Whilst your Spiritual Father pronounces your Absolution produce either with heart or mouth some of these short Acts following 1. Of Sorrow O God be merciful to me a sinner 2. Of Humility Not unto me Lord but to thy Name be given all praise and glory 3. Of Love and Confidence My God and my All My comfort and my content my secure rest and sole refuge Remain with me sweet Jesus and it is sufficient 4. Of Spiritual joy and alacrity Take courage my poor dejected desolate Soul Jesus is our guide and we are going to Heaven what matters it whether we get or lose in this World have friends or foes sink or swim live or die upon earth If Jesus loves us and we Him it is enough Live the Cross and my crucified Redeemer Adieu world Farewel Self-love Heaven is my Home Jesus is my Hope and Happiness Also At the time of Absolution Imagine you feel Christs sacred Blood distilling into your Soul and that you hear those his sweet words directed unto your ears Go in peace thy Sins are forgiven thee now sin no more lest some worse thing befal thee O words full of sweetness and comfort After Confession REtire your self a while 1. To give God thanks 2. To say your Penance 3. To renew your good purposes and resolutions 4. To offer up your self and all your actions with whatsoever you are and have to be hereafter employed for your sweet Saviours honour love and service 5. To beg of him who died on the Cross with his Eyes full of Tears Body full of Wounds and Heart full of Mercy for the salvation of your Soul to supply all defects which may have occurred in this or any other your Confessions Then ejaculate sweetly some of these Sentences CLeanse me O Lord from my secret sins from my vitious customs inclinations and affections and permit me not to participate with others in their offences nor to be involved in their crimes by my consent and connivency Return my Soul into thy rest for thy Lord hath done well for thee What have I in heaven and what would I have on earth O my God! thou art the God of my heart my part my portion and my inheritance for ever I desire to be dissolved and to be with thee my Lord and Saviour But who will free me from the body of this death I would gladly be separated not only from Sin and the occasions thereof but even from this body of Sin which I can bear about me That so being absolved and dissolved my departing soul might unspottedly ascend to her eternal rest in the very Act of this vehement and amorous Contrition Yes my good and gracious Creator I would willingly be sequestred from my self and all creatures that I might be totally united to thy self my first beginning my final end my hope my happiness my All. It is good for me to stick fast to my Lord to place my confidence in God my Saviour Let others seek other contents I and my house will serve thee our Lord and Maker A Prayer after Confession O Merciful Redeemer of my Soul what praise love and thanks shall I return to thee for having made a Bath of thy Bloud a Garment of thy Grace to cleanse and cloath my defiled and naked Soul in the Sacrament of Penance Let my Body Soul and all that is within me bless thee eternally and let Heaven Earth and all that is within them say Amen Alleluja Receive I beseech thee O my dear Lord Jesu by the bowels of thy Mercy by the breasts of thy Mother and by the merits of all thy blessed Saints this my Confession Let it be pleasing to thy sacred Majesty and profitable to my own Soul Let thy infinite sweetness of love and bitterness of sorrow supply all its defects whether it be want of Contrition or of Integrity or of Humility or of Clarity or of Simplicity or of a true sense and feeling of my Sins heynousness or of a full Resolution of amendment or any other Circumstance Negligence or Error whatsoever Forget and forgive all the crimes ingratitudes impurities of my life past and in particular whatsoever through my own carelesness may have escap'd my memory whatsoever the common Enemy may accuse me of at the hour of my death and whatsoever thou my dread Judg maist in the rigour of thy Justice lay to my charge at the day of thy dreadful Judgement I repenr me heartily for all that I have done amiss I renounce all that is opposite to thy perfect love and liking I resolve to amend all and to avoid all sinful occasions I resign body soul all to do Penance make all possible Satisfaction And lastly for thine own sake sweet Jesu I beseech thee to pardon all relying upon thy goodness confiding in thy mercy rejoicing at what thou art to wit so loving and so worthy of all love so good in thy self so good to all others so good to me the least and worst of all others Let all creatures joyn with my soul to love honour serve and praise thee her glorious Creator her gracious Redeemer her liberal Sanctifier this day and for all eternity And now my Lord Jesu I here again lay down the whole burrhen of my Sins at thy sacred Feet and take up thy Cross in exchange Resolving by thy gracious assistance to pass on my lives pilgrimage in the perpetual practise of Penance Patience and Purity abandoning Body Soul Goods Limbs Life all to thy service Accept my offer O dear Lord Jesu and admit me henceforth for one of thy meanest Bond-slaves Let me live and dy in the performance of this my promised duty obedience and submission to thy holy Will and Precepts Let me never more offend thee but loath and abhor the very name and shadow of Sin more than Death or Hell it self Teach me O Lord how to persevere in thy love and to correspond to my vocation with a zealous fervor joyned with prudence and discretion That serving thee my Soveraign Lord and Master during my abode in this prison of Mortality with fidelity simplicity sincerity I may at the end of my lives course be received into immortality with security and that as I here justly sing forth thy Mercies for having used such sweet and efficacious means to bring my sinking Bark into the safe Haven so I may there joyfully intone eternal Canticles of thy Divine praises in thy Kingdom of glory Amen ¶ 6. An easie and necessary method of Examining the Conscience for the making of a General Confession General Advertisements concerning General Confessions 1. THe motive which obliges all Christians who are desirous to perform their Duty and settle their souls in the state of Grace to make a General Confession is only this When upon just and rational Grounds and not out of an erroneous or scrupulous Understanding they doubt of the Validity of any of their former Confessions by reason-of some essential Defect which accompanied them The
impossible for poor Man who is tossed too and fro like Autumn leaves with the Winds of Inconstancy to persever long in his Virtuous enterprises Pious purposes and holy Resolutions 16. And to descend now to the particulars of this Evening Exercise The First thing you are to do O devout Christian having recollected your self in some place of retirement Is to render humble and hearty Thanks to the Divine Majesty for all Favours Blessings and Benefits bestow'd on you generally in your whol life-time and particularly that present Day Benefits which his boundless Goodness dayly Renews by still continuing them And how particularly his Paternal Affection Compassion and Providence have appeared in your behalf even in the divers Occasions and Dangers of this now past Day your Eyes if they will only open cannot but admiringly behold Now since he looks for no other return for his Bounty than a bare Gratitude which will cost thee Nothing Wilt thou refuse O Creature to thy Creator Wilt thou deny O Christian to thy Redeemer one dayly Act of thy Memory one dayly Resentment of thy Heart one dayly Acknowledgment of thy Tongue for his dayly continued Love and Liberality In the next place you are to begg Light to discern and Ayd to correct such Crimes as you have that day committed For how can you Hope without the help of Heavenly Light to perceive the many faults excesses omissions which your Frailty your Rashness your Indiscretion your Proness to evil your Perverse customs have drawn upon your Thoughts your Desires your Discourses your Actions amongst so many Objects Occasions Assaults either expresly against his Divine Will and Precepts or at least contrary to his Love and Liking Thirdly proceed to the particular Discussion of your Conscience upon those four Points prescribed by St Bernard 1. How much have you advanced forwards or gon backwards in the way of Virtue and Perfection 2. What you are in your Manners what in your Affections 3. How like you are to your Saviour how unlike 4. How nearly you are united to him or how far distant you are from him Then reflect briefly upon the Companies Discourses Objects Affairs of the past Day Considering what Passions what Imperfections what Omissions what Commissions what expence of time c. And here the more Spiritual persons may fitly make use of St. Leo's method Let every Christian says he sift and sound his Conscience in this Manner 1. Whether the Peace profferr'd to all by our Saviour find's a Resting place in his Heart 2. Whether any Carnal Concupisence impugn's the pious purposes of his Soul 3. Whether he hates mean and humble things and fancies sublime and high matters 4. Whether the inordinate desire of Gain or a Greediness of encreasing his temporal means commodities honours worldly glory and esteem transports him 5. Finally whether hiâ— Neighbours Prosperity provokes him to Envy or his Enemies Calamity excites him to Joy and gladness If in your Examination you have taken notice of any Mortal Crime Be sure to confound your self presently in your Creators presence by an humble acknowledgment of your strange Malice Ingratitude Frailty Look upon the dismal inexplicable interminable torments of Hell which you have deserved even now at this very instant Then praise and magnify the Divine Mercy which permitted not the Earth to swallow you as Dathan and Abiron or the Waves to ingulph you as Pharao with his Egyptian Army or Fire to consume you as Sodom and Gomorra or his Sword to cut you off as the rebellious crew in the Wilderness or his Breath to blast you with sodain Death as Ananias and Saphira or some other Instrument of his severe Justice to revenge his Injury raze you from off the earths Surface and cast you headlong into the place which is only proper and therefore prepared to receive such ungrateful and perverse Wretches as divers Others who have been Death-struck in the very height of their sinful fact and hurried away to Hell before they had perfected their begun impiety And why is this favourable delay of the Divine Justice afforded you O undeserving Wretch but to give you time to call upon his Mercy Call therefore Poor and miserable Criminal Call instantly upon the Divine Clemency Petition him presently for a Pardon Purpose seriously to Correct speedily to Confess willingly to Satisfy for your Transgression And suffer not O Christian suffer not any Mortal Sin which is not absolutly Renounc'd Revok'd Abjur'd by a Retractation of your Will to harbour in your Heart to nestle in your Soul and to sleep one whol Night with you in your Bosom For since you dread to admit a Serpent for your Bedfellow how dare you sleep securely having this horrid Serpent not with you but within you not in your Bed but in your Breast to destroy your Soul by an eternal Death and Damnation if your sleeping Body should be surpriz'd by a temporal Death and Dissolution And have not many Sinners been so serv'd Ah! my Friend That which happens to One may happen to any One and may justly be dreaded by every One. In matters of such moment where the loss if it happens is irreparable Precaution is necessary to prevent the Danger But this Act of Contrition must not have the Fear of your own eternal Punishment and the Dread of Hell-fire for its only Object This is too mean a Motive for your Sorrow and unsufficient for your Salvation You are to take the rise of your Grief from a more glorious Origin the Consideration of the heavenly Felicity whereof this Sin of yours hath eternally depriv'd you unless your true and timely Repentance re-instates you The Kingdom of Heaven suffers Violence Your Sorrow O Sinner must force your passage thither and your Sighs and Tears must make a Breach for your entrance Neither must you yet stay here but soare higher than Heaven it self elevating your afflicted Spirit even to the Throne of the Divine Majesty offended Yes O penitent Soul The Divine Goodness offended is the only pure Motive and ought to be the prime Object of your Sorrow and Contrition O my Father said the Repentant Prodigal I have sinned against Heaven and in your presence He says not I am worthy of your Punishment unworthy of your Inheritance but I have offended you and injur'd your Goodness The consideration of having offended his loving Father more lively pierces his Soul than the fear of Punishment or the loss of his Portion To be sorry for our Sins by reason of the incurr'd Punishment is a Slaves property by reason of the lost reward is the part of a Mercenary by reason of Gods Goodness is a loving Child's Duty The Slave shunns Blows the Mercenary seeks for Gain the Child shews his Duty The first is an act of Constraint the next of Covetousness the last of Love The Punishment is indeed to be dreaded and the Reward is to be desired but Gods Love is chiefly to be regarded His Love should be mans only
dive into my own baseness weakness misery nothing that knowing what I truly am I may really loath hate distrust despise and deny my self and all my own proceedings sincerely love thee only trust and hope in thee and rely wholly upon thy divine Providence and Protection I am not only content O my Lord God! but even willing and desirous that all thy creatures should take me and treat me according to my true condition and unworthiness And I am resolved by thy grace to humble my self not only under thy mighty hand but also under all their feet as their servant and slave to be troden on abhorred avoided and detested by them all as a sink of sin and filthiness I will be desirous to be esteemed and used as Dross among Metals Chaff among Grain a Wolf among Sheep and as Satan amongst the Children of God I acknowledg my self unworthy of all grace and comfort from God or man and worthy of all pain punishment crosses contradiction confusion desolation death damnation I will be henceforth ashamed to complain of any aggrievances and be content to suffer whatsoever the World the Devil and Hell it self can inflict upon me 2. A rational consideration of what we are were and shall be ANd to strengthen this my resolution I will rationally consider before thee O my Lord what I really am what I was and what will become of me both touching my body my soul and my whole being Ay me I have a body all clay a soul all sin a life all frailty a substance all nothing And this is all I have to vaunt of in thy presence O my Lord and my Maker My material part is but slime of the earth the very worst part of the unworthiest Element Ah poor man and canst thou look so big who cam'st from so base an extraction Be asham'd to lift up thy head vile mud and dirt since thy pedigree is so well known and the ingredients of thy being are so mean and contemptible And when I consider what this my body was in the womb how it was conceiv'd in concupiscence nourish'd with filthiness and brought up in darkness I am asham'd to own my own beginning which is so horrid and loathsome and who then can justly boast of state strength beauty or nobility since the groundwork of all is but a little dung and corruption Ah poor worm what a dismal prison wert thou detained in for nine months space of thy time What nasty and poysonous food was thy diet how wretched was thy birth how weak and woful thy infancy and what art thou in thy best and most flourishing condition in the world but a clog and cage to thy inthrall'd soul a painted sack or pargetted sepulcher full of filth froth and ordure O my Lord give me grace to frame an impartial judgment of what I am and then how soon shall I check all risings of pride and presumption 3. We deplore our own misery and implore Gods mercy I Came into this world O my Lord with groans and tears I live in it with griefs cares I shall go out of it with pangs and fears and lastly I must become a horrour to the eyes of my dearest friends a prey of vermin and a companion of rottenness Ah! how canst thou be proud of thy perfections poor clay ashes why should'st thou look to be so highly priz'd and so daintily pamper'd thou stinking puddle Dust thou art and to dust thou must return Hast thou not always before thine eyes these ashes for thy glass and death for thy mistress why then dost thou suffer so many sparkles of vanity to arise from this thy caitiff condition And thou my poor soul the spiritual part of my composition O what shall I say of thee to thy great Lord and Maker What thou hast hitherto been I well know wretched wicked sinful What thou now art I know not being uncertain of Gods grace love What thou shalt be hereafter I am altogether ignorant because doubtful of thy correspondency with grace and fearful of thy perseverance in goodness Ah sad condition I came O my Lord into this world in original sin I am bred up in actual sin and if death and deadly sin meet together I shall feel the smart of them both eternally O how much need have I then of thy grace O merciful Lord God! to avoid Sin since I cannot eschew Death O let me rather admit a deadly wound than commit a deadly Sin 4. A deep Consideration of our own Nothing WHat art thou then O my whole man consisting of body and soul What wert thou O. N. from all eternity before thy conception in the womb and birth into the world Nothing Ah poor no thing what is less than nothing where dwels this nothing who can describe a nothing which more differs from the least atome in the Sun than Gods infinit greatness from the least of his creatures O proud nothing What hast thou that thou hast not receiv'd Nothing Why then art thou puffed up with it as if thou hadst not received it I acknowledg my whole being to be from thy only bounty O my great good and glorious Maker and since I possess nothing but what I have from thee since I shall also necessarily fade away into my first nothing if thou withdrawest from me thy conserving hand but a moment I will no longer glory in that which is none of mine but I will here lay the foundation of my spiritual edifice upon this sure and solid ground of thy All and my own nothing I will endeavour to frame a true conceit of my own misery frailty insufficiency and nothing that so I may fully speedily and solidly come to this desired self-knowledg and humility I will run over my lesson repeat my questions learn my answers and strive to grow skilful in this necessary and sacred science What have I received that I have not abused Nothing Body Soul Will Judgment Memory Understanding Affection Senses Meat Drink Company Habit books Prayer Sacraments all Creatures Can I then be proud of Sin Filthiness rottenness labour grief infirmity blindness obstinacy corruption death and damnation which are worse than nothing Shall I boast of thy gifts O my God! which are not mine or of my own abuses and ingratitudes The one is to rob thee of thy honour the other is to be honoured for thy dishonour 5. A serious Reflection upon Gods gifts and graces and our strange Ingratitude WHat creature ever sinned so grievously as I have done and yet sorrowed so little and suffered less Who ever forsook so great and good a God for so little and vain a toy as I have done What sinful soul is there now in hell that would not have been a glorious Saint in Heaven if it had had the helps favours feelings and visits which I have both had and abused Who ever received so many mercies so sweet comforts and so great graces from thee O bountiful Lord God! and made so
sorry from the bottom of my heart and Soul that ever I offended thee who deservest from me all possible love honour and obedience beseeching thee as a guilty Criminal to take compassion upon thy poor and penitent Creature and to forgive me the great and grievous transgressions and offences which I have committed against thy divin bounty as I do for the love of thee my Lord and Maker most freely forgive all those that have any way offended distasted contristated or scandalized me sincerely knowing that I deserve no comfort from any creature but all contempt and confusion and not only to be troubled and trampled on by all on earth temporally but even to be tormented by the Devils in Hell eternally Ah Crucified Jesu take pity on my Soul for which thou pouredst forth thy Sacred Blood and gavest up thy dearest life on the Cross Alas How ungrateful a Child have I been to offend so frequently so hainously so disloyally so loving and liberal a Father so meek and merciful a Redeemer and so sweet and soveraign a Majesty who hath always shew'd himself to me so benign and bountiful sparing me in my Sins and expecting me to Repentance wooing me to his love and calling me to his service by a thousand means all which I have either rejected or neglected and still nevertheless continuing unto me my life time and means to do Penance Oh my poor Soul How hast thou been blinded and bewitched to leave the bread of Angels and to feed on the husks of Swine to abandon God and all solid goodness upon whom depends all thy hope and happiness all thy quiet content and comfort in time and eternity for trifling vanities empty shadows meer nothings O strange folly and phrensy would I had never Sinned and Oh that I might never Sin more O my God! What have I done and not done would I had suffered on the Cross with thee my sweet Saviour and for thy love pains of body pangs of soul and even death it self when I thus grievously Sinned And what can I say or do more I abhor and detest whatsoever I have done said thought or desired contrary to thy divine will and liking I renounce all company and occasions which may induce me to offend thee I cast my self at thy sacred feet to be thy faithful Bond-slave for ever I firmly resolve to take up my Cross and carry it after thee Dear Jesu till death and to do penance and satisfaction for my past pride pleasure and impiety desiring no more in this world but to linger out my pilgrimage at the foot of the Cross like the Penitent Magdalen in perpetual solitude silence and submission Good Jesu for thy infinite mercies sake suffer not thy poor creature to be separated from thee eternally O amiable Eternity O Eternal amity of God! Shall I leave and lose thee for filthy pleasures frail creatures fond friendships fading honours No my dear Lord Be pleased rather to take my soul out of my body than thy love out of my soul Let me rather Die miserably than Sin mortally Let me pass on the rest of my pilgrimage in thy grace and fear that I may finish it in thy friendship and favour Grant me this I beseech thee O meek and merciful Saviour by the merits of thy bitter death and passion by the intercession of thy most blessed Mother by the suffrages of all thy holy Saints in heaven and happy Souls upon earth Upon all which relying as upon the Anchors of my hope I absolutely commit and resign my self to thy sacred disposition and providence for time and Eternitie fully trusting that thou wilt mercifully pardon all my Sins carefully assist me in all my Wants and Weaknesses and in the end happily bring me to thy Eternal Bliss and Beatitude by such means as thy divin Wisdom knows most expedient for me The Fifth Exercise Of subduing Sensuality to Reason 1. We deplore our proneness to Evil. MY Spirit is willing O most glorious and gracious Lord God! to serve thee love thee honour thee and follow thee but my flesh is weak frail and refractory I do not what I desire O my God! nor what thou demandest But I act that which I hate and what thou forbiddest I feel O my Lord a law of sensuality contradicting the law of my mind captivating my reason clouding my judgment and continually striving to cast me down headlong into sin and perdition Vnhappy man that I am Who will free me from this body of death Ah! my brutish body ah my burdensome flesh Thou art my dangerous and deadly enemy 'T is thy weight that depresseth my Soul thy earth that clogs and corrupts my air thy contagion and perversity which infects and debaseth my better part and heavenly portion thy sensuality which draws on endangers and almost destroys my reason 2. A detestation of our Sensuality AH Sensuality the source of all my misery how justly do I now hate thee and how willingly would I leave thee At my first acquaintance with thee thou defiledst me with Original Sin In my Infancy thou mad'st a beast of me And now in my riper years thou still pursuest me proclaimest open war with me blindest my Understanding with darkness ignorance and errours make my Will refractory to good and ready to all evil distractest my Memory with vain and vile fancies and perpetually tossest me to and fro between love and hatred joy and grief hope and fear and the rest of thy numerous and enormous irascible and concupiscible powers and passions Ay me how sad is my state how deplorable my condition Oh! how long Lord must I dwell with these devils how long must I endure the violence of these Passions O my Lord my strength and my salvation break these fetters for me Command a calm O thou powerful Ruler of Sea and Winds and appease the surges of these my unmortified appetites Oh! restore me to my self again reduce Reason to her lost dominion in my Soul and bring back me thy poor Creature to thee her powerful Creator O let not this passenger perish amidst those boysterous billows nor suffer utter shipwrack in these fearful tempests I suffer violence O my Lord answer for me the companion which thou hast given me hath deceived me Sence hath corrupted and conquer'd my Judgment Oh! how am I dragg'd up and down by my all-mastering appetites commanded by my servants and fetter'd by my slaves O Tyranny O indignity Ah my soul O noble spirit fair as the Angels formed to thy Creators lovely resemblance stampt with his divine Character and Heir apparent to his glorious Kingdom To be thus subject to the base and brutal desires of flesh and blood O intolerable bondage O unworthy servitude 3. An humble acknowledgment and confession of our frailty and misery O Father of Mercies and only Physitian of my soul Thou art Almighty and All mercy and I am all weakness and all misery There is no part left in my whole body and soul
free from the infectious leprosie of Sin and Sensuality All is out of order O my Lord I acknowledg it to my own shame and confusion each sense is gone astray each member of my body is corrupted and each power of my Soul is perverted My Understanding is obscured with self-love my Memory distracted with sensual objects my Will possess'd with peevish inclinations My affections are vain my passions violent my dispositions vitious My body is burdensom my imagination troublesom my life irksom These are my Wounds O my heavenly Surgeon O put to thy helping hand I beseech thee see sear and search them before the Gangrene enters and the Grief grows incurable My soul is sick even to death if thou wilt O my Lord thou canst both cleanse and cure me To this end thou descendest from Jerusalem to Jerico O pious Samaritan from heaven to earth O compassionate Saviour where thou findest me in this pitiful plight sore beaten wounded half dead and utterly despoil'd of all natural and spiritual riches by Thieves and Robbers which are the Senses of my Body and the Faculties of my Soul O pass not by me sweet Jesu but mercifully bind up my bleeding Wounds with the swathing bands of thy Death and Passion pour upon them the wine of thy precious Blood and supple them with the oyl of thy heavenly Grace 4. A firm Resolution of a total Reformation of our lives and manners I Intend O my Lord strengthen me in this hour I intend O sweet Saviour a total reformation of my life and manners an entire mortification of my corporal senses and spiritual faculties an absolute change in my whole man O grant me I beseech thee my loving Lord the powerful assistance of thy special Grace for the performance of this great and good purpose Teach me now O blessed Master to live inwardly piously spiritually as I lov'd formerly to live outwardly vainly sensually O let me henceforth yield to thy divine motion obey thy call imitate thy example and follow thy will O let me never more act or omit any thing be it never so little for my own liking but purely and perfectly for thy love 5. A desire of perfect Conformity both in all our Actions and in all our Senses to our dear Saviour GRant O Good Jesu that at each word of my mouth at each glance of my eye at each morsel I eat at each member I move at each inward and outward action I undertake I may first ask thy leave and permission so do it or leave accordingly as thy holy inspiration allows me O that I could perform each natural and necessary work with an actual reflection upon thy praise and pleasure and with a pure intention to be united to thee My Lord and my Love Thy outward Senses O my sweet Saviour were exactly subject to thy Reason and perfectly obedient to thy sacred Soul O let mine be swallowed up I beseech thee gracious Jesu and sanctifi'd by the merits of thine Let me live love move and make use of my senses purely and only in thee for thee and by thee Thy sacred Hands O holy Jesu were harshly nail'd to the tree of the Cross preserve mine I beseech thee from all sinful touch ng Thy blessed Feet were likewise pierced and fastned to the same rood O fix my steps that I run not to evil actions direct them in thy paths and make me speedy in all works concerning thy honour and the assistance of my neighbour Thy holy Mouth was free from guile full of Wisdom put thy Words sweet Jesu into mine let it always speak of thy love und only sing thy praises Thy divin Ears were fill'd with blasphemies and derisions Let not mine be open to hear vanities and detractions Thy sweet Eyes poured out floods of tears for me O give unto mine tears of compassion for thy Sufferings and of compunction for my own Sins Thy Taste was tormented with the noysome potion of Gall and Vinegar O take from me I beseech thee all desire of delicacies let me not eat or drink but for meer sustenance and necessity Thy whole Humanity O gracious Jesu was martyr'd and murther'd O grant that I may be truly and totally mortifi'd Let me not see feel hear taste smell eat drink do any thing or make use of any thing as following my own gust sensuality and self-seeking but in pure conformity to thy divin Will and Pleasure 6. Petitions for the Conformity of our whole inward man to our Lord and Saviour O Merciful Redeemer how great and grievous were the inward sufferings of thy holy Soul O for those thy sorrows and thy tender mercies sake cleanse cure inlighten inform reform and transform all my inward man O permit not my Vnderstanding where the knowledg of your greatness and goodness should be only seated to be overspread with ignorance and errour Let not my Memory which should be totally taken up with thee be stuffed with vain fancies or impertinent curiosities Let not my Will which thou gavest me to desire and love thee O my only Lord and Love above all thy creatures be inslav'd to any inferiour affection Repair O gracious Redeemer this lively image of the lovely Trinity which is almost defac'd by my brutish Sensuality Grant O dear Saviour that my Vnderstanding Will and Memory may be incessantly busied in knowing loving and remembring thee that they may forget and forgo all other Objects but only in thee and for thee 7. An absolute Disengagement of our selves from created objects and Adhesion to the Divinity O That my heart were perfectly dis-ingaged from the love of all Creatures Drain it sweet Jesu and deliver it from all forreign and domestick Affection and fill it up again with thine only that it may never love desire nor will any thing but thee alone O my Lord my Love and my All O that my Will were conformable to thine without any reservation or retraction Take it unto thee Dear Lord freely and fully for time and eternity I will have no will but thine dispose of me as thou pleasest both here and hereafter O that my Memory were disincombred from all imaginations and purg'd from all impressions but of thee only Empty it O thou only amiable object of my soul and then replenish it with such holy and heavenly notions as may best please thy divin Majesty O that my Vnderstanding were imbued with some measure of the knowledg of thy Divinity O my Lord infinit in goodness dreadful in Majesty and unspeakable in all perfection O my great gracious and glorious God quicken it sharpen it elevate it and illuminate it that knowing thee I may not choose but love thee and that knowing and loving thee I may be eternally happy Behold Lord I make an absolute divorce with all self-love sensuality and affection to creatures and give thee my self by an irrevocable donation Behold Lord the keys the lodging the treasure and the Master prostrate at thy sacred feet
In hope of which happiness all Sufferings shall seem sweet to me as proceeding from your paternal hands and I here disavow all expressions of complaint which the violence of my Disease may hereafter draw from my Tongue but not from my Heart which is wholly resign'd to my dear Lord's will and pleasure Nor will I care to be informed how long I must lie languishing in this my Infirmity or whether Death shall in this battle be defeated or become victorious over my life No my Lord I absolutely leave the disposal of my Body Soul and all that concerns me to thy divin Will and Pleasure and desire nothing as to my life and death but that the short remainder of my life may be spent in loving thee serving thee and suffering for thee and that whensoever thou shalt send death to cut its thread my Soul may be found ready prepared for her happy eternitie In the mean space it matters not whether I am cherished or contristated I will endeavour to be indifferent to either since I deserve not the one and my Sins render me worthy of the other Thy innocent Son O Eternal Father who suffered not as I do for his own Sins was deserted by his Disciples and even by thy self also and shall I after this example expect from men any assistance tenderness and compassion I only beg of thee my bountiful and compassionate Creator some small communication of that Spirit wherewith thy patient Son my sweet Saviour suffered that so uniting all my pains to his Passion they may acquire the dignity which their own nature denies them to be acceptable to thy divin Majesty Whose sacred Name be praised by me and all creatures for evermore Demands to a Sick Person at the receiving of the Viaticum or Extream Vnction or at other fit times 1. DO you firmly heartily and humbly believe all the Articles of Faith and all the Holy Scripture according to the sense of Catholick Doctors and Definitions of the Church 2. Do you detest all Superstitions Schisms and Heresies condemn'd by the Church 3. Are you glad and desirous to die a Member of this true Catholick Apostolick Roman Church in the Faith taught by our Lord Jesus and participation of the holy Sacraments 4. Do you acknowledg that you have grievously offended God your Creator who hath been so bountiful unto you and are you sorry for all your sins ingratitudes negligences omissions commissions lost time and opportunities rejected Inspirations 5. Do you ask pardon of the divin Majesty and all your Neighbours whom you have any way offended disedified contristated wronged or scandalized 6. Doth your Sorrow for all these things proceed not so much for fear of death hell and punishment as for the offence displeasure and dishonour of God whom you should have loved above all things 7. Are you fully resolved by Gods grace and assistance if you out live this sickness to amend your Life and rather to leave lose and suffer any thing than to offend God And do you desire life only to this effect that you may better serve him 8. Do you wish you could love God with as great sincerity as the blessed Saints do in Heaven and as the most perfect Souls do upon Earth 9. Have you perform'd such Penance made such Restitution done such Satisfaction to God and Man as your Confessor hath enjoyned you or are you content and ready to do it 10. Do you recommend your self to the Prayers of the blessed Virgin Mary of your special Patrons and in particular of your good Angel Guardian 11. Do you distrust disavow and renounce all your own merits vertues and perfections and trust to be saved by the Mercies of God and Merits of your dear Redeemer 12. Do you render hearty thanks to the divin Majesty for all his favours blessings and especially for that of your Conversion and Vocation to his true Church and Faith And also for all the Crosses he hath permitted to befal you and even for this your present Sickness in which you now languish 13. Do you absolutely and entirely resign your self to his sacred Will and Disposition for all time and eternity and are you indifferent to Sickness or Health to Life or Death to Comforts or Crosses and to whatsoever shall be conformable to the Divin liking and pleasure 14. If the Devil tempts you in matter of Faith What will you answer him I believe in God and his Church Or In matter of Despair 'T is true I am a great Sinner and deserve Hell yet my Saviour is my hope my pledge and my surety and when God ceases to be good and Jesus to be my Saviour then will I cease to hope for Mercy and not before 15. But if your Ghostly enemy continues to afflict affright and terrifie you with the memory of your Sins Gods Judgments and Hells torments what will you do I will say Live Jesus my Lord and my Love and I will put his Death and Passion betwixt me and them all 16. If through the suggestion of Satan or any self-frailty or surprisal you should chance to fall and swerve from any of these good purposes and resolutions I now declare it to be of no force for evermore and I will by Gods grace return speedily to him again Other Questions proposed to a Penitent languishing and loving Soul by her Confessor to dispose her to a happy Death with her Answers unto the same by way of a Dialogue between God and her This is proper for more Spiritual Persons GOD. My Child the last hour of thy mortal life runs now in the Watch of my divin Providence This is the moment on which depends thy Eternity Answer me therefore heartily conscionably and confidently to these points which I shall here propose unto thee Soul O my God! be thou blessed for evermore and thy sacred Will be done in me and in all thy Creatures Speak Lord for thy servant hears attentively and will answer sincerely as in thy presence who penetratest into the secrets of my heart And I most humbly beseech thy Divin Majesty that I may supply by my inward Will and Desires what I am unable to express by my outward Words and Gestures I confess and acknowledg my imperfection ignorance and unworthiness to speak to thee My Lord and my Maker or to be by thee remembred or regarded but hoping in thy gracious assistance I will humby obey thy commands 1. Art thou willing to dy a Member of my Church at this Time in this Place and Company O my God! I desire even from my very heart to die a true Child of thy holy Church believing all that the said Church teaches and am ready rather to lose my life than leave my Faith As for all other circumstances of my death I am altogether indifferent how when and where I shall live or die so it be in thy sweet favour and friendship and according to thy sacred Will and Pleasure 2. Doth not thy Soul
of my Soul I most heartily confess and acknowledg that thou hast provided for me in so convenient a manner both in prosperity and adversity in health and sickness in body and soul as no other wisdom but thou only my sweet Lord and Maker the increated Goodness and wise Disposer of all things could have effected To thee therefore O my God and my All I commit my self and all to be disposed of now and ever as shall be most agreeable to thy own honour and glory and most conformable to thy eternal just and equal will and providence I hope O my Soveraign Lord God! that this moment of pains and sufferings will be soon changed into an Eternity of happiness and comfort I trust that my now languishing and dying body shall be one day raised to glory impassibility immortality I cheerfully expect to have this poor imprisoned soul of mine called up to see enjoy and contemplate thy amiable and beautifying countenance for evermore 4. Acts of Love O Eternal Father thou hast given thy Son to me and behold I give him again to thee together with my whol self and all that I have am and can my Love my Life my Liberty my Heart my Soul to please and honour thee for all future time and Eternity O my Lord I love thee heartily and during the short remainder of my life in this world I will serve thee faithfully not so much of obligation as of Election not so much for my own comfort and profit as for thy will and pleasure not for the delight I take in thy loving service but for the desire I have to please thee not as a servant bondslave or hireling but as a Freeman loves his Friend as a Child his Father as a Spouse her Bridegroom not only out of gratitude for received benefits but also and chiefly because thou art my God of infinit perfection in thy self and of infinit affection towards me O God of Love and Love of my Soul what do I desire in Heaven or expect from Heaven and what do I long for upon Earth but thee the only object of my affections the only aim of my pretensions the only desire of my heart the only delight of my spirit Come O my blessed Lord and Lover and take full possession of my Heart and Soul transform me into thy love and conform me to thy Will Let thy Will be the only desire of my heart and let thy Love be the only life of my Soul and lease of my life that when I leave to love I may cease to live c. 5. Acts of Resignation Take examples from CHRIST in his Agony O My All powerful Father If I must needs drink of this bitter chalice endure this long and tedious Sickness suffer these sharp and severe torments thy holy Will be done From Job on his Dunghil 'T Is thou O Soveraign Lord who art the bountiful bestower of all blessings and thou maist justly withdraw revoke and retake them at thy own will and pleasure be thou blessed and praised for evermore From S. Paul prostrate on the ground LOrd What wilt thou have me to do what is thy holy pleasure behold thy Servant ready to accomplish it Aspire frequently to God and Resign up all willingly to him in this or the like sort WEre I master of all Bodies and Souls I would presently give up to thee Great Lord of Heaven and Earth all my right and title and were it in my power I would make of each body an instrument to please and praise thee and of all souls as many Paradises to lodge and love thee Come what will O my Creator I will place my hopes in thy infinit mercy and in thy Sons abundant Redemption And my perpetual Song shall be O Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Blessed be my God for all and in all Live Jesus by whose death I live and for whose love I am willing to die c. O when shall I take as much pleasure in suffering as I have done in sinning O that I could entirely resign my whol self Body and Soul in Life or Death for time and eternity to be disposed of according to thy divin Will and Pleasure O that I could in every moment of time pronounce with heart and tongue Live Jesus only whose Will be accomplished whose name be sanctified whose praise be published in all by all above all c. 6. An Act of Purity of Intention O Eternal Lord God! Thou hast created me to serve thee only redeemed me to love thee only and now inspir'd me with a will and desire to please thee only during all the remaining days of my life And behold my hearty and humble desire is to serve thee love thee and please thee purely perfectly perseverantly Reform therefore I beseech thee my sinful life conform my stubborn will Deiform my sinister intention change and transform my spirit into thine that all my thoughts words actions pretensions and these my present pains sufferings and sickness may be presented to thy sacred Majesty with such purity perfection and perseverance as thy Love deserves from me and mine desires for thee 7. An Heroick Act of highest efficacy containing a Contract between the Soul and her Creator Which being made devoutly at the beginning of any dangerous Sickness and frequently iterated during the intervals therof must needs afford exceeding great comfort in Deaths last hour and Agony O My God my Lord my Creator from whom by whom and in whom I and all things live move and have a being I rejoice at what thou art as if it were all mine and I offer what I and all creatures have and are as being all thine Behold O Heavenly Father I thy poor Child and unworthy Creature do here with all possible sincerity submission and devotion make this present Contract with thy Sacred Majesty to be thy faithful servant and bondslave for evermore intending hereby that each remaining moment of my life and all that is within me without me about me may henceforth incessantly bless and praise thy holy Name and accomplish thy most just and holy Will in all things whatsoever And for this end I do now enrol this Oblation Donation and Resignation of my whol self to thy divin Majesty in the very Center of my Heart Soul with such Intention Force and Efficacy as thou O my all-knowing Lord God! canst comprehend to be the very best which I thy poor creature am capable to perform without any reservation restriction or contradiction whatsoever I desire also O my Creator to make this Contract with thy sacred Majesty in the best manner with most proper words in the fittest terms and with such significant clauses and conditions as it ought and may be performed In Confirmation whereof I produce as witnesses the sacred Virgin Queen Mary my Angel Guardian my particular Patrons and all the celestial Citizens humbly imploring the assistance of their Prayers for the performance of this my hearty
Oblation of my whol self purely and entirely to thy divin Majesty which I beseech thy infinit goodness and mercy to receive from my Hands and Heart and to seal it in Heaven that it may be there warranted and confirmed for evermore And because the necessities frailties and infirmities which accompany this my Pilgrimage and which will probably most of all overwhelm me in deaths Agony permit me not according to my desire to be always employed in thy praises therefore I now prostrating my self before thy Throne of Majesty whom I reverently Adore with the greatest Affection that thou O my Lord God! know'st may be given by any creature and to whom I Offer in supply of my own unworthiness all the ardent affections mental excesses supernatural jubilations and amorous unions of all devout Souls in Heaven and Earth as though I felt them all in my own heart humbly express this my present Covenant Contract and Agreement with thee my Soveraign Creator Father Son and Holy Ghost in this manner That as often as I shall either Interiourly or Exteriourly either in Heart silently or with my Tongue verbally think or say any of these things following I Adore I Thank I Offer I Resolve I am Sorry I Desire I Resign I Believe I Hope I Love O my Lord O my Jesu And so passing no further shall there end My intention is to make as perfect an Act of Adoration Thanksgiving Oblation Resolution Contrition Petition Resignation Faith Hope and Charity as is possible for any creature to make And I do now for then declare denounce and testifie that my will and desire is whensoever I shall think or pronounce any of the words aforesaid to make exercise and perform all the Acts contain'd in this Book in all the devout Books that ever were or shall be written and which the blessed Virgin Angels and Saints do and shall do in Heaven for all eternity Receive and ratifie most gracious Soveraign this my humble Act Contract and Covenant as to all and each one of its branches and members and whatsoever is therein explicitly and implicitly included receive it as a pledg of my hearty desire to serve praise and honour thy divin Majesty purely perfectly eternally Receive it once for all which I wish to present unto thee every moment and minute to produce as often as I breath and to iterate as frequently as any Act can possibly be repeated and multiplied And I invite and conjure all the celestial Spirits and faithful Souls to sacrifice unto thy sacred Majesty more perfect holocausts of praise and benediction for evermore In this manner a pious Soul may incessantly praise and please God and with little labour acquire much merit For having once sincerely made and daily weekly or monthly repeating this Act according as it is here largly described it may hourly be practised with great ease and comfort by the meer direction of the mind and simple reflection of the spirit towards God upon all occasions and in whatsoever company and employment OF all other Devotions the use of a Crucifix is chiefly to be recommended to a Sick Person Kissing it Embracing it speaking somtimes to the Crucifix somtimes to his own Soul Nothing is more easie nothing more pious nothing more profitable For in the contemplation of that Sacred object you may with great facility adore praise bless thank invoke the divin Majesty and admire his infinite mercy love and liberality in this or the like manner as his Holy Spirit shall suggest unto you O holy Cross O deep Wounds O sacred Blood O cruel Sorrow Dear Lord at how dear a rate hast thou bought me O sweet Jesu be unto me a Jesus Let not the Soul perish which cost thee so great a price Destroy not thy own workmanship Lose not thy own labour pains and passion O Jesu Thou art my Friend and my Physician my Lord and my Love my Portion and my Possession my Peace and my Patience my Light in Darkness my Health in Sickness my Comfort in Sadness my Plenty in Want my Life in Death my Heaven in Purgatory my God and my All for Time and Eternity A larger Exercise in Contemplation of the Crucifix Fixing your Eyes upon the Crucifix or taking it reverently into your hands and humbly embracing it with an ardent desire to honour imitate and conform your self as far forth as God shall enable you to the last thoughts words and affections of your dying Saviour Read or cause to be read this following Exercise leisurely distinctly and devoutly ruminating upon each point and relishing every aspiration and affection The first Consideration ALl Christs Actions are our Instructions and as his Life is the prime exemplar of holy living so his Death is the perfect pattern of happy dying which he exhorts all Christians to imitate saying Take up your Cross and follow me O My Soul how ill have we imitated our sweet Saviour in our life manners and conversation Let 's at least strive to imitate him in his death by taking patiently this present Cross which he layes upon our shoulders and following him cheerfully to Mount Calvary O Jesu my Redeemer and the worlds Saviour how happy are they who are enabled by thy Grace to imitate thy Virtues who desire to live only for thee and are ready to die with thee who live in thy friendship and die in thy favour O glorious Son of God! Thou wert Incarnated and Crucifi'd for my ungrateful Soul O that I might be martâ—r'd and crucifi'd for thy sake to the end I might be conform-able to thee in dying though I have been so unlike to thee in living O my dear Saviour though my Soul is not forc'd out of my body by such a violent death as thine yet imprint in it I beseech thee such sweet thoughts and affections as thou felt'st when thou diedst for my sake The Second Consideration JESUS dy'd willingly patiently resignedly O My God! Give me health or sickness give me life or death give me whatsoever thou pleasest not my will but thine be done O Jesu By vertue of thy perfect Resignation to the divin Will strengthen mine in Deaths Agony Behold I bind my self to that blessed conformity of thine to thy heavenly Father and in union thereof I most willingly embrace the design thou hast over me be it for life or for death O my Saviour Thou being Gods innocent Son diedst in the flower of thine age and shall I desire long life who am a sinner a rebel a criminal I yield Lord I yield and submit to Deaths summons Farewel Earth farewel world farewel this Vale of tears and miseries Heaven is my happier home Paradise is much more pleasant and agreeable and Death is my way to it The Third Consideration JESUS pray'd for strength succour and courage in his Deaths Agony O My Eternal Lord and Lover Behold thy poor child encompass'd with miseries and calamities on every side knowing not what to choose or desire but only
though we deserve it not who hast given us a Being when we were not 12. A Prayer for the Conversion of Hereticks and Infidels ALmighty and all merciful God! who seekest and desirest the salvation of all Souls Take pity we beseech thee upon such as are seduced with pestiferous Errors and segregated from the unity of thy sacred Church Pardon them O Lord for they perceive not what they do Illuminate the Eyes of their understanding O true Light of all Spirits that they may see their own Blindness and seeing it may speedily abandon it And that so becomming sincerely reconciled to thee the Supreme Shepherd and to thy Church the only safe Sheepfold they may joyfully praise and magnify thy Mercies together with us thy faithful Children for evermore 13. A Prayer for a sick person O Soveraign Lord God the Author of our Health and our Comforter in Sickness in the Watch of whose Divine Providence run all the Moments of our lives earthly Pilgrimage Hear we beseech thee the humble Petitions which we present to thy throne of mercy for N. thy infirm but faithful Servant and mercifully restore him to his former welfare that he may henceforth walk more worthy his Calling and make greater progress in vertue and Piety But if it is thy pleasure O Supream Lord of Life and Death to call him hence to Eternity let thy most just Will O Heavenly Father be accomplished in this and in all things whatsoever only let Death find him well prepared and rightly disposed Let him humbly kiss thy Paternal Rod which chastiseth him and patiently submit to the Cross which thy loving Hand hath layd upon his Shoulders Let him behave himself during the remaining time of his Infirmity as befits a faithful and devout Christian free from Pusillanimity and Despair full of Hope and filial confidence And finally being strengthned with the Sacraments reconciled to his Enemies and setled in thy Grace and Favour let him cheerfully expect and joyfully embrace Deaths summons and quietly pass from this place of Banishment to his happy home in thy Heavenly Paradise 14. Prayers in Time of the Plague 1. The Anthem Remember thy Covenant O Merciful Creator and say to the smiting Angel Now hold thy Hand that the Earth may not become desolate and every living Soul destroyed Ver. Lord let thy Anger cease from thy People Ans And from thy City Let us Pray HEar we most humbly beseech thee O Compassionate Lord God! the Prayers of thy distressed people and as we acknowledg our selves to be justly punished for our offences so be thou pleased in mercy to free us for the glory of thy own sacred Name 2. O God! who well know'st that our human frailty cannot subsist amidst so many and so great Dangers without the support of thy Divine favour and assistance Give us we most humbly beseech thee Health of mind and body and grant that we may overcome by thy help and mercy what we deservedly suffer for our own Sins and Impieties 3. Lord lend a gracious Eare to the petitions of thy poor Servants grant us the desired effect of our faithful Supplications and avert from us the fury of the raging Pestilence that we may humbly and gratefully acknowledg these Scourges to proceed from thy just Anger and Indignation and to cease through thy boundless Mercy and Goodness 4. A Prayer to the sacred Virgin-Mother call'd the Myraculous Prayer against the Plague THe Star of Heaven whose snowy Breast Did suckle our sweet Lord supprest The Plague of Death whose Origen Was from the very first of Men May that clear Star at present daign Those Constellations to restrain Whose Wars deprive men of their Breath By the destructive wounds of Death Repeat thrice these four ensuing Verses Bright Star o' th' Sea ' gainst Plague thy help afford Nothing 's deny'd thee by thy Son our Lord Who honours thee Blest-Maid Sweet Jesu save Them by thy power for whom she daigns to crave Let us Pray O God of Mercy God of Compassion God of Pardon who in time past taking pity upon thy afflicted people commandedst the striking Angel to with-hold his Hand from further punishing them We most humbly beseech thee for the love of that glorious Star whose sacred Breasts gave thee suck to preserve us from all Plaguy Infection to deliver us from an unprovided Death and to defend us from all destructive Accidents and Incursions 15. Prayers for a happy Death 1. O Dear Lord Jesu I most humbly beseech thee by those bitter Pains and Pangs which thou suffredst for me in thy bitter Passion and particularly in the hour wherein thy Divine Soul passed forth of thy blessed Body take pity upon my poor and sinful Soul in her last Agony and in her passage to Eternity 2. T is thou O Soveraign Goodness who art the prime Source and dayly Preserver of my Life and 't is from thee alone that I can expect the Grace of a happy Death Thou O Lord didst not make this Death which separates Soul and Body 't was Sin which brought it into the World had not man strayed from thy sacred Precept he had not been subject to this severe Punishment But yet thy Divine Son by enduring the Sting of Death hath chang'd its harsh Nature and through his means and merits it may now be made a Sacrifice most pleasing to thy Majesty For precious in thy sight is the just mans Death which is only a glorious passage from Time to Eternity This is the Death I here most humbly demand of thy Divine bounty as the Crown of all thy Mercies for thou O Lord lookest not so much upon the first beginnings of thy Children as upon their final End and Consummation and the Eternity of their Glory or Misery depend's upon the last moment of their Life Then it is that the Tempter tries all wayes to prevaile over the weakness of our spirit when 't is beaten down by the Bodies sickness either to swell it up into a dangerous Presumption or deject it into a more dangerous Despair Then it is that all the sinful passages of our life come swarming into our Memories to strike us with a sad resentment of what 't is too late to remedy Then it is that the poor Soul overwhelmed with a flood of sorrow cannot without thy strengthing Grace exercise the functions of her Reason and Religion Give me therefore O my gracious Lord God! in this passage which is so full of peril and of so great importance all those Christian dispositions which thy wonted Clemency give 's to thy elected and beloved Children that I may well perform this last duty of life Let me consider Death as the just punishment of Sin and so most willingly receive it to obey the Law which comprehend's all his race by whom it was introduced into the World Let me look upon my Body as a parcel of old Adam deserving to return into dust and only fit for corruption Let me render to thy Majesty
Custody of my self from future fallings an heroick Contempt of the world a compleat Conquest of my passions a zealous Imitation of thy exemplary life and conversation an entire Accomplishment of my Vows an absolute Mortification of my self-will a willing Readiness to dy for thy love and honour a final Perseverance in grace and good works a happy Departure of my Soul out of this World with my perfect Senses about me the holy Sacraments to strengthen me thy self O dear Jesu to comfort me thy sacred Virgin-Mother with the Saints my particular Patrons to pray for me and my good Angel to conduct me to Eternal rest Eternal Life Eternal happiness 17. A Prayer to our Good Angel O Holy and happy Spirit who by our Merciful Creators appointment hast been my faithful Keeper my friendly Comforter and my charitable Protector since the first instant of my Birth until this present Moment I humbly beseech thee to continue thy care and custody over me in all places in all company upon all occasions Preserve me O my Good Angel Defend me and deliver me both whilst I sleep and when I am awake from all Diabolical Incursions from all evil Temptations from all Dangers of Soul and Body and from a Sudain and Unprovided Death Be thou graciously pleased to represent my Wounds my Wants and my Wishes to our common Lord and Master and obtain for me thy poor Pupil Courage to overcome my Self and strength to get a compleat Victor over Sin Satan and Sensuality Especially if there lurks any secret Crime in my Conscience obtain for me Light to discern it a Will to detest it Time to confess it and Grace to amend it Abandon not my poor soul I beseech thee O blessed Spirit for the Love of sweet Jesus who hath not spared his dearest blood and Life to save it but remain constantly faithful favourable and friendly unto me all the moments of my life and take a special and particular care and charge of me in my Deaths last gasp and Agony Defend me then in that dreadful hour O powerful Guardian from the fury of my sworn enemy and convey my departing Soul into the bosome of my dearly beloved Lord and Maker there to praise him with thy self for evermore O my Good Guide I again and again iterate this my humble and earnest suit beseeching thee neither to forsake me during this transitory Life nor to forget me when all the world will leave me that through thy safe and secure Conduct I may so pass through the wearisom troubles of this earthly Pilgrimage as that I may find Eternal rest in the heavenly Paradise Amen The Conclusion of the whole Work Being an Epithalamium or nuptial Entertainment of the amorous Soul ravish'd in comtemptation of the reciporcal Affections Mercies and Benefits of her Bridegroom upon those words of the Canticles Dilectus meus mihi ego illi My beloved to me and I to him 1. O Lord of my love love of my life and life of my Soul How amiable art thou remaining in thy self within the boundless limits of thy own essential Perfections and how admirable art thou issuing forth of thy self to diffuse abroad thy goodness and communicate it to thy Creatures Witness this large and lovely Univers fram'd of norhing by thy Omnipotent Finger whose beauty and excellency more appears in Man alone than in all the rest of its united wonders and prodigies Man that miracle of the World and Master-peece of Nature in whose Creation thy love goodness and mercy can never be suffciently admired and magnified 2. And when this prime Creature had Alas soon after its first production lost its original Perfection by violating thy precept thou wert graciously pleas'd O great and glorious Soveraign out of the tenderness of thy Compassion towards man this poor Criminal to give him as it were a new birth a new being a new creation in a manner far different in a way much more admirable with an affection infinitly exceeding the former For thy self O prodigie of goodness becam'st man for his love and enchargedst thy own shoulders with all his sins pains and miseries to set him at his ease freedom and liberty Yes O my Lord and Lover thou becam'st man even like me in all things Sin only and ignorance excepted which were incompatible with thy goodness and wisdom and which thou camst to destroy and cancel thus ennobling my Nature by uniting it to thy Divinity sanctifying it with thy Justice enriching it with thy Grace instructing it with thy Doctrine strengthning it with thy Example rescuing it from servitude restoring it to its lost title of Gods Child and rendring it capable of Eternal Glory 3. O my God! how greatly do I feel my self obliged to love thee in consequence of this large liberal and signal favour T is a chain which so strictly tyes me to a reciprocal affection that it infinitly exceeds all the expressions of my ravish'd tongue heart For what had I poor wretch alas what had I O my glorious Creator and gracious Redeemer whereby to help my self and what have I yet whereby to prevail against my potent adversaries the World the Flesh and the Devil but only thy self and what thou hast freely given me who art my only strength support and succour 4. When therefore I look into the furnace of thy love O my Lord Jesu and behold thy personal descent from the Eternal Fathers bosom to cloath thy self upon earth with a parcel of our poor Humanity for the redemption and salvation of my Soul surely this only contemplation fills my extasi'd heart with unspeakable admiration and not only excites but inforces it to love thee most ardently and were it capable even infinitly and eternally 5. But if for one only effect of your amorous bounty I feel my self thus powerfully obliged to expand my Soul before thy sacred Majesty how much more should I do it in contemplation of all thy united gifts graces and benefits abundantly contain'd in thy blessed humanity whereby thou becamst our temporal Redemption and my eternal Salvation Should I not much more ardently pour forth my self before thee in respect of so many ravishing motives and yet much more and more in respect of thy Self O my sweet Lord and Lover than of all these amorous effects of thy Mercy who art now my All art to be my All in all for all Eternity in thy accomplish'd and consummated Beatitude when after the painful assaults languors of this life I shall remain in thee by thee for thee a happy and triumphant Conqueror over my self and all my enemies 6. Whence is it then O my Love and my Life that my Soul melts not away in the fires of thy sweet Affection How comes it to pass that my whole pleasure is not in loving thee intirely ardently indeficiently Why is not my uninterrupted thought song and saying My beloved to me and I to him since thou thus forcibly constriuest as it were and enchainest
till the whol work of Redemption was perfectly consummated make me I most humbly beseech thee constant in virtue couragious in thy Love faithful in my Calling and perseverant in thy Service that I may be finally crowned in thy heavenly Kingdom 7. The Conclusion of this Exercise humbly petitioning for perfect and Christian Fortitude BUt what is my strength O my gracious Lord God! that I should be able to resist fight conquer and persever Ah! my weakness how well art thou known to me and how much better to shee O my all knowing Creator Fortifie therefore my frailty O my only hope and helper against the vast multitudes of enemies which compass me round about striving to devour my poor soul and still plotting to deprive me of thy divine favour and friendship Let no labour tire me O my Lord my Virtue my Fortitude nor difficultie terrifie me nor danger daunt me nor any thing whatsoever draw me from one title of thy true love or make me degenerate in the least degree from my well settled-resolution of going on faithfully chearfully perseverantly in thy service Ah! Shall the lovers of honours pleasures riches and such like worldly trash and trifles be more valiant vigilant vigorous than I am who love thee O true treasury of all goodness O indeficient fountain of all felicitie Shall these greedie slaves rather than generous lovers take such pains and care to purchase a lye a smoak a vanitie and shall not I couragiously fight sweat bleed die to possess thee O my essential substantial eternal Happiness and Beatitude Yes Lord I will joyfully undergo all things for thy Love I will esteem it as a singular honour not only to suffer but to be sacrific'd for thy sake only assist me with thy grace and support me with thy strength which is the Armour of proof wherein I place my whol Confidence and the sure ground upon which I boldly give defiance to all my enemies the Buckler wherewith I doubt not but to defend my self in the day of battel and the impregnable Fort wherein I can only hope for safety against all assaults made from without by the Prince of this world and powers of darkness To this secure Sanctuary O my God! I will humbly continually and confidently make my retreat during this my warfare and pilgrimage in expectation of being admitted according to the time prefix'd by thy holy will and pleasure to thy blessed City of Peace where finding no more Battails to fight nor Sieges to sustain nor Enemies to conquer I will joyfully hang up the Trophe's of thine and my Victory and eternally sing forth the praises of thy glorious and triumphant Majesty The eighth Exercise Of Temperance the fourth Cardinal Virtue 1. The Essence of Temperance Temperance in general is a Moral Virtue retaining us within the the limits of Reason amidst the difficulties which arise from the delights of our five corporal Senses O My Lord the eternal and essential Purity who commanded me thy frail and feeble servant to live soberly piously justly purely temperatly in the world and to abstain from all things which defile my Soul wherein thy self desirest to take thy chast pleasure and delight Give me I beseech thee a true sense of thy spiritual and solid sweetness wean me and win me from all affections to sin strengthen me against the allurements of sensuality and wound me with thy only pure and perfect Love O let not the poor pleasures of flesh and bloud prevail any longer over my Reason Let not my Senses get the Empire over my Heart and dispossess thee of thy there desired habitation Ah my disorder'd Appetites my deceive'd Affections my deprav'd Desires Tell me is this Creature this Object this worldly Bubble which witholds you from your heavenly Creator better than he is worthier to be preferred more lovely in your sight more deserving in it self or more beneficial to you Speak my seduced Soul Dost thou expect ever to be quieted by enjoyning it at the hour of Death will it defend thee in the day of thy Judgment and Gods wrath will it plead for thee and protect thee Is it able to make thee here Holy and eternally Happy Alas nothing less Ah then What blindness what bruitishness what madness is it to leave God and love it to forsake God and adhere to it No my Lord thou art more to me than all I love thee above all and for thy sake I freely forsake all I know Lord that the Eye is never satisfied with seeing the Ear with hearing the Mind with possessing nor the Soul with loving any thing but thee her only amiable and satisfying Object I acknowledg the best of sensual pleasures to be poor mean short in durance nothing in substance Why then O my Senses do you still roam abroad Why beat you the air for vanities and seek after lyes Why O my Soul dost thou persevere to covet that which thou cofessest can never perfectly content thee Curb all these disorders O my God! with the bridle of discreet Temperance Teach me to use thy Creatures with Sobriety to be always at defiance with worldly Delights and to be totally taken up with the real solid pleasures which proceed only from thy ravishing Love and sweet presence in my Soul 2. The Rules of Temperance are these 1. The Law of God Ordinances of his Church and Orders of our Superiors 2. The Necessities of our lives according to our estates offices means conditions dispositions 3. Decency which is a love of that which well beseems us 4. Shamefacedness which is a certain fear and horror against all that is contrary to a just Moderation For nothing is more opposit to mans Dignity than to mistake himself in making use of corporal Delights O My Saviour the incomparable pattern of Temperance These Rules shall be henceforth the Laws of my life I will be ashamed to be any longer like the Horse and Mule which are devoid of understanding but will rationally make use of thy gifts in order to support my self for thy only service I will not covet what may serve for my pleasure but what may suffice for my necessity I will confidently expect from thy divine promise paternal providence who hast a tender care over all thy Creatures meat and cloathing convenient for my sustenance and competent to my condition and so rest fully content in thee and faithfully grateful to thee the free bestower of all blessings 3. The means to acquire Temperance are 1. Frequently to reflect upon and punctually to practise the before prescribed Rules 2. To keep our bodies and minds honestly employed 3. To fly from such objects actions persons occasions as provoke our senses to unlawful Pleasures 4. To think seriously upon Death and Eternity 5. To make Mortification our continual exercise O My Lord who by thy most powerful and prudent ordination hast disposed all things in perfect measure number and weight give Grace to thy poor servant so to watch over his
right And I must must now either give my self to thee or thou must take me unto thy self Not that I aspire to those excellent prerogatives of thy dearest servants No my Lord it sufficeth me to be in the out-rank of thy meanest slaves to be stamp'd with thy mark and link'd fast in thy chains that I may never more have the power to fly from thee O grant me this favour most merciful Father Which thy dear Son hath purchased for me by the price of his death and Passion 3. We Sin of our selves but cannot arise from it without the Divin assistance I Am fall'n without thee by my own frailty but can never hope to rise but by thy mercy O my Lord and only support I am sick without thee but cannot be cured without thee O my heavenly Physician I am dead without thee but can never be reviv'd but by thee O Life of my Soul So true it is that to make me come to thee thou O most gracious Lord God! must first come to me O the admirable goodness of my loving Lord Even this little I am doing is rather thine own work than mine 'T is thou O my Lord who puttest Repentance into my soul Desires into my heart Sighs into my breast Confession into my mouth Prayer into my lips Remorse into my memory Resolution of amendment into my will 'T is thou O gracious God! who chiefly actest all this good in me by me and for me O my All do then all in me what thou desirest And particularly overwhelm I beseech thee my whol interiour with perfect Contrition not coming from a slavish and servil fear but from a faithful and filial love Grant me a true and intire grief for having offended thee not because of thy Promises or Threats but because thou art in thy self good amiable adorable and worthy all love and honour 4. How great an Evil it is to destroy Gods Grace in our Souls by Sin OR if mercenary interest do yet more move thee as surely it seems to bear the greatest sway with thee my sensual and sinful Soul For how hainously dost thou take a small injury how deeply dost thou resent a little disgrace the loss of a dear friend of health of honour or the like temporal and perishable commodities O whence is it then that thou so little apprehendest thy loss of Grace and thy eminent imminent danger of eternal Damnation Is it a small matter to be Gods Enemy To lose the good will of Heaven To destroy Gods Image To cut up life root branch To side with the accursed Devils thy Creators sworn Enemies To hatch Treason and enter Conspiracie with the damned Yea and to kill as much as in thee lies him who by his own death gave thee life O brutal and unnatural ingratitude Surely the annihilating of Heaven Earth Angels Men and all Nature cannot be compar'd with this malicious evil and wilfull destruction of thy grace O Lord in my Soul Since the least degree of a higher order surpasses the highest degree of the lower order O eternal God! What a Monster have I been in Grace what a prodigie in Nature who have so little car'd to commit such enormous Crimes But O my Lord I will even now change my life I here detest all Sin I make a firm purpose of amendment I have a full confidence in thee my Creator a good will to do satisfaction and a total resignation to thy Divine pleasure 5. The root and source of all our Sins is our perverted Will. I Am the woful Criminal O just Judg of my Soul and I will be also the accuser and witness the Advocate and Executioner in this Tribunal I summon you therefore O detestable Pride O abominable Envy O execrable Avarice O beastly Lubricity and all you accursed crew of Sins how long will you reign on earth how long will ye dispeople Gods inheritance who brought you in amongst Gods Children 'T is the perverted Will of man O dread Soveraign which hath don all these mischiefs Rectifie O my Lord I beseech thee this my crooked Will and murther these horrible monsters in me and grant that I may henceforth rather expose my body to a thousand Deaths than my Soul to deadly Sin Thy Saints will rejoice O God! at my amendment and thy Angels will make a Feast but thy own resentment of joy will be infinite because thy love is infinite which goes hand in hand with thy Essence and comprehends all Love in supream eminency I will therefore expect from thee O heavenly Father the exact remembrance from thee my Redeemer the perfect knowledg from thee O holy Spirit a true repentance and from thee O Sacred Trininity an intire Absolution and plenary Indulgence from all my Iniquities 6. Our greatest Sorrow is not equivalent to the greatness of our Sins THe grief I feel for my past Offences the hatred I have against each Sin at this present and the resolution I make to avoid all iniquity for the future are not equivalent in me to their enormity and hainousness I therefore humbly crave O holy Lord God! that thou wilt accept thy own hatred against Sin for that which I should and would have and instead of the Sorrow I want I offer that of thy Son my sweet Redeemer with the Sacrifice of his immaculate Life and innocent death And since I cannot be impeccable by Nature O my Lord nor dare presume to ask to be so by Grace give me leave to prostrate my self before thy infinite bounty and clemency and to beg by the merits of Jesus Christ thy dear Son and by the desires of thy essential love the blessed holy Ghost that though I may not be impeccable yet I may never sin more and if I must somtimes Sin through my frailty yet I may never Sin mortally This I desire O Lord this thou demandest this thou commandest O give me what thou commandest and command me what thou pleasest 7. An Act of perfect Contrition which is elsewhere repeated as being of great efficacy O My good Lord Jesu who art the Lord of my Life and shouldst be the love of my Soul did I not like an ungracious and ungrateful wretch give my heart sell my affection to fond frail filthy and fading Creatures and comforts which are so far from affording me either quiet of Mind peace of Conscience purity of Soul or perfection of Spirit which my obligation and vocation require of me that they leave me nothing but trouble confusion and remorse with a world of dismal and desperate thoughts violent passions and vicious inclinations Amidst all which disorders I find no other refuge nor remedy than to return to thee my true Center to convert my self to thee my Soverain Creator To cast my self at thy sacred feet my sweet Lord Jesu and there with an humble and contrite spirit to sue for Mercy Remission Reconciliation O Heavenly Father I confess and acknowledg my ingratitude treachery rebellion And I am
Enter freely possess all fully dispose universally and command absolutly Put me where thou wilt give me what thou wilt treat me as thou wilt thine I am O my Lord my Love and my All for time and Eternity The Sixth Exercise Of Mortification and perfect Abnegation 1. If we will be Christ's true Disciples we must renounce all deny our selves take up our crosses and follow him O Eternal and ever blessed Lord God! thou hast framed me of soul and body and fitted me with faculties proportionable to attain the end of my creation which is to love thee intirely and to live with thee eternally But alas how far am I from observing this thy blessed and beautiful order Thou O Lord gavest me a Soul to bear all the sway in my body Reason to have the chief regency in my Soul thy Law to be the guide of my Reason and thy self to be the sole mover and governour of my whole man But oh how have I wilfully cross'd thy sacred design contradicted thy intention and swarv'd from this perfection My body is all brutish my soul all animal and my reason all sensual I am all blindness self-love and immortification Yet I know well and thou O eternal verity hast expresly told me that unless I renounce all deny my self take up my Cross and follow thee I can never become thy true Disciple Ah harsh words to my carnal ears If thou wilt be my Disciple deny thy self If thou wilt be perfect sell all give away all reform all renounce all relinquish all If thou wilt possess life eternal contemn this life temporal If thou wilt be exalted in Heaven humble thy self in the world If thou wilt wear a Crown with me bear thy Cross with me But O my soul how wilt thou brook that more dismal sentence Depart from me thou accursed into eternal fire Wherefore O my Lord my Love and my All Since thou hast taught me these things by thy Sacred Word and shewed them by thy holy Example and thou art The Way the Truth and the life Grant O infallible Truth that I may couragiously walk in this perfect Way that so I may happily come to thee the only true and eternal life and love of my Soul 2. We must leave all things to finde one thing which is all in all WHat dreadest thou O my fearful and faithless Heart Behold Christ thy King and Captain is marched on before thee take up thy Cross and travel after him he leads thee to a Kingdem Heaven is worth thy pains O take courage to mortifie thy self deny thy self and dy to thy self that thou mayst live to Jesus and with Jesus eternally Learn O my soul this short and securing lesson Leave all things and thou shalt find one thing which is all in all Take courage and fight valiantly against thy own bad nature pray suffer stoop bear repugnances swallow down contradictions digest injuries The Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence The end thou aimest at is Perfection the reward of thy Conquest is Eternal Love eternal Life eternal Happiness Behold O my Lord my strength and my Salvation I am fully resolved to lay the ax to the root of this wicked tree Help me I beseech thee with thy Grace from above that I may hew my self out of my self that I may kill crucifie and mortifie my inveigling sensuality cut off my evil inclinations rectifie my disorder'd passions and root out each thought or desire which tends not directly to thy honour will and love O my Lord and my God! 3. We can never love God unless we hate our Selves I Know Lord that it is bootless to study Perfection without the practice of Mortification I confess I can never love thee truly but in as much as I hate my self really such is the Antipathy between self-love and thy holy affection Ah! how can a spirit distracted with contrary inclinations be freely and fully vacant to thy divine contemplation Put therefore I beseech thee a sluce to my unmortified Passions put a bound to my distraught heart and powerfully keep back those innumerous concupiscences and corrupt imaginations violently succeding each other that my united affections may intend thee only the only object of all happiness Gather O my Lord the dispersed forces of my Soul from all multiplicity of worldly affections to the union of thy only love Keep I beseech thee my Understanding Will Memory Imagination and all my inward and outward Senses from roaming abroad that carefully attending and entertaining thy divine presence in my Soul I may attain true introversion simplification and union of my Spirit with thine Reform O my Lord all the natural corruptions of my outward man and redress all the spiritual infirmities of my inward man destroy and disperse all internal and external enemies and opposers of thy holy love possess me perfectly and dispose of me entirely according to thy Divin will and pleasure 4. A firm Resolution of mortifying our exteriour Sensuality TO this end O bless my weak endeavours al mighty and al-merciful Lord God! I will subtract all superfluities from my body and accustom it to all sorts of sufferings that so I may fit it up for thee O holy Spirit who dwellest not with them that are sensual and subject to Sin Alas I have not yet resisted to the effusion of my blood and should I spill each drop of blood in my body in this holy quarrel how little ought I to regard it in respect of the great good I expect I will therefore crucifie thee O my flesh with all thy concupiscences I will mortifie my outward Senses the windows by which death steals into my Soul the hinderers of my hearts tranquillity the destroyers of true devotion the dispersers of inward recollection and the utter ruiners of all the good desires which I conceive and kindle in my prayers Ah how soon is this divin fire cooled and quenched not only by Sin but also by the distracting images of outward Objects I will keep a special and strict watch over my Tongue on which depends my spiritual life or death and cherish thee O beloved Silence which art the key of piety the keeper of innocency and the preserver of purity I will trample down my inferiour Nature with all its evil affections and motions of love hatred joy sadness desire fear hope anger c. I will order dispose and direct it according to the Laws of reason and thy divine inspirations O my Lord and my God! Grant me courage I beseech thee to quell and curb this most dangerous my greatest enemy which is the source of all my miseries the Citadel from whence Sin assails me and Satan fetches his forces to fight against me Grant Good Lord that I may never yield to this wicked Eve perswading Adam my Superior Will to eat the forbidden fruit to consent to unlawful pleasures This is the chief exercise of Gods children not to be carried away with affections of flesh and blood but to conduct
Lamb Cloath me with thy Wool hide me in thy Wounds cleanse me with thy Blood lodg me in thy Heart revive me by thy Death unite me to thy Love swallow me up in thy Divinity melt me away in the fire of thy Charity and make me every way according to thy own hearts desire Peace be unto you Fear not I am he It is I who have ascended to my Father and your Father that I may open Heaven gates for you and provide you there a happy lodging and yet I remain with you in the sacred Eucharist till the worlds final consummation Faith YEs Lord Jesu It is thou thy precious Body and Blood thy blessed Humanity and Divinity Yes my sweet Saviour I as firmly believe it with my Soul as if I clearly saw it with my Eyes plainly tasted it with my Mouth or sensibly touched it with my Hands and I faithfully cry out My Lord and my God Resignation and Desire I Renounce all that is mine and resign unto thee O my Lord all that is thine I desire with all my heart I were according to thy Hearts desire and that thou wouldst please to make such a Change in me that nothing might evermore displease thee in me Renunciation and pure Intention I Come to this Sacrament O my Saviour out of Obedience to thy sweet Invitations and upon Confidence in thy saving Mercies My Intention is to do thy Will and not my own to seek thy Satisfaction not to feel sensible Devotion and to please and praise thee by the performance of my Duty that so I may get by my Resignation what I cannot by my Recollection and content thee by my Desires since I cannot by my Deserts Confession Contrition Resolution O My Lord Behold my Wounds my Wants and my Wishes I remain still ungrateful wretched wicked tepid vicious unmortified full of Pride Passions Imperfections I am sorry heartily I purpose amendment really and I beseech thee O Jesu for thy own goodness sake mercifully to forgive me and to cure all consume all consummate all that displeases thee in my Soul in the sacred Fire of thy Divinity Petition THy self O my sweet Saviour is all I want and thy Love is all I wish for O let me see thee love thee enjoy thee feed on thee be satiated with the torrents of thy true delights and be totally inebriated and drowned in the Ocean of thy ineffable sweetnesses Wean my soul O Lord from all terrene and temporal Affections and Wed it unto thy self by an inviolable tye of Love and Fidelity Provide for thy self O Jesu a lovely lodging in my heart and soul O you holy Angels and Saints come and prepare your Master's dwelling place within me 2. What is to be done in Communion IN Communion two things are required First A Reverend Retired Modest behaviour of your whol Exterior humbly placing your self upon your knees keeping your Body erected Head unmoved Eyes fixed on the Sacrament Lips quiet and so expecting till the Priest shall have fully plac'd the Sacred Host in your conveniently open'd Mouth and be sure not to anticipate his Action by reaching your self on your head forwards in order to receive or by snatching your Head or Mouth suddenly backwards after you have received Secondly A profound Humility of Heart and longing Love of your Soul mixed together saying O God! be merciful unto me a sinner I am not worthy O my Lord that thou shouldst enter under my roof yet I beseech thee speak the Word and my soul shall be saved O sweet Jesu That thou thy self shouldst come to me into me A Lord of such purity and perfection to so impure and imperfect a creature as I am O Love O Liberality Come Lord Jesu Come loving Master Enter freely into my open Soul which desires to embrace thee All is thine Dear Saviour dispose of all that is here of Body and Soul of Life Lodging All according to thy divin Will and pleasure Welcome my good Jesu Now dismiss thy servant in peace for my Eyes have seen thy salvation 3. What is to be done after Communion HAving received the Priests last Benediction arise return to your place and renew your ardent affections in this or the like manner O Fire O Flames Burn me Consume me Annihilate me Alas Beauty of Angels how late have I loved and how little do I yet love thee Behold a poor lodging yet such as it is it is all thy own I conceal nothing I reserve nothing Compose all Dispose of all Depose all my unruly Passions Impose upon me what thou pleasest only repose sweetly in my soul and permit no soul false or foolish affection to interpose it self or disturb this quiet peace and union O that I could lodg thee more worthily serve thee more faithfully please thee more perfectly praise thee more incessantly love thee more ardently O Jesu my Lord my all and only love a thousand times welcome What shall I render thee O sweet Saviour for all the good things thou hast given me I humbly acknowledg that I ow more than I have to give but not more than I would give if I had it O Lord take all that I have and pay thy self O Angels and Saints bless my God for me Love my Jesus for me and sing forth his praises purely perfectly perpetually in supply of my defects Be careful to keep your Friend company after your Feast and not to drive him presently out of doors or leave him alone What a Shame Ingratitude yea and Incivility were it for you having received the King of Heaven and Earth to go forthwith not only out of the Chappel but even out of your own self by evagation of mind and extroversion of spirit This surely is one reason why many remain so cold near this Fire But perchance your particular charge office employment calls you away Were you called from your Meal Tell me Would you not supply â— som after Do here in like manner Howsoever be sure at least for some short space to keep a Mental Solitude and Recollection if not a Corporal entertaining your divin Guest with the devout Aspirations Affections and Elevations of the eighth prescedent Exercise of Perfect Union with God Page 336. And then falling into Acts of Thanksgiving Congratulation Praise Admiration Oblation c. Think within your self 1. Who hath Fed you 2. With what Food 3. In how admirable a Manner 4. With what an excess of Love 5. What he requires in Recompense Then you may do well to perform these things following 1. Renew all your good purposes Vows Professions c. 2. Make a new Reunion and Conformity of all your desires Wills and Affections to them of your blessed Saviour 3. Resolve upon some thing in particular which doth most hinder you hurt you or trouble you 4. Ask your Saviours advice and Counsel therein And 5. Having marked his Inspirations Resolve effectually and fall to practise accordingly More Exercises Acts and Considerations for such as
Distinctly not in an over high tone loud voyce or eager precipitation 3 Devoutly to move his affection 4. Deliberately and with certain pauses and interruptions staying upon such points and passages as may touch pierce and comfort him As for example ARe you desirous my dear Brother to entertain your departing Soul with the memory of your dying Redeemer Lift up then your Heart sweetly and quietly to your Saviour whilst I shall recite what he did said and suffered for your sake The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to S. Luke With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer Mark these ardent and affectionate expressions of your dear Redeemer He hath still for you the same love and desire and his Will is that you shall celebrate this Pasch with him eternally in his happy Paradise This is my body which I give for you If your blessed Saviour hath given you his Body give yours to him and be content in your sufferings I prepare for you a Kingdom that you may eat at my Table O comfortable sentence 'T is for you that this Kingdom is prepared Pass to it cheerfully couragiously confidently O my Lord I am ready to accompany you into Prison and unto Death O the admirable courage of St. Peter say you the same and you will dy resignedly Pray that you may not enter into temptation Reflect upon these words and since this is a time of temptation elevate to God your Heart that you may be delivered He prayed on bended Knees Behold a rare example Do you imitate it in desire and affection and permit not your spirit to be born down with the sufferings of your body O Father If you please let this Chalice pass away from me yet not my Will but yours be done O how comfortably should you repeat this prayer of your agonizing Saviour Speak it in your Heart and unite your thoughts to those of your sweet Jesus Being in his Agony he prayed more ardently Behold Jesus in the same condition with your self Pray then pray heartily ardently perseverantly And his Sweat became like drops of blood trickling down upon the earth This bloody Sweat will wash away your Sins sweeten your Pains and smooth your passage to Eternity Judas came up to Jesus and Jesus kissed him Comfort your self in Christs kissing Judas Ah! shall not you hope to obtain his kiss of peace in Heaven since you dy in quality of his faithful friend and favourite Jesus looked back upon Peter after he had denied him O sweet words and can you doubt but that Jesus beholds you lying now upon your Death-bed humbly adoring him heartily confessing him and ardently loving him These and the like devout and pithy Reflection and Applications may be made upon the reading of the Passion which surely cannot but afford much comfort to the agonizing person and edification to the assistants Holding the Crucifix before him ADore your dear Saviour dying on the Cross for you and trust in his infinit merits and mercies Kiss these sacred Wounds hide your self in these holes of the Rock and rest here secure against all your enemies deceits and stratagems Offer up the death of JESVS to his eternal Father and desire that yours being thereto united may become pleasing to his divin Majestie Say with the Publican O my God! be merciful to me a Sinner Cry out with the Blind man O Jesu thou Son of David take pity upon me Profess your Faith with S. Thomas O my Lord and my God Animate your Hope to say with me I hope I shall soon see Him in Heaven whom I now contemplate fastned to the Cross Excite your Charity with S. Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Address your self to the Eternal Father with the words of dying Jesus O my Father into your hands I commend my Spirit When the sick Person draws so near towards his Death that no further Applications can be made to him let the devout Assistants charitably pray for him in this or the like manner O Most compassionat Jesu Take pity upon him O Jesu the Redeemer Lover and Life of Christian Souls Have mercy upon him O Jesu the sweet Comforter of all desolate and distressed Sinners Comfort encourage and strengthen him O holy Mary the Refuge of Sinners Pray for him O Mother of Mercy Mother of Grace Mother of Jesus Mother of Power Pity him protect him defend him assist him in this his greatest extremity O glorious Saint Joseph the nursing Father of Jesus and Virginal Spouse of the Virgin Mary Pray for him O Angelical Spirit who have been hitherto his faithful Guardian Do not now abandon him but conduct his soul to its prepared place of eternal rest and happiness O all ye holy Saints and Angels and you St N. his special Patron receive him into your happy company O Jesu be you unto him a Jesus and save him A Prayer to God the Father O Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort we most humbly address our petitions to the Throne of thy divine Clemency in the behalf of this our languishing Brother beseeching thee by the immensity of thy Mercy and by the infinity of thy Sons merits to pardon his sins to mitigate his pains to arm him with patience to furnish him with perseverance in thy Grace and Love till his last Gasp and then to receive his departing Soul into thy paternal care and protection A Prayer to Christ Jesus O Lord Jesu Christ who wert mercifully pleas'd to suffer an ignominious death upon the Cross for the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind we most humbly beseech thee to interpose the Sweat of thy Agony and the Blood of thy Passion between the severe Justice of thy Eternal Father and the grievous Sins and offences of this thy poor servant And deliver him in this hour of his Death from all such pains and punishments as he may fear to have justly deserved A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin O Sacred Mother of Jesus By that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender Heart when thou stoodest by thy dear Son hanging on the Cross heardst him uttering his last Words and beheldst him giving up his Ghost We beseech thee to assist also this thy dying Child with thy Prayers whom his Brother Jesus recommended then and there to thy peculiar care and custodie saying O Woman behold thy Son Turn thy Eyes of pitie and compassion towards him O Blessed Mother in this his extream misery and affliction and leave him not in this his last and greatest necessity O clement O pious O sweet Virgin Mary When the Agonizing person is ready to expire DEpart O Christian Soul Depart in peace out of this world In the name of God the Father who Created thee In the name of God the Son who Redeemed thee In the name of God the Holy Ghost who espoused thee In the name of the Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principalities Powers Cherubins and Seraphins In the
name of the Patriarks Prophets Apostles Martyrs Confessors Monks Heremites Virgins Widows and all the Saints of Paradise Let thy place be this day in peace and thy habitation in the holy Sion O God of infinit Goodness Clemency and Sweetness who art graciously pleased out of the greatness of thy Mercy to pardon repentant Sinners Behold this thy poor creature with the Eyes of thy wonted pity and compassion and grant him the general pardon which he most heartily desires and we most humbly beg for him O Lord redress the losses repair the breaches remit the offences which he hath contracted through human frailty or diabolical temptation and let this Member for whom thou hast mercifully spilt thy sacred Blood be happily united to the body of thy holy Church We recommend you our dear Brother or Sister to Almighty God and remit you to his care and custody whose creature you are hoping that when you shall have paid to nature the Tribute of Death you shall return to him who is the Authour of your Life And we most humbly and heartily beseech his Divin Majesty that at the instant of your Souls departure out of its imprisoning body the heavenly Quires of Angels may receive it the holy Colledg of Apostles may meet it the triumphant Martyrs may accompany it the glorious Confessors Virgins Widows and all the celestial Citizens may joyfully conduct it to the happy vision and fruition of sweet Jesus in his eternal Kingdom O Divine Jesu The Lord of our lives and the love of our Souls We beseech thee by that ardent Charity which mov'd thee to become man for us By the price of thy Blood which thou pouredst forth for us and by the merits of thy Death and Passion which thou enduredst for us that thou wil◠be graciously pleased to let thy goodness mercy and pity appear in the person of this thy poor servant who is now summoned to leave this world and to come before thee his dread Judg and Soveraign Dispose his Soul Dear Jesu and prepare it for this great trial Suffer it not to quit its Body without a true and hearty contrition for its Sins and a faithful and filial conversion to thee its Saviour Visit him clear him and comfort him with that efficacious grace wherewith thou art wont to purifie justifie and sanctifie repentant Sinners Deal with him in mercy O sweet Redeemer as thou didst with the good Thief and encourage his languishing heart with the like cheering words This day thou shalt be with me in Paradise At the very time as near as may be guessed of the souls departure out of the body say Subvenite Sancti Dei c. As in the Roman Ritual ¶ XI Some devout Prayers for the Souls departed A Prayer to God the Father for the Soul newly departed O Eternal Father whose nature is goodness and whose work is mercy cast thy compassionate Eyes upon the poor Soul of this our departed Brother or Sister N. or upon the poor Souls suffering in Purgatory and remembring it to be thy own creature redress its miseries remit its punishments release it from its imprisonment Receive O gracious Soveraign the superabundant sufferings of thy Son Jesus for a full satisfaction of thy divine Justice and for his dear sake pardon this thy poor servants past impieties forget his frailties and cancel all his omissions commissions and ingratitudes I humbly acknowledg Great Lord of Heaven and Earth that if thou lookest only upon his deserts he must needs be a long time the object of thy severe Anger and Rigour but if in Mercy thou wilt be pleas'd to look upon Jesus his Redeemer and to apply to him the merits of his bitter Death and Passion thou wilt soon free him from all his miseries and bring him to the enjoyment of thy eternal Felicity O my God! That I were capable to satisfie thy Divine Justice in the behalf of this poor Soul for whom I now petition thy Mercy how willingly would I exact in my own person that which detains him in Purgatory And though my unworthiness may hinder this desired effect yet such is thy Goodness O my gracious Soveraign as that I may hope to have my will accepted my petition granted and this poor Soul pardoned succoured delivered and speedily admitted to praise love and honour thy sacred Majesty with the rest of thy celestial Citizens for evermore To Christ Jesus O Jesu the Saviour of our Souls whose inclination to do good to poor Mankind is so great that thou often pressest him to ask and promisest to grant his petitions Receive I beseech thee this Prayer which I most humbly present to thy Throne of Mercy in behalf of this my departed Brother or Sister the Souls suffering in Purgatory Remember O most compassionate Redeemer that it is a Thing bought with thy Blood design'd to thy Glory intended to be a Co heir with thee in thy heavenly Kingdom Look upon it sweet Jesu as the noble conquest of thy Cross and the sacred Trophee by thy powertorn out of the Devils clutches and as such a thing afford it some solace in its sufferings and free it from those flames fetters and prisons which hinder it from enjoying that Glory whereunto thy Mercy hath predestinated it which thy Passion hath purchased and which thy Goodness hath prepared for it If the tears of Mary and Martha did so pierce thy tender Heart that they obtained the raising of their dead Brother Lazarus out of his Sepulchre Be not less favourable and flexible O dear Saviour to these my sighs tears and prayers which I now pour forth before thee for the Soul of my departed Brother or Sister Speak only the word O all powerful Redeemer N. come forth of those Flames and Purgatory will render thee a most prompt Obedience and the delivered Soul will eternally magnifie thy Mercies To the glorious Virgin Mother I Most humbly salute thee Great Queen of Heaven and Earth Glorious Mother of JESVS Powerful Advocatrix of Mankind and compassionate Comfort of the afflicted These blessed Titles embolden me thy unworthy servant to beg thy prayers for the poor Soul of my departed Brother now suffering as I probably both fear and hope in the place of Purgatory and to petition thee that thou wilt be pleased to employ the Power the Priviledg and the Friendship thou hast with thy dear Son my Saviour in his behalf and for his release comfort and pardon O Great and Glorious Virgin Mother Consider this suffering Soul as by thy Son redeemed and by thy self beloved and since thou hast interest in the salvation and joy of the Souls purchased with the price of thy Sons precious Blood take pity upon this Soul longing to behold thy Son and thy self in Glory and to sing forth Divine praises with the blessed Saints for all eternity To S. Joseph O Faithful Steward of Gods sacred Family Worthy Guardian of Jesus and Mary Great and Glorious S. Joseph Permit me to make my most
upon each one of the lesser Grains say Pie Jesu Domine dona eis Requiem Amen that is O compassionate Lord Jesu give theâ—… rest Amen In the Evening HAving examin'd your Conscience endeavour to produce a most fervent Act of Contrition as if in that night you were to depart out of this world And go to Bed as to your Grave saying Ah! the Vanity of all worldly riches greatnesses and glories You must shortly be included in two yards of earth c. Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit c. Two excellent profits which all pious Christians may draw from this charitable practise of praying for the Souls in Purgatory The first profit is That remembring these departed Souls they can hardly forget their own approaching Death and consequently will be moved to make some timely preparation for that great action whereupon depends their whole Eternity THe practise hereof may be reduced to these two Points First Question your self in this sort Were I now presently to depart this world upon deaths Summons am I in a condition to appear before Gods Judgment Seat What dost thou answer O my soul what couldst thou wish to have done Fall forthwith to settle thy self and all that concerns thee in order to thy Death and never cease till thou canst say with S. Paul Nihil mihi conscius sum Through Gods goodness I finde no guilt in my Conscience My heart cannot upbraid me of any horrid crime which I have not endeavour'd to deface by Contrition to discover in Confession to do penance for by Satisfaction My soul detests all that is opposite to the love and will of my Lord Jesus Secondly Habituate your self in the Exercise of such Acts as you would and should practise in the article of your Death Taking therefore your Crucifix in your hand say Well! I must dye but when where how in what estate circumstance and condition All this is uncertain I accept therefore O my Creator the Decree of my death as from thy divine Justice and the Uncertaintie of its execution from thy eternal Providence Behold I am readie and willing to obey thy blessed Ordinances nor do I desire to live one moment longer than is according to thy most just will and liking I protest that I will live and dye in an absolute conformitie to the Catholike Faith because thou my Lord God who art the prime and essential Truth hast taught and revealed it I Hope in the infinitie of thy goodness in the fidelitie of thy promises in the immensity of my Saviours merits Though thou killest me O my Lord yet I will hope in thy Mercy I will dy in thy Love that I may love thee O abyssal Ocean of all Love and perfection for evermore Yes my Lord and my Love I could heartily wish that an Act of Seraphical Love might separate my Soul from my Body that so it might become happily united to thee its only beloved object for all Eternity It grieves me O my God! that I ever offended thee because thou art infinitly good and I am content to dy because I would be freed from all future occasions of offending thee Wherefore I here offer thee my life as a pledge of my Love and I accept of Death as a fit punishment of my offences O when will that desired day come in which I shall see thee my sweet Saviour face to face without any interposition love thee without any interruption praise thee without any imperfection I acknowledg that Purgatory is too pleasant a place for the chastisement of my impieties and were I adjudg'd thither till the last day of general doom I were most mercifully dealt withal yet O my Creator to the end I may make a more honourable satisfaction to thy sacred Justice by the merits of my sweet Saviour I will endeavour to gain all the Indulgences whereof any one is capable in the Article of Death and in particular that which is obtain'd by pronouncing then the holy Name of Jesus which I desire may be the last word of my Mouth the last motion of my Heart the last sigh in my Soul O Dear Jesu Let my last breath eccho forth Jesu Jesu Jesu Amen O Blessed Virgin Mary mother of Mercy mother of Power mother of Jesus Behold thy poor child and present my departing Soul to thy dear Son Jesus O glorious S. Joseph who expiredst in the sweet embraces of Jesus and Mary Obtain for me that I may dy in their favour and affection O my good Angel the faithful Guardian of my Life leave me not in the dangerous moment of my Death End this Exercise with a generous Resolution to Dy daily to your self to the world and to all things and to Live as you desire to Dy. THe Second Profit is That considering the grievous pains they suffer you will easily resolve to endure your Purgatory in this world which was the ardent desire of S. Augustin when he thus petition'd the divine Majesty Purge me O Lord in this life and put me here in such a condition as there may be no need hereafter of any Purifying Fire that so I may be the sooner united to thee my first beginning and my final end and felicity The practise hereof may be reduced to these points following 1. COnsider that all Sin renders us liable to punishment which must infallibly be paid either in this world or in the next Now our merciful Lord seems to leave the choice unto our selves and to present unto us two Purgatories That of the next world painful long fiery devoid of all comfort and merit That of this world easie short and full of comfort O my Soul which wilt thou choose 2. The Purgatory of this world consists in satisfying Gods severe Justice for our sins as far forth as we are able by our own free actions without deferring it to the end of our lives or depending upon the charity of others O my Soul wert thou presently to depart out of this world how many years of Purgatory must thou expect for the expiation of thy many and enormous offences Resolve therefore to begin even this day without any farther delay thy Purgatory in this world by endeavouring now to make satisfaction for thy sins 3. This Satisfaction consists in these Five things which may serve us for as many Purgatories to cleanse our Souls from their Sins and cancel the pains they have thereby justly incurred The first is To perform those works which are call'd Satisfactory to wit Alms-deeds Fasting and Prayer uniting them to the merits of our Redeemer Christ Jesus Alms deeds satisfy the divine Majesty by giving him our goods of Fortune Fasting by consecrating to him the goods of our Bodies Prayer by offering up to him the goods of our Hearts and Spirits Alms-deeds free us from Sin and Death and suffer not a Soul to descend into darkness They purge us and procure us mercy and eternal life Fasting which under its notion contains all sorts of
most hearty thanks for vouchsafing by Death to deliver my spirit from the Law of these corporal Members which kept it so long enslaved under the Law of Sin Let me freely offer up to thee my life in Sacrifice and let thy love be the Fire not only to purifie but also to ennoble this my oblation which of it self is so mean and contemptible Finally O Soveraign Lord of life and death I resignedly leave to the conduct of thy sacred Providence all that concerns my poor Soul's departure out of this her pilgrimage as to the Time the Place the Assistants the Consolations the Derelictions and whatsoever other Circumstance I only beg that thy holy Grace may not then abandon me when all human helps must of necessity become useless unto me In the mean space let Death O my God! be my continual Looking-glass to keep me from wilfully offending thy Divine Majesty to check my immoderate Affection to this life which is so uncertain in its permanency and so certain in its misery and to mind me that each Moment of time I live may be the last wherein I must appear before thy dread tribunal to render an account of my actions and to receive accordingly a definitive sentence which must remain irrevocable for all Eternity 3. The Prayer of S. Vincent to our Lord Jesus for the same end that is to obtain the grace of Dying well O My Soveraign Lord Jesu who dyedst for the salvation of the whole World and desirest not that any one should perish to whom I never present my Prayers with out hopes of Mercy relying upon thy own gracious Promise That whatsoever shall be ask'd in thy Name shall be granted I beseech thee by that sweet and sacred Name that in the Article of my Death thou wilt be pleased to give me perfect integrity of my Senses true Contrition for my Sins a lively Faith a firm Hope and a perfect Charity that I may then say unto thee with a pure and clean Heart into thy Hands O my Saviour Jesu I commend my Spirit 16. A most Devout and Efficacious Prayer to our Blessed Redeemer in the honour of his bitter Passion Which whosoever shall humbly Recite before the Image of a Crucifix with a pure Intention and perfect Resignation several Days together may confidently Hope to obtain of the Divine Mercy a full Grant of their lawful Demands O Dear Jesu My blessed Saviour and Redeemer The sweet Comforter of all sad desolate and distressed Souls Behold thy poor Servant humbly prostrate at the foot of thy holy Cross deploring his Misery imploring thy Mercy and beseeching thee to take pity and compassion upon him in this his present and pressing Affliction Infirmity Poverty Temptation Trouble or whatsoever other Spiritual or Corporal Necessity Hear my Prayers O assured Refuge of all afflicted wretches behold my Tears consider my Sorrows and remedy my Distresses for finding my self encompassed with grievous Calamities by reason of my great Crimes I know not whether to fly for Succour or to whom I may make my Moan but to thee my meek and merciful Saviour with a full hope and confidence that thou O my loving Reedemer wilt vouchsafe to lend the Ears of thy ordinary piety and accustomed clemency to the humble Petition of thy poor Child And By that sweetness which thy blessed Soul resented at the time of thy Alliance with our Human nature when resolving with the Father and the Holy Ghost to Unite thy Divine Person to Mortal Flesh for Mans salvation thou sent'st thy Angel to the holy Virgin Mary with those happy tidings and cloathing thy self with our Humanity in her chast Entralls remainedst true God and true Man for the space of nine Months in her sacred Womb By the Anguish thou enduredst when the time of thy designed Passion drawing nigh thou prayedst to thy Eternal Father That if it might stand with his Divine Providence thou desiredst that bitter Chalice might pass away from thee yet concluding with a most perfect act of Resignation Not my Will O Heavenly Father but thine be fulfilled By the outragious Injuries scornful Disgraces cruel Blows contumelious Blasphemies forg'd Witnesses false Accusations and unjust Judgments which thou Innocent Lamb patiently enduredst By the Shackles which fettered thy Limbs the Tears which flow'd from thy Eyes the Blood which trickled from thy whole Body By the Fears Sorrows and Sadnesses of thy Heart and by the Shame thou receivedst in being stripp'd of thy Garments to hang naked on the Cross in the sight of thy sorrowful Mother and in the presence of all the People By thy Royal Head crowned with Thorns and smitten with a Reed By thy Thirst quench'd with Vineger and Gall By thy Side open'd with a Spear and issuing forth Blood and Water to refresh our Souls with that living Fountain of thy Love and Mercy By the sharp Nails wherewith thy tender Hands and Feet were cruelly pierced and fastned to the Cross By the Recommendation of thy departing Soul to thy Heavenly Father saying Into thy Hands I commend my Spirit By thy praying for thy Enemies saying O Father forgive them for they grow not what they do By thy giving up the Ghost when thou cryedst out with a lowd Voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and then bowing down thy blessed Head to reach us the Kiss of Peace sayd'st All is finished By the great Mercy thou shewd'st towards the good Theif saying This day thou shalt be with me in Paridise By thy Descent into Limbus and the Joy thou communicated'st to the just Souls there detained By the Glory of thy triumphant Resurrection and the comfortable Apparitions thou frequently madst for forty days space to thy sacred Virgin Mother to thy Apostles and to thy other chosen Friends and Servants By thy admirable Ascension when in the sight of thy Mother and thy Apostles thou wert elevated into Heaven By the Myraculous comming down of the Holy Ghost in form of Fiery Tongues whereby thou replenishedst the hearts of thy Disciples with thy Love and gav'st them Strength and Courage to plant thy Faith in the whole World By the dreadful day of General Judgment in which thou art to give Sentence upon all-Mankind By all these Sorrows Joys Passions Compassions and whatsoever else is near and dear to thee in Heaven and upon Earth take pity on me O compassionat Redeemer hear my Prayer and grant me that for which I now most humbly and heartily Petition thee Mention here the thing you desire or reflect mentally upon it Give me O gracious Saviour a speedy and efficacious feeling of thy Divine Succour and Comfort who according to the accustomed Sweetness of thy tender Heart art wont to grant the Requests of them who fear and love thee even to their own Souls desire and satisfaction Bestow on me also O my Blessed Lord Jesu a constant Faith a confident Hope a perfect Charity a cordial Contrition a sincere Confession a competent Satisfaction a diligent