mercy upon me By all thine anguish thou didst feel in the suspension of the divine aid have mercy upon me By the immensity of thy love in this thy most copious Redemption have mercy upon me and fill my Soul with the love of thee By all the barbarous outrages which thou didst endure for me deliver me from all mine Enemies visible and invisible My dearest Lord be thou the only supream love of my heart and the life of my Soul Let thy Virtues be in all my Actions and be thy honour the sole end of all my intentions Let me live in thy Wounds and for ever remain in thy love O my dear Lord Jesus thou heavenly Physitian of all humane nature thou great and glorious and eternal King remember I beseech thee all the bitter pains thou didst endure in all thy sacred members when thou wert hoised up on the Cross for me And let not my Soul be lost which cost thee all those inexplicable pains Make me feelingly and thankfully to remember how all thy precious body was rent and torn thy sacred limbs tortur'd and rackt thy head pierced thy bones disjoynted and all thy body broken for me Let me never forget this love of thine or ever offend thee more From the crown of the head to the soal of the foot thou hadst no part left whole in thee Never suffering like thine Never dolor like thine Never love like thy love Yet wert thou unmindful of all thine own Sufferings and didst pray to thy Father for thy cruel enemies O by this mercy of thine give me love and mercy to all that offend me and do thou now have mercy upon me Grant that I may always have such a devout memory and feeling of thy Passion that it may be a most powerful protection of my Soul against all temptation O thou who hanging on the Tree didst there make satisfaction for the sins of the world have mercy upon all Men. Convert the Obdurate Convince Hereticks Reduce Schismaticks Call in the Jews Bring in the fulness of the Gentiles Make all the Profane to tremble at thy Word Enflame all luke-warm Christians with an holy zeal unto thee Take pity on those who do not pity themselves Bring us all into obedience unto thee O holy Father accept of this propitiatory Sacrifice of thine only eternal Son for the full pacification of thy wrath and for the satisfaction and salvation of all returning sinful penitent and believing Souls Bring all that are ignorant of this thy Sons redeeming love to the knowledg of it and thee Since it is life eternal to know thee O holy Father and Jesus Christ whom thou hast sent Make all those who are ignorant of the terms of the Gospel to know and embrace the same Bring in all who are out of the Covenant of Grace by sincere faith and unfeigned Repentance into Covenant with thee Convert those in particular whom I am obliged to pray for effectually Keep my Soul for ever from offending thee Let this sweet peace my Saviour hath purchased with his own blood never more be broken between me and thee Let none of my rebellions break it keep me from sin that it never be disturbed O blessed Jesus as there was darkness at the hour of thy Passion over all the Earth untill the Ninth hour deliver me from all the works and from the place of everlasting darkness by thy holy sufferings in this hour Amen O soveraign Lord and blessed Saviour Jesus our only Redeemer Saviour of the World who by the sole motive of thy mercy didst humble thy Soul to the death for our Redemption and ascend to thy Father for the full accomplishment of our peace graciously apply to our Souls the infinite Merits of thy sacred Passion and with thy precious blood cleanse us from all our sins nail them to thy Cross hide them in thy Wounds bury them in thy Grave that they may die in us and we live in thee the life of Grace here and the life of Glory hereafter wherewith the Father and the Holy Ghost thou livest and reignest in the Unity of the Glorious Trinity ever blessed World without end Amen Prayers for the Ninth Hour O Blessed Jesus I come now to commemorate thy holy Death which after all thy pains hanging so tedious a time on the Cross thou didst suffer at the Ninth Hour in full satisfaction for all our sins O by this death of thine have mercy upon me let it kill crucifie and destroy all sin in me let me die unto the World and live henceforth only unto thee At the Ninth Hour was thy Heart pierced with a Spear O transfix my Heart unto thee By that precious Water and Blood shed for me have mercy upon me wash cleanse purifie heal my wounded and defiled Soul Then blessed Jesus did the virtue of the Holy Sacraments flow from thy sacred side the Water by which we are regenerated the Blood by which we are redeemed give me evermore the virtue and benefit thereof Then was thy sacred Soul separated from thy Holy Body O separate me from this evil World and unite me wholly unto thee Then didst thou admit the Thief into Paradise O admit me into thy Heavenly Kingdom For all these stupendious Mercies I praise and magnifie thy Name for ever I beseech thee that the power and effect of all thou hast done for me may be saving to me Make me now to feel the horror of Sin and the sorrow due unto it that hath cost thee thy life and the very last drop of Blood to make atonement for it O that I could comprehend the immense love of my dying Saviour that I might make some grateful return of love unto thee Why should not the sense of thy Weeping make mine eyes to overflow with tears for offending Why should not the Blood which thou didst shed for me make me desirous to shed mine for the love of thee O my dear Lord let thy thirsting brest make mine to thirst and languish after thee inebriate me with the delicious viands of thy grace and love since my Soul can take no satisfaction in any thing but thee O fountain of living Waters to thee I come let me by faith drink up the Water and Blood which flowed from thee As thy Heart was broken for me break mine with sorrow for offending thee proceeding purely from the love I owe unto thee Hide me in thy wounded side till thy Fathers indignation be over past By thy precious Blood save me By thy holy Water cleanse me By thy prevailing death give me life and By thy Resurrection Glory O blessed Jesus what a bill of payment hast thou here discharged what an acquittance hast thou made for me The Rocks did rent the Graves open the Heavens mourn the Earth did shake at thy Passion and shall I evermore make leight of any transgression more O strike the Rock of my hard Heart that it may kindly flow forth in tears for thee as thou didst overflow
of the Righteous for all holy and humble men of heart Those Incarnate Cherubims Inflamed Seraphims Strong Powers against Devils Principalities in the midst of contumelies Dominions reigning over all enticements Those Virtues in a miraculous life Those Angels of the Churches and Arch-Angels who by close Communion with thee illuminate and encourage us to serve thee For Ananias Azarias and Misael their courage and miraculous deliverance I praise bless and magnifie thy Name for ever Saying Glory be to the Father c. Thanksgivings for all Persons and Times BLessed art thou O Lord God who sustainest all things by the word of thy Power For by thine Ordinance all things are and do continue Thou givest us Rain and fruitful Seasons and fillest our Hearts with food and gladness With admirable Wisdom didst thou create and dost still govern all things But above all I admire thy Wisdom Power and Goodness shewed unto Man Thou madest him of the mould of the Earth and didst breath into his Nostrils the breath of Life Thou didst honour him and create him after thine own Image giving him a capacious Soul sound Judgment clear Understanding ready Apprehension useful Memory clear Reason a ready and obedient Will so that with these faculties we can by thy Divine aid walk at large in the liberty of our thoughts into all the Regions of Heaven and Earth see thee in all times and before all time in that Eternity wherein thou didst live before Time began to be and in that Eternity also which shall be when Time shall be no more By these powers and faculties of our immortal Souls we can see thee also by thy divine Illumination In all thy works of Grace In thy Government of all Ages And in that most stupendious work of Redemption promised in the beginning and performed in the fulness of time for our Salvation O Lord our God how excellent is thy name in all the World It is thou who givest us well order'd Passions sound Sences Health of Body strength of Limbs and useful Members Thou givest us peace of Mind and tranquillity of Spirit by which only we can happily enjoy thee and all things in thee It is thou alone who givest thine Angels charge over us to keep us from falls fractures of Bones Dislocations Epidemical and noisome Diseases from the hands of the violent and wicked man Having placed Man in Paradise when he fell from thee even then thou didst not despise him but didst open the gate of Life in the promised seed unto him Thou didst write thy Laws in his Heart and instruct him in the service of Sacrifices Strengthen our faith by the Oracles of the Prophets Enliven our Hearts with the Melody of the Psalms Teach us by the Wisdom of the Proverbs Evidently point out the coming of thy Son by Types and Figures And at last recompence all their long waitings and expectations by sending him unto us Who took our nature upon him and sanctified it in his Incarnation Birth and Life Redeemed us by his Death and Passion Quickened us by his Resurrection Exalted us by his Ascension Intercedeth for us in his Session at the right hand of the Father Sent down his holy Spirit for our Illumination Sanctification and hope of Glory O blessed be thy Name for giving this Lord of Life and this Son of thy Love unto us For thy glorious Gospel Evangelizing him For the prospect and benefit of his Life and Death It is thou most holy Father who with thine only Son freely givest us all things By thee Kings reign and Princes decree Justice Thou instructest all our Rulers and teachest our Senators wisdom Thou givest us Pastors after thine own heart to fill us with the knowledg of thee and feed us with true faith and obedience unto thee Thou bringest down our hearts for sin so that we sometimes fall before our enemies and there is none to help us Again upon our Repentance thou raisest us up and breakest our bonds in sunder For it is thou who castest our cords from us Thou dost not leave us in the hardness of our hearts but givest us preventing grace with which if we co-operate O how sweet and heavenly are the glorious effects thereof Then we feel compunction for our sins shame of them hearty indignation against them and our selves for them then the sense of thy Love of thy Mercies and of our moâ—t base and vile ingrateful abuse of thy mercies throws down all the strong holds of sin in us and fortifies us against them Nay sometimes thou dost send thy grace so forcibly upon us that thou dost even compell us to come in unto thee Though thou delightest O thou lover of men to see thy Voluntary goodness shine in our Souls O would we draw nigh unto thee with what infinite joy dost thou draw nigh unto us But thou wilt not always force us because thou desirest a free obedience and lovest to save us in the best of all possible manners The glory of a sinner voluntarily returning being greater than that of Adams Innocence and causing greater joy in Heaven then there is over ninety and nine just persons that need no repentance Blessed magnified highly exalted and honoured be thy Name for putting such a power into our hands of turning unto thee such desires into our Hearts such powerful workings in our Souls that every true penitent is always turning more and more unto thee ever moving to thee and aspiring after thee till by thy grace he be wholly throughly and effectually turned unto thee Finding no true satisfaction but in thee no rest no comfort no peace but in thee Thus by degrees dost thou wean us from the world and wed us unto thee Till at last we are fully accepted pardoned and in Jesus Christ justified and by thy Spirit wholly united unto thee So thirsting for and drinking in thy grace that at last thou givest us full satisfaction in all thy Glories Dearest Lord it is thine own self that workest all our works in us And therefore well mayest thou require all good works from us Thou makest that good ours which first was thine That so in us thy whole goodness might shine For thou alone enablest us to do good and to resist evil Thou teachest us how to abound without abusing thy mercy and how to want without repining at thy justice Thou dost help us to overcome yet crownest us for overcoming O wonder of Mercy miracle of Grace It is thou only dost comfort us in our sorrows support us in our trials and take care of our welfare in all estates Thou givest us Songs in the night of affliction and victory in the day of temptation It is only thou canst qualifie our turbulent tempestuous spirits and give us calmness and serenity therein Who could make our impatient natures contented in the midst of all the storms and tempests of a raging world but only thou It is thou alone dost establish our fickle hearts and fix them fast on
with that constancy and unweariedness that was fitting till brought to an end our Refections and Recreations were they used with that sobriety as was meet and broken off with cheerfulness to go fresh to our Masters service again 3. Were all things done in their due and set time or did we fail otherwise than for necessity or charity out of inconstancy in good things or tediousness of our proper business 4. Lastly have we done what we might have done by the means afforded us by the opportunities offer'd us such hints given such impulsions moving such occasions inviting Or have we done contrary have we fail'd in any one kind or more in our duty or manner of doing it by omission not doing what we ought And how often and how deeply and why did we so Then sum up readily what comes to mind in every kind with ordinary intention of mind and without study such hath been our Lords blessings such his provisions for us such his scourges if any such temptations to prove our faithfulness and for return of service thus and thus have we done no better in answer to all his love and care for us All his talents helps means opportunities impulsions restraints upon us and these our rebellions if any gross sin these failings that we know of and for our secret sins who can tell how oft he offendeth and worse than thus we had done had not he upholden us with his hands prevented supported restrained us by his grace Lord I know I have done amiss I have done evil in thy sight thou alone knowest how much how evil Thou seest my Soul wherein thy discharge lies in a peace-offering of Praise a sin-offering of sorrow and contrition for offences committed with a promise of better obedience These make up the Evening Sacrifice and with these prepare to meet thy God A Prayer against Afflictions HEavenly Father seeing thou art willing so to have it let the cup of thy wrath and displeasure pass from us and let the cup of thy blessing be ever amongst us expose us not good Father to those bloody and grievous conflicts with the powers of Hell and darkness which thy Son sustained for us Oh lay no more upon us than thou shalt give us strength and patience through him and for him to undergo and vanquish Make us to triumph as conquerors in this victory over Hell and Satan over all the power of the enemy Amen A Brief Soliloquy by way of Admonition FOrasmuch as the violence of sickness which ordinarily goes before death hinders us often from applying our selves in due manner to God in our last duties suitable to that estate to prevent such hinderances it will be to very good purpose O my Soul to make choice of some solemn time of Retirement every year if not every week or day to do such duties in before-hand which then we should but cannot so well perform An Exercise Preparative to a good Death consisting of several Acts of Piety VIZ. I. Submission to the sentence of Death II. Thanksgiving for all benefits of the life past III. Confession of our Sins IV. A Prayer to die to Sin V. A Petition for the Virtues of the dying Jesus with special recommendation of those of our charge to Gods grace and blessing and of our own spirits into the hand of God I. A Submission to the Sentence of Death O Lord my God in most profound humility of Soul and Body I cast my self at the feet of thy Divine Majesty adoring thee as my Soveraign Judg who hast pronounc'd against me and all sinners in the first man that sinned the sentence of death saying Dust thou art and to dust thou shalt return In homage of thy Divine Justice I submit from my Soul to the sentence then pronounced against me acknowledging it most just and due to me both for that and infinite other sins of mine that I have since committed against thee As also in homage of the bloody and shameful death of thy Son Jesus Christ who after that he had suffer'd unspeakable sorrows of his soul in his Agony and bloody sweat offer'd up himself a Sacrifice for mine and the sins of the whole World I resign my self wholly to thy Will touching my death at least I desire so to do for the time and place and manner and all circumstances that all be according to the high pleasure of thy holy Will If thou hast ordained that I die a painful death and even a shameful death or that I should be forsaken and cast off by all humane succours so my God be ever with me I submit If I should be void of reason or sense by the extremity of my disease so as to fall into any idle or even evil words any thing against the Catholick Faith thy house or the purity of the Christian profession I yield my self a living sacrifice to thee to do and to be done with as it shall please thee Only I make this protestation that I abhor from my soul and renounce and hereby revoke all or any such words as may be offensive to Christian ears as none of mine humbly begging this my protestation may be entred in thy Book resolved and ready by thy grace if thou shouldst call me to die for the honour of thy name of the Christian Catholick faith and religion to thy glory and the eternal salvation of my poor soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen II. Having accepted the sentence of Death the first thing we are to do is to prepare for an holy Death to be thankful to God for all the benefits of this life GRacious God the fountain of all goodness and all Graces out of the storehouse of whose all-sufficiency Angels and Men and all Creatures have received all the good that is in them that they have and that they can do I bless and adore thy sacred Majesty for all thy goodness to all and especially to me and mine for all thy blessings of my being and well-being from the first hour of my conception to this day from the womb and from the breasts to my riper years to my age of full strength to my gray hairs for all thy blessings in the Ordinances of Nature and Grace and for the hopes of glory for all the Blessings of my Creation Redemption Preservation for all the good things thou hast bestowed upon me and all the evil thou hast saved me from or kept from me bodily or ghostly for the abundant supply of all my necessities of body and soul for all my worldly comforts and ghostly comforts for all thy mercies in forgiving my infinite transgressions for all thy patience in bearing with my follies and for thy long-suffering in my errors and strayings expecting my return and for all thy goodness in receiving thy child thy prodigal Child so graciously for all the gifts of grace for thy holy Spirit and for all the means of Grace and for the good use of it and them For all the good