GOD, our heavenly Father, who by thy gracious providence dost cause the former and the latter rain to descend upon the earth, that it may bring forth fruit for the use of man; We give thee humble thanks that it hath pleased thee, in our great necessity, to send us at the last a joyful rain upon thine inheritance, and to refresh it when it was dry, to the great comfort of us thy unworthy servants, and to the glory of thy holy Name; through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Fair Weather. LORD God, who hast justly humbled us by thy late plague of immoderate rain and waters. and in thy mercy hast relieved and comforted our souls by this seasonable and blessed change of weather: We praise and glorify thy holy Name for this thy mercy, and will always declare thy loving-kindness from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For a Plentiful Harvest. MOST merciful Father, who of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church and in thy faithfulness hast given unto us a renewal of the Harvest; We give thee humble thanks for this thy special bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy lovingkindness unto us, that our land may yield us her fruits of increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. After Affliction. GOD, who art the giver of life, of health, and of safety: We bless thy Name. that thou hast been pleased to deliver from his heavy affliction thy servant who desires to return thanks unto thee in the presence of all thy people. Gracious art thou, O Lord, and full of compassion to the children of men. May his heart be duly impressed with a sense of thy merciful goodness, and may he devote the residue of his days to thy glory; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 0 For Peace and Deliverance from our Enemies. ALMIGHTY God, who art a strong tower of defence unto thy servants against the face of their enemies; We yield thee praise and thanksgiving for our deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we were threat ened: We acknowledge it thy goodness that we again enjoy the great blessing of peace; beseeching thee still to continue such thy mercies towards us, that all the world may know that thou art our Saviour and trust in thee, and by obedience to thy laws; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Women after Child-birth. Or this Form, with the Lord's Prayer. General Thanksgiving, a Suitable Collect, and the Blessing, may be used as a Separate Service. ALMIGHTY God, we give thee humble thanks, for that thou hast been graciously pleased to preserve, through the great pain and peril of child-birth, desires now to offer her this woman, thy servant, who unto thee. praises and thanksgivings seech thee, most merciful Grant, we beFather, that she, through thy help, may both faithing to thy will in this life fully live and walk accordpresent, and also may be in the life to come; through partaker of everlasting glory Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Deliverance from the Plague, or other common Sickness. mighty Deliverer; through O LORD God, who hast Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. For Safety by Sea or Land. MOST gracious Lord, whose mercy is over all thy works; We praise thy holy Name that thou hast been pleased to conduct in safety, through manifold dangers [by sea, or by land] thy servant who now desires to return his thanks unto thee, in thy holy Church. May he be duly sensible of thy merciful providence to wards him, and ever express his thankfulness by a holy wounded us for our sins, and consumed us for our transgressions, by thy late heavy and dreadful visita tion; and now, in the midst of judgment remembering mercy, hast redeemed our souls from the jaws of death; We offer unto thy fatherly goodness ourselves, our souls and bodies which thou hast delivered, to be a living sacrifice unto thee, always praising and magnifying thy mercies in the midst of thy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. THE COLLECTS, EPISTLES, AND GOSPELS TO BE USED THROUGHOUT THE YEAR. The First Sunday in Advent. The Collect. ALMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away the works of darkness, and put upon us the armour of light, now in the time of this mortal life, in which thy Son Jesus Christ came to visit us in great humility; that in the last day, when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, now and ever. Amen. This Collect may be repeated every day, with the other Collects in Advent, until Christmas-Eve. The Epistle. Rom. xiii. 8. is the fulfilling of the law. And that, knowing the time, that now it is high time to awake out of sleep: for now is our salvation nearer than when we believed. spent, the day is at hand; The night is far let us therefore cast off the works of darkness, and let us put on the armour of light. Let us walk honestly as in the day; not in rioting and drunkenness, not in chambering and wantonness, not in strife and envyLord Jesus Christ, and make ing. But put ye on the not provision for the flesh, to fulfil the lusts thereof. The Gospel. St. Matth. xxi.1. WHE unto Jerusalem, and were come to Bethphage, unto the mount of Olives, then sent Jesus two disciples, saying unto them, Go into the village over against you, and straightway ye shall find an ass tied, and a colt with her : loose them, and bring them unto me. And if any man say ought unto you, ye shall say, The Lord hath need of them; and straightway he will send them. All this was done, that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the Prophet, saying, Tell ye the daughter of Sion, Behold, thy King cometh unto thee, meek, and sitting upon an ass, and a colt the foal of an ass. And the disciples went, and did as Jesus commanded them; and brought the ass, and the colt, and put on them their clothes, and they set him thereon. And a very great multitude spread their garments in the way: others cut down branches from the trees, and strawed them in the way. And the multitudes that went before, and that followed, cried, saying, Hosanna to the Son of David; Blessed is he that cometh in the Name of the Lord; Hosanna in the highest. And when he was come into Jerusalem, all the city was moved, saying, Who is this? And the multitude said, This is Jesus the Prophet of Nazareth of Galilee. And Jesus went into the temple of God, and cast out all them that sold and bought in the temple; and overthrew the tables of the money-changers, and the seats of them that sold doves; and said unto them, It is written, My house shall be called the house of prayer; but ye have made it a den of thieves. The Second Sunday in Advent. you to be like minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus: that ye may with one mind, and one mouth, glorify God, even the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. Wherefore receive ye one another, as Christ also received us, to the glory of God. Now I say, that Jesus Christ was a minister of the circumcision for the truth of God, to confirm the promises made unto the fathers: And that the Gentiles might glorify God for his mercy; as it is WHATSOEVER things written, For this cause 1 were written aforetime, were written for our learning; that we through patience, and comfort of the Scriptures, might have hope. Now the God of patience and consolation grant will confess to thee among the Gentiles, and sing unto thy Name. And again he saith, Rejoice, ye Gentiles, with his people. And again, Praise the Lord, all ye Gentiles, and laud him, all ye people. And again, Esaias saith, There shall be a root of Jesse, and he that shall rise to reign over the Gentiles, in him shall the Gentiles trust. Now the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, that ye may abound in hope, through the power of the Holy Ghost. The Gospel. St. Luke xxi. 25. AND there shall be signs in the sun, and in the moon, and in the stars; and upon the earth distress of nations with perplexity, the sea and the waves roaring; men's hearts failing them for fear, and for looking after those things which are coming on the earth: for the powers of heaven shall be shaken. And then shall they see the Son of Man coming in a cloud with power and great glory. And when these things begin to come to pass, then look up, and lift up your heads; for your redemption draweth nigh. And he spake to them a parable, Behold the fig-tree, and all the trees; when they now shoot forth, ye see and know of your own selves that summer is now nigh at hand. So like wise ye, when ye see these things come to pass, know ye that the Kingdom of God is nigh at hand. Verily I say unto you, This generation shall not pass away, till all be fulfilled: heaven and earth shall pass away; but my words shall not pass away. The Third Sunday in Advent. The Collect. The Epistle. 1 Cor. iv. 1. ET a man so account of us, as of the ministers of Christ, and stewards of the mysteries of God. Moreover, it is required in stewards, that a man be found faithful. But with me it is a very small thing that I should be judged of you, or of man's judgment: yea, I judge not mine own self. For I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee; Grant that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, who livest and reign-judgeth me is the Lord.. est with the Father and the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end, Amen. Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord come, who both will |