A BOOK OF DAILY WORSHIP, CONTAINING Brief Scripture Lessons and Prayers for Endividual BV 4811 #3 1892 Сер. Entered according to Act of Congress, in the year 1877, BY J. W. HANSON, In the Office of the Librarian of Congress, at Washington. PRESSWORK BY JOHN WILSON AND SON, UNIVERSITY PRESS. PREFACE. This manual of devotion contains a brief and simple form of worship for every day in the year. A single page comprehends each day's service. The Scriptures have been selected with reference to variety and devotional, doctrinal and practical influence, and the prayers are constructed to resemble in brevity, simplicity and spirit that immortal model, the LORD'S PRAYER. A large number of Liturgies have been placed under contribution, and the compiler believes that he has obtained the best part of the ancient and modern forms of devotion, and so adapted them to a rational worship, as to meet the needs of the Christian, who feels, as all must feel, that "The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day." We have appropriated sentiments and language from all sources, Catholic and Protestant, from St. Chrysostom to Theodore Parker, from Hannah More to James Martineau, from Bishop Watson to Abel C. Thomas. The "Christian Liturgy" of the Unitarian Church and the "Gospel Liturgy" of the Universalist, the Episcopal "Common Prayer" and the "Catholic litanies," all speak the common language of the soul, and such of the utterances of any of these or any other, as seem to be useful to a rational devotion to-day, we have drawn upon. Many shrink from shaping their religious emotions in words, especlally in the family, from a distrust of their ability to clothe sincere worship in fitting language. This manual will enable such, at home or abroad, in the closet or in the family, to sound a fitting key-note to each day in the year. May multitudes find it a vehicle of devotion that shall aid them to cultivate the habit of seeking help and strength from the Source of all good. |