The Jersey City news. (Jersey City [N.J.]) 1889-1906, 1894-11-19

and the Ambassadors, with their suites.
On the left of the coffin were number
of clergymen and in front number OF
military and other dignitaries. Behind
the altar all the available space was
crowded, two persons being jammed in
to the space that should be occupied by
one large number of Russian Cen
erals We're grouped in the Fortress yard,
there being no room for them within
the Cathedral.
The harmony of the male choir, which
sang without instrumental accompani-
ment, was perfect. Their voices were of
marvellous richness and purity, and the
effect throughout the solemn service
was deeply impressive
FOR DESPOTS ONLY.
After the general mass for the dead,
with its elaborate ceremony. the special
service for a dead Czar was begun. The
service began with brief prayer, after
which Psalm 81 was sung by an unseen
male choir. Then followed the singing
of Psalm 119, which was divided into three
stations, with an anthem after each part.
The first anthem was the Gloria Allie
luia," the second, Have Mercy Upon My
Soul" and the third BLESSED Art Thou,
~
the end of the second station, before the
anthem, was the prayer
God of all Spirits and all Flesh, who
has destroyed death, trodden down Satan
and given hope in Thy Word, grant, o
Lord, that the soul of Thy servant, our
Emperor rest in happy, pleasant and
peaceful places from which grief and
signing shall flee away. Forgive, o Lord,
the sins he hath committed in thought,
word and deed, for there is not man
who liveth that sinneth not. Thou only
art without sin. Thy righteousness is
everlasting righteousness and Thy word
is truth
Six litanies were then sung by the
Metropolitan and the choir each one hav-
ing the refrain:-"Lord, Teach me Thy
Judgments A beautifully rendered
"Gloria in Excelsis Del" followed the
htanies, which was succeeded by an into
nation by the Metropolitan: Lord, make
Thy servant rest with the righteous and
cause him to dwell in Thy courts AS it is
written, mercifully forgive his sins, volun-
tary and involuntary, and all offences,
knowingly and unknowingly committed,
Thou Lover of Mankind"
CANONS AND TROPARIONS.
The Nfserere and Psalm 81 followed
this, and then the ancient ac.'ostic canon,
mystical composition by Theophranes,
priest of the early church, was pro-
nounced. After this came six hymns and
an intonation:-"A is Vanity. Life is
a shadow and dream. Every Earthborn
creature disquieteth himself in vain, as
it is written, when we have heaped UP
riches in the world we lie down in the
grave where kings and beggars sleep
together. Therefore, Christ Our Lord.
as the lover of mankind, give repose to
the soul of Thy departed servant"
After another short prayer, eight tro-
parions by John, the Monk of Damascus,
were pronounced. One of them ram
Where are the affections of the world;
where are the vain dreams and tempor-
ary delights; where are the gold and
silver; where are the multitudes of at
tendants? All dust and ashes. The
shadows have passed away. Come, then,
let US address the Immortal King. 0
Lord, vouchsafe Thy blessings to Thy
departed servant, and grant him repose
in Thy everlasting beatitudes."
The second of the troparions ran thus:
'I have called to mind the words of the
prophet, saying, I am dust and ashes
again. Contemplating the grave 1 be-
held bones divested of their flesh. Is
this, said I, king or a beggar, rich
man or a poor one, a just man or a sin
ner? But do Thou, o Lord, give rest
to Thy servant among the just" Recd-
tations of the Beatitudes followed. while
between the troparions were interspersed
prayers for the departed. After an in
scription to the Trinity and the Virgin
Mary, the first lesson was read, COM
prising verses 13 to Is of the fourth chap
ter of Thessalonians, followed by the
psalm, blessed is the Man Whom Thou
Choosest and Receivest Unto Thee
Then came the second lesson, verses "a
to 81 inclusive, of the fifth chapter of
John, and the prayer, God of All Spir-
its,' was said as the Metropolitan ap-
preached the catafalque preparatory to
the ceremony of taking solemn fare
well of the dead. This was done by the
chief mourners, the Metropolitan and
the archpriests, the Metropolitan mean
while repeating the following as from
the mouth of the dead:-"Brethren and
friends, view me here lying speechless
and breathless and lament. But yes
terday we conversed together. Awful
hour! Death has now overtaken mel
Come near all who are bound to me
in aff1iction, and with last embrace
pronounce last farewell. No longer
shall I sojourn among you, no longer
shall I bear a part in your discourses.
To Judge I go who is no respecter
of persons. Master and slave, sovereign
and subject, rich and poor, are alike
before Him. According to their deeds
they are put to shame or rewarded.
Therefore. let me entreat all of you to
pray to God earnestly that 1 am not tor
mented with the wicked according to
my sins, but am received into the Light
of Life
MEMORY FOREVER
After the repetition of the Holy,
Holy and the Lords Prayer the Metro
politan repeated thrice:-t'May thy mem
ory endure forever. Oh. our brother,
who was worthy to be blessed with re-
membrancei' The choir sang this three
times, and the Metropolitan then pro-
nounced the words of absolution for the
dead, as follows:-
"Christ, Our Lord who commanded
the Apostles to retain or remit sins,
through whom I received power to do
the same, pardon thee my spiritual child,
for whatever sins, voluntary or invol-
untary, thou mayst have committed in
this life now and forever unto the ages
of ages. Amen