I am become like a pelican in the wilderness: and like an owl that is in the desert.

I have watched, and am even as it were a sparrow : that sitteth alone upon the house-top.

Mine enemies revile me all the day long: and they that are mad upon me are sworn together against me. For I have eaten ashes as it were bread: and mingled my drink with weeping;

And that because of Thine indignation and wrath: for Thou hast taken me up, and cast me down.

My days are gone like a shadow: and I am withered like grass.

But Thou, O LORD, shalt endure for ever: and Thy remembrance throughout all generations.

Thou shalt arise and have mercy upon Sion: for it is time that Thou have mercy upon her, yea, the time is come.

And why? Thy servants think upon her stones : and it pitieth them to see her in the dust.

The heathen shall fear Thy Name, O LORD: and all the kings of the earth Thy Majesty;

When the LORD shall build up Sion: and when His glory shall appear;

When He turneth Him unto the prayer of the poor destitute and despiseth not their desire.

This shall be written for those that come after: and the people which shall be born shall praise the LORD.

For He hath looked down from His sanctuary: out of the heaven did the LORD behold the earth; That He might hear the mournings of such as are in captivity and deliver the children appointed unto death;

:

That they may declare the Name of the LORD in Sion and His worship at Jerusalem;

When the people are gathered together and the kingdoms also to serve the LORD.

He brought down my strength in my journey: and shortened my days.

But I said, O my God, take me not away in the midst of mine age: as for Thy years, they endure throughout all generations.

Thou, LORD, in the beginning hast laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of Thy hands.

They shall perish, but Thou shalt endure they all shall wax old as doth a garment;

And as a vesture shalt Thou change them, and they shall be changed: but Thou art the same, and Thy years shall not fail.

The children of Thy servants shall continue: and their seed shall stand fast in Thy sight.

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.

De profundis. Ps. cxxx.

Out of the deep have I called unto Thee, O LORD: LORD, hear my voice.

O let Thine ears consider well: the voice of my complaint.

If Thou, LORD, wilt be extreme to mark what is done amiss: O LORD, who may abide it?

For there is mercy with Thee: therefore shalt

Thou be feared.

I look for the LORD; my soul doth wait for Him: in His Word is my trust.

My soul fleeth unto the LORD: before the morning watch, I say, before the morning watch.

O Israel, trust in the LORD, for with the LORD there is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption.

And He shall redeem Israel: from all his sins. 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.

Domine, exaudi. Ps. cxliii.

Hear my prayer, O LORD, and consider my desire: hearken unto me for Thy truth and righteousness' sake.

And enter not into judgment with Thy servant : for in Thy sight shall no man living be justified.

For the enemy hath persecuted my soul; he hath smitten my life down to the ground: he hath laid me in the darkness, as the men that have been long dead.

Therefore is my spirit vexed within me and my heart within me is desolate.

Yet do I remember the time past; I muse upon all Thy works: yea, I exercise myself in the works of Thy hands.

I stretch forth my hands unto Thee: my soul gaspeth unto Thee as a thirsty land.

Hear me, O LORD, and that soon, for my spirit waxeth faint hide not Thy face from me, lest I be like unto them that go down into the pit.

O let me hear Thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in Thee is my trust: show Thou me the way that I should walk in, for I lift up my soul

unto Thee.

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies: for I flee unto Thee to hide me.

Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth Thee, for Thou art my GOD: let Thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousness.

Quicken me, O LORD, for Thy Name's sake: and for Thy righteousness' sake bring my soul out of trouble.

And of Thy goodness slay mine enemies and destroy all them that vex my soul; for I am Thy

servant.

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.

Scripture Lections.

Note: That if these Scriptures be previously studied with the help of good Commentaries, the Minister may, as occasion serves, explain their sense and found exhortations thereon.

O THOU afflicted, tossed with tempest, and not comforted, behold, I will lay thy stones with fair colours, and lay thy foundations with sapphires. And I will make thy windows of agates, and thy gates of carbuncles, and all thy borders of pleasant stones. And all thy children shall be taught of the LORD; and great shall be the peace of thy children. In righteousness shalt thou be established: thou shalt be far from oppression; for thou shalt not fear and from terror; for it shall not come near thee. Behold, they shall surely gather together, but not by Me: whosoever shall gather together against thee shall fall for thy sake. Behold, I have created the smith that bloweth the coals in the fire, and that bringeth forth an instrument for his

work; and I have created the waster to destroy. No weapon that is formed against thee shall prosper; and every tongue that shall rise against thee in judgment thou shalt condemn. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their righteousness is of Me, saith the LORD.

Second Lesson. 2 Corinthians iv. 14, and part of Chap.v.

He Which raised up the LORD JESUS shall raise up us also by JESUS, and shall present us with you. For all things are for your sakes, that the abundant grace might through the thanksgiving of many redound to the glory of GoD. For which cause we faint not; but though our outward man perish, yet the inward man is renewed day by day. For our light affliction, which is but for a moment, worketh for us a far more exceeding and eternal weight of glory; while we look not at the things which are seen, but at the things which are not seen: for the things which are seen are temporal; but the things which are not seen are eternal. For we know that if our earthly house of this tabernacle were dissolved, we have a building of GOD, an house not made with hands, eternal in the heavens. For in this we groan, earnestly desiring to be clothed upon with our house which is from heaven: if so be that being clothed we shall not be found naked. For we that are in this tabernacle do groan, being burdened: not for that we would be unclothed, but clothed upon, that mortality might be swallowed up of life. Now He that hath wrought us for the self-same thing is GOD, Who also hath given unto us the earnest of the SPIRIT. Therefore we are always confident, knowing that, whilst we are at home in the body, we are absent from the LORD: (for we walk by faith, not by sight :) we are confident, I say, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the LORD. Wherefore we labour, that, whether present or ab