Devotions in the ancient way of offices. With psalms, hymns, and prayers for every day of the week and every holiday in the year. / Reformed by A person of quality, ; and published by George Hickes, D.D.

Wednesday Vespers.

In the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost.

Antiphon.

A good Conscience is a continual Feast; And a peaceful Mind the Antipast of Heaven.

Psalm 47.

LOrd, how secure they live whom thy Grace preserves in Innocence!

The Day goes smoothly over their Heads; and silent as the Shadow of a Dial.

The Spirits of their Fancies run calm and even; and ebb and flow in obedience to Reason.

All their Delight is to think of Hea∣ven; and reckon o'er the Joys they shall one Day possess.

Till some unruly Passion press to come in; and by its fawning Out-side gain ad∣mittance.

It promises at first all Joy, all Happi∣ness; but soon discovers its pernicious Ef∣fects and Intents.

Soon it grows bold to undermine their Repose; and open a Door to all their Enemies.

So at a little Breach of a City Wall, a whole Army pours in their numerous Body.

Enslaving all that submit to their Vio∣lence; and destroying all that make Head to resist it.

And such, alas! is their Confusion; when once they have yielded to their first Assault.

Immediately a Throng of tumultuous Spirits crowd into their Heads; and ut∣terly consume the little Remnant of their Peace.

O the Distraction of a Life led by Hu∣mour; and the miserable Thraldom of being subject to our Passions!

How often do they engage us to con∣tend with others; and imbitter all our Days with Strife and Envy?

How often do they quarrel evena∣mong themselves; and raise a War in our own Bosoms?

If they by chance agree in one Design; they many times vex us with their being disappointed.

If they perhaps sometimes succeed; they seldom produce the expected Con∣tent.

If they delight our corrupted Taste; and we greedily swallow their unwhol∣som Sweetness:

Then it is, alas! they most of all undo us; by feeding the Humour of our fatal Disease.

Vain at the best, and short are the En∣joyments of this World; and after a little Flattery, betray us into Ruin.

Save us, O blessed Jesus, or else we perish; awake and with thy speedy Mer∣cy, rescue thy Servants.

Send down thy powerful Grace to su∣stain us; and throughly reduce these un∣quiet Disorders.

That we again may turn to our for∣mer Rest; and constantly enjoy an uni∣versal Peace.

Peace with the Bad by bearing their In∣juries; Peace with the Good by conform∣ing to their Vertues.

Peace with our selves by regulating our Desires by Reason; and with thee by im∣proving Reason with Religion.

Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c.

Antiphon.

A good Conscience is a continual Feast; and a peaceful Mind the Antipast of Heaven.

Thou art, O Lord, the only An∣chor of our Hope; save us, O Lord, or else we perish.

Psalm. 48.

THus are they miserably tost up and down; who float on the Waves of their own Passions.

Their wearied Souls soon faint within them; when they see their Lord hath withdrawn his Presence.

They seek him, but cannot find him; they call upon him, but he gives them no Answer.

(O still seek on, still call upon your God; for his Mercy will surely awake at last.

Tho' he may sometimes slumber for a while; to try our Duty, or punish our Disobedience:

Tho' he may suffer a while the Fury of the Tempest; to shew you your hopeless State if left unto your selves:

Yet be assur'd he'll hear your Prayers at last; he'll not permit you to perish for ever.)

And now when all their Fears were grown to the height; and no means appear∣ed to sustain their Patience:

When the proud Waves beat violently against them; and cover'd their little Ves∣sel with Despair or Ruin.

Behold his blessed Voice commands a Calm; and immediately the Sea and Winds obey him.

Immediately his Sun arises in their Hearts; and with its gentle Beams re∣vives their Hopes.

Then is their Darkness turn'd into Light; and the Clouds disperst into a bright Day.

Then they recollect their scatter'd Thoughts; and range them again in their ancient Order.

Often they look back on the Dangers they have escap'd; and as often bless the Mercy that delivers them.

Often they look forwards on the Course they were going; and as often sing with Joy for their happy Change.

Welcome again, that easie Yoke of Christ; and the light Burden of loving your Saviour.

Welcome the Holy Offices of sweet Devotion; and that Soul-enflaming fer∣vent Prayer.

Now we discern this beauteous Truth; and O may we print it deeply in our Minds.

That the Pleasures of Vertue are pure and constant; and infinite Blessings re∣ward it.

But the pursuit of Vice is troublesome and intricate; and finishes its Course in an Abyss of Misery.

Pity, O Lord, thou raiser of them that fall; and sole sustainer of them that stand!

Pity thy Children's Weakness, who look up to thee; and dearly know we are nothing in our selves.

Let us not lose this unhappy Experi∣ence; but teach us Wisdom from our own Miscarriage.

Teach us to observe where our Error was; and fortifie our selves against the like Defect.

To suppress our Temptations in their first Approach; when their Power is weak, and our Choice is in full Strength.

To remember how formerly their Flatteries have abused us; and when they counterfeit again, be no more de∣ceived.

Never to look on the Face of Pleasures, as they come drest up, and smiling to∣wards us:

But always reflect how sadly they go off; and leave nothing behind but their own venomous Sting.

So shall we gain the best of Victories; while we Master our own corrupt Incli∣nations.

So shall we be honour'd with the noblest of Triumphs; whilst our conquer'd Pas∣sions draw us up to Heaven.

Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c.

Antiphon.

Thou art, O God, the only Anchor of our Hope; save us, O Lord, or we pe∣rish.

Ant.] All our Lots are in the Hands of God; and all our Safety in the Assistance of his Grace.

Psalm 49.

LOrd! as thy All-wise Providence seems to sleep sometimes; and permits the Storm to grow high and loud:

Yet never failes to relieve thy Ser∣vants; who faithfully call on thee in the Day of Trouble:

So let thy favourable Hand still bear us up; when thou seest us charg'd with any dangerous Assault.

Leave us not then to our own Infirmi∣ties; lest the Enemy of Souls prevail a∣gainst us.

Forsake not our Misery when we are fallen; lest we lie for ever groveling on the Earth.

Suffer not our Frailties to become a Custom; lest we die impenitent, and pe∣rish without Recovery.

Deliver us, O Lord, from the Occasi∣ons of Sin; and the Importunities of such as delight in Folly.

Deliver us from the Snare of inticing Company; and the dangerous Infection of ill Example:

Infection that spreads in every place its poisonous Air; and where-e'er it enters, corrupts and kills.

Once more, my Soul, let's repeat this Prayer; and humbly implore again so necessary a Blessing.

Deliver us, O Lord, from the Occasi∣ons of Sin; and the Importunities of such as delight in Folly.

Deliver us from the Snare of inticing Company; and the dangerous Infection of ill Example.

Set a strict Watch continually before our Eyes; and diligently keep the Door of our Lips.

Govern all our Senses that they seduce not our Mind; and order every Motion of our Heart and Fancy.

Perfect, O dear Redeemer, the Work thou hast begun; and make even our Pas∣sions Servants of thy Grace.

Change our rude Anger into a Severity against our selves; and a prudent Zeal for others.

Convert our Fear into a Timorousness to offend; and an awful Reverence to thy Sacred Name.

Let all our Affections be turn'd into Charity; that our Hearts may desire no∣thing but Thee.

Whom we may safely love with our whole Strength; whose Heaven we may Covet, and fear no Ex∣cess.

O Thou, whose blissful Vision is the Joy of Angels; and sovereign Happiness of all Saints!

O that our Souls cou'd love thee with∣out Limits; as thou art in thy self most infinitely amiable.

That we cou'd fix all our Thoughts on Thee; and never take them off from the Memory of thy Sweetness.

At least, O thou Fountain of eternal Blifs, and Bounty that flows so freely with eternal Blessings!

Let every Day we receive of thee, still set apart some Portion of it self:

Seriously to meditate thy infinite Mer∣cies; and heartily rejoyce in thy glorious Rewards:

Mercies that give us all we have; and Rewards that reserve for us all we can wish.

Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c.

Antiphon.

All our Lots are in the hands of God; and all our Safety in the Assistance of his Grace.

Chap. Gal. 5. 19.

NOW the Works of the Flesh are manifest, which are these; Adulte∣ry, Fornication, Uncleanness, Lascivi∣ousness,

Idolatry, Witchcraft, Hatred, Vari∣ance, Emulations, Wraths, Strifes, Sedi∣tions, Heresies,

Envyings, Murders, Drunkenness, Re∣vellings, and such-like; of the which I tell you before, as I have told you in times past, that they which do such things shall not inherit the Kingdom of God.

But the Fruit of the Spirit is Love, Joy, Peace, Long-Suffering, Gentleness, Goodness, Faith, Meekness, Temperance, Patience, against such there is no Law.

Hymn 15.

LET others court what Joys they please, And gain what e'er they court; For me I find but little Ease In all their gayest Sport.

Be thou alone but with my Heart, My God, my only Bliss; I shall not murmur at my part, Not envy their Success.

They talk of Pleasure, talk of Gain, None must their Humour cross; But well I know their Pleasure's Pain, Their greatest Profit Loss.

Let them talk on: and have not we Our Gains our Pleasures too? Pleasures that spring more sweet and free, Gains that more fully flow.

Nay well endur'd, our very Pains To us a Pleasure are; And all our Losses turn to Gains, If Hopes may have their Share.

And sure they may, such Hopes that cheer, The Heaven-espoused Breast; Hopes that so strangely charm us here, What will they be possest.

All Glory to the Sacred Three, All Honour, Power, and Praise; As 'twas at first, still may it be, Beyond the end of Days, Amen.

Antiphon.

When, O my Soul, did we ever follow our Passions, but they instantly wrought our Disturbance, and threatned at last our Ruine? When did we ever turn our Hearts to Piety, but it presently brought

us Peace, and refresht our Minds with new hopes of Felicity?

V. The Winds are often rough, and our own Weight presses us down∣wards.

V. Reach forth thy Hand, thy saving Hand, and speedily deliver us.

Let us pray.

O God, whose infinite Mercy has vouchsaft us the mighty Rescue of thine only Son, from the desperate Re∣bellion of our Passions, which utterly confound the Government and Peace of our Souls! Grant, we beseech thee, that our Experience of the miserable Effects of yielding to their Allurements, may make us warier in observing, and severer in repressing their first Motions; and let thy Grace so strongly fortifie us against all their furious and repeated Assaults, that Reason may more and more recover its due force, and calmly joyn with Faith to secure and exalt in our Hearts the bless∣ful Throne of thy Love, thro' our Lord Jesus Christ thy Son, who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, One God blessed for ever, Amen.