Fear not, little flock; for it is your Father's good pleasure to give you the kingdom *.

And when the Son of Man shall come in His glory, and all the holy angels with Him, then shall He sit upon the throne of His glory: And before Him shall be gathered all nations: and He shall separate them one from another, as a shepherd divideth his sheep from the goats: And He shall set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left. Then shall the King say unto them on His right hand, Come, ye blessed of My father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world'.

Devout aspirations after the heavenly state.

MAN that is born of a woman hath but a short time to live, and is full of misery: he cometh up, and is cut down like a flower: he fleeth as it were a shadow, and never continueth in one stay. In the midst of life we are in deathOf whom may we seek for succour, but of Thee, O Lord, Who for our sins art justly displeased. Yet, O Lord God most holy; O Lord most mighty; O holy and most merciful Saviour; deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal death.

* Luke xii. 32.

Matt. xxv. 31–34.

Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts; shut not up Thy merciful ears to our prayers but spare us, Lord most holy, O God most mighty; O holy and merciful Saviour; Thou most worthy Judge Eternal! suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from Thee.

I am the resurrection and the life, saith the Lord: he that believeth on Me, though he were dead, yet shall he live; and whosoever liveth and believeth on Me, shall never die.

I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth: and though after my skin, worms destroy this body; yet in my flesh shall I see God, Whom I shall see for myself, and mine eyes shall behold, and not another.

But, O my God, I know that no unclean thing can enter into Thy kingdom; and I am nothing but pollution. O wash me, and make me white in the blood of the Lamb; that when I go hence, I may be fit to stand before Thy

throne.

O blessed High Priest, Who art able to save all them to the uttermost, who come unto God by Thee! Save me, I beseech Thee, who have no hope but in Thy merits and intercessions.

O glorious Captain of our Salvation, Who didst first suffer many grievous things, and then

enter into Thy glory; sanctify to me all the pains of body, and all the terrors of mind, which Thou shalt at any time permit to fall upon me and make me so patiently to suffer with Thee here, that I may also be glorified with Thee hereafter.

O Lord of life and glory, Who didst humble Thyself, and become obedient unto death, even the death of the cross for me; let the pain and ignominy of that death of Thine take away the sting, and sweeten the bitterness of death to me.

When my flesh and my heart fail be Thou, O Lord, the strength of my heart, and my portion for ever.

O! let the comfortable presence of Thy holy Spirit support my soul under all my sufferings; and when I feel my last agonies coming upon me, and the sorrows of death compassing me about, consider, and hear me, O Lord, my God; draw nigh unto my soul, and make Thy face to shine upon Thy servant; that I may depart in peace, full assurance of my reconciliation with Thee, and in a sure and certain hope of a joyful resurrection to eternal life; through Jesus Christ our Lord, Who shall change our vile body, that it may be fashioned like unto His glorious body, according to the mighty working whereby He is able to subdue all things to Himself.

in a

While I am at home in the body, I am absent from the Lord, (for we walk by faith, and not by sight,) therefore I am confident, and willing rather to be absent from the body, and to be present with the Lord.

I desire to be dissolved, and to be with Christ, which is far better: Lord, I groan earnestly, desiring to be clothed upon with that house from heaven!

O when will that blessed time come, that I shall put off this mine earthly tabernacle, and be received into everlasting habitations !

O when wilt Thou bring my soul out of prison, that I may give thanks unto Thy name. Lord, while I am here, I must wrestle, not only with flesh and blood, but with principalities, and powers, and spiritual wickednesses. O take me out of these tents of Kedar into the heavenly Jerusalem, where Satan shall be utterly trodden under our feet.

I cannot here attend one minute to Thy service without distraction. O take me up to stand before Thy throne, where I shall serve Thee day and night.

I am here in heaviness through many tribulations. O receive me into that place of rest where all tears shall be wiped from mine eyes,

and there shall be no more death, nor sorrow, nor crying, nor pain.

I am here in a state of banishment, and absence from the Lord: O take me where I shall ever behold Thy face, and follow the Lamb whithersoever He goeth.

Guide me, O Lord, by Thy counsel while I live; and give Thine angels charge over me to stand about me, to guard and receive my soul at its departure out of this world; and to conduct me into the land of righteousness, unto Thy holy hill, and heavenly kingdom, the habitation of light and peace, of joy and gladness; there to reign with Thine elect angels, Thy blessed saints departed, Thy holy prophets, and glorious apostles in all joy, glory, felicity, and happiness, for ever and ever. Amen.

Lord, I commit my soul unto Thee, as into the hands of a faithful Creator, and most merciful Redeemer: spare it, O God, for Thy Son Jesus Christ's sake, and let it be Thine in the day when Thou makest up Thy jewels. Amen. Amen.

END OF THE SUNDAY OFFICE.