An Order for Matins daily through the Year. The Order where Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used and said. The Morning and Evening Prayer shall be used in such place of the church, chapel, or chancel, and the Minister shall so turn him, as the people may best hear. And if there be any controversy therein, the matter shall be referred to the Ordinary, and he or his Deputy shall appoint the place, and the chancels shall remain as they have done in times past. And here is to be noted, that the Minister at the time of the Communion, and at all other times in his ministration, shall use neither alb, vestment, nor cope: but being archbishop or bishop, he shall have and wear a rochet: and being a priest or deacon, he shall have and wear a surplice only. ¶ An Order for Morning Prayer daily throughout the Year. At the beginning both of Morning Prayer and likewise of Evening Prayer, the Minister shall read with a loud voice some one of these Sentences of the Scriptures that follow. And then he shall say that which is written after the said Sentences. AT what time soever a sinner Ezek, 18, doth repent him of his sin from the bottom of his heart, I will put all his wickedness out of my remembrance, saith the Lord. I do know mine own wicked- Psalm 5r. ness, and my sin is alway against me. Turn thy face away from our Psalm (1. sins, (O Lord,) and blot out all our offences. A sorrowful spirit is a sacri- Psalm 51. fice to God despise not, (O Lord,) humble and contrite Rend your hearts, and not Joel 2. To thee, O Lord God, be- Daniel 9. Correct us, O Lord, and yet Jerem. 2. in thy judgment, not in thy fury, lest we should be consumed and brought to nothing. Amend your lives, for the Matt. 3. kingdom of God is at hand. I will go to my father, and Luke 15. say to him, Father I have sinned against heaven and against thee; I am no more worthy to be called thy son. Enter not into judgment with Psalm 142. thy servants, O Lord, for no flesh is righteous in thy sight. If we say that we have no sin, 1 John 1. we deceive ourselves, and there is no truth in us. 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 God 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 knowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble 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 be requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as be here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me; A general Confession, to be said of the whole Congregation after the Minister, 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 God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that be 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 godly, righteous, and sober life, to the glory of thy holy name. Amen. The Absolution, to be pronounced by the Minister alone. ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, which 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 pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins he pardoneth and absolveth all them which truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel. Wherefore we 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, Amen. |