Christ the lively Image of thy Fathers mercies and glories the Saviour of all them that put their trust in thee we offer and present to thee all our strengths powers of our soules and bodies and whatsoever we are or â—ave to be preserved governed and possest by thee Preserve us from all vitious vaine and proud cogitations unchaste affections and from all those things which thou hatest Grant us thy holy charity that we may love thee above all the world that we may with sincerity of intention and zealous affections seek thee alone and in thee onely take our rest inseparably joyning our selves unto thee who art worthy to be beloved and adored of all thy creatures with lowest prostrations and highest affection now and for evermore Amen III. O Father of mercies and God of all comforts let this blessing be upon us and upon all the members of thy holy Church all health and safety both of body and soul against all our enemies visible and invisible now and for ever Send us a quiet night and a holy death in the actuall communion of the Catholique Church and in thy charity through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen Our Father which art in heaven c. Now and in all dangers and afflictions of soul and body in the houre of death and in the day of judgement save us and deliver us O sweet Saviour and Redeemer Iesu. Collects to be added upon Various occasions I. For the Church ALmighty and everlasting God who hast revealed thy glory to Iewes and Gentiles in our Lord Iesus Christ extend thy hand of mercie over all the world that thy Church may spread like a flourishing vine and enlarge her borders to the uttermost parts of the earth that all Nations partaking of the sweet refreshings of thy Gospell thy name may be glorified the honour of our Lord Iesus advanc'd his prophecies fullfilled and his comming hastened Blesse O Lord thy holy Church with all blessings of comfort assistance and preservation extirpate heresies unite her divisions give her patience and perseverance in the faith and confession of thy name in despite of all Enmities temptations and disadvantages destroy all wicked counsells intended against her or any of her children by the Divell or any of his accursed instruments Let the hands of thy grace and mercy lead her from this vale of misery to the triumphant throne of her Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen II. For the King O Lord our heavenly Father High and Mighty King of Kings who in thy hands hast the hearts of Kings and can'st turne them as the rivers of water send the light of thy countenance and abundance of blessings upon thy servant our Soveraigne Lord King Charles make him as holy valiant and prosperous as King David wise and rich like Solomon zealous for the honour of thy Law and temple as Josiah and give him all sorts of great assistances to enable him to serve thee to glorifie thy name to protect thy Church to promote true religion to overcome all his enemies to make glad all his leige people that he serving thee with all dilligence and the utmost of his possibility his people may serve him with honour and obedience in thee and for thee according to thy blessed word and ordinance through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen III. For the Queen O God of heaven Father of mercies have mercy upon our most gracious Queen unite her unto thee with the bands of faith and love preserve her to her lives end in thy favour and make her an instrument of glory to thy Name of refreshment to the Church of joy to all faithfull people of this Kingdome of a plenteous and blessed Issue to his Majesty and Crowne her with an eternall weight of glory through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen IV. For the Prince of Wales O Most blessed Iesu Sonne of God who camest from thy Fathers bosome with myriads of blessings to the sonnes of men blesse us all by thy especiall care and providence over the body and soul of the most Illustrious Prince CHARLES Prepare him with plenty of thy grace and with great abilities to succeed his Royall Father in the service of thy Majesty in defending the Catholique Faith in comforting thy holy Church in governing all the people prudently justly and religiously that being partaker of all thy mercies here in proportion to his necessitie and capacity he may enjoy a fulnesse of thy glory hereafter through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen V. For the Bishops O Thou great sheep-heard and Bishop of our soules most glorious Iesu blesse all holy and religious Prelates especially the Bishops of our Church O God let abundance of thy grace and benediction descend upon their heads that by a holy life by a true and Catholique beleife by a confident confession of thy Name and by a Fatherly care great sedulity and watchfullnesse over their flock they may glorifie thee our God the great lover of Soules and set forward the salvation of their people and of others by their example and at last after a plentifull conversion of soules they may shine like the Starres in glory through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen VI For our Parents O Almightie God and mercifull Father who from the loines of our first Parents Adam and Eve hast produced mankinde and hast commanded us to honour our Parents in pursuance of thy holy Commandment and of our dutie to thee our God and in thee to them do with all humilitie begge a blessing of thee for our Parents who from thy mercie and plentie have conveyed many to us pardon and forgive all their sinnes and infirmities increase in them all goodnesse give them blessings of the right hand and blessings of the left blesse them in their persons in their posteritie in the comforts of thy holy Spirit in a persevering goodnesse and at last in an eternall weight of glorie through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen VII For our Children O Father of Heaven God of all the Creatures by whose Providence mankinde is increased I blesse thy Name for bestowing on me that blessing of the righteous man the blessing of Children Lord blesse them with health with life with good understanding with faire opportunities and advantages of education societie tutours and governours and above all with the graces of thy holy Spirit that they may live and be blessed under thy protection grow in grace and be in favour with God and Man and at last may make up the number of thine elect Children through Iesus Christ our Lord Amen VIII For our Patron our Friends and Benefactours O Almightie God thou Fountain of all good of all excellencie both to Men and Angels extend thine abundant favour and loving kindnesses to my Patron to all my Friends and Benefactours reward them and make them plentifull compensation for all the good which from thy mercifull Providence they haue conveyed unto me Let the light of thy countenance shine upon them and let them never come into any
beg of thee mercy for my soul strengthen it with thy grace against all temptations let thy loving kindnesse defend it as with a shield against all the violences and hostile assaults of Sathan let the same mercy be my guard and defence which protected thy Martyrs crowning them with victory in the midst of flames horrid torments and most cruell deaths There is no help in me O Lord I cannot by my own power give a minutes rest to my wearied body but my trust is in thy sure mercies I call to mind to my unspeakable comfort that thou wert hungry and thirsty and wearied whipt and crown'd with Thornes and mock'd crucified for me O let that mercy which made thee suffer so much make thee do that for which thou sufferedst so much pardon me and save me Let thy merits answer for my impieties let thy righteousnesse cover my sinnes thy bloud wash away my staines and thy comforts refresh my soul As my body growes weak let thy grace be stronger let not my faith doubt nor my hope tremble nor my charity grow cold nor my soul be affrighted with the terrors of death but let the light of thy countenance enlighten mine eyes that I sleep not in death eternall and when my tongue failes let thy spirit teach my heart to pray with strong cryings and groanes that are unutterable O Let not the enemy do me any violence but let thy holy mercies and thy Angels repell and defeat his malice and fraud that my soul may by thy strength triumph in the joyes of eternity in the fruition of thee my life my joy my hope my exceeding great reward my Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen V. For a dying Person in or neare the agonies of death MOst mercifull and Blessed Saviour have mercy upon the soule of this thy servant remember not his ignorances nor the sins of his youth but according to thy great mercy remember him in the mercies and glories of thy Kingdome Thou O Lord hast open'd the Kingdom of Heaven to all beleivers let the everlasting gates be open'd and receive his Soul let the Angells who rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner triumph and be exalted in his deliverance and salvation Make him partaker of the benefits of thy holy incarnation life and sanctity passion and death resurrection and ascension and of all the prayers of the Church of the joy of the elect and all the fruits of the blessed communion of Saints and dayly adde to the number of thy beatified servants such as shall be saved that thy comming may be hastned and the expectation of the Saints may be fulfilled and the glory of thee our Lord Iesu be advanced all the whole Church singing prayses to the Honour of thy name who livest and raignest ever one God world without end Amen VI O Most mercifull Iesu who didst dye to reredeem us from death and damnation have mercy upon this thy servant whom thy hand hath visited with sicknesse of thy goodnesse be pleased to forgive him all his sinnes and seal his hopes of glory with the refreshments of thy holy Spirit Lord give him strength and confidence in thee asswage his pain repell the assaults of his Ghostly enemies by thy mercies and a guard of holy Angels preserve him in the unity of the Church keep his senses intire his understanding right give him great measure of contrition true faith a well grounded hope and abundant charity give him a quiet and a joyfull departure let thy ministring spirits convey his soule to the mansions of peace and rest there with certainty to expect a joyfull resurrection to the fulnesse of joy at thy right hand where there is pleasure for evermore Amen VII A Prayer for the joyes of Heaven O Most glorious Iesu who art the portion and exceeding great reward of all faithfull people thou hast beautified humane Nature with glorious immortality and hast carried the same above all Heavens above the seat of Angels beyond the Cherubims and Seraphims placing it on the right hand of thy heavenly Father grant to us all the issues of thy abundant charity that we may live in thy feare and die in thy favour Prepare our soules with heavenly vertues for heavenly joyes making us righteous here that we may be beautified hereafter Amen A MORNING 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 Eternall son of righteousnes who camest from the bosome of thy Father the Fountain of my glorious light to enlighten the darknesses of the world I praise thy Name that thou hast preserved me from the dangers of this night and hast continued to me still the opportunities of serving thee and advancing my hopes of a blessed eternity Let thy mercies shine brightly upon me and dissipate the clouds and darknesses of my spirit and understanding rectifie my affections and purifie my will and all my actions that whatsoever I shall do or suffer this day or in my whole life my words and purposes my thoughts and my intentions may be sanctified and be acceptable to thy divine Majesty Amen II. GRant that my understanding may know thee my heart may love thee and all my faculties and powers may give thee due obedience and serve thee Preserve me this day from all sin and danger from all violences and snares of mine enemies visible and invisible let thy holy feare be as a bridle to my distemperatures and thy love so enkindle and actuate all mine endeavours that no pleasure or allurements of the world may draw me from thy service nor any difficulty or temptation may be my hinderance let the profound humility and innocence of my blessed Saviour keep from me all pride and haughtinesse of minde all selfe-love and vain-glory all obstinacy and disobedience all fraudulency and hurtfull dissimulation and let the graces of the holy Ghost take so absolute possession and seizure of my soule and all it's faculties that I may tread down and cast out the spirit of intemperance and uncleannesse of malice and envy of idlenesse and disdaine that I may never despise any of thy creatures but my selfe that so being little in mine own sight I may be great in thine Amen III. CLoth my soule with the wedding garment the habits of supernaturall Faith and Charity that I may believe all thy holy promises and revelations without all wavering and love thee my God with so great devotions and affections that neither life nor death prosperity nor adversity temptations within nor without may ever disunite me from the love of thee but that I may have the most intimate adhesion to thy glories and perfections of which my condition in this world is capable Make me to choose vertue with the same freenes of election entertaine it with as little reluctancy keep it with as much complacency actuate it with as many faculties serve it with as much industry as I have in time
DEVOTIONS FOR THE Helpe and assistance OF ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE In all occasions and necessities Printed in the Yeare 1644. A Prayer against wandring thoughts to be said at the beginning of our devotions ALmighty God who hast commanded us to pray unto thee without ceasing and hast added many glorious promises for our incouragement let thy holy Spirit teach me how to pray give me just apprehensions of my wants zeale of thy glory great resentment of thy mercies love of all spirituall imployments that are pleasing unto thee and do thou helpe mine infirmites that the Devill may not abuse my fancy with illusions nor distract my minde with cares nor alienate my thoughts with impertinencies but give me a present minde great devotion a heart fixed upon thy divine beauties and an actuall intention and perseverance in my prayers that I may glorifie thy Name do unto thee true and laudable service and obtain reliefe for all my necessities Heare me O King of Heaven when I call upon thee for thou hast promised mercy to them that pray in the Name of our Lord and Saviour Iesus Christ Amen Penitentiall Prayers and a Forme of Confession of sinnes to God to be said upon dayes of publique or private humiliation O Lord God of mercy and pardon give me a just remembrance and sad apprehensions of my sinnes teach me to bewaile them with as great an indignation and bitternesse as I have committed them with complacency and delight Let my prayers and my confession come into thy presence and obtaine a mercy for me and a pardon Let not thy justice and severity so remember my sinnes as to forget thine own mercy and though I have committed that for which I deserve to be condemned yet thou canst not loose that glorious attribute whence flowes comfort to us and hopes of being saved Spare me therefore O mercifull God for to give pardon to a sinner that confesseth his sinnes and begges remission is not impossible to thy power nor disproportionate to thy justice nor unusuall to thy mercy and sweetest clemency Blessed Jesu acknowledge in me whatsoever is thine and cleanse me from whatsoever is amisse Have pittie on me now in the time of mercy and condemne me not when thou commest to judgement for what profit is there in my bloud Thou delightest not in the death of a sinner but in his conversion there is joy in Heaven and when thou hast delivered me from my sinnes and saved my soule I shall praise and magnifie thy Name to all eternity Mercy sweet Jesu Mercy Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Our Father which art in Heaven c. I am not worthy O Lord to look up to Heaven which is the Throne of thy purity for my sins are moe in number than the haires upon my head and my heart hath failed me Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have not lived according to thy will but in the vanity of mine own thoughts in idle sinfull and impertinent language in foolish actions in blindnesse of heart in contempt of thy holy Word and Commandments I have not loved thee my God with all my heart nor feared thee with all my soule nor served thee with all my might according to thy holy precept nor loved my neighbour as my selfe Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been unthankfull to thy Divine Majesty forgetting that thou madest me and preservest me to thy Son my blessed Saviour forgetting the bitter paines he suffered for me and to the holy Ghost forgetting how many gracious influences I have received from him for my helpe comfort and promotion in the wayes of holy Religion but have rebelled against thee my Maker have sold my selfe to worke wickednesse from whence by the passion of thy holy Son I was redeemed and have resisted the holy Ghost Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have offended thee my God in an inordinate estimation of my selfe in vaine complacencies and desires to be esteemed as much or more than others in not suffering with meeknesse indifference and obedience the humiliations sent to me by thy divine providence in haughty deportment toward my superiours equals and inferiours and in accepting such honours as have been done to me without returning them to thee the Fountaine Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have offended thee my God in impatience in anger intemperate in degree inordinate in the object growing peevish and disquieted by trifling inadvertencies of others and slight accidents about me Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have offended thee my God by being envious at the prosperous successes and advantages of my neighbours and have had resentments of joy at their displeasures and sadnesses Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been negligent in performance of my charge idle in doing my duties soft and effeminate in my life indevout in my prayers slothfull in the exercises of Religion weary of their length displeased at their returne without advertency in the execution of them and glad at an occasion of their pretermission Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been diligent and curious in pleasing my appetite of meat and drinke and pleasures loosing my time pampering my flesh quenching the Spirit making matter both for sin and sicknesses and have not been sedulous in mortifying my body for the subduing mine owne intemperances and inordination Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have been an improvident steward of the good things thou hast given me I have loved them inordinately sought them greedily and unjustly dispensed them idlely parted with them unwillingly I have not been so charitable to the poore or so pittifull to the afflicted or so compassionate to the sicke or so apt to succour and give supply to the miseries of my neighbours as I ought but have too much minded things below not setting mine affections upon Heaven and heavenly things but have been unlike thee in all things I have been unmercifull and unjust Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Mine eyes O Lord have wandred after vanity beholding and looking after things unseemly without displeasure despising my neighbours prying into their faults but have been blinde not seeing mine own sinnes and infinite irregularities Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have not with care kept the doore of my lips nor bridled my tongue but have been excessive in talking immoderate in dissolute and wanton laughter apt to lie to deny truth to accuse others to scoffe at them to aggravate their faults to lessen their worth to give rash judgement to flatter for advantage to speake of thy Name irreverently and without religious or grave occasions our discourses have been allayed with slander and backbiting not apt to edifie or minister grace unto the hearers Lord be mercifull to me a sinner Mine eares have been greedy after vanity listening after things unprofitable or that might tend to the prejudice of my neighbours and have
not with holy appetite listened after thy holy words and conveyances of salvation Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have offended thee by the entertainment of evill thoughts thoughts of uncleannesse and impurity and have not resisted their first beginnings but have given consent to them explicitely and implicitly and have brought them up till they have grown into idle words and actions Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have made my selfe guilty of the sinnes of others by consent by approving by not reproving by cooperating by encouraging their ill actions so making mine owne heape greater by pulling their deformities upon mine own head Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have imployed all my members and faculties both of soule and body in the wayes of unrighteousnesse I have transgressed my duty in all my relations and in all my actions and traverses of my whole life even where I might have had most confidence I finde nothing but weaknesse and imperfections Lord be mercifull to me a sinner I have broken my vowes and purposes of obedience and holy life I have been inconstant to all good refractory to counsels disobedient to commands stubborne against admonition churlish and ungentle in my behaviour mindfull and revengfull of injuries forgetfull of benefits seeking my own ends deceiving my own soul Lord be mercifull to me a sinner My secret sinnes O Lord are innumerable sins secret to my selfe through inadvertency forgetfullnesse wilfull ignorance or stupid negligence secret to the world committed before thee only and under the witnesse of my own conscience I am confounded with the multitude of them and the horror of their remembrance Oh Jesu God be mercifull unto me I. SOn of Daivd Blessed Redeemer Lamb of God that takest away the sinnes of the world have mercy upon me O Iesu be a Iesu unto me thou that sparedst thy servant Peter that denyed thee thrice thou that did'st cast seven Devils out of Mary Magdalen and forgavest the woman taken in adultery and didst beare the convert thief from the Crosse to the joyes of Paradise have mercy upon me also for although I have amassed together more sinnes then all these in conjunction yet nor their sinnes nor mine nor the sinnes of all the world can equall thy glorious mercy which is as infinite and eternall as thy selfe I acknowledge O Lord that I am vile but yet redeemed with thy precious bloud I am blinde but thou art the light of the world I am weak but thou art my strong rock I have been dead in trespasses and sinnes but thou art my resurrection and my life Thou O Lord lovest to shew mercy and the expressions of thy mercy the nearer they come to infinite the more proportionable they are to thy essence and like thy selfe Behold then O Lord a fit object for thy pitty my sinnes are so great and many that to forgive me will be an act of glorious mercy and all the praises which did acrue to thy name by the forgiuenesse of David and Manasses and S. Paul and the adultresse and the thiefe and the Publican will be multiplyed to thy honour in the forgiuenesse of me so vile so unworthy a wretch that I have nothing to say for my selfe but that the greatnesse of my misery is a fit object for thy miraculous and infinite mercy Despise me not O Lord for I am thy creature despise me not for thou didst dye for me cast me not away in thine anger for thou camest to seek me and to save me Say unto my soul I am thy salvation let thy holy spirit lead me from the errours of my wayes into the paths of righteousnesse to great degrees of repentance and through all the parts of a holy life to a godly a holy death Grant this O blessed Iesu for thy mercies and for thy pitty sake Amen II. O Lord God Blessed Iesu Eternall Iudge of quick and dead I tremble with horror at the apprehension when I call to mind with what terrors and Majesty thou shalt appeare in judgement a fire shall go out from thy presence and a tempest shall be stirred up round about thee such a tempest as shall rend the rocks levell the mountaines shake the earth disorder and dissolve the whole fabrick of the heavens and where then shall I vile sinner appear when the heavens are not pure in thy sight Lord I tremble when I remember that sad truth If the righteous scarcely be saved where then shall the wicked and the ungodly appeare I know O Lord that all my secret impurities shall be laid open before all the Nations of the world before all the orders and degrees of Angels in the presence of innumerable millions of beatified spirits There shall I see many that have taught me innocence and sanctity many that have given me pious example many that have dyed for thee and suffered tortures rather then they would offend thee O just and dear God where shall I appeare who shall plead for me that am so loaden with impurities with vanity with ingratitude with malice and the terrors of an affrighting conscience Lord what shall I do who am straitned by my own covetousnesse accused by my own pride consumed with envy set on fire by lust made dull with gluttony and stupid by drunkennesse supplanted by ambition rent asunder with faction and discord made dissolute with lightnesse and inconstancy deceived with hypocrisie abused with flattery foold with presumption disturb'd with anger and disordered by a whole body of sinne and death But thou shalt answer for me O Lord my God thou art my judge and my advocate and thou art to passe sentence upon me for those sinnes for which thou diedst O reserve not my sinnes to be punished in the life to come for then I dye eternally but bring me in this world to a holy a sharp and Salutary repentance Behold I am in thine hands grant I may so weep and be contrite for my sinnes that in the houre of my death I may finde mercy and in the day of judgement I may be freed from all the terrors of thy wrath and the sentence of the wicked and may behold thy face with joy and security being set at thy right hand with all thy saints and Angels to sing an eternall Alleluiah to the honour of thy mercies Amen sweet Iesu. Amen III. MOST Mercifull and indulgent Iesu hear the complaint of a sad and miserable sinner for I have searched into the secret recesses of my soul and there I finde nothing but horror and a barren wildernesse a neglected conscience overgrown with sinnes and cares and beset with fears and sore amazements I finde that I have not observed due reverence towards my superiors nor modesty in my discourse nor discipline in my manners I have been obstinate in my vain purposes cosen'd in my own semblances of humility pertinacious in hatred bitter in my jesting impatient of Subjection ambitious of power slow to good actions apt to talke ready
to supplant my neighbours full of jealousies and suspition scornfull and censorious burdensome to my friends ingratefull to my benefactors imperious to my inferious boasting to have said what I said not to have seen what I saw not to have done what I did not and have both said and seen and done what I ought not provoking thy divine Majesty with a continuall course of sinne and vanity And yet O Lord thou hast spared me all this while and hast not taken away my life in the midst of my sinnes which is a mercy so admirable and of so vast a kindnesse as no heart or tongue can think or speak If thou hadst dealt with me according as I had deserved and might justly have expected I had been now now at this instant seal'd up to an eternity of torments hopelessely miserable fearing the revelation of thy day with an insupportable amazement and now under the sweet influences of thy mercies J am praying to thee confessing my sinnes with shame indeed at my basenesse and ingratitude but with a full hope and confidence in thy mercy O turne the eyes of thy divine clemency with a gracious aspect upon a wretched sinner open the bowels of thy mercy and receive me into favour O my dear God let thy grace speedily worke that in me for which thou so long hast spared me and to which thou didst designe me in thy holy purposes and mercies of eternity even a true faith and a holy life conformable to thy will and in order to eternall blessednesse I remember O Lord the many fatherly expressions and examples of thy mercies to repenting sinners thy delight in our conversion thy unwillingnesse to destroy us thy earnest invitation of us to grace and life thy displeasure at our dangers and miseries the infinite variety of meanes thou usest to bring us from the gates of death and to make us happy to eternity These mercies O Lord are so essentiall to thee that thou canst not but be infinitly pleased in demonstrations of them Remember not O Lord how we have despised thy mercies sleighted thy judgements neglected thy Commandments but now at length establish in us great contrition for our sinnes leade us on to humble confession and dereliction of them and let thy grace make us bring forth fruits meet for repentance fruits of justice of hope of charity of religion and devotion that we may be what thou delightest in holy and just and mercifull vessels prepared for honour temples of the holy Ghost and instruments of thy praises to all eternity O blessed Iesu who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen O Lord Jesu Christ Son of the eternall God interpose thy holy Death thy Crosse and Passion between thy judgement and my soule now and in the houre of my death granting unto me grace and mercy to all faithfull people pardon and peace to the Church unity and amity and to all sinners repentance and amendment to us all life and glory everlasting who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen A Forme of thankesgiving with a particular enumeration of Gods blessings MOst glorious Lord God infinite in mercy full of compassion long suffering and of great goodnesse I adore and praise and glorifie thy holy Name worshipping thee with the lowliest devotions of my soule and body and give thee thankes for all the benefits thou hast done unto me for whatsoever I am or have or know or desire as I ought it is all from thee thou art the Fountain of being and blessing of sanctity and pardon of life and glory Praise the Lord O my soule and all that is within me praise his holy Name Thou O God of thine infinite goodnesse hast created me of nothing and hast given me a degree of essence next to Angels imprinting thine Image on me enduing me with reasonable faculties of will and understanding to know and chuse good and to refuse evill and hast put me into a capacity of a blessed immortality O praise the Lord with me and let us magnifie his Name together Thou O God of thy great mercy hast given me a comely body a good understanding streight limbes a ready and unloosed tongue whereas with justice thou mightest have made me crooked and deformed sottish and slow of apprehension imperfect and impedite in all my faculties O give thankes unto the God of Heaven for his mercy endureth for ever Thou O God of thy glorious mercies hast caused me to be borne of Christian parents and didst not suffer me to be strangled in the wombe but gavest me opportunity of holy Baptisme and hast ever since blessed me with education in Christian Religion Thy way O God is holy who is so great a God as our God Thou O God out of thine abundant kindnesse hast made admirable variety of creatures to minister to my use to serve my necessity to preserve and restore my health to be an ornament to my body to be representations of thy power and of thy mercy Vnto thee O God will I pay my vowes unto thee will I give thankes Thou O God of thine admirable and glorious mercy hast made thine Angels ministring spirits for my protection and defence against all the hostilities of the Devill thou hast set a hedge about me and such a guard as all the power of hell and earth cannot overcome thou hast preserved me by thy holy providence and the ministery of Angels from drowning from burning from precipice from deformities from fracture of bones and all the snares of evill and the great violations of health which many of my betters suffer I will give thankes unto thee O Lord with my whole heart even before the gods will I sing praise unto thee Thou O most mercifull God hast fed me and clothed me hast raised me up friends and blessed them hast preserved me in dangers hast rescued me from the fury of the sword from the rage of pestilence from perishing in publike distemperatures and diseases epidemicall from terrours and affrightments of the night from illusions of the Devill and sad apparitions thou hast been my guide in my journies my refreshment in sadnesses my hope and my confidence in all my griefes and desolations O give thankes unto the Lord of lords for his mercy endureth for ever But above all mercies it was not lesse than infinite whereby thou lovedst me and all mankinde when we were lost and dead and rebells against thy Divine Majesty thou gavest thine owne begotten Son to seek us when we went astray to restore us to life when we were dead in trespasses and sinnes and to reconcile us to thy selfe by the mercies and the atonement of an everlasting covenant He is our God even the God of whom commeth salvation God is the Lord by whom we escape death O most blessed Iesu I praise adore thine infinite mercies humility and condescension that for my sake thou wouldest descend from the bosome of thy heavenly Father into the
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
spirit and a tender conscience to the obstinate conversion to the Iewes Turkes and remedy to all that are in any trouble or adversity And grant to us O Lord that this blessed Sacrament and sacrifice of commemorâ—tion in vertue of that dreadfull and proper Sacrifice upon the Crosse may obtain for me and for us all who have communicated this day pardon and peace and that we may derive from thee by this ministery grace to expell all our sinnes to mortifie all our lusts to exterminate all concupiscence to crucifie all inordination and irregularity to produce in us humility and chastity and obedience and meeknesse of spirit and charity and may become our Defence and Armour against the violences and invasions of all our ghostly enemies and temporall disadvantages and give us this grace and favour that we may not die in the guilt and commission of a sin without repentance nor without receiving the blessed Sacrament but that we may so live and die that we may at last rest in thy bosome and be imbraced with the comprehensions of thy eternall charity who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen All blessing and praise and honour be unto thee O blessed Redeemer to thee we the banished and miserable sonnes of Adam do call for mercy and defence to thee we sigh and cry in this valley of teares O dearest Advocate turne those thy mercifull eyes towards us shew us thy glorious face in thy Kingdome where no teares or sighing or feares or sadnesses can approach Amen sweetest Iesu Amen Prayers preparatory to death I. A Prayer for a blessed ending to be said in time of health or sicknesse O Blessed Iesu Fountaine of eternall mercy the Life of the soule and glorious Conquerour over Death and sin I humbly beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this transitory life in vertuous and holy exercises that when the day of my death shall come in the midst of all my paines I may feel the sweet refreshings of thy holy spirit comforting my soul sustaining my infirmities and releeving all my spirituall necessities and grant that in the Vnity of the holy Catholique Church and in the integrity of Christian faith with confidence and hope of thy mercy in great love towards thee in peace with my Neighbours and in charity with all the world I may through thy grace depart hence out of this vale of misery and go unto that glorious country where thou hast purchased an inheritance for us with the price of thy most precious bloud and raignest in it gloriously in the Vnity of thy Father and ours of thy holy Spirit and our Ghostly Comforter ever one God world without end Amen II. A Prayer to be said at the beginning of a sicknesse O Lord my God who chastisest every one whom thou receivest and with thy Fatherly correction smitest all those whom thou consignest to the inheritance of sonnes write my soul in the book of life and number me amongst thy Children whom thou hast smitten with the rod of sicknesse and by thy chastisements hast brought me into the Lot of the righteous Thou O Blessed Iesu art a helper in the needfull time of trouble lay no more upon me then thou shalt enable me to beare and let thy gentle correction in this life prevent the insupportable stripes of thy vengeance in the life to come Smite me now that thou mayest spare me to all eternity and yet O blessed High Priest who art touched with a sense of our infirmities smite me friendly and reproove me with such a tendernesse as thou bearest unto thy Children to whom thou conveyest suppletory comforts greater then the paines of chastisement and in due time restore me to health and to thy solemne assemblies again and to the joy of thy Countenance Give me patience and humility and the grace of repentance and an absolute dereliction of my selfe and a resignation to thy pleasures and providence with a power to do thy will in all things and then do what thou pleasest to me only in health or sicknesse in life or death let me feel thy comforts refreshing my soul and let thy grace pardon all my sinnes Grant this O Blessed Iesu for my trust is in thee onely thou art my God and my mercifull Saviour and Redeemer Amen III. A Prayer to be said in the progresse of a sicknesse O Lord my God Blessed Iesu who by thy bitter death and passion hast sweetned the cup of death to us taking away it's bitternesse and sting and making it an entrance to life and glory have pitty upon me thy servant who have so deep a share in sinne that I cannot shake off the terrors of death but that my nature with it 's hereditary corruption still would preserve it selfe in a disunion from the joyes of thy Kingdom Lord I acknowledge my own infirmities and begge thy pitty It is better for me to be with thee but the remembrance of my sinnes doth so depresse my growing confidence that I am in a great streight between my feares and hopes betwen the infirmities of my Nature and the better desires of conforming to thy holy will and pleasure O my Deare Redeemer wean my soul and all my desires from the flatteries of this world pardon all my sinnes and consigne so great a favour by the comforts and attestation of thy divinest Spirit that my own feares being masterd my sinnes pardoned my desires rectified as the Hart thirsts after the springs of water so my soul may long after thee O God and to enter into thy Courts Heavenly Father if it may be for thy glory and my ghostly good to have the dayes of my pilgrimage prolonged I begge of thee health and life but if it be not pleasing to thee to have this cup passe from me thy will be done my Saviour hath drunk off all the bitternesse Behold O Lord I am in thine hands do with me as seemeth good in thine eyes though I walke through the vally of the shadow of death I will fear no evill for thou art with me thy rod and thy staffe comfort me I will lay me downe in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord only who shalt make me to dwell in everlasting safety and to partake of the joyes of thy Kingdom who livest and raignest eternall God world without end Amen IV. A Prayer for a sick Person in danger of death O Lord Iesus Christ our health and life our hope and our resurrection from the dead I resigne my self up to thy holy will and pleasure either to life that I may live longer to thy service and my amendment or to death to the perpetuall enjoyment of thy presence and of thy glories Into thy hands I commend my spirit for I know O Lord that nothing can perish which is committed to thy mercies J believe O Lord that I shall receive my body again at the resurrection of the just I relinquish all care of that only I