it wander not our Office is more determined by words but we then actually think of God when our Spirits onely speak Mental prayer when our Spirits wander is like to a Watch standing still because the spring is down wind it up again and it goes on regularly but in Vocal prayer if the words run on and the Spirit wanders the Clock strikes false the hand points not to the right hour because something is in disorder and the striking is nothing but noise in Mental prayer we confess Gods Omniscience in Vocal prayer we call the Angels to witness in the first our Spirits rejoyce in God in the second the Angels rejoyce in us Mental prayer is the best Remedy against lightnesse and indifferency of Affections but Vocal prayer is the aptest Instrument of Communion that is more Angelical but yet fittest for the state of separation and glory this is but humane but it is apter for our present Constitution they have their distinct proprieties and may be used according to their several accidents occasions or dispositions You must often call to mind and examin your self of all your actions especially after much businesse speeches c. You must live as though you had nothing and yet possesse all things and remember that meat drink and cloth are a Christians riches Yield your selves wholly to God and though you have nothing to requite him with but your self yet he gives all that gives himself the Apostles left their Ship and their Nets the poor Widdow gave onely her two Mites to the poor mans Box and her Oblation was preferred before those of the richest persons he easily dispenseth all things that alwayes thinks he must die You must never go to Bed disquieted or troubled in mind but be at peace with God and Man as much as in you lyeth and daily use Jaculatory Prayers thereby to prevent the deceipts of the Devil Take special care in your reading of the Psalms of David for in them you will find much comfort towards your Service of God and praising his holy Name Since singing of Praises giving of Thanks and offering Oblations to the Throne of Grace is very acceptable unto Almighty God and since I have before Composed an Office for your use when you shall be so unhappy to fall into any Calamity Affliction or trouble I have thought fit that when it shall please God you shall be delivered out of any Calamity c. to provide for you a short Office of Devotions whereby you may give God thanks by praising him for your deliverance as followeth As you are standing say The Te Deum Laudamus WE praise thee O God we knowledge thee to be the Lord. All the Earth doth worship thee the Father everlasting To thee all Angels cry aloud the Heavens and all the Powers therein To thee Cherubin and Seraphin continually do cry Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth Heaven and earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory The glorious Company of the Apostles praise thee The goodly Fellowship of the Prophets praise thee The noble Army of Martyrs praise thee The holy Church throughout all the world doth knowledge thee The Father of an infinite Majesty Thine honourable true and onely Son Also the Holy Ghost the Comforter Thou art the King of glory O Christ Thou art the everlasting Son of the Father When thou tookest upon thee to deliver man thou didst not abhor the Virgins Womb. When thou hadst overcome the sharpnesse of death thou didst open the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers Thou fittest at the right hand of God in the glory of the Father We believe that thou shalt come to be our Judge We therefore pray thee help thy Servants whom thou hast redeemed with thy precious Blood Make them to be numbred with thy Saints in glory everlasting O Lord save thy People and blesse thine Heritage Govern them and lift them up for ever Day by day we magnifie thee And we worship thy Name ever world without end Vouchsafe O Lord to keep us this day without sin O Lord have mercy upon us have mercy upon us O Lord let thy mercy lighten upon us as our trust is in thee O Lord in thee have I trusted let me never be confounded Then kneeling upon your knees devoutly say IN the Name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Ghost Amen Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Iesu hear our Prayers Iesu receive our Petitions Our Father c. The Collect for the 3. Sunday after the Epiphany ALmighty and everlasting God mercifully look upon our Infirmities and in all our dangers and necessities stretch forth thy right hand to help and defend us through Christ our Lord. The Collect for the 24. Sunday after Trinity LOrd we beseech thee assoil thy People from their offences that through thy bountiful goodnesse we may be delivered from the bonds of all those sins which by our frailty we have committed Grant this heavenly Father for Jesus Christs sake our Lord. The Collect for the 18. Sunday after Trinity LOrd we beseech thee grant thy People grace to avoid the infections of the Devil and with pure heart and mind to follow thee the only God through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Almighty God Father of our Lord Jesus Christ Maker of all things Judge of all men I acknowledge and bewail my manifold sins and wickednesses which I have from time to time most grievously committed by thought word and deed against thy divine Majesty provoking most justly thy Wrath and Indignation against me I do earnestly repent and am heartily sorry for these my misdoings the remembrance of them is grievous unto me the burden of them is intolerable have mercy upon me have mercy upon me most merciful Father for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ his sake forgive me all that is past and grant that I may ever hereafter serve and please thee in newnesse of life to the honour and glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ Amen WIth all the faculties of my Soul I blesse and praise thy Name O my Lord Jesu Christ who vouchsafedst to creat me of nothing to thy Image and Similitude to Redeem me with thy precious Blood to associate me by holy Baptisme among thy Children of Adoption and to feed me with the most blessed Sacrament of thy Body To thee I render humblest thanks for expecting me from my Infancy to this time that through thy great patience I may come to amendment of my life I praise thee I glorifie thee who hast often delivered me from many tribulatiors distresses calamities and miseries and especially that thou hast kept me from eternal punishment I praise thee and glorifie thee that thou hast bestowed on me so many common Blessings equal with others and so many particular benefits which others have wanted and whereof I have not deserved the least I beseech thy unspeakable goodness my Lord God that thou wilt so perfect
Christ came to visit us in great humility that in the last Day when he shall come again in his glorious Majesty to judge both the quick and the dead we may rise to the life immortal through him who liveth and reigneth with thee and the Holy Ghost now and ever Amen ALmighty and everlasting God which art alwayes more ready to hear than we to pray and art wont to give more than either we desire or deserve Pour down upon us the abundance of thy mercy forgiving us those things whereof our Conscience is afraid and giving unto us that that our Prayer dare not presume to ask through Jesus Christ our Lord. ALmighty and merciful God of thy bountiful goodnesse keep us from all things that may hurt us that we being ready both in body and soul may with free hearts accomplish those things that thou wouldst have done through Jesus Christ our Lord. O Eternal God Almighty Father of Men and Angels by whose mercy care and Providence I have been preserved blessed comforted and assisted I humbly beg of thee to pardon the sins and follies of this day the weaknesse of my service the strength of my passion the rashnesse of my words and the vanity and evil of my actions O just and dear God how long shall I confesse my sins and pray against them and yet fall under them O let it be so no more let me never return to the follies of which I am ashamed which bring Sorrow and Death and thy displeasure worse than death give me a command over my evil Inclinations and a perfect hatred of sin and a love to thee above all the desires of this world be pleased to bless and preserve me this night from all sin and all violence of Chance and the malice of the Spirits of darknesse watch over me in my sleep or wake and whether I sleep or awake let me be thy Servant be thou first and last in all my thoughts and the guid and continual assistance of all my actions preserve my Body pardon the sins of my Soul sanctifie my Spirit let me alwayes live holy justly and soberly and when I die receive my Soul into thy hands O holy and ever blessed Jesus that I may lye in thy Bosom and long for thy coming and hear thy blessed sentence at dooms-day and live in thy Kingdom singing praises to God for ever and ever Amen Save me Lord waking and keep me sleeping that I may watch with Christ and rest in peace Amen Preserve me as the Apple of thine Eye and protect me under the shadow of thy wings Vouchsafe O Lord to keep me this night without sin Have mercy on me O Lord have have mercy on me Thy mercy be upon me O Lord. As I have put my trust in thee O Lord hear my Prayer And let my Supplication come unto thee VIsit we beseech thee O Lord this Habitation this Countrey and Township wherein I live and repel far from it and them all the snares of the wicked Enemy of Mankind and let thy holy Angels dwell therein to preserve us in peace and thy Blessing be upon us and all that we have and all that belongs unto us both now and for ever through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen God the Father bless me Iesus Christ defend and keep me the vertue of the Holy Ghost illuminate and Sanctifie me this night and for ever Amen Concluding Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit Lord Iesu receive my Soul When you are in your Bed and cannot sleep exercise your self in some Spiritual Meditation If thou chance to awake in the dead of the night forthwith imagine thy self present amidst the Quires of Saints and Angels and with sudden Acclamation cry out with them reciting that Himn which they incessantly sing both day and night saying Sanctus Sanctus Sanctus c. Holy holy holy Lord God of Sabboth Heaven and Earth are full of the Majesty of thy glory Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen WHen I had ended these Devotions for the Morning and Evening for your private use I thought to have proceeded no further but when I considered the difference holy Church makes of Dayes some for holy Feasts and others for holy Fasts I thought it convenient to set you out some other Devotions for the great weekly Feast of the Church being the Lords day upon which he did rise from the Grave and that weekly Fast of the Church being Friday upon which he was Crucified besides the Publique I mean those appointed by the Church for those days and your other private Devotions For as those dayes are great in the esteem of the Church so they bring a greater duty with them DEVOTIONS For Sunday Mornings before the Church Prayers begin The fifth Psalm 1. POnder my words O Lord consider my Meditation 2. O hearken thou unto the voice of my calling my King and my God for unto thee will I make my Prayer 3. My voice shalt thou hear betimes O Lord early in the Morning will I direct my Prayer unto thee and will look up 4. For thou art the God that hast no pleasure in wickednesse neither shall any evil dwell with thee 5. Such as be foolish shall not stand in thy sight for thou hatest all them that work vanity 6. Thou shalt destroy them that speak leasing the Lord will abhor both the blood-thirsty and deceitfull man 7. But as for me I will come into thine House even upon the multitude of thy mercy and in thy fear will I worship towards thy holy Temple 8. Lead me O Lord in thy righteousnesse because of mine Enemies make thy way plain before my face 9. For there is no faithfulnesse in his mouth their inward parts are very wickedness 10. Their throat is an open Sepulchre they flatter with their tongue 11. Destroy thou them O God let them perish through their own imaginations cast them out in the multitude of their ungodliness for they have rebelled against thee 12. And let all them that put their trust in thee rejoyce they shall ever be giving of thanks because thou defendest them they that love thy Name shall be joyful in thee 13. For thou Lord wilt give thy Blessing unto the righteous and with thy favourable kindness wilt thou defend him as with a shield Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Then humbly kneeling upon your knees say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen Our Father c. Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Jesu receive our Prayers Lord Jesu grant our Petitions BLessed Lord who hast caused all holy Scripture to be written for our learning grant that we may in such wise hear them read
that I should walk in for I lift up my Soul unto thee 9. Deliver me O Lord from mine enemies for I flee unto thee to hide me 10. Teach me to do the thing that pleaseth thee for thou art my God let thy loving Spirit lead me forth into the land of righteousnesse 11. Quicken me O Lord for thy Names sake and for thy righteousnesse sake bring my Soul out of trouble 12. And of thy goodness slay mine enemies and destroy all them that vex my Soul for I am thy Servant Glory be to the Father c. As it was c. You are not to eate any thing upon Friday or other fasting dayes until the time of the Evening Service of the Church be past And if it should please God that at any time you shall be so unhappy as to fall into any Calamity affliction or trouble or lye under any oppression to all which as long as we are in this troublesom world we are subject as my own unhappy experience doth too much if it had pleas'd God it might have been otherwise manifest Therefore against that day of Calamity I thought fit to provide you a short Office fitted for your private use as followeth The 54. Psalm 1. SAve me O God for thy Names sake and avenge me in thy strength 2. Hear my Prayer O God and hearken unto the words of my mouth 3. For strangers are risen up against me and Tyrants which have not God before their eyes seek after my Soul 4. Behold God is my Helper the Lord is with them that uphold my Soul 5. He shall reward evil unto mine enemies destroy thou them in thy truth 6. An Offering of a free heart will I give thee and praise thy Name O Lord because it is so comfortable 7. For he hath delivered me out of all my trouble and mine eye hath seen his desire upon mine enemies Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Jesu receive our Prayers Lord Iesu grant our Petitions Our Father c. IN the midst of life we are in death of whom may we seek for succour but of thee O Lord who for our sins art justly displeased yet O Lord God most Holy O Lord most Mighty O holy and most merciful Saviour deliver us not into the bitter pains of eternal Death Thou knowest Lord the secrets of our hearts shut not thy merciful ears to our Prayers but spare us O Lord most Holy O God most Mighty O holy and merciful Saviour thou most worthy Iudge eternal suffer us not at our last hour for any pains of death to fall from thee Amen O Most powerful and glorious Lord God at whose Command the Winds blow and lift up the Waves of the Sea and who stillest the rage thereof we thy Creatures but miserable sinners do in this our great distress cry unto thee for help save Lord or else we perish We confesse when we have been safe and seen all things quiet about us we have forgot thee our God and refused to hearken to the still voice of thy Word and to obey thy Commandments But now we see how terrible thou art in all thy works of Wonder the great God to be feared above all and therefore we adore thy divine Majesty acknowledging thy Power and imploring thy goodnesse Help Lord and save us for thy mercies sake in Jesus Christ thy Son our Lord Amen Lord be merciful to us sinners and save us for thy mercies sake Thou art the great God that hast made and rulest all things deliver us for thy Names sake Thou art a great God to be feared above all O save us that we may praise thee O Lord arise help us and deliver us for thy Names sake O Lord arise help us and deliver us for thine honour Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. From our enemies defend us O Christ Graciously look upon our Afflictions Pitifully behold the sorrows of our hearts Mercifully forgive the sins of thy People Favourably with mercy hear our Prayers O Son of David have mercy upon us Both now and ever vouchsafe to hear us O Christ Graciously hear us O Christ Graciously hear us O Lord Christ God the Father God the Son God the Holy Ghost have mercy upon us Save us now and evermore Amen Our Father c. O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Cry come unto thee ALmighty God who hast promised to hear the Petitions of them that ask in thy Sons Name we beseech thee mercifully to incline thine ears to us that have made now our Prayers and Supplications unto thee and grant that those things which we have faithfully asked according to thy Will may effectually be obtained to the relief of our necessity and to the setting forth of thy glory through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen The Grace of our Lord Jesus Christ and the Love of God and the Fellowship of the Holy Ghost be with us all evermore The 70. Psalm 1. HAst thee O God to deliver me make hast to help me O Lord. 2. Let them be ashamed and confounded that seek after my Soul Let them be turned backward and put to confusion that wish me evil 3. Let them for their reward be soon brought to shame that cry over me There there 4. But let all those that seek thee be joyful and glad in thee and let all such as delight in thy Salvation say alway The Lord be praised 5. As for me I am poor and in misery hast thee unto me O God 6. Thou art my helper and my Redeemer O Lord make no long tarrying Glory be to the Father c. As it was in the beginning c. HAving now finished these private Instructions for your use you must remember that I do not deliver this with any Intention that by your using of these private Offices you should in the least kind neglect the glorious Service of your Mother the holy Church but be very conversant in your attendance at the Altar for there you may receive greater satisfaction than is possible to be had elsewhere It is true there is amongst those who are enemies to the Peace of the Church or else are ignorant and do not understand the Reasons of her several Offices who usually say What shall they go to Church to hear Common-Prayer they may read that at home A very absurd objection and not worth the answering but the advantages you may receive there are many but especially when you come to that holy place there you meet with the People of God in holy Worship there if you truly Confess your sins you receive Absolution from the Priest there the Priest is ready to give you such Benedictions as the Church directs which holy Communion and the power of the Priest observe the Learned Dr. Taylor in his great Exemplar in his Prayer after his Meditation
would be pleased to Command his holy Angels to take charge of you and to preserve you both in Body and Soul from all evil visible and invisible I rest Your most affectionate and Loving Father T. W. From the Prison at the Castle in Glocester 9 Novembris 1668. For my Worthy Friend Mr. Nathaniel Gwinn Master of the Free-School at Cyrencester these humbly present Most worthy Sir IT is said That if it had not been for Aristotle Alexander had not been Alexander although the Simile may not well hold yet truly what my poor Children have attained unto They and my Self must be very ungrateful if we do not acknowledge it to come from you And therefore Sir I do with all the Offerings of a free heart in all humility return you my humble and hearty thanks for your unheard of Civilities to my poor Sons hoping that your Indulgence to them will not be forgotten when ever it shall please God they may be Capacitated to return those thanks that are due for Obligations of so large a magnitude I must now beg you to contract another trouble upon your self viz. That you would he pleased to peruse the following Meditations and as you shall approve of them â—o give encouragement unto those â—hey are designed for to use them Thus beseeching your Prayers to â—he God of all Recompences for me a poor Prisoner in this Goal I remain Reverend Sir Your most obliged and faithful Servant T. W. From the Castle in Glocester 9 die Novembris 1668. Devout MEDITATIONS For the Morning for every Day in the Week When you awake in the Morning say O Saviour of the World who by thy Crosse and precious Blood hast redeemed us save us and help us we humbly beseech thee O Lord. And afterwards before you stir out of your Bed because the first thoughts ought to be offered to Almighty God say O Lord open thou our lips And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Lord deal not with us after our sins Neither reward us after our iniquities Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us OUr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver uâ— from evil For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen GLory be to God on high Anâ— in Earth peace good will to wards Men. We praise thee we blesâ— thee we worship thee we glorifâ—â— thee we give thanks to thee for thy great Glory O Lord God heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesu Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our Prayers thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For thou only art Holy thou onely art the Lord thou onely O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father Amen And when you arise out of your Bed make a reverent bow with your body and say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen When you are putting on your Apparel let your thoughts be truly towards God and of his most bountiful goodness towards you at all times and say O Sweet Jesu that the shame of my sinful Soul may not be seen cloath it with the robes of thy Justice and cover it with the Ornaments of all manner of grace and vertues Amen And before you stir out of your Chamber prepare your thoughts for Prayer repairing to some convenient place of the Room and with great reverence bow your body and say the eighth Psalm following O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory above the Heavens Out of the mouth of very Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the Enemy and the Avenger For I will consider the Heavens even the works of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet all Sheep and Oxen yea and the Beasts of the field The Fouls of the Air and Fishes of the Sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the Seas O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Then kneeling down upon your knees with your heart and hands lift up to Almighty God say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen O Lord save the King And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Everlasting God who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and Men in a wonderful order mercifully grant that as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in Heaven so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on Earth through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent Create and make in us new and Contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchednesse may obtain of thee the God of all Mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty God who seest that we have no power of our selves to help our selves keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O Almighty God whose dwelling is in the highest Heavens and yet vouchsafest to regard the lowest Creature upon
Farth I humbly adore thy Sacred Majesty and with all the forces of my Soul exalt and praise thy holy Name for the infinite blessings thou hast so freely bestowed on me for electing me in thy Love and Creating me after thine own Image for Redeeming me by thy Son and Sanctifying me with thy holy Spirit for preserving me in all the chances and encounters of this Life and raising up my thoughts to the hope of a better And particularly for thy gracious protection from the dangers of this night and bringing me safely to the beginning of this day Continue O Lord thy mercy to me and as thou hast awakened my Body from sleep so raise my Soul from sin that I may walk soberly and chastly as in the day in all holy obedience before thy face Deliver me O merciful God from the evils of this day and guid my feet in the wayes of peace Strengthen my Resolution to embrace with gladnesse the opportunities of good and carefully avoid all occasions of sin especially those which I by experience do most endanger my Soul with And when through frailty I forget thee do thou in mercy remember that as I often fall by the evil inclinations of my nature I may alwaies rise again by the good assistance of thy grace make me diligent in the duties of my Condition and not too solicitous for the success of my Affairs but in all the miscarriages and crosses of this world absolutely submit to thy divine pleasure and wholly rely on thy merciful providence Let thy Blessings be upon my Actions and thy grace direct my intentions that the whole Course of my life and principal design of my heart may alwaies tend to the advancement of thy glory the good of others and the eternal salvation of my own Soul through Jesus Christ our Lord and onely Saviour who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen I Adore and glorifie thee O blessed Trinity God Omnipotent Father Son and Holy Ghost I offer my self to thy divine Majesty humbly beseeching thee to take from me and from all thy faithful what ever displeaseth thee and give us that which is grateful in thy sight grant that we may here do what thou commandest and hereafter receive what thou promisest To thee O Lord I commend my Soul and Body my Father and Mother my Brethren and Sisters my Kinsfolks and Benefactors my Friends and Familiars and all those for whom I am any wayes bound to offer up my Prayers To thee I commend the holy Catholick Church Grant O Lord all may know thee all may honour and reverence thee all may love thee and be loved by thee those that erre reduce and bring into the way destroy Heresies Convert all to the true Faith who as yet do not know thee grant us O Lord thy grace and conserve us in thy peace May thy holy Will be done and not ours comfort all those that lead their lives in Sorrow Misery or Temptations and mercifully relieve their Afflictions whether Spiritual or Corporal Lastly I commend all universally to thy holy Protection that thou wouldest vouchsafe unto them forgivenesse of all their sins and life everlasting INto the hands of thy unspeakable mercy O Lord I commend my Soul and Body my Sences my Words my Thoughts and all my Actions with all the necessities of my Body and Soul my going forth and coming in my Faith and Conversation and the course and end of my Life the day and hour of my Death my rest and Resurrection with thy Saints and Elect for ever Amen O Lord hear our Prayers And let our Supplications come unto thee Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us OUr Father which art in Heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen ACcept O most gracious God for thy Son our Lord Jesus Christ his sake this Office of my Service and if by thy grace I have performed any thing according to my duty in thy Clemency regard it and what I have done with negligence mercifully pardon who livest and reignest one God in perfect Trinity world without end Amen THe Imperial Majesty of God bless me the Regal Divinity protect me the everlasting Deity keep me the glorious Unity comfort me the Incomprehensible Trinity defend me the Inestimable Goodnesse direct me the Power of the Father govern me the Wisdom of the Son quicken me the Vertue of the Holy Ghost illuminate me and defend me from all mine enemies visible and invisible and be with me and preserve me this day and for evermore This being performed arise from off thy knees with reverence making an humble bow with your body and saying Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen At your going forth of the House where you did lodge the night before say privately to your self Shew me O Lord thy wayes and teach me thy paths direct my steps according to thy Word that no Injustice rule over me by the guiding of thy holy Angels make perfect my goings in thy paths that my steps be not moved from the wayes of thy Righteousnesse Devout MEDITATIONS At the time of your going to Bed WHen you have entred your Chamber and your thoughts are retired from your worldly Affairs repair to some convenient place and with great reverence bow your Body and say the thirteenth Psalm HOw long wilt thou forget me O Lord for ever how long wilt thou hide thy face from me How long shall I seek counsel in my Soul and be so vexed in my heart How long shall mine enemies triumph over me Consider and hear me O Lord my God lighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death Lest mine enemy say I have prevailed against him For if I be cast down they that trouble me will rejoyce at it But my trust is in thy mercy and my heart is joyful in thy Salvation I will sing unto the Lord because he hath dealt so lovingly with me yea I will praise the Name of the Lord most Highest Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever O Lord shew thy mercy upon us And grant us thy Salvation Our Father c. ALmighty God give us grace that we may cast away the works of darknesse and put upon us the Armour of light now in the time of this mortal life in which thy Son Jesus
thy Church O Lord deliver us In the first motions to sin and the renewed assaults of any temptation in the time of our tryal when thou seeemest to withdraw from us thy Grace in health and prosperity in sicknesse and adversity in the hour of Death and in the day of Judgment O Lord deliver us Deliver us O Lord and in all our Necessities when we call on thee in the Name of thy beloved Son and for the Merits of our onely Saviour Jesus Christ who sits at thy right hand to make Intercession for us sinners We beseeh thee hear us That it would please thee to govern and defend thy Catholick Church to blesse and preserve all Ecclesiastical Persons in unity of truth and holinesse of life We beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to endue all Christian Princes and Magistrates with the Spirit of Justice Piety and Wisdom and all Subjects with a true reverence of their Superiours and chearful obedience to their just Commands that all the World may live in the beauty of Order and the blessings of Peace We beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to reduce into the union of thy Church all those whom Malice Passion or Interest have divided from thy Faith And with a more particular tendernesse to Compassionate all simple and Unlearned People who by mis-instruction are seduced into Error and by unhappy Education settled in a prejudice against thy Truth VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to convert all Jews Turks and Infidells to thy holy Faith and all dissolute Christians to a vertuous life That none of those whom thou hast made may perish but all the Nations of the Earth adore thee here and be happy with thee hereafter VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to have compassion on the Miseries of humane life and especially on the Afflictions of such as suffer for a good Conscience Let thy pitty lighten their burdens and thy grace strengthen their weaknesse that every sad dejected Soul may praise thee either for releasement from their pressures or enablement to bear their crosses VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to enlarge our hearts with true Charity one towards another to Feed the Hungry and Cloth the Naked to visit the Sick and Comfort the distressed to forgive our Enemies and pray for our Persecutors and in all occasions to do good to every one according to our Capacities VVe beseech thee hear us That it would please thee to open thy full hand and mercifully bestow on us the necessaries of this life with grace so to use all thy temporal Blessings that we rest not in the Convenience or Pleasure derived from any Creature but apply them as Instruments to cultivate our minds and prepare us for thee and thy eternal joys VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchasafe us the grace to know thee that we may fear and hope in thee as absolute Master of Punishment and Reward that we may serve and worship thee as Soveraign Lord of Life and Death that we may love and praise thee as a most Indulgent Father and bountiful Benefactor VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to know our Selves that remembring we are but dust and ashes subject to a thousand infirmities temptations and miseries we may humble our proud thoughts and sincerely acknowledge our own unworthinesse yet being created after thy Image and capable of eternal happiness we may aspire to Heaven and value our Souls above all the transitory enjoyments of the earth VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace frequently to examine and clearly to see the state of our Consciences humbly to confess and earnestly to repent us of our sins carefully to avoid all occasions of relapse and diligently practise those Vertues which most avail to the Cure of our Infirmities We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to keep a strict watch over our Senses lest they solicite our hearts to sin to remember continually thy presence with us wheresoever we are especially in the offering up our Prayers with a reverend gesture of our Bodies and devout attention of our Minds We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to attend with diligence the employment of our Callings yet every day to set apart some time for thee and our Souls to live in peace and Charity with all the world freely forgiving their injuries to us and readily satisfying our trespasses against them VVe beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to remember alwaies the end of our Creation and the vanity of this world the shortnesse of our lives and the incertainty of our deaths the misery of such as die in their sins and the unspeakable joyes of those who with their last breath give up their Souls into the hands of thy Angels We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace to live and dy in the Faith and Communion of thy Catholick Church to enjoy the benefit of thy holy Sacraments and participate in the Prayers and good works of all thy Servants throughout the world We beseech thee hear us That thou wouldst vouchsafe us the grace in the last hour of our lives willingly to render our Bodies to the Earth from whence they came and joyfully return our Souls to thee that gave them that in the blissful vision of thy Glory we may for ever adore thy Majesty and in the happy Company of thy Saints and Angels for ever sing praises to thy Name We beseech thee to hear us Son of God We beseech thee hear us O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Spare us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Hear us O Lord. O Lamb of God that takest away the sins of the world Have mercy on us O Lord hear our prayers And let our Supplications come to thee MOst gracious God the Fountain of all Mercy and Blessing who desirest not the death of a Sinner nor despisest the tears of the penitent favourably receive this free Confession of our sins and efficaciously move our hearts to a true Contrition for all our offerces that being pardoned the evils we are presumed to do we may be delivered from the evils we deserve to suffer and obtaining of thy Bounty the Graces petitioned in our Prayers we may bestow the short remainder of our dayes in a more perfect denial of our own corrupt Inclinations and more constant tendance to thy glorious Promises through our Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ who with thee and the Holy Ghost liveth and reigneth one God world without end Amen The Blessing of God Almighty Father Son and Holy Ghost descend upon us and remain in our hearts for ever Amen A Prayer in Tribulation O God who despisest not the tears of the Contrite nor contemnest the