LORD, who hast given unto us thy holy Word, bestow upon us the gift of faith, that we may hold fast the truth in our strife with sin, and may be saved by him whom that Word makes known, Jesus Christ, thy Son, our Lord. Amen. GOD, who hast called us to be children of the resurrection, and hast made us citizens of the Jerusalem which is above; Grant that whensoever in the dimness of this life present our eyes are holden that we see thee not, our hearts may alway be attentive to thy holy Word, and burn within us, as it is opened by thy Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. GRACIOUS God and most merciful Father, who hast vouchsafed us the rich and precious jewel of thy holy word, assist us with thy Spirit, that it may be written in our hearts to our everlasting comfort, to reform us, to renew us according to thine own image, to build us up, and edify us into the perfect building of thy Christ, sanctifying and increasing in us all heavenly virtues. Grant this O heavenly Father, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen. ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us thy holy word to be a light unto our path amid the dimness of this present life; Enable us, we beseech thee, so faithfully to obey thy heavenly guidance that our feet may never wander from the way of peace. Open our eyes to behold wonderful things out of thy law; quicken our consciences that we may know our need of thy forgiveness; comfort our souls with the assurance of thy continual pity, and help us to find in thee the satisfaction of our hearts' desire. Give us grace to study whatsoever hath been written of thee by holy men of old, with reverence, docility and trust. Guard us from self-will, slowness of heart and vanity of mind. Feed us upon the bread of life; give us to drink of the water of life freely. And when at last the end cometh and all scripture shall have been fulfilled, be pleased to minister unto us an entrance into the blessed company of those who see eye to eye and know even as also they are known. Grant this, we beseech thee, most merciful Father, for the love of thy dear Son, our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. HOLY and Eternal Jesus, who hast begotten us by thy Word, renewed us by thy Spirit, fed us by thy Sacraments and by the daily ministry of thy Word, still go on to build us up to life eternal. Let thy most Holy Spirit be present with us and rest upon us in the reading and studying of thy sacred Word, that we may do it humbly, reverently, without prejudice, with minds ready and desirous to learn and to obey, that we may be readily furnished to every good work, and may practice all thy holy laws and commandments, to the glory of thy name, whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, we worship now and ever. Amen. SHOW HOW the light of thy countenance upon us, O Lord, that the going forth of thy Word may give light and understanding, to nourish the hearts of the simple; and that while our desire is set on thy commandments, we may receive with open heart the spirit of wisdom and understanding; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, who hast sent this Book to be the revelation of thy great love to man, and of thy power and will to save him, grant that our study of it may not be made vain by the callousness or carelessness of our hearts, but that by it we may be confirmed in penitence, lifted to hope, made strong for service and above all, filled with the true knowledge of thee and of thy Son Jesus Christ. Amen. FOR PERSONS PREPARING FOR CON FIRMATION. O LORD God, giver of heavenly increase, who by thy Spirit's might dost confirm the first efforts of feeble souls; Encourage in the hearts of these thy children every good intent, and carry them from strength to strength. Cleanse their consciences, and stir their wills gladly to serve thee, the living God. Leave no room in them for spiritual wickedness, no lurking-place for secret sins: but so establish and sanctify them by the power of thy holy Word, that evermore taking heed unto the thing that is right, and speaking and doing the truth, they may find godliness their gain both in the life which now is, and in that which is to come; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. LORD Jesus Christ, the good Shepherd of the sheep, look mercifully upon these thy children, and fit them for Confirmation and Holy Communion. Give them unfeigned repentance, and steadfast faith in thee; create and make in them new and contrite hearts; give them power and strength to have victory and to triumph against sin, the world, and the devil. Cleanse their souls that thy Holy Spirit may dwell in them; and receive them, we beseech thee, to thy Blessed Presence, in the Holy Communion, that knowing thee by faith, they may after this life have the fruition of thy glorious Godhead, who livest and reignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. IN PREPARATION FOR THE HOLY COMMUNION. GOD, in whose sight the very heavens are not clean, and who chargest even thine Angels with folly; Mercifully enlighten our souls that we may see our weakness and sin, and with all lowliness of heart turn unto thee, the only Giver of all goodness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. MERCIFUL Saviour, who not only didst die for us, but also dost give thyself to be our spiritual Food and Sustenance in the blessed Sacrament of the Altar; We pray thee to look down in mercy upon these thy children, who most earnestly desire to come to thee as the true Shepherd of the flock, the one Physician of the soul. Thou who hast said, Him that cometh unto me I will in no wise cast out, accept the hearts of these thy servants, make them thine Make them partakers of thy one unending Sacrifice. Feed them with the Bread of Life. Cleanse them in the fountain of thy Blood. Take them, O gracious Saviour, to thyself, let them never more be separated from thee. All this we ask for thy merits, O Blessed Jesus, whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost, we worship, one God, world without end. Amen. own. ALMIGHTY God, whose blessed Son did institute and ordain holy mysteries as pledges of his love, and for a continual remembrance of his death; Mercifully grant that we and all who shall this day come to thy holy Table, may be filled with a deep sense of the exceeding holiness of that blessed mystery, and drawing near with true penitent hearts, and lively faith, in love and charity with all men, may worthily receive that holy Sacrament, and obtain the fulness of thy grace, to our present comfort and our everlasting salvation; through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. PITIFUL Lord, and most merciful Redeemer, who seest us and knowest all our thoughts, and who dost weigh in thy just balance our mistakes and our transgressions; though our sins call loudly to thy justice, yet do our miseries and our needs cry more loudly to thy compassion and thy infinite mercies. Great as is our ill-desert, it cannot exceed thy power to redeem us and thy grace to forgive; nor can we long to be saved so much as thou dost long to save us. Enter thou, Loving Lord, into our hearts; cast out from thence thy enemies; cherish there the fruits of thy Holy Spirit; and grant unto us submissive and untiring obedience to thy will, righteous and_pure desires, and a spirit of constant prayer. Light of the world, enlighten us; Life of the sinful, grant us life; Fountain of Love, fill us with love of thee, and in that love sanctify us wholly; Heavenly Physician, heal us, in body and in soul; for thou only hast power; and bring us, we beseech thee, unto thy Kingdom, where with the Father and the Holy Ghost thou livest, one God, world without end. Amen. ALMIGHTY Father, whose dear Son did in the Garden of Gethsemane accept the cup thou gavest him to drink, that so he might taste death for every man; Mercifully grant that we to whom he ministers the cup of blessing may thankfully receive it in remembrance of him, and show our Lord's death till he come; who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen. LORD, infinite in mercy, and whose goodness is everlasting; Hear our prayer, and turn us away from all that can separate us from thee, and make us to love that which tends to draw us unto thee. So rule our hearts that we may seek and long for and possess thee only. Be it our pain to lose thee, and our only gain to love thee more and more. Raise our desires and hopes, our whole powers and life, unto thy |