IX.

On the Death of a Deacon.

(CANON XIII., tom. vi., p. 247.)

BEHOLD! Our member is departed

From this troubled world,

To that tranquil light;

On his departure let us pray :

That his Guide may have mercy on him!

Well disciplined in public duties

He was chaste in private life,

In gentleness and peace

He abounded towards his brethren:
Make him happy in Thy tabernacle !

His eyes were watchful

In standing before Thee;

And they wept in prayer,

And made entreaty for his sins :-
May they see Thy loving-kindness!

Thou didst count him worthy
To minister in Thy sanctuary,
And to distribute" Thy body
And Thy blood to Thy flock :-

Nourish him with Thy lambs!

He was cheerful, and full

Of affection to his brethren;

And his hospitality

Was fervent in its tenderness :

Number him with Thy beloved ones!

He loved to proclaim

The words of Thy doctrine,
And delighted to listen to

The utterances of the Spirit:

:

Let him hear the sound of the trumpet!

He wondered at and admired

The riches of Thy oracles;

And his heart exulted

In the words of the Holy Ghost:-
Unite him with Thy glorified ones!

He despised worldly pleasures

And slighted ease;

Let him rest at Thy table

Let him find enjoyment in Thy light—

With the upright who have loved Thee!

PENTASYLLABIC, in strophes of five verses, the last verse of each being antiphonal.

a "To distribute."- No divisit, peculiariter in duas partes,

Castel. Benedict has porrigere, to extend, to hold out to.

b Or, in his charity hospitality was fervent.

X.

A Prayer in the Prospect of Death.

(CANON LXI., tom. vi., p. 326.)

O LORD! appoint me not a place with the wicked; Do Thou, Lord, confess me who have confessed Thee; Set me not on Thy left hand,

Lest I become a companion to Satan !

Let me not lift up my voice in the flame,
Who by hymns have praised Thee;

Let me not cry out from the midst of darkness,
Who in the night-season have glorified Thee.

Number me not with Thy crucifiers,
Thou, whose cross was my refuge;

Let not my head be humbled in judgment,
O Thou Judge, greater than all judges !

THE above is heptasyllabic, in strophes of four verses.

XI.

On the Death of a Private Person.

(CANON LXXXII., tom. vi., p. 356.)

GLORIOUS and terrible is the day of Thy appearing When Thou fliest through the vault of the firmament, And the sublime gates are opened

Before the splendour of Thy power.

The gates of high heaven, and of the depth beneath,

And of the firmament, cover their faces;

And the archangel, Gabriel,

Expands the banner of Thy cross,

To the glory and exultation

Of the children of the faithful Church :

But to the shame and sorrow

Of Heathendom and Judaism.

And Thou shalt shout with Thy mighty voice,
And the bosom of the grave shall be emptied,
And the dead shall rise incorruptible;

And all nations, peoples, and tongues
Shall cry, "Glory be to Thee !"

In the great day of Thy appearing

The cornet and the trumpet shall sound,

And the angels shall descend from their seats
And sing psalms of praise to God.

Then quickly shall be awakened

Those who slept, and render praise

With their exulting voices.

And those who have done good,

Shall enter with Him into the pavilion ;
And the door shall be closed

In the faces of the wicked.

Lord, let not the door of Thy compassion
Be shut against me!

Glory be to Thee!

Our brother is taken from our congregation,
Let us all honour his death earnestly;

Let us enter and entreat from the merciful God
In whose hands is our death and our life,

That He will bring him to the region of light

With the upright who are accepted in His presence. And that he may hear Him say to him,

"Come, enter and inherit the kingdom

Which cannot pass away!”a

Which Christ hath prepared for the elect who have

loved Him,

In a world abounding in blessedness.

How lamentable is thy death

And grievous thy departure;

And there is sorrow to all men
Because of thy removal;

For thou hast migrated from thy abode
And gone to the place of strangers.
According to the word of the preacher
"That every one who does not suffer for me