THANKSGIVING FOR RECOVERY FROM SICKNESS Heavenly Father, I thank thee for thy goodness in raising me up from a bed of sickness, and restoring me again to health and vigor. Thou forgivest mine iniquities, thou healest my diseases, thou crownest my life with loving-kindness and tender mercies, and therefore it becomes me gratefully to say, "Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me, bless his holy name!" Accept my thanksgivings, Almighty Father, for having delivered my soul from death, and mine eyes from tears. Grant that I may ever walk before thee in the land of the living, and never forget the instructions I received, and the resolutions I made in the time of my affliction. May this fresh instance of mercy which I have received at thine hands constrain me always to live to thy glory; and finally do thou be pleased to receive me to thyself, through thy compassion and grace in Jesus Christ. Amen. A MORNING PRAYER FOR FAMILY OR SOCIAL WORSHIP. The following Anthem is to be said by the Head of the Family, or Reader, in alternate verses with the other members. Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God, and the God of our fathers, who turnest the shadows of death into the morning, and renewest the face of the earth; Who scatterest the darkness by this return of light, and hast commanded night to give place to day; Who hast delivered us from the terror by night, and from the pestilence that walketh in darkness; Who makest the outgoings of the morning and of the evening to praise thee; For that we laid down and slept, and rose up again, because thou, O Lord, didst make us to dwell in safety; For that we awaked, and beheld, and our sleep was sweet unto us. Blot out, we pray thee, as a cloud, our transgressions, and as the thickness of the morning cloud, our sins. Grant us to walk as children of the light and of the day. O let us hear thy loving kindness betimes in the morning, for in thee is our trust. Show thou us the way that we should walk in, for we lift up our souls unto thee. Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God; Be honour and glory, through Jesus Christ, for ever and ever. Amen. Then shall the Person who conducts the Service say; The Lord be with you; Answer. And with thy spirit. Then shall he read the following Prayer. O God, whose light again shines upon us, we desire to unite with thy whole family in heaven and earth, to offer up to thee, the eternal Fountain of light, our morning adoration, and pay our tribute of gratitude and praise to thee our Preserver. O shine into our hearts with the light of truth, and disperse the shades of error and prejudice and sin. Inspire us with the hopes and comforts of true religion, and implant within us thy likeness, the image of our Creator, in righteousness and true holiness. Give us clear and consoling views of thy Providence, which so mercifully regards us, and our minutest concerns. Warm our hearts with love to thee; with the love of goodness, of purity, and of all thy moral perfections; that by these our faith and trust in thee may be increased and strengthened, and that we may rejoice that all the different dispensations of our lives are in thy hand, the hand of our heavenly Father. Encourage us in the faithful discharge of our duties. Guide us by thy counsel; support us in our journey by thy strength; hold us up by thy promises. Animate us with the pati ence and perserverance of our blessed Lord and master, who for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despised the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. In his name we offer our prayers, and in his words conclude them. ¶ Then shall all repeat together the Lord's Prayer. Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come; Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen. ¶ The following hymn may then be read or sung. MORNING HYMN. 7s. M. Now the shades of night are gone, |