Immagini della pagina
PDF
ePub

EXHORTATION AND CONFESSION.*

DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of Almighty God our Heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought, at all times, humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me, with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying with me,

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent, according to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesus our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, that we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life; To the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

The Confession to be said by the minister and congregation together.

GENERAL CONFESSION.

WITH a true heart and sincere repentance, let us make humble confession of our unworthiness:

If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and the truth is not in us;

If we confess our sins, God is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

I will arise and go to my Father, and say unto him, Father, I have sinned against Heaven, and in thy sight, and am no more worthy to be called thy son.

For the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do.

God be merciful to me a sinner.

Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit with

in me.

Lord, if thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.

Speak the word only, and thy servant shall be healed.

Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord!
For in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

Hide thy face from my sins! and blot out all mine iniquities! The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit.

A broken and a contrite spirit, O God, thou wilt not despise.

THE LORD'S PRAYER.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

THE COMMANDMENTS.

THOU shalt have no other gods before me.

Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou labor, and do all thy work; but the seventh is the Sabbath of the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy man-servant, nor thy maid-servant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, the sea and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Honor thy father and thy mother; that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.

Thou shalt not kill.

Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Thou shalt not steal.

Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

Thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbor's wife, nor his man-servant, nor his maid-servant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor anything that is thy neighbor's.

HEAR also what our Saviour Christ saith:

The first of all the commandments is, Hear, O Israel! The Lord our God is one Lord: and thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind, and with all thy strength.

This is the first commandment. And the second is like, namely, this:

Thou shalt love thy neighbor as thyself.

There is none other commandment greater than these.

O Lord, Open thou our eyes!

And we shall behold wondrous things out of thy law !

O Lord, have mercy upon us!

And write all these thy commandments, we beseech thee, in our hearts.

BEATITUDES.

JESUS opened his mouth and taught them, saying:

Blessed are the poor in spirit ;

For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.
Blessed are they that mourn;

For they shall be comforted.
Blessed are the meek;

For they shall inherit the earth.

Blessed are they which do hunger and thirst after righteousness;

For they shall be filled.

Blessed are the merciful;
For they shall obtain mercy.

Blessed are the pure in heart;
For they shall see God.

Blessed are the peacemakers;

For they shall be called the children of God.

Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness' sake; For theirs is the kingdom of Heaven.

Blessed are ye when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, for my sake; Rejoice, and be exceeding glad for great is your reward in Heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.

O Lord, touch our hearts,

That we may know the mysteries of the kingdom of Heaven!

« IndietroContinua »