Virgin Mothers honour and the devout Propagator of her Psalter according to the institute and practise of his pious Father He dyed in the year 583. Item S. Bonitus Bishop of Auvergne in France commonly called the sacred Virgins Chaplain for that he was seen to celebrate the holy Mass by her command and in her presence in the Church of S. Michael where there remains even till this day an evident mark of this miraculous apparition imprinted upon the main Pillar of the said Temple against which the Saint leaned where also is reserved the admirable vestment of a colour Matter Contexture Softness and Lightness altogether celestiall and prodigious wherewith the Queen of Heaven adorned her holy Chaplain In the year 704. 22. The Feast of the Espousalls of the sacred Virgin Mary to S. Joseph instituted in France by Petrus Auratus a Dominican who compos'd the Office of this solemnity in the year 1546. 23. S. Ildefonse Archbishop of Toledo in Spain who for his singular integrity of life and for having happily undertaken the defense of the sacred Virgins Virginity against the Helvidian heresie which oppos'd it deserv'd to be styl'd one of her Doctors and Chaplains and to receive a most admirable white vestment from her own holy hands upon the Festivall day of her Expectation which he instituted in her honour in the year 660. 24. Upon this day is celebrated a Commemoration of the Patronage and Affection of the Sacred Virgin MARY towards the whol Order of Saint BENNET Which she hath been graciously pleas'd to testify from time to time by most rare and signall examples and which they gratefully acknowledging renew the Oblation Dedication and Recommendation of themselv's and their Order to her pious and powerfull protection FEBRUARY 2. THe Purification of the sacred Virgin MARY call'd by the Greek Church Hipapante Domini or the meeting of our Lord and his holy Mother with the Prophet Simeon Anna and others in the Temple of Jerusalem upon the fortieth day after his happy birth into the World where HE was presented to his Eternall Father and SHE was purified according to the Law of Moyses Levit. 12.6 22. S. Peter Damian a noble man of Ravenna afterwards Monk Abbot and Cardinall Bishop of Ostia was a most zealous Promotor of the sacred Virgins honour the Authour of the Primer commonly call'd Our Ladyes Office the Beginner of that pious custom of allotting Monday to pray for the souls departed Friday to commemorate our Redeemers Passion Saturday to the sacred Virgins prayse which custome the universall Church soon after approved received and continues to this day He dyed in the year 1072. MARCH 9. St. Francisca a Noble Roma◠widow was frequently and familiarly visited by the sacred Virgin and amongst many other signall favours was by her cover'd with a golden veile in recompence of her fervent devotion She dyed full of Sanctity and miracles in the year 1440. 12. S. Gregory the Great Pope Doctor of the Church Apostle of England c. His fervent devotion towards the Queen of Heaven appears by that famous Procession wherein he carrying her sacred Image obtain'd a cessation of the raging pestilence c. vide infra page 144. No one says he can behold the greatness of Gods Mother but by beholding her Sons excellency 21. S. Bennet the great Abbot and glorious Patriarch of Monks in the Western Church was from his tender years a most faithfull honorer of the sacred Virgin-Mother by whose speciall assistance says blessed Alanus de Rupe he became the Author and founder of so divin a Monasticall institution Nor is the propagation of the Marian Psalter proceeds the same Author the least of S. Bennets prayses which sort of piety She was graciously pleas'd to approve by heaping many signall favours not only upon her Bennet as she was heard to name him but upon his whol Order in which she seems as it were to have fix'd her seat shewing herself upon all occasions to be its true Mother and Protectrice He dyed in the year 542. 22. Blessed Pope Gregory the ninth the sacred Virgin-Mothers most faithfull and affectionate servant order'd and commanded That the solemn Anthem Salve Regina should be publickly sung in the Church after the Canonicall hours As also That the Bells toling at certain set houres of the day should admonish all Christians wheresoever and howsoever employed of their duty and devotion towards the Queen of heaven by saluting her with the Ave Maria. He dyed in the year 1241. 25. The Annunciation of the most Blessed Virgin Mother of God A Feast of great Solemnity and antiquity in the Church as appears by the Orations and Homilies of the Primitive Fathers had upon this day in memory of that happy Embassy brought down from heaven to holy MARY by the Archangell Gabriel in which she was denounced and declared Mother of the Word Eternall and Incarnate Luk. 1.31 27. S. Rupert Bishop of Salisburg a glorious Doctor Champion and Chaplain of the sacred Virgin-Mother from whom he received the intelligence of holy Scriptures to whose honour he built and founded severall famous Churches to whose Name he dedicated the yet flourishing Imperiall Abbey and whose prayses he propagated throughout Germany and the adjoyning Kingdoms He dyed in the year 623. APRIL 20. St. Fulbert Bishop of Charters a speciall devote of the sacred Virgin To whose honour he erected the famous Cathedrall of Charters In whose praise he composed many pious Hymnes and Prose and who first ordained that Commemoration Sancta Maria succurre miseris juva pusillanimes c. to be dayly used in the Laudes and Even song He also first introduced the celebration of the Blessed Virgins Nativity into France And when in his las◠Agony he lay gasping for breath and parch'd up with thirst the blessed Virgin-Mother was pleas'd O her wondrous Compassion towards her faithfull servants to appear to him to refresh him and to suckle him with her sacred Breast-milk whereof a drop falling upon his garment is reverently kept amongst the sacred Treasures of the Church of Charters even till this day as a perpetuall monument of this her signal favour and affection He dyed in the year 1028. 21. S. Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury another holy Doctor and Chaplain of the sacred Virgin-Mother a most zealous defender of her Immaculate Conception and the first Introducer of that annuall Feast of the Conception of our Lady into the Church He dyed in the year 1106. 29. S. Robert the first Abbot of Cistertium whom the Queen of Heaven espoused to herself whil'st he yet remained shut up in his Mothers womb in these words My will is that the child which thou O Erengardes bearest in thy entralls be betroathed unto me by this golden Ring Which she afterwards confirm'd 〈◊〉 the born Infant who after a long led holy life was translated to a happy immortality in the year 1098. MAY. 13. AT Rome The Dedication of the Church of Sancta Maria ad Martyres
the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. These Prayers Angelicall with bended knee c. Affections Elevations Petitions WHy weep you O sacred Virgin Why do you grieve and mourn O glorious Mother of Jesus your Son lives triumphs reigns He that was lately accounted the out-cast of the people is now the most happy of all mankind He that was crucifi'd dead and buried appears now cloathed with Clarity Agilitie Subtility Impassibilitie Behold the Man look up O Blessed Mary upon your beloved Jesus the lively Image of the Eternall Father the beauty and brightness of Heaven and Earth the Crown and ornament of Men and Angells Lo He here presents himself unto you to wipe all tears from your eyes and disperse all sorrows from your heart Hear him speaking unto you in his wonted tone and tearms of respect All Hail my most honoured Mother Peace and joy be with you 'T is I my self who am the comfortable Messenger of this happy exchange of yours and my sorrows into gladness and Jubilation both that you may with me incessantly prayse and bless my Eternall Father and also that you may take the first and best share of joy who have the greatest interest in me and had the greatest part with me in my passion of any mortall creature See and admire the power of the Almightyes right hand in the person of your Son The disgrac'd is glorifi'd the defam'd is justifi'd the condemn'd is absolv'd the crucifi'd is resuscitated Rejoyce then dear Mother together with you joyfull Son for whom you need not now fear any further miseries persecutions Crosses since he is above the reach of mans malice and the Devils power having put on the robes of glory impassibility immortality The short Winter of suffering is turn'd into a perpetuall Summer of consolation The stormy showers of blood into a sweet dew of blessings All my wounds are perfectly cur'd and the scarrs only remain as Rubies of my honour and badges of my victory O the excesses of Joy which transported your extasi'd heart and soul O sacred Virgin-Mother at the sight of your now again living and gloriously triumphing Son Jesus And O my soul If thou desirest a share in these Joys and gloryes of Jesus and Mary thou must also resolve to bear a part in their sorrows and sufferings Thou art much mistaken in thinking to triumph without trying for the Victory or to be crown'd without conquering No my delicate Soldier Christ thy King and Captain suffer'd before he entred into his glory Queen Maries heart was pierced with sorrow before it was replenish'd with comforts All the Saints combated before they were crown'd And refusest thou all sufferings all sorrows all combates all that thy flesh and blood cannot relish O dear Jesu What will you do with me who dare not encounter with the least difficulties How will you deal with me who bear the name of a Christian soldier and am indeed no better than a base and cowardly sensualist If I love the glory of your Crown why dislike I the ignominie of your Cross If I desire the reward of a Conqueror why do I not adventure into the field of the combat O why should your painfull death and passion so much affright me since your glorious Resurrection confirms me in the Hope and Faith of a future felicity why should I more dread in reflecting upon the difficulties occurring in my Pilgrimage than rejoyce in fixing my thoughts upon the pleasures of Paradise which is the end of my Pilgrimage O why am I not content to suffer with Jesus and for Jesus were there no reward to be expected for all my sufferings It being a sufficient glory to a faithfull Christian to be conformable to Christ his Captain Behold therefore I humbly prostrate my self here at your sacred feet O my victorious Redeemer imploring your pardon for my past pusillanimity and purposing to behave my self hereafter more manfully Come all sorts of crosses and losses all sorrows and sicknesses all punishments and persecutions all derelictions and desclations I will no more be daunted or dismay'd but animated by your example and assisted by your grace O Christ my King my Captain my glorious Conqueror I will either pass through them couragiously or pass by them patiently or pass over them victoriously Yes my Lord Jesu I will receive henceforth all afflictions from the hands of your divin providence as pledges of your paternall affection and most willingly joyfully resignedly embrace them as the happily offered occasions for the encrease of my merit the exercise of my vertu the perfection of my soul the expiation of my sins the crowning me with glory The second Glorious Mystery Ascends THE Ascension of our Lord Jesus into Heaven Mark 16. His great work don and his Commisons given In Glorious triumph he ascends to Heaven Our Father c. THE Glorious Virgin-Mother exceedingly rejoyced 1. At the Ascension of her Son Iesus in hers and his Disciples presence FOr upon the fortieth day after our Redeemers Resurrection his sacred Mother with the Apostles the seventy two Disciples and many more of his faithfull friends and followers met together by the divin instinct upon Mount Sion and march'd from thence proâ—essionally to the Mount Olivet distant a mile from Jerusalem to be spectators of this admirable catastrophe of their dear Saviour Christs humanity and to receive his last blessing before he left the Earth to ascend into Heaven Hail Mary 2. At his great Power shew'd in his Ascension FOr he elevated himself by his own strength and vertu nor could he need any forreign help or assistance whose inhabiting Divinity and glorifi'd soul could move his impassible and agile body as himself pleased Hail Mary 3. At the joyfull meeting and acclamation of the Angelicall spirits WHich undoubtedly descended all to accompany his humanity to congratulate his victory to echo forth the triumphs of his prayses Hail Mary 4. At his soaring above all the Heavens TO wit above the spheres of the seven Planets above the Christallin orbe above the starrie Firmament even to the Empyreall seat of the Divinity according to that sentence of the Apostle He ascended up far above all the Heavens that he might fulfill all things Hail Mary 5. At his ascending above the Angelicall quires and all creatures whatsoever ACcording to that expression of the same Apostle God the Father placed him his son Jesus far above all principalities and Powers and Dominations and every thing that is nam'd not only in this world but in that which is to come and hath put all things under his feet Hail Mary 6. At his being seated on the right hand of his Eternall Father ACcording to that of S. Mark He was assumpted into Heaven and sits on his Fathers right hand And of S. Paul His Father set him on his own right hand in the heavenly places Which is a Metaphoricall expression signifying equality and society of Majesty honour power felicity c. Hail Mary 7.
name of JESUS 6. He nourish'd fed and maintain'd Him with the sweat of his brows and labour of his hands who affords food and sustenance to all living Creatures And cloathed him who furnished the Lillyes Roses and flowers of the Field with all their beautifull Robes and Ornaments 7. He was in some sort the saver of his Saviour by sheltring little Jesus from Herods rage and crueltie and stepping aside with him into Egypt whilst the Innocents bought the palm of Martyrdom with the price of their blood 8. He commanded him who commands all earthly Princes and Monarchs and had him obedient to the beck of his hand to the nod of his head to the twinkle of his eye and to the sound of his voyce before whom the Powers of Heaven fall down and tremble O the admirable power of S. Joseph O the adorable subjection of Jesus O the sublimâ—tie of Joseph to command Jesus O the Humility of Jesus to obey Joseph 9. He possessed and practis'd all vertues in their perfection especially Humility as being to passe the remainder of his days in her company who being the greatest was the most humble of all pure creatures And in his companie who being the Son of the most high made himself the least and lowest amongst the Sons of men Nor can S. Josephs vertues perfections and Greatnesses be comprehended and measur'd by any better means than by the greatnesses of Jesus and Mary to whom he was so strictly allied For he wâ—… Mary's true Husband and consequently the true and legall though not the carnall and naturall Father oâ— Jesus O what Communications oâ— affections what extasies of spirit what unions of hearts was there amongst these Three JESUS MARIA JOSEPH Now since God give grace proportionable to each one place vocation and office surely a S. Joseph's Office was exceeding great so was his grace vertu and perfection great excellent and heroique 10. He was as the Fathers pioufly and probably believe elevated to Heaven both in Body and Soul upon the day of his glorious Sons triumphanâ— Ascension and remains there inthron'd next to the Humanity of Jesus and the Virgin Mary in the Celestiall Kingdom as he was neerest and dearest unto them during the time oâ— their earthly Pilgrimage 11. He is the faithfull powerfull and charitable Protector and Advocate of his devout children and clients in the Court of Heaven as having so great credit with his Son King Jesus and his Spouse Queen Mary that his demands may seem in some sort to be commands and his Petitions being presented to the Throne of Mercy with a Fathers confidence and authority will not easily be rejected by Jesus in Heaven who was so obedient to Joseph upon Earth 12. He is the chief Patron of all Contemplatives and the Great Master Guide and Director of the Interiour hidden and Spirituall life S. Teresa happily experienc'd this verity and frequently expressed it saying They that cannot meet with a Master to instruct them in the manner of their Prayer Let them take the Glorious Saint Joseph for their Teacher and Tutor and they shall infallibly find the safe and secure way to solid Sanctity and perfection A SHORT ROSARY IN THE HONOR OF S. JOSEPH CONTAINING The principall Mysteries of his Life drawn out of the precedent Excellencies and distinguished into Five Tens or Decades Begin also this Rosary with the sign of the Cross and the Creed The first Decade Of his Election SAint JOSEPH was chosen in the Councill of Gods Eternall Wisdom and Providence to be the worthy Bridegroom of Mary and the â—…puted Father of JESUS Our Father c. 1. He was the highest and holiest of the Patriarchs Hail Mary 2. He descended from the Royall Progenie of David Hail Mary 3. He was particuarly prefigur'd by Joseph the deliverer of Egypt Hail Mary 4. He was sanctifi'd in his Mothers â—omb Hail Mary 5. He was confirm'd in Grace and Vertu Hail Mary 6. He was a Just man by the testimony of the Holy Gospell Hail Mary 7. He was instructed from Heaven in the Mystery of Incarnation Hail Mary 8. He was indu'd with the plenty of all spirituall blessings Hail Mary 9. He was enriched with gifts and qualities both naturall and supernaturall sutable to the sacred charge for which he was design'd Hail Mary 10. He was the first after the Virgin-Mother who by Vow consecrated his Virginity to the Divin Majesty Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the holy Ghost c. These Prayers Angelicall c. As in the Great Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary The Second Decade Of his place office and dignity SAint Joseph was appointed the Head Governour and Steward of Gods Family upon Earth Our Father c. 1. He was espoused to the sacred Virgin Mary Hail Mary 2. He was the Guardian and witness of her Virginity and allotted by Divin Providence to be her Counsellor Comforter and Companion upon all occations Hail Mary 3. He was her faithfull Assistant in her journey to Bethleem Hail Mary 4. He found out the Stable for her harbour when the Innes refused to entertain her Hail Mary 5. He was present at our Redeemer's happy Birth into the world Hail Mary 6. He help'd the holy Virgin-Mother to swath him cloath him and cradle him in the Maâ—ger Hail Mary 7. He was the first who with the extasi'd Mother had the honour to adore the New-born Man-God Hail Mary 8. He concurr'd with the sacred Virgin to Christs Circumcision and together with her impos'd upon him the sweet Name of JESUS Hail Mary 9. He was reverenc'd by the Eastern Kings when they offer'd their Royall Presents to his reputed Son JESUS Hail Mary 10. He with his Virgin-Spouse presented JESUS to his Eternall Father in the Temple Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. These Prayers Angelicall c. The third Decade Of his Flight into Egypt SAint JOSEPH took the yong Child and Mary his Mother and departed into Egypt so preserving Jesus from Herods cruelty who sought to oppress him in his Infancy Our Father c. 1. He readily resignedly and in the night season obey'd the Angells admonition Hail Mary 2. He cheerfully undertook a long tedious and troublesom journey into an unknown Countrey Hail Mary 3. He patiently endur'd with Jesus and Mary a seven years banishment Hail Mary 4. He provided food for him with the sweat of his brows and labour of his hands who affoards food to all living Creatures Hail Mary 5. He cloath'd him who cloathes the flowers of the field Hail Mary 6. He next to the sacred Virgin was the most ardent of all Jesus's lovers serving him in his Exile with more than Seraphicall affection Hail Mary 7. He lov'd the sacred Virgin with a naturall affection in respect of her eminent perfections with an acquired affection in respect of her reciprocall favours with a supernaturall affection in respect of her celestiall
dignity Hail Mary 8. He was an Instrumentall Cooperator with God in his great design of mans Redemption Hail Mary 9. He was in some sort the Saver of his Saviour by sheltring him from his enemy's Tyranny Hail Mary 10. His life was a continued Contemplation Recollection and Extasy in the perpetuall presence of Gods Son and Gods Mother Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. These Prayers Angelicall c. The fourth Decade Of his return from Egypt and of his Death SAint JOSEPH inform'd by Angelicall Revelation of Herods death returns home with Jesus and Mary Our Father c. 1. He Jesus and Mary after their banishment dwell together in Nazareth Hail Mary 2. He conducted Jesus when he was twelve years old to the Temple in Jerusalem Hail Mary 3. He there lost Jesus to his unspeakable grief and sorrow Hail Mary 4. He retriv'd him after three days enquiry sitting amongst the Doctors Hail Mary 5. He reconducts him home to Nazareth where Jesus the great Monarch of both worlds was subject and obedient to Joseph's command Hail Mary 6. And as he had the Priviledg to enjoy the Innocent embraces of Jesus in his childhood so he had the honour to enjoy his holy entertainments in his riper years and his divin actions examples and instructions in his perfect age Hail Mary 7. He also had the honour to govern the sacred family of Jesus and Mary for thirty years space Hail Mary 8. He had the happiness to be assisted by Jesus and Mary in his last Agony Hail Mary 9. Having compleated the course of his Earthly Pilgrimage he chang'd this life for Eternity Hail Mary 10. He sweetly breath'd forth his soul in a high act of sigh and love in the sacred embraces of Jesus and Mary Hail Mary Glory be to the Father c. These Prayers Angelicall c. The fifth Decade Of his Glory SAint JOSEPH was elevated to Heaven upon the day of his Son 's triumphant Resurrection Our Father c. 1. He is inthron'd there above next to Jesus and Mary as he was here below neerest and dearest unto them Hail Mary 2. He is adorn'd with a Garland of virginity for having preserv'd it unblemisht to his last breath Hail Mary 3. He is enobled with the Aureola of Doctorship for having instructed the ignorant and particularly the Egyptians in the time of his so journing amongst them Hail Mary 4. He is rewarded with a Crown of Martyrdom for having hazarded his life for his Sons preservation Hail Mary 5. He is a Powerfull Protector of all them who are particularly devoted unto him as having great credit with the All powerfull Jesus Hail Mary 6. He is the generall Patron of the Church Militant as being the speciall Favourite of its head Christ Jesus Hail Mary 7. He bears a singular affection to all that sincerely love Jesus and Mary as being so neerly allyed unto them Hail Mary 8. His Petitions are presented to the Throne of Mercy with a Fathers confidence and his Requests will not easily be rejected by Jesus in heaven who was so obedient to Joseph upon earth Hail Mary 9. He is the chief Patron of all Contemplatives Hail Mary 10. He is the great Master Guide and Directors of the Interiour hidden and spirituall life Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to Holy Ghost c. These Prayers Angelicall with bended knee c. Credo c. as in the great Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary Conclude this Rosary with these ensuing Elevations ELEVATIONS TO S. JOSEPH TO Honour God in him and him in God in his Dignity of being the reputed FATHER of the Word Incarnate and the BRIDEGROOM of the Blessed Virgin MARIE And to offer up our selv's to him in the state of dependencie which is due to him upon these titles and to correspond by our inward devotion to that power which he hath over us by consequence of the power he had over the Son and Mother of GOD. GReat and glorious Patriarch Saint Joseph The worthy Bridegroom of Mary and esteemed Father of Jesus In the honour of Gods beholding and electing you in the Councill of his Eternall Wisdom and of his placing you at the time appointed by his divin Providence in these two high and sublime estates In honour and union of all the singular graces prerogatives priviledges and perfections which he plentifully heap'd upon you in order to render you capable of these eminent offices and undertakings In honour and union of your souls extraordinary sanctity of your Bodies virginall Purity of your profound humilitie of your perfect Obedience of your voluntary Povertie and of all the rest of your consummated vertues In honour and union of your dear affection to Jesus and Mary of the continuall application of your spirit towards these two divin objects of the tenderness of your devotion unto them and of your silent solitarie retired recollected and contemplative life with them In honour and union of all the services you rendred to the Word Incarnate in the state and order of his hypostaticall postaticall union with our nature In honour and union of that last Act and sigh of love wherein you sweetly breath'd forth your faithfull soul in the embraces of Jesus and Mary your divin Son and dear Spouse In honour homage and union of all your other Greatnesses and especially of the right power and jurisdiction you had over Jesus and Mary in quality of Father and husband and of the subjection obedience and duty they rendred you Finally in acknowledgment of your having been establish'd the Head the Steward and the Director of Gods Family upon Earth The Father the Tutor and the Trainer up of Jesus the Bridegroom the Guardian and the Helper of the holy Virgin Mary I do now choose you O great and glorious Patriarch for my particular Patron for my powerfull Protector for my pious Father and for my chief Soveraign next after Jesus and Mary And upon this score I do here yeild and resign unto you all the power I have over my self desiring to become your servant and Bondslave willing to submit my self to you as my Saviour Jesus was subject unto you and begging your leave to place all the future transactions motions and passages of my life during this my earthly Pilgrimage under your sacred conduct government and protection Make me worthy O glorious Father by your merits to become with you a faithfull Member of Jesus and Maries Family and to be thereunto firmely and intimately united associated and incorporated by Grace and Sanctity And obtain for me by your powerfull intercession that I may never be separated from sweet Jesus and Mary in my life in my death in my Eternity Take also O powerfull Protector the last moment of my life that Moment which must decide my Eternity into your pious care and Custody Assist me then I beseech you in that harsh Passage
the Blessed Virgin 548 5. The Practises and Exercises of this Devotion of the Bondage being seven in number 550 Elevations to God and Adorations to the thrice Holy Trinity In honour of the Share he was pleased to give unto the sacred Virgin Mary in the Mystery of the Incarnation Effecting it in her and by her And to honour the most holy Virgin in that her high dignity of being Gods Mother and to offer our selv's to her in the state of Dependency and servitude which is due to her upon this title and to correspond by our Interiour Devotion to the speciall Power which she hath over us by consequence of this divin and admirable Maternity 560 1. Adoration of the Sacred Trinity 560 2. Greatness of the Mystery of the Incarnation 561 3. Which is so eminent a work 561 4. And the chief work ad extra of the Divinity 562 5. And it is divided between the Sacred Trinity and the Virgin 563 6. The Person of the Virgin next the Divin Persons is most worthy and greater than all human and angelicall Persons together 565 7. The Virgin constitutes an Order Empire and Vnivers apart 566 8. She is a singular work of Gods Power the Holyest that ever shall be created The Divin Paternity is the Samplar of this Divin Maternity The Eternall Father and the Son are tyed by the Person of the Holy Ghost and the Eternall Father and the Virgin are tyed by the Person of the Son 568 9. The Eternall Word who is in Society with the Father and Holy Ghost before all time doth in time enter league and Society with the Virgin 573 10. Oblation and Donation to the Son and the Mother in quality of Bondslaves 574 11. Enlargement and Explication of this Donation with the particulars thereof 575 12. This Oblation tends to the honour of the Virgins Elevation and Depressions in the Mystery of the Incarnation 577 13. In the Virgin all is great and particularly Her Maternity Her Soveraignty Her Sanctity 579 14. It is a small matter that we make our selv's the Virgins Bondslaves and therefore we desire her to employ her Power to make us truly so 583 A concluding Prayer to the sacred Virgin Mother upon the same subject 585 The third Appendix JOSEPH or Devotions to Saint Joseph the Glorious Husband of the Virgin MARY and reputed Father of CHRIST JESUS with Elevations unto him 588 Twelve Excellencies Priviledges and Prerogatives of S. JOSEPH related out of Josephus a Jesu Maria and Joannes a Carthagena who largely prove the same and many more by force of reasons and authority of the Fathers 589 A short Rosary in the honour of S. Joseph containing the principall Mysteries of his life distinguish'd into Five Tens or Decades whereof the first is of his Election 596 The second of his Place Office and dignity 599 The third of his Flight into Egypt 60â— The fourth of his return form Egypt and of his Death 60â— The fifth of his Glory 605 Elevations to S. Joseph to 〈◊〉 God in him and him in God in his â—…nity of being the reputed Faâ—… 〈…〉 Word Incarnate and the Bridegroom of the Blessed Virgin Mary 608 Elevations to the sacred Trinity upon Earth JESUS MARIA JOSEPH In honour and homage to the Glorious Trinity in Heaven The Father Son and Holy Ghost 612 The Fourth Appendix Stations or a Catalogue of the Plenary Indulgences of the Stations of Rome 620 First of the Stations in Advent Lent and other Moveable Feasts 621 Secondly of the Stations fix'd to the days of the year 625 with the Practicall manner of performing the said Stations 632 FINIS The Principall Errors of the Press are thus easily corrected with a Pen. PAge 3. line 13. his read this p. 25. l. 7. exculded r. excluded p. 35. l. 29. favourite r. favourits p. 37. l. 1. dow r. down p. 52. l. 30. must r. most p. 54. l. 14. Patoness r. Patroness p. 96. l. 7.27 r. 17. p. 96. l. 8. 1559. r. 1569. p. 96. l. 24. 1559. r. 1569. p. 101. l. 16. out to r. out of p. 118. l. 6. iminenâ— r. imminent p. 125. l. 28. gloriosi r. gloriosè p. 132. l. 2. remisnem r. remissionem p. 195. l. 4. aad r. and. pâ— 197. l. 14. and umiracle r. and miracle p. 211. l. 14. unknow r. unknown p. 237. l. 1. amd r. and. p. 255. l. 9. to will r. to his will p. 264. l. 2. Dialated r. Dilated p. 288. l. 30. wherewith r. where with p. 369. l. 24. shed r. shee l p. 372. l. 19. Caiaphas r. Caiphas p. 379. l. 23. shed r. shee l p. 390. l. 26. oodness r. goodness p. 437. l. 12. of of r. of p. 460. l. 30. evelasting r. everlasting p. 516. l. 13. an ds r. and as p. 598. l. 1. of Incarnation r. of the Incarnation p. 623. l. 30. soul of r. soul out of
Book wherein the Fathers Eternall Word was written by the Pen of the Holy Ghost The authenticall Instrument of that happy agreement made between God and Man The Imperiall chariot loaden with millions of spoils led by you in triumph and by you presented to the divin Majesty The Mountain of Sion where our Soveraign Lord takes his pleasure and recreation The Pillar of Light not now conducting a captive people through the desert by a perishable glimmering but illuminating the true Israelites and leading them to their promis'd land of Conquest you O the most accomplish'd of all Creatures are pleasing and comely as Jerusalem and the aromaticall odours issuing from your garments outvie all the delights of Mount Libanus you are the sacred Pix of celestiall parfumes whose sweet exhalations shall never be exhausted you are the holy Oyl the unextinguishable Lamp the unfading Flower the divinly woven Purple the Royall vestment the Imperiall Diadem the Throne of the Divinity the Gate of Paradise the Queen of the Vnivers the Cabinet of Life the Fountain ever-flowing with Celestiall Illustrations More words are wanting to us O Mother worthy of all prayses for the further expression of our Conceptions and our Conceptions are too weak and languishing to second the ardours of our Affections and yet our Affections encourage us to keep on in this Carriere of your Commendations and to salute You afresh with Your faithfull servant S. Epiphanius Orat. de Deipara All Hail the honour of vertues the divin Lanthorn encompassing that Christall Lamp whose light out-shines the Sun in in its midday splendour The mysticall Ark of glory The undraynable source of sweetness The spirituall Sea whence the worlds richest Pearl was extracted The radiant sphear inclosing Him within your sacred folds whom the Heavens cannot contain within their vast circumference The Celestiall Throne of God more glistring than that of the glorious Cherubins The pure Temple Tabernacle and Seat of the Divinity And with Sophronius Serm. de Assump You O Mother of God! are the well-fenc'd Orchard the fruitfull Border the fair and delicious Garden of sweet Flowers enbalming the earth and ayr with their odoriferous fragrancie yet shut up and s cur'd from any enemys entrance and irruption you are the holy Fountain seal'd with the signet of the most sacred Trinity from whence the happy waters of life inflow upon the whol Univers you are the happy City of God whereof such glorious things are every where song and spoken And here O great and glorious Virgin Mother amidst our admirations of your miraculous priviledges prerogatives and perfections We cannot choose with S. Peter Chrysologus Serm. de Annunciat but Compassionate such poor spirited Christians who pretending to any true knowledg of your Sons greatness find no motives to contemplate your glories O their Ignorance Stupidity Infidelity For what thought can frame a right conception concerning any one Mystery of his sacred Incarnation and yet separate you dear Mother from him your divin Son The Heavens says he are terrifi'd the Angells tremble all creatures stand astonished whol Nature is amazed at the birth of this great-little-man-God into the world whilst you O blessed Virgin-Mother remain undaunted and not onely lodge him in your bosom receive him into your embraces refresh him with your breast-milk but moreover with an unparalleld Confidence you make him pay for his entertainment asking no less a reward for his nine months lodging than the grant of a generall and universall Peace to the world Glory for the heavenly Inhabitants Grace for Earthly Criminalls Life for the dead a strict league between the CHURCH Militant and Triumphant and a perpetuall Alliance of his divin Person with our human nature But now being at an absolute loss and not knowing what more can be added to these Epithetes of your Excellencies greatnesses and glories we again beg your lâ—cence O most Blessed Virgin-Mother to breath out what remains in meer raptures and astonishments Crying out to you with the great Patriarch of Antioch S. Ignatius epist ad Joan. O celestiall Prodigy O sacred spectacle With S. Chrysostom Sermon de B. V. O Miracle O Miracle of Miracles With S. Augustin Serm. 11. de Temp. O Miracles O Prodigies The Laws of Nature are changed God becomes Man you O sacred Virgin remaining a maid are made a Mother you are a Mother but without corruption you are a Virgin but you have a child you continue entire and yet you become fruitfull O Miracles O Prodigies With S. John Damascen orat 1. de Nat. B. V. O Abysmus of Miracles you O Virgin-Mother are as much elevated above the Seraphins as your Son is humbled below the Angells With S. Epiphanius orat de Sancta Deipara O extraordinary Prodigie in Heaven A woman infolding God in her bosom O new created Throne of Cherubins containing the Son of a woman who is the Father of his Mother O pretious nuptiall bed prepar'd in your sacred womb for the Celestiall Bridegroom who is together your own Son and the truly and only Son of God With S. Anselme lib. de excellentia Virginis Inviting all faithfull Christians to behold contemplate admire the height of honour to which the Eternall Fathers affection hath raised you O Royall Virgin-Mother He had but one only Son every way equall to himself and of his own substance and he condescended to have him in common with you O his incomprehensible dignation O your incomparable dignity And finally with your S. Bernard Hom. 4. super Missus est solum datum est nosse cui solum datum est experiri your own Greatnesses O glorious Virgin are only known to your own self who only had the happiness to experience them which perchance may be the proper meaning of that profound sentence The vertu of the most high shall overshaddow you whereby the celestiall Paranimph would seem to intimate That as you had the honour to be directly expos'd to the beams of that divin Sun which by an unheard of Intimacy and friendship foster'd you under the immediate shadow of his own splendor So you had also the riches of your own rare excellencies prerogatives and perfections reveal'd unto you But besides your self O Blessed Mother who were thus prodigiously admitted to be an Instrumentall Partner with the most Sacred Trinity in this secret Mystery 'T is in vain to conceive there can be found out any other capable to unfold or comprehend them Wherefore we humbly let fall our weak hand and wearied wings and convincedly confess your miraculous greatnesses O incomprehensible Mother of God! to be unexplicable incomprehensible inaccessible to all created imagination the glory whereof must necessarily be referr'd by us and all your devout honorers and admirers to the Eternall Father who hath created such a Daughter to the Son who hath chosen such a Mother to the Holy Ghost who hath thus enriched adorned and beautifi'd his Spouse his Temple his Tabernacle to the most sacred Trinity who best understands the
sublime height of his own most holy handy work And now O worthy Mother of God! since we have hitherto presented you with the fervent Affections which your faithfull servants have put into our hearts and mouths as well knowing that our own faint inventions could furnish us with none more pithy or to more pleasing permit us also to presume upon your pious Doctor S. Ildefonse de Virginitate Mariae cap. 1. for this our concluding Protestation That the height of all our ambitious desires is To prayse you as much as you deserve to be praysed To love you as much as 't is possible to love you and to render you as much service as your self can desire from such caitif creatures as we are Yes O Sacred Queen Mother had we hearts larger than the Empyreall heaven we would most willingly employ their whol extent in loving you Had we the Crowns Kingdoms Riches of all earthly Monarchs and Princes and as many lives as the Seas have sands we would most cheerfully leave all lose all forfeit all for the defence of your honour for the procuring of your affection for the promoting of your service Finally had either of us as much collected Capacity as all creatures have dispersedly it would come far short of our unlimited desires and affections which are to Love Honour and Serve you perfectly entirely eternally Receive our Hearts O Soveraign Queen of all Hearts replenish'd with these our pious intentions and protestations together with this small Mite which we here again most humbly offer up to your sacred Majesty as a votive Table of the now promised Homage we will ever hereafter be performing to the end that all such as shall make use of these ensuing Devotions may assuredly know that in the solemn tender of this small pledge we jointly intend to include an absolute Dedication of the whol remainder of our lives and labours to your Love and service and that we are content every Line Syllable Letter and Title of this Treatise shall rise as so many accusing witnesses to call for just revenge upon us and remain as so many marks to brand us with eternall infamy if we at any time hereafter maliciously ungratefully disloyally forfeit these our maturely made Resolutions of being your faithfull servants And finally that we hereby avouch in the face of Heaven and Earth to esteem nothing in this world after the inestimable benefits reap'd by the precious Death of your divin Son our dear Redeemer CHRIST JESVS comparable to the honour we have in being Most worthy Mother of GOD The meanest of your Chaplains at the Head-Altar of your Holy Rosary A. C. and T. V. TO THE RIGHT HONORABLE OUR Noble Patron and most worthy Prefect of this Sacred Confraternity of the ROSARY RIght Honorable Though this little Book which carries in its Front the lovely Names of JESUS MARIA JOSEPH can want no forreign recommendation whereby to invite all faithfull Christians and especially the devout Rosarists to receive and embrace it and that the excellencie sublimitie and utilitie of the subject is to it self a sufficient safeguard and protection Yet surely could this Book have been conveniently dedicated to any other than the Queen of Heaven whose honour is its chief aym and intention it must necessarily have had recourse unto your self under whose wings it received its birth growth and accomplishment In acknowledgment whereof and the many signall favours you have charitably conferr'd upon us and upon this holy Confraternity of the sacred Rosary we conceiv'd our selv's bound to give this publick testimony of our sincere gratitude and withall to declare our earnest desire of contributing something towards your own spirituall advancement and perfection For notwithstanding that your Piety to God and devotion to the sacred Virgin-Mother and her glorious Bridegroom Saint Joseph are so deeply setled in your heart as it may seem superfluous to lend you any assistance in order to their further encrease or confirmation yet the perusall of this present Treatise which so far excells all others of this nature in the solidity of the deliver'd doctrin in the explication of the most important points and in the clear facil and familiar insinuation of this sort of Piety that we need not blush to yeild to their Judgment who esteem it the chief of them which have yet seen light in our mother language must needs prove both pleasing and profitable unto you as being a perfect Mirrour of what you either are already or zealously wish to be where you will find both Fewell to foment your fervour and Fire to add to it where you will read the Precepts of Perfection reduc'd into Practises and the Doctrin of Devotion drawn into forms of Duty Briefly where you may learn a compendious way to extract the fruits of your Predestination to glory to tast the sweetness of heavenly affections during this your earthly Pilgrimage and to procure your Souls repose here and its salvation hereafter which is the desired end and Crown of yours and all pious Christians endeavours And all these happinesses with more if more can be imagined are obtain'd by means of the sacred Rosary whereby these influences of celestiall blessings slide efficaciously into faithfull hearts from her holy hands who is appointed by her all-powerfull Son to be the charitable Dispensatrix of his divin treasures and the Common Mother of all the pious Christians which are regenerated in Baptism by his most pretious Blood and Passion For as all they who are predestinated to glory are properly Gods Children since they have the self same heavenly Father by Grace Adoption which the Son of God hath by Birth and Nature according to that expression of S. John Behold how great the Fathers goodnes is towards us for that we are call'd are the Sons of God And as the Eternall Father in begetting his Co-eternall Son gives part of the honour of this Divin Filiation to such as he foresees conformable to his Sons Image so that they may truly call him their Father who is the Father of Gods Son as himsef expresly declares by teaching us to say Our Father which art in heaven So the Son in his human generation given him by a Mother upon earth is pleas'd to make his friends partakers with himself in the title of his Temporall Filiation by giving them the same Mother whom he chose for himself whereby they become Brethren to Gods Son both on the Fathers side who adopts them and on the Mothers side who by her own Sons will and command acknowledges them for her Children Behold your Mother said our Saviour to all his friends and Brethren represented in Saint Johns person Behold your Children said he to the sacred Virgin shewing her Saint John who represented all the faithfull Words appointing her our Mother and adopting us her Sons Words recommending to Her a Maternall care and affection towards us and to us a filiall duty and reverence towards Her Nor are we only
and in them all Christians how they should pray and what they should beg daily of the divin Majestie It is the prime Exemplar of all Prayers the Abridgment of the Gospell the Summary of all our just and fitting petitions and the absolute Form of imploring all such good things as we can expect and desire and of deprecating all such bad things as we are to shun and avoid Finally It is to be by so much the more zealously frequented prized and reverenced before all other prayers whatsoever by how much it excels them all in all sorts of prerogatives First in Authority and dignity as being prescribed by Christ Jesus the Wâ—sdom it self the Truth it self the Divinity it self 2. In Brevity and facility as embracing in few easy and intelligible words all that can rightly be demanded of the Divin Majesty 3. In vertu and efficacie For how should our heavenly Father refuse to hear our petitions which are humbly presented to his Throne of Mercy in the express terms and in obedience to the precept of his dearly beloved Son Christ Jesus Affections contained in our Lords Prayer 1. OF a poor Pilgrim and Prodigall child sighing after his Countrey kindred and Fathers house Our Father which art in Heaven 2. Of a Faithfull servant forgetting himself to procure his Masters honour Hallowed be thy name 3. Of a loving Spouse desiring the sweet presence embraces and enjoyment of her beloved Bridegroom Thy Kingdom come 4. Of a dutifull Son conforming himself absolutely to his Fathers sacred will and pleasure Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven 5. Of a needy Beggar asking an Almes at the dore of the Divin Mercy Give us this day our daily bread 6. Of a guilty Prisoner deeply indebted ready to be condemned and petitioning for pardon and remission And forgive us our Trespasses as we forgive them that Trespass against us 7. Of a Blind and weak Traveller imploring light and strength that he erre not fall not faint not in his journey And lead us not into temptation 8. Of a soul Weary of all things which hinder her desired perfection and craving to be freed from them But deliver us from evill A larger Explication of our Lords Prayer It contains a Preface and seven Petitions THE PREFACE Our Father which art in Heaven THese words put us in mind at the beginning of our prayers of the severall parts of our duty 1. Our being a form of plurall signification declares that we are to draw into the communication of our devotions all such as are confederated with us in the common relation of sons to the same Father 2. Father If God be our Father we surely owe unto him a filiall Love Fear Reverence Obedience For if we are Refractory Irreligious Rebellious how can we presume to call him Fatheâ— But if we are dutifull children pliable to Will and obed ent to his precepts we may confidently expect from him childrens portions and inheritances 3. Which art in Heaven This tells us where our Treasure is and consequently where our hopes and hearts should be fixed and whither all our desires petitions affections are to be directed 4. In Heaven We are Prodigall children and therefore sigh after our Parents house We are poor Pilgrims and therefore stear our course towards our happy Countrey We are wretched Exiles and therefore yearn after our heavenly home The first Petition Hallowed be thy Name 1. Whereby we desire to forget and forgo our selves and all things whatsoever to promote and procure the honour and glorie of our loving Father 2. We desire that his holy Name his divin Essence his glorious Attributes may be honoured by all creatures Believed by Faith loved by Charity and celebrated with continuall prayses throughout the whol Universe 3. It is a direct and formall Act of Adoration For Gods Name being the Representative of God himself we here Petition that he may be truly honored worshipped adored by all in all above all 4. It is also an Act of Thanksgiving for all our received Benefits and Blessings and a returning of all that we have are and can to God as to their Origin and Fountain to whose only Goodness we ascribe all that is Good in us and in all creatures The second Petition Thy Kingdom come 1. Whereby we desire that God may reign by his grace and Justice in us in his Church in the hearts of all men and every where subdue all his Enemyes 2. We desire that he will be pleas'd to exercise his absolute Dominion in our spirits and fully rule in all our faculties in our understanding by Faith in our wills by Charity in our Memories by Hope in our members by Mortification in our whol Interiour and exteriour Man by totally possessing all entirely Commanding all and being truly All in all 3. We desire that his spirituall Kingdom to wit the propagation of his faith and Gospell and the perfection of Souls may yet make more and more progress in he world Extending that where it is not and Intending this where it is And that his Kingdom may not only be amongst us in Name and Form but in Effect in efficacie in Power 4. We lastly desire not only his Kingdom of Grace in this world but also of Glory in the next The third Petition Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven 1. Whereby we desire the sweet presence and fruition of our beloved Lord in our Souls and beg for a prefect union and conformity to his blessed will 2. We desire that the dispensation of his divin Providence may be the absolutely directing Guide of the whol world and the entire measure of all our wills and wishes 3. We desire that in all our prayses and proceedings we may be evermore pliable to his holy will pleasure Resigned in all accidents Patient in all sufferings unchangeable in al good purposes submissive upon all occasions and that we may perform all our duties of devotion obedience perfection cheerfully promptly perseverantly 4. We finally desire that as the holy Angells and Saints in heaven serve our dread Soveraign with perfect Harmony unity tranquillity agreeing all together sweetly lovingly peaceably to prayse and glorify his divin Majesty so all our hearts and Soul's here upon Earth cancelling all crooked and sinister intentions may live and love together in an Angelicall Conformity and jointly please and prayse our Soveraign Creatour with a Saint-like Peace purity and Charity fervently incessantly Eternally The fourth Petition Give us this day our daily Bread Whereby acknowledging our own Poverty necessity indigency we humbly crave an almes from him who is the Author and Fountain of all Mercy First we beg the Bread of Pilgrims for the support of our lives and for the supply of our bodyes necessities that is a daily Portion of all such things as we daily want we are prohibited to be solicitous for to morrow and therefore we petition only for the present We must not be covetous to
and are here set down in that direct order which ought to be observ'd in meditating upon them which is First to begin with the five joyfull mysteries Secondly to proceed to the five Dolorous Thirdly to conclude with the five Glorious For according to this order they were accomplish'd in the Persons of our Saviour Christ and his Blessed Mother The five Joyfull Mysteries So called for that they contain the chief Joys which the most sacred virgin Mary felt concerning her Son Christs human nature 1. The Annunciation of Christs Incarnation by the Archangel Gabriel to the Blessed Virgin Mary which is briefly express'd in these verses Heav'ns loftyest turret to earth's center bends Th' Incarnat Word to our low vale descends And Eccho's there usher'd by Angells voyce And by a purer Virgins vocall choyce While She according to this word of thine Humbly reply'd thy Masters word be mine 2. The Visitation which the Blessed Virgin made to her cousin Saint Elizabeth Mary salutes Eliza while from far Our Sun is brought to light his morning Star The Star though clowded feels the welcom ray And leaps to shew he can fore-run his day Dance unripe Child before thou com'st to light An after-dance will cause thy fatall night 3. The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ Learn Man what wonders in this birth appear The lesser Orbe involves the greater Spheare Etheriall lightning leaves its native shrowd Comes forth not breaking the mysterious clowd Angells their God their Master Beasts discern Of those above of these below thee learn 4. The Oblation or Presentation of Christ to his Eternall Father in the Temple and the Purification of his Mother How cheap a thing is light and more we pay For oylin flame than goulden locks of day His ransom who from darkness all redeem'd The Priest a two poor Turtle-Doves esteem'd Jews are wise marchands this new Sun ere old Must to the Priests again b' as cheaply sold 5. The Finding of Christ in the Temple disputing amongst the Doctors Found in the Temple midst the Doctors plac'd Jesus at once vertu and learning grac'd If Church and Schools be severd zeal turns blind And knowledg lame they both are perfect joynd Adore the Altar reverence the Chair Learn what to ask and then present thy pray'r The five Dolorous Mysteries so called for that they contain the chief sorrows which Christ our Redeemer felt in his bitter Passion 1. His Agony whil'st he was at his Prayers in the Garden What man of sorrow with two blood-shot eyes Ten thousand bleeding pores there prostrate lyes All middle colours by extreams are bred His candour with our blackness makes him red Whose present dress though Scarlet but displays The rosy dawn of two more Crimson day's 2. His most cruell Flagellation Can all these bleeding wounds that scourging find No blush in face no pity raisd in mind Behold the Man you worst of savage beast Malice enough has done more Hell detests Hate forward goes till her loath'd object she Not to be wretched knows but not to be 3. His Crowning with sharp Thorns The pungent cares on regall Scepters born Do prove all Diadems be crowns of thorn Yet Kings from scoffs and low contempt are free Derisions reach not earthly Majestie Christs Crown no fewer slights than thorns emboss More keen than those sharp nayls that pierc'd his Cross 4. The Carrying of his Cross to Mount Calvary Striving his Cross to bear he faints and falls He that sustains Heaven and Earths massie balls Simon succeeds on whose weak shoulders they The shadow of the Cross not substance lay Simon the wood the weight Christ only bore A world of heavy sins throng'd in each pore 5. His Crucifixion and Death upon the Cross Hail Tree of life whose trunck the table made Whereon the worlds dear price was told and payd On thy fair planks our sinking souls that bore Poor shipwrackt men layd hold and swim to shore Raisd from the depth by thee they floating stood Boy'd up with spring-tides of Christs copious blood The five Glorious Mysteries so called for that they contain the chief Glories which befell Christ and his sacred Mother 1. The Resurrection of our Lord JESUS The piercing sword leaves sad Maria's brest Sorrow's old wound makes for new joy 's a nest Jesus himself and her revives his light Relumins many a fire long quencht in night She sees the Patriarks shine with him his ray Dimms not their weaker Stars yet doubles day 2. His Ascension into Heaven Our Heav'n-ascending Lord no fiery Steed's Nor flaming Chariot of Elijah needs The wings of wind or Angels are too slow His feet in thier own motion swifter go The Sun at his approach that fabulous sign Of Aries leaves in him the Lamb tâ— shine 3. The sending down the Holy Ghost to his Church In form of fire a rushing wind conveighs Ardours divin the Infant Church to raise And high enthrone in a majestick Sphear Above the reach of cold distrust or fear Th' Elect thus freed from bonds of narrow sense In all known tongues all unknown truth dispence 4. The Assumption of the Blessed Virgin up to heaven Enoch alive translated walks with God Walks finds yet in bliss no fix't about The zealous Thesbite undissolv'd ascends And at Heav'n gates the worlds last year attends Death 's the sole way to life Maria dyes Closes on earth open's in heav'n her eyes 5. The Coronation of the Blessed Virgin in Heaven T is thy Sons light Maria makes thee shine The beam's are his the sole reflection thine Bright as the Moon thou look'st for borrow'd rays Both tributarie to the Prince of days The Sun her globe opposed only fills On thee full light thy Sun conjoyn'd distills These fifteen Mysteries for greater ease of the memory are briefly comprehended in these six verses Annun Vis Nat. Present and Find Reduce the Joyfull Five to mind Pray'r Scourg Thorn Cross Crucify Do the five Dolorous imply Res As Parac Assump corone By those the Glorious five are known Or thus in three verses She 's told She visits He 's Born Offer'd and Found He Pray's is whipp'd is crown'd carryes is kill'd Râ—ses Ascends sends down She dyes is Crown'd §. 7. Of the fifteen Mysteries of the Rosary in particular The first part containing the five Joyfull Mysteries 1. The first Joyfull Mystery She 's told THE Annunication of Chirsts Incarnation by the Archangell Gabriel to the Blessed virgin Mary Luca. To Blessed Mary th' Angell of our Lord Announces she shall bear th' Eternal Word This first Principall and Joyfull Mystery as also all the others hereafter following comprehends under its notion may other singular and particular Joy's wherewith the sacred Virgins soul was ravish'd and replenish'd upon the news brought down to her from Heaven of the Eternall Words Incarnation in her womb which we shall both here and hereafter briefly reduce to Ten heads or points of Meditation according to the number of the Angelicall Salutations which are
in following you more carefull in keeping you more sincere constant perseverant in serving and obeying you Be you my guid O most glorious Virgin-Mother in this my inquest after your dear Son Following your footsteps to the sacred Temple I shall find him by your favour whom I have lost by my own fault And having once found him O let me never more loose him by my disloyaltie that living here and dying in his sweet embraces I may live with him hereafter and enjoy him eternally in his blessed Kingdom Amen Then end this first part of the Rosary with the Profession of your Faith and the sign of the Cross saying I Believe in God c. with the Prayer To the sacred and undivided Trinity c. as it is set down in the end of the 5. § The second Part of the Rosary containing the Five Dolorous Mysteries Begin this Part of the Rosary with the Prayer sign of the Cross and Creed as in the first Part. The First Dolorous Mystery He Prays THe Agony of Christ whilst he was at his Prayers in the Garden Matth. 26. Christ in the Garden pray's his anguish'd Brest Is in his face through sweats of blood exprest As in the Precedent Joyfull Mysteries we have shew'd that those five principall and common heads comprehended under their signall notions severall particular Joys of the sacred Virgin-Mother so each one of these five generall Dolorous Mysteries like a long chain made up of many links includes a multitude of particularly aggravating circumstances in our dear Redeemers Passion and his holy Mothers compassion which Concatenation of sorrows we shall endeavour as before in the Cohesion of Joys to reduce briefly to Ten Heads or points of Contemplation correspondent to the respective Decades of this second part of the Rosary Our Father c. Our Blessed Saviour was exceedingly sad and sorrowfull 1. At the apprehension of the loss of his corporall life FOr if Death is of all things most horrible to human nature it was surely according to the said human nature much more horrible to him than to any other because his life was of greater dignity than that of all others by reason of its conjunction to the Divinity Hail Mary 2. At the foresight of his sufferings FOr his understanding clearly comprehending the quality and quantity of his approaching pains and torments And his souls eyes efficaciously seeing all the causes of fear and sadness and furthermore he permitting say's S. John Damascen each one of his senses and Powers to act according to its own naturall propertie it must needs follow that as his knowledge was most perfect his sufferings were most excessive Hail Mary 3. At the consideration of Sins heynousness FOr he came to suffer for all the offences of Mankind in generall and for each ones sin past present and to come in particular O the anguish of his soul at the sight of their multitude and malice Hail Mary 4. At the Iewes Ingratitude FOr besides his particular Benefits showr'd down from time to time upon that perverse people he had now borrow'd his humanity from their Blood conversed many years amongst them preached his Gospell unto them wrought infinit Miracles before them And that they after all this should so inhumanly unnaturally ungratefully condemn kill and crucify him was surely a corrosive more bitter to his afflicted heart than death it self Hail Mary 5. At the little profit which Christians would reap from his Passion FOr though the least drop of his precious Blood was abundantly sufficient to redeem not only all men but many worlds yet he well knew how few would make themselves partakers of the fruits thereof And this foreseen sloth negligence and wilfull ingratitude of Christians if we will credit S. Bernard Bonaventure and Hugo more afflicted our dear Redeemer than all the corporall calamities he endur'd on the Cross for them Hail Mary 6. At the Treason of Judas FOr that a Servant should betray his Master a Disciple his Lord an Apostle his Saviour And this by a fraudulent Kiss the sign of peace friendship and affection are circumstances says S. Ambrose much aggravating our Redeemers sorrow Hail Mary 7. At the Scandall scattering and flight of his dearest Disciples friends and followers O the Affliction of his tender heart To see Them whom he lov'd so sincerely Them whom he had serv'd so diligently Them whom he had so lately comforted and confirmed by his long Sermon and so earnestly commended to his Fathers care and custody Them whom he had from time to time fed so efficaciously with his sacred Doctrin and feasted so deliciously with this Blessed Body and Blood in the very last nights Banquet to fly now fearfully from him to be scandaliz'd at him and to seem to doubt of his Divinity And above all to see Peters Ingratitude Infidelity Pusillanimity did surely pierce his Soul with inexplicable sorrow Hail Mary 8. At his taking binding and bringing out of the Garden of Mount Olivet IMagin O my Soul What injuries thy Innocent Saviour here suffer'd by a band of barbarous Souldiers set on by the spitefull Jews ledd on by the Sacrilegious Judas egg'd on by their own malice and fury See how violently they rush upon him binding his armes baring his head beating his body pulling his beard tearing his hair and every way abusing him insulting over him deriding him blaspheming him Hail Mary 9. At his presentation to Annas and Caiphas and the suborning of false witnesses against him O What an affliction To be tryed by such unjust and partiall Judges and to be made guilty by such envious and sinister proceedings Hail Mary 10. At his Blows Buffets and other opprobrious usage all night long FOr when the wearied Ring-leaders and wicked Priests had deliver'd him over to be baited by the rabble of the enraged people O how inhumanly did they handle the meek humble and patient JESUS His face says S. Bonaventure which fills Heaven with Joy is here defiled with loathsom spittle smiten with sacrilegious hands cover'd with mock-hoods c. and nothing was omitted which malice could invent to torment him Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son c. These prayers Angelicall with bended knee c. Affections Elevations Petitions O holy Jesu the absolute Pattern of heroick Resignation grant that in all the accidents which by the dispensation of your divin providence shall befall me during this my earthly Pilgrimage I may cheerfully cordially affectionately say with you and to you Not my will O my heavenly Father but yours be done O let me have no wishes but that your will may be accomplish'd no desires but that your commands may be obey'd no designes but that you may be faithfully serv'd lov'd prays'd by all creatures Give me O Jesu the gift and spirit of Prayer which is the chief exercise of Religion that in Imitation of your example I may henceforth more seriously addict my self unto it especially in the time of my
FOr the spitefull Pharisees hearing the Apostles speaking all sorts of languages sought to undervalue the miracle by vilifying them as Drunkards but St Peter standing up in his own and his brethrens defence solidly refutes their malicious imputation to the great joy admiration and confirmation of all the Auditors and confusion of his enemies Hail Mary 7. At the sodain multiplication of the faithfull FOr St. Peters efficacious Oration was no sooner ended but three thousand Souls were presently converted to the Faith of Christ and forthwith baptizd in his name and five thousand more within few dayes after Hail Mary 8. At the fructification of Christs Passion FOr the blessed Virgin-Mother saw not only the present fruits of her Sons death and sufferings spread abroad in the Apostles and the new converted Christians but she also foresaw the future multitude of martyrs who should couragiously dy for his love besides the vast number of confessors virgins and religious Persons who should cheerfully take up their Crosses and faithfully follow him Hail Mary 9. At the great encrease of the divin honour and worship FOr Pagans Gentills Idolaters and people of all professions renouncing their ancient errors came flocking in amain to be instructed in the Faith of Christ and to follow the Evangelicall doctrin Hail Mary 10. At the accomplishment of the number of the Elect. FOr the blessed Virgin joyfully foresaw that all such souls as should depart this life in the true Faith of of her Son Jesus inform'd with charity were to be added to the number of the Saints and to be admitted to his heavenly Kingdom Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son c. These Prayers Angelical c. Affections Elevations Petitions O Glorious Creator How great is your Mercy how infinit your liberalitie How excessive your affection to undeserving and ungratefull Mankind After your only Son was so ill treated amongst us would you also send down the Holy Ghost unto us It plainly appears that we have a potent Advocate in Heaven Jesus Christ the just to plead our cause and a Powerfull Mother upon Earth Mary the Mother of Jesus to impetrate for us this extraordinary favour It is therefore the Mothers merit and the Sons Mercy and the Eternal Fathers liberalitie and the Holy Ghosts goodness that this holy Spirit descends from Heaven upon us A Spirit of life and love a Spirit of solace and sweetness a Spirit of grace and happiness a Spirit which comes in form of fiery tongues to clear our understandings with his light to inflame our wills with his heat and to govern our tongues and affections with his gracious direction A light which dazels not a fire which consumes not a tongue which threatens not accuses not condemns not O sacred and divin Spirit you are the Father of the afflicted the Distributer of graces the enlightner of hearts the comforter of Souls and alas how opposite are my actions to your properties perfections inspirations You descend to instill into me the spirit of sweetness meekness patience and I converse with such as are under my charge and with others who are perchance far better before you than my self with a spirit of choller and peevishness with a spirit of rigour and harshness with a spirit of revenge and bitterness Ah uncharitable wretch that I am shall I contristate my neighbour instead of comforting him shall I exact from others instead of conferring benefits upon them shall I under-value my brethrens actions censure their intentions obscure their reputations instead of putting a charitable construction upon all things whatsoever Change this my crooked and crabbed disposition O powerfull Spirit thâ— plentifull bestower of all perfect gifts by the efficacy of your sacred influence upon my soul purge me I beseech you from my present imperfections pardon me for my past impieties and prevent me from future fallings by implanting your spirit of true peace and charity in my interiour which may keep my heart evermore burning in the love of you and my neighbour till I come to be totally absorpt in you together with the coequall Son and Father in your blessed Eternitie Amen The fourth glorious Mysterie she dy's THe assumption of the blessed Virgin up to Heaven Allegorically understood by Maryes chosing the best part Luke 10. The Virgins sacred Corps too rich a prize For Earth is born by Angels 'bove the Skyes Our Father c. The glorious Virgin-Mothers heart was replenish'd with exceeding great joy 1. At the news of the near approaching dissolution of her soul and body FOr as the holy Doctors deliver unto us after the dispersion of the Apostles into the Worlds severall quarters to preach the Gospell the blessed Virgin retir'd her felf into a privat dwelling near adjoyning to Mount Sion that she might pass the remaining day 's of her Pilgrimage upon earth in the devout contemplation of her divin Sons actions and the frequent visitation of the holy places of his Baptism Fasting Passion Buriall Resurrection Ascention when behold at the time appointed by the eternall providence a heavenly Messenger probably the Arch-Angell Gabriel reverently saluting her in her Sons name informs her of her near approaching departure out of this life Hail Mary 2. At the securitie of heâ— Glorious and speedy Resurrection FOr as Albertus and all the Doctors agree she could not possibly doubt of her present and immediate Translation to Eternall happiness Hail Mary 3. At her dying without any dread terrour or trouble FOr how could She fear death who was so fervent in Charity as that she desired nothing more than to be dissolved and to be with Christ How could She be terrifi'd at Deaths approach who was absolutely free from all sin and impiety Or how could She be troubled at the apprehension of Gods severe Judgments who was secure of her salvation 4. At the presence of the Apostles at her departure FOr it is a generally receiv'd Tradition of the Fathers That all the Apostles were by divin instinct sodainly gather'd together from the worlds severall climats to honour her with their personall presence at this time of her earthly dissolution Hail Mary 5. At the sweet separation of her Soul aâ—… Body FOr say's S. Hierom as She was free from the corruption of the flesh so she was exempt from the calamities of Death And S. John Damascen The pain 's which she suffer'd not in childing and dying She payd at the time of Christs Passion Hail Mary 6. At the Ioyfull Re-union of her Soul and Body in her Resuscitation and Assumption into Heaven FOr according to S. Augustin There was no reason corruption should seize on her after death whose integrity was preserv'd in her life c. but 't was fit she should be always living who was the Parent of all life and that she should be always with him who for nine months space was with her in her womb c. Hail Mary 7. At Christ's meeting her accompanyed with the Heavenly
and obtain for me a happy death and departure out of this World in the Faith Favour and Affection of Jesus To whom be all honour prayse and glory for Evermore Amen ELEVATIONS TO THE SACRED TRINITY UPON EARTH Iesus Maria Ioseph In honour and homage to the Glorious Trinity in Heaven the Father Son and Holy Ghost O JESU Son of the living God and Saviour of the World O Mary Mother of Jesus and Mediatrix of Mankind O Joseph Bridegroom of Mary and esteemed Father of Jesus O sacred Trinity Jesus Maria Joseph I honour you reverence you admire you in your excellent eminent sublime Greatnesses in which you seem to be an express Image of the Incomprehensible Trinity and I adhere to you in union of the perfect homages which you rendred to the Father Son and holy Ghost by your high Estate and holy operations The deep Mystery of the divin Trinity is Invisible to our eyes Ineffable to our Tongues Incomprehensible to our Spirits And behold the poor Bethleem stable affoards us a human Trinity Jesus Maria Joseph uppon Earth which views adores and Imitates the Trinity of the Empireall Heaven the Father Son and Holy Ghost This is Increated that is both created and Increated in the Person of the God-Man Jesus This is divin and Eternall That is Deifi'd and temporall The one is Adorable the other honorable The one is admirable in its greatness The other amiable in its sweetness In the one is a unity of Essence in a Trinity of Persons In the other is a union of Love of Grace and of Spirit in a Trinity of Essence and of Persons In the Divin Trinity the Father begets his Son in Eternity In the other by a reverted order the Son gives Being in Time both to the Father and to the Mother In the first the Father and the Son and the Father by the Son produces the holy Ghost in unity of origin In the second Jesus and Mary and Jesus by Mary gives the Life and Being of Grace to Joseph in the unitie of spirit So that Mary hath an admirable resemblance to the Eternall Father the Son of Mary hath an express unity with himself and S. Joseph represents the Holy Ghost For the Father in Heaven is the only Parent without a Mother and Mary upon Earth is the only Parent without a Father And as nothing greater can be attributed to God than his being the Father of a God so nothing more sublime can befall a pure creature than to be the Mother of the same God whereof God is Father The Holy Ghost is the sacred knot and Tye of the divin Persons And Joseph hath a union with Mary as his Spouse and with Jesus as his Father The Holy Ghost form'd Jesus in the Virginall Cloyster of Maryes Womb And Joseph fed him educated him and preserv'd for us far more fortunately than the ancient Joseph of Egypt â— this Bread of the Elect this blessed pledg of our future happiness this Eternall Bliss of Men and Angells Wherfore O Jesu We acknowledg honour and adore you in your Eternall heights and greatnesses we prayse bless and love you in your temporall humiliations sweetnesses we contemplate you in Heaven with the Eye of Faith betwen the Father and the holy Ghost We admire you upon Earth between Mary and Joseph And I invite and conjure all Creatures to prayse bless and adore your divin Majesty in both these estates O Mary We also look upon you as upon Gods sacred Mother and in this supream dignity I salute reverence and honour you with the singular homage of Hyperdulia which is due to your Excellencies and Greatnesses O Joseph I likewise honour you as the reputed Father of Jesus and Bridegroom of Mary and in regard of these two Eminent qualities I subject my self to the power which is given you over my soul by consequence of the Jurisdiction you had over Jesus my Saviour I offer my self to you O Great Saint Joseph Father and Husband without Paragon to be by you presented to Mary I give my self to you O glorious Mary Virgin and Mother without Paralell to be by you addressed to Jesus I consecrat my self to you O Great-little-God-man Jesus as your servant and bondslave to become associated in this qualitie with the domestiques of your sacred Family O Jesu my King reign in my Soul and exercise the absolute power you have over my spirit O Mary my Soveraign Queen after my King Jesus possess my heart and my will to consign them over to your Son O Joseph My chief Prorector after Jesus and Mary take my Body and senses into your safe custody to be consecrated to Jesus O Jesu annihilate and absorp my soul in your affection O Mary Inflame my heart with the love of Jesus O Joseph Bless all my labours and endeavours and present them to Jesus and Mary Let the whol world be replenish'd O Jesu with your mercies be assisted O Mary with your favours be secured O Joseph under the shadow of your Protection For You O JESU are the Fountain issuing forth of the Terrestriall Paradise Mary's Virginall Womb is the Origin of all our happiness you O Mary are the Prime Bason of this Fountain and the pure Glebe from whence it proceeded And you O Joseph are the River who disperse abroad these waters of Life by your efficacious intercessions O Jesu you are the fruit of life O Mary you are the Paradise that bore it and the Tree that brought it forth And you O Joseph are the Cherubin appointed by God to guard it O Jesu You are the sacred Propitiatory of the world O Mary You are the Mysticall Ark of our Reconciliation And you O Joseph are the High Priest who alone are permitted to enter into this Holy of Holies to be the faithfull Coadjutor of Gods great Counsell in the world and the Feoffee in trust of his treasures and secrets In honour therefore of these three ineffable Tâ—es and unions between these admirable subjects which are the greatest under Gods command and Jurisdiction I most humbly beg of you O Jesu Mary and Joseph 1. A chast and filiall Fear of God that nothing either in life or death may separate me from his grace and friendship 2. A faithfull fervent and perseverant Love of God and my neighbour with a generous zeal of the divin honour and my own salvation 3. A good and happy end of my life consummated in the act and exercise of these sacred affections O JESU Be an Advocate for me your Bondslave to your Eternall Father O Mary intercede for me your servant to your Son O Joseph pray for me your child to Jesus and Mary O Jesu shew your wounds suffer'd for my sake O Mary discover your Breasts which suckled Gods Son O Joseph represent your hands which nourish'd the Word Incarnate O Jesu replenish my Soul with the abundance of your celestiall blessings by the effusion of efficacious grace upon it which may intimately
unite it unto you O Mary Poure out the milk of your Chast Breasts upon my heart by the impression of an humble piety and devotion upon it which may entirely sanctifie my Interiour O Joseph bestow on me the blessings of the Earth that is of your labours sweats and merits wherby the works of my hands may become prosperous and all my exteriour actions profitable and meritorious That honouring and loving you upon Earth O sacred Trinity JESUS MARIA JOSEPH I may enjoy your happy sight and presence O Jesu with Mary and Joseph in Heaven and there render due honour praife and glory to the Father Son and Holy Ghost one only God for all Eternity Amen THE FOURTH APPENDIX STATIONS Or a Catalogue of the Plenary Indulgences of the Stations of ROME AND FIRST Of the Stations in Advent Lent and other Moveable Feasts as they are set down in the Bulla Cruciata publisbed in the year 1612. ALL the Indulgences of the Stations of Rome are granted to the Members of the holy Rosary as is declared in the 13 sect Numb 11. page 103. of our first Book by visiting upon those days five Altars or one only if there be no more and reciting before each Altar five Paters and five Aves or Twenty Five before that one Altar Now the days of the Roman Stations upon which Plenary Indulgences are granted in Advent Lent and other moveable Feasts are these following The first Sunday in Advent at S. Maria Major The second Sunday at the holy Cross in Jerusalem and at S. Maria de Angelis The third Sunday at S. Peters Wednesday in Ember week at S. Maria Major Friday in Ember-week at the twelve Apostles Saturday in Ember-week at Saint Peters The fourth Sunday in Advent at the 12. Apostles Septuagesima Sunday at S. Laurence without the walls And a soul out of Purgatory Sexagesima Sunday at S. Paul Quinquagesima Sunday at Saint Peter Ashwensday at S. Sabina Thursday at S. George Friday at SS John and Paul Saturday at S. Tryphon The first Sunday in Lent at S. John Lateran Munday at S. Peter in Vinculis Tuesday at S. Anastasia and a soul out of Purgatory Wensday at S. Maria Major Thursday at S. Laurence in Panerperna Fryday at the twelve Apostles Saturday at S. Peter The second Sunday in Lent at S. Maria in Domnica and S. Maria Major Munday at S. Clement Tuesday at S. Balbina Wensday at S. Cecily Thursday at S. Maria trans Tyberim Fryday at S. Vitalis Saturday at S. Peter and Marcelline And a soul out of Purgatory The third Sunday in Lent at S. Laurence without the walls And a soul out of Purgatory Munday at S. Mark Tuesday at S. Pudentiana Wensday at S. Sixtus Thursday at SS Cosmus and Damianus Fryday at S. Laurence in Lucina Saturday at S. Susan and at S. Maria de Angelis The fourth Sunday in Lent at the holy Cross in Jerusalem and a soul out of Purgatory Munday at SS Quatuor Coronati Tuesday at S. Laurence in Damaso Wensday at S. Paul Thursday at S. Sylvester and at S. Martins in the Mount Friday at S. Eusebius Saturday at S. Nicholas in Carcere The fifth Sunday in Lent at Saint Peter Munday at S. Chrysogonus Tuesday at S. Cyriacus Wensday at S. Marcellus Thursday at S. Apollinaris Fryday at S. Stephen in Caelio monte And a soul out of Purgatory Saturday at S. John ante Portam Latinam And a soul of Purgatory Palm-Sunday at S. John Lateran Munday at S. Praxedes Tuesday at S. Pâ—…sca Wensday at S. Maria Major Thursday at S. John Lateran Fryday at the holy Cross and at S. Maria de Angelis Saturday at S. John Lateran Easter day at S. Maria Major Munday at S. Peter Tuesday at S. Paul Wensday at S. Laurence without the walls And a soul out of Purgatory Thursday at the twelve Apostles Fryday at S. Maria ad Martyres Saturday at S. John Lateran Low-Sunday at S. Pancratius Munday in Rogation week at S. Maria Major Tuesday at S John Lateran Wensday at S. Peter Ascension day at S. Peter Whitson-eve at S. John Lateran Whit-Sunday at S. Peter Munday at S. Peter in Vinculis Tuesday at S. Anastasia Wensday at S. Maria Major Thursday at S. Laurence without the walls And a soul out of Purgatory Fryday at the twelve Apostles Saturday at S. Peter And a soul out of Purgatory On the Feast of Corpus Christi and all the days within the Octave at S. Peter Wensday of the Ember-week in September at S. Maria Major Fryday at the twelve Apostles Saturday at S. Peter Plenary Indulgences which may be gain'd by them of the Rosary reciting twenty five Paters and Aves before five Altars or all before one as aforesaid upon such days of the Months as are here set down in order JANUARY 1. ON the Feast of the Circumcision and all the days within the Octave at S. Maria Trans Tyberim and at Ara Coeli 6. On the Feast of the Epiphany and all the days within the Octave at S. Peters 17. At S. Anthony the Abbot 18. At S. Peter and also at S. Prisca 20. At S. Sebastians 21. At S. Agnes 25. At S. Paul 27. At S. John Chrysostom and at Ara coeli 31. At the holy Crossin Jerusalem FEBRUARY 2. PUrification of the Virgin Mary And a soul out of Purgatory at S. Maria Major S. Maria de Pace S. Maria de Angelis and S. Maria Inviolata 3. At S. Blase A soul out of Purgatory 22. Chair of S. Peter at S. Peters 24. S Mathias at S. Matthew the Apostle 26. At S. Constantia a Chappell in the Church of S. Agnes MARCH UPon all the Frydays in March at S. Peter a Plenary Indulgence 7. S. Thomas of Aquin at the Minerva 12. At S. Peter and at S. Gregory 19. At S. Josephs 21. At S. Bennets 25. Upon the Feast of the Annunciation and all the days within the Octave at the Minerva and at the Annunciate APRILL 23. AT S. George 25. Upon S. Marks day at S. Peters 29. Being the Feast of S. Peter Martyr of the Order of S. Dominick at the Minerva MAY. UPon all the Sundays of this Month at S. Sebastians a Plenary 1. At SS Philip and Jacob. 3. At Holy Cross in Jerusalem 6. At S. John Lateran where all so from this day untill the 6. of August there is a speciall Station with a Plenary and a soul out of Purgatory 8. The Apparition of S. Michael at S. Maria Major 19. S. Peter Celestin at S. Maria Major 20. S. Bernardin at S. Maria de Ara coeli 21. At S. Helena JUNE 11. AT S. Barnabie the Apostle 13. S. Anthony of Padua at S. Maria de Ara coeli 24. At S. John Lateran 29. At S. Peters 30. Commemoration of S. Paul JULY 2. THE Visitation of our Blessed Lady and all the days within the Octave at S. Maria de populo and S. Maria de Pace 14. S. Bonaventure at S. Maria de Aracoeli 17. At S. Alexius 22. At
The glorious St. BENNET and his Disciples with immortal fruit and profit practis'd and promulgated the Blessed Virgins Psalter The pious St. DOMINICK reuiu'd it's decaij'd use and is the Institutor of the Blessed Virgins Rosary as it is now in practise A. Voet fe Jesus Maria Joseph OR THE DEVOUT PILGRIM OF THE EVER BLESSED VIRGIN MARY IN HIS Holy Exercises Affections and Elevations Upon the sacred Mysteries of JESVS MARIA JOSEPH Published for the benefit of the pious Rosarists by A. C. and T. V. Religious Monks of the holy Order of S. BENNET Printed at Amsterdam Anno D. 1657. sacred Majesty this small Book which we have compiled for the comfort of your devout children as a publick and permanent Testimonie and Profession of our being entirely vow'd and addicted to your sons and your honour and service And we are thereto induced by much more forcible reasons than such as are wont to move men to make an Oblation of their works to the worthy's of this world For first you O Glorious Virgin are the greatest Princess of the whol universs and can therefore repay our endeavours with more reall rewards than the richest earthly Monarch can confer upon his Clients Moreover you are meek mild and mercifull and therefore will not disdaign the meanest offerings of your devoted and well meaning Vassalls Furthermore The particular and personall Favours we have already receiv'd by your powerfull patronage prayers and protection Favours which can be by no one deny'd without a spice of infidelity nor disguised without doing you an apparent injury nor suppress'd without our express ingratitude give us a certain kind of hopefull confidence that according to your wonted goodness and clemency you will not now reject us coming before you with these presents such as they are in our hands who have so piously heretofore help'd and relieved us in our most urgent and pressing necessities And finally This Book it self O Soveraign Queen-Mother stands in need of your speciall favour to render it fruitfull to its Readers For whosoever will make right use thereof must have simple and Dove-like eyes ayming only at Heaven single and disinteressed Hearts pretending nothing but Piety humble and obedient spirits captivated to Faith's mysteries docible diligent and devout souls willing to learn how they may rayse their thoughts to celestiall affections whilst their tongues run over their common prayers and supplications briefly earnest and ardent desires to imitate your Sons and your vertues and to express in their lives manners and conversations what they resent and resolve in their meditations All which necessary capacities you O singularly perfect and powerfull Virgin can principally obtain for them and which we beseech you O most compassionate Mother to procure for us and for all the devout children of your sacred Rosary that so our daily Prayers may not be without fervent affections nor our affections without efficacious works nor our works without the sweet fruits of Eternall life We pretend not here O most worthy Mother of the Word Eternall and Incarnate to make a Panegyrick of your prayses which were a design far above our forces and we willingly acknowledge that our wings are too weak to rayse us up to this Sphere of wonders that our dim eyes want strength to support the radiant splendor of this divin Sun that we should lose our selv's in this large Ocean of your Mervails and finally that by our over-near approaching to so great a Majesty we should infallibly be opprest by your Glory But should we undertake so impossible a task and adventure upon so rash an enterprise have we not summ'd up all the advantages of your glory by styling you Gods worthy Mother Surely to be Mother of the Soveraign Deity is a Supream Dignity since 't is the basis ground-work and foundation of all imaginable height holiness and happiness that can befall a creature but yet 't is incomparably more perfection to deserve this dignity than to possess it so that had you O most holy Virgin Mother deserv'd it without having it you had remain'd much greater than by having it without deserving it For your merit was not so strictly ty'd to your Maternity nor your Dignity to your desert as that they might not have separatedly subsisted since the Divin Majesty might have made choyce of some other less perfect Woman than your self for his Mother as also he could have conferr'd on you this plenitude of Grace wherby you acquired your worth without obliging himself to make you hâ—s Mother whence it most evidently follows that deserving to become Gods Mother though you had not been so is to you a greater honour and dignity than it had been to another to be so without having deserv'd it And though the greatest Gratification which God can bestow upon a simple creature is to make it his Mother yet this singly considered is only an Act of pure Gratification whereas your Sanctity O Sacred Virgin had it not been joyn'd to your Maternity would nevertheless have rais'd you to that prime place you now possess in your Creators favour and rendred you worthy of that inexplicable glory you shall there enjoy in heaven above all other Creatures for all future Eternity Wherefore if to style you Gods Mother is to say you can be no higher in dignity without being God himself surely to entitle you Gods worthy Mother is to say you are by your merit above all that is not the Divin Majesty since 't is to avouch That the desert of your Person agrees with the greatness of your Prerogative and that the greatness of your merit corresponds to the glory of your Maternity which is so eminent a Dignity that the Almighty by his absolute power can exalt no purely created beâ—ng to any higher pitch of perfection A Dignity which is the origin the measure and the abridgment of all your other numberless excellencies priviledges and greatnesses A Dignity to which they all yeild homage as subjects to the Soveraign on which they all depend as light on the Sun from which they are all deriv'd as rivulets from the Fountain A Dignity which except only Gods Soveraign Divinity and our Redeemers Sacred Humanity is the highest subject the holyest object the noblest entertainment of Mens and Angells contemplation Finally A Dignity which we may ravishtly admire but can never hope to explicate And what mervail is it O Mother of God! if we Alas Weak-spirited and short-sighted wretches falter in our expressions since the most fluent learned eloquent tongues and pens trembled to treat of this your divin and incomprehensible Title The great Bishop S. Gregory of Neo-Cesaria Serm. de Annunciatione that famous worker of Miracles and wonders can find no words to unfold the Infinit excellencies which are included in these three Syllables Gods Mother here his wit his language his learning fail him when he is to fall upon this unexplicable subject The worthy and wise Prelat of Constance Saint Epiphanius Serm. de Deipara
large volumes We shall therefore both in this and the following points content our selves to declare the Truth not dispute it to presuppose it not prove it to set down Maxims not Problems and our endeavours shall be to excite the faithfull Rosarists to this sort of Piety by applying some of the holy Fathers pithy sentences and expressions not to amuse their fancies by producing curiosities and falling upon the subtilties of controversies Wherefore abstracting here from the sacred Virgin-Mothers own Worth Dignity Prerogatives Perfections Excellencies which are briefly touched in the precedent Oration and which are abundantly capable to ravish the whol World with her love and admiration and move them to her honour and service we shall insist only upon some of the most signall benefits which redound to our selves by our devotion towards her reducing them to these five generall heads The first is That she loves her devoted children and servants Though the sacred Virgin is call'd in the Churches Dialect Mater pulchrae dilectionis The mother of love and charity and consequently cannot but have a generall â—ffâ—ction for all mankind yet surely she hath a particular kindness and tendernesâ— for such as addict themselves to her speciall honour and dedicate themselves to her service according to that other passage which holy Church also applyes to her Ego diligentes me diligo I love them who love me Hence our devout St. Bernard upon those words of the Gospell Ecce Mater tua Behold thy Mother which were delivered from the Cross by our dying Saviour and directed to his dear Minion Saint John and to all mankind in his person hath these pithy expressions If Mary is thy Mother O Christian then Jesus is thy Brother then Chrâ—sts Father is thy Father then his Heaven is thy Inheritance then Mary's grace is thy treasure for Mothers usually lay up treasures for their Children then she is sensible of all thy sufferings sollicitous to supply thy wants carefull to provide for thy necessities for a Mother is tender over her Children Therefore O Christian make choyce of Mary for thy Mother For it is impossible says elsewhere the same devout Doctor that she should abandon them who place their confidence in her Patronage and Protection since she is the Mother of Mercy and compassion Who would not then become a loving Child and obedient servant of so pious and tender a Mother who would not strive to gain the favour and affection of so faithfull a friend and so powerfull a Patroness The second is That she is liberall and bountifull in bestowing benefits and favours upon her children and servants Worldly affection if it be true and perfect hath such power over the heart of Man as to cause him to confer freely upon his beloved object whatsoever he most dearly prizes and esteems And can it be conceiv'd that the Saints charity and particularly Hers which far excels that of all Men Saints and Angells together being more perfect should be less liberall The glorious Virgin say our Doctors is the Treasuress of the celestiall Riches the Dispensatrix of Gods gifts she carryes the keys of the divin Coffers All power is given to you great Empress of both Worlds says her mellifluous Doctor so that you have leave to do what you please in Heaven and Earth And she is surely no niggard in dispensing them as being equally bountifull and powerfull equally good and great equally courteous and charitable Why dread you O ye devout children and servants of MARY says the same Doctor to approach your Mother and Mistris There is nothing in her of rigidness and austerity She 's full of meekness charity courtesie towards all them that sue unto her I well know sayes the antient Father Theophilactus that you O most glorious Queen-Mother are the great Protectrice of mankind And who is he O mercifull Princess that having plac'd his confidence in you hath remain'd confounded Who is that he or she amongst the children of Adam who having besought your succour and assistance hath been rejected and abandon'd Let 's therefore make to her our humble addresses in all our necessities since she is so Powerfull to assist us so Mercifull to admit us so Ready to relieve us The third is that she comforts her children and servants in all their afflictions persecutions desolations This follows from the former For if as a most tender Mother she loves cherishes her children servants and show'rs down so many goods graces and favours upon them she surely compassionat's them in ther pressing necessities For it is then chiefly that true friendship shews it self true charity expands it self true liberality diffuses it self Certainly says a pious Author were all the devout servants and children of Mary summon'd out of their graves to give in their severall answers to this Interrogation How oft have you heartily invok'd your holy Mistris and Mother in your necessities and been deny'd her speedy succour and assistance They would unanimously exclaim with her holy St. Bernard Taceat ille c. Let that impious tongue be silent O most compassionat Virgin Mother which dares falsly avouch that you have fail'd to help and comfort him whensoever he faithfully call'd upon you in his distressed condition Therefore St. German the Patriark of Constantinople thus addresses his discourse unto her no one is sav'd O most sacred Virgin but by your assistance no one if free from miserie O must pure Virgin but by your means no one receives Gods gifts and graces O most mercifull Virgin but by your mediation No one obtains the pardon of his offences O Virgin worthy of all praise and honour but by your prayers and intercession Who says he after your Divin Son takes so much care of poor Mankind as your self Who so zealously defends and strengthens weak man in his troubles and temptations Who so readily succours him in his afflictions and persecutions Who so charitably excuses his crimes pleads his cause procures his pardon and delivers him from the severe punishment which his sins have justly deserved Let therefore each afflicted Soul proceeds this holy Patriark make to you O Compassionat Mother his humble addresses let him who perceives his frail vessell to be in danger of drowning amidst the impetuous winds and waves of this wicked and tempestuous World cast his eyes up to you bright Star of the Sea and let him rest confident that you will speedily and securely conduct him to his desired haven The fourth is That she is their faithfull Advocate in Heaven The cause is half gaind that is undertaken by a powerfull Advocate And who can possibly be imagin'd more Powerfull than the Queen-Mother pleading at her own Sons Tribunall There she sustains her childrens processes embraces their protection procures their pardon diverts the sentence of their deserved damnation and omits nothing which may conduce to the appeasing of their soveraign Judg and the saving of their Souls O faithfull Patoness of afflicted sinners How fitly doth holy
Church qualify you with this Title Eia ergo Advocata nostra c. O therefore you our Advocate Turn those your eyes of pitty sweet Upon our miserable state Thus prostrate here before your feet For as the learned Cassian confirms all our affairs of highest importance are in your holy hands and the salvation of all mankind consists in the multitude of Queen Mary's graces and favours We may therefore well hope for a happy issue since we have an Advocate says her devout St. Bernard adorn'd with all the conditions which are requisit and likely to carry the cause which are three First to have credit at Court Power wih the Prince and the Judges ear at command Secondly to be knowing in the cause and capable of the undertaken charge Thirdly to be sedulous and faithfull in the prosequution thereof 1. Now to express our Queen-Mothers credit in the Court of Heaven and her power with her Son exceeds all human and Angelicall capacity Let it suffice to say she is his Mother and therefore makes to him her addresses if I may speak it after our learned Saint Peter Damian Non solum rogans sed imperans Domina non Ancilla Not onely intreating but commanding as a Mistris not a handmaid And St. Gregory of Nicomedia styles her all Powerfull in her place of pleading the causes of sinners as being the Mother of the Supreme Judge For which reason holy Church frequently minds her of her Motherhood and supplicates that she will be pleas'd to shew that great authority wherewith this Title of Titles impowers her Monstra te esse Matrem Sumat per te preces Qui pro nobis Natus Tulit esse tuus Do like a mother bear Our prayers up to his ear Who for us born put on The Title of thy Son 2. Nor is she defective in the second quality requir'd in a good Advocate for surely she is abundantly capable to undertake this charitable charge as well knowing our calamitous condition As Power is not wanting in Mary says St. Bernard because she is the Judges Mother so neither is there any want of sufficiency to plead because she is the Mother of wisdom nor of good will to impetrat and obtain the cause for she is the Mother of mercy 3. Nor is there any cause to question the third condition which is a faithfull performance of this charge For how can it be conceiv'd she should be careless in a matter which is to us of such importance being so full of Clemency Charity Compassion How affectionately and effectually will she perform this pious Office who is also our tender and loving Mother How shall she endure an ill understanding between Us and the Judge our Brother and not rather seek by all possible means to settle a fraternall Peace to make a friendly Attonement to work a perfect Reconciliation between Us O blessed Virgin exclaims the same St. Bernard you are Mother both of the Prince and of the banished Person of the Judge and of the Criminall of God and of Man being therefore Mother to them both you may not endure to see any discord continue between them both The fifth is That she procures for them a happy departure out of this world the salvation of their souls and the enjoyment of eternall Felicity What more can you expect O devout Children and Servants of Mary than to dy well and become eternally happy which is the end of your Creation and the Crown of all your endeavours And surely it is the generally deliver'd opinion of all the Doctors that it is impossible for any one who dy's a faithfull servant of the sacred Virgin to perish eternally And they give the reason because it is not possible they should dy impenitent who have the Faith to call heartily upon her whose powerfull Prayers will obtain for them a disposition to grace and a contrition for their offences This is frequently asserted by Saint Bernard as hath been before alleadged And by St. Anselm in these words You O compassionate Mary embrace the poor sinner with a Motherly affection and you never leave him till your Son appeased by your prayers gives him his pardon and receives him into his favour and friendship And elsewhere O Beatissima says St. Anselm sicut omnis a to aversus a te despectus necesse est ut intereat It a omnis ad te conversus a te respectus impossibile est ut pereat O most blessed Mary as he must needs perish who turns his back to you and whom you reject from your favour so it is impossible he should perish who is zealous of your honour and whom you vouchsafe to behold and countenance And Theophilus I know says he O soveraign Lady that you have too great care of sinners to quit them in their greatest necessity And Origen I hold says he as an assured verity that the Virgin Mary will never abandon that person who implores her assistance in the time of his necessity for she is full of goodness full of mercy full of grace and therefore cannot refuse her compassion to him that calls upon her We conclude with this sentence of the glorious Martyr St. Ignatius you O blessed Mary are the sacred Mother of the soveraign Deity the true Mother of the worlds Saviour the adopted Mother of the poor Sinner receive me now into the bosome of your Maternall mercy and compassion §. 2. That the practise of the sacred Rosary is a Devotion very pleasing to the Divin Majesty profitable to our selves and gratefull to the Blessed Virgin THis precedent Foundation being solidly setled in our hearts to wit that a singular devotion towards the sacred Virgin is so beneficiall unto us as hath been briefly declared and abundantly proved by the express testimonies of so many of our pious Fathers and Predecessors to which many more might have been added as many be seen at large in Jodocus Coccius in the Volume of the sacred Virgins Triple Crown and in the severall Authors upon this subject It now behoves us to choose out amongst the many wayes of honouring and serving Gods blessed Mother that particular sort of devotion which may probably be most pleasing to God profitable to our selves and gratefull to the most pure and Immaculate Virgin And this without the least thought of undervaluing any ones judgement or derogating from the severall manners of honouring her who can never be sufficiently honoured by any human industry and invention we conceive to be the devout practice of the sacred Rosary For if we seriously consider its Extent its Antiquity its Generality its Facility its large Community of Merits its vast Treasures of Indulgences and the like prerogatives which are compendiously enumerated in the foregoing Oration we shall find it far exceeds all other sorts of devotion of this nature whatsoever And surely that manner of Prayer cannot but be very pleasing to our Soveraign Lord and Maker profitable to our selves and gratefull to the blessed Virgin
which directly tends to the advancement of the divin honour to the promotion of our own salvation and to the encrease of the sacred Virgin Mothers glory Now the exercises of the holy Rosary aym directly at these three heroick ends For first since the Rosary as shall be hereafter declared consists of the two richest pieces of Christian Piety which are the Pater noster and Ave Maria and of the principall mysteries of our Christian Faith What subject imaginable can be more proper what object possible can be more powerfull to rayse our Souls to the love prayse and honour of our Creator and Redeemer than the due and daily consideration of those Divin Mysteries which are as it were the sacred Tables and lively Pictures representing continually to our memories their admirable benefits their excessive love their infinit liberality to Mankind Secondly By what Prayers can we more confidently promise to our selves the obtaining of our just desires and consequently the promoting of our salvation than by the Pater noster dictated by our Redeemers own divin mouth enjoynd by his speciall command to be frequently us'd by all faithfull Christians and by him indu'd with so great efficacy and vertue Thirdly by what ladder of prayse can we more probably reach the glorious Virgin-Mothers perfections than by the Ave Maria which was framed in Heaven by the Holy Trinity it self and thence brought down to the Earth by his Embassador the Angel Gabriel in which all the greatnesses excellencies and prerogatives of Gods blessed Mother are so briefly distinctly divinly couched together For Ave is as much as to say sine vae without woe without sin without malediction Gratia plena declares her full of all grace vertu and goodness Dominus tecum denounces her the happy Mother of the Almighty Since therefore the Ave Maria is a compendious abridgment of all the Virgin-Mothers prayses Surely it must needs be a salutation to her most gratefull pleasing and acceptable §. 3. That this sort of devotion is proper for such Catholiques as live in Hereticall Countries THIS Title is chiefly intended for their satisfaction who fondly conceive that the use of the Rosary the devotion of the Bondage and all high manners of honouring Gods most holy Mother are unfit or at least improper and inconvenient to be practis'd in such places as are overspread with heresie and by such persons as are liable to persecution because the treatises of such subjects falling into their hands who are of so contrary a judgment turn commonly to their great scandall and to the evident detriment of the Catholique cause and Religion But this surely argues a great weakness of their Faith and is a plain errour and mistake of their understanding For it is there principally that this manner of Piety ought to be most zealously practis'd and most diligently propagated where it is most maliciously impugn'd and most unjustly and violently persecuted and as the deceived miscreants of these our dayes and in this our Countrey endeavour by all manner of false subtilties and blasphemous untruths to derogate from the Soveraign Queen Maryes glory so it behoves every faithfull Catholique to procure with all possible care industry and devotion the amplification encrease of her most just due and deserved honour and prayses Moreover though the most sacred Virgin Mary being Gratia plena full of grace and goodness Mater misericordiae the Mother of mercy and compassion and Mater Dei the Mother of the Almighty is both willing and powerfull to afford all sorts of assistances whatsoever for which she is humbly implored Yet it is her singular and peculiar propertie to destroy heresies and so to terrifie all the Satanicall Armyes of her Sons and his Churches adversaries that they are defeated and put to flight at the sole appearance of her formidable presence and power who is styled Terribilis ut castrorum acies ordinata Dreadfull to these Rebells as an Army rang'd in battail array And to whom the Church joyfully fings in gratulation of these her signall victories Gaude Maria Virgo cunctas haereses sola interemisti in universo Mundo Rejoyce O you glorious Conqueress who alone have destroyed all heresies in the whol World Nor is this a lately invented Title as hers and our Enemies vainly urge and inculcate For it is above five hundred years since Saint Bernard avouch'd this to be one of the Mother of Powers speciall Prerogatives concluding his Sermon preach'd in the honour of her glorious Assumption in these words Sola contrivit universam haereticam pravitatem She alone hath dash'd all hereticall impiety And well might Saint Bernard assert this proposition who knew the practice of past ages and had read the writings of his holy Predecessors related in the antient Councells of Ephesus and Chalcedonia against the Manicheans Nestorians Hesuidians and other Heretiques For you shall not find any Father or Doctor of the Church but that before he entred the lists to combat against these cross-grain'd adversaries he first implor'd the sacred Virgin-Mother's assistance as well foreseeing that without the help of her Powerfull prayers all their writings wrestlings skirmishes would little advance their own cause or conquest and as little conduce to their Antagonists confusion or conversion Saint Irenaeus who lived in the year 180. and was one of the first Writers against Heretiques is the first witness of this verity largely extolling Gods sacred Mother and opposing her by many apt Antitheses against our first Parents indiscretion and inconstancy Tertullian who lived in the year 230. doth the like in his learned Treatise of prescriptions against Hereticks St. Athanasius the great Antagonist of the Arrians who lived in the year 304. conceives it better to invoke her alone and implore her powerfull assistance than omitting that to address our selves to all the other Saints and celestiall Inhabitants St. Epiphanius who lived in the year 370. and undertook to write against all Hereticks honours her with all sorts of prayses St. Hierome who is commonly called the Hammer of Hereticks and liv'd in the year 390. is wonderfully profuse in her prayses Ss. Augustin the Churches Champion against the Pelagians who lived in the year 420. says That she alone brought the salving Remedy to heal our otherwise incurable wound And to return to S. Bernard who for his singular devotion to this sacred Queen of Heaven is frequently surnam'd her Favourite her Priest her Chaplain her Champion he assures that she possesses the middle place between the Sun and the Moon that is between her son Christ Jesus and the Church Militant upon earth Between whom she is the perpetuall Mediatrix as Christ is the Mediator between his Eternall Father and us adding elsewhere Nihìl nos habere vult Deus quod per manus Mariae non transiret It is the will of the Almighty say's he that we mortalls should have nothing but what passes through Mary's hands Lastly Saint Dominick the great Patriark and Institutor of this
year of our Redeemer 1571. about the end of Pius quintus's Popedom who was the zealous promotor of this holy war and at the beginning of the Popedom of his no less zealous successor Gregory the thirteenth In which happy conflict twenty of the Enemy's Galley's were consum'd with fire as many more inguif'd by the waves one hundred and fourscore taken the great Bashaw with twenty five thousand Turkish Soldiers slain in the place most of the residue brought away captives twenty thousand Christians freed from their slâ—very and the Catholique Cause asserted from most imminent danger and calamity And this glorious victory was obtain'd as is piously conceiv'd says this holy Pope Gregory in his Bull aforesaid by the Prayers of the devout Rosarists who even at that very time were making their publick Processions in the severall parts of Christendom for this end most earnestly imploring the divin assistance by the Intercession of their powerfull Mother that he would be pleased to protect his Church in her pressing necessity and favour the just designs of those generous souls who were then exposing their lives for the preservation of their Faith Nor did the effect fail but rather exceed their hopes and expectation as hath been briefly declar'd The eleventh Rule THe third Sunday of Aprill is also to be solemniz'd by the devout Rosarists according to the grant of Pope Gregory the 13. in his Bull cum sicut accepimus Jan. 3. 1579. Annotation THe reason of the Institution of this solemnity was the signall Miracle which hapned in the City of Pavia and which was briefly thus When in the year 1578. all Italy and particularly Lumbardy and more particularly the City Pavia was afflicted with a violent Plague The Inhabitants by advice of the then and there Director of the Rosary had recourse to the sacred Virgin-Mother in this their extreme and urgent necessity vowing to erect a Chappell which should be dedicated Virgini liberatrici after their deliverance from this eminent danger The Mother of Mercy heard their prayers obtain'd for them a present redress of their miseries an entire cessation of the raging Pestilence and they gratefully perform'd their promises building a most sumptuous Chappell to her honour Seraphinus Siccus Generall of St. Dominicks Order was an eye-witness of this famous Miracle And Pope Gregory the 13. gave most ample and Plenary Indulgences to all such as should devoutly visit the Chappell aforesaid upon the third Sunday of April which Indulgences were afterwards extended by the same Gregory 13. and Sixtus quintus to all the other Confraternities of the sacred Rosary throughout the world §. 15. The form of receiving Brothers and Sisters into this sacred Confraternity With the blessing of their Bedes Roses and Candles And a form of Generall Absolution at the hour of Death WHen the Dean of the Rosary hath maturely and prudently consider'd the quality and condition of the person who desires an admittance into this sacred Confraternity Which is a caution onely necessary for such Countreys and places where the Catholique Faith and profession is under restraint and where there may be danger of Persecution For where our Religion is permitted to its full and free exercise there needs no scruple be made of admitting any one to the Rosary who humbly petitions for it unless it be such a Person whose life and conversation is notoriously and publickely scandalous without hope of his being reclaim'd from his wickedness He writes down his name and enrolls him in the Register-book of the Rosary Which done he causes the man or woman to kneell down before the Altar of the Rosary if it be there present or some other devout picture or in any place whatsoever as opportunity shall permit with a Rosary-Candle in his or her hand and speaks to them briefly in this or the like manner Think with your selves dear and devout Brethren and Sisters that you are now entring into a spatious and specious Garden full fraught with all sorts of spirituall fruits and flowers A Garden wherein sinners may find food to convert them the Good means to better them the Bad motives to correct them the Just way 's to confirm them the Tepid occasions to excite them the Desolate helps to comfort them the Weak cordialls to strengthen them the Sick Physick to cure them and all Faithfull Christians fit conveniencies to save their soul 's which is the end of our creation the period of our pretensions the Crown of all our laborious endeavours in this our earthly Pilgrimage Now these fruits are not only to be gaz'd upon and admired but to be gathered swallow'd disgested Nor is it sufficient to have your names enrolled in the Rosary Catalogue and to be externally associated to this sacred Confraternity but you must seriously resolve upon an honest honorable holylife and conversation a detestation of sin vice and vanity and in brief a totall reformation of your whol outward and inward man For since you desire to dedicate your selves this day particularly to Gods service and to make a speciall profession of honouring his sacred Mother for the future by becoming a member of her family you must also endeavour to surpass such others as pretend not to this height holiness and happiness in all sorts of Christian piety vertu and perfection That so really corresponding to what you outwardly promise you may deserve to obtain her desired Patronage and Protection Say therefore with heart and mouth as follows The Form of offering ones self to the Blessed Virgin THrice sacred Virgin Mary Mother of God! I. N.N. though most unworthy to be registred amongst your servants yet moov'd by that Goodness which the Angells admire in you to an ardent desire of honouring loving and serving you do here this day withall possible humility sincerity and devotion in the presence of my Angell Guardian and the whole Court of Heaven make choyce of you for my singular Lady Advocate and Mother firmely purposing to honour love and serve you with all filiall duty diligence and fidelity and to procure as much as it shall lye in my power that all others may do the same I therfore most heartily beseech you O mercifull and compassionate Mother by the pretious Blood which your dearly beloved son my Blessed Saviour shed for me in his bitter passion That you will be graciously pleased to receive and admit me into the number of your devout Clients as one dedicated to your perpetuall service Be you favourable to me O Blessed Lady and obtain for me of your All-powerfull Son that I may so behave my self in all my Thoughts Words and Actions as never more to think speak or act any thing displeasing to his sacred Majestie Grant furthermore O my good and gracious Mother that I may never forget you nor forfeit this my now made promise of honouring loving and serving you all the days of my life that so I may never be forgotten forsaken nor abandoned by you but be always protected aided and
quatenus post hujus soecuti caliginosa discrimina ad lucem indeficientem pervenire mereamur Qui vivis regnas Deus in saecula saeculorum Amen OREMUS DOmine Jesus Christe splendor gloriae figura substantiae Patris virginalis uteri fructus Qui per temporalem Nativitatem tuam divinae Filiationis imaginem per gratiam hominibus contulisti illosque fratres vocare dignatus es Auge in nobis famulis tuis in Confraternitate virginis Matris tuae gloriantibus Spiritum gratiae quem dedisti has candelas quas in honorem Nominis ejus suscipimus ita Bene †dicere sancti †ficare digneris ut quicunque cas in manibus accensas tenuerit ab omnibus liberetur tentationibus in hora mortis suae remisnem omnium peccatorum percipiat demum ad Te qui verum lumen es ipsa dirigente perveniat Qui vivis regnas in saecula saeculorum Amen Then he sprinkles the Candles with holy Water saying †In nomine Patris Filii Spiritus Sancti Amen THE GENERALL ABSOLUTION OR Plenary Indulgence To be applyed to the Brethren and Sisters of the Rosary at the hour of their Death The sick Person or some other for him having said the Confiteor the Priest standing up says Misereatur tui omnipotens Deus dimissis peccatis tuis perducat te ad vitam aeternam Indulgentiam absolutionem Remissionem peccatorum tuorum tribuat tibi omnipotens misericors Dominus Then holding his right hand over his head he proceeds DOminus noster Jesus Christus Filius Dei vivi qui Beato Petro Apostolo suo dedit potestatem ligandi atque solvendi per piissimam suam misericordiam te absolvat Et authoritate ipsius Beatorum Apostolorum ejus Petri Pauli authoritate Apostolica Absolvo te a vinculo Excommunicationis majoris minoris suspensionis interdicti in quantum possum tu indiges Restituo te Sacramentis Ecclesiae Communioni unitati fidelium †In nomine Pa †tris Fi †lii Spiritus †Sancti Amen Item Apostolica authoritate mihi commissa tibi concessa Absolvo te ab omnibus peccatis tuis quaecumque toto decursu vitae tuae quomodocumque commisisti de quibus corde contritus ore confessus es quorum memoriam non habes nec recordaris usque in praesentem diem de quibus confiteri minimè recordatus fuisti Et Restituo te illi Innocentiae in qua eras quando Baptizatus fuisti ac paritati eidem in quantum claves sanctae Matris Ecclesiae se extendunt Et per Indulgentiam plenariam a summis Pontificibus Innocentio octavo Pio quinto confratribus Sanctissimi Rosarii in articulo mortis constitutis concessam liberet te Misericordissimus Deus a praesentis futurae vitae poenis dignetur Purgatorii cruciatus remittere portas Inferni claudere Paradisi januam aperire teque gaudia sempiterna per sacratissima suae vitae passionis glorificationis Mysteria sanctissimo Rosario comprehensa perducere Et hoc si de qua agrotas Infirmitate decedas si non ex misericordia Dei salva sit tibi plenaria haec Indulgentia donec fueris in mortis articulo constitutus In nomine Patris Filii spiritus †Sancti Amen Another shorter form of Generall Absolution out of Antonius 1ª parte tit 10. cap 3. § 5. AUthoritate Apostolica mihi pro nunc commissa concedo tibi plenam omnium peccatorum tuorum Indulgentiam Remissionem In Nomine Patris Fi †lii Spiritus †Sancti Amen §. 16. Of the pious use of Processions WHereby the devout Rosarists Religiously honour God and the sacred Virgin Mary upon the first Sundays of the months and upon the seven feasts of our Blessed Lady to wit The Purification Annunciation Visitation Assumption Nativity Presentation and Conception and upon the Saturdays and other Festivall days of the fifteen Mysteries 1. The word Procession signifies literally a passing forward from one place to another Allegorically a progresse from vertu to vertu Tropologically our Peregrination upon earth Anagogically our tendencie towards heaven 2. Processions had their beginning in the Age of the old Patriarks in which the Ark of the Testament was reverently carryed to and fro by the Priests of the Tribe of Levi who were peculiarly set apart for that sacred purpose and performed that office with great pompe and solemnitie As also when David brought the Ark into the Tabernacle and Salomon into the Temple with Hymns Canticles and all sorts of musicall instruments and plac'd it under the wings of the there prepared Cherubins 3. Our solemn Processions seem in all things to imitate the Egression of the Israelites out of Egypt For 1 That people was freed by Moyses out of the hands of Pharao We by Christ out of the Clutches of the Devill 2. Ensignes were carryed before their Troops And before us Crosses and Banners 3. A pillar of Fire went before them Burning Candles are born before us 4. There the Levites carryed the Tabernacle of the Covenant and the Ark of the Testament Here the Priests carry the Statua's of Saints the Reliques of the Martyrs or the Pix with the sacred Eucharist 5. Aaron the High Priest follow'd them in his Pontificall habits and our Chief Priest follows us in his Cope and Church Ornaments 6. There was Moyses with his Rod Here is a Prelate with his Crosier a Prefect with his Officiall staffe 7. The people there march'd in compleat armour the Clergie-men are here cover'd with sacred vestments 8. they were besprinkled with Blood we with holy water 9. they had a Josuah for their conductor and conqueror we have a Jesus 10. they came at last into the Land of Promise and we come up to the holy Altar in hope to arrive one day at Heaven our promis'd home and happy countrey 4. Our Processions are the Memorialls of our Redeemers mercies minding us of the Piocessions he made from his eternall Fathers bosom into the womb of the blessed Virgin from her womb into the Manger from the Manger to Jerusalem from Jerusalem to the Mount Olivet from Mount Olivet back to his heavenly Father All which we gratefully commemorating move after his sacred Standard the Cross and make to him our humble supplications that we may pass after him from this our Pilgrimage to his Paradise from the Church Militant to the Triumphant 5. Our Processions especially those of the pious Rosarists are also Commemorations and Imitations of the blessed Virgin-Mothers journeys upon Earth when she 1. carryed or 2. accompany'd or 3. follow'd her beloved Son Jesus 1. when she carryed him in her sacred womb into the Mountains to the house of Zacharie and Elizabeth and into the Bethleem stable and when she carryed him in her sacred armes into the Temple and into Egypt 2. when she accompany'd him being twelve years old to Jerusalem
and being thirty years old throughout Judea and Galile in his preachings 3. when she follow'd him laden with his Cross to Mount Calvary And surely if all the journeys and pilgrimages from place to place of Jesus and Mary upon Earth may not properly be call'd Processions yet they may fitly be styl'd the exemplary Pattern of our Processions which are made to their likeness and in their memory and imitation 6. There are four chief and solemn Processions celebrated yearly and universally by the Catholique Church 1. in the Purification of the blessed Virgin Mary 2. upon Palm-Sunday 3. upon Easter day 4. upon Ascension day in memory and representation of that last Procession wherein the Disciples waited upon our Redeemer to Mount Olivet to see him assumpted into Heaven where it is to be noted that in the Primitive Church there were made two weekly Processions one upon Sunday in memoâ—y of the Resurrection and another upon Thursday in memory of the Ascention Whence sprung up that common Proverb of Thursdayes being neere a kin to Sunday But when afterwards the Festivities of Saints became multiplied the Solemnity and Procession of Thursday was abrogated by Pope Agapitus and transfer'd also to that of Sunday which is therefore still observ'd in the joint memorie of the Resurrection and Ascention in all cathedrall and conventuall Churches 7. To these four Processions may be added those of the greater and less Litanies which are also yearly and generally celebrated the Procession of the great Litanies upon St. Marks day instituted by Pope Gregorie the great to implore the divin assistance against the then raging Pestâ—lence the Procession of the less Litanies upon the three day's before the Ascention begun by St. Mamertus Bishop of Vienna to implore a remedie against the many miseries wherewith France was then afflicted Both which customs were afterwards confirm'd by the Church and commanded to be kept by all her faithfull children 8. Having prefated thus much of Processions in generall let us briefly consider them of the sacred Rosary in particular which as aforesaid are made upon each first Sunday of the month and the blessed Virgins Festivities 1. The first Ceremonie in these as in all other Processions is the carriage of the Cross 1. because it is the ancient and perpetuall custom of the Catholique Church to carry the Cross before in all her supplications 2. because the Cross is the common signe mark and cognisance of all Christians 3. to shew that the pious Rosarists ground all the hope and confidence of their prayers and supplications chiefly upon the merits of Christs passion 4. because the Devill being once fully conquered by the Cross is again foyl'd defeated and put to flight by these Processions 2. The second is the reliques of Saints 1. to profess the Communion of the Saints of both Churches Triumphant and Militant 2. to declare that we beg the Saints intercessions 3. to honour God in them 3. The third is the Statua of the blessed Virgin 1. this is the custom of the Church and the tradition of our Ancestors 2. it is a confusion to Heretiques and Image-haters and a motive to us at the sight of her sacred Representative to pray unto her for their conversion who is entitled by the Church the confoundress of all Heresies throughout the whole World This praying for the conversion of Heretiques being one of the principall causes of these our Processions 3. it is a practice which Heaven hath frequently approv'd of by many signall miracles Let us insist a little upon this point and prove this carriage of our blessed Ladies Image or Statua in Processions to have been the continuall practice of the Catholique Church by producing some few but most famous examples amongst the multitude which might be cited out of authentick writers in order to confute not onely such flat Hereticks as fondly affirm these manner of Processions to be no other than modern and monkish inventions but also such ignorant and criticall Catholiques as scruple to render this sort of honour to her who can never be sufficiently honoured by any human industry Poor deceiv d and undevout wretches deserving rather to be pittied for your ignorance than to be satisfi'd by arguments in a subject of so clear evidence we will stick stedfastly to our well-taken up Tenents continue cheerfully in our rightly intended devotions and pray perseverantly for yâ—ur illumination in our sacred Processions hoping at last to conquer your peevishness by our piety and charity and by her power and intercession in whose name for whose love and to whose honour we the children of Mary are gathered together as brethren in one heart soul and mind to march under the Banner of the sacred Rosary We therefore returning to our intended purpose confidently affirm that the Examples of our pious Ancestors and the miracles wrought by the carriage of our blessed Mothers Images in Procession are sufficient warrants and motives to induce us to the same devout practice Examples and miracles which may abundantly be read throughout the whol body of the Ecclesiasticall histories from whence we will borrow these few following instances And to begin with our great St Gregorie who sate in the Roman chair in the year of Christ 601. at which time the Inhabitants of that Citie dyed sodainly lying in their beds sitting in their houses walking the fields standing in the streets so violently raging was the pestilentiall contagion he ind cting a three day's supplication let us say's he O my afflicted children meet together in the Church of blessed Mary the perpetuall Virgin and holy Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ and there w th sighs tears and prayers implore the divin mercy for the remission of our sins and the remedie of our miseries The people being gathered together accordingly He in his own person takes the sacred Virgins Picture drawn by St. Lukes pensill which picture is carefully kept and highly honoured even till this day in the same Church of St. Marie ad Praesepe or of the manger in a sumptuous chappell built by Paulus quintus for that purpose and carryes it along the street in Procession when behold the celestiall Spirits are heard ecchoing forth the blessed Virgins prayses in answer to their pious hymnes and Litanies the ayre is fill'd with the melodious harmonie of angelicall Choristers in toning sweet Athems to her honour and saluting her with these sacred words used ever since by the Church in the paschall Office Regina coeli laetare c. O Queen of Heaven rejoyce Alleluja for he whom you deserv'd to bear Alleluja Is risen from death as he foretold Alleluja To which the holy Pope by divin inspiration added of his own Pray unto God for us Alleluja and an Angell is seen upon the top of the Adrian Towr putting up a Sword into its scabbard The astonish'd St. Gregorie inferring from that action a mitigation of the divine indignation denounces to the no less ravish'd people a Quietus est from
Rosa Puritatis Palma Virens Virga Florens Gemma Refulgens Oliva speciosa Columba Formosa Mulier Gratiosa Rubus Incombuftus Hortus Conclusus Puteus Signatus Vellus Gedeonis Favus Sampsonis Thronus Salomonis Vitis fructificans Navis abundans Arca Salvans Gloria Saeculi Honor Populi Nutrix Parvuli Regina Angelorum Regina Patriarcharum Regina Prophetarum Regina Apostolorum Regina Martyrum Regina Confessorum Regina Praedicatorum Regina Virginum Regina Sanctorum Omnium Regina Sanctissimi Rosarii Ab omni malo Peccato Libera nos Domina Per salutiferam Nativitatem beatam Praesentationem tuam Te rogamus Domina Per sanctam Purificationem caelestem vitam tuam Te rogamus Domina Per admirabilem Assumptionem gloriosam Coronationem tuam Te rogamus Domina Ut veram paenitentiam perseverantiam nobis impetrare digneris Te rogamus Domina Ut Ecclesiasticos ordines Catholicos Princâ—pes conservare digneris Te rogamus Domina Ut hanc nostram Cunctasque Congregâ—tiones tibi devotas augeâ—e Conservare digneris Te rogamus Domina Ut hanc nostram Cunctasque Congregationes tibi devotas augere conservare digneris Te Rogamus Domina Ut Populo Christiano Pacem salutem abundantiam obtinere digneri Te rogamus Domina Ut Navigantibus portum pro Fide pugnantibus Victoriam Fidelibus vitam defunctis Requiem aeternam Impetrare digneris Te rogamus Domina Vers Ave de coelis Alma Resp Sucurre nobis Domina Vers Ave de coelis Pia Resp Fer opem nobis Domina Vers Ave de coelis Dulcis Resp Intercede pro nobis Domina Vers Sancta Maria Mater Christi Resp Audi rogantes servulos impetratam nobis coelitus tu defer Indulgentiam Vers Orate pro nobis omnes Sancti Dei Resp Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi Vers Salvos fac servos tuos Ancillas tuas Resp Deus meus sperantes in te Oremus SUpplicationem servorum tuorum Deus miserator exaudi ut qui in Societate sanctissimi Rosarii Dei genitricis Virginis Mariae congregamur ejus intercessionibus a te de instantibus perisulis eruamur Deus cujus unigenituâ— per vitam mortem Resurrectionem in nostrae carnis substantia nobis salutis aeternae praemia comparavit Da famulis tuis haec omnia per Sanctum Rosarium recensentibus imitari quod gessit sentire quae pertulit assequi quod promisit Tribue quaesumus Domine omnes Angelos Sanctos tuos jugiter pro nobis orare cos clementer exaudire digneris Ecclesiae tuae Domine preces placatus admitte ut destructis adversitatibus erroribus universis secura tibi serviat libertate Custodi Domine famulum tuum N. Patronum nostrum pro quo Majestati tuae supplicam us ut in fide Catholica constans perseveret ac vita hujus pericula illaesus pertranseat nullisq tentati nibus a te summâ— bono unquam so paretur Remittantur illi quaesumus peccata quibus iram tuam promeruit Augeatur in eo justitia Tibi Majoribus Proximis exhibenda Vocationi suae in qua degit probe satisfaciat aequè in prosperis atque in adversis rebus sese moderatè gerat Atque finem Vitae faelicem te duce conseqatur Corpus illius Animam Vitam mortem tuae divinae gratiae magnoperè commendamus ut Benedictionis tuae Virtute in Viis omnibus dirigatur contra omnes hostium tam visibilium quam invisibilium insidias defendatur Per Christum Dominum nostrum Vers Ave Maria Resp Gratia plena Vers Dominus tecum Resp Benedicta tu in mulieribus Benedictus fructus ventris tui Jesus Jesus Christus Amen Vers Sancta Maria Mater Dei ora pro nobis Peccatoribus nunc in hora mortis nostrae Resp Et fidelibus defunctis requiem sempiternam impetra Amen Benedictio Nos cum Prole pia Benedicat Virgo †Maria. A devout recommendation to the ever blessed Virgin after Procession O Mother of Mercy Mother of Power Mother of Jesus Mother and Advocate of poor and repentant Sinners to whom your care and affection is greater than that of a Mother to her child Into your sacred hands and heart I do most humbly recommend this day and for ever my body and soul all that I am and have my life and my death that in all I may seek your Sons honour and find my own happiness Beg for me O blessed Mother diligence to seek Jesus love to find him obedience to follow him purity to see him charity to embrace him patience to suffer for him devotion to sigh after him indifferencie to adhere to him and perseverance to remain with him for evermore O Empress of Heaven Beauty of Angells and Lady of Love How long shall nature sensuality and selfishness bear sway How long shall I seek and not find sigh and not enjoy live and not truly love Jesus and Mary the good Son and glorious Mother the holy Fruit and happy Tree O my compassionate Mother obtain for me your poor child counsell in all my doubts comfort in all my distresses courage in all my temptations and confidence in all my troubles Help me O holy Mother of my Lord Jesus to be truly humble in my self truly devout and loyall to my God truly obedient to my Superiors and truly meek to all Be you alwaies mindfull of me O my dear Mother both living and dying and then especially have a care of me when I forget my self by falling into Sin and when my Soul must be forc'd out of my Body by death that after death I may see praise and love both you and your Son Jesus for all eternity Amen THE LITANIES OF OUR BLESSED LADY OF LORETTO So called For that they are usually sung in that sacred Church of Loretto upon all the Saturdays in the year and Feasts of the Blessed Virgin Mary THE pious Rosarists may please to take notice that some years since there were certain Religious Persons who agreed together to recite daily these holy Litanies for the happy death of each other to whom many thousands joyn'd themselvs throughout all Italy Spain France Germany and the Indies And why should nor the like sacred Association be established also in our Countrey amongst such devout Christians as are equally zealous of the Blessed Virgins honour and as much desirous of a happy death We therefore the Compilers of this Book do hereby declare unto all you the devout Children and Servants of our Common-Mother the ever Blessed Virgin Mary that we intend henceforth to recite daily these following Litanies for each others happy death And that we do now even by these presents without any further declaration or ceremony admit receive and associate unto our selv's and to a joynt Communication with us in these our prayers All such as being desirous therof shall mutually perform these three following points 1. Recite daily these Litanies
with the adjoyned Antheme and Prayer to the sacred Virgin and to Saint Joseph 2. Recite them for all such as arâ— thus associated as they all recite the same for him 3. Recite them for his own and their happy death and for the obtaining of Grace necessary for that purpose ANTHEM WE fly to your Patronage O sacred Mother of God! despise not our Prayers in our necessities but deliver us from all dangers O ever glorious and Blessed Virgin Our Lady our Mediatrix our Advocate Reconcile us to your Son recommend us to your Son represent us to your Son now and at the hour of our death Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Christ hear us O Christ graciously hear us God the Father of Heaven Have mercy upon us God the Son Redeemer of the world Have mercy on us God the Holy Ghost Have mercy on us O holy Trinity one God Have mercy on us Pray for us Holy Mary Holy Mother of God Holy Virgin of Virgins Mother of Christ Mother of Divin Grace mother most pure Mother most chast Mother undefiled Mother untouched Mother most aminable Mother most admirable Mother of our Creator Mother of our Redeemer Virgin most Prudent Virgin most Venerable Virgin most Renowned Virgin most Powerfull Virgin most Mercifull Virgin most Faithfull Mirrour of Justice Seat of Wisdom Cause of our Joy Spiritual Vessel Honourable Vessel Vessel of singular Devotion Mystical Rose Tower of David Pray for us Tower of Ivory House of Gold Ark of the Covenant Gate of Heaven Morning Star Health of the Weak Refuge of Sinners Comfort of the Afflicted Help of Christians Queen of Angels Queen of Patriarchs Queen of Prophets Queen of Apostles Queen of Martyrs Queen of Confessors Queen of Virgins Queen of all Saints Queen of the most sacred Rosary Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the World Spare us O Lord. Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the World Hear us O Lord. Lamb of God who takest away the sins of the World Have mercy on us ANTHEM WE fly to your Patronage O sacred Mother of God! Despise not our prayers in our necessities but deliver us from all dangers O ever glorious and Blessed Virgin our Lady our Mediatrix our Advocate Reconcile us to your Son Recommend us to your Son Represent us to your Son now and at the hour of our death Vers Pray for us O holy Mother of God Resp That we may become worthy of Christs promises Let us pray REmember O most compassionate Virgin Mary Mother of Power Mercy and Consolation That it was never yet heard or known that any one was by you rejected who in his grievous pressures and afflictions had recoâ—rse to your powerfull Prayers Patronage and Protection Imboldned with this confidence we your distressed Children of the holy Rosary with eyes full of tears and hearts full of sorrow make now to you O sacred Virgin Mother our most humble addresses in these our present and pressing necessities Despise not our words we beseech you O Blessed Mother of the Word Eternal and Incarnate Reject not the Petitions of your poor servants O you pious Comforter of all afflicted Souls but graciously vouchsafe to hear us to help us to protect us and to obtain for us the accomplishment of all our just and humble desires That we may have fresh occasion to admire your transcendent Mercy Charity and Compassion and to magnify and praise with eternal gratitude and thanksgiving the infinit goodness of your Divin Son our sweet Saviour Christ Jesus The Verse and Prayer of Saint Joseph Vers The just man shall flourish as a Palm-tree Resp He shall be multiplyed as the Cedar of Libanus Let us pray ASsist us O Lord we beseech thee by the merits of Saint Joseph thy sacred Mothers Bridegroom that what we are unworthy to obtain may be granted us by his intercession who livest and reignest world without end Amen §. 18. Several other Prayers Wherof one or more may be sometimes added after the Litanies of our Blessed Lady according to each ones Devotion Occasion or Necessity I. A Filial Recommendation of our selv's to the sacred Virgin-Mothers protection O Sacred and Sovereign Lady-Mother next after God the onely hope of my soul Into that singular faith commendation and custody wherby your tenderly loving Son Christ Jesus my Saviour recommended you from the Cross to his dearly beloved Disciple Saint John I do this day and all the days of my life commend and commit my body my soul my senses my honour all my hope and comfort all my anguishes miseries and afflictions all my thoughts words and actions my whol life and the final end thereof Most humbly beseeching you that I may by your powerfull intercession be preserved from all sin from all scandal from whatsoever may any way displease yours or your Son 's pure eyes provoke your anger or hazard the loss of your favour and from a sudden and unprovided death Obtain for me I beseech you O my glorious Lady-Mother that I may be truly penitent for all my past offences that I may manfully resist all present occasions of sin that I may walk more warily and innocently for the future Let me feel your prompt and powerfull assistance during the whol course of this my lives pilgrimage and in the dreadfull day of my judgement be you pleas'd O sacred Mother to become my pious Advocatrix at the Tribunal of your Son Christ Jesus To whom with the Father and the Holy Ghost be all honour and glory for evermore Amen II. A Prayer for a happy death O My dear Lord Jesu I most humbly beseech you by those most bitter pains and pangs which you suffer'd for me in your cruel passion and particularly in the hour wherein your Divin Soul pass'd forth of your Blessed Body take pity upon my poor and sinfull soul in its last agony and in its passage to Eternity And you O compassionate Virgin-Mother Mary remember how you sadly stood by your dear Son dying on the Cross and by that your excessive grief and your Sons sacred death assist my soul in its last conflict with death and conduct it to a happy Eternity And you O glorious Saints John Joseph Nicodemus Lazarus Mary Magdalen Mary of James Mary of Salome and Martha who stood by my dear Redeemer Christ Jesus expiring on the Cross assist me also in the hour of my souls departure and accompany it to a happy Eternity Amen III. A General Prayer for our selvs our Friends and the whol Church DIssolve we beseech you O Lord by your bounty the bonds of our sins and by the intercession of the sacred Virgin and all your blessed Saints preserve us our Friends our Brethren and our Benefactors in your grace and sanctity Purge O Lord from all impiety and enrich with solid virtues and perfections all such as have any relation to us by consanguinity affinity or familiarity grant us health of
the verses of the Davidicall Psalter comprehending thrice fifty Psalms so employing the greatest part of their time in the divin praises The devout Laity though much inferiour to them in point of learning and knowledg yet desirous to equall them in Gods love and service emulating this laudable custom but some of them being unable to read others uncapable to understand these sacred Psalms invented and dayly recited a certain Psalter according to the mysticall number of the Davidical Psalms of the Lords Prayer and Angelicall salutation an hundred and fifty times repeated piously conceiving as well they might that all the sacred mysteries of those many Psalm's were compendiously contain'd in this singular Prayer and Salutation since they declar'd him to be now come and present whom those Psalms had foretold and promis'd Which devotion of the Primitive Christians will not seem any wonder to such as duely consider their great fervour and piety in other spirituall exercises as may be instanced in that the whol generality of the lay-people receiv'd then dayly the sacred Eucharist Surely a most convenient way to lay that first foundation of a new Church upon solid devotion and sanctity which was to sustain afterwards so weightie a superstructure But when in the following ages the number of Christians encreasing and the fervour of piety decaying this kind of Psalter became burthensome to the multitude of Christians who were now more attentive to their domestick and temporall negotiations than zealous of the divin service it was abridg'd into an hundred and fifty Angelical salutations keeping still the same mystical number but changing its denomination into that of the blessed Virgins Psalter and interlacing each Decade with the recitall of our Lords Prayer in imitation of the Clergie so performing their Church Psalmodie This was that Psalter so much prays'd and practis'd by the Egyptian Hermits and Anchorits to which they had recourse as to their present solace in all their pressing sadnesses and afflictions their powerfull Remedie against all thier troubles and temptations their secure Sanctuary in all their spirituall conflicts and combats This manner of Prayer was also frequented and practis'd not onely as to its substance which are the Lords Prayer and Angelical salutation but also as to its forenam'd Quantity and Qual'ty by the holy Fathers and Doctors of the Church Witness St. Hierom of whom it is related in the Ecclesiastical histories That he plac'd an undoubted hope in the suffrages of this Psalter against all temptations troubles and afflictions whatsoever and especially against the Adversaries of the Christian Faith nor would he ever settle himself say's Fossaeus lib. 1. de Psalterio to any serious reading writing or dictating till he had first implor'd the divin assistance by the recitall of this Psalter Neither must we omit say's Alanus de Rupe to make mention of that most worthy Patriark of Monks St. Bennet who chose this Psalter for his familiar and perpetuall companion and so deserv'd to become the famous founder of Monastical Institution Which propagation of the Marian Psalter say's Bucelinus in his Menologium March 21. is none of the least of St. Bennets prayses the Queen of Heaven her self highly approving and commending the same endowing her Bennet for so she was heard to name him with many signall favours benefits and blessings and chosing the Monasteries of his sacred Order as it were for her earthly seat and mansion even to this day And in the Benedictin Annals anno 538. we find registred that though St. Bennet from his very infancy and in the beginning of his conversion when he laid the first plat-form of monastical Perfection was singularly devoted to the Empress of Heaven and a great Promotor of her Honour Name and Kingdom Yet chiefly about this time to wit the 59th year of his age he promulgated in the head City and to the whol World that sweet easy and efficacious exercise of the blessed Virgins Psalter which himself with his Disciples had so piously and profitably practis'd within the private Cloysters of Sublake and Mount Cassin and which St. Dâ—minick the glorious Institutor of a new Marian Family and Reformer of the old when by length of time this sort of devotion became neglected after 700. years space revived and re-established This Psalter I say this very Psalter did our great Patriarch St. Bennet deliver to the World and recommend with immortall fruit and merit to his Disciples who were to be sent into the earths severall Climats to establish monastical discipline which they undoubtedly perform'd with so much the more happy success by how much they preach'd and promoted the sacred Virgins honour together with the sincere faith of her Son Christ Jesus Hence it is that the whol Quire of his succeeding Monks imitating the example of so glorious a Father became ever since most zealous practitioners and promoters of the same piety and devotion and to the end it might be perpetuated to all their posterity they prudently set apart one day of the year in which they make a particular Commemoration of the sacred Psalter thus instituted by their Patriarch St. Bennet to wit the 18. of June where their Martyrologe say's thus Upon the same day the Feast or Commemoration of the blessed Virgin-Mothers Psalter instituted to the honour of the glorious Empress of Heaven aad Earth by our admirable Father and Patriarch St. Bennet to be practis'd in his whol Order and propagated throughout the whol World by his most holy Children and Disciples And how zealously his said children perform'd this their Fathers precept of promulgating in all places the sacred Virgins Psalter might be largely demonstrated and exemplified in all the succeeding ages For of St. Maurus whom our holy Father yet living sent into France and who dyed in the year 583. it is thus expresly written He promoted the honour of the admirable Virgin-Mother with all possible diligence and with incomparable fruit and merit and propagated far and near the use of her sacred Psalter according to the institute of his most blessed Father St. Bennet And of St. Eligius the glorious Builder Founder and Abbot of Solemmacum the Bishop of Nâ—yon the Apostle of many Provinces a man famous not only for his prodigious sanctity but also for his skill in Smithery who dyed in the year 665. he was a singular Honourer of the Sacred Virgin-Mother whose Psalter he carryed for his Pontificall Ensign and made for himself an Episcopall Chair adorn'd with an hundred and fifty golden-nails or bosses distinguish'd with other fifteen of a greater size and bulk upon which he dayly perform'd his devotions of the Psalter And in the ensuing Age the same sort of Piety was spread abroad not only over our English Nation but into the far and near adjoyning Kingdom 's by the preaching of our venerable Bede who dyed in the year 738. of whom it is written that he brought his Countrey men into so great a veneration of the Marian Psalter
also imbuing me with his goodness rendred me so full of Grace that whosoever seeks grace and favour by my means may surely find it And by that sentence Our Lord is with thee I am reminded of the ineffable union and operation which the whole Trinity wrought within me when he coupled the substance of my flesh to his own Divin Nature in one Person God becoming Man and man God Surely the sweetness I then felt exceeds all expression By the following words Blessed art thou amongst Women all Mankind admiringly confesses my singular priviledges prerogatives and perfections above all other pure creatures And lastly By Blessed is the fruit of thy Womb he is pray'sd extoll'd and magnifi'd who made me thus blessed by vouchsafing to be born of me Thus much of the first effect of this divin Salutation 2. This Slutation strikes the Devill with terrour and each word thereof exceedingly troubles torments and confounds him For Ave or Hail displeases the Devill because by Eve he had procured mans wo and misery which by this Ave is redressed Mary he cannot abide because she bruised his head Full of Grace affrights him who is full of malice Our Lord is with thee renews his torment because himself was formerly with Eve and the greatest part of her posterity til he became disposess'd by Christs being with Mary Blessed art thou amongst Women exceedingly troubles him because he by Eve had brought a Malediction upon all mankind which by Mary was cancell'd and chang'd into a Benediction Blessed is the fruit of thy Womb Jesus utterly confounds him because by this blessed fruit of Mary he was totally defeated and conquered 3. This Salutation brings great profit to mankind and if we will seriously dive into the hidden sense and meaning of each syllable wherof it is compos'd we shall every where find some evill to be repell'd or some good thing acquir'd Let us therefore frequently make our humble addresses to the most holy Virgin Mary saying Ave Hail O Immaculate Mother you were free from all wo and blemish of sin help me who am therewith defil'd and defend me from the Eternall wo I have thereby deserved Mary O Virgin Illuminated of God Illuminatrix of Blind sinners Bright Star of the Sea and the worlds beautifull Lady Enlighten my eyes that I may not sleep in death and plead my cause at your Sons Tribunall that I may be preserv'd from blindness of heart and finall Impenitencie Full of Grace O Mary you found grace with God to become his dearly beloved Spouse Daughter and Mother to be indu'd with all vertues excellencies and perfections to be honour'd and exalted above all creatures and to be crown'd Queen of Heaven Impart to me so much grace out of this your great plenty as may procure my reconciliation to your Sons favour and friendship Our Lord is with thee And O sacred Mother let him by your powerfull means be with me also He was with you In your Soul spiritually in your Body corporally and let him be here with me by Faith charity spiritually and hereafter by vision and fruition eternally Blessed art thou amongst Women O most Blessed Mother bestow a Mothers blessing upon me your child and free me by your merits and intercession from all future curse and malediction And blessed is the fruit of thy Womb Jesus O Eternally Blessed Jesu be unto me a Jesus O Mary be unto me a Mother Thus both Saints and sinners may find sufficient fewell for their devotion in the recitall of this divin Salutation They for the encrease of their sanctity These for the redress of their misery And what pious Christian will not be henceforth stirr'd up the fervent and frequent use of this Salutation which is so short and yet so sweet and so full of celestiall fruits and profits and to which they are invited says the mellifluous S. Bernard by Gabriels example by the Baptists exultation and by the hopes of gaining a resalutation O happiness to be met with reciprocall courtesies by so holy so honourable so powerfull a Mother and to be repay'd with rich and reall gifts benefits for our verbal salutations and services For she will not be backward says Albertus to answer us nor silent to resalute us because she is the Mother of humility civility and courtesie and her resalutation is a collation of all sorts of spirituall favours and benefits Let us therefore O my Brethren says S. Bernard come before her sacred Image or Representative and with bended knees imprint upon it our kisses saluting her and saying Hail Mary full of Grace our Lord is with thee c. The fourth Part of the Rosary is the Meditation upon the Fifteen Mysteries whereof Five are call'd Joyfull Five Dolorous and Five Glorious as shall be hereafter more particularly set down and described Now since the great fruits and Profits which redound to pious souls by the devout reflexion upon these divin Mysteries and the same may be said of all internall Prayer are much more easily experienced than explicated And also since this is largly deliver'd by severall learned Authors upon the subject of Mentall Prayer and Meditation we shall only here give you most devout Rosarists some few rules and cautions whereby you may understand how to manage these your Meditations for your best spirituall profit and advantage Whosoever therefore will fruitfully meditate upon the Joyfull and Glorious Mysteries of the Rosary First must do it with a certain intimate and affectionate congratulation of heart and soul as holy Church invites us in the person of the sacred Virgin Congratulate with me all yee that love our Lord for that I being a little one have pleas'd the most high and have born God and man in my bowellâ—… for by this sincere congratulation we become sweetly transform'd into the holy Virgins affections feeling as it were the same Joys wherewith her heart was replenish'd Secondly It must be done with a due and gratefull thanksgiving for the Benefitts bestow'd upon us and upon the Blessed Virgin Praysing God for his Mercies with her and by her example in her divine Magnificat Thirdly It must be done with a devout attention and recollection without which all prayer and meditation as our Reason dictates and the Angelicall Doctor proves will be altogether fruitless and unprofitable In like manner whosoever will reap true profit by reflecting upon the Dolorous Mysteries must do it First with a mind and intention to imitate the Patience Humility Piety and whatsoever vertue he finds there exemplifi'd 2. To compassionate with our loving Redeemer and his dear Mother in their sufferings 3. To admire our Saviours Mercy and Goodness Considering Who What For whom And from whom he endured 4. To rejoyce at our own Redemption and at the Angells Reparation 5. To transform our selves by sincere affection as it were into our Crucifi'd Saviour 6. To rest sweetly upon that sacred object making it our place of retreat and refuge and hiding
then ponder his love to mankind in generall and to your self in particular c. The second Rule which concerns the action of your will is That you pass speedily from speculative discourses to devout affections and self-reflections as for example had you been in the Bethleem stable aforesaid how diligently would you have employ'd your self in the service of little Jesus and his loving Mother How willingly would you have pick'd up sticks made a fire ayr'd his swaths and fetch'd or carryed whatsoever might have been usefull for their solace and succour c. Such like reflections will rayse enflam'd desires and firm resolutions in your soul of better loving and serving both the Son and Mother for the future and of suffering for his sake who suffered so much for yours c. And in some such manner you may conclude each mysterie by some particular resolution drawn from the subject of the meditation either of correcting such an imperfection or of exercising such a vertu and assure your self that if you presently apply your self to the practise of such well made resolutions humbly imploring the divin assistance therein by the blessed Virgins Intercession you shall find it a most speedy and efficacious means to the amendment of your life the extirpation of vice the implanting of vertu and finally much conducing to your generall advancement in all sorts of spirituall Perfections 3 You may also represent to your self the sacred Virgin Sometimes as sitting or kneeling in her silent and solitary retreat and attentively listning to the Angell Gabriels Salutation and Embassy Other times as infolding gently her sweet Infant Jesus in her sacred arms imbracing him tenderly in her bosom suckling him lovingly at her breasts watching him carefully with her eyes cherishing him affectionatly with her kisses contemplating him devoutly with her heart Other times as painfully wayting on him from place to place in the time of his Passion sorrowfully standing by him at the foot of his Cross cheerfully rejoycing with him at his Resurrection Other times as gloriously reigning in Heaven mercifully vouchsafing to hearken to our prayers and piously presenting them to her Son Or otherwise according to the severall mysteries and sutably to each ones gust and devotion 4. You are also here to be exhorted to propose to your self the cause whether common or particular which moves you now to the recitall of the Rosary as for example I intend now to prayse my Lord God for the benefit of my Creation Redemption Vocation c. Or In the honour of my Saviours sacred Nativity bitter Passion glorious Resurrection admirable Ascention c. Or In the honour of the blessed Virgins Annunciation Visitation Assumption Coronation c. Or I intend to render thanks to my Creator for such a particular favour as for mine own or my friends Conversion delivery from danger c. Or any other privat or publick benefit Or I intend to implore the divin assistance for the overcoming of such a Temptation extirpating such a vice obtaining such a vertu Or For a good success in such an affair Or that I may make a happy progress in my Studies c. Consider therefore briefly at the beginning of your prayers what it is that you chiefly intend and if it be any temporall or worldly benefit which you desire to obtain be sure you demand it not absolutely but only conditionally as thus If it please the divin Majesty and that it is for my good and his glory I humbly beg a happy end of such a Law-sute success in such a journey prosperity in such an undertaking c. 5. Then taking your Bedes in hand or having this your Book open before you begin your Rosary with the sign of the Cross saying In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen 6. Then adding this Preparatorie Prayer of the Church Aperi Domine os meum ctc. O Lord Open my mouth to bless your holy name purge my heart from all vain wicked and wandring thoughts enlighten my understanding and inflame my affections that reciting this Rosary with due reverence attention and devotion I may be graciously heard by your divin Majesty through the merits of your Son our Lord and Saviour Christ Jesus 7. Then making a Profession of your Faith with heart and mouth say I believe in God the Farher Almightie Creator of Heaven and Earth c. 8. After your Creed recite thrice your Hail Mary upon the three grains which are commonly plac'd at the head of your Rosary saluting the blessed Virgin in honour of her three singular Prerogatives Of being 1. The Daughter of the Eternall Father 2. The Mother of the Eternall Son 3. The Spouse of the Holy Ghost 9. Then Reflecting upon the first mysterie say our Father and ten Hail Maries and so pass on to the second and the rest of the Decades according to the order hereafter described and in the end of every Decade you are to say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be World without end Amen Then recite these verses devoutly These Prayers Angelical with bended knee We offer holy Virgin up to thee Steer us a prosperous course while here we tarry And in deaths Pangs assist us blessed Mary Remember Virgin that no age hath known Any by thee deserted that has flown To thy Protection or implor'd thy Ayd By which encouragement most sacred Mayd Mother of Virgins I to thee repayre And for thy help address my humble prayer Mother of God! desert me not but hear And listen to me with a gracious eare 10. And having compleated the Recitall of your Rosary conclude with the repeated Creed and sign of the Cross so ending where you began which is both the ancient and a most laudable custom After all add this Prayer of the Church to obtain the remission of all the negligences committed in your Prayers Sacrosanctae Individuae Trinitaeti c. To the sacred and undivided Trinitie to the blessed Humanitie of our crucify'd Lord Jesus to the fruitfull integrity of the most glorious Virgin Mary and to all the Saints universally be ascribed all prayse honour and glory from all creatures for evermore and to us be granted by Gods Mercy the Remission of all our Sins And likewise ever blessed be the Bowels of the Virgin Mary which bore the Eternall Fathers Son and blessed be the Breasts which suckled Christ our Lord Amen §. 6. Of the fifteen Mysteries in generall The fourth part of the Rosarie THe devout Rosarist is here to be remembred of what was briefly related in the first book § 7. that whilst his mouth is employ'd in the due pronunciation of the aforesaid prayers his mind is to be embusied in the serious contemplation of certain divin mysteries which are fitly reduced to the number of Fifteen answering to the fifteen Decades or Tens of the sacred Rosary
Mother of God and Man and entirely a pure and unspotted Virgin O News exclaims S. Bernard never before heard of A Mother and yet a Virgin A Virgin and yet a Mother Hail Mary 3. At her bringing forth without pain O You Blessed and the only Blessed amongst women says the same Saint who alone were exempt from the generall curse of all women But what wonder if he put his Mother to no pain at his birth who was born to take away all pain from the whole world Hail Mary 4. At the Angelicall Iubilation FOr She saw the heavenly Court rejoycing at her Sons Nativity and heard the alternate Echo's of their Glory to God on high and Peace on Earth to People of good will Hail Mary 5. At the vision of the divin Essence FOr if She frequently enjoy'd this priviledge in her life-time as is the opinion of many learned Fathers She now surely enjoy'd it in a most eminent manner when she brought forth Gods Son into the world Hail Mary 6. At the many benefits bestowed on Mankind by her Son's Birth TO wit The Exaltation of human Nature The Redemption of the World The satisfaction for sin The victory over Satan The Promotion of Man to vertu Sanctity Perfection The certainty of Faith The Erection of Hope The Encrease of Charity The conferring of an Eternall Life and Kingdom Hail Mary 7. At the multitude of miracles wrought then for his manifestation to the World FOr 1. A great bright unusuall Star invites the Wise-men to Bethleem stable 2. Three Suns appear in Spain soon after joyning themselves into one Body signifying says S. Thomas that the Flesh the Soul and the Deity of the then born Infant were united in one person 3. A golden circle encompasses the Sun in the midst whereof stands a beautifull Virgin with a child in her bosom which the Sybill shews to Octavian the then Roman Emperor with many other wonders declaring to the whol world the divin Majesty and glory of her new-born Son Hail Mary 8. At the Adoration of the Wise-men WHo exteriourly summon'd by the appearing Star and interiourly instructed by the Holy Ghost came and fell down at his feet full of Faith Religion and Devotion and there brake forth into Acts of Adoration and extasies of Admiration Hail Mary 9. At their mysticall offrings WHich were Gold as to a great King Frankincense as to a true God Myrrh as to a mortall man who was to dy for the worlds Redemption Hail Mary 10. At the Vocation Conversion and Salvation of the Gentills WHereof she saw a happy beginning in these holy Kings Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son c. These prayers Angelicall with bended knee c. Affections Elevations Petitions O Great Monarch of Heaven and Earth Is your Mercy your Compassion and your Charity to poor Mankind so excessive as that you should thus descend from your Throne of Majesty into a vale of misery for our salvation O Virgin-Mother the choyce Chamber Temple and Tabernacle of Gods Son the Queen of Heaven and Lady of the World Be you Eternally blessed who have been found worthy to bring forth the so long desired and expected of all Ages O Jesu My Lord and my Redeemer who were born of a poor Handmaid wrapp'd in poor Swathes hous'd in a poor Stable Bedded in a poor Cribb Give me true poverty of spirit and a perfect contempt of all worldly honours and greatnesses O sweet Saviour of the World who call'd the Kings to acknowledge and adore you in your Cradle and commanded them to return back by another way into their Countrey Call and compell my rebellious heart unto you by the powerfull light of your efficacious grace shining in my interiour and dispersing all darkness and indevotion in my soul that I may there find you feel you see you adore you and offer up to your divin Majesty the Myrrh of true compunction and mortification The Frankincense of fervent Prayer and devotion the Gold of ardent love and affection O grant that I may henceforth more faithfully follow your holy lights vocations and inspirations which will conduct me into the right way leading to my heavenly home out of which I have hitherto stray'd by my own wilfull malice negligence and sinfullness O my glorious new-born King Christ Jesu you were pleas'd to want a lodging upon Earth that you might lodge me in Heaven To be deprived of all worldly conveniences that you might heap on me your Celestiall comforts To embrace Poverty Humility self-contempt abnegation annihilation that you might inrich me with all the spirituall Treasures of vertu and perfection And shall I gape after temporall goods and glories seek for fleshly solaces and satisfactions place my affection upon poor and perishable trifles No my dear Redeemer I will henceforth endeavour to imitate your most perfest Example And O that I were sincerely willing to abandon all truly content to be abandon'd by all and really resolv'd to submit my self and all to your sacred will and disposition that so I might be absolutely conformable to you my All and All O holy Virgin O happy Mother how sweetly is my Soul ravish'd in the contemplation of that unspeakable joy and gladness which your dilated heart felt when you first embrac'd the long desired of all Nations in your tender folds I congratulate this your happiness O glorious Mother of my good Jesus and humbly creeping in amongst the holy crew of admiring Angells Kings and Shepheards I affectionately present you with these my meaner Canticles of conjubilation We were the poor banish'd miserable progeny of our unfortunat mother Eve we were the wretched Bond-slaves of sin and Satan we were the forlorn lost and stray'd sheep wilfully fled away from our faithfull Shepheard We were the Prodigall children carryed abroad by our own concupiscences from our loving Father and by your Sons means O Blessed and most fortunate Mother we are disingaged deliverd redeem'd from all these miseries woes and disasters O the happy change of our unhappy condition O Eternally Blessed Tree and Blessed Blossom Blessed Womb and Blessed Fruit Blessed Mary and Blessed Jesu The fourth joyfull Mystery offer'd THe Oblation and Presentation of Christ to his Eternall Father in the Temple And the Purification of his Blessed Mother Luc. 2. The Virgin 's purifi'd her dear Son warm's Old Simeons breast presented in his arms Our Father c. The Blessed Virgin exceedingly rejoyced 1. At the carriage of her sweet Son Iesus FOr upon the fortith day after our blessed Saviours birth she cheerfully sets forth of Bethleem stable with her little Jesus in her armes and S. Joseph in her company towards Jerusalem to fulfill the Law of Moyses and to offer up her Son to his Eternall Father in the Temple And though she had just reason to dread King Herods cruelty yet she was more afraid to offend the divin Majesty The way says Ludolphus was five miles long yet she felt not the least
At his conducting the souls of the saints with him into heaven ACcording to that passage of the Psalmist He ascending on high led captivity captive which S. Thomas understands of the Patriarâ—…â—…ee'd from the captivity of Limbus Hail Mary 8. At his opening Heaven gates for our entrance ANd preparing places against our coming as himself said I go to prepare a place for you that where I am you may also be So that Christs Ascension say's S. Leo is our Promotion and whither the glory of the head is gon before the hope of the body is call'd to follow after Hail Mary 9. At his being appointed the Advocate of Mankind WE have say's S. John an Advocate with God the Father Christ Jesus the Just and he is the propitiation for our sins Hail Mary 10. At the great Fruit and Profit redounding to us by his Ascension FOR as S. Thomas proves the withdrawing of his corporall presence increases our Faith elevates our Hope inflames our Charity and therefore He himself said It is expedient for you that I go Hail Mary Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost c. These Prayers Angelicall with bended knee c. Affections Elevations Petitions O My glorious Lord Jesu It is just that you should Ascend to the Highest Heaven who descended to the center of the earth And that you should be exalted above all Angells since you humbled your self under all men O my Soul design'd for an Eternity where wilt thou ground thy feet that thou mayst securely take thy flight towards Heaven thy happy home the finall end of thy Pilgrimage and the only aim of all thy endeavours Look upon Christ thy Captain and learn by his most perfect example to ground thy self in Humility and to content thy self with crosses contempt and poverty which were his three individuall companions during the whol time of his earthly Pilgrimage O Jesu the amiable Object of all my affections And who should be the absolute pattern of all my actions I am resolv'd to leave all for the love of you and to forsake all that I may freely follow you For alas what are all worldly pleasures greatnesses and glories or what sweet Object can the whol Universe shew my eyes which can fully satisfie my heart And ha why then should I any longer miserable and ill advised wretch that I am let my self be surpriz'd with the false lustre of earthly vanities why should I fix my love upon fond toyes and trifles which only fool my senses but fill not my soul No my soul let 's now at last leave the Earth and look up to Heaven Thither Christ is ascended There our Treasure is plac'd and let our affection be there also fixed and O what shall hinder us a moment of brutish pleasure a grain of self-interest a sparkle of soon fading glory O meer Nothings and less than Nothings No my good Jesu I feel my self by the secret impulse of your inacting grace in my spirit so forcibly mov'd to sent you to obey you and to bestow on you the whol remainder of my life and love that if it should hereafter happen and ah my frailtie how can I trust thee which hast so often betray'd my best intentions and broken my strongest resolutions If therefore it shall fall out that my eyes or any respect of this Worlds most pleasing Objects hinder me from seeing your beauty contemplating your bounty and reflecting upon your mercy Tear them out of my head that I may behold you with my spiritual Eyes O Iesu the true light of my soul without disturbance or distraction If my right hand or any thing I possess or which is as near to my heart as my arm is to my hand becomes the occasion of my offending you hinders me from fast holding you diverts me from serving you diligently devoutly and according to my obligation and duty Cut it off O Jesu my soveraign Good my sole Riches and Treasure that I may clip you embrace you and be inseparably united to you with all the affections of my soul If my very heart it self or that which is nearer and dearer to me than this fountain of Life hinders me from bequeathing my self entirely to you from purely seeking you from perfectly loving you pluck it out of my breast O Jesu the only beloved of my Soul that henceforth I may have no thought but of you no will but yours no affection but for you no life but in you So shall I want neither eyes nor hands nor heart living thus spiritually during this my Pilgrimage in the heart of Jesus which is my seat my Sun my center my all till I become happily translated to live with him and be more perfectly united to him in his eternall Paradise The third glorious Mysterie Sends down Our blessed Saviour sends down the Holy Ghost to his Church Acts 2. Our Lord to his Apostles joyn'd in Quite Sends down the Holy Ghost in tongues of fire Our Father c. The glorious Virgin-Mother exceedingly rejoyc'd 1. At the miraculous manner of the Holy Ghosts coming FOr the Disciples returning back from Mount Olivet where our Saviour ascended to Jerusalem went into the same upper Room in which he had celebrated his last supper continuing there unanimously in prayer with Mary the Mother of Iesus and many other devout men and women untill the tenth day when sodainly about the third hour of the morning there came a sound from Heaven as of a rushing mighty wind filling the whol house as it were with fire which dividing it self into severall parts resembling cloven tongues setled upon each ones head and replenish'd their hearts with the Holy Ghost Hail Mary 2. At the fullfilling of Christs promises FOr he had told them if I depart from you the Holy Ghost shall descend unto you he shall teach you all truth and inform you of what is to come hereafter all which was now fully accomplish'd Hail Mary 3. At the multiplication of tongues or speaking of all languages WHereby the blessed Virgin clearly saw that the Apostles were not only design'd to preach the faith of her Son Christ Jesus to the whol World but joyfully perceiv'd they were also indu'd with all such perfections as were necessary in order to the effecting so great a work Hail Mary 4. At the Apostles confirmation in grace and goodness FOr the sacred Virgin who had sadly seen their former frailty and the feebleness of their Faith knew to her great content that they were now so strengthened with Gods holy Spirit as they were out of all danger for the future both of falling into infidelity and also of sinning mortally Hail Mary 5. At the Apostles patience courage and constancy in their persecutions FOr they who were lately so fearfull are now so cheerfull in their sufferings that they esteem it a speciall honour to indure shame for the holy name of Jesus Hail Mary 6. At the confutation of the Iew 's and Infidels
LOVE O MERCY O MERVAIL You will unite your Greatness to our Baseness your Eternity to our Mortality your Divinity to our humanity becoming Son of Man Son of Mary for an Eternity as from all Eternity you are the Son of GOD the only Son of the Eternall Father 4. Gods Son gives his Eternall Essence and Subsistence to our nature I Adore you in this highest Councill and divin Will I Adore you in this new estate and deep Mystery I Adore you in the unity of your divin Person and in the diversity of your natures the one Divin and Eternall the other human and temporall I Adore you as receiving your Eternall Essence from the Eternall Father and as giving your Essence you subsistency to human nature united to your self for an Evermore Vnited I say to your self so intimatly and so powerfully so gloriously and so divinely O Adorable Estate O Unspeakable Mystery O happy Moment of the Incarnation which makes man God and God man Which gives to Heaven a King of Glory and to the Earth a Soveraign To Angells a Repayrer and to Men a Saviour 5. Jesus is born lives suffers dyes for us O JESU my Lord and my Saviour I Adore you as Gods Son I Adore you as Mans Son and Man God I Adore you in these two different Estates The one Eternall the other Temporall the one uncreated the other created the one divin the other human joyned together and joyned inseparably But I must yet Adore you as Man-God for man For 't is for us that you would be made Man 't is for us that you live and dy 't is for us that you do suffer 't is for us that you are born in a Stable and bedded on straw 't is for us that you lead an abject laborious suffering life 't is for us that you dy upon Mount Calvary and hang on the Cross 't is for us that you arise and ascend into Glory O Birth O Life O Death O Divin glorious heavenly Life O blessed hour of the Incarnation of the Expiration of the glorification of Gods Son O Estates of Jesus in his Fathers bosom and at his Mothers breasts hanging on the Cross and sitting on the right hand of God! O Abodes O Estates O Mysteries of Jesus in Judea in Egypt in Galilee in Bethleem in Nazareth in Jerusalem in the Crib on the Cross in the Grave on Earth in Hell in Heaven Who can recount your thoughts your griefs your delights in these places But Heaven will one day reveal them unto us and the Contemplation hereof shall be one of the employments of our Eternity till when the Earth must remain ignorant hereof must Reverence them and must be content with the Crums falling from your Saints Tables whom you plentifully nourish with this living and life-giving bread on Earth and in Heaven 6. Jesus Adores his Heights by his Lownesses and rayseth up his Lownesses by his Greatnesses 1. BY their Example and Imitation I Contemplate and Adore you O Jesu my Lord I Adore you in your Greatness and in your Abjectness in your Cross and in your Glory in your life and in your death 2. I Adore you as raysing up your Lowness by your Greatness your human life by your divin Life your disgraces by your glory and your suffring estate by your impassible immutable and eternall condition 3. I Adore you as Adoring your self your Greatness by your Littleness your Divinity by your Humanity your Birth in your Fathers bosom by your Birth of your Mother-Virgin in the Ox-stall your supreme Authority by your humility and your uncreated Essence by your Created Being 4. And after this Contemplation of you in your self I contemplate and Adore you as going forth of your self as extending and spreading your self and as filling Heaven and Earth with your Grace and your Glory with your gifts and your Mysteries and finally with your self O God! O Man O Man-God O Infinitly prodigall of your self 7. Jesus's excessive love in the effusion of his last drop of Blood for us thereby testifying the effusion of his Greatness and Goodness also upon us I Inlarge my self in the variety of these thoughts I am ravisht in these different Exercises which my Soul makes of your self and I lose my self in the Contemplation of these so high and great verities For in honour of that supream Communication which you receive from your Father in the Eternall generation and in honour of that Ineffable Communication of your Divinity with our Humanity in the Incarnation I look upon you I admire you I Adore you O my Lord as annihilating your self and as exhausting your self that you may bestow your self on men You as it were drayn your Divinity powring it out upon your humanity consuming it incessantly in the furnace of your love and at last sacrificing it in the Holocaust of your Cross you shed your Blood in suffering and you dy by the effusion thereof chosing that kind of death to demonstrate the effusion of your self And the Nayls and Executioners being unable to empty it all the ardour of your love which cannot be extinguish'd in death it self preserv's liquid in death's coldness that residue left in your heart and body to be drain'd out even to the last drop Such was your good pleasure to make an aboundant and super-aboundant Effusion both of your blood and also of your self together 8. Jesus is all ours and we are all his yea we are in him we live in him we are parts of him WHat shall I say what shall I do in the Contemplation of these things Let me forget my self for you forget Your self for me Let me leave and loose my self for you annihilate Your self for me Let me be yours for You are mine let me be all yours for you are all mine Let me be all yours for ever for you are all mine for ever Your Divinity as it were Incarnated is my substance and my subsistence your humanity as it were divinized is my health my life your Body is my diet and your Blood is my Bath your Death is my life your weakness is my strength your Cross is my quiet your suffering is my rejoycing Thus I am yours and you are mine And I am yours O my loving Saviour by your self and by a means so noble and so divin so dear and near unto you and by so many sorts of ways which give you unto me which consecrate me to you and which even draw and drain you all out for me But I discover yet a greater secret in your love and in your Mysteries and a greater favour in your way of dealing with me For you are not only mine and I yours but I am in you I perceive that whilst I Contemplate your self and your Father and see that you are in him that you live in him you frame within me a lively Image of your self and of your divin Emanation and by your Incarnation you establish a new manner of gracious
proper vertu and Power O Father O Son O Mother How great and glorious things ought to be spoken and thought of you The two Divin and Eternall Persons the Father and Son are divinly link'd together and for their link in their Eternity they have a divin Person to wit the Holy Ghost equally proceeding from them both in whose unity they are both Eternally joyn'd together And these two sacred Persons the Father who is in Heaven and the Mother who is upon Earth are also holily link'd together and have in like sort for the Tye of their sacred union a divin Person to wit One self-same only Son who proceeds from them both and who between them both is this indissoluble band whereby they are for an Eternity conjoyn'd together O union which hath Jesus for its Tye Jesus I say who is the Center if the Created and Increated Being Jesus in whom is holily and happily terminated the union of two natures the one human the other divin which establisheth the mystery of the Incarnation and the uniting of two Persons the one likewise divin the other human which also establisheth the Divin Maternity wherein the sacred Virgin is united to the Father by the production of Jesus wherein she is link'd to him with so neer a union so powerfull a union and so fertill a union that it hath not its like in the large extent of all created things O let 's be the Fathers let 's be the Sons let 's be the Mothers And let 's honour the Father and the Son in this Mother who is so nearly joyn'd unto them both and who in her Estate hath so close an alliance with the Father that she conceives his Son and brings forth so worthy a fruit so powerfull an effect so lively an Image of the Divine Paternity 9. The Eternall Word who is in Society with the Father and Holy Ghost before all time doth in time enter League and Society with the Virgin AND you O Eternall Word who being her God will also become her Son What shall I say what shall I do in honour of the Son and of the Mother You are in unity and in Society with the Father who produceth you and with the Holy Ghost whom you produce and yet you will besides these two divin and co-eternall Persons enter into so inward and honorable a band union and Society with a third Person with a human Person with a temporall Person you will be the Virgins Son as you are the Son of God and you will have her for Mother as you have God for Father And by your Power and Goodness you make her the worthy Mother of God by your humility you render Obedience to her and become subject to her during your life upon Earth and trowning your own handy-works by your love and wisdom you in Heaven confer upon her such glory as corresponds to this her sacred dignity and authority Be you eternally bless'd and prays'd O great God I will for ever Reverence both the Son and the Mother I will Reverence the Mother by reason of the Son and the Son in the Mother I will Reverence all that which the Virgin is to her Son and to her God and all that which her Son God is to her And I will honour all the mutual connexions which are unknown and ineffable between the Son of God and the sacred Virgin as secrets of which the Earth must remain ignorant and which are reserv'd to the glory to the love and to the light of Heaven 10. Oblation and Donation to the Son and to the Mother in quality of Bond-slave IN the sight and at the thought of these so great so high so holy things I offer up and submit my self I vow and dedicate my self to Christ Jesus my Lord and my Saviour in the state of perpetuall Servitude and also to his holy Mother the sacred Virgin Mary To the Eternall honour both of Mother and of Son I will be henceforth in the quality and condition of slavery in regard of her who is in the state and quality of the Mother of my God therby to honour more humbly and more holily this her so high and so divin qualâ—ty and condition And I bequeath my self to her as a perpetuall Bond-slave in the honour of that Donation which the â—…ernall word made to her of himself in quality of a Son by the mysterie of the Incarnation which he accomplish'd in her and by her 11. Enlargment and Explication of this Donation with the particulars thereof Renounce all my own power and liberty of disposing of my self and my actions yeilding up this power to the sacred Virgin and dismissing my self entirely into her hands in homage to her greatness in honour of that perfect demission which she made of her self to her Son Jesus I give to her that power which God gives me over my self to be hers and no longer my own to be in her power and tuition and no more in my own In honour of the power which Gods Son gave her over himself and of the humble dependency and subjection he was pleas'd to yeild unto her delivering up himself to her custody direction and tutelage during the whol time of this Infancy and child-hood I bequeath to her my Being and my Living during the whol remainder of my Pilgrimage upon Earth with all the conditions circumstances and appurtenances which accompany the same I yeild up all to her greatness as much as I can and dedicate all to her honour and glory for the fulfilling of all her wills and powers over me In this ardour of spirit and to this intention I humbly address my self to you O sacred Virgin and I make here unto you an entire absolute and irrevocable Oblation of all that I am by Gods mercy in the Being and in the order of Nature and Grace of all that thereon depends and of all the actions I shall ever perform For my will is that whatsoever is mine be absolutely yours and that the power and the grace which is bestow'd on me be employ'd in referring my self wholy with all that is in me to your honour And I here make choyce of you O holy Virgin and I will henceforth look upon you as the only object whereunto next after your Son and under your Son I shall make the reference of my soul and of my life both interiour and exteriour and generally of all that any way belongs unto me 12. This Oblation tends to the honour of the Virgins Elevation and Depression in the Mysterie of the Incarnation WHilst I am in these contemplations of you O holy Virgin I find that even in the day of your Greatness you humble your self even to the very center of nothing rendring your self then our lords servant when you are declared his Mother Wherfore I honour in you these two motions and these two different qualities I honour this Humiliation and this Exaltation both together I honour both your Servitude and also
and of your being her Son and likewise in the honour of this that she is the only one amongst all Creatures who hath this admirable estate and this singular relation to you and I humbly beg of you that in this quality you will vouchsafe me a share in your eternall way 's and mercyes AMEN A concluding Prayer to the sacred Virgin-Mother upon the same subject O Holy Virgin Mother of God! Queen of Men and Angels Mervail of Heaven and Earth I reverence you in all â—he ways that I can according to God that I should according to your own Greatness and according as your divin Son Christ Jesus our Lord would have you reverenc'd upon Earth and in Heaven I make to you an Oblation of my soul and my life and will belong to you for evermore and I will render you some particular Homage and Dependencie in all future time and Eternity O Mother of grace and mercy I make choyce of you for the Mother of my soul in honour of that choyce which God himself made of you for the Mother of his Son O Queen of Men and Angels I accept and acknowledg you for my Soveraign Mother in honour of that Dependency which my Saviour and my God had on you as upon his Mother And in this Quality I bequeath unto you all power over my soul and over my life as much as according to God I can bequeath it O sacred Virgin Mother look upon me as upon your own thing and in your goodness use me as the Subject of your power and as the Object of your pity O Source of Life Fountain of Grace Refuge of Sinners I have recourse unto you hoping therby to be freed from sin furnish'd with Grace and preserv'd from eternall Death O take me into your tuition let me have a part in your priviledges and obtain for me by your greatnesses and by this right of my appertaining to you that which I deserve not to obtain by reason of my offences and let the last hour of my Life that hour which is to decide my Eternity be in your hands in honour of that happy Moment of the Incarnation wherein God became Man and you were made Gods Mother O Virgin and O Mother both together O sacred Temple of the soveraign Deity O Mervail of Heaven and of Earth O glorious Mother of my God! I am yours by the generall Title of your greatness but I will be also yours by the particular Title of my own choyce and by this act of my own Free-will Wherefore I give my self wholly to you and to your only Son Christ Jesus my Lord and Saviour and I resolve to let pass no day without rendring to him and to you some particular homage and some speciall testification of this my dependency and servitude in which my desire is to dy and live for Evermore THE THIRD APPENDIX JOSEPH OR Devotions to S. Joseph the Glorious Husband of the Virgin Mary and reputed Father of Christ Jesus With Elevations unto him THE many Excellencies Priviledges and Prerogatives of Saint Joseph are largely deduced by severall Learned Writers Out of Whom these few following are selected wherupon to ground our Devotion to this great Saint and to lay a foundation for the ensuing affective Acts and Elevations 1. Saint Joseph was sanctifi'd in his Mothers womb Which favour seems in some sort due to him who was to have so neer a relation to the Word Incarnate the Source and Origin of all sanctity and who was design'd from all Eternity in the Conclave of the Adorable Trinity to be the President of Gods great Councill of State upon Earth the Angell Guardian of the Queen of Angells the reputed Father and the reall Fosterer Nurser Conductor and Governor of JESVS the worlds Messias and the Head of his holy Family Now since Gods Family consisted only of two Persons Jesus and Mary who were of more worth and dignity than all the rest of Heavenly and Earthly Creatures together it was convenient that He who was to govern them should also resemble them in Greatness Dignity and Sanctity and consequently that he should possess in some measure by an anticipated pardon of his Originall sin and by an advanced favour of sanctifying Grace that Puritie which the Son possessed by Nature and the Mother by Priviledge 2. He was the next after the sacred Virgin who made an express Vow and promise to God of Perpetuall virginity And this Resolution Intention and Promise both of Her and Him was reveal'd to each other respectively and renewed by them jointly before they were contracted together by formall Matrimony For how els could Blessed Mary who had oblig'd her self to virginall Integrity have consented either in Prudence or Justice to give the Power over her body to a person of whose Chastity she might be ignorant or doubtfull of his Constancie Surely the known Purity of her Chast Bridegroom gave her the confidence to treat and converse with him as securely as she did with the holy Seraphins 3. He no sooner perceiv'd his Blessed Spouse to be bigg with child but he cast about how he might handsomly retreat from her company not as harbouring the least doubt or distrust of her Innocency being more certain of her Invisible Chastity than of her visible appearing to be with child and knowing that it was more easy for a Virgin to conceive than for Mary to deceive him or distain her own honour But out of a deep and humble sense of his due respect towards her Son and her self as judging himself altogether unworthy to contemplate with his eyes and carry in his arms the Divin Word Incarnate and to converse intimately and familiarly with the glorious Mother of this God Man who was shorthly after to be born into the World 4. He govern'd Gods Family for above thirty years space As the Divin Providence hath establish'd three Orders in the World That of Nature that of Grace and that of Hypostaticall Vnion So he hath chosen and appointed three sorts of servants for the conduct and government of these Orders The Angells serve him in the order of Nature the Apostles in the order of Grace but he chose S. Joseph alone after the sacred Virgin to serve him in the third Order which is that of Jesus in the ineffable Mysterie of his Incarnation O the Excellency the Eminencie the Greatness of Saint Joseph O his honour and happyness to enjoy so long the Innocent embraces of Jesus in his Childhood The holy Entertainments of Jesus in his riper years The divin actions examples and instructions of Jesus in his perfect age And to live so long in company and conversation with the most holy and accomplish'd Princess that ever was 5. He together with his sacred Spouse circumcis'd Jesus in the Stable of Bethleem eight day 's after his Birth into the world and according to the divin Order and command which was signifi'd unto him by an Angelicall Messenger impos'd upon him that glorious
I leave and loose thee for filthy pleasures frail creatures fond friendships fading honors No my dear Lord Be pleased rather to take my Soul out of my body than your love out of my Soul Let me rather dy miserably than sin mortally Let me pass on the rest of my pilgrimage in your grace and fear that I may fiâ—ish it in your friendship and favour Grant me this I beseech you O meek and mercifull Saviour by the merits of your bitter Death and Passion by the intercession of your most blessed Mother by the suffrages of all your holy Saints in Heaven and happy Souls upon Earth Upon all which relying as upon the Anchors of my Hope I absolutely commit and resign my self to your sacred disposition and providence for time and eternity fully trusting that you will marcifully pardon all my sins carefully assist me in all my wants and weaknesses and in the end happily bring me to your Eternall bliss and beatitude by such means as your divin Wisdom knows most expedient for me 3. Then offer up your devotions for the generally recommended ends and intentions in all the Concessions of Indulgences which are specified page 94. of the first Book 4. And whilst you Vocally recite the twenty five Paters and Aves you may mentally reflect upon some one of the Fifteen Mysteries as they are set down in the Rosary of the sacred Name of Jesus dividing the same into three days Stations after this manner Upon the First day meditate upon the Five Mysteries of our Blessed Redeemers Life and Incarnation which are briefly and pithily comprehended in these verses 1. Christ's Incarnation THe Throne and Foot-stool meet Heav'n Cling's to Earth The All conspires to this All-saving Birth Dear Partner of our weakness since we see Thy self made us Oh! change us into thee Five Paters and five Aves 2. His Nativity SEE the fair Sun of Glory doth arise In the dark Midnight of our miseries Sad Clouds of Tears Woes â—'advance our Good Dim his bright Birth but ah hee 'll set in Blood Five Paters and five Aves 3. His Circumcision HEre Innocence whose unstain'd Purity White Robes best sute wears Crimson's guilty Dy. Enough dear Lord Mankind is richly won Oh no these drops a deluge but fore-run Five Paters and five Aves 4. His Finding in the Temple RVn joyfull Mother to embraces run Doctors have found their Master Thou thy Son Lord Consecrate my Heart thy House Of Prayer And I shall find thee wisely teaching there Five Paters and five Aves 5. His Baptism DO Baptist with thy puddled Jordan try To Wash this Spring of spotles Purity Command doth with Presumption dispence Pride is not Pride vouch't by Obedience Five Paters and five Aves and one Creed Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui Sancto c. O Jesu Christ the Son of David have mercy upon us Upon the second day take for your Meditation the five Mysteries of our Blessed Redeemers Death and Passion 1. The washing of his Disciples feet THeir God on knee such sordid work in 's hand Heav'n and th'Apostles both amazed stand Ah! my Affections Feet unto my Soul Thus wash't thus wip't how can you still be soul Five Paters and five Aves 2. The Prayer in the Garden HEav'ns Floud-gates are all ope each widen'd pore Is made a purple sluce Griefs painfull dore Sin drown'd the Earth once in a watry Flood And now drowns Heav'n but ah in Gods own Blood Five Paters and five Aves 3. Christs Apprehension in the Garden SMall cords rude hands on all sides bind th'Immense Twin'd flax doth pinion weak Omnipotence Philistins now seccure Samson invade His greatest strength by 's greater love 's betrayd Five Paters and five Aves 4. His carrying of the Cross THus burthen'd and thus faint See how he droops Under our load of sin Heav'ns Bearer stoops Riddle of Grief which pain afflicted more When th'Cross bore thee or thou bor'st it before Five Pater and five Aves 5. His Descent into Hell REstore thy Prey proud Hell Thy Conquerors sight Breaks sins stiff chains puts thy dark shades to flight Gives the joy-ravisht soul new wings of Love With their triumphant Lord to mount above Five Paters and five Aves and one Creed Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui Sancto c. O JESU of Nazareth King of the Jews have mercy upon us Upon the third day take for your Meditation the five Glorious Mysteries of our Blessed Redeemer 1. His Resurrection FAir earnest of our second life this day Glory reviv'd with a new-burnisht ray Cheer up my drooping Soul thou shalt not dy Thy Lord hath earn'd thee Immortality Five Pater and five Aves 2. His Ascension TAke wing my earth-clogg'd-mind and fly along With thy great king ' mongst this heaven'n-soaring-throng And ere thy self return'st to sojourn here Leave with thy Lord thy best affections there Five Paters and five Aves 3. His sending of the Holy Ghost BLest Fire Fount Breath enkindle wash inspire Our Wills Hearts Thoughts with Love Grace pure desire Souls Life Gods Finger Gift revive work win Our flesh sense love to Spirit to Grace from sin Five Paters and five Aves 4. The Crowning of the Virgin Mary and the Saints WInter's ore-blown calm Blisse's endless Spring Charms the glad Birds of Paradise to sing Your Eyes shall know no tears your Face no frown Partakers of my Cross partake my Crown Five Paters and five Aves 5. The Coming to the last Iudgment GReat Day th' Accomplisher of Bliss of Woe Exprest by a joyfull COME and dreadfull GOE Rise guilty Dust and hear though thou bee'st loath At once thy Summons and thy Sentence both Five Paters and five Aves and one Creed Gloria Patri Filio Spiritui Sancto Sicut erat in principio c. O Jesu Christ the Son of the liuing God Have mercy upon us FINIS The generall Table briefly containing the substance of the whol work THE Epistle Dedicatory to the sacred Virgin Mary A Marian Kalender or Catalogue of Saints of the holy Order of S. Bennet devoted to the Blessed Virgin together with her severall Festivities usually celebrated by her faithfull Rosarists The Prefects Oration which shews 1o. Mans naturall inclination to Society Page 3 Christ our Saviour establish'd and commanded it 4 The Primitive Church practised it 5 All succeeding Ages imitated it 6 The Prayses of pious Societies and Confraternities 7 And particularly of this of the sacred Rosary 10 A Digression of our B. Lady's Title of Power 17 S Dominick the beginner of the Rosary 21 Blessed Alanus the Restorer of its decayd use The Greatness of our glorious Mother Mary 22 The dignity to be of her family 24 The profits thereof express'd in five Particulars 26 The duty of the Rosarists in six particulars 35 The first Book of the Rosary which is the Doctrinall part thereof page 44 § 1. That every faithfull Christian ought to have a particular devotion towards Gods holy Mother 47 1. Because she