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. 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 ap∣pear; 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 re∣warded:

You shal remember your afflictions with plea∣sure; 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 as∣sist continually at the throne of glory:

Pray for us, bright Queen of heavenly Spi∣rits, * 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 clo••••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 Spi∣rit, 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 ini∣quitys.

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 mer∣cy 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 to∣wards them;

R. Thou hast deliver'd them from the lower∣most 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 bur∣then:

V. But thou, O Lord, art their strong su∣stainer;

R Their glory, and the lifter up of their heads:

V. Thou art always near to relieve the af∣flicted;

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 con∣founded:

V. Though they walk in the midst of the sha∣dow 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 frail∣ty has inconsiderately committed being by thy clemency mercifully forgiven, and all impedi∣ments, by a perfect cleansing from the stains of sin, thorowly remov'd; the happy effect of see∣ing 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.