Page images
PDF
EPUB

thee. Let our evening sacrifice be a pure and acceptable service. While we praise thee with our lips, may reverence and gratitude fill our hearts. May our whole conduct also be influenced by our devotions, and may we live to love and serve, as we have learned to adore thee.

O thou who never slum- holding communion with berest nor sleepest, but both by night and day dost watch over thy people, keep and defend us, we pray thee, this night. Let the shades which encompass us be as the shadow of thy wings. May our sleep be quiet and refreshing; and may we rise in the morning prepared and invigorated to serve thee in the duties of the day. May all our nights on earth be hallowed by thy blessing, and all our days devoted to thy service; so that when we have slept the sleep of the grave, we may awake to the resurrection of the just.

Hear us, we beseech thee, in thy Son's name, as whose disciples we approach thee, our Father, and ascribe unto thee all honour and glory for ever. Amen.

Or this.

OUR Father in heaven, thy children kneel before the throne of thy mercy, and humbly thank thee for all the blessings of this day, and for the privilege which we now enjoy of

O God, if this day we have fallen into any sin; if we have weakly yielded to any temptation; if we have been angry without cause, or beyond bounds; if we have been uncharitable, unjust, undutiful, or in any way unmindful of thee and thy laws, we beseech thee to forgive us in thy great mercy, and grant us true repentance, that we may lie down this night in peace with the world, with ourselves, and with thee. And we pray thee, O Father, to watch over us this night, and protect us from all evil, and give to our eyes refreshing slumbers, so that we may rise in the morning with renewed power to serve thee. If we are to rise no more in this world, grant that we may wake, in the next, to

life immortal, and the light of thy countenance for ev

ermore.

We pray thee, also, to protect the whole sleeping world through the hours of darkness. And be graciously with those, who, by land or by sea, must wake and watch. Soothe the pains of the sick; speak pardon and peace to sleepless consciences; guide the traveller on his way; preserve the mariner from the fury of the tempest, and direct him through the paths of the deep. Be a Father to the fatherless; a Deliverer to the oppressed; a Friend to all who are under neglect or contempt, or in want; and especially to those who are persecuted for conscience and right

eousness' sake. Be kind to all our friends and to all our enemies ; to all who have prayed for us, and to all who have desired that we should pray for them. Mercifully, O God, Father Almighty, hear their prayers, and ours, which we offer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then shall the whole Family say the following Benediction, and the Service may be closed with a Hymn.

THE Lord bless us and keep us; The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, And give us peace, Now and evermore. Amen.

END OF THE FIRST EVENING SERVICE.

SECOND EVENING SERVICE

FOR A FAMILY.

The following Anthem is to be said alternately, as in the preceding Ser

build the house, their labour is but lost who build it.

Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman wa

vices.
EXCEPT the Lord keth but in vain.

We will lift up our eyes unto the hills from whence cometh our help.

Our help cometh even from the Lord, who hath made heaven and earth.

He will not suffer thy foot to be moved; and he who keepeth thee will not sleep.

Behold he who keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep.

The Lord himself is thy keeper; the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand.

So that the sun shall not smite thee by day, neither the moon by night.

The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil; yea it is even he who shall keep thy soul.

The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in, from this time forth for evermore.

Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only God;

Be honour and glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen.

If a portion of Scripture is to be read, let it be preceded by the following Sentences, said alternately as before.

[blocks in formation]

BY the favour of God, we are come to the evening of this day; and we are so much nearer the end of our mortal life. Let us seriously consider this, and resolve to prepare ourselves for our change by living righteously and godly in this present world. Let us pray to God to forgive us our sins, and grant us true repentance, and strengthen our good resolutions, and enable us, as we

draw nearer to the grave, to draw nearer to himself, and to his heavenly kingdom.

Answer. O thou who hearest prayer, unto thee will we lift up our souls.* Reader. Let us pray.

Then shall be read either of the following Prayers, or make a Prayer extempore.

O GOD, the light of every heart that sees thee, the life of every soul that loves thee, the strength of every mind that seeks thee; we seek thee now, O Father, thy children seek thee, and pray that thou wouldst enlighten our darkness, sustain our faintings, save us from the death of sin, and grant us life eternal. We are not worthy that thou shouldst come under our roof; but come, O Lord, and make us worthy; enter into our hearts, speak peace unto this house, and abide with us always. Let us be sheltered under the shadow of thy wings from the storms of worldly cares; and when the darkness gathers, and the winds blow, and the waves swell, be thou our harbour and secure repose.

Keep us continually, O God, in thy faith and fear. May we be followers of that which is good, and followers of thy Son Jesus Christ, obeying his precepts, and imitating his example. Let our bodies be in constant subjection to our souls, our senses to our reason, and our reason to thy divine and gracious instruction; that so, both outwardly and inwardly, we may be fully disposed to do thy will.

May we, thy children, know from our experience how good and how pleasant a thing it is to dwell together in unity. May we be kind and faithful to each other, and to all with whom we are in any way connected. And may we be always sensible of our relationship to thee, our heavenly Father; and feel that whether sleeping or waking we are still with thee. Keep and defend us this night. Grant unto us quiet and restoring slumbers. Bring us to the light of another morning in safety; and when our days and nights on earth are numbered and finished, grant that we may behold each other in the light of eternal day. And this we ask in the

[blocks in formation]

WE humbly thank thee, merciful Father, for thy goodness in conducting us to the close of this day, and for all thy mercies from day to day bestowed upon us. Add this to all thy favours, we beseech thee, that we may never forget to be thankful, but may constantly acknowledge thee as the source of all our blessings, and praise thee not only with our lips but in our lives. Write thy law upon our hearts, that all our desires, words and actions may be conformable to thy holy will. Remembering thy mercies hitherto vouchsafed to us, we do entirely trust thee for the time to come. For this only we are anxious, and do earnestly pray, that we may all our days serve and please thee in such a constant practice of piety and devotion, of righteousness and mercy, of temperance, meekness, patience, truth and fidelity, as may adorn the religion and name of our Lord and Master.

Accept, O God, as the testimony of our love and charity, our hearty intercessions for all mankind. Let the glorious light of thy Gospel shine upon all nations; and grant that all who have already received it, may live as becomes it.

O Lord, continue thy gracious protection to us this night. Into thy hands we commend ourselves, our souls and bodies, and all things belonging to us. And make us mindful, we pray thee, of that time when we shall lie down in the dust; and grant us grace always to live in such a state, that we may never be afraid or unfit to die. And now to thee, our God and Father, we ascribe all honour and glory, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

Then shall the whole Family say the following Benediction, and the Service may be closed with a Hymn.

THE Lord bless us and keep us; The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon us, And give us peace, Now and evermore. Amen.

END OF THE SECOND EVENING SERVICE.

« ՆախորդըՇարունակել »