By Precepts Taught of Ages Past

By pre­cepts taught of ag­es past

Now let us keep again the fast

Which

year by year

in or­der meet

Of for­ty days is made com­plete.

The law and seers that were of old

In di­vers ways this Lent fore­told

Which Christ Him­self

the Lord and guide

Of ev­ery sea­son

sanc­ti­fied.

More spar­ing there­fore let us make

The words we speak

the food we take

Deny our­selves in mirth and sleep

In strict­er watch our sens­es keep.

In pray­er to­ge­ther let us fall

And cry for mer­cy

one and all;

And weep be­fore the Judge

and say

O turn from us Thy wrath away.

Thy grace have we of­fend­ed sore

By sins

O God

which we de­plore;

Pour down up­on us from above

The rich­es of Thy par­don­ing love.

Remember

Lord

though frail we be

That yet Thine han­di­work are we:

Nor let the ho­nor of Thy name

Be by an­oth­er put to shame.

Forgive the ill that we have wrought

Increase the good that we have sought;

That we at length

our wan­der­ings o’er

May please Thee now and ev­er­more.

Blest Three in One

and One in Three

Almighty God

we pray to Thee

That Thou wouldst now vouch­safe to bless

Our fast with fruits of right­eous­ness.