would be pleased to Command his holy Angels to take charge of you and to preserve you both in Body and Soul from all evil visible and invisible I rest Your most affectionate and Loving Father T. W. From the Prison at the Castle in Glocester 9 Novembris 1668. For my Worthy Friend Mr. Nathaniel Gwinn Master of the Free-School at Cyrencester these humbly present Most worthy Sir IT is said That if it had not been for Aristotle Alexander had not been Alexander although the Simile may not well hold yet truly what my poor Children have attained unto They and my Self must be very ungrateful if we do not acknowledge it to come from you And therefore Sir I do with all the Offerings of a free heart in all humility return you my humble and hearty thanks for your unheard of Civilities to my poor Sons hoping that your Indulgence to them will not be forgotten when ever it shall please God they may be Capacitated to return those thanks that are due for Obligations of so large a magnitude I must now beg you to contract another trouble upon your self viz. That you would he pleased to peruse the following Meditations and as you shall approve of them â—o give encouragement unto those â—hey are designed for to use them Thus beseeching your Prayers to â—he God of all Recompences for me a poor Prisoner in this Goal I remain Reverend Sir Your most obliged and faithful Servant T. W. From the Castle in Glocester 9 die Novembris 1668. Devout MEDITATIONS For the Morning for every Day in the Week When you awake in the Morning say O Saviour of the World who by thy Crosse and precious Blood hast redeemed us save us and help us we humbly beseech thee O Lord. And afterwards before you stir out of your Bed because the first thoughts ought to be offered to Almighty God say O Lord open thou our lips And our mouth shall shew forth thy praise O Lord deal not with us after our sins Neither reward us after our iniquities Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us OUr Father which art in Heaven hallowed be thy Name Thy kingdom come Thy will be done in Earth as it is in Heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver uâ— from evil For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory for ever and ever Amen GLory be to God on high Anâ— in Earth peace good will to wards Men. We praise thee we blesâ— thee we worship thee we glorifâ—â— thee we give thanks to thee for thy great Glory O Lord God heavenly King God the Father Almighty O Lord the only begotten Son Jesu Christ O Lord God Lamb of God Son of the Father that takest away the Sins of the World have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world have mercy upon us thou that takest away the sins of the world receive our Prayers thou that sittest at the right hand of God the Father have mercy upon us For thou only art Holy thou onely art the Lord thou onely O Christ with the Holy Ghost art most high in the glory of God the Father Amen And when you arise out of your Bed make a reverent bow with your body and say Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen When you are putting on your Apparel let your thoughts be truly towards God and of his most bountiful goodness towards you at all times and say O Sweet Jesu that the shame of my sinful Soul may not be seen cloath it with the robes of thy Justice and cover it with the Ornaments of all manner of grace and vertues Amen And before you stir out of your Chamber prepare your thoughts for Prayer repairing to some convenient place of the Room and with great reverence bow your body and say the eighth Psalm following O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world thou that hast set thy glory above the Heavens Out of the mouth of very Babes and Sucklings hast thou ordained strength because of thine enemies that thou mightest still the Enemy and the Avenger For I will consider the Heavens even the works of thy Fingers the Moon and the Stars which thou hast ordained What is Man that thou art mindful of him and the Son of Man that thou visitest him Thou madest him lower than the Angels to crown him with glory and worship Thou makest him to have dominion of the works of thy hands and thou hast put all things in subjection under his feet all Sheep and Oxen yea and the Beasts of the field The Fouls of the Air and Fishes of the Sea and whatsoever walketh through the paths of the Seas O Lord our Governour how excellent is thy Name in all the world Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen Then kneeling down upon your knees with your heart and hands lift up to Almighty God say In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for ever Amen O Lord save the King And mercifully hear us when we call upon thee OUr Father which art in heaven Hallowed be thy Name Thy Kingdom come Thy will be done in earth as it is in heaven Give us this day our daily bread And forgive us our trespasses as we forgive them that trespasse against us And lead us not into temptation but deliver us from evil For thine is the Kingdom and the Power and the Glory for ever and ever Amen O Everlasting God who hast ordained and constituted the services of Angels and Men in a wonderful order mercifully grant that as thy holy Angels alway do thee service in Heaven so by thy appointment they may succour and defend us on Earth through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty and everlasting God who hatest nothing that thou hast made and dost forgive the sins of all them that are penitent Create and make in us new and Contrite hearts that we worthily lamenting our sins and acknowledging our wretchednesse may obtain of thee the God of all Mercy perfect remission and forgiveness through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen ALmighty God who seest that we have no power of our selves to help our selves keep us both outwardly in our bodies and inwardly in our souls that we may be defended from all adversities which may happen to the body and from all evil thoughts which may assault and hurt the soul through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O Almighty God whose dwelling is in the highest Heavens and yet vouchsafest to regard the lowest Creature upon
mark learn and inwardly digest them that by patience and comfort of thy holy Word we may embrace and ever hold fast the blessed hope of everlasting life which thou hast given us in our Saviour Jesus Christ Amen O Lord Jesu Christ who at thy first Coming didst send thy Messenger to prepare thy Way before thee grant that the Ministers and Stewards of thy Mysteries may likewise so prepare and make ready thy way by turning the hearts of the disobedience to the wisdom of the just that at thy second coming to judge the world we may be found an acceptable People in thy sight who livest and reignest with the Father and the holy Spirit ever one God world with out end Amen PRevent us O Lord in all our doings with thy most gracious favour and further us with thy continual help that in all our works begun continued and ended in thee we may glorifie thy holy Name and finally by thy mercy obtain everlasting life through Jesus Christ our Lord Amen O God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ God of Patriarks and Prophets God of Apostles and Martyrs God of Virgins and of all Believers I beseech thee have mercy on us thou who didst send thy Son our Saviour Jesus Christ to redeem us thy Son born of the Virgin Mary by the operation of the Holy Ghost by the Annunciation of the Angel deliver us from eternal death I beseech thee O Lord have compassion on thy Servant judge me not according to my works for I have been disobedient to thy Commandments but thou who lovest Repentance have mercy on me who before thy face make confession of all my sins and for the love of thy holy Name wipe away all my offences Make me to abide in thy holy Catholick Church with an undefiled Faith and pure Heart with a firm devotion and continual love of thee and perseverance in good works to my lives end Deliver me from the eternal pains and everlasting torments which thou hast prepared for the wicked Grant this for our good and blessed Saviours sake by whom and in whom be ascribed to thee all Honour Power and Glory for ever and ever Amen O Almighty and most merciful Father we most humbly beseech thee that we may keep this Day according to the commandment of thee and thy holy Church Give me O Lord true contrition of all the sins I have committed against thee and my neighbour by thought word or deed or by omission of good works which I ought to have done And I most humbly beseech thee most sweet Jesus not to consider the multitude of my sins but remember thy infinite mercy grant me grace to spend this week following without offending thee and for thy death and Passion sake give to all sinners knowledge and grace to be penitent in this world and particularly we intreat thee have mercy on all those for whom thy holy Church commands we should this day pray that with her we may be made partakers of the infinite merits of thy sacred Passion Amen The Litany O God the Father Creator of the world Have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of Mankind Have mercy on us O God the Holy Ghost Perfecter of the Elect. Have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity three Persons and one God Have mercy on us Behold we were Conceived in sin and in Iniquity our Mothers brought us forth Have mercy on us As we have grown in years we have multiplied the number of our offences and every day thy goodness adds to our lives our wickednesse increases the heap of our transgressions Have mercy on us The Law of our body makes War against the Law of our mind and brings us into subjection to Sin that the good which we would we do not and the evil which we would not that we do have mercy on us We have sinned in the vain thought and unlawful desires of our hearts in the idle talk and perverse words of our mouths in the wicked works and fruitlesse course of our lives have mercy on us We have sinned against thee by our Ingratitude for thy Blessings and impatience of thy Chastisements by preferring our selves and the satisfaction of our own inordinate desires before Thee and the observance of thy holy Comandments have mercy on us We have sinned against others in not doing to them as we would they should do to us and against our own Souls in pursuing more eagerly the things of this life than those that belong to our eternal felicity have mercy on us We have sinned in delaying our Repentance and breaking the solemn promises of amending our lives in exposing our selves to the danger of temptation and often omitting the opportunities of thy Service and even our best endeavours are full of imperfections have mercy on us We have sinned in not profiting with the talents of Grace and Nature which thy bounty has committed to our improvment but idly spent that precious time and unthankfully neglected those gracious means which thy goodnesse allows us for the work of our Salvation have mercy on us Have mercy on us most merciful Father and according to the multitude of thy tender Compassions pardon the multitude of our grievous offences Remember what our substance is that we are but as the grass of the field or a vapour that passeth away and returns not again Remember what thou art Infinitely glorious in thy Self and Infinitely good to the least of thy Creatures Remember thy gracious Promises in Jesus Christ and for the Merits of his sacred Passion from all our sins O Lord deliver us From the Evils of this present world from War Pestilence and Famine from all disastrous mischances in our Bodies Minds or Estates from suddain Death and all other thy heavy Judgments O Lord deliver us From the Evils of the world to come from the dreadful Sentence of condemnation and the chains of everlasting darkness from the Worm that dies not and the Fire that shall never be quenched O Lord deliver us From the evil of Sin which is the onely cause of all Misery from the temptations to which by nature or custom we are most exposed from ignorance of thy Will and neglect to perform what we know to be our duty O Lord deliver us From Pride Covetousnesse and Luxury from Envy Gluttony and Anger from a slothful Coldnesse in what concerns our Salvation and from those enormous sins that cry to Heaven for Vengeance O Lord deliver us From Slander rash Judgment and Flattery from self-love vain-glory and hypocrisie from stubbornness and irreverence towards those that are above us from disdain and oppression of such as are below us from the great guilt of inducing other to sin and from the unhappinesse of being perverted by them our selves O Lord deliver us From Error Schism and Heresie from denying thee before men for worldly respects from new and factious interpretation of thy Word and from proudly preferring our private Conceits before the Judgment of
and where miserable Man has committed the trespass the Son of God layes down his own life to satisfie the debt Whither has thy humility descended What has thy fervent love enforced thee to do How far has thy mercy extended it self To what a point is thy compassion come I have done wickedly and thou art punished I have commited a grievous fault and it is laid to thy charge I am the offender and thou art put to the torture I was puffed up with pride and thou art made of no reputation I was disobedient and thou sufferedst the punishment of my rebellion I have pampered my self with delicacies and thou wert often afflicted with hunger and thirst my inordinate affections have made me to do things unlawful thy perfect Charity has brought thee to suffer an ignominious death I presumed to do what I was forbidden and thou submittedst thy self to rebukes even for thy good works I delight in liberty and pleasure and thou art fastened to the Cross with intollerable grief I live at ease and thy hands and feet are pierced with Nails I tast the pleasant apple and thou the bitter gall Eve laugheth and rejoyceth with me blessed Mary laments and sorrows with thee Behold O King of Glory what mine iniquity is and what thy mercy how excessive my wickednesse and how infinite thy goodness O my King and my God what may I possibly offer thee in acknowledgment of thy Bounty mans heart is not able to think much less can his poverty furnish a worthy Oblation for so great benefits I beseech thee therefore for thy mercies sake cause me from henceforth to renounce all the enticements of the World and for love of thee not to fear any adversities by it but despise even Death it self and having perpetually in remembrance the blessednesse of Heaven make no account either of the pleasure or afflictions of this transitory life Let nothing please me but that which is acceptable to thee nor any thing offend me but that which is disagreeable to thy Will let all things besides thee seem tedious to me and may I never be wearied in seeking after thee let no joy delight me that is without thee and let me rejoyce in all afflictions I suffer for thee may the remembrance of thee be my consolation and turn my tears into nourishment whilst I seek thy Righteousness let the Law of thy mouth be more precious to me than thousands of gold and silver let it be my chief delight to obey thee and greatest grief to displease thee I humbly beseech thee my onely hope that thou wilt be propitious to me and pardon all my iniquities open my ears to hear what thou Commandest and suffer not my heart to decline from thee nor through words of wickednesse to seek excuse for my sins but alwayes to keep my self in the paths of thy Commandments that at my death I may be found in the true way to thy Felicity who livest and reignest for ever and ever Amen LOrd have mercy on us Christ have mercy on us Lord have mercy on us Jesu receive our Prayers Lord Jesu grant our Petitions O God the Father Creator of the World have mercy on us O God the Son Redeemer of Mankind have mercy on us O God the Holy Ghost Perfecter of the Elect have mercy on us O Sacred Trinity three Persons and one God have mercy on us Jesu eternal Son of the living God have mercy on us Jesu most blessed Son of the Virgin Mary have mercy on us Jesu God and Man in two Natures one divine Person have mercy on us Jesu the increated Wisdom of the Father by whom all things were made and by the Word of whose Power they are sustained have mercy on us Jesu who for us sinners descendedst from thy Throne of Glory and tookest upon thee the form of a Servant choosing a poor Stable for the place of thy Birth have mercy on us Jesu who in thy holy Circumcision receivedst that blessed Name and after wast declared for the Worlds Redeemer by the Tribute and adoration of Kings have mercy on us Iesu who in the tender age of a new born Child was forc't to save thy life by flying into Aegypt have mercy on us Iesu who becamest subject to thy Parents so much inferiour in dignity to thee and disdainedst not to serve them in their humble life have mercy on us Iesu who after a long concealment of thy self didst publish to the world thy admirable manner of life travelling on foot in poverty hunger and thirst and begging as an alms even a Cup of cold Water have mercy on us Iesu who healedst every where the diseased both in Soul and Body and weariedst thy self to relieve our Infirmities passing the day in Works of Mercy and watching whole Nights in Prayer often retiring alone and Fasting many dayes together to teach us the way and practise of Contemplation have mercy on us Iesu who for our encouragement vouchsafedst to be tempted in the Desart where having there subdued the Enemy of Mankind thy Victory was celebrated by the adoration of Angels have mercy on us Iesu whose sacred Life was a continual course of suffering evil for us and doing good to us opening by thy Doctrine an easie way to Heaven and soliciting by thy Miracles our acceptance of Salvation have mercy on us Iesu who for our Example didst wash thy Disciples feet and for our Comfort didst Institute thy blessed Sacraments have mercy on us Iesu who prostrate with thy face upon the Earth prayedst thrice to thy Father for deliverance and in the fervour of thine Agony swettedst drops of Blood till thou wert relieved by an Angel have mercy on us Iesu who wast betrayed by one of thine own Disciples and forsaken by all the rest who forbadst the resistance of Publick Authority and restoredst to thine Enemy the Ear he had lost in assaulting thee have mercy on us Iesu who for our Redemption deliveredst thy self to the violence of thine Enemies freely suffering them to bind thy hands which even for them had wrought so many Miracles and to spit on thy Face which the Angels behold with joy and adoration have mercy on us Iesu who for us enduredst their malitious impiety to blindfold thy eyes and strike thee on the Cheeks to accuse thee falsly and condemn thee unjustly to compare Barrabas to thee and prefer him before thee have mercy on us Iesu who for us enduredst their barbarous insolence to strip thee of thy Clothes and mock thee with a purple Vestment to wound thy Head with a Crown of Thornes and all thy Body with cruel Scourgings have mercy on us Iesu who for us enduredst their insatiable fury to load thee with a heavy Cross and shamefully Crucifie thee between two Thieves to affront thy thirst with Vinegar and Gall and blaspheme thy meekness with bitter reproaches all which thy incomparable patience chearfully received and offered to thy Father even for thy Persecutors have mercy on us Iesu who having Conquered the power of Darkness releasedst thy Servants from their long Captivity and overcoming Death didst raise thy crucified Body to a glorious Life have mercy on us Iesu who by thy Triumphant Ascension openedst the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers and Seated at the Right hand of thy Father vouchsafedst to become our eternal Mediator have mercy on us Iesu who in thy tender Providence didst send miraculously the Holy Ghost to lead thy Church into all truth and comfort thy Servants in all their tribulations have mercy on us Iesu who at the great and general Day shalt judge severely every one according to his works rewarding thy Servants with Eternal Life and Condemning Sinners to everlasting Death have mercy on us Be merciful O Iesu and pardon our sins Be merciful O Iesu and hear our Prayers O Soveraign Lord and blessed Saviour of the World who by the sole motive of thy Mercy humblest thy self to Death for our Redemption and Ascendedst 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 and bury them in thy Grave that they may dye in us and we live in thee the life of Grace here and be united to thee in thy Kingdom of Glory hereafter where with the Father and the Holy Ghost thou livest and raignest one God world without end Amen The 121. Psalm I Will lift up mine eyes unto the Hills from whence cometh my help my help cometh even from the Lord who hath made Heaven and Earth He will not suffer thy foot to be moved and he that helpeth thee will not sleep Behold he that keepeth Israel shall neither slumber nor sleep The Lord himself is thy keeper and the Lord is thy defence upon thy right hand So that the Sun shall not burn thee by day neither the Moon by night The Lord shall preserve thee from all evil yea it is even he that shall keep thy Soul The Lord shall preserve thy going out and thy coming in from this time forth for ever more Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost As it was in the beginning is now and ever shall be world without end Amen FINIS
Behold a Virgine Matthew 1. 2â— This Iesus Which is taken up intâ— Acts. â— â—â— A Collection of Private Devotion Composed by Thomas Wolley foâ— the vse of his Child â—â— A COLLECTION Of Private Devotions Fiâ—â—ed for Every Day in the Week By THOMAS WOOLLEY LONDON Printed for Hen. Twyford and Timothy Twyford middle-Temple 1670. To the most Vertuous Lady Dame Anne Howe Wife of the Right Worshipful Sr. Richard Grobham Howe Kt. now High Sheriff of the County of Wilts one of the Kings Majesties Deputy Lieutenants and Justices of the Peace of that County Madam THe necessitous Melancholly hours that I have sustained in this place have been the Authour of the Collecting this small Method of Devotions which I intended only for the private use of my Self and poor Children but being instigated by some Reverend Persons to commit the same to publick view I humbly beg leave of your Ladyship to let some lustre be added to it by setting your worthy Name to the Frontispiece thereof being very confident that so Illustrious a Person as your Self being named at the beginning of this small Tract will give great encouragement to all that shall see it to believe that certainly there is something more in it than in truth it is had it come from the most Learned and Pious Prelate especially when your Ladyship is considered to be the Daughter of so Reverend Learned and Pious a Prelate as the Reverend Father in God John late L. B. of London deceased and Sister of that most Reverend Learned and Pious Prelate Henry now L. Bishop of Chichester besides your most worthy pious and vertuous Relations who when you meet together are under that Ecce of the Kingly Prophet Behold how for good and joyful a thing it is Brethren to dwell together in unity c. for truly Madam a worthy Gent who told me he had once the happinesse to see your Ladyship and great part of your own Relations together which was as pleasant to him as the Dew of the sweetest Morning and could not resemble you better to any thing more than to the true Family of â—ovâ— Madam I have seen very much my self and know what a great blessing God Almighty sent that worthy Family where your Ladyship now is when you came amongst them in your most pious and discreetest Government in all your Domestick affairs besides your learned and great Reading Madam I do once more humbly beg your Ladyships pardon for this great presumption and in doing that Madam you will add a great favour of Charity to him who hath been a very large sharer of your Ladyships Munificence and shall ever pray for your honour and happiness and the honour and happiness of that Family where you are now and continue Most vertuous Madam the meanest of your Ladyships most obliged and obedient Servants THOMAS WOLLEY Castle at Glocester the Feast day of the Annutiation of our Blessed Lady St. Mary the Virgin 1669. PRIVATE DEVOTIONS Collected and Composed in this ensuing Method By THOMAS WOLLEY Gent. For my two Sons Iohn and Thomas Wolley now at School at the Free-School in Cyrencester in the County of Glocester under the Care of their most Indulgent Worthy and Learned Master Mr. Nathaniel Gwinn And to my other 〈…〉 〈◊〉 Edward 〈…〉 and 〈…〉 when it shall please God they shall attain to the age of understanding My dear Children WHen I consider the great Calamities and horrid Accidents that have lately befallen me and in me also upon your dear Mother and your selves I cannot but with great sorrow look back and consider the Cause of all Evil which is Sin and by those reflections upon my self consider the great grace and mercy of God who by the Afflictions of this present life which in comparison of Eternity is but a moment doth many times bring those nearer unto him that by a great and 〈◊〉 Prosperity may â—â— the more estranged â—â—om him and those good things that lead to Life eternal I must truly confess that my heart was set upon your dear Mother and your Selves in whom and whose Company I took I cannot say too much but a very great delight which God thought fit to deprive me of â—y suffering me to be committed to this Prison the meditation whereof doth make me consider the words of the Prophet in the 39. Psal and 11. verse When thou with Rebukes dost correct man for Iniquity thou makest his beauty to consume away like a Moth And now God rebuking and correcting me for sin doth deprive me of my beauty which is the thing I most delighted in which was the society of you my dear Children but when that great God of all Mercies and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ the Prince of Peace in his due time shall be pleased to make a Reconciliation between me and those who have taken displeasure against me and that I may enjoy my former Liberty and your Societies I hope we shall make use of that great blessing to the glory and praise of his most holy Name And since I cannot be so happy to enjoy you nor you me at present yet let our Prayers meet at the Throne of Grace although our Bodies meet not here on Earth And that they may so do I have by the gracious assistance of Almighty God Composed into Order some private Devotions for you not but that I know there are many excellent Methods of Devotions composed by many holy learned and pious men already in Print which I might have sent you at an easier rate than to have taken this trouble upon my self Yet I considered your dutiful Obedience at all times towards me and did believe that something of my own would make a deeper impression into your hearts however I hope I shall offend none herein for that I have not attempted any new thing of my own but Collecting out of the Church Liturgy with other pious Devotions into this Order And truly it was upon the occasion of your dear Mother her coming hither unto me upon Thursday last and discoursing with me concerning your selves in relation to the supplying you with some necessaries that I fear you stand in need of which my present Condition will not admit me to furnish you with so fully as my heart is inclinable to do I therefore bethought my self of supplying you with this little Manual of Devotions that although I cannot so fully accommodate you with the things of this life yet I may by this little means direct you into the paths of Eternity which truly followed will bring you to life everlasting And now let me charge you by all the dutiful obligations that are due from you to me that you carefully consider these Meditations and effectually put them in practise And let your Prayers for me not be wanting as mine never were nor I hope never shall be for you Thus committing you to the Fatherly care and preservation of the great God and Father of Heaven and Earth that he