Tuesday 8 October 2019

Collects at Evensong

From the 1549 edition of the Book of Common Prayer - two of the closing prayers:

The seconde Collecte at Evensong

O God from whom all holy desyres, all good counsayles, and all juste workes do procede: Geve unto thy servauntes that peace, which the world cannot geve, that both our hartes maye be sette to obey thy commaundementes, and also that by thee, we being defended from the feare of oure enemies, may passe oure time in rest and quietnesse; throughe the merites of Jesu Christe our saviour. Amen.


The thirde Collect for ayde agaynste all perils

LYghten our darkenes we beseche thee, O lord, & by thy great mercy defende us from all perilles and daungers of thys nyght, for the love of thy onely sonne, our saviour Jesu Christ. Amen.


These contain some of the most beautiful phrases of English prose, in their original spellings. Particularly pertinent is the plea that: "we being defended from the feare of oure enemies, may passe oure time in rest and quietnesse". It is easy to forget that such fear is a sin to which we are all prone, and it is well to pray for help in this matter. 

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