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wilt Thou deliver me from carelessness and indifference? When shall I be fully on the watch?

Make me, LORD, to expect Thy coming with vigilance and attention, that I may receive Thee with joy, and not be taken unawares!

Thou that sittest upon the Cherubim, stir up Thy strength, and come and help me. LORD, have mercy.

CHRIST, have mercy.
LORD, have mercy.

GOD, Who hast pity on all men, and puttest away the sins of all those who truly repent;

Have mercy on us.

Who wouldest have mercy and not sacrifice;

Have mercy on us.

Who, when we repent, rememberest our sins no more;

Have mercy on us.

GOD, most merciful and patient, tender, and full of loving-kindness, notwithstanding all our sins,

Have mercy on us.

By Thy first Coming in lowliness;

By Thy Second Coming to judge the world;

Have mercy on us.

LAMB of GOD, That takest away the sins of the world;

Have mercy on us.

Stir up, O LORD, our hearts to prepare the way of Thy Only-Begotten; that we may be found worthy to serve Thee with purified hearts, through His Coming, Who, with Thee and the HOLY GHOST liveth and reigneth, One GOD.

Remember Thy tender mercies, O LORD, and Thy loving-kindnesses, which have been ever of old; and stretch forth Thy Right Hand to Thy creature, striving to come to Thee. Help Thou the weakness of him that can do nothing without Thee; Draw him unto Thee, for Thou knowest that he cannot come, unless Thou, FATHER, draw him with Thy love and HOLY SPIRIT. Make me, Thy servant, willing to please Thee. Give me those holy gifts, by which alone I can be acceptable to Thee. Claim me wholly for Thine own, who owe Thee all that I am. Let the brightness of Thy Presence drive away from me the evil spirits of darkness. Tear asunder my chains, and lead me into Thy light and liberty, that my soul may magnify Thy Name, and that I may tell forth the praises of Thy redeeming mercy; through JESUS CHRIST our SAVIOUR. Amen.

Our FATHER, &c.

PSALM LXXVI. Notus in Judæa.

In Jewry is GOD known: His Name is great in Israel.

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At Salem is His tabernacle and His dwelling in Sion.

There brake He the arrows of the bow: the shield, the sword, and the battle.

Thou art of more honour and might : than the hills of the robbers.

The proud are robbed, they have slept their sleep and all the men whose hands were mighty have found nothing.

At Thy rebuke, O GOD of Jacob: both the chariot and horse are fallen.

Thou, even Thou art to be feared and who may stand in Thy sight when Thou art angry?

Thou didst cause Thy judgment to be heard from heaven the earth trembled, and was still.

When GOD arose to judgment, and to help all the meek upon earth.

The fierceness of men shall turn to Thy praise: and the fierceness of them shalt Thou refrain.

Promise unto the LORD your God, and keep it, all ye that are round about Him: bring presents unto Him that ought to be feared.

He shall refrain the spirit of princes :

and is wonderful among the kings of the earth.

Glory be to the FATHER, &c.
As it was in the beginning, &c.

WEDNESDAY IN ADVENT.

"Be strong, and He shall establish your heart all ye that put your trust in the LORD." -Ps. xxxi. 27.

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"Lift up the hands which hang down, and the feeble knees," is the Apostolic exhortation. And what is it that gives this renovated strength to the weak and the

weary ? What is it that lifts up their heart and establishes it? It is the Divine grace of hope. Hope infused through the Sacraments into the soul, quickened continually by the indwelling HOLY SPIRIT, and nourished by prayer. For this Holy Scripture was written, that "through patience and comfort of the Scriptures we might have hope." The true believer lives in hope, and rejoices in hope; for to him “the life of this mortal life is in the hope of immortal life." And he "rejoices in hope'

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because he is as sure of the things which GOD has promised, as if he already possessed them. But he rejoices with trembling, inasmuch as he remembers that while GOD'S Word cannot be broken, yet his faith may fail, unless by Divine grace he perseveres to the end.

But let me think of the ways in which hope may affect me. Am I troubled in circumstances? Have I lost temporal blessings? Then for that very reason will I cling closer to GOD. I will believe that He has allowed creatures to fail me, that I may put my whole trust in Him alone.

Have I sinned often and grievously? Yet when I read and hear GOD's promise of pardon to the sinner that turns to Him, can I doubt the Word of GOD?-that Word which is strengthened by an oath, and sealed with the precious Blood of JESUS. O blessed impossibility for GOD to lie, or His promise to fail! I will remind Him of His promise; I will plead with Him by the Sacrifice of JESUS, and "though He slay me, yet will I trust in Him." Breathe forth, O my sinful soul, thy sighs of hope to JESUS; do not despond; lift up thine eyes to Him; breathe forth thy confidence to Him, and He will lead thee to the haven. He will shed upon thee healing from His Wounds, and will show thee a rock which is

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