And again, "Let us with pfalms rejoice ven, and unites the creature with the before Him: " Pf. xciv. And defervedly Creator. Whatever is found in the Pfalms, fhould we fing pfalms with all willing- conduces to the edification, profit and comnefs to God: for penitence attends those fort of mankind. In the Pfalms you will who devoutly fing them, and the con- find, if indeed you examine them with an gratulations of angels, as faith the fame intent mind, and not rapidly running over Pfalmift, "Before the gods" (angels truly), the words: the Incarnation, Passion, Refur"I will fing praife unto Thee." Hence we rection and Afcenfion of the Word, our ought to take diligent heed left because of Lord. In the Pfalms you will find earnest our floth, negligence or levity, the angels confeffion of fin, earnest fupplication for of God depart from us. For there is no man the divine mercy, a defence against adverwho either in words or thought can duly fity, and worthy giving of thanks for fet forth the virtues and divine excellence everything that may happen to thee. In of the Pfalms, if, as they ought to be, the the Pfalms moreover you acknowledge your divine praises are celebrated with a pure infirmity and mifery, and by these means and attentive heart. For in the Pfalms are you befeech God for his mercy; and if described the rewards of the good and the thou deservest that God fhould reveal to punishments of the wicked, inftruction for thee the fecret things of the Pfalms, thou the ignorant, the progress of those who are wilt find in them all the virtues. If thou advancing to perfection, the perfection of wouldeft make confeffion of fin and do those who have attained it, the life of the penance: fing the feven Penitential Pfalms active, and the meditations of the contem- of David, not with a rapid voice, but plative. The finging of pfalms, as hath with an intent mind; and quickly been faid, infuses virtue, beautifieth the foul, thou wilt have experience of God's invites angels to our help, puts the fiends mercy, and thy foul will be enlightened to flight, difperfes darkness, increases holi- with fpiritual joy, and a great hope of nefs, washes out our fins, augments our hope, pardon will be vouchfafed to thee. enlightens as the fun, like fire burns away too thou would'ft pray: apply thy mind fin, moistens like oil, is the ointment of to the meaning of thofe Pfalms which begin mercy, the fun of righteousness, the por- "Unto Thee, O Lord, have I lift up my tion of the angels, pleases God, offends the foul," "In Thee, O Lord, have I put my devil, affuages wrath, mitigates anger, dif- truft," "Bow down thine ear, O Lord,” pels all fin, purifies the mouth, fanctifies" Hafte Thee, O God, to deliver me," the heart, clears the fenfes, deftroys all iniquity, inftructs imperfection, ftirs up exalted defires for the Heavenly kingdom, is the hope of falvation, confolation in grief, protection in trouble, the knowledge of true light, a fount of fanctity, relieves all anxiety, and is as it were a wondrous trumpet. He who loves the continual and diligent finging of pfalms cannot love fin.Pfalmody, if you will believe me, comforts the fad, foftens the angry, ftrengthens the weak, humbles the proud, gladdens the humble, ftirs up the flothful, reconciles the quarrelfome, lifts the heart to Hea If "Save me, O God, for Thy Name's fake,” "God be merciful unto us," "Hear O God, my prayer," in the first place; for in no other way can the foul of man fo completely extricate itself from mifery, and the ftraits of tribulation and temptation, and invoke the mercy of God. ¶ Moreover, if thou wouldeft praise the Majefty of God, and give Him thanks for all his benefits: repeat the Pfalms whofe title is "Alleluya, (Praise the Lord),” and "Blefs the Lord, O my foul;" for thou doft offer to Almighty God a facrifice fweeter than honey and the honeycomb. Further, if thou art afflicted with bodily or fpiritual temptations, and seem to be forfaken from thine inmoft foul: repeat the pfalms "O God, my God, look upon me." Hear, O God, my fupplication,' ""Save me, O God," and forthwith God will lighten thy burthen. If this prefent life be wearifome to thee, and thou haft an ardent and longing defire to behold God: fing those pfalms, "Like as the hart defireth," "How amiable are thy tabernacles," "O God, Thou art my God, to Thee at break of day," and He will immediately fulfil thy defire. If thou doft fuppofe thyfelf deferted in tribulations with compunction of heart repeat the pfalms "How long, O Lord?" "O God we have heard with our ears," "Have mercy upon me, O God," "Hear O God, my prayer," "In Thee, O Lord, have I put my truft," and foon wilt thou be vifited with the favour of God. And when thou haft recovered reft, then fing forth in praise of God "I will always give thanks unto the Lord," "Praise the Lord, O my foul." And whether in adverfity or profperity, chant the Song of the Three Children, for no mortal man can duly fet forth the excellency of this hymn, in which every creature is invited to praise God. If, moreover, thou defireft to exercife thyself in the divine praises and commands, fay through the pfalm "Bleffed are the undefiled in the way ;" and although to the end of life thou wert employed in fearching out the virtue of this pfalm, thou wouldest never be able fully to comprehend it: fince there is scarce any verse in it in which you may not read fet down a law, or a command, or a precept, words of righteousness, or the difcourfe of the judgments of the Lord. In the Pfalter, if thou art attentive, thou haft the means of searching into, and learning the prophets; fo, moreover, the fayings of the evangelifts and apostles, if thou wouldeft enquire of the agreement between them. So far respecting the praise and excellency of the Pfalms. OF THE HOURS. [HOW THE SAYING OF THE HOURS FIRST BEGAN, AND WHY THEY ARE SO CALLED. THE firft that now we find in fcripture to have ufed the worshipping of God at certain hours of the day, was Daniel the prophet, as it appeareth in his fixth chapter. And in the New Teftament, in the Acts of the Apostles, the tenth chapter, we read that S. Peter the Apoftle accustomed himself to certain hours of prayer. s. Cyprian teftified) the Catholic Church of Chrift By which examples (as did first receive and admit such manner of praying. Whereupon the fame ufual fervice that we call Pryme and Hours, was first instituted to be faid and cuftom and ufe of the Diocefe; fomewhere after the fung in the churches of England, according to the Ufe of Sarum, and fomewhere after the Ufe of York. And therefore when we read Hora Prima, Tertia, Sexta, Nona, that is the first, the third, the fixth and the ninth hour, even as they make mention of feveral hours, fo were they; and they may be used at feveral times of the day, to be faid in remembrance of Chrift's paffion, and the compaffion of the Virgin Mother.8] HOW AND WHY GOD'S SERVICE IS SAYD EACH DAY IN SEVEN HOURS.— CAPITULO PRIMO.h "SEPTIES in die laudem dixi Tibi." Thefe are the words of the prophet David, ≈ Sarum Prymer, Rouen, 1538, Octavo. Printed for Le Roux. "Hereafter followith the booke, called the Myrroure of our Lady, very neceffary for all relygyous." The Colophon is as follows: "Thys boke was imprynted at the defyre and inftance of the worshypful and devoute Lady Abbeffe of the worsbypful monaftery of Syon, and the reverende fader in God, General Confefloure of the fame. Here endeth the feconde parte of our Ladyes Myrroure, very necessary for all relyg yous perfones and other good devoute people. Fynyfhed and imprynted in the juburbs of the famous cytye of London, withoute temple barre, by me, Richard Fawkes, dwellynge in Durrefme Rentes, or else in Powles Churchyarde, at the Sygne of the ABC. The yeare of our Lord God, Mcccccxxx, the fourthe day of the moneth of Nouember.' On the reverfe is Fawkes's device within a border, and "Soli Deo Honor" above, with "Et Gloria. Amen," below. hath wroughte therein, for which He is everlaftingly to be praised; and therefore we read that fayntes both in the old law and in the new, prayfed God in thofe hours. For David the prophet faith to God of himself, thus :-" Media nocte furgebam ad confitendum tibi," that is, "Lord, at midnight I rofe to praise Thee." And alfo he fayth thus:-" Vefpere et mane et meridie narrabo et annunciabo,"m that is, "by the morrow at Prime-time and at None, and at Even-fongtime I shall tell and show thy praifings." Alfo Daniel the prophet worshipped God thrice in the day, kneeling;" that was after the expofition of S. Hierome, at Tyerfe, at Sexte, and at None. Alfo Peter and John went up into the Temple to praye at the hour of None, as it is written in the Acts of the Apostles. And S. Paul and Silas being in prifon prayed to God at midnight, and then the erthe quaked and all prifon doors opened, and all the fetters and bonds of prifoners were loofed. Our Lord Jefus Chrift alfo prayed not only in one part of the night, but in all the night He woke in prayer as the Gospel telleth. And in the beginning of holy church, the clergy and the common people, both men and women, rose to praise God four times in the night; first in the beginning of the night, when folk are wont to go to bed: the fecond time at midnight, the thirde time a little before day, and the fourth time in the felf morrowtyde; for at even our Lorde was taken of the Jews, and bounde and fcorned; at midnight He was born; before day He spoiled hell, and in the morn faying thus to our Lorde, "Seven times on the day have I faid prayfynges to thee." All reasonable creatures were made to know and to love and to praise God, and therein to have their endless joy; but while our fouls are poifoned in these deadly bodies, we may not for corruption and hevynes of the fame bodies entende continually to the godly prayfinge; like as they do who by death are made free from thraldome of the flesh, and are come to the ende of their joy, that is the presence of God. Therefore our mother Holy Church, ruled by the Holy Ghoft, knowing the frailty and feeblenefs of her children, hath fet us eche daye feven hours, which at least we ought to occupy in the fervice and praifing of God: that is to fay Matins, Pryme, Tyerce, Sexte, None, Evenfong, and Complyn. For fyth it is fo as Solomon faith, that a rightful man falleth feven times on a day, and the number of all wyckedness is named under feven deadly fins, against which in holy church is ordained feven facramentes, and given seven giftes of the Holy Ghoft: therefore to get remiffion of our fins and to thanke God for his gifts, we fay praifings to Him in the faid hours seven times a day. And for God made all thynges in fix days, and fulfilled them on the feventh day and rested, therefore doing thankings to God for all his works, and all that He made each day, we praise Him seven times. Alfo for the life of man is departed in feven ages, whereof we have spent fome full idly or evil: therefore to thank God for our life, and to recompenfe fuch negligence, feven times on the day we do fervice to God. And for all the tyme of this life paffething He rose from death to life. And therefore in under feven days, wherein the people of this world that is given to active life, is occupied to get their livelyhood and ours, fo that they may not freely attend each day in all these times to praise God with their tongues: therefore we that are called to contemplative life, ought to praise God for them and for us every day seven times, that we may faye to our Lorde with David "Lord God, I praifed Thee feven times on the day."k WHY THESE SEVEN HOURS RATHER BUT THAN OTHER.-CAP. ii. fome feafts Matins are yet said at even, and in fome religious at midnight, and in some before day, and in other diverfe tymes of the night; and in fome churches they fay matins in the morrow-tide. At Prime-tide our Lord Jefus Chrift was led before Pilate and accufed ; and in the fame hour, after his refurrection, He appeared to Mary Magdalene, and another day He appeared to his difciples as they were fishing, the fame hour." At hour of Tierce our Lord Jefus Chrift was fcourged and crowned with thorns and scorned." The fame hour, after his refurrection, He appeared to Mary Magdalene, and another day He appeared to the women coming from the fepulchre; and on Pentecoft Sunday, the fame hour, He fent the Holy Ghoft down to the Apostles. At Sext our Lord Jefus Chrift was done on the cross, and fed with eyfe and gal. The fame hour, after his refurrection, He appeared to the Apostle S. James; and on | Afcenfion Day, the fame hour, He fate and ate with * Pfalm cxviii. now peradventure ye might afk why these feven hours, that is to fay Matyns time, Prime time, and fo forth, are rather affigned of Holy Church to the praifing of God than other hours, fith there is many more hours in the daye; and to this I anfwer, that these hours are more fpecially privileged than other, for grete workes that God P Alts xvi. 1 Pfalm cxviii. Matthew xxvii. x Acts ii. m Pfalm liii. Matthew xxvi. u Mark xvi. y John xix. his Apoftles. At hour of None, our Lord Jefus Chrift cryed and gave out his foul by deth; the fame hour a knight opened our Lord's fide with a fpear, and fmote through his herte, whereout came water to our baptifm, and blode to our redemption.a And on Easter Day He appeared the fame hour to S. Peter. At Évenfong-time, our Lord Jefus Chrift, on Shere Thursday, fupped with his Apoftles and ordained the holy Sacrament of his holy body and blode. The fame houre, on Good Friday, He was taken down from the crofs; and on Eafter day, the fame houre, He met with two of his difciples, going toward Emmaus, and made Himself known to them in breaking of bread.d At Complyn time, our Lord Jefus Chrift, on Shere Thurfday, at even, prayed, and fweat blood. The fame hour, on Good Friday, He was buried. And on Eafter-day, the fame hour, He appeared to his difciples, gathered together in a clofe place, for fear of the Jews, and faid to them "Peace be to you.' Thus may ye fee that not without good reafons, thefe hours are fet and ordained to be fpecially occupied to the fervice and praifing of our Lord God, rather than other hours on the day.] ORISONS FOR THE HOURS. [AT MATINS. "f O Lord, who grieved with their afflictions, didft lead thy people out of the darkness of Egypt, and vouchfafe to deliver them by the hand of thy fervant: do Thou grant alfo unto us thy servants, that delivered from the darkness of this world, we may be allowed to enter into that reft which Thou haft promised to our fathers, through our Lord Jefus Chrift. Amen.s O Lord God, who hast caused me to arrive at this fecond hour, through the darkness of the night: preserve me this day in every hour and moment of time, and through thy mercy cause me ever to continue without hurt, through our Lord Jefus Christ. Our Father. AT LAUDS. O Lord, who with the three children in the furnace, did'ft vouchfafe to be prefent in the fourth place: to whom it is most easy to temper the nature of fires, and to extinguish the fierceness of flames: extend this thy fame power to protect us and to deliver our fouls, who liveft and reigneft with the Father, in the unity of The Holy Ghoft, God, world without end. Amen. AT PRIME. O Lord God, who hast caused us to arrive at the beginning of this day, preserve us in the fame, by thy power: and grant that in this day we fall into no fin, nor run into any danger, but may all our fayings tend, our thoughts and words be directed to do what is righteous in thy fight, through Jesus Chrift. Amen. Our Father. Hail Mary. AT THE THIRD HOUR. O Lord Jefus Chrift, who at the third hour of the day, waft led forth to the pain of the Cross for the falvation of the world: I fuppliantly befeech Thee to blot out mine offences: and may I deferve to obtain forgiveness with Thee for my past fins, and watch strictly against all future tranfgreffions, who with The Father and The Holy Ghost livest and reigneft God, world without end. Amen.h O Lord, Father Almighty, we humbly entreat the glory of Thy Majefty, that as at the third hour Thou didst strengthen thine apoftles by the divine vifitation of Thy Spirit: fo by his coming, Thou would'ft vouchfafe to illumine and keep our hearts, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. AT THE SIXTH HOUR. O Lord Jefus Chrift, who when for the redemption of the world, Thou didst at the fixth hour afcend the tree of the Crofs, the whole world was From Galba, A. xviii. MSS. Cott. Lib. Brit. Mus., the Pfalter of Athelftan.-Of these Orifons, thofe which have "Hail Mary," at the end, are taken from the "Hora ad ufum Sar." and the "Enchiridion ;" the others from Galba, A. xviii., as above mentioned. h Galba, A. xviii. Our Father. NIGHT. O Lord Jefus Chrift, who at the ninth hour in thine agony on the Crofs, did'ft command the ORISON OF S. AUGUSTINE, IN THE believing thief to pafs within the walls of Paradife, I humbly befeech Thee to grant, that confeffing my fins, I may after my death enter with gladness into the joys of Paradise who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, liveft and reigneft God, world without end. Amen. God our Father, who doft exhort us to pray, and who doft grant what we afk, if only when we afk we live a better life: hear me who am trembling in this darkness, and ftretch out thy right hand unto me: hold forth thy light before me: recall me from my error, and Thou being my guide, may I be restored to myself and to Thee, through Jesus Chrift. Amen. Our Father. ORISONS BEFORE THE [When thou entereft into the church fay thus: O Lord, in the multitude of thy mercy I will enter into thy houfe. I will worship at thy holy temple, and I will confefs Thy Name. O Lord, lead me forth in thy righteousness, because of mine enemies: direct my way before thy face. O Lord, open Thou my mouth to bless Thy Holy Name: purify my heart from all vain, perverse, and empty thoughts: illumine my understanding, inflame my affections: that I may be enabled worthily, Galba, A. xviii. MSS. Cott. Lib. |