FAMILY PRAYERS.

FOR

PARTICULAR OCCASIONS.

FOR CHRISTMAS-DAY MORNING. ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, we humbly beseech thee to accept our hearty thanks for the manifold mercies which thou hast poured upon us. We bless thee, especially, for sending, as on this day, thy well-beloved Son, to take our nature upon him, and to be made in the likeness of sinful flesh. We rejoice that unto us a Child is born; that unto us a Son is given. And we would join the multitude of the heavenly host, in ascribing glory to thee in the highest; peace on earth; good-will toward men. We praise thee for revealing to us the way in which mercy and truth have met together; in which righteous. ness and peace have kissed each other. And we account it a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners.'

Help us, O Lord, to employ this day in medi tating on this great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh, which thy holy angels desire to look into. And as, when thou didst bring

thy first-begotten into the world, thou didst command all the heavenly host to worship him, so may we also give unto him the glory which is due unto his name.

O thou great and glorious Redeemer, who art Wonderful, Counsellor, the Mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace, we praise thee; we bless thee; we worship thee; we glorify thee; we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, Lamb of God, the onlybegotten Son Jesus Christ, God of God, Light of Light, very God of very God, King of kings, and Lord of lords, Emanuel, God with us. For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. But chiefly, at this time, we adore thee for leaving the glory which thou hadst with the Father before the world began. We know thy grace, O Lord Jesus Christ, that though thou wast rich, yet for our sakes thou didst become poor, that we, through thy poverty, might be made rich. We beseech thee, by the mystery of thy holy incarnation and nativity, good Lord, deliver us. O Son of David, have mercy upon us. Thou, who didst come that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly, be gracious unto us.

Thou, who wast called Jesus, that thou mightest save thy people from their sins, save us, and help us, we humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

Grant, that we, being regenerate and made thy children by adoption and grace, may daily be renewed by the Holy Spirit, and follow the blessed steps of his most holy life; ever remembering that he gave himself for us, to redeem us from all iniquity, and to purify us unto himself a peculiar people, zealous of good works. Vouchsafe, O Lord, thy special blessing to us this day. May we pour out our hearts before thee, with joy and praise, in the congregation of thy people.

[And when we meet around thy altar, may we receive the pledges of thy love with gladness and singleness of heart.] And may we, on every return of this season, so profit by the holy institutions of the Church in which thy good providence hath placed us, that when Christ, who is our life, shall appear a second time, we also may appear with him in glory.

Hear us, further, we beseech thee, most gracious Father, and grant that the glad tidings which we commemorate this day, may be made known unto all people. Have compassion on those who have never heard of the coming of our blessed Lord in the flesh. In him who hath arisen to rule over the Gentiles, let the Gentiles trust, and find his rest to be glorious. Mercifully with thy favour look upon the whole Christian world. May all that name the name of Christ depart from iniquity. Especially preserve them from turning this sacred season into an occasion of revellings

and unholy mirth. Let them rejoice, as Christians, in Christ their Saviour; and let thy grace teach them to deny all ungodliness and worldly lusts, and to live soberly, righteously, and godly in this present world.

And, as at thy first coming, O Lord Jesus Christ, thou didst send thy messenger to prepare thy way before thee, we beseech thee, finally, to grant, that the ministers and stewards of thy mysteries [particularly such as shall proclaim them this day,] may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way, by turning the hearts of the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; that, at thy second coming to judge the world, we may be found an acceptable people in thy sight, through Jesus Christ our Lord, in whose name we further pray:

Our Father, &c. Grace, mercy, and peace, &c.

FOR CHRISTMAS-DAY EVENING.

O HOLY and merciful God, who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity, and yet long-suffering towards sinners, we approach thy throne, acknowledging our unworthiness, and putting our whole trust and confidence in the promises which thou hast made unto us in Christ Jesus our Lord.

We have greatly provoked thee to anger by our manifold offences; and, were not judgment thy strange work, we should long since have received at thy hands the just reward of our evil doings.

But thou declarest thy almighty power most chiefly in showing mercy and pity. Thou hast not stretched forth the right hand of thy majesty to avenge thee of thine enemies; but with thy own arm thou hast wrought out redemption for us. Thou hast not sent thy Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through him might be saved.

We bless thee for revealing to us this great mystery, which was hid from ages and generations, but is now made manifest unto the sons of men. We rejoice that unto us was born, as on this day, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. Our souls do magnify the Lord, and our spirits do rejoice in God our Saviour. Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be he that cometh in the

name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest!

Praised be thy name, for sending forth, in the fulness of time, thy only-begotten Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. Glory be unto thee, for causing thy loving-kindness towards us to appear. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to thy mercy, thou hast saved us.

O thou, who wast in Christ reconciling the world unto thyself, not imputing their trespasses unto them, forgive us all our trespasses. Through him, who was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and came to seek and to save that which was lost,