Sacrament that it may be unto me life and pleasantnesse and holy nourishment and that I may be firmely and indissolubly united to thy mysticall Body and may at last see clearly and without a vaile thy face in glory everlasting who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen II. I Adore and blesse thy glorious Majesty O blessed Iesu for this great dignation and vouchsafing to me that thou art pleased for all the infinite multiplication of my sinnes and innumerable violations of thy holy Law still to give thy selfe unto me to convey health and grace and life and hopes of glory in the most blessed Sacrament I adore thee O most righteous Redeemer that thou art pleased under the visible signes of Bread and Wine to convey unto our soules thy holy Body and Bloud and all the benefits of thy bitter Passion O my God I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roofe but let thy holy Spirit with his purities prepare for thee a lodging in my soule Thou hast knocked often O blessed Iesu at the doore of my heart and wouldest willingly have entred behold O Lord my heart is ready to receive thee cast out of it all worldly desires all lusts and carnall appetites and then enter in and there love to inhabit that the Devill may never returne to a place that is so swept and garnished to fill me full of all iniquity O thou lover of soules grant that this holy Sacrament may be a light unto mine eyes a guide to my understanding and a joy to my soule that by its strength I may subdue and mortifie the whole body of sin in me and that it may produce in me constancy in Faith fulnesse of wisedome perfection and accomplishment of all thy righteous commandments and such a blessed union with thee that I may never more live unto my selfe or to the world but to thee onely and by the refreshment of an holy hope I may be lead through the pathes of a good life and persevering piety to the communion and possession of thy Kingdome O blessed Iesu who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen III. O Lord God who hast made all things of nought producing great degrees of esâ—ence out of nothing make me a new creature and of a sinfull man make me holy and just and mercifull that I may receive thy precious Body devoutly reverently with meeknesse contrition and great affection with spirituall comfort and gladnesse at thy mysticall presence Feed my soule with Bread from Heaven fill me with charity conform me to thy wil in all things save me from all dangers bodily and ghostly assist and guide me in all doubts and feares prepare and strengthen me against all surreptions and sudden incursion of temptations cleanse me from all staines of sin and suffer nothing to abide in me but thy selfe onely who art the Life of soules the Food of the Elect and the joy of Angels Give me such a gust and holy relish in this Divine nutriment that nothing may ever hereafter please me but what savours of thee and thy miraculous sweetnesse Teach me to loath all the pleasures and beauties of this life and let my soule be so inebriated with the pleasures of thy Table that I may be comprehended and swallowed up with thy love and sweetnesse let me thinke nothing but thee covet nothing but thee enjoy nothing but thee nothing in comparison with thee and neither do nor possesse any thing but what leades to thee and is in order to the performance of thy will and the fruition of thy glories Transfixe my soule O blessed Jesu with so great love to thee so great devotion in receiving the holy Sacrament that I may be transformed to the Fellowship of thy sufferings and admitted to a participation of all the benefits of thy Passion and to a communion of thy graces and thy glories I desire to be with thee dissolve all the chaines of my sin and then come Lord Jesus come quickly Let my soule feed on thee greedily for thou art the spring of light and life the Fountaine of wisedome and health a torrent of divine pleasure and tranquillity the Authour of peace and comfort enter into me sweet Jesu take thou possession of my soule and be thou Lord over me and all my faculties and preserve me with great mercy and tendernesse that no doubting or infidelity no impenitence or remanent affection to a sin no impurity or irreverence may make me unworthy and uncapable of thy glorious approach Let not my sinnes crucifie the Lord of life again let it not be said concerning me the hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the table that this holy Communion may not be unto me an occasion of death but a blessed peace-offering for my sinnes and a gate of life and glory Grant this O blessed God for his sake who is both Sacrifice and Priest the Master of the Feast and the Feast it selfe even Iesus Christ to whom with thee O Father and the holy Spirit be all honour and glory now and for ever Amen A Prayer after receiving the consecrated Bread I Give thankes unto thee Almighty and eternall God that thou hast not rejected me from thy holy Table but hast refreshed my soule with the salutary refection of the Body of thy Son Iesus Christ Lord if I had lived innocently and had kept all thy Commandments I could have had no proportion of merit to so transcendent a mercy but since I have lived in all manner of sin and multiplied provocations against thy Divine Majesty thy mercy is so glorious and infinite that I am amased at the consideration of its immensity Go on O my deare God to finish so blessed a redemption and now that thou hast begun to celebrate a marriage and holy union between thy selfe and my soule let me never throw off the wedding garment or stain it with the pollutions of deadly sin nor seek after other lovers but let me for ever and ever be united unto thee being transformed into thy will in this life and to the likenesse of thy glories in the life to come who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen After receiving the Cup O Iust and deare God who out of the unmeasurable abysses of wisedome and mercy hast redeemed us and offered life and grace and salvation to us by the reall exhibition of thy Son Iesus Christ in the sacrifice of his Death upon the altar of the Crosse and by commemoration of his bitter agonies in the holy Sacrament Grant that that great and venerable sacrifice which we now commemorate sacramentally may procure of thee for thy whole Church mercy and great assistance in all trials deliverance from all heresies schismes sacriledge and persecutions to all sicke people health and salvation redemption for captives competency of living to the indigent and necessitous comfort to the afflicted reliefe to the oppressed repentance to all sinners softnesse of
pure wombe of an humble maid and take on thee my nature and be borne and cry and suffer cold and all the incommodities which the meannesse of a stable could minister to the tendernesse of thy first infancy Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the Son of man that thou so regardest him I adore thee blessed Iesu and praise thee for thine immaculate sanctity for all thy holy precepts and counsels for thy Divine example for thy miracles and mysterious revelations of thy Fathers will for the institution of the holy Sacraments and all other blessings of thy Propheticall Office O praise the Lord for the Lord is gracious sing praises unto his Name for it is lovely I adore and love thee most blessed Iesu for all the parts of thy most bitter Passion for thy being betrayed and accused buffeted and spit upon blindfolded and mocked crowned with thornes and scourged for thine agony and bloudy sweat for thy bearing the sad load of the Crosse and sadder load of our sinnes for thy Crucifixion three long houres when the weight of thy Body was supported with wounds and nailes for thy Death and Buriall for thy continuall intercession and advocation with thy heavenly Father in behalfe of me and all thy holy Church and all other acts of mediation and redemption the blessings of thy priestly Office O praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders he hath done for the children of men I adore and magnifie thy holy Name O most blessed Iesu for thy triumph over death hell sin and the grave for thy opening the Kingdome of Heaven to all believers for thy glorious resurrection and ascension for thy government over all the creatures for the advancement of thy holy Kingdome for thy continuall resisting and defeating the intendments of thine enemies against thy Church by the strength of thine arme by the mightinesse of thy power by the glories of thy wisedome for those blessed promises thou hast made performest to thy Church of sending the holy Ghost of giving her perpetuity of being in defiance of all the gates and powers of Hell and darknesse and blessing her with continuall assistances and all other glories of thy Regall Office and power O sing praises sing praises unto our God O sing praises sing praises unto our King for God is the King of all the earth sing yee praises with understanding O most holy Spirit Love of the Father Fountain of grace Spring of all spirituall blessings I adore and praise thy divine excellencies which are essentiall to thy glorious Selfe in the unity of the most mysterious Trinity and which thou communicatest to all faithfull people and to me thy unworthy servant in the unity of the Catholike Church O magnifie the Lord our God and fall down before his footstoole for he is holy O blessed Spirit I praise and magnifie thy Name for thy miraculous descent upon the Apostles in Pentecost in mysterious representments for those great graces and assistances comming upon their heads and falling downe upon us all in the descent of all ages of the Church for confirmation of our Faith for propagation of the Gospel for edification and ornament of thy Family Thou O God shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance throughout all generations O most glorious Spirit I praise and magnifie thy Name for thy inspiration of the Apostles and Prophets for thy providence and mercy in causing holy Scriptures to be written and preserving them from the corruptions of Heretickes from the violences of Pagans and enemies of the Crosse of Christ I will alwayes give thankes unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth I blesse thy Name for those holy promises and threatnings those judgements and mercies those holy precepts and admonitions which thou hast registred in Scriptures and in the records and monuments of the Church for all those graces helpes and comforts whereby thou promotest me in piety and the wayes of true Religion for baptismall and penitentiall grace for the opportunities and sweet refreshings of the Sacrament of the Eucharist for all the advantages thou hast given me of good society tutours and governours for the feares thou hast produced in me as deleteries and impediments of sin for all my hopes of pardon and expectation of the promises made by our Lord Iesus Christ to incourage me in the pathes of life and sanctity for all the holy sermons spirituall bookes and lessons for all the good prayers and meditations for those blessed waitings and knockings at the doore of my heart patiently tarrying for and lovingly inviting me to repentance without ceasing admonishing and reproving me with the checkes of a tender conscience with exteriour and interiour motives and for whatsoever other meanes or incentive of holinesse thou hast assisted me withall I magnifie and praise and adore thee and thy goodnesse All Nations whom thou hast made and sanctified shall come and worship thee O Lord and shall glorifie thy Name for thou art great and doest wondrous things thou art God alone and great is thy mercy towards me thou hast delivered my soule from the nethermost Hell therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing O my God I will give thankes unto thee for ever with Cherubims and Seraphims and all the companies of the heavenly Host saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbaoth holy is our God holy is the Immortall holy is the Almighty the Father the Son and the holy Ghost to whom be all honour and glory and dominion and power ascribed of all spirits and all men and all creatures now and for evermore Amen I. Prayers preparatory to the receiving of the blessed Sacrament O Most immaculate and glorious Iesu behold me miserable sinner drawing neare to thee with the approaches of humility and earnest desire to be cleansed from my sinnes to be united to thee by the nearest and most mysterious union of charity and Sacramentall participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud I presume nothing of mine owne worthinesse but I am most confident of thy mercies and infinite loving kindnesse I know O Lord I am blinde and sicke and dead and naked but therefore I come the rather I am sicke and thou art my Physitian thou arisest with healing in thy wings by thy wounds I come to be cured and to be healed by thy stripes I am unclean but thou art the Fountain of purity I am blinde and thou art the great Eye of the world the Sun of righteousnesse in thy light I shall see light I am poore and thou art rich unto all the Lord of all the creatures I therefore humbly begge of thy mercy that thou wouldest be pleased to take from me all my sinnes to cure my infirmities to cleanse my filthinesse to lighten my darknesse to clothe my nakednesse with the robe of thy righteousnesse that I may with such reverence and faith and holy intention receive thy blessed Body and Bloud in the mysterious
past my vices and pleasures of the world and grant that all inordinate affection to the transitory things of this life may daily decay in me and that I may grow in spirit and ghostly strength till I come to a perfect man in Christ Iesus Amen IV. GIve unto thy servant true humility great contrition a tender conscience an obedient heart an understanding alwayes busied in honest and pious thoughts a will tractable and ever prone to do good affections eaven and moderate a watchfull custody over my senses that by those windowes sin may never enter in nor death by sin Make me to watch over my tongue and keep the doore of my lips that no corrupt or unseemly communication proceed out my mouth that I may never slander calumniate or detract from the reputation of my neighbour that I be not busie in the faults of others but carefull to correct mine own being gentle and mercifull to others and severe towards my selfe that I may speake much of thy praises and what I can for the edification of my brethren Amen V. GIve me understanding in thy Law that I may know thy will and grace and strength faithfully to fulfill the same Give me a feare of thy Name and of thy threatnings and a love and hope of thy promises let me daily feele thy mercies and remove thy judgements farre from me Imprint in my heart a filiall reverence and awfulnes towards thy Divine Majestie that I may studie to please thee with diligence to worship thee with much devotion to submit to the disposition of thy providence with thankfulnesse and that in conscience of my dutie towards thee I may honour the King obey Magistrates under him love the Saints and do all acts of charitie according to my opportunitie and abilitie directing all my actions and intentions not according to custome or in pursuance of mine owne ends and temporall advantages but in thy feare and in holy religion to the advancement of thy honour and glorie Amen VI GIve me a soule watchfull in the services of Religion constant in holy purposes ingenuous and free from sordid ends or servile flatterie a modest gravitie in my deportment affabilitie and faire curteous demeanour towards all men austeritie in condemning mine own sinnes sweetnesse in fraternall correction and reprehending others mature judgement a chaste bodie and a cleane soule patience in suffering deliberation in my words and actions good counsels in all my purposes make me just in performing promises and in all my duties sedulous in my calling profitable to the Common-wealth a true Son of the Church and of a disposition meek and charitable towards all men Amen VII LEt this be my portion and the comfort of my pilgrimage so long as I am detained in the condition of mortality and exiled from my heavenly Countrey that being free from all feare of mine enemies and from vexations cares and solicitudes of this life I may be wholly devoted to thy service that I may attend thee onely and what tends to thee that I may rejoyce onely in thee and my soule may rest in thee that without distractions I may entertain thy heavenly Doctrine and the blessed motions of thy holy Spirit spending my time in the duties of necessity in the workes of charity and the frequent office of Religion with diligence and patience and perseverance and hope expecting the accomplishment of my dayes in peace that when I go unto my dust I may be reckoned amongst those blessed soules whose worke it is to give thee praise and honour and glory to all eternity Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for evermore Amen An EVENING PRAYER In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Our Father which art in Heaven c I. O Lord God who art the light and splendour of soules in the brightnesse of thy countenance is eternall Day that knowes no night in thy armes and in thy protection is all quietnesse tranquillity and everlasting repose while the darknesse covers the face of the earth receive my body and soule into thy custody let not the spirits of darknesse come neare my dwelling neither suffer my fancy to be abused with illusions of the night Lord I am thy servant and the sheep of thy pasture let not the Devill who goeth up and down seeking whom he may devoure abuse my bodie or make a prey of my soule but defend me from all those calamities which I have deserved and protect my soule that it consent not to any worke of darknesse least mine enemy say he hath prevailed over me or do mischiefe to a soule redeemed with thy most precious Bloud Amen II. PArdon and forgive me all the sinnes and offences of my youth the errours of mine understanding the inordination of mine affections the irregularity of all mine actions and particularly whatsoever I have transgressed this day in thought word or deed Lord let not thy wrath arise for although I have deserved the extremest pressure of thine indignation yet remember my infirmity and how thou hast sent thy sonne to reveale thy infinite mercies to us and convey pardon and salvation to the penitent I beseech thee also to accept the heartiest Devotion and humblest acknowledgement of a thankfull heart for thy blessing and preservation of this Day for unlesse thy Providence and Grace had been my Defence and Guide I had committed more and more grievous sinnes and had been swallowed up by thy just wrath and severest judgements Mercy sweet Iesu. Amen III. LOrd let thy grace be so present with me that though my body sleep yet my soule maâ— for ever be watchfull that I sleep not sin in or pâ—termit any opportunity of doing thee service let the remembrances of thy goodnesse and glories be first and last with mee and so unite my heart unto thee with habituall charity that all my actions and sufferings may be directed to thy glory every motion and inclination either of soule or body may in some capacity or other receive a blessing from thee and do thee service that whether I sleep or wake travell or rest eat or drinke live or dye I may alwaies feel the light of thy countenance shining so upon me that my labours may be easie my rest blessed my food sanctified and my whole life spent with so much sanctity and peace that escaping from the darknesses of this world I may at last come to the land of everlasting rest in thy light to behold light and glory through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for evermore Another Prayer for Evening I. VIsit we beseech thee O Lord this habitation with thy mercie and us thy servants with thy salvation and repell farre from us all the snares of the Enemy Let thy holy Angells dwell here to keep us in peace and safety and thy blessing be upon us for ever through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen II. O Lord Jesu