he shines out clear to the Blessed alone and the beams of his glory strike bright upon their faces Yet have his mercys to us far more of miracle far more of care and tender Providence VVhile he not only is pleas'd to be among us but condescends to become even one with us VVhile he not only is our God to go before us but our very food to enter into us O souls redeem'd by the Blood of JESUS and nourisht with the flesh of his sacred Body Why melt you not away into tears of joy for being so regarded by the King of heav'n Why not at least dissolve into tears of sorrow for so litle regarding him Who will not tremble with an amorous reverence * that stands in the sight of so great a Majesty Who can forbear to be transported with joy that thinks I 'm going to receive my God! Who can contain the overflowings of his hart while his brest can say here I have my God! My great and glorious God who meerly out of love * thus gives me Himself in pledg of my salvation O infinite sweetnes how good is it for us to be here and behold our Lord transfigur'd before us Here let us make a thousand Tabernacles one O my JESU for Thee and one for each of us That in our litle tents we may dwel about thee and sing and bow and rejoyce before thee What should the captive wish but liberty and the weary Pilgrim but to be at rest What should the sick desire but helth and what can I but to be with my God But stay am I drest like a friend of the Bridegroom * that I safely may come to this Marriage Supper Have I consider'd how chast those eys should be * which go to behold the God of purity Have I consider'd how clean that mouth should be * which presumes to eat the Bread of heav'n But most how all-celestial that soul should be * which aspires to an union with the Body of our Lord Look look my hart look well into thy self and strictly search every Corner of thy brest Alas how poor and dull and empty are we how infinitely unworthy so divine a Sacrament Yet are we cal'd by Him that can command by Him that sees and pitys our misery He bids us come he surely will receive us and with his bounteous fulnes supply our defects Go then my soul go to that sacred Table and take thy part of that delicious Banquet Go all inflam'd with love and joy and hope and quench thy holy thirst at that Spring of Blyss When thou hast tasted the sweetnes of thy God and feel'st his heav'nly streams flow gently on thee Open thy happy brest and suck those waters in and let them freely run over all thy powers Let them soak deep to the root of thy hart and turn thy barren heath into a fruitful land Fruitful in holy thoughts and pious words fruitful in good and just and charitable deeds Fruitful to thy self in thine own improvement fruitful to others in thy good example No more ingratitude to so gracious a God no more neglect of so glorious a Majesty Away false pleasures sin and vanity for the God of holines hath touch't my hart He has himself gone in and taken full possession and seal'd it up for his own service Glory be c. Antiph This is the greatest charity that God himself can bestow since God can bestow nothing greater then himself Capit. 1 Cor. 13. IF I speak with the tongues of men and Angels and have not charity I am become as sounding brass or a tinckling Cymbal and if I should have Prophecy and understand all mysteryes and all knowledg and if I should have all fayth so that I should remove mountains and have not charity I am nothing Charity is patient is benigne Charity envyes not deals not perversly is not puft up is not ambitious seeks not her own is not provok't to anger thinks not evil rejoyces not upon iniquity but rejoyces with the truth suffers all things beleevs all things hopes all things bears all things Charity never fayls but whether Prophesyes they shal be made void or tongues they shall cease or knowledg it shal be destroy'd for we know in part and Prophecy in part but when that which is perfect shal come that which is in part shal be made void When I was a child I spake as a child I understood as a child I thought as a child but when I became a man I put away childish things Now we see darkly through a glass but then face to face now I know in part but then I shal know even as I am known and now there remain faith hope charity these three but the greatest of these is Charity Hymn XIX DO I resolve an easy life Stor'd with plenty free from strife When dear Lord thy days and nights Pass'd in poverty and fights Do I design a gentle death Singing out my aged breath When my Saviour tortures tore Thy dear soul out drown'd in gore O dread dayly Sacrifice Acting in a sweet disguise JESUS Passions o're again Such undue conceits restrain Keep stil lively in my mind How I ought to be resign'd How this Pattern ought destroy All my sensual greif or joy Are suffrings Ills no goodness chose His and our way to blyss through those Are pleasures Goods no wisdom scorn'd Their daliance and us forewarn'd This this make my Ditty be At least whenever Thee I see Thee it's ground so oft repeating To prevent my souls forgetting JESU thus arm'd no terrors shall Make my vertuous courage fall No flatterys here my blest hope drown Since thy Cross led to thy Crown Live for ever glorious Lord Live by heav'n and earth ador'd May both their praises give They who see we who beleeve Amen Antiph Thou art ascended our glorious Redeemer to prepare a place for us yet continuest stil here our gracious Emmanuel to prepare us for it V. 'T is thy delight O Lord to be with the children of men R. O make it ours to be with the God of heav'n O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us Pray O God who seeing the dulnes of our spirits need so often fresh impulses of sense hast wonderfully contriv'd our alone saving Object thy sacrific'd Son continually to solicite our harts by his own dear Presence stil really among us Reclaim we humbly beseech Thee all our wandring affections with this miracle of goodnes and compose them into such a diligent and devout attendance on our graciously veild JESUS that we may dayly feed our adoration and love of Him and dayly grow in our desires of seeing eternally his glorious Face who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen O Lord hear as Pag. 45. Thursday Complin OUr help c. as Pag. 46. Antiph What could'st thou say dear Lord more sweet then this Thy delight is to be with the Children of
your selvs also in the body Let your conversation be without covetousness contented with what you have for he has said I will not leave thee nor forsake thee so that we may confidently say our Lord is my help I will not fear what man can do to me And the God of Peace who brought again from the Dead the great Pastor of the Sheep in the blood of the eternal Testament our Lord Jesus Christ make you perfect in all goodness that you may do his Will working in you that which is well-pleasing in his sight thorough Jesus Christ to whom be glory for ever and ever Amen Resp Thither O my Soul let us still be going where once to arrive is always to be at rest there let us dwell already in hope where once to enjoy is always to be happy * Since whate're we desire we are sure to have and whate're we have can never be taken from us Let us believe and obey and suffer let us read and meditate and pray Heaven 's a reward worth all our pains * Since what e're we desire we are sure to have and whate're we have can never be taken from us Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost * Since whate're we desire we are sure to have and whate're we have can never be taken from us Te Deum WE praise thee our God we acknowledge thee our Lord All the Earth adores thee thou Father Eternal To Thee the blessed Angels to Thee the Heavens and all their Powers To Thee the Cherubims and Seraphims perpetually sing Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth The heavens and the earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory The glorious Quire of Apostles praise Thee The renown'd society of Prophets bless Thee The noble Army of Martyrs glorify Thee The holy Church throughout the world confesses Thee Father of immense Majesty Thy adorable true and only Son Also the holy Spirit the Comforter Thou art the King of glory O Christ Thou art the eternal Son of the Father Thou being to undertake the delivery of Man did'st not disdain the Virgins Womb. Thou having overcom the sting of death opend'st to Believers the Kingdom of heav'n Thou sittest at the right hand of God in the glory of thy Father We believe thou shalt com to be our Judg. Help therfore we beseech Thee thy servants whom thou hast redeem'd with thy precious blood Make them be numbred with thy Saints in glory everlasting Lord save thy People and bless thy Inheritance And govern them and raise them up even to eternity Every day we glorify Thee and praise thy Name for ever and ever Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin Have mercy on us O Lord have mercy on us Let thy mercy O Lord be on us as our hope is in Thee In Thee O Lord have I plac't my hope let me not be confounded for ever Pause a while to reflect on what you have said and to renew your attention then begin Lauds Sunday Lauds O God incline unto our ayd O Lord make hast to help us Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning both now and ever world without end Amen Alleluia Antiph O how adorable are thy counsels O Lord how strangely indearing the ways of thy love Alleluia Psal V. SIng to our Lord a Psalm of Joy sing praises to the God of our Salvation Sing with a loud and chearful voice sing with a glad and thankful hart Say to the weak of Spirit be strong and to the sorrowful be of good comfort Tel all the world this soul-reviving truth and may their harts within them leap to hear it Tel them the Lord of life is risen again and has cloth'd himself with immortal glory He made the Angels messengers of his victory and vouchsaf't even himself to bring us the joyful news How many ways did thy mercy invent O Thou wise contriver of all our happines To convince thy followers into this blest belief and settle in their harts a firm ground of hope Thou appeard'st in the Garden to the holy women that sought Thee and open'dst their eys to know and adore Thee Thou overtook'st in the way the Two that discour'st of thee and mad'st their harts burn within them to hear thee Thou shewd'st thy self on the stedfast shore to thy weary Disciples labouring at Sea Labouring alas all night in vain without the blessing of their beloved JESUS Thou shew'dst thy self and told'st them who thou wert in the kind known token of a beneficial miracle Thorow the doors though shut thou swiftly passed'st to carry peace to thy comfortles friends To encourage their fears with thy powerful presence and secure their faith by thy charitable arguments How did'st thou condescend to eat before them and invite them to touch thy impassible body How didst thou sweetly constrain that incredulous servant to thrust his hand into thy wounded side Actions we know unfit for thy glorify'd state but absolutely necessary for our slow belief How often O my gracious Lord in those blessed forty days * did thy charity cast to meet with thy Disciples That thou might'st teach them stil some excellent truth and imprint still deeper thy love in their harts Discoursing perpetually of the Kingdom of heav'n and establishing means to bring us thither At last when all thy glorious task was done and thy parting hour from this earth approacht Thou tenderly gather'dst thy Children about thee and in their full sight wentst up into heaven Leaving thy dearest blessing on their heads and promising them a Comforter to supply thine absence O how adorable are thy counsels O Lord how strangely endearing the ways of thy love Say now my Soul is not this evidence clear enough * to answer all our darkest doubts Is not this hope abundantly sufficient to sweeten all our bitterst sorrows What though we mourn and be afflicted here and sigh under the miseries of this world for a time We 're sure our tears shal one day rejoyce and that joy none shal take from us What though our bodies be crumbled into dust and that dust blown about o're the face of the Earth Yet we undoubtedly know our Redeemer lives and shal appear in brightnes at the last great Day He shal appear in the midst of innumerable Angels and with these very eys we shal see Him We shal see him in whom we have so long believ'd we shal find him whom we have so often sought We shal possess him whom our souls have lov'd and be united to him for ever who is the only end of our Being Glory be c. Psal VI. RAise thy head O my soul and look up and behold the glory of thy crucify'd Saviour He that was dead and layd in the grave * low enough to prove himself Man Is risen again and ascended into heaven * high enough to prove himself God He is risen and
many times O my Soul have we plainly concluded * that this earth affords no real joy How many times have we fully agreed that heav'n alone is the place of happines Yet do these false allurements again deceive us and steal away our harts to dote upon folly Yet do inconstant we forget our resolvs and wretchedly neglect our true felicity O thou victorious Conquerour of sin and death do thou assist us in this dangerous warfare O thou benign Refresher of distressed Spirits do thou relieve us in this tedious pilgrimage Make us stil thirst and sign after Thee the living-fountain of life-giving streams Make us despise all other delights and set our affections entirely on thy joys Since nothing Lord can satisfie our souls but Thee O let our souls seek nothing but Thee Glory be c. Psal XII GIve me O Lord the innocence of Doves and fill my soul with thy mild spirit Then shal I need none of their wings since heav'n it self wil dwel in my hart 'T is on the proud thou look'st afar off but inclin'st thine ear to the thumble and meek Who delight in the peace of a contented mind and limit their thoughts to their own litle sphear Never intermedling with the actions of others unless where reason and charity engage ' em But their belov'd imployment is to sit in silence and think on the happiness they expect hereafter To meditate the joys of Saints and Angels and the blysful Vision of the face of JESUS O how secure and sweetly do they sleep who go to bed with a quiet conscience Who after a day of faithful industry * in a course of just and pious living Lay down their wearied heads in peace and safely rest in the bosom of Providence If they awake their conscience comforts them in the dark and bids them not fear the shadow of death No nor even death it self but confidently look up * and long for the dawn of that eternal day This too my soul should be our care * to note and censure and correct our selv's To strive for mastery over the passions that molest us and dismiss from our thoughts what no way concerns us Are not our own occasions busines enough to fill as much time as this life deserv's Does not the other at least deserve * every minute of leisure we can spare from this Let then the world pursue their libertys and say and do as they think fit What 's that to thee my soul who shalt not answer for others unless thou some way make their faults thine own Thy pity may grieve and thy charity indeavour but if they will not hear follow thou thy God Follow the way that leads to truth follow the truth that leads to life Follow the steps of thy Beloved JESUS who alone is the way the truth and the life Follow his holines in what he did follow his patience in what he suffer'd Follow him that cals thee with a thousand promises follow him that crowns thee with infinite rewards Follow thy faithful Lord O my soul to the end and thou' rt sure in the end to possess him for ever Glory be c. Psal XIII MEeknes indeed is the heav'n of this life but the heav'n of heav'ns O Lord is above with Thee Meekness may qualify our miseries here and make our time pass gentlier away But to be fully happy we must stay till hereafter till thy mercy bring us to our last great end That glorious end for which our souls are made and all things else to serve them in their way 'T is not to sport our time in pleasures * that thou O Lord hast plac't us here 'T is not to gain a fair estate that thy kindnes still prolongs our days But to do good to our selvs or others and glorifie thee in improving thy creatures To increase every day our longing desires * of beholding Thee in thine own bright self O glorious Lord whose infinite sweetnes * provokes and satisfys all our appetites May my entire affections delight in thee above all the vain enjoyments of this world Above all praise and empty honour above all beauty and fading pleasure Above all health and deceitful riches above all power and subtlest knowledge Above even all thy own bounty can give and what ever is not thy very self O may my wearied soul repose in Thee the home and center of eternal rest May I forget my self to think on thee and fill my memory with the wonders of thy love That infinite love which when my thoughts consider not as they ought alas but as I am able The weight of my sufferings sits light upon me and all my fears are turn'd into joys O my adored JESUS let me love thee always * because from eternity thou hast loved me O let me love Thee only gracious God! because thou alone deserv'st all my hart Always and only let me love thee O Lord since always my hope is only in Thee Antiph All is unquiet here till we come to Thee and repose at last in the Kingdom of Peace Hymn IV. DEar Jesu when when will it be That I no more shall break with Thee When will this war of passions cease And let my soul injoy thy peace Here I repent and sin again Now I revive and now am slain Slain with the same unhappy dart Which O too often wounds my hart When dearest Lord when shall I be A garden seal'd to all but Thee No more expos'd no more undone But live and grow to Thee alone 'T is not alas on this low earth That such pure flow'rs can find a birth Only they spring above the skys Where none can live till here he dys Then let me dy that I may go And dwell where those bright lillys grow Where those blest plants of glory rise And make a safer Paradise No dangerous fruit no tempting Eve No crafty Serpent to deceive But we like Gods indeed shall be O let me dy that life to see Thus says my song but does my hart Joyn with the words and sing its part Am I so thorow-wise to chuse The Other world and this refuse Why should I not what do I find That fully here contents my mind What is this meat and drink and sleep That such poor things from heav'n should keep What is this honour or great place Or bag of mony or fair face What 's all the world that thus we shou'd Still long to dwell with flesh and blood Fear not my soul stand to the word Which thou hast sung to thy dear Lord Let but thy love be firm and true And with more heat thy wish renew O may this dying life make hast To dy into true life at last No hope have I to live before But then to live and dy no more Great Everliving God! to Thee In Essence One in Persons Three May all thy works their tribute bring And every age thy glory sing Capit. 1 Jo. 2. Love not the world nor the things
ev'n And clear'd the debts we ow From what vice have we refrain'd To break the course of sin What new vertue have we gain'd To make us rich within Time is well bestow'd on those Who well their time bestow Whose main concern still forward goes Whose hopes still riper grow Who when e're the clocks proclaim Another hour is past Have an art to set their aim And thoughts upon their Last That their last and happiest hour Which brings them to their home Where they sing and bless the Pow'r That made them thither come O my God of life and death The everliving King Since Thou giv'st to all their breath May all thy glory sing Glory honour pow'r and praise To the mysterious Three As at first begining was May now and ever be Capit. 4. Ephes BE angry and sin not let not the Sun go down upon your wrath and contristate not the holy Spirit of God in which you are seal'd to the day of Redemption Let all bitterness and anger and indignation and clamor and blasphemy with all malice be taken away from you be gentle one to another and merciful pardoning one another as God also in Christ has pardon'd you Antiph Happily ends that day whose evils end with it cancel'd by just contrition happily begins that night which is introduced with aspirations to our eternal rest V. The day is thine and the night is thine R. Lord may thy grace through both breed us up also Thine Let us pray O God whose gracious Providence vouchsafes us a frequent Monitor of our own and the worlds last end by burying every day in the silent grave of night Sweeten we humbly beseech Thee and render familiar to our expectation Those terrible periods of time by our constant due use of this to even our accounts with Thee and fit our selvs for sleep with a devout Composure of our souls to their eternal rest and grant that our so often easie yielding to suspend all operations of the whole man for some hours at the summons of flesh and blood 's drowsy humors may teach our souls to reflect themselvs into a more reasonable willingnes when ever thou calst to leave our bodys in the bed of dust and pass into the state of their own perfect and ever-waking activity and blyss highten'd by sure hopes of a compleatly-glorifying Resurrection through our Lord Vouchsafe us we beseech c. As page 54. to the end TUESDAY MATINS Introduction as page 1. Invitatory Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Psal XXVII FRom thee O Lord we derive our Being and from the same Goodnes our Continuance to be if thou withdraw'st thy hand but a moment we instantly return to our first nothing Come let 's adore our God that preservs us From all our enemys his Providence defends us and covers our head in the day of danger he sends in his grace to relieve our weaknes and disappoints the tentations that threaten to undo us Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Here his Almighty Power sustains our life and mercifully allows us space to repent that by well employing the time he lends us we may wisely provide for our own Eternity Come let 's adore our God that preservs us He still repeats his Blessings to us and shall we neglect our duty to him he freely bestows on us all our day and shall we not spend half an hour in his service Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost As it was in the beginning both now and ever world without end Amen Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Come let 's adore our God that preservs us Hymn IX COme let 's adore the gracious hand That brought us to this light That gave his Angels strict Command To be our Guard this night When we laid down our weary head And sleep seal'd up our ey They stood and watcht about our bed To let no harm come nigh Now we are up they still go on And guide us through the day They never leave their Charge alone What e're besets our way And O my soul how many snares Ly spred before our feet In all our joys in all our cares Some danger still wee meet Sometimes the sin does us o'retake And on our weaknes win Sometimes our selvs our ruine make And we o'retake the sin O save us Lord from all those darts That seek our souls to slay Save us from us and our false harts Lest we our selves betray Save us O Lord to Thee we cry From whom all blessings spring We on thy grace alone rely Alone thy glory sing Glory to Thee Eternal Lord Thrice blessed Three in One Thy name at all times be ador'd Till time it self be done Amen Antiph If we receive all we have of God why do we boast as if we had it our selvs Psal XXVIII NOt unto us O Lord not unto us but to thine own blest Name give all the glory When we have apply'd our utmost cares and us'd all the diligence that lys in our power What can we do but look up to Thee and second our endeavours with pray'rs for thy blessing When we have implor'd thy gracious mercy and offer'd thee our dearest Sacrifice to obtain it What can we do but submit our hopes and expect the event from thy free goodnes We know and thou thy self hast taught us unless thou defend'st the city the Guard watches in vain We know our own experience tells us unless thou reach forth thy hand we are presently in danger of sinking Every moment of our day subsists by Thee and every step we take moves by thy strength Even the line we now repeat must beg its breath of Thee and stop if thou deny'st it If Thou deny'st who can compel thy Will or call in question thy Decrees Are we not all thy creatures O gracious God! and as helpless children hanging at the brest of thy Providence Are we not all as clay in thy hands to frame us into vessels of what use thou pleasest Behold we confess O Lord in thee we live in thee we move and have our being All our sufficiency proceeds from Thee and all our success depends on thy favour Others may tell us the way we should go but Thou alone canst enable us to walk Others may tell us the way but even they must first be taught by Thee They must be mov'd by Thee to act that charity and so all at last is resolv'd into Thee Should we presume O Lord to divide thy grace and proudly challenge any share to our selvs Thy mighty truth stands up against us and our own infirmitys plainly confute us Should'st thou severely examine our harts and ask who works all their actions in them Sure we must needs bow down our heads and from our low dust humbly say Nothing are we O Lord but what
prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God the eternal Source and Necessity of Being on whose free overflowing that of thy whole Creation every moment depends strike we beseech Thee our harts with a continual dread and reverence of thy absolute Dominion which should it but never so litle suspend thy Bounty resolvs us all instantly into nothing nothing and grant that as we know thou preservst still on this world to grow daily riper for the Other to which thou hast ordain'd it we may by thy grace so husband our time here as in the next life to possess thy Eternity through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. Commemorations c. as page 29. Tuesday Vespers IN the Name c. As page 13. Antiph Who is like thee O Lord among the Gods who is like thee terrible in judgments Psal XXXIV SPeak no more proudly vain dust nor provoke any longer the living God Seal up thy lips in humble silence and tremblingly remember his dreadful judgments Remember how the earth open'd it self and swallow'd up alive so many thousands Remember how the clouds rain'd fire and brimstone and buried whole Cities in their own ashes Remember how the general deluge o'respred the world and swept away almost all mankind Remember and ask the cause of all this ruin and tell it aloud to the bold offender Tell him 't was sin and such as his * that drew upon them so swift destruction Sin threw the Angels down from heav'n and chain'd them up in eternal darknes Sin banisht Adam out of Paradise and turn'd that delicious garden into a field of weeds O God how terrible is thy mighty arm when Thou stretchest it forth to be aveng'd of thine enemys O sin how fatal is thy desperate malice that pulls on our heads all the thunder of heav'n O my soul how dull and sensles are we to sleep secure as if all were safe Can we repeat these amazing Truths and not tremble at the wrath of the divine justice Can we consider the deplorable end of sinners and still go on in the ways of sin Even while we sing thy praises O glorious Lord our very duty should fear before Thee What should corrupted nature then do when it sees its self ready to offend Thee What should a guilty Conscience do when it sees it self ruin'd by offending thee Strike thou our harts O Thou infinit Majesty with an awful reverence of thy great Name Correct our many levitys into a pious sadnes and break our proud spirits to bow to Thee Still may our consciences cry aloud within us dare you commit this evil and sin against your God Dare you commit this evil and undo your selvs and plunge your own souls in everlasting torments Forbid so rash a madness gracious Lord and make thy judgments on others mercys to us Glory be c. Antiph Who is like thee O Lord among the Gods who is like thee terrible in judgments Antiph Who is like thee O Lord among the Gods who is like thee amiable in mercys Psal XXXV WIpe away the tears from thine eys O my soul and clear thy hart from all clouds of despair He that 's thus infinite in power to punish * is full as infinite in goodness to save How often have we broken his divine Commands yet still his earth sustains and servs us How often have we abus'd our fulnes of bread yet still his clouds shower plenty upon us Himself with his own Almighty Word consin'd the waters and sharply reproacht their officiousnes to destroy Hitherto shall you come and no farther and here will I stay your proud waves Only the ambitious Angels find no forgivenes because their obstinacy refuses to seek it Else could those rebel-spirits disclaim their crimes and turn again to obey their Maker His clemency would soon revoke their sentence and restore them to shine in their first bright seats But O! the excess of mercy vouchsaft to Adam and to us dust and ashes his posterity For whom the soveraign King of heav'n * humbled Himself to descend upon earth Leading a poor laborious life and suffering a painful ignominious death Only to teach us how to live and how to dy and what in both to aim at Thy mercys Lord are above all thy works and this above all thy mercys Antiph Who is like thee O Lord among the Gods who is like thee amiable in mercys Antiph Dreadful art thou O Lord in the terror of thy Judgments but infinitely more amiable in the sweetnes of thy mercys Psal XXXVI STill let us sing the mercys of our God and hold and shake a litle longer this sweet key When we alas lay buried in the abyss of nothing his own free goodnes first cal'd us into Being He fashion'd our limbs in our mothers womb and fill'd our Nurses brest with milk He enlarg'd our litle steps when we began to go and carefully preserv'd our helpless infancy Commanding even his Angels to bear us in their hands lest we dash our feet against a stone How many dangers have we happily escapt and not one of them but was govern'd by his providence How many blessings do we dayly receive and not one of them but proceeds from his bounty He provided Tutors to instruct our youth and plant in our tender minds the seeds of vertue He appointed Pastors to feed our souls and safely guide them in the ways of Blyss He founded his Church on an immovable Rock and to render our faith firm and secure He seal'd his love with Sacraments of grace to breed and nourish in us the life of charity All this thou hast done O merciful Lord the wise Disposer of heav'n and earth All this thou hast done and still goest on * by infinite ways to gain us to thy love Thou command'st us to ask and promisest to grant thou invitest us to seek and assur'st us to find Thou vouchsaf'st even thy self to stand at the door and knock and if we open thou entrest and fill'st our harts with joy If we forget thee thou renew'st afresh our memory if we fly from thee thou still find'st some means to recal us If we defer our amendment thou patiently stay'st for us and when we return thou open'st thy arms to imbrace us Surely O my God! from all eternity * Thou hast cast thy gracious ey upon us Surely thy merciful hand has sign'd our lot and mark't us out for thy everlasting favors We know thy ways are in the deep abyss and none can sound the bottom of thy counsels Yet may we safely look on the flowing streams and gather this comfort from their gentle course When we were not thou freely lov'dst us Thou wilt nor forsake us now we strive to love thee When we had lost our way thou sought'st after us thou wilt not refuse us now we seek after thee Lord all we have is deriv'd from thee and all we expect can come from none but thy self Accomplish thine own
that fils us with delight Take then away your flatterys false world and leave me free for better thoughts Turn thou thy face to me dear JESU and keep mine eys stil turn'd towards Thee That I may look continually on thy glorious beautys and be ravisht for ever with the charms of thy sweetnes 'T is Thee chast Spouse of souls 't is thee alone I chuse and dedicate my self entirely to thy service Thou art my sole and absolute Lord be thou my part and inheritance for ever But O my dearest Lord do thou chuse me and guide my uninstructed soul to chuse Thee O make me chuse to love thee till I come to see thee then I 'am sure I cannot chuse but love thee Here we alas move slowly in the dark led on by the Argument of things not seen But did we clearly see what we say we believe we soon should chang the cours of our life Did we but see the Damned in their flames or hear them cry in the midst of their torments How should we fear to follow them in their sins which we know have plung'd them into all those miserys How should we strive against the next tentation and cast about to avoid the danger Did we but see the glorys of the Saints or hear the sweet hymns they continually sing How should we study to imitate their lives which we know have rais'd them to all their happines How should we seek all occasions of improvement and make it our business to work out our salvation Nay did our faith but firmly believe * the truths we every day recite in our Creed What would we do to attain those joys what would we not do to escape those sorrows Would half an hour be too long to pray or once a week too often to fast Would the pardon of an injury be too hard a law or the making restitution too dear a price Durst we return to our sins again or spend our time in idlenes and folly Yet is all this as sure as if we saw it and would move as much if we seriously consider'd it If we consider'd what I 'm sure we believe we should never live as I 'm sure we do Which of us doubts but ere long we shall all be dust yet which of us lives as if we thought to dy Pity O gracious Lord the frailtys of thy servants and suffer not our blindnes to lead us into ruine Supply our want of sight by a lively faith and strengthen our faith by thy powerful grace Make us remember 't is no childrens sport * to gain or lose the Kingdom of heav'n Make us chuse wisely and pursue our choyse and use as well the means as like the end O set thou right the byass of our harts that in all our motions we may draw off from the world That we may still incline towards Thee and rest at last in thy holy presence Thou art our Lord and we will serve thee in fear Thou art our God and we will love thee in hope Glory be c. Antiph What will it profit us to gain the whole world and lose our own souls or what shall we give in exchange for our souls Our Father c. First Lesson THe fear of our Lord is the begining of wisdom If sinners intice thee consent not to them if they say come with us walk not with them for their feet run to evil and make hast to shed blood nay themselvs ly in wait even against their own blood and practise deceits against their own souls They have hated discipline and not receiv'd the fear of our Lord therefore shall they eat the fruits of their way and be fill'd with their own counsels The blessing of our Lord is on the head of the just but iniquity covers the mouth of the impious The memory of the just is with praises but the name of the wicked shall rot He that walks sincerely walks confidently but he that goes crooked ways shall be made manifest He that digs a pit shall fall into it and he that lays a snare for another shall perish in it He that gives wicked counsel it shall be turn'd upon himself and he not know whence it comes He that will be reveng'd shall find vengeance of our Lord and he will surely keep his sins in remembrance The hope of the just is joy but the expectation of the impious shall perish That which the wicked fears shall come upon him and to the just their desire shall be given them R. O sweet and admirable Providence Thou hast commanded and so it is that the inordinate affection of every one shall be his punishment * For as we sow so shall we reap and as the tree falls so shall it ly Thy grace O Lord is the seed of glory and sin the root of misery he that sows in the flesh shall reap corruption and he that sows in the spirit life everlasting * For as Second Lesson FOllow not in thy strength the concupiscence of thy hart nor say how mighty am I who can controul me in what I have done for God is a sure revenger Say not I have sin'd and what harm has happen'd unto me for the Highest is a patient punisher Be not without fear of thy sin though forgiven nor add one sin to another Say not the mercy of our Lord is great he will have pity on my many offences for mercy and wrath come speedily from Him and his indignation keeps an ey upon sinners Defer not to be converted to our Lord nor put it off from day to day for his wrath shall come suddenly and in the time of vengeance he will destroy thee Though hand joyn in hand the ungodly shall not be unpunisht but the seed of the just shall be sav'd The congregation of the wicked is as tow wrapt together and their end a flame of fire Every corruptible work shall fail at last and the Doer thereof shall go with it but every excellent deed shall be justified and he that does it be honour'd therein R. My soul how many thousands have been surpriz'd in the midst of their sins and hurried away to everlasting sorrows and we alas how many times have we been guilty and yet our God has spar'd us * O my indulgent Saviour no other reason can I give why I 'm not miserable but that Thou art merciful Blessed be thy patience that indures so long and blessed be thy grace that delivers at last * O my Third Lesson LEnd to thy neighbor when he is in necessity and pay thou thy neighbor again in his time keep thy word and deal faithfully with him and thou shalt always find that which is necessary for thee Do good to the just and thou shalt have great reward if not from him assuredly from our Lord. Lose thy mony for thy brother and thy friend and hide it not under a stone to be lost Be not asham'd to say the truth for there is a shame that brings
wicked to torment Are these eternal too And never to have end Shal never those delights decay Those sorrows never mend Good God is all this true And sure most true it is And yet we live as if there were Nothing so false as this O quicken Lord our faith Of these great joys and fears And make the last days trumpet be Stil ringing in our ears Stil may this glorious hope Shine bright before our eys We shal at last go up to meet Our JESUS in the skys Come JESU Come and take Our banisht souls to Thee Come quickly Lord * that in thy light Our Eys thy light may see Glory to Thee great God One Coeternal Three As at the first begining was May now and ever be Capit. Philip. 4. FOr the rest Brethren whatever things are true whatever honest whatever just whatever amiable whatever of good fame if there be any vertue if any praise of discipline think upon these things which you have both learnt and receiv'd and heard and seen in me These things do and the God of Peace shal be with you Antiph Every night approaches us nearer our last which reservs for us eternal wages justly yet with a vast and generous bounty proportion'd to the works of our days V. The Wise will always keep their lamps ready trim'd R. That the Bridegrooms call may never surprize them O Lord hear our pray'rs And let our supplications come to thee Let us Pray O God whose merciful providence breaks and eases the laborious course of our Pilgrimage through this world with constant conveniencys and seasons of repose Vouchsafe us we humbly beseech Thee to make our due advantage of this thy mercy Composing our souls more satisfyedly to rest by a faithful recollection every Evening how we have kept our way and whether we are advanc't and grant that reflecting with harty contrition on every step we have made a wry and with thankful acknowledgements on those thou hast led aright we may henceforth be rendred more wary of our deviating inclinations and more attentively obsequious to the steddy guidance of thy grace through our Lord. Vouchsafe as pag. 54. Thursday MATINS Introduction as page 1. Invitatory Come let 's adore our God that feeds us Come le' ts adore our God that feeds us Psal LIII HE freely opens his bounteous hand and fills with his blessing every living creature he gives even Kings their dayly bread and all the world 's maintain'd by his Provision Come let 's adore our God that feeds us He feeds our understanding with the knowledg of truth and strengthens our wills with his holy grace he refreshes our memorys with a thousand benefits and feasts our whole souls with everlasting hopes Come le ts adore our God that feeds us With Himself and with his sacred Flesh he feeds us and nourishes up to immortal life begining even here that blessed union which shall fully be perfected in his own Kingdom Come let 's adore our God that feeds us Come all we servants of so gracious a Lord whom he daily entertains with innumerable mercys come all you children of so loving a Father for whom he has provided an eternal feast Come let 's adore our God that feeds us Glory be c. As it was c. Come let 's adore our God that feeds us Come let 's adore our God that feeds us Hymn XVII RIse royal Sion rise and sing Thy souls kind Shepherd thy harts King Stretch all thy pow'rs call if you can Harps of heaven to hands of man This soveraign subject sits above The best ambition of thy love Lo here the bread of life this day 's Triumphant Text provokes thy praise The living and life-giving Bread To the great Twelve distributed When Life Himself at point to dy Of love was his own Legacy But lest That dy too We are bid Ever to do what He once did And by a mindful mystick breath That we may live revive his death With a miraculous Bread and Wine Transum'd and taught to turn divine The heav'n-instructed House of Faith Here a mysterious Dictate hath That they but lend their form and face Themselvs with reverence leave their place Nature and Name to be made good By a nobler Bread more needful Blood Where nature's law no leave will give Bold Faith takes hart and dares believe In different species Names not Things Himself to me my Saviour brings As meat in That as drink in this But still in Both one Christ he is Yet the receiving mouth here makes Nor wound nor breach in what he takes Let one alone or thousands be Here the Dividers single he Bears home no less All they no more Nor leave they Both less then before Lo the life-food of Angels then Bow'd to the lowly mouths of men Lo the full final Sacrifice On which all Figures fixt their eys The ransom'd Isaac and his Ram The Manna and the Paschal Lamb. Jesu to Thee we sinners sue O Thou our Food and Shepherd too Still by Thy self vouchsafe to keep As with thy self thou feed'st thy Sheep Blest be that Love which thus makes Thee Mix with our low mortality O may It raise and set us up Convicters of thine own full Cup Coheirs of Saints that so all may Drink the same wine and the same way Nor change the pasture but the place To feed on Thee in thine own Face Amen Antiph Upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Psal LIV. HE who made the Sun to enlighten our steps * in the pilgrimage of this short life Has he ordain'd no guide to conduct our souls * in the difficult way to their eternal home He who feeds the ravens that call upon him has he not provided bread for his children He has and still his mercy furnishes means * to perform whatever his justice commands Long since he espouds'd to himself an unspotted Church and promis'd It his presence to the end of the world Establishing his truth on a firm pillar a solid foundation to sustain our faith That we waver no longer as litle children nor be carried about with every wind of doctrine Nor consume all our days in studying to believe without ever proceeding to life and action This Spouse O Thou glorious King of heaven * and admirable Lover of poor ruin'd man This humble Spouse Thou cam'st down to woo * and dearly purchase with thine own blood Thou hast indow'd her with eminent prerogatives * above the rest of the daughters of the earth Preserving her in the midst of Jews and Pagans and the subtler Enemys Politicians and Hereticks Preserving her bright and conspicuous as the Sun that every open ey may see her light Preserving her still in perfect unity while all that divide from her are divided among themselves Thou hast adorn'd her with the beauty of order and the precious jewels of heroick vertues Thou hast strengthen'd her hands with the power of miracles and crown'd
now and argue with me saith our Lord though your sins be as scarlet they shall be white as snow and though they be red as vermillion they shall be white as wool R. Who will give water to my head and a fountain of tears to my eys that day and night I may continually weep and mourn and lament for my own sins and for my Saviours sufferings * O my ador'd Redeemer make us hartily sorry to have offended Thee make us speedily mend least we ruine our selvs Thou hast given us these holy rules to guide our lives and enforc't them on us by thine own example fasting and praying and weeping and humbling thy self to death even the death of the Cross * O my Third Lesson BEhold in the day of your fast you find pleasure and exact of all your debtors you fast to debates and contentions and strike with the first impiously Is this such a fast as I have chosen a man to afflict his soul for a day is this it to wind his head about like a circle and spread sackcloath and ashes Is not this rather the fast I have chosen dissolve the bands of impiety unlose the heavy burthens break in pieces every yoak and let the opprest go free deal thy bread to the hungry and bring the poor and harbourles into thy house when thou seest the naked cover him and despise not thine own flesh Then shal thy light break forth as the morning and thy helth speedily arise and thy justice go before thy face and the glory of our Lord compass thee round about Then shalt thou call and our Lord will answer thou shalt cry and he will say behold I am here I am he who blot out thy iniquitys for my own sake and thy sins I will remember no more I am the Lord thy God who teach thee profitable things and govern thee in the way where thou walkest I am the Lord thy God who take thee by the hand and say to thee fear not I will help thee fear not for I am with thee shrink not aside for I am thy God R. My God never let me so rely on any outward performances that I neglect the improvement of my mind lest my fasting becom an unprofitable trouble and my prayer a vain lip labor * The soul and the body make a man and the spirit and discipline make a Christian Never let me so pretend to inward perfection that I slight the outward observances of Religion lest my thoughts grow proud and phantastick and all my arguments be but a cover for licenciousnes * The Soul Glory be c. * The Soul Pause as Pag. 17. Friday Lauds O God incline as Pag. 18. Antiph Come let us glory in the Cross of our Lord JESVS Christ in whom is our life and helth and resurrection Psal LXX SHal we rejoyce my soul to day Shal we not mourn at the Funeral of our dear Redeemer Such O my Lord was the excess of thy goodnes to derive joys for us from thine own sorrows Thou forbadst thy followers to weep for Thee and reserved'st to thy self alone the shame and grief Thou invitest all the world to glory in thy Cross and command'st us to delight in the memory of thy passion Sing then all you dear-bought Nations of the Earth sing hymns of glory to the holy JESUS Sing every one who pretends to felicity sing immortal praises to the God of our Salvation To Him who for us indur'd so much scorn and patiently receiv'd so many injurys To Him who for us swet drops of blood and drank off the dregs of his Fathers wrath To the eternal Lord of heav'n and earth who for us was slain by the hands of the wicked Who for us was led away as a Sheep to the slaughter and as a meek Lamb open'd not his mouth Whither O my God did thy compassion carry thee how did thy charity too far prevail with Thee Was it not enough to becom man for us but thou must expose thy self to all our miserys Was it not enough to labor all thy life but thou must suffer for us even the pains of death No gracious Lord thy mercy stil observ'd * some wants in our nature as yet unsupplyd Thou saw'st our too much fondnes of life * needed thy parting with it to reconcile us to death Thou saw'st our fear of sufferings could no way be abated but by freely undergoing them in thine own person O blessed JESU whose grace alone * begins and perfects all our hopes How are we bound to praise thy love how infinitely oblig'd to adore thy goodnes At any rate thou would'st stil go on to heal our weak and wounded nature Even at the price of thine own dear blood thou would'st finish for us the purchase of heav'n Glory be c. Psal LXXI AWake my soul and speedily prepare * thy richest sacrifice of humble praise Awake and summon all thy thoughts * to make hast and adore our great Redeemer For now 't is time we should reverently go and offer our harts at the foot of his Cross Thither let us fly from the troubles of the world there let us dwel among the mercys of heav'n Under the shade of that happy tree let us kneel and often look up to our dearest Lord Let us remember every passage of his love and be sure that none escape our thanks Let us compassionate every stroak of his death and one by one salute his sacred wounds Blest be the hands that wrought so many miracles and were bor'd with cruel nails Blest be the feet that so often travail'd for us and at last were unmercifully fastned to the Cross Blest be the head which was crown'd with thorns the head that so industriously studied our happines Blest be the hart which was pierced with a spear the hart that so passionately lov'd our peace Blest be the entire person of our Crucifyd Lord and may all our powers joyn in his praise In thy eternal praise O gracious JESU and the ravishing thoughts of thy incomparable sweetnes O what excess of kindnes was this what strange extremity of love and pity The Lord is sold that the slave may be free the Innocent condemn'd that the guilty may be sav'd The Phisician is sick that the Patient may be cur'd and God himself dys that man may live Tell me my Soul when first thou hast well consider'd * and lookt about among all we know Tell me who ever wisht us so much good who ever lov'd us with so much tendernes What have our nearest friends done for us or even our Parents in comparison of this Charity No less then the Son of God came down to redeem us no less then his own dear life was the price he paid for us What can the favour of the whole world promise us compar'd to this miraculous bounty No less then the joys of Angels are become our hope no less then the Kingdom of heav'n is made our inheritance Glory be
the iniquity of our sins R. And graciously remove away all thy punishments V. Enter not into judgment with thy servants O Lord R. For in thy sihgt shall no one living be justify'd V. Our ruine we confess is wholly from our selvs R. And all our hope is in thy salvation V. If we repent and say Now we 'l begin R. 'T is time now to rise from sleep V. Behold temptation stands at the door R. And our weak resistance lets it in V. Our corrupt nature conspires with our enemys R. And our evil customs prevail against us V. Pity us O Lord Thou who know'st whereof we are made R. Wean us from this world Thou who mad'st us for a better V. Deliver us from the occasions that so often endanger us R. Deliver us from the occasions that so often overcome us V. Deliver us from all sudden and disastrous mischances R. Deliver us from the miserys of everlasting torments V. Why art thou sad O my soul R. And why art thou disquieted within me V. Still trust in God for still we will praise his Name R. He is our Saviour and our God V. O praise our Lord for he is good R. And his mercy indures for ever V. Let all who fear our Lord now say R. That his mercy indures for ever V. He was mindful of us in our low estate R. For his mercy indures for ever V. And redeem'd us from our enemys R. For his mercy indures for ever V. He will guide us here in the ways of peace R. For his mercy indures for ever V. He will bring us herafter to the joys of eternity R. For his mercy indures for ever V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who didst severely punish our first parents for eating the forbidden fruit and hast so often recommended to us the necessary dutys of abstinence and fasting grant we beseech thee that by observing diligently thy holy Discipline propos'd to us in the laws and practise of thy Church we may correct our levitys and revenge our excesses and subdue our irregular appetites and frustrate the temptations of the enemy and secure our perseverance and daily proceed to new degrees of vertue and devotion till in the end of our lives we receive the end of our labours the salvation of our souls in thy heavenly kingdom through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen These Versicles Responses and Prayers are said kneeling on all Fasting days immediately after the Prayer at Lauds Then Commemoration c. as page 29. Friday Vespers OUr Father c. as page 33. Antiph O sensless we that so litle consider what our Saviour suffer'd for us or what we do against Him Psal LXXIII LOrd how the world requites thy love how ingrateful are we to thy blessed memory We negligently forget thy sacred Passion or rather far worse our sins renew thy sufferings While we deprive others of their right what do we else but devest thee of thy cloaths While we delight in strife and Schisms what do we else but rend thy seamless coat If we despise the least of thy servants are we not as so many Herods that scorn'd Thee If we for fear proceed against our conscience how are we better then Pilate that condemn'd Thee By forsaking thy will to follow our own do we not chuse a murtherer before thee By retaining a sharp and bitter malice do we not give thee vineger and gall to drink By shewing no mercy to the poor and afflicted do we not pass by thy Cross as strangers unconcern'd Thus we again crucify the Lord of Glory and put him afresh to an open shame Is this O wretched we the duty we pay * to the sacred memory of our dear Redeemer Are these the thanks our gratitude returns * to that strange excess of our Saviours love When we sate in darknes he took us by the hand and kindly led us into his own light We sought not him but he came from far to find us we lookt not towards him but his mercy call'd after us He call'd aloud in words of tendernes why will you perish O you children of men Why will you run after empty trifles as if there were no joys above with me Return O you dear-bought souls and I will receive you * repent and though you had really crucifyed me I will forgive you Behold O Blessed JESU to Thee we come and on thy holy Cross fasten all our confidence Never will we unclasp our faithful hold till thy grace has seal'd the pardon of our sins Never will we part from that standard of hope till our troubled consciences be dismist in peace There will we stand and sigh and weep and every one humbly say to thy mercy JESU my God I suffer violence * answer Thou for me Glory be c. Antiph O sensless we that so litle consider what our Saviour suffer'd for us or what we do against Him Antiph He is the propitiation for our sins and not for ours only but for the sins of the whole world Psal LXXIV BE silent O my soul and thy Lord will answer for thee be content and he is thy security Be innocent and he will defend thee be humble and he will exalt thee He will forgive thee all thou repentest he will bestow on thee more then thou askest Never let us fear the favour of our God if we can but esteem and desire it He that so freely gave us himself will he not with himself give us all things else Is not his painful life and bitter death * sufficient pledg of his love to us Is not his infinite love to us * sufficient motive of our duty to Him A duty to which we are so many ways oblig'd and wherin our Eternity is so highly concern'd Surely they have litle faith and far less hope who doubt the mercys of so gracious a God Mercys confirm'd by a thousand miracles and dearly seal'd with his own blood That innocent blood which was shed for us to appease the wrath of his offended Father That blood whos 's every precious drop * was worthy to save so many worlds O blest and all-redeeming blood which flow'd so freely from the source of life Bath our polluted souls in thy clear streams and purge away all our foul impuritys Cleanse us O merciful Lord from our secret faults and from those darling sins that most abuse us Wash off the stains which our malice has caus'd in others and those which our weaknes has receiv'd of them Let not them perish by our occasion nor us be undone by theirs But let our charity assist one another and thy clemency pardon us all Pardon O gracious JESU what we have been and with thy holy discipline correct what we are Order by thy Providence what we shal be and in the end crown thine own gifts Glory be
sure he knows What 's best with it to do 'T is for our good that all this ill Is suffer'd here below T is to correct those dangerous sweets That else would poyson grow So storms are rais'd to clear the ayr And chase the clouds away So weeds grow up to cure our wounds And all our pains allay How often Lord do we mistake When we our plots design Rule Thou herafter thine own world Only Thy self be mine Or rather Lord let me be thine Else I am not mine own Give me Thy self or take Thou me Undone if left alone To Thee great God of heav'n and earth Each knee for ever bow May all thy Blessed sing above And we adore below Antiph Thou giv'st us tasts of Good here to beget and feed in us an appetite Thou giv'st us but tasts here to draw our affections up to thy self whose fruition alone can fully satisfy us V. Vain and preposterous it is to expect our Port at Sea R. Or to look for a heav'n on earth but in hope O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Merciful God whose Providence disparages with shortnesses and crosses all the injoyments of this world to allay their temptatiousnes and slacken their hold on our harts grant us grace we beseech Thee wisely to discern and praise Thee for this their most beneficial nature and since we cannot attain Thee the heav'n of heav'ns but by our sole Fixure on Thy self nor be rais'd to That without a sense of dissatisfyingnes in what ever else we do or can possess make us check and overcome the repinings of flesh and blood with juster adorations of Thy infinite mercy for qualifying so fitly this womb of our souls that by its own uneasines it more easily disposes them for a happy birth into thy blessed eternity through our Lord O Lord hear c. as page 45. Saturday Complin OUr help is in c. as page 46. Antiph Too often are we troubled about many things when the truly necessary is but One. Psal LXXXIX REtire O my soul into thine own bosom and search what thou aim'st at in all thy thoughts Where dost thou place thy chief felicity and whither tend thy strongest desires Go to the Great and Prudent of the world and learn of them to chuse thy interests Do they not there increase their estates where they mean to spend most of their life Do they project their Mansion seat * in a country through which they pass as travellers No more my soul should we build our best hopes * on the sandy foundation of this perishable earth Where sure we are we cannot stay long and are not sure we may stay very litle O Thou eternal Being who changest not yet art the cause and end of all our changes Who still remain'st the same rich fulnes in thy Self * the same bright glory to all thy Blessed Teach us O Lord to use this transitory life as Pilgrims returning to their beloved home That we may take what our journy requires and not think of setling in a forrein country But wisely forecast our treasures so to be happy there where we must always be Glory be c. Psal XC NOw thou hast found thy happy end and found it the only Good that lasts for ever Study O my soul to know still more and still more value those immortal joys Strive for so glorious a prize with thy whole force and the utmost strainings of all thy facultys Purchase at any rate that blest inheritance and wiseley neglect even all things else All that divert thee from thy holy course or but retard the speed of thy advance For though the least in the kingdom of heav'n be happy enough where every Vessel is fil'd to the brim yet to enlarge our capacity to the least higher degree * deservs the busiest diligence of our whole life Shall the industious Bee endure no rest but fly and sing and labour all the day Shall the unwearied Ant be running up and down to fetch and carry a few grains of corn And we for whom all nature so faithfully works and tires it self in a perpetual motion For whom the tender providence of God * commands even his Angels to watch and pray For whom the ador'd JESUS came down from heav'n and spent a whole life in continual labours Shall we sleep on in a drowsy sloth and not stir a finger to help our selvs Awake my soul and chide thy sluggish thoughts and let their stupid folly plainly know We have a store to provide as well as Ants and infinitely richer then their poor hoard We have a work to do as well as Bees and infinitely sweeter then all their hony What can so noby enrich an immortal soul * as still to be gathering a stock for eternity What can so highly delight one that every day improves as daily to see the encrease of his hope O blessed hope be thou my chief delight and the only treasure I covet to lay up Be thou the quick'ning life of all my actions and sweet allay of all my sufferings So shall I ne're refuse any meanest labour while I look to receive such glorious wages So shall I ne're repine at any temporal loss whilâ—â— I hope to gain such eternal rewards Glory be c. Psal XCI BUt O 't is not so much our sloth undoes us as the imprudent choice in applying our diligence Many alas take pains enough many perplex themselvs too much See how the busie toylers of the world * are chain'd perpetually like slaves to their work How early they rise and go late to sleep and eat the bread of care and sorrow See how the hardy soldiers follow their Prince * through a thousand difficulties to meet with dangers See how the ventrous Mariners expose their lives * over stormy Seas into barbarous Nations And why all this poor ill-advised wretches but to fetch perhaps a litle fish or spice To gain a few pence or some petty honour which others often share in more then your selvs O bounteous Lord how easie are thy commands how cheap hast thou made the purchase of heav'n Half these pains would make us Saints half these sufferings canonize us for Martyrs Were they devoutly undertaken for Thee and the higher enjoyment of thy glorious promises Thou bidst us not freez under the Polar star nor burn in the heats of the torrid Zone But proposest a sweet and gentle rule and such as our nature it self would chuse Did not our passions strangely mislead us and the world about us distract our reason Thou bidst us but wisely love our selvs and attend above all things our own true happines Thou bidst us value even this world as much as it deservs since 't is the School that breed us up to the Other Only we are forbidden to be wilful fools and prefer a short vanity before eternal felicity O the mild government of the King of heaven this we can
that day the root of Jesse which stands for a sign to the People him shal the Nations beseech and his Sepulcher shal be glorious R. Thus holy JESU did the antient Prophets foretel thy perfections and the blessed changes thy doctrin should produce the cruelty of the proud should be soften'd into meeknes and the innocence of the weak be protected by the strong and peace and charity flourish o're the world * This was thy wise and gracious design to make us happy by making us holy Thou hast planted the seeds of all these effects O give the increase that we may gather the fruit defend the good and rebuke the wicked and fill the earth with thy knowledg that all discord and animosity may utterly cease and justice and equity govern our lives * This was Second Lesson Heb. 1. GOd who in time past diversly and many ways spake to our Fathers in the Prophets has last of all in these days spoken to us in his Son whom he has appointed heir of all by whom also he made the worlds who being the brightnes of his glory and the figure of his substance and sustaining all things by the word of his power having made purgation of sins sits at the right hand of Majesty on high being so much better then Angels as he has inherited a more excellent name above them For to which of his Angels has he at any time said Thou art my Son this day have I begotten thee and again I wil be to Him a Father and He shal be to me a Son and again when he brings in the First-begotten into the world he says And let all the Angels of God adore him To the Angels indeed he says He makes his Angels Spirits and his Ministers a flame of fire but to the Son Thy throne O God shall be for ever and ever the Scepter of thy Kingdom is a Scepter of equity thou hast loved justice and hated iniquity therfore has God thy God annointed thee with the oyl of gladnes above thy fellows Thou in the begining O Lord didst found the earth and the heav'ns are the works of thy hands they shall perish but thou shalt continue and they all shall wax old as a garment and as a vesture shalt thou change them and they shall be changed but thou art the self-same and thy years shall not fail R. Live glorious Jesu and reign for ever eternal King of heav'n and earth may all thy Blessed above perpetually adore thee and all thy servants here continually praise thee * And every tongue confes that thou O Lord art most high in the glory of thy Father Alleluja Thou wert for us obedient to death even the death of the cross wherefore God has exalted thee and given thee a Name above every name that at the Name of JESUS every knee bow of things in heav'n of things on earth and of things under the earth * And every tongue Third Lesson Ephes 1. BLessed be God and the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ who has blessed us with all spiritual benedictions in celestial things in Christ as he has chosen us in him before the constitution of the world that we should be holy and immaculate in his sight in charity who has predestinated us into the adoption of children by Jesus Christ to himself according to the purpose of his will to the praise of the glory of his grace by which he has made us gracious in his beloved Son in whom we have redemption through his blood the remission of sins according to the riches of his grace which has exceedingly abounded in us in all wisdom and prudence that he might make known to us the mystery of his will according to his good pleasure which he purpos'd in him that in the dispensation of the fulness of times he might restore all things in Christ which are in heav'n and earth R. Lord what are we that thou shouldst thus regard us thou hast chosen us in thy Son before the world began and freely predestinated us into the adoption of thy children thou hast made us heirs of thy kingdom and co-heirs with Christ * O happy we if we forfeit not these mercys but labour by good works to make sure our election Thou hast redeem'd us by the blood of Jesus and given us in him remission of our sins thou hast by him reveal'd to us the secrets of heav'n and promis'd to restore us here to holines and replenish with our souls the vacant seats among thy glorious Angels * O happy we Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost * O happy we if Te Deum as page 16. Lauds for our B. Saviour O God incline c. as page 18. Antiph Bless our Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Psal XCVI PRaise our Lord all you Nations of the earth praise him with the voice of joy and thanksgiving Praise him with the well-tun'd strings of your hart praise him with the sweetest instrument obedience Let every one that pretends to felicity * sing immortal praises to the God of our salvation He is our full and all-sufficient Redeemer he has perfectly finisht what he graciously undertook For all our trespasses he has made satisfaction for all our forfeitures he has paid the ransom We by disobedience were banisht from Paradise and he has receiv'd us into his own kingdom We wandred up and down in the wildernes of error and he has guided us into the ways of truth We were by nature the children of wrath and he has mediated our peace with his offended Father We were become the slaves of sin and he has bought our freedom with his own blood We were in bondage to the dominion of Satan and he has overcome and confin'd his power We were in danger of sinking into hell and he has sav'd us from that bottomles pit The gates of heav'n were shut against us and he went up himself and open'd them to all Believers Dissolving for ever the terrors of death and rendring it now but a passage into life O dearest Lord who mad'st us first of nothing and restor'dst us again when we had made our selvs nothing Who wouldst at any rate redeem us from misery at any rate procure our felicity How came we wretches to be so consider'd how came we sinners to obtain such favour That thou shouldst leave thy Throne where Scraphins ador'd thee and descend on our earth where slaves affronted thee That thou shouldst lead a life of poverty and labour and dy a death of shame and sorrow That thou shouldst do all this for such worms as we without the least concern or benefit to thy self Only to raise us up from our humble dust and set us to shine with thy glorious Angels O infinite Goodnes the bounteous Author of all our hopes and strong Deliverer from all our fears What shall we say to this thy excessive charity what shall we render for
great deal on our passions Somtimes we deny and mortify our selvs but far more often obey our sensual appetites Somtimes we are drawn by thy grace to do one good work and seduc'd by our nature to a thousand iniquitys Thus we confes to thee O Lord our God! who perfectly seest every corner of our harts Thus we confes to thee not that thou may'st know us but that we may know our selvs and thou may'st cure us Cure us O thou great Physician of our souls cure us of all our sinful distempers Cure us of this aguish intermitting piety and fix it into an even and constant holines O make us use religion as our regular diet and not only as a single medicine in a pressing necessity Make us enter into a course of harty repentance and practise vertue as our daily exercise So shal our souls be endu'd with a perfect health and dispos'd for a long even everlasting life Glory be c. Antiph We are not our own but the temples of the holy Ghost let us dedicate our selvs intirely to his service Antiph Quicken us by thy grace O holy Spirit that we may thorowly mortify the works of the flesh Psal CXIII NOw we have begun permit us mighty Lord to speak once more who are but dust and ashes Let us go on and confess to Thee and open before thee all our miserys Such an occasion often endangers us such a tentation too often overcomes us Our own infirmitys are too strong for us and our ill customs prevail against us Every day we resolve to amend and every day we break our resolutions Have mercy on us O God of infinite compassion have mercy on us O thou Comforter of afflicted minds Have mercy on us and pardon what is past have mercy on us and prevent what is to come When e're thou seest us unhappily engag'd and blindly running on in the ways of death O send thy holy grace to check our desperate speed and make us stay and look before us Shew us the horrid downfal into that bottomles pit where impenitent sinners are swallow'd up for ever Strike our regardles souls with fear and trembling * at the dreadful sight of so sad a ruine Then turn our eys and kindly set before them * the beauteous prospect of a pious life Make us look long and steddily upon it make us look through and see beyond it Make us delight in the hope it injoys but incomparably more in the joy it hopes A joy which none but thy self can give none but thy self can make capable to receive Give us O gracious Lord thou free Beginer * and perfect Finisher of all vertuous actions Give us a right spirit to guide our intentions that we may aim directly at our true end Give us a holy spirit to sanctify our affections that what we rightly design we may piously pursue Give us an heroick spirit to confirm our harts that what we piously endeavour we may couragiously atchieve Suffer not the flesh to deceive us any more but fortify our spirit against all its assaults If the flesh grow bold and insolently demand * how can you live without those libertys Let the spirit answer their followers are slaves and the service of God is the only true freedom If the flesh alledg what joy in suffering ills or doing contrary to our own inclinations Let the spirit reply that the cross of Christ is sweet and nothing so glorious as the conquest of our selvs If the flesh insist what do you see or hear * or exercise any sense in but the things of this world Let the spirit immediately enter this protest and may every experienc'd soul subscribe the truth I see its vanity and feel its vexation and meet in every thing its falsenes and danger Away then flesh and blood away deceitful world you cannot enter into the Kingdom of heav'n You were created only to serve us in the way and set us down at our journeys end Away with all your fond deluding dreams be banisht for ever from our awaken'd souls Come thou to us blest spirit of faith and govern our lives with thy holy maxims Subdue our sense to the dictates of reason and perfect our reason with the mysterys of Religion Teach us to love and fear what we see not now as at too great a distance for our short sight But what we are sure wil herafter be * our blyss or misery for ever Glory be c. Antiph Quicken us by thy grace O holy Spirit that we may thorowly mortify the works of the flesh Antiph Deliver us O gracious God from every evil spirit and vouchsafe to give us thine own good spirit Psal CXIV LEt not our Lord be angry and wil we speak yet once for we have much to ask and he has infinite to give We have much to ask for our selvs and all the world who depend intirely on his free goodnes Many O Lord are the graces we want and none can give them but thy bounty Many are the sins and miserys we are expos'd to and none can deliver us but thy Providence Deliver us O Lord from what thou know'st is against us deliver us from what we know our selvs will undo us Deliver us from the spirit of prophaness and infidelity from the spirit of error and schism and heresy Deliver us from the spirit of pride and avarice from the spirit of anger and sloath and envy Deliver us from the spirit of drunkenes and gluttony from the spirit of lust and wantones and impurity Deliver us O gracious God from every evil spirit and vouchsafe to give us thine own good spirit Vouchsafe to give us the spirit of fortitude the spirit of temperance and justice and prudence The spirit of wisdom and understanding and counsel the spirit of knowledg and piety and fear of Thee The spirit of peace and patience and benignity the spirit of humility sobriety and chastity O Thou who never deny'st thy favours unles we first deny our obedience Thou who art often near us when we are far From thee often ready to grant when we are unmindful to ask Refuse not O Lord to hear us now we call on Thee and make us stil hear Thee when thou cal'st to us Fil our understandings with the knowledg of such truths as may fix them on Thee the eternal Verity Inure our wils to imbrace such objects as may unite them to Thee the soveraign Goodnes Shew us the narrow way that leads to life the way which few can find and fewer follow Guide us stil on in the middle path of vertue that we never decline to any vicious extreme Let not our faith grow wild with superfluous branches nor bestript into a naked and fruitles trunk Let not our hope swel up to a rash presumption nor shrink away into a faint despair Let not our charity be cool'd into a careles indifferency nor heated into a furious zeal But above all suffer us not O
for our example commandedst thy beloved Son to submit his pure and innocent flesh to the rigour of the Law and for encouragement of our hope madest choice of that sweet and amiable Name JESUS Teach us we beseech Thee with readines and humility to obey thy sacred Laws how cross soever to our unmortify'd passions and in all our necessitys with joy and confidence call on that holy Name in which whate're we ask we are promis'd shal be granted through the same our Lord Jesus Christ c. Twelfth-day and during the Octave 1. Antiph Alleluja Alleluja Alleluja This is the priviledg'd Festival that comes forth adorn'd with the glory of three miracles To day the Wise-men were led by a Star to the cradle of our Lord and falling down ador'd Him and offer'd Him their royal Presents of Gold Frankincense and Myrâ—â— Alleluja 2. Antiph To day our gracious Redeemer vouchsaft his presence at a Marriage-feast and there first publisht to the world his divine power turning water into wine Alleluja 3. Antiph To day our B. Saviour was baptiz'd by S. John and the H. Ghost descended visibly upon Him and a voice was heard from heav'n This is my beloved Son in whom I am wâ—â—l pleâ—â—'d Alleluja Alleluja Antiph for Benâ—â—dictus and Magnificat To day the first fruits of the Gentils were consecrated to our Lord and that sacred Prophesy happily fulfil'd In his light shal the Gentils walk and Kings in the brightnes of his rising Alleluja Alleluja Alleluja Prayer O God who by the guidance of a miraculous Star in the heav'n led'st the Gentils to the sight of the more miraculous Son of righteousnes newly risen to the world in a Stable Grant we humbly beseech Thee that inlighten'd and inflam'd by the memory of this wonderful providence our eys and harts may be more lively fixt on thy goodnes stil as graciously working towards the accomplishment of thy promises to call at length the Jews and all the earth to the saving knowledg and love of thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ who with Thee c. Candlemas All as in the Office of our Saviour except 1. Antiph To day the immaculate Mother humbled her self to the common rites of Purification and presented her first-born JESUS in the temple and for the litle price of a pair of Doves redeem'd the world's inestmable Redeemer Alleluja 2. Antiph To day the devout Simeon took our Lord in his arms and knowing nothing now could make him happier but the joys of heav'n sung aloud this glad farewel to all the world Now let thy servant O Lord depart in peace according to thy word for mine eys have seen thy salvation Alleluja 3. Antiph To day the holy Widow and Prophetes Anna who had spent her life in fasting and prayer and in the service of the Temple came happily in and saw our Lord and spake gloriously of Him to all that expected the redemption of Israel Alleluja Prayer O God who vouchsafest us this day to commemorate the B. Virgin 's presenting in the Temple her self to be purify'd and her Son to be redeem'd according to the Law Give us grace we beseech Thee to adore and praise the condescendence of thy providence that by such great Examples teaches us our evident duty of submitting to thy Discipline though seeming perhaps unnecessary for our selvs and grant that as we bear in our hands these hallowed candles we may confes in our lives our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son to be the light of the Gentils and the Glory of thy people Israel who with Thee and the H. Ghost c. Ash-Wednesday All as in the Office of Wenesday except Invitatory Come let us fast and mourn and pray for our Lord is merciful and just Antiph 1 2 3 Remember O man that dust thou art and into dust thou shalt return Say this one Antiphon before and after every Psalm at Matins Lauds Vespers and Complin Prayer O God whose providence introduces thy Church to the grave discipline of Lent by the mortifying Memento of the vile and frail matter we are made of Grant we humbly beseech thee that the Cross of our Redeemer form'd to day in ashes on our foreheads may lay all our proud conceits in the dust and make flesh and blood feel it self highly honour'd if by whatever crosses or mortifications it may be temper'd and rais'd to become a fit instrument for rip'ning souls in they love the immediate dispâ—â—sition to eternal felicity through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. Sundays in Lent All as in the Office of our Saviour except Invitatory Come let us fast and mourn and pray for our Lord is merciful and just 1. Antiph Now is the time of acceptance now are the days of salvation let us not re-receive the grace of God in vain but in all things approve our selvs his servants in labours and watchings and fastings 2. Antiph Now let us take a just and holy revenge on our sins past and strive for the future to bring forth fruits agreeable to our penance in purity meeknes and temperance in charity patience and obedience 3. Antiph Let us follow as we may our divine Master in his forty days retirement and fasting who needed not as we the arts of religion but all he did was for our example that we might learn to fly from the danger of occasions and take away the fewel from our passions and by using to contradict the appetites of sense inure our selvs to obey the commands of reason Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Convert us O God of our salvation and turn away thy anger from us hear us in thy mercy and speedily forgive us lest prevented with death we find no time to repent and without repentance eternally perish Prayer O God whose gracious Providence has ordain'd us to lighten the oppressive weight of our corrupt bodys on our souls by the long and solemn Abstinence of Lent Grant us we beseech Thee conscienciously to observe the wholsom discipline now prescrib'd us and with the due mortification of our flesh so tojoyn the quickening of our spirit by frequent devotions that all our carnal appetities may be fitted for burial in our Saviour's grave and all our affections ready to rise with Him to immortality at those sacred Feasts for which this season is to prepare us through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who c. S. Mathias All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Let them that stand take heed lest they fall Judas was an Apostle yet betray'd his Master and dy'd in despair and another took his Bishoprick 2. Antiph The lot fel on Mathias a continual Follower of JESUS from the baptism of John till the day of His ascension and he was numbred with the eleven Apostles 3. Antiph He liv'd their life and dy'd their death and sits with them in glory to judge the twelve tribes of Israel Prayer O God by whose special grace the B. Mathias was chosen to supply