7. "With trumpets also and shawms," all kind of musical instruments to elevate the heart, "to shew yourselves joyful before the Lord the King," Who is best pleased with joy, exultation and delight in His service. 8. "Let the sea make a noise, and all that therein is," even all the inhabitants of the isles of the sea: "the round world, and they that dwell therein," they that dwell in the continent also. 9. "Let the floods clap their hands, and let the hills be joyful together before the Lord;" both they that dwell in the low valleys, and they that inhabit in the hilly countries, have equal cause of joy and thanksgiving unto the Lord, of all men, and all places; "for He is come to judge the earth;" to separate the precious from the vile, which is done in this life, by the preaching of the Gospel in truth PSALM God be merciful unto us, and bless us and shew us the light of His countenance, and be merciful unto us. That Thy way may be known upon earth: Thy and purity, and exercising the power of the Keys. For thus, 10. "With righteousness shall He judge the world, and the people with equity;" absolving from their sins the penitent and contrite, but binding upon their souls the sins of the obdurate. Glory be to the Father, It is thy duty, O my soul, as to praise God for the redemption of the world, so to pray unto Him, that He would have mercy upon all men, and display the sacred beams of His holy Gospel over all the nations of the earth, that they may come to the knowledge of grace and salvation, through Jesus Christ. Pray we therefore for all men, and with all Christian people, in the words of God's Holy Spirit. LXVII. saving health among all nations. Let the people praise Thee, O God: yea, let all the people praise Thee. O let the nations rejoice and be glad : for Thou shalt judge the folk righteously, and govern the nations upon earth. Let the people praise Thee, O God let all the people praise Thee. Then shall the earth bring forth her increase: [the inhabitants of the earth increase in the graces of the Spirit, and be fruitful in all good works] and God, even our own God, shall give us His blessing. God shall bless us, and all the ends of the world shall fear Him. And with one heart and with one mouth glorify the Lord, and It was at this hour my Blessed Lord, having first washed His disciples' feet, did institute, consecrate and administer the blessed Sacrament of His most Holy Body and Blood: and the next day, at the same hour, He was taken down from the Cross. I have great reason then, at this hour, with all thanksgiving and devotion to commemorate the infinite love of my Redeemer, in giving Himself not only to be the price of my redemption, by His death upon the Cross, but also to be the food of my soul in that blessed Sacrament; humbly beseeching His gracious Majesty, that the merits of the one may be applied to my soul in the devout and reverent participation of the other. But I will not presume to come to Thy Table, O merciful Saviour, having not first washed my polluted feet, and the disordered affections of my soul, with the tears of godly sorrow: having not by true repentance taken down the pride of this corruptible flesh, laid aside and abjured all my sins, that so with clean hands, and a pure heart, I may receive the Holy Communion of Thy precious Body and Blood, not to my condemnation, but to the eternal salvation of my soul. When my Blessed Saviour gave up the ghost, there was a great earthquake: intimating unto me how greatly the earthly part of my soul should tremble at the apprehension of every sin, for which my Saviour suffered. When His crucified Body was taken from the Cross, it was embalmed with myrrh, aloes, and sweet odours, and afterward enwrapt in fine and clean linen. And thus ought I to receive the sacramental Body of my Lord with the bitter aloes of godly sorrow for my sins, with the myrrh of mortification, and with the sweet odours of all Christian virtues; not presuming to receive the same, but into a clean heart, and to preserve the same pure and undefiled. THE XVth PSALM PARAPHRASED. 1. "Lord, who shall dwell | no deceit in his tongue, in Thy tabernacle ?" be entitled to the solemn worship of Thy House, and continue a true member of Thy Church militant here below; "Or who shall rest upon Thy holy hill?" be admitted into the rest and felicity of Thy Saints in Heaven above. 2. "Even he that leadeth an uncorrupt life," unspotted of the world, unstained by the flesh, uncorrupted by the devil: "and doeth the thing that is right :" beneficence, or to do good, as innocence to do no evil, are equally necessary to salvation : "and speaketh the truth from his heart ;" whose heart thinketh, and whose mouth speaketh the truth: without which knowledge and profession of the truth, there can be no righteousness either of innocence or of beneficence, in the actions of life. nor done evil to his neighbour;" who hath neither in his words deceived, nor in his deeds wronged any: "and hath not slandered his neighbour;" either, first, being too credulous to believe an evil report of any; or, secondly, aggravating and making worse the mistakes and miscarriages of others; or, thirdly, blazoning them abroad to his disgrace. 66 4. "He that setteth not by himself," is not conceited of his own worth or esteem, wisdom or holiness; but is lowly in his own eyes," hath a mean and low opinion of himself, of his deserts, parts, and performances; or (as according to another reading) discountenanceth a vile person in his wickedness; "and maketh much of them that fear the Lord," by commending and giving all respect and encourage 3." He that hath used ment to such. 5. "He that sweareth to his neighbour," in the promise of any benefit, whether by loan or gift; "and disappointeth him not," but is as good as his word unto him, "though it be to his own hindrance," in respect of his present worldly in terests. 6. "He that hath not given his money upon usury," neither lending, nor giving ought unto any, upon the hopes of temporal advantage thereby, forbidden by our Lord', nor taken reward against the innocent;" that will not be feed or bribed to speak or act any thing against truth and in nocence. 7. "Whoso doeth these things" carefully, conscientiously, constantly, "shall never fall" from the state of grace, but pass through that to the state of glory, 66 to rest upon God's holy hill," or to enjoy eternal rest in the high and holy Heavens, where the language constantly used, is, Glory be to the Father, III. day my Blessed Lord, being risen from the dead, appeared to two of His disciples going to Emmaus; with whom discoursing, and by whom being entertained, He was "known of them by breaking of breads." are O how good and profitable a thing it is to speak of the Holy Jesus with affectionate desires and devotions! but much more effectual good deeds than good words. Friendly discourses upon divine subjects are profitable, but charitable entertainments are more acceptable to the Court of Heaven. To hear, from the blessed mouth of our Lord Himself, the Holy Scriptures expounded, did undoubtedly ravish the minds of these disciples: but yet their eyes were not opened to know the Lord, till charity enlarged their hearts to invite, nay, to compel their fellowtraveller to eat bread and lodge with them. Tene hospitem si vis agnoscere Salvatoremt. It is Divine charity that passeth all things for illumination : were my heart throughly enfired with this celestial flame, I could not be destitute of the light of It was at this time of the truth; for fire and light, Luke vi. 35. Luke xxiv. 13 to 31. • Augustine. both spiritual and material, are inseparable. To these hospitable disciples our Lord was known in the breaking of bread: and thus He is especially known and entertained also in that celestial bread of the blessed Eucharist, to the great and endless comfort of every worthy communicant. And they who are such, their hearts do burn within them, with the sacred fire of love to the Lord Jesus, Whom with the eye of faith they behold present in that great mystery of "breaking of bread." Lord, evermore give us this bread;" feed our souls with Thy most precious Body and Blood, as a pledge and assurance 66 to eat bread with Thee in the kingdom of God for ever." Amen. Two Evening Prayers out of the Greek Liturgies. At evening, at morning, and at noon-day will we praise Thee, bless Thee, and give Thee thanks, and withal pray unto Thee, O most merciful Lord of all: let our prayer be set forth in Thy sight, as the incense; and let not our hearts be inclined to any thing that is evil deliver us from all u Euchol. p. 194. them that hunt after our souls to destroy them, for our eyes are upon Thee, O Lord, and in Thee have we put our trust, O Lord our God, let us never be put to confusion". II. O God, great and wonderful, Who by Thine ineffable Providence, and abundant goodness, dost govern all things: Who, together with the good things of this life, hast promised to give us the kingdom of Heaven: Who hast preserved us this day, and therein conferred many of Thy graces upon us: vouchsafe also that we pass the remnant of this day unblameably before Thy_Holiness, worshipping Thee alone, Who alone art our God, and to Thee we ascribe, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, all glory'. An Evening Self-Examination, out of Euseb. Emyssenus. LET us consider, whether we have passed through all the actions of this day without sin; without envy, murmuring, or the scandalizing of any let us consider, what we have said or done, to the increase of our own godli ▾ Euchol. p. 37. |