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Christmas-tide.

GLORY to God in the highest; and on earth peace, good will towards men.

S. Luke ii. The Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the onlybegotten of the Father) full of grace and truth. S. John i.

God, who at sundry times, and in divers manners, spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, hath in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed heir of all things, by whom also he made the world. Heb. i.

THE CHRISTMAS INVOCATION.

O Thou who to save sinners tookest upon thee the frail nature of man, who wast incarnate of a pure virgin.

Glory be to thee, O Lord.

APPROPRIATE PSALMS.

19, 45, 85, 89, 110, 132.

PRAYER AT CHRISTMAS.

ETERNAL God, Father Almighty, who, in compassion to lost man, didst send thy only Son to become his Redeemer, have mercy upon us. And thou, O Blessed Jesus, who wast born in the form of an helpless infant, and subject to all our infirmities, who wast born in poverty and want, that we might learn to renounce all pride, and follow thy great humility; look down, we beseech thee, and vouchsafe to give us thy grace, that we

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may make thee our pattern, and become thy disciples. Have compassion on us, and perfect in us the work of our redemption; We have no help nor hope but from thee, no redemption of sin but by thee, no peace with God but through thee, no expectation of blessing, nor hopes of life but in thee. Be thou our God to protect us, our Master to teach us, our Light to direct us, our Redeemer to save us; and help us to give thee glory, and praise henceforth and for ever. Amen.

¶ During the Thanksgivings may be introduced the following special Sentences, upon Christmas-day, and seven days after.

BECAUSE thou didst give Jesus Christ thine

only Son to be born as at this time for us; who, by the operation of the Holy Ghost, was made very man of the substance of the Virgin Mary his mother; and that without spot of sin, to make us clean from all sin.

Or, the "Let us lift up our hearts," &c. (see Thanksgivings after the Communion in the Appendix) may be used during this season, and the Doxology,

"Therefore with angels," &c. p. 183.

The

follow as in the Communion Service, to be said by all. Prefaces and Doxology are so used in Nelson's Fasts and Festivals.

Circumcision.

FAITH was reckoned to Abraham for righteous

ness-the father of all them that believe, though they be not circumcised. Rom. iv.

Circumcision is that of the heart, in the spirit, and not in the letter, whose praise is not of men, but of God. Rom. ii.

He hath given him a name which is above every name, that at the name of JESUS every knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things under the earth. Phil. ii.

THE INVOCATION.

O Thou who wast made obedient to the law for

man.

Glory be to thee, O Lord.

APPROPRIATE PSALMS.
2, 19, 40.

PRAYER FOR THE CIRCUMCISION.

(?) Dr. Hickes and Bp. Wilson, (for the New Year.) GOD, who for our example didst command thy beloved Son to submit his pure and innocent flesh to the rigour of the law, and for the encouragement of our hope gavest him the name of JESUS; teach us, we beseech thee, with readiness and humility to obey thy sacred laws, how contrary soever to our unmortified passions; and in all our necessities to call with joy and confidence on thy holy name, in which whatever we ask thou hast promised to grant.

Lord, pardon all our mispent time, and make us more careful and diligent to redeem it for the time to come. Grant that we may begin this new year with new resolutions of serving thee more faithfully. Our heart is in thy hands, O God, as well as our time; O make us wise unto salvation, that we may consider in this our day the things that belong to our peace, and pass this and all the years we have yet to live in the comfortable hope of a blessed eternity, for the Lord Jesu's sake. Amen.

Epiphany.

BEHOLD the Lamb of God, which taketh away

the sin of the world. S. John i.

The Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising. Is. lx.

Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee. Ib.

Sing, O ye heavens, for the Lord hath done it; shout, ye lower parts of the earth, break forth into singing, ye mountains, O forest and every tree therein, for the Lord hath redeemed Jacob, and glorified himself in Israel. Is. xliv.

Thy sun shall no more go down, neither shall thy moon withdraw itself, for the Lord shall be thine everlasting light, and the days of thy mourning shall be ended. Is. lx.

THE EPIPHANY INVOCATION.

O Thou who of thy grace didst manifest thyself unto the Gentiles.

Glory be to thee, O Lord.

APPROPRIATE PSALMS.
29, 46, 72.

PRAYER FOR THE EPIPHANY.

GOD, we come this day before thee to acknowledge thy infinite mercy towards us, in that thou didst as at this time manifest thy goodness to the Gentiles, and didst open a gate to all to come into the fold of Christ, to become his members, and partake of the redemption wrought by him. We confess thee to be our Lord, and that in love to our souls thou hast undertaken our redemption.

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