I see thy Wisdom ruling all,
And it with Joy admire;

I fee my self among fuch Hopes,
As fet my Heart on Fire.

When I have thus triumph'd a while,
And think to build my Neft;
Some cross Conceit comes fluttering by,
And interrupts my Rest.

Then to the Earth again I fall,

And from my low Duft cry;

'Twas not in my Wing, Lord, but thine, That I got up fo high.

And now, my God, whether I rife,

Or ftill lie down in Duft;

Both I fubmit to thy bleft Will,

In both on thee I trust.

Guide thou my Way, who art thy Self,

My everlasting End;

That every Step or swift, or flow,
Still to thy Self may tend.

To Father, Son, and Holy Ghoft,

One confubftantial Three,

AM highest Praise, all humblest Thanks,
Now; and for ever be. Amen.

Antiphon.

What Heart can refift the Great King of Kings, terrible and amiable, and mightily fhewing both in glorious Miracles of Vengeance, and Love?

V. His Right-Hand holds out a Golden Sceptre.

R. And his Left a flaming Sword.

Let us Pray.

God, who by Hopes and Fears, the

main Swayers of our Nature here, halt graciously provided to counterpoife our Weight downwards, and fuftain our faint Progrefs up to thee in thy Kingdom! Grant, we humbly befeech thee, that the many notorious Examples of thy dreadful Judgment on obftinate and incorrigible Sinners,may powerfully overawe our Vices, and Impenitence, and thy many more inftances of Indulgence and Mercy to the Penitent, and truly defirous of Vertue,may encourage our Weakness, and make us effectually endeavour to gain it, by the abundant, and furely efficacious Grace, and Means thou haft vouchfafed us in thy Church, thro' our Lord Jefus Chrift, who liveth and reigneth with thee, and the Holy Ghoft, one God, bleffed for ever. Amen.

V. O Lord, hear, &c. as at Sunday Vef

pers.

Tuef

133

V. Our Help is in, &c. as at Sunday Compline.

Antiphon.

Thou art, O Lord! all Goodness and Patience, and we, alas! all Sin and Disobe dience.

G

PSALM XXXVII.

1Ood God! how extreamly ingrateful are we! how strangely infenfible of our manifeft Duty!

Every Creature hears thy Voice but we; every thing lives by Rule but we.

The Sun obferves his conftant Rifing; and fets exactly at his appointed Time.

The Sun ftands ftill if thou commandeft; and even goes back to obey thy Will.

And yet the Sun pretends no Reward nor looks to be placed in a higher Heaven. We who expect thofe glorious Promises and aim no lower than the Heaven of Heavens:

Shall we forget the Law of our God; that only instructs us to perfect our felves. We, who are bought by the Blood of Jefus; and freely redeem'd by his Sacred Crofs:

Shall we neglect fo gracious a Saviour? whofe only Design is to draw us to his Love, K 3 Shall

Shall we neglect fo generous a Love; whofe only Effect is to make us happy?

O may thy holy Will, dear Lord, be all our Rule; and thy gracious Hand our only Guide.

O may thy infinite Goodness engage us to love thee; and thy bleffed Love prepare us to enjoy thee.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the Beginning, &c.

PSALM XXXVIII.

What did I fay, O Lord my God! we

Rules?

guide not our Lives by thy ftrait

It was too mild and gentle a Reproof for us, who quite contradict thy Laws. What thou forbiddeft we eagerly purfue; and what thou commandeft our Frowardness ftill refifts.

We boldly converfe with Temptation and Sin; which thy Charity advifeth us to fly like Death.

We timorously fear a Lofs or a Frown where thou bidft us proceed with undaunted Courage.

We govern our Actions by our own wild Fancies; and expect thy Providence fhould comply with our Humours.

We would have thee relieve us when we lift; and rain, and fhine as we think fit. Pardon, O gracious Lord, this rude Perverfenefs,and fashion our Spirits to fubmit to thee.

Make

Make us exactly obferve what thou prefcribeft; how bitter foever it taste to our Senfe.

We are fure thy Wifdom knows our Infirmities; we are fure thy Goodness delights in our Relief.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

As it was in the Beginning, &c.

Tw

PSALM XXXIX.

Was not alone to make the Day, that thou, O Lord, didft make the Sun : But to teach us thefe pious Leffons; and write them plain, as its own Beams.

So fhall our Light fhine forth to others; and fo our Charity warm their Coldness.

So when they fay we are under a Cloud; we fhould, like the Sun, be really above it. And though we appear fometimes eclipfed; or even extinguished in a Night of Sorrow.

Still we fhould thine to our felves, and Thee; and still go on the Ways of Light. Still, like the regular Sun, unchangedly expect the appointed Periods of Bright, and Dark.

Only in this we gladly difagree; and blessed be our God who made the Diffe

rence.

Not like the Sun, that every Night goes down; and muft at laft be quite put out,