certaine and the houre of it most uncertaine all Christian wisdome consists in a good and holy preparation for that moment to the end we neglect not a businesse which is in truth to us the businesse of businesses and the sole and only businesse we have to doe in this world since we are here only to save our soule and loosing it we loose all for what shall it prefit a Man to gaine the whole world Mar. 2. if he loose his owne soule sayes our souveraine Master Jesus Christ O God how great is the blindnesse of the most part of Men who never reflecting upon this so divine and important a truth lead only an earthly sensual and animal life and never elevating their spirit to heavenly things settle their affections so firmely upon this mortal life as to preferre it before that which is eternal Iohn 10. Whosoever loves his life saies our B. Lord shall loose it and whosoever hates it in this world shall gaine it in Eternity O my God we doe not then love our life as we ought when we adhere too close to it since this adherence to our temporal life proceeding from an inordinate love of our selves putts us in danger to loose that which is eternall Since also thou thy selfe asseurest us Luke 14 that whosoever comes to thee and hateth not his owne life can not be thy disciple Grant me such a holy hatred of this mortal life as may cause me continually to aspire and pretend to that which is eternal there to live with thee world without end 2. Point PRecious in the sight of our Lord is the death of his Saints saies the Psalmist Psal 15. If we will dye their life keeping alwayes our affections alienated from the creatures as if we were to dye every moment since there is no moment wherein we may not be surprised by death and wherein we ought not to be prepared to receive it if we will not hazard our salvation We ought to surmont the natural feare we have of it by faith and by a confidence we should have that Jesus Christ who keepes the keyes of life and death and who loves us infinitly more then we love our selves will send it us in such a tyme and manner as in his divine providence he has forseene to be most convenient for us Has he not created us for life eternal Doe we not beleeve that life to be more happy then this which is mortal if we live not in this beleefe we have no faith and consequently no hope since we cannot arrive at this happy life which he has promissed us but by the way of death But what charity can that interessed soule have who loves her owne life more then the will of God and whose feare of dying exceeds her desire of seeing and uniting herselfe to him Ioh. 4. Perfect charity sayes the holy Evangelist drives fourth feare And if we ought to testify our love to God by our hatred of sin where is the hatred we beare it since knowing that we cannot live without daily relapsing into it we have neverthelesse an extreame apprehension of death O if we truly lou'd God with what joy would we embrace death to the end we might be in a state never more to be able to offend his infinite goodnesse since the least sin as the Doctors say is more to be dreaded thendeath if selfe 3. Point IF God should leave the tyme houre and manner of our death to our choyse could we make a better then he himselfe who ordaynes it by his infinite wisedome power and goodnesse and who having made us for himselfe and redeemed us with his blood desires nothing so much as to save us and conduct us to our last end Since our faith teaches us this truth why doe we not entirely abandon the care of our life and death to him What can be more advantageous to us in Heaven in Earth in life and in death then to accomplish his most just and holy will And since we must necessarily undergoe the ordees of his divine will were it not better to doe it meritoriously by an humble submission and filial confidence in his divine goodnesse then to execute it by force like the divels and by our resistance to render this action more worthy of punishment then reward If the feare of our sins cause us to apprchand death and desire prolongation of life to the end to doe penance for them what penance can be more efficacious and acceptable to God then our perfect conformity to his holy will and our entyre submission to the sentence of our death to the end to render him the obedience due from a creature to its Creator and to testify to him that we preferre the honour of pleasing him before our owne life if the merit of our acts beare proportion with the difficulty we find in their execution what can be more difficult then to renounce our life and what better penance can we performe then to give it with a good hart to God since in makeing him this present we not only give him all we are able to give but also all which is most deare and precious to us no Man hath greater charity then he who layes downe his life sayes our divine Saviour and if a God would vouchsafe for us to dye so painfull and grievous a death and loose his life upon a crosse for our salvation shall we dare to refuse him ours shall we esteeme our life more precious or more necessary then his O my soule if we lou'd God ifwe had a true sense and acknowledgment of this soveraine benefit would we not desire to have a thousand lives to give him O my God since I am nothing but by thee I will be nothing but for thee and so as I be what thou desirest I should be it imports me very little whither I live or dye Affections and Resolutions SInce that upon the moment of my death depends my eternall salvation grant me grace O my God to keepe my selfe prepared for this last houre by a true hatred of sin by a perfect contempt of the world with its vaine honours pleasures and riches and by a perfect abnegation of my selfe suffer me not to sleepe in the forgetfulnesse of death least the lampe of chrity being extinguisht and the oyle of good workes spent thou surprise me in this state and pronounce against me as heretofore against those foolish Virgins that dreadfull word I know you not but keeping my selfe alwayes in expection of thy com̄ing grant that I may merit to enter with thee to that eternall marriage where neyther eye has seene nor care hath heard nor the hart of Man comprehended what thou hast prepared for those who love thee Give me O Lord the light of thy holy spirit to the end I suffer not my selfe to be deceived and seduced by my senses in mistaking falshood for truth nor esteeme the things of this mortall life good or evill but
any such backbiting discourse imitate the excellent practise of a holy servant of God who used to desire them who made any such discourse that they much rather would tell him of some fault of his owne whereof he had many for therby said he you will doe me great charity for which I will both hartely thanke you and also endevour to amende Thinke well upon this holy practise for it is of great importance to avoyd much sin to practice true charity towards our neighbour and finally to procure peace and happy quiet to our owne minde therby Of flying the occasion of sin WHo loves danger shall porish therein saith the wise man and who is most carefull to shun the occasion Eccles 1.17 he doubtlesse will least offende for as who stops the fountaine will certainly dry up the brooke so likewise who flyes the occasion will preserve himselfe from sin For as taking away the cause one wil hinder the effect so in the combat with vice no way is so secure to gaine the victory as by flight The holy Ghost assures us that as we cannot touch pitch without being defiled so is it also as difficult to stay voluntarily in the occasion of sin without a defiled conscience The common proverb saith very well that the occasion makes a Thiefe which is but too truly verifi'd in makeing adrunkard a detractor a Luxurious man and the like And who but reflecteth upon his most offending God will finde that his neglect of avoyding the occasion was still the chiefest cause of his sin Salomon David and Sampson did all greatly offend by exposing themselves to the occasion let us take good warning by them who are much inferiour to their perfections To avoyde therfore sin we must beware of all ill company for they serve but as alluring baites to draw soules to offende We must greatly mistrust our owne frailty and place our whole confidence in God craving humbly his celestiall grace to strengthen us against all the dangerous temptations of our three mortall ennemies the world the flesh and the devill The small number of the Elect. THis thruth is exceeding terrible Math. 7. grounded upon the words of Jesus Christ saying that the gate is wide and the way broad which leadeth to death and many walke therein but the gate unto life is narrow and few doe find it many ate cal'd but few are chosen God himselfe hath said it and therefore it must be true The figures of this divine truth doe well confirme it and by the holy Fathers they are soe expounded As that infinit number perishing in the deluge and but eight persons only escaping it in the Arke And secondly of eighteene hundred thousand Israelits who went out of Egipt two only of them lived to goe into the land of promise These are esteemed by the holy Fathers true figures to represent to us the small number of the Elect which ought not to seeme incredible considering the small number of Christians in comparaison of all the rest And secondly amongst the Christians how few are truly vertuous or love God as they ought or live according to their calling This wel considered what horrid feare ought we to have least our unhappy lot should fall out of this little blessed compagnie of the Elect. Phill. 2.21 Which to prevent by S. Pauls advise whorke in feare and trembling your salvation O what would not a damned soule now wish to have donne wherby to have escaped those eternall flames let us doe now what at the houre of our death we should undoubtedly wish to have done And according to S. Peter lett us imploy all our sollicitude and labour to secure our salvation by good workes Let us frequently renew the promise and protestation which we made in Baptisme â—et 1. to renounce the devil and all his workes the pompes and vanities of the world to follow our Christian maxims and to imitate the holy vertues of Jesus Christ Who suffer persecution for justice sake Math. 5. are beatifi'd by Iesus Christ himselfe THe souldier seekes no priviledge above is Prince or General nor is the servant more then his Maister now our divine Redeemer having led us the way through all manner of perfection why should we despicable wormes and criminel offenders be troubled or refuse cheerefully to follow him through so much easier a combat of suffering and persecution in comparison of what this great Lord of glory and inÌ„ocent laÌ„be of God hath suffered for our sakes for are our persecutors more cruel barbarous or inhumane then were his have they so greatly injured moked scorned or affronted us as they did him have they spitt or struck on our faces as they did on his have they by false calumny taken away our honour and sought our death and destruction as they did his O no not such outrageous injuries have been offered us and therfore it would be most unworthey for the member of so suffering a head to be so very nice and delicate or much troubled at smale and little injuries Finally what other perswasion need we to suffer with all cheerefulnesse then is the very conclusion of this Beatitude Math. 5 in these words exult yee and rojoyce because your reward is very copious in Heaven this reward being the beatificall vision of God for all Eternity To what multitude of miseries Mans life is subject MAns life though but short and very uncertaine yet it is replenisht with a multitude of miseries aswell of body as of soule the holy wiseman calls it a heavy yoake imposed vpon the children of Adam Ecc. 40.1 from the day of their birth till the day of their death and buriall These miseries now being so very great may wel make our life seeme long to us though but short in it selfe by reason of the sad and tedious accidents to which our fraile nature is so subject by feare by paine by griefe by necessity and want which to prevent and to grow rich what paines and industry doe Men use in crossing the dangerous seas undertakeing long painfull journies enduring great distempers of opposit clymats for gayning wealth And having at last quite spent tyred and worne out themselves how properly may that their great toyle and industry be compared to the spinning but à poore spiders webb consuming their whole life and labour as doth that little creature by drawing out the substance of their very bowels to weave their little nett to catch some contemptible fly Which lively represents meere worldly men whose thoughts and industry both day and nigth are to contrive the obtayning wealth honour or some small sensvall pleasure which by a right understanding and vertuous soule ought to be esteemed as vnworthey the occupation of his life and whole industry as is the catching of a silly fly The premisses well considered we must adore the great goodnesse of God who therfore hath mixed these many miseries with this present life therby to compell us to hate
Meditation suggests to them they become by their meditation more humble more patient and conformable to Gods blessed wil and pleasure in all which is the certaine marke of a holy and fruitfull Medication how dry or barren soever it seemed to them and deprived of all sensible or self-satisfaction or forced fervours whilst learneder persons with all high speculations producing no great affections nor resolutions for the practise of vertue all proves but vanity in their owne imagination which produceth no fruit at all But now that the lesse learned people are not uncapable to practise this prositable prayer of Meditation it may be fitly expressed by this familiar example of a pervere and wicked Meditation made by a sinner of whome King David speakes saying and they who sought me evils speakes vanities and mediate evils all the day For the revengfull man pondering and musing with him felfe of some disgrace or injury by memory he calls to mind the disgrace or wrong offered him Then with his understanding he considers the nature and weight of such an injury and therby he provokes his will to hatred to envie to malice and to secke revenge upon the party from whom he received it This now is a most wicked Meditation wholy interiour and all without one word of the mouth Even so in like manner and quite to the contrary a good Man calling to minde his sin and injuries therby which he hath offered unto God he ponders considers and examens the greatnes therof the enormity causes effects and the properties of sin whence he makes a firme resolution out of the hatred therunto to banish the like hereafter and to avoyde all future occasions and this is an interiour and a holy Meditation of sin This briefly in general Here now followes a short meditation for each day in the weeke wherby the vertuous soule may put in practise this holy exercise and it may also serve as a little methode inducing her to make more use of this profitable devotion according to leasure and other helpes for the same Matter of Meditation for ever day in the weeke Sunday of Gods benefits unto mankind FIrst place yourselfe in the presece of God with a profound adoration therof The Preparation and beseech him to inspire you with his grace Which serves as the generall preparation for all the ensuing Meditations 1. Consider the benefit of thy Creation that when thou wast nothing Considerations the Almighty created thee not a stock or a brute beast but a reasonable creature endued with understanding will memory and capable of all vertue 2. Consider the end for which thou wast created namely the service of God and that after a short tyme spent therin thou mightest be partaker of those celestiall joyes which be prepared for thee in the Kingdome of Heaven 3. Consider that all other creatures and what soever thy God hath bestowed upon thee is for the attainement of thy foresaid end and so accordingly to be employed by thee 4. Consider the benefit of thy Redemption of thy Vocation unto the catholike faith such also as concerne thine owne estate in particular For which Affections and all others as wel knowne as unknowne labour to be thankfull Admire with great confusion and be truly sorry for your great ingratitude considering Gods infinit love to so unworthey a creature abusing those his innumerable blissings Resolue to be more carrefull for the future Resolutions preparing your mind with all indifferency to possesse or to be deprived be it of health or sicknesse plenty or want esteeme or contempt so it be conformable to gods blessed will let it be welcome Munday of sin and the grieviousnesse thereof COnsider how odious sin is unto God Which may appeare by the greatness of the punishment First in the Angels Secondly in our first Parents who for eating the forbidden fruit were deprived of that happy estate wherin thy were created in Paradise yea not only they but wee and all their posterity doe beare the burden therof for so much as all the miseries of this life and the next doe spring from that bitter root Consider the malice of sin which in a sort is infinit being against the infinit goodnesse of God And therfore Jefus Christ God and Man was only found worthy and able to accomplish the worke of our Redemption whose actions being of infinit merit were answerable to infinit justice Consider the lamentable effects therof 1. of Gods grace wherof we are deprived 2. of the evils which we incurre as the wrath of God torment of conscience the servitude of sathan and the guilt of eternall damnation Astection All this considered ought not the very name of sin be more horrible to us then is Hell it selfe and yet ô how great is our senslesse carelesnesse in committing it as also Gods infinit mercy to most ungreatefull Man in suffering his wicked bouldnesse in offending so great and so good a God! Resolue therfore and crave his grace Resolutions that thou maist rather dye then offend him mortally recurt to him for mercy as a prodigall child and detest all thy former sins and resolue to fly all dangerous occasions of falling into them againe Tuesday of the miseries of this life 1. COnsider the great frailty of Mans nature subject to so many dangers as no glasse is halfe so brittle and therfore in the holy scripture it is compared to a buble in the water to flowers to grasse to a shadow c. As for the soule so many snares and ginns are laid by the world the flesh and the divel to ruyn it as S. Antony seeing them in a vision cryed out ô Lord who shall be able to avoyde all these nets 2. Consider in respect of temporall things what a misery it is that scarce any one is contented with his owne estate seeme he to others never so prosperous for that in this life we are like unto sick men who tumble and tosse in their beds not considering the cause of their discontent to be their inward infirmity of vexing in minde 3. Consider that for so much as this life is so uncertaine and so fraught with miseries there is no greater madnesse in the world then to set out harts and affections thereupon and with such diligence to cast about for the things therof and so little or not at all to labour for those which concerne our eternal felicity Adore and greatly admire the great goodnesse of God Affections who therfore hath mixed those many miseries with this present life therby to compel us to hate it and to draw us by it to aspire unto our Beatitude Resolution Resolue hereafter to withdraw your hart from such vaine and deceiptful contentments of the world and fix your mind upon what is eternall Wednesday of the houre of death I Magin thy selfe to lie upon thy death bed having a hallowed candle in thy hand a crucifix upon thy breast thy ghostly Father calling
tyme to heare Masse represent to your selfe that you are called to accompany the B. Virgin S. Jo. Evangelist and holy Magdalen to mount Calvary there to assist at that dreadfull sacrifice which this doth so truly represent and that togeather with the Priest you now are going to offer it upon the Altar to the Eternall Father for the whole cath Church as also for your owne necessities and for all others both living and dead for whom you are bound to pray The Priest ascending up to the Altar with that great crosse upon the back of the vestment may renew in us a lively memory of that heavie Crosse which Jesus Christ did beare upon his wounded shoulders to mount Calvary there to pay that deare and painfull ransome for our sin And the crowne or tonsure of the Priest may represent to us that crowne of sharp thornes which was beaten upon our Saviours head Admire here his infinit love and mercy to ungratefull Man The exteriour and interiour disposition required to assist at the holy sacrifice of the Masse THe Priest now approaching to the Altar we must procure a right interiour disposition by stirring up in our harts an actuall sorrow and contrition for our sins and renouncing all affection to them therby to purify our soules from that foule blemish which might render our devotion unpleasing to God 2. We ought there to behave our selves with all exteriour reverence and very carrefully to avoyde all needlesse words and lookes still keeping the eyes of our soule firmely fixed upon the Altar and our minds wholy busied with devout attention upon those holy mysteries of the life and death of Jesus Christ which in this sacrifice of the Masse is so truly represented unto us A forme of directing our intention before Masse in forme of prayer O Sacred Trinity accept this holy sacrifice of the most precious body and blood of our Lord Jes Chr. in union of that most holy sacrifice which our divine Redeemer offered in his last supper and upon the Crosse I offer it to thee by the hands of the Priest First to the honour and eternall glory of thy divine Majesty In acknowledgment of thy supreame excellency and dominion over us and our subjection and dependance upon thee as also in perpetuall commemoration of the death and passion of our most mercifull Redeemer Jesus Christ 2. in honour and increase of glory to all the B. spirits in the Church triumphant And for the suffering soules in Purgatory And in particular for the soules of N. N. 3. In eternal gratitude for all thy gracious benefits bestow'd on me thy ungratefull creature and in satisfaction for my sins and for those of all the faithfull as well living as dead And finally for the obtayning of such or such a grace And in particular for N. N. And for all those for whom I am wont and bound to pray To obtayne rest to the dead and to the living grace to know to love and to glorify thee perfectly in this world and happily to enioy thee in the other for all Eternity Amen An advertisment WHat finally I doe here recommend to all is that with devout attention they religiously accompany the Priest and make serious reflection upon each my stery in order yet very briefly endevoring to stirr up some fervent and pious affection or holy aspiration wherby to move their harts to a divine and ardent love of so mercifull a God and to detest all sin which so very highly offends him A DEVOUT EXERCISE FOR HEARING MASSE BOTH WITH TRUE PIETY AND MUCH INSTRUCTION From the rising of the sunne leven to the going downe in every place there is sacrificing and there is offered in my name a cleane oblation Malach. 1. cap. ver 11. A prayer before Masse O Most clement Father of mercy who hast bestowd not only once thy dearly beloved sonne to dye upon a Crosse for Mans Redemption but wouldest that his oblation so infinitly acceptable unto thee should daily be renued in thy Church to increace in us the fruit therof Grant us we beseech thee so attentively and reverently to be present at this so adorable a mystery of thy piety that we may be able to ataine the participation therof through Christ Jesus our Lord and only Redeemer Amen At the Priest's ascending to the Altar and there opening the booke THe Priest ascending to the Altar and having placed the Chalice he openeth the booke To signify that the mysteries of our faith lay shutt up in dark shadowes and obscure figures in the old law till Jesus Christ there represented by the Priest layd them open to us in their true substance and verity Rejoyce with gratitude for our enjoying the law of grace and stirr up a firme beleefe of all those holy mysteries of Mans Redemption by Christs bitter death and Passion which are here to be represented to us in the holy Masse At the Priests descending to the lowest stepp and beginning with the signe of the Crosse and saying the Confiteor c. THe Priest descends to the lowest stepp and there begins in making the signe of the Crosse To shew that we had no other hope nor remedy for our reconciliation to God but by the merits and sacred passion of Jesus Christ who died for us upon the Crosse At the Confiteor stirr up true sorrow and detestation for your sins as a preparation to appeare with more purity and profound humility in Gods divine presence at all those sacred mysteries represented there to us at the holy sacrifice of the Masse At the Priests ascending and kissing the Altar THe Priest ascending he kisseth the Altar as a symbole of reconciliation and peace made betwixt God and Man by the precious blood and bitter passion of Jesus Christ For which indevour to stirr up due love and gratitude At the Introite and Kyrie elysons THe Introite is so called because at high Masse it is sung whilst the Priest is comming to the Altar It represents the sighs and longing desires of the Patriarckes for the Messias comming As also doe the Kyrie and Christe elysons At which let us humbly crave the needfull visit of Gods grace for our soules as also his mercy and gracious pardon of all our sins Of Gloria in excelsis Dominus vobiscum and the prayer JOy here at our divine Redeemers birth and at his choyce of so poore so meane and so suffering a manner We must learne to contemne all worldly pompe and vanity and that the only true way to beatitude is that of mortification humility and proper abjection The Priest salutes the people with Dominus vobiscum to stirr up their attention before he begins the prayer to the end that their petitions therin may be more gratefull to God And he saith Oremus before the prayer to desire the people to joyne their prayers and intentions with his to obtayne those necessities which our holy mother the Church recommends to be prayd for therby At the Epistle and
repent with my whole hart and soule for having so grievously offended thee whom I truly love above all things what soever I constantly resolue by thy helping grace carrefully to avoyde all occasions of my grevious sins ād from the bottome of my hart I blisse and adore thy great goodnesse for affording me so happy and secure à meanes by this holy Sacrement to make my blessed peace and reconciliation by grace and pardon againe with thee who hath so long and often tymes preserved me from Hell For which I having nothing wherby to shew in gratitude I offer to thee O Eternall Father the bitter death and Passion with all the sacred merits of thy divine sonne Jesus of his immaculate Virgin Mother and of all the blissed Saints and Angels of Heaven to praise and magnify thy mercy and great goodnesse unto me for all Eternity A prayer before Confession REceive my Confession O most benigne and clement lord Jesus the only hope for the salvation of my soule give unto me I beseech thee contrition of hart and teares to my eyes that both day and night I may bewaile all my negligences with humility and purity of hart Let my prayer o lord approach neere in thy sight If thou shalt be angry against me what helper may I seeke who will have mercy on my iniquities remember me o Lord who didst call the woman of Canaan and Publican to repentance and didst receive Peter weeping O Lord my God accept my prayers O good Jesu Saviour of the world who gavest thy selfe to the death of the Crosse that thou mightest save sinners regard me a wretched offender calling upon thy name and take not such heed to my wickednesse that thou forget thy mercy And though I have committed wherby thou maist condemne me yet thou hast not lost that wherby thou art wont to save us Spare me therfore O Lord my Saviour and have mercy on my sinfull soule loose the bands therof heale the wounds Lord Jesu I most humbly beseech thee Shew me thy face and I shall be safe Send fourth therfore o most loving Lord through the merits of the most pure and ever Virgin Mary thy immaculate mother and of all thy blessed Saints and Angels send fourth thy light into my soule which may shew unto me truly all my defects which it behooveth me to confesse and which may help and teach me to expresse them fully and with a contrite hart who with the Father and the holy Ghost liveth and rayneth one everlasting God Amen This done next goe and cast your selfe upon your knees with a reverent and humble hart as if at the feet of Jesus Christ in the person of his Vicar the Priest there conceiving your selfe as a criminel before your judge and as wholy depending upon Gods mercy not having any thing to alleage in your owne behalfe but a guilty conscience deserving eternall punishment raise all your hope in an humble confidence of his mercy and sacred merits of Jesus Christ detest your sin wherby you have offended so good and so gracious a God and crave humbly grace to amende You having asked your ghostly Fathers benediction and said your Confiteor til mea culpa c. then accuse your selfe plainly humbly and intirely and with all confidence and freedome endevour to lay open to him wherinsoever you can conceive or doubt to have greevously offended God for this freedome in confession takes away all scruple of conscience and gives a great peace and tranquility to the soule which is farr to be preferd before the greatest felicity in the world Finally you having confest all and said the rest of your Confiteor Then harken attentively to what the Priest shall say to you without any further searching into your conscience but take with humble submission the advertisments which he shall then give you as there the substitute of Jesus Christ And performe faithfully what he shall ordaine you either by way of counsel or penance This done retyre your selfe with a recollected mind to give humble thankes unto God and with feeling piety and devotion say this followinge prayer after your Confession A prayer out of F. Granada exciting in the soule compunction and sorrow for our sins O only sonne of God how great and ineffable are the blessings I have receiud ' from thee thou hast produced me of the dust and slime me of the earth thou hast created my soule out of nothing according to thy image and likenesse thou hast endued me with understanding memory and will thou hast given me a free will togeather with all my members and senses to the end that by their meanes I might know and love thee Thou hast conserved me in the narrow prison of my mothers wombe to the end I might not dye without the saving water of holy baptisme After so many sins as I have multiplid against thee thou hast had long patience with me even to this houre whilst many others lesse guilty then my selfe whom thou hast not so long expected to repentance are peradventure at present tormented in Hell Besides this o my Lord thou hast vouchsafed to make thy selfe Man and to converse amongst Men for my sake For me thou wouldest suffer grievous afflictions a bitter agony sorrow of soule and a bloody sweate Thou wouldst be apprehended bound struck spit upon injured blaspheamd ' buffeted thou wouldst be clad at one tyme in a white robe at an other in a red one in mockery For me thou wouldst be beaten scourgd crownd with thorns struck with a reede upon thy sacred head thou wouldst be blindfoulded condemned to death and dragged to the place of execution with a heavy crosse upon thy back to which crosse thou wouldst be fastned with hard and-ruged nailes thou wouldst be placed betweene two theeves and numbred amongst the wicked Call and vinagar was presented to thee for thy last draught and finally thou wouldst loose thy life by a most cruell death In this manner o my Lord and with these sufferings hast thou redeemed me and yet I most ungratefull for so great benefits have many tymes crucified thee againe by my sins wherby I have merited that all thy Creatures should rise up against me and in thy name take revenge upon me for these injuries Moreover what shall I say of the fearefull abuse I have made of thy Sacraments those blessed remedies which thou hast ordaynd ' me with thy most precious blood Thou hast washt and receiud me in holy Baptisme as one belonging to thy selfe there thou hast adopted me thy sonne there thou hast consecrated me as thy temple Thou hast anointed me as a Priest as a King and as a souldier who ought incessantly to fight against thy enemy There thou hast espoused my soule to thy selfe and adorn'd her with all the ornaments requisite to so high a dignity What have I done with all these jewels What care have I taken to conserve such immense riches thou hast adopted me thy sonne and I have rendred
wandering receive me returning uphould me stumbling lift me up falling and persevering bring me into glory O God of all goodnesse and Majesty let the most blessed presence of thy most precious body and blood so alter the tast of my hart that besides thee at any tyme it feele no sweetnesse it love no fairenesse it seeke no unlawfull love it desire no consolation it admit no delectation at any tyme it care for no honour it feare no cruetly who livest and reighnest God with thy eternall Father in unity of the holy Ghost world without end Amen An other prayer after the holy Communion THankes be unto thee o Eternall Father that thou didst vouchsafe of thy great pitty to send thy only deare sonne from thy glorious throne into this vale of woe here to take our mortall nature and in the same to suffer sharp paines and a bitter death to bring our soules unto the glory of thy happy kingdome and to leave that precious body here to be our strength and comfort I thanke thee o most loving Lord Jesu with all the powers of my soule for that thou hast thus graciously fed me with thy most precious body by which I hope to have health of soule and eternall life with joy at my depar ture from this vale of teares and misery O holy Ghost come Lord and enflame my hart with the burning beames of thy love and make me with true humble and vertuous gratitude continually to yeald acceptable thankes to the holy and glorious Trinity three persons and one eternall God to whom be all honour glory and thankes-giving from all creatures without end Amen The soule of Christ sanctify me the body of Christ saue me the water of the side of Christ wash me o good Jesu heare me within thy wounds hide me suffer me not to be separated from thee from the malignant enemy defend me and bid me come to thee that with all the celestiall blessed spirits I may praise and glorify thee throughout all Eternity A Conclusion COnvert o Lord all wicked sinners call to true faith all hereticks and schismaticks lighten the infidels who doe not know thee help all that be in great necessity releeve all who have commended themselves unto my prayers have mercy upon all my parents friends and benefactors as also upon all those for whom I am bound to pray Let thy blessing be upon this place with humility peace charity purity and conformity to thy blessed will that we may all amend feare and faithfully serve thee love and please thee Lord be mercifull to all people for whom thou hast shed thy precious blood Grant to the liuing forgivenesse and peace and to the faithfull departed rest and everlasting life Amen Finally the devout soule the more to dilate her selfe in the praises of her mercifull and loving Lord and to render him due humble thankes for so great a benefit may here with a fervent hart inflamed with love and gratitude recite this following canticle wherin all creatures are invited to Laude and praise Almighty God The Canticle of the three children ALl the workes of our Lord blesse yee our Lord Daniel 5. praise and extol him for ever Blesse yee our Lord yee Angels of our Lord ye Heavens blesse our Lord. All waters that are above the Heavens blesse yee our Lord blesse yee our Lord yee powers of our Lord. Sun and moone blesse yee our Lord starrs of Heaven blesse yee our Lord. Shower and dew blesse yee our Lord every spirit of God blesse yee our Lord. Fire and heate blesse yee our Lord cold and summer blesse yee our Lord. Dewes and hoarie frost blesse yee our Lord frost and cold blesse yee our Lord. Ice and snow blesse you our Lord nights and dayes blesse yee our Lord Light and darknesse blesse yee our Lord lightming and clouds blesse yee our Lord. Let the earth blesse our Lord let it praise and extoll him for ever Mountaines and little hills blesse yee our Lord all things that spring in the earth blesse yee our Lord. Blesse our Lord yee fountains seas and rivers blesse yee our Lord. Whales all that move in the waters blesse yee our Lord blesse our Lord all yee foules of the aire All beasts and cattel blesse yee our Lord sonnes of men blesse yee our Lord. Let Israel blesse our Lord let it praise and extoll him forever Priests of our Lord blesse yee our Lord servants of our Lord blesse yee our Lord. Spirits and soules of the just blesse yee our Lord holy and humble of hart blesse yee our Lord. Ananias Azarias Misael blesse yee our Lord praise and extol him for ever Let us blesse the Father and the sonne with the holy Ghost let us praise and extol him for ever Blessed art thou o Lotd in the firmament of Heaven and praised and glorifid and extolled for ever This Canticle of thankes giving with the two following and the Hymne of S. Ambrose and S. Augustin in praise and thankes-giving at his conversion are proper to be used to blesse and praise God for some singular favour and benefitt The Canticle of Zacharie BLessed be our Lord God of Israel be cauese he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people And hath erected the horne of salvation to us in the house of David his servant As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that are from the beginning Salvation from our Enemies and from the hand of all who hate us To worke mercy with our Fathers and to remember his holy testament The oath which he sware to Abraham our Father thathe would give himself to us That without feare being delivered from the hand of our enemies we may serve him In holinesse and justice before him all our dayes And thou child shalst be called the Prophet of the highest for thou shalt goe before the face of our Lord to prepare his wayes To give knowledge of salvation to his people unto remission of their sins Trough the bouels of the mercy of our God in which the Orient from on high hath visited us To illuminate them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to direct our fect in to the way of peace Glory be to the Fater c. The blessed Virgins Canticle of Magnificat c. MY soule doth magnify our Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid for behould from hence fourth all gererations shall call me blessed Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me and holy is his name And his mercy from generation to generation to them that feare him He hath shewed might in his arme he hath disperced the proud in the conceit of their hart He hath deposed thy mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble The hungry he hath filled with good things and the rich he hath sent away empty He hath receaved Israel his child being mindfull of his mercy As he spake to
into an ocean of infinit joyes Let us therfore resolue to shake off this stupid dulnesse in neglecting our so happy land of promisse Resolutions for the love of which we ought to dispise all earthly pleasures and vaine contents as too base and abject for our higher and more noble thoughts and hopes which we expect in Heaven An advertisment THis following exercise made by a pious and approoved Author whose humility would not permit himselfe to be knowne I have judged both usefull and very necessary for all who desire to gaine their heavenly blisse by the happy art of dying wel which must be learnt by frequent practise of holy acts in tyme of health like as they are to be used at the tyme of death for who neglects them in health will diyng hardly performe them well weaknesse paine feare trouble and many impediments very hardly then permitting a dying Man to produce those acts wherof a former habit was not gain'd Which now notwithstanding by the practise of this holy exercise being made familiar in tyme of health may also produce both happy acts and such as are not soe hard to be exercisd in that extremity of sicknesse A most profitable exercise conteyning a preparation to death Togeither with the acts necessary to dispose the soule to this last passadge As also the Recommendations of the soule in English Blessed are the servants whom when our Lord comes he shall find watching To our blessed Lord Iesus Christ SAviour of the world word Incarnate thou who art the life of those who dye and the death of those who live the life I say of those who dye by the glory which thou givest them and which thou hast purchast for them with thy most precious blood the death of those who live by the grace thou givest them to dye to the flesh and live in Spirit quicken this exercise with thy divine love to the end that by the practise of it thou maist find us so well prepared for death that we may live eternally with thee in Heaven there to blesse prayse and love thee with the Father and the Holy Ghost Amen Advise for the due practise of this exercise SInce it is a most constant truth verifid by daily experience which neverthelesse we easily forget that we must dye and that peradventure we may either be surprised by a suddaine death as we see it happen to many when they least thinke of it or that the extreame paines or other accidents of our sicknesse may deprive us of the liberty and capacity to performe acts requisit in that last houre that houre I say which is the most important of all houres that houre after which we shall have no more houres that houre which must decide our happinesse or misery for all Eternity It will be most profitable to sett aside one day in every month wherin to prepare our selves by the exercises of a spirituall death to those we should really make when we come to dye actually Watch and keepe your selves prepared sayes our Lord for the sonne of Man Mark 13 will come when you expect him not and the wise man sayes wheresoever the tree falls there it shall remayne Eccles 11 If opportunity present it selfe we ought either upon the eve or the day which we designe for this exercise to make our Sacramental Confession to the Priest notwithstanding which for greater purity and more vest preparation we may make our spirituall Consession to Jeins Christ before or after the Sacramentall each one according to his devotion After Consession we are to communicate really or spiritually in forme of viaticum and to consider it as the last Communion of out life Vpon the day we perferme this exercise if we have convenienty we ought to heare Masse to the end that in his sacrifice which is a reall representation of that of the Crosse we may more neerely and particulary unite our selves to Jesus Christ dying offring as well this as all other sacrifices which shall be offred to the end of the world for obtayning the grace of a good and holy death It will be most profitable to fix one day in every month each one according to his leasure and devotion for this exercise and they who cannot performe it all at once may take the first point in the morning and the second at some other houre of the same day or make it in two dayes But in that case the acts of contrition saith hope and charity contayned in the first point must be repeted And besides that our Meditations and lectures of that day ought to be upon the subject of death We ought further to employ our selves more particularly in good workes and practises of mortification and vertue And it is to be noted that although there be many acts prescrib'd in this exercie neverthelesse it is not intended therby to oblidge any one precisely to those acts but only to facilitate the practise of them to such as have not yet attayned to a habit of such acts for the best are those which love produces At the end of this exercise are added the Recommandations of the foule in English for the consolation of such as for a boly prevention of their death having devotion to joyne them to this exercise may not peradventure understand them in latin And in this the termes which relate to an other must be changed and applyed to our selves as in steed of saying pray for him receive his sonic we must say pray for me recove my soule and so of the rest reserving the contlusion of this exercise till after the last prayer Now the principall fruits we ought to gather from this exercise as shall besaid in the following meditation are contempt of the world disesteeme of the creatures abnegation of our selves and amendment of our faults which are the true meanes to obtayne the grace of such a death as shall be the beginning of a happy life for ever Meditation to enter into the dispositions of making a good death Place your selfe in the presence of Gods beseech him to inspire you FOr a foundation of this Meditation we must well and throughly conceive and be fully satisfied of this truth that God hath given us our life only in trust from whence it followes that if we be not alwayes prepared and dispos'd to render it to him we deny him his right of Souverainety over our beeing It is ordayned that all Men shall dye once Heb. 9. and after death followes jndgment sayes the great Apostle Considering this truth that we can dye but once and that an ill death can never be repared in the whole extent of Eternity we see how necessary it is for prevention of a surprise to watch al wayes and to live like the servant mentioned in the Gospel Duke 12. who attends the comming of his Master The first point NOw since we must necessarily dye it highly concerns us throughly to comprchend this truth that death being most
each of them pronounce the holy names of Jesus and Marie and then having repeted these last words of our Saviour Into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit We may expire in the sacred wound of the side of sweet Jesus and chusing that for our toumbe we may hide our selves in his divine hart Then after a little recollection we may say the prayers which are to be rehears'd after death Subvenite SUecour spedily o yee Saintes of God c. The rest of these prayers are plac'd at the end of the Recommendations of the soule After this exercise we ought to consider our selves as dead to the world and our selves In consequence wherof we ought often to say with S. Paul I live new no more J but Iesus Christ lives in me my life is hidden with Jesus Christ in God The recommendation of the soule which ought to begin with the little Litanies and the following prayers are to be said during the agony LOrd have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Holy Marie pray for him All yee holy Angels and Archangels pray for Holy Abel pray for All yee quires of the just pray ye Holy Abraham S. John Baptist S. Peter S. Paul pray S. Andrew S. John Al yee holy Apostles and Evangelists Al yee holy Disciples of our Lord. Al yee holy Innocents S. Steven S. Laurence pray Al yee holy Martyrs pray ye S. Silvester S. Gregory pray S. Augustin Al yee holy Bishops and Confessors pray ye S. Benet S. Francis pray All yee holy Monkes and Heremits pray ye S. Mary Magdalen S Lucy pray All yee holy Virgins and Widowes pray ye All ye Saintes of God Intercede for us O Lord be favorable to him and pardon him his sins O Lord be gracious to him and deliver him From thy wrath O Lord deliver him From the danger of death O Lord deliver him From the paines of Hel. O Lord deliver him From the power of the devil O Lord deliver him By thy holy Nativity O Lord deliver him By thy Crosse and Passion O Lord deliver him By thy death and burial O Lord deliver him By thy glorious Resurrection O Lord deliver him By thy admirable Ascention O Lord deliver him By the grace of the holy Ghost our souveraine Comforter O Lord deliver him In the day of judgment O Lord deliver him O Lord we miscrable sinners pray thee to heare us That thou maist spare him O Lord heare us Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us The Prayers Proficiscere anima Christiana GOe fourth of this world O Christian soule in the name of the Father almighty who created thee in the name of his son̄e Jesus Ch. who redeemed thee in the name of the holy Ghost who infus'd himselfe into thee in the name of the holy Angels and Archangels in the names of the Thrones and Dominations in the names of the Principalites and Powers in the name of the Cherubins and Seraphins in the name of the Patriarches and Prophets in the name of the holy Apostles and Evangelists in the name of the holy Martyrs and Confessors in the name of the holy Monkes and Herimits in the name of the holy Virgins and of all Gods Saintes let thy dwelling be this day in peace and thy habitation in holy Syon by the Merits of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Deus misericors Deus clemens O God of mercy and clemency who according to the multitude of thy mercies forgettest the sins of such as are penitent and by pardon abolishest the guilt of their past crymes looke graciously upon thy servant N. who with a sincere confession of his hart implores remission of all his sins and mercifully heare him Repaire in him o most indulgent Fasher whatsoever is corrupted by earthly fraitly or ruind by the malice of the devil and unite this member of thy Redemption to the body of thy Church Let his sighes O Lord moove thee to pitty let his teares excite thee to compassion and receive him into the favour of thy reconciliation who confides in nothing but thy pure mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen Commendo te I Commend thee deare brother to God almighty and remitt thee into the hands of him whose creature thou art to the end that when by death thou shalt have payd the debt of humane nature thou maist returne to thy Creator who form'd thee of the slyme of the earth Let the splendid quires of Angels come fourth to receive thee let the maiestical senat of the Apostles meete thee let the tryumphant Host of Martyrs accompany thee Let the glorious assembly of bright Confessors encompasse thee let the shining troupe of reioycing Virgins congratulate thee Let the embraces of a happy repose transport thee into the bosome of the Patriaches let the mild and gracious countenance of sweet Jesus appeare to thee and ordayne thee place amongst those who never cease to serve him Maist thou never know the horror of Hell the tortures of its flames nor the cruelty of its eternal torments let not wicked Sathan with his hydeous band presume to touch thee let him tremble to see thee arrive in company of the Blessed Angels and let him fly into the dreadfull confusion of eternall darknesse let God arise and let his enemies be scattered let those who hate him fly before him let them vanish like smoake and as wax melts before the fire so let sinners perish before the face of God and let the iust feast and reioyce in his sight let then all the infernall legions blush and be confounded and let not the ministers of Sathan dare to hinder thy passage let Christ who was orncifi'd for thee deliver thee from torments let Christ who vouchsafed to dye for thee save thee from eternal death let Christ the sonne of the living God place thee in the florishing pleasures of his paradise and let that true Pastor acknowledge thee for one of his flock and having absolud thee from all thy sins let him fett the at his right hand amongst his elect Maist thou see thy Redeemer face to face and being alwayes present before him lett thy happy eyes behold the manifest truth and having finally received thy place amongst the troupes of the blessed spirits mayst thou enjoy the sweetnesse of divine contemplation world without end Amen Suscipe Domine O Lord receive thy servant into that happy place where he hopes for salvation from thy mercy Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant from all the dangers of Hell from the snares of torments and all paines and sufferings Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered Enoch and Elias from the ordinary death of Men Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered Noe from the floud Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered Abraham from the Chaldeans Amen O Lord deliver the soule of