2 Praise him in his noble acts; praise him according to his excellent greatness; 3 Praise him in the sound of the trumpet; praise him upon the lute and harp; 4 Praise him in the cymbals and dances; praise him upon the strings and pipe; 5 Praise him upon the well-tuned cymbals ; praise him upon the loud cymbals ; 6 Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord. Let every thing that hath breath, praise the Lord.]-This psalm, and especially this verse, make a very happy finish to the " Psalms of David." In spite of occasional blemishes of sentiment, of many local and national peculiarities, of many obscurities from the use of metaphors of which the meanings are ill-understood, or, perhaps, are irrecoverably lost; and in spite of many obscurities to be ascribed only to the translation; these compositions must always be regarded as conferring great honour upon the Hebrew literature of the ages to which they belong, and as abounding in strains of the most noble, as well as the most beautiful class of a high and universal devotional poetry. The disadvantages incident to translation in all cases of poetic writing, and operating, from circumstances, with peculiar force as to translations of Hebrew poetry, have often been pleaded in apology for the imperfections of the vernacular versions of the Psalms, and always with entire justice. To many readers, it may be an acceptable explanation of the differences observable in numerous places, between the translation in the "Psalter," or as the Psalms are printed in the Prayer Book, and in the "Book of Psalms," as that book is given in the authorized translation of the Bible, that it is occasioned by this: "That (as intimated in the prefatory pages by authority, and to which pages, upon this, as upon other subjects, reference can hardly too often be made) the Psalter followeth the division of the Hebrews, and the translation of the great English Bible, set forth and used in the time of King Henry the Eighth, and King Edward the Sixth;" while the translation of the "Book of Psalms," in its order in the present Bible, has felt the revision of the translators of the whole Bible, appointed by King James the First. FORMS OF PRAYER TO BE USED AT SEA. The Morning and Evening Service to be used daily at Sea, shall be the same which is appointed in the Book of Common Prayer. These two following Prayers are to be also used in Her Majesty's Navy every day. Eternal Lord God, who alone spreadest out the heavens, and rulest the raging of the sea; who hast compassed the waters with bounds, until day and night come to an end; be pleased to receive into thy Almighty and most gracious protection, the persons of us thy servants, and the Fleet in which we serve. Preserve us from the dangers of the sea, and from the violence of the enemy, that we may be a safeguard unto our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen VICTORIA, and her Dominions, and a security for such as pass on the seas upon their lawful occasions: that the inhabitants of our Island may, in peace and quietness, serve thee, our God; and that we may return in safety to enjoy the blessings of the land, with the fruits of our labours; and, with a thankful remembrance of thy mercies, to praise and glorify thy holy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. PRE The Collect. REVENT us, O Lord, in all our doings, with thy most gracious favour, and further us with thy continual help; that, in all our works begun, continued, and ended, in thee, we may glorify thy holy Name; and, finally, by thy mercy, obtain everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Prayers to be used in Storms at Sea. Most powerful and glorious Lord God, at whose command the winds blow and lift up the waves of the sea, and who stillest the rage thereof; we, thy creatures, but miserable sinners, do, in this our great distress, cry unto thee for help; save Lord, or else we perish. We confess, when we have been safe, and seen all things quiet about us, we have forgot thee our God, and refused to hearken to the still voice of thy word, and to obey thy commandments; but now we see how terrible thou art in all thy works of wonder; the great God to be feared above all; and, therefore, we adore thy Divine Majesty, acknowledging thy power, and imploring thy goodness. Help, Lord, and save us for thy mercy's sake in Jesus Christ thy Son, our Lord. Amen. Or this. Most glorious and gracious Lord God, who dwellest in heaven, but beholdest all things below; look down, we beseech thee, and hear us, calling out of the depth of misery, and out of the jaws of this death, which is ready now to swallow us up; save, Lord, or else we perish. The living, the living shall praise thee. O send thy word of command, to rebuke the raging winds and the roaring sea; that we, being delivered from this distress, may live to serve thee, and to glorify thy Name all the days of our life. Hear, Lord, and save us, for the infinite merits of our blessed Saviour, thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. The Prayer to be said before a Fight at Sea against any Enemy. Most powerful and glorious Lord God, the Lord of hosts, that rulest and commandest all things; thou sittest in the throne judging right, and, therefore, we make our address to thy Divine Majesty in this our necessity, that thou wouldest take the cause into thine own hand, and judge between us and our enemies. Stir up thy strength, O Lord, and come and help us; for thou givest not alway the battle to the strong, but canst save by many or by few. O let not our sins now cry against us for vengeance; but hear us, thy poor servants, begging mercy, and imploring thy help, and that thou wouldest be a defence unto us against the face of the enemy. Make it appear that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Short Prayers for single persons, that cannot meet to join in Prayer with others, by reason of the Fight, or Storm. General Prayers. LORD, be merciful to us sinners, and save us for thy mercy's sake. Thou art the great God that hast made, and rulest, all things; O deliver us for thy Name's sake. Thou art the great God to be feared above all; O save us, may praise thee. Special Prayers with respect to the Enemy. that we HOU, O Lord, art just and powerful; O defend our cause against The face of the enemy. O God, thou art a strong tower of defence to all that flee unto thee; O save us from the violence of the enemy. O Lord of hosts, fight for us, that we may glorify thee. O suffer us not to sink under the weight of our sins, or the violence of the enemy. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us, for thy Name's sake. Short Prayers in respect of a Storm. HOU, O Lord, that stillest the raging of the sea, hear, hear us, and save us, that we perish not. TH O blessed Saviour, that didst save thy disciples ready to perish in a storm, hear us, and save us, we beseech thee. Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us. O Lord, hear us. O Christ, hear us. God the Father, God the Son, God the Holy Ghost, have mercy upon us; save us now and evermore. Amen. 0% UR Father which art in heaven, hallowed be thy Name; thy kingdom come; thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen. When there shall be imminent danger, as many as can be spared from necessary service in the Ship, shall be called together, and make an humble Confession of their sin to God: in which every one ought seriously to reflect upon those particular sins of which his conscience shall accuse him; saying as followeth, The Confession. ALMIGHTY God, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, Maker of all things, Judge of all men; we acknowledge, and bewail, our manifold sins and wickedness, which we, from time to time, most grievously have committed, by thought, word, and deed, against thy Divine Majesty, provoking most justly thy wrath and indignation against us. We do earnestly repent, and are heartily sorry for these our misdoings; the remembrance of them is grievous unto us; the burden of them is intolerable. Have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us, most merciful Father; for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ's sake, forgive us all that is past; and grant that we may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newness of life, to the honour and glory of thy Name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Then shall the Priest, if there be any in the Ship, pronounce this Absolution. LMIGHTY God, our heavenly Father, who, of his great mercy, hath promised forgiveness of sins to all them that with hearty repentance and true faith turn unto him, have mercy upon you; pardon and deliver you from all your sins, confirm and strengthen you in all goodness, and bring you to everlasting life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Thanksgiving after a Storm. Psalm lxvi. Be joyful in God, all ye lands; sing praises unto the honour of his Say unto God, O how wonderful art thou in thy works; through the O come hither, and behold the works of God; how wonderful he is in his doing toward the children of men. He turned the sea into dry land, so that they went through the water on foot; there did we rejoice thereof. He ruleth with his power for ever; his eyes behold the people; and such as will not believe shall not be able to exalt themselves. O praise our God, ye people, and make the voice of his praise to be heard; Who holdeth our soul in life, and suffereth not our feet to slip. For thou, O God, hast proved us; thou also hast tried us, like as silver is tried. Thou broughtest us into the snare, and laidest trouble upon our loins. Thou sufferedst men to ride over our heads; we went through fire and water, and thou broughtest us out into a wealthy place. I will go into thine house with burnt-offerings, and will pay thee my vows which I promised with my lips, and spake with my mouth, when I was in trouble. I will offer unto thee fat burnt-sacrifices, with the incense of rams; I will offer bullocks and goats. O come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what he hath done for my soul. I called unto him with my mouth, and gave him praises with my tongue. If I incline unto wickedness with mine heart, the Lord will not hear me. But God hath heard me, and considered the voice of my prayer. Praised be God who hath not cast out my prayer, nor turned his mercy from me. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. Psalm cvii. Give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for ever. Let them give thanks whom the Lord hath redeemed, and delivered from the hand of the enemy; And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west, and from the north, and from the south. They went astray in the wilderness out of the way, and found no city to dwell in; Hungry and thirsty, their soul fainted in them. So they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, and he delivered them from their distress. He led them forth by the right way, that they might go to the city where they dwelt. O that men would, therefore, praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men! For he satisfieth the empty soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness. Such as sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death, being fast bound in misery and iron, Because they rebelled against the words of the Lord, and lightly regarded the counsel of the most Highest, He also brought down their heart through heaviness; they fell down, and there was none to help them. So, when they cried unto the Lord in their trouble, he delivered them out of their distress. For he brought them out of darkness, and out of the shadow of death, and brake their bonds in sunder. O that men would, therefore, praise the Lord for his goodness, and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men! For he hath broken the gates of brass, and smitten the bars of iron in sunder. Foolish men are plagued for their offence, and because of their wicked ness. Their soul abhorred all manner of meat; and they were even hard at death's door. |