THE LESSON. Jer. i. 4—10.

"THE Word of the Lord came unto me, saying: Before I formed thee in the belly I knew thee; and before thou camest forth out of the womb I sanctified thee, and I ordained thee a prophet unto the nations. Then said I, Ah, Lord God! behold, I cannot speak, for I am a child. But the Lord said unto me, Say not, I am a child: for thou shalt go to all that I shall send thee, and whatsoever I command thee thou shalt speak. Be not afraid of their faces: for I am with thee to deliver thee, saith the Lord. Then the Lord put forth His hand, and touched my mouth. And the Lord said unto me, Behold, I have put My words in thy mouth. See, I have this day set thee over the nations and over the kingdoms, to root out, and to pull down, and to destroy, and to throw down, to build and to plant."

GLORY be to the Father, &c.

OUR Father, which art in heaven, &c.

The Lord be with me,

And with my spirit.

A

PRAYERS.

LMIGHTY and eternal Lord God, and most merciful Father, I prostrate myself before Thee in a most humble and thankful acknowledgment of Thy great mercy and goodness, vouchsafed to me a sinful creature and Thy most unprofitable servant, in the conduct of my own life from my first coming into the world to this day. I thank Thee for that measure of health which I have enjoyed, for those endowments of mind which I possess ; for that degree of understanding which Thou hast given me; and that I was born in a time and place where Thy true religion is preached and professed; I adore Thy infinite goodness, that Thou hast allowed me to participate of Thy favours in the holy Eucharist. above all I thank Thee for a sincere desire to serve and please Thee, my most gracious and merciful God, and to do good to men made after Thine own image. Vouchsafe, O blessed Lord, to continue Thy favours; to increase this desire, and bring it to good effect, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

And

LORD Jesus Christ, the only-begotten Son of the eternal Father, whose most holy lips did say, "Without Me ye can do nothing;" O Lord, my Lord, I believe with all my heart and soul the words which Thou hast spoken, and fall down before Thy mercy. Help me therefore, a sinner: and do Thou Thyself vouchsafe to perfect this work begun in me, in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost. Amen.

ETERNAL God, who hast made all things for man, and man for Thy glory: sanctify my body and soul, my thoughts and my intentions, my words and actions, that whatsoever I shall think, or speak, or do, and especially this my present great design, may be by me directed to the glorification of Thy Name, and by Thy blessing it may be effective and successful in the work of God. And give me grace, O God, myself also, to purify my heart from all worldly or selfish aims herein: and, since the heart of man is deceitful above all things and desperately wicked, grant, O Thou searcher of spirits, that I may thoroughly scrutinize

the intentions of my heart, and reform every lurking and unworthy desire, that I may hereafter be presented before Thee holy and undefiled, through the alone merits of Him who was holiness and purity itself, Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

B

LESSED be Thy good Spirit, O Lord, that it ever came into my heart to become Thy minister. And yet when I remember my own soul, its weakness, its sinfulness, its necessities, I am tempted to draw back from my undertaking and seek a place amongst the weakest of Thy lambs. Oh strengthen in me such a conviction of my weakness as may procure Thy gracious assistance. May the same good Spirit make me truly sensible of the honour and danger of so great a trust, and of the account I am to give: and give me grace to make amends by my future diligence in my calling, for the many days and years I have spent unprofitably: and this I beg for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen.

BLESSED Spirit of God, dispose me unto and assist me in Thy service, that I may have an ardent love and desire of it; and as

far as in me lieth cheerfully accomplish Thy holy will; and whatsoever thereafter is lacking in me, do Thou mercifully supply, for the infinite merits of Jesus Christ. Amen.

BLESSED art Thou, O Christ our God,

who hast declared the wise fishermen, and by giving unto them Thy Holy Spirit hast by them taken all the world. Glory be to Thee, O Lord, Thou lover of souls! Accept with favour the prayers of Thy Church, and help her to gather in Thine elect, and to fill all the nations of the earth with the glory of Thy Majesty that she being delivered from all adversity and terror, may serve Thee in safety and freedom, to Thy praise and the hastening of Thy kingdom, who livest ever with the Father and the Holy Ghost, one God ever blessed. Amen.

THE

1

HE blessing of God Almighty, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, descend upon me, and dwell in my heart for ever and ever. Amen.