X. CHRISTIAN MERCHANDIZE. Now is the work of man at its height: the sound of it goeth up from the earth. The roads are thronged with multitudes : the market-places are full. The waggons groan with merchandise : the number of chariots encumbereth the streets. Now is the hour of the world: how busy are its traffickers. Their faces are full of care their speech is quick and close. "How much, how much," it saith: "Come, buy, Come buy," it asketh. O Lord, who remembereth Thee who regardeth the price which Thou hast paid for him? Do they not sell Thee for nought: and refuse the salvation which Thou hast purchased? And count thy gold as dross and reckon thy blood but as the blood of bulls and goats? But let not me forget Thee: be Thou ever first in my thoughts; The pearl of the treasure of my heart: the jewel of mine inheritance, The precious cornerstone in the temple of my heart the glorious high-priest in its sanctuary. O fill it with thy presence: and let its sacrifice be acceptable unto Thee. Make it a house of prayer: remove far from it the traffick of the world. Be it thine, even thine only: let none contend with Thee for possession. O Lord of thy Church which Thou hast purchased with thine own blood; Prosper her merchandize of truth: extend her traffic of love. Let the whole world come to buy of her : let her courts be filled with them that seek thy bread. There let him that thirsteth drink without money and buy milk and wine without price. O quicken the hearts of thy people: Thou hast not purchased the dead things of the world. They live, they whom Thou hast redeemed: unto eternity Thou hast bought them. XI. THE CHRISTIAN MISSION. MAKE ready thy swift ships, O queen of the islands send forth thy messengers, O thou that dwellest in the ocean. Hear, for the Lord hath spoken unto thee: tarry not, for thou art the servant whom He hath chosen. Blessed art thou, because thou hast heard his voice and thy feet have run swift to the performance of his commandments. : Thou hast gathered thy sons together: thou hast chosen a goodly company. : The bishop goeth forth from thy shores the Priest and his Deacons are around him. O Thou, that didst dwell with thy Church : when it floated in the ark on the flood; That didst rebuke the winds and waves : when it was borne with Thee on the lake; O Lord Christ: Author and Finisher of our faith; O head of our body captain of our salvation; Be present to these thy servants : comfort Thou them in their loneliness. Remove from before them all the perils of the deep and bring thy Church unto its destined haven. O clap your hands, ye islands : sing and rejoice, ye shores of the great deep. Look forth into the wide ocean: the day of your Saviour is at hand. : Behold the signs of his coming his white sails are shining from afar. Strip your palms of their branches : arise, go forth to meet Him. Open your arms wide : with songs of joy re ceive Him. For He bringeth light to the blind and mirth to the mourner. There cometh with Him health to the sick : and life to the dead. O blessed is he that cometh in the name of the Lord and blessed are ye to whom he hath been sent. 1365 XII. THE CHRISTIAN CONFESSES, AS A MEMBER OF HIS CHURCH AND NATION. O CAPTAIN of salvation: for us and for our children, Thou didst shed thy precious blood: Thou didst offer thy sacrifice on the cross. O Lord of mercies : on us, and on our children, Let not thy blood be: nor let us make that sacrifice vain. Harden not our hearts : give us not over unto unbelief, Lest we be cast out of thine inheritance : and our place be found there no more for ever. We have sinned, we have sinned: we have forsaken thy commandments. We have followed our own will we have forgotten thy promises; We have become as the heathen which know not Thee: we have made gods to ourselves out of the corrupt things of this world. We have flattered each other in our disobedience we have worshipped one another in our madness of unbelief. We have not brought up our children in thy ways we have not taught them thy fear and love. They have seen us wink at transgression : they have seen us consent unto iniquity; Seduced by the flattery of man : and terrified by his violence; : Trusting to his arm of flesh and mistrusting Thee, our only rock and defence. And we have instructed them from our own folly and fed them from our own lusts. : O spare us, gracious Lord in thy mercy blight the harvest to which we have sown. Turn unto us again that our hearts may be turned again unto Thee. Renew the tender mercies which Thou didst perform with our fathers: forget not the people to whom Thou hast been so gracious. For Thou didst set up thy tabernacle amongst us: Thou didst gather us into its courts. Thou didst give us one mind and one mouth : and didst call us to one sacrifice. Bind us again together in thy faith and |