}

▼ Acknowledgment of God's mercy and preservation, especially through the night past:

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, in whom we live and move and

have our being; we, thy needy creatures, render thee our humble praises, for thy preservation of us from the beginning of our lives to this day, and especially for having delivered us from the dangers of the past night. To thy watchful providence we owe it, * (that no disturbance hath come nigh us or our dwelling; but that we are brought in safety to the beginning of this day.) For these thy mercies, we bless and magnify thy glorious name; humbly beseeching thee to accept this our morning sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving for his sake who lay down in the grave, and rose again for us, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

* When disturbances of any kind befall a family, instead of this, say, that notwithstanding our dangers, we are brought in safety to the beginning of this day.

¶ Dedication of soul and body to God's service, with a resolution to be growing daily in goodness.

AND, since it is of thy mercy, O gracious Father, that another day

is added to our lives; we here dedicate both our souls and our bodies to thee and thy service, in a sober, righteous, and godly life: in which resolution do thou, O merciful God, confirm and strengthen us, that as we grow in age, we may grow in grace, and in the knowledge of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

Prayer for grace to enable us to perform that resolution:

BUT, O God, who knowest the weakness and corruption of our

nature, and the manifold temptations which we daily meet with: we humbly beseech thee to have compassion on our infirmities, and to give us the constant assistance of thy Holy Spirit, that we may be effectually restrained from sin, and excited to our duty. Imprint upon our hearts such a dread of thy judgments, and such a grateful sense of thy goodness to us, as may make us both afraid and ashamed to offend thee, through thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

For grace to guide and keep us the following day, and for God's blessing on the business of the same:

IN particular, we implore thy grace and protection for the ensuing

day. Keep us temperate in our meats and drinks, and diligent in our several callings. Grant us patience under any afflictions thou shalt see fit to lay on us, and minds always contented with our present condition. Give us grace to be just and upright in all our dealings; quiet and peaceable; full of compassion; and ready to do good to all men, according to our abilities and opportunities. Direct us in all our ways

† (and prosper the works of our hands in the business of our seve stations.) Defend us from all dangers and adversities; and graciously pleased to take us, and all things belonging to us, under t fatherly care and protection. These things, and whatever else th shalt see necessary and convenient to us, we humbly beg, throu the merits and mediation of thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord a Saviour. Amen.

On Sunday morning, instead of this, say, and let thy Holy Spi accompany us to the place of thy public worship, making us serio and attentive, and raising our minds from the thoughts of world to the consideration of spiritual things, that we may fervently join the prayers and praises of thy Church, and listen to our duty wi honest hearts, in order to practise it.

THE

HE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and th fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore.

Amen.

EVENING PRAYER.

T The family being together, a little before bedtime, let the master o mistress, or any other whom they shall think proper, say as follows all kneeling.

OUR

Thy king
Giv

UR Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. dom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we for give those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil: for thine is the kingdom, and the power, anthe glory, forever and ever. Amen.

¶ Confession of sins, with a prayer for contrition and pardon :

MOST merciful God, who art of purer eyes than to behold iniquity

and hast promised forgiveness to all those who confess and for sake their sins; we come before thee in an humble sense of our own unworthiness, acknowledging our manifold transgressions of thy righteous laws. (Here let him who reads make a short pause, that every one may secretly confess the sins and failings of that day.) But, O gracious Father, who desirest not the death of a sinner, look upon us, we beseech thee, in mercy, and forgive us all our transgressions. Make us deeply sensible of the great evil of them; and work in us an hearty contrition; that we may obtain forgiveness at thy hands, who art ever ready to receive humble and penitent sinners; for the sake of thy Son Jesus Christ, our only Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.

Prayer for grace to reform and grow better:

ND lest, through our own frailty, or the temptations which encompass us, we be drawn again into sin, vouchsafe us, we beseech thee, the direction and assistance of thy Holy Spirit. Reform whatever is amiss in the temper and disposition of our souls; that no unclean thoughts, unlawful designs, or inordinate desires, may rest there. Purge our hearts from envy, hatred, and malice: that we may never suffer the sun to go down upon our wrath; but may always go to our rest in peace, charity, and good-will, with a conscience void of offence towards thee, and towards men: that so we may be preserved pure and blameless, unto the coming of our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Intercession.

AND accept, O Lord, our intercessions for all mankind. Let the

light of thy Gospel shine upon all nations; and may as many as have received it, live as becomes it. Be gracious unto thy Church, and grant that every member of the same, in his vocation and ministry, may serve thee faithfully. Bless all in authority over us; and so rule their hearts and strengthen their hands, that they may punish wickedness and vice, and maintain thy true religion and virtue. Send down thy blessings, temporal and spiritual, upon all our relations, friends, neighbors. Reward all who have done us good, and pardon all those who have done or wish us evil, and give them repentance and better minds. Be merciful to all who are in any trouble; and do thou, the God of pity, administer to them according to their several necessities, for his sake who went about doing good, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

The Thanksgiving :

our prayers, O Lord, we join our unfeigned thanks for all thy mercies; for our being, our reason, and all other endowments and faculties of soul and body; for our health, friends, food, and raiment, and all the other comforts and conveniences of life. Above all we adore thy mercy in sending thy only Son into the world, to redeem us from sin, and in giving us the knowledge and sense of our duty towards thee. We bless thee for thy patience with us, notwithstanding our many and great provocations; for all the directions, assistances, and comforts of thy Holy Spirit: for thy continual care and watchful providence over us through the whole course of our lives; and particularly for the mercies and benefits of the past day: beseeching thee to continue these thy blessings to us; and to give us grace to show our thankfulness in a sincere obedience to his laws, through whose merits and intercession we received them all, thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.

¶ Prayer for God's protection through the night following:

particular, we beseech thee to continue thy gracious protection to us this night. Defend us from all dangers and mischiefs, and from the fear of them; that we may enjoy such refreshing sleep as may fit us for the duties of the following day. Make us ever mindful of the time when we shall lie down in the dust; and grant us grace always to live in such a state, that we may never be afraid to die: so that, living and dying, we may be thine, through the merits and satisfaction of thy Son Christ Jesus, in whose name we offer up these our imperfect prayers. Amen.

THE

HE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen.

¶ On Sundays and on other days, when it may be convenient, it will be proper to begin with a chapter, or part of a chapter, from the New Testament.

ARTICLES OF FAITH.

TAs declared by the Clergy and Laity of the Universalist Church of the United States of America, assembled in Convention at Winchester, in the State of New Hampshire, in the year of our Lord one thousand eight hundred and three:

ARTICLE I. We believe that the Holy Scriptures of the Old and New Testaments contain a revelation of the character of God, and of the duty, interest, and final destination of mankind.

ART. II. We believe that there is one God, whose nature is love; revealed in one Lord Jesus Christ, by one Holy Spirit of grace; who will finally restore the whole family of mankind to holiness and happiness.

ART. III. We believe that holiness and true happiness are inseparably connected; and that believers ought to be careful to maintain order and practise good works; for these things are good and profitable unto men.

THE FORM AND MANNER OF ORDAINING MINISTERS.

When the day appointed for the Ordination is come, after Morning Prayer is ended, there shall be a Sermon or Exhortation appropriate to the occasion. Then the fact of the examination of the candidates according to the custom of the Church, and their being found worthy of Ordination, having been reported, the Minister thereunto appointed shall say unto the people:

GOOD people, these are they whom we purpose, God willing, to re

ceive this day unto the holy office of the Ministry: for after due examination, we find not to the contrary, but that they are lawfully called to their function and ministry, and that they are persons meet for the same. But yet if there be any of you, who knoweth any impediment or notable crime in any of them, for the which he ought not to be received into this holy ministry, let him come forth in the name of God, and show what the crime or impediment is.

And if any crime or impediment shall be objected, the Ordination shall be deferred until such time as the accused shall be found clear. If not, then shall be said the Collect, Epistle, and Gospel, as followeth :

The Collect.

ALMIGHTY God, giver of all good things, who by thy Holy Spirit

hast appointed divers orders of ministers in the Church: mercifully behold these thy servants, now called to the office of the Ministry: and so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and adorn them with innocency of life, that both by word and good example they may faithfully serve thee in this office, to the glory of thy Name, and the edification of thy Church, through our Saviour Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

The Epistle. Ephes. iv. 7.

The Gospel. St. Matt. ix. 36. St. John, x. 1.

Y

¶ Then the Minister shall say unto them as followeth ;

E have heard, brethren, as well in your private examination, as in the exhortation which was now made to you, and in the holy lessons taken out of the Gospel, and the writings of the apostles of what dignity, and of how great importance this office is, whereunto ye are called. And now again we exhort you, in the name of our Lord