Distinctly not in an over high tone loud voyce or eager precipitation 3 Devoutly to move his affection 4. Deliberately and with certain pauses and interruptions staying upon such points and passages as may touch pierce and comfort him As for example ARe you desirous my dear Brother to entertain your departing Soul with the memory of your dying Redeemer Lift up then your Heart sweetly and quietly to your Saviour whilst I shall recite what he did said and suffered for your sake The Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ according to S. Luke With desire I have desired to eat this Pasch with you before I suffer Mark these ardent and affectionate expressions of your dear Redeemer He hath still for you the same love and desire and his Will is that you shall celebrate this Pasch with him eternally in his happy Paradise This is my body which I give for you If your blessed Saviour hath given you his Body give yours to him and be content in your sufferings I prepare for you a Kingdom that you may eat at my Table O comfortable sentence 'T is for you that this Kingdom is prepared Pass to it cheerfully couragiously confidently O my Lord I am ready to accompany you into Prison and unto Death O the admirable courage of St. Peter say you the same and you will dy resignedly Pray that you may not enter into temptation Reflect upon these words and since this is a time of temptation elevate to God your Heart that you may be delivered He prayed on bended Knees Behold a rare example Do you imitate it in desire and affection and permit not your spirit to be born down with the sufferings of your body O Father If you please let this Chalice pass away from me yet not my Will but yours be done O how comfortably should you repeat this prayer of your agonizing Saviour Speak it in your Heart and unite your thoughts to those of your sweet Jesus Being in his Agony he prayed more ardently Behold Jesus in the same condition with your self Pray then pray heartily ardently perseverantly And his Sweat became like drops of blood trickling down upon the earth This bloody Sweat will wash away your Sins sweeten your Pains and smooth your passage to Eternity Judas came up to Jesus and Jesus kissed him Comfort your self in Christs kissing Judas Ah! shall not you hope to obtain his kiss of peace in Heaven since you dy in quality of his faithful friend and favourite Jesus looked back upon Peter after he had denied him O sweet words and can you doubt but that Jesus beholds you lying now upon your Death-bed humbly adoring him heartily confessing him and ardently loving him These and the like devout and pithy Reflection and Applications may be made upon the reading of the Passion which surely cannot but afford much comfort to the agonizing person and edification to the assistants Holding the Crucifix before him ADore your dear Saviour dying on the Cross for you and trust in his infinit merits and mercies Kiss these sacred Wounds hide your self in these holes of the Rock and rest here secure against all your enemies deceits and stratagems Offer up the death of JESVS to his eternal Father and desire that yours being thereto united may become pleasing to his divin Majestie Say with the Publican O my God! be merciful to me a Sinner Cry out with the Blind man O Jesu thou Son of David take pity upon me Profess your Faith with S. Thomas O my Lord and my God Animate your Hope to say with me I hope I shall soon see Him in Heaven whom I now contemplate fastned to the Cross Excite your Charity with S. Paul I desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ Address your self to the Eternal Father with the words of dying Jesus O my Father into your hands I commend my Spirit When the sick Person draws so near towards his Death that no further Applications can be made to him let the devout Assistants charitably pray for him in this or the like manner O Most compassionat Jesu Take pity upon him O Jesu the Redeemer Lover and Life of Christian Souls Have mercy upon him O Jesu the sweet Comforter of all desolate and distressed Sinners Comfort encourage and strengthen him O holy Mary the Refuge of Sinners Pray for him O Mother of Mercy Mother of Grace Mother of Jesus Mother of Power Pity him protect him defend him assist him in this his greatest extremity O glorious Saint Joseph the nursing Father of Jesus and Virginal Spouse of the Virgin Mary Pray for him O Angelical Spirit who have been hitherto his faithful Guardian Do not now abandon him but conduct his soul to its prepared place of eternal rest and happiness O all ye holy Saints and Angels and you St N. his special Patron receive him into your happy company O Jesu be you unto him a Jesus and save him A Prayer to God the Father O Father of Mercies and God of all Comfort we most humbly address our petitions to the Throne of thy divine Clemency in the behalf of this our languishing Brother beseeching thee by the immensity of thy Mercy and by the infinity of thy Sons merits to pardon his sins to mitigate his pains to arm him with patience to furnish him with perseverance in thy Grace and Love till his last Gasp and then to receive his departing Soul into thy paternal care and protection A Prayer to Christ Jesus O Lord Jesu Christ who wert mercifully pleas'd to suffer an ignominious death upon the Cross for the Redemption and Salvation of Mankind we most humbly beseech thee to interpose the Sweat of thy Agony and the Blood of thy Passion between the severe Justice of thy Eternal Father and the grievous Sins and offences of this thy poor servant And deliver him in this hour of his Death from all such pains and punishments as he may fear to have justly deserved A Prayer to the Blessed Virgin O Sacred Mother of Jesus By that sword of sorrow which pierced thy tender Heart when thou stoodest by thy dear Son hanging on the Cross heardst him uttering his last Words and beheldst him giving up his Ghost We beseech thee to assist also this thy dying Child with thy Prayers whom his Brother Jesus recommended then and there to thy peculiar care and custodie saying O Woman behold thy Son Turn thy Eyes of pitie and compassion towards him O Blessed Mother in this his extream misery and affliction and leave him not in this his last and greatest necessity O clement O pious O sweet Virgin Mary When the Agonizing person is ready to expire DEpart O Christian Soul Depart in peace out of this world In the name of God the Father who Created thee In the name of God the Son who Redeemed thee In the name of God the Holy Ghost who espoused thee In the name of the Angels Archangels Thrones Dominations Principalities Powers Cherubins and Seraphins In the
my Creator I will irrevocably fix my Heart and Hope making it my sole imployment during this my lives Pilgrimage to please praise and love thee and not doubting but thou wilt provide for me preserve me perfect me and at thy own appointed time bring me to thy perpetual bliss and felicity In this Act of Love Hope and Confidence I will securely sleep expire and die the death of Love living no more to my self for my self in my self but thou my loving Lord living within me leaving to thee all care of my self and not Fearing what can befall me in all future time and eternity 5. A Divine Sleep of Contemplation ANd now composing my Body to sleep my Heart shall remain awak'd to thee my Lord and Lover Though my Understanding remains vacant from all discourse and image my Will shall be still working watching and melting away in Acts of Love to thy divine Majesty O sweet and secure sleep O sincere and solid repose O pure and perfect pleasure O the difference between this spiritual and all fleshly contents How great O Lord is the multitude of thy sweetness which thou hast laid up in store for all such as truly love and faithfully serve thee O Lights O Delights O Extasies of Spirit O sweet Spouse of my soul Wound me Burn me Consume me Annihilate me in the abyssal depths of thy divine Love and Union Then put off your Garments with all modesty and civility being never without some pious thought in your heart or some Jaculatory prayer in your mouth As O Saviour how barbarously wert thou uncloath'd to be nail'd naked to the Cross Uncloath my soul sweet Jesu of all its evil habits and idle affections c. Composing your self in your Bed you may say or think thus This Bed may perhaps be my Grave this sleep my Death and my next Uprising may be my Summons to the Soveraign Judges terrible Tribunal O dear Saviour dispose of me at thy pleasure for time and eternity Endeavour to take your Sleep which is a natural action with a Spirit of Devotion so making meritorious each minute of time whereof Sleep seems to rob you by loving God with your Soul even whilst your Body hath no use of Sense either Actually by breathing forth affectionate Aspirations as oft as you awake or Vertually by the vigour of your now well made Intention And thus you may say with the Spouse in the Canticles I sâ—…p but my heart watcheth Then quietly shut your Eyes and fall asleep upon some good Cogitation or pious Affection For the last thought at Night occurs commonly first in the Morning saying with Jesus on the Cross Into thy hands O heavenly Father I commend my Spirit If sleep seizes not presently upon you say three Pater-nosters and Aves The first for the faithfull departed The second for the now sick and agonizing The third for all your enemies Which are Three Spiritual Alms-deeds ¶ II. Directions for Prayer and Meditation THey who aim at the perfection of Virtue and mean to make a solid progress in Spirituality must besides the Morning and Evening Exercises before prescribed daily duly and perseverantly apply themselves to Prayer at fit and set times and never omit it upon any pretext whatsoever as far forth as Obedience Charity and Discretion will permit There are four sorts of Prayer Vocal Mental Aspirations Transcendent 1. VOcal Prayer is the most imperfect of all as having the least share of Spiritual light Yet it is the most proper for Beginners till the Soul becomes more internal And it is to be perform'd especially when it is of obligation punctually leisurely distinctly devoutly Be sure to make a good choice of your Vocal Exercises preferring those before all others which excite you to most Devotion and which afford the sweetest relish to your Souls appetite 2. MEntal Prayer consists of three parts Preparation Meditation Conclusion Preparation hath three Acts The first is a Lively Humble and Amorous apprehension of Gods Presence who is with you within you your Life your Love your All. The second is Purity of Intention protesting you come to Prayer only to praise please and honour the divine Majesty and happen what will that you will do as far forth as his powerfull Grace shall enable your weak endeavours The third is Invocation by which you heartily beg light from the Father of lights humbly acknowledg your own Nothing and entirely abandon your self into Gods holy hands in all things whatsoever Meditation hath also three Acts. Consideration or a quiet search into the matter proposed that you may win your will to God Affections and Desires to do this leave that love God hate vice c. Resolutions firm purposes and protestations to practise as your Will is inclined as your Vnderstanding is convinced and as your Soul is now inspired Conclusion hath likewise three Acts. Thanksgiving for all Gods benefits in general and particular especially for the grace he hath now given you Petition craving that by your Creators mercy your Redeemers merits and the Saints mediation all your Defects may be pardoned your Wants supplied your Wounds cured your Wishes accomplished and imploring a special assistance for the putting in execution of your now made Resolutions Oblation of your self body soul present prayer all to the divine Majesty 3. PRayer of Aspirations or Jaculatory Prayers are short sweet frequent and fervent desires requests elevations and affections of the Soul to God These are of several sorts and may be made either in the Heart only or by the Heart and Mouth joyntly Of this sort of Prayer see more in our Spiritual Conquest 4. THe last purest perfectest and highest manner of Prayer is made only by a certain adhesion of the devout Soul to the divine Will without any Vocal expressions Mental discourses or any Images whatsoever But by a simple general obscure light of Faith and a Fervent Attentive Intensive motion and Vnion of Love Of this Prayer See also our Spiritual Conquest A way to Meditate upon any Virtue or Vice 1. AFter a lively apprehension of the divine Presence an humble acknowledgment of your own unworthiness and a rectifying of your intention as above Ponder wherein the Virtue you desire or the Vice you derest doth really consist 2. What need you have to get this and to root out that How happily you should live could you obtain it What you lose by not having it 3. What did your blessed Saviour teach and practise What our blessed Lady or such a Saint What saith your Rule or your Conscience or what is your Obligation touching this matter 4. Now what means are there to purchase it What are the occasions which nourish this Vice this Passion this Imperfection and hinder this Virtue or Perfection What Remedies What Practise 5. Then purpose and resolve upon them couragiously and confidently not doubting but that in due time you shall tast the fruits of your faithfull labours and diligence c. And to perswade
correspond to this thy sacred design when shall we worthily perform and perfectly practise what thou so justly deservest desirest demandest and commandest 3. Of Devotion the chief Act of Religion and of Prayer the next unto it Devotion is the prime and proper act of Religion inclining our Wills to embrace actually and readily all that concerns Gods service and to avoid all that displeaseth him Prayer is an Act of Religion whereby we humbly ask of God such things as are fit to be asked O Sweet and sacred Devotion the dear and only minion of my Soul how tenderly do I love thee how ardently do I desire thee and yet how unworthy am I to enjoy thee Thou O my glorious Soveraign art the supream cause of all Devotion and thy grace is the original Source of all piety Thou art the only good which my way faring and thirsty Soul incessantly gapes after Thou art the solid support and solace of her weakness and weariness Thou art the dilater of all devout hearts by the infusion of good desires into them Take from me I beseech thee the love of the world clear my thoughts from curiosities and superfluities break the fetters which wrest my affection to vanities and fix them intirely upon thy self my only amiable and satisfying Object Behold O immense Deity O eternal infinit and essential goodness who deservest all perfect homage and honour all possible duty and devotion from me and all rational creatures who art in thy self so absolutly excellent and admirable to my Soul so highly bountiful and beneficial I here most humbly promptly cordially freely and resolutely Consecrate the whole residue of my life and actions to be totally imployed in thy true love and service O let me never swerve from this solid and substantial Devotion let me rest joyful and content in this my advised choice and be no more contristated troubled or dejected in the faithful prosecution of such works as belong to my duty and thy divine honour Dilate my heart O Lord with holy cheerfulness and I will run on swiftly sweetly perseverantly in the paths of thy Commandments I confess O glorious Creator my own Misery and that I stand in perpetual need of thy Mercy and therefore I will daily present my self before thy supream Majesty as a poor needy and naked Beggar as a weak wounded and wicked Sinner hoping that thou O pious Physician wilt heal and help pitty and pardon cure and comfort my sick sinful and sorrowful Soul O that my Heart and Mouth were absolutely purified from all undecent affections and superfluous expressions in my Prayer O that my spirit could always propose devoutly and my tongue pronounce distinctly such wholsome things in my petitions as are proper for me to expect from thy infinit Majesty O that I could thus piously and perseverantly present my Prayers to thy Throne of Grace with all the necessary Circumstances to obtain thy mercy My Resolution O heavenly Maker is to ask nothing henceforth of thy divine Majesty but the entire accomplishment of thy Holy Will or that which may in some manner serve and contribut to the encrease of thy honour and glory and if I fail of thy present answer to all other my pretentions I will humbly acknowledg my desires to have been Vndue and Vnreasonable and resting peaceably in thy presence I will adore the depths of thy inscrutable Prudence and relie securely upon the sweetness of thy secret and paternal Providence Teach me O Divine Master thus to pray with a resigned spirit and purified intention and encourage me to practice purely perfectly perseverantly thy heavenly instruction in demanding first thy eternal Kingdom and them not doubting the sufficient supply of all temporal conveniences 4. Of Adoration another Act of Religion Adoration as an Act of Religion wherby we testifie our submission to the divine Majesty acknowledging his supream excellency and our absolute dependancy upon him A perfect fâ—…rm of Oblation to the Divine Majesty O Great glorious admirable eternal Lord God! What creature can comprehend or conceive the least of thy purities and perfections What honors homages respects and reverences are due to thee O Dread Soveraign of heaven and earth on whom all things created depend in whom I have both breath and being O that I and all creatures could truly descend into our Nothing that thy only glorious and essential being might appear shine more brightly O increated and independent Entity without whose present and continual support all things would instantly cease to be what they are by thy bounty and slide away into their original nothing how can I place my self low enough in the presence of thy infinit Majesty Behold I humbly adore thy sublime Excellencies from the bottomless depth of my abyssal nothing I heartily worship thee my Soveraign Creatour in spirit and truth I lowly prostrate my poor Soul before the high Altar of thy immense greatness faithfully dutifully and devoutly acknowledging thy divine power and submitting my whol being to thy absolute supremacy Ay! how barren are my Affections How bare short and filly my Expressions How unproportionable my Adorations in respect of thy supereminent surpassing unexplicable and unconceivable Excellencies I therfore present thee O glorious Deity with all the interiour actions of the blessed humanity of thy Son my Saviour Jesus I offer unto thee with all possible submission and devotion in supply of my weakness the perfect acts of love praise adoration which proceeded from the pure Virgin Mother and from all the Saints with all the hearts and affections of Angels and Men all the mental excesses supernatural jubilations total abnegations and amorous unions of all blessed Souls in heaven and earth Ah! that my heart alone were capable of all the united affections and perfections of all creatures how willingly O my God! would I employ them all in thy service How sweetly should I melt away in thy love Receive gracious Lord all these and whatsoever may be offered unto thee as my ardent desires of honour adoration loyalty and gratitude due to thy infinit Majesty O that I could present them unto thee as frequently as I breath and as fervently as the highest Seraphins I invite and conjure you with heart and mouth O all ye celestiall Spirits and elevated Souls to supply my defects and desires and to sacrifice to my God holocausts of praise benediction adoration ardently incessantly eternally Accept these homages and oblations O soveraign Creator from thy meanest creature which accepts thee embraces thee and makes choyce of thee this day this hour this instant and for all Eternity for her God and refuses all other Lords for thy only love to thee be rendred all honour praise adoration and reverence from her and all things that have a being now and for evermore 5. Three Neighbour-Virtues to Justice are Piety Observance and Obedience Piety is a Moral Virtue whereby we render to our Parents Kindred Countrey and Friends the just duties of honour and
Tepidity Sluggishness Cowardise and Pusillanimity all my my Covetous desires all Impurity and all Intemperance Purge me O my powerful Lord purifie me O my merciful Saviour Give strength comfort and courage to my feeble and frail nature that I may pass undauntedly through all difficulties and dangers to come to thee and to repose in thee the only center of my desires Grant me O my Lord Chastity of body and Cleanness of heart Temperance in my appetites and Sobriety in my senses Gravity in my deportment and Moderation in all my proceedings that nothing may dislike thee in my soul nor dissolve the sacred knot wherewith thou hast fastned me unto thee Give me also O Jesu my Lord perfect Poverty of spirit O permit not my soul designed to enjoy thee her only solid and satiating object to be intangled with the least affection to the poor and perishable trifles of this world Behold I cast my self uncloathed from all creatures into thy naked embraces O crucified Saviour I desire to clip nothing in my folded arms but a breast burning with desires to please thee my Redeemer and a heart melting away in thy love I make choice of thy baâ—e Cross O Christ for my best inheritance I stretch out my opened folds to meet thy holy and heavenly huggings O let me never more be unclasp'd from thy blessed bosom Be thou O my great-little naked-Jesu my rest during the short time of my life and my refuge at the dreadful hour of my death 6. More humble Petitions before the Sacred Head and Face of our Crucifi'd Saviour ANd now O merciful Saviour I humbly convert my eyes and contemplation to thy sacred Head crowned with thorns and thy divin Face all besmeared with gore and spittle for my sake Here I implore strength O Jesu for the weaknesses of my head and pardon for the wickednesses of my five Wits and Senses O my Lord I desire to bury in these thy innumerous Wounds the enormous number of my iniquities and I beseech thee for these thy sufferings sake to adorn my weak capacity with so much solid Wisdom as may fitly suit with my condition O let me never think speak or act any thing which is not season'd with the salt of Discretion Let me seriously weigh each circumstance and patiently wait thy leave and leasure before I leap into any work Enlighten me to see cleerly thy will and pleasure and impower me exactly to fulfil and follow it Open the eyes of my Understanding to behold my own baseness and wickedness and give me thy gracious assistance to reform it Help me to frame a right judgment of the real vileness and vanity of all transitory things and indue my heart with courage to contemn them Inebriate my affection O amiable Jesu with the sweetness of thy love and let all worldly solaces savour of bitterness to my soul Let me be deaf blind and dumb to all things which are not thy self O my crucified Saviour Let me prudently discern and piously perform each parcel of my duty in its due circumstance of time place order measure and manner Let that holy and innocent Simplicity which is the Virtue of thy Saints shine in all my actions Let me not be curious to know much but careful to practise much and cordial to love thee much O my only Lord and love Cleanse my Will from all self-seeking Keep my Memory from all superfluities Close up my Senses from all vanities that my happy soul seperated from all sensible images may quietly tend to thee only sweetly repose in thee and continually enjoy thy blessed presence O let thy pure and perfect love Dear Lord Jesu be the faithful Scout-watch over all my proceedings that no forreign affection no sinister intention no self liking or self seeking may steal into my heart and defraud or disturb its happy enjoyment of thee and holy unity with thy divin Spirit Grant O my Lord that I may prudently turn all good events and all bad accidents to my spiritual profit by reflecting wherefore they befall me of what they warn me and how far they concern me Let me learn thereby gratitude to thy Goodness fervour in Prayer contempt of my self humility of spirit care of my actions resignation to thy will amendment of my life or what else thy holy Spirit shall please to intimate by these fatherly visitations O sacred Head of my crucified Saviour be thou my certain succour during my lives conflict and my sure place of retreat in my last agony of Death 7. And finally Ardent Petitions before the Heart of JESVS wounded with a Launce ANd Lastly I reverently approach to thy dear Heart O amiable Lord Jesu opened with a cruel Launce in the sight of thy blessed Mother and thy beloved Disciple for the love of my Soul O my Jesu I here implore thy pardon for all my perverss affections and irregular appetites Give me thy leave O my loving Lord to creep into this sweet hole of the rock this sacred cleft of the wall this unlock'd closet of heavenly treasures this saving Ark of the New Testament and shut you O Jesu the door from without that free from the deluges of all wickedness and dangers of the World Flesh and Devil I may sit solitarily silently and sweetly hearkning to thy divin whispers in my elevated Soul Purge all my impurities O my dear Saviour in the precious Blood streaming from thy patent side and replenish my heart with thy perfect love Oh! drown me wound me burn me and consume me in thy divine flames of affection that I may love thee strongly purely perfectly perseverantly O grant that I may leave all things with alacrity for thee my beloved Jesu though never so great to loath all things joyfully for thy love though never so good to do all things contentedly for thy honour though never so hard to suffer all things patiently for thy sake though never so painful and to persever constantly in my pious practices for the sole satisfaction of thy holy Will and the accomplishment of thy blessed pleasure O let me be incessantly calling and knocking at this sacred gate of Mercy Let me be still sighing and seeking after thee my Jesus my Saviour my Lord and my Love Let me be always thinking ever talking and perpetually tending to unite my heart to thine to conform it unto thine to transform it into thine that so I may be all thine and thou all mine for time and eternity Grant also dear Jesu that I may truly love all others in thee and for thee O inflame my Charity quicken my Faith rectifie my intentions strengthen my confidence in thee destroy all complacency in my self establish me in all these my good purposes and let me be as often minded of my now-promis'd duty and encouraged to proceed forwards in the path of perfection as I shall eye the sacred image of thy crucified humanity Elevate my desirous Soul unto thy self O Jesu my Lord above all chances changes
such conveniencies as serve for my lives ordinary entertainment till such time as thou shalt please to free my Soul from this fleshly slavery and accomplish my Redemption by destroying all that is borrowed from the old Adam and consummating my adoption in Glory which I desire for no other end but to be no longer subject to offend thee my Lord and Maker and that I may be happily obliged and necessitated to praise and love thee for all Eternity 5. A Prayer for the Conversion of Hereticks ONe of the secret Judgments of thy divine Providence O Omnipotent Creator which I humbly adore without daring to dive into it is the permission of Heresies to spring up in such multitudes as Weeds amidst the Wheat in the field of Christianity 'T is for the conversion of these misbelievers for the reduction of these straid sheep for the illumination of these blinded Christians that we now present our petition to the Throne of thy divine Clemency Clear them O Lord clear the Understandings of these our brethren for so they are by participating with us of the self-same Baptism and recal them to the safe sheep-fold of thy Universal Church Give them we beseech thee that Columbin simplicity which is necessary to receive and retain the Faith of thy Gospel and that Christian infancy which is not suspicious not litigious not apt to dispute and judge not puff'd up with any self-opinions Let them see and admire the beauty of Catholick verities by an inward light penetrating their Understandings and captivating them to the obedience 〈◊〉 faith and the Church Ingrave in their Wills the love of thy Truths and dissipate all these impostures wherewith their deceived Teachers entertain them in the hatred of our sacred mysteries We have enough disputed written preached be thou now O divine Doctor the concluding Umpire of all our Controversies Speak effectually to their hearts O all penetrating spirit and open them to hear thy Voice and to admit of thy Inspirations and having fill'd them with the seed of thy saving Faith shut them and seal them with thy grace lest the Birds of prey snatch it away O Soveraign Shepheard reunite these wandring sheep to their true Pastor and make us all members of one Body under one Head that we may with one heart and mouth unanimously adore praise and glorifie thy sacred Name during the remaining time of our pilgrimage upon Earth and afterwards in Heaven for all Eternity 6. A Prayer for a Special Friend PReserve O Lord thy Servant N. for whose Health Happiness and Prosperity we humbly offer up these our Petitions to thy Sacred Majesty beseeching thee to grant him a perseverant Constancy in the Catholick Faith a safe passaâ—… through this lives dangerous Pilgrimage and that no Worldly Carnal or Diabolical Temptations may have the power to separate him from thee his prime and only Good Give him Grace to correspond to the Calling and Condition wherein thou hast placed him Direct him in all his Ways Defend him against all his Enemies and grant him finally a happy Death and departure out of this World and a speedy passage after Death to the fruition of thy Eternal Felicity 7. A Prayer for a Friend in Tribulation VOuchsafe O merciful Creator to afford the sweetness of thy Comfort to thy afflicted servant N. and to remove according to thy wonted Mercy the heavy burthen of his Calamities Give him we humbly beseech thee Patience in his sufferings Resignation to thy good pleasure Perseverance in thy service and a happy translation from this afflictive Life to thy Eternal Felicity 8. A Prayer for our Enemies Detractors and Persecutors O Meek and Merciful Lord Jesu the great Master Exemplar and Practiser of Peace Charity and Union amongst men Who hast commanded us to love our Enemies and to do good for them who hate us and who prayedst on the Cross for thy capital Adversaries Increase within us we most humbly beseech thee the Spirit of Christian Charity that we may freely heartily and sincerely forgive them who have any way offended injured or persecuted us Bestow on them also O Blessed Saviour the same Spirit of perfect Peace Love and Charity and powerfully defend us from all their Deceits and Treachery 9. A Prayer for a Woman labouring in Child-Bed O Most dread Soveraign Who for the just punishment of the first Womans prevarication hast pronounced and imposed a severe and unavoydable Sentence of Malediction upon all Woman-kind that they should bring forth their Children in pain and sorrow We most humbly beseech thee O undrainable Fountain of Goodness and Mercy to mitigate the rigour of this general Edict in behalf of this your poor Handmayd N. now labouring in the pangs of Child-Bed and to give her Courage Comfort and Patience in her sufferings Grant her O gracious Lord God! a speedy and happy Deliverance and that the Child she bears in her womb may be brought forth into the World accompanied with all such Perfections of Body Soul and Senses as are befitting our human nature that it may live to be re-born by Baptism and that both the Child and the Mother may become thy faithful Servants 10. A Prayer to withdraw our Minds from the superfluous Cares and Solicitudes of this World O Lord our true Lover our faithful Teacher and our bountiful Nourisher Take from us all vain superfluous and noxious Cares and Solicitudes and since thou hast been graciously pleas'd to promise us that thy Self wilt make a sufficient Provision for us grant that we may confidently rely in all things upon thy sacred Providence Let us therefore fix our Hearts and Affections upon Heavenly Objects Let us seek only thy Kingdom and be only solicitous for the advancement of thy Honour and Glory Let us run on cheerfully couragiously perseverantly in the way of thy Precepts during this our earthly Pilgrimage that so we may be finally translated to thy Heavenly Paradise 11. A Prayer to appease the Divine Indignation in any publick or private Necessity WHen we compare O Lord thy Punishments with our own Prevarications we are forced to confess that our Crimes do far exceed thy Chastisements We are sensible of our Sins Penalty but we leave not our sinful Pertinacy Our sick Minds are troubled but our stiff Necks are not bowed Our Life languishes under the burthen of our Afflictons and yet we amend not our wicked Actions We acknowledg our misdeeds in the day of Correction and we forget what we have bewailed after the Visitation If thou O Lord stretchest forth thy Hand to strike us we make thee large Promises if thou sheathest thy Sword we fail in our Performances If thou scourgest us we petition thee to spare us if thou mercifully sparest us we again maliciously provoke thee to scourge us Behold O dread Soveraign Thou hast us self-accused adjudged condemned and we well know that unless thou wilt pardon us we must needs perish Yet grant unto us O Compassionate Father that which we desire
most hearty thanks for vouchsafing by Death to deliver my spirit from the Law of these corporal Members which kept it so long enslaved under the Law of Sin Let me freely offer up to thee my life in Sacrifice and let thy love be the Fire not only to purifie but also to ennoble this my oblation which of it self is so mean and contemptible Finally O Soveraign Lord of life and death I resignedly leave to the conduct of thy sacred Providence all that concerns my poor Soul's departure out of this her pilgrimage as to the Time the Place the Assistants the Consolations the Derelictions and whatsoever other Circumstance I only beg that thy holy Grace may not then abandon me when all human helps must of necessity become useless unto me In the mean space let Death O my God! be my continual Looking-glass to keep me from wilfully offending thy Divine Majesty to check my immoderate Affection to this life which is so uncertain in its permanency and so certain in its misery and to mind me that each Moment of time I live may be the last wherein I must appear before thy dread tribunal to render an account of my actions and to receive accordingly a definitive sentence which must remain irrevocable for all Eternity 3. The Prayer of S. Vincent to our Lord Jesus for the same end that is to obtain the grace of Dying well O My Soveraign Lord Jesu who dyedst for the salvation of the whole World and desirest not that any one should perish to whom I never present my Prayers with out hopes of Mercy relying upon thy own gracious Promise That whatsoever shall be ask'd in thy Name shall be granted I beseech thee by that sweet and sacred Name that in the Article of my Death thou wilt be pleased to give me perfect integrity of my Senses true Contrition for my Sins a lively Faith a firm Hope and a perfect Charity that I may then say unto thee with a pure and clean Heart into thy Hands O my Saviour Jesu I commend my Spirit 16. A most Devout and Efficacious Prayer to our Blessed Redeemer in the honour of his bitter Passion Which whosoever shall humbly Recite before the Image of a Crucifix with a pure Intention and perfect Resignation several Days together may confidently Hope to obtain of the Divine Mercy a full Grant of their lawful Demands O Dear Jesu My blessed Saviour and Redeemer The sweet Comforter of all sad desolate and distressed Souls Behold thy poor Servant humbly prostrate at the foot of thy holy Cross deploring his Misery imploring thy Mercy and beseeching thee to take pity and compassion upon him in this his present and pressing Affliction Infirmity Poverty Temptation Trouble or whatsoever other Spiritual or Corporal Necessity Hear my Prayers O assured Refuge of all afflicted wretches behold my Tears consider my Sorrows and remedy my Distresses for finding my self encompassed with grievous Calamities by reason of my great Crimes I know not whether to fly for Succour or to whom I may make my Moan but to thee my meek and merciful Saviour with a full hope and confidence that thou O my loving Reedemer wilt vouchsafe to lend the Ears of thy ordinary piety and accustomed clemency to the humble Petition of thy poor Child And By that sweetness which thy blessed Soul resented at the time of thy Alliance with our Human nature when resolving with the Father and the Holy Ghost to Unite thy Divine Person to Mortal Flesh for Mans salvation thou sent'st thy Angel to the holy Virgin Mary with those happy tidings and cloathing thy self with our Humanity in her chast Entralls remainedst true God and true Man for the space of nine Months in her sacred Womb By the Anguish thou enduredst when the time of thy designed Passion drawing nigh thou prayedst to thy Eternal Father That if it might stand with his Divine Providence thou desiredst that bitter Chalice might pass away from thee yet concluding with a most perfect act of Resignation Not my Will O Heavenly Father but thine be fulfilled By the outragious Injuries scornful Disgraces cruel Blows contumelious Blasphemies forg'd Witnesses false Accusations and unjust Judgments which thou Innocent Lamb patiently enduredst By the Shackles which fettered thy Limbs the Tears which flow'd from thy Eyes the Blood which trickled from thy whole Body By the Fears Sorrows and Sadnesses of thy Heart and by the Shame thou receivedst in being stripp'd of thy Garments to hang naked on the Cross in the sight of thy sorrowful Mother and in the presence of all the People By thy Royal Head crowned with Thorns and smitten with a Reed By thy Thirst quench'd with Vineger and Gall By thy Side open'd with a Spear and issuing forth Blood and Water to refresh our Souls with that living Fountain of thy Love and Mercy By the sharp Nails wherewith thy tender Hands and Feet were cruelly pierced and fastned to the Cross By the Recommendation of thy departing Soul to thy Heavenly Father saying Into thy Hands I commend my Spirit By thy praying for thy Enemies saying O Father forgive them for they grow not what they do By thy giving up the Ghost when thou cryedst out with a lowd Voyce My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and then bowing down thy blessed Head to reach us the Kiss of Peace sayd'st All is finished By the great Mercy thou shewd'st towards the good Theif saying This day thou shalt be with me in Paridise By thy Descent into Limbus and the Joy thou communicated'st to the just Souls there detained By the Glory of thy triumphant Resurrection and the comfortable Apparitions thou frequently madst for forty days space to thy sacred Virgin Mother to thy Apostles and to thy other chosen Friends and Servants By thy admirable Ascension when in the sight of thy Mother and thy Apostles thou wert elevated into Heaven By the Myraculous comming down of the Holy Ghost in form of Fiery Tongues whereby thou replenishedst the hearts of thy Disciples with thy Love and gav'st them Strength and Courage to plant thy Faith in the whole World By the dreadful day of General Judgment in which thou art to give Sentence upon all-Mankind By all these Sorrows Joys Passions Compassions and whatsoever else is near and dear to thee in Heaven and upon Earth take pity on me O compassionat Redeemer hear my Prayer and grant me that for which I now most humbly and heartily Petition thee Mention here the thing you desire or reflect mentally upon it Give me O gracious Saviour a speedy and efficacious feeling of thy Divine Succour and Comfort who according to the accustomed Sweetness of thy tender Heart art wont to grant the Requests of them who fear and love thee even to their own Souls desire and satisfaction Bestow on me also O my Blessed Lord Jesu a constant Faith a confident Hope a perfect Charity a cordial Contrition a sincere Confession a competent Satisfaction a diligent
your Soul to what you intend you may add these affective Considerations 1. If my sweet Saviour were now personally present and asked what I should do in such a case what Counsel would he give me I will attentively listen to his words cordially answer his Inspirations and effectually follow his Directions 2. If some dear friend should demand my advice in this matter What would I answer him My soul shall relish now the same Food which it would then chew for another 3. Why was I Created and Redeemed Call'd to Gods faith and service Why have I time still lent me I will be an Impartial Judg Condemn Punish Resolve Amen 4. What doth most trouble and hinder my holy Design This inordinate affection this creature this pleasure this thing which withholds me from my God Is it better than he is More worthy to be loved More beneficial to me Shall my soul be ever satisfi'd or quieted with it At the hour of my death will it plead for me or protect me from my Creators wrath and judgment Is it capable to make me now Holy or eternally Happy If not what a strange Blindness and Madness is it for me to leave God and adhere to it Resolve accordingly General Rules to be observed in all Prayer In all your practises of Prayer and duties of Devotion Let these generall Rules be carefully and constantly observed 1. BEgin your Prayers with quietness and liberty of Spirit that is endeavour to have your heart disinteressed from all business and all creatures Thinking whither you go and what to do 2. Be sure to bring with you to Prayer either in Book or Mind these two things 1. The points or at least the ground work of your Prayer or Meditation 2. What you intend to obtain this Prayer 3. In the progress of your Prayer be carefull to avoid these two Extremities 1. An indiscreet tying and bending your Brain and Mind to Attention 2. A negligent giving of liberty to wandring imaginations 4. If you find your Heart troubled confounded or dispersed Reduce it sweetly and encourage it to talk with its only Lord and Love about the important affairs of Eternity Thus quietly checking your self and recalling your imagination Where are we What do we Whom seek we God Angels Saints are present and am I not present to my self 5. When your darknrss dryness dulness temptations or distractions will permit you to do as it were nothing in Prayer You are not therefore to be dismay'd or desist from keeping on in your course at set and ordinary seasons But call to mind these three points with faithful diligence resignation and indifferency First what was your intention in now coming to your Prayers and fall presently to the practise thereof Secondly assure your self That to suffer for God being absent and to enjoy him being present are of equal Perfection And one of these you may always do by-being to either of them indifferent Thirdly That you came to your Prayers for two ends 1. To Adore your divine Maker To cast your self at his feet To be disposed of at his pleasure To know his holy Will To receive his sacred Commands 2. To lay open to him your Wants To discover to him your Wounds To present to him your Petitions to seek relief receive redress beg an Alms. Now the first of these Ends which is Noblest and Purest is always in your own power to perform and therefore That alone gives a sufficient value and merit to your Devotions A Direction of our intention at the beginning of our Devotions OPen my mouth O my Lord and Maker to bless and praise thy divine Majesty Cleanse my heart from all curious noxious and distractive thoughts Enlighten my understanding recollect my memory inflame my will purifie my intention settle my attention excite my devotion elevate my affection curb and compose all my interiour and exteriour senses That I may worthily reverently and religiously perform this Morning Evening Sacrifice of Prayer and that in union and vertue of those most pure and perfect Prayers and Praises which thou O Jesu my Redeemer living upon Earth offeredst up to thy Eternal Father Mine may be now acceptable in thy fight profitable to the Living and Dead and Honourable to thee and thy Saints At the end of our Devotions REceive O merciful Creator this my Morning Evening Sacrifice which I have offered up and intended to the Glory of thy Name the Honour of thy Saints the Good of my own Soul the Reduction of all sinners and the benefit of all the faithfull living and departed Accept O pious Father my poor endeavours Pardon O merciful Redeemer all my Defects and Negligences Give me O good Holy Ghost efficacious Grace to put in due practise my now made purposes and resolutions Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Ghost For the benefits of my Creation Redemption Sanctification As it was in the beginning when the Morning Stars praised thee Is now in the Church Militant And shall be world without end in the Church Triumphant Amen ¶ III. Practical Exercises dilated with Acts Affections and Elevations upon the chief Christian Virtues The First Exercise Of Virtue in General Divided into seven Points 1. A generous Resolution to practise all Virtues BEhold O sacred and undivided Trinity Father Son and Holy Ghost an unworthy wretched weak and wounded Soul groaning under the burden of her own abyssal misery terrified with the consideration of thy inscrutable judgments confounded at the memory of her former sin sensuality disloyalty and ingratitude all covered with shame and encompassed with sorrow humbly prostrates her self before the Throne of thy dread Majesty and presents her petition to thy infinite Mercy Thou hast been pleased O benign and bountiful Lord and Lover whose mercy is above all thy wonderful works to expect her hitherto most patiently How long shall I suffer you Thou hast most piercingly enticed her Why will you perish As I live I desire not the death of a sinner Thou hast most piously invited her Come to me all you that labour and are loaden and I will receive you release you relieve you revive you Thou hast efficaciously touch'd and terrifi'd her with thy threats Sin no more lest a worse thing befall thee Thou hast powerfully drawn her with thy promises No eye hath seen nor ear heard nor heart conceived what I have prepar'd for them that love me Thou hast confirm'd her in a lively Confidence of thy goodness It is I fear nothing And finally Thou O my all merciful Lord God! hast put Contrition into my heart Confession into my mouth Satisfaction into my hands and unfeigned Resolutions of a total reformation into my whol man This is the change of thy right hand O powerful Creator the great and glorious gift of thy grace and the effect of thy only goodness and to thee therefore alone be ascribed all honour and praise for evermore My now unfetter'd Soul aims at a higher
other thoughts out of your mind settle your self by a serious application of your spirit to the Examination of your Conscience making use if you please of some one of the Methods hereafter described in the particular directions for Confession But beware 1 of over-much earnestness impression anxiety or disquiet in your examination 2 of over-much scrupulosity contenting your self to remember the greatest and most dangerous hiding the rest of your Venial sins in Christs sacred Wounds and drowning them in his precious Bloud 3 of over-much tediousness like those weak spirits who to make an eight days-Confession must have four hours time of Recollection and are troubled when it is denied them for surely the discussion of the Conscience is not to be measur'd by the length of time but by the attention of the Spirit 4 Be sure to Confess nothing but that for which you are sorrowful and which you purpose to amend 5 In defects and imperfections mention only such in Confession as you desire to correct in your self and the rooting out whereof would make most for the encrease of your peace of humility of purity of heart and liberty of spirit 6 Above all things beware you go not to Confession pro forma out of custom or for company for such persons seem scarcely to detest Sin sufficiently nor purpose amendment resolutely and consequently put themselves in danger of committing a Sacriledge by coming to the Sacrament indisposedly 7. Having made your Examination of Conscience forget not to frame an Act of Contrition detesting all your sins in general and those in particular which you have now remembred and remarked in order to your present Confession In Confession 1. YOur Confession is to be accompanied with these Five qualities and Conditions which are necessarily required to make it valid and effectual The First and principal condition of a good Confession is Integrity that is You must exactly entirely and sigillatim says the Council of Trent one by one accuse your self of all your Mortal Crimes with their number and aggravating circumstances be they never so secret so infamous so enormous be they Interior in thought or Exterior in word or action be they hidden or manifest for who so conceals any one Mortal Sin either through shame or through malice or through his own culpable negligence and want of due examination invalidates his whole Confession turning it to his own Confusion and of the Sacrament making a Sacriledg The second Condition is Humility that is you must humbly acknowledg your selves culpable and not excuse your crimes or cast your faults upon others upon the occasions upon the temptations c. The third Condition is Clearness of expression that is you must deliver your Confession in such distinct and intelligible words as may make your Sins plainly understood and the state of your Soul clearly known to your Confessor who sits in that Tribunal delegated by the divine Majesty to judg of the Penitents Conscience The fourth Condition is Simplicity that is you must declare your Sins truly nakedly inartificially and undissemblingly without multiplicity of words circumlocutions exquisit phrases fruitless repetions and unnecessary circumstances especially in Venial Sins for all this doth but disguise confound and obscure the Confession The fifth Condition is a sense sorrow and feeling of your Sins heynousness that is you must put on the person and posture of a devout modest poor Criminal appearing before his dreadful Judg imitating the Publican who sighing from his heart casting down his eyes and smiting his breast deem'd himself unworthy all grace and favour 2. From which Conditions you may easily gather what abuses you are to avoid As 1. You must take heed of going to Confession like some lewd Libertines who by their light carriage and laughing countenance shew how little serious they are in a matter of so great moment 2. Let not your Confession consist of Negatives tiring your Confessors ears with these like fruitless and superfluous expressions I have not lov'd and serv'd God as I should I have not pray'd so fervently frequently faithfully as I should c. Surely the heavenly Citizens might say as much and were you guilty of no heavier Crimes you might deserve to be plac'd upon the Altar as most worthy of a Saints honor and worship 3. Vse not Indefinit terms in relating your Sins like some who will say Persons in my place of my calling in my condition do somtimes tell untruths People are apt to hear and speak some words of Detraction c. For your Confession must be personal and your accusation must be limited to your own particular action 4. Beware also of these like conditional ways of accusation If I have sworn ly'd detracted I ask God pardon For your Confession must be absolute and positive 5. Nor let your Confession consist of Generals by saying I have been proud idle envious c. Neither imitate such as having little to say by reason they want a true self knowledg or have fail'd to make a due Examination of their Conscience accuse themselves of Tepidity indevotion infidelity in answering to holy inspirations c. For you are to particularize the number and circumstances of your Crimes and declare that single action or omission which is sinful 6. Do not indiscreetly declare a third persons fault or imperfection to palliate or extenuate your own crime saying I have a Husband a Son a Servant so froward troublesom unruly that I am somtimes urg'd to Anger and impatience c. For this is not to accuse your sins but excuse your self 7. Much less are you to express your great offences in extenuating terms by saying I have let slip some Idle words and they were somtimes tending to dishonesty or detraction For this is to cover the Crime and to commit a Sacriledg 8. Avoid these two extreams Of speaking over-lowd least others may hear you or over-low lest your Ghostly Father should not understand you 9. Abuse not your Gostly Fathers years and patience and indeed the Sacrament it self with Impertinencies or any thing whatsoever concerns not your Conscience For to talk during the time of Confession of trivial temporal or indifferent businesses which may be deferred is to prophane the sanctity of this high Tribunal 10. Imitate not them who whilst they are at Confession gaze up and down play with their Beads or Fingers and relate their Sins with as little feeling as if they recited a Romance For the exteriour disorder and irreverence declares the interiour indevotion and negligence 11. Run not to every new-coming Priest like some vagabond spirits who no sooner hear of a holy devout spiritual Confessarius but presently they have an itching desire to make a trial and tast of him For this savours over-much of Curioâ—…ty and Levity 12. Leave not your ordinary Ghostly Father without a just warrantable occasion and necessity Much less should you do it when you have committed some extraordinary Crime for fear of incurring his ill opinion
Fundamental practises of sublime and solid Piety may be always ready at hand for the daily use of devout Christians both before and after Communion and in which they may also according to each ones fervor and opportunity very profitably employ themselves after their Morning Exercise as it were in the way of a Canonical Office for which reason they are distinguished like the precedent Exercises of Christian Vertues which may be practised in the same manner into Seven Points correspondent to the Seven Hours of the Church-Service The First Exercise Which is the Ground work of all Prayer and Introversion and which alone being performed with requisite diligence discretion and perseverance will speedily and infallibly afford unspeakable Comfort and spiritual Profit to the pious Practicer thereof As being indeed the end of all other external Exercises and the short sure simple and Regia via leading to a Devout and Divine life THis Exercise consists of Three parts in general and Nine points in particular 1. Preparation of three acts 1. An affective and lively apprehension of Gods presence 2. A cordial and profound act of humility 3. A pure intention to please and praise God only 2. Consideration of 1. Our Wounds both internal and external 2. Our Wants which are many in every degree 3. Our Wishes and humble desires 3. Conclusion also of three acts 1. Contrition for our Sins 2. Resignation in our wants 3. Complacence in God and Confidence in his Goodness A practical description of this Exercise The first part is Preparation of three Acts. 1. A lively apprehension of Gods presence not only in all places and in all creatures by his Power and Essence but in our Souls by his Mercy Love Care and Providence O My Soul Where are we who sees us What is he that is with us and within us By whose light we see by whose fire we burn and by whose love we live Live my most glorious and gracious Lord in whose presence I kneel in whose arms I rest and after whose love I breath O that thou wert as dear to my soul as thou art near it Alas why doth she not care as much for her God as he doth for her good Why do I not love thy presence O my amiable Lord since thou art present by love Thou art my Father my Physician and my Food hear me heal me help me I am wicked I am wounded I am wretched Out of thee there is no place of rest without thee there is no hope of happiness remain therefore with me and reign within me Let me be thine all thine ever thine 2. Profound and cordial Humility acknowledging unfainedly before God and his Angels our wickedness weakness and wretchedness what we are and what we deserve and so resting quiet in the Center of our own Nothing O My Soul What have we been What are we What have we What can we do What do we deserve What do we desire What hath our loving Father and liberal Lord that he hath not given us What have we proud and prodigal Children that we have not received from his merciful hand and heart What have we received that we have not abused by self-love or self-delight O sweet Jesu Give tears to my eyes words to my tongue sighs to my heart and love to my spirit for I need them all to deplore my misery and implore thy mercy to admire thy beauty and adore thy bounty to sigh after thee and suffer for thee What I have been it grieves me to remember What I am after so many signal benefits on thy part and serious promises on mine I am ashamed to think What I deserve I am afraid to call to mind What I desire I am ignorant how to ask Lord for thy Mercies sake for thy Mothers sake by thy Bowels of mercy and her Breasts of meekness by all that thou hast suffer'd for me and she for thee by all that is dear to thee in Heaven and Earth Forget and forgive what I have been my past folly and wickedness Pity and protect what I am my present frailty and weakness Be satisfi'd for what I deserve supply what I desire and be mindfull of me in life and death How much O my God! do I wish to leave all and lose my self to find thee to humble my self to please thee and to hate my self to love thee But these hard and high matters I dare scarcely promise how then and when shall I practise them Yet without thee O Sacred Humility there is no solid center to rest in no true sweetness to take gust in therefore O my God! I come to thy School to learn this necessary Lesson teach me touch me wound me and win me unto thy self 3. Pure intention to please and praise God only to be all his ever his in what manner and measure he best liketh both in this Prayer and all things whatsoever BEhold therefore O my Lord how out of pure Obedience to thy Will and confidence in thy Mercy I now approach to please and praise thy divine Majesty Not to receive great matters from thee for I am unworthy nor to conceive great matters of thee for I am uncapable but to leave all for thee to be humble of heart beyond all and to love thee more than all this is conform both to my Condition and Obligation I come to Prayer O my only Lord and love not to have much but to give up all to be thine all thine ever thine in life and death for time and eternity as thy self best pleaseth I come O my center and sweetness to seek thee and sigh after thee yet I am content neither to find thee nor feel thee but only to see thee by faith and to suffer for thee with fidelity I am satisfied and content that thou art so good great glorious rich and happy in thy self and I am confident that thou in thy good time wilt make me rich in thy mercy and happy in thy love for in this Pilgrimage I desire no other happiness than true humility nor greater riches than naked Charity The second part is Consideration shewing three things first to our selves and then to our Soveraign Lord and Maker 1. Our Wounds both internal and external to wit our Sins Ingratitudes Daily failings strong Passions c. AH my sick and sinful soul How weak and Wounded are we in every degree in all parts in each member of body and faculty of mind 1. All is out of order all is pride and self-love how impenitent are we in sorrowing how impatient in suffering how unconstant in persevering and yet how importunate in sinning 2. My Vnderstanding is blind to good clear-sighted to evil My Will is perverse peevish cold sensual My Memory is weak full of idle images subject to distractions 3. My Affections are vain my Passions violent my Inclinations vitious 4. My Faith is little my Hope less my Charity least of all 5. So forward to extroversion and dissolution so backward
to introversion and compunction so full of imperfections and immortifications 6. So little confidence in my Saviours mercy so little patience in my misery and almost no performance of my good purposes 7. So curious to censure others so careless to keep my self and curb my own senses Finally all is self-love self-will self-conceit self-seeking pride propriety partiality which are my daily and dangerous diseases O Father of Mercies and only Phisician of my Soul Thou art Almighty and All-bounty these are my wounds and impurities and if thou wilt thou canst both cure and cleanse me and if thou wilt not I will remain content as I am I am willing to continue weak so I be not wicked to be wearied and wounded so I be not utterly tired overturned defeated lose the victory Cut kill crucifie O Lord only spare me for eternity 2. Our Wants for we are not only needy but naked not only poor but beggers who neither know how to deserve an alms nor how to desire it O My poor Soul What do we want nay what do we not want 1. True light true liberty true love true life 2. A setled attention a simple intention a serious introversion a sincere conversion 3. Humility of heart conformity of will purity of soul indifferency of spirit 4. Wisdom to know Gods Will strength to execute it patience to persevere in it 5. Resolution to suffer for our Saviour devotion to sigh after him diligence to find him constancy to remain with him 6. Courage to endure all Faith to forgo all Hope to expect all Charity to give all and Confidence to gain all Finally we want all we should have Yet our loving Lord is ready to bestow on us all that he hath O my God and all Thou art all that I want give me thy self and all my wants and wishes will be at an end Thou art all my safety and my only security all my refuge and my only center until I can return unto thee or wholly turn into thee let thy Cross be my Purgatory and thy Will my Paradise for other heaven upon earth I can never hope to find Until then I must be content to sweat and sigh under the burden of this mortal life to sit like Job upon a dunghil forlorn and forsaken by all full of sores and sorrows to remain a perpetual and pitiful patient scarcely feeling patience in my self and finding no compassion in others 3. Our Wishes and desires What can a wounded wretch wish but to be cared for and cured What can a naked begger desire but to be cloathed and comforted with some few rags and crums What can a blind and cold person ask but light and love THis O my Soveraign and sweet Lord is the sum and substance of all my wishes and requests O that I could go out of my self and get into thee O that I were dissolv'd from my loathed body to the end I might dilate my heart in thy love contemplate thy divine face in perfect liberty and please and praise thee eternally for in this prison of flesh and vale of tears I faint under the weight of temptations I fall under the burden of my troubles and I continually fail in the prosecution of my pious purposes Oh! that thy Will did so rule me and reign over me that it were a torment to decline never so little from it O that thy Love did so freely and fully possess my heart that there were no room at all remaining for any bastard or base love of things created Good Jesu how truly happy and holy should I be if I could clearly behold my own nothing in thy All If I could embrace crosses as Crowns and swallow down all contempts and confusions as milk and hony O when shall I be so elevated in spirit above my self by extasie of love as to be able and willing to humble my self under all creatures without repugnancy Alas Shall I never be content to forsake all and be forsaken by all Yea having lost and left all for One to be left by that One who is my All and so remain quiet in my own nothing How long shall I lie wallowing in flesh and bloud how long shall I delay and dally in false loves How long shall I sigh and not enjoy Seek and not find live and not love Come my Lord and Love Lord Jesu come quickly Let the fire of thy sweet love so consume in me all dross of self-love and so transform my spirit into thee that I may take all from thee indifferently give all to thee liberally and rest and repose in thee eternally Lord Let me be thine or nothing Love or not live The third Part is the Conclusion which consists also of three Acts. 1. Contrition which is a hearty and humble Sorrow for our Sins Ingratitudes Disloyalties Tepidities c. O My God! How little did I love thee when I so carelesly offended thy divine Majesty Oh! that I had never sinned mortally though it had cost me my life immediatly O that I were sure never more to swerve from thy Sacred Will and Commandments Let me henceforth endure dear Jesu a thousand deaths of my body rather than admit one deadly sin again into my soul O pity and pardon my past follies and frailties and prevent me with thy gracious blessings against future failings How great O Lord is my obligation to serve and please thee were it but for thy favours conferred thy benefits bestowed and thy love powred out upon me and yet ungrateful wretch that I am how poorly have I corresponded Oh! that I had so deep a sense of my Sins that my Heart might break with sorrow Hide not O Lord thy face from me shut not up thy Mercy gates against me for though I have most grievously gone astray yet I am resolved upon an entire amendment correction reformation of my whole man this strong Resolution which is thy gracious gift grounds my hope in thy goodness emboldens my confidence in thy mercy and gives me courage and comfort in thy love 2. Resignation in all our Wants Wishes Desolations and Distresses to the divine Will and pleasure I Am indifferent O my dear Lord to sickness and health to light and darkness to delight and desolation I am thine sweet Jesu put me where thou wilt do with me as thou wilt send me what thou wilt I am content not only to have nothing but to be nothing so thou O my Lord be all things unto me I acknowledg my self unworthy to beg and less worthy to obtain and therefore I resign my self still to beg and yet still to want even that which I most wish which is all Light all Liberty all Love all Comfort all Content yea even all Virtue Peace Perfection so long as it shall please thee O Father I am thine ever thine all thine body and soul for time and eternity Live Jesus only 3. Complacence and Confidence the first that our God is what he is the next
right And I must must now either give my self to thee or thou must take me unto thy self Not that I aspire to those excellent prerogatives of thy dearest servants No my Lord it sufficeth me to be in the out-rank of thy meanest slaves to be stamp'd with thy mark and link'd fast in thy chains that I may never more have the power to fly from thee O grant me this favour most merciful Father Which thy dear Son hath purchased for me by the price of his death and Passion 3. We Sin of our selves but cannot arise from it without the Divin assistance I Am fall'n without thee by my own frailty but can never hope to rise but by thy mercy O my Lord and only support I am sick without thee but cannot be cured without thee O my heavenly Physician I am dead without thee but can never be reviv'd but by thee O Life of my Soul So true it is that to make me come to thee thou O most gracious Lord God! must first come to me O the admirable goodness of my loving Lord Even this little I am doing is rather thine own work than mine 'T is thou O my Lord who puttest Repentance into my soul Desires into my heart Sighs into my breast Confession into my mouth Prayer into my lips Remorse into my memory Resolution of amendment into my will 'T is thou O gracious God! who chiefly actest all this good in me by me and for me O my All do then all in me what thou desirest And particularly overwhelm I beseech thee my whol interiour with perfect Contrition not coming from a slavish and servil fear but from a faithful and filial love Grant me a true and intire grief for having offended thee not because of thy Promises or Threats but because thou art in thy self good amiable adorable and worthy all love and honour 4. How great an Evil it is to destroy Gods Grace in our Souls by Sin OR if mercenary interest do yet more move thee as surely it seems to bear the greatest sway with thee my sensual and sinful Soul For how hainously dost thou take a small injury how deeply dost thou resent a little disgrace the loss of a dear friend of health of honour or the like temporal and perishable commodities O whence is it then that thou so little apprehendest thy loss of Grace and thy eminent imminent danger of eternal Damnation Is it a small matter to be Gods Enemy To lose the good will of Heaven To destroy Gods Image To cut up life root branch To side with the accursed Devils thy Creators sworn Enemies To hatch Treason and enter Conspiracie with the damned Yea and to kill as much as in thee lies him who by his own death gave thee life O brutal and unnatural ingratitude Surely the annihilating of Heaven Earth Angels Men and all Nature cannot be compar'd with this malicious evil and wilfull destruction of thy grace O Lord in my Soul Since the least degree of a higher order surpasses the highest degree of the lower order O eternal God! What a Monster have I been in Grace what a prodigie in Nature who have so little car'd to commit such enormous Crimes But O my Lord I will even now change my life I here detest all Sin I make a firm purpose of amendment I have a full confidence in thee my Creator a good will to do satisfaction and a total resignation to thy Divine pleasure 5. The root and source of all our Sins is our perverted Will. I Am the woful Criminal O just Judg of my Soul and I will be also the accuser and witness the Advocate and Executioner in this Tribunal I summon you therefore O detestable Pride O abominable Envy O execrable Avarice O beastly Lubricity and all you accursed crew of Sins how long will you reign on earth how long will ye dispeople Gods inheritance who brought you in amongst Gods Children 'T is the perverted Will of man O dread Soveraign which hath don all these mischiefs Rectifie O my Lord I beseech thee this my crooked Will and murther these horrible monsters in me and grant that I may henceforth rather expose my body to a thousand Deaths than my Soul to deadly Sin Thy Saints will rejoice O God! at my amendment and thy Angels will make a Feast but thy own resentment of joy will be infinite because thy love is infinite which goes hand in hand with thy Essence and comprehends all Love in supream eminency I will therefore expect from thee O heavenly Father the exact remembrance from thee my Redeemer the perfect knowledg from thee O holy Spirit a true repentance and from thee O Sacred Trininity an intire Absolution and plenary Indulgence from all my Iniquities 6. Our greatest Sorrow is not equivalent to the greatness of our Sins THe grief I feel for my past Offences the hatred I have against each Sin at this present and the resolution I make to avoid all iniquity for the future are not equivalent in me to their enormity and hainousness I therefore humbly crave O holy Lord God! that thou wilt accept thy own hatred against Sin for that which I should and would have and instead of the Sorrow I want I offer that of thy Son my sweet Redeemer with the Sacrifice of his immaculate Life and innocent death And since I cannot be impeccable by Nature O my Lord nor dare presume to ask to be so by Grace give me leave to prostrate my self before thy infinite bounty and clemency and to beg by the merits of Jesus Christ thy dear Son and by the desires of thy essential love the blessed holy Ghost that though I may not be impeccable yet I may never sin more and if I must somtimes Sin through my frailty yet I may never Sin mortally This I desire O Lord this thou demandest this thou commandest O give me what thou commandest and command me what thou pleasest 7. An Act of perfect Contrition which is elsewhere repeated as being of great efficacy O My good Lord Jesu who art the Lord of my Life and shouldst be the love of my Soul did I not like an ungracious and ungrateful wretch give my heart sell my affection to fond frail filthy and fading Creatures and comforts which are so far from affording me either quiet of Mind peace of Conscience purity of Soul or perfection of Spirit which my obligation and vocation require of me that they leave me nothing but trouble confusion and remorse with a world of dismal and desperate thoughts violent passions and vicious inclinations Amidst all which disorders I find no other refuge nor remedy than to return to thee my true Center to convert my self to thee my Soverain Creator To cast my self at thy sacred feet my sweet Lord Jesu and there with an humble and contrite spirit to sue for Mercy Remission Reconciliation O Heavenly Father I confess and acknowledg my ingratitude treachery rebellion And I am
themselves according to Gods Spirit Therefore every one must strive to know his own natural inclinations and then imploy all his forces and apply all his prayers and spiritual exercises to quell them O that I could tame these cruel beasts my natural passions how soon should I be Master of all moral Virtues O that I could so till this Vineyard so delve this Garden so purge it from all ill weeds of affection and prune all superfluous surgeons and shoots of passions that the seed of thy Grace O heavenly Husbandman might only there take root increase and fructifie 5. The same Resolution of mortifying our interiour man I Will also mortifie my Superiour and Rational part with all the curious and fruitless speculations of my Vnderstanding all conceits of self-wisdome natural prudence proper judgment and good liking of my own proceedings All vain and foolish reflexions of my Memory and all petty desires and affections of my Will which relate not to thee the only object and Lord of my love I am resolved O my Lord to nip off each budding Passion as soon as it peeps up in my Soul to trouble it in its true repose and to hinder its liberty and tendency to thy love I will by thy gracious assistance proceed faithfully and sincerely in the hatred denial and mortification of my self and in the prosecution of thy divin love And in order to this only end aim I make in thy presence and from the very bottom of my Heart and Soul these particular acts following I renounce O my Lord for the pure love of thee all affection to worldly things Give them unto me O gracious God! or take them from me as best liketh thy divine Majesty I resign up all my interest in any thing though never so near and dear unto me Behold O my Lord and Lover I uncloath my Soul from all affections whatsoever to creatures and desire nothing but thy self alone O happy nakedness O rich poverty of Spirit O pure obedience to the divin Will in all things Be you my hearts delight my whole pleasure and patrimony 6. An absolute Renunciation of all Selfishness I Renounce all self-seeking Ah! my corrupt nature I abhor thee Adien all private interest profit praise and preferment I will henceforth perform all my actions and exercises O my Lord God! for thy only pure and perfect love I will seek to please and praise thee with an inward ardent and amorous affection for thy self only and not for thy gifts or graces I renounce all Sensuality whether it be in Meat Drink Sleep Apparel curiosity of my five Senses or any thing els whatsoever O my Lord I will make no other use of any thy Creatures than I am absolutly compell'd to by necessity of Nature I look for no solace but from thee alone my only comfort and content I renounce all disordered love to any worldly person No favour or friendship O my only amiable Lord God! no greatness or goodness of any one shall make me swerve from my exact duty to thee-wards No carnal affection to kindred No tenderness of amity No private or publick respect No connivency or correspondency shall make me partial in the reproof of Vice or praise of Virtue O take up my whol Heart with thy holy Love that thy image and perpetual memory may blot out all species of forreign objects I renounce all vain vicious idle and unprofitable thoughts fancies and imaginations O let my mind not only yield no consent but no entrance unto them O let me never more contristate thy holy Spirit with these Vanities nor hinder my souls advancement and union with thee by these divertisements I will henceforth compel my heart to some good employment I will no longer permit it to wander and waste it self in any idle and superfluous Curiosities No my Lord and Saviour thy bitter and blessed Passion thy blessings and benefits shall be the continual occupation of my interior O what have I to do with transitory things who am made for Eternity I renounce all care and solicitude which necessity obedience charity do not oblige me to No natural passions of joy sorrow hope fear love hatred anger or shamefastness shall make any impression in this heart of mine which is pre-ingag'd in thy affection sealed up and setled in thy contemplation No pretext of lawfulness nor shew of fittingness nor conceit of compassion nor excuse of necessity shall procure the admittance of such Passions into my Soul as may any way distract darken or dull the point of my affection and devotion towards thee my only Lord and Love I renounce all bitterness of heart against any one Is he good be thou eternally praised in him and by him O bountiful bestower of all blessings Is he wicked Correct him O merciful Creator comfort encourage and raise him to amendment Hath he offended affronted injured or sleighted me I deserve O great God! to be trodden on by all creatures and therefore I freely forgive him for the past and give him free leave to add stripes to his injuries for the future Am I denied the grant of my most lawful and just demands Thou best knowest O eternal Wisdom what is best for my state and condition O deny not thy love to my Soul and let me be refused in all other my requests whatsoever I renounce all vain-glory all self-liking and pride which may arise from worldly prayses all delight springing from any gift of nature or grace which is in me Not unto me Lord but to thy holy Name be given all honour and glory Alas what am I what have I what can I All is thine O bountiful Lord God! Nothing is mine but sin and therefore I deserve only shame and confusion 7. More Acts of Renunciation of our own Wills even in the most spiritual matters I Renounce all desire of delight in my devotions all sensible gusts of grace and all sweetnesses and solaces in the inferiour faculties of my Soul Ah my heart what is this to thee follow thou thy Saviour Thou seekest thy crucified Jesus This is not he but his gifts O my Lord it is thy self I seek and sigh after If thou sendest me comforts for the encouragemnnt of my weakness be thou ever praised for thou dost like a most benign and bountiful God If thou withdrawest them still blessed be thy providence whch hath secret and several ways of conducting souls to thy self and if thou wilt make trial of my fidelity by permitting me to be dull dry and desolate in my devotions be thou equally and eternally blessed I renounce all scrupulosity of Conscience which reflects any way upon the least diffidence or distrust in thy mercy I am a Sinner O Jesu but thou art a Saviour I have great reason to dread thy Justice but greater to hope in thy Goodness Heaven and Earth shall sooner fail than my confidence in thee my merciful Maker If thou killest me I will trust in thee And
and creatures Oh! let it be so totally attentive to thy presence so intirely taken up in thy contemplation and so wholy absorpt in thy love that no outward objects may touch or trouble it no inferiour cares or cogitations may intangle it nothing may impede the free intercourse of thy heavenly friendship nothing may stop the sweet influence of thy divin graces or any way interrupt its happy quiet and holy tranquillity O dear and open'd Heart of my dying Lord Jesus be thou my sweet comfort during this lives Pilgrimage and my sure Sanctuary in its last period Tâ—…â—…ghth Exercise Of 〈…〉 with GOD. 1. Our Soul seeks nothing but Gods lovely presence and desires nothing but the presence of his Love O Infinit immense and unmeasurable abyss of all bounty O ever-flowing Fountain of mercy O undrainable Sea of love O my Lord my Soveraign my Saviour and my Sanctifier Behold I return into thee the sweet source of my beginning I run into thee the gracious Preserver of my being and I desire to rest in thee the only hope of my Souls happiness Be thou henceforth O my Creator the sole subject of my thoughts and the only object of my love Be thou O God of my heart Heart of my life Life of my soul and Soul of my Love my part and my inheritance for ever I choose thee only I offer up my self wholly I consecrate my self heartily and dedicate my self eternally to thy love honour and service Ah good God! where dwellest thou which is the pleasant place of thy abode O King of glory and Comforter of my Soul I seek nothing but thy lovely presence I desire nothing but the presence of thy love My soul sighs to see thee my heart covets to have thee my love longs to enjoy thee and I can expect no perfect content until I am totally united unto thee If I now beg a glimps of thy divin face O my glorious Lord then a drop of thy heavenly grace and afterwards a dram of thy dear affection Yet in all this it is thy self O sweet God! which I demand thy whole self is the only satiating object of my boundless desires and unlimited affections 2. Fervent Acts of Love and Affection I Desire to love thee O only amiable Lord God! by all means and beyond all measure until I am totally transform'd into thee by love O do thou freely and fully possess my spirit guide it govern it enlighten it inflame it elevate it inform it and transport it how and when thou pleasest Oh! Let all adulterate love be quite banished all multiplicity vanish away and all impurity and self-seeking swallowed up Let thy love be my light my liberty my life Lord I desire but two things in this world To love see taste and enjoy thee My best beloved and to be humbled despised rejected and esteemed a reprobate for thy love O sweet life O loving Jesu what a heaven what a happiness is it to love thee O how lovely how loving and yet how little loved is my God O source of all goodness and center of all good souls What is the greatest love of mother friend life or any thing els Art not thou my God! all this to me and all in all Ah my Soul what didst thou ever best love And didst thou love thy Lord God as much I blush O my dear Lord I sigh and am ashamed to answer I will henceforth do any thing suffer any thing and leave all things for thy love I will not live but languish not breath but burn by an extasie and excess of love 3. Further Acts and Extasies of divin Love and Affection O Fire O flames Burn Consume Annihilate Alas Beauty of Angels how late and how little do I love thee O come into my Soul behold a poor lodging yet such as it is it is all thine I conceal nothing I reserve nothing heart soul spirit all is thine own compose all dispose all depose all unruly passions impose what Penance thou pleasest I accept it O my Lord only repose peaceably in my soul and let no foul or false affection interpose it self to disturb this blessed union O that I could please and praise thee purely perfectly perpetually Oh that I could love thee faithfully freely and fully in all above all things O my all and only love I acknowledg my self bound O Lord in thy chains of Charity I am burn'd in thy fire I am wounded and won to thy love But what shall I say What can I give All I have is not worthy of thee and yet is thine already Ask my sweet Lord and have choose and take make me such as thou desirest and then take me to thy desire Give thy self O great God! to my soul and then take my soul with thy self in it My life liberty love all is thy own My last Will is already made in which I bequeath all to thee thy own Death and Passion all thy Mercies and Merits all the praises and perfections of thy dear Mother and the blessed Saints and Angels and all the goods glories and splendors of all thy creatures All that I am have and can both spirituals and temporals kindred friends riches health honors estates offices devotion all is at thy disposal I am resolute O my Lord I am resign'd and indifferent to have them increased or diminished to use them to thy glory or to lose them altogether 4. We return back to our Creator all that we have are and can I Give thee back O merciful Maker my whole being either to be what thou wilt or to be nothing at all to love thee or not to live at all I offer to thee O pious Redeemer my sins to pardon my works to perfect my will to purifie I offer thee my wounds to cure my soul to cleanse and my spirit to comfort I offer to thee O holy Spirit my intentions to rectifie my inclinations to sanctifie my affections to deifie Finally I offer all for one I give all to one and all I desire is to be all one with thee my all and only Lord and love Thou hast given me O my bountiful Creator the whole world in freehold for one penny of Rent saying Child give me thy heart O Lord Let this penny never want the superscription of thy grace and let me never want thy grace to pay this rent O my Lord all that I have is but two small mites I cast them into thy hands and had I more I would give more Dispose of them both dear Lord of my Body and Soul as best pleaseth thee that thy will may be perfectly performed and thy name purely sanctified in both O sweet God of my heart Let me embrace thee in the two arms of profound Humility and perfect Charity O let my Heart faint and melt away in the fire of thy Divin love let me lose my self to find thee be out of my self to live in thee and be empty of my self to be full
of this Light one Draught of this inebriating Affection 15. This is my Body which shall suffer for you This is my Blood which shall be shed for you I bestow on thee O beloved Soul not my Riches not my Cloaths not any of my Creatures but my own dear body dying for thee my own precious Blood poured out for thee Seest thou how prodigal I am of my Love and Life of my Body and Blood all which I give thee as a seal of my Promises of Pardon here and of Paradise hereafter And canst thou remain still deaf to these powerful charms of my love Wilt thou not be yet won by these woings of my Affection 16. To whom O my Lord hast thou given this great power over thy self to consecrate and transubstantiate Bread and Wine into thy sacred Body and Blood Not to Angels but to Men that every one may have free access to this sweet Fountain at all times without horror or apprehension And O my soul shall we perish with hunger and thirst through our own laziness coldness and tepidity 17. The holy Prophet Elias being overwhelmed with sadness cast himself on the ground under the Canopy of a Juniper tree in the Desert where crying out to his Creator in the bitterness of his heart as one weary of the world of his life of all things O my God! saies he It is enough take away my soul out of my body for I am no better than my Fore-fathers which said He fell into a slumber But an Angel awaked him wills him to arise and eat for that he had yet a great journey to make who obeying his commands walked on safely in the force of that food even to the Mount Horeb. O my poor desolate and disconsolate Soul How often do we faint and fall under our burden We are somtimes weary of our life and then we desire to be dissolved and to be with our dear Saviour Christ When beholding a Table ready set cover'd and prepar'd we Confess and Communicate and presently our Heart is eased our Spirit is fortified our Fear and Sadness are diminished our Courage and Confidence are augmented new Life new Love new Vigour new Fire new Fervour is poured into our Souls all seems easie and we run on in the race of our earthly Pilgrimage with joy and alacrity Up therefore my soul take courage thy God is for thee and with thee eat and drink of this heavenly Banquet and stop not thy course till thou arrivest at his holy Mountain 18. For what doth a poor Pilgrime petition but a little food to refresh him in his journey What doth a Prisoner seek and desire but life liberty and food I am a Pilgrim O my God! banished from my Countrey and Kindred I am kept in a double Prison my Soul in the Body and both in the World out of which I cannot hope to be freed without many a bitter pang In the mean space What do I ask of thee my Lord and Saviour but my dayly Bread True Sorrow for my offences which is the bread of Sinners True Devotion which is the bread of Children And the blessed Communion which is the bread of Angels Admit me dear Jesu unto this divin Banquet and permit me to fill my hungry Heart and Soul at this holy Table that so I may get strength and courage to go on in my Pilgrimage Patience and Perseverance to support my Imprisonment till thou O my Lord my Love and my All shalt be pleas'd to call me to thy Eternal Rest Eternal Life Eternal Liberty Other Considerations to stir up in our Souls an ardent Desire of the sacred Communion COme to this divin Table O devout Soul 1. As a sick and sorrowful Patient to his pious and powerful Physician detecting his wounds declaring his wants and humbly demanding a Remedy 2. As a disloyal Servant to his Lord and Master promising amendment and begging pardon and reconciliation 3. As a starv'd and asham'd Prodigal Child to his tender and compassionate Father to be receiv'd relieved revived by his Bounty 4. As a Friend to his Friend who thus lovingly invites him Come my friend Eat Drink be inebriated my dearest I will refresh and recreate you Come with confidence and sit down at my Table My delights are to be with the Children of men 5. As a poor Beggar to a rich Benefactor desiring to be cloathed lodged nourished 6. As a rebellious Sinner to his merciful Redeemer resolving to honour him love him and serve him better for the future 7. As a loving Spouse to her loving lovely and beloved Bridegroom to kiss and embrace him and to be constant and faithful to him to live and die with him for time and eternity 8. As a wounded and wearied Hart desiring Water and panting after Jesus the Fountain of Life and Love 9. As an Hungry Person to a gorgeous Banquet where all is ready to which he is lovingly invited where he may be fully satiated 10. As a Covetous man to a Mine of Money Is not Jesus your Treasure where then is your Heart Give all and thou shalt have all Give thy self and thou shalt have God O happy exchange O holy Usury 11. As a weather-beaten Souldier to his Prey after the Victory What Spoils are here O Souldier of Christ What a rich Booty maist thou here freely take 12. As a little Child to his Mothers breasts to be suckled cherished comforted and to rest in her bosom 13. As S. Mary Magdalen 1. Either like her a Penitent lying prostrate at the feet of Jesus in a Banquet Anointing Weeping Washing Wiping Embracing them 2. Or like her a Patient at the foot of the Cross receiving into your Breast the drops of Blood distilling from your Saviours open'd side to cleanse cure and comfort your Soul 3. Or like her a Contemplative at the Monument providing for Jesus a Sepulcher in your Heart And he calling N. answer him Master Welcome It is enough And then fall into an extasie of Love and Affection 14. Remember the Dialogue between Christ and the Cananean Woman She begs cryes calls importunes him for an Alms Jesus refuses because saies he the Bread of Children is not to be cast to the Dogs 'T is true Lord yet the Dogs are permitted to catch the offal crums which fall from their Masters table that is as much as I desire and much more than I deserve Apply it to your self 15. Imagin your self seated at Board with your blessed Saviour in his last Supper with all his Apostles about him And that you receive from his sacred hands as you do from the Priests his precious Body and Blood which he reaches to your Mouth saying Take Eat be satiated and Inebriated This is my own true Body and Blood which I here give you Remember this my Love and Liberality and Go in peace I am with you Be not afraid O excess of Comfort and Content O love able to melt a Rock into affection Reply accordingly and
necessities I particularly offer it up to obtain this Virtue conquer this Temptation amend this Imperfection surmount this Passion And for all them who have desired my Prayers or to whom I have promis'd them At Lavabo Humbly beg to have your Soul wash'd from all its filth and wickedness reciting the Psalm Miserere or some Verses of it as AMplius lava me c. Dew down O merciful Creator one small drop of thy divin Grace into my sinful Soul or rather showr down an abundance of thy sweet waters upon me to cleanse me from my enormous crimes and impurities Asperges me Hysopo c. Be sprinkle my Soul O Soveraign Lord God! with the Hysop of thy Grace that I may serve thee more purely Wash me with thy sacred waters till I become whiter than the driven Snow c. At the Preface Lift up your heart to contemplate the Beauties Glories and Greatnesses of Heaven whither you tend and which is your only home aim and end HOw desirable are thy Tabernacles O Lord God of Hosts My Soul sighs pants and thirsts after you more than the wearied Stag breaths after the refreshing Fountains Draw me after thee O divin source of all sweetness and I shall run chearfully after the odours of thy perfumes for what do I seek but thee or what can satisfie me but thy self in Heaven or in Earth O that the memory of thy eternal good things remain'd always deeply ingrav'd in my Soul how easily should I then disdain all temporal perishable and worldly trifles O my God and my All when shall I be so happy as to behold thee clearly in thy heavenly Glory At Sanctus Keep your Heart raised up to your Creator praising adoring admiring the infinit Majesty of the Sacred Trinity as if you were amidst the blessed Quires of Angels and Saints in Heaven intoning with them HOly Holy Holy Lord God of Sabbath Heaven and Earth are full of your Glorie Hosanna in the highest O Holy of Holies give me a glimps of thy glorious self that my illuminated Soul may praise thee more purely and love thee more perfectly O celestial Seraphins who incessantly praise my God with the sweet Eccho's of your eternally repeated Holy descend from Heaven to help my desirous heart in singing forth his praises that I may also become holy pure and perfect in the presence of my Lord and Maker At the first Memento INto thy sacred Hands O sweet Saviour I recommend my Soul with all its faculties my Body with all its senses my whole Interiour and Exteriour man with all its affections and actions Preserve me O all-powerful Redeemer from all Sin and Impuritie and give me perseverance in thy love and service Let thy undrainable fountain of mercy O Lord Jesu extend also it self towards my Kindred Friends Enemies particularly towards such and such and all them for whom I ought to offer up my Prayers to thy divin Majestie Whilst the Priest pursues the rest of the Canon in silence do you also recollect your Senses in expectation of your Saviours presence upon the Altar which will be assoon as the words of Consecration are ended Your Heart burning in the mean while with these like desires of S. Augustin O My Comforter appear unto me O only light of my Souls eyes let me see thee O only Joy of my Spirit Come and glad me with thy presence O only Jubily of my Heart Let me contemplate thee O my Lord my Life my Love my All Shew me thy self and I shall be safe c. At the Elevation of the sacred Host and Chalice represent to your self how your Redeemer offers up himself there to the Eternal Father and conforming your Devotion to the Spirit of Christ Jesus you may say with heart or mouth O Adorable Majestie In Union of this affectionate Reverence which my Redeemer now renders thee In memory of his dolorous Passion And in acknowledgment of my own Nothing and thy infinit Greatness I humbly offer unto thee a perpetual submission of all my Being all my Powers all my Faculties Be thou eternally exalted admired and glorified O Holy Holy Holy Trinity My Lord my God my All. Or thus by way of Ejaculations Affections Extasies O Goodness O Mercy O Love O Liberality O immense infinit incomprehensible excessive Charity O Eternal Father behold thy beloved Son and my blessed Saviour whom I humbly offer up to thy divin Majestie in satisfaction for all my offences negligences ingratitudes I offer thee his purity innocency perfection to satisfie for my impuritie malice impietie his Humilitie for my Pride his Zeal for my Tepiditie all the Sanctity of his life for all the imperfections of my life O merciful and compassionate Father Look upon thy own Sons Charitie Behold how he once offer'd himself a Bloody Sacrifice on the Cross for my salvation and how he now offers himself an unbloody Sacrifice on this Altar for the same end O holy Father receive this his holy Sacrifice in lieu of all the honors homages gratitudes which are due to thy sacred and soveraign goodness from me and all thy creatures Keeping your mind still fix'd upon your dear Saviour now present on the Altar speak unto him with the most tender affections which your Heart can possibly produce either by Acts of Praise as O Son of God! what can be compar'd to thy Charitie O my Lord who is like thee in Goodness in Love in Liberality O sweet Jesu thou art my Rest my Refuge my Riches my Center my Hope my Happiness my All. Or by Acts of Complacencie as O King of Heaven and Earth Thou art here the Joy of my Soul as thou art there the Jubily of thy Saints Thou art here on the Altar and thou art there in thy eternal glorie and beatitude O Amiable Sacrifice O Admirable Invention of the divin Power Wisdom and Charitie Or by Acts of Thanksgiving O Dear Saviour How much hast thou done for an unworthy wretch O the excess of thy goodness who can sufficiently acknowledg it O Great Monarch of both worlds That thou shouldst thus humble thy self for a meer worm upon this Altar O ye Angels Saints and all Creatures Come help me to honour praise bless and love my liberal Lord God who hath as it were employ'd his Omnipotencie in order to my benefit and profit Or by Acts of Thanksgiving O Dear Saviour How much hast thou done for an unworthy wretch O the excess of thy goodness who can sufficiently acknowledg it O great Monarch of both Worlds That thou shouldst thus humble thy self for a meer worm upon this Altar O ye Angels Saints and all Creatures Come help me to honour praise bless and love my liberal Lord God who hath as it were employ'd his Omnipotencie in order to my benefit and profit Or by Acts of Resignation O Jesu Since thou art pleas'd to render thy self here present for my sake I here promise a readiness to perform any thing for thy service O my
God! what wilt thou have me do thy Will is the Desire of my heart the Delight of my soul the Design of my intentions the Drist of my whol life and being O when shall I have no Will but thine no life but for thy Love no being but to be what thou wouldst have me Or by Acts of Self-Oblation O My Lord and my Lover since thou givest thy self wholly to me I give my self entirely to thee O Saviour Receive me take me possess me totally entirely eternally Or by Acts of Desire to please him O What shall I do Dear Lord in order to please thee What do I covet in this world but to give thee content Were there no Heaven no Hell no Reward no Punishment It were yet for me a sufficient honour and happiness to be agreeable to thy Divin Majesty O my God and my All Or by Acts of Grief that He is offended AH my Saviour whence is it then that so many Souls forsake thy love since thou art so lovely and so loving Ah! my Dear Jesu Why did I ever offend thee since thy ineffable Charity deserved my reciprocal affection O wretched wicked miserable all they who love not Jesus Or by Acts of Desire to Love him O Most pure and perfect Lover who lovedst me from all Eternity When shall I begin to pay my love which is so long since due to thy divin Goodness O when shall I truly hate the World Sin and my self for thy love and service Or by Acts of Desire to see him in his Glory O King of Glory When shall I clearly contemplate thy amiable Countenance in thy happy Kingdom O Life of my life and Love of my Soul when shall I leave this loathsom and imprisoning Earth and be admitted into thy lovely Paradise At the second Memento O Compassionate Creator take pity upon the poor Souls in Purgatory particularly such and such And let the same Mercy which hath been graciously pleas'd to pardon their impieties mitigate also their punishments that by the merits of thy dear Sons death and Passion which are here in this holy Sacrifice most humbly presented to thy Sacred Majesty in their behalf they may speedily be translated to that state of glory for which thou eternally designedst them At the Pater Noster Humbly crave such things as are contained in these Seven Petitions 1. O Heavenly Father I most heartily congratulate thy infinite Glory and Greatness Give I beseech thee the light of thy Faith to all Infidels and the grace of thy Love and Charity to all Christians That thy sacred Name may be sanctified by all men upon Earth as it is by all the blessed in Heaven 2. O Holy holy holy Trinity enter remain reign in our hearts souls affections that we may serve thee love thee honour thee upon earth as thy Saints do in Heaven 3. Teach me O Lord to perform thy Will 1. Perfectly 2. Purely 3. Promptly 4. Perseverantly 4. O Bread of Life which descendest from Heaven to give life to the world give thy self to my Soul that I may live by thee in thee for thee by thy grace in thy favour for thy honour 5. O liberal Father For the love of thee I freely forgive all such as have any way offended me and for the love of thy dear Son I beg forgiveness of all my own offences against thy divin Majesty 6. Behold O my blessed Creator how I am on all sides encompassed with cruel enemies Lord I refuse not the combat since 't is thy Will but I beg thy gracious assistance that I may get the victory and that thou mayst have the glory 7. Deliver me O All-powerful Lord God! from all Evil from all corporal spiritual temporal eternal miseries From Sin from my self and from whatsoever displeases thy divin infinite amiable adorable Majesty At the first Agnus Dei. O Sweet Lamb of God pardon all my Sins and particularly such and such an one wherein I have most grievously and frequently offended At the second Agnus Dei. O Innocent Lamb of God! Implant all Virtues in my Soul and especially this and this which I seem most to stand in need of At the third Agnus Dei. O Peaceable pure and perfect Lamb of God Give me peace of Conscience purity of heart perfection of Spirit c. and whatsoever will render me most agreable to thy divin Majesty At Domine non sum dignus HUmbling my self in the presence of thy sacred Majesty O Soveraign Lord Jesu I adore thy Goodness Greatness and Glory and acknowledg my own Unworthiness Baseness and Nothing Whilst the Priest Communicates If you are to communicate Sacramentally these Prayers and Devotions may serve you for a sufficient Preparation Howsoever you may communicate Spiritually to your great profit and merit in all the Masses at which you assist This Spiritual Communion consists in these two Points 1. A Lively Faith of your Saviours Real Presenee in the Sacrament 2. An Ardent Desire to Receive Him into your Soul and to be perfectly united to Him O my sweet Savior the Soveraign Lord of my Heart and the beloved Object of my affections I adore thy sacred Body Blood Soul Divinity cover'd under these Sacramental forms O that I had all the necessary dispositions of a worthy Communicant Do thou only speak the word O all-powerful Lord God! and my Soul shall be saved Enter O my beloved Bridegroom into this poor lodging enrich it with thy infinite perfections fit it up as thy self best knows and pleases for thy own entertainment At the last Prayers Render your hearty Thanks to the divin Majesty for all his Gifts and Benefits O My God! my desire is always to praise thee for thy always continued favours But ah my Frailty Tepiditie and Weakness interrupt my desires wishes and affections Make use therefore of thy own goodness O my gracious Redeemer in supplying my present Defects pardoning my past negligences preserving me from future failings and praising thy self in me and all thy Creatures At the Priests final Benediction O Sweet Jesu bestow on me this day thy Blessing with this of thy Minister preserve me from all sin and give me perseverance in thy service That at the last day of thy dreadful Judgment I may receive that happy Benediction amongst thy Elected and Predestinated Children of Venite Benedicti Come ye Blessed of my Father and take possession of the Kingdom which was prepared for you from all Eternity At the last Gospel of St. John This Gospel is alwayes recited in the end of Mass as containing the sublimest mysteries of our Faith and being an abridgment of the mervails hidden in the holy Trinity And as those words Verbum caro factum est The Word was made flesh Words never enough to be reverenced the Priest and People fall down upon their Knees And at the end thereof The last word is Deo gratias Thanks be to God for the aocomplishment of these holy Mysteries I Render thee all possible praise and
heart Jesu pity me pardon me absolve me 15. Having setled all things as discreetly and diligently as you can to wit your temporalities by a clear and conscientious Testament and your Soul by a sincere Confession and by a devout receiving of the Sacraments of the Eucharist and Extream Unction Leave off all other thoughts and employments and prepare your self only for a happy Death and in order hereunto 16. We should advise you as far forth as your time and strength will permit to execute your own Testament by distributing such Alms as you have determined to bestow and performing such acts of Piety as you intended without delay so making your own Eyes the Overseers and your own Hands the Executors of your Will and not to leave all to them who may forget or neglect or perchance refuse to accomplish it 17. Then make another Spiritual Testament in some such like manner 1. Give your Soul to God to serve him love him lodg him 2. Your Will and Judgment to your Spiritual Guide 3. Your Heart to your Brethren Assistants Attendants 4. Your Memory Understanding and Spirit to remember admire and meditate upon your Greators Goodness and your Redeemers Mercy c. 5. Your Tongue to pray and praise God and to speak meekly to your Neighbours 18. Be as quiet obedient and content as you can O what rare Virtues are Meekness Quietness and Obedience in Sickness and of how great Edification Know therefore that whatsoever hinders your quietness and meekness are meer temptations and come not from God but from your Ghostly enemy as to be troubled that you cannot pray sleep eat keep your Physick c. or that you are so burdensom chargeable noisom to others or that you are molested with abominable imaginations c. For all these are shadows and only imaginary difficulties to a well setled and resigned Soul 19. Yet be not so careless as to addict your self so much to your ease extroversion and recreation that you forget God and your Soul nor so attentive that you afflict Nature or increase your disease but to endeavor to be as indifferently cheerful as your frailty will permit 20. Beware of being over-curious or delicate in your Diet over-tender of your Treaty or over-solicitous of your Health Leave all to God with a Childish simplicity and sincerety taking him for your Father Physician and Friend who loves you sees you and tokes care of you 21. Complain little desire less refuse nothing seek not to be moaned but being ask'd tell truly how you find your self making no aggravations of what you suffer but humbly requesting the Prayers of them that visit you saying I am indeed sick but Gods Will be done pray for me 22. Take all things necessary for your recovery without any scruple or repugnancy 23. Neither praise nor dispraise your self nor care what others say or judg of you 24. Entreat some devout person to read now and then discreetly and distinctly in some good Book of Resignation and Confidence and to pray somtimes with you for your ease and comfort 25. Seek not much content from Creatures or from any Person or from your Ghostly Father himself but place your whol confidence in God your Creator and expect your chief comfort from Christ your Redeemer 26. Communicate as often as your Confessor shall permit and Confess once a Week and that only few things without anxietie perplexitie or scrupulositie 27. Let not the memory of your past offences or the doubt of your future estate or the feeling of a present impatience in your sickness and sufferings afflict your Spirit much less any representations or images be they never so fearful and abominable which are no more to be valued than as Dreams proceeding from your Bodies indisposition for your Heart being solidly converted to God your Creator and averted from all that is displeasing to his Divin Majestie none of these things can hurt you but rather give you occasion of merit 28. Before or after the receiving of your Viaticum ask Pardon of the whol World of them there present and of any particular person whom you conceive to have hurt hindered scandalized or contristated saying For thy sake O my Lord and Saviour I freely forgive all who have any way offended me and I humbly beg of all them whom I have any way offended that for thy sake they will freely forgive me 29. During the whol time of your Sickness you have two things chiefly to do 1. To Suffer 2. To Offer Suffer patiently what you feel and Offer your self willingly to suffer more if it so pleases the divin Majestie 30. Instead of reflexions upon Sin and Hell fix your mind upon Heaven and consider what a happiness it is to love see enjoy please and praise God eternally in his blessed Paradise where there will be no more fear doubt temptation nor occasion of offending him where he will wipe all tears off your Eyes sweat off your Brows blood off your Wounds where you shall possess perfect Health and Welfare true Life and Liberty full Peace and Plenty for evermore Read over these few points of Instruction or cause them to be often read unto you during the intervals of your Disease ponder them seriously and practise them devoutly and be hopefully confident that if you endeavour to conform your self in your Sickness to this or the like Method you cannot depart this life out of Gods grace and favour but that he will call you to live with Himself and his holy Angels and Saints in his happy mansion of Eternitie Then recite with a sincere Devotion this following Prayer A Prayer to be said when one first falls Sick SIckness O my Soveraign Lord God! is a just punishment of Sin which corrupting the Souls integrity hath subjected the Body to misery And I acknowledg my Sins to have been so great that I deserve to suffer a far greater Misery I have alas I humbly confess it and now heartily lament it long abused the Health which your bountie bestowed on me and employed the strength was lent me to serve you to become more powerful in impietie I have yielded to my Appetites whatever they desired and instead of measuring the use of your Creatures by the rule of Necessity I have followed the law of Sensuality Is it not then most just I should at last lose the goods I so long abused Yes O my Lord and you deal favourably with your rebellious Servant if the pains I now suffer may serve to expiate the future punishments my Sins have deserved Give me therefore O my Gracious Soveraign the Spirit of perfect Penance that I may zealously rise up against my self to revenge your offended Justice and that to appease and and satisfie it I may suffer my present Sickness not only with patience but with pleasure alacritie and gratitude Strike me O my God! Scourge me burn me wound me cut me and kill my Body so you pardon my Sins and spare my Soul in Eternity
of my Soul I most heartily confess and acknowledg that thou hast provided for me in so convenient a manner both in prosperity and adversity in health and sickness in body and soul as no other wisdom but thou only my sweet Lord and Maker the increated Goodness and wise Disposer of all things could have effected To thee therefore O my God and my All I commit my self and all to be disposed of now and ever as shall be most agreeable to thy own honour and glory and most conformable to thy eternal just and equal will and providence I hope O my Soveraign Lord God! that this moment of pains and sufferings will be soon changed into an Eternity of happiness and comfort I trust that my now languishing and dying body shall be one day raised to glory impassibility immortality I cheerfully expect to have this poor imprisoned soul of mine called up to see enjoy and contemplate thy amiable and beautifying countenance for evermore 4. Acts of Love O Eternal Father thou hast given thy Son to me and behold I give him again to thee together with my whol self and all that I have am and can my Love my Life my Liberty my Heart my Soul to please and honour thee for all future time and Eternity O my Lord I love thee heartily and during the short remainder of my life in this world I will serve thee faithfully not so much of obligation as of Election not so much for my own comfort and profit as for thy will and pleasure not for the delight I take in thy loving service but for the desire I have to please thee not as a servant bondslave or hireling but as a Freeman loves his Friend as a Child his Father as a Spouse her Bridegroom not only out of gratitude for received benefits but also and chiefly because thou art my God of infinit perfection in thy self and of infinit affection towards me O God of Love and Love of my Soul what do I desire in Heaven or expect from Heaven and what do I long for upon Earth but thee the only object of my affections the only aim of my pretensions the only desire of my heart the only delight of my spirit Come O my blessed Lord and Lover and take full possession of my Heart and Soul transform me into thy love and conform me to thy Will Let thy Will be the only desire of my heart and let thy Love be the only life of my Soul and lease of my life that when I leave to love I may cease to live c. 5. Acts of Resignation Take examples from CHRIST in his Agony O My All powerful Father If I must needs drink of this bitter chalice endure this long and tedious Sickness suffer these sharp and severe torments thy holy Will be done From Job on his Dunghil 'T Is thou O Soveraign Lord who art the bountiful bestower of all blessings and thou maist justly withdraw revoke and retake them at thy own will and pleasure be thou blessed and praised for evermore From S. Paul prostrate on the ground LOrd What wilt thou have me to do what is thy holy pleasure behold thy Servant ready to accomplish it Aspire frequently to God and Resign up all willingly to him in this or the like sort WEre I master of all Bodies and Souls I would presently give up to thee Great Lord of Heaven and Earth all my right and title and were it in my power I would make of each body an instrument to please and praise thee and of all souls as many Paradises to lodge and love thee Come what will O my Creator I will place my hopes in thy infinit mercy and in thy Sons abundant Redemption And my perpetual Song shall be O Lord be merciful to me a Sinner Blessed be my God for all and in all Live Jesus by whose death I live and for whose love I am willing to die c. O when shall I take as much pleasure in suffering as I have done in sinning O that I could entirely resign my whol self Body and Soul in Life or Death for time and eternity to be disposed of according to thy divin Will and Pleasure O that I could in every moment of time pronounce with heart and tongue Live Jesus only whose Will be accomplished whose name be sanctified whose praise be published in all by all above all c. 6. An Act of Purity of Intention O Eternal Lord God! Thou hast created me to serve thee only redeemed me to love thee only and now inspir'd me with a will and desire to please thee only during all the remaining days of my life And behold my hearty and humble desire is to serve thee love thee and please thee purely perfectly perseverantly Reform therefore I beseech thee my sinful life conform my stubborn will Deiform my sinister intention change and transform my spirit into thine that all my thoughts words actions pretensions and these my present pains sufferings and sickness may be presented to thy sacred Majesty with such purity perfection and perseverance as thy Love deserves from me and mine desires for thee 7. An Heroick Act of highest efficacy containing a Contract between the Soul and her Creator Which being made devoutly at the beginning of any dangerous Sickness and frequently iterated during the intervals therof must needs afford exceeding great comfort in Deaths last hour and Agony O My God my Lord my Creator from whom by whom and in whom I and all things live move and have a being I rejoice at what thou art as if it were all mine and I offer what I and all creatures have and are as being all thine Behold O Heavenly Father I thy poor Child and unworthy Creature do here with all possible sincerity submission and devotion make this present Contract with thy Sacred Majesty to be thy faithful servant and bondslave for evermore intending hereby that each remaining moment of my life and all that is within me without me about me may henceforth incessantly bless and praise thy holy Name and accomplish thy most just and holy Will in all things whatsoever And for this end I do now enrol this Oblation Donation and Resignation of my whol self to thy divin Majesty in the very Center of my Heart Soul with such Intention Force and Efficacy as thou O my all-knowing Lord God! canst comprehend to be the very best which I thy poor creature am capable to perform without any reservation restriction or contradiction whatsoever I desire also O my Creator to make this Contract with thy sacred Majesty in the best manner with most proper words in the fittest terms and with such significant clauses and conditions as it ought and may be performed In Confirmation whereof I produce as witnesses the sacred Virgin Queen Mary my Angel Guardian my particular Patrons and all the celestial Citizens humbly imploring the assistance of their Prayers for the performance of this my hearty
upon each one of the lesser Grains say Pie Jesu Domine dona eis Requiem Amen that is O compassionate Lord Jesu give theâ—… rest Amen In the Evening HAving examin'd your Conscience endeavour to produce a most fervent Act of Contrition as if in that night you were to depart out of this world And go to Bed as to your Grave saying Ah! the Vanity of all worldly riches greatnesses and glories You must shortly be included in two yards of earth c. Into thy hands O Lord I commend my Spirit c. Two excellent profits which all pious Christians may draw from this charitable practise of praying for the Souls in Purgatory The first profit is That remembring these departed Souls they can hardly forget their own approaching Death and consequently will be moved to make some timely preparation for that great action whereupon depends their whole Eternity THe practise hereof may be reduced to these two Points First Question your self in this sort Were I now presently to depart this world upon deaths Summons am I in a condition to appear before Gods Judgment Seat What dost thou answer O my soul what couldst thou wish to have done Fall forthwith to settle thy self and all that concerns thee in order to thy Death and never cease till thou canst say with S. Paul Nihil mihi conscius sum Through Gods goodness I finde no guilt in my Conscience My heart cannot upbraid me of any horrid crime which I have not endeavour'd to deface by Contrition to discover in Confession to do penance for by Satisfaction My soul detests all that is opposite to the love and will of my Lord Jesus Secondly Habituate your self in the Exercise of such Acts as you would and should practise in the article of your Death Taking therefore your Crucifix in your hand say Well! I must dye but when where how in what estate circumstance and condition All this is uncertain I accept therefore O my Creator the Decree of my death as from thy divine Justice and the Uncertaintie of its execution from thy eternal Providence Behold I am readie and willing to obey thy blessed Ordinances nor do I desire to live one moment longer than is according to thy most just will and liking I protest that I will live and dye in an absolute conformitie to the Catholike Faith because thou my Lord God who art the prime and essential Truth hast taught and revealed it I Hope in the infinitie of thy goodness in the fidelitie of thy promises in the immensity of my Saviours merits Though thou killest me O my Lord yet I will hope in thy Mercy I will dy in thy Love that I may love thee O abyssal Ocean of all Love and perfection for evermore Yes my Lord and my Love I could heartily wish that an Act of Seraphical Love might separate my Soul from my Body that so it might become happily united to thee its only beloved object for all Eternity It grieves me O my God! that I ever offended thee because thou art infinitly good and I am content to dy because I would be freed from all future occasions of offending thee Wherefore I here offer thee my life as a pledge of my Love and I accept of Death as a fit punishment of my offences O when will that desired day come in which I shall see thee my sweet Saviour face to face without any interposition love thee without any interruption praise thee without any imperfection I acknowledg that Purgatory is too pleasant a place for the chastisement of my impieties and were I adjudg'd thither till the last day of general doom I were most mercifully dealt withal yet O my Creator to the end I may make a more honourable satisfaction to thy sacred Justice by the merits of my sweet Saviour I will endeavour to gain all the Indulgences whereof any one is capable in the Article of Death and in particular that which is obtain'd by pronouncing then the holy Name of Jesus which I desire may be the last word of my Mouth the last motion of my Heart the last sigh in my Soul O Dear Jesu Let my last breath eccho forth Jesu Jesu Jesu Amen O Blessed Virgin Mary mother of Mercy mother of Power mother of Jesus Behold thy poor child and present my departing Soul to thy dear Son Jesus O glorious S. Joseph who expiredst in the sweet embraces of Jesus and Mary Obtain for me that I may dy in their favour and affection O my good Angel the faithful Guardian of my Life leave me not in the dangerous moment of my Death End this Exercise with a generous Resolution to Dy daily to your self to the world and to all things and to Live as you desire to Dy. THe Second Profit is That considering the grievous pains they suffer you will easily resolve to endure your Purgatory in this world which was the ardent desire of S. Augustin when he thus petition'd the divine Majesty Purge me O Lord in this life and put me here in such a condition as there may be no need hereafter of any Purifying Fire that so I may be the sooner united to thee my first beginning and my final end and felicity The practise hereof may be reduced to these points following 1. COnsider that all Sin renders us liable to punishment which must infallibly be paid either in this world or in the next Now our merciful Lord seems to leave the choice unto our selves and to present unto us two Purgatories That of the next world painful long fiery devoid of all comfort and merit That of this world easie short and full of comfort O my Soul which wilt thou choose 2. The Purgatory of this world consists in satisfying Gods severe Justice for our sins as far forth as we are able by our own free actions without deferring it to the end of our lives or depending upon the charity of others O my Soul wert thou presently to depart out of this world how many years of Purgatory must thou expect for the expiation of thy many and enormous offences Resolve therefore to begin even this day without any farther delay thy Purgatory in this world by endeavouring now to make satisfaction for thy sins 3. This Satisfaction consists in these Five things which may serve us for as many Purgatories to cleanse our Souls from their Sins and cancel the pains they have thereby justly incurred The first is To perform those works which are call'd Satisfactory to wit Alms-deeds Fasting and Prayer uniting them to the merits of our Redeemer Christ Jesus Alms deeds satisfy the divine Majesty by giving him our goods of Fortune Fasting by consecrating to him the goods of our Bodies Prayer by offering up to him the goods of our Hearts and Spirits Alms-deeds free us from Sin and Death and suffer not a Soul to descend into darkness They purge us and procure us mercy and eternal life Fasting which under its notion contains all sorts of
me unto thy self by these strong bonds of thy infinite Charity 7. Ah! my dull Soul this disaster comes undoubtedly from thy self who remainest so cold amidst these ardent flames so hard amongst these iterated strokes so impenetrable against these sharp-Pointed darts and arrows of the divine love and affection Yes My Lord and Lover the desect of my love proceeds from my own default For thou My dearest Lord desirest nothing more than to see thy Grace have its full and entire effect in my heart which I hinder by my unnatural harshness tepidity and ingratitude 8. Alas my misery shall I still live and not sincerely Love thee the only worthy to be beloved object No my amiable Lord God! to live and to love thee shall be henceforth in me one and the same continued univocal convertible action Let others lead their lives according to their own election and liking for my part I here make choice of this life of love for my only Haven and Heaven upon earth and my amorous Motto shall be for evermore My beloved to me and I to him 9. Yes O sweet Bridegroom of my Soul thy sacred love shall be the lease of my life that I may cease to live when I leave off loving thee O the sweet secure life of Love I have chosen thee and I will contentedly repose in thee I have found thee and I will faithfully follow thee My Beloved shall be mine and I will be his for all future time and Eternity 10. Ah! Soveraign King of Love how miserable is that Soul that lives devoid of thy dear Love and how much more miserable is that Soul which having felt the sweetness of thy affection falls back to her former tepidity negligence and ingratitude O my Lord Let not this misery fall to my lot but let me love thee solidly sincerely preseverantly O Let my amorous spirit become fully and finally absorpt into thy felf Let me admire thee in thy blessed gifts and graces but permit me to adore thee in thy own abyssal essential amiable essence which infinitely exceeds them Let thy Love run sweetly into my heart and permit my heart to return sweetly back by the same channel of Love into thy bosom as a Brook slides silently and sweetly but yet swiftly into its original Ocean to be there unrecoverably lost in the bottomless depths of thy divine Affections 11. O my God my Lord my Love my Life my All I am no longer able to endure the consideration of thy ardent Love without corresponding thereunto with all my heart soul and strength by the most zealous perfect and cotinued affection that can possibly be produc'd by any poor creature O how it grieves me to have so long neglected this necessary duty O dear Love I most humbly crave thy pardon and conjure thee by thy own sweet self to forget all my past tepidities and accept of this present ardour whereby I promise to be henceforth so faithful fervent and constant unto thee that no time no temptation nor death it self shall ever hinder or interrupt the payment of this my sincere homage of love upon thy sacred Altar 12. Behold O the only Beloved of my Heart what a bold protestation of future fidelity in thy presence I have now made hoping for thy blessing upon it as an effect of thy love but putting no value upon it as proceeding from my self whose power and being are one and the same thing to wit a meer Nothing before thy supream Majesty Since therefore I have as much confidence in thy infinite Goodness as I have distrust in my own Nothing I will patiently hopefully resignedly expect thy divine will and pleasure in this and all things whatsoever O thrice welcome Will of my God! be thou fully accomplished in me and in all creatures for all time and Eternity 13. O dearly beloved Bridegroom of my Soul thou art pleas'd to be all mine and I am resolv'd to be all thine My life my liberty my love all is thine Dear Jesu all shall be thine and thine alone Thou shalt be the sole subject of all my thoughts and the sweet object of all my affections Thou shalt be the God of my heart the heart of my life the life of my soul and the soul of my love for evermore Thou shalt rest as a fragrant Posie between my breasts repose like a loving Bridegroom in my heart and reign like a Soveraign King in the most intime closet of my interiour I will keep thee kiss thee conjure thee to continue with me and I will choose rather to leave my life than lose thy love 14. O my God! thou art my all and only good thou art the only desire of my heart delight of my soul Thou art the only refuge repose and retreat of my spirit Thou art the only light of my eyes musick of my Ears hony of my Tongue joy of my Heart Thou art the only sufficient and ever-indeficient Fountain of peace plenty purity and perfection Out of thee is neither pleasure nor profit neither praise nor preferment neither liberty nor liberality neither peace nor purity neither life nor love neither honour nor happiness I will therefore remain in thee only love thee only O only amiable object for evermore Dilectus meus mihi ego illi My Beloved is mine and I am his Errata PAge 40. line 11. add and. p. 82. l. 26. farther r. further p. 88. l. 26. week r. weak p. 134. l. 15. dele of p. 138. l. 4. dele and. p. 155. l. 15. dele and. p. 158. l. 19. his r. this p. 161. l. last the with r. with the. p. 170. l. 27. committed r. omitted p. 225. l. 24. anther r. another p. 250. l. 15. meery r. mercy p. 278. l. 4. maks r. makâ—st p. 291. l. 10. dele out p. 313. l. 10. Motner r Mother p. 319. l. 7. old r. hold p. 345. l. 7. 336. r. 311. p. 365. these are 12 lines repeated p. 371. line penult Greator r. Creator p. 408. l. 2. beautifying r. beatifying FINIS