in helping forward prosecute them that all our prayers and workes may begin alwayes from thee and begun by thee may so be ended Through Lord Jesus our mercifull Redeemer Amen Our Father c. Haile Mary c. I beleeve in God c. All as above I Confesse me to Almighty God To the blessed Virgin S. Marie To the blessed S. John Baptist To the holy Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul and to all the Saints in Heaven that I have grievously sinned in thought Word and deed Through my fault Through my fault through my most grievous fault Therfore I Beseech the blessed Virgin Marie blessed S. Michel the Archangel blessed S. John Baptist the holy Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul and all the Saints in Heaven ro pray unto our Lord God for me Almighty God have mercy upon us and all our sinnes being forgiven he bring us to everlasting life Amen Almighty and mercifull Lord give unto us pardon absolution an remission of all our sins Amen Vouchsafe O Lord to keepe us this day without sin be mercifull unto us let thy mercy O Lord be upon us even as we have our trust in thee O Lord heare my prayer and let my cry come to thee O Father Almigthy who hast brought us to the beginning of this new day save us by thy power to the end that we fall not this day into sin but that our words our thoughts and workes may be directed to execute thy justice through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A devout recommendation to be used every morning I Adore blesse and glorify thee O holy Trinity God Omnipotent Father Sonne and Holy Ghost Behold I offer my selfe to thy Divine Majesty Take from me I beseech thee and from all faithfull Christians what soever displeaseth thee and give unto us that which is gratefull in thy sight and grant that we may become such as we are comanded to be I recommend unto thee O Lord my soule my body my wife my children my Father and Mother my brothers and sisters my kindred and benefactors friends and enemies and all those who have recommended themselves to my prayers or for whom I am bound to pray I commend unto thee the holy Catholique Church grant O Lord that every one may know thee that all may worship honour and reverence thee all may love thee and likewise be beloved of thee Those who erre reduce and bring againe into the way Destroy all false sects and heresies convert all to the true faith grant O Lord thy peace let thy holy will de donne comfort and help all who are in tribulation and misery as well Spirituall as corporal Grant O Lord unto the living grace and to the faithfull soules departed mercy and everlasting rest A recommendation to God INto the hands of thy infinit mercy O Lord I commend my soule and body my senses my words my counsailes my thoughts my workes and all my actions with all the necessites of my body and soule my conversation my death and resurrection with thy Saints and happy elect Amen A recommendation of ourselves to the blessed Virgin Mother of God To the Angels and Saints out of S. Augustin ch 40. of his medit O Marie Mother of God our Lord and Saviour Jes Christ thou sacred and unspotted Virgin vouchsafe to make intercession for me unto him who made thee a worthy temple for himselfe to inhabit O S. Gabriel S. Raphael O holy quiers of Angels and Archangels of Patriarkes and Prophets of Apostles and Evangelists of Martyres and Levits of Monkes and Virgins and all such as have lived righteously I beseech you even for his sake by whom you have been elected and in whose contemplation you have so much delighted that you will be pleased to pray for me a poore sinner unto him our God that I may be delivered from the furious jawes of the infernal Fiend and from that death which shall never have end Amen A devout Prayer to our Lord Iesus O My divine and most mercifull Redeemer Jesus sonne of God and of the glorious Virgin Marie who dying for all mankind and me the third day didst rise againe I beseech thee deare Lord have mercy on me a vile and wretched sinner but yet thy creature and for thy bitter Passion save and keepe me from all perils bodily and ghostly and specially from all things that may turne to thy displeasure And with all my hart I thanke thee most mercifull Lord for the many mercies thou hast shewd me in the great dangers I have past both in body and soule and as thy grace and endlesse goodnesse hath alwayes kept and saved me from the houre of my birth until this day so Lord I beseech thee that thy mercy may continue my safety And for my many offences and great ingratitudes of my sinful life I humbly aske mercy And for that I cannot leade such a life as it becommeth thy servant I humbly prostrate and cry God be merciful to me a most wretched sinner And I humbly thanke thee most gracious Lord for the multitude of Divine benefits which thou hast more largely bestowed on me then upon many others who have much better deserved them then I. Wherefore most gracious Lord I humbly thanke thee rendring all honour and praise to thy holy name who livest and reygnest one God world without end Amen A Prayer to persever in goodnesse GRant O Lord Jesu that I may persever in good purposes and in thy holy service untill my death and that I may now this present day perfectly begin for it is nothing that hitherto I have done A Prayer to our Angel guardian O Angel of God who art my keeper illuminate guard rule and governe me this day by the supernal piety committed to thee Amen O Lord blesse us and defend us from all evill and bring us to eternall life And the soules of the faithful through the mercy of God rest in peace Amen A blessing THe peace of our Lord Jesus Christ the vertue of his sacred holy passion the signe of the holy crosse the integrity and great humility of the blessed Virgin Mary the blessing of the glorious Saints the keeping of the happy Angels and the suffrages of all the chosen of God be with me and between me and all myne enemies now and in the hour of my death sweet Jesu Amen The Almigthy and mercifull God the Father Sonne and Holy Ghost blesse and keepe us nowe and evermore When at morning noone and evening you heare the Ave Mary bell to ring say THe Angel of God declared unto Mary and shee conceived of the Holy Ghost Haile Mary full of grace c. Behould the hand-maide of our Lord be it unto me according to thy word Haile Mary full of grace c. And the word was made flesh and dwelt in us Haile Mary full of grace c. The Prayer VOuchsafe we beseech thee O Lord to power forth thy grace into our harts that we who know the
faithful diligence and to keep defend and protect me this day from all evil visible and invisible Amen A Prayer in sicknesse LEt my request enter into thy fight O Lord and let thy hand stretch forth to make me whole Behould I am the Man that comming downe from Jerico was forely wounded by theeves and left halfe dead Doe thou assist me O merciful Samaritan I have grievously sinned in thy sight and so full is my soule of those deadly wounds as hadst thou not died for me my soule would have dwelt in Hell I am sweet Jesus a part of that deare purchace for me tho didst shed thy precious blood cast me not away I am the sheep that went astray seeke me O good shiphard and put me in thy flock that thou maist be justified in thy word for thou didst make me a promise that at what houre soever a sinner should repent him of his sins and turne to thee he should he pardoned I repent O Lord and bewaile my sins I acknowledge my iniquities I am not worthy to be cal'd thy sonne for I have sinned against Heaven and before thee But turne away O Lord thy face from my offences blot out my iniquities according to thy great mercy cast me not away from thy sight deale not with me according to my sins nor reward me after the desert of my iniquities but help me O Lord my God and Saviour and for the glory of thy name deliver me that I may prayse thee for ever more with all thy glorious elect in thy celestial kingdome of Beatitude for all Eternit A Prayer to obtayne a blessed ending O Blessed Jesu wel-spring of pitty and fountaine of endlesse mercy I humbly beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this my transitory life in vertuous and godly exercises that when the day of my death shall come though I feele paine in my body yet I may finde comfort in my soule and with faithful hope of thy mercy in due love towards thee and charity towards all others I may through thy grace depart hence out of this vaile of misery and hasten me to that glorious country wherin thou hast bought us an inheritance for ever with thy most precious blood there to praise and glorify thee with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one living God world without end Amen A Prayer when we begin our actions PRevent we beseech thee O Lord our actions by thy spirit assisting us and in helping forward prosecute them that all our prayers and workes may begin alwayes from thee and begun by thee may be ended through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen An Evening Prayer ALmighty and everlasting God I yeald thee most harty thankes for that thou hast vouchafed of thy great mercy and goodnes to preserve me this day from all evil and I doe also beseech thee for thy bitter death and passion most mercifully to forgive me wretched sinner all my offences that this day I have committed by thought word and deed and hereafter to preserve and keepe me from all danger both of body and soule to the end I may rise againe in health to praise thy glorious name and joyfully to serve thee in thankes giving with a chast body and a cleane hart and so for ever after behave my selfe according to thy blessed will by casting away the workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light which Men behoulding may be provoked to glorify thee my heavenly Father who with thy only begotten sonne our only Saviour and the Holy Ghost livest and raygnest one true and everlasting God A Prayer for the sicke O Almighty and everlasting God the eternal health of them that beleeve in thee heare us for thy sicke servant for whom we humbly crave the help of thy mercy that health being restored unto him he may yeald thankes giving to thee in thy Church through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Prayers to obtayne the grace of the Holy Ghost O God to whom each hart is open and each will doth speake and from whom no fecret lyeth hid purify by the inspiration of the holy Ghost the agitations of our hart that we may deserve perfectly to love thee and worthily to praise thee through our Lord true God Amen To obtayne the same grace for our friends O God who hast powred the guifs of charity by the grace of the holy Ghost into the harts of thy faithfull grant unto thy servants for whom we crave thy clemency health of minde and body that they may love thee with all their strength and accomplish with all love what things are pleasing unto thee through Christ our Lord. Amen To obtayne the same grace for our enemies O God the lover and keeper of peace and charity give unto all our enemies peace and true charity and grant uto them remission of all their sins and powerfully deliver us from all their deceipts through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen A Prayer to repel wicked thoughts O Almighty and mild God mercifully regard our Prayers and deliver our harts from the temptations of evil thoughts that we may deserve to be made a worthy dwelling for the holy Ghost through the same Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer to require charity O God who maketh all things to profit them that love thee grant unto our harts an inviolable desire of thy charity that the desires conceived by thy inspirations may by no temptation be altered through the same Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer to begg Patience O God who hast broken the pride of the old enemy by the patience of thy only begotten Sonne grant unto us we beseech thee worthely to call to mind what he so meekely suffered for us and by his example quietly to endure the adverse changes falling upon us through Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer to require the suffrages of Saints WE beseech the O Lord defend us from all perils of body and mind and the glorious Virgin Mary mother of God praying for us togeather with the blessed Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul blessed S. Joseph Saint c. and all the glorious Saints and Angels thou being benigne grant unto us salvation and peace that adversities and all errours being destroyd thy Church may serve thee in secure liberty through Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer to require continency KIndle with the fire of the holy Ghost our raines and our harts O Lord that with chast bodies we may serve thee and with pure harts please thee through our Lord and only Saviour Jesus Amen A Prayer in tyme of warre O God who dissolveth warres and by the power of thy protection dost vanquish the impugners of them that trust in thee help thy servants earnestly craving thy mercy that the cruelty of all their enemies being depressed we may praise thee with incessant thankes-giving through our Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer for peace O God from whom are all holy desires rightfull counselles and just workes give unto thy servants that peace
which the world cannot give that our harts being disposed to keepe thy Commandements and the feare of enemies being taken away the tymes through thy protection may be peacible by the merits of thy deare sonne Jesus Amen A Prayer in tyme of famine and Pestilence GRant unto us we beseech thee O Lord the effect of our prayers and by thy mercie turne away from us pestilence and famine that the harts of Men may know that such scourges proceed from thy indignation and cease by thy mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for raine O God in whom we live are mooved and have our beeing grant unto us competent raine that sufficiently releeved by thy present aide we may more confidently desire things everlasting through our Lord Jesus Amen A prayer for faire weather HEare us O Lord crying unto thee and grant unto us making humble supplications faire weather that we who justly are afflicted for our sins may by thy grace preventing find mercy through our Lord Amen A prayer in any tribulation A Lmighty God despise not thy people crying unto thee in affliction but for the glory of thy name thou being pacifi'd succour the afflicted through our Lord Amen A Prayer for forgivenes of sins O God who rejecteth none but art pacifi'd by mercifull pitty through penance even towards the greatest sinners thou being merciful respect the prayers of our humility enlighten our harts that we may be able to fulfill thy commandements through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for such as are in a journey HArken to our supplication O Lord and dispose the way of thy safegard that among all varieties of this passage and life they may ever be protected by thy ayde through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer to be said at the conclusion of our usvall prayers ACcept O most clement God by the prayers and merits of the blessed and ever Virgin Mary and of all thy glorious Saints the office of our service and if we have done any thing worthy of praise thou being mercifull regard it and what is donne negligently mercifully pardon it who livest and raignest one God in perfect Trinity world without end Amen A blessing to be used at the end of all our daily prayers The Imperiall Majesty of God blesse me The Regal Divinity protect me The everlasting Deity keepe me The glorious unity comfort me The incomprehensible Trinity defend me The inestimable goodnesse direct me The power of the Father governe me The wisdome of the sonne quicken me The vertue of the holy Ghost illuminate me and be with me Amen O souveraine and my most mercifull God let this blessing be unto me all health and safty both of body and soule against all myne enemies visible and invisible now and for ever more Amen Of Aspirations and jaculatory Prayers A jaculatory prayer is a briefe elevation of our mind and hart to God as meditation is the same at large They are a speciall great meanes to all spiritual progresse and vertue yea they are as the vital spirits and the very nerves of prayer and are to be used both in tyme of prayer and also very often at other tymes They are a great support a cherishing and a very powerfull invitation to the soule in the tyme of drynesse and desolation to raise her affection unto God This kind of prayer is very briefe easie and very fruitfull It is to be made with fervent affection devotion and true tendernes of hart as king David usually did practise it and by this holy exercise we may be enabled to obtayne that guift commended to us by our blessed Saviour Luke 18.1 Thest 5. it behooves continually to praye and never to give over pray without ceasing saith S. Paul These jaculatory prayers are often in the day to be repeated according to the diversity of occasions and oportunities either vocally or only mentally What fruit they bring and how efficacious they are to gaine perfection and to transport the mind from earthly cogitation unto celestial the experience of innumerable vertuous soules have made good proofe and wil better teach then words can expresse They are called jaculatory as darting prayers because in a moment they pierce the heavens and present our requests to Almighty God testifying the ardent desires and holy affections of a soule seeking and thirsting after the fountaine of all perfection goodnesse and sanctity Say with S. Austin O my Lord and God that I but knew thee and knew my selfe O grant me perseverance in thy graces and true contrition for all my offences Forgive me Lord the multitude of my sins and have mercy on me O my great and loving God o that I had never offended thee O that I could obtaine the right practise of true humility and patice Grant me O Lord the grace that I may hate nothing but sin and my selfe and love nothing but thee and my neighbour in thee and for thee O that thou my deare Lord may be the beginning the progresse and the end of all my actions Not my will O Lord but thyne be donne Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Let al transitory things O Lord become vile unto me and let all things that are thine be deare unto me and thou O God above all Forsake me not O Lord my God depart not from me attend unto my help Psal 37. O Lord the God of my salvation To thee O Lord Psal 24. I have raised my soule my God in thee is all my confidence Create a cleane hart in me O God and renew a right spirit in my bowels Psal 50. The practise of Aspirations upon the affection of the imitation of our divine Redeemer Iesus Christ AMongst all sortes of Affections that above all others is most profitable which mouveth us to imitate that most perfect example of all divine vertues our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ stirring up our affection and desire to embrace and to imitate his holy vertues by the practise of these or the like holy and fervent aspirations Most mild most loving and patient Jesus the perfect example to be imitated grant me the grace to imitate thy mildnesse meekness patience and thy profound humility Ah grant me O most powerfull Lord in all things to be conformable unto thy heavenly will and pleasure O the true owner of my soule endowe me with thy love for which thou hat created me and nothing else can give it true rest and satisfaction but that alone O most profound humility correct my pride O invincible patience when shall I by thy example be truly patient bestow on me thy benignity to correct my cholerick passion and great impatience I beseech thee O my benigne and powerfull Lord when wilt thou bestow on me the grace to make me humble patient devout and conformable to thy holy will The practise of Aspirations upon the affection of admiration of our divine Redeemers love to Man O my God who art thou
incarnation of Christ thy sonne the Angel declaring it may be brought by his holy Crosse and Passion unto the glory of his Resurrection through the same Christ our Lord Amen The soules of the faithfull through the mercy of God rest in peace Amen Be mindfull to say this holy devotion thrice every day In the morning in gratefull memory and adoration of that divine Mystery of the glorious Resurrection of our Redeemer Iesus Christ At midday in memory and adoration of his bitter death and Passion And at the Evening in memory and adoration of the Incarnation of the sonne of God in the wombe of the pure and immaculate ever Virgin Certaine generall advertisments much conducing to Christian perfection THinke often upon the moment of this life whereon depends Eternity Call frequently to minde that thou art placed in this world for no other end but that by serving God to save thy soule Remember that thou art alwayes in the presence of God and raise often thy hart unto him Observe not the imperfections of other persons but think rather of mending thy owne Judge rashly of no body nor give any willing care unto the detractor Let no drynesse nor barrenesse in devotion cause you to omitt any accustomed exercise of piety Doe all your actions with a pure intention for the glory of God When you heare the clock to strike stirr up sorrow for your sins beseeching God to have mercy on your soule at the dreadfull houre of death Be not singular in your exteriour devotion least some inward vanity may outwardly appeare thereby Neglect not divine inspirations which God shall give for the amendment of your most habitual and daily sins When you are assaulted with any dangerous temptation crosse your hart in token that you humbly crave Gods grace and disavow the sin which that ill thought suggests to you Be not forward to contradict others and if you be contradicted grow not angry thereat but only mildly make answere that so is your opinion Remember that there is but one Heaven which if we seeke it in this world we shall not find it in the other Vertue and true resignation to the will of God consists not in words but in real deeds and actions An Evening Exercice for Prayer before bed IT being now tyme for your repose retyre your selfe to the place of prayer and in the presence of God devoutly upon your knees there adore his divine Majesty acknowledging your owne unworthinesse render him most humble thankes for all his gracious benefits beseech him to preserve you that night from all sin And sixing the interiour sight of your soule upon Gods infinit greatnesse and Majesty and upon your owne basenesse abjection and indignity say as in the morning Exercise In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undevided Trinity now and for ever more Amen Our Father c. Halle Mary c. I beleeve in God c. I confesse me to Almigthy God c. all as in the morning prayer Almighty God have mercy upon us and all our sins being forgiven bring us to everlasting life Amen Omnipotent and mercifull Lord give unto us pardon absolution and remission of all our sins Amen I most humbly thanke thee my great God who hast created me of nothing and redeemd me with thy precious blood made me a member of the Catholick Church and graciously provided for me all necessaries both for body and soule For all which as also for thy so frequent heavenly inspirations Sacraments and sacrifices as also for so many other meanes for my salvation from the bottome of my hart and with all the powers of my soule I render thee my loving God most humble thankes beseeching all the holy Quires of Angels and all the blessed Saints in thy celestiall kingdome that they vouchsafe to supply my deficiency in praising adoring magnifying and extolling this thy great mercy and infinit goodnesse owards me Almighty and everlasting God I yeeld thee most harty thankes for that thou hast vouchsafed of thy great mercy and goodnesse to preserve me this day from all evill And I also beseech thee for thy bitter death and passion most mercifully to forgive me a wretched sinner all my offences which I have this day committed by thought word and deede and hereafter to preserve and keepe me from all danger as well of body as of soule to the end I may rise againe in health to praise thy glorious name and joyfully to serve thee in thankesgiving with a chast body and cleane hart Amen O Lord God and my heavenly Father for as much as by thy divine ordinance the night approacheth and tyme requireth that we give our selves to bodily rest I yeald unto thee most harty thankes for thy great love vouchsafing to preserve me this day from the danger of all enemies to give me my health to feede me and afford me all necessaries for the comfort of this my mortall life I most humbly beseech thee for thy blessed sonne Jesus his sake that thou wilt mercifully forgive me all that I have this day committed against thy fatherly goodnesse by thought word or by deed and that thou wilt vouchsafe to shadow me this night under the safe winges of thy Almigthy power and defend me from Sathan and all dangerous assaults that neither he not any of his ministers have power either over my body or soule But that although my body enjoyeth sleepe yet my soule may watch unto thee delight in thee and ever more praise thee that when the comfortable light of the day returneth according to thy good appointment I may rise againe with a faithfull soule and undefiled body and so afterwards behave my selfe all my life according to thy blessed will and commandment by casting away the workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light that men seeing my good workes may be mooved to glorify thee my heavenly Father who with thy only begotten sonne our loving Saviour and the holy Ghost livest and reygnest one true and everlasting God world without end Amen A Prayer to our B. Lady and to her divine Sonne O Benigne and mercifull Virgin Mother most meeke most mild and gracious obtaine for us O B. Lady grace and strength to withstand and overcome all our enemies ghostly and bodily visible and invisible that after the course of this short life we may by thy gracious help attayne everlasting life in the kingdone of Heaven where wee may with thee O Virgin ever more dwell and with all the holy Angels Archangels Patriarcks and Prophets Apostles and Martyrs Confessors and Virgins worship glorify and magnify our divine Redeemer and thee O sacred Virgin in everlasting blisse without end Amen O Lord Jesus Christ the glory of the Father the orient beauty of eternal light and bright mirrour wihout spot or deformity I humbly beseech thee by thy sacred divinity to grant me this night chastity of minde cleanesse
then he doth require of you That fall is not hurtfull which preserves you from a much more dangerous precipice lett but your former fault make you more humble and you have greatly profited therby for in true humility it is that God will have you to take deepe roote Of Prayer SEeke not the sublimest prayer but rather what is most profitable for that prayer doubtlesse is best which produceth most patience most humility mortification and contempt of this world and not that which gives most gust content and satisfaction to the minde Be assured that if you leave your prayer for some just exteriour imployment your motive for it being charity or necessity you doe but follow Gods order and execute therby his will Seeke God much rather in your prayer then his divine guifts and cherishments Nor leave of your prayer for any drynesse or barennesse therein Serve God purely without seeking your owne interest for farr greater falls have hapened by much pleasure from spirituall gusts and tendernesse in devotion then from the drynesse and greatest sterility therin Suffer patiently to be deprived of all sensible and tender devotion and consolation in your prayer for you using but diligence on your part and humbly and willingly submitting the rest to Gods divine pleasure the constant continuance in those your accustomed devotions are most gratefull and will merit his divine benediction Of the vertue of Mortification MOrtification and payer have the same mutuall connection as have the two wings of a bird supporting her to fly if you deprive her of the one the other can not support her but of necessity shee must fall It is the like with prayer and mortification for the soule which forsakes the one shall never enioy the other sith they doe mutually support themselves as experience makes it manifest Yea mortification is the true nursing mother to all other vertues for without it no vertue can either prosper or long continew for that our corrupt and depraved nature by sin doth so oppose all vertue as should it not be supported by the helpe of Mortification it would soone decay as well appeares not only in prayer but also in patience in humility obedience temperance and in all the rest which would but languish and fall to ruyn should they not be preserved by the practise of Mortification as experience will force us to confesse And therforit ought to be very carefully practised Confidence in God and griefe for sin must goe rightly tempered together MOst just it is that we conceive due griefe and sorow with true repentance for having offended so great and good à God yet so as not to loose our confidence in his mercy Nor must we permit that therfore melancholy and vicious vexation possesse our harts For Judas sorely grieved and was sorrowfull for his cryme but in dispairing for pardon he excluded all remedy by his greater sin Consider wel therfore your offence on the one side which is great and repent but remember Gods infinit mercy on the other which farr exceds it and is much more powerfull to give you consolation then should the other be to cause dispaire For he is not inclin'd to revenge who is all goodnesse mercy and compassion Have therfore horrour of the least sin against so good à God but hope for pardon of the greatest Feare all sin whatsoever before it be committed as doubting of pardon but being now guilty fly to God as a prodigall child to his compassionate Father with all humble confidence and firme hope to receive pardon and grace Approching to him with à contrite and humble hart which he will never dispise How to draw profit from sin BE you greatly humbled considering your sin and misery nor differre to amend with a quiet and peacible spirit without fretting or vexing your mind Faile not to have this confidence in God that although you should fall a thousand tymes in the day he would be ready to lend you his hand two thowsand times to raise you because with our lord there is mercy and with him plentuous redemption for well he knowes our weakenesse and great misery Serve God therfore with more fervour then before and learne by your fall to know both his goodness and your owne misery much better then before for therby you will maister your enimy with his owne weapen wherwith hee intended to wound you for to serve God withouth all sin that only is to be found in Heaven Be you therfore assured whilst breath remaines in your body never to be exempt from temptation be alwayes prepared for the combat wherby not only to defend your selfe from harme but also to get victory therin and glory You feeling temptation to assault you approch nearer to God by prayer and humbling your selfe before his divine Majesty call to mind his innumerable benefits and thinke seriously upon the fowre last things to happen and you will reape much profit by the temptation Of distrust in our owne selves NO enimy is so dangerous to our salvation as our owne selves and the chiefest meanes to avoyd sin is to distrust greatly our frailty and carefully to watch over our chief naturall inclination which being subject of it selfe to great corruption it usually disorders all our actions And this being but well observed we shall easily perceive that all our sin and misery springs from that infected fountaine by following our disordered affection and naturall bent quite contrary to Gods inspirations and internall motions of his grace We ought therfore diligently to examen what is our most predominant vicious inclination which having discovered we must crave Gods grace and use all diligent industry to oppose and roote that disorder out of our soule Against presumption in our owne endevours SPeter above all the rest did most presume of his fidelity promissing that though all should abandon their Lord yet he would never deny him who notwithstanding but few houres after was made thrice both to deny and forsweare him through the feare only of a poore silly maide wheras had he more humbly mistrusted himselfe and craved constancy by holy prayer it is likely he would have prevented so shamefull a fall but when he should haue pray'd as his divine Lord had commanded him therby to have armed himselfe against the approching temptation he was still found floathfully asleep and therfore not having demanded divine help from above hee soone did experience his owne great faulty and weaknesse Are we not now as frailty herein by our great infidelity to so many good purposes and pious resolutions wherin we most shamfully doe faile for want of demanding grace by prayer to put them in execution But we presuming too much in our owne endeavours we proove unconstant and most unfaithfull to God The least sins are carefully to be avoyded WE can give no better proofe of our love to God then to be exact in the smallest mafters which concerne his divine honour and glory For therby we plainly manifest the
dissimulation that I may cast downe and tread under my feet the Spirit of gluttony and lechery the spirit of slouth and dulnesse the spirit of malice and enuy the spirit of hatred and disdayne that I may never dispise nor contemne any of thy creatures nor preferre my selfe before others but ever little in my owne eyes think the best of others and deeme and judge the worst of my selfe Invest me holy Father with the wedding garment of thy beloved sonne the supernaturall vertue of heavenly charity that I may love thee my Lord God with all my hart with all my soule and with all my strength that neither life nor death prosperity nor adversity nor any thing else may separate me from thy love Grant that all inordinate affection to the transitory things of this world may daily decay and dye in me that thou alone maist be tastfull pleasant and savoury to my soule O most gracious God give unto thy servant an humble contrite and obedient hart and understanding alwayes occupied in honest vertuous cogitations a will tractable and ever prone to the better affections alwayes calme and moderate a watchfull custody of my senses that by those windowes no sin may enter into my soule a perfect government of my tongue that no corrupt or unseemely language may proceed from my lipps that I may not busy my selfe in the faults and imperfections of others but rather attend to the amending of my owne And finally so long as I am detayned in this prison of my body and exiled from my heavenly country let this be my portion and the comfort of my banishement that free from all immoderate wordly cares and pensive sollicitude of this present life wholy devoted to thy service I may attend only to thee I may cleave unto thee I may rest my soule in thee and sitting in silence I may give way and entertainement to thy heavenly doctrine to the good motions and inspirations of thy holy spirit In these sweet exercicises let me passe the solitary houres of my teadious pilgrimage with patience expecting the shutting up of my dayes and a happy end of this my miserable life And grant O thou lover of mankind my lord and my God that when this my carthly tabernacle shall be dissolved being found free from all pollution of sin as after baptisme I may be numbered amongst those blessed soules who through the merits and passion of thy deare sonne are held worthey to raigne with thee and to enjoy the glorious presence of the blessed Trinity Father Sonne and holy Ghost to whome by all creatures in Heaven and Earth be rendred praise and thankes-giving world without end Amen A prayer to the blessed Virgin as also to the holy Saints and Angels O Blessed Virgin mother of my divine Redeemer have pitty on me a most wretched sinner I devoutly salute and honour thee O glorious Queene of heaven and powerfull advocate of all distressed soules obtayne for me I beseech thee of thy deare sonne Jesus the remission of all my great offences obtayne for me perfect charity and profound humility true mortificatiō and forsaking of my selfe obtayne for me constant patience refrayning and temperance of my tongue and senses obtayne for me purity simplicity and sincerity of mind and that I may be one according to the harts desire of thy divine sonne my loving Saviour All haile O immaculate Virgin of whom Christ Jesus the brightnesse of his Fathers glory would be borne and whome with thy precious milke thou didst feed and nourish O blessed mother of true compassion assist my weakenesse in all my temptations and necessities in all my perils of sin and in the houre of my death that by thy powerfull intercession I may be protected against the dangerous assaults of my ghostly enemies and obtayne the needfull help to dye in the happy perseverance of Gods holy grace O ye Angelical blessed spirits pray for me and thou especially my holy Angel the faithfull keeper of my soule and body have thou faithfull care over me O all ye holy faints of God who have passed over the troubles and vexations of this exile and attayned most happily the secure resting port of your celestial beatitude I most humbly crave your protection help me with your powerfull intercession both now and in the houre of my death Amen An other prayer to the B. Virgin REmember O most pious Virgin Marie Mother of all consolation never yet was it kowne that any who in tribulation made their recourse for succour by the happy assistance of thy gratefull prayers and powerfull credit with thy deare sonne Jesus was ever refused or forsaken by thee Wherefore in this assured and humble confidence I a most sinfull soule make my recourse unto thee O mother of true pitty with sighs and repentant teares from a devoted hart I doe earnestly cry and humbly crave thy help Refuse not therfore with wonted compassion to behould my weeping hart and to give eare to my instant cry that by thy celestial favour I may be forgiven by thy divine sonne Jesus my mercifull and only Redeemer Amen An other prayer to the same O Glorious and incomparable Virgin most truly mother of God and Queene both of heaven and Earth although thy glory exceeds without comparison what honour soever we are able to render thee yet that excellency which most excells in thee consists in true conformity unto the will of God who is thy Father thy spouse and thy only dearest sonne from whence it proceeds that nothing is refused thee for thou demandest nothing but what is pleasing unto him whom nothing can resist Be pleased therfore O Mother of pitty and after God my only hope to make powerfull intercession for me for my friends kindred benefactors and enemies and for all sinners whatsoever to the end that we may behould thee in that celestiall habitation there with thee to praise and glorify the most sacred Trinity for all Eternity Amen An other prayer to the same O Glorious Virgin Mother of God most pleasing temple of the Divinity the sacred vestry wherin the second person of the blessed Trinity was invested by the holy Ghost with our humanity the gate of Heaven and my second hope I beseech thee O glorious Virgin that in thankes-giving for the love which God hath sheud to thee as to his Mother daughter and beloved spouse thou wilst vouchsafe to take me this day and for the whole course of my life into thy singular protection procure that my actions words and intentions be alwayes pleasing to thy divine sonne Jesus that I may live to him and dye for him Amen A prayer to the Holy Ghost O holy Ghost our heavenly comforter we humbly beseech thee by that straite union or much rather unity which is betwixt thee and the two other divine persons unite so happily by thy celestial help my will in all things most perfectly unto thine that by this happy subordination I may obtayne that blessed end for
the Altar Thou art my God and I will blesse thee thou art my God and I will exalt thee I will praise thee because thou hast heard me and art become my salvation O praise our Lord for he is good for his mercy endures for ever An abridgment of the Exercise of preparation to Death Which may be us'd every day MY hart is ready O God my hart is ready not my will but thyne be done O my Lord I resigne my selfe entirely to receive death at the tyme and in the manner it shall please thee to send it I most humbly aske pardon for all my sins com̄itted against thy soveraine goodnesse and repent me of them from the bottome of my hart 3. I firmely beleeve whatsoever the holy Catholique Church beleeves and teaches and by thy grace will dye in this beleife 4. I hope to possesse eternall life by thy infinite mercy and by the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ 4. O my God I will love thee as my soveraigne good above all things yea even to a contempt of all things I will love my neighbour as my selfe and pardon him with all my hart 6. O my divine Jesus how ardent is my desire to receive thy sacred body and to the end to communicate spiritually I unite my selfe to all the communions which shall be made in thy holy Church even to the end of the world especially at the houre of my death 7 Grant me grace O my divine Saviour to expiate all the sins I have committed by my senses in applying to my selfe thy blessed merits the holy unction of thy precious bloud 8 Holy Virgin Mother of my God defend me from my enemies and present me to thy divine sonne 9. Glorious S. Michael my holy Angel gardian my B. Patrons interceede for me assist me in this my last dreadfull passage 10 O my God I renounce all temptations of the enemy and generally whatsoever may displease thee I adore and accept thy divine judgments upon my soule and most intirely abandon my selfe to them as most just and equitable O Jesus my divine Jesus be to me Jesus O my God hiding my selfe with an humble confidence in thy lovely wounds I render my soule into thy divine hands receive it into rhe bosome of thy mercy Amen An Appendix WHeras God almightie doth in some manner and by certaine conduits as it were descende to us so by prayer we ascend saith S. Franc. de Sales unto him prayer being properly according to S. Jo. Damascen an elevation of our minde unto God and therefore what ever it be that truly doth raise and devoutly stirr upp our harts to blesse to love and to adore Almighty God that properly is true gratefull and essentiall prayer be it but procured by a pure intention for the glory of God in whatever we doe whether by fervent ejaculations of divine love by pious considerations inducing us to the practise of vertu or to a vertuous preparation for a blessed death by holy maxims or finally by vocall prayor or mentall meditation so that we blesse and praise God in all that is the proper prayer which we are commanded to make continually and without intermission saith S. Paul which could not be performed in that crytick sense but must necessarily be understood of all the pious exercises mentioned in this Manuel conducing to raise our harts to the love and praise of God and therfore according to S. Jo Damascen they are true proper and essentiall prayer But because one may here justly demande how this true and holy prayer may best be knowne from that which is but false and counterfeit therfore I have judg'd it not unfitt to sett downe the proper markes and surest signes wherby rightly to understand and distinguish the one from the other which may serve as a true touchstone for the right tryall of true holy and profitable praye from what is but false and deceiptfull and it is principally intended for such as doe practise the more elevated prayer of meditation who if not rightly guided are more subject to illusion and deceipt then such as only use vocall prayer and the purgative way which the over speedy aspirers unto the unitive doe neglect before they have lay'd the first foundation to it in the purgative way by labouring to destroy and ruyne sin to roote out vice to correct evill habits or vnruly passions and disordered affectations the true and necessary preparation to that high prayer of holy contemplation wherby with a pure intention we must sincerely seeke the right end of true prayer without which it would be but vaine and fruitlesse Now the true and pure end of all good prayer is humbly therby to crave light from God to unsterstand his holy will and grace to performe the same with encreace in his love and advancement in vertu A touch-stone for right tryall of true and profitable prayer from what is but false and counterfait THe blessed Apostle counselleth us not to give credit to every spirit but to try if the spirit be of God often tymes the divel transformes himselfe into an Angel of light deceiving many and most dangerously of all under the pretence of sanctity be proposing to us his illusions for divine favours And therefore to prevent any danger to be deceived herein observe well these markes wherby to avoyde or to discouer them First be assured saith Molina as of a generall Rule that who will only give credit to himselfe in his spirituall affaires and will be governed by his owne judgment alone that man is utterly deceived and overthrowne be he never so seeming wise vertuous and accompagned which all the signes of goodnesse and sanctity because such a spirit not submitting his iudgment to any other man nor communicating with any for their advise may well be presumed naught and dangerous But some untimely contemplators will tell you that they have good and approved Authors for their practice I answere that the Authors which they pretend for themselves are pious and approved good but the practise which they frame thence according to their owne sense and private opinion is allowed by none of the approved and best spirituall directors of soules whose authority these over hasty contemplators ought farr to preferre before their owne For sectaries pretend many true texts of scripture for their false errours but they refusing the holy fathers and councells authority for the true understanding therof and takeing them obstinately according to their owne deceived sense and opinion they runn wilfully into errour and heresy to their endlesse perdition But they will reply to you that the effect of true prayer is to unite our soule to God wherby we are replenished with great consolation and comfort yea the very gust and tender consolation which God communicats to the vertuous thus devoutly serving him doth give both ioy and courage to love and serve him by this fervent kind of holy prayer For answere to this their reply it is to be here