with hewn stone, he hath made my paths crooked. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return unto the LORD thy GOD. Ry. My elect vine, I planted thee: * how art thou turned into bitterness, that thou shouldest crucify Me, and let Barabbas go? V. I hedged thee in, and gathered the stones out of thee, and built a tower in thee. How. My elect. SECOND NOCTURN. Ant. They that sought after My life laid snares for Me. Ps. xxxviii., Domine, ne in furore, p. 23. Ant. Let them be ashamed and con founded, that seek after My Soul to destroy it. Ps. xl., Expectans expectavi, p. 25. Ant. Strangers are risen up against Me, and tyrants seek after My Soul. Ps. liv. Deus, in nomine. SAVE me, O GOD, for thy Name's sake and avenge me in thy strength. 2 Hear my prayer, O GOD and hearken unto the words of my mouth. 3 For strangers are risen up against me and tyrants, which have not GoD before their eyes, seek after my soul. 4 Behold, GoD is my helper: the LORD is with them that uphold my soul. 5 He shall reward evil unto mine enemies destroy thou them in thy truth. 6 An offering of a free heart will I give thee, and praise thy Name, O LORD because it is so comfortable. 7 For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies. . There are false witnesses risen up against me. Ry. And such as speak wrong. From the Treatise of S. Augustine, On Psalm lxiv. v. 2. THOU hast hidden me, O GOD, from the gathering together of the froward, and from the insurrection of wicked doers. Now let us contemplate our Head Himself. Many martyrs have suffered such things, but none shines with such glory as the Head of the Martyrs: in Him we best perceive what they endured. He was hidden from the insurrection of the froward; for GOD hid Himself, He, the Very SON made Man, hid His Own Flesh: for He is Son of man and Son of GOD; SON of GOD, being in the form of GoD: Son of Man, being in the form of a servant, having power to lay down His life, and having power to take it again. What could His enemies do to Him? They killed the body, the soul Give heed. It were they killed not. little for the LORD to exhort the martyrs by word, did He not confirm them by His example. Ry. Are ye come out as against a thief, with swords and with staves for to take Me? * I was daily with you teaching in the temple, and ye laid no hold upon Me: and behold, ye have Scourged Me, and led Me away to crucify Me. . And when they had laid hands on JESUs, and had taken Him, He said unto them. I was. Lesson V. E know what was the gathering together of the froward Jews, and what was the insurrection of the wicked doers. How were they wicked doers? In that they desired to kill the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Many good works, saith He, have I showed you for which of these works do ye desire to kill Me? He bore all their infirmities, He healed all their sick, He preached the kingdom of heaven; He kept not silence concerning their vices, and this, that they might be displeased with the vices themselves, them. Yet such was their ingratitude not with the physician who healed for all these cures, that, like men raging in high fever, they were maddened against the physician who had come to heal them, and took counsel for His destruction. As though they would put it to the proof whether He were very man and mortal, or whether He were something superhuman, who would not suffer Himself to die. We recognise their words in the Wisdom of Solomon: Let us condemn Him, they say, with a shameful death. Let us examine Him: for by His own saying He shall be respected. If He be the Son of GoD, He will help Him. Ry. And there was darkness, when the Jews had crucified JESUS and about the ninth hour JESUS cried with a loud voice, My God, My God, why hast Thou forsaken Me? * And He bowed His Head, and gave up the ghost. V. And JESUS cried with a loud voice, FATHER, into Thy Hands I commend my Spirit. And He bowed. Lesson VI. to do it? By no means. He pronounced sentence on Him and commanded Him to be crucified, and so might be said to kill him: but ye, O Jews, have killed Him. How did ye kill him? With the sword of the tongue; for ye have whet your tongues. And when did ye strike the blow, but when ye cried out, Crucify Him, Crucify Him? Ry. I have delivered the soul of My Beloved into the hands of the wicked: Mine heritage is unto Me as a lion in the wood: the adversary hath roared against Me, saying, Gather ye together, and make haste to devour Him: they have laid Me in a wilderness, and all the earth mourneth for My sake. For there is none found to acknowledge Me, and to do Me good. . Men without pity have risen up against Me, and have not spared My soul. For there. I have. THIRD NOCTURN. Ant. Defend Me, O LORD, from them that rise up against Me, for they lie waiting for My soul. Ps. lix., Eripe me. p. 34. Ant. Thou hast put away Mine acquaintance far from Me: I am so fast in prison that I cannot get forth. Ps. lxxxviii., Domine Deus, THEY have whet their tongues like a sword. Let not the Jews say, We did not kill CHRIST. For they delivered Him up to Pilate's tribunal in order that they should themselves seem innocent of His death. For when Pilate had said to them: Take ye Him and judge Him, they answered, It is not lawful for us to put any man to death. Thus they sought to cast the guilt of their crimes on a human judge; did they deceive GOD the Judge? What p. 51. Pilate did, made him in some sort Ant. They gather themselves topartaker of their crime; but in com-gether against the soul of the parison with them he was much more Righteous; and condemn the innoinnocent. For he did what he could, cent Blood. Ps. xciv., Deus ultionum, to rescue Him out of their hands, and p. 53. therefore ordered Him to be scourged and brought before them. Not as persecuting, scourged he the LORD, but as desiring to satisfy their rage; that when they saw Him scourged, they might relent, and cease to desire His death. This then he did. But when they persisted, ye know how he washed his hands, and said that it was not he who did the deed, and that he was innocent of His death. Never-ET us labour therefore to enter theless he did do it. But if he be guilty who did it, though reluctantly, shall they be innocent, who forced him y. They have spoken against Me with false tongues. with words of hatred, and fought Ry. They compassed Me about also against Me without a cause. Of the Epistle of S. Paul the Apostle to the Hebrews. Lesson VII. Chaps. iv. and v. into that rest, lest any man fall after the same example of unbelief. For the word of God is quick, and powerful, and sharper than any two- | of God, as was Aaron. So also CHRIST edged sword, piercing even to the glorified not himself to be made an dividing asunder of soul and spirit, high priest; but he that said unto and of the joints and marrow, and is him, Thou art my Son, to day have I a discerner of the thoughts and intents begotten Thee. As he saith also in of the heart. Neither is there any another place, Thou art a priest for creature that is not manifest in his ever after the order of Melchisedec. sight but all things are naked and Who in the days of his flesh, when he opened unto the eyes of him with whom had offered up prayers and supplicawe have to do. Seeing then that we tions with strong crying and tears unto have a great High Priest, that is passed him that was able to save him from into the heavens, JESUS the SON of death, and was heard in that he feared; GOD, let us hold fast our profession. though he were a Son, yet learned he For we have not an high priest which obedience by the things which he cannot be touched with the feeling of suffered; and being made perfect, he our infirmities; but was in all points became the author of eternal salvation tempted like as we are, yet without sin. unto all them that obey him; called Ry. They delivered Me up into the of GoD an high priest after the order hands of the wicked, and cast Me out of Melchisedec. among the transgressors, and spared not My soul. The mighty men gathered together against Me:.* and like giants they stood against Me. V. Strangers have risen against Me, and mighty men sought after My soul. And like giants. Lesson VIII. LET us therefore come boldly unto the throne of grace, that we may obtain mercy, and find grace to help in time of need. For every high priest taken from among men is ordained for men in things pertaining to GOD, that he may offer both gifts and sacrifices for sins: who can have compassion on the ignorant, and on them that are out of the way; for that he himself also is compassed with infirmity. And by reason hereof he ought, as for the people, so also for himself, to offer for sins. Ry. The traitor delivered JESUS to the chief priests and elders of the people. *And Peter followed afar off, that he might see the end. V. And they brought Him to Caiaphas, the Chief Priest, where the Scribes and Pharisees were gathered together. And Peter. Ry. Mine eyes are darkened with weeping: for My comforters are far from Me. Behold, all people, * if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow. V. O all ye that pass by, behold and see. If there. Mine eyes. EASTER EVE. FIRST NOCTURN. Ant. I will lay Me down in peace, and take my rest. Ps. iv. Cum invocarem, p. 80. Ant. He shall dwell in Thy tabernacle, He shall rest upon Thy holy hill. Ps. xv., Domine, quis habitabit, p. 10. Ant. My flesh shall rest in hope. Ps. xvi., Conserva me, p. 10. . I will lay me down in peace. Ry. And take my rest. Of the Lamentations of Jeremiah the Lesson I. Chap. iii. I is of the LORD's mercies that we are not consumed, because his compassions fail not. They are new every morning: great is thy faithfulness. The LORD is my portion, saith my soul: therefore will I hope in him. The LORD is good unto them that wait for him, to the soul that seeketh him. It is good that a man should both hope and quietly wait for the | in thee hath been slain the Saviour of salvation of the LORD. It is good for Israel. V. Let thy tears run down a man that he bear the yoke in his like a river day and night, let not the youth. He sitteth alone and keepeth apple of thine eye cease. Because. silence, because he hath borne it upon him. He putteth his mouth in the dust: if so be there may be hope. He giveth his cheek to him that smiteth him: he is filled full with reproach. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return unto the LORD thy GOD. Ry. He was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, and when He was evil entreated, He opened not His mouth. He was given over to death,* that He might quicken His people. . He poured out His Soul unto death, and He was numbered with the transgressors. That. Lesson II. RE Lesson III. EMEMBER, O LORD, what is come upon us: consider, and behold Our inheritance is our reproach. turned to strangers, our houses to aliens. We are orphans and fatherless, our mothers are as widows. We have drunken our water for money; our wood is sold unto us. Our necks are under persecution: we labour, and have no rest. We have given the hand to the Egyptians, and to the Assyrians, to be satisfied with bread. Our fathers have sinned, and are not; and we have borne their iniquities. Servants have ruled over us there is none that doth deliver us out of their hand. We gat our bread with the HOW is the gold become dim! how peril of our lives because of the is the most fine gold changed! the stones of the sanctuary are poured out in the top of every street. The precious sons of Zion, comparable to fine gold, how are they esteemed as earthen pitchers, the work of the hands of the potter! Even the sea monsters draw out the breast, they give suck to their young ones: the daughter of my people is become cruel, like the ostriches in the wilderness. The tongue of the sucking child cleaveth to the roof of his mouth for thirst the young children ask bread, and no man breaketh it unto them. They that did feed delicately are desolate in the streets: they that were brought up in scarlet embrace dunghills. For the punishment of the iniquity of the daughter of my people is greater than the punishment of the sin of Sodom, that was overthrown as in a moment, and no hands stayed on her. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return unto the LORD thy GOD. Ry. Arise, O Jerusalem, and put off the garments of gladness: cover thyself with sackcloth and ashes, * because sword of the wilderness. Our skin was black like an oven because of the terrible famine. They ravished the women in Zion, and the maids in the cities of Judah. Jerusalem, Jerusalem, return unto the LORD thy GOD. Ry. Lament like a virgin, O my cloth and ashes: * because the day of people, howl ye shepherds, in sackthe LORD cometh, great and very terrible. priests; and lament, ye ministers of y. Gird yourselves, ye the altar, sprinkle yourselves with ashes. Because. Lament. O LORD. Ry. Raise Thou Me up | are named deceivers :) That Deceiver, On Psalm lxiv. v. 6. A MAN shall come to a deep heart, and GoD shall be exalted. They said, Who will see us? The searchers out of searchings, that is, of evil counsels, have failed. A Man came to these very counsels, and suffered Himself to be seized upon, as a Man. For He could not have been seized upon if He had not been Man; nor been seen if He had not been Man; nor been scourged if He had not been Man; nor been crucified, nor died, if He had not been Man. Wherefore He came, a Man, to endure all those sufferings which could have had no effect upon Him had He not been Man. And if He had not been Man, man could not have been delivered. He came, a Man to a deep heart, that is, to a secret heart, exposing His Manhood to human view, but keeping His Divinity hidden within concealing the Form of GOD, wherein He is equal to the FATHER, and exhibiting the form of a servant, wherein He is inferior to the FATHER. say they to Pilate, said whilst He was yet alive, After three days I will rise again. Command therefore that the sepulchre be made sure until the third day, lest His disciples come by night, and steal Him away, and say unto the people, He is risen from the dead: so the last error shall be worse than the first. Pilate said unto them, Ye have a watch: go your way, make it as sure as ye can. So they went, and made the sepulchre sure, sealing the stone, and setting a watch. Ry. O all ye that go by, behold and see, * if there be any sorrow like unto My sorrow. . Behold, all ye people, and see My sorrow. Lesson VI. If. THEY set a watch of soldiers over the sepulchre. The earth quaked: the LORD rose again. Such miracles were wrought around the sepulchre, that the very soldiers who kept watch, might have borne witness, if they would have spoken truly. But that covetousness which possessed the disciple and companion of CHRIST, possessed also the soldiers, who guarded His tomb. We will give you money, said they: and say ye, that His disciples came and stole Him away while ye slept. Verily they failed in searching out their searchings. What is this thou saidst, wretched cunning? Dost thou so far forsake the light of prudence and piety, and plunge thyself so deep in guile, as to speak thus: Say ye that His disciples came and stole Him away while ye slept? Thou producest sleeping witnesses: surely thou wast thyself asleep, who hast thus failed in searching out such things. R. Behold how the Righteous perisheth, and no man layeth it to heart: and merciful men are taken away, none considereth that the Righteous is taken away from the evil. And He shall enter into peace. V. As a sheep before her shearers is dumb, so He opened not His mouth; * n |