Oblation of my whol self purely and entirely to thy divin Majesty which I beseech thy infinit goodness and mercy to receive from my Hands and Heart and to seal it in Heaven that it may be there warranted and confirmed for evermore And because the necessities frailties and infirmities which accompany this my Pilgrimage and which will probably most of all overwhelm me in deaths Agony permit me not according to my desire to be always employed in thy praises therefore I now prostrating my self before thy Throne of Majesty whom I reverently Adore with the greatest Affection that thou O my Lord God! know'st may be given by any creature and to whom I Offer in supply of my own unworthiness all the ardent affections mental excesses supernatural jubilations and amorous unions of all devout Souls in Heaven and Earth as though I felt them all in my own heart humbly express this my present Covenant Contract and Agreement with thee my Soveraign Creator Father Son and Holy Ghost in this manner That as often as I shall either Interiourly or Exteriourly either in Heart silently or with my Tongue verbally think or say any of these things following I Adore I Thank I Offer I Resolve I am Sorry I Desire I Resign I Believe I Hope I Love O my Lord O my Jesu And so passing no further shall there end My intention is to make as perfect an Act of Adoration Thanksgiving Oblation Resolution Contrition Petition Resignation Faith Hope and Charity as is possible for any creature to make And I do now for then declare denounce and testifie that my will and desire is whensoever I shall think or pronounce any of the words aforesaid to make exercise and perform all the Acts contain'd in this Book in all the devout Books that ever were or shall be written and which the blessed Virgin Angels and Saints do and shall do in Heaven for all eternity Receive and ratifie most gracious Soveraign this my humble Act Contract and Covenant as to all and each one of its branches and members and whatsoever is therein explicitly and implicitly included receive it as a pledg of my hearty desire to serve praise and honour thy divin Majesty purely perfectly eternally Receive it once for all which I wish to present unto thee every moment and minute to produce as often as I breath and to iterate as frequently as any Act can possibly be repeated and multiplied And I invite and conjure all the celestial Spirits and faithful Souls to sacrifice unto thy sacred Majesty more perfect holocausts of praise and benediction for evermore In this manner a pious Soul may incessantly praise and please God and with little labour acquire much merit For having once sincerely made and daily weekly or monthly repeating this Act according as it is here largly described it may hourly be practised with great ease and comfort by the meer direction of the mind and simple reflection of the spirit towards God upon all occasions and in whatsoever company and employment OF all other Devotions the use of a Crucifix is chiefly to be recommended to a Sick Person Kissing it Embracing it speaking somtimes to the Crucifix somtimes to his own Soul Nothing is more easie nothing more pious nothing more profitable For in the contemplation of that Sacred object you may with great facility adore praise bless thank invoke the divin Majesty and admire his infinite mercy love and liberality in this or the like manner as his Holy Spirit shall suggest unto you O holy Cross O deep Wounds O sacred Blood O cruel Sorrow Dear Lord at how dear a rate hast thou bought me O sweet Jesu be unto me a Jesus Let not the Soul perish which cost thee so great a price Destroy not thy own workmanship Lose not thy own labour pains and passion O Jesu Thou art my Friend and my Physician my Lord and my Love my Portion and my Possession my Peace and my Patience my Light in Darkness my Health in Sickness my Comfort in Sadness my Plenty in Want my Life in Death my Heaven in Purgatory my God and my All for Time and Eternity A larger Exercise in Contemplation of the Crucifix Fixing your Eyes upon the Crucifix or taking it reverently into your hands and humbly embracing it with an ardent desire to honour imitate and conform your self as far forth as God shall enable you to the last thoughts words and affections of your dying Saviour Read or cause to be read this following Exercise leisurely distinctly and devoutly ruminating upon each point and relishing every aspiration and affection The first Consideration ALl Christs Actions are our Instructions and as his Life is the prime exemplar of holy living so his Death is the perfect pattern of happy dying which he exhorts all Christians to imitate saying Take up your Cross and follow me O My Soul how ill have we imitated our sweet Saviour in our life manners and conversation Let 's at least strive to imitate him in his death by taking patiently this present Cross which he layes upon our shoulders and following him cheerfully to Mount Calvary O Jesu my Redeemer and the worlds Saviour how happy are they who are enabled by thy Grace to imitate thy Virtues who desire to live only for thee and are ready to die with thee who live in thy friendship and die in thy favour O glorious Son of God! Thou wert Incarnated and Crucifi'd for my ungrateful Soul O that I might be martâ—r'd and crucifi'd for thy sake to the end I might be conform-able to thee in dying though I have been so unlike to thee in living O my dear Saviour though my Soul is not forc'd out of my body by such a violent death as thine yet imprint in it I beseech thee such sweet thoughts and affections as thou felt'st when thou diedst for my sake The Second Consideration JESUS dy'd willingly patiently resignedly O My God! Give me health or sickness give me life or death give me whatsoever thou pleasest not my will but thine be done O Jesu By vertue of thy perfect Resignation to the divin Will strengthen mine in Deaths Agony Behold I bind my self to that blessed conformity of thine to thy heavenly Father and in union thereof I most willingly embrace the design thou hast over me be it for life or for death O my Saviour Thou being Gods innocent Son diedst in the flower of thine age and shall I desire long life who am a sinner a rebel a criminal I yield Lord I yield and submit to Deaths summons Farewel Earth farewel world farewel this Vale of tears and miseries Heaven is my happier home Paradise is much more pleasant and agreeable and Death is my way to it The Third Consideration JESUS pray'd for strength succour and courage in his Deaths Agony O My Eternal Lord and Lover Behold thy poor child encompass'd with miseries and calamities on every side knowing not what to choose or desire but only
the Saints and Souls in Purgatory departed At the Offertory REnew your Oblation intention petition for their succour solace deliverance At Sanctus NOt only the Angels and Saints of the Church Triumphant but also the souls of the Church suffering intone this glorious Trisagion With whom I most humbly Adore Praise and Magnifie thy sacred Name Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbaoth O increated ineffable eternal Sanctity Increase this day the number of thy heavenly Quiristers Let Heaven and Earth be full of thy Glory Heaven receiving new inhabitants Earth procuring for them this happiness Osanna O that the same Song might now Eccho forth at their entrance into Paradise as it did at my Saviours entrance into Jerusalem At the Elevation of the Sacred Host O Eternal Father Look upon thy beloved Son Jesus and for his dear sake take compassion upon the poor Souls for whom we petition thee At the Elevation of the Chalice O Merciful Creator Let fall one small drop of this precious Blood upon Purgatory to quench its ardors and comfort those distressed souls for whom it was spilt upon the Cross At the Memento for the Dead O My Lord Look in mercy on the souls 1. Of my Parents Kindred Friends Benefactors 2. Of such a particular person N. 3. Of such as have been most charitable in praying for the departed 4. Of such as are left uncomforted unremembred unpray'd for 5. Of such as suffer most or who should according to thy Justice remain longest in their torments 6. Of such as are in the first and next place to be released 7. Of such as lastly entred 8. Of such as most loved Jesus Mary and Joseph 9. Of such as suffer there upon my occasion 10. Of them to whom thou shalt be pleas'd to apply this my Communion 11. Of my own Soul as if it were already departed out of my Body humbly entreating thee dear Jesu by the Water and Bloud which gush'd forth of thy wounded side and heart in thy Passion to pity me at this present and to permit me to advance here the payment for such punishments as I should hereafter pay in Purgatory At the Pater Noster REpeat it with the Priest as a most efficacious Prayer to obtain succour for the Souls suffering in Purgatory At the Communion MAke such Acts and Affections as are most savoury to your spiritual gust and most beneficial to the Souls for whom you intend the fruit of your Communion As for example An Act of Faith I Firmly believe that I here receive my dear Saviour Chrst Jesus Who both can and will give me the effect of this sacred Communion which is eternal life and not only to my self but also to those poor suffering Souls for whom I intend it An Act of Hope O What good things do I hope to receive by this present Communion I hope for my Self I hope for these Souls and I hope for no less than God himself and his everlasting life love and glory An Act of Love I Love thee O infinitly amiable Goodness And I desire that these Souls may speedily be translated to the fruition of thy beatifying presence that they may love thee more perfectly for all Eternity An Act of good Intention I Approach now to this blessed Banquet O my God! to glorifie thy sacred Name to unite my self to thy divin Goodness to render the merits of thy Passion efficacious both for my own Soul and for theirs to whom I humbly apply the fruit thereof In Communicating SAy for your self and them Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit O how sweet will my Purgatory seem unto me being thus placed in thy sacred hands O Jesu my life and my love Let me live and dy in thee and when thou descendest into my Soul let the effects of thy goodness descend also into the prisons of thy Justice to deliver those faithful Souls who desire nothing more than to see thee love thee and praise thee with thy Saints and Angels in thy eternal Glory After Communion AMongst all the Acts of Devotion you produce and which are elsewhere prescribed be still mindful of the Souls in Purgatory as for example Adoring your Dear Saviour seated now in the midst of your Soul do it as it were in their company saying If thou lovest me sweet Jesu as I cannot doubt but thou dost love also those poor Souls and bestow upon them such good things as thy love designs for me c. Thanking him say O my dear Saviour Let these Souls also praise thee with me in their Prison and be admitted speedily to praise thee more perfectly in thy Paradise Petitioning him say O My Lord I beg for my Self a holy life and a happy death And I beg for those Souls an application of thy Merits and Passion and the effect of this Plenary Indulgence which I hope to have this day gained and which I here most humbly offer up in their behalf to thy Sacred Majesty At the end of Mass REceiving the Priests blessing pray unto the holy Trinity that he will be pleas'd to bless these suffering Souls created to his Image and design'd for his Glory and say Almighty God bless you The Father the Son and the Holy Ghost Amen During the remaining time of the Day LEt all the Objects which oocur all the Actions you do and all the Employments you undertake serve you as so many Memorials to minde you of your own Death and of theirs who are gone before you As for example Entring into your Chamber Think of the dismal Dungeon wherein those poor Souls are by their Creators just Judgment detained Seeing the Fire Reflect upon their Flames Eating and Drinking Remember the bread of Tears which is their only food and nourishment Conversing with others Consider they have none but cruel Devils for their ordinary Companions Washing your Hands Think how this flesh of yours must shortly become the food of Worms and the subject of corruption Hearing the Clock strike say for them Requiescant in pace for your self Eternity is at hand Briefly let all the objects of your Senses serve you for as many Images of your Death The Sun you behold the Air you breath the Celestial Orbs you admire may fitly put you in mind of the darkness of Purgatory of the splendor of Paradise of the glory of Heaven whereof your poor suffering Friends are yet deprived Let your Jaculatory Prayers of this day be either concerning theirs or your own Purgatory O Lord give rest to the departed O Jesu the God of my heart the desired of my soul the object of my affections the end of my pretensions Grant I may live in thy Grace and dy in thy Favour If your leisure permits you may imitate this easie and efficacious devotion of some pious persons saying a pair of Bedes for your departed friends in this manner Take your Ordinary Rosary and forming your Intention Begin with a Creed Then say Our Father upon each of the great Grains and
necessities I particularly offer it up to obtain this Virtue conquer this Temptation amend this Imperfection surmount this Passion And for all them who have desired my Prayers or to whom I have promis'd them At Lavabo Humbly beg to have your Soul wash'd from all its filth and wickedness reciting the Psalm Miserere or some Verses of it as AMplius lava me c. Dew down O merciful Creator one small drop of thy divin Grace into my sinful Soul or rather showr down an abundance of thy sweet waters upon me to cleanse me from my enormous crimes and impurities Asperges me Hysopo c. Be sprinkle my Soul O Soveraign Lord God! with the Hysop of thy Grace that I may serve thee more purely Wash me with thy sacred waters till I become whiter than the driven Snow c. At the Preface Lift up your heart to contemplate the Beauties Glories and Greatnesses of Heaven whither you tend and which is your only home aim and end HOw desirable are thy Tabernacles O Lord God of Hosts My Soul sighs pants and thirsts after you more than the wearied Stag breaths after the refreshing Fountains Draw me after thee O divin source of all sweetness and I shall run chearfully after the odours of thy perfumes for what do I seek but thee or what can satisfie me but thy self in Heaven or in Earth O that the memory of thy eternal good things remain'd always deeply ingrav'd in my Soul how easily should I then disdain all temporal perishable and worldly trifles O my God and my All when shall I be so happy as to behold thee clearly in thy heavenly Glory At Sanctus Keep your Heart raised up to your Creator praising adoring admiring the infinit Majesty of the Sacred Trinity as if you were amidst the blessed Quires of Angels and Saints in Heaven intoning with them HOly Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath Heaven and Earth are full of your Glorie Hosanna in the highest O Holy of Holies give me a glimps of thy glorious self that my illuminated Soul may praise thee more purely and love thee more perfectly O celestial Seraphins who incessantly praise my God with the sweet Eccho's of your eternally repeated Holy descend from Heaven to help my desirous heart in singing forth his praises that I may also become holy pure and perfect in the presence of my Lord and Maker At the first Memento INto thy sacred Hands O sweet Saviour I recommend my Soul with all its faculties my Body with all its senses my whole Interiour and Exteriour man with all its affections and actions Preserve me O all-powerful Redeemer from all Sin and Impuritie and give me perseverance in thy love and service Let thy undrainable fountain of mercy O Lord Jesu extend also it self towards my Kindred Friends Enemies particularly towards such and such and all them for whom I ought to offer up my Prayers to thy divin Majestie Whilst the Priest pursues the rest of the Canon in silence do you also recollect your Senses in expectation of your Saviours presence upon the Altar which will be assoon as the words of Consecration are ended Your Heart burning in the mean while with these like desires of S. Augustin O My Comforter appear unto me O only light of my Souls eyes let me see thee O only Joy of my Spirit Come and glad me with thy presence O only Jubily of my Heart Let me contemplate thee O my Lord my Life my Love my All Shew me thy self and I shall be safe c. At the Elevation of the sacred Host and Chalice represent to your self how your Redeemer offers up himself there to the Eternal Father and conforming your Devotion to the Spirit of Christ Jesus you may say with heart or mouth O Adorable Majestie In Union of this affectionate Reverence which my Redeemer now renders thee In memory of his dolorous Passion And in acknowledgment of my own Nothing and thy infinit Greatness I humbly offer unto thee a perpetual submission of all my Being all my Powers all my Faculties Be thou eternally exalted admired and glorified O Holy Holy Holy Trinity My Lord my God my All. Or thus by way of Ejaculations Affections Extasies O Goodness O Mercy O Love O Liberality O immense infinit incomprehensible excessive Charity O Eternal Father behold thy beloved Son and my blessed Saviour whom I humbly offer up to thy divin Majestie in satisfaction for all my offences negligences ingratitudes I offer thee his purity innocency perfection to satisfie for my impuritie malice impietie his Humilitie for my Pride his Zeal for my Tepiditie all the Sanctity of his life for all the imperfections of my life O merciful and compassionate Father Look upon thy own Sons Charitie Behold how he once offer'd himself a Bloody Sacrifice on the Cross for my salvation and how he now offers himself an unbloody Sacrifice on this Altar for the same end O holy Father receive this his holy Sacrifice in lieu of all the honors homages gratitudes which are due to thy sacred and soveraign goodness from me and all thy creatures Keeping your mind still fix'd upon your dear Saviour now present on the Altar speak unto him with the most tender affections which your Heart can possibly produce either by Acts of Praise as O Son of God! what can be compar'd to thy Charitie O my Lord who is like thee in Goodness in Love in Liberality O sweet Jesu thou art my Rest my Refuge my Riches my Center my Hope my Happiness my All. Or by Acts of Complacencie as O King of Heaven and Earth Thou art here the Joy of my Soul as thou art there the Jubily of thy Saints Thou art here on the Altar and thou art there in thy eternal glorie and beatitude O Amiable Sacrifice O Admirable Invention of the divin Power Wisdom and Charitie Or by Acts of Thanksgiving O Dear Saviour How much hast thou done for an unworthy wretch O the excess of thy goodness who can sufficiently acknowledg it O Great Monarch of both worlds That thou shouldst thus humble thy self for a meer worm upon this Altar O ye Angels Saints and all Creatures Come help me to honour praise bless and love my liberal Lord God who hath as it were employ'd his Omnipotencie in order to my benefit and profit Or by Acts of Thanksgiving O Dear Saviour How much hast thou done for an unworthy wretch O the excess of thy goodness who can sufficiently acknowledg it O great Monarch of both Worlds That thou shouldst thus humble thy self for a meer worm upon this Altar O ye Angels Saints and all Creatures Come help me to honour praise bless and love my liberal Lord God who hath as it were employ'd his Omnipotencie in order to my benefit and profit Or by Acts of Resignation O Jesu Since thou art pleas'd to render thy self here present for my sake I here promise a readiness to perform any thing for thy service O my
God! what wilt thou have me do thy Will is the Desire of my heart the Delight of my soul the Design of my intentions the Drist of my whol life and being O when shall I have no Will but thine no life but for thy Love no being but to be what thou wouldst have me Or by Acts of Self-Oblation O My Lord and my Lover since thou givest thy self wholly to me I give my self entirely to thee O Saviour Receive me take me possess me totally entirely eternally Or by Acts of Desire to please him O What shall I do Dear Lord in order to please thee What do I covet in this world but to give thee content Were there no Heaven no Hell no Reward no Punishment It were yet for me a sufficient honour and happiness to be agreeable to thy Divin Majesty O my God and my All Or by Acts of Grief that He is offended AH my Saviour whence is it then that so many Souls forsake thy love since thou art so lovely and so loving Ah! my Dear Jesu Why did I ever offend thee since thy ineffable Charity deserved my reciprocal affection O wretched wicked miserable all they who love not Jesus Or by Acts of Desire to Love him O Most pure and perfect Lover who lovedst me from all Eternity When shall I begin to pay my love which is so long since due to thy divin Goodness O when shall I truly hate the World Sin and my self for thy love and service Or by Acts of Desire to see him in his Glory O King of Glory When shall I clearly contemplate thy amiable Countenance in thy happy Kingdom O Life of my life and Love of my Soul when shall I leave this loathsom and imprisoning Earth and be admitted into thy lovely Paradise At the second Memento O Compassionate Creator take pity upon the poor Souls in Purgatory particularly such and such And let the same Mercy which hath been graciously pleas'd to pardon their impieties mitigate also their punishments that by the merits of thy dear Sons death and Passion which are here in this holy Sacrifice most humbly presented to thy Sacred Majesty in their behalf they may speedily be translated to that state of glory for which thou eternally designedst them At the Pater Noster Humbly crave such things as are contained in these Seven Petitions 1. O Heavenly Father I most heartily congratulate thy infinite Glory and Greatness Give I beseech thee the light of thy Faith to all Infidels and the grace of thy Love and Charity to all Christians That thy sacred Name may be sanctified by all men upon Earth as it is by all the blessed in Heaven 2. O Holy holy holy Trinity enter remain reign in our hearts souls affections that we may serve thee love thee honour thee upon earth as thy Saints do in Heaven 3. Teach me O Lord to perform thy Will 1. Perfectly 2. Purely 3. Promptly 4. Perseverantly 4. O Bread of Life which descendest from Heaven to give life to the world give thy self to my Soul that I may live by thee in thee for thee by thy grace in thy favour for thy honour 5. O liberal Father For the love of thee I freely forgive all such as have any way offended me and for the love of thy dear Son I beg forgiveness of all my own offences against thy divin Majesty 6. Behold O my blessed Creator how I am on all sides encompassed with cruel enemies Lord I refuse not the combat since 't is thy Will but I beg thy gracious assistance that I may get the victory and that thou mayst have the glory 7. Deliver me O All-powerful Lord God! from all Evil from all corporal spiritual temporal eternal miseries From Sin from my self and from whatsoever displeases thy divin infinite amiable adorable Majesty At the first Agnus Dei. O Sweet Lamb of God pardon all my Sins and particularly such and such an one wherein I have most grievously and frequently offended At the second Agnus Dei. O Innocent Lamb of God! Implant all Virtues in my Soul and especially this and this which I seem most to stand in need of At the third Agnus Dei. O Peaceable pure and perfect Lamb of God Give me peace of Conscience purity of heart perfection of Spirit c. and whatsoever will render me most agreable to thy divin Majesty At Domine non sum dignus HUmbling my self in the presence of thy sacred Majesty O Soveraign Lord Jesu I adore thy Goodness Greatness and Glory and acknowledg my own Unworthiness Baseness and Nothing Whilst the Priest Communicates If you are to communicate Sacramentally these Prayers and Devotions may serve you for a sufficient Preparation Howsoever you may communicate Spiritually to your great profit and merit in all the Masses at which you assist This Spiritual Communion consists in these two Points 1. A Lively Faith of your Saviours Real Presenee in the Sacrament 2. An Ardent Desire to Receive Him into your Soul and to be perfectly united to Him O my sweet Savior the Soveraign Lord of my Heart and the beloved Object of my affections I adore thy sacred Body Blood Soul Divinity cover'd under these Sacramental forms O that I had all the necessary dispositions of a worthy Communicant Do thou only speak the word O all-powerful Lord God! and my Soul shall be saved Enter O my beloved Bridegroom into this poor lodging enrich it with thy infinite perfections fit it up as thy self best knows and pleases for thy own entertainment At the last Prayers Render your hearty Thanks to the divin Majesty for all his Gifts and Benefits O My God! my desire is always to praise thee for thy always continued favours But ah my Frailty Tepiditie and Weakness interrupt my desires wishes and affections Make use therefore of thy own goodness O my gracious Redeemer in supplying my present Defects pardoning my past negligences preserving me from future failings and praising thy self in me and all thy Creatures At the Priests final Benediction O Sweet Jesu bestow on me this day thy Blessing with this of thy Minister preserve me from all sin and give me perseverance in thy service That at the last day of thy dreadful Judgment I may receive that happy Benediction amongst thy Elected and Predestinated Children of Venite Benedicti Come ye Blessed of my Father and take possession of the Kingdom which was prepared for you from all Eternity At the last Gospel of St. John This Gospel is alwayes recited in the end of Mass as containing the sublimest mysteries of our Faith and being an abridgment of the mervails hidden in the holy Trinity And as those words Verbum caro factum est The Word was made flesh Words never enough to be reverenced the Priest and People fall down upon their Knees And at the end thereof The last word is Deo gratias Thanks be to God for the aocomplishment of these holy Mysteries I Render thee all possible praise and
Powerful Mother and Patroness and all the celestial Citizens to supply this my defect with their more perfect acts of perpetual praises and thanksgivings O that I had now as many tongues hearts as there are creatures in the Universe stars in Heaven sands in the Sea atomes in the Air how willingly would I employ them all in my Creators and Redeemers praises for evermore I likewise render most hearty thanks to all such as have confer'd any corporal or spiritual benefit upon me and to such as have instructed admonish'd corrected me to all such as have and shall help assist and comfort me in this my Sickness beseeching the divin Goodness to give them eternal rewards for their Christian and Charitable endeavours 5. Also I protest that by Gods grace I will die free from all Despair and doubt of the divin Mercy For though my sins are many and enormous yet I know my Creator is more ready to shew mercy than I am to demand it and that one drop of his dear Sons precious Blood shed upon the Cross is abundantly sufficient to redeem me and all mankind since therefore all that is required on my part consists in bringing a fit disposition to receive his Grace and Mercy and that I have at this present a firm desire to dispose my self accordingly and to serve him love him honour him for the time to come with all possible fervour sincerity and fidelity I will cheerfully confidently resignedly remit all to his sacred Will and Providence 6. Also I protest that if through fear faint-heartedness want of judgment extremity of pain or any other accident or occasion whatsoever I should fall which God of his infinit mercy forbid into any such doubt or despair or into any thought word or action displeasing to my dearly beloved and ever honoured Lord and Maker I do now at this present being in full and perfect sense utterly renounce it recal it reject it 7. Also I protest that if the divin Providence so permitting I should have any wicked temptation of whatsoever kind and nature suggested unto me by my sworn enemy during the whol time of this my Infirmity or in my last Agony I will not yield the least assent thereunto either tacitly or expresly either by signs or by gestures and I do now for then revoke annul and abhor any such thoughts temptations and suggestions being desirous and resolved to adhere only to God my Creator so long as any breath shall remain in my body and to be faithful to Him even till my last Gasp 8. Also I protest that since my good God hath promised to give his grace to all such as do what lies in them to get it and that his gate of mercy is never shut against an humble and contrite Soul I do confidently hope and hopefully desire and desirously expect to have both Grace in this world and Glory in the next by the merits of my blessed Saviours bitter Passion and by his holy Mothers and Saints powerful Intercession whose Prayers I beg whose happiness I congratulate whose perfections I emulate and to whom I do now for the hour of my death most humbly supplicate that they will then obtain for me a lively Faith a constant Hope an ardent Charity a couragious Fortitude a profound Humility an invincible Patience and all such other Virtues as will then be most necessary for me saying to them now for then with heart and mouth O all you glorious Angels and Saints of Heaven especially you O sacred Virgin Mother of Jesus and you my particular Patrons N. and N. and you my good Angel intercede for me in that dreadful hour that I may depart this World in my Creators grace and favour 9. Also I protest that though the weakness of my nature be so great that I even abhor suffering yet in Spirit I embrace this Cross this Sickness these Pains as tokens and pledges of the divin favour and affection and do submit my self to live and dy and suffer in what measure and manner shall be most conformable to his holy pleasure and honour 10. Lastly I commend my Soul to God my Creator who made it of nothing to Christ my Saviour who redeemed it with his Blood to the Holy Ghost who espoused it to himself and sanctified it in Baptism protesting that when in my last Agonie I shal be unable to employ my tongue any longer in praying and praising the divin Majesty I desire still in mind to be firmly united unto him offering now for then my Agony my Sweats my Sufferings to be joyned and united to the bitter Agony bloody Sweatings and dolorous Sufferings of my dying Saviour Christ Jesus for the remission of my Sins and for his eternal glory whose holy Name be sanctified whose praises be celebrated whose Will be performed in Earth as it is in Heaven by me and all creatures for evermore Exercises for the time of Sickness THE best and easiest Exercise for a Sick Person is a frequent repetition of pious and fervent Ejaculations Acts Aspirations and Elevations of his Soul to God be they never so short plain and simple let him therefore make use of some of these Acts following relishing them silently in his Heart or sweetly breathing them forth of his Mouth without any violence or over binding himself to long attention Acts of Contrition O Soveraign Goodness how it grieves me to have offended thee were I again to act over my life upon the Earths Theater how warily would I walk in your presence O my Lord I utterly detest all my past Sins and humbly acknowledg that I justly deserve these present pains and punishments but O spare me for Eternity Let him frequently during the time of his Sickness make this short Act following of true Contrition O my God! For thine own sake whom I love above all things and because Sin is most displeasing to thy divin Majesty I heartily detest all my impieties humbly demand thy Pardon and promise to amend all that is amiss 2. Acts of Faith I Believe Lord and neither doubt nor dispute of any thing that thou hast revealed and thy Church defined If I err in my Belief O Blessed Father Son and Holy Ghost thy self hast deceived me who hast confirmed my Faith by so many wonders and miracles which could be wrought by none but thy self and since all deceit is far from thee surely all errour is far from me I believe Lord help my unbelief I believe that thou art most just and that thou hast all right to chastise me with this present sickness I believe that thou art infinitly powerful and canst cure or kill at thy pleasure I believe that thou art soveraignly Merciful and that thou wilt pardon my Sins protect me from my Ghostly enemies and bring me to thy self by such means in such manner and at such time as is most pleasing to thy own divin will and liking 3. Acts of Hope and Confidence O My God! the only desired
tyrannize over your Nature 3. To what imperfections you have been most subject 4. How you have perform'd your Morning resolutions of doing this avoiding that 5 How you have comply'd with the Obligations which concern your special calling charge and condition 3. Marking particularly upon each one of these heads your most notorious Excesses Omissions Commissions Negligences Then conceiving a general hatred horrour and detestation of all sin say briefly O my Soul How ill have we imployed our Time and Talent lent us to merit Eternity O my Lord and Maker I am most heartily sorry for all these sins defects and imperfections which by thy divine grace and light I have now discover'd and discern'd in my soul and humbly implore thy mercifull pardon both for them and all such others as have escaped my memory But if in the Examination of your conscience you there take notice of any mortal Crime Be sure to confound your self presently in your Creators presence Crying out in the bitterness of your Soul O my strange Frailty Malice Ingratitude Whence is it that thou my justly irritated Creator commandedst not the Earth instantly to swallow me or Fire from Heaven to consume me or thy exterminating Angel to cut me off Whence is it that thou withheldst thy breath from blasting me in the very height of my sinfull action with sudden death or that thou sent'st not some of thy instruments of Justice to revenge this horrid injury by razing me from off the Earth's surface and hurrying me head-long into the dismal inexplicable interminable torments of Hell being the place which is only proper and therefore prepar'd to receive such ungratefull ungracious and perverse wretches And why is this favourable delay of thy divine Justice afforded me O my patient and compassionate Lord God! but only to give me time to recall my self from my wickedness and to call upon thy Mercy and Goodness Behold O my Creator I call I cry I come to thee as a poor wretched miserable Criminal I call to thee for Pity I cry to thee for Mercy I come to thee for Pardon And I resolve purpose and promise by the assistance of thy Grace seriously to correct speedily to confess and willingly to satisfie for what is amiss in me And this not for fear of Hell-fire which I have deserved not for the loss of Heaven which I have forfeited but for the love of thee my Lord God! whom I have offended I acknowledg my self worthy of thy Punishment unworthy of thy Inheritance but that which chiefly grieves me is the having injur'd thy Goodness The consideration of having offended thee my loving Father more lively pierces my soul than the apprehension of my sufferings or the loss of my Childs portion Wherefore even for thy own sake O compassionate Father pity relieve and receive thy poor repenting and returning Prodigal who even for thy own and only sake heartily detests all his sins sincerely promises his amendment and humbly craves thy pardon They who have more time and leisure and who desire to become more truly spiritual may here before they betake themselves to their rest make these five internal and affectionate acts 1. A Spiritual uncloathing of our Souls REturn securely O my Soul into thy place of rest Repose sweetly quietly confidently in the bosom of the divine Bounty Rely entirely upon thy Lords love and mercy And cutting off all cares and curiosities all fears and desires remain here contentedly without diverting thy self with any other Objects Behold O my Lord and Lover I absolutely renounce all but thee humbly casting my self into the arms of thy most holy Disposition Providence and Protection I will henceforth aim at nothing but the advancement of thy Honor the accomplishment of thy Will the encrease of thy Love and an Union with thy self O how truly happy wouldst thou be my yet unmortifi'd Soul were thy Affections once free and not clasp'd to any Creature that thou couldst readily resolutely resignedly throw off all and take the naked Cross for thy total Inheritance Thou O my loving Lord Jesu wert born naked in a Stable diedst naked on a Cross wert put naked into thy dolefull Mothers arms to be first bath'd in her Tears and then buried naked in anothers Sepulchre and shall not my Heart and Soul burn with love of external and internal Nakedness Live my Lord Jesus depriv'd of Father and Mother on the Cross Live Mary depriv'd of thy only Son at the foot of the Cross Live naked Cross and live this holy Nakedness Live my Beloved to me and I to him Uncloath me therefore O Jesu 1. Of all sin 2. Of all affection to sin 3. Of all curiosity and vanity 4 Of all sensuality 5. Of all inordinate passion 6. Of all self-complacency self-judgment self-love self-will 7. Of my whol self and whatsoever is displeasing to the pure eyes of thy divine Majesty 2. A most profound Humiliation of our Souls O My Soveraign Creator I most heartily acknowledg my own baseness misery weakness wickedness nothing I perfectly hate dislike and loath my self and all my own proceedings Behold me O Lord lying here prostrate at thy feet as a poor Publican not worthy to lift my Eyes towards Heaven or to take thy sacred Name into my sinfull mouth But what more can I do O my Maker than offer up to thy Majesty an humble and contrite heart fully prepar'd to suffer what thou shalt please to command it And lo I present my whol self bound hand and foot before the Throne of thy Mercy to be adjudg'd according to thy Will Lord I fly not from thee I appeal not from thy Sentence I pretend no priviledge I plead no excuse Be thou the Knife and I the Flesh Hack and hew me cut me and crucifie me as thou pleasest Only pardon my sins Let me live in thy service Die in thy favour and Enjoy thy Love for all Eternity 3. A recommendation and resignation of all to the divine Majesty INto thy holy hands O heavenly Father I recommend my Spirit my Memory my Will my Understanding my Senses my Actions all that I have and am I cast all at thy sacred feet imploy them all as best liketh thee that by them all thou mayst be praised served and loved purely perfectly perpetually I entirely resign my self and all to thy most sacred Will in life and in death for time and for Eternity And will resolutely chearfully and affectionately say and sing at all times in all places upon all occasions Our Lords Name be ever praised his honour always promoted his Will eternally perform'd by me and by all his Creatures 4. A hope and confidence that God whom we Love and who Loveth us will effect what is best for us BEhold O Heavenly Father I here place my self under the wings of thy paternal protection by an immutable Act of filial Confidence and faithful Affection humbly committing all that any way concerns me to thy most holy Providence In this Center O
When I weigh the wonderfull greatness glory and splendor of thy dear Spouse the Catholick Church her antiquity extent succession her establishment order union her charity constancy sanctity and all other her advantages and prerogatives which would fill whol volumes to explicate am I not sufficiently convinc'd that she is not built up by human policy but is the work of thy heavenly power O City of God! what glorious things are said of thee which hast such excellent succours from above such admirable success against thy enemies such amiable sweetness to confer upon thy faithful children When I ponder the quality of the doctrine so pure so perfect so holy forbidding all Sin even in the least thought or desire teaching all Virtue tending to a supernatural end as self-hatred contempt of all temporalities c. and ayming O Lord at thy holy Love and union How clearly doth it appear to proceed from thy self the pure source of all sanctity and perfection Alas how unproportionable is mans weakness and wickedness to think of a doctrin so conformable to thy divine greatness When I also meditate on the means whereby this Faith was at first planted and soon after propagated to the utmost ends of the world I clearly behold a hand of heaven and an evident draught of thy infinite power and providence Twelve Apostles poor powerless creditless persons proposing things contrary to mens natural appetites and of most hard digestion to flesh and bloud to give Laws to the whol world To conquer and convert the Emperors and Kings of the earth rising in express opposition against them I plainly perceive thy co-operation O Father of Heaven and thy choosing of weaklings to confound the strong 'T is thou alone canst be master of this sacred science and I may with an humble confidence cry out If this be error O Lord 't is thy self hast deceived me since thou hast led me into this belief by persons of such sanctity and confirm'd it by prodigies of such efficacy 6. Resolutions concerning Faith ANd now my dear Lord and Lover I offer thee my poor heart replenished with all these Acts Affections and Resolutions O that I might dye for the defence of these infallible Verities How willingly would I lay down my life and shed every drop of bloud in my body for each part and parcel of this my Faith and profession Thou O Jesu art God-man and Man-God Thou art the Way the Truth and the life O that I might be torn in a thousand morsels for following this way believing this Truth loving this Life Thy Church is infallible and her decisions indubitable O that occasion were offer'd of a thousand deaths swords fires torments to try my fidelity in this assured particular But how resolvest thou my feeble soul upon these high and heroick exploits who art so subject to faint and to turn coward upon far less occasion Alas hast thou not often bely'd thy Faith by thy works without any constraint or contradiction Thou confessest a Saviour needy upon earth and naked on the Cross and yet thy covetousness is insatiable A Saviour humble and contemned and thou breathest nothing but ambition A Saviour meek merciful patient and thy enmities are immortal thy injuries intolerable thy hatred irreconcilable Ah weakling Thou yieldest at a pins-pricking how wilt thou stand at the swords piercing If straws make thee stumble how wilt thou subsist against darts Conquer thy self first in these lesser skirmishes that thou mayst be constant in those greater combats O my Lord I am reduced to nothing I praise the Conquerors but my self perisheth in the smallest conflicts I am too conscious of my own frailty to confide in my own forces Yet I desire to imitate the invincible courage of holy Martyrs and tender Virgins who for this Faith endured such torments Thou Lord art my only strength and confidence O let thy grace which is never wanting to them that trust in thee powerfully support and shield me thy weak yet willing Souldier with faithful courage and perseverant constancy in the day of battail and whensoever time or occasion shall exact a tryal of my true fidelity thou O Saviour Jesu the Author and finisher of my Faith who hast call'd me sought me found me carried me home to thy fold and numbred me amongst thy Sheep Grant I beseech thee that I may lead a life correspondent to my Faith and that my manners may be conformable to thy merciful illuminations That after the imperfect and obscure knowledg of this world I may finally arrive to the pure knowledg of thee in the other where with thy Saints I hope to behold thee face to face by the light of glory in thy blessed Eternity 7. A triple Practise and the Conclusion of these Acts of Faith IN the mean space I will by thy blessed assistance O divine bounty daily and diligently prepare encourage and fortifie my Soul with these three pious practises 1. Since Faith is the fountain of all Grace the life of my soul the soul of my love the ground-work of my salvation the only Eye by which I can view heaven through this veil of mortality the root of all that is truly good desirable amiable and yet this so necessary a good O eternal Goodness is thy free gift I will instantly beg it of thy bounty and never cease crying out in imitation of thy Apostles Lord encrease my Faith 2. Since the want of this lively and active Faith in such things as concern thy divine honour O dread Soveraign and my own happiness is the chief cause that I have passed and lost so many years days and hours of my short life without making any progress in thy love or profit in virtue My soul shall henceforth inhabit Heaven my spirit shall be no longer link'd to these sensible objects but shall look upon things to come as if they were present truths Ah World what art thou to me who am made for an Eternity O Earth how I loath thee when I behold Heaven 3. Since my Faith is thus setled my conscience thus quieted my mind thus resolved upon such evident grounds such infallible Principles Let Hell vomit out all its malice by hereticks mouths against these my Tenents Let all the dead arise from their graves to tell me I am deceived Let the Angels and Saints descend from heaven to Evangelize a new doctrine Let all Christians upon Earth revolt against this and receive a contrary belief I will still remain stedfast in my choice and firm in my station not for the miracles which have confirm'd me and marks of truth which have seal'd my security and thy Churches infallibility but because thou my Lord who hast thus illuminated my soul with the supernatural light of Faith which thy Church teacheth me art the Truth it self and canst not possibly deceive me Lord I believe thy self and thy sacred Church This is the sum of my belief This is my present profession and protestation before heaven and earth
feel thy sweet effects O heavenly Virtue Fulness of Joy is ever with thee Abundance of Peace is thy inseparable companion and plentitude of Mercy is to thee a perpetual retainer O God! the soveraign Joy of all spirits and Jubilation of all hearts cheer me amid'st this worlds calamities with the solid comfort of thy only satisfying presence grace and love in my Soul O King of Peace give me Peace in my Self by an absolute union of all my inward forces and faculties to thy only glory Give me Peace with the Good by conformity of my conversation with them Give me Peace with the Bad by bearing the injuries they inflict on me Give me Peace with Thee by an intire submission of all my wishes and desires to thy holy will and decree O most liberal Lord Give me also the love of Mercy that I may be ever pitiful and compassionat towards all poor and miserable persons Give me the love of Beneficence that I may be always willing to succour my necessitous Neighbour for thy sake The love of Alms-deeds that I may be ready to relieve all his corporal wants to Feed him in his hunger Refresh him in his thirst Cloath him in his coldness Ransom him in his captivity Harbour him when he hath no home Visit him when he is sick and Bury him when he is dead The love of Fraternal correction that I may charitably Correct sinners Instruct the ignorant Counsel the doubtful Comfort the sorrowfull Bear all wrongs patiently Pardon all injuries cordially and pray for all the living and the dead zealously O my Lord make my Charity efficacious Let not my love rest in lip language but proceed to real performances of all these outward inward corporal spiritual actions of piety that in the dreadful and doubtful hour of my death and thy judgment I may find thee my sweet Saviour full of pitty and compassion towards my poor Soul 7. The Precept of loving God God commands us in the Old Law to love him with all our heart soul and strength Christ repeats it in the New as the first and greatest Precept Acts of pure Charity THy Love O my Lord is in it self so excellent and to my Soul so pleasant that should'st thou perpetuate this divine gift to me upon Earth without ever bestowing on me thy blessed Heaven it must needs make me in some sort happy O my Soul what is more precious than Gods pure love wherein canst thou and all creatures employ your time and talents more profitably than in admiring your Creators greatness and loving his goodness Yet O eternal Charity Thou also commandest me to love thee and threatnest to lay miseries upon me if I love thee not Ah! Is it not alone misery enough not to love thee Is there need of so many ties of Precepts and threats of Punishmens to oblige me to thy love O infinitly amiable bounty Is not one stroke sufficient to mollify my stony heart Thou shalt love me with thy whole heart but thou addest a second and with thy whole Soul and drivest in this sacred wedg with a third and fourth blow and with thy whole Strength and Vertue Should'st thou not O perfect Lover exact this just tribute from me I surely ought most freely to pay it for the good I finde in thy sweet friendship and now that thou claim'st it and call'st for thy due Child give me thy heart shall I deny it thee Alas Lord it is a poor present but such as it is take it totally unto thy self and dispose of it absolutly at thy pleasure Oh! that it were as rich and beautiful as befits thy Majesty to receive and my obligation and affection to give It is thy only right O my God! by all just titles of Creation Redemption Vocation and it shall be thine daily by my own free Donation Imitation Affection Lord I love thee in this very instant with all my heart soul force and vertue O let not my enemy upbraid me at my death to have pass'd my life without one Act of thy pure love Behold I here at this present banish all foul and forreign affections all self and interessed love and whatsoever is contrary to thy divine liking and embrace thy only naked Charity with as much ardour and sincerity as all my united forces and faculties can possibly enable me Rule thou henceforth and reign only in my soul O glorious King of Love Let nothing live but to love thee and praise thy liberality to manifest thy goodness and to magnify thy glory O Love O divine and desirable Treasure O rich and precious Jewell What Soul reflects upon thy real value and suddenly sells not all to buy thee leaves not all to follow thee suffers not all to enjoy thee contemns not all to compass thee How late do I love thee O beauty so ancient so new Ah my heart thou hast hitherto lov'd thy self truly wilt thou remain evermore cold careless tepid and negligent in loving that object for which only thou wert created and which alone can make thee happy Ah perfect Lover my Soul now settles her self to love thee only entirely eternally she will recompence her former failing by her future faithfulness she defies all branches of Self-love she desires nothing in Heaven or Earth but thy self her God her inheritance the only joy of her heart and sweet satisfaction of all her wishes But O sweet Saviour what pawn of this my love shall I leave with thee what pledg of my sincere affection shall I give thee Thou hast asked my heart Take it Lord Jesu 2 Take it alone 3 Take it all unto thee 4 Take it as thine own due and my free donation 5 Take it as the present of a Child to his Father 6 Take it as an holocaust offered up only to please praise and obey thee and not in respect of thy present benefits or expected blessings 7 Take it O loving Lord as thou desirest it deservest it demandest it and commandest it O that I had as many Hearts and Souls in my body as I have Hairs on my head that I might thus dedicate them all to thy divine Love Oh! that I could employ each moment of my remaining time in loving thee as perfectly as thy glorious Citizens do in Heaven Oh! that the very last act of my expiring life which I now consecrate unto thee might be by vertue of this my oblation and resolution an extasie of thy pure and perfect Love Lord I love thee thou knowest that I love thee how much I love thee and how ardent my desires are to love thee more I will not leave to love thee till thy love transforms me all into love which is thy self O Eternal Love Eternal Life Eternal Happiness The fifth Exercise Of the Cardinal Virtues and first of Prudence 1. The Essence of Prudence Prudence is an Intellectual Virtue enabling us to Consult wisely Judg solidly and Resolve effectually upon all occasions of action or omission GReat and Glorious
I may become pleasing to thy divine Majesty profitable to my Neighbours and instrumental so my own perfection and Salvation 7. The Conclusion of this Exercise with an humble Petition for perfect and Christian Temperance ANd now O great and glorious Creator who hast made all things for my use and me for thy service Grant I beseech thee that I may never more violate thy sacred order and design O let me not rest in any creature which is so much inferiour to my noble nature but terminate my love in thy blessed self who only art above me Where else Alas can my understanding find a soveraign Object to satiate it or Center to content it but the O supream Verity Where can my will meet with a perfect felicity whereupon to fix its affections but thee alone O essential Goodness Let me not therefore leave thee the solid Substance to love the Figure which so lightly fades away But give me O gracious Lord God! thy efficacious assistance that I may make such temperate use of the world as if I us'd it not that so living out the remaining days of my Pilgrimage Soberly Vigilantly and Faithfully according to my calling I may Joyfully Hopefully Confidently and Preparedly expect thy coming O my merciful Judg having my Reins girt with Continence my Lamp lighted with Charity Staff in hand with prompt Obedience to all thy holy Ordinances and finally enter with thee my Souls dear Bridegroom into thy Marriage-chamber of eternal delights in thy happy Paradise ¶ 4. Of Penance and Confession SInce Penance according to the sacred Councel of Trent is a duty inseparably annexed to the state of Christiany and that every ones life in whatsoever condition should be a continual practise and perseverant performance of Penance during the time of this our earthly pilgrimage We shall endeavour to deliver with all possible brevity distinction and clearness 1. Such Necessary Essential and Fundamental Truths and Tenents concerning Penance as are unquestionable amongst all Orthodox Doctors and proper to be known by every Penitent for the due exercise thereof 2. We shall descend to the practical and most important part of Penance which is Confession setting down such Preparations Examinations of the Conscience and Acts of devotion as are to precede it such as are to accompany it and such as are to follow it 3. We shal add a larger Examination of the Conscience or Catalogue of sins for their help benefit who desire to make a good general Confession General Maxims and Positions concerning Penance and Confession The necessity of Penance WE are by nature the children of wrath and being heirs of our first Parents malediction we are with them banish'd out of Paradise and abandon'd to labor and toyl upon earth where we remain slaves to our irregular passions under the tyrannical yoake of Death and the Devil Now there are but two means to redress these miseries and to recover the divine favour and friendship and consequently to regain Heaven to wit Innocency and Penance Innocency concerns only such spotless Souls as have inviolably conserv'd their Baptismal sanctity even to the last moment of their lives though they also if there be any such Saints besides Children dying in the nonage of reason may be said in some sort to stand in need of Penance for the preservation of their purity and perseverance in their Innocency Penance concerns all Sinners as being the sole means establish'd by God and left by Christ JESVS to his Church whereby to appease our irritated Creator to satisfie the divine Justice and to restore as to our lost heavenly Inheritance Unless you do Penance you shall all Perish Penance is the chief Exercise of a Christian WHence it follows That Penance is the most necessary important and excellent Exercise of all Christians since all must either Perish or do Penance and and it is an Article of our Faith that Penance is so absolutely necessary for all Sinners that without it there is no hope lest of obtaining pardon for their Sins of regaining Gods favour of saving their Souls and of enjoying eternal Happiness Penance comprehends the Virtue of Penance and the Sacrament of Penance WHich is to be understood both of an interiour Penance which is an act of the Virtue of Penance and of an exteriour Sacrament of Penance which is commonly call'd Confession By the Virtue of Penance The Sinner is to detest his impieties with a firm resolution of no more offending the divine Majesty By the Sacrament of Penance he is to accuse himself of them with an earnest desire to repair the wrongs satisfie the injuries done to the divine Justice So that to obtain pardon for his Sins he must of necessity have both an inward sincere Christian sorrow and repentance and also when it may be obtain'd an outward Confession and Accusation of his crimes accompanied with such Conditions as shall be hereafter specified The Sacrament of Penance consists of these four Parts 1 Contrition of heart 2 Confession of mouth 3 Satisfaction of works which are its material Parts 4 An Absolution of the Priest which is its Form Of Contrition the first Part of Penance A Sinner cannot duly perform this important affair of Penance unless he conceiv's as aforesaid a Sorrow for his past offences This Sorrow may be either Perfect or Imperfect It is Perfect 1 When it proceeds from perfect Charity grounded upon the consideration of Gods love and goodness 2 Accompanied with an inward sincere and cordial detestation of the committed Crime And 3 joyned with a firm purpose and resolution of future Amendment It is Imperfect when Charity in us is imperfect and when our sorrow proceeds 1 Rather from the fear of Hell 2 Or from the desire of Heaven 3 Or from the foulness of the Sin it self than from the love of God The first is called Contrition the second Attrition Attrition is of it self insufficient to obtain pardon and therefore it must be accompanied with a Sacramental Confession to render it effectual for the Remission of sins and reconciliation to the divine Grace and Friendship Contrition is so Excellent that S. Cyprian esteems it the very best thing which a mortal creature can offer up to her Creator It is so Powerful that S Ambrose says It opens heaven shuts up hell cures all the Souls diseases repairs all spiritual ruins and serves as a Sponge to deface all iniquities It is so pleasing to God that sings the Royal Prophet he never rejects an humble and contrite Heart but ever receives it as a most perfect Sacrifice It is so easy that a Moment may conceive it an Instant may produce it For neither the shortness of time says S. Cyprian nor the exremity of the last hour hinders the pardon of a Contrite Penitent Finally it is so Profitable that says the same Saint it not only obtains Pardon for past offences but gains also a future Crown of glory But this perfect Contrition must proceed 1. from a
Whilst your Spiritual Father pronounces your Absolution produce either with heart or mouth some of these short Acts following 1. Of Sorrow O God be merciful to me a sinner 2. Of Humility Not unto me Lord but to thy Name be given all praise and glory 3. Of Love and Confidence My God and my All My comfort and my content my secure rest and sole refuge Remain with me sweet Jesus and it is sufficient 4. Of Spiritual joy and alacrity Take courage my poor dejected desolate Soul Jesus is our guide and we are going to Heaven what matters it whether we get or lose in this World have friends or foes sink or swim live or die upon earth If Jesus loves us and we Him it is enough Live the Cross and my crucified Redeemer Adieu world Farewel Self-love Heaven is my Home Jesus is my Hope and Happiness Also At the time of Absolution Imagine you feel Christs sacred Blood distilling into your Soul and that you hear those his sweet words directed unto your ears Go in peace thy Sins are forgiven thee now sin no more lest some worse thing befal thee O words full of sweetness and comfort After Confession REtire your self a while 1. To give God thanks 2. To say your Penance 3. To renew your good purposes and resolutions 4. To offer up your self and all your actions with whatsoever you are and have to be hereafter employed for your sweet Saviours honour love and service 5. To beg of him who died on the Cross with his Eyes full of Tears Body full of Wounds and Heart full of Mercy for the salvation of your Soul to supply all defects which may have occurred in this or any other your Confessions Then ejaculate sweetly some of these Sentences CLeanse me O Lord from my secret sins from my vitious customs inclinations and affections and permit me not to participate with others in their offences nor to be involved in their crimes by my consent and connivency Return my Soul into thy rest for thy Lord hath done well for thee What have I in heaven and what would I have on earth O my God! thou art the God of my heart my part my portion and my inheritance for ever I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee my Lord and Saviour But who will free me from the body of this death I would gladly be separated not only from Sin and the occasions thereof but even from this body of Sin which I can bear about me That so being absolved and dissolved my departing soul might unspottedly ascend to her eternal rest in the very Act of this vehement and amorous Contrition Yes my good and gracious Creator I would willingly be sequestred from my self and all creatures that I might be totally united to thy self my first beginning my final end my hope my happiness my All. It is good for me to stick fast to my Lord to place my confidence in God my Saviour Let others seek other contents I and my house will serve thee our Lord and Maker A Prayer after Confession O Merciful Redeemer of my Soul what praise love and thanks shall I return to thee for having made a Bath of thy Bloud a Garment of thy Grace to cleanse and cloath my defiled and naked Soul in the Sacrament of Penance Let my Body Soul and all that is within me bless thee eternally and let Heaven Earth and all that is within them say Amen Alleluja Receive I beseech thee O my dear Lord Jesu by the bowels of thy Mercy by the breasts of thy Mother and by the merits of all thy blessed Saints this my Confession Let it be pleasing to thy sacred Majesty and profitable to my own Soul Let thy infinite sweetness of love and bitterness of sorrow supply all its defects whether it be want of Contrition or of Integrity or of Humility or of Clarity or of Simplicity or of a true sense and feeling of my Sins heynousness or of a full Resolution of amendment or any other Circumstance Negligence or Error whatsoever Forget and forgive all the crimes ingratitudes impurities of my life past and in particular whatsoever through my own carelesness may have escap'd my memory whatsoever the common Enemy may accuse me of at the hour of my death and whatsoever thou my dread Judg maist in the rigour of thy Justice lay to my charge at the day of thy dreadful Judgement I repenr me heartily for all that I have done amiss I renounce all that is opposite to thy perfect love and liking I resolve to amend all and to avoid all sinful occasions I resign body soul all to do Penance make all possible Satisfaction And lastly for thine own sake sweet Jesu I beseech thee to pardon all relying upon thy goodness confiding in thy mercy rejoicing at what thou art to wit so loving and so worthy of all love so good in thy self so good to all others so good to me the least and worst of all others Let all creatures joyn with my soul to love honour serve and praise thee her glorious Creator her gracious Redeemer her liberal Sanctifier this day and for all eternity And now my Lord Jesu I here again lay down the whole burrhen of my Sins at thy sacred Feet and take up thy Cross in exchange Resolving by thy gracious assistance to pass on my lives pilgrimage in the perpetual practise of Penance Patience and Purity abandoning Body Soul Goods Limbs Life all to thy service Accept my offer O dear Lord Jesu and admit me henceforth for one of thy meanest Bond-slaves Let me live and dy in the performance of this my promised duty obedience and submission to thy holy Will and Precepts Let me never more offend thee but loath and abhor the very name and shadow of Sin more than Death or Hell it self Teach me O Lord how to persevere in thy love and to correspond to my vocation with a zealous fervor joyned with prudence and discretion That serving thee my Soveraign Lord and Master during my abode in this prison of Mortality with fidelity simplicity sincerity I may at the end of my lives course be received into immortality with security and that as I here justly sing forth thy Mercies for having used such sweet and efficacious means to bring my sinking Bark into the safe Haven so I may there joyfully intone eternal Canticles of thy Divine praises in thy Kingdom of glory Amen ¶ 6. An easie and necessary method of Examining the Conscience for the making of a General Confession General Advertisements concerning General Confessions 1. THe motive which obliges all Christians who are desirous to perform their Duty and settle their souls in the state of Grace to make a General Confession is only this When upon just and rational Grounds and not out of an erroneous or scrupulous Understanding they doubt of the Validity of any of their former Confessions by reason-of some essential Defect which accompanied them The
little and bad use of them as I have done If I deny all this my conscience witnesseth against me If I confess it Oh! why am I not more humble Finally If such great troubles temptations and tribulations had hapned to me as have done to others I should by consenting have ere now burn'd in Hell fire but thou O meek and merciful Creator hast spared me because thou knowest my weakness sent me smal crosses because I can't bear greater c. Wherefore Not unto me O Lord but to thee be all honour for time and eternity O that I could know thee and know my self O that I could truly see my own nothing and total dependency on thee my misery and malice and thy perfection and total goodness Ay me weak and wretched N What are my forces that I should rely on them I have nothing O my Lord but what is thine my merits are thy mercies my goods thy graces yet I never have been thankful for receiving them nor faithful in using them O! when did I trust in my own strength and was not foiled and confounded Grant therefore O my Lord O my only hope and help O my sole safety and security that I may totally trust to thee and distrust my self truly acknowledg thee and deny my self entirely love thee and bate my self 6. A further Confession of our own poorness unprofitableness unworthiness I Confess O my Lord that I am the poorest ungratefullest unprofitablest and unworthiest worm of the earth a thing altogether useless to the world only active to offend thee and to do wickedly in thy sight and is it possible that I can harbour any thought of self-love or self-liking O God of infinite glory greatness and Majesty before whom the powers of heaven do tremble what are all creatures in thy sight and what am I the meanest of them all O what proportion is there Great God! between me and thee between thy All and my Nothing and yet have I infring'd thy laws disobey'd thy commands contemn'd thy Counsels resisted thy callings and contradicted thy Will to prefer my own O monstrous impiety and ingratitude And shall not I willingly submit to all pain punishment contradiction contempt which thou O my highly offended Creator shalt suffer thy creatures to inflict upon me Behold O my Lord I debase humble and annihilate my self under all things that have a being I will henceforth utterly hate distrust and detest my self and wholy love thee and rely upon thy mercy O holy self-knowledg O sacred humility thou art the key of all perfection the door of all solid virtue piety and devotion 7. Resolutions to practise Humility Self-denial and Abnegation I Now clearly see by the light of thy divine goodness O gracious Lord God! what hath hitherto been the cause of my non-proficiency in the way of the Spirit and why the path of virtue seemed so unpleasant thornie tedious and troublesome to my deceived soul It was because I had not learn'd to leave loath deny and distrust my self and rely wholy on thee O my only comfort and support I will therefore henceforth faithfully practise what I perceive so necessary I will profoundly humble my Soul both inwardly in thy presence O my Lord and outwardly to the whole world I will joyfully and voluntarily embrace all injury indignity contempt correction and confusion which can befal me with as much pleasure as I have formerly any worldly cherishings and kindnesses I will utterly destroy ruine and root out all Self-love self-liking self-seeking self-praise and self-complacency I will cast my self under the feet of the vilest creatures take pleasure in the meanest employments and obey them most willingly whom my nature most distasts and dislikes I will walk before thee O my Creator as thy needy naked desolate and destitute Vassal acknowledging my self void of all Virtue attributing to my self nothing but sin ingratitude defects failings imperfections I will fully perswade my self that no one can contemn confound persecute and punish me as I deserve I will not regard whether I am honoured or hated but imagine my self as a thing dead and forgotten or as that which never had a being and is now truly nothing I will be contented to be accounted an Hypocrite in my sincerest actions and to be thought full of inward impatience secret grudgings and desires of revenge against them who shall any way mortifie or misuse me though my Heart be never so free from it Finally I will have these and the like thoughts and words always in my heart and mouth I am nothing I have nothing I do no good I am an unprofitable servant I utterly hate and distrust my self and totally rely upon thee O my Lord my Love and my All. The Fourth Exercise To obtain Remission of our Sins 1. We excite our dull and drowsie Souls to arise speedily and lament seriously our former sinfulness WHO will give water to my Head and fountains of tears to my Eyes And I will weep day and night for my Sins which cover me all over like an incurable ulcer from the sole of the Foot to the crown of the Head Where art thou O my wretched and wicked Soul In what labyrinths dost thou walk In what sinks of Sin and puddles of uncleanness dost thou wallow Awake arise lament repent how long wilt thou sleep Why wilt thou die when wilt thou shake off thy fetters Ah return filly sheep to thy good Pastor return poor Prodigal to thy pious Father whose goodness so lovingly invites thee whose mercy hath so long expected thee O great and glorious God the mighty Monarch of heaven and earth King of Kings and Lord of Lords behold a poor and penitent Publican who is asham'd to lift up his eyes to Heaven and unworthy to take your Sacred Name into his sinful mouth humbly knocking at your gate of mercy clipping your holy feet and craving your accustomed pitty and compassion O merciful Lord Hide not your self from me shut not the door against me Oh! one crum of comfort one dram of devotion to my sad and sick Soul to my dry and desolate Spirit 2. Our God is all to us and in us and the Authour of all our goodness I Am conscious of my ingratitude against thee O supreme Majesty and my sin is always before me and confounding me But whether should I retire my self from thee To whom should I have recourse but unto thee Art not thou my Father my Father of mercies which have neither limits nor measure Art not thou my Maker my Preserver my Governor my Deliverer my King my Pastor my Physician my Priest my Sacrifice If thou art not all this and more to me and if I am nothing to thee refuse me reject me and relinquish me a prey to be swallowed up by thine enemies But it is time O Lord that Heaven and Earth take notice of what thou art to me and what I am to thee It is time thou shouldest enter into thy
in thy absence Who will pity my Case who will plead my Cause who will pardon my Crimes who will save my Soul Thou only art all my comfort come therefore to me or take me to thee 4. The holy Baptist esteem'd himself unworthy to loose the latchet of thy Sandals St. Peter to be in the same Bark with thee The Centurion to admit thee under his Roof And what art thou my poor Soul compar'd to these great Saints Lord I am not worthy of this honour and happiness which I much desire Depart therefore from me a sinner or rather come to me and cause that I may sin no more 5. Who is the Guest I mean to lodg One who infinitly surpasses all created perfections One whose power fram'd all whose providence governs all whose beck can in a moment bring all back to their Original Nothing And is it possible he will descend to dwell in houses of Earth If the Heavens cannot contain thee Dread Soveraign how shall my soul Whence O Lord is this thy goodness to me Who am I to deserve it No 't is thy Love that brings thee to me and 't is my Confidence that leads me to thee O that I were as clean as thy Empyreal Heaven to entertain thee as Pure as the Virgin MARY to receive thee 6. What need I other Motives of Humility than to see thee O Jesu so humble in this Sacrament Thou annihilatest thy glory to become my food who am the food of worms I am saist thou the bread of life take me eat me digest me nourish thy self with me have as much power over me as much possession of me as of a morsel of bread which thou swallowest Come then O my Lord and Lover take full and free possession of me establish thy government adorn thy lodging command control correct all be thou all in all in my Soul c. 7. With desire sayst thou my sweet Saviour I have desired to eat this Pasche with you before I suffer Why O Lord dost thou so much desire it and I so little What good will come to thee by it and what good will not come to me by it Dost thou so heartily desire my good and shall I not desire my own good and thy glory 8. At what time was this pledg of the divin love and comfort of our life instituted Just in the night of our dear Saviours Passion immediatly before he was hurried away to Death O Love without limits O mercy without measure When men seek out the means to bereave thee of life Thou inventest this Banquet to give them life How well O Loving Jesu dost thou teach me to repay good for evil and to give my life and blood for my Enemies but much more for thee who hast shew'd me such large tokens of thy tender affection 9. In what place In a Chamber on high well swept well prepar'd freely profer'd wherein our Redeemer wrought strange things both before and after his Resurrection What Lodging O Lord shall I offer thy sacred Majesty Child give me thy heart Lord take it behold I neither lend it nor sell it but I freely and fully give it unto thee for Nothing And yet I give thee nothing but thine own O Lord It is not clean purifie it with thy Blood It is not adorned Beautifie it with thy Grace Love and Favour It is not High but base mean terrene Elevate it with thy ennobling Presence touch it draw near it and draw it near thy self And then work in it thy holy will and pleasure 10. Who were the Receivers The twelve Apostles whereof one was a Traitor Is it I Lord Alas If there be any one I am most likely yet my comfort is that I come not with any such treacherous intention but to lodg and love thee to obtain pardon for my Sins and to implore thy Grace that I may sin no more 11. O my Soul how mercifully hath thy Lord and Maker provided for thee nourished thee cherished thee All living creatures stand in need of such sustenance as is conformable to their nature without which they cannot live and subsist Some of them are Corporal Others are Spiritual Man partakes of both as consisting of Body and Soul which are two different things wedded together by the divin Wisdom and in a most wondrous manner not to be understood by our weak capacity Mark now O man admire and weep in the extasie of thy joy and love how God provides meat for thy twofold Nature For thy bodies food physick and support He provides preserves and sustains all sublunary Creatures and for thy Souls food physick and support He provides the bread of Angels and himself in person the Baker being the Holy Ghost the Oven the Virgin Mary the Fire Charity the Matter Human Nature united to the Divinity O prodigies of Affection 12. Thy other Sacraments O my Lord and my God! contain and give Grace but this contains and gives the Author of Grace the Fire of Love the Sun of Justice the Fountain of Mercy This therefore surpasses them as far as the Sun doth its Beam the Fire its Flame and the Fountain its Rivulet O how excessive is thy Love Dear Lord to my poor Soul in that thou art pleas'd to visit it in thy proper person to cure cleanse comfort it with thy own divin hand and heart to nourish it with thy own blessed Body and Blood O what thanks honour love and gratitude are due to thy infinite bounty and liberality O my Soul where are thy exclamations admirations extasies of affection Remainest thou alone insensible dry and undevout amongst these miracles of Gods goodness towards thee Hast thou no heart no feeling no fervour amidst these flames of his Charity Enkindle new fires O Lord in my heart burn it consume it annihilate it in the furnace of thy Love 13. O the admirable power of my God which works so many Miracles at one Word of his servants mouth Bread becomes Flesh Wine Blood the Creature our Creator Speak also a Word sweet Jesu to my Soul say This Soul is mine Take it Lord transform it change it into thy self Let it be no longer mine but thine for all future time and eternity 14 Why was this divin Sacrament instituted under the forms of Bread and Wine 1. To shew the necessity of it Can our bodies live without bread and drink And can our Souls live without thee O loving Jesu 2. To teach us what Union our Lord desires to make with our Souls Is not meat and drink incorporated into our substance And is not this the effect of thy Sacramental presence O Saviour in humble and holy Souls O what alterations what alienations what extasies do they feel in and after Communion They do not breath but burn not live but languish their life is all Love their Spirit all Fire O Lord let fall one drop of this dew upon my dry Soul Give it good Jesu one Spark of this Fire one Beam
consider you are now present at the same Supper have the same Meat and Drink set before you the same Sacrifice the same Priest the same Love bestowing it Let your Heart be the Altar your Soul the Pix and your Will another Sacrifice The first of the precedent Considerations dilated with Affections which may serve as a pattern by which the others may likewise be enlarged according to each ones capacity and devotion As a Patient to his Physician TAke pity on me Lord for I am weak and infirm The healthy have no need of a Physician but they who are ill at ease nor did you come Dear Saviour to call the Just but Sinners And alas I am one of them My Soul is sick and sinful My heart is sore afflicted and ill affected I am all full of disordinate affections unruly passions violent temptations and vain distractions I am nothing but impatience impurity impertinency immortification inconstancy I am made up of pride presumption propriety partiality Oh! my Soul is sick all over All is self-love self-will and self-seeking Thou O sweet Jesu art my Physician and if thou art so pleased thou canst soon purifie me Take therefore O compassionate Saviour the care and cure of my sick Soul into thy sacred and powerful hands for all my hope of help and health is from thee only O what subject of Comfort Courage and Confidence hast thou my weak Soul since thy Physitian is Almighty having all creatures at his command All-mercy his Love making him do what is best All-wisdom knowing all Consciences all Wounds and all the ways to Cure them Wherefore O Soul-saving Physitian if thou art always ready and always willing to heal thy poor Patients what need I fear but only to displease thee or care but only to content thee If any earthly Physician had all these joint qualities Would he permit any Patient to perish See then my soul where the defect is In the Patient or in the Physician And finding it assuredly in thy self Remove it speedily and then approach it confidently Alas my Body is an Hospital my Soul is the Patient my Diseases are A burning Feaver of Choller a cold fit of Tepidity a Tympany of Pride a Dropsie of Avarice a Fistula of Self-love c. very dangerous and deep Diseases But behold my Physician is coming in person into my poor House and Hospital to lodg and live with me O Love O Lord O Father O Physician Behold my Wounds and my Wants But What is the Physick he prescribes What the Plaisters he applyes Admire with Joy O my sickly Soul accept with Gratitude drink and digest with Delight and Comfort Here are no bitter Pills no unsavory Potions no corroding Drugs to be swallowed down but the most sweet solid and wholsom food of Angels even his own most precious Body and Blood O Love unheard of O Physick beyond imagination The Lord the King the Father the Physician hath made a Bath of his own Blood a Medicin of his own Flesh a Banquet of his own Person to Bathe to Cure to Nourish his Son his Subject his Slave his Patient his Enemy a Worm a Nothing O my Soul How shall we reward so charitable a Physisician O my Lord First Cure me and then take me for thy Fee And how was this Physick obtained At what Rate was it purchased and by whose Love and Expences Surely all Heaven and Earth could not pay it but God gave his only Son for the price of it O excess of Goodness and Mercy The Physician himself is also the Physick the Potion and the Price O Mystery O Miracle The Physician is let blood in the Hands and Feet with Nails in the Head with Thorns in the Heart with a Lance He is Drencht with a bitter Potion of Vinegar and Gall and in the end He Dies a most painful death on the Cross Why all this To give Health Strength Liberty and Life to my sick and sinful Soul O dear Jesu how much am I thy Debtor O Angels and Saints concur with me to give him Thanks O Heaven and Earth help me to praise him O my Body and Soul consume as Wax and Oyl upon the Altar of his Love O all my faculties melt away in the Fire of his Charity Lastly O my Soul This Physician is no stranger no forreigner but thy God and thy Father And how happy am I O my good Father to be under thy skilful tender and loving Hand Lance cut kill thy Child if thou spare him for Eternity Other Acts Affections and Preparations for Communion Christ's Invitation COme unto me all you that labour in temptation and trouble all you that are overladen with your burthensome body and bad nature All you that are assaulted with vicious inclinations and violent Passions All you that are dismaid at the Memory of your past offences and at the feeling of your present frailty Come to me your Father your Physician your Food Have you sinned I will forgive you Are you Sick and Wounded I will comfort and cure you Are you Troubled and Tempted I will ease and deliver you Are you Weak and ready to faint under your Burthen I will nourish and strengthen you Are you Cold Dull Dark Desolate and even dead I will inflame you enlighten you revive you melt you into Devotion and transform you into my self by a perfect Union Why come you not to me Behold I come to you begging to be your Guest and desiring to be lodg'd in your Breast I come not only into your House but into your Heart Not only to eat with you but to be eaten by you Turn away then from all Creatures Return to me your Creator turn unto me your Center and Satiety The Soul's Admiration WHo art thou my Lord God! To whom wilt thou come Where meanest thou to lodg What moves thee to so great Charity What wilt thou do in my poor Cottage Humility O Lord I profess my self unworthy to take thy holy Name into my sinful mouth and shall I presume to take thy sacred Body and Blood into my impure Soul Wil thou give the Bread of Children to a beastly Dog Yes my Soul such is thy Lord and Masters admirable Love and Mercy that he gives himself to be eaten by thee his poor base and abject slave O excess of goodness Wishes O That of every Creature I could make a rational Soul Of every Soul a burning Seraphin of every Seraphin a heavenly Kingdom to the end that thou my loving Lord mightest be lodged purely be serv'd perfectly be pleased totally and be praised eternally Prayses LEt Heaven and Earth bless thy Name magnifie thy mercy exalt thy bounty Let thy own infinite Love and Goodness sanctifie thee And let my poor Soul and all that is within me say Amen Allelujah Thou art worthy O Lamb of God! who wert slaughter'd and sacrificed for the sins of the world to receive all honour glory and benediction from all Creatures Supplication O Amiable and innocent
have more Time Zeal and Devotion Four Petitions after Communion which may be made also at any other time with very much profit 1. HAving lodg'd your Lord and Master Cleanly 2. Thanked him heartily 3. Offered him all freely 4. Resolved to leave all for him Sincerely 5. Promised to serve him faithfully Ask what you stand in need of Go to him boldly and beg of him confidently for he will deny you nothing that shall be for your Good and his Glory since as sure as God is God so sure it is that he is Good and that he desires your good And now is the time to treat with him about the affairs of your Soul and your Salvation For he is seated in the midst of your Heart as a King upon the Throne of his Mercy To give Audience To receive Complaints To redress Aggrievances and to give favourable Sentences Speak therefore to him Lord Jesu I here shew you my Wounds as to my Physician My Wants as to my Father My Wishes as to my Friend I am Wounded all over in my Soul Understanding Will Affections Passions I Want all that is good Humility Charity Patience c. What I wish thou well knowest who art privy to my secret sighs O Father O Physician O Friend Cure me Comfort me Content me 1. My first Petition is That thy sacred Name may be Sanctified Honour'd and Prais'd by all in all above all That thy Kingdom may come thy Kingdom of Grace in this world and of Glory in the next That thy Will may be done in Earth as it is in Heaven in me and in all things purely perfectly eternally 2. My second Petition is True Light true Love true Liberty true Life O my Soul Mark well how much thou wantest these Four things and thou wilt heartily demand them 3. My third Petition is A generous Disgust and Contempt of all terrene and sensual Comforts Companies Commodities A cleer sight and a couragious Resolution to know and to enterprize whatsoever shall be to thy Will and Honour An invincible Patience and Perseverance in enduring all this lives Crosses Contradictons Inconveniences A simple naked and indifferent Charity loving God in all and above all and all others in or for Him without interest or partiality or hypocrisie 4. My fourth Petition is Increase of Grace Extirpation of Vice Implantation of Vertue Mortification of Passions Victory over ill Customs Progress in divin Love Purity of Intention Perseverance in the way of Perfection All which I most humbly beg for my self for my Friends for my Enemies for them who have done me any good for the whole Church for all the World Two Questions which Jesus proposes to the Soul being in the midst thereof After Communion 1. O Blind Creature What wilt thou that I should do unto thee What dost thou want desire expect Fear not to speak I am thy Father and thy Physician Lord That I may See Thou maist easily perceive sweet Saviour what I Want and for what I Wish What doth a Blind wretch desire but Eyes and Light to See and Know both thee and Himself thy Mercy and his own misery thy Will and his own Obligations Lord Let me See thee here by Faith and hereafter by eternal Vision Fruition Possession 2. Peter Lovest thou me more than these N. tell me truly feel the pulse of thy Heart weigh thy Affection in the just Ballance of the Sanctuary speak unfainedly without self-flattery Dost thou Love me at least wilt thou Love me how much dost thou love me more than all these Creatures Answer if thou darest Lord thou knowest that I love thee a little and I will love thee more and will never cease to love thee till I come to love thee only It is easie for the Sea to swallow up a small Drop for the fire to consume a little Straw and for the Sun to revive a little Worm And is it not easier for thee O Sea of Sweetness O Fire of Love O Sun of Justice to absorp transform annihilate my poor Spirit into your Self and to make me a pure and perfect love changing my Sadness into Joy Darkness into Light Coldness into Fervor and putting new Vigor new Heat new life into my Heart N. Dost thou love me If so let me see the Tree by its Fruits Do this for my love Cut off such a superfluity abandon such company avoid such curiosity c. Love such an one for my sake Forgive all upon my command Suffer this Mortification Contradiction Cross Infirmity for my love leave all for me and leave thy self to me ¶ 9. Directions Entertainments and Affections during the time of Mass Every devout Christian should carefully observe these three Rules 1. TO hear Mass daily if he hath health leisure and opportunity 2. Not to go to Mass for fashions sake or out of custom but out of a deep sense of the incomprehensible greatness of this divin Sacrifice and out of a fervent desire to contemplate his God cloath'd with our humanity under the shapes of Bread and Wine in the Priests hands 3. Not to enter into the place design'd for this holy purpose as he would into a Play-house but with a Reverent Religious Recollected composition of all his exteriour and interiour Senses and briefly with such a behaviour as may beseem one who is to be honoured with the presence and speech of a God Preparatory Prayers before Mass Whilst the Priest is vesting himself you may entertain your self with some of these following Prayers and Elevations PRostrate before the Throne of thy divin Majesty O dread Soveraign I humbly implore thy Pardon for my Offences thy Grace for a supply of my indignity and thy Love to ravish my soul and senses in the contemplation of this Sacred Mystery that my whol interiour and exteriour man may be intirely employ'd in praising and admiring thy infinit Goodness and Mercy O sweet Jesu I will accompany thee to Mount Calvary Make me partaker I beseech thee of that Charity which conducted thee thither Give me such a feeling of thy sufferings as had the daughters of Sion meeting thee with the Cross on thy Shoulders a Cord about thy Neck and a Thorny Crown on thy Head Grant me a Resignation of my Will to thine like that of thy Virgin-Mother at the foot of thy Cross And by the Merits of thy Sufferings and Constancy bestow on me the gift of Perseverance in thy love and service O divin Spirit the faithful Bridegroom of my Soul Descend now graciously into it purifie it from the dross of its imperfections and replenish it with the flames of thy sacred affections that it may breath nothing but thy Love and desire nothing but the accomplishment of thy Will Then direct your intention and apply the Mass in this manner I offer unto thee O my God of infinit Majesty this divin Sacrifice by the hands of thy Priest For the Remission of all my Sins for a Thanksgiving for all thy Benefits for a
Distinctly not in an over high tone loud voyce or eager precipitation 3 Devoutly to move his affection 4. Deliberately and with certain pauses and interruptions staying upon such points and passages as may touch pierce and comfort him As for example ARe you desirous my dear Brother to entertain your departing Soul with the memory of your dying Redeemer Lift up then your Heart sweetly and quietly to your Saviour whilst I shall recite what he did said and suffered for your sake The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to S. Luke With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer Mark these ardent and affectionate expressions of your dear Redeemer He hath still for you the same love and desire and his Will is that you shall celebrate this Pasch with him eternally in his happy Paradise This is my body which I give for you If your blessed Saviour hath given you his Body give yours to him and be content in your sufferings I prepare for you a Kingdom that you may eat at my Table O comfortable sentence 'T is for you that this Kingdom is prepared Pass to it cheerfully couragiously confidently O my Lord I am ready to accompany you into Prison and unto Death O the admirable courage of St. Peter say you the same and you will dy resignedly Pray that you may not enter into temptation Reflect upon these words and since this is a time of temptation elevate to God your Heart that you may be delivered He prayed on bended Knees Behold a rare example Do you imitate it in desire and affection and permit not your spirit to be born down with the sufferings of your body O Father If you please let this Chalice pass away from me yet not my Will but yours be done O how comfortably should you repeat this prayer of your agonizing Saviour Speak it in your Heart and unite your thoughts to those of your sweet Jesus Being in his Agony he prayed more ardently Behold Jesus in the same condition with your self Pray then pray heartily ardently perseverantly And his Sweat became like drops of blood trickling down upon the earth This bloody Sweat will wash away your Sins sweeten your Pains and smooth your passage to Eternity Judas came up to Jesus and Jesus kissed him Comfort your self in Christs kissing Judas Ah! shall not you hope to obtain his kiss of peace in Heaven since you dy in quality of his faithful friend and favourite Jesus looked back upon Peter after he had denied him O sweet words and can you doubt but that Jesus beholds you lying now upon your Death-bed humbly adoring him heartily confessing him and ardently loving him These and the like devout and pithy Reflection and Applications may be made upon the reading of the Passion which surely cannot but afford much comfort to the agonizing person and edification to the assistants Holding the Crucifix before him ADore your dear Saviour dying on the Cross for you and trust in his infinit merits and mercies Kiss these sacred Wounds hide your self in these holes of the Rock and rest here secure against all your enemies deceits and stratagems Offer up the death of JESVS to his eternal Father and desire that yours being thereto united may become pleasing to his divin Majestie Say with the Publican O my God! be merciful to me a Sinner Cry out with the Blind man O Jesu thou Son of David take pity upon me Profess your Faith with S. Thomas O my Lord and my God Animate your Hope to say with me I hope I shall soon see Him in Heaven whom I now contemplate fastned to the Cross Excite your Charity with S. Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Address your self to the Eternal Father with the words of dying Jesus O my Father into your hands I commend my Spirit When the sick Person draws so near towards his Death that no further Applications can be made to him let the devout Assistants charitably pray for him in this or the like manner O Most compassionat Jesu Take pity upon him O Jesu the Redeemer Lover and Life of Christian Souls Have mercy upon him O Jesu the sweet Comforter of all desolate and distressed Sinners Comfort encourage and strengthen him O holy Mary the Refuge of Sinners Pray for him O Mother of Mercy Mother of Grace Mother of Jesus Mother of Power Pity him protect him defend him assist him in this his greatest extremity O glorious Saint Joseph the nursing Father of Jesus and Virginal Spouse of the Virgin Mary Pray for him O Angelical Spirit who have been hitherto his faithful Guardian Do not now abandon him but conduct his soul to its prepared place of eternal rest and happiness O all ye holy Saints and Angels and you St N. his special Patron receive him into your happy company O Jesu be you unto him a Jesus and save him A Prayer to God the Father O Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort we most humbly address our petitions to the Throne of thy divine Clemency in the behalf of this our languishing Brother beseeching thee by the immensity of thy Mercy and by the infinity of thy Sons merits to pardon his sins to mitigate his pains to arm him with patience to furnish him with perseverance in thy Grace and Love till his last Gasp and then to receive his departing Soul into thy paternal care and protection A Prayer to Christ Jesus O Lord Jesu Christ who wert mercifully pleas'd to suffer an ignominious death upon the Cross for the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind we most humbly beseech thee to interpose the Sweat of thy Agony and the Blood of thy Passion between the severe Justice of thy Eternal Father and the grievous Sins and offences of this thy poor servant And deliver him in this hour of his Death from all such pains and punishments as he may fear to have justly deserved A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin O Sacred Mother of Jesus By that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender Heart when thou stoodest by thy dear Son hanging on the Cross heardst him uttering his last Words and beheldst him giving up his Ghost We beseech thee to assist also this thy dying Child with thy Prayers whom his Brother Jesus recommended then and there to thy peculiar care and custodie saying O Woman behold thy Son Turn thy Eyes of pitie and compassion towards him O Blessed Mother in this his extream misery and affliction and leave him not in this his last and greatest necessity O clement O pious O sweet Virgin Mary When the Agonizing person is ready to expire DEpart O Christian Soul Depart in peace out of this world In the name of God the Father who Created thee In the name of God the Son who Redeemed thee In the name of God the Holy Ghost who espoused thee In the name of the Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principalities Powers Cherubins and Seraphins In the
such conveniencies as serve for my lives ordinary entertainment till such time as thou shalt please to free my Soul from this fleshly slavery and accomplish my Redemption by destroying all that is borrowed from the old Adam and consummating my adoption in Glory which I desire for no other end but to be no longer subject to offend thee my Lord and Maker and that I may be happily obliged and necessitated to praise and love thee for all Eternity 5. A Prayer for the Conversion of Hereticks ONe of the secret Judgments of thy divine Providence O Omnipotent Creator which I humbly adore without daring to dive into it is the permission of Heresies to spring up in such multitudes as Weeds amidst the Wheat in the field of Christianity 'T is for the conversion of these misbelievers for the reduction of these straid sheep for the illumination of these blinded Christians that we now present our petition to the Throne of thy divine Clemency Clear them O Lord clear the Understandings of these our brethren for so they are by participating with us of the self-same Baptism and recal them to the safe sheep-fold of thy Universal Church Give them we beseech thee that Columbin simplicity which is necessary to receive and retain the Faith of thy Gospel and that Christian infancy which is not suspicious not litigious not apt to dispute and judge not puff'd up with any self-opinions Let them see and admire the beauty of Catholick verities by an inward light penetrating their Understandings and captivating them to the obedience 〈◊〉 faith and the Church Ingrave in their Wills the love of thy Truths and dissipate all these impostures wherewith their deceived Teachers entertain them in the hatred of our sacred mysteries We have enough disputed written preached be thou now O divine Doctor the concluding Umpire of all our Controversies Speak effectually to their hearts O all penetrating spirit and open them to hear thy Voice and to admit of thy Inspirations and having fill'd them with the seed of thy saving Faith shut them and seal them with thy grace lest the Birds of prey snatch it away O Soveraign Shepheard reunite these wandring sheep to their true Pastor and make us all members of one Body under one Head that we may with one heart and mouth unanimously adore praise and glorifie thy sacred Name during the remaining time of our pilgrimage upon Earth and afterwards in Heaven for all Eternity 6. A Prayer for a Special Friend PReserve O Lord thy Servant N. for whose Health Happiness and Prosperity we humbly offer up these our Petitions to thy Sacred Majesty beseeching thee to grant him a perseverant Constancy in the Catholick Faith a safe passaâ—… through this lives dangerous Pilgrimage and that no Worldly Carnal or Diabolical Temptations may have the power to separate him from thee his prime and only Good Give him Grace to correspond to the Calling and Condition wherein thou hast placed him Direct him in all his Ways Defend him against all his Enemies and grant him finally a happy Death and departure out of this World and a speedy passage after Death to the fruition of thy Eternal Felicity 7. A Prayer for a Friend in Tribulation VOuchsafe O merciful Creator to afford the sweetness of thy Comfort to thy afflicted servant N. and to remove according to thy wonted Mercy the heavy burthen of his Calamities Give him we humbly beseech thee Patience in his sufferings Resignation to thy good pleasure Perseverance in thy service and a happy translation from this afflictive Life to thy Eternal Felicity 8. A Prayer for our Enemies Detractors and Persecutors O Meek and Merciful Lord Jesu the great Master Exemplar and Practiser of Peace Charity and Union amongst men Who hast commanded us to love our Enemies and to do good for them who hate us and who prayedst on the Cross for thy capital Adversaries Increase within us we most humbly beseech thee the Spirit of Christian Charity that we may freely heartily and sincerely forgive them who have any way offended injured or persecuted us Bestow on them also O Blessed Saviour the same Spirit of perfect Peace Love and Charity and powerfully defend us from all their Deceits and Treachery 9. A Prayer for a Woman labouring in Child-Bed O Most dread Soveraign Who for the just punishment of the first Womans prevarication hast pronounced and imposed a severe and unavoydable Sentence of Malediction upon all Woman-kind that they should bring forth their Children in pain and sorrow We most humbly beseech thee O undrainable Fountain of Goodness and Mercy to mitigate the rigour of this general Edict in behalf of this your poor Handmayd N. now labouring in the pangs of Child-Bed and to give her Courage Comfort and Patience in her sufferings Grant her O gracious Lord God! a speedy and happy Deliverance and that the Child she bears in her womb may be brought forth into the World accompanied with all such Perfections of Body Soul and Senses as are befitting our human nature that it may live to be re-born by Baptism and that both the Child and the Mother may become thy faithful Servants 10. A Prayer to withdraw our Minds from the superfluous Cares and Solicitudes of this World O Lord our true Lover our faithful Teacher and our bountiful Nourisher Take from us all vain superfluous and noxious Cares and Solicitudes and since thou hast been graciously pleas'd to promise us that thy Self wilt make a sufficient Provision for us grant that we may confidently rely in all things upon thy sacred Providence Let us therefore fix our Hearts and Affections upon Heavenly Objects Let us seek only thy Kingdom and be only solicitous for the advancement of thy Honour and Glory Let us run on cheerfully couragiously perseverantly in the way of thy Precepts during this our earthly Pilgrimage that so we may be finally translated to thy Heavenly Paradise 11. A Prayer to appease the Divine Indignation in any publick or private Necessity WHen we compare O Lord thy Punishments with our own Prevarications we are forced to confess that our Crimes do far exceed thy Chastisements We are sensible of our Sins Penalty but we leave not our sinful Pertinacy Our sick Minds are troubled but our stiff Necks are not bowed Our Life languishes under the burthen of our Afflictons and yet we amend not our wicked Actions We acknowledg our misdeeds in the day of Correction and we forget what we have bewailed after the Visitation If thou O Lord stretchest forth thy Hand to strike us we make thee large Promises if thou sheathest thy Sword we fail in our Performances If thou scourgest us we petition thee to spare us if thou mercifully sparest us we again maliciously provoke thee to scourge us Behold O dread Soveraign Thou hast us self-accused adjudged condemned and we well know that unless thou wilt pardon us we must needs perish Yet grant unto us O Compassionate Father that which we desire