Bless we the Lord,

Answer. Thanks be to God.

¶ The service may end with the Benedicamus; or a Closing Hymn may be sung, after which may be said

The grace of the Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the communion of the Holy Ghost, be with you all.

Amen.

At the close of the Service silent prayer should be offered.

THE ORDER OF EARLY SERVICE,

OR MATINS.

A Hymn of Invocation of the Holy Ghost, or another Hymn may be sung.

Then shall be sung or said the Versicles here following, all standing to the end of the Venite. Versicle. O Lord, open Thou my lips.

Answer. And my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.

Versicle. Make haste, O God, to deliver me. Answer. Make haste to help me, O Lord. 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.

Hallelujah.

Amen.

q During the Passion season the Hallelujah shall be omitted.

Then shall follow the Invitatory with the Venite. On Festival Days a special Invitatory may be used.

The Invitatory.

O Come, let us worship the Lord:
For He is our Maker.

Venite Exultemus. Ps. xcv.

O come, let us sing unto the Lord: let us make a joyful noise to the Rock of our salvation.

Let us come before His presence with thanksgiving and make a joyful noise unto Him with psalms.

For the Lord is a great God: and a great King above all gods.

In His hand are the deep places of the earth: the strength of the hills is His also.

The Sea is His, and He made it: and His hands formed the dry land.

O come, let us worship and bow down: let us kneel before the Lord our Maker.

For He is our God: and we are the people of His pasture, and the sheep of His hand.

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.

The Hymn.

¶ The Hymn shall then be sung.
The Psalm.

Then, all standing to the end of the Psalm shall be sung or said one or more Psalms. At the end of the Psalm the Gloria Patri shall be sung. An Antiphon may be used with each Psalm.

The Lesson.

The Scripture Lessons shall then be read. Aft er each Lesson may be sung or said:

But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us.

Answer. Thanks be to God.

After the Lessons a Responsory may be sung. A brief Exhortation, or Sermon, may then follow.

The Canticle.

The Congregation shall stand and sing the Te Deum Laudamus, or the Benedictus. An Antiphon may be sung with the Benedictus.

Te Deum Laudamus.

We praise Thee, O God: we acknowledge Thee to be the Lord.

All the earth doth worship Thee: the Father everlasting.

To Thee all angels cry aloud: the heavens and all the powers therein.

To Thee Cherubim and Seraphim: continually do cry:

Holy, Holy, Holy: Lord God of Sabaoth;

Heaven and earth are full of the majesty of Thy Glory.

The glorious company of the Apostles: praise Thee.

The goodly fellowship of the Prophets: praise Thee.

The noble army of Martyrs: praise Thee.

The holy Church throughout all the world: doth acknowledge Thee;

The Father of an infinite Majesty ;

Thine adorable, true: and only Son;
Also the Holy Ghost: the Comforter.
Thou art the King of Glory; O Christ.

Thou art the everlasting Son: of the Father. When Thou tookest upon Thee to deliver man: Thou didst humble Thyself to be born of a Virgin.

When Thou hadst overcome the sharpness of death: Thou didst open the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.

We believe that Thou shalt come: to be our Judge.

We therefore pray Thee, help Thy servants: whom Thou hast redeemed with Thy precious blood.

Make them to be numbered with Thy saints: in glory everlasting.

O Lord, save Thy people: and bless Thine heritage.

Govern them: and lift them up forever.

Day by day: we magnify Thee.

And we worship Thy name: ever, world without end.

Vouchsafe, O Lord: to keep us this day without sin.

us.

O Lord, have mercy upon us: have mercy upon mercy

O Lord, let Thy mercy be upon us: as our trust is in Thee.

O Lord, in Thee have I trusted: let me never be confounded. Amen.

Or the

Benedictus. St. Luke i.

Blessed be the Lord God of Israel: for He hath visited and redeemed His people;

And hath raised up a horn of salvation for us: in the house of His servant David;

As He spake by the mouth of His holy prophets: which have been since the world began;

That we should be saved from our enemies: and from the hand of all that hate us;

To perform the mercy promised to our fathers: and to remember His holy covenant;

The oath which He sware to our father Abraham: that He would grant unto us;

That we, being delivered out of the hand of our enemies might serve Him without fear,

In holiness and righteousness before Him: all the days of our life.