SANCT

IN BEREAVEMENT.

ANCTIFY to thy servants, O God, the loss of one of our number by death. Look with pity upon our sorrows; and grant that the affliction which it has pleased thee to bring upon us may awaken our consciences, and soften our hearts, and impress upon us such convictions of thy holiness and power, that we may place in thee our only felicity, and strive to please thee in all our ways. And give us grace constantly to look forward to that life which is beyond death, and over which death has no power, revealed to us by thy dear Son Jesus Christ. Amen.

A

FOR THE CHRISTIAN MINISTRY.

LMIGHTY God, and Heavenly Father, who, of thine infinite love and goodness towards us, hast given to us thy only and most dearly beloved Son Jesus Christ, to be our Redeemer, and the author of everlasting life; who, after he had made perfect our redemption by his death, and was ascended into heaven, sent abroad into the world his Apostles, Prophets, Evangelists, Teachers, and Pastors; by whose labor and ministry he gathered together a great flock in all the parts of the world, to set forth the eternal praise of thy holy name: for these so great benefits of thy eternal goodness, and for that thou hast vouchsafed to call many of thy servants to the same office and ministry appointed for the salvation of mankind, we render unto thee most hearty thanks, we praise and worship thee; and we humbly beseech thee, by the same thy blessed Son, to grant unto all, which either here or elsewhere call upon thy holy name, that we may continue to show ourselves thankful unto thee for these and all other thy benefits; and that we may daily increase and go forward in the knowledge and faith of thee and thy Son, by the Holy Spirit. So that as well by those thy ministers, as by them over whom they are appointed, thy holy name may be for ever glorified, and thy blessed kingdom enlarged; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord, who liveth and reigneth with thee in the unity of the same Holy Spirit, world without end. Amen.

FOR THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR.

THOU in whose sight a thousand years are but as a day, all things on earth are passing away, but thou remainest one and the same, and to thy years there is no end. Thy providence has brought us to the close of another mortal year, and we would raise our thoughts above the flight of time, to the eternity in which thou dwellest, and to those things which know no change, but from glory to glory.

Merciful God! open our hearts to hear the awful voice of the departing year. Bring home to us a sense of our mortality. And teach us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts, with all diligence, to the search after wisdom. Make the point of time at which we now stand a gate of heaven. Bless to our sanctification the solemn lessons of the past. Inspire our hearts, O God, with the life of faith, that we may obtain a lasting dominion over the evil that is in the world and in ourselves. Daily, hourly, may we watch

and pray lest we fall into temptation.

O that it may be given us, in thy grace, to walk henceforth as becometh our great vocation, as the children of God and the friends of Jesus. Through whom unto thee, O Father everlasting, be all praise and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

FOR A NEW YEAR.

BLESSED be God, who has brought us safe to the beginning of

another year. Make us sensible, O thou eternal and holy One, how short and uncertain is our mortal life. Pardon our misspent time, and make us henceforth careful to redeem it. Grant that we may begin this new year with new resolutions of serving thee more faithfully. Make us wise unto salvation; that we may consider in this our day the things that belong to our peace; and that we may pass the time of our sojourning here in thy fear and love; and be ready to depart hence, whenever thou shalt say unto us, Return, ye children of men. And this we ask in the holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

GL

FOR SUNDAY EVENING.

LORY be to thy name for the sacred day has brought to us.

especial blessings which this Pardon us, if in any manner

we have abused its privileges. Cause the truths which we have heard to sink deep into our hearts, and bring forth in us the fruits of a holy and religous life, a peaceful and blessed death, and a glorious resurrection. These, and all our prayers, would we humbly offer unto thee, O Father of Infinite Mercy, through the most gracious and glorious mediation and intercession of our Redeemer, who liveth and reigneth for ever at thy right hand. Amen.

B

ANOTHER.

LESSED be God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who hath vouchsafed to us the rest and the instruction of this Christian Sabbath. Blessed be God for the means of happiness and improvement which have been offered this day to us and our fellow-Christians. Make us mindful, we pray thee, of our duty; that as we often hear how we ought to walk and to please God, we may continue to do so unto our lives' end. And wilt thou ever keep, defend, and bless us, and all thy children throughout the world, bringing us safely, by thy mighty power and grace, into the Sabbath which hath no end, and into the temple from which thy people go no more out, that we may there worship and glorify thee for ever, through him who is the Resurrection and the Life, the Son of thy perfect love, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

0

AN EVENING PRAYER.

MERCIFUL God! Eternal Light, shining in darkness! Thou who dispellest the night of sin, and all blindness of heart! since thou hast appointed the night for rest, and the day for labor, we beseech thee, grant that our bodies may rest in peace and quiet

ness, that afterward they may be able to endure the labor they must bear. Temper our sleep, that it be not disorderly, that we may remain spotless both in body and soul; yea, that our sleep itself may be to thy glory. Enlighten the eyes of our understanding, that we may not sleep in death; but always look for deliverance from this misery. Defend us against all assaults of the devil, and take us into thine holy protection. And, although we have not passed this day without greatly sinning against thee, we beseech thee to hide our sins with thy mercy, as thou hidest all things on earth with the darkness of the night, that we may not be cast out from thy presence. Relieve and comfort all those who are afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Consider and hear us, O Lord; lighten our eyes, lest we sleep the sleep of death.

We will both lay us down in peace and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest us to dwell in safety. Amen.

SENTENCES OF BENEDICTION.

I.

O LORD, have mercy upon us! have mercy upon us!
O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage!
The Lord will bless his people with peace! Amen.

II.

BLESSED is the people that know the joyful sound! They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance!

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee!

The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you peace! Amen.

III.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us;

Unto Him be glory in the Church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end.

Blessing, and glory, and honor be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.