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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
A72089	The practise of Christian workes. Written in Spanish by the R. Father Francis Borgia, sometymes Duke of Gandia, and the third generall of the Society of Iesus. Togeather with a short rule, how to live well. Englished by a father of the same society. VVhereunto are adioyned certaine pious meditations vpon the beades: translated also out of the Spanish	Borja, Francisco de, Saint, 1510-1572.; Everard, Thomas, 1560-1633.; Cresswell, Joseph, 1556-1623.	1620 (1620)	STC 11315; ESTC S124739	63,056	286

by them we are depriued of many ve●tues and gifts of the holy Ghost without which we are and remayne as did Sampson in the hands of the Philistians when he had lost his strength We are further spoyled of all the meritts which we had formerly gotten by our good works and of the fruit of thē which we do in state syn Finally we are made incapable and vnworthy of eternall felicity hauing lost all the right that we had thereunto 2. To consider that we haue incurred many euills for by syn we are become the enemyes of God yea the slaues and very receptacle of the Diuell and to be short we merit euerlasting damnation 3. The chiefest motiue that ought to induce vs to great sorow for our syns is for that we haue offended the diuine maiesty by our disobedience ingratitude and contempt of him and for that by our syn we haue exceedingly iniured him by louing some transitory good and some pleasure of the body or some creature more then our Creatour and soueraigne Lord and by preferring our owne will and bad desire before the will and pleasure of God therein imitating the Iewes who preferred Barabbas before our Sauiour The causes for which it is very good and most expedient to go often to Confessiō CHAP. XII HE that loueth his owne soule expecteth not the tyme of commaundment or the absolute necessity of going to confession but he confesseth often when there is not any commaundment imposed vpon him that he may gaine and reape the most excellent fruits that be gathered in frequenting this Holy Sacrament For in often confessing a man 1. purchaseth a great peace repose and quiet of conscience 2. He euery tyme obtayneth great prouision store and increase of vertues 3. The good works that were mortified and made vnprofitable by mortall syn returne to their worth and become meritorious againe 4. He is made participant of all our Sauiours meritts and of all the good works of the iust and faythfull Christians whereof he was depriued by mortall syn 5. Euery tyme that he confesseth he rec●iueth great force and strength for the resisting and encountring of his enemyes and against all their tentations 6. He satisfieth a part of the payne which after remission of the fault remayneth behind due to be payed eyther in this world or in Purgatory And what wise man who considereth all these priuiledges that arise of frequent Confession wil not be greatly incited to go often therunto for the often gayning and reaping of so excellent fruits If a man were sicke in body if he had receyued any mortall and deadly wound would he expect any long tyme to thinke vpon the curing of himselfe Or would he not rather with all possible speed seek a Phisitian or Surgeon for his cure for feare of a temporall death And his soule beeing sick and daungerously wounded by syn should he so far neglect his saluation as to put it of from day to day from weeke to weeke from moneth to moneth from quarter to quarter c. and so hazard to incurre death for all eternity Of the great necessity and vtility of a Generall Confession CHAP. XIII I call it a Generall Confession when a man confesseth all his syns especially the mortall that he hath committed in all his life or those of a long tyme before as far as he can remember and call to mind whether he hath confessed them before or not This manner of Confession is very profitable and sometymes also altogether necessary in matter of mortall syn when in confession some condition or other necessary is wanting eyther on the part of the Confessour or on the part of the penitent And this may happen in diuerse manners 1. When one hath made his confession to a priest that had not lawfull auctority to absolue or for that he was not approued of the Bishop or for some other cause 2. When one hath confessed without being penitent and sorowfull for his syns 3. When he had not a purpose of amendment and abstayning from some synne or when he wanted a will to forgiue another who had offended him or of restoring that to which he was bound 4. When some confession made before was not entiere eyther for wittingly vpon a certain bashfulnes concealing some mortall syn or for some other vnlawfull cause or for hauing forgotten to confesse some mortall syn because he had not examined his conscience before 5. When before absolution he had a wil not to accept of it or not to fulfill the pennance enioyned him by his ghostly Father Lo the principall causes for which it often hapneth that a generall Confession is necessary for that the Confession made before with any one of the foresaid defects was not sufficient to obtayn the remission of our syns And all the cōfessions made after that were vnprofitable in so much as it behooueth him againe to confesse all the mortall syns that he had manifested in that Confession and all the other that followed and to declare the cause and the fault for which he maketh a Generall Confession And though a generall confession be not to some necessary because they neuer made default in making their Confession yet it much profiteth them for diuers reasons 1. For by confessing al their syns together of many moneths or yeares a man conceyueth greater sorrow for his syns and confusion of himselfe and consequently he obtayneth greater grace and satisfieth more of the payne due to his syns 2. He is much incited to the loue of God in considering his great benignity and mercy by which he hath supported and borne with him so patiently without punishing him for so many syns committed by him 3. By considering the multitude of his syns heaped and put together he is moued to do good works for the satisfying thereof 4. He obtayneth greater assurance and repose of conscience and spirituall ioy for he who hath made a generall confession may probably perswade himselfe that his soule is in good estate How to communicate with fruit CHAP. XIIII HE that desireth to receyue the Blessed Sacrament of the Altar with fruite and spirituall profit must haue 1. A firme fayth belieuing vndoubtedly that Iesus Christ is really and truly in the holy Sacrament and that in the Communion he receyueth the true body of our Sauiour who is true man the same who was borne of the most sacred Virgin Mary who endured death for vs and is one day to iudge both the lyuing and the dead 2 He must haue Purity of hart without hauing his conscience defiled with any mortall syn that maketh a man vtterly vnworthy of the participation of this Sacrament and also in presuming to come thereunto in such bad state he should commit a syn of sacriledge 3. He must haue a right intention intending to receyue the Sacrament for the attayning of increase of Gods grace to obtaine some particular vertue whereof he most standeth in neede to arme and strengthen himselfe the more against

things man alone acknowledgeth me not but like a mad dog who biteth his maister riseth against me beeing worthy whome the earth should open and swallow down Be thou confounded o man for whome I became a meeke Lambe and cease thou at length to be a fierce and raging Lion I imbrace and loue thee with charity and thou whippest me with the scourge of desire and when I set thee forthwith the precious margarites of humility thou crownest my head with the pricking thorns of pride Let men at length vnderstand that they haue receyued goods not to be shut and locked vp in chests but to be giuen out to the poore Let them consider how hartily and affectuousely I loue them whome I by them being cast into prison will deliuer from out of the dungeon of hell and whome they cease not to crucify with ingratitude I by charity will bring backe againe into the way of charity Be thou confounded o man whome when the Angells behold they then contemne and the Diuells deceyue and in my sight condemne Be thou confounded I say feare my iudgments and vnles thou be heere confounded and bewaile thy syns a great and bitter confusion attendeth thee Whome would it not confound for that I God and Lord of all do like the hunter contynually seeke after and pursue men that they who cost me so dearly may not in any case perish while they stil euer fly from me as from an enuenomed serpent Why do they not feare me and my iudgments Why do they not chang and amend their liues who knowe neyther the houre nor day of their death And what answere will you make to the holy Ghost or with what face will you dare to speake vnto him who haue shut the gates of your soule often against him and haue so impudently and wickedly thrust him out that you might admit and receyu● in the Diuell Be ye confounded o wretched men whome notwithstanding God hath created to be his children who is in heauen yet you scarce euer do workes worthy your heauenly Father There is in him endles meeknes and benignity and he is euer ready to remit and pardon synnes but you full of iniquity do not only not forgiue the iniuryes done you but do further iniure those who haue neuer deserued any euill at your hands There is in him surpassing goodnes whereby he doth good euen to his enemyes while he euer conserueth them but you also do euill to your friends There is in him euerlasting wisdome and wonderfull prouidence wherewith he gouerneth all things but in you there is an extraordinary desire to ouerturne and destroy all things so you may raigne and be kings alone And therefore our Lord reprehendeth you by his Prophet in these words VVill you dwell alone vpon the earth THE CONCLVSION MATTER faileth me not but tyme and therefore this may serue the turne for the prudent Reader who of a few things may gather many more and thereof reape the fruite of Confusion and of humbling himselfe especially if he exercise himselfe in them continually and diligently which euery one ought to do with the greater care and circumspection for that therein consisteth the greatest part of spirituall profit for the knowing and acknowledging of our great infirmity and misery And they who haue attayned this and haue begon to build vpon such a foundation before laied may with safty proceede in building and go on forward in that spirituall edifice and they that build their worke in any other manner then this which we haue said when they haue once raised it high it is wont to fal to the ground againe For it hapneth that the comforts of prayer which are wont to help to the furthering and increasing of vertues vnles they be supported and conserued by Humility do degenerate into false counterfaite deceitfull consolations So the desires of good things be indeed good but if we so ascribe them vnto our selues as we acknowledge them not for Gods benefits we both greatly deceaue our selues and cannot possibly build any strong matter vpon so weake a foundation Wherefore who meaneth to haue his works perfect must both begin them with confusion and conserue them by it neyther must he be so hardy as to proceed in any thing without confusion accompayning the same And so it will follow that he who neuer forgetteth to confound and humble himselfe shal neuer be forsaken of God who neuer despiseth a contrite humbled hart but willingly conuerseth with the humble and lowly And this we may say is the wedding garment which whosoeuer shall haue vpon his backe he shall neuer be shut out from the wedding feast This is the badge and liuery of Gods children this he must haue and weare who hath a wil to follow Christ because he did weare it himselfe when he said My bashfulnes is al the day long against me and the confusion of my face hath couered me ouer ouer And if confusion did also couer Christs face ouer and ouer who was the looking glasse of the Angells and the glory of the Saints why should it not couer the face of a synner ouer ouer Or who but he that hath it on dare come into the sight of God sith it is written Let them who detracte me be clad with shame and let them be couered ouer and ouer with their confusion as with a doublet Marke further what our Lord sayth Vpon whome shall my spirit rest but vpon the humble and contrite in hart and dreading my speaches And if God confound the iust the synner must not thinke to escape especially sith not ōly the iust on earth but also the Saints in heauē are clad with this garment And no lesse maybe vnderstood by the words of the Gospell when they speake vnto Christ in the day of iudgment in these words when did we see thee an hungred and we sed thee That is they speake as men astonished and wondring that by so little works they haue merited so great rewards And the same is sufficiently insinuated by S. Augustine when he bringeth them in saying thus Lord why hast thou prepared so great and such glory for vs And if this Humility raiseth vs vp into heauen it is reason that we imbrace it here and that we commit our selues vnto it as to a sure anker in a dangerous tempest and that we doubt not but if we rely vpon it we shall get ouer the stormy and dangerous sea of this miserable life and in the end through Gods mercy ariue to the safe port of Heauen Amen A SHORT RVLE How to liue well THE VI. EXERCISE Of the things that man is to know for the sauing of his soule CHAP. I. A Christian man that wil lead a good life for the sauing of his soule must know three things 1. His end for which he was made and created 2. The meanes necessary profitable for the attayning of his end 3. The manner and way how practise the same Of the

End of man CHAP. II. THE last end of man is euerlasting blysse For he was created by God to be foreuer happy in paradise And his soule being once separated frō the body so it be free from stayne of syn shall be conducted by his good Angell into heauen there for all eternity to enioy the vision of God And after the worlds consummation man shall enioy his end of beatitude wholy both in soule and body which shall be againe resuscitated and conioyned to the soule to appeare before the soueraigne Iudge and of him to receyue the reward of life euerlasting But alas many there be who neuer shall ariue to this end for which they were created because they put not in practise the meanes requisite for the sauing of their soules It is therefore good and needfull to know what these meanes be how they are to be practised Of the meanes to come to our End CHAP. III. SOME meanes there be absolutely necessary towards the attayning of our last end some againe very profitable for the same respect The necessary meanes be principally three 1. A man must haue faith and belief in God and further belieue al that which God hath reuealed vnto vs by his Holy Catholike Church because it is infallible verity he must haue knowledge of the things that concerne his saluation which are declared in the Catechisme whereby it appeareth how maynly it importeth all to know and vnderstand the principall points of Christian Doctrine comprehended in the said Catechisme As touching God he must know that he is omnipotent most wise most good most iust that he hath euer been and euer shall be that he is euery where that he seeth and knoweth all things that there is but one God in three persons the Father the Sonne and the holy Ghost who be al of one and the same Nature of the same Omnipotency Wisdome Goodnes and Perfection Also that the second Person in Trinity which is the Sonne of God became man and tooke mans flesh in the wombe of the sacred Virgin Mary by the operation of the Holy Ghost that he hath redeemed vs by his most paynefull death 2. We must hope in God because he is our supreme and soueraigne good 3. We must loue him aboue all things seeing that for his soueraigne bounty and goodnes he is most worthy of our Loue. And the loue of God is demonstrated and practised in obseruation of his Commaundements and of the Commandements of the Church and in abstayning from all syn and in particular from mortall because the same is wholy opposite to him and diuerteth vs absolutly from our end And we must loue our neighbour as our selues for the loue of God Other meanes there be that may also greatly help vs toward the more easy more assured attayning of our end Such be 1. To exercise some things in the morning when we rise afterwards in the rest of the day following and at night when we go to bed 2. To examine our Conscience euery day 3. To frequent the holy Sacraments of confession Communion 4. To heare Masse euery day or as often as we find the oportunity but especially on sundays and Holidaies 5. To frequent vocall and mentall prayer 6. To be diligent in hearing of Sermons and the explication of the Christian doctrine 7. To be frequent in reading of spirituall books 8. To giue our selues to the exercise of al vertue good works c. Of the manner how to practise the aforesaid meanes well CHAP. IIII. MANY there be who know right well what they ought to do for the sauing of their soules but they haue not the knowledge how to practise the same and therefore the principall subiect of this short and spirituall Treatise shall be to specify the manner of practising those meanes well which may conduct vs to our end And for the easier orders sake we wil deuide it into two parts In the former wherof shall be declared the manner of the pactising of diuers spirituall exercises heere after mentioned And in the latter we will giue instructions how we ought to demeane and carry our selues towards God his Saints towards our neighbours and towardes our selues The former part of the Way to lyue well THE VII EXRCISE What we should do in the Morning CHAP. I. A good Christian as soone as he awaketh in the morning must blesse himselfe making the signe of the holy Crosse that therewith he may defend himselfe as a buckler against all his enem●es and whatsoeuer euill may befall him the day following That done let him raise his mind vp to God yealding him his first thought And being vp he must practise foure things 1. He must giue God thanks for al benefits receyued of him in generall and in particular for preseruing him that night from all euill 2. He must offer vnto God his both body and soule to serue him and consecrate vnto him all his actions with an intent and purpose to do them to his greater honour and glory 3. He must make a purpose firme resolutiō of a better life then he hath lead the dayes past and of abstayning from all syns in particular from those whereunto the findeth himselfe most inclined 4. He must make petition to God that he would please to take him into his protection and safegard and craue grace that he may be able to put his good purposes in practise and to do all his good works most acceptable to the diuine will It will be very good also to the same effect to implore the aide and assistance of the most sacred Virgin Mary of our good Angell Patrone and other Saints for as much as they can do very much with God and may easily obtayne what we demaund And this done let him say a Pater and Aue. What we are to do at Night CHAP. II. BEFORE we take our rest it profiteth very much 1. To be thankfull to God for his benefits namely for those in particular which we haue receyued that very day 2. To make an examen of our conscience in the manner which we shall set down afterwards 3. To aske of God that he will vouchsafe to preserue keepe vs that night from sicknes from sodaine death from euill dreames disquiet and from all offending him To recommend our selues also to the Blessed Virgin mother of God and to our good Angell other Saints according to our deuotion and after to say some prayer as we did in the morning 4. Then to take holy water with deuotion and compunction of hart for as much as by the prayers of the Church it hath great effect to purge and wash away veniall syns 5. Beeing laid downe in bed to endeauour to fall a sleepe with some good thought or other in our mind What it is meete for vs to do in the day tyme CHAP. III. IN the day tyme it is good to exercise foure things 4. To take heed we spend not the tyme vnprofitably

sacred body with most cruell stripes And deryde the King of glory with a Crowne of Thornes Aue Maria. 9. His vnbeleeuing and vngratefull people rebell against him demaund that he should be crucified And a malefactour set at liberty in his place Aue Ma. 10. The ambitious Iudge ouercome with feare and flattery condemneth him to be crucified though he know him to be innocent Aue Maria. A Prayer to Christ in the agony of his death 5. O Author of life syth thou wilt dy● and my synnes are cause of thy death let me dye with thee or graunt me a liuely feeling of thy torments Pater Noster 1. He imbraceth his desyred Crosse with ioy and cheerfulnes of hart and carrieth it vpon his shoulderrs to the place of execution Aue Maria. 2. His body beeing weakned with the losse of much bloud he fainteth vnder the grieuous burden And the torturers ease him least he should dye vncrucified Aue Maria. 3. He forbiddeth the deuout women to weepe for him but for their owne synnes and their childrens And foretelleth the ruyne of that miserable perfidious Citty Aue Maria. 4. Vpon the Mount Caluary they stripping him of his clothes renew his wounds And he offereth his sacred hands and feete to to be nayled to the Crosse Aue M. 5. They lift vp his virginall body naked and nayled And he suffereth this temporall paine confusion to deliuer vs from the eternall Aue Maria. 6. From the Crosse he asketh pardon of his Father for his enemyes Aue Maria. 7. He recommendeth his beloued disciple in him al vs to his mother Aue Maria. 8. He promiseth pardon and glory to the penitēt Thiefe And tasteth gall and vinagre Aue Ma. 9. The prophesies and figures of his passion being fulfilled he giueth vp his most holy pure Spirit into the hands of his Father Aue Maria. 10. Heauē earth are astonished that God immortall should dye But dying he killeth sinne and death looseth the chaines of Hel reconcileth the world to his Father and restoreth man to eternall life Aue Maria. A prayer to Christ reuiued and triumphant 6. O Glorious Conqueror who art risen from death enriched with spoyles hast al power in heauen earth Let synne dye in me without which there is no death And giue me a new life which may please thee serue thee for euer Pater Noster 1. He sheweth himselfe aliue and glorious vnto his Blessed Mother disciples And changeth their sorrow into vnspeakable ioy Aue Maria. 2. After forty dayes he ascendeth with triumph into heauen to take possession of his Kingdome placed our humane nature on the right hand of God his Father Aue Maria. 3. His disciples in company of his holy mother retyred in prayer expect from heauen the Comforter promised Aue Maria. 4. The time being fullfilled the holy Ghost descendeth visibly vpon them in forme of fiery tongues And they publish the diuyne Christian misteryes of faith in diuers languages Aue Maria. 5. The playne vnpolished words of the Apostles receauing force from this Spirit take possession in the harts of men And thousands are conuerted togeather Aue Maria. 6. By the death and prayers of of S. Stephen Paul of a persecutor becometh an Apostle The fayth increaseth with the persecution and with the same spread into other Countreys Aue Maria. 7. The Apostles meete in Councell ordeyne the gouernment of the Church and deuide among themselues the Prouinces of the whole world which is conuerted as we see to Christ by twelue Fishermen so great is the force of this holy Spirit Aue Maria. 8. S. Iohn remayneth in Hierusalem with the Mother of God for her comfort And their admirable life and example authorizeth the fayth Aue Maria. 9. The Apostles miraculously come togeather at the death of the B. Virgin Aue Maria. 10. And her Soule departeth without payne out of the prison of her body Aue Maria. A Prayer in the exequies of our B. Lady with the Apostles 7. O Lord what happines had it byn to be with thy disciples at those Funeralls to haue celebrated thy wonderfull greatnes and prayses for the benefits receyued by this holy Virgin Pater Noster 1. Her soule the third day was reunited to her glorious body And assumpted into heauen with such solemnity as no mortall man can comprehend Aue M. 2. The most humble of all creatures is exalted aboue them all And crowned Queene of heauen and earth Aue Maria. 3. Amongst other prerogatiues which the Blessed Virgin enioyeth and wherin especially she delighteth is to be the Aduocate of sinners with Christ our Sauiour Aue Maria. The Conclusion with thankesgiuing LET Heauen and earth ioyne together with ioy and the Quiers of Angells with the voices of men to singe eternall prayses vnto God in Trinity and vnity for the mercyes receaued in this admirable work of our redemptiō Amen Credo in Deum c. A Coronary or Crowne for the obtayning of Christian Perfection The Prayer O My Lord Iesu Christ splendour of the Father and Eternall wisdome graunt me true knowledge continuall memory and a cordiall desire of the most noble and most precious end wherunto thou hast created me and a right choyce of the meanes which thou gast giuen me to obtaine it Amen 1. My principall end for which I was created is to loue obay and please Almighty God And the secondary or lesse principall is to saue my soule Aue M. 2. The meanes for this end are all other creatures the knowledge good vse of them Aue M. 3. This vse consisteth in adding or diminishing taking or leauing them by waight number measure as they may serue this end The disposition necessary to vse them aright is to be indifferent to all And in the execution that we preferre allwaies the more conuenient for this end before the lesse and the better before the worse Aue Ma. 1. O my Lord Iesu Christ c. Pater Noster 1. Make me vnderstand o Lord that for thy only goodnes thou louedst me from all eternity And hauing no need of me thou hast created me to thy Image likenes in the tyme most conuenient for my good Aue Ma. 2. And how thou hast placed me as a King in his Kingdome with iustice peace and inward ioy of my soule Aue Maria. 3. That thou hast made me a companion of the Angells and capable of all thy riches and aboue all of thy grace and friendship Aue Maria. 4. That I knowing thy infinite goodnes by experience and thy selfe by familiar conuersation might delight in thee and loue thee aboue all things with pure and disinteressed loue Aue Maria. 5. That I may serue thee for thy selfe with all the powers of my body and soule bycause thou deseruest to be serued and loued aboue all Aue Maria. 6 That in all things I may procure thy greater glory and the perfect accomplishment of thy diuine will Aue Maria.

manner of prayer specified the order in the acts demands there mētioned is not alwayes to be obserued For som … 〈◊〉 giueth so great light cleernes frō the very beginning moueth the hart of him that prayeth in such manner that the prayer is begon and ended with a familiar speach with his diuine Maiesty or with some affect of admiration of thanksgiuing of loue of compassion or the like 19. But aboue all it is to be vnderstood and obserued that Prayer is a peculier gift of God as likewise are all the acts and affections of it aboue said For many do see heare and read much and yet obserue not any thing to this purpose Others do obserue superficially but do not weigh nor ponder deeply to this end that which they haue obserued Some also know to ponder yea how to moue others with their wordes and yet haue little feeling themselues of that which they say because it is a particular gift of God to haue feeling deuotion in such spirituall affayres Others haue feeling but worke not accordingly bycause they suffer themselues to be ouercome with the difficultyes which our depraued nature representeth and the Diuell suggesteth and nourisheth to the end that the good purposes made be not put in execution But to conclude who liueth wel prayeth wel And although he be briefe and barrē in words yet wil our Lord that looketh into his intention and workes heare him willingly and dispatch him with great liberality if he be found loyal and gratefull for benefits receyued And so much more abundantly by how much he is more free liberall with his diuine Maiesty 20. Prayer is the Golden Key which openeth the gates of Royall Pallaces euen to the inermost closets And at all howers giueth free entrance and accesse to the King 21. And if the naturall pleasure which men fynd in liuing neare vnto those who in soueraigne power resemble God so much the more by how much they are more like vnto him in iustice and goodnes be sufficient to ouercome all the incommodityes and labours which those that serue Kings Princes do endure continually in their seruice What pleasure is it to serue neere vnto God himselfe to be conuersant with him and to haue free entrance to his presence at all houres and in al places by meanes of Prayer 22. His conuersation is so sweet and his presence so delightfull that the blessed Spirits doe and shall entertayne themselues therewith for all eternity without wearynes or desyre to enioy any other good 23. Yea we see heere vpon earth that Saint Paul and S. Hilarion and many such others that gaue themselues wholy to prayer and contemplatiue life liued many yeares in the wildernes must solitary deserts with great ioy and contentment fynding no want of conuersation with men nor of the commodities and pleasures of Cittyes being sufficiently ētertayned with this only comunication and conuersation with God by meanes of Prayer 24. And so we read of Saint Anthony that after he had spent all the night in prayer he complayned of the Sunne which he had left behind his backe ouernight when in the morning it did arise in his face troubled his attention and the quietnes of his prayer 25. Prayer made the same S. Anthony so learned without vse of bookes that he astonished the Philosophers of Alexandria that came to see him because he had his light from heauen and the whole vniuersity of Gods creatures serued him for a library And whosoeuer studieth as he should in this library of S. Anthony cannot faile to proue both wise and learned 26. Prayer guided King Dauid in the gouernment of his subiects and is an excellent Counsellour of Kings and of all those that do manage waighty affayres not to erre in thē as Iosue erred when he was deceyued by the Gabionites bycause he did not consult his resolution with God nor aske him counsaile in prayer before he gaue them answere 27. And to conclude in one word the profit and dignity of Prayer it maketh men like vnto Angells who without losing the sight of their God worke accomplish his Cōmaundments and they alwayes worke aright and are not subiect to error bycause they worke alwayes with the knowledge which they receaue from the fountaine of light 28. It is an Angelicall life to liue and worke in the presence of God as it is of bruite beasts to spend the time in forgetfulnes of him without the vse of prayer The felicity of beasts is to seeke only delight in sensuall pleasures without thanks for benefitts receyued or memory of obligatiōs present or prouidēce of necessities to come But man by the dignity of his nature is bound to more because his soule is immortall and his body shall rise again from death and both together enioy for euer that which they haue prouided together for themselues in this life with God in eternall felicity or with the damned spirits in misery and torments that neuer shall haue end from which God deliuer vs for his mercy Amen A PRAYER to our Blessed Lady O Most pious Virgin Mary Mother of God in most humble manner I beseech thee by the great loue thou bearest to thy deare Sonne my Lord and Sauiour Iesus-Christ That thou wouldest vouchsafe to obtayne for me true sorrow for my sinnes a perfect keeping of all my Senses an humble Resignation of my selfe the exercise of those vertues wherewith thou didst so highly please thy diuine Sonne I also most humbly request thee to direct my wayes in those pathes which may be most agreable to the wil of thy Sonn● and profitable for the saluation of my Soule Amen sweet Iesus AN ACT OF CONTRITION O My Lord Iesus Christ true God and Man my Creatour and Redeemer thou being whome thou art and for that I loue thee aboue all thinges it greiueth me from the bottome of my hart that I haue offended thy diuin Maiesty Loe heere I firmely purpose neuer to sinne any more and to fly all occasions of offending thee And to confesse and fulfill the pen●ance which shal be enioyned me for the same And for loue of thee I do freely pardon all my enemies And do offer my life wordes and workes in satisfaction for my sinnes Wh 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 I most humbly beseech thee trusting in thy infinite goones and mercy that by the merites of thy most pretious bloud and passion thou wouldest pardon me giue me grace to amend my life and to perseuere therin vntill death Amen FINIS