Devotions in the ancient way of offices with psalms, hymns, and prayers for every day in the week and every holiday in the year.

Psal. XXIII.

LOrd, without Thee, what's all the world to us, * but a flying dream of busie vanitys? It promises indeed a Paradise of blyss; but all it performs is an empty cloud.

Thine are the joys that shine fixt as the stars; and make the only solid heav'n.

Lord, without Thee, what are we to our selvs, but the wretched causes of our own ruin?

We, till thou gav'st us Being, were purely nothing; more remov'd from happines, then the miserablest of thy creatures.

Now thou hast made us, we wholly depend

on Thee, and perish immediately if thou for∣sake us.

Thou, without us, art the same all-glorious Essence; brim-ful of thy own eternal felicity.

Without us, thy royal Throne stands firm for ever; and all the Powers of heav'n obey thy pleasure,

Pity, O gracious Lord, our imperfect nature; whose every circumstance is so contrary to Thine.

Thou dwel'st above in the Mansions of glory; and we below in houses of clay.

Thou art immortal, and thy day out-lives all time; we every moment go downwards to our grave.

Thou art immense, and thy presence fills the heav'ns; but the Greatest of us, alas, how litle are we!

Two yards of air contain us while we live; and a few spans of earth suffice us at our death.

When, O my God, shall these distances meet together? when will these extremitys embrace each other?

We know they once were miraculously joyn'd * in the sacred Person of thy eternal Son.

When the King of heav'n stoopt down to earth; and grafted into his own Person the na∣ture of man.

We hope they once again shall be happily

united *, in the blysful vision of thy glorious Self.

When the children of the earth shall be exal∣ted to heav'n, and made partakers of thy divine nature.

But are there no means for us here below? O Thou infinitely high and glorious God!

Is there no way to approach towards Thee; and diminish, at least, this uncomfortable di∣stance?

None but the way of holy love; which none can attain but by thy free gift:

Nor must we sinners dare to ask thy love; be∣ing infinitely unworthy to be cal'd thy servants.

Rather let us humbly beg the grace to love Thee; who art so many ways worthy of more than our harts:

And yet, O dearest Lord, unless thou first love us; and sweetly draw us by thy gentle hand:

Never shal we be so happy as to love Thee; nor ever happy unless we love Thee:

O bounteous God! to all thy favours add this one, * of making us esteem Thee above them 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 un∣quietnes, 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 sup∣plications 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 or∣dain'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.