Lamb Cloath me with thy Wool hide me in thy Wounds cleanse me with thy Blood lodg me in thy Heart revive me by thy Death unite me to thy Love swallow me up in thy Divinity melt me away in the fire of thy Charity and make me every way according to thy own hearts desire Peace be unto you Fear not I am he It is I who have ascended to my Father and your Father that I may open Heaven gates for you and provide you there a happy lodging and yet I remain with you in the sacred Eucharist till the worlds final consummation Faith YEs Lord Jesu It is thou thy precious Body and Blood thy blessed Humanity and Divinity Yes my sweet Saviour I as firmly believe it with my Soul as if I clearly saw it with my Eyes plainly tasted it with my Mouth or sensibly touched it with my Hands and I faithfully cry out My Lord and my God Resignation and Desire I Renounce all that is mine and resign unto thee O my Lord all that is thine I desire with all my heart I were according to thy Hearts desire and that thou wouldst please to make such a Change in me that nothing might evermore displease thee in me Renunciation and pure Intention I Come to this Sacrament O my Saviour out of Obedience to thy sweet Invitations and upon Confidence in thy saving Mercies My Intention is to do thy Will and not my own to seek thy Satisfaction not to feel sensible Devotion and to please and praise thee by the performance of my Duty that so I may get by my Resignation what I cannot by my Recollection and content thee by my Desires since I cannot by my Deserts Confession Contrition Resolution O My Lord Behold my Wounds my Wants and my Wishes I remain still ungrateful wretched wicked tepid vicious unmortified full of Pride Passions Imperfections I am sorry heartily I purpose amendment really and I beseech thee O Jesu for thy own goodness sake mercifully to forgive me and to cure all consume all consummate all that displeases thee in my Soul in the sacred Fire of thy Divinity Petition THy self O my sweet Saviour is all I want and thy Love is all I wish for O let me see thee love thee enjoy thee feed on thee be satiated with the torrents of thy true delights and be totally inebriated and drowned in the Ocean of thy ineffable sweetnesses Wean my soul O Lord from all terrene and temporal Affections and Wed it unto thy self by an inviolable tye of Love and Fidelity Provide for thy self O Jesu a lovely lodging in my heart and soul O you holy Angels and Saints come and prepare your Master's dwelling place within me 2. What is to be done in Communion IN Communion two things are required First A Reverend Retired Modest behaviour of your whol Exterior humbly placing your self upon your knees keeping your Body erected Head unmoved Eyes fixed on the Sacrament Lips quiet and so expecting till the Priest shall have fully plac'd the Sacred Host in your conveniently open'd Mouth and be sure not to anticipate his Action by reaching your self on your head forwards in order to receive or by snatching your Head or Mouth suddenly backwards after you have received Secondly A profound Humility of Heart and longing Love of your Soul mixed together saying O God! be merciful unto me a sinner I am not worthy O my Lord that thou shouldst enter under my roof yet I beseech thee speak the Word and my soul shall be saved O sweet Jesu That thou thy self shouldst come to me into me A Lord of such purity and perfection to so impure and imperfect a creature as I am O Love O Liberality Come Lord Jesu Come loving Master Enter freely into my open Soul which desires to embrace thee All is thine Dear Saviour dispose of all that is here of Body and Soul of Life Lodging All according to thy divin Will and pleasure Welcome my good Jesu Now dismiss thy servant in peace for my Eyes have seen thy salvation 3. What is to be done after Communion HAving received the Priests last Benediction arise return to your place and renew your ardent affections in this or the like manner O Fire O Flames Burn me Consume me Annihilate me Alas Beauty of Angels how late have I loved and how little do I yet love thee Behold a poor lodging yet such as it is it is all thy own I conceal nothing I reserve nothing Compose all Dispose of all Depose all my unruly Passions Impose upon me what thou pleasest only repose sweetly in my soul and permit no soul false or foolish affection to interpose it self or disturb this quiet peace and union O that I could lodg thee more worthily serve thee more faithfully please thee more perfectly praise thee more incessantly love thee more ardently O Jesu my Lord my all and only love a thousand times welcome What shall I render thee O sweet Saviour for all the good things thou hast given me I humbly acknowledg that I ow more than I have to give but not more than I would give if I had it O Lord take all that I have and pay thy self O Angels and Saints bless my God for me Love my Jesus for me and sing forth his praises purely perfectly perpetually in supply of my defects Be careful to keep your Friend company after your Feast and not to drive him presently out of doors or leave him alone What a Shame Ingratitude yea and Incivility were it for you having received the King of Heaven and Earth to go forthwith not only out of the Chappel but even out of your own self by evagation of mind and extroversion of spirit This surely is one reason why many remain so cold near this Fire But perchance your particular charge office employment calls you away Were you called from your Meal Tell me Would you not supply â— som after Do here in like manner Howsoever be sure at least for some short space to keep a Mental Solitude and Recollection if not a Corporal entertaining your divin Guest with the devout Aspirations Affections and Elevations of the eighth prescedent Exercise of Perfect Union with God Page 336. And then falling into Acts of Thanksgiving Congratulation Praise Admiration Oblation c. Think within your self 1. Who hath Fed you 2. With what Food 3. In how admirable a Manner 4. With what an excess of Love 5. What he requires in Recompense Then you may do well to perform these things following 1. Renew all your good purposes Vows Professions c. 2. Make a new Reunion and Conformity of all your desires Wills and Affections to them of your blessed Saviour 3. Resolve upon some thing in particular which doth most hinder you hurt you or trouble you 4. Ask your Saviours advice and Counsel therein And 5. Having marked his Inspirations Resolve effectually and fall to practise accordingly More Exercises Acts and Considerations for such as
tyrannize over your Nature 3. To what imperfections you have been most subject 4. How you have perform'd your Morning resolutions of doing this avoiding that 5 How you have comply'd with the Obligations which concern your special calling charge and condition 3. Marking particularly upon each one of these heads your most notorious Excesses Omissions Commissions Negligences Then conceiving a general hatred horrour and detestation of all sin say briefly O my Soul How ill have we imployed our Time and Talent lent us to merit Eternity O my Lord and Maker I am most heartily sorry for all these sins defects and imperfections which by thy divine grace and light I have now discover'd and discern'd in my soul and humbly implore thy mercifull pardon both for them and all such others as have escaped my memory But if in the Examination of your conscience you there take notice of any mortal Crime Be sure to confound your self presently in your Creators presence Crying out in the bitterness of your Soul O my strange Frailty Malice Ingratitude Whence is it that thou my justly irritated Creator commandedst not the Earth instantly to swallow me or Fire from Heaven to consume me or thy exterminating Angel to cut me off Whence is it that thou withheldst thy breath from blasting me in the very height of my sinfull action with sudden death or that thou sent'st not some of thy instruments of Justice to revenge this horrid injury by razing me from off the Earth's surface and hurrying me head-long into the dismal inexplicable interminable torments of Hell being the place which is only proper and therefore prepar'd to receive such ungratefull ungracious and perverse wretches And why is this favourable delay of thy divine Justice afforded me O my patient and compassionate Lord God! but only to give me time to recall my self from my wickedness and to call upon thy Mercy and Goodness Behold O my Creator I call I cry I come to thee as a poor wretched miserable Criminal I call to thee for Pity I cry to thee for Mercy I come to thee for Pardon And I resolve purpose and promise by the assistance of thy Grace seriously to correct speedily to confess and willingly to satisfie for what is amiss in me And this not for fear of Hell-fire which I have deserved not for the loss of Heaven which I have forfeited but for the love of thee my Lord God! whom I have offended I acknowledg my self worthy of thy Punishment unworthy of thy Inheritance but that which chiefly grieves me is the having injur'd thy Goodness The consideration of having offended thee my loving Father more lively pierces my soul than the apprehension of my sufferings or the loss of my Childs portion Wherefore even for thy own sake O compassionate Father pity relieve and receive thy poor repenting and returning Prodigal who even for thy own and only sake heartily detests all his sins sincerely promises his amendment and humbly craves thy pardon They who have more time and leisure and who desire to become more truly spiritual may here before they betake themselves to their rest make these five internal and affectionate acts 1. A Spiritual uncloathing of our Souls REturn securely O my Soul into thy place of rest Repose sweetly quietly confidently in the bosom of the divine Bounty Rely entirely upon thy Lords love and mercy And cutting off all cares and curiosities all fears and desires remain here contentedly without diverting thy self with any other Objects Behold O my Lord and Lover I absolutely renounce all but thee humbly casting my self into the arms of thy most holy Disposition Providence and Protection I will henceforth aim at nothing but the advancement of thy Honor the accomplishment of thy Will the encrease of thy Love and an Union with thy self O how truly happy wouldst thou be my yet unmortifi'd Soul were thy Affections once free and not clasp'd to any Creature that thou couldst readily resolutely resignedly throw off all and take the naked Cross for thy total Inheritance Thou O my loving Lord Jesu wert born naked in a Stable diedst naked on a Cross wert put naked into thy dolefull Mothers arms to be first bath'd in her Tears and then buried naked in anothers Sepulchre and shall not my Heart and Soul burn with love of external and internal Nakedness Live my Lord Jesus depriv'd of Father and Mother on the Cross Live Mary depriv'd of thy only Son at the foot of the Cross Live naked Cross and live this holy Nakedness Live my Beloved to me and I to him Uncloath me therefore O Jesu 1. Of all sin 2. Of all affection to sin 3. Of all curiosity and vanity 4 Of all sensuality 5. Of all inordinate passion 6. Of all self-complacency self-judgment self-love self-will 7. Of my whol self and whatsoever is displeasing to the pure eyes of thy divine Majesty 2. A most profound Humiliation of our Souls O My Soveraign Creator I most heartily acknowledg my own baseness misery weakness wickedness nothing I perfectly hate dislike and loath my self and all my own proceedings Behold me O Lord lying here prostrate at thy feet as a poor Publican not worthy to lift my Eyes towards Heaven or to take thy sacred Name into my sinfull mouth But what more can I do O my Maker than offer up to thy Majesty an humble and contrite heart fully prepar'd to suffer what thou shalt please to command it And lo I present my whol self bound hand and foot before the Throne of thy Mercy to be adjudg'd according to thy Will Lord I fly not from thee I appeal not from thy Sentence I pretend no priviledge I plead no excuse Be thou the Knife and I the Flesh Hack and hew me cut me and crucifie me as thou pleasest Only pardon my sins Let me live in thy service Die in thy favour and Enjoy thy Love for all Eternity 3. A recommendation and resignation of all to the divine Majesty INto thy holy hands O heavenly Father I recommend my Spirit my Memory my Will my Understanding my Senses my Actions all that I have and am I cast all at thy sacred feet imploy them all as best liketh thee that by them all thou mayst be praised served and loved purely perfectly perpetually I entirely resign my self and all to thy most sacred Will in life and in death for time and for Eternity And will resolutely chearfully and affectionately say and sing at all times in all places upon all occasions Our Lords Name be ever praised his honour always promoted his Will eternally perform'd by me and by all his Creatures 4. A hope and confidence that God whom we Love and who Loveth us will effect what is best for us BEhold O Heavenly Father I here place my self under the wings of thy paternal protection by an immutable Act of filial Confidence and faithful Affection humbly committing all that any way concerns me to thy most holy Providence In this Center O
feel thy sweet effects O heavenly Virtue Fulness of Joy is ever with thee Abundance of Peace is thy inseparable companion and plentitude of Mercy is to thee a perpetual retainer O God! the soveraign Joy of all spirits and Jubilation of all hearts cheer me amid'st this worlds calamities with the solid comfort of thy only satisfying presence grace and love in my Soul O King of Peace give me Peace in my Self by an absolute union of all my inward forces and faculties to thy only glory Give me Peace with the Good by conformity of my conversation with them Give me Peace with the Bad by bearing the injuries they inflict on me Give me Peace with Thee by an intire submission of all my wishes and desires to thy holy will and decree O most liberal Lord Give me also the love of Mercy that I may be ever pitiful and compassionat towards all poor and miserable persons Give me the love of Beneficence that I may be always willing to succour my necessitous Neighbour for thy sake The love of Alms-deeds that I may be ready to relieve all his corporal wants to Feed him in his hunger Refresh him in his thirst Cloath him in his coldness Ransom him in his captivity Harbour him when he hath no home Visit him when he is sick and Bury him when he is dead The love of Fraternal correction that I may charitably Correct sinners Instruct the ignorant Counsel the doubtful Comfort the sorrowfull Bear all wrongs patiently Pardon all injuries cordially and pray for all the living and the dead zealously O my Lord make my Charity efficacious Let not my love rest in lip language but proceed to real performances of all these outward inward corporal spiritual actions of piety that in the dreadful and doubtful hour of my death and thy judgment I may find thee my sweet Saviour full of pitty and compassion towards my poor Soul 7. The Precept of loving God God commands us in the Old Law to love him with all our heart soul and strength Christ repeats it in the New as the first and greatest Precept Acts of pure Charity THy Love O my Lord is in it self so excellent and to my Soul so pleasant that should'st thou perpetuate this divine gift to me upon Earth without ever bestowing on me thy blessed Heaven it must needs make me in some sort happy O my Soul what is more precious than Gods pure love wherein canst thou and all creatures employ your time and talents more profitably than in admiring your Creators greatness and loving his goodness Yet O eternal Charity Thou also commandest me to love thee and threatnest to lay miseries upon me if I love thee not Ah! Is it not alone misery enough not to love thee Is there need of so many ties of Precepts and threats of Punishmens to oblige me to thy love O infinitly amiable bounty Is not one stroke sufficient to mollify my stony heart Thou shalt love me with thy whole heart but thou addest a second and with thy whole Soul and drivest in this sacred wedg with a third and fourth blow and with thy whole Strength and Vertue Should'st thou not O perfect Lover exact this just tribute from me I surely ought most freely to pay it for the good I finde in thy sweet friendship and now that thou claim'st it and call'st for thy due Child give me thy heart shall I deny it thee Alas Lord it is a poor present but such as it is take it totally unto thy self and dispose of it absolutly at thy pleasure Oh! that it were as rich and beautiful as befits thy Majesty to receive and my obligation and affection to give It is thy only right O my God! by all just titles of Creation Redemption Vocation and it shall be thine daily by my own free Donation Imitation Affection Lord I love thee in this very instant with all my heart soul force and vertue O let not my enemy upbraid me at my death to have pass'd my life without one Act of thy pure love Behold I here at this present banish all foul and forreign affections all self and interessed love and whatsoever is contrary to thy divine liking and embrace thy only naked Charity with as much ardour and sincerity as all my united forces and faculties can possibly enable me Rule thou henceforth and reign only in my soul O glorious King of Love Let nothing live but to love thee and praise thy liberality to manifest thy goodness and to magnify thy glory O Love O divine and desirable Treasure O rich and precious Jewell What Soul reflects upon thy real value and suddenly sells not all to buy thee leaves not all to follow thee suffers not all to enjoy thee contemns not all to compass thee How late do I love thee O beauty so ancient so new Ah my heart thou hast hitherto lov'd thy self truly wilt thou remain evermore cold careless tepid and negligent in loving that object for which only thou wert created and which alone can make thee happy Ah perfect Lover my Soul now settles her self to love thee only entirely eternally she will recompence her former failing by her future faithfulness she defies all branches of Self-love she desires nothing in Heaven or Earth but thy self her God her inheritance the only joy of her heart and sweet satisfaction of all her wishes But O sweet Saviour what pawn of this my love shall I leave with thee what pledg of my sincere affection shall I give thee Thou hast asked my heart Take it Lord Jesu 2 Take it alone 3 Take it all unto thee 4 Take it as thine own due and my free donation 5 Take it as the present of a Child to his Father 6 Take it as an holocaust offered up only to please praise and obey thee and not in respect of thy present benefits or expected blessings 7 Take it O loving Lord as thou desirest it deservest it demandest it and commandest it O that I had as many Hearts and Souls in my body as I have Hairs on my head that I might thus dedicate them all to thy divine Love Oh! that I could employ each moment of my remaining time in loving thee as perfectly as thy glorious Citizens do in Heaven Oh! that the very last act of my expiring life which I now consecrate unto thee might be by vertue of this my oblation and resolution an extasie of thy pure and perfect Love Lord I love thee thou knowest that I love thee how much I love thee and how ardent my desires are to love thee more I will not leave to love thee till thy love transforms me all into love which is thy self O Eternal Love Eternal Life Eternal Happiness The fifth Exercise Of the Cardinal Virtues and first of Prudence 1. The Essence of Prudence Prudence is an Intellectual Virtue enabling us to Consult wisely Judg solidly and Resolve effectually upon all occasions of action or omission GReat and Glorious
Lord God! who ever accompaniest thy Judgments with Equity and accomplishest all thy works with prudence and perfection grant unto me thy poor servant here prostrate before thy tribunal of infinit Majesty a competent portion of this most exquisit and necessary Virtue O let it be still present at all my proceedings assistant to all my resolutions and chief president over all my counsel that being by it powerfully sway'd instructed and directed I may know how when where to act omit consult judg order and execute wisely uprightly discreetly undauntedly all that which is conformable to thy divine will and liking O thrice happy they who have attain'd the perfection of this amiable Virtue My Soul submits to thee O sacred Prudence as to her directing Mistress and commanding Queen that by thy safe conduct she may pass onward in the holy track of true piety advance daily in the practise of all solid virtues and arrive finally at thee O my God! my eternal bliss and beatitude the only end and aim of all her hopes and endeavours 2. The Parts of Prudence Prudence must have eight parts to make it perfect Memory Vnderstanding Docility Subtility Reason Providence Circumspectioo Precaution AH my poor Soul how far art thou from solid Wisdom since thou art destitute of all the requisit qualities and conditions Thou O Divine and undrainable fountain of all knowledg who frely openest the veins of Wisdom to them who humbly confess their own indigence and heartily implore thy heavenly assistance Distill I beseech thee these several rivulets into my imprudent indiscreet and ignorant spirit that I may be more capable upon all occasions to discern between verity and vanity and distinguish good from evil that so making Virtue the sole measure of all my desires and doings my life may be here pleasing to thy Majesty and my Soul after death may enjoy thee in thy blessed Eternity 3. The chief effects of Prudence are these 1. It helps us to discover and avoid our enemies ambushes 2. It is the sustainer director moderator and conserver of all virtues 3. It is the light by which we see how to guide our steps towards our heavenly home O That my Soul could always feel the admirable fruits and effects of this amiable Virtue O that I could dispose all my thoughts desires affections words and actions according to the dictamen of Discretion O that I could still consult maturely judg discreetly and execute virtuously upon all important occasions Give me O Eternal Wisdom Circumspection to discern my enemies deceits that I may shun them Give me Prudence of Heart to remember things past dispose of things present and provide for things to come Give me Prudence of Mouth to moderate all my Speeches Give me Prudence of Action to cancel all evil choose what is laudable And since O my Lord there can be no Virtue without Prudence which gives them order form beauty and all that denominates them rather Virtues than Vices Since this is the Salt which thou commandest to be offered in all Sacrifices wherby they become favoury to thy sacred Majesty O grant that I may be henceforth truly prudent discreet and well advised in all my enterprises that so I may in all things more perfectly please thee 4. The Vices directly opposit to Prudence Though all Vices Sins are opposite to Prudence yet Temerity or Precipitation Inconsideration Inconstancy and Negligence are its greatest enemies and more directly destroy it WAtch and Pray O my weak Soul that thou fall not into these precipices Ah how often hast thou been hitherto dash'd against these dangerous Rocks and what mervail if thou still remain'st so weak wounded wicked that thou liest yet wallowing in the mire of sin and art almost drown'd in the deluge of thy sensuality without making any progress in the way of the spirit since thou runnest on hood-winck'd headlong blindly rashly without consulting or considering the end and order of thy actions How long wilt thou defer through Negligence or desist through Inconstancy to effect what Prudence perswades thee as most convenient commendable and conducing to thy desired happiness Direct me henceforth O divine and essential Wisdom and preserve me from relapses into these dismal gulfs of rashness inconsideration inconstancy and negligence Let the whol design of my pious practise by thy only honour the perfection of thy holy Love in my Soul that being here united to thee it may hereafter enjoy thee in thy Eternal Glory 5. Other Vices opposit though not so directly to Prudence are those which are contrary to its several parts Forgetfulness Ignorance Indocibility Stupidity Want of Reason Improvidence Incircumspection and Vnwariness HElp me O my Lord my only refuge and buckler of defence to conquer all these enormous monsters Draw me powerfully out of these deluges of imperfections wherein either my natural weakness or my malicious wickedness have so frequently implung'd me and do yet daily and dangerously ingage me Dissipate I beseech thee these dark clouds with the infused light of thy divine Grace Indue my forgetful ignorant stupid spirit with Docility to receive my Superiours Counsels and Commands with Solicitude for my Souls eternal safety with Providence Precaution and all other necessary Weapons against the wiles of my adversaries that leading a life free from Vice I may expect Deaths call without terrour 6. Other Vices opposit to prudence by excess as the former were by defect are The Wisdom of the flesh Craft Deceit Fraud an over-eager carefulness for temporal conveniencies and too much solicitude for the future AH sick World how sad and deplorable is thy condition All is full of fleshly Prudence Persidiousness and perpetual Perplexity Each one seeks for poor and soon passing commodities of nature but the eternal treasures laid up in Heaven for our immortal Souls are little look'd after Ay me shall the children of darkness be more Prudent in their Generation than thou my Soul who pretendest to be an infant of Light Wilt thou be less covetous of Spiritual grace than worldlings are of Temporal goods O what a shame what a confusion is it that they should more fervently affect things pernicious than thou the profitable that they should run more nimbly to their death and ruine than thou to life and beatitude Away then with these false feigned pretended and worldly Wisdoms I will henceforth follow thy sweet invitation O Saviviour of my Soul and be no more solicitous what I shall eat and drink or wherewith I shall be cloathed I will only seek thy Kingdom and for the rest rely upon thy care and remain quiet content and comforted with thy paternal Providence 7. The Conclusion of this Exercise containing an humble Petition for perfect and Evangelicall Prudence O Saviour the great Exemplar and pure Idea of all Wisdom who hast taught me by thine own sacred mouth what Prudence is most pleasing to thy Divine Majesty saying Be ye wise as Serpents and simple as Doves Enlarg I beseech thee
imposed upon him by his Ghostly Father he is absolutely obliged to accomplish it Yet if it be a light Penance as three Paters and Aves or that he omits some small parts of it such an omission is only Venial by reason of the littleness of the matter 11. That when the Confessor limits no time for the accomplishment of the Penance imposed by him and accepted by the Penitent in Confession It is requisite it be performed at the first opportunity because it is probable he so intended it to the end the Penitent might speedily satisfy for his Offences and carefully preserve himself from future falling 12. That such an Omission of accomplishing the Penance speedily is no Mortal Sin unless it be a notable negligence and in some dangerous circumstance the judgement whereof depends upon the Conâ—essors Prudence ¶ 5. Particular Directions and Practical Devotions for Confession BEFORE CONFESSION THe Penitent who resolves by Gods Grace to make a good Confession must according as opportunity shall suffer and Devotion serve perform three things before he presents himself to his Ghostly Father to wit He must Consider He must Examine He must Pray First consider That the discussion of your Conscience and the Confession of your sins is a soveraign remedy against blindness of heart and weigh with your self how dangerous a thing it is to defer your Conversion to linger out in wickedness to make bad Confessions since you know not but that such wilful malice may cause God in Justice to leave you in final Blindness and Impenitency This needs no explication but Application If one should tell you This year you shall be drowned would you not beware of Water Do so of Sins and their occasions Why will you still heap up wrath against the day of wrath There is nothing surely that doth more harden the Hearts and blind the Understanding than the abuse of the Sacraments and the wilful resistance or neglect of Gods call and inspirations 2. Consider How easily a Blind man is deceived how dangerously he walketh what comfort he wanteth Apply the same to your soul blinded with sin and ponder well these places of Holy Writ Run whilst you have light least the darkness of death should overtake you I have sought after thee and thou wouldst not be found now thou shalt seek me and thou shalt not find me but you shall die in your sins 3. Consider how a blind man is led 1. by a Dog 2. by a Child 3. by a Staff so a blind Soul is led 1. By Custome in sin to which it returns as a dog to his vomit 2. By Affection to creatures as a doting Mother thinks her black Child beautiful 3. By Passion for then having a staff you will strike friend or foe Beware in time and permit your self to be ruled and directed 4. Consider what a madness it were for you to kill your self with that Weapon which is deliver'd into your hands for the defence of your Life And is it not a far greater phrensie to procure your spiritual death by that which is provided for your souls life and preservation Is not Confession the Sacrament of grace and reconciliation O! Let it not prove your bane and damnation 5. Blessed are the clean-hearted for they shall see God Without some degree of Purity 't is impossible to see enjoy and possess him who is Purity it self Consider then seriously what you must do and which is the readiest and surest means to get this Puritie 6. Think what will most affright your Soul and make its case desperate at the hour of death Bad Confessions And what will then most comfort it Good Confessions that is To have done your dutie and used your best endeavour in the exact and faithful performance of this most important business which is all God requires at your hands Prevent therefore and provide in time Do it even now for there is danger in delay 2 Examine INvocate the divine Light to see God and your self his goodness and your naughtiness that you may praise him for the one and obtain pardon for the other Saying briefly thus A Prayer befre the Examinatin of your Conscience O Father of light and God of love grant me true light true love and true wisdome that I may impartially discern what doth please and displease thy divine Majesty in my Soul For I most earnestly desire to detest and deface the one and to embrace and increase the other Illuminate the eyes of my Understanding that I may truly see my sins and imperfections enable my Memory that I may duly confess them strengthen my Will that I may resolutely amend them and change my Whole man that I may sleep no longer in death and deadly sin O my soul Give up an account of thy stewardship since thou hast not long to hold it Fool This very night thy soul shall be taken from thee and what then will all these impure and impertinent thoughts desires words affections and actions profit thee To what purpose gainest thou even the whole World if thou losest thy own Soul O Martha O N. Thou art troubled about many things when as there is but one only thing which is absolutely necessary Return therefore into thy self and turn to God Lament Repent Amend A form of Examination for such as Confess often AMongst the many forms of Examination of Conscience make use of some one that seems to you the clearest easiest fullest and most suitable to your gust devotion and condition as thus 1. How long is it since my last Confession 2. Where and with whom have I since that time conversed 3. What Employments have chiefly taken up my time 4. What Sins and imperfections am I most inclinable to 5. What is the charg and duty to which my Vocation obliges me 6. With what Intention have I done my actions A form of Examination for proficients and Religious persons Or thus 1. WHerein have I offended my good God in Works of disobedience propriety immodesty indevotion c. 2. In Words of murmuration detraction dishonesty untruth pride passion c. 3. In Thoughts of curiosity vanity sensuality impurity disdainfulness spitefulness c. 4. In Affections and desires and intentions against Charity Chastity Humility Or thus 1. WHat sensuality in meat drink sleep talk company 2. What curiosity of eyes ears tongue heart 3. What vanity pride complacency 4. What Tepidity distraction negligence in Office prayers recollection devotion 5. What uncharitableness in words censures judgments 6. How impatient disobedient soon disquieted for every toy 7. How partial in my own case in defending my own opinions in point of propriety Or thus 1. I Have been very irreverent indevout distracted through my own fault in performing the divine Office and other prayers of obligation especially twice or thrice 2. I have been defective in charity towards others externally or internally especially in speaking or judging ill of them or in such a manner upon such motives and so often 3. I
Wretch Art thou not ashamed to remain still in thy wonted negligences imperfections tepidities to sing still the same sinful song after so many years past over so many iterated Confessions so many received Sacraments and so many good Resolutions made to the contrary Wallowest thou still in the same Mire and lyest thou still snorting in the same Bed of Sensuality O horrid ingratitude If thou wert now summon'd to give up thy just accounts what couldest thou answer for so much time mispent so many inspirations neglected so many graces abused Thou approachest nearer death and Eternity but recoylest backward in religious Piety and Perfection Wilt thou still lie sleeping in this dangerous Lethargy Is this the grateful and dutiful service thou rendrest thy Creator for having afforded thee all convenient means to do Penance and for having so patiently expected thy conversion and amendment Alas my confounded Soul What will become of thee What course wilt thou steer When and how wilt thou begin Ah sinful Wretch Prodigal Child Disloyal friend Sue to thy Physician Return to thy Father Repent thee of thy disloyalty Request pardon grace and love Resolve to do Penance for what is past and to amend for the time to come Yes Lord even this Day this Hour this very Moment will I begin to be a new Creature I renounce all my former follies I renew all my former good Resolutions I consecrate the whole remainder of my life to thy love and service And for this end I will presently leave such Company such Curiosities such Vanities c. and abandon whatsoever holds my heart captive and my Affections enslaved to the prejudice of thy Honour and my Souls perfection I wil willingly undergo such and such difficulties endure such contradictions crosses afflictions and whatsoever thy fatherly hand shall impose upon me O all powerful Creator since thou hast given me the Grace to frame this Resolution give me also the strength and courage to put it in execution Then endeavour to make an act of perfect Contrition which contains 1. A Detestation of your sins past grounded on Gods love and goodness 2. A firm Purpose of Amendment for the future 3. A Confidence in Gods mercy 4. A will to do Satisfaction 5. A total Resignation to the Divine disposition An act of Contrition and Prayer before Confession O My good God! Father of all comfort and compassion Creator of Heaven and Earth and Redeemer of my Soul Behold here a poor Worm prostrate at the feet of thy divine Majestie humbly craving pardon for all his iniquities and impurities I am going O my sweet Lord Jesu to the Tribunal of thy Mercy to present my self before thy Minister and Vice-gerent and there to give thee an exact account of my miserable life by humbly confessing detesting and lamenting all the ingratitudes impieties and spiritual fornications which I have presumed to commit in thy presence with so little respect and for so vile and base ends that the very remembrance thereof breeds an extream Shame Fear and Sorrow in my now sensible and penitent Soul Shame for having left an infinite Good to embrace an empty fading filthy Nothing Fear for having forsaken the light of Heaven and the life of Eternity to temain in eternal death and darkness Sorrow for having offended thee my God who art to me so good so merciful so loving and so liberal Oh! that my heart could rend asunder with true Contrition and Compunction and my Eyes dissolve into a floud of tears for having been disloyal to so faithful a Friend and disobedient to so free-hearted a Father Mercy O dear Father to thy prodigal Child Mercy O good Lord to thy sinful Servant Give to my Understanding Light to see and know my faults to my heart Sorrow to hate and detest them to my eyes Tears to lament and weep bitterly for them and to my mouth so sincere and entire a Confession of them as if it were the first good Confession that I ever made or should be the last Confession that ever I should make which thou only knowest O my all-knowing Lord and Maker I therefore most humbly beseech thee Dear Jesu my Saviour and Redeemer By all thy Pains and Tears by the Prayers of thy most Blessed Mother by the past Sorrows of all Penitents who are now in Heaven secure of their own Salvation and sollicitous of mine encrease my Contrition release my Crimes Pardon O meek Lamb of God who takest away the Sins of the world my past faults pitty my present folly and protect my future frailty that with a clean quiet and contented soul I may strive to please and praise thee all my life-time hereafter and in the end die happily in thy favour and friendship O my crucified Jesu my only hope and refuge bathe me in thy Blood beautifie me with thy Merits bless me with thy Grace By the tears that issued forth of thy Eyes by the Prayers which came forth of thy Mouth by the Blood which gushed forth of thy Wounds and Heart by all the pains of thy Body and pangs of thy Soul by all the mercies of thy Divinity and merits of thy Humanity by all that is dear and near unto thee in Heaven and Earth cleanse quiet cloath comfort and content my sick sinful weak wounded and wretched soul In Confession THen full of confident Humility and humble Confidence cast your self at the feet of your Ghostly Father in whose person you are to consider two Priests the one Visible to whom you speak the other Invisible which is Christ Jesus whose place he represents wherefore honouring them both dreading them both and reverently inclining your head and body to them both begin your Confession in this manner In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Benedicite that is I beg your blessing Which blessing being received you begin your Confiteor either in English or in Latin Though having before recited it in the Examination of your Conscience it is not necessary to repeat it here or you may do well when the want of time and the multitude of other Penitents require hast to abridge your Confiteor thus I confefess unto Almighty God to all the Saints and to you my Ghostly Father that I have exceedingly sinned in Thought Word and Deed through my Fault my Fault my exceeding great Fault Then without impertinent Preambles say I Accuse my self That since my last Confession which was eight days fifteen days or a month ago I have done this omitted this c. Having declared briefly and clearly what you could remember you may thus conclude your Confession For these and all other my Sins and Imperfections I am heartily sorry purpose amendment humbly beg pardon of God and Penance and Absolution of you my Ghostly Father Then bowing down your head and body proceed with Therefore I beseech the blessed Virgin Mary all the Saints and you my Ghostly Father to pray unto our Lord God for me
have more Time Zeal and Devotion Four Petitions after Communion which may be made also at any other time with very much profit 1. HAving lodg'd your Lord and Master Cleanly 2. Thanked him heartily 3. Offered him all freely 4. Resolved to leave all for him Sincerely 5. Promised to serve him faithfully Ask what you stand in need of Go to him boldly and beg of him confidently for he will deny you nothing that shall be for your Good and his Glory since as sure as God is God so sure it is that he is Good and that he desires your good And now is the time to treat with him about the affairs of your Soul and your Salvation For he is seated in the midst of your Heart as a King upon the Throne of his Mercy To give Audience To receive Complaints To redress Aggrievances and to give favourable Sentences Speak therefore to him Lord Jesu I here shew you my Wounds as to my Physician My Wants as to my Father My Wishes as to my Friend I am Wounded all over in my Soul Understanding Will Affections Passions I Want all that is good Humility Charity Patience c. What I wish thou well knowest who art privy to my secret sighs O Father O Physician O Friend Cure me Comfort me Content me 1. My first Petition is That thy sacred Name may be Sanctified Honour'd and Prais'd by all in all above all That thy Kingdom may come thy Kingdom of Grace in this world and of Glory in the next That thy Will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven in me and in all things purely perfectly eternally 2. My second Petition is True Light true Love true Liberty true Life O my Soul Mark well how much thou wantest these Four things and thou wilt heartily demand them 3. My third Petition is A generous Disgust and Contempt of all terrene and sensual Comforts Companies Commodities A cleer sight and a couragious Resolution to know and to enterprize whatsoever shall be to thy Will and Honour An invincible Patience and Perseverance in enduring all this lives Crosses Contradictons Inconveniences A simple naked and indifferent Charity loving God in all and above all and all others in or for Him without interest or partiality or hypocrisie 4. My fourth Petition is Increase of Grace Extirpation of Vice Implantation of Vertue Mortification of Passions Victory over ill Customs Progress in divin Love Purity of Intention Perseverance in the way of Perfection All which I most humbly beg for my self for my Friends for my Enemies for them who have done me any good for the whole Church for all the World Two Questions which Jesus proposes to the Soul being in the midst thereof After Communion 1. O Blind Creature What wilt thou that I should do unto thee What dost thou want desire expect Fear not to speak I am thy Father and thy Physician Lord That I may See Thou maist easily perceive sweet Saviour what I Want and for what I Wish What doth a Blind wretch desire but Eyes and Light to See and Know both thee and Himself thy Mercy and his own misery thy Will and his own Obligations Lord Let me See thee here by Faith and hereafter by eternal Vision Fruition Possession 2. Peter Lovest thou me more than these N. tell me truly feel the pulse of thy Heart weigh thy Affection in the just Ballance of the Sanctuary speak unfainedly without self-flattery Dost thou Love me at least wilt thou Love me how much dost thou love me more than all these Creatures Answer if thou darest Lord thou knowest that I love thee a little and I will love thee more and will never cease to love thee till I come to love thee only It is easie for the Sea to swallow up a small Drop for the fire to consume a little Straw and for the Sun to revive a little Worm And is it not easier for thee O Sea of Sweetness O Fire of Love O Sun of Justice to absorp transform annihilate my poor Spirit into your Self and to make me a pure and perfect love changing my Sadness into Joy Darkness into Light Coldness into Fervor and putting new Vigor new Heat new life into my Heart N. Dost thou love me If so let me see the Tree by its Fruits Do this for my love Cut off such a superfluity abandon such company avoid such curiosity c. Love such an one for my sake Forgive all upon my command Suffer this Mortification Contradiction Cross Infirmity for my love leave all for me and leave thy self to me ¶ 9. Directions Entertainments and Affections during the time of Mass Every devout Christian should carefully observe these three Rules 1. TO hear Mass daily if he hath health leisure and opportunity 2. Not to go to Mass for fashions sake or out of custom but out of a deep sense of the incomprehensible greatness of this divin Sacrifice and out of a fervent desire to contemplate his God cloath'd with our humanity under the shapes of Bread and Wine in the Priests hands 3. Not to enter into the place design'd for this holy purpose as he would into a Play-house but with a Reverent Religious Recollected composition of all his exteriour and interiour Senses and briefly with such a behaviour as may beseem one who is to be honoured with the presence and speech of a God Preparatory Prayers before Mass Whilst the Priest is vesting himself you may entertain your self with some of these following Prayers and Elevations PRostrate before the Throne of thy divin Majesty O dread Soveraign I humbly implore thy Pardon for my Offences thy Grace for a supply of my indignity and thy Love to ravish my soul and senses in the contemplation of this Sacred Mystery that my whol interiour and exteriour man may be intirely employ'd in praising and admiring thy infinit Goodness and Mercy O sweet Jesu I will accompany thee to Mount Calvary Make me partaker I beseech thee of that Charity which conducted thee thither Give me such a feeling of thy sufferings as had the daughters of Sion meeting thee with the Cross on thy Shoulders a Cord about thy Neck and a Thorny Crown on thy Head Grant me a Resignation of my Will to thine like that of thy Virgin-Mother at the foot of thy Cross And by the Merits of thy Sufferings and Constancy bestow on me the gift of Perseverance in thy love and service O divin Spirit the faithful Bridegroom of my Soul Descend now graciously into it purifie it from the dross of its imperfections and replenish it with the flames of thy sacred affections that it may breath nothing but thy Love and desire nothing but the accomplishment of thy Will Then direct your intention and apply the Mass in this manner I offer unto thee O my God of infinit Majesty this divin Sacrifice by the hands of thy Priest For the Remission of all my Sins for a Thanksgiving for all thy Benefits for a
necessities I particularly offer it up to obtain this Virtue conquer this Temptation amend this Imperfection surmount this Passion And for all them who have desired my Prayers or to whom I have promis'd them At Lavabo Humbly beg to have your Soul wash'd from all its filth and wickedness reciting the Psalm Miserere or some Verses of it as AMplius lava me c. Dew down O merciful Creator one small drop of thy divin Grace into my sinful Soul or rather showr down an abundance of thy sweet waters upon me to cleanse me from my enormous crimes and impurities Asperges me Hysopo c. Be sprinkle my Soul O Soveraign Lord God! with the Hysop of thy Grace that I may serve thee more purely Wash me with thy sacred waters till I become whiter than the driven Snow c. At the Preface Lift up your heart to contemplate the Beauties Glories and Greatnesses of Heaven whither you tend and which is your only home aim and end HOw desirable are thy Tabernacles O Lord God of Hosts My Soul sighs pants and thirsts after you more than the wearied Stag breaths after the refreshing Fountains Draw me after thee O divin source of all sweetness and I shall run chearfully after the odours of thy perfumes for what do I seek but thee or what can satisfie me but thy self in Heaven or in Earth O that the memory of thy eternal good things remain'd always deeply ingrav'd in my Soul how easily should I then disdain all temporal perishable and worldly trifles O my God and my All when shall I be so happy as to behold thee clearly in thy heavenly Glory At Sanctus Keep your Heart raised up to your Creator praising adoring admiring the infinit Majesty of the Sacred Trinity as if you were amidst the blessed Quires of Angels and Saints in Heaven intoning with them HOly Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath Heaven and Earth are full of your Glorie Hosanna in the highest O Holy of Holies give me a glimps of thy glorious self that my illuminated Soul may praise thee more purely and love thee more perfectly O celestial Seraphins who incessantly praise my God with the sweet Eccho's of your eternally repeated Holy descend from Heaven to help my desirous heart in singing forth his praises that I may also become holy pure and perfect in the presence of my Lord and Maker At the first Memento INto thy sacred Hands O sweet Saviour I recommend my Soul with all its faculties my Body with all its senses my whole Interiour and Exteriour man with all its affections and actions Preserve me O all-powerful Redeemer from all Sin and Impuritie and give me perseverance in thy love and service Let thy undrainable fountain of mercy O Lord Jesu extend also it self towards my Kindred Friends Enemies particularly towards such and such and all them for whom I ought to offer up my Prayers to thy divin Majestie Whilst the Priest pursues the rest of the Canon in silence do you also recollect your Senses in expectation of your Saviours presence upon the Altar which will be assoon as the words of Consecration are ended Your Heart burning in the mean while with these like desires of S. Augustin O My Comforter appear unto me O only light of my Souls eyes let me see thee O only Joy of my Spirit Come and glad me with thy presence O only Jubily of my Heart Let me contemplate thee O my Lord my Life my Love my All Shew me thy self and I shall be safe c. At the Elevation of the sacred Host and Chalice represent to your self how your Redeemer offers up himself there to the Eternal Father and conforming your Devotion to the Spirit of Christ Jesus you may say with heart or mouth O Adorable Majestie In Union of this affectionate Reverence which my Redeemer now renders thee In memory of his dolorous Passion And in acknowledgment of my own Nothing and thy infinit Greatness I humbly offer unto thee a perpetual submission of all my Being all my Powers all my Faculties Be thou eternally exalted admired and glorified O Holy Holy Holy Trinity My Lord my God my All. Or thus by way of Ejaculations Affections Extasies O Goodness O Mercy O Love O Liberality O immense infinit incomprehensible excessive Charity O Eternal Father behold thy beloved Son and my blessed Saviour whom I humbly offer up to thy divin Majestie in satisfaction for all my offences negligences ingratitudes I offer thee his purity innocency perfection to satisfie for my impuritie malice impietie his Humilitie for my Pride his Zeal for my Tepiditie all the Sanctity of his life for all the imperfections of my life O merciful and compassionate Father Look upon thy own Sons Charitie Behold how he once offer'd himself a Bloody Sacrifice on the Cross for my salvation and how he now offers himself an unbloody Sacrifice on this Altar for the same end O holy Father receive this his holy Sacrifice in lieu of all the honors homages gratitudes which are due to thy sacred and soveraign goodness from me and all thy creatures Keeping your mind still fix'd upon your dear Saviour now present on the Altar speak unto him with the most tender affections which your Heart can possibly produce either by Acts of Praise as O Son of God! what can be compar'd to thy Charitie O my Lord who is like thee in Goodness in Love in Liberality O sweet Jesu thou art my Rest my Refuge my Riches my Center my Hope my Happiness my All. Or by Acts of Complacencie as O King of Heaven and Earth Thou art here the Joy of my Soul as thou art there the Jubily of thy Saints Thou art here on the Altar and thou art there in thy eternal glorie and beatitude O Amiable Sacrifice O Admirable Invention of the divin Power Wisdom and Charitie Or by Acts of Thanksgiving O Dear Saviour How much hast thou done for an unworthy wretch O the excess of thy goodness who can sufficiently acknowledg it O Great Monarch of both worlds That thou shouldst thus humble thy self for a meer worm upon this Altar O ye Angels Saints and all Creatures Come help me to honour praise bless and love my liberal Lord God who hath as it were employ'd his Omnipotencie in order to my benefit and profit Or by Acts of Thanksgiving O Dear Saviour How much hast thou done for an unworthy wretch O the excess of thy goodness who can sufficiently acknowledg it O great Monarch of both Worlds That thou shouldst thus humble thy self for a meer worm upon this Altar O ye Angels Saints and all Creatures Come help me to honour praise bless and love my liberal Lord God who hath as it were employ'd his Omnipotencie in order to my benefit and profit Or by Acts of Resignation O Jesu Since thou art pleas'd to render thy self here present for my sake I here promise a readiness to perform any thing for thy service O my
of my Soul I most heartily confess and acknowledg that thou hast provided for me in so convenient a manner both in prosperity and adversity in health and sickness in body and soul as no other wisdom but thou only my sweet Lord and Maker the increated Goodness and wise Disposer of all things could have effected To thee therefore O my God and my All I commit my self and all to be disposed of now and ever as shall be most agreeable to thy own honour and glory and most conformable to thy eternal just and equal will and providence I hope O my Soveraign Lord God! that this moment of pains and sufferings will be soon changed into an Eternity of happiness and comfort I trust that my now languishing and dying body shall be one day raised to glory impassibility immortality I cheerfully expect to have this poor imprisoned soul of mine called up to see enjoy and contemplate thy amiable and beautifying countenance for evermore 4. Acts of Love O Eternal Father thou hast given thy Son to me and behold I give him again to thee together with my whol self and all that I have am and can my Love my Life my Liberty my Heart my Soul to please and honour thee for all future time and Eternity O my Lord I love thee heartily and during the short remainder of my life in this world I will serve thee faithfully not so much of obligation as of Election not so much for my own comfort and profit as for thy will and pleasure not for the delight I take in thy loving service but for the desire I have to please thee not as a servant bondslave or hireling but as a Freeman loves his Friend as a Child his Father as a Spouse her Bridegroom not only out of gratitude for received benefits but also and chiefly because thou art my God of infinit perfection in thy self and of infinit affection towards me O God of Love and Love of my Soul what do I desire in Heaven or expect from Heaven and what do I long for upon Earth but thee the only object of my affections the only aim of my pretensions the only desire of my heart the only delight of my spirit Come O my blessed Lord and Lover and take full possession of my Heart and Soul transform me into thy love and conform me to thy Will Let thy Will be the only desire of my heart and let thy Love be the only life of my Soul and lease of my life that when I leave to love I may cease to live c. 5. Acts of Resignation Take examples from CHRIST in his Agony O My All powerful Father If I must needs drink of this bitter chalice endure this long and tedious Sickness suffer these sharp and severe torments thy holy Will be done From Job on his Dunghil 'T Is thou O Soveraign Lord who art the bountiful bestower of all blessings and thou maist justly withdraw revoke and retake them at thy own will and pleasure be thou blessed and praised for evermore From S. Paul prostrate on the ground LOrd What wilt thou have me to do what is thy holy pleasure behold thy Servant ready to accomplish it Aspire frequently to God and Resign up all willingly to him in this or the like sort WEre I master of all Bodies and Souls I would presently give up to thee Great Lord of Heaven and Earth all my right and title and were it in my power I would make of each body an instrument to please and praise thee and of all souls as many Paradises to lodge and love thee Come what will O my Creator I will place my hopes in thy infinit mercy and in thy Sons abundant Redemption And my perpetual Song shall be O Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Blessed be my God for all and in all Live Jesus by whose death I live and for whose love I am willing to die c. O when shall I take as much pleasure in suffering as I have done in sinning O that I could entirely resign my whol self Body and Soul in Life or Death for time and eternity to be disposed of according to thy divin Will and Pleasure O that I could in every moment of time pronounce with heart and tongue Live Jesus only whose Will be accomplished whose name be sanctified whose praise be published in all by all above all c. 6. An Act of Purity of Intention O Eternal Lord God! Thou hast created me to serve thee only redeemed me to love thee only and now inspir'd me with a will and desire to please thee only during all the remaining days of my life And behold my hearty and humble desire is to serve thee love thee and please thee purely perfectly perseverantly Reform therefore I beseech thee my sinful life conform my stubborn will Deiform my sinister intention change and transform my spirit into thine that all my thoughts words actions pretensions and these my present pains sufferings and sickness may be presented to thy sacred Majesty with such purity perfection and perseverance as thy Love deserves from me and mine desires for thee 7. An Heroick Act of highest efficacy containing a Contract between the Soul and her Creator Which being made devoutly at the beginning of any dangerous Sickness and frequently iterated during the intervals therof must needs afford exceeding great comfort in Deaths last hour and Agony O My God my Lord my Creator from whom by whom and in whom I and all things live move and have a being I rejoice at what thou art as if it were all mine and I offer what I and all creatures have and are as being all thine Behold O Heavenly Father I thy poor Child and unworthy Creature do here with all possible sincerity submission and devotion make this present Contract with thy Sacred Majesty to be thy faithful servant and bondslave for evermore intending hereby that each remaining moment of my life and all that is within me without me about me may henceforth incessantly bless and praise thy holy Name and accomplish thy most just and holy Will in all things whatsoever And for this end I do now enrol this Oblation Donation and Resignation of my whol self to thy divin Majesty in the very Center of my Heart Soul with such Intention Force and Efficacy as thou O my all-knowing Lord God! canst comprehend to be the very best which I thy poor creature am capable to perform without any reservation restriction or contradiction whatsoever I desire also O my Creator to make this Contract with thy sacred Majesty in the best manner with most proper words in the fittest terms and with such significant clauses and conditions as it ought and may be performed In Confirmation whereof I produce as witnesses the sacred Virgin Queen Mary my Angel Guardian my particular Patrons and all the celestial Citizens humbly imploring the assistance of their Prayers for the performance of this my hearty
most hearty thanks for vouchsafing by Death to deliver my spirit from the Law of these corporal Members which kept it so long enslaved under the Law of Sin Let me freely offer up to thee my life in Sacrifice and let thy love be the Fire not only to purifie but also to ennoble this my oblation which of it self is so mean and contemptible Finally O Soveraign Lord of life and death I resignedly leave to the conduct of thy sacred Providence all that concerns my poor Soul's departure out of this her pilgrimage as to the Time the Place the Assistants the Consolations the Derelictions and whatsoever other Circumstance I only beg that thy holy Grace may not then abandon me when all human helps must of necessity become useless unto me In the mean space let Death O my God! be my continual Looking-glass to keep me from wilfully offending thy Divine Majesty to check my immoderate Affection to this life which is so uncertain in its permanency and so certain in its misery and to mind me that each Moment of time I live may be the last wherein I must appear before thy dread tribunal to render an account of my actions and to receive accordingly a definitive sentence which must remain irrevocable for all Eternity 3. The Prayer of S. Vincent to our Lord Jesus for the same end that is to obtain the grace of Dying well O My Soveraign Lord Jesu who dyedst for the salvation of the whole World and desirest not that any one should perish to whom I never present my Prayers with out hopes of Mercy relying upon thy own gracious Promise That whatsoever shall be ask'd in thy Name shall be granted I beseech thee by that sweet and sacred Name that in the Article of my Death thou wilt be pleased to give me perfect integrity of my Senses true Contrition for my Sins a lively Faith a firm Hope and a perfect Charity that I may then say unto thee with a pure and clean Heart into thy Hands O my Saviour Jesu I commend my Spirit 16. A most Devout and Efficacious Prayer to our Blessed Redeemer in the honour of his bitter Passion Which whosoever shall humbly Recite before the Image of a Crucifix with a pure Intention and perfect Resignation several Days together may confidently Hope to obtain of the Divine Mercy a full Grant of their lawful Demands O Dear Jesu My blessed Saviour and Redeemer The sweet Comforter of all sad desolate and distressed Souls Behold thy poor Servant humbly prostrate at the foot of thy holy Cross deploring his Misery imploring thy Mercy and beseeching thee to take pity and compassion upon him in this his present and pressing Affliction Infirmity Poverty Temptation Trouble or whatsoever other Spiritual or Corporal Necessity Hear my Prayers O assured Refuge of all afflicted wretches behold my Tears consider my Sorrows and remedy my Distresses for finding my self encompassed with grievous Calamities by reason of my great Crimes I know not whether to fly for Succour or to whom I may make my Moan but to thee my meek and merciful Saviour with a full hope and confidence that thou O my loving Reedemer wilt vouchsafe to lend the Ears of thy ordinary piety and accustomed clemency to the humble Petition of thy poor Child And By that sweetness which thy blessed Soul resented at the time of thy Alliance with our Human nature when resolving with the Father and the Holy Ghost to Unite thy Divine Person to Mortal Flesh for Mans salvation thou sent'st thy Angel to the holy Virgin Mary with those happy tidings and cloathing thy self with our Humanity in her chast Entralls remainedst true God and true Man for the space of nine Months in her sacred Womb By the Anguish thou enduredst when the time of thy designed Passion drawing nigh thou prayedst to thy Eternal Father That if it might stand with his Divine Providence thou desiredst that bitter Chalice might pass away from thee yet concluding with a most perfect act of Resignation Not my Will O Heavenly Father but thine be fulfilled By the outragious Injuries scornful Disgraces cruel Blows contumelious Blasphemies forg'd Witnesses false Accusations and unjust Judgments which thou Innocent Lamb patiently enduredst By the Shackles which fettered thy Limbs the Tears which flow'd from thy Eyes the Blood which trickled from thy whole Body By the Fears Sorrows and Sadnesses of thy Heart and by the Shame thou receivedst in being stripp'd of thy Garments to hang naked on the Cross in the sight of thy sorrowful Mother and in the presence of all the People By thy Royal Head crowned with Thorns and smitten with a Reed By thy Thirst quench'd with Vineger and Gall By thy Side open'd with a Spear and issuing forth Blood and Water to refresh our Souls with that living Fountain of thy Love and Mercy By the sharp Nails wherewith thy tender Hands and Feet were cruelly pierced and fastned to the Cross By the Recommendation of thy departing Soul to thy Heavenly Father saying Into thy Hands I commend my Spirit By thy praying for thy Enemies saying O Father forgive them for they grow not what they do By thy giving up the Ghost when thou cryedst out with a lowd Voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and then bowing down thy blessed Head to reach us the Kiss of Peace sayd'st All is finished By the great Mercy thou shewd'st towards the good Theif saying This day thou shalt be with me in Paridise By thy Descent into Limbus and the Joy thou communicated'st to the just Souls there detained By the Glory of thy triumphant Resurrection and the comfortable Apparitions thou frequently madst for forty days space to thy sacred Virgin Mother to thy Apostles and to thy other chosen Friends and Servants By thy admirable Ascension when in the sight of thy Mother and thy Apostles thou wert elevated into Heaven By the Myraculous comming down of the Holy Ghost in form of Fiery Tongues whereby thou replenishedst the hearts of thy Disciples with thy Love and gav'st them Strength and Courage to plant thy Faith in the whole World By the dreadful day of General Judgment in which thou art to give Sentence upon all-Mankind By all these Sorrows Joys Passions Compassions and whatsoever else is near and dear to thee in Heaven and upon Earth take pity on me O compassionat Redeemer hear my Prayer and grant me that for which I now most humbly and heartily Petition thee Mention here the thing you desire or reflect mentally upon it Give me O gracious Saviour a speedy and efficacious feeling of thy Divine Succour and Comfort who according to the accustomed Sweetness of thy tender Heart art wont to grant the Requests of them who fear and love thee even to their own Souls desire and satisfaction Bestow on me also O my Blessed Lord Jesu a constant Faith a confident Hope a perfect Charity a cordial Contrition a sincere Confession a competent Satisfaction a diligent
at the Days ending seems he not to have a Swinish Spirit which hath no motion but for the Body no life but for the Belly To pass whol Days without any respect to God or reflection on himself but to cast himself freely upon all occurring objects and occasions of Vanity Curiosity Sensuality if it is not a clear mark of Infidelity 't is certainly a manifest token of Folly Stupidity Bestiality and is surely one of the greatest Negligences which can possibly befal a Soul pretending to any thing beyond this present Life 9. O Men cry's out the Prophet Make not your selves like Horses and Mules which are utterly devoid of all understanding You have not Beast-like Heads bended to the Earthwards but yet if in your Bodies erected towards Heaven you have Souls crouching only downwards Souls which neither look up in the Morning by a Conversion nor in the Day time by a Remembrance nor in the Evening by a Reflexion towards the place of its Origin but whose continual Cogitations Actions Occupations perpetually confine it to its own Prison Wherein do you differ from Brute-Beasts except only in the shape of your erected Bodies the straightness whereof may justly upbraid the crookedness of your Spirits and the wryness of your Reason If you tend to God why think you not of him why send you not your dayly affections to salute the object of your pretensions why flies not your Heart frequently towards the place where your Treasure is O strange disorder God is your End and yet the World is your continual employment 10. The Fruits of these Exercises are so great that I may boldly say It seems in some sort impossible for such a Soul as carefully punctually preseverantly practises them to be in danger of damnation For by these dayly renewed Purposes and Resolutions she gives herself dayly to the Divine Majesty and God hath bound himself by his own blessed promise Not to abandon him who com's unto him but to receive him into his Protection till he shall admit him one day to the enjoyment of his Presence 11. But let 's descend from Generals to Particulars from Speculation to Practise In the Morning season said the Royal Prophet I will present my self before thee my dread Soveraign and I will see and consider what my duty is towards thee and what thou desirest of me God in the ancient Law reserv'd to himself the First fruits of the Earth and the First born of Men and Beasts And with how much more reason should we Christians render him the First fruits of the day the First thoughts and affections which being formed after our morning Sleep may be fitly named the First born of our Hearts And surely the voluntary and wretchless Omission of this Duty draws after it a whol Deluge of defects imperfections failings fallings venial Sins and somtimes mortal Crimes into which they tumble headlong who forgetting God deserve to be by him forgotten and who in the Morning neglecting to demand his Succour deserve in the Day time to be destituted of his Assistance in their several encounters and occasions 12. If therefore O Christian thou hast a desire to preserve thy self from Sin let it be thy first care as soon as thy Eyes are unseel'd from Sleep to cast them up towards Heaven saying with the watchful Prophet To thee O my Lord do I life up my Eyes my Hands my Heart from this Bed where my Body hath taken ' its nightly repose towards thy Heaven where my Soul expects her eternal rest c. And having entertain'd thy Soul with such like Elevations whilst thou cloathest thy Body with its Garments retire into thy Cabinet cast thy self reverently upon thy Knees raise up thy Thoughts towards the glorious Deity acknowledg thy own Nothing and adore his infinit Essence Then second this Act of Adoration with a consideration of the large Benefits receiv'd from his liberal hand The memory whereof which are common to all mankind and which being more remarkable in thy own particular than in divers others must needs add weight to thy Obligation is a most powerful motive to draw from thy affectionat Heart and Mouth Acts of Praise and Gratitude towards thy bountiful Benefactor Accompany this Act of Thanksgiving with a Remembrance of thy former Ingratitude which will lead thee on to Compunction and Contrition Mark how thou hast perverted the Gifts of Nature abused the Gifts of Fortune rejected the proferr'd Gifts of Grace contemn'd the promis'd Gifts of Glory Cast also a particular glance upon the most grievous Crimes of thy past Life and reflect briefly on such as thou hast fallen into since thy last Confession and excite a deep Confusion in thy Soul for her strange Disloyalty Let this Contrition be follow'd with a couragious Resolution of Amending what is amiss and of Corresponding better to Gods Graces for the Future and particularly of Employing the present Day to his honour and service saying with the Prophet My Heart is prepared O my Lord God! my Heart is prepared to perform its duty c. After this General Resolution of well employing the present Day propose to thy self in particular those Principal Actions and Affairs wherein thou probably may'st be that Day engaged and having ranked them in thy Mind according to their several Orders assigning to each of them its proper Place Time and Measure Offer them up to God with a pure Intention to seek his only honour in their Performance and committing all to his Providence which will cause them to succeed to your Good and his Glory Lastly Conclude this Morning Exercise by humbly imploring thy Creators powerful Assistance for the effectual performance of these thy pious Purposes saying with the same devout Prophet Keep my stepps in thy sacred paths O Lord that my weak and staggering Feet may not falter in the way of thy blessed Law c. 13. A happy Beginning is one half of the Work and a Ship unmoor'd from the Harbor with a favourable Gale and ful-swoll'n Sails seems rather to fly than swim towards the intended Port A Soul which hath so well entred upon her Days voyage cannot but make a happy progress following the same conduct of the Holy Ghost whose gracious Inspiration gave her this first good Motion And it ordinarily fall's out with man's Heart as with a Bowl which continues rowling along on the same side on which he grounded it who first deliver'd it If thy Heart O Christian hath begun in the Morning to turn upon Heavens side it will easily follow that Rut all the Day long and though the Objects of Creatures the Variety of worldly Affairs the Necesities of the Body the Occupations of each ones Charge Office and Condition and the several Accidents of the Active Life will ly as Rubs in thy Way to retard thy speedy Course yet they will not have the Power totally to stop thy tendency nor easily remove thee from thy well made Resolution Thou wilt run through by or over
all thou meetst with to meet with that desired Object which is thy prime and principal Aym and Intention 14. And now to set down a short and easy Method whereby thou mayst piously Regulate the whol Days course upon all Occasions having in the Morning made these good Purposes practise in the day-time these Six Points First endeavour to observe exactly the formerly made Division of the Days employments executing each intended Action at the Time in the Manner and with such Conditions Qualifications Circumstances as you foresaw and premeditated the same Yet no with a Spirit of Servitude which tyes you to run over by Rote some anciently used Exercises falling into disquiet when some unforeseen Accident shall force you to deferr or interrupt your own prefix'd time and order But with a free peaceable and pleasant Spirit which pursues the pre-intended Resolution as far forth as the intervenient occassions will permit sweetly reâ—ignedly unconstrainedly For to oblige ones self so strictly to any certain Method as never to fail therein upon some urgent Necessity nor to leave it without the loss of inward tranquillity Is to render ones self useless to his Neighbour troublesome to himself tiresome to all Company But on the other side to prescribe no Rule for your ordinary Practise is to live in perpetual Disorder and to expose your self to all sorts of hazards and Confusions Secondly At the entrance upon each Action which is of momâ—…t remember and renew that good purpose you formerly made of Referring all to Gods honour and glory This may be don as it were in the twinkling of an Eye by a secret sweet and sodain Glance of the Soul towards her Soveraign good and is so far from over-busying the Spirit that it enables it with new activity and alacrity to execute what it hath in hand And this surely is one of the chief Secrets in Spirituality whereby a Soul which knows the right use thereof and practises accordingly shall be sure never to act any thing in vain nor with regret but to undertake all things with Cheerfulness and turn all her Actions to her Merit Because that Labour which proposes the Divine honour for its End can neither be excluded from Comfort in its Prosecution nor depriv'd of a Reward after its Performance Thirdly Fall not so eagerly and ardently upon any Exteriour Action as to have your Heart wholly fix'd upon it For if the thing is Indifferent this Excess may make it Evil if Good it must be don with due Measure Moderation Dirscetion moreover during the heat of this Violence and Vehemency Passion may step into Reasons place and Evil may borrow the cloak and colour of Good Fourthly Examin all that occurs before you give it entraâ—…e into your Interiour And if you find it evidently Evil and opposit to Gods Law and Love presently and without dispute reject it abandon it abominate it If you find it Good Lawful Laudable embrace it quietly sweetly peaceably If you judg it to be a matter Indifferent behave your self also Indifferently without tying your self to it by Affection or turning from it by Aversion because there may be danger in either there of Excess here of Incivility In brief Use Receive Refuse all things according to their own real Nature Worth and Merit the Evil with Horrour the Good with Honour the Doubtful with Dread the Indifferent with a discreet Freedom All with Tranquillity of mind And this is a most useful and easy Rule to pass the whol Day in Purity of Heart and Peace of Conscience Fiftly Return often into your Interiour by making frequent Reflexions upon your self thereby to avoid your Enemies snares and surprisals This is the Exercise of Exercises the Rule of Rules without which all the rest will little advantage you and which alone well practised contains All and consequently may serve instead of All Neither is it uneasy to be by any one every where practised without the least hindrance of Affairs or hurt of Conversation But because all our Good proceeds from God The Sixth and last Point of this Instruction is to entertain your Thoughts continually with the feeling of his sweet and powerful Presence in your Soul by frequent and fervent Aspirations and Jaculatory Prayers either Vocal or Mental Somtimes Invoking his Mercy other times Adoring his Majesty now Thanking him then Praysing him now Complaining of your Misery frailty folly then Admiring his goodness patience longanimity now being Sorrowful for your Sins then making serious Resolutions of amendment Thus varying your inward Acts and Affections according to the diversity of Occasions or to your Souls several Motions or to the Holy Ghosts Impulses and In-actions He who can sweetly pass over the Day in these pious Exercises and have his Soul fix'd in Heaven whilst his Body is tossed too and fro upon Earth may Halcyon like find a real Calm upon the raging Sea enjoy a quiet Peace in time of cruellest Warr and remain unmov'd amidst the greatest Tempests Let there be thy Heart says St Augustin and here will be Rest 15. The Day thus happily sliding away draws on the Night-Season and there remains yet an Evening Exercise in order to even your Accompts with the great Father of the Family concerning your days labour in his Vinyard And if this Self-Examination seem'd a matter of much importance to meer Phylosophers as appears in their Writings who aym'd only at the leading of a Moral Discreet and Rational Life how much more necessary is it for Christians who are to lead a Holy Spiritual Angelical Divine Life I say a Divine Life For Christians are invited by their Profession to imitate not only the Angels Purity but their Creators Perfection who hath proposed himself the Pattern as well as the final End and Period of our earthly Pilgrimage Be ye perfect O Christians says our Saviour in the Gospel as your Heavenly Father is perfect The Apostle intimates this Duty as generally belonging to all Christians when he says Let every one examin and prove his own works And the Council of Trent commands every one To Examin himself seriously and to sound the deepest secrets the most hidden folds the darkest corners of his Soul and Conscience Which Precept though it obliges only such as present themselues to the Sacrament of Penance yet it may be also esteemed a Command of Councel as to this dayly Self-Discussion a Councel of great consequence and necessity and fit to be punctually followed by all Spiritual persons who desire to discern the true State and Condition of their own Interiours to regulate their Lives according to the Law of God and of Reason to preserve themselves from Blindness Obduration and those multitudes of dangerous Crimes which Self-negligence carelesness heedlesness infallibly draws upon them A Councel which all the holy Fathers have particularly recommended to their Childrens practise which all Gods Servants have carefully performed some Twice some Thrice others Oftner all Once a day and without which t is almost
Motive because Himself is the only Object which deseru's all his Affection the only Good which can replenish his capacious Heart the only worthy to draw us and the only able to satisfy us the only Center whether we are to stear our Course and the only End which can terminate it Finally 't is He only who is our All in All our Perfection or Crown our eternal Felicity Behold Devout Christians the true means whereby you may be evermore ready for the Time which is always ready for you and may steal upon you when you least think of it unless you dayly think of it God give us all his Grace to practise well these pious Instructions and to husband wisely the precious Time he lends us that so the Time wherewith he threatens us may not surprise us Your Time says he to you all his loving beloved Children is always ready Death still attends at your doors but where or when it will enter and seize upon you you know not It is therefore your part to expect it every day and in every place and to make so good use of your Time here as that you may hereafter through my assisting and proferr'd Grace come to the Eternity of my promised and prepared Glory To which lead and conduct us all the eternally Blessed Father Son and Holy Ghost THE CHRISTIANS Daily Exercise aforesaid Reduc'd into Practice With the Intermixture of many Usefull Instructions and Directions ¶ I. 1. The Exercise for the Morning HAving satisfi'd Nature with convenient and competent rest and sleep remember presently upon your first awaking to mark your self with the common and mysterious badge of Christianity saying In the name of the Father c. Then breath forth some brief Aspirations befitting that time as IN the name of my crucifi'd Lord Jesus I will now arise He bless me keep me save me protect me and direct me this day and evermore Illuminate my Eyes O Lord that I may not sleep in death and that my Enemy may never say I have prevailed against him My Soul hath desired thee in the night O my Lord and my Love and in the morning I will watch after thee Arise thou that sleepest arise my dull and drowsie Soul and Christ will enlighten thee To thee O my Lord do I lift up my Eyes my Hands my Heart from this Bed where my Body hath taken its nightly repose towards thy Heaven where my Soul expects her eternal rest Here I am but thither I aspire This is only my Inne that 's my Habitation Unseel my Eyes O my God! which sleep hath thus long closed darkness lately cover'd them let thy divine grace now clear them Excite thy self O my Soul from this drowsiness which depressed thee break these Fetters and fly up freely towards thy Creator Thou hast satisfi'd thy Bodies necessity settle thy self now to thine own Duty which is to contemplate and love thy soveraign good Look up to heaven where thy servitude shall one day cease and where thy action shall still continue without this tiring interruption and troublesome subjection to thy enslaving Body which here ties thee to its corruption and compells thee to comply with that which retards thee withholds thee overcharges thee And thou my Body since thou hast sufficiently reposed rowse up thy self to serve thy Mistress Soul which during this long nights season hath desisted from her own functions to condescend to thy frailty Make her a return of thy civility and imploy all thy powers to obey her precepts as she hath given way by a cessation of all her faculties to the reparation of thy weakness Excite your self to a speedy and early rising and habituate your Body to get the victory over sloath and sluggishness by making use of some instance of affection towards your loving Lord and Saviour as Thou summonst me O my God! by thy Angel my Guardian to appear before thee and to praise thy divine Majesty I seem to hear thee sweetly calling me inviting me expecting me Arise my Love my Dove my Spouse my Fair one and come The night is past the day is present cast off therefore all works of darkness and put on the armour of my light and love And I most joyfully answer thee O my loving Lord behold my heart is ready to love and praise thee this day and evermore Assure thy self that the observation of this small and seemingly unnecessary Rule to wit of rising early and speedily will add great courage and comfort to thy Soul in the progress and practice of thy spiritual Exercises whereas on the contrary you shall prove by experience that a little laziness in the Morning leaves a certain lumpishness and tepedity in your interiour whence it falls out that your works of the whol day following want either fervour of affection or purity of intention Every small temptation or contradiction overcomes you discomposes you and puts all out of order You may here consider 1. That whilst you were sleeping in your Bed the blessed Quires of Angels and Saints were singing Gods praises in heaven 2. That many poor Souls have pass'd the pangs and agonies of death and receiv'd their dreadful doubtful and eternal doom 3. That many others have in this very night fall'n into sundry mischiefs and miseries some pining away with hunger others languishing in their sicknesses others perishing by fire water desolation despair c. From these Considerations will arise several affections of love admiration gratitude c. Having thus entertained your Soul with these or such like pious thoughts and ardent ejaculations from the time of your awaking till you have cloathed your body with its garments as with its sackcloths of Penance you are to cast your self devoutly on your knees before Christ crucifi'd sacrificing to him your first fruits by making briefly and devoutly these acts following of Adoration Thanksgiving Oblation Protestation Petition 1. I adore thee O omnipotent Creator from the very depth of my heart and soul as my soveraign and only Lord and Love from whom I had my first beginning have my present being and hope my future happiness 2. I return all possible thanks to thy infinite goodness for all thy gracious blessings and benefits bestowed on me a most unworthy undeserving sinful wretch 3. I offer to thy divine Majesty to supply my own indignity the most dearly beloved heart of Jesus thy Son and my Saviour with all the merits of his blessed life and bitter passion and whatsoever is gratefull unto thee in heaven and earth 4. I protest and promise for the future amendment of my life reformation of my manners performance of my duty and a more serious tendency to thy love and service 5. Grant unto mee I beseech thee O my gracious Lord God! and to all them for whom I ought to pray wisdom to know thy holy will and courage to execute it give me grace to avoid sin and scandal and to work and walk uprightly in thy presence this day
following and all the days of my life Or if your leisure permits you may enlarge your self and elevate your Soul towards the glorious and incomprehensible Trinity acknowledging your own nothing and adoring his infinite Essence with the same feeling of his presence as his holy Prophet seem'd to have when he exclaim'd O my dread Soveraign all my substance and being is a meer nothing before thee Without thee I was nothing and what I now am by thy power I here annihilate in thy presence by an humble sense of my own meanness and of thy greatness of my ignorance and of thy wisdom of my misery and of thy mercy I came from nothing by thy gracious favour and I return into my nothing by confessing what I should be without thy continual support and by acknowledging what I am by thy free liberality I adore thee O prime supreme soveraign Being O Being upon which depend all Beings O Being who art all things in thy self without which all things are nothing at all Being in which all that is subsists from which all proceeds by which all is maintain'd for which all labours under which all obeys to which all relates without which all would perish I adore thee O powerfull Creator and pious conserver of all things in whom and by whom the inanimate Creatures have being the animate life the sensitive feeling the rational understanding the virtuous grace the blessed glory the damned subsistency the actual essence the possible idea's out of whom if there be any thing 't is only Sin which hath no being I adore thee O my great glorious gracious Lord God! and humbly acknowledg thy superiority and my dependency thy power and my subjection thy immensity and my littleness thy all and my nothing Then entring into a serious consideration of the large benefits receiv'd from his liberal hands exclaiming with the same extasi'd Prophet What gratefull acknowledgment shall I return to my Lord God for so many great signal favours which his love and liberality have showr'd down upon my head He created me when I was nothing he redeem'd me when I was lost he justifies me when I am a sinner he will crown me when I continue just He has given me a being restor'd me to a good being offers me a gracious being prepares for me a glorious being He bestows on me his Image in my Creation his Blood in my Redemption his Spirit in my Glorification And above all these benefits he hath given me his eternal love which prepar'd for me before all time all these infinite favours I loved thee â—… N. in my eternal charity And is not the sight of so many benefits which are more remarkable in my own particular than in divers others a sufficient motive to draw acts of eternal praise and gratitude from my affectionate heart and mouth towards thee my gracious glorious bountifull Benefactor Wherefore O my liberal Lord and Lover I here present thee with all the thoughts of my understanding all the affections of my will all the acts of my memory all the motions of my appetite all the idea's of my imagination all the desires of my heart all the functions of my senses all the faculties of my soul My very bones marrow and bowels shall exclaim after their fashion by an interiour feeling of gratitude Lord who is like thee in greatness goodness graciousness love and liberality Then reflecting upon your former ingratitude frame a general act of compunction and contrition But ah ungratefull wretch that I am how have I abused all these thy benefits blessings and favours how have I perverted the gifts of Nature mis-imploy'd the gifts of Fortune rejected the proffer'd gifts of Grace contemned the promised gifts of Glory Casting here a glance upon the most grievous sins of your life past And oh how deeply is my soul confounded at her strange disloyaltie Then resolve couragiously to amend all that is amiss and to correspond better to Gods grace for the future and in particular to imploy the present day to the divine honour glory and service saying with the Psalmist My soul is prepar'd O my Lord to perform its duty more faithfully for the future Direct I beseech thee my thoughts words and actions thou who disposest my heart Enable me to do thou who inspirest the desire Let this day which begins with the invocation of thy sacred Name pass on in the observation of thy holy Law and end with the benediction of thy gracious favour After this general resolution of well imploying the day you are to propose to your self in particular such principal actions wherein you may probably be that day engaged ranking them in their several orders and assigning to each one its due time proper place and just measure I humbly offer up to thy sacred Majesty all these actions and whatsoever else the variety of humane affairs and worldly accidents may this day produce with a pure intention to seek thy only honour and glory in their performance and committing the whol success to thy divine will and providence They who aim at higher perfection are daily to imploy their time in the practice of these two points 1. Profound Humility 2. Cordial and continual abnegation Questioning their souls thus O my soul the Son of God sweet JESVS is dead for our love and we die shortly and perchance this very day let us then do something extraordinary for our dear Saviours sake and for the expiation of our sins What shall we leave perform reform suffer for his love and honour wherein shall we humble deny resign our selves You are to perswade and assure your self that this present day is lent you to prepare and dispose your self in it for the future day of Eternity and therefore resolving to make the right use thereof say cordially with the Royal Prophet Now I will begin my time past is totally lost and therefore this very day and hour I will begin to requite and recover all my former faults and follies by my future fervour and faithfulness In particular I fully resolve and purpose 1. To avoid such occasions of sin curiosity loss of time c. 2. To fight couragiously against such a Temptation 3. To mortifie such a Passion or Imperfection Take courage O my Soul behold Jesus thy Lord and Love looks upon thee 't is for Eternity thou labourest and who would not chearfully pass over these moments of pain and trouble to possess thee O blessed Eternity O sweet Jesu that every hour of my life and every motion of my heart might praise thy sacred Majesty O that every step I tread might draw me nearer and nearer unto thy Love After all your good resolutions you must acknowledg they come from Gods grace and that the execution thereof depends wholly upon his goodness and therefore you are humbly to offer him your heart with all these holy desires and designs in beseeching his blessing upon them And so Conclude this Morning Exercise by imploring his powerfull
assistance for their effectual performance saying with the Prophet Keep my steps in thy paths O Lord that my weak reeling and staggering feet may not stumble falter and fall backwards from the way of thy blessed Law and love Thy divine glory is my desired Haven let thy holy Will be my way to it let thy grace be my guide to it let thy strength be my support in it let my obedience be my steps towards it Let me walk in thee for thee to thee In thy Spirit for thy Honour to thy Kingdom And if any stumbling-block lies in my way during the course of my this-days-pilgrimage remove it O mercifull Creator with the powerfull hand of thy holy Providence or cause it to serve not as an occasion to divert me or a snare to shackle me or as a clog to retard me but as a spur to excite my diligence in the succeeding race of thy divine love and service Give me courage to run through by over or under all that I meet with that so I may happily meet with thee the only intended amiable and desirable object of my soul for all time and eternity 2. The Regulation of the Day Consisting in the practice of these six following Points 1. THat you exactly observe the formerly made division of the days-hours exeeuting each intended action at the time in the manner and with the premeditated conditions and circumstances yet not servilly tying your self to any thing but performing all with a free pleasant and peaceable Spirit 2. That you endeavour to renew your general intention of referring all to Gods honour and glory at the entrance into each particular action 3. That you fall not so eagerly upon any exteriour affair as to have your heart wholly fixed upon it and your mind totally taken up with it 4. That you examine all that occurrs you before you give it a full entrance into your interiour considering briefly whether it be good bad or indifferent and so presently to embrace it reject it or behave your self indifferently towards it 5. That you return often into your heart by self-reflection to avoid your enemies surprisals 6. That you entertain your thoughts with the continual feeling of your Creators sweet and powerfull presence in your Soul by making use of frequent and fervent Aspirations and Jaculatory Prayers either Vocal or Mental This last point to wit The continual consideration of the divine presence is the Exercise of Exercises and which being alone well practis'd is alone sufficient to bring you to great purity and Perfection Let it therefore be your daily and hourly endeavour to look always upon the Divine Majesty as every where nearer to you than you can be to your self and to aspire frequently and amorously to him at least in heart if not in words in this or some such manner as the several occaâ—…ons your own affections and the Holy Ghosts inspiration shall suggest O my God and my All O my Soul where are we what do we think of who sees us how are we imploy'd why lose we our time which is so precious Jesu I crave thy pardon and implore thy grace and mercy O my Lord grant me thy love O my Saviour sweeten my labours c. And this you may briefly sweetly and most profitably practise at all times in all places imployments companies But before you go abroad you may thus piously premeditate 1. That many have pass'd out of their Houses in perfect health and never returned home alive why may not the same befall you 2. That your Conscience will be much quieter in the Evening for having begun well your Devotion in the Morning and discharg'd well your duty in the Day-time 3. That to go forth into the world is to meet many troubles pass many dangers and perform many duties therefore rush not rashly into it without recommending your self to God and craving his blessing and assistance 3. The Exercise for the Evening Having thus pass'd on the Day in these interiour entertainments and such exteriour imployments as were suitable to your Calling Recollect your self at a fit hour and in a place convenient in order to your Evening Exercise And begin it with an act of Thankâ—giving I Render thee most humble and hearty thanks O my gracious Benefactor for all thy blessings and benefits bestow'd on me generally in my whol life time particularly in this present day O the multitudes of thy mercies and favours conferr'd upon so poor and sinfull a creature who deserves nothing but to be utterly by thee forgotten and forsaken in Nature in Grace upon my body upon my soul Thou hast given me O my glorious Creator a rational being and stamp'd it with the sacred Image of thy Divinity Thou hast bestow'd on me thy own eternally blessed Son to die for my sins and left thy Sacraments for my spiritual solace and sustenance Thou sendest me thy inspirations to excite me commandest thy Angels to guard me promisest thy Kingdom to encourage me Thou hast thus long born with my negligences impieties impenitency Thou hast hitherto withheld the Thunderbolts of thy Justice hanging over my head shut up Hell's mouth gaping under my feet repress'd the Devils rage ready on every side to devour me Thou hast expected my Conversion with long patience desired it with much love allur'd me to it with many sweetnesses provok'd me to it with frequent summons press'd me to it with fearfull threatnings Thou hast daily renew'd all these thy divine benefits by still continuing them even till this present and now pass'd day in which thy paternal affection compassion and providence have most particularly shew'd themselves in my behalf All which my Eyes cannot choose but admiringly behold and which my heart doth here most gratefully acknowledg exclaiming with thy holy Prophet Praising I will invoke thee my Lord and my God! I praise thy bounty for the already receiv'd benefits I implore thy gracious favour for their future continuance and I invoke thy holy light that I may see and know my former ingratitude negligence disloyaltie that seeing and knowing them I may detest and deplore them and by deploring them may make some satisfaction to thy divine Justice Then begging light and confessing your own ignorance and blindness in self-knowledg say with the same Prophet Who is he O my Creator that can clearly conceive and truly understand the number and the enormity of his offences Give me a glimpse of thy heavenly light O my gracious Lord that I may discern the manifold defects excesses commissions omissions which my frailty my rashness my proneness to evil my perverse customs have this Day drawn upon my thoughts my desires my discourses and my actions Then descend to a particular Discussion of your Conscience 1. Reflecting briefly upon the Places the Companies the Occasions the Discourses the Objects the Affairs of the whol day 2 Considering seriously 1. What Passions have had greatest power over your spirit 2. What evil Customs have return'd to
my Creator I will irrevocably fix my Heart and Hope making it my sole imployment during this my lives Pilgrimage to please praise and love thee and not doubting but thou wilt provide for me preserve me perfect me and at thy own appointed time bring me to thy perpetual bliss and felicity In this Act of Love Hope and Confidence I will securely sleep expire and die the death of Love living no more to my self for my self in my self but thou my loving Lord living within me leaving to thee all care of my self and not Fearing what can befall me in all future time and eternity 5. A Divine Sleep of Contemplation ANd now composing my Body to sleep my Heart shall remain awak'd to thee my Lord and Lover Though my Understanding remains vacant from all discourse and image my Will shall be still working watching and melting away in Acts of Love to thy divine Majesty O sweet and secure sleep O sincere and solid repose O pure and perfect pleasure O the difference between this spiritual and all fleshly contents How great O Lord is the multitude of thy sweetness which thou hast laid up in store for all such as truly love and faithfully serve thee O Lights O Delights O Extasies of Spirit O sweet Spouse of my soul Wound me Burn me Consume me Annihilate me in the abyssal depths of thy divine Love and Union Then put off your Garments with all modesty and civility being never without some pious thought in your heart or some Jaculatory prayer in your mouth As O Saviour how barbarously wert thou uncloath'd to be nail'd naked to the Cross Uncloath my soul sweet Jesu of all its evil habits and idle affections c. Composing your self in your Bed you may say or think thus This Bed may perhaps be my Grave this sleep my Death and my next Uprising may be my Summons to the Soveraign Judges terrible Tribunal O dear Saviour dispose of me at thy pleasure for time and eternity Endeavour to take your Sleep which is a natural action with a Spirit of Devotion so making meritorious each minute of time whereof Sleep seems to rob you by loving God with your Soul even whilst your Body hath no use of Sense either Actually by breathing forth affectionate Aspirations as oft as you awake or Vertually by the vigour of your now well made Intention And thus you may say with the Spouse in the Canticles I sâ—…p but my heart watcheth Then quietly shut your Eyes and fall asleep upon some good Cogitation or pious Affection For the last thought at Night occurs commonly first in the Morning saying with Jesus on the Cross Into thy hands O heavenly Father I commend my Spirit If sleep seizes not presently upon you say three Pater-nosters and Aves The first for the faithfull departed The second for the now sick and agonizing The third for all your enemies Which are Three Spiritual Alms-deeds ¶ II. Directions for Prayer and Meditation THey who aim at the perfection of Virtue and mean to make a solid progress in Spirituality must besides the Morning and Evening Exercises before prescribed daily duly and perseverantly apply themselves to Prayer at fit and set times and never omit it upon any pretext whatsoever as far forth as Obedience Charity and Discretion will permit There are four sorts of Prayer Vocal Mental Aspirations Transcendent 1. VOcal Prayer is the most imperfect of all as having the least share of Spiritual light Yet it is the most proper for Beginners till the Soul becomes more internal And it is to be perform'd especially when it is of obligation punctually leisurely distinctly devoutly Be sure to make a good choice of your Vocal Exercises preferring those before all others which excite you to most Devotion and which afford the sweetest relish to your Souls appetite 2. MEntal Prayer consists of three parts Preparation Meditation Conclusion Preparation hath three Acts The first is a Lively Humble and Amorous apprehension of Gods Presence who is with you within you your Life your Love your All. The second is Purity of Intention protesting you come to Prayer only to praise please and honour the divine Majesty and happen what will that you will do as far forth as his powerfull Grace shall enable your weak endeavours The third is Invocation by which you heartily beg light from the Father of lights humbly acknowledg your own Nothing and entirely abandon your self into Gods holy hands in all things whatsoever Meditation hath also three Acts. Consideration or a quiet search into the matter proposed that you may win your will to God Affections and Desires to do this leave that love God hate vice c. Resolutions firm purposes and protestations to practise as your Will is inclined as your Vnderstanding is convinced and as your Soul is now inspired Conclusion hath likewise three Acts. Thanksgiving for all Gods benefits in general and particular especially for the grace he hath now given you Petition craving that by your Creators mercy your Redeemers merits and the Saints mediation all your Defects may be pardoned your Wants supplied your Wounds cured your Wishes accomplished and imploring a special assistance for the putting in execution of your now made Resolutions Oblation of your self body soul present prayer all to the divine Majesty 3. PRayer of Aspirations or Jaculatory Prayers are short sweet frequent and fervent desires requests elevations and affections of the Soul to God These are of several sorts and may be made either in the Heart only or by the Heart and Mouth joyntly Of this sort of Prayer see more in our Spiritual Conquest 4. THe last purest perfectest and highest manner of Prayer is made only by a certain adhesion of the devout Soul to the divine Will without any Vocal expressions Mental discourses or any Images whatsoever But by a simple general obscure light of Faith and a Fervent Attentive Intensive motion and Vnion of Love Of this Prayer See also our Spiritual Conquest A way to Meditate upon any Virtue or Vice 1. AFter a lively apprehension of the divine Presence an humble acknowledgment of your own unworthiness and a rectifying of your intention as above Ponder wherein the Virtue you desire or the Vice you derest doth really consist 2. What need you have to get this and to root out that How happily you should live could you obtain it What you lose by not having it 3. What did your blessed Saviour teach and practise What our blessed Lady or such a Saint What saith your Rule or your Conscience or what is your Obligation touching this matter 4. Now what means are there to purchase it What are the occasions which nourish this Vice this Passion this Imperfection and hinder this Virtue or Perfection What Remedies What Practise 5. Then purpose and resolve upon them couragiously and confidently not doubting but that in due time you shall tast the fruits of your faithfull labours and diligence c. And to perswade
your Soul to what you intend you may add these affective Considerations 1. If my sweet Saviour were now personally present and asked what I should do in such a case what Counsel would he give me I will attentively listen to his words cordially answer his Inspirations and effectually follow his Directions 2. If some dear friend should demand my advice in this matter What would I answer him My soul shall relish now the same Food which it would then chew for another 3. Why was I Created and Redeemed Call'd to Gods faith and service Why have I time still lent me I will be an Impartial Judg Condemn Punish Resolve Amen 4. What doth most trouble and hinder my holy Design This inordinate affection this creature this pleasure this thing which withholds me from my God Is it better than he is More worthy to be loved More beneficial to me Shall my soul be ever satisfi'd or quieted with it At the hour of my death will it plead for me or protect me from my Creators wrath and judgment Is it capable to make me now Holy or eternally Happy If not what a strange Blindness and Madness is it for me to leave God and adhere to it Resolve accordingly General Rules to be observed in all Prayer In all your practises of Prayer and duties of Devotion Let these generall Rules be carefully and constantly observed 1. BEgin your Prayers with quietness and liberty of Spirit that is endeavour to have your heart disinteressed from all business and all creatures Thinking whither you go and what to do 2. Be sure to bring with you to Prayer either in Book or Mind these two things 1. The points or at least the ground work of your Prayer or Meditation 2. What you intend to obtain this Prayer 3. In the progress of your Prayer be carefull to avoid these two Extremities 1. An indiscreet tying and bending your Brain and Mind to Attention 2. A negligent giving of liberty to wandring imaginations 4. If you find your Heart troubled confounded or dispersed Reduce it sweetly and encourage it to talk with its only Lord and Love about the important affairs of Eternity Thus quietly checking your self and recalling your imagination Where are we What do we Whom seek we God Angels Saints are present and am I not present to my self 5. When your darknrss dryness dulness temptations or distractions will permit you to do as it were nothing in Prayer You are not therefore to be dismay'd or desist from keeping on in your course at set and ordinary seasons But call to mind these three points with faithful diligence resignation and indifferency First what was your intention in now coming to your Prayers and fall presently to the practise thereof Secondly assure your self That to suffer for God being absent and to enjoy him being present are of equal Perfection And one of these you may always do by-being to either of them indifferent Thirdly That you came to your Prayers for two ends 1. To Adore your divine Maker To cast your self at his feet To be disposed of at his pleasure To know his holy Will To receive his sacred Commands 2. To lay open to him your Wants To discover to him your Wounds To present to him your Petitions to seek relief receive redress beg an Alms. Now the first of these Ends which is Noblest and Purest is always in your own power to perform and therefore That alone gives a sufficient value and merit to your Devotions A Direction of our intention at the beginning of our Devotions OPen my mouth O my Lord and Maker to bless and praise thy divine Majesty Cleanse my heart from all curious noxious and distractive thoughts Enlighten my understanding recollect my memory inflame my will purifie my intention settle my attention excite my devotion elevate my affection curb and compose all my interiour and exteriour senses That I may worthily reverently and religiously perform this Morning Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and that in union and vertue of those most pure and perfect Prayers and Praises which thou O Jesu my Redeemer living upon Earth offeredst up to thy Eternal Father Mine may be now acceptable in thy fight profitable to the Living and Dead and Honourable to thee and thy Saints At the end of our Devotions REceive O merciful Creator this my Morning Evening Sacrifice which I have offered up and intended to the Glory of thy Name the Honour of thy Saints the Good of my own Soul the Reduction of all sinners and the benefit of all the faithfull living and departed Accept O pious Father my poor endeavours Pardon O merciful Redeemer all my Defects and Negligences Give me O good Holy Ghost efficacious Grace to put in due practise my now made purposes and resolutions Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost For the benefits of my Creation Redemption Sanctification As it was in the beginning when the Morning Stars praised thee Is now in the Church Militant And shall be world without end in the Church Triumphant Amen ¶ III. Practical Exercises dilated with Acts Affections and Elevations upon the chief Christian Virtues The First Exercise Of Virtue in General Divided into seven Points 1. A generous Resolution to practise all Virtues BEhold O sacred and undivided Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost an unworthy wretched weak and wounded Soul groaning under the burden of her own abyssal misery terrified with the consideration of thy inscrutable judgments confounded at the memory of her former sin sensuality disloyalty and ingratitude all covered with shame and encompassed with sorrow humbly prostrates her self before the Throne of thy dread Majesty and presents her petition to thy infinite Mercy Thou hast been pleased O benign and bountiful Lord and Lover whose mercy is above all thy wonderful works to expect her hitherto most patiently How long shall I suffer you Thou hast most piercingly enticed her Why will you perish As I live I desire not the death of a sinner Thou hast most piously invited her Come to me all you that labour and are loaden and I will receive you release you relieve you revive you Thou hast efficaciously touch'd and terrifi'd her with thy threats Sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee Thou hast powerfully drawn her with thy promises No eye hath seen nor ear heard nor heart conceived what I have prepar'd for them that love me Thou hast confirm'd her in a lively Confidence of thy goodness It is I fear nothing And finally Thou O my all merciful Lord God! hast put Contrition into my heart Confession into my mouth Satisfaction into my hands and unfeigned Resolutions of a total reformation into my whol man This is the change of thy right hand O powerful Creator the great and glorious gift of thy grace and the effect of thy only goodness and to thee therefore alone be ascribed all honour and praise for evermore My now unfetter'd Soul aims at a higher
flight she is become by thy blessing more sensible of these thy benefits and more zealous of her own good and therefore covets a nearer conjunction with thy self her beloved object Ah! Who will give her the wings of a Dove that she may strongly soar up to thee her amiable Soveraign and sweetly rest in thee her only satisfying Center But alas What am I what have I what can I do O my Lord my life my love where is my courage to set upon so high an enterprize and what is my strength to atchieve it The evil habitudes of all sin and sensuality have yet an over-swaying power in my weak Soul Her long continued customs of vice and extroversion lye still as lurking Centinels to stop her free passage into her own interiour the usual Objects of her outward senses busie and blind her inward eyes and divert her from beholding Virtues beauty from considering her own natural excellency and from contemplating thy infinite bounty Break all these strong bonds for me O all-powerful Lord God! And let the fame grace and goodness which hath so forcibly destroyed the root of sin and dispossessed Satan of his empire in my heart implant it now with solid virtues and re-invest thou in thy own just heritage and habitation Let my heart soul senses and whol man all which have been formerly Dens of Thieves Deluges of all impiety and Receptacles of all vices become new Paradises of all Perfections and Gardens of Delights wherein thou my Lord and Lover mayst henceforth take thy true pleasure and content 2. Virtue is a Habit in the Soul inclining her to produce actions suitable to her rational Nature She excites her self to shake off sinful Habits and resolves to set upon virtuous Actions AH my noble Soul how glorious is thy natural being how great thy dignity Thy Reason resembles thee to the sacred Deity beautifies thee above all sublunary entities puts a Scepter into thy hand a Crown on thy head and consecrates thee King of all inferiour Creatures And is it possible that thou O amiable active penetrating and perfect Spirit shouldst be so strangely wanting to thy self in this one only thing which is of all things only necessary as to be unknowing in the sacred Science of true life and ignorantly blind or brutishly negligent of thy own eternal happiness and salvation Arise my immortal portion Erect thy self into thy own Royal prerogatives Weigh thy own worth Regain thy lost liberty be no longer slavishly subject to Satan Sin and Sensuality shake off all these shackles of evil customs vicious inclinations and bestial affections and set upon actions more noble and nearer thy own rational nature O be no longer the only monster amongst creatures by wilfully deflecting basely degenerating from the fair order of thy great Creator but be now at length as desirous and diligent to acquire such virtuous habitudes which are answerable to thy excellency as thou wert formerly ready to follow all unreasonable and unproportionable impurities Yes O my Lord and Lover I will quit all evil customs and inure my self to such pious imployments as may restore virtuous habits in my Soul that it may become agreeable to the eyes of thy divine purity I will endeavour to forget and forgo what I hitherto have been vicious wicked animal and become henceforth a new man religious virtuous rational This is fully resolv'd on O my Saviour and faithfully promis'd Support my frailty O my only encourager and comforter with the efficacious force of thy grace and powerfully drive on my holy designs to a happy execution 3. The high Priviledges of Virtue how much it is to be prized and that it consists in a Mean O Amiable Virtue It both grieves me and shames me that my deceived foul hath been so long a stranger to thy true sweetness What marvail if I have hitherto liv'd or rather languished as one disagreeable to my God unprofitable to my Neighbours unpleasant to my Self and a prey to my insulting Enemies since I have been destitute of Virtue which can only free me from evils afford me happiness make me Master of my appetites Lord of my actions and Conqueror of my adversaries How highly will I henceforth prize thee O precious Jewel how earnestly do I desire to obtain thee and how diligently will I endeavour to purchase thee since thou powerfully guidest me to my own good and smoothest the path leading to the soveraign end and perfection for which I was created Ah my poor soul what more wouldst thou wish in this life than to be good and perfect what more in the next than to be eternally happy both these Virtue abundantly bestows on thee Take therefore your full carriere O seduced Worldlings in following your unsatiable fancies your untam'd passions your painted pleasures your petty vanities your uncontenting curiosities Behold I here freely and willingly quit all my interest in them nor will I now have any farther solicitude than to follow Virtue to study Virtue to learn to express this lovely Virtue in all the actions of my life and conversation O my Soul that this golden Mean were the just measure of all thy actions O that thou couldst ever tread in the middle track of Virtue and never stray upon the right or left hand into the vicious extremities O true and straight way leading undoubtedly to my blessed eternity how few do find thee and yet fewer alas are they which follow thee Thou O sweet Saviour of the world who ever lovedst the middle who in the Sacred Trinity middlest the divine Persons in the Stable art amidst the Beast in the Temple amidst the Doctors on the Cross amidst the Thieves after thy Resurrection amidst thy Disciples Give grace and discretion to thy poor Servant to lay hold on the happy Mean in all my Actions which so highly pleaseth thy Heavenly Majesty Let me neither Rejoyce excessively nor Grieve unreasonably neither Speak rashly nor be sullenly Silent neither Act or Omit any thing whatsoever but according to due order and measure Give me O bountiful bestower of all good things a solid Faith unblemish'd with Atheism and void of Superstition a lively Hope without Presumption or Despair a perfect Charity free from too much Coldness or an over-heat of Zeal Give me Wisdom not touch'd with Negligence or Craftiness Justice not tainted with Partiality or Severity Fortitude exempt both from Rashness and Cowardise Liberality devoid of Avarice and Lavishness Truth disengag'd from Dissimulation and Arrogancy Clemency far from the excess either of Calmness or Choler Temperance secured between Immoderation and Insensibility Civility neither absurd or offensive Teach me O eternal Wisdom emanated from the Divine Bosom of the most high to shew us mortals this middle way as the direct means to make us here holy and eternally happy teach me this most necessary Lesson how to observe this sacred Mean in all my practises of virtue and piety How easily alas can I be zealous loving liberal But to
establish'd rules serving for the secure guidance of such souls to thy self who art their final end and beatitude as will not peremptorily go astray and deprive themselves of thy blessings O let me worthily conceive of thy wisdom greatness and goodness and never abuse thy bounty and longanimity by taking from thence occasion to continue in my malice and impenitency I fear thee therfore O my dread Soveraign amidst the heights of my Hopes O let me not be dashed against the rock of Presumption having happily escaped drowning in the gulf of Despair O my Lord What skill what care what adress is necessary to stear this tottering Vessel that it may safely arrive at thee it s only secure Harbour lest thou reject it as presumptuous or detest it as desperate Be thou the guide of my week soul O sweat Saviour Let thy Spirit of discretion direct her in the middle track that she neither lanch forth into the main of Presumption nor be swallowed up in the quicksands of Despair Let me hope for such happiness in such measure by such means as are most pleasing and agreeable to thy sacred Majesty O let my Wishes be ever conform'd to thy will Let my Hopes still rely upon thy mercies Let my endeavours be alwaies to live in all purity sanctity and perfection that nothing may frustrate the happy accomplishment of my high expectation 7. Too much confidence in Creatures is also contrary to our livly Hope in our Creator And the conclusion of this Exercise THou only O my blessed Creator canst bound my desires Ah! what content can I take in the best of thy Creatures Thou hast made my heart for thy self and till it rests in thee its true Center it remains totally unsatisfied O worldly glories what are you but poor and perishing trifles compared to my Gods essential goodness Grant therefore O my God! that I may so love all thy creatures and make such use of all temporalities that my hopes may never be unfastned from thee my final and eternal happiness Let me not rest in them as soveraign nor pursue them as principal since they are too vain and uncertain too uncapable and unworthy to quiet and content my Soul which aims at a higher mark and hopes one day to behold thy aimable countenance more clearly than through Faiths glass to contemplate thy lovely perfections without lassitude to enter into thy eternal Paradise and be there sweetly ravished with the unveil'd rarities of thy Divinity Thou Lord art the only Author of all my Good and therefore the main object of all my Hope Yet since thy paternal piety and providence hath allotted second and less principal causes to be assistants to me in order to the desired possession of these prime prerogatives I will place also in the sacred Humanity of my Redeemer in the powerful intercession of the Mother-Virgin in the suffrages of the heavenly Angels and holy Saints so much Confidence as may not in the least measure hinder distract or divert my full Hope from thy self who art my supream and only soveraign object And now my God! the only desired of my Soul behold I offer up unto thee all these acts of my Hope and Confidence And here again I most humbly acknowledg that thou hast provided both for my Body and Soul in so convenient a manner as no other but thy self O increated Wisdom could have effected To thee then I commit my self and all that concerns me to be disposed of now and ever as shall be most pleasing to thy divine honour and most conform to thy eternal and equitable disposition For since thy power knowledg and goodness are infinit what hurt can befal him or what enemy harm him who lives secure in thy sacred friendship and is shadowed under the wings of thy Divine Protection For the future O my good and gracious Soveraign I will grave on the door of my mouth and heart Dominus providebit Our Lord will provide Fear not my soul Our Lord governs thee nothing can be wanting to thee God is for us who dare be against us He placeth us neer himself let who will stretch their hands against us Let Man and Devil earth and Hell fight against us Thou Lord art my Captain my comfort my company Thou O JESU art my victory my glory my crown and my contentment Thou O Christ art my hope my help my happiness I will henceforth dread nothing but to displease thee nor desire any thing but to love thee I will rest quiet and confident under thy fatherly care and powerful protection come sickness or health welcom darkness or light joy or sorrow plenty or penury friend or foe life or death Heaven or Purgatory Time or Eternity The fourth Exercise Of Charity 1. The Definition of Charity in respect of the Divine Majesty Charity in respect of God is a Theological Virtue elevating our Wills to a supernatural love and liking of God for himself and for his own sake Several Acts of Love and Charity THou O most amiable Lord God! art Charity and he that remains in Charity lives in thee and thou in him O divine Love O happy life Lord give me this love that I may thus live draw my will powerfully by thy grace to love thy goodnesses greatnesses and glories with a supernatural liking of them for thine own sake Habituate and dispose me thy poor creature O Omnipotent Creator to form sweet Acts of thy sacred love direct me to fasten all my affections to thy only interests destroy in me all selfishness cancel all divertisments to created objects and raise up my soul to a sincere desire that thou alone shouldst possess all such perfections as are to thy self most proper and convenient I am therfore most highly pleased most heartily glad and I most humbly congratulate thee O my Lord that thou art even all that which thou art and that thou enjoyest thine own eternal Prerogatives thy Unity of Essence thy Trinity of subsistences thy Infinity of attributes thy Power Wisdom Bounty Beatitude Greatness Glory and all other the unconceivable goods and perfections flowing from thy divine Nature and peculiar to thy eternal Being O the inscrutable and immense perfections of my God! how glad is my soul that thou canst not be fully comprehended nor perfectly known by any created understanding I wish and desire Dear Lord the accomplishment of thy most just Commandments the augmentation of thy honour praise service and all other appurtinances to thy glory or relatives to thy greatness with all the affections which can possibly be conceived by thy weak creatures capacity O my Lord I will and desire all this for thine own selfs sake with a love of perfect liking benevolence and congratulation for thy good without the least touch of concupiscence or proper interest O the joy and jubily of my heart to consider thee the mighty Monark of heaven and earth to be in thy self and of thy self so great so happy so rich so glorious Oh!
how ardent are my wishes that all things that have a being would more glorifie thee more highly exalt thy holy Name more zealously seek thy honour and more religiously respect and reverence thy Majesty O that thy glory were infinitly greater in heaven and earth O that all created liberties were more perfectly addicted to thy Love and all Spirits had a clearer knowledg of thy incomparable goodness excellency and amability And yet how highly doth it please me that all that which the best of creatures can endeavour to do for thy Love and Service is so far inferiour to thy essential worth and dignity Live my dread Soveraign Be thou what thou art Infinit Eternal Incomprehensible Remain O powerful Emperour of the whol universe for ever exalted upon the Throne of thine own greatnesses and glories I love thee in them all and each of them in thee as if I were all one with thee they all mine own and I equally concern'd in them all 2. The same Charity wherewith we love God induceth us to love all his Creatures our Neighbours and our Selves I Love all things O my Lord in thee and for thee Thy Creatures are the products of thy power they are so many bright beams issuing from thy bounty they are under thy dominion and jurisdiction thy proper goods and possessions and appurtenances to thy glory Lord I admire adore praise and love thee in all and every of them My Neighbour is yet a neerer shadow of thy goodness O divine Creator a livelier Image of thy greatness thy own adoptive child bought at the dear purchase of thy precious bloud and designed to be partaker of thy heavenly Paradise O shall it ever enter into my heart to hate or offend any one of these thy lovely creatures Is it possible I can truly love thee My Lord and my God! and loath that soul which is stamp'd with thy sacred similitude intended for thy greatest glory and predestinated to chant forth thy eternal praises amongst the blessed quires of Saints Angels Ah! how can that body which shal be one day resuscitated to heavenly bliss imbellisht with glorious dowries of immortallity be now odious unto me aiming at the like happiness No my Lord I love my Neighbours most truly tenderly particularly in thee and for thee I will henceforth cherish them all for thy sake and contract a durable peace with them Be they vicious envious ugly ulcerated they are still my fellow Brethren and thy lovely creatures and therefore fit objects of my affection Confirm me O my God! in this ample and diffuse charity O let all my joy and complacency all my wishes and desires in loving them drive at the only glory of thy infinit goodness And now O my Lord and Lover reflecting my Charity upon my own Soul I most humbly beseech thee that I may henceforth so truly love my own eternal welfare as never more to adventure the loss of thy grace by the admittance of wilful sin Imprint O my God this important resolution with indelible characters in my heart Never to sin wilfully in thy sight were it to save the whol World or to gain Heaven to a million of souls much less to please any earthly friend or purchase any temporal commodity Ah unequal chang Ah poor return of profit to win a world and lose my own soul 3. Three effects of Charity 1. It makes us truly love our Selves 2. It contracts a friendship with God 3. It is the form of all other Virtues THou hast no where expresly enjoyned me to love my Self O great Master of Perfection because to love thee seek thee serve thee perfectly purely punctually is to love my Self solidly truly unfainedly These loves O my Soul cannot be the least separated thou lovest thy Self really when thou lovest thy God intirely thou hatest thy Self absolutly when thy love hath not his goodness for its object Dost thou not then hate thy Self when thou hazardest thine own Salvation Dost thou love thy Self when by voluntary sin thou leav'st thy self in danger of eternal Death and Damnation Dost thou love thy Body when thou pamper'st it and permittest such pleasures as must be paid with perpetual punishments O fals feigned and foolish affection which tends to thy own ruine and destruction No my Lord 't is thy only Love which is the true model of Self-love O let masked and mistaken Charity never more betray me let me love my self in loving thee serving thee obeying thee renouncing all proper contentment and desiring thy only satisfaction If you love me saith the Lord of Love you will keep my Laws and if you fulfil my precepts you are my friends O sublime Dignity to contract friendship and familiarity with the King of Glory O divine Promotion How highly are thy friends honoured O heavenly Monarch How firmly is their Principality established Wilt thou not O my Soul court cherish and covet this sacred Charity which procures thee such inestimable nobility pleasure and profit Ah silly Worldlings what do you what seek you what pretend you After all your pains what is your pay at the best but a little pelf a puff of honour a name at Court a favour from a King a friendship with an Emperour and what is in all these that is not frail and full of danger Ah! how long will you sweat in these unsure and unsatisfying persuits when as to be Gods friend and favorite I am so if I will even at this very instant O the heavenly prerogative of perfect Charity 'T is thou alone O glorious Charity which givest unto Virtues their true form life value worth denomination and perfection since thou guidest them all unto God who is the end whereto they are to be referred and to his glory for which they are to be practised to make them truly Virtues To thee therefore O King of my heart I dedicate my works to thee O my Soveraign good my only end and sweet center I consecrate all my future endeavours I will not now live but to love thee not breath but to bless thee not have any being at all but to be all thine All I shall do think speak during the whol residue of my days is design'd to thy glory I give up tree branches leaves flowers fruit all to this only end by an entire irrevocable and eternal Donation Whatsoever shall hereafter happen contrary to this my resolution I here protest in thy presence O my God! to be a meer surprisal and altogether involuntary And therfore now for then utterly disavow it and chuse thee embrace thee aim at thee O my blessed Creator as the final period of all my Faith Hope Love Actions Intentions and Pretensions whatsoever 4. The habit of Charity may daily encrease during this life O Unlimited Virtue of which a Soul is by so much the more capable and susceptible by how much she hath thee in a higher perfection How passionatly doth my heart desire the increase of thee O my Lord I ask thee
my heart soul and affections to receive retain and practice this heavenly Lesson Give me O my gracious Lord God! the Serpent's prudence precaution sagacity subtilty He hath a piercing and ever open Eye to prevent and avoid danger He exposes his Body to secure his Head He shuts his Ears to delude the Charmers cunning He casts his Skin to renew his decaying Age Grant me O Lord by this example a quick-sightedness to discover my enemies deceits Teach me to preserve my Head which is my Faith in thee my Creatour and undauntedly to expose my Body Goods All for the just defence thereof Let me wisely and warily stop up the windows of my Heart and Senses from admitting the slie suggestions of my enchanting Concupiscence And let me finally despoil my self of the old man and re-vest my Soul with the new garment of thy Grace Love Justice and Verity And lest Wisdom alone should degenerate into Malice give me also O meek and debonnair Jesu the Doves simplicity sweetness innocency purity she neither wrongs other Birds nor revenges her own injuries she is without Gall envy and bitterness she loves to bath and glass her self in the clearest Waters she testifies her ardent affection by her perpetual sighs and having lost her Mate she remains free from all future embraces O that I could perfectly imitate this Mildness towards all men Let me never more O my sweet Saviour strive to vindicate defend or excuse my self never more render evil for evil never more retain the least grudg against my enemies never more covet any pleasures but such as are permitted O let me still sigh after thee the only Spouse of my Soul testifying thereby how little I prize this place of banishment how much I long and languish after thy lovely presence how deeply I am disgusted with all degenerate Affections and how highly I disdain all things which aim not directly at thy Divine Love and Glory O simple Subtilty and subtle Simplicity that I could joyntly compass you how purely should I live to my God how peaceably in my Self how pleasingly to my Neighbour Lord let the happy Nuptials between the Serpent and the Dove be celebrated in my Soul never more to be divorced either by carnal cunning or brutish stupidity O let my Conversation be henceforth holy and harmless my Actions devoid of folly and vanity and my whol Life led on through the intricate mazes and by ways of this wicked world by the conducting Clew of Evangelical Prudence and Discretion to a blessed death Thus living thus dying I shall finally and infallibly be joyned to my JESU the only end of all endeavours to whom I desire to live and in whom I hope to die in thy glorious Eternity The sixth Exercise Of Justice the second Cardinal Virtue 1. The Essence of Justice Justice is a Moral Virtue inclining our Wills to give every one his due by lawful means Several sorts of Justice O Most excellent and universal Virtue Wert thou exactly observed how soon would all complaints controversies and contentions cease amongst the children of men How happy and holy an Order would be establish'd and follow'd in the world Our dread Soveraign enjoying his due Honours and his creatures the respective Rights which appertain to them Whence is it O rare Virtue which art the very tye and cement of the whol Universe that thou art not more strong and powerful in the hearts or all rational Beings Thou O prime and essential Equity who hast placed Justice amongst the first of thy Precepts saying Thou shalt justly do that which is just Grant thou commandest and let it flourish gloriously in my soul that I may exactly return thy own gifts to thy eternal glory O my Soul with how many obligations art thou charged Give me O great and glorious King of Justice a discerning Spirit to comply with them all and permit me not to invade any creatures just prerogatives Let me no longer covet to possess what appertains not to me Ah! how contemptible are all earthly Commodities farther than they either profit me in order to my Souls perfection or relate O my God! to thy eternal glory Alas they will neither accompany me in Death nor comfort me in Judgment nor assist me in Hell Ah wordlings how ill advised Bankers are you who endeavouring to gain Earthly treasures endanger the eternal loss of your own Souls 2. Of Religion the Sister of Justice Religion is a Moral Virtue inclining us to render unto God that Soveraign worship which is due to him by reason of his Excellency and Dominion over all things This Worship consists in divers Acts wherby we declare Gods supream excellency and our humble subjection and servitude The Acts are either Interiour as Devotion Prayer Vows or Exteriour as Sacrifice Adorations Genu flections Praises Protestations Oblations Tithes the use of the Sacraments and briefly the practice of all Virtues All which actions are due to Gods infinit and adorable Dignity HOw necessary is this Virtue for the advancement of thy honour O mighty Monarch of Heaven and Earth O that thou wouldst be pleas'd to implant it deeply in my Soul that I might perpetually praise thee alwaies adore thee and continually content thee with all thy just dues if nor as devoutly as thy divine Excellencies deserve yet as much as thy Precept obligeth me and my weakness and poverty permit me Confirm great God! thine own glorious Kingdom re-take thy true Dominion in my heart make use of thine own just rights and prerogatives and powerfully draw from me and all thy creatures as much Religious duty service homage and honour as our Natures assisted and elevated by thy Grace are capable to render thee Which way O my weak Soul wilt thou satisfie all these duties O that my Religion were thus active and my Will thus operative O Jesu my Saviour who gavest to God thy Father all his dues in a most divine manner and satisfiedst in rigour of Justice for all my irreligiousness look compassionatly upon thy needy and naked creature and lift up my nothing to a capacity of rendring in some measure the worship and honour appertaining to thy immense and infinit Majestie Make me O my merciful Redeemer truly Religious dispose me with courage to serve thee with constancy to confess thy greatness with humility to acknowledg my own indigency with fervour to practise all Acts of Virtue and with perseverance to perform all thy Precepts that Thou O my God my Lord my All may'st be always honored by me ever praised in me and perpetually pleased with me O let me never imagin to have satisfied the smallest parcel of that debt which is by so many titles due to thy divine excellency and dignity For what alas is the best of my service homage and gratitude in respect of thy goodness towards me and thy greatness in thy self O dread Soveraign for whose only glory I and all creatures were placed in this world when shall we unanimously conspire and
correspond to this thy sacred design when shall we worthily perform and perfectly practise what thou so justly deservest desirest demandest and commandest 3. Of Devotion the chief Act of Religion and of Prayer the next unto it Devotion is the prime and proper act of Religion inclining our Wills to embrace actually and readily all that concerns Gods service and to avoid all that displeaseth him Prayer is an Act of Religion whereby we humbly ask of God such things as are fit to be asked O Sweet and sacred Devotion the dear and only minion of my Soul how tenderly do I love thee how ardently do I desire thee and yet how unworthy am I to enjoy thee Thou O my glorious Soveraign art the supream cause of all Devotion and thy grace is the original Source of all piety Thou art the only good which my way faring and thirsty Soul incessantly gapes after Thou art the solid support and solace of her weakness and weariness Thou art the dilater of all devout hearts by the infusion of good desires into them Take from me I beseech thee the love of the world clear my thoughts from curiosities and superfluities break the fetters which wrest my affection to vanities and fix them intirely upon thy self my only amiable and satisfying Object Behold O immense Deity O eternal infinit and essential goodness who deservest all perfect homage and honour all possible duty and devotion from me and all rational creatures who art in thy self so absolutly excellent and admirable to my Soul so highly bountiful and beneficial I here most humbly promptly cordially freely and resolutely Consecrate the whole residue of my life and actions to be totally imployed in thy true love and service O let me never swerve from this solid and substantial Devotion let me rest joyful and content in this my advised choice and be no more contristated troubled or dejected in the faithful prosecution of such works as belong to my duty and thy divine honour Dilate my heart O Lord with holy cheerfulness and I will run on swiftly sweetly perseverantly in the paths of thy Commandments I confess O glorious Creator my own Misery and that I stand in perpetual need of thy Mercy and therefore I will daily present my self before thy supream Majesty as a poor needy and naked Beggar as a weak wounded and wicked Sinner hoping that thou O pious Physician wilt heal and help pitty and pardon cure and comfort my sick sinful and sorrowful Soul O that my Heart and Mouth were absolutely purified from all undecent affections and superfluous expressions in my Prayer O that my spirit could always propose devoutly and my tongue pronounce distinctly such wholsome things in my petitions as are proper for me to expect from thy infinit Majesty O that I could thus piously and perseverantly present my Prayers to thy Throne of Grace with all the necessary Circumstances to obtain thy mercy My Resolution O heavenly Maker is to ask nothing henceforth of thy divine Majesty but the entire accomplishment of thy Holy Will or that which may in some manner serve and contribut to the encrease of thy honour and glory and if I fail of thy present answer to all other my pretentions I will humbly acknowledg my desires to have been Vndue and Vnreasonable and resting peaceably in thy presence I will adore the depths of thy inscrutable Prudence and relie securely upon the sweetness of thy secret and paternal Providence Teach me O Divine Master thus to pray with a resigned spirit and purified intention and encourage me to practice purely perfectly perseverantly thy heavenly instruction in demanding first thy eternal Kingdom and them not doubting the sufficient supply of all temporal conveniences 4. Of Adoration another Act of Religion Adoration as an Act of Religion wherby we testifie our submission to the divine Majesty acknowledging his supream excellency and our absolute dependancy upon him A perfect fâ—…rm of Oblation to the Divine Majesty O Great glorious admirable eternal Lord God! What creature can comprehend or conceive the least of thy purities and perfections What honors homages respects and reverences are due to thee O Dread Soveraign of heaven and earth on whom all things created depend in whom I have both breath and being O that I and all creatures could truly descend into our Nothing that thy only glorious and essential being might appear shine more brightly O increated and independent Entity without whose present and continual support all things would instantly cease to be what they are by thy bounty and slide away into their original nothing how can I place my self low enough in the presence of thy infinit Majesty Behold I humbly adore thy sublime Excellencies from the bottomless depth of my abyssal nothing I heartily worship thee my Soveraign Creatour in spirit and truth I lowly prostrate my poor Soul before the high Altar of thy immense greatness faithfully dutifully and devoutly acknowledging thy divine power and submitting my whol being to thy absolute supremacy Ay! how barren are my Affections How bare short and filly my Expressions How unproportionable my Adorations in respect of thy supereminent surpassing unexplicable and unconceivable Excellencies I therfore present thee O glorious Deity with all the interiour actions of the blessed humanity of thy Son my Saviour Jesus I offer unto thee with all possible submission and devotion in supply of my weakness the perfect acts of love praise adoration which proceeded from the pure Virgin Mother and from all the Saints with all the hearts and affections of Angels and Men all the mental excesses supernatural jubilations total abnegations and amorous unions of all blessed Souls in heaven and earth Ah! that my heart alone were capable of all the united affections and perfections of all creatures how willingly O my God! would I employ them all in thy service How sweetly should I melt away in thy love Receive gracious Lord all these and whatsoever may be offered unto thee as my ardent desires of honour adoration loyalty and gratitude due to thy infinit Majesty O that I could present them unto thee as frequently as I breath and as fervently as the highest Seraphins I invite and conjure you with heart and mouth O all ye celestiall Spirits and elevated Souls to supply my defects and desires and to sacrifice to my God holocausts of praise benediction adoration ardently incessantly eternally Accept these homages and oblations O soveraign Creator from thy meanest creature which accepts thee embraces thee and makes choyce of thee this day this hour this instant and for all Eternity for her God and refuses all other Lords for thy only love to thee be rendred all honour praise adoration and reverence from her and all things that have a being now and for evermore 5. Three Neighbour-Virtues to Justice are Piety Observance and Obedience Piety is a Moral Virtue whereby we render to our Parents Kindred Countrey and Friends the just duties of honour and
acknowledgment Observance is a Moral Virtue whereby we treat with them who excell us in Dignity with due reverence and respect Obedience is a Moral Virtue whereby our Wills are carried on to accomplish the things commanded because they are commanded O Saviour the most exact pattern of all perfection who so highly honouredst thy heavenly Father and wert so humbly subject to thy earthly Parents not forgetting thy dear Mother in the very dreadful agony of they death Give me natural meekness benignity and bowels melting away with Piety and Compassion that I may not fail in the least tittle of my duty towards my distressed Neighbour or them to whom I stand any way ingaged All thy Actions O dear Redeemer are my instructions grant therfore that I may in this Virtue of Observance also become thy perfect Imitator who willingly gavest honour to the Priests Scribes Doctors and all people placed in Authority O let me be ever ready to bow to my Betters submit to my Superiors and reverence all persons eminent in power signal in piety and excellent in virtue as nearer Images to thy Divinity whence all Authority and goodness is derived O Divine Obedience that the world would embrace thee in their several Callings and Conditions how much more justly discreetly and easily would it be regulated and governed Infuse it O supream Commander of all Creatures into the hearts of all thy Children drive out from amongst them aâ—… rebellions murmurings and mutinies That Christians obeying their Pastors Children their Parent Servants their Masters Subjects their Princes Religious persons their Prelates Thou O great and glorious Lord God! mayst be perfectly pleased with them all in this world and eternally praised by them in the world to come 6. Three other Virtues annexed to Justice Gratitude Truth Affability Gratitude is a Moral Virtue inclining us to render good to them who have done us courtesies not being obliged thereto Truth is a Moral Virtue whereby we shew in our words what we are in our lives without either feigning adding or diminishing Affability is a Moral Virtue wherby we carry our selves sweetly both in words and actions towards them we converse with WHat shall I render thee O my gracious Lord God! for all the good things thou hast given me Thou most freely liberally and unconstrainedly chargest me with thy mercies inchainest me with thy benefits and loadest me wi hy thy love I thank thee O bountiful bestower of all blessings for them all both natural and supernatural for all the good actions which by thy help I have effected the good words I have uttered the good thoughts I have conceived I thank thee for expecting me to Penance calling me to thy Service preserving me from deserved Damnation by the death of thy dear Son And in acknowledgment of these and all other thy innumerable favours O great Benefactor I gratefully give thee my heart soul and all that by thy grace I have and am for perfect sacrifices of thy perpetual praise O hypocrisie duplicity and falshood the dangerous and universal Diseases of this deceitful world how sincerely doth my Soul abhor you Give me thy powerful grace O God of truth to eschew these great evils O guide and govern my tongue not only from forging false testimonies against my Neighbour and uttering irreligious expressions against thy Honour but even from the least Lie in my words Infidelity in my promises Hypocrisie in my behaviour or Dissimulation in any of my doings upon any pretension of humane prudence or intention of piety whatsoever O let my Heart walk simply singly sincerely innocently and unfeignedly in thy presence and let my Tongue Hands and Behaviour be conformable to my heart that Truth making up a holy harmony in my whol man I may perfectly please thee here O increated Verity and joyfully praise thee in thy blessed Eternity Purifie O meek and merciful Redeemer my whol life and actions my carriage and conversation and give me grace to look always upon the perfect pattern of thy lovely comportment amongst all men so full of Mildness Mercy Affability and Curtisie O that I could behave my self temperatly discreetly lovingly gently quietly contentedly sweetly and saintly towards all sorts of people upon earth till it shall please thy goodness O my gracious God! to translate my peaceable spirit to the more amiable company of thy eternally blessed Saints and heavenly Inhabitants 7. Three other companions of Justice Friendship Liberality Equity Friendship is a Moral Virtue whereby two or more persons profess reciprocal love to each other for their mutual help and support in the pursuit of Virtue Liberallity is a Moral Virtue whereby we make moderate use of our temporal means and impart them freely to others Equity is a Moral Virtue inclining us rather to follow the intention of Law makers or Superiors upon good grounds than the precise Letter of their Laws O Eternal Creator who art the first Origen and shouldst be the only End of all Friendship who producedst all this worlds perfections to induce our Souls by these gracious benefits to the love of thy great bounty Imprint I humbly pray thee first thine own holy love with indelible characters in my heart Then impart unto me also this virtuous comfortable and innocent Amity which is the legitimat child of Charity and undivided companion of Justice of some spiritual person capable to counsel me willing to direct me couragious to correct me and desirous to perfect me in thy love and service O my Lord God! all Love all Liberality who showrest down Benefits and profusest Mercies without measure upon all thy creatures Elevate my poverty to imitate in some manner proportionable to the means thou hast graciously lent me thy infinit Bounty Give me O my glorious maker a noble and generous Mind disengaged from base and earthly thoughts and disposed to high and heroick actions aiming at my own Souls Perfection my Neighbours Profit thy divine Praise and Honour O let my Eyes be ever open to consider seriously my Heart ever willing to compassionate tenderly and my Hands ever ready to contribute liberally to the just necessities of thy creatures That making the right use of the temporal goods which thou hast here graciously given me I may finally attain to the eternal glory which thou my good God! hast elswhere bountifully prepared for me How needful is thy infused Prudence O Sacred Spirit the sweet and only light of my Soul and how necessary is thy special gift of Counsel that I mistake not in managing of this Virtue Equity so either out of Temerity misinterpret my Superiours meaning or out of Timidity unduly execute his command Clear my Darkness O all knowing Lord God! with a ray of thy divine splendour conduct my Reason in the right way and keep my Understanding from errour amidst the millions of labyrinths many by-paths and dangerous obscurities which occur in cases of Conscience and Moral Resolutions Conform my will and works to thy sacred
intention and confirm me in my present purpose which is to observe perfectly thy most just and and holy Ordinances and all theirs whom thou hast placed over my head in that very manner both in substance and circumstance as thou O supream Law-maker demandest and commandest The Seventh Exercise Of Fortitude the third Cardinal Virtue 1. The Essence of Fortitude Fortitude is a Moral Virtue enabling our Wills to do good and avoid evil in great and dreadful difficulties and dangers So that we either expect them or suffer them or shun them or set upon them without excessive Fear or over rash Boldness MY Life O my Lord is a perpetual warfare my Soul is beset during this her pilgrimage with innumerable enormous powerful and implacable enemies so that I am forced either to fight and conquer or to fall and be conquered O how greatly then do I stand in need of this glorious armour of Fortitude to animate my fearfulness to shelter my feebleness temper my rashness and to accompany me in all my dangerous skirmishes Give this vertuous strength to thy weak yet willing servant O my God who art incomparable in power invincible in might the great Lord of Hosts the glorious overcomer in the day of battel the shield and salvation of all them that combat under thy banner and I shall not fear thousands of foes encompassing me for I can do all things in thee my comforter 2. The chief degrees of Fortitude are three 1. Not to be affrighted at the great difficulties wherewith we must necessarily encounter in our spiritual course but to be resolute in suffering them manful in setting on them yea and confident to conquer them through Gods assisting grace 2. To rejoyce cordially in such sufferings for so good a cause 3. To expose our selves couragiously to all calamities for the promotion of Gods glory and our Neighbours spiritual good O Thrice happy those Souls which are thus valiant Ah! shall I for want of a little courage be an eternal slave to Sin Satan Sensuality Arise to my aid O invincible King of Glory under whose feet Death Devils and Hell it self do groan And thou my Soul what dreadest thou advance thy self undauntedly into the field of battel Thou fightest under thy Saviours Ensigns who hath already conquer'd thy foes for thee upon his sacred Cross Reflect upon what thou art his Soldier his Servant his Son Lose not heart nor hope in thy just quarrel since thy Lord looks upon thy just combats invites thee to courage assists thee to conquer and expects to crown thee Eternity is at stake and Heaven thy reward 3. Martyrdom the most heroick act Fortitude is a voluntary acceptation enduring of a violent Death for the testimony and defence of the true Faith or of Virtue ALL hail O ye valiant Champions of my heavenly King how highly doth my heart prize your courage how humbly doth my soul honour and emulate your constancy were not your Bodies passible as mine is and your Material parts molded out of the same mass of Clay by the same merciful and powerful Artificer Whence is it then that you appeared so faithful in your hottest trials I prove so fearful in my least temptations O I am utterly ashamed of my own former baseness and I resolutly and readily offer up my self to die here for thy sake O my sweet Saviour that I may live in thy love eternally 4. Three Virtues allied to Fortitude Magnanimity Patience Perseverance Magnanimity or greatness of courage is a Moral Virtue and inclining our Wills to heroick and honourable actions in the prosecution of Virtue in as much as such actions are hard and worthy of an high Courage THou hast made me O glorious Creator for great matters for thy Heaven for thy self and shall I rest any longer in petty trifles and aim only at inglorious objects No my worthy Soul form'd to thy Lords lovely likeness Child of the most high and Heir apparent to his kingdom It becoms not thee to content thy self with common Perfection We will henceforth have higher thoughts and aspire to more sublime generous and noble enterprizes We will couragiously climb up the several degrees of the most seraphical Virtues and set upon holy and honourable works tending to our own greater good and our Gods eternal glory Yes Lord we desire to be as truly patient as thy servant Job as zealous of thine honour as thy Apostle Paul as penitent for our sins as the pious Magdalen as pure in our life as the holy Angels and as ardent in thy love as the highest Seraphins O my Soul that we could reach these glorious Perfections 5. Patience is a Moral Virtue which moderates our Sadness proceeding from the resentment of some present evil and hinders us from acting thereupon any thing misbecoming our Reason O My Soul what joy what peace what holiness what happiness do still accompany any this divine Virtue when wilt thou truly possess thy self and perfectly please thy Saviour by the exact practise of Patience amidst all thy pressures troubles and tribulations O why shouldst thou only expect to be a delicate member under Christ thy head crowned with cruel thorns Lord Jesu I must suffer as a Christian I deserve to suffer as a Sinner I desire to suffer as thy Servant O let not my suffrances become lost to my soul by my impatience in induring them Let no torment or trouble of my life tire my setled resolution of suffering willingly for thy love O my crucified Saviour and persevering constantly in thy service Let Hell Death and Devil arm their whol fury against me Let all creatures conspire to annoy me Let all sickness seize on my body all sadness on my Soul and all sorts of damages disgraces and dismal chances be pour'd forth upon my only head I will remain quiet in thee O meek and patient Jesu and submissive to thy sweet providence disposition 6. Perseverance is a Moral Virtue whereby we go on in our well begun enterprises till they are fully accomplished THis is the Virtue O my Soul and this only which gives thee true rest from all thy sufferings This rewards all thy laborious endeavours and this puts a happy period to thy painful life Without Perseverance how vain are all thy Virtues and how useless thy past labours and diligence Ah! my Soul be no longer like a Fool changeable with the Moon like a Reed shaken with every Blast like the Sensualists who begin in the spirit but end in the flesh No my dear Lord I will never leave to love thee till I leave to live I will not cease to persecute my passions and pursue the enemies of my perfection till they be all dead and utterly destroyed I will keep the years of Eternity ever fresh in my memory that no temporary sufferings may seem long tedious or troublesome Thou O Jesu my Redeemer O most constant lover of my poor Soul for whose sake thou patiently remainedst on thy cruel Cross
Whilst your Spiritual Father pronounces your Absolution produce either with heart or mouth some of these short Acts following 1. Of Sorrow O God be merciful to me a sinner 2. Of Humility Not unto me Lord but to thy Name be given all praise and glory 3. Of Love and Confidence My God and my All My comfort and my content my secure rest and sole refuge Remain with me sweet Jesus and it is sufficient 4. Of Spiritual joy and alacrity Take courage my poor dejected desolate Soul Jesus is our guide and we are going to Heaven what matters it whether we get or lose in this World have friends or foes sink or swim live or die upon earth If Jesus loves us and we Him it is enough Live the Cross and my crucified Redeemer Adieu world Farewel Self-love Heaven is my Home Jesus is my Hope and Happiness Also At the time of Absolution Imagine you feel Christs sacred Blood distilling into your Soul and that you hear those his sweet words directed unto your ears Go in peace thy Sins are forgiven thee now sin no more lest some worse thing befal thee O words full of sweetness and comfort After Confession REtire your self a while 1. To give God thanks 2. To say your Penance 3. To renew your good purposes and resolutions 4. To offer up your self and all your actions with whatsoever you are and have to be hereafter employed for your sweet Saviours honour love and service 5. To beg of him who died on the Cross with his Eyes full of Tears Body full of Wounds and Heart full of Mercy for the salvation of your Soul to supply all defects which may have occurred in this or any other your Confessions Then ejaculate sweetly some of these Sentences CLeanse me O Lord from my secret sins from my vitious customs inclinations and affections and permit me not to participate with others in their offences nor to be involved in their crimes by my consent and connivency Return my Soul into thy rest for thy Lord hath done well for thee What have I in heaven and what would I have on earth O my God! thou art the God of my heart my part my portion and my inheritance for ever I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee my Lord and Saviour But who will free me from the body of this death I would gladly be separated not only from Sin and the occasions thereof but even from this body of Sin which I can bear about me That so being absolved and dissolved my departing soul might unspottedly ascend to her eternal rest in the very Act of this vehement and amorous Contrition Yes my good and gracious Creator I would willingly be sequestred from my self and all creatures that I might be totally united to thy self my first beginning my final end my hope my happiness my All. It is good for me to stick fast to my Lord to place my confidence in God my Saviour Let others seek other contents I and my house will serve thee our Lord and Maker A Prayer after Confession O Merciful Redeemer of my Soul what praise love and thanks shall I return to thee for having made a Bath of thy Bloud a Garment of thy Grace to cleanse and cloath my defiled and naked Soul in the Sacrament of Penance Let my Body Soul and all that is within me bless thee eternally and let Heaven Earth and all that is within them say Amen Alleluja Receive I beseech thee O my dear Lord Jesu by the bowels of thy Mercy by the breasts of thy Mother and by the merits of all thy blessed Saints this my Confession Let it be pleasing to thy sacred Majesty and profitable to my own Soul Let thy infinite sweetness of love and bitterness of sorrow supply all its defects whether it be want of Contrition or of Integrity or of Humility or of Clarity or of Simplicity or of a true sense and feeling of my Sins heynousness or of a full Resolution of amendment or any other Circumstance Negligence or Error whatsoever Forget and forgive all the crimes ingratitudes impurities of my life past and in particular whatsoever through my own carelesness may have escap'd my memory whatsoever the common Enemy may accuse me of at the hour of my death and whatsoever thou my dread Judg maist in the rigour of thy Justice lay to my charge at the day of thy dreadful Judgement I repenr me heartily for all that I have done amiss I renounce all that is opposite to thy perfect love and liking I resolve to amend all and to avoid all sinful occasions I resign body soul all to do Penance make all possible Satisfaction And lastly for thine own sake sweet Jesu I beseech thee to pardon all relying upon thy goodness confiding in thy mercy rejoicing at what thou art to wit so loving and so worthy of all love so good in thy self so good to all others so good to me the least and worst of all others Let all creatures joyn with my soul to love honour serve and praise thee her glorious Creator her gracious Redeemer her liberal Sanctifier this day and for all eternity And now my Lord Jesu I here again lay down the whole burrhen of my Sins at thy sacred Feet and take up thy Cross in exchange Resolving by thy gracious assistance to pass on my lives pilgrimage in the perpetual practise of Penance Patience and Purity abandoning Body Soul Goods Limbs Life all to thy service Accept my offer O dear Lord Jesu and admit me henceforth for one of thy meanest Bond-slaves Let me live and dy in the performance of this my promised duty obedience and submission to thy holy Will and Precepts Let me never more offend thee but loath and abhor the very name and shadow of Sin more than Death or Hell it self Teach me O Lord how to persevere in thy love and to correspond to my vocation with a zealous fervor joyned with prudence and discretion That serving thee my Soveraign Lord and Master during my abode in this prison of Mortality with fidelity simplicity sincerity I may at the end of my lives course be received into immortality with security and that as I here justly sing forth thy Mercies for having used such sweet and efficacious means to bring my sinking Bark into the safe Haven so I may there joyfully intone eternal Canticles of thy Divine praises in thy Kingdom of glory Amen ¶ 6. An easie and necessary method of Examining the Conscience for the making of a General Confession General Advertisements concerning General Confessions 1. THe motive which obliges all Christians who are desirous to perform their Duty and settle their souls in the state of Grace to make a General Confession is only this When upon just and rational Grounds and not out of an erroneous or scrupulous Understanding they doubt of the Validity of any of their former Confessions by reason-of some essential Defect which accompanied them The
Fundamental practises of sublime and solid Piety may be always ready at hand for the daily use of devout Christians both before and after Communion and in which they may also according to each ones fervor and opportunity very profitably employ themselves after their Morning Exercise as it were in the way of a Canonical Office for which reason they are distinguished like the precedent Exercises of Christian Vertues which may be practised in the same manner into Seven Points correspondent to the Seven Hours of the Church-Service The First Exercise Which is the Ground work of all Prayer and Introversion and which alone being performed with requisite diligence discretion and perseverance will speedily and infallibly afford unspeakable Comfort and spiritual Profit to the pious Practicer thereof As being indeed the end of all other external Exercises and the short sure simple and Regia via leading to a Devout and Divine life THis Exercise consists of Three parts in general and Nine points in particular 1. Preparation of three acts 1. An affective and lively apprehension of Gods presence 2. A cordial and profound act of humility 3. A pure intention to please and praise God only 2. Consideration of 1. Our Wounds both internal and external 2. Our Wants which are many in every degree 3. Our Wishes and humble desires 3. Conclusion also of three acts 1. Contrition for our Sins 2. Resignation in our wants 3. Complacence in God and Confidence in his Goodness A practical description of this Exercise The first part is Preparation of three Acts. 1. A lively apprehension of Gods presence not only in all places and in all creatures by his Power and Essence but in our Souls by his Mercy Love Care and Providence O My Soul Where are we who sees us What is he that is with us and within us By whose light we see by whose fire we burn and by whose love we live Live my most glorious and gracious Lord in whose presence I kneel in whose arms I rest and after whose love I breath O that thou wert as dear to my soul as thou art near it Alas why doth she not care as much for her God as he doth for her good Why do I not love thy presence O my amiable Lord since thou art present by love Thou art my Father my Physician and my Food hear me heal me help me I am wicked I am wounded I am wretched Out of thee there is no place of rest without thee there is no hope of happiness remain therefore with me and reign within me Let me be thine all thine ever thine 2. Profound and cordial Humility acknowledging unfainedly before God and his Angels our wickedness weakness and wretchedness what we are and what we deserve and so resting quiet in the Center of our own Nothing O My Soul What have we been What are we What have we What can we do What do we deserve What do we desire What hath our loving Father and liberal Lord that he hath not given us What have we proud and prodigal Children that we have not received from his merciful hand and heart What have we received that we have not abused by self-love or self-delight O sweet Jesu Give tears to my eyes words to my tongue sighs to my heart and love to my spirit for I need them all to deplore my misery and implore thy mercy to admire thy beauty and adore thy bounty to sigh after thee and suffer for thee What I have been it grieves me to remember What I am after so many signal benefits on thy part and serious promises on mine I am ashamed to think What I deserve I am afraid to call to mind What I desire I am ignorant how to ask Lord for thy Mercies sake for thy Mothers sake by thy Bowels of mercy and her Breasts of meekness by all that thou hast suffer'd for me and she for thee by all that is dear to thee in Heaven and Earth Forget and forgive what I have been my past folly and wickedness Pity and protect what I am my present frailty and weakness Be satisfi'd for what I deserve supply what I desire and be mindfull of me in life and death How much O my God! do I wish to leave all and lose my self to find thee to humble my self to please thee and to hate my self to love thee But these hard and high matters I dare scarcely promise how then and when shall I practise them Yet without thee O Sacred Humility there is no solid center to rest in no true sweetness to take gust in therefore O my God! I come to thy School to learn this necessary Lesson teach me touch me wound me and win me unto thy self 3. Pure intention to please and praise God only to be all his ever his in what manner and measure he best liketh both in this Prayer and all things whatsoever BEhold therefore O my Lord how out of pure Obedience to thy Will and confidence in thy Mercy I now approach to please and praise thy divine Majesty Not to receive great matters from thee for I am unworthy nor to conceive great matters of thee for I am uncapable but to leave all for thee to be humble of heart beyond all and to love thee more than all this is conform both to my Condition and Obligation I come to Prayer O my only Lord and love not to have much but to give up all to be thine all thine ever thine in life and death for time and eternity as thy self best pleaseth I come O my center and sweetness to seek thee and sigh after thee yet I am content neither to find thee nor feel thee but only to see thee by faith and to suffer for thee with fidelity I am satisfied and content that thou art so good great glorious rich and happy in thy self and I am confident that thou in thy good time wilt make me rich in thy mercy and happy in thy love for in this Pilgrimage I desire no other happiness than true humility nor greater riches than naked Charity The second part is Consideration shewing three things first to our selves and then to our Soveraign Lord and Maker 1. Our Wounds both internal and external to wit our Sins Ingratitudes Daily failings strong Passions c. AH my sick and sinful soul How weak and Wounded are we in every degree in all parts in each member of body and faculty of mind 1. All is out of order all is pride and self-love how impenitent are we in sorrowing how impatient in suffering how unconstant in persevering and yet how importunate in sinning 2. My Vnderstanding is blind to good clear-sighted to evil My Will is perverse peevish cold sensual My Memory is weak full of idle images subject to distractions 3. My Affections are vain my Passions violent my Inclinations vitious 4. My Faith is little my Hope less my Charity least of all 5. So forward to extroversion and dissolution so backward
to introversion and compunction so full of imperfections and immortifications 6. So little confidence in my Saviours mercy so little patience in my misery and almost no performance of my good purposes 7. So curious to censure others so careless to keep my self and curb my own senses Finally all is self-love self-will self-conceit self-seeking pride propriety partiality which are my daily and dangerous diseases O Father of Mercies and only Phisician of my Soul Thou art Almighty and All-bounty these are my wounds and impurities and if thou wilt thou canst both cure and cleanse me and if thou wilt not I will remain content as I am I am willing to continue weak so I be not wicked to be wearied and wounded so I be not utterly tired overturned defeated lose the victory Cut kill crucifie O Lord only spare me for eternity 2. Our Wants for we are not only needy but naked not only poor but beggers who neither know how to deserve an alms nor how to desire it O My poor Soul What do we want nay what do we not want 1. True light true liberty true love true life 2. A setled attention a simple intention a serious introversion a sincere conversion 3. Humility of heart conformity of will purity of soul indifferency of spirit 4. Wisdom to know Gods Will strength to execute it patience to persevere in it 5. Resolution to suffer for our Saviour devotion to sigh after him diligence to find him constancy to remain with him 6. Courage to endure all Faith to forgo all Hope to expect all Charity to give all and Confidence to gain all Finally we want all we should have Yet our loving Lord is ready to bestow on us all that he hath O my God and all Thou art all that I want give me thy self and all my wants and wishes will be at an end Thou art all my safety and my only security all my refuge and my only center until I can return unto thee or wholly turn into thee let thy Cross be my Purgatory and thy Will my Paradise for other heaven upon earth I can never hope to find Until then I must be content to sweat and sigh under the burden of this mortal life to sit like Job upon a dunghil forlorn and forsaken by all full of sores and sorrows to remain a perpetual and pitiful patient scarcely feeling patience in my self and finding no compassion in others 3. Our Wishes and desires What can a wounded wretch wish but to be cared for and cured What can a naked begger desire but to be cloathed and comforted with some few rags and crums What can a blind and cold person ask but light and love THis O my Soveraign and sweet Lord is the sum and substance of all my wishes and requests O that I could go out of my self and get into thee O that I were dissolv'd from my loathed body to the end I might dilate my heart in thy love contemplate thy divine face in perfect liberty and please and praise thee eternally for in this prison of flesh and vale of tears I faint under the weight of temptations I fall under the burden of my troubles and I continually fail in the prosecution of my pious purposes Oh! that thy Will did so rule me and reign over me that it were a torment to decline never so little from it O that thy Love did so freely and fully possess my heart that there were no room at all remaining for any bastard or base love of things created Good Jesu how truly happy and holy should I be if I could clearly behold my own nothing in thy All If I could embrace crosses as Crowns and swallow down all contempts and confusions as milk and hony O when shall I be so elevated in spirit above my self by extasie of love as to be able and willing to humble my self under all creatures without repugnancy Alas Shall I never be content to forsake all and be forsaken by all Yea having lost and left all for One to be left by that One who is my All and so remain quiet in my own nothing How long shall I lie wallowing in flesh and bloud how long shall I delay and dally in false loves How long shall I sigh and not enjoy Seek and not find live and not love Come my Lord and Love Lord Jesu come quickly Let the fire of thy sweet love so consume in me all dross of self-love and so transform my spirit into thee that I may take all from thee indifferently give all to thee liberally and rest and repose in thee eternally Lord Let me be thine or nothing Love or not live The third Part is the Conclusion which consists also of three Acts. 1. Contrition which is a hearty and humble Sorrow for our Sins Ingratitudes Disloyalties Tepidities c. O My God! How little did I love thee when I so carelesly offended thy divine Majesty Oh! that I had never sinned mortally though it had cost me my life immediatly O that I were sure never more to swerve from thy Sacred Will and Commandments Let me henceforth endure dear Jesu a thousand deaths of my body rather than admit one deadly sin again into my soul O pity and pardon my past follies and frailties and prevent me with thy gracious blessings against future failings How great O Lord is my obligation to serve and please thee were it but for thy favours conferred thy benefits bestowed and thy love powred out upon me and yet ungrateful wretch that I am how poorly have I corresponded Oh! that I had so deep a sense of my Sins that my Heart might break with sorrow Hide not O Lord thy face from me shut not up thy Mercy gates against me for though I have most grievously gone astray yet I am resolved upon an entire amendment correction reformation of my whole man this strong Resolution which is thy gracious gift grounds my hope in thy goodness emboldens my confidence in thy mercy and gives me courage and comfort in thy love 2. Resignation in all our Wants Wishes Desolations and Distresses to the divine Will and pleasure I Am indifferent O my dear Lord to sickness and health to light and darkness to delight and desolation I am thine sweet Jesu put me where thou wilt do with me as thou wilt send me what thou wilt I am content not only to have nothing but to be nothing so thou O my Lord be all things unto me I acknowledg my self unworthy to beg and less worthy to obtain and therefore I resign my self still to beg and yet still to want even that which I most wish which is all Light all Liberty all Love all Comfort all Content yea even all Virtue Peace Perfection so long as it shall please thee O Father I am thine ever thine all thine body and soul for time and eternity Live Jesus only 3. Complacence and Confidence the first that our God is what he is the next
that he will heal our Wounds supply our Wants satisfie our Wishes and turn all to our good I Am glad O my gracious Lord God! that thou art so worthy of all love though I of all others am not worthy to love thee I am as joyful for what thou art O great God! as if all thou hast were all mine and I will love thee in all I am and have as being all thine Thy Cross is my comfort thy Will my wel-fare and thy Love my life so that if I can but suffer for thee do thy will follow thy love I shall do all that is necessary I am indeed dry dark and desolate but since it is thy will I am sure it is my good therefore sufficient for me satisfactory to thee I hope thou wilt one day compleat thy own heavenly design in my soul healing my Wounds supplying my Wants fulfilling my desires and filling my yet empty heart with thy sweet presence and perfect love In the mean space I will say and sing Live Jesus Live my Lord my love my life my all whose name be blessed by all whose will be accomplished in all whose honour be advanced above all An Advertisement touching the precedent exercise 1. WE must perform it daily diligently discreetly and with great confidence and courage 2. Yet without propriety that it may neither hinder the operation of the Holy Ghost within nor Works of due obligation and obedience without 3. If in the practise of this Introversion we find dryness and feel little devotion we may sometimes fitly resume in lieu of the second part or consideration our wonted exercises whereto our minds are more addicted ending the same with the Conclusion here prescribed being ever duly disposed to follow the holy Spirits invitation to higher matters The Second Exercise Of the knowledg of God and Confidence in Him 1. Our Chief Happiness consists in knowing God TO know thee O divine Fountain of goodness is to be truly happy and yet none can know thee O boundless and bottomless Sea of all perfection but through thy own manifestation and mercy Vouchsafe therefore I beseech thee O most loving and liberal Lord to enter into this poor and empty heart of thy meanest servant to inform my ignorant soul with a glimps of this necessary Science and to enflame my cold affection with a small spark of thy holy love O Omnipotent Creator of Heaven and Earth both which thou fillest with thy greatness glory O God of infinite power excellent wisdom unmeasurable goodness and incomprehensible Love my soul thirsts after thee the essential source of all felicity my heart seeks thee the proper place of its repose it sighs to thee the natural center of all its hope and happiness In thy blessed mind O my God! it first rested in its eternal possibility and similitude thither it must again return and there it must either rest eternally or perish for evermore O let it now find thee that it may ever love thee 2. Extasies Admirations and Adorations of the Divinity O Lord most good glorious and gracious most blessed and bountiful most high and holy most excellent and ineffable What words or thoughts can express thy purity and perfection Let me know thee O amiable life of my soul Let me see thee O true light of my eyes Let me seek thee O only solace of my spirit Let me find thee O desired of my heart Let me embrace thee O my heavenly Spouse Let me possess thee O Soveraign sweetness and full satiety of all my inward and outward senses O that my heart could alwaies think on thee my Will ever love thee my mind still remember thee my understanding continually conceive thee my reason perpetually adhere to thee and my whole man incessantly praise thee O hide not thy face from me my joy my light and my life If I may not see thee and live O let me die that I may see thee I desire to die here and be dissolved that I may see thee know thee come to thee live with thee and love thee eternally O ever blessed and glorious Divinity O Father who of thine own substance bringest forth an ineffable goodness coequal consubstantial and coeternal with thy self which is thy Son O Father and Son who loving each other with infinite charity and content are united together in one Holy Ghost equally and unspeakably proceeding from you both I admire you adore you and worship yon with all the powers of my body and soul 3. An absolute Oblation of all to the divine Majesty O Sacred Deity O Tri-unity and Vni-trinity O Father Son and Holy Ghost Holy holy holy Lord God of Hosts who wert art and shalt be for ever Almighty I thy poor creature prostrate before the Throne of thy divine Majesty from the abyss of my own nothing invoke adore and acknowledg thee the abyss of all perfections I present thee with all thy own gifts goods and excellencies which thou hast plentifully poured out upon all thy creatures I offer up to thy praise the affections of Angels and Men the properties of the Elements the beauty and motion of the whole Universe and the essence of all being O that my soul were capable to comprise unitedly all their several affections and perfections how joyfully would it employ them in thy praise how sweetly would it melt away in thy presence Behold O my God I make an entire Oblation of them all I acknowledg and adore thee with them all and desire to do it as frequently as I take breath as often as there are minutes in time stars in the firmameat stands in the Ocean numbers in all nature O my Lord whose love is the life of my Soul increase my knowledg of thee that I may enlarge my love to thee Alas I love thee not O amiable Lord God! because I know thee not I know thee not because darkness and sin hath covered and incompassed my understanding Wherefore O bright light who illuminatest all things expel this darkness from my Soul drive off those clouds from my Understanding and draw the curtain from off the face of the abyss of my Mind that I may see and know thee and then I shall not choose but love thee O my dear Jesu shew me thy divin Father dart a beam of thy heavenly splendor into my dull heart that I may have some degree of that holy science which may help me in thy love make me obedient to thy will and resolute in thy service To know all things of this world O Jesu and not to know thee is but ignorance and folly let me therefore know thy eternal Father and thy Self whom he hath sent for my Salvation and it sufficeth me O give me this knowledg that I may give thee my love and I ask no more Let me be unknowing ignorant and a fool in all other things so I may wisely know thee only O my God and my All. 4. An humble acknowledgment
of Gods high perfections O King of Glory I acknowledg thy perfections to be above all knowledg but that of thy own divine Understanding I confess that thy height is unreachable thy goodness unchangeable thy greatness incomprehensible thy light inaccessible And all other thy divine attributes and perfections are so mighty and so many so good and so glorious so excellent and so admirable so worthy and so wonderful that were all the Power and Prerogatives all the vertue wisdom and qualities of all creatures united in one individual nature it were not so much in respect of thy glory and greatness as the least drop of water is in comparison of the vast Ocean Wherefore I beg of thee O immense and inaccessible Godhead only so much to know conceive believe and understand of thy hidden Majesty as may efficaciously move my will to thee and I content my self with so much light of thy divinity as may force me to love thee ardently effectually perseverantly O my Lord and my Love Fill my heart with the sweet influence of thy heavenly grace that I may in some measure discover how good and gracious thou art to me and to all thy creatures O let me still remember thy mecry ever dread thy Justice and continually admire and adore thy Power and Providence Ah! my noble Soul stampt with thy Creators lovely image endowed with the excellencies of Understanding to know him of Will to love him of Memory to rest in him why adherest thou not fast to him only in pure and perfect delight forgetting and forgoing all sensible worldly Objects 5. Fervent wishes and desires to love and serve God O That I were so ravished with thy love and liking My only amiable Lord God! that through joy jubily and admiration I might feel no self at all no sense no change no inequality That no prosperitie might puff me up no adversitie deject me no accident separate me from thee O my God of infinite love and liberality O that I could be ever joyful in thee ever grateful to thee and ever mindful of thy inhabiting presence within me Thou art always nearer to my Soul O my good God! than my Soul is to my Body always conserving counselling disposing directing inciting and inspiring it to thy Love and wilt thou not O my senseless and sinful soul be alwaies cautious and circumspect how thou behavest thy self in thy Lords presence who is so tenderly careful of thy safetie O let his love be no longer neglected his sweet invitations no longer slighted O that thou wouldst henceforth walk before him as befits his chast and holy Spouse with all respect and reverence fear fidelity courage and constancy preparing thy self diligently for his divine embraces 6. Admirations of Gods bounty and benefits and Resolutions of corresponding thereto GRant I beseech thee O mighty and merciful Creator that my whole time and thoughts may be totally taken up in the contemplation of thy unmeasurable benefits and bounty towards me For I know Lord that I am truly nothing and yet thou carest for me O my loving Maker as if thou hadst no other creature in heaven or earth thou deliverest me from innumerable dangers thou adornest me with many gifts and graces thou givest me leave at all times to have free access to thy Throne of Mercy so that with one holy thought one humble sigh one devout desire I may draw near to thee and enjoy thee and in thee all comfort content O divine priviledg To discover to thee my Wants lay open my Wounds and boldly declare my Wishes as to my nearest dearest and trustiest friend and familiar and to be sure of supplies salves and succour in all my necessities O what Goodness what Grace what Mercy is this O my Soul How loving and liberal a Lord have we how loving in Mercy how liberal in bounty Ah! our unthankfulness to requite our unworthiness to deserve his favours Up my heart be no longer ungrateful and unfaithful to so great good and gracious a benefactor Yes O blessed and bountiful Giver I now say cordially and will ever stand to it couragiously I will henceforth love thee my Lord my love my life my strength my support my home my harbour and my happiness I will remember thy sweet words to all sinners Why will you perish O children As I live I desire not the death of a sinner but that he would turn to me and live I will behold thy sacred wounds suffered for me able to move a rock to love and compassion And though I am asham'd to think what I have been how little I have done how much thou hast endured for me how long thou hast expected me how lovingly thou hast sought me and how poorly I have corresponded to thee Yet I know O my Lord thou ceasest not to be God and good though I am weak and wicked Therefore I will yet take courage in thy service and confidently hope that thou who hast sought after me a lost sheep wilt mercifully receive me now I seek after thee my loving Shepheard with a right intention real resolution and inflamed affection 7. Acts of Confidence and purposes of Perseverance in the divine love and service YEs O my Lord and my Love heaven and earth shall sooner perish than my Confidence in thy sweet mercies and my Saviours merits If thou repellest me I will run after thee if thou shuttest the door against me I will never leave knocking and if thou killest me yet will I trust in thee I wholly cast my self upon thy holy Will Providence and Protection I protest with heart and mouth that I now am and henceforth will be entirely thine that I have nothing seek nothing fear nothing desire nothing demand nothing want nothing will nothing but thee only My Lord my Love and my All. And I firmly purpose to serve and love thee O sacred and supream Majesty simply sincerely purely and perseverantly not for any fear of pains or punishment not for any self-interest of what this world can offer or the next afford not for the least hope of Heaven or happiness but I will thee seek thee and love thee for thy self only O my All-sufficient Lord God! who art the sole object sweet compleatment and solid contentment of my soul Pardon me protect me and provide for me for thou art my only hope and happiness The Third Exercise Of the knowledg of and diffidence in our selves 1. A total Abnegation of our selves and Relation to the divine Providence WHat is man O omnipotent Creator what is this man that thou shouldst be so mindful of him He is a meer nothing Lord and I am the least and worst of those nothings because I have least corresponded to thy grace and made worst use of thy gifts O give me light reach forth thy hand to this blind creature crying after thee O true light of the world and life of my Soul that now at length I may duly diligently cordially and abyssally
little and bad use of them as I have done If I deny all this my conscience witnesseth against me If I confess it Oh! why am I not more humble Finally If such great troubles temptations and tribulations had hapned to me as have done to others I should by consenting have ere now burn'd in Hell fire but thou O meek and merciful Creator hast spared me because thou knowest my weakness sent me smal crosses because I can't bear greater c. Wherefore Not unto me O Lord but to thee be all honour for time and eternity O that I could know thee and know my self O that I could truly see my own nothing and total dependency on thee my misery and malice and thy perfection and total goodness Ay me weak and wretched N What are my forces that I should rely on them I have nothing O my Lord but what is thine my merits are thy mercies my goods thy graces yet I never have been thankful for receiving them nor faithful in using them O! when did I trust in my own strength and was not foiled and confounded Grant therefore O my Lord O my only hope and help O my sole safety and security that I may totally trust to thee and distrust my self truly acknowledg thee and deny my self entirely love thee and bate my self 6. A further Confession of our own poorness unprofitableness unworthiness I Confess O my Lord that I am the poorest ungratefullest unprofitablest and unworthiest worm of the earth a thing altogether useless to the world only active to offend thee and to do wickedly in thy sight and is it possible that I can harbour any thought of self-love or self-liking O God of infinite glory greatness and Majesty before whom the powers of heaven do tremble what are all creatures in thy sight and what am I the meanest of them all O what proportion is there Great God! between me and thee between thy All and my Nothing and yet have I infring'd thy laws disobey'd thy commands contemn'd thy Counsels resisted thy callings and contradicted thy Will to prefer my own O monstrous impiety and ingratitude And shall not I willingly submit to all pain punishment contradiction contempt which thou O my highly offended Creator shalt suffer thy creatures to inflict upon me Behold O my Lord I debase humble and annihilate my self under all things that have a being I will henceforth utterly hate distrust and detest my self and wholy love thee and rely upon thy mercy O holy self-knowledg O sacred humility thou art the key of all perfection the door of all solid virtue piety and devotion 7. Resolutions to practise Humility Self-denial and Abnegation I Now clearly see by the light of thy divine goodness O gracious Lord God! what hath hitherto been the cause of my non-proficiency in the way of the Spirit and why the path of virtue seemed so unpleasant thornie tedious and troublesome to my deceived soul It was because I had not learn'd to leave loath deny and distrust my self and rely wholy on thee O my only comfort and support I will therefore henceforth faithfully practise what I perceive so necessary I will profoundly humble my Soul both inwardly in thy presence O my Lord and outwardly to the whole world I will joyfully and voluntarily embrace all injury indignity contempt correction and confusion which can befal me with as much pleasure as I have formerly any worldly cherishings and kindnesses I will utterly destroy ruine and root out all Self-love self-liking self-seeking self-praise and self-complacency I will cast my self under the feet of the vilest creatures take pleasure in the meanest employments and obey them most willingly whom my nature most distasts and dislikes I will walk before thee O my Creator as thy needy naked desolate and destitute Vassal acknowledging my self void of all Virtue attributing to my self nothing but sin ingratitude defects failings imperfections I will fully perswade my self that no one can contemn confound persecute and punish me as I deserve I will not regard whether I am honoured or hated but imagine my self as a thing dead and forgotten or as that which never had a being and is now truly nothing I will be contented to be accounted an Hypocrite in my sincerest actions and to be thought full of inward impatience secret grudgings and desires of revenge against them who shall any way mortifie or misuse me though my Heart be never so free from it Finally I will have these and the like thoughts and words always in my heart and mouth I am nothing I have nothing I do no good I am an unprofitable servant I utterly hate and distrust my self and totally rely upon thee O my Lord my Love and my All. The Fourth Exercise To obtain Remission of our Sins 1. We excite our dull and drowsie Souls to arise speedily and lament seriously our former sinfulness WHO will give water to my Head and fountains of tears to my Eyes And I will weep day and night for my Sins which cover me all over like an incurable ulcer from the sole of the Foot to the crown of the Head Where art thou O my wretched and wicked Soul In what labyrinths dost thou walk In what sinks of Sin and puddles of uncleanness dost thou wallow Awake arise lament repent how long wilt thou sleep Why wilt thou die when wilt thou shake off thy fetters Ah return filly sheep to thy good Pastor return poor Prodigal to thy pious Father whose goodness so lovingly invites thee whose mercy hath so long expected thee O great and glorious God the mighty Monarch of heaven and earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords behold a poor and penitent Publican who is asham'd to lift up his eyes to Heaven and unworthy to take your Sacred Name into his sinful mouth humbly knocking at your gate of mercy clipping your holy feet and craving your accustomed pitty and compassion O merciful Lord Hide not your self from me shut not the door against me Oh! one crum of comfort one dram of devotion to my sad and sick Soul to my dry and desolate Spirit 2. Our God is all to us and in us and the Authour of all our goodness I Am conscious of my ingratitude against thee O supreme Majesty and my sin is always before me and confounding me But whether should I retire my self from thee To whom should I have recourse but unto thee Art not thou my Father my Father of mercies which have neither limits nor measure Art not thou my Maker my Preserver my Governor my Deliverer my King my Pastor my Physician my Priest my Sacrifice If thou art not all this and more to me and if I am nothing to thee refuse me reject me and relinquish me a prey to be swallowed up by thine enemies But it is time O Lord that Heaven and Earth take notice of what thou art to me and what I am to thee It is time thou shouldest enter into thy
free from the infectious leprosie of Sin and Sensuality All is out of order O my Lord I acknowledg it to my own shame and confusion each sense is gone astray each member of my body is corrupted and each power of my Soul is perverted My Understanding is obscured with self-love my Memory distracted with sensual objects my Will possess'd with peevish inclinations My affections are vain my passions violent my dispositions vitious My body is burdensom my imagination troublesom my life irksom These are my Wounds O my heavenly Surgeon O put to thy helping hand I beseech thee see sear and search them before the Gangrene enters and the Grief grows incurable My soul is sick even to death if thou wilt O my Lord thou canst both cleanse and cure me To this end thou descendest from Jerusalem to Jerico O pious Samaritan from heaven to earth O compassionate Saviour where thou findest me in this pitiful plight sore beaten wounded half dead and utterly despoil'd of all natural and spiritual riches by Thieves and Robbers which are the Senses of my Body and the Faculties of my Soul O pass not by me sweet Jesu but mercifully bind up my bleeding Wounds with the swathing bands of thy Death and Passion pour upon them the wine of thy precious Blood and supple them with the oyl of thy heavenly Grace 4. A firm Resolution of a total Reformation of our lives and manners I Intend O my Lord strengthen me in this hour I intend O sweet Saviour a total reformation of my life and manners an entire mortification of my corporal senses and spiritual faculties an absolute change in my whole man O grant me I beseech thee my loving Lord the powerful assistance of thy special Grace for the performance of this great and good purpose Teach me now O blessed Master to live inwardly piously spiritually as I lov'd formerly to live outwardly vainly sensually O let me henceforth yield to thy divine motion obey thy call imitate thy example and follow thy will O let me never more act or omit any thing be it never so little for my own liking but purely and perfectly for thy love 5. A desire of perfect Conformity both in all our Actions and in all our Senses to our dear Saviour GRant O Good Jesu that at each word of my mouth at each glance of my eye at each morsel I eat at each member I move at each inward and outward action I undertake I may first ask thy leave and permission so do it or leave accordingly as thy holy inspiration allows me O that I could perform each natural and necessary work with an actual reflection upon thy praise and pleasure and with a pure intention to be united to thee My Lord and my Love Thy outward Senses O my sweet Saviour were exactly subject to thy Reason and perfectly obedient to thy sacred Soul O let mine be swallowed up I beseech thee gracious Jesu and sanctifi'd by the merits of thine Let me live love move and make use of my senses purely and only in thee for thee and by thee Thy sacred Hands O holy Jesu were harshly nail'd to the tree of the Cross preserve mine I beseech thee from all sinful touch ng Thy blessed Feet were likewise pierced and fastned to the same rood O fix my steps that I run not to evil actions direct them in thy paths and make me speedy in all works concerning thy honour and the assistance of my neighbour Thy holy Mouth was free from guile full of Wisdom put thy Words sweet Jesu into mine let it always speak of thy love und only sing thy praises Thy divin Ears were fill'd with blasphemies and derisions Let not mine be open to hear vanities and detractions Thy sweet Eyes poured out floods of tears for me O give unto mine tears of compassion for thy Sufferings and of compunction for my own Sins Thy Taste was tormented with the noysome potion of Gall and Vinegar O take from me I beseech thee all desire of delicacies let me not eat or drink but for meer sustenance and necessity Thy whole Humanity O gracious Jesu was martyr'd and murther'd O grant that I may be truly and totally mortifi'd Let me not see feel hear taste smell eat drink do any thing or make use of any thing as following my own gust sensuality and self-seeking but in pure conformity to thy divin Will and Pleasure 6. Petitions for the Conformity of our whole inward man to our Lord and Saviour O Merciful Redeemer how great and grievous were the inward sufferings of thy holy Soul O for those thy sorrows and thy tender mercies sake cleanse cure inlighten inform reform and transform all my inward man O permit not my Vnderstanding where the knowledg of your greatness and goodness should be only seated to be overspread with ignorance and errour Let not my Memory which should be totally taken up with thee be stuffed with vain fancies or impertinent curiosities Let not my Will which thou gavest me to desire and love thee O my only Lord and Love above all thy creatures be inslav'd to any inferiour affection Repair O gracious Redeemer this lively image of the lovely Trinity which is almost defac'd by my brutish Sensuality Grant O dear Saviour that my Vnderstanding Will and Memory may be incessantly busied in knowing loving and remembring thee that they may forget and forgo all other Objects but only in thee and for thee 7. An absolute Disengagement of our selves from created objects and Adhesion to the Divinity O That my heart were perfectly dis-ingaged from the love of all Creatures Drain it sweet Jesu and deliver it from all forreign and domestick Affection and fill it up again with thine only that it may never love desire nor will any thing but thee alone O my Lord my Love and my All O that my Will were conformable to thine without any reservation or retraction Take it unto thee Dear Lord freely and fully for time and eternity I will have no will but thine dispose of me as thou pleasest both here and hereafter O that my Memory were disincombred from all imaginations and purg'd from all impressions but of thee only Empty it O thou only amiable object of my soul and then replenish it with such holy and heavenly notions as may best please thy divin Majesty O that my Vnderstanding were imbued with some measure of the knowledg of thy Divinity O my Lord infinit in goodness dreadful in Majesty and unspeakable in all perfection O my great gracious and glorious God quicken it sharpen it elevate it and illuminate it that knowing thee I may not choose but love thee and that knowing and loving thee I may be eternally happy Behold Lord I make an absolute divorce with all self-love sensuality and affection to creatures and give thee my self by an irrevocable donation Behold Lord the keys the lodging the treasure and the Master prostrate at thy sacred feet
Enter freely possess all fully dispose universally and command absolutly Put me where thou wilt give me what thou wilt treat me as thou wilt thine I am O my Lord my Love and my All for time and Eternity The Sixth Exercise Of Mortification and perfect Abnegation 1. If we will be Christ's true Disciples we must renounce all deny our selves take up our crosses and follow him O Eternal and ever blessed Lord God! thou hast framed me of soul and body and fitted me with faculties proportionable to attain the end of my creation which is to love thee intirely and to live with thee eternally But alas how far am I from observing this thy blessed and beautiful order Thou O Lord gavest me a Soul to bear all the sway in my body Reason to have the chief regency in my Soul thy Law to be the guide of my Reason and thy self to be the sole mover and governour of my whole man But oh how have I wilfully cross'd thy sacred design contradicted thy intention and swarv'd from this perfection My body is all brutish my soul all animal and my reason all sensual I am all blindness self-love and immortification Yet I know well and thou O eternal verity hast expresly told me that unless I renounce all deny my self take up my Cross and follow thee I can never become thy true Disciple Ah harsh words to my carnal ears If thou wilt be my Disciple deny thy self If thou wilt be perfect sell all give away all reform all renounce all relinquish all If thou wilt possess life eternal contemn this life temporal If thou wilt be exalted in Heaven humble thy self in the world If thou wilt wear a Crown with me bear thy Cross with me But O my soul how wilt thou brook that more dismal sentence Depart from me thou accursed into eternal fire Wherefore O my Lord my Love and my All Since thou hast taught me these things by thy Sacred Word and shewed them by thy holy Example and thou art The Way the Truth and the life Grant O infallible Truth that I may couragiously walk in this perfect Way that so I may happily come to thee the only true and eternal life and love of my Soul 2. We must leave all things to finde one thing which is all in all WHat dreadest thou O my fearful and faithless Heart Behold Christ thy King and Captain is marched on before thee take up thy Cross and travel after him he leads thee to a Kingdem Heaven is worth thy pains O take courage to mortifie thy self deny thy self and dy to thy self that thou mayst live to Jesus and with Jesus eternally Learn O my soul this short and securing lesson Leave all things and thou shalt find one thing which is all in all Take courage and fight valiantly against thy own bad nature pray suffer stoop bear repugnances swallow down contradictions digest injuries The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence The end thou aimest at is Perfection the reward of thy Conquest is Eternal Love eternal Life eternal Happiness Behold O my Lord my strength and my Salvation I am fully resolved to lay the ax to the root of this wicked tree Help me I beseech thee with thy Grace from above that I may hew my self out of my self that I may kill crucifie and mortifie my inveigling sensuality cut off my evil inclinations rectifie my disorder'd passions and root out each thought or desire which tends not directly to thy honour will and love O my Lord and my God! 3. We can never love God unless we hate our Selves I Know Lord that it is bootless to study Perfection without the practice of Mortification I confess I can never love thee truly but in as much as I hate my self really such is the Antipathy between self-love and thy holy affection Ah! how can a spirit distracted with contrary inclinations be freely and fully vacant to thy divine contemplation Put therefore I beseech thee a sluce to my unmortified Passions put a bound to my distraught heart and powerfully keep back those innumerous concupiscences and corrupt imaginations violently succeding each other that my united affections may intend thee only the only object of all happiness Gather O my Lord the dispersed forces of my Soul from all multiplicity of worldly affections to the union of thy only love Keep I beseech thee my Understanding Will Memory Imagination and all my inward and outward Senses from roaming abroad that carefully attending and entertaining thy divine presence in my Soul I may attain true introversion simplification and union of my Spirit with thine Reform O my Lord all the natural corruptions of my outward man and redress all the spiritual infirmities of my inward man destroy and disperse all internal and external enemies and opposers of thy holy love possess me perfectly and dispose of me entirely according to thy Divin will and pleasure 4. A firm Resolution of mortifying our exteriour Sensuality TO this end O bless my weak endeavours al mighty and al-merciful Lord God! I will subtract all superfluities from my body and accustom it to all sorts of sufferings that so I may fit it up for thee O holy Spirit who dwellest not with them that are sensual and subject to Sin Alas I have not yet resisted to the effusion of my blood and should I spill each drop of blood in my body in this holy quarrel how little ought I to regard it in respect of the great good I expect I will therefore crucifie thee O my flesh with all thy concupiscences I will mortifie my outward Senses the windows by which death steals into my Soul the hinderers of my hearts tranquillity the destroyers of true devotion the dispersers of inward recollection and the utter ruiners of all the good desires which I conceive and kindle in my prayers Ah how soon is this divin fire cooled and quenched not only by Sin but also by the distracting images of outward Objects I will keep a special and strict watch over my Tongue on which depends my spiritual life or death and cherish thee O beloved Silence which art the key of piety the keeper of innocency and the preserver of purity I will trample down my inferiour Nature with all its evil affections and motions of love hatred joy sadness desire fear hope anger c. I will order dispose and direct it according to the Laws of reason and thy divine inspirations O my Lord and my God! Grant me courage I beseech thee to quell and curb this most dangerous my greatest enemy which is the source of all my miseries the Citadel from whence Sin assails me and Satan fetches his forces to fight against me Grant Good Lord that I may never yield to this wicked Eve perswading Adam my Superior Will to eat the forbidden fruit to consent to unlawful pleasures This is the chief exercise of Gods children not to be carried away with affections of flesh and blood but to conduct
themselves according to Gods Spirit Therefore every one must strive to know his own natural inclinations and then imploy all his forces and apply all his prayers and spiritual exercises to quell them O that I could tame these cruel beasts my natural passions how soon should I be Master of all moral Virtues O that I could so till this Vineyard so delve this Garden so purge it from all ill weeds of affection and prune all superfluous surgeons and shoots of passions that the seed of thy Grace O heavenly Husbandman might only there take root increase and fructifie 5. The same Resolution of mortifying our interiour man I Will also mortifie my Superiour and Rational part with all the curious and fruitless speculations of my Vnderstanding all conceits of self-wisdome natural prudence proper judgment and good liking of my own proceedings All vain and foolish reflexions of my Memory and all petty desires and affections of my Will which relate not to thee the only object and Lord of my love I am resolved O my Lord to nip off each budding Passion as soon as it peeps up in my Soul to trouble it in its true repose and to hinder its liberty and tendency to thy love I will by thy gracious assistance proceed faithfully and sincerely in the hatred denial and mortification of my self and in the prosecution of thy divin love And in order to this only end aim I make in thy presence and from the very bottom of my Heart and Soul these particular acts following I renounce O my Lord for the pure love of thee all affection to worldly things Give them unto me O gracious God! or take them from me as best liketh thy divine Majesty I resign up all my interest in any thing though never so near and dear unto me Behold O my Lord and Lover I uncloath my Soul from all affections whatsoever to creatures and desire nothing but thy self alone O happy nakedness O rich poverty of Spirit O pure obedience to the divin Will in all things Be you my hearts delight my whole pleasure and patrimony 6. An absolute Renunciation of all Selfishness I Renounce all self-seeking Ah! my corrupt nature I abhor thee Adien all private interest profit praise and preferment I will henceforth perform all my actions and exercises O my Lord God! for thy only pure and perfect love I will seek to please and praise thee with an inward ardent and amorous affection for thy self only and not for thy gifts or graces I renounce all Sensuality whether it be in Meat Drink Sleep Apparel curiosity of my five Senses or any thing els whatsoever O my Lord I will make no other use of any thy Creatures than I am absolutly compell'd to by necessity of Nature I look for no solace but from thee alone my only comfort and content I renounce all disordered love to any worldly person No favour or friendship O my only amiable Lord God! no greatness or goodness of any one shall make me swerve from my exact duty to thee-wards No carnal affection to kindred No tenderness of amity No private or publick respect No connivency or correspondency shall make me partial in the reproof of Vice or praise of Virtue O take up my whol Heart with thy holy Love that thy image and perpetual memory may blot out all species of forreign objects I renounce all vain vicious idle and unprofitable thoughts fancies and imaginations O let my mind not only yield no consent but no entrance unto them O let me never more contristate thy holy Spirit with these Vanities nor hinder my souls advancement and union with thee by these divertisements I will henceforth compel my heart to some good employment I will no longer permit it to wander and waste it self in any idle and superfluous Curiosities No my Lord and Saviour thy bitter and blessed Passion thy blessings and benefits shall be the continual occupation of my interior O what have I to do with transitory things who am made for Eternity I renounce all care and solicitude which necessity obedience charity do not oblige me to No natural passions of joy sorrow hope fear love hatred anger or shamefastness shall make any impression in this heart of mine which is pre-ingag'd in thy affection sealed up and setled in thy contemplation No pretext of lawfulness nor shew of fittingness nor conceit of compassion nor excuse of necessity shall procure the admittance of such Passions into my Soul as may any way distract darken or dull the point of my affection and devotion towards thee my only Lord and Love I renounce all bitterness of heart against any one Is he good be thou eternally praised in him and by him O bountiful bestower of all blessings Is he wicked Correct him O merciful Creator comfort encourage and raise him to amendment Hath he offended affronted injured or sleighted me I deserve O great God! to be trodden on by all creatures and therefore I freely forgive him for the past and give him free leave to add stripes to his injuries for the future Am I denied the grant of my most lawful and just demands Thou best knowest O eternal Wisdom what is best for my state and condition O deny not thy love to my Soul and let me be refused in all other my requests whatsoever I renounce all vain-glory all self-liking and pride which may arise from worldly prayses all delight springing from any gift of nature or grace which is in me Not unto me Lord but to thy holy Name be given all honour and glory Alas what am I what have I what can I All is thine O bountiful Lord God! Nothing is mine but sin and therefore I deserve only shame and confusion 7. More Acts of Renunciation of our own Wills even in the most spiritual matters I Renounce all desire of delight in my devotions all sensible gusts of grace and all sweetnesses and solaces in the inferiour faculties of my Soul Ah my heart what is this to thee follow thou thy Saviour Thou seekest thy crucified Jesus This is not he but his gifts O my Lord it is thy self I seek and sigh after If thou sendest me comforts for the encouragemnnt of my weakness be thou ever praised for thou dost like a most benign and bountiful God If thou withdrawest them still blessed be thy providence whch hath secret and several ways of conducting souls to thy self and if thou wilt make trial of my fidelity by permitting me to be dull dry and desolate in my devotions be thou equally and eternally blessed I renounce all scrupulosity of Conscience which reflects any way upon the least diffidence or distrust in thy mercy I am a Sinner O Jesu but thou art a Saviour I have great reason to dread thy Justice but greater to hope in thy Goodness Heaven and Earth shall sooner fail than my confidence in thee my merciful Maker If thou killest me I will trust in thee And
if I had formerly hated thee and betrayed thee as Judas did I would now with penitent Magdalen run to thy blessed feet weep and bemoan my misery and hope to obtain thy mercy And finally O my Lord I absolutely entirely and irrevocably renounce my whole Will in all things and totally resign whatsoever any way concerns me to thy holy will and pleasure I offer up unto thee the full sacrifice both principal and accessory of all that by thy gift and grace I am have and can my self goods graces body soul senses heart will all I leave no right or title to any selfness in any thing whatsoever I am no more my self but thy slave O Lord Not my will but thine be don for time and eternity O let me will what thou wilt or not will at all Let all my desires be involuntary if they swerve never so little from thy divin pleasure Die Self-will Live Jesus my Lord my Love my All. The Seventh Exercise Of Conformity to Christ Crucified 1. Ardent Wishes and Desires of perfect Conformity to Christ our Saviour CRucified JESV Thou only Lord of my life life of my love and love of my soul O that I could reform my life deiform my love and conform my soul to thee the absolute pattern of all perfection O that I could imprint thy lively and lovely image in my Heart fasten all my affections and imperfections to thy sacred Cross drown all my desires and defects in thy dear Wounds put off my self totally and put thee on entirely O sacred humanity O my suffering Saviour O that I could perfectly imitate thee the pure exemplar of all Virtues that I could give up my whole self to thee by an Act of irrevocable donation as thou demandest and commandest But alas I am yet O my Jesu all self-love sin and sensuality I acknowledg O my Lord what I have and what I want I know what I desire and what I deserve I confess I am wounded I am wicked I am wretched and I tremblingly come to thee my heavenly Physician to be cured converted comforted O sweet Saviour for thy mercies sake and for thy passions sake Forget and forgive what I have been pitty what I am satisfie for what I deserve and supply what I desire 2. We cast our selves at our Saviours Feet where we beg Humility BEhold most merciful Jesu I first cast my self at thy sacred Feet pierced and fastned to the cruel Cross for my trangressions Pierce my flesh O my Lord with thy fear and fasten my soul to thy love O let not pride presumption nestle any longer in that Heart which thou O meek Saviour lovest so tenderly and hast redeemed at so dear a rate O my vain-glory and arrogancy what have I to do with you how much do I now detest you Wash off these stains O Jesu from my poor soul in these sweet streams flowing from thy wounded Feet O drown these my imperfections in these sacred Seas of piety Give me O gracious Lord such true humilty of Spirit that I may perfectly perceive the abyss of my own nothing and naughtiness and rightly conceive the immensity of thy greatness and goodness wherereby I may depress my self unfeignedly and exalt thee only in my soul Let me be content to be contemned by all Creatures desire to be despised be willing to be troden on as dirt and dust and the very outcast of the whole world O let me really hate all honour and humbly pronounce with mouth and mind I am nothing have nothing deserve nothing desire nothing but only to please thee perfectly my Jesu praise thee perpetually love thee purely and live with thee eternally 3. Before the same Wounds of our Saviours Feet we beg the virtues of Obedience Patience Silence GRant me also Good Jesu by the merits of these your Wounds the Virtue of perfect Obedience O let me never tire in trampling down self-will in forsaking my own sense in subduing Self-judgment in submiting my spirit inwardly to thy inspirations and outwardly not only to my Superiors injunctions but even to the commands of all thy Creatures O let me have no propriety affection or affectation in my own proceedings but wholy mind thy holy pleasure in all things Let me lay down all my desires at thy sacred Feet O my Jesu saying Lord what wilt thou have me to do so transforming my Will into thine by an absolute forsaking denying and annihilating my whol self Let me receive O my Saviour as from thy secret providence and permission not only patiently but thankfully all pain all poverty all shame all sickness and all sufferings whatsoever acknowledging that I truly deserve worse and desiring willingly to endure more that so I may have a more perfect resemblance with thee my crucified Lord Let me learn O my Lord by thy blessed example the holy lesson of discreet Silence not only from ill and idle talk but even from all needless and unprofitable discourses Let me rather edifie by the purity of my life and conversation than by multiplicity of words and conceptions O give me sweet Jesu a free and frequent access to thy sacred Feet during the whol course of my life and a sure comfort in them at the hour of my death 4. Petitions for several Virtues before the Right hand of our Crucified Redeemer FRom thy blessed Feet O my dear Lord I raise my humble devotion to thy all-holy Hands and beg leave to cast into the sweet Fountain issuing from thy powerful right Palm my manifold Sins of Malice and Injustice with all my faults of Hypocrisie and Ingratitude Falshood and Infidelity Rancor and Revenge Renew O Lord God! a right spirit within my bowels Let exact Justice be the square of all my actions Truth the touchstone of my words and Sincerity the subject of my thoughts Let me be punctual in performing my duty to thee zealous in punishing my self and charitable in compassionating my neighbour Let me ever yield first unto thy Sacred Majesty all honour and glory reverence and respect laud and love gratitude and obedience with my whol heart soul and strength next to my Superiours equals and inferiours and lastly to my own body soul and senses that which is my duty and each one of their respective dues O let me fully perform what I am bound to carefully eschew what is forbidden me and uprightly walk according to my calling O let me never presume to slight scorn suspect judg or condemn any person but sincerely serve succour and seek the temporal and spiritual good of all men whatsoever even of my profess'd and most peevish Enemies Lord Jesu give me grace to imitate thy Virtues to be grateful for thy Gifts and to make use of thy Goodness in order to my souls advancement in the way of thy dear love and desired union with thy divin Majesty 5. Other Petitions before the Left-hand ANd in the Sacred wound of thy Left-hand I humbly intomb all my offences of Negligence
Tepidity Sluggishness Cowardise and Pusillanimity all my my Covetous desires all Impurity and all Intemperance Purge me O my powerful Lord purifie me O my merciful Saviour Give strength comfort and courage to my feeble and frail nature that I may pass undauntedly through all difficulties and dangers to come to thee and to repose in thee the only center of my desires Grant me O my Lord Chastity of body and Cleanness of heart Temperance in my appetites and Sobriety in my senses Gravity in my deportment and Moderation in all my proceedings that nothing may dislike thee in my soul nor dissolve the sacred knot wherewith thou hast fastned me unto thee Give me also O Jesu my Lord perfect Poverty of spirit O permit not my soul designed to enjoy thee her only solid and satiating object to be intangled with the least affection to the poor and perishable trifles of this world Behold I cast my self uncloathed from all creatures into thy naked embraces O crucified Saviour I desire to clip nothing in my folded arms but a breast burning with desires to please thee my Redeemer and a heart melting away in thy love I make choice of thy baâ—e Cross O Christ for my best inheritance I stretch out my opened folds to meet thy holy and heavenly huggings O let me never more be unclasp'd from thy blessed bosom Be thou O my great-little naked-Jesu my rest during the short time of my life and my refuge at the dreadful hour of my death 6. More humble Petitions before the Sacred Head and Face of our Crucifi'd Saviour ANd now O merciful Saviour I humbly convert my eyes and contemplation to thy sacred Head crowned with thorns and thy divin Face all besmeared with gore and spittle for my sake Here I implore strength O Jesu for the weaknesses of my head and pardon for the wickednesses of my five Wits and Senses O my Lord I desire to bury in these thy innumerous Wounds the enormous number of my iniquities and I beseech thee for these thy sufferings sake to adorn my weak capacity with so much solid Wisdom as may fitly suit with my condition O let me never think speak or act any thing which is not season'd with the salt of Discretion Let me seriously weigh each circumstance and patiently wait thy leave and leasure before I leap into any work Enlighten me to see cleerly thy will and pleasure and impower me exactly to fulfil and follow it Open the eyes of my Understanding to behold my own baseness and wickedness and give me thy gracious assistance to reform it Help me to frame a right judgment of the real vileness and vanity of all transitory things and indue my heart with courage to contemn them Inebriate my affection O amiable Jesu with the sweetness of thy love and let all worldly solaces savour of bitterness to my soul Let me be deaf blind and dumb to all things which are not thy self O my crucified Saviour Let me prudently discern and piously perform each parcel of my duty in its due circumstance of time place order measure and manner Let that holy and innocent Simplicity which is the Virtue of thy Saints shine in all my actions Let me not be curious to know much but careful to practise much and cordial to love thee much O my only Lord and love Cleanse my Will from all self-seeking Keep my Memory from all superfluities Close up my Senses from all vanities that my happy soul seperated from all sensible images may quietly tend to thee only sweetly repose in thee and continually enjoy thy blessed presence O let thy pure and perfect love Dear Lord Jesu be the faithful Scout-watch over all my proceedings that no forreign affection no sinister intention no self liking or self seeking may steal into my heart and defraud or disturb its happy enjoyment of thee and holy unity with thy divin Spirit Grant O my Lord that I may prudently turn all good events and all bad accidents to my spiritual profit by reflecting wherefore they befall me of what they warn me and how far they concern me Let me learn thereby gratitude to thy Goodness fervour in Prayer contempt of my self humility of spirit care of my actions resignation to thy will amendment of my life or what else thy holy Spirit shall please to intimate by these fatherly visitations O sacred Head of my crucified Saviour be thou my certain succour during my lives conflict and my sure place of retreat in my last agony of Death 7. And finally Ardent Petitions before the Heart of JESVS wounded with a Launce ANd Lastly I reverently approach to thy dear Heart O amiable Lord Jesu opened with a cruel Launce in the sight of thy blessed Mother and thy beloved Disciple for the love of my Soul O my Jesu I here implore thy pardon for all my perverss affections and irregular appetites Give me thy leave O my loving Lord to creep into this sweet hole of the rock this sacred cleft of the wall this unlock'd closet of heavenly treasures this saving Ark of the New Testament and shut you O Jesu the door from without that free from the deluges of all wickedness and dangers of the World Flesh and Devil I may sit solitarily silently and sweetly hearkning to thy divin whispers in my elevated Soul Purge all my impurities O my dear Saviour in the precious Blood streaming from thy patent side and replenish my heart with thy perfect love Oh! drown me wound me burn me and consume me in thy divine flames of affection that I may love thee strongly purely perfectly perseverantly O grant that I may leave all things with alacrity for thee my beloved Jesu though never so great to loath all things joyfully for thy love though never so good to do all things contentedly for thy honour though never so hard to suffer all things patiently for thy sake though never so painful and to persever constantly in my pious practices for the sole satisfaction of thy holy Will and the accomplishment of thy blessed pleasure O let me be incessantly calling and knocking at this sacred gate of Mercy Let me be still sighing and seeking after thee my Jesus my Saviour my Lord and my Love Let me be always thinking ever talking and perpetually tending to unite my heart to thine to conform it unto thine to transform it into thine that so I may be all thine and thou all mine for time and eternity Grant also dear Jesu that I may truly love all others in thee and for thee O inflame my Charity quicken my Faith rectifie my intentions strengthen my confidence in thee destroy all complacency in my self establish me in all these my good purposes and let me be as often minded of my now-promis'd duty and encouraged to proceed forwards in the path of perfection as I shall eye the sacred image of thy crucified humanity Elevate my desirous Soul unto thy self O Jesu my Lord above all chances changes
and creatures Oh! let it be so totally attentive to thy presence so intirely taken up in thy contemplation and so wholy absorpt in thy love that no outward objects may touch or trouble it no inferiour cares or cogitations may intangle it nothing may impede the free intercourse of thy heavenly friendship nothing may stop the sweet influence of thy divin graces or any way interrupt its happy quiet and holy tranquillity O dear and open'd Heart of my dying Lord Jesus be thou my sweet comfort during this lives Pilgrimage and my sure Sanctuary in its last period Tâ—…â—…ghth Exercise Of 〈…〉 with GOD. 1. Our Soul seeks nothing but Gods lovely presence and desires nothing but the presence of his Love O Infinit immense and unmeasurable abyss of all bounty O ever-flowing Fountain of mercy O undrainable Sea of love O my Lord my Soveraign my Saviour and my Sanctifier Behold I return into thee the sweet source of my beginning I run into thee the gracious Preserver of my being and I desire to rest in thee the only hope of my Souls happiness Be thou henceforth O my Creator the sole subject of my thoughts and the only object of my love Be thou O God of my heart Heart of my life Life of my soul and Soul of my Love my part and my inheritance for ever I choose thee only I offer up my self wholly I consecrate my self heartily and dedicate my self eternally to thy love honour and service Ah good God! where dwellest thou which is the pleasant place of thy abode O King of glory and Comforter of my Soul I seek nothing but thy lovely presence I desire nothing but the presence of thy love My soul sighs to see thee my heart covets to have thee my love longs to enjoy thee and I can expect no perfect content until I am totally united unto thee If I now beg a glimps of thy divin face O my glorious Lord then a drop of thy heavenly grace and afterwards a dram of thy dear affection Yet in all this it is thy self O sweet God! which I demand thy whole self is the only satiating object of my boundless desires and unlimited affections 2. Fervent Acts of Love and Affection I Desire to love thee O only amiable Lord God! by all means and beyond all measure until I am totally transform'd into thee by love O do thou freely and fully possess my spirit guide it govern it enlighten it inflame it elevate it inform it and transport it how and when thou pleasest Oh! Let all adulterate love be quite banished all multiplicity vanish away and all impurity and self-seeking swallowed up Let thy love be my light my liberty my life Lord I desire but two things in this world To love see taste and enjoy thee My best beloved and to be humbled despised rejected and esteemed a reprobate for thy love O sweet life O loving Jesu what a heaven what a happiness is it to love thee O how lovely how loving and yet how little loved is my God O source of all goodness and center of all good souls What is the greatest love of mother friend life or any thing els Art not thou my God! all this to me and all in all Ah my Soul what didst thou ever best love And didst thou love thy Lord God as much I blush O my dear Lord I sigh and am ashamed to answer I will henceforth do any thing suffer any thing and leave all things for thy love I will not live but languish not breath but burn by an extasie and excess of love 3. Further Acts and Extasies of divin Love and Affection O Fire O flames Burn Consume Annihilate Alas Beauty of Angels how late and how little do I love thee O come into my Soul behold a poor lodging yet such as it is it is all thine I conceal nothing I reserve nothing heart soul spirit all is thine own compose all dispose all depose all unruly passions impose what Penance thou pleasest I accept it O my Lord only repose peaceably in my soul and let no foul or false affection interpose it self to disturb this blessed union O that I could please and praise thee purely perfectly perpetually Oh that I could love thee faithfully freely and fully in all above all things O my all and only love I acknowledg my self bound O Lord in thy chains of Charity I am burn'd in thy fire I am wounded and won to thy love But what shall I say What can I give All I have is not worthy of thee and yet is thine already Ask my sweet Lord and have choose and take make me such as thou desirest and then take me to thy desire Give thy self O great God! to my soul and then take my soul with thy self in it My life liberty love all is thy own My last Will is already made in which I bequeath all to thee thy own Death and Passion all thy Mercies and Merits all the praises and perfections of thy dear Mother and the blessed Saints and Angels and all the goods glories and splendors of all thy creatures All that I am have and can both spirituals and temporals kindred friends riches health honors estates offices devotion all is at thy disposal I am resolute O my Lord I am resign'd and indifferent to have them increased or diminished to use them to thy glory or to lose them altogether 4. We return back to our Creator all that we have are and can I Give thee back O merciful Maker my whole being either to be what thou wilt or to be nothing at all to love thee or not to live at all I offer to thee O pious Redeemer my sins to pardon my works to perfect my will to purifie I offer thee my wounds to cure my soul to cleanse and my spirit to comfort I offer to thee O holy Spirit my intentions to rectifie my inclinations to sanctifie my affections to deifie Finally I offer all for one I give all to one and all I desire is to be all one with thee my all and only Lord and love Thou hast given me O my bountiful Creator the whole world in freehold for one penny of Rent saying Child give me thy heart O Lord Let this penny never want the superscription of thy grace and let me never want thy grace to pay this rent O my Lord all that I have is but two small mites I cast them into thy hands and had I more I would give more Dispose of them both dear Lord of my Body and Soul as best pleaseth thee that thy will may be perfectly performed and thy name purely sanctified in both O sweet God of my heart Let me embrace thee in the two arms of profound Humility and perfect Charity O let my Heart faint and melt away in the fire of thy Divin love let me lose my self to find thee be out of my self to live in thee and be empty of my self to be full
of thee O Son of Justice dissolve with a beam of thy brightness the frost of my heart and resolve it into tears of affection 5. We declare our Weariness of all things and our desire of divin Vnion O Beautiful and best-beloved of my Soul I am weary of this wretched world and I breath thirst and sigh after thee the sweet fountain of life-giving and soul-saving waters O true rest and refresher of my faint and feeble heart out of whom there is neither comfort nor content Let me shroud my self under the shadow of thy wings until iniquity and infirmity have an end Come Lord Jesu Speak thy sweet words of love to my languishing soul for thy servant hears thee Give me courage alacrity fervour and fidelity in thy service during the few remaining moments of my wretched and wearisom pilgrimage O rest long expected and much sighed after where shall I seek thee and when shall I find thee where sleepest thou O dear Spouse at Mid-day in the heat of love Where is thy secret cabinet of Contemplation which thou hidest from the wisdom of Worldlings and revealest to little ones and humble of heart O shew me the bed of divin Union wherein thou reposest with the simple solitary and mortified soul O let my poor heart have the honour and happiness to rest in thee to remain with thee and to be united to thee O God of love wound my soul with thy sweet wounds of love which nothing can cure but death wean it from the worlds vanity and wed it to thy increated verity that treading all creatures under me I may be rapt into thee my Creator above my self and there like the happy dove in the secure Ark repose my weary and faint limbs in thy bosome my Soveraign Lord and lover 6. We humbly beg that One thing which is only necessary O Divin Wisdom Lead me into the solitude speak unto my heart teach me thy holy will in all occurrences My deep sighs secret desires are not hid from thee And thou knowest nothing can fully cure comfort and content me but thy self the one and only necessary thing O then take my self and all and give me that one thing in whom are all things O sweet waters of divin Love which flow from the blessed bosom of the Divinity and from the open side of my Saviors Humanity Run into my bowels and like pure oyl penetrate and possess every parcel of my spirit Irrigate and inebriate it overflow and absorp it that it may be transformed conformed to the divin Spirit so that all my actions cogitations and affections may be spiritual divin Deiform O let my ravish'd Soul full of life and fire break forth into these flames of joy and jubilation I have found him whom my soul loves I have him and I will hold him This is it which by reading I sought by meditation I found by prayer I desired and by contemplation I enjoy O how the earth stinks how loathsom are all creatures to me O tast O sweetness O true and solid pleasure O how great is the difference between this spiritual and all fleshly delights O the multitude of thy sweetnesses which thou hast laid up O Lord for them that fear and love thee O Lights O Delights O Extasies of spirit Wound me O sweet God! burn me consume me crucifie me Let me cry out with that Lover Retain O Lord the floods of thy grace or inlarge my heart for I can old no longer I thirst Lord give me this water O when how long how much 7. Our enamoured Souls rest sweetly in this secure home and harbour O My Soul how good is it for us to be here O sweet and secure home and harbour Let us remain and rejoice here for ever I will keep thee O my dearly beloved and I will kiss thee I will conjure thee to remain with me I will rather lose my self than leave thy presence My beloved is mine his honour is mine his heart is mine his heaven is mine And I am his behold the key the keeper the soul the body the lord the whol O my God! is thine Behold my liberty my life my love all is thine O my Jesu and thine alone Repose therefore as a sweet posie between my breasts sleep like a bridegroom in my heart and reign like a King in the closet of my Soul Come Lord Jesu come quickly take full possession of thy own Come and please thy self love thy self and serve thy self in me as thou desirest and deservest to be pleased loved served Let thy love O King of love be the life of my Soul and the lease of my life that when I cease to love I may cease to live In thy love O Jesu I end this act of love though my desire actually to love thee is endless Oh! let me live and die in thy love and for thy love that by love I may for ever reign and remain with thee in thy Kingdom of love Amen ¶ 8. Devotions Exercises and Elevations for Communion 1 What is to be done before Communion THe due Preparation to this divin Banquet requires Two things 1. Purity from all Mortal sin and from all affection to it This purity is obtained by an humble Confession a hearty Contrition fervent Prayer a careful custody of heart and a right intention in Communicating 2. An actual Recollection and Devotion which is gotten by pious and affective Considerations by Faith and Confidence in Gods Mercy by a thirsty desire to See Enjoy and be united to God who is our sweet and Soveraign Good our Father Friend and Food our Guest our Master and our Meat Several Considerations before Communion To move our Souls to Affections and to excite them to an ardent Thirst and Desire of JESUS 's presence 1. WHat is the blessed Sacrament But a pure Fountain flowing out of Paradise watering the whol Church refreshing all the Pilgrims of this world and quenching all their passions temptations I desire O my Lord to drink of this water Dispose my heart Dear Jesu thou who art Author of the desire Let me not bring a heart of paper to this Fountain which after a little received dew of childish devotion will presently fleet away for want of care and custodie Nor let me bring a heart like a Sieve which will retain no moisture But let my heart be like a Sponge to receive and retain the dews of thy divin Graces and Blessings and to be totally imbru'd inebriated satiated with thy heavenly sweetnesses 2. What is in this Sacrament My God and all that is good My Saviour and with him his Body Blood Soul Humanity Divinity My Jesus and with him all his mercies and merits Who would not desire an Union with so great a God so good a Saviour so gracious a Jesus 3. How did the poor Magdalen lament the loss of her Master at the Monument Ah my sweet Lord where art thou what can I do but sigh and sob
in thy absence Who will pity my Case who will plead my Cause who will pardon my Crimes who will save my Soul Thou only art all my comfort come therefore to me or take me to thee 4. The holy Baptist esteem'd himself unworthy to loose the latchet of thy Sandals St. Peter to be in the same Bark with thee The Centurion to admit thee under his Roof And what art thou my poor Soul compar'd to these great Saints Lord I am not worthy of this honour and happiness which I much desire Depart therefore from me a sinner or rather come to me and cause that I may sin no more 5. Who is the Guest I mean to lodg One who infinitly surpasses all created perfections One whose power fram'd all whose providence governs all whose beck can in a moment bring all back to their Original Nothing And is it possible he will descend to dwell in houses of Earth If the Heavens cannot contain thee Dread Soveraign how shall my soul Whence O Lord is this thy goodness to me Who am I to deserve it No 't is thy Love that brings thee to me and 't is my Confidence that leads me to thee O that I were as clean as thy Empyreal Heaven to entertain thee as Pure as the Virgin MARY to receive thee 6. What need I other Motives of Humility than to see thee O Jesu so humble in this Sacrament Thou annihilatest thy glory to become my food who am the food of worms I am saist thou the bread of life take me eat me digest me nourish thy self with me have as much power over me as much possession of me as of a morsel of bread which thou swallowest Come then O my Lord and Lover take full and free possession of me establish thy government adorn thy lodging command control correct all be thou all in all in my Soul c. 7. With desire sayst thou my sweet Saviour I have desired to eat this Pasche with you before I suffer Why O Lord dost thou so much desire it and I so little What good will come to thee by it and what good will not come to me by it Dost thou so heartily desire my good and shall I not desire my own good and thy glory 8. At what time was this pledg of the divin love and comfort of our life instituted Just in the night of our dear Saviours Passion immediatly before he was hurried away to Death O Love without limits O mercy without measure When men seek out the means to bereave thee of life Thou inventest this Banquet to give them life How well O Loving Jesu dost thou teach me to repay good for evil and to give my life and blood for my Enemies but much more for thee who hast shew'd me such large tokens of thy tender affection 9. In what place In a Chamber on high well swept well prepar'd freely profer'd wherein our Redeemer wrought strange things both before and after his Resurrection What Lodging O Lord shall I offer thy sacred Majesty Child give me thy heart Lord take it behold I neither lend it nor sell it but I freely and fully give it unto thee for Nothing And yet I give thee nothing but thine own O Lord It is not clean purifie it with thy Blood It is not adorned Beautifie it with thy Grace Love and Favour It is not High but base mean terrene Elevate it with thy ennobling Presence touch it draw near it and draw it near thy self And then work in it thy holy will and pleasure 10. Who were the Receivers The twelve Apostles whereof one was a Traitor Is it I Lord Alas If there be any one I am most likely yet my comfort is that I come not with any such treacherous intention but to lodg and love thee to obtain pardon for my Sins and to implore thy Grace that I may sin no more 11. O my Soul how mercifully hath thy Lord and Maker provided for thee nourished thee cherished thee All living creatures stand in need of such sustenance as is conformable to their nature without which they cannot live and subsist Some of them are Corporal Others are Spiritual Man partakes of both as consisting of Body and Soul which are two different things wedded together by the divin Wisdom and in a most wondrous manner not to be understood by our weak capacity Mark now O man admire and weep in the extasie of thy joy and love how God provides meat for thy twofold Nature For thy bodies food physick and support He provides preserves and sustains all sublunary Creatures and for thy Souls food physick and support He provides the bread of Angels and himself in person the Baker being the Holy Ghost the Oven the Virgin Mary the Fire Charity the Matter Human Nature united to the Divinity O prodigies of Affection 12. Thy other Sacraments O my Lord and my God! contain and give Grace but this contains and gives the Author of Grace the Fire of Love the Sun of Justice the Fountain of Mercy This therefore surpasses them as far as the Sun doth its Beam the Fire its Flame and the Fountain its Rivulet O how excessive is thy Love Dear Lord to my poor Soul in that thou art pleas'd to visit it in thy proper person to cure cleanse comfort it with thy own divin hand and heart to nourish it with thy own blessed Body and Blood O what thanks honour love and gratitude are due to thy infinite bounty and liberality O my Soul where are thy exclamations admirations extasies of affection Remainest thou alone insensible dry and undevout amongst these miracles of Gods goodness towards thee Hast thou no heart no feeling no fervour amidst these flames of his Charity Enkindle new fires O Lord in my heart burn it consume it annihilate it in the furnace of thy Love 13. O the admirable power of my God which works so many Miracles at one Word of his servants mouth Bread becomes Flesh Wine Blood the Creature our Creator Speak also a Word sweet Jesu to my Soul say This Soul is mine Take it Lord transform it change it into thy self Let it be no longer mine but thine for all future time and eternity 14 Why was this divin Sacrament instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine 1. To shew the necessity of it Can our bodies live without bread and drink And can our Souls live without thee O loving Jesu 2. To teach us what Union our Lord desires to make with our Souls Is not meat and drink incorporated into our substance And is not this the effect of thy Sacramental presence O Saviour in humble and holy Souls O what alterations what alienations what extasies do they feel in and after Communion They do not breath but burn not live but languish their life is all Love their Spirit all Fire O Lord let fall one drop of this dew upon my dry Soul Give it good Jesu one Spark of this Fire one Beam
of this Light one Draught of this inebriating Affection 15. This is my Body which shall suffer for you This is my Blood which shall be shed for you I bestow on thee O beloved Soul not my Riches not my Cloaths not any of my Creatures but my own dear body dying for thee my own precious Blood poured out for thee Seest thou how prodigal I am of my Love and Life of my Body and Blood all which I give thee as a seal of my Promises of Pardon here and of Paradise hereafter And canst thou remain still deaf to these powerful charms of my love Wilt thou not be yet won by these woings of my Affection 16. To whom O my Lord hast thou given this great power over thy self to consecrate and transubstantiate Bread and Wine into thy sacred Body and Blood Not to Angels but to Men that every one may have free access to this sweet Fountain at all times without horror or apprehension And O my soul shall we perish with hunger and thirst through our own laziness coldness and tepidity 17. The holy Prophet Elias being overwhelmed with sadness cast himself on the ground under the Canopy of a Juniper tree in the Desert where crying out to his Creator in the bitterness of his heart as one weary of the world of his life of all things O my God! saies he It is enough take away my soul out of my body for I am no better than my Fore-fathers which said He fell into a slumber But an Angel awaked him wills him to arise and eat for that he had yet a great journey to make who obeying his commands walked on safely in the force of that food even to the Mount Horeb. O my poor desolate and disconsolate Soul How often do we faint and fall under our burden We are somtimes weary of our life and then we desire to be dissolved and to be with our dear Saviour Christ When beholding a Table ready set cover'd and prepar'd we Confess and Communicate and presently our Heart is eased our Spirit is fortified our Fear and Sadness are diminished our Courage and Confidence are augmented new Life new Love new Vigour new Fire new Fervour is poured into our Souls all seems easie and we run on in the race of our earthly Pilgrimage with joy and alacrity Up therefore my soul take courage thy God is for thee and with thee eat and drink of this heavenly Banquet and stop not thy course till thou arrivest at his holy Mountain 18. For what doth a poor Pilgrime petition but a little food to refresh him in his journey What doth a Prisoner seek and desire but life liberty and food I am a Pilgrim O my God! banished from my Countrey and Kindred I am kept in a double Prison my Soul in the Body and both in the World out of which I cannot hope to be freed without many a bitter pang In the mean space What do I ask of thee my Lord and Saviour but my dayly Bread True Sorrow for my offences which is the bread of Sinners True Devotion which is the bread of Children And the blessed Communion which is the bread of Angels Admit me dear Jesu unto this divin Banquet and permit me to fill my hungry Heart and Soul at this holy Table that so I may get strength and courage to go on in my Pilgrimage Patience and Perseverance to support my Imprisonment till thou O my Lord my Love and my All shalt be pleas'd to call me to thy Eternal Rest Eternal Life Eternal Liberty Other Considerations to stir up in our Souls an ardent Desire of the sacred Communion COme to this divin Table O devout Soul 1. As a sick and sorrowful Patient to his pious and powerful Physician detecting his wounds declaring his wants and humbly demanding a Remedy 2. As a disloyal Servant to his Lord and Master promising amendment and begging pardon and reconciliation 3. As a starv'd and asham'd Prodigal Child to his tender and compassionate Father to be receiv'd relieved revived by his Bounty 4. As a Friend to his Friend who thus lovingly invites him Come my friend Eat Drink be inebriated my dearest I will refresh and recreate you Come with confidence and sit down at my Table My delights are to be with the Children of men 5. As a poor Beggar to a rich Benefactor desiring to be cloathed lodged nourished 6. As a rebellious Sinner to his merciful Redeemer resolving to honour him love him and serve him better for the future 7. As a loving Spouse to her loving lovely and beloved Bridegroom to kiss and embrace him and to be constant and faithful to him to live and die with him for time and eternity 8. As a wounded and wearied Hart desiring Water and panting after Jesus the Fountain of Life and Love 9. As an Hungry Person to a gorgeous Banquet where all is ready to which he is lovingly invited where he may be fully satiated 10. As a Covetous man to a Mine of Money Is not Jesus your Treasure where then is your Heart Give all and thou shalt have all Give thy self and thou shalt have God O happy exchange O holy Usury 11. As a weather-beaten Souldier to his Prey after the Victory What Spoils are here O Souldier of Christ What a rich Booty maist thou here freely take 12. As a little Child to his Mothers breasts to be suckled cherished comforted and to rest in her bosom 13. As S. Mary Magdalen 1. Either like her a Penitent lying prostrate at the feet of Jesus in a Banquet Anointing Weeping Washing Wiping Embracing them 2. Or like her a Patient at the foot of the Cross receiving into your Breast the drops of Blood distilling from your Saviours open'd side to cleanse cure and comfort your Soul 3. Or like her a Contemplative at the Monument providing for Jesus a Sepulcher in your Heart And he calling N. answer him Master Welcome It is enough And then fall into an extasie of Love and Affection 14. Remember the Dialogue between Christ and the Cananean Woman She begs cryes calls importunes him for an Alms Jesus refuses because saies he the Bread of Children is not to be cast to the Dogs 'T is true Lord yet the Dogs are permitted to catch the offal crums which fall from their Masters table that is as much as I desire and much more than I deserve Apply it to your self 15. Imagin your self seated at Board with your blessed Saviour in his last Supper with all his Apostles about him And that you receive from his sacred hands as you do from the Priests his precious Body and Blood which he reaches to your Mouth saying Take Eat be satiated and Inebriated This is my own true Body and Blood which I here give you Remember this my Love and Liberality and Go in peace I am with you Be not afraid O excess of Comfort and Content O love able to melt a Rock into affection Reply accordingly and
consider you are now present at the same Supper have the same Meat and Drink set before you the same Sacrifice the same Priest the same Love bestowing it Let your Heart be the Altar your Soul the Pix and your Will another Sacrifice The first of the precedent Considerations dilated with Affections which may serve as a pattern by which the others may likewise be enlarged according to each ones capacity and devotion As a Patient to his Physician TAke pity on me Lord for I am weak and infirm The healthy have no need of a Physician but they who are ill at ease nor did you come Dear Saviour to call the Just but Sinners And alas I am one of them My Soul is sick and sinful My heart is sore afflicted and ill affected I am all full of disordinate affections unruly passions violent temptations and vain distractions I am nothing but impatience impurity impertinency immortification inconstancy I am made up of pride presumption propriety partiality Oh! my Soul is sick all over All is self-love self-will and self-seeking Thou O sweet Jesu art my Physician and if thou art so pleased thou canst soon purifie me Take therefore O compassionate Saviour the care and cure of my sick Soul into thy sacred and powerful hands for all my hope of help and health is from thee only O what subject of Comfort Courage and Confidence hast thou my weak Soul since thy Physitian is Almighty having all creatures at his command All-mercy his Love making him do what is best All-wisdom knowing all Consciences all Wounds and all the ways to Cure them Wherefore O Soul-saving Physitian if thou art always ready and always willing to heal thy poor Patients what need I fear but only to displease thee or care but only to content thee If any earthly Physician had all these joint qualities Would he permit any Patient to perish See then my soul where the defect is In the Patient or in the Physician And finding it assuredly in thy self Remove it speedily and then approach it confidently Alas my Body is an Hospital my Soul is the Patient my Diseases are A burning Feaver of Choller a cold fit of Tepidity a Tympany of Pride a Dropsie of Avarice a Fistula of Self-love c. very dangerous and deep Diseases But behold my Physician is coming in person into my poor House and Hospital to lodg and live with me O Love O Lord O Father O Physician Behold my Wounds and my Wants But What is the Physick he prescribes What the Plaisters he applyes Admire with Joy O my sickly Soul accept with Gratitude drink and digest with Delight and Comfort Here are no bitter Pills no unsavory Potions no corroding Drugs to be swallowed down but the most sweet solid and wholsom food of Angels even his own most precious Body and Blood O Love unheard of O Physick beyond imagination The Lord the King the Father the Physician hath made a Bath of his own Blood a Medicin of his own Flesh a Banquet of his own Person to Bathe to Cure to Nourish his Son his Subject his Slave his Patient his Enemy a Worm a Nothing O my Soul How shall we reward so charitable a Physisician O my Lord First Cure me and then take me for thy Fee And how was this Physick obtained At what Rate was it purchased and by whose Love and Expences Surely all Heaven and Earth could not pay it but God gave his only Son for the price of it O excess of Goodness and Mercy The Physician himself is also the Physick the Potion and the Price O Mystery O Miracle The Physician is let blood in the Hands and Feet with Nails in the Head with Thorns in the Heart with a Lance He is Drencht with a bitter Potion of Vinegar and Gall and in the end He Dies a most painful death on the Cross Why all this To give Health Strength Liberty and Life to my sick and sinful Soul O dear Jesu how much am I thy Debtor O Angels and Saints concur with me to give him Thanks O Heaven and Earth help me to praise him O my Body and Soul consume as Wax and Oyl upon the Altar of his Love O all my faculties melt away in the Fire of his Charity Lastly O my Soul This Physician is no stranger no forreigner but thy God and thy Father And how happy am I O my good Father to be under thy skilful tender and loving Hand Lance cut kill thy Child if thou spare him for Eternity Other Acts Affections and Preparations for Communion Christ's Invitation COme unto me all you that labour in temptation and trouble all you that are overladen with your burthensome body and bad nature All you that are assaulted with vicious inclinations and violent Passions All you that are dismaid at the Memory of your past offences and at the feeling of your present frailty Come to me your Father your Physician your Food Have you sinned I will forgive you Are you Sick and Wounded I will comfort and cure you Are you Troubled and Tempted I will ease and deliver you Are you Weak and ready to faint under your Burthen I will nourish and strengthen you Are you Cold Dull Dark Desolate and even dead I will inflame you enlighten you revive you melt you into Devotion and transform you into my self by a perfect Union Why come you not to me Behold I come to you begging to be your Guest and desiring to be lodg'd in your Breast I come not only into your House but into your Heart Not only to eat with you but to be eaten by you Turn away then from all Creatures Return to me your Creator turn unto me your Center and Satiety The Soul's Admiration WHo art thou my Lord God! To whom wilt thou come Where meanest thou to lodg What moves thee to so great Charity What wilt thou do in my poor Cottage Humility O Lord I profess my self unworthy to take thy holy Name into my sinful mouth and shall I presume to take thy sacred Body and Blood into my impure Soul Wil thou give the Bread of Children to a beastly Dog Yes my Soul such is thy Lord and Masters admirable Love and Mercy that he gives himself to be eaten by thee his poor base and abject slave O excess of goodness Wishes O That of every Creature I could make a rational Soul Of every Soul a burning Seraphin of every Seraphin a heavenly Kingdom to the end that thou my loving Lord mightest be lodged purely be serv'd perfectly be pleased totally and be praised eternally Prayses LEt Heaven and Earth bless thy Name magnifie thy mercy exalt thy bounty Let thy own infinite Love and Goodness sanctifie thee And let my poor Soul and all that is within me say Amen Allelujah Thou art worthy O Lamb of God! who wert slaughter'd and sacrificed for the sins of the world to receive all honour glory and benediction from all Creatures Supplication O Amiable and innocent
Supply of all my spiritual and temporal Necessities for my Friends and Enemies Lord Conserve thy Church Convert the Infidels Extirpate all Heresies unite Christian Princes and give solace to the poor Souls suffering in Purgatory At the beginning of Mass The Priest's bowing down before the Altar at his Confiteor represents our Saviour prostrate at his Prayers before his Eternal Father in the Garden for the Remission of your Sins Make you also a general Confession of your Sins with the Priest and humble your self before the divin Majesty saying I Humbly cast my self O my sweet Redeemer at thy sacred Feet desiring to wash them with my tears in acknowledgment of my wickedness O Jesu take compassion upon thy poor creature redeem'd with thy precious Blood who repents him heartily of all his past Sins and purposes seriously by the assistance of thy Grace to serve thee more faithfully seek thee more diligently and love thee more fervently for the future At the Introite Reflect upon Gods immense Greatness Charity and Mercie I Rejoyce O Eternal Lord God! in that thou art what thou art and that there is no Being but by thee only Thou well knowest O infinit Goodness what thy self is and what I am Thou art All and I am Nothing And yet thou seekest after me At Kyrie eleison Demand pardon for the Sins of the whole World HAve mercy O Lord upon all them who are in mortal Sin reclaim their perverse Wills to thy love and give them the grace of true and perfect Repentance that thy Name may be magnified thy goodness extoll'd and thy praises celebrated by them and all thy creatures At Gloria in Excelsis Desire and endeavour the promotion of Gods Honour and Glory to the utmost of your power O My God! how joyfully affectionatly incessantly do the Angels adore thee and sing forth thy divin Praises And how slack are men in serving honouring and loving thee O how highly doth the fervour and diligence of those blessed Spirits delight me and how much doth mens negligence and forgetfulness displease me Lord I humbly adore thee with those holy Quires and heartily desire that the whol World would render thee all due honour homage and adoration Lift up my Heart O my Lord and lodg my affections in the place where my Treasure lies Let all that I think say or do intend thy honour and let my Soul and Tongue resound always Glory be to God on high At Dominus vobiscum BE thou always with me O my God! let thy Grace never depart from me At the Prayers or Collects Humbly joyn your Prayers with them of the Priest saying O Eternal Lord God! look mercifully upon thy well-beloved Spouse the Catholick Church and graciously receive the Petitions which she humbly presents to the Throne of thy Sacred Majestie by this Priests mediation and Ministery Hear us O Lord and help us for thy dear Sons sake our only Saviour and Redeemer Christ Jesus At the Epistle Entertain your self in considering how our Blessed Saviour was hurried from Annas to Caiphas from Pilate to Herod from one place to another in the time of his Passion How he was questioned accused buffeted abused Then pray for patience in your sufferings O Sweet Saviour I most humbly beseech thee by the Merits of al thy unjust Sufferings to give me courage constancie and patience in all such occasions of injuries crosses and contradictions as thy Divin Providence shall permit to befal me during this my lives Pilgrimage Grant that I may equally adore thy Eternal Will in prosperity and adversitie and resignedly submit my self and all that any way concerns me to thy most just and sacred disposition At the Gospel Rise up to shew your readiness to obey the Evangelical Doctrin stand attentively hearkning to your Saviours own sweet words But if you understand not their meaning reflect upon some other point or passage of your Redeemers life instruction or counsel Imploring his Grace for the effectual execution of what he there teaches you advises you inspires you ILluminate my interiour Eyes O God of my heart Unveil my Understanding and Inflame my Affections that I may clearly see and know thy holy Will and chearfully accomplish thy sacred Precepts Counsels and Inspirations At the Creed You may make a profession of your Faith by a mental or vocal recital of your Creed together with the Priest Or say briefly thus O Soveraign Deity I firmly believe thee to be one God in three Persons who madst all things of nothing I believe that the Second Person became Man in blessed Maries womb by the Holy Ghosts operation and that he died for me and all mankind on the Cross I believe that he arose from Death that he ascended into Heaven and that he shall judg the whole World in the last Day I believe the holy Catholick Church and whatsoever she teaches and defines And in this Faith I will live and die Offer up your Prayers also for the Illumination and Conversion of all Vnbelievers TAke pity O Lord upon all Infidels Hereticks and Schismaticks And remember O most compassionate Creator that thy powerful hand did not bring these perfect products out of their eternal Nothing and stamp their Rational Souls with thy own sacred Image in order to destroy and abandon them since thou hast been graciously pleased to send down thy only Son my dear Saviour to Redeem and Ransom them aswel as my unworthy self with the price of his most precious Bloud Dart therefore O Soveraign Lord and sincere Lover of all Souls some efficacious beams of thy heavenly light into their dark and deceived Understandings that they may see the Truths of thy sacred Mysteries and give them Grace to submit their Necks to the sweet and easie yoke of thy Precepts and thy Churches Prescripts Ah! my dear Lord what have I done for thee or what have I deserv'd of thee that I should be called to thy saving Faith and be made a Member of thy sacred Church Impart I beseech thee the like favour to these your missed mistaken and unbelieving Creatures that they may with me faithfully acknowledg adore and love thee their glorious Maker and Redeemer admiringly praise and magnifie thy Goodness and joyfully celebrate thy Mercies with Canticles of eternal gratitude and thanksgiving At the Offertorie or Oblation of the Bread and Wine Make also an humble and hearty Oblation of your Body Soul Goods Friends to the divin Majestie O Eternal Father In union of that ineffable Love wherewith my dear Saviour offered up himself on the Cross to thy divin Majestie I also offer up my self with him humbly beseeching thee to direct all my thoughts words and works to thy Honour to my own good to my neighbours edification I offer up this divin Sacrifice to the glory of thy Name to the honor of thy Angels and Saints to satisfie for my sins to thank thee for thy benefits to obtain a supply of my temporal and spiritual
God! what wilt thou have me do thy Will is the Desire of my heart the Delight of my soul the Design of my intentions the Drist of my whol life and being O when shall I have no Will but thine no life but for thy Love no being but to be what thou wouldst have me Or by Acts of Self-Oblation O My Lord and my Lover since thou givest thy self wholly to me I give my self entirely to thee O Saviour Receive me take me possess me totally entirely eternally Or by Acts of Desire to please him O What shall I do Dear Lord in order to please thee What do I covet in this world but to give thee content Were there no Heaven no Hell no Reward no Punishment It were yet for me a sufficient honour and happiness to be agreeable to thy Divin Majesty O my God and my All Or by Acts of Grief that He is offended AH my Saviour whence is it then that so many Souls forsake thy love since thou art so lovely and so loving Ah! my Dear Jesu Why did I ever offend thee since thy ineffable Charity deserved my reciprocal affection O wretched wicked miserable all they who love not Jesus Or by Acts of Desire to Love him O Most pure and perfect Lover who lovedst me from all Eternity When shall I begin to pay my love which is so long since due to thy divin Goodness O when shall I truly hate the World Sin and my self for thy love and service Or by Acts of Desire to see him in his Glory O King of Glory When shall I clearly contemplate thy amiable Countenance in thy happy Kingdom O Life of my life and Love of my Soul when shall I leave this loathsom and imprisoning Earth and be admitted into thy lovely Paradise At the second Memento O Compassionate Creator take pity upon the poor Souls in Purgatory particularly such and such And let the same Mercy which hath been graciously pleas'd to pardon their impieties mitigate also their punishments that by the merits of thy dear Sons death and Passion which are here in this holy Sacrifice most humbly presented to thy Sacred Majesty in their behalf they may speedily be translated to that state of glory for which thou eternally designedst them At the Pater Noster Humbly crave such things as are contained in these Seven Petitions 1. O Heavenly Father I most heartily congratulate thy infinite Glory and Greatness Give I beseech thee the light of thy Faith to all Infidels and the grace of thy Love and Charity to all Christians That thy sacred Name may be sanctified by all men upon Earth as it is by all the blessed in Heaven 2. O Holy holy holy Trinity enter remain reign in our hearts souls affections that we may serve thee love thee honour thee upon earth as thy Saints do in Heaven 3. Teach me O Lord to perform thy Will 1. Perfectly 2. Purely 3. Promptly 4. Perseverantly 4. O Bread of Life which descendest from Heaven to give life to the world give thy self to my Soul that I may live by thee in thee for thee by thy grace in thy favour for thy honour 5. O liberal Father For the love of thee I freely forgive all such as have any way offended me and for the love of thy dear Son I beg forgiveness of all my own offences against thy divin Majesty 6. Behold O my blessed Creator how I am on all sides encompassed with cruel enemies Lord I refuse not the combat since 't is thy Will but I beg thy gracious assistance that I may get the victory and that thou mayst have the glory 7. Deliver me O All-powerful Lord God! from all Evil from all corporal spiritual temporal eternal miseries From Sin from my self and from whatsoever displeases thy divin infinite amiable adorable Majesty At the first Agnus Dei. O Sweet Lamb of God pardon all my Sins and particularly such and such an one wherein I have most grievously and frequently offended At the second Agnus Dei. O Innocent Lamb of God! Implant all Virtues in my Soul and especially this and this which I seem most to stand in need of At the third Agnus Dei. O Peaceable pure and perfect Lamb of God Give me peace of Conscience purity of heart perfection of Spirit c. and whatsoever will render me most agreable to thy divin Majesty At Domine non sum dignus HUmbling my self in the presence of thy sacred Majesty O Soveraign Lord Jesu I adore thy Goodness Greatness and Glory and acknowledg my own Unworthiness Baseness and Nothing Whilst the Priest Communicates If you are to communicate Sacramentally these Prayers and Devotions may serve you for a sufficient Preparation Howsoever you may communicate Spiritually to your great profit and merit in all the Masses at which you assist This Spiritual Communion consists in these two Points 1. A Lively Faith of your Saviours Real Presenee in the Sacrament 2. An Ardent Desire to Receive Him into your Soul and to be perfectly united to Him O my sweet Savior the Soveraign Lord of my Heart and the beloved Object of my affections I adore thy sacred Body Blood Soul Divinity cover'd under these Sacramental forms O that I had all the necessary dispositions of a worthy Communicant Do thou only speak the word O all-powerful Lord God! and my Soul shall be saved Enter O my beloved Bridegroom into this poor lodging enrich it with thy infinite perfections fit it up as thy self best knows and pleases for thy own entertainment At the last Prayers Render your hearty Thanks to the divin Majesty for all his Gifts and Benefits O My God! my desire is always to praise thee for thy always continued favours But ah my Frailty Tepiditie and Weakness interrupt my desires wishes and affections Make use therefore of thy own goodness O my gracious Redeemer in supplying my present Defects pardoning my past negligences preserving me from future failings and praising thy self in me and all thy Creatures At the Priests final Benediction O Sweet Jesu bestow on me this day thy Blessing with this of thy Minister preserve me from all sin and give me perseverance in thy service That at the last day of thy dreadful Judgment I may receive that happy Benediction amongst thy Elected and Predestinated Children of Venite Benedicti Come ye Blessed of my Father and take possession of the Kingdom which was prepared for you from all Eternity At the last Gospel of St. John This Gospel is alwayes recited in the end of Mass as containing the sublimest mysteries of our Faith and being an abridgment of the mervails hidden in the holy Trinity And as those words Verbum caro factum est The Word was made flesh Words never enough to be reverenced the Priest and People fall down upon their Knees And at the end thereof The last word is Deo gratias Thanks be to God for the aocomplishment of these holy Mysteries I Render thee all possible praise and
In hope of which happiness all Sufferings shall seem sweet to me as proceeding from your paternal hands and I here disavow all expressions of complaint which the violence of my Disease may hereafter draw from my Tongue but not from my Heart which is wholly resign'd to my dear Lord's will and pleasure Nor will I care to be informed how long I must lie languishing in this my Infirmity or whether Death shall in this battle be defeated or become victorious over my life No my Lord I absolutely leave the disposal of my Body Soul and all that concerns me to thy divin Will and Pleasure and desire nothing as to my life and death but that the short remainder of my life may be spent in loving thee serving thee and suffering for thee and that whensoever thou shalt send death to cut its thread my Soul may be found ready prepared for her happy eternitie In the mean space it matters not whether I am cherished or contristated I will endeavour to be indifferent to either since I deserve not the one and my Sins render me worthy of the other Thy innocent Son O Eternal Father who suffered not as I do for his own Sins was deserted by his Disciples and even by thy self also and shall I after this example expect from men any assistance tenderness and compassion I only beg of thee my bountiful and compassionate Creator some small communication of that Spirit wherewith thy patient Son my sweet Saviour suffered that so uniting all my pains to his Passion they may acquire the dignity which their own nature denies them to be acceptable to thy divin Majesty Whose sacred Name be praised by me and all creatures for evermore Demands to a Sick Person at the receiving of the Viaticum or Extream Vnction or at other fit times 1. DO you firmly heartily and humbly believe all the Articles of Faith and all the Holy Scripture according to the sense of Catholick Doctors and Definitions of the Church 2. Do you detest all Superstitions Schisms and Heresies condemn'd by the Church 3. Are you glad and desirous to die a Member of this true Catholick Apostolick Roman Church in the Faith taught by our Lord Jesus and participation of the holy Sacraments 4. Do you acknowledg that you have grievously offended God your Creator who hath been so bountiful unto you and are you sorry for all your sins ingratitudes negligences omissions commissions lost time and opportunities rejected Inspirations 5. Do you ask pardon of the divin Majesty and all your Neighbours whom you have any way offended disedified contristated wronged or scandalized 6. Doth your Sorrow for all these things proceed not so much for fear of death hell and punishment as for the offence displeasure and dishonour of God whom you should have loved above all things 7. Are you fully resolved by Gods grace and assistance if you out live this sickness to amend your Life and rather to leave lose and suffer any thing than to offend God And do you desire life only to this effect that you may better serve him 8. Do you wish you could love God with as great sincerity as the blessed Saints do in Heaven and as the most perfect Souls do upon Earth 9. Have you perform'd such Penance made such Restitution done such Satisfaction to God and Man as your Confessor hath enjoyned you or are you content and ready to do it 10. Do you recommend your self to the Prayers of the blessed Virgin Mary of your special Patrons and in particular of your good Angel Guardian 11. Do you distrust disavow and renounce all your own merits vertues and perfections and trust to be saved by the Mercies of God and Merits of your dear Redeemer 12. Do you render hearty thanks to the divin Majesty for all his favours blessings and especially for that of your Conversion and Vocation to his true Church and Faith And also for all the Crosses he hath permitted to befal you and even for this your present Sickness in which you now languish 13. Do you absolutely and entirely resign your self to his sacred Will and Disposition for all time and eternity and are you indifferent to Sickness or Health to Life or Death to Comforts or Crosses and to whatsoever shall be conformable to the Divin liking and pleasure 14. If the Devil tempts you in matter of Faith What will you answer him I believe in God and his Church Or In matter of Despair 'T is true I am a great Sinner and deserve Hell yet my Saviour is my hope my pledge and my surety and when God ceases to be good and Jesus to be my Saviour then will I cease to hope for Mercy and not before 15. But if your Ghostly enemy continues to afflict affright and terrifie you with the memory of your Sins Gods Judgments and Hells torments what will you do I will say Live Jesus my Lord and my Love and I will put his Death and Passion betwixt me and them all 16. If through the suggestion of Satan or any self-frailty or surprisal you should chance to fall and swerve from any of these good purposes and resolutions I now declare it to be of no force for evermore and I will by Gods grace return speedily to him again Other Questions proposed to a Penitent languishing and loving Soul by her Confessor to dispose her to a happy Death with her Answers unto the same by way of a Dialogue between God and her This is proper for more Spiritual Persons GOD. My Child the last hour of thy mortal life runs now in the Watch of my divin Providence This is the moment on which depends thy Eternity Answer me therefore heartily conscionably and confidently to these points which I shall here propose unto thee Soul O my God! be thou blessed for evermore and thy sacred Will be done in me and in all thy Creatures Speak Lord for thy servant hears attentively and will answer sincerely as in thy presence who penetratest into the secrets of my heart And I most humbly beseech thy Divin Majesty that I may supply by my inward Will and Desires what I am unable to express by my outward Words and Gestures I confess and acknowledg my imperfection ignorance and unworthiness to speak to thee My Lord and my Maker or to be by thee remembred or regarded but hoping in thy gracious assistance I will humby obey thy commands 1. Art thou willing to dy a Member of my Church at this Time in this Place and Company O my God! I desire even from my very heart to die a true Child of thy holy Church believing all that the said Church teaches and am ready rather to lose my life than leave my Faith As for all other circumstances of my death I am altogether indifferent how when and where I shall live or die so it be in thy sweet favour and friendship and according to thy sacred Will and Pleasure 2. Doth not thy Soul
reflect upon my sinful life I tremble at deaths memory and approach But O dear Jesu when I consider thy infinit merits and mercies I am comforted I become confident and I remain content to dy whensoever it shall be thy good pleasure because thou being my God sufferedst Death to give me eternal Life 10. How long art thou content to ly languishing in Sickness and after death to remain punished in Purgatory Even as long as it shall please thee my Lord and Lover for in Sickness in Death and after death I wholly resign and abandon my self to thy sacred Will and Disposition 11. 1. Have I not been bountiful liberal and loving to thee 2. Hast thou well requited this my love and liberality 3. What thanks dost thou give me 4. At least what do I deserve from thee O my Lord Thy Liberality Mercy Goodness and Love to me thy most ungrateful Vassal hath been excessive immense unmeasurable and alas I have never requited the least of thy benefits by any faithful service fervent affection or sincere gratitude But now O my Royal Benefactor behold I here 1. render thee all the humble thanks benedictions and praises I am able 2. I heartily wish it were in my power to praise honour and love thee with that purity fervor and affection as thou deservest and I desire 3. Since I know my self to be altogether uncapable to pay what I owe thee therefore I beseech thee to pay thy self out of thy own infinit stock of mercy and thy Sons immense treasure of merits 4. Thy self O my Soverain Lord God! is thy own praises and this I offer up unto thy divin Majesty 12. How much did I suffer on the Cross 2. For whom 3. What moved me to it 4. What did I thirst after in dying and crying Sitio 5. Compare thy pains with mine is there any proportion 6. Will not all this move thee to suffer a little Sickness and Death for me O my dear Redeemer I am not able to conceive much less to express the dismal torments thou enduredst at thy Death 2. Yet I know it was all to Redeem Sinners and my self in particular 3. And the only motive was the great affection thou hadst to save my soul that I might Love Praise and Enjoy thee eternally 4. I believe thy Thirst was after my love and salvation 5. And I wish that mine may be after thy only Love and Honour 6. In thanksgiving for all which thy love favours and benefits and because thou art my God I absolutly resign my self to suffer and die when how and where it shall please thy divin Majesty 13. But what if thou art not of the number of my Elect and that out of my severe Justice I should send thee into Hell fires O my God! I remit my self wholly to thee and were I assured of that fearful Separation from thee yet I would still endeavour to love thee serve thee and adhere to thee during this my pilgrimage on earth with all possible diligence sincerity and fidelity 14. Dost thou not much desire in dying to have the fruit of the Sacraments and the presence and Prayers of thy Ghostly Father and of my holy Church This O my dear Lord is my most hearty desire but I prefer thy blessed Will before both I care not how suddenly Death may seize on me so it finds me not unprovided All this which is by me spoken and answer'd to my Lord and Savior with perfect use of Sence and Judgment I will by his divin Grace never revoke or deny where and howsoever I lead and end my life Of all which I take for witness my Lord God himself in whose presence I am and the whol Court of Heaven humbly offering up these my desires intentions and resolutions to the Throne of the divin mercy to be there ratifi'd confirm'd and perfected by the merits of my dear Redeemer Christ Jesus and by the intercessions of his and my blessed Mother Mary and heartily begging the assistance of the whol Church both Militant and Triumphant for the full and perfect performance thereof Blessed be my God for ever Amen Protestations to be made by the Sick Person either Vocally if he be able or els Mentally being distinctly read and suggested unto him ✚ In the Name of the Blessed Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost I N. wretched and miserable sinner do Protest before Almighty God who sees the secrets and sincerity of my heart before you my good Angel and all the Court of Heaven and also before you my Ghostly Father and Friends here present 1. That I have a firm constant and setled will and desire to die in the true Catholick Faith and Church wherein all the Saints are departed understanding and believing all the Articles of my Faith in that sense and meaning which my holy Mother the Catholick Church the Spouse of Christ and Pillar of truth hath and doth propose them to be understood and believed 2. Also I protest that I do with all my heart and soul detest all the sins of my life past humbly beg pardon for all my Commissions against God my Neighbour my self in Thought Word and Deed and for all my Omissions in observing the precepts of God and his Church the Rule and Constitutions of my Profession the works of mercy either spiritual or corporal as also for having abus'd the Sacraments refus'd Gods grace rejected his inspirations neglected his vocations been careless in the custody of my heart and senses scandalous in my life and manners tepid in tending to perfection and generally for all my sins scandals disedifications and for whatsoever I have any way offended my Creators divin Majesty and goodness Humbly beseeching him by his own infinit Mercy by the Merits of my dear Saviour Christ Jesus by the Intercession of the powerful Virgin Mary and by the Prayers of all the Angels and Saints that he will be pleased to supply all the defects of my Sacramental Confessions and that now at last he will furnish me with grace and strength to produce this one Act of true and sincere Contrition O my God! be merciful unto me a Sinner In the pronunciation whereof I could be content my heart would break asunder with grief and sorrow for having offended so infinitly amiable a Lord and Lover 3. Also I protest that I do heartily forgive all such as have ever any way offended hurt or injur'd me and that I most humbly crave pardon of all them whom I have any way knowingly or ignorantly offended hurt injur'd in words in deeds or by my bad example offering my self ready to make them full and ample satisfaction to the utmost of my power 4. Also I protest that I am altogether uncapable to render worthy thanks to the divin Majesty for his infinit favours blessings and benefits from time to time in general and in particular bestow'd upon me his undeserving unworthy and ungrateful Servant wherefore I do beseech the blessed Virgin my
Oblation of my whol self purely and entirely to thy divin Majesty which I beseech thy infinit goodness and mercy to receive from my Hands and Heart and to seal it in Heaven that it may be there warranted and confirmed for evermore And because the necessities frailties and infirmities which accompany this my Pilgrimage and which will probably most of all overwhelm me in deaths Agony permit me not according to my desire to be always employed in thy praises therefore I now prostrating my self before thy Throne of Majesty whom I reverently Adore with the greatest Affection that thou O my Lord God! know'st may be given by any creature and to whom I Offer in supply of my own unworthiness all the ardent affections mental excesses supernatural jubilations and amorous unions of all devout Souls in Heaven and Earth as though I felt them all in my own heart humbly express this my present Covenant Contract and Agreement with thee my Soveraign Creator Father Son and Holy Ghost in this manner That as often as I shall either Interiourly or Exteriourly either in Heart silently or with my Tongue verbally think or say any of these things following I Adore I Thank I Offer I Resolve I am Sorry I Desire I Resign I Believe I Hope I Love O my Lord O my Jesu And so passing no further shall there end My intention is to make as perfect an Act of Adoration Thanksgiving Oblation Resolution Contrition Petition Resignation Faith Hope and Charity as is possible for any creature to make And I do now for then declare denounce and testifie that my will and desire is whensoever I shall think or pronounce any of the words aforesaid to make exercise and perform all the Acts contain'd in this Book in all the devout Books that ever were or shall be written and which the blessed Virgin Angels and Saints do and shall do in Heaven for all eternity Receive and ratifie most gracious Soveraign this my humble Act Contract and Covenant as to all and each one of its branches and members and whatsoever is therein explicitly and implicitly included receive it as a pledg of my hearty desire to serve praise and honour thy divin Majesty purely perfectly eternally Receive it once for all which I wish to present unto thee every moment and minute to produce as often as I breath and to iterate as frequently as any Act can possibly be repeated and multiplied And I invite and conjure all the celestial Spirits and faithful Souls to sacrifice unto thy sacred Majesty more perfect holocausts of praise and benediction for evermore In this manner a pious Soul may incessantly praise and please God and with little labour acquire much merit For having once sincerely made and daily weekly or monthly repeating this Act according as it is here largly described it may hourly be practised with great ease and comfort by the meer direction of the mind and simple reflection of the spirit towards God upon all occasions and in whatsoever company and employment OF all other Devotions the use of a Crucifix is chiefly to be recommended to a Sick Person Kissing it Embracing it speaking somtimes to the Crucifix somtimes to his own Soul Nothing is more easie nothing more pious nothing more profitable For in the contemplation of that Sacred object you may with great facility adore praise bless thank invoke the divin Majesty and admire his infinite mercy love and liberality in this or the like manner as his Holy Spirit shall suggest unto you O holy Cross O deep Wounds O sacred Blood O cruel Sorrow Dear Lord at how dear a rate hast thou bought me O sweet Jesu be unto me a Jesus Let not the Soul perish which cost thee so great a price Destroy not thy own workmanship Lose not thy own labour pains and passion O Jesu Thou art my Friend and my Physician my Lord and my Love my Portion and my Possession my Peace and my Patience my Light in Darkness my Health in Sickness my Comfort in Sadness my Plenty in Want my Life in Death my Heaven in Purgatory my God and my All for Time and Eternity A larger Exercise in Contemplation of the Crucifix Fixing your Eyes upon the Crucifix or taking it reverently into your hands and humbly embracing it with an ardent desire to honour imitate and conform your self as far forth as God shall enable you to the last thoughts words and affections of your dying Saviour Read or cause to be read this following Exercise leisurely distinctly and devoutly ruminating upon each point and relishing every aspiration and affection The first Consideration ALl Christs Actions are our Instructions and as his Life is the prime exemplar of holy living so his Death is the perfect pattern of happy dying which he exhorts all Christians to imitate saying Take up your Cross and follow me O My Soul how ill have we imitated our sweet Saviour in our life manners and conversation Let 's at least strive to imitate him in his death by taking patiently this present Cross which he layes upon our shoulders and following him cheerfully to Mount Calvary O Jesu my Redeemer and the worlds Saviour how happy are they who are enabled by thy Grace to imitate thy Virtues who desire to live only for thee and are ready to die with thee who live in thy friendship and die in thy favour O glorious Son of God! Thou wert Incarnated and Crucifi'd for my ungrateful Soul O that I might be martâ—r'd and crucifi'd for thy sake to the end I might be conform-able to thee in dying though I have been so unlike to thee in living O my dear Saviour though my Soul is not forc'd out of my body by such a violent death as thine yet imprint in it I beseech thee such sweet thoughts and affections as thou felt'st when thou diedst for my sake The Second Consideration JESUS dy'd willingly patiently resignedly O My God! Give me health or sickness give me life or death give me whatsoever thou pleasest not my will but thine be done O Jesu By vertue of thy perfect Resignation to the divin Will strengthen mine in Deaths Agony Behold I bind my self to that blessed conformity of thine to thy heavenly Father and in union thereof I most willingly embrace the design thou hast over me be it for life or for death O my Saviour Thou being Gods innocent Son diedst in the flower of thine age and shall I desire long life who am a sinner a rebel a criminal I yield Lord I yield and submit to Deaths summons Farewel Earth farewel world farewel this Vale of tears and miseries Heaven is my happier home Paradise is much more pleasant and agreeable and Death is my way to it The Third Consideration JESUS pray'd for strength succour and courage in his Deaths Agony O My Eternal Lord and Lover Behold thy poor child encompass'd with miseries and calamities on every side knowing not what to choose or desire but only
who art Goodness it self Have mercy on me a miserable sinner O most loving father take pitie on thy poor Child and forsake me not in this my last and greatest need O sweet Saviour Jesu Son of the living God! I beseech thee by the vertue of thy most blessed and bitter Passion grant me thy Grace give me a pardon of my sins and vouchsafe me a portion of thy Glory I challenge not dear Lord a place in thy Heaven for any worthiness of my own merits for alas I am but dust and ashes but for thy Passion 's sake whereby thou wert pleased to redeem me miserable man and to purchase Heaven for me at the price of thy precious Blood I beseech thee therefore O Jesu my Saviour by thy sufferings on the Cross for me especially at that hour when thy blessed Soul left thy Bodie have mercy on my poor Soul at the time of her departure When he draws nearer his end he is chiefly to make use of short and pithy Aspirations of Love Desire c. As for Example O My Lord I love thee I love thee and I wish I could love thee more As the fainting Hart desires the refreshing Fountains so doth my Soul thirst after thee my Saviour I thirst Lord and thou only canst quench my thirst Lead my poor Soul O my all powerfull Creator out of this loathsom prison that it may love and praise thee for evermore O beautiful Jerusalem my happy home when shall I come to live and lodg in thee O ye blessed Quires of Saints and Angels who perfectly injoy God and unweariedly intone his Eternal praises when shall I come to love and land my dear Lord with you O Sacred Virgin Mary Mother of power pitie and compassion Be thou now to me a Mother and take care of thy weak child O my glorious Patrons be pleased now to remember me to assist me to pray for me O my good Angel pitie me protect me comfort me strengthen me in this hour of my Agonie Take courage my poor Soul take courage Eternity comes on our miserie and sorrow will soon have an end and our peace and plenty is beginning without end Frequent these in the time of your Health that they may occur easily to your memory in the time of your Sickness And then ruminate them sweetly quietly and discreetly according as your Soul shall relish them without violence eagerness or anxiety An Exercise of holy Dying consisting of four Acts. FOur things are requisite to dy well 1. A Spiritual Death to all creatures Strive then O my Soul to deny thy self in all things and to dy to thy self to the whole world in love affection that thou may'st live to God only who alone can comfort thee in Dying content thee after Death Thou wilt find it no trouble to leave what thou dost not inordinatly love And what is it thou so lovest find it out and forsake it leaving that and all to find one and all and aspiring often What do I hope for in Heaven and what do I look for upon Earth O my God my All be thou all mine and let me be all thine and let all other things go which way they will 2. A cordial and profound humility This gives the greatest Grace to the living and Comfort to the dying Proud spirits are always in extreams either they dy blindly presumptuous or Death opening their eyes they fall into despair at the sight of their miserable estate O my Soul humble thy self since thou hast nothing to be proud of for alas what wert thou before thy late receiving of a being What hast thou which proceeds not from thy Creators bounty Why then art thou proud of it as if it were thine own What hast thou receiv'd which thou hast not abused What sinful Soul would not have been a Saint had it receiv'd such favours as thou hast misimployed and buried How long ere this might'st thou have most justly been hurried head-long into Hell-fire for thy pride and impiety since the damned spirits who there are and shall be eternally tormented sinned once only in Pride and thou so often since they had somthing to be proud of and thou nothing since their sin was only in thought and thine also in word and work O my God! I acknowledg Hell to be my Center and the place which is proper for the entertainment of so perverse a wretch and shouldst thou send me thither thou art Just and righteous are thy Judgments 3. A firm Confidence in God Let not Humility hinder your Confidence in the divine mercy and goodness for by this token it will be easily known to be false and ill grounded Yet trust not in your own merits good works good life good will but 1. in the infinit goodness and mercy of God 2. in the abundant Merits and Redemption of Jesus 3. in his sweet promises of pardon and protection 4. in the prayers and patronage of your Mother of Power and particular Patrons 5. in the custody of your good Angel 6. in the participation and union you have with the Church Militant and Triumphant And O my soul is not this enough Lord I am thine I trust in thy mercy and if thou killest me yet I will still hope in thee 4. An entire Resignation to the divine will and disposition in all things for time and Eternity O my Soul this is the Act of acts at the dreadful hour of Death and O my Lord I offer up my self to endure all pains disgraces and desolations in this life and to suffer all punishments in Purgatory and in Hell it self if thy Justice will have it so in the next life not reflecting what shall become of me either in this my Sickness or in my Life or after my Death but leaving all to thy sacred Will and sweet Disposal When the sick person is in his last Agony The Priest or Charitable assistants should suggest unto him some of these devout words thoughts and considerations 1. TAke Courage Dear Christian Brotheo or Sister suffer patiently for a little while that you may be happy for all Eternity 2. Christ Jesus dyed for you and be you content to dye for him 3. Though your Sins are great yet greater is Gods mercy 4. Though your Tongue is put to silence yet let your Heart speak affectionatly to your sweet Saviour O Jesu thy will be done O my Lord I love thee I adore thee I thank thee c. And I beseech thee O my merciful Creator that every sigh every thought every eye cast up to heaven may be acceptable to thy sacred Majesty according to that irrevocable covenant contract and intention which I formerly made and here humbly renew in thy divine presence When the Agony is of long continuance it may be very profitable comfortable and convenient to read over the Passion of our Saviour or some passages thereof so it be done 1. Discreetly without troubling or disturbing the sick person 2.
Distinctly not in an over high tone loud voyce or eager precipitation 3 Devoutly to move his affection 4. Deliberately and with certain pauses and interruptions staying upon such points and passages as may touch pierce and comfort him As for example ARe you desirous my dear Brother to entertain your departing Soul with the memory of your dying Redeemer Lift up then your Heart sweetly and quietly to your Saviour whilst I shall recite what he did said and suffered for your sake The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to S. Luke With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer Mark these ardent and affectionate expressions of your dear Redeemer He hath still for you the same love and desire and his Will is that you shall celebrate this Pasch with him eternally in his happy Paradise This is my body which I give for you If your blessed Saviour hath given you his Body give yours to him and be content in your sufferings I prepare for you a Kingdom that you may eat at my Table O comfortable sentence 'T is for you that this Kingdom is prepared Pass to it cheerfully couragiously confidently O my Lord I am ready to accompany you into Prison and unto Death O the admirable courage of St. Peter say you the same and you will dy resignedly Pray that you may not enter into temptation Reflect upon these words and since this is a time of temptation elevate to God your Heart that you may be delivered He prayed on bended Knees Behold a rare example Do you imitate it in desire and affection and permit not your spirit to be born down with the sufferings of your body O Father If you please let this Chalice pass away from me yet not my Will but yours be done O how comfortably should you repeat this prayer of your agonizing Saviour Speak it in your Heart and unite your thoughts to those of your sweet Jesus Being in his Agony he prayed more ardently Behold Jesus in the same condition with your self Pray then pray heartily ardently perseverantly And his Sweat became like drops of blood trickling down upon the earth This bloody Sweat will wash away your Sins sweeten your Pains and smooth your passage to Eternity Judas came up to Jesus and Jesus kissed him Comfort your self in Christs kissing Judas Ah! shall not you hope to obtain his kiss of peace in Heaven since you dy in quality of his faithful friend and favourite Jesus looked back upon Peter after he had denied him O sweet words and can you doubt but that Jesus beholds you lying now upon your Death-bed humbly adoring him heartily confessing him and ardently loving him These and the like devout and pithy Reflection and Applications may be made upon the reading of the Passion which surely cannot but afford much comfort to the agonizing person and edification to the assistants Holding the Crucifix before him ADore your dear Saviour dying on the Cross for you and trust in his infinit merits and mercies Kiss these sacred Wounds hide your self in these holes of the Rock and rest here secure against all your enemies deceits and stratagems Offer up the death of JESVS to his eternal Father and desire that yours being thereto united may become pleasing to his divin Majestie Say with the Publican O my God! be merciful to me a Sinner Cry out with the Blind man O Jesu thou Son of David take pity upon me Profess your Faith with S. Thomas O my Lord and my God Animate your Hope to say with me I hope I shall soon see Him in Heaven whom I now contemplate fastned to the Cross Excite your Charity with S. Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Address your self to the Eternal Father with the words of dying Jesus O my Father into your hands I commend my Spirit When the sick Person draws so near towards his Death that no further Applications can be made to him let the devout Assistants charitably pray for him in this or the like manner O Most compassionat Jesu Take pity upon him O Jesu the Redeemer Lover and Life of Christian Souls Have mercy upon him O Jesu the sweet Comforter of all desolate and distressed Sinners Comfort encourage and strengthen him O holy Mary the Refuge of Sinners Pray for him O Mother of Mercy Mother of Grace Mother of Jesus Mother of Power Pity him protect him defend him assist him in this his greatest extremity O glorious Saint Joseph the nursing Father of Jesus and Virginal Spouse of the Virgin Mary Pray for him O Angelical Spirit who have been hitherto his faithful Guardian Do not now abandon him but conduct his soul to its prepared place of eternal rest and happiness O all ye holy Saints and Angels and you St N. his special Patron receive him into your happy company O Jesu be you unto him a Jesus and save him A Prayer to God the Father O Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort we most humbly address our petitions to the Throne of thy divine Clemency in the behalf of this our languishing Brother beseeching thee by the immensity of thy Mercy and by the infinity of thy Sons merits to pardon his sins to mitigate his pains to arm him with patience to furnish him with perseverance in thy Grace and Love till his last Gasp and then to receive his departing Soul into thy paternal care and protection A Prayer to Christ Jesus O Lord Jesu Christ who wert mercifully pleas'd to suffer an ignominious death upon the Cross for the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind we most humbly beseech thee to interpose the Sweat of thy Agony and the Blood of thy Passion between the severe Justice of thy Eternal Father and the grievous Sins and offences of this thy poor servant And deliver him in this hour of his Death from all such pains and punishments as he may fear to have justly deserved A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin O Sacred Mother of Jesus By that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender Heart when thou stoodest by thy dear Son hanging on the Cross heardst him uttering his last Words and beheldst him giving up his Ghost We beseech thee to assist also this thy dying Child with thy Prayers whom his Brother Jesus recommended then and there to thy peculiar care and custodie saying O Woman behold thy Son Turn thy Eyes of pitie and compassion towards him O Blessed Mother in this his extream misery and affliction and leave him not in this his last and greatest necessity O clement O pious O sweet Virgin Mary When the Agonizing person is ready to expire DEpart O Christian Soul Depart in peace out of this world In the name of God the Father who Created thee In the name of God the Son who Redeemed thee In the name of God the Holy Ghost who espoused thee In the name of the Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principalities Powers Cherubins and Seraphins In the
humble addresses to thee in behalf of this poor Soul suffering in the flames of Purgatory It burns with an ardent desire to enjoy God and to behold thee in thy heavenly Glory but the Decree of divine Justice detains it from this desired happiness be thou therefore pleased O Just man to interpose thy pious intercession for the cancelling or at least for the moderation of this severe Edict Thou formerly freedst Jesus and Mary from Herods cruelty free now this Child of Jesus and Mary from the pains of Purgatory and obtain for him a speedy deliverance that he may with thee and thy dear Spouse Mary praise honour and enjoy Jesus for all eternity The Sequens of Holy Church usually said in the Masses for the Dead Dies Irae dies illa c. 1. THat Day of Wrath that dreadful Day Shall all the World in Ashes lay As David and Sybilla say 2. How shall poor Mortals quake with fears When their impartial Judg appears Who all their Causes strictly hears 3. His Trumpet sounds a dreadful tone The noise through all the Graves is blown And calls the Dead before his Throne 4. Nature and Death shall stand at gaze When Creatures shall their Bodies raise And answer for their forespent Days 5. The fair-writ Book of Conscience shown Sins black Inditement shall be known And every Soul it's Guilt shall own 6. So when the Judg shall sit on high All hidden Sins shall open ly No Crime shall from due Vengeance fly 7. What Plea shall wretched I pretend What Patron move to stand my Friend When scarce the Just themselves defend 8. O dreadful God and glorious King Who dost the saved freely bring To Bliss save me O Mercies Spring 9. Pious Jesu call to minde Thy Travels for my good design'd Grant I may that day Mercy find 10. Thou sat'st down weary seeking me Thou climbd'st the Cross my Soul to free Let not such Labours fruitless be 11. Dread Judg whose Justice is severe My long black score of Sin make cleer E're the accounting Day appear 12. I as a guilty Person groan My faults are in my Blushes known Pity dear Lord thy Suppliants moan 13. Thy granting Magdalen relief And opening Heaven to the Thief Hath with sweet Hopes allay'd my grief 14. My worthless Pray'rs deserve no hire But thou mild Lord thy Grace inspire And save me from eternal Fire 15. Amongst thy Sheep grant I may stand Far from the Goats accursed band Securely plac'd at thy Right Hand 16. The taitif Troop being put to shame And pent in Hells n'ere dying flame Amongst the Blest enrol my Name 17. With bended Knee I make my Prayer And Heart contrite as Ashes are Of my last End dear Lord take care 18. That Day of Doom that Day of Tears When guilty Man awakes in Fears From Dust and fore his Judg appears 19. Jesu whose Breast our woes condoles Preserve him from Hells burning Coaks Give rest to all departed Souls Amen ¶ XII A most devout Exercise of Confession and Communion applied to the Souls suffering in Purgatory When your Charity towards your departed Brethren and Friends shall invite you O pious Christian to apply the fruit of your Communion in their favour You may do well to entertain your self during that whole day set apart for that holy purpose in such acts exercises and thoughts as are proper for that subject As for example At your awaking in the Morning IMagin you hear those poor restless and afflicted Souls making their moan to you and exciting you with their ordinary complaints Miseremini miseremini saltem vos Amici O Friends take compassion upon us And do you answer them with a Requiem aeternam dona eis Domine lux perpetua luceat eis O my God! who hast mercifully given me rest this night and light this morning give eternal rest and eternal light to these poor souls Being cloathed and placed on your knees to Adore the Divine Majesty you may thus pour forth your heart before him O Sacred Trinity I here most humbly prostrate my self and these poor Souls in thy presence Offering up for them to the Throne of thy mercy all my this days Actions and Devotions and particularly my Confession Communion and the Indulgence which through thy Mercy I hope to obtain uniting them to the merits of my dear Redeemer of his blessed Mother and of all the glorious Saints of Heaven And beseeching thy infinit goodness to accept of these my weak and unworthy endeavours for satisfaction of their punishments for solace of their sufferings and for their speedy admission to thy beatifying presence Going to Confession IMagin 1. That the Sacrament of Penance is the Purgatory of this world where thou art to cleanse thy Soul by the Fire of Contrition and Flames of Charity not only from its Sins but also in some measure from the Punishments which by its Sins it hath deserved that being thus pardoned and purified it may be more capable to assist those Souls which suffer in the Purgatory of the other world 2. That if it so pleased the Divine goodness as to lend one hour of time to the Souls in Purgatory wherein they might merit and do Penance how zealously would they make use of this blessed Remedy how sincerely would they Confess their Sins how faithfully would they perform their Duty 3. That many poor Souls suffer now most severe punishments in Purgatory and even in Hell it self for one only Sin and what doth thy self deserve for so many or what must thou expect unless thou endeavourest to make some timely satisfaction during this life Returning from Confession 1. ADmire the Divine favour mercy and goodness in your behalf which is so great that had he don the like to the damned before their departure out of this world they had been all Saints in Paradise 2. Perform your enjoyned Penance humbly punctually and with an ardent desire to satisfie the divine Justice for your offences Hearing Mass 1. AT the Entrance of the Priest to the Altar Think how all Purgatory begins to rejoyce in expectation of the fruits of this great Sacrifice Joyn your Heart Affection and Intention with his Offering up with him the same Sacrifice in memory of Christs Passion in Thanksgiving for his favour conferr'd upon the Souls of Purgatory in that they departed this life in his Grace and Love and in satisfaction for the punishment due to their sins At the Confiteor FOrm an Act of hearty Contrition and weigh how highly it grieves the faithful Souls departed that they ever offended the divin Goodness At the Kyrie-eleison CRy out for Mercy in their behalf by the same repeated petitions to the sacred Trinity At Gloria in excelsis O My God! That these poor Souls were now also conforted with thy Angelical Quires to chaunt forth with them these happy Canticles of thy eternal Glory At Credo MAke a profession of your Faith protesting you will never swerve one tittle from that belief wherein all
upon each one of the lesser Grains say Pie Jesu Domine dona eis Requiem Amen that is O compassionate Lord Jesu give theâ—… rest Amen In the Evening HAving examin'd your Conscience endeavour to produce a most fervent Act of Contrition as if in that night you were to depart out of this world And go to Bed as to your Grave saying Ah! the Vanity of all worldly riches greatnesses and glories You must shortly be included in two yards of earth c. Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit c. Two excellent profits which all pious Christians may draw from this charitable practise of praying for the Souls in Purgatory The first profit is That remembring these departed Souls they can hardly forget their own approaching Death and consequently will be moved to make some timely preparation for that great action whereupon depends their whole Eternity THe practise hereof may be reduced to these two Points First Question your self in this sort Were I now presently to depart this world upon deaths Summons am I in a condition to appear before Gods Judgment Seat What dost thou answer O my soul what couldst thou wish to have done Fall forthwith to settle thy self and all that concerns thee in order to thy Death and never cease till thou canst say with S. Paul Nihil mihi conscius sum Through Gods goodness I finde no guilt in my Conscience My heart cannot upbraid me of any horrid crime which I have not endeavour'd to deface by Contrition to discover in Confession to do penance for by Satisfaction My soul detests all that is opposite to the love and will of my Lord Jesus Secondly Habituate your self in the Exercise of such Acts as you would and should practise in the article of your Death Taking therefore your Crucifix in your hand say Well! I must dye but when where how in what estate circumstance and condition All this is uncertain I accept therefore O my Creator the Decree of my death as from thy divine Justice and the Uncertaintie of its execution from thy eternal Providence Behold I am readie and willing to obey thy blessed Ordinances nor do I desire to live one moment longer than is according to thy most just will and liking I protest that I will live and dye in an absolute conformitie to the Catholike Faith because thou my Lord God who art the prime and essential Truth hast taught and revealed it I Hope in the infinitie of thy goodness in the fidelitie of thy promises in the immensity of my Saviours merits Though thou killest me O my Lord yet I will hope in thy Mercy I will dy in thy Love that I may love thee O abyssal Ocean of all Love and perfection for evermore Yes my Lord and my Love I could heartily wish that an Act of Seraphical Love might separate my Soul from my Body that so it might become happily united to thee its only beloved object for all Eternity It grieves me O my God! that I ever offended thee because thou art infinitly good and I am content to dy because I would be freed from all future occasions of offending thee Wherefore I here offer thee my life as a pledge of my Love and I accept of Death as a fit punishment of my offences O when will that desired day come in which I shall see thee my sweet Saviour face to face without any interposition love thee without any interruption praise thee without any imperfection I acknowledg that Purgatory is too pleasant a place for the chastisement of my impieties and were I adjudg'd thither till the last day of general doom I were most mercifully dealt withal yet O my Creator to the end I may make a more honourable satisfaction to thy sacred Justice by the merits of my sweet Saviour I will endeavour to gain all the Indulgences whereof any one is capable in the Article of Death and in particular that which is obtain'd by pronouncing then the holy Name of Jesus which I desire may be the last word of my Mouth the last motion of my Heart the last sigh in my Soul O Dear Jesu Let my last breath eccho forth Jesu Jesu Jesu Amen O Blessed Virgin Mary mother of Mercy mother of Power mother of Jesus Behold thy poor child and present my departing Soul to thy dear Son Jesus O glorious S. Joseph who expiredst in the sweet embraces of Jesus and Mary Obtain for me that I may dy in their favour and affection O my good Angel the faithful Guardian of my Life leave me not in the dangerous moment of my Death End this Exercise with a generous Resolution to Dy daily to your self to the world and to all things and to Live as you desire to Dy. THe Second Profit is That considering the grievous pains they suffer you will easily resolve to endure your Purgatory in this world which was the ardent desire of S. Augustin when he thus petition'd the divine Majesty Purge me O Lord in this life and put me here in such a condition as there may be no need hereafter of any Purifying Fire that so I may be the sooner united to thee my first beginning and my final end and felicity The practise hereof may be reduced to these points following 1. COnsider that all Sin renders us liable to punishment which must infallibly be paid either in this world or in the next Now our merciful Lord seems to leave the choice unto our selves and to present unto us two Purgatories That of the next world painful long fiery devoid of all comfort and merit That of this world easie short and full of comfort O my Soul which wilt thou choose 2. The Purgatory of this world consists in satisfying Gods severe Justice for our sins as far forth as we are able by our own free actions without deferring it to the end of our lives or depending upon the charity of others O my Soul wert thou presently to depart out of this world how many years of Purgatory must thou expect for the expiation of thy many and enormous offences Resolve therefore to begin even this day without any farther delay thy Purgatory in this world by endeavouring now to make satisfaction for thy sins 3. This Satisfaction consists in these Five things which may serve us for as many Purgatories to cleanse our Souls from their Sins and cancel the pains they have thereby justly incurred The first is To perform those works which are call'd Satisfactory to wit Alms-deeds Fasting and Prayer uniting them to the merits of our Redeemer Christ Jesus Alms deeds satisfy the divine Majesty by giving him our goods of Fortune Fasting by consecrating to him the goods of our Bodies Prayer by offering up to him the goods of our Hearts and Spirits Alms-deeds free us from Sin and Death and suffer not a Soul to descend into darkness They purge us and procure us mercy and eternal life Fasting which under its notion contains all sorts of
penitential actions mor ifications and austerities both voluntary and obligatory opens Heaven-gates unto us Prayers appease the divine Anger and Tears extinguish the Fires and Flames which are prepared by Gods Justice to punish us for our offences Now the most efficacious Prayers are these 1. The Sacrifice of the Mass 2. The Sacraments of Penance and the Eucharist 3. The continual practise of Acts of Contrition which serv'd the pious Magdalen for her Purgatory at the feet of Jesus The Second is To embrace all the Afflictions Crosses Calamities Sicknesses and Losses of this life as so many purging Fires Thus the patient Job endur'd his Purgatory upon his Dunghil and in the Fire of fervent Charity and faithful Resignation which made him break forth into these expressions amidst all his sufferings Our Lords Name be ever blessed As he pleases so all things come to pass The Third is To practise heroick Acts of Virtue as generously to pardon your enemies nobly to oblige them who have disobliged you couragiosly to conquer that Passion which hath most power in your Soul For the pains you take and the violence you use upon these occasions will much contribute to the Satisfaction for your Sins and serve you instead of your deserved Purgatory The Fourth is To perform such Works of Restitution Charity and Piety in your own person and during your life-time as you desire should be done at the hour of your Death For by clearing your own Accounts settling peace in your own Soul and executing your own Testament you will be exempt from the fear of suffering a severe Purgatory through your Executors negligence The Fifth is When you have perform'd all things as your zeal to satisfie Gods Justice hath suggested unto you To have an humble sense of the no-worth and value of all your own actions and endeavours and thereupon To address your self to the undrainable treasury of your Saviours merits hoping to draw thence sufficient Water for the washing away of all your offences These are the Five voluntary Purgatories of this World by which if you here satisfie for your Sins you may hope to avoid hereafter the necessary Purgatory due to them in the next World ¶ 13. An Appendix containing several devout and efficacious Prayers proper for the frequent use of all pious Christians 1. A Prayer to our Lord Jesus wherein we humbly acknowledg him for our Soveraign and promise him faithful obedience for the future O Jesu King of Kings to whom all power is given in heaven and earth as a most just reward for thy most perfect Obedience Thy Empire is out of the reach of rebellion it dreads no dangers and is free from the vicissitudes of Fortune Thou wantest neither spies abroad nor policies at home to secure thy Throne neither warlike guards nor worldly greatnesses to procure thy respect and encrease thy honour since whatsoever is requisite to be the Soveraign King of Kings and the immortal and incomprehensible Monarch of Heaven and Earth is in the riches of thy own divine Being and thy own Nature necessarily involves a boundless Jurisdiction Wherefore O Jesu my Saviour behold here prostrate before thee one of thy meanest subjects offering to thy sacred Majesty as to his soveraign King an humble and most respectful Homage I come Lord to renew that solemn Oath of fidelity which I took formerly in Baptism and to present thee the Key of my Heart hoping thou wilt vouchsafe to enter in take full possession and make there thy constant habitation Thou O all-powerful King canst soon make it fit for thy own entertainment having in this point as in all others an advantage over earthly Princes to raise men from their dunghils and render them worthy of their dignities Thou O great Monarch chusing Saul for the King of thy people changedst also his spirit calling David from the sheep-fold madst him a man according to thy own Heart drawing the Apostles from their Fishing-employments rendredst them fit Preachers of thy Gospel Why then shall not I with an humble boldness beg thy entrance into my poor Heart since I well know it will at the same instant become a mansion worthy thy Royal Majesty I am not fully satisfied O my Soveraign King in being thy faithful subject I desire to be thy Bondslave and Vassal I will therefore no longer pretend to the least power over my self but all my future labours and endeavours shall be to acquire riches for thy Royal Majesty Yes my will is that every child of mine to wit all my works words and thoughts shall be henceforth born in the same Bondage of thy Love O my Soul what higher honour can we have than to live in a such Slavery O my Saviour sweet is thy yoak light thy burthen easie thy precepts favourable thy fetters pleasing thy authority prudent thy proceedings paternal thy providence to them who faithfully adhere to thee O how loving and liberal a Lord art thou to such loyal subjects Unhappy they who are none of this holy number and ever magnified be thy Mercy which hath drawn my soul out of my enemies clutches to enrol her thy Captive Behold O my blessed Redeemer I acknowledg my self with much comfort and content to appertain particularly to thee in quality of an absolute Bonds man by this thy new right of purchase but yet O my dread Lord and Master I know not how to render thee a Bond-slave's duty and therefore beg of thy goodness to teach me this great secret and take from me that unfortunate liberty which enables me to rebel against thy Royal will and pleasure Ah! my Lord If thou leavest this my liberty to it 's own nature I shall soon leave off all Obedience to thy laws I shall quickly alas trample upon thy Crown sleight thy Scepter and use against thy self all the goods thy bounty hath given me My Understanding will censure thy Mysteries my Memory will forget thy mercies my Fancy will feed upon filthy Images my Will will love what thou loathest my unruly Passions uncurb'd Senses brutish Appetites will all bandy against thy blessed Grace and my own Reason Finally I shall glory in being thy enemy and say Who is the Lord Take from me therefore I beseech thee O Jesu the root of this dreadful rebellion command and compel my stiff neck and stubborn nature to submit to the blessed yoak of thy law and force me to be happy O most pleasing constraint which renders me a copartner with thy self in thy Royalty For thou O great and gracious King Jesu art nothing jealous of thy Soveraignty but thou most liberally communicatest it to thy beloved Subjects designing them to be all Kings in thy endless Eternity And is it possible O my Soul that thou so easily quittest so sublime a Dignity Wilt thou be so silly as to fall in love with thine own shackles that is with thy filthy sins of Ambition Avarice Revenge and Sensuality Ah! art thou not utterly confounded at thine own
excessive Folly and wilt thou not yet perceive how thy own errour brings with it a self-punishment Alas what is it that thou lovest what is that which seems to content and comfort thee What is it that pretends to secure thy Soul in this shameful servitude On the contrary what troubles what torments what solicitudes what horrours doth not each moment of time suggest to thy trembling spirit Shake off then with a manly courage this sad and heavy yoak of Sin and Satan and submit cheerfully to that which thy Lord Jesus this day presents unto thee A yoak which is sweet and easie and which he himself will carry together with thee Yes O immortal invisible omnipotent King Jesu I change Master even at this instant and I make choice of thee to be henceforth my sole Lord and Soveraign Behold not I beseech thee how long I have staid in rebellion but look upon the Wounds thy self endured to win me to thy Obedience Reign in Heaven and earth O Adorable Monarch and rule particularly in my heart and Soul and let all rational creatures unanimously confess and acknowledg it their highest honour and happiness to be Servants to the crucified King Jesus 2. A Prayer to be said by one who is upon making choice of a condition of life begging light from above to discern Gods Will and his own Good T Is the order of thy divine Providence O dread Soveraign of Heaven and Earth that there should be in this great world several sorts of states and conditions to which thou designest men by a choice known only to thy all-knowing Wisdom Thou also assurest us by thy sacred Word that each one ought to remain in the condition to which he is called And there is no lawful calling which exclude's from thy Kingdom This moves me to prostrate my self at thy feet and pour forth my heart here in thy presence hoping to receive some glimpse of light from thee O true light which illuminatest every one coming into this World To direct me in this matter which is to me of highest importance not only as to my temporal but my eternal happiness O my Lord I humbly acknowledg my own ignorance and simplicity for alas I neither can foresee the future nor dive so far into my own dark interiour as to distinguish whether the motions I there feel are Rational or Sensual and whether my perverse Nature opposing thy Grace incline's me not to an Election which may endanger my Salvation The World and the Flesh furnish me with plenty of fair and specious Reasons but I well consider they are dangerous Counsellors and damnable are their Maxims Lord lead me out of this labyrinth of irresolutions since I resolve to leave my self absolutly to the conduct of thy holy Spirit renouncing all my own ratiocinations affections inclinations and interests and willing nothing at all but only what thou wilt for me Behold I am thy Servant and the childe of thy handmaid say only the word O my loving Master and thy holy will shall be obey'd lift me up or cast me down it shall equally please me so I may perceive 't is thy divine Conduct which disposeth thus of me thy poor Creature I beg of thou this only blessing O my compassionate Father that thou wilt please to prosper and sanctifie me in that particular State I shall settle in giving me strength and courage to wade through all the difficulties I shall there meet with and rewarding my Perseverance in thy love and service in this world with a crown of glory and with immortality in the next 3. A Prayer to be said by one who is fall'n into some great Necessity Calamity or Misery THy infallible truth assures me O Soveraign Lord God! there 's not a Hair of my Head fal's off without thy order How then can I doubt but this sad Accident befal's me by the particular permission of thy all-penetrating Providence I will not know the reason of this thy proceeding since I acknowledg thee O my Omnipotent Creator to possess an absolute Empire not only over my goods but over my life and that my person is in thy power as Clay is in the hands of the Potter to imprint upon me what form and put me to what use thy self best pleaseth Thou O my Lord gavest me health wealth peace fame friends children prosperity c. Which was a favour I humbly confess I did not deserve thou hast now depriv'd me of them which I humbly acknowledg to be an effect of thy Justice since I made not use of them as I ought to thy only glory and my own eternal good Thy blessed will be done in me and all creatures is all the Complaint I will make begging thy Grace to imprint as well in my Hear the meaning of these sacred words as I have the sound of them in my Mouth that I may joyfully resignedly and without reserve submit to thy sacred disposal all that concern's me and make use of thy Fatherly Visitations to the increase of my Filial obedience and affection Let me forget what I have been in my former Prosperity and not fear what I may be in any future Adversity cheerfully embracing my present Condition incessantly praising thy sweet Providence and peaceably expecting the eternal Recompence thou hast promised to such as suffer for thy sake 4. A Prayer humbly imploring the continuance of Health and that we may make good use of it in order to our eternal Happiness MAn born of a Woman as your sacred Word O eternal Truth teaches us live's but a short time And during this his short stay upon earth is subject unto many Miseries His life is a Flower which drie's up and dwindles away upon the same day it is displayed 't is a Blast soon past and dissipated 't is a stream of Water which nimbly slides by disappears and never more returns 't is a Shadow flying away assoon as formed 't is Smoak which as it riseth vanisheth in summe 't is a meer Vapour having no solid consistence and permanency This is the short fickle uncertain nature of man's life and I ask thee not O great Lord of life and death to change it for me I only begg that thou wilt be pleas'd in giving me Health to grant me also Grace to make the right use of it to thy glory and my own salvation for alas I shall be little able to act for the one or the other when the rigour of a sharp Disease seizes on the functions of my inward and outward faculties Grant O my God! that the curb of thy holy fear may keep my body always in good order least it being high in flesh should shake off it's subordination to the spirit that so I may employ it's strength to acquit my self of my Christian obligations and perform the several duties of my place and condition Take from me O Lord all desire of superfluities which serve only to satisfie the senses and let me rest fully contented with
such conveniencies as serve for my lives ordinary entertainment till such time as thou shalt please to free my Soul from this fleshly slavery and accomplish my Redemption by destroying all that is borrowed from the old Adam and consummating my adoption in Glory which I desire for no other end but to be no longer subject to offend thee my Lord and Maker and that I may be happily obliged and necessitated to praise and love thee for all Eternity 5. A Prayer for the Conversion of Hereticks ONe of the secret Judgments of thy divine Providence O Omnipotent Creator which I humbly adore without daring to dive into it is the permission of Heresies to spring up in such multitudes as Weeds amidst the Wheat in the field of Christianity 'T is for the conversion of these misbelievers for the reduction of these straid sheep for the illumination of these blinded Christians that we now present our petition to the Throne of thy divine Clemency Clear them O Lord clear the Understandings of these our brethren for so they are by participating with us of the self-same Baptism and recal them to the safe sheep-fold of thy Universal Church Give them we beseech thee that Columbin simplicity which is necessary to receive and retain the Faith of thy Gospel and that Christian infancy which is not suspicious not litigious not apt to dispute and judge not puff'd up with any self-opinions Let them see and admire the beauty of Catholick verities by an inward light penetrating their Understandings and captivating them to the obedience 〈◊〉 faith and the Church Ingrave in their Wills the love of thy Truths and dissipate all these impostures wherewith their deceived Teachers entertain them in the hatred of our sacred mysteries We have enough disputed written preached be thou now O divine Doctor the concluding Umpire of all our Controversies Speak effectually to their hearts O all penetrating spirit and open them to hear thy Voice and to admit of thy Inspirations and having fill'd them with the seed of thy saving Faith shut them and seal them with thy grace lest the Birds of prey snatch it away O Soveraign Shepheard reunite these wandring sheep to their true Pastor and make us all members of one Body under one Head that we may with one heart and mouth unanimously adore praise and glorifie thy sacred Name during the remaining time of our pilgrimage upon Earth and afterwards in Heaven for all Eternity 6. A Prayer for a Special Friend PReserve O Lord thy Servant N. for whose Health Happiness and Prosperity we humbly offer up these our Petitions to thy Sacred Majesty beseeching thee to grant him a perseverant Constancy in the Catholick Faith a safe passaâ—… through this lives dangerous Pilgrimage and that no Worldly Carnal or Diabolical Temptations may have the power to separate him from thee his prime and only Good Give him Grace to correspond to the Calling and Condition wherein thou hast placed him Direct him in all his Ways Defend him against all his Enemies and grant him finally a happy Death and departure out of this World and a speedy passage after Death to the fruition of thy Eternal Felicity 7. A Prayer for a Friend in Tribulation VOuchsafe O merciful Creator to afford the sweetness of thy Comfort to thy afflicted servant N. and to remove according to thy wonted Mercy the heavy burthen of his Calamities Give him we humbly beseech thee Patience in his sufferings Resignation to thy good pleasure Perseverance in thy service and a happy translation from this afflictive Life to thy Eternal Felicity 8. A Prayer for our Enemies Detractors and Persecutors O Meek and Merciful Lord Jesu the great Master Exemplar and Practiser of Peace Charity and Union amongst men Who hast commanded us to love our Enemies and to do good for them who hate us and who prayedst on the Cross for thy capital Adversaries Increase within us we most humbly beseech thee the Spirit of Christian Charity that we may freely heartily and sincerely forgive them who have any way offended injured or persecuted us Bestow on them also O Blessed Saviour the same Spirit of perfect Peace Love and Charity and powerfully defend us from all their Deceits and Treachery 9. A Prayer for a Woman labouring in Child-Bed O Most dread Soveraign Who for the just punishment of the first Womans prevarication hast pronounced and imposed a severe and unavoydable Sentence of Malediction upon all Woman-kind that they should bring forth their Children in pain and sorrow We most humbly beseech thee O undrainable Fountain of Goodness and Mercy to mitigate the rigour of this general Edict in behalf of this your poor Handmayd N. now labouring in the pangs of Child-Bed and to give her Courage Comfort and Patience in her sufferings Grant her O gracious Lord God! a speedy and happy Deliverance and that the Child she bears in her womb may be brought forth into the World accompanied with all such Perfections of Body Soul and Senses as are befitting our human nature that it may live to be re-born by Baptism and that both the Child and the Mother may become thy faithful Servants 10. A Prayer to withdraw our Minds from the superfluous Cares and Solicitudes of this World O Lord our true Lover our faithful Teacher and our bountiful Nourisher Take from us all vain superfluous and noxious Cares and Solicitudes and since thou hast been graciously pleas'd to promise us that thy Self wilt make a sufficient Provision for us grant that we may confidently rely in all things upon thy sacred Providence Let us therefore fix our Hearts and Affections upon Heavenly Objects Let us seek only thy Kingdom and be only solicitous for the advancement of thy Honour and Glory Let us run on cheerfully couragiously perseverantly in the way of thy Precepts during this our earthly Pilgrimage that so we may be finally translated to thy Heavenly Paradise 11. A Prayer to appease the Divine Indignation in any publick or private Necessity WHen we compare O Lord thy Punishments with our own Prevarications we are forced to confess that our Crimes do far exceed thy Chastisements We are sensible of our Sins Penalty but we leave not our sinful Pertinacy Our sick Minds are troubled but our stiff Necks are not bowed Our Life languishes under the burthen of our Afflictons and yet we amend not our wicked Actions We acknowledg our misdeeds in the day of Correction and we forget what we have bewailed after the Visitation If thou O Lord stretchest forth thy Hand to strike us we make thee large Promises if thou sheathest thy Sword we fail in our Performances If thou scourgest us we petition thee to spare us if thou mercifully sparest us we again maliciously provoke thee to scourge us Behold O dread Soveraign Thou hast us self-accused adjudged condemned and we well know that unless thou wilt pardon us we must needs perish Yet grant unto us O Compassionate Father that which we desire
me unto thy self by these strong bonds of thy infinite Charity 7. Ah! my dull Soul this disaster comes undoubtedly from thy self who remainest so cold amidst these ardent flames so hard amongst these iterated strokes so impenetrable against these sharp-Pointed darts and arrows of the divine love and affection Yes My Lord and Lover the desect of my love proceeds from my own default For thou My dearest Lord desirest nothing more than to see thy Grace have its full and entire effect in my heart which I hinder by my unnatural harshness tepidity and ingratitude 8. Alas my misery shall I still live and not sincerely Love thee the only worthy to be beloved object No my amiable Lord God! to live and to love thee shall be henceforth in me one and the same continued univocal convertible action Let others lead their lives according to their own election and liking for my part I here make choice of this life of love for my only Haven and Heaven upon earth and my amorous Motto shall be for evermore My beloved to me and I to him 9. Yes O sweet Bridegroom of my Soul thy sacred love shall be the lease of my life that I may cease to live when I leave off loving thee O the sweet secure life of Love I have chosen thee and I will contentedly repose in thee I have found thee and I will faithfully follow thee My Beloved shall be mine and I will be his for all future time and Eternity 10. Ah! Soveraign King of Love how miserable is that Soul that lives devoid of thy dear Love and how much more miserable is that Soul which having felt the sweetness of thy affection falls back to her former tepidity negligence and ingratitude O my Lord Let not this misery fall to my lot but let me love thee solidly sincerely preseverantly O Let my amorous spirit become fully and finally absorpt into thy felf Let me admire thee in thy blessed gifts and graces but permit me to adore thee in thy own abyssal essential amiable essence which infinitely exceeds them Let thy Love run sweetly into my heart and permit my heart to return sweetly back by the same channel of Love into thy bosom as a Brook slides silently and sweetly but yet swiftly into its original Ocean to be there unrecoverably lost in the bottomless depths of thy divine Affections 11. O my God my Lord my Love my Life my All I am no longer able to endure the consideration of thy ardent Love without corresponding thereunto with all my heart soul and strength by the most zealous perfect and cotinued affection that can possibly be produc'd by any poor creature O how it grieves me to have so long neglected this necessary duty O dear Love I most humbly crave thy pardon and conjure thee by thy own sweet self to forget all my past tepidities and accept of this present ardour whereby I promise to be henceforth so faithful fervent and constant unto thee that no time no temptation nor death it self shall ever hinder or interrupt the payment of this my sincere homage of love upon thy sacred Altar 12. Behold O the only Beloved of my Heart what a bold protestation of future fidelity in thy presence I have now made hoping for thy blessing upon it as an effect of thy love but putting no value upon it as proceeding from my self whose power and being are one and the same thing to wit a meer Nothing before thy supream Majesty Since therefore I have as much confidence in thy infinite Goodness as I have distrust in my own Nothing I will patiently hopefully resignedly expect thy divine will and pleasure in this and all things whatsoever O thrice welcome Will of my God! be thou fully accomplished in me and in all creatures for all time and Eternity 13. O dearly beloved Bridegroom of my Soul thou art pleas'd to be all mine and I am resolv'd to be all thine My life my liberty my love all is thine Dear Jesu all shall be thine and thine alone Thou shalt be the sole subject of all my thoughts and the sweet object of all my affections Thou shalt be the God of my heart the heart of my life the life of my soul and the soul of my love for evermore Thou shalt rest as a fragrant Posie between my breasts repose like a loving Bridegroom in my heart and reign like a Soveraign King in the most intime closet of my interiour I will keep thee kiss thee conjure thee to continue with me and I will choose rather to leave my life than lose thy love 14. O my God! thou art my all and only good thou art the only desire of my heart delight of my soul Thou art the only refuge repose and retreat of my spirit Thou art the only light of my eyes musick of my Ears hony of my Tongue joy of my Heart Thou art the only sufficient and ever-indeficient Fountain of peace plenty purity and perfection Out of thee is neither pleasure nor profit neither praise nor preferment neither liberty nor liberality neither peace nor purity neither life nor love neither honour nor happiness I will therefore remain in thee only love thee only O only amiable object for evermore Dilectus meus mihi ego illi My Beloved is mine and I am his Errata PAge 40. line 11. add and. p. 82. l. 26. farther r. further p. 88. l. 26. week r. weak p. 134. l. 15. dele of p. 138. l. 4. dele and. p. 155. l. 15. dele and. p. 158. l. 19. his r. this p. 161. l. last the with r. with the. p. 170. l. 27. committed r. omitted p. 225. l. 24. anther r. another p. 250. l. 15. meery r. mercy p. 278. l. 4. maks r. makâ—st p. 291. l. 10. dele out p. 313. l. 10. Motner r Mother p. 319. l. 7. old r. hold p. 345. l. 7. 336. r. 311. p. 365. these are 12 lines repeated p. 371. line penult Greator r. Creator p. 408. l. 2. beautifying r. beatifying FINIS