O ye Priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord ; praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord; praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord; praise him, and magnify him for ever. O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord; praise him, and magnify him for ever. O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord; praise him, and magnify him for ever. 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 be read in like manner the Second Lesson, taken out of the New Testament. And after that, the Hymn following; except when that shall happen to be read in the Chapter for the Day, or for the Gospel on St. John Baptist's Day. B Benedictus. St. Luke i. 68. LESSED be the Lord God of Israel, for he hath visited and redeemed his people; And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us in the house of his servant David; As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets, which have been since the world began; That we should be saved from our enemies, and from the hands of all that hate us; To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers, and to remember his holy Covenant ; To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham, that he would give us ; That we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies, might serve him without fear, In holiness and righteousness before him, all the days of our life. O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael.] -These are the "Three Children," more commonly spoken of by their Babylonish names, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, bestowed upon them under the captivity. The whole composition is sometimes called, "The Song of the Three Children." 1 1 And thou, Child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people, for the remission of their sins, Through the tender mercy of our God, whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us; To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death; and to guide our feet into the way of peace. 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. 0 Or this Psalm. Jubilate Deo. Psal. c. Be joyful in the Lord, all ye lands; serve the Lord with gladness, and come before his presence with a song. Be ye sure that the Lord he is God; it is he that hath made us, and not we ourselves; we are his people, and the sheep of his pasture. O go your way into his gates with thanksgiving, and into his courts with praise; be thankful unto him, and speak good of his Name. For the Lord is gracious, his mercy is everlasting, and his truth endureth from generation to generation. 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 be sung, or said, the Apostles' Creed by the Minister and the People, standing: except only such days as the Creed of St. Athanasius is appointed to be read. I Believe in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth : And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord; who was conceived by the Holy Ghost; born of the Virgin Mary; suffered under Pontius Pilate; was crucified, dead, and buried; he descended into hell; the third day he rose again from the dead; he ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; from thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the communion of saints; the forgiveness of sins; the resurrection of the body; and the life everlasting. Amen. And after that, these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling; the Minister first pronouncing with a loud voice, The Lord be with you. Minister. Let us pray. Lord, have mercy upon us. Then the Minister, Clerks, and People, shall say the Lord's Prayer with a loud voice. 0 UR 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. Amen. Then the Priest, standing up, shall say, O Lord, show thy mercy upon us. Our Father which art in heaven.]-A modern misconception of the meaning of these words, has led to the introduction, in recent editions of the Prayer Book, of a comma after the word "Father." The passage, "Our Father which art in heaven," signifies precisely, "Our heavenly Father," as in the "Prayer for the Queen's Majesty," and elsewhere, (" O Lord our heavenly Father;") and is corrupted, and not improved, by the intrusion of the comma, which is to be found in no early copy. O Lord, save the Queen. And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee. Endue thy ministers with righteousness. And make thy chosen people joyful. O Lord, save thy people. And bless thine inheritance. Give peace in our time, O Lord. Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God. O God, make clean our hearts within us. And take not thy holy Spirit from us. Then shall follow three Collects; the first of the Day, which shall be the same that is appointed at the Communion; the second for Peace; the third for Grace to live well. And the two last Collects shall never alter, but daily be said at Morning Prayer throughout all the year, as followeth ; all kneeling : 0 The Second Collect, for Peace. God, who art the author of peace and lover of concord, in knowledge of whom standeth our eternal life, whose service is perfect freedom ; defend us, thy humble servants, in all assaults of our enemies; that we, surely trusting in thy defence, may not fear the power of any adversaries, through the might of Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 0 The Third Collect, for Grace. Lord our heavenly Father, almighty and everlasting God, who hast safely brought us to the beginning of this day, defend us in the same with thy mighty power; and grant that this day we fall into no sin, neither run into any kind of danger; Give peace in our time, O Lord.] -The reason assigned for this petition, in the "Answer" made by the congregation, may reasonably perplex such as do not look deep enough to discover the sentiment intended, though, certainly, but ill-expressed. Peace is obtained, or secured, only by war, or by a state of preparation for war; and only he that fights for us, or that is ready to fight for us, can be the real giver of peace. It is "because there is none other that fighteth for us" than God, that we ask of God, and of none other than God, to "give peace." but that all our doings may be ordered by thy governance, to do always that is righteous in thy sight; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. In Quires and Places where they sing, here followeth the Anthem. Then these five prayers following are to be read here, except when the Litany is read; and then only the two last are to be read, as they are there placed. A Prayer for the Queen's Majesty. Lord our heavenly Father, high and mighty, of princes; who dost from thy throne behold all the dwellers upon earth: Most heartily we beseech thee with thy favour to behold our most gracious Sovereign Lady, Queen VICTORIA; and so replenish her with the grace of thy holy Spirit, that she may alway incline to thy will, and walk in thy way; endue her plenteously with heavenly gifts; grant her in health and wealth long to live; strengthen her that she may vanquish and overcome all her enemies; and finally, after this life, she may attain everlasting joy and felicity; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A A Prayer for the Royal Family. LMIGHTY God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless Adelaide the Queen Dowager, and all the Royal Family; endue them with thy holy Spirit; enrich them with thy heavenly grace; prosper them with all happiness; and bring them to thine everlasting kingdom; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. A A Prayer for the Clergy and People. LMIGHTY and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels, send down upon our Bishops and Curates, and all Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy |