Response 6. Blessed Laurence cried out and said, My God I worship, tortures. My night hath no darkness, but all things grow clear in the light. And therefore I fear not your tortures. Glory be to the Father, &c. And therefore I fear not your tortures. (k) Antiphon. Psalm 15 (7) (k) Antiphon. NOCTURN III. They bound down his limbs upon the bars; but while they laid underneath live coals, the Deacon of Christ laughs them to scorn. Lord, who shall dwell in thy tabernacle: or who shall rest upon thy holy hill? Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life: and doeth 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 the innocent. Whoso doeth these things shall never fall. Glory be, &c. They bound his limbs upon the bars; but while they laid underneath live coals, the Deacon of Christ laughs them to Scoin. (1) Antiphon. Psalm 17. (8) Thou hast tried me with fire, and hast found no wickedness in me. Hear the right, O Lord, consider my complaint: and hearken unto my prayer, that goeth not out of feigned lips. Let my sentence come forth from thy presence: and let thine eyes look upon the thing that is equal. Thou hast proved and visited mine heart in the nightseason; thou hast tried me, and shalt find no wickedness in me: for I am utterly purposed that my mouth shall not offend. Because of men's works, that are done against the words of thy lips: I have kept me from the ways of the destroyer. (1) Antiphon. O hold thou up my goings in thy paths: that my footsteps slip not. I have called upon thee, O God, for thou shalt hear me : incline thine ear to me, and hearken unto my words. Shew thy marvellous loving-kindness, thou that art the Saviour of them which put their trust in thee: from such as resist thy right hand. Keep me as the apple of an eye: hide me under the shadow of thy wings. From the ungodly that trouble me: mine enemies compass me round about to take away my soul. They are inclosed in their own fat; and their mouth speaketh proud things. They lie waiting in our way on every side: turning their eyes down to the ground; Like as a lion that is greedy of his prey and as it were a lion's whelp lurking in secret places. Up, Lord, disappoint him, and cast him down; deliver my soul from the ungodly, which is a sword of thine; From the men of thy hand, O Lord, from the men, I say, and from the evil world: which have their portion in this life, whose bellies thou fillest with thy hid trea sure. They have children at their desire and leave the rest of their substance for their babes. But as for me, I will behold thy presence in righteousness; and when I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it. Glory be, &c. Thou hast tried me with fire, and hast found no wickedness in me. (m) Antiphon. Psalm 21. (9) When I was questioned, I confessed the Lord: when I am burned, I give thanks. The King shall rejoice in thy strength, O Lord: exceeding glad shall he be of thy salvation. Thou hast given him his heart's desire and hast not denied him the request of his lips. For thou shalt prevent him with the blessings of goodness: and shalt set a crown of pure gold upon his head. He asked life of thee, and thou gavest him a long life: even for ever and ever. His honour is great in thy salvation: glory and great worship shalt thou lay upon him. For thou shalt give him everlasting felicity: and make him glad with the joy of thy countenance. (m) Antiphon. And why? because the king putteth his trust in the Lord: and in the mercy of the Most Highest he shall not miscarry. All thine enemies shall feel thy hand: thy right hand shall find out them that hate thee. Thou shalt make them like a fiery oven in time of thy wrath the Lord shall destroy them in his displeasure, and the fire shall consume them. Their fruit shalt thou root out of the earth: and their seed from among the children of men. For they intended mischief against thee; and imagined such a device as they are not able to perform. Therefore shalt thou put them to flight: and the strings of thy bow shalt thou make ready against the face of them. Be thou exalted, Lord, in thine own strength: so will we sing, and praise thy power. Glory be, &c. When I was questioned, I confessed the Lord: when I am burned, I give thanks, (n) Verse and Response. His honour is great in Thy salvation. The Lord's Prayer (privately.) Absolution 3. Glory and great worship shalt Thou lay upon him. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. The Almighty and merciful Lord absolve us from the chain of our sins. Amen. Benediction 7. Lesson 7. John xii. 24, 25. Homily of St. Augustine. Reader.-Sir, pray for a blessing. Minister. May the reading of the Gospel be to us salvation and a defence. Amen. At that time Jesus said to His disciples, Verily, verily, I say unto you, except a corn of wheat fall into the ground and die, it abideth alone; but if it die, it bringeth forth much fruit. He that loveth his life, shall lose it, and he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal. The Lord Jesus Himself was the corn of wheat to be put to death, and to be multiplied; to be put to death by the unbelief of the Jews, to be multiplied by the belief of the Gentiles. Therefore, exhorting us to trace the footsteps of His passion, He says, "He that loveth his life shall lose it." Which may be understood in two ways. He that loveth, shall lose; that is, if thou lovest, thou shalt lose. If thou wouldest possess life in Christ, fear not that death for Christ Response. which is necessary. Or otherwise; He that loveth his life, shall lose it. Love it not lest thou really lose it; love it not here, lest thou lose it eternally. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us, Thanks be to God. On the hot bars I denied Thee not, my God; and when brought to the fire, I confessed the Lord Jesus Christ. Thou hast proved, O Lord, and visited mine heart in the night-season. And when brought to the fire, I confessed the Lord Jesus Christ. Benediction 8. Lesson 8. (Homily, continued.) Response 8. Benediction 9. Reader. Sir, pray for a blessing. Minister. May he whose festival we keep, intercede for us to the Lord. Amen. The latter of these two seems rather to be the sense of the Gospel. For it goes on, "And he that hateth his life in this world, shall keep it unto life eternal." Therefore, as is said before, "He that loveth," that is, "in this world," he surely shall lose it; but "he who hateth," namely, "in this world," shall keep it unto life eternal. A great and marvellous saying, how it should be that a man should love his life to its destruction, and hate it to its preservation. If thou hast loved it perversely, then thou really hatest it; if thou hast hated rightly, then thou hast loved it. Blessed are they who so hate it while really saving it, as not to lose it while loving it. But Thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. Thanks be to God. O Hippolytus, if thou hast faith in the Lord Jesus Christ I will both show thee treasures, and promise thee life everlasting. The blessed Laurence said to Hippolytus, If thou hast faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. I will both show thee treasures, and promise thee life everlasting. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was, &c. I will both show thee treasures, and promise thee life ever lasting. Reader. Sir, pray for a blessing. Minister. The King of Angels lead us on to the fellow ship of the inhabitants of heaven. Amen. Lesson 9. (Homily, continued.) Te deum. But beware of the desire of self-murder stealing on thee as if from the precept of hating thy life in this world. For hence certain evil-tempered and perverse men, and to themselves more cruel and wicked murderers, give themselves to the flames, drown themselves in the water, break their bones down precipices, and so perish. This is not from Christ's teaching, who even answered to the devil, suggesting to Him such a fall, "Get thee behind me, Satan, it is written, Thou shalt not tempt the Lord thy God." But to Peter he said, signifying by what death he should glorify God, "When thou wast young, thou girdest thyself and walkedst whither thou wouldest; but when thou art old, another shall gird thee, and shall carry thee whither thou wouldest not." Where he sufficiently intimated that he who follows Christ's footsteps must be put to death, not by himself, but by another. We praise thee, O God: we acknowledge thee to be the Lord. All the earth doth worship thee: the Father everlasting. To thee all Angels cry aloud: the heavens, and all the Powers therein, &c. |