thy heart foments and cherisheth the least spark of the love of God which it finds there and makes it flame out into a servent prayer David found this by experience where he saith of himself while I was thus musing my heart kindled within me and I spake with my Tongue The Devotion of the heart saith St. Bernard is the Tongue of the Soul without this it is silent and shut up but actuated and heated with Love it poures it self forth in Supplications and Prayers and Discourses with God sometimes Praising him for the Infinite Blessings received from him sometimes Praying to him for those which we yet want This is that conversing of the Soul with God which Gregory Nyssen speaks of as a Son Conversing with his Father or a Friend with a Friend into whose bosom he may pour forth with confidence all the Secrets of his Soul as a Favourite with his Prince or a betrothed Virgin with her Lover What the result of these discourses is what words are spoken what secrets discovered what delights enjoyed may easier be felt than spoken of When the Soul being lifted up by the wings of Prayer and rarified into a flame by Love reacheth the very Bosom of God But though every devout Soul mounts not to this pitch this top of the Ladder let none be dismaied at it For God knows whereof you are made he sees the body of flesh which you bear about you and the Plummets which it hangs upon your Soul and therefore when you cannot rise high enough to him he comes down to you for so you find in this Vision there were descending as well as ascending Angels We do not read that St. Paul was often rapt into the third Heaven Notwithstanding his Raptures the Angel of Satan that buffeted him made him remember that he was still upon the Earth For one foot of the Compass will unavoidably be fixed there when the other moves in the circumference of divine contemplation Iacob himself was but at the bottom at the foot of the ladder when his Soul was at the highest and saw God at the top of it O Most wise God the Unction of whose Spirit can teach me all things teach me the Rules I am to observe in this Heavenly Exercise of Prayer Stir up my Memory to remember that thou art present fix my intention upon Thee upon Thee alone Awake my Understanding to consider what I am about and who I am to speak to But above all inflame my Affections that my heart being set on fire with Thy Love my Prayers may participate of that Fervency and be accepted of Thee for his sake who came to send this Fire upon the Earth even Iesus Christ my Saviour Amen Of the Excellencies and Fruits of Prayer as they may be drawn out of the Lords Prayer THere is no clearer glass to see the excellencies of Prayer in than that very Prayer which our Saviour thought fit to teach his Disciples Where the first entrance presents you with that unvaluable Priviledge to call God your Father that therefore you come not to treat with him as a Slave with his Master or a Vassal with his Prince but as a Son with your Father God infusing into you by Prayer that Spirit of Adoption by which you cry to him Abba Father This being saith St. Chrysostome the highest excellency of the Creature to treat familiarly as a Son with his Creator A Dignity that raiseth us poor Worms of the Earth to a kind of equality with the Angels themselves for though in Nature they are above us yet this duty makes us equal For Quid potest inveniri sanctius iis qui cum Deo commercium habent Saith the same Father What can be more holy than he who is admitted to treat familiarly with God Moses by talking with God had such a brightness shed upon his face that they who looked upon him were dazled with it For if they who have the ear of Princes as Favourites having freedom of access and opportunity at all times of presenting their Petitions cannot want the splendor of Worldly things which consequently will follow them much less can the beams of an higher glory be wanting unto them who live as if they were always in the presence of God talking with God by Prayer and God with them by holy Inspirations What can they want who are admitted to this Privacy And it is your fault if you are not For there are neither doors nor locks nor any greater Favourite to keep you out He that gives you leave to call him Father cannot exclude his Son that cries Father I have sinned O Gracious Father what thanks what praise can we offer to Thee for raising us to that honour of entring into thy presence as Sons and conversing with Thee on the Earth with the same Freedom as the Angels do in Heaven O grant us the Grace so to make advantages of so Divine a Priviledge that our sins may never make us forfeit it but rather by a devout and humble use of it acquire to our selves daily new degrees of Thy Favour till Thou hast brought us Thy unworthy Sons to that incorruptible Inheritance which can neither have encrease nor end Amen THe second Excellency of Prayer is That it is a means by which the name of God is hallowed both by us and in us We pray that his Name may be Sanctified and we Sanctifie his Name by praying so Our Tongues but much more our Lives being made Instruments to glorifie him God is glorified by our believing in him by our knowing him by our adoring him and in Prayer we do all this By Prayer we bring to light those graces and gifts of God which he hath hid for us in his eternal Predestination as we may see in that Prayer of Christ to his Eternal Father And now O Father glorifie thou me with thy own self with the glory which I had with thee before the World was From whence the School infers That Prayer is the principal means ordered by providence for the execution of what God hath decreed on our behalf God had decreed the Incarnation of his Son for the saving of the World he had promised and could not vary from it Yet this kept not Moses from his Petition Send him whom thou wilt send nor the Prophet from praying O that thou wouldest bow the Heavens and come down The Father had decreed to give his Son being Incarnate the Nations for his inheritance but the execution of this Decree was to be by Prayer the Son of God himself was to pay for it for Postula Dabo Ask of me and I will give them thee If therefore the Decree of your Predestination be yet dark to you and you would willingly know whether your name be written in the Book of Life there is no way of obtaining this but humble Prayer Do but pray fervently that God would glorifie himself in thee by making thee a Vessel for his Honour and
the good name and reputation of another Or hast thou pleased thy self either in inventing or spreading rumors of that kind III. Dost thou willingly give ear to Slanderers and to such as go about with lies or dost thou abhor them both in thy self and others The Examination upon the tenth Commandment I. DOst thou rest contented in that condition or state of life wherein God hath placed thee or hast thou at any time inordinately lusted after that which belongs to others II. Hast thou entertained secret covetings in thy thoughts with any delight or complacency Or hast thou labour'd to restrain them and quench them in their first beginnings When you have consider'd seriously and answered your self in these particulars one by one sum up the Account you have made where you find your self innocent give the glory to God whose Grace hath kept you from falling into those sins but where you find your self guilty humble your self before God in Prayer confessing sadly the evil you have done and imploring mercy in these or such other words as the devotion of your heart shall suggest to you An humble Confession after Examination O The God of my Soul with all humble Reverence I appear this day before thee not as the proud Pharisee to justifie my self but as the poor Publican who striking his breast durst not lift up his eyes towards Heaven nor say any more than this Lord be merciful to me a sinner For I have sinned O Lord I have sinned Wo is me I cannot cast my searching eyes into any corner of thy Commandments but I find my self miserably guilty But in what manner soever I have offended thee O my merciful Lord whether in Thought Word or Deed whether secretly or openly I am now sorry for it from the very root and bottom of my heart beseeching thee to look compassionately upon the frailty and ignorance the wilfulness and presumption of my life and graciously to forgive all that I have done amiss For alas I am neither able to stand thine indignation nor present thee with any thing of mine own but tears and prayers to appease thine anger Be reconciled therefore to me O God in the blood of thy dear Son which was so freely offered up to thee as a full ransom for the sins of the whole World O require not that payment again of me a poor and bankrupt sinner but for his sake for his abundant Satisfactions sake cancel the hand-writings that are against me blot out all my sins past new and old and for the time to come let there be an everlasting tie between my Soul and thee that thou maist be my God and I may live and die thy servant Amen A Protestation to be made after Confession O My great and glorious God I who am less than the grain of dust that hangs upon the balance profess seriously and with the remorse of a wounded spirit that I am not only sorry but ashamed and confounded within my self that I have so many ways sinned against so good a God so gracious a Father But what is past I cannot recal though thy mercy may forgive But for the time to come I call all thy holy Angels to witness that I this day sacrifice my self wholly to thee resolving to break of from all sinful courses and fully purposing never to offend thee more But because thou knowest my failings and my weakness is not hid from thee I beg of thee O my God to shew thy strength in my weakness and to confirm my infirm mind in this holy Resolution That so never repenting of this Repentance nor wavering in those Resolute Purposes which I have now by thy Grace fo deliberately made I may go on constantly in a pure and holy life till in the end of my days I come to everlasting joys which thou hast prepared for them that love thee through Jesus Christ my Lord Amen A Prayer before the receiving the holy Sacrament O My most blessed Saviour who in the bowels of thy Mercy towards Mankind didst not only offer thy self a Sacrifice for the sins of the whole world but didst institute this heavenly and holy Sacrament as the means to convey the Benefits of thy precious death to all such as with humility and repentance come unto thee Accept I beseech thee this my humble Address who here present my self a woful sinner I confess but such a one who am heartily sorry for my sins and penitent for my offences Direct me therefore O my God in this great action with such a reverent and awful fear that all the faculties of my soul may be attentive rightly to apprehend and joyfully to receive this wonderful Mystery of thy Body and Blood O my Lord I am not worthy that thou shouldst come under my roof let thy Holy Spirit therefore before thy coming prepare and dress up a Lodging for thee in my Soul cleansing it from the stains of sin and suffering nothing to abide in it that may keep thee out so that being wholly possest by thee all sinful thoughts and unclean suggestions may not only presently vanish but never find entrance more Grant this O my Jesu and so this day receive me into thy favour that I may with joy receive thee into my soul and being once united with thee thy Grace may never depart from me that so thou maist live in me and I in thee for ever Amen A Thanksgiving after the Receiving of the Sacrament O Lord the only Spring and everlasting Fountain of all good who hast this day revived and quickned my poor Soul by giving thy self unto me after a wonderful way in this Blessed Sacrament I praise and glorifie thy holy Name for this thine infinite mercy beseeching thee to crown what thou hast begun by a continual supply of thy heavenly grace that I may never forget whom or what I have received but being purified by thy Blood and strengthned by thy Body against all future Temptations I may constantly run through all the parts of an holy life to the possession of thy glorious Kingdom World without end Amen Amen Rules of Devotion to be observed toward the Evening or some time of the Afternoon I. THat you fail not unless some extraordinary or unavoidable accidents hinder you to allot some part of the Afternoon or toward the Evening for the advantage of your soul when freeing your self from business and company you may retire into your Closet or private Oratory and there direct your thoughts without disturbance upon God alone II. That being thus retired you constantly make it your business to read some part of the Holy Scripture especially in the Psalms which if all other Books of Devotion were lost are sufficient to supply us in that kind having begun there go on to the reading of some part of the New-Testament not carelesly or in haste as if you had a mind to have done but so attentively as to be able to give some account of what you have read or
to single at least some one passage or more out of it to be laid up in your Memory and to be made use of in the practice of an holy life III. That in this time of retirement you lay all things aside that may divert you from Holy and Heavenly thoughts considering that you set your self in the presence of God that you are to give him an account of what you are doing w ch that you may the better do you may begin with this Prayer A Prayer upon the Entrance into your Closet O My great and gracious God whose infinite mercy it is that I have this minute of my life left me I here appear in thy presence lamenting sadly that so much of my time is already lost either in doing ill or doing nothing or in doing that which hath been unprofitable and vain O grant that I may redeem the hours that are past dispose of those that are to come in serving thee hereafter with a devout heart earnest and passionate affections draw me off more and more from the pleasures and vanities of this life that I may the better settle my wavering and divided Soul upon thee alone and since at this time I have here retired my self that I might the more freely commune with my own heart and meditate on thine only Word let thy Blessed Spirit assist me that I may not only barely remember what I read but digest it into the practice of an holy Life to the comforts of my soul and the Glory of thy Name through Jesus Christ Amen Prayers towards Bed time I. LET my Prayer O Lord be set forth in thy sight as the Incense and let the lifâ—ing up of my hands be as an Evening Sacrifice For thou O Lord hast granted me thy loving kindness in the day-time and therefore in the night-season I will think on thee and make my prayer to the God of my life O thou that saidest Let therebe light and there was light open mine eyes that I sleep not in death Make me to commune with my own heart upon my bed and to search out all my ways That I may lament my sins as thy servant David did and cry unto thee for mercy Consider and hear me O God and hide me under the shadow of thy wings and let my soul rest in thee Amen II. Blessed art thou O God who makest the out-goings of the Morning and Evening to praise thee Who hast not cut off my life this day nor shut me up in the grave where all things are forgotten I will not suffer therefore my eyes to sleep nor my eye-lids to slumber till I have prepared my heart for my God to rest in For thou art my God from my youth thou hast numbred out my days and nights that I might serve thee thou givest thy beloved sleep and makest them that fear thee to rest in safety Thou deliverest me from the terrors of the night and from the evil that walketh in darkness Return then unto thy rest O my soul for God taketh care for thee Amen III. Lord let me make my Prayer unto thee in an acceptable time Teach me to remember thee in my bed and to think of thee when I am waking O thou Watchman of Isreal that neither slumberest nor sleepest watch over me this night Give thy Angels charge over me that the spirits of darkness may not come near me That no evil thoughts may betray me nor any sad or sinful dreams disturb my quiet For into thy hands O Lord I commend my spirit for thou hast redeemed me O keep then what thou hast redeemed and let not thy servant for whom thou hast died perish for ever Amen A short Prayer O GOD my everlasting keeper blessed be thy Name for evermore for thou madest me when I was nothing thou redeemedst me when I was worse than nothing thou hast so multiplied thy mercies on me through all the minutes of my life that the Sun hath never yet rose or set upon me without new Blessings from thee And as thou hast done so much for me already for which I pour out my very Soul in thankfulness so in the same degree of lowest humility I humbly beseech thee to continue thy care of me this night and so to shadow me under the Wings of thy Protection that neither visible nor invisible Enemies neither sin nor danger may approach to hurt me That so when the joyful Light of the day shall return again I may rise in safety with an unspotted Soul and a Body fitted to be the Temple of the Holy Ghost even so Lord Jesu Amen Amen Is any afflicted let him pray The Complaint of an afflicted Soul I. BEhold O Lord I am as a bruised reed before thee O break it not I am as smoaking flax O Lord quench it not Send down from on high and visit me Save me out of many waters that are come into my Soul For I have been left unto thee ever since I was born Thou hast been my God even from my Mothers womb O go not then far from me for trouble is near at hand and there is none to help me The sorrows of my heart are enlarged O bring thou me out of all my troubles Thou hast formerly been my succour leave me not now neither forsake me O God of my salvation For from the ends of the Earth will I call unto thee when my heart is in heaviness O forgive all the offences of thy servant which have justly brought these bitter things upon me Take away at last all thy displeasure and turn away from thy wrathful Indignation Arise and help me and deliver me for thy Mercies sake O God make speed to save me O Lord make hast to help me II. IN the time of my trouble I will call upon thee O God in my heaviness I will cry unto thee and unto thee alone For whom have I in Heaven but thee or whom shall I desire on earth in comparison of thee My flesh and my heart fails me but thou art the strength of my heart and my portion for ever But how long wilt thou forget me Lord for ever How long wilt thou hide away thy face from me How long shall I seek counsel in my soul and my spirit be thus troubled within me In my Prosperity I said I shall never be moved But as soon as thou didst hide away thy face from me I was troubled But will the Lord absent himself for ever Will he be no more intreated Hath God forgotten to be gracious or will he shut up his loving kindness in displeasure Alas innumerable troubles are come upon me They have laid such hold upon me that I am not able to look up There is no strength left in me O my God neither know I what to do but mine eyes are towards thee I am troubled above measure help me O God or else I shall sink under the burthen O consider what thou hast laid upon me forsake
me not when my strength fails me But in the multitude of my sorrows that are in my heart let thy comforts be the refreshing of my soul. O my God the more weak I am the more let thy strength be made known in my weakness And suffer no temptation to seize upon me but such as thou shalt give me grace to overcome O Lord hear my Prayer And let my cry come unto thee Amen sweet Jesu Amen Amen The Prayer O My dear God and most merciful Father who hast not only directed but encouraged me in all my troubles to call upon thee Hear I beseech thee the complaints that I now make and the Prayers which I pour forth in the anguish and bitterness of my spirit for thou hast shewn me heavy things O God And in the midst of all my prosperity hast been pleased to mingle a bitter Cup for me What the troubles of my heart are how heavy they lie upon me how deeply they wound me I need not labour to express to thee for all my comfort is that nothing is hid from thee For not only the Blessings which thou hast poured upon me through all the minutes and moments of my Life but the Afflictions which I now groan under come from the same hand to rouse me and awake me to a more devout and earnest way of serving thee And since it is thy own work look down with the more pity on this wounded Soul of mine See O my God how I pant and labour under the heavy scourge of thy displeasure a scourge which my own sins have twisted and mine own iniquities have drawn down upon me But O my dear Father to whom it is more easie to do all things than for me to ask any thing that is good Thou that hast promised to all them that love thee that they shall not be tempted farther than they are able Give I beseech thee that measure of grace and patience to thy sad and afflicted Servant that I may not only endure what thou layest upon me but entirely willingly and chearfully submit my will to thine And O thou God of Comfort and Spirit of all Consolation be not only with me but with all of my Relations that mourn in secret either for their own sins or sufferings or whatsoever Bitterness thou shalt think fit to lay upon us O teach us all to look up to the hand from whence these Judgments come to kiss and to adore it And when thou hast done so let thy mercy go one step further with me and compose my troubled mind into such a calm that none of my Sufferings whatsoever they are or may be may either make me repine at thy Judgments or despair of thy mercies but rather let all that is afflictive to me serve only to wean me from the World and to draw me the nearer to thee but because this cannot be done without thee O thou Preserver of the Children of Men behold I throw my self and all that is dear to me clearly and intirely into thine arms to do with me whatsoever shall be good in thine eyes And therefore amidst all the unquiet thoughts which now trouble and disorder me say unto me as thou didst to thy Disciples in the Storm Fear not for it is I. Or else if thou shalt find it better for me that I should find no calm abroad in the midst of the various changes and chances of this World let me find it at least in my own breast and bosom and possess my soul in patience whatever other storms thou shalt please to raise against me that so placed under the shadow of thy wings and refreshed here with the comforts of thy Spirit I may long earnestly for that blessed day when all tears shall be wiped from mine eyes and all sorrows shall be forgotten Grant this O my God for thy Son's sake who sits at thy right hand to meditate for me Grant it for thy Holy Spirit 's sake who pleads for me and all that love thee with Groans that cannot be expressed Grant it for thy own sake O my God who art never more thy self than when in the midst of Judgment thou remembrest Mercy Amen Amen Amen FINIS Joh. 17. 5. Psal. 2. 8. Luke in 21 22. Luke 9. 28. Mat. 17. â— Mark ix 3. Mark ix 5. Psal. lxvl. 13. Mat. xvil Dan. 6. Gen. xxxii 24. Hos. xii 4. Luke xi 5. Ephes. vi 12. 18. Matth. xvii 16. 21. Tob. viii 3. Lam. iii. 44. Isa. i. 13. 14. 15. 16. 18. Exod. xxxiii 20. Dan. vi Luke x. 41. Gen. XV. 11. Matth. viii 9. Eccles. xvlli 22. Lam. iii. 44. 1 Kings xviii Esther ii 12. 1 Kings XIX 13. Matth. vi 6. Mark XIV 15. Psalm lxxxvili l. Cxli. 2 xxviii 2. xiii 1 2. xxviii 1. Mal. i. 6. Ecclus. xxxv 17. Heb. v. 7. Luke xxii 41. Matth. xxvi 39. Heb. i. 6. Rev. v. 8. 14. John iv 24. Isa xxix 13. Matth. xv 8. Gen. xviii 29. 30. 1 Cor. VI. 19 20. Gen. xvii 3. Deut. ix 18. 1 Kings xviii 42. 1 Kings viii 22. Acts vii 60. 20. 36. Matth. xxvi 30. Isa. xiv 23. Mark vi 5 Luke xviii 13. 2 Chron. vi 13. Exod. xvii 11.