us partakers of thy holiness now, and of thy glory hereafter.

Congregation.-Lord Jesus, assure us of thy continued love towards us, and make us patient and joyful under all thy dispensations, knowing that all of them are means in thy hand for our good, and our glory.

Minister.-Lord Jesus, we therefore pour out our hearts to thee, and to thy God and our God, to thy Father and our Father, and we do most earnestly implore thee ever to be with us :-be thou with us, O our Saviour, whenever we are in pain and affliction of body be with us under all our troubles and perplexities of mind, under all our doubts, misgivings, and distresses in spirit: be with us, O Lord, under the trials of want, and under the trials of plenty: be with us in sorrow, be with us in joy: be with us in afflictions from without, be with us in afflictions from within be with us under the temptations of the devil, be with us under temptations from men, be with us under temptations from our own evil hearts:-be with us, O Lord, under every temptation and snare, and make for us a way of escape under them all; and grant unto us, O Lord, most graciously, that through life, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, we may rejoice and glory before thee.

Congregation.-Lord Jesus, be thou ever with us, preserve us, and bless us; and, throughout life, in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, may we rejoice and glory before thee.

Minister. O Lord God Almighty, the Father of glory, the God and Father of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ, most graciously and benignantly look on us at this time, we earnestly beseech thee, and grant us thy smiles, and the light of thy countenance, for in thy favour alone is our life, in thy favour alone is our hope, and our peace, and our pleasure,

and joy, and in thee alone would we glory. O Father of mercies, and God of all consolation and comfort, speak peace to our souls which we have at this time laid open before thee. Turn us not away, O Lord, without a blessing, and let the blessing thou now givest us be large and bountiful. Thou, O Lord, art rich in mercy, grant us therefore a blessing above all we can ask or think, for all that we ask, and all that we hope for, is in, and through, and by the Lord Jesus Christ, our Mediator, our Advocate, and our Intercessor.

Congregation.-O God, who art rich in mercy, grant us now a blessing most bountiful, and above all that we can ask or think, through, and by, and in our Blessed Redeemer.

Minister. And now, O Lord our God, we would and we do join, with the multitude around thy throne, and say with them,-Blessing, and Glory, and Wisdom, and Thanksgiving, and Honour, and Power, and Might, be unto our God, for ever, and ever: amen. Congregation. Amen, and amen.

[All standing.]

Minister.-Let us again sing to the praise and the glory of God.-[The hymn to be named, and the two first lines pronounced as before.]

1. By thy birth and early years,
By thy human griefs and fears;
By thy fasting and distress,
In the lonely wilderness;
By thy victory in the hour.
Of the subtle tempter's power,-
Jesus! look with pitying eye,
Hear our solemn litany.

2. By the sympathy that wept

O'er the grave where Lazarus slept;
By thy bitter tears, that flowed

Over Salem's lost abode;

By the troubled sigh that told
Treason lurked within thy fold,--
Jesus! look with pitying eye,
Hear our solemn litany.

3. By thine hour of dark despair;
By thine agony of prayer;
By the purple robe of scorn;
By thy wounds, thy crown of thorn,
Cross and passion, pangs and cries;
By thy perfect sacrifice,-
Jesus! look with pitying eye,
Hear our solemn litany.

4. By thy deep expiring groan;
By the sealed sepulchral stone;
By thy triumph o'er the grave;
By thy power from death to save,—-
Mighty God! ascended Lord,
To thy throne in heaven restored!
Prince and Saviour! hear the cry
Of our solemn litany.

[Still standing.]

Minister. In the view of Reading and Hearing God's Holy Word,-Let us Pray.

[All kneel.]

Minister.-Almighty and Eternal Jehovah, before whom we would desire at all times to humble ourselves, and especially on this day of confessions and supplications, O Lord, we confess before thee, that amongst our manifold sins, great has been our guilt in the manner in which we have treated thy Holy Word of Revelation. O God, how lightly have we esteemed thy blessed and precious gift of the Holy Scriptures, how ungrateful have we been to thee, for the capability thou hast given us of reading thy word for ourselves; how little have we read thy word in all time past, how little have we learned from it, and how

very little have we been brought to bow our stiff necks and our proud wills to thy holy instructions given us in this Sacred Book. O Lord, have mercy upon us, and forgive us, through the blood of atonement.

Congregation.-O Lord, have mercy upon us, and forgive us, through the blood of atonement.

Minister. O God, may we truly repent before thee of this our wickedness and ungodliness, and may we henceforth do works meet for repentance. O let thy word, now, henceforth, and through all our life, be our chief delight. May we no more be unthankful for the heavenly boon, may we no more neglect our readings of it, may we more earnestly pray for enlightenment from its hallowed pages, and Ŏ enable us henceforth to bow ourselves entirely in mind body and soul, to the doctrines and precepts of this Blessed Volume.

Congregation.-O Lord, enable us to bow ourselves entirely in mind body and soul to the doctrines and precepts of thy Blessed Book.

Minister.-Almighty God, we now commence our Public Reading of thy Holy Word. O be pleased to give us thy presence and thy blessing whilst we are thus engaged. Let us give all attention to thy solemn voice to us from the heavens, and let us profoundly reverence all thy sayings. Give us a clear understanding, O our God, and a sound judgment, and an honest heart, to receive, comprehend, and treasure up thy blessed and eternal declarations: may we have strong faith in them, may we live according to them, and may we live by them for ever and ever.

Congregation.-O Lord, let us truly receive thy eternal declarations, let us live in them through all our pilgrimage, and may we live by them for ever and

ever.

Minister.-O Most Blessed and Gracious God, let others and all of our fellow creatures throughout

this unhappy sinful world partake of the rich privilege of thy word which we enjoy. Soon, O our God, may the Holy Scriptures, be translated into all the languages spoken among the nations: and let it be speedily printed in all these tongues, and be sent forth through the earth in every direction. And be pleased, O God, to awaken all kingdoms, and kindreds to desire to learn thy Holy Name, and readily to receive thy word when presented to them. We adore thee, most gracious God, for what thou hast done in these few years that are past, to spread thy word abroad. O let thy blessing richly descend on all who have received it. And may this work of circulating thy word be rapidly carried forward to a glorious consummation, and may thy name, and thy name only be exalted.

Congregation. Most Gracious God, speedily carry thy word through all the earth, and may thy name only be exalted.

Minister.-0 Most Holy God, and our heavenly Father, mercifully vouchsafe us thy immediate and gracious and abundant blessing in the reading and hearing of thy word at this time, through our Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ, who ever liveth to make intercession for us: amen.

Congregation-Amen, and amen.

[The Minister standing: the Congregation sitting.]

Minister.-The First Portion of our Scripture Reading is in the Book of [Genesis] the [Fifth] Chapter.

[When the Minister has spoken these words, let all the Congregation open their Bibles at the place mentioned, and diligently attend whilst God's Holy Word is read in their hearing.]

Minister.-[At the close of the chapter,]-Here endeth the First Portion of our Scripture Reading.