Psalm 91.
BUT Oh! 'tis not so much our Sloath undoes us; as the imprudent choice in applying our diligence.
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.
About this Item
- Title
- 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.
- Author
- Birchley, William, 1613-1669.
- Publication
- London :: Printed for J. Jones at the Bell, in St.-Paul's Church-Yard,
- 1700.
- Rights/Permissions
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To the extent possible under law, the Text Creation Partnership has waived all copyright and related or neighboring rights to this keyboarded and encoded edition of the work described above, according to the terms of the CC0 1.0 Public Domain Dedication (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/). This waiver does not extend to any page images or other supplementary files associated with this work, which may be protected by copyright or other license restrictions. Please go to http://www.textcreationpartnership.org/ for more information.
- Subject terms
- Church of England -- Liturgy.
- Devotional exercises.
- Link to this Item
-
http://name.umdl.umich.edu/A35816.0001.001
- Cite this Item
-
"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." In the digital collection Early English Books Online 2. https://name.umdl.umich.edu/A35816.0001.001. University of Michigan Library Digital Collections. Accessed June 15, 2025.
Pages
Page 340
Many, alas, take pains enough; Many perplex themselves too much.
See how the busie Toilers of the World are chain'd perpetually like Slaves to their Work.
How early they rise, and go late to Sleep; and eat the Bread of Care and Sorrow.
See how the hardy Soldiers follow their Prince; through a thousand Difficulties and Dangers.
See how the venturous Mariners expose their Lives, over Stormy Seas, into barba∣rous Nations.
And why all this, poor ill advised Wretches! but to fetch perhaps a little Fish or Spice?
To gain a few Pence, or some petty Honour; which others more share in than your selves?
O bounteous Lord, how easy are thy Commands; how cheap hast thou made the purchase of Heaven!
Half these Pains would make us Saints; half these Sufferings canonize us for Martyrs:
Were they devoutly undertaken for thee; and the higher enjoyment of thy glorious Promises.
Thou bid'st us not freeze under the Po∣lar Star; nor burn in the heats of the torrid Zone.
Page 341
But proposest a sweet and gentle Rule; and such as our Nature it self would chuse:
Did not our Passions strangely mislead us; and the World about us distract our Reason.
Thou bid'st us but wisely love our selves; and attend above all things our own Hap∣piness.
Thou bid'st us value even this World, as much as it deserves; since it is the School that breeds us up for the other.
Only we are forbidden to be wilful Fools; and preferr a short Vanity before eternal Felicity.
O the mild Government of the King of Heaven! this we can do whatever else we are doing.
This we can do, even whilst we sit still; and only move our Thoughts towards Thee.
Yet let not this thy facile sweetness, Lord! be abused by us by a wanton neglect.
But make us to love thee so much more; as thou more discoverest the excess of thy Love.
Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c.