I will employ my time and talent in studying thy essence excellency effects motives and what else concerns thee that I may sincerely affect thee seriously seek thee happily lay hold on thee and resolutely practice thee I will perseverantly fight against perverse nature quel concupiscence cut off curiosity repress vice and reiterate these acts till they induce the contrary habits of all Virtues into my conquering Soul O Jesu perfect exemplar of all sanctity who art graciously pleased to afford courage to weaklings to confound the strong 1. Give me a noble Generosity to set on Virtue that I may with vigour alacrity and promptitude vanquish all sloath and negligence 2. Give me a discreet Severity to set on my self that the caitiff pleasures of flesh and bloud make me not relent in my labours 3. Give me a meek Benigntty and sweetness of heart that I may peaceably patiently and joyfully pass over all difficulties remain always solaced and satisfied with thy good pleasure and permission and persevere constantly in these my pious practises and resolutions The Second Exercise Of the Theological Virtues and first of Faith 1. The Essence of Faith Faith is a Theological Virtue elevating and enabling our souls to an assured though obscure knowledg of all such things as are revealed by God PRostrate again and humbled even into the center of my own nothing I represent my self before thy supreme Majesty O dread Sovereign of heaven and earth I acknowledg O prime infallible and only essential verity that the Just man lives by Faith that by it only I can have access unto thy sacred Majesty and that without it it is not only vain to pretend but altogether impossible to please thee I believe O my Lord that Faith is the first step of my Pilgrimage towards heaven the necessary foundation whereupon I must raise the high edifice of my desired perfection and the very substance and support of all my hope of future happiness in thy blessed eternity I also most gratefully confess that Faith is a gratuite gift of thy meer mercy and gracious bounty which alone moved thee to infuse it into my undeserving soul in Baptism O love O liberality But ah my unfaithfulness how poorly have I performed my then made publick promise and profession Alas my disloyal Soul Thou hast not liv'd according to Faith's Laws thou hast little lov'd thy Lord less thy Neighbour and least of all thine own self Thou hast scarcely dreaded thy supreme Creator as thy severe Judg much less honour'd serv'd and obey'd him as thy sweet Father Thy Faith hath been hitherto dead and thy barren tree hath not yet budded forth into blossoms nor born any fruit of good works O pious and potent Lord Curse not presently this fruitless fig-tree lest it forthwith wither away into nothing O cut me not yet off nor cast me suddenly into the fire as I have most justly deserved for having thus long possess'd a place in thy Garden without any return of profit to thee my heavenly Planter O spare me one year longer Divine Husbandman digg about me and refresh my driness with the sweet streams of thy infinite mercy that I may spring forth into fruitfull works worthy my Faith and profession Quicken renew revive O bountifull Lord thine own gracious gift of Faith in my Soul which is dulled deaded and almost destroy'd and choak'd up with the venomous weeds of my wilfull sin and negligence O give me a fresh supply of celestial light and strength enable my poor Soul to pour forth her self here in thy Divine presence receive thy now repenting and returning child pardon mercifully his past disloyalties and graciously accept these hearty protestations of his most sincere fidelity for the future I believe O eternal Truth I believe all that thy self hast said in thy sacred Scripture and reveal'd to thy dear Spouse the Catholick Church as most sure and certain verities Yes Lord thy words are indubitable thy Church is infallible and I will sooner believe my self not to live than to suspect thy Prophets Apostles or their Successors in thy Church by whose mouths thou speakest to be Authors of the least falshood I will therefore expect no greater evidence in this life in these secret and sacred mysteries of Faith than thy Divine Revelation and thy holy Churches assertion Ah my soul how well is it for thee that thou art uncapable to Dive into the Counsels of the Divinity What were the merit of thy Faith if thine own reason could yield thee an infallible certainty To clear it alas were to ruine it to draw the curtain which obscures it were to bereave it of its most convenient cloathing to examine it too punctually were to distrust thy God too peremptorily wherefore my Soul doth humbly and heartily sacrifice to thee her Soveraign Creator the noblest faculty wherewith thou hast endowed her which is her Vnderstanding She willingly submits it by an absolute captivity and blind obedience to all thy Divine Decrees Laws and Ordinances without questioning how or why I receive all intirely universally singularly each sentence of Scripture each sanction of the Church without the least exception choice reserve or distinction I believe all O Lord help my unbelief 2. The Material Object of Faith God is the material object of our Faith who hath revealed all truths which are to be believed THou O Eternal Unity of Essence O ineffable Trinity of Persons O Father Son and Holy Ghost in whom all things live move and have their being art the prime object of my Faith to whom all truths are to be referred as the first and infallible rule of all verity Thou hast revealed thy self as an infinite independent eternal perfect and omnipotent Creator of all things Conserver of the whol Universe Governour of Heaven and Earth Glorifier of Angels Redeemer of Sinners Justifier of Saints first Author and final End of all Creatures I believe adore admire and melt away in the meditation of these thy marvellous greatnesses and glories Thou hast delivered unto me by thy Apostles the faithfull Interpreters of thy Word and Will a short Symbole as a compleat abridgment of the truths I am bound to believe of the good things I am to hope and of the blessed objects whereon I am to fix my affection O Divine Creed little in expressions but large in mysteries containing sweet milk for Children and solid meat for Men I firmly credit each tittle thou containest in the same sense and meaning it is to be believed I will frequently repeat and ruminate each one of thy sublime articles when I rise I will remember thee when I betake me to my rest I will recite thee Thou shalt be my Garment to adorn me my Glass to dress me my Corslet to defend me till I come to thy blessed Kingdom O Father Almighty and all Mercy where thy self in clear vision wilt be the revealed object of my Faith the final accomplisher of my Hope and the rich recompence of
my Love in thy life everlasting 3. The Formal Object of Faith Divine Revelation is the formal object of our Faith by which truths are delivered from God to man in divers manners THou hast made man and plac'd him in this world O Soveraign Creator to know serve love and please thee and to praise thee eternally in the next world But how alas can he arrive at this end or hope to hit this mark unless he be heightned above his depressing earth elevated beyond his drossie senses and enlightned with a more sublime knowledg than his own weak reason can reach unto Thy supernatural assistance O Divine bounty is necessary to raise him to these blessed objects which are above nature His blindness is too great and his ignorance is too gross to discover the Mysteries of Faith and secrets of Religion He must learn this Science from thy self O supreme Verity and this assurance must be derived from thine own Divine revelation And this thou hast abundantly performed O immense fountain of all Truth at sundry times by several means and in divers manners 1. By outward words forming voices as it were in the air to inform us of thy will 2. By speaking to our hearts which thou disposest to understand thy heavenly inspirations 3. By interposing the Ministry of thy Creatures to denounce thy commands Teaching us by thy Angels preaching to us by thy Prophets instructing us by thy Apostles informing us by thy Scriptures which are missives sent from thine Omnipotency declaring to us mortals thy pleasure 4. By Visions either purely Intellectual as in S. Paul or Imaginary as in Jeremy or Real as in Daniel all shewing by silent signs and resemblances what thou wilt have effected 5. By Dreams when the outward senses being shut up from all distracting objects our souls are sweetly inform'd with thy Divine Verities 6. By Raptures when our elevated spirits inflamed with heavenly love are for a time interdicted the use of their corporeal senses and operations and totally taken up in the contemplation of thy infinite beauties and perfections 7. By thine own dear Son our sweet Saviour in whom were hidden all the treasures of thy Divine Science Him thou sentst us O eternal and ever-loving Father from heaven to earth to be our Doctor and Master and to teach us thy heavenly Truths by his own humane mouth O my God! how great is thy love in all these manifestations and how great is my obligation for all these thy mercies In how many languages dost thou speak to my deaf Soul Be thou eternally praised for all thy comfortable words revelations visions raptures instructions which thou hast conferred upon all thy Saints and Servants but above all for sending thy beloved Son thy co-eternal co-equal consubstantial increated and yet incarnate Wisdom to reveal the mystery of thy Law the immensity of thy Love the marvels of thy Mercy O my Soul What glory is it to be instructed by Gods own Son O my Lord how pleasing are thy words to my pallat how far more sweet are they to my heart than is honey or the honey-comb to my mouth 4. The Rule and Judg of Faith The Rule and Judg to distinguish between Divine Revelations and Diabolical Delusions is the Catholick Church which alone hath power to explicate the Scriptures and judg of Tradition BUt since I find my self unfit and unworthy to whom thou O my Supreme Soveraign shouldst particularly talk and tell thy Divine secrets Behold I here absolutely renounce all relying upon any seeming instinct self-judgment or proper re son in matters of my Faith and entirely submit to that Judg whom thou hast appointed to regulate inform and command me Yes O Jesu my loving Saviour the only revealer of all Faith and prime Author of all Truth Thou hast espoused to thy self and establish'd for thy servants an infallible Church as an unshaken Pillar to lean upon a solid ground-work to build on a skilfull teacher and suggester of all necessary tenents a speaker by thy Spirit and an expounder of thy words To deny this O my God were to slander thy Providence and suspect thy Justice Can I doubt but the same Providence which so eminently presides in all human affairs so plainly appears in the daily supply of my corporal necessities and which hath given me a Sun by the light whereof I may guide my bodily steps from error during this my lifes pilgrimage hath not also ordain'd an infallible and safe conduct for my immortal Soul to guide it in its way to Eternity Hath thy Justice commanded me to believe love and serve thee O my Soveraign Creator upon pain of eternal punishment and hath not thy goodness sufficiently shewed me the means and manner whereby to effect it Be thou eternally blessed O my mercifull Lord God! and thy Providence ever praised which hath left me a sacred Church to which I may safely give credit since he that hears her hears thee who art her Inspirer Governour and Protector Behold O my Lord I pull down the Sails of my own soaring judgment Avant all you Heresies Singularities Sects and Self-opinions here I will dwell since I have advisedly chosen it in this Ark I fear no Shipwrack in this Haven I may safely cast my Anchor in thy bosom and embraces O dear Mother I rest secure and satisfied I believe what thou tellest me admit what thou determinest reject what thou refusest I embrace all thy holy definitions concerning Grace Justification Sacraments and all other Tenents whatsoever contested by contentious Hereticks as so many heavenly revelations and I hearken to thy Doctrin as to the voice of the Divinity since the same Spirit which spake to the world in the Apostles continues in their Successors which are thy present Pastors O what Joy what Comfort what quiet what assurance brings this proposition Christs true Church cannot Erre She never yet erred she never shall for the future the malice of Hereticks and rage of Hell shall never prevail against her God is her Head her Guide her Instructer even unto the end of the World O my Soul how good is it for us to be here where only happiness can be hoped and elsewhere is nothing but darkness error damnation Thou hast not done thus O most loving Lord to every Nation 't is thy special grace and goodness to my undeserving Soul for which she shall ever sound forth the sacred Anthems of thy praises 5. The Motives of Credibility Christ himself is the founder of our Faith The Greatness of the Church The Quality of the Doctrine The Means by which it was planted and propagated WHen I consider thee my dear Saviour to be the Origin Founder Denouncer Teacher and Establisher of my Faith Oh how can I doubt of its verity and sincerity Thou Lord art all truth all might all wisdom all goodness Thou hast confirm'd thy mysterious words with such miraculous works as none could effect but by divine assistance O how credible are thy testimonies
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