O glorious Jesus! in whom is the spring of our spiritual life; mortify in us all sensual desires, and quicken our hearts with thy holy love; that we may no longer esteem the vanities of the world, but place our affections entirely on thee; Who didst die for our sins, and rise again for our justification. O thou, our only hope and portion in the land of the living; may our thoughts and discourses still be of thee, our labours and sufferings all for thee; Who didst die for our sins, and rise again for our justification. THE HYMN. The rising God forsakes the tomb, And shout him welcome to the skies! Cease from your tears, ye saints! and tell Say-Live for ever, glorious King! God, whose gracious providence restores to thy Church the voice of holy exultation, by the triumphant festival of our Saviour's resurrection; grant that we may devoutly participate in the holy joy which on this day animates the souls of the faithful; and, by purifying our hearts, give us a title, we beseech thee, to the high and glorious hopes, so firmly sealed by the resurrection of Jesus, of rising at last from our graves, and rejoicing thenceforth in a state of blissful immortality; through the same our Lord Jesus Christ ; who having conquered death, liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen. Most glorious Saviour and Redeemer Jesus, who didst die for our sins, and rise again for our justification h; prepare us, by thy grace, for that blessed immortality which Dd thou hast made the portion of thy servants; that, placing our affections on things above, we may constantly aspire after the immortal glories of thy heavenly kingdom; and look forward with joyful hope, to the period when this corruption shall put on incorruption, and this mortal immortality; when our souls and bodies, redeemed by thy mighty power, shall be admitted to the fruition of the blissful presence of the Godhead, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, for ever and ever. Amen. [Add the Collect for the Day.] Devotions for the Festival of St. Mark, the LE ET us remember Mark, whose name is blessed in all the Churches; let us praise our God, who, by this Evangelist, has published to us the glad tidings of salvation. Beautiful, most beautiful are the feet of them who publish the Gospel of peace. Their name shall be had in everlasting remembrance. God, who dost, on this day, summon thy Church to celebrate the festival of the blessed Evangelist St. Mark; grant that we may humbly adore thee for the glorious truths of salvation promulgated by his ministry, and may also show forth in our lives, our faith in that blessed Gospel which he proclaimed, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Devotions for the Festival of St. Philip and St. James. TOW it sufficeth thee, Philip; our Lord hath shown thee, the Father; and henceforth, for ever, thou shalt see him face to face. Alleluja. Happy art thou, O Philip; and thou, holy James, brother of our Lord, art gloriously happy in enjoying for ever the same blissful vision. Alleluja. St. Philip, the Apostle, faithful and zealous, faithful even to death, ascended to his Master; and blessed James, the long reverenced Bishop of Jerusalem, thrown from the top of the temple, breathed out his soul in prayer for his murderers. The senseless world thought their end dishonourable ; God, by whose grace the blessed Apostles, St. Philip and St. James, watered with their blood the heavenly seed of thy doctrine, which they had sown over the world; give us grace to celebrate their blessed memories, to imitate their zeal, their patience, their charity, and self-denial; that, by the grace of thy Holy Spirit, we may copy in our lives the holy example which they set us, and, finally, be blessed with them in the fruition of the glories of thy presence, through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. IF you [Add the Collect for the Day.] Devotions for the Rogation Days. ask the Father any thing in my name, he will give it you, says our Saviour, whose word cannot fail. If we, being evil, know how to give good gifts to our children, how much more shall our heavenly Father give good things to those who ask kim? Heavenly Father, who art good, and delightest in doing good to all thy children; Shut not thy merciful ear to the voice of our prayers, God, who, by thy Church, hast ordained this solemn time of supplication for all our necessities; open, we beseech thee, thy gracious ears to our prayers; and, by granting us those good things which we thy children, with humility and resignation ask of thee, our heavenly Father, so encourage our devotion and obedience, and so increase our hope and love, that our souls may be fixed supremely upon thee, and aspire after the fruition of thee, who art our all in all, for ever, through our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen. Office of Devotion for the Festival of the Ascen sion. TO-DAY our glorious Jesus ascended into heaven—come let us adore him. Alleluja. I have finished the work which my Father gave me to do; and now it is time I return to him that sent me. Let not your hearts be troubled; I go to my Father and your Father, my God and your God. To-day our glorious Jesus ascended into heaven-come let us adore him. Alleluja. Let not your hearts be troubled; I go to prepare a place for you; and I will come again and receive you to myself, that where I am, there ye may be also. To-day our glorious Jesus ascended into heaven-come let us adore him. Alleluja. In the meanwhile, I will not leave you comfortless, but will pray the Father; and he shall give you another Comforter, the spirit of truth, to dwell with you for ever. To-day our glorious Jesus ascended into heaven-come let us adore him. Alleluja. PSALM. Raise the eye of faith, O my soul, and look up; and behold the glory of thy crucified Saviour. He who was dead and laid in the grave, is risen again, and ascended into heaven. He 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 at the resurrection. Enter and repossess 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 the redeemed exult in thy goodness. Whom have we in heaven, O Lord, but thee; there is none upon the earth that we desire but thee. Why should our 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 blest 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. How will our spirits be ravished with bliss, when admitted to the ineffable fruition of the Lord of glory! We shall know all that is true, and love all that is good; and shall delight in that knowledge and love for ever. No ignorance shall darken, nor error deceive us; we shall. be like the angels in heaven. No cares shall perplex us, nor crosses afflict us; we shall be like the angels in heaven. Our joys shall be full, and pure and everlasting; we shall be like the angels in heaven. Cheer thee, O my soul, and bless thy bounteous Lord; it is by him we shall be like the angels in heaven. Cheer thee, and raise thy hopes yet gloriously higher; we SHALL BE LIKE HIMSELF, for we shall see him as he is. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen. The LESSON.-From HEBREWS Xii. Let us lay aside every weight, and the sin that doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us. Looking unto Jesus, the author and finisher of our faith; who, for the joy that was set before him, endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the right hand of the throne of God. Thither, O my soul, let us still be going, whither our Saviour Christ hath gone before; and where once to arrive, is always to be happy. Since whatever we desire, we are sure to have; and whatever we have, can never be taken from us. Let us believe, and obey, and suffer; let us read, meditate, and pray; heaven is a reward worthy of all our pains. Since whatever we desire, we are sure to have; and whatever we have, can never be taken from us. THE HYMN. Erect your heads, eternal gates, The King of glory; see, he comes |