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BGS Charter Day 1956 - Programme
BOSTON GRAMMAR SCHOOL
CHARTER DAY SERVICE
401st ANNIVERSARY
Order of Service
HYMN
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H. F. Lyle (1793-1847). |
John Goss (1800-1889). |
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To his feet thy tribute bring ; Ransom'd, heal'd, restored, forgiven, Evermore his praises sing ; Allelulia ! Allelulia ! Praise the everlasting King.
To our fathers in distress ; Praise him still the same as ever, Slow to chide and swift to bless ; Alleluia ! Alleluia ! Glorious is his faithfulness. |
Well our feeble frame he knows ; In his hands he gently bears us, Rescues us from all our foes ; Alleluia ! Alleluia ! Widely yet his mercy flows.
Ye behold him face to face ; Saints triumphant, bow before him, Gather'd in from every race ; Alleluia ! Alleluia ! Praise with us the God of grace. |
Gathered here to commemorate the Foundation of the Boston Grammar School, let us remember with gratitude our Founders and all our Benefactors, giving thanks to God for the manifold blessings he has given to this School and to those who have gone out from it into the world, and dedicating ourselves afresh to his service.
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Lift up your hearts. |
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Let us give thanks to the Lord God. |
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We thank thee, O God, for our School and for thy guiding hand
throughout our history. |
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For the inspiration of our founders, and for the piety of our
benefactors who by their substance of service have enriched
our heritage. |
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For all who have given of their time amd talents for the governance
of this School. |
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For all who have devoted themselves to teaching in this School
; for their words, their wisdom and their encouragement. |
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For all those who have gone forth from this School into the
world to serve God and their fellows faithfully and well. |
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For all who in our day serve the School with the labour of
head and heart and hand. |
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For the happy comradeship and abiding friendships that have
been formed. |
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For the practice of scholarship, the lesson of discipline and
the vision of duty. |
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For the memories and traditions of the past that dignify the
present and inspire us to face the future with confidence and
hopefulness. |
Let us pray.
O everlasting God, before whose face the generations rise and pass away, we glorify thee in thy sercants, our founders and benefactors, who bestowed charitably to our comfort the temporal things which thou didst give them, and all who have served thee in this School with fruitful labour for the increase of knowledge and wisdom, and for the nurture of faithful servants of thy Church and Kingdom. Grant us in out time the grace to neglect no portion of our manifold inheritance, but so to guard and use it that the consecration of all human powers may set forward thy purpose of gathering into one all things in Christ, through whom to thee, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, be all honour and glory, now and evermore. Amen.
THE FIRST LESSON
Genesis, chapter 28, verses 10 to 17
HYMN
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G. W. Briggs (b. 1875). |
S. S. Wesley (1810-1876). |
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Our house was built of old, Whose hand hath crowned her children With blessings manifold, For thine unfailing mercies Far-strewn along our way, With all who passed before us, We praise thy name to-day.
Thier silent course have sped, New comrades ever bringing ; In comrades' steps to tread ; And some are long forgotten, Long spent their hopes and fears ; Safe rest they in thy keeping, Who changest not with years. |
We reap what they have sown ; Our harvest may be garnered By ages yet unknown. The days of old have dowered us With gifts beyond all praise ; Our Father, make us faithful To serve the coming days.
Still holden in thine hand, A cloud unseen of witness, Our elder comrades stand ; One family unbroken, We join, with one acclaim, One heart, one voice uplifting, To glorify thy name. |
THE SECOND LESSON
St. Luke, chapter 2, verses 42 to end.
Let us pray.
Almighty God, the fountain of all goodness, we humbly beseech thee to bless our Sovereign Lady, Queen Elizabeth, the Parliaments in all her dominions, and all who are in authority under her ; that they may order all things in wisom, righteousness and peace, to the honour of thy holy name, and the good of thy Church and people ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God our Father, we thank thee for all the sons of this School who have served thee with faithful labour in thy Church and Kingdom. As thou didst enable them to add their portion to thy work, so teach and strengthen us, we pray thee, to do thy will in the tasks yet awaiting us in this our generation ; through him who offered himself to do thy will and to finish thy work. Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
O God, by whose merciful goodness all things work together for them that love thee, make this School as a field that the Lord hath blessed, that whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things are lovely and of good report, may here forever flourish and abound. Preserve in this School and unblemished name, enlarge it with a wider usefulness and exalt it as an instrument of thy glory in the love and reverence of all its members ; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us sum up our prayers in the words which Christ himself taught us, saying together.
Our Father, which art in heaven. Allowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done. In earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trspass against us. And lead us not into temptation ; but deliver us from evil ; For thine is the kingom, the power and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.
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Rudyard Kipling (1865-1936). |
Psalmodia Evangelica (1790). |
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O help thy children when they call ; That they may build from age to age An undefilèd heritage.
With steadfastness and careful truth ; That, in our time, thy grace may give The truth whereby the nations live.
Controlled and clearly night and day ; That we may bring, if need arise, No maimed or worthless sacrifice. |
On thee for judge, and not our friends ; That we, with thee, may walk uncowed Bt fear or favour of the crowd.
By deed or thought, to hurt the weak ; That, under thee, we may possess Man's strength to comfort man's distress.
And mirth that has no bitter springs ; Forgiveness free of evil done, And love to all men 'neath the sun. |
THE SERMON
will be preached by Canon E. K. Ellis.
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B. S. Ingemann (1789-1862). |
J. B. Dykes (1823-1876). |
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Onward goes the pilgrim band, Singing songs of expectation, Marching to the promised land.
Gleams and burns the guiding light ; Brother clasps the hand of brother, Stepping fearless through the night.
O'er his ransom'd people shed, Chasing far the gloom and terror, Brightening all the path we tread ;
One the faith which never tires, One the earnest looking forward, One the hope our God inspires ; |
Lift as from the heart of one ; One the conflict, one the peril, One the march in God begun ;
On the far eternal shore, Where the one Almighty Father Reigns in love for evermore.
Onward with the Cross our aid ; Bear its shame, and fight its battle, Till we rest beneath its shade.
Soon the rending of the tomb ; Them the scattering of all shadows, And the end of toil and gloom. |
THE BLESSING.
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from the German. |
Johann Crüger (1598-1662). |
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With heart, and hands, and voices. Who wondrous things hath done, In whom his world rejoices ; Who from our mother's arms Hath blessed us on our way With countless gifts of love, And still is ours to-day. |
Through all our life be near us, With ever joyful hearts And blessèd peace to cheer us ; And keep up in his grace, And guide us when perplexed, And free us from all ills In this world and the next. |
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Praise, honour, thanks be given ; And unto him who reigns With them in highest heaven ; The one eternal God, Whom earth and heaven adore ; Who was of old, is now, And shall be evermore. |
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