From pestilence and famine, From calamity by fire or water, hail or tempest, From the violence of wicked men, Preserve us, gracious Lord and God. From indifference to thy merits and death, From needless perplexity, From the unhappy desire of becoming great, From envy, hatred, and malice, From the deceitfulness of sin, From the murdering spirit and devices of Satan, By all the merits of thy life, By thy human birth and circumcision, By thy obedience, diligence and faithfulness, By thy baptism, fasting and temptation, By thy prayers and tears, By thy having been despised and rejected, Bless and comfort us, gracious Lord and God. By thy agony and bloody sweat, By thy bonds and scourging, By thy crown of thorns, By thy cross and passion, By thy sacred wounds and precious blood, By thy dying words, By thy atoning death, By thy rest in the grave, By thy glorious resurrection and ascension, By thy sitting at the right hand of God, By thy sending the Holy Ghost, By thy prevailing intercession, By the holy sacraments, By thy divine presence, By thy coming again to thy church on earth, or our being called home to thee, Bless and comfort us. aracious Lord and God. C. M. Most holy Lord and God, Holy, Almighty God, Holy and most merciful Saviour, Thou eternal God, Grant that we may never Lose the comforts of thy death: TUNE 519. Instead of this hymn may be sung the following: May we a grateful sense retain Of thy redeeming love; And live below like those that hope To live with thee above. Thou Head and Saviour of thy body, the church. Give spirit and power to preach thy word; Put far from thy people all deceivers : TUNE 14. Bring back all that have erred or that are deceived: Grant love and unity to all our congregations; Give to our bishops and ministers soundness of doctrine and holiness of life, and preserve them therein; Help all elders to rule well; and may every steward of things spiritual or temporal be faithful not only in that which is much, but also in that which is least. Preserve and sanctify each member through the truth; Grant that all of us, in every age and station, may enjoy the powerful and sanctifying merits of thy holy humanity, and make us chaste before thee in soul and body. Let our children be brought up in thy nurture and admonition: Hear us, gracious Lord and God. Supply, O Lord, we pray thee, all the wants of thy people; Let none entangle himself with the affairs of this life, But may all our labor of body and mind be hallowed unto thee; Bless the sweat of the brow and faithfulness in business; Help us to use thy gifts aright, and never to forget that it is more blessed to give than to receive, For the sake of that peace which we have with thee, may we, as much as lieth in us, live peaceably with all men; Teach us to bless them that curse us, and to do good to them that hate us; Have mercy upon our slanderers and persecutors, and lay not this sin to their charge: Hear us, gracious Lord and God. O Lord, the hope of Israel, and the desire of all nations, Have mercy on thy ancient covenant people, deliver them from their blindness; O that Ishmael might live before thee; Prosper the endeavors of all thy servants to spread thy gospel; Bless our and all other christian congregations gathered from among the heathen; Keep them as the apple of thine eye: Hear us, gracious Lord and God. O praise the Lord, all ye nations: Watch graciously over all governments; Establish them in truth and righteousness, and give them thoughts of peace. Bless the President of the United States, and both Houses of Congress; the Governor and Legislature of this Commonwealth, and all others that are in authority; and grant us to lead under them a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty. Teach us to submit ourselves to every ordinance of man for thy sake; and to seek the peace of the places where we dwell. Give prosperity, O God, to this land, and salvation to all its people: Hear us, gracious Lord and God. A Prayer in times of war. [Grant, O Lord, unto the President of the United States, in these times of danger, thy gracious counsel, that in all things he may approve himself the father of the people; Be thou the gracious protector of these States, and of all our fellow-citizens in all parts of the world; Turn the hearts of our enemies; defeat every evil design against us; and continue to show thy tender mercies unto these United States as thou hast done in days past; Cause us to bow down before thee, to confess our sins, and to acknowledge with contrite hearts, that it is of thy mercies that we are not consumed; Stop in thy tender mercies the effusion of human blood, and make discord and wars to cease; To this end, put into the hearts of the rulers of the nations thoughts of peace, that we may see it soon established, to the glory of thy name: Hear us, gracious Lord and God.] O thou preserver of men, Watch over those who travel by land or sea; Send help to all that are in danger, tribulation, or distress; Strengthen and uphold those who suffer persecution for the sake of the gospel; Defend and provide for fatherless children, and widows, and all who are desolate and afflicted; Be the support of the aged; Make the bed of the sick, and in the midst of suffering let them feel that thou lovest them; Enable the dying to put their trust in thee, as the propitiation for the sins of the whole world: Hear us, gracious Lord and God. Have mercy, O Lord, on thy whole creation; Hasten the day when the kingdoms of this world shall become the kingdoms of our Lord and of his Christ; and may we be accounted worthy to stand before Him. Here shall the congregation rise, and remain standing until the close of the Litany. 88, 68 & 88. Lord, for thy coming us prepare; In faith and love preserve us sound; Waiting with joy to welcome thee. TUNE 79. Keep us in everlasting fellowship with the church triumphant, and let us rest together in thy presence from our labors: Hear us, gracious Lord and God. O Christ, Almighty God, Have mercy upon us. O thou Lamb of God, which takest away the sin of the world, Manifest thyself to us. O thou Lamb of God, which takest away the sin of the world, Give unto us thy peace. DOXOLOGY. All standing, the Minister shall say, or chant, and the congregation respond Unto the Lamb that was slain, And hath redeemed us out of all nations of the earth; Unto the Lord who purchased our souls for himself; Unto that Friend who loved us, and washed us from our sins in his own blood; Who died for us once, That we might die unto sin; Who rose for us, That we also might rise; Who ascended for us into heaven, To prepare a place for us; And to whom are subjected the angels, and powers, and dominions: To him be glory at all times, In the church that waiteth for him, and in that which is around him, From everlasting to everlasting: Amen. Little children, abide in him; that when he shall appear, we may have confidence, and not be ashamed before him at his coming. ¶ Then shall be sung one of the following hymns, after which the Minister shall pronounce the Old Testament benediction. 118. 78. The Lord is my Shepherd, no want shall I know; TUNE 39. He leadeth my soul where the still waters flow, Cast thy burden on the Lord, Only lean upon his word; Thou shalt soon have cause to bless His eternal faithfulness. The Lord bless thee, and keep thee; TUNE 11. The Lord make his face shine upon thee, and be gracious unto thee; The Lord lift up his countenance upon thee, and give thee peace: In the name of Jesus: Amen. |