vancing in piety and virtue, and of obtaining thy favour. We thank thee for those pure and heavenly doctrines which he taught, to lead us in the way of truth and falvation; for those holy and excellent rules of virtue and true religion, which he gave to his difciples, and through them to the world; for his gracious promifes of divine affistance in the performance of our duty; and for the perfect example which he hath left us, that we might follow his steps. We thank thee that in obedience to thy will he fubmitted unto death; that being made perfect by fuffering, he might be exalted as the head over all things to the church, and appointed to judge the world in righteousness: And we blefs thee that by raising him from the dead, thou haft confirmed to us the glorious and animating hope of a refurrection to eternal life. People. People. Glory be to God in the highest, who hath mercifully visited his people, and wrought for them fuch great falvation. Minifter. O Lord our God! who can number all thy mercies? Write a law of thankfulness on our hearts, we beseech thee, and grant that henceforth we may be filled with the knowledge of thy will and be fruitful in every good work. Amen. Here the Thanksgivings on any particular occafions may be introduced. ¶ Then let the Minifter read the Second Lesson, taken out of the New Testament; after which a Pfalm or Hymn may be fung, and then the Service to proceed as follows: Minifter. BLESSED is the man whofe iniquity is not imputed to him; and in whose heart there there is no guile: To us belong shame and confufion of face, because we have finned against God. Let us therefore confefs and lament our manifold tranfgreffions with humble and contrite hearts. The General Confession; the People kneeling. ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, we confess that in many things we have all offended. We have not behaved as thy children, nor have we acted agreeably to our profeffion as the difciples of Jefus Christ. We have not duly improved the talents with which thou hast entrusted us. With humble and penitent hearts would we lament every inftance of difobedience before thee, our heavenly Father: We lament whatever we have done amifs, in thought, word, or deed: We lament every offence against thee, O Lord, our neighbour, and ourselves. Be merciful unto us, O God; be merciful unto us. May thy goodness lead us to repentance; deftroy in us every evil inclination and habit, and form our minds to a virtuous and heavenly temper. May we bring forth fruits meet for repentance, and walk in newness of life. Thus may we live in the humble and animating expectation of thy mercy unto eternal life, declared to mankind by Jefus Christ our Lord. People. O Lord, pardon our tranfgreffions, and renew a right Spirit within us. Then let the Minifter read the following Prayers, the People ftill kneeling. Minifter. O LORD, our heavenly Father, whose we are, and whom it is our duty and wisdom to ferve; imprefs on our minds, we intreat thee, fuch a conviction of the righteousness of thy precepts, of our unfpeakable obligations to obey them, and of of thy great goodness to those who love thee, that we may be ever fervent in fulfilling thy pleasure, and walk in the way thy commandments with great delight. People. of Incline our hearts, O Lord! to love thy flatutes, and may we rejoice to keep them, even unto the end. Minifter. May the love of Christ constrain us to live, not unto ourselves, but unto him who died for us and rofe again from the dead : Enable us fo to difcern the brightness of his example, the benefits of his gofpel, and the inestimable value of that glory which he hath revealed, that we may most thankfully receive the great falvation, which he hath fet before us: Let the fame mind which was in him dwell alfo in us, that we may walk worthy of the vocation wherewith we are called, in all lowlinefs and longfuffering, forgiving one another, and lov ing one another, as he loved us and gave himfelf D 2 |