Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

SERVICES FOR THE CHRISTIAN YEAR.

A

FIRST SUNDAY IN ADVENT.

COLLECT.

LMIGHTY God, give us grace that we may cast away

the works of darkness, and put upon us the armor 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 the dead, we may rise to the life immortal, through him who liveth and reigneth with thee evermore. Amen.

PROPHECIES.

ISAIAH.

And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord's house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it.

And many people shall go and say, Come ye, and let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, to the house of God; and he will teach us of his ways, and we will walk in his paths: for out of Zion shall go forth the law, and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.

And he shall judge among the nations, and shall rebuke many people, and they shall beat their swords into ploughshares, and their spears into pruning-hooks: nation shall not

lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any

more.

Come ye, and let us walk in the light of the Lord.

The lofty looks of man shall be humbled, and the haughtiness of men shall be bowed down; and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

For the day of the Lord of hosts shall be upon every one that is proud and lofty, and upon every one that is lifted up; and he shall be brought low;

And the loftiness of man shall be bowed down, and the haughtiness of men shall be made low: and the Lord alone shall be exalted in that day.

In that day a man shall cast his idols of silver, and his idols of gold, which they made each one for himself to worship, to the moles, and to the bats;

For fear of the Lord, and for the glory of his majesty, when he ariseth to shake terribly the earth.

Arise, shine; for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.

For, behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and his glory shall be seen upon thee.

And the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Lift up thine eyes round about, and see: all they gather themselves together, they come to thee: thy sons shall come from far, and thy daughters shall be nursed at thy side.

Then thou shalt see, and flow together, and thine heart shall fear, and be enlarged; because the abundance of the sea shall be converted unto thee, the forces of the Gentiles shall come unto thee.

They shall bring gold and incense; and they shall show forth the praises of the Lord.

The flocks shall come up with acceptance on mine altar, and I will glorify the house of my glory.

Who are these that fly as a cloud, and as the doves to their windows?

Surely the isles shall wait for me, and the ships, to bring thy sons from far, their silver and their gold with them, unto the name of the Lord thy God, and to the Holy One of Israel, because he hath glorified thee.

And the sons of strangers shall build up thy walls, and their kings shall minister unto thee: for in my wrath I smote thee, but in my favor have I had mercy on thee.

Therefore thy gates shall be open continually: they shall not be shut day nor night.

The glory of Lebanon shall come unto thee, the fir-tree, the pine-tree, and the box together, to beautify the place of my sanctuary; and I will make the place of my feet glorious.

The sons also of them that afflicted thee shall come bending unto thee; and all they that despised thee shall bow themselves down at the soles of thy feet; and they shall call thee, The City of the Lord, The Zion of the Holy One of Israel.

Whereas thou hast been forsaken and hated, so that no man went through thee, I will make thee an eternal excellency, a joy of many generations.

Thou shalt also know that I the Lord am thy Saviour and thy Redeemer, the Mighty One of Jacob.

For brass I will bring gold, and for iron I will bring silver, and for wood brass, and for stones iron: I will also make thy officers peace, and thine exactors righteousness.

Violence shall no more be heard in thy land, wasting nor destruction within thy borders: but thou shalt call thy walls Salvation, and thy gates Praise.

The sun shall be no more thy light by day; neither for brightness shall the moon give light unto thee: but the Lord shall be unto thee an everlasting light, and thy God thy glory;

Thy sun shall no more go down; neither shall thy moon

withdraw itself: for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended.

Thy people also shall be all righteous: they shall inherit the land for ever, the branch of my planting, the work of my hands, that I may be glorified.

A little one shall become a thousand, and a small one a strong nation: I the Lord will hasten it in his time.

O Lord, open thou our ears!

That we may hear meekly thy word, and receive it with pure affection.

PSALMS.

To the king, O God, give thy justice,

And to the son of a king thy righteousness!

Yea! and he shall judge thy people with equity,

And thine oppressed ones with justice.

For the mountains shall bring forth peace to the people,

And the hills, through righteousness.

He shall defend the oppressed of the people;

He shall save the needy,

And break in pieces the oppressor.

They shall fear thee as long as the sun and moon shall endure,

From generation to generation.

He shall be like rain descending on the mown field;

Like showers which water the earth.

In his days shall the righteous flourish,

And great shall be their prosperity, as long as the moon shall endure.

He shall have dominion from sea to sea,

And from the river to the ends of the earth.

They that dwell in the desert shall bow before him,

And his enemies shall lick the dust.

The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall bring presents;

The kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts;

Yea, all kings shall fall down before him;

All nations shall serve him.

For he shall deliver the poor who crieth for aid,
And the oppressed who hath no helper.

He shall spare the weak and the needy,
And save the lives of the poor.

He shall redeem them from deceit and violence,

And their blood shall be precious in his sight.

He shall prosper, and to him shall be given of the gold of Sheba ;

Prayer also shall be made for him continually,

And daily shall he be praised.

There shall be an abundance of corn in the land;

Even on the tops of the mountains its fruit shall shake like Lebanon,

And they of the cities shall flourish as the grass of the earth. His name shall endure for ever;

His name shall be continued as long as the sun.

By him shall men bless themselves ;

All nations shall call him blessed.

Blessed be God, Jehovah, the God of Israel,

Who alone doeth wonderful things!

Blessed be his glorious name for ever!

Let the whole earth be filled with his glory. Amen and Amen.

JEHOVAH said to my lord,

"Sit thou at my right hand,

Until I make thy foes thy footstool."

Jehovah will extend the sceptre of thy power from Zion;
Thou shalt rule in the midst of thine enemies!

Thy people shall be ready, when thou musterest thy forces,

in holy splendor;

Thy youth shall come forth like dew from the womb of the

morning.

Jehovah hath sworn, and he will not repent:

"Thou art a priest for ever,

After the order of Melchisedeck!"

« IndietroContinua »