Here let the First Leffon be read, taken from the Old Teftament: the Minifter is afterwards to proceed as follows, the People standing : The General Thanksgiving. Minifter. MOST merciful and gracious Lord our God, we adore thee as the fountain of all good, who delighteft in the happiness of thy creatures, and art daily imparting the riches of thy bounty. Whilft we gratefully acknowledge thy goodnefs to mankind in general, we would more especially bless thee for our own experience of thy loving kindnefs. We thank thee that thou haft given us life, and formed us for future happiness. By thee are our wants fupplied; from thee our enjoyments proceed. Thou doft preserve us from innumerable evils, and art continually watching over us for good. We devoutly praise thee for every temporal enjoyment, perfonal and relative. But above all, we thank thee for fpiritual bleffings in heavenly heavenly things in Chrift Jefus. We praise thee that thou haft fo loved the world as to give thy well-beloved fon, that whofoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life. Glory be to God in the highest, that through him thou hast proclaimed on earth peace, and good will towards men. We praise thee for his holy life, his excellent doctrine, and the glorious miracles which he wrought to confirm it. We rejoice that because he humbled himself and became obedient to death, even the death of the cross, therefore God hath highly exalted him, and given him a name above every name, that in the name of Jefus every knee might bow, and every tongue confefs, that Jefus Chrift is Lord to the glory of God the Father. We praise thee for the affurance we have of his fecond coming to raise the dead, to judge the world, and to complete that great falvation which he hath wrought out for us. People. People. Glory be unto thee, O God, for the bounties of thy providence, and for the blessings of thy grace through Jefus Chrift. Here a Thanksgiving on any particular Occafion may be introduced. Let the Minifter read the Second Leffon, taken from the New Teftament; after which a Pfalm or Hymn may be fung; the Service then to proceed as follows: Minifter. WE have done iniquity in the sight of God, let us therefore, with humble and contrite hearts, confefs and lament before him the manifold errors and follies of our lives. People. Unto us belong fame and confusion of face, because we have finned against God. Minifter. Minifter. ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, whilst we devoutly praise thee for thine innumerable benefits, we defire also humbly and penitently to acknowledge our imperfections and unworthinefs; we 'confess that in many things we have offended, and come far fhort of that love and obedience which are due unto thee, the Father of our fpirits, and the God of our mercies. Enter not into judgment with thy fervants, O Lord, for in thy fight can no man living be justified. Forgive us, we pray thee, all our failings and tranfgreffions for thy mercy's fake, and according to thy gracious declaration to mankind by thy well beloved fon. And may thy long suffering goodness lead us to a fincere and thorough repentance. Give us a due fenfe of the evil of all fin, and especially of those instances of it into which we have fallen. May the hope of thy pardoning mercy make us more watchful over ourselves, that that wherein we have offended thee, the gracious parent of our beings, we may do fo no more, but may always do the things that are pleasing in thy fight. Vouchfafe us, we beseech thee, the light of thy reconciled countenance, and establish our minds in a fincere and earnest defire to fecure thy favour and acceptance unto eternal life, through Jefus Chrift our Lord. Amen. Then let the Minifter proceed with the following A Prayer for Piety. O GOD, the inexhauftible fountain of life, perfection, and happiness, we lift up our hearts unto thee as the greateft, wifeft, and beft of beings. From the contemplation of thy works, the difpenfations of thy providence, and the difcoveries of thy will, may we be led to entertain and worthy conceptions of thee. Imprefs our minds with a deep fenfe of thy univerfal presence; may we always endeavour to approve our pure |