At the beginning of Evening Prayer, the Minister shall read with a loud voice some one or more of these Sentences of the Scriptures that follow. And then he shall say that which is written after the said Sentences. HEN the wicked man turneth away from his wickedness that he hath committed, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall save his soul alive. Ezek. xviii. 27. I acknowledge my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me. Psal. li. 3. Hide thy face from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities. Psal. li. 9. The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a "Evening Service."-The Christian system providing means for the sanctifying of the human character, demands of mankind the general consecrating of time to the service of God. Our Church, following the example of antiquity, willingly yields herself to this ordinance of nature and religion. The morning brings with it the recollection broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psal. li. 17. Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel ii. 13. To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us. Dan. ix. 9, 10. O Lord, correct me, but with judgment; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Jer. x. 24. Psal. vi. 1. Repent ye; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. St. Matth. iii. 2. I will arise, and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. St. Luke xv. 18, 19. Enter not into judgment with thy servant, O Lord; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psal. cxliii. 2. If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: but, if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 St. John i. 8, 9. of duties, labours, and necessities. Evening impresses the mind with a feeling of awe and solemnity; and in both cases the heart finds its best security in the exercises of a pure and sober devotion. In the divinely instituted ritual of the Jews, the morning and evening had each its sacrifice and its peculiar prayers. The first converts to Christianity readily followed the venerable customs which, uncorrupted by tradition, retained the odour of patriarchal sanctity. In the progress of the Gospel, believers in every land were glad to continue a custom so fitted to their profession and their circumstances. The evening assembly, during the perilous times of persecution, afforded them precious moments of consolation. It was often prolonged through the night; and the offering up of the sacrifice of prayer and thanksgiving; the mutual exhortations of those who might on the morrow be themselves offered up on the fiery altar of persecution, consecrated anew the close of day to the hearts of Christian worshippers. "These Sentences," &c.-Little difference existed in the ancient Liturgies between the morning and evening services. Worldly occupations, or contact with the worldly; the very infirmities of nature and the sadder influences of unconquered sin, all tend to convince us that no day draws to a close without leaving some injury to repair, lost ground to be regained, offences to be answered for, or corruptions to be cleansed. Hence the necessity of our repeating the parts which compose the beginning of the morning service at the end of our daily labours. EARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart, and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me; A general Confession to be said of the whole Congregation, after the Minister, all kneeling. LMIGHTY and most merciful Father; We have erred, and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God, which confess their faults. Restore thou them that are penitent; According to thy promises declared unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake; That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen. The Absolution, or Remission of Sins, to be pronounced by the Priest alone, standing; the People still kneeling. LMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live; and hath given power and commandment to his Ministers, to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the Absolution and Remission of their sins: He pardoneth and absolveth all them that truly repent, and unfeignedly believe his holy Gospel. Wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance, and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present; and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy; so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. ¶Then the Minister shall kneel, and say the Lord's Prayer; the People also kneeling, and repeating it with him. "Note to the Absolution."-Next in value to the inestimable blessing of "a conscience void of offence," is that of the peace which follows the contrite acknowledgment of sin under the softening influences of divine grace. To resign ourselves to night, sleep, and helplessness, with God's anger upon us and feel no alarm, is equally the sign of folly and obduracy. But if after an honest examination of ourselves we have come to the conclusion that we justly merit punishment; that it is impossible to say how long it may be withheld; and that there can be no escape unless through the mercy of God promised to sincere penitents, then how comforting to us must be the announcement in this form of absolution: how soothing to the afflicted heart the assurance, that the Father of mercies hath, for the sake of Jesus Christ, granted it the remission of sins, and restored it to the adoption of sons. Besides the positive advance in spiritual strength thus obtained, there are many other attendant blessings which we should most naturally seek for at the close of day. "The Angel of the Lord encampeth round about them that fear Him," and in the happy conviction of the divine presence, the darkness of night" becometh no darkness at all." UR Father, which art in heaven; Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, As it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil : For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. Then likewise he shall say, O Lord, open thou our lips. Answer. And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise. Answer. O Lord, make haste to help us. Here all standing up, the Priest shall say, Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be world without end. Amen. : Priest. Praise ye the Lord. Answer. The Lord's Name be praised. |