I withdraw my affections from all vain and perishable creatures and fix them intirely on the enjoyment of Thee my Lord and my God and my eternal felicity * O infinite Goodnes 't is thy self Second Lesson THe beginning of wisdom is the true desire of discipline and the care of discipline is love and love is the keeping of her laws and the keeping of her laws is the accomplishment of incorruption and incorruption makes us next to God therefore the desire of wisdom leads us to an everlasting Kingdom If then you be delighted with Thrones and Scepters seek wisdom that you may reign for ever Into a malicious soul wisdom will not enter nor dwell in a body subject to sins for the holy Spirit will fly from him that dissembles and withdraw himself from thoughts that are without understanding and be chaced away when iniquity comes in The Spirit of wisdom is gentle and will not deliver the Curser from his own lips for God is witnes of his reins and searcher of his hart and hearer of his tongue therefore he that speaks unjust things cannot be hidden nor shall the chastizing vengeance forbear him If thou shalt call for wisdom and incline thy hart to prudence if thou shalt seek her as mony and dig her up as treasure then shalt thou understand the fear of our Lord and fynd the knowledg of God For our Lord gives wisdom and from his mouth is prudence and knowledge R. Send down O thou God of our Fathers and Lord of mercy send down thy Wisdom thy holy heav'n and from the seat of thy greatnes to be in us and labor with us and teach us what is acceptable to thee * That we may know our end and wisely chuse our way and order all our actions to our true felicity Our thoughts are fearful and our prudences incertain we scarce conjecture the things that are on earth and find with pains the things that are in sight Give us O Lord the wisdom that assists at thy Throne and reject us not from among thy Children * That we may Third Lesson THe Spirit of those that fear God shal live and at his sight shal be Blessed for their hope is in him that saves them and the eys of God are on them that love him He that fears our Lord shal tremble at nothing because He is his hope he raises up the Soul and illuminates the eys and gives life and health and blessing Our Lord is only theirs who expect him in the way of truth and justice the Highest allows not the gifts of the wicked nor regards the oblations of the unjust nor pardons their offences for the multitude of their sacrifices By mercy and faith sins are purged and by the fear of our Lord every one declines from evil Despise not a man that turns himself from sin nor upbraid him therwith remember we are all in state to be blam'd Forgive thy neighbor that hurts thee and when thou pray'st thy sins shal be forgiven thee One man reservs anger against another and does he seek pardon of God he has not mercy on a man like himself and does he intreat for his own sins Remember the last things and cease to be at enmity remember the fear of God and be not angry with thy neighbor Hast thou sin'd do so no more but withal pray that thy former sins may be forgiven thee Fly from sin as from the face of a serpent if thou approach it will bite thee the teeth thereof are as the teeth of lyons killing the souls of men He that is washt from the dead and touches him again what does his washing profit him so a man that fasts for his sins and does the same again what avails it to have humbled himself who will hear his prayer R. Deliver us O Lord from relapsing into the sins we have repented the sins we so often have promised to amend Deliver us from all malice and enmity with our neighbors and from oppressing the poor who have none to defend them * Then may we confidently expect thy protection if we serve Thee and love one another Thou art our strength O Lord whom shall we fear Thou art our Salvation of what shall we be afraid nothing can hurt us but our own vicious desires nothing can endanger us but disobedience to our God * Then may we Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost Then may we confidently expect thy protection if we serve Thee and love one another Pause a while to reflect and renew attention then begin Monday Lauds O God incline unto our aid O Lord make hast to help us Glory be to the Father and to the Son * and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the begining both now and ever world without end Amen Alleluia Antiph Bless our Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Psal XVIII COme let us sing the praises of our God and joyfully recite his divine Perfections His being is from himself alone and he depends not on any but his own eternal Essence His Knowledg fathoms the extent of all things and his power commands them as he pleases His goodnes is supreamly infinite and all his glorious Attributes transcendently adorable Come let us sing the praises of our God and joyfully recite his divine perfections He is the Source of all felicity eternally full of his own unchangable Blyss Before time began He was and when the Sun must lose its light his day will remain the same for ever The heav'n of heav'ns is the Palace of his Glory and all-created nature the subject of his Dominion In his presence the brightest Seraphims cover their faces and all the blessed Spirits bow down their heads to his footstool Come let us sing aloud the prerogatives of our God and stretch our utmost thoughts to exalt his Greatnes But O most glorious and dreadful Deity how dare we wretches undertake thy praise How dare our sin-polluted lips pronounce thy Name or where shal we seek expressions fit for Thee All we can say is nothing to thy unspeakable Excellencys all we can think but a faint shadow of thy unconceivable Beautys Even the voice of Angels is too low to reach thy Worth and their highest strains fall infinitely short of Thee Only in this shal thy servants rejoyce and all the Powers of our souls be glad That Thy self alone art thine own full praise Be to thy self thine own glory Live our great God eternally incompast * with the beams of thine own inaccessible light Live our ador'd Creator and raign for ever * on the Throne of thine own immortal Kingdom Glory be c. Psal XIX Too glorious art thou O Lord in Thy self and thy direct ray shines too bright for our eys Yet may we venture to praise Thee in thy works and contemplate Thee at least reflected from thy creatures In them we may safely behold our mighty Maker and freely admire the
the glories prepar'd for us above All the few years we live shall spend themselvs to purchase that one eternal Day That Day whose brightness knows no night nor ever fears the least eclips Whose chearful brow no cloud o'recasts nor storm molests the passage of its rays But still shines on serene and clear and fills with splendors that spacious Palace It needs not the fading lustre of our Sun nor the borrow'd silver of the Moon The Sun that rises there is the Lamb and the Light that shines the Glory of God O how beauteous truths are sung of thee thou City of the King of Heav'n Thy walls are rais'd with precious stones and every gate is of one rich pearl Thy mansions are built with choicest jewels and the pavement of thy streets is transparent gold Down in the midst runs a crystal river perpetually flowing from the throne of God There all along those pleasant banks deliciously grows the tree of life Healing all wounds with its balmy leaves and making imortal all that tast but its fruit Thus is the holy City built thus is the new Jerusalem adorn'd O fortunate and glorious City how free and happy are thy glad Inhabitants Every head wears a royal Crown and every hand a palm of Victory Every ey overflows with joy and every tongue with Psalms of praise Behold O my soul the inheritance we seek and where can we find more riches to invite us Behold the felicities to which we are cal'd and where can we meet such pleasures to entertain us Away then all vain and worldly desires be banisht for ever from molesting my peace Descend thou blessed Heav'n into my hart or rather take up my hart to thee Thy joys are too great to enter into me O make me fit to enter into them Make me still think on my Country above and there establish my eternal home Where I shall dwell perpetually in the view of my God and be fill'd for ever with the sweetness of his presence Glory be c. Antiph Glorious things are said of thee thou City of the King of Heaven Alleluja Antiph If these imperfect shadows so sweetly please how will the real substance transport our harts Alleluja Psal IX BLest be thy gracious Wisdom O Lord that so mercifully stoops to our low conceits Under these veils thou hid'st those glorious mysteries too high and spiritual for our flesh and blood Thou hid'st or rather so reveal'st thy sublime rewards to take us with things we most admire Scepters and Crowns thou know'st are apt * to win the harts of us thy children Children alas too truly in useful knowledg O that we were so in love and duty What is a drop of water to the boundless Ocean or a grain of dust to this vast Globe Such O my God and infinitely less * are the richest Kingdoms here below Should we compare their most pompous state * to the meanest degree in the Court of Heav'n When thou hast fed us a while with milk thou invit'st our appetite to stronger meat Thou tel'st us of a sweet delicious life in the blest society of Saints and Angels With whom we shall dwell in perpetual friendship and be lov'd and esteemed by them all for ever Thou tel'st us of a pure soul-ravishing joy to behold the amiable face of JESUS Whose gracious smiles shine round about and fill the Heav'ns with holy gladnes Thou tel'st us still of incomparably higher delights harken O my soul and humbly adore thy God Whose bounty has provided thee large rewards Since they are no less then his very Self Himself he will clearly unveil before us and openly shew us that great Secret O happy Secret if once at last attain'd if once we but see the face of our God What is it glorious Lord to see thy face but to know Thee as thou art in thine own blest Being To know the immensity of thy self-subsisting Essence and the infinite excellence of all thy Attributes To know the Power of the Eternal Father and the Wisdom of the Increated Son To know the Goodnes of the Holy Ghost and the incomprehensible Glorys of the undivided Trinity This O my Soul is the top of happines this the supreme perfection of our nature This this alone is the aim of our Being the hope and end of all our labors When we are come to this we shall presently rest and our satisfyd desires reach no farther We shall be fill'd with overflowing bliss and our utmost capacities hold no more But in one Act of joy be eternally fixt and that one act spring fresh for ever Glory be c. Antiph If these imperfect shadows so sweetly please how will the real substance transport our harts Alleluja Antiph Never can we say too much of this glorious subject never can we think enough of the felicities of Heav'n Alleluja Psal X. ARise my soul to thee these joys belong arise and advance thy self on high Leave here below all earthly thoughts and fly away with the wings of thy Spirit Fly to that glorious Land of Promise and gladly salute those heav'nly regions Hail happy Paradise of pure delights thou beauteous Garden of never fading flowers Hail blest Society of beatify'd Spirits who perpetually contemplate the eternal Deity Hail and for ever may your glorys grow till they rise so high they can grow no more Hail and among your cheerful Hymns remember us who dwell below in this vale of tears We hope one day to come up to You and be plac't to sing in your holy Quires We hope to know that all-producing Cause we hope to know all it has produc't O what a fire of love will it kindle in our harts when we shall see those shining mysteries When our great God like a burning Mirroir shall strike his brightness on the eys of our soul O what excessive joy will that love produce a love so violently desiring and so fully satisfyed When our capacities shall be stretch't to the utmost and the rich abounding Object fill and overflow them O what profound repose will that joy beget a joy so infinitely high and so eternally secure When in an amorous languishment we shall sweetly dissolve into that blysful union with our first Begining When without losing what we are we shall become even what He is We shall take part in all his joys and share in the glorys of all his Heav'n O what divine and ravishing words are these how gently they enter and delight my ear How they diffuse themselvs over all my brain and strongly penetrate to my very soul Me thinks they turn to substance as they go and I feel them stir and work through all my powers Me thinks they ly as a Cordial at my hart and send forth spirits to quicken and refresh me There O my soul we shall rest from all our labors which are but the way to all that happines There we shall rest from sin and sorrow and no longer be troubled with our selvs or
Magnificence of our God Heav'n and earth are full of his greatnes heav'n and earth were created by his power From him all the hosts of Angels receiv'd their Being from him they have the honour to assist in his presence He kindled warmth and brightnes in the Sun and beauteously garnisht the Firmament with stars He spred the Ayr and stor'd it with flocks of birds He gather'd the waters and replenisht them with shoals of fishes He establisht the Earth on a firm foundation and richly adorn'd it with innumerable varietys Every Element is fill'd with his blessings and all the world with his liberal Miracles He spake the word and they were made he commands and they are still preserv'd He governs their motions in perfect order and distributes to each its proper Office Contriving the Whole into one vast Machin a spacious Theater of his own unlimited Greatnes O glorious Architect of universal nature who disposest all things in number weight and measure How does thy wisdom engage us to admire Thee How does thy Goodnes oblige us to love Thee Not for themselvs alone O gracious God did thy hand produce those happy Spirits But to receive in charge thy litle flock and safe conduct them to the folds of Blyss Not for themselvs at all O bounteous Lord were the Rest of this huge Creation fram'd But to sustain our lives in the way and carry us on to our eternal home O may our souls first praise Thee for themselves and employ their whole powers to improve in thy service May we praise Thee O Lord for all thy gifts but infinitely above all still value the Giver May every blessing be a motive of gratitude and every creature a step of approach towards Thee So shall we faithfully observe their end and happily arrive at ours Using them only to entertain us here till our souls be prepar'd for the life of heav'n Till they become full ripe for Thee and then fly away to thy holy presence Glory be c. Psal XX. HOw admirable is thy Name O Lord over all the earth how wise and gracious the counsels of thy Providence After Thou had'st thus prepar'd the world as a house ready furnisht for man to inhabit Thy mighty hand fram'd our bodys of the dust and built them in a shape of use and beauty Thou breath'dst into us the spirit of Life and fittedst us with facultys proportion'd to our end Thou gav'st us a soul to govern our bodies and reason to command in our soul Thou reveal'dst to us a Law for the improvement of our reason and enablest us by thy grace to observe that Law Thou mad'st us Lords over all thy creatures but little inferior to thy glorious Angels Thou compellest whole Nature to serve us without reward and invitest us to love Thee for our own happiness Thou design'dst us an age of pure delights * in that sweet and fruitful Garden Where having led a long and pleasant life thou promisedst to transplant us to thine own Paradise All this thou didst O glorious God the full Possessor of universal blys Not for any need thou hadst of us or the least advantage thou could'st derive from our being All this thou didst O infinite Goodnes the liberal bestower of what e're we possess Not for any merit alas of ours or the least motive we could offer to induce Thee But for thine own excessive charity and the mere inclination of thine own rich nature That empty we might receive of thy fulnes and be partakers of thy overflowing bounty So sheds the generous Sun his beams and freely scatters them on every side Guilding all the world with his beauteous light and kindly cherishing it with his fruitful heat And so dost Thou and infinitely more O thou God of infinite more perfections So we confess thou dost to us but we what return have we made to Thee Have we consider'd well the end of our being and faithfully comply'd with thy purpose to save us Ah wretched we we neglect thy holy rules and govern our actions by chance and humour We quite forget our God that made us and fill our heads with thoughts that undo us Pardon O gracious Lord our past ingratitude and mercifully direct our time to come Teach every passage of our yet remaining life to express an acknowledgment fit for thy mercys O make our senses subject to our reason and our reason entirely obedient to thee O make the whole Creation conspire to thy honour and all that depend on thee joyn together in thy praise This is the only praise thou expectest from us and the whole honour thou requirest of thy Creatures That by observing the orders thou appointest here in this lower region of change and motion We may all grow up to be happy herafter in that state of permanency and eternal rest Glory be c. Antiph Bless our Lord O my soul and all that is within me praise his holy Name Capit. 4. Apoc. WOrthy art Thou O Lord our God to receive glory and honor and power because Thou hast created all things and for thy will they are and were created Hymn VI. HArk my soul how every thing Strives to serve our bounteous King Each a double tribute pays Sings it part and then obeys Nature's chief and sweetest Quire Him with cheerful notes admire Chanting every day their Lauds While the grove their song applauds Though their voices lower be Streams have too their melody Night and day they warbling run Never pause but stil sing on All the flow'rs that guild the spring Hither their still-musick bring If Heav'n bless them thankful they Smell more sweet and look more gay Only we can scarce afford This short Office to our Lord We on whom his bounty flows All things gives and nothing ows Wake for shame my sluggish hart Wake and gladly sing thy part Learn of birds and springs and flow'rs How to use thy nobler pow'rs Call whole nature to thy aid Since 't was He whole nature made Join in one eternal song Who to one God all belong Live for ever glorious Lord Live by all thy works ador'd One in Three and Three in One Thrice we bow to Thee alone Amen Antiph The boundless Ocean of Being could not contain his streams but overflow'd upon pure nothing and behold a beauteous world appear'd Heav'n and earth and all therein from the highest Angel to the least grain of dust all together the most perfect participation of his Essence V. He spake the word and they were made R. He but commanded and they were created O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Almighty Lord the only wise and good Creator of the Universe who mad'st all corporeal nature for the use of Man and Man for his own felicity enlarge our souls we beseech Thee humbly to admire and adore thy infinite fulnes of Being in Thy self and thy immense liberality of it to us and mercifully carry on the whole
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
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
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
If thou imbrace his love Great God of rich rewards who thus Hast crown'd thy Saints and wilt crown us As Both to Thee belong O may we both together sing Eternal praise to thee our King In one eternal song Antiph Happy are thy Saints O Lord who wisely chose their End and constantly pursu'd the means to attain it Psal CXVI TEl me you eager lovers of the world what 't is you aim at in all your pretences You weary your bodys with restles labour and afflict your minds with perpetual care Day and night you are still perplext stil busily plotting to compas your ends Tel me what are those ends you so long have sought and I will tell you what you soon will find While they are many they but distract your thoughts and often engage them to quarrel among themselvs One end and one alone 's the way to peace and on that One must all the rest depend 'T is true and by that rule we guide our lives * whate're we undertake is only to be happy 'T is to be happy that we strive to be great and enrich our selvs by defrauding others 'T is to be happy that we run after pleasures and covet in every thing our own proud wil But we alas mistake our happines and foolishly seek where 't is not to be found As silly children think to catch the Sun when they see it setting at so neer a distance They travail on and tire themselvs in vain for the thing they seek is in another world Just so we judg and just so are deceiv'd when we think to meet with heaven upon earth This world alas has now no Paradise but all its fruits are weeds and thorns All dangerously mixt with occasions of sin all sprinkled over with the bitternes of sorrow What did we ever passionately love but stil in the end it made us repent Nay the best end was hartily to repent and learn by our falling to tread more sure 'T is not then here we must seek our happines and yet 't is happines we all must seek Pity us O Lord who live below in the dark stil wishing for rest but finding none Scatter those mists of passion that blind our eys and shine upon us with thy beauteous light Convince us thorowly there 's a better world then this a happier people then those we know That we may now begin our journy thither and fit our selvs for that blessed company Glory be c Antiph Happy are thy Saints O Lord who wisely chose their end and constantly pursu'd the means to attain it Antiph O how glorious is the kingdom of heav'n where our Lord reigns in the midst of his Saints Psal CXVII IF thus our nature tend to happines there 's sure some happines to content our nature Sure the All-wise Creator has provided means to satisfy the appetites which himself has made Doubt not my soul the bounty of thy Lord but turn all thy fear on thine own unworthines Look up and see a rich delicious Land that flows with sweeter streams then milk and hony Look up and see a glorious City incomparably braver then the Courts of Kings Behold the blessed Angels shining on their thrones and all the holy Saints triumphing with their hymns Behold the glory wherewith their Lord has crown'd them in the solemn day of their Espousals with Himself Look up and see a more exalted seat and on it one far brighter then the rest the Queen of all those Saints and Angels the Virgin-Mother of the Son of God Look up yet higher O my soul and see * the sacred Humanity of thy deer Redeemer That blessed JESUS who dy'd for us on the Cross and now invites us to partake his crown See and rejoyce in those eternal honors which heaven and earth pay to their King Look up once more and infinitely farther and humbly admire the unspeakable Mystery See and adore the Soveraign Deity essentially ful of its own blest Light Full and overflowing into all his creatures which shine as litle beams deriv'd from Him When thou hast seen all this my soul and staid and dwelt a while among those wonders Turn down thine ey towards the earth again and see the petty things that entertain our minds What is a name of honor and a momentary pleasure compar'd to the blyss of an eternal Paradise What is a bag of mony or a fair Estate if counterballanc't with the treasures of heaven How narrow there do our greatest kingdoms seem how smal a circle the whole globe of the earth Citys and towns shew like litle hils and the busie world but as a swarm of ants Runing up and down and jostling one another and all this stir for a few grains of corn O heaven let me again lift up my eys to thee and take a fuller view of that glorious Prospect There let me stand and fix my steddy sight til I have look't my self into this firm judgment All the most prosperous fortune can here posses or even the largest fancy possibly imagin All is an idle dream to those real joys an absolute nothing to that solid felicity Glory be c. Antiph O how glorious is the kingdom of heav'n where our Lord reigns in the midst of his Saints Antiph In thee O Lord is all our hope in life and death in time and eternity Psal CXVIII T Is true there is I see a glorious state * prepar'd above for the spirits of the Perfect But how shal we poor dust and ashes and laden too with the burthen of our sins How shal we hope to ascend those higher Regions or claim a portion in that holy land Fear not my soul send up thy sighs and prayers * and ask with confidence those celestial spirits They want not knowledge to resolve our doubts they want not charity to relieve our needs Themselvs somtimes have come down to assist us what wil they do when we go up to wait on them Ask the bright Angels what made them happy and straight they 'l answer with a spriteful voice We readily obey'd our great Creator and he fixt us here to shine for ever Ask the blest Saints what brought them to felicity and immediately they 'l tel you in the same glad tune We faithfully lov'd our dear Redeemer and that love plac't us here Ask Both together what bred those excellent vertues and Both together will proclaim aloud Blessed for ever be the grace of our God which alone has wrought all our works in us Blessed for ever be the Bounty of our Lord which gave us freely first then crown'd his own gifts Hark how the holy Saints as more ally'd to us * bear on alone and sweetly cloze the song Fear not say they you who dwel below and sigh under the weight of flesh and blood Fear not to ascend at last to this place of joy and take your happy seats among our Quires We too liv'd once in that valley of tears and were set to strive
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
all Be thou to us our God and all things and make us nothing in our own eys Be thou our whole everlasting delight and let nothing else be any thing to us Glory be c. Antiph Vanity of Vanitys all is Vanity but the love of God and hope to enjoy him Capit. Ephes 6. CHildren obey your Parents in our Lord for this is just and you Fathers provoke not your Children to anger but bring them up in discipline and the fear of our Lord. Servants be obedient to your Masters according to the flesh with fear and trembling in the simplicity of your harts as to Christ not serving to the ey as it were pleasing men but as the servants of Christ doing the will of God from the hart knowing whatever good any one shal do that shal he receive of our Lord whether he be bond or free And you Masters do the same things to them forbearing threatnings knowing that both their Lord and yours is in heav'n and with Him is no acceptance of persons Hymn VII LOrd who shal dwel above with Thee There on thy holy Hill Who shal those glorious Prospects see That heav'n with gladnes fill Those happy souls who prize that life Above the bravest here Whose greatest hope whose eagrest strife Is once to settle there They use this world but value That That they supremely love They travel through this present state But place their home above Lord who are they that thus chuse Thee But those Thou first didst chuse To whom Thou gav'st thy grace most free Thy grace not to refuse We of our selvs can nothing do But all on Thee depend Thine is the work and wages too Thine both the way and end O make us stil our work attend And we 'l not doubt our pay We wil not fear a blessed end If thou but guide our way Glory to Thee O bounteous Lord Who giv'st to all things breath Glory to Thee Eternal Word Who sav'st us by thy death Glory O Blessed Spirit to Thee Who fill'st our harts with love Glory to all the Mystick Three Who reign one God above Amen Antiph He that fram'd the hart of man design'd it for himself and bequeath'd it unquietnes til possest of its Maker V. Vanity of Vanitys all is Vanity R. But to love our God and attend his service O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who alone art all in all things to us and to whom we are nothing but wretched objects of thy bounty which the more flows upon us the more we truly feel our own pure emptines and want of it Encrease we humbly beseech thee this happy sense iu thy servants by our dayly experience of this worlds unsatisfyingness and grant that finding it ordain'd by Thee to breed and widen not fill our capacity we may make this only use of all thy creatures here to raise and heighten our desires of thy infinite Self in Eternity through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our Supplications come to Thee V. Bless we our Lord R. Thanks be to God V. May the Souls of the Faithful Departed through the mercy of God rest in peace Amen Pause a while to reflect and renew Then begin Complin Monday Complin V. OUr help is in As Page 46. Antiph All thy ways O Lord are mercy and wisdom and all thy Counsels tend to our happines Psal XXIV MY God in every thing I see thy hand in every passage thy gracious Providence Thou wisely govern'st the house thou hast built and preventest with thy mercy 's all our wants Thou cal'st us up in the early morning and giv'st us light by the beams of thy Sun To labour every one in their proper Office and fill the litle place appointed them in the world Thou provid'st a rest for our weary Evening and favour'st our sleep with a shady darknes To refresh our bodys in the peace of night and save the wast of our decaying spirits Again thou awak'st our drowsy eys and bid'st us return to our dayly task Thus has thy wisdom mixt our life and beauteously interwoven it of rest and work Whose mutual changes sweeten each other and both prepare us for our greatest duty Of finishing here the work of our Salvation to rest herafter in thy holy peace Glory be c. Psal XXV LOrd how thy bounty gives us all things else * with a large and open hand Our Fields at once are cover'd with corn and our trees bow under the weight of their fruit At once thou fill'st our Magazines with plenty and sendst us who'e show'rs of other blessings Only our time thou distil'st by drops and never giv'st us two moments at once But tak'st away one when thou lendest another to teach us the price of so rich a Jewel That we may learn to value every hour and not childishly spend them on empty trifles Much less maliciously murther whole days in pursuing a course of sin and shame Lord as Thou thus hast taught our ignorance so let thy grace enable our weaknes Wisely to manage the time thou giv'st us and stil press on to new degrees of improvement That with our few but wel-spent years we may purchase to our selvs a blest eternity Glory be c. Psal XXVI IT was thy mercy too O gracious Lord to dispense by parcels our portion of time That the succeeding day may learn to grow wise and correct its faults by experience of the past Else were our Being all at once as it shall be in the next Eternal life Our sins would have here no power to be repented and then alas how desperate were we We who are born in the way to misery and unless we change can never be happy We who so often wilfully go astray and unless we return must perish for ever O Thou in whose indulgent hands * are both our time and our Eternity Whose Providence gives every minute of our life and governs the fatal period of our death O make us every Evening still provide * to pass with comfort that important hour Make us still ballance our accompts for heav'n and strive to increase our treasures with Thee That if we rise no more to our acquaintance here we may joyfully waken among thy blessed Angels There to unite our Hymns with Theirs and joyn all together in one full Quire Glory be c. Antiph All thy ways O Lord are mercy and wisdom and all thy Counsels tend to our happines Hymn VIII NOw my Soul the day is gone Which in the morn was thine Now its glass no more shall run Its Sun no longer shine True alas the day is gone O were it only so Is 't not lost as well as done Cast up thy counts and know Are we so much nearer heav'n As to the grave we bow Has our sorrow made all
spred all o're with thorns yet carried Him directly to the glory 's of Paradise Shal we not confidently rely on so gracous a Leader who promises if we faint to look back and relieve us O dearest Lord bow down thy merciful eys and pity the frailtys of our imperfect nature Reach forth thy hand and strengthen us with thy grace that nothing divert our advance towards Thee But in this dangerous labyrinth of the world * and the whole course of our pilgrimage here Thy heav'nly Dictates may be our map * and thy holy life our guide Glory be c. Psal XLVI MAy every Age sing praises to our God and all generations adore his providence From the begining his mercy has stil laid means * to raise us to those blessed objects above our nature At first he created Adam with all necessary knowledg and then ordain'd the Patriarks to inform their familys Afterwards He charg'd the Angels to bring us his Commands and often inspir'd the Prophets to declare his Will When he had done all this and found it not enough to guide untoward man to his true end What did He then to save the perishing world O strange excess of the divine goodnes He sent even his own beloved Son to dwel among us and teach us the art of working our Salvation That sacred art of training up our souls for heav'n and fitting them for the blisful Union with Himself But O Thou King of glorious sweetnes whose flowing tongue dropt milk and honey We were alas not happy to behold thy Person nor our ears worthy to hear thy voice Yet e're we were born thou hadst us in thy thoughts and providedst a method to supply that defect Selecting a number of choice Disciples and thorowly instructing them in thy heav'nly doctrine That they might keep alive the memory of Thee and witnes to all Nations thy stupendious works Thou verifyd'st their Mission with the power of Miracles and enflamd'st their harts with the fire of thy Spirit O're all the world they proclaim'd thy Law and undauntedly preach'd the crucify'd God Deep in the brests of the Faithful did they write thy Gospel and seal it before their eys with their own blood Their Successors deposited the same precious treasure in the common Magazin of the Universal Church Enjoyning their Children to guard it with their livs convey it unchang'd to future ages Thus is the Catholique Faith descended on us and thus shal continue to the end of the world 'T is but to ask our Fathers and they will tell us our Ancestors and they will instruct us Blessed by thy wisdom O Lord which has laid such marks to seek thy Church * and open'd our eys to find it Blessed be thy power that has wrought such miracles to confirm thy faith and inclind'd our harts to believe it How many Souls are unhappily seduced and lose themselvs in the wildernes of Heresy While we by thy Providence are directly led * the straight and only way to blyss How many Nations ly miserably involv'd * in the darknes of barbarism and unbelief While we enjoy a clear noon day and safely walk in the light of truth O infinite Goodnes who freely chusest * to pour forth thy blessings on unworthy us As 't is from Thee alone we receive these favours to Thee alone let us return our praises Glory be c. Antiph All my life long will I praise my God and lift up my hands to his holy Throne Capit. 1 Peter 5. THe God of all grace who has called us to his eternal glory in Christ JESUS will himself after you have suffered a litle perfect confirm and stablish you To him be glory and empire for ever and ever Amen Hymn XIV MY God had I my breath from Thee This pow'r to speak and sing And shal my voice and shal my song Praise any but their King My God had I my soul from Thee This pow'r to judg and chuse And shal my brain and shal my will Their best to Thee refuse Alas not this alone or That Hast thou bestow'd on me But all I have and all I hope I have and hope from Thee And more I have and more I hope Then I can speak or think Thy blessings first refresh then fill Then overflow the brink But though my voice and fancy be Too low to reach thy praise Yet both shal strain thy glorious Name High as they can to raise Glory to Thee immortal God One great Coequal Three As at the first begining was May now and ever be Antiph Happy we securely happy could our busy folly let us see it whose lots are deposited in the hands of wisdom it self which strongly reaches from end to end and disposes all things sweetly V. Are not two Sparrows sold for a farthing R. Yet not one of them falls to the ground without our Father O Lord hear our Prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Soveraign Lord whose wise ey continually looks through universal nature and whose omnipotent hand steers every part of it most fitly to the end of thy goodnes Suppress we humbly beseech Thee all distractive solicitude in thy servants by this clear Reflection Who Governs the World and grant that duly confident of thy Providence for all things out of our just reach we may diligently apply all our own endeavours in improving our selvs and others according to the rules of thy perfect charity through our Lord. Commemorations as Page 29. VVednesday Vespers OUr Father c. As page 33. Antiph A good Conscience is a continual feast and a peaceful mind the Antipast of heav'n Psal XLVII LOrd how secure and quiet they live * whom thy grace preservs in innocence The day goes smoothly over their heads * and silent as the shadow of a dyal The spirits of their fancy run calm and even and eb and flow in obedience to reason All their delight is to think on heav'n and reckon o're the joys they shall one day possess Till some unruly passion press to come in * and by its fawning outside gain admittance It promises at first all joy all happines but soon discovers its pernicious intent Soon it grows bold to undermine their repose and open a door to all their enemys So at a litle breach of the City wall * a whole Army pours in their numerous body Enslaving all that submit to their violence * and destroying all that make head to resist it And such alas is their confusion * when once they have yielded to the first assault Immediately a throng of tumultuous spirits croud into their heads and utterly consume the litle remnant of their peace O the distraction of a life led by humor and the miserable thraldom of being subject to our passions How often do they engage us to contend with others and imbitter all our days with strife and envy How often do they quarrel even among themselves and raise a war in our own bosoms
her head with a diadem of Saints Thou hast given her the keys of all thy treasures and open'd to her the mysterys of heav'n it self Mysterys that free our souls from the dominion of sense and place them above the reach of reason These thy whole Church unanimously attests as deriv'd from Thee their original source And runing along through every age * have always maintain'd their constant chanel O may they still bear on their course and still spread wider their wholsom streams May all the world be water'd with this dew of heav'n and bring forth fruit to everlasting life But O unhappy you who seek new paths and blindly follow your misleading guides You who forsake the known Church-way to truth and charge the whole Christian world with malice and error Tell me can any reason considerately think * that so many witnesses should conspire in a falshood Such as must necessarily damn themselvs and desperately endanger all their posterity Such as by every ey may easily be discern'd and the credit of the forgers confounded with shame Stay till a thousand Mothers freely agree * to poyson themselvs and their beloved children Stay till a Nation solemnly vote * that a wave of the Sea is firmer then a rock When you have seen this done and the deluge of Antichrist himself invade the world Yet shall that holy Ark still float above and save the Just from the fury of the waves O the excessive goodnes of our merciful God who has made his Testimonys even too credible Too credible to be doubted by any thing but ignorance too credible to be deny'd by any thing but passion We are almost now constrain'd to believe Lord grant us grace but to hope and love Glory be c. Antiph Upon this rock will I build my Church and the gates of hell shall not prevail against it Antiph How admirably O Lord has thy Wisdom contriv'd our salvation infusing even by our senses grace into our souls Psal LV. SAfe in this hand has our provident Lord * deposited the richest treasures of his Kingdom Commanding his Priests to conserve them with reverence * and dispense them to others with a prudent charity Soon as we 're born into this world of danger his vigilant Baptism stands ready to save us Ready to wipe out the guilt of our birth and write our new names in the book of life What all eternity could never have worn off * a litle sprinkling of water washes away When we are come to riper years and a fit capacity of professing our Faith His holy Bishops mysteriously anoint our foreheads to cherish and Confirm our growing beleef That we never be asham'd of the Cross of Christ but to the face of death freely confess him If in our spiritual combat we receive a wound he has appointed persons expresly to cure us Only he requires we should open our sores before them and hartily repent our wilful rashnes He requires we should satisfy the world and our own souls in repairing the damage they sustain by our trespas Heal'd by the bitter waters of Pennance we are imediatly invited to all the sweetnes of Paradise To tast the delicious bread of Angels to eat even the Flesh it self of the Son of God So to become intirely one with him while we feed on his Body and are govern'd by his Spirit That the world may continue in a blest succession he solemnly sanctify'd the rites of Marriage Exalting that state to the honour of a Sacrament that we might more regard the holines of its dutys To prevent the failing of Governours in the Church the Church for which this world continues Themselvs are impowr'd to kindle fresh lights who stil may shine on when the old ones are spent Yet is there one important period of our life the sicknes that summons us to the bar of death Nor has our gracious Lord forgotten this but carefully provided a holy Unction To allay our fears in that sad hour and strengthen our hopes of everlasting felicity That we may finish our course in peace and go up with joy to receive our crown Thus by thy wise indulgent care O Thou sweet Conductor of our Souls Every station of our pilgrimage has a fit entertainment and every defect a proper remedy Glory be c. Antiph How admirably O Lord has thy Wisdom contriv'd our Salvation infusing even by our senses grace into our souls Antiph We confess we are bound to do many things against our will why not believe some few above our understanding Psal LVI THese are the seven bright golden Candlesticks * set up to enlighten and adorn the Church But behold in the midst One like the son of man but is indeed the Son of God Behold One disguis'd in the shape of bread but is indeed the Son both of God and man He whom the Seraphims prostrate adore and fly with all their wings to perform his commands He who came down to dy for us sinners and ascended again above the highest heav'ns Himself is there and graciously stays our coming to receive our pray'rs and send us home with his blessing He 's there though not discern'd by sense nor the mysterys of his presence comprehended by reason Yet may a lively faith pass through the veil and confidently enter into the holy of holys A faith that works by love may enter and fill it self with celestial Manna But the uncharitable faith shall be cast into darkness among them that believe and tremble Behold O Lord we believe and hope perfect by thy vigorous grace our faint endeavours Quicken our half dead faith into a ready assent where ever thou art pleas'd to engage thy word Why should we doubt the Power of God can do somthing that the weaknes of man cannot understand Which of us knows how the common bread we eat * is naturally turn'd into our own substance And shall we dispute the supernatural conversion * of this blessed bread into the substance of our Saviour Shall we submit our reason to the secrets of nature and make it judg of the mysterys of grace Shall we rely on the reports of men where we do not see and distrust the word of God because we do not see No let us now believe that herafter we may see when our eys shall be open'd in the Kingdom of light Where our dark faith shall cease into vision and our hope expire into full enjoyment Where all our affections shall be contracted into love and love extended to eternity Glory be c. Antiph We confess we are bound to do many things against our will why not believe some few above our understanding Our Father c. First Lesson CHrist loved his Church and gave himself for it that he might sanctify it cleansing it by the Laver of water in the word of life that he might present to himself a glorious Church not having spot or wrinckle And he gave some Apostles and some Prophets and some Evangelists and some Pastors
Glory to Thee O bounteous Lord Who giv'st to all things breath Glory to Thee Eternal VVord VVho sav'st us by thy death Glory O blessed Spirit to Thee Who fill'st our souls with love Glory to all the mystick Three Who reign one God above Antiph This is alas the land of the Dying but we hope to see the glory of God in the land of the Living Psal LXXX PRostrate before thy Tomb O Lord behold we freely confess our misery And in the lowliest posture of afflicted Pilgrims humbly implore thy mercy Peacefully in the grave thy body repos'd and thy soul went triumphing to redeem thy Captives But we alas thy helpless orphans how are we left in the midst of our enemys To how many dangers is our life expos'd with how many tentations are we round besieg'd Tentations in meat tentations in drink tentations in conversing tentations in solitude Tentations in business tentations in leisure tentations in riches tentations in poverty All our ways are strew'd with snares and even our own senses conspire against us Whether O my God shall our poor souls go encompast with a body so frail and a world so corrupt Whether but to Thee the Justifier of sinners and to thy grace the Sustainer of the weak Thy grace instructs us what we ought to do and breeds in us the will to endeavour what we know Thy grace enables us to perform our resolvs and when all 's done thy grace must give the success Govern us with this thy grace O Eternal Wisdom and direct our steps in the safe way Order every chance to prevent our falling and still lead us on towards our happy end Give us the ey and wing of an eagle to see our danger and fly swiftly away If we must needs engage our Enemy and no means left to escape the encounter Strengthen us O Lord to persevere with courage that we never be wanting in our fidelity to Thee Convince us Blessed JESU into this firm judgment and may our memorys faithfully retain it What ever our senses say to deceive us or the world to obscure so beauteous a truth That Thy self alone art our chiefest good and the sight of thy glory our supream felicity Glory be c. Antiph This is alas the land of the Dying but we hope to see the glory of God in the land of the Living Antiph Well done thou good and faithful servant I gave thee two talents and thou hast gain'd two more enter into thy Masters joy Psal LXXXI HAppy are they O Lord who have so much employment that there remains no room for idle thoughts Happy are they who have so litle business that they want not space to attend their souls Happy yet more are they who in the midst of their work * can think somtimes of the wages above Whom nothing diverts from that chief concern * of seeking to make their election sure But while their backs are bow'd down with labor they freely can raise up their minds to heav'n And while they are tyed to their beds with sicknes can yet move on towards their eternal rest Often they rejoyce with themselvs alone and silently say in their contented harts Here we alas are narrowly confin'd and our time entertain'd with trivial affairs But herafter we expect an unbounded enlargement and the same glorious office with the blessed Angels Here we are subject to a thousand miserys and the most prosperous life is vain and short But herafter we expect an infinity of joy and the solid pleasures of heav'n for ever We too O gracious Lord who now adore Thee and in thy presence sing these holy words We humbly pray thee guide us in the middle path that we never decline to any vicious extreme Deliver us from the stormy sea of busines and the dead water of a slothful life Lest we be cast away by forgetting thee or becom corrupted by neglecting our selvs Make us somtimes at least recollect our thoughts how much soever our condition distract us Make us look up with confidence in our God how low soever our afflictions depress us Make us look up to the eternal mountains and feed our souls on this sweet hope The day wil come when out of this dark world * we shal joyfully ascend to that beauteous light The day will come and cannot be far off when we shal rest for ever in the bosom of blyss Glory be c. Antiph Well done thou good and faithful servant I gave thee two talents and thou hast gain'd two more enter into thy Masters joy Antiph Well done thou good and faithful servant I gave thee five talents and thou hast gain'd five more enter into thy Masters joy Psal LXXXII HAppiest of all O Lord are they * whose very business is thy service Who not only bestow an interrupted glance but stedily fix their eys on Thee Who not only visit thy house somtimes but night and day dwel in thy presence If the Sun rise it finds them at their prayers and when it sets leaves them at the same sweet task Every place is a Church to them and every day a holy Sabaoth Every object an occasion of Piety and every accident an exercise of vertue Do they behold the beauteous stars they presently adore their great Creator Do they look down on the fruitful earth they instantly begin to praise his bounty Let War or Peace do what they will and the inconstant world reel up and down They pass through all as unconcern'd and smoothly go on their regular course Looking stil up to that glorious life above and entertaining this present in hope and solitude If they depart somtimes from their proper center and forsake a while their belov'd retirement 'T is to approach and give light to others and enflame some cold or â—â—ukewarm hart While they are thus abroad their minds are at home with Thee and nothing can divide them from thy dear presence Yet do they wisely make hast to return and injoy Thee alone in their litle Cell There Thou receiv'st them as familiar friends and freely admit'st them to thy secret sweetnes Thou giv'st them a tast from thine own full board and overflow'st their harts with the wine of gladnes Often they feel a litle beam from heav'n * strike gently and fill their brests with light Often that gentle light is kindled into a flame and chastly burns with pure desires Desires that stil mount up and aim at Thee * the supernatural center of all their hopes O happy state of reverend Discipline free from the cares and tumults of this world Free from the dangerous allurements of sin and perpetually solicited with engagements to vertue Where they seldom fall and quickly rise and make swift advances in the way to heav'n Where they live in purity and dy with confidence and go to sing among the Quires of Angels Blest Providence who govern'st all things in perfect wisdom and assign'st to every one his proper place If Thou hast pleas'd to
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
of Kings the great ones of the world * an Heroick spirit to advance thy glory Enflame the harts of Prelats and the Preists of thy Church * with a generous Zeal of Conversion of souls Convince them all 't is the end and duty of their place * to improve mankind in vertue and Religion One mercy more we humbly beg which O may thy Providence favorably supply Prepare O Lord the harts of those that err * and make them apt to receive the truth Then chuse thy burning and thy shining lights and send them forth over all the world Send them O God of infinite Charity but send them not alone * lest they faint by the way or miscarry in the end Go with them Thy self guide them by thy grace and crown their labors with thy powerfull blessing So shall the humble vallyes be rais'd up and the stubborn mountains be brought low So shal the crooked paths be made direct and the rough ways smooth and plain So shal the glory of God be every where reveal'd and all flesh see it together Happy the times when this shal come to pass happy the eys that shal see these times Come glorious days wherin that Sun shal shine * which inlightens all at once both the hemisphears Come holy JESU and make those glorious days and let no cloud o'recast them for ever Come and in the largest sense maintain thy Title Be effectively the Saviour of the universal world Glory be c. Antiph To Thee O Lord we look up for salvation have mercy on the works of thine own hands Capit. Tytus 2. THe grace of God our Saviour has appeared to all men instructing us that denying all iniquity and wordly desires we should live soberly justly and piously in this present world expecting the blessed hope and the coming of the glory of our great God and Saviour JESUS Christ who gave himself for us that he might redeem us from all iniquity and purify to himself an acceptable people zealous of good works Hymn XXXI JESU whose grace inspires thy Priests To keep alive by solemn feasts The Mem'ory of thy love O may we here so pass thy days That they at last our souls may raise To feast with Thee above JESU behold three Kings from far Led to thy Cradle by a star Bring gifts to Thee their King O guide us by thy light that we May find thy lov'd face and to thee Our selvs for tribute bring JESU the pure and spotles Lamb Who to the Temple humbly came Those legal Rights to pay O make our proud and stubborn will Thine and thy Churches laws fulfil Whate're fond nature say JESU who on that fatal wood Pour'dst forth thy life's last drop of blood Nail'd to a shameful cross O may we bless thy love and be Ready dear Lord to bear for Thee All grief all pain all loss JESU who by thine own love slain By thine own pow'r took'st life again And from the grave did'st rise O may thy death our spirits revive And at our death a new life give A life that never dyes JESU who to thy heav'n again Return'dst in triumph there to reign Of men and Angels King O may our parting souls take flight Up to that land of joy and light And there for ever sing All glory to the sacred Three One undivided Deity All honour pow'r and praise O may thy blessed name shine bright Crown'd with those beams of beauteous light It s own eternal rays Here recite the Antiphon for Magn. with the Canticle Magnificat and the Prayer after it as in the Proper of our Saviours Feasts But if you voluntarily say this Office on any day that is not some Feast of our Saviour then use the Antiphon and Prayer following Antiph Come all you Nations of the earth whom the mercy of our Lord has so dearly redeem'd Come and in honour of the divine Son sing the Canticle of the Blessed Mother alleluia Magnificat as Pag. 44. O Lord hear our Prayer And let our Supplications come to Thee Let us pray O Holy and ever-blessed JESU who being the eternal Son of God and most high in the glory of thy Father vouchsafed'st for us sinners to be born of an humble Virgin to be subject to the weaknesses of a litle child to grow up in a life of privacy and labour to declare thy self at last the Redeemer of the world by establishing a perfect law of grace and confirming it with innumerable miracles and suffering for it intollerable persecutions even to death it self Work in us we humbly beseech thee the happy effects of all these mercys that beleeving in thee we may imitate thy life and obeying thy commands injoy thy promises who with the Father and the holy Ghost livest and reignest one God world without end Amen Commemorations as Page 29. O Lord hear our Prayers as Page 29. Complin for our B. Saviour OUr help is in as Pag. 46. Antiph Whither O my God should we go but to Thee Thou hast the words of eternal life Psal CII REtire now my soul from thy Common thoughts * permitted to entertain thy less serious hours Retire and call thy wandring fancys home and speedily range them into peace and order That thou mayst so be prepar'd to hear thy Lord * invite thee among the rest to tast his sweetnes Come to me you that labour and are opprest and I will refresh you Take up my yoke and learn of me for I am meek and humble of hart and you shal find rest to your souls For my yoak is sweet and my burthen light Enough dear Lord enough is said * to draw all the world to thy holy Discipline What can be offer'd so agreable to our nature * too much alas inclin'd to pleasure and profit What can be offer'd so powerfully attractive as to make our work delightful and then reward it As to propose an employment like the musick of Churches devout and sweet and gainful to the performers Whither O my God should we go but to thee Thou hast the words of eternal life Thou art our wisest Instructer to know what to do and only Enabler to do what we know Thou art the free Bestower of all we have and faithful Promiser of all we hope Thou kindly calst us O make us gladly hear thy voice * and constantly follow it till we come to Thee Suffer us no longer to go astray like lost sheep wandring up and down in our own by-ways Suffer us no longer to be distracted among many things * from thee O Lord who art but One But gather us up from the world into our selvs then take us from our selvs into Thee There to be ravisht with thy holy embraces there to be feasted with the Antepasts of heav'n O how unspeakable are thy sweetnesses O Lord which thou hast hid for those who fear Thee Which thou hast partly reveal'd to those who love Thee * and keep their tasts uncorrupted with the world
But O what are they then to those who see Thee and in that sight see all things else To those who rejoyce perpetually before Thee and in that joy find all joys else O beauteous truth which known inforces love and lov'd begets felicity Live thou for ever in my faithful memory and be my constant guide in all my ways Stil let me think on those joys above and undervalue all things compar'd to my salvation Stil let me think on my Saviours love that purchas'd for me all those joys O my ador'd Redeemer be Thou the masterwish of my hart the scope and end of all my time Soon as I wake let me look up to Thee and when I rise first lowly bow to Thee Often in the day let me call in my thoughts to Thee and when I go to rest cloze up mine eys in Thee So shal my time be govern'd by thy grace and my eternity corwn'd with thy glory Antiph Whither O my God should we go but to Thee Thou hast the words of eternal life I look not O Lord to be pardon'd without repentance but I hope thy grace to make me repent Psal CIII MY God when I remember those words of Thine Repent for the Kingdom of heav'n is at hand When I consider they were the first thou spak'st in publick the chosen text of the Eternal Wisdom Instantly I 'm struck with the importance of the duty and deeply affected with the power of the motive If what this last line says be not wholy true but repeated in course as a form of devotion Forgive dear Lord the deâ—â—eitfulness of my hart and make me think as well as say my prayers Make me apply those searching words to my self and bind them fast on my own soul Repent O my soul for the Kingdom of heav'n is at hand repent for the Kingdom of heav'n depends on thy repentance Vnhappy me I cannot live without sin nor hope for pardon without due repentance I cannot repent without the grace of God nor obtain his grace without his own free gift O my sweet Saviour JESU who cam'st not to call the just but such as I am sinners to repent Since I am not strong enough to be perfectly innocent at least make me humble enough to be truly penitent Make me hartily sorry for what I have done amiss and not do again what will make me sorry Wo to the day and hour wherin I sin'd wo to the many days and hours I have foolishly mispent Or rather wo to me who abuse my days and hours * allow'd by thy goodnes to work out my salvation Deliver me O Lord from the punishments I deserve deliver me from the sins that deserve those punishments Teach me that safe and easy method * of censuring my self to be acquitted by Thee Every night let me sit as an impartial judg and call before me all my day Let me severely examine every thought and word and strictly search every deed and omission Condemning my offences to their just penance and making more firm and wary resolvs Imploring for the past the mercy of heav'n and for the time to come the same unbounded mercy If I perhaps find some litle thing well done * when weigh'd with the allowance indulg'd our frailty Let me return all the glory to my God and beg his grace to continue and improve it Hâ—â— is the hand that sews the seed hâ—â— is the blessing that gives the increase Thus let me once a day at least look home and seriously inquire into the state of my soul What ere my weaknes or malice may have done let me now undo with a harty contrition Let not the sun go down upon my wrath nor on any other unrepented sin Still let me write at the foot of my account * Reconcil'd to my God and in charity with all the world Then go to bed with a quiet conscience and fall asleep in peace and hope Glory be c. Antiph I look not O Lord to be pardon'd without repentance but I hope thy grace to make me repent Antiph Since where my treasure is there will my hart be O make me place my treasure where my hart ought to be Psal CIV LOrd e're I take my leave of this Holy day * which thy Church has sanctify'd in honor of thy memory Let me repeat some few words more * of those incomparable many thou hast left among us Let me attentively mediate their substantial sense and settle them as Principles of my life and action Lay not up for your selvs treasures on earth * where rust and moth corrupt and Theeves break thorow and steal But lay up for your selvs treasures in heav'n * where neither rust nor moth corrupt nor Theeves break thorow and steal For where your treasure is there will your hart be also Go now you curious and study what you please for me I le stay and listen to my Saviour He 'l teach me high and sure and useful truths he 'l teach me truths that will make me happy Hark but this one word more and you 'l stay too if any sense of your eternal good can hold you Hark how he kindly tels us this new and glorious Secret we shal be herafter like the Angels in heav'n O sweet and precious word to them that relish it and thorowly digest its strong nourishment To them that feed on 't often as their dayly bread we shal be hereafter like the Angels in heav'n And what O dearest Lord are those blessed Angels * but spirits that know and love and delight for ever Such O my soul we shal be and that sweet life we shal lead we shal be and live like the Angels in heav'n We shal know all that 's true and love all that 's good and delight in that knowledg and love for ever No ignorance shal darken us nor error deceive us we shal be like the Angels in heav'n No cares shal perplex us nor crosses afflict us we shal be like the Angels in heav'n Our joys shal be full and pure and everlasting we shal be like the Angels in heav'n Cheer thee my soul and bless thy bounteous Lord 't is by him we shal be like the Angels in heav'n Cheer thee and raise thy hopes yet gloriously higher we shal be like Himself for we shal see him as he is Antiph Since where my treasure is there will my hart be O make me place my treasure where my hart ought to be Hymn XXXII LOrd now the time returns For weary man to rest And lay aside those pains and cares With which our day 's opprest Or rather change our thoughts To more concerning cares How to redeem our mispent time With sighs and tears and pray'rs How to provide for heav'n That Place of rest and peace Where our full joys shall never wain Our pleasures never cease Blest be thy love dear Lord That taught us this sweet way Only to love Thee for Thy self And for that love obey O Thou our
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
pray'd and mingled with their prayers their tears they wept and mingled with their tears their complaints Ah dearest Lord why were not we so happy * to be conuerted by Thee while thou dweld'st among us Why not entertain salvation when thou brought'st it to our homes and preferd'st our litle nation before all the world Vnhappy we how came this misery to pass * that many of us look't on thy miracles and saw them not Before our eys thou gav'st sight to the blind and our souls were darkned with sin and prejudice Thou did'st cleanse the leprous and heald all manner of deseases thou did'st raise the dead and cast out divels with thy word Yet we alas how many of us blasphem'd thy name how many conspir'd with thy bloody crucifyers Spare us O Lord have mercy on us O JESU for we knew thee not to be the Lord of glory Blessed be thy holy spirit who has open'd our eys and made us see through the veil that ecclipst us Now we beleeve Thee the Messias we expected now we acknowledg Thee the King of Israel Such were the fervours of those happy times and O how happy were our times had we those fervours But ours are become miserable by schisms and heresys and the darknes that covers a great part of the earth Ours are become miserable by the unfruitful lives * and scandalous examples of too many Christians Too many alas yet even the gates of hell * can ne're prevail against the power of God Stil the same spirit governs the world and keeps alive the same primitive fire Stil there are harts ful of the holy Ghost ful of that ravishing wine of divine love Stil there are souls who renounce all they have and take up their cross and follow our Lord. Stil there are fiery tongues kindled by the breath of heav'n who carry their sacred flames into every Nation Stil the Apostolick Church is true to its name and sends abroad her burning and her shining lights Stil the Almighty Goodnes is true to his Church and conservs it one and holy and universal O keep us blessed Spirit in this thy fold of grace and bring the whole world into one flock That all may be of the same mind here and all enjoy the same happines herafter Glory be c. Antiph This is our Lords doing and it is wonderful in our eys Alleluja Alleluja Our Father c. First Lesson Jo. 14. AMen amen I say to you he that beleevs in me the works that I do he also shal do and greater then these shall he do because I go to the Father and wharever you shal ask in my name I wil do that the Father may be glorify'd in the Son If you love me keep my Commandments and I wil ask the Father and he will give you another Paraclete to abide with you for ever the Spirit of truth whom the world cannot receive because it sees Him not nor knows Him but you know Him for he shal abide with you and be in you Resp Blessed be thy merciful Providence O JESU who when thon hadst finisht thy great work on earth ascendedst into heav'n to draw up our minds even thither after Thee Alleluja * That where our happines is there might our harts be also Alleluja Alleluja Blessed be thy infinite goodnes O dear Redeemer who when thou hadst taught us the words of eternal life â—â—entst down the holy Ghost to make us observe them and raise up our affections to that glorious Kingdom whether thou art gone before us Alleluja * That Second Lesson Acts. 2. WHen the days of Pentecost were accomplisht they were all together in once place and suddenly there was made a sound from heav'n as of a vehement wind coming and it fill'd the whole house where they were siting and there appear'd to them parted tongues as it were of fire and sate upon each of them and they were replenisht with the holy Ghost and began to speak with divers tongues according as the holy Ghost gave them to speak And there were dweling at Jerusalem Jews devout men of every Nation under heav'n and when this noise was made the multitude came together and was astonisht in mind because every one heard them speak in his own tongue the wonderful works of God Resp Thus were the words of the Prophets fulfil'd and the promises of our Saviour perform'd and the faith of the Christian Church miraculously begun Alleluja * O may it stil go on and increase and multiply til every Nation speak in their own tongues the wonderful works of God Alleluja Alleluja Govern O blessed Spirit the Church thou so wonderfully hast establisht govern it with thy special grace and always preserve it in obedience to Thee and us in obedience to it Alleluja * O may Third Lesson Acts 4. ANd the multitude of Beleevers had one hart and one soul nor did any say that ought was his own of what he possest but all was common to them And the Apostles with great power gave testimony to the resurrection of Jesus Christ our Lord and great grace was in them all nor was there any one needy among them for as many as were owners of lands of houses sold them and brought the price of what they sold and laid it at the feet of the Apostles and to every one was divided as every one had need Resp O happy life O heav'n upon earth this is the blest effect of the fire of the true Spirit which warms without scorching and shines without smoking and inlightens without consuing Kindle in our harts O Lord this holy fire of meeknes and peace and unity * That all the world may know whose Disciples we are by seeing us love one another Alleluja But O deliver us from the contrary fire the fire of the false spirit that scorches without warming and smokes without shining and consumes without inlightening deliver us from schism and heresy and every least uncharitable passion * That all the Glory be c. * That all the Lauds for the Holy Ghost O God incline c. as Page 18. Antiph Kindle in our harts O Lord thy holy fire that we may offer to thee the incense of praise Alleluja Psal CIX COnsider now my soul the mercys of thy God consider the wonders he has wrought for the children of men The eternal Father created us of nothing and set us in the way to everlasting happines The eternal Son came down from heav'n to seek us and restor'd us again when we had lost our selvs The eternal spirit sends his grace to sanctify us and gives us strength to walk that holy way Thus every Person of the sacred Trinity * has freely contributed his peculiar blessing And All together as one co-infinite Goodnes * have graciously agreed to compleat our felicity But O ingrateful we was it not enough * to receive of our God all we have and are Was it not enough that the Son of God should come down and live
to teach us and dy to redeem us Was not all this enough to make us love and love is all he aim'd at and love is all we needed Let us confess to thee O mercifull Lord let us confess to thee our miserable condition Such was alas the corruption of our nature and so many and strong the rentations round about us That without this thy last miraculous favour * of sending the holy Ghost to guide and quicken us We should have still remain'd in our old dull pace slow to understand and slower to obey We should have quite forgotten our God that made us and neglected the service of our Lord that bought us Had not thy fulnes been readily furnisht * with one blessing more to bestow on thy children Ha'dst not thou providently reserv'd a better blessing then the dew of the clouds and fatnes of the earth Better then plenty of corn and wine * or the multitude of posterity or dominon o're our Brethren These were the great rewards of the old Law but behold far greater then these are here Divine refreshments from the heav'n of heav'ns and the rare delicious fruits of the holy Ghost Meeknes and peace and joy diffus'd in our brests strength and undaunted courage kindled in our harts A thousand sweet imbraces of the Spouse of Souls a thousand dear pledges of his everlasting love These are the great rewards of the law of grace and given to prepare us for the Kingdom of glory O blessed Spirit who bestow'st thy favours as thou pleasest and the more thou hast given stil the more thou giv'st Fit and dispose thy servants first to entertain thee then graciously vouchsafe to descend into our harts Fil us O holy Ghost and our litle Vessels and as thou fil'st us inlarge our capacitys Make us the more we receive of thee stil grow in desire of receiving more Til we ascend to those satisfying joys above where all our facultys shal be stretcht to the utmost Where they shal all be fil'd to the brim and overflow'd with a torrent of pleasure for ever Glory be c. Psal CX Blessed for ever be thy name O holy Spirit and blessed be the bounty of thy goodnes When the eternal Father by creating the world * had declar'd Himself and his almighty Power When the Increated Word by redeeming mankind * had reveal'd Himself and his infinite Wisdom When now there remain'd but one seal more * to be open'd of the Book of divine Mysteryes Behold a strange condescendance to our weak nature the invisible Spirit visibly appears He descends from heav'n in the shape of a doue and gently lights on the Prince of peace Again he descends in the liknes of fire and miraculously sits on the heads of the Disciples Mingling thus together into one blest compound * those cheif ingredients of excellent vertue Mildnes to allay the heat of zeal and zeal to quicken the indifferency of mildnes Innocence to adorn the light of knowledg and knowledg to direct the simplicity of innocence O blest and admirable Teacher who can instruct like the spirit of God! He needs no years to finish his course but with a swift and effecacious touch consummates all things He entred the soul of a young delighter in musick and presently sanctify'd him into a Composer of Psalms He took a poor shepherd from following the flock and immediatly rais'd him to the degree of a Prophet He by one lesson perfected the Disciples and polisht rude fishermen into eloquent Prechers He toucht the hart of a persecuting Pharisee instantly chang'd him into a glorious Apostle All this thou hast done O infinite Goodnes and all we do is wrought in us by thee By thee we are regenerated at first in our baptism by thee confirm'd in the imposition of hands By thee we are heal'd in the Sacrament of Penance by thee prepar'd for that banquet of the bread of Angels By thee thy choycer servants are consecrated into Priests by thee our marriages are sanctifyed into blessings By thee our souls are comforted on our beds of sicknes and by thy holy vnction all our life is govern'd If in the Church be any wisdom or knowledg if any real sanctâ—â—ty or decent order If any faith of the mysterys of religion if any hope of everlasting salvation If any love of God as our soverain bliss if any mutual charity of one towards another If any miracles to convert unbelievers or quicken devotion in such as faintly beleeve All flows from Thee and thy free grace O thou boundles Ocean of eternal mercys All flows from Thee and may we all return * our litle streams in tribute to thy bounty May every favour thou offer'st be thankfully receiv'd and every talent thou bestow'st diligently improv'd So shal we faithfully perform our duty and render to thy grace its just glory While whate're we have we acknowledge from thee and whate're thou giv'st us is not in vain Glory be c. Psal CXI STil let us sing O blessed Spirit to Thee let us humbly sing these few lines more To Thee the eternal Love of the Father and the Son and glorious Finisher of that sacred Mystery To Thee the quickning Spirit of regenerate Souls in whom they live and move and have their being To Thee the soveraign Balsom of our wounds and only Comfort of all our sorrows To Thee our Refuge in this place of banishment and faithful Guide in this wandring pilgrimage To Thee the sacred Pledg of our free adoption and ensuring Seal of our eternal Salvation What do we say O thou adorable Spirit of God! what do we say when we utter such words as these We say what we can in our low capacity but alas how short of thy unspeakable excellencys O that we had the tongues of Saints and Angels O that we had thine own miraculous tongues Those which sate flaming on the heads of the Apostles and made them speak thy wonders in every language Stil all our praises would be poor and narrow stil infinitely less then thy more then infinite perfections But if we cannot speak as our God deservs shal we hold our peace which our God forbids Wo be to them O Lord who are silent of Thee and spend the breath thou giv'st them on any but Thy self O thou who openest the mouths of the dumb and makest the tongues of children eloquent Inspire thy servants if not with expressions suitable to Thee at least with such as are profitable to us Such as may instruct us what we ought to do such as may move us to do what we say And when we have try'd our best endeavours and taken measure of our own defects Let us beg this charity of thy Blessed above to supply our weaknes with their worthier hymns Praise the eternal Spirit O thou Queen of Saints by whom the world's Redeemer was conceiv'd in thâ—â— womb By whom thou wert made the Mother of the Son of God so high a favour to thee and so happy
to us Praise him all you Quires of rejoycing Angels whose early grace confirm'd you in glory Praise him you reverend Patriarks whose ways he govern'd and by particular providence led you to felicity Praise him you ancient Prophets whose souls he inspir'd * to teach his chosen People the mind of heav'n Praise him you glorious Apostles whose persons he empowr'd * to be Embassadors of peace betwixt heav'n and earth Praise him you generous Martyrs whose spirits he encourag'd and gave you victory o're the terrors of death Praise him you blessed Confessors whose lives he sanctify'd and gave you victory o're the world and your selvs Praise him you holy Virgins whose souls he espous'd and consecrated your chast bodys into Temples for himself Praise him you faithful departed whose hope he sustains and will at last bring you to full fruition Praise him all you Elect in your several happy states bless him and magnify him for ever Praise him in the power and freedom of his grace praise him in the greatnes and eternity of his glory Praise him O my soul for his mercys to thee praise him for his goodnes to all the world Praise him on thy choicest instrument that of thy hart praise him in thy best words those of the Church Glory be c. Antiph Kindle in our harts O Lord thy holy fire that we may offer to Thee the incense of praise Alleluja Capit. Rom. 8. WE are debtors not to the flesh to live according to the flesh for if you live according to the flesh you shal dy but if by the spirit you mortify the deeds of the flesh you shal live For whoever are led by the spirit of God are the sons of God and if sons then heirs heirs truly of God and coheirs of Christ if we suffer with him to be also glorifyed with him Hymn XXXIV COme mild and holy Dove Descend into our brest Do thou in us make us in thee For ever dwel and rest Come and spread o're our heads Thy soft all-cherishing wing That in its shade we safe may sit And to thee praises sing To thee who giv'st us life Our better life of grace Who giv'st us breath and strength and speed To run and win our race If by the way we faint Thou reachest forth thy hand If our own weaknes make us fal Thou mak'st our weaknes stand When we are sliding back Thou dost our danger stop When we again alas are faln Again thou tak'st us up Else there we stil must ly And stil sink lower down Our hope to rise is all from Thee Our ruin's all our own O my ingrateful foul What shal our dulnes do For Him that does all this for us Only our love to woo We 'l love Thee then dear Lord But Thou must give that love We 'l humbly beg it of thy grace But Thou our pray'rs must move O hear thine own self speak For thou in us dost pray Thou can'st as quickly grant as ask Thy grace knows no delay Glory to Thee O Lord One coeternal Three To Father Son and holy Ghost One equal glory be Antiph Come holy Spirit the free Dispenser of all graces visit the harts of thy faithful servants and replenish them with thy sacred inspirations illuminate our understandings and inflame our affections and sanctify all the facultys of our souls that we may know and love and constantly do the things that belong to our peace our everlasting peace Alleluja Alleluja Recite the Canticle Benedictus as page 27. Then repeat this Antiphon c. O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who miraculously sent'st down the holy Ghost to supply the absence of thy Son and comfort his hartless Followers and instruct them in all things necessary to their great work the conversion of the world Grant we humbly beseech thee that our devout commemorating those fiery tongues which sate on each of their heads and produced such glorious effects may increase the fervour of our harts to continue and attest by all fruits of grace the same spirits stil abiding with us through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee in the unity of the same blessed Spirit lives and reigns one God world without end Amen Commemorations c. as page 29. Vespers for the holy Ghost IN the name c. as Pag. 33. Antiph We are not our own but the temples of the holy Ghost let us dedicate our selvs entirely to his service Psal CXII COme let us now again prepare our harts and humbly offer this our evening sacrâ—â—ce Let us clear our heads of all other thoughts that fil us at best with nothing but emptines Let us remember our God is a pure Spirit and delights to dwel in a clean tabernacle He wil not enter a soul that 's subject to â—â—in nor stay where he finds his grace neglected If he vouchsafe us the blessing of a visit and O how heav'nly sweet and ravishing is his presence Let us open wide our bosoms to receive him and summon all our powers to come and entertain him Come my understanding and bring all thou know'st all that enlightens thee in the way to felicity Come my Wil and call in all thy loves and contract them into one and setle it here for ever Come my Memory with all thy swarm of notions and forget them all but what concerns thy eternity Come my whole Soul with these thy facultys about thee and prostrate adore the eternal Spirit Behold he now is with us and sits in our harts as on his throne * to receive our petitions and give us his blessings He never will forsake us if we chace him not away but guide and comfort us with his holy inspirations Come then and with devoutest reverence attend and hear what the Lord our God wil say He leads us thus into retirement and silence and there familiarly speaks to our heart Tel me O you design'd for everlasting happines tel me now freely for none shall interrupt us What do you chiefly delight to think on and what do you aim at in all those thoughts Consider wel the question I propose and when you have examined your selvs give me your answer O thou our merciful though offended God! behold thus low we bow our guilty heads Blushing for shame to see our folly and so much the more because we see our duty Happy were we could we still be thinking on Thee and raise all those thoughts into desires to be with thee Happy were we could we always feel those fervours * of which somtimes thou inspirest a litle spark O were that spark kindled into a fire and that fire blown up into a continual flame But we alas are hot and cold by fits and which is worse our cold fit is the longer Some few half hours we spend in pray'r and many whole days in idlenes and vanity Somtimes we bestow a litle on the poor and often throw away a
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
thou blest and holy Spirit to be guilty of those unpardonable sins against Thy self Suffer us not obstinatly to persist in any known wickednes nor maliciously impugn any known truth Suffer us not to dy in our sins without repentance but O have mercy on us in that serious hour Have mercy on us and govern us in our life have mercy on us and save us at our death Glory be c. Antiph Deliver us O gracious God from every evil spirit and vouchsafe to give us thine own good spirit Capit. Gal. 5. NOw the works of the flesh are manifest fornication uncleaness impudicity luxury serving of Idols witchcrafts enmityes contentions emulations angers brawles dissensions sects envies murders drunkeness banquetings and such like which I foretel you that they who do such things shal not obtain the Kingdom of God But the fruit of the Spirit is charity joy peace patience benignity goodnes long-suffering mildnes faith modesty continency chastity against such there is no law And they who are Christs have crucify'd their flesh with its vices and concupiscenâ—â—es If we live in the spirit in the spirit let us walk Let us not be covetous of vain glory envying one another provoking one another Hymn XXXV COme holy Spirit send down those beams Which gently flow in silent streams From thy bright throne above Come Thou Enricher of the poor And bounteous source of all our store Come fill us with thy love Come thou our souls delicious guest The weary'd pâ—â—lgrims sweetest Rest The sufferer's best Releef Come thou our passions cool Allay Whose comfort wips all tears away And turns to joy all grief Come bright Sun shoot home thy darts Peirce to the center of our harts And make our faith love Thee Without thy grace without thy light Our strength is weaknes our day night We can nor move nor see Lord wash our sinful stains away Water from heav'n our barren clay Our many bruses heal To thy sweet yoak our stiff necks bow Warm with thy fire our harts of snow Our wandring feet repeal O grant thy Faithful dearest Lord Whose only hope is thy sure word The seven gifts of thy Spirit Grant us in life t' obey thy grace Grant us at death to see thy face And endles joys inherit All glory to the sacred Three One ever-living Deity All pow'r and blyss and praise As at the first when time begun May the same homage stil be done Till time it self decays Antiph Blessed be thy name O holy spirit of God who dividest thy gifts to every one as thou pleasest and workest all in all in Thee our sorrows have a comforter to allay them and our sins an Advocate to plead for them in Thee our ignorances have a guid to direct them our frailties a Confirmer to strengthen them and all our wants a God to releeve them alleluja alleluja Magnificat c. as pag. 44. Repeat the Antiphon Then O Lord hear our pray'rs And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who by thy holy Spirit didst at first establish and sanctify thy Church and by the same Spirit dost still preserve and govern it hear we beseech Thee the pray'rs of thy servants and mercifully grant us the perpetual assistance of thy grace that we never be deceiv'd by any false spirit nor overcome by the vicious suggestions of flesh and blood but in all our doubts be directed into the way of truth and in all our actions guided by thy holy Spirit who with Thee and thy eternal Son lives and reigns One God world without end Amen O Lord hear c. as page 45. Then say the Complin of the day for this Office has none of its own Office of the SAINTS MATINS On some particular Sundays noted in the Proper of Festivals and on all Holidays of Obligation before and after every Psalm at Matins Lauds Vespers and Complin say one of the Three Antiphons set down in the Proper of Festivals that is each Antiphon eight times in the whole Office of the Day Say also the Antiphon where any proper one is prepar'd before and after Benedictus and Magnificat else say the common one as in the Office Then the Prayer as in the Proper of Festivals The rest of these particular Offices is to be ricited out of the common Offices as is noted in the Directions and Proper of Festivals Introduction as pag. 1. Invitatory Come let 's adore the King of Saints Come let 's adore the King of Saints Psal CXV GReat is the Majesty of the King we serve and rich the splendors of his Court o're all the world he sends his commands and none dare resist or dispute his power Come let 's adore the King of Saints Great is the clemency of our gracious Soveraign to pardon the offences of repenting sinners great is the bounty of our glorious Lord to crown with rewards his faithful servants Come let 's adore the King of Saints Thousands of Saints attend in his presence and millions of Angels wait on his Throne all beauteously rang'd in perfect order all joyfully singing the praises of their Creator Come let 's adore the King of Saints Thou art our King too blessed JESU and we alas thy unprofitable subjects we cannot praise Thee like those thine own bright Quires yet humbly offer our little tribute Come let 's adore the King of Saints Let us bow low our heads to Him before whom the Seraphins cover their faces let us bow low our harts to Him at whose feeâ—â— the Saints lay down their crowns Come let 's adore the King of Saints Glory be c. As it was c. Come let 's adore the King of Saints Come let 's adore the King of Saints Hymn XXXVI AWake my soul chace from thine eys This drowsy sloth and quickly rise Up and to work apace No less then Kingdoms are prepar'd And endless blyss for their reward Who finish wel their race 'T is not so poor a thing to be Servants to heav'n dear Lord and Thee As this fond world believes Not even here where oft the Wise Are most expos'd to injurys And friendles vertue grieves Somtimes thy hand lets gently fall A litle drop that sweetens all The bitter of our Cup O what herafter shal we be When we shal have whole draughts of Thee Brim-ful and drink them up Say happy souls whose thirst now meets The fresh and living stream of sweets Which spring from that blest throne Did you not find this true ev'n here Do you not find it truer there Now heav'n is all your own O yes the sweets we tast exceed All we can say or you can read They fil and never cloy On earth our cup was sweet but mixt Here all is pure refin'd and fixt All Quintessence of joy Hear'st thou my soul what glorious things The Church of heav'n in triumph sings Of their blest life above Chear thy faint hopes and bid them live All these thy God to thee will give
our own conditions but to manage wel what thou appointest Psal CXXIX WHy do we thus bemoan our selvs and rashly utter such repining words Seems it so hard a fate to tread the path * which all our Ancestors have gone before us Adam the first of men and Abraham the friend of God David the man after God's own hart and the blessed Mary Virgin-Mother of our Lord All these have paid their debt to nature and subscrib'd the law of universal mortality JESUS himself the Eternal Son of God expir'd on the Corss * and went to his glory through the gates of death And shal our fond self-love so blindly flatter us to wish an exception from this general Rule Shal we be murmuring stil our life is but a sapn and that expos'd to innumerable sorrows Does not the very shortnes abate it's miserys do not those many miserys commend its shortnes Should we not rather rejoyce at the sight of death that when e're it comes stil brings us advantage If in our age 't is a haven of repose and ought to be welcome after so long a voyage If in our youth it prevents a thousand calamitys a thousand dangers of ruining our souls If by an ordinary sicknes 't is the course of nature if by an outward violence 't is always the wil of heaven What need we fear how many deaths there are we are sure there can be but one for us Dying is an act to be done but once and once wel done we are happy for ever Lord we confes thy Decrees are just and our selvs the cause of all our miserys We sacrifice our youth to sport and folly and our manly years to lust and pride We spend our old age in craft and avarice and begin not to live til we are ready to dy Then we bewail the shortnes of our time when our selvs have prodigally thrown it all away We lead a loose and negligent life and then complain death takes us unawares Our days are perhaps too few to grow rich or satisfy the ambition of a haughty spirit But to be taught the love of God * and the meek and humble life of JESUS Requires not so much the number of years as the faithful endeavours of a pious mind Could we bestow on the improvement of our souls * the time we so vainly trifle away Our day would be short enough not to seem tedious and long enough to finish our appointed task And what O glotious Lord is our busines here * but to trim our lamps and wait thy coming But to sow the immortal seed of hope and expect herafter to reap the Increase No matter how late the fruit be gather'd if stil it go on in growing better No matter how soon it fal from the tree if not blown down before it be ripe O thou most just but secret Providence who govern'st all things by the counsel of thy Will Whose powerful hand can wound and heal lead down to the grave and bring back again Behold to Thee we bow our heads and freely submit our dearest concerns Strike as thou pleasest our helth our lives we cannot be safer then at thy dispose Only these few requests we humbly beg which O may thy clemency vouchsafe to hear Cut us not off in the midst of our folly nor suffer us to expire with our sins unpardon'd But make us Lord first ready for thy self then take us to thy self in thine own fit time Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Glory be c. Antiph 'T is not for us O Lord to chuse our own conditions but to manage wel what thou appointest Antiph Only our earth shal return to earth but our better part shal live for ever Psal CXXX MY Soul all these complaints concern not thee whom thy bounteous God has made immortal Who when this house of clay shal fal into dust * and this narrow cage be broken down Shalt soar aloft on thine own free wings and spread thy boundles ey over all the world If thou hast happily train'd up thy self * to aim stil upwards at the highest heavens Swift as a flash of quickest lightning * shalt thou instantly fly to those blessed Objects But if thy thoughts have flag'd below and delighted to hover too near this earth If above all things thou hast lov'd thy God but not lov'd all things in order to thy God Or if thy tears have been too few to wash away thorowly the remaining stains Unworthy as yet of that blysful light * whose beams endure not the least impurity Thou must sit down in the shades of sorrow and dwel in the vale of tears and darknes There thou must sigh and mourn and wait til the days of thy purifying be fully finisht O the dear price those prisoners pay * for neglecting here to perfect their accounts How are their souls enflam'd with anguish and continually tortur'd with unspeakable pains How do they sadly lament their careles libertys and the litle passions they too much obey'd But alas their repentance comes now too late * to meet with that mercy they so long abus'd Now they must ly in this tedious dungeon til their patience have satisfyd the utmost farthing Only this hope sustains their hart and sweetens a litle their bitter cup That the redeeming Day is stil drawing on and wil infallibly at last appear O may that happy Day make hast to come and chear their darknes with its radient beams O may that Sun of Justice speedily arise and disperse the mist that intercepts their sight Come Lord come quickly dearest JESU and rescue with thy power thine own Inheritance Thou who cam'st humbly once to redeem us sinners come gloriously now to deliver thy Servants Deliver them O Lord from the snare of the enemy and their captive souls out of the hand of the Wicked That they may pass from death to life and dwel with Thee in thy blessed peace Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Only our earth shal return to earth but our better part shal live for ever Our Father c. First Lesson MAn that is born of a woman lives a short time and is fill'd with many miserys He comes forth as a flower and is bruised into dust he flyes away as a shadow and never continues in the same state and thinkest thou fit to open thine eys upon such a one and bring him before thee into Judgment Who can make clean him that is conceiv'd of unclean seed is it not Thou who only art The days of man are short and the number of his months are with thee thou hast appointed his limits which cannot be passed depart a litle from him that he may rest till as a hireling his wisht-for day shal come Who wil grant me this that in Hell thou wouldst protect me and hide me til thy fury pass away and appoint me a
time wherin thou wilt remember me All the days in which I now am in warfare I wait til my change Come Thou shalt cal me and I shal answer thee to the work of thy hands thou wilt reach forth thy right hand thou hast indeed numbred my steps but do thou pardon my sins R. Where shal I hide me O Lord from the face of thy wrath where shal I hide me when thou com'st to judg the living and the dead I tremble at my own unworthines I am asham'd thus impure to appear in thy presence * Wash me yet more O Lord from my iniquitys and purge me thorowly from my sins I know the enemy that obstructs my way my sins exclude me from thy Kingdom where no unclean thing can enter nor any clean be deny'd admittance * Wash me Second Lesson SPare me O Lord for my days are nothing I have sinned what shal I do to thee O thou Preserver of men why hast thou set me contrary to thee and I am become burdenous to my self Why dost thou not take away my sin why dost thou not clear me of my iniquity Behold now I shal sleep in the dust and if thou seek me in the morning I shal not be My soul is weary of my life I will let my speech pass against my self I will speak in the bitternes of my soul I will say to God Condemn me not tell me why dost thou judg me so seems it good to thee to overcharge me and oppress the works of thy hands and help the counsel of the wicked hast thou eys of flesh or as man sees shalt thou also see that thou seekest my iniquity and searchest my sin Thy hands have made me and fram'd me wholly round about and dost thou so suddenly cast me down headlong With skin and flesh thou hast cloathed me with bones and sinews thou hast compacted me life and mercy thou hast given me and thy visitation has kept my spirit R. Wo to me wretched sinner what shal I do I have commited evil in the sight of my God I have offended the eys of his Majesty Whither shal I fly from the Justice of my Judg whither but to the mercy of my Saviour * Have mercy on me O Lord have mercy on me when thou com'st in glory to judg the world by fire My corrupt nature has brought forth sin and sin has brought forth sorrow where shal I seek for pardon where shal I find releef but in thee my God my hope and portion in the land of the living * Have mercy on me Third Lesson DEliver me O Lord and set me beside Thee let any mans hand fight against me My days are past and my thoughts dissipated tormenting my hart they have turn'd night into day and again after darknes I hope for light Have pity on me at least you my friends for the hand of our Lord has toucht me he has hedg'd my path round about and I cannot pass and in my way he has put darknes Who wil grant me that my words may be written Who wil give me that they may be drawn in a book with an iron pen and in a plate of lead or graven with steel on a marble stone For I know my Redeemer lives and in the last day I shal rise out of the earth and be compast again with my skin and in my flesh shal see God whom I my self shal see and my eys shal behold and no other This my hope is laid up in my bosom R. My days are declin'd as a shadow and I am wither'd away as grass and nothing remains but the cold grave O let me cal back that uncomfortable word my days indeed are declin'd but my eternity is safe I am wither'd away as grass but the Spring wil come and revive me into a flower of Paradise * This my hope is laid up in my bosom Let then my body be crumbled into dust and my soul detain'd for a time in sorrow I know my Redeemer lives and in the last day I shal rise out of the earth and be compast again with my Skin and in my flesh shal see God and in that blysful sight be for ever happy * This my hope is laid up in my bosom Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever * This my hope is laid up in my bosom At Lauds O God incline c. is not said but begin immediately with the Antiphon Return Lauds for the Dead Antiph Return O my soul to thy Rest again for thy Lord deals graciously with all that love him Psal CXXXI WHen we have shed our solemn tears and paid our due sighs to the memory of the Dead Let us wipe our eys with the comfort of hope and change our grief into a charitable joy The friends we mourn are deliver'd from this world and all the miserys we so justly deplore Their bodys tremble no more with the Palsy nor burn with the flames of a scorching feaver They cry out no more for want of sleep nor roul up and down their uneasy beds But quietly rest in the silent grave till they rise again to immortal glory Whâ—â—ch while they there expect in peace their souls are enlarg'd to a spacious liberty No longer confin'd to this prison of the body but gone to dwel in the region of spirits No longer expos'd to these stormy Seas but gladly arriv'd at their safe harbour Where though their passage be stopt a while they are free from all fear of being cast away Though for a time they attend with sorrow they are sure to rejoyce at last for all eternity They are sure at last to behold their Redeemer and live for ever with the Blessed JESVS O were it not for this sweet hope who could indure such Killing delays Who that but knows the beauty of God as they all do and sees himself detayn'd from so great a happines Detain'd for affecting some trifle here if such we may cal what deferrs our heav'n O glorious Lord the free Original Source * and final end of universal nature Since by thy grace Thou hast thus begun and sown in their harts the seeds of glory O may the same all-powerful hand * go on to finish it 's own ble'st work Ripen the fruit Thou reserv'st for thy self and hasten the day of their joyful harvest Send forth thy blessed Angels to reap thy grain and lay it up safe in thy heavenly Magazine There to supply the place of those unhappy tares * which thy justice threw down into everlasting fire There to assist among those holy Quires which thy mercy establisht in everlasting blyss Give them eternal rest ' O merciful Lord And may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Return O my soul to thy rest again for thy Lord deals graciously with all that love him Antiph Merciful art Thou O Lord in all thy ways and infinitely wise in all thy counsels Psal CXXXII COme
lov'd thy Name and now we grieve that we lov'd no more Quench not O God of mercy the smoking flax nor break the bruised reed Pardon the sins of the days of our folly and supply the failings of the days of our repentance O were we now again on earth and had the benefit but of one months space How would we spend every minute in penance to purge away thorowly every least impurity How gladly would we take any cross or sicknes that might wholsomly imbitter the world to our tast How after this experience would we hartily strive * at any rate to escape these pains But we unhappy we have slipt our time * which our gacious God so long indulg'd us Now we are left to our sighs and tears and the incertain charity of those few that remember us At least O! you our friends send up your prayers * to hasten the day of our glad deliverance At least look well to provide for your selvs that you come not hither to this place of sufferings Sufferings which may your Souls ne're know yet may they ne're know worse then these These are indeed extremely afflictive but infinitely less than eternal torments We hope in time to rejoyce again we are sure at last our God will deliver us But O! how long delays our Lord to come why are the wheels of his chariot so slow Hast thou not said O God of truth that for thy Elect those days shal be shortned Hast thou not said O Lord of glory behold I come quickly and my reward is with me Come glorious JESU with all thy holy Angels * and the bright attendance of rejoycing Saints Come and redeem the captivity of thy children and lead them away as trophys of thy victory Thus dearest Lord will we cry continually to thee and never leave weeping at the gates of thy Palace Til thou art pleased to open those everlasting dores * and graciously say to our languishing souls Behold I am come to pardon and refresh you your sighs and tears have provok't my pity Behold I am come to cal you to my self * and give you possession of the inheritance I promis'd Come come you Blessed of my Father receive the Kingdom prepared for you 'T is enough that my servants have wept thus long come enter now into your Masters joy Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Happy they who are pray'd for by others but far more happy they who pray for themselvs Antiph Gracious art thou O God in all thy promises and bounteously faithful in all thy performances Psal CXXXVI COmfort your selvs O you heirs of hope and be not cast down at your present distres If he defer a while expect * for he surely wil come and bring you relief He justly stays to punish your neglect when he often cal'd and you would not come to him He mercifully stays til your souls be refin'd and able to bear the splendor of his presence Then wil his glorious light immediately appear and open to your view that blysful prospect Then wil he graciously unveil himself and your eys shal see him face to face Then wil the eternal Deity shine brightly on you and ravish your harts with everlasting Extasys All your great hopes shal be fully satisfy'd and your long expectation abundantly rewarded You shal remember your afflictions with pleasure when you see they alone were your way to felicity Even this very delay shal increase your joys and every thing conspire to crown you with happines Meanwhile our task shal be to pray for your peace and joyn our humble voice to your strong crys That both our vows thus charitably united * may obtain for Both the pardon of our sins But we alas are dust and ashes and you your selvs as yet imperfect O pray for us you holy Saints whose well-prepar'd affections went strait to heaven Pray for us you Quires of Angels who assist continually at the throne of glory Pray for us bright Queen of heavenly Spirits * and blessed Mother of the Son of God! Pray for the faithful detain'd in sorrow that the days of their banishment be no more prolong'd Pray for us siners yet Pilgrims in the way that our souls may arrive at their true home Pray that we Both may stil look up to your glorys and wish and long for that happy state Pray that in all our eagerest desires we may stil submit to the orders of heaven Stil frame our songs of hope and patience and stil cloâ—â—e all with these precious words Thy Kingdome come O glorious Lord and yet O Lord thy wil be done Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever Antiph Gracious art Thou O God in all thy promises and bounteously faithful in all thy performances Antiph I heard a voice from heav'n saying to me Write Blessed are the dead who dy in our Lord from henceforth now saith the Spirit that they rest from their labours for their works follow them Magnificat as page 44. Antiph I heard a voice c. Then kneeling say Our Father and De profundis as follows From the depths O Lord have I cry'd to thee O Lord hear my voice Let thy ears become attentive to the words of my petition If thou shalt mark our iniquitys O Lord O Lord who can sustain it But with Thee there is propitiation and for thy Law I have expected thee O Lord My soul has expected in his word my soul has hoped in our Lord From the morning watch even until night let Israel hope in our Lord For with our Lord is mercy and with Him is plenteous redemption And He shal redeem Israel from all its iniquitys Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord and may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever V. Have mercy on them O Lord have mercy on them R. For their souls confide in Thee V. And in the shadow of thy wings shal they hope R. Til their iniquitys pass away V. Have mercy on them O Lord and bless them R. Shew them the light of thy countenance and be merciful to them V. Turn not thy face away from them R. Lest they become like those who descend into the lake V. Keep thou their souls O Lord for they are holy R. Save thy servants who put their trust in thee V. They shal praise thee O Lord with their whole harts R. And glorify thy Name for ever V. For thy mercy already has been great towards them R. Thou hast deliver'd them from the lowermost hell V. Yet hast thou set them in obscure places R. As the Dead of the world V. Thy arrows are stuck deep in them R. And thou hast fastened thy hand upon them V. Their iniquitys are gone over their heads R. And keep them down as a heavy burthen V. But thou O Lord art their strong sustainer R Their glory and the lifter up of their
heads V. Thou art always near to relieve the afflicted R. And wilt save the humble of spirit V. Thou raisest those that are faln R. And bindest together the broken harts V. Shew them thy mercy O Lord who call on thy Name R. Make them rejoyce who lift up their souls to thee V. To thee O Lord they lift up their souls R. In thee is their confidence let them not be asham'd V. Let not their enemys triumph over them R. For all that expect thee shal not be confounded V. Though they walk in the midst of the shadow of death R. Let them not fear for thou art with them V. Thou art their God and their Deliverer R. O Lord delay not thy coming V. O Lord hear our prayers R. And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God who in thy mercy hast prepar'd immediate rewards for the Perfect and in thy justice immediate punishments for the wicked and mingling thy mercy and justice together hast ordain'd a middle state for those who depart in a true but weak degree of divine charity Hear we beseech thee our prayers for these thy afflicted servants who look up to Thee and sigh after the times of refreshment from thy glorious presence forgive them their sins and deliver them from their sorrows and bring them to the possession of all their wishes in rest and peace and everlasting joy thorow our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end A Prayer for any particular Person departed BEhold with pity we beseech thee O Lord the soul of thy servant N. for whom we humbly offer our prayers to thy divine Majesty and grant that the offences which humane frailty has inconsiderately committed being by thy clemency mercifully forgiven and all impediments by a perfect cleansing from the stains of sin thorowly remov'd the happy effect of seeing Thee face to face for ever may immediately follow through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with Thee and the Holy Ghost lives and reigns One God world without end Amen V. Give them eternal rest O merciful Lord R. And may thy glorious light shine upon them for ever V. May they rest in peace R. Amen Pause a while to reflect on what you have said and renew your attention then begin the Complin of the day Our help c. as page 46. PROPER of FESTIVALS c. Sundays in Advent All as in the Office of our Saviour except Invitatory Behold the day of our Lord draws nigh Come let 's adore him Then recite the Psalm Bring to our Lord. page 318. 1. Antiph Behold our Lord wil appear and not fail to make good his promises if he delay a while expect for he surely wil come and deliver us Alleluja 2. Antiph Come O thou Sun of righteousnes and Fountain of eternal light come and illuminate those that sit in darknes and in the shadow of death and guide our feet into the ways of peace Alleluja 3. Antiph Come O Thou hope of the Gentils and the desir'd of all Nations come and redeem us from the vassallage of sin into the only true liberty of serving Thee Alleluja Antiph for Benedictus and Magnificat Prepare now thy ways O my soul before our Lord make thy paths strait before the face of our God for he will come again with glory to judge the living and the dead and blessed all they who are ready to meet him Alleluja Alleluja At Lauds recite Benedictus page 27. and at Vespers Magnificat page 44. Then after each repeat the Antiphon Prepare c. O Lord hear our pray'rs And let our supplications come to thee Let us pray O God by whose providence thy Church has appointed the solemn time or Advent to fore-run the Commemoration of our Saviour's Nativity and prepare its way in our harts Grant us we humbly beseech thee so devoutly to imploy this holy season in meditating on the Prophecys and gracious preparations of the world for the coming of the Messias and on the infinitely greater mercys he brought along with him and has left behind him that our spirits may be rais'd to celebrate the great Feast with due joy and exaltation and thereby better dispos'd to expect his second coming who with Thee and the holy Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen S. Andrew All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph Soon as the holy Apostle S. Andrew saw afar off the Cross prepar'd for his Martyrdom he was transported with joy and triumphingly saluted it as the happy instrument of his approaching glory Alleluja 2. Antiph O blessed Cross dearly by me belov'd and earnestly desir'd and often sought and now at length ready to satisfy my longing soul take me up into thy arms the Disciple of Him who was crucify'd on thee Alleluja 3. Antiph Take me up into thy arms O blessed Cross and bear me to my glorious Master that by thee He may receive me who by thee has redeemed me Alleluja Alleluja 3. Antiph Take me up into thy arms O blessed Cross and bear me to my glorious Master that by thee He may receive me who by thee has redeemed me Alleluja Alleluja Antiphon for Benedictus and Magnificat as in the common Office of Saints O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to thee Let us pray O God whose grace kindled in the B. Apostle S. Andrew so ardent a love of his Master that it flam'd out in vehement desires of his Cross Grant we beseech thee that our devout celebrating the Memory of his Course and Crown may quicken thy Charity in our harts and encourage us with confidence and joy to undergo whatever suffrings thy Providence casts in our way towards the glorifying Thee and advancing thy truth and secure attainment of our own eternal salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son who with thee and the H. Ghost lives and reigns one God world without end Amen S. Thomas Apostle All as in the Office of Saints except 1. Antiph The merciful and almighty JESUS came in the doors being shut and said to Thomas put in thy finger here and see my hands and reach hither thy hand and thrust it into my side and be no longer faithles but beleeve 2. Antiph O admirable sweetnes of our Saviour's Spirit Thomas was absent and incredulous and peremptory and our Lord forgives him all and restores him to his favor with the easy penance of a gentle reproof 3. Because thou hast seen me Thomas thou hast believ'd blessed are they who have not seen and yet have believ'd Alleluja O Lord hear our prayers And let our supplications come to Thee Let us pray O God whose condescendence to convince the incredulity of thy Apostle S. Thomas has turn'd his hardnes to believe into a means of facilitating more the faith of thy Church Grant we beseech Thee that this festival Memory of his glorious Attestation to our
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