who drivest sleep from mine eyes,

and slumber from mine eyelids;

who makest the outgoings of the morning and evening to praise Thee;

because I laid me down and slept and rose up again,
for the LORD sustained me;

because I waked and beheld,

and my sleep was sweet unto me.
Blot out as a thick cloud my transgressions,
and as a cloud my sins;

grant me to be a child of light, a child of the day,
to walk soberly, holily, honestly, as in the day,
vouchsafe to keep me this day without sin.
Thou who upholdest the falling and liftest the fallen,
let me not harden my heart in provocation,
or temptation or deceitfulness of any sin.
Moreover, deliver me to-day

from the snare of the hunter
and from the noisome pestilence;

from the arrow that flieth by day,
from the sickness that destroyeth in the noon day.
Defend this day against my evil,

against the evil of this day defend Thou me.
Let not my days be spent in vanity,

nor my years in sorrow.

One day telleth another,

and one night certifieth another.

O let me hear Thy loving-kindness betimes in the morning, for in Thee is my trust;

show Thou me the way that I should walk in,
for I lift up my soul unto Thee.

Deliver me, O LORD, from mine enemies,
for I flee unto Thee.

Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth Thee,
for Thou art my GoD;

let Thy loving SPIRIT lead me forth

into the land of righteousness.

Quicken me, O LORD, for Thy Name's sake,
and for Thy righteousness' sake

bring my soul out of trouble;
remove from me foolish imaginations,
inspire those which are good
and pleasing in Thy sight.
Turn away mine eyes
lest they behold vanity;

let mine eyes look right on,

and let mine eyelids look straight before me.
Hedge up mine ears with thorns

lest they incline to undisciplined words.
Give me early the ear to hear,

and open mine ears to the instruction of Thy oracles. Set a watch, O LORD, before my mouth,

and keep the door of my lips.

Let my word be seasoned with salt,

that it may minister grace to the hearers.
Let no deed be grief unto me

nor offence of heart.

Let me do some work

for which Thou wilt remember me, LORD, for good,

and spare me according to the greatness of Thy mercy. Into Thine hands I commend

my spirit, soul, and body,

which Thou hast created, redeemed, regenerated,

O LORD, Thou GOD of truth;

and together with me

all mine and all that belongs to me.

Thou hast vouchsafed them to me,

LORD, in Thy goodness.

Guard us from all evil,

guard our souls,

I beseech Thee, O LORD. Guard us without falling, and place us immaculate in the presence of Thy glory in that day.

Guard my going out and my coming in
henceforth and for ever.

Prosper, I pray Thee, Thy servant this day,
and grant him mercy

in the sight of those who meet him.
O GOD, make speed to save me,
O LORD, make haste to help me.
O turn Thee then unto me,

and have mercy upon me;
give Thy strength unto Thy servant,
and help the son of Thine handmaid.
Show some token upon me for good,

that they who hate me may see it and be ashamed, because Thou, LORD, hast holpen me

and comforted me.

Meditation.

ORDER OF EVENING PRAYER'.

The day is gone,

and I give Thee thanks, O LORD.
Evening is at hand,

furnish it with brightness.

As day has its evening

so also has life; the even of life is age,

age has overtaken me, furnish it with brightness.

Cast me not away in the time of age; forsake me not when my strength faileth me. Even to my old age be Thou HE, and even to hoar hairs carry me ; do Thou make, do Thou bear, do Thou carry and deliver me. Abide with me, LORD, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent

of this fretful life.

Let Thy strength be made perfect
in my weakness.

Day is fled and gone,
life too is going,

this lifeless life.

Night cometh, and cometh death,

the deathless death.

Near as is the end of day,
so too the end of life.

We then, also remembering it,

beseech of Thee

for the close of our life,

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that Thou wouldest direct it in peace,
Christian, acceptable,

sinless, shameless,

and, if it please Thee, painless,

LORD, O LORD,

gathering us together

under the feet of Thine Elect,
when Thou wilt, and as Thou wilt
only without shame and sins.
Remember we the days of darkness,
for they shall be many,

lest we be cast into outer darkness.
Remember we to outstrip the night
doing some good thing.

Near is judgment;

a good and acceptable answer
at the dreadful and fearful judgment-seat

of JESUS CHRIST

vouchsafe to us, O LORD.

By night I lift up my hands in the sanctuary,
and praise the LORD.

The LORD hath granted His loving-kindness
in the day time;

and in the night season did I sing of Him,

and made my prayer unto the GOD of my life. As long as I live will I magnify Thee on this manner, and lift up my hands in Thy Name.

Let my prayer be set forth in Thy sight
as the incense,

and let the lifting up of my hands

be an evening sacrifice.

Blessed art Thou, O LORD, our God,

the GOD of our fathers,

who hast created the changes of days and nights, who givest songs in the night,

who hast delivered us from the evil of this day,