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The Offices for every Day of the Week, though indeed they may be used on any Day, are appropriated to their respective Days, not only for the fake of Order, or Method, but for particular Reafons, upon which the great Author had his Eye in their refpective Appropriations. This appears from the Offices themselves; as in that of Thursday, which is all upon the Subject of of the Holy Eucharift, and its Inftitution, becaufe on that Day our Lord before his Paf fion appointed that Holy Sacrament, and commemorative Sacrifice, to be a perpetual Memorial, or Commemoration before God,as well as among Men,of the great Propitiatory Sacrifice he made upon the Crofs. The Subject of Friday's Devotions, is our Saviour's Sufferings, and our Rẻdemption by them.

Saturday's Office is upon the fame Subect of our Lord's meritorious Sufferings, with a particular Respect to the Victory, he thereby obtained over Sin and Death, and the Powers of Darkness.

Sunday's Devotions are chiefly upon the Subject of our Lord's glorious Refurrecti on, with fome Pfalms in it, which become the Chriftian Sabbath, upon God's finishing the Creation, and refting from all the Works which he had made.

The

The Office of Monday, which was the fecond Day of the Creation, is all compos'd in the Praife of God for the Works of Creation, and in celebrating his infinite Power,Wisdom,and Goodness as of the great Architect of the World, who made it with infinite Skill and Art,in Number, Weight, and Measure.

Tuesday's Office is made in the Praife of God, as Preferver and Sustainer of all that he hath Created, and particularly, as the Preferver, and Guardian of Men.

Wednesday's Office is appointed to adore God, as the great Governour, and Sovereign of the Creation, who appoints every Creature its proper Office, and guides all the Motions of the Univerfe according to his own infinite Wisdom, and Counfels, fo as to bring about his own glorious Designs.

The Office of our Saviour is all contrived to fet forth his Nature,as Mediator,and Redeemer, and the Praifes of his infinite love towards Men in undertaking, and accomplishing thegreat Work of our Redemption.

The Office of the Holy Ghoft is all in the Praise and Adoration of the Holy Spirit of God, the Third Perfon of the bleffed and undivided Trinity, as he is our Sanctifier, where, after afferting his eternal Proceffion from the Father and the Son, and his Equa

lity with them in Glory, the Author cele brates his Praifes in moft Divine Pfalms, and Hymns, as the Author of our Second Birth, and glorifies him for all his Gifts, and Graces, and Comforts to the Sons of Men. More particularly for illuminating our Understandings, and fanctifying our Wills, for helping us in our Prayers, and affifting us against Evil Spirits; Finally, for being our Director, Guide, and Counfellor, for making our Bodies his Temples, and for finishing the Mystery of our Redem ption; withal, praifing our Lord for fending him in his miraculous Effufions upon. the Apostles punctually, according to his Promife, and fhewing how every Perfon of the bleffed Trinity, as one Co-infinite Goodness, contributed to our Redemption, and graciously agreed to compleat our Felicity.

In the Office for the Dead, everything is faid, that the Subject of Death, or our Preparation for it can require. There is fet forth, in most affecting manner, The Mifery and Vanity of Man, as Mortal; The Excellency of his better, and immortal Part; The Happiness of departed Spirits; The Moderation with which we ought to temper, and limit our Sorrow for our dead Friends; how nearly it concerns us to fecure our

Peace

Peace wich God before we die; with many Things inter/perfed concerning the Refuxrection, and the last Judgment, and the impartial, and indifpenfible Justice of God in inflicting Death without Diftinction, or Refpect of Perfons, upon all Sorts, Ranks and Conditions of Men.

In the Office of Saints are described, in most devout manner, the Sovereign Majefty, and Glory of God, as King of Saints and Angels, the Glories of the other State in the Kingdom of Heaven, the Union of Prophets, Apoftles, Martyrs, and Confeffors, and all the Saints, departed in one happy Fellowship, with Angels, and Seraphim; The wonderful Progress from Grace to Glory; The immenfe Goodness of God, who rewards fuch imperfect Services, and fort Sufferings, with infinite Rewards, and the Obligation, which lies upon us to mention the Saints departed with Honour, to commemorate and imitate their Vertues, to follow their blessed Examples, and reverently to obey the Church in obferving those Festivals, which he hath appointed to remember their Vertues, and recite their Sufferings for our own Edification, their Honour, and the Glory of God, to whom the Church of England, in her excellent Office of Communion, firft after the Reformation,

did. in moft Catholick Manner, offer most high Laud, and hearty Thanks for the wonderful Graces, and Vertues,which he had declared in all his daints, and by them bestowed upon his Church from the Beginning of the World.

Every one of thefe Offices hath Four Parts; and every one of thefe Parts may, as they are reform'd in this Book, be perform'd in Single, or Solitary Devotion, in a Quarter of an Hour, or little more, which make but a fmall Part of Time in every Day to Spend in God's Service, and may well he spared from our other common Employments, or from our vacant Hours, wherein we do nothing, or are apt to do Ill, and are much better spent, than in giving and receiving vain, idle, and unprofitable Vifits, or wafting our precious Hours in Places of publick, and dangerous Refort, or long and tedious Dreffes, one of the great Sins of this Age, or foolish Amusements of our Thoughts, which so many times in the Day might be Jo nobly entertained with the fublime, and ingenious Notions of this Book.

Two of thefe Four Parts are allotted for the Morning, or Forenoon, and Two for the Evening, or Afternoon, at Such Hours as every one may find most con

venient

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