that are in the world if any one love the world the charity of the Father is not in him For all that is in the world is concupiscence of the flesh concupiscence of the eys and pride of life which is not of the Father but of the world and the world passes away and the concupiscence therof but he that does the will of God abides for ever Antiph Learn of me says our Lord for I am meek and humble of hart and you shall find rest to your souls V. Meekness indeed is the heav'n of this life R. But the heav'n of heav'ns is above with Thee O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God whose gracious Providence has particularly ordain'd the Spirit of Meeknes to waft us safely through the turbulent Sea of this world to our Haven of Blyss Vouchsafe we beseech thee so to dispose thy servants for this precious vertue by making every days clearer experience of our own weaknes and vanity strike our lofty sails and lay flat on the ground all proud conceits of our selvs that we suffer not our minds to be discompos'd with any passion nor our tongues to break forth into any violent expression but always preserve our selvs in such a regular and even temper stir the world how it will about us as becomes those all whose Powers are possest with the joys of heav'n and apt to feel in every thing only the sweet impulses of hope and charity through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen V. Vouchsafe us we beseech thee O Lord a quiet night and a happy end R. Amen V. Lord have mercy on us R. Christ have mercy on us V. Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. V. And lead us not into temptation R. But deliver us from evil Amen V. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits R. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits R. Thou hast redeemed us O Lord thou God of truth R. Into thy hands O Lord we commend our spirits V. Preserve us O Lord as the apple of thine ey R. Under the shadow of thy wings protect us V. Save us O Lord waking defend us sleeping R. That we may watch with Christ and rest in peace V. Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this night without sin R. Have mercy on us O Lord have mercy on us V. Lord let thy mercy be on us R. As our hope is in Thee V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray VIsit we beseech thee O Lord this habitation and drive far away all snares of the enemy let thy holy Angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace and thy blessing be upon us for ever through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen V. O Lord hear our Prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee V. Bless we our Lord. R. Thanks be to God V. May the souls of the faithful departed through the mercy of God rest in peace R. Amen Pause a litle then say one of the following Antiphons and Prayers according to the time From Advent Sunday Morning to Candlemas Eve V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life everlasting Amen Blest Mother of our Lord whose pray'rs display The gates of heav'n whose light directs our way Here in these dangerous Seas obtain supplies For those who often fall yet strive to rise Thou at whom Nature stood amaz'd to see The world's Creator humbly born of Thee Thou whom the Angel did that homage pay All-spotless Virgin for us sinners pray V. Blessed O Lord is the womb that bare Thee R. And the brests that gave Thee suck Let us pray O God who by the blessed Fruit of the Virgin Mary hast bestow'd on mankind the rewards of eternal salvation grant we beseech Thee that we may always injoy the benefit of her intercession by whom thou wert pleas'd we should receive the Author of our life JESUS Christ thy Son our Lord Amen May the divine Assistance remain with us for ever Amen Pause a litle then say The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our harts for ever Amen Pause a litle then rise So ends the whole Office of the day From Candlemas to Maundy Thursday V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life everlasting Amen HAil Queen of Angels holy Quires Hail whom the Court of heav'n admires Thou art the Root whence our joys spring The Gate that light to us didst bring Heav'ns brightest Saints thy grace outshines Thy Glory all the Seraphins Live happy Favorite of Thy Son And plead our cause at his dread Throne V. Vouchsafe O holy Virgin to accept our praises R. And favour us with thy prayers for strength against our enemies Let us pray SUstain we beseech Thee O merciful God the weaknes of thy servants that we who celebrate the memory of the blessed Mother of our Lord may by the 〈◊〉 of her intercession obtain thy grace to rise from our iniquities through the same JESUS Christ our Lord Amen May the divine Assistance remain with us for ever Amen Pause Then The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our hearts for ever Amen From Easter to Trinity Sunday V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life Everlasting Amen REjoyce chast Queen of Angels and apply All those blest Quires to sing this Victory He that was born of Thee and dy'd for us Has conquer'd death is risen glorious Sing then and in thy hymns this mercy crave That thy great Son our souls in Judgment save V. Rejoyce and triumph O Blessed Virgin Mary Alleluja R. For our Lord is risen indeed Alleluja Let us pray O God who by the resurrection of thy Son our Lord JESUS Christ hast vouchâ—â—af't to make glad the harts of the world grant we beseech Thee that by the prayers of his immaculate Virgin-Mother we may attain the joys of eternal life through the same JESUS Christ our Lord Amen May the divine Assistance remain with us for ever Amen Pause Then The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and holy Ghost descend upon us and dwell in our hearts for ever Amen From Trinity Sunday to Advent Sunday V. Our Lord give us his peace R. And life everlasting Amen HAil Queen of Saints Hail mercies Mother Our life our hope our comfort Hail To thee deploring one another We poor Eves banish't off-spring wail To thee we cry and our sad moans Sigh out into thy tender ears To thee our harts weep bitter groans In this doleful vale of tears Hear glorious Advocate O hear And towards wretched us incline The gracious aspect of those dear Compassionating eys of thine Soft source of pity mil'd and sweet O
Thee since we know not absolutely what 's good for our selvs But thy eternal joys we may beg without restraint and urge and press for thy assistance to gain them Heav'n we may wish without the check of resignation Heav'n we may pray for without fear of improtunity O wise and gracious Lord what e're thou dost * thy love intends it all for the good of thy servants If thou defer'st som times to grant our requests 't is only in charity to make us repeat them That we may feel more sensibly our own poverty and be stronglier convinc't of our dependance on Thee That we may practise our hope while we long expect and increase our gratitude when we receive at last That we may learn this sure and happy skil * of working in our souls the Vertues we desire By often renewing those very desires til themselvs become even the graces we seek But O improvident we how unwilling to pray * are most of us always and all of us sometimes How do our litle Offices seem long and tedious and half an hour quite tire our patience How are we slow to begin and swift to make an end how heavy while they are saying and glad when they are said Yet sure no easier work than to ask what we want nor cheaper purchase than to have for asking Sure no sweeter pleasure than to Converse with God nor greater profit then to gain his favour Still we have new transgressions to confess and shall never alas want infirmities to lament Often O dreadful Lord when we speak to Thee * we do not so much as hear our selvs Often we pursue impertinent objects and our careles thoughts contradict our words But O Thou blessed End of all our labors and only Center of all our wishes Do thou reclaim our wandring fancys and guide and fix them to attend thy service Night and day let us call on Thee and never cease knocking at the doors of thy Palace Let no delay discourage our hope nor even refusal destroy our confidence But let this firm foundation still sustain us and on This let our peace be stablisht for ever What 's truly necessary thy Goodnes will not deny the rest our obedience submits to thy Pleasure Glory be c. Antiph Happy we who have our God so near us happy if our pious lives keep us near Him Antiph You have not because you ask not you ask and receive not because you ask amiss Psal XVII DEliver us O Lord from asking of Thee * what we cannot receive without danger to our selvs Deliver us from receiving what we cannot use * without offending others and ruining our own souls Deliver us from presuming so on thy bounty * that we omit to perform our own duty Still to our devotion let us joyn our best endeavours * and make our earth comply with thy heaven If we desire of Thee to relieve our necessitys * let us faithfully begin to labor with our hands And not expect a blessing from the clouds * on the idle follys of an undisciplin'd life If we beg grace for victory o're our passions let us constantly strive to resist their assaults Let us wisely foresee our particular dangers and use the proper weapon against every sin To obtain the gift of chastity we must mortify our senses and immediately fly the least shadow of tentation In vain we approach thy holy Altars if our lives prepare not the way for our Offerings Thou shut'st thy ears to our loudest pray'rs if we open not ours to the voice of the poor Thou deny'st to pardon our trespasses against Thee unless we already have forgiven our Enemys O the extreme benignity of our glorious God! who treats with his creatures on equal terms Who deals no otherwise with us miserable wretches then we our selvs commerce with one another He promises to give us the same measure we give our neighbors and performs incomparably more then he promises Prest down and shaken together and runing over * into the bosoms of them that love him Such O my God is the bounty of thy Goodness and no less the patience of thy generous hand Thou holdest thy blessings hovering o're our heads still watching the time when we are fit to receive them Then thou immediately send'st them down upon us to enter our harts and dwell with us for ever Even that very temper which thus disposes us * intirely depends on the favour of thy providence Every Condition thou requirest on our part * being nothing else but thine own free gift Thy mercy alone is the fountain of all our blessings and in what channel soever they flow to us they spring from Thee Thou art the God of nature and reason Thou art the God of grace and religion Give gracious God what thou art pleas'd to command and then command what thou pleasest Glory be c. Antiph You have not because you ask not you ask and receive not because you ask amiss Our Father c. First Lesson GOd from the beginning made man and left him in the hand of his own counsel He added his commandments and precepts if thou wilt keep them they will preserve thee Fire and water he has set before thee stretch forth thy hand to which thou wilt Before man is life and death good and evil that which he chuses shall be given him for the Wisdom of God is great and he is mighty in power his eys are towards them that fear him and he knows every work of man He has commanded none to do wickedly nor given any a lycence to sin but the penitent he restores to the way of justice and those who were failing in perseverance he confirms and appoints them the lot of truth Turn to our Lord and forsake thy sins pray before his face and lessen thy offences Be not rash with thy mouth nor let thy hart be hasty to utter any thing before God for God is in heav'n and thou art on earth therefore let thy words be few Before prayer prepare thy soul and be not as one that tempts God Go not after thy concupiscences but turn away from thine own will if thou giv'st to thy soul her desires it will make thee a derision to thy enemys A wise man will fear in every thing and in the occasion of sin will take heed of being negligent He that loves danger shall perish therin and he that despises small things shall fall by litle and litle Better is he that has less knowledg and fears then he that abounds in understanding and transgresses the Law of the Highest R. My soul what canst thou wish for more behold thy gracious Lord offers thee to chuse what thou wlt and promises to give thee what thou chusest * O infinite Goodnes 't is Thy self alone I chuse Thou art my only happines for ever I see my portion hereafter depends on my choice here but my choice O Lord depends on thee guide me with thy holy grace that
flesh are manifest which are fornication uncleanes wantonnes luxury serving of Idols witchcraft enmities contentions emulations angers brauls seditions sects envys murthers drunkennesses riots and such like and they who do such things shall not obtain the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is charity joy peace patience benignity goodnes long-suffering mildnes faith modesty continency chastity against such there is no Law Hymn XV. LEt them go court what joys they please And gain what e're they court For me I find but litle ease In all their gayest sport Be thou alone but with my hart My God my only Blyss I shall not murmur at my part Nor envy their success They talk of pleasure talk of gain None must their humor cross But well I know their pleasure's pain Their greatest profit loss Let them talk on and have not we Our gains our pleasures too Pleasures that spring more sweet and free Gains that more fully flow Nay well endur'd our very pains To us a pleasure are And all our losses turn to gains If hopes may have their share And sure they may such hopes as chear The heav'n espoused brest Hopes that so strangely charm us here What will they be possest All Glory to the sacred Three All honor power and praise As 't was at first still may it be Beyond the end of days Antiph When O my soul did we ever follow our passions but they instantly wrought our disturbance and threatned at last our ruin when did we ever turn our thoughts to piety but it presently brought us peace and refresht our minds with new hopes of felicity V. The winds are often rough and our own weight presses us downwards R. Reach forth O Lord thy saving hand and speedily deliver us O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to thee Let us pray O God whose infinite mercy has vouchsaft us the mighty Rescue of thy only Son from the desperate rebellion of our passions which utterly confound the government and peace of our souls Grant we humbly beseech Thee that our experience of the miserable effects of yielding to their allurements may make us â—â—arier in observing and severer in repressing their first motions and thy grace so strongly fortify us against all their furious and repeated assaults that Reason may more and more recover its due force and calmly joyn with Faith to secure and exalt in our harts the blysful throne of thy Charity through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. O Lord hear c. as page 45. Wednesday Complin OUr help is in c. as page 46. Antiph Repent now my soul for the evils thou hast done and bless thy God for the goods thou hast receiv'd Psal L. VVEll we are so much nearer our grave and all the world is older by a day The portion of the wicked is so much less and their time of punishment so much approacht The sufferings of the Patient are so much diminisht and their hopes of delivery so much increast They who have spent this day in sin and folly * see all their thoughts now vanish like a dream They see all 's past but a fear of revenge and the best that can follow is a bitter repentance But such as have wisely bestow'd their time and made another new step towards heav'n They see their joys come to meet them in the way and stil grow bigger as they come Til by a holy death they joyn in one and dwel together for eternal ages O Thou blest Author of all our hopes * and perfect Satisfier of all our wishes Do Thou instruct us in this great wise truth and let every Evening renew it on our minds That the things of this world are of litle import since its joys and griefs last but for a time But the future state most infinitely concerns us where life and death endure for ever Glory be c. Psal LI. WE are nearer indeed the end of our life but what are we nearer the end for which we live What have we done my soul to day * that 's truly advancive to our last great home Have we encreast our esteem of heav'n and setled its love more strongly in our harts Have we avoided any known temptation or faithfully resisted when we could not avoid Have we interrupted our customary faults and checkt the vices we are most enclin'd to Have we embrac't the opportunitys of good * which the mercy of Providence has offered to our hands Have we industriously contriv'd occasions * to improve as we are able our selvs and others Alas dread Lord what do we see when seriously we look into our guilty selvs When we reflect on our former years nay even the follys but of this one day So many hours mispent in nothing so many abus'd in worse than nothing Pardon O meek Redeemer what our passions have done and favourably supply what our weaknes has omited Make us herafter more carefully watch * that our time unprofitably slide not away Make us select every day some fit retreat to study the knowledg of our selvs and Thee Our selvs to correct our many infirmitys and Thee to adore thy infinite perfections Glory be c. Psal LII LItle thou know'st O Lord is the good we do and every grain of it deriv'd from Thee Great we confess are the evils we commit and all to be charg'd entirely on our selvs Tell me my soul when first thou hast well examin'd * the innumerable circumstances that concern thy state Tell me and let not pride deny the truth nor any thing divert thy free confession Could we have sav'd our selvs from that dangerous tentation unles our God had powerfully sustain'd us Could we have carry'd on that pious purpose unles his hand had blest our endeavours No to thy self O Lord give all the praise if thy creatures have perform'd the least good work Give to thy self all the glory O Lord if they have not commited the worst of sins Thy hand alone directs us to do wel and the same blest hand restrains us from ill 'T is not in us to esteem those unseen joys and despise the flatterys of this deceitful world 'T is not the work of corrupted nature to mortify our senses and patiently bear the crosses we meet Of our selvs we are inclin'd to none of these but the grace of God enables us to all Grace gives us strength to overcom our passions and the world and the flesh shal be subject to us Grace gives us faith to fortify our reason and heav'n it self shal be conquer'd by us Glory be c. Antiph Repent now my soul for the evils thou hast done and bless thy God for the goods thou hast received Hymn XVI ANd do we then beleeve There is a world to come Where all this world shal summon'd be To take their final doom Is there a heav'n indeed To crown the innocent Is there a hell and horrid pains The
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
c. Psal LXXII TO thee O God we ow our whole selvs for making us after thine own image To thee O Lord we ow more than our selvs for redeeming us with the death of thine only Son Nor were our ruines so soon repair'd as at first our Being was easily produc'd Thy Power to create us said but one word and immediately we became a living soul But thy Wisdom to redeem us both spake much * and wrought more and suffer'd most of all To redeem us He humbled himself to this low world and all the infirmitys of our miserable nature He patiently endur'd hunger and thirst and the malicious affronts of enraged enemys How many times did he hazard his life to sustain with courage the truths of heav'n How many tears did he tenderly weep in compassion of his blind ingrateful Country How many drops of blood did he shed * in that doleful garden and on the bitter Cross The Cross where after three long hours * of grief and shame and intolerable pains He meekly bow'd his fainting head and in an agony of prayer yeelded up the Ghost So sets the glorious Sun in a sad cloud and leaves our earth in darknes and disorder But goes to shine immediately in the other world and soon returns again and brings us light And so dost Thou dear Lord and more thy very darknes is our light 'T is by thy death we are made to live and by thy wounds our soars are heal'd O my ador'd Redeemer who took'st upon thee all our miserys to impart to us thine own felicitys Can we remember thy labours for us and not be convinc't of our duty to Thee Can our cold harts recount thy sufferings and not be inflam'd with the love that suffer'd Can we beleeve our salvation cost thee so dear and live as if to be sav'd were not worth our pains Ingrateful we how do we â—â—light the kindnes of our God! how carelesly comply with his gracious design For all his gifts he requires no other return then to hope still more and desire still greater blessings For all his favours he seeks no other praise then our following his steps to arrive at his glory O glorious JESU behold to thee we bow and kumbly kiss the dust in honor of thy death Behold thus low we bow to implore thy blessing and the sure assistance of thy special grace That we may wean our affections from all vain desires and clear our thoughts from all impertinent fancys Then shal our lives be intirely dedicated to Thee and all the facultys of our souls to thy holy service Our minds shal continually study thy knowledge and our wills grow every day stronger in thy love Our memorys shal faithfully lay up thy mercys and both tongue and hart shal sing for ever Glory be c. Antiph Come let us glory in the Cross of our Lord JESVS Christ in whom is our life and helth and resurrection Capit. 2 Cor. 1. BLessed be the God and Father of our Lord JESVS Christ the Father of mercys and God of all consolation who comforts us in all our tribulations that we also may be able to comfort them who are in any distress by the consolation wherewith we also are comforted of God For as the passions of Christ abound in us so likewise by Christ our comfort abounds Hymn XXII TUne now your selvs my hart strings high Let us aloft our voyces raise That our loud song may reach the Sky And there present to Thee our praise To thee blest JESU who cam'st down From those bright sphears of joy above To purchase us a dear bought Crown And woo our Souls to ' espouse thy love Long had the World in darknes sate Til Thou and thy all-glorious light Began to dawn from heav'ns fair gate And with thy beams dispel their night We too alas stil there had stood As common slaves in the same shade But mercy came and with his blood Our general ransom freely paid Not all the spite of all the Jews Nor death it self could him remove Stil He his blest design pursues And gives his life to take our love And now my Lord my God my all What shal I most in Thee admire That pow'r which made the world and shal The world again dissolve with fire O no thy strange humility Thy wounds thy pains thy cross thy death These shal alone my wonder be My helth my joy my staff my breath To Thee great God! to Thee alone Three Persons in one Deity As former ages stil have done All glory now and ever be Antiph We are bought with a price even the most precious sweat and blood of JESUS henceforth to call Him Master whose service is perfect freedom and gives us effectual power to become the sons of God V. The chains fell off our hands and feet R. When Thine dear Redeemer were nail'd to the Cross V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Eternal Father who sent'st down thy only Son to redeem the world inslav'd to sin and Satan by assuming our frail nature and powerfully teaching us both by word and example its sole way to that blyss for which we are created Grant we humbly beseech Thee that the continual memory of his bitter passion and death on the Cross may beget in us an utter disvalue of the Goods or Ills we meet with here compar'd to the advancing our selvs or others in the esteem of what we hope herafter through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen Here on every Friday that is fasted say kneeling V. Lord have mercy on us R. Christ have mercy on us V. Lord have mercy on us Our Father c. V. And lead us not into temptation R. But deliver us from evil Amen V. Have mercy on us O Lord have mercy on us R. For our souls confide in thee V. And under the shadow of thy wings will we hope R. Til our iniquities pass away V. Have mercy on us O Lord for we are weak R. Heal us O Lord for we have sinned against thee V. Our iniquities are gone over our head R. And like a sad burthen sit heavy on us V. Will not our God require an account of these things R. Will he not examine every passage of our lives V. He sees the secrets of our harts R. And our darkest sins are not hid from Him V. Lord make us judg our selvs lest we be condemn'd by thee R. And chastize our selvs lest we be punisht by thee V. Make us mortify our senses with discreet austeritys R. Particularly contrary to the passions which molest us V. That we may reduce our bodys into subjection to our minds R. And our minds into subjection to Thee V. That as our too much liberty brought us to folly R. Our just severity may bring us to pardon V. Pardon O Lord
of death thou open'dst the kingdom of heav'n to all Believers Psal LXXXIII IF we rejoyc'd for our selvs in the sufferings of our Lord let us now rejoyce for Him that his sufferings are ended Now that the fowlers net is broken and the meek and innocent Dove escap't Now that the cup of bitternes is past away and never possible to return again Never again O dearest JESU shall those blest eys weep nor thy holy soul be sorrowful to death Never shall thy precious life be subject any more * to the bloody malice of ambitious hypocrites Never shall thy innocence any more be expos'd * to the barbarous fury of an ingrateful multitude But thou shalt live and reign for ever and all created nature perpetually adore Thee O happy end of well indur'd afflictions O blessed fruits that spring from the Cross of JESUS Look up my soul and see thy crucify'd Lord * sit gloriously inthron'd at the right hand of his Father Behold the ragged purple now turn'd into a robe of light and the scornful reed into a royal Scepter The wreath of thorns is grown into a sparkling diadem and all his scars polisht into brightnes His tears are all now chang'd into joy and the laughter of his persecuters into sad despair Herod long since perisht in miserable contempt and Pilate still trembles with everlasting fears The impenitent Jews are scatter'd o're the world to attest his truth and their own obdurate blindness But Himself is crown'd with eternal Triumphs and the souls he has redeem'd shall sing his victories for ever Live glorious King of men and Angels live happy Conqueror of sin and death Our praises shall always attend thy Cross and our patience endeavour to bear our own Through fiercest dangers our faith shall follow Thee and nothing wrest from us our hope at last to see Thee We 'l fear no more the sting of death nor be frighted at the darkness of the grave Since thou hast chang'd our grave into a bed of rest and made death it self but a passage into life We 'l love no more the pleasures of vanity nor set our harts on unsatisfying riches Since Thou hast open'd Paradise again and purchas'd for us the kingdom of heav'n Glory be c. Psal LXXXIV BLessed be thy Name O holy JESU and blessed be the mercy of thy Providence Who hast cast our lot in these times of grace and design'd our birth in the days of light When we may clearly see our ready way and directly go on to our glorious end Till Thou appear'dst O Thou only light of the world our miserable earth lay cover'd with darknes Till thou went'st away O thou soveraign Lord of life thy Saints sate expecting in the shades of death The kingdom of heav'n was close shut up and none permitted to behold thy glory Soon as thine own afflictions were ended thou communicatedst thy joys to all the world All that esteem'd so blest a sight and stood prepar'd to entertain thy coming As for the rest whose eys are shut or turn'd away by their own malice Thy presence alas yields no more joy then light to those who will not see But the harts that love Thee Thou fill'st with gladnes and overflow'st them with an ocean of heav'nly delights Come happy souls to whom belongs * so fair a title to all these mercys Come let us now raise up our thoughts and continually mediâ—â—ate our future beatitude Let us comfort our labours with the hope of rest and our sufferings with the expectance of a quick reward Now that the hand of our gracious Lord * has unlockt the gates of everlasting blyss Now that they stand wide open to admit * such as press on with their utmost strength Such as have wisely made choice of heav'n * for the only end and business of their life Rejecting all these false allurements to attend the pursute of true felicity O Blessed JESU our hope our strength and the full rewarder of all thy servants As thou hast freely prepar'd for us ready wages so Lord let thy grace enable us to work Make us direct our whole life to Thee and undervalue all things compar'd with thy love Seal thou our eys to the illusions of this world and open them upwards to thy solid glorys That when our earthly tabernacle shal be dissolv'd and this house of clay fall down into the dust We may ascend to Thee and dwel above in that Building not made with hands eternal in the heav'ns Glory be c. Psal LXXXV PRaise our Lord O you children of men praise Him as the Author of all your hopes Praise our Lord O you Blessed of heav'n praise Him as the Finisher of all your joys Sing O you reverend Patriarks and holy Prophets sing Hymns of glory to the great Messias Sing and rejoyce all you Ancient Saints who so long repos'd in the bosom of Abraham Bring forth your best and purest incense and humbly offer it at the Throne of the Lamb The Lamb that was slain from the begining of the world by the sprinkling of whose blood you all were saved O still sing on the praises of the King of peace and bless for ever his victorious mercy 'T was he dissolv'd the power of darknes and brake asunder the bars of death 'T was He came down to visit your prisons and lead you away out of the shades of sorrow How did your glad eys sparkle with joy to see at last your Desir'd Redeemer How were your spirits transported with delight to behold the splendors of his glorious presence His presence that can quickly turn * the sadest night into a chearful day That can change a dungeon into a house of mirth and make every place a Paradise O glorious Presence when shall our souls be fill'd * with strong and constant desires of enjoying Thee When dearest JESU shal our desires be fil'd * with the everlasting fruition of thy Blessed self Henceforth for Thee and for thy sacred love O Thou great and only Comfort of our souls May all afflictions be welcom to us as wholsom phisick to correct our follyes May the pleasures of the world be rejected by us as dangerous fruits that fill us with diseases May we by thy example neither feare to dy nor refuse the labours of this life But while we live obey thy grace that when we dy we may injoy thy glory Glory be c. Antiph When thou hadst overcom the sting of death Thou opend'st the Kingdom of heav'n to all believers Capit. 2. Pet. 3. TAke heed lest being led aside by the error of the unwise you fall away from your own stedfastnes But grow in grace and the knowledg of our Lord JESUS Christ to Him be glory both now and to the day of Eternity Amen Hymn XXVI MY God to Thee our selvs we ow And to Thy bounty all we have Behold to Thee our praises bow And humbly thy acceptance crave If we are happy in a friend That very friend
'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-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
in the shades of nothing his mighty hand awak't us into Being Not That of stones or plants or beasts o're which he has made us absolute Lords But an accomplisht body and immortal spirit and litle inferiour to his glorious Angels He printed on our souls his own similitude and promis'd to our obedience his own feliâ—â—ity He endued us with appetites to live well and happy and furnisht us with means to satisfie those appetites Creating a whole world to serve us here and providing a heav'n to glorify us her-after Thus didst thou favour us O infinite Goodness but we what return did we make to Thee Blush O my Soul for shame at so strange a weaknes and weep for grief at so extreme an ingratitude We childishly prefer'd a trivial apple * before the Law of our God and the safety of our own lives We fondly embrac't a litle present satisfaction * before the Pleasures of Paradise and the eternity of heav'n Behold the unhappy source of all our miserys which still increast it streams as they went farther on Till they exacted at last a deluge of justice * to drown their deluge of iniquity And here alas had been an end of Man a sad and fatal end of the whole world Had not our wise Creator foreseen the danger and in time prevented the extremity of the ruâ—â—e Reserving for himself a few choice plants * to replenish the earth with more hopeful fruit Yet they grew quickly wilde and brought forth sowre grapes and their childrens teeth were set on edg Quickly they aspir'd to an intolerable pride * of fortifying their wickedness against the power of heav'n Justice was now provok't to a second deluge and to bring again a cloud o're the earth But mercy discover'd a bow in the cloud and our faithful God remembred his promise Allaying their punishment with a milder sentence and only scattering them from the place of their conspiracy Which yet his Providence turn'd into a blessing * by making it an occasion of peopling the world Stil their rebellious nature disobey'd again and neither fear'd his judgments nor valued his mercys But with a graceles emulation propagated sin * as far as his Goodnes propagated mankind Then he selected a private Family and increast and govern'd them with a particular tendernes Giving them a law by the hands of Angels and ingaging their obedience by a thousand favours But they neglected too their God and heav'n and fel in love with the ways of death When thou hadst thus O dearest Lord try'd every remedy and found our disease beyond all cure When the light of nature prov'd too weak a guide and the general flood too mild a correction When the miracles of Moses could not soften their harts nor the law of Angels bring any to perfection When all was reduc't to this desperate state and no imaginable hope left to recover us Behold the eternal Wisdom finds a strange expedient the last and highest instance of almighty love Himself he resolvs to cloath with our felsh and come down among us and dy to redeem us Wonder O my soul at the mercys of thy Lord how infinitely transcending ev'n our utmost wishes Wonder at the admirable providence of his counsels how exactly fitted to their great design Had he been less then God we could never have believ'd * the sublime Mysterys of his heav'nly Doctrin Had he been other then Man we must needs have wanted * the powerful motive of his holy Example Had He been only God he could never have suffer'd * the least of those afflictions he so gloriously overcame Had He been meerly Man he could never have o'recome those infinite afflictions he so patiently suffer'd O blessed JESU both these Thou art in thy self be Thou both these to us Be thou our God and make us adore Thee be thou our Leader and make us follow Thee Glory be c. Antiph Blessed be the mercy of our God who has left no means untry'd that could possibly recover us Antiph Lord thou not only offer'st us salvation but lay'st in means before hand to make us accept it Psal XCIV SOon as this blest decree was made * of sending the Son of God to redeem mankind Immediately his goodnes was ready to come among us had our ungracious world been ready to receive him But we as yet were too gross and sensual and utterly incapable of so pure a Law We were immerst in cares and pleasures and wholly indispos'd for so perfect an obedience While we were thus unfit for thee O thou God of pure and perfect holines Thou graciously wert pleas'd to stay for us and all that time prepare us for thy presence From the begining entertaining us with hope and through every age confirming our faith How early O my God didst thou engage to relieve us The Seed of the Woman shall break the Serpents head How often didst thou repeat thy promise to Abraham In thy seed shall all the Nations of the earth be blessed How many ways did thy mercy invent * by unquestionable tokens to give notice of thy Coming Behold a Virgin shall conceive and bear a Son and his name shall be called God with us A branch shall shoot out of the stock of Jesse and from the root of that branch shall spring a Flower The Spirit of our Lord shall rest upon him and the spirit of wisdom and piety and fortitude Our Lord shall raise up a Prophet like Moses and put his words in his mouth and he shall teach us And thou Bethelem who art litle among the thousands of Juda out of thee shall He come that 's to be the Ruler in Israel Whose goings forth are from the beginning even from the days of eternity Hark how the eternal Father introduces his Son commanding first all the Angels to adore Him Thou art my Son this day have I begotten Thee Thou art my Son and I will be thy Father I will give Thee the Gentiles for thine inheritance and the ends of the world for thy possession 'T is too litle that thou raise up the Tribes of Jacob and convert the dregs of Israel Thou art appointed a lght for the Gentiles and a Saviour to the utmost parts of the earth Hark how the antient Prophets rejoyce in the Messias and in soft and gentle words foretel his sweetness He shall come down as rain into a fleece of wool and as drops of dew distilling on the earth He shall feed his flock like a Shepherd and gently lead those that are with young He shall gather his lambs with his arms and carry them in his own bosom The bruised reed he shall not break nor quench the smoking flax Justice and peace shall flourish in his days and sin and death be destroy'd for ever Then shall the eys of the blind be open'd and the ears of the deaf be made to hear Then shall the tongues of the dumb be loosen'd and the lame man leap like a Back Thus did thy holy
souls chief hope We to thy mercy fly Wher'ere we are thou canst protect What'ere we need supply Whether we sleep or wake To thee we both resign By night we see as well as day If thy light on us shine Whither we live or dy Both we submit to Thee In death we live as well as life If thine in death we be Glory to Thee great God One coeternal Three To Father Son and holy Ghost Eternal glory be Capit. 1 Thes 5. BUt we who are of the day let us be sober having on us the brest-plate of faith and charity and for a helmet the hope of salvation for God has not appointed us to wrath but to the purchasing salvation thorow Jesus Christ our Lord who dyed for us that whither we wake or sleep we might live together with Him Antiph By seeking our selvs in this world of vanity we lose both thee O Lord and our own souls by seeking our selvs in Thee and thy love we find both Thee and our own happines injoying already a sweet possession of hopes to end e're long in a sweeter fruition of glory V. Thou art O Lord the free bestower of all we have R. Thou art the faithful Promiser of all we expect O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come to thee Let us pray O Blessed JESU whose sacred Body after thou hadst finisht in it the work of our redemption was taken down from the Cross and after a short repose in the Sepulcher was rais'd again to a glorious immortality Grant us we beseech thee so frequently to renew in our minds the memory of thy grave that we always be prepar'd for our own and so seriously to reflect on the consequences of a holy death that every day we grow less affected to this transitory life and more in love with thy eternal joys who with the Father and the holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen Vouchasfe c. as Pag. 54. to the end Office of the Holy Ghost Matins Introduction as pag. 1. Psal CV Invitatory Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us COme let us humbly first implore his grace to make us worthy to adore our Sanctifier who from the Father and the Son eternally proceeds and with the Father and the Son is equally glorifyed Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us He infuses into us the breath of life and brings us forth in our second birth a birth that makes us heirs of heav'n and gives us a title to everlasting happines Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Let us prepare our understandings to assent to his truths and our wills to follow his divine inspiratons let us fil our memorys with his innumerable mereys and our whole souls with the glory of his Attributes Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Let us confidently addres to Him our petitioNs who promises to help the infirmity of our pray'rs let us not doubt the bounty of his goodnes but hope he will grant what Himself inspires to ask Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the holy Ghost As it was in the beginning both now and ever * world without end Amen Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Come let 's adore our God that sanctifys us Hymn XXXIII COme holy Spirit come and breath Thy spicy odours on the face Of our dull region here beneath And fil our souls with thy sweet grace Come and root out the poysonous weeds Which over-run and choke our lives And in our harts plant thine own seeds Whose quick'ning power our spirit revives First plant the humble Violet there That dwels secure by dwelling low Then let the Lilly next appear And make us chast yet fruitful too But O! plant all the Vertues Lord And let the metaphors alone Repeat once more that mighty word Thou need'st but say Let it be done We can alas nor be nor grow Unless thy pow'rful mercy please Thy hand must plant and water too Thy hand alone must give th' increase Do then what thou alone canst do Do what to thee so easie is Conduct us through this world of wo And place us safe in thine own blyss All glory to the sacred Three One everliving Soveraign Lord As at the first still may He be Belov'd and prais'd fear'd and ador'd Antiph In those days saith our Lord I wil pour out my spirit upon all flesh Alleluja Alleluja Psal CVI. LOrd with how sweet and natural a conduct * does thy Providence govern the children of men Leading them on from one degree to another till thou hast brought them up to their highest perfection Thou putst them to learn in the school of Vertue and disposest their capacity's into several forms In the first ages when the world was young * thou gav'st them for their guide the book of Nature There thy divine assistance helpt them to read * some few plain Lessons of their duty to Thee They saw this admirable frame of creatures and as far as these could argue they could conclude Sure ther 's a God the cause of all things sure ther 's a Providence the disposer of all things He must be powerful that made so vast a world he must be wise that contriv'd such excellent works He must be goodnes it self that did all this for us and we ingrateful wretches if we 'l do nothing for Him Thus far some few could say and very few could do with those slender assistances they then injoy'd After thou gav'st thy people a written Rule which train'd them up in a set form of discipline Which grew and spred into a publick Religion and uniformly profest by a whole Nation They had some weak conceit of the Kingdom of heav'n and some imperfect means to bring them thither But for those high supernatural Mysterys * that so gloriously exalt the Christian faith They all alas were blind or in the dark and dangerously expos'd to the effects of their ignorance Wanting those clear instructions to know their End wanting those powerful motives to love their God Yet this prepar'd them for the times of Grace * to which thy mercy O Lord reserv'd far greater favours To which thou hadst promis'd by thy holy Prophets * an effusion of blessings from thine own full hands I will put my Law in their bowels and write it in their harts I will be their God and they shal be my People I will pour out my spirit upon all flesh and your sons and your daughters shal prophesy They shal teach no more every one his Neighbor for all shal know me from the greatest to the least O merciful Lord who hast lov'd us from the begining be graciously pleased to love us to the end Pity the unhappy state of faln mankind which neither nature nor law could bring to perfection If any riper souls
in peace and go up to dwel among thy Saints and Angels bless us O Lord with a holy life and then our death cannot but be happy * O make Glory be c. O make Te Deum as Page 16. Lauds for Saints O God incline as Page 18. Antiph The Just shal be as lillys planted in Paradise Alleluja and flourish in the presence of God for ever Alleluja Psal CXIX COme le ts all bring forth our Psalms and go together to the house of Praise There let us meet in peace and love and joyn our harts and voices into one glad song Come let us sing but who shal be our theme what worthy subject shal our Musick chuse No 't is not Conquerours we mean to admire nor any of the Great Ones whom the world applauds But You Blest Spirits who bravely overcame your selvs and led in triumph your own passions Who either wisely us'd this world or to be safer us'd it not at all You are the illustrious worthies we desire to praise * and guild our hymus with your bright names Yours are the only Trophys we delight to set up and beautify our Churches with your holy Pictures Sing then aloud my Soul the glorys of the Saints and let their sacred memorys be always in thine Rejoyce thou who feelst these miserys here * and often complain'st of the dangers of this life Rejoyce at their glad delivery from all these sorrows and hartily congratulate their secure felicity Rejoyce and with thy best instructed thoughts admire * the exquisite wisdom of the divine Providence Who from such low beginings can raise so great effects yet every step thrust naturally on the next Behold a litle seed that 's buryed in the earth * shoot gently out its tender leavâ—â— And nourisht on with the clouds and Sun * climb up by degrees into a tall stalk There it displays its full blown hope and crowns its own head with a silver lilly Such is the progres of immortal souls even those who shine now among the highest Seraphins At first shuâ—â— up in their mothers womb where they ly confin'd close prisoners in the dâ—â—rk Thence they come forth to see and hâ—â—ar and slowly begin to walk and spek Next they advance to understand and discourse then learn to fly with the wings of grace Til they get up even beyond themselvs and believe and live above their own nature At last the kindly hand of death gives them a stroke and they instantly become like the glorious Angels Instantly their dark and narrow knowledg unfolds it self and spreads into a clear and spacious view Where they at once shal see all the glorys of heav'n at once possess and for ever injoy them Thus from the humble seed of grace connaturally spring the flowers of glory And from this life 's green stem of hope * grow just on the top of the Lillys of Paradise Lillys that never fade but stil shine on and fil the heav'ns with their beauteous sweetnes Lillys that even Salomon in all his glory * was not array'd like one of these Sing then my soul but stil among thy Hymns * mingle resolvs to imitate their lives Those are the Lauds most delighâ—â—ful to Them whose charity rejoyces at the conversion of a sinner Those are the Feasts most profitable to thee whose weaknes needs the impressions of example Learn but of them to be humble and meek to submit all thy wishes to the Will of heavâ—â— To govern thy senses by a rule of reason and thy reason by the dictates of Religion To design thy whole life in order to thy end and establish for thy end the blyss of eternity These holy Lessons let thy life transcribe and never fear their acceptance of thy praise Saints like our service best when our honoring them * becomes an occaâ—â—ion of benefiting our selvs Glory be c. Antiph The Just shal be as lillys planted in Paradise Alleluja and flourish for ever in the presence of God Alleluja Antiph Rejoyce O you Holy and Just Alleluja for our Lord has chosen you for his own inheritance Alleluja Psal CXX O Praise our Lord all you powers of my soul praise the immortal King of Saints and Angels Praise him as the Author of all their graces praise him as the Finisher of all their glorys Praise him in the admirable priviledges of his Virgin-Mother whom he obeyed on earth and assum'd into heav'n That he might give us hope our petitions will be heard presented by the hand of so powerful an Advocate Praise him in the mighty hosts of Angels whom he sets about us as the Guard of our lives That they may safely keep us in all our ways and carry us at last to their own home Praise him in the sacred Colledg of Apostles to whom he reveal'd the mysterys of his Kingdom That they might teach us too those heavenly truths and shew us the same best way to felicity Praise him in the generous fortitude of Martyrs whom he strengthen'd with courage to resist even to death That we might learn of them to hold fast our faith and rather lose this life then hazard the Other Praise him in the eminent fanctity of Confessors whose whole design was a course of heroick Vertue That we might raise our minds from our usual lazy flight and with a quick and active wing mount up towards heav'n Praise him in the Angelical purity of Virgins whose harts he enflam'd with his divine charity That they might kindle ours with the same chast fire the same feâ—â—vent love to the spouse of our souls Praise him in the perfect holines of all his Saints whose lives he moulded into so various shapes That every size of ours might readily be furnisht * with a pattern cut out and fitted for it self O praise our Lord all you powers of my soul praise the immortal King of Saints and Angels Praise every Person of the sacred Deity and give a harty joy to the whole court of heaven Blessed for ever be the Eternal Father who has fixt his Angels in so high a happines Triumph bright Angels on your radiant thrones and shine continually in the presence of your God Blessed for be ever the Eternal Son who has crown'd so gloriously his incomparable Mother Live most miraculous Mother of the King of heaven and dwel perpetually in the joys of thy Son Blessed for ever be the Eternal Spirit whose grace prefers all the Saints into glory Rejoyce every happy Saint in your own felicity rejoyce every one in the felicity of All. Blessed for ever be the undivided Trinity whose sight alone is the heaven of heaven Sing all you holy Citizens of heaven sing all together everlasting hymns Sing and among your highest fervours forget not us who thus in our low way remember you Still pray our dear Redeemer to save our souls and still we 'l praise his Name for saving yours Glory be c. Antiph Rejoyce O you Holy and Just Alleluja for our Lord
victorys Whom shal we then fear thus safely guarded who can resist so invincible a strength None but our own corrupted nature dare contend and the unlucky accidents that conspire with it against us Somtimes surprizing our unwary negligence somtimes defeating even our strongest resolvs Not that they can compel our wills unles we yeild or make the least wound without our consent Much less prevail against the power of heav'n and frustrate the purpose of the Almighty Wisdom Whose mercy has us'd more arts to save us when the craft of Vice can invent to destroy us Such a redemption so miraculously wrought such holy Sacraments so often repeated Such glorious promises so faithfully assur'd and which revives our hope so easily attain'd O infinite Goodnes how generous is thy love how liberally extended over all the world Thou invitest little children to come to Thee and the lame and the blind to sit down at thy feast None are shut out of heav'n but such as wil not go in none made unhappy but those who care not to be otherwise Cheer then thy self my hart and let no fears molest thee * nor even death it self abate thy courage Death is a passage that was always short and our SAVIOURS Cross has made it safe By the practise of his Saints 't is grown familiar and by their happy success becom desirable Lose not then thy hope in so glorious an enterprise Eternity is at stake and heav'n the reward That heav'n for which the antient Hermits peopled the Desart and so many Religious live bury'd in their Cells That heav'n for which the holy Confessors spent all their time and innumerable Martyrs laid down their dearest lives That heav'n where Millions of Angels continually sing and all the Blessed make one glorious Quire That heav'n where the ador'd JESUS eternally reigns and the immortal Deity shines bright for ever That very heaven is promis'd thee my soul that blest eternity thou art commanded to hope Raise now thy head and see those beauteous Prospects that ravish the harts of all their Beholders Yonder far above the Stars is thy Saviours Kingdom yonder we must dwell when we leave this earth Yonder must our souls remove to rest when the stroak of death shal divide them from their bodys And when the Almighty Power shal joyn them again yonder must we live with our God for ever O bounteous Lord the only Author of all we have the only object of all we hope As thou hast thus prepar'd a heav'n for us O may thy grace prepare us for it O make us live the life of the Just and let our last end be like Theirs That we may dy the death of the Just and live for ever in their blest society Glory be c. Antiph If God be with us who can be against us if He justify us who can condemn us Capit. Apoc. 7. THese are they who are come out of great tribulation have washt their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb therfore they are before the Throne of God and serve him day and night in his Temple and He that sits on the Throne shal dwel over them They shal hunger no more nor thirst the Sun shal not fal upon them nor any heat for the Lamb who is in the midst of the Throne shal rule them and conduct them to the living fountains of waters and God shal wipe away all tears from their eys Hymn XXXVIII TEll me You bright Stars that shine Round about the Lambs high Throne How through bodys once like mine How are you thus glorious grown Hark with one voice they reply This was all our happy skil We on JESUS fixt our ey And his emi'nent followers stil As we clearly saw their mind Set and rul'd we order'd ours Both This state alone design'd Up towards this strem'd all our Powers Taught by Temp'rance we abstain'd From all less for greater Goods Slighting litle drops we gain'd Full and sweet and lasting Floods Arm'd with Fortitude we bare Lesser Evils worse to fly Mortal death we durst outdare Rather then for ever dy Iustice we observ'd by giving Every one their utmost due That in peace and order living All might freely Heav'n pursue Prudence govern'd all the Rest Prudence made us still apply What was fittest what was best To advance great Charity On those golden wheels of grace That loves fiery Chariot bear We ariv'd at this bright place Follow us and never fear O sure truth O blest Attesters O that aâ—â— the world may prove Of both these such strong digesters That both these may feed their love Him who made us all for This Him who made Himself our way Him who leads us in'to Blyss May all praise and all obey Antiph Worthy art Thou O Lord to receive the book and to open the seals thereof for thou wert slain and hast redeem'd us to God with thy blood out of every tribe and tongue and people and nation and hast made us to our God a Kingdom Alleluja Magnificat as Page 44. Antiph Worthy art Thou c. O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God whose merciful Providence has stil from the Begining sown the seeds of grace in the harts of thy chosen servants which at the Resurrection of thy Son the first fruit of them that slept sprung up into glory and by his holy doctrin and admirable life and precious death has infinitely encreast the meanâ—â— of salvation and the number of thy Saints Grant we beseech Thee that we whom thoâ—â— hast favour'd with so many advantages may by the powerful intercession of that glorious Comâ—â—pany obtain thy grace to imitate them here and rejoyce with them for ever in thy Kingdom hereafter through the same our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen Commemorations as page 29. Complin for Saints OUr help c. as page 46. Antiph Help us you blessed Citizens of heaven direct our way you who have attain'd your end Psal CXXV THus we have past another day another step towards our long home We have seen the Sun a few hours more and our day is lost in its own night But is it lost O careles we and all the holy words we have read and heard Leave they no mark in our memorys behind them but make a litle sound and vanish in the air Have we not been at a solemn Feast and do we soon forget our entertainment Could we see nothing among all those raritys * that relisht with us and stir'd our appetite Was there no fit provision for some vertue we want no proper remedy for some weaknes we have Are we devout already as the Saints of God and chast and temperate and resign'd as they Do we despise this world with a zeal like theirs and value heav'n at the same rate with Them Would we give all we have just now to be
there and part with life it self to dy and go thither Alas how short are we of these perfections how slowly do we follow those excellent Guides O that we liv'd I dare not say blest Souls like you * whose aim was high and a generous heat bet in your brests But that our harts desire were to live like you and what you really did we really wisht to do O that we liv'd in some degree like you and lov'd to think and read and speak of you To sign and publish your heroick Acts and where we cannot imitate at least admire At least let us learn to humble our selvs and check the vanity of our proud conceits Let us mourn and blush at our many infirmitys and so much the louder call to heav'n for releef Hear us you blessed Saints who dwel secure above and turn your eys of pity towards us below Look down with tendernes on our world of miserys and bow your charitable knees to the God of mercys That what our own unworthines cannot obtain we may hope to receive by your holy prayers Glory be c. Antiph Help us you blessed Citizens of heav'n direct our way you who have attain'd your end Antiph Fear not my soul our God has a blessing too for us if we have a love and obedience for Him Psal CXXVI LEt us humble our selvs but not grow faint * at the sight of others so far before us Rather let us quicken our sloth by their swift pace and encourage our fears with their happy success We who profess the Religion of all these Saints who liv'd and dy'd in the same Church with us We who partake of the same holy Sacraments and eat the same celestial Food Why should we fear one day to shine above and rejoyce together with you glorious Saints Are we not all redeem'd by the same rich price the same eternal crowns propos'd to us all Are we not bred in the same Apostolick faith and nurst at the brests of the same Catholick Church The Lessons I see and Teacher is the same but the hand is dul and instrument out of tune You liv'd indeed in a dangerous world like this and were ty'd to bodys frail as ours But by a constant vigilance you o'recame the world and subdu'd your bodys to the service of your minds You overcame with a joyful hart * and we thus congratulate the triumph of your victorys You overcame but not by your own strong hand you now triumph but 't is by the bounty of your God Chear then thy self my soul raise thy head * and open thy bosom to the hopes of heaven Fear not our God has a blessing too for us if we have a love and obedience for Him If we delight in the ways of piety and diligently attend the Offices of devotion If we refrain from the libertys of the world and curb the loose suggestions of the flesh If we can look on gold and honor and their flaming beams not dazle our eys If we perform with them the part of faithful servants * we shal surely with them have the portion of children Glory be c. Antiph Fear not my soul our God has a blessing too for us if we have a love and obedience for Him Antiph Precious in thy sight O Lord is the death of thy Saints precious to thee and themselvs and us Psal CXXVII PRecious in thy fight O Lord is the death of thy Saints which finishes thy greatest work the perfecting of Souls Whom Thou esteem'st as the jewels of heav'n and choicely gather'st into thine own Treasury Precious to themselvs O Lord is the death of thy Saints which takes off the dusky cover that hides their brightnes Which shapes and polishes them to a beauteous luster and sets them as stars round about thy Throne Precious to us O Lord is the death of thy Saints which makes us heirs of so great a welth Which leaves us furnisht with so rich variety that every kind of want is abundantly supply'd Some teach us courage to encounter dangers and not for fear make Shipwrack of our conscience Others instruct us to converse with meeknes and patiently bear neglects and injurys From some we learn how wisely to use this world and make it serve us in our way to the next From others how more generously to renounce it and pass our time in peace and prayer From all we learn this best of arts to live and dy like Saints and in the best of methods their own example O gracious Lord whose love still looks about and searches every way to save us siners Who cam'st thy self bright Sun of glory * to inlighten our darknes and warm our frozen harts Who with thy fruitful beams stil kindlest others to burn as tapers in thy Churches hand And by their near proportionate distance stand fit to shine into every corner of our lives O make us bless thy Name for all these mercys and let not one be lost by our ingratitude Let us not see in vain the crown at the races end and sit down lazily in the shades of ease Let us not keep in vain these sacred memorys to be only a reproach to our unprofitable lives But let us stretch our selvs and pursue to the mark for the glorious prizeis that set before us Stil with our utmost speed let us follow Them whose travails ended in so sweet a rest And when our life's last day begins to fal and bids us hasten to prepare for night Then come you holy Angels and watch about 〈◊〉 and suffer not the enemy to disturb our â—â—ssage Come and receive in peace our departing souls and bear them safely to the presence of our Lord. Then O Thou blessed Virgin-Mother protect us with thy favor and all you glorious Saints assist us with your pray'rs Then O Thou dear Redeemer of the world and Soveraign King of life and death Thou who despisest not the tears of the penitent nor turnest away from the sighs of the afflicted Thou who preserv'dst all that rely on Thee and fulfilst their desires that long to be with Thee Hear Thou our cryes and pardon our sins and graciously deliver us from all our fears Cal us to thy self with thine own blest voice cal us O dearest JESU in thine own sweet words Come you Blessed of my Father possess the kingdom * prepared for you from the foundation of the world Then O my happy soul immediately obey and go forth with gladnes to meet the Lord To live with Him and behold his glory to rejoyce with Him and sing his Praise Glory be c. Antiph Precious in thy sight O Lord is the death of thy Saints precious to Thee and themselvs and us Hymn XXXIX NIght forbear alas our Praise And our young begining hope Set to grow on these blest days Faint and dull requires more scope 'T will not hear but sullen flys Summons all the world to sleep Bids us close our books and eys What
let us praise the Goodnes of our God who orders every thing to the best for his Servants Whose Providence governs us all our life and takes so particular a care of our death He casts us down on our beds of sicknes and draws the curtain 'twixt the world and us Shutting out all its vain designs and contracting our busines to a litle chamber There in that quiet solitude he speaks to our harts and sets before us all our life There he discovers the falacys of this world and invites us now at last to prepare for the other Thither he sends his Messengers of Peace to treat with our Souls and reconcile them to heav'n Thither he sends even his only Son * to secure our passage and conduct us to Himself O! how quite other wil our thoughts be then * to what they were in our careles helth How shal we freely censure what we once esteem'd and be easily convinct into wiser counsels When our unruly senses shal be checkt with pain and our rash minds made sober with fear When the occasions of sin shal be remov'd away and every thing about us incline us to repent Blessed for ever be thy Name O Lord whose mercy sanctifys even thy punishments into savours Thou bringst us low to perswade us to be humble and prescrib'st us a sicknes to cure our infirmitys Thou command'st the grave to dispense with none but indifferently seize on all alike That all may alike provide for that fatal hour and none be undone with mistaken hopes Thou telst us plainly we all must dy but kindly conceal'st the time and place That every where we may stand on our guard and every moment expect thy Coming Thou teachest us the use of decent Funerals and the holy charity of praying for the Dead That we may often renew the memory of our grave and the wholâ—â—om thoughts of our future state So with one Act of excellent piety * to shorten the pains of others and prevent our own Let not O Lord these gracious acts be lost which thy merciful Wisdom contrives for our sakes But while we thus remember the death of others * make us seriously stil reflect on our own And every time we reflect on our own make us piously stil remember Theirs Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Merciful art Thou O Lord in all thy ways and infinitely wise in all thy Counsels Antiph O all you works of our Lord praise you our Lord bless him and magnify him for ever Psal CXXXIII O Praise our Lord all you Nations of the earth whom his Providence yet sustains alive Whom he so long forbears to strike though our sins have often provok'd his wrath Whom he so graciously cals to repent though our passions have hitherto neglected his voice Making experiments by the death of others to advise his servants into a waryer life To clear this useful truth we too must dy and strictly account for every idle word We must appear before that great Tribural and tremblingly receive our everlasting doâ—â—m O praise our Lord all you faithful departed for his mercy preservs the Just Though you dwel below in the Valley of death and sit afflicted in the shades of darknes Yet wil he bring you up to his eternal mountains and fill your eys with glorious light Though your bones be bruis'd with sorrow and your harts made heavy with faintnes Yet you again shal be cloath'd with beauty and plac'd to sing among the Blessed Saints O praise our Lord all you Blessed Saints whom his bounty already has crown'd with glory You who entirely wean'd from the allurements of this world * found no unwillingnes at your death to leave it You who designing your whole life for heaven * departed with joy to possess your hopes Millions of Angels meeting you in the way and carrying you directly to the presence of their King O praise our Lord all you glorious Angels whose bright felicity began so early Stars that a rose in the morning of the world and stil maintain your unchangeable lustre Shining perpetually near the throne of God as the top and Master-piece of all his works O Praise our Lord all you his Works bless him and magnify him for ever Praise his almighty Power that gave you your Being and stil preservs you from relapsing into nothing Praise his all-seeing Wisdom that here directs your steps and leads you on to your eternal end Praise above all his boundles Goodnes that pours into every thing as much as it can hold And though our short sight now reach not so far but often mistake and repine at his government Yet at the last great day we shal clearly discern * a perfect concord in the harshest note When our ador'd Redeemer shal come in the clouds and summon all nature to appear before him There to receive each one their proper part * exactly fitted to their best capacity There to behold the whole Creation strive * to expres in it self the perfections of its Maker Whose admirable Wisdom shal guide that last universal Scene and finish the whole action in a beauteous cloze Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph O all you works of our Lord praise you our Lord bless him and magnifie him for ever Antiph I am the resurrection and the life he that believes in me though he be dead shal live and every one that lives and believes in in me shal not dy for ever Benedictus as page 27. Antiph I am c. Then kneeling say Our Father c. and the Miserere as follows V. Have mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy R. And according to the multitude of thy compassions wipe away my offences V. Wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin R. For I know my iniquity and my sin is always before me V. Against thee only have I sined and done evil in thy sight that thou mayest be justify'd in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art-judg'd R. For behold I was conceiv'd in iniquity and in sins my mother brought me forth V. Behold thou hast loved truth the incertain and hidden things of thy Wisdom thou hast manifested to me R. Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop and I shal be clens'd thou shalt wash me and I shal be made whiter then snow V. Thou shalt give to my hearing joy and gladnes and the bones thou hast humbled shal rejoyce R. Turn away thy face from my sins and blot out all my iniquitys V. Create a clean hart in me O God and renew a right spirit in my bowels R. Cast me not away from thy face and take not thy holy Spirit from me V. Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and confirm me with an heroick spirit R. O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shal declare thy praise V. For wouldst thou
Disciples and wip't them with the towel which having done he took his garments and sate down again and said to them do you know what I have done to you you call me Master and Lord and you say well for so I am if therefore I who am your Lord and Master have wash't your feet you ought also to wash one anothers for I have given you an Example that as I have done to you you also do Say the Canticle Benedictus then repeat the Antiphon then kneel and say Christ was made for us obedient to death Our Father all silently then in a low grave tone say V. Have mercy on me O God according to thy great mercy R. And according to the multitude of thy compassions wipe away my offences V. Wash me yet more from my iniquity and cleanse me from my sins For I know my iniquity and my sin is always before me Against Thee only have I sin'd and done evil in thy sight that thou mayst be justified in thy words and mayst overcome when thou art judg'd For behold I was conceiv'd in iniquity and in sins my Mother brought me forth Behold Thou hast loved truth the incertain and hidden things of thy wisdom thou hast manifested to me Thou shalt sprinkle me with Hysop and I shal be cleansed thou shalt wash me and I shal be made whiter then snow Thou shalt give to my hearing joy and gladnes and the bones thou hast humbled shal rejoyce Turn away thy face from my sins and blot-out all my iniquitys Create a clean hart in me O God! and renew a right spirit in my bowels Cast me not away from thy face and take not thy holy spirit from me Restore to me the joy of thy salvation and confirm me with an heroick spirit O Lord open thou my lips and my mouth shal declare thy praise For wouldst thou have had sacrifice I verily had given it with burnt-offerings thou art not delighted A Sacrifice to God is an afflicted spirit a contrite and an humbled hart O God thou wilt not despise Deal favourably O Lord in thy good will with Sion that the walls of Jerusalem may be built up Then shalt thou accept sacrifice of justice oblations of holocausts then shal they lay calves upon thine Altar Look down O Lord we beseech Thee on this thy family for which our Lord JESVS Christ vouchsaf't to be betray'd into the hands of the wicked and undergo the torments of the Cross who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen So end the Lauds and Vespers for these three days Antiph for Magnificat Our Lord Jesus the night wherein he was betray'd took bread and giving thanks brake it and said Take and eat This is my Body which shal be given for you do this in commemoration of me Likewise the Cup also after He had sup't saying This Cup is the new Testament in my Blood this do as often as you drink it in commemoration of me for as often as you eat this Bread and drink this Cup you declare our Lords death till he come Christ was made for us obedient to death Our Father c. Have Mercy on me O God Page 523 Look down as Page 525 At Complin begin with the first Psalm without Antiph and instead of Glory be c. say Christ was made c. Our Father Have mercy Look down as Pag. 525 and so for the two following days Good Friday All as in the ordinary Office of Friday omitting all Antiphons and Hymns and Glory be c. instead whereof at the end of every Psalm say Kneeling Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross Instead of Lessons read the Passion according to S. Luke which begins Luke 22. 1â—â— and ends Luke 23. 53. When you have done the third Psalm at Lauds and Vespers say this following Antiphon Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Look up my soul on thy crucify'd Lord look up and see the utmost extremity of divine love already he had carry'd on to a fair degree the work of our Redemption in fasting and praying in travailing and preaching in doing Miracles and bearing injurys but now to finish all with one incomparable charity behold He suffers even death it self and death upon the Cross Recite the Canticle Repeat the Antiphon then Kneel and say Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross Our Father Have mercy Look down and so end as on Maâ—â—ndy-Thursday Holy Saturday All as in the ordinary Office of Saturday omiting all Antiphons Hymns and Glory be c. Instead whereof at the end of every Psalm say Kneeling Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross wherefore also God has exalted Him and given Him a Name above every Name Instead of Lessons read the Passion according to S. John in the 18. and 19 Chapters When you have ended the third Psalm at Lauds and Vespers say this following Antiphon Antiphon for Benedictus and Magnificat Death is swallow'd up in Victory Death where is thy victory Death where is thy sting the sting of death is sin and the power of sin is the Law but thanks be to God who has given us victory by our Lord Jesus Christ Let us therefore be stable and immovable abounding always in the work of our Lord knowing our labour is not in vain in our Lord. Recite the Canticle Repeat the Antiphon then Kneel and say Christ was made for us obedient to death even the death of the Cross wherefore also God has exalted Him and given him a Name above every Name Our Father Have mercy Look down and so end as on Maundy Thursday Easter day and during the Octave All as in the Office for Sunday except 1. Antiph Christ is risen from the dead alleluja and become the first fruits of them that slept alleluja 2. Antiph Fear not I know whom you seek He is risen he is not here alleluja Come see the place where our Lord was laid alleluja 3. Antiph He that rais'd up JESUS will also raise up us alleluja and refine our vile flesh into the likeness of his glorious body alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power and divinity and wisdom and strength and honour and glory and blessing for ever and ever alleluja alleluja alleluja Prayer O God whose gracious Providence restores to thy Church the face and voice of holy exultation by the triumphant Festival of our Saviours resurrection Grant we humbly beseech Thee that the joy which shines in our looks may flame in our harts and purify them worthy those high and glorious hopes so firmly seal'd to us by this days experience of Rising again at last from our graves and rejoycing thenceforth for ever in state of blysful immortality through our Lord JESUS Christ thy Son who with Thee and the H. Ghost lives and reigns One God
with grace and our future glory secur'd to us with a dear and precious Pledge Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God whose infinite mercy has wonderfully contriv'd the very Body of our Saviour which glorify'd sits at thy right hand in the heav'ns to become stil the daily visible Object and Solliciter of our adorations on earth Grant us we beseech Thee so devoutly to celebrate this glorious Festival instituted by thy Church in memory of that stupendious providence as may sanctify us every day to feed more strongly with it our faith and hope and charity and raise in us a higher appetite of that clear unveiled Vision to which our hidden God thus miraculously now condescends to invite us through the same our Lord c. S. John Baptist All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph This is the great Precursor of the world's Redeemer the miraculous Son of age and barrennes in his Mothers womb he was sanctify'd and in his nativity many shal rejoyce Alleluja 2. Antiph This is a Prophet and more then a Prophet of whom our Saviour said Never did there rise among the children of women a greater then John the Baptist Alleluja 3. Antiph This is that burning and that shining light who despising the pleasures and conveniences of the world chose his garment of camels hair and a leathern girdle about his loyns and his meat was locusts and wild hony Alleluja Prayer O God whose gracious providence summons us this day to celebrate the Nativity of the great S. John Baptist thy Son 's holy Precurâ—â—or Grant we beseech thee that as we fulfil the Prophecy of thy holy Angel by rejoycing in his Nativity we may improve both our selvs and others by imitating his life while every one of us in our several conditions and capacitys faithfully indeavour to learn of him those excellent lessons of retirednes and mortification of humility and self-denial of zeal for justice and courage in defending the truth and generous and industrious charity in all our actions through our Lord c. SS Peter and Paul All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph This day the Prince of the Apostles was nail'd to the Cross and in reverence to his Master with his head downwards imitating with that humble difference Him in his death whom in his life he so dearly had lov'd Alleluja 2. Antiph This day the Doctor of the Gentils bow'd his head to the sword and receiv'd of our Lord the crown of Martyrdom Alleluja 3. Antiph These are they who taught us thy Law O Lord thou shalt establish them Princes over all the earth and they shall propagate thy Name to the end of the world Alleluja Prayer O God who this day vouchsafest to refresh and excite the devotions of thy Church by the glorious Festival of its principal Founders thy Son 's great Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul Grant us we beseech Thee both humbly to adore thy powerful Providence in rendring frail men so firm a rock of saving truth that the gates of hell neither have nor can prevail against it and duly submit to that eminent Authority of the supreme Bishop of the Christians which thy infinite Wisdom has ordain'd as the fittest means to establish order and preserve unity in thy Church through our Lord c. S. James All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph No sooner was he cal'd by our Lord but immediately he obey'd and left nets and boat and father and all to follow JESUS Alleluja 2. Antiph This was the first Apostle who laid down his life for our Lord and receiv'd at his hand the crown of Martyrdom Alleluja 3. Antiph Now glorious Apostle thou injoy'st thy Mother's desire and for ever shalt injoy it seated at the right hand of JESUS in his Kingdom Alleluja Prayer O God who by the feast of the H Apostle S. James reviv'st in us the memory of thy great mercy to the world in so glorious a seeds-man of thy saving truth Cultivate so our harts we beseech thee by the solemn devotions of this day that the blessed seed may bring forth more abundant fruit in our lives and deaths worthy thy grace vouchsaf't us in such eminent Masters through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who S. Ann. All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Blessed art thou among women O holy Ann and blessed is the fruit of thy womb Mary Alleluja 2. Antiph Rejoyce O glorious Matron for thy pray'rs are heard and thy barrennes comforted thou hast brought forth the Mother of all our hopes the Mother of JESUS Alleluja 3. Aâ—â—tiph I wil pour out my Spirit on thy seed and my blessing on thy Off-spring saith our Lord Alleluja Prayer O God whose peculiar Providence sanctify'd the womb of the barren and devout S. Ann to bear the blessed among women thy Son's Virgin-Mother Grant us we humbly beseech thee in venerating her memory to adore thy free grace which vouchsaf't her so glorious a priviledg from thee and so high an honor in thy Church through our Lord c. S. Laurence All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph This is the glorious Martyr S. Laurence whose courage remain'd invincible in the midst of his torments they broyl'd him on a gridiron and he confest our Lord they try'd him with fire and he was found true Alleluja 2. Antiph They sought his treasures but his charity had laid them out of their reach the hands of the poor had carry'd them into heav'n Alleluja 3. Antiph While they were burning his flesh he generously said to the Tyrant I worship my God and him alone I serve therefore I fear not thy torments Alleluja Prayer O God by whose grace the glorious Deacon S. Laurence sustain'd the cruel torments of a lingring death on a gridiron rather then betray the Goods of the Church deposited in his hands or deny the truths of Religion conserv'd in his hart Grant us we beseech thee in solemnizing his Feast both to praise thy Name for so great and early an example of Christian courage and be strengthen'd by it against all possible temptations to preserve inviolate our fidelity to thee and our spiritual trusts through our Lord c. Assumption of our Lady and during the Octave All as in the Office of Saints except Invitatory Come let 's adore the King of Saints whose Virgin-Mother was assum'd into heav'n Alleluja 1. Antiph To day the Mother of our Lord was assum'd into heaven Alleluja and seated in glory above the highest Angels Alleluja 2. Antiph Behold from henceforth all generations shal cal thee blessed Alleluja for he that is mighty has done great things for thee and holy is his Name Alleluja 3. Antiph Blessed O holy Virgin art thou among women Alleluja and blessed is the fruit of thy womb JESUS Alleluja Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Come forth now all you glorious Angels and blessed Saints of heaven come forth and behold your Queen with the crown