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A33464 The little manuel of the poore mans dayly devotion collected out of severall pious and approoved authors / by W.C. W. C. (William Clifford), d. 1670. 1669 (1669) Wing C4712; ESTC R7795 136,664 494

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vengence of our sins The Litanies of the Saints LOrd have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Christ heare us Christ graciously heare us God the Father of Heaven Have mercy upon us God the sonne Redeemer of the world Have mercy upon us God the Holy Ghost Have mercy upon us Holy Trinity one God Have mercy upon us Holy Mary Pray for us Holy Mother of God Holy Virgin of Virgins S. Michael Pray for us S. Gabriel S. Raphael All yee holy Angels and Archangels All yee holy Orders of blessed spirits S. John Baptist All yee holy Patriarcks Prophets S. Peter S. Paul S. Andrew S. James S. Philip. S. Bartholomew Pray for us S. Mathew S. Simon S. Thadey S. Mathias S. Barnabe S. Luke S. Marke All yee holy Apostles and Evāgelists All yee holy Disciples of our Lord. All yee holy Innocents S. Stephen S. Laurence Pray for us S. Vincent S. Fabian and Sebastian S. John and Paule S. Cosme and Damian S. Geryase and Protase All yee holy Martyrs S. Sylvester S. Gregory S. Ambrose Pray for us S. Augustin S. Hierosme S. Martin S. Nicolas All yee holy Bishops and Confessors All yee holy Doctors S. Antony S. Benet S. Bernard S. Dominick S. Francis All yee holy Priests and Levits All yee holy Monkes and Eremits S. Mary Magdalen S. Agatha S. Lucy S. Agnes Pray for us S. Cicily S. Chatherine S. Anastasia All yee holy Virgins and widowes All yee Men and Woemen Saints of God Make yee intercession for us Sonne of God We beseech thee to heare us Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Spare us O Lord. Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Heare us O Lord. Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Have mercy vpon us Christ heare us Christ graciously heare us Vouchsafe O Almighty God that we honouring the memory of thy blessed Saints thou grant us by their intercession the desired abundance of thy mercy through Christ Jesus our Lord Amen O God whose proper it is alwayes to have mercy and to spare receive our petition that the tender mercy of thy piety may mildly absolve us and all thy servants whom the chayne of sin doth binde Amen Heare we beseech thee O Lotd the prayers of thy supplicants and pardon the sins of them that confesse to thee that thou being unto us benigne maist in like manner give us pardon and peace Shew with clemency O Lord thy unspeakable mercy unto us that thou both acquit us of our sins and deliver us from the paines which for them we deserve O God who by sin art offended and by penance art pacified mercifully respect the prayers of thy people making supplication to thee and turne away the scourges of thy āger which for our sins we deserue Haue mercy on all sinners sweet Jesu I beseech thee turne their vices into vertues and make them true observers of thy law and lovers of thee bring them to blisse in everlasting glory Have mercy also on the soules in Purgatory for thy bitter passion sake I beseech thee and for thy glorious name Jesu O holy Trinity one true God have mercy on me Your prayer ended dispose your selfe in recollection of mind to bed and putting of your cloathes consider how fast the tyme is comming on and is perchaunce much neerer then you imagin when you shall be vncloathed of all but a poore winding sheet to be covered with earth which your bedcloathes covering you doe represent as also the ensving sleepe doth your death and your bed the grave where laying downe your selfe commende both your body and soule vnto God saying as did Iesus Christ upon the Crosse recommending your soule to the Eternall father in these sacred words Into thy hands O Lord I recommend my spirit In the name of our Lord Jesus Christ I laye me downe to rest he blesse me defend me and bring me to life everlasting Amen Save us good Lord wakeing and keepe us sleeping that we may watch with Christ and rest in peace Amen God the Father blesse me Jesus Christ defende me the vertue of the holy Ghost illuminate and sanctify me this night and ever more Amen O Angel of God who art my keeper me by the supernal piety committed to thy charge keepe and defend this night from all peril of body and of soule Amen And lastely with a fervent aspiration to God conclude saying O deare Jesu the everlasting repose of thyne elect when will the happy houre come that my soule may without end receiue her rest in thy eternall glory And herevpon with an act of the love of God compose your selfe to sleepe When awakeing in the night IF you awake in the night endeavour to make an elevation of your hart to God by some ejaculatory prayer as O good Iesu be to me Iesus and save me or O deare Iesu that I may know thee and that J may know my selfe vpon which words S. Augustin was wont to spend whole nights in pious contemplation As also did S. Francis in these other not unlike O who art thou my divine Lord and who am I or say O Eternal God when shall I love thee with my whole hart and soule and if I were at this very instant now to dye am J in the state to obtayne thy gracious mercy or the like And then without any further application of mind compose your selfe againe to sleepe Holy cogitations wherof some one being chosen at the end of your evening or morning prayer may serve as a subject for a vertuous employment of your minde when either you cannot sleepe or for all the day following at such tymes as best leasure shall give occasion to make some good Reflection there upon Of the true end of Man MAn is made to love and to serve God and thereby to obtayne his owne Beaitude Our very hart assures us of this certaine truth which being made for God it findes no quiet rest but only in that its proper center thou hast created us O Lord for thy selfe saith S. Augustin and our hart is unquiet untill it repose in thee Yea plaine experience makes it manifest for neither could Alexander the great be content with his glorious conquest of the world togeather with all other temporall felicity nor Salomon with all which his soule could either possesse or desire for the full content both of his body and mind all which in the end he confessed to be but vanity and affliction of spirit And Alexander did no lesse who weeped when he was tould that there were no more worlds for him to conquer the satisfaction of what he had done gave him so smale content We being therfore made only for God let us be only his and give our selves entierly to him performing what according to our end we are made for For as the suune is made to give light the fier to heate and salt to season to which end should they
dissimulation that I may cast downe and tread under my feet the Spirit of gluttony and lechery the spirit of slouth and dulnesse the spirit of malice and enuy the spirit of hatred and disdayne that I may never dispise nor contemne any of thy creatures nor preferre my selfe before others but ever little in my owne eyes think the best of others and deeme and judge the worst of my selfe Invest me holy Father with the wedding garment of thy beloved sonne the supernaturall vertue of heavenly charity that I may love thee my Lord God with all my hart with all my soule and with all my strength that neither life nor death prosperity nor adversity nor any thing else may separate me from thy love Grant that all inordinate affection to the transitory things of this world may daily decay and dye in me that thou alone maist be tastfull pleasant and savoury to my soule O most gracious God give unto thy servant an humble contrite and obedient hart and understanding alwayes occupied in honest vertuous cogitations a will tractable and ever prone to the better affections alwayes calme and moderate a watchfull custody of my senses that by those windowes no sin may enter into my soule a perfect government of my tongue that no corrupt or unseemely language may proceed from my lipps that I may not busy my selfe in the faults and imperfections of others but rather attend to the amending of my owne And finally so long as I am detayned in this prison of my body and exiled from my heavenly country let this be my portion and the comfort of my banishement that free from all immoderate wordly cares and pensive sollicitude of this present life wholy devoted to thy service I may attend only to thee I may cleave unto thee I may rest my soule in thee and sitting in silence I may give way and entertainement to thy heavenly doctrine to the good motions and inspirations of thy holy spirit In these sweet exercicises let me passe the solitary houres of my teadious pilgrimage with patience expecting the shutting up of my dayes and a happy end of this my miserable life And grant O thou lover of mankind my lord and my God that when this my carthly tabernacle shall be dissolved being found free from all pollution of sin as after baptisme I may be numbered amongst those blessed soules who through the merits and passion of thy deare sonne are held worthey to raigne with thee and to enjoy the glorious presence of the blessed Trinity Father Sonne and holy Ghost to whome by all creatures in Heaven and Earth be rendred praise and thankes-giving world without end Amen A prayer to the blessed Virgin as also to the holy Saints and Angels O Blessed Virgin mother of my divine Redeemer have pitty on me a most wretched sinner I devoutly salute and honour thee O glorious Queene of heaven and powerfull advocate of all distressed soules obtayne for me I beseech thee of thy deare sonne Jesus the remission of all my great offences obtayne for me perfect charity and profound humility true mortificatiō and forsaking of my selfe obtayne for me constant patience refrayning and temperance of my tongue and senses obtayne for me purity simplicity and sincerity of mind and that I may be one according to the harts desire of thy divine sonne my loving Saviour All haile O immaculate Virgin of whom Christ Jesus the brightnesse of his Fathers glory would be borne and whome with thy precious milke thou didst feed and nourish O blessed mother of true compassion assist my weakenesse in all my temptations and necessities in all my perils of sin and in the houre of my death that by thy powerfull intercession I may be protected against the dangerous assaults of my ghostly enemies and obtayne the needfull help to dye in the happy perseverance of Gods holy grace O ye Angelical blessed spirits pray for me and thou especially my holy Angel the faithfull keeper of my soule and body have thou faithfull care over me O all ye holy faints of God who have passed over the troubles and vexations of this exile and attayned most happily the secure resting port of your celestial beatitude I most humbly crave your protection help me with your powerfull intercession both now and in the houre of my death Amen An other prayer to the B. Virgin REmember O most pious Virgin Marie Mother of all consolation never yet was it kowne that any who in tribulation made their recourse for succour by the happy assistance of thy gratefull prayers and powerfull credit with thy deare sonne Jesus was ever refused or forsaken by thee Wherefore in this assured and humble confidence I a most sinfull soule make my recourse unto thee O mother of true pitty with sighs and repentant teares from a devoted hart I doe earnestly cry and humbly crave thy help Refuse not therfore with wonted compassion to behould my weeping hart and to give eare to my instant cry that by thy celestial favour I may be forgiven by thy divine sonne Jesus my mercifull and only Redeemer Amen An other prayer to the same O Glorious and incomparable Virgin most truly mother of God and Queene both of heaven and Earth although thy glory exceeds without comparison what honour soever we are able to render thee yet that excellency which most excells in thee consists in true conformity unto the will of God who is thy Father thy spouse and thy only dearest sonne from whence it proceeds that nothing is refused thee for thou demandest nothing but what is pleasing unto him whom nothing can resist Be pleased therfore O Mother of pitty and after God my only hope to make powerfull intercession for me for my friends kindred benefactors and enemies and for all sinners whatsoever to the end that we may behould thee in that celestiall habitation there with thee to praise and glorify the most sacred Trinity for all Eternity Amen An other prayer to the same O Glorious Virgin Mother of God most pleasing temple of the Divinity the sacred vestry wherin the second person of the blessed Trinity was invested by the holy Ghost with our humanity the gate of Heaven and my second hope I beseech thee O glorious Virgin that in thankes-giving for the love which God hath sheud to thee as to his Mother daughter and beloved spouse thou wilst vouchsafe to take me this day and for the whole course of my life into thy singular protection procure that my actions words and intentions be alwayes pleasing to thy divine sonne Jesus that I may live to him and dye for him Amen A prayer to the Holy Ghost O holy Ghost our heavenly comforter we humbly beseech thee by that straite union or much rather unity which is betwixt thee and the two other divine persons unite so happily by thy celestial help my will in all things most perfectly unto thine that by this happy subordination I may obtayne that blessed end for
passions and therfore we must not rest only in our prayer as in the end of our work for perfection consists not in much consolation or sweetnesse or sensible gust in our prayer but in that perfect victory over our selfe over our passions and unruly affections as is said nor in the sublimest prayer but in that which with a pure intention doth syncerely seeke the encreace in Gods divine love our owne aduanement in vertu with true resignation to the wil of God and a perfect contempt and abnegation of our selves renouncing all curiosity of Spirit and self satisfaction by it for otherwise we seeke not God so much as our selves and our owne interest and therfore no marvaile if we doe not finde him The certaine markes and most evident signes of false and meere counterfeit prayer THe first marke If our manners and conversation be nothing amended 2. If there be great levity and vanity in our actions 3. If great remisnesse in obligations of piety 4. If our care and diligence be small to avoyde evill occasions and the causes of our most habituall sin 5. If we presume to be now arrived to a high degree of prayer or aspire to visions revelations or extaces c. Or to the like favours in the passive way 6. If passions beare sway in vs. 7. If mortification seeme harsh and vnpleasant 8. If our senses be petulant and wanton 9. If to temptations we make but a weake and carelesse resistance 10. If labour and employment be ircksome to vs. 11. If the yoake of Gods law seemes heavy and his counsels unsupportable 12. If we finde our selves lasie and listlesse to all spirituall affaires 13. If worldly puntillios of honour and temporall respects goe nearest to our hart and affection 14. If holy Crosses patience and obedience seeme bitter and unpleasing 15. If we neglect and misregard or not respect nor esteeme the advise of our superiour and ghostly Fathers 16. If finally we carry our selves carelesly and negligently in the amendment and correction of such faults as apparently are knowne to us for such These are all evident markes and most assured signes of evill counterfeit and false devotion and naughty prayer which we ought with all speed and industry resolutely to amende and change The Litany of our Lord and divine Saviour Iesus LOrd have merecy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Jesus heare us Lord Jesus graciously heare us God the Father of Heaven Have mercy upon us God the sonne Redemer of the world Have mercy c. God the holy ghost proceeding from the Father and the sonne Have Holy and glorious Trinity three persons and one God Have mercy Jesus sonne of the living God have Jesus splendor of the Father Jesus brightnesse of Eternal light Jesus king of glory Have mercy Jesus the sunne of justice Jesus sonne of the Virgin Mary Jesus whose name is called wonderfull Have mercy upon us Jesus the mighty God Jesus the Father of the world to come Have mercy upon us Jesus the Angel of the great counsel Jesus most powerfull Jesus most patient Jesus most obdient Have mercy Jesus milde and humble of hart Jesus lover of chastity Jesus our Love Jesus the God of peace Jesus the Author of life Jesus the example of vertues Jesus the zealous seeker of soules Jesus our God Have mercy upon us Jesus our Refuge Jesus the Father of the poore Jesus the Treasore of the faithfull Jesus the good shiphard Jesus the true light Jesus the Eternall wisdome Jesus all-infinite goodnesse Jesus the way the truth and the life Jesus the ioy of Angels Have c. Jesus Maister of the Apostles Jesus the teacher of the Evangelists Jesus the strength of Martyrs Jesus the light of Confessors Jesus the purity of Virgins Jesus the Crowne of all Saints Have mercy upon us Be propitious unto us Speare us Lord Jesu Be propitious unto us Spare c From all sinne Lord Jesu deliver us From thy anger From the deceipts and snaires of the Divel From the spirit of fornication From perpetuall death From all neglect of thy holy inspirations Lord Jesus deliver us By the mystery of thy most holy incarnation By thy Nativity Lord Jes deliv us By thy Infancy By thy divine life By thy labours and trauells By thy Agony and Passion By thy Crosse and dereliction By thy unspeackable paines and languishings Lord Jesus c. By thy death and buriall By thy glorious Resurrection By thy Assention into Heaven By thy incomparable joyes By thy Eternall glory Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Spare us Lord Jesu Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Lambe of God that taketh away the sins of the world Haue mercy c. Jesu heare us Lord Jesu graciously heare us Let us pray O Lord Jesus Christ who hast said unto us aske and you shall receive seeke and you shall find knock and it shall be opned unto you grant we beseech thee upon this our most humble petition the effect of thy divine love that we may love thee with our whole hart and never cease from thy praises nor from glorifying thy holy name O most loving and our divine Redeemer Jesus worke in us the perpetuall love to geather with the feare of thy sacred Humanity which thou hast annointed and sanctifi'd by the vnion of thy Deity that we may be evermore subiect and obedient to thee since thou doest never leave those destitute of thy grace whom thou hast establisht in the solidity of thy love who with the Father and the Holy ghost liveth and rayneth God world without end Amen The Litany of our B. Lady of Loretto LOrd have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Christ heare us Christ graciously heare us God the Father of Heaven Have mercy upon us God the sonne Redeemer of the world Haue mercy upon us God the Holy ghost Holy Trinity one God Have mercy upon us Holy Mary Pray for us Holy Mother of God Holy Virgin of Virgins Mother of Christ Mother of Divine grace Most pure Mother Most chast Mother Undefiled Mother Untouched Mother Lovely Mother Pray Glorious Mother Mother of our Creatour Mother of our Saviour Most prudent Virgin Venerable Virgin Renowned Virgin Powerfull Virgin Mild and meeke Virgin Faithfull Virgin Pray Myrrour of Justice Seate of Wisdome Cause of our joy Spirituall vessel Honorable Vessel Vessel of devotion Pray Mysticall Rose Strong Tower of David Solid Tower of ivory Goulden habitation Arke of Covenant Gate of Heaven Morning starr Pray Health of the sick Refuge of Sinners Confortresse of the afflicted The Helpe of Christians Queene of Angels Queene of Patriarkes Queene of Prophets Queene of Apostles Queene of Martyrs pray Queene of Confessors Queene of Virgins Queene of all Saints Lambe of God who taketh away the sins of the world Spare us o Lord. Lambe of God who taketh away the sins of the world Heare us o
incarnation of Christ thy sonne the Angel declaring it may be brought by his holy Crosse and Passion unto the glory of his Resurrection through the same Christ our Lord Amen The soules of the faithfull through the mercy of God rest in peace Amen Be mindfull to say this holy devotion thrice every day In the morning in gratefull memory and adoration of that divine Mystery of the glorious Resurrection of our Redeemer Iesus Christ At midday in memory and adoration of his bitter death and Passion And at the Evening in memory and adoration of the Incarnation of the sonne of God in the wombe of the pure and immaculate ever Virgin Certaine generall advertisments much conducing to Christian perfection THinke often upon the moment of this life whereon depends Eternity Call frequently to minde that thou art placed in this world for no other end but that by serving God to save thy soule Remember that thou art alwayes in the presence of God and raise often thy hart unto him Observe not the imperfections of other persons but think rather of mending thy owne Judge rashly of no body nor give any willing care unto the detractor Let no drynesse nor barrenesse in devotion cause you to omitt any accustomed exercise of piety Doe all your actions with a pure intention for the glory of God When you heare the clock to strike stirr up sorrow for your sins beseeching God to have mercy on your soule at the dreadfull houre of death Be not singular in your exteriour devotion least some inward vanity may outwardly appeare thereby Neglect not divine inspirations which God shall give for the amendment of your most habitual and daily sins When you are assaulted with any dangerous temptation crosse your hart in token that you humbly crave Gods grace and disavow the sin which that ill thought suggests to you Be not forward to contradict others and if you be contradicted grow not angry thereat but only mildly make answere that so is your opinion Remember that there is but one Heaven which if we seeke it in this world we shall not find it in the other Vertue and true resignation to the will of God consists not in words but in real deeds and actions An Evening Exercice for Prayer before bed IT being now tyme for your repose retyre your selfe to the place of prayer and in the presence of God devoutly upon your knees there adore his divine Majesty acknowledging your owne unworthinesse render him most humble thankes for all his gracious benefits beseech him to preserve you that night from all sin And sixing the interiour sight of your soule upon Gods infinit greatnesse and Majesty and upon your owne basenesse abjection and indignity say as in the morning Exercise In the name of the Father and of the Sonne and of the Holy Ghost Amen Blessed be the holy and undevided Trinity now and for ever more Amen Our Father c. Halle Mary c. I beleeve in God c. I confesse me to Almigthy God c. all as in the morning prayer Almighty God have mercy upon us and all our sins being forgiven bring us to everlasting life Amen Omnipotent and mercifull Lord give unto us pardon absolution and remission of all our sins Amen I most humbly thanke thee my great God who hast created me of nothing and redeemd me with thy precious blood made me a member of the Catholick Church and graciously provided for me all necessaries both for body and soule For all which as also for thy so frequent heavenly inspirations Sacraments and sacrifices as also for so many other meanes for my salvation from the bottome of my hart and with all the powers of my soule I render thee my loving God most humble thankes beseeching all the holy Quires of Angels and all the blessed Saints in thy celestiall kingdome that they vouchsafe to supply my deficiency in praising adoring magnifying and extolling this thy great mercy and infinit goodnesse owards me Almighty and everlasting God I yeeld thee most harty thankes for that thou hast vouchsafed of thy great mercy and goodnesse to preserve me this day from all evill And I also beseech thee for thy bitter death and passion most mercifully to forgive me a wretched sinner all my offences which I have this day committed by thought word and deede and hereafter to preserve and keepe me from all danger as well of body as of soule to the end I may rise againe in health to praise thy glorious name and joyfully to serve thee in thankesgiving with a chast body and cleane hart Amen O Lord God and my heavenly Father for as much as by thy divine ordinance the night approacheth and tyme requireth that we give our selves to bodily rest I yeald unto thee most harty thankes for thy great love vouchsafing to preserve me this day from the danger of all enemies to give me my health to feede me and afford me all necessaries for the comfort of this my mortall life I most humbly beseech thee for thy blessed sonne Jesus his sake that thou wilt mercifully forgive me all that I have this day committed against thy fatherly goodnesse by thought word or by deed and that thou wilt vouchsafe to shadow me this night under the safe winges of thy Almigthy power and defend me from Sathan and all dangerous assaults that neither he not any of his ministers have power either over my body or soule But that although my body enjoyeth sleepe yet my soule may watch unto thee delight in thee and ever more praise thee that when the comfortable light of the day returneth according to thy good appointment I may rise againe with a faithfull soule and undefiled body and so afterwards behave my selfe all my life according to thy blessed will and commandment by casting away the workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light that men seeing my good workes may be mooved to glorify thee my heavenly Father who with thy only begotten sonne our loving Saviour and the holy Ghost livest and reygnest one true and everlasting God world without end Amen A Prayer to our B. Lady and to her divine Sonne O Benigne and mercifull Virgin Mother most meeke most mild and gracious obtaine for us O B. Lady grace and strength to withstand and overcome all our enemies ghostly and bodily visible and invisible that after the course of this short life we may by thy gracious help attayne everlasting life in the kingdone of Heaven where wee may with thee O Virgin ever more dwell and with all the holy Angels Archangels Patriarcks and Prophets Apostles and Martyrs Confessors and Virgins worship glorify and magnify our divine Redeemer and thee O sacred Virgin in everlasting blisse without end Amen O Lord Jesus Christ the glory of the Father the orient beauty of eternal light and bright mirrour wihout spot or deformity I humbly beseech thee by thy sacred divinity to grant me this night chastity of minde cleanesse
remooving the booke THe Epistle is reade on the right hand of the Altar to shew that the jewes were the elect people of God and to whom the Gospel first was preached But they repelling the same were justly abandon'd by God and that blessing was transferd to the Gentils as is represented to us by carrying the booke to the other side of the altar where the Gospell is reade Crave here humbly a true docil and humble spirit to admitt good counsell and Gods divine inspirations and to be strengthned by his holy grace to put them in execution At the Graduel and Tract IN the Graduel by the Alleluyas we give praise and joyfull thanksgiving to God for his so happily calling us in the incredulous jewes place But in the penitentiall dayes of lent advent c. in stead of Alleluya is said the Tract in a more mournfull tune as craving pardon for our sins For which we are here to stirr up harty sorrow and contrition At the Gospel THe Priest saying Dominus vobiscum doth advertise the people to raise up their harts and to harken with good attention and devotiō to those sacred words which were uttered by the divine mouth of Jesus Christ and recorded by his holy Evangelists Crave divine grace to illuminate your understanding and to inflame your will wherby the better to put in execution what we are either taught or commanded to doe At the Creed HEre we must make a firme act to beleeve whatsoever hath been revealed to Christs true Catholick Church and is by her so proposed to us to be beleeved And chiefly those blessed Mysteries which are represented in the holy sacrifice of the Masse Humbly beseeching Gods grace that we may never yeald to any temptation against the same And to detest all cursed Schisme and Heresy At the Offertory AT this oblation of the bread and wyne admyre the infinit humility and goodnesse of Jesus Christ who for our sakes vouchsafed to place his precious body and blood under the consecrated species of so contemptible meane creatures bread and wyne The mingling wyne with a little water doth shew the intimate union of Gods divinity represented by the wyne with our humanity signifid by that little water and simple element Crave humbly here so united a hart to Gods divine will as that with S. Paul you may truly say I live now not I but Iesus Christ doth live in me At the Lavatory PIlate washt his hands to testify before the people his not being guilty of Christs innocent blood But our consciences stayned with many crymes have need to be washed by the water of true compunction for our sins And for that end we must indevour to frame a holy act of Contrition that so we may appeare with greater innocency at the consecration before this our souveraine judge At Orate fratres THe Priest makes here a second oblation of that sacrifice to the B. Trinity in memory of the principall mysteries of Jesus Christ as also in honour of his chiefest Saints And for the better obtayning grace to performe that holy function he turnes to the people desiring them to ioyne their prayers with his therby to render the oblation of that their common sacrifice more gratefull to God both for him and themselves Which with a fervent ejaculation we must humbly crave At the ensving secret BY the ensving private prayer or secret as the Church doth call it we must humbly beseech Almighty God to produce in our soules the effect of all those good thoughts which he hath given us for our better preparation to appeare more worthily in his divine presence at that neere approaching consecration At the Preface THe Preface is so called as being the entrance to the Canon of the Masse and a generall preparation to that holy sacrifice The Priest there exhorting the people to raise up their harts to God with thanks-giving for all his benefits accompaniing the Angels Cherubins and Seraphins in adoring and praising him incessantly with that Angelicall himne of holy holy holy Lord God of Sabaoth For in loving adoring and Praising the B. Trinity consists the Saints Beatitude and endlesse felicity At Te igitur c. where the Canon of the Masse begins HEre begins the Canon and chiefe part of the Masse pronounced with a low voyce to shew the greater reverence and veneration to that most sacred and neere approaching act of consecration Which ceremony beares resemblance with that of the Priests of the ancient law who entring into the Sancta Sanctorum were covered with a vaile and were neither to be heard nor seene Wherby we are advertised that by private recollection with-drawing our harts from all worldly cogitations we should unite our selves closely to God with pious contemplation upon those divine and holy mysteries At the first Memento IN this Memento we must pray for the catholike Church For its chiefe Pastor For our king and Prelate For peace amongst Christian Princes For our kindred friends benefactors enemies and for all for whom we are oblidged to pray That we being thus united to the living by Charity and by craving likewise the intercession of those powerfull Advocates Gods chiefe Saints in Heaven we may testify our communion both with the Militant and Triumphant Church At Hanc igitur oblationem THese five crosses renew in us the memory of those cruell torments which our divine Redeemer did suffer in all his five senses As also the memory of his five precious wounds By the merits where of we must humbly crave his grace that we never willfully offend him grievously by any of our five senses hereafter At the consecration and elevation THe Priest here according to the command and example of Jesus Christ blesseth and consecrateth the bread and wyne in the self same manner as he performed it in the institution of this divine mystery and commanded his Apostles and their successors to doe the same He elevateth those consecrated species offering Jesus Christ to his Eternall Father as he once did offer himselfe upon mount Calvary for all the sins of the world Here making an act of firme faith of the reall presence of Jesus Christ we must humbly crave his grace that as he vouchsafed to dye upon the crosse for us so that we for his sake may cheerefully endure all crosses and afflictions whatsoever as from the loving correction of his fatherly hand for our innumerable sins At the second Memento HEre according to the continuall custome of the Church we must offer this holy sacrifice for the faithfull soules departed this mortall life yet remayning in Purgatory And for such in particular as we finde our selves to be obliged Concluding as before with a devout addresse to Gods blessed Saints to pray for them and us Humbly beseeching his divine Majesty to receive us into their glorious society by the merits of Jesus Christ our Lord and loving Saviour At Nobis quoque Peccatoribus THe good thiefe by his happy repentance applying the sacred
great esteeme which we make of his holy will and commande we having no other motive nor respect to draw us thereunto 2. because those small occasions being very frequent they give much practice for vertue and therby to obtayne great grace and many favours from God Let vs therfore make this good use of the least occasion to testify our love and true fidelity to him and therby to encreace his grace in our soules to which in Heaven is answerable eternall glory And who on the contrary shall be negligtfull therin will experience that the holy Ghost hath most truly fore tould us Eccl. 1● that who contemneth small thins shall fali by little and little Reason ought to be the Rule of all our actions and affections MAns nature is to live according to reason but passion blinding us we weigh not all things by the just weight of their worth but rather by our deceiptfull affections and disorderly appetits the affection which we have for one person makeing all his actions to seeme gratefull and good and our aversion to the other but unpleasing and badd wheras he notwithstanding may wel have what is worthy of praise and the other what may deserve much blame Have not a double hart the one for your selfe and the other for your neighbour it being reason which ought to be the Rule and guide of our will Esteeme not things accordding only as they seeme pleasing to you and in appearence but according to their worth and valour Be not troubled that others seeke their owne conveniences seeing that they are not offended to let you procure yours Doe as you would be donne to and deale with others in the same manner as God dealeth with you who although he suffereth much at your hands yet he refuseth not to bestow blessings and great favours daily upon you Nor be you much troubled if men deale ungratefully with you you being so very ungratefull to God The examen of spirits according to their different feeling in the hart GUsts and interiour feelings must be examined to try whither such as are thought to be spirituall spring not from flesh and blood that devotion is not spirituall which hath its roote meerely frome sense and which is grounded on this foundation can not be solid and stable yea the greatest fervours and most violent ardor in the love of God is frequently discipated like unto watery froth That devotion as true which proceeds from the purest love of God and is best knowne by a generous resolution wherby the soule doth unite her selfe inviolably to his divine will and pleasure through the greatest difficulties and contradictions to nature not having regard neither to gaine nor losse not to sensible consolation in prayer nor to the greatest dereliction and barrenness therin but only and purely to the honour and glory of God And who build not upon this foundation will little advance in perfection but rather whil be still to begin so long as nature beares such a sway The right spirituall gusts and the true holy motions from the spirit of God are that we greatly humble our selves that we renounce our owne will conquering nature and its reluctance to suffering neglecting all interest and that we have no other ayme nor end but purely to please and to serve Almighty God How to draw profit from afflictions and painfull sufferings ARe you in painfull sufferance either by bodily affliction or by some desolation in minde comfort your selfe in that by patience your gaine will be without comparison farr greater then can be your harme For if none can shew greater charity then he who giveth his life for a frend what then may besaid of him who suffers for the love of God that which he both dreads and feares much more then he doth death it selfe I meane derelection and privation of all spirituall consolation temptations scrupules and other afflictions of soule Feare fin and not paine nor doe you abhorr what God gusteth with pleasure nor be you discontent at what is very pleasing to him It is now the very proper tyme of suffering and yet self love makes any paine to be to you extreamely troublesome Yea so weake is the love of God in you as you most unwillingly doe suffer that which even for your owne greatest good he most fatherly ordaynes for you Can he who hopes to enjoy God for alle Eternity feare to suffer one little moment for his sake Force nature but à little to beare Christs holy Crosse and therby your peine will much be lightned for nothing doth so greatly augment our sufferance as doth our owne proper will And if we doe so greatly love and reverence the Crosse of Christ for its being sanctified hy his continuing fastned three or fower houres ther upon why should we not love esteeme and honour laborious and painfull sufferings which he endured three and thirty whole yeares continuing the whole space of his life The reason wherefore all men naturally seekeing happinesse so few doe find it OUr divine Redeemer declaring to his diseiples wherin beatitude and true happinesse in this life did consist hee disabuseth them of the false opinion of worldly people who though they naturally seek happinesse and labour for that end yet they spending their labour to pourchace worldly vaine honour and deluding pleasurs or sordid wealth according to the pernicious false principle of the world they wholy neglect what their divine Maister Jesus Christ hath taught vs both by word and example wherby to leade us the way to true beatitude beatifying the poore of spirit The meeke and humble Who weepe and mourne Who hunger and thirst The mercifull The pure and cleane of hart The peace makers And finally the persecuted and afflicted persons for justice All these our divine Redeemer declares to be blessed and that the kingdome of Heaven belongs to them whom yet the deceived world according to their false maxime doe judge to be but miserable and most unhappy Nor is it a wonder that what Jesus Christ proposed here as happines seemes rather misery to the delued eyes of men whose thoughts not going beyond this present life which being but truly misery in it selfe it can no other wise make us happy but as it serves to help us to gaine that other of endlesse blisse Of sloath and idlenesse THis mother of vice is contrary to nature it being the proper nature of man to labour as for a bird to fly nor hath he à greater enemy then is sloath and idlenesse Which is a sin quite contrary to the nature of man the very institution of his first creation being properly to worke God placed Adam in Paradise Gen. 1● that he should worke And after his fall it was appointed him in punishment of his sin it being pronounced against him and all his progeny Gen 3.19 that in the sueate of his hrowes he should eate his bread And therefore idlenesse is both unnaturall to Man and unpleasing to God Math.
25 cast out the idle servant And the barren figtree was commanded to be cut downe and cast into the fire For wherefore hath God given us a body with all its members and senses and a soule with all its noble faculties but that we should employ them as a talent lent us for his glory Let us therefore be more carefull not to loose our precious tyme which is but lent us here to labour for eternity for the night of death will suddainly surprise us in our sinfull floath and then no more tyme will be afforded us to repaire our former idlenesse and neglect of tyme. Of the sin of scandal MOst justly hath our blissed Saviour given so dreadfull a curse against this wicked sin Math. 18 which so truly represents the sin of Lucifer who by the scandal of his ambitious pride did draw with him à third part of those unhappy Angels unto the low pit of Hell Yea like to the pestiferous plague one scandalous person is capable by his ill example to communicate the infection of his sin to a whole towne and country But finally be we most certainly assured that alle such as by our scandal were brought to their endlesse perdition they at the dreadfull day of judgment will cry vengence against us and will require that wee be eternally punished for that their irreparable harme which by scandall we caused to them by our provocation to sin Of Choller and Anger THe holy Ghost disswads us from harboring anger in our breasts Eccles 7 least it place us in the ranke of fooles assuring us also that who is soone mooved to anger is much inclined to sin Prov. 25. The usuall attendants of this pernicious vice is Pride Contumely Indignation Oathes Blasphemies Quarrels Murthers and the like This vice is not only hurtfull to the Author but soe insupportable to others Prou. 22 as the holy Ghost peaswads us to fly their company who are subject unto it and well it is to be observed that whilst we strive by anger to maister our enemy we are most shamfully overcome by our selves This pernicious vice obscures reason and precipitats the will into dangerous actions sur future repentance for who is blinded with the fumes of this passion is neither capable of right reason nor counsell Wherfore seeing that it is a vice so prejudiciall to our selves so injurious to our neighbour and so greatly detested by God let us resolve to resist the first motions of this unruly passion and by craving Gods grace and imitating the mildnesse and meeknesse of Jesus Christ to over come the same Of Rash judgment THe holy Church though particularly assisted by the holy Ghost yet shee judgeth not of inward things and shall a particular ignorant Man vicious and passionate take the liberty to judge what only lyeth open to God O unsupportable pride and presumption We must therfore judge ever the best of the intention of others it being a secret which belongs only to God the true scarcher of the harts of men Yea it is a sacrilegious usurpation to trench upon that which is Gods owne due and it makes us truly to resemble those hypocrits of the Gospel who espying a moate in their brothers eye perceive not the beame which remaynes in their owne S. Bernards advise herein is singularly good exhorting us that when we perceive in an other some fault which displeaseth us amend it saith he in thy selfe but behoulding in him what is vertuous and good examenwhither thoupossessest the same and if not then labour to obtayne for thds doing thou wilt make prosit of all Of the vertue of mildnesse and meekenesse THe reason wherefore this vertue is often recommended by Jesus Christ and that they are called blessed who are gentle and milde is for that God being the God of peace he loves to rest in a mild and gentle hart factus est in pace locus eius Psal ●6 2. it makes us to enjoy true solid content of minde they shall be delighted in abundance of peace It is the motive which our Saviour gives us to practice the same learne of me who am mild c. and you shall finde rest to your soules for as no quarrel can be fixt upon a cheerefull minde and plesant countenance so also courteous and frendly language will conquer the greatest enemy The conversation of such a man is grattefull and welcome to all company nor is any more offensive and displeasing then is a froward angry and impatient person We must therefore as S. Paul doth admonish us shew mildnesse and meekenesse to all Tit. 32 which is the true meanes to gaine love both of God and and Man Eccl 3 19 Sonne doe thy workes in meeknes and thou shalt be belovod above the glory of Men. Of true humility of hart THere are two sortes of humility The one of spirit and understanding and the other of the hart and will That of the spirit makes us to know and to acknowlege that of our selves we are pure nothing nor can doe any thing but meerely from God Tat we are borne in sin and inclind to all evil All which but well considered how can we be proud or vaine glorious But this humility of spirit will little availle us without the humility of hart and of wil for the devils know well their owne great abjection and indignity but they have not humility of hart and of will which consists in being glad and willing to be despised and in flying the praise of men wherin consists true Christian humility of hart and of will For it consists not in certaine little ceremonies or composed humble termes or actions but in reall deeds acknowledging that all the good which we either enjoy or doe is from God to whom we are to render all glory and gratitude and nothing but contempt and all abjection to our selves for our great and grievious sins A 2. Reflection upon holy patience NO vertue is more necessary then this we being almost continually in occasion for the practife of it and by the helpe therof we surmount the greatest difficulties nor doth any thing more edify our neighbour or confund yea caven conquer an enemy as doth holy patience wheras impatience doth all quite to the contrary 2. the impatient man refuseth sinfully to submit to Gods decree who is the Author of all our sufferings which in that they cannot be resisted the impatient Man is most unreasonable and by that meanes he begins his Hell even in this world And as that man is of all others the most happy who is of all others the most patient so on the contrary he is most miserable who is most impatien Nowe the best meanes to obtayne this so necessary a vertue is to reflect upon Gods great patience in suffering all our perverse greate sins and most enormious offences done aginst him 2. That this life is but very short and uncertaine our peine cannot be long 3. to reflect how
discover my shame I know my sins to be many and great and withoot number Looke downe upon me with the eyes of thy mercy O Lord Jesus the eternall King God and Man and Crucifi'd for Men. Heare me graciously hoping in thee have mercy upon me full of sin and wretchednesse thou that wilt never restraine the fountaine of thy pitty to flow All hayle healthfull sacrifice offered upon the tree of the Crosse for me and for all Mankinde All hayle o noble and precious blood gushing out of the wounds of my Lord Jesus Christ crucifi'd and washing away the sins of the whole world Remember o Lord thy Creature which thou hast redeemed with thy blood It repenteth me that I have sinned I desire to amend what I have done amisse Take then away from me o most clement Father all myne iniquities and offences that purifi'd in mind and body I may deserve worthely to tast the holy of holies And grant that this holy tasting of thy precious body and blood which I most unworthy intend to receive may be the remission of my sins perfect purgation of my crymes driving away of filthy cogitations an a begetting of good thoughts and holesome efficacy of workes pleasing to thee and withall a sirme protection of soule and body against the dangerous wiles of my Ghostly enemy Amen An other payer of S. Tho. of Aquine before receiving the holy Communion ALmighty and eternall God behold I comme to the Sacrament of thy only begotten sonne our Lord Jesus Christ I repaire as one being sick unto the Phisition of life As one uncleane unto the fountaine of mercy As one poore and needy to the Lord of heaven and earth I beseech therfore the aboundance of thy infinit bounty that thou wouldest wouchsafe to cure my infirmity to wash my filth to lighten my blindnesse to enrich my poverty to cloath my nakednesse that I may receive thee the bread of Angels King of Kings Lord of Lords with so great reverence and humility with so great contrition ad dovotion with so great purity and faith with such good purpose and intent as is expediēt for the health of my soule Grant me I beseech thee not only to receive the Sacrement of our Lords body and blood but the thing and vertue therof O God most meeke grant me so to take the body of thy only begotten sonne our Lord Jesus Christ which he tooke of the Virgin Mary that I may deserve to be incorporated into his mysticall body and accompted amongst the members therof O most loving Father grant me for ever with open face to behold thy beloved sonne whom now covered in this way-fare I intend to receive Who together with thee the holy ghost three persons and one only God liveth world without end Amen A preparatory meditation disposing our soules before the holy Communion to approach with due disposition to receive not only the Sacrament but also the grace and great vertue therof Approach yee with faith with feare and with love S. Greg. Dial. li. 2. THese words were antiently pronunced in the Church with a loud voyce by the Deacon to all such as intended to communicate To which holy action for a more fitt disposition foure things are required For like as to a solemne banquet it is necessary first that our hands face and linning be pure well washt and cleane 2. that we come decently and well apparelld 3. that we bring a rigthly prepared stomack and good appetite And 4. we must not sit downe to a feast with a hart charged with anger gall or enuy for that would hinder both the content and benefitt which otherwise we should or might have received therby So in like manner our soule must come pure clean and well washt from the foule stayne of sine and as a neate vessel to receive the grace of this holy Sacrament Math. 5.3 For blessed are the clean of hart c. 2. It must come clad with the nuptiall garment of vertue and good purposes Friend wher fore entredst thou hither without a nuptiall garment Math. 22. 3. with hungar and a true desire to please God and to serve him with fidelity the best we can Matth. 5. For blessed are they who hungar and thirst after justice c. And lastly as the holy Ghost commands we must depose all enmity and ill will against our neighbour and embrace all in love and charity Math. 5.24 Leave thy offering before the Altar and goe first to be reconciled to thy brother c. And as truth convinceth all this to be most just and reasonable so ought we to practise it with due fidelity so that neither blindnesse of passion nor frailty of nature may leade us out of this true path or rightly loving serving and enjoying this our loving Lord and Saviour Grant me thy grace deare Jesu to receive thee in this divine Sacrament with firme faith of thy presence with true purity and contrition of hart with dreadfull feare of thy Majesty which makes all the celestiall spirits with reverentiall feare to tremble and to receive thee with a hart enflamed with divine and ardent love of soe mercifull and bountifull a loving Lord who in this divine Eucharist gives vs thyselfe wholy and intirely body and soule divinity humanity thy graces and merits and therefore I give thee my loving great God wholy and intirely my selfe in perfect oblation my soule and body life and death tyme and Eternity And finally I most humbly crave such necessities as I most need for thy glory and my owne souls heath Of Thankes giving after the holy Communion IT is the practise of most pious persons to make best use of the most precious tyme whilst this divivine gueste remaines with us under the consecrated species vniting there their harts and all the faculties of their soules in doing homage and adoration unto their great Lord and God craving humbly pardon for their sins force to overcome their passions and temptations grace to obtayne the vertues of humility of patience conformity charity perseverance and the like then also making good purposes and firme resolutions to amend our most habituall vices And that day in tankes-giving and for his honour to resolue and practise as occasion shall be offered that vertue which is most opposit to the vice which is in us predominant Or to exercise some worke of mercy with that prious intention This done you may continue your devotion by these flollowing prayers A Prayer after the holy Communion O My divine Recdemer I humbly beseech thy unspeakable mercy that this Sacrament of thy precious body and blood which I most unworthey have received may be to me a purging of offences a fortitude against frailties a fortititude against the perils of the world and obtayning of pardon an establishment of grace a medicin of life a memory of thy passion a nourishment against weakenesse and a happy viaticum of this my pilgrimage Let it guide me going reduce me
wandering receive me returning uphould me stumbling lift me up falling and persevering bring me into glory O God of all goodnesse and Majesty let the most blessed presence of thy most precious body and blood so alter the tast of my hart that besides thee at any tyme it feele no sweetnesse it love no fairenesse it seeke no unlawfull love it desire no consolation it admit no delectation at any tyme it care for no honour it feare no cruetly who livest and reighnest God with thy eternall Father in unity of the holy Ghost world without end Amen An other prayer after the holy Communion THankes be unto thee o Eternall Father that thou didst vouchsafe of thy great pitty to send thy only deare sonne from thy glorious throne into this vale of woe here to take our mortall nature and in the same to suffer sharp paines and a bitter death to bring our soules unto the glory of thy happy kingdome and to leave that precious body here to be our strength and comfort I thanke thee o most loving Lord Jesu with all the powers of my soule for that thou hast thus graciously fed me with thy most precious body by which I hope to have health of soule and eternall life with joy at my depar ture from this vale of teares and misery O holy Ghost come Lord and enflame my hart with the burning beames of thy love and make me with true humble and vertuous gratitude continually to yeald acceptable thankes to the holy and glorious Trinity three persons and one eternall God to whom be all honour glory and thankes-giving from all creatures without end Amen The soule of Christ sanctify me the body of Christ saue me the water of the side of Christ wash me o good Jesu heare me within thy wounds hide me suffer me not to be separated from thee from the malignant enemy defend me and bid me come to thee that with all the celestiall blessed spirits I may praise and glorify thee throughout all Eternity A Conclusion COnvert o Lord all wicked sinners call to true faith all hereticks and schismaticks lighten the infidels who doe not know thee help all that be in great necessity releeve all who have commended themselves unto my prayers have mercy upon all my parents friends and benefactors as also upon all those for whom I am bound to pray Let thy blessing be upon this place with humility peace charity purity and conformity to thy blessed will that we may all amend feare and faithfully serve thee love and please thee Lord be mercifull to all people for whom thou hast shed thy precious blood Grant to the liuing forgivenesse and peace and to the faithfull departed rest and everlasting life Amen Finally the devout soule the more to dilate her selfe in the praises of her mercifull and loving Lord and to render him due humble thankes for so great a benefit may here with a fervent hart inflamed with love and gratitude recite this following canticle wherin all creatures are invited to Laude and praise Almighty God The Canticle of the three children ALl the workes of our Lord blesse yee our Lord Daniel 5. praise and extol him for ever Blesse yee our Lord yee Angels of our Lord ye Heavens blesse our Lord. All waters that are above the Heavens blesse yee our Lord blesse yee our Lord yee powers of our Lord. Sun and moone blesse yee our Lord starrs of Heaven blesse yee our Lord. Shower and dew blesse yee our Lord every spirit of God blesse yee our Lord. Fire and heate blesse yee our Lord cold and summer blesse yee our Lord. Dewes and hoarie frost blesse yee our Lord frost and cold blesse yee our Lord. Ice and snow blesse you our Lord nights and dayes blesse yee our Lord Light and darknesse blesse yee our Lord lightming and clouds blesse yee our Lord. Let the earth blesse our Lord let it praise and extoll him for ever Mountaines and little hills blesse yee our Lord all things that spring in the earth blesse yee our Lord. Blesse our Lord yee fountains seas and rivers blesse yee our Lord. Whales all that move in the waters blesse yee our Lord blesse our Lord all yee foules of the aire All beasts and cattel blesse yee our Lord sonnes of men blesse yee our Lord. Let Israel blesse our Lord let it praise and extoll him forever Priests of our Lord blesse yee our Lord servants of our Lord blesse yee our Lord. Spirits and soules of the just blesse yee our Lord holy and humble of hart blesse yee our Lord. Ananias Azarias Misael blesse yee our Lord praise and extol him for ever Let us blesse the Father and the sonne with the holy Ghost let us praise and extol him for ever Blessed art thou o Lotd in the firmament of Heaven and praised and glorifid and extolled for ever This Canticle of thankes giving with the two following and the Hymne of S. Ambrose and S. Augustin in praise and thankes-giving at his conversion are proper to be used to blesse and praise God for some singular favour and benefitt The Canticle of Zacharie BLessed be our Lord God of Israel be cauese he hath visited and wrought the redemption of his people And hath erected the horne of salvation to us in the house of David his servant As he spake by the mouth of his holy Prophets that are from the beginning Salvation from our Enemies and from the hand of all who hate us To worke mercy with our Fathers and to remember his holy testament The oath which he sware to Abraham our Father thathe would give himself to us That without feare being delivered from the hand of our enemies we may serve him In holinesse and justice before him all our dayes And thou child shalst be called the Prophet of the highest for thou shalt goe before the face of our Lord to prepare his wayes To give knowledge of salvation to his people unto remission of their sins Trough the bouels of the mercy of our God in which the Orient from on high hath visited us To illuminate them that sit in darknesse and in the shadow of death to direct our fect in to the way of peace Glory be to the Fater c. The blessed Virgins Canticle of Magnificat c. MY soule doth magnify our Lord and my spirit hath rejoyced in God my Saviour Because he hath regarded the humility of his handmaid for behould from hence fourth all gererations shall call me blessed Because he that is mighty hath done great things to me and holy is his name And his mercy from generation to generation to them that feare him He hath shewed might in his arme he hath disperced the proud in the conceit of their hart He hath deposed thy mighty from their seat and hath exalted the humble The hungry he hath filled with good things and the rich he hath sent away empty He hath receaved Israel his child being mindfull of his mercy As he spake to
but thine be done Grant sweet Jesus even for thy bitter passion's sake that I may performe what by thy grace I have thus resolved humbly fervently faithfully constantly that my ghostly enemy may never have any just cause to reproach me for my infidelity therein Amen Acts to be made in tyme of affliction or of trouble either in body or minde O Father of mercy and God of all consolation it being now the houre ordayned by thy divine pleasure that I should suffer I blesse and adore thy holy name desiring to persevere in that due fidelity which I owe thee I most humbly submit my selfe to the divine order of thy holy will as well in all griefe and paine as in my consolation and joy I acknowledge and doe freely confesse that the least sin which I have committed against thee deserves farr greater punishment And therfore I most humbly thanke thee O mercifull Lord for thy so lovingly and so very favorably chastising me And notwithstanding all the repugnance nature feeles herein with a most willing hart I accept thy correction and most willingly submit to it in what manner soever it shall please thee to dispose of me and I will alwayes sincerely say with my divine Redeemer thy will be done not myne Grant me the patience O heavenly Father by the sacred merits of thy deare sonne Jesus which shall be necessary for my well suffering and then accomplish in me what shall be to thee most pleasing For to thee I doe intirely abandon my body my soule my goods my life yea all I have into the hands of thy fatherly providence to the end that both for tyme and Eternity thou dispose of me according to thy blessed will and pleasuro Acts of mildenesse and meeknesse THou O my Lord who art the true peace thou lovest to rest in a quiet mild and gentle hart Grant me I beseech thee this thy beloved vertue wherby I may truly banish from my hart all disquiet and impatience therby to enjoy true solid content of mind for the meeke shall delight in abundance of peace Vouchsafe O Lord that I may learne this lesson of thee who commandest me to be milde and humble of hart therby to find true rest unto my soule for as no quarrel can be fixt upon a pleasant countenance and cheerefull minde so also courteous language and gentle hehaviour will conque the greatest enemy the conversation of such a Man is gratfull to every company and yealds both comfort and content to all for nothing is more pleasing then is a sweet milde and peacible humour nor is there any thing more offensive and displeasing then is a froward peevish and impatient nature Acts of Mortification THou knowest right well my God that such is the corrupt inclination of Man that it incits him continually to sin and keeps him as tossed with the contrary waves of unruly passions unlesse by needfull mortification he make vertuous resistance thereunto Grant therfore to me a true mortifi'd spirit wherby to subject the flesh to the spirit my passions to reason and my reason intirely unto thee But oh how farr am I from enjoying this holy vertue who give so great scope to my unruly passions to my disordered affections as also to my proper judgment and will Grant me Lord Jesu that I may shew this vertue unto others much rather by practise then by faire promissing words and that I may put a carefull watch both over my senses affections and passions of hatred chollar feare or love c. and finally to mortify my unruly will and to submitt my judgment in all things to thy divine will and pleasure Acts of the vertue of Patience NO vertue is more necessary then holy Patience we being almost continually in occasions for the practise of it and by the helpe therof we surmount the greatest difficulties wheras an impatient Man refusing sinfully to submit to Gods decrees who is the Author of all our sufferings in as much as they cannot be resisted he is most unreasonnable and by that meanes he begins his Hell even in this present world And as that Man is of all others living the most happy who is of all others the most patient so on the contrary he is most miserable who is most impatient Thy heavenly grace therefore O loving God enable me to practise this so great a vertue and to avoyde the contrary which is so dangerous a vice Vouchsafe O gracious Lord that I may but well reslect upon thy long great patience in suffering my perverse and many sins against thee And secondly conceave how justly I have deserved to suffer farr greater evils without comparison and them too eternally And therefore what afflictions soever shall befall me I resolve by thy holy grace to suffer patiently for thy sake and in hopefull expiation for my sin Acts of Perseverance IT is upon Perseverance my God on which depends the assurance of salvation all former resolutions and good purposes whatsoever without it were but lost labour and in vaine for he only that persevers shall be crowned with victory and will save his soule which is a reward indeed sufficient to encourage us to give the present moment of an uncertaine life for so never-ending a Blisse O happy perseverance which winns such a glorious crowne and without it to small purpose it would be with Judas well to begin the holy practise of vertue unlesse by the help of mortification we shall persever to the end Yea our damnation would be much the greater for our neglect of Gods holy grace Strengthen my soule O my souveraine Redeemer with this happy vertue of perseverance in holy patience and conformity in all adversity as well as in prosperity in sicknesse as in health in poverty as in wealth in contempt and calumny as in prosperity and praise or heighest favours from Men. For our beginning well is the effect of Gods grace but our not persevering is sinfull neglect and deeply deserveth punishment O what cause of horrour and just feare have I to conceive for my so great inconstancy in persevering in so many good purposes and pious resolutions which thy great goodnesse my loving God hath vouchsafed so frequently to inspire me with I falling from luke warme to be key-cold and thence unto totall neglect of what I was bound to doe But thou my mercifull Lord although thy great mercy hath thus long expected me with much patience for my amendment yet further presumption may justly draw upon me thy wrath and my endlesse punishment which he prevent who hath payd with his most precious blood soe deare a ransome to satisfy the justice of his Eternall Father with whom and the holy Ghost three divine persons and one living God be benediction and glory and wisdome and thankes-giving honour and power and strength for ever and ever Amen A Collection of some few holy maximes pronounced by the sacred mouth of Iesus Christ wherby the vertuous soule may see how different they
are from the pernicious maximes of the world which shee ought most carefully to fly BLessed are the poore of spirit for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven Math. 5.8 Marke well how formely opposit to this divine maxime is that of the world which compts them only happy who are every way rich both in wealth and able to make most shew and glory in vaine florishing it But our divine Redeemer begun the publishing of his Ghospel by declaring to his disciples wherein the true Beatitude of this life did consist and therby to disabuse them of the false opinion amongst the people of this world who though they all doe naturally seeke for happinesse yet taking a quite contrary way for it they cannot enjoy it some spending their whole tyme and labour to pourchace vaine worldly honour or deluding pleasures others are as earnest to hurd upp sordid wealth as no lesse pensive afterwards in preserving it All which great follie proceeds from guiding themselves by the false principles of this world and neglecting the counsell of their heavenly Maister Jesus Christ For the world and its concupiscence doth so strongly possesse their harts that they become incapable to give eare to his doctrine which is only to conduct us to Beatitude And therefore it is no wonder if that which Jesus Christ proposeth here for happinesse seeme rather misery to the wordly eyes of Men whose thoughts not going beyond this present life which being but truly misery in it selfe it can no otherwise make us happy but only as it serves to help us to gaine that other of endlesse Blisse Blessed are those who mourne Math. 5. for they shall be comforted This seemes no lesse contrary to the sense of worldlings then the former But to understand how our Beatitude can consist in teares and mourning we must consider that by sin we are banisht people in this world and that all our felicity consists in the hope of our reestablishment and pardon by mourning penance and penitent teares And hence it is that mourning is the ground of our Beatitude Learne yee of me who am milde and humble of hart Matth. 11 and you shall find rest to your soules This mildnesse and humility of hart is esteemed by the vogue of this world to be but dulnesse unmanlinesse and weaknesse of hart They falsly judging that true courage and generosity must shew their Passion for the least offence or disrespect which their selfe esteeme conceives and thereupon engage themselves in great and dangerous quarrels with rest lesse disquiet of mind wheras the contrary is very happily enjoy'd by the meeke and humble of hart Blessed are they who hungar and thirst after justice Math. 5 for they shall be filled that is they who have ardent and earnest desires for the glory of God by accomplishing his Commandements and holy will But according to the maxime of the world we hungar and thirst much rather after our corrupt sensualities which bend all our thoughts and desires much rather to the transgression of his divine law wherby we can never hope to be satiated no more then was the prodigall child with empty huskes the proper food for swine Blessed are the cleane of hart for they shall see God that is Math 5 by a cleare vision in Beatitude But the maximes of the world which tye our harts to creatures by affection make them become defiled and impure and thereby obscure their spirituall sight from behoulding God Blessed are those who suffer persecution for justice for theirs is the kingdome of Heaven Math. 5 But by the maximes of the world quite contrariwise they are accompted to be most miserable and wheras by vertuous patience in suffering such persecution the godly obtayne the reward of eternall felicity the worldlings by seeking unjust revenge with indignation and wrath doe east their soules into the endlesse flames of Hell Give and there shall be given to you Luke 6 ●8 c. for with the same measure that you doe measure it shall be measured to you againe But self-interest being the great maxime of this world its practise is to take and obduratnesse of hart not permitting them to exercise this holy charity in releeving the needy and afflicted pore according to their owne measure they must expect justice without mercy because they shewed no mercy Saith S. James Woe to you that now doe laugh Luke 6.5 because you shall mourne and weepe Blessed 8. Augustin upon due reflexion on this holy maxime did often begg of God here to cutt and burne and not to spare him therby to spare him eternally But the wicked maxime of this world is to passe their dayes in present delight and jolity although in a moment they descend into Hell for ever But J say to you love your enemies doe good to them that hate you Math. 5 43. and pray for them that persecute and abuse you Our divine Redeemer Jesus both by his words and exemple hath recommended to us the practise of this holy maxime his whole life being a continuall exercise of doing good for evill But the wicked maxime of this world now contrariwise for an imaginary honour as they conceive it to revenge a wrong will put all at stake their hody and soule Gods honour and their neighbours damnation by that diabolicall practise of their duels If one strike thee on the right cheeeke turne to him also the other Math. 5.39 What herby we are taught by Christian patience to doe for gayning an enemy the world houlds it great basenesse of mind not to take full reparation by unlawfull revenge To him who will contend with thee in judgment Math. 5 40 and take away thy coates let goe also thy cloake unto him This charitable maxime though given us to avoyde disquiet contention and breach of charity yet worldlings accompt it meere follie and make small scruple to gaine an unlawfull fuite although to the great prejudice of their owne soules and totall temporall unjust ruyne of their poore neighbours livelyhood Why seest thou the mote in thy brothers eye Luke 6 41 but the beame which is in thy owne thou considerest not by this divine maxime we are advertised to looke well to the amendment of our owne faults much rather then to observe those in others But the sinful maxime of the world is to cover and conceale our owne great defects and to discover and publish much lesse in our neighbour But when thou doest an almes deed Math. 6.3 let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth This holy maxime doth teach us to hope by well doing to obtayne a recompence in Heaven but the Spirit of this world by seeking to be pay'd by the vaine glory of Men their merit can be no other but only the due punishment of their sin When thou doest fast Math. 6 16 annoint thy head and wash thy face that thou appeare not to men to fast This holy maxime gives
without prayer be able to bring fourth the fruit of true vertue and piety The necessity of this holy vertue of prayer is such as our divine Redeemer tells us that it behoveth alvayes to pray Luke 18.1 1. Thess 5. and not to be weary Yea without intermission pray saith S. Paul which is not to be understood by continuall vocall prayer for that is impossible but that with a pure intention we alwayes praise God and direct all our actions to his glory whatsoever we doe Finally to pray fruitfully and as it may be most gratefull to God we must consider with whom we treate and who we are that treate with him and greatly to humble our selves thereat with feare Secondly consider that he is our Creator our Redeemer and our judge Now as he is our God adore him as he is infinitly good and bountifull love him as he is just feare him in regard of his benefits blesse and be thankfull to him And lastly as our Father let us recurr to him for all our necessities with much hope and humble confidence in all our wants and necessities Before prayer ●les 18 prepare thy soule and be not as a Man that tempteth God A prayer to the most sacred and Blessed Trinity OEternall Father by all Creatures to be adored I a most wretched sinner doe offer unto thee for my innumerable offences and for the sins of all the world the bitter death and passion of thy divine sonne our mercifull Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ I offer to thee his labours his fastings all his toylsome wearisomnesse his watchings his prayers his teares his humility his patience and his charity I offer to thee his suffered contumelies his paines his stripes and dolorous wounds I offer all the dropps of his most precious blood I offer also here the merits of his ever imaculate and pure Virgin-Mother and of all the holy Saints in Heaven O blessed Jesus my loving Saviour I render thee most humble thankes for thy innumerable benefits bestowed on me though most unworthey For thy miraculous incarnation and chastly pure Byrth for thy holy life and conversation for thy most ignominious death and passion Make me I beseech thee partaker of thy sacred merits and vouchsafe that by the imitation of thy vertues I may be found a living branch in thee who art the true vine of everlasting life O Holy Ghost my comforter I commende to thee my soule and body the beginning and ending of my life grant me grace and true repentance for all my sins wherby and by thy infinit mercy to be purifi'd from them all before I depart from my mortall body To thee O Lord I wholy commit my soule and body my life and death my tyme and my Eternity defend and keepe me thy unworthey servant from all evill illuminate my understanding guide my will strengthen my spirit against pusillanimity and keepe in me an humble hart that it fall not into pride or presumption give me true faith firme hope with sincere and perfect charity that I may wholy delight in thee that with my whole hart and soule I may love thee and every way fulfill thy most blessed will and pleasure O holy and blessed Trinity God omnipotent to thee I most humbly commende all my affaires both Spirituall and corporall I commend unto thee my benefactors my kindred friends and enemies and all for whome I ought to pray or who have desired me to pray for them I commend unto thee the whole Catholick Church renewe in it I beseech thee purity of life Nourish and keepe amongst the true members therof mutuall charity that with their whole harts and soules they may love thee Such as doe erre call backe to the way of truth extinguish all heresics confort and releeve all troubled minds and consciences as also such as are oppressed either with internall temptations or corporall calamities Amen A devout forme of thankes giving with an humble craving of all requisite vertues BE mercifull unto me O God according to they great mercy and according to the multitude of thy mercies blot out all my offences I a most wretched sinner doe hartely desire in all humility to adove and worship thee to render unto thee immortall praise and tankes-giving for all thy blessings especially for that unspeakable charity wherin thou didst send downe thy only begotten sonne into this vale of teares for the worke of our redemption O mercifull Father I the least of all thy servants doe magnify and praise thy ever glorious name for his holy Incarnation and Nativity for his pouerty and familiar conversation for his heavenly doctrine and miracles for his death and Passion for his Resurrection and Ascention I yeald unto thee all possible thanks for that divine mystery of his precious body and blood in the venetable Sacrament of the Eucharist wherewith we are spiritually and strongly nourished we are cleansed and sanctifi'd and our soules made partakers of all heavenly grace and benedictions I give thee harty thanks that me a handfull of dust of no value thou hast vouchsafed first to wash with the laver of baptisine to remission of my original sin and after convenient tyme thou brought me by the light of thy holy grace to the profession of the only true saving faith I humbly thanke thee that from my cradle thou hast nourisht cloathed and cherished me supplying all things necessary for the reliefe and maintenance of this my present life I evermore extoll and magnify thy holy name that in great mercy thou hast hitherto spared me albeit from my youth I have wantonly ryoted in manifould excesses thou patiently expecting till by thy grace I might be awaked from the sleepe of sin and reclaimed from my vanities and wicked life For hadst thou dealt with me according to my demerits my soule long ere this oppressed with innumerable sins had been plunged into the bottomelesse gulfe of Hell In respect of all which thy mercies graces and blessings I desire that my hart may be enlarged to render thee a more ample tribute of praise and thankes-giving then hitherto I have done And now for those things wherof I stand in need and most desire to obtayne at thy hands First O my God never leave me I beseech thee unto my selfe but let the bit of thy chast feare be ever in my jawes to curbe and keepe me within the compase of thy obedience that I may dread nothing so much as in the least sort to offend and displease thee for which cause let thy holy love so temper all tryals and temptations which happen unto me that I may profit by them Thou my Creator knowest how fraile I am and that my strength of my felfe is nothing Moreouer O heavenly Father even for the venerable and profound humility of thine only sonne Jesus I beseech thee that thou wouldst keepe farr from thy servant all pride and hautinesse of mind all selfe-love and vaine glory all obstinacy and disobedience all craft and hurtfull
which I was created and be therby united with thee here by grace and by glory in Eternity Amen A prayer before the B. Sacrament or before Communion I Adore thee O true bread of Angels the God of life the eternal Fathers spendor and Heavens beauty Behould one here present before thee full both of feare and confidence I approach by thy command in true simplicity of hart and firme beleefe truly confessing that thou art both God and Man here present in this most holy sacrament to which I approach O lord as an infirme to the phisition of life as one defiled to the fountaine of mercy as one blind unto eternal light and as in great want and needs to the Monarch of heaven and earth O my hope my only health my glory and all my content vouchsafe to rejoyce the hart of thy poore servant which burnes with desire to receive thee into my poore and unworthey habitation yet please to blisse it as thou didst that of little Zachee Alas my Lord it is most unworthy as being so very uncleane yet thou comming for the salvation of sinners into this world disdaynedst not to be borne in a stable amongst brute beasts vouch safe now likewise I beseech thee and for my salvation sake dispise not the uncleane manger of my soule full of brutall and vnbridled passions returne once more to foule leapers and converse againe with Publicans as thou didst in this world or rather O my omnipotent God descend once more into Hell for so alas I ought to call my darke my miserable and tormented soule But seeing that such is thy mercy as whersoever thou vouchsafest to enter thou never failest there to leave markes of thy grace and much benediction I confide my loving Lord that thou wilst doe the like to me Enter therfore vnder this my poore roofe and render it worthy of thy presence purge it of all impurities discipate the obscurity of its darkenesse replenish it with thy divine light and adorne it with the guifts of the holy Ghost Thou knowst well deare Lord my want as one poore and naked before thee much press'd with great hungar and misery but thou being the bread of life comfort my sighing sobbs dismisse me not fasting from thy delicious table least I faint in this my pilgrimage but rather graunt that fortifi'd by thee I may with holy Elias arrive to the mountaine of eternal felicity I most humbly beseech thee my mercifull and clement God and by this thy incomparable charity wherof thou givest so great a testimony by thy loving institution of this most blessed Sacrament I beseech thee to grant me grace to receive it with true contrition and sorrow for all my sins with feare and due reverence with devotion and faith fervour love and convenient purity to so sublime a mystery and grant also I beseech thee that I may receive not only the Sacrament of this thy precious body but therewithal the grace and vertue of the Sacrament for the supporting my weakenesse for the healing my infirmities for the confirming my hope for the suppressing my passions for the fortifying my faith for the inflaming my love to enlighten my understanding to be my companie in banishment and spirituall nourishment to my soule and finally to the end that by the help of this celestiall food of my soule I may be united transformed and made all one in will and desire with thee who livest and raignest with the Father and the Holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen A prayer to obtayne a fervent love towards God our neighbour and our enemies O Mercifull and divine Redeemer Jesus who hast washt us with thy precious blood and given thy selfe to death for us thou hast been reputed with the wicked and most cruelly wounded for our iniquities breused and abused for our offences and by thy stripes hast made us whole I beseech thee O Lord for this thy ineffable mercy and charity to powre into my hart the unquenchable heate of thy heavenly grace so that the fire of thy charity may perpetually burne and worke within me and that there may alwayes grow in me such a continuall chast and nover failing affection of pitty benevolence and piety as extendeth it self to all creatures through the love and contemplation of thee Fill O Lord I beseech thee my soule my senses and desires with fervent and perpetuall charity that in all things and above all I may most hartely love thee and that according to thy good will and pleasure I may love my neighbour in thee and for thee Grant me grace I humbly beseech thee that with all my hart I may to thy glory love search and advance the salvation profit and commodity of every one Grant me O Lord to love mine enemies with sincerity both in word and truth take from me all bitternesse of mind wrath anger disdayne envie and whatsoever is against or contrary to pure and sincere charity so that in all sincere simplicity of hart I may have a good opinion of all may judge no Man rashly but love every one in thee with holy and harty affection and that I may shew them both in words and workes all sweetnesse all clemency and true love A prayer that we may receive the B. Sacrament before our death O Almighty and most merciful Lord I praise and give thee most humble thankes for having so graciously made me severall tymes partaker of that divinly great mistery of thy holy Sacrament and therby to be fortifi'd and greatly comforted with thy blessed presence O heavenly Father let every tongue blesse thee let every creature laud thee for this souveraine guift of thy divine bounty for which with them I also offer and present to thee my God all the praises of the Angels and of all the Elect which alreadie doe or ever shall enjoy thee in Eternity And I beseech the Ordeare Jesu the gracious Redeemer of my soule that at the houre of my death thou wilst vouchsafe to visit me with this thy gracious presence in this most blessed Sacrament and by thy grance prepare my soule I beseech thee by a faithfull and contrite confession wherby to make it a pleasing habitation for thee true God and Man my loving Saviour Forgive my former many trespasses by the sacred merits of thy bitter death and passion and that I may end this my mortall life in the finall perseverance of thy grace O God omnipotent have mercy on me for the love of thy deare sonne Jesus the life of all that shall be saved O Jesu equal God with the Father and the holy Ghost conserve and keepe me in thy grace suffer me not to be drawne from thee through any subtile persuasion of my ghostly enemy O Holy Ghost proceeding from the Father and the Sonne the comforter of the elect and inspirer of all good guifts replenish my hart with all charitable desires and heavenly inspirations necessary for my salvation Grant this O holy Trinity for the bitter
passion of our divine Redeemer Jesus and by the merits and intercession of the glorious Virgin Mary and of all the blessed Saints and Angels Amen A prayer to demand heavenly vertues and good life GRant vnto me O mercifull God ardently to desire such things as are pleasing unto thee prudently to accomplish them to the praise and glory of thy namne Grant me O Lord my God that I ta●le not betwixt prosperity and adversity that in the former I be not too much puffed up nor in the latter too much dejected that I may joy or sorrow at nothing but at what leadeth unto thee or draweth away from thee that I covet to please none nor feare to displease any but only thee Let all transitory things O Lord become vile unto me and let all that is pleasing to thee be for thy sake most deare into me Let that joy be but teadious to me which is without thee and let me desire nothing out of thee Let that labour delight me O Lord which is for thee and let all ease be unpleasing to me which is without thee Make me O Lord obedient without contradiction poore without murmuring chast without corruption patient without repining humble without basenesse merry without dissolution sad without dejection quick without levity fearefull without despaire true without presumption to correct with discretion to edify without dissimulation Grant me O Lord my God an understanding knowing thee a diligence seeking thee a wisdome that may finde thee out a conversation pleasing to thee a perseverance faithfully expecting thee and a confidence finally embracing thee to be pearced with thy paines through penance to make use of thy benefits to thy glory and my owne souls good and at length by thy grace to enjoy thy glory there to praise and magnify thee for ever and ever Amen A prayer of praise of thankesgiving and of magnifying God ALmighty and most mercifull Father unto thee all the heavenly company of the celestial citty doe incessanty with due reverence sing continually glory and everlasting praise Thee O Lord al Saints and holy soules doe laud and magnify with condigne honour and as to whom all praise and glory is most due nor is there any creature that can sufficiently according to thy worthlinesse give sufficient praise to thee For thou art that unspeakable incomprehensible and everlasting goodnesse Thou O Lord hast made me and by the merits of the bitter passion of thy most blessed sonne which he vouchsafed to suffer for mans salvation restored me to grace and favour To thee only is due all laud and honour O souveraine Lord I miserable wretch a creature of thy making a silly worme of the earth have a good will to praise and magnify thee with all my hart and soule but without thy speciall grace I am but faint and wonderfull weak Wherfore I come to thee my God my life my strength my hope and only comfort to crave thy mercy and grace to give me power to praise and honour thee and that all I doe may be pleasing and acceptable unto thee Grant me the light of thy grace that my mouth may speake and my hart studie thy glory and my tongue may only be employd in the song of land and praise to thee But because all praise in a sinners mouth is base and vile and that I manifouldly have offended with my lips thou therfore cleanse ô divine Jesu my hart from the foule silth of sin sanctify me most powerfull Lord and Saviour and make me worthy to magnify thee Let thy divine sweetnesse wholy possesse my mind and feed my soule with the delight of relestiall cogitations Separate it O Lord from the love of all visible things and incline it to the studie and meditation of invisible O Almighty God inspire thou my hart that I may continually give thankes and honour unto thee Grant me grace that in this pilgrimage and vale of misery I may so praise thee that through thy grace and mercy I may be associated to their blessed Fellowship who see thee everlastingly and singe praises to thee world without end Amen A prayer of thankes-giving and of craving divine favour O Most mercifull Lord Jesus in remembrance of thy blessed Jncarnation death passion wounds sorrowes griefes teares and drops of thy most precious blood and in remembrance of thy infinit love to Man and in the union of that oblation and holy sacrifice by which thou didst offer thy selfe on the Altar of the Crosse I doe offer my selfe to thy praise and glory humbly beseeching thee to give to the living grace to the deceased mercy and rest and to us all the true spirit of repentance and life everlasting And I commend unto thee O Lord my souleand body most humbly beseeching thee to have mercy on me and upon all those for whom either by nature friendship or by gratitude I am bound to pray and in particular for N. N. c. I most humbly render to thee due thankes O my Lord God and mercifull Father for that thou didst vouchsafe to send thy only deare soune Jesus into this world to dye for Man the reproachfull death of the Crosse to the end that he might offer himselfe to thee a most pure holy and acceptable sacrifice of our sins and purge therby our conscience fro all its foule staynes of impiety By this thy excessive and infinit love and by those most cruell torments of thy owne sonne our Saviour we most humbly beseech thee to preserve in us continually those divine fruits of our Redemption and make us also daily to die with him to the world and to be crucifid to the lusts and desires of the flesh and to live to thee only all our life so that finally we may raigne with him eternally where thou with the Holy Gost livest one true and eternal God for ever and ever Amen A prayer to all the Saints ALI haile yee holy and most glorious Saints of God who now have past the dangerous sea of this mortality and have attaind to the secure haven of everlasting rest and security and deserved to be made now fellowes and partakers of the heavenly joyes being now without care for your selves be yee carefull for us Whouchsafe to be our advocats and governours Pray unto God for us that by your intercession and merits we may in this life obtayne grace and at the houre of death our soules departing in the happy state of grace may arrive at the safe port of eternall glory where you with the glorious Trinity doe raigne world without end Amen A prayer to all the Angels Al haile yee blessed Angelical spirits who with celestial melody doe praise and glorify our omnipotent Lord and in his glorious presence doe continually rejoyce have compassion on me a poore wretch And tho especially O holy Angel the keeper and guardien of my soule and body unto whom by Gods special commandement I am committed I beseech thee to discharge that office towards me with
faithful diligence and to keep defend and protect me this day from all evil visible and invisible Amen A Prayer in sicknesse LEt my request enter into thy fight O Lord and let thy hand stretch forth to make me whole Behould I am the Man that comming downe from Jerico was forely wounded by theeves and left halfe dead Doe thou assist me O merciful Samaritan I have grievously sinned in thy sight and so full is my soule of those deadly wounds as hadst thou not died for me my soule would have dwelt in Hell I am sweet Jesus a part of that deare purchace for me tho didst shed thy precious blood cast me not away I am the sheep that went astray seeke me O good shiphard and put me in thy flock that thou maist be justified in thy word for thou didst make me a promise that at what houre soever a sinner should repent him of his sins and turne to thee he should he pardoned I repent O Lord and bewaile my sins I acknowledge my iniquities I am not worthy to be cal'd thy sonne for I have sinned against Heaven and before thee But turne away O Lord thy face from my offences blot out my iniquities according to thy great mercy cast me not away from thy sight deale not with me according to my sins nor reward me after the desert of my iniquities but help me O Lord my God and Saviour and for the glory of thy name deliver me that I may prayse thee for ever more with all thy glorious elect in thy celestial kingdome of Beatitude for all Eternit A Prayer to obtayne a blessed ending O Blessed Jesu wel-spring of pitty and fountaine of endlesse mercy I humbly beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this my transitory life in vertuous and godly exercises that when the day of my death shall come though I feele paine in my body yet I may finde comfort in my soule and with faithful hope of thy mercy in due love towards thee and charity towards all others I may through thy grace depart hence out of this vaile of misery and hasten me to that glorious country wherin thou hast bought us an inheritance for ever with thy most precious blood there to praise and glorify thee with the Father and the holy Ghost three persons and one living God world without end Amen A Prayer when we begin our actions PRevent we beseech thee O Lord our actions by thy spirit assisting us and in helping forward prosecute them that all our prayers and workes may begin alwayes from thee and begun by thee may be ended through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen An Evening Prayer ALmighty and everlasting God I yeald thee most harty thankes for that thou hast vouchafed of thy great mercy and goodnes to preserve me this day from all evil and I doe also beseech thee for thy bitter death and passion most mercifully to forgive me wretched sinner all my offences that this day I have committed by thought word and deed and hereafter to preserve and keepe me from all danger both of body and soule to the end I may rise againe in health to praise thy glorious name and joyfully to serve thee in thankes giving with a chast body and a cleane hart and so for ever after behave my selfe according to thy blessed will by casting away the workes of darknesse and putting on the armour of light which Men behoulding may be provoked to glorify thee my heavenly Father who with thy only begotten sonne our only Saviour and the Holy Ghost livest and raygnest one true and everlasting God A Prayer for the sicke O Almighty and everlasting God the eternal health of them that beleeve in thee heare us for thy sicke servant for whom we humbly crave the help of thy mercy that health being restored unto him he may yeald thankes giving to thee in thy Church through our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Prayers to obtayne the grace of the Holy Ghost O God to whom each hart is open and each will doth speake and from whom no fecret lyeth hid purify by the inspiration of the holy Ghost the agitations of our hart that we may deserve perfectly to love thee and worthily to praise thee through our Lord true God Amen To obtayne the same grace for our friends O God who hast powred the guifs of charity by the grace of the holy Ghost into the harts of thy faithfull grant unto thy servants for whom we crave thy clemency health of minde and body that they may love thee with all their strength and accomplish with all love what things are pleasing unto thee through Christ our Lord. Amen To obtayne the same grace for our enemies O God the lover and keeper of peace and charity give unto all our enemies peace and true charity and grant uto them remission of all their sins and powerfully deliver us from all their deceipts through Christ Jesus our Lord. Amen A Prayer to repel wicked thoughts O Almighty and mild God mercifully regard our Prayers and deliver our harts from the temptations of evil thoughts that we may deserve to be made a worthy dwelling for the holy Ghost through the same Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer to require charity O God who maketh all things to profit them that love thee grant unto our harts an inviolable desire of thy charity that the desires conceived by thy inspirations may by no temptation be altered through the same Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer to begg Patience O God who hast broken the pride of the old enemy by the patience of thy only begotten Sonne grant unto us we beseech thee worthely to call to mind what he so meekely suffered for us and by his example quietly to endure the adverse changes falling upon us through Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer to require the suffrages of Saints WE beseech the O Lord defend us from all perils of body and mind and the glorious Virgin Mary mother of God praying for us togeather with the blessed Apostles S. Peter and S. Paul blessed S. Joseph Saint c. and all the glorious Saints and Angels thou being benigne grant unto us salvation and peace that adversities and all errours being destroyd thy Church may serve thee in secure liberty through Christ our Lord. Amen A Prayer to require continency KIndle with the fire of the holy Ghost our raines and our harts O Lord that with chast bodies we may serve thee and with pure harts please thee through our Lord and only Saviour Jesus Amen A Prayer in tyme of warre O God who dissolveth warres and by the power of thy protection dost vanquish the impugners of them that trust in thee help thy servants earnestly craving thy mercy that the cruelty of all their enemies being depressed we may praise thee with incessant thankes-giving through our Lord Jesus Amen A Prayer for peace O God from whom are all holy desires rightfull counselles and just workes give unto thy servants that peace
in as much onely as they advance me towards this end or divert me from it The Conclusion LEt us conclude this meditation with this truth that if we will dye the death of the just we must live their life also since the true meanes to obtayne a good death is to lead a good life And as there is nothing more precious nothing more to be desired then a good death so there is nothing more miserable nothing more to be dreaded then an ill one In a businesse of so high importance the most secure way is to live every day as though we were to dye before it expire alwayes keeping our affections so disengag'd from earthly things as if we were really at the point of death where all that is not God will appeare but smoake and vapour A most profitable Exercise to prepare our selves for death Vpon the moment of death depends Eternity THe day we make this Exercise as soone as we awake we are to enter into the thoughts of death and consider it as the last of our life Preparation WE are to imagine our selves sicke in our bed even to extremity and that our good Angel comes by Gods command to declare to us the irrevocable sentence of our death saying as Isay said to Exechias put thy affaires in order for thou shalst dye Prostrate at the foote of the Crucifix or before the B. Sacrament let us implore from the bottome of our hart grace and light from the holy Ghost the assistance of the B. Virgin of the saintes our Patrons and our good Angel and then make the following acts An act of Resignation 1. MY hart is ready O God my hart is ready not my will but thyne be done in me upon me and by me now and in all Eternity O God eternall immense and infinite who art abundantly sufficient to thy selfe and hast no need of thy creatures what matter is it whither I live or dye so as I accomplish thy holy will in which onely my true life consists Let not then my will bo done but thyne O my God Confession of our ovvne nothing 2. TO the end to acknowledg the dependance I have upon thee my soveraine Creator and openly to confesse before Heaven and Earth that thou art onely he who is and that I am that vile Creature who is not I embrace with all humble submission the destruction of this corruptible being and am content that by death it returne to the nothing from whence thou hast taken it Restitution of our beeing to God 3. O My Soveraine Creator I desire to restore thee the beeing which thou hast given me and to this effect I accept death in such manner as may most please and glorify thee Dispose then of thy Creature and destroy this body of sin in punishment of the offences it has committed against thy divine Majesty Let this carth returne to earth but let my Spirit which is created after thy image and likenesse returne to thee Acknowledgement of the Soveraine dominion of God 4. O My God although I must dye by necessity yet I desire by submission to render my death voluntary and am glad that in punishment of the ill use I have made of the free will thou hast given me it shall put me into a state wherin I shall be no more able to resist that Soveraine Dominion which thou as lawfull Lord of all creatures hast over me Acceptation of death in punishment of our sins 5. SInce death O my God is the punishment thou hast ordayned for sin with an humble hart and entire submission to thy most just decree and à Spirit of penance I accept it togeather with all the paines humiltations and privations which accompany it in satisfaction for all those offences which I have committed against thy awfull Majesty Oblation of our life to God 6 REceive Omy Saviour the oblation I make of my body and life which I offer and immolate to thy divine Majesty as a sacrifice and burnt offering unite it to that which thou hast offerd upon the Crosse for me and consume it with the fire of thy divine love Desire to render to Iesus death for death 7. O My divine Jesus since that the love of me has caus'd thee to dye upon the Crosse for my salvation is it not reasonable that for the love of thee I should accept death with a good hart to the end to recompence as farre as I am able that which thou hast suffered for me O why have I not a thousand lives that to this end I might lay them downe all and thereby testify that thou art my God Spirituall Confession Humbling our selves profoundly at the feete of Jesus Christ as if he were present in his holy Humanity we ought to accuse our selves to him of all our sins taking a short review of them but especially of those which are most notable in consequence wherof we may excite our soule to a lively and loving repentance for them An act of Contrition O My God prostrate before thy Soveraine Majesty I most humbly crave pardon as well for all my contempts and abuses of thy holy graces as for the sins I have committed since the very day of my birth in thought word and deed I retract and disavow them yea from the bottom of my hart I renounce them and wish I had never committed them not in regard of the paines which they merit but because I have offended thy infinit goodnesse which deserves to be infinitly lou'd and serv'd by all Creatures O that my hart were capable of an infinit griefe wherwith to expiate them But to supply what is wanting in me O my God accept that which my Saviour has sufferd in the garden of Olives and upon the Crosse for the sins of the whole world and particularly for me Accept also to this end the griefe and contrition of all the saintes cleanse me from my secret sins and pardon me those which I have committed in others O my Lord despise not an humble and contrite hart which expects pardon of thy mercy alone Thou hast said that whensoever a sinner shall truly grieve for his sins thou wilt no more remember his iniquities And if be thy pleasure to prolonge my life I make a sinne purpose by thy grace to amende my faults especially such and such and will endeavour to satisfy for what is past Having made this act we may receive the absolution which Jesus Christ the Soveraine Priest gives us by applying to our selves his divine merits after which let us contemplate him saying to us as he did to S. Mary Magdalen thy sins are forgiven thee goe in peace Say the Psalme Miserere mei Deus c. in the Spirit of true penance Aspirations to the three divine Persons O Eternal Father since thou hast so lou'd the world as to give us thyne only Sonne ought not I to hope for salvation from thy mercy Thou hast not given him to condemne us but to save us and
thy servant as thou hast delivered holy Job from his sufferings Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered Isaac from being immolated by the hand of his Father Abraham Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered Lot from Sodome and from the flames which burnt it Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast deliveeed Moyses from the hand of Pharao king of Egipt Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered Daniel from the denne of Lyons Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered the three children from the fiery furnace and from the hand of the wicked king Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered Susanna from the false accusations of the Elders Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered David from the hands of king Saul and Golias Amen O Lord deliver the soule of thy servant as thou hast delivered S. Peter and S. Paul out of prison Amen And as thou hast delivered the most holy Virgin and Martyr S. Tecle from three cruell torments so vouchsafe to deliver the soule of this thy servant and make him rejoyce with thee in the eternall possession of heavenly riches Amen Commendamus tibi WE commend to thee o Lord the soule of thy servant N. and beseech thee O Lord Jesus Christ Saviour of the world that as thou hast vouchsafed most mercifully to descend from heaven for it so thou wilt not refuse to place it in the bosome of the Patriarches Acknowledge O Lord thy creature who was not created by any strange Gods but by thee the only true and living God For as there is no God like thee so there are no workes like thyne O Lorde make his soule rejoyce in thy presence and remember not his old sinnes and excesses which the heate or fury of his inordenate desires have caused him to committ for although he hath transgressed yet he hath not denyed the Father sonne and holy ghost but beleeud and reteynd a zeale for thy glory and faithfully adord thee the God and Creator of all things Delicta iuventutis REmember not O Lord we beseech thee the offences of his youth and his ignorances but according to thy great mercy be mindfull of him in the brightnesse of thy glory open heaven to him and lett the Angels rejoyce at his entrance O Lord receive thy servant into thy kingdome Let S. Michael the Archangel who has merited to be prince of the heavenly host receive him let the Angels of God come fourth to meete him and conduct him to the holy citty of the heavenly Hicrusalem let the B. Apostle S. Peter to whom thou hast committed the keyes of the kingdome of Heaven admitt him let S. Paul the Apostle who was found worthy to be a vessel of election assist him let S. John the shaft and beloved Apostle of God to whom the secret of Heaven were reveald intercede for him let all the Apostles to whom God has givē a power of binding and loosing pray for him let all Gods Saints and elect who have suffered torments in this world for the name of Christ intercede for him to the end that being freed from the bonds of the flesh he may arrive at the glory of the heavenly kingdome by the merits of the same Jesus Christ our Lord who with the Father and the Holy ghost lives and raynes for ever and ever Amen If the soule continue in her agony the psalme 117 Confitemini here for sett downe may be reheared and also the 188. Psalme beati immaculati which is omitted here because of its length The soule going out of the body the subvenite is to be recited SUccour speedily O Saintes of God hasten yee Angels of our Lord receive this soule and offer it up in the sight of the most high Jesus Christ who has cal'd thee receive thee and let the Angels carry thee into Abraham bosome eternall rest give her O Lord and let perpetuall light shine upon her Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Our Father c. From the gate of Hell O Lord deliver this soule Let her rest in peace Amen O Lord heare my prayer And let my cry come to thee We commend to thee O Lord the soule of thy servant N. that being dead to the world he may live to thee and those sins which through frailty of humaine conversation he has committed lett them be pardned by thy infinit goodnesse and mercy and by the merits of our Lord Jesus Christ Amen Confitemini Psalme 117. PRaise our Lord for he is good for his mercy endures for ever Let Israel now say that he is good for his mercy endures for ever Let the house of Aaron now say that his mercy endures for ever Let those who feare our Lotd now say that his mercy endures for ever In my tribulation I called upon our Lord and our Lord heard me at large Our Lord is my helper I will not feare what Man can doe to me Our Lord is my Protector therfore will I despise my enemies It is better to trust in our Lord then to trust in Men. It is better to hope in our Lord then to hope in Princes All nations compased me about but in the name of our Lord I have taken vengance upon them They have girt and environd me round but in the name of our Lord I have taken vengance upon them They have surrounded me like Bees but in the name of our Lord I have taken vengance upon them They pusht and thrust me so as I staggerd and had almost falen but our Lord sustaynd me our Lord is my force and my prayer and he is become my salvation The voyce of joy and health in the tabernacles of the just The right hand of our Lord has wrought mighty things the right hand of our Lord hath exalted me the right hand of our Lord has shewd strength I will not dye but live and declare the workes of our Lord. Our Lord by correction hath chastised me but he has not given me over to death Open me the gates of righteousnesse that entring into them I may blesse our Lord this is the gate of our Lord the just shall enter into it I will praise thee because thou hast heard me and art become my salvation The stone which the builders rejected the same is become the head of the corner This our Lord hath done and it is admirable in our eyes This is the day which our Lord has made let us rejoyce and be glad in it O Lord save me O Lord prosper me blessed is he who comes in the name of our Lord. We have wisht you happinesse who are of the house of our Lord God is our Lord he has shind upon us Ordayne a festivall day in triumph let it extend even to the hornes of
Lord Lambe of God who taketh away the sins of the world Have c. Christ heare us Christ graciously heare us Lord have mercy upon us Christ have mercy upon us Lord have mercy upon us Our Father which art in Heaven c. Let us pray O God of unspekable mercy who hath vouchsafed for our sakes to me made not only Man but the sonne of Man and wouldst have a woman to be thy Mother on Earth who from all Eternity hadst God to be thy Father in Heaven Grant we may celebrate her memory most devoutly venerate her Maternity most syncerly and be most humbly subject to her most excellent dignity who hath conceived Thee of the Holy Ghost hath brought Thee fourth of her wombe remaying a pure Virgin and to whom thou hast most humbly pleased to be subject heare on Earth who art the only begotten sonne of God our Lord Jesus Christ who with the Father and the Holy Ghost liveth and rayneth world whithout end Amen DEfend we beseech Thee o Lord by the intercession of the ever Virgin Mary this thy family from all adversity and prostate before Thee with all our hartes protect us favorably from the snare of our enemies Through our Lord Jesus Christ thy only sonne who liveth with Thee in the vnity of the Holy Ghost for ever and ever Amen Finis Soli Deo Honor Gloria 10. May 1669. COurteous Reader bookes of this nature not being easily permitted to be printed at home no diligence of the corrector can avoyde the many faults which the Printer not understanding our langage must needs be very subject to committ His ignorance deserves your pardon and my paynes your prayers which I doe hartely crave Submitting intirely all the rest to the correction of the holy Cotholik Church Hopeing that if this little Manuel be used wiht the like intention whrewith it was composed the fruit will be not unanswerable to his desire who is a harty and true well wisher of the greatest happinesse to your dearest soule THE DOCTORS APPROBATION I Vnder vvitten Doctor of Divinity in the Vniversity of Paris have read ouer a little booke intitled a MANNVEL OF THE POORE MANS DEVOTION c. composed by VV.C. In vvhich I finde nothing contrary to the Catholike Apostolike and Roman faith or good manners but rather much that inciteth Christians to the true practise of solide piety and Devotion In vvittnesse vvheroff I have hereunto sett my hand this 2. day of Feb. 1669. F. GAGE Libellum Anglo idiomate scriptum à viro piissimo pariter ac Nobilissimo D. VV. C. sacerdote Anglo compositum optimis Instructionibus Meditationibus Orationibus plenum magna cum delectatione per legi in quo nihil nisi valde orthodoxum Christianae vitae ac Religiouis profectum quaerentibus maximè vero Neophytis vtilissunum deprehendi sapit porro authoris sui pietatem maximam ac vi●ae integritatem quippe qui genetis splendorem quo maximè inter Anglos fulget virtutum suarum splendore excellere videatur Quamobrem bono Catholicorum Anglicanae di●ionis consulens hunc prelo dignissimum censeo ut ibi aliquos reperiat imitatores qui omnes vbique reperiet approbatores Datum Parisiis die 10. Decembris an restaurarae salutis 1669. I. MOLLONY sacrae Theologiae Facultatis Parisiensis Doctor A TABLE Of the chief contents in this Manuel A morning Exercice of holy prayer Page 3. The Angelus Domini for morning Noone and Evening pag. 14. Advertisments much conducing to Christian perfection pag. 15. An eveing Exercise for prayer before bedd pag. 17. King David his 7. Penitentiall Psalmes With the Litaniy of the Saints pag. 27. The true end of Man pag. 49. Of gratitude due to Iesus Christ p. 51. Our maine affaire is to save our soules pag. 53. Of Gods divine presence pag. 54. We ougth to distrust our selves p. 55. Against detraction and calumny p. 57. Of flying the oecasion of sin pag. 59. The small number of the Elect. p. 61. Of suffering persecution for justice sake pag. 63. Mans life subjct to innumerable miseries pag. 65. Reflection upon the word of Eternity pag. 68. The signification of Priestly Ornaments And of the other Ceremonies and divine Mysteries of the Masse pag. 71. A devout Exercise for hearing Masse with true profitt and piety p. 103. Spirituall advises of S. Theresa conducing to live happily with God and Man pag. 131. Pious Reflections for embracing vertue and flying vice which may be used as the subject of so many profitable Meditations pag. 136. Of the Sacrament of Confession p. 175. A table of sins helping the memory for a generall Confession pag. 180. An Act of Contrition pag. 196. A prayer before Confession pag. 197. A prayer exciting compunction for our sins pag. 20● An Examen of Conscience for such as often frequent the Sacrament of Penance pag. 209. A devout prayer after Confession pag. 214. Of the Holy Communion pag. 221. Prayers before the Holy Communion pag. 230. A preparatory meditation hofore the holy Communion pag. 238. Prayers after the holy Cōmunion pag. 238. The Canticle of the 3. Children pag. 243. The Canticle of Zachary pag. 243. The B. Virgins Canticle of Magnificat pag. 247. The Himne of S. Ambrose and S. Augustin in thankes giving to God at his conversion pag. 248. The Psalme 148. wherein all creatures are invited to praise God pag. 251. A Meditation of thankes giving after Communion pag. 253. An Exercise for practising acts of the most necessary vertues pag. 256. Holy maxims pronounced by Iesus Christ much different from the maxims of the world pag. 293. Devout prayers to be said at convenient oportunity as each shall best make choyce p. 298. Of Aspirations and jaculatory prayers pag. 346. Of Meditation pag. 358. Matter of Meditation for each day in the weeke pag. 363. An Exercise preparatory to death With the recommendation of the soule in English pag. 379. An abridgment of the afore-said exercice which may bee used every day pag. 441. An appendix containing a touch stone of true and false prayer pag. 444. The Litany of our Saviour Iesus pag. 451. The Litany of our B. Lady p. 465. The faults escaped in printing the courteous Reader vvill easily both correct and pardon