The Litanie

¶ Here followeth the Litanie, or generall Supplication, to be sung. or said after Morning Prayer, upon Sundaies, Wednesdayes, and Fridayes, and at other times when it shall be commanded by the Ordinarie:

¶ Then shall the Priest (and the People with him) say the Lords Prayer.

Our Father which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy Kingdom com. Thy will be don in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses. As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil. Amen.

O God mercifull Father, that despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as be sorrowfull, mercifully assist our praiers 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.

We humbly beseech thee O Father, mercifully to look upon our infirmities: and for the glory of thy Name turne 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 holines and purenes of living, to thy honor and glory, through our only mediatour and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ A prayer of Saint Chrysostome.

Almighty God, who hast given us grace at this tyme with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee, and dost promise that when two or three are gathred together in thy name, thou wilt grant their requests: fulfill now, O Lord, the desires and peticions 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. Amen.

¶ 2. Corinthians. 13.

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.

Here endeth the Litanie.
 

¶ Prayers and Thanksgivings upon severall occasions, to be said before the two finall Prayers of the Litany, or of Morning and Evening Prayer.

Prayers

¶ For Rain.

O God heavenly Father, who by thy Son Jesus Christ, hast promised to all them that seek thy Kingdom, and the righteousnes thereof, all things necessary to their bodily sustenance: send us, we beseech thee, in this our necessity, such moderate rain and showres, that we may receive the fruits of the earth to our comfort, and to thy honour, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ For fair weather.

O Almighty Lord God, who for the sin of man didst once drowne all the world, except eight persons, and afterward of thy great mercy didst promise never to destroy it so againe: we humbly beseech thee, that although we for our iniquities have worthily deserved a plague of rain and waters, yet upon our true repentance thou wilt send us such weather, as that we may receive the fruits of the earth in due season, and learne both by thy punishment to amend our lives, and for thy Clemency to give thee praise and glory, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ In the time of dearth and Famine.

O God heavenly Father, whose guift it is that the rain doth fall, the earth is fruitfull, beasts increase, and fishes do multiply: behold, we beseech thee, the Afflictions of thy people, and grant that the scarcity and dearth (which we do now most justly suffer for our Iniquity) may through thy goodnes be mercifully turned into cheapnes and plenty, for the love of Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the holv Ghost be all honour and glory, now and for ever. Amen.

¶ Or this.

O God mercifull father, who in the time of Elisha the Prophet didst suddenly in Samaria turne great Scarcity and dearth into plenty and Cheapnes: have mercy upon us that we who are now for our sins punished with like Adversity, may likewise find a seasonable relief. Increase the fruits of the earth by thy heavenly benediction; and grant that we receiving thy bountifull liberality may use the same to thy Glory, the reliefe of those that are needy, and our own Comfort, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ In the time of War and Tumults.

O Almighty God, King of all kings, and Governor of all things, whose power no creature is able to resist, to whom it belongeth justly to punish sinners, and to be merciful to them that truly repent: save and deliver us, we humbly beseech thee from the hands of our enemies; abate their pride, asswage their malice, and confound their devices, that we being armed with thy defence, may be preserved evermore from all perils, to glorify thee who art the only giver of all victory through the merits of thy only son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ In the time of any common plague or sicknes.

O Almighty God, who in thy wrath didst send a plague upon thine own people in the wildernes for their obstinate rebellion against Moses and Aaron, and also in the time of King David, didst slay with the plague of pestilence threescore and ten thousand, and yet remembring thy mercy didst save the rest: have pitie upon us miserable sinners, who now are visited with great sicknes and mortality, that like as thou didst then accept of an atonement, and didst command the destroying Angell to cease from punishing: so it may now please thee to withdraw from us this plague and grievous sicknes, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ In the Ember Weeks, to be said every day, For those who are to be admitted into holy orders.

Almighty God our heavenly Father, who hast purchased to thyselfe an universall Church by the pretious blood of thy dear Son: mercifully looke upon the same, and at this time so guide and govern the minds of thy servants the Bishops and Pastors of thy Flock, that they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but faithfully and wisely make choice of fitt persons to serve in the sacred ministery of thy Church. And to those which shall be ordeined to any holy function, give thy grace and heavenly benediction, that both by their life and doctrine they may set forth thy glory, and set forward the Salvation of all men, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Or this.

Almighty God, the giver of all good guifts, who of thy divine providence hast appointed divers orders in thy Church: give thy grace, we humbly beseech thee, to all those who are to be called to any office and Administration in the same: And soe replenish them with the truth of thy Doctrine, and indue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great name, and the benefitt of thy holy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ A Prayer that may be said after any of the former.

O God whose nature and property is ever to have mercy and to forgive, receive our humble petitions: and though we be tied and bound with the chain of our sins, yet let the pitifulnes of thy great mercy loose us, for the honour of Jesus Christ our Mediator and Advocate. Amen.

A Prayer for the High Court of Parliament to be read during their Session.

Most gratious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for this Kingdom in generall, so especially for the high Court of Parliament, under our most religious, and gratious King, at this time assembled: That thou wouldst be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations to the advancement of thy glory, the good of thy Church, the safety honour and welfare of our Soveraign, and his kingdoms; that all things may be so ordered and setled by their endeavors upon the best and surest foundations, that peace and happiness, truth and justice, religion and Piety may be established among us for all generations. These and all other necessaries for them, for us, and thy whole Church, we humbly begg in the Name and Mediation of Jesus Christ our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

A Collect or Prayer for all Conditions of men to be used at such times when the Litanie is not appointed to be said.

O God, the Creatour and Preserver of all mankind, We humbly beseech thee for all sorts, and conditions of men, that thou wouldst be pleased to make thy waies known unto them, thy saving health unto all nations. More especially we pray for the good estate of the Catholick Church, that it may be so guided and governed by thy good Spirit, that all who profess and call themselves Christians, may be led into the way of truth, and hold the faith in unity of Spirit, in the bond of peace, and in righteousness of life. Finally wee commend to thy Fatherly goodness all those who are any wayes afflicted or distressed in mind body or estate, *[especially those for whom our prayers are desired] that it may please thee to comfort and relieve them according to their severall necessities, giving them patience under their sufferings, and a happy issue out of all their afflictions. And this we begg for Jesus Christ his sake. Amen.
 

A generall Thanksgiving.

Almightie God, Father of all mercies, We thine unworthy servants do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodnes, and loving kindness to us and to all men [*particularly to those who desire now to offer up their praises, and thanksgivings for thy late mercies vouchsafed unto them] We bless thee for our creation, preservation, and all the blessings of this life, but above all for thine inestimable love in the redemption of the world by our Lord Jesus Christ, for the means of grace, and for the hope of glory. And we beseech thee give us that due sence of all thy mercies that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankfull, and that we shew forth thy prayse, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up our selves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousnes all our dayes through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom with thee and the holy Ghost be all honour and glory world without end. Amen.

¶ For Rain

O God our heavenly Father, who by thy gracious providence do'st cause the former and the latter rain to descend upon the earth, that it may bring forth fruit for the use of man: We give thee humble thanks that it hath pleased thee in our great necessity to send us at the last a joyfull rain upon thine inheritance, and to refresh it when it was dry, to the great Comfort of us thy unworthy servants, and to the glory of thy holy Name through thy mercies in Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ For fair weather.

O Lord God, who hast justly humbled us by thy late plague of immoderate rain and waters, and in thy mercy hast relieved and comforted our soules by this seasonable and blessed change of weather: we prayse and glorify thy holy Name for this thy mercy, and will alwayes declare thy loving kindnesse from generation to generation, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ For Plenty.

O most mercifull father, who of thy gracious goodnes hast heard the devout prayers of thy Church, and turned our dearth and Scarcity into cheapnes and plenty: Wee give thee humble thanks for this thy speciall bounty, beseeching thee to continue thy loving kindnes unto us, that our Land may yeild us her fruits of increase to thy glory and our comfort through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ For Peace and deliverance from our Enemies.

O Almighty God, who art a strong tower of defence unto thy Servants against the face of their Enemies: we yeild thee praise and thanksgiving for our deliverance from those great and apparent dangers wherewith we were compassed: we acknowledge it thy goodnes that we were not delivered over as a prey unto them, beseeching thee still to continue such thy mercies towards us, that all the world may know that thou art our Saviour and mighty deliverer, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ For restoring publick peace at home.

O eternall God our heavenly Father, who alone makest men to be of one mind in a house, and stillest the outrage of a violent and unruly people: We bless thy holy Name, that it hath pleased thee, to appease the seditious tumults which have. been lately raised up amongst us: most humbly beseeching thee to grant to all of us grace, that we may henceforth obediently walk in thy holy Commandments, and leading a quiet and peaceable life, in all godliness and honesty, may continually offer unto thee our sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiving for these thy mercies towards us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen .

¶ For deiiverance from the Plague, or other common Sicknes.

O Lord God, who hast wounded us for our sins, and consumed us for our transgressions by thy late heavy and dreadfull visitation, and now in the midst of Judgement remembring mercy, hast redeemed our soules from the jaws of death: we offer unto thy fatherly goodnes our selves, our souls and bodies which thou hast delivered, to be a living sacrifice unto thee, alwayes praysing and magnifyeing thy mercies in the midst of thy Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

¶ Or this.

We humbly acknowledge before thee (O most mercifull Father) that all the punishments which are threatned in thy law, might justly have falln upon us, by reason of our manifold transgressions and heardnes of heart: yet seeing it hath pleased thee of thy tender mercy, upon our weake and unworthy humiliation, to asswage the contagious sicknes wherewith we lately have been sore afflicted, and to restore the voice of joy and health into our dwellings: we offer unto thy divine majesty the Sacrifice of prayse and thanksgiving, lauding and magnifying thy glorious Name for such thy preservation and providence over us, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.