, and for those I asked not, knew not, wished not,
I confess and give thanks to Thee,
I bless and praise Thee, as it is meet, and every day;
and I pray with my whole soul,
and with my whole mind I pray.
Glory be to Thee, Lord, glory be to Thee, glory to Thee, and glory to Thine all-holy name,
for all Thy divine perfections in them:
for Thine unspeakable and unimaginable goodness,
and Thy pity toward sinners
and unworthy,
and toward me, of all sinners
far the most unworthy.
Yea, O Lord, for this, and for the rest,
glory to Thee,
and praise, and blessing, and thanksgiving, with the voices and concert of voices
of angels and of men,
of all Thy saints in heaven,
and of all Thy creatures in heaven or earth,
and of me, beneath their feet,
unworthy and wretched sinner,
Thy abject creature,
now, in this day and hour,
and every day till my last breath,
and till the end of the world,
and world without end.
of
i.
1. FOR THE EXCELLENCE OF GOD’s MAJESTY.
O FATHER, glorify Thou Me with Thine own self with the glory which I had with Thee before
the world was. Melchisedek was priest of the Most High God.
2. HIS EXALTEDNESS.
He that is higher than the highest regardeth.
3. HIS ETERNITY.
The name of the Lord, the Everlasting God.
4. HIS OMNIPRESENCE.
Do not I fill heaven and earth, saith the Lord?
5. HIS OMNISCIENCE.
Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit?
or whither shall I flee from Thy presence?
If I ascend up into heaven, Thou art there;
if I make my bed in hell, behold, Thou art there.
Thou knowest all things.
For Thou, even Thou only, knowest the hearts of all the children of men.
6. HIS OMNIPOTENCE.
With God nothing shall be impossible.
I am the Almighty God.
7. THE HEIGHT OF HIS WISDOM.
0 the depth of the riches both of the wisdom and
knowledge of God!
how unsearchable are His judgments,
and His ways past finding out!
8. HIS UNSHAKEN TRUTH.
The truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Heaven and earth shall pass away,
but My words shall not pass away.
9. HIS PERFECT RIGHTEOUSNESS.
His righteousness endureth for ever.
10. THE DEPTH OF HIS MERCY.
Deep calleth unto deep.
11. HE IS MERCIFUL IN PASSING BY AND OVER
LOOKING SIN.
1 beseech you by the meekness and gentleness of
Christ.
He said, I will not destroy it for ten’s sake.
He passeth by transgression.
The times of ignorance God overlooked.
12. HE IS LONGSUFFERING.
Or despisest thou the riches of His forbearance and longsufFering?
13. HE is PITIFUL.
But He, being full of compassion, forgave their
iniquity,
and destroyed them not.
14. HE PUNISHETH UNWILLINGLY.
0 Ephraim, what shall I do unto thee?
O Judah, what shall 1 do unto thee?
Many times didst Thou deliver them
according to Thy mercies.
Many years didst Thou forbear them;
Thou didst not utterly consume them,
nor forsake them. He hath not dealt with us after our sins,
neither rewarded us according to our iniquities. She hath received of the Lord’s hand double for all
her sins.
Like as a father pitieth his children,
so the Lord pitieth them that fear Him.
15. HE IS COMPASSIONATE.
He repenteth Him of the evil.
16. HIS ANGER IS SOON QUENCHED.
He will not always chide:
neither will He keep His anger for ever.
17. HE IS READY TO PARDON.
1 forgave thee all that debt, because thou
desiredst Me.
18. HE IS READY TO BE RECONCILED.
Reconciling the world unto Himself,
not imputing their trespasses unto them.
19- HE IS READY TO BE PROPITIATED.
Bring forth the best robe, and put it on him;
and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: etc.
He is kind unto the unthankful and to the evil.
20. HE IS BOUNTIFUL.
Giving the reward of a day for the toil of an hour.
To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise.
Giving sight to the blind, loosing the prisoners, clothing the naked, raising the fallen,
upholding the falling, healing the sick, gathering the dispersed, feeding the living, raising up the bowed down, quickening the dead, casting down the proud, setting up the humble, redeeming the captives, helping in time of need.
Who is like unto Thee, O Lord, among the gods:
glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
Let us praise God for
angels, ministering spirits;
archangels, bringing great tidings;
virtues, doing wonders;
powers, defending from devils, at His command;
principalities, perfect in government;
dominations, bestowing gifts in plenteousness;
thrones, that judge;
cherubim, shining with knowledge;
seraphim, flaming with love;
the morning stars,
rulers of the world,
lovers of men,
chief ministers of the divine will. We praise God for the perseverance of angels; we pray that we, going from strength to strength, may be associated with their choirs.
in.
We praise God for
the patriarchs and their faith,
the prophets and their hope,
the apostles and their labours,
the evangelists and their truth,
the martyrs and their blood,
the confessors and their zeal,
the doctors and their study,
the ascetics and their tears;
the virgins, flowers of purity,
celestial gems,
brides of the immaculate Lamb;
the innocents and their beauty,
flowers of the Church,
mirrors of virtue,
tabernacles of the Holy Ghost; for those whose faith was strong, and whose life approved, t
in whose heart was charity,
in wiose mouth verity,
in whose life piety.
IV.
We praise God
for light,
the waters and the firmament,
the earth and the plants,
the lights in the firmament of the heaven,
the fishes and the fowls,
the wild and tame beasts,
the rest of the sabbath;
for the making of man,
after counsel held,
with His own hands;
for the breath of life,
the image of God,
the dominion over the creatures
the care of the angels,
his being placed in paradise;
for that he was not forsaken, when he had sinned;
for the promise of the seed;
for that which may be known of God,
the work of the law written in the heart,
the oracles of the prophets,
the melody of the psalms,
the wisdom of the proverbs,
the experience of the histories;
for our birth,
bringing up,
preservation,
direction,
instruction,
civilised state,
religion.
We praise God
for redemption,
the great mystery of godliness,
His making Himself of no reputation,
His humiliation,
His taking on Him the seed of Abraham,
His union to it,
His oblation of life,
His sacrifice of death;
for all the good that He did,
all the evil He suffered,
in His passage from the cradle to the cross;
for the whole economy of grace,
His holy incarnation,
the poverty of His nativity,
His lying in the manger,
His circumcision, subjecting Him to the law, His precious name, JESUS, His manifestation to sinners of the Gentiles, His presentation in the temple, His flight into Egypt, His consecration of life,
His desire to hear,
His eagerness to inquire,
His humble obedience to His parents;
for His holy baptism,
the appearance therein of the Trinity,
His fasting,
His temptation,
His poverty, in that He had not where to lay
His head,
the hunger and thirst that He endured, the cold and heat, the weariness, while He went about doing
good,
His watchings in prayer,
His continuance all night in prayer;
for His meek conversation,
Who endured such contradiction of sinners, when He was hurried to the precipice
for a good word,
when about to be stoned
for a good work.
We bless Thee, O Saviour,
Who didst endure to be insulted of men,
to be called a Samaritan, a glutton,
a demoniac, a deceiver,
and wast content that Barabbas should be
preferred to Thee,
for Thy sermons, homilies,
conversations, discourses,
intercessions, prayers,
examples,
signs,
mysteries,
the power of the keys; for the blessings wrought in all the grace and
lovingkindness of Thy miracles;
for the parables of
the two debtors,
the good Samaritan,
the publican and the Pharisee,
the servant that owed ten thousand talents,
the lost sheep,
the prodigal son,
the called at the eleventh hour;
We bless Thee
for Thy sayings:
God sent not His Son into the world to
condemn the world; but that the world
through Him might be saved. I came not to judge the world, but to save
the world. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners
to repentance. The Son of Man is not come to destroy men’s
lives, but to save them. The Son of Man is come to seek and to save
that which was lost; and to give His life a ransom for many. Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are
heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Him that cometh unto Me I will in no wise
cast out.
Father, forgive them; for they know not
what they do.
To-day shalt thou be with Me in paradise. I will give unto this last even as unto thee. We bless Thee
for the instances of Thy mercy:
The Syrophenician woman;
the woman of Samaria;
the woman with an issue of blood;
the woman taken in adultery;
Mary Magdalene;
Zacchaeus;
the thief;
Peter;
Thomas;
Paul;
Nicodemus.
THIS MAN RECEIVETH SINNERS.
We bless Thee
for Thy longsuffering when
they contradicted Thee;
drew Thee to the brow of the hill;
twice would have stoned Thee;
for a good work blasphemed Thee;
preferred Barabbas unto Thee;
gave Thee up unto the Gentiles to crucify
Thee.
VI.
We praise God
for the death of Christ:
His obedience unto the death of the cross, His straitening till it was accomplished; for all that He suffered
in Gethsemane, in Gabbatha, in Golgotha; for the pain, the shame, the curse of the cross.
We praise Him
that He deigned to be betrayed,
and that by His own disciple;
that He deigned to be sold,
and that for thirty pieces of silver;
to be troubled in His mind,
to be weary,
to fear,
to be exceeding sorrowful, even unto death,
to be in an agony,
with strong crying and tears,
to sweat great drops of blood,
even to the bedewing of the ground:
Gethsemane:
that His disciples should slumber,
one of them betray Him with a kiss,
the rest should be offended because of Him,
and flee;
to be left alone,
and denied by Peter,
and that with an oath,
and a curse;
to be subjected to the powers of darkness,
to be laid hands on,
taken as a thief,
bound,
carried away,
hurried to Annas,
Caiaphas,
Pilate,
Herod,
Pilate, the second time,
the Praetorium,
Gabbatha,
the cross.
Golgotha:
Thou Who wast silent before the judge,
restrain my tongue;
Thou Who didst deign to be bound,
restrain my hands.
We praise Thee in that
Thou wast struck with the palm of the hand before Annas,
accused before Caiaphas,
attacked by false witnesses,
condemned for blasphemy,
derided oft,
mocked by the servants,
buffeted,
struck with the palm of the hand,
wast blindfolded,
stricken, spit upon,
reviled, blasphemed;
We praise Thee in that
Thy head was crowned with thorns,
and struck with the reed,
Thine eyes were dim with tears,
Thine ears filled with reviling,
Thy mouth given to drink of gall and vinegar,
Thy face marred with spitting,
Thy back ploughed with the scourge,
Thy neck bent down with the cross,
Thy hands extended,
Thy knees bent as in prayer,
Thy feet pierced with nails,
Thy heart oppressed with grief,
Thy side pierced with the lance, Thy blood flowing on all sides plenteously
around Thee,
Thy soul in bitterness,
when Thou criedst in agony, Eli, Eli!
We praise Him that
He deigned to be accused before Pilate of sedition,
to be denied by His own,
rejected for Barabbas;
He deigned to be sent bound to Herod,
to be clothed with a white robe,
to be mocked;
He deigned to be sent back to Pilate,
to be clamoured against for death,
to be condemned to a shameful death,
to be given up to the will of the soldiers,
to be arrayed in purple,
to be crowned with thorns,
to be mocked with a reed for a sceptre,
to be bowed the knee to,
to be called King in derision,
to be spit upon,
to be smitten on the head with the reed,
to be stripped of the purple; He deigned to be bound to a column in the judgment hall,
to be beaten with rods,
to be scourged,
to be baptized with a baptism of blood,
to suffer bruises and wounds,
to be demanded with clamour for crucifixion,
to be exhibited as a spectacle of woe,
BEHOLD THE MAN!
to be cried out against the more vehemently,
to be condemned to the cross;
He deigned to be laden with the cross,
led to the place of punishment,
to sink under the cross,
to have myrrh given Him to drink,
to endure the shame of being stripped,
the agony of being extended on the cross,
to be pierced with nails,
to have hands and feet riven,
to be crucified between two thieves,
to be reckoned among the transgressors,
to be reviled by the passers by,
to be blasphemed by the very thieves, on Golgotha;
He deigned to be forsaken of God,
to be mocked in His cry to God,
to thirst, to have vinegar given Him to drink,
to bow His head, and give up the Ghost,
that His side should be pierced with the spear,
to be blasphemed after death,
to be called a deceiver,
to suffer unknown sufferings.
By Thy woes, which I unworthy here commemorate, preserve my soul from the woes of hell.
We praise Him for
the Seven Last Words:
1. FATHER, FORGIVE THEM; FOR THEY KNOW
NOT WHAT THEY DO.
2. WOMAN, BEHOLD THY SON!
3. To DAY SHALT THOU BE WITH ME IN PARADISE.
4. MY GOD, MY GOD, WHY HAST THOU FORSAKEN
ME?
5. I THIRST.
6. IT IS FINISHED.
7. FATHER, INTO THY HANDS I COMMEND MY
SPIRIT.
Thou, who didst deign
that Thy glorious head should be wounded: forgive thereby whatever, by the senses
of my head, I have sinned; that Thy holy hands should be pierced:
forgive thereby, whatever I have done amiss
by unlawful touch, or unlawful act; that Thy precious side should be opened: forgive thereby whatever I have offended
by lawless thoughts, in the ardour of passion; that Thy blessed feet should be riven: forgive thereby whatever I have done by the means of feet swift to evil; that Thy whole body should be extended:
forgive thereby whatever iniquity I have committed by the help of any of my members.
And I too, O Lord, am wounded in soul;
behold the multitude,
the length, the breadth, the depth,
of my wounds,
and by Thine heal mine.
We praise Thee
for Thy precious death,
Thy riven side,
the streams of water and blood,
the begging of Thy body,
Thy taking down from the cross,
Thy burial in the garden of another,
Thy three days’ sepulture.
By all these things I remind and beseech Thee. I pray Thee that Thou wouldest deign to lay all these things before Thy Father, pleading them for my sake:
all the sufferings which Thou barest,
the love above all by which Thou barest.
VII.
We praise Him
for His exaltation;
His triumph over principalities, and leading
them captive,
and over the powers of darkness in Himself; His mighty resurrection; His appearance to Mary Magdalene,
to the women,
to Peter,
to the two that went to Emmaus,
to the ten without Thomas,
to the eleven,
at the Sea of Tiberias,
to James,
to the five hundred,
in Bethany;
His glorious ascension,
session at the right hand,
distribution of gifts,
continual intercession for us,
return to judgment.
VIII.
Come, Holy Ghost, our souls inspire,
And lighten with celestial fire;
Thou the Anointing Spirit art,
Who dost Thy sevenfold gifts impart.
We praise Thee for
Thy moving upon the face of the waters, Thy emission into all things living;
Thy inspiration of man,
of Bezaleel,
of the seventy elders,
Thy descent upon the prophets;
Thy visible advent
as a Shadow,
Thy coming upon and overshadowing
at the incarnation of Christ;
as a Dove,
Thy coming in the shape of a dove upon Christ
in baptism;
as fiery Tongues,
after the ascension;
Thy invisible advent
on the apostles gathered together in prayer,
on Cornelius,
on the twelve Ephesians;
Thy often visitations thenceforth
in calling,
calling away from sin,
calling out of the world,
recalling from backsliding,
in our calling on Thee,
in Thy pleading for us;
Thy distribution of graces, ministrations, operations;
the graces, works, fruits, of the Spirit; the compunction caused by Thy reproof, the unction of Thy teaching,
and of Thy bringing to remembrance,
Thy shedding abroad of love,
Thy helping our infirmities, in praying,
Thy witnessing our adoption,
Thy sealing in Thy mysteries,
the earnest of our inheritance;
Thy visiting us, visiting the heart,
dwelling in us,
purifying us,
shining on us, for our illumination,
strengthening us,
adorning us,
carrying us on unto perfection,
Who guidest us into all truth,
and givest us strength.
another act of Cfjanfcsgtbmg.
IT would rather behove me, O Lord,
a sinner, and impenitent, and so, wholly unworthy,
to lie prostrate before Thee, and with tears and groanings to entreat the pardon
of my sins,
than to praise Thee with polluted mouth; yet, trusting in Thine own goodness, I will adore
Thee. O receive Thou the praises that it is in my
heart to sing. I praise Thee, I bless Thee, I worship Thee, I
glorify Thee. Thou art worthy, O Lord, to receive the praises and
the thanks,
Whom I, a sinner, am unworthy to invoke, or to name, or even to conceive in my heart.
Blessed art Thou, O Lord,
Who hast created and brought me forth into this life, and hast ordered that I should be
a living soul and not senseless matter; a man, not a brute; civilised, not savage; free, not a slave; legitimate, not spurious; of honest parents, not of vile extraction, and
as vile myself;
endued with sense, not an idiot;
sound in senses, not blind nor deaf;
sound in limbs, not halt nor maimed;
brought up, not exposed to perish;
liberally educated, not bound to a mechanical
trade;
a Christian, not a pagan;
plucked out of dangers and infamy, not overwhelmed thereby; in days of peace, not tossed in tempestuous
struggles; of competent estate, so that I need neither to
flatter nor to borrow; set free from many sins; endued with the gifts of grace, in redemption
and calling, with the gifts of nature and worldly good;
Who according to Thine abundant mercy hast
begotten us again unto a lively hope by the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead, to an inheritance incorruptible, and undenled, and that fadeth not away, reserved in heaven for us; Who hast blessed me with all spiritual blessings
in heavenly things in Christ; Who comfortest me in all my tribulation, for, as the sufferings of Christ have abounded in me, so my consolation also aboundeth by Christ.
I thank Thee, and praise Thee, O Thou God of my
fathers, Who hast in some measure given me wisdom and
might, and hast made known unto me what I desired
of Thee, and hast made known unto me the
king’s matter; Who hast made me the work of Thine hands,
the reward of Thy blood, the image of Thy countenance, the servant of
Thy purchase,
a seal of Thy name, a son of Thine adoption, a temple of Thy Spirit, a member of Thy Church.
of Cijanfcgfitbtttfl for tije
O LORD, I am not worthy of the least of all the
mercies, and all the truth, which Thou hast shewed
unto Thy servant;
and what can I say more unto Thee?
for Thou, Lord God, knowest Thy servant. What is Thy servant, Lord God, and what is
my house, that Thou hast looked upon such a dead dog as I am,
that Thou hast loved me until now? What shall I render unto the Lord for all His
benefits toward me?
What thanks can we render to God again
for all the joy wherewith we joy before Him?
Thou who hast deigned, O Lord, to grant me on
this holy day and at this hour
to lift up my soul to Thy praise,
and to give unto Thee the glory due unto Thy name, receive, O Lord, this spiritual sacrifice from my soul, and, receiving it to Thee unto Thy spiritual altar, be pleased in return to shed on me the grace of
Thy Most Holy Spirit.
Visit me in Thy goodness; forgive me every sin, whether willingly or unwillingly committed. Deliver me from eternal punishment;
yea, and from all the miseries of this world. Change my thoughts into piety; sanctify my spirit, soul and body;
and give me grace to worship and to please Thee
in piety and holiness of life
even unto the very end of my days.
Unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us, unto Him be glory in the Church by Christ Jesus throughout all ages, world without end.
My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness; and my mouth shall praise Thee with joyful lips.
& JHrtutatton on tfj* Eflfitabation
ITS measure,
its harm,
its scandal,
its quality,
its iteration, how often?
its continuation, how long?
The person by whom:
his age, condition, state, enlightenment. Its manner, its motive, its time, its place, its folly, ingratitude, hardness, contempt.
The various kinds of sin:
the cord and the cart rope;
in necessary things,
in things superfluous;
omission or defect,
the not doing what ought to be done,
commission, or excess,
the doing what ought not to be done;
by heart within, in thought;
by mouth without, in word,
by deed without, in fact;
against God, my neighbour, my own body;
by knowledge and by ignorance;
willingly and unwillingly;
of old and of late;
in boyhood and youth,
in mature and old age;
things done once, repeated often;
hidden and open;
things done in anger,
or from the lust of the flesh and the world; before and after my call; asleep by night, and awake by day; things concerning myself alone, and things connected with others; things remembered, and things forgotten.
Whatsoever I have done amiss, from my youth
till now, till this moment, knowingly or ignorantly, within or without,
asleep or awake, by words, deeds, or thoughts, through the fiery darts of the enemy, through the unclean desires of the flesh, have mercy on me, O God, and forgive me.
a ^flrtritatton on tf)e 13ag of ihitognunt
FATHER unoriginate, only begotten Son,
life-giving Spirit,
merciful, compassionate, longsuffering,
full of pity, full of tender yearnings,
Who lovest the just and pitiest the sinful,
Who passest by sins and grantest petitions,
God of penitents,
Saviour of sinners,
I have sinned before Thee, O Lord,
and thus and thus have I done.
Alas, alas! woe, woe!
how was I enticed by my own lust,
how I hated instruction.
Nor felt I fear nor awe
of Thy incomprehensible glory,
Thy dread presence,
Thy terrible power,
Thy strict justice,
Thy winning goodness.
I will call if there be any that will answer me; to which of the holy angels shall I turn?
O wretched man that I am,
who shall deliver me from the body of this death?
How fearful is Thy judgment, O Lord,
when the thrones are set,
and the angels in presence,
and men brought in,
the books opened,
the works inquired into,
the thoughts examined,
and the hidden things of darkness.
What judgment shall be upon me,
who shall quench my flame,
who shall lighten my darkness,
if Thou pity me not?
Lord, as Thou art the Lover of men, give me tears, give me floods, give them to-day.
For then will be the incorruptible Judge,
the awful judgment seat,
the answer without excuse,
the inevitable charges,
the bitter punishment,
the endless Gehenna,
the pitiless angels,
the yawning hell,
the roaring stream of fire,
of fire unquenchable,
the dark prison,
the rayless darkness,
the bed of live coals,
the unwearied worm,
the indissoluble chains,
the immeasurable gulf,
the impassable wall,
the inconsolable cry: none to stand by me, none to plead for me,
none to snatch me out.
But I repent, Lord; O Lord, I repent;
help Thou mine impenitence,
and more, and still more, pierce, rend, crush my heart.
Behold, O Lord, that I am indignant with myself
for my senseless, profitless,
hurtful, perilous passions;
that I abhor myself
for the inordinate, unseemly,
deformed, deceitful,
shameful, disgraceful
thing that is in me;
that my confusion is continually before me,
and the shame of my face hath covered me.
Alas! woe, woe!
O me, how long?
Behold, Lord, that I judge myself worthy
of everlasting punishment, yea, and of all miseries of this world.
Behold me, Lord, self-condemned;
behold, Lord, and enter not into judgment
with Thy servant.
And now, Lord,
I humble myself under Thy mighty hand;
I bow my knees unto Thee, O Lord,
I fall on my face to the earth.
Let this cup pass from me.
I stretch forth my hands unto Thee;
I smite upon my breast, upon my thigh.
Out of the depths my soul crieth unto Thee,
as a thirsty land,
and all my bones,
and all that is within me.
Lord, hear my voice.
a JErtittatum on tyt Sfjortnoss of Htft.
HAVE mercy upon me, O Lord, for I am weak. Remember, Lord, how short my time is;
remember that I am but flesh, a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again.
My days are as grass, as a flower of the field;
for the wind passeth over me, and I am gone,
and my place shall know me no more.
For I am dust and ashes,
earth and grass,
flesh and breath,
corruption and a worm;
as a stranger upon the earth,
dwelling in a house of clay;
few and evil my days,
to-day, and not to-morrow,
in the morning, yet not until night;
in a body of sin,
in a world of corruption;
of few days, and full of trouble,
coming forth and cut down like a flower,
fleeing also as a shadow, and continuing not.
Remember this, O Lord, and suffer, pardon: for what profit is there in my blood,
when I go down to the pit?
by the multitude of Thy tender mercies,
the riches and exceeding abundance
of Thy compassions.
By all that is dear to Thee, all that we should plead, and, before and beyond all things, by Thyself,
by Thyself, O Lord, and by Thy Christ,
Lord, have mercy upon me, the chief of sinners.
O my Lord, let Thy mercy rejoice
against Thy judgment in my sin.
O Lord, hear; O Lord, forgive;
O Lord, hearken; O Lord, hearken and do;
do and defer not for Thine own sake;
defer not, O Lord my God.
$rager of Cfjomas
of (Eantetfmrg.
THYSELF, my God,, I love, Thyself for Thyself, above all things. For Thyself I long. Thyself I desire as a final end. Thyself, for Thyself, not for aught else, I always and in all things seek with my heart and whole strength, with groaning and weeping, with continual labour and grief. What therefore wilt Thou give me as my final end? If Thou dost not bestow on me Thyself, Thou bestowest on me nothing. If Thou dost not give me Thyself, Thou givest me nothing. If I find not Thyself, I find nothing. Thou dost not then reward me, but torturest me. For even before that I sought Thee, I hoped to find and possess Thee at last. And with this honeyed hope I was sweetly consoled in all my labours. But now, if Thou denies t me Thyself, and that for ever, and not for a season, whatever else Thou shalt give me, shall I not always languish with love, mourn with languishing, grieve with mourning, weep with grieving, because I shall ever remain void and empty? Shall I not mourn inconsolably, complain unceasingly, grieve interminably? That is not Thy wont, God of goodness, of clemency, and love; it is in no wise fitting, in no point seemly. Grant, therefore, O my gracious God, that in the present life I may ever love Thyself, for Thyself, above all things, seek Thee in all things, and in the world to come may find Thee, and keep hold of Thee for ever.