Part 7 (1/2)
To Jesus Christ, the Lord of glory, and Prince of life, be praise and thanks now and evermore, that He has so graciously helped and received this blessed person into His holy hands. May He at the last day graciously unite soul and body in heavenly brightness, and grant us all together in His own appointed time a happy following and in the mean time a G.o.dly walk; comfort all distressed persons with His sweet consolation, and preserve us all in His eternal grace, according to His eternal goodness and mercy. Amen, O thou holiest and most glorious Trinity. Amen!
Amen!
APPENDIX I.
FESTIVAL PRAYERS.
1. Prayer for the Beginning of a new Church-Year.
O Eternal G.o.d! faithful Father, at the beginning of our Church-year, we, in deepest humility, thank Thee, first of all, for all Thy special spiritual benefits shown us during the past Church-year. Thou hast thus far granted unto us Thy holy Word and its public preaching, also the use of the holy sacraments, although on account of our unthankfulness we have indeed deserved that Thou shouldst have withheld such goodness. We are indeed no better and have not sinned against Thee less than so many of our brethren in the faith elsewhere, from whom Thou, through Thy just judgment, hast either entirely or measurably withheld the word of Thy gospel and its public preaching; and it appears that Thou, through Thy judgment, wouldst yet at many more places take away the light of Thy Word. O Lord! we are indeed too insignificant for all Thy mercies, which Thou hast hitherto shown us unworthy servants, and that Thou doest still deal with us so sparingly. Forgive us in mercy all our sins by which we, whether by the neglect and incomplete performance of good or the committing of evil, have offended Thee during the past Church-year. Grant this to be our first blessing in this Church-year, that Thou wilt with the blood of Thy dear Son blot out all our sins of the past year, and in order that we may be worthy of such grace, do Thou work true repentance in all our hearts, so that we may not bear into the new Church-year any of our old sins unforgiven and which we do not by Thy power mean entirely to abandon. Preserve unto us still further Thy holy word and sacraments and thus the kingdom of Thy Son among us, and do not bestow such power upon the enemy, that will enable him to rob us of such gifts and that the kingdom of darkness be extended among us. In this however, dear Father, look not upon that what we are deserving, but that the honor of Thy Son be not blasphemed by the enemies who may imagine to have destroyed His kingdom among us. Preserve all our faithful teachers and ministers, whom Thou hast given us, and bestow upon them, at this beginning of the Church-year, new light and strength in Thy Holy Spirit, that they may present unto us, by Thy power and presence, Thy Word in its purity and simplicity without the admixture of human wisdom; also may they at all times have the wisdom and light rightly to conceive the most needful things to be treated of before their christian congregations. Permit them therefore not to speak what they desire, but do Thou alone rule their tongues and hearts, that they may always speak what is pleasing unto Thee. Give such efficacy to Thy Word and Thy holy Sacraments, that we may also in this Church-year experience that they are still the blessed means of our salvation, that they will save our souls. Seal anew the good Thou hast already wrought in the hearts of Thy children during the past year, and the Word Thou hast made effectual among them; and let it still further manifest its power in teaching the ignorant, in converting the unregenerate, in convicting the malicious, in strengthening the souls that already know Thee, whose number Thou wilt also in the ways known to Thee largely increase during this year. Grant also unto all hearers, that they not only receive the Word out of the mouth of their pastors with attention and meekness, but also at all times, whilst hearing, present their hearts unto Thee in such stillness and resignation, that Thy Holy Spirit may complete the work of faith in them, and by whose influence they may during this Church-year lead a more holy life before Thee than heretofore. Especially grant Thy grace that we make Thy Word the firm foundation of our knowledge of the truth among us, in order that it may become a living knowledge, which in its fruits will praise Thee, and we indeed experience that, to know, here by faith and there by sight, that Thou Father art the only true G.o.d and whom Thou hast sent is Jesus Christ, is everlasting life. Amen.
2. Prayer for the Advent Season.
O Lord of glory and G.o.d over all, blessed forever! I heartily thank Thee for all Thy great and inexpressible benefits, also that Thou out of unspeakable love didst leave Thy throne of divine glory and condescend to us poor creatures in this vale of tears, to release us lost and condemned sinners from the prison of affliction. I praise Thee, Jesus! Thou King of glory! with all my strength and powers, that Thou didst not appear upon earth for any other purpose than to deliver us from the power of our enemies, of sin, of death, h.e.l.l and the devil; to effect by Thy precious blood eternal reconciliation between us and Thy heavenly Father, and to regain for us, through Thy precious merits, the lost righteousness.
Hosanna! Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord, Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity!
I cast myself in deepest humility before Thee and ask Thee with all my heart to gladden at this time also by Thy gracious advent Thy church which is everywhere oppressed; always dwell and abide with and among us in this land and place at all times, and in our hearts, with Thy pure Word and most holy Sacraments, and let goodness and mercy come upon us.
Be gracious unto us, most beloved Saviour! and bless us, bestow upon us temporal and eternal peace. Our enemies however cast into the prison which they have prepared for us, change their counsels directed against us into foolishness, for Thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory forever. Hosanna! Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord, Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity!
Dear Jesus! grant unto me and all christians Thy Spirit, that He may cleanse and purify our hearts of all impurity and sin, in order that Thou mayest desire to enter in and dwell among us. Help us to receive Thee with true faith, heartily to rejoice with Thy spiritual Zion for Thy benefits, to follow Thee constantly with christian patience and humility and confidently await Thy second coming with constant repentance and believing hope, also at the same time serve Thee here in the kingdom of grace with a holy walk, and finally in the kingdom of glory we shall with glorified tongues everlastingly sing our Hosannas to Thy honor, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost. Hosanna! Save now, I beseech Thee, O Lord, Lord, I beseech Thee, send now prosperity! Amen.
3. Christmas Prayer.
Merciful and eternal G.o.d, heavenly Father! we Thy children thank Thee from the depth of our hearts that Thou didst so faithfully keep Thy promise and turn to us Thy kind and paternal heart, didst send unto us Thine only-begotten Son, the highest Good, to be our Saviour, and to a.s.sume our human nature, and thus didst render us acceptable through Thy Beloved. O Lord Jesus! Thou eternal Son of G.o.d, we honor, praise and glorify Thee, that Thou to-day didst become our brother and Emmanuel, that is: G.o.d with us, didst out of unspeakable love befriend us and clothe Thyself with our poor flesh and blood. Thou didst in nowise a.s.sume the nature of angels, but didst honor the seed of Abraham, our human nature, this poor earth, wretched ashes and worthless dust even so much as to connect Thyself personally and inseparably with the same to all eternity. Thou wast conceived holy and without sin, and born into this world of a pure and chaste virgin; whereby Thou didst sanctify and consecrate our Adamic, sinful and impure conception and birth, so that it may not be harmful to us who by nature are children of wrath, conceived in sin, and flesh born of flesh. Thou wast born in a stable, poor and lowly; Thou in a manger didst lie, in poverty great, and of Thy crib, though hard, no offence didst take, in order that Thou couldst enrich our souls and make us lords in Thy heavenly mansion. Thou didst humble Thyself, in order to exalt us; Thou didst appear upon earth, in order that we in turn might come unto Thee in heaven. O G.o.d, Holy Spirit! our most exalted teacher and comforter, we to-day offer unto Thee the sacrifices of our lips and thank Thee with our hearts that Thou didst reveal this exalted mystery of G.o.dliness; and as the angels proclaimed it to the shepherds and chanted it on the plain, so let it still be preached unto us through Thy Word and its servants. Glory be to Thee, O G.o.d the Father, Son and Holy Ghost! in the highest, peace on earth and good will towards men. Help, O faithful G.o.d and father! that we may be partakers of the new birth of Thy dear Son, be relieved of our old sinful nature, and be and remain new born children of Thy grace and heirs of Thy kingdom. My Jesus, whom I count most dear, a clean soft bed prepare Thou here, to take within my heart Thy rest, so shall I hold Thy memory best. Grant, O G.o.d, Holy Spirit! that thus our Saviour be now and forevermore spiritually born and developed within us. Help also, that by virtue of this birth we may rejoice and be comforted amidst all temptations, patiently endure and overcome all things, and with all the angels of G.o.d praise, honor and glorify Thee, here in time and in heaven forever. Amen.
4. Prayer on New-Year's Day.
O triune G.o.d, Thus have we again by Thy grace brought a year of our wretched life and weary pilgrimage upon earth to a close, and to-day in Thy name begin another. Lord! how unspeakably great is Thy goodness, how innumerable are Thy benefits which Thou hast shown unto me and mine in the past, though on account of our sins we have deserved nothing at Thy hands but wrath and punishment! Thou hast graciously preserved Thy precious Word and holy sacraments in Thy holy congregation, peace and unity in the government, prosperity and blessing in material comforts, and didst richly bestow for our enjoyment all manner of blessings for body and soul. Thou with paternal care didst protect Thy church from false doctrine and persecution on account of the true faith, our land from hostile invasion and evil contagion, our houses and property from fire and water, and didst by Thy care faithfully avert from us all dire calamities. How shall I find words to express the inestimable value of these blessings? How can I according to my obligations be sufficiently thankful? Behold, Lord, I offer to Thee, at the close of the old year, the fruits of my lips, and glorify Thy grace and mercy with all my strength and powers. My soul must honor Thee, my spirit must praise Thee, my mouth shall thank Thee, and all that is within me must proclaim Thy glory. I prostrate myself in heartfelt sorrow before Thy feet and confess unto Thee with a penitent heart all my sins in which I was conceived and born, and with which I have offended Thee during the past year, as well as during the whole of my past life.
Most beloved Father! do not now reckon such past sins to my condemnation, and do not remember in Thy wrath my past transgressions, but graciously forgive and forget the same for the sake of the sufferings of Thy dearly beloved Son. Jesus, my beloved Saviour, be merciful to me, a poor sinner, blot out like a cloud and mist all my transgressions by Thy merit, cast them into the sea of Thy innocent blood, that they may never more come to light or before the judgment of G.o.d. O G.o.d, Holy Spirit! create within me the new man, that I may not bring into the new year old sins and impurities, but to-day begin a new life and partake anew of Thy grace.
Withhold from me, O Triune G.o.d! all long and well deserved punishment, and continue to bless me and mine with all manner of bodily and spiritual, temporal and eternal gifts. Let Thy grace rest upon us anew every morning, and renew Thy good will to all who in this new year seek their refuge with Thee and wait upon Thy goodness. Grant unto us still further Thy precious Word, which is a joy and comfort to our hearts.
Enlighten our teachers and pastors, and grant unto their holy work the blessing of heaven; strengthen our faithful rulers and prosper all their good undertakings, which are pleasing to Thee. Bless our parents, and prosper Thou the work of their hands. Fill our souls with true fear of G.o.d, and our hearts with joy in the Holy Ghost. Bestow unto our bodies health, and grant peace within our borders. Crown this year with Thy goodness and grant unto us that which is necessary to the support of life. Protect Thy church from error in the faith and from scandalous living, our land from war, famine and pestilence, our homes from consuming flames and all damage and danger, the products of the field from hail and tempest. Curb the wrath and fury of satan, and send Thy heavenly hosts that they may guard and protect us in all our ways.