William Law
Born at Kings Cliffe in Northamptonshire in 1686, William Law was educated at Emmanuel College Cambridge and, after ordination as a deacon, became a fellow of the College in 1711. When George I came to the throne in 1714, William declined to take the Oath of Allegiance, being a member of the Non-Juror party who believed the anointed but deposed monarch James II and his heirs should occupy the throne. He lost his fellowship but in 1728 he was made a priest and in the same year published A Serious Call to a Devout and Holy Life, which much influenced such people as Samuel Johnson and John and Charles Wesley. In it he stresses the moral virtues, a personal prayer life and asceticism. He returned to Kings Cliffe in 1740, where he led a life of devotion and simplicity and caring for the poor. He remained there the rest of his life and died on this day in the year 1761. EH
Antiphon https://tinyurl.com/yc2wmpsx
The merciful love of the Lord fills the earth;
by the word of the Lord the heavens were made, alleluia. Psalm 33
O God,
who madest me for thyself,
to show forth thy goodness in me,
manifest, I humbly beseech thee,
the life-giving power of thy holy nature within me;
help me to such a true and living faith in thee,
such strength of hunger and thirst
after the birth, life, and Spirit
of thy holy Jesus in my soul,
that all that is within me
may be turned from every inward thought or outward work
that is not of thine heavenly working in my soul. Amen. William Law
Music: https://tinyurl.com/mb6h9xfa
O Lord, open my lips,
and my mouth shall declare your praise.
Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit,
as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be forever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia!
HYMN: Edward Budry; trans. Richard Birch Hoyle
Tune: Judas Maccabaeus https://tinyurl.com/c4mu5wv5
1 Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
Angels in bright raiment rolled the stone away,
kept the folded grave-clothes where Thy body lay.
Refrain:
Thine be the glory, risen, conqu’ring Son;
endless is the vict’ry Thou o’er death hast won.
2 Lo! Jesus meets us, risen from the tomb.
Lovingly He greets us, scatters fear and gloom;
let His church with gladness hymns of triumph sing,
for the Lord now liveth; death hath lost its sting. [Refrain]
3 No more we doubt Thee, glorious Prince of life!!
Life is nought without Thee; aid us in our strife;
make us more than conqu’rors, through Thy deathless love;
bring us safe through Jordan to Thy home above. [Refrain]
PSALMS
Psalm 41 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/urktsqu)
1 Blessed is he that considereth the poor and needy *
the Lord shall deliver him in the time of trouble.
2 The Lord preserve him, and keep him alive,
that he may be blessed upon earth *
and deliver not thou him into the will of his enemies.
3 The Lord comfort him, when he lieth sick upon his bed *
make thou all his bed in his sickness.
4 I said, Lord, be merciful unto me *
heal my soul, for I have sinned against thee.
5 Mine enemies speak evil of me *
When shall he die, and his name perish?
6 And if he come to see me, he speaketh vanity *
and his heart conceiveth falsehood within himself,
and when he cometh forth he telleth it.
7 All mine enemies whisper together against me *
even against me do they imagine this evil.
8 Let the sentence of guiltiness proceed against him *
and now that he lieth, let him rise up no more.
9 Yea, even mine own familiar friend, whom I trusted *
who did also eat of my bread, hath laid great wait for me.
10 But be thou merciful unto me, O Lord *
raise thou me up again, and I shall reward them.
11 By this I know thou favourest me *
that mine enemy doth not triumph against me.
12 And when I am in my health, thou upholdest me *
and shalt set me before thy face for ever.
13 Blessed be the Lord God of Israel *
world without end. Amen.
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.
Psalms 42 and 43 (Anglican Chant: https://tinyurl.com/wxrfhr8)
sung as the one psalm they originally were
1 Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks *
so longeth my soul after thee, O God.
2 My soul is athirst for God, yea, even for the living God *
when shall I come to appear before the presence of God?
3 My tears have been my meat day and night *
while they daily say unto me, Where is now thy God?
4 Now when I think thereupon, I pour out my heart by myself *
for I went with the multitude,
and brought them forth into the house of God;
5 In the voice of praise and thanksgiving *
among such as keep holy-day.
6 Why art thou so full of heaviness, O my soul *
and why art thou so disquieted within me?
7 Put thy trust in God *
for I will yet give him thanks for the help of his countenance.
8 My God, my soul is vexed within me *
therefore will I remember thee concerning the land of Jordan,
and the little hill of Hermon.
9 One deep calleth another, because of the noise of the water-pipes *
all thy waves and storms are gone over me.
10 The Lord hath granted his loving-kindness in the day-time *
and in the night-season did I sing of him,
and made my prayer unto the God of my life.
11 I will say unto the God of my strength, Why hast thou forgotten me *
why go I thus heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
12 My bones are smitten asunder as with a sword *
while mine enemies that trouble me cast me in the teeth;
13 Namely, while they say daily unto me *
Where is now thy God?
14 Why art thou so vexed, O my soul *
and why art thou so disquieted within me?
15 O put thy trust in God *
for I will yet thank him,
which is the help of my countenance, and my God.
1 Give sentence with me, O God,
and defend my cause against the ungodly people *
O deliver me from the deceitful and wicked man.
2 For thou art the God of my strength, why hast thou put me from thee *
and why go I so heavily, while the enemy oppresseth me?
3 O send out thy light and thy truth, that they may lead me *
and bring me unto thy holy hill, and to thy dwelling.
4 And that I may go unto the altar of God,
even unto the God of my joy and gladness *
and upon the harp will I give thanks unto thee, O God, my God.
5 Why art thou so heavy, O my soul *
and why art thou so disquieted within me?
6 O put thy trust in God *
for I will yet give him thanks,
which is the help of my countenance, and my God.
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.
Psalm 41 (Plainsong: http://oremus.org/chant/Psalm-41.mp3)
1 Happy are they who consider the poor and needy! *
the LORD will deliver them in the time of trouble.
2 The LORD preserves them and keeps them alive,
so that they may be happy in the land; *
he does not hand them over to the will of their enemies.
3 The LORD sustains them on their sickbed *
and ministers to them in their illness.
4 I said, “LORD, be merciful to me; *
heal me, for I have sinned against you.”
5 My enemies are saying wicked things about me: *
When will he die, and his name perish?”
6 Even if they come to see me, they speak empty words; *
their heart collects false rumors;
they go outside and spread them.
7 All my enemies whisper together about me *
and devise evil against me.
8 “A deadly thing,” they say, “has fastened on him; *
he has taken to his bed and will never get up again.”
9 Even my best friend, whom I trusted,
who broke bread with me, *
has lifted up his heel and turned against me.
10 But you, O LORD, be merciful to me and raise me up, *
and I shall repay them.
11 By this I know you are pleased with me, *
that my enemy does not triumph over me.
12 In my integrity you hold me fast, *
and shall set me before your face for ever.
13 Blessed be the LORD God of Israel, *
from age to age. Amen. Amen.
Psalm 42 (Gregorian Tone 2 monasticus)
2 Like the deer that yearns
for running streams,
so my soul is yearning
for you, my God.
3 My soul is thirsting for God,
the living God;
when can I enter and appear
before the face of God?
4 My tears have become my bread,
by day, by night,
as they say to me ail the day long,
“Where is your God?”
5 These things will I remember
as I pour out my soul:
for I would go to the place
of your wondrous tent,
all the way to the house of God,
amid cries of gladness and thanksgiving,
the throng keeping joyful festival.
6 Why are you cast down, my soul;
why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him yet again,
my saving presence and my God.
7 My soul is cast down within me,
therefore I remember you
from the land of Jordan and Mount Hermon,
from the Hill of Mizar.
8 Deep is calling on deep, .
in the roar of your torrents;
your billows and all your waves
swept over me.
9 By day the LoRD decrees his loving mercy;
by night his song is with me,
a prayer to the God of my life.
10 I will say to God, my rock,
“Why have you forgotten me?
Why do I go mourning
oppressed by the foe?”
11 With a deadly wound in my bones,
my enemies revile me,
saying to me all the day long,
“Where is your God?”
12 Why are you cast down, my soul;
why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him yet again,
my saving presence and my God.
Psalm 43 (Gregorian Tone 6)
1 Give me justice, O God, and plead my cause
against a nation that is faithless.
From the deceitful and the cunning
rescue me, O God.
2 You, O God, are my strength;
why have you rejected me?
Why do I go mourning,
oppressed by the foe?
3 O send forth your light and your truth;
they will guide me on.
They will bring me to your holy mountain,
to the place where you dwell.
4 And I will come to the altar of God,
to God, my joy and gladness.
To you will I give thanks on the harp,
O God, my God.
5 Why are you cast down, my soul;
why groan within me?
Hope in God; I will praise him yet again,
my saving presence and my God.
PRAYER
Eternal God, source of everlasting light,
send forth your truth into our hearts,
and bring us into your presence with joy and gladness
in the name of Jesus Christ the Lord. Amen. BCW
THE WORD OF GOD
READING: Song of Songs 3:6-5:1
Who is that coming up from the wilderness
like a column of smoke,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense,
with all the fragrant powders of the merchant?
Look, it is the litter of Solomon!
Around it are sixty mighty men
of the mighty men of Israel,
all equipped with swords
and expert in war,
each with his sword at his thigh
because of alarms by night.
King Solomon made himself a palanquin
from the wood of Lebanon.
He made its posts of silver,
its back of gold, its seat of purple;
its interior was inlaid with stone.
Daughters of Jerusalem,
come out and look
at King Solomon,
at the crown with which his mother crowned him
on the day of his wedding,
on the day of the gladness of his heart.
How beautiful you are, my love,
how very beautiful!
Your eyes are doves
behind your veil.
Your hair is like a flock of goats,
moving down the slopes of Gilead.
Your teeth are like a flock of shorn ewes
that have come up from the washing,
all of which bear twins,
and not one among them is bereaved.
Your lips are like a crimson thread,
and your mouth is lovely.
Your cheeks are like halves of a pomegranate
behind your veil.
Your neck is like the tower of David,
built in courses;
on it hang a thousand bucklers,
all of them shields of warriors.
Your two breasts are like two fawns,
twins of a gazelle,
that feed among the lilies.
Until the day breathes
and the shadows flee,
I will hasten to the mountain of myrrh
and the hill of frankincense.
You are altogether beautiful, my love;
there is no flaw in you.
Come with me from Lebanon, my bride;
come with me from Lebanon.
Depart from the peak of Amana,
from the peak of Senir and Hermon,
from the dens of lions,
from the mountains of leopards.
You have ravished my heart, my sister, my bride;
you have ravished my heart with a glance of your eyes,
with one jewel of your necklace.
How sweet is your love, my sister, my bride!
How much better is your love than wine
and the fragrance of your oils than any spice!
Your lips distill nectar, my bride;
honey and milk are under your tongue;
the scent of your garments is like the scent of Lebanon.
A garden locked is my sister, my bride,
a garden locked, a fountain sealed.
Your channel is an orchard of pomegranates
with all choicest fruits,
henna with nard,
nard and saffron, calamus and cinnamon,
with all trees of frankincense,
myrrh and aloes,
with all chief spices—
a garden fountain, a well of living water,
and flowing streams from Lebanon.
Awake, O north wind,
and come, O south wind!
Blow upon my garden
that its fragrance may be wafted abroad.
Let my beloved come to his garden
that he may eat its choicest fruits.
I come to my garden, my sister, my bride;
I gather my myrrh with my spice;
I eat my honeycomb with my honey;
I drink my wine with my milk.
Eat, friends, drink,
and be drunk with love.
HYMN: Isaac Watts
Tune: St Drostane https://tinyurl.com/ts9wauny
Daughters of Zion, come, behold
The crown of honor and of gold
Which the glad church, with joys unknown,
Placed on the head of Solomon.
Jesus, thou everlasting King,
Accept the tribute which we bring;
Accept the well-deserved renown,
And wear our praises as thy crown.
Let every act of worship be
Like our espousals, Lord, to thee;
Like the dear hour when from above
We first received thy pledge of love.
The gladness of that happy day,
Our hearts would wish it long to stay;
Nor let our faith forsake its hold,
Nor comfort sink, nor love grow cold.
Each following minute, as it flies,
Increase thy praise, improve our joys,
Till we are raised to sing thy name
At the great supper of the Lamb.
O that the months would roll away,
And bring that coronation day!
The King of Grace shall fill the throne,
With all his Father’s glories on.
READING: 1 Corinthians 15:20-34
But in fact Christ has been raised from the dead, the first fruits of those who have died. For since death came through a human, the resurrection of the dead has also come through a human, for as all die in Adam, so all will be made alive in Christ. But each in its own order: Christ the first fruits, then at his coming those who belong to Christ. Then comes the end, when he hands over the kingdom to God the Father, after he has destroyed every ruler and every authority and power. For he must reign until he has put all his enemies under his feet. The last enemy to be destroyed is death. For “God has put all things in subjection under his feet.” But when it says, “All things are put in subjection,” it is plain that this does not include the one who put all things in subjection under him. When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who put all things in subjection under him, so that God may be all in all. Otherwise, what will those people do who receive baptism on behalf of the dead? If the dead are not raised at all, why are people baptized on their behalf?
And why are we putting ourselves in danger every hour? I die every day! That is as certain, brothers and sisters, as my boasting of you—a boast that I make in Christ Jesus our Lord. If I fought with wild animals at Ephesus with a merely human perspective, what would I have gained by it? If the dead are not raised, “Let us eat and drink, for tomorrow we die.” Do not be deceived: “Bad company ruins good morals.” Sober up, as you rightly ought to, and sin no more, for some people have no knowledge of God. I say this to your shame.
HYMN: George Ratcliffe Woodward
Tune: Vruechten https://tinyurl.com/bdep8u5d
1 This joyful Eastertide,
away with sin and sorrow!
My Love, the Crucified,
has sprung to life this morrow:
Refrain:
Had Christ, who once was slain,
not burst His three-day prison,
our faith had been in vain;
but now has Christ arisen,
arisen, arisen;
but now has Christ arisen!
2 Death’s flood has lost its chill
since Jesus crossed the river;
Lover of souls, from ill
my passing soul deliver: [Refrain]
3 My flesh in hope shall rest
and for a season slumber
till trump from east to west
shall wake the dead in number: [Refrain]
READING: Mark 16:12-20
After this the Lord appeared in another form to two of them, as they were walking into the country. And they went back and told the rest, but they did not believe them.
Later he appeared to the eleven themselves as they were sitting at the table, and he upbraided them for their lack of faith and stubbornness, because they had not believed those who saw him after he had risen. And he said to them, “Go into all the world and proclaim the good news to the whole creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved, but the one who does not believe will be condemned. And these signs will accompany those who believe: by using my name they will cast out demons; they will speak in new tongues; they will pick up snakes, and if they drink any deadly thing, it will not hurt them; they will lay their hands on the sick, and they will recover.”
So then the Lord Jesus, after he had spoken to them, was taken up into heaven and sat down at the right hand of God. And they went out and proclaimed the good news everywhere, while the Lord worked with them and confirmed the message by the signs that accompanied it.
CANTICLE Revelation 19:1-7
(Mount St. Mary’s Seminary https://tinyurl.com/57f9sztd)
Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him,
both great and small, alleluia.
Alleluia.
Salvation, glory, and power to our God: alleluia.
his judgments are honest and true.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
Sing praise to our God, all you his servants, alleluia.
all who worship him reverently, great and small.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
The Lord our all-powerful God is King; alleluia.
Let us rejoice, sing praise, and give him glory.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Alleluia.
The wedding feast of the Lamb has begun, alleluia.
and his bride is prepared to welcome him.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, alleluia.
As it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Alleluia, alleluia.
Ant. Praise God, all you who serve him,
both great and small, alleluia.
THE PRAYERS CWC
Even as we are witnesses to Mary’s joy,
we also hold space for her grief—
joy at the power of love to defeat death,
sorrow at relationships forever altered.
As Mary shared good news with Peter
and as Jesus comforted Mary,
so we rejoice and weep together
as we lift up our joys and our pains,
our hopes and our disappointments.
For the laws and lawmakers, governance and governors
that order our days and structure our lives . . .
For the institutions and teachers
that steward the knowledge that shapes our imaginations . . .
For the caretakers and the care receivers
whose compassion keeps us human . . .
For those in our midst
for whom joy and grief are present realities . . .
God of resurrection,
we know that even as new life is at hand
and love overcomes death,
we continue to grapple with death-dealing systems,
fractured communities,
and the broken realities they create.
Help us to hold space for those things and people
that must be carefully tended.
Give us the strength and courage
to remove stones from tombs
that have too long housed the living.
All this we pray in the name of the risen one,
Jesus Christ our Savior. Amen.
Setting by Eric Wyse:2
Our Father in heaven,
hallowed be your Name,
your kingdom come,
your will be done,
on earth as in heaven.
Give us today our daily bread;
and forgive us our sins
as we forgive those who sin against us.
Save us from the time of trial
and deliver us from evil.
For the kingdom, the power, and the glory are yours,
now and for ever. Amen.
Almighty God,
who called your servant William Law
to a devout and holy life:
grant that by your spirit of Love
and through faithfulness in prayer
we may find the way to divine knowledge
and so come to see the hidden things of God;
through Jesus Christ your Son our Lord,
who is alive and reigns with you,
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, now and for ever. Amen. EH
https://tinyurl.com/rkxkpmc
Go in peace, alleluia, alleluia!
Thanks be to God, alleluia, alleluia!
Glory to God whose power, working in us,
can do infinitely more than we can ask or imagine:
Glory to him from generation to generation in the Church,
and in Christ Jesus for ever and ever. Amen. Ephesians 3:20,21
BCW Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 1993.
BCW2018 Book of Common Worship, Presbyterian Church U.S.A., 2018
EH Exciting Holiness Edited by Brother Tristam SSF, © European Province of the Society of Saint Francis, 1997
CWC Connections Worship Companion, ed. David Gambrell © Westminster John Knox Press
The traditional language psalms are from The Book of Common Prayer (1662). The modern language version of Psalm 41 is from the The Book of Common Prayer (1979) and is sung by Ryland Angel. Psalms 42 and 43 are from The Abbey Psalms and Canticles ©2010, 2018 The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, Washington, D.C. All rights reserved. ©2020 as recorded for the Chants and Rants YouTube channel: https://www.youtube.com/@chantsandrants
The main scripture readings are from the New Revised Standard Version, Updated Edition. Copyright © 2021 National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
Musical links are usually either to artists’ albums posted on Spotify or to recordings made available at smallchurchmusic.com. Audio stripped from YouTube videos is footnoted accordingly above.
Compilation © 2026 Stephen T. Benner. All links worked at the time they were created, but I cannot accept responsibility for their content or any damage resulting from their use. The linked content is under the control of the respective content creators and is subject to change at any time. Any copyright texts included in this compilation are provided for non-commercial purposes related to study or worship. Please contact the respective copyright holders for permission to use the texts in other contexts.
Oremus 