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A TABLE OF THE VIGILS, FASTS, AND DAYS OF ABSTINENCE TO BE OBSERVED IN THE YEAR.

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Note, That if any of these Feast-days fall upon a Monday, then the Vigil or Fastday shall be kept upon the Saturday, and not upon the Sunday next before it.

DAYS OF FASTING OR ABSTINENCE.

I. The Forty Days of Lent.

II. The Ember-days at the Four Seasons, being the Wednesday, Friday,and Saturday after

The First Sunday in Lent.
The Feast of Pentecost.
September 14.

December 13.

III. The Three Rogation-days, being the Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday, before Holy Thursday, or the Ascension of our Lord.

IV. All the Fridays in the Year, except Christmas-day.

EXTERNAL acts of piety and devotion, and the frequent returns of them, are necessary to keep up a sense of religion, which the affairs of the world will otherwise wear out of men's hearts. And the frequent returns, whether of public devotions or of any thing else to introduce religion into men's serious thoughts, will have an influence upon them in proportion as they are susceptible of religion, and not given over to a reprobate mind. For this reason, besides others, the service of the Church ought to be celebrated as often as you can have a congregation to attend it. But since the body of the people, especially in country places, cannot be brought to attend it oftener than one day in a week, and since this is in no sort enough to keep up in them a due sense of religion, it were greatly to be wished they could be persuaded to any thing which might, in some measure, supply the want of more frequent public devotions, or serve the like purposes. Family prayers, regularly kept up in every house, would have a great and good effect.

BISHOP BUTLER'S Charge to his Clergy in 1751.

Family Prayers

FOR

SUNDAYS AND WEEK-DAYS,

TO BEGIN AND END THE DAY WITH GOD WILL BE THE LIKELIEST WAY

TO MAKE SERVANTS FAITHFUL, CHILDREN DUTIFUL, WIVES OBEDIENT, AND HUSBANDS SOBER, LOVING, AND CAREFUL: EVERY ONE ACTING AS IN THE SIGHT OF GOD."

BISHOP WILSON'S Paroch.

Family Prayers.

SUNDAY MORNING.

All standing, the head of the family (or the priest or deacon, if present) says:

. O Lord, open Thou our lips.

Ry. And our mouth shall shew forth Thy praise.

. O God, make speed to save us.

Ry. O Lord, make haste to help us.

V. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost.

Ry. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end.

Amen.

Then he says one of the following Psalms:

PSALM 26.

E Thou my Judge, O Lord, for

cency, O Lord and so will I go to Thine altar;

That I may shew the voice of

B I have walked innocently: my thanksgiving; and tell of all Thy

trust hath been also in the Lord, wondrous works. therefore shall I not fall.

Examine me, O Lord, and prove : try out my reins and my

me heart.

For Thy loving-kindness is ever before mine eyes and I will walk in Thy truth.

I have not dwelt with vain persons neither will I have fellowship with the deceitful.

I have hated the congregation of the wicked and will not sit among the ungodly.

Lord, I have loved the habitation of Thy house: and the place where Thine honour dwelleth.

O shut not up my soul with the sinners: nor my life with the bloodthirsty;

In whose hands is wickedness: and their right hand is full of gifts.

But as for me, I will walk innocently: O deliver me, and be merciful unto me.

My foot standeth right: I will praise the Lord in the congrega

I will wash my hands in inno- tions.

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