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A69499 Devotions in the ancient way of offices with psalms, hymns, and prayers for every day in the week and every holiday in the year. Birchley, William, 1613-1669. 1668 (1668) Wing A4248A; ESTC R8861 220,254 576

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sin and a shame that brings glory and grace Accept no person against thy soul not let the respect of any cause thee to fall Reverence not thy neighbour in his offence nor refrain from speaking when there is occasion to do good By no means contradict the truth nor be asham'd to confess thy sins Be not hasty in thy words and remiss and unprofitable in thy deeds Let not thy hand be stretcht out to receive and clos'd to give Be not as a lyon in thy house nor oppress those that are under thee Fear our Lord and the King and with detracters meddle not for their perdition shall suddenly come upon them He that swears much shall be fill'd with iniquity and mischief shall not depart from his house if he deceive his brother his sin shall be upon him if he dissemble he doubles his offence and if he swear in vain he shall not be acquitted Turn away thy face from a woman trimly drest and gaze not at anothers beauty for by the beauty of a woman many have perisht and it inflames concupiscence as a fire Be not at the feast of great drinkers nor at the riotous banquets of those who bring their dishes together to eat for the drunkard and the glutton shall be consum'd and the drowsy cloth'd with rags I past by the field of a slothful man and by the vinyard of a fool and behold it was run over with netles and thorns cover'd its face and the stone wall was destroy'd which when I saw I laid it in my hart and by the example learnt discipline By what things a man sins by the same he shall be tormented R. Blessed O my God be thy Providence for ever which so plentifully furnishes us with rules of vertue and so safely guides all those sould to happines who chuse to live under thy sweet government * As thou hast shewn us the way Lord give us strength to walk in it and bring us in the end to thy eternal rest Make us seriously reflect on every line we read and love the truth when it most reproves us Make us labour to correct every error of our lives and always humbly implore thy gracious assistance * As thou hast Glory be c. * As thou hast Pause As page 17. VVednesday Lauds O God incline c. as page 18. Antiph All my life long will I praise my God and lift up my hands to his holy Throne Psal XLIV LEt them neglect thy praises O Lord who never consider thy mercys Let them be silent to thee O gracious God whose mouths are full of themselves But as for us who subsist by thy gifts * and thankfully acknowledg the riches of thy goodnes Our harts shal continually meditate on Thee and our lips delight to sing thy glory Blessed for ever be thy name O JESU and blessed be the sweetnes of thy Wisdom Whose infinite Charity has vouchsaft our earth * such excellent Rules to guide it to heaven Thou taughtst us that happy skil of finding our lives by a generous losing them to follow Thee Thou taught'st us to love our true selvs best by wisely hating our mistaken selvs Thou taught'st us to trample this world under our feet and use it as a step to climb up to the next From Thee we learn those glorious Mysterys * that exalt our faith so high above reason From thee we derive those Heroick Counsels * that raise our souls so far above nature From thee alone and from thy school of grace * all we know we learn and all we do we receive How long alas might we have wandred here * in the midst of darknes and error Had not thy love and pity O merciful Lord brought down thy very self to become our light Never should we else have learnt to deny our selvs and take up our Cross and follow Thee Never should we have known that great secret of peace to forgive our enemys and do good to those who despitefully use us On the unsatisfying things of this low earth * should we blindly have set our whole affections Hadst thou not told us of the Kingdom of Heav'n and bid us lay up our treasures there Hadst thou not terrify'd us to fear thy wrath by declaring the miserys that attend our sins Hadst thou not invited us to obey thy Commands by proposing the felicitys of a pious life What hast thou promised gracious Lord * to the meek and poor in spirit What hast thou promised to the Weepers here to those that hunger and thirst after holines How many joys has thy bounty prepar'd for the lovers of mercy and the makers of peace How many blessings for the pure of hart and those who with patience bear their Crosses O thou all-seeing Wisdom of the eternal Father * and Soveraign King of Men and Angels Who left'st thy glorious Throne to come down on our earth and familiarly teach us the Oracles of heav'n Write thou these sacred words in the tables of our harts and suffer not at any time our passions to break them Make us stil study Thee our heav'nly Master and continually admire the beauty of thy Law A Law that so clearly shews us our end and so plenteously furnishes means to attain it A Law that so safely cures our infirmitys and so fitly supplys all our defects A Law so exactly conform to true reason and so highly perfective of humane nature A blessed Law that makes even here our life more sweet and leads us herafter to everlasting felicity Glory be c. Psal XLV NEver will we cease to exalt thy Goodnes O JESU since thou never ceasest to oblige us with new Blessings Thy generous charity could not thus be satisfyd to have only spoken to us the words of lif 'T was not enough for thy excessive love that thy heav'nly Sermons told us our duty But thou must urge and provoke our obedience by the sweet inforcement of thine own example Thou forbad'st thy followers to affect superfluitys and thine own provision was a few barly loavs Thou command'st the rich to give alms with cheerfulnes and bestow'st on the poorest wretch even thy precious self Thou bid'st us not fear them that kill the body and yeildest up thine own to the death on the Cross Thou injoyn'st us to love our fiercest Enemys and thy dying breath pray'd for thy Crucifiers Thy perfect Soul needed not as our weak natures * the outward forms and discipline of Religion Yet thou vouchsafed'st to observe the common Feasts and assist at the publique Offices of the Temple To watch and pray and fast with so fervent a zeal that thy practice outdid thine own precepts This life and even death it self our merciful Lord undertook to mark out for us the way to heav'n To beat it plain by his own sacred steps and render our passage thither easy and secure Shal we not then O my Soul rejoycingly follow that path * which we see our Saviour trod before us Which we see though
Servants prophecy of Thee thus did their children sing thy praises Blessed be the Lord our God who alone does wonderful things and blessed be the Name of his Majesty for ever His dominion shall reach from sea to sea and from the river to the end of the world They who dwell in the wildernes shall kneel before him and his enemys shall lick the dust The Kings of Tharsis and the Isles shall offer him presents the Kings of Arabia and Saba shal bring him gifts All the Kings of the earth shal adore him and all Nations do him service For he shall rescue the weak from the hand of the mighty the weak who had none to help him He shall be favourable to the simple and the needy and preserve the souls of the poor He shall deliver them from usury and oppression and their name shall be honourable in his sight He shal live and to him shal be given of the gold of Arabia they shal adore him perpetually and bless him all day long O thou eternal King of heav'n and earth make good to thy servants these happy predictions So rule us here that we obey thy grace so favour us herafter that we injoy thy glory Glory be c. Antiph Lord thou not only offer'st us salvation but lay'st in means before hand to make us accept it Antiph All 's one to Thee O mighty Love whether joy or sorrow so mankind be sav'd Psal XCV 'T Was not thy joys alone O dearest Lord that thou inspir'dst into thy holy Prophets But thou reveal'dst to them thy sorrows too and commandedst them to publish them with a tender care That they not only should speak thy words but the more to affect us put on thy person O let our eys run down with water and our harts faint away with grief While we remember the suff'rings of our Lord and hear his sad complaints I gave my body to those that beat it and my cheeks to those that buffeted them I turn'd not away from them that reproach't me nor from them that spit on my face My enemys whisper together and spitefully maligne me when wil he dy and his name perish My familiar friend who ate of my bread * has lifted up his heel against me But thou upheldst me O Lord in my integrity and fet'st me before thy face for ever They Compast me about with words of malice and fought against me without a cause They rewarded me evil for good and hatred for my love I am poured forth like water I am taken away as a shadow when it declines My hart within me is as melted wax and all my bones are out of joynt My strength is dry'd up like a potsheard and my tongue cleaves to the roof of my mouth I'expected some to pity me and there was none I look't for Comforters but I found not one O my god my God how far hast thou forsaken me thou hast brought me into the dust of death Our father 's called to Thee and were deliver'd they trusted in Thee and were not abondoned But I am a worm and no man the reproach of men and the despis'd of the people All that see me laugh me to scorn they shoot out the lip and shake their head saying He trusted in God that he would save him let him deliver him if he delight in him Be not far from me O Lord my strength for trouble is nigh and none to help me The Assembly of the wicked have inclosed me about they pierce my hands and my feet I 〈◊〉 tell all my bones they gaze and stare upon me They part my garments among them and on my vesture they cast lots They gave me gall to eat and in my thirst vinegar to drink All these sad things O Lord thy Prophets foretold * to prepare our faith for such exorbitant truths All these indeed they expresly foretold but could there be found such wretches as would act them Yes O my God thine own selected nation conspir'd against Thee and with innumerable affronts most barbarously murther'd Thee This too even this thy cruel death thou plainly foreshewd'st The Inhabitants of Jerusalem shall look on me whom they crucify'd But O you holy Prophets what was the dismal cause * that shed the blood of this spotles Lamb He had they quickly answer done no iniquity nor could any fraud be found in his mouth But he was smiten for the sins of the people and taken away from the land of the living He deliver'd up himself to death and was numbred with the wicked he bore the sins of many and pray'd for his transgressors All we like sheep have gone astray and God laid on Him the iniquity of us all He was wounded for our offences and bruised for our transgressions The chastisements of our peace was upon him and by his stripes we were healed O blessed JESU who took'st upon thee our infirmitys to bestow on us thy own perfections Heal us thou great Physician of our souls and let us sin no more lest a worse thing befal us Heal us by the Mystery of thy holy Incarnation and the meeknes of thy humble Birth Heal us by the precious blood of thy Circumcision and the sweet and ever blessed name of JESUS Heal us by thy gracious manifestation to the Gentiles and the powerful influence of all thy Miracles Heal us by the exemplary obedience of thy Presentation and the Soveraign balsom of thy passion Heal us by the joys of thy victorious Resurrection and the triumph of thy glorious Ascension Heal us by the memory of all thy Blessings heal us by the memory of this days Mercy Heal us thou great Physician of our souls and let us sin no more lest a worse thing befal us Glory be c. Antiph All 's one to Thee O mighty Love whither joy or sorrow so mankind be sav'd Our Father c. First Lesson Isa 11. A Branch shal come forth from the root of Jesse and a flower rise up out of his root and the spirit of our Lord shal rest upon Him the spirit of wisdom and understanding the spirit of Counsel and strength the spirit of knowledg and piety and the spirit of the fear of our Lord shal replenish him He shal not judg according to the sight of the eys nor rebuke according to the hearing of the ears but he shal judg the poor in justice and rebuke for the mild of the earth in equity he shal strike the earth with the rod of his mouth and with the breath of his lips kil the impious Justice shal be the Girdle of his loyns and Faith the binder of his reins The Wolf shal dwel with the Lamb and the Leopard ly down with the Kid the Calf and the Lyon and the Sheep shal abide together and a little child lead them they shal not hurt and they shal not kil in all my holy mountain because the earth is filled with the knowledg of our Lord as the waters cover the Sea In
the Heavens have received Him Alleluja Alleluja O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to thee Let us Pray O God who hast glorify'd our Victorious Saviour with a visibly triumphant Resurrection from the dead and Ascension into Heaven where he sits at thy right hand the Worlds supream Governour and final Judg Grant we humbly beseech thee his Triumphs and Glorys may ever shine in our eyes to make us more clearly and couragiously look thorow his sufferings and assure by his Example our hopes on his promises that if by thy grace we endeavour to live and dye like Him purely for the advance of thy love in our selvs and others Thou wilt raise again our bodies too and conforming them to his glorious body call us up above the clouds and give us possession of thy everlasting Kingdom Through the same our Lord JESUS CHRIST thy Son who with thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen COMMEMORATIONS For the B. Virgin Antiph And the King sate on his Throne and a Throne was plac'd for the Kings Mother and She sate on his right hand And the King said to her ask on my Mother for I will not deny thee V. Ask thou all Blessings for us O Blessed among Women R. Of thy wombs Blessed Fruit our Lord JESUS O God who hast endow'd the ever Blessed Virgin MARY with all the graces on earth and all the gloryes in heaven worthy the Mother of thy son the Worlds great Redeemer Grant we beseech thee that as we praise and magnifie thy Name for so highly exalting the lowliness of thy Handmaid we may be encourag'd by the confidence of her intercession to hope still more in thy mercy both for pardon of our sins and conduct of our lives and joyful reception into thy everlasting Kingdom through the same our Lord JESUS CHRIST thy Son who with thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen For the Saints Antiph They seem in the eys of the foolish dead to themselves and all the world but they rest with God in immortal peace and exercise towards us a far greater charity V. Hear thou O Lord their Prayers for us in Heaven R. Who on Earth have taught us to pray O Eternal Father whose holy Spirit by thy blessed Apostles has planted in the world the saving Doctrine of thy Son and water'd it with so much sweat blood of Them and their Followers that it has o'respread the earth and born much fruit to heav'n Most thankfully we praise Thee for the gracious Lives and Deaths of all thy Saints here and the glorious Crowns with which they are rewarded in thy Kingdom where we humbly beseech Thee accept their intercession for us siners applying so home to our harts their Memorys and Merits that we too by thy grace may in some measure live and dy like Them and be crown'd at length with the same blisful rewards through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen For the Church Antiph Let us in all things grow in Him who is our head Christ from whom the whole body being compact and knit together by every joynt of subministration increases to the edifying it self in charity V. We all are Members of the same Body R. Let us serve and love and pray for one another O God who gatherest thy Flock out of all Nations into the saving Fold of one Catholik Church where thy Providence has ordain'd Bishops and Pastors immediately to feed thy Sheep and Lambs and one Supreme Governour to secure Unity among the rest Bless we beseech thee thy Servant N. who at present sits in the known Chair of St. Peter with all the graces necessary to that highest Office on earth Bless all Bishops and their Clergy with courage and skil and fatherly care to edify and guard their several Charges Bless all the Faithful with a filial love and due obedience to their Superiours that the clearnes of truth and beauty of holines dayly increasing in thy Church through every ones devout pursuance of their dutys all Heresies and Schisms may at length vanish among Christians and all Pagans and Jews be happily won into her sacred bosom the sole Ark of Salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen For the King Antiph Be subject to all in Autority to the King as most excellent and to the Rulers as sent by Him for punishment of the Bad and reward of the Good Be subject for so is the Will of God that by doing well you may stop the mouths of the ignorant and malicious V. Be subject not only for fear R. But for Conscience sake O God by whom alone Kings reign and all kinds and degrees of lawful Magistracy are substituted to provide for the publik Peace among such infinite varieties of humours and interests and by restraining private injurys to remove the impediments of true Charity that so the whole State and each Member may be built up together to their greatest fitness for thy heav'nly Kingdom Preserve we humbly beseech thee and govern by thy grace our Soveraign Lord King Charles endow his royal Person with Wisdom and Courage and all qualities befitting his weighty Office Bless him with fidedelity and diligence in his Ministers and with reverence and obedience in all his Subject that the sword of Justice in his Hand may establish us in peace and plenty to our freer improvement under the Discipline of true vertue and the higher exalting his own Crown in the Kingdom of Eternity through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come to Thee Bless we our Lord. Thanks be to God May the Souls of the Faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace Amen Pause and meditate a while according to your devotion Then say The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our harts for ever Amen Pause a while then rise And so ends the Morning Office These four Conmemorations are said every day at the end of Lauds Sunday Vespers IN the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen Our Father Hail Mary O God incline unto our aid O Lord make hast to help us Glory be to As it was Alleluja Antiph Glorious things are said of Thee thou 〈◊〉 City of the King of Heav'n Alleluja Psal VIII LEt them O Lord seek other delights who expect no felicity from thee Let them fill up their time with other imployments who think thy rewards not worth their labour As for thy servants our chief content shall be to meditate
art so much the more humble thy self and thou shalt find grace before God for the power of God only is great and he is honor'd of the humble Seek not the things that are too high for thee nor search into those that are above thy strength but the things which God has commanded thee think always on them and in many of his works be not curious since 't is not necessary for thee to see with thine eys those things that are hidden Place thy treasure in the precepts of the Highest and it shall profit thee more then gold Lay up thy alms in the hart of the poor and it shall obtain for thee against all evil above the shield of the mighty and above the spear it shall fight against the enemy In all thy gifts shew a chearful countenance and dedicate thy tyths with gladness give to the Highest according to what He has given thee and with a good ey do according to the ability of thy hands for our Lord is thy rewarder and he will repay thee seven times as much When the ways of a man please our Lord he will convert even his enemys to peace The hart of a man disposes his way but it pertains to our Lord to direct his steps He that is patient is better then the strong and he that rules over his mind then the Conqueror of Cities There is no wisdom there is no prudence there is no counsel against our Lord the horse is prepar'd for the day of batle but our Lord gives salvation R. Well may we give thee O Lord some part of what we have since we receiv'd of thee even all we have well may we give with gladness to Thee since thy bounty rewards us with so great advantage O make us still mistrust our selvs and with an humble confidence rely on Thee Without thy blessing our labors are in vain and against thy decrees no pollicy can succeed but if we humbly submit to thee thou wilt direct us if we keep thy commandments thou wilt defend us O make us Second Lesson WHen thou com'st to the service of God stand in justice and fear and prepare thy soul for tentation What ever is brought upon thee receive and in thy sorrow bear up and when thou art humbled have patience for gold and silver are try'd in the fire and acceptable men in the furnace of affliction Believe God and he will recover thee order thy way aright and hope in Him keep his fear and grow old therein You who fear our Lord expect his mercy decline not from him lest you fall believe him and your reward shall not miscarry You who fear our Lord hope in him and mercy shall come to you for your refreshment love him and your harts shall be illuminated Behold the generations of men and know that none has hop't in our Lord and been confounded Who ever continued in his commandments and was forsaken or cal'd upon him and he despised him God is compassionate and merciful and will pardon sins in the day of tribulation and protect all those that seek him in truth Wo to the double hart and wicked lips and the hands that work evil and the sinner that goes on the earth two ways Wo to them that are of dissolute hart who believe not God and therefore shall not be protected by him Wo to them that have lost patience and forsaken the right path and declin'd into perverse ways what will they do when our Lord shall begin to look into them R. Teach us O gracious Lord to begin our works with fear and go on with obedience and finish them with love and after all sit humbly down in hope and with a chearful confidence look up to thee * whose promises are faithful and rewards infinite All this we may do for men and yet they fail us we may fear and obey and they forget our service we may love and hope and they neglect our affections only Thou O Lord our God whom we no way can benefit dost every way oblige us * whose promises Third Lesson BEcause sentence is not speedily pronounc't against the wicked the children of men commit evil without fear but though a sinner offend a hundred times and be forborn by patience I know it shall be well with them that fear God There are just men to whom evil things happen as though they had done the works of the impious and there are impious who live secure as if they had the deeds of the just and this also I judg most vain The just and the wise and their works are in the hands of God yet no man knows whether he be worthy of love or hatred but all things are reserv'd incertain for the time to come because all things happen alike to the good and to the bad As is the vertuous so is the sinner and as the perjur'd so he that swears the truth by this the harts of men are fill'd with malice and contempt while they live and after are led away into hell I turn'd me to another thing and saw under the Sun that the race is not to the swift nor the batle to the strong nor bread to the wise nor riches to the learned nor favour to men of skill but time and chance in all things R. And sure 't is fittest so for what can an infinite Power and Wisdom and Goodnes do but that which is best Lord I submit and adore thy Providence which scatters these temporal things with a seeming negligence as trifles of so litle importance that they signifie neither love nor hatred * Nothing but heav'n is indeed considerable nothing but Eternity deservs our esteem Fix thou our steps O Lord that we stager not at the uneven motions of the world but steddily go on to our glorious home not censuring our journy by the weather we meet nor turning out of the way for any accident that befals us * Nothing but Glory be * Nothing but Pause as page 17. Tuesday Lauds O God incline c. as page 18. Antiph Praise our Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Psal XXXI BE thou eternally ador'd O God of our salvation and may thy praises be sung by thy servants for ever When our first parents had disobey'd thy precepts to the ruine of themselvs and their whole posterity Thy mercy immediately provided a remedy and graciously promised a powerful Redeemer A Redeemer that should conquer sin and death and crush in pieces the serpents head A Redeemer that should fully repair the breaches of mankind and render our condition better then before Enlightning our eys with a clearer view * of those excellent truths that belong to our peace And supporting our nature with a stronger grace * to bear us safely on through all encounters Till we arrive at the land of rest and be receiv'd for ever into that glorious Kingdom O Blessed JESU our strength our guide who know'st and pittiest our weak capacitys Who in thy
flesh are manifest which are fornication uncleanes wantonnes luxury serving of Idols witchcraft enmities contentions emulations angers brauls seditions sects envys murthers drunkennesses riots and such like and they who do such things shall not obtain the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is charity joy peace patience benignity goodnes long-suffering mildnes faith modesty continency chastity against such there is no Law Hymn XV. LEt them go court what joys they please And gain what e're they court For me I find but litle ease In all their gayest sport Be thou alone but with my hart My God my only Blyss I shall not murmur at my part Nor envy their success They talk of pleasure talk of gain None must their humor cross But well I know their pleasure's pain Their greatest profit loss Let them talk on and have not we Our gains our pleasures too Pleasures that spring more sweet and free Gains that more fully flow Nay well endur'd our very pains To us a pleasure are And all our losses turn to gains If hopes may have their share And sure they may such hopes as chear The heav'n espoused brest Hopes that so strangely charm us here What will they be possest All Glory to the sacred Three All honor power and praise As 't was at first still may it be Beyond the end of days Antiph When O my soul did we ever follow our passions but they instantly wrought our disturbance and threatned at last our ruin when did we ever turn our thoughts to piety but it presently brought us peace and refresht our minds with new hopes of felicity V. The winds are often rough and our own weight presses us downwards R. Reach forth O Lord thy saving hand and speedily deliver us O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to thee Let us pray O God whose infinite mercy has vouchsaft us the mighty Rescue of thy only Son from the desperate rebellion of our passions which utterly confound the government and peace of our souls Grant we humbly beseech Thee that our experience of the miserable effects of yielding to their allurements may make us ●●arier in observing and severer in repressing their first motions and thy grace so strongly fortify us against all their furious and repeated assaults that Reason may more and more recover its due force and calmly joyn with Faith to secure and exalt in our harts the blysful throne of thy Charity through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. O Lord hear c. as page 45. Wednesday Complin OUr help is in c. as page 46. Antiph Repent now my soul for the evils thou hast done and bless thy God for the goods thou hast receiv'd Psal L. VVEll we are so much nearer our grave and all the world is older by a day The portion of the wicked is so much less and their time of punishment so much approacht The sufferings of the Patient are so much diminisht and their hopes of delivery so much increast They who have spent this day in sin and folly * see all their thoughts now vanish like a dream They see all 's past but a fear of revenge and the best that can follow is a bitter repentance But such as have wisely bestow'd their time and made another new step towards heav'n They see their joys come to meet them in the way and stil grow bigger as they come Til by a holy death they joyn in one and dwel together for eternal ages O Thou blest Author of all our hopes * and perfect Satisfier of all our wishes Do Thou instruct us in this great wise truth and let every Evening renew it on our minds That the things of this world are of litle import since its joys and griefs last but for a time But the future state most infinitely concerns us where life and death endure for ever Glory be c. Psal LI. WE are nearer indeed the end of our life but what are we nearer the end for which we live What have we done my soul to day * that 's truly advancive to our last great home Have we encreast our esteem of heav'n and setled its love more strongly in our harts Have we avoided any known temptation or faithfully resisted when we could not avoid Have we interrupted our customary faults and checkt the vices we are most enclin'd to Have we embrac't the opportunitys of good * which the mercy of Providence has offered to our hands Have we industriously contriv'd occasions * to improve as we are able our selvs and others Alas dread Lord what do we see when seriously we look into our guilty selvs When we reflect on our former years nay even the follys but of this one day So many hours mispent in nothing so many abus'd in worse than nothing Pardon O meek Redeemer what our passions have done and favourably supply what our weaknes has omited Make us herafter more carefully watch * that our time unprofitably slide not away Make us select every day some fit retreat to study the knowledg of our selvs and Thee Our selvs to correct our many infirmitys and Thee to adore thy infinite perfections Glory be c. Psal LII LItle thou know'st O Lord is the good we do and every grain of it deriv'd from Thee Great we confess are the evils we commit and all to be charg'd entirely on our selvs Tell me my soul when first thou hast well examin'd * the innumerable circumstances that concern thy state Tell me and let not pride deny the truth nor any thing divert thy free confession Could we have sav'd our selvs from that dangerous tentation unles our God had powerfully sustain'd us Could we have carry'd on that pious purpose unles his hand had blest our endeavours No to thy self O Lord give all the praise if thy creatures have perform'd the least good work Give to thy self all the glory O Lord if they have not commited the worst of sins Thy hand alone directs us to do wel and the same blest hand restrains us from ill 'T is not in us to esteem those unseen joys and despise the flatterys of this deceitful world 'T is not the work of corrupted nature to mortify our senses and patiently bear the crosses we meet Of our selvs we are inclin'd to none of these but the grace of God enables us to all Grace gives us strength to overcom our passions and the world and the flesh shal be subject to us Grace gives us faith to fortify our reason and heav'n it self shal be conquer'd by us Glory be c. Antiph Repent now my soul for the evils thou hast done and bless thy God for the goods thou hast received Hymn XVI ANd do we then beleeve There is a world to come Where all this world shal summon'd be To take their final doom Is there a heav'n indeed To crown the innocent Is there a hell and horrid pains The
dispose our lives * in circumstances less favourable then these O let thy powerful hand supply our wants * and lead us on in our low path That at least afar off we may follow them * who strive to tread so near thy steps So shal we too though slowly arrive * at the rich inheritance of that holy Land So shal we gladly enter those Blysful gates and dwel for ever in the City of peace Glory be c. Antiph Well done thou good and faithful servant I gave thee five talents and thou hast gain'd five more enter into thy Masters joy Our Father First Lesson HAve thy thoughts in the precepts of God and let thy chief busines be his Commandments Deliver him that suffers injury out of the hands of the proud and be not faint-harted when thou sittest in judgement Be merciful to Orphans as a father and as a husband to their mother and thou shalt be as the obedient Son of the Highest and he will have mercy on thee more then a mother He that calumniates the poor upbraids his Maker but he honours Him that pitys the necessitous The wicked shal be cast out in his malice but the just has hope in his death Our Lord will not accept any person against the poor and will hear the prayer of him that is injur'd He will not despise the prayer of the Fatherles nor the widow when she pow'rs out her words of complaint Do not the Widows tears run down her cheeks and is not her cry against him that causes them●● but from the cheek they go up to heav'n and our Lord who hears them will not be pleased Turn not away thine eys in anger from the poor nor give him occasion to curse thee behind thy back for the prayer of him that curses thee in the bitternes of his soul shal be heard He that made him shal hear him Remember not every wrong of thy neighbour nor do any thing by injurious practises If thine enemy be hungey give him bread to eat and if he thirst give him water to drink for thou shalt heap ●●ot coals on his head and our Lord will reward thee Contemn not the just man that is poor nor magnify the sinful that is rich The Great and the Judg and the mighty are in honor but there 's none greater then he that fears God R. Lord with what admirable wisdom dost thou govern the world Thou mak'st the poor and appoint'st them their task of innocent work Thou mak'st the rich and giv'st them leasure for their better improvement and both poor and rich to need and help one another * O give us harts to comply with this thy blest design that every one may strive for the good of all One God created us one Saviour redeemed us one holy spirit sanctify'd us that we all may live in love and unity mutual assistance * O give us Second Lesson BE not eager to grow rich but use moderation in thy endeavours Welth hastily gotten shal be diminish't but that which is gather'd with the hand by litle and litle shal be multiply'd Lift not thine eys to the riches which thou canst not have for they make themselvs wings as of an Eagle and fly into the Ayr. Let not thy hart envy siners but be always in the fear of our Lord then shalt thou hope in the later end and thy expectation shal not be disappointed A deceitful ballance is an abomination to God and an equal weight is his delight There 's nothing more wicked then to love mony for he that does so will set even his soul to sale Riches will not profit in the day of wrath but justice shall deliver from death The j●●stice of the righteous shall deliver them and the unjust shall be caught in their deceitful practises the justice of the simple shall guide his way and the wicked shall fall in his own impiety Better is a dry morsel with joy then a house full of victims with brawling Better is a poor man walking in his simplicity then the rich in crooked ways Sweet is the laborers sleep whether he eat much or litle but the satiety of the rich suffers him not to sleep Some who have nothing are as if they were rich and others who abound in wealth are as if they were poor Some give of their own and become richer others take what 's not their own and are always in want The sincerity of the just shal direct them and the deceitfulnes of the perverse shall destroy them R. Give me O thou sweet Disposer of all things give me neither beggary nor riches but only things necessary for my sustenance * Lest perhaps being full I be allur'd to deny thee and say who is the Lord or compel'd by want steal and forswear the name of my God or rather dearest Lord give me what thou pleasest since Thy self hast taught me now a more perfect Lesson to submit intirely my will to Thine only I still may beg that in all my ways thy Providence govern me and in all my temptations thy grace preserve me * Lest Third Lesson 'T Is better to go to the house of mourning then to the house of banqueting for in that the end of all men is signified and he that is alive thinks what herafter he shall be All flesh shall wax old as grass and as leavs growing on a green tree some bud forth and others fall off so is the generation of flesh and blood one is buried and another is born If a man live many years and rejoyce in them all he must remember the darksom time and those many days which when they come the things that are past shall be reprov'd of vanity Rejoyce therefore O young man in thy youth and let thy mind be chearful walk in the ways of thine hart and in the sight of thine eys but know for all these God will bring thee to Judgment Remember thy Creator in the days of thy youth before the time of aff●●ction come and the years approach of which thou shalt say They please me not Before the dust return to its ear●●h from whence it came and the spirit to God who gave it Of making many books there is no end and much study is wearines to the flesh Let us hear the Conclusion of all Fear God and keep his commandments for this is the whole duty of man R. In all thy works remember thy last end when thou must bid a long farewel to all this world remember that dreadful day of the universal Judgment when thou must give account for every idle word * And thou shalt not sin for ever Remember the joys prepar'd for the innocent and the miserys that attend the wicked Remember how nearly it concerns thy soul to have a good or bad eternity * And Thou Glory be c. * And thou Pause a while to ref●●ect and renew Then Saturday Lauds O God incline c. as page 18. Antiph When thou hadst overcome the sting
time wherin thou wilt remember me All the days in which I now am in warfare I wait til my change Come Thou shalt cal me and I shal answer thee to the work of thy hands thou wilt reach forth thy right hand thou hast indeed numbred my steps but do thou pardon my sins R. Where shal I hide me O Lord from the face of thy wrath where shal I hide me when thou com'st to judg the living and the dead I tremble at my own unworthines I am asham'd thus impure to appear in thy presence * Wash me yet more O Lord from my iniquitys and purge me thorowly from my sins I know the enemy that obstructs my way my sins exclude me from thy Kingdom where no unclean thing can enter nor any clean be deny'd admittance * Wash me Second Lesson SPare me O Lord for my days are nothing I have sinned what shal I do to thee O thou Preserver of men why hast thou set me contrary to thee and I am become burdenous to my self Why dost thou not take away my sin why dost thou not clear me of my iniquity Behold now I shal sleep in the dust and if thou seek me in the morning I shal not be My soul is weary of my life I will let my speech pass against my self I will speak in the bitternes of my soul I will say to God Condemn me not tell me why dost thou judg me so seems it good to thee to overcharge me and oppress the works of thy hands and help the counsel of the wicked hast thou eys of flesh or as man sees shalt thou also see that thou seekest my iniquity and searchest my sin Thy hands have made me and fram'd me wholly round about and dost thou so suddenly cast me down headlong With skin and flesh thou hast cloathed me with bones and sinews thou hast compacted me life and mercy thou hast given me and thy visitation has kept my spirit R. Wo to me wretched sinner what shal I do I have commited evil in the sight of my God I have offended the eys of his Majesty Whither shal I fly from the Justice of my Judg whither but to the mercy of my Saviour * Have mercy on me O Lord have mercy on me when thou com'st in glory to judg the world by fire My corrupt nature has brought forth sin and sin has brought forth sorrow where shal I seek for pardon where shal I find releef but in thee my God my hope and portion in the land of the living * Have mercy on me Third Lesson DEliver me O Lord and set me beside Thee let any mans hand fight against me My days are past and my thoughts dissipated tormenting my hart they have turn'd night into day and again after darknes I hope for light Have pity on me at least you my friends for the hand of our Lord has toucht me he has hedg'd my path round about and I cannot pass and in my way he has put darknes Who wil grant me that my words may be written Who wil give me that they may be drawn in a book with an iron pen and in a plate of lead or graven with steel on a marble stone For I know my Redeemer lives and in the last day I shal rise out of the earth and be compast again with my skin and in my flesh shal see God whom I my self shal see and my eys shal behold and no other This my hope is laid up in my bosom R. My days are declin'd as a shadow and I am wither'd away as grass and nothing remains but the cold grave O let me cal back that uncomfortable word my days indeed are declin'd but my eternity is safe I am wither'd away as grass but the Spring wil come and revive me into a flower of Paradise * This my hope is laid up in my bosom Let then my body be crumbled into dust and my soul detain'd for a time in sorrow I know my Redeemer lives and in the last day I shal rise out of the earth and be compast again with my Skin and in my flesh shal see God and in that blysful sight be for ever happy * This my hope is laid up in my bosom Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever * This my hope is laid up in my bosom At Lauds O God incline c. is not said but begin immediately with the Antiphon Return Lauds for the Dead Antiph Return O my soul to thy Rest again for thy Lord deals graciously with all that love him Psal CXXXI WHen we have shed our solemn tears and paid our due sighs to the memory of the Dead Let us wipe our eys with the comfort of hope and change our grief into a charitable joy The friends we mourn are deliver'd from this world and all the miserys we so justly deplore Their bodys tremble no more with the Palsy nor burn with the flames of a scorching feaver They cry out no more for want of sleep nor roul up and down their uneasy beds But quietly rest in the silent grave till they rise again to immortal glory Wh●●ch while they there expect in peace their souls are enlarg'd to a spacious liberty No longer confin'd to this prison of the body but gone to dwel in the region of spirits No longer expos'd to these stormy Seas but gladly arriv'd at their safe harbour Where though their passage be stopt a while they are free from all fear of being cast away Though for a time they attend with sorrow they are sure to rejoyce at last for all eternity They are sure at last to behold their Redeemer and live for ever with the Blessed JESVS O were it not for this sweet hope who could indure such Killing delays Who that but knows the beauty of God as they all do and sees himself detayn'd from so great a happines Detain'd for affecting some trifle here if such we may cal what deferrs our heav'n O glorious Lord the free Original Source * and final end of universal nature Since by thy grace Thou hast thus begun and sown in their harts the seeds of glory O may the same all-powerful hand * go on to finish it 's own ble'st work Ripen the fruit Thou reserv'st for thy self and hasten the day of their joyful harvest Send forth thy blessed Angels to reap thy grain and lay it up safe in thy heavenly Magazine There to supply the place of those unhappy tares * which thy justice threw down into everlasting fire There to assist among those holy Quires which thy mercy establisht in everlasting blyss Give them eternal rest ' O merciful Lord And may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Return O my soul to thy rest again for thy Lord deals graciously with all that love him Antiph Merciful art Thou O Lord in all thy ways and infinitely wise in all thy counsels Psal CXXXII COme
Devotions IN The Ancient Way OF OFFICES WITH PSALMS HYMNS and PRAYERS for every day in the Week and every Holiday in the Year THO. a KEMPIS Mind not who speaks but what is said PARIS MDCLXVIII DIRECTIONS THis Book consists chiefly of Eleven Offices One for each day in the Week One for our Saviour's Feasts One for the H. Ghost One for Saints and One for the Dead Each Office has four Parts Matins and Lauds for the Morning Vefpers and Complin for the Evening The manner of reciting these Offices When one says his Pray'rs alone the circumstances are free to be govern'd by his own devotion But if two say together 't is convenient they agree on some Rules for which purpose these following are propos'd yet so as to be alter'd by their own discretion as they please The Place I suppose will be their private Oratory or other convenient Retirement Matins FIrst Both stand a while to make the Presence of God and implore his assistance either without set form of words or with the Pray'r Prevent we beseech Thee c. secretly Then Both make the sign of the Cross and say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the H. Ghost Amen Then Both joyning their hands before their brests and lowly bowing their heads say Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen Then Both kneel and say Our Father Hall Mary I believe Thus far secretly Then Both rise and standing A. says with an audible voice O Lord open thou our lips Saying these words he makes the sign of the Cross with his thumb mov'd near his mouth B. And our mouths shal declare thy praise A. O God incline unto our aid Saying this he makes the sign of the Cross moving his hand from forehead to brest then from left shoulder to the right B. O Lord make hast to help us A. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the H. Ghost B. As it was in the begining both now and ever world without end Amen Then Both say Alleluja except in Advent and Lent in which times Alleluja is always omitted Then Both standing A. says the Invitatory B. repeats it A. says the first Verse of the Psalm B. again repeats the Invitatory A. says the second Verse B. the Invitatory and so to the end of that Psalm A. says Glory be B. As it was A. says the Invitatory B. repeats it Then Of the Hymn each recites his Stanza Then One says the Antiphon The Other begins the Psalm which they recite alternately Both sitting And so all the rest of the Psalms and Antiphons At the end of every Psalm Both rise or at least bow their heads while the first Verse of Glory be c. is said The three Psalms being ended Both standiug say secretly Our Father Then A. reads the first Lesson after which B. begins the Responsory as far as to the first Star There A. takes it and goes on to the next full point Then B. to the second Star and that Star A. again repeats to the next full point as before Thus are all Responsorys said B. reads the second Lesson A. Begins the Responsory to the first Star B. goes on to the full point Then A. to the second Star and that B. repeats A. reads the third Lesson B. begins the Responsory A. goes on c. as above At the end of the third Responsory Te Deum is said on all Sundays and Holidays except the Sundays of Advent and Lent and then 't is omitted and immediately after the third Responsory Lauds begin and so always on the Week-days Lauds BEfore Lauds pause a while to reflect on what you have read and to renew attention Then Both standing A. begins O God incline c. saying these words he makes the sign of the Cross from forehead to brest c. B. O Lord make hast as at Matins The Antiphons and Psalms are all recited alternately Both sitting Then both standing up One reads the Capitulum or short Lesson the Other begins the Hymn of which each says his Stanza to the end Then B. says the Antiphon A. the Versicle B. the Response A. O Lord hear our prayers B. And let our supplications come to Thee A. Let us pray Then Both kneeling A. says the Pray'r of the Day B. Amen On all Sundays and Holidays immediately after the Hymn the Canticle Benedictus is said with its Antiphon before and after In all Commemorations B. says the Antiphon A. the Versicle B. the Responsory A. the Prayer After all the Prayers both of the Day and of the Commemorations A. says A. O Lord hear our Prayers B. And let our supplications come to Thee A. Bless we our Lord B. Thanks be to God A. May the souls of the Faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace B. Amen Paufe and mediate according to your devotion Then A. says The Blessing of God almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our harts for ever B. Amen Pause a while then rise and so ends the Morning-Office Vespers BOth stand a while to make the presence of God and implore his grace Then say In the Name c. Blessed be c. as at Matins Then kneeling say Our Father Hail Mary thus far secretly Then both rise and stand A. says audibly O God incline c. as at Lauds The Antiphons Psalms Capitulum Hymn and all the rest of Vespers are said in the same method as at Lauds If they go on immediately to Complin then having made a short pause to reflect on what is said and renew attention they omit The Blessing of c. and rising from their knees A. begins Complin A. Our help is c. B. Who made c. All the Versicles Responses Antiphons Psalms Hymn are said alternately A. says the Capitulum B. the Antiphon A. the Versicle B. the Response Then both kneel during the rest of the Office A. says Let us pray and the Pray'r B. Amen A. Vouchsafe B. Amen A. all the Versicles following B. all the Responses A. the Pray'r Visit we B. Amen A. O Lord hear B. And let our A. Bless we our Lord. B. Thanks be to God A. May the souls c. B. Amen Pause a while then A. says Our Lord give us his peace B. And life everlasting Amen Then A. begins two verses of One of the great Antiphons of our blessed Lady B. says the next Two and so alternately to the end of the Antiphon A. says the Versicle B. the Response A. Let us pray and the Pray'r B. Amen Pause a while Then A. says The blessing of God c. B. Amen Pause a while rise So ends the Office of the whole day The Office of our Saviour Is said on all the feasts of our Saviour and on all Sundays of Advent and Lent as is noted in the Proper of Festivals where you will find somtimes a particular Invitatory which is to be recited with
its Psalm and always three particular Antiphons One for each Psalm of Matins Lauds Vespers and Complin and then the Antiphons set down in the Office are omitted they being provided only for those who think the particular ones too troublesom and such as chuse to say our Saviour's Office somtimes on a day that is not of Obligation The same may be observ'd in the Antiphons for Benedictus and Magnificat and in the Pray'r whenever any particular ones are provided All the rest Psalms Lessons Hymns c. say as in the Office of our Saviour The Office of the H. Ghost Is said on Whitsunday and dring the Octave and on every first Wednesday of the Month unles it be a Holiday and then 't is remitted to the next convenient day The Office of Saints Is intended only for Feasts of Obligation but may be apply'd to Others according to particular devotion In saying this Office the same method is to be observ'd as in that of our Saviour The Office of the Dead Is said every first Monday of the Month unles it be a Holiday aud then 't is transfer'd to the next convenient day as also at other times according to occasion or particular devotion When ever this Office is said that of the day is omitted only the ordinary Complin must be us'd this having none of its own Alleluja From Easter morning til the Octave of Corpus Christi be past to every Antiphon and Invitatory is added one Alleluja except at Matins and Vespers on Fridays In Advent and Lent Alleluja is never said Of Concurrence of Offices If a Holiday fall on a Sunday the Office is said for the Holiday except Easter-day Whitsunday Trinity-Sunday and all the Sundays in Advent and Lent Only the Annunciation is prefer'd before the Sundays in Lent unles it fall on Palm-Sunday and then 't is omitted that year with a Commemoration If any Holiday happen on Thursday Friday or Saturday in holy Week 't is omitted that year without a Commemoration If any Holiday happen on Monday or Tuesday in Easter or Whitsun-week 't is omitted that year with a Commemoration On other days within those Octaves the Office of the Holiday is said and so in all other Octaves with a Commemoration of the Octave These Feasts only have Octaves Christmas-day Twelft-day Easter Ascension Whitsunday Corpus Christi Assumption of our B. Lady All-Saints A Commemoration Is made by reciting all that 's set down in the Proper of Festivals for the Feast commemorated and is to be made immediately after the Pray'r of the Day whose Office is actually said In all Pauses 't is advisable rather to think and meditate then use any set form of words but let every one prastise what he finds most condusive to his devotion Though these Directions concerning Festivals c. would by a litle acquaintance become familiar to any attentive Considerer yet whoever finds it troublesom to observe them let him recite the Offices as they ly and for the Feasts c. read at Lauds and Vespers all the proper Antiphons and Pray'r immediately together without distributing them to their particular Psalms Holidays of Obligation All Sundays New-years-day Twelf-day the Purification Annunciation Assumption and Nativity of our B. Lady all the twelve Apostles S. Joseph the Invention of the H. Cross S. John Baptist S. Ann the Mother of our B. Lady S. Laurence S. Michael All-Saints Christmas-day S. Stephen Holy Innocents S. Sylvester Moveable Holidays Easter-day with two days next following Ascension-day Whitsunday with two days following Corpus Christi-day Fasting-days All Lent except Sundays the Ember-days the Eves of Christimas and Whitsunday the Eves of the Nativity Purification Annunciation unles it fall in Easter-week and Assumption of our B. Lady the Eves of All-Saints of all the twelve Apostles except S. John Evangelist and SS Philip and Jacob of the Nativity of S. John Baptist and of S. Laurence all Fridays except in Christmas and between Easter and Ascension As long as the Bridegroom is with us Mat. 9. 15. Days of Astinence All Sundays in Lent all Saturdays in the year Monday Tuesday and Wednesday before Ascension and S. Marks day if it fall not in Easter-week These Lessons are out of Holy Scripture but somtimes the particular places not cited because somtimes the Lesson is not taken out of one place but compos'd of many THE OFFICE FOR SUNDAY MATINS Introduction PRevent we beseech thee O Lord our actions with thy holy inspirations and carry them on by thy gracious assistance that every prayr and work of ours may begin always from thee and by thee be happily ended through Christ our Lord Amen IN the name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Amen BLessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen 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 dayly Bread and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespas against us and lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil Amen HAil Mary full of grace our Lord is with thee blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb JESUS Holy Mary Mother of God pray for us sinners now and in the hour of our death Amen I Believe in God the Father Almighty Creator of heaven and earth and in Jesus Christ his only Son our Lord who was conceived by the holy Ghost born of the Virgin Mary suffer'd 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 sits at 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 Ghost the holy Catholick Church the Communion of Saints the forgivenes of Sins the Resurrection of the Body and Life Everlasting Amen V. O Lord open thou our Lips R. And our mouths shall declare thy praise V. O God incline unto our aid R. O Lord make hast to help us Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost As it was in the begining both now and ever world without end Amen Alleluja Thus far is the Introduction and it is said in the begining of every Matins except Those of the Dead In Advent and Lent Alleluja is omitted both here and every where Invitatory Come let 's adore our glorify'd Jesus Come let 's adore our glorify'd Jesus Psal I. BEhold the Angels assembled in their Quires the blessed Saints ready with their Hymns behold the Church prepares her solemn Offices and Summons all her Children to bring in their prayses Come let 's adore our glorify'd Jesus The King of heav'n himself invites us and graciously calls us into his own presence He bids us suspend our mean imployments in the world to receive the honour of treating with Him Come let 's
your selvs also in the body Let your conversation be without covetousness contented with what you have for he has said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may confidently say our Lord is my help I will not fear what man can do to me And the God of Peace who brought again from the Dead the great Pastor of the Sheep in the blood of the eternal Testament our Lord Jesus Christ make you perfect in all goodness that you may do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight thorough Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Resp Thither O my Soul let us still be going where once to arrive is always to be at rest there let us dwell already in hope where once to enjoy is always to be happy * Since whate're we desire we are sure to have and whate're we have can never be taken from us Let us believe and obey and suffer let us read and meditate and pray Heaven 's a reward worth all our pains * Since what e're we desire we are sure to have and whate're we have can never be taken from us Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost * Since whate're we desire we are sure to have and whate're we have can never be taken from us Te Deum WE praise thee our God we acknowledge thee our Lord All the Earth adores thee thou Father Eternal To Thee the blessed Angels to Thee the Heavens and all their Powers To Thee the Cherubims and Seraphims perpetually sing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth The heavens and the earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory The glorious Quire of Apostles praise Thee The renown'd society of Prophets bless Thee The noble Army of Martyrs glorify Thee The holy Church throughout the world confesses Thee Father of immense Majesty Thy adorable true and only Son Also the holy Spirit the Comforter Thou art the King of glory O Christ Thou art the eternal Son of the Father Thou being to undertake the delivery of Man did'st not disdain the Virgins Womb. Thou having overcom the sting of death opend'st to Believers the Kingdom of heav'n Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of thy Father We believe thou shalt com to be our Judg. Help therfore we beseech Thee thy servants whom thou hast redeem'd with thy precious blood Make them be numbred with thy Saints in glory everlasting Lord save thy People and bless thy Inheritance And govern them and raise them up even to eternity Every day we glorify Thee and praise thy Name for ever and ever Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin Have mercy on us O Lord have mercy on us Let thy mercy O Lord be on us as our hope is in Thee In Thee O Lord have I plac't my hope let me not be confounded for ever Pause a while to reflect on what you have said and to renew your attention then begin Lauds Sunday Lauds O God incline unto our ayd O Lord make hast to help us Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning both now and ever world without end Amen Alleluia Antiph O how adorable are thy counsels O Lord how strangely indearing the ways of thy love Alleluia Psal V. SIng to our Lord a Psalm of Joy sing praises to the God of our Salvation Sing with a loud and chearful voice sing with a glad and thankful hart Say to the weak of Spirit be strong and to the sorrowful be of good comfort Tel all the world this soul-reviving truth and may their harts within them leap to hear it Tel them the Lord of life is risen again and has cloth'd himself with immortal glory He made the Angels messengers of his victory and vouchsaf't even himself to bring us the joyful news How many ways did thy mercy invent O Thou wise contriver of all our happines To convince thy followers into this blest belief and settle in their harts a firm ground of hope Thou appeard'st in the Garden to the holy women that sought Thee and open'dst their eys to know and adore Thee Thou overtook'st in the way the Two that discour'st of thee and mad'st their harts burn within them to hear thee Thou shewd'st thy self on the stedfast shore to thy weary Disciples labouring at Sea Labouring alas all night in vain without the blessing of their beloved JESUS Thou shew'dst thy self and told'st them who thou wert in the kind known token of a beneficial miracle Thorow the doors though shut thou swiftly passed'st to carry peace to thy comfortles friends To encourage their fears with thy powerful presence and secure their faith by thy charitable arguments How did'st thou condescend to eat before them and invite them to touch thy impassible body How didst thou sweetly constrain that incredulous servant to thrust his hand into thy wounded side Actions we know unfit for thy glorify'd state but absolutely necessary for our slow belief How often O my gracious Lord in those blessed forty days * did thy charity cast to meet with thy Disciples That thou might'st teach them stil some excellent truth and imprint still deeper thy love in their harts Discoursing perpetually of the Kingdom of heav'n and establishing means to bring us thither At last when all thy glorious task was done and thy parting hour from this earth approacht Thou tenderly gather'dst thy Children about thee and in their full sight wentst up into heaven Leaving thy dearest blessing on their heads and promising them a Comforter to supply thine absence O how adorable are thy counsels O Lord how strangely endearing the ways of thy love Say now my Soul is not this evidence clear enough * to answer all our darkest doubts Is not this hope abundantly sufficient to sweeten all our bitterst sorrows What though we mourn and be afflicted here and sigh under the miseries of this world for a time We 're sure our tears shal one day rejoyce and that joy none shal take from us What though our bodies be crumbled into dust and that dust blown about o're the face of the Earth Yet we undoubtedly know our Redeemer lives and shal appear in brightnes at the last great Day He shal appear in the midst of innumerable Angels and with these very eys we shal see Him We shal see him in whom we have so long believ'd we shal find him whom we have so often sought We shal possess him whom our souls have lov'd and be united to him for ever who is the only end of our Being Glory be c. Psal VI. RAise thy head O my soul and look up and behold the glory of thy crucify'd Saviour He that was dead and layd in the grave * low enough to prove himself Man Is risen again and ascended into heaven * high enough to prove himself God He is risen and
made the light his Garment and commanded the Clouds to be the chariot of his triumph The gates of heaven obey'd their Lord and the everlasting doors opened to the King of glory Enter bright King attended with thy beauteous Angels and the glad train of thy new deliver'd Captives Enter and repossess thy antient Throne and reign eternally at the right hand of thy Father May every knee bow low to thy exalted Name and every tongue confess thy glory May all created nature adore thy Power and the Church of thy Redeem'd exult in thy goodnes Whom have we in heav'n O Lord but Thee who expresly wentst thither to make way for thy followers What have we on earth but our hope by following Thee * to arrive at last where Thou art gon before us O glorious JESU our strength our Joy and the immortal life of all our Souls Be Thou the principal subject of our studyes and dayly entertainment of our most serious thoughts Draw us O dearest Lord from the World and our selvs that we be not entangled with any earthly desires Draw us after Thee and the odours of thy sweetnes that we may run with delight the ways of thy Commands Draw us up to Thee on thy Throne of blyss that we may see thy face and rejoyce with Thee for ever in thy Kingdom Glory be c. Psal VII WHy should our harts stil dwel upon earth since the treasure of our harts is return'd to heav'n Since our glorify'd Jesus is ascended above to prepare us a place in his own Kingdom A place of rest and secure peace where we shal see and praise and adore Him for ever A place of joy and everlasting fruition where we shal love and possess and delight in Him for ever O happy we and our poor souls if once admited to that blisful Vision If once those heav'nly portals unfold their gates and let us in to the joys of our Lord How wil our spirits be ravisht within themselvs to reflect on the fulness of their own beatitude How shal we all rejoyce in one anothers felicity but infinitely more in the infinitely greater felicity of God! O heav'n towards thee we lift up our languishing heads and with stretcht-out hands reach at thy gloryes When O Thou Finisher of all our hopes when shal we once behold that incomparable light That light which illuminates the eys of Angels and renews the youth of Saints That light which is thy very self O Lord our God! whom we shal there see face to face Whom we shal there know as we are known we shal know thee in thine own clear light O light shine thou perpetually in our eys that thy brightnes may darken the false lustre of this world O Light shed thou thy flames in our harts that thy heat may consume all other desires That we may burn continually with the chast love of thee til thine own bright day appear Til we be cal'd from this vale of darknes into the glorious presence of the living God To see Him that made the heav'ns and the earth and disposes all creatures in so beauteous order To see him that first gave us our being then govern'd us in our way * and brought us at length to so blest an end Meanwhile O gracious Lord the Crown of all thy Saints and only expectation of thy faithful servants Make us entertain our life with the comfort of this hope and our hope with the assurance of thy promises Make us still every day more perfectly understand * our own great duty thy infinite love Make us continually meditate the advancement of Thy glory and invite all the World to sing thy praises Praise our Lord O you holy Angels Praise him O you happy Saints Praise him O you Faithful departed in his grace Praise him O you Living who subsist by his mercy Praise him in the vast immensity of his power Praise him in the admirable wisdom of his Providence Praise him in the blest effects of his goodnes Praise him in the infinitenes of all his Attributes Praise thy Eternal Self O glorious God! and to all the felicities Thou essentially possessest may every creature say Amen Glory be Antiph O how adorable are thy Counsels O Lord how strangely endearing the ways of thy love Alleluia Capit. 1 Pet. 1. Blessed be God and the Father of our Lord JESUS Christ who according to his great mercy has regenerated us to a lively hope by the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead to an inheritance incorruptible and pure and which cannot fade conserv'd for you in the heav'ns Hymn II. VVAke my Soul rise from this Bed Of dull and slugish earth Quickly rise lift up thy head And see thy Lords new birth Once He cam O blessed He Born of a Virgin-Womb Now He comes both times for thee Sprung from a Virgin tomb Lo he rises fresh and bright Incircled round with Stars Which from Him take all their light And from his glorious Scars Stil as He his progress makes Up to his heav'n again Each blest Saint his musick takes And follows in his train Thus together They ascend Til at heav'n gates they come Where the Angels all attend To bid them welcome home Soon they know again their King Soon they his Call obey All the Quires come forth to sing And crown with mirth the Day Come my soul let us rejoyce Let us our Concert bring Up to heav'n le ts lift our voice And with the Angels sing Glory honor pow'r and praise To the mysterious Three As at first begining was May now and ever be Antiph Why seek you the Living among the the Dead He is risen He is not here He is gloriously ascended and the heav'ns have receiv'd Him Alleluia Alleluia Benedictus BLessed be our Lord the God of Israel for he has visited and redeem'd his People And rais'd up a Kingdom of Salvation to us in the house of David his Servant As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets who have been since the world began Salvation from our Enemies and from the hands of all that hate us To shew mercy to our Fathers and to remember his holy Testament The Oath which he sware to Abraham our Father that he would give us Himself That being deliver'd from the hand of our enemys we may serve him without fear In holines and Justice before him * all the days of our life And Thou Child shalt be called the Prophet of the Highest for thou shalt go before the face of our Lord to prepare his ways To give Knowledg of salvation to his people for remission of their sins Through the tender mercy of our God wherby the Day-spring from on High has visited us To give light to them that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death to direct our feet into the way of Peace Glory be c. Antiph Why seek you the Living among the dead He is risen He is not here He is gloriously ascended and
others There we shall rest for ever in the protection of our God in the arms and bosom of our dearest Lord. O Heav'n the eternal source of all these joys and infinitely more and infinitely greater As the Hart pants after the water-brooks so let my soul thirst after thee After Thee let me dayly sigh and mourn and with a fixt and longing ey look up and say When O my God shall I sit at that fountain head and drink my fill of those living streams When shall I be in●●briated with that torrent of pleas●●res which springs for ever from thy glorious Throne O that the days of my banishment were fully finish't How is the time of my pilgrimage prolong'd Why am I still detain'd in this vally of tears stil wandring up and down in this wilderness of dangers Come Thou sweet JESU my only Hope and sure Deliverer out of all my sorrows Come Thou and here begin to dwell in my hart and fit me for the life I shall lead hereafter Come O my dearest Lord and prepare my soul for Thee and then when thou pleasest take it to Thy self Glory be c. Antiph Never can we say too much of this glorious subject never can we think enough of the felicities of heaven Alleluja Capit. Rom. 12. Let love be without dissimulation Hate that which is evil Cleave to that which is good Love brotherly charity one towards another with honor preventing one another In business not slothful In spirit fervent Serving our Lord. Rejoycing in hope Patient in tribulation Instant in prayer Communicating to the necessities of the Saints Practising hospitality Bless them that persecute you Bless and curse not Rejoyce with them that rejoyce Weep with them that weep being mutually of the same mind not affecting high things but condescending to mean things Be not wise in your own conceits Render to none evil for evil Be solicitous to do well not only before God but in the sight of all men If it be possible as much as is in you live peaceably with every one Revenge not your selvs most dearly Beloved but give place to wrath for it is written Vengeance is mine I will repay saith our Lord. But if thy enemy hunger give him meat if he thirst give him drink for doing this thou shalt heap coals of fire on his head Be not overcome of evil but overcome evil with good Hymn III. WHy do we seek felicity Where 't is not to be found And not dear Lord look up to Thee Where all delights abound Why do we seek for treasure here On this false barren sand Where nought but empty shels appear And marks of Shipwrack stand O world how litle do thy joys Concern a soul that knows It self not made for such low toys As thy poor hand bestows How cross art thou to that design For which we had our birth Us who were made in heav'n to shine Thou bow'st down to thy earth Nay to thy hell for thither sink All that to thee submit Thou strew'st some flowers on the brink To drown us in the pit World take away thy tinsel wares That dazle here our eys Let us go up above the Stars Where all our treasure lys The way we know our dearest Lord Himself is gone before And has ingag'd his faithful word To open us the door But O my God! reach down thy hand And take us up to Thee That we about thy Throne may stand And all thy glories see All glory to the sacred Three One everliving Lord As at the first still may He be Belov'd obey'd ador'd Antiph O glorious God! thy infinite perfections cause us to admire Thee and thy bounteous promises ingage us to hope in Thee Thy incomparable beauty ravishes our harts and the joys thou hast prepared for us transcend all our wishes Alleluja Magnificat My soul magnifys our Lord And my spirit has rejoyced in God my Saviour Because he has regarded the low degree of his handmaid For behold from henceforth all generations shall call me Blessed For he that is mighty has done great things to me and holy is his Name And his mercy is on them that fear him from generation to generation He has shew'd strength in his arm he has scatter'd the proud in the imagination of their harts He has depos'd the pow'rful from their seat and exalted them of low degree He has fill'd the hungry with good things and the rich sent empty away He has receiv'd Israel his child being mindful of his mercy As he spake to our Fathers to Abraham and his seed for ever Glory be c. Antiph O glorious God! thy infinite perfections cause us to admire Thee and thy bounteous promises ingage us to hope in thee thy incomparable beauty ravishes our harts and the joys thou hast prepar'd for us transcend all our wishes Alleluja O Lord hear our Pray'rs And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who graciously woo'st us to our eternal Inheritance by describing its inexpressible glorys all possibly-taking ways to our low conceits that they may fitly insinuate themselvs and become by degrees absolute Master of our harts Bring them we beseech Thee stil seasonably into our memorys and so strongly settle them in our affections that our souls being wholly ravish't with these great hopes all the temptations and vanities of this world may fly unconcerningly by us and never be able to distract our intire and steddy and dayly strengthning desires of entring once for ever into possession of thy Kingdom through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without End Amen O Lord hear our pray'rs And let our supplications come to Thee Bless we our Lord. Thanks be to God May the souls of the Faithful Departed through the mercy of God rest in peace Amen Pause a while to reflect on what you have said and to renew your attention Then begin Complin Sunday Complin V. OUr help is in the Name of our Lord R. Who made heav'n and earth V. Convert us O God our Saviour R. And turn away thy anger from us V. O God incline unto our ayd R. O Lord make hast to help us V. Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost R. As it was in the begining both now and ever world without end Amen Alleluia Antiph All is unquiet here til we come to Thee and repose at last in the Kingdom of Peace Psal XI VVHo wil give me the wings of a Dove that I may fly away and be at rest That I may fly away from the troubles of this life and be at rest Dear Lord with Thee Here we alas are forc't to sigh and bear with grief the burthen of our miserys Often we encounter chances that endanger us and divert our progres in the way to Blys Often we are assaulted with temptations that overcome us and set us back in the accounts of eternity How
that are in the world if any one love the world the charity of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world is concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eys and pride of life which is not of the Father but of the world and the world passes away and the concupiscence therof but he that does the will of God abides for ever Antiph Learn of me says our Lord for I am meek and humble of hart and you shall find rest to your souls V. Meekness indeed is the heav'n of this life R. But the heav'n of heav'ns is above with Thee O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God whose gracious Providence has particularly ordain'd the Spirit of Meeknes to waft us safely through the turbulent Sea of this world to our Haven of Blyss Vouchsafe we beseech thee so to dispose thy servants for this precious vertue by making every days clearer experience of our own weaknes and vanity strike our lofty sails and lay flat on the ground all proud conceits of our selvs that we suffer not our minds to be discompos'd with any passion nor our tongues to break forth into any violent expression but always preserve our selvs in such a regular and even temper stir the world how it will about us as becomes those all whose Powers are possest with the joys of heav'n and apt to feel in every thing only the sweet impulses of hope and charity through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen V. Vouchsafe us we beseech thee O Lord a quiet night and a happy end R. Amen V. Lord have mercy on us R. Christ have mercy on us V. Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. V. And lead us not into temptation R. But deliver us from evil Amen V. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits R. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits R. Thou hast redeemed us O Lord thou God of truth R. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits V. Preserve us O Lord as the apple of thine ey R. Under the shadow of thy wings protect us V. Save us O Lord waking defend us sleeping R. That we may watch with Christ and rest in peace V. Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this night without sin R. Have mercy on us O Lord have mercy on us V. Lord let thy mercy be on us R. As our hope is in Thee V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray VIsit we beseech thee O Lord this habitation and drive far away all snares of the enemy let thy holy Angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace and thy blessing be upon us for ever through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen V. O Lord hear our Prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee V. Bless we our Lord. R. Thanks be to God V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace R. Amen Pause a litle then say one of the following Antiphons and Prayers according to the time From Advent Sunday Morning to Candlemas Eve V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life everlasting Amen Blest Mother of our Lord whose pray'rs display The gates of heav'n whose light directs our way Here in these dangerous Seas obtain supplies For those who often fall yet strive to rise Thou at whom Nature stood amaz'd to see The world's Creator humbly born of Thee Thou whom the Angel did that homage pay All-spotless Virgin for us sinners pray V. Blessed O Lord is the womb that bare Thee R. And the brests that gave Thee suck Let us pray O God who by the blessed Fruit of the Virgin Mary hast bestow'd on mankind the rewards of eternal salvation grant we beseech Thee that we may always injoy the benefit of her intercession by whom thou wert pleas'd we should receive the Author of our life JESUS Christ thy Son our Lord Amen May the divine Assistance remain with us for ever Amen Pause a litle then say The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our harts for ever Amen Pause a litle then rise So ends the whole Office of the day From Candlemas to Maundy Thursday V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life everlasting Amen HAil Queen of Angels holy Quires Hail whom the Court of heav'n admires Thou art the Root whence our joys spring The Gate that light to us didst bring Heav'ns brightest Saints thy grace outshines Thy Glory all the Seraphins Live happy Favorite of Thy Son And plead our cause at his dread Throne V. Vouchsafe O holy Virgin to accept our praises R. And favour us with thy prayers for strength against our enemies Let us pray SUstain we beseech Thee O merciful God the weaknes of thy servants that we who celebrate the memory of the blessed Mother of our Lord may by the 〈◊〉 of her intercession obtain thy grace to rise from our iniquities through the same JESUS Christ our Lord Amen May the divine Assistance remain with us for ever Amen Pause Then The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our hearts for ever Amen From Easter to Trinity Sunday V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life Everlasting Amen REjoyce chast Queen of Angels and apply All those blest Quires to sing this Victory He that was born of Thee and dy'd for us Has conquer'd death is risen glorious Sing then and in thy hymns this mercy crave That thy great Son our souls in Judgment save V. Rejoyce and triumph O Blessed Virgin Mary Alleluja R. For our Lord is risen indeed Alleluja Let us pray O God who by the resurrection of thy Son our Lord JESUS Christ hast vouch●●af't to make glad the harts of the world grant we beseech Thee that by the prayers of his immaculate Virgin-Mother we may attain the joys of eternal life through the same JESUS Christ our Lord Amen May the divine Assistance remain with us for ever Amen Pause Then The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our hearts for ever Amen From Trinity Sunday to Advent Sunday V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life everlasting Amen HAil Queen of Saints Hail mercies Mother Our life our hope our comfort Hail To thee deploring one another We poor Eves banish't off-spring wail To thee we cry and our sad moans Sigh out into thy tender ears To thee our harts weep bitter groans In this doleful vale of tears Hear glorious Advocate O hear And towards wretched us incline The gracious aspect of those dear Compassionating eys of thine Soft source of pity mil'd and sweet O
Magnificence of our God Heav'n and earth are full of his greatnes heav'n and earth were created by his power From him all the hosts of Angels receiv'd their Being from him they have the honour to assist in his presence He kindled warmth and brightnes in the Sun and beauteously garnisht the Firmament with stars He spred the Ayr and stor'd it with flocks of birds He gather'd the waters and replenisht them with shoals of fishes He establisht the Earth on a firm foundation and richly adorn'd it with innumerable varietys Every Element is fill'd with his blessings and all the world with his liberal Miracles He spake the word and they were made he commands and they are still preserv'd He governs their motions in perfect order and distributes to each its proper Office Contriving the Whole into one vast Machin a spacious Theater of his own unlimited Greatnes O glorious Architect of universal nature who disposest all things in number weight and measure How does thy wisdom engage us to admire Thee How does thy Goodnes oblige us to love Thee Not for themselvs alone O gracious God did thy hand produce those happy Spirits But to receive in charge thy litle flock and safe conduct them to the folds of Blyss Not for themselvs at all O bounteous Lord were the Rest of this huge Creation fram'd But to sustain our lives in the way and carry us on to our eternal home O may our souls first praise Thee for themselves and employ their whole powers to improve in thy service May we praise Thee O Lord for all thy gifts but infinitely above all still value the Giver May every blessing be a motive of gratitude and every creature a step of approach towards Thee So shall we faithfully observe their end and happily arrive at ours Using them only to entertain us here till our souls be prepar'd for the life of heav'n Till they become full ripe for Thee and then fly away to thy holy presence Glory be c. Psal XX. HOw admirable is thy Name O Lord over all the earth how wise and gracious the counsels of thy Providence After Thou had'st thus prepar'd the world as a house ready furnisht for man to inhabit Thy mighty hand fram'd our bodys of the dust and built them in a shape of use and beauty Thou breath'dst into us the spirit of Life and fittedst us with facultys proportion'd to our end Thou gav'st us a soul to govern our bodies and reason to command in our soul Thou reveal'dst to us a Law for the improvement of our reason and enablest us by thy grace to observe that Law Thou mad'st us Lords over all thy creatures but little inferior to thy glorious Angels Thou compellest whole Nature to serve us without reward and invitest us to love Thee for our own happiness Thou design'dst us an age of pure delights * in that sweet and fruitful Garden Where having led a long and pleasant life thou promisedst to transplant us to thine own Paradise All this thou didst O glorious God the full Possessor of universal blys Not for any need thou hadst of us or the least advantage thou could'st derive from our being All this thou didst O infinite Goodnes the liberal bestower of what e're we possess Not for any merit alas of ours or the least motive we could offer to induce Thee But for thine own excessive charity and the mere inclination of thine own rich nature That empty we might receive of thy fulnes and be partakers of thy overflowing bounty So sheds the generous Sun his beams and freely scatters them on every side Guilding all the world with his beauteous light and kindly cherishing it with his fruitful heat And so dost Thou and infinitely more O thou God of infinite more perfections So we confess thou dost to us but we what return have we made to Thee Have we consider'd well the end of our being and faithfully comply'd with thy purpose to save us Ah wretched we we neglect thy holy rules and govern our actions by chance and humour We quite forget our God that made us and fill our heads with thoughts that undo us Pardon O gracious Lord our past ingratitude and mercifully direct our time to come Teach every passage of our yet remaining life to express an acknowledgment fit for thy mercys O make our senses subject to our reason and our reason entirely obedient to thee O make the whole Creation conspire to thy honour and all that depend on thee joyn together in thy praise This is the only praise thou expectest from us and the whole honour thou requirest of thy Creatures That by observing the orders thou appointest here in this lower region of change and motion We may all grow up to be happy herafter in that state of permanency and eternal rest Glory be c. Antiph Bless our Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Capit. 4. Apoc. WOrthy art Thou O Lord our God to receive glory and honor and power because Thou hast created all things and for thy will they are and were created Hymn VI. HArk my soul how every thing Strives to serve our bounteous King Each a double tribute pays Sings it part and then obeys Nature's chief and sweetest Quire Him with cheerful notes admire Chanting every day their Lauds While the grove their song applauds Though their voices lower be Streams have too their melody Night and day they warbling run Never pause but stil sing on All the flow'rs that guild the spring Hither their still-musick bring If Heav'n bless them thankful they Smell more sweet and look more gay Only we can scarce afford This short Office to our Lord We on whom his bounty flows All things gives and nothing ows Wake for shame my sluggish hart Wake and gladly sing thy part Learn of birds and springs and flow'rs How to use thy nobler pow'rs Call whole nature to thy aid Since 't was He whole nature made Join in one eternal song Who to one God all belong Live for ever glorious Lord Live by all thy works ador'd One in Three and Three in One Thrice we bow to Thee alone Amen Antiph The boundless Ocean of Being could not contain his streams but overflow'd upon pure nothing and behold a beauteous world appear'd Heav'n and earth and all therein from the highest Angel to the least grain of dust all together the most perfect participation of his Essence V. He spake the word and they were made R. He but commanded and they were created O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Almighty Lord the only wise and good Creator of the Universe who mad'st all corporeal nature for the use of Man and Man for his own felicity enlarge our souls we beseech Thee humbly to admire and adore thy infinite fulnes of Being in Thy self and thy immense liberality of it to us and mercifully carry on the whole
Creation to its end Vouchsafing so to order all thy creatures about us by thy grace that they may attain their perfection in duly serving us and we Ours in eternally injoying Thee through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen Commemorations c. as pag. 29. Monday Vespers IN the Name of the Father c. as pag. 33. Antiph To know Thee O Lord is the highest learning and to be known of Thee the greatest happines Psal XXI LEt us now consider O Lord our God! let us thankfully remember what Thou art to us Thou art the great Begining of our nature and glorious end of all our actions Thou art the overflowing Source from whence we spring and the immense Ocean into which we tend Thou art the free Bestower of all we possess and faithful Promiser of all we hope Thou art the strong Sustainer of our lives and ready Deliverer from all our enemys Thou art the merciful Scourger of our sins and bounteous Rewarder of our obedience Thou art the safe Conducter of our pilgrimage and the eternal Rest of our wearied souls Such words alas our narrownes is constrain'd to use * when we endeavour to speak thy bountys Wider a litle can our thoughts extend yet infinitely less than the least of thy mercys Tell us thy self one word of thine expresses more * then all the eloquence of men and Angels Tell us Thy self O Thou mild instructer of the ignorant what thou art to us Say to our souls Thou art our salvation but say it so that we may hear Thee Gladly will we run after the sound of that voice and hope by following it to find out Thee When we have found Thee once O Thou joy of our harts never let us lose thy sight again Never let us turn our eys from Thee but steddily fix them on thy glorious face Suffer us not to go till thou hast given us thy blessing and then may thy blessing bind us faster to Thee Glory be c. Antiph To know Thee O Lord is the highest learning and to be known of Thee the greatest happines Antiph To know our selvs is the truest wisdom and to see our own poverty the safest riches Psal XXII LEt us now consider O Lord our God! let us humbly remember what we are to Thee We who alas are nothing in our selvs what can we be to thy Immensity Thou who art all things in thine own rich self what canst thou receive from our poverty This only we are to Thee O great Creator the unthankful object of all thy bountys This only we are to Thee O dear Redeemer the unworthy cause of all thy sufferings Guilty we committed the crime and thou with thine innocency undertookst the punishment We went astray from the path of life and thy mercy came down from heav'n to seek us To seek us in the wilderness where we had lost our selvs and bring us home to the discipline of thy love Lord what are we that thou shouldst thus regard * such poor and vile and inconsiderable wretches What can our good will avail thy Blyss that with so many charms thou woo'st us to love Thee What can our malice prejudice thy content that thou threatnest so violently if we love thee not Is there O my God not felicity enough * in the sweetness alone of loving Thee Is there perhaps not misery enough * in living depriv'd of thy blysful love Yes Yes dear Lord and that thou knew'st and that 's the only cause * which mov'd thy goodnes to court our affections Thou knew'st we else would cast away our selvs * by doating on the follys of this deceitful world Thou knew'st the danger of our wilful nature and therefore striv'st by greatest fears and greatest hopes And all the wisest arts of love and bounty * to draw us to thy self and endow us with thy kingdom Unhappy we whose frowardness requir'd so strange proceeding * to force upon us our own salvation Happy we whose wants have met so kind a hand that needed but our emptines to engage him to fill us Happy yet more that our Lord who thus favours us now * will at last even give us Himself Glory be c. Antiph To know our selvs is the truest wisdom and to see our own Poverty the safest riches Antiph Vanity of vanitys all is vanity but the love of God and hope to enioy Him Psal XXIII LOrd without Thee what 's all the world to us * but a flying dream of busie vanitys It promises indeed a Paradise of blyss but all it performs is an empty cloud Thine are the joys that shine fixt as the stars and make the only solid heav'n Lord without Thee what are we to our selvs but the wretched causes of our own ruin We till thou gav'st us Being were purely nothing more remov'd from happines then the miserablest of thy creatures Now thou hast made us we wholly depend on Thee and perish immediately if thou forsake us Thou without us art the same all-glorious Essence brim-ful of thy own eternal felicity Without us thy royal Throne stands firm for ever and all the Powers of heav'n obey thy pleasure Pity O gracious Lord our imperfect nature whose every circumstance is so contrary to Thine Thou dwel'st above in the Mansions of glory and we below in houses of clay Thou art immortal and thy day out-lives all time we every moment go downwards to our grave Thou art immense and thy presence fills the heav'ns but the Greatest of us alas how litle are we Two yards of air contain us while we live and a few spans of earth suffice us at our death When O my God shall these distances meet together when will these extremitys embrace each other We know they once were miraculously joyn'd * in the sacred Person of thy eternal Son When the King of heav'n stoopt down to earth and grafted into his own Person the nature of man We hope they once again shall be happily united * in the blysful vision of thy glorious Self When the children of the earth shall be exalted to heav'n and made partakers of thy divine nature But are there no means for us here below O Thou infinitely high and glorious God! Is there no way to approach towards Thee and diminish at least this uncomfortable distance None but the way of holy love which none can attain but by thy free gift Nor must we sinners dare to ask thy love being infinitely unworthy to be cal'd thy servants Rather let us humbly beg the grace to love Thee who art so many ways worthy of more than our harts And yet O dearest Lord unless thou first love us and sweetly draw us by thy gentle hand Never shal we be so happy as to love Thee nor ever happy unless we love Thee O bounteous God! to all thy favours add this one * of making us esteem Thee above them
ev'n And clear'd the debts we ow From what vice have we refrain'd To break the course of sin What new vertue have we gain'd To make us rich within Time is well bestow'd on those Who well their time bestow Whose main concern still forward goes Whose hopes still riper grow Who when e're the clocks proclaim Another hour is past Have an art to set their aim And thoughts upon their Last That their last and happiest hour Which brings them to their home Where they sing and bless the Pow'r That made them thither come O my God of life and death The everliving King Since Thou giv'st to all their breath May all thy glory sing Glory honour pow'r and praise To the mysterious Three As at first begining was May now and ever be Capit. 4. Ephes BE angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath and contristate not the holy Spirit of God in which you are seal'd to the day of Redemption Let all bitterness and anger and indignation and clamor and blasphemy with all malice be taken away from you be gentle one to another and merciful pardoning one another as God also in Christ has pardon'd you Antiph Happily ends that day whose evils end with it cancel'd by just contrition happily begins that night which is introduced with aspirations to our eternal rest V. The day is thine and the night is thine R. Lord may thy grace through both breed us up also Thine Let us pray O God whose gracious Providence vouchsafes us a frequent Monitor of our own and the worlds last end by burying every day in the silent grave of night Sweeten we humbly beseech Thee and render familiar to our expectation Those terrible periods of time by our constant due use of this to even our accounts with Thee and fit our selvs for sleep with a devout Composure of our souls to their eternal rest and grant that our so often easie yielding to suspend all operations of the whole man for some hours at the summons of flesh and blood 's drowsy humors may teach our souls to reflect themselvs into a more reasonable willingnes when ever thou calst to leave our bodys in the bed of dust and pass into the state of their own perfect and ever-waking activity and blyss highten'd by sure hopes of a compleatly-glorifying Resurrection through our Lord Vouchsafe us we beseech c. As page 54. to the end TUESDAY MATINS Introduction as page 1. Invitatory Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Psal XXVII FRom thee O Lord we derive our Being and from the same Goodnes our Continuance to be if thou withdraw'st thy hand but a moment we instantly return to our first nothing Come let 's adore our God that preservs us From all our enemys his Providence defends us and covers our head in the day of danger he sends in his grace to relieve our weaknes and disappoints the tentations that threaten to undo us Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Here his Almighty Power sustains our life and mercifully allows us space to repent that by well employing the time he lends us we may wisely provide for our own Eternity Come let 's adore our God that preservs us He still repeats his Blessings to us and shall we neglect our duty to him he freely bestows on us all our day and shall we not spend half an hour in his service Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost As it was in the beginning both now and ever world without end Amen Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Hymn IX COme let 's adore the gracious hand That brought us to this light That gave his Angels strict Command To be our Guard this night When we laid down our weary head And sleep seal'd up our ey They stood and watcht about our bed To let no harm come nigh Now we are up they still go on And guide us through the day They never leave their Charge alone What e're besets our way And O my soul how many snares Ly spred before our feet In all our joys in all our cares Some danger still wee meet Sometimes the sin does us o'retake And on our weaknes win Sometimes our selvs our ruine make And we o'retake the sin O save us Lord from all those darts That seek our souls to slay Save us from us and our false harts Lest we our selves betray Save us O Lord to Thee we cry From whom all blessings spring We on thy grace alone rely Alone thy glory sing Glory to Thee Eternal Lord Thrice blessed Three in One Thy name at all times be ador'd Till time it self be done Amen Antiph If we receive all we have of God why do we boast as if we had it our selvs Psal XXVIII NOt unto us O Lord not unto us but to thine own blest Name give all the glory When we have apply'd our utmost cares and us'd all the diligence that lys in our power What can we do but look up to Thee and second our endeavours with pray'rs for thy blessing When we have implor'd thy gracious mercy and offer'd thee our dearest Sacrifice to obtain it What can we do but submit our hopes and expect the event from thy free goodnes We know and thou thy self hast taught us unless thou defend'st the city the Guard watches in vain We know our own experience tells us unless thou reach forth thy hand we are presently in danger of sinking Every moment of our day subsists by Thee and every step we take moves by thy strength Even the line we now repeat must beg its breath of Thee and stop if thou deny'st it If Thou deny'st who can compel thy Will or call in question thy Decrees Are we not all thy creatures O gracious God! and as helpless children hanging at the brest of thy Providence Are we not all as clay in thy hands to frame us into vessels of what use thou pleasest Behold we confess O Lord in thee we live in thee we move and have our being All our sufficiency proceeds from Thee and all our success depends on thy favour Others may tell us the way we should go but Thou alone canst enable us to walk Others may tell us the way but even they must first be taught by Thee They must be mov'd by Thee to act that charity and so all at last is resolv'd into Thee Should we presume O Lord to divide thy grace and proudly challenge any share to our selvs Thy mighty truth stands up against us and our own infirmitys plainly confute us Should'st thou severely examine our harts and ask who works all their actions in them Sure we must needs bow down our heads and from our low dust humbly say Nothing are we O Lord but what
tender care hast contriv'd such means * that nothing can undo us but our own perversnes How easie hast thou made the way to heav'n how light is the burthen thou lay'st on thy followers 'T is but to love Thee our greatest Benefactor and we perfectly fulfil every branch of thy Law 'T is but desiring to see Thee our supream Beatitude and we are sure to possess an eternity of joy Blessed O my God be the wisdom of thy Providence that alone knows the way to draw good out of evil That not only restores us to our first degree but makes even our fall rebound us to a greater hight Lord as thy goodnes turns all things to the advantage of thy Elect O may the Elect praise thy goodnes in all things Glory be c. Psal XXXII ADmirable wert thou O Lord in thy merciful promise but infinitely more in thy wonderful performance Thou deputedst not an Angel to supply thy place nor entrustedst so tender a work to the manage of a Seraphin But Thy self bow'dst the heav'ns and cam'st down and with thy own blest hands wroughtst our redemption Thy self took'st upon thee our frail nature and vouchsaf'dst to be born of an humble Virgin Thou condescendedst to the weaknesses of a child a child whose parents were poor and unesteem'd in the world Thou declinedst not the mean entertainment of a stable O how unfit for the birth of the King of Heav'n Thou contentedst thy self with the cradle of a manger and the uneasy lodging on a bed of straw Thou refusedst the soft accomodations of the rich to undergo the inconveniencies of a poor stranger Only the faithful Ioseph stood waiting on Thee and provided as he was able for his helples family Only thy pious Mother dearly embrac't Thee and wrapt thy tender limbs in litle clouts Wonder O heavens and be amaz'd O earth and every creature humbly bow your heads Bow and adore this incomprehensible mystery The VVORD was made flesh dwelt among us But most of all we who are most concern'd the banisht children of unfortunate Adam Let us bow down our faces to the dust and prostrate adore so unspeakable a mercy Behold thus low my Saviour stoopt for me * to check the pride of my corrupted nature Behold thus low He stoopt to take me from the ground and raise me to the felicitys of his own Kingdom Lift up thy voice with joy O my soul and sing Hosanna to the new born JESUS Call all the blessed Angels to celebrate his birth and repeat afresh that heav'nly Antheme Glory be to God on high * in earth peace towards men of good will Lift up thy voice aloud O my soul and to the Quires of heav'n ioyn the musick of the Church Glory be c. Psal XXXIII REjoyce all you faithful Nations of the earth * when you hear the sweet Name of our dear Redeemer Rejoyce and with your bended knees and harts * adore the blessed JESUS He is the Son of the everliving God equally participating the glorys of his Father He is that great Messias whom the Prophets foretold * and all the ancient Saints so long expected At length in the fulnes of time he came to visit in person our miserable world He came with his hands full of miracles and every miracle full of mercy He made the crooked become straight and the lame to walk and leap for joy He open'd the ears of the deaf to hear and gave sight to them that were born blind He loosen'd the tongues of the dumb to speak O may he govern ours to sing his praise He clens'd the leprous by the word of his mouth and heal'd their diseases who but toucht his garment To the poor he reveal'd the treasures of his Gospel and taught the simple the mysterys of his Kingdom He cast out Devils by the command of his Will and forc't them to confess and adore his Person He rais'd the dead from the grave to life the dead that were four days buryed and corrupted Nay even Himself being slain for us on the Cross * and his tomb made fast and secur'd with a guard He rais'd again by his own victorious power and carry'd up our nature into the highest heav'ns All these stupendious signs O glorious JESU were done by the hand of Thy Almighty mercy To witness thy truth with the seal of heav'n and endear thy precepts with obliging miracles That thus engag'd we might believe in Thee and obeying thy Law be eternally sav'd O Let not all this love dear Lord be lost be so many Tokens so kindly exprest One miracle more we humbly beg but one as strange and hard as any of the rest Soften our stony harts into a tender sense * of thy great goodnes and their own true duty Raise our dead spirits from this heavy earth to dwell with Thee in the land of the Living That as we here admire thy bounteous Power and daily sing the wonders of thy Grace We may herafter adore thy Blessed Self and sing eternally the wonders of thy Glory Glory be c. Antiph Praise our Lord O my soul and forget not all his benefits Capit. Jude v. 24 25. TO Him who is able to preserve you without sin and set you immaculate before the sight of his glory in exultation at the coming of our Lord JESUS Christ to the only God our Saviour by JESUS Christ our Lord be glory and magnificence Empire and Power before all ages and now and to all ages for ever Amen Hymn X. LEt others take their course And sing what Name they please Let wealth or beauty be their Theme Such empty sounds as these For me I 'le ne're admire A lump of burnisht clay Howe're it shines it is but dust And shall to dust decay Sweet JESUS is the Name My song shall still adore Sweet JESUS is the charming word That does my life restore When I am dead in grief Or which is worse in sin I call on JESUS and he hears And I to live begin Wherefore to thee bright Name Behold thus low I bow And thus again yet is all this Far less then what I ow. Down then down both my knees Still lower to the ground While with mine eys and voice lift up Aloud these lines I sound Live glorious King of heav'n By all the heav'n ador'd Live gracious Saviour of the world Our chief and only Lord. Live and for ever may Thy throne establisht be For ever may all harts and tongues Sing hyms of praise to Thee Amen Antiph I saw the bright Sun shew his flaming eys and behold a thousand rays fill'd the ayr and beauteously guilded the earth his glorious face but maskt it self in a cloud and immediately they vanisht away and their place was to be found no more I said such O my God just such is the stability of every creature V. Even the line we now repeat must beg its breath of Thee R. And stop if Thou deny'st it O Lord hear our
blest purpose in us and finish these happy beginings towards us For our hopes are great thou hast chosen us to thy glory since already thou so far art engag'd by thy grace Glory be c. Antiph Dreadful art Thou O Lord in the terrors of thy judgments but infinitely more amiable in the sweetnes of thy mercys Capit. Rom. 13. LEt every soul be subject to the higher Pow'rs for there is no Power but of God and they that be are ordain'd of God who ever therefore resists the Power resists the ordinance of God and they who resist purchase to themselves damnation For Princes are not a terror to good but evil works wilt thou then not be afraid of the Power do that which is good and thou shalt have praise of it for he is the minister of God to thee for good but if thou dost evil fear for he bears not the sword in vain for he is the minister of God a revenger to wrath on him that does evil Wherefore be subject to what is so necessary not only for wrath but also for conscience And for this cause do you also pay tribute for they are the ministers of God serving to this very purpose Render therfore to all their dues tribute to whom tribute custom to whom custom fear to whom fear honor to whom honor Ow no man any thing but to love one another for he who loves has fulfill'd the Law Hymn XI FAin would my thoughts fly up to Thee Thy peace sweet Lord to find But when I offer still the world Lays clogs upon my mind Sometimes I climb a litle way And thence look down below How nothing there do all things seem That here make such a show Then round about I turn my eys To feast my hungry sight I meet with heav'n in every thing In every thing delight I see thy Wisdom ruling all And it with joy admire I see my self among such hopes As set my hart on fire When I have thus triumph't a while And think to build my nest Some cross conceits come fluttering by And interrupt my rest Then to the earth again I fall And from my low dust cry 'T was not in my wing Lord but thine That I got up so high And now my God whether I rise Or still ly down in dust Both I submit to thy blest will In both on Thee I trust Guide thou my way who art thy self My everlasting End That every step or swift or slow Still to thy self may tend To Father Son and holy Ghost One Consubstantial Three All highest praise all humblest thanks Now and for ever be Antiph What hart can resist the great King of Kings terrible and amiable and mightily shewing Both in glorious miracles of vengeance and love V. His right hand holds a golden Scepter R. And his left a flaming sword O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who by hopes and fears the main swayers of our nature here hast graciously provided to counterpoise our weight downwards and sustain our faint progress up to Thee in thy Kingdom Grant we humbly beseech Thee that the many notorious Examples of thy dreadful judgments on obstinate and incorrigible sinners may strongly over-aw our vices and impenitence and thy many more eminent instances of indulgence and mercy to the penitent and truly desirous of vertue may incourage our weaknes into effectual endeavours after it by the abundant and surely efficatious means thou hast vouchsaf't in thy Church through our Lord O Lord hear c. As page 45. Tuesday Complin OUr help is in c. as page 46. Antiph Thou art O Lord all goodnes and patience and we alas all sin and disobedience Psal XXXVII GOod God how extreamly ingrateful are we how strangely insensible of our manifest duty Every creature hears thy voice but we every thing lives by rule but we The Sun observs its constant rising and sets exactly at his appointed time The Sun stands still if thou commandest and even goes back to obey thy will And yet the Sun pretends no reward nor looks to be plac'd in a higher heav'n We who expect those glorious promises and aim no lower then the heav'n of heav'ns Shall we forget the law of our God that only instructs us to perfect our selvs We who are bought by the blood of JESUS and freely redeem'd by his sacred Cross Shall we neglect so gracious a Saviour whose only design is to draw us to his love Shall we neglect so generous a love whose only effect is to make us happy O may thy holy will dear Lord be all our rule and thy gracious hand our only guide O may thy infinite goodnes engage us to love Thee and thy blessed love prepare us to enjoy Thee Glory be c. Psal XXXVIII WHat did I say O Lord my God! we guide not our lives by thy strait rules It was too mild and gentle a reproof * for us who quite contradict thy Laws What thou forbidst we eagerly pursue and what thou command'st our frowardnes still resists We boldly converse with temptation and sin which thy charity advises us to fly like death We timorously fear a loss or frown where Thou bidst us proceed with undaunted courage We govern our actions by our own wild fancys and expect thy Providence should comply with our humors We would have Thee relieve us when we list and rain and shine as we think fit Pardon O gracious Lord this rude perversnes and fashion our spirits to submit to Thee Make us exactly observe what Thou prescrib'st how bitter so ever it tasts to our sense We are sure thy wisdom knows our infirmities we are sure thy Goodnes delights in our relief Glory be c. Psal XXXIX T Was not alone to make the day that Thou O Lord did'st make the Sun But to teach us these pious Lessons and write them plain as it 's own beams So should our light shine forth to others and so our charity warm their coldness So when they say we are under a cloud we should like the Sun be really above it And though we appear sometimes Eclipst or even extinguisht in a night of sorrow Still we should shine to our selves and Thee and still go on the ways of light Still like the regular Sun unchangedly expect * the appointed periods of bright and dark Only in this we gladly disagree and blest be our God who made the difference Not like the Sun that every night goes down and must at last be quite put out When we have finisht here our course and seem to set to this dark earth We hope to rise and set no more but shine perpetually in a brighter heav'n Glory be c. Antiph Thou art O Lord all goodnes and patience and we alas all sin and disobedience Hymn XII BLessed O Lord be thy wise grace That governs all our day And to the night assigns its place To rest us in our way If
spred all o're with thorns yet carried Him directly to the glory 's of Paradise Shal we not confidently rely on so gracous a Leader who promises if we faint to look back and relieve us O dearest Lord bow down thy merciful eys and pity the frailtys of our imperfect nature Reach forth thy hand and strengthen us with thy grace that nothing divert our advance towards Thee But in this dangerous labyrinth of the world * and the whole course of our pilgrimage here Thy heav'nly Dictates may be our map * and thy holy life our guide Glory be c. Psal XLVI MAy every Age sing praises to our God and all generations adore his providence From the begining his mercy has stil laid means * to raise us to those blessed objects above our nature At first he created Adam with all necessary knowledg and then ordain'd the Patriarks to inform their familys Afterwards He charg'd the Angels to bring us his Commands and often inspir'd the Prophets to declare his Will When he had done all this and found it not enough to guide untoward man to his true end What did He then to save the perishing world O strange excess of the divine goodnes He sent even his own beloved Son to dwel among us and teach us the art of working our Salvation That sacred art of training up our souls for heav'n and fitting them for the blisful Union with Himself But O Thou King of glorious sweetnes whose flowing tongue dropt milk and honey We were alas not happy to behold thy Person nor our ears worthy to hear thy voice Yet e're we were born thou hadst us in thy thoughts and providedst a method to supply that defect Selecting a number of choice Disciples and thorowly instructing them in thy heav'nly doctrine That they might keep alive the memory of Thee and witnes to all Nations thy stupendious works Thou verifyd'st their Mission with the power of Miracles and enflamd'st their harts with the fire of thy Spirit O're all the world they proclaim'd thy Law and undauntedly preach'd the crucify'd God Deep in the brests of the Faithful did they write thy Gospel and seal it before their eys with their own blood Their Successors deposited the same precious treasure in the common Magazin of the Universal Church Enjoyning their Children to guard it with their livs convey it unchang'd to future ages Thus is the Catholique Faith descended on us and thus shal continue to the end of the world 'T is but to ask our Fathers and they will tell us our Ancestors and they will instruct us Blessed by thy wisdom O Lord which has laid such marks to seek thy Church * and open'd our eys to find it Blessed be thy power that has wrought such miracles to confirm thy faith and inclind'd our harts to believe it How many Souls are unhappily seduced and lose themselvs in the wildernes of Heresy While we by thy Providence are directly led * the straight and only way to blyss How many Nations ly miserably involv'd * in the darknes of barbarism and unbelief While we enjoy a clear noon day and safely walk in the light of truth O infinite Goodnes who freely chusest * to pour forth thy blessings on unworthy us As 't is from Thee alone we receive these favours to Thee alone let us return our praises Glory be c. Antiph All my life long will I praise my God and lift up my hands to his holy Throne Capit. 1 Peter 5. THe God of all grace who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ JESUS will himself after you have suffered a litle perfect confirm and stablish you To him be glory and empire for ever and ever Amen Hymn XIV MY God had I my breath from Thee This pow'r to speak and sing And shal my voice and shal my song Praise any but their King My God had I my soul from Thee This pow'r to judg and chuse And shal my brain and shal my will Their best to Thee refuse Alas not this alone or That Hast thou bestow'd on me But all I have and all I hope I have and hope from Thee And more I have and more I hope Then I can speak or think Thy blessings first refresh then fill Then overflow the brink But though my voice and fancy be Too low to reach thy praise Yet both shal strain thy glorious Name High as they can to raise Glory to Thee immortal God One great Coequal Three As at the first begining was May now and ever be Antiph Happy we securely happy could our busy folly let us see it whose lots are deposited in the hands of wisdom it self which strongly reaches from end to end and disposes all things sweetly V. Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing R. Yet not one of them falls to the ground without our Father O Lord hear our Prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Soveraign Lord whose wise ey continually looks through universal nature and whose omnipotent hand steers every part of it most fitly to the end of thy goodnes Suppress we humbly beseech Thee all distractive solicitude in thy servants by this clear Reflection Who Governs the World and grant that duly confident of thy Providence for all things out of our just reach we may diligently apply all our own endeavours in improving our selvs and others according to the rules of thy perfect charity through our Lord. Commemorations as Page 29. VVednesday Vespers OUr Father c. As page 33. Antiph A good Conscience is a continual feast and a peaceful mind the Antipast of heav'n Psal XLVII LOrd how secure and quiet they live * whom thy grace preservs in innocence The day goes smoothly over their heads * and silent as the shadow of a dyal The spirits of their fancy run calm and even and eb and flow in obedience to reason All their delight is to think on heav'n and reckon o're the joys they shall one day possess Till some unruly passion press to come in * and by its fawning outside gain admittance It promises at first all joy all happines but soon discovers its pernicious intent Soon it grows bold to undermine their repose and open a door to all their enemys So at a litle breach of the City wall * a whole Army pours in their numerous body Enslaving all that submit to their violence * and destroying all that make head to resist it And such alas is their confusion * when once they have yielded to the first assault Immediately a throng of tumultuous spirits croud into their heads and utterly consume the litle remnant of their peace O the distraction of a life led by humor and the miserable thraldom of being subject to our passions How often do they engage us to contend with others and imbitter all our days with strife and envy How often do they quarrel even among themselves and raise a war in our own bosoms
If they by chance agree in one desire they many times vex us with their being disappointed If they perhaps somtimes succeed they seldom produce the expected content If they delight our corrupted tast and we greedily swallow their unwholsom sweetnes Then 't is alas they most of all undo us by feeding the humour of our fatal disease Vain at the best and short are the injoyments of this world and after a litle flattery betray us into ruine Save us O Blessed JESU or else we perish awake and with thy speedy mercy rescue thy servants Send down thy powerful grace to sustain our part and thorowly reduce these unquiet disorders That we again may return to our former rest and constantly injoy an universal peace Peace with the bad by bearing their injurys and with the good by conforming to their vertues Peace with our selvs by subduing sense to reason and with Thee by improving reason with religion Glory be c. Antiphon A good Conscience is a continual feast and a peaceful mind the Antipast of heav'n Antiph Thou art O Lord the only anchor of our hope save us O JESU or else we perish Psal XLVIII THus are they miserably tost up and down * who float on the waves of their own passions Their wearied souls soon faint within them when they see the Lord has withdrawn his presence They seek him but cannot find him they call but he gives them no answer O still seek on still call on your God for his mercy will surely awake at last Though He sometimes may slumber for a while to try your duty or punish your disobedience Though He may suffer a while the fury of the tempest * to shew you your hopeless state if left to your selvs Yet be assur'd He 'l hear your prayers at last He 'l not permit you to perish for ever And now when all their fears were grown to the hight and no means appear'd to sustain their patience When the proud waves beat violently against them and cover'd their litle vessel with despair and ruin Behold his blessed voice commands a calm and immediately the sea and winds obey him Immediately his Sun arises in their harts and with its gentle beams revives their hopes Then is their darknes turn'd into light and the clouds disperst into a bright day Then they recollect their scatter'd thoughts and range them again in their ancient order Often they look back on the dangers they have escapt and as often bless the mercy that deliver'd them Often they look forwards on the course they are going and as often sing with joy for their happy change Welcome again the easie yoke of Christ and the light burthen of loving our Saviour Welcome the holy Offices of sweet devotion and that soul-enflaming silent prayer Now we discern this beauteous truth and O may we print it deeply in our minds That the pleasures of vertue are pure and constant and infinite blessings attend to reward it But the pursuit of vice is troublesom and intricate and finishes its course in an abyss of misery Pity O Lord thou Raiser of them that fall and sole Sustainer of them that stand Pity thy childrens weaknes who look up to Thee and dearly know we are nothing in our selvs Let us not lose this unhappy experience but teach us wisdom from our own miscarriage Teach us to observe where our error was and fortify our selvs against that defect To suppress our tentations in their first approach when their power is weak and our choyce in full strength To remember how formerly their flatterys have abus'd us and when they counterfeit again be no more deceiv'd Never to look on the face of pleasures * as they come drest up and smiling towards us But always reflect how sadly they go off and leave nothing behind but their venemous sting So shall we gain the best of victorys while we master our own corrupt inclinations So shall we be honour'd with the noblest of Triumphs while our conquer'd passions draw us up into heav'n Glory be c. Antiph Thou art O Lord the only anchor of our hope save us O JESU or else we perish Antiph All our lots are in the hands of God and all our safety in the assistance of his grace Psal XLIX LOrd as thy all-wise Providence seems to sleep sometimes * and permit the storm to grow high and loud Yet never fail'st to relieve thy servants * who faithfully call on thee in their day of trouble So let thy favorable hand still bear us up when thou seest us charg'd with any strong assault Leave us not then to our own infirmities lest the enemy of our souls prevail against us Forsake not our misery when we are faln lest we ly for ever groveling on the earth Suffer not our frailtys to become a custom lest we dy impenitent and perish without recovery Deliver us O Lord from the occasions of sin and the improtunities of such as delight in folly Deliver us from the snare of enticing company and the dangerous infection of ill example Infection that spreads in every place its poysonous air * and where e're it enters corrupts and kills Once more my soul let us repeat this prayer and humbly implore again so necessary a blessing Deliver us O Lord from the occasions of sin and the importunitys of such as delight in folly Deliver us from the snare of enticing company and the dangerous infection of ill example Set a strict watch continually over our eys and diligently keep the door of our lips Govern all our senses that they seduce not our minds and order every motion of our hart and fancy Perfect O dear Redeemer the work thou hast begun and make even our passions servants of thy grace Change our rude anger to a severity against our selvs * and a prudent zeal for others Convert our fear into a timorousness to offend * and an awful reverence of thy sacred Name Let all our affections be turn'd into charity that our harts may desire nothing but Thee Whom we may safely love with our whole strength whose heav'n we may covet and fear no excess O Thou whose blysful vision is the joy of Angels * and soveraign happines of all thy Saints O that our souls could love thee without limits as thou art in thy self most infinitely amiable That we could fix all our thoughts on Thee and never take them off from the memory of thy Sweetnes At least O thou fountain of eternal bounty * that flows so freely with perpetual blessings Let every day we receive of thee * still set apart some portion of its self Seriously to meditate thy infinite mercys and hartily rejoyce in thy glorious rewards Mercys that give us all we have and rewards that reserve for us all we can wish Glory be c. Antiph All our lots are in the hands of God and all our safety in the assistance of his grace Capit. 5. Gal. THe works of the
her head with a diadem of Saints Thou hast given her the keys of all thy treasures and open'd to her the mysterys of heav'n it self Mysterys that free our souls from the dominion of sense and place them above the reach of reason These thy whole Church unanimously attests as deriv'd from Thee their original source And runing along through every age * have always maintain'd their constant chanel O may they still bear on their course and still spread wider their wholsom streams May all the world be water'd with this dew of heav'n and bring forth fruit to everlasting life But O unhappy you who seek new paths and blindly follow your misleading guides You who forsake the known Church-way to truth and charge the whole Christian world with malice and error Tell me can any reason considerately think * that so many witnesses should conspire in a falshood Such as must necessarily damn themselvs and desperately endanger all their posterity Such as by every ey may easily be discern'd and the credit of the forgers confounded with shame Stay till a thousand Mothers freely agree * to poyson themselvs and their beloved children Stay till a Nation solemnly vote * that a wave of the Sea is firmer then a rock When you have seen this done and the deluge of Antichrist himself invade the world Yet shall that holy Ark still float above and save the Just from the fury of the waves O the excessive goodnes of our merciful God who has made his Testimonys even too credible Too credible to be doubted by any thing but ignorance too credible to be deny'd by any thing but passion We are almost now constrain'd to believe Lord grant us grace but to hope and love Glory be c. Antiph Upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Antiph How admirably O Lord has thy Wisdom contriv'd our salvation infusing even by our senses grace into our souls Psal LV. SAfe in this hand has our provident Lord * deposited the richest treasures of his Kingdom Commanding his Priests to conserve them with reverence * and dispense them to others with a prudent charity Soon as we 're born into this world of danger his vigilant Baptism stands ready to save us Ready to wipe out the guilt of our birth and write our new names in the book of life What all eternity could never have worn off * a litle sprinkling of water washes away When we are come to riper years and a fit capacity of professing our Faith His holy Bishops mysteriously anoint our foreheads to cherish and Confirm our growing beleef That we never be asham'd of the Cross of Christ but to the face of death freely confess him If in our spiritual combat we receive a wound he has appointed persons expresly to cure us Only he requires we should open our sores before them and hartily repent our wilful rashnes He requires we should satisfy the world and our own souls in repairing the damage they sustain by our trespas Heal'd by the bitter waters of Pennance we are imediatly invited to all the sweetnes of Paradise To tast the delicious bread of Angels to eat even the Flesh it self of the Son of God So to become intirely one with him while we feed on his Body and are govern'd by his Spirit That the world may continue in a blest succession he solemnly sanctify'd the rites of Marriage Exalting that state to the honour of a Sacrament that we might more regard the holines of its dutys To prevent the failing of Governours in the Church the Church for which this world continues Themselvs are impowr'd to kindle fresh lights who stil may shine on when the old ones are spent Yet is there one important period of our life the sicknes that summons us to the bar of death Nor has our gracious Lord forgotten this but carefully provided a holy Unction To allay our fears in that sad hour and strengthen our hopes of everlasting felicity That we may finish our course in peace and go up with joy to receive our crown Thus by thy wise indulgent care O Thou sweet Conductor of our Souls Every station of our pilgrimage has a fit entertainment and every defect a proper remedy Glory be c. Antiph How admirably O Lord has thy Wisdom contriv'd our Salvation infusing even by our senses grace into our souls Antiph We confess we are bound to do many things against our will why not believe some few above our understanding Psal LVI THese are the seven bright golden Candlesticks * set up to enlighten and adorn the Church But behold in the midst One like the son of man but is indeed the Son of God Behold One disguis'd in the shape of bread but is indeed the Son both of God and man He whom the Seraphims prostrate adore and fly with all their wings to perform his commands He who came down to dy for us sinners and ascended again above the highest heav'ns Himself is there and graciously stays our coming to receive our pray'rs and send us home with his blessing He 's there though not discern'd by sense nor the mysterys of his presence comprehended by reason Yet may a lively faith pass through the veil and confidently enter into the holy of holys A faith that works by love may enter and fill it self with celestial Manna But the uncharitable faith shall be cast into darkness among them that believe and tremble Behold O Lord we believe and hope perfect by thy vigorous grace our faint endeavours Quicken our half dead faith into a ready assent where ever thou art pleas'd to engage thy word Why should we doubt the Power of God can do somthing that the weaknes of man cannot understand Which of us knows how the common bread we eat * is naturally turn'd into our own substance And shall we dispute the supernatural conversion * of this blessed bread into the substance of our Saviour Shall we submit our reason to the secrets of nature and make it judg of the mysterys of grace Shall we rely on the reports of men where we do not see and distrust the word of God because we do not see No let us now believe that herafter we may see when our eys shall be open'd in the Kingdom of light Where our dark faith shall cease into vision and our hope expire into full enjoyment Where all our affections shall be contracted into love and love extended to eternity Glory be c. Antiph We confess we are bound to do many things against our will why not believe some few above our understanding Our Father c. First Lesson CHrist loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify it cleansing it by the Laver of water in the word of life that he might present to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors
the hands of God At first endow'd with dominion o're the Earth and which was more with dominion o're thy self At first not only made sole Lord of Paradise but heir apparent of the Heav'n of heav'ns All this thou lost by one rash act * disobeying the Law of thy wise Creator All this alas we lost by thy transgression which brought in sin and death and universal misery Our bodys were deprav'd by thy distemper and our souls made fit for such depraved bodys Our senses quickly rebel'd against reason and both together conspir'd against grace Dulnes and ignorance o'respred the world error and vice possest mankind The Law they observ'd was their own unruly appetites and the Deity they worship'd the work of their own hands Even the selected people of the true God the favourite Nation of the Almighty Providence They who were brought out of Egypt with so many wonders and seated in a Country flowing with Milk and Honey They who had seen the sea divide before them and stand on each side as a wall to defend them They who had tasted the quails and manna from heav●●n and drunk of the streams that came gushing from the Rock Even they forgot their great Deliverer and set up for their God a Golden Calf They could not worship what they did not see they must have Gods to go before them Thus lay the miserable world all cover'd with darknes and the thickest mists of gross Idolatry Thus had poor man quite lost his way and all he could do was to wander up and down a while Til when his few vain years were spent * he suddenly descended to everlasting sorrows This mov'd thy pity gracious Lord who often art found by those that seek thee not VVho never withdraw'st thy hand in time of need but constantly supply'st us in all our distresses This mov'd thy pity to undertake our relief and come down thy self and dwel among us That as our nature us'd to worship what it saw we now should see what we might safely worship But thou again dear Lord must leave our world and though it be good for us 't is hard to part from Thee Thou must again ascend into thy Fathers bosom to prepare a place for thy faithful Followers Yet even then O thou wise and infinite Goodnes thou didst not wholly forsake our earth Only thy usual cloaths and shape were chang'd but thy former Self stil dwels among us Stil thou art really here to move us by thy presence * and entertain our devotions without fear of excess VVe know 't is impossible to adore our God too much O that 't were possible to adore him enough Glory be c. Antiph VVhether O my God should we wander if left to our selvs where should we fix our harts if not directed by Thee Antiph Blessed be thy Providence O God that so tenderly nurses up the world stil growing on to new degrees of perfection Psal LXI LOrd what a happy change has thy coming wrought what glorious effects has thy Doctrin produced Narrow was once the gate and strait the path to bliss and few there were that found it Once in a populous City not ten that were just and on the whole earth but eight that were sav'd Now we see thousands with a strong and generous love * run swiftly after Thee in the ways of thy Counsels Now we see millions with a fair degree of hope * walk constantly towards Thee in the ways of thy Commands Now we see Kings and mighty Nations submit to Thee and hope all the world will ere long adore Thee Whence O my God could this strange improvement come but that JESUS ascending left himself on our Altars Whence could this blessing spring but from his holy life and the infinit merits of his painful death Both which are here miraculously united and the fruits of both abridg'd into this one Mystery This is the Mystery that gives life and spirit to the Church and works all the wonders that adorn the world This builds our great and sumptuous Temples to bestow on our God the best house we have This with our richest treasures beautifys our altars to entertain our Lord in the best way we can This breeds the reverence we pay to Priests and excellently disposes us to believe and obey them This keeps alive our dear Redeemers death and applies to our souls all the vertue of his Passion This fills our hearts with heroick courage * to do and suffer for the Name of JESUS This is in fine the food of faith and hope and love and these 3 fit us for eternal happines O blest memorial of my Saviours love and faithful Seal of all his promises If I forget to sing of thee * let my tongue cleave to the roof of my mouth If I forget to meditate on Thee * let my head forfeit its power to think All the short time I remain in thy presence * I will wholly employ to adore thy Majesty Thee will I bless for all thy mercys to Thee will I open all my necessitys Beging thy pardon for my past offences * and thy gracious assistance for the time to come Imploring thy peace for the souls departed and thy blessing for all the world O spotles Lamb once slain for us on the Cross and dayly sacrificed on the holy Altar Be thou our powerful Advocate with thy heav'nly Father and solicite by thy Merits his mercy for us Offer thy sacred Self before his Throne and turn away the wrath we deserve for our sins So slaves are rescu'd from their chains * and prisoners from the doom of death While they appease their offended King * with the pleasing remembrance of his beloved Son And so hope we and infinitely more from the infinitely greater Mediation of JESUS If Thou O Lord shalt thus restore our liberty and cloath thy servants in the robes of innocence Then shall we all delight to be still in thy presence and follow thee where're thou goest In thy Processions we 'l wait on thy triumph in thy visiting the sick we 'l attend thy charity When thou art lifted up we 'l bow before Thee when solemnly expos'd we 'l publickly adore thee Where e're Thou art we 'l never forsake Thee where e're we are our harts shall be with Thee Glory be c. Antiph Blessed be thy Providence O God that so tenderly nurses up the world still growing on to new degrees of perfection Antiph This is the greatest charity that God himself can bestow since God can bestow nothing greater then himself Psal LXII ANd does our glorious God not only visit but dwelt perpetually with us men upon earth He whom the heav'n of heav'ns cannot contain does he make his residence in our litle Tabernacles Where are you holy Angels that you fly not swiftly down and in your whitest robes attend your Lord Where are you careles men that you run not quickly hither and with your lowliest homage bow to your King Who though
men Psal LXIII VVHo will give me this happy favour that I may find my God alone That I may find him in the silence of retirement where the noise of this world can no way interrupt us But that my God may speak to me and I to him as dearest friends converse together That I may unfold before him all my wants and freely ask the charity of his counsel VVhat shall I do O my gracious Lord to be happy here VVhat shall I do to be happy herafter Nature already has thus far taught me that in all I undertake I seek my own good Only I have cause to fear I may mistake that good and set up an Idol instead of thee Unless my God vouchsafe to instruct me and shew my soul its true felicity Hark how the eternal wisdom gives thee advice and let every word sink deep into thy soul Seek with thy first endeavours the Kingdom of heav'n and all things else shall be added to thy wish Love with thy whole affections the injoyment of thy God and all things else shall conspire to thy happines All these my lips confess are excellent truths but when O my God shall my life confess them When shall I perfectly overcome my passions and guide them so that they may draw me to thy light While they are mine alas I cannot govern them behold dear Lord I offer them all to Thee Check thou their lawles motions by thy grace lest they violently carry me away from my duty Wean thou my hart from the follys of this world and quicken its appetite to thy solid joys That I may hunger and thirst perpetually after Thee and those glorious promises thou hast made to thy servants That my whole soul may seek Thee alone since Thou alone art all my heav'n Glory be c. Psal LXIV WHen O my soul shall thy God find thee alone free from those busy thoughts that fill thy head O with what ready charity would he then instruct thee and let thee in to his blessed Secrets Himself would become thy familiar Guest and dwell with thee in perpetual joy Lord Thou must enter first and chace those fancys away and consecrate my soul a temple to thy self Take thou entire possession and hold it fast for ever and suffer not the enemys of my peace to return Sit thou as Soveraign King and absolutely command for thy government is mild and rewards are infinite What hast thou promis'd gracious Lord * to him that receives thee with an humble love All that 's contain'd in those sweet and mystick words * he dwels in me and I in him O blessed words if once my soul can say He dwels in me and I in him He is my refuge in all temptations He is my comfort in all distresses He is my security against all enemys He dwels in me and I in him What can an infinite bounty give greater then it self and what can an empty creature receive greater then his God O glorious God my life my joy and the only center of all my hopes VVere my unsteddy soul once united to Thee or once had relisht the sweetnes of thy presence How would all other company seem dull and tedious and the whole world be bitter to my tast How would my thoughts cleave fast to thee and gladly seal this everlasting Covenant If Thou O Lord wilt dwel with me my hart shall continually attend on Thee Night and day will I sing thy praises and all my life long adore thy mercys Glory be c. Psal LXV THou art my only hope O blessed JESU and thy favour alone is all things to me In thee I find the providence of a father * and the tender kindnes of an indulgent mother In thee I enjoy the protection of a King * and the rare fidelity of a constant friend In thee I possess what ever I want and thy fulnes exceeds even my utmost desires Thou art O JESU my God and all things what can I think or wish for more Already enough is said for them that love and know the value of those precious words O sweet and charming words my God and all things sweet in excess to those that tast them Not to the corrupted palates of the world who relish nothing but the food of sense VVordes that revive the fainting mind and fill its darkest thoughts with light and joy O may these blessed words dwell on my tongue and live for ever in my faithful memory VVhere e're I am in this inconstant world and what ever busines entertains my hand Still let my inward ey look up towards Thee and fix my sight on thy glorious face Still may I wish and long for that happy day * which opens to my soul so blest a view Where I shall see and no longer darkly believe * that thou O Lord art my God and all things Glory be c. Antiph What couldst thou say dear Lord more sweet then this Thy delight is to be with the children of men Hymn XX. COme my thoughts who fondly fly At every toy that passes by Spending so your strength in vain While what you court you ne're can gain Come my soul who sure must be Quite tir'd with all this life can see Losing oft thy hope and time Come take advice of this plain rime Seek no more abroad thy rest But seek at home in thine own brest Let thy mind from guilt be clear Then look for all thy comfort there With thy Self and with thy God Delight to make thy chief abode There repose secure and free And no mischance can trouble thee Should death's self thy walls assail Still thou art safe and canst not fail Still thy soul 's thine own and she To a new house remov'd shall be New and lasting there above All built and furnish't with pure love There shall this mud wall of thine Repair'd the brightest stars outshine There thy Lord who feeds thee now VVith his own flesh will more bestow He came down to be like thee Thou shalt go up and like Him be King of glory King of peace May these our praises never cease Still may we adore thy Throne Still bow and sing to Thee alone Capit. 1. Pet. 5. HUmble your selvs under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in the day of visitation casting upon Him all your solicitude for He has care of you Be sober and watch for your adversary the devil as a roaring lyon compasses about seeking whom he may devour whom resist strong in faith Antiph Be vacant and see how sweet our Lord is get above the eclipse of earth and be ravisht with the light of his countenance V. I said to all creatures Peace be gone R. Let me injoy my God in solitude and silence O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God whose delights are to be with the children of men when thy grace can prevail with us to quit all other Converse and
followers strive to be rich and esteem'd Thy charitable labours were maliciously slander'd and shall not our faults have the patience to be reprov'd Thou disdain'dst not to be cal'd in scorn the Carpenters son and cannot our lownes bear a litle disparagement O how unlike are we to that blest Original * who descended from heav'n to become our pattern How do we go astray from that sacred path * which the holy JESUS trac'd with his own steps Pity O dear Redeemer the infirmitys of thy children and strengthen with thy grace our fainting harts Arm us O glorious Conqueror of sin and death against all the fears and terrors of this world Arm all our powers with those celestial vertues of Faith and Hope and invincible Love That we may still go on and resolutely meet * whatever stands in our way to heav'n Since we must suffer as Christians and deserve it as sinners * Lord let us bear it as becomes thy servants Glory be c. Antiph He humbled himself for us and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross Antiph Unworthy are we O Lord of the least of thy favours and ingrateful for all Psal LXIX MY God when I consider what thou hast suffer'd for us and what we have done against our ●●elvs I am amaz'd at the wonders of thy goodnes and confounded at the vilenes of our misery Our sins were the cause of thy cruel death yet still we permit them to live in us We entertain the worst of thine enemys and treacherously lodg them in our own bosoms Prefering a petty interest before thy heav'n a transitory pleasure before eternal felicity Many we confess are the follys of our life and our consciences tremble at their own great guilt Many are the times thou hast graciously pardon'd us and still we relapse and abuse thy clemency The memory of our transgressions is bitter to us and the thought of our ingratitude extreamly afflicts us But is there O my JESU any stain so foul * which thy precious Blood cannot wash away Is there any heap of sins so vast * to exceed the number of infinite mercys O no Thou canst forgive more then we can offend but Thou wilt not forgive unless we fear to offend Unless we seek to Thee for peace and reconcilement and humble our selvs in thy holy presence Wherefore behold O Lord we fall down at thy crucified Feet and there ask pardon for our perverse affections Reverently we kiss thy pierced Hands and implore forgivenes of our wicked actions Humbly we salute thy bleeding Side and supplicate thy grace to purify our intentions All we can offer thy offended Majesty * to pacify the justice of thy wrath Is only an humble ey bath'd in tears and a penitent hart broken with contrition Only a firm Resolve to change our lives and even all this we must beg of Thee O Thou our gracious and indulgent Lord who freely pardon'st all that truly repent Who giv'st repentance to all that ask and invit'st all to ask by promising to give Make us look seriously into our own brests and hartily lament our many failings Make us search diligently for our bosom-sins and strive to cast them out with prayer and fasting Open thou O Lord our lips to accuse our crimes that we blush not to confess what we fear'd not to do Correct our past sins with the works of pennance that the stains they leave may be quite ta'ne away Preserve us herafter with thy powerful grace that no temptation surprize or overcome us Extend thy mercy O Lord over all our works since Thy self has declar'd 't is above all thine own Glory be c. Antiph Unworthy are we O Lord of the least of thy favors and ingrateful for all Our Father c. First Lesson ATtend to me O my People hear me O my Nation for a Law shall proceed from Me and my judgment shall rest to be a light of the world I gave my back to the scourgers and my cheeks to those who pluckt off the hair I turn'd not away my face from them that rebuk't me and spit upon me I have trodden the winepress alone and of the Gentiles there was not a man with me I lookt about and there was no helper I sought and there was none to aid All that saw the laught me to scorn they shot out their lips and shook their heads he hop't in the Lord let him deliver him because he delights in him let him save him I was as one that is deaf and heard not and as a dumb man that opens not his mouth They who sought evil against me spake vanitys and meditated deceits all the day long They open'd their mouths upon me as a lyon ravening and roaring many dogs incompast me the councel of the malignant besieg'd me They pierc'd my hands and my feet they numbre'd all my bones they divided my garments and for my vesture they cast lots They gave me gall to eat and in my thirst vineger to drink I am poured out as water and all my bones are disjoynted my hart is made like wax melting in the mid'st of my bowels my strength is dry'd up like a potsheard and my tongue cleav'd to my mouth Thou hast brought me down to the dust of death R. All this O Blessed JESU thou taught'st thy holy Prophets to prepare the world for thy coming all this and infinitely more Thou verify'dst in thine own Person with pains and sorrows and reproaches able to make even patience it self break forth into this sad complaint * O all you that pass by the way behold and see if there be grief like to my grief I was betray'd and bound and led away captive I was revil'd and buffeted and scornfully spit on I was stript and scourg'd and condemn'd to a cruel death I was crown'd with thorns and pierc't with nails and crucify'd among theeves * O all Second Lesson NOw therefore saith our Lord Turn to me with all your hart in fasting and weeping and mourning Rend your harts and not your garments and be converted to the Lord your God for he is benign and merciful patient and of much compassion and ready to pardon your offences who knows if he will return and forgive and leave behind him a blessing Seek our Lord while he may be found call on him while he is nigh Behold the hand of the Lord is not shortned that he cannot save nor his ear heavy that it cannot hear but your iniquities have divided between you and your God and your sins have hid his face from you that he will not hear Let the impious forsake his way and the wicked man his thoughts and return to our Lord and he will have mercy on him and to our God for he is bountiful in pardoning Wash you be clean take away the evil of your thoughts from mine eys cease to do perversly learn to do good seek judgment relieve the oppressed judg for the fatherless defend the widow Come
c. Psal LXXII TO thee O God we ow our whole selvs for making us after thine own image To thee O Lord we ow more than our selvs for redeeming us with the death of thine only Son Nor were our ruines so soon repair'd as at first our Being was easily produc'd Thy Power to create us said but one word and immediately we became a living soul But thy Wisdom to redeem us both spake much * and wrought more and suffer'd most of all To redeem us He humbled himself to this low world and all the infirmitys of our miserable nature He patiently endur'd hunger and thirst and the malicious affronts of enraged enemys How many times did he hazard his life to sustain with courage the truths of heav'n How many tears did he tenderly weep in compassion of his blind ingrateful Country How many drops of blood did he shed * in that doleful garden and on the bitter Cross The Cross where after three long hours * of grief and shame and intolerable pains He meekly bow'd his fainting head and in an agony of prayer yeelded up the Ghost So sets the glorious Sun in a sad cloud and leaves our earth in darknes and disorder But goes to shine immediately in the other world and soon returns again and brings us light And so dost Thou dear Lord and more thy very darknes is our light 'T is by thy death we are made to live and by thy wounds our soars are heal'd O my ador'd Redeemer who took'st upon thee all our miserys to impart to us thine own felicitys Can we remember thy labours for us and not be convinc't of our duty to Thee Can our cold harts recount thy sufferings and not be inflam'd with the love that suffer'd Can we beleeve our salvation cost thee so dear and live as if to be sav'd were not worth our pains Ingrateful we how do we ●●light the kindnes of our God! how carelesly comply with his gracious design For all his gifts he requires no other return then to hope still more and desire still greater blessings For all his favours he seeks no other praise then our following his steps to arrive at his glory O glorious JESU behold to thee we bow and kumbly kiss the dust in honor of thy death Behold thus low we bow to implore thy blessing and the sure assistance of thy special grace That we may wean our affections from all vain desires and clear our thoughts from all impertinent fancys Then shal our lives be intirely dedicated to Thee and all the facultys of our souls to thy holy service Our minds shal continually study thy knowledge and our wills grow every day stronger in thy love Our memorys shal faithfully lay up thy mercys and both tongue and hart shal sing for ever Glory be c. Antiph Come let us glory in the Cross of our Lord JESVS Christ in whom is our life and helth and resurrection Capit. 2 Cor. 1. BLessed be the God and Father of our Lord JESVS Christ the Father of mercys and God of all consolation who comforts us in all our tribulations that we also may be able to comfort them who are in any distress by the consolation wherewith we also are comforted of God For as the passions of Christ abound in us so likewise by Christ our comfort abounds Hymn XXII TUne now your selvs my hart strings high Let us aloft our voyces raise That our loud song may reach the Sky And there present to Thee our praise To thee blest JESU who cam'st down From those bright sphears of joy above To purchase us a dear bought Crown And woo our Souls to ' espouse thy love Long had the World in darknes sate Til Thou and thy all-glorious light Began to dawn from heav'ns fair gate And with thy beams dispel their night We too alas stil there had stood As common slaves in the same shade But mercy came and with his blood Our general ransom freely paid Not all the spite of all the Jews Nor death it self could him remove Stil He his blest design pursues And gives his life to take our love And now my Lord my God my all What shal I most in Thee admire That pow'r which made the world and shal The world again dissolve with fire O no thy strange humility Thy wounds thy pains thy cross thy death These shal alone my wonder be My helth my joy my staff my breath To Thee great God! to Thee alone Three Persons in one Deity As former ages stil have done All glory now and ever be Antiph We are bought with a price even the most precious sweat and blood of JESUS henceforth to call Him Master whose service is perfect freedom and gives us effectual power to become the sons of God V. The chains fell off our hands and feet R. When Thine dear Redeemer were nail'd to the Cross V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Eternal Father who sent'st down thy only Son to redeem the world inslav'd to sin and Satan by assuming our frail nature and powerfully teaching us both by word and example its sole way to that blyss for which we are created Grant we humbly beseech Thee that the continual memory of his bitter passion and death on the Cross may beget in us an utter disvalue of the Goods or Ills we meet with here compar'd to the advancing our selvs or others in the esteem of what we hope herafter through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen Here on every Friday that is fasted say kneeling V. Lord have mercy on us R. Christ have mercy on us V. Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. V. And lead us not into temptation R. But deliver us from evil Amen V. Have mercy on us O Lord have mercy on us R. For our souls confide in thee V. And under the shadow of thy wings will we hope R. Til our iniquities pass away V. Have mercy on us O Lord for we are weak R. Heal us O Lord for we have sinned against thee V. Our iniquities are gone over our head R. And like a sad burthen sit heavy on us V. Will not our God require an account of these things R. Will he not examine every passage of our lives V. He sees the secrets of our harts R. And our darkest sins are not hid from Him V. Lord make us judg our selvs lest we be condemn'd by thee R. And chastize our selvs lest we be punisht by thee V. Make us mortify our senses with discreet austeritys R. Particularly contrary to the passions which molest us V. That we may reduce our bodys into subjection to our minds R. And our minds into subjection to Thee V. That as our too much liberty brought us to folly R. Our just severity may bring us to pardon V. Pardon O Lord
c. Antiph He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world Antiph Now is the time of acceptance now is the day of salvation let us demean our selvs as the servants of God in fasting and watching in patience and charity Psal LXXV SHould'st thou O Lord have dealt with us in rigour we had long since been sentenced to eternal death Long since our guilty souls had been snatch't away and hurried down to everlasting torments But thy gracious mercy has repriev'd our lives and given us space to work out our pardons Now is the time of acceptance with Thee now is the day of salvation for us Now let us mourn our former offences and bring forth fruits worthy of repentance If we O JESU have hitherto persecuted thee and with our sins nayl'd thee on the tree of death Now let our whole endeavours attend thy service and loyally conspire to un-crucify their Lord Let us ascend the Mount of Calvary and often as we go kiss thy holy steps We kiss thy steps when we love thy ways and humble our selvs and follow Thee Let us there on our knees approach thy Cross and reverently cover thy naked Body We cover thee when our charity cloaths thy servants and hides the infirmitys of thy litle Ones Let us there with tendrest care unfasten the nails and gently draw them out of thy hands and feet We draw them out when we freely obey thy will and loosen our affections from cleaving to the world Lord when we thus have rescu'd Thee and plac'd thee again on thy Throne of glory Instead of Thy self nail thou us to the Cross who really deserve what Thou really indured'st Crucify our flesh with the fear of Thee and give us our portion of sorrow here Crucify the world to us and us to the world that dead to it we may live in Thee At least live thou in us O holy JESU and fit our souls for so glorious a guest Enter into our harts and fill them with thy self that no room be left for any thing but Thee One only hope we have thy care of us one only fear our neglect of our selvs Glory be c. Antiph Now is the time of acceptance now is the day of salvation let us demean our selvs as the servants of God in fasting and watching in patience and charity Capit. Philip. 2. IF there be any consolation in Christ if any comfort of Charity if any fellowship of spirit if any bowels of Commiseration fulfil my joy that you be of one meaning having the same charity of one mind of one sentiment Let nothing be done by contention nor by vain glory but in humility every one counting others better then themselvs every one considering not the things that are their own but those that are of others Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ JESVS who being in the form of God thought it no robbery to be equal to God but he abased himself taking the form of a servant made into the similitude of men and in shape found as man He humbled himself being made obedient to death even the death of the Cross for which God has exalted him and given him a name above all names that at the name of JESVS every knee bow of things in heaven of things on earth and of things under the earth and every tongue confess that our Lord JESVS Christ is in the glory of God the Father Hymn XXIII ANd now my soul canst thou forget That thy whole life is one long debt Of love to Him who on this tree Paid back the flesh He took for thee Lo how the streams of precious blood Flow from five wounds into one flood With these he washes all thy stains And buys thy ease with his own pains Tall tree of life we clearly now That doubt of former Ages know It was thy wood should make the Throne Fit for a more then Salomon Large Throne of love royally spred With Purple of too rich a red Strange costly price thus to make good Thine own esteem with thy Kings blood Hail fairest Plant of Paradise To thee our hopes lift up their eys O may aloft thy branches shoot And fill the Nations with thy fruit O may all reap from thy Increase The Just more strength the sinner peace While our half-wither'd harts and we Engraft our selvs and grow on Thee Live O for ever live and reign Blest Lamb whom thine own love has slain And may thy lost sheep live to be True lovers of thy Cross and Thee All glory to the sacred Three One undivided Deity As it has been in ages gone May now and ever stil be done Antiph Our Lord dyed for us that we might live in Him and putting off the old man with all his concupiscences be renew'd henceforth in the spirit of our minds V. Behold dear Saviour thou art exalted from the earth R. Fulfil thy word and draw all things to thy self O Lord hear our prayers And let our Supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who at the price of thy only Sons last drop on the Cross hast purchased our harts from this life and all the goods of it to the sole pursuit and hopes of Thy self in eternity Possess we beseech Thee and absolutely dispose of what Thou hast so dearly paid for mortifying us to this world and confirming our courage to fight manfully under the Banner of our crucify'd JESUS that we stand the shock of all temptations and nothing in life or death be able to separate us from thy love in Him our glorious Redeemer who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world with out end Amen Here on all Fridays that are fasted say kneeling V. Lord have mercy on us R. Christ have mercy on us V. Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. V. And lead us not into temptation R. But deliver us from evil Amen V. Who will give water to our eys R. And a fountain of tears to our head V. That we may weep day and night R. The loss of our time past and the danger of our time to come V. That we may weep for our many sins R. And humbly confess our grievous offences V. We have sin'd with our fathers we have sin'd R. We have done unjustly we have committed iniquity V. We have broken the Laws of our Maker R. We have provokt the wrath of our Judg. V. We have despised the goodnes of our God R. What shall we do O thou Preserver of men V. What shall we do but appeal from the bar of thy justice R. To thy mild and gracious Seat of Mercy V. Spare us O Lord for thy mercy sake R. Spare the works of thine own hands V. Spare us whom thou hast made for the enjoyment of thy self R. Spare us whom thou hast redeem'd with thy precious Blood V. Pardon O Lord our sins of
of death thou open'dst the kingdom of heav'n to all Believers Psal LXXXIII IF we rejoyc'd for our selvs in the sufferings of our Lord let us now rejoyce for Him that his sufferings are ended Now that the fowlers net is broken and the meek and innocent Dove escap't Now that the cup of bitternes is past away and never possible to return again Never again O dearest JESU shall those blest eys weep nor thy holy soul be sorrowful to death Never shall thy precious life be subject any more * to the bloody malice of ambitious hypocrites Never shall thy innocence any more be expos'd * to the barbarous fury of an ingrateful multitude But thou shalt live and reign for ever and all created nature perpetually adore Thee O happy end of well indur'd afflictions O blessed fruits that spring from the Cross of JESUS Look up my soul and see thy crucify'd Lord * sit gloriously inthron'd at the right hand of his Father Behold the ragged purple now turn'd into a robe of light and the scornful reed into a royal Scepter The wreath of thorns is grown into a sparkling diadem and all his scars polisht into brightnes His tears are all now chang'd into joy and the laughter of his persecuters into sad despair Herod long since perisht in miserable contempt and Pilate still trembles with everlasting fears The impenitent Jews are scatter'd o're the world to attest his truth and their own obdurate blindness But Himself is crown'd with eternal Triumphs and the souls he has redeem'd shall sing his victories for ever Live glorious King of men and Angels live happy Conqueror of sin and death Our praises shall always attend thy Cross and our patience endeavour to bear our own Through fiercest dangers our faith shall follow Thee and nothing wrest from us our hope at last to see Thee We 'l fear no more the sting of death nor be frighted at the darkness of the grave Since thou hast chang'd our grave into a bed of rest and made death it self but a passage into life We 'l love no more the pleasures of vanity nor set our harts on unsatisfying riches Since Thou hast open'd Paradise again and purchas'd for us the kingdom of heav'n Glory be c. Psal LXXXIV BLessed be thy Name O holy JESU and blessed be the mercy of thy Providence Who hast cast our lot in these times of grace and design'd our birth in the days of light When we may clearly see our ready way and directly go on to our glorious end Till Thou appear'dst O Thou only light of the world our miserable earth lay cover'd with darknes Till thou went'st away O thou soveraign Lord of life thy Saints sate expecting in the shades of death The kingdom of heav'n was close shut up and none permitted to behold thy glory Soon as thine own afflictions were ended thou communicatedst thy joys to all the world All that esteem'd so blest a sight and stood prepar'd to entertain thy coming As for the rest whose eys are shut or turn'd away by their own malice Thy presence alas yields no more joy then light to those who will not see But the harts that love Thee Thou fill'st with gladnes and overflow'st them with an ocean of heav'nly delights Come happy souls to whom belongs * so fair a title to all these mercys Come let us now raise up our thoughts and continually medi●●ate our future beatitude Let us comfort our labours with the hope of rest and our sufferings with the expectance of a quick reward Now that the hand of our gracious Lord * has unlockt the gates of everlasting blyss Now that they stand wide open to admit * such as press on with their utmost strength Such as have wisely made choice of heav'n * for the only end and business of their life Rejecting all these false allurements to attend the pursute of true felicity O Blessed JESU our hope our strength and the full rewarder of all thy servants As thou hast freely prepar'd for us ready wages so Lord let thy grace enable us to work Make us direct our whole life to Thee and undervalue all things compar'd with thy love Seal thou our eys to the illusions of this world and open them upwards to thy solid glorys That when our earthly tabernacle shal be dissolv'd and this house of clay fall down into the dust We may ascend to Thee and dwel above in that Building not made with hands eternal in the heav'ns Glory be c. Psal LXXXV PRaise our Lord O you children of men praise Him as the Author of all your hopes Praise our Lord O you Blessed of heav'n praise Him as the Finisher of all your joys Sing O you reverend Patriarks and holy Prophets sing Hymns of glory to the great Messias Sing and rejoyce all you Ancient Saints who so long repos'd in the bosom of Abraham Bring forth your best and purest incense and humbly offer it at the Throne of the Lamb The Lamb that was slain from the begining of the world by the sprinkling of whose blood you all were saved O still sing on the praises of the King of peace and bless for ever his victorious mercy 'T was he dissolv'd the power of darknes and brake asunder the bars of death 'T was He came down to visit your prisons and lead you away out of the shades of sorrow How did your glad eys sparkle with joy to see at last your Desir'd Redeemer How were your spirits transported with delight to behold the splendors of his glorious presence His presence that can quickly turn * the sadest night into a chearful day That can change a dungeon into a house of mirth and make every place a Paradise O glorious Presence when shall our souls be fill'd * with strong and constant desires of enjoying Thee When dearest JESU shal our desires be fil'd * with the everlasting fruition of thy Blessed self Henceforth for Thee and for thy sacred love O Thou great and only Comfort of our souls May all afflictions be welcom to us as wholsom phisick to correct our follyes May the pleasures of the world be rejected by us as dangerous fruits that fill us with diseases May we by thy example neither feare to dy nor refuse the labours of this life But while we live obey thy grace that when we dy we may injoy thy glory Glory be c. Antiph When thou hadst overcom the sting of death Thou opend'st the Kingdom of heav'n to all believers Capit. 2. Pet. 3. TAke heed lest being led aside by the error of the unwise you fall away from your own stedfastnes But grow in grace and the knowledg of our Lord JESUS Christ to Him be glory both now and to the day of Eternity Amen Hymn XXVI MY God to Thee our selvs we ow And to Thy bounty all we have Behold to Thee our praises bow And humbly thy acceptance crave If we are happy in a friend That very friend
in the shades of nothing his mighty hand awak't us into Being Not That of stones or plants or beasts o're which he has made us absolute Lords But an accomplisht body and immortal spirit and litle inferiour to his glorious Angels He printed on our souls his own similitude and promis'd to our obedience his own feli●●ity He endued us with appetites to live well and happy and furnisht us with means to satisfie those appetites Creating a whole world to serve us here and providing a heav'n to glorify us her-after Thus didst thou favour us O infinite Goodness but we what return did we make to Thee Blush O my Soul for shame at so strange a weaknes and weep for grief at so extreme an ingratitude We childishly prefer'd a trivial apple * before the Law of our God and the safety of our own lives We fondly embrac't a litle present satisfaction * before the Pleasures of Paradise and the eternity of heav'n Behold the unhappy source of all our miserys which still increast it streams as they went farther on Till they exacted at last a deluge of justice * to drown their deluge of iniquity And here alas had been an end of Man a sad and fatal end of the whole world Had not our wise Creator foreseen the danger and in time prevented the extremity of the ru●●e Reserving for himself a few choice plants * to replenish the earth with more hopeful fruit Yet they grew quickly wilde and brought forth sowre grapes and their childrens teeth were set on edg Quickly they aspir'd to an intolerable pride * of fortifying their wickedness against the power of heav'n Justice was now provok't to a second deluge and to bring again a cloud o're the earth But mercy discover'd a bow in the cloud and our faithful God remembred his promise Allaying their punishment with a milder sentence and only scattering them from the place of their conspiracy Which yet his Providence turn'd into a blessing * by making it an occasion of peopling the world Stil their rebellious nature disobey'd again and neither fear'd his judgments nor valued his mercys But with a graceles emulation propagated sin * as far as his Goodnes propagated mankind Then he selected a private Family and increast and govern'd them with a particular tendernes Giving them a law by the hands of Angels and ingaging their obedience by a thousand favours But they neglected too their God and heav'n and fel in love with the ways of death When thou hadst thus O dearest Lord try'd every remedy and found our disease beyond all cure When the light of nature prov'd too weak a guide and the general flood too mild a correction When the miracles of Moses could not soften their harts nor the law of Angels bring any to perfection When all was reduc't to this desperate state and no imaginable hope left to recover us Behold the eternal Wisdom finds a strange expedient the last and highest instance of almighty love Himself he resolvs to cloath with our felsh and come down among us and dy to redeem us Wonder O my soul at the mercys of thy Lord how infinitely transcending ev'n our utmost wishes Wonder at the admirable providence of his counsels how exactly fitted to their great design Had he been less then God we could never have believ'd * the sublime Mysterys of his heav'nly Doctrin Had he been other then Man we must needs have wanted * the powerful motive of his holy Example Had He been only God he could never have suffer'd * the least of those afflictions he so gloriously overcame Had He been meerly Man he could never have o'recome those infinite afflictions he so patiently suffer'd O blessed JESU both these Thou art in thy self be Thou both these to us Be thou our God and make us adore Thee be thou our Leader and make us follow Thee Glory be c. Antiph Blessed be the mercy of our God who has left no means untry'd that could possibly recover us Antiph Lord thou not only offer'st us salvation but lay'st in means before hand to make us accept it Psal XCIV SOon as this blest decree was made * of sending the Son of God to redeem mankind Immediately his goodnes was ready to come among us had our ungracious world been ready to receive him But we as yet were too gross and sensual and utterly incapable of so pure a Law We were immerst in cares and pleasures and wholly indispos'd for so perfect an obedience While we were thus unfit for thee O thou God of pure and perfect holines Thou graciously wert pleas'd to stay for us and all that time prepare us for thy presence From the begining entertaining us with hope and through every age confirming our faith How early O my God didst thou engage to relieve us The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head How often didst thou repeat thy promise to Abraham In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed How many ways did thy mercy invent * by unquestionable tokens to give notice of thy Coming Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and his name shall be called God with us A branch shall shoot out of the stock of Jesse and from the root of that branch shall spring a Flower The Spirit of our Lord shall rest upon him and the spirit of wisdom and piety and fortitude Our Lord shall raise up a Prophet like Moses and put his words in his mouth and he shall teach us And thou Bethelem who art litle among the thousands of Juda out of thee shall He come that 's to be the Ruler in Israel Whose goings forth are from the beginning even from the days of eternity Hark how the eternal Father introduces his Son commanding first all the Angels to adore Him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten Thee Thou art my Son and I will be thy Father I will give Thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance and the ends of the world for thy possession 'T is too litle that thou raise up the Tribes of Jacob and convert the dregs of Israel Thou art appointed a lght for the Gentiles and a Saviour to the utmost parts of the earth Hark how the antient Prophets rejoyce in the Messias and in soft and gentle words foretel his sweetness He shall come down as rain into a fleece of wool and as drops of dew distilling on the earth He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd and gently lead those that are with young He shall gather his lambs with his arms and carry them in his own bosom The bruised reed he shall not break nor quench the smoking flax Justice and peace shall flourish in his days and sin and death be destroy'd for ever Then shall the eys of the blind be open'd and the ears of the deaf be made to hear Then shall the tongues of the dumb be loosen'd and the lame man leap like a Back Thus did thy holy
these thy unspeakable mercys We search over all we have and find nothing to return thee but what thy self hast freely given us We search over all thou hast given us and find nothing thou expectest but that we use thy gifts to make our selvs happy O may our souls perpetually bless thee and every minute of our time be spent in thy service Let us not live O Lord but to love thee nor breath but to speake thy praise * nor be at all but to be all Thine Glory be c. Psal XCVII SIng on my soul the praises of the Lord sing on with fresh attention the mercys of thy God Whose wisdom has contriv'd ●●o compendious a method * to redeem mankind by one short word He saw the only cause of all our ruine * was our love misplac't on this present world He saw the only remedy of all our misery * was to fix our love on the world to come This therefore was his great intent and in this concentred all his merits To change the byass of our wrong-set harts by establishing among us new motives of charity Such as might strongly incline our affections and efficaciously draw us to love our true Good Such as might gain by degrees upon all mankind and render salvation easie and universal For this he came down from his Fathers bosom * to teach us the Rules of eternal life That we might firmly believe those sacred truths * which God himself with his own mouth had told us For this he converst so long on our earth * to encourage and provoke us by his own example That he might confidently imbrace those unquestionable vertues * which God himself in his own Person had practis'd For this he endur'd those sharp and many afflictions and became at last obedient even to death That we might patiently suffer whatever should befal us * when God himself was so treated by his creatures For this he so often preacht of the joys of heav'n and set them before us in so clear a light That seeing so rich a prize hang at the race's end we might run and strain our utmost force to gain it For this he ordain'd the Mysterys of grace and left us a Sacrifice made all of miracles That he might breed and nourish in us the life of charity and ravish our harts with the sweetnes of his presence For this he establisht a perpetual Church and sent the holy Ghost to inspire and govern it That it might flourish for ever in truth and sanctity and plant the same heav'nly seed over all the world For this he assum'd those strange endearing names * of friend and brother and spouse to us wretches Doing far more for us then all those names import * then all our harts can wish Blessed O glorious JESU be the wisdom of thy mercy * that has found so sweet and short away to save us Thou art O Lord the cause of our love and love the cause of our happiness By love we fulfil all thy commands and by making us love Thou fulfil'dst all thy Father's By love we are reconcil'd from enemys to friends by love we are translated from death to life By love we are deliver'd from the fear of hell by love we are adopted to be heirs of heav'n By love we are dispos'd for that blysful Vision by love we are secur'd of the enjoyment of our God Who by the sole perfection of his own free goodnes * can never deny Himself to any that love him Else would their very loving Him be the cause of their misery since the misery of a soul is the want of what it loves Thus Lord whate're thy holy Books record of Thee in words comporting with our low capacitys Whate're they say of thy Restoring all things and Repairing again the ruines of mankind All is exactly verify'd by this one line which may our thankful harts repeat with joy Heav'n is attain'd by love alone and love alone by Thee Glory be c. Psal XCVIII STil O my soul let us sing a few lines more * to Him whose mercys are no fewer then infinite To Him whose pity took us by the hand and kindly led us into his own light To thee O blessed JESU our Lord our God! who alone art the source of all our happines The world till thou cam'st sate wrapt in darknes and few discern'd so much as a shadow of Thee They follow'd the appetites of sense and humour and plac't their felicity in being prosperous here Litle considering the life to come and less the joys that entertain that life This was alas their miserable state and worse then this they had no power to help it How could they believe what they never heard or love what they never believ'd How could they desire what they never lov'd or be glad to receive what they never desir'd 'T was thou O Lord first taught us our true end * the blysful Vision of the eternal Deity 'T was thou first taught us the true means to attain that end by a harty love and desire to attain it O the blest changes which thy hand has wrought the happy improvements which thy coming has produc't Now every woman and illiterate man * can discourse familiarly of the highest truths The Creation of the world and the Fall of Adam the Incarnation of God and Redemption of man The Mystery of the Trinity and Miracle of the Resurrection the Day of Judgment and State of Eternity All these we know but 't was Thou O Lord who taught'st us and by thy holy Church first spred them o're the world Now thou hast open'd our eys we plainly see * what unassisted nature could ne're have reacht We see the framing right our affections here * is both cause and measure of our happines hereafter If we supremely esteem the Goods of the future life * we shall find them there and be happy If we love heav'n with our whole soul and press on strongly with all our force We shall enter into its glorys with a strange surprizing delight and possess them for ever in a perpetual extasy We see our souls are made to know and perfect themselvs by the worthiest objects We see their nature is free and unconfin'd and nothing can fill them but that which is infinite All other knowledges enlarge our facultys and breed new desire to know stil more Which if unsatisfy'd we yet are miserable since none can be happy who want their desire Only the sight of God fils us to the brim and infinitely overflows our utmost capacitys It fils and overflows all the powers of our souls * with joy and wonder and unconceivable sweetnes O blest and glorious Sight when wil the happy day appear * and open to my soul that beauteous prospect When dearest Lord shall I see Thee face to face when shall I hartily at least desire to see Thee Thou art my full and high felicity * and only and alone sufficient for me O make me
the true light of the world they who follow Thee walk not in darknes Psal C. RIse holy Spouse of the Son of God rise and put on thy robes of joy Rise and shine forth for thy glory is come and the splendor of our Lord strikes bright upon Thee The Gentils shal walk in the beams of thy light and Kings in the lustre of thy brightnes Lift up thine eys round about and behold they gather all together and flock to Thee Thy Sons shal come from far and thy Daughters be nurst at thy side Then thou shalt see and flow in abundance thy hart shal wonder and be enlarg'd with gladnes When the multitude of the Sea shal be converted to Thee and the strength of the Gentiles submit to thy Laws The sons of strangers shal build thy walls and Princes obey thy commands The Nation shal perish that will not serve thee and the Kingdom be utterly wasted that refuses thee The sons of thy afflicters shal bow before thee and they that despis'd thee kiss thy footsteps For our Lord shal be thy everlasting light and the days of thy mourning shall end in glory To thee shal be given the Keys of heav'n and thou shalt shut and open those eternal doors Thy foundation shal be laid on a firm rock and the gates of hell not prevail against thee A way shal be made so direct and plain that the Passengers though fools shal not err therin And the Earth shal be filled with the knowledg of our Lord * as the waters cover the sea All this we read all this we firmly beleeve for the mouth of our Lord has spoken it Heav'n and earth shal pass away but not a tittle of his Word be disappointed for ever Already these sacred Prophecys are in part fulfill'd abundantly sufficient to assure us of the rest Already a Virgin has brought forth a Son and given him the gracious Name of JESUS The Kings of the east have been led to him by a star and offer'd him gold and frankincense and myrth His holy Parents have presented him in the Temple and the devout Simeon was overjoy'd to see him In his tender infancy he fled into Egypt and the Idols fell down at the presence of a child He past his private life in peace and meeknes and taught a contradicting people in patience and humility He confirm'd his doctrin with innumerable miracles and defended the truth to the last drop of his blood He rose again victoriously from the grave and ascended in triumph to the right hand of his Father And there O glorious JESU mayst thou sit and reign till all thy enemys becom thy footstool Nor has thy judgment slept O dreadful Lord but with a swift and terrible vengeance crusht them into ruine Jerusalem long since was made a heap of stones and the children of thy Crucifyers run wandring o're the world While thou art thus severe in the predictions of thy justice thou did'st not forget those of thy mercy Thousands of that ingrateful City have acknowledg'd Thee their Lord thousands of that perverse generation have submitted to thy Scepter Whole Nations of the Gentiles have embrac't thy faith and remotest Islands received thy law Blessed for ever be thy Name O Lord and blessed be the sweetnes of thy mercy Who reveal'st thy self to those that knew thee not and art found of those that sought thee not Who often followest those that fly from thee and never refusest any that come to thee Thou stil exactly perform'st thy part but we ingrateful wretches how do we comply with ours Where is the profit thou mayst justly require to answer the care of thy providence over us Thou hast planted us O Lord in thine own Vineyard and fenc'd us about with thy holy discpline Where is the fruit we should always be bea●●ing since good works are never out of season Of our selvs alas we are dry and barren and our nature at best brings forth nothing but leaves O Thou in whom while we remain we live and from whom divided we instantly dy Curse not we humbly beg these fruitless branches lest they wither away and be cast into the fire Pronounce not against us that dreadfull sentence Cut them down why Cumber they the ground But mercifully Cut them off from their wild stock and graft them in Thy self the only true vine water O Lord our weeds with the dew of heav'n and bless our low shrubs with thy powerful influence So grapes shal grow on thorns and figs be gather'd on Thistles Glory be c. Antiph Thou art O Lord the true light of the world they who follow thee walk not in darkness Antiph In Thee O Lord is all our hope have mercy on the works of thine own hands Psal CI. REjoyce in our Lord all you children of Adam rejoyce in the bounty of his free grace No longer now confyn'd to a few choyce Favorites and the narrow compass of a private Family He has thrown down that partition wall and opened the way of life to all mankind That all may beleeve and love him here and all injoy and be happy in him herafter But O my God what do we see * when we look abroad into the wide world We see sad effects but cannot see the cause * why so many Kingdoms ly miserably wast We know O Lord thy ways are in the deep abyss and humbly adore thy secret Counsels Only we cannot think on their lamentable condition without pitying their misery and imploring thy mercy Some have not yet so much as heard of thee others who have heard refuse to entertain thee Some who have once acknowledg'd thee have quite faln away and others reject what they list and obey by halfs Many even of those who rightly beleeve * abuse their holy faith by a wicked life Thus the for greatst part of wretched mankind whom thy goodness created to thine own similitude Whom thou hast redeem'd with thy precious blood and design'd to so great and long a happiness Still fail alas of their true end and dy in their sins and eternally perish Look down O Lord and behold from heav'n behold from the Habitation of thy holines Where is thy Zeal and the bowels of thy mercy where are thy promises to thy beloved Son Hast thou not said all Nations shal adore Him and all the Tribes of the earth be blessed in him Hast thou not said Thy self O glorious JESU If I be exalted I wil draw all men to me Hast thou not given thy Disciples express Commision * to go into all the world and Preach to every Creature Remember O thou God of everlasting truth remember O thou Author and Finisher of our faith Remember these thy dear engagements and graciously acomplish what thou hast mercifully begun Visit O Lord thine own house first and thorowly redress what thou findst amiss Make our lives holy as thou hast made our faith and perfectly unite us in the bonds of love Kindle in the harts
souls chief hope We to thy mercy fly Wher'ere we are thou canst protect What'ere we need supply Whether we sleep or wake To thee we both resign By night we see as well as day If thy light on us shine Whither we live or dy Both we submit to Thee In death we live as well as life If thine in death we be Glory to Thee great God One coeternal Three To Father Son and holy Ghost Eternal glory be Capit. 1 Thes 5. BUt we who are of the day let us be sober having on us the brest-plate of faith and charity and for a helmet the hope of salvation for God has not appointed us to wrath but to the purchasing salvation thorow Jesus Christ our Lord who dyed for us that whither we wake or sleep we might live together with Him Antiph By seeking our selvs in this world of vanity we lose both thee O Lord and our own souls by seeking our selvs in Thee and thy love we find both Thee and our own happines injoying already a sweet possession of hopes to end e're long in a sweeter fruition of glory V. Thou art O Lord the free bestower of all we have R. Thou art the faithful Promiser of all we expect O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come to thee Let us pray O Blessed JESU whose sacred Body after thou hadst finisht in it the work of our redemption was taken down from the Cross and after a short repose in the Sepulcher was rais'd again to a glorious immortality Grant us we beseech thee so frequently to renew in our minds the memory of thy grave that we always be prepar'd for our own and so seriously to reflect on the consequences of a holy death that every day we grow less affected to this transitory life and more in love with thy eternal joys who with the Father and the holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen Vouchasfe c. as Pag. 54. to the end Office of the Holy Ghost Matins Introduction as pag. 1. Psal CV Invitatory Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us COme let us humbly first implore his grace to make us worthy to adore our Sanctifier who from the Father and the Son eternally proceeds and with the Father and the Son is equally glorifyed Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us He infuses into us the breath of life and brings us forth in our second birth a birth that makes us heirs of heav'n and gives us a title to everlasting happines Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Let us prepare our understandings to assent to his truths and our wills to follow his divine inspiratons let us fil our memorys with his innumerable mereys and our whole souls with the glory of his Attributes Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Let us confidently addres to Him our petitioNs who promises to help the infirmity of our pray'rs let us not doubt the bounty of his goodnes but hope he will grant what Himself inspires to ask Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the holy Ghost As it was in the beginning both now and ever * world without end Amen Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Hymn XXXIII COme holy Spirit come and breath Thy spicy odours on the face Of our dull region here beneath And fil our souls with thy sweet grace Come and root out the poysonous weeds Which over-run and choke our lives And in our harts plant thine own seeds Whose quick'ning power our spirit revives First plant the humble Violet there That dwels secure by dwelling low Then let the Lilly next appear And make us chast yet fruitful too But O! plant all the Vertues Lord And let the metaphors alone Repeat once more that mighty word Thou need'st but say Let it be done We can alas nor be nor grow Unless thy pow'rful mercy please Thy hand must plant and water too Thy hand alone must give th' increase Do then what thou alone canst do Do what to thee so easie is Conduct us through this world of wo And place us safe in thine own blyss All glory to the sacred Three One everliving Soveraign Lord As at the first still may He be Belov'd and prais'd fear'd and ador'd Antiph In those days saith our Lord I wil pour out my spirit upon all flesh Alleluja Alleluja Psal CVI. LOrd with how sweet and natural a conduct * does thy Providence govern the children of men Leading them on from one degree to another till thou hast brought them up to their highest perfection Thou putst them to learn in the school of Vertue and disposest their capacity's into several forms In the first ages when the world was young * thou gav'st them for their guide the book of Nature There thy divine assistance helpt them to read * some few plain Lessons of their duty to Thee They saw this admirable frame of creatures and as far as these could argue they could conclude Sure ther 's a God the cause of all things sure ther 's a Providence the disposer of all things He must be powerful that made so vast a world he must be wise that contriv'd such excellent works He must be goodnes it self that did all this for us and we ingrateful wretches if we 'l do nothing for Him Thus far some few could say and very few could do with those slender assistances they then injoy'd After thou gav'st thy people a written Rule which train'd them up in a set form of discipline Which grew and spred into a publick Religion and uniformly profest by a whole Nation They had some weak conceit of the Kingdom of heav'n and some imperfect means to bring them thither But for those high supernatural Mysterys * that so gloriously exalt the Christian faith They all alas were blind or in the dark and dangerously expos'd to the effects of their ignorance Wanting those clear instructions to know their End wanting those powerful motives to love their God Yet this prepar'd them for the times of Grace * to which thy mercy O Lord reserv'd far greater favours To which thou hadst promis'd by thy holy Prophets * an effusion of blessings from thine own full hands I will put my Law in their bowels and write it in their harts I will be their God and they shal be my People I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shal prophesy They shal teach no more every one his Neighbor for all shal know me from the greatest to the least O merciful Lord who hast lov'd us from the begining be graciously pleased to love us to the end Pity the unhappy state of faln mankind which neither nature nor law could bring to perfection If any riper souls
with the same unruly passions He that made us o'recom can as easily strengthen you He that has crown'd our victorys wil as surely glorify yours Fear not the way is smoother then you are made believe and the time shorter then perhaps you wish 'T is but to love your own true interest which seems no hard command * and that but while you live which you seldom think too long This once well done you have no more to do but to come and sing and rejoyce with us O you blest Saints who now are gladly arriv'd * at the quiet harbor of eternal rest Behold us here below imbarkt on the same Ship and bound with all our interest for the same Port. Behold us strugling yet in this Sea of storms and guide us safely thorow all our dangers Come holy Angels with your swiftest speed and disappoint the enemys that threaten to sink us Bend down thy gracious eys O Queen of clemency and fill them from our woes with soft compassion Then sweetly turn them to thy Son 's mild throne whose love stands always ready to meet thy wishes There represent to Him our needs our fears and favorably obtain for us a happy passage And Thou O soveraign Lord of universal nature on whom the whole celestial court continually waits Command thy vigilant Angels to watch about us and carry us strongly on to the Place of our desires Save us O Thou whom the Sea and winds obey save us O merciful Lord or else we perish Save us who call on Thee in all our distresses save us for whom thy glorious Heaven pours forth their prayers Save us for whom thy immortal self wert pleased to dy and graciously receive us into thine own blest Arms Thou art thy self O Lord the Heaven of repose bring us to thy self and our souls shall be safe Glory be c. Antiph In thee O Lord is all our hope in life and death in time and eternity Our Father c. First Lesson THe souls of the Just are in the hand of God and the torment of death shal not touch them they seem'd to the eys of the unwise to dy and their departure was counted affliction but they are in peace Though before men they suffer'd torments their hope is full of immortality Vext in a few things they shall be well treated in many for God has try'd them and found them worthy Himself as gold in the furnace he has prov'd them and as a burnt-offering receiv'd them and in time there shall be respect of them The Just shall shine and run to and fro like sparks among the stubble they shall judg Nations and have dominion over Peoples and their Lord shall reign for ever They that trust in him shall understand truth and the faithful in love shall remain with him for rest and peace is to his Elect. Resp Rejoyce all you holy Saints rejoyce and sing for ever the mercys of our Lord his blessed hand has wip't away all tears from your eys and now you no more shall weep no more complain * For the evening of sorrow is past and the day of eternal joy is come Alleluja Now you no longer shall sigh to be delivered out of this dark and tedious prison but dwel for ever in that glorious light the light which springs from the face of God * For Second Lesson THe Just if prevented with death shal be in a place of refreshment for venerable age consists not in length of time nor is accounted by number of years but wisdom is the gray hair to a man and an unspotted life old age He pleased God and was belov'd of Him and living among sinners was translated he was taken away lest malice should change his understanding or deceit beguile his soul for the bewitching of vanity obscures good things and the wandring of concupiscence perverts the simple mind Being made perfect in a short space he fulfil'd much time for his soul pleased God therefore he hastned to bring him out of the midst of iniquities This the people saw but did not understand not laying up such things in their harts That the grace of God and mercy is with his Saints and that He has respect to his Chosen Resp O happy they whom our Lord shall honor on the day of his triumph and rising from his Seat of Judgment go gloriously before them and with these sweet and gracious words invite them to follow him Come you blessed of my Father possess the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world * The reward of your labours I will give you I my self will be your reward Alleluja You have firmly beleev'd you have firmly beleev'd you have readily obey'd you have constantly suffer'd Come enter now into your Masters joy * The reward Third Lesson THen shal the Just stand with great confidence before the face of those who have afflicted him and made no account of his labors When they shal see it they shal be troubled with terrible fear and amaz'd at the suddennes of his unexpected salvation and repenting and groaning for anguish of spirit they shal say within themselvs These are they whom heretofore we have had in derision and as a by-word of reproach Sensless we esteem'd their lives a madnes and their end dishonorable behold how they are numbred among the children of God and their lot is among the Saints We therfore have err'd from the way of truth and the light of justice has not shin'd to us we have wearied our selvs in the paths of iniquity and perdition we have walked hard ways but the way of our Lord we have not known What has our pride profited us or what benefit has Vaunting of our riches brought us They all are past away as a shadow and as a Post that runs by in hast or as bird that flys in the sky and no sign of her passage to be found but only a sound of her wings beating the light air so we assoon as we were born began to draw to our end not able to shew any token of vertue but were consum'd in our own wickednes Such things said they in hell who had sin'd for the hope of the impious is as dust blown away with the wind and as a thin froth scatter'd by the storm But the Just shal live for ever and their reward is with our Lord and the care of them is with the Highest therefore shal they receive a glorious Kingdom and a beautiful crown from the hand of our Lord for with his right hand shal he cover them and with his holy arm defend them Resp Deliver us O Lord from that sad deplorable end which thy justice has prepar'd for the wicked deliver us from those vain deceitful ways that lead us to so miserable an End * O make us always fear thy Judgments that we never feel them always hope in thy mercys that we never forfeit them Bless us O Lord with a happy death that our souls may depart
Guard to let nothing in that might disturb their peace Part of the night they watcht and most of the day they labor'd and both night and day continually pray'd All things about them went on in perfect measure just fit for their pious purpose and no more Their cloaths their food their sleep their recreation all taught to serve the improvement of their mind Their mind the only aim of all their cares the only scope of all their severitys That disengag'd from the embroylments of this world they might quietly consider the felicitys of the Other That they might daily grow more enamor'd of their Lord and more enflam'd with his divine perfections Til at the last dissolv'd in those holy fires * they melted away with longings to enjoy Him Sharp to themselvs they were but sweet to others obliging all the world with their candid charity Whatever any wanted they gladly supply'd and gave away at once somtimes both fruit and tree They study'd not here how to raise their familys but to entail on their Posterity the example of their vertues 'T was not their plot to leave a fair Estate behind them but to benefit the world with their useful labours To instruct the ignorant and confirm the weak to comfort the sorrowful and protect the helples innocent This was their constant work this their belov'd design * to promote with their utmost strength the happines of all Lord what a litle 't is our frowardnes endures compar'd to the heroick patience of the Saints When they were revil'd they revil'd not again when spitefully scorn'd they meekly held their peace When they were curst they blest their enemys when barbarously opprest they pray'd for their persecutors They serv'd their Lord in hunger and thirst and all the incommoditys of an impoverisht life Often they were threatned and they stood the danger often entic'd and they repel'd the flattery Prisons and chains they willingly accepted tortures and racks they cheerfully imbrac't Even death it self they undauntedly encountred death furiously arm'd with every shape of terror All this they endur'd and infinitely more * of which unmindful we keep no remembrance All this they endur'd and under all rejoyc't that they were counted worthy to suffer for JESUS O generous Souls who conquer'd heav'n it self and entred by force those everlasting gates Who sate not down in the lowest forms but stil prest on to new degrees of perfection You who so freely endeavor'd the salvation of others while yet you were concern'd to procure your own Help us O blessed Spirits now your State is secure pray for us O holy Saints now your charity is compleat Pray that the seed you have sown may take deep root and bring forth fruit to everlasting life Pray we may follow those who imitate you and not be corrupted by the example of the careles And when our pray'rs seem long or dry or call us away from some vanity we love When to forgive our enemys seems heavy to us or any other Duty crosses our humor Pray we may then remember what you have done and what you have gain'd by doing it Pray we may think what our Lord himself has done and what he has promised to them that follow him Their names he will write in the Book of life and make them sit with him on his own Throne Glory be c. Antiph Pity O Lord the infirmitys of thy servants and quicken our slownes by the example of thy Saints Antiph Blessed be thy name O Lord who hast provided us so great rewards and strengthened our hope with so many witnesses Psal CXXIII LItle O Lord we know is the good we do litle the ill we suffer with patience But what alas should we have done or suffer'd had we not seen such divine Examples Had not thy provident hand hung out those Lamps * bright as the Stars to shine before us Had not thy self the Sun of righteousnes appear'd * to light and warm us with thy cherishing beams Our faith had been dark and our charity cold * and the flower of our hope had languisht away Now we are sure the way to heaven is easie made broad and smooth by so many Passengers Men cloathed in flesh and blood like us and weakn'd with the same imperfect nature Now we are sure the promises of our God are true confirm'd by as many witnesses as there are Saints in Paradise Who by their own experience are joyfully convinc't a happy argument where heav'ns the Question And by the ravishing sweets they perpetually tast * are perpetually excited to adore and sing Faithful is our Lord in all his words and overflowingly bounteous in all his gifts While we liv'd we receiv'd the hundred fold and now are translated to an infinity of Blyss What he freely promised he has fully perform'd what he engag'd to give us he has abundantly paid He told us of treasures and golden crowns but the joys we find are incomparably greater Joys of a far more high and noble race which neither we can expres nor you below conceive 'T is enough for us that we feel them in our brest 't is enough for you as yet that you see them in your faith Even our lesser happinesses infinitely surpas * the greatest pleasures of your dul world O how agreeable is the Company we enjoy how delightful the meeting of our old acquaintance With whom we have pray'd and wept and suffer'd with whom we spake of this day and place With whom we now can safely sing free from the scorn and malice of our enemys Blessed for ever be the goodnes of our God that has brought us hither to his own place This is not like our cottages of clay nor the loathsom prisons where we lay in fetters This cheerful melody is not like our old complaints nor the threatning words of our stern Oppressors The Scene is chang'd and for our world of miserys * behold a Paradise of endles felicitys Here we shal live and ever live here we shal praise our God and ever praise him Thus sings the Church triumphant and thus shal we if we practise diligently the Lessons they have taught us If we injure our selvs to the same blest Notes and live in tune with our holy songs We shal herafter be admitted to their Quires and sing as long and loud as they Glory be c. Antiph Blessed be thy Name O Lord who hast provided us so great rewards and strengthned our hope with so many witnesses Antiph If God be with us who can be against us if He justify us who can condemn us Psal CXXIV TAke courage now my soul and chace away thy doubts for more are with us then against us God and his holy Angels are on our side JESUS and his blessed Saints all take our parts Our great Creator looks on to excite us our gracious Redeemer comes down to instruct us The blessed Spirit is within us to confirm our harts and the whole Trinity present to crown our
our own conditions but to manage wel what thou appointest Psal CXXIX WHy do we thus bemoan our selvs and rashly utter such repining words Seems it so hard a fate to tread the path * which all our Ancestors have gone before us Adam the first of men and Abraham the friend of God David the man after God's own hart and the blessed Mary Virgin-Mother of our Lord All these have paid their debt to nature and subscrib'd the law of universal mortality JESUS himself the Eternal Son of God expir'd on the Corss * and went to his glory through the gates of death And shal our fond self-love so blindly flatter us to wish an exception from this general Rule Shal we be murmuring stil our life is but a sapn and that expos'd to innumerable sorrows Does not the very shortnes abate it's miserys do not those many miserys commend its shortnes Should we not rather rejoyce at the sight of death that when e're it comes stil brings us advantage If in our age 't is a haven of repose and ought to be welcome after so long a voyage If in our youth it prevents a thousand calamitys a thousand dangers of ruining our souls If by an ordinary sicknes 't is the course of nature if by an outward violence 't is always the wil of heaven What need we fear how many deaths there are we are sure there can be but one for us Dying is an act to be done but once and once wel done we are happy for ever Lord we confes thy Decrees are just and our selvs the cause of all our miserys We sacrifice our youth to sport and folly and our manly years to lust and pride We spend our old age in craft and avarice and begin not to live til we are ready to dy Then we bewail the shortnes of our time when our selvs have prodigally thrown it all away We lead a loose and negligent life and then complain death takes us unawares Our days are perhaps too few to grow rich or satisfy the ambition of a haughty spirit But to be taught the love of God * and the meek and humble life of JESUS Requires not so much the number of years as the faithful endeavours of a pious mind Could we bestow on the improvement of our souls * the time we so vainly trifle away Our day would be short enough not to seem tedious and long enough to finish our appointed task And what O glotious Lord is our busines here * but to trim our lamps and wait thy coming But to sow the immortal seed of hope and expect herafter to reap the Increase No matter how late the fruit be gather'd if stil it go on in growing better No matter how soon it fal from the tree if not blown down before it be ripe O thou most just but secret Providence who govern'st all things by the counsel of thy Will Whose powerful hand can wound and heal lead down to the grave and bring back again Behold to Thee we bow our heads and freely submit our dearest concerns Strike as thou pleasest our helth our lives we cannot be safer then at thy dispose Only these few requests we humbly beg which O may thy clemency vouchsafe to hear Cut us not off in the midst of our folly nor suffer us to expire with our sins unpardon'd But make us Lord first ready for thy self then take us to thy self in thine own fit time Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Glory be c. Antiph 'T is not for us O Lord to chuse our own conditions but to manage wel what thou appointest Antiph Only our earth shal return to earth but our better part shal live for ever Psal CXXX MY Soul all these complaints concern not thee whom thy bounteous God has made immortal Who when this house of clay shal fal into dust * and this narrow cage be broken down Shalt soar aloft on thine own free wings and spread thy boundles ey over all the world If thou hast happily train'd up thy self * to aim stil upwards at the highest heavens Swift as a flash of quickest lightning * shalt thou instantly fly to those blessed Objects But if thy thoughts have flag'd below and delighted to hover too near this earth If above all things thou hast lov'd thy God but not lov'd all things in order to thy God Or if thy tears have been too few to wash away thorowly the remaining stains Unworthy as yet of that blysful light * whose beams endure not the least impurity Thou must sit down in the shades of sorrow and dwel in the vale of tears and darknes There thou must sigh and mourn and wait til the days of thy purifying be fully finisht O the dear price those prisoners pay * for neglecting here to perfect their accounts How are their souls enflam'd with anguish and continually tortur'd with unspeakable pains How do they sadly lament their careles libertys and the litle passions they too much obey'd But alas their repentance comes now too late * to meet with that mercy they so long abus'd Now they must ly in this tedious dungeon til their patience have satisfyd the utmost farthing Only this hope sustains their hart and sweetens a litle their bitter cup That the redeeming Day is stil drawing on and wil infallibly at last appear O may that happy Day make hast to come and chear their darknes with its radient beams O may that Sun of Justice speedily arise and disperse the mist that intercepts their sight Come Lord come quickly dearest JESU and rescue with thy power thine own Inheritance Thou who cam'st humbly once to redeem us sinners come gloriously now to deliver thy Servants Deliver them O Lord from the snare of the enemy and their captive souls out of the hand of the Wicked That they may pass from death to life and dwel with Thee in thy blessed peace Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Only our earth shal return to earth but our better part shal live for ever Our Father c. First Lesson MAn that is born of a woman lives a short time and is fill'd with many miserys He comes forth as a flower and is bruised into dust he flyes away as a shadow and never continues in the same state and thinkest thou fit to open thine eys upon such a one and bring him before thee into Judgment Who can make clean him that is conceiv'd of unclean seed is it not Thou who only art The days of man are short and the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his limits which cannot be passed depart a litle from him that he may rest till as a hireling his wisht-for day shal come Who wil grant me this that in Hell thou wouldst protect me and hide me til thy fury pass away and appoint me a
have had sacrifice I verily had given it with burnt-offerings thou art not delighted R. A sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit a contrite and an humbled hart O God thou wilt not despise V. Deal favorably O Lord in thy good will with Sion that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up R Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever V. Turn not thy face away from them O Lord R. Turn not thy face away in wrath from thy servants V. Behold their humiliation and their labor R. And forgive them all their sins V. Behold how their spirit is in anguish R. And their hart troubled within them V. Their iniquitys have overtaken them R. Innumerable evils have compast them about R. And now what is their expectation but thou O Lord R. And their substance is with Thee V. Before Thee is all their desire R. And their groans are not hid from Thee V. As the Hart pants after the water brooks R. So do their souls thirst after thee V. Their souls thirst after Thee the living fountain R. When shal they come and appear before thy face V. Their tears are their bread day and night R. While stil 't is said to them Where is your God V. Convert them O Lord thou God of strength R. Shew them thy face and they shal be safe V. Bring out their souls from prison to praise thy Name R. The Just stand expecting til thou rewardst them V. How long Lord wilt thou forget them for ever R. How long wilt thou hide thy face from them V. Turn thee O Lord and deliver their souls R. Save them for thy mercys sake V. Save thy People O Lord and bless thy Inheritance R. Govern them and raise them up to eternity V. That they may walk in the light of thy countenance R. And rejoyce in thy presence for ever V. That their souls may live and sing thy praise R. While even thy judgments lead them to their Blyss V. O Lord hear our pray'rs R. And let our supplications come to thee Let us pray O God who in thy mercy hast prepar'd immediate rewards for the Perfect and in thy justice immediate punishments for the wicked and mingling thy mercy and justice together hast ordain'd a middle state for those who depart in a true but weak degree of divine charity hear we beseech thee our prayers for these thy afflicted servants who look up to thee and sigh after the times of refreshment from thy glorious presence forgive them their sins and deliver them from their sorrows and bring them to the possession of all their wishes in rest and peace and everlasting joy through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen A Prayer for any particular person departed BEhold with pity we beseech thee O Lord the soul of thy servant N. for whom we humbly offer our Pray'rs to thy Divine Majesty and grant that the offences which humane frailty has inconsiderably committed being by thy clemency mercifully forgiven and all impediments by a perfect cleansing from the strains of sin thorowly remov'd the happy effect of seeing Thee face to face for ever may immediately follow through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who V. Give them eternal rest merciful Lord. R. And may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever V. May they rest in peace R. Amen Vespers for the Dead OUr Father Hail Mary Secretly and Kneeling then rise and say Antiph Blessed are the servants whom our Lord shal find watching he surely wil bestow on them all the mercys of heav'n Psal CXXXIV COme let us make our peace betimes with our God before the evening approach too near While it is cal'd to day let us faithfully labour for the night wil come wherein none can work Let us implore his favour first for our selvs and not til then presume to beg for others Let us look first into our own brests and strictly examine what passes there Lest while we pray for the salvation of others * our selvs becom everlasting reprobates Tel me my soul how stand our great account are all things even betwixt heav'n and us Are we prepared to go meet our Judg whose justice punishes every least defect Is there not stil some restitution to make which the love of this world tempts us to delay Is there not stil some mis-affection to rectify which our own false harts abuse us to connive at Not that we esteem O Lord any creature more then thee from which abhor'd ingratitude defend thy servants But that we esteem them more then they deserve serve and busy our thoughts too eagerly about them We love them in some degree for themselvs not purely as instruments to bring us to Thee Forgive O Soveraign Goodnes these our imperfections and fix our whole harts on nothing but Thy self Why are we thus at best but good by halfs for whom there 's a heav'n prepar'd worth all our labors Why do we mingle stil with thy pure grace * so much of our own corrupted nature Deliver us O Lord from the tentations of this world and mercifully save us from the wrath to come That dreadful wrath which we so justly fear and which so many terribly feel Justly they too confes and yet they hope * in the God of clemency to meet with pity Pity O Lord their miserys Thou who hear'st their crys releive their sorrows Thou who seest their tears Pity their fainting eys that perpetually wake * till the long expected day appear Pity their wearied hands stretch't out to Thee and send thy blessed Angels to unloose their bonds That they may pass away to those mansions of joy where holy Souls rest and weep no more Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Blessed are the servants whom our Lord shal find watching he surely wil bestow on them all the mercys of heav'n Antiph Happy they who are pray'd for by others but far more happy they who pray for themselvs Psal CXXXV HEar these our Pray'rs O Lord for thy servants and favourably accept our humble charity Hear their own better pray'rs O Lord for themselvs and tenderly regard their doleful complaints Out of that dark and dismal prison behold they cry in the anguish of their harts O wretched we what do we feel what strange extremitys do we here endure How has the just Avenger of our crimes * severely pour'd his wrath into our souls Every thing afflicts us in this sad abode but nothing so much as our own iniquitys They like a heavy yoke oppress our necks and keep down our eys from looking into heaven Lord we confess we have follow'd vanity and negligently perform'd the work thou gav'st us We confess we have gone astray after the manner of men but our chief desires were towards thee In Thee we believed and
lov'd thy Name and now we grieve that we lov'd no more Quench not O God of mercy the smoking flax nor break the bruised reed Pardon the sins of the days of our folly and supply the failings of the days of our repentance O were we now again on earth and had the benefit but of one months space How would we spend every minute in penance to purge away thorowly every least impurity How gladly would we take any cross or sicknes that might wholsomly imbitter the world to our tast How after this experience would we hartily strive * at any rate to escape these pains But we unhappy we have slipt our time * which our gacious God so long indulg'd us Now we are left to our sighs and tears and the incertain charity of those few that remember us At least O! you our friends send up your prayers * to hasten the day of our glad deliverance At least look well to provide for your selvs that you come not hither to this place of sufferings Sufferings which may your Souls ne're know yet may they ne're know worse then these These are indeed extremely afflictive but infinitely less than eternal torments We hope in time to rejoyce again we are sure at last our God will deliver us But O! how long delays our Lord to come why are the wheels of his chariot so slow Hast thou not said O God of truth that for thy Elect those days shal be shortned Hast thou not said O Lord of glory behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Come glorious JESU with all thy holy Angels * and the bright attendance of rejoycing Saints Come and redeem the captivity of thy children and lead them away as trophys of thy victory Thus dearest Lord will we cry continually to thee and never leave weeping at the gates of thy Palace Til thou art pleased to open those everlasting dores * and graciously say to our languishing souls Behold I am come to pardon and refresh you your sighs and tears have provok't my pity Behold I am come to cal you to my self * and give you possession of the inheritance I promis'd Come come you Blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you 'T is enough that my servants have wept thus long come enter now into your Masters joy Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Happy they who are pray'd for by others but far more happy they who pray for themselvs Antiph Gracious art thou O God in all thy promises and bounteously faithful in all thy performances Psal CXXXVI COmfort your selvs O you heirs of hope and be not cast down at your present distres If he defer a while expect * for he surely wil come and bring you relief He justly stays to punish your neglect when he often cal'd and you would not come to him He mercifully stays til your souls be refin'd and able to bear the splendor of his presence Then wil his glorious light immediately appear and open to your view that blysful prospect Then wil he graciously unveil himself and your eys shal see him face to face Then wil the eternal Deity shine brightly on you and ravish your harts with everlasting Extasys All your great hopes shal be fully satisfy'd and your long expectation abundantly rewarded You shal remember your afflictions with pleasure when you see they alone were your way to felicity Even this very delay shal increase your joys and every thing conspire to crown you with happines Meanwhile our task shal be to pray for your peace and joyn our humble voice to your strong crys That both our vows thus charitably united * may obtain for Both the pardon of our sins But we alas are dust and ashes and you your selvs as yet imperfect O pray for us you holy Saints whose well-prepar'd affections went strait to heaven Pray for us you Quires of Angels who assist continually at the throne of glory Pray for us bright Queen of heavenly Spirits * and blessed Mother of the Son of God! Pray for the faithful detain'd in sorrow that the days of their banishment be no more prolong'd Pray for us siners yet Pilgrims in the way that our souls may arrive at their true home Pray that we Both may stil look up to your glorys and wish and long for that happy state Pray that in all our eagerest desires we may stil submit to the orders of heaven Stil frame our songs of hope and patience and stil clo●●e all with these precious words Thy Kingdome come O glorious Lord and yet O Lord thy wil be done Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Gracious art Thou O God in all thy promises and bounteously faithful in all thy performances Antiph I heard a voice from heav'n saying to me Write Blessed are the dead who dy in our Lord from henceforth now saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them Magnificat as page 44. Antiph I heard a voice c. Then kneeling say Our Father and De profundis as follows From the depths O Lord have I cry'd to thee O Lord hear my voice Let thy ears become attentive to the words of my petition If thou shalt mark our iniquitys O Lord O Lord who can sustain it But with Thee there is propitiation and for thy Law I have expected thee O Lord My soul has expected in his word my soul has hoped in our Lord From the morning watch even until night let Israel hope in our Lord For with our Lord is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption And He shal redeem Israel from all its iniquitys Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever V. Have mercy on them O Lord have mercy on them R. For their souls confide in Thee V. And in the shadow of thy wings shal they hope R. Til their iniquitys pass away V. Have mercy on them O Lord and bless them R. Shew them the light of thy countenance and be merciful to them V. Turn not thy face away from them R. Lest they become like those who descend into the lake V. Keep thou their souls O Lord for they are holy R. Save thy servants who put their trust in thee V. They shal praise thee O Lord with their whole harts R. And glorify thy Name for ever V. For thy mercy already has been great towards them R. Thou hast deliver'd them from the lowermost hell V. Yet hast thou set them in obscure places R. As the Dead of the world V. Thy arrows are stuck deep in them R. And thou hast fastened thy hand upon them V. Their iniquitys are gone over their heads R. And keep them down as a heavy burthen V. But thou O Lord art their strong sustainer R Their glory and the lifter up of their
heads V. Thou art always near to relieve the afflicted R. And wilt save the humble of spirit V. Thou raisest those that are faln R. And bindest together the broken harts V. Shew them thy mercy O Lord who call on thy Name R. Make them rejoyce who lift up their souls to thee V. To thee O Lord they lift up their souls R. In thee is their confidence let them not be asham'd V. Let not their enemys triumph over them R. For all that expect thee shal not be confounded V. Though they walk in the midst of the shadow of death R. Let them not fear for thou art with them V. Thou art their God and their Deliverer R. O Lord delay not thy coming V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who in thy mercy hast prepar'd immediate rewards for the Perfect and in thy justice immediate punishments for the wicked and mingling thy mercy and justice together hast ordain'd a middle state for those who depart in a true but weak degree of divine charity Hear we beseech thee our prayers for these thy afflicted servants who look up to Thee and sigh after the times of refreshment from thy glorious presence forgive them their sins and deliver them from their sorrows and bring them to the possession of all their wishes in rest and peace and everlasting joy thorow our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end A Prayer for any particular Person departed BEhold with pity we beseech thee O Lord the soul of thy servant N. for whom we humbly offer our prayers to thy divine Majesty and grant that the offences which humane frailty has inconsiderately committed being by thy clemency mercifully forgiven and all impediments by a perfect cleansing from the stains of sin thorowly remov'd the happy effect of seeing Thee face to face for ever may immediately follow through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen V. Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord R. And may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever V. May they rest in peace R. Amen Pause a while to reflect on what you have said and renew your attention then begin the Complin of the day Our help c. as page 46. PROPER of FESTIVALS c. Sundays in Advent All as in the Office of our Saviour except Invitatory Behold the day of our Lord draws nigh Come let 's adore him Then recite the Psalm Bring to our Lord. page 318. 1. Antiph Behold our Lord wil appear and not fail to make good his promises if he delay a while expect for he surely wil come and deliver us Alleluja 2. Antiph Come O thou Sun of righteousnes and Fountain of eternal light come and illuminate those that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and guide our feet into the ways of peace Alleluja 3. Antiph Come O Thou hope of the Gentils and the desir'd of all Nations come and redeem us from the vassallage of sin into the only true liberty of serving Thee Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Prepare now thy ways O my soul before our Lord make thy paths strait before the face of our God for he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead and blessed all they who are ready to meet him Alleluja Alleluja At Lauds recite Benedictus page 27. and at Vespers Magnificat page 44. Then after each repeat the Antiphon Prepare c. O Lord hear our pray'rs And let our supplications come to thee Let us pray O God by whose providence thy Church has appointed the solemn time or Advent to fore-run the Commemoration of our Saviour's Nativity and prepare its way in our harts Grant us we humbly beseech thee so devoutly to imploy this holy season in meditating on the Prophecys and gracious preparations of the world for the coming of the Messias and on the infinitely greater mercys he brought along with him and has left behind him that our spirits may be rais'd to celebrate the great Feast with due joy and exaltation and thereby better dispos'd to expect his second coming who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen S. Andrew All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Soon as the holy Apostle S. Andrew saw afar off the Cross prepar'd for his Martyrdom he was transported with joy and triumphingly saluted it as the happy instrument of his approaching glory Alleluja 2. Antiph O blessed Cross dearly by me belov'd and earnestly desir'd and often sought and now at length ready to satisfy my longing soul take me up into thy arms the Disciple of Him who was crucify'd on thee Alleluja 3. Antiph Take me up into thy arms O blessed Cross and bear me to my glorious Master that by thee He may receive me who by thee has redeemed me Alleluja Alleluja 3. Antiph Take me up into thy arms O blessed Cross and bear me to my glorious Master that by thee He may receive me who by thee has redeemed me Alleluja Alleluja Antiphon for Benedictus and Magnificat as in the common Office of Saints O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to thee Let us pray O God whose grace kindled in the B. Apostle S. Andrew so ardent a love of his Master that it flam'd out in vehement desires of his Cross Grant we beseech thee that our devout celebrating the Memory of his Course and Crown may quicken thy Charity in our harts and encourage us with confidence and joy to undergo whatever suffrings thy Providence casts in our way towards the glorifying Thee and advancing thy truth and secure attainment of our own eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with thee and the H. Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen S. Thomas Apostle All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph The merciful and almighty JESUS came in the doors being shut and said to Thomas put in thy finger here and see my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be no longer faithles but beleeve 2. Antiph O admirable sweetnes of our Saviour's Spirit Thomas was absent and incredulous and peremptory and our Lord forgives him all and restores him to his favor with the easy penance of a gentle reproof 3. Because thou hast seen me Thomas thou hast believ'd blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believ'd Alleluja O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God whose condescendence to convince the incredulity of thy Apostle S. Thomas has turn'd his hardnes to believe into a means of facilitating more the faith of thy Church Grant we beseech Thee that this festival Memory of his glorious Attestation to our
risen Saviour may quicken our harts not only in words but in life and death like him exemplarily to confes thy Son JESUS our Lord and our God to whom with Thee and the H. Ghost be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen Christmas-day and the fourth and fifth days in the Octave All as in the Office of our Saviour except 1. Antiph O joyful tydings worthy an Angels mouth Behold this day was born to us a Saviour who is Christ our Lord Alleluja 2. Antiph Wonderful signs to seek this new-born King of heav'n and earth you shal find him wrapt in swadling cloths and laid in a manger Alleluja 3. O blessed harmony of the celestial Quires Glory be to God on high in earth peace towards men of good wil Alleluja Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat This is the day which our Lord has made let us be glad and rejoyce therein Alleluja This is the day which made our Lord let us ex●●lt and triumph therein Alleluja Alleluja O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who every year giv'st a fresh birth to the devotions of thy Church by the welcom Festival of our Saviour's Nativity Grant us we beseech Thee with such tender affections to entertain this first humble Rising of the Sun of righteousnes to us as may better dispose and stronglier engage us to follow Him through the whole painful course which like a Giant he rejoyc't to run inlightening the world with thy truth and inflaming it with thy love til in the end we arrive at his eternal Rest through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the H. Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen S. Stephen All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Stephen ful of grace and courage wrought great miracles among the people and none could resist the Wisdom and Spirit by which he spake Alleluja 2. Antiph And looking stedfastly up he saw the heav'ns open'd and Jesus standing on the right hand of God he saw and enter'd blessed are they to whom the heav'ns shal be open'd Alleluja 3. Antiph While they ston'd him he cal'd up on God and pray'd Lord Jesu receive my soul and kneeling down cry'd out with a loud voice Lord lay not this sin to their charge Alleluja Prayer O God who in thy first Martyr S. Stephen hast vouchsafed thy Church an eminent example of perfect Christianity Kindle we beseech Thee in our harts a zealous emulation of his graces that imitating here his constancy in asserting thy truth and his charity in praying for our persecuters even to death we may with him herafter receive the crown of eternal life through our Lord Jesus Christ c. For Commemoration of Christmas-day recite the four Antiphons and Prayer of Christmas-day S. John Evangelist All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph This is that favorite Disciple who learn'd on our Lord's brest at his last supper and to whom were reveal'd the secrets of Heav'n Alleluja 2. Antiph This is He in whom meet all those glorious Titles of Apostle Evangelist and Prophet of Martyr Confessor and Virgin Alleluja 3. Antiph This is He who above all those glorious Titles delights in this One incomparably greater then them all The Disciple whom JESUS lov'd Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God by the prerogative of whose special grace the B. Apostle S. John obtain'd that transcendent character of Beloved of his Master and after became the great Doctor of mutual charity over all the world Grant we beseech Thee that his sacred Memory may excite us also and encourage us by the same purity of body and mind and steddy love of Thee and sincere charity one with another to aspire to some share in that blessed Title and its happy consequents thy grace here and thy glory herafter through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. For Commemoration of Christmas-day recite its four Antiphons and Prayer SS Innocents All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph God withdrew his only Isaac and left a thousand happy lambs to be sacrific'd in his stead and accepted for his sake Alleluja 2. Antiph A voice was heard in Rama lamentation and great mourning Rachel weeping for her children and would not be comforted because they were not Antiph 3. Weep not for thy children Rachel behold they are be comforted they are Kings and reign with Christ for ever Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God who by the Martyrdom of the H. Innocents hast taught thy Church that no age or occasion of suffring for our Saviour is exempt from high reward Grant we beseech Thee that our celebrating their Festival may make us adore this gracious Ordination of thy Providence and however severely it may seem at any time to treat us or our relations confirm our harts in a hopeful resignation to thy Will and assured trust that all leads to eternal advantage through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. For Commemoration of Christmas-day recite its four Antiphons and Prayer S. Sylvester All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph This is the holy Pope who miraculously heal'd the great Emperor Constantine and by the sacred laver of Baptism cleans'd him at once from the leprosy of his body and the sins of his soul Alleluja 2. Antiph The sign of the Son of man in the heav'ns which copyed on his Banner made him a Conqueror display'd on his forehead did incomparably more made him a Christian Alleluja 3. Antiph O happy times when Paganism was abolisht and Arianism condemn'd when persecution ceas'd and publick liberty was given to profes and practise as Christians and Catholicks Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God whose bounty crown'd even on earth thy holy servant Pope Sylvester with the glory of baptizing the first Christian Emperor Constantine and the happines of obtaining liberty and incouragement for Christianity over all his Dominions Grant we beseech Thee that our celebrating his Festival may refresh in us the memory of that high mercy to the world and render us more tenacious of that primitive Faith so eminently at length victorious over all persecutions through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. For Commemoration of Christmas-day recite its four Antiphons and Prayer New-years-day 1. Antiph To day our B. Saviour who was Lord of the Law and by his perfect purity absolutely exempt undertook for us the smart of Circumcision and dishonour of being reckon'd among siners Alleluja 2. Antiph To day was given Him the Name above every name that at the Name of JESUS every knee should bow of things in heav'n of things on earth and things under the earth Alleluja Alleluja Alleluja 3. Antiph O B. JESU make good to us thy precious Name and save us from our sins that now we may begin a new year of vertue and cancel by repentance all the failings of the old Alleluja Prayer O God who
for our example commandedst thy beloved Son to submit his pure and innocent flesh to the rigour of the Law and for encouragement of our hope madest choice of that sweet and amiable Name JESUS Teach us we beseech Thee with readines and humility to obey thy sacred Laws how cross soever to our unmortify'd passions and in all our necessitys with joy and confidence call on that holy Name in which whate're we ask we are promis'd shal be granted through the same our Lord Jesus Christ c. Twelfth-day and during the Octave 1. Antiph Alleluja Alleluja Alleluja This is the priviledg'd Festival that comes forth adorn'd with the glory of three miracles To day the Wise-men were led by a Star to the cradle of our Lord and falling down ador'd Him and offer'd Him their royal Presents of Gold Frankincense and Myr●● Alleluja 2. Antiph To day our gracious Redeemer vouchsaft his presence at a Marriage-feast and there first publisht to the world his divine power turning water into wine Alleluja 3. Antiph To day our B. Saviour was baptiz'd by S. John and the H. Ghost descended visibly upon Him and a voice was heard from heav'n This is my beloved Son in whom I am w●●l ple●●'d Alleluja Alleluja Antiph for Ben●●dictus and Magnificat To day the first fruits of the Gentils were consecrated to our Lord and that sacred Prophesy happily fulfil'd In his light shal the Gentils walk and Kings in the brightnes of his rising Alleluja Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God who by the guidance of a miraculous Star in the heav'n led'st the Gentils to the sight of the more miraculous Son of righteousnes newly risen to the world in a Stable Grant we humbly beseech Thee that inlighten'd and inflam'd by the memory of this wonderful providence our eys and harts may be more lively fixt on thy goodnes stil as graciously working towards the accomplishment of thy promises to call at length the Jews and all the earth to the saving knowledg and love of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who with Thee c. Candlemas All as in the Office of our Saviour except 1. Antiph To day the immaculate Mother humbled her self to the common rites of Purification and presented her first-born JESUS in the temple and for the litle price of a pair of Doves redeem'd the world's inestmable Redeemer Alleluja 2. Antiph To day the devout Simeon took our Lord in his arms and knowing nothing now could make him happier but the joys of heav'n sung aloud this glad farewel to all the world Now let thy servant O Lord depart in peace according to thy word for mine eys have seen thy salvation Alleluja 3. Antiph To day the holy Widow and Prophetes Anna who had spent her life in fasting and prayer and in the service of the Temple came happily in and saw our Lord and spake gloriously of Him to all that expected the redemption of Israel Alleluja Prayer O God who vouchsafest us this day to commemorate the B. Virgin 's presenting in the Temple her self to be purify'd and her Son to be redeem'd according to the Law Give us grace we beseech Thee to adore and praise the condescendence of thy providence that by such great Examples teaches us our evident duty of submitting to thy Discipline though seeming perhaps unnecessary for our selvs and grant that as we bear in our hands these hallowed candles we may confes in our lives our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son to be the light of the Gentils and the Glory of thy people Israel who with Thee and the H. Ghost c. Ash-Wednesday All as in the Office of Wenesday except Invitatory Come let us fast and mourn and pray for our Lord is merciful and just Antiph 1 2 3 Remember O man that dust thou art and into dust thou shalt return Say this one Antiphon before and after every Psalm at Matins Lauds Vespers and Complin Prayer O God whose providence introduces thy Church to the grave discipline of Lent by the mortifying Memento of the vile and frail matter we are made of Grant we humbly beseech thee that the Cross of our Redeemer form'd to day in ashes on our foreheads may lay all our proud conceits in the dust and make flesh and blood feel it self highly honour'd if by whatever crosses or mortifications it may be temper'd and rais'd to become a fit instrument for rip'ning souls in they love the immediate disp●●sition to eternal felicity through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. Sundays in Lent All as in the Office of our Saviour except Invitatory Come let us fast and mourn and pray for our Lord is merciful and just 1. Antiph Now is the time of acceptance now are the days of salvation let us not re-receive the grace of God in vain but in all things approve our selvs his servants in labours and watchings and fastings 2. Antiph Now let us take a just and holy revenge on our sins past and strive for the future to bring forth fruits agreeable to our penance in purity meeknes and temperance in charity patience and obedience 3. Antiph Let us follow as we may our divine Master in his forty days retirement and fasting who needed not as we the arts of religion but all he did was for our example that we might learn to fly from the danger of occasions and take away the fewel from our passions and by using to contradict the appetites of sense inure our selvs to obey the commands of reason Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Convert us O God of our salvation and turn away thy anger from us hear us in thy mercy and speedily forgive us lest prevented with death we find no time to repent and without repentance eternally perish Prayer O God whose gracious Providence has ordain'd us to lighten the oppressive weight of our corrupt bodys on our souls by the long and solemn Abstinence of Lent Grant us we beseech Thee conscienciously to observe the wholsom discipline now prescrib'd us and with the due mortification of our flesh so tojoyn the quickening of our spirit by frequent devotions that all our carnal appetities may be fitted for burial in our Saviour's grave and all our affections ready to rise with Him to immortality at those sacred Feasts for which this season is to prepare us through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. S. Mathias All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Let them that stand take heed lest they fall Judas was an Apostle yet betray'd his Master and dy'd in despair and another took his Bishoprick 2. Antiph The lot fel on Mathias a continual Follower of JESUS from the baptism of John till the day of His ascension and he was numbred with the eleven Apostles 3. Antiph He liv'd their life and dy'd their death and sits with them in glory to judge the twelve tribes of Israel Prayer O God by whose special grace the B. Mathias was chosen to supply
Disciples and wip't them with the towel which having done he took his garments and sate down again and said to them do you know what I have done to you you call me Master and Lord and you say well for so I am if therefore I who am your Lord and Master have wash't your feet you ought also to wash one anothers for I have given you an Example that as I have done to you you also do Say the Canticle Benedictus then repeat the Antiphon then kneel and say Christ was made for us obedient to death Our Father all silently then in a low grave tone say V. Have mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy R. And according to the multitude of thy compassions wipe away my offences V. Wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins For I know my iniquity and my sin is always before me Against Thee only have I sin'd and done evil in thy sight that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judg'd For behold I was conceiv'd in iniquity and in sins my Mother brought me forth Behold Thou hast loved truth the incertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast manifested to me Thou shalt sprinkle me with Hysop and I shal be cleansed thou shalt wash me and I shal be made whiter then snow Thou shalt give to my hearing joy and gladnes and the bones thou hast humbled shal rejoyce Turn away thy face from my sins and blot-out all my iniquitys Create a clean hart in me O God! and renew a right spirit in my bowels Cast me not away from thy face and take not thy holy spirit from me Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and confirm me with an heroick spirit O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shal declare thy praise For wouldst thou have had sacrifice I verily had given it with burnt-offerings thou art not delighted A Sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit a contrite and an humbled hart O God thou wilt not despise Deal favourably O Lord in thy good will with Sion that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up Then shalt thou accept sacrifice of justice oblations of holocausts then shal they lay calves upon thine Altar Look down O Lord we beseech Thee on this thy family for which our Lord JESVS Christ vouchsaf't to be betray'd into the hands of the wicked and undergo the torments of the Cross who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen So end the Lauds and Vespers for these three days Antiph for Magnificat Our Lord Jesus the night wherein he was betray'd took bread and giving thanks brake it and said Take and eat This is my Body which shal be given for you do this in commemoration of me Likewise the Cup also after He had sup't saying This Cup is the new Testament in my Blood this do as often as you drink it in commemoration of me for as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup you declare our Lords death till he come Christ was made for us obedient to death Our Father c. Have Mercy on me O God Page 523 Look down as Page 525 At Complin begin with the first Psalm without Antiph and instead of Glory be c. say Christ was made c. Our Father Have mercy Look down as Pag. 525 and so for the two following days Good Friday All as in the ordinary Office of Friday omitting all Antiphons and Hymns and Glory be c. instead whereof at the end of every Psalm say Kneeling Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross Instead of Lessons read the Passion according to S. Luke which begins Luke 22. 1●● and ends Luke 23. 53. When you have done the third Psalm at Lauds and Vespers say this following Antiphon Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Look up my soul on thy crucify'd Lord look up and see the utmost extremity of divine love already he had carry'd on to a fair degree the work of our Redemption in fasting and praying in travailing and preaching in doing Miracles and bearing injurys but now to finish all with one incomparable charity behold He suffers even death it self and death upon the Cross Recite the Canticle Repeat the Antiphon then Kneel and say Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross Our Father Have mercy Look down and so end as on Ma●●ndy-Thursday Holy Saturday All as in the ordinary Office of Saturday omiting all Antiphons Hymns and Glory be c. Instead whereof at the end of every Psalm say Kneeling Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross wherefore also God has exalted Him and given Him a Name above every Name Instead of Lessons read the Passion according to S. John in the 18. and 19 Chapters When you have ended the third Psalm at Lauds and Vespers say this following Antiphon Antiphon for Benedictus and Magnificat Death is swallow'd up in Victory Death where is thy victory Death where is thy sting the sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who has given us victory by our Lord Jesus Christ Let us therefore be stable and immovable abounding always in the work of our Lord knowing our labour is not in vain in our Lord. Recite the Canticle Repeat the Antiphon then Kneel and say Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross wherefore also God has exalted Him and given him a Name above every Name Our Father Have mercy Look down and so end as on Maundy Thursday Easter day and during the Octave All as in the Office for Sunday except 1. Antiph Christ is risen from the dead alleluja and become the first fruits of them that slept alleluja 2. Antiph Fear not I know whom you seek He is risen he is not here alleluja Come see the place where our Lord was laid alleluja 3. Antiph He that rais'd up JESUS will also raise up us alleluja and refine our vile flesh into the likeness of his glorious body alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing for ever and ever alleluja alleluja alleluja Prayer O God whose gracious Providence restores to thy Church the face and voice of holy exultation by the triumphant Festival of our Saviours resurrection Grant we humbly beseech Thee that the joy which shines in our looks may flame in our harts and purify them worthy those high and glorious hopes so firmly seal'd to us by this days experience of Rising again at last from our graves and rejoycing thenceforth for ever in state of blysful immortality through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who with Thee and the H. Ghost lives and reigns One God
world without end Amen SS Philip and Jacob. All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Now it suffices thee Philip our Lord has shewn thee the Father and henceforth for ever thou shalt see Him face to face Alleluja 2. Antiph And thou holy Jacob the Brother of our Lord art gloriously happy injoying for ever the same blysful Vision Alleluja 3. Antiph These are Two of those precious stones that found and adorn the walls of the heav'nly Jerusalem Alleluja Prayer O God by whose grace the B. Apostles S. Philip and S. Jacob water'd as this day with their blood the heavenly seed which they had long swet in sowing o're the world Redouble we beseech Thee the devotions of thy servants by celebrating together their happy Memorys and grant that our Faith sopreciously confirm'd may fructify into holy lives deaths worthy such glorious Masters through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who Invention of the H. Cross All as in the Office of our Saviour except 1. Antiph Glorious art thou O B. Empress Helen whose devotion so miraculously restor'd to the world the standard of Salvation Alleluja 2. Antiph This holy Sign shal be in the heav'ns Alleluja when our Lord shal come to Judgment Alleluja 3. Antiph Far be it from us to glory in any thing but the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ in whom the world is crucify'd to us and we to the world Alleluja Prayer O God who as this day vouehsafedst to raise again even the Cross of our Saviour from its ignominious grave to become a close and striking memorial of his Passion Grant we beseech Thee that our devout celebrating this thy special providence may still more deeply imprint in our harts its gracious design of making us often reflect on the great benefit of our redemption and the infinite love and mercy of our Redeemer through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. Rogation VVeek Monday Tuesday and Wednesday All as in the Weekly Office except 1. Antiph Ask and you shal receive seek and you shal find knock and it shal be open'd to you says our Lord whose word cannot fail Alleluja 2. Antiph Thou know'st we need all these things but more but more by these our needs to be drawn to look up to Thee Alleluja 3. Antiph Seek first the kingdom of heav'n and all things else shal be added to you Alleluja Prayer O God by whose H. Spirit thy Church ordains this a solemn time of supplication for all our necessitys Open we humbly beseech Thee thy gracious ears to the pray'rs thou inspir'st and draw'st from our harts and by granting us those Goods which thy Children with humility and resignation ask of Thee their heav'nly Father so encourage our devotion and obedience and so increase our hope and love that transcending all Particulars as safely to be trusted in the hand of thy Providence our whole souls may thirst after Thee thy self alone who art our All in All for ever through our Lord Ascension and during the Octave All as in the Office of our Saviour except 1. Antiph I have finisht the work which my Father commanded me and now 't is time I return to him that sent me let not your harts be troubled I go to my Father and your Father to my God and your God Alleluja 2. Antiph Let not your harts be troubled I go to prepare a place for you and I wil come again and receive you to my self that where I am there may my servants be Alleluja 3. Antiph Meanwhile I wil not leave you desolate but wil pray to my Father and he shal give you another Comforter the Spirit of truth to dwel with you for ever Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Why stand we looking downwards on the things of this world behold our Lord is ascended into heav'n and sits in glory at the right hand of his Father Alleluja Why stand we idle with our accounts unprepar'd behold the same JESUS shal come again to judg the living and the dead and give to every one according to his works Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God who hast inspir'd thy Church to celebrate this day the memory of our Saviours Ascension when having finisht on earth the great work of our Redemption He carryed up his glorify'd Humanity above the clouds to its eternal Rest Grant we humbly beseech Thee that taking off our eys from these vanitys here below we may stand continually looking after Him into heav'n and hartily expecting his appearance thence again at the last great day be always ready to obey his call and meet him in the clouds and follow him into those blysful Mansions which he went to prepare for us at thy right hand for ever through the same our Lord c. VVhitsunday and during the Octave All as in the Office of the H. Ghost Trinity-Sunday All as in Sunday Office except 1. Antiph There are Three that bear witnes in heav'n the Father the Word and the H. Ghost and these Three are One Alleluja 2. Antiph The Father is God and the Son is God and the H. Ghost is God yet are they not three Gods but One God Alleluja 3. Antiph In this adorable Trinity none is before or after none greater or less then Another but all the Three Persons are coequal among themselvs and coeternal Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat To thee the eternal Father made by none to thee the increated Son begotten by the Father alone to thee the B. Spirit proceeding from the Father and the Son One holy consubstantial and undivided Trinity be ascrib'd all power and wisdom and goodnes now and for ever Alleluja Prayer O Eternal Father who by the visible dedescent of thy Son to redeem the world and of thy H. Spirit to sanctify the Elect has wonderfully made thy Churches own experience facilitate our faith of the incomprehensible Trinity Grant us we beseech Thee in hart and voice to profes this most high and supernatural truth and rejecting all the fallacious suggestions of short reason humbly adore Thee Three every-way-coequal Persons in the same indivisible Deity til we come herafter to thy blysful presence and see the Mystery reveal'd in thine own glorious face through our Lord c. Corpus Christi and during the Octave All as in Thursday Office except 1. Antiph I am the living bread that came down from heav'n if any one eat of this bread he shal live for ever and the bread which I wil give is my flesh for the life of the world Alleluja 2. Antiph Except you eat the flesh of the Son of man and drink his blood you shal not have life in you Alleluja 3. Antiph He that eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life and I wil raise him up at the last day Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat O sweet and sacred Feast wherein Christ himself is receiv'd and the memory of his Passion renew'd our minds are fill'd
wherewith her Son has crown'd her in the day of her Espousals in the day of the gladnes of her heart Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God whose gracious Providence would not suffer the sacred womb that bore thy Holy One to see corrution but raising from the grave the B. Virgins body assum'd it with her soul to the highest Throne in heav'n Grant we humbly beseech thee that devoutly celebrating the memory of this thy grace to her we may inure our minds to raise and fix themselvs there where at lenght we hope also to ascend through our Lord c. S. Bartholomew All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph His skin and all he had and even life it self he freely gave for the testimony of the truth and for the love of JESUS Alleluja 2. Antiph At the last day he shal rise from the earth and be compa'st again with his skin and in his flesh shal he see God Alleluja 3. Antiph His body must expect for a time in hope but his soul went immediatly away to injoy the blysful Vision Alleluja Prayer O God who by the Martyrdom of thy B. Apostle Saint Bartholomew refreshest in our memorys the glorious attestations which thy providence has vouchsaf't the world for c●●●rmation of thy truth Grant us we humbly beseech Thee with such concern to reflect on the excesive pains he took and suffered for propagating the Gospel and the superabundant rewards he now enjoys in thy blysful Presence that our faith may be strengthen'd and more actively apply'd to carry us on in the same race to the same happy end through ous Lord JESUS Christ thy son who Nativity of our Lady All as in the Office of Saints except Invitatory Come le ts adore the King of Saints whose Virgin Mother was born to day Alleluia 1. Antiph To day was born the B. Virgin Mary of the seed of Abraham and tribe of ●●da and Family of David Alleluja 2. Antiph To day was born the B. Virgin Mary spouse of the H. Ghost and mother of the Son of God and daughter of the eternal Father Alleluja 3. Antiph Let all the world rejoyce in the Nativity of the B. Virgin Mary Alleluja of whom was born the Redeemer of all the world Alleluja Prayer O God who this day cal'st us to celebrate Her Nativity of whom thy only Son vouchsaf't to take our flesh and be born the worlds Redeemer Grant us we beseech Thee so devoutly to rejoyce in the dawn of her immaculate birth as more fitly may dispose us to behold and walk by her light which every moment increasingly shin'd before men through the whole day of her life here and follow it setting hence into eternal glory through our JESUS Christ thy Son who S. Mathew All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Be not discourag'd O my soul nor make thy past offences unpardonable by dispare 2. Antiph This is he who of a sinner became a Preacher and of a Publican was cal'd to be an Apostle 3. Antiph Fear not the power of the grace of God but take heed of delaying to imbrace it take heed of refusing to obey it Prayer O God whose powerful call drew Matthew the Publican from the very receit of Custom to become an eminent Apostle and Evangelist in thy Church grant us we humbly beseech Thee in celebrating the B. memory of his life and death worthy his high and extraordinary vocation both to advance thy praise for so glorious an example of thy Grace complying readyly and faithfully with thy grace imitate to our utmost capacitys so glorious an example through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who S. Michael All as in the Office of Saints except Invitatory Come let 's adore the King of Angels 1. Antiph He has commanded his Angels to keep us in all our ways they shal bear us it●● their hands lest at any time we dash our feet against a stone Alleluja 2. Antiph Take heed you despise not any of my litle Ones says our Lord for their Angels continually behold the face of my Father who is in heav'n Alleluja 3. Antiph In the sight of thy Angels wil I sing to thee O my God Alleluja I will adore at thy holy Temple and confess to thy name Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnifica●● Praise our Lord all you Angels Archangels and Thrones praise him all you Dominations Principalities and Powers praise him all you heav'nly Vertues Cherubins and Seraphins praise him all you glorious Quires of blessed Spirits praise him and magnify him for ever alleluja alleluja alleluja Prayer O God who by the Feast of S. Michael the Archangel Prince of the Church summonest us to commemorate all the glorious Host of heav'n rang'd under his standard to assist thy Elect against the powers of darknes Grant us we beseech Thee both to admire and praise thy grace for so high a providence and in faith of such Guardians with firmer hope pursue the holy ways of increasing their joy by advancing our own Blys through our Lord SS Simon and Jude 1. Antiph These are they who planted the Church of God with preaching and setled it with miracles and water'd it with their blood alleluja 2. Antiph They ventur'd their lives among barbarous Nations and converted vast Regions to the faith of Christ alleluja 3. Antiph They rejected the flatterys of the world and despised the menaces of their Persecuters and now for all they did and all they sufferd are eternally rewarded alleluja Prayer O God who as this day by a glorious Martyrdom calledst the B. Apostles Simon and Jude from their eminent labours in thy vineyard to blisful rest in thy kingdom Grant us thy grace we beseech Thee to improve this d●●vout opportunity of celebrating their Memorys both by praising thee for such excellent Masters and pressing more lively on our selvs their saving doctrin and examples through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who All-Saints and during the Octave All as in the Office of Saints All-Souls All as in the Office of the Dead A Prayer for a Family at night In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the H. Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen Our Father Hail Mary I believe O Eternal infinite and almighty God whose gracious wisdom vouchasafes to command such things as are necessary to fit us for everlasting Blyss forbid such as are apt to render us eternally miserable we wretched sinners the frail off-spring of disobedient Adam humbly prostrate our souls and bodys before thy adorable Majesty and with a true and harty sorrow each of us particularly thus accuse and condemn our selvs I confess to almighty God to the B. Virgin Mary to 〈◊〉 B. Saint Michael the Arch●●gel to the B. Saint John Baptist to the holy Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul and to all the Saints that I have grievously sin'd in thought word and deed through my fault through my fault through
my exceeding great fault Here pause a while to examine and repent and make holy purposes Then say Therefore I beseech the B. Virgin Mary the B. Saint Michael the Archangel the B. Saint John Baptist the holy Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul and all the Saints to pray to God for me The great and glorious Lord of heav'n and earth have mercy on us forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life Amen Lord have mercy on us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy on us JESU receive our prayers Lord JESU grant our petitions O God the Father Creator of the world have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of mankind have O God the Holy Ghost Perfecter of the Elect have O Sacred Trinity three Persons and one God have O God the eternal Fulness of all Perfection O God the overflowing Source of all Being O God the bounteous Author of all our Good O God who hast chosen us in thy Son before the constitution of the world O God who hast created us of nothing to thine own similitude O God who preserv'st us every Moment that we return not again to nothing O God who hast made all the world for the use of us and us for the injoyment of Thy self O God who hast redeem'd us by the death of thy Son and sanctify'd us by the grace of thy holy Spirit O God who hast brought us to the knowledg of thy truth and blest us with so plentiful means of working our salvation O God who hast prepared for us a glorious inheritance if we love thee and keep thy Commandments O God who art thy self that glorious inheritance O God the only end of all our labours O God the only Rest of our wearied souls O God the only joy of our time and eternity O God our God all things have mercy on us Have mercy O Lord and spare us Have mercy O Lord and hear us From all evil deliver us O Lord. From all sin deliver From all occasions of offending thy divine Majesty From the particular temptations to which we are most expos'd From sudden and unprovided death From everlasting death By thy almighty Power deliver By thy unsearchable Wisdom By thy adorable Goodnes By all thy glorious Attributes By all thy gracious Mercys By the mystery of thy holy Incarnation and humble Nativity By the sanctity of thy heav'nly Doctrin and miraculous Life By the merits of thy bitter Passion and all reviving Death By the joys of thy victorious Resurrection and triumphant Ascension●● By the glory of thy eternal Kingdom and incomprehensible Majesty deliver In the hour of Death and in the day of Judgment deliver us O Lord. We sinners beseech Thee hear us That it would please Thee to give us a true and harty sorrow for all our offences we That it would please Thee to work in us a firm and sincere resolution of amending our lives we That it would please Thee to pardon our sins past and prevent us by thy grace for the time to come we That it would please thee to have pity on the weaknes of our nature and in all our necessitys temptations and dangers to strengthen and relieve us we beseech Thee hear us That seeing every day our many imperfections we may quicken our diligence and humble our selvs and learn to depend on Thee we That acknowledging all we have is deriv'd from thy free bounty we may praise and glorify Thee and above all thy benefits love Thee our Benefactor we That knowing all we hope proceeds from the same free bounty we may faithfully indeavour to serve and please Thee and secure to our selvs thy everlasting rewards we That considering thy Providence does all things for the best we may thankfully accept whatever Thou assign'st us and not murmur at our part but strive to act it well we That we may diligently observe the Rules of our several places and contentedly stoop to the meanest work of our condition sweetning all our labours with this glad hope if we be innocent here we shal be happy hereafter we That we may live in peace and charity with all the world especially among our selvs so particularly ingag'd by our union into one Family patiently forbearing and freely forgiving and readily assisting one another we That often in the midst of our busines we may steal up our thoughts to Heaven to renew and encrease our desire of that glorious eternity we That whether we sleep or wake we may still be safe in Thee and whether live or dy be always thine We beseech Thee hear us Son of God we beseech Thee hear us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world spare us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world hear us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world have mercy on us V. Lord have marcy on us R. Christ have mercy on us V. Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. V. And lead us not into temtation R. But deliver us from evil Amen V. Bless we beseech thee O Lord thy spouse the Church R. Bless her with the graces of vnity and truth and holines V. Bless thy servant our Soverain Lord King Charls R. Bless him with the spirit of wisdom and courage and piety V. Bless all the Nations subject to his Government R. Bless them with the gifts of peace and truth and unfeigned charity V. Bless our kinred and acquaintance our friends and benefactors R. Bless our enemys and standerers and all that despitefully use us V. Have mercy O Lord on the Nations who never knew Thee R. And Those who knew Thee once but now are faln from the Truth V. Have mercy on the poor and helpless and afflicted R. And comfort them with hope and patience and releef V. Have mercy on the living and govern them by thy grace R. Have mercy on the Dead and bring them to thy glory V. Have mercy on us thy servants here assembled in thy presence R. And Thou who art our Refuge be our Defence V. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits R. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits V. Thou hast redeem'd us O Lord thou God of truth R. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits V. Preserve us O Lord as the apple of thine ey R. Under the shadow of thy wings protect us V. Save us O Lord waking defend us sleeping R. That we may watch with Christ and rest in peace V. Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this night without sin R. Have mercy on us O Lord have mercy on us V. Lord let thy mercy be on us R. As our hope is in Thee V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God the comfortable Repose of thy servants in Hope and their blysful Rest in thy everlasting Possession obedient to thy Call by the voice of our nature behold we retire to lay down our weary heads and instructed by thy grace confidently resign up all we are and have while we sleep in the h●●●s of thy everwaking Providence most humbly beseeching Thee that if it please Thee to take us hence this night our souls eys as our bodys may be found absolutely closed to all this worlds Goods and wide open to receive thy ardently-expected Vision or if thou vouchsafest by convenient refreshment to protract still our lives we may rise from our Beds cheerfully disposed by good works in our 〈◊〉 vocations to make our Election sure and advance our glorious Mansion for ever with Thee through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the H. Ghost lives and reigns world without end Amen V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee V. Bless we our Lord. R. Thanks be to God V. May the souls of the Faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace R. Amen O. B. Virgin Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ pray for us O glorious Angels whom our Lord sends in mission for the good of his Elect pray for us O holy Saints who perfectly secure of your own happines are charitably sollicitous of ours pray for us O all you blest inhabitants of heav'n who continually behold the face of God and readily dispense his benefits to us pray for us God the Father sustain and protect us Jesus Christ illuminate and govern us The H. Spirit sanctify and perfect us to life everlasting Amen Pause a while Then rise FINIS