Parish Church of St Michael, Great Torrington

Prayers
at the
Commemoration
of the
  Blowing up of this Church

16 February 1645/6


Hymn

REJOICE, O land, in God thy might,
His will obey, him serve aright;
For thee the Saints uplift their voice:
Fear not, O land, in God rejoice.

Glad shalt thou be, with blessing crowned,
With joy and peace thou shalt abound;
Yea, love with thee shall make his home
Until thou see God’s kingdom come.

He shall forgive thy sins untold:
Remember thou his love of old;
Walk in his way, his word adore,
And keep his truth for evermore.

 

Stand                   Act of Remembrance

Minister: Let us commend into God’s sure keeping the souls of all who perished in the blowing up of this church and in the battle of Torrington.

(Silence)

Prayer of Commendation

Minister: O ALMIGHTY God, the God of the spirits of all flesh: Multiply, we beseech thee, to those who rest in Jesus, the manifold blessings of thy love, that the good work which thou didst begin in them may be perfected unto the day of Jesus Christ. And of thy mercy, O heavenly Father, vouchsafe that we, who now serve thee here on earth, may at the last, together with them, be found meet to be partakers of the inheritance of the saints in light; for the sake of the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord and Saviour. Amen.


Sit                       PSALM 79 Deus, venerunt

1. O God, the heathen are come into thine inheritance: thy holy temple have they defiled, and made Jerusalem an heap of stones.
2. The dead bodies of thy servants have they given to be meat unto the fowls of the air: and the flesh of thy saints unto the beasts of the land.
3. Their blood have they shed like water on every side of Jerusalem: and there was no man to bury them.
4. We are become an open shame to our enemies: a very scorn and derision unto them that are round about us.
5. Lord, how long wilt thou be angry: shall thy jealousy burn like fire for ever?
6. Pour out thine indignation upon the heathen that have not known thee: and upon the kingdoms that have not called upon thy Name.
7. For have devoured Jacob: and laid waste his dwelling-place.
8. O remember not our old sins, but have mercy upon us, and that soon: for we are come to great misery.
9. Help us, O God of our salvation, for the glory of thy Name: O deliver us, and be merciful unto our sins, for thy Name’s sake.
10. Wherefore do the heathen say: Where is now their God?
11. O let the vengeance of thy servants’ blood that is shed: be openly shewed upon the heathen in our sight.
12. O let the sorrowful sighing of the prisoners come before thee: according to the greatness of thy power, preserve thou those that are appointed to die.
13. And for the blasphemy wherewith our neighbours have blasphemed thee: reward thou them, O Lord, seven-fold into their bosom.
14. So we, that are thy people, and sheep of thy pasture, shall give thee thanks for ever: and will alway be shewing forth thy praise from generation to generation.
Glory be the the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen

Sit                     Lesson from the Prophet Isaiah

O Lord, thou art our father; we are the clay, and thou our potter; and we all are the work of thy hand.
Be not wroth very sore, O Lord, neither remember iniquity for ever: behold, see, we beseech thee, we are all thy people.
Thy holy cities are a wilderness, Zion is a wilderness, Jerusalem a desolation.
Our holy and our beautiful house, where our fathers praised thee, is burned up with fire: and all our pleasant things are laid waste. Wilt thou refrain thyself for these things, O Lord? wilt thou hold thy peace, and afflict us very sore?

(God speaks)

I have spread out my hands all the day unto a rebellious people, which walketh in way that was not good, after their own thoughts.
But be ye glad and rejoice for ever in that which I create: for behold, I create Jerusalem a rejoicing, and her people a great joy.
And I will rejoice in Jerusalem, and joy in my people: and the voice of weeping shall be no more heard in her, nor the voice of crying.
They shall build houses, and inhabit them; and they shall plant vineyards, and eat the fruit of them. As the days of a tree are the days of my people, and mine elect shall long enjoy the work of their hands.
And it shall come to pass, that before they call, I will answer; and while they are yet speaking, I will hear.

Here endeth the Lesson

Kneel                                        Prayers

1. For the Queen’s Majesty

ALMIGHTY God, whose kingdom is everlasting, and power power infinite: Have mercy upon the whole Church; and so rule the heart of thy chosen servant ELIZABETH, our Queen and Governor, that she (knowing whose minister she is) may above all things seek thy honour and glory: and that we, and all her subjects (duly considering whose authority she hath) may faithfully serve, honour, and humbly obey her, in thee, and for thee, according to thy blessed Word and ordinance; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

2. For the Unity of all Christian People

O GOD, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, our only Saviour, the Prince of Peace: Give us grace seriously to lay to heart the great dangers we are in by our unhappy divisions. Take away all hatred and prejudice, and whatsoever else may hinder us from godly union and concord: that, as there is but one Body, and one Spirit, and one hope of our calling, one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of us all, so we may henceforth be all of one heart, and of one soul, united in one holy bond of truth and peace, of faith and charity, and may with one mind and one mouth glorify thee; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

3. For this Parish

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who dost govern all things in heaven and earth: Mercifully hear the prayers of thy people, and grant unto this parish all things that are needful for its spiritual welfare. Strengthen and confirm the faithful; guide and protect the children; visit and relieve the sick; turn and soften the wicked; rouse the careless; recover the fallen; restore the penitent; remove all hindrances to the advancement of thy truth; and bring all to be of one heart and mind within the fold of thy holy Church, to the honour and glory of thy name; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

4. General Intercession

INTO thy hands, O Lord our heavenly Father, we commend tonight our homes, our kindred and our friends, all whom we love and all who love us, wheresoe'er they be, on earth or already by death summoned from this present life. Remember now, O Lord, for good, those whom thou hast given us to serve and those whom thou hast bidden to serve us, all who believe in thy name and all who need thy pity and protection. Light us with thy holy grace, and suffer us never to be separated from thee, who ever livest and reignest with thine Only Begotten and the Holy Ghost, One God, omnipotent, world without end. Amen.

5. Final Prayer

REMEMBER, O Lord, what thou hast wrought in us, and not what we deserve; and as thou hast called us to thy service, make us worthy of our calling; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Stand                                     Hymn

Praise, my soul, the King of heaven;
   To his feet thy tribute bring.
Ransomed, healed, restored, forgiven,
   Who like me his praise should sing?
Praise him! Praise him!
   Praise the everlasting King.

Praise him for his grace and favour
   To our fathers in distress;
Praise him still the same for ever,
   Slow to chide, and swift to bless.
Praise him! Praise him!
   Glorious in his faithfulness.

Father-like, he tends and spares us.
   Well our feeble frame he knows;
In his hands he gently bears us,
   Rescues us from all our foes.
Praise him! Praise him!
   Widely as his mercy flows.

Angels, help us to adore him;
   Ye behold him face to face;
Sun and moon, bow down before him;
   Dwellers all in time and space.
Praise him! Praise him!
   Praise with us the God of grace.

 

BLESSING

GOD grant to the living, grace: to the departed, rest; to the Church, the Queen, the Commonwealth, and all mankind, peace and concord; and to us and all his servants, life everlasting:

And the blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, be with you and abide with you always. Amen.