A General Thanksgiving.
Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants
do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness
and loving-kindness to us and to all men; [ * _particularly to
those who desire now to offer up their praises and thanksgivings
for thy late mercies vouchsafed unto them._] We bless thee for
our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life;
but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of
the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and
for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee, give us that due sense
of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful,
and that we shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in
our lives; by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking
before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days; through
Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost be all
honour and glory, world without end. _Amen_.
[Margin Note:] * This to be said when any that have been prayed
for desire to return praise.
_For Rain_.
O God our heavenly Father, who by thy gracious providence dost
cause the former and the latter rain to descend upon the earth,
that it may bring forth fruit for the use of man: We give thee
humble thanks that it hath pleased thee, in our great necessity,
to send us at the last a joyful rain upon thine inheritance, and
to refresh it when it was dry, to the great comfort of us thy
unworthy servants, and to the glory of thy holy Name; through thy
mercies in Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
_For fair Weather_.
O Lord God, who hast justly humbled us by thy late plague of
immoderate rain and waters, and in thy mercy hast relieved and
comforted our souls by this seasonable and blessed change of
weather: We praise and glorify thy holy Name for this thy mercy,
and will always declare thy loving-kindness from generation to
generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
_For Plenty_.
O most merciful Father, who of thy gracious goodness hast heard
the devout prayers of thy Church, and turned our dearth and
scarcity into cheapness and plenty: We give thee humble thanks
for this thy special bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy
loving-kindness unto us, that our land may yield us her fruits of
increase, to thy glory and our comfort; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. _Amen_.
_For Peace and Deliverance from our Enemies_.
O almighty God, who art a strong tower of defence unto thy servants
against the face of their enemies: We yield thee praise and
thanksgiving for our deliverance from those great and apparent
dangers wherewith we were compassed: We acknowledge it thy goodness
that we were not delivered over as a prey unto them; beseeching
thee still to continue such thy mercies towards us, that all the
world may know that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
_For restoring Public Peace at Home_.
O eternal God, our heavenly Father, who alone makest men to be of
one mind in a house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and
unruly people: We bless thy holy Name, that it hath pleased thee
to appease the seditious tumults which have been lately raised up
amongst us: most humbly beseeching thee to grant to all of us grace,
that we may henceforth obediently walk in thy holy commandments;
and leading a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and
honesty, may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of praise
and thanksgiving for these thy mercies towards us; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. _Amen_.
_For Deliverance from the Plague, or other common Sickness_.
O Lord God, who hast wounded us for our sins, and consumed us for
our transgressions, by thy late heavy and dreadful visitation; and
now, in the midst of judgement remembering mercy, hast redeemed
our souls from the jaws of death: We offer unto thy fatherly
goodness ourselves, our souls and bodies which thou hast delivered,
to be a living sacrifice unto thee, always praising and magnifying
thy mercies in the midst of thy Church; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. _Amen_.
_Or this_.
We humbly acknowledge before thee, O most merciful Father, that all
the punishments which are threatened in thy law might justly have
fallen upon us, by reason of our manifold transgressions and
hardness of heart: Yet seeing it hath pleased thee of thy tender
mercy, upon our weak and unworthy humiliation, to assuage the
contagious sickness wherewith we lately have been sore afflicted,
and to restore the voice of joy and health into our dwellings: We
offer unto thy Divine Majesty the sacrifice of praise and
thanksgiving, lauding and magnifying thy glorious Name for such
thy preservation and providence over us; through Jesus Christ our
Lord. _Amen_.
| THE BIDDING PRAYER
|
|
| Let us pray for Christ's Holy Catholic Church throughout the
| world, especially for the Churches of Great Britain and Ireland;
| for all Christian Sovereigns, Princes and Governors, particularly
| our Sovereign Lord King _GEORGE_, over all estates of men in
| these his dominions supreme; for our gracious Queen _Mary_,
| for _Alexandra_ the Queen Mother, for _Edward_ Prince of Wales,
| and all the Royal Family; for the ministers of God's holy Word
| and Sacraments, especially for _N_. Bishop of this diocese and
| all he clergy of the same; for the great Council of the nation
| [now in Parliament assembled], for the Nobility, Judges, and
| Magistrates of the realm, * especially for the [Lord] Provost
| and Magistrates of this ancient [and royal] city [or burgh]:
| that all these in their several callings may serve truly and
| faithfully to the glory of God and the edifying and well
| governing of his people, remembering always the strict and
| solemn account which they must give before the judgement seat
| of Christ. And for all other subjects of this realm, let us pray
| that they may live in the true faith and fear of God, in dutiful
| obedience to the King and brotherly charity one to another. And
| that there may never be wanting a supply of fit persons to serve
| God in Church and State, let us pray for a blessing on our
| universities [especially on . . . . . ], and on all colleges
| and schools, especially on the Theological College of our
| Church, that in these and in all places set apart for God's
| honour and service true religion and sound learning may ever
| flourish and abound. [+ And let us give thanks to Almighty God
| for all his servants, both living and departed, who have given
| of their substance or service towards the founding, building,
| maintenance, and adornment of this church ++ and especially are
| we bound to remember . . . . . ]
|
| Finally, let us praise God for those who are departed out of
| this life in the faith of Christ, and let us pray unto him that
| we may be made partakers with them in the glorious resurrection
| unto life everlasting. All which things let us humbly ask in
| the words which Christ himself hath taught us, saying:
|
| Our 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.
|
| [Margin Notes:] * to be used in cities and burghs.
|
| + to be used at Dedication Festivals or Commemorations of
| benefactors.
|
| ++ _or_ institution _or_ college.