passions and therfore we must not rest only in our prayer as in the end of our work for perfection consists not in much consolation or sweetnesse or sensible gust in our prayer but in that perfect victory over our selfe over our passions and unruly affections as is said nor in the sublimest prayer but in that which with a pure intention doth syncerely seeke the encreace in Gods divine love our owne aduanement in vertu with true resignation to the wil of God and a perfect contempt and abnegation of our selves renouncing all curiosity of Spirit and self satisfaction by it for otherwise we seeke not God so much as our selves and our owne interest and therfore no marvaile if we doe not finde him The certaine markes and most evident signes of false and meere counterfeit prayer THe first marke If our manners and conversation be nothing amended 2. If there be great levity and vanity in our actions 3. If great remisnesse in obligations of piety 4. If our care and diligence be small to avoyde evill occasions and the causes of our most habituall sin 5. If we presume to be now arrived to a high degree of prayer or aspire to visions revelations or extaces c. Or to the like favours in the passive way 6. If passions beare sway in vs. 7. If mortification seeme harsh and vnpleasant 8. If our senses be petulant and wanton 9. If to temptations we make but a weake and carelesse resistance 10. If labour and employment be ircksome to vs. 11. If the yoake of Gods law seemes heavy and his counsels unsupportable 12. If we finde our selves lasie and listlesse to all spirituall affaires 13. If worldly puntillios of honour and temporall respects goe nearest to our hart and affection 14. If holy Crosses patience and obedience seeme bitter and unpleasing 15. If we neglect and misregard or not respect nor esteeme the advise of our superiour and ghostly Fathers 16. If finally we carry our selves carelesly and negligently in the amendment and correction of such faults as apparently are knowne to us for such These are all evident markes and most assured signes of evill counterfeit and false devotion and naughty prayer which we ought with all speed and industry resolutely to amende and change The Litany of our Lord and divine Saviour Iesus LOrd have merecy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Jesus heare us Lord Jesus graciously heare us God the Father of Heaven Have mercy upon us God the sonne Redemer of the world Have mercy c. God the holy ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne Have Holy and glorious Trinity three persons and one God Have mercy Jesus sonne of the living God have Jesus splendor of the Father Jesus brightnesse of Eternal light Jesus king of glory Have mercy Jesus the sunne of justice Jesus sonne of the Virgin Mary Jesus whose name is called wonderfull Have mercy upon us Jesus the mighty God Jesus the Father of the world to come Have mercy upon us Jesus the Angel of the great counsel Jesus most powerfull Jesus most patient Jesus most obdient Have mercy Jesus milde and humble of hart Jesus lover of chastity Jesus our Love Jesus the God of peace Jesus the Author of life Jesus the example of vertues Jesus the zealous seeker of soules Jesus our God Have mercy upon us Jesus our Refuge Jesus the Father of the poore Jesus the Treasore of the faithfull Jesus the good shiphard Jesus the true light Jesus the Eternall wisdome Jesus all-infinite goodnesse Jesus the way the truth and the life Jesus the ioy of Angels Have c. Jesus Maister of the Apostles Jesus the teacher of the Evangelists Jesus the strength of Martyrs Jesus the light of Confessors Jesus the purity of Virgins Jesus the Crowne of all Saints Have mercy upon us Be propitious unto us Speare us Lord Jesu Be propitious unto us Spare c From all sinne Lord Jesu deliver us From thy anger From the deceipts and snaires of the Divel From the spirit of fornication From perpetuall death From all neglect of thy holy inspirations Lord Jesus deliver us By the mystery of thy most holy incarnation By thy Nativity Lord Jes deliv us By thy Infancy By thy divine life By thy labours and trauells By thy Agony and Passion By thy Crosse and dereliction By thy unspeackable paines and languishings Lord Jesus c. By thy death and buriall By thy glorious Resurrection By thy Assention into Heaven By thy incomparable joyes By thy Eternall glory Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Spare us Lord Jesu Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Haue mercy c. Jesu heare us Lord Jesu graciously heare us Let us pray O Lord Jesus Christ who hast said unto us aske and you shall receive seeke and you shall find knock and it shall be opned unto you grant we beseech thee upon this our most humble petition the effect of thy divine love that we may love thee with our whole hart and never cease from thy praises nor from glorifying thy holy name O most loving and our divine Redeemer Jesus worke in us the perpetuall love to geather with the feare of thy sacred Humanity which thou hast annointed and sanctifi'd by the vnion of thy Deity that we may be evermore subiect and obedient to thee since thou doest never leave those destitute of thy grace whom thou hast establisht in the solidity of thy love who with the Father and the Holy ghost liveth and rayneth God world without end Amen The Litany of our B. Lady of Loretto LOrd have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Christ heare us Christ graciously heare us God the Father of Heaven Have mercy upon us God the sonne Redeemer of the world Haue mercy upon us God the Holy ghost Holy Trinity one God Have mercy upon us Holy Mary Pray for us Holy Mother of God Holy Virgin of Virgins Mother of Christ Mother of Divine grace Most pure Mother Most chast Mother Undefiled Mother Untouched Mother Lovely Mother Pray Glorious Mother Mother of our Creatour Mother of our Saviour Most prudent Virgin Venerable Virgin Renowned Virgin Powerfull Virgin Mild and meeke Virgin Faithfull Virgin Pray Myrrour of Justice Seate of Wisdome Cause of our joy Spirituall vessel Honorable Vessel Vessel of devotion Pray Mysticall Rose Strong Tower of David Solid Tower of ivory Goulden habitation Arke of Covenant Gate of Heaven Morning starr Pray Health of the sick Refuge of Sinners Confortresse of the afflicted The Helpe of Christians Queene of Angels Queene of Patriarkes Queene of Prophets Queene of Apostles Queene of Martyrs pray Queene of Confessors Queene of Virgins Queene of all Saints Lambe of God who taketh away the sins of the world Spare us o Lord. Lambe of God who taketh away the sins of the world Heare us o
they meane Acts of the love of God WHo am I my Souveraine Creator and who art thou who thus imposest so expresly on me a commande to love thee was it not sufficient for thee my God to permit me so to doe and was it not thy abundant goodnesse to permit thy selfe to be belou'd by so poore and so wretched a hart as mine and with thy grace ther unto to enable me Wherfore seeing that is thy commande my God I will obey and though a wretch and unworthy sinner I here in thy presence protest that I will love thee with my whole hart and with my soule and force And from hencefourth I chuse thee for ever to be the chiefe and Souveraine object af all the purest affections of my hart the accomplishment of whose blessed will I preferr before all that is in Heaven or Earth yea and my dearest life I would hold most gladly employd to testify this my love and due homage vnto thee O deare Jesu king of eternall beauty and heavenly glory I will no other inheritance but the O divine keeper of my soule take thou possession of this my hart wich was created for thee and pierce it with a thousand wounds of pure love that I may sweetly languish with wholsome sorrow for my having so much offended thee Acts of Faith OOmnipotent and Eternall God who hast given me an understanding to knowe thee and a wil to love thee I here protest before thy souveraine Majesty that with a firme faith I doe beleeve what thy holy Church inspired by the holy Ghost proposeth to be beleeved to which I intirely submit as being reveled to her by thee which therfore I embrace professe and by thy grace shall persever in it untill my dying day And I doe utterly disclayme and disavow what thy beloued spouse the holy Catholik Church condemns This is the faith which I professe and wherin I desire to be found at the hour of my death and at that dreadfull day of dome to be judgd by it accordingly Acts of Hope ALl my hope and considence is in thy mercy my loving God and in the sacred merits of my divine Redeemer Iesus by whom I hope for remission of my sins and humbly trust in his great goodnesse to continue in thy grace to my lives end and to praise and glorify him with thee o eternall Father and with the holy Ghost for all Eternity this my hope is laid up in my bosome Iob. 19. And although through humane fralty I daily offende thee yet I hope most gracious Lord by thy divine assistance to amende and to gaine more strength and constancy against my ghostly enemies O Lord of infinit mercy to whom a sorrowfull ād repentinge hart is alwayes a greatefull sacrifice although the multitude of my fins and great ingratitude might tempt me to despaire yet certaine I am my mercifull God that a contrite and humble hart thou wilt not dispise Psal 50. Acts of Adoration WIth the profundest and most humble respect of my soule prostrate both in hart and body before thy souveraine Majesty ô Omnipotent and eternall God I adore and acknowledge thee my souveraine Lord both of my life and beeing who can againe reduce me to that nothing out of which thou first createdst me and who by thy meere boundlesse goodnesse hast preserved me from it till this present day I render thee ô Lord all adoration and homage as thy submissive and humble creature depending intirely upon thy blessed will and pleasure And considering that what honour I am able to render to the merit of thy infinit Deity is so inconsiderable to supply that great defect I offer to thee the adoration which eternally thy Saints and Angels shall ever render to thee and my great desire is that all the creatures of Heaven and Earth may blesse adore and glorify thee with endlesse praise for all Eternity Acts of thankes giving and gratitude I Have merited nothing accordinge to the effect of thy great liberality to me ô my great God nor is there any thing in me which could move thee to bestow so great and many benefits both of body and soule on me who am so farr vncapable to render thee due thankes for having created redeemed preserved and calld me to the happy way for my salvation Thou hast given me o Lord reason both to know and serve thee and what daily favours hast thou conferd on me from how many perils of body and soule hast thou carefully by thy fatherly providence preserud me how great spirituall benefits hast thou bestowd on me by the merits of the bitter death and passion of my most loving Redeemer Jesus how often hast thou nourisht my soule at the sacred table with the bread of Angels wherby to give true force and grace to serve thee O how often hast thou awaked me from the mortall drousinesse of sin by thy heavenly grace and prevented me by thy holy inspirations from grievously offending thee Accept o heavenly Father in stead of my defect all the acceptable workes which Jesus Christ my loving Saviour hath offered to thee for me take this in my acknowledgment of due gratitude for these thy gracious benefits bestow'd on me and grant that all my life may be a continuall thankes giving to thy divine Maiesty to whom only is due all honour glory praise and benediction for ever and ever without end Acts of Love towards our Enemies THou hast taught me o God of all love both by thy word and example to love my enemies yea the whole practise of thy divine life well appears to have been a continuall exercise of doing good for evill as also was thy death the souveraine sacrifice to expiate their sins O grant me grace I beseech thee herein to imitate thy charity and to observe this thy holy commande Forgive therfore sweet Jesus I beseech thee all those that persecute and doe me any injury grant them finall repentance of all their sin̄es and after a happy persevetance in thy grace to enjoy thee in eternall blisse Acts of Humility I Acknowledge and before thee my God doe confesse that of my selfe I am a pure nothing neyther any thing could I doe My extraction is from nothing and my inheritame and proper share is only weackenesse sin and misery It is thou o Lord who hast drawne me from my nothing wherrin without thy meere goodnesse I had continued for all Eternity and thither should I againe returne wer 't not thy powerfull hand which continually preserves me from it All this I now acknowledging for truth what greater follye can ther be then to flatter my selfe with vaine esteeme nay lett me but passe yet one stepp further onn and consider my innumerable sins committed against this souveraine Majesty ought not I then to confesse my ill deserving the least of these thy so gracious benefits I doe acknowledge to my great confusion and thy glory that I neither have deserved thy consolation nor from thy creatures
passion of our divine Redeemer Jesus and by the merits and intercession of the glorious Virgin Mary and of all the blessed Saints and Angels Amen A prayer to demand heavenly vertues and good life GRant vnto me O mercifull God ardently to desire such things as are pleasing unto thee prudently to accomplish them to the praise and glory of thy namne Grant me O Lord my God that I taâ—le not betwixt prosperity and adversity that in the former I be not too much puffed up nor in the latter too much dejected that I may joy or sorrow at nothing but at what leadeth unto thee or draweth away from thee that I covet to please none nor feare to displease any but only thee Let all transitory things O Lord become vile unto me and let all that is pleasing to thee be for thy sake most deare into me Let that joy be but teadious to me which is without thee and let me desire nothing out of thee Let that labour delight me O Lord which is for thee and let all ease be unpleasing to me which is without thee Make me O Lord obedient without contradiction poore without murmuring chast without corruption patient without repining humble without basenesse merry without dissolution sad without dejection quick without levity fearefull without despaire true without presumption to correct with discretion to edify without dissimulation Grant me O Lord my God an understanding knowing thee a diligence seeking thee a wisdome that may finde thee out a conversation pleasing to thee a perseverance faithfully expecting thee and a confidence finally embracing thee to be pearced with thy paines through penance to make use of thy benefits to thy glory and my owne souls good and at length by thy grace to enjoy thy glory there to praise and magnify thee for ever and ever Amen A prayer of praise of thankesgiving and of magnifying God ALmighty and most mercifull Father unto thee all the heavenly company of the celestial citty doe incessanty with due reverence sing continually glory and everlasting praise Thee O Lord al Saints and holy soules doe laud and magnify with condigne honour and as to whom all praise and glory is most due nor is there any creature that can sufficiently according to thy worthlinesse give sufficient praise to thee For thou art that unspeakable incomprehensible and everlasting goodnesse Thou O Lord hast made me and by the merits of the bitter passion of thy most blessed sonne which he vouchsafed to suffer for mans salvation restored me to grace and favour To thee only is due all laud and honour O souveraine Lord I miserable wretch a creature of thy making a silly worme of the earth have a good will to praise and magnify thee with all my hart and soule but without thy speciall grace I am but faint and wonderfull weak Wherfore I come to thee my God my life my strength my hope and only comfort to crave thy mercy and grace to give me power to praise and honour thee and that all I doe may be pleasing and acceptable unto thee Grant me the light of thy grace that my mouth may speake and my hart studie thy glory and my tongue may only be employd in the song of land and praise to thee But because all praise in a sinners mouth is base and vile and that I manifouldly have offended with my lips thou therfore cleanse ô divine Jesu my hart from the foule silth of sin sanctify me most powerfull Lord and Saviour and make me worthy to magnify thee Let thy divine sweetnesse wholy possesse my mind and feed my soule with the delight of relestiall cogitations Separate it O Lord from the love of all visible things and incline it to the studie and meditation of invisible O Almighty God inspire thou my hart that I may continually give thankes and honour unto thee Grant me grace that in this pilgrimage and vale of misery I may so praise thee that through thy grace and mercy I may be associated to their blessed Fellowship who see thee everlastingly and singe praises to thee world without end Amen A prayer of thankes-giving and of craving divine favour O Most mercifull Lord Jesus in remembrance of thy blessed Jncarnation death passion wounds sorrowes griefes teares and drops of thy most precious blood and in remembrance of thy infinit love to Man and in the union of that oblation and holy sacrifice by which thou didst offer thy selfe on the Altar of the Crosse I doe offer my selfe to thy praise and glory humbly beseeching thee to give to the living grace to the deceased mercy and rest and to us all the true spirit of repentance and life everlasting And I commend unto thee O Lord my souleand body most humbly beseeching thee to have mercy on me and upon all those for whom either by nature friendship or by gratitude I am bound to pray and in particular for N. N. c. I most humbly render to thee due thankes O my Lord God and mercifull Father for that thou didst vouchsafe to send thy only deare soune Jesus into this world to dye for Man the reproachfull death of the Crosse to the end that he might offer himselfe to thee a most pure holy and acceptable sacrifice of our sins and purge therby our conscience fro all its foule staynes of impiety By this thy excessive and infinit love and by those most cruell torments of thy owne sonne our Saviour we most humbly beseech thee to preserve in us continually those divine fruits of our Redemption and make us also daily to die with him to the world and to be crucifid to the lusts and desires of the flesh and to live to thee only all our life so that finally we may raigne with him eternally where thou with the Holy Gost livest one true and eternal God for ever and ever Amen A prayer to all the Saints ALI haile yee holy and most glorious Saints of God who now have past the dangerous sea of this mortality and have attaind to the secure haven of everlasting rest and security and deserved to be made now fellowes and partakers of the heavenly joyes being now without care for your selves be yee carefull for us Whouchsafe to be our advocats and governours Pray unto God for us that by your intercession and merits we may in this life obtayne grace and at the houre of death our soules departing in the happy state of grace may arrive at the safe port of eternall glory where you with the glorious Trinity doe raigne world without end Amen A prayer to all the Angels Al haile yee blessed Angelical spirits who with celestial melody doe praise and glorify our omnipotent Lord and in his glorious presence doe continually rejoyce have compassion on me a poore wretch And tho especially O holy Angel the keeper and guardien of my soule and body unto whom by Gods special commandement I am committed I beseech thee to discharge that office towards me with
that suffered and for whom O my great God and should my sin cause thee to endure such torments such injuries and so reporachfull a death O love thou art exceeding powerfull thou overcommest him whom none but thy selfe alone can overcome Hamel who will grant it me that I may dye for thee Ah that the love of all Creatures were now united in my hart to make a present of it unto thee The practise of aspirations upon the affection of Compassion of our blessed Redeemers many dolorous sufferings for ungrateful Men. O From whence so strong a chaine as to draw thee from the throne of glory to be stretched forth upon a most reproachfull Crosse O Mercifull and most loving Jesu what is it that I ought not to suffer for thee who hast most willingly endured so much for me Whence is it my deare Lord who art the comfort of Angels that thou shouldst to subject thy selfe to be replenisht with griefe and desolation O Jesus what is it that I ought not to suffer for the love of thee who hast most willingly endured so bitter a death and passion for me O mercifull Redeemer how thy very posture upon the holy Crosse invites me to cast my selfe into thy open stretched armes to receive the happy embracement of hy peace which by repentance of my fins in vertue of thy sacred passion is communicated unto me The practise of aspirations vpon the affection of love When shall I perfectly love thee O the onely Souveraine goodnesse above all and without whom no good is to be found Ah! when shall I truly love thee with all my hart with all my soule and powers with all my actions and affections and that they all be wholy employ'd in thy true love and service Ah! when shall my soule be so happy as that it may love all things in thee and nothing else without thee O when shall my corrupt affection desire nothing but the perfect accomplishment of thy blessed pleasure in me and by me in all things and in all tymes in prosperity or adversity O my God that I could serve and love thee as thy Saints and Angels doe in Heaven and remember that thou art alwayes truly present with me Ah! that I may once truly say what is it to me in Heaven and besids thee my God what would I upon Earth O true and happy center of all happy rest make all my thoughts my words and deeds to tend to seeke out and finally to rest in none but only in the love of thee The pratise of aspirations for the obtayning of certaine vertues O My God and when wilt thou replenish me with thy divine love O that I could but truly love thee above all other things and after that my neighbour as my selfe When shall I in all my adversity have only recourse unto thee and rest contentedly in the holy disposition of thy most holy providence yea praise and magnify thee in all my greatest tribulations Place thy confidence in God my soule and let him be thy love and thy feare O when shall this great tepidity and coldnesse of my soule be thaw'd and melted by the enflamed heate of true charity and the true love of thee Ah! when shell I perfectly dye to my felfe in my affection to all wordly creatures When shall I renounce my owne vicious and corrupt unruly will O blessed Jesu when wilt thou make me to be in all things gratefull and trully pleasing un to thee The practise of aspirations wherby to free our selves from some certaine sins and imperfections HElas my deare God when wilt thou give me grace to mortify such or such a passion or disordinate affection which so greatly disquiets the peace and happy repoe of my soule How long O Lord shall I runn headlong still into this pervere and wicked imperfection Ayde my frailty thou O God of all pitty with thy holy grace for with my whole hart I desire to leave the same O my good God and when shall I conquer and subdue such or such a passion my will is good but the frailty and corruption of my infirme nature hath need of thy grace which I most humbly now crave of thee O my Almighty God and shall I then never obtayne the practise of true humility O help me for thy great mercies sake to subdue by thy grace such or such a vice which greatly molesteth me O when shall I truly practise a vertuous contempt of my selfe and seeke a perfect conformity unto thy blessed will O my mercifull God I now unfeynedly desire to resist and perfectly to subdue this vice or that passion grant me thy gracious helpe and succour me An advertisment ANd in the self same manner as in the former aspirations so likewise you may proceed to practise any other Aspirations when you perceive your selfe moved by pious affection to some certaine vertue or to fly some vice presenting the same unto our Lord and Saviour by some such fervent jaculatory aspiration as above to the end that he may vouchsafe to give his divine ayde to performe the same Of Meditation PRayer is usually devided into vocal and mental Vocal is that which is articulated by the tongue But Mental prayer is made by the minde or soule therby to raise it selfe unto God be it by meditation that is by attentive pondering some divine mystery wherin the understanding is employ'd by discourse therby to draw out some good affection by which to exercise the will upon good resolutions to piety which is properly called Meditation and consists in a devout cordial and affectuous consideration of holy things which may move us to love and to blesse Almighty God and to imitate the vertues of our blessed Saviour and of his Saints to embrace good and all vertue and to fly all evill and vice and it doth powerfully stirr us up and puts us on fervently to recurr unto God in all our necessities Neither are the simple and unlearned people to think that this mental prayer is too high a practise for often tymes the simple people speed best therein as God himselfe hath testifyd by the mouth of the sacred Virgin Mother in her Magnificat saying Luke 1. the hungry he hath filled with good things and the rich he sent away empty Yea and the holy Ghost in his proverbes 3.32 doth playnly verify the same in these expresse words and his communication is with the simple with such as in a sincere and devout intention so love God to contemne themselves and to seeke in simplicity to accomplish his blessed will much rather then to spend his thoughts doctor-like in learned and high speculative discourses which is rather a true studie and not à devout meditation and therfore it produceth but small spirituall fruit Wheras the lesse learned applying their thoughts only to profit their soules by drawing from their meditation affections of the love of God of embracing such vermes of hating such a vice as the subject of their
to this end hast thou impos'd upon him the most holy name of Jesus O divine Jesus be to me Jesus Remember what thou hast said that thou camest not for the just but for sinners O my God thou desirest not the death of a sinner but that he should be converted and live Convert me then to thee that I may live eternally Come O divine Spirit repose in my soule with thy seaven guifts to the end to purify quicken and sanctify her Consume with the fire of thy holy love all earthly inclinations yet remayning in her and strengthen her in the last passage against all the temptations of her enemies An act of Faith I Protest O my God before Heaven and Earth that I will dye in the faith and union of the holy Catholique Apostolique and Roman Church I firmely beleeve what shee beleeves and teaches because thou O God who art the eternall truth hast said and revealed it Thou art that infinit goodnesse and sanctity which cannot deceive that infinit wisedome which cannot erre From hencefourth I renounce all temptations which the enemy may suggest to me in the last moments of my life contrary to this my protestation and I render thee thankes from the bottome of my hart for the immense favour thou hast done me in placing me amongst the children of thy holy Church Recite here the Apostles Creed and make reflection upon every Article of it protest to beleeve them all An act of Hope O My God although for the multitude and enormity of my sins I most justly deserve Hel neverthelesse confiding entirely in the merits of my Saviour Jesus Christ and in the greatnesse of thy mercy which can pardon more then I can effend I will hope for remission of all my transgressions and grace to persevere in thy holy love to which I especially consecrate the last moment of my life An act of Charity O My God when shall the tyme come that my soule being separated from this mortal body and from all Creatures it shall be perfectly united to thee to live thee with that pure and invariable love wherwith the Saints in Heaven love the What doe I desire in Heaven or in Earth besids thee the God of my hart my God and my eternal portion I esseeme al things as dung and silthynesse to gayne Jesus Christ An act of Charity towards our neighbour O My Lord I begg grace and salvation for all the Creatures whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood especially for the children of thy holy Church and more particularly for those who have any way offended me I pardon them O my God from the bottome of my hart as I desire thou shouldst pardon me Desire to receive Iesus Christ O My God my Creator and my Redeemer my beginning and my end my only satiety and Beatitude I ardently desire to receive thee to the end to unite my selfe to thee Come then into my soule sanctify and replenish all her faculties come into my body and purify all its senses come into my hart and possesse all its affections to the end that every moment in the remainder of my life my be entirely consecrated to thy love A spirituall Communion by way of Viaticum I Et us heare our good Angel who invites us to eate of this bread of life and who speakes to us as heretofore to the Prophet Elias rise and eate for thou hast yet a great way to goe We may represent to our selves Jesus Christ accompanied by the B. Virgin our good Angel and holy Patrons entring into our Chamber to the end to administer to us with his owne divine hands his most sacred body as he did heretofore to his Apostles in the last supper and saying to us take and eate this is my body which shal be delivered to death to the end to give thee life Having adored him with all our hart we may say to him these words O my God since thou hast said that he who eates thee shall live eternally grant me this grace that by receiving thy holy body I may never more live but in thee by thee and for thee and that when I shal leave this mortall life I may by the force and vertue of this divine bread attaine to an union and sight of thy divine Majesty in Heaven O whence comes this happinesse to me that my God should vouchsafe to visit me O Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come unto my soule but say onely the word and it shall be heald Having receivd him we must discourse lovingly with him calling before him all our senses and faculties to the end to sweare fidelity to him let us renew all our vowes and promisses to him and conjure him never to forsake us saying with the Disciples who were going to Emaus stay with us O Lord for it is late the evening of my life is come And with S. Simeon O Lord let now my soule depart in peace since shee hath seene thy salvation And with David ALthough I walke in the midst of the shadow of death I will feare no evill because thou art with me O God put thy selfe as a divine seale upon my hart to the end that no earthly thing may find entrance there Let us unit our Communion to that which our divine Saviour made before his death and to all other which the B. Virgin and all the Saintes have made to all those also which shall be made even to the end of the world therby to supply the defects we have committed in receiving this divine Sacrament Let us render thankes as well for the grace of the Communion as for all others which he has so liberally bestow'd upon us inviting all creaturs to blesse praise and magnify him with us by the psalme Laudate Dominum omnes gerues or the Canticle Benedicite omnia apera c. 2. Point Spirituall Extreame unction WE may represent to our sselves Jesus Christ emering into our Chamber accompanied as before in the article of Communion bringing with him the holy only compos'd of his precious blood to the end to apply to us these sacred unctions with his owne divine hands and in receiving them we may make these acts of Contrition for our sins committed by each of our senses At the unction of the eyes O Jesus my Saviour and my God I most humbly begg pardon for all my sins committed by so many inordinate lookes and teares unprofitably shed for the effacing of which vouchsafe to apply to me the merit of those amorous lookes which from the Crosse thou wert pleased to cast upon those who crucisi'd thee and of the teares thou hast shed for my salvation Of the Eares PArdon me also the sins I have committed in hearing with pleasure so many evill discourses and in satisfaction for them vouchsafe to apply to me the merit of that patience and humility wherewith thou wert pleased to heare all their blasphemies iniuries and calumnies which have been uttered against thee
vengence of our sins The Litanies of the Saints LOrd have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Christ heare us Christ graciously heare us God the Father of Heaven Have mercy upon us God the sonne Redeemer of the world Have mercy upon us God the Holy Ghost Have mercy upon us Holy Trinity one God Have mercy upon us Holy Mary Pray for us Holy Mother of God Holy Virgin of Virgins S. Michael Pray for us S. Gabriel S. Raphael All yee holy Angels and Archangels All yee holy Orders of blessed spirits S. John Baptist All yee holy Patriarcks Prophets S. Peter S. Paul S. Andrew S. James S. Philip. S. Bartholomew Pray for us S. Mathew S. Simon S. Thadey S. Mathias S. Barnabe S. Luke S. Marke All yee holy Apostles and Evāgelists All yee holy Disciples of our Lord. All yee holy Innocents S. Stephen S. Laurence Pray for us S. Vincent S. Fabian and Sebastian S. John and Paule S. Cosme and Damian S. Geryase and Protase All yee holy Martyrs S. Sylvester S. Gregory S. Ambrose Pray for us S. Augustin S. Hierosme S. Martin S. Nicolas All yee holy Bishops and Confessors All yee holy Doctors S. Antony S. Benet S. Bernard S. Dominick S. Francis All yee holy Priests and Levits All yee holy Monkes and Eremits S. Mary Magdalen S. Agatha S. Lucy S. Agnes Pray for us S. Cicily S. Chatherine S. Anastasia All yee holy Virgins and widowes All yee Men and Woemen Saints of God Make yee intercession for us Sonne of God We beseech thee to heare us Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Spare us O Lord. Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Heare us O Lord. Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Have mercy vpon us Christ heare us Christ graciously heare us Vouchsafe O Almighty God that we honouring the memory of thy blessed Saints thou grant us by their intercession the desired abundance of thy mercy through Christ Jesus our Lord Amen O God whose proper it is alwayes to have mercy and to spare receive our petition that the tender mercy of thy piety may mildly absolve us and all thy servants whom the chayne of sin doth binde Amen Heare we beseech thee O Lotd the prayers of thy supplicants and pardon the sins of them that confesse to thee that thou being unto us benigne maist in like manner give us pardon and peace Shew with clemency O Lord thy unspeakable mercy unto us that thou both acquit us of our sins and deliver us from the paines which for them we deserve O God who by sin art offended and by penance art pacified mercifully respect the prayers of thy people making supplication to thee and turne away the scourges of thy āger which for our sins we deserue Haue mercy on all sinners sweet Jesu I beseech thee turne their vices into vertues and make them true observers of thy law and lovers of thee bring them to blisse in everlasting glory Have mercy also on the soules in Purgatory for thy bitter passion sake I beseech thee and for thy glorious name Jesu O holy Trinity one true God have mercy on me Your prayer ended dispose your selfe in recollection of mind to bed and putting of your cloathes consider how fast the tyme is comming on and is perchaunce much neerer then you imagin when you shall be vncloathed of all but a poore winding sheet to be covered with earth which your bedcloathes covering you doe represent as also the ensving sleepe doth your death and your bed the grave where laying downe your selfe commende both your body and soule vnto God saying as did Iesus Christ upon the Crosse recommending your soule to the Eternall father in these sacred words Into thy hands O Lord I recommend my spirit In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I laye me downe to rest he blesse me defend me and bring me to life everlasting Amen Save us good Lord wakeing and keepe us sleeping that we may watch with Christ and rest in peace Amen God the Father blesse me Jesus Christ defende me the vertue of the holy Ghost illuminate and sanctify me this night and ever more Amen O Angel of God who art my keeper me by the supernal piety committed to thy charge keepe and defend this night from all peril of body and of soule Amen And lastely with a fervent aspiration to God conclude saying O deare Jesu the everlasting repose of thyne elect when will the happy houre come that my soule may without end receiue her rest in thy eternall glory And herevpon with an act of the love of God compose your selfe to sleepe When awakeing in the night IF you awake in the night endeavour to make an elevation of your hart to God by some ejaculatory prayer as O good Iesu be to me Iesus and save me or O deare Iesu that I may know thee and that J may know my selfe vpon which words S. Augustin was wont to spend whole nights in pious contemplation As also did S. Francis in these other not unlike O who art thou my divine Lord and who am I or say O Eternal God when shall I love thee with my whole hart and soule and if I were at this very instant now to dye am J in the state to obtayne thy gracious mercy or the like And then without any further application of mind compose your selfe againe to sleepe Holy cogitations wherof some one being chosen at the end of your evening or morning prayer may serve as a subject for a vertuous employment of your minde when either you cannot sleepe or for all the day following at such tymes as best leasure shall give occasion to make some good Reflection there upon Of the true end of Man MAn is made to love and to serve God and thereby to obtayne his owne Beaitude Our very hart assures us of this certaine truth which being made for God it findes no quiet rest but only in that its proper center thou hast created us O Lord for thy selfe saith S. Augustin and our hart is unquiet untill it repose in thee Yea plaine experience makes it manifest for neither could Alexander the great be content with his glorious conquest of the world togeather with all other temporall felicity nor Salomon with all which his soule could either possesse or desire for the full content both of his body and mind all which in the end he confessed to be but vanity and affliction of spirit And Alexander did no lesse who weeped when he was tould that there were no more worlds for him to conquer the satisfaction of what he had done gave him so smale content We being therfore made only for God let us be only his and give our selves entierly to him performing what according to our end we are made for For as the suune is made to give light the fier to heate and salt to season to which end should they
it and to drawe vs to aspire to life everlasting which is so free from all these afflicting miseries For if being thus even overwhelmed with so many daily sufferings we are yet notwhithstanding so unwilling to depart from this wretched world what then would become of us if we enjoyed all here at great case and to our harts full content S. Augustin proves mans life to be a continual misery Li. Con. fes 10 ch 28. because in adversity saith he we desire prosperity and in prosperity we feare adversity nor are we ever quiet or free from the one of these tormenting passions either of desire of what we want or of feare to loose the prosperity which we enjoy Wo be therfore saith he to the prosperity of this life for the feare wherin we are of adversity and for that our joy may be quickly at an end and wo be to the adversity of this life through the desire which we have of prosperity and because adversity is of it selfe a thing hard to be endured And is not therfore the life of Man upon Earth a meere temptation saith S. Augustin without any kinde of intermission and voyde of all true happinesse or content Reflections upon the dreadfull word of Aeternity ONe good consideration of Aeternity makes all temporal felicity but contemptible saith S. Greg. yea that very thought of Aeternity gives courage to beare patiently all persecution and the afflictions of this miserable life and with S. Augustin it will make us say here cutt here burne here doe not spare me Lord so that thou spare me eternally A serious reflection upon Aeternity is a souverainne remedy against all sin for who would presume to offend God if he wel considered that by his sin he forfeits an Aeternity of all beatitude and engageth himselfe to the endlesse torments of Hel. A good reflection upon Aeternity is capable to make us to admire to adore and love Gods mercy as also to dread his justice in rewarding so little service done him in this world with everlasting recompence in the other and for one mortal sin committed by thought or deed to punish eternally in hell O that this wholsome thought of Aeternity could take so deepe a roote in our soules as never to be plucked from our thought For what is Aeternity but the measure of a present and perpetuall during without end Imagin a thousand millions of yeares yea as many milions of yeares as there have been moments from the beginning of the world and shal be till the end therof and then you may truly say how all that is nothing in comparaison of Aetetnity which is to dure so long as God is God and so long shall the just be blest with glory in Paraidse and the wicked remayne no lesse in the tormenting flames of hell alwayes for ever and for Aeternity and this for their foolish choyce here to enjoy but one uncertaine moment of vaine and deluding pleasure O Aeternity Aeternity how is it possible that thou shouldst be no more considered by men he doubtlesse needs must want both faith and all true judgment who doth not tremble at the serious true reflection upon Aeternity Whereupon to make good profit by this wholsome thought of Aeternity consider by an act of faith this certaine truth that you are to be either happy or most miserable for all Eternity and that the last moment of your life is to determine this great affaire and therefore when you finde your selfe solicited to any sin detest that motion which for a moment of false content doth intice you most tray terously unto endlesse misery Which to avoyde resolve with a courageous resolution to suffer both persecution and all affliction whatsoever much rather then to hazard the torments of Hell for all Eternity Fly sin with great horrour much more then death it selfe and from the occasions thereof as the most dangerous serpent it being only which can destroy you eternally In sine he must either want faith or be a foole who is not toucht nor drawes profit by this wholsome thought of Eternity for can we judge him lesse then frantick and quite out of his witts who will venture by committing one mortall sin to expose himselfe to damnation for all Aeternity Here followeth a briefe signification of the Priestly ornaments at Masse as also a short declaration of the other Ceremonies and holy mysteries of that divine sacrifice for the instruction and comfort of the poore and lesse learned people for whom this little manuel is principally intended though not unwelcome I hope to any behoulding so cleerly thereby how perfectly the bitter death and Passion of our divne Redeemer is represented to our memory wherby to stirr us up to love and gratitude for what so loving a Saviour hath suffered to pay our debt And by this meanes to moove us also for his sake and for the expiation of our grievous sins to suffer the afflictions which his blessed order and heavenly providence hath mercifully disposed for us to undergoe in this world therby to avoyde the eternall torments in the other And now as for these ceremonies ordayned for the more solemne celebrating the holy sacrifice of the Masse whereby the peoples devotion is much encreaced God is more glorifi'd and our soules are instructed and drawne unto his love therefore great impiety it is proceeding chieffy from ignorance in such as doe so irreligiously dispise those holy Ceremonies inspired by the holy Ghost into his beloved spouse the Catholik Church for the increace of devotion and greater Majesty in Gods divine service and worship Yet here it is to be observed that we doe not place any true perfection in these holy Ceremonies but only use them as meanes wherby we are induced to true perfection of the love of God à Ceremonie being only an outward religious act no further piously laudable then it is exercis'd for Gods honour and glory by its pious signification And like as we know that chastity and poverty are not true perfection themselves because they may and also often tymes doe happen to be without it yet none can deny them to be good meanes to obtayne contempt of the world and the love of God wherein only true perfection doth consist And as the children of Israel by behoulding the stones which their Fathers had brought with them when they passed dryfoot over the red sea were put in mind of Gods great miracles in their protection and were also mooved by that meanes greatly to love and honour God for it so likewise holy Ceremonies put us in mind of their pious significations and are like savoury sauce which giveth a pleasing relish to the meate although of it selfe it be but of little substance Or as the leaves and barke which although they beare no fruit yet are both ornaments and a needfull defence to preserve the pleasing fruit The poles in the vineyard beare no grapes yet they sustayne and preserve the same So likewise although the
tyme to heare Masse represent to your selfe that you are called to accompany the B. Virgin S. Jo. Evangelist and holy Magdalen to mount Calvary there to assist at that dreadfull sacrifice which this doth so truly represent and that togeather with the Priest you now are going to offer it upon the Altar to the Eternall Father for the whole cath Church as also for your owne necessities and for all others both living and dead for whom you are bound to pray The Priest ascending up to the Altar with that great crosse upon the back of the vestment may renew in us a lively memory of that heavie Crosse which Jesus Christ did beare upon his wounded shoulders to mount Calvary there to pay that deare and painfull ransome for our sin And the crowne or tonsure of the Priest may represent to us that crowne of sharp thornes which was beaten upon our Saviours head Admire here his infinit love and mercy to ungratefull Man The exteriour and interiour disposition required to assist at the holy sacrifice of the Masse THe Priest now approaching to the Altar we must procure a right interiour disposition by stirring up in our harts an actuall sorrow and contrition for our sins and renouncing all affection to them therby to purify our soules from that foule blemish which might render our devotion unpleasing to God 2. We ought there to behave our selves with all exteriour reverence and very carrefully to avoyde all needlesse words and lookes still keeping the eyes of our soule firmely fixed upon the Altar and our minds wholy busied with devout attention upon those holy mysteries of the life and death of Jesus Christ which in this sacrifice of the Masse is so truly represented unto us A forme of directing our intention before Masse in forme of prayer O Sacred Trinity accept this holy sacrifice of the most precious body and blood of our Lord Jes Chr. in union of that most holy sacrifice which our divine Redeemer offered in his last supper and upon the Crosse I offer it to thee by the hands of the Priest First to the honour and eternall glory of thy divine Majesty In acknowledgment of thy supreame excellency and dominion over us and our subjection and dependance upon thee as also in perpetuall commemoration of the death and passion of our most mercifull Redeemer Jesus Christ 2. in honour and increase of glory to all the B. spirits in the Church triumphant And for the suffering soules in Purgatory And in particular for the soules of N. N. 3. In eternal gratitude for all thy gracious benefits bestow'd on me thy ungratefull creature and in satisfaction for my sins and for those of all the faithfull as well living as dead And finally for the obtayning of such or such a grace And in particular for N. N. And for all those for whom I am wont and bound to pray To obtayne rest to the dead and to the living grace to know to love and to glorify thee perfectly in this world and happily to enioy thee in the other for all Eternity Amen An advertisment WHat finally I doe here recommend to all is that with devout attention they religiously accompany the Priest and make serious reflection upon each my stery in order yet very briefly endevoring to stirr up some fervent and pious affection or holy aspiration wherby to move their harts to a divine and ardent love of so mercifull a God and to detest all sin which so very highly offends him A DEVOUT EXERCISE FOR HEARING MASSE BOTH WITH TRUE PIETY AND MUCH INSTRUCTION From the rising of the sunne leven to the going downe in every place there is sacrificing and there is offered in my name a cleane oblation Malach. 1. cap. ver 11. A prayer before Masse O Most clement Father of mercy who hast bestowd not only once thy dearly beloved sonne to dye upon a Crosse for Mans Redemption but wouldest that his oblation so infinitly acceptable unto thee should daily be renued in thy Church to increace in us the fruit therof Grant us we beseech thee so attentively and reverently to be present at this so adorable a mystery of thy piety that we may be able to ataine the participation therof through Christ Jesus our Lord and only Redeemer Amen At the Priest's ascending to the Altar and there opening the booke THe Priest ascending to the Altar and having placed the Chalice he openeth the booke To signify that the mysteries of our faith lay shutt up in dark shadowes and obscure figures in the old law till Jesus Christ there represented by the Priest layd them open to us in their true substance and verity Rejoyce with gratitude for our enjoying the law of grace and stirr up a firme beleefe of all those holy mysteries of Mans Redemption by Christs bitter death and Passion which are here to be represented to us in the holy Masse At the Priests descending to the lowest stepp and beginning with the signe of the Crosse and saying the Confiteor c. THe Priest descends to the lowest stepp and there begins in making the signe of the Crosse To shew that we had no other hope nor remedy for our reconciliation to God but by the merits and sacred passion of Jesus Christ who died for us upon the Crosse At the Confiteor stirr up true sorrow and detestation for your sins as a preparation to appeare with more purity and profound humility in Gods divine presence at all those sacred mysteries represented there to us at the holy sacrifice of the Masse At the Priests ascending and kissing the Altar THe Priest ascending he kisseth the Altar as a symbole of reconciliation and peace made betwixt God and Man by the precious blood and bitter passion of Jesus Christ For which indevour to stirr up due love and gratitude At the Introite and Kyrie elysons THe Introite is so called because at high Masse it is sung whilst the Priest is comming to the Altar It represents the sighs and longing desires of the Patriarckes for the Messias comming As also doe the Kyrie and Christe elysons At which let us humbly crave the needfull visit of Gods grace for our soules as also his mercy and gracious pardon of all our sins Of Gloria in excelsis Dominus vobiscum and the prayer JOy here at our divine Redeemers birth and at his choyce of so poore so meane and so suffering a manner We must learne to contemne all worldly pompe and vanity and that the only true way to beatitude is that of mortification humility and proper abjection The Priest salutes the people with Dominus vobiscum to stirr up their attention before he begins the prayer to the end that their petitions therin may be more gratefull to God And he saith Oremus before the prayer to desire the people to joyne their prayers and intentions with his to obtayne those necessities which our holy mother the Church recommends to be prayd for therby At the Epistle and
therby and arive by Gods grace to great perfection in his state and calling Pious Reflections aswell for the embracing and practise of vertue as for the flying of vice Which may also be used for the subject of so many profitable meditations IT is you know the custome for such as being to frequent pestiferous places and have care to preserve themselves from that dangerous infection to carry with them some preservative to which they smelling or which they tasting in tyme of danger doe fortify therby their spirits to resist the contagious ayre It is spiritually the like case with Man whose frail nature is exposed to continuall danger of infection with sin unlesse he make use of some spiritual preservative wherby to prevent his will from the pernicious tainter of consent Against which I have here proposed these following Reflections wherof you daily makeing use of some one of them by way of a morning meditation to be still borne in your minde in all occasions of temptations in that day your soule will therby be greatly strengthned to resist the dangerous infection of sin and be preserved in the spirituall health of Gods grace to practise holy vertues and devotion which are like unto litle children who though they give great content in their mothers armes yet in bringing them fourth they cause them much paine even so the production and first bringing fourth of all vertue is laborious and painfull but the enjoyment and good fruit therof is exceeding gustfull and gives great delight as by the practise of these following devotions I doubt not but you will experience to be true Of the vertue of Charity THis great Queene of vertues Charity and the love of God consits not in the tender affection only of the hart which may procede from à tender and sensible complection as well as from divine grace wherin many are greatly mistaken And much lesse doth it consist in words But the true marke of Charitiy and of the love of God consists in deeds for the tryall of love is the perfomance of deeds saith S. Greg. Yea our B. Saviour demands this proofe of it if you love me keepe my commandements And therfore there is no truer marke of our loving God Ioan. 14. then to be in all things conformable to his blessed will in body and minde in health in sicknesse in disgrace in persecution in life or in death c. our continuall prayer being ever thy wil be donne Of the love of our neighbour BEare yee one an others burthens Galat. 64. and soe yee shall fulfill the law of Christ By thes burthens the Apostle understands our unpleasing humours our ill governed passions imperfections and antipathies in our neigbours nature and actions wherin we must mutually beatre one with an other if we will comply with the law of Christ by which we are all strictly obliged and commanded to love our neighbour as our sulfs and if not being able to shew it by any other deeds we ought at least to suffer and quietly to endure his imperfections as he undoubtedly must also doe many of ours And can we conceive any reason that God should be more indulgent loving and mercifull in suffering with so great patience our innumerable offences against his divine Majesty then we should be in bearing with so few and small faults and imperfections of our neighbours against us o shamefull confusion to man God suffers all ingratitude sin and injury from us and yet powers he downe incessantly his great blissings and favours whilst we seeke deepe revenge for but trifling injuries O infinit goodnesse of God to our just confusion and shame Wherin consists the enjoyment of a true and happy peace TRue peace is what we all desire but few take the right way to finde it and therfore cannot enjoy it The meanes therfore to purchace this happy peace with a vertuous repose of minde is by establishing a firme and holy peace with God with our neighbour and with our selves for which take this holy practise to obtayne it First to procure our peace with God mildnesse and humility of hart is required learne yee of me who am mild and humble of hart and you shall find rest to your soules 2. to enjoy true peace with our neighbour we must dispise injuries we must beare with their imperfections and doe them what good we can And finally to be at true peace and tranquility of mind interiourly with our selves that must be gayned by an intyre and perfect renouncing our owne proper wills by vertuous patience and true conformity to the will of God for in your patience you shall possesse your soules Lu. 19.21 Saith Jesus Christ Of Christian Patience AN injury patiently suffered for Jesus Christ is much to be preferd before an act of great austerity which may be omitted without sin but to fall into impatience you cannot without offending God which ought not to be done to save all the world Many fancy in their minds to suffer cruell martyrdome for Jesus Christ who yet have not the patience to be Crossed nor to endure the least word of injury or of comtempt They frame to their fancy to doe great matters a farre off which are never likely to happen but they loose all patience at the least offence the divill on set purpose busiing their thoughs in unprofitable fancies of things which will never arrive therby to hinder them from what much more imports them to doe and by that meanes to hinder them both of merit and grace Infine no vertue is more necessary then is Patience we being almost continually in occasion for the practise of it and by the help therof we surmount the greatest difficulties Of true obedient submission to the will of God GOd hath no need of his creatures for the execution of his designe and therfore we ought not to be troubled at our owne insufficiency he can doe what he pleaseth without our help and if it be for him that thou laborest call wel to minde that he needeth no creature to lend him help It happens frequently to be much better for you to mortify some disordered appetite then to preach many well studied sermons or to doe divers rigorous penances And if God deprive you of health he gives you but therby occasion to augment your merit Serve not God according to your owne desire but as it is his blessed will It would little availe à servant to take great paines if it be not according to his Maisters good likeing for at the end of his labour he will only have gayned his Maistens ill will and anger If therfore by infirmity thou beest hindred to doe penance be assured that obedience is better then sacrifice and that there is much more merit to submitt with holy patience then doe great abstinence and other austerities according to your owne inclination Perswade not your selfe to become a saint after an other manner then God hath ordayned for you nor to be more holy
who approacheth to this divine banquet First that he examen well himselfe as S. Paul doth exhort that he come prepared and fittingly disposed on his part For which purpose these fowre dispositions are principally required The first a firme faith to beleeve Christs owne word and his Churches doctrine teaching that the words of consecration being pronounced what was bread before is changed by divine vertue into the true reall and substantiall body and blood of Jesus Christ and that although the colour figure taste and other accidents of breade remayne yet the substance is converted into the body of Jesus Christ which being now living glorious and immortall it can receive no division nor indignity but is united to his blood soule and divinity The second disposition required is a great purity principally from all mortall sin as also from all voluntary and deliberate affection to either mortall or venial And besides this purity of conscience purity also of intention is requisit for he would be greatly blamable who should approach to this divine table for vaine humaine respect to be esteemed devout or to gaine the good opinion of Men. But his intention must be purely to please God to be more closely united to him and to be made more capable therby to glorify to love and to serve his heavenly Majesty The third disposition is profound humility to which the Christian may strongly be mooved he well considering on the one side Gods greatnesse and infinit sanctity and his owne origen from nothing brought by sin to so despicable a state on the other Which very thought ought to give great confusion to a penitent sinner now ready to approach to this God of all glory and Majesty before whom the Angels Seraphins and Cherubins doe tremble with respect and feare Finally the fourth disposition is love and ardent charity towards this our divine Redeemer who gives himselfe to us with so excessive good nesse with graces and benedictions from the superabundant fountaine of this divine Sacrament flowing copiously into an open and loving hart And therfore undoubtedly the most excellent disposition which a Christian can bring to the holy Communion is to excite himselfe interiorly to the fervent acts of love towards Jesus Christ with strong resolutions wholy to consecrate himselfe to please and love him to serve and glorify him by his whole life and actions But although these dispositions regarding our soule be both the principall and most necessary yet such as concerne the body must not be neglected As first that the communicant present himselfe to this divine banquet with fitting decency in apparell With modest and reverent comportment yet all within the bounds of decent modesty and without all superfluous affectation He must also be fasting and have swallowed nothing from the midnight before his communion Who being now to approach to this heavenly table it must be with great modesty and devout humility saying the Confiteor with true harty sorrow for having offended so great and so good a God And the Priest saying Domine non sum dignus c. Let him humble his hart before God acknowledging his great unworthinesse to receive so divine a guifte The sacred Host being presented unto him he must receive it with all humble respect his eyes bending downwards and opning moderately his mouth without stirring his head or body or moving his lipps with words Let the tongue touch the side of the lipp not too much put fourth that it may conveniently receive the holy Host which there moistned with decent motion may be let downe into the stomack for it is not to be chewed with the teeth nor to be brought to the rouse of the mouth Let the whole body be erected and quiet without any motion sighing groning knocking of the breast exclamations vocall prayers or the like which would be unfitting and inconvenient Having communicated he must be carefull for one quarter of an houre not to spit but if forced to it be carefull it be with respect and where it be not trod upon or more decently to take it with his handkercher Let him retyre to some convenient place where for the space of a quarter of an houre at the least he ought to recollect his soule in thankes giving considering whom he hath received and with the eys of fervent faith there to behould within his breast his loving Saviour and God of all Majesty and with great attention and devout acknowledgment of humble thankes for that inestimable benefit received there offering sacrificing and intirely consecrating himselfe his soule his body and all the powers and actions of them both to his divine honour and glory for all Eternity When you actually receiue the sacred Hoste conceive your selfe as S. Theresia did as if behoulding with her corporal eyes Jesus Christ to enter into your poore habitation and stirr up thor at your faith laying aside all mortall objects whatsoever and as if entring in with him procure there to recollect all the powers of your soule to attend upon that so divine a guest to doe him all adoration and homage so that they neyther distract nor hinder your soule from a quiet and entire enjoyment of him There represent your selfe as at his feet deploring with repentant Magdalen your many sins And although we should have no other devotion but this alone yet faith would perswade us that we were both well and very happy there to speake with our divine and loving Saviour so present to give care to the propositions of all our necessities at least whilst the sacramentall species remaine uncorrupted with us And therfore we must not loose one moment of this so precious tyme of his true reall and substantiall presence with us but to spend it in all true fervent devotion with so mercifull and powerfull a Lord and guest For this is a most profitable practise after communion which that seraphical 8. Theresa did usually excercise with great comfort and profit to her soule And now finally that the vertuous soule may the better comply with her duty in this divine action as well before the holy communion as also after the same let her reade much rather with hart then with mouth these following prayers shee framing in her soule the interiour acts which are but exteriorly framed in words A prayer to be said before the holy Communion O MOST benigne Lord Jesus I a sinner presuming nothing on my owne merits but wholy trusting on thy mercy and goodnesse doe feare and tremble to have accesse unto the table of thy most sweet banquet For I have a hart and bodie spotted with many crymes a minde and tongue not warily gwarded Therefore o benigne Deity o dreadfull Majesty I a wretch holden in these streights have recourse unto thee the fountaine of mercy I hasten to thee to be healed I fly under thy protection and he whom I cannot endure a Judge I hope to have a Saviour To thee o Lord I shew my wounds to thee I
discover my shame I know my sins to be many and great and withoot number Looke downe upon me with the eyes of thy mercy O Lord Jesus the eternall King God and Man and Crucifi'd for Men. Heare me graciously hoping in thee have mercy upon me full of sin and wretchednesse thou that wilt never restraine the fountaine of thy pitty to flow All hayle healthfull sacrifice offered upon the tree of the Crosse for me and for all Mankinde All hayle o noble and precious blood gushing out of the wounds of my Lord Jesus Christ crucifi'd and washing away the sins of the whole world Remember o Lord thy Creature which thou hast redeemed with thy blood It repenteth me that I have sinned I desire to amend what I have done amisse Take then away from me o most clement Father all myne iniquities and offences that purifi'd in mind and body I may deserve worthely to tast the holy of holies And grant that this holy tasting of thy precious body and blood which I most unworthy intend to receive may be the remission of my sins perfect purgation of my crymes driving away of filthy cogitations an a begetting of good thoughts and holesome efficacy of workes pleasing to thee and withall a sirme protection of soule and body against the dangerous wiles of my Ghostly enemy Amen An other payer of S. Tho. of Aquine before receiving the holy Communion ALmighty and eternall God behold I comme to the Sacrament of thy only begotten sonne our Lord Jesus Christ I repaire as one being sick unto the Phisition of life As one uncleane unto the fountaine of mercy As one poore and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth I beseech therfore the aboundance of thy infinit bounty that thou wouldest wouchsafe to cure my infirmity to wash my filth to lighten my blindnesse to enrich my poverty to cloath my nakednesse that I may receive thee the bread of Angels King of Kings Lord of Lords with so great reverence and humility with so great contrition ad dovotion with so great purity and faith with such good purpose and intent as is expediēt for the health of my soule Grant me I beseech thee not only to receive the Sacrement of our Lords body and blood but the thing and vertue therof O God most meeke grant me so to take the body of thy only begotten sonne our Lord Jesus Christ which he tooke of the Virgin Mary that I may deserve to be incorporated into his mysticall body and accompted amongst the members therof O most loving Father grant me for ever with open face to behold thy beloved sonne whom now covered in this way-fare I intend to receive Who together with thee the holy ghost three persons and one only God liveth world without end Amen A preparatory meditation disposing our soules before the holy Communion to approach with due disposition to receive not only the Sacrament but also the grace and great vertue therof Approach yee with faith with feare and with love S. Greg. Dial. li. 2. THese words were antiently pronunced in the Church with a loud voyce by the Deacon to all such as intended to communicate To which holy action for a more fitt disposition foure things are required For like as to a solemne banquet it is necessary first that our hands face and linning be pure well washt and cleane 2. that we come decently and well apparelld 3. that we bring a rigthly prepared stomack and good appetite And 4. we must not sit downe to a feast with a hart charged with anger gall or enuy for that would hinder both the content and benefitt which otherwise we should or might have received therby So in like manner our soule must come pure clean and well washt from the foule stayne of sine and as a neate vessel to receive the grace of this holy Sacrament Math. 5.3 For blessed are the clean of hart c. 2. It must come clad with the nuptiall garment of vertue and good purposes Friend wher fore entredst thou hither without a nuptiall garment Math. 22. 3. with hungar and a true desire to please God and to serve him with fidelity the best we can Matth. 5. For blessed are they who hungar and thirst after justice c. And lastly as the holy Ghost commands we must depose all enmity and ill will against our neighbour and embrace all in love and charity Math. 5.24 Leave thy offering before the Altar and goe first to be reconciled to thy brother c. And as truth convinceth all this to be most just and reasonable so ought we to practise it with due fidelity so that neither blindnesse of passion nor frailty of nature may leade us out of this true path or rightly loving serving and enjoying this our loving Lord and Saviour Grant me thy grace deare Jesu to receive thee in this divine Sacrament with firme faith of thy presence with true purity and contrition of hart with dreadfull feare of thy Majesty which makes all the celestiall spirits with reverentiall feare to tremble and to receive thee with a hart enflamed with divine and ardent love of soe mercifull and bountifull a loving Lord who in this divine Eucharist gives vs thyselfe wholy and intirely body and soule divinity humanity thy graces and merits and therefore I give thee my loving great God wholy and intirely my selfe in perfect oblation my soule and body life and death tyme and Eternity And finally I most humbly crave such necessities as I most need for thy glory and my owne souls heath Of Thankes giving after the holy Communion IT is the practise of most pious persons to make best use of the most precious tyme whilst this divivine gueste remaines with us under the consecrated species vniting there their harts and all the faculties of their soules in doing homage and adoration unto their great Lord and God craving humbly pardon for their sins force to overcome their passions and temptations grace to obtayne the vertues of humility of patience conformity charity perseverance and the like then also making good purposes and firme resolutions to amend our most habituall vices And that day in tankes-giving and for his honour to resolue and practise as occasion shall be offered that vertue which is most opposit to the vice which is in us predominant Or to exercise some worke of mercy with that prious intention This done you may continue your devotion by these flollowing prayers A Prayer after the holy Communion O My divine Recdemer I humbly beseech thy unspeakable mercy that this Sacrament of thy precious body and blood which I most unworthey have received may be to me a purging of offences a fortitude against frailties a fortititude against the perils of the world and obtayning of pardon an establishment of grace a medicin of life a memory of thy passion a nourishment against weakenesse and a happy viaticum of this my pilgrimage Let it guide me going reduce me
but thine be done Grant sweet Jesus even for thy bitter passion's sake that I may performe what by thy grace I have thus resolved humbly fervently faithfully constantly that my ghostly enemy may never have any just cause to reproach me for my infidelity therein Amen Acts to be made in tyme of affliction or of trouble either in body or minde O Father of mercy and God of all consolation it being now the houre ordayned by thy divine pleasure that I should suffer I blesse and adore thy holy name desiring to persevere in that due fidelity which I owe thee I most humbly submit my selfe to the divine order of thy holy will as well in all griefe and paine as in my consolation and joy I acknowledge and doe freely confesse that the least sin which I have committed against thee deserves farr greater punishment And therfore I most humbly thanke thee O mercifull Lord for thy so lovingly and so very favorably chastising me And notwithstanding all the repugnance nature feeles herein with a most willing hart I accept thy correction and most willingly submit to it in what manner soever it shall please thee to dispose of me and I will alwayes sincerely say with my divine Redeemer thy will be done not myne Grant me the patience O heavenly Father by the sacred merits of thy deare sonne Jesus which shall be necessary for my well suffering and then accomplish in me what shall be to thee most pleasing For to thee I doe intirely abandon my body my soule my goods my life yea all I have into the hands of thy fatherly providence to the end that both for tyme and Eternity thou dispose of me according to thy blessed will and pleasuro Acts of mildenesse and meeknesse THou O my Lord who art the true peace thou lovest to rest in a quiet mild and gentle hart Grant me I beseech thee this thy beloved vertue wherby I may truly banish from my hart all disquiet and impatience therby to enjoy true solid content of mind for the meeke shall delight in abundance of peace Vouchsafe O Lord that I may learne this lesson of thee who commandest me to be milde and humble of hart therby to find true rest unto my soule for as no quarrel can be fixt upon a pleasant countenance and cheerefull minde so also courteous language and gentle hehaviour will conque the greatest enemy the conversation of such a Man is gratfull to every company and yealds both comfort and content to all for nothing is more pleasing then is a sweet milde and peacible humour nor is there any thing more offensive and displeasing then is a froward peevish and impatient nature Acts of Mortification THou knowest right well my God that such is the corrupt inclination of Man that it incits him continually to sin and keeps him as tossed with the contrary waves of unruly passions unlesse by needfull mortification he make vertuous resistance thereunto Grant therfore to me a true mortifi'd spirit wherby to subject the flesh to the spirit my passions to reason and my reason intirely unto thee But oh how farr am I from enjoying this holy vertue who give so great scope to my unruly passions to my disordered affections as also to my proper judgment and will Grant me Lord Jesu that I may shew this vertue unto others much rather by practise then by faire promissing words and that I may put a carefull watch both over my senses affections and passions of hatred chollar feare or love c. and finally to mortify my unruly will and to submitt my judgment in all things to thy divine will and pleasure Acts of the vertue of Patience NO vertue is more necessary then holy Patience we being almost continually in occasions for the practise of it and by the helpe therof we surmount the greatest difficulties wheras an impatient Man refusing sinfully to submit to Gods decrees who is the Author of all our sufferings in as much as they cannot be resisted he is most unreasonnable and by that meanes he begins his Hell even in this present world And as that Man is of all others living the most happy who is of all others the most patient so on the contrary he is most miserable who is most impatient Thy heavenly grace therefore O loving God enable me to practise this so great a vertue and to avoyde the contrary which is so dangerous a vice Vouchsafe O gracious Lord that I may but well reslect upon thy long great patience in suffering my perverse and many sins against thee And secondly conceave how justly I have deserved to suffer farr greater evils without comparison and them too eternally And therefore what afflictions soever shall befall me I resolve by thy holy grace to suffer patiently for thy sake and in hopefull expiation for my sin Acts of Perseverance IT is upon Perseverance my God on which depends the assurance of salvation all former resolutions and good purposes whatsoever without it were but lost labour and in vaine for he only that persevers shall be crowned with victory and will save his soule which is a reward indeed sufficient to encourage us to give the present moment of an uncertaine life for so never-ending a Blisse O happy perseverance which winns such a glorious crowne and without it to small purpose it would be with Judas well to begin the holy practise of vertue unlesse by the help of mortification we shall persever to the end Yea our damnation would be much the greater for our neglect of Gods holy grace Strengthen my soule O my souveraine Redeemer with this happy vertue of perseverance in holy patience and conformity in all adversity as well as in prosperity in sicknesse as in health in poverty as in wealth in contempt and calumny as in prosperity and praise or heighest favours from Men. For our beginning well is the effect of Gods grace but our not persevering is sinfull neglect and deeply deserveth punishment O what cause of horrour and just feare have I to conceive for my so great inconstancy in persevering in so many good purposes and pious resolutions which thy great goodnesse my loving God hath vouchsafed so frequently to inspire me with I falling from luke warme to be key-cold and thence unto totall neglect of what I was bound to doe But thou my mercifull Lord although thy great mercy hath thus long expected me with much patience for my amendment yet further presumption may justly draw upon me thy wrath and my endlesse punishment which he prevent who hath payd with his most precious blood soe deare a ransome to satisfy the justice of his Eternall Father with whom and the holy Ghost three divine persons and one living God be benediction and glory and wisdome and thankes-giving honour and power and strength for ever and ever Amen A Collection of some few holy maximes pronounced by the sacred mouth of Iesus Christ wherby the vertuous soule may see how different they
without prayer be able to bring fourth the fruit of true vertue and piety The necessity of this holy vertue of prayer is such as our divine Redeemer tells us that it behoveth alvayes to pray Luke 18.1 1. Thess 5. and not to be weary Yea without intermission pray saith S. Paul which is not to be understood by continuall vocall prayer for that is impossible but that with a pure intention we alwayes praise God and direct all our actions to his glory whatsoever we doe Finally to pray fruitfully and as it may be most gratefull to God we must consider with whom we treate and who we are that treate with him and greatly to humble our selves thereat with feare Secondly consider that he is our Creator our Redeemer and our judge Now as he is our God adore him as he is infinitly good and bountifull love him as he is just feare him in regard of his benefits blesse and be thankfull to him And lastly as our Father let us recurr to him for all our necessities with much hope and humble confidence in all our wants and necessities Before prayer â—les 18 prepare thy soule and be not as a Man that tempteth God A prayer to the most sacred and Blessed Trinity OEternall Father by all Creatures to be adored I a most wretched sinner doe offer unto thee for my innumerable offences and for the sins of all the world the bitter death and passion of thy divine sonne our mercifull Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I offer to thee his labours his fastings all his toylsome wearisomnesse his watchings his prayers his teares his humility his patience and his charity I offer to thee his suffered contumelies his paines his stripes and dolorous wounds I offer all the dropps of his most precious blood I offer also here the merits of his ever imaculate and pure Virgin-Mother and of all the holy Saints in Heaven O blessed Jesus my loving Saviour I render thee most humble thankes for thy innumerable benefits bestowed on me though most unworthey For thy miraculous incarnation and chastly pure Byrth for thy holy life and conversation for thy most ignominious death and passion Make me I beseech thee partaker of thy sacred merits and vouchsafe that by the imitation of thy vertues I may be found a living branch in thee who art the true vine of everlasting life O Holy Ghost my comforter I commende to thee my soule and body the beginning and ending of my life grant me grace and true repentance for all my sins wherby and by thy infinit mercy to be purifi'd from them all before I depart from my mortall body To thee O Lord I wholy commit my soule and body my life and death my tyme and my Eternity defend and keepe me thy unworthey servant from all evill illuminate my understanding guide my will strengthen my spirit against pusillanimity and keepe in me an humble hart that it fall not into pride or presumption give me true faith firme hope with sincere and perfect charity that I may wholy delight in thee that with my whole hart and soule I may love thee and every way fulfill thy most blessed will and pleasure O holy and blessed Trinity God omnipotent to thee I most humbly commende all my affaires both Spirituall and corporall I commend unto thee my benefactors my kindred friends and enemies and all for whome I ought to pray or who have desired me to pray for them I commend unto thee the whole Catholick Church renewe in it I beseech thee purity of life Nourish and keepe amongst the true members therof mutuall charity that with their whole harts and soules they may love thee Such as doe erre call backe to the way of truth extinguish all heresics confort and releeve all troubled minds and consciences as also such as are oppressed either with internall temptations or corporall calamities Amen A devout forme of thankes giving with an humble craving of all requisite vertues BE mercifull unto me O God according to they great mercy and according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out all my offences I a most wretched sinner doe hartely desire in all humility to adove and worship thee to render unto thee immortall praise and tankes-giving for all thy blessings especially for that unspeakable charity wherin thou didst send downe thy only begotten sonne into this vale of teares for the worke of our redemption O mercifull Father I the least of all thy servants doe magnify and praise thy ever glorious name for his holy Incarnation and Nativity for his pouerty and familiar conversation for his heavenly doctrine and miracles for his death and Passion for his Resurrection and Ascention I yeald unto thee all possible thanks for that divine mystery of his precious body and blood in the venetable Sacrament of the Eucharist wherewith we are spiritually and strongly nourished we are cleansed and sanctifi'd and our soules made partakers of all heavenly grace and benedictions I give thee harty thanks that me a handfull of dust of no value thou hast vouchsafed first to wash with the laver of baptisine to remission of my original sin and after convenient tyme thou brought me by the light of thy holy grace to the profession of the only true saving faith I humbly thanke thee that from my cradle thou hast nourisht cloathed and cherished me supplying all things necessary for the reliefe and maintenance of this my present life I evermore extoll and magnify thy holy name that in great mercy thou hast hitherto spared me albeit from my youth I have wantonly ryoted in manifould excesses thou patiently expecting till by thy grace I might be awaked from the sleepe of sin and reclaimed from my vanities and wicked life For hadst thou dealt with me according to my demerits my soule long ere this oppressed with innumerable sins had been plunged into the bottomelesse gulfe of Hell In respect of all which thy mercies graces and blessings I desire that my hart may be enlarged to render thee a more ample tribute of praise and thankes-giving then hitherto I have done And now for those things wherof I stand in need and most desire to obtayne at thy hands First O my God never leave me I beseech thee unto my selfe but let the bit of thy chast feare be ever in my jawes to curbe and keepe me within the compase of thy obedience that I may dread nothing so much as in the least sort to offend and displease thee for which cause let thy holy love so temper all tryals and temptations which happen unto me that I may profit by them Thou my Creator knowest how fraile I am and that my strength of my felfe is nothing Moreouer O heavenly Father even for the venerable and profound humility of thine only sonne Jesus I beseech thee that thou wouldst keepe farr from thy servant all pride and hautinesse of mind all self-selfe-love and vaine glory all obstinacy and disobedience all craft and hurtfull
which I was created and be therby united with thee here by grace and by glory in Eternity Amen A prayer before the B. Sacrament or before Communion I Adore thee O true bread of Angels the God of life the eternal Fathers spendor and Heavens beauty Behould one here present before thee full both of feare and confidence I approach by thy command in true simplicity of hart and firme beleefe truly confessing that thou art both God and Man here present in this most holy sacrament to which I approach O lord as an infirme to the phisition of life as one defiled to the fountaine of mercy as one blind unto eternal light and as in great want and needs to the Monarch of heaven and earth O my hope my only health my glory and all my content vouchsafe to rejoyce the hart of thy poore servant which burnes with desire to receive thee into my poore and unworthey habitation yet please to blisse it as thou didst that of little Zachee Alas my Lord it is most unworthy as being so very uncleane yet thou comming for the salvation of sinners into this world disdaynedst not to be borne in a stable amongst brute beasts vouch safe now likewise I beseech thee and for my salvation sake dispise not the uncleane manger of my soule full of brutall and vnbridled passions returne once more to foule leapers and converse againe with Publicans as thou didst in this world or rather O my omnipotent God descend once more into Hell for so alas I ought to call my darke my miserable and tormented soule But seeing that such is thy mercy as whersoever thou vouchsafest to enter thou never failest there to leave markes of thy grace and much benediction I confide my loving Lord that thou wilst doe the like to me Enter therfore vnder this my poore roofe and render it worthy of thy presence purge it of all impurities discipate the obscurity of its darkenesse replenish it with thy divine light and adorne it with the guifts of the holy Ghost Thou knowst well deare Lord my want as one poore and naked before thee much press'd with great hungar and misery but thou being the bread of life comfort my sighing sobbs dismisse me not fasting from thy delicious table least I faint in this my pilgrimage but rather graunt that fortifi'd by thee I may with holy Elias arrive to the mountaine of eternal felicity I most humbly beseech thee my mercifull and clement God and by this thy incomparable charity wherof thou givest so great a testimony by thy loving institution of this most blessed Sacrament I beseech thee to grant me grace to receive it with true contrition and sorrow for all my sins with feare and due reverence with devotion and faith fervour love and convenient purity to so sublime a mystery and grant also I beseech thee that I may receive not only the Sacrament of this thy precious body but therewithal the grace and vertue of the Sacrament for the supporting my weakenesse for the healing my infirmities for the confirming my hope for the suppressing my passions for the fortifying my faith for the inflaming my love to enlighten my understanding to be my companie in banishment and spirituall nourishment to my soule and finally to the end that by the help of this celestiall food of my soule I may be united transformed and made all one in will and desire with thee who livest and raignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen A prayer to obtayne a fervent love towards God our neighbour and our enemies O Mercifull and divine Redeemer Jesus who hast washt us with thy precious blood and given thy selfe to death for us thou hast been reputed with the wicked and most cruelly wounded for our iniquities breused and abused for our offences and by thy stripes hast made us whole I beseech thee O Lord for this thy ineffable mercy and charity to powre into my hart the unquenchable heate of thy heavenly grace so that the fire of thy charity may perpetually burne and worke within me and that there may alwayes grow in me such a continuall chast and nover failing affection of pitty benevolence and piety as extendeth it self to all creatures through the love and contemplation of thee Fill O Lord I beseech thee my soule my senses and desires with fervent and perpetuall charity that in all things and above all I may most hartely love thee and that according to thy good will and pleasure I may love my neighbour in thee and for thee Grant me grace I humbly beseech thee that with all my hart I may to thy glory love search and advance the salvation profit and commodity of every one Grant me O Lord to love mine enemies with sincerity both in word and truth take from me all bitternesse of mind wrath anger disdayne envie and whatsoever is against or contrary to pure and sincere charity so that in all sincere simplicity of hart I may have a good opinion of all may judge no Man rashly but love every one in thee with holy and harty affection and that I may shew them both in words and workes all sweetnesse all clemency and true love A prayer that we may receive the B. Sacrament before our death O Almighty and most merciful Lord I praise and give thee most humble thankes for having so graciously made me severall tymes partaker of that divinly great mistery of thy holy Sacrament and therby to be fortifi'd and greatly comforted with thy blessed presence O heavenly Father let every tongue blesse thee let every creature laud thee for this souveraine guift of thy divine bounty for which with them I also offer and present to thee my God all the praises of the Angels and of all the Elect which alreadie doe or ever shall enjoy thee in Eternity And I beseech the Ordeare Jesu the gracious Redeemer of my soule that at the houre of my death thou wilst vouchsafe to visit me with this thy gracious presence in this most blessed Sacrament and by thy grance prepare my soule I beseech thee by a faithfull and contrite confession wherby to make it a pleasing habitation for thee true God and Man my loving Saviour Forgive my former many trespasses by the sacred merits of thy bitter death and passion and that I may end this my mortall life in the finall perseverance of thy grace O God omnipotent have mercy on me for the love of thy deare sonne Jesus the life of all that shall be saved O Jesu equal God with the Father and the holy Ghost conserve and keepe me in thy grace suffer me not to be drawne from thee through any subtile persuasion of my ghostly enemy O Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne the comforter of the elect and inspirer of all good guifts replenish my hart with all charitable desires and heavenly inspirations necessary for my salvation Grant this O holy Trinity for the bitter
which the world cannot give that our harts being disposed to keepe thy Commandements and the feare of enemies being taken away the tymes through thy protection may be peacible by the merits of thy deare sonne Jesus Amen A Prayer in tyme of famine and Pestilence GRant unto us we beseech thee O Lord the effect of our prayers and by thy mercie turne away from us pestilence and famine that the harts of Men may know that such scourges proceed from thy indignation and cease by thy mercy through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for raine O God in whom we live are mooved and have our beeing grant unto us competent raine that sufficiently releeved by thy present aide we may more confidently desire things everlasting through our Lord Jesus Amen A prayer for faire weather HEare us O Lord crying unto thee and grant unto us making humble supplications faire weather that we who justly are afflicted for our sins may by thy grace preventing find mercy through our Lord Amen A prayer in any tribulation A Lmighty God despise not thy people crying unto thee in affliction but for the glory of thy name thou being pacifi'd succour the afflicted through our Lord Amen A Prayer for forgivenes of sins O God who rejecteth none but art pacifi'd by mercifull pitty through penance even towards the greatest sinners thou being merciful respect the prayers of our humility enlighten our harts that we may be able to fulfill thy commandements through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer for such as are in a journey HArken to our supplication O Lord and dispose the way of thy safegard that among all varieties of this passage and life they may ever be protected by thy ayde through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen A Prayer to be said at the conclusion of our usvall prayers ACcept O most clement God by the prayers and merits of the blessed and ever Virgin Mary and of all thy glorious Saints the office of our service and if we have done any thing worthy of praise thou being mercifull regard it and what is donne negligently mercifully pardon it who livest and raignest one God in perfect Trinity world without end Amen A blessing to be used at the end of all our daily prayers The Imperiall Majesty of God blesse me The Regal Divinity protect me The everlasting Deity keepe me The glorious unity comfort me The incomprehensible Trinity defend me The inestimable goodnesse direct me The power of the Father governe me The wisdome of the sonne quicken me The vertue of the holy Ghost illuminate me and be with me Amen O souveraine and my most mercifull God let this blessing be unto me all health and safty both of body and soule against all myne enemies visible and invisible now and for ever more Amen Of Aspirations and jaculatory Prayers A jaculatory prayer is a briefe elevation of our mind and hart to God as meditation is the same at large They are a speciall great meanes to all spiritual progresse and vertue yea they are as the vital spirits and the very nerves of prayer and are to be used both in tyme of prayer and also very often at other tymes They are a great support a cherishing and a very powerfull invitation to the soule in the tyme of drynesse and desolation to raise her affection unto God This kind of prayer is very briefe easie and very fruitfull It is to be made with fervent affection devotion and true tendernes of hart as king David usually did practise it and by this holy exercise we may be enabled to obtayne that guift commended to us by our blessed Saviour Luke 18.1 Thest 5. it behooves continually to praye and never to give over pray without ceasing saith S. Paul These jaculatory prayers are often in the day to be repeated according to the diversity of occasions and oportunities either vocally or only mentally What fruit they bring and how efficacious they are to gaine perfection and to transport the mind from earthly cogitation unto celestial the experience of innumerable vertuous soules have made good proofe and wil better teach then words can expresse They are called jaculatory as darting prayers because in a moment they pierce the heavens and present our requests to Almighty God testifying the ardent desires and holy affections of a soule seeking and thirsting after the fountaine of all perfection goodnesse and sanctity Say with S. Austin O my Lord and God that I but knew thee and knew my selfe O grant me perseverance in thy graces and true contrition for all my offences Forgive me Lord the multitude of my sins and have mercy on me O my great and loving God o that I had never offended thee O that I could obtaine the right practise of true humility and patice Grant me O Lord the grace that I may hate nothing but sin and my selfe and love nothing but thee and my neighbour in thee and for thee O that thou my deare Lord may be the beginning the progresse and the end of all my actions Not my will O Lord but thyne be donne Thy will be done in earth as it is in Heaven Let al transitory things O Lord become vile unto me and let all things that are thine be deare unto me and thou O God above all Forsake me not O Lord my God depart not from me attend unto my help Psal 37. O Lord the God of my salvation To thee O Lord Psal 24. I have raised my soule my God in thee is all my confidence Create a cleane hart in me O God and renew a right spirit in my bowels Psal 50. The practise of Aspirations upon the affection of the imitation of our divine Redeemer Iesus Christ AMongst all sortes of Affections that above all others is most profitable which mouveth us to imitate that most perfect example of all divine vertues our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ stirring up our affection and desire to embrace and to imitate his holy vertues by the practise of these or the like holy and fervent aspirations Most mild most loving and patient Jesus the perfect example to be imitated grant me the grace to imitate thy mildnesse meekness patience and thy profound humility Ah grant me O most powerfull Lord in all things to be conformable unto thy heavenly will and pleasure O the true owner of my soule endowe me with thy love for which thou hat created me and nothing else can give it true rest and satisfaction but that alone O most profound humility correct my pride O invincible patience when shall I by thy example be truly patient bestow on me thy benignity to correct my cholerick passion and great impatience I beseech thee O my benigne and powerfull Lord when wilt thou bestow on me the grace to make me humble patient devout and conformable to thy holy will The practise of Aspirations upon the affection of admiration of our divine Redeemers love to Man O my God who art thou
into an ocean of infinit joyes Let us therfore resolue to shake off this stupid dulnesse in neglecting our so happy land of promisse Resolutions for the love of which we ought to dispise all earthly pleasures and vaine contents as too base and abject for our higher and more noble thoughts and hopes which we expect in Heaven An advertisment THis following exercise made by a pious and approoved Author whose humility would not permit himselfe to be knowne I have judged both usefull and very necessary for all who desire to gaine their heavenly blisse by the happy art of dying wel which must be learnt by frequent practise of holy acts in tyme of health like as they are to be used at the tyme of death for who neglects them in health will diyng hardly performe them well weaknesse paine feare trouble and many impediments very hardly then permitting a dying Man to produce those acts wherof a former habit was not gain'd Which now notwithstanding by the practise of this holy exercise being made familiar in tyme of health may also produce both happy acts and such as are not soe hard to be exercisd in that extremity of sicknesse A most profitable exercise conteyning a preparation to death Togeither with the acts necessary to dispose the soule to this last passadge As also the Recommendations of the soule in English Blessed are the servants whom when our Lord comes he shall find watching To our blessed Lord Iesus Christ SAviour of the world word Incarnate thou who art the life of those who dye and the death of those who live the life I say of those who dye by the glory which thou givest them and which thou hast purchast for them with thy most precious blood the death of those who live by the grace thou givest them to dye to the flesh and live in Spirit quicken this exercise with thy divine love to the end that by the practise of it thou maist find us so well prepared for death that we may live eternally with thee in Heaven there to blesse prayse and love thee with the Father and the Holy Ghost Amen Advise for the due practise of this exercise SInce it is a most constant truth verifid by daily experience which neverthelesse we easily forget that we must dye and that peradventure we may either be surprised by a suddaine death as we see it happen to many when they least thinke of it or that the extreame paines or other accidents of our sicknesse may deprive us of the liberty and capacity to performe acts requisit in that last houre that houre I say which is the most important of all houres that houre after which we shall have no more houres that houre which must decide our happinesse or misery for all Eternity It will be most profitable to sett aside one day in every month wherin to prepare our selves by the exercises of a spirituall death to those we should really make when we come to dye actually Watch and keepe your selves prepared sayes our Lord for the sonne of Man Mark 13 will come when you expect him not and the wise man sayes wheresoever the tree falls there it shall remayne Eccles 11 If opportunity present it selfe we ought either upon the eve or the day which we designe for this exercise to make our Sacramental Confession to the Priest notwithstanding which for greater purity and more vest preparation we may make our spirituall Consession to Jeins Christ before or after the Sacramentall each one according to his devotion After Consession we are to communicate really or spiritually in forme of viaticum and to consider it as the last Communion of out life Vpon the day we perferme this exercise if we have convenienty we ought to heare Masse to the end that in his sacrifice which is a reall representation of that of the Crosse we may more neerely and particulary unite our selves to Jesus Christ dying offring as well this as all other sacrifices which shall be offred to the end of the world for obtayning the grace of a good and holy death It will be most profitable to fix one day in every month each one according to his leasure and devotion for this exercise and they who cannot performe it all at once may take the first point in the morning and the second at some other houre of the same day or make it in two dayes But in that case the acts of contrition saith hope and charity contayned in the first point must be repeted And besides that our Meditations and lectures of that day ought to be upon the subject of death We ought further to employ our selves more particularly in good workes and practises of mortification and vertue And it is to be noted that although there be many acts prescrib'd in this exercie neverthelesse it is not intended therby to oblidge any one precisely to those acts but only to facilitate the practise of them to such as have not yet attayned to a habit of such acts for the best are those which love produces At the end of this exercise are added the Recommandations of the foule in English for the consolation of such as for a boly prevention of their death having devotion to joyne them to this exercise may not peradventure understand them in latin And in this the termes which relate to an other must be changed and applyed to our selves as in steed of saying pray for him receive his sonic we must say pray for me recove my soule and so of the rest reserving the contlusion of this exercise till after the last prayer Now the principall fruits we ought to gather from this exercise as shall besaid in the following meditation are contempt of the world disesteeme of the creatures abnegation of our selves and amendment of our faults which are the true meanes to obtayne the grace of such a death as shall be the beginning of a happy life for ever Meditation to enter into the dispositions of making a good death Place your selfe in the presence of Gods beseech him to inspire you FOr a foundation of this Meditation we must well and throughly conceive and be fully satisfied of this truth that God hath given us our life only in trust from whence it followes that if we be not alwayes prepared and dispos'd to render it to him we deny him his right of Souverainety over our beeing It is ordayned that all Men shall dye once Heb. 9. and after death followes jndgment sayes the great Apostle Considering this truth that we can dye but once and that an ill death can never be repared in the whole extent of Eternity we see how necessary it is for prevention of a surprise to watch al wayes and to live like the servant mentioned in the Gospel Duke 12. who attends the comming of his Master The first point NOw since we must necessarily dye it highly concerns us throughly to comprchend this truth that death being most
certaine and the houre of it most uncertaine all Christian wisdome consists in a good and holy preparation for that moment to the end we neglect not a businesse which is in truth to us the businesse of businesses and the sole and only businesse we have to doe in this world since we are here only to save our soule and loosing it we loose all for what shall it prefit a Man to gaine the whole world Mar. 2. if he loose his owne soule sayes our souveraine Master Jesus Christ O God how great is the blindnesse of the most part of Men who never reflecting upon this so divine and important a truth lead only an earthly sensual and animal life and never elevating their spirit to heavenly things settle their affections so firmely upon this mortal life as to preferre it before that which is eternal Iohn 10. Whosoever loves his life saies our B. Lord shall loose it and whosoever hates it in this world shall gaine it in Eternity O my God we doe not then love our life as we ought when we adhere too close to it since this adherence to our temporal life proceeding from an inordinate love of our selves putts us in danger to loose that which is eternall Since also thou thy selfe asseurest us Luke 14 that whosoever comes to thee and hateth not his owne life can not be thy disciple Grant me such a holy hatred of this mortal life as may cause me continually to aspire and pretend to that which is eternal there to live with thee world without end 2. Point PRecious in the sight of our Lord is the death of his Saints saies the Psalmist Psal 15. If we will dye their life keeping alwayes our affections alienated from the creatures as if we were to dye every moment since there is no moment wherein we may not be surprised by death and wherein we ought not to be prepared to receive it if we will not hazard our salvation We ought to surmont the natural feare we have of it by faith and by a confidence we should have that Jesus Christ who keepes the keyes of life and death and who loves us infinitly more then we love our selves will send it us in such a tyme and manner as in his divine providence he has forseene to be most convenient for us Has he not created us for life eternal Doe we not beleeve that life to be more happy then this which is mortal if we live not in this beleefe we have no faith and consequently no hope since we cannot arrive at this happy life which he has promissed us but by the way of death But what charity can that interessed soule have who loves her owne life more then the will of God and whose feare of dying exceeds her desire of seeing and uniting herselfe to him Ioh. 4. Perfect charity sayes the holy Evangelist drives fourth feare And if we ought to testify our love to God by our hatred of sin where is the hatred we beare it since knowing that we cannot live without daily relapsing into it we have neverthelesse an extreame apprehension of death O if we truly lou'd God with what joy would we embrace death to the end we might be in a state never more to be able to offend his infinite goodnesse since the least sin as the Doctors say is more to be dreaded thendeath if selfe 3. Point IF God should leave the tyme houre and manner of our death to our choyse could we make a better then he himselfe who ordaynes it by his infinite wisedome power and goodnesse and who having made us for himselfe and redeemed us with his blood desires nothing so much as to save us and conduct us to our last end Since our faith teaches us this truth why doe we not entirely abandon the care of our life and death to him What can be more advantageous to us in Heaven in Earth in life and in death then to accomplish his most just and holy will And since we must necessarily undergoe the ordees of his divine will were it not better to doe it meritoriously by an humble submission and filial confidence in his divine goodnesse then to execute it by force like the divels and by our resistance to render this action more worthy of punishment then reward If the feare of our sins cause us to apprchand death and desire prolongation of life to the end to doe penance for them what penance can be more efficacious and acceptable to God then our perfect conformity to his holy will and our entyre submission to the sentence of our death to the end to render him the obedience due from a creature to its Creator and to testify to him that we preferre the honour of pleasing him before our owne life if the merit of our acts beare proportion with the difficulty we find in their execution what can be more difficult then to renounce our life and what better penance can we performe then to give it with a good hart to God since in makeing him this present we not only give him all we are able to give but also all which is most deare and precious to us no Man hath greater charity then he who layes downe his life sayes our divine Saviour and if a God would vouchsafe for us to dye so painfull and grievous a death and loose his life upon a crosse for our salvation shall we dare to refuse him ours shall we esteeme our life more precious or more necessary then his O my soule if we lou'd God ifwe had a true sense and acknowledgment of this soveraine benefit would we not desire to have a thousand lives to give him O my God since I am nothing but by thee I will be nothing but for thee and so as I be what thou desirest I should be it imports me very little whither I live or dye Affections and Resolutions SInce that upon the moment of my death depends my eternall salvation grant me grace O my God to keepe my selfe prepared for this last houre by a true hatred of sin by a perfect contempt of the world with its vaine honours pleasures and riches and by a perfect abnegation of my selfe suffer me not to sleepe in the forgetfulnesse of death least the lampe of chrity being extinguisht and the oyle of good workes spent thou surprise me in this state and pronounce against me as heretofore against those foolish Virgins that dreadfull word I know you not but keeping my selfe alwayes in expection of thy com̄ing grant that I may merit to enter with thee to that eternall marriage where neyther eye has seene nor care hath heard nor the hart of Man comprehended what thou hast prepared for those who love thee Give me O Lord the light of thy holy spirit to the end I suffer not my selfe to be deceived and seduced by my senses in mistaking falshood for truth nor esteeme the things of this mortall life good or evill but
in as much onely as they advance me towards this end or divert me from it The Conclusion LEt us conclude this meditation with this truth that if we will dye the death of the just we must live their life also since the true meanes to obtayne a good death is to lead a good life And as there is nothing more precious nothing more to be desired then a good death so there is nothing more miserable nothing more to be dreaded then an ill one In a businesse of so high importance the most secure way is to live every day as though we were to dye before it expire alwayes keeping our affections so disengag'd from earthly things as if we were really at the point of death where all that is not God will appeare but smoake and vapour A most profitable Exercise to prepare our selves for death Vpon the moment of death depends Eternity THe day we make this Exercise as soone as we awake we are to enter into the thoughts of death and consider it as the last of our life Preparation WE are to imagine our selves sicke in our bed even to extremity and that our good Angel comes by Gods command to declare to us the irrevocable sentence of our death saying as Isay said to Exechias put thy affaires in order for thou shalst dye Prostrate at the foote of the Crucifix or before the B. Sacrament let us implore from the bottome of our hart grace and light from the holy Ghost the assistance of the B. Virgin of the saintes our Patrons and our good Angel and then make the following acts An act of Resignation 1. MY hart is ready O God my hart is ready not my will but thyne be done in me upon me and by me now and in all Eternity O God eternall immense and infinite who art abundantly sufficient to thy selfe and hast no need of thy creatures what matter is it whither I live or dye so as I accomplish thy holy will in which onely my true life consists Let not then my will bo done but thyne O my God Confession of our ovvne nothing 2. TO the end to acknowledg the dependance I have upon thee my soveraine Creator and openly to confesse before Heaven and Earth that thou art onely he who is and that I am that vile Creature who is not I embrace with all humble submission the destruction of this corruptible being and am content that by death it returne to the nothing from whence thou hast taken it Restitution of our beeing to God 3. O My Soveraine Creator I desire to restore thee the beeing which thou hast given me and to this effect I accept death in such manner as may most please and glorify thee Dispose then of thy Creature and destroy this body of sin in punishment of the offences it has committed against thy divine Majesty Let this carth returne to earth but let my Spirit which is created after thy image and likenesse returne to thee Acknowledgement of the Soveraine dominion of God 4. O My God although I must dye by necessity yet I desire by submission to render my death voluntary and am glad that in punishment of the ill use I have made of the free will thou hast given me it shall put me into a state wherin I shall be no more able to resist that Soveraine Dominion which thou as lawfull Lord of all creatures hast over me Acceptation of death in punishment of our sins 5. SInce death O my God is the punishment thou hast ordayned for sin with an humble hart and entire submission to thy most just decree and à Spirit of penance I accept it togeather with all the paines humiltations and privations which accompany it in satisfaction for all those offences which I have committed against thy awfull Majesty Oblation of our life to God 6 REceive Omy Saviour the oblation I make of my body and life which I offer and immolate to thy divine Majesty as a sacrifice and burnt offering unite it to that which thou hast offerd upon the Crosse for me and consume it with the fire of thy divine love Desire to render to Iesus death for death 7. O My divine Jesus since that the love of me has caus'd thee to dye upon the Crosse for my salvation is it not reasonable that for the love of thee I should accept death with a good hart to the end to recompence as farre as I am able that which thou hast suffered for me O why have I not a thousand lives that to this end I might lay them downe all and thereby testify that thou art my God Spirituall Confession Humbling our selves profoundly at the feete of Jesus Christ as if he were present in his holy Humanity we ought to accuse our selves to him of all our sins taking a short review of them but especially of those which are most notable in consequence wherof we may excite our soule to a lively and loving repentance for them An act of Contrition O My God prostrate before thy Soveraine Majesty I most humbly crave pardon as well for all my contempts and abuses of thy holy graces as for the sins I have committed since the very day of my birth in thought word and deed I retract and disavow them yea from the bottom of my hart I renounce them and wish I had never committed them not in regard of the paines which they merit but because I have offended thy infinit goodnesse which deserves to be infinitly lou'd and serv'd by all Creatures O that my hart were capable of an infinit griefe wherwith to expiate them But to supply what is wanting in me O my God accept that which my Saviour has sufferd in the garden of Olives and upon the Crosse for the sins of the whole world and particularly for me Accept also to this end the griefe and contrition of all the saintes cleanse me from my secret sins and pardon me those which I have committed in others O my Lord despise not an humble and contrite hart which expects pardon of thy mercy alone Thou hast said that whensoever a sinner shall truly grieve for his sins thou wilt no more remember his iniquities And if be thy pleasure to prolonge my life I make a sinne purpose by thy grace to amende my faults especially such and such and will endeavour to satisfy for what is past Having made this act we may receive the absolution which Jesus Christ the Soveraine Priest gives us by applying to our selves his divine merits after which let us contemplate him saying to us as he did to S. Mary Magdalen thy sins are forgiven thee goe in peace Say the Psalme Miserere mei Deus c. in the Spirit of true penance Aspirations to the three divine Persons O Eternal Father since thou hast so lou'd the world as to give us thyne only Sonne ought not I to hope for salvation from thy mercy Thou hast not given him to condemne us but to save us and