Glory be to thee, O Lord. APPROPRIATE PSALMS. PRAYER FOR HOLY WEEK. GOD, who hast brought us to this holy time, wherein we renew the memory of our Redeemer's passion; hear us, we beseech thee, and enable us to distinguish it from all other times, in the spirit of holiness and piety, of recollection and penitence, of love and adoration, and gratitude. And since all our hopes are from the passion of Christ, since by his blood we are purchased, and alone obtain pardon of sin, give us thy grace, that our abomination of sin may be the greater, and that we may learn to crucify it in ourselves. Strengthen us in this, O God, for our nature is both weak and unwilling, and thy grace alone can work it in us. Grant that his wonderful sufferings may shew us the grievousness of sin, and the punishment due to them, while they give us comfort in shewing to us the ground of our hope; that so, putting our whole trust in him, who is the sacrifice and ransom for our sin, we may enter into the fellowship of his sufferings, and dying unto the world, may live evermore with him, our Redeemer and Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. The Invocations for Maunday Thursday, and other days of this week, may be taken from the daily events and discourses, as "O Thou the Good Shepherd," &c. MAUNDAY THURSDAY. It would be well to let some part of the devotions of this day be directed to the subject of Christian UNITY and love, in remembrance of the example and precepts and prayer of our Lord. (See the foot of the last page.) From time to time the following sentences and prayers might be incorporated into the Service of Thursday morning. I AM the Good Shepherd: the good shepherd giveth his life for the sheep. S. John x. The bread that I will give is my flesh, which I will give for the life of the world. Ib. vi. A new commandment I give unto you, that ye love one another.-By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples. Ib. I have given you an example that ye should do as I have done to you. Ib. xiii. Neither pray I for these alone, but for them also which shall believe on me through their word. That they all may be one, even as we are one. Ib. xvii. APPROPRIATE PSALMS. 80, 46, 48, 102, 122, 132, 133. The following Collects and Prayers are also appropriate. The Collects for, Quinquagesima, p. 127; SS. Simon and Jude, 144; All Saints' Day, Ib. The first parts of the Prayer for "all conditions of men," p. 70, and for "the Church militant," p. 86. THE PRAYERS. "O God the Father," (Accession Service,) p. 14. "O Holy Jesus," (Jer. Taylor,) p. 22. GOOD FRIDAY. BEHOLD, and see if there be any sorrow like unto my sorrow. Lam. i. He is brought as a lamb to the slaughter. Is. liii. They shall look on him whom they pierced. S. John xix. It is so impossible to make a short selection for the devotions of this day at all adequate to its awful solemnity, or to the necessities and aspirations of earnest-minded Christians, that the best service will be to refer to some of those devotional works in which the Passion of Christ is much dwelt upon. From these, using proper caution, some help may be gained for family and private observance of the day. S. Ambrose and S. Gregory's Prayers on the Passion of our Lord. (Sherlock's Practical Christian.) Bishop Andrewes' Prayer upon the Life and Death of our Saviour Jesus Christ. (Andrewes' Devotions. It is also reprinted in R. Brett's Devotions for the sick Room.) Pleading of the merits of Christ's Passion. (Instructions for Afflicted Christians. R. B.) S. Bernard and others. (Devotions on the Passion,) in which are many Psalms, Scriptures, and Litanies for this Season. The Life and Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ. (Part vi. of the Paradise of the Soul.) (Jer. Taylor's Life of Christ.) Prayers for conformity to the Image and Cross of Christ. (See pp. 103 and 252.) See also the Prayer for Holy Week, p. 171. For those who have not access to the above works it may be a help to suggest that with the Gospel in their hands, they may at least form a Litany in which each step of our Master's sufferings and His words upon the Cross may be made the plea for the common prayer, O Thou who, &c. By Thy Cross, &c. Lord have mercy upon us. and save us. HOLY SATURDAY. THOU shalt not leave my soul in hell, neither shalt thou suffer thine Holy One to see corrupPL. xvi. T you to the stronghold, ye prisoners of hope. Zach. ix. THE INVOCATION. O then who by the Cross didst descend into Glory be to thee, O Lord. APPROPRIATE PSALM.—16. MOST Merciful and Blessed Lord God, enable us, thy humble servants, on this Holy Day to enter in thought and affection into the awful sanctuary of the grave of thy dear Son. That as we have followed him in heart and mind, step by step through his passion and most precious death, so we being buried with him may live a life dead unto the world and all its vanities. Strengthen our faith, confirm our hopes, and fill us with heavenly charity, that when our bodies shall lie down in their bed of darkness, our souls may pass into the regions of light; for his sake, who descended into hell, and vanquished death and the spirits of darkness, and hath taken away the sting of death, even Jesus Christ our Lord and only Saviour. Amen. Easter-tide. CHRIST our passover is sacrificed for us : therefore let us keep the feast; Not with the old leaven, nor with the leaven of malice and wickedness: but with the unleavened bread of sincerity and truth. 1 Cor. v. CHRIST being raised from the dead, dieth no more death hath no more dominion over him. For in that he died, he died unto sin once: but in that he liveth, he liveth unto God. Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin but alive unto God, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Rom. vi. CHRIST is risen from the dead and become the first-fruits of them that slept. For since by man came death by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die : even so in Christ shall all be made alive. 1 Cor. xv. Glory be, &c. As it was, &c. APPROPRIATE PSALMS. 2, 57, 111, 113, 114, 118. PRAYER FOR EASTER. MOST Blessed Redeemer, we come to meet thee with joy this day; thou who wentest through so many sorrows in thy sacred passion, and gavest up thy life upon the cross, who art risen to a life of glory, who hast burst the bands of death, who art victorious over death and hell, who hast re |