chant's ship, bringing her bread from afar off. And she rose in the night, and gave food to her household, and victuals to her maidens. She considered a field, and bought it; and of the fruit of the labour of her hands she planted a vineyard. She girded her loins with courage, and strengthened her arm. She tasted, and saw her management was good: her lamp shall not go out by night. She put forth her hand to strong things, and her fingers managed the distaff. She opened her hand to the needy one, and stretched out her hands to the poor. She shall not fear for her family in the cold of snow; for all her household are doubly clothed, She made herself a thick garment; her clothes are silk and purple. Her husband is honourable at the gates of the city, sitting with the senators of the land. She made linen, and sold it, and delivered girdles to the Canaanite Merchant. Strength and beauty are her clothing, and she shall rejoice in the last day She opened her mouth to wisdom, and the law of mercy is on her tongue. She looked well to the ways of her house, and eat not her bread in idleness. Her children rose up, and called her blessed; and her husband also commended her. Many daughters have stored up riches: but thou hast outdone them all. Comeliness is deceitful, and beauty is vain : but the woman that fears the Lord shall be praised. Give her of the fruit of her hands: and let her own works commend her at the gate of the city.

GRADUAL. Grace is spread on thy lips therefore hath God blessed thee for ever. V. For thy truth, meekness, and righteousness, shall thy right hand also lead thee on wonderfully.

Alleluia, Alleluia. V. In thy comeliness and beauty go on, proceed prosperously and reign. Alleluia.

Psalm xliv.

Diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis: propterea benedixit te Deus in æternum. V. Propter veritatem, mansuetudinem, et justitiam, et deducet te mirabiliter dextera tua

Alleluia, Alleluia. V. Specie tua et pulchritudine tua intende, prospere procede, et regna. Alleluia.

After Septuagesima, instead of the Alleluias, and V. following, is said the

+ Or, She allotted to each maid her appointed work. So the Septuagint translate it from the Hebrew.

TRACT. Psalm xliv.

Come, spouse of Christ, receive the crown, which the Lord hath prepared for thee for ever.

V. Thou lovedst righteousness, and hatedst iniquity; therefore God, thy God hath anointed thee with an oil of gladness in a more excellent manner than thy companions. V. In thy comeliness and beauty go on, proceed

prosperously, and reign.

Veni, sponsa Christi, accipe coronam. quam tibi Dominus præparavit in æternum. V. Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem; propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus oleo lætitiæ præ consortibus tuis. V. Specie tua et pulchritudine tua intende, prospere procede, et regna.

GOSPEL. Matt. xiii. 44, 52. as p. xlix.

OFFERTORY.

Grace is spread on thy lips: therefore hath God blessed thee for ever and

ever.

M

Psalm xliv.

Diffusa est gratia in labiis tuis: propterea benedixit te Deus in æternum, et in sæculum sæculi.

SECRET.

AY the offerings, O Lord, of thy devout people be acceptable to thee in honor of thy saints: by whose merits they have experienced help in their afflictions. Thro'.

COMMUNION

Thou lovedst righteousness, and hatedst iniquity; therefore God, thy God anointed thee with an oil of gladness in a more excellent manner than thy companions.

T

Psalm xliv.

Dilexisti justitiam, et odisti iniquitatem; propterea unxit te Deus, Deus tuus oleo lætitiæ præ consortibus tuis.

HOU hast fed, O Lord, thy family, with these sacred oblations: ever therefore comfort us with

her intercession, whose feast we celebrate. Thro'. II. VESPERS.

All as in the first Vespers, p. lv. except

V. Grace is spread on thy

V. Diffusa est gratia in
R. Propterea

At the MAGNIFICAT.

Anth. She opened her hand to the needy one, and stretched forth both her hands to the poor, and eat not her bread in idleness.

Ant. Manum suam aperuit inopi, et palmas suas extendit ad pauperem, et panem otiosa non comedit.

THE COMMON ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF THE DEDICATION OF A CHURCH.

D

INSTRUCTION.

URING three hundred years the worship of Almighty God was confined to no other temple than what he had built for himself in creating the universe. The first erection consecrated to divine worship, was the portable tabernacle made by Moses in the desert, in which the Israelites performed their religious ceremonies, and offered sacrifice to God. This served them till Solomon, by the express command of the Lord, executed what his father David had designed, and built a magnificent temple, which became the centre of divine worship. The solemn dedication, with the very imposing prayer and sacrifices for the occasion, are given at length in 3 Kings, c. 8. After this the Lord appeared to Solomon, and said: I have heard thy prayer and thy supplication, which thou hast made before me: I have sanctified this house, which thou hast built, to put my name there for ever, and my eyes and my heart shall be there always, c. 9. But no yearly commemoration of the tabernacle built by Moses, nor of the temple built by Solomon, or rebuilt by Zerobabel after the captivity was celebrated. The anniversary of the dedication, which was to last eight days, was reserved for Judas Macab. After the temple had been horribly profaned by the kings of Syria, and its religious worship proscribed by Antiochus, 1 Mac. 4. 59 and this festival our Lord honoured with his presence, John x. 22. The christian church has perpetuated this annual solemnity; 1st, because it is a figure of that dedication, which is to be made in heaven of the living church of the saints, which Christ shall one day present to his Father pure and spotless, to be for ever employed in praising his majesty and his mercy, Eph. v. 27. 2nd. To increase our reverence for the house of God, and the sacred mysteries therein daily

celebrated. 3d. To remind us that we are the living temples consecrated to God, and that we are to form a part of the spiritual edifice in that new Jerusalem, which St. John in his Rev. c. 21. saw coming down out of heaven from God, having the glory of God, prepared as a bride adorned for her husband. And he heard a voice from the throne saying: Behold the tabernacle of God with men, and he will dwell with them, and they shall be his people, and God himself with them shall be their God. In this new city he tells us that he saw no temple; for the Lord God Almighty is the temple thereof, and the Lamb, and the inhabitants offer their homage immediately to him: and no sun, nor moon, for the glory of God is the lamp thereof, and the nations shall walk in the light of it; and the kings of the earth shall bring their glory and honour into it. Nothing defiled shall enter; only they that are written in the book of life of the Lamb. This is the true prototype of the annual dedication of churches, this is what St. John and all the true servants of God have constantly prayed for, this is to terminate the reign of sin and satan, and to establish for ever the dominion of God's grace in his elect, who are to reign with him for ever and ever.. Amen.

Anth.

I. VESPERS.

Ant.

The PSALMS as on Sundays, p. 74. except the last, which is Psalm cxlvii. Lauda Jerusalem, p. 103. OMUM tuam, Domine, decet sanctitudo in longitudinem dierum.

H

OLINESS becometh thy house, O Lord, for ever.

D

Ant. Domus mea domus orationis vocabitur.

Ant. Hæc est domus Domini firmiter ædificata, bene fundata est supra firmam petram.

Ant. Bene fundata est domus Domini supra firmam petram.

Ant. Lapides pretiosi omnes muri tui, et turres Jerusalem gemmis ædificabuntur.

*

LITTLE CHAPTER, Beginning of the LESSON to this

mark*, p. lxiv.

HYMN.