Compline

This Service may be used when Evening Prayer has been previously said. All standing up, the Minister shall say:

The Lord Almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end. Amen.

O God, make speed to save us.

O Lord, make haste to help us.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost;

As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Praise ye the Lord;

The Lord’s Name be praised.

Then shall be said or sung one or more of the following Psalms: Psalm 4; Psalm 31. 1-6; Psalm 91; Psalm 134; or any other Psalm or Psalms.

Psalm 4

¹HEAR 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

¹IN 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

¹WHOSO 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

¹BEHOLD 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.

Then shall be read one of the following short Lessons, or some other passage of holy Scripture at the discretion of the Minister:

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.

Thanks be to God.

Then may be said the following Respond:

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.

Here may follow this or some other Hymn.

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 under foot 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.

Keep us as the apple of an eye;

Hide us under the shadow of thy wings.

Anthem.

Preserve us, O Lord, waking, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

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. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

Preserve us, O Lord, waking, and guard us sleeping, that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace.

Then shall be said the Apostles’ Creed by the Minister and people, standing.

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.

And after that these prayers following, all devoutly kneeling:

Let us pray.

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

OUR Father who art in heaven, Hallowed be thy Name, Thy kingdom come, Thy will be done, on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread; And forgive us our trespasses, As we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, But deliver us from evil. Amen.

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.

The Almighty and most merciful Lord guard us and give us his blessing.

Amen.

Then shall the Minister and people say together the Confession and the Prayer for Forgiveness following.

WE confess to God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, that we have sinned in thought, word, and deed, through our own grievous fault. Wherefore we pray God to have mercy upon us. Almighty God, have mercy upon us, forgive us all our sins and deliver us from all evil, confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, and bring us to life everlasting; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

If a Priest be present, he shall stand and pronounce the following Absolution:

MAY the Almighty and merciful Lord grant unto you pardon and remission of all your sins, time for amendment of life, and the grace and comfort of the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Then shall be said:

Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us;

That thy people may rejoice in thee?

O Lord, show thy mercy upon us;

And grant us thy salvation.

Vouchsafe, O Lord, to keep us this night without sin;

O Lord, have mercy upon us, have mercy upon us.

O Lord, hear our prayer;

And let our cry come unto thee.

Then shall follow the Collect for Protection, with which may be said the Collect of the day.

The Collect for Protection.

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.

Collect of the Day

Monday after the 15th Sunday after Trinity

KEEP, we beseech thee, O Lord, thy Church with thy perpetual mercy: and, because the frailty of man without thee cannot but fall, keep us ever by thy help from all things hurtful, and lead us to all things profitable to our salvation; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

Other prayers from this Book may be said. See Family Prayer, page 728.

We will lay us down in peace and take our rest;

For it is thou, Lord, only, that makest us dwell in safety.

The Lord be with you;

And with thy spirit.

Let us bless the Lord;

Thanks be to God.

The Almighty and merciful Lord, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost, bless and preserve us. Amen.