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
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
men Psal LXIII VVHo will give me this happy favour that I may find my God alone That I may find him in the silence of retirement where the noise of this world can no way interrupt us But that my God may speak to me and I to him as dearest friends converse together That I may unfold before him all my wants and freely ask the charity of his counsel VVhat shall I do O my gracious Lord to be happy here VVhat shall I do to be happy herafter Nature already has thus far taught me that in all I undertake I seek my own good Only I have cause to fear I may mistake that good and set up an Idol instead of thee Unless my God vouchsafe to instruct me and shew my soul its true felicity Hark how the eternal wisdom gives thee advice and let every word sink deep into thy soul Seek with thy first endeavours the Kingdom of heav'n and all things else shall be added to thy wish Love with thy whole affections the injoyment of thy God and all things else shall conspire to thy happines All these my lips confess are excellent truths but when O my God shall my life confess them When shall I perfectly overcome my passions and guide them so that they may draw me to thy light While they are mine alas I cannot govern them behold dear Lord I offer them all to Thee Check thou their lawles motions by thy grace lest they violently carry me away from my duty Wean thou my hart from the follys of this world and quicken its appetite to thy solid joys That I may hunger and thirst perpetually after Thee and those glorious promises thou hast made to thy servants That my whole soul may seek Thee alone since Thou alone art all my heav'n Glory be c. Psal LXIV WHen O my soul shall thy God find thee alone free from those busy thoughts that fill thy head O with what ready charity would he then instruct thee and let thee in to his blessed Secrets Himself would become thy familiar Guest and dwell with thee in perpetual joy Lord Thou must enter first and chace those fancys away and consecrate my soul a temple to thy self Take thou entire possession and hold it fast for ever and suffer not the enemys of my peace to return Sit thou as Soveraign King and absolutely command for thy government is mild and rewards are infinite What hast thou promis'd gracious Lord * to him that receives thee with an humble love All that 's contain'd in those sweet and mystick words * he dwels in me and I in him O blessed words if once my soul can say He dwels in me and I in him He is my refuge in all temptations He is my comfort in all distresses He is my security against all enemys He dwels in me and I in him What can an infinite bounty give greater then it self and what can an empty creature receive greater then his God O glorious God my life my joy and the only center of all my hopes VVere my unsteddy soul once united to Thee or once had relisht the sweetnes of thy presence How would all other company seem dull and tedious and the whole world be bitter to my tast How would my thoughts cleave fast to thee and gladly seal this everlasting Covenant If Thou O Lord wilt dwel with me my hart shall continually attend on Thee Night and day will I sing thy praises and all my life long adore thy mercys Glory be c. Psal LXV THou art my only hope O blessed JESU and thy favour alone is all things to me In thee I find the providence of a father * and the tender kindnes of an indulgent mother In thee I enjoy the protection of a King * and the rare fidelity of a constant friend In thee I possess what ever I want and thy fulnes exceeds even my utmost desires Thou art O JESU my God and all things what can I think or wish for more Already enough is said for them that love and know the value of those precious words O sweet and charming words my God and all things sweet in excess to those that tast them Not to the corrupted palates of the world who relish nothing but the food of sense VVordes that revive the fainting mind and fill its darkest thoughts with light and joy O may these blessed words dwell on my tongue and live for ever in my faithful memory VVhere e're I am in this inconstant world and what ever busines entertains my hand Still let my inward ey look up towards Thee and fix my sight on thy glorious face Still may I wish and long for that happy day * which opens to my soul so blest a view Where I shall see and no longer darkly believe * that thou O Lord art my God and all things Glory be c. Antiph What couldst thou say dear Lord more sweet then this Thy delight is to be with the children of men Hymn XX. COme my thoughts who fondly fly At every toy that passes by Spending so your strength in vain While what you court you ne're can gain Come my soul who sure must be Quite tir'd with all this life can see Losing oft thy hope and time Come take advice of this plain rime Seek no more abroad thy rest But seek at home in thine own brest Let thy mind from guilt be clear Then look for all thy comfort there With thy Self and with thy God Delight to make thy chief abode There repose secure and free And no mischance can trouble thee Should death's self thy walls assail Still thou art safe and canst not fail Still thy soul 's thine own and she To a new house remov'd shall be New and lasting there above All built and furnish't with pure love There shall this mud wall of thine Repair'd the brightest stars outshine There thy Lord who feeds thee now VVith his own flesh will more bestow He came down to be like thee Thou shalt go up and like Him be King of glory King of peace May these our praises never cease Still may we adore thy Throne Still bow and sing to Thee alone Capit. 1. Pet. 5. HUmble your selvs under the mighty hand of God that he may exalt you in the day of visitation casting upon Him all your solicitude for He has care of you Be sober and watch for your adversary the devil as a roaring lyon compasses about seeking whom he may devour whom resist strong in faith Antiph Be vacant and see how sweet our Lord is get above the eclipse of earth and be ravisht with the light of his countenance V. I said to all creatures Peace be gone R. Let me injoy my God in solitude and silence O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God whose delights are to be with the children of men when thy grace can prevail with us to quit all other Converse and