MORNING and PRAYER Daily throughout the YEAR. At the beginning of Morning Prayer, the Minifter fhall read with a loud voice fome one or more of thefe Sentences of the & Scriptures that follow: and then he shall say that which is written after the faid Sentences. HEN the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he fhall fave his foul alive. Ezek. 18. 27. W 2 I acknowledge my tranfgreffions, and my fin is ever before 1 me. Pfal. 51. 3. 3 Hide thy face from my fins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Ver. 9. 4 The facrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife. Ver. 17. B Paraphrafe on the SENTENCES. When a Sinner truly repents, and reforms his paft Conduct, he fhall find Mercy with God. 2 1 confefs I have greatly finned. PRAYER is the offering up of our defires to God, for Things lawful and needful, with an humble confidence to obtain them through the Mediation of Chrift. And Common Prayer is founded upon our Saviour's promife, that if two fhall agree on Earth, as touching any Thing that they shall ask in his Name, it fhall be done for them of his Father which is in Hea vez, 3 O God forgive mine Offences. 4 A truly penitent Heart, is a most acceptable Offering to the Almighty. § That we may not rush unprepared upon fo facred a work as God's worship; it is properly introduced by feveral Sentences out of the Old and New Testament, exhorting, inviting, and intreating Men, to turn to God by Repentance; and is to the fame effect, as in the Communion Service: "Hear what comfortable words our Saviour faith to all them, that with hearty Repentance and true Faith turn unto him." 5 † Rent your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, flow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel 2. 13. 6 To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveneffes, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he fet before us. Dan. 9. 9, 10. 7 O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, left thou bring me to nothing. Jer. 10. 24. Pfal. 6. 1. 8 Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. S. Mat. 3.2. I will arife and go to my father, and will fay unto him, Father, I have finned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy fon. S. Luke 15. 18, 19. 10 Enter not into judgment with thy fervant, O Lord; for in thy fight shall no man living be juftified. Pfal. 143. 2. II If we say that we have no fin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. But if we confefs our fins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our fins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. I S. John 1. 8, 9. 'D Early beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in fundry places to acknowledge and confefs our manifold fins and wickedness, and that we should not diffemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father, but confefs them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart, to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the fame by his infinite goodnefs and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our fins before God, yet ought we most 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 requifite and neceffary as well for the body as the foul. Wherefore I pray and befeech you, as many as are here prefent, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, faying after me. A general Confeffion to be faid of the whole Congregation, after the Minifter, all kneeling. A Lmighty and most merciful Father; We have erred and ftrayed from thy ways like loft fheep. We have followed too much the devices and defires of our own hearts. We have Paraphrafe on the EXHORTATION. We learn from the foregoing paffages of Scripture that it is our Duty to confefs our Sins to God with fincere and truly penitent Hearts, as a means to obtain his Forgiveness. And though we ought to do this at all Times, yet it feems particularly requifite when we affemble and meet together, to thank and praise Him to hear his Word, and to pray to Him. Wherefore I defire you would repeat after me fincerely, and with a This Exhortation is a very judicious preparation for the folemn Work we are entering upon, as it ferves to inftruct the ignorant, to admonish the negligent, to fupport the fearful, to comfort the doubtful, to caution the formal; according to that general rule of the Son of Syrach, before thou prayeft prepare thyself; and be not as one that tempteth the Lord. Whilft this ExHortation is reading, every Perfon ought diligently to listen to its fenfe, and not to repeat the Words low Voice, the following Confeffion. Moft mighty yet merciful Father, we acknowledge and bewail the many Sins both of Omiffion and Commiffion, whereby we have provoked thy divine Majesty. Pardon and Forgive us who Repent of them, according to thy promifes by Jefus Chrift: and, for his fake, we befeech thee to give us Grace, to live hereafter godly, righteously, and foberly to the Glory of thy Name. after the Minister. This Confeffion is in its Form moft folemn, in its extent most comprehenfive: for it takes in all kinds of Sin, both of Omiffion and Commiffion. And whilst every single Perfon makes this general Confeffion with his Lips, he may make a particular Confeffion with his Heart, of his own perfonal Sins: which if particularly, tho' fecretly confeffed and repented of, will affurdly be forgiven. us. offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things Amen. The Abfolution or Remiffion of fins, to be pronounced by the Prieft A Lmighty God, the Father of our Lord Jefus Chrift, who defireth not the death of a finner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live; and hath given power and commandment to his minifters, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Abfolution and Remiffion of their fins: He pardoneth and abfolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gofpel. 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 Jefus Christ our Lord. Paraphrafe on the ABSOLUTION. God, who defireth not the Deftruction but Reforma- him therefore to give us fuch a real Repentance, and tion of Sinners, and hath authorized his Minifters to fuch affiftance of his holy Spirit, as may enable us to declare his Pardon to the Penitent: He affures you ferve Him acceptably both now and for ever: that we that whofoever truly repents and believes the Gospel, may attain that Eternal Life, which he hath given us fhall obtain Forgiveness of his Sins. Let us befeech in Jefus Christ. This Abfolution is a comfortable declaration that his holy Spirit, in order to our prefent acceptance and God will pardon the Sins, of them that truly repent future conduct, and as the end of both, everlasting and believe his Gofpel, together with an Exhortation Life. This is to be pronounced by the Minifter to pray that God will grant us true Repentance and only. The People fhall answer here, & at the end of all other Prayers, Amen. Then the Minifter shall kneel, and Jay the Lords Prayer with an audible voice; the People alfo kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and wherefoever. else it is ufed in Divine Service. O is in heaven. Give us this 50 UR Father, which art in Heaven; Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it day our daily bread. And forgive us our trefpaffes, 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 i ever. Amen. Then likewife he fhall fay, §. O Lord, open thou our lips, Anfw. And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise, [Thus far the Morning and Evening Service are alike; but in the Evening Service, Venite exultemus is nor fed; the Pfalms of the Day are read, and then follows the Eirst Lesson, and after that one of the Hymns, Magnifica or Cantate.] T R C - Paraphrase on ti Father of all Men, who dwelleft in Light unapproachable, and in Blifs inexpreffible, teach us to reverence and worship Thee in a manner becoming thy divine Majelty. Let thy Kingdom of Grace extend to all Nations: and enable us to ferve thee on Earth, with that diligence, fervency and chearfulness with which thine Angels do in Heaven, Give us daily fuch Things as are needful both for our Bodies and Souls and pardon our Sins, as we forgive thofe who have injured us. And permit us not to be led into Temptation, but fo as to deliver us from the evil of it: for thou ruleft over all, and alone art able to fulfil our ¿ A Paraphrafe on the LORDS PRAYER!! Paraphrafe on the VERSICLES. Lord grant us hopes of thy Pardon-and we will praife thee with joyful Lips.-Haften O God to deliver us from- dominion of Sin- -Speedily affift, us to ferve thee acceptably. All Glory and Praife Be afcribed unto God the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. As this Offering was due from Man from the beginning of the World, fo it is now, dhd fhall be hereafter to all Eternity.Let us now join together in Hymns of praife to the Lord. We readily unite in this Service. Pan br The Lords Prayer being added in this place after the Confeffion and Absolution, makes the whole, as it were, a fhort diftinet Office, and contains an excelTent fummary of what has been already prayed for, which is now followed by one of another kind, viz. of Thanksgiving, which this very properly produces: for till we be reconciled unto God, how can we hope that our other Offices will be acceptable, which affords & requests and therefore to thee all Glory and Praise is due for ever and ever. a juft reafon why we fhould always attend at the beginning of the Services. ? 4 The short petitions before we enter upon the Office of praise feem very proper after the confeffion of Sin, which naturally infpire us with humility and a deeper fehife of our own inability to please God without his affistance. 6* |
