People. Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, and worthy to be praised. Minifter. Thou art the Lord and changest not: of old haft thou laid the foundations of the earth, and the heavens are the work of thy hands: these shall decay, but thou shalt endure thy council ftandeth faft, and thy thoughts unto all generations People. Thou art the fame, and of thy years there is no end. Minifter. We adore and worship thee as a pure and spiritual being, whom no man hath feen or can fee. People. Thou art a fpirit; and we would worship thee in Spirit and in truth. Minifter. Minifter. Whither shall we flee from thy presence? Heaven is thy throne, the earth is thy footstool, and the universe is thy habitation. People. All things, O Lord, are full of thee. Minifter. Who can withstand thy power? the mountains shake from their foundations; the rocks melt like wax; and the earth trembleth at thy presence: Thou doest whatever thou pleasest in the armies of heaven, and among the inhabitants of the world. People. With the Lord our God is everlasting frength. Minifter. Thou art infinite in wisdom, wonderful in council, and excellent in all thy works. People. People. O Lord, how manifold are thy works, in wisdom haft thou made them all. Minifter: Thou art the righteous Lord, who exercifeft judgment in the earth: thy righteousness and thy faithfulness reach above the clouds eternal truth is thy law. People. Justice and judgment are the habitation of thy throne. Minifter. O Lord God, holy and reverend is thy name: Thou art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity: Sinners cannot stand before thee; but thou doft favourably regard the upright. People. We reverence thee, O God, for thou art holy. Minifter. Minifter. Above all we worship thee as the Lord God, gracious and merciful; the God of love, and of all confolation: Thou delighteft to make thy creatures happy: Thou doeft good continually, and thy tender mercies are over all thy works. People. O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness; and for his wonderful works to the children of men. ¶ Here the First Lesson to be read, taken from the Old Teftament; after which the Service to proceed with the following Thanksgiving, the People Standing. The General Thanksgiving. Minifter. ALMIGHTY God, the Father of mercies, we offer unto thee our unfeigned thanksgivings for the discoveries thou haft made made of thyself in the works of thy hands; and for thy goodness and loving kindness to us and to all men. We thank thee for our creation, and for all the valuable powers, both of body and mind, with which we are endowed. We thank thee for our prefervation, for the food we eat, for the raiment with which we are clothed, and for the habitations wherein we dwell: We thank thee for every personal and relative enjoyment, and for all the agreeable circumstances of our lives, whether public or private. People. Thefe are the gifts of thy bounty, O Lord our God; thy name be praised forever. Minifter. Above all we blefs thee, O gracious Father, for thine ineftimable love in the redemption of the world, by our Lord Jefus Christ. We blefs thee for the means which thou haft afforded us, by him, of ad vancing |