Second Evensong of the First Sunday after Trinity

A BLESSING OF THE LIGHT

[A candle may be lit. Other candles may then be lit.]

Let my prayer be as incense before thee,

the lifting up of my hands as the evening sacrifice.

Blessed art thou, O Lord our God, ruler of the universe!  Thy word bringest on the dusk of evening, thy wisdom createth both night and day.  Thou dost determine the cycles of time, arrange the succession of seasons, and establish the stars in their heavenly courses.  Lord of the starry hosts is thy name.  Living and eternal God, rulest over us always.  Blessed be the Lord, whose word makest evening fall. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Cathedral Singers sing Stephen P. Starke’s setting of the ancient lamp-lighting hymn Phos hilaron, “O Gracious Light, Pure Brightness of the Everliving Father.”

1. O gracious Light,
pure brightness of the
everliving Father in heaven.
O Jesus, Christ, holy and blessed!

2. Now as we come to the setting of the sun,
and our eyes behold the vesper light,
we sing thy praises, O God:
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.

3. Thou art worthy at all times
to be praised by happy voices,
O Son of God, O Giver of life,
and to be glorified through all the worlds.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

EVENING PRAYER

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Choir of Salisbury Cathedral sing Psalm 34, “I Will Always Give Thanks.”

PSALM 34

I WILL alway give thanks unto the Lord: his praise shall ever be in my mouth.

2 My soul shall make her boast in the Lord: the humble shall hear thereof, and be glad.

3 O praise the Lord with me: and let us magnify his Name together.

4 I sought the Lord, and he heard me: yea, he delivered me out of all my fear.

5 They had an eye unto him, and were lightened: and their faces were not ashamed.

6 Lo, the poor crieth, and the Lord heareth him: yea, and saveth him out of all his troubles.

7 The angel of the Lord tarrieth round about them that fear him: and delivereth them.

8 O taste, and see, how gracious the Lord is: blessed is the man that trusteth in him.

9 O fear the Lord, ye that are his saints: for they that fear him lack nothing.

10 The lions do lack, and suffer hunger: but they who seek the Lord shall want no manner of thing that is good.

11 Come, ye children, and hearken unto me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

12 What man is he that lusteth to live: and would fain see good days?

13 Keep thy tongue from evil : and thy lips, that they speak no guile.

14 Eschew evil, and do good: seek peace, and ensue it.

15 The eyes of the Lord are over the righteous: and his ears are open unto their prayers.

16 The countenance of the Lord is against them that do evil: to root out the remembrance of them from the earth.

17 The righteous cry, and the Lord heareth them: and delivereth them out of all their troubles.

18 The Lord is nigh unto them that are of a contrite heart: and will save such as be of an humble spirit.

19 Great are the troubles of the righteous : but the Lord delivereth him out of all.

20 He keepeth all his bones: so that not one of them is broken.

21 But misfortune shall slay the ungodly: and they that hate the righteous shall be desolate.

22 The Lord delivereth the souls of his servants: and all they that put their trust in him shall not be destitute.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;
As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

A Reading from the Gospel according to Luke

One of the Pharisees asked Jesus to eat with him, and he went into the Pharisee’s house and took his place at the table. And a woman in the city, who was a sinner, having learned that he was eating in the Pharisee’s house, brought an alabaster jar of ointment. She stood behind him at his feet, weeping, and began to bathe his feet with her tears and to dry them with her hair. Then she continued kissing his feet and anointing them with the ointment. Now when the Pharisee who had invited him saw it, he said to himself, “If this man were a prophet, he would have known who and what kind of woman this is who is touching him—that she is a sinner.” Jesus spoke up and said to him, “Simon, I have something to say to you.” “Teacher,” he replied, “speak.” “A certain creditor had two debtors; one owed five hundred denarii, and the other fifty. When they could not pay, he canceled the debts for both of them. Now which of them will love him more?” Simon answered, “I suppose the one for whom he canceled the greater debt.” And Jesus said to him, “You have judged rightly.” Then turning toward the woman, he said to Simon, “Do you see this woman? I entered your house; you gave me no water for my feet, but she has bathed my feet with her tears and dried them with her hair. You gave me no kiss, but from the time I came in she has not stopped kissing my feet. You did not anoint my head with oil, but she has anointed my feet with ointment. Therefore, I tell you, her sins, which were many, have been forgiven; hence she has shown great love. But the one to whom little is forgiven, loves little.” Then he said to her, “Your sins are forgiven.” But those who were at the table with him began to say among themselves, “Who is this who even forgives sins?” And he said to the woman, “Your faith has saved you; go in peace.”

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet;

A light upon my path.

Jesus, Friend of Sinners

Simon invited Jesus to eat with him. But he showed Jesus none of the common forms of hospitality that a host would show an invited guest in that day. He did not wash the dust of his guest’s feet. He did not greet Jesus with a kiss. He did not anoint Jesus’ head with olive oil. These were not minor faux pas, minor slips or blunders in etiquette. They may be construed as a studied insult of the guest. We do not know if that was Simon’s intention. We do not know who else Simon may have invited to eat with him. Simon may not have wanted to appear too friendly toward Jesus in front of his other guests.

Note that Jesus does not bring up Simon’s lack of hospitality until Simon began to question in his mind whether Jesus was a prophet since he permitted the woman to touch him. The Pharisees were obsessed with ritual purity. They would go to great lengths to maintain that purity. In permitting the woman to touch him in the eyes of the Pharisees Jesus was making himself unclean, ritually impure—something to their mind a prophet would never do. A prophet would be as scrupulous in observing the Jewish ritual purity laws and regulations as they were.  A prophet would not allow himself to be defiled in that way.

Jesus senses what some modern writers would describe as a “teachable moment.” He knows what is going through Simon’s mind. He uses a simple anecdote to teaching Simon and the other Pharisees about forgiveness. He points to their attention that what the woman is showing him is the love to which forgiveness gives rise. The woman may have been a sinner and her sins may have been great but because those sins have been forgiven, her love for the one who forgave them is great.

We do not know who the woman was or what her sins were. Over the centuries Christians have speculated about her identity and the nature of her sins. But none of that matters. What does matter is that Jesus forgave her.

There are a lot of lessons for us in this passage. But the most important lesson is that Jesus welcomes sinners. As his disciples we must welcome them too. After all, a disciple follows the teaching and example of the one whom he calls teacher. We cannot shun them like the Pharisees. 

Jesus also called sinners to repentance. Repentance involves turning away from whatever is coming between us and God and turning to Jesus. But Jesus welcomed sinners first. He did not do what the Pharisees did. They insisted that a sinner must first repent, adopt their ways, and then they might welcome him. No, Jesus welcomed the sinner, ate with them as he did Matthew and Zacchias, and then, when the time was ripe, he called them to repentance. 

We are expected to do the same. It will not be easy. There is more than a little Pharisee in each of us. We are more comfortable with people like ourselves. But if we are serious about following Jesus, we must pattern our lives on his teaching and his example.

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Choir of Salisbury Cathedral sing the hymn, “O Jesus I Have Promised.”

1 O Jesus, I have promised
to serve thee to the end;
be thou for ever near me,
my Master and my Friend;
I shall not fear the battle
if thou art by my side,
nor wander from the pathway
if thou wilt be my guide.

2 O let me hear thee speaking
In accents clear and still,
Above the storms of passion,
The murmurs of self-will;
O speak to reassure me,
To hasten or control;
O speak, and make me listen,
Thou guardian of my soul.

3 O Jesus, thou hast promised
to all who follow thee,
that where thou art in glory
there shall thy servant be;
and Jesus, I have promised
to serve thee to the end;
O give me grace to follow,
my Master and my Friend.

4 O let me see thy footmarks,
And in them plant mine own;
My hope to follow duly
Is in thy strength alone;
O guide me, call me, draw me,
Uphold me to the end;
And then in heaven receive me,
My Saviour and my Friend

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Choirof Hereford Cathedral sing the Magnificat in F, composed by George Dyson.

MAGNIFICAT

MY soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded:
the lowliness of his hand-maiden.

For behold, from henceforth:
all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me:
and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him:
throughout all generations.

He hath shewed strength with his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things:
and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel:
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son:
and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen.

[Prayers for ourselves and others may be said.]

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

OUR Father, which art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, in earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us; And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Almighty God, without thee we are not able to please thee. Mercifully grant that thy Holy Spirit may in all things direct and rule our hearts; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who livest and reigneth with thee and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Choir of King's College, Cambridge sing the hymn, “Abide With Me.”

1 Abide with me: fast falls the eventide;
the darkness deepens; Lord, with me abide:
when other helpers fail, and comforts flee,
help of the helpless, O abide with me.

2 Swift to its close ebbs out life's little day;
earth's joys grow dim, its glories pass away;
change and decay in all around I see;
O thou who changest not, abide with me.

3 I need thy presence ev'ry passing hour;
what but thy grace can foil the tempter's pow'r?
Who like thyself my guide and stay can be?
Through cloud and sunshine, O abide with me.

4 I fear no foe, with thee at hand to bless;
ills have no weight, and tears no bitterness.
Where is death's sting? Where, grave, thy victory?
I triumph still, if thou abide with me.

5 Hold thou thy cross before my closing eyes;
shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies:
heav'n's morning breaks, and earth's vain shadows flee:
in life, in death, O Lord, abide with me.

Lord God almighty, come and dispel the darkness from our hearts, that in the radiance of thy brightness we may know thee, the only unfading light, glorious in all eternity. Amen.

Let us bless the Lord:

Thanks be to God!

The God of hope fill us with all joy and peace in believing:

through the power of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

[A period of silence for prayer and reflection may be observed, after which the candle or candles may be extinguished.]

First Evensong of the First Sunday after Trinity

Let my prayer be set forth in thy sight as the incense;

and let the lifting up of my hands be an evening sacrifice. Psalm 141. 2

O Lord, open thou our lips.

And our mouth shall show forth thy praise.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning. Is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord.

The Lord’s Name be praised.

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Cambridge Singers, directed by John Rutter, sing the ancient lucenary hymn, Phos hilaron.

PHOS HILARON

1 Hail! gladd'ning Light, of his pure glory poured,
who is th' Immortal Father, heavenly, blest,
holiest of holies, Jesus Christ, our Lord!

2 Now we are come to the sun's hour of rest,
the lights of evening round us shine,
we hymn the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit divine.

3 Worthiest art thou at all times to be sung with undefiléd tongue,
Son of our God, giver of life alone;
therefore in all the world thy glories, Lord, they own. Amen

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Choir of Guildford Cathedral sing Psalm 33, Rejoice in the Lord , O Ye Righteous.

PSALM 33

REJOICE in the Lord, O ye righteous: for it becometh well the just to be thankful.

2 Praise the Lord with harp: sing praises unto him with the lute, and instrument of ten strings.

3 Sing unto the Lord a new song: sing praises lustily unto him with a good courage.

4 For the word of the Lord is true: and all his works are faithful.

5 He loveth righteousness and judgement: the earth is full of the goodness of the Lord.

6 By the word of the Lord were the heavens made: and all the hosts of them by the breath of his mouth.

7 He gathereth the waters of the sea together, as it were upon an heap: and layeth up the deep, as in a treasure-house.

8 Let all the earth fear the Lord: stand in awe of him, all ye that dwell in the world.

9 For he spake, and it was done: he commanded, and it stood fast.

10 The Lord bringeth the counsel of the heathen to nought: and maketh the devices of the people to be of none effect, and casteth out the counsels of princes.

11 The counsel of the Lord shall endure for ever: and the thoughts of his heart from generation to generation.

12 Blessed are the people, whose God is the Lord Jehovah: and blessed are the folk, that he hath chosen to him to be his inheritance.

13 The Lord looked down from heaven, and beheld all the children of men: from the habitation of his dwelling he considereth all them that dwell on the earth.

14 He fashioneth all the hearts of them: and understandeth all their works.

15 There is no king that can be saved by the multitude of an host: neither is any mighty man delivered by much strength

.

16 A horse is counted but a vain thing to save a man: neither shall he deliver any man by his great strength.

17 Behold, the eye of the Lord is upon them that fear him: and upon them that put their trust in his mercy;

18 To deliver their soul from death: and to feed them in the time of dearth.

19 Our soul hath patiently tarried for the Lord: for he is our help and our shield.

20 For our heart shall rejoice in him: because we have hoped in his holy Name.

21 Let thy merciful kindness, O Lord, be upon us: like as we do put our trust in thee.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son: and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be: world without end. Amen.

Open this link to hear the Choir of Wakefield Cathedral sing the Gloria in Excelsis from the Communion Service in F.

GLORIA IN EXCELSIS

GLORY be to God on high, and in earth peace, good will towards men. We praise thee, we bless thee, we worship thee, we glorify thee, we give thanks to thee for thy great glory, O Lord God, heavenly King, God the Father Almighty.

O Lord, the only-begotten Son, Jesu Christ; O Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father, that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, have mercy upon us. Thou that takest away the sins of the world, receive our prayer. Thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father, have mercy upon us.

For thou only art holy; thou only art the Lord; thou only, O Christ, with the Holy Ghost, art most high in the glory of God the Father. Amen.

Here beginneth the Twelfth Chapter of the Gospel according to Saint Luke

One day, as he was teaching the people in the temple and preaching the gospel, the chief priests and the scribes with the elders came up  and said to him, “Tell us by what authority you do these things, or who it is that gave you this authority.” He answered them, “I also will ask you a question; now tell me,  Was the baptism of John from heaven or from men?” And they discussed it with one another, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ he will say, ‘Why did you not believe him?’ But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us; for they are convinced that John was a prophet.” So they answered that they did not know whence it was. And Jesus said to them, “Neither will I tell you by what authority I do these things.”

Here endeth the Lesson.

I’m Going to Live as a Narnian

Since Jesus walked the earth, men have challenged his authority. Some men have gone as far as to deny his very existence. “Jesus is a myth,” they say. “There was no such person.” Their arguments are not credible because there is too much contemporary evidence for Jesus’ existence.

Others dismiss him as a deluded itinerant preacher who believed that he was God, whom the Jewish religious authorities arrested for blasphemy, and whom the Roman governor Pontius Pilate ordered crucified as a troublemaker. The Jewish population was prone to riot and Pilate did not want a black mark on his record. To these men Christians are as deluded as the one whom they now call Lord.

One response to this last assertion is the response of Puddlegum the Marsh Wiggle to the Lady of the Green Kirtle, the Queen of the Underland. If you have read C. S. Lewis’ The Silver Chair in his Narnia Chronicles, you may be familiar with this passage.

"One word, Ma'am," he said, coming back from the fire; limping, because of the pain. "One word. All you've been saying is quite right, I shouldn't wonder. I'm a chap who always liked to know the worst and then put the best face I can on it. So I won't deny any of what you said. But there's one thing more to be said, even so. Suppose we have only dreamed, or made up, all those things—trees and grass and sun and moon and stars and Aslan himself. Suppose we have. Then all I can say is that, in that case, the made-up things seem a good deal more important than the real ones. Suppose this black pit of a kingdom of yours is the only world. Well, it strikes me as a pretty poor one. And that's a funny thing, when you come to think of it. We're just babies making up a game, if you're right. But four babies playing a game can make a play-world which licks your real world hollow. That's why I'm going to stand by the play-world. I'm on Aslan's side even if there isn't any Aslan to lead it. I'm going to live as like a Narnian as I can even if there isn't any Narnia. So, thanking you kindly for our supper, if these two gentlemen and the young lady are ready, we're leaving your court at once and setting out in the dark to spend our lives looking for Overland. Not that our lives will be very long, I should think; but that's small loss if the world's as dull a place as you say."

Christians may be deluded but their delusion licks the real world of these men hollow.

I particularly like these words, “I’m on Aslan’s side even if there isn’t any Aslan to lead it. I’m going to live as a Narnian as I can even if there isn’t any Narnia.”

“I’m on Aslan’s side….” “I’m going to live as a Narnian….”

I’m on Christ’s side. I’m going to live as a follower of Christ.

Years ago I made that decision while praying the Daily Offices at my family’s summer home outside of New Concord, Kentucky. Since that time the Holy Spirit has witnessed to my spirit that Jesus was indeed real, that he was all that he claimed to be. The authority by which he did what he did was God’s authority. We can trust what he said.

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Southwell Minister Choir sing the Magnificat from the Westminster Service, composed by Herbert Howells.

MAGNIFICAT

MY soul doth magnify the Lord:
and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour.

For he hath regarded:
the lowliness of his hand-maiden.

For behold, from henceforth:
all generations shall call me blessed.

For he that is mighty hath magnified me:
and holy is his Name.

And his mercy is on them that fear him:
throughout all generations.

He hath shewed strength with his arm:
he hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts.

He hath put down the mighty from their seat:
and hath exalted the humble and meek.

He hath filled the hungry with good things:
and the rich he hath sent empty away.

He remembering his mercy hath holpen his servant Israel:
as he promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son:
and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be:
world without end. Amen.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: And in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, Who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, Born of the Virgin Mary, Suffered under Pontius Pilate, Was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, And sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; The holy Catholick Church; The Communion of Saints; The Forgiveness of sins; The Resurrection of the body, And the Life everlasting. Amen.

The Lord be with you.
And with thy spirit.
Let us pray

OUR Father, who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done, On earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from evil: For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us.

And grant us thy salvation.

O Lord, save the State.

And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee.

Endue thy ministers with righteousness.

And make thy chosen people joyful.

O Lord, save thy people.

And bless thine inheritance.

Give peace in our time, O Lord.

For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety.

O God, make clean our hearts within us.

And take not thy Holy Spirit from us.

O GOD, the strength of all those who put their trust in thee; Mercifully accept our prayers; and because, through the weakness of our mortal nature, we can do no good thing without thee, grant us the help of thy grace, that in keeping thy commandments we may please thee, both in will and deed; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

OGOD, from whom all holy desires, all good counsels, and all just works do proceed; Give unto thy servants that peace which the world cannot give; that our hearts may be set to obey thy commandments, and also that by thee, we, being defended from the fear of our enemies, may pass our time in rest and quietness; through the merits of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

LIGHTEN our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Open this link in a new tab to hear the Choir of  King’s College, Cambridge sing Ralph Vaughan William’s setting of the sixteenth century Anglican poet-priest George Herbert’s “Let All the World in Every Corner Sing.”

1 Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.
The heavens are not too high,
his praise may thither fly:
the earth is not too low,
his praises there may grow.
Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.

2 Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.
The church with psalms must shout,
no door can keep them out;
but, above all, the heart
must bear the longest part.
Let all the world in every corner sing,
my God and King.

ALMIGHTY God, whose kingdom is everlasting and power infinite; Have mercy upon this whole land; and so rule the hearts of thy servants, the President of the United States, the Governor of this State, and all others in authority, that they, knowing whose ministers they are, may above all things seek thy honour and glory; and that we and all the People, duly considering whose authority they bear, may faithfully and obediently honour them, according to thy blessed Word and ordinance; through Jesus Christ our Lord, who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth ever, one God, world without end. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, from whom cometh every good and perfect gift; Send down upon our Bishops, and other Clergy, and upon the Congregations committed to their charge, the healthful Spirit of thy grace; and, that they may truly please thee, pour upon them the continual dew of thy blessing. Grant this, O Lord, for the honour of our Advocate and Mediator, Jesus Christ. Amen.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, who by thy Holy Spirit didst preside in the Council of the blessed Apostles, and hast promised, through thy Son Jesus Christ, to be with thy Church to the end of the world; We beseech thee to be with the Council of thy Church about to assemble in thy Name and Presence. Save them from all error, ignorance, pride, and prejudice; and of thy great mercy vouchsafe, we beseech thee, so to direct, sanctify, and govern them in their work, by the mighty power of the Holy Ghost, that the comfortable Gospel of Christ may be truly preached, truly received, and truly followed, in all places, to the breaking down the kingdom of sin, Satan, and death; till at length the whole of thy dispersed sheep, being gathered into one fold, shall become partakers of everlasting life; through the merits and death of Jesus Christ our Saviour. Amen.

O GOD, who hast made of one blood all nations of men for to dwell on the face of the whole earth, and didst send thy blessed Son to preach peace to them that are far off and to them that are nigh; Grant that all men everywhere may seek after thee and find thee. Bring the nations into thy fold, pour out thy Spirit upon all flesh, and hasten thy kingdom; through the same thy Son Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

ALMIGHTY God, who hast given us grace at this time with one accord to make our common supplications unto thee; and dost promise that when two or three are gathered together in thy Name thou wilt grant their requests; Fulfil now, O Lord, the desires and petitions of thy servants, as may be most expedient for them; granting us in this world knowledge of thy truth, and in the world to come life everlasting. Amen.

Open this link to hear the Cambridge Singers, directed by John Rutter, sing Bishop Thomas Ken’s evening hymn, “Glory to Thee, My God, This Night.”

1 Glory to thee, my God, this night
for all the blessings of the light;
keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
beneath thy own almighty wings.

2 Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,
the ill that I this day have done,
that with the world, myself and thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.

3 Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed;
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the aweful day.

4 O may my soul on thee repose,
And with sweet sleep my eyelids close,
Sleep that may me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake.

5 Praise God from whom all blessings flow,
praise him all creatures here below,
praise him above, ye heavenly host,
praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.

THE Lord bless us and keep us. The Lord make his face to shine upon us, and be gracious unto us. The Lord lift up his countenance upon us, and give us peace, this night and evermore. Amen.