Near as is the end of day,

so too the end of life.
We then, also remembering it,
beseech of Thee

for the close of our life,

that Thou wouldest direct it in peace,
Christian, acceptable,

sinless, shameless,

and, if it please Thee, painless,

LORD, O LORD,

gathering us together

under the feet of Thine Elect,
when Thou wilt, and as thou wilt
only without shame and sins.
Remember we the days of darkness,
for they shall be many,

lest we be cast into outer darkness.
Remember we to outstrip the night
doing some good thing.

Near is judgment;

a good and acceptable answer
at the dreadful and fearful judgment-seat

of JESUS CHRIST

vouchsafe to us, O LORD.

By night I lift up my hands in the sanctuary,
and praise the LORD.

The LORD hath granted His loving kindness
in the day time;

and in the night season did I sing of Him,

and made my prayer unto the GOD of my life. As long as I live will I magnify Thee on this manner, and lift up my hands in Thy Name. Let my prayer be set forth in Thy sight as the incense,

and let the lifting up of my hands

be an evening sacrifice.

Blessed art Thou, O LORD, our God,

the God of our fathers,

who hast created the changes of days and nights,
who givest songs in the night,

who hast delivered us from the evil of this day,
who hast not cut off like a weaver my life,
nor from day even to night made an end of me.

Confession.

LORD,

as we add day to day,

so sin to sin.

The just falleth seven times a day;
and I, an exceeding sinner,
seventy times seven,

a wonderful, a horrible thing, O LORD.
But I turn with groans

from my evil ways,

and I return into my heart,

and with all my heart I turn to Thee,
O GOD of penitents and Saviour of sinners;
and evening by evening I will return
in the innermost marrow of my soul;
and my soul out of the deep

crieth unto Thee.

I have sinned, O LORD, against Thee,
heavily against Thee;

alas, alas, woe is me! for my misery.
I repent, O me! I repent, spare me, O LORD,
I repent, O me, I repent,

help Thou my impenitence.

Be appeased, spare me, O LORD;

be appeased, have mercy on me :

I said, LORD, have mercy upon me,

heal my soul, for I have sinned against Thee.

Have mercy upon me, O LORD, after Thy great goodness, according to the multitude of Thy mercies

do away mine offences.

Remit the guilt,

heal the wound,

blot out the stains,

clear away the shame,

destroy the tyranny,

and make me not a public example.

O bring Thou me out of my trouble, cleanse Thou me from secret faults, keep back Thy servant also from presumptuous sins. My wanderings of mind

and idle talking

lay not to my charge.

Remove the dark and muddy flood

of foul and wicked thoughts.
O LORD

I have destroyed myself;

whatever I have done amiss, pardon mercifully.
Deal not with us after our sins,

neither reward us after our iniquities.
Look mercifully upon our infirmities;
and for the glory of Thy All-holy Name,
turn from us all those ills and miseries,
which by our sins, and by us through them,
are most righteously and worthily deserved.

3. Commendation.

To my weariness, O Lord,

vouchsafe Thou rest,

to my exhaustion

renew Thou strength.

Lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death.
Deliver me from the terror by night,
the pestilence that walketh in darkness.
Supply me with healthy sleep,

and to pass through this night without fear.
O keeper of Israel,

who neither slumberest nor sleepest,

guard me this night from all evil,

guard my soul, O LORD.

Visit me with the visitation of Thine own, reveal to me wisdom in the visions of the night. If not, for I am not worthy, not worthy, at least, O loving LORD,

let sleep be to me a breathing time

as from toil, so from sin.
Yea, O LORD,

nor let me in my dreams imagine

what may anger Thee,

what may defile me.

Let not my loins be filled with illusions, but let my reins chasten me in the night season, yet without grievous terror.

Preserve me from the black sleep of sin
all earthly and evil thoughts

put to sleep within me.
Grant to me light sleep,
rid of all imaginations
fleshly and satanical.

LORD, Thou knowest

how sleepless are mine unseen foes,

and how feeble my wretched flesh,
who madest me;

shelter me with the wing of Thy pity;
awaken me at the fitting time,

the time of prayer;

and give me to seek Thee early, for Thy glory, and for Thy service.

COURSE OF PRAYERS FOR THE WEEK.

THE FIRST DAY.

Introduction. Through the tender mercies of our God
the day-spring from on high hath visited us.
Glory be to Thee, O LORD, glory to Thee,
Creator of the light,

and Enlightener of the world,—
of the visible light,

the Sun's ray, a flame of fire,
day and night

evening and morning,-
of the light invisible
the revelation of GOD,
writings of the Law,
oracles of Prophets,

music of Psalms,

instruction of Proverbs,

experience of Histories,—

light which never sets.

GOD is the LORD who hath showed us light; bind the sacrifice with cords,

yea even unto the horns of the altar.

O by Thy resurrection raise us up
unto newness of life

supplying to us modes of repentance.
Thou GoD of peace

who didst bring again from the dead

the great Shepherd of the sheep,

through the blood of the everlasting covenant, our LORD JESUS CHRIST,

VOL. V.-88.

C