According to Thy name, O G.o.d, so is Thy praise unto the ends of the earth: Thy right hand is full of righteousness. Therefore I commend my body and my soul into Thy hands. Thy divine Majesty bless me; Thy holy Trinity shelter me; Thy eternal Unity preserve me. May Thy unbounded mercy protect me; Thy inexpressible benevolence defend me, the sublime truth of G.o.d cover me; profound knowledge of Christ strengthen me; the unfathomable goodness of the Lord keep me. The grace of the Father govern me; the wisdom of the Son refresh me; the power of the Holy Spirit enlighten me. My Creator aid me, my Redeemer quicken me, my Comforter abide with me. The Lord bless me and keep me. The Lord make His face shine upon me and be gracious unto me. The Lord lift up His countenance upon me and give me peace. The protection and blessing of the one and eternal G.o.dhead be between me and all mine enemies, visible and invisible, today and always, that they may not approach nor injure me. As the pillar of the cloud went between the army of the Egyptians and the army of Israel, so that they could not come together, and no harm befall the children of Israel, so mayest Thou be a pillar of fire and a wall of separation between me and mine enemies, that no harm come over me. Keep me also in my last hour. When mine eyes no longer see, mine ears no longer hear, my tongue no longer speak, be Thou with me, O blessed Trinity, that the Evil One have no power over me. Amen.
Hirte deiner Schafe.
Shepherd never sleeping, In Thy gracious keeping I have been today.
Thou art my Defender, So in mercy tender Come and with me stay; All this night Keep me in sight, Send Thine angels to attend me And protection lend me.
While I lie and slumber, Let Thine hosts outnumber All my raging foes.
Be of grace the Giver, And Thy child deliver From guilt"s painful throes.
For Thy Son My soul hath won; By His wounds, so sorely stricken, He my heart doth quicken.
Shield Thou from all danger Ev"ry lonely stranger And my dear ones, too.
Tenderly embrace us And with mercy grace us, Be our Father true.
Thou with me And I with Thee, Thus shall I, mine eyelids closing, Be in peace reposing.
Close the door behind us, Let no evil find us, Keep all ills away.
Be our shield and cover, Let Thine angels hover O"er us now, we pray.
By sweet rest Let us be blest, Ev"ry fear of Satan"s raging In our hearts a.s.suaging.
What if death should take me And no light awake me From my sleep and rest?
If Thou hast intended That my life be ended, Let Thy name be blest; As for me, I yield to Thee.
In the wounds of Jesus lying, I am daily dying.
By no cares enc.u.mbered, Though my hours be numbered, I now fall asleep.
All to Thee commending Who Thine hosts are sending Watch o"er me to keep.
Through the night Be my delight, And if I should see the morrow, Thou wilt cure all sorrow.
Benjamin Schmolcke, 1715.
Tr. H. Brueckner, 1918.
Prayer for Thursday Morning.
Jesus Christ, Thou art the eternal light, which dispelleth the darkness of night and the shadow of death: I magnify Thy name, I glorify and thank Thee. For Thou hast so graciously kept me during this night, and hast brought me out of the darkness to the light of day. Thou hast shielded me against the terrors of the night, the snares of the devil, the noisome pestilence, that walketh in the darkness, manifold illness and disease.
Thou hast guarded and watched over my soul, even as the shepherd watches over his flock. And all that I possess is kept from harm through Thy great mercy. Praise and thanks be said unto Thee for Thy gracious protection and all Thy gifts. I will speak of Thy power and magnify Thy goodness, when the day breaks. For Thou art my refuge, my strong tower, my present help, my faithful G.o.d, in whom I trust. Thou makest glad my heart and my countenance rejoiceth. I pray Thee, for the sake of Thy holy birth and incarnation, suffer Thy grace to rise in my heart and break forth even as the beauty of the morning, and come over me as the early rain. Illumine me with Thy radiance, and be Thou the light of my heart, for Thou art the right day star and the true light, that lighteth men to the eternal life. Be merciful unto me, O Lord, for in Thee do I put my trust. My soul waiteth for Thee, more than they that watch for the morning, yea more than they that watch for the morning. Be Thou mine arm in the morning, my salvation also in the time of trouble. Protect me in body and soul, that no evil befall me and no plague come nigh unto my dwelling. Keep from me all wicked spirits. Defend me from evildoers.
Stand up for me against the workers of iniquity and shield me, that the hands of mine adversaries may not touch me. O Lord, our G.o.d, establish Thou the work of our hands upon us; yea, the work of our hands establish Thou it, and strengthen our hands, and teach us that we may keep Thy commandments and sin not against Thee this day. Grant us this for the sake of Thy mercy, which endureth for ever and ever. Amen.
Wach auf, mein Herz, die Nacht ist hin.
Awake, my soul; the rising sun Dispels the night of mourning; Awake, with songs of praises run To greet the Lord returning.
He burst the gates of death today And left the gloomy grave for aye While all the world rejoices.
Arise, my soul, from sin and death, To thee new life is given; Arise and run the race of faith; Fix thy desires on heaven Where Jesus, thy Redeemer reigns, And seek the things that it contains, If thou with Him be risen.
Art thou distressed by weight of care?
Thy Savior will remove it.
Believing, thou with joy canst bear Thy cross and learn to love it.
Cast all thy burden on the Lord; Fear not; for He will help afford, For now He hath arisen.
Now Judah"s Lion, true and tried, The victory obtaineth; The Lamb of G.o.d, the Crucified, For us salvation gaineth, And giveth righteousness and life; For after all the dreadful strife, O"er every foe He triumphs.
Then up, my soul, begin the fight, For Christ, the Victor, leadeth.
He arms thee with a victor"s might; With Him thy cause succeedeth.
Now thou can"st rise and live anew And righteousness and peace pursue And be a faithful servant.
Fear not the angry jaws of h.e.l.l, Nor world, nor death, nor devil.
Thy Savior lives and all is well, Though sore has been His travail.
A Victor crowned, He as a Friend The mean and feeble doth attend, And therefore thou shalt conquer.
Ah, Lord, whom death could not defile, Who from the dead hast risen, Free us from Satan"s might and guile And save us from his prison.
O grant, that, as one body, we May enter that new life in Thee Which Thou for us hast gotten.
Laurentius Laurenti, 1700.
Tr. A. Ramsey.
Prayer for Thursday Evening.
Praise be to Thee, O G.o.d, our Father, through Jesus Christ in the Holy Ghost, one, eternal G.o.d, who through Thy manifold compa.s.sion hast kept me this day, a poor sinner and miserable creature, from the fiery darts of Satan that fly by day, from the destruction that wasteth at noonday, and hast graciously protected me from a sudden and evil death. Thy mercy, O Lord, is in the heavens; and Thy faithfulness reacheth unto the clouds.
Thou art gracious and merciful, and all Thine acts are glorious. I pray Thee, O merciful G.o.d, graciously to forgive me all that I have done against Thee this day, in thought, word, or deed. Turn Thy mercy toward me, that I may slumber and rest during this coming night, and that I may never turn from Thee, who art the eternal rest. Suffer me ever to abide in Thee in the true faith, and safely to sojourn under Thy protection, so that the enemy may never come nigh unto me, nor do me injury. Lord, Thou art my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? Thou art the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? My heart trusteth in Thee, and I am helped. Thou art my strength and my great shield. Thy right hand strengtheneth me. Thy right hand gladdeneth my heart, and in the shadow of Thy wings will I make my refuge. Behold, my G.o.d, in the daytime do I cry unto Thee, and Thou hearest me, and in the night season I am not silent, and Thou answereth my prayer. I remember Thee on my bed, and meditate on Thee in the night watches, because Thou hast been my help.
Therefore in the shadow of Thy wings will I rejoice. My soul cleaves unto Thee, for Thy right hand defends me. When darkness comes over me, then Thou, O Lord, art my light and my salvation. O gracious G.o.d, vouchsafe unto me Thy grace, so that when that last hour cometh, and I lay me down on my deathbed for the eternal rest, through Thy help, in the true faith, in all confidence and trust, I may happily fall asleep for the eternal life. Meanwhile keep me in Thee, that I may ever watch and pa.s.s my days in all sobriety and moderation, and be found in Christian readiness, since I can not know the hour when Thou comest, O G.o.d, to call me hence, so that I may be worthy to stand before the Son of Man, and be not put to shame; who liveth and reigneth with Thee and the Holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.
Nur in Jesu Blut und Wunden.
Now in Jesus" wounds reposing, I my tired eyes am closing.
For His love and pardoning grace Are my only resting place.
Through the day His mercy holds me, And by night His arm enfolds me.
Of Thy strong protection sure, Jesus, I shall rest secure.
Tr. H. Brueckner, 1916.