The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit: a broken and a contrite heart, O God, thou wilt not despise. Psalm li. 17.
Rend your heart, and not your garments, and turn unto the Lord your God: for he is gracious and merciful, slow to anger, and of great kindness, and repenteth him of the evil. Joel ii. 13.
To the Lord our God belong mercies and forgivenesses, though we have rebelled against him: neither have we obeyed the voice of the Lord our God, to walk in his laws which he set before us. Dan. ix. 9, 10.
Lord, correct me, but with judgement; not in thine anger, lest thou bring me to nothing. Jer. x. 24. Psalm vi. 1.
Repent ye; for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand. St Matth. iii. 2.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and before thee, and am no more worthy to be called thy son. St Luke xv. 18, 19.
Enter not into judgement with thy servant, O Lord; for in thy sight shall no man living be justified. Psalm cxliii. 2.
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us: but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. 1 St John i. 8, 9.
| These sentences of Scripture may be used at the beginning of | Morning Prayer at the Great Festivals. | | Christmas-day and seven days after. | | Unto you is born this day in the city of David a Saviour which | is Christ the Lord. St Luke ii. 11. | | Easter-day and seven days after. | | The Lord is risen indeed. Alleluia. St Luke xxiv. 34. | | Ascension-day and seven days after. | | Lift up your heads, O ye gates, and be ye lift up, ye everlasting | doors; and the King of Glory shall come in. Psalm xxiv. 7. | | Or, We have a great high priest that is passed into the | heavens, Jesus the Son of God. Let us therefore come boldly | unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find | grace to help in time of need. Heb. iv. 14, 16. | | Whitsunday and six days after. | | When the day of Pentecost was fully come, they were all with | one accord in one place. And suddenly there came a sound from | heaven, as of a rushing mighty wind, and it filled all the house | where they were sitting. And there appeared unto them cloven | tongues, like as of fire, and it sat upon each of them: and | they were all filled with the Holy Ghost. Acts ii. 1-4.
Dearly beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness; and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them before the face of Almighty God our heavenly Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy Word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me: