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MORNING and EVENING

P R

Α

YER

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 fay that which is written after the faid Sentences.

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HEN the wicked man turneth away from his wickednefs that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he fhall fave his foul alive. Exek. 18. 27. 2 I acknowledge my tranfgreffions, and my fin is ever before 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 fpirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not defpife. Ver. 17.

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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 forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he 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.

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9 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 fhall 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. 1 S. John 1. 8, 9.

Paraphrafe on the SENTENCES.

5 Think not to appeafe God merely by outward marks of penitence, but fhow fuch a forrow of Heart, as will produce a real amendment of Life: and God, who is infinitely merciful, will pardon your Sins.

6 Though we have forfaken the Service of God, yet he is still ready to pardon us upon our fincere Repentance.

7 O Lord inflict not upon me that punishment which my Sins have justly deserved; but deal with me according to thy Mercy.

8 Repent: for the Gofpel will fhortly be revealed.

↑ Rent your Heart, &c. It was cuftomary with the Jews in Timesof public Penitence, to fhew many outward Marks of it, iuch as renting their Cloaths, throwing Ashes upon their Heads, and fitting in the Duf'.

9 I will return to my Father, and acknowledge that my Sins are fo many, that I am unworthy of Pardon, either from God or him.

10 Lord examine not too ftrictly into my Conduct; for under fuch trial the best of Men muft not hope to be acquitted from blame.

11 We are greatly mistaken if we fuppofe we are clear from Sin. But if we fincerely confefs and forfake our Sins, we may affuredly hope that God will Pardon us, according to his promifes in Jefus Chrift.

But as thefe outward figns were too often abufed to the purposes of Hypocrify; the Prophet therefore recommends a real contrition and change of the Heart preferably to all fuch external appearances.

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Early beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in fun

dry places to acknowledge and confefs our manifold fins and wickednefs, and that we fhould 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 goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our fins before God, yet ought we most chiefly fo to do, when we affemble 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 afk 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 mighty and moft 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 fintere and truly penitent Hearts, as a means to obtain his Forgiveness. And though we ought to do this at all Times, yet it seems particularly requifite when we affemble and meet together, to thank and praife 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.

Paraphrafe on the CONFESSION.

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 beseech 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 fingle Person 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 afsurdly be forgiven.

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offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miferable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confefs their faults. Reftore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Chrift Jefu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his fake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name.

Amen.

The Abfolution or Remiffion of fins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, ftanding; the People fill kneeling.

"Almighty 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 befeech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him, which we do at this prefent, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord.

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 declare his Pardon to the Penitent: He affures you that whofoever truly repents and believes the Gospel, fhall obtain Forgiveness of his Sins. Let us befeech

This Abfolution is a comfortable declaration that God will pardon the Sins, of them that truly repent and believe his Gofpel, together with an Exhortation to pray that God will grant us true Repentance and

fuch affiftance of his holy Spirit, as may enable us to ferve Him acceptably both now and for ever: that we may attain that Eternal Life, which he hath given us in Jefus Chrift.

his holy Spirit, in order to our prefent acceptance and future conduct, and as the end of both, everlasting Life. This is to be pronounced by the Minifter only.

The People fhall answer here, & at the end of all other Prayers, Amen. Then the Minister shall kneel, and Jay the Lords Prayer with an audible voice; the People also kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and wherefoever else it is ufed in Divine Service.

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UR Father, which art in Heaven; Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this 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

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ever. Amen.

Then likewife be fhall fay,

§. O Lord, open thou our lips,

Anfw. And our mouth fhall fhew forth thy praise.
Prieft. O God make speed to fave us.

Anfw. O Lord, make hafte to help us.

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[Thus far the Morning and Evening Service are alike; but in the Evening Service, Venite exultemus is nor fed; the Pjalms of the Day are read, and then follows the First Leffon, and after that one of the Hymns, Magnifica or Cantate.]

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Paraphrafe on the LORDS PRAYER!! 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 Majesty. 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

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requests and therefore to thee all Glory and Praise is due for ever and ever.

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 the 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, and shall be hereafter to all Eternity.Let us now join together in Hymns of praife to the Lord. We readily unite in this Service.

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The Lords Prayer being added in this place af-a juft reason why we fhould always attend at the beter the Confeffion and Abfolution, makes the whole, as ginning of the Services. it were, a fhort diflinet Office, and contains an excel

Tent 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

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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.

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