He Shall Come Again

From thence he shall come to judge the quick and the dead.

I believe, O glorified love, that from thy throne at God’s right hand, where thou now sittest, thou wilt come again, to judge the world, attended with thy holy angels. All glory be to thee.

I believe, O thou adorable Judge, that all mankind shall be summoned before thy awful tribunal. All the dead, who shall be waked out of their graves when the angel shall blow the last trump, and all that are then quick, and alive, shall then appear before thee. All glory be to thee.

I believe, Lord, that I and all the world shall give a strict account of all our thoughts, and words, and actions; that the books will then be opened; that out of those dreadful registers we shall be judged; that Satan and our own consciences will be our accusers. O let the last trump be ever sounding in my ears, that I may ever be mindful of my great accounts, and that I may neither speak, nor do, nor think anything that may wound my own conscience, or provoke thy anger, or make me tremble at the awful day.

I know, O thou adorable Judge, that love only shall then endure that terrible test, that love only shall be acquitted, that love only shall be eternally blest; and therefore I will ever praise and love thee.

Glory be to thee, O thou beloved Son of God, to whom the Father has committed all judgment.

How can they that love thee, O Jesu, ever despond, though their love in this life is always imperfect, when at last they shall have love for their judge, love that hath felt and will compassionate all their infirmities? and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

— Thomas Ken's Devotions on the Apostles' Creed, entitled "The Motives of  Love"

Upon consulting my copy of Nelson's Festivals and Fasts (1841 reprint of his original, dated 1703), I find that its Chapter II concerns Advent Sundays, and is almost wholly given over to a consideration of Christ's Second Coming to judge the living and the dead, and the world by fire. He concludes his reflections with four prayers, three from the BCP and the last from Bp Ken, with the title For preparation for judgement. As I have a copy to hand of Ken's Devotions on the Apostles' Creed, I have given it above from that source. 

(Nelson gives the text with a few minor differences, presumably to turn this excerpt from Ken's long confession into a prayer – he omits "All glory be to thee" in the first and second paragraphs, and "I believe, Lord" in the third, while substituting "blessed Jesus" for glorified love" in the first, and "Lord" for "thou adorable Judge" in the fourth; he has "awaked" for "waked" and "be then" for "then be" in the second and third, and omits "and" before "words" in the third, but such variants are of no matter.)

Her Virgin Eyes

Congratulations to the newest clergyman of the Ordinariate for England and Wales, Deacon Edwin Barnes, formerly emeritus Bishop of Richborough, who was ordained to the Catholic diaconate yester-day, the feast of Our Lady of Lourdes (and World Day of Prayer for the Sick).  He mentioned on his blog that the opening hymn at the Mass of Ordination was Thomas Ken's "Her Virgin eyes saw God Incarnate born", a fine example indeed of Anglican Patrimony entirely orthodox and catholic.

Curious as to its original text, I did some digging, and found that this hymn is a cento from a much longer poem in pious veneration of Our Lady's whole life, which appeared first in 1721, in a posthumous collection of his hymns or poems on the Christian Year, and was luckily available in toto via Google Books.  I subjoin the entire text below, noting only that the hymn extracted from it is composed of lines 105-8, 115-122 and 183-6 thereof.  It is interesting, though unsurprising, how what Ken writes of the childhood and youth of the Blessed Virgin, what her occupations, what her devotion, what her virtues, seems to recapitulate what St Ambrose wrote upon that subject.

FIRST SUNDAY AFTER EPIPHANY.


His mother kept all theſe ſayings in her heart.
St. Luke ii. 51.


GOD, Who is pleaſed bright Angels down to 
ſend, 1

On purpoſe little children to attend; 

When bleſſed Mary firſt drew vital air, 

Entruſted her to a bright ſeraph’s care; 

The aged Saints, who for a child had pray’d, 
 5
Sang hymns to God when joyful parents made; 

Devoted God’s free gift to God alone, 

And more God’s child eſteem’d her than their own; 

Her ſeraph kept her in his ſweet embrace, 

No one foul ſpirit durſt approach the place; 
 10
The Holy Ghoſt His temple in her built, 

Cleanſed from congenial, kept from mortal guilt; 

And from the moment that her blood was fired, 

Into her heart Celeſtial Love inſpired. 
The babe, when ſhe began to ſpeak, was taught 15

To conſecrate to God her tongue and thought,
And, prompted by her ſeraph, took delight 
Continual hallelujahs to recite ; 

Her phylacteries next ſhe by degrees 

Had learn’d, and to repeat them on her knees; 20

Thoſe which the love of God ſincere enjoin’d 

Affected moſt her heaven-enkindled mind : 

When ſhe began to read God’s holy book, 

In which ſhe her initiation took, 

Her ſoul was with a heavenly manna fed, 25

Her ſpirit taſted every truth ſhe read ; 

And ere ſhe ſaw two weeks of years complete 

She the whole pſalter could by heart repeat; 

From types, and what the propheſies foretold, 

Which ſhe, by Heaven enlighten’d, could unfold, 
 30
She the idea of Meſſias drew, 

Pray’d for His advent, kept Him ſtill in view; 

Seven times a-day ſhe to her cloſet went, 

Her fervent love in fervent prayer to vent ; 

And her unwearied zeal was wont to pray 
 35
By warm ejaculations all the day ; 

She in the depth of her ſerene repoſe 

At midnight to her ſolemn office roſe : 

As ſhe grew up love daily gain’d new heights, 

And ſhe from them began ſublimer flights. 
   40
No Angel who e’er human likeneſs took 

Had a more chaſte, ſweet, charming, heavenly look, 

A look, which all at the firſt ſight revered, 

And while it ſtruck a ſacred awe endear’d ; 

Plain, cleanly, and becoming was her dreſs, 
 45
Had nothing curious, nothing of exceſs; 
She idleneſs, the peſt of ſouls to ſhun,
In intervals of prayer her garments ſpun ;
Soon as herſelf ſhe decently array’d,
She veſtments for the poor and naked made ; 50
Charity, next to Heaven, abſorb’d her care,
The poor, in every meal ſhe eat, had ſhare ;
Her cloſet-meditations moſt ſublime,
Where with her God alone ſhe ſpent her time ;
Her languors, bleſſ’d Meſſias to behold, 55
Spring-tides of Heaven, whicho’er her ſpirit roll’d;
Humility, which all proud thoughts ſuppreſs’d,
As if no one perfection ſhe poſſeſs’d,
Her will transfuſed into the will Divine,
Accuſtom’d with God’s will to co-incline; 60
Her ſanctity to God’s true likeneſs grown,
Her frequent viſits from the glorious throne
A ſilent admiration may create,
None but her guardian ſeraph can relate.
To parents, next to God, ſhe reverence paid, 
 65
They ſweetly ruled, as ſweetly ſhe obey’d ; 

She was the ſubject of their prayer and praiſe, 

Their tender nurſe in their declining days; 

Heaven warn’d them their dear daughter to commend 
To reverend Joſeph’s care, their ancient friend, 70

A ſaint, who would her purity protect, 

And treat her with angelical reſpect; 

To her dear parents’ choice ſhe choſe to yield, 

And the eſpouſals ſolemnly were ſeal’d; 

Gabriel meanwhile from bliſs flew down full-ſpeed, 75
To tell her as ſhe pray’d that Heaven decreed 

She the Meſſias in her womb ſhould bear, 

Whoſe ſight had been the ſubject of her prayer; 

The boundleſs might of Fontal Love Divine 

The love co-breathed, third of the Glorious Trine, 
 80
On thee deſcending ſhall thy womb diſpoſe 

Great filial God incarnate to incloſe ; 

She ſcarcely could believe her ears and eyes, 

The meſſage had ſuch rapturous ſurpriſe, 

Till Gabriel her aſſured it was God’s will, 
 85
Which ’twas her ſole ambition to fulfil; 

And as he back to Heaven his flight began 

In a love tranſport ſhe conceived God-man ; 

While Godhead templing in her womb remain’d, 

What influence from God within ſhe gain’d, 
 90
What ſuavities, loves, languors, ardours, lights, 

Joys, jubilations, beatific ſights, 

What rapts when ſhe Magnificats compoſed, 

Or when t’ Eliſa Gabriel’s news diſcloſed, 

Her ſpirit fill’d, no poetry can gueſs, 
 95
Herſelf could never what ſhe felt expreſs. 

Joſeph with jealous eye her change beheld, 

Till a bright Angel all his doubts diſpell’d ; 

Then both at Nazareth lived a bliſsful life, 

Moſt tender huſband, moſt ſubmiſſive wife ; 
 100
Their chaſtity was free from ſenſual taints, 

Their mutual love pure, as in heavenly Saints ; 
His Angel and her Seraph could not join 

In friendſhip more endearing, more divine. 
  
When ſhe to Bethlehem came that happy morn, 
 105
Her virgin-eyes ſaw God incarnate born ; 

How high her raptures then began to ſwell, 

None but her own omniſcient Son can tell; 

God-man, who deigns to temple in pure hearts, 

A wondrous love to common ſaints imparts, 
 110
Gives them of heavenly love foretaſting ſight, 

To comprehend its length, breadth, depth, and height ; 

Much greater love to His dear Mother ſhew’d, 

Heaven in ſweet deluge on her ſpirit flow’d; 

As Eve when ſhe her fontal ſin review’d, 
 115
Wept for herſelf, and all ſhe ſhould include ; 

Bleſs’d Mary, with man’s Saviour in embrace, 

Joy’d for herſelf, and for all human race; 

All Saints are by her Son’s dear influence bleſs’d, 

She kept the very fountain at her breaſt ; 
 120
The Son adored and nurſed by the ſweet maid, 
A thouſand-fold of love for love repaid ; 

Saints, who of God have beatific view, 

Such mighty joys peculiar never knew ; 

They to hymn God as vot’ries are employ’d, 
 125
As mother of the God they hymn’d, ſhe joy’d. 
But yet to temper rapturous exceſs, 

Her joys below were mingled with diſtreſs ; 

When ſhe a mother, yet a virgin pure, 

Purification legal would endure : 
 130
Simeon, who honour’d was God-man to hold, 

The ſword, which ſhould the Mother pierce, foretold, 

Her Son was born our griefs to undergo, 
She ſweetly ſympathiſed in all His woe: 

The wound which firſt check’d her ecſtatic joy, 
 135
Was Herod’s plot the Infant to deſtroy; 

But warn’d by Heaven, to Egypt ſhe took flight, 

God cured that wound by baffling Herod’s ſpite; 

Babe, Virgin, Joſeph, when the ſtorm was o’er, 

Return’d to Nazareth, where they lived before, 
 140
There humble and obſcure the parents dwelt, 

And of their Son, God-man, the bleſſings felt; 

Above two luſtres in ſweet peace they ſpent, 

Then with their wondrous Son to Salem went; 

The Virgin there received a ſecond wound, 
 145
Which ſoon was cured when the dear Child they found ; 

All three to pleaſant Nazareth then retired, 

Where Joſeph in the Virgin’s arms expired ; 
God-man Himſelf his abſolution ſpake, 
His ſpirit long’d its priſon to forſake ; 
 150
Son then and Mother lived exempt from noiſe, 

Reciprocating heavenly loves and joys. 
Into the world ſoon as bleſs’d Jeſus came, 
His mediatory-office to proclaim, 
Bleſs’d Mary, who in her reflecting ſoul 155
Took care all Jeſu’s actions to enroll, 
Who had of ſin and Love Divine, a ſenſe 
Next to her Son, moſt lively, moſt intenſe, 
When ſhe His Love, which ſinful man redeem’d, 
Saw daily ſcorn’d, inſulted, and blaſphemed, 160
The ſword pierced daily through her tender heart, 
And ſhe of all His ſorrows felt the ſmart;
But when ſhe on the Croſs beheld God-man, 

Up to the hilt the dol’rous weapon ran. 
Soon as He left His grave her joy revived, 
 165
She from her Son freſh ſprings of joy derived; 

To John’s dear care ſhe by her Son conſign’d, 

To his ſole manſion her abode confined ; 

The bleſs’d above adore their heavenly King, 

Contemplate, love, converſe, rejoice, and ſing, 
 170
Thoſe were her ſole employments day and night, 

Her converſation darted heavenly light; 

To all the hours of prayer ſhe daily came, 

When any cool’d, her zeal refreſh’d their flame ; 

She to Devotion all her time applied, 
 175
She lived as if already glorified ; 

Her love ſtill languiſh’d for the happy day, 

When to the grave ſhe ſhould reſign her clay, 

Exulting when the world ſhe was to leave, 

And her divine Viaticum receive, 
 180
Fell ſick, and died of an exceſs of love, 

Haſt’ning to her reſtorative above ; 

Heaven with tranſcendent joys her entrance graced, 

Next to His throne her Son His Mother placed ; 

And here below, now ſhe’s of Heaven poſſeſs’d, 
 185
All generations are to call her bleſs’d.

—Bishop Ken’s Christian Year or Hymns and Poems for the Holy Days and Festivals of the Church (London: Basil Montagu Pickering, 1868), pp. 58-64.

The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints

Having sung through "The Church's One Foundation", I was minded to look to Thomas Ken's devotional expansion and meditation upon the Apostles' Creed, seeing what insights he had into belief in "The Holy Catholic Church, the Communion of Saints".  

Indeed, what that saintly Anglican wrote is quite acceptable and praiseworthy insofar as it goes; a Catholic would wish only to name his own diocese or perhaps rite as the "particular church" to which he belongs; by church "of England" a Catholic would intend to name, not "Rowan's C. of E. so frayed / That withers like a flower decayed", but the local church in communion with Christ's Vicar.  

And that, of course, is the chief ecclesiological omission – reference, not just to pastors having the keys of governance, but to Peter's successor, the chief shepherd of Our Lord's earthly flock.  As far as Ken goes in his mention of saints, he is correct, but we would want to specify that we not only praise them and study their good examples, who pray for us, but add that we indeed rightly pray them to intercede for us.  We would also wish to pray for our dear dead.

Thus far myself; now, the pious words of Thomas Ken, in meditation upon the 9th article of the Apostles' Creed:

The Holy Catholic Church.

I believe, O blessed and adorable Mediator, that the church is a society of persons, founded by thy love to sinners, (Matt. xvi. 18; Eph. v. 25.) united into one body, of which thou art the head, (Col. i. 18.) initiated by baptism, (Matt, xxviii. 19.) nourished by the eucharist, (Matt. xxvi. 26.) governed by pastors commissioned by thee, and endowed with the power of the keys, (Matt, xviii. 18; John xx. 22, 23.) professing the doctrine taught by thee, (Acts ii. 41, 42.) and delivered to the saints, (Jude iii.) and devoted to praise and to love thee.

I believe, O holy Jesus, that thy church is holy like thee, its author; holy by the original design of its institution, (2 Tim. i. 9.) holy by baptismal dedication, holy in all its administrations which tend to produce holiness; (2 Tim. ii. 19.) and though there will be always a mixture of good and bad in it in this world, (Matt. xiii. 24.) yet it has always many real saints in it; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, Lord, this church to be catholic, or universal, made up of the collection of all particular churches; I believe it to be catholic in respect of time, comprehending all ages to the world’s end, to which it is to endure; (Matt. xvi. 18; xxviii. 20.) catholic in respect of all places, out of which believers are to be gathered; (Matt, xxviii. 19.) catholic in respect of all saving faith, of which this creed contains the substance, which shall in it always be taught; (John xvi. 13.) catholic in respect of all graces, which shall in it be practised; and catholic in respect of that catholic war it is to wage against all its ghostly enemies, for which it is called militant: O preserve me always a true member of thy catholic church, that I may always inseparably adhere to thee, that I may always devoutly praise and love thee.

Glory be to thee, O Lord my God, who hast made me a member of the particular church of England [sic], whose faith, and government, and worship are holy, and catholic, and apostolic, and free from the extremes of irreverence or superstition, and which I firmly believe to be a sound part of thy church universal, and which teaches me charity to those who dissent from me; and therefore all love, all glory be to thee.

O my God, give me grace to continue stedfast in her bosom, to improve all those helps to true piety, all those means of grace, all those incentives of thy love, thou hast mercifully indulged me in her communion, that I may with primitive affections and fervour praise and love thee.

The Communion of Saints.

I believe, O King of Saints, that among the saints on earth, whether real, or in outward profession only, there ought to be a mutual catholic participation of all good things, (1 John i. 7.) which is the immediate effect of catholic love. Thou, O God of Love, restore it to thy church.

I believe, O thou God of Love, that all the saints on earth by profession ought to communicate one with another in evangelical worship, and the same holy sacraments in the same divine and apostolical faith, (Acts ii. 42, 46.) in all offices of corporal (Gal. vi. 10.) and spiritual charity, (Romans xii. 9, &c. 1 Thess. v. 14; Heb. x. 25.) in reciprocal delight in each other’s salvation, and in tender sympathy as members of one and the same body, (1 Cor. xii. 13, 26.) O God of Peace, restore in thy good time this catholic communion, that with one heart and one mouth we may all praise and love thee.

O my God, amidst the deplorable divisions of thy church, O let me never widen its breaches, but give me catholic charity to all that are baptized in thy name, and catholic communion with all Christians in desire. O deliver me from the sins and errors, from the schisms and heresies of the age. O give me grace to pray daily for the peace of thy church, (Psalm cxxii. 6.) and earnestly to seek it, and to excite all I can to praise and to love thee.

I believe, O most holy Jesus, that thy saints here below have communion with thy saints above, (Heb. xii. 22.) that they pray for us in heaven, while we celebrate their memories, congratulate their bliss, give thee thanks for their labours of love, and imitate their example; for which all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O gracious Redeemer, that thy saints here on earth have communion with the holy angels above; that they are ministering spirits (Heb. i. 14.) sent forth to minister for them who shall be heirs of salvation, and watch over us, (Psalm xxxiv. 7.) and we give thanks to thee for their protection, and emulate their incessant praises and ready obedience; for which all love, all glory be to thee.

I believe, O my Lord and my God, that the saints in this life have communion with the three persons of the most adorable Trinity, (1 John i. 3; Phil. ii. 1.) in the same most benign influences of love, in which all three conspire; for which all love, all glory be to thee, O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, world without end.

Glory be to thee, O goodness infinitely diffusive, for all the graces and blessings in which the saints communicate, for breathing thy love into thy mystical body, as the very soul that informs it, that all that believe in thee may love one another, and all join in loving thee.

Ken's Evening Hymn

Thomas Ken was one of those devout Anglican divines (a Nonjuror, in fact, who resigned his bishopric at the usurpation) who, dying outside the fold, may be thought to have gone to the Limbus Anglicanorum.  I rather like his pious style; as I've been using it in my prayers again, here is his Evening Hymn, somewhat modified by deleting three stanzas about sleep (rather odd in their philosophy) and inserting several more from his otherwise unused Midnight Hymn:

Glory to thee, my God, this night
For all the blessings of the light;
Keep me, O keep me, King of kings,
Beneath thy own almighty wings.


Forgive me, Lord, for thy dear Son,
The ill that I this day have done,
That with the world, myself, and thee,
I, ere I sleep, at peace may be.


Teach me to live, that I may dread
The grave as little as my bed;
Teach me to die, that so I may
Rise glorious at the awful day.


O may my soul on thee repose,
And with sweet sleep mine eyelids close,
Sleep that may me more vigorous make
To serve my God when I awake. 

When in the night I sleepless lie,
My soul with heavenly thoughts supply;
Let no ill dreams disturb my rest,
No powers of darkness me molest. 


Lord! lest the tempter me surprise,
Watch over thine own sacrifice;
All loose, all idle, thoughts cast out,
And make my very dreams devout.


My soul! – how canst thou weary grow
Of antedating bliss, below,
In sacred hymns and heavenly love,
Which will eternal be above?


O when shall I, in endless day,
For ever chase dark sleep away,
And hymns with the supernal choir
Incessant sing, and never tire?

Blest Angels! while we silent lie,
Your Hallelujahs sing on high;
You, ever wakeful near the Throne,
Prostrate adore the Three in One.


I with your choir celestial join,
In offering up a hymn divine:
With you in heaven I hope to dwell,
And bid the night and world farewell. 


You, my blest guardian, whilst I sleep
Close to my bed your vigils keep;
Divine love into me instil,
Stop all the avenues of ill.


Thought to thought with my soul converse,
Celestial joys to me rehearse,
Or in my stead, all the night long,
Sing to my God a grateful song.


Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,
Praise him, all creatures here below,
Praise him above, ye heavenly host,
Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost.  
Amen.

A good meditation, in thirteen stanzas (two pairs of six, plus the doxology).  This may be sung to Tallis' Canon.

Ken on the Holy Ghost

I must admit to a soft spot for many Anglican divines, such as the pious Thomas Ken (1637-1711), sometime Bishop of Bath and Wells in the Church of England, which see he gave up rather than forswear his rightful allegiance to King James II.  He was author of many spiritual tracts; just this morning I bought a pocket edition (cost in 1876 when new: 1 shilling; cost in 2010 when old: $25) of his Manual of Prayers, bound up with his Exposition of the Church Catechism and Directions for Prayer.  All contain valuable passages breathing a warm love of God; I quote now from the middle work, from the devout and loving paraphrase of the Apostles' Creed that it contains, which he wrote for the benefit of souls, "that your faith might work through love" (cf. Galatians v, 6):

"I BELIEVE IN THE HOLY GHOST."

The Third Person in the Trinity.

I believe in Thee, O Thou Spirit of God, the third Person in the most adorable Trinity; I believe, O blessed Spirit, that Thou art the Lord, (2 Cor. iii. 17. 18.) that Thou art God, (John iv. 24; Acts v. 3.) Eternal, (Heb. ix. 14.) and Omniscient, (1 Cor. ii. 10.) a Person distinct from both the Father and the Son, eternally proceeding from both, (Matt. x. 20; Rom. viii. 9.) and equally sent by both, (John xiv. 26; xvi. 7.) and joint Author with both of our salvation; and therefore, all love, all glory, be to Thee.

I believe, O blessed Spirit, that Thou art holy, essentially holy, (1 Pet. i. 15.) in respect of Thy divine Nature; and being essentially holy, art infinitely amiable; and therefore, all love, all glory, be to Thee.

I believe, O blessed Spirit, that Thou art personally holy, that Thou art the Author of all internal holiness, and of all internal and sanctifying grace; (Gal. v. 22.) that Thou art the principle of all spiritual life in us; (John iii. 5.) and therefore, all love, all glory, be to Thee.

Glory be to Thee, O Love Incarnate, for sending the Spirit in Thy stead, and for promising it to our prayers: (Luke xi. 13.) all love, all glory, be to Thee.

Glory be to Thee, O Spirit of Love, for "shedding the love of God abroad in our hearts," (Rom. v. 5.) for filling all that love Thee with exuberance of joy and consolation: all love, all glory be to Thee.

O Thou blessed Spirit the Comforter, purify my soul, and infuse Thy love into it, and consecrate it to be Thy temple, (1 Cor. vi. 19.) and fix Thy throne immoveably there, and set all my affections on fire, that my heart may be a continual sacrifice of love offered up to Thee and the flame may be ever aspiring towards Thee.

See what devotion is!  No wonder his Exposition of the Church Catechism was subtitled The Practice of Divine Love.  "All love, all glory, be to Thee."

Ken's Morning Hymn

Bishop Thomas Ken (1637-1711) was Anglican Bishop of Bath & Wells, but, as a Non-juror, was dismissed from this office to a quiet retirement.  He was known for his saintliness, and wrote this and some other hymns.  

I learnt this off some years back, and am glad to propose it here as a good prayer upon arising; the hymn is divisible into three parts, addressing successively one's soul, the angels, and God, and closing with a well-known doxology; parenthetically it may be noted that he was buried at dawn to the strains of this hymn:

MORNING HYMN.

Awake, my soul, and with the sun

Thy daily stage of duty run;

Shake off dull sloth and joyful rise

To pay thy morning sacrifice.

Redeem thy misspent time that’s past

Live this day as if ’twere thy last;

Improve thy talent with due care;

For the great Day thyself prepare.

Let all thy converse be sincere,

Thy conscience as the noon-day clear;

Think how all-seeing God thy ways

And all thy secret thoughts surveys.

By influence of the light Divine

Let thy own light in good works shine;

Reflect all heaven’s propitious ways

In ardent love and cheerful praise.

Wake, and lift up thyself, my heart,

And with the Angels bear thy part,

Who all night long unwearied sing

High praise to the eternal King.

Awake, awake,* ye heavenly choir,      [* I wake, I wake,]

May your devotion me inspire,

That I like you my age may spend,

Like you may on my God attend.

May I, like you, in God delight,

Have all day long my God in sight,

Perform, like you, my Maker’s will –

O, may I never more do ill!

Had I your wings, to heaven I’d fly.

But God shall this defect supply;

And my soul, wing’d with warm desire,

Shall all day long to heaven aspire.

Glory to thee, who safe hast kept

And hast refreshed me whilst I slept;

Grant, Lord, when I from death shall wake,

I may of endless life partake.

Heaven is, dear Lord, where’er thou art,

O never then from me depart;

For to my soul ’tis hell to be

But for one moment void of thee.

Lord, I my vows to thee renew;

Scatter my sins as morning dew;

Guard my first springs of thought and will,

And with thyself my spirit fill.

Direct, control, suggest, this day

All I design, or do, or say;

That all my powers, with all their might,

In thy sole glory may unite.

Praise God, from whom all blessings flow,

Praise him, all creatures here below,

Praise him above, ye heavenly host,

Praise Father, Son, and Holy Ghost. Amen.