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
* and are opprest under the weight of your sins Come to me you that hunger after heav'n * and thirst to drink at the fountain of blyss Come to me and I will refresh you * with the wine of gladnes and the bread of life Come you that are weak that you may grow strong and you that are strong lest you become weak Come you that have leisure and here entertain your time come you that are busy and here learn to sanctify your imployment Come all and gather freely of this celestial Manna and fill your souls with the food of Angels Glory be c. Psal LVIII THus does our gracious Lord invite and shall we go shall sinners dare to sit down at his table Thus He invites and shall we not go shall wretches presume to refuse his Call Rise then my soul and take thy swiftest wings and fly to the presence of this great Mystery Soon as thou com'st bow low thy head and humbly adore our hidden God Our God who is come thus far to meet us and brings along with him a whole heav'n to entertain us Arise and leave the world behind thee and run with gladnes to salute thy Lord Enter the Palace of that admirable Tabernacle the house of his own most glorious Residence There we shall see the Eternal Word * that descended from heav'n to become man for us We shall see him still more wonderfully abridg'd * into a lesser space and lower shape There we shall see the Lord of glory * vested with the familiar forms of bread and wine There we shall see the Prince of Peace * sacrifice himself to reconcile us with his Father There we shall see O stupendious mercy the Son of God stoop even to the mouths of men Can we O dear Redeemer believe these Wonders and not be ravisht with admiration of thy love Can we acknowledg thy supream Veracity and not believe were they possible stil greater wonders What though our eys say ther 's nothing but bread our faith assures us there 's nothing but our Saviour Shall not the almighty Power that made our senses * exceed the operation of his own creatures Shall we refuse to believe our God because his mercys transcend our capacitys No no 't is thy very self we see O Blessed JESU 't is thine own light by which we see Thee None but an infinite Wisdom could ever have invented * so strange and high and prodigious a mystery None but a more then infinite Goodnes would ever have imparted * so dear and tender and rich a blessing Glory be c. Psal LIX LOrd who are we unworthy sinners that thus thou regardest our wretched dust What is all the world compar'd to Thee that thus thou seem'st to disregard thy self 'T is for our sakes and to draw us to thy love that thou personally vouchsafest to dwell among us 'T is for our sakes and to spare the infirmity of our nature that thy brightnes appears not in its proper luster Blessed O JESU are the eys that see thee in this kind disguise and the mouth that reverently receives Thee Blessed yet more is the hart that desires thy coming and longs to see thee in thy beauteous self O Thou eternal Lord of grace and glory * our joy and portion in the land of the Living What hast thou there prepar'd for thy servants who bestowest such pledges of thy bounty here What dost Thou there reserve in thine own Kingdom who giv'st us Thy self in this place of banishment How will thy open vision transport our souls when our dark faith yields such delight Nothing on earth so sweet as to kneel whole hours before thee and one by one consider thy innumerable mercys VVhat must it be in heaven to shine continually before Thee and all in one contemplate thy uâ—â—speakable glorys O my ador'd Redeemer when will that happy day appear that mine eys may behold thee without a veil When will these clouds and shadows pass away that thy beams may shine on me in their full brightnes Object not against me dearest Lord that none can see thy face and live Those fears thy love has chang'd and all my hope * is now to live by seeing thee Say not O thou mild and gracious Majesty if I approach thy presence I must dy Rather instruct me so to dy that I may live for ever in thy presence Glory be c. Antiph How great is the multitude of thy sweetnes O Lord which Thou hast hidden for those that love Thee Capit. 7. Apoc. A Men Benediction and Glory and VVisdom and Thanksgiving Honor and Power and Strength be to our God for ever and ever Amen Hymn XVIII VVIth all the pow'rs my poor soul hath Of humble love and loyal faith Thus low my God I bow to Thee VVhom too much love bow'd low'r for me Down busy sense Discourses dy And all adore Faith's Mystery Faith is my skill Faith can believe As fast as Love new laws can give Faith is my ey Faith strength affords To keep pace with those pow'rful words And words more sure more sweet then they Love could not think Truth could not say O dear Memorial of that death VVhich still survives and gives us breath Live ever bread of Life and be My food my joy my all to me Come glorious Lord my hopes encrease And fill my portion in thy peace Come hidden life and that long day For which I languish come away When this dry soul those eys shal see And drink the unseald source of Thee When glory's Sun faith's shade shal chase And for thy veil give me thy face Antiph He feeds the young Ravens that call on Him and says He esteems us much better then them behold a full proof He feeds them and all things else but to feed us behold yet a fuller O Riddle of Bounty even out of the Feeder himself comes food for us V. The bread of life which came down from heav'n R. Feed us with the bread of science and understanding O Lord hear our pray'rs And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Bounteous Lord the continual supplier of thy creatures with all convenient sustenance to advance our growth and strength fit to take heav'n by violence and rise at length eternal Injoyers of thy self Fix we beseech Thee our eys and adoration on that open Hand which thus graciously gives us our dayly bread and grant that the miraculous Feast of thy Sons Body and Blood may duly sanctify our tasts to all other thy bountys that they may relish as they are only thy great love to us and feed as they ought purely thy dear love in us through the same our Lord Commemorations as Page 29. Thursday Vespers OUr Father c. as Page 33. Antiph Whether O my God should we wander if left to our selvs where should we fix our harts if not directed by thee Psal LX. UNhappy man at first created just as every work comes fair from
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 heavâ—â—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
thou blest and holy Spirit to be guilty of those unpardonable sins against Thy self Suffer us not obstinatly to persist in any known wickednes nor maliciously impugn any known truth Suffer us not to dy in our sins without repentance but O have mercy on us in that serious hour Have mercy on us and govern us in our life have mercy on us and save us at our death Glory be c. Antiph Deliver us O gracious God from every evil spirit and vouchsafe to give us thine own good spirit Capit. Gal. 5. NOw the works of the flesh are manifest fornication uncleaness impudicity luxury serving of Idols witchcrafts enmityes contentions emulations angers brawles dissensions sects envies murders drunkeness banquetings and such like which I foretel you that they who do such things shal 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 And they who are Christs have crucify'd their flesh with its vices and concupiscenâ—â—es If we live in the spirit in the spirit let us walk Let us not be covetous of vain glory envying one another provoking one another Hymn XXXV COme holy Spirit send down those beams Which gently flow in silent streams From thy bright throne above Come Thou Enricher of the poor And bounteous source of all our store Come fill us with thy love Come thou our souls delicious guest The weary'd pâ—â—lgrims sweetest Rest The sufferer's best Releef Come thou our passions cool Allay Whose comfort wips all tears away And turns to joy all grief Come bright Sun shoot home thy darts Peirce to the center of our harts And make our faith love Thee Without thy grace without thy light Our strength is weaknes our day night We can nor move nor see Lord wash our sinful stains away Water from heav'n our barren clay Our many bruses heal To thy sweet yoak our stiff necks bow Warm with thy fire our harts of snow Our wandring feet repeal O grant thy Faithful dearest Lord Whose only hope is thy sure word The seven gifts of thy Spirit Grant us in life t' obey thy grace Grant us at death to see thy face And endles joys inherit All glory to the sacred Three One ever-living Deity All pow'r and blyss and praise As at the first when time begun May the same homage stil be done Till time it self decays Antiph Blessed be thy name O holy spirit of God who dividest thy gifts to every one as thou pleasest and workest all in all in Thee our sorrows have a comforter to allay them and our sins an Advocate to plead for them in Thee our ignorances have a guid to direct them our frailties a Confirmer to strengthen them and all our wants a God to releeve them alleluja alleluja Magnificat c. as pag. 44. Repeat the Antiphon Then O Lord hear our pray'rs And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who by thy holy Spirit didst at first establish and sanctify thy Church and by the same Spirit dost still preserve and govern it hear we beseech Thee the pray'rs of thy servants and mercifully grant us the perpetual assistance of thy grace that we never be deceiv'd by any false spirit nor overcome by the vicious suggestions of flesh and blood but in all our doubts be directed into the way of truth and in all our actions guided by thy holy Spirit who with Thee and thy eternal Son lives and reigns One God world without end Amen O Lord hear c. as page 45. Then say the Complin of the day for this Office has none of its own Office of the SAINTS MATINS On some particular Sundays noted in the Proper of Festivals and on all Holidays of Obligation before and after every Psalm at Matins Lauds Vespers and Complin say one of the Three Antiphons set down in the Proper of Festivals that is each Antiphon eight times in the whole Office of the Day Say also the Antiphon where any proper one is prepar'd before and after Benedictus and Magnificat else say the common one as in the Office Then the Prayer as in the Proper of Festivals The rest of these particular Offices is to be ricited out of the common Offices as is noted in the Directions and Proper of Festivals Introduction as pag. 1. Invitatory Come let 's adore the King of Saints Come let 's adore the King of Saints Psal CXV GReat is the Majesty of the King we serve and rich the splendors of his Court o're all the world he sends his commands and none dare resist or dispute his power Come let 's adore the King of Saints Great is the clemency of our gracious Soveraign to pardon the offences of repenting sinners great is the bounty of our glorious Lord to crown with rewards his faithful servants Come let 's adore the King of Saints Thousands of Saints attend in his presence and millions of Angels wait on his Throne all beauteously rang'd in perfect order all joyfully singing the praises of their Creator Come let 's adore the King of Saints Thou art our King too blessed JESU and we alas thy unprofitable subjects we cannot praise Thee like those thine own bright Quires yet humbly offer our little tribute Come let 's adore the King of Saints Let us bow low our heads to Him before whom the Seraphins cover their faces let us bow low our harts to Him at whose feeâ—â— the Saints lay down their crowns Come let 's adore the King of Saints Glory be c. As it was c. Come let 's adore the King of Saints Come let 's adore the King of Saints Hymn XXXVI AWake my soul chace from thine eys This drowsy sloth and quickly rise Up and to work apace No less then Kingdoms are prepar'd And endless blyss for their reward Who finish wel their race 'T is not so poor a thing to be Servants to heav'n dear Lord and Thee As this fond world believes Not even here where oft the Wise Are most expos'd to injurys And friendles vertue grieves Somtimes thy hand lets gently fall A litle drop that sweetens all The bitter of our Cup O what herafter shal we be When we shal have whole draughts of Thee Brim-ful and drink them up Say happy souls whose thirst now meets The fresh and living stream of sweets Which spring from that blest throne Did you not find this true ev'n here Do you not find it truer there Now heav'n is all your own O yes the sweets we tast exceed All we can say or you can read They fil and never cloy On earth our cup was sweet but mixt Here all is pure refin'd and fixt All Quintessence of joy Hear'st thou my soul what glorious things The Church of heav'n in triumph sings Of their blest life above Chear thy faint hopes and bid them live All these thy God to thee will give
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 inâ—â—briated with that torrent of pleasâ—â—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
many times O my Soul have we plainly concluded * that this earth affords no real joy How many times have we fully agreed that heav'n alone is the place of happines Yet do these false allurements again deceive us and steal away our harts to dote upon folly Yet do inconstant we forget our resolvs and wretchedly neglect our true felicity O thou victorious Conquerour of sin and death do thou assist us in this dangerous warfare O thou benign Refresher of distressed Spirits do thou relieve us in this tedious pilgrimage Make us stil thirst and sign after Thee the living-fountain of life-giving streams Make us despise all other delights and set our affections entirely on thy joys Since nothing Lord can satisfie our souls but Thee O let our souls seek nothing but Thee Glory be c. Psal XII GIve me O Lord the innocence of Doves and fill my soul with thy mild spirit Then shal I need none of their wings since heav'n it self wil dwel in my hart 'T is on the proud thou look'st afar off but inclin'st thine ear to the thumble and meek Who delight in the peace of a contented mind and limit their thoughts to their own litle sphear Never intermedling with the actions of others unless where reason and charity engage ' em But their belov'd imployment is to sit in silence and think on the happiness they expect hereafter To meditate the joys of Saints and Angels and the blysful Vision of the face of JESUS O how secure and sweetly do they sleep who go to bed with a quiet conscience Who after a day of faithful industry * in a course of just and pious living Lay down their wearied heads in peace and safely rest in the bosom of Providence If they awake their conscience comforts them in the dark and bids them not fear the shadow of death No nor even death it self but confidently look up * and long for the dawn of that eternal day This too my soul should be our care * to note and censure and correct our selv's To strive for mastery over the passions that molest us and dismiss from our thoughts what no way concerns us Are not our own occasions busines enough to fill as much time as this life deserv's Does not the other at least deserve * every minute of leisure we can spare from this Let then the world pursue their libertys and say and do as they think fit What 's that to thee my soul who shalt not answer for others unless thou some way make their faults thine own Thy pity may grieve and thy charity indeavour but if they will not hear follow thou thy God Follow the way that leads to truth follow the truth that leads to life Follow the steps of thy Beloved JESUS who alone is the way the truth and the life Follow his holines in what he did follow his patience in what he suffer'd Follow him that cals thee with a thousand promises follow him that crowns thee with infinite rewards Follow thy faithful Lord O my soul to the end and thou' rt sure in the end to possess him for ever Glory be c. Psal XIII MEeknes indeed is the heav'n of this life but the heav'n of heav'ns O Lord is above with Thee Meekness may qualify our miseries here and make our time pass gentlier away But to be fully happy we must stay till hereafter till thy mercy bring us to our last great end That glorious end for which our souls are made and all things else to serve them in their way 'T is not to sport our time in pleasures * that thou O Lord hast plac't us here 'T is not to gain a fair estate that thy kindnes still prolongs our days But to do good to our selvs or others and glorifie thee in improving thy creatures To increase every day our longing desires * of beholding Thee in thine own bright self O glorious Lord whose infinite sweetnes * provokes and satisfys all our appetites May my entire affections delight in thee above all the vain enjoyments of this world Above all praise and empty honour above all beauty and fading pleasure Above all health and deceitful riches above all power and subtlest knowledge Above even all thy own bounty can give and what ever is not thy very self O may my wearied soul repose in Thee the home and center of eternal rest May I forget my self to think on thee and fill my memory with the wonders of thy love That infinite love which when my thoughts consider not as they ought alas but as I am able The weight of my sufferings sits light upon me and all my fears are turn'd into joys O my adored JESUS let me love thee always * because from eternity thou hast loved me O let me love Thee only gracious God! because thou alone deserv'st all my hart Always and only let me love thee O Lord since always my hope is only in Thee Antiph All is unquiet here till we come to Thee and repose at last in the Kingdom of Peace Hymn IV. DEar Jesu when when will it be That I no more shall break with Thee When will this war of passions cease And let my soul injoy thy peace Here I repent and sin again Now I revive and now am slain Slain with the same unhappy dart Which O too often wounds my hart When dearest Lord when shall I be A garden seal'd to all but Thee No more expos'd no more undone But live and grow to Thee alone 'T is not alas on this low earth That such pure flow'rs can find a birth Only they spring above the skys Where none can live till here he dys Then let me dy that I may go And dwell where those bright lillys grow Where those blest plants of glory rise And make a safer Paradise No dangerous fruit no tempting Eve No crafty Serpent to deceive But we like Gods indeed shall be O let me dy that life to see Thus says my song but does my hart Joyn with the words and sing its part Am I so thorow-wise to chuse The Other world and this refuse Why should I not what do I find That fully here contents my mind What is this meat and drink and sleep That such poor things from heav'n should keep What is this honour or great place Or bag of mony or fair face What 's all the world that thus we shou'd Still long to dwell with flesh and blood Fear not my soul stand to the word Which thou hast sung to thy dear Lord Let but thy love be firm and true And with more heat thy wish renew O may this dying life make hast To dy into true life at last No hope have I to live before But then to live and dy no more Great Everliving God! to Thee In Essence One in Persons Three May all thy works their tribute bring And every age thy glory sing Capit. 1 Jo. 2. Love not the world nor the things
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
all Be thou to us our God and all things and make us nothing in our own eys Be thou our whole everlasting delight and let nothing else be any thing to us Glory be c. Antiph Vanity of Vanitys all is Vanity but the love of God and hope to enjoy him Capit. Ephes 6. CHildren obey your Parents in our Lord for this is just and you Fathers provoke not your Children to anger but bring them up in discipline and the fear of our Lord. Servants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in the simplicity of your harts as to Christ not serving to the ey as it were pleasing men but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the hart knowing whatever good any one shal do that shal he receive of our Lord whether he be bond or free And you Masters do the same things to them forbearing threatnings knowing that both their Lord and yours is in heav'n and with Him is no acceptance of persons Hymn VII LOrd who shal dwel above with Thee There on thy holy Hill Who shal those glorious Prospects see That heav'n with gladnes fill Those happy souls who prize that life Above the bravest here Whose greatest hope whose eagrest strife Is once to settle there They use this world but value That That they supremely love They travel through this present state But place their home above Lord who are they that thus chuse Thee But those Thou first didst chuse To whom Thou gav'st thy grace most free Thy grace not to refuse We of our selvs can nothing do But all on Thee depend Thine is the work and wages too Thine both the way and end O make us stil our work attend And we 'l not doubt our pay We wil not fear a blessed end If thou but guide our way Glory to Thee O bounteous Lord Who giv'st to all things breath Glory to Thee Eternal Word Who sav'st us by thy death Glory O Blessed Spirit to Thee Who fill'st our harts with love Glory to all the Mystick Three Who reign one God above Amen Antiph He that fram'd the hart of man design'd it for himself and bequeath'd it unquietnes til possest of its Maker V. Vanity of Vanitys all is Vanity R. But to love our God and attend his service O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who alone art all in all things to us and to whom we are nothing but wretched objects of thy bounty which the more flows upon us the more we truly feel our own pure emptines and want of it Encrease we humbly beseech thee this happy sense iu thy servants by our dayly experience of this worlds unsatisfyingness and grant that finding it ordain'd by Thee to breed and widen not fill our capacity we may make this only use of all thy creatures here to raise and heighten our desires of thy infinite Self in Eternity 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 Amen Pause a while to reflect and renew Then begin Complin Monday Complin V. OUr help is in As Page 46. Antiph All thy ways O Lord are mercy and wisdom and all thy Counsels tend to our happines Psal XXIV MY God in every thing I see thy hand in every passage thy gracious Providence Thou wisely govern'st the house thou hast built and preventest with thy mercy 's all our wants Thou cal'st us up in the early morning and giv'st us light by the beams of thy Sun To labour every one in their proper Office and fill the litle place appointed them in the world Thou provid'st a rest for our weary Evening and favour'st our sleep with a shady darknes To refresh our bodys in the peace of night and save the wast of our decaying spirits Again thou awak'st our drowsy eys and bid'st us return to our dayly task Thus has thy wisdom mixt our life and beauteously interwoven it of rest and work Whose mutual changes sweeten each other and both prepare us for our greatest duty Of finishing here the work of our Salvation to rest herafter in thy holy peace Glory be c. Psal XXV LOrd how thy bounty gives us all things else * with a large and open hand Our Fields at once are cover'd with corn and our trees bow under the weight of their fruit At once thou fill'st our Magazines with plenty and sendst us who'e show'rs of other blessings Only our time thou distil'st by drops and never giv'st us two moments at once But tak'st away one when thou lendest another to teach us the price of so rich a Jewel That we may learn to value every hour and not childishly spend them on empty trifles Much less maliciously murther whole days in pursuing a course of sin and shame Lord as Thou thus hast taught our ignorance so let thy grace enable our weaknes Wisely to manage the time thou giv'st us and stil press on to new degrees of improvement That with our few but wel-spent years we may purchase to our selvs a blest eternity Glory be c. Psal XXVI IT was thy mercy too O gracious Lord to dispense by parcels our portion of time That the succeeding day may learn to grow wise and correct its faults by experience of the past Else were our Being all at once as it shall be in the next Eternal life Our sins would have here no power to be repented and then alas how desperate were we We who are born in the way to misery and unless we change can never be happy We who so often wilfully go astray and unless we return must perish for ever O Thou in whose indulgent hands * are both our time and our Eternity Whose Providence gives every minute of our life and governs the fatal period of our death O make us every Evening still provide * to pass with comfort that important hour Make us still ballance our accompts for heav'n and strive to increase our treasures with Thee That if we rise no more to our acquaintance here we may joyfully waken among thy blessed Angels There to unite our Hymns with Theirs and joyn all together in one full Quire Glory be c. Antiph All thy ways O Lord are mercy and wisdom and all thy Counsels tend to our happines Hymn VIII NOw my Soul the day is gone Which in the morn was thine Now its glass no more shall run Its Sun no longer shine True alas the day is gone O were it only so Is 't not lost as well as done Cast up thy counts and know Are we so much nearer heav'n As to the grave we bow Has our sorrow made all
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
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
retire to Thee alone Grant we humbly beseech Thee that thy Providence's withdrawing every night all the world from our senses may efficaciously prompt us to clear our heads and harts of all its distractions and thy holy Spirit finding our minds happily vacant may fill them with acts of love and reverence and adoration of Thee as our only God and all things through our Lord Vouchsafe c. as page 54. Friday MATINS Introduction as page 1. Invitatory Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us Psal LXVI VVHen we had sold our selvs to sin and were all become the slaves of Satan our blessed JESU descended from heav'n and brought a vast price to buy out our freedom Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us The price was no less then his own dearest blood which he plenteously shed on the holy Cross depositing so his inestimable life to rescue us sinners from eternal death Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us Let us consecrate this day to his sacred memory and tenderly compassionate his unparalleld sufferings repenting from our harts our many sins and thankfully admiring his infinite mercys Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us Let us wean our minds from unbecoming delights and mortify our senses with a prudent restraint that carry'd on the wings of fasting and alms our prayers may mount up more swiftly to heav'n Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us Glory be to the Father c. As it was c. Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us Come let 's adore our God that redeem'd us Hymn XXI COme let 's adore the King of love And King of sufferings too For love it was that brought him down And set him here in wo. Love drew him from his Paradise Where flow'rs that fade not grow And planted Him in our poor dust Among us weeds below Here for a time this heav'nly Plant Fairly grew up and thriv'd Diffus'd its sweetnes all about And all in sweetnes liv'd But envious frosts and furious storms So long so fiercely chide This tender Flow'r at last bow'd down Its bruised head and dy'd O narrow thoughts and narrower speech Here your defects confess The life of Christ the death of God How faintly you express Help O thou blessed Virgin-root Whence this fair Flow'r did spring Help us to raise both hart and voice And with more spirit sing To Father Son and holy Ghost One undivided Three All highest praise all humblest thanks Now and for ever be Antiph Take up thy cross and follow thy Lord for his yoke is sweet and his burthen light Psal LXVII MY God who can complain of doing too much if they consider the labours of JESUS Those painful labours he so freely undertook and mildly stoopt to his humble task When he might have flown on the wings of Cherubims he chose to walk with us worms in the dust When he might have cal'd for Manna from heav'n in the sweat of his brows he would eat his bread When he might have made the Angels his footstool he rather became the servant of his Parents Living with Them in their litle cottage and readily obeying even their least command There in that humble privacy He increast in wisdom and grew in grace both with God and man Still by his pious candor gaining the love * of those happy few that saw his life That saw thy holy life O glorious JESU and heard with joy and wonder thy incomparable sayings That felt a gentle motion stir their harts * to love and imitate so blest a pattern O that the same sweet spirit of grace * might draw our minds dear Lord to thee O that we could in every passage of our life * still actually reflect on the example of Thine Thy retirements were fill'd with holy speculations and in the midst of busines thy mind was free for heav'n Thy converse with others mispent no time but bestow'd every moment in excellent charity To instruct the ignorant and reduce the deceiv'd to comfort the afflicted and heal the diseas'd To convince the froward and absolve the penitent and perswade all the world to be truly happy It was thy meat and drink to do thy Fathers will O make it ours to perform Thine Make us in every action still think on Thee what thou wouldst counsel us to do What Thou thy self wouldst do O Blessed JESU if thou again wert here among us And when we thus have learnt our duty Lord make us do what thou hast made us know Glory be c. Antiph Take up thy Cross and follow thy Lord for his yoke is sweet and his bruthen light Antiph He humbled himself for us and became obedient to death even the death of the Cross Psal LXVIII MY God who can repine at suffering too much if they remember the afflictions of JESUS Those many afflictions he so patiently endur'd and bore with silence all their weight Even from his humble cradle in the grot of Bethelem to his bitter Cross on the mount of Calvary How litle do we read of glad and prosperous how much of pains and grief and perpetual affronts Somtimes abandon'd by his nearest friends and left alone among all his discomforts Somtimes pursu'd by his fiercest enemys and made the common mark of all their spite Somtimes they plot to insnare Him in his words and enviously slander his miraculous deeds Somtimes tumultuously they gather about him to gaze at and abuse this Man of sorrows Somtimes they furiously seize on his Person and hale and drag him along the streets At last they all conspire to take away his life and condemn him to a sharp and cruel death Have you not seen a harmless Lamb * stand silent in the midst of ravenous wolves So stood the Prince of Peace and Innocence besieg'd with a ring of savage Jews When they blasphem'd Him he reply'd not again and when they injuriously struck him he only observ'd their rashnes When they provok't him with their utmost malice he pleaded their excuse and when they kill'd him he earnestly pray'd for their pardon O strange ingratitude of humane nature thus barbarously to crucify the worlds Redeemer O admirable love of the worlds Redeemer thus patiently to dy for humane nature Say now my soul for whom thy dearest Lord * indur'd all this and infinitely more Canst thou complain of thy litle troubles when the King of glory was thus afflicted Canst thou complain of a meanly furnisht house when the Son of God had not where to lay his head We wear the conisance of a crucify'd Lord and shall we shrink back at every cross we meet We believe in a God that was crown'd with thorns and shall we abide to tread on nothing but roses Before our eys O JESU we see thee humble and meek and shall thy servants be proud and insolent We see thee travail up and down poor and unregarded and shal thy
my gracious God Vouchsafe to grant it Cast me not away from thy presence for ever nor wipe my name out of the book of life But my eternal hopes let them remain and stil grow quicker as they approach their end Glory be c. Psal LXXVIII MY thoughts run o're the passages you have met to day or rather forget such impertinent things What have we seen but distracting vanitys and what brought home but unprofitable fancys How often have we felt our minds disturb'd how often endanger'd by unhappy accidents Somtimes we frowardly throw our selvs down and like sullen children will not stand Somtimes the tempest throws us down and like weak children we cannot stand Yet are we venturing stil among the snares entic'd by the appearance of some present delight We weary our selvs with running after flyes which are hard to catch and trifles when they are caught This we pursue and follow that but nothing we meeâ—â— can fill our harts Til we have found out Thee O gracious Lord our only full all-satisfying Good Til we have found out Thee not by a dark beleef but clearly as thou art in thine own bright Self Remember O my soul this truth of the world we live in which our own experience too evidently proves The ey is not fill'd with seeing its varietys nor the ear with hearing all its harmony Remember this truth of the world we hope made sure to our faith by the word of JESUS The ey has not seen such beauteous glorys nor has the ear heard such ravishing charms Nor can the hart it self conceive such incredible joys as our God has provided for them that love him As our Blessed JESUS has purchas'd for his servants and even for Thee my soul to crown thy patience Wherfore in peace lay down thy head and rest secure in the protection of thy God Whose mercy so graciously has singled Thee out and so strongly establisht on himself thy hope Glory be c. Antiph In peace will we sleep and take our rest for thou O Lord hast particularly establisht us in hope Hymn XXIV T Is not for us and our proud harts O mighty Lord to chuse our parts But act wel what Thou giv'st 'T is not in our weak pow'r to make One step o' th way we undertake Unless Thou us releev'st What Thou hast given Thou canst take And when Thou wilt new gifts canst make All flows from Thee alone When Thou didst give it it was Thine When thou retookst it 't was not mine Thy will in all be done It might perhaps too pleasant prove Too much attractive of my love So make me less love Thee Some things there are thy Scriptures say And reason proves that heav'n and they Do seldom wel agree Lord let me then sit calmly down And rest contented with my own That is what Thou allow'st Keep thou my mind ferene and free Often to think on heav'n and Thee And what thou there bestow'st There let me have my portion Lord There all my losses be restor'd No matter what falls here Is 't not enough that we shall sing And love for ever our blest King Whose goodnes brought us there Great God as Thou art One may we With one another all agree And in thy praise conspire May Men and Angels joyn and sing Eternal Hymns to Thee their King And make up all one Quire Capit. 6 Galat. GOd forbid that I should glory save in the Cross of our Lord JESVS Christ by whom the world is crucifyd to me and I to the world For in Christ JESVS neither circumcision avails any thing nor uncircumcision but a new Creature and whoever shal follow this rule peace on them and mercy and on the Israel of God Antiph Consider O my soul and see that nothing can happen unprofitable to those who know how to use it and realâ—â—y seek by tempering right their minds to build them up in true Vertue V. Day to day utters words of instruction R. And night to night affords Science O Lord hear our prayers And let our Supplications come to thee Let us pray O God whose provident mercy makes every day a new branch of the tree of Knowledge to us whence the Evening may gather fresh variety of wholsom fruit for the nourishment of souls whose digestion by grace has sanctifyd by feeding on the tree of life the Cross of JESUS Grant we humbly beseech Thee that no experience of good or evil which this day has afforded may be lost on us but what e're of moment has happen'd to our selvs or others may by seasonable and minute rumination be fitted to render us more skilful in discerning the true value and use of this state in all its postures and stronger to sacrifice up with our Saviour our whole Concerns and Being here to thy Will and the sole advance of thy glory which at length will surely crown thy Servants with immortal Blyss through our Lord Vouchsafe as Pag 54 to the end Saturday MATINS Introduction as page 1. Invitatory Come let 's adore our Victorious Redeemer Come let 's adore our Victorious Redeemer Psal LXXIX COme all you Powers of my deliver'd soul and pay your homage to the Prince of our salvation cast your unworthy selvs at his sacred feet and renew your vows of following his steps Come let 's adore our Victorious Redeemer He triumpht over death in his own body and enables us to conquer it in ours imparting to us his heav'nly skill and provoking our courage with infinite rewards Come let 's adore our Victorious Redeemer He chang'd the corrupted government of the world and establisht a new and holy Law that as we were vassals to sin before we might now become the free subjects of grace Come let 's adore our victorious Redeemer Let us live and dy in his blest obedience and no temptation ever separate us from him who if we resist will make us overcome and when we have overcome will crown us with peace Come let 's adore our victorious Redeemer Glory be c. As it was c. Come let 's adore our victorious Redeemer Come let 's adore our victorious Redeemer Hymn XXV LOrd we again lift up our eys And leave our slugish beds But why we wake or why we rise Comes seldom in our heads Is it to sweat and toyl for welth Or sport our time away That thou preserv'st us stil in helth And giv'st us this new day No no unskilful soul not so Be not deceiv'd with toys Thy Lords commands more wisely go And aim at higher joys They bid us wake to seek new grace And some fresh vertue gain They call us up to mend our pace Till we the prize attain That glorious prize for which all run Who wisely spend their breath VVho when this weary life is done Are sure of rest in death Not such a rest as here we prove Disturb'd with cares and fears But endless joy and peace and love Unmixt with grief and tears
't is Thou bestow'st His pow'r his will to help our end Is just so much as thou allow'st If we enjoy a free estate Our only Title is from Thee Thou mad'st our lot to bear that rate Which else an empty blank would be If we have hâ—â—lth that wel-tun'd grownd Which gives the Musick to the rest It is by Thee our ayr is sound Our food secur'd our physick blest If we have hope one day to view The glorys of thy blysful face Each drop of that refreshing dew Must fall from heav'n and thy free grace Thus then to Thee our praises bow And humbly thy acceptance crave Since 't is to Thee our selvs we ow And to thy bounty all we have Glory to Thee great God alone Three persons in one Deity As it has been in ages gone May now and stil for ever be Antiph 'T is consummated Thou hast O JESU overcom in thy Body all the Powers of darknes their hour is past but thy souls eternal blyss remains and Behold That of thy triumphant Resurrection approaches V. Be not afraid of those who kill the body R. And after that have no more they can do O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who hast submitted thy only Son our Saviour JESUS to expire on the Cross and descend into the grave that he might destroy the life of sin and bury the terrors of death grant we beseech Thee they may never revive or rise again to tempt or fright us from the ways of vertue nor shake this sure and fundamental truth which thy grace has laid in our harts That the greatest mischiefs our salvation can cost us here are but momentary and work above measure exceedingly in us an eternal weight of glory through the same our Lord Commemorations as Page 29. to the end Saturday Vespers OUr Father c. as Page 33. Antiph They who use this world let them be as if they â—â—s'd it not for the figure of this world passes away Psal LXXXVI WHy do we stil pursue this world and so eagerly seek its fond enjoyments A world of vanity and false deceits a world of misery and sad disasters Whose crosses are solid and comforts empty whose sorrows are permanent and delights pass quickly away A world where the innocent are condemn'd with shame and the guilty freed with applause Where often the wicked are advanc'd to honour and the vertuous opprest with disgrace Where friends fall off and kindred forget and every one minds his private interest Yet are we taken with this crooked world and blindly court its painted face We make some ugly passion mistress of our hart and neglect the pure and amiable love of JESUS Whose goodnes to us gives us all we have whose perfections in himself are more then we can conceive Thou art O glorious JESU the beauty of Angels and the everlasting joy of all thy Saints Thou art the heay'n of heav'n it self and in thy sight alone is the fulnes of Blyss All this thou art and infinitely more and yet alas how few esteeem thee The world we dearly know too often has deceiv'd us and our rashnes cares not to be undone again Thou never O JESU hast fail'd our hope and our dulnes fears to rely on Thee The world distracts and embroils our spirits and wretched we delight in our misery Thou always O JESU fil'st our harts with peace and sensles we are weary of thy happines The world calls and we faint in following it thou cal'st and we are stil reliev'd by Thee Yet is our nature so ingratefully perverse we run after that which tires and abandon that which refreshes Somtimes our lips speak gloriously of Thee O Thou living fountain of eternal Blyss Some happy times we relish thy sweetnes and decry aloud the poyson of the world But we are soon enticed by its guilded cup and easily forsake the waters of life O Blessed JESU who took'st upon thee all our frailtys to bestow on us thine own perfections Teach us to prize the joys of heav'n and part with all things else to purchase Thee Make all the pleasures of this life seem bâ—â—tter to our tasts as they are indeed pernitious to our helths Let not their flatterys any more delude us nor superfluous cares perplex our minds But may our chief delight be to think on Thee and all our study to grow in thy love Glory be c. Antiph They who use this world let them be as if they us'd it not for the figure of this world passes away Antiph We by a fond self-self-love blame every thing but our selvs while nothing can hurt us but our own misplac't affections Psal LXXXVII ALl this is true and yet the world is lov'd and our nature inclines to affect its vanitys 'T is lov'd and so it justly deservs did we understand its real value Our life indeed seems mean and trivial and all things about us troublesom and dangerous Yet O my God is their consequence excellent in this that they are our only way of coming to Thee This world and this alone 's the womb that breeds us and brings us forth to see thy light This is alone the proper Machine wherein thy hand has set our lives To learn the art of managing it right and wind up our selves to thy glorious heav'n O that we had that happy skill how soon would every thing help forward to advance us Whether we eat or drink or what ever else * an innocent hand can undertake If we regard our faithful end and order all to the improvement of our minds They instantly change their secular name and deservedly are prefer'd to become religious Riches themselves and imperious honour * have not so perverse and fixt a malice But a prudent use converts them to piety and makes them fit instruments of highest Blyss Our very delights O the Goodnes of our God! may so be temper'd with a wise alloy That his mercy accounts them as parts of our duty and fails not to give them their full reward While they are entertain'd for the health of our bodys or the just refreshement of our wearyed spirits And both our bodys and spirits constantly apply'd * to gain new degrees of the love of heav'n Thus gracious Lord every moment of our lives * may still be climbing up towards Thee Thus may we still proceed in thy service even then when we most of all serve our selvs And then indeed it is we best serve our selvs when we are busiest in what we call thy service Thou sweetly vouchsaf'st to stile thâ—â—t thy glory which in very truth is nothing but our interest Thou kindly complain'st we dishonour thy Name when we only mischief our own souls O Blesses JESU King of clemency and great Rewarder of every little grace Thou who by all we can do pretendest no gain but bestow'st on us all thy self hast done Thou who cam'st down from heav'n to shew us a
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 â—â—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
ardently love Thee that I may eagerly desire Thee and eagerly desire Thee that I may transportedly enjoy Thee Glory be c. Antiph Bless our Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Capit. Ephes 3. NOw to Him who is able to do all things more abundantly then we desire or understand according to the power that works in us to Him be glory in the Church and in Christ Jesus to all generations world without end Amen Hymn XXX SWeet JESU why why dost thou love Such worthles things as we Why is thy hart still toward us Who seldom think on Thee Thy bounty gives us all we have And we thy gifts abuse Thy bounty gives us ev'n Thy self And we Thy self refuse My soul and why why do we love Such wretched things as these These that withdraw us from our Lord And his pure eys displease Break off and be no more a child To run and sweat and cry While all this stir this huge concern Is only for a fly Some silly fly that 's hard to catch And nothing when 't is caught Such are the toys thou striv'st for here Not worth a serious thought Break off and raise thy manly ey Up to those joys above Behold all those thy Lord prepares To woo and crown thy love Alas dear Lord I cannot love Unles Thou draw my hart Thou who thâ—â—s kindly mak'st me know O make me do my part Stil do thou love me O my Lord That I may stil love Thee Stil make me love thee O my God! That thou may'st stil love me Thus may my God and my poor soul Stil one another love Till I depart from this low world T' enjoy my God above To Thee great God to Thee alone One coeternal Three All pow'r and praise all joy and blyss Now and for ever be Here recite the Antiphon for Benedictus and the Canticle Benedictus and the Prayer as in the Proper of our Saviours Feasts But if you voluntarily say this Office on any day that is not some Feast of our Saviour then use the Antiphon and Prayer following Antiphon for Benedictus BLessed be thy holy Name O glorious Son of God and blessed be thy mercy for ever thou hast perfectly fulfil'd all thy Prophets foretold and infinitely transcended all the wonders they admir'd thou hast done enough to convince us into faith and suffer'd too much to inflame us with thy love Blessed be thy holy Name O glorious Son of God and blessed be thy mercy for ever alleluia Benedictus c. as Page 27. O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come to Thee Let us pray MOst gracious Lord who so loved'st the world that thou gavest thy self to redeem it and humbly took'st upon thee our low nature that thou might'st familiarly teach us the truth of salvation and invincibly fortify us against all persecution and efficaciously draw us after thee into thine own Kingdom by thy holy life and precious death and glorious resurrection Grant us we beseech thee so to meditate these ifinite mercys and fill our whole souls with the memory of this love that we may live in thy obedience and dy in thy favour and rise again to rejoyce with thee for ever in thy glory Who with the Father and the holy Ghost liveth and reigneth One God world without end Amen Commemorations as Page 29. Vespers for our B. Saviour IN the Name as Page 33. Antiph Thy judgements O Lord we confess are just but deal we beseech thee with thy servants in mercy Psal XCIX LIft up thy voice Jerusalem and be not afraid say to the Citys of Juda behold your God Behold the Lord your God is come with a strong hand his reward is with him and his work before him He is come to bring redemption to all the world and graciously offers it first to you his People But you refus'd the Holy One and the Just and desir'd a murtherer to be granted to you Hark with how sweet and eligant a Compassion * thy kind Redeemer complains of thy ingratitude O Jerusalem Jerusalem thou that killest the Prophets and stonest them who are sent to thee How often would I have gather'd thy children together as a hen gathers her chickens under her wings * and thou wouldest not O hadst thou known in that thy day the things which belong to thy peace but now they are hid from thine eys Harken once more with what terrible threatnings * thy provident Lord forewarns thee of thy danger Gird thee with sackcloth Jerusalem and ly down in ashes cover thee with mourning and bitterly lament For the days shal come when thy enemys shal besiege thee and compas thee about with a trench They shal not leave one stone upon another but beat thee to the ground and thy children in thee Thy people shal be slain by the edge of the sword and led as slaves into all Countrys They shal wander up and down without King or Prince they shal mourn without sacrifice or altar And Jerusalem shal be trodden under feet by the Gentiles till the fulnes of Nations be accomplisht But O how long Lord holy and merciful how long wilt thou be angry with them for ever Hast thou not said he that scatters Israel will gather them again and keep them as a Shepherd does his flock Remember thy antient promises O Lord and save the remnant of thy once lov'd Israel Take away the veil from before their eys that they may see thy truth and imbrace it Take away the hardnes from their stony harts that they again may be thy people and thou again their God Then shal they lay aside the garment of mourning and put on the brightnes which comes from Thee They shall celebrate the Jubily of this their greatest Deliverance and every one sing in that day of joy Come let 's ascend to the mountain of our Lord let us learn his ways and walk in his paths As 't was our wickednes to go astray from our God so now return'd let us seek him ten times more Too late have we known thee O thou ancicient Truth too late have we lov'd thee O Thou desir'd of all Nations We were misled by the error of our fathers we were abus'd by our own blind passions The Kingdom we expected deservs not that name a short and vain and troublesom prosperity Thy Dominion O Lord is holines and peace and of thy Kingdom there shal be no end Such was the Kingdom thou promisedst to David Thy Throne will I establish for ever Such is the Kingdom thou giv'st to thy Servants They shal live and reign with Thee for ever O make us love dear Lord this eternal Kingdom and all things else shal be added to it O make us love this eternal Kingdom though nothing else should be added to it Glory be c. Antiph Thy judgements O Lord we confes are just but deal we beseech Thee with thy servants in mercy Antiph Thou art O Lord
But O what are they then to those who see Thee and in that sight see all things else To those who rejoyce perpetually before Thee and in that joy find all joys else O beauteous truth which known inforces love and lov'd begets felicity Live thou for ever in my faithful memory and be my constant guide in all my ways Stil let me think on those joys above and undervalue all things compar'd to my salvation Stil let me think on my Saviours love that purchas'd for me all those joys O my ador'd Redeemer be Thou the masterwish of my hart the scope and end of all my time Soon as I wake let me look up to Thee and when I rise first lowly bow to Thee Often in the day let me call in my thoughts to Thee and when I go to rest cloze up mine eys in Thee So shal my time be govern'd by thy grace and my eternity corwn'd with thy glory Antiph Whither O my God should we go but to Thee Thou hast the words of eternal life I look not O Lord to be pardon'd without repentance but I hope thy grace to make me repent Psal CIII MY God when I remember those words of Thine Repent for the Kingdom of heav'n is at hand When I consider they were the first thou spak'st in publick the chosen text of the Eternal Wisdom Instantly I 'm struck with the importance of the duty and deeply affected with the power of the motive If what this last line says be not wholy true but repeated in course as a form of devotion Forgive dear Lord the deâ—â—eitfulness of my hart and make me think as well as say my prayers Make me apply those searching words to my self and bind them fast on my own soul Repent O my soul for the Kingdom of heav'n is at hand repent for the Kingdom of heav'n depends on thy repentance Vnhappy me I cannot live without sin nor hope for pardon without due repentance I cannot repent without the grace of God nor obtain his grace without his own free gift O my sweet Saviour JESU who cam'st not to call the just but such as I am sinners to repent Since I am not strong enough to be perfectly innocent at least make me humble enough to be truly penitent Make me hartily sorry for what I have done amiss and not do again what will make me sorry Wo to the day and hour wherin I sin'd wo to the many days and hours I have foolishly mispent Or rather wo to me who abuse my days and hours * allow'd by thy goodnes to work out my salvation Deliver me O Lord from the punishments I deserve deliver me from the sins that deserve those punishments Teach me that safe and easy method * of censuring my self to be acquitted by Thee Every night let me sit as an impartial judg and call before me all my day Let me severely examine every thought and word and strictly search every deed and omission Condemning my offences to their just penance and making more firm and wary resolvs Imploring for the past the mercy of heav'n and for the time to come the same unbounded mercy If I perhaps find some litle thing well done * when weigh'd with the allowance indulg'd our frailty Let me return all the glory to my God and beg his grace to continue and improve it Hâ—â— is the hand that sews the seed hâ—â— is the blessing that gives the increase Thus let me once a day at least look home and seriously inquire into the state of my soul What ere my weaknes or malice may have done let me now undo with a harty contrition Let not the sun go down upon my wrath nor on any other unrepented sin Still let me write at the foot of my account * Reconcil'd to my God and in charity with all the world Then go to bed with a quiet conscience and fall asleep in peace and hope Glory be c. Antiph I look not O Lord to be pardon'd without repentance but I hope thy grace to make me repent Antiph Since where my treasure is there will my hart be O make me place my treasure where my hart ought to be Psal CIV LOrd e're I take my leave of this Holy day * which thy Church has sanctify'd in honor of thy memory Let me repeat some few words more * of those incomparable many thou hast left among us Let me attentively mediate their substantial sense and settle them as Principles of my life and action Lay not up for your selvs treasures on earth * where rust and moth corrupt and Theeves break thorow and steal But lay up for your selvs treasures in heav'n * where neither rust nor moth corrupt nor Theeves break thorow and steal For where your treasure is there will your hart be also Go now you curious and study what you please for me I le stay and listen to my Saviour He 'l teach me high and sure and useful truths he 'l teach me truths that will make me happy Hark but this one word more and you 'l stay too if any sense of your eternal good can hold you Hark how he kindly tels us this new and glorious Secret we shal be herafter like the Angels in heav'n O sweet and precious word to them that relish it and thorowly digest its strong nourishment To them that feed on 't often as their dayly bread we shal be hereafter like the Angels in heav'n And what O dearest Lord are those blessed Angels * but spirits that know and love and delight for ever Such O my soul we shal be and that sweet life we shal lead we shal be and live like the Angels in heav'n We shal know all that 's true and love all that 's good and delight in that knowledg and love for ever No ignorance shal darken us nor error deceive us we shal be like the Angels in heav'n No cares shal perplex us nor crosses afflict us we shal be like the Angels in heav'n Our joys shal be full and pure and everlasting we shal be like the Angels in heav'n Cheer thee my soul and bless thy bounteous Lord 't is by him we shal be like the Angels in heav'n Cheer thee and raise thy hopes yet gloriously higher we shal be like Himself for we shal see him as he is Antiph Since where my treasure is there will my hart be O make me place my treasure where my hart ought to be Hymn XXXII LOrd now the time returns For weary man to rest And lay aside those pains and cares With which our day 's opprest Or rather change our thoughts To more concerning cares How to redeem our mispent time With sighs and tears and pray'rs How to provide for heav'n That Place of rest and peace Where our full joys shall never wain Our pleasures never cease Blest be thy love dear Lord That taught us this sweet way Only to love Thee for Thy self And for that love obey O Thou our
to us Praise him all you Quires of rejoycing Angels whose early grace confirm'd you in glory Praise him you reverend Patriarks whose ways he govern'd and by particular providence led you to felicity Praise him you ancient Prophets whose souls he inspir'd * to teach his chosen People the mind of heav'n Praise him you glorious Apostles whose persons he empowr'd * to be Embassadors of peace betwixt heav'n and earth Praise him you generous Martyrs whose spirits he encourag'd and gave you victory o're the terrors of death Praise him you blessed Confessors whose lives he sanctify'd and gave you victory o're the world and your selvs Praise him you holy Virgins whose souls he espous'd and consecrated your chast bodys into Temples for himself Praise him you faithful departed whose hope he sustains and will at last bring you to full fruition Praise him all you Elect in your several happy states bless him and magnify him for ever Praise him in the power and freedom of his grace praise him in the greatnes and eternity of his glory Praise him O my soul for his mercys to thee praise him for his goodnes to all the world Praise him on thy choicest instrument that of thy hart praise him in thy best words those of the Church Glory be c. Antiph Kindle in our harts O Lord thy holy fire that we may offer to Thee the incense of praise Alleluja Capit. Rom. 8. WE are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh for if you live according to the flesh you shal dy but if by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh you shal live For whoever are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God and if sons then heirs heirs truly of God and coheirs of Christ if we suffer with him to be also glorifyed with him Hymn XXXIV COme mild and holy Dove Descend into our brest Do thou in us make us in thee For ever dwel and rest Come and spread o're our heads Thy soft all-cherishing wing That in its shade we safe may sit And to thee praises sing To thee who giv'st us life Our better life of grace Who giv'st us breath and strength and speed To run and win our race If by the way we faint Thou reachest forth thy hand If our own weaknes make us fal Thou mak'st our weaknes stand When we are sliding back Thou dost our danger stop When we again alas are faln Again thou tak'st us up Else there we stil must ly And stil sink lower down Our hope to rise is all from Thee Our ruin's all our own O my ingrateful foul What shal our dulnes do For Him that does all this for us Only our love to woo We 'l love Thee then dear Lord But Thou must give that love We 'l humbly beg it of thy grace But Thou our pray'rs must move O hear thine own self speak For thou in us dost pray Thou can'st as quickly grant as ask Thy grace knows no delay Glory to Thee O Lord One coeternal Three To Father Son and holy Ghost One equal glory be Antiph Come holy Spirit the free Dispenser of all graces visit the harts of thy faithful servants and replenish them with thy sacred inspirations illuminate our understandings and inflame our affections and sanctify all the facultys of our souls that we may know and love and constantly do the things that belong to our peace our everlasting peace Alleluja Alleluja Recite the Canticle Benedictus as page 27. Then repeat this Antiphon c. O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who miraculously sent'st down the holy Ghost to supply the absence of thy Son and comfort his hartless Followers and instruct them in all things necessary to their great work the conversion of the world Grant we humbly beseech thee that our devout commemorating those fiery tongues which sate on each of their heads and produced such glorious effects may increase the fervour of our harts to continue and attest by all fruits of grace the same spirits stil abiding with us through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee in the unity of the same blessed Spirit lives and reigns one God world without end Amen Commemorations c. as page 29. Vespers for the holy Ghost IN the name c. as Pag. 33. Antiph We are not our own but the temples of the holy Ghost let us dedicate our selvs entirely to his service Psal CXII COme let us now again prepare our harts and humbly offer this our evening sacrâ—â—ce Let us clear our heads of all other thoughts that fil us at best with nothing but emptines Let us remember our God is a pure Spirit and delights to dwel in a clean tabernacle He wil not enter a soul that 's subject to â—â—in nor stay where he finds his grace neglected If he vouchsafe us the blessing of a visit and O how heav'nly sweet and ravishing is his presence Let us open wide our bosoms to receive him and summon all our powers to come and entertain him Come my understanding and bring all thou know'st all that enlightens thee in the way to felicity Come my Wil and call in all thy loves and contract them into one and setle it here for ever Come my Memory with all thy swarm of notions and forget them all but what concerns thy eternity Come my whole Soul with these thy facultys about thee and prostrate adore the eternal Spirit Behold he now is with us and sits in our harts as on his throne * to receive our petitions and give us his blessings He never will forsake us if we chace him not away but guide and comfort us with his holy inspirations Come then and with devoutest reverence attend and hear what the Lord our God wil say He leads us thus into retirement and silence and there familiarly speaks to our heart Tel me O you design'd for everlasting happines tel me now freely for none shall interrupt us What do you chiefly delight to think on and what do you aim at in all those thoughts Consider wel the question I propose and when you have examined your selvs give me your answer O thou our merciful though offended God! behold thus low we bow our guilty heads Blushing for shame to see our folly and so much the more because we see our duty Happy were we could we still be thinking on Thee and raise all those thoughts into desires to be with thee Happy were we could we always feel those fervours * of which somtimes thou inspirest a litle spark O were that spark kindled into a fire and that fire blown up into a continual flame But we alas are hot and cold by fits and which is worse our cold fit is the longer Some few half hours we spend in pray'r and many whole days in idlenes and vanity Somtimes we bestow a litle on the poor and often throw away a