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FOR THE CLOSE OF THE YEAR.

THOU in whose sight a thousand years are but as a day, all things on earth are passing. away, but thou remainest one and the same, and to thy years there is no end. Thy providence has brought us to the close of another mortal year, and we would raise our thoughts above the flight of time, to the eternity in which thou dwellest, and to those things which know no change, but from glory to glory.

Merciful God! open our hearts to hear the awful voice of the departing year. Bring home to us a sense of our mortality. And teach us so to number our days that we may apply our hearts, with all diligence, to the search after wisdom. Make the point of time at which we now stand a gate of heaven. Bless to our sanctification the solemn lessons of the past. Inspire our hearts, O God, with the life of faith, that we may obtain a lasting dominion over the evil that is in the world and in ourselves. Daily, hourly, may we watch

and pray lest we fall into temptation.

O that it may be given us, in thy grace, to walk henceforth as becometh our great vocation, as the children of God and the friends of Jesus. Through whom unto thee, O Father everlasting, be all praise and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

FOR A NEW YEAR.

BLESSED be God, who has brought us safe to the beginning of

another year. Make us sensible, O thou eternal and holy One, how short and uncertain is our mortal life. Pardon our misspent time, and make us henceforth careful to redeem it. Grant that we may begin this new year with new resolutions of serving thee more faithfully. Make us wise unto salvation; that we may consider in this our day the things that belong to our peace; and that we may pass the time of our sojourning here in thy fear and love; and be ready to depart hence, whenever thou shalt say unto us, Return, ye children of men. And this we ask in the holy name of Jesus Christ our Lord.

Amen.

FOR SUNDAY EVENING.

GL

LORY be to thy name for the sacred day has brought to us.

especial blessings which this Pardon us, if in any manner

we have abused its privileges. Cause the truths which we have heard to sink deep into our hearts, and bring forth in us the fruits of a holy and religous life, a peaceful and blessed death, and a glorious resurrection. These, and all our prayers, would we humbly offer unto thee, O Father of Infinite Mercy, through the most gracious and glorious mediation and intercession of our Redeemer, who liveth and reigneth for ever at thy right hand. Amen.

ANOTHER.

BLESSED be God, the God and Father of our Lord Jesus

Christ, who hath vouchsafed to us the rest and the instruction of this Christian Sabbath. Blessed be God for the means of happiness and improvement which have been offered this day to us and our fellow-Christians. Make us mindful, we pray thee, of our duty; that as we often hear how we ought to walk and to please God, we may continue to do so unto our lives' end. And wilt thou ever keep, defend, and bless us, and all thy children throughout the world, bringing us safely, by thy mighty power and grace, into the Sabbath which hath no end, and into the temple from which thy people go no more out, that we may there worship and glorify thee for ever, through him who is the Resurrection and the Life, the Son of thy perfect love, our Saviour and Lord. Amen.

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AN EVENING PRAYER.

MERCIFUL God! Eternal Light, shining in darkness! Thou who dispellest the night of sin, and all blindness of heart! since thou hast appointed the night for rest, and the day for labor, we beseech thee, grant that our bodies may rest in peace and quiet

ness, that afterward they may be able to endure the labor they must bear. Temper our sleep, that it be not disorderly, that we may remain spotless both in body and soul; yea, that our sleep itself may be to thy glory. Enlighten the eyes of our understanding, that we may not sleep in death; but always look for deliverance from this misery. Defend us against all assaults of the devil, and take us into thine holy protection. And, although we have not passed this day without greatly sinning against thee, we beseech thee to hide our sins with thy mercy, as thou hidest all things on earth with the darkness of the night, that we may not be cast out from thy presence. Relieve and comfort all those who are afflicted or distressed in mind, body, or estate. Through Jesus Christ our Lord.

Consider and hear us, O Lord; lighten our eyes, lest we sleep the sleep of death.

We will both lay us down in peace and sleep; for thou, Lord, only makest us to dwell in safety. Amen.

SENTENCES OF BENEDICTION.

I.

O LORD, have mercy upon us! have mercy upon us!
O Lord, save thy people and bless thine heritage!
The Lord will bless his people with peace! Amen.

II.

BLESSED is the people that know the joyful sound! They shall walk, O Lord, in the light of thy countenance!

O Lord, let thy mercy lighten upon us, as our trust is in thee!

The Lord lift up the light of his countenance upon you, and give you peace! Amen.

III.

Now unto Him that is able to do exceeding abundantly above all that we ask or think, according to the power that worketh in us;

Unto Him be glory in the Church, by Christ Jesus, throughout all ages, world without end.

Blessing, and glory, and honor be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

IV.

GREAT and marvellous are thy works, Lord God Almighty, just and true are all thy ways, thou King of saints.

Who shall not fear thee, O Lord, and glorify thy name? for thou only art holy: for all nations shall come and worship before thee.

Salvation to our God, who sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb. Amen.

V.

Now the God of patience and consolation grant you to be like-minded one towards another, according to Christ Jesus. By this shall all men know that we are his disciples, if we have love one to another.

And the Lord make you to increase and abound in love one towards another, and towards all men. To the end he may stablish your hearts unblamable in holiness before God, even our Father, at the coming of our Lord Jesus Christ with all his saints. Amen.

VI.

GRACE be unto you, and peace, from Him which is, and which was, and which is to come; and from the seven spirits which are before his throne;

And from Jesus Christ, who is the faithful witness, and the first-begotten of the dead, and the Prince of the kings of the earth, and who hath made us kings and priests unto God and his Father;

To him be glory and dominion for ever and ever. Amen.

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