Compline

The Officiant begins:

Brethren, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, steadfast in the faith.

1 Peter 5:8-9

The Psalms are said.

Psalm 4

H¹EAR me when I call, O God of my righteousness : thou hast set me at liberty when I was in trouble; have mercy upon me, and hearken unto my prayer.

²O ye sons of men, how long will ye blaspheme mine honour : and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after leasing?

³Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself the man that is godly : when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me.

⁴Stand in awe, and sin not : commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still.

⁵Offer the sacrifice of righteousness : and put your trust in the Lord.

⁶There be many that say : Who will shew us any good?

⁷Lord, lift thou up : the light of thy countenance upon us.

⁸Thou hast put gladness in my heart : since the time that their corn and wine and oil increased.

⁹I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest : for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety.

Psalm 31:1-6

I¹N THEE, O Lord, have I put my trust : let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness.

²Bow down thine ear to me : make haste to deliver me.

³And be thou my strong rock, and house of defence : that thou mayest save me.

⁴For thou art my strong rock, and my castle : be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name's sake.

⁵Draw me out of the net that they have laid privily for me : for thou art my strength.

⁶Into thy hands I commend my spirit : for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth.

Psalm 91

W¹HOSO dwelleth under the defence of the most High : shall abide under the shadow of the Almighty.

²I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my strong hold : my God, in him will I trust.

³For he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter : and from the noisome pestilence.

⁴He shall defend thee under his wings, and thou shalt be safe under his feathers : his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler.

⁵Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night : nor for the arrow that flieth by day;

⁶For the pestilence that walketh in darkness : nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day.

⁷A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand : but it shall not come nigh thee.

⁸Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold : and see the reward of the ungodly.

⁹For thou, Lord, art my hope : thou hast set thine house of defence very high.

¹⁰There shall no evil happen unto thee : neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling.

¹¹For he shall give his angels charge over thee : to keep thee in all thy ways.

¹²They shall bear thee in their hands : that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone.

¹³Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder : the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet.

¹⁴Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him : I will set him up, because he hath known my Name.

¹⁵He shall call upon me, and I will hear him : yea, I am with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and bring him to honour.

¹⁶With long life will I satisfy him : and shew him my salvation.

Psalm 134

B¹EHOLD now, praise the Lord : all ye servants of the Lord;

²Ye that by night stand in the house of the Lord : even in the courts of the house of our God.

³Lift up your hands in the sanctuary : and praise the Lord.

⁴The Lord that made heaven and earth : give thee blessing out of Sion.

THOU, O Lord, art in the midst of us, and we are called by thy Name; leave us not, O Lord, our God.

Jeremiah 14:9

Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. For thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of truth. I commend my spirit. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit.

Te lucis ante terminum

BEFORE the ending of the day, Creator of the world we pray, That with thy wonted favour thou Wouldst be our Guard and Keeper now. From all ill dreams defend our eyes, From nightly fears and fantasies; Tread underfoot our ghostly foe, That no pollution we may know. O Father, that we ask be done, Through Jesus Christ, thine only Son; Who, with the Holy Ghost and thee, Doth live and reign eternally. Amen.

I BELIEVE in God the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth: and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord, who was conceived by the Holy Ghost, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, dead, and buried: He descended into hell; The third day he rose again from the dead; He ascended into heaven, and sitteth on the right hand of God the Father Almighty; From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead. I believe in the Holy Ghost; the holy Catholic Church; the Communion of Saints; the Forgiveness of sins; the Resurrection of the body, and the Life everlasting. Amen.

Lord, have mercy upon us. Christ, have mercy upon us. Lord, have mercy upon us.

Blessed art thou, Lord God of our fathers; To be praised and glorified above all for ever. Let us bless the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost; Let us praise him and magnify him for ever. Blessed art thou, O Lord, in the firmament of heaven; To be praised and glorified above all for ever.

LORD, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace : according to thy word. For mine eyes have seen : thy salvation; Which thou hast prepared : before the face of all people; To be a light to lighten the Gentiles : and to be the glory of thy people Israel.

Then shall be made a general Confession:

I CONFESS to Almighty God, to Blessed Mary ever-Virgin, to Blessed Michael the Archangel, to Blessed John the Baptist, to the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, to all the Saints, and to you, brethren, that I have sinned exceedingly in thought, word, and deed; by my fault, by my own fault, by my own most grievous fault. Wherefore I beg Blessed Mary ever-Virgin, Blessed Michael the Archangel, Blessed John the Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter and Paul, all the Angels and Saints, and you, my brethren, to pray for me to the Lord our God.

Then shall be said one or more of the following Collects:

Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this place, and drive from it all the snares of the enemy; let thy holy angels dwell herein to preserve us in peace; and may thy blessing be upon us evermore; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, who at the hour of this evening hour didst rest in the sepulchre, and didst thereby sanctify the grave to be a bed of hope to thy people; make us so to abound in sorrow for our sins, which were the cause of thy Passion, that when our bodies lie in the dust, our souls may live with thee; who livest and reignest with the Father, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

Look down, O Lord, from thy heavenly throne, illuminate the darkness of this night with thy celestial brightness, and from the sons of light banish the deeds of darkness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of this night, so that we who are wearied by the changes and chances of this fleeting world, may repose upon thy eternal changelessness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy defend us from all perils and dangers of this night; for the love of thy only Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace. Amen.

Then is sung one of the Anthems of the Blessed Virgin Mary:

Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Hail our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; To thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this vale of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; And after this our exile, show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb, Jesus. O clement, O loving, O sweet Virgin Mary.