People. Just and true are all thy ways, O thow King of Saints. Minister. Thou art good; thou doeft good continually; the earth is full of thy goodness. Every good and perfect gift is from above, and cometh down from thee, the Father of all. People. O Lord! thy goodness is above all praise: universal as thy works, and endless as eternity. Minister. All glory and honour, blessing and praise, might, majesty, and dominion, be unto God for ever. Amen. Then let the first Lesson be read, taken out of the Old Testament; the Minister is afterwards to proceed as follows: the People standing. LET Minister. us now offer up unto God our fin cere and humble thanksgivings, for his great goodness to us and to all mankind. O give thanks unto the Lord, ye his people! give thanks at the remembrance of his goodness. Let us meditate upon his mercies with delight; and let the words of our mouths and the actions of our lives shew forth his praife. People. We will give thanks unto the Lord, for be is good, and bis mercy endureth for ever. The General Thanksgiving. WE thank thee, O Father! Lord of heaven and earth, for the innumerable favours thou hast bestowed upon us. We acknowledge, with all gratitude and joy, the gift of life: thy almighty voice hath called us into being, and thy hand hath placed us in this part of thy glorious works. We thank thee for the wife and useful frame of our bodies, and for the nobler powers of our minds; by which we are enabled to contemplate the beauty of thy works, works, and the wonderful order of thy providence, and to attain to the knowledge and love of thee, the Creator of the world, and the Author of all good. People. We praise thee, O Lord! for thy goodness, and for thy wonderful works to the children of men. Minister. We thank thee, O ever bountiful and gracious God! for the continual prefervation of our lives; in thy hand is the life of every creature, and the breath of all mankind; our food and raiment are the daily gifts of thy bounty; the blessings of fociety and friendship are thy wife and benevolent appointment; and to thy fatherly goodness we are indebted for all our personal and relative enjoyments. People. Bless the Lord, O our fouls! and all that is within us bless bis holy name. Minister. Minister. We bless thee, O heavenly Father, that thy goodness is not confined to this present world, but that thou haft awakened in us the pleasing hope of immortality; and that, by the various means of thy providence and grace, thou art training us up for a heavenly and everlasting life. We thank thee for the instructions and examples of wife and good men in every age, and for every opportunity of attaining that measure of knowledge and virtue which is necessary to our happiness. But above all, we praise and magnify thee for the rich display of thy goodness manifested in the gospel of thy most beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord; whom thou didst raise up to bless mankind, by turning them from darkness to light, and from the power of fin to the worship and obedience of thee, the true God. We rejoice that by him thou hast given us thy heavenly truth, to enlighten our minds, to sanctify our hearts, and guide our feet into the the way of peace; and that in his life thou hast set before us an example of the most exalted goodness. We thank thee for the promises of thy mercy and forgiveness, upon repentance and newness of life; for the afssurance of thy gracious influence to help our infirmities, and for the blessed hope of immortality confirmed to us in the gospel. People. Bleffed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, for his goodness, and for his abundant loving kindness to the children of men. Here the Thanksgivings on any particular occafions may be introduced. Then let the Minister read the Second Lesson, taken out of the New Testament; after which a Pfalm or Hymn may be fung, and then the Service to proceed as follows : Minister. THUS faith the high and lofty One, who inhabiteth eternity, I dwell with him who |