4 DEC. 19. O Clavis David. O KEY of DAVID, and Sceptre of the house of Israel, Thou that openest and no man shutteth, and shuttest and no man openeth; Come and bring the prisoner out of the prison-house, and him that sitteth in darkness and in the shadow of death. O DAYSPRING, Brightness of the Everlasting Light, and Sun of Righteousness; Come and give Light to them that sit in darkness and in the shadow of death. 6 DEC. 22. O Rex Gentium. O KING of NATIONS, and their Desire, Thou Corner-stone, Who hast made both one; Come and save man, whom Thou hast formed of the dust of the ground. O EMMANUEL, our King and Lawgiver, the Hope of all nations, and their SAVIOUR; Come and save us, O LORD our God. Anthem for Good Friday, In which is set forth the exceeding ingratitude of His chosen people towards our Blessed LORD, and of those who by their sins crucify Him to themselves afresh. Praise is offered unto Him Who as on this day became for our sakes obedient unto death-even the death of the Cross. O Mr people, what have I done to thee? or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. Because I brought thee out of the land of Egypt, thou hast prepared a Cross for thy SAVIOUr. (Micah vi.) Holy GOD, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us. Because I led thee through the wilderness forty years, and fed thee with manna, and brought thee into a land exceeding good, thou hast prepared a Cross for thy SAVIOUR. Holy GoD, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us. What could I have done more for thee, that I have not done? I planted thee indeed My choicest vine, and thou hast turned for Me into exceeding bitterness thou gavest vinegar to quench My thirst, and piercedst with a lance the Side of thy SAVIOUR. (Micah v. 2.) Holy GOD, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have mercy upon us. For thy sake I scourged Egypt with its firstborn, and thou deliveredst Me to be scourged. O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. I opened the sea before thee: and thou openedst My Side with a spear. O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. I went before thee in a pillar of cloud: and thou leddest Me before Pilate's judgment seat. O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. I fed thee with manna in the desert: and thou hast beaten me with buffetings and scourgings. O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. I gave thee to drink the water of salvation from the rock and thou gavest me gall and vinegar. : O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. I gave thee a royal sceptre: and thou gavest My Head a crown of thorns. O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. I exalted thee with great power: and thou didst lift Me upon the gibbet of the Cross. O My people, what have I done to thee, or wherein have I wearied thee? Answer Me. Thou art worthy, O LORD, to receive glory, for Thou wast slain, and hast redeemed us to GOD by Thy Blood for Thou becamest obedient unto death, even the death of the Cross. 9 An Anthem for Easter. To the Paschal Victim, Christians, bring the sacrifice of praise. The LAMB the sheep hath ransomed: CHRIST, the undefiled, sinners to His GOD and FATHER hath reconciled. Death and Life, in wondrous strife, came to conflict sharp and sore: Life's Monarch, He That died, now dies no more. What thou sawest, Mary, say, as thou wentest on the way. I saw the Slain One's earthly prison: I saw the glory of the Risen : The witness-Angels by the cave: and the garments of the grave. The LORD, my Hope, hath risen: and He shall go before to Galilee. We know that CHRIST is risen from death indeed: Thou victor Monarch, for Thy suppliants plead. Amen. Alleluia. 10 Anthem at the Burial of the Dead. 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 death of 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. Thou knowest, LORD, the secrets of our hearts: shut not Thy merciful ears to our prayer: 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. Blessed are the dead which die in the LORD: even so saith the SPIRIT, for they rest from their labours. |