health to be an ornament to my body to be representations of thy power and of thy mercy Vnto thee O God will I pay my vows unto thee will I give thanks Thou O God of thine admirable and glorious mercy hast made thine Angels ministring spirits for my protection and defence against all the hostilities of the devill thou hast set a hedge about me and such a guard as all the power of hell and earth cannot overcome thou hast preserved me by thy holy providence and the ministery of Angels from drowning from burning from precipice from deformities from fracture of bones and all the snares of evil and the great violations of health which many of my betters suffer I will give thanks unto thee O Lord with my whole heart even before the gods will I sing praise unto thee Thou O most mercifull God hast fed me and clothed me hast raised me up friends and blessed them hast preserved me in dangers hast rescued me from the fury of the sword from the rage of pestilence from perishing in publike distemperatures and diseases epidemicall from terrors and affrightments of the night fâ—om illusions of the devil and sad apparitions thou hast been my guide in my journeys my refreshment in sadnesses my hope and my confidence in all my griefs and desolations O give thanks unto the Lord of lords for his mercy endureth for ever But above all mercies it was not lesse then infinite whereby thou lovedst me and all mankinde when we were lost and dead and rebels against thy Divine Majesty thou gavest thine own begotten Son to seek us when we went astray to restore us to life when we were dead in trespasses and sins and to reconcile us to thy self by the mercies and the atonement of an everlasting covenant He is our God even the God of whom commeth salvation God is the Lord by whom we escape death O most blessed Jesu I praise and adore thine infinite mercies humility and condescension that for my sake thou wouldst descend from the bosome of thy heavenly Father into the pure womb of an humble Maid and take on thee my nature and be born and cry and suffer cold and all the incommodities which the meannesse of a stable could minister to the tendernesse of thy first infancy Lord what is man that thou art mindfull of him and the son of man that thou so regardest him I adore thee blessed Jesu and praise thee for thine immaculate sanctity for all thy holy precepts and counsels for thy Divine example for thy miracles and mysterious revelations of thy Fathers will for the institution of the holy Sacraments and all other blessings of thy Propheticall Office O praise the Lord for the Lord is gracious sing praises unto his Name for it is lovely I adore and love thee most blessed Jesu for all the parts of thy most bitter Passion for thy being betrayed and accused buffeted and spit upon blindfolded and mocked crowned with thorns and scourged for thine agony and bloudy sweat for thy bearing the sad load of the Crosse and sadder load of our sins for thy Crucifixion three long hours when the weight of thy Body was supported with wounds and nails for thy Death and Buriall for thy continuall intercession and advocation with thy heavenly Father in behalf of me and all thy holy Church and all other acts of mediation and redemption the blessings of thy Priestly Office O praise the Lord for his goodnesse and declare the wonders he hath done for the children of men I adore and magnifie thy holy Name O most blessed Jesu for thy triumph over death hell sin and the grave for thy opening the Kingdome of Heaven to all beleevers for thy glorious resurrection and ascension for thy government over all the creatures for the advancement of thy holy Kingdome for thy continuall resisting and defeating the intendments of thine enemies against thy Church by the strength of thine arm by the mightinesse of thy power by the glories of thy wisdome for those blessed promises thou hast made and performest to thy Church of sending the holy Ghost of giving her perpetuity of being in defiance of all the gates and powers of Hell and darknesse and blessing her with continuall assistances and all other glories of thy Regall Office and power O sing praises sing praises unto our God O sing praises sing praises unto our King for God is the King of all the earth sing ye praises with understanding O most holy Spirit Love of the Father Fountain of grace spring of all spirituall blessings I adore and praise thy divine excellencies which are essentiall to thy glorious Self in the unity of the most mysterious Trinity and which thou communicatest to all faithfull people and to me thy unworthy servant in the unity of the Catholique Church O magnifie the Lord our God and fall down before his footstoole for he is holy O blessed Spirit I praise and magnifie thy Name for thy miraculous descent upon the Apostles in Pentecost in mysterious representments for those great graces and assistances comming upon their heads and falling down upon us all in the descent of all ages of the Church for confirmation of our Faith for propagation of the Gospel for edification and ornament of thy Family Thou O God shalt endure for ever and thy remembrance throughout all generations O most glorious Spirit I praise and magnifie thy Name for thy inspiration of the Apostles and Prophets for thy providence and mercy in causing holy Scriptures to be written and preserving them from the corruptions of Hereticks from the violences of Pagans and enemies of the Crosse of Christ. I will alwayes give thanks unto the Lord his praise shall ever be in my mouth I blesse thy Name for those holy promises and threatnings those judgements and mercies those holy precepts and admonitions which thou hast registred in Scriptures and in the records and monuments of the Church for all those graces helps and comforts whereby thou promotest me in piety and the ways of true Religion for baptismall and penitentiall grace for the opportunities and sweet refreshings of the Sacrament of the Eucharist for all the advantages thou hast given me of good society tutors and governours for the fears thou hast produced in me as deleteries and impediments of sin for all my hopes of pardon and expectation of the promises made by our Lord Jesus Christ to encourage me in the paths of life and sanctity for all the holy sermons spirituall books and lessons for all the good prayers and meditations for those blessed waitings and knocking 's at the door of my heart pitiently tarrying for and lovingly inviting me to repentance without ceasing admonishing and reproving me with the checks of a tender conscience with exteriour and interiour motives and for whatsoever other means or incentive of holiness thou hast assisted me withall I magnifie and praise and adore thee and thy goodness All Nations whom thou hast made and
sanctified shall come and worship thee O Lord and shall glorify thy Name for thou art great and dost wondrous things thou art God alone and great is thy mercy towards me thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost Hell therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing O my God I will give thanks unto thee for ever with Cherubims and Seraphims and all the companies of the heavenly Host saying Holy Holy Holy Lord God of Sabaoth holy is our God holy is the Immortall holy is the Almighty the Father the Son and the holy Ghost to whom be all honour and glory and dominion and power ascribed of all spirits and all men and all creatures now and for evermore Amen I. Prayers preparatory to the receiving of the blessed Sacrament O Most immaculate and glorious Jesu behold me miserable sinner drawing near to thee with the approaches of humility and earnest desire to be cleansed fron my sins to be united to thee by the nearest and most mysterious union of charity and Sacramentall participation of thy most holy Body and Bloud I presume nothing of mine own worthinesse but I am most confident of thy mercies and infinite loving kindnesse I know O Lord I am blinde and sick and dead and naked but therefore I come the rather I am sick and thou art my Physitian thou arisest with healing in thy wings by thy wounds I come to be cured and to be healed by thy stripes I am unclean but thou art the Fountain of purity I am blinde and thou art the great Eye of the world the Sun of righteousnesse in thy light I shall see light I am poor and thou art rich unto all the Lord of all the creatures I therefore humbly begge of thy mercy that thou wouldest be pleased to take from me all my sins to cure my infirmities to cleanse my filthinesse to lighten my darknesse to clothe my nakednesse with the robe of thy righteousnesse that I may with such reverence and faith and holy intention receive thy blessed Body and Bloud in the mysterious Sacrament that it may be unto me life and pleasantnesse and holy nourishment and that I may be firmly and indissolubly united to thy mysticall Body and may at last see clearly and without a vail thy face in glory everlasting who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen II. I Adore and blesse thy glorious Majesty O blessed Jesu for this great dignation and vouchsafing to me that thou art pleased for all the infinite multiplication of my sins and innumerable violations of thy holy Law still to give thy self unto me to convey health and grace and life and hopes of glory in the most blessed Sacrament I adore thee O most righteous Redeemer that thou art pleased under the visible signes of Bread and Wine to convey unto our soules thy holy Body and Bloud all the benefits of thy bitter Passion O my God I am not worthy that thou shouldest come under my roofe but let thy holy Spirit with his purities prepare for thee a lodging in my soul. Thou hast knocked often O blessed Jesu at the door of my heart and wouldest willingly have entred behold O Lord my heart is ready to receive thee cast out of it all worldly desires all lusts and carnall appetites and then enter in and there love to inhabit that the Devill may never return to a place that is so swept and garnished to fill me full of all iniquity O thou lover of souls grant that this holy Sacrament may be a light unto mine eyes a guide to my understanding and a joy to my soul that by its strength I may subdue and mortifie the whole body of sin in me and that it may produce in me constancy in Faith fulnesse of wisdom perfection and accomplishment of all thy righteous commandments and such a blessed union with thee that I may never more live unto my self or to the world but to thee onely and by the refreshment of an holy hope I may be led through the paths of a good life and persevering piety to the communion and possession of thy Kingdome O blessed Jesu who livest and reignest ever one God world without end Amen III. O Lord God who hast made all things of nought producing great degrees of essence out of nothing make me a new creature and of a sinfull man make me holy and just and mercifull that I may receive thy precious Body devoutly reverently with meeknesse contrition and great affection with spirituall comfort and gladnesse at thy mysticall presence Feed my soul with Bread from Heaven fill me with charity conform me to thy will in all things save me from all dangers bodily and ghostly assist and guide me in all doubts and fears prepare and strengthen me against all surreptions and sudden incursion of temptations cleanse me from all stains of sin and suffer nothing to abide in me but thy self only who art the Life of souls the Food of the Elect and the joy of Angels Give me such a gust and an holy relish in this Divine nutriment that nothing may ever hereafter please me but what savours of thee and thy miraculous sweetnesse Teach me to loath all the pleasures and beauties of this life and let my soul be so inebriated with the pleasures of thy Table that I may be comprehended and swallowed up with thy love and sweetnesse let me think nothing but thee covet nothing but thee enjoy nothing but thee nothing in comparison with thee and neither doe not possesse any thing but what leads to thee and is in order to the performance of thy will and the fruition of thy glories Transfixe my soul O blessed Jesu with so great love to thee so great devotion in receiving the holy Sacrament that I may be transformed to the Fellowship of thy sufferings and admitted to a participation of all the benefits of thy Passion and to a communion of thy graces and thy glories I desire to be with thee dissolve all the chains of my sin and then come Lord Jesus come quickly Let my soul feed on thee greedily for thou art the spring of light and life the Fountain of wisdome and health a torrent of divine pleasure and tranquillity the Author of peace and comfort enter into me sweet Jesu take thou possession of my soul and be thou Lord over me and all my faculties and preserve me with great mercy and tendernesse that no doubting or infidelity no impenitence or remanent affection to a sin no impurity or irreverence may make me unworthy and uncapable of thy glorious approach Let not my sins crucifie the Lord of life again let it not be said concerning me The hand of him that betrayeth me is with me on the Table that this holy Communion may not be unto me an occasion of death but a blessed peace-offering for my sins and a gate of life and glory Grant this O blessed God for his sake who is both
my will and all my actions that whatsoever I shall do or suffer this day or in my whole life my words and purposes my thoughts and my intentions may be sanctified and be acceptable to thy divine Majesty Amen II. GRant that my understanding may know thee my heart may love thee and all my faculties and powers may give thee due obedience and serve thee Preserve me this day from all sin and danger from all violences and snares of mine enemies visible and invisible let thy holy fear be as a bridle to my distemperatures and thy love so enkindle and actuate all mine endeavours that no pleasure or allurements of the world may draw me from thy service nor any difficulty or temptation may be my hinderance let the profound humility and innocence of my blessed Saviour keep from me all pride and haughtinesse of mind all self-love and vain-glory all obstinacy and disobedience all fraudulency and hurtfull dissimulation and let the graces of the holy Ghost take so absolute possession and seizure of my soul and all its faculties that I may tread down and cast out the spirit of intemperance and uncleannesse of malice and envy of idlenesse and disdain that I may never despise any of thy creatures but my self that so being little in mine own sight I may be great in thine Amen III. CLothe my soule with the Wedding garment the habits of supernaturall Faith and Charity that I may believe all thy holy promises and revelations without all wavering and love thee my God with so great devotions and affections that neither life nor death prosperity nor adversity temptations within nor without may ever dis-unite me from the love of thee but that I may have the most intimate adhesion to thy glories and perfections of which my condition in this world is capable Make me to choose vertue with the same freenesse of election entertain it with as little reluctancy keep it with as much complacency actuate it with as many faculties serve it with as much industry as I have in time past my vices and pleasures of the world and grant that all inordinate affection to the transitory things of this life may daily decay in me and that I may grow in spirit and ghostly strength till I come to a perfect man in Christ Jesus Amen IV. GIve unto thy servant true humility great contrition a tender conscience an obedient heart an understanding always busied in honest and pious thoughts a will tractable and ever prone to do good affections eaven and moderate a watchfull custody over my senses that by those windows sinne may never enter in nor death by sin Make me to watch over my tongue and keep the door of my lips that no corrupt or unseemly communication proceed out of my mouth that I may never flanner calumniate or detract from the reputation of my neighbour that I be not busie in the faults of others but carefull to correct mine own being gentle and mercifull to others and severe towards my self that I may speak much of thy praises and what I can for the edification of my brethren Amen V. GIve me understanding in thy Law that I may know thy will and grace and strength faithfully to fulfill the same Give me a fear of thy Name and of thy threatnings and a love and hope of thy promises let me daily feel thy mercies and remove thy judgements far from me Imprint in my heart a filiall reverence and awfulness towards thy Divine Majesty that I may study to please thee with diligence to worship thee with much devotion to submit to the disposition of thy providence with thankfulnesse and that in conscience of my duty towards thee I may honour the King obey Magistrates under him love the Saints and do all acts of charity according to my opportunity and ability directing all my actions and intentions not according to custome or in pursuance of mine own ends and temporall advantages but in thy fear and in holy religion to the advancement of thy honour and glory Amen VI. GIve me a soul watchfull in the services of Religion constant in holy purposes ingenuous and free from sordid ends or servile flattery a modest gravity in my deportment affability and fair courteous demeanour towards all men austerity in condemning mine own sins sweetnesse in fraternall correction and reprehending others mature judgement a chaste body and a clean soul patience in suffering deliberation in my words and actions good counsels in all my purposes make me just in performing promises and in all my duties sedulous in my calling profitable to the Common-wealth a true Son of the Church and of a disposition meek and charitable towards all men Amen VII LEt this be my portion and the comfort of my pilgrimage so long as I am detained in the condition of mortality and exiled from my heavenly Country that being free from all fear of mine enemies and from vexations cares and sollicitudes of this life I may be wholly devoted to thy service that I may attend thee onely and what tends to thee that I may rejoyce onely in thee and my soule may rest in thee that without distractions I may entertain thy heavenly Doctrine and the blessed motions of thy holy Spirit spending my time in the duties of necessity in the works of charity and the frequent office of Religion with diligence and patience and perseverance and hope expecting the accomplishment of my days in peace that when I go unto my dust I may be reckoned amongst those blessed souls whose work it is to give thee praise and honour and glory to all eternity Amen Blessed be the holy and undivided Trinity now and for evermore Amen An Evening Prayer In the Name of the Father and of the Son and of the holy Ghost Our Father which art in Heaven c. I. O Lord God who art the light and splendour of souls in the brightnesse of thy countenance is eternall Day that knows no night in thy arms and in thy protection is all quietnesse tranquillity and everlasting repose while the darkness covers the face of the earth receive my body and soul into thy custody let not the spirits of darkness come near my dwelling neither suffer my fancy to be abused with illusions of the night Lord I am thy servant and the sheep of thy pasture let not the devil who goeth up and down seeking whom he may devour abuse my body or make a prey of my soul but defend me from all those calamities which I have deserved and protect my soul that it consent not to any work of darknesse lest mine enemy say he hath prevailed over me or do mischief to a soul redeemed with thy most precious Bloud Amen II. PArdon and forgive me all the sins and offences of my youth the errours of mine understanding the inordination of mine affections the irregularity of all mine actions and particularly whatsoever I have transgressed this day in thought word or deed Lord let