EARLY in the morning will I think
upon thee, O Lord, because thou hast
been my helper.
Blessed art thou, O Lord, who didst
as on this day, make two great lights,
the Sun and the Moon; and didst cre-
ate the stars also, to divide the day from
the night, and to give light upon the
earth; and to be for signs and for sea-
sons, the Spring, the Summer, the Au-
tumn, the Winter, and for days and
weeks, and months and years: The
greater light to rule the day, and the les-
ser lights to rule the night; that they
might thus succeed, and, as it were, re-
lieve each other.
An Act of Confession.
BEHOLD thou art wroth, for we have
sinned, and are all become as an unclean
thing; for our righteousnesses are like
filthy rags, and we all do fade as a leaf,
and our iniquities, like the wind, have
taken us away.
But thou O Lord, art still our Fa-
ther: We are the clay, and thou our
potter, and we are all the work of thy
hands.
Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, nei-
ther remember iniquity for ever: Be-
hold, see, we beseech thee, we are all
thy people.
Though our iniquities testify against
us, yet, for thy name’s sake, deal mer-
cifully with us, for our backslidings are
many, whereby we have sinned against
thee: Yet thou, O Lord, art in the
midst of us, and we are called by thy
name; therefore leave us not.
O thou hope of Israel, thou Saviour
in time of trouble, why shouldest thou be
as a stranger in the land; and as a way-
faring man that turneth aside, to tarry
for a night; as a man that is asleep, as
a mighty man that cannot save? Be
merciful, we beseech thee, to our un-
righteousness, and our sins and our ini-
quities do thou remember no more.
Lord, I have been carnal, sold under
sin, and in me, that is, in my flesh,
dwelleth no good thing: For the good
which I would, I have not done; but
the evil, which I would not, that have I
done.
For I acknowledge and delight in
thy law, after the inward man; but I
feel another law in my members warring
against the law of my mind, and bring-
ing me into captivity to the law of sin.
O wretched man that I am! Who
shall deliver me from the body of this
death? I thank God through Jesus
Christ our Lord, for that, where sin
hath abounded, there did his grace
much more abound.
Thy goodness, O Lord, leadeth me
to repentance; O give me such repen-
tance, to the acknowledging the truth,
that I may recover myself out of the
snare of the devil, who have been taken
captive by him at his will.
Let the time past of my life suffice,
to have walked after my own will, in
lasciviousness, lusts, and excess, or in
sort of luxury.
O Lamb of God, without blemish,
and without spot, who hast redeemed
me with thy precious blood; by that
same blood, pity and save me; even
for that blood, and that name’s sake, be-
sides which there is no other under hea-
ven given unto men, whereby we must
be saved.
God, thou knowest my foolishness,
and my faults are not hid from thee.
All my desire is before thee, and thou
hearest all my groanings.
Let not them that wait on thee, O
Lord God of Hosts, be ashamed for my
cause; let not them that seek thee be
confounded through me, O Lord God
of Israel.
Draw me out of the mire, that I sink
not: O let me be delivered from them
that hate me, and out of the deep wa-
ters; let not the water-flood drown me;
neither let the deep swallow me up, and
let not the pit shut her mouth upon me.
Prayer for Grace.
PRESERVE me, good God, from
the deadly sins of pride, envy, anger,
gluttony, lewdness, avarice, and sloth.
And in their stead implant and cultivate
the contrary heavenly virtues of humi-
lity, mercy, meekness, temperance, chas-
tity, contentedness, and cheerful indus-
try.
An Act of Faith.
In God the Father, I believe his pa-
ternal love and care of me:
In the Almighty, his power to keep
me to salvation:
In the Maker of heaven and earth, his
Providence by which the world, and all
things in it, are preserved, governed,
and perfected.
Upon my Jesus I depend for salva-
tion; Upon the Christ, for his holy unc-
tion: Upon the Only-Begotten, for my
adoption: Upon the Lord, for fit sup-
plies to them that serve him faithfully:
Upon his immaculate conception and
nativity, for cleansing and doing away
the corruption in which I was shapen,
and the sin wherein my mother conceiv-
ed me.
In his sufferings, I thankfully contem-
plate the bitter things which I deserved,
but which he condescended, in my
stead, actually to undergo:
In his cross, the curse of the law abo-
lished: By his dying, the sting of death
taken out: In his grave, the corruption
of mortal bodies buried: In his descent
into hell, the prevention of our perish-
ing there:
In his resurrection, I see the pledge
of my own, and the first fruits of all
them that slept:
In his ascension, the necessity of his
going to prepare a place for us:
His coming again, I assuredly expect
for receiving to himself those that are
his: And his judging the world, at that
great day of recompence, when every
man shall be rewarded according to his
works.
In the Holy Ghost, I believe a power
from on high, by operations supernatu-
ral and invisible, but yet with efficacy
undeniable, transforming and renewing
the soul to holiness.
In the church, I consider a mystical
body, composed of persons, called from
all quarters of the world, and united by
the distinguishing common band of a
sound faith and holy conversation.
In the communion of saints, who are
the true members of this body, I pro-
mise to myself a right, and mutual par-
ticipation, of sacraments and other means
of grace, for conferring on me remis-
sion of sins, and justifying my most
steadfast assurance of this body being
raised, and my whole man translated to
the life everlasting.
For all these things, O Lord, I rely
on thy truth and goodness, How ex-
cellent is thy mercy, which hath dealt
so bountifully with us! Establish, I
pray thee, my heart in thy word, that
I may keep that good thing which I
have heard of thee, concerning thy love,
which is in Christ Jesus, and let me not
be disappointed of this my hope.
An Act of Intercession.
FURTHERMORE, I intreat thee, O
Lord, that thou wouldest remember
every one for good.
Have mercy upon all, and be recon-
ciled to all. Establish tranquillity among
thy people every where; remove all
things that offend; and make all wars
to cease. Put to shame the innovations
of heresy and schism, and fill our hearts
with thy peace, and thy love.
O God of our salvation, who art the
confidence of all the ends of the earth,
be mindful to crown the year with thy
goodness, and let thy clouds drop fat-
ness: For upon thee do wait the eyes
of all, and thou givest them their meat
in due season. Thou openest thy hand,
and fillest all things living with plente-
ousness.
Remember thy holy church, from die
one end of the earth to the other, which
thou hast purchased with thy precious
blood; and settle it upon the firm foun-
dations of truth, and peace, and love,
so long as the world endures.
Be favourable to all those good men,
who bring forth the fruits of piety and
charity in any particular churches:
Crown all their holy labours with suc-
cess; and the alms they contribute to
thy needy members, do thou return in-
to their bosoms, in rich and heavenly
graces; abundantly overpaying their
earthly things, with heavenly; their cor-
ruptible things, with incorruptible; their
temporal, with eternal.
Shed thy grace upon all those pious
souls, who devote themselves to thy ser-
vice, by a life of austerity and absti-
nence, by voluntary virginity, strict pu-
rity, or severe mortification; and on
those also, who use the world, as not
abusing it, by a discreet and moderate
enjoyment of the most lawful pleasures,
under the constant direction and re-
straint of religion, and godly fear.
Think upon every Christian labour-
ing under any sort of affliction, distress,
pain, or grief; and standing in need of
thy pity and assistance: All our poor
brethren, in captivity, in chains, in bit-
ter and barbarous slavery; grant to the
exiled, a safe return home; health to
the sick; comfort to the sorrowful; and
liberty to the prisoners.
Bless, we beseech thee, all with whom
thou hast entrusted the government of
thy people: Strengthen their hands,
and dispose their hearts, to seek the
welfare, and promote the honour
and interest of the church and state.
Grant them safe, honourable, and unin-
terrupted peace; that we may lead qui-
et and peaceable lives, in all godliness
and honesty.
Bless all in authority over us; our
counsellors, magistrates, and judges.
Pour out thy Holy Spirit abundantly
upon our spiritual fathers, the bishops
and pastors of thy flock: the reverend
priests, and the whole clergy. Make
them workmen, that need not be asham-
ed, rightly dividing the word of truth,
and exemplifying and adorning it, both
by the soundness of their doctrine, and
the integrity of their lives.
Fill our garners plenteously with all
manner of store; preserve peace and
comfort in all private families; concord
and tender affection between husbands
and wives; defend and cherish all young
children; provide for the instruction
and good education of our youth; sup-
port our old men under the infirmities
of age; comfort the feeble-minded, ga-
ther together the dispersed, disabuse
the deceived and seduced, bring back
all that have erred from thy way, and
unite them again to thy holy catholic
and apostolic church. Release those that
are vexed with evil spirits.
Be a Pilot to the sailors, a Guide to
the travellers, an Husband to the wi-
dows, a Father to the fatherless, a De-
liverer to the oppressed, a Physician to
the diseased. Extend thy mercy to
all criminals at the bar; to all slaves
in the mines, or galleys; to all under
neglect, contempt and want; but espe-
cially, to all that are persecuted for the
sake of righteousness, and a good con-
science: That so there may be no
creature in adversity, who doth not feel
thy comforts and compassion.
Be kind to all my friends, and to all
mine enemies; to all who have prayed
for me; and to all who have desired of
poor unworthy me, that I would pray
for them.
Finally, O Lord, shower down the
riches of thy mercy upon every one re-
commended, of not recommended, by
me, or any other intercessor: And grant;
to each of them, all things necessary
and expedient, for their present circum-
stances: For thou art the friend of the
friendless; the helper of the helpless;
the hope of the hopeless; be thou
therefore all things to all men; who art
perfectly acquainted with each man, and
his condition, his wants, and his desires.
Defend, O Lord, the place wherein
I dwell, and this whole country, where-
unto I belong, from pestilence and fa-
mine, from earthquakes and inunda-
tions, invasions from abroad, and civil
wars at home.
Close up the rents of schismatical and
divided Christians; restrain the rage
and cruelty of Infidels; diffuse into all
hearts humanity and mutual cha-
rity; and so make us all meet to be
partakers of the inheritance of the saints
in light.
THE glorious Majesty of the Lord
our God be upon us: Prosper thou the
work of our hands upon us: Yea, pros-
per thou our handy work.
Be thou, O Lord, within me, to
strengthen me: Without me, to watch
me: Over me, to cover me: Under me,
to hold me up: Before me, to lead me:
Behind me, to bring me back: Round
about me, to keep off mine enemies on
every side.
An Act of Praise.
BLESSED be thou, Lord God of Is-
rael, our Father, for ever and ever.
Thine, O Lord, is the greatness, and
the glory, and the victory, and the Ma-
jesty; for all that is in the heaven, and
in the earth, is thine. Thine is the king-
dom, O Lord, and thou art exalted as
head above all. Both riches and honour
come of thee, and thou reignest over
all; and in thy hand is power and might,
and in thy hand it is to make great, and
to give strength unto all. Now there-
fore, O Lord, we thank thee, and ever-
more will praise thy glorious name.