The Book of Common Prayer Part 7

| | The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia. _St Luke_ xxiv. 34.

| | _Ascension-day and seven days after_.

| | Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting | doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. _Psalm_ xxiv. 7.

| | _Or_, We have a great high priest that is pa.s.sed into the | heavens, Jesus the Son of G.o.d. Let us therefore come boldly | unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find | grace to help in time of need. _Heb_. iv. 14, 16.

| | _Whitsunday and six days after_.

| | When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with | one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from | heaven, as of a rus.h.i.+ng mighty wind, and it filled all the house | where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven | tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them: and | they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. _Acts_ ii. 1-4.

Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty G.o.d our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before G.o.d; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we a.s.semble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me:

| _The exhortation_, Dearly beloved brethren, _except on occasions_ | _specified by the Bishop, may be omitted, or may be abbreviated_ | _as follows:_ | | Dearly beloved brethren, I pray and beseech you, as many as are | here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble | voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me; | | _Or the following may be said instead_, | | Let us humbly confess our sins to Almighty G.o.d.

_A general Confession to be said of the whole Congregation after the Minister, all kneeling_.

Almighty and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts, We have offended against thy holy laws, We have left undone those things which we ought to have done, And we have done those things which we ought not to have done, And there is no health in us: But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us miserable offenders; Spare thou them, O G.o.d, which confess their faults, Restore thou them that are penitent, According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord: And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a G.o.dly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.

_The Absolution or Remission of sins to be p.r.o.nounced by the Priest alone, standing: the people still kneeling_.

Almighty G.o.d, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live; and hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and p.r.o.nounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins: He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

_The people shall answer here, and at the end of all other prayers_,

Amen.

_Then the Minister shall kneel, and say the Lord's Prayer with an audible voice: the people also kneeling, and repeating it with him, both here, and wheresoever else it is used in Divine Service_.

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 trespa.s.ses, As we forgive them that trespa.s.s 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.

_Then likewise he shall say_,

O Lord, open thou our lips.

_Answer_. And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise.

_Priest_. O G.o.d, make speed to save us.

_Answer_. O Lord, make haste to help us.

_Here, all standing up, the Priest shall say_,

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

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

_Priest_. Praise ye the Lord.

_Answer_. The Lord's Name be praised.

_Then shall be said or sung this Psalm following: Except on Easter-day, upon which another Anthem is appointed: and on the nineteenth day of every month it is not to be read here, but in the ordinary course of the Psalms_.

| _The Easter Anthems may be used for seven days after Easter_.

VENITE, EXULTEMUS DOMINO.

Psalm xcv.

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us heartily rejoice in the strength of our salvation.

Let us come before his presence with thanksgiving: and shew ourselves glad in him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great G.o.d: and a great King above all G.o.ds.

In his hand are all the corners of the earth: and the strength of the hills is his also.

The sea is his, and he made it: and his hands prepared the dry land.

O come, let us wors.h.i.+p, and fall down: and kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For he is the Lord our G.o.d: and we are the people of his pasture, and the sheep of his hand.

To day if ye will hear his voice, harden not your hearts: as in the provocation, and as in the day of temptation in the wilderness;

When your fathers tempted me: proved me, and saw my works.

Forty years long was I grieved with this generation, and said: It is a people that do err in their hearts, for they have not known my ways.

Unto whom I sware in my wrath: that they should not enter into my rest.

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.

_Then shall follow the Psalms in order as they be appointed. And at the end of every Psalm throughout the year, and likewise in the end of_ Benedicite, Benedictus, Magnificat, _and_ Nunc dimittis, _shall be repeated_,

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

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

_Then shall be read distinctly with an audible voice the First Lesson, taken out of the Old Testament as is appointed in the Kalendar: Except there be proper Lessons a.s.signed for that day: He that readeth so standing and turning himself, as he may best be heard of all such as are present. And after that shall be said or sung, in English, the Hymn called_ Te Deum Laudamus, _daily throughout the year_.

_Note that before every Lesson the Minister shall say_, Here beginneth such a Chapter, _or_ Verse of such a Chapter, of such a Book: _And after every Lesson_, Here endeth the First, _or_ the Second Lesson,

TE DEUM LAUDAMUS.

We praise thee, O G.o.d: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth wors.h.i.+p thee: the Father everlasting.

To thee all Angels cry aloud: the heavens and all the powers therein.

To thee Cherubin and Seraphin: continually do cry,