the door of repentance and life to us all allowing us all means of emendation and conversion the admirable treasure of the divine Scriptures the wonderful benefits of the holy Sacraments innumerable patterns of good living and dying and together with all the comforts of this visible world rejoyce and honour with his hope of everlasting felicity through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen VII Saturday THe heavens declare the glory of God and the firmament sheweth his handy work One day telleth another and one night certifyeth another of the great power and bounty of the Creatour blessed for ever There is neither speech nor language but their voices are heard amongst them Their sound is gone out to all lands and their words to the worlds end Psal. 19. The Lord giveth food to all flesh and feedeth the young ravens that call upon him The Lord cloatheth the grass of the field and bringeth forth herbs for the use of man and beast The Lord helpeth them to right that suffer wrong and looseth men out of prison The Lord giveth sight to the blind and to the seeing The Lord helpeth them that are fallen and raiseth the dead He cureth the broken hearted and giveth medicine to heal the sick The Lord caâ—eth for the righteous and humble but scorneth and debaseth the proud The Lord is nigh unto all that call upon him that call upon him faithfully My mouth shall speak the praise of the Lord and let all the world above and below give thanks unto his holy name for ever and ever Amen Tread firmly O disciple of Christ in the footsteps of thy meek and holy master for these lead still upwards unto supercelestial and endless glory Interpose O blessed Jesus thy passions cross and death between the Divine Justice and this poor soul both now and in the hour of death and in the day of judgment Grant O Lord to the living mercy and grace to the faithful departed a joyful resurrection To thy Catholick Church peace and concord truth and righteousness and to me and all sinners repentance and pardon and life everlasting Amen Or By thy bloody Sweat thy Thorny Crown and Scourges thy pierced Hands and Feet the fountain of Bloud and water opened in thy precious side by thy dying groans and acclamations thy prayers and benedictions be merciful unto me a vile sinner spare me and bless me O my crucified Love. Amen THE LARGER OFFICE GOING TO BED CHAP. X. I. Sunday I Will lay me down in peace and take my rest for it is thou Lord onely that makest me dwell in safety Psal. 4.9 Whom have I in heaven but thee O Lord and what is there on earth that I desire in comparison of thee Thou art about my path and my bed and spiest out all my ways Psal. 139.2 Have mercy upon me and all mine this night O blessed Jesus who didst die and revive for us that whether we wake or sleep we should live together with thee Hallelujah 1 Thess. 5.10 Or From morning to night I will bless the Lord. Now to him who is able to keep me and all his servants from falling and to present us at length pardoned and faultless before the presence of his glory with exceeding great joy to the only wiseGod our Saviour and Defender be glory and majesty dominion power and praise both now and for ever Amen My trust is in the tender mercy of God for ever and ever Psalm 52.9 Let me and all mine yea let me and all thine O holy Father now sleep in peace and wake in Christ begin the next return of reason with heavenly Meditation Amen Or To Gods gracious Protection I most humbly commit my self my family and friends and all the faithful and all the afflicted The Lord bless us and keep us The Lord make his face to shine upon us and be gracious unto us The Lord lift up his countenance upon us and give us peace both now and evermore Amen by the merits and intercession of Jesus our onely Saviour and Advocate BENEDICTIO II. Munday IN the Name of God I will lay me down to rest The almighty Lord be now and evermore my Defence against all perils both of Sleep and Death Amen for Jesus his sake Thou art worthy O Lord to receive Glory Honour and Power for thou hast created all things and for thy Wills sake they were created and are preserved Blessed be thy name world without end Amen Or Great Ruler of the day and night Upon our darkness cast thy Light With safe and kind Repose allay The Care and Trouble of the day That when thou shalt unclose my eyes Healthful and pure I may arise Fit for the morning Sacrifice Or O praise the Lord ye Angels of his that excell in strength that are always waking and always active O praise the Lord all ye his Hosts ye Spirits and Souls of the Righteous ye servants of his that do his pleasure O speak good of the Lord all ye works of his in all places of his dominion Praise thou the Lord O my soul and in praising turn thee to thy rest The glorious Majesty of the Lord endureth for ever the Lord shall rejoyce in his works Amen Psal. 103. III. Tuesday THis night and the days and nights of my appointed time defend O Lord protect spare deliver and bless thy servant who putteth his trust in thee through Jesus Christ. Amen I will remember thee upon my bed and think upon thee when I am waking Because thou hast been my helper therefore under the shadow of thy wings will I rejoyce my soul hangeth upon thee and thy right hand upholdeth me Thy loving Kindness is better then life better then all the glories and pleasures of the whole world Let me now rest O benign Saviour where thy beloved Disciple did that my sleep may be sweet that my dreaming may be of thee of thy Redemption and of thy glorious mansions Or my flesh shall rest in hope that thou Lord wilt raise me both from the Bed and from the Grave and wilt shew me the paths of Life both temporal and eternal for the sake of thy wellbeloved Son whom thou sufferedst to die for the world but not to see corruption Amen Just and righteous are thy ways O Lord who will not fear and serve thee Let us rejoyce and be exceeding glad and secure for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth Rev. 19.5.6 Every where and at all times will I think upon my mortal and sinful life and upon thy continual and great Mercys In thee O Lord have I put my trust that I be not confounded though altogether unworthy of thy eye and regard In thee only I confide Amen with great ardor and expectation O God leave not my soul destitute IV. Wednesday THe Lord is my shepherd therefore can I lack nothing Though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death and sleep is that valley I will fear no evil for thou art with me thy rod and thy staff comfort
will receive the cup of salvation and call upon the name of the Lord and offer unto him the sacrifice of thanksgiving through Jesus Christ. Amen Psal. 116.11 12 15. AT RECEIVING THE CUP· CHAP. XIII I. AMen Jesus Master have mercy on us Luke 17.13 Let this Blood purge my Conscience from dead works to serve thee the Almighty and most gracious Father to honour thee the Everliving Saviour and for ever to obey and fear thee most holy and quickning Spirit Amen Lord I will serve thee better I will obey thee Succour my weakness pity my infirmity Dear Lord. Lord thou knowest all things thou knowest that I love thee Iohn 21.17 What honour hath Almighty God done me that I should be the vessel of this divine mystery and bear within my breast the Lord Jesus I adore I give thanks II. Thou art made whole go and sin no more no more by anger lust excess fraud slandering c. Ioh. 8.11 Our God is a consuming fire to the perverse and impenitent Our God is a merciful Father to the humble and relenting Orator As is his Majesty so is his mercy Ecclus. 2.18 Both infinite and incomprehensible both to be acknowledged admired and adored O Majesty everlasting I fear thee I worship thee I trust in thee through Jesus Christ. Amen Let me not O let me not again pollute this body and soul with my habitual and grievous sins as c. after I have received thy body and blood O Lord who hast created me and redeemed me Grant me thy grace O God that I may fulfil the places and offices thou callest me to in this life Amen III. Lord bless these and the rest of my brethren and let us live eternally together ever praising and Adoring thee For by this great and attractive sacrament we all become one bread one bloud one soul and consent have all one faith one hope one heaven one Lord the blessed Lord Jesus the knot and center of this most immense and pious fraternity and eminently one God and Father of all who is above all and through all and in us all to whom be glory and obedience everlasting Amen in heaven Amen on earth From thy one precious body O wonderful Saviour thou feedest and revivest five thousand and five thousand thousand millions of thy disciples and followers Aeternae tanta est opulentia mensae Prudent Say O Lord and thy word is omnipotent This day salvation is come unto this house Luk. 19.9 IV. The bread of God is he that came down from heaven and giveth light to the world Lord evermore give us of this bread Ioh. 6.33 34. Thus thus will we shew sorth thy death O Jesus till thou comest again and blessed are those servants whom at the end of the world the Lord shall find so doing yea verily blessed is he that eateth meat in the kingdom of God. Luk. 12. 43. c. 14.15 He that solemnly and faithfully and seriously contemplates my Passion and Philanthropy and amends his life for that consideration He that eateth my Flesh and drinketh my Blood hath eternal life and I will raise him up at the last day Amen Holy Jesus who art the Resurection and the life Ioh. 6.54 56. Master it is good for us to be here Mark. 9.2 Do not our hearts burn within us while the Lord opens to us the scriptures opens to us his precious side Full is the satisfaction inexpressible the joy of those that love thee O Jesus Angels and men consent heaven and earth joyn together to praise thee serve and worship thee and with these my poor soul the meanest of all thy creation Good Lord accept us I will give thanks unto thee among thy people and sing praises unto thee among the faithful My heart is fixed O God my heart is fixed For thy â—ercy is greater then the heavens and thy truth reaâ—heth above the clouds Set up thy self O Lord above the heavens and thy glory above all the earth Thou hast wrought redemption in the midst of the earth O Jesus and vanquisht all the enemies of guilty mankind and art seated at the right hand of Father the Lord and worship of angels Hosanna in the highest The right hand of the Lord hath the preeminence the right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass The word was made flesh the beloved Son of God died for us Let them now that fear the Lord confess that his mercy endureth for ever V. I â—ill read Ioh. c. 18. and c. 17. the security and consolation of the Church and also Rom. c. 8. and the hymn Come holy Ghost our souls inspire c. In the ordering of Priests Almighty God who hast given thy onely Son to be unto us both a sacrifice for sin and also an example of Godly life Give us grace that we may always most thankfully receive that his inestimable benefit and also daily endeavour our selves to follow the blessed steps of his most holy life through the same Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen Most holy spirit the efficacy and life of this mystery bless me with these thy gifts and fruits meekness modesty sobriety prudence diligence honesty fidelity constancy chariâ—y kindness and devotion from the time of this holy Sacrament For I have now dedicated and given up entirely my soul senses and affections my will wit and reason to the glory and service of Jesus Christ who dyed for me I must I will obey him in all things Lord forgive Lord help me My soul doth magnifie the Lord and my spirit rejoyceth in God my Saviour O how plentiful is thy goodness which thou hast laid up for them that fear thee and that thou hast prepared for them that put their trust in thee Psal. 21.21 I am altogether confounded and swallowed up with the immense grace of God I am throughly possest glorious Lord with thy love and boundless favour to me I long I here endeavour yet cannot tell how to express my thankfullness and obedience My thoughts and contrivance and my words and lauds my action and zeal cannot do it to any fitness or content Lord still excite and still direct my gratitude I would be as thankful to thee as humble as obedient as any creature in heaven or earth Father Almighty make me so Amen Now Lord Jesus who wast expanded on the cross for me command me what thou wilt Use me in the hazards and difficulties of thy Church thy purchase and thy glory Bid me walk upon the sea I will obey thee and thy right hand shall hold me up And I will not deny thee in the Court or in the Garden I am ready to lay down my estate my liberty and also my life would to God it were a clean and entire sacrifice for Christs religion and to be obedient unto the death Assist and strengthen my mind O blessed Saviour by thy grace thy intercession thy example Amen All power is given unto me in heaven and in earth faith the ascending Jesus Go ye therefore
and gracious God Father and fountain of mercies have mercy upon me anâ— spare me Out of the depths do I cry unto thee I have depressed by staind and miserable soul to the brink of hell Out of the depths do I cry unto thee Father spare me Father pity me I am oppressed I am in great misery my soul is exceeding sorrowful as unto death Eli Eli hear me and pardon me Enter not into â—udgment with me who am dust and ashes sin and weakness Let not the storm overwhelm me nor the depth of sorrow swallow me up nor the sence of thy anger destroy me Psal. 69.15 Father I am no more worthy to be called thy son or to be reckoned in thy creation But according to the infinity of thy mercies O Lord do away my iniquity and blot out my transgressions Psal. 51.1 2. My heart faileth me O Lord make hasts to help me Psal. 40.30 By thy cries and pains O Jesus deliver me from the guilt and burden of my sins from the terrors of my wakned conscience and from the unconceivable torments of hell By thy wounded head thy bored hands they lanced side thy pierced feet thy tortured body and afflicted soul by all the disgraces and passions of Gethsemane Gabbatha and Golgotha save me and deliver me O Christ at this hour and at the hour of death and in the day of judgement Amen Father and Saviour and Comforter let this bitter cup pass from me I humbly beseech thee Look upon me O precious Saviour Lamb of God in my sorrow and distress as once thou didst on Peter that denied thee and wept bitterly Compassionate me as thou didst the sinful Magdaleâ—e and as thou didst the penitent thief who confessed and believed in the anguish and paroxysme of the Cross. I deserved all their griefs and ten thousand pains and punishment more Intercede now for me Holy Jesus with thy dying petition Father forgive them for they know not what they do O Lord of glory I look unto thee I earnestly look unto thee whom I have pierced whom not so much Herod and Pontius Pilate and the Roman souldiers as sinful and wretched I have dishonoured pierced and crucified Lord forgive Lord save me or I perish for ever The Christ of God hide me in thy wounds By the blood of thy testament revive and release me I hope in thy merciful intercession For thy Fatherly tenderness and the numberless blessings already received from thy bountiful hand and through the passion and mediation of thy beloved Son and by the unutterable groans and suggestions of thy holy Spirit pardon and deliver me Lord God Almighty Amen IV. Resolution I will never adventure more to try and weary the grace and patience of Almighty God the righteous judge and avenger I now break off my sins by repentance and resolved amendment I see what brought me to this shameful and perillous defection it was this occasion that invitation that excess that eye this rashness that supinity Wherefore I now solemnly Renounce cast off and abominate the wicked and wounding practises of my life as c together with all their inducement and principles From this very hour and blessed be God who hath granted me this hour by prayer temperance charity industry fear and caution in all my actions and enterprices I fully purpose and now begin God helâ—ing me of his infinite goodness and pity to alter and Reform my life according to the gospel and example of Jesus Christ my Lord and also by kindness charity and almsdoing I will manifest to the world the sincerity and vigour of my Repentance and renovation V. Petition for grace HOly Father incline direct and fortifie my heart to pursue this pious and necessary Resolution that iniquity be not my ruine Ezek. 18.30 Thy grace is sufficient for me Lord soften bruise change and reform my soul according to thy own will according to thy own image and after the likeness and innocence of Adam when thou first breathest into him life and reason yea according to the same tâ—mper and purity I most humbly beseech thee wherein by thy grace I once ascended from the laver of Regeneration Tit. 3.5 Amen for Jesus Christ his sake Pardon and destroy not Amâ—nd and destroy not Most merciful Creator the work of thy own hands by me presumptuously and shamefully profaned Destroy not O blessed Saviour the purchase of thy precious blood the decaying part of thy mystical body Destroy not O Holy Spirit the subject of thy regeneration and various bounty Destroy not O everblessed and everadored Trinity the humblest and meanest of all that believe and worship thy Majesty Oh break not this bruised reâ—d Let the wicked forsake his ways and the unrighteous man his thoughts and let him return unto the Lord and he will have mercy upon him and to our God for he will abundantly pardon for Jesus's sake Isa. 55.7 Come unto me all ye that labour and are heavy laden alas I feel my transgressions heavy and numberless as the sands of the sea and I will give you rest saith the compassionate Saviour Take my yoke upon you and learn of me for I am meek and lowly in heart and ye shall find rest for your souls Matth. 26.28.29 This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptation that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am chief I the vilest 1. Tim. 1.15 Such gracious sentences of the Holy Scriptures are my last hold are my plank O Lord make haste to help me Sickness and Pain CHAP. XVII I Will bear thy indignation O Lord till mercy prevaileth against judgment because I have sinned against thee Micah 7.9 Why should I yet living I complain for the punishment of my sin for any thing short of unquenchable fire Thou knowest whereof we are made Remember O Lord that I am but dust a fading flower and a transient blast remember for his sake who out of infinite condescension and pity bore our nature and our infirmities Amen Psal. 103.14 15 16. All my desire is before thee O Lord and my groaning is not hid from thee Turn unto me O Lord and deliver my soul for thy mercies sake Enlighten and cleansâ— and heal and revive thy servant that my ways may please thee that I may see the goodness of thy chosen and rejoyce with thine inheritance Amen Though the outward man perish alas I perceive I feel it perishing yet good Lord renew the inwarâ—â—an day by day Secure the part immortal that which understands thee loves thee praises thee and now aspires to thy beatifick presence for Christs sake See CHAP. VI. § 1. of this Book Hope in God and Resignation to his Pleasure CHAP. XVIII See CHAP. VI. §. 8. of this Book O Wretched creature that I am who shall deliver me from this body of death Rom. c. 7.24 The sting of death is sin and the strength of sin is the law But thanks be to God who giveth us the victory