Give unto the Lord the glory due unto his name; bring an offering, and come into his courts. Pfal. 96.8. A gift hath grace in the fight of every man living, and for the dead detain it not. Ecclus. 7.33. According to thy ability do good to thy felf, and give the Lord his due offering. Ecclus. 14. 11. Thou shalt not appear empty before the Lord: For all these things are to be done because of the commandment. Ecclus. 35. 4, 5. The offering of the righteous maketh the altar fat, and the sweet favour thereof is before the most High. The facrifice of a juft man is acceptable, and the memorial thereof fhall never be forgotten. Ecclus. 35. 6, 7. Give the Lord his honour with a good eye, and diminish not the firft fruits of thine hands. Give unto the most High, according as he hath enriched thee; and as thou haft gotten, give with a cheerful eye. Ecclus. 35. 8, 10. If thou bring thy gift to the altar, and there remembreft that thy brother hath ought against thee; leave there thy gift before the altar, and go thy way, first be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift. Matth. 5. 23, 24. Lay not up for your felves treasures upon earth, where moth and ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and fteal: but lay up for your felves treafures in heaven, where neither moth nor ruft doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor fteal. Matth. 6. 19, 20. And Jefus fat over against the treasury, and beheld how the people caft money into the treasury: and many that were rich, caft in much: and there came a certain poor widow, and fhe threw in two mites, which make a farthing. Mark. 12. 41, 42. Who Who goeth a warfare any time at his own charges? Who planteth a vineyard, and eateth not of the fruit thereof? Or, who feedeth a flock, and eateth not of the milk of the flock? I Cor. 9. 7. If we have fown unto you fpiritual things, is it a great thing if we fhall reap your carnal things? 1 Cor. 9. 11. Do ye not know, that they who minifter about holy things, live of the things of the temple? And they who wait at the Altar, are partakers with the Altar? Even fo hath the Lord ordained, that they who preach the Gospel, fhould live of the Gofpel. 1 Cor. 9. 13, 14. He who foweth fparingly, fhall reap sparingly; and he who foweth bountifully, fhall reap bountifully. Every man as he purposeth in his heart, fo let him give; not grudgingly, or of neceffity; for God loveth a cheerful giver. 2 Cor. 2 Cor. 9. 6, 7. Let him that is taught in the word, communicate unto him that teacheth, in all good things. Be not deceived: God is not mocked; for whatsoever a man foweth, that shall he alfo reap. Gal. 6. 6, 7. Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not high-minded, nor truft in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy: That they do good, that they be rich in good works, ready to diftribute, willing to communicate, laying up in ftore for themfelves a good foundation against the time to come, that they may lay hold on eternal life. 1 Tim. 6. 17, 18, 19. God is not unrighteous, to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have fhewed toward his name, in that ye have miniftred to the Saints, and do minifter. Heb. 6. 10. To do good and to communicate forget not, for with fuch facrifices God is well pleafed. Heb. 13. 16. Whilst thefe fentences are reading, the Deacon, or (if there be no Deacon) any other fit perfon appointed for that purpose, fhall receive the free-will offerings of the People kneeling, in a decent bafin provided for that purpofe. And that no one may neglect to come to the Holy Eucharift by reason of having but little to give, the perfon who collects the offerings, fhall cover the bafin with a fair white linen cloth, fo that neither he himself nor any other may fee or know what any particular perfon offers. And when all have offered, he shall reverently bring the faid bafin with the oblations therein, and deliver it to the Priest, who shall humbly present and place it upon the Altar, and ftanding before it fhall fay the following thanksgiving, the People kneeling upon their knees. Lord Almighty, who by thine only begotten Son Jefus Chrift our Lord haft made and doft provide for all creatures; we give thanks to thee for all the good things with which thou suppliest us, out of which we here offer unto thee in acknowledgment of thy bountiful goodness towards us, not as we ought, but as we are able: For who can fufficiently exprefs the praise that is due to thee, for all the beneficence and loving kindness which thou haft fhewed unto us? O God of Abraham, Ifaac, and Jacob, and of all Saints, who broughtest all things to perfection by thy Word, and didst command the earth to produce all forts of fruits for our comfort and nourishment, for our use, our health, and delight: Thou art exalted far above all the the praises that we can render to thee for these and all other thy benefits, which thou continually conferrest upon us by Chrift; through whom to Thee in the Holy Ghost, be glory, honour, and adoration, for ever and ever. Amen. Then the Deacon fhall bring water to the Priest, who fball wash his hands therein; after which the Deacon fhall go to the Prothefis, and having mixed the Wine and Water openly in the view of the People, be fhall bring the Bread and mixed Wine to the Prieft, who shall humbly prefent and reverently place them upon the Altar. If there be no Deacon, the Priest shall go to the Prothefis, and after having washed his hands, he fhall mix the Wine and Water openly in the view of the People; after which he shall humbly present and reverently place the Bread and mixed Wine upon the Altar. Then the Priest, having first prayed fecretly for a Short Space, fhall turn to the People, and figning, bimfelf with the fign of the cross upon his forehead, Shall fay, The grace of our Lord Jefus Chrift, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghoft, be, with you all. People. And with thy fpirit. Pr. Lift up your hearts. People. We lift them up unto the Lord. Pr. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God. Then fhall the Priest turn him to the Altar, and fay, IT T is very meet and right above all things, to give praise unto Thee, the true God, the Being of Beings, the great I A M, who exifteft before all creatures, of whom the whole family in heaven and earth is named; who alone art unbegotten, without original, without fuperior, the most high lord, almighty king, and felf-fufficient: Thou art the author and giver of all good things; thou art above all cause and generation; thou art always and immutably the fame. From thee, as from a neceffary original, all things came into being: For thou art eternal knowledge, fight before all objects, hearing before all founds, wifdom without inftruction; the firft in nature, the fountain of being, infinite, incomprehenfible. Thou createdst all things out of nothing by thine only begotten Son, begotten before all ages by thine immediate will, power, and goodness: He is God the Word, the living Wisdom, the first-born of the whole creation, the angel of thy great counfel, thy high priest, but the lord and king of all fenfible and intellectual creatures; Who was before all things, and by whom all things were made. Thou, O eternal God, didft create all things by him, and by him difpenfeft thy fatherly care and providence over them; for by whom thou broughtest all things into being, by him alfo thou preferveft them, and beftoweft thy bleffings upon them: 0 God and Father of thine only begotten Son; thou didft by him first make the cherubim and seraphim, the ages and all the heavenly hofts, the principalities and powers, thrones and dominions, angels and arch angels; |