76. DEUTERONOMY vii. 9, 13, 19. Know, then, the Lord thy God is a faithful God which sheweth mercy to them that love him and keep his commandments: and he will love thee, and he will bless thee. The Lord is God, whose arm outstretched hath brought thee out. The Lord is with thee a mighty God and merciful. 77. PSALM cxix. 169–175. 1. Let my complaint come before thee, O Lord; give me understanding, according to thy word. Let my supplication come before thee, O Lord; deliver me, according to thy word. My lips shall speak of thy praise, when thou hast taught me thy statutes: yea, my tongue shall sing of thy word, for all thy commandments are righteous. 2. Let thine hand help me, for I have chosen thy commandments. 3. I have longed for thy saving health, O Lord; and in thy law is my delight. 4. O let my soul live, and it shall praise thee; and thy judgments shall help me. 78. PSALM xix. 14. Let the words of my mouth, and the meditation of my heart, be alway acceptable in thy sight, O Lord, my strength and my redeemer. 79. PSALM CXix. 41, 44, 45, 49, 50, 64. Let thy loving mercy come also unto me, O Lord, ev'n thy salvation, according to thy word. So shall I alway keep thy law, yea, for ever and ever; and I will walk at liberty, for I seek thy commandments. O think upon thy servant, as concerning thy word, wherein thou hast caused me to put my trust. The same is my comfort in my trouble, for thy word hath quickened me. The earth, O Lord, is full of thy mercy; O teach me thy statutes. 80. LUKE ii. 15, 10-11. pass, which the Lord For the angel said Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to hath made known unto us. unto us, Fear not; for, behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born, this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. 81. PSALM CXXI. 1-4. 1. Lift thine eyes, O lift thine eyes to the mountains, whence cometh help. Thy help cometh from the Lord, the maker of heaven and earth. He hath said, Thy foot shall not be moved. Thy keeper will never slumber. 2. He watching over Israel, slumbers not, nor sleeps. Shouldst thou, walking in grief, languish, he will quicken thee. 82. 83. PSALM Xxiii. 1, 2. Lo! my Shepherd's hand divine; When I faint with summer heat, Lord, bow down thine ear unto me, Shall my woe be everlasting? Weak and helpless, shall I sorrow? O Lord my God! 84. COLLECT. Lord, for thy tender mercies' sake, lay not our sins to our charge; but forgive that which is past, and give us grace to amend our sinful lives; to decline from sin and incline to virtue, that we may walk with a perfect heart before thee, now and evermore. PSALM iii. 1-3, 8. 85. Lord, how are they increased that trouble me; many are they that rise up against me. Many one there be that say of my soul, There is no help for him in his God. But thou, O God, art my defender : thou art my worship, and the lifter up of my head. Salvation belongeth unto the Lord; and thy blessing is among thy people. 86. PSALM XXXIX. 4-7, 12, 13. Lord, let me know mine end, and the number of my days, that I may be certified how long I have to live. Behold, thou hast made my days as it were a span long; and mine age is even as nothing in respect of thee. And, verily, every man living is altogether vanity. [For man walketh in a vain shadow, and disquieteth himself in vain.] He heapeth up riches, and cannot tell who shall gather them. And now, Lord, what is my hope? Truly, my hope is even in thee. Hear my prayer, O Lord, and with thine ears consider my calling: for I am a stranger with thee, and a sojourner, as all my fathers were. O spare me a little that I may recover my strength before I go hence and be no more seen. 87. 88. Lord, let the flames of holy charity, And all her gifts and graces, slide Into our hearts, and there abide. That, thus refined, we may soar above Even unto thee, dear Spirit, And there eternal peace and rest inherit. COLLECT. Lord of all power and might, who art the author and giver of all good things; graft in our hearts the love of thy name, increase in us true religion, nourish us with all goodness, and of thy great mercy keep us in the same, through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen. 89. PSALM XV. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle, or who shall rest upon thy holy hill? Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life, and doth the thing which is right, and speaketh the truth from his heart. He that hath used no deceit in his tongue, nor done evil to his neighbour, and hath not slandered his neighbour. He that setteth not by himself, but is lowly in his own eyes, and maketh much of them that fear the Lord. [He that sweareth unto his neighbour, and disappointeth him not, though it were to his own hindrance.] He that hath not given his money upon usury, nor taken reward against |