The III. Day. Evening Prayer. Exod. iii. 14. John vi. 57, 58. v. 26. xiv. 19. Rom. xv. 9. Ezek. xxxiv. 22. The IV. Day. Morning Prayer. 46 The strange children shall fail : and be afraid out of their prisons. 47 The Lord liveth, and blessed be my strong helper and praised be the God of my salvation. 48 Even the God, that seeth that I be avenged and subdueth the people unto me. 49 It is he, that delivereth me from my cruel enemies, and setteth me up above mine adversaries thou shalt rid me from the wicked man. 50 For this cause will I give thanks unto thee, O Lord, among the Gentiles and sing praises unto thy Name. 51 Great prosperity giveth he unto his King and sheweth loving-kindness unto David his Anointed, and unto his seed for evermore. THE XIX PSALM. Cæli enarrant. HE heavens declare the glory of T God; and the firmament sheweth Christmas Mat- his handy-work. tins. cumc., Ascensiontide, Tinity Sund.. App B. V. M., Virg. & Matr. 1st N ct. Dies diei eructat verbum: et nox Evv., All SS., nocti indicat scientiam. Non sunt loquelæ, neque sermones: St. Michael. quorum non audiantur voces eorum. In omnem terram exivit sonus eorum et in fines orbis terræ verba eorum. In sole posuit tabernaculum suum : et ipse tanquam sponsus procedens de thalamo suo. 2nd Noct. lished" [Isa. liv. 11-14]. For the prosperity which God giveth unto the King Whom He hath set in His holy hill of Zion He extends also to "His seed for evermore," even to that Church of the redeemed of whom the Redeemer says continually, “Behold I and the children whom Thou hast given Me." PSALM XIX. The ancient Church of England appears to have regarded this Psalm as one which especially set forth the glory of Christ in the Communion of Saints: and by its appropriation to Festivals of the Incarnation, of the Apostles, the holy Angels, and All Saints, to have illustrated the words of St. Paul: 66 Ye are come unto Mount Sion, and unto the City of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels, to the general assembly and church of the First-born which are written in heaven, and to God the Judge of all, and to the spirits of just men made perfect, and to Jesus the Mediator of the New Covenant." [Heb. xii. 22-24.] The key to this application of the Psalm is given by St. Paul in Rom. x. 18, where he takes the fourth verse as a prophecy of the foundation of the Church by the Apostles and Evangelists. But it may also be drawn from a comparison of the Psalm with other words of the Holy Ghost and of Christ Himself. The central idea of the Psalm is contained in the fifth and sixth verses, the previous portion leading up to these, and that which follows taking its cue from them. In these two verses the mind of the Church has always observed a prophecy of "the Sun of righteousness" which it was declared should "arise with healing in His beams" [Mal. iv. 2]: a prophecy, that is, of Him Who said, "I am the Light of the world” [John viii. 12]; of Whom St. John wrote that He was the true Light coming into the world to illuminate all men [Ibid. i. 9]; and Who in after years said also of Himself, "I am the root and the offspring of David, and the bright and morning Star." [Rev. xxii. 16.] The heavens therefore declare the glory of God as a mystical parable of the spiritual world. Christ is the central luminary The IV. Day. Morning Prayer. Matt. xi. 25. Matt. v. 8. John viii. 16. Rev. xvi. 5. 7. Job xxviii. 16. 6 It goeth forth from the uttermost part of the heaven, and runneth about unto the end of it again and there is nothing hid from the heat thereof. 7 The law of the Lord is an undefiled law, converting the soul the testimony of the Lord is sure, and giveth wisdom unto the simple. 8 The statutes of the Lord are right, and rejoice the heart the commandment of the Lord is pure, and giveth light unto the eyes. 9 The fear of the Lord is clean, and endureth for ever the judgements of the Lord are true, and righteous alto Prov. iii. 14. viii. gether. 19. xvi. 16. Ezek. iii. 3. Rev. x. 9. Matt. v. 12. Rev. xi, 18. Royal Accession. John xii. 27. 10 More to be desired are they than gold, yea, than much fine gold sweeter also than honey, and the honeycomb. 11 Moreover, by them is thy ser- vant taught 12 Who can tell how oft he offendeth O cleanse thou me from my secret faults. 13 Keep thy servant also from presumptuous sins, lest they get the dominion over me so shall I be undefiled, and innocent from the great offence. 14 Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart be alway acceptable in thy sight, 15 O Lord my strength, and my redeemer. THE THE XX PSALM. Exaudiat te Dominus. PSALMUS XIX. Domine XAUDIAT te Dominus in die Sunday Mattins. 3rd Noct HE Lord hear thee in the day of tribulationis: protegat te Nomen Name of Jesus, Troubles the Name of the God of Jacob defend thee; from Whom flows all the Light, heat, and Life by which souls live and the glory of God is promoted. As in the glorified City of God, so in the Church Militant, "the Lamb is the Light thereof," and she beholds His glory, the glory of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth, a glory transfiguring the flesh in which He dwelt [σкhvwσe = tabernacled, John i. 14] among His people. From Him flowed the light of grace and truth to the Apostles. As He had said of Himself, so He said of them, "Ye are the light of the world :" and, "As the Father hath sent Me, so send I you." And thus "one day telleth another," and the sound of the glorious message of the Incarnation has gone out into all lands through the ministration of the Church, so that nothing is hid from the heat of the vivifying Sun of Righteous ness. Thus also Christ is in His Church, vivifying all its work and its members,-"in them hath He set a tabernacle for the Sun:" and again the heavens declare the glory of God when they enable the seer to say, "I heard a great voice from heaven saying, Behold, the tabernacle of God is with men, and He will dwell with them, and they shall be His people, and God Himself shall be with them and be their God." [Rev. xxi. 3.] The latter verses are to be taken as an expansion of the concluding words of the sixth, "there is nothing hid from the heat thereof." For this all-embracing Light is law, testimony, statute, commandment, fear, and judgment; converting, giving wisdom, joy, purity, everlasting life, and perfect righteousness: a savour of life unto life, or a savour of death unto death. The IV. Day. John xvii. 21. Matt. xxvii. 43. Deut. xvii. 16. Matt. xxi. 9. Ascension Day Isa. xxxii. 1. 2 Send thee help from the sanc- tuary Sion; Mittat tibi auxilium de sancto: et de Sion tueatur te. Memor sit omnis sacrificii tui: et sit Dominus 3 Remember all thy offerings and holocaustum tuum pingue fiat. accept thy burnt-sacrifice; 4 Grant thee thy heart's desire and fulfil all thy mind. 5 We will rejoice in thy salvation, and triumph in the Name of the Lord our God the Lord perform all thy petitions. 6 Now know I, that the Lord helpeth his Anointed, and will hear him from his holy heaven even with the wholesome strength of his right hand. 7 Some put their trust in chariots, and some in horses but we will remember the Name of the Lord our God. 8 They are brought down, and fallen but we are risen, and stand upright. 9 Save, Lord, and hear us, O King of heaven when we call upon thee. THE THE XXI PSALM. Domine, in virtute tua. Tribuat tibi secundum cor tuum: tibi Dominus et omne consilium tuum confirmet. Lætabimur in salutari tuo: et in nomine Dei nostri magnificabimur. Impleat Dominus omnes petitiones Exaudiet illum de cœlo sancto suo: Domini Dei magnificabimur Ipsi obligati sunt, et ceciderunt, nos nos vero resur autem surreximus et erecti sumus. Domine salvum fac regem: et exaudi nos in die qua invocaverimus te. PSALMUS XX. reximus et HE King shall rejoice in thy rex: et super salutare tuum ex- Inv. & Ex. Cr., strength, O Lord exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation. 2 Thou hast given him his heart's desire and hast not denied him the request of his lips. "The nations of them which are saved shall walk in the light of it." [Rev. xxi. 24.] And to them it shall be a cleansing, purifying Light. Others there will be to whom it will be a Light of true and righteous judgment, "scorching them with great heat" [Rev. xvi. 9], and bringing to light all their hidden works of darkness. With this Psalm therefore should ever go up a prayer that the work of Christ's Incarnation may go forward more and more in the world at large and in every heart, so that He may be the everlasting Light of us and of all whom He has redeemed. PSALM XX. The original purpose of this Psalm was doubtless of a similar kind to that for which it has been chosen in modern times as a proper Psalm for the day of the Sovereign's accession to the throne. But in its full meaning it looks beyond all earthly sovereigns to Him Who is in the most true and complete sense the Anointed of the Lord. And it is to be remarked that the words throughout are an illustration of the manner in which Christ is pleased to identify Himself with His mystical Body; so that the Church joins herself with Him in His very intercession for her members. Christ says, Do this in remembrance of Me," and while the Church obeys His command and offers a constant Memorial before God of the Sacrifice of Christ, she yet places that Memorial in His sultabit vehementer. Mattins. 3rd Noct. hands, saying, May God remember all Thy offerings; grant Thee Thy heart's desire, which is that all may have the benefit of Thine offering and rejoice in Thy salvation. There was a type of this in Christ's words to His Three Apostles, "What, could ye not watch with Me one hour ?" and there is a parable of it in the Revelation, where "the Lamb as it had been slain" stands in continual intercession before the Throne, yet in the midst of the four and twenty elders. The last verse is constantly used in the suffrages of Morning and Evening Prayer according to the form in which it appears in the LXX and the Vulgate. The two readings show the lower and the higher application of the Psalm, the English being equivalent to the "Hosanna to the Son of David" with which Christ was led in triumph to Jerusalem. PSALM XXI. Whatever was the original purpose of this song of triumph, the coming of Christ to His Kingdom has given it a meaning before which all lower ones must fade into distance. Its position as a proper Psalm for Ascension Day points out therefore the proper interpretation to be given to it at all times, as a Psalm which magnifies the Son of Man seated on the Throne of His Divine glory. In such words the Church on earth echoes the strains of those who "cast their crowns before the Throne, saying, Thou art The IV. Day. Morning Prayer. Heb. ii. 9. Rev. xix. 12. Rev. iv. 9. xi. 15. Isa. xl. 5. Phil. ii. 9, 10. Heb. xii. 2. Rev. xi. 18. Matt. xxv. 41. Matt. xxvii. 25. John xvii. 5. Rev. xi. 17. Evening Prayer. Good Friday, Mattins. A Passion 3 For thou shalt prevent him with the blessings of goodness and shalt set a crown of pure gold upon his head. 4 He asked life of thee, and thou gavest him a long life even for ever and ever. 5 His honour is great in thy salvation glory, and great worship shalt thou lay upon him. 6 For thou shalt give him everlasting felicity and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance. 7 And why? because the King putteth his trust in the Lord and in the mercy of the most Highest he shall not miscarry. 8 All thine enemies shall feel thy hand thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee. 9 Thou shalt make them like a fiery oven in time of thy wrath the Lord shall destroy them in his displeasure, and the fire shall consume them. 10 Their fruit shalt thou root out of the earth and their seed from among the children of men. 11 For they intended mischief against thee and imagined such a device as they are not able to perform. 12 Therefore shalt thou put them to flight and the strings of thy bow shalt thou make ready against the face of them. 13 Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength so will we sing, and praise thy power. THE XXII PSALM. Deus, Deus meus. MY God, my God, look upon me; why hast thou forsaken me and art so far from my health, and Matt. xxvii. 46. from the words of my complaint? Psalm. Isa. liv. 7. worthy, O Lord, to receive glory, and honour, and power;" remembering the "Author and Finisher of our faith, Who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the Throne of God." The heart's desire of Christ was, that all might be one in Him as He was One with the Father: that all might be redeemed and reign with Him as kings and priests in His glorified kingdom. And when He prayed unto Him that was able to save Him from death, that if it were possible the cup might pass from Him, He was heard in that He feared, and offered the perfect obedience of "not My will but Thine." And so, although the King was to wear a crown of thorns, and to give up His life instead of keeping Quoniam prævenisti eum in benedictionibus dulcedinis: posuisti in capite ejus coronam de lapide pretioso. Vitam petiit a te, et tribuisti ei: longitudinem dierum in sæculum, et in sæculum sæculi. Magna est gloria ejus in salutari tuo: gloriam et magnum decorem impones super eum. Quoniam dabis eum in benedictionem in sæculum sæculi: lætificabis eum in gaudio cum vultu tuo. Quoniam rex sperat in Domino: et sperabil in misericordia Altissimi non commovebitur. Inveniatur manus tua omnibus inimicis tuis: dextera tua inveniat omnes qui te oderunt. Pones eos ut clibanum ignis in tempore vultus tui: Dominus in ira sua conturbabit eos, et devorabit eos ignis. Fructum eorum de terra perdes: et semen eorum a filiis hominum. Quoniam declinaverunt in te mala: cogitaverunt consilia, quæ non potuerunt stabilire. Quoniam pones eos dorsum : in reli- deorsum quiis tuis præparabis vultum eorum. Exaltare Domine in virtute tua: cantabimus et psallemus virtutes tuas. The IV. Day. Evening Prayer. Luke v. 16. vi. 12. John xiii. 30 Job ii. 10. Isa. liii. 2, 3. Job xxv. 6. Matt. xxvii. 39. Matt. xxvii. 43. Isa. lxiii. 3. 5. Isa. xxxiv. 7. Luke xxiii. 35. Isa. liii. 4. John xix. 28. Luke xxiii. 36. Matt. vii. 6. 4 Our fathers hoped in thee they trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them. 5 They called upon thee, and were holpen they put their trust in thee, and were not confounded. 6 But as for me, I am a worm, and no man a very scorn of men, and the outcast of the people. 7 All they that see me, laugh me to scorn they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying, 8 He trusted in God, that he would deliver him let him deliver him, if he will have him. 9 But thou art he that took. me out of my mother's womb thou wast my hope when I hanged yet upon my mother's breasts. 10 I have been left unto thee ever since I was born thou art my God even from my mother's womb. 11 O go not from me, for trouble is hard at hand and there is none to help me. 12 Many oxen are come about me fat bulls of Basan close me in on every side. 13 They gape upon me with their mouths as it were a ramping and a roaring lion. 14 I am poured out like water, and all my bones are out of joint my heart also in the midst of my body is even like melting wax. 15 My strength is dried up like a potsherd, and my tongue cleaveth to my gums and thou shalt bring me into the dust of death. 16 For many dogs are come about me and the council of the wicked layeth siege against me. Deus meus, clamabo per diem, et non exaudies: et nocte, et non ad insipientiam mihi. Tu autem in sancto habitas: Laus Israël. In te speraverunt patres nostri : speraverunt, et liberasti eos. Ad te clamaverunt, et salvi facti sunt in te speraverunt, et non sunt confusi. Ego autem sum vermis, et non homo: opprobrium hominum, et abjectio plebis. Omnes videntes me deriserunt me: qui ridebant mo aspernabantur locuti sunt labiis, et moverunt caput. Speravit in Domino: eripiat eum : salvum faciat eum, quoniam vult eum. Quoniam tu es qui extraxisti me de ventre; spes mea ab uberibus matris meæ in te projectus sum ex utero. De ventre matris meæ Deus meus es tu ne discesseris a me. Quoniam tribulatio proxima est : quoniam non est qui adjuvet. Circundederunt me vituli multi: tauri pingues obsederunt me. Aperuerunt super me OS suum: sicut leo rapiens et rugiens. aqua me jactatus sum Sicut effusus sum et dispersa effusa sunt et sunt omnia ossa mea. Factum est cor meum tanquam cera liquescens: in medio ventris mei. liquefiens wards given to them by our Lord, when, even after His Resurrection, He declared His perfect Humanity and His capacity for perfect Union with Human Nature by saying, "I ascend unto My Father and your Father, and to My God and your God." [John xx. 17.] They reveal at once the One Man of Sorrows making Himself one with those whom He had come to redeem. But the words that follow, and which give the key-note to the whole awful strain of sorrow, indicate the mystery of that dark ness which was to fall upon the soul of Him Whose Body was already suffering the fulness of pain upon the Cross. In that hour, it may be from noon till three o'clock, the vast burden of all sin was concentrated upon the Redeemer's Soul; and with it the still more unbearable burden of that Divine displeasure which sin calls down from the All-Righteous God. In what way the Divine Presence was hid from the sight of Him whose Hunnan Nature was inseparably joined to His Godhead, can be |