Page images
PDF
EPUB

Have mercy upon us, moft merciful Father; For thy Son our Lord Jefus Chrift's fake, Forgive us all that is past, And grant that we mayever hereafter ferve and please thee in newness of life, To the honour and glory of thy Name, Through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then fball the Priest (or the Bishop being prefent) ftand up, and turning bimfelf to the People, pronounce this Abfolution:

Almighty God, our heavenly Father, who of his great

mercy hath promised forgiveness of fins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him ; Have mercy upon you, pardon and deliver you from all your fins, confirm and ftrengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Then all the Priest fay,

1. Hear what comfortable words our Saviour Chrift faith unto all that truly turn to him :

COM

OME unto me all ye that travel, and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you. S Matih. 11. 28.

PARA P. HR A S E.

Majefty, thereby most exciting thy anger, and indignation against us. We repent O Lord, we most fincerely repent of, and are heartily forry for these our crimes, and the recollection of them affords us matter of the fincerest grief, have mercy upon us O Lord, and pity us, for the fake of thy Son our Saviour, pardon O God, our paft faults, and enable us to ferve thee hereafter in purity of heart and newness of life, for the honour of thy holy name, through the merits and mediation, of thy Son, our bleffed Lord and Saviour, Jefus Chrift. Amen.

Paraphrafe on the Abfolution.

The Almighty Father of heaven and earth, who out of his great and abundant mercy, hath promifed to forgive the fins and blot out from his remembrance the tranfgreffions of all those who with faith unfeigned turn unto him; this gracious and merciful God, hath commanded me the minifter of his holy word, to pronounce his pardon to you on your fincere repentance. May the God of all mercy confirm and ftrengthen you in your refolutions of amendment, and finally conduct you to the regions of everlating blifs, through Jefus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.

1. Attend, I befeech you, to the comfortable words of your Lord and Saviour, in favour of all those who fincerely repent of their fins.

Come

2. So God loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, to the end that all that believe in him, fhould not perish, but have everlasting life. S. John 3. 16.

Hear alfo what Saint Paul faith:

This is a true faying, and worthy of all men to be reeived, that Chrift Jefus came into the world to faye finners. 1 Tim. 1. 15.

4. Hear alfo what Saint John faith:

If any man fin, we have an Advocate with the Father, Jefus Chrift the righteous, and he is the propitiation for our fins. S John 2. 1, 2.

[ocr errors]

After which the Prief fhall proceed, faying,

1. Lift up your hearts.

Anfu. We lift them up unto the Lord.

Prieft. 2. Let us give thanks unto our Lord God.
Anfw. It is meet and right fo to do.

PAR PAHRASE.

Come unto me, all ye who are depreffed and weighed down with the infupportable burden of your fins, ahd I will make you eafy, I will relieve the burden of your minds, by acquitting you of your guilt.

2. The Almighty God, has given the moft convincing proofs of his love for the finful fons of Adam, by fending his only begotten Son to make fatisfaction for our tranfgreffions, to the end, that all who fincerely believe in him, and obey his commands, thould not only avoid final deftruction, but obtain, through his merits, everlafting life.

3. Attend alfo, I pray you, to the words of the holy Apostle, St Paul: This is a faying, not only true, but of the utmost importance, and well worthy of general acceptation, that the great defign and intention of Chrift's coming into the world, was to offer terms of falvation to the finful fons of men.

4. Give equal attention to what is faid of Șt John :-

If any man fall into fin, let him not utterly cefpair of pardon and reconciliation with God, inasmuch as we have a powerful advocate with the Father, even the holy Jefus, who will plead his merits and mediation, in our behalf.

Prief. i. Raife your minds, though depreffed with grief, from a fenfe of your fins, to join with me in the duty of praife and thanksgiving. Anfwer. As our duty demands, and in compliance with your defire, we raife our minds to heaven..

Prief, 2. Let us chearfully return our thanks to the Lord our God, for his many and great mercies towards us.

Anfer. It is by all means proper to com ply with your request.

ITH

Then shall the Prieft turn to the Lord's Table, and jay, T is very meet, right, and our bounden duty, that we fhould at all times, and in all places give thanks unto thee, O Lord, Holy Father, Almighty, everlatting God, * Thefe words [Holy Father] must be omitted on Trinity-Sunday.

T1

ཏི

Here fhall follow the proper Preface, according to the time, if there be ang Specially appointed; or else immediately shall follow, Herefore with Angels and Archangels, and with all fore the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hofts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord most high. Amen. Proper Prefaces.

Upon Christmas-day, and feven days after,

Because thou didst give Jefus Chrift thine only San to

be born as at this time for us, who, by the operation of the Holy Ghoft, was made very man of the fubftance of the Virgin Mary his mother, and that without fpot of fin, to make us clean from all fin. Therefore with Angels, &.

Upon Bafter-day, and feven days after.

UT chiefly are we bound to praife thee for the glorious
Refurrection of thy Son Jefus Christ our Lord: for

BR

PARAPHRASE,

3. It is no doubt our duty, at all times and in all places, both publicly and privately, to pay our acknowledgements unto thee, O Lord, who art our Father, our Almighty protector, and everlasting God.

1. Therefore with the glorious company of angels and arch-angels, and with all the hofts of heaven, we bless and praise thy holy name. Conftantly finging Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hofts, the whole earth is full of thy glory, jaiah vi. 3.Glory to God in the highest, Luke ii. 14

1. Forafmuch as out of thy love to the fallen race of man, thou didít fend thy only begotten Son, that through the power of the holy ghoft, he might be ome in all things (fin only excepted) like unto us, to the end that he might, by his example and fufferings, purify us from fin therefore, &c.

2. But in a particular manner are we constrained to render thee our moft humble and hearty thanks for the benefit of Chrift's refurrection ince by his death he hath abolished death, 2 Tim. i. 10, and by his

resure

he is the very Pafchal Lamb, which was offered for us, and hath taken away the fin of the world; who by his death hath destroyed death, and by his rifing to life again hath reftored to us everlafting life. Therefore with Angels, &c.

Upon Afcenfion-day, and feven days after.

Hrough thy most dearly beloved Son Jefus Chrift our Lord, who after his molt glorious Refurrection manifeltly appeared to all his Apoftles, and in their fight afcended up into Heaven to prepare a place for us; that where he is, thither we might alfo afcend, and reign with him in glory. Therefore with Angels, &c.

Upon Whitfunday, and fix days after.

Through Jefus Chrift our Lord; according to whose

Τ

moft true promife, the Holy Ghoft came down as at this time from heaven with a fudden great found, as it had been a mighty wind, in the likeness of fiery tongues, lighting upon the Apoftles, to teach them, and to lead them to all truth, giving them both the gift of divers languages, and alfo boldness with fervent zeal, conftantly to preach the Gospel unto all nations, whereby we have been brought out of darkness and error, into the clear light and true knowledge of thee, and of thy Son Jefus Chrift. Therefore with Angels, &'c.

PARAPHRASE.

refurre&ics from the dead, has begotten us unto a lively hope of everlasting life, Pet. i. 3.

3. Through the merits of thy well-beloved Son our Lord and Saviour Jefus Chrift, who, after his wonderful and glorious refurrection, frequent ly appeared to his holy Apoftles, and finally in their fight afcended to heaven, to the end that be might go and prepare a place for us, that where be is we might be aljo, John xiv. 3. Therefore, &c,

4. Through our Saviour Jefus Chrift, according to whofe promife the holy ghost came down (as at this time) upon the Apostles with a found from heaven, as of a rushing and mighty wind, Acts ii. z. and there appeared unto them cloven tongues, like as of fire, ver. 3. in order to guide them into, and direct them in the paths of truth, beltowing upon them the gift of divers languages, in order that they might be enabled to preach the word with boldness, fervency and zeal unto all nations, agreeable to our Saviour's instructions unto them in Matt. xxviii. 19. by which means

[ocr errors]

WH

Upon the Feast of Trinity only.

HO art one God, one Lord; not one only person, but three perfons in one fubftance. For that which we believe of the glory of the Father, the fame we believe of the Son, and of the Holy Ghoft, without any difference or inequality. Therefore with Angels, &c.

After each of which Prefaces, shall immedjately be fung or faid.

Herefore with Angels, and Archangels, and with all

"TH

the company of heaven, we laud and magnify thy glorious Name, evermore praifing thee, and faying, Holy, holy, holy, Lord God of hofts, heaven and earth are full of thy glory. Glory be to thee, O Lord molt high. Amen. Then pall the Prieft, kneeling down at the Lord's Table, fay in the name of all them that hall receive the Communion, this Prayer following:

2.

WE

E do not prefume to come to this thy Table, O merciful Lord, trusting in our own righteoufnels, but in thy manifold and great mercies. We are not worthy fo much as to gether up the crumbs under thy table. But thou art the fame Lord, whofe property is always to have mercy; Grant us therefore, gracious Lord, to to eat the Ach of thy dear Son Jefus Chrift, and to drink his blood,

P ARAPHRAS E. we have been conducted out of the darkness of ignorance, error, and fuperftition, into the perfect knowledge of thee, O God, and of thy Son Jefus ChriftTherefore, &c.

5. Who art one God, one true Jehovah, not only, according to the erroneous opinions of fome, one perfon, but three perfons in unity of effence; for we believe that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghot are the fame; and that there is no inequality or difference of dignity be

tween them.

1. Let us therefore unite purfelyes with the Angels and Archangels, and with all the orders of bleffed fpirits in heaven, to praife and magnify thy holy name, faying with them, Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts, the whole earth is full of thy glory, Ifaiah vi. 3. glory to God in the higheft, Luke ii. 14.

2. We do not prefume to approach this thy facred table, moft merci. ful Lord God, in dependance on our own merits and righteousness, but on thy great and abundant mercies, manifefted towards us thy finful creatures, we are utterly unworthy, to gather up the crumbs which fall from shy table: But thou art a God of infinite mercy; grant therefore that we

may

« PreviousContinue »