The 1689 Proposed Book of Common Prayer: Prayers & Thanksgivings · The 1689 Proposed Book of Common Prayer: Morning Prayer

The Book of Common Prayer

	The Proposed Book of Common Prayer (1689)

PRAYERS
AND THANKSGIVINGS,
UPON SEVERAL OCCASIONS,
¶
To be used before the two final Prayers of the Litany, or of Morning
and Evening Prayer.
PRAYERS.
¶
For Rain.
O
GOD, heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ hast promised to all
those who seek thy kingdom, and the righteousness thereof, all things
necessary to their bodily sustenance; Send us, we beseech thee, in this
our necessity, such moderate rain and showers, that we may receive the
fruits of the earth to our comfort, and to thy honour; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
¶ A General Collect for Fair Weather.
O
ALMIGHTY Lord God, who for the sin of man didst once drown all the world,
except eight persons, and afterward of thy great mercy didst promise never
to destroy it so again; We humbly beseech thee, that although we for our
iniquities have worthily deserved a plague of rain and waters, yet upon
our true repentance thou wilt send us such weather, as that we may receive
the fruits of the earth in due season; and learn both by thy punishment
to amend our lives, and for thy clemency to give thee praise and glory;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ In Time of Dearth and Famine.
O
GOD, heavenly Father, whose gift it is that the rain doth fall, the earth
is fruitful, beasts do increase, and fishes do multiply; Behold, we beseech
thee, the afflictions of thy people; and grant that the scarcity and dearth,
which we do now most justly suffer for our iniquity, may, through thy
goodness be mercifully turned into cheapness and plenty; for the love
of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all
honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.
¶
Or this.
O
GOD, merciful Father, who, in the time of Elisha the prophet, didst suddenly
in Samaria turn great scarcity and dearth into plenty and cheapness; Have
mercy upon us, that we, who are now for our sins punished with like adversity,
may likewise find a seasonable relief : Increase the fruits of the earth
by thy heavenly benediction; and grant that we, receiving thy bountiful
liberality, may use the same to thy glory, the relief of those that are
needy, and our own comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ In the time of War and Tumults.
O
ALMIGHTY God, King of all kings, and Governor of all things, whose power
no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners,
and to be merciful to those who truly repent; Save and deliver us, we
humbly beseech thee, from the hands of our enemies; abate their pride,
assuage their malice, and disappoint their devices; that we, being armed
with thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify
thee, who art the only giver of all victory; through the merits of thy
Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ In the time of any common Plague or Sickness.
O
ALMIGHTY God, who in thy wrath did send a plague upon thine own people
in the wilderness, for their obstinate rebellion against Moses and Aaron;
and also, in the time of king David, didst slay with the plague of Pestilence
threescore and ten thousand, and yet remembering thy mercy didst save
the rest; Have pity upon us miserable sinners, who now are visited with
great sickness and mortality; that like as thou didst then accept of an
atonement, and didst command the destroying Angel to cease from punishing,
so it may now please thee to withdraw from us, who humbly acknowledge
our sins and truly repent us of them, this plague and grievous sickness;
that being delivered we may glorify thy Name, through Jesus Christ our
Lord. Amen.
¶ A Preparatory Prayer for the Receiving of the Communion,
to be read en the Lord’s day or some week day or days
before.
O
GOD, who hast ordained holy mysteries for a commemoration of our Saviour’s
wonderful love in laying down his life for us, and for the communication
of the benefits of his death and passion to us; We beseech thee to dispose
all those, who intend to receive the holy Sacrament, to come to thy table
with such sincere repentance of all their sins, and unfeigned resolutions
of better obedience, with such an humble faith and ardent love unto thee
and unto all men, that they may comfortably hope for thy gracious pardon,
and for the power of thy Holy Spirit, to carry them, by patient continuance
in well doing, unto eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ A Prayer to be said in any Time of Calamity.
ALMIGHTY
God and most merciful Father, we miserable sinners do here humbly acknowledge
before thee, that we are unworthy of the least of all thy mercies: We
confess, O Lord, in the bitterness of our souls, that we have grievously
sinned against thee; that all orders of men amongst us have transgressed
thy righteous laws; that we have hitherto rendered both thy mercies and
thy judgments ineffectual to our amendment. It is of thy mere mercy, O
Lord, that we are not consumed; for which our souls do magnify and bless
thy Name, O God, who hast hitherto spared us, to the end that thy goodness
might lead us to repentance. Let it be thy good pleasure to give unto
us all that godly sorrow, which worketh repentance to salvation not to
be repented of; that thou mayest turn from thy heavy displeasure against
us, and mayest rejoice over us to do us good, through the merits and mediation
of Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen.
¶ Whereas	This Rubric is to be read immediately
the Apostles did use Prayer and Fasting before they ordained; and	after the Apostles’ Creed on the Lord’s day next before any of the Ember
that it has been the practice of the Church to enjoin Fasts in the four	Weeks.
weeks qf the year commonly called Ember weeks, before the Lord’s-days
appointed for ordination, to implore the blessing of God upon them that
are to ordain, and upon those that are to be ordained; it is therefore
earnestly recommended to all persons to spend some part of these days
in prayer to God for his blessing on the Church, and on all that are to
be sent out to officiate in it; and it is most solemnly charged on all
that arc concerned in Ordinations, chiefly on the persons that are to
be ordained, to spend those days in fervent Prayer and Fasting, for the
due preparing of themselves to be initiated into holy Orders.
¶
In the Ember Weeks, to be said every day, for those that are to be
admitted into Holy Orders.
ALMIGHTY
God, our heavenly Father, who hast purchased to thyself an universal Church
by the precious blood of thy dear Son; Mercifully look upon the same,
and at this time so guide and govern the minds of thy servants the Bishops
and Pastors of thy flock, that they may lay hands suddenly on no man,
but faithfully and wisely make choice of fit persons, to serve in the
sacred Ministry of thy Church. And to those which shall be ordained to
any holy function, give thy grace and heavenly benediction; that both
by their life and doctrine they may show forth thy glory, and set forward
the salvation of all men; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶
Or this.
ALMIGHTY
God, the giver of all good gifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed
divers Orders in thy Church; Give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to
all those who are to be called to any office and administration in the
same; and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue
them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee,
to the glory of thy great Name, and the benefit of thy holy Church; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ A Prayer for the High Court of Parliament,
to be read during their Sitting, when the Litany
is not appointed to be said.
MOST
gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for this kingdom in general,
so especially for the High Court of Parliament, under our Sovereign Lords
King William and Queen Mary at this time assembled : That
thou wouldest ho pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations
to the advancement of thy glory, the good of thy Church, the safety, honour,
and welfare of our Sovereign, and her Doininions; that all things may
be so ordered and settled by their endeavours, upon the best and surest
foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and
piety, may be established among us for all generations. These and all
other necessaries, for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly beg,
in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ our most blessed’ Lord and Saviour.
Amen.
¶ A Collect or Prayer for all Conditions of Men,
to be used at such times when the Litany is not appointed
to be said.
O
GOD, the Creator and Preserver of all mankind, we humbly beseech thee
for all sorts and conditions of men: that thou wouldest be pleased to
make thy ways known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More
especially, we pray for the good estate of the Catholick Church; that
it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess
and call themselves Christians may be led into the way of truth, and hold
the faith in unity of spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness
of life. Finally, we commend to thy fatherly goodness all those, who are
any ways afflicted, or
distressed, in mind, body, or estate; [*especially those for whom our
prayers are desired;] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them,
according to their several necessities, giving them patience under their
sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we
beg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.
THANKSGIVINGS.
¶
A General Thanksgiving
ALMIGHTY
God, Father of all mercies, we thine unworthy servants do give thee most
humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness
to us, and to all men; [*particularly to those who desire now to offer
up their praises and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchsafed unto
them.] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings
of this life; but above all, for thine inestimable love in the redemption
of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ; for the means of grace, and for
the hope of glory. And, we beseech thee, give us that due sense of all
thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we
shew forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives; by giving
up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and
righteousness all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with
thee and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.
¶ For Rain.
O
GOD our heavenly Father, who by thy gracious providence dost cause the
former and the latter rain to descend upon the earth, that it may bring
forth fruit for the use of man; We give thee humble thanks that it hath
pleased thee, in our great necessity, to send us at the last a joyful
rain upon thine inheritance, and to refresh it when it was dry, to the
great comfort of us thy unworthy servants, and to the glory of thy holy
Name; through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ For Fair Weather.
O
LORD God, who hast justly humbled us by thy late plague of immoderate
rain and waters, and in thy mercy hast relieved and comforted our souls
by this seasonable and blessed change of weather; We praise and glorify
thy holy Name for this thy mercy, and will always declare thy loving-kindness
from generation to generation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ For Plenty.
O
MOST merciful Father, who of thy gracious goodness hast heard the devout
prayers of thy Church, and turned our dearth and scarcity into cheapness
and plenty; We give thee humble thanks for this thy special bounty; beseeching
thee to continue thy loving-kindness unto us, that our land may yield
us her fruits of increase, and that we may use them to thy glory and our
comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ For Peace, and Deliverance from our Enemies.
O
ALMIGHTY God, who art a strong tower of defence unto thy servants against
the face of their enemies; We yield thee praise and thanksgiving for our
deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we were compassed.
We acknowledge it thy goodness that we were not delivered over as a prey
unto them; beseeching thee still to continue such thy mercies towards
us, that all the world may know that thou art our Saviour and mighty Deliverer;
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ For restoring Publick Peace at Home.
O
ETERNAL God, our heavenly Father, Who alone makest men to be of one mind
in a house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and unruly people; We
bless thy holy Name, that it hath pleased thee to appease the seditious
tumults which have been lately raised up amongst us; most humbly beseeching
thee to grant to all of us grace, that we may henceforth obediently walk
in thy holy commandments; and, leading a quiet and peaceable life in all
godliness and honesty, may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of
praise and thanksgiving for these thy mercies towards us; through Jesus
Christ our Lord. Amen.
¶ For Deliverance from the Plague, or other common Sickness.
O
LORD God, who has wounded us for our sins, and consumed us for our transgressions,
by thy late heavy and dreadful visitation; and now, in the midst of judgment
remembering mercy, hast redeemed our souls from the jaws of death; We
offer unto thy fatherly goodness ourselves, our souls and bodies which
thou hast delivered, to be a living sacrifice unto thee, always praising
and magnifying thy mercies in the midst of thy Church; through Jesus Christ
our Lord. Amen.
¶
Or this.
WE
humbly acknowledge before thee, O most merciful Father, that all the punishments
which are threatened in thy law might justly have fallen upon us, by reason
of our manifold transgressions and hardness of heart: Yet seeing it hath
pleased thee of thy tender mercy, upon our weak and unworthy humiliation,
to assuage the contagious sickness wherewith we lately have been sore
afflicted, and to restore the voice of joy and health into our dwellings;
We offer unto thy Divine Majesty the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving,
lauding and magnifying thy preservation and providence over us; through
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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