my my praise, in Thee is my hope and trust. Thee, O Lord, do I love, and in Thee soul delighteth; Thou art my house of defence, and my castle; Thou art my hope even from my youth. Call me, O Lord, Thou ruler of my life, and I will answer Thee; stretch forth the right hand of Thy mercy upon me who am the work of Thy hands, whom Thou, the Creator of all things, hast formed out of the clay, and hast joined together and compacted; unto whom in death Thou givest life. Of Thy mercy, O Lord, send Thy word and tarry not; for it is time that the dust return to the earth as it was, and the spirit return unto God who gave ita, and who hath redeemed it from the power of the grave. Open unto it the gates of everlasting life, for, when Thou didst hang upon the cross, Thou didst graciously promise that Thou wouldest receive it. Come, O my beloved, let me hold Thee, nor ever let Thee go; O lead me into the tabernacle of Thy house. Thou, O Lord, art my defender, Thou art my worship and the lifter-up of my head; salvation belongeth unto Thee, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people. Receive me, O merciful Lord, according to Thy mercies, for in the agonies of death Thou didst acknowledge the Ps. lxxi. 2. 4. Eph. iv. 16. b Luke xxiii. 43. y Job xxxiii. 6. a Eccles. xii. 7. Ps. iii. 3. 8. penitent thief, when he turned unto Thee upon the cross. Grant that I may possess Thee, O eternal Blessedness; and enlighten me with Thine everlasting presence, when, like the blind man by the way side, I cry out, "Have mercy on me, O Lord, Thou Son of Davidd." O Light, without which there is no truth, no judgment, no wisdom, and no goodness, do Thou lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death, lest mine enemy say, I have prevailed against him e. Grant this, O merciful Father, for Jesus Christ His sake. Amen. (192.) (116.) Another. (S. Augustinef.) I KNOW, O Lord, I know and confess that I am not worthy that Thou shouldest love me, but Thou truly art not unworthy that I should love Thee; unworthy I am to serve Thee, but Thou art not unworthy of the service of Thy creature; give therefore, unto me, O Lord, of Thy worthiness, and I from mine unworthiness shall become worthy. Make me, as Thou wouldest, to cease from sin, that I may serve Thee as I ought; grant unto me so to guard, and rule, and end my life, that I may sleep in peace, and rest in Thee; grant unto me that, in the end, sleep with rest may receive Matt. xx. 31. Ps. xiii. 3, 4. f Meditationes, c. x. me, and rest with salvation, even salvation for evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. (193.) (117.) For the Blessing of Jesus Christ in Life and Death. (S. Dionysius.) O MOST loving Jesus, O Lord Christ, the brightness of Thy Father's glory, the Sun of righteousness; who for me Thine unworthy servant didst vouchsafe to bear this most wretched body of grief, and upon mount Calvary didst give Thy life a ransom for the world, and didst commend Thy spirit into Thy Father's hands with prayer: Grant unto me, I pray Thee, that I may ever bear about in my breast alike the anguish and the love of this Thy most bitter death; and by continually mortifying my corrupt affections, may daily so exercise myself to die together with Thee, that in passing through the grave and gate of death I may be refreshed with the light of Thy countenance k, and may enter with Thee into the joy of paradise. Be with me, O Lord, when my last hour draweth near; help me in the agony of death; hasten unto me, and save me from mine enemies; deliver me from my misery, and comfort me in g Heb. i. 3. h Mal. iv. 2. i Matt. xx. 28. Ps. lxxx. 19. my tears. O revive me when I am fainting ; and receive me when I utter Thy last words upon the cross, as my last words in this life; and when my voice faileth, hear Thou my last prayer, "Father "into Thy hands I commend my spirit, for Thou "hast redeemed me, O Lord Thou God of truth 1." O Lord, grant this unto me; grant it of Thine infinite mercy, O Lord Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Ghost art one God, for ever and ever. Amen. (194.) (118.) In Behalf of those in the Agony of Death. O ALMIGHTY and most merciful God, who preservest our life in death, we beseech Thee that Thou wouldest be pleased to turn the eyes of Thy mercy upon this sick man, to refresh him both in body and soul, and to forgive him all his iniquities. We pray Thee that the oblation of the Lamb without spot, Thy beloved Son Jesus Christ, may be accepted as an atonement for his sins; for in the confession of His name was he baptized, and was washed, and cleansed by His blood. We beseech Thee, therefore, that Thou wouldest now deliver him from the torments and pains of his body, and wouldest shorten his anguish and his afflictions; and that Thou wouldest save him from the stings Ps. xxxi. 6. Luke xxiii. 46. m of his own conscience, and the temptations of the enemy; so that he may fight valiantly, and overcome through faith. Grant unto him, O Lord, the righteousness of the perfect to direct his way unto everlasting life; and send unto him Thy holy Angels, that they may lead him to the fellowship of all Thine holy ones, and Thine elect; through Jesus Christ Thy Son. Amen. (195.) (119.) Another of the same, to be used with them. O FATHER of all compassion and grace, have mercy upon my soul; and vouchsafe to grant unto me the forgiveness of the sins which I have committed against Thee. O cast not away Thine afflicted servant, and despise not Thou the work of Thine own hands", for in Thee have I put my trust, O Lord my God. O Christ, the Lamb of God, which takest away the sins of the world, Thou art my strength and my Redeemer, and Thou hast washed and cleansed me by Thy blood. By Thy cross and passion, I beseech Thee, and above all by those bitter things which Thou didst suffer in the agony of death, when Thou gavest up the ghost, that Thou wouldest have mercy upon my soul at its departure from the body, and wouldest lead it into m Prov. xi. 5. a Ps. cxxxviii. 8; vii. 1; xix. 15. |