Because Christ saith, "Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them that despitefully use you, and persecute you.” (Matt. v. 44.) 59. Why do we pray God to preserve for us the kindly fruits of the earth? Because "the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof." (Ps. xxiv. 1.) 60. Why do we beseech Him to give us true repentance? Because "unless ye repent ye shall all likewise perish.” (Luke xiii. 3.) 61. Why to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances? "If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness." (1 John i. 9.) 62. What is the concluding petition of this part of the Litany? That God would endue us with the grace of his Holy Spirit, to amend our lives according to his holy Word. "Order my steps in thy Word, and let not any iniquity have dominion over me." (Ps. cxix. 133.) 63. Repeat the short and earnest sentences which are uttered alternately by the minister, and the people, and with which the Intercessions conclude. Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us. Son of God: we beseech thee to hear us. O Lamb of God: that takest away the sins of the world; O Lamb of God: that takest away the sins of the world; Have mercy upon us. O Christ, hear us. O Christ, hear us. Lord, have mercy upon us. 64. How does that part of the Litany, called the Supplications, commence ? With the Lord's Prayer, which is annexed to this, as to all the other offices, to shew our high esteem and reverence for it, and that our prayers may receive light and life from this divine form. 65. Repeat the two short verses which follow the Lord's Prayer. Priest. O Lord, deal not with us after our sins. Answer. Neither reward us after our iniquities. 66. From what Psalm are they taken ? From Psalm ciii. 10. 67. What does the word "after" here signify? "According to." 68. Repeat the prayer following. Let us pray. O GOD, merciful Father, that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowful; Mercifully assist our prayers that we make before thee in all our troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress us; and graciously hear us, that those evils, which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us be brought to nought; and by the providence of thy goodness they may be dispersed; that we thy servants, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord. 69. Prove that God despiseth not the sighing of a contrite heart. "The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise." (Ps. li. 17.) 70. Prove that He will not despise the desire of such as be sorrowful. "Verily, verily I say unto you, that ye shall weep and lament, but the world shall rejoice; and ye shall be sorrowful, but your sorrow shall be turned into joy." (John xvi. 20.) 71. Why do we pray God to assist our prayers which we make before Him in all our troubles and adversities? Because "He will regard the prayer of the poor and destitute, and not despise their prayer." (Ps. cii. 17.) 72. By what means are those evils which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against us be brought to nought? By the providence of God's goodness. Because "God disappointeth the devices of the crafty, so that their hands cannot perform their enterprise." (Job v. 12.) 73. Where do we desire to give thanks unto God when we are free from all persecution? In his holy Church. "I will give thee thanks in the great congregation: I will praise thee among much people.” (Ps. xxxv. 18.) 74. Why is this prayer not concluded as other prayers are, with "Amen." Because these words, "O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thy name's sake," taken from Psalm lxxix. 9, more strongly express our dependence upon Almighty God. 75. Repeat that acknowledgment of his former mercies to his people, which the minister now makes to God, and which is taken from Psalm xliv. 1. O GOD, we have heard with our ears, and our fathers have declared unto us, the noble works that thou didst in their days, and in the old time before them. O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honour. : Glory be to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost; Answer. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be : world without end. Amen. 76. From whence are the words, "O Lord, arise, help us, and deliver us for thine honour" taken? From Psalm xliv. 26. 77. Why is the Doxology "Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost," added here? In imitation of David, who often in the midst of his complaints, being persuaded that God would hear him, suddenly breaks out in an act of praise, as if the mercies he had prayed for were already received. 78. Repeat the alternate sentences which follow. From our enemies defend us, O Christ. Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts. Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us, O Christ. Graciously hear us, O Christ; graciously hear us, O Lord Christ. Priest. O Lord, let thy mercy be shewed upon us; 79. Why do we beseech Christ to defend us from our enemies? Because "he is a shield unto them that put their trust in him.” (Prov. xxx. 5.) 80. Why that He will graciously look upon our offences? Because "surely he hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows." (Isa. liii. 4.) 81. Why that He will pitifully behold the sorrow of our hearts? Because "like as a Father pitieth his children, even so the Lord pitieth them that fear him." (Ps. ciii. 13.) 82. Why do we pray that He will mercifully forgive the sins of his people? Because "to the Lord our God belong mercies and forgiveness, though we have rebelled against him." (Dan. ix, 9.) 83. Why that He will mercifully hear our prayers? Because "if any man be a worshipper of God, and doeth his will, him he heareth." (John ix. 31.) 84. Why do we invoke Christ as the Son of David to have mercy upon us? Because as He assumed our nature, and became the Son of David, and so took upon Him our infirmities, and became acquainted with griefs, He can the more readily understand our wants. 85. Why do we implore Him as the Christ to hear us? Because as He is Christ our Redeemer, we may with certainty trust that our prayers will be fulfilled in due time. "This is the confidence that we have in him, that if we ask any thing according to his will he heareth us; and if we know that he heareth us, whatso D ever we ask, we know that we have the petitions that we desire of him." (1 John v. 14, 15.) 86. From what part of Scripture are the two last alternate verses taken ? Psalm xxxiii. 22. 87. Repeat the prayer which follows. Let us pray. WE humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities; and for the glory of thy Name_turn from us all those evils that we most righteously have deserved; and grant, that in all our troubles we may put our whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honour and glory; through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 88. Is this an ancient prayer? Yes; it was composed originally above 1100 years ago, and was corrupted for superstitious purposes by the Church of Rome; the additions made by that Church were cast out at the Reformation, and the collect, as it now stands, was placed in our Litany. 89. How do we pray God to look upon our infirmities? Mercifully; "For he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil." (Joel ii. 13.) 90. How have we deserved evil at the hand of God? Most righteously. "Righteous art thou, O Lord, and upright are thy judgments." (Ps. cxix. 137.) 91. In what are we to put our trust when in trouble? In God's mercy. "Yea; though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for thou art with me, thy rod, and thy staff, they comfort me." (Ps. xxiii. 4.) 92. In what do we pray evermore to serve God? In holiness and pureness of living. "For there is, therefore, now no condemnation to them which are in Christ Jesus, who walk not after the flesh but after the Spirit." (Rom. viii. 1.) 93. Through whose mediation do we hope that the prayer just offered will be accepted? Through our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. "There is one Mediator between God and man, the man Christ Jesus." (1 Tim. ii. 5.) 94. Repeat the last prayer in the Litany, called the prayer of Saint Chrysostom. A Prayer of St. Chrysostom. ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise, that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen1. 1 For an explanation of this see Morning Prayer. 95. Repeat the blessing taken from 2 Cor. xiii., with which the Litany concludes. 2 Cor. xiii. THE grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Ghost, be with us all evermore. Amen. Thus, having gone through this excellent and peculiar office of our Church, we may conclude with the words of Archbishop Secker, "May God give us grace to use these, and all our devotions in so right a manner, that from praying to Him amidst the troubles and sorrows of the world, we may be taken in his good time, to praise Him for ever, amidst the joys of the next, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen." |