PSALM V.

Sing unto our Lord a psalm of joy; sing praises to the God of our salvation.

Sing with a loud and cheerful voice; sing with a glad and thankful heart.

Say to the weak of spirit be strong; and unto the sorrowful be of good comfort.

Tell all the world this soul-reviving truth; and may their hearts within them leap to hear it.

Tell them the Lord of Life is risen again, and has clothed Himself with immortal glory.

He made the angels messengers of His victory; and vouchsafed even Himself to bring us the joyful

news.

How many ways did Thy mercy invent; O Thou wise contriver of all our happiness.

To convince Thy followers into this blest belief; and settle in their hearts a firm ground of hope.

Thou appeard'st to the holy women in their return from the Sepulchre; and openedest their eyes to know and adore Thee.

Thou overtooked'st in the way the two that discoursed of Thee, and made their hearts burn within them to hear Thee.

Thou shew'd'st Thyself on the stedfast shore to Thy weary disciples labouring at sea.

Labouring all night, alas, in vain; without the blessing of their beloved Jesus;

Thou shew'd'st Thyself, and told'st them Who Thou wert, in the kind known token of a beneficial miracle.

Through the doors, though shut, Thou swiftly passed'st, to carry peace to Thy comfortless friends: To encourage their fears with Thy powerful presence, and secure their faith by Thy charitable arguments.

How didst Thou condescend to eat before them, and invite them to touch Thy impassable Body!

How didst Thou sweetly provoke that incredulous servant to thrust his Hand into Thy wounded side!

Actions, we know, unfit for Thy glorified state, but absolutely necessary for our slow belief.

How often, O my gracious Lord, in those blessed forty days, did Thy charity cast about to meet with Thy disciples!

That Thou mightest teach them still some excellent truth; and imprint still deeper Thy love in their hearts.

Discoursing perpetually of the kingdom of heaven, and establishing means to bring us thither.

At last, when all Thy glorious task was done, and Thy parting hour from this earth approached. Thou tenderly gatheredst Thy children about Thee, and in their full sight went'st up to heaven;

Leaving Thy dearest blessing on their heads, and promising them a Comforter to supply Thine absence. O how adorable are Thy counsels, O Lord! how strangely endearing are the ways of Thy love!

Say now, my soul, is not this evidence clear enough to answer all our darkest doubts?

Is not this hope abundantly sufficient to sweeten all our bitterest sorrows?

What, though we mourn and be afflicted here; and sigh under the miseries of this world for a time. We're sure our tears shall one day be turned into joy; and that joy none shall take from us.

What though our bodies are crumbled into dust, and that dust blown about over the face of the earth,

Yet we undoubtedly know our Redeemer lives, and shall appear in brightness at the last great day. He shall appear in the midst of innumerable angels, and with these very eyes we shall see Him.

We shall see Him in Whom we have so long believed; we shall find Him Whom we have so often sought.

We shall possess Him Whom our souls have loved, and be united to Him for ever, Who is the only end of our being.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

As it was in the beginning, etc. Alleluja.

PSALM VI.

Raise thy head, O my soul, and look up, and behold the glory of Thy crucified Saviour.

He that was dead and laid in the grave, low enough to prove Himself Man,

Is risen again and ascended into heaven, high enough to prove Himself God.

He is risen, and made the Light His garment, and commanded the clouds to be the chariot of His triumph.

The gates of heaven obeyed their Lord, and the everlasting doors opened to the King of Glory.

Enter, bright King, attended with Thy beauteous angels; and the glad train of saints who arose, and came out of their graves after the resurrection.

Enter and re-possess Thy ancient Throne, and reign eternally at the Right Hand of the Father. May every knee bow low at Thy exalted Name; and every tongue confess Thy glory.

May all created nature adore Thy power, and the Church of Thy redeemed exult in Thy goodness.

Whom have we in heaven, O Lord, but Thee, Who expressly wentest thither to make way for Thy followers.

What have we on earth but our hope, by following Thee, to arrive at last where Thou art gone before us?

O glorious Jesus, our strength, our joy, and the immortal life of our souls;

Be Thou the principal subject of all our studies; and the daily entertainment of our most serious thoughts.

Draw us, O dear Lord, from the world and ourselves; that we be not entangled with any earthly desires.

Draw us after Thee, and the odours of Thy sweetness, that we may run with delight the ways of Thy commands.

Draw us up to Thee on Thy throne of bliss, that we may see Thy Face, and rejoice with Thee for ever in Thy kingdom.

Glory be to the Father, etc.

Why should our

PSALM VII.

hearts still dwell upon earth, since the treasure of our hearts is returned to heaven?

Since our glorified Jesus is ascended above, to prepare us a place in His own kingdom?

A place of rest and secure peace, where we shall see, and praise, and adore Him for ever.

A place of joy and everlasting fruition, where we shall love and possess, and delight in Him for

ever.

O happy we and our poor souls, if once admitted to that blissful vision!

If once those heavenly portals unfold their gates, and let us in to the joys of the Lord,

How will our spirits be ravished within themselves; to reflect on the fulness of their own beatitude!

How shall we all rejoice in one another's felicity, but infinitely more in the infinitely greater felicity of our God!

O heaven! towards Thee we lift our languishing

heads, and with longing hearts and stretched-out hands, reach at Thy glories.

When, O Thou Finisher of all our hopes, when shall we once behold that incomparable light?

That light which illuminates the eyes of angels, and renews the youth of saints.

That light which is Thy very self, O Lord our God! Whom we shall there see face to face.

Whom we shall there know as we are known: We shall know Thee in Thy own clear light.

O Light! shine Thou perpetually in our eyes, that Thy brightness may darken the little lustre of this world.

O Light! shed Thou Thy flames in our hearts: that Thy light may consume all other desires.

That we may burn continually with the chaste love of Thee, till Thine own bright day appear;

Till we be called from this veil of darkness into the glorious presence of the living God;

To see Him that made the heavens and the earth, and disposes all creatures into such beauteous order;

To see Him Who first gave us our being, then governed us in our way, and brought us at length to so blest an end.

Meanwhile, O gracious Lord, the crown of all Thy Saints, and only expectation of Thy faithful servants!

Make us entertain our life with the comfort of this hope, and our hope with the assurance of Thy pro

mises.

Make us still every day more perfectly to understand our own great duty, and Thy infinite love.

Make us continually to meditate the advancement of Thy glory, and invite all the world to sing Thy praises.

Praise our Lord, O ye holy angels! praise Him, O ye happy saints!