good evening and welcome to canterbury cathedral for this last service of the day of compline we began in the orchard here in the deanery this morning with morning prayer on a boisterous and rather wet morning to say our morning prayers here taking shelter amongst the trees we've come back here this evening the day has got milder and there are even patches of blue sky and a little evening sunshine here but still it's nice to be sheltered in this spot as we come together to say the last prayers of the day it's august the 30th and john bunyan is in our calendar for today in fact he he died on august the 31st and i think probably he was put into our calendar on the 30th and i know in the calendar of the episcopal church i think on the 29th of august so i'm going to keep him a little tonight and again tomorrow morning because i think that bunyan's pilgrim's progress is one of those great books of journeying which has been translated into so many different languages that the images it gives of the christians journey along the highway of salvation with all its temptations and all its dangers but also its joys and the people that people that that christian meets along the way in part one of the book and his wife christiana meets on the way with her four sons and their neighbor mercy in the second part of the book gives us some good material tonight and tomorrow to give thanks for john bunyan this book was written in prison in bedford and at the same time it was published in 1678 and has never been out of print since and has been translated into so many different languages it really is one of the christian classics so here's my old copy which was given to me as a sunday school prize in can you believe it 1958 and coincidentally it was given to me the inscription on the front is signed by the sunday school superintendent it was given to me on august the 31st bunion's death day that was a complete coincidence and i hadn't really noticed it until i was looking at it earlier that that was the date i was given it on and on the front is a wonderful picture of help pulling the vastly burdened christian out of the slow of despawn do you remember that evangelist has said to christian when christian wonders where he should run um he says do you see yonder wicket gate and christian says no he doesn't and then evangelist said but do you see you're under shining light and christian says i think so and the evangelist says keep that light in your eye go towards it and you will find the gate and sure enough when christian has in some way or another having first fall into the slough of this bond and gone on and been put right again and gone here wrong and they're wrong he finds the gate and good will opens the gate to him and allows him through banyan has a great capacity for naming places and naming people and one meets pliable and obstinate and timorous and mr worldly wise man and on the other hand one meets help and faithful and good will and watchful and of course in part one giant despair tomorrow we'll look more at part two and there are some wonderful names and situations there but for tonight i just wanted to read a little bit of pilgrim's progress to remind us of the quality of the book it has certain quirks of ecclesial tradition as one might say these days but nevertheless the strength of the book in the way it goes forward is in the imagery used and that is unforgettable so here we are after christian has come through the gate but is still burdened with the great pack of sins on his back and interpreter has explained certain things and then he says then said the interpreter to christian has thou considered these things christian says yes and they put me in hope and fear in the interpreter well keep all things so in thy mind that they may be as a goad in thy sides to prickly forward in the way thou must go then christian began to gird up his loins and to address himself to his journey then said the interpreter the comforter be always with the good christian to guide thee into the way that leads to the city so christian went on his way now i saw in my dream that the highway up which christian was to go was fenced on either side with a wall that was called salvation up this way therefore did burdened christian run but not without great difficulty because of the load on his back he ran thus till he came to a place somewhat ascending and upon that place stood across and a little below in the bottom a sepulcher so i saw in my dream that just as christian came up with the cross his burden loosed from off his shoulders and fell from off his back and began to tumble and so continued to do till it came to the mouth of the sepulchre where it fell in and i saw it no more then was christian glad and lightsome and said with a merry heart he has given me rest by his sorrow and life by his death then he stood a while to look and wonder for it was very surprising to him that the sight of the cross should thus ease him of his burden he looked therefore and looked again even till the springs that were in his head sent water down his cheeks and as he stood looking and weeping behold three shining ones came to him and saluted him with peace be to thee so the first said to him thy sins be forgiven thee the second stripped him of his rags and closed him with a change of raiment and the third also set a mark on his forehead and gave him a roll with a seal upon it which he based him look on as he ran and that he should give it in at the celestial gate so the shining ones went their way then christian gave three leaps for joy and went on his way singing it's a great image of release as christian continues his journey we shall think some more about bunyan and his marvelous allegory tomorrow but for now let's ourselves prepare ourselves to rest with the little service of compline the lord almighty grant us a quiet night and a perfect end amen 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 but thou o lord have mercy upon us thanks be to god our help is in the name of the lord who has made heaven and earth so in a moment we ponder the day and reflect even on the last few days since we last said this service together last sunday night and in an aspect of penitence in a moment or two we will confess our sins we confess to god almighty the father the son and the holy ghost before the whole company of heaven that we have sinned exceedingly in thought word and deed through our fault our own fault our own grievous fault therefore we pray god to have mercy upon us almighty god have mercy upon us forgive us all our sins and bring us to everlasting life amen turn us so god our savior and let thine anger cease from us though god make speed to save us oh lord make haste to help us 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 we're using tonight psalm 91 and psalm 134 whosoever dwelleth under the defense of the most high shall abide under the shadow of the almighty i will say unto the lord thou art my hope and my stronghold my god in him will i trust for he shall deliver thee from the snare of the hunter and from the noise and pestilence he shall defend thee under his wings and thou shalt be safe under his feathers his faithfulness and truth shall be thy shield and butler thou shalt not be afraid for any terror by night nor for the arrow that flieth by day for the pestilence that walketh in darkness nor for the sickness that destroyeth in the noonday a thousand shall fall beside thee and ten thousand at thy right hand but it shall not come nighty yea with thine eyes shalt thou behold and see the reward of the ungodly for thou lord art my hope thou hast set thine house of defense very high there shall no evil happen unto thee neither shall any plague come neither dwelling for he shall give his angels charge over thee to keep thee in all thy ways they shall bear thee in their hands that thou had not thy foot against a stone 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 behold now praise the lord all ye servants of the lord ye that by night stand in the house of the lord even in the courts of the house of our god lift up your hands in the sanctuary and praise the lord the lord that made heaven and earth give the blessing out of zion 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 [Applause] thou o lord out in the midst of us and we are called by thy name leave us not o lord our god thanks be to god [Music] into thy hands o lord 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 ghost into thy hands o lord i commend my spirit before the ending of the day creator of the world we pray that with thy wonted favor thou wouldst be our guard and keeper now from all ill dreams defend our eyes from nightly fears and fantasies tread underfoot our ghostly foe that no pollution we may know oh father that we ask be done through jesus christ thine only son who with the holy ghost and thee doth live and reign eternally keep me o lord as the apple of an eye hide me under the shadow of thy wings this morning as we were here in the orchard we thought about how the great garden designer capability brown would dam a small stream and make of it a great lake and we used it as an image of the spirit's refreshing power with small streams in our lives to create that refreshing water in a much bigger stillness and tonight we've set our candle in the middle of the pond here being fed by the small stream may it be for you a sign of refreshment as you remember those whom you have known and loved who have died and also those who have died this week for whatever reason rest eternal grant unto them oh lord and let light perpetual shine upon them [Music] may they rest in peace and rise in glory amen hmm save us our lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace lord now let us thou thy servant depart in peace according to thy word for mine eyes have seen thy salvation which thou hast prepared before the face of all people 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 ghost as it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end amen save us o lord while waking and guard us while sleeping that awake we may watch with christ and asleep we may rest in peace 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 trespass against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil for thine is the kingdom the power and the glory forever and ever amen [Applause] we will lay us down in peace and take our rest about save our lord to keep us this night without sin o lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us o lord let thy mercy lighten upon us says our trust is in thee lord hear our prayer and let our cry come unto thee let us pray visit we beseech thee o lord our homes and drive far from them all snares of the enemy let thy holy angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace and may thy blessing be upon us ever more through jesus christ our lord amen be present oh 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 moment of silence now as we make our own prayers on this sunday evening [Applause] the peace of god which passes all understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of god and of his son jesus christ our lord and the blessing of god almighty the father the son and the holy spirit be upon you upon those whom you love and those whom you would pray for tonight and always our men [Applause] a pilgrim hymn through the night of doubt and sorrow onward goes the pilgrim band singing songs of expectation marching to the promised land clear before us through the darkness gleams and burns the guiding light pilgrim clasps the hand of pilgrim stepping fearless through the night one the light of god's own presence saw his ransomed people shed chasing far the gloom and terror brightening all the paths we tread one the object of our journey one the faith which never tires one the earnest looking forward one the hope our god inspires one the strain that lips of thousands lift us from the heart of one one the conflict one the pedal one the march in god begun one the gladness of rejoicing on the far eternal shore where the one almighty father reigns in love forevermore [Applause] soon shall come the great awaking soon the rending of the tomb then the scattering of all shadows and the end of toil and gloom [Music] [Applause] so so so [Music] so [Music] so so so so foreign this