AN ORDER FOR 
COMPLINE 

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

Brethren, be sober, be vigilant; because your adversary the devil, as a 
roaring lion, walketh about, seeking whom he may devour: whom resist, 
steadfast in the faith. 1 Peter 5: 8, 9. 

But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us. 
Thanks be to God. 

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 Spirit; 
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. 

PSALM 
One or more of  the following, or any other suitable psalm: 
Psalm 4          Cum invocarem. 
1  Hear 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. 
2  O ye sons of  men, how long will ye blaspheme mine honour,  „ 
and have such pleasure in vanity, and seek after lying? 
3  Know this also, that the Lord hath chosen to himself 
the man that is godly:  „ 
when I call upon the Lord, he will hear me. 
4  Stand in awe, and sin not:  „ 
commune with your own heart, and in your chamber, and be still. 

Compline 
154 

 5  Offer the sacrifice of  righteousness  „ 
and put your trust in the Lord. 
6  There be many that say:  „ 
Who will show us any good? 
7  Lord, lift thou up  „ 
the light of  thy countenance upon us. 
8  Thou hast put gladness in my heart,  „ 
more than men have, when corn and wine increase. 
9  I will lay me down in peace, and take my rest:  „ 
for it is thou, Lord, only, that makest me dwell in safety. 
Glory be to the Father,  „ 
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; 
as it was in the beginning,  „ 
is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Psalm 31: 1-6    In te, Domine, speravi. 
1  In thee, O Lord, have I put my trust:  „ 
let me never be put to confusion, deliver me in thy righteousness. 
2  Bow down thine ear to me:  „ 
make haste to deliver me. 
3  And be thou my strong rock, and house of  defence,  „ 
that thou mayest save me. 
4  For thou art my strong rock, and my castle:  „ 
be thou also my guide, and lead me for thy Name's sake. 
5  Draw me out of  the net, that they have laid privily for me,  „ 
for thou art my strength. 
6  Into thy hands I commend my spirit,  „ 
for thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of  truth. 
Glory be to the Father,  „ 
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; 
as it was in the beginning,  „ 
is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Psalm 91     Qui habitat. 
1  Whoso dwelleth under the defence of  the Most High  „ 
shall abide under the shadow of  the Almighty. 
155 
Compline 

 2  I will say unto the Lord, Thou art my hope, and my strong hold:  „ 
my God, in him will I trust. 
3  For he shall deliver thee from the snare of  the hunter  „ 
and from the noisome pestilence. 
4  He shall defend thee under his wings, 
and thou shalt be safe under his feathers:  „ 
his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and buckler. 
5  Thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night,  „ 
nor for the arrow that flieth by day; 
6  For the pestilence that walketh in darkness,  „ 
nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noon-day. 
7  A thousand shall fall beside thee, and ten thousand at thy right hand,  „ 
but it shall not come nigh thee. 
8  Yea, with thine eyes shalt thou behold  „ 
and see the reward of  the ungodly. 
9  For thou, Lord, art my hope:  „ 
thou hast set thine house of  defence very high. 
10   There shall no evil happen unto thee,  „ 
neither shall any plague come nigh thy dwelling. 
11   For he shall give his angels charge over thee  „ 
to keep thee in all thy ways. 
12   They shall bear thee in their hands  „ 
that thou hurt not thy foot against a stone. 
13   Thou shalt go upon the lion and adder:  „ 
the young lion and the dragon shalt thou tread under thy feet. 
14   Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him:  „ 
I will set him up, because he hath known my Name. 
15   He 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. 
16   With long life will I satisfy him  „ 
and show him my salvation. 
Glory be to the Father,  „ 
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; 
as it was in the beginning,  „ 
is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 

Compline 
156 

 Psalm 134 
Ecce nunc. 
1  Behold now, praise the Lord,  „ 
all ye servants of  the Lord; 
2  Ye that by night stand in the house of  the Lord,  „ 
even in the courts of  the house of  our God. 
3  Lift up your hands in the sanctuary  „ 
and praise the Lord. 
4  The Lord that made heaven and earth  „ 
give thee blessing out of  Sion. 
Glory be to the Father,  „ 
and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit; 
as it was in the beginning,  „ 
is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 
READING 
One of  the following, or some other appropriate passage of  Scripture: 

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 
or 
Come unto me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you 
rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn of  me; for I am meek and lowly 
in heart: and ye shall find rest unto your souls. For my yoke is easy, and 
my burden is light. Matthew 11: 28-30 
or 
Now the God of peace, that brought again from the dead our Lord Jesus, 
that great Shepherd of  the sheep, through the blood of  the everlasting 
covenant, make you perfect in every good work to do his will, working in 
you that which is well-pleasing in his sight, through Jesus Christ; to whom 
be glory for ever and ever. Amen. Hebrews 13: 20,21 

An address may follow. 

Stand 
Into thy hands, O Lord, I commend my spirit. 
For thou hast redeemed me, O Lord, thou God of  truth. 

Compline 
157 

 HYMN 
Before the ending of  the day, 
Creator of  the world, we pray 
That thou with wonted love wouldst keep 
Thy watch around us while we sleep. 
O let no evil dreams be near, 
Or phantoms of  the night appear; 
Our ghostly enemy restrain, 
Lest aught of  sin our bodies stain. 
Almighty Father, hear our cry 
Through Jesus Christ our Lord most high, 
Who with the Holy Ghost and thee 
Doth live and reign eternally. Amen. 
The seasonal variations of  verse 3 from the Church Hymnal may be used at the 
appropriate times of  the year. 

Keep me as the apple of  an eye. 
Hide me under the shadow of  thy wings. 

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

NUNC DIMITTIS   Luke 2: 29-32 
1  Lord, now lettest thou thy servant depart in peace,  „ 
according to thy word. 
2  For mine eyes have seen thy salvation,  „ 
which thou hast prepared before the face of  all people; 
3  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 Spirit; 
as it was in the beginning,  „ 
is now and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. 
Preserve us, O Lord, while waking, and guard us while sleeping, 
that awake we may watch with Christ, and asleep we may rest in peace. 

Compline 
158 

 THE APOSTLES' CREED 
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 Spirit, 
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 Spirit, 
the holy catholic Church, 
the communion of  saints, 
the forgiveness of  sins, 
the resurrection of  the body, 
and the life everlasting. Amen. 

Kneel 
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 those who tres- 
passagainstus.Andleadusnotintotemptation,Butdeliverusfromevil. 
Amen. 
159 
Compline 

 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 Spirit. 
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. 

CONFESSION 
We confess to God Almighty, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, 
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, Deliver us 
from all evil,  Confirm and strengthen us in all goodness, And bring us 
to life everlasting; Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 

The priest, when present, pronounces the absolution. 
May the Almighty and merciful Lord grant unto you pardon and remis- 
sion of all your sins, time for amendment of life, and the grace and com- 
fort of  the Holy Spirit. Amen. 
Wilt thou not turn again and quicken us 
that thy people may rejoice in thee? 
O Lord, shew 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. 
Let us pray. 
Compline 
160 

 One or more of  the following: 

defend us from all perils and dangers of  this night; for the love of  thy only 
Son, our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen. 
Be present, O merciful God, and protect us through the silent hours of 
this night, so that we, who are wearied by the changes and chances of this 
fleeting world, may repose upon thy eternal changelessness; through 
Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
Look down, O Lord, from thy heavenly throne, illuminate the darkness of 
this night with thy celestial brightness, and from the children of  light 
banish the deeds of  darkness; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of  the Living God, who at this evening hour 
didst rest in the sepulchre, and didst thereby sanctify the grave to be a bed 
of  hope to thy people: Make us so to abound in sorrow for our sins, 
which were the cause of thy passion, that when our bodies lie in the dust, 
our souls may live with thee: who livest and reignest with the Father and 
the Holy Spirit, one God world without end. Amen. 
Visit, we beseech thee, O Lord, this place (or, our homes), and drive away 
all the snares of  the enemy; Let thy holy angels dwell herein (or, therein) 
to  preserve  us  in  peace;  and  may  thy  blessing  be  upon  us  evermore; 
through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. 
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 
Spirit, bless and preserve us this night and for evermore. Amen. 
This Office, or the part which follows the Apostles' Creed, is suitable for use at evening 
devotions at home. 
THE COLLECTS 

Lighten our darkness, we beseech thee, O Lord; and by thy great mercy 
161 
Compline