The Exaltation of the Soul, Prayer 48 – Prayer 64
A penitential Prayer for the Morning, with particular Confession of sins, desiring God earnestly to free him from the guilt and punishment that is due unto him for his many and great sins, and to give him grace to lead a new life.
O Eternal God, most gracious and merciful Father, look not upon me as I am in my self, but look upon me in the face of Jesus Christ, in him and through him, be merciful unto me, according to thy Word, for I have done amiss, and dealt wickedly; I have sinned against Heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to be called thy Son, or numbred amongst the meanest of thy servants, yet my sins are but the sins of a mortal man, but thy mercy is the mercy of an Infinite God, therefore have mercy on my sinful soul, pardon and forgive me all my known and secret sins, which in thought, word and deed I have done and committed against thy Divine Majesty; for it repenteth me of my evil deeds, therefore, O Lord, have mercy upon me, pardon and forgive the sins of my youth and age, which are many and great, namely the wicked sins of my pride, anger, dissimulation, lying, lust, unjust dealing,Here thou mayest confess thy particular sins. too much love of the world, and the vanity thereof, too little love of thee and thy Kingdom, but empty and void of all spiritual grace; be merciful unto me, O Lord, for these are the sins wherewith I have grieved thy Holy Spirit: O Lord, the remembrance of them is grievous unto me, and the burthen of them is intollerable, too heavy for me to bear; therefore O Lord God be merciful to me according to thy tender compassion bury them all in the burial of Christ, set the weight of thy mercy upon them, so that they may never rise up in this world to shame me, nor in the world to come to condemn me. O Lord, give me an assurance of the free pardon and forgiveness for these many sins, that I may rejoyce in the greatness of thy mercy, and magnify thy holy Name, to all Eternity; for the future give me greater measure of grace, to serve, honour, and humbly obey thee with all the strength of my heart, soul and body. Mortifie and kill all vice in me, that my life may express all faith in thee. Mercifully hear the humble supplications of thy poor servant, and grant me thy peace all my daies: graciously pardon all mine infirmities, and defend me from all dangers of soul and body this day, and for ever more. O Lord, guide me in this world with thy counsel, and after this bring me to thy glory. O Lord, bless all thine all the world over, all mankind, especially this sinful Land and Nation wherein we live, turning from us those plagues which the sins of this Nation do cry for. In mercy O Lord prevent the ruine thereof, lest the Heathen should say, where is now their God. O Lord, bless with the choicest of thy blessings, our most gracious Soveraign Lord King Charles, endue his Royal heart with grace, wisdom and understanding; cloathe his enemies with shame, but upon his head let his Crown flourish; and grant that his daies may be long, prosperous, vertuous, and happy. Bless our gracious Queen Katherine, James Duke of York, and all the rest of the Royal Family; endue them with thy grace, and defend them from all evil. Bless all our Magistrates and Ministers with all those graces necessary for their places; govern thou them, that they may govern us in peace and godliness, and true Religion. O Lord, in much mercy, bless all my friends and my relations, with all those blessings and benefits needful both for their souls and for their bodies. O Lord, be merciful to all those poor souls that are under any kind of want, need or necessity, or under any kind of affliction; in much mercy be unto them a present help in trouble; support them, sustain, and lay no more upon them than they shall be able to bear; and send them a happy issue out of all their troubles. O Lord God, for thy mercies sake, bestow a double portion of thy blessing upon those whom thou hast made nearest or dearest unto me. O Lord, pardon all their sins, supply all their wants, relieve all their necessities, and reform whatsoever is amiss in them, and give them grace to lead a new life, and make them thy true and faithful servants; preserve them and me this day from doing or receiving any hurt or harm; preserve us from all evil, especially from the evil of sin, and the evil of punishment, and from all sad accidents. O Lord, bless us this day in our going out, and in our coming in; bless and prosper us in whatsoever we go about to do; let us have all our direction from thy will, and the happy success from thy merciful hand, and when this mortal life is ended, O Lord, for Christ Jesus his sake, grant that we may enjoy Heaven, and the Righteousness thereof, and in the mean time grant unto every one of us thy loving countenance, thy favour, and thy grace; and here I will praise and magnifie thy great and glorious Name for electing us in thy love, for creating us after thine own Image, and for redeeming us by thy dear Son, and for sanctifying us by the grace of thy holy Spirit, and for thy gracious preservation of us this night past: Likewise I praise thee O Lord, for our life, health, strength, liberty, food and rayment, humbly beseeching thee, O Lord, to continue thy loving kindness towards us, from time to time, so long as it may be a blessing unto every one of us, and our thankfulness towards thee for all thy goodness bestowed upon our souls and our bodies, which exceeds our memories, and our thanks; and all for the sake of thy dear Son, and our blessed Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen. In whose Name I further call upon thee, as he hath taught us, saying, Our Father which art in Heaven, &c.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Eternal God, interpose thy holy Death, thy Cross and Passion between thy Judgements and my soul, now and in the hour of death, granting unto me grace and mercy, and unto all the faithful pardon and peace, to the Church unity and amity, and to all sinners repentance and amendment, to all life and glory everlastingly, who liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end. Amen.
A Form of Thanksgiving, with a particular enumeration of God's Blessing.
O Most glorious Lord God, infinite in mercy, full of compassion, long suffering, and of great goodness, I adore, and praise, and glorifie thy holy Name, worshipping thee with the lowliest devotions of my soul and body, and give thee thanks for all the benefits thou hast done unto me, for whatsoever I am, or have, or know, or desire, as I ought, it is all from thee, thou art the fountain of being and blessing, of sanctity and pardon, of life and glory.
Praise the Lord O my soul, and all that that is within me, praise his holy Name.
THou, O God, of thine infinite goodness, hast created me out of nothing, and hast given me a degree of essence next to Angels, imprinting thine Image on me, enduing me with reasonable faculties of will and understanding, to know and chuse good, and to refuse evil, and hast put me into a capacity of a blessed immortality.
O praise the Lord with me, and let us magnifie his Name together.
THou, O God, of thine infinite goodness, hast created me out of nothing, and hast given me grace to know thy will, and hast fed and cloathed me, hast raised me friends, and blessest them, hast preserved me in all dangers, hast rescued me from the peril of the sword, from the rage of pestilence, from dangers of Lyers and Robbers, from perishing in publick distemperatures and diseases epidemical, from terrours and affrightments of the mighty) from the delusions of the Devil, and sad separation, and from many imminent dangers; thou hast been my guide in my journeys, my refreshment in sadness, my hope and my confidence in all my grief and desolations, and a present help in trouble.
I will give thanks unto the Lord of Lords, for his mercy endureth for ever.
BUT above all mercies, it was not less than infinite love whereby thou lovedst me, and all mankind, when we were lost and dead, and Rebels against thy Divine Majesty. Thou gavest thine own begotten Son to seek us when we went astray; to restore us to life when we were dead in trespasses and sin, and to reconcile us to thy self by the merits and the atonement of an everlasting Covenant.
He is our God, even the God of whom cometh our salvation; God is the Lord by whom we scape death.
O Most glorious Spirit, I will praise and magnifie thee for the inspiration of the Apostles and Prophets, for thy providence and mercies, in causing holy Scriptures to be written, and preserving them from the corruptions of Hereticks, from the violences of Pagans, and enemies of the Cross of Christ.
I will alwaies give thanks unto the Lord, his praise shall ever be in my mouth.
I Bless thy Name for those holy Promises and Threatnings, those Judgements and Mercies, those holy Precepts and Admonitions, which thou hast registred in Scripture, and in Records and Monuments of the Church, for all those graces, and helps, and comforts, whereby thou promotest me in piety, and in the waies of true Religion, for baptismal and penitential grace, for the opportunities and sweet refreshings of the Sacrament of the Eucharist, for all the advantages thou hast given me, of good society, Tutors and Governours, for the fears thou hast produced in me, as deliveries and impediments of sins, for all my hopes of pardon, and expectation of the promises made by our Lord Jesus Christ, to encourage me in the paths of life, and sanctity, for those blessed waitings and knockings at the door of my heart, patiently tarrying for me, for all the holy Sermons, spiritual Books and Lessons, for all the good Prayers and Meditations, loving and inviting me to repentance, without ceasing admonishing me, and reproving me with the check of a tender conscience, with exteriour and interiour motives, and for whatsoever means or incentives of holiness thou hast assisted me withall.
I Magnifie and praise thy holy Name, for thy goodness to all Nations whom thou hast made and sanctified, they shall come and worship thee, O Lord, and shall glorifie thy Name, for thou art great, and dost wondrous things; thou art God alone, and great is thy mercy towards me; thou hast delivered my soul from the nethermost hell; therefore shall every good man sing of thy praise without ceasing. O my God, I will give thanks unto thee for ever, with Cherubims and Seraphims, and all the company of the heavenly Host, saying, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God of Sabbath, holy is our God, holy is the Immortal, holy is the Almighty, the Father, Son, and the Holy Ghost, to whom be honour and glory, dominion and power ascribed of all spirits, and all men, and all creatures, now and for evermore. Amen.
A Prayer preparatory to the Receiving of the blessed Sacrament.
O Most immaculate and glorious Jesu, he hold me a miserable sinner, drawing near unto thee with the approaches of humility, and earnest desire to be cleansed from my sins, and to be united to thee by the nearest and most mysterious union of Charity and Sacramental participation of thy most precious body and blood, I presume nothing of my own worthiness, but I am most confident of thy mercies and infinite loving kindness. I know, O Lord, I am blind, and sick, and dead, and naked, and therefore I come the rather; I am sick, and thou art my Physician, thou arisest with healing in thy wings, by thy wounds I come to be cured, and to be healed by thy stripes. I am unclean, but thou art the fountain of purity; I am blind, but thou art the great Eye of the World, the Son of Righteousness▪ in thy light I shall see light. I am poor, but thou art rich unto all, the Lord of all the Creatures; I therefore humbly beg of thy mercy, that thou wouldest be pleased to take from me all my sins, to cure all mine infirmities, to cleanse my filthiness, to lighten my darkness, to cloathe my nakedness with the Robe of thy Righteousness, that I may with reverence and faith, and holy intention, receive thy blessed body and blood in the mysterious Sacrament, that it may be unto life, and pleasantness, and holy nourishment, and that I may be firmly and indesolutely united to thy mystical body, and may at last see clearly and without vail, thy face in glory everlasting, who livest and reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
The Second.
I Adore and bless thy glorious Majesty, O blessed Jesu, for this great dignation and vouchsafing to me, that art pleased, for all the infinite multitudes of my sins, and innumerable violating of thy holy Laws, still to give thy self unto me, to convey health, and grace, and life, and hopes of glory in the blessed Sacrament. I adore thee, O most Righteous Redeemer, that thou art pleased under the visible signs of Bread and Wine, to convey unto our souls thy holy body and blood, and all the benefits of thy bitter Passion. O my God, I am not worthy thou shouldest come under my roof, but let thy holy Spirit with his purities, prepare for thee a lodging in my soul. Thou hast knocked often, O blessed Jesu, at the door of my heart, and wouldest willingly have entred, behold, O Lord, my heart is willing, ready to receive thee, cast out of it all worldly desires, all lust and carnal appetites, and then enter, and there love to inhabit, that the Devil may never return to a place that is swept and garnished, to fill me full of iniquity. O thou lover of souls, grant that this holy Sacrament may be light to my eyes, a guide to my understanding, and joy to my soul, that by its strength I may subdue and mortifie the whole body of sin in me, that it may produce in me fulness of wisdom, and constancy of faith, perfection, accomplishment of all the Righteous Commandments, and such blessed union with thee, that I never more live unto my self, or to the world, but to thee only, and by the refreshment of an holy hope, I may be lead through the paths of a good life, and persevering piety, to the communion and possession of thy Kingdom, O blessed Jesu, who livest and reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
A Prayer after the Receiving of the Sacramental Bread.
I Give hearty thanks unto thee, Almighty God, that thou hast not rejected me from thy holy Table, but hast refreshed my soul with the salutary refection of the body, thy dear Son Jesus Christ. Lord, if I had lived innocently, and had kept all thy Commandments, I could have not expected so transcendent a mercy, but since I have lived in all manner of sin, and multiplied provocations against thy Divine Majesty, thy mercy is so glorious and infinite, that I am amazed at the consideration of its Immensity. Go on, O my dear God, to finish so blessed a Redemption, and now that thou hast begun to celebrate a Marriage, and a holy Union between thy self and my soul, let me never throw off the Wedding-garment, or stain it with pollution of deadly sin, nor seek after other Lovers, but let me for ever and ever be united unto thee, being transformed into thy will in this life, and to the likeness of thy glories in the life to come, who livest and reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
After the Receiving of the Cup.
O Just and dear God, who out of the unmeasurable Abysses of wisdom and mercy hast redeemed us, and offerest life and grace, and salvation to us by the real exhibition of thy Son Jesus Christ in the Sacrifice of his death upon the Altar of the Cross, and by commemoration of the bitter Agonies in the holy Sacrament, grant that that great and venerable Sacrifice which we now commemorate sacramentally, may procure of thee for thy whole Church mercy and peace, and great assistance in all trials, deliverance from all heresies, schisms, sacriledge, and persecucutions; to all sick people health, and salvation, redemption from captivity, competency of living to the indigent and necessitous, comfort to the afflicted, relief to the oppressed, repentance to all sinners, softness of spirit, and a tender conscience to the obstinate, conversion to the Jews, Turk, and remedy to all that are in trouble or adversity, and grant to us, O Lord, that this Sacrament and Sacrifice of commemoration, by vertue of that painful and proper Sacrifice upon the Cross, may obtain for me, and for us all who have communicated this day, pardon and peace, and that we may derive from thee by this mystery, grace to expel our sins, to mortifie all our lusts, to exterminate all concupiscence, to crucifie all inordinate irregularities, to produce in us humility, and chastity, and obedience, and meekness of spirit, and charity, and let us not be harmed by the violence & invasions of all our ghostly enemies, and temporal disadvantages, and give us grace and favour that we may not die in the commission of a sin without repentance, nor without receiving the blessed Sacrament, but that we may so live and die, that we may at last rest in thy bosom, and be embraced with the comprehensions of thy eternal Charity, who livest and reignest ever one God, world without end. Amen.
Prayers preparatory to Death.
A Prayer for a Blessed Ending, to be said in time of Health or Sickness.
O Blessed Jesu, fountain of eternal Mercy, the life of the soul, and glorious Conquerour over Death and Sin, I humbly beseech thee to give me grace so to spend this transitory life in vertue and holy exercises, that when the day of my death shall come, in the midst of all my pains I may feel the sweet refreshings of thy holy Spirit comforting my soul, sustaining my infirmities, and relieving all my spiritual necessities, and grant that in the unity of the holy Catholick Church, and in the integrity of Christian Faith, with confidence and hope of thy mercy in great love towards thee, in peace towards my neighbours, and in charity with all the world, I may through thy grace depart hence out of this vail of misery, and go into that glorious Country, where thou hast purchased an inheritance for us, with the price of thy most precious blood, and reignest in it gloriously in the unity of thy Father and ours, of thy Holy Spirit and our ghostly Comforter, ever one God world without end. Amen.
All blessing, and praise, and honour, be unto thee, O blessed Redeemer, and to thee I the banished and miserable Son of Adam do call for mercy and defence in this needful time of trouble, to thee I sigh and cry in the valley of tears, O dearest Advocate, turn those thy merciful eyes towards me, and shew me thy glorious face in thy heavenly Kingdom, where no tears, or sighing, or fears, or sadness can approach, Amen sweetest Jesu, Amen.
A Prayer to be said in the beginning of Sickness.
O Lord my God, who chastisest every one whom thou receivest, and with thy fatherly correction smitest those whom thou consignest to the inheritance of Sons, write my soul in the book of life, and number me amongst thy chosen children, whom thou hast smitten with the Rod of Sickness, and by thy chastisements hast brought me into the lot of the Righteous. Thou, O blessed Jesus, who art a helper in the needful time of trouble, lay no more upon me than thou shalt enable me to bear, and let thy gentle corrections in this life prevent the unsupportable stripes of thy vengeance in the life to come. Smite me now, that thou mayest spare me to all eternity; and yet O blessed High Priest, who art touched with a sense of our infirmities, smite me friendly, and reprove me with such a tenderness as thou bearest unto thy children, to whom thou conveyest supplicatory comforts, greaten not the pains of thy chastisements, and in due time restore me to health, and to thy solemn Assemblies again, and to the joy of thy countenance. Give me patience and humility, and the grace of Repentance, and an absolute dereliction of my self, and resignation to thy pleasure and providence, with a power to do thy Will in all things, and then do what thou pleasest with me, in health or sickness, in life or death; let me feel thy comforts refreshing my soul, and let thy grace pardon all my sins; grant this O heavenly Father for thy dear Sons sake my blessed Saviour and Redeemer. Amen.
A Prayer for a sick person in danger of Death.
O Lord Jesus Christ, our health and our salvation, our life, our hope, and our resurrection from the dead, I resign my self up to thy holy will and pleasure, either to life, that I may live longer to thy service, and my amendment, or to death, to the perpetual enjoyment of thy presence, and of thy glory, into thy hands I commend my spirit, for I know, O Lord, that nothing can perish which is commited to thy mercy: I believe, help thou my unbelief. I believe, O Lord, that I shall receive my body again at the resurrection of the Just: I relinquish all care of that, only I beg of thee mercy for my soul; strengthen it with thy grace against all temptation; let thy loving kindness defend it as with a shield against all violence and hostile assaults of Satan; let the same mercy be my guard and defence, which protected thy Martyrs, crowning them with victory in the midst of flames, horrid torments, and most cruel deaths. There is no help in me, O Lord; I cannot by my own strength or power give a minutes rest to my wearied body, but my trust is in thy mercies, and I call to mind, to my unspeakable comfort, that thou wert hungry, and thirsty, and wearied, and whipt, and crowned with thorns, and mocked, and crucified for me; O let that mercy of thine which made thee suffer so much, pardon me, and save me; let thy merits answer for my impieties; let thy Righteousness cover my sins, thy blood wash away my stains, and thy comforts refresh my soul; as my body grows weaker, let thy grace be stronger; let not my faith doubt, nor my hope tremble, nor my charity grow cold, nor my soul be afrighted with the terrours of death, but let the light of thy countenance enlighten mine eyes, that I sleep not in death eternal, and when my tongue fails, let thy Spirit teach my heart with strong crying and groans that are unutterable. O let not the enemy do me any violence, but let thy holy mercies, and thy Angels repel and defeat his malice, and find that my soul may by thy strength triumph in the joys of eternity, in the fruition of thee, my life, my joy, my hope, my exceeding great reward, my Lord, and and my Saviour Jesus Christ. Amen.
A Prayer for a dying person in or near the Agonies of Death.
MOst merciful and blessed Saviour, have mercy upon the soul of this servant; remember not his ignorance, nor the sins of his youth, nor age, but according to thy great mercies remember him in the mercies and glories of thy Kingdom. Thou O Lord, hast opened the Kingdom of Heaven to all Believers; O let the everlasting gates be opened, and receive his soul; let the Angels, who rejoyce at the conversion of a sinner, triumph and be exalted in his deliverance and salvation. Make him partaker of the benefits of thy holy Incarnation, Life and Sanctity, Passion and Death, Resurrection and Ascension, and all the Prayers of the Church, that the Joy of the Elect, and the Fruits of the blessed Communion of the Saints, may be fulfilled, and the Glory of thee, of our Lord Jesu, and daily add to the number of thy beautified servants, such as shall be saved, that thy coming may be hastened, and the expectation of the Saints may be fulfilled and advanced, and all the whole Church singing praise to the honour of thy Name, who liveth and reigneth ever one God world without end. Amen.
The 51.
O Most merciful Jesu, who didst die to redeem us from death and damnation, have mercy upon this thy servant, whom thy hand has visited with sickness, of thy goodness be pleased to forgive him all his sins, and seal his hopes of glory with the refreshments of thy Holy Spirit Lord, give him strength & confidence in thee, asswage his pain, repel the assaults of his ghostly enemies, and give him a guard of holy Angels, preserve him in the unity of the Church, keep his senses entire, his understanding right; give him great measure of contrition, true faith, a well grounded hope, and abundant charity; give him a quiet and a joyful departure; let thy ministring spirits convey his soul to the mansions of peace and rest, there with certainty to expect a joyful Resurrection to the fulness of Joy at thy right hand, where there is pleasure for ever more. Amen.
A Prayer for the Joyes of Heaven.
O Most glorious Jesu, who art the portion, and the exceeding great reward of all faithful people, thou hast beautified humane nature with glorious Immortality, and hast carried the same above all Heavens, above the seat of Angels, beyond the Cherubims and Seraphims, placing it on the right hand of thy heavenly Father, grant to us all the issues of thy abundant charity, that we may live in thy fear, and die in thy favour; prepare our souls with heavenly Joyes, making us righteous here, that we may be blessed hereafter through thy great mercy. Amen.