think not, and at an hour when we are not aware, grant that every day and every hour I may be prepared and ready for Thine advent. With Thy grace strengthen my heart. And as Thou makest evening to be the end of day, that Thou mayest bring the evening of life to our remembrance, grant me never to forget that life fleeth as the day. And do Thou, O Lord, abide with me, for it is toward evening, and the day of my life is far spent. O God, Who hast brought me up from my youth until now, lift up upon me the light of Thy countenance, and open Thou my lips that I may show forth Thy praise. But, O Lord, it behoves me, sinner as I am, and utterly unworthy, rather to fall prostrate before Thee and with tears and groans to implore pardon for my sins, than to praise Thee with defiled tongue. Yet in Thy great goodness I put my trust. O accept the praises I desire to utter, unworthy sinner as I am, surely unworthy, but I trust devoted and acceptable to Thee. To Thee I give thanks, I worship, praise, bless, and glorify Thee. For Thou art worthy, O Lord God, to receive praise and thanks for ever and ever. Amen. (147)

Or this.

LORD Jesus Christ, Who in taking upon Thee our flesh, wast pleased to be conceived of a pure and holy virgin; Grant me Thy servant grace to withstand all the temptations of the flesh, and with a pure heart and a clean mind to follow Thee in all holy living; Who with the Father and the Holy Ghost livest and reignest one God, world without end. Amen. (148)

TUESDAY.

LESSED art Thou, Almighty Lord, enlighten

brightening the night with starry splendours; Who hast granted me strength to pass through the space of day now past and to reach the beginning of this night. Hear my prayer; forgive my sins, voluntary and involuntary. Accept these my evening supplications, and send down upon me, Thy servant, the fulness of Thy mercy and compassion. Let Thy holy angels encamp about me. Put upon me the armour of Thy righteousness. Encompass me with Thy truth. Guard me with Thy power. Deliver me from every assault and every device of the enemy; and grant that this eventide, the coming night, and all the nights and days of life, may be to me truly holy, peaceful, sinless, void of offence, and free from all evil imaginations. For it is Thine to pity and to save, O Lord, my God. Amen. (149)

Or this.

HINE is the day, O Lord, and Thine is the

Tight: Grant that the Sun of Righteousness

may abide in my heart, to drive away the darkness of wicked thought: through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (150)

WEDNESDAY.

GOD, the great and wonderful, ordering all things by Thine unspeakable goodness and bountiful Providence; Who hast given unto us the good things of this life, and hast assured us of Thy promised kingdom; Who hast now defended me by Thy gracious power through that part of the day which is past; Grant that through that which remains I may abide blameless in the sight of Thy Divine Majesty, and may give honour to Thee, Who art our only good and merciful God. For Thou art my God; to Thee I give glory, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit; now, always, and for ever and ever. Amen. (151)

Or this.

RANT, I beseech Thee, O Blessed Jesus, that

didst become partaker of our nature; so by the effectual working of Thy Spirit I may partake of Thine, and, when Thou shalt appear in glory, I may with Thee ascend where, with the Father and the Holy Ghost, Thou livest and reignest, one God, world without end. Amen. (152)

THURSDAY.

JESU, our Master, do Thou meet me while

walk by the way and long to reach the dear country; so that, following Thy light, I may keep the way of righteousness and never wander away into the dread darkness of this world's night; while Thou, Who art the Way, the Truth, and the Life, art shining within me. O Christ, my God and my hope, I earnestly pray, implore, and beseech Thee, that, walking by Thy help, I may come unto Thee and rest in Thee. For Thou art the way, the truth, and the life, without Whom no man cometh unto the Father. For Thee I long, my most gracious and glorious Lord.

O Brightness of the Father's glory, Who sittest upon the cherubims, and piercest to the lowest depths beneath, O true Light, Light of Lights, Light inextinguishable, on Whom the angels love to look! Behold, my heart is Thine, dispel its darkness, and pour into it more fully the brightness of Thy love. Give Thyself, O my God, to me. Return to me, that by Thy continual help I may be enabled to live a holy, pious, and just life, and may never stray until Thou bring my whole being to the peace of my dear country, Jerusalem, and stablish me for ever: O my God, my merciful God. Amen. (153)

S

Or this.

END forth, O Lord, Thy Holy Spirit, the Spirit of Adoption, by Whom we cry to Thee Abba Father, that I may confess Thee the very Father of Thine only begotten Son, and may know that among the sons of God there is none like unto Him, who is Thy Son, not by adoption, but by eternal generation: Who is not made like unto Thee by grace, but is ever equal to Thee by nature. Grant to me in the confession of this faith a hope unshaken, that I, with those who having been born again of the Spirit now rest in peace, may joyfully go forth to meet my Lord when He comes again in His glory, through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (154)

FRIDAY.

HOLY and Almighty God, Father of mercies, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of Thy love and eternal mercies, I adore and praise and glorify Thy infinite and unspeakable love and wisdom, Who hast sent Thy Son from the bosom of felicities to take upon Him our nature and our misery and our guilt, and hast made the Son of God to become the Son of Man, that we might become the sons of God and partakers of the divine nature; since Thou hast so exalted human nature be pleased also to sanctify my person, that by a conformity to the humility and laws and sufferings of my dearest Saviour I may be united to His Spirit, and be made all one with the most holy Jesus. A

men.

O holy and eternal Jesus, Who didst pity mankind lying in his blood and sin and misery, and didst choose our sadnesses and sorrows that Thou mightest make us to partake of Thy felicities; Let Thine eyes pity me, Thy hands support me, Thy holy feet tread down all the

difficulties in my way to heaven; let me dwell in Thy heart, be instructed with Thy wisdom, moved by Thy affections, choose with Thy will, and be clothed with Thy righteousness; that in the day of judgement I may be found having on Thy garments, sealed with Thy impression; and that, bearing upon every faculty and member the character of my elder Brother, I may not be cast out with strangers and unbelievers. Amen.

O holy and everblessed Spirit, Who didst overshadow the Holy Virgin-mother of our Lord, and cause her to conceive in a miraculous and mysterious manner; Be pleased to overshadow my soul, and enlighten my spirit, that the holy Jesus may be formed in my heart, and borne in my mind, and that I may grow up to the fulness of the stature of Christ, to be a perfect man in Christ Jesus. Amen.

To God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ; to the eternal Son that was incarnate and born of a virgin; to the Spirit of the Father and the Son, be all honour and glory, worship and adoration, now and for ever. Amen.

SON

Or this.

(155)

ON of God, Very God, Who didst come down from the bosom of the Father, and wast incarnate of the Virgin Mary for our redemption, Who wast crucified, and buried, and raised from the dead, and didst ascend to the Father for us: I have sinned against Heaven and before Thee: like the penitent thief I beseech Thee to remember me when Thou comest in Thy kingdom, and to have mercy on me, a miserable sinner. Amen. (156)

SATURDAY.

WHAT reward can I O

HAT reward can I give unto Thee, O Lord,

what words of grateful thanks can I recompense

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