so gathering me to the remainder of thy elect in peace and innocence at thy own time, and after thy own way; only let it be free from guilt and from reproach. As the day goeth away, and the shadows of the evening are stretched out, so passeth away my life, even like a vapor, that appeareth for a little time, and then vanisheth away. The Lord hath commanded his loving-kindness in the day-time, and in the night-season also my song shall be of him, and my prayer unto the Lord of my life. O, let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense, and the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice. Blessed art thou, O Lord, our God and the God of our fathers, who hast ordained the successions of light and darkness; who makest thy saints to rejoice upon their beds; who hast delivered me from the perils of this day, and not cut off my life like a weaver's web nor wasted me with pining sickness from morning until night. O thou Keeper of Israel, that neither slumberest nor sleepest, preserve me this night from all manner of evil, yea, do thou preserve my soul. O most kind and merciful Lord, let this season of rest be an entire cessation to me, as well from sin as from labor and sorrow; and suffer not any thought to surprise my unguarded mind which is capable either of displeasing thee or of defiling me. During the Night. O THOU, who inspirest thy saints with songs in the night, and givest wholesome sleep to thy beloved-whose name I will think of in the night-season, and will keep thy law-let thy protection and mercy be upon me, and let the prayers and thanksgivings come up to thee which my soul poureth out when it fleeth unto the Lord before the morning watch. Make me to remember thee on my bed, and to think upon thee when I am waking; then let me commune with my own heart, and search out my spirit: for thou art about my path and about my bed; and when I awake, I am present with thee. Thou, Lord, hast granted thy loving-kindness in the day-time; and in the night-season will I'sing of thee, and make my prayer to the God of my life. O Lord, the holy angels are now before thy throne in heaven. They never rest day or night from thy praises; and with them do I sing hallelujah, salvation and honor, and glory and power, be unto our God, for ever and ever. Amen. O Thou, who didst at midnight raise the prophet David, and Paul and Silas, to sing praises to thee because of thy righteous judgments, make us to think upon thee with gladness in our beds, whose presence makes our darkness to be light; and save us. O Thou, who by the crowing of the cock didst call back thy fallen Apostle to a sense of his sin and infirmity, grant us, like him, to take warning by the same signal-to retire into ourselves, and weep bitterly for our offences; and then do thou accept our repentance, and save us. O Thou, who hast foretold that thou wilt return to judgment in an hour that we are not aware of, grant us grace to watch and pray always; that whether thou shalt come at even, or at midnight, or at the cock-crowing, or in the morning, thou mayest find us ready to meet thee. BPS. KEN AND ANDREWES. BEFORE we do any thing else, be we careful to consecrate the first fruits of the day, and the very beginnings of our holy thoughts, unto the service of God.......Let not the day, when it cometh, find us sleeping in our beds, but awaken, and up, and ready at our prayers, according to his custom "whose eyes prevented the night-watches." ST. BASIL TELL me with what confidence canst thou lie down to sleep, and pass away the black darkness of the night! with what fearful and ugly dreams shall thy soul, thinkest thou, be troubled, unless thou shalt first arm thyself against such delusions and fears by strong and devout prayers! Let the wicked spirits find thee without such a guard, and presently thou becomest a prey unto them; let them but spy thee at thy prayers, and presently, like frighted thieves, they run away. ST. CHRYSOSTOM. |