Three sorts of preparation for saying the Divine Offices THe first of living well which is to be exercised in doing all pious works to restrain our selves from all vanities and daily to keep our hearts free and pure from all things that may in the least sort soyle them alwaies directing our thoughts and works whatsoever unto Almighty God and his honour The 2. is that before we begin the Divine Office we be carefull to recollect our spirits excluding all forrain thoughts or whatsoever may give us distraction in our Divine Office considering seriously what wee are going bouâ—… It behoveth us also diligently to weigh these things following That we come To worship God To thank God To intreate God First we come to worship God in three persons and one essence with the worship of Patria which is due to God alone for the benefit of justification that is the Incarnation of his only son our B. Saviour his life death Resurrection and Ascension which Mysteries we ought carefully to consider and ponder with great devotion and reverence 2. We come to thank God in praysing him for the great benefits which we have received and do momentarily receive and hope to receive herafter Therfore it is requisit that we behold and renew the same every houre and moment of our life but especially when we are so particularly employed in a worke that hath so great relation and adherence thereunto 3. We go to intreat God in beseeching his most immeasurable clemency for our own necessities and those of the whole Church but to bring all these particulars with more facility to our mind it will assist us much attentively to think that nothing is more necessary or profitable for us then God The 3. Preparation is a zealous prayer which we must make to the end we may worthily finish the task of our devotions and in imitation of the three Kings offer to his divine goodnes the gold of devotion the frankincense of attention and the Myrrhe of constant perseverance Being to begin the Office you may say I adore thee O Christ and bless thee O Lord for by thy Cross and Passion thou hast redeemed the world Thou art my God and I will exalt thee To thee be praise To thee be glory To thee be thanks giving for ever All creatures worthily worship thee praise glorify and adore the most high and undivided Trinity and the humanity of my blessed Lord Jesu who in time past was conversant with men upon earth and now sits at the right hand of his Eternall Father J beseech the Holy Virgin with the holy Angels and Saints and those whose feasts are celebrated this day throughout the whole Church that they will all help me with their aid and furtherance to the end I may finish this my office worthily to the true praise of Almighty God and the profit of my soule Amen For the Prayer before the lesser Houres take either REX CHRISTE c. or the Prayer following O Good Jesu I desire for the love and honour which I owe unto you humbly to obey you faithfully to serve you and purely to love you in union of that most perfect attention which you being here on Earth prayed and praised your heavenly Father Help me O Lord Jesu with your holy grace for being left by you I shall be able to do nothing Amen Devout Meditations at Gloria Patri GLory be to the Father who when I was not hath created me Glory be to the son who when I was lost hath redeemed me Glory be to the Holy Ghost who hath sanctified me and the elect of God Here ensue certain holy Meditations of the 7. Effusions distributed for the Canonical Houres At Matins COnsider with devotion and yield manifold thanks to our B. Saviour for the effusion of his pretious blood and suffererings in his Circumcision offering the dolours and pains of the said effusion to God the Father for all those that are in state of mortall sin that it would please his divine goodnes to give them a perfect knowledge of their offences with contrition confession satisfaction and amendment At Laudes POnder and give thanks for the dolorousness pain and effusion of blood which our Saviour CHRIST JESUS endured in the garden a little before he was apprehended and taken where with great pain and agony he sweat blood and water offering this spiritually unto God the Father for those that are in the state of grace favour and love of God and his holy name that it would please him to conserve them in that state and purity At Prime YIeld many thanks for the pain and effusion of blood which our B. saviour CHRIST JESUS suffered in his flagellation offering it up unto God the Father for all those that are in any affliction or tribulation be it spirituall or corporall beseeching his divine Majesty to conserve each one of them as he knoweth to be most to his honour and the health of their soules At Tierce IN devout contemplation give Many thanks unto God our sweet Saviour CHRIST IESUS for the effusion of his most precious blood which he endured in his crowning with thorns offering it to God the Father for our parents kinred and benefactours and all for whom wee are any wayes obliged to pray beseeching him to give them his holy grace to live in his true love and feare and at their death to possess everlasting life At Sext. YIeld manyfold thanks unto our B. Saviour IESUS for the paines and effusion of his pretious blood which issued forth of his hands and feet being nailed on the Cross offering it to God the Father for the state of our holy Mother the church that the Popes holines and all Ecclesiasticall Powers may be exalted to the increase of his honour and have grace strength and ability well to discharge what is committed to them therein At None GIve manifold thanks unto our B. Saviour for the effusion and shedding of his sacred blood when nayled to the Cross his most holy side was pierced with a lance offering it to God the Father for the Conversion of all Hereticks particularly for England that it would please him to enlighten them with his holy grace to know and embrace the truth that they with all others may in union and perfect charity love praise and magnify him everlastingly At Evensong CAll to mind the dolorous Mystery of our B. Saviours taking from the Cross and lying in the lapp of his Mother offering it to God the Father for all religious persons who are especially dedicated unto his holy service beseeching his divine goodnes to give each one of them grace perfectly to perforn his holy will even unto death to live vertuously in the observance of their institutes and persever therein untill the end At Compline COnsider how our B. Saviour being dead and his holy body taken down from the Cross it was by our B. Lady S. Mary Magdalen and other holy persons laid in the sepulcher whilest
his glorious soul descended into Limbo where he delivered the just all which with devotion wee may present unto God the Father for the comfort and releasement of the soules detained for the purging of their sins in Purgatory beseeching him mercifully to receive them unto his happy rest that they may eternally praise him AMEN A Prayer after the Divine Office O Good JESUS be propitious unto me a miserable sinner unto thy goodnes do J commend this my office most coldly and distractedly accomplished beseeching that through your merits it may be amended and perfected Unto you good JESU do I offer it for the good of the whole church and the salvation of my soule in union of that most perfect attention with which here on earth you did pray unto your heavenly Father Answer I beseech you Satisfy and pray for me AMEN A Direction for Mentall Prayer THose who desire to increase and go forward in a spirituall life let them go that certain way which is the interiour and mutuall communication with Almighty God performed in this holy Exercise Because in Prayer vertues are ceived obtained and augmented Prayer as the holy Apostle S. James saith availeth much ascendeth to heaven before the tribunall seat of Almighty God and bringeth unto men every good and perfect gift causeth such a league and union betwixt God and them as it maketh their soules apt to receive infinite grace from his divine Majesty Daniel by Prayer converted the fierceness of Lions into the meekness of Lambs Prayer made the fire loose its force being not able to burn the three children in the midst of the flaming furnace Prayer likewise stayed the course and altered the uniform motions of the heavens giving power to the voyce of man to stop and detain the sun for as many howers as was necessary for the obtaining the victory against his enemies Jacob through the vertue and efficacy of Prayer prevailed against the Angell Yea Prayer tyed the hands and infinit power if we may so say of the Lord of Angels for by the Prayer of Moyses Almighty God seemed to be as it were disabled to chastize the people when he said unto this faithfull servant of his Suffer me that my fury m y be angry against them as if he should have said Detain me not with thy Prayers Prayer finally obtaineth pardon for whatsoever offences the Publican getteth remission of his sins and the Prodigall child pardon and returns again into favour by Prayer Therfore it being so profitable and necessary for a spirituall life obtaining by the vertue thereof whatsoever it will in heaven or Earrh it is requisit that all Religious persons spend as much time as their state and leisure will permit them in this kind of Prayer which rather consisteth in the actions of the will then the long discourse or speculation of the understanding sensible gifts or consolations for that is not in our own hands The fruit of Prayer is that we raise from the same humility patience obedience Indifference c. This is alwaies in our power the grace of God presupposed To the end that Prayer be performed with Recollection and attention it is necessary that we do not take it in hand as a thing of small moment not rashly but advisedly not with a slow and dull heart but with a lively attention and undaunted courage for otherwise we might incurr the curse of the Prophet Jeremy who saith Cursed is he that doth the worke of the Lord negligently Neither is so great attention and force to be used as therby to weary and break our heads and hinder our health for so insteed of pleasant and sweet milk we should wring forth blood as the wisdom of God signifieth in Proverbs cause a feare and horrour to undertake this holy Exercise Wherfore to avoid these extreams Moderation is to be used in such sort as by over much striving therein we hurt not our selves as was aforesaid nor through too much carelesness let our mind be carried away with unprofitable matters Let not wandring thoughts trouble you but put them away sweetly for you merit more by patient resistance then in having great comfort and consolation Humble and accuse your self in the fight of Almighty God that you cannot be so long in his presence without so many earthly cogitations beseeching our B. Lady your holy Angel and all others with the Saints to pray for you and supply your wants in due praise and love of his divine Majesty For scruples and temptations which happen in Prayer the first remedy is not to hearken or give eare unto them An Instruction for mentall Prayer to which are required 5. Conditions To wit 1. Preparation 2. Meditation 3. Preambles 4. Colloquie 5. Recollection 1. PReparation hath 4. conditions The 1. which is universall to all piety Purity of heart and calmness of passions and affections and Recollection both of senses and fancies but above all things that the intention be pure and that you undertake this vertuous Exercise sincerely for the love of God to please him and reform your life and manners according to his most blessed will and not for hopes of consolations or divine lights which were an intention proper to hirelings and not fit for his children nor gratefull to our heavenly Father who desires above all things a pure intention 2. The 2. is Reading which you may accustome in this manner read those points you intend to make your Meditation on after even song before or about dinner and that which you purpose to meditate on after Mattins the night before Ruminate the matter divers times before you meditate moving your self to tast and feel those good motions and affections which you think the matter will yield you to draw forth For if in an affaire of importance which we handle with earthly creatures we seriously think and consider thereof before how much more ought we to do it in this so spirituall an Exercise and the greatest which can possibly be undertaken being we are therein to treat with Almighty God about the good and salvation of our soule The 3. condition is the Presence of God Coming to the place where you purpose to meditate consider the presence of Almighty God comparing his greatness and goodness with your own basenes and vileness and imagining our sweet Saviour calleth you to shew you what he hath don said and suffered for you Or consider your self a beggar sick and guilty to crave of your benefactour an almes of your Physitian health and of your Judge pardon beseeching your good Angel and some of your Patrons to accompany and assist you therein 4. The 4. and last condition of preparation is the Prayer preparatory wherein you crave grace affectuously in generall to perform your Meditation to Gods honour and glory and the good of your own soule remembring that sentence Omnis nostra sufficientia à Deo est All our sufficiency is from God beseeching your heavenly Father who is a sea of mercies
3. How JESUS thus adorned is led forth by Pilate shown to the Jewes with Behold à Man O sad Spectacle Yet still they cry Crucify Him Oh! the heavy weight of my sins Affect Oh my JESU that I could obey Thee even to loss of life Resolve To practise Obedience shun Sloath c. FRYDAY Carrying the Cross CONS 1. How JESUS thus derided whipped crowned goes forth carrying the Cross whereon he is to be sacrifized for thy Sins 2. What shouts of joy the Jewes make after Him through the streets of Jerusalem thus is Innocency despised 3. How the devout woemen meet bewaile Him thy hard heart sheds not one Teare amidst these his sorows or for thy own sins Affect Oh my JESU that I could abandon all sensuall satisfactions for the Love of Thee Resolve To practise Temperance shun Gluttony c. SATURDAY Crucifying of Iesus CONS 1. How JESUS with much pain shame arrived to Mount Calvary is again uncloath'd thus all his soares are renewed My Sins not blotted out by Repentance shall one day be disclosed to the whole World 2. How they streatch thy JESUS upon the Cross fastning him with nayles therunto then raise him up where he hangs between two theeves Oh what ignominy 3. How He there hangs for the space of three houres reviled by Jews Gentiles forsaken by his Disciples drenched with gall vineger peirced to the heart with a speare yet He prays for his Enemies Enter make thy aboade in that love-wounded-Heart Affect Oh my JESU that I could imitate Thee in the purity of thy Life Doctrine Resolve To practise Modesty shun All contrary Therunto c. A Method for Meditation 1. PReparation hath 3. parts Presence of God Choyce of matter and Invocation 2. Meditation it self hath 3. parts Consideration Affection and resolution 3. Conclusion hath 3. parts Thanks-Giving Oblation and Prayer A Prayer before Meditation O my God my Sovereign my Creatour and my All I here most humbly prostrate my self with the profoundest adoration J am possibly capable of before your devine Majesty earnestly imploring à continuance of your blessings vpon me your poor needy Creature and that you would be pleased out of your infinite bounty by meanes of your holy spirite so to illuminate my vnderstanding inflame my will recollect from distractions and strengthen in good resolutions all the powers of my soule as that J may worthily attentively and devoutly performe this sublime exercise of mentall prayer J am now vndertaking to your honour and glory the comfort of my own distressed soule the joy of the Saints in heaven and the edification of men on earth thro' your mercyes the meritts of my Blessed Saviour and the inspirations of your Coelestiall Paraclet Amen A Prayer after Meditation BEhold O my God Behold o my most patient and merciful Lord how J have passed over this time of Meditation and treating with thee with how much negligence sloth coldnes and distraction and with how litle feeling of thy good motions within me but thou O Lord knowest all my infirmities and Miseries and therfore J crave of thee pardon for them J thank thee also most heartily and humbly for all the good thoughts and suggestions which have presented themselves to my mind in time of this my meditation as most holy Embassadours sent from thy heavenly Throne to deale with me for the gaining of thy kingdome whos blessed voices and most profitable speeches J beseech thy divine goodnes to give me grace to imprint in my heart and seeke to put in execution in the cours of my life to come to the end that my judgment and Damnation be not the more grievous in respect of thes thy Benefits but rather that my life being mended therby and my soul stirr'd up to more zeale of thy service J may be finally made partaker with thy true Children of that eternall blïss which thou hast prepared for such os love feare and serve thee and yeeld obedience to those holy inspirations which thou sendest them for their eternal happines Amen A Table of dayly Patrons Meditations Vertues vices and Intentions Day Patron Meditation Vertue Vice Intentions Sund. H. Angels washing feet Charity Envie For the H. church Mund. Apostles Prayer in the Garden Humility Pride For Vnion of Christian Princes Tuesd Martyrs Mocking Self denyall Self love For benefactors Wednesd Bishops Whipping Patience Anger For Religious orders Thursd Doctors Crowning Obedience Sloath. For conversion of Infidells Frid. Confessors Carrying the Cross Temperāce Gluttony For soules departed Saturd Virgins Crucifying Modestie Impurity For distressed persōs