III.

THE CHRISTIAN WEEK:

Let us come boldly to the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need.

(Heb. 4: 16).

The Lord our God be with us, as He was with our fathers: let Him not leave us, nor forsake us: that He may incline our hearts unto Him, to walk in all His ways, and to keep His commandments, and His statutes, and His judgments, which He commanded our fathers. (I Kings 8: 57, 58).

59.

CONCERNING THE REGULATION OF FAMILY WORSHIP.

A.

In General.

This order may be patterned after the example of the daily matin and vesper services of the Church, or after other acceptable rubrics. In the former case the separate parts follow in regular sequence as here indicated:

I. For Morning or Matin Services.

1. The Hymn. (A morning hymn.)
2. The Psalmody. (One or more Psalms).
3. The Scripture Lesson.

4. The Prayer. Which shall embrace the
Lord's Prayer, a morning prayer, and
a prayerful benediction.

II. For Evening or Vesper Services.

1. The Psalmody.

2. The Lesson.

3. The Hymn. (An evening hymn.)
4. The Prayer.

Embracing the Lord's

Prayer, an evening prayer, and a prayerful benediction.

In case another than the churchly rubric is desired, a rubric may be established somewhat after the following manner:

I. For the Morning Service.

1. Begin with a morning hymn, or several stanzas thereof.

2. Then, one of the morning prayers indicated for the day. On festival days let it be the festival prayer.

3. Follow this by repeating the Lord's Prayer in unison; and, on Sundays at least add the Apostle's Creed.

4. A Psalm should be read, followed by the Gloria Patri.

5. A hymn, or, at least, some stanzas of a hymn.

6. A prayer for blessing:-The Lord bless us and keep us, etc.

After the morning prayer it would be very proper for the entire household to repeat the Amen, and add another of the prayers indicated for the day; and, following this second prayer, the Lord's Prayer and the Creed.

II. For the Evening Service.

1. An evening hymn, or, several stanzas thereof.

2. A prayer, as indicated in the prayers for that day.

3. The Lord's Prayer: adding also the Creed, at pleasure.

4. One of the Evening Psalms, with the Gloria Patri. (See page 82.)

5. A hymn or several stanzas thereof. It may be from the opening hymn or from another.

6. A prayer for blessing.

In the evening service the Psalm may be read responsively, immediately after the opening hymn; and the evening prayer with the Lord's Prayer and the Creed be offered just before the last hymn.

As in the morning service, one loves to set the prayer most prominently at the beginning, so, at the