September 21, 2024 :: Evening Prayer

Saint Matthew the Apostle

Enter not into judgement with thy servant, O Lord, for in thy sight shall no man living be justified.

If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us; but if we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.

DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge and confess our manifold sins and wickedness, and that we should not dissemble nor cloak them before the face of almighty God our heavenly Father, but confess them with a humble, lowly, penitent, and obedient heart, to the end that we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his infinite goodness and mercy. And although we ought at all times humbly to acknowledge our sins before God, yet ought we most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet together to render thanks for the great benefits that we have received at his hands, to set forth his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy word, and to ask those things which are requisite and necessary, as well for the body as the soul. Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as are here present, to accompany me with a pure heart and humble voice, unto the throne of the heavenly grace, saying after me,

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We have erred and strayed from thy ways like lost sheep. We have followed too much the devices and desires of our own hearts. We have offended against thy holy laws. We have left undone those things which we ought to have done; And we have done those things which we ought not to have done; And there is no health in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, miserable offenders. Spare thou those, O God, who confess their faults. Restore thou those who are penitent, According to thy promises declared unto mankind In Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant, O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life, To the glory of thy holy name. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who desireth not the death of a sinner, but rather that he may turn from his wickedness and live, and hath given power and commandment to his ministers to declare and pronounce to his people, being penitent, the absolution and remission of their sins: He pardoneth and absolveth all those who truly repent and unfeignedly believe his holy gospel; wherefore let us beseech him to grant us true repentance and his Holy Spirit, that those things may please him which we do at this present, and that the rest of our life hereafter may be pure and holy, so that at the last we may come to his eternal joy, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, open thou our lips.
And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

O God, make speed to save us.
O Lord, make haste to help us.

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.

Praise ye the Lord.
The Lord's name be praised.

Psalm 106. Confitemini Domino.

O give thanks unto the Lord, for he is gracious, and his mercy endureth for ever.
Who can express the noble acts of the Lord, or show forth all his praise?
Blessed are they that alway keep judgement and do righteousness.
Remember me, O Lord, according to the favour that thou bearest unto thy people; O visit me with thy salvation,
That I may see the felicity of thy chosen, and rejoice in the gladness of thy people, and give thanks with thine inheritance.
We have sinned with our fathers; we have done amiss and dealt wickedly.
Our fathers regarded not thy wonders in Egypt, neither kept they thy great goodness in remembrance, but were disobedient at the sea, even at the Red Sea.
Nevertheless, he helped them for his name's sake, that he might make his power to be known.
He rebuked the Red Sea also and it was dried up; so he led them through the deep as through a wilderness.
And he saved them from the adversaries' hand, and delivered them from the hand of the enemy.
As for those that troubled them, the waters overwhelmed them; there was not one of them left.
Then believed they his words, and sang praise unto him.
But within a while they forgat his works, and would not abide his counsel.
But lust came upon them in the wilderness, and they tempted God in the desert.
And he gave them their desire, and sent leanness withal into their soul.
They angered Moses also in the tents, and Aaron the saint of the Lord.
So the earth opened and swallowed up Dathan, and covered the congregation of Abiram.
And the fire was kindled in their company; the flame burnt up the ungodly.
They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
Thus they turned their glory into the similitude of a calf that eateth hay.
And they forgat God their saviour, who had done so great things in Egypt,
Wondrous works in the land of Ham, and fearful things by the Red Sea.
So he said he would have destroyed them, had not Moses his chosen stood before him in the gap, to turn away his wrathful indignation, lest he should destroy them.
Yea, they thought scorn of that pleasant land, and gave no credence unto his word,
But murmured in their tents, and hearkened not unto the voice of the Lord.
Then lift he up his hand against them to overthrow them in the wilderness,
To cast out their seed among the nations, and to scatter them in the lands.
They joined themselves unto Baal-Peor, and ate the offerings of the dead.
Thus they provoked him to anger with their own inventions, and the plague was great among them.
Then stood up Phinehas and prayed, and so the plague ceased.
And that was counted unto him for righteousness, among all posterities for evermore.
They angered him also at the waters of strife, so that he punished Moses for their sakes,
Because they provoked his spirit, so that he spake unadvisedly with his lips.
Neither destroyed they the heathen as the Lord commanded them,
But were mingled among the heathen and learned their works,
Insomuch that they worshipped their idols, which turned to their own decay; yea, they offered their sons and their daughters unto devils,
And shed innocent blood, even the blood of their sons and of their daughters, whom they offered unto the idols of Canaan; and the land was defiled with blood.
Thus were they stained with their own works, and went a-whoring with their own inventions.
Therefore was the wrath of the Lord kindled against his people, insomuch that he abhorred his own inheritance.
And he gave them over into the hands of the heathen, and they that hated them were lords over them.
Their enemies oppressed them, and had them in subjection.
Many a time did he deliver them, but they rebelled against him with their own inventions, and were brought down in their wickedness.
Nevertheless, when he saw their adversity, he heard their complaint.
He thought upon his covenant, and pitied them according unto the multitude of his mercies; yea, he made all those that led them away captive to pity them.
Deliver us, O Lord our God, and gather us from among the heathen, that we may give thanks unto thy holy name and make our boast of thy praise.
Blessed be the Lord God of Israel, from everlasting and world without end, and let all the people say, 'Amen.'
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.

Here beginneth the 38th chapter of Sirach.

Honour a physician with the honour due unto him for the uses which ye may have of him: for the Lord hath created him.
For of the most High cometh healing, and he shall receive honour of the king.
The skill of the physician shall lift up his head: and in the sight of great men he shall be in admiration.
The Lord hath created medicines out of the earth; and he that is wise will not abhor them.
Was not the water made sweet with wood, that the virtue thereof might be known?
And he hath given men skill, that he might be honoured in his marvellous works.
With such doth he heal men, and taketh away their pains.
Of such doth the apothecary make a confection; and of his works there is no end; and from him is peace over all the earth.
My son, in thy sickness be not negligent: but pray unto the Lord, and he will make thee whole.
Leave off from sin, and order thine hands aright, and cleanse thy heart from all wickedness.
Give a sweet savour, and a memorial of fine flour; and make a fat offering, as not being.
Then give place to the physician, for the Lord hath created him: let him not go from thee, for thou hast need of him.
There is a time when in their hands there is good success.
For they shall also pray unto the Lord, that he would prosper that, which they give for ease and remedy to prolong life.
He that sinneth before his Maker, let him fall into the hand of the physician.
My son, let tears fall down over the dead, and begin to lament, as if thou hadst suffered great harm thyself; and then cover his body according to the custom, and neglect not his burial.
Weep bitterly, and make great moan, and use lamentation, as he is worthy, and that a day or two, lest thou be evil spoken of: and then comfort thyself for thy heaviness.
For of heaviness cometh death, and the heaviness of the heart breaketh strength.
In affliction also sorrow remaineth: and the life of the poor is the curse of the heart.
Take no heaviness to heart: drive it away, and remember the last end.
Forget it not, for there is no turning again: thou shalt not do him good, but hurt thyself.
Remember my judgment: for thine also shall be so; yesterday for me, and to day for thee.
When the dead is at rest, let his remembrance rest; and be comforted for him, when his spirit is departed from him.
The wisdom of a learned man cometh by opportunity of leisure: and he that hath little business shall become wise.
How can he get wisdom that holdeth the plough, and that glorieth in the goad, that driveth oxen, and is occupied in their labours, and whose talk is of bullocks?
He giveth his mind to make furrows; and is diligent to give the kine fodder.
So every carpenter and workmaster, that laboureth night and day; and they that cut and grave seals, and are diligent to make great variety, and give themselves to counterfeit imagery, and watch to finish a work:
The smith also sitting by the anvil, and considering the iron work, the vapour of the fire wasteth his flesh, and he fighteth with the heat of the furnace: the noise of the hammer and the anvil is ever in his ears, and his eyes look still upon the pattern of the thing that he maketh; he setteth his mind to finish his work, and watcheth to polish it perfectly:
So doth the potter sitting at his work, and turning the wheel about with his feet, who is alway carefully set at his work, and maketh all his work by number;
He fashioneth the clay with his arm, and boweth down his strength before his feet; he applieth himself to lead it over; and he is diligent to make clean the furnace:
All these trust to their hands: and every one is wise in his work.
Without these cannot a city be inhabited: and they shall not dwell where they will, nor go up and down:
They shall not be sought for in publick counsel, nor sit high in the congregation: they shall not sit on the judges' seat, nor understand the sentence of judgment: they cannot declare justice and judgment; and they shall not be found where parables are spoken.
But they will maintain the state of the world, and all their desire is in the work of their craft.

Here endeth the first lesson.

My soul doth magnify the Lord, and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.
For he hath regarded the lowliness of his handmaiden.
For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed.
For he that is mighty hath magnified me, and holy is his name.
And his mercy is on them that fear him throughout all generations.
He hath showed strength with his arm; he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.
He hath put down the mighty from their seat, and hath exalted the humble and meek.
He hath filled the hungry with good things, and the rich he hath sent empty away.
He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel, as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed for ever.
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.

Here beginneth the 6th chapter of 1 Corinthians.

Dare any of you, having a matter against another, go to law before the unjust, and not before the saints?
Do ye not know that the saints shall judge the world? and if the world shall be judged by you, are ye unworthy to judge the smallest matters?
Know ye not that we shall judge angels? how much more things that pertain to this life?
If then ye have judgments of things pertaining to this life, set them to judge who are least esteemed in the church.
I speak to your shame. Is it so, that there is not a wise man among you? no, not one that shall be able to judge between his brethren?
But brother goeth to law with brother, and that before the unbelievers.
Now therefore there is utterly a fault among you, because ye go to law one with another. Why do ye not rather take wrong? why do ye not rather suffer yourselves to be defrauded?
Nay, ye do wrong, and defraud, and that your brethren.
Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind,
Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.
And such were some of you: but ye are washed, but ye are sanctified, but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God.
All things are lawful unto me, but all things are not expedient: all things are lawful for me, but I will not be brought under the power of any.
Meats for the belly, and the belly for meats: but God shall destroy both it and them. Now the body is not for fornication, but for the Lord; and the Lord for the body.
And God hath both raised up the Lord, and will also raise up us by his own power.
Know ye not that your bodies are the members of Christ? shall I then take the members of Christ, and make them the members of an harlot? God forbid.
What? know ye not that he which is joined to an harlot is one body? for two, saith he, shall be one flesh.
But he that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit.
Flee fornication. Every sin that a man doeth is without the body; but he that committeth fornication sinneth against his own body.
What? know ye not that your body is the temple of the Holy Ghost which is in you, which ye have of God, and ye are not your own?
For ye are bought with a price: therefore glorify God in your body, and in your spirit, which are God's.

Here endeth the second lesson.

Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace, according to thy word.
For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,
Which thou hast prepared before the face of all people,
To be a light to lighten the Gentiles, and to be the glory of thy people Israel.
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.
I believe in God the Father almighty, Maker of heaven and earth; And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried. He descended into hell. The third day he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father almighty. From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost, The holy catholic church, The communion of saints, The forgiveness of sins, The resurrection of the body, And the life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.

Let us pray.

Lord, have mercy upon us.
Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.
And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save them that rule.
And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Endue thy ministers with righteousness.
And make thy chosen people joyful.

O Lord, save thy people.
And bless thine inheritance.

Give peace in our time, O Lord.
Because there is none other that fighteth for us, but only thou, O God.

O God, make clean our hearts within us.
And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

O almighty God, who by thy blessed Son didst call Matthew from the receipt of custom to be an apostle and evangelist: Grant us grace to forsake all covetous desires and inordinate love of riches, and to follow the same thy Son Jesus Christ, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, one God, world without end. Amen.

O God, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed: Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give, that both our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness, through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord, and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night, for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty God, whose kingdom is everlasting and power infinite: Have mercy upon this whole land, and so rule the hearts of all in authority, that they, knowing whose ministers they are, may above all things seek thy honour and glory; and that we and all the people, duly considering whose authority they bear, may faithfully and obediently honour them, 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.

Almighty and everlasting God, who alone workest great marvels: Send down upon our bishops and pastors, and all congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our advocate and mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Almighty God, the giver of all good gifts, 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 so replenish them with the truth of thy doctrine, and endue them with innocency of life, that they may faithfully serve before thee, to the glory of thy great name, and the benefit of thy holy church, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

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 pity of thy great mercy loose us, for the honour of Jesus Christ, our mediator and advocate. Amen.

Most gracious God, we humbly beseech thee, as for this nation in general, so especially for the legislature at this time assembled, that thou wouldest be pleased to direct and prosper all their consultations, to the advancement of thy glory; the good of thy church; and the safety, honour, and welfare of this people, that all things may be so ordered and settled by their endeavours, 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 beg in the name and mediation of Jesus Christ, our most blessed Lord and Saviour. Amen.

Almighty God, Father of all mercies, we, thine unworthy servants, do give thee most humble and hearty thanks for all thy goodness and loving-kindness to us and to all men. 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 sense of all thy mercies, that our hearts may be unfeignedly thankful, and that we show forth thy praise, not only with our lips, but in our lives, by giving up ourselves to thy service, and by walking before thee in holiness and righteousness all our days, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom, with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all honour and glory, world without end. Amen.

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

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.

About the International Edition

This service follows The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition, available from IVP Academic. Used with permission.

Not for Use in the United Kingdom

For copyright reasons, use of this site within the United Kingdom is strictly prohibited. Moreover, the permission for churches and similar ministries described in the IVP copyright notice below should not be presumed to be applicable in the United Kingdom (where rights to distribute the book are controlled by Crown copyright). Please direct any inquiries to InterVarsity Press.

IVP Copyright Notice

From The 1662 Book of Common Prayer: International Edition (IVP Academic, 2021). All rights to new material and updated language reserved. Churches and similar ministries are welcome to reproduce sections for use in bulletins or other resources for use in worship services provided they included a credit line. Please contact InterVarsity Press to request permission for all other uses, including all commercial uses: permissions@ivpress.com.