the least satisfaction or effusion of hart towards creatures will make you continually to go out of your self to loose your self in God and to remain in him and this is the true effect of the state of faith to which you are called for the life of faith is to live not in ones self nor for ones self but in God and for God. 4. In occasions where you shall find your hart or sences ready to satisfy themselves in any curious booke humersome word or promptitude laet this word alone put a stop to them My God my all you alone suffice me I desire nothing but you Or else can I content my self ô my God in discontenting you ô love of my God reign only in me no more of creature nor of human satisfaction to a hart of which God is the master 5. At any time when you have any thing to suffer either by sicknesse or trouble of mind or by the disquiets or contradictions of men let this thought presently calme your mind You will have it so my God be it so content your self I am yours being a thousand times happy in suffering to please you and in dying for you Or else cast a simple reguard of confidence and resignation upon a crucifix or any Image of our Blessed Lady or towards the blessed Sacrement according to the place you shall be in with this word IESVS dyes in paynes for me and would I suffer nothing for him There can be no love without sufferance or no sufferance without love 6. Leave your self thus in the hands of God to be crucifyd by a continuall and intire abandoning your self amidst all the contradictions and aridities from within this is the way devine truth takes to make a victime of you he will annihilat by litle and litle in you all that is of you 7. Follow your affaires with a great liberty of mind with a calme and continual equallity of hart Employ not your self in them for any other reason but because God would have you do so and when he would have you do so God is content and this is the word with which you are to support your self in them Simple reflections of faith upon a Crucifix 1. WHat do you suffer my IESVS and how litle am I moved with your sufferings What paines What injuries and what blood do you shed for an ungratfull creature 2. You dye my IESVS you dye of griefe for me and can I live to my self or live without suffering for you Can I live without a Cross ô what lost moments are these in which I suffer not for you ô let me suffer or dye 3. O wounds ô nailes ô thornes ô torments ô Cross what pain do you give to my IESVS ô my Saviour what confusion ought I to have seeing you suffer thus much Yet what griefe ought I not to have that I am the cause of your sufferings 4. Behold my soul the worke of thy infidelityes and the love of a God cease then to satisfye thy self to content thy dying JESVS Advices 1. EVERY night cast some one of these simple reguards upon your crucifix after your examen for a short space one alone suffices each time and even one word of each 2. Make vse of these aspirations in prayer and when you are at Masse being troubled or opprest to support your self 3. Read them often in the day time especially the last and the other before Masse and prayer Aspirations to be made at all times to recollect ones self in God. FOR RISING 1. MY God and my all 2. All to you my God all in you all by you FOR PRAYER 1. Content your self my God. 2. My God my all 3. You my God are all and I am nothing 4. You my God behold me and will have me be as I am therfore I desire to be so 5. I come not hither to content my self but to content God. 6. O the good will and pleasure of my God I Sacrifice my self intirely to you For the employments and exteriour occupations of the day 1. GOd is content this is my joy and my sole happinesse 2. O my God would I content my self and displease you 3. All to you my God all for you all in you 4. God alone suffices me all else is nothing to me 5. The more we dye to our selves the more me shall live in God. 6. Let us go my soule let us go and loose our selves in God let us cease to be to the end that God may be all in us 7. What do I desire in heaven or on earth but you ô the God of my hart my Portion for Eternity An Elevation to the Sacred harts of JESVS and MARY to obtaine the love of God. O Inflamed harts living with love ô Sanctuaries of the divinity temples of the Sovereign Majesty Altars of Divine Charity harts that burn with love for God and me I honour you I love you and I melt with love and respect in your presence I unite my self to your holy dispositions I will yes I will burn with your fire and live with your life what joy have I to se you happy and content what part do I take in your graces in your sorrowes and in your glory with how good a hart would I dye and suffer all things rather then displease you O my hart we must act no longer but according to the inclinations of these sacred harts you ought to expire in silence in their presence to all that is human of naturall in you 2. O that I were able to engage all the harts of mankind to render homage to the hart of JESVS and MARY and to forme themselves according to their divine modelle ô harts full of grace purity fervour and humility inspire my hart with these sentiments I unite my self to you I loose my self in you I will live no more but by you and for you 3. Thus all the employment of my hart shall be from hence forward to remain in silence and respect annihilated in the presence of JESVS and MARY and there as a burning lampe that consumes it self before the Blessed Sacrament to burn to suffer and to dye Be it so The holy Mother of God hath lately promised to one of her Children that whoever shall say the following Prayer with devotion if they be in the grace of God she shall augment the divine love in their harts at each of these twelve salutations and benedictions which it containes and if they are in mortall sinn with her sweet and Virginall hand she will knock at the dore of their harts at each salutation to excite them to open unto grace and she added that when one should find any persons in great sinnes and hard to be converted that it would be good to excite them to say this prayer with a good will or at least to consent to have it sayd for them mervelous effects of it have lately been seen in severall persons 1. Haile MARY Daughter of God the Father 2. Haile MARY Mother of God the Sonn 3. Haile MARY Spouse of God the Holy Ghost 4. Haile MARY Temple of the Divinity 5. Haile MARY Beautifull Lilly of the most resplendent Trinity 6. Haile MARY sweet Rose to all the Celestiall Court. 7. Haile MARY Virgin of Virgins powerfull Virgin full of sweetness and humility of whom the King of heaven would be born and of whose milk he would be nourished 8. Haile MARY Queene of Martyrs whose soul was pearced with the sword of sorrow 9. Haile MARY Lady and Mistress of the world to whom all power has been given both in heaven and earth 10. Haile MARY Queene of my hart my Mother my life my sweetness and my love 11. Haile MARY most amiable Mother 12. Haile MARY most admirable Mother MARY full of Grace our Lord be with thee 1. Blessed art thou amongst woemen 2. Blessed is the fruit of thy womb IESVS CHRIST 3. Blessed be thy Spouse Saint Ioseph 4. Blessed be thy Father Saint Ioachim 5. Blessed be thy Mother Saint Anne 6. Blessed be thy Sonn Saint Iohn 7. Blessed be thy Angell Saint Gabriël 8. Blessed be the Eternall Father who has chosen the. 9. Blessed be thy Sonn who has loved the. 10. Blessed be the Holy Ghost who has espoused the. 11. O most happy Virgin let all that love you blesse you 12. Blesse us ô Holy Virgin togeather with your Sonn so be it FINIS
him live such an hidden contemptible life often abandoned forsaken by all men for whose salvation he sacrifices himself upon the Altar wherefore animate your self to bear him company as often as you can sighing longing in your heart after Iesus in the blessed Sacrament when you are absent in body loving and defiring a life like unto his which renders you unKnown neglected and abandoned of all the world Sixthly on frydays honour his love which obliges him to give himself intirely to you without an reserve to the end that you may bâ— wholly transformed into him Endeavour to express such a disinteresse loue towards him but be sure to manifest the same rather by deeds theâ—â— words Seventhly on Saturdays honour that liberality which he expresseâ— in those graces he bestows on you in your communions by keeping himself always upon the Altar to appease the wrath of his father which is enkindled against you Thank him for the miracles he works that he may give himself unto you Admire a God who is as it were so prodigall of himself Beg pardon for the ill use you have made of so many graces as he has bestowed on you in your communions The subjects of these visits may oftentimes serve you for the entertainment of your prayer in the afternoon XI EXAMEN A Litle before dinner recollect your self take a view of the â—nfidelitys which you have been guilty of that morning in the practice of the vertue of the month in overcoming â—our own ill humours bad inclinations and natural repugnances beg pardon for them of God by a sigh or two from the bottom of your heart At night before you go to bed make your generall Examen first of your ordinary faults sudden sallies of passion Secondly touching the ill use of divine graces the ill imployment of your time Thirdly touching the spirit intention wherewith you have animated your actions examining whether they proceeded from natural inclination passion or meer custome or else were performed with a good intention and inward fervour then make a solid sincere act of sorrow rather then a sensible one unite it by your intention with that act of contrition which you shall endeavour to make ar your next confession that you may produce this act the better cast your eyes upon Iesus crucified by you for you behold with confusion regret a God expiring through grief loue in your behalf sometimes consider the bounty and Goodness of God in expecting you in seeking after you in receiving you with loue after so many infidelities and offences sometimes hearken to what he says in the bottom of your heart Grow you weary of offending me since you see I do not grow weary of doing what good I can for you Sacrifice to me that vanity that curiosity that humour that sudden motion of anger which has so many years stood in competition with me for the possession of your heart for which â— have sacrificed the very last drop of my blood After your Examen say five Paters and Aves in pennance for your faults When you go to bed think a little on death which may perhaps surprise you that very night XII The spirit of recollection which we ought to preserve during the whole day THe spirit of recollection is the fruit of a good prayer of a communion worthily received you will obtain this recollection by calling to mind the presence of God which you may do first by breathing forth every hour these or the like aspirations My God I am wholly yours O that I might die to my self to live to you die in your loue Secondly say in the beginning of every work or action I do all for you my God all in your presence all for your love ô how glad am I to please you in this action Thirdly entring into company say ô my good Angel guard my â— heart tongue to the end I may neither speak any thing against charity nor hear it with complacence or any other concurrence on my part Fourthly being in pain or trouble as also in aridity or dryness in prayer or at any time out of humour say ô my God be you my strength support let me take a satisfaction in that pleasure which you have that I should suffer for your sake I am confounded in your presence to see how miserable weak I am in the performance of what is good but at the same time I rejoyce at my being nothing since you are all I willingly accept am heartily contented with my weaknesses imbecillities which may serve to destroy all self-loue to establih your most holy pure loue in my heart Fifthly being ready to give way to any sudden anger or other passion cast your eyes on God who looks on you and preserves you from yeilding to the temptation and say let me rather die ô my God then satisfie my self in any thing that displeases you By the frequent use of these aspirations you will conserve your heart in devotion be always diposed for prayer you will easily hinder distractions of mind which at that time are wont to disturb you whatsoever you do will be as I may say full of God you will live with such an equality and stedfastness of mind as will render you superiour to all sallies of passion animate all your actions with interiour life spirit XIII The spirit of mortification for every day YOu shall practice this mortification first in your eyes depriving them of all curiosity and voluntary levity Secondly in your tongue forbearing all words of curiosity anger vanity impatience detraction Thirdly in your taste restraining and moderating its sensuality and the too great desire curiosity of your appetite aboue all by not eating without necessity between meals Fourthly in the sense of hearing avoiding to hearken after news or other unprofitable curiosities touching the life or manners of others such affairs as do not belong to you Fifthly in your body fasting or using some other mortification according to the advice with the permission of your directour Sixthly in your mind cutting off all unprofitable reflections upon your self or others but especially such as disquiet you or proceed from human respects Seventhly in your heart restraining its solicitude hasty eagerness in what it goes about the excessive ardour of its desires the disquiets anxieties that afflict it when it is discontented the vain satisfaction which it takes in any graces received from Almighty God it s too great tie or in ordinate affection to its devotions in fine whatsoever is sensible therein since your heart must die to all these things that it may live intirely to God wherefore by little little you must wholly destroy or at least moderate them Aboue all study to deny your own will by an exact fidelity a constancy in that rule or course of life which you have
to make your meditation that day upon the subject of death exercise ones self more particularly in good works in the practice of mortification other vertues You must also take notice that thô there be many acts noted in this exercise 't is onely to facilitate the practice of them to those who for want of being habituated in them ' would otherwise find great difficulty to perform them for the best are those that love produces in our heart We have added at the end of this discourse the recommendation of the soul in English for those who having the devotion thereby in a holy manner to anticipate their death to joyn these to the foresaid devotions do not understand them in Latin in this case one ought to change the termes that concern another to ones self as in stead of saying pray for him or her or receive this soul say pray for me receive my soul so in other places reserving the conclusion of this exercise till after your last prayer Now the fruit which one ought to draw from hence as shall be noted in the following meditation is the contempt of the world a weaning ones self from creatures the renouncing of ones self the amendment of ones faults which are the true means to obtain the grace to die a deatâ— that hshall be the beginning of a most happy blessed lâ—fe If we make this exercâ—se with care during our lives t is not to be conceived how profitable we shall find it at our death where we may repeat the same or cause it to be read to us You may make the meditation in the morning after your prayer before you go out The first part part of the exercise for death may be made in the Curch before Communion or during mass the other part in the evening towards four or five a clock A MEDITATION DISPOSITIONS FOR A happy death Put your self in to the presence of God beg of him his divine inspiration FOr the ground of this meditation one must be well possest of this truth That life is onely a gage given us by God in trust wherefore iâ— follows if we be not always prepared and disposed to give it back we refuse him the right of soveraignty which he has upon our beings It is appointed for all men once to die after that to be judged Says the great Apostle to the Heb Chap. 9. COnsidering this truth That one dies bur once that an ill death can never be repair'd throughout the whole vast extent of Eternity we may easily perceive how necessary it is not to be surprised but to be always upon our guard as that servant of whom the Gospell speaks which waits for the coming of his master in the 12. Chap of S. Luke I. POINT Since we must necessarily dye it behooves us much to conceive well this truth That death is certain the hour of death uncertain that all the prudence of a Christian consists in preparing ones self well for it that we may not faile in an affair which in truth is the affair of affairs and the sole onely one we have to do in this world since we come into it onely to save our souls in loosing them we lose all For what shall it profit a man to gain the whole world if he loose his own soul Says our Soveraign master Jesus Christ iâ— the 8. Chap of S Mark. O my God how great is the blindness of the most part of mankind who not thinking on this great truth live onely an earthly sensuall brutish life never elevating their minds to heavenly things fix their affections so fast to this mortall life that they prefer it before the eternal He that loves his life Says our saviour shall loose it 〈◊〉 he that hates it in this world shall gain for it life everlasting in the next in the 12 Chap of S. Iohn O my God â—is noâ— therefore to love our lives â— to have to â— great a fondness for them siâ—ce this fondness for a emâ—orall life proceeding from an irreguâ—ar love of our selves â— puts us in danger of loosing an everlasting one that you assure me o my divine Jesus that if any one comes to you does not hate this sensuall life even his own soul he cannot be your disciple Give me o Lord a holy hatred of this mortall life which may make me continually tend pretend to the eternall one where I may love you for ever II POINT The death of Saints is precious in Gods sight says the Psalmist in the 118. Psalm If we will dye the death of Saints we must live their lives 1. by keeping our affections always as much weaned from the things of this world as if we were to dye every moment because there is no moment in which death may not surprise us in which we ought not to be prepared to receive it if we will not hazard our salvation 2. by overcoming the naturall fear which we have of death by faith by the confidence which we ought to have that Jesus Christ in whose hands are the keys of life death who loves us infinitely more then we love our selves will send it us at such a time in such a manner as in the order of his divine providence he foresees best for us Has he not created us for life everlasting do not we believe that life better then this mortall life we lead if we are not of this beliefe we want faith by consequence have no hope because we cannot obtain that happiness he has promised in the other life but by death But what charity also can an interessed soul have which loves its own life more then the will of God has a greater fear to dye then to see unite it self to him Perfect charity says the holy Scripture in S. Johnâ— Gospell chap 24. excludes fear And as we ought to shew our love which we have for God by our hatred to sin what hatred do we express to it when for all we know we cannot live without committing every day some yet we are so much affraid of death O if we had a true love with what joy should we embrace death that we might be in a state in which we could no more offend his infinite goodness Since the least sin as the Doctours of the Church affirm is so more to be feared then death III. POINT Should God give us the choice of of the time the hour the manner of our death could we make a better choice then he who ordains it by his infinite wisdome power goodness who having created us for himself redeemed us with his blood accordingly desires nothing more then to save to bring us to the enjoyment of that happy end And since faith teacheth us this verity why do not we entirely abandon the care of our lives deathes to him what can there
dispositâ—ons which your holy soul had at the last moment of your life to which I unite my self with all my heart to supply those which I want I abandon my self entirely to you to suffer for your love the pains of death as long many as you please I renounce disavow all the impatience evill thar their force may cause me unwillingly to committ Have recourse to the blessed Virgin the Saints O holy Virgin mother of my God refuge of Sinners be now my Advocate grant I may feel the effects of your power with the blessed Trinity O Mary mother of grace mother of mercy receive me at the houâ— of my death defend me from my Enemies Shew that you are my mother obtain that he who for our salvation was willing to become your son be born of you may receive me by your intercession O all yee Saints blessed spirits interceed now for my soul in this extremity that I may obtain the victory over my enemies Great S. Joseph you all my holy patrons Protectours assist me Great S. Michael fight for me Charitable Angell my dear Guardian defend me from the ambushes of my Enemies and forsake me not in this last passage Eternal father look upon me in your dear son Jesus Christ who has shed his blood for my salvation Have pitty upon me according to the greatness of your mercies pardon my sins for the glory of your holy name Enter not into judgement with me o my God for in thy sight no one living can justify himself My divine Jesus put your cross your passion between your judgement and my soul My God my destiny is in your hands save me I beseech you O Lord in you have I trusted therefore I shall not be eternally confounded An act of adoration to the most holy Trinity O most holy most adorable Trinity I adore you with my whole heart I unite my self both for the present for eternity to all the adorations praises which the most holie humanity of my Saviour Jesus Christ his most holy mother together with all the Saints and Angels do or have renderd you or shall eternally render you in heaven I offer you all the sacrifices of this most holy humanity which are now offerd or shall be daily offerd to the day of judgement all the world over in satisfaction of all my sins in thanksgiving for all your divine benefits bestowed upon me If the Recommendation of the soul be said observe to say at the end this conclusion afterwards say the Responsory Subvenite Sancti c. Conclusion of this Exercise Act of abandonment resignation O my God I abandon my self without reserve to that divine judgement you shall pronounce upon my soul I submit my self to it with all my heart I adore reverence it as most just equitable now for Eternity A Spirituall Expiring Holding your cross in your hand Say these words Behold o my God my Creatour my Redeemer that I come unto you because you call me receive me in the bosome of your mercy And amorously kissing the wounds of your Crucifix pronounce the holy namas of Jesus Mary at each wound then repeating the last words of our Saviour My God into your hands I yeeld up my Spirit expire in the sacred wound of the side of Jesus chose it for your grave hide your self in his sacred heart After this Exercise we must look upon our selves as dead to the world to our selves accordingly we should often repeat those words of S. Paul I live yet not I but Iesus Christ that lives in me my life is hid with Iesus Christ in God. THE RECOMMENDATION of the soul which ought to begin with these little Letanies the following prayers are to be said in time of agony these may serve for those that are about the dying person LOrd have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Holy Mary prayer for him Holy Angells pray for him Holy Abel pray for him Quire of all the just pray for him S. Abraham pray for him S John Baptist pray for him Holy Patriarchs Prophets pray for him S. Peter pray for him S. Paul pray for him S. Andrew pray for him S. Johne pray for him Holy Apostles Evangelists pray for him Holy Disciples of our Lord pray for him Holy Innocents pray for him S. Stephen pray for him S. Laurence pray for him Holy Martyrs pray for him S. Silvester pray for him S. Gregory pray for him S. Austin pray for him Holy Bishops Confessors pray for him S. Bennet pray for him S. Francis pray for him Holy Monks Hermits pray for him S. Mary Magdalen pray for him S. Lucy pray for him Holy Virgins Widdows pray for him Saints of God of both sexes interceed for him Lord be mercifull unto him pardon all his sins Lord be mercifull to him deliver him O Lord deliver him from your wrath Deliver him from the danger of death Deliver him from an evill death Deliver him from the pains of hell Deliver him from all evill Deliver him from the power of the devil Deliver him by your holy Nativity Deliver him by your holy cross passion Deliver him by your holy death burial Deliver him by your glorious resurrection Deliver him by your admirable ascension Deliver him by the grace of the holy Ghost the Comforter Deliver him in the day of judgement Lord we beseech thee to hear us poor Sinners We beseech thee to hear us soe as to pardon him Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us THE PRAYER Proficiscere anima christiana CHristian soul leave this world in the name of the omnipotent Father who created thee in the name of his son Jesus Christ who redeemed thee in the name of the holy Ghost who diffused himself in thee in the name of the holy Angells Archangells Thrones Dominations Cherubins Seraphins in the name of the Patriarchs Prophets in the name of the Apostles evangelists of the holy Martyrs Confessors in the name of the holy Religious Anchorites of the holy Virgins of all the Saints of God that this day your habitation may be in peace your abode in the holy Sion by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen THE PRAYER Deus clemens O God of goodness clemency who according to the infinite-greatness of your mercies blot out the sins of the penitent pardon their crimes sins past cast a propitious look upon your servant N hear his prayers for the remission of all his sins which he confesses with all his heart as much as he is able Renew in him o best of Fathers whatever may in time be either corrupted by the frailty of nature or depraved by the malice of the Devil unite to the body of your triumphant Church
this living member of Jesus Christ Have pitty o Lord of his tears receive him to the grace of your reconciliation who has no confidence but in your sole mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord. Commendo te MY dearest Brother I recommend thee to the omnipotency of God I remitt you into the arms of him who is your Creatour that after you have paid the debt due to humane nature by death are separated from your body you may return to your Authour which formed you out of the slime of the earth Let the resplendant Quire of Angells come to receive your soul at its going out of your body Let the august company of the Apostles be therewith present Let the most goodly triumphant army of Martyrs be at the same rendevous Let the holy troop of Confessors encompas it the chast assembly of Virgins receive it the holy Patriarchs closely embrace it to make it enjoy in their bosomes the repose of the blessed Let the most sweet Jesus shew himself unto you place you amongst those that continually praise him That you may never know any of all those horrible things that are in the darkness of hell the gnashing of teeth heard in its flames the aking twinging of its torments Let Satan with all his dismall guards fret at your arrivall seeing you under the protection of the Angells fly and cast themselves head long into the horrours of eternall darkness Let God arise let his enemies be scatered let those that hate him fly before his face Let sinners disapear as the smoak that vanisheth perish before God as wax dissolves before the fire Let the just rejoice eternally in the presence of God let the Infernall Legions ministers of Satan be ashamed confounded never be so bold as to venture to set upon you in your passage to Eternity Let Jesus who was crucified for you deliver you from the pains of hell let Jesus who was willing to dye for you deliver you from Eternall death Let Jesus Christ son of the living God place you in his paradise there to enjoy everlasting pleasures let that good shepard own you for one of his flock when he has pardoned you all your sins place you at his right hand amongst his Elect may you see your Redeemer face to face assisting continually in his presence your eyes be so happy as to behold clearly the Eternall veritie being admitted amongst the blessed may you enjoy the sweet vision of God for everlasting ages Amen THE PRAYER Suscipe Domine REceive o Lord your servant to the place where he hopes for his salvation thtough your mercy Amen Deliver o Lord the soul of your servant from all the dangers of hell from all its pains torments Amen Deliver the soul of your Servant as you delivered Enoch Elias from the common death of mankind Amen Deliver the soul of your Servant as you delivered Noah from the flood Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered Abraham from the burning of the Caldeans Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered Job from his evils Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered Jsaac from the hand of his father that would have sacrificed him Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered Lot out of Sodom its burning Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered Moses from the persecution of Pharaoh King of Egypt Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered Daniel from the Den the mouths of the Lyons Amen Deliver the Soul of your servant as you delivered the three Children from the fiery furnace and from the wrath of a wicked King. Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you deliuered Susanna from the crime she was falsly accused of Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered David from the hands of Saul Goliah Amen Deliver the soul of your servant as you delivered S. Peter S. Paul from their chains prisons Amen Infine as you deliver'd the blessed Virgin Martyr S. Tecla from three cruel torments so vouchsafe to deliver the soul of your servant grant it may rejoyce with you in the possession of heavenly felicity Amen THE PRAYER Commendamus tibi O God we recommend to thee the soul of thy Servant N we beseech you O Lord Jesus Christ Saviour of the world that as out of your mercy you were pleased to descend from heaven for it you would not refuse to receive it into the bosome of the Patriarchs Take notice o Lord of your creature which was not created by strange Gods but by you of alone the onnely living God for there is no other God but you no works like unto yours Lord recreate this soul with the joy of your presence remember not its past iniquity nor the excesses which its fury or the too hot pursuit of its ill desires has caused it to commit There is no doubt but it has sinned yet it has neuer denied the father Son holy Ghost but has believed in you had the zeal of the glory of your name has ever adored him who made all things Amen THE PRAYER Delicta Iuventutis O Lord we beseech you not to remenber any more the sins of his youth nor his ignorances but according to the greatness of your mercy remember him in the splendour of your glory Open the heavens o Lord receive your servant into your Kingdom Let S Michael the Archangel of God who has merited the chief command in the Celestiall hosts receive him Let all the Angells of God come forth to meet him conduct him into the holy City of Jerusalem Let S. Peter to whom were given the keys of the Kingdom of heaven receive him Let S. Paul the Apostle who was a worthy vessell of Election assist him Let S. John the beloved of God to whom were revealed the secrets of heaven interceed for him Let all the Apostles to whom was given the power of binding losing of souls pray for him Let all the Saints and Elect of God who for the name of Jesus Ghrist have suffer'd torments in this world interceed for him that being separated from stript of his earthly body he may merit to arrive to the glory of your heavenly Kindom by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ who with the Father the holy Ghost lives reigns world without end Amen After the soul has quitted the body recite the following Responsory Come speedily o yee Saints of God you Angels of our Lord hast yee receive this soul offer it in the presence of the most high â„£ Let Jesus Christ who has called you receive you let his Angels carry you into Abrahams bosome Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us â„£ Give him Eternall rest o Lord let
him be illuminated with Eternall light â„£ Lord deliver his soul â„Ÿ From the gates of hell â„£ Let him repose in peace â„Ÿ Amen â„£ Lord hear my prayer â„Ÿ And let my cry come unto thee THE PRAYER O God we recommend to you the soul of your seruant that having passed this life he may live onely to you that the sins he has committed in this life out of humane frailty may be pardoned by the infinite bounty and mercy and by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A COMPENDIUM OF the aforesaid Exercise to prepare ones self well for death Which one may make every night before one goes to bed MY heart is prepared o my God my heart is prepared your will be done my God not mine I abandon my self entirely to receive death at what time in what manner you please to send it to me 2 I most humbly beg of you pardon for all the sins I have committed against your Soveraign goodness I repent me of them with all my heart 3. I believe firmly all that the Roman Catholick Church believes teaches and I will dye in this belief 4. I hope to possess eternall life by your mercy by the merits of my Sauiour Jesus Christ 5. O my God I desire to love you above all creatures to the contempt of all creatures as my Soveraingn good my neighbour as my self pardoning him from the bottom of my heart 6. O my divine Jesus what an extreme desire have I to receive yoâ—r sacred body to do it spiritually unite my self to all the communions that shall be made throughout the whole Church to the end of the world particularly at the hour of my death 7. Afford me the grace o my divine Saviour to blot out all the sins I have committed by my senses by applying to my self the unction of thy precious blood 8. Holy Virgin mother of my God defend me from my enemies present me to your son 9. Great S. Michael my holy Angell Guardian my holy Protectours pray assist me in this last passage 10. O my God I renounce all the temptations of the Enemy generally all that may displease you I adore receive your divine judgements upon my soul as most just equitable I abandon my self to them with entire submission 11. O Jesus my divine Jesus be to me Jesus O my God retiring with an humble confidence into thy sacred wounds I commit my soul into thy divine hands receive it into the bosome of thy mercy Amen AN EXERCISE OF DEATH FOR THE last day of the month IN THE MORNING OFfer al the actions sufferings of that day to our Saviour by the hands of S. Joseph which you shall take for your Protectour to obtain a happy death make some of these Acts noted in the beginning of this Exercise then make a resolution so to live that day as if it were to be the last of your life DVRING THE DAY 1. Beg every hour of S. Joseph a good death say to your soul if we were to dye this moment are we prepared to appear before God 2. Before you begin any action or in conversation often call to mind this thought Would I have done or said this at the hour of my death 3. Communicate really or spiritually in manner of Viatick making the acts affections marked in this Exercise or contenting your self to remain with a simple view of faith in silence abandonment in the arms of Jesus to expire in him by love and confidence 4 Go from Communion with a resolution to live no longer to your self to perform no action of your life purely after a naturall humane manner calliâ—g often to mind in the day time the advertissement of the Apostle you are dead your life is hiddem in God With Iesus Christ 5. Make your meditation upon death either as it is in your ordinary booK of meditations or as it is in this Exercise read the thoughts of death in the book called Pensées Chrêtiennes or Christian thoughts IN THE EVERNING 1. BEfore you go to bed make a short review in your Examen of all the sins of the last month take notice chiefly of those you commit out of custom think with sorrow of your abuse of Gods graces favours of the ill use you have made of the crosses which God has sent you Then putting your self in the presence of Jesus Christ your Soveraign Judge immaginaing your self to be before the tribunall of his justice beg pardon for your sins with all the resentment confusion you are able Alas what sorrow would you have for them if this night you were to dye to appeare before him Then impose upon your self some pennance for the following month faile not to rise at the appointed hour to give somthing to thle poor as often as you speak in choler out of humour 2. After Examen make the same Acts that dying persons are wont to make which are noted in this Exercise or content your self to make 1 An act of faith proptesting that you firmly belieue that you shall on day dye 2. An act of confidence hoping thot our Saviour at your death will have mercy upon you pardon all your sins 3. An act of love begging him rather to Send you death then permit you to offend him at least voluntarily 4. An act of abandonment putting your life your soul your salvation into the hands of God. In fine kiss the ground to render homage to the Soveraignty justice of God which has ordained that your body should one day be reduced to dust Look upon your bed as your grave as you are going into it say three times JESVS MARIA IOSEPH Adding O my God grant that I may repose and sleep in peace with you Amen Pious thoughts to recollect ones self in God. 1. For riseing 1. O My God I am intirly yours be you all in me be you all things to me and let all things else be nothing to me 2. Lord let me do and suffer all by you in you and for you let me forthwith dye to my self and let me live and allways remain in you 3. O the God of my hart and my Portion for eternity be you the beginning and end of all my actions let me plunge and loose my self intirely in you 2. FOR PRAYER In the state of Desolation 1. O Justice of my God content your self be you pleased without contenting me 2. You are all my God and I am nothing before you I am content that all joy and consolation be yours and that nothing and the privation of all comforts be myne O contentment joy and happyness of my God you are dearer to me then my owne satisfaction 3. My God! how good are you to suffer me to be in the miserable state I am in Permit that I sacrifice the satisfaction of my hart to that of yours
persons of devotion like your self Ninâ—ly banish from your conversation all unprofitable curiosity conâ—ning the life conduct of others vanity sowrness and immoderate afection carry your self cheerfullyâ—… ciuilly but so as to avoid distractioâ— or dissipation of mind VIII READING AFter dinner the recreation following it you must read in somâ— spirituall booK for half or a quarter of an hour as shall be appointed you and that you may do this with fruit first in the beginning humbly crave grace of our Saviour to profit by it saying either veni sancte Spiritus or a Pater Ave. Secondly read not out of curiosity in haste but leisurely and with attention when you meet with any thing either moving or instructiue rest there a little while endeavouring as it were to relish it consider how you may be able that day to practice it beg of the holy ghost to imprint it in your heart Thirdly be not in pain to read â—any pages in your book read a â—â—ttle but with great recollection â—ttention always apply what yâ—u â—ead in order to practice consider â—ow then that those very truths which you read will condemn you one day before gods tribunal if you do not follow them Fourthly let not this spirituall reading be ordinarily but in solid and moving books such as your directour shall approve Fifthly be not troubled if you remember nothing of what you have read but commit all that you have read to him who is able to touch move your heart independently of those truths which you read Sixthly after your reading thanK God for having thereby instructed you make a firm resolution by the assistance of his grace to practice the Instructions he has given you IX SILENCE AFter your reading you must râ—turn to your work if you havâ— not some business which obliges yoâ— to go abroad take care at two â—… the clock to keep an half or a quarter of an hour of silence according aâ— your directour shall thinK fit Durinâ— the time of your silence first ofteâ— call to mind the silence which Jesus Mary Joseph often observed durinâ— their work uniting your silence witâ— theirs sometimes think of the sacred silence observed in heaven by the Saints who are wholly absorp't iâ— God do you sigh and long after that happy repose sometimes also entertain your self in your heart with your good Angell thanKing him for the care he taKes of your salvation promising him due respect fidelity in performing whatsoever he shall inspire you to do begging of him to present your prayers the desires of your heart to our Saviour you may at another time imploy your thoughts on the necessity of spending our time well on the account which we must render to God for every moment of our life or if you please in case you be alone recite some vocall prayers which you can say by heart but taKe care that no one perceives this Keeping of silence in you unless it be such as observe the like therefore make no difficulty in answering any question which is made you satisfying your self that you do not speak of your own accord Thirdly offer this silence to God in satisfaction for the faults you have that day committed in speaking Fourthly I would counsell you to impose on your self from time to time some little space of silence for example during a Misere when you have spoken any words of humour or sensuall inclination or against charity imposing it on your self when you have most desire to speak X. The visit of the blessed Sacrament of the prayer in the evening called the Salve TOwards four or five of the clock in the evening go to the Church either to make a second half hour of prayer if your directour judges it convenient or to be present at the Benediction or Salve Take care to perform this visit of the blessed Sacrament with spirit and fervour not meerly out of custome without fruit First on sundays present your self to our blessed Saviour to honour the glorious state of his body risen from the dead which is upon the Altar testifying the joy you have of its glory rendring thanks to the blessed Trinity for this marvellous beauty which it has communicated to the sacred body of our blessed Saviour begging of him with confidence to bestow on your body a participation of these glorious qualities at the resurrection making a strong resolution to receive with love all corporall pains which will purchase such a resplendent glory to our bodys as the pains torments which our saviour suffered brought to his doing in fine the same by an act of faith towards Jesus Christ which the Saints perform towards him in the clear sight of his glory Secondly on Mondays honour in this visit the state of a victim or sacrifice which our saviour has in the blessed Sacrament offering up your whole self to his love sacrificing to him the curiosity of your eyes the bitterness and impatience of your speech the eagerness of your desires the distractions of your mind the evill affections inclinations of your heart since Jesus Christ always bears about him this state of death and quality of a victim or sacrifice on our Altars offering himself continually on them to his eternall father for us so to honour him in this state you must all the day long carry the spirit of a sacrifice about you which will cause you in all occasions to die to your own humours inclinations to sacrifice to God your naturall repugnances And t is on this day you must possess your self of such sentiments as these that all the week following you may practice the same considering Jesus Christ in this visit as a victime both of justice loue begging of him to render you conformable to himself herein Thirdly on Tuesdays honour the exact constant obedience which Iesus practises in the blessed Sacrament submitting himself to the voice or call of a man abandoning himself to his disposall how bad soever he be and make a firm resolution of doing all things with the spirit of obedience submitting your self to all obeying those in particular who are in the place of Superiours Fourthly on wednesdays imploy your self in the consideration of the wonderful patience of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which causeth him to suffer all the outrages of hereticks and ill christians with perfect constancy not being weary of staying lay and night upon our Altars that he may gain the hearts even of his enemies Endeavour to honour this patience by a compassion of his sufferings by asking pardon for such as are wanting in their respect unto him and by devoting your self to his justice with a resolution to suffer all things without murmuring for the satisfaction thereof even to oblige those who offend you Fifthly on Thursdays honour the humility of Iesus in the blessed Sacrament which makes
Angell the Saints your Patrons entring your chamber to give you with his own hands his sacred body has he did to his Apostles in his last supper that he says to you as he did to them Take eat this is my body which was delivered to death to give you life Having adored him with all your heart Salute him with the following words O my God since you have said that he who eats you shall live eternally shall not dye Grant me the grace that by the reception of your sacred body I may live onely in you by you for you that quitting this mortall life I may by the force vertue of this divine bread arrive to heaven where I may for ever see enjoy your divine majesty Alas from whence comes this happiness to me that my God should come to visit me Lord I am not worthy that you should enter into my soul speak onely but a word it shall be healed Having received him entertain your self amorously with him make all your senses appear before him all your faculties to make him as it were an oath of allegiance renew the vows promisses you have made conjure him never more to leave you say to him as the disciples going to Emmaus did Stay with me o Lord for it is late the evening of my life approacheth Or with Simeon Let now o Lord thy Servant depart in peace for mine eyes have seen the authour of my salvation Or with David Althô I walk in the middle of the shadow of death I will feare no evill because you are with me O my God put your self as a seal upon my heart to the end that all earthly things may find no more entrance thereinto Unite this Communion to that which this divine Saviour made before his death to all those which the most holy Virgin the Saints made during their lives also to all those which shall be made to the end of the world to supply the imperfections you have committed in receiving this divine Sacrament Return God thanks for the favour of receiving it for all those other graces which he has so liberally bestowed upon you invite all creatures to bless praise thank him for you Reciting the. 117. Psalm Laudate Dominum omnes gentes c. or the Canticle Benedicite omnia opera c. THE 2. PART Spirituall extreamunction I Imagine that Jesus Christ having assisted at your communion as has been said enters also into your chamber bringing the holy oyles composed of his precious blood to apply the holy unctions with his own sacred hand Make acts of contrition in receiving them to blot out all the sins committed by each sense IN THE APPLICATION to the Eyes O my Jesus my God I demand most humbly pardon for all the sins I have committed by so many irregular looks or casts of my eyes so many unprofitable tears to blot out these sins apply to me those your amorous looKs upon the cross upon your Crucifiers the tears you shed for my salvation TO THE EARS Pardon me also the sins I have committed in taking pleasure to hearken to so many ill discourses to make satisfaction for them apply to my foul the merit of that patience humility with which you heard so many blasphemies injuries calumnies uttered against you TO THE NOSTRILLS I beg pardon also o my God for having too much sought perfumes good smells for having taken too much pleasure in them having been too delicate nice in avoiding ill ones for the satisfaction of these faults apply to me the merit of those ill sents you suffered in the stable upon mount Calvary TO THE MOVTH O my Saviour Jesus Christ pardon me the infinite number of sins that I have committed in words all my irregularities in eating drinking blot them out by applying to my soul the merits of your divine prayers preachings your holy fasts TO THE HANDS Pardon me my divine Jesus all the many unprofitable evill actions that I have committed for having so delicately treated my body for this end apply to me the merit of those holy actions divine miracles wrought by your sacred hands which were nailed upon the hard wood of the Cross for my sake by my sins TO THE FEET O my God with my whole heart I beg pardon for all the steps that I have made unprofitably or for any ill end Apply to me for the satisfaction of these faults the merit of those sacred steps you made barefoot with so much toil for the salvation of mankind especially in carrying your cross After Extrem unction make the sollowing Acts with a penitent mind O my God to satisfie as much as I am able your divine Justice to make you a due satisfaction for my sins I accept death with my whole heart I rejoyce at the separation of my soul from my body in punishment of the sins I have committed by following rather my irregular inclinations then your holy will 2. And that my body in punishment of its pride ambition shall be buried under the earth trodden under foot 3. And for that inordinate love I have born it the too great care I have taken for its ease pleasure I rejoyce that that it returns to corruption becomes the food of worms 4. And for the affection I have had for riches for creatures the abuse I have made of them I am glad to be separated from deprived of them 5. And for the forgetfullness I have had of you my God during my life I accept the forgetfulness that all will have of me after my death 6. And for having made use of all my senses to offend you I accept offer in satisfaction the privation loss of them all 7. And in punishment of my having vainly searched to please creatures I am glad that by death I shall become an object of their hatred horrour contempt For the Approaehes of Death Hearken to your good Angell speaking to you as to the Virgins in the Gospell BEhold your Spouse is coming Go forth meet him And preparing your self for his coming with the burning lamp of charity in your hands say with David I rejoyce at the good news they tell me let us enter into the house of our Lord. O Lord God of strength how amiable are thy tabernacles my soul faints with desire of them My soul thirsts after God the source of life when shall I come appear before his presence As the thirsty Hart desires the fountain so my sovl desires thee ô my God. O how do I desire to be delivered out of this mortall body to be with Christ Vnion with CHRIST JESUS dying O my divine Jesus granr me your grace that my sorrows may be united to yours my agony my death sanctified by yours that I may partake of those sacred