“The mystery of his holy incarnation and nativity”:
Christmas Prayers from James Hinton
Edited by Chance Faulkner
Prayer for Christmas Day 1[1]
Who will utter the memory of your great goodness, O Lord? How boundless was your mercy in sending us, on this day, your well-beloved Son to take our nature upon him, and to be made in the likeness of sinful flesh.[2]We rejoice that unto us a Child is born; that unto us a Son is given;[3] even Christ the Lord, the Son of David. And we will join the multitude of the heavenly host, in ascribing glory to you in the highest; peace on earth; goodwill toward men.[4]
Help us, O Lord, to employ this day in meditating on this great mystery of godliness, God manifest in the flesh,[5] which your holy angels desire to look into.[6] And as when you brought your first-begotten into the world, you commanded all the heavenly host to worship him; so help us also to give him the glory which is due to his name. O thou great and glorious Redeemer, who are Wonderful, Counsellor, the mighty God, the Everlasting Father, the Prince of Peace![7] We praise you; we bless you; we worship you. We give thanks to you, O Lamb of God, Emmanuel, God with us;[8] for you only are holy; you only are the Lord.
But chiefly, at this, we adore you for leaving the glory which you had with the Father before the world began.[9]We know your grace, O Lord Jesus Christ, that though you were rich, yet for our sake became poor, that we, through your poverty, might be made rich.[10] We beseech you, by the mystery of your holy incarnation and nativity, O Lord, deliver us. O Son of David, have mercy upon us. You who came that we might have life, and might have it more abundantly,[11] be gracious to us. You, who were called Jesus, that you might save your people from their sins,[12] save us, and help us, we humbly beseech you, O Lord.
Prayer for Christmas Day 2[13]
Fill our hearts with love to you for the unspeakable gift, which you did vouchsafe, at this time, to bestow upon a sinful world; and dispose us always most thankfully to receive the same. Let the same mind also be in us, which was in Christ Jesus; who, being in the form of God, and thinking it not robbery to be equal with God, yet made himself of no reputation; and took upon him the form of a servant,[14] and was found in fashion as a man, a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief.[15]
We bless you for revealing to us that great mystery, which was hid from ages and generations, but is now made manifest to the sons of men.[16] We rejoice that unto us was born, as on this day, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.[17] Our souls do magnify the Lord, and our spirits rejoice in God our Saviour.[18] Hosanna to the Son of David! Blessed be he that comes in the name of the Lord! Hosanna in the highest![19] Blessed be you, the God of Israel, for visiting and redeeming your people, and raising up a horn of salvation for them; for performing the promise made to their fathers, and for remembering your holy covenant.[20] Praise be your name for sending forth, in the fulness of time, your only-begotten Son, made of a woman, made under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons.[21]
Glory be to you, for causing your loving-kindness towards us to appear. Not by works of righteousness which we have done, but according to your mercy, you have saved us.[22] O you who are, in Christ, reconciling the world to yourself, not imputing their trespasses to them, forgive us all our trespasses.[23] Through him who was made in the likeness of sinful flesh, and came to seek and to save that which was lost, have mercy upon us.[24] By the mystery of his holy incarnation and nativity, O Lord, deliver us.
[1] James Hinton, The New Guide to Prayer; Or, Complete Order of Family Devotion (London: B. J. Holdsworth, 1824), 496–497. Text modernized.
[2] Romans 8:3.
[3] Isaiah 9:6.
[4] Luke 2:14.
[5] 1 Timothy 3:16.
[6] 1 Peter 1:12.
[7] Isaiah 9:6.
[8] Matthew 1:23.
[9] John 17:5.
[10] 2 Corinthians 8:9.
[11] John 10:10.
[12] Matthew 1:21.
[13] Hinton, The New Guide to Prayer, 501.
[14] Philippians 2:6.
[15] Isaiah 53:3.
[16] Romans 8:19.
[17] Luke 2:11.
[18] Luke 1:47.
[19] Matthew 21:9.
[20] Luke 1:68.
[21] Galatians 4:4.
[22] Titus 3:5.
[23] 2 Corinthians 5:19.
[24] Romans 8:3.