when I come to die, the chieftain of bitter torments who ruleth the universe; and I will glorify thee forever, 0 holy Birth-giver of God.

Glory.

When the last great trump shall sound unto the frightful and dread Resurrection of the Judgment Day, and all shall rise from the dead; then remember thou me, O holy Birth-giver of God.

Now, and ever,

O lofty Palace of Christ our Master, who hast sent down thy grace from on high, aid thou me now, in the day of wrath; and I will glorify thee forever, 0 holy Birth-giver of God.

Canticle IX.

Theme-Song (lrmés). It is not possible that men should see God. upon whom the Orders of the Angels dare not gaze: but through thee, O All-pure One, was the Word Incarnate manifested unto men; Whom magnifying, together with the Heavenly Hosts, we call thee blessed.

Hymns (Tropari). Oh, how shall I look upon the invisible? How shall I endure its vision dread? How shall I dare mine eyes to open? How shall I dare to gaze upon my Master, whom I have not ceased, from my youth up, ever to grieve?

O Holy Maiden, Birth-giver of God, look with mercy upon my meekness. Receive this propitistory and final prayer, and from the fire that tortureth to all eternity make thou haste to deliver me.

I, who have defiled the holy temples, on quitting this vile temple of the body, do beseech thee, O all-honourable Temple of God, Maiden, Virgin Mother, that my soul may escape outer darkness, and the burning of fierce Gehenna.

Glory...

Forasmuch as I now behold the end of my life draw near, and am a worker of unseemly thoughts and deeds, O All-pure One, I am cruelly smitten with the stings of conscience, O Maker of my soul. But do thou mercifully incline unto me; and be thou my Intercessor.

Now, and ever,

The Son will give himself unto us for mercy, the Son of God and King of the Angels, the Man Eternal, coming forth from thy pure blood; Whom do thou propitiate, O Maiden, on behalf of my passiontossed soul, which is cruelly wrested from my body accursed.

Meet is it, in truth, to bless thee, the Birth-giver of God, ever~blessed and all-undefiled, and the Mother of our God. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.

The Prayers said by the Priest at [be Departure of a Soul.

0 Lord God Almighty, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who willest that all men should be saved, and should come unto the know

ledge of the truth; who desirest not the death of a sinner, but that he should turn again and live: We pray thee and implore thee, absolve thou thy servant, N., from every bond, and deliver him (her) from every curse. Pardon his (her) transgressions, both of knowledge and of ignorance, both of deed and of word, which he (she) hath committed from his (her) youth up, and hath cleanly confessed or bath concealed, either through forgetfulness or through shame. For thou alone loosest those things which are bound, and guidest aright the contrite, and art the hope of the despairing, and mighty to remit the sins of every man who putteth his trust in thee. Yea, O God who lovest mankind, give thou command, and he shall be released from the bonds of the flesh and of sin; and receive thou in peace the soul of this thy servant, N., and give it rest in the everlasting mansions, with thy Saints; through the grace of thine Only-begotten Son, our Lord, and God, and Saviour Jesus Christ: with whom also thou art blessed, together with thine allholy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

0r: Let us pray to the Lord.

Lord, have mercy.

0 Master, Lord our God Almighty, who willest that all men should be saved and should come to a knowledge of the truth; who desirest not the death of a sinner, but that he should turn again and be saved: We pray thee and beseech thee, deliver thou the soul of thy servant, N., from every bond, free it from every curse. For thou art he who delivereth them that are bound, and guideth aright them that are cast down, 0 Hope of the hopeless. Wherefore, 0 Master, command that the soul of thy servant, N., may depart in peace, and may rest in thine everlasting mansions with all thy Saints; through thine Only-begotten Son, with whom thou art blessed, together with thine all-holy, and good, and life-giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Another Prayer for a Person who hath sufi'red 11mg, and is on the paint of death.

O Lord our God, who in thine ineffable wisdom hast created man, fashioning him out of the dust, and adorning him with comeliness and goodness, as an honourable and heavenly acquisition, to the exaltation and magnificence of thy glory and kingdom, that thou mightest bring him into this image and likeness; but forasmuch as he sinned against the command of thy statute, having accepted the image but preserved it not, for which reason, also, evil shall not be eternal: Thou hast ordained remittance unto the same, through thy love toward mankind; and that this indestructible bond, which as the God of our fathers thou hadst sanctified by thy divine will, should be dissolved, and that his body should dissolve, but his soul should be translated to that place where it shall take up its abode until the final Resurrection. Therefore we pray unto thee, the Father who is from everlasting, and immortal, and

unto thine Only-begotten Son, and unto thine all-holy Spirit, that thou wilt deliver N. from the body unto repose. And if he (the) in any wise, whether of knowledge or in ignorance, hath offended thy goodness, or is under the ban of a priest, or hath embittered his (her) parents, or hath broken a vow, or hath fallen into devilish imaginations and shameful sorceries, through the malice of the crafty demon: Yea, 0 Master, Lord our God, hearken unto me a sinner and thine unworthy servant in this hour, and deliver thy servant, N., from this intolerable sickness which holdeth him (her) in bitter impotency, and give him (her) rest where the souls of the righteous dwell. For thou art the repose of our souls and of our bodies, and unto thee do we ascribe glory, to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

THE ORDER FOR THE BURIAL OF THE DEAD (LAYMEN) (1)

*

When an Orthodox believer dieth, his relatives straightway give notice thereof unto the Priest, who, when he is come to the house in which the remains of the dead man lie, and hath put on his priestly stole (epitrahhll), and hath placed incense in the censer, censeth the body of the dead, and those present; and heginneth as usual:

Blessed is our God always, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

And those who stand there begin:

O Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal One, have mercy upon us. (Thrice.)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O all-holy Trinity, have mercy upon us. 0 Lord, wash away our sins. O Master, pardon our transgressions. O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for thy Name’s sake.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.) Glory now, and ever,

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 those who trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation; But deliver us from the Evil One:

Priest. For thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory, of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

And immediately the following Hymns (Tropart), in Tone 1V1, are sung: With the souls of the righteous dead give rest, 0 Saviour, to the soul of thy servant, preserving it unto the life of blessedness which is with thee, O thou who lovest mankind.

In the place of thy rest, 0 Lord, where all thy Saints repose, give rest also to the soul of thy servant; for thou only lovest mankind. Glory.

Thou art the God who descended into Hell, and loosed the bonds of the captives. Do thou give rest also to the soul of thy servant. Now, and ever,

0 Virgin alone Pure and Undefiled, who without seed didst bring forth God, pray thou that his (her) soul may be saved.

" For explanations, indicated by numbers, see Appendix, B. X.

Deacon. Have mercy upon us, 0 God, according to thy great mercy, we beseech thee: hearken, and have mercy.

Choir. Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.)

And the Priest, meanwhile, saith, secretly, the following Prayer:

O God of spirits, and of all flesh, who hast trampled down Death, and overthrown the remil, and hiven life unto thy world : Furthermore we pray for the Do thou, the same Lord, give repose of the soul of the servant rest to the soul of thy departed of God departed this life, N.; and servant, N., in a place of brightthat thou wilt pardon his (her) | ness, a place of verdure, a place sins both voluntary and involun- of repose, whence all sickness, sorrow and sighing have fled tary. R away. Pardon every transgression which he (she) hath committed, whether by word, or deed, or thought. For thou art a good God, and lovest mankind; because there is no man who liveth and sinneth not: for thou only art without sin, and thy righteousness is to all eternity, and thy word is true.

That the Lord God will establish his (her) soul where the just repose. R

The mercies of God, the kingdom of heaven, and the remission of his (her) sins, we entreat of Christ, our King Immortal and our God.

Choir. Grant it, O Lord.

Secretly.

Exclamation. For thou art the Resurrection, and the Life, and the Repose of thy departed servant, N., O Christ our God, and unto thee we ascribe glory, together with thy Father who is from everlasting, and thine all-holy, and good, and life~giving Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Deaeon. Wisdom!

Choir. More honourable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, thou who without defilement barest God the Word, true Birth-giver of God, we magnify thee.

Lord, have mercy. (Thrice.)

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now, and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen. Bless.

And straightway the Priest giveth the BENEDICTION.

May Christ, our true God, who hath dominion over the living and the dead through the prayers of his all-holy Mother; of our righteous and God-bearing fathers; and of all the Saints, establish the soul of his servant, N., departed this life, in his holy mansions, and number him (her) among the just; and have mercy upon us: Forasmuch as he is good and loveth mankind.

And If all things are now ready for the departure, the Priest heginneth again: Blessed is our God. . . (See page 369.)

And we begin to sing, with all awe and emotion: O Holy God, Holy Mighty, (2). . . (See page 369.)