Thanksgiving for God’s Providence

Thanksgiving for God’s Providence

For the fruits of the earth, and all the other blessings of his merciful Providence; to be used yearly on the Fourth Thursday in November, or on such other day as shall be appointed by the Civil Authority.

At Matins

¶ The service shall be as usual, except where it is hereby otherwise appointed.

¶ Among the Sentences at the beginning of Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer shall be some of the following.

HONOUR the LORD with thy substance, and with the first-fruits of all thine increase; so shall thy barns be filled with plenty; and thy presses shall burst out with new wine. Prov. iii. 9, 10.
   The LORD by wisdom hath founded the earth; by understanding hath he established the heavens: by his knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew. Prov. iii. 19, 20.
   The eternal God is thy refuge, and underneath are the everlasting arms. Deut. xxxiii. 27.
   Israel then shall dwell in safety alone; the fountain of Jacob shall be upon the land of corn and of wine, also his heaven shall drop down dew. Deut. xxxiii. 28.
   Happy art thou, O Israel; who is like unto thee, O people saved by the Lord, the shield of thy help, and who is the sword of thy excellency? Deut. xxxiii. 29.

In place of the Venite

O PRAISE ye the LORD: for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God : yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.
   The LORD doth build up Jerusalem : and gather together the outcasts of Israel.
   He healeth those that are broken in heart : and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.
    O sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving : sing praises upon the harp to our God.
   Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth : and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men;
   He giveth fodder unto the cattle : and feedeth the young ravens who call upon him.
   Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem : praise thy God, O Sion.
   For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates : and hath blessed thy children within thee.
   He maketh peace in thy borders, and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.
Glory be to 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.

Then shall be sung the following or some other portion of the Psalms, at the discretion of the Minister.

Psalm 65. Te decet hymnus.

THOU, O God, art praised in Sion; * and unto thee shall the vow be performed in Jerusalem.
    2 Thou that hearest the prayer, * unto thee shall all flesh come.
    3 My misdeeds prevail against me: * O be thou merciful unto our sins.
    4 Blessed is the man whom thou choosest, and receivest unto thee: * he shall dwell in thy court, and shall be satisfied with the pleasures of thy house, even of thy holy temple.
    5 Thou shalt show us wonderful things in thy righteousness, O God of our salvation; * thou that art the hope of all the ends of the earth, and of them that remain in the broad sea.
    6 Who in his strength setteth fast the mountains, * and is girded about with power.
    7 Who stilleth the raging of the sea, * and the noise of his waves, and the madness of the peoples.
    8 They also that dwell in the uttermost parts of the earth shall be afraid at thy tokens, * thou that makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to praise thee.
    9 Thou visitest the earth, and blessest it; * thou makest it very plenteous.
    10 The river of God is full of water: * thou preparest their corn, for so thou providest for the earth.
    11 Thou waterest her furrows; thou sendest rain into the little valleys thereof; * thou makest it soft with the drops of rain, and blessest the increase of it.
    12 Thou crownest the year with thy goodness; * and thy clouds drop fatness.
    13 They shall drop upon the dwellings of the wilderness; * and the little hills shall rejoice on every side.
    14 The folds shall be full of sheep; * the valleys also shall stand so thick with corn, that they shall laugh and sing.

Psalm 67. Deus misereatur.

GOD be merciful unto us, and bless us, * and show us the light of his countenance, and be merciful unto us;
    2 That thy way may be known upon earth, * thy saving health among all nations.
    3 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; * yea, let all the peoples praise thee.
    4 O let the nations rejoice and be glad; * for thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth.

    5 Let the peoples praise thee, O God; * yea, let all the peoples praise thee.
    6 Then shall the earth bring forth her increase; * and God, even our own God, shall give us his blessing.
    7 God shall bless us; * and all the ends of the world shall fear him.

Psalm 103. Benedic, anima mea.

PRAISE the LORD, O my soul; * and all that is within me, praise his holy Name.
    2 Praise the LORD, O my soul, * and forget not all his benefits:
    3 Who forgiveth all thy sin, * and healeth all thine infirmities;
    4 Who saveth thy life from destruction, * and crowneth thee with mercy and loving-kindness;
    5 Who satisfieth thy mouth with good things, * making thee young and lusty as an eagle.
    6 The LORD executeth righteousness and judgment * for all them that are oppressed with wrong.
    7 He showed his ways unto Moses, * his works unto the children of Israel.
    8 The LORD is full of compassion and mercy, * long-suffering, and of great goodness.
    9 He will not alway be chiding; * neither keepeth he his anger for ever.
    10 He hath not dealt with us after our sins; * nor rewarded us according to our wickednesses.
    11 For look how high the heaven is in comparison of the earth; * so great is his mercy also toward them that fear him.
    12 Look how wide also the east is from the west; * so far hath he set our sins from us.
    13 Yea, like as a father pitieth his own children; * even so is the LORD merciful unto them that fear him.
    14 For he knoweth whereof we are made; * he remembereth that we are but dust.
    15 The days of man are but as grass; * for he flourisheth as a flower of the field.
    16 For as soon as the wind goeth over it, it is gone; * and the place thereof shall know it no more.
    17 But the merciful goodness of the LORD endureth for ever and ever upon them that fear him; * and his righteousness upon children's children;
    18 Even upon such as keep his covenant, * and think upon his commandments to do them.
    19 The LORD hath prepared his seat in heaven, * and his kingdom ruleth over all.

    20 O praise the LORD, ye angels of his, ye that excel in strength; * ye that fulfil his commandment, and hearken unto the voice of his word.
    21 O praise the LORD, all ye his hosts; * ye servants of his that do his pleasure.
    22 O speak good of the LORD, all ye works of his, in all places of his dominion: * praise thou the LORD, O my soul.

¶ The first Lesson shall be Deut. viii, and the Second Lesson shall be 1 Thess. v.12 to 24.

¶ After the General Thanksgiving, shall be said this which followeth.

MOST gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew; We yield thee unfeigned thanks and praise for the return of seed-time and harvest, for the increase of the ground and the gathering in of the fruits thereof, and for all the other blessings of thy merciful providence bestowed upon this nation and people. And, we beseech thee, give us a just sense of these great mercies; such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen.

At Holy Communion

The Introit Psalm 104. Benedic, anima mea.

    PRAISE the LORD, O my soul: * O LORD my God, thou art become exceeding glorious; thou art clothed with majesty and honour.
    2 Thou deckest thyself with light as it were with a garment, * and spreadest out the heavens like a curtain.
    3 Who layeth the beams of his chambers in the waters, * and maketh the clouds his chariot, and walketh upon the wings of the wind.
    4 He maketh his angels winds, * and his ministers a flaming fire.
    5 He laid the foundations of the earth, * that it never should move at any time.
    6 Thou coveredst it with the deep like as with a garment; * the waters stand above the hills.
    7 At thy rebuke they flee; * at the voice of thy thunder they haste away.
    8 They go up as high as the hills, and down to the valleys beneath; * even unto the place which thou hast appointed for them.
    9 Thou hast set them their bounds, which they shall not pass, * neither turn again to cover the earth.
    10 He sendeth the springs into the rivers, * which run among the hills.

    11 All beasts of the field drink thereof, * and the wild asses quench their thirst.
    12 Beside them shall the fowls of the air have their habitation, * and sing among the branches.
    13 He watereth the hills from above; * the earth is filled with the fruit of thy works.
    14 He bringeth forth grass for the cattle, * and green herb for the service of men;
    15 That he may bring food out of the earth, and wine that maketh glad the heart of man; * and oil to make him a cheerful countenance, and bread to strengthen man's heart.

    16 The trees of the LORD also are full of sap; * even the cedars of Lebanon which he hath planted;
    17 Wherein the birds make their nests; * and the fir-trees are a dwelling for the stork.
    18 The high hills are a refuge for the wild goats; * and so are the stony rocks for the conies.
    19 He appointed the moon for certain seasons, * and the sun knoweth his going down.

    20 Thou makest darkness that it may be night; * wherein all the beasts of the forest do move.
    21 The lions, roaring after their prey, * do seek their meat from God.
    22 The sun ariseth, and they get them away together, * and lay them down in their dens.
    23 Man goeth forth to his work, and to his labour, * until the evening.
    24 O LORD, how manifold are thy works! * in wisdom hast thou made them all; the earth is full of thy riches.
    25 So is the great and wide sea also; * wherein are things creeping innumerable, both small and great beasts.
    26 There go the ships, and there is that leviathan, * whom thou hast made to take his pastime therein.
    27 These wait all upon thee, * that thou mayest give them meat in due season.
    28 When thou givest it them, they gather it; * and when thou openest thy hand, they are filled with good.
    29 When thou hidest thy face, they are troubled: * when thou takest away their breath, they die, and are turned again to their dust.
    30 When thou lettest thy breath go forth, they shall be made; * and thou shalt renew the face of the earth.
    31 The glorious majesty of the LORD shall endure for ever; * the LORD shall rejoice in his works.
    32 The earth shall tremble at the look of him; * if he do but touch the hills, they shall smoke.
    33 I will sing unto the LORD as long as I live; * I will praise my God while I have my being.
    34 And so shall my words please him: * my joy shall be in the LORD.

    35 As for sinners, they shall be consumed out of the earth, * and the ungodly shall come to an end.
    36 Praise thou the LORD, O my soul. * Praise the LORD.

The Collect

O MOST merciful Father, who hast blessed the labours of the husbandman in the returns of the fruits of the earth; We give thee humble and hearty thanks for this thy bounty; beseeching thee to continue thy loving-kindness to us; that our land may still yield her increase, to thy glory and. our comfort; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The Epistle. St. James i 16.

DO not err, my beloved brethren. Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above; and cometh down from the Father of Lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning. Of his own will begat he us with the word of truth, that we should be a kind of first-fruits of his creatures. Wherefore, my beloved brethren, let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath: for the wrath of man worketh not the righteousness of God. Wherefore lay apart all filthiness and superfluity of naughtiness, and receive with meekness the ingrafted word, which is able to save your souls. Be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves. For if any be a hearer of the word and not a doer, he is like unto a man beholding his natural face in a glass; for he beholdeth himself, and goeth his way, and straightway forgetteth what manner of man he was. But whoso looketh into the perfect law of liberty, and continueth therein, he being not a forgetful hearer, but a doer of the work, this man shall be blessed in his deed. If any man among you seem to be religious, and bridleth not his tongue, but deceiveth his own heart, this man’s religion is vain. Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this, To visit the fatherless and widows in their affliction, and to keep himself unspotted from the world.

The Gradual Psalm 107:1-9

O GIVE thanks unto the LORD, for he is gracious, * and his mercy endureth for ever.
    2 Let them give thanks whom the LORD hath redeemed, * and delivered from the hand of the enemy;
    3 And gathered them out of the lands, from the east, and from the west; * from the north, and from the south.
    4 They went astray in the wilderness out of the way, * and found no city to dwell in.
    5 Hungry and thirsty, * their soul fainted in them.
    6 So they cried unto the LORD in their trouble, * and he delivered them from their distress.
    7 He led them forth by the right way, * that they might go to the city where they dwelt.
    8 O that men would therefore praise the LORD for his goodness; * and declare the wonders that he doeth for the children of men!
    9 For he satisfieth the empty soul, * and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

The Gospel. St. Matt. v.43.

YE have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour, and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you; that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven: for he maketh his sun to rise on the evil and on the good, and sendeth rain on the just and on the unjust. For if ye love them which love you, what reward have ye? do not even the publicans the same? Or if ye salute your brethren only, what do ye more than others? do not even the publicans so? Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.

At Evensong

The Psalms

Psalm 145. Exaltabo te, Deus.

I WILL magnify thee, O God, my King; * and I will praise thy Name for ever and ever.
    2 Every day will I give thanks unto thee; * and praise thy Name for ever and ever.
    3 Great is the LORD, and marvellous worthy to be praised; * there is no end of his greatness.
    4 One generation shall praise thy works unto another, * and declare thy power.
    5 As for me, I will be talking of thy worship, * thy glory, thy praise, and wondrous works;
    6 So that men shall speak of the might of thy marvellous acts; * and I will also tell of thy greatness.
    7 The memorial of thine abundant kindness shall be showed; * and men shall sing of thy righteousness.
    8 The LORD is gracious and merciful; * long-suffering, and of great goodness.
    9 The LORD is loving unto every man; * and his mercy is over all his works.
    10 All thy works praise thee, O LORD; * and thy saints give thanks unto thee.
    11 They show the glory of thy kingdom, * and talk of thy power;
    12 That thy power, thy glory, and mightiness of thy kingdom, * might be known unto men.
    13 Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, * and thy dominion endureth throughout all ages.
    14 The LORD upholdeth all such as fall, * and lifteth up all those that are down.
    15 The eyes of all wait upon thee, O Lord; * and thou givest them their meat in due season.
    16 Thou openest thine hand, * and fillest all things living with plenteousness.
    17 The LORD is righteous in all his ways, * and holy in all his works.
    18 The LORD is nigh unto all them that call upon him; * yea, all such as call upon him faithfully.
    19 He will fulfil the desire of them that fear him; * he also will hear their cry, and will help them.
    20 The LORD preserveth all them that love him; * but scattereth abroad all the ungodly.
    21 My mouth shall speak the praise of the LORD; * and let all flesh give thanks unto his holy Name for ever and ever.

Psalm 147. Laudate Dominum.

PRAISE the LORD, for it is a good thing to sing praises unto our God; * yea, a joyful and pleasant thing it is to be thankful.
    2 The LORD doth build up Jerusalem, * and gather together the outcasts of Israel.
    3 He healeth those that are broken in heart, * and giveth medicine to heal their sickness.
    4 He telleth the number of the stars, * and calleth them all by their names.
    5 Great is our Lord, and great is his power; * yea, and his wisdom is infinite.
    6 The LORD setteth up the meek, * and bringeth the ungodly down to the ground.
    7 O sing unto the LORD with thanksgiving; * sing praises upon the harp unto our God:
    8 Who covereth the heaven with clouds, and prepareth rain for the earth; * and maketh the grass to grow upon the mountains, and herb for the use of men;
    9 Who giveth fodder unto the cattle, * and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him.
    10 He hath no pleasure in the strength of an horse; * neither delighteth he in any man's legs.
    11 But the LORD’S delight is in them that fear him, * and put their trust in his mercy.
    12 Praise the LORD, O Jerusalem; * praise thy God, O Sion.
    13 For he hath made fast the bars of thy gates, * and hath blessed thy children within thee.
    14 He maketh peace in thy borders, * and filleth thee with the flour of wheat.
    15 He sendeth forth his commandment upon earth, * and his word runneth very swiftly.
    16 He giveth snow like wool, * and scattereth the hoarfrost like ashes.
    17 He casteth forth his ice like morsels: * who is able to abide his frost?
    18 He sendeth out his word, and melteth them: * he bloweth with his wind, and the waters flow.
    19 He showeth his word unto Jacob, * his statutes and ordinances unto Israel.
    20 He hath not dealt so with any nation; * neither have the heathen knowledge of his laws.

Psalm 148. Laudate Dominum.

    O PRAISE the LORD from the heavens: * praise him in the heights.
    2 Praise him, all ye angels of his: * praise him, all his host.
    3 Praise him, sun and moon: * praise him, all ye stars and light.
    4 Praise him, all ye heavens, * and ye waters that are above the heavens.
    5 Let them praise the Name of the LORD: * for he spake the word, and they were made; he commanded, and they were created.
    6 He hath made them fast for ever and ever: * he hath given them a law which shall not be broken.

    7 Praise the LORD from the earth, * ye dragons and all deeps;
    8 Fire and hail, snow and vapours, * wind and storm, fulfilling his word;
    9 Mountains and all hills; * fruitful trees and all cedars;

    10 Beasts and all cattle; * creeping things and flying fowls;
    11 Kings of the earth, and all peoples; * princes, and all judges of the world;
    12 Young men and maidens, old men and children, praise the Name of the LORD: * for his Name only is excellent, and his praise above heaven and earth.
    13 He shall exalt the horn of his people: all his saints shall praise him; * even the children of Israel, even the people that serveth him.

Psalm 150. Laudate Dominum.

    O PRAISE God in his sanctuary: * praise him in the firmament of his power.
    2 Praise him in his noble acts: * praise him according to his excellent greatness.
    3 Praise him in the sound of the trumpet: * praise him upon the lute and harp.

     4 Praise him in the timbrels and dances: * praise him upon the strings and pipe.
    5 Praise him upon the well-tuned cymbals: * praise him upon the loud cymbals.
    6 Let every thing that hath breath * praise the LORD.

¶ After the General Thanksgiving, shall be said this which followeth.

MOST gracious God, by whose knowledge the depths are broken up, and the clouds drop down the dew; We yield thee unfeigned thanks and praise for the return of seed-time and harvest, for the increase of the ground and the gathering in of the fruits thereof, and for all the other blessings of thy merciful providence bestowed upon this nation and people. And, we beseech thee, give us a just sense of these great mercies; such as may appear in our lives, by an humble, holy, and obedient walking before thee all our days; through Jesus Christ our Lord whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all glory and honour, world without end. Amen.