O LORD, Open Thou my lips, mouth shall show forth Thy praise. My soul doth praise the LORD, and my for the goodness He hath done to the whole creation, and to the whole race of man; for Thy mercies towards myself, gifts of grace, nature, and fortune; for all successes, now or heretofore, for health, credit, competency, safety, gentle estate, quiet. Thou hast not cut off as a weaver my life, nor from day even to night made an end of me. He hath vouchsafed me life and breath until this hour, from childhood, youth, and hitherto He holdeth our soul in life and suffereth not our feet to slip; rescuing me from perils, sicknesses, public shame, evil chances; shame, horror, grief, for my past sins; fuller and larger, larger and fuller, through repentance and its works, and the mysteries in Thy Church. Wherefore day by day for these Thy benefits towards me, wherefore also for others very many from their number, from my forgetfulness,— I bless and praise Thee, as is fit, and every day I and with my whole mind I pray. Glory be to Thee, O LORD, glory to Thee; glory to Thee, and glory to Thine All-holy Name, for all Thy Divine perfections in them; for Thine incomprehensible and unimaginable goodness, and thy pity towards sinners and unworthy men, and towards me of all sinners far the most unworthy. Yea, O LORD, through this, and through the rest, glory to Thee, and praise, and blessing, and thanksgiving, with the voices and concert of voices of Angels and of men, of all Thy saints in heaven, and all Thy creatures in heaven or earth, now, in this day and hour, and till the end of the world, and for ages upon ages. THE FOURTH DAY. Introduction. I have thought upon Thee, O LORD, when I was waking, for Thou hast been my helper. Blessed art Thou, O LORD, who madest the two Lights, Sun and Moon, greater and lesser, and the stars for light, for signs, for seasons, (1) Con- Behold, Thou art angry, for we have sinned. fession. We are all as an unclean thing and all our righteousnesses as filthy rags. We all do fade as a leaf, and our iniquities, like the wind, have taken us away. we are all Thy people. O LORD, though our iniquities testify against us, do Thou it for Thy Name's sake; Yet thou, O LORD, art in the midst of us, O Hope of Israel, The SAVIOUR thereof in time of trouble, why shouldest Thou be as a stranger in the land, and as a wayfaring man that turneth aside to tarry for a night? why shouldest Thou be as a man astonished, sold under sin ; there dwelleth in me, that is, in my flesh, for the good that I would, I do not, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? I thank God through JESUS CHRIST, that where sin abounded, grace hath much more abounded. O LORD, Thy goodness leadeth me to repentance : to recover me from the snare of the devil, Sufficient for me the past time of my life to have done the will of lusts, walking in lasciviousness, revelling, drunkenness, and in other excess of profligacy. O LAMB without blemish and without spot, who hast redeemed me with Thy precious Blood, in that very Blood pity me and save me ; in that Blood, and in that very Name, besides which is none other under heaven by which we must be saved. O GOD, Thou knowest my foolishness. O LORD GOD of hosts, be ashamed for my cause; let not those that seek Thee be confounded through me, O LORD GOD of Israel. Take me out of the mire that I sink not; (2) Prayer Let not the water flood drown me, for grace: Pride [Defend me from] Amorite Hittite. Perizzite. Girgashite. Hivite. Humility, pitifulness, patience, sobriety, purity, contentment, ready zeal. |