DEVOTIONS

FOR

EVERY DAY OF THE WEEK,

AND THE

GREAT FESTIVALS.

VOL. XXV.

TO THE READER.

This excellent book is not fitted for devotion only, but instruction also; so as to contain in it, together with the devotional part, a complete system of the Christian doctrine, by entertaining the mind with proper considerations upon the being, nature and attributes of God; upon the mysterious economy of the ever blessed Trinity, for our creation, redemption, and sanctification; upon the original of evil, and the conduct of divine justice and mercy hereupon, in exactest harmony; upon the two covenants, and the laws and rules of each; upon the universal providence of GOD, and the various periods and revolutions belonging to it; upon the" incarnation of the SON of GOD, for the recovery of lost man, and the wonderful love of the FATHER in giving this his only SON to be a propitiation for the sins of the world; upon his holy nativity and circumcision, his subjection to the Law, and most perfect obedience, his baptism and solemn inauguration, his fasting and temptation, his agony and bloody sweat, his cross and passion, his precious death and burial, his glorious resurrection, and triumphant ascension, and his most meritorious intercession; upon his sending another Comforter, to represent him, and leaving a pledge for his coming again in his own person at the last day, to subdue all things under his feet; upon the revelation of his Majesty and power in his miraculous triumphs over the spirits of darkness, and his constituting a spiritual kingdom on the earth, with proper officers and Ministers under him; upon the divinity of the HOLY SPIRIT, and unity both with the FATHER and the Soar; upon his manifold operations, gifts, and graces, and his government both of particular souls, and of the Church in general; upon the nature, causes, effects and signs of true repentance and conversion; upon the moral and eternal law, and the commandments given to ADAM, NOAH, ABRAHAM and MOSES; upon the Christian graces of faith, hope, and charity; upon the sacraments and other holy institutions of the New Testament; upon the ministration, under CHRIST, of angels and blessed spirits, and their attendance about our altars, and joining with our prayers and praises offered unto GOD; upon the immortality and intermediate state of all' souls, and the many mansions for the better sort of God's house, according to their degrees of sanctification here; upon the constitution of the Church on the foundation of the Apostles, CHRIST himself being the head cornerstone, and the HOLY GHOST the life thereof; upon the communion of saints, and the blessed fellowship of all the faithful of every degree both in heaven and earth, by a participation of the same life and spirit; upon the resurrection and judgment, and wonderful scenes that then shall be opened to all the world; and, Lastly, Upon the final destruction of all the wicked, and the glories and triumphs of the saints, when at the second coming of our LORD they shall receive their perfect consummation in bliss never to have end,

THE

OFFICE FOR SUNDAY.

MORNING PRAYER.

PREVENT, we beseech thee, O LORD, all our doings with thy most gracious inspirations, and further them with thy continual help, that every prayer and work of ours may begin always from thee, and by thee be happily ended, and more especially the service we are now entering upon, through JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

Our FATHER, which art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done in earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation: But deliver us from evil. For thine is the kingdom, the power, and the glory, for ever and ever. Amen.

PSALM 1.

BEHOLD the angels assembled in their choirs, and the blessed saints ready with their hymns; behold the church prepares her solemn offices, and summons all her children to bring in their praises.

Come, let us adore our gloried JESUS.

The King of heaven himself invites us, and graciously calls us into his own presence; he bids us suspend our mean employments in the world, to receive the honor of treating with him.

Come, let us adore our glorified JESUS.

To him we owe all the days of our lives; at least let us pay this one to his service; a service so sweet and easy in itself, and so infinitely rich in its eternal rewards.

Come, let us adore our glorified JESUS.

Let us cheerfully ascend to the house of our LORD, the place he has chosen for our sakes to dwell in: Let us reverently bow before his holy altar, where himself comes to meet us and our prayers.

Come, let us adore our glorified JESUS.

Glory be to the Father,

As it was in the beginning, &c.

HYMN 1

BEHOLD, we come, dear LORD, to thee,

And bow before thy throne: We come to offer on our knee,

Our vows to thee alone.

Whatever we have, whatever we are,

Thy bounty freely gave:

You dost us here in mercy spare,

And wilt hereafter save.

But, O! can all our store afford

No better gifts for thee

Thus we confess thy riches, LORD,

And thus our poverty.

'Tis not our tongue or knee can pay

The mighty debt we owe;

Far more we should than we can say,

Far lower should we bow.

Come then, my soul, bring all thy powers,

And grieve you have no more; Bring every day thy choicest hours,

And thy great GOD adore.

But, above all, prepare thy heart

On this his own blest day,

In its sweet task to bear thy part,

And sing, and love, and pray.

Glory to the eternal LORD,

Thrice blessed Three in One!

Thy name at all times be ador'd,

Till time itself be done! Amen!

"This is the day which the LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice therein." Hallelujah.

PSALM 2

WELCOME, blessed day, wherein the Sun of Righteousness arose, and chased away the clouds of fear.

Welcome, you birthday of our hopes, a day of joy, and public refreshment.

A day of holiness and solemn devotion; a day of rest and universal jubilee.

Welcome to us, and our dark world; and may thy radiant name shine bright for ever.

May all the earth be enlightened with thy beams, and every frozen heart dissolve and sing!

This is the day which our LORD has made; let us be glad and rejoice therein.

This is the day he has sanctified to himself, and called by his own most holy name:

That in it we may meet to "adore his greatness, and admire the wonders of his infinite power:

That we may remember his innumerable mercies, and deeply imprint them in our hearts:

That we may visit his holy temple, and humbly present our homage at his altar:

That sacred altar, where the sacrifice of the LAMB of GOD is shown forth, and the memory of our Savior's love continually renewed.

Worthy, O LORD, art you of all our time, worthy the praises of all thy creatures.

Every moment of our life is bound to bless thee, since every moment subsists by thy goodness.

Shall others labor so much for vanity, and shall we not rest for the service of our GOD

Shall we employ the whole week on ourselves, and not offer in gratitude one day unto thee

To thee, who bestowest on us all we have, and wilt give us hereafter more than we can hope.

O gracious LORD, whose mercy accepts such slender payment, as our poverty affords,

Whose bounty grants so liberally to us, and retains so small a part for thyself:

O make us faithfully observe our duty, and render so exactly the tribute we owe to thee,

That passing still thy days to thy honor, we may end our own in thy favor.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

" You have created all things, O LORD, for the use of man, and man for the enjoyment of thyself."

PSALM 3.

'WHEN the harvest sun provides a cloud, and seems to rest his wearied beams;

He seeks not to save the journey of his light, but only spares the reaper's head.

Much leas seekest You, O LORD, who madest the sun the shadow of thy glory, and inspiredst all creatures to represent thy bounty;

Much less seekest You, by the reserve of a day, to procure thine own repose.

You, who createdst all things by a word of thy mouth, and sustainest them in thy hand;

Who governest the whole world without perplexing thy thoughts, and always remainest the same unchangeable fullness:

It is not to increase thine own eternity, that thus you takest a portion of our time.

Thy goodness friendly bears the name, but intends for us all the profit of the day:

That the wearied hands may be relieved with rest, and enabled to lift up themselves to thee:

That the guilty consciences may accuse their crimes on earth, to be pardoned in heaven:

That the loveprepared souls may approach thy table,

and feast their hopes with that delicious banquet.

That all may speak to thee by prayer, and hear thy voice

by the mouth of their pastors:

O blessed LORD, what excellent arts has thy wisdom invented to bring us to thyself!

You takest our eyes by the beauty of thy house, and of thy solemn offices.

You quickenest our affections by our mutual devotions, and meltest our hearts with the sweetness of thy music.

You strengthenest our faith by thy public assemblies, and improvest our love both to thee, and one another.

Whilst we all meet for the same blessed end, and by mutual reflections increase out fervors:

Happy, thrice happy they, O merciful GOD, whom thy providence has favored with all these blessings.

But where you art pleased to deny these mercies, refuse not, O LORD, to extend a measure of thy grace:

And to all that live in such spiritual destitutions, grant extraordinary supplies from thy self;

That at least they may build a little chapel in their hearts, and consecrate themselves entirely unto thee.

Grant that the more they want of other helps, they may find the greater assistances from thee:

Make them sensible of the blessed opportunities they have had, and now want, to wait upon thee.

Forgive them the neglect, and ill improvement they have made of them, and wherever they meet in thy name, be you in the midst of them.

No farther motives shall they need to draw them, nor other temple to address their prayers.

Since every place, where you art not graciously present, is unholy; but where you art, is joy and peace.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

" You have created all things, O LORD, for the use of man, and man for the enjoyment of thyself."

PSALM 4.

COME, let us lay aside the cares of this world, and take into our minds the joys of heaven.

Let us empty our heads of all other thoughts, and prepare that room to entertain our GOD.

Retiring from the many distractions of this life, and closely recollecting all the forces of our souls,

So to pursue in earnest that one necessary work, the securing to ourselves the kingdom of heaven.

Why should we thus neglect that sacred science, and be busy in every thing but our own salvation

Why should we forsake the real substance, to embrace an empty fancy

Miserable are they, O LORD, who study all things else, and never seek to taste thy sweetness.

Miserable, though their skill can number the stars, and trace out the ways of the planets.

To know thee, O LORD, is to be truly wise, and to contemplate thee, the highest learning.

But, O you glorious GOD of truth, in whom the treasures of knowledge are all laid up!

Unless you draw the curtain from before our eyes, and drive away the clouds that intercept our sight,

Never shall we see those heavenly mysteries, nor ever discern the beauty of thy providence.

Send forth thy light, O you Morning Star! and lead us to thy holy hill.

Send forth thy truth, O untreated Wisdom! and bring us to thy blessed tabernacle.

Show us thyself, O glorious JESUS! and in thee we shall behold all that we can wish.

Only so much we beg to conceive of thy majesty, as may move our hearts to seek thee.

Only so much of thy unapproachable Deity, as may guide our souls to find thee.

So let us know and love thee here, O you sovereign bliss of our souls!

That hereafter we may know thee better, and love and enjoy thee for ever.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c. Hallelujah.

O glorious JESUS, in whom we live, and without whom we die, mortify in us all sensual desires, and quicken our hearts with thy holy love; that we may no longer esteem the vanities of the world, but place our affections entirely on thee; " who didst die for our sins, and rise again for our justification." O you our only hope and portion in the land of the living, may our thoughts and discourses still be of thee, our works and sufferings all for thee; " who didst die for our sins, and rise again for our justification."

AT NOON.

O how adorable are thy counsels, O Lone! How strangely endearing the ways of thy love!

PSALM 5.

SING unto our LORD.a psalm of joy; sing praises to the GOD of our salvation.

Sing with a loud and cheerful voice; sing with a glad and thankful heart.

Say to the weak of spirit, Be strong; and unto the sorrowful, Be of good comfort.

Tell all the world this soulreviving truth, and may their hearts within them leap to hear it:

Tell them, the LORD of life is risen again, and has clothed himself with immortal glory.

He made the angels messengers of his victory, and vouchsafed himself to bring us the joyful news.

How many ways did thy mercy invent, O you wise Contriver of all our happiness!

To convince thy followers into this blessed belief, and settle in their hearts a firm ground of hope.

You appearedst to holy women in their return from the sepulchre, and openedst their eyes to know and adore

thee:

You overtookedst in the way the two that discoursed of thee, and made their hearts burn within them to hear

thee.

You showedst thyself on the shore to thy weary disciples laboring at sea.

Laboring all night, alas! in vain, without the blessing of their beloved JESUS;

You showedst thyself, and toldest them who you wert, in the kind known token of a beneficial miracle.

Through the doors, though shut, you swiftly passedst, to carry peace to thy comfortless friends;

To encourage their fears with thy powerful presence, and secure their faith by thy arguments.

How didst you condescend to eat before them, and invite them to touch thy sacred body!

How didst you sweetly provoke that incredulous servant to thrust his hand into thy wounded side!

How often, O my gracious LORD, in those blessed forty days, did thy love cast about to meet with thy disciples! That you might teach them still some excellent

truth, and imprint still deeper thy love in their hearts. Discoursing perpetually of the kingdom of heaven, and establishing means to bring us thither.

At last, when all thy glorious task was done, and thy parting hour from this earth approached,

You tenderly gatheredst thy children about thee, and, in their full sight, wentest up to heaven;

Leaving thy dearest blessing on their heads, and promising them a Comforter to supply thy absence.

O how adorable are thy counsels, O LORD! How strangely endearing are the ways of thy love!

Say now, my soul, is not this evidence clear enough to answer all our darkest doubts

Is not this hope abundantly sufficient to sweeten all our bitterest sorrows

What, though we mourn and be afflicted here, and sigh under the miseries of this world for a time

We are sure our tears shall one day be turned into joy, and that joy none shall take from us.

What, though our bodies are crumbled into dust, and that dust blown about over the face of the earth

Yet we know that our REDEEMER lives, and shall appear in brightness at the last great day.

He shall appear in the midst of innumerable angels, and with these very eyes we shall see him:

We shall possess him whom our souls have loved; and be united to him for ever, who is the only end of our being.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c. Hallelujah.

PSALM 6.

RAISE thy head, O my soul, and look up, and behold the glory of thy crucified SAVIOR.

He that was dead and laid in the grave, low enough to prove himself man,

Is risen again and ascended into heaven, high enough to prove himself GOD.

He is risen, and made the light his garment, and commanded the clouds to be the chariot of his triumph.

The gates of heaven obeyed their LORD, and the everlasting doors opened to the King of Glory.

Enter, bright King, attended with thy beauteous angels, and the glad train of saints, who arose, and came out of their graves after thy resurrection.

Enter and repossess thy ancient throne, and reign eternally at the right hand of thy FATHER.

May every knee bow low at thy exalted name, and every tongue confess thy glory!

May all created nature adore thy power, and the church of thy redeemed exult in thy goodness!

Whom have we in heaven, O LORD, but thee, who wentest thither to make way for thy followers

What have we on earth but our hope, by following thee, to arrive at last where you art gone before us

O glorious JESUS, our strength, our joy, and the immortal life of our souls,

Be you the subject of all our studies, and the daily entertainment of our thoughts.

Draw us, O LORD, from the world and ourselves, that we be not entangled with any earthly desires.

Draw us after thee, and the odors of thy sweetness; that we may run with delight the ways of thy commands.

Draw us up to thee on thy throne of bliss; that we may see thy face, and rejoice with thee for ever in thy kingdom.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was, &c. Hallelujah.

PSALM 7.

WHY should our hearts still dwell upon earth, since the treasure of our hearts is returned to heaven

Since our glorified JESUS is ascended above; to prepare us a place in his own kingdom

A place of rest and secure peace, where we shall see, and praise, and adore him for ever:

A place of joy and everlasting felicity, where we shall love, and possess, and delight in him for ever.

How will our spirits be ravished within themselves, to reflect on the fullness of their own beatitude!

Flow shall we all rejoice in one another's felicity; but infinitely more in the infinitely greater felicity of our GOD!

O heaven! towards thee we lift up our languishing heads, and with longing hearts and outstretched hands, reach at thy glories.

When, O you finisher of all our hopes; when shall we once behold that incomparable light

That light, which illuminates the eyes of angels, and renews the youth of saints:

That light, which is thy very self, O LORD our GOD! whom we shall there see face to face.

O Light! shine you perpetually in our eyes; that thy brightness may darken the little lustre of this world.

O Light! shed you thy flames in our hearts; that thy light may consume all other desires;

That we may burn continually with the chaste love of thee; till thine own bright day appear;

Till we be called from this veil of darkness, into the glorious presence of the living Gov:

To see him that made the heavens and the earth: and disposes all things into such beauteous order:

To see Lim who first gave us our being, then governed us in our way, and brought us at length to so blessed an end.

Meanwhile, O gracious LORD, the crown of all thy saints, and only expectation of thy faithful servants! Make us entertain our life with the comfort of this hope,

and our hope with the assurance of thy promises.

Make us still every day more perfectly understand our great duty, and thy infinite love.

Make us continually meditate the advancement of thy glory, and invite all the world to sing thy praises.

Praise our LORD, O ye holy angels! Praise him, O ye happy saints!

Praise him, O ye faithful, departed in his grace! Praise him, O ye living, who subsist by his mercy!

Praise him in the vast immensity of his power! Praise him in the admirable wisdom of his providence!

Praise him in the blessed effects of his goodness! Praise him in the infiniteness of all his attributes!

Be you for ever thine own first praise, O glorious Gov! and to all the felicities you essentially possessest, may every creature say, Amen.

Glory be, &c.

As it was, &c. Hallelujah.

O GOD, who have glorified our victorious SAVIOR with a visible triumphant resurrection from the dead, and ascension into heaven, where he sits at thy right hand, the world's supreme Governor and final Judge; grant, we beseech thee, that his triumphs and glories may ever shine in our eyes, to make us more clearly see through his sufferings, and more courageously wade through our own; being assured by his example, that if we endeavor to live and die like him, for the advancement of thy love in ourselves and others, you wilt raise again our dead bodies too, and conforming them to his glorious body, call us above the clouds, and give us possession of thy everlasting kingdom; through the same LORD JESUS CHRIST, thy SoN, who, with thee and the HOLY GHOST, liveth and reigneth one GOD, world without end. Amen.

IN THE AFTERNOON.

In the name of' the FATHER, and of the SON, and of the HOLY GHOST. Amen.

Blessed be the holy and undivided TRINITY, now and fir evermore. Amen.

Glorious things are said of thee, you city of the King of heaven. Hallelujah.

PSALM 8.

LET them, O LORD, seek other delights, who expect no felicity from thee.

Let them fill up their time with other employments, who think thy rewards not worth their labor.

As for thy servants, our chief content shall be to meditate the glories prepared for us above.

All the few years we live, shall spend themselves to prepare for that one eternal day:

That day whose brightness knows no night; nor ever fears the least eclipse:

Whose cheerful brow no clouds overcast; nor storm molest the passage of its rays:

Which still shines on serene and clear; and fills with splendor that spacious palace.

It needs not the fading lustre of our sun, nor the borrowed silver of the moon.

The sun that rises there, is the LAMS; and the light that shines, is the glory of GOD.

O how beauteous truths are sung of thee, you city of the King of heaven!

Thy walls are raised with precious stone, 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 immortal all that taste its fruit.

Thus is the holy city built; thus is the New Jerusalem adorned.

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 eye 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 called; and where can we meet such pleasures to entertain us

Away then, all vain and worldly desires; be banished for ever from molesting my peace.

Descend, you blessed heaven, into my heart, or rather take up my heart unto 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 filled for ever with the sweetness of his presence.

Glory be, &c.

As it was, &c.

If these imperfect shadows so sweetly please,

how will the real substance transport our hearts! Hallelujah.

PSALM 9.

BLESSED be thy gracious wisdom, O LORD, that so mercifully stoops to our low conceptions.

You hidest, or rather, so revealest thy sublime rewards,.. to take us with things we most admire.

Sceptres and crowns you knows are apt to win the hearts of us thy children:

Children, alas, in useful knowledge; 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 heaven.

When you have fed us a while with milk, you invitest our appetite to stronger meat.

You tellest us of a sweet delicious life, in the blessed society of saints and angels:

With whom we shall dwell in perpetual friendship, and be loved and esteemed. of them all for ever.

You tellest us of a pure soulravishing joy, to behold the amiable face of JESUS;

Whose gracious smiles shine round about, and fill the heavens with holy gladness.

You tellest us still of incomparably higher delights; hearken, O my soul, and humbly adore thy GOD;

Whose bounty has provided thee large rewards; since they are no less than his very self.

Himself he will clearly unveil before us; and openly show us that great secret.

O happy secret, if once attained; if once we but see the face of our GOD!

What is it, LORD, to see thy glorious face, but to know thee as you art in thine own blessed being

To know the immensity of thy selfsubsisting essence and the infinite excellence of all thy attributes:

To know the power of the eternal FATHER, and the wisdom of the untreated Son:

To know the goodness of the HOLY GHOST, and the incomprehensible. glories of the undivided TRINITY.

This, O my soul, is the top of happiness; this is the supreme perfection of our nature.

This, this is alone 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 satisfied desires reach no farther.

We shall be filled with overflowing bliss; and our utmost capacities hold no more:

But in one act of joy will be eternally fixed; and that one act spring fresh for ever.

Glory be, &c.

As it was, &c.

Never can we say too much of this glorious subject;

never can we think enough of the felicities of heaven. Hallelujah.

PSALM 10.

ARIE, my soul, to thee these joys belong; arise, and advance thyself on high.

Leave here below all earthly thoughts, and fly away with the wings of the spirit..

Fly to that glorious land of promise, and gladly salute those heavenly regions.

Hail, happy Paradise of pure delights; you beauteous garden of never fading flowers!

Hail; blessed society of beatified spirits, who perpetually contemplate the eternal Deity!

Hail, and for ever may your glories grow, till they rise so high, they can grow no more.

Hail you, who, in your cheerful hymns, remember us who dwell below in this vale of tears.

We hope one,day to come up to you; and be placed, to sing in your holy choirs.

We hope to know all things produced; we hope to know that all producing Cause.

O what a fire of love will it kindle in our hearts, when we shall see those shining mysteries!

When our great GOD, like a burning mirror, shall strike his brightness on the eyes of our souls!

Under these veils you hidest those glorious mysteries, too high and spiritual for flesh and blood.

O what excessive joy will that love produce; a love so violently desiring, and so fully satisfied!

When our capacities shall be stretched to the utmost, and the rich abounding objects fill and overflow them!

O what profound repose will that joy beget; a joy so infinitely high, and so eternally secure!

When we shall sweetly dissolve into the blissful union with our first beginning!

When, without losing what we are, we shall become in a great measure even what he is!

We shall take part in all his joys, and share in the glories of all his heaven.

O what divine and ravishing words are these! How gently they enter and delight my ear!

How they diffuse themselves through all my heart, and strongly penetrate my very soul!

Methinks they turn to substance as they go; and I feel them work and stir through all my powers.

There, O my soul, we shall rest from all our labors, which are but the way to all that happiness.

There we shall rest for ever in the protection of our GOD, in the arms and bosom of our dearest LORD.

O heaven! the eternal source of all these joys, and infinitely more, and infinitely greater,

As the hart pants after the water brooks, so let my soul thirst after thee.

After thee let me daily sigh and mourn; and with a fixed and longing eye look up, and say,

When, O my GOD, shall I sit at that fountain head; and drink my fill of those living streams

When shall I be satisfied with that torrent of pleasures, which springs for ever from thy glorious throne

O that the days of my banishment were finished! How is the time of my pilgrimage prolonged!

Why any I still detained in this valley of tears Still wandering up and down in this wilderness of dangers Come, JESUS, my only hope, and sure deliverer out of

all my sorrows.

Come You, and here begin to dwell in my heart; and fit me for the life I shall lead hereafter.

Come, O my LORD, and prepare my soul for thee; and then, when thou pleasest, take it to thyself.

Glory be &c.

As it was, &c.

IN THE EVENING.

All is unquiet here till we come to thee,

and repose at last in the kingdom of peace.

PSALM 11.

Who will give me the wings of a dove, that I may fly away, Viand beat rest

That I may fly away from the troubles of this life, and be at rest, O LORD, with thee!

Here, alas! we are forced to sigh, and bear with grief the burden of our miseries.

Often we encounter dangers that divert our progress in the way to bliss.

Often we are assaulted with temptations, that set us back in the accounts of eternity.

How many times, O my soul, have we concluded that this earth affords no real joy!

How many times have we fully agreed, that heaven alone is the place of happiness.

Yet do these false allurements again deceive us, and steal away our hearts to dote on folly:

Yet do we forget our resolves, and wretchedly neglect our true felicity.

O you victorious Conqueror of sin and death! assist us in this dangerous warfare.

O you benign Refresher of distressed spirits! relieve us in this tedious pilgrimage.

Make us still thirst and sigh 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 satisfy our souls but thee, O let our souls seek nothing but thee.

Glory be &c.

As it was, &c.

PSALM 12.

GIVE me, O LORD, the innocency of doves; and fill my soul with thy mild Spirit:

Then I shall need none of their wings; since heaven itself will dwell in my heart.

It is on the proud you lookest afar off; but inclinest thine ear to the humble and meek:

Who delight in the peace of a contented mind; and limit their thoughts to their own little sphere:

Never intermeddling with the actions of others; unless where charity and reason engage them:

But their beloved employment is to sit in silence; and think on the happiness they expect hereafter.

To meditate the joys of saints and angels; and the blissful 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 itself; 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 ourselves:

To strive for mastery over the passions that molest us; and dismiss from our thoughts what no way concerns us.

Let then the worldly pursue their liberties; and say and do as they think fit.

What is that to thee, my soul! who shall not answer for others, unless you some way make their faults thine own.

Thy pity may grieve, and thy charity endeavor; but if they will not hear, follow you 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 holiness in what he did; follow his patience in what he suffered.

Follow him that calls thee in a thousand promises; follow him that crowns thee with infinite rewards.

Follow thy faithful LORD, O my soul, to the end; and you art sure in the end to possess him for ever.

Glory be, &c.

As it was, &c.

PSALM 13.

MEEKNESS indeed is the heaven of this life; but the heaven of heavens, O LORD, is above with thee.

Meekness may qualify our miseries here, and make our time pass gentler away.

But to be fully happy, we must stay till hereafter; till thy mercy bring us all to our last end.

That glorious end for which our souls were made; and all things else, to serve them in their way.

It is not to sport our time in pleasures, that You, O LORD, have placed us here.

It is not to gain a fair estate, that thy kindness still prolongs our days.

But to do good to ourselves and others, and glorify 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 sweetness provokes and satisfies all our appetites!

May my entire affections delight in thee, above all the vain enjoyments of this world:

Above all praise and empty honor; above all beauty and fading pleasure:

Above all health and deceitful riches; above all power and subtle knowledge:

Above all even thine own bounty can give, and whatever is not thy very self.

O! may my wearied soul repose in thee, the centre of eternal rest.

May I forget myself to think of 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 goods or ills of this world lose their name, and yield not either relish or distaste.

O my adored JESUS, let me love thee always; because from eternity you have loved me!

O let me love thee only, gracious GOD! because you alone deserve all my heart.

Always, and only, let me love thee, O LoRD! since always my hope is only in thee.

Glory be, &c.

As it was, &c. Hallelujah.

All is unquiet here, till we come to thee,

and repose at last in the kingdom of peace.

HYMN 2.

DEAR JESU, when, when will it be That I no more shall break with thee!

When will this war of passions cease, And my free soul enjoy 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 heart.

When, dearest LORD, when shall I be A garden sealed to all but thee

No more expos'd, no more undone; But live and grow to thee alone

'Tis not, alas! on this low earth, That such pure flowers can find a birth:

Only they spring above the skies, Where none can live, till here he dies.

Then let me die, that I may go, And dwell where those bright lilies grow;

Where those blest plants of glory rise, And make a safer Paradise.

No dang'rous fruit, no tempting EVE, No crafty serpent to deceive;

But we like GODs indeed shall be; O let me die that life to see.

Great everliving GOD, to thee, In essence One, in persons Three,

May all thy works their tribute bring, And every age thy glory sing.

Amen.

Blessed be the holy name of the LORD our GOD who has spewed us the light of his countenance,

and has caused us to see his goodness in the land of the living. Hallelujah.

For, behold, you art the light of the nations, O CHRIST, and the glory of thy church. Hallelujah.

LORD, we beseech thee, forsake us not in the vanishing of our days but still continue thy gracious and fatherly protection unto us:

Be you our light and defense, our guide and guard, through the valley of misery and tears, and the shadow of death, to that holy hill where thine honor and our rest dwelleth: And give us the peace, and comfort, and communion of thy HOLY SPIRIT, that our eyes may see thy salvation, and we thy servants may depart in thy peace, for the merits and satisfaction of thy dear Son, JESUS CHRIST our LORD. Amen.

O GOD; whose gracious providence has particularly ordained the spirit of meekness to waft us safely through the turbulent sea of the world, to our heaven of bliss; vouchsafe, we beseech thee, that the clear experience we every day make of our own weakness and vanity, may so dispose us for this precious virtue, that our minds may never be discomposed with passion, nor our tongues break forth into violent expressions, but our temper may be always preserved calm and regular, and, as becomes those all whose powers are possessed of the joys of heaven, apt to feel in every thing only the sweet impulses of hope and charity, through our LORD JESUS CHRIST thy SON; to whom, with thee and the HOLY GHOST, be all honor and glory, world without end. Amen.

Vouchsafe us, we beseech thee, O LORD, a quiet night, and a happy end.

Visit, we beseech thee, O LORD, this habitation, and drive far away all snares of the enemy: Let thy holy angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace, and thy blessing be upon us for ever: through our LORD JESUS CHRIST thy SON.

The blessing of GOD Almighty, FATHER, SON, and HOLY GHOST, descend upon us, and dwell in our hearts for ever.