[The Superintendent shall then say, the Children repeating after him, this]

FATH

PRAYER.

ATHER in Heaven, we mourn Thou hast been so little in our thoughts. - - We grieve that we honor Thee so little in our lives. Day after day we say that we will sin no more; But our hearts go back, and we find that all our strength is weakness. It is in vain that we say we thank Thee,-since our lives, which speak so much louder than our words, show that we do not thank Thee

as we ought.

Let us mock Thee no more, and thus cheat our own souls. Let us not confess our sins with our lips, while we cleave to them with our hearts. Better were it for us to leave our prayers unsaid,than to take words upon our lips in which our hearts have no share. - O Lord, may we ever bear in mind - how sad a thing is sin. -Thou art the Way the Truth and the Life.Be Thou ever with us, to make clean our hands, to make pure our lips, to guard our thoughts, and to make right all our ways. We ask it through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

-

CLOSING PRAYER.

ATHER in Heaven,-grant that the words

ears, may bring forth in our hearts the fruit of a good life.

We pray Thee to go with us from this place, and to bless us.-Keep us from all harm in the time to come.-May our hearts be stayed on Thee in every grief we bear.— Lead us safe through all the scenes of life.And when with us this world shall cease,take us to that Heaven of peace and joy,which shall have no end;-through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

BENEDICTION.

The Lord of peace go with you, and may you find peace now, and always. Amen.

III.

OFFICE OF DEVOTION

AT THE

OPENING OF THE SCHOOL.

Supt. The Lord is in His holy temple;

Chil. fore Him.

Let all the earth keep silence be

THE EXHORTATION.

DEAR CHILDREN, - We are met to learn those truths which will make us wise and save us from sin. We ought to come with meek hearts and right minds. We ought to come in the love of God, and with full trust in His mercy. He made us and all things. He has been with us, and blest us since the first day of our life. He is our Father in Heaven. We are his children. We ought

to love Him, for He first loved us. He is good, and all His works are good. Even when we do wrong, He shows us the path of light and truth.

And now, that we are come to thank Him for all the joys of life, and to bless His holy name, let us bear in mind that He is here with us, and that all our thoughts, and words, and deeds, are known to Him. Let us look to Him for the help we need. Let us confess our sins to Him, and ask Him to take them away. To this end I pray you who are now here, to join me with a pure heart and humble voice, at the throne of grace, saying,

MOST

CONFESSION.

OST High and Holy God; We have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep. We have gone too much in the way of our own hearts.-We have sinned against Thy holy laws. We have not done those things we ought to have done, and we have done those things which we ought not to have done.-And all our help is in Thee.We are weak and need Thine aid.-Grant us Thy Peace, that we may walk in the light.We pray Thee to forgive all our sins. And grant, that from this time forth we may serve Thee all the days of our life,-through Jesus Christ our Lord.-As Thy Son, O God, has taught us, we would pray :

UR Father who art in Heaven, Hallowed

OUR Father we; any 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.

Supt. O Lord, open Thou our lips;
Chil.

Thy praise.

And our mouth shall show forth

[Then shall be said, all standing, alternately by the Superintendent and Children, the following ]

Supt.
Chil.

PSALM.

Praise the Lord, O my soul;
And all that is within me, praise

His holy name.

Supt. - Praise the Lord, O my soul,
And forget not all His benefits:
Who forgiveth all thy sin,

Chil. Supt. Chil. Supt. tion,

Chil.

- And healeth all thine infirmities; Who saveth thy life from destruc

- And crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness.

Supt. O praise the Lord, ye Angels of His, ye that excel in strength;