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eth, neither whatever worketh abomination, or maketh a lie; but they who are written in the Lamb's book of life.

The

O LORD, be thou with us now that the evening is come, and darkness and silence and sleep await us. Thy beauty fades not away from us with the day. Thy stars are in the deep sky. The serene expanse is still full of thy greatness and thy benignity. earth sleeps beneath thine overspreading watch. Nothing can be lost from thine eye. the earth and lightest the heavens. Father, we love thee. Holy, holy, holy, thou who leadest out the hosts of stars; the whole earth, by night and by day, dwells amidst the flow of thy glory.

Thou shadest

As thus amidst the darkness of night thou showest the lights above us, so, O Lord, amidst the dimness which gathers over our short time of life, amidst its clouds and its shades, its infirmities, its bereavements and its sorrows, thou dost evermore unveil the celestial spheres, and their everlasting beauty and peace. May we lift up our eyes and see. May the faith in our hearts welcome and trust thy word, even when it seems far off in the distant heavens; may the hope, full of immortality, drink in forever the promises of thy love, and make us of good cheer; may the love flowing instantly from thee to us go up hourly through the deep mystery to thee, Fountain of good, pouring its charities on all whom thou hast made. So may we live here the heavenly life. So, while

on earth, may we take in and give forth the higher presence; through the shadows which fall over us, may we make the substance a reality and a power; among men may we commune with thee, blessing our brethren. Living we are thine; to thee may we live forever.

Father, there is no death with thee. Open every eye to see thee; reveal to every soul the immortality which it bears within. The darkness hath passed; from thee shineth the true light. May the sons of men rejoice in the morning which hath turned night to day. May they behold the whole earth radiant with thy beams. May they go up into the mountain and hear thy voice. May they come down into the valley, building up their lives after the pattern which thou hast shown them. May they be transfigured to the likeness of thy dearest Son; so from the divine splendor may their faces shine, from its descending rays may their robes grow white. Through the powers of the eternal life, may all be strong to overcome the world, to remove evil, to win the crown of righteousness. As friend after friend departs, and we begin to walk on earth bereaved and alone, Father, be thou with thy lowly ones, and make all hearts glad with the open vision. As we enter into the shade and pass from mortal sight, may we see, not the gloom, but the glory, and rejoice in the day which has no night. Evermore in the depth of our hearts, breathing inspiration, and making all things divine, may we hear the celestial word, I am the resurrection

and the life; he that believeth in me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth in me shall never die.

Blessed be thou, Word of the Eternal. Blessed be thou, who hast abolished death, and brought life and immortality to light. Blessed be thou, now and forever. Amen.

XLIII.

Help for the Needy.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

For he satisfieth the longing soul, and filleth the hungry soul with goodness.

Such as sit in darkness and in the shades of death, being bound in affliction and iron;

Because they rebelled against the words of God, and contemned the counsel of the Most High:

Therefore he brought down their heart with labor; they fell down, and there was none to help.

Then they cried to the Lord in their trouble, and he saved

them out of their distresses.

He brought them out of darkness and the shades of death, and broke their bands asunder.

O that men would praise the Lord for his goodness, and for his wonderful works to the children of men!

OUR FATHER in heaven, thy children kneel before the throne of thy mercy, and humbly thank thee for all the blessings of this day, and for the privilege

which we now enjoy of holding communion with thee, and praising thee for thy goodness and thy wonderful works to the children of men.

O God, if this day we have fallen into any sin; if we have weakly yielded to any temptation; if we have been angry without cause or beyond bounds; if we have been uncharitable, unjust, undutiful, or in any way unmindful of thee and thy laws, we beseech thee to forgive us in thy great mercy, and give us true repentance, that we may lie down this night in peace with the world, with ourselves, and with thee. And we pray thee, O Father, to watch over us this night, and protect us from all evil, and give to our eyes refreshing slumbers, so that we may rise in the morning with renewed power to serve thee. If we are to rise no more in this world, grant that we may wake in the next to life immortal, and the light of thy countenance forevermore.

We pray thee, also, to protect the whole sleeping world through the hours of darkness and helplessness. Be graciously with those, also, who by land or by sea must wake and watch. Soothe the pains of the sick; speak pardon and peace to sleepless consciences; guide the traveller on his way; preserve the mariner from the fury of the tempest, and direct him through the paths of the deep. Be a father to the fatherless; a deliverer to the oppressed; a friend to all who are under neglect or contempt, or in want, and especially to those who are persecuted for con

science and righteousness' sake. Be kind to all our friends and to all our enemies; to all who have prayed for us, and to all who have desired that we should pray for them. Mercifully, O God, Father Almighty, hear their prayers, and ours, which we offer in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.

XLIV.

Saturday Evening.

Return to thy rest, O my soul; for the Lord hath dealt bountifully with thee.

For thou hast delivered my soul from death, my eyes from tears, and my feet from falling.

I will walk before the Lord in the land of the living. What shall I render to the Lord for all his benefits toward me?

I will take the cup of salvation, and call upon the name of the Lord.

Accept, I beseech thee, the freewill offerings of my mouth, O Lord, and teach me thy judgments.

Thy hands have made me and fashioned me : give me understanding, that I may learn thy commandments.

Thy statutes have been my songs in the house of my pilgrimage.

I have remembered thy name, O Lord, in the night, and have kept thy law.

ALMIGHTY GOD and most merciful Father, in whose hands our times are, and whose are all our

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