Part 8 (2/2)
Merciful G.o.d and Father in heaven, to Thee I give the humblest thanks with heart and lips, that Thou didst so mercifully visit us poor human beings through the giving of Thy dearest Son, and didst raise up our Lord Jesus as a horn of salvation in Thy church, in order that we should lay hold of the same in true faith, receive comfort, joy and salvation from the same, and sustain ourselves by it in danger and in death. Equal thanks do I owe Thee, Lord Jesus, Thou day-spring from on high, that Thou didst so gloriously enlighten, through Thy appearing, us poor, blind people who sat in darkness and in the shadow of death, and didst direct our feet upon the way of divine peace. No less do I thank Thee, O G.o.d Holy Ghost, that Thou didst raise up John as a prophet of the Highest, and didst give through him the knowledge of salvation which consists in the forgiveness of sins. O holy Trinity, give me Thy grace, that I may worthily acknowledge such great benefits, and be thankful to Thee always for the same, not only in words, but also in a Christian life, and serve Thee all the days of my life in holiness and righteousness, which are pleasing to Thee, until in the land of eternity I shall behold Thee face to face, and sing, with the a.s.sembly of the chosen, the never-ending hymns of praise and thanks. Amen.
15. Prayer on the Day of the Visitation of the Virgin Mary.
Gracious G.o.d, heavenly Father, how great is Thy grace, how unsearchable Thy mercy toward me, a poor sinner! Thou didst send Thy only Son and permit Him to become a true man, in order that I might, through the blessed fruit of the womb of a virgin, receive the divine blessing, and be and remain one of the blessed of the Lord. For such Thy great kindness I give Thee hearty thanks, and humbly beseech Thee at the same time, that Thou wouldst be pleased to enkindle my heart with the fire of the Holy Spirit, in order that my soul may also magnify Thee, and my spirit rejoice at all times in my Saviour. O why should I not magnify Thee with due praise, how could my spirit refrain from rejoicing? Thou, kind G.o.d, hast done great things for me, not only in my creation and preservation, but also in the salvation of my soul, which Thy dearest Son Jesus Christ s.n.a.t.c.hed from death, with which He united Himself, and which He has promised to love eternally. O Lord, continue to look upon me with the eyes of Thy mercy, as Thou didst look upon the Virgin Mary, and permit Thy grace to be ever with me, and I shall glorify and praise Thee forever and ever. Amen.
16. Prayer on St. Michael's Day.
O thou faithful G.o.d! Lover, Protector and Preserver of the human race, Thou Lord of Hosts, unto whom thousand thousands minister, and before whom ten thousand times ten thousand stand, by whom all things were created, both the visible and the invisible, the thrones and dominions; how great is Thy love to men, that from their infancy Thou hast ordered to be with them Thy holy angels, these constant, humble, friendly, G.o.d-loving, obedient, true, good spirits, these beautifully resplendent, heavenly flaming fires, these strong heroes, these holy watchmen, who encamp round about us that fear Thy name, who always behold the face of our Father in heaven, and stand before Thy throne; by means of whom Thou dost protect the three estates which Thou Thyself hast ordained on earth.
O G.o.d, what is man, that Thou art thus mindful of him! We render unto Thee everlasting praise and thanks for Thy goodness, that Thou hast sent forth the ministering spirits, to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation. We pray Thee, give Thy angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways, to bear us up in their hands, lest we dash our foot against a stone; that we may tread upon the lion and adder, and trample under our feet the young lion and the dragon. Drive away from us all evil spirits, which are murderers and liars from the beginning. Protect us against their anger and rage, their lies and blasphemies, their cunning and deceit, that they may not sow their tares among the wheat in our hearts.
Restrain the lying spirits in the mouth of all false prophets, the murderous spirit in all tyrants, the spirit of pride and avarice in the family. Let Thy holy angels always accompany us like Jacob, protect us like the prophet Elisha, bring us bread and water and furnish us with fiery horse and chariot like Elias, let them give unto us wholesome counsel and comfort. Let them be with us in our tribulation, as they were with the three men in the fiery furnace and with Daniel in the lion's den; let them deliver us, and lead us out, from all our troubles, as they led out Lot from burning Sodom, Peter from the prison, Paul from the s.h.i.+pwreck. Let our house and land, our children and all that we possess, be protected by Thy holy angels, as was the house of Job, that the enemy may not molest us. Let us live in Thy fear, love Thy Word and Gospel, into which the angels desire to look. Work true repentance in our hearts, that the angels in heaven may rejoice over us. Kindle in us fervent prayer and praise of Thy name, that we may perform an angel's office and sing with them: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord G.o.d of Sabaoth. And finally let also our souls be carried by angels into Abraham's bosom, and in the resurrection on that day make us like unto the holy angels, that we may be in their society. Amen.
17. Prayer on the Festival of the Reformation.
Lord Jesus Christ, who didst come into the world to call sinners to repentance and to enlighten all men unto life eternal, we praise Thee with our whole heart, and extol Thy great goodness and mercy, that Thou didst not only enter into this place and into this church and congregation with Thy divine Word and holy Sacraments, and didst purge out the leaven of papistic doctrine and idolatry, but that Thou hast also redeemed us poor sinners from the kingdom of darkness, hast called us into the light of Thy holy Gospel, and hast transplanted us into Thy kingdom of grace.
O Lord Jesus, we are not worthy of all Thy goodness and faithfulness, yet we pray Thee with humble hearts, that Thou wouldst continue among us Thy grace, with Thy divine Word and holy Sacraments, that Thy holy name may be known by us, that it alone may be feared and honored by us, and we all may live, and serve Thee, according to Thy divine pleasure. And what we have done amiss against Thee and Thy holy Word, by not having been obedient to the Gospel, do Thou, Lord Jesus Christ, graciously pardon, and do not on account of our sin take from us this saving treasure, but preserve it unadulterated unto us and unto our posterity. Yea, Lord Jesus, preserve unto us Thy Word, for it is the joy and comfort of our hearts.
Guard and defend us and Thy whole Christian, especially Thy Evangelical Lutheran, Church against all error, unbelief, and the pernicious doctrine of others. Restrain all enemies, persecutors and blasphemers, and be Thou our refuge, our strength, our s.h.i.+eld and buckler, that the gates of h.e.l.l may not prevail against us. Especially do we beseech Thee, O Lord our Saviour, that Thou wouldst enter into the house of our heart, that Thou wouldst enlighten us by Thy Holy Spirit, purify our hearts and graciously grant, that we may walk worthy of the Gospel, and remain steadfast in the truth once known and confessed, unto our end. O Lord Jesus, let our souls obtain Thy salvation, that we may be saved through Thee and in Thy kingdom behold Thee and Thy great glory forever and ever. Amen, Lord Jesus, Amen.
18. Prayer on Church-Consecration Day.
Lord G.o.d, our heavenly Father, who dost through Thy Word and Thy Holy Spirit gather for Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, a church and holy congregation in our midst, and hast hitherto preserved pure doctrine and the true wors.h.i.+p of G.o.d against the devil and all enemies, yea, against the gates of h.e.l.l: do Thou, O good and faithful G.o.d, continue to preserve unto us this dear and precious treasure, do Thou also make our descendants partakers of the same, so that we, instructed in saving knowledge, may grow and increase, until we shall receive an everlasting habitation in the kingdom of Thy Son, and be saved through Thy dear Son, Jesus Christ, our Lord, to whom, with Thee and the Holy Ghost, be praise and glory forever and ever. Amen.
19. Prayer on Harvest Festival.
O give thanks unto the Lord; for He is good: because His mercy and truth endure forever. Let Israel now say, that His mercy endureth forever. Let the house of Aaron now say, that His mercy endureth forever. Let them now that fear the Lord say, that His mercy endureth forever. O, how we feared the destruction of the precious grain in the fields! O, how we took thought and troubled ourselves, lest the bread which G.o.d has yet given us in these hard times might be s.n.a.t.c.hed away before our eyes and out of our hands! But it is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed, because His compa.s.sions fail not; they are new every morning. Now all, to G.o.d give thanks, who has everywhere done marvelous things, who has preserved us alive from our birth, and has done countless favors. May He grant us a joyful heart, and in these times continual peace in Israel, and that His grace remain always with us, and uphold us, as long as we live. O G.o.d, give peace to Thy land, prosperity and salvation to every estate. Lord G.o.d, heavenly Father, who dost create holy courage, good counsel and good works, give to Thy servants peace, which the world cannot give, so that our hearts may cling to Thy commandment, and that we may, by Thy protection, live through our days quietly and securely against our enemies, through Jesus Christ, Thy dear Son, our Lord. Amen.
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