In the day of thy power shall the people offer thee free-will offerings with an holy worship : the dew of thy birth is of the womb of the morning,

The Lord sware, and will not repent, Thou art a priest for ever, after the order of Melchizedec.

ASH-WEDNESDAY.

FROM PSALMS 32, 38, 130. BLESSED is he whose unrighteousness is forgiven, and whose sin is covered.

Blessed is the man unto whom the LORD imputeth no sin, and in whose spirit there is no guile.

Put me not to rebuke, O LORD, in thine anger; neither chasten me in thy heavy displeasure :

For thine arrows stick fast in me, and thine hand presseth

me sore.

My wickednesses are gone over my head, and are like a sore burden, too heavy for me to bear.

I will confess my wickedness, and be sorry for my sin. Haste thee to help me, 0 LORD GOD of my salvation.

Out of the deep have I called unto thee, O LORD; LORD, hear my voice.

Let thine ears be attentive to the voice of my supplications. If thou, LORD, shouldest be extreme to mark what is done amiss, O LORD, who shall stand?

But there is forgiveness with thee, that thou mayest be feared.

GOOD-FRIDAY.

FROM PSALMS 22, 69, 40.

MY GOD, my God, look upon me: why hast thou forsaken me? and art so far from my health, and from the words of my complaint ?

But thou art holy, O thou that inhabitest the praises of Israel.

I am a worm, and no man; a reproach of men, and despised of the people.

All they that see me laugh me to scorn; they shoot out the lip, they shake the head, saying,

He trusted in God, that he would deliver him; let him deliver him, if he will have him.

The counsel of the wicked layeth siege against me; they pierced my hands and my feet. They part my garments among them, and cast lots upon my vesture.

But be not thou far from me, O LORD: O my strength, haste thee to help me.

Thy rebuke hath broken my heart; I am full of heaviness : I looked for some to have pity on me, but there was no man; neither found I any to comfort

me.

They gave me gall to eat; and when I was thirsty, they gave me vinegar to drink.

Sacrifice and meat-offering thou wouldest not; but mine ears hast thou opened.

Burnt-offerings and sacrifice for sin hast thou not required : Then said I, Lo, I come;

In the volume of the book it is written of me, that I should fulfil thy will, O GOD: I am content to do it; yea, thy law is within my heart.

THE FIRST DAY.

MORNING PRAYER,

PSALM 1. Beatus vir, qui non abiit. BLESSED is the man that hath not walked in the counsel of the ungodly, nor stood in the way of sinners, and hath not sat in the seat of the scornful:

2 But his delight is in the law of the LORD, and in his law will he exercise himself day and night.

3 And he shall be like a tree planted by the water-side, that will bring forth his fruit in due

season:

4 His leaf also shall not wither; and look, whatsoever he doeth, it shall prosper.

5 As for the ungodly, it is not so with them; but they are like the chaff, which the wind scattereth away from the face of the earth.

6 Therefore the ungodly shall not be able to stand in the judgment; neither the sinners in the congregation of the righteous.

7 But the LORD knoweth the way of the righteous; and the way of the ungodly shall perish. PSALM 2. Quare fremuerunt gentes?

WHY do the heathen so furiously rage together? and why do the people imagine a vain thing?

stand up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against his Anointed:

3 Let us break their bonds asunder, and cast away their cords from us.

4 He that dwelleth in heaven shall laugh them to scorn: the LORD shall have them in derision.

5 Then shall he speak unto them in his wrath, and vex them in his sore displeasure. 6 Yet have I set my King upon my holy hill of Sion.

7 I will preach the law, whereof the Lord hath said unto me, Thou art my Son, this day have I begotten thee.

8 Desire of me, and I shall give thee the heathen for thine inheritance, and the utmost parts of the earth for thy pos session.

9 Thou shalt bruise them with a rod of iron, and break them in pieces like a potter's vessel.

10 Be wise now, therefore, O ye kings; be learned, ye that are judges of the earth.

11 Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice unto him with

reverence.

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 trust

(228)

LORD, how are they increased that trouble me? many are they that rise against me.

2 Many one there be that say of my soul, There is no help for him in his GOD,

3 But thou, O Lord, art my defender; thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head.

4 I did call upon the Lord with my voice, and he heard me out of his holy hill,

5 I laid me down and slept, and rose up again; for the

LORD sustained me.

6 I will not be afraid for ten thousands of the people, that have set themselves against me round about.

7 Up, LORD, and help me, O my God; for thou smitest all mine enemies upon the cheek bone: thou hast broken the teeth of the ungodly.

8 Salvation belongeth unto the LORD; and thy blessing is upon thy people.

PSALM 4. Cum invocarem,

HEAR me, when I call, O GOD of my righteousness: thou hast set me at liberty, when I was in trouble; have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my

still.

5 Offer the sacrifice of righteousness, and put your trust in the LORD.

6 There be many that say, Who will show us any good? 7 LORD, lift thou up the light of thy countenance upon us.

8 Thou hast put gladness in my heart, since the time that their corn, and wine, and oil increased.

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

PSALM 5. Verba mea auribus.

PONDER my words, O LORD, consider my meditation.

2 O hearken thou unto the

voice of my calling, my King, and my GoD: for unto thee will I make my prayer.

3 My voice shalt thou hear betimes, O Lord; early in the morning will I direct my prayer unto thee, and will look up.

4 For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickedness; neither shall any evil dwell with thee,

5 Such as be foolish, shall not stand in thy sight; for thou hatest all them that work vanity.

6 Thou shalt destroy them that speak lies: the LORD will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitful man.

7 But as for me, I will come into thine house, even upon the multitude of thy mercy, and in thy fear will I worship toward thy holy temple.

8 Lead me, O LORD, in thy righteousness, because of mine 9 For there is no faithfulness in his mouth; their inward parts are very wickedness.

10 Their throat is an open sepulchre; they flatter with their tongue.

11 Destroy thou them, O GOD; let them perish through their own imaginations; cast them out in the multitude of their ungodliness; for they have rebelled against thee.

12 And let all them that put their trust in thee rejoice: they shall ever be giving of thanks, because thou defendest them; they that love thy name shall be joyful in thee :

13 For thou, LORD, wilt give thy blessing unto the righteous, and with thy favourable kindness wilt thou defend him, as with a shield.

EVENING PRAYER.

PSALM 6. Domine, ne in furore,

O LORD, rebuke me not in thine indignation, neither chasten me in thy displeasure. 2 Have mercy upon me, O LORD, for I am weak: O Lord, heal me, for my bones are vexed.

3 My soul also is sore troubled: but, LORD, how long wilt thou punish me?

4 Turn thee, O Lord, and deliver my soul; O save me, for thy mercies' sake:

8 Away from me all ye that work vanity; for the LORD hath heard the voice of my weeping.

9 The LORD hath heard my petition; the LORD will receive my prayer.

10 All mine enemies shall be confounded, and sore vexed; they shall be turned back, and put to shame suddenly.

PSALM 7. Domine, Deus meus.

O LORD, my God, in thee have I put my trust: save me from all them that persecute me, and deliver me;

2 Lest he devour my soul like a lion, and tear it in pieces, while there is none to help.

3 O LORD my God, if I have done any such thing; or if there be any wickedness in my hands;

4 If I have rewarded evil unto him that dealt friendly with me; yea, I have delivered him that without any cause is mine enemy;

5 Then let mine enemy persecute my soul, and take me yea, let him tread my life down upon the earth, and lay mine honour in the dust.

6 Stand up, O LORD, in thy wrath, and lift up thyself, because of the indignation of mine enemies; arise up for me in the judgment that thou hast commanded:

7 And so shall the congregation of the people come about thee: for their sakes therefore lift up thyself again.

8 The LORD shall judge the people: give sentence with me,