which cannot be disturbed by whatever may befall for truth and righteousness' sake. 6. "Lord, I have looked for Thy saving health and done after Thy commandments." He hopes for salvation in vain, who lives not in obedience to God's most holy law. 7. "My soul hath kept Thy testimonies, and loved them exceedingly." It is zealous affections to do whatever God commands, which produce a sincere and constant obedience there unto. 8. "I have kept Thy commandments and testimonies: for all my ways are before Thee." Both holy affections and holy actions do flow from the serious consideration of God's omnipresence. Glory be to the Father, &c. As it was in the beginning, &c. The Prayer. Most blessed Lord, before Whom are all the ways of men; let this consideration make me sincere and upright, both in all the affections of my heart, and the actions of my life: standing more in awe of sinning against Thee, than to in 5. "Let Thine hand help me: for I have chosen Thy commandments." To obey God's will by the assistance of His grace, is the choice of every wise man. 6. "I have longed for Thy saving health, O Lord: and in Thy law is my delight." He that loves his soul's health, and longs for it, will also love and delight in the commandments of God, as way thereunto. the commandments, yet they are not withal unmindful of that obedience they owe thereunto. The Prayer. Blessed Jesu, Who camest into the world to seek and save that which was lost; vouchsafe to seek and save me, too often wandering like a lost sheep in the manifold bye and too much beaten paths of vanity and iniquity: bring me home into Thy fold, Who art the great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls; that being sav 7. "O let my soul live, and it shall praise Thee: and Thy judgments shall help me.' God is praised by the life of grace and obe-ed with the remnant of the dience, and such shall be supported by His righteous judgments. 8. "I have gone astray like a sheep that is lost: 0 seek Thy servant, for I do not forget Thy commandments." Though the best men do sometimes err from the sacred paths of God's true Israelites, I may sing CHAP. V. OF MEDITATIONS FOR THE EVENING. THE light of nature dictates an evening and a morning sacrifice due unto God: not only Jews and Christians, but heathens and Turks, all men of all persuasions observe it. The holy patriarch Isaac applied himself to holy meditations in the evening. The great d Gen. xxiv. 63. At this time prayed Ezraf: and so did holy David and so did the Son of David, our blessed Lord Himself; and He commands us to do so also, both by precepti, and by that parable of the labourers sent out into the vineyard by the lord thereof, as at other times, so at the last hour of the day; and these were as well paid as the former. Despair not then (0 my soul) of the forgiveness of thy sin, if thou dost truly repent, though it be in the evening of thy life: but then it concerns thee to be active and industrious in the service of thy Lord, having been all the day of thy former life idle and negligent therein and as at other times, so now, neglect not to offer up thine evening sacrifice unto God. For, I. It was in the evening of time, the blessed Son of God came down from Heaven, for the redemption of the e 1 Kings xviii. 36. Luke vi. 12. world. If then Christ be anew formed in thee, now and every evening bless God for thy renovation, and with all joyful exultation, say with the blessed Mother of our Lord: ST. LUKE, CHAP. 1. Ver. 46. "My soul doth magnify the Lord and my spirit hath rejoiced in God my Saviour." It is the greatest joy of the devout soul to praise the Lord: My soul shall be satisfied as with marrow and fatness, when my mouth praiseth Thee with joyful lipsk." 47. "For He hath regarded the lowliness of His hand-maiden." It was a great respect our Lord had to the humble and gracious disposition of this blessed virgin, to humble Himself to be made man in her sanctified womb. 48. "For behold, from henceforth all generations shall call me blessed." Since all the nations of the carth are blessed by the holy seed of her immaculate body. 49. "For He that is mighty hath magnified me: and holy is His name.' God's almightiness is most mani f Ezra ix. 5. i Mark xiii. 35. 8 Psalm lv. 18; cxli. 2. Psalm lxiii. 6. fested by His mercifulness; but they who are pure in and in respect of both, His name is great, wonderful and holy. 66 is 50. And His mercy on them that fear Him, throughout all generations." In every nation, he that feareth God, and worketh righteousness, is accepted of Him'." 51. "He hath shewed strength with His arm: He hath scattered the proud in the imagination of their hearts." By the arm of the Lord, is meant the Son of Godm, the strength of Whose wisdom appeared in confounding the fond imaginations of the proud Pharisees, and all such as justify themselves. 52. "He hath put down the mighty from their seat: and hath exalted the humble and meek." And in casting out the prince of this world", and all the spirits of pride and vengeance, and in raising up fallen man from under the power and tyranny of the devil and his angels. 53. "He hath filled the hungry with good things: and the rich He hath sent empty away." Such as hunger and thirst after righteousness, shall be satisfied; their own eyes, and justify themselves, are rejected for He came not to call the righteous, in their own conceits, but sinners to repentance". 54. "He remembering His mercy, hath holpen His servant Israel; as He promised to our forefathers, Abraham and his seed, for ever." To all the spiritual sons of the faithful Abraham, do the promises of God in Christ appertain. Glory be to the Father, The Prayer. O blessed Jesu, the eternal and only begotten Son of God, Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from Heaven, and was incarnate by the Holy Ghost of the Virgin Mary, and made man: By the merits and mysteries of Thy holy Incarnation, and miraculous birth of a spotless virgin, I humbly beg a lowly, humble, pure, and virgin heart, for it is only such a heart Thou regardest for Thy habitation and abode, and it is only such a heart cleaves steadfastly unto Thee, by the ardent love, awful fear, and sincere service of Thy sacred Majesty, Who livest and reignest with the Father, &c. THE XCVIIIth PSALM PARAPHRASED, Being a Thanksgiving for the Redemption of the World by the Son of God. Ver. 1. "O sing unto the Lord a new song ":" Praise Him for the renovation and redemption of the world, wherein "He hath done marvellous things;" even such as the Angels of Heaven desire to look into. 2. "With His own right hand," by His works of righteousness, "and with His holy arm," the extent of His piety, "He hath gotten Himself the victory" over the world, the flesh, and the devil, sin, death, and hell. 3. "The Lord declared His salvation,” which under the Law was shadowed in types and figures; but now, under the Gospel, "His righteousness," whereby He justifies, and saves: "He hath openly shewed in the sight of the heathen," not to the Jews only, but to the Gentiles also. 4. "He hath remembered His mercy" in the pro mise of salvation, "and His 5. "Shew yourselves joyful unto the Lord, all ye lands." Since all have seen His salvation, it is very meet and just, and our bounden duty, that all should "sing, rejoice, and give thanks;" for, salvation from eternal death, to life everlasting, is the greatest cause of joy and thanksgiving. 6. "Praise the Lord upon the harp," which mystically represents the heart of man : "sing to the harp," open your lips to shew forth His praise, "with a psalm of thanksgiving,' as wherein the praises of God are divinely celebrated. دو P Canticum novum dicitur, quia respicit sæculum novum, sive Evangelicum. q 1 Pet. i. 12. |