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.

Thursday Lauds.

Antiphon.

How great is the multitude of thy Loving-kindnesses, which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee?

Psalm 57.

WHere, O thou boundless Ocean of Charity! where will thy overflow∣ing Streams stay their Course?

We, and our Ingratitude strive to op∣pose thee; but nothing can resist thine Almighty Goodness:

When the Impiety of Man was at the height, and their treacherous Heads plot∣ting to betray thee:

Then did thy Wisdom mercifully con∣sult to overcome our Malice with thy Bounty.

Immediately thou contrivedst an admi∣rable Way, to invite all the World to a Feast of Miracles:

A Feast in which are continually wrought new Miracles of Love for us.

And as if it had not been Love enough, to have given thy self on the Cross for us:

Thou hast found out a Way to give thy self to us in the Holy Sacrament:

To unite us to thy self with the most intimate Union that its possible to con∣ceive; and which we can better feel than express.

For what greater Mercy, and Bounty can be extended to us poor Mortals, than

for our Redeemer to become the very Food of our Souls?

To become the Life, the Strength, the Support and Comfort of our Souls:

Nay to become even one with me, and be unto me the very Soul of my Soul?

O Lord my God, this is so unconcei∣vable a Blessing; this is so Divine an Union;

That the very Angels, who so much desire to look into the great Mystery of our Redemption,

Do crowd about our Altars, and with awful Admiration contemplate thy won∣derful Condescention in it.

Resp.] Pet. 1. 12. Ephes. 3. 10. 1 Cor. 10.

What Thanks then, gracious Lord, can I return thee for those Wonders of Love thou hast shewed to me a wretched Sin∣ner; which those blessed Angels above, who never sinned, so diligently attend, so much admire?

In this Feast thy whole All-glorious Self is freely given to the meanest, if tru∣ly prepar'd Guest.

A Feast of Love and incomparable Sweetness, to which thine own blest Mouth so kindly calleth us.

Come to me you that labour for Holi∣ness, and are opprest under the Weight of your Sins.

Come to me you that hunger after Hea∣ven, and thirst to drink at the Fountain of Bliss.

Come to me, and I will refresh you with the Wine of Gladness, and the Bread of Life.

Come you that are weak, that you may grow strong; and you that are strong lest you become weak.

Come you that have Leasure, and here entertain your Time; Come you that are busie, and here learn to sanctifie you Em∣ployment.

Come all, and gather freely of this Celestial Manna, and fill your Souls with the Food of Angels.

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

Psalm 58.

THus does our gracious Lord invite, and shall we go? shall Sinners dare to sit down at his Table?

Thus he invite•• and shall we not go; shall Wretches presume to refuse his Call?

Rise then, my Soul, and take the swift∣est Wings; and fly to the Presence of this great Mystery.

Soon as thou comest, bow low thy Head; and humbly adore thy blest Re∣deemer:

Our God that comes so far to meet us; and brings along with him all his Mercies and Merits to entertain us.

Arise, and leave the World behind thee; and run with Gladness to salute thy Lord.

Enter the Palace of his most glorious Residence; the Place where his Honour dwelleth.

There shall we see the Eternal Word, that descended from Heaven to become Man for us;

Not only represented, but really con∣vey'd to us, and made one with us.

There we shall see this Prince of Peace, not only Symbolically sacrific'd for us, but really giving himself to us.

Can we, O dear Redeemer, believe, and feel, and experimentally enjoy those great Effects of thy Love;

And not be ravisht with Admiration of that Love, which produces such wonder∣ful Effects.

Can we believe thy all-supream Veraci∣ty, and not believe all thou hast said and done?

What tho' our Eyes see nothing but Bread and Wine? Our Faith and Experi∣ence too, assure us, that there is also our dear Saviour.

For, O the Gusts of Joy, and Souls o∣ver-flowing Comforts, the Just do find herein!

Producing nothing but Praises, and Thanksgivings, and Love, and Joy, and Fear;

And Care of Offending this blessed and new-enter'd Guest.

What earnest Supplications do they make, that their Lord will keep possessi∣on of their Hearts, and never depart from them more?

Let us not then refuse to believe our God, because his Mercies transcend our Capacities.

No, no, 'tis thy very Self, O blessed Jesu; and 'tis thine own Light by which we see thee.

And 'tis thine Holy Spirit the Com∣forter, by which we feel and find thee.

None but infinite Wisdom couldever have invented so strange, and high, and prodigious a Mystery.

None but an unconceivable infinite Goodness, would ever have imparted so dear and rich a Blessing.

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

Psalm 59.

LORD, who are we unworthy Sin∣ners, that thus thou regardest our wretched Dust?

What's all the World compar'd to thee; that thus thou seemest to disregard thy self?

'Tis for our sakes, and to draw us up to thy Love, that thou thus vouchsafest to dwell among us.

'Tis for our sakes, and to spare the Infirmity of our Nature, that thy Brightness appears not in its proper Lu∣stre.

Blessed are the Eyes that see thee by Faith, in this most Blessed Sacrament; and blessed is the Mouth that reverently receives thee.

Blessed yet more is the Heart that de∣sires thy Coming, and longs to see thee in thy beauteous self.

O thou eternal Lord of Grace and Glo∣ry, our Joy and Portion in the Land of the Living!

What hast thou there prepared for thy Servants, who bestowest such Pledges of thy Bounty here?

What dost thou reserve in thine own Kingdom, who givest us thy self in this place of Banishment?

How will thy open Vision transport our Souls; when our dark Faith yields such Delights?

Nothing on Earth so Sweet as to kneel whole Hours before thee, and One by One consider thine innumerable Mer∣cies.

What must it be in Heaven to shine continually before thee; and all in one contemplate thine unspeakable Goodness and Glories?

O my ador'd Redeemer! when will that happy Day appear, that mine Eyes shall behold thee without a Veil?

When will these Clouds and Shadows pass away; that thy Beams may shine on me in their full Brightness?

Object not against me, dearest Lord, that none can see thy Face and live?

Those Fears thy Love has changed, and all my Hope is now to live by seeing Thee.

Say not, O thou mild and gracious Majesty, if I approach thy Presence I must die.

Rather instruct me so to die, that I may live for ever in thy Presence.

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

Revel. 7. 10.

SAlvation to our God, who sitteth upon the Throne, and unto the Lamb, Amen.

Blessing, and Glory, and Wisdom, and Thanksgiving, and Honour, and Power, and Might, be unto our God for ever and ever. Amen.

Hymn 18.

WIth all the Powers my poor Soul hath, Of humble Love, and loyal Faith, Thus low, my God, I bow to thee, Whom too much Love bow'd low'r for me.

Down busie Sense, Discourses die, And all adore Faith's Mystery. Faith is my Skill, Faith can believe, As fast as Love▪ new Laws can give.

Faith is my Eye, Faith strength affords, To keep pace with those gracious words; And words more sweet, more sure than they Love could not think, Truth could not say.

O dear memorial of that Death, Which still survives, and gives us Breath! Live ever, Bread of Life, and be My Food, my Joy, my All to me.

Come, glorious Lord, my hopes encrease, And fill my Portion in thy Peace. Come hidden Life, and that long Day, For which I languish, come away.

Where this dry Soul, those Eyes shall see, And drink the unseal'd source of Thee. When Glory's Sun, Faith's Shade shall chace, And for thy Veil give me thy Face.

Antiphon.

He feeds the young Ravens that call upon him, and says, he esteems us much better than they: Behold a full proof! He feeds them and all things else; but to feed us: Behold yet a fuller, and O riddle of Bounty! even out of the Feeder him∣self comes Food for us.

V. The Bread of Life which came down from Heaven,

R. Feeds us with the Bread of Know∣ledge and Understanding.

Let us pray.

O Bounteous Lord, the continual Sup∣plier of thy Creatures, with all con∣venient Sustenance to advance our Growth and Strength, fit to take Heaven by vio∣lence, and rise at length eternal Enjoyers

of thy self. Fix, we beseech thee, our Eyes and Adoration on that open hand, which thus graciously gives us our daily Bread: And grant that the wonderful Feast of thy Son's Body and Blood may duly sanctifie our Tastes to all other thy Bounties, that they may relish as they are only thy great Love to us, and feed, as they ought, purely thy dear Love in us, thro' the same our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.