Part 9 (1/2)
O all ye Fowls of the Air, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O all ye Beasts and Cattle, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Children of Men, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O let Israel bless the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Priests of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Servants of the Lord, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O ye holy and humble Men of heart, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
O Ananias, Azarias, and Misael, bless ye the Lord: praise him, and magnify him for ever.
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.
_Then shall be read in like manner the Second Lesson, taken out of the New Testament. And after that the Hymn following: Except when that shall happen to be read in the Chapter for the day, or for the Gospel on Saint John Baptist's Day_.
BENEDICTUS.
St Luke i. 68.
Blessed be the Lord G.o.d of Israel: for he hath visited, and redeemed his people;
And hath raised up a mighty salvation for us: in the house of his servant David;
As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets: which have been since the world began;
That we should be saved from our enemies: and from the hands of all that hate us;
To perform the mercy promised to our forefathers: and to remember his holy covenant;
To perform the oath which he sware to our forefather Abraham: that he would give us;
That we being delivered out of the hands of our enemies: might serve him without fear;
In holiness and righteousness before him: all the days of our life.
And thou, child, shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways;
To give knowledge of salvation unto his people: for the remission of their sins;
Through the tender mercy of our G.o.d: whereby the day-spring from on high hath visited us;
To give light to them that sit in darkness, and in the shadow of death: and to guide our feet into the way of peace.