Sivut kuvina
PDF
ePub

Prayers for the Night out of the Greek Liturgy.

I.

O God, great and high, Who dwellest in light inaccessible; Who hast made the sun to rule the day, and the moon and the stars the night; let my prayer be set forth in Thy sight as the incense help me to put on the armour of light: defend me from the terrors of this night, and from every evil that walketh in darkness: let my sleep be free from all diabolical illusions, idle and filthy dreams; and refresh my wearied spirits, to be renewed in Thy service.

II.

Thy commandments, O Lord, are a light unto my feet; O teach me Thy righteousness and Thy judgments lighten the eyes of my mind that I sleep not in sin unto death: let the Sun of Righteousness shine into me, and dispel all darkness from my heart by the custody of Thy Holy Spirit let my life be free from all molestation, and guide my feet in the way of peace: direct me through the twilight of this life, and grant that I may see the early

day to offer up my morning prayers and hymns unto Thee; for Thine is the power, Thine is the kingdom: strength and glory is Thine, blessed Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.

III.

O God, the Author of all good gifts, grant me such compunction of spirit in my bed, that I may rise to celebrate Thy Name in the night-season, and pour forth my prayers before Thee, both for my own sins, and the sins of all the people; from the which, good Lord, deliver us all for Thou art good and gracious, and the great lover of men: to Thee be all glory, blessed Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, now and for evermore. Amen.

After these or other bedtime meditations, your usual Prayers, confessions, and thanksgivings, relating to the day past, meditate, As you undress yourself,

This body of mine I am now stripping of its clothing, is but the clothing of my soul, that is the man in me; my body is but the garment my soul doth wear.

And it is not long ere I shall put off this body of Euchol. p. 36.

[ocr errors]

flesh, as I now do the garments which cover its nakedness; and that I may do this in peace, and to my future happiness, my soul must be stript, and I must put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to deceitful lusts, and put on that new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness"."

"Put on the Lord Jesusi:" that is thy clothing, that is thy ornament, O my soul, to obey the doctrine, and folfow the example of the holy Jesus; "making no provision to fulfil the lusts of the flesh :" for," he that soweth to the flesh, shall of the flesh reap corruption; but he that soweth to the spirit, shall of the spirit reap life everlastingk"

When you lay aside your garments.

wholly and altogether to cast away the works of darkness, and to put on the armour of light; that when my body shall lie down in its bed of darkness, my soul may pass into the regions of light, to live and reign with Thee for ever.

When you get into Bed.

I will lay me down in peace and take my rest, for it is Thou only that makest me dwell in safety.

Or, II.

In the Name of my Lord Jesus Christ, Who was crucified unto death, and laid in the grave for me, I lay me down to rest, and to sleep : He vouchsafe to bless me, save and defend me, sleeping and waking: and may I evermore, blessed Jesus, rest in Thy peace, live in Thy fear, die in Thy favour, and be raised by Thy power unto life everlasting.

Assist me, blessed Lord, Amen.

[blocks in formation]

from thy bed of sloth and drowsiness, begging of God, with humble prayers, that those celestial spirits who 66 are sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation," and more particularly that thy guardian Angel may both guide and protect thee: that no destroying angel, no terror of the night, no pestilence that walketh in darkness, no fiery darts of the devil, no arrows of temptation, by any filthy dreams, or noisome lusts, may infect and taint thy innocence, or disturb thy peace in the Lord. "For ye were sometimes darkness, but now are ye light in the Lord: walk as children of the light"."

"And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them."

O blessed "Father of lights, with Whom is no variableness, nor shadow of turning," shew the light of Thy countenance upon Thy servant, and save me, for Thy mercies' sake.

II.

Man shall come to judge both the quick and the deads; and He hath commanded thee to watch for His coming, that He find thee not sleeping': remembering that "His coming shall be in flaming fire, rendering vengeance to them that obey not His Gospel," whereof this is a part, "watch and pray :" confirmed by His own example, who continued all night in prayer unto God": by the example of holy David, frequently at his prayers in the night of the prophet Isaiah," With my soul have I desired Thee in the night; yea, with my spirit within me will I seek Thee early":" and of the prophet Jeremiah, "Arise, cry out in the night: in the beginning of the watches pour out thine heart like water before the face of the Lord"."

:

Thy heart may now most opportunely, most intensely, most freely and fully, be poured out unto the Lord, whilst the cares and businesses of the day distract thee not; whilst no external objects, or tumultuous noise, disturb thy otherwise wandering imaginations, to 9 Eph. v. 11. r James i. 17. u Luke vi. 12. - Psalm vi.; Psalm lxiii.; Lam. ii. 19.

It is in the night we generally believe the Son of

• Heb. i. 14. P Eph. v. 8. XXV. 6. * Mark xiii. 36, 37.

Psalm cxix.

y Isaiah xxvi.

9.

. Mat.

withdraw thy heart from
divine and celestial contem-
plations.

Tu, Christe, somnum discute,
Tu rumpe noctis vincula:
Tu solve peccatum vetus,
Novumque lumen ingere.

III.

It was in the deep silence of the night thy blessed Saviour was born. And the shepherds "who kept watch over their flock," had therefore the happiness to receive the first tidings of salvation by an Angel from Heaven. It is now very seasonable to meditate upon those great mysteries of salvation, the Incarnation and Birth of thy Redeemer, the holiness |

and innocence of His life, His whole nights' devotions and prayers, the many conspiracies against His life, which He purposely assumed to lay down for the sins of the world.

It was in the night (as being the cursed deeds of darkness) that thy Lord was apprehended in the Garden, and then bound with cords of violence, and by rude hands dragged and hurried to be arraigned as a malefactor, falsely accused, spit upon and buffeted, examined with intents of blood, judged and condemned: say then now, in the word of the Holy Spirit of God,

PSALM II.

[ocr errors]

Ver. 1. "Why do the hea- | be fulfilled by the conspirathen so furiously rage toge- cies and practices of the ther and why do the peo- chiefs, both of the Jews and ple imagine a vain thing?" Romans against Christ', By the heathen is meant in- saying, fidels, and such as be without the pale of the Church: by the people, heretics and schismatics within.

2. "The kings of the earth stand up and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed:" This prophecy is remembered to

. Luke ii. 7, 8.

3. "Let us break their bonds asunder: and cast away their cords from us." By bonds are meant the laws of Christ; and by cords, those promises, threats, exhortations, exampleswhich draw our hearts to obey His laws.

4. "He that dwelleth in b Acts iv. 25, 26, 27.

heaven will laugh them to | scorn: the Lord will have them in derision." The neglect and contempt whereof, God is said to deride, as seeing it to be the highway to destruction.

5. "Then shall He speak unto them in His wrath and vex them in His sore displeasure." For when He shall call such proud contemners to account, it shall not be in mercy, but in wrath, to their eternal vexation and torment.

6. "Yet have I set My King upon My holy hill of Sion." It is not the utmost malice of men or devils can weaken the power or frustrate the government of Christ in His Church.

[ocr errors]

7. "I will preach the law whereof the Lord hath said unto Me," nor hinder the publication of His Gospel received from God ; Thou art My Son, this day have I begotten Thee." Founded in the eternal and temporal son-ship of Christ, Who was both begotten from all eternity as the Son of God, and born in fulness of time as the Son of Man.

8. "Desire of Me, and I shall give Thee the heathen for Thine inheritance: and the uttermost parts of the earth for Thy possession."

[ocr errors]

In respect of His Godhead, He is Lord of the whole earth: in respect of His manhood, He obtained, by intercession as Mediator betwixt God and man, that all people, both Jews and Gentiles, be called to the state of salvation through Him.

9. "Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel." Whom He governs by subduing and mortifying their rebel lusts, both sensual and worldly.

10. "Be wise now therefore, O ye kings: be learned, ye that are judges of the earth." Which is that true wisdom, which chiefly all that are in authority should learn, as by whose power and example others may be converted.

11. "Serve the Lord with fear and rejoice unto Him with reverence." Both fear and joy are necessary qualifications in religious duties, that we neither be affrighted with the difficulty, nor puft up with the consolation that attends His service.

12. "Kiss the Son lest He be angry, and so ye perish from the right way: (if His wrath be kindled, yea but a little :) blessed are all they that put their

« EdellinenJatka »