How & vpon what a Christiā ought to meditate: out of S. Ciprian. lib. de Spectacul.

VAine, pernitious, and sacrile­gious spectacles, are to be a­uoyded by Christians. We must be careful to keepe our eyes and eares. Quikly we accustome our selues in wickednes which we heare: for the minde of man being inclined to vice, what wil it doe when it haith corrupt examples? That which falleth of it self, how wil it doe if it be pricked forward▪ We must haue our mind retyred from these thinges. A Christian, if he wil, haith bettermatters to behould. He haith true & profitable pleasures, if he recollect him self. And to omit those which he can not yet perceaue, he haith the bewty of this world to consider, and [Page 13] wonder at. Let him contemplate the rysing of the Sunne, and againe the set­ting thereof in order, causing the daies and nights: the globe of the moone, by increase and waine, designing the courses of times: The multitude of starres, shyning from the high heauen, with their speedy motion: the partes of the whole yeare deuided by turne, and the daies them selues, with the nights digested by the spaces of houres: the vast greatnesse of the earth, poised with mountaines: the riuers with their springes flowing from them: the ayre extended in the middest, geuing lyfe to al thinges: somtime raine from the cō ­densed cloudes: otherwhile fairnesse of wether, renewing his rarity, and in al these their proper inhabitants: fowle in the ayre, fish in the waters, men vpon earth. Let these and such other workes of God be spectacles for the beleuing Christians to meditate vpon. What Theater framed by the handes of man, is comparable to these works▪ Though it be builded vp with great heapes of stones, they are but the crusts of hilles, [Page 14] and though their beames do glister gil­ded with gould, yet they are inferiour to the shyning of the starres. He wil neuer wōnder at the workes of man, whosoeuer knoweth him self to be the childe of God, He casteth him selfe downe from the toppe of his nobilitie, who can meruel at any thing after God. Let a Christian, I say, attend to h [...]ly Scriptures, there he shal finde thinges to behold worthy of Faith. He shal find god ordeyning his world, & amonge the rest of liuing creatures, making that admirable and excellent fram [...] of man. He shal vew the world in s [...]nnes, re­wardes for the godly, and Punishmēts for the impious: seas dryed vp for the people, and againe wate [...] geuen out of the rock for the people, Haruests co­ming from heauen, and not from the fl [...]u [...]s: Riuers brydling their violen [...]e to geue drye passage: In some Faith wrast [...]ing with fire: wilde beastes con­q [...]ered by Religion, and turned into meekenesse. And he shal sce soules re­called from death it s [...]lf. And amonge al these, he shal beholde a greater spec­tacle, [Page 15] the deuil that had triumphed ouer al the world, lying vnder the feete of Christ. O how bewtiful a spectacle to contemplat [...] is this▪ how de [...]ightfull▪ how necessary▪ for a mā alwaies to be­hold his hope, and open his eyes to his saluation▪ This is a spectacle which may be seene though our eyes be lost: this is a spectacle which neither Pretor, nor Consul sheweth, but he that is alone, & before al thinges, euē he from whēce are al thinges, the Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, to whom be praise and ho­nour world without end. Amen.

Of praier, & of the excellency thereof, out of the holy Scriptures.

These thinges saith our Lord, my house Is. 56. Mat. 21. shal be called the house of praier to al nations.

Aske, and it shal be g [...]uen you, seeke, & Marc. 11 Luc. 19. Math. 7. you shal finde, knock, & it shal be ope­ned vnto you: for euery one that as­keth, receiueth, and that seeketh, fyn­deth, and to him that knocketh, it shal be opened.

It behoueth alwaies to pray, and not to Luc. 18 be weary. Pray without intermission. In al thinges geue thank [...]s, for this is the 1. Thes. 5. 1. Tim. 2. wil of god in Christ Iesu in al you.

I desire therefor [...] first of al thinges, that Obsecrations, Praiers, Postulations, Thankes geuings, be made for al men: for Kinges and al that are in preemi­nence, that we may leade a quiet and peaceable life in al piety & chastity: for this is good and acceptable before our Sauiour god, who wil al men to be sa­ued, and to come to the knowledge of truth.

What Praier is, and the dignity thereof, out of the Fathers, & first S. Gregory Nyssene.

IT behoueth alwaies to pray, & ne­uer to be weary, for by praier we come to be with God. But he that is with God, is seperated from the ad­uersary. Praier is the defence & pro­tection of chastity, moderation of an­ger, appeasing and suppressing of pride, a rooting out of the settled remem­brance of iniuries a putter to flight of enuy, taking away of iniustice, correcti­on of impiety.

Praier is a right constitution of Ius­tice and lawes in a citye, strength of a Kingdome, victory in warre, security in peace, reconciliation of the disagreeing, consernation of the vnited. Praier is the seale of Virginity, fidelity of matri­monie, a sheild to trauailers, a keepe [...] of the sleeping, trust of the waking.

Praier is a conuersation and conference with God, a contemplation of thinges not seene, a sure confidence of thinges desired, an estate of the same honoure with Angels, a going forward, and in­crease of good thinges, an ouerthrowe of thinges that be euil, an amendement of sinners, [...]he fruit of thinges present, are [Page 18] representation of thinges to come.

Praier made the whale an house vn­to Ionas: Reduced Ezechias from the Ionas. 3. 4. Reg. 20 Dan. 1. dores of death to life: for the 3. chil­dren, it changed the flaming fyre, into a cooling wynde, erected a Trophee of victory for the Israelites against the A­malacites: Exo. 17. 4. Re. 29. and in one night slew with ā inuisible sworde, one hundred, foure scoare and fiue thousand of the Assirians. And we may finde examples not to be numbred, of such thinges as are already chanced: by which it is manifest, that among those thinges which in this life be embraced and esteemed pretious, no­thing is to be preferred before praier▪

When, where, and how to pray: out of S. Chrisostome, homil. contra Pseudoprophetas.

HEare the Apostle crying, Pray ye without intermission, that is, [...]. Thes. 5. at al time, both night and day, and euery hour, both when thou art a­bout thy worke, in thy Iournay, kepest thy flock, tillest thy ground, & sleepest. Expect not our Lordes day, or festiual [Page 19] day, or disterence of places. For the name of God is not confined with place, for in his hand, are al the endes of the ps. 94. earth. Therefore Dauid the Prophet, praying euery day and night, expected not differēce of places, but weping said admonishing his soule, O my soule, blesse god in al place of his domination. There­fore ps. 10 [...] expect not day or hour, but pray euen when thou art at home, and in thy iournay, & when thou lyest downe, and when thou rysest, and in euery place, & pray vigilantly, & diligently, not re­questing riches, not honour or glory, not prosperity, nor any thing els of this world, transitory, or vnprofitable: for al these thinges are corruptible, & ende in corruption, whether thou namest the greitest riches, or preeminent humane glory, or any thing els, of such thinges as be on earth, with which mē vse to be puffed vp. But pray for thy saluation a­lone: pray for the necessities of thy ne­boures: and pray with humility, with teares, with contrition, and knock cō ­tinually, or rather without ceasing, and daily, for euery one that asketh, receaueth, Math. 7. [Page 20] and he that seeketh findeth, and to him that knocketh, it shal be opened.

Perfection and attention in praier, out of S. Ephrem, ser. de vi [...]ginitate.

FOllow the steps of the holy Fa­thers, which haue b [...]ne eminent in virginal chastity, and chast and religious life, in praiers and fastings. Loue the exercise of diuine thinges: de­sire Praier, the familiar conference with God. For euery holy and pure praier, conuerseth familiarly with God. The praier of them that perfectly desire God, with gladnes and much t [...]ust, continu­ally pearceth heau [...]n it self. In it, the Angels and Arch-angels r [...]ioyc [...], and present it before the Throne of the holy & high Lord of al. For then the grea­test ioy shyneth vnto them, if at any time, they offer before our holy Lord, the praiers of iust men that loue God. Therefore study in life & vertues, to be a follower of t [...]e holy Fathers: Walke in the pathes of their way and life: kepe the vertue of cōtinency as they did: ex­ecute it in mind, execute it in spirit, ex­ecute [Page 21] it in body, & execute it in habit, also in meate, and speach, behoulding, cogitation, and laughter, that in all thinges thou maist proue a perfect chā ­pion. Looke to thy self, lest at any time in praier, thy minde wander hither and thither: but when thou standest praying to god, order thy self before him, with feare & trembling. Cut out of thy heart al thoughts & cares of earthly thinges, & be wholly in time of praier, as an hea­uenly Angel: & so st [...]iue, that thy praier may be holy and pure, vnspotted, and ir­reprehensible, that when the heauenly gates shal see it ascend vp ward, reioy­cing, they may of their owne accorde presently be opened: that the Angels, and Archangels seeing it, may al reioy­cing meete it, and offer it before the ho­ly and high throne of our immaculate lord. The [...]fore be thou alwaies in prai­er ioyned to God as the Cherubim & Se­raphim. Cause god alwaies to rest in thy soule, that thou maist there be found ful of cōfidence, in that terrible & dredful hour, when Christ our Lord shal come, to render vnto euery one according to his Ro. 2. Apoe. 22. [Page 22] work. To whom be glory and power world without end. Amen.

An other out of the same S. Ephrem, [...]er. Asc. de vita Rel. & paren. 50.

AS if a man standing before a King and talking with him, be­ing called by his felow seruant, should leaue the honourable & glori­ous speach of the King, and turne him self to talk with his seruant: euen so a Religious man in the time of his sin­ging, that draweth his minde from god and turneth him self to fables and toyes with others. Therefore let vs consider before whom we are placed. For as the Angels with great feare & trembling, do stand before the Creatour, singing himnes vnto him: euen so ought we in the time of praier and singing, to ap­peare before god with a pure heart, and with reuerence and feare, lest we be thought to stand before him, and in­tende to praiers onely in body, but in minde in the meane time, to be occupi­ed with earthly businesse. For euen as a ship boate that is carried vp & downe [Page 23] with waues of the sea: euen so a Monk, whose minde is distracted with busi­nesse and cares of the world.

An other out of the same S. Ephrem. de orand. Deum.

TAke heede thou ceacest not to pray; & as often as thou canst kneele downe: when thou can not, call vpon God in thy minde, both at euening, morning, and none-time. If thou put praier before thy worke, & rising forth of thy bed, shalt take the beginning of thy motions from praier, sinne wil not enter into thy soule.

Praier is a conference with God, e­qual honour with the Angels, promo­tion of the good, auersion from the wicked, and amendement of sinners. There is no possession in mannes life, more precious then praier. Neuer suf­fer your selues to be seperated frō this, neuer depart from this, but as our Lord saith, let vs pray, that our labour be not in vaine. Mat. 6.

The deuotion and attention to be vsed in [Page 24] praier, out of S. Ciprian, de orat. dom.

WHen we are at praier, we o [...]ght to attende and geue our selues with all our heart to praiers. Let al carnal and worldly cogitation depart. Let not the minde then think vpon any thing, but that a­lone which it praieth. Therefore the Preist before praier, when he haith said the Preface, prepareth the mindes of Preface at Masse. the breth [...]en saying. Sursum corda. Let our heartes be vpward, that when the people answeareth, Habemus ad Domi­num. We haue them vnto our Lord: they may be admonished to think ō nothing but our Lord. Let your breast be shut against the aduersary, and open to god alone. Let it not suffer the enemy of god to come into it in time of praier, for he often times sodainly creepeth and entreth in, and craftily dec [...]iuing, cal­leth our praiers from god that we may haue one thing in heart, and an other in voice, when not onely the sounde of the word, but the minde and sense, ought to pray with pure intention vn­to our Lord. And what a sluggishnesse [Page 25] is it to be carried away with foolish & prophane cogitations when thou en­treatest our Lord, as though there were any thinge which thou rather shoul­dest think on, then that thou speakest with god? How do [...]st thou desire to be heard of God, when thou hearest not thy self? Wilt thou haue god to re­member thee when thou askest, & thou remembrest not t [...]y self? This is not to beware of the enemy: this is when thou praiest vnto god, by negligence of prai­er, to offende the maiestie of God.

Where and with whom we may pray, out of S. ClEment Rom.

IF because of misbeleuers, we can not goe to the Church, but the wic­ked occupy the place, thou must flee from that place, because it is pro­phaned by them. For as the preists do sanctify holy thinges; so the impious defile them. If the true beleuers, can not assemble together neither at home nor in the Church,: let euery one by them selues, singe, reade, pray, or two or three gathered together. For Where [Page 26] there be two or three gathered together in Mat. 16. my name, there am I in the middest of them. Let not the godly pray neither at home with an heritike, for what society is there [...]. Cor. 6 betwene light & darknesse?

Times of praier out of S. Ierome.

ALthough the Apostle biddeth vs alwaies to pray, and to those 1. Thes. 5. that be holy, sleepe it self is a Praier: yet we ought to haue deui­ded houres of praying, that if perad­uenture we be detained with any work, the time it self may admonish vs to do our dutie. There is no man that is ig­norant, of the thirde hour, sixt hour, ninth hour, morning also, and euening. Let vs not go to meate, except we pray, nor depart from the table, be­fore we geue thankes to our creatour. We must rise twice, or thrice, in the night, & meditate such thinges as we can say by memory, out of the Sctip­tures. When we go forth of our lod­ging, let vs be armed with praier: whē we come forth of the streete, let praier meete with vs before we sit downe. [Page 27] Let not the body take rest, before our soule be fed. At euery action, at eue­ry going forward, let our hand make the signe of the Crosse.

With the Primatiue Catholick in­troduction to all praier before them.

AL whatsoeuer you do in word or work, al tbinges in the name of Col. 3. our Lord Iesus Christ, geuing thankes to god the Father by him.

God forbid that I should glory, but in the Gal. 6. Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ.

The Crosse is made on the forhead of Ieron. in c. 9. Ezech. the Christians, and signed by often fra­ming it with our hand.

In the name of the Father, and of the Missa Ethi­op. ascribe [...] [...] S. Ma­thew Apostle & Mozar. in Miss. S. Iacobi. S. Ephrem, de panopl. [Page 28] Sonne, and of the holy Ghost. Amen. Humble thy self vnder the mighty hand of God, that he may exalt thee in the kingdome of heauen, which our Saui­our haith promised to the humble.

But in stead of a sheild, defend thy self with the signe of the Crosse, signing therwith al thy members, & thy heart. Signe thy affections, thy going in, & thy going forth, in al times. Thy sit­ting downe and rysing vp, thy bed, and whatsoeuer thinges thou passest by. First signe them in the name of the Fa­ther, & of the Sonne, and of the holy Ghost, for that armour is most forci­ble, & no man can euer hurt thee if thou shalt be defended with it. For if any man carry with him the signe of ā earth­ly King, no man dareth to hurt him: how much more can or ought we, that beare such a signe of the heauenly Em­perour, feare any man? Neuer omitt to be signed, and thou shalt destroy the snares which the deuil haith laide for thee. S. Ephrem ser. de sanct. [...]r [...]. dom.

The Crosse triumpheth, which all nations, people, Tribes, and tongues, [Page 29] adore, in which let vs glory with bles­sed Paule saying. God forbid I should Gal. 6. glory, but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ, by whom the world is crucified vn­to me, and I to the world. Let vs paint and engraue, on our gates & forheades, & eyes, & mouth, & in al our partes, this viuificant signe. Let vs be ador­ned and armed with this inuincible ar­mour of Christians: For it is the van­queresse, of death, hope of the world, light of the endes of the whole earth. Opener of Paradise, profligatrix, and destructresse of heresies, the strength of the orthodoxal Faith, a great and sa­uing custody, perpetual glory of the right beleuers of the Church. Therfore o christian, omit not to beare about, al daies and nightes, houres and mo­ments, and in al places, this armour, doe nothing without it, but whether thou sleepest or wakest, or eatest, or drinkest, or trauailest, or sailest, or pas­sest waters, or dost any other thing, euer signe & arme al thy members with this sauing and quickning signe of the Crosse, and thou shalt neuer be affraid of [Page 03] the day feare, or the arrow flying in the day, psal. 90. or businesse walking in darknes, frō ruine, & noone-time denil. If thou shalt be as­sisted with this defence, euil thinges shal not come vnto thee, & scourge shal not ap­proch thy tabernacle. For so soone as they see this signe, presently al aduer­sary powers terrified, depart and goe away. This signe haith quashed the er­rour of Idoles: this haith sanctifyed the whole world: this haith driuen a­way darknesse, and restoared light: this haith gathered together the nati­ons from the east, and west, and north, and south, and ioyned them together in Charity, into one Charity, into one Faith, into one baptisme. This signe is the impregnable bulwarke of true be­leuers. What mouth, or what kinde of tongue, shalbe able worthily to praise this victorious armour of the great King Christ our God?

Of praier, and espechally our Lordes prai­er out of holy Scripture.

WHen you pray, you shal not Mat. 6. Luc. 11. be as hipocrites, which loue to stand, praying in Syna­gogues & corners of streetes, that they may be seene of men: Amen I say vnto you, they haue receaued their reward But when thou shalt pray, enter into thy chamber, and the doare being shut, pray thy Father in secret, and thy Fa­ther which seeth in secret, and thy Fa­ther which seeth in secret, wil rewarde thee. And when you pray, speake not much as the heathens doe, for they think to be heard in their much spea­king, therefore be not likned to them, for your Father knoweth what you need before you aske him. Therefore so you shal pray.

OVr Father which art in heauē, Hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdome come. Thy wil be done in earth, as it is in heauen. Geue The grecke, Acton epion­sion. Super­substantial Bread. vs this day our daily bread. And for­geue vs our trespasses, as we forgeue them that trespasse against vs. And lead vs not into temptation. But deliuer vs from euil. Amen.

S. Ambrosius lib. 3. de virginitate

Repeate often in thy chamber psalmes with our Lordes praier, either when thou awakest, or before thou goest to sleepe.

A deuout Meditation or exposition vpon this our Lordes praier, out of S. Chro­matius Bishop of Aquileia, in cap. 5. Mathei.

O How faithful & blessed a prai­er is this vnto vs▪ whose order was instituted by the Doctor of life, and heauenly maister? And how blessed may we also be, if we obserue, not onely with duty of mouth, but with most faithful deede of cōuersation, these wordes of our Lordes praier? There­fore our Lord ordained this forme of praying, for his Disciples for the hope of mannes saluation, saying, Our Fa­ther which art in heauen. How great is the loue of our Lord toward vs, how exceeding his mercy and piety, who haith bestowed a guift of such grace v­pon vs, that him, which is our Lord [Page 33] and god, we which are but seruants, may lawfully cal our Father. By which name, he doth not onely demonstrate vs now to be the seruants, but also the sonnes of God. Therefore because we haue obtained the grace of so great a guift, that we are made, not onely ser­uants, but sonnes also: we ought to do and behaue our selues as the chil­dren of god, that by spiritual doing, we may prooue our selues to be that which we are called, according to that of Iohn, He that is borne of God, com­mitteth 1. Io. 3. not sinne, because his natiuity of god doth keepe him, and the deuil touch­eth him not. But he that committeth sinne is not of God, but of the deuil, because the deuil sinneth from the beginning. And therefore keping the sacrament of our heauenly natiuity, we ought to be free from al sinne, that we may deserue truly to be called, or be, the sonnes of god. And the holy prophets knew the grace of this diuine mercy, in which it is per­mitted vnto vs, to cal god our Father, as Isay saith, For thou art our Father, be­cause Abraham haith not knowne vs, & Israel Is. 63. [Page 34] haith not knowne vs: but our Lord our Fa­ther from the beginning, thy name is vpon vs. Likewise also Malachy witnessith in his booke saying, For there is one Fa­ther Mal. 2. of vs al. How great is the mercy of our Lord? We which before, by our owne wil, had chosen the deuil for our father, now being borne againe by wa­ter and the holy Ghost, begin to haue god our Father. And therefore we ought to walk as the children of God, l [...]st doing otherwise thē becometh gods children, we be holden guilty vnder the vsurpation of so great a name.

Therefore he saith, Our Father which art in heauen, hallowed be thy name: not because the name of god can be hallow­ed of any man, when he halloweth al men, which saith by the prophet, Be you holy, as I also am holy, saith our Lord. L [...]uit. [...]0. But therefore we request his name to be hallowed, that it may be hallowed in vs by the workes of iustice, by the merit of faith, by the grace of the holy Ghost, which sanctification, that we may re­ceaue by such guifts, the ayde of his mercy is necessary: but he that is the foun­taine [Page 35] of euerlasting holinesse, needeth not any sanctification.

Then he saith, Thy kingdome come. Likewise we do not aske, that he should be King, who is King of euer-during worldes, whose kingdome haith nei­ther beginning nor end, but that the kingdome which is celestial, which he haith promised vnto vs, may come. But it is a signe of great confidence, and sincere conscience, confidently to aske, that this Kingdome of our Lord may come. And therefore because we al­waies pray, that the Kingdome of God may come, we must shew our selues such in the faith of our Lord and his com­maundements, that we may be worthy of his kingdome to come.

After this he saith. Thy wil be done in earth, as it is in heauen, where also there is the like maner of vnderstanding: for no man can resist or hinder god, that he do not what he wil, seing al thinges both in heauen and earth, consist by his wil: But we pray that his wil may be done in vs. And the wil of God is, that beleuing in him with al our heart, [Page 36] we fulfil those thinges which he haith commaunded to be done: of which wil of god, the Apostle witnesseth saying. The wil of god, is your sanctification, that 1. Thes. 4. you abstaine from carnal concupiscences. Therefore when [...]e say. Thy wil be do [...]e in earth as it is in heauen: This we pray that as the wil of god is faithfully kept of the Angels in heauen, so also we must with a Religious and faithful deuotion, desire the helpe of gods assistance, or, Thy wil be done in earth, as it is in heauen, that as in heauen, that is, in holy and heauenly men, the wil of god is fulfilled, so also in earth, that is, we pray, that the wil of god may be done by beleefe of faith and knowledg of the truth in them which haue not ye [...] beleeued.

Then he saith. Geue vs this day our dayly bread. This saying of our Lord we vnderstand two waies, first that we do not aske any thing but our daily foode. For we are not commaunded to aske riches, or superfluity of worldly thinges, but our daily bread, which to Christians that liue by faith, is onely ne­cessary for this present life, as the Apo­stle [Page 37] saith. Hauing foode, & wherewith to 1. Tim. 6. be couered, with these we are content. But w [...] must cons [...]der, that this is spi­ritually commaunded vnto vs, that we aske our daily bread, that is, that hea­uenly and spiritual bread which we dai­ly receaue for the curing of our soule, and hope of eternal saluation, of which our Lord saith in the Gospel. The hea­uenly Io. 6. bread is my flesh, which I wil geue for the life of the world. And therefore we are commaunded daily to aske this bread, that is, that through the mercy of God bestowing it, we may deserue [...]ai­ly to receaue the bread of the body of our Lord.

And forgeue vs our debtes, as we also for­geue our debtors. This is plainely a iust and necessary saying for al men. First, that we acknowledge our selues to be sinners: then that we so pray our sinnes to be forgeuen of god, as we our selues forgeue them that sinne against vs. Which if we do not, we make our selues guilty before god by our owne wordes, the scripture saying. A stronge snare is to man his owne lippes. Whereupon Salo­mon [Page 38] not vnworthily, also not ignorant, by the holy ghost, of the forme of this our Lordes praier, forwarned vs saying, Thou shalt not lye a word in thy praier. For what man can or dareth to lye vn­to God in praier, except peraduen­ture he which according to our Lordes praier, asking pardon for his sinnes of god, doth not forgeue them that sinne against him.

Moreouer he saith. And leade vs not into temptation: but deliuer vs from euil. There is a dooble reason, and diuers causes of this temptation. Because by sinne, temptation is brought in, to sōme for their amendement: to others for proofe of their faith: to others, for their glory, as blessed Iames witnessith, in his Epistle saying. Blessed is he which Iac. 1. haith suffered temptation, because being made blessed, he shal receaue the crowne of life, which god haith promised to al that loue him. Therefore we do not pray, that we be not tempted at al, but [...]hat we be not geuen ouer to temptation, aboue that which the power of our faith doth suffer▪ The Apostle, that he might [Page 39] shew the same, haith witnessed so say­ing: But god is faithfull, who wil not suf­fer you to be tēpted aboue that which you are 1. Cor. i [...] able: but wil make with temptation also an ouergoing, that you may be able to sustaine.

Therefore we do not pray to haue that temptation which may be profitable vn­to vs, taken away, but that which ex­cedeth the measure of our infirmity. And therefore fitly and necessarily in the end of the praier, we pray to be de­liuered from euil, which doth not geue ouer daly to assault our faith with diuers temptations, from which to be deliue­red, we iustly daily pray, lest hindered by his suggestions, we can not kepe the commaundements of god. Therefore al The excell [...] cy of our lo [...] des Praier thinges necessary to our faith & saluati­on, are contained in this short praier of our Lord: while we professe the pro­fession of the name of Father, while we aske that the signification of his name be in vs, while we [...]treate that the king­dome of god may come, while we pray that his wil be done in vs, while we be­sech for daily foode, earthly or heauen­ly, for the hope of our saluation, while [Page 40] we craue pardon of our sinnes, while we pray to haue greauous temptation ta­ken from vs: last of al when we desire continually of our Lord, to be deliue­red from that euil which is authour of al sinne, which thing, how it was to come to passe, the holy Ghost foretould long agoe by Isay, saying. Our lord Isay. 10. wil make abreuiated word through [...]l the world, to whom is honour, p [...]aise, and glory, together with the holy Ghost, before al worldes, and now and euer, & world without end. Amen.

Meditations & praiers vpon that peti­tion: giue vs this day our supersubstantial or dayly bread, out of scripture: and may be vsed before receauing. Io. 6.

I Am the liuing bread, which haue descended from heauen: if any man shal eate of this bread, he shal liue for euer: & the bread which I wil geue, is my flesh for the life of the world.

Iesus tooke bread, blessed, & brake, Mat. 26. & gaue to his disciples, and said, take, and eate, this is my body: &c. this is [Page 41] my bloud of the new testament to be shed for many to remission of sinnes. Take this is my body, &c. this is my Mar. 14. bloud of the new testament, which shal be shed for many.

This is my body which is geuen for Luc. 22. 1. Cor. 11. you, &c. This is my body &c.

Meditations of this supersubstātial bread, out of the fathers. S. Iustin. Apol. 2. ad Anton.

WE do not take these thinges as common meate or com­mon drinke, but euen as by the word of god, Iesus Christ our pre­seruer, being made man, had both flesh and bloud, for our saluation: so also we haue receaued, that the meate which is consecrated by the praiers of the speach which we receaued of him, is both the flesh and bloud of Iesus Christ, that was made man. For the Apostles in their Commentaries which are called Gos­pels, haue deliuered, that Christ so cō ­maunded them, that he taking bread, when he had geuen thankes, said, doe this in memory of me, this is my body.

S. Ciprianus L. de caena Domini.

The supper being ordered among the sacramental banquets, the old and new institutions met to­gether, and the lambe which the old tra­dition proposed, being consumed, the maister setteth before his disciples, food inconsumbale, the foode of immortalitie is geuen, differing frō common meates, retaining the species of corporal sub­stance, but by inuisible efficacy of the diuine power, prouing the presence to be there. Sacraments signified longe agoe from the time of Melchizedech, come forth, and to the children of Abra­ham, doing his workes, the highest Preist bringeth forth bread & wyne. This is (saith he) my body. They had eatē & drunk of the same bread according to the visible forme, but before those wor­des, that common meate was onely fit to norish the body, and ministred helpe to the corporal life, but after it was said of our lord: Do this in my commemorati­on, This is my flesh, & this is my bloud. So often as with these wordes, and this faith, the matter is hādled, that supersub­stantial [Page 43] bread, and Chalice consecrated by solemne benediction, doth profit to the life and saluation of the whole man, both a medicine, and holocaust to heale our infirmities & purge iniquities.

The bread which our Lord gaue vn­to his Disciples, chāged not in outward shew, but in nature, by the omnipotē ­cy of the word, is made flesh. And as in the person of Christ, the humanity was seene, and the diuinity lay hid: So the diuine essense vnspeakably, haith infused it self to the visible sacrament. As the comon bread which we daily eat is the life of the body: so this super­substantial bread, is the life of the soule and health of the minde.

S. Saluianus lib. 2. ad Eccl.

SOme man perhaps wil demaund why god requireth more of chri­stians by the gospel, thē before of the Iewes by the law, there is a manifest reason of these thinges, we pay greater thinges now to our lord, because we owe greater thinges. The Iewes had the shadow of thinges, we the truth: the [Page 44] Iewes were seruantes, we are addopted children: the Iewes receaued the yoke, we haue receaued freedome: the Iewes malediction, we grace: the I [...]wes re­ceaued the killing letter, we haue re­ceaued the quickning spirit. To the Iewes the seruant was sent for a maister: to vs the Sonne. The Iewes by the sea went into the wildernesse: we by bap­tisine enter into the kingdome. The Iewes did eate Manna: we Christ. The Iewes the flesh of birdes: we the flesh of god. The Iewes the dew of heauen: we the god of heauen.

S. Ciril. Hierosolim. catech. mis­tag. 4.

WHen Christ him self doth so affirme and say of bread, This is my body; who after dareth to doubt of it? And when the same affirmeth and saith, This is my bloud, who would doubt and say, it is not his bloud?

S. Chrisost. hom. 60. ad pop. Antioch.

Let vs obey god in al thinges, and not contradict him, although that which is spoken, seemeth to be otherwyse to our cogitations, & eyes: but let his word be more worthie then our thought, and sight, and so let vs behaue our selues in misteries, and let vs not onely haue respect to thinges put before our eyes, but let vs hould his wordes: for his word is infallible, and our sence easie to be seduced: that doth neuer faile, but this doth verie of­tē err. Therefore because the word saith, This is my body: let vs obey him, beleeue him, and behould him with intellectual eyes. He doth graunt vnto thee, not onely to see him but also to eat him, & touch him, & receaue him within thee. But no smal punishment is proposed to the vnworthie receauers. Consider how thou art offended against him that be­trayed him, against those that crucified him: and therefore beware lest thou also beguiltie of the body, and bloud of christ, they killed his most sacred body: but thou after so many benefits, receauest it with a polluted soule. It was not enough for [Page 46] him to be made man, to be beaten with bufets, but he doth mingle him selfe with vs, and not onely by faith, but in very deede doth make vs his body. Ther­fore then what, ought he not to be more pure, that enioyeth such a sacrifice? what beame of the sonne is there, that the hād which deuideth this flesh, ought not to be more bright then it, the mouth that is filled with spiritual fyer, the tong that is embrued with that exceeding dread­ful bloud? Bethinke thy selfe, with what honour thou art adorned, what table thou dost enioy: that wich the Angels seeing doe tremble at, nor freely dare behould, for the brightnes shyning from thēce: with this we are fed, to this we are vnited.

Primasius in cap. 10. Heb.

This is one sacrifice and not ma­ny, how is it one, and not many, whē it is offered of many, in dy­uers places, and dyuers tymes? There­fore we must most aptly consider, that the diuinity of the word of god, which is one and filleth al thinges, & is wholly [Page 47] every where, that causeth, that it be not many, but one sacrifice, though it be offered of many, and be one body of Christ with that, which he receaued in the virgins wombe, not many bodyes. Neither that we offer now an other great an other lesse, an other to day, an other to morow, but alwayes the same, hauing equal greatnes: Therfore this is one sa­crifice of Christ, not diuers, as the Iewes sacrifices were, for if it should be other­wyse, because it is offered in many pla­ces, there should be many Christes. which god forbid to thinke: therfore he is one, in al those places, existing whole here and there, hauing one whole body in al the places. And as he that is offered euerie where is one body, and not many bodies: so also one sacrifice.

S. Casarius ep. Arelaten. hom. 7. de pascha.

The heauenly authority confir­meth; My flesh is truly meate, & my blood truly drīk. Therefore let al doubt of infidelitie depart, for he that is authour of the guift, he also is [Page 48] witnesse of the truth. For the inuisible preist by the power of his secret word, doth chaung the visible creatures, into the substance of his body, and bloud. Whē the creatures that are to be blessed with the celestial wordes, are laid vpon the Altar, before they are consecrated by inuocation of the holy name, there is the substance of bread, and wyne: but after the wordes of Christ, there is the body, and bloud of Christ. And what meruaile is it, if those thinges which he could create with his word, being crea­ted, he could chaung thē with his word? Yea it seemeth now lesse miracle, if that which he is knowen to haue made of nothing, now being made, he can chaung it into a better. Examine what can be difficult to him, to whom it was easie by the power of his wil to make visible and inuisible thinges.

Prayers before receauing the B. Sacrament. Math. 6.

Our father which art in heauen &c. giue vs this day our supersubstantial bread.

S. Dion. Areopag. l. cael. hier. c. 3. contem.

O diuine and most holy Sacra­ment, those, as it were vayles, and coueringes, drawen over thee, by signes of obscurity, being ope­ned, shew thinges clearely vnto vs, and replenish the eyes of our mynd, with a­singular light, and such as can not be co­uered.

S. Ambro. orat. praeparator.

O Lord thou hast said, with thy holy and blessed mouth, The bread which I wil geue, is my flesh for the life of the world. I am the li­uing bread which descended from heauen: if any man shal eate of this bread, he shal liue for euer. O most sweete bread, heale the taist of my heart, that I may feele the sweetenesse of thy loue. Cure it from sicknesse, that I may perceaue no sweetenesse besides thee. O most white bread, hauing al delight, and al taist, who dost alwayes refresh vs, and neuer feelest defect in thy self. Let my heart eate thee, let al the bowels of my soule, be filled with the sweetenesse of thy taist. O holy bread, o liuely bread, o pure [Page 50] bread, which descendedst from heauen and geuest light vnto the world: come into my heart, and clense me from al in­fection of flesh and spirit. Enter into my soule, heale and clense me, inward­ly, and without. Be thou a defence, & continual health of my soule and body. Driue from me the enemies that lye in waite for me. Let them depart farre from the presence of thy power, that I being both without and within defen­ded by thee, may come in the right path to thy kingdome, where it is not delt in misteries as in this time, but we shal see thee face to face, when thou shalt deliuer the kingdome to god, and the Father, and god shal be al thinges in al. For then thou shalt fil me of thee with a merue­lous satiety, so that I shal neuer after hunger, nor thirst, thou who with the same god the Father, and holy Ghost, li­uest and reignest world without end. Amen.

S. Iacobus in Missa. recept. in Synod. 6. general.

TAist and see, how bountiful our Lord is, who is distributed into Partes, and is not diuided, and geuen to the faithful, and is not con­sumed, for remission of sinnes, and for life euerlasting, now and euer, & fore­uer. In rhe peace of Christ let vs singe: Taist & see, how bountiful our Lord is, o Psal. 33. Lord our god, heauenly bread, the life of al. I haue sinned against heauen and before thee, and I am not worthy to be partaker of thine immaculate misteries, but thou o merciful god, make me wor­thy of thy grace, that without condem­nation, I may be made partaker of thy holy body. &c.

After consecration. Missa Ethio­pum, ascribed to S. Mathew Apostle.

THis is the holy, honoured, and liuely body of our Lord & Sa­uiour Iesus Christ, which is ge­uen for remission of sinnes, and obtai­ning eternal saluation, to them that du­ly receaue it. Amen.

This is the bloud of our Lord & Sa­uiour Iesus Christ, holy, honoured, & viuificant, which was geuen for remis­sion of sinnes, & to obtaine euerlasting lyfe, to them that truly receaue it.

Amen. Verily this is the body, and this is the bloud of Emanuel our God.

Amen. I beleue, I beleue, Ibeleue, now and euer. Amen.

This is the body, and this is the bloud of our Lord and Sauiour Iesus Christ: which body, & which bloud, he tooke of our holy and immaculate Lady, Vir­gin Mary, and vnited them to his Diui­nity. Amen.

S. Ignatius Epistol. ad Ephes.

I desire the bread of god, the heauenly bread, the bread of life, which is the flesh of Iesus Christ, Sonne of the li­uing god, who was borne in the laste time, of the seede of Dauid, and A­braham.

S. Lligius Hom. 15. de vtrius (que) paschalis esu.

CHrist is offered in Sacrifice and eaten, and yet remaineth one & [Page 53] whole, sure our redemer, prouiding for our frailty, deliuered this sacrament vn­to vs: That because he now cannot dye, and we do daily sinne, we might haue a true sacrifice, by which we might be purged from our sinnes. Wherefore with feare, and compunction of mynd, & with al reuerence we ought to come to the Altar, and to the table of the body, and bloud of our lord, and humbly say, with Math. 8. the Centurion: O Lord I am not worthy, that thou shouldest enter vnder my roofe.

S. Ambros. l. 4. de Sacrament. cap. 5.

It was great and venerable, that to the Iewes it rayned Māna from hea­uen. But vnderstand, what is grea­ter, Manna from heauen, or the body of Christ? Truly the body of Christ, who is Authour of heauen. Thou dost not idly say, Amen, now in spirit, confes­sing, that thou receauest the body of Christ. The Preist saith vnto thee, The body of Christ, and thou saiest, Amen, that is, true. Let thine affection hold, what thy tongue confesseth. S.

S. Clem. Rom. Const. Apost. l. 2. c. 61.

AFter the Sacrifice is ended, let al in order receaue our Lordes body, with shamfastnes & feare as comming to the body of the King. Let the women also, with their heades veyled, come in order. Let the Bishop geue the oblation saying, The body of Christ. And let him that receaueth, say, Amen. When the rest receaue, let the 33. psalme be said. lib. 8. cap. 20.

S. Clem. Rom. sup. l. 8. c. 20

When the psalme is ended, let the Deacon say, let vs giue thankes to him, who haith made vs worthy, to receaue his holy misteries, and we aske that they be not vnto vs to iudgment, but saluatiō vn­to vs, to the profit of our soule & bo­dy, for custody of piety, remission of sinnes, to the life of the world to come: let vs be stirred vp in grace.

S. Chrisost. l. 3. de Sacerdot.

When thou behouldest our Lord Sa­crificed, the preist occupyed in the Sa­crifice, and pouring forth praiers: dost thou think thou doest conuerse with mortal men, and to be on earth? Art thou not rather forthwith transported into heauen, and casting away al co­gitation of the flesh, with a naked mind and pure vnderstanding, lookest about the thinges that be in heauen? O mira­cle! O bounty of God! He which sit­teth aboue with his Father, the same instant time, is handled with the han­des of al: and he geueth him self vn­to them that wil receaue him and em­brace him.

The Praier added by the primatiue Church, as appeareth by these Sainctes.

S. Aug. 5. 2. Annun. Dom. Athan, ser. de Deip. Ephrem. orat, de lau­dib [Page 59] Dei Matris. Greg. Naz. Trag. Chr. patiens. &c.

O holy Mary Mother of God, pray for vs sinners, now & in the hour of our death. Amen.

A deuout Meditation by way of ex­position, vpon the first part, out of S. Andreas Archbishop of Hierusa lem, ser, in salut. Angel.

HAile ful of grace, our Lord is with thee. Haile organe of gladnesse, by which the con­demnation of our sinne is purged, and a ful recompence of true ioy is made. Haile thou who art truly blessed. Haile illuminated: Haile magnificent Tem­ple of diuine glory: Haile consecra­ted Palace of our King. Haile Bride­chamber wherein humanity was espou­sed to Christ. Haile thou chosen of God before thou wert borne. Haile gods reconciliation with men. Haile treasure of incorruptible life. Haile heauen, the Tabernacle of the Sunne of glory. Haile most ample feild of God, whom none other place, but thou [Page 60] alone, is able to comprehend. Haile holy virginal earth, of which the new Adam by an vnspeakable framing, was formed, to restoare the old Adam to saluation.

Haile ful of grace, our Lord is with thee: He that said, Let light be made. Gen. 1. Let the firmament be made, and after­wardes, the other workes of his pow­erable creation. Haile thou new Arke of glory, in which the holy Ghost des­cending, rested: the Arke in which the sanctification of new glory, which of his owne nature is holy, meruelously inclosed him self in the virginal wombe as in a shop of nature to be incarnate. Haile thou intellectual glasse of con­templatiue knowledg, by which the Prophets renowmed spirits, haue mis­tically shadowed the incredible com­ming downe of god vnto vs. Haile or­nament of the Prophets, and al Patri­arkes, and the most true praise of the vnsearchable oracles of god.

Blessed art thou among women: And blessed is the fruit of thy wombe. And certes thou art truly blessed, for God [Page 61] blessed thee a Tabernacle to him self. Among women blessed art thou, who most freely didest embrace, as it were, in the saife promptuary of thy virgi­nity, that heauenly treasure, in whom al other treasures of wisdome & know­ledg are laide vp. Thou art truly bles­sed, who alone aboue al other Mo­thers, was worthy to be the Mother of thy maker. Verily blessed art thou who alone without man, didest con­ceaue, & in thy wōbe beare him, who spreadeth the heauens, and made the earth, of thy virginity, to be celestial. Blessed art thou among women, who alone hast obtained the blessing which god promised to the gentiles by Abra­ham. Verily blessed art thou, who art na [...]ed the Mother of the blessed childe Iesus Christ our Sauiour, by whom the Nations do cry, Blessed is he that com­meth in the name of our Lord, and blessed Math. 21. Psal. 117. Psal. 71. is the euerlasting name of his glory. And the whole earth shal be filled with his Ma­iesty. Among women blessed art thou, whom al generations declare to be blessed, Kinges do glorify, whom Po­tentates [Page 62] adore, in whose sight, the ri­chest of the people offer guiftes, on whō virgins following, and going before, doe attende, into the Temple of the King.

Blessed art thou amonge women, whō Isay behoulding with his prophetical Is. 8. eyes, named the prophetesse and virgin. Verily blessed art thou, whom Ezechiel Ezechiel. 43. Ezechiel. 44. et 46. Daniel. 2. proclamed to be the true rysing of the sunne. A gaite closed, opened by god alone, and shut againe. Thou alone art truly blessed, whom Daniel that man of desyers did see, to be a great moūtaine, And admirable Abacuc, a shadowing mountaine: Moreouer the mountaine of Psal. 67. god, & a fertile mountaine; Also a plea­sant mountaine, a mountaine in which it pleased god to dwel, as thy ancestor the king endued with the spirit of god foretould. Amonge women blessed art thou: whom Zacharie that most heauen­ly Zachar. 4. man did behould as a Candlesticke a­dorned with seuen Cādl [...]s, doubtles bright & shyning with those seuē guiftes of the holy ghost. Verily blessed art thou, beu­tified with sence and vnderstanding, the Gen. 2. paradise [Page 63] of the florishing wood of our sal­uation, which hast within thee the hus­bandman him selfe of the Garden Eden I meane Christ our lord, shadowed by figures in thee: who by a certaine vnspe­able power, like vnto astreme, issuing forth from thy wombe of life, as it were with foure beginninges by his gospel, haith wattered the face of the world. Blessed art thou amonge women, and blessed is the frute of thy wombe. Blessed is that Io. 4. frute from which fountaines Do flow of water sprīging vp vnto life euerlasting. That frute from which that liuely bread, I meane our lordes body is brought forth, and the cup of immortality, the sauing potion is geuen vnto vs.

A deuout meditation and praier concer­ning the second part of the Aue Maria: out of S. Augustine s. 2. Annun. dom. Tom. 10.

O Blessed Marie, who is able worthely to render vnto thee dutie of thankes, and solemni­ty of praises, who by thy singular assent hast succoured the world, that was lost? [Page 64] What laudes shal the frailty of mankind pay vnto thee, who by thy negotiation hast foūd the meanes to recouer it again? Therefore receiue such as they be, very smal, such as they be, thankes vneqnal to thy merites: And when thou hast recea­ued our prayers, by praying excuse our faultes. Admit our praiers within the Oratorie of thy audience, and bring backe vnto vs, a preseruatine of reconci­liatiō. Let that be excused which we en­treate by thee: Let vs obtaine that, which we aske with a faithful mind. Re­ceiue that, which we offer, bestow a gaine vpon vs, what we demaund, excuse what we feare: For thou art a singular hope of sinners, by thee we hope for pardon of offences, and in thee, o most blessed woman, is the expectation of our rewar­des. O Holy Mary succour those that be in misery, assist the weake hearted, comfort those that weepe, pray for the people, entreat for the cleargie, make in­tercession for the deuout woman sexe, let al perceaue thy helpe, that celebrat thy name. Be ready to assist the prayers of them that aske thee, and yeld to al, their [Page 65] desired effect. Ha [...]e a care d [...]a [...]y to pray for the people of god, t [...]ou o bless [...]d, who didest dese [...]ue to b [...]are the Redee­mer of the world, who l [...]uet [...] and reig­neth for euer. Amen.

An other deuout Meditation and praier concerning the s [...]me out of S. Atha [...]a­sius Pa [...]ri [...]rcke of Ale [...]a [...]dria se [...]. de Sac [...]iss. deipara.

THe holy ghost came vpon her & Luc. 1. sanctified her, as the spirit saith in the psalmes. The most high, ps. 45. haith sanctified his Tabernacle, and the power of the highest strengthning oue [...] sha­dowed her. Luc. 1. He is a King that was borne of the Virgin, & the same our Lord and God. Therefore also his Mother which brought him forth, is proper­ly & truly thought, to be our Queene, and Lady, and Mother of God: and it wil be lawful for vs so agreably to speake, while we haue respect vnto [...]er, and him that was borne of her, her son that beareth flesh. Wherefore as whē we looke vnto him, we cal him our King, Lord, and God: so also when [Page 66] we cast our eyes to her, we behould her to be our Queene, Lady, and Gods Mother, and that by contemplation of our intellectual eye. The Queene is pre­sent ps. 44. on thy right hand, compassed about with her guilded garment garnished.

And now truly, o Daughter of Da­uid and Abraham, harken and incline thine eare to our praiers, and do not forgeat thy people. It becometh thee to be called Mother, Regeneratrix, La­dy, and Mistris: in reguard, that from thee, issued our King, Lord, and our God. Thou art present vnto him, who though he be terrible vnto vs, yet is sweete vnto thee, and geueth al grace: for which cause it came to passe, that thou was called Ful of grace, that is, Luc. 1. who didest abound with algrace, and that by the comming of the holy Ghost ps. 44. vpon thee: Therefore, al the riche of the people, do bes [...]ch thy countenance, be­ing made rich with such good thinges, and spiritual contemplations. To thee we crye, remember vs, o most holy Virgin, who euer after thy deliuery, remainest a Virgin: and geue vnto vs [Page 67] for this litle speach, great guiftes out of the riches of thy graces, thou that art ful of grace. Wherefore we vse theese wordes, as from the thing it self, & by nature laudatory: cheifly for the song of thy praise, if at any time hymne, if at any time praise, be offered vnto thee, either by vs, or any creature: To thee, I say, our gratious Lady, Queene, Mis­tris, Mother of God, Arke of the Sanc­tuary.

Behould now at this time, & in the be­ginning of the day, how the Angel cō ­posed this Eucomion to thee, as the first fruites of praise, sayng. Haile ful of Luc. 1▪ grace, our Lord is with thee. Al orders of Angels, and terrestrial thinges, pro­nounce thee blessed: and lifting vp their Hierarchial handes, blesse thee, who art blessed in heauen, and decla­red blessed on earth. Bl [...]ssed art thou a­mong women, and blessed is the fruit of thy wombe: For with such blessinges, the first sacred Order, doth celebrate thee, which consisteth of, Thrones, Cheru­bins, & Seraphins, who are called Flamines or knowers of the great King, [Page 68] that is God. Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is thy wombe, the bearer of God, & thy Papps, which he yet an infant, sucked. And the second Hierarchy, which containeth Domina­tions, Powers, and Potestates, as ha­uing learned it of the higher Hierar­chy, and first illuminated, respecting vnto thee, doth crye, Blessed art thou among women, an [...] blessed is thy wōb which conceaued God, and thy ceates which brought vp god, become a child.

Now the third holy order of Prin­cipalities, Angels, and Archangels, vn­to twhom it was commaunded and per­mitted from God, by sending forth one Gabriel an Archangel, doth vtter the most glorious & most aboundant himne in these wordes. Haileful of grace, our Lord is with thee. Then from these, we that are the earthly Hierarchies, brin­ging the exaltations of god in our voice whether because we haue learned, or haue tak [...]n these wordes one from an ps. 149. other, exalt thee with a great & lowde voice, Haile gratious, our Lord is with the [...]. O Mistris, and Lady, & Queene, [Page 69] and the Mother of God, make intercessi­on for vs. Because he that was borne of thee, God incarnat, is our god, to whom is due glory, magnifying, and al honour and adoration, and thankes giuing, with the father without beginning, and with the holy good viuificant spirit, both now and euer world with­out end. Amen.

An other out of S. Ephrem. ser. de sanctiss. dei genitricis virginis Mariae laudibus.

O Lady replenish my mouth, with the grace of thy sweet­nesse; and illuminat my mind, o ful of grace, moue my tongue, and lippes, cherfully and with ioyful mind, to sing prayses vnto thee, and cheefely that angelical delightful song, by farr, most renowned, which the angel Gabriel in Nazareth did sing to thee a virgin, & mother of god most vndefiled: That sa­lutation I say, most conuenient, and a­greeable, and most worthy health of the world, and medicine and preseruatiue of our soules. O sacred virgin vouchsafe [Page 70] that I thy humble seruant, may praise thee, and ioyfully say: Haile excellent and chosen vessel of god. Haile lady Mary ful of grace: Haile among women, most blessed virgin. Haile starre most re­fulgent, from which Christ went forth. Haile light most shining mother & virgin Haile who hast most admirablly brou­ght forth, the king of al. Haile by whō the most cleare sunne of iustice haith shyned. Haile Queene and lady, higher then al. Haile song of the Cherubim & Seraphim, and sacred hymne of Angels. Haile peace, ioy, cōsolatiō, & health of the world. Haile gladnesse of mankind. Haile praise of the fathers, and orna­ment of the prophets. Haile bewty of martyrs, and crowne of sainctes. Haile glory of the godly. Haile most excellent miracle of the whole globe, of the earth. Haile delight of al earthly cre [...]tures. Hail paradise of delightes, and al pleasant­nesse, and immortality▪ Haile tree of life, ioy, and pleasure. Haile mother of al. Haile fountaine of grace and al comfort. Haile refuge and harbour of sinners. Haile propitiatorie of them that labour. [Page 71] Haile sanctuarie in Ierusalem. Haile most glorious throne of our Creator. Haile illustrious, & most shyning bright­nesse of eternitie. Haile hope of al good mē afflicted with aduersity. Haile sweete comfort, and defence of conuertites. Haile Queene and patronesse both of men and women. Haile most effectual con­ciliatrix of the whole world. Haile glo­ry, and [...]oy of al preistes. Haile vi [...]gin, comfort of the solitary liuers. Haile Queene of the heauenly Citizens, and Lady of Angels. Haile our comfor­tesse that hast appeased our sorowes, and mitigated our greefes, and taken away al our oppressions. Haile sure trust of our soule. Haile firme sauegard of al Christians, recurring sincerely and tru­ly vnto thee. Haile light most bright, by which the world is illumined. Haile bright mother of Christ sonne of the li­uing god. Haile notable protection, & glory of vs al. Hail who hast cōprehēded him in thy bosome, and armes, that is comprehended in no space. Haile who hast brought vp Christ the giuer of life: Christ I say the most merciful creator of al. [Page 72] our most sweete lord Iesus, to whom belongeth al honour, glory, renowne & power foreuer; praise and iubilation and magnificence together with the eternal fath [...]r and holy ghost, now and euer & world without end. Amen.

By th [...] p [...]aiers and merites of the most holy mother of god, Mary the virgin, & al the heauenly armies, and whole com­pany of Angels, Cherubim and Sera­phim, prophets and Apostles, Martyrs and Cōfesors, and by the intercessions of al Sainctes, and supplications of al the blessed, o my most merciful god haue mercy on thy creature: and place thy humble seruantes on thy right h [...]nd, in the houer of thy dredful Iudgment Amen..

An other out of the same S. Eprem. orat. ad Sauctiss. dei Genitricem.

BE present vnto me now & euer, o Virgin, Mother of God, Mo­ther of mercy, benigne, & gen­tle, a feruent protectrise, & helper, in this present course of life, turning from me al hostile inuasions, and placing me in the way of saluation, and in the last [Page 73] point of life, conseruing my miserabl [...] soule, and driuing from it, the darke & horrible sight, of most wicked deuils: in the dreedful day of Iudgment, deli­uering me from euerlasting damnation [...] and finally accompting me in the num­ber of the iust, and making me heire of the inaccessible glory of thy sonne & God, which I desire, o my Lady, and Mother of God, may after this exile, by thy godly intercession and patro­nage, be graunted vnto me, and vnto al that humb [...]y runne to thee, and fas­ten their hope in thee, by the grace, mercy, and bounty of thy onely begot­ten Sonne, our Lord God, and Sauiour Iesus Christ: to whom is due, al glory, honour, power, and adoration, with the Eternal Father, and holy, and vi­uificant Spirit, now and euer, & world without end. Amen.

An other out of the same S. Ephrem in Lament. Mar. super pas. dom.

O Pure, and immaculate, and blessed Virgin, Mother of thy mighty Sonne, and of the God [Page 74] of al, without offence, perfect and most sacred, the hope of the dispayring, and guilty, we praise thee, we blesse thee as most ful of grace, who brought forth Christ, God and man. We al fal down to thee, al cal vpon thee, and besech thy helpe. Deliuer vs o Virgin holy & intemerate, from al necessity approa­ching, & frō al tēptations of the deuil. Be thou our reconciliatrix and Aduo­cate in the hour of death & Iudgment, and deliuer vs from the vnquencheable fyre to come, & the outward darknesse, and vouchsaife vs the glory of thy Son, o Virgin and Mother most sweete and gentle. For thou alone with the God of Christians, art our most secure and holy hope. To whom be glory & ho­nour, renowne, & rule for euer. Amen.

Another of S. Ephrem, ser. de laud. Sanstiss. Dei Genitr. Virg. Mar.

OInuiolate, perfect, & wholly pure and chast Virgin Mary, Mother of God, Queene of al, our most glorious Lady, higher then the inhabitantes of heauen, brighter then t [...]e beames and shyninges of the sunne, more honoured then the Che­rubim, more holy then the Seraphim, and incomparably more glorious then al the other celestial Armes, the hope of the Fathers, glory of the Prophets, praise of the Apostles, honour of Mar­tirs, ioy of Sainctts, & light of the most accepted Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob. The Ornaments of Aaron, brightnesse Iud. 6. of Moyses, and Flease of Gedeon, the crowne of the company of holy Prin­ces, & al Sainctes & virgins, bright­nesse farre exceeding, and splendor in­accessible, the Golden Censor, most cleare Lantherne, most bewtiful ves­sel, bearing the Manna of heauen, the Heb. 6. Table which brought the written Law vnto mortal men, the true Arke, most Apoc. 8. diuine Charter, most prudent and wise [Page 76] wise Princesse of al, and illuminating Virgin, most holy comfortesse and gui­der of al, most sacred Maiden. O flam­ming Bush vnburned, and florishing Rodde of Aaron. For verily thou art the Rodde, and thy Sonne the Floure: For from the roote of Dauid and Salomon, did spring Christ our creatour god and Lord, omnipotent, and alone most high. Thou broughtest forth god and man: Thou a Virgin, before birth, in birth, and after his birth. God thy creatour, putting on flesh without seed, in thy virginal wombe, did not take a­way those keyes of the oriental gate that is euer shutt: and preseruing thee, o most bewtiful, such a one as thou was before his birth, By thee we are re­conciled to Christ our God, thy most sweete Sonne. Thou art the onely ad­nocatrix, and helper of sinners, & peo­ple destitute of helpe. Thou the most saife Hauen of thē that fuffer shipwrack.

Thou art the comfort of the world. Thou art the receptacle of orphanes, redemption, and deliuery of captiues: Thou the exultation of the sick, conso­tion of the sadde, and health of al. [Page 77] al. Thou art the strength of MonKes, and Eremites, and hope of the secular. Thou art the glory, crowne, and ioy of virgins. Thou art the gladnesse of the world, O Lady, Princesse, & Queene most excellent, exceding blessed, Mai­den most honoured, and Lady of ladies most pure and chast. We flee vnder thy defence, o holy Mother of God, de­fend and keepe vs vnder the winges of thy piety and mercy. Haue mercy on vs that are defyled with the filth of sin, who with very manifould offences and transgressions, haue offended the Crea­tor our god, Iudg of al, lest the most pernicious Sathan, be insolent & glory against vs, lest the detestable enemy a­rise against vs, lest we see thy seruants to fal from hope of thee: or lest the tongue of detractors, calumniate vs. We haue none other hope, then in thee o most sincere Virgin. Farr from our Mothers armes, o our Lady, we wret­ches are dedicated vnto thee, and cal­led thy Clients. Therfore suffer vs not by the malignant Sathan, to be led to the gates of hel. For thou art our ha­uen, o Virgin immaculate, and president. [Page 78] O holy helper, we are who­ly vnder thy tuission, and protection. Therfore we flee to thee the onely wo­man, and with often teares, o most blessed Mother, besech thee and fall downe vnto thee, humbly crying, and praying, lest thy sweete Sonne our Sa­uiour, & geuer of the life of al, for ma­ny sinnes which we haue committed, take vs away, and like a Lyon, teare our wretched soules, or cut vs vp, as the barren figge tree. But we entreat that we may come securely to Christ, & en­ter into those pallaces of the blessed, where there are not teares, nor mour­ning, nor vexation, not greife, not ca­lamity, not death, not torment, not want of place.

Direction out of S. Ambrose lib. 3. [Page 80] Virgin.

We ought to repeate daily the Creede as the seale of our heart, in the houres before day. To which, when we are a­fraide, of any thing, we must runne continually. For when is a souldier in campe, a warriar in battaile, without his signe of warfare to be decerned by?

A Meditation, or breife exposition v­pon the same Creede, out of S. Clem. Ep. 1. translated by Ruffinus, within 400 yeares of Cirist.
Ruffinus in praef ad Gaudent. in Re­ [...]ogn. vasen. Conc. can. 6. Alexan. 1. Ep. ex Conc. Rom. Anaclet. Ep. 3.

IT greatly behoueth al men that are called by the Christian name, tru­ly to beleue and acknowledg, the Father, the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, one God and Lord, and with al their The duty of [...] Christian. mind, and al their heart, and al their power, to loue him and their neigh­boures as them selues, and to be in­structed, to perfect Doctrine, to accō ­plish these. thinges. For faith and Cha­rity, are [...]he foundation of al Good­nesse, Heb. 11. and without Faith no man can [Page 81] can please god. Therefore Christ being risen from death, & ascended into hea­uen, after the holy Ghost was sent, the Apostles hauing the knowledg of ton­gues, bestowed vpon them, being yet together, cōposed the Symbole, which the true beleuing Church now holdeth, euery one of them saying what he tho­ught. That when they should depart one from an other, they might preach this rule throughout al natiōs. Where­fore so they taught, proposing a sūme of the whole Catholick faith, in which both the integrity of our beleefe, and the equality of one god omnipotent, that is, the holy Trinity, is declared, & the mistery of the Incarnation, of the Sonne of god, who for the saluation of mankind, descending fro [...] his Father in heauen, vouchsaifed to be borne of a Virgin, and by what meanes, & when he suffered death, how being buried, he arose, and in his flesh it self, ascen­ded into heauen, and sitteth on the right hand of the Father, and shal come to be our Iudge, and how he bestowed remission of sinnes, to them that be re­generate [Page 82] in holy baptisme, & the re­furrection of mankind in the same flesh, for the life to come. For Symbole in greeke, is called in latin, a Collecti­on. And this the said Apostles amonge them selues, by the holy Ghost, as be­fore is said, for the good of vs. It is also named a signe, because by this, he that truly beleueth, is knowne. Ther­for esaluatiō of their soules, & euerlast­ing life is by good workes prepared to al that beleue the thinges contained in the fore said Symbole.

An other Meditation vpon the same, out of S. Maximus Episc. Thaur. hom. de tradit. Symboli.

WHen among our Fathers, as the booke of Iudges ma­keth mention, certaine Tri­b [...]s of Israel, fel to ciuil warres among them selues, and because of the like ha­bit of one people, there could be no distinction to know the souldiers by: that Tribe which had the iustest cause of war, because it worthily by the help of god presumed of victory, ordained [Page 83] to it self a signe in a secret speach, that those whom one liknesse of armour cō ­founded, the mistery of their watch­word might distinguish. Which exam­ple, as I suppose, the blessed Apostles imitating, deliuered the mistery of the Symbole to the Church of God, which they armed against the malice of the de­uils fury: that because vnder one name of Christ, there would be a difference of beleuers, the signe of the Symbole, might make distinction betwene the true faithful, and the misbeleuers. And he that was a stranger from faith, and enemy of the Church, might appeare ei­ther as one not baptised that knew it not, or as an heritik that had corrupted it.

A Meditation necessary, for a directi­on to al professing Christ crucified, vpon that word of our Creede, Crucified.
Ciril. Hieros. Catech. 4. Illumin.

MAny others haue bene cruci­fied, but what other that was crucified is there, whose in­uocation expelleth deuils? Therefore [Page 84] let vs not be ashamed of the Crosse of Christ. But if any man doth hide it, signe thou thy self openly in thy fornead with the Crosse, that the deuils seeing th [...] signe of the King, may with trem­bling fle [...] fa [...]re of. Make this signe, when thou eatest, when thou drinkest, and sitting, and standing, and speaking, and walking: breifly in al thy busi­nesse.

An other of S. Ephrem, ser. de cru­ce D [...]mini.

DOminus regnauit a Ligno. Our Lord haith [...]e [...]gned from the tree The Crosse ruleth, which al Nations adore. T [...]e C [...]sse is the hope of christians▪ the Resurrection of the dead, staff [...] of the lame, comfort of the poore, bridle of the riche, subuer­sion of the proud. The Crosse, the tri­umph against deuils, a father of orpha­nes and pupils, counseler of the iust, comfort & ease of the afflicted, k [...]eper of infantes, head of men, crowne of old men, a light to them that sitt in dark­nesse, magnificence of Kinges, freedom offeruantes, wisdom of the vnlearned; [Page 85] philosophy of the barbarous.

The Crosse, the preaching of the Pro­phets, companion of the Apostles, glo­rifying of Martyrs, shamfastnesse of vir­gins, ioy of Preistes. The Crosse, foū ­dation of the Church, and security of the world, destruction of the temples of Idols, scandal of the Iewes, strength of the weake, medicine of the s [...]ck, food of the hungry, and fountain of the thir­sty. This it is, which fastned in the mi­dle Mat. 27. Marc. [...]5. of the earth, in the place of caluary presently budded forth, the best branch of grapes of our life. This planted in Luc 23. Io. 19. Phil. 2. Eph. 4. the midle of the earth, most prudently haith comprehended the endes of the world. On this, Christ our God being exalted, ledde agaiue captiuity captiue, which was detayned by the tyrant be­neath. In that Christ destroyed the most deuouring belie of hel, and stop­ped the working, and wyde open ga­ping mouth of the deuil: He being seene, death did tremble and quake for feare, and dismissed al free, which from the first man, vnto that time, it had held vnder her rule and tyranny.

Another of S Chrisostome aduer. gent. demonst. &c. et hom. 55. in Matth.

THe Crosse, which was cursed, which was abominable, a signe of death: is made a thing more noble then Diademes and Crownes. For the head is not so adorned with a kingly crown, as with the Crosse which is more worthy then any ornament, & that which in former times, al so much abhorred, now they so much seeke to haue the signe thereof. It is now found in euery place: with Princes, subiects, men, women, Virgins, the maryed, bound, and free. Al men oftentimes signe them selues therewith, making it on our noblest member, for it is dai­ly figured on our forhead as vpon a pil­ler. So it shyneth on the holy Table, so in the ordinations of Preists, so a­gaine with the body of Christ in the Mistical supper. Meruelous is this grace no man is ashamed of it, no man blūs­sheth at it, thinking that it haith bene the signe of a cursed death: but al men are more adorned with it, then with [Page 87] [...]rownes of Diademes, or many Iew­els, and chaines, beset with precious stones.

Hieronimus Ep. 128 ad Fabiol. Exod. 28. Thou shalt make a plate of the purest gold, &c fastning it on the forhead &c.

THat which in times past, was demōstrated in the golden plate is shewed in the signe of the Cross. Then the signe, according to the saying of Ezechiel, was fastned on the forhead of them that mourned: now we that beare the Crosse, do say, O Lord the light of thy co [...]ntenance, is sig­ned Hier. inc. 9. Ezech. vpon vs. K [...]l none, vpon whom you shal see the signe Thou. In the old cha­racters of the Hebrewes, which the Sa­maritanes vs [...] to this day, the last letter is Than, hauing the similitude of a Crosse, which is made in the forheades of Christians, and signed, by often for­ming it with our hand.

A praier after the Creede, out of S. Hilary, l. 1 [...]. Trin. in fine.

PReserue o Lord, this Religion of my faith vnspotted, and til my soule departeth from me, geu [...] me this voice of conscience, that I may alwaies kepe that which I haue profes­sed in the Symbole of my Regenerati­on, when I was baptised, in the Father and the Sonne, and the holy Ghost, that is, may worship thee our Father, thy Sonne together with thce, and may deserue thy holy Spirit which is of thee by thy onely begotten Sonne. Because there is a fitt witnesse for my faith vn­to me saying, Father, al my thinges are thine, and thine, are mine: my Lord Iesus Christ remayning in thee, and of thee, and with thee, alwaies God, who is blessed for euer. Amen.

An other inter oper. sancti Cipriani, de Symb. which som ascribe to S. Cip. others to Ruffi­nus.

OVr Lord vouchsaife to graunt vs, that keeping the Faith which we haue receaued, after our course is ēded, to expect the crown [Page 89] of Iustice laid vp in stoare, and to be found among them that rise againe to euerlasting life, & to be deliuered from confusion and euerduring reproach, by Christ our Lord, by whom to God the Father almighty, with the holy Ghost, be glory and rule, world without end Amen.

Meditations and praiers, vpon those wordes of the Creede, Communi­on of Sainctes, may be vsed before Iournay, or other busines. Gen. 48.

THe Angel which haith deliue­red me frō al euils: blesse these children.

The Angel of our Lord, wil put him Ps. 33. self in the compasse of them that feare him: and deliuer them.

He haith geuen his Angels charge Psal. 90 of thee: that they kepe thee in al thy waies.

When thou didest pray with teares, Tob. 12. & buriedst the dead, & left thy dinner, [Page 90] and hiddest the dead in the day in thy house, and buriedst them in the night: I did offer thy praier to our Lord.

I am Raphael the Angel, one of the seauen which stand before our Lord.

The vision was this. Onias which Mach. l. 2. c. vlt. had bene high Preist, houlding out his handes, to pray for al the people, of Is­rael, and after this an other man appearing, meruelous for age and glory, and with habit of great comlinesse about him, and Onias answearing, to haue said: This is a louer of his brethren, & the people of Israel, this is he that prayeth much for the people, and al the ho­ly Citie, Ieremy the prophet of god.

The four and twenty Elders, fel downe before the Lambe, hauing eue­ry Apoc. 5. one Harpes and Phials of Gold, ful of sweete odores, which are the praiers of Sainctes.

A Praier of Iudas Machabeus, 2. Machab. cap. vlt.

O Lord, who hast sent thy Angel 4. Reg. 10. Tob. 21. vnder Ezechias king of Iuda, and kil­led an hūdred fourscore and fiue thou­sand [Page 91] of the army of Sennacherib: and Eccl. 48. Is. 7. 1. Mac. 7. &c. now o Lord of heauens, send thy good Angel before vs in feare and trembling of the greatnesse of thy strength, that they which come against thy holy peo­ple, may be affraid.

A Meditation out of S. Ciprian, de mortalitate.

WE must consider, and think with our selues, that we haue renounced the world, and liue here a while, as strangers, and pilgrimes. Let vs embrace that day, which appointeth euery one to his dwelling house, which restoareth vs, being deliuered from hence, and freed from worldly snare, to paradise and the hea­uenly kingdome. What man, being a pilgrime farr of, would not hasten to returne to his Country? Who seeking with speede to saile vnto his frendes, would not wishingly desire, a prospe­rous winde, that he might quickly em­brace his dearly beloued frendes? We accompt Paradise to be our Coun­try, & haue begonne to haue the Patri­arkes [Page 92] for our parents. Why do we no [...] make hast and runne, that we may see our country, and salute our parents? A great number of our deare frendes, expect vs there, a frequent and abun­dant company, of parents, brethren, children, desireth vs, now secure of their owne immortality, and yet care­ful for our saluation. What great and common ioy is it, both to them and vs, to come to their sight and embracing? What pleasure is there of the heauenly Kingdomes, without fear of dying, & with eternity of liuing? How excee­ding and euerlasting felicity? There is the glorious company of the Apo­stles, there the nūber of reioycing pro­phets, there innumerable people of Martyrs crowned for their victory of combate and suffering, there Virgins triumphing, which haue subdued the concupiscence of flesh and body, with the force of continency, there the mer­ciful rewarded, which haue done the workes of Iustice, with feeding & libe­rally rewarding the poore, haue trans­lated their earthly patrimonies, to the [Page 93] [...]elestial treasures.

Let vs with a greedy wishing, hasten vnto these, that we may desire soone to be with these and come to Christ.

S. Leo ser. in Epiph. Dom. c. 4.

Confirme your frendships with holy An­gels, enter into the City of god, whose inhabitation, is promised vnto vs: and ioyne your selues in company with the patriarches, Prophets, Apostles, and Martyrs. Reioyce in such thinges as they ioy in. Couet their richesse, and by good emulation, seeke to obtaine their suffrages.

S. Euseb. Emiss. hom. de S. Ste­phano.

LEt vs enquire what neede or rea­son there is, seeing the holy Martyrs being placed in that light of paradise, neede not humane praises, why they are celebrated with so great affections of men. Why are their Reliques (God reueling them) so manifested to the world? Doubtlesse for many causes. First they are wor­shiped [Page 94] of careful men, that they may make intercessiō for their diligent wor­shipers. Againe, that whilest they are proposed to posterity for an example of deuotion and faith, they may alwaies be encreased with new merits: & now renowned for their vertues, they may also be amplifyed by the profits of o­thers. And further that the old enemy euen before Iudgment, may see the pu­nishment of his malice, by which he vnderstandeth, that he haith fought for the glory of Sainctes: that whom he seeth here now honoured, he nedeth not doubt, but there they wil be reuen­ged. That when the whole world doth celebrate the crowne of the martired, the killer of Martyrs, must nedes be­waile his victory.

S. Augstin. lib. meditat. cap. 20.

O House of God, bright, & beu­tiful, I haue loued thy comli­nesse, and the place of the habi­tation of the glory of our lord, my pos­sessor, and maker. Let my pilgrimage sigh vnto thee day and night. Let my [Page 95] hart be open vnto thee. Let my mind intēd thee. Let my soule desire to come vnto the felowship of thy blessednes. I speake vnto him that made thee, that he may possesse me in thee because he hath made me, & thee. And speake thou, aske thou him, that he make me worthie of the participation of thy glory, for I do not require thy holy societie, and thy admirable beutifulnes, by my merit, but by his bloud, with which I was redee­med: I do not despaire to obtaine it, onely let thy merites helpe me, Let thy most pure prayers, which by no meanes can be vneffectual with god, assist my wickednesse. I haue erred, I confesse, as [...] lost sheepe, and my inhabitation is porlonged, and I am cast farr from the face of our lord, into this blindnesse of exile, where banished from the ioyes of paradise, I daily be waile with my selfe, vpon the miseries of my captiuity, a doleful song and great lamentations, when I remēber thee, o my mother Hie­rusalem, while my feete do stand in thy courtes, o holy and beutiful syon, not yet able to looke openly into thy inward [Page 96] thinges, but I hope to be earied b [...]e [...] vnto thee, vpon the shoulders of my she­pard thy builder, that I may reioyee with thee in that vnspeakable ioy, with which they reioyce that are with thee, before god him selfe, and our sauiour, which haith dissolued enmities in his flesh, & Eph. 2. with his bloud pacified al thinges that are in heauen, & in earth. For he is our peace who haith made, both one, who ioy­ning two contrary wales together in him, haith promised to geue vnto vs, by the like maner, and the same measure, the cōtinuing felicity of his happines, saing: They shal be equal to the Angels of god in Math. 22. Luc. 20 heauen. O Hierusalem the euerlasting house of god, next to the loue of Christ, be thou my ioy and consolation, let the sweete memorie of thy blessed name, be the relife of my sorrow & wearinesse.

A prayer out of S. Victor. Vticen. l. 3. pers. Vand.

BE present vnto me o you Angels of my god, who are neuer absent, constituted in your ministery for them, which shal receaue the inheritance of salua­tion, [Page 97] Consider, & behould, how Syon the Citie of our god, is made vile, be­come Thren. v [...] ▪ as it weare vnseemely, defiled a­mong her enemies. The enemie haith laid his hand vpon al her desirable thinges, be­cause she haith seene the Gentiles to inuade, and enter her courtes, of which thou hadest commaunded that they should not enter in­to thy Church. Her wayes do mourne be­cause no man do [...]h come in the festiual day. Al comlinesse and delight are gone from her countenance. Her virgins & yong people brought vp in Monasteries, haue learned to tread sharp wayes, and are gone into captiuity. The holy stones, are scattered abrode, not onely in stree­tes but in filthy places. Pray for her you Patriarches, which now is persecuted on earth. O holy Prophets pray, know­ing that she, whom before you haue tu­ned with a prophetical praise, is now af­flicted. O Apostles, be you spokesmen, for her, whom to gather together, you haue runne as most swift horses through the whole world, our Lord ascending v­pon you, cheifly thou, o blessed Peter, why art thou silent for the sheepe and [Page 98] lambes, with great werinesse & solici­tude committed vnto thee by our com­mon Lord? Thou holy Paule Doctor of the Gentiles, who from Ierusalem, to Illyricum, hast preached the Gospel of god, and al you holy Apostles, la­ment together with vs. Let it be said to the striking Angel, It sufficeth, now hold thy hand. We prostrate, aske, that you do not despise your wretched sinners, by him that promoted you lowly fish­ers, to the highest Apostolical dignity.

S. August. l. meditat. c. 40.

O Holy & immaculate virgin Mary mother of god, and mother of our Lord Iesus Christ, vouchsaif to make intercession for me with him, whose temple thou didest deserue to be. O holy Michael holy Gabriel, holy Ra­phel, o holy Queares of Angels, Archan­gels, Patriarckes & Prophets, Apostles, Euangelistes, Martyrs, Confessors, Preistes, Leuites, Monkes, Virgins, and al the iust, I presume to besech you, by him, who haith chosen you, & of whose contemplation you reioyce, that you wil vouchsafe to make supplication to [Page 99] God for me that am sinful, that I may deserue, to be deliuered forth of the iawes of the deuil, & from euerlasting death.

An other out of S. Iohn Chrisostom. in miss. vers. a Leon. Tusc.

O Apostles, Martyrs, and Pro­phets, Preists, Confessors, & you the iust, who haue wel fi­nished your combate, and kept your faith, conseruing your confidence with our Sauiour: pray for vs, that our soules may be saued. Amen

An other of S. Ephrem, de laud. Mart.

O Most blessed Martyrs, who willingly and readily haue vn­dergone tormentes, for our Lord our Sauiour, and for his loue, & therfore are familiarly conioyned with our Lord, we besech you to vouchsaife to make intercession to our Lord for vs wretches, and sinners, defiled with the filth of negligence, that the grace of Christ may come vpon vs, that may [Page 100] illustrate our heartes with the beame of holy Charity, that we may loue him with al our heart.

O most blessed men, and most glorious Martyrs of God, helpe me a wretch with your praiers, that I may obtaine mercy in that hour, when the hidden thinges of men shal be manifest.

Assist before the throne of Maiesty, for me a wretch, that by your praiers, I may deserue to be saued, and enioy e­ternal blessednesse with you. Amen.

Aug. lib. Med. cap. 24.

O Al you happy Sainctes of god, which haue now passed ouer the sea of this mortality, and deserued to come to the hauen of euer-during quietnesse, security, and peace, you are secure, and quiet, and alwaies pleasant and reioycing. I besech you, by your Charity, that you which are secure for your selues, wil be careful for vs: you are secure of your owne neuer fading glory, be you careful of our ma­nifould misery. I aske you, by him that haith chosen you, who haith made [Page 101] you such, of whose bewty you are now filled, by whose immortality, you are made immortal, of whose most blessed vision, you euer reioyce: be you con­tinually mindful of vs. Succour vs wretches, who as yet in the sea of this life, are tossed with stormes, enuyroning vs rownd about. You that are the most bewtiful gates, which haue risen to a great height, help vs a vile pauement, lying farre vnderneath. Geue vs your hand, and lift vs, that lye downe, vpon our feete, that recouering our infirmity we may be made strong in battaile.

Make intercession, and pray con­stantly and continually for vs wretches, and very negligent sinners, that by your prayers, we may be ioyned to your ho­ly company, for we are very fraile, dwarfes, of no strength, creatures of the belly, and bound-slaues of flesh, in whom scarsly any foot-step of vertue, appeareth, and yet being placed vnder the confession of Christ, we are carried vpon the wood of the crosse, sayling [...] ­uer this great and spaceous sea, where be litle creatures with great, where the [Page 102] most cruel dragon, is alwaies ready to deuoure, where daungerous places be, Scylla and Charybdis, & others innume­rable, in which, mē vnwary, & doubt­ful in faith, make ship wrack. Pray vn­to our Lord, o you most godly, pray vnto him, o al you armies of Sainctes, and al you companies of blessed ones, pray you, that being helped by your praiers and merits, with our ship saife, and marchandise preserued, we may de­serue to come to the hauē of eternal sal­uation and rest, and continual peace & security, neuer to haue end.

Missa Rom. antiq.

REuerencing the memory, first of the euer glorious virgin Ma­ry, Mother of God, and our Lord Iesus Christ, and of the blessed Apostles and Martyrs Peter and Paul, Andrew, Iames, Iohn, Thomas, Iames, Philip, Bartholomew, Mathew, Simon and Thadee, Linus, Cletus, Clemens, Xistus, Cornelius, Ciprian, Laurence, Chrisogone, Iohn and Paul, Cosmas & Damianus, & al thy Sainctes, by whose [Page 103] merits and praiers, graunt o Lord, that in al thinges we may be defended, by the help of thy protection, by the same Christ our Lord. Amen.

S. Ephrem. serm. in laud, omniū sanct. Martyrum.

O Most holy Martyrs, we besech you, who for our Lord our Sa­uiour and his loue, haue free­ly and readily sustained most cruel tor­ments, for which you are more fami­liarly ioyned vnto him, that you would entreat our Lord for vs wretched sin­ners, couered with the filth of negli­gence, that he would powre his di­uine grace vpon vs, which may conti­nually lighten & illuminate our hearts with the beame of holy Charity, by which we may be able to loue him with al our heart, and with al our mind.

Idem, supra.

O Most holy Martyrs of Christ, I besech you stand before the Throne of the diuine Maiesty for me a vile & wret­ched sinner, that by your praiers, I may [Page 104] deserue to obtaine saluation, and enioy eternal felicity with you, by the grace, bounty, and mercy of our Lord and Sa­uionr Iesus Christ, to whom, with the Father and holy Ghost, be praise, ho­nour, power, and glory, world with­out end. Amen.

S. Athanasius l. de virginitate siue meditatione.

Whether thou rysest, or sittest, or do­est any worke, or eatest, or goest to bed, to sleepe, or rysest from bed, let not the praise, of god be absent from thy lippes.

S. Ephrem de Panoplia.

Defend thy selfe with the signe of the crosse, signing therewith, thy sit­ting downe and rysing vp, thy bed, & whatsoeuer thinges, thou passest by, first signe them, in the name of the fa­ther, and of the sonne, and of the holy ghost.

S. Ambros. l. 3. virgin.

Repeate often in thy chāber, our lordes prayer either when thou awakest, or before thou goest to sleepe.

Our father which art in heauen, halowed be thy name, thy kingdome come thy &c.

S. Ephrem ser. de laudib. sanctiss. virg. Mariae.

O Lady, o ful of grace, moue my tongue, and my lippes, to sing praises vnto thee, and especially that angelical sōge, which the Angel Gabriel did sing vnto thee. Haile Mary ful of grace, our lord is with thee: blessed art thou amōg women: &c.

S. Ambros. sup. l. 3. virginit.

We ought daily to rehearse the Crede in the houres before day. I beleue in god, the Father almighty, maker of heauen and earth, and in Iesus Christ, his onely sonne, our lord &c.

S. August. l. mediat. cap. 40.

O Lord god omnipotent, I com­mend to thee this day, and euer, my soule, my body, my seing, hearing, tast, smelling, & touch­ing, my thoughtes, affections, speach, deedes, and al my both external, and internal thinges, sense, and vnderstan­ding, memory, my faith, and beleefe, & perseuerance, into the hand of thy pow­er, that thou vouchsaife to keepe them, dayes and nightes, houres, & momēts.

O holy Trinity, heare me and pre­serue me from al euil, from al scandal, [Page 112] from al mortal sinne, from al deceiptes and infestations of deuils, and ene­mies visible and inuisible, by the prai­ers of the Patriarkes, by the merits of the Prophets, by the intercession of the Apostles, by the constancy of Mar­tyrs, by the faith of Confessors, by the chastity of Virgins, and by the suppli­cation of al thy Sainctes that haue plea­sed thee, from the beginning of the world.

S. Ambrosius in hymn.

O holy Father, now that we haue refreshed our body with sleepe we arise, and besech thee to be present with vs, praying vnto thee. Let our tongue cheifly praise thee, and the feruour of our minde, seeke after thee, to be the beginning of our works. Let darknesse geue place to light, and the night to day, that al offence which the night haith brought, may sodainly fal downe. We humbly besech thee, to cut of, al occasion of sinnes, that we may praise thee for euer.

S. Ambros. hym. ad laud. fer. 2.

O Brightnesse of the Fathers glory, light of light, and fountaine of light, the day that doth lighten the day, and true [...]unne: come downe into vs, shy­ning with eue [...]lasting brightnesse, and infuse into our senses, the beame of the holy Spirit. With our praiers, we cal vpon thee Father, Father of eternal glo­ry, Father of effectual grace, to abādon our pronesse to sinne, informe our di­ligent actions, blunt the teeth of the e­nemy, prosper our aduersities, geue vs grace to do our dutie, gouerne and rule our minde.

Aurelius Prudentius, in Catheme­rin. hymn. Mat [...]tin.

O Night, darknesse, confused & misty cloudes of the world, de­part away, the skye is bright, Christ doth come, this hour is profita­ble for al m [...], for euery one to do his businesse that he affecteth, souldier, Ci­tizen, Mariner, workman, plowman, Marchant. But we that know thee a­lone, o Christ, do learne to pray vnto thee with a pure and single mind, thee we [Page 114] besech weping vpon our knees, we liue by this art, we begin these duties, now the Sunne is risen and shyneth. Haue a care of our senses, and reguard to al our life: let so many thinges, obscured with darknesse, be purged with thy light. Commaund that, al vncleanes being taken away, we continew such as we were made in baptisme. Whatsoe­uer the night of this world haith infec­ted vs, with the dark cloudes thereof: Thou the light of the sunne, vouchsaife to illuminate with thy chea [...]ful counte­nance. Let that darknesse now cease, which hitherto haith drawne vs head­long with vnhappy steps, in wandring errour. Let this light bestow clearnes vpon vs, make vs cleane, that we speak no subtilty, and think of nothing that is of darknesse. Let the whole day be so spent, that neither our tongue, nor hand, nor eyes, commit any sinne, nor any offence defyle our body. For he that behouldeth al thinges from aboue, is present, that continually seeth our actions, from the beginning of mor­ning, to the euening. He is witnesse, [Page 115] he is arbitrator, he behouldeth whatso­euer mannes minde conceaueth, he is the Iudge, whom no man can deceaue.

Missa S. Iacobi Apost. receaued, Concil. Constantinop. 6. ge­neral. Can. 32.

LEt vs pray to our Lord, to for­geue vs our sinnes, and graunt pardon to our offences, and de­liuer vs from al tribulation, anger, daū ­ger, & necessity: That we may spende al our daies, in perfection, peace, and without sinne. Let vs al aske of our Lord, the Angel of p [...]ace, the faithful guide, keper of our soules and bodies. Let vs aske of our Lord, pardon & re­mission of our sinnes & offences. Let vs aske of our Lord, thinges that are good and profitable to our soules & bo­dies, that he wil geue peace to the world. Let vs aske of our Lord, that we may finish the rest of our life, in peace and health. Let vs aske of our Lord, that we may perseuer in Christian and sincere faith to the end without so­row, greif, or infamy: and a good de­fence [Page 114] [...] [Page 115] [...] [Page 116] before that fearful and dreadful Tribunal of Christ. Let vs aske of Christ, for thou art that good Annunci­ation, Illumination, Sauiour, & keeper of our soules and bodies, God▪ and thy onely begotten Sonne, and thy most holy spirit, now, and euer, and world without end. Amen.

Miss. Mozarab.

The grace of God, the Father almighty, the loue of our Lord Iesus Christ, & the communication of the holy Ghost, be with vs for euer.

Meditations, and prayers for the morning.

I Loue them that loue me, and they Pro 8. that watch to me in the morning, shal finde me.

In the morning I wil watch vnto Is. thee.

I haue cryed to thee, o Lord, and Ps. 87. in the morning my prayer shal come before thee.

It is good to confesse vnto our lord, Ps. 91. & sing vnto thy nam [...], o most highest, to [Page 117] shew forth thy mercy in the morning.

The people did offer their prayers Exod. [...]6. Ps. 62. daily in the morning.

In the morning I wil meditate on thee, because thou hast bene my helper.

The kingdō of heauē is like an house­houlder, Mat. 20. that went forth, earely in the morning, to hyre workemen into his vineyard.

S. Clem. Roman. constitut. 55. Apostol. l. 2. c. 63.

Exhort the people, dayly to frequēt the church, in the morning, & euening, and neuer at al, to be absent.

S. Clem. Rom. supr. lib. 8. c. 37.

Let euery faithful man, or woman, earery in the morning, when they arise from sleepe, pray, before they begin any worke.

S. EPiphanius in Compendiar.

Morning Hymnes are vsed continu­ally, in the church, & morning prayers.

A meditation, or preparation to prayer, out of S. Basile, Const. Mon. c. 2. 3.

THere be two maners of pray­ing, wherof the one is in glori­fication, yelding submission of minde: The other in petition, to be v­sed after the former. Wherefore when thou art to pray, do not presently fal to petition, otherwaies thou art an eui­dence to thy wil, that thou makest not thy praiers vnto god, vntil by necessity thou be vrged vnto it. Therfore when soeuer thou art determined to pray, forsake wife, children, and thy self al­so, and depart farre from thinges of the earth; climbe aboue the heauen, and leaue behinde thee al creatures visible, and inuisible, and begin with glorifiing him, that created al thinges. And whē thou hast sufficiently rested on him, say as foloweth.

I geue thankes vnto thee o Lord, for thy incredible clemency and gentlenes, in bearing with the offences of men, who sufferest me that sinneth daily, and geuest power to vs al, to amend our liues. For this is the cause for which thou art silent, and sparest vs o Lord, that we should geue thankes vnto thee, [Page 119] who dost manadge the saluatiō of man­kind, somtime by threatning, somtime by exhorting with lenity. And first di­dest visit vs by thy Prophets, and lastly by the coming of thy Christ. For thou hast framed vs, and not we our selues, thou art our god.

And when thou hast sufficiently ge­uen thankes, and glorified god, with praises of holy Scripture, then againe with humility begin and say.

I am not worthy o Lord, to speake before thee because I am excedingly a sinner. And although to thy self thou art guilty of no sinne, yet it behoueth thee so to say. For seing that in many Iac. 3. thinges we al offend, yet we do not vn­derstand the greater part of our offen­ces. Therefore the Apostle said, I am 1. Cor. 4. guilty to my self in nothing, but in this I am not instified. Which is the same as if he had said, I commit many offences, wich I know not, that I commit them. For this cause also the Prophet said. Who doth vnderstand his offences. Ps. 18.

And when thou hast sufficiently in wordes shewed thy humility and said, I [Page 120] I geue thankes to thee o Lord, that thou hast suffered me a sinner, so long time with thy patience, and to this day exacted of me noe punishment of my sinnes. Verily o Lord, I had long since deserued infinite punishments, and was worthy to be buried most farre from thy sight: but thy most patient gen [...]lenesse haith most mercifully borne with me a sinner. I geue thankes, I say, vnto thee, although I know my self vnable to ren­der thankes answearable to thy clemen­cy towardes men.

And so soone as thou hast satisfied these two duties, that is of geuing than­kes, & humility, then at last aske what thou oughtest to aske.

A Meditation out of S. Leo, ser. 1. de Natiuitate Domini.

O Christian, acknowledge thy Meditations and prayers for morning. dignity, and being made par­taker of diuine nature, do not returne by degenerate conuersation, to thine old vilenesse. Forgeate not, of what head, and whose body, thou art [Page 121] member. Cal to minde, how being de­liuered from the power of darknesse, thou art translated into the light & king dome of god. Doe not driue away frō thee with wicked deedes, so worthy an inhabitant, and againe subiect thy self, to the slauery of the deuil: because thy price, is the Blood of Christ, who in iustice, wil iudge thee, who in mercy, haith reedeemed thee, who with the Fa­ther and the holy Ghost, reigneth for euer. Amen.

An other Meditation out of S. A­thanasius, ser. de sanctiss. De­ipara.

CHhrist receauing the throne of Ps. 109. Dauid, shal reigne among Chri­stians for euer, & of his King­dome Luc. 1. Dan. 7. there shal be none end. For being borne of a Virgin, and hauing consum­mated al thinges, that belonged to the businesse of his death & Crosse, after his Resurrection, he said vnto his Disciples, Alpower is geuen to me, in heauen & in Math. 28. earth. Behould now from thence he be gan to reigne, and is declared to be the [Page 122] King of Christians, as men in the begin­ning of their prayers, exhorting one an other, & calling the company together, do vse to crye, Come let vs adore & fal Ps. 94. downe, before Christ our King.

Pope Da­masus ordai­ned Gloria Patri &c. to be said af­ter euery Psalme. In vita Dams. con. Vas. c. 7. proueth it ageneral custome. S. Aug. l. 9. confes. c. 7. &c.Glory be to the Father, and to the Sonne, and to the holy Ghost: As it was in the beginning, is now & euer shal be world without end. Amen.

Direction out of S. Clement & Athanas. Clem. const. l. 2. c. 63. Come together earely in the morning, singing & praying: In the morning saying, 62. psalme. Atharisius l. de virgin. In the mornīg say this psalme.

O God, my god, from the light Ps. 62. do I watch to thee.

My soule haith thirsted after thee: and my flesh very many wayes.

In a land desert, where there is no way, and without water, so in the holy, haue I appeared vnto thee: that I might [Page 124] see thy power, and thy glory.

Because thy mercy is better then li­ues: my lippes shal praise thee.

So wil I blesse thee in my life: and in thy name, wil I lift vp my handes.

Like as with fatte and fatnesse, let my soule be filled: and my mouth shal praise, with lippes of ioyfulnesse.

So haue I bene mindful of thee vpon my bedde, in the morning I wil medi­tate on thee: because thou hast bene my helper.

And in the couert of thy winges, I wil reioyce, my soule haith cleeued af­ter thee: thy right hand haith recea­ued me.

But they in vaine haue sought my soule, they shal enter into the lower par­tes of the earth: they shal be geuen o­uer into the handes of the sword, they shal be made the portions of foxes.

But the King shal reioyce in God: all shal be praised that sweare in him, because the mouth of them which speak wicked thinges, is stopped.

Glory be to the Father, & to &c. As it was in the beginning &c.

The prayer of Manasses 2. paral. vlt.

O Lord omnipotent, god of our Fathers, Abraham, and Isaac, and Iacob, and the iust f [...]ede of them, who hast made heauen, and earth, with al their bewty, who hast ty­ed the sea with the word of thy precept, who hast concluded the depth, and sig­ned it with thy terrible, and laudable name, whom al thinges do feare, and tremble before the face of thy power, because the magnificence of thy glory, is importable, & the anger of thy thret­ning ouer sinners, vnsustentable. Tru­ly great, and inuestigable is the mercy of thy promise, because thou art Lord most high, bountiful, long suffering, and much merciful, and sorowful for the malices of men. O Lord, thou ac­cording to the multitude of thy good­nesse, hast promised peace and remissi­on vnto them that haue sinned against thee: and in the multitude of thy mer­cies, hast decreed repentāce for sinners to saluation. Therefore thou Lord god [Page 126] of the iust, hast not appointed penance for the iust, Abraham, Isaac, and Iacob, those that haue not sinned against thee, but hast appointed penance for me a sinner, because I haue sinned aboue the number of the sandes of the sea, o Lord: mine iniquities are multiplied, multipli­ed are mine iniquities, & I am not wor­thy to behould and looke vp to the highnesse of heauen, for the manifoldnesse of mine iniquities. I am crooked with a great iron chaine, that I may not lift vp my head, and respiration is not in me, because I haue stirred vp thine an­ger, and done euil before thee. I haue not done thy wil, and haue not kepte thy commaundements, I haue erected abominations, and multiplied offences: and now do bow the knee of my heat, beseching goodnesse of thee. I haue sinned o Lord, I haue sinned, and do acknowledg mine iniquities. Where­fore I aske, entreating thee. Forgeue me o Lord, forgeue me, destroy me not together with mine iniquities, neither, being angrye for euer, reserue euil thinges for me, neither condemne me [Page 127] vnto the lowest places of the earth, be­cause thou art God, God, I say, of those that repent, and shew al thy goodnesse towardes me, because thou wilt saue me vnworthy, according to thy greate mercy, and I wil praise thee al the daies of my life, because al the power of the heauens praise thee, & to thee is glory world without end. Amen.

A Praier of King Salomon. prou. 30.

I Haue asked two thinges of thee, deny them not vnto me, before I dye. Set vanity and lying wordes farre from me. Geue me not begger­linesse, and riches, geue onely thinges necessary for my liuing, lest peraduen­ture being filled, I may be prouoked to deny thee, & may say, who is our Lord? Or compelled by want, may steale, & forsweare the name of my God.

A Praier of Esdras. 1. Esdr. 9.

O My God I am confounded, & I am ashamed, to lift vp my face to thee, because our ini­quities are multiplied ouer our head, [Page 128] and our sinnes haue growne, euen vn­to heauen, from the daies of our fathers: yea and we our selues also haue sinned greeuously vnto this day.

Tobias 3.

O Lord be mindful of me, and take not reuenge on my sinnes, neither re­member mine offences, nor the offen­ces of my parents.

Sap. 9.

O God of my Fathers, and Lord of mercy, who hast made al thinges with thy word, & by thy wisdome hast ordained man, to rule the creatures which thou hast made. And that he might dispose the world in equity and iustice, and iudge Iudg­ment in direction of heart: graunt vn­to me wisdome, the assistresse of thy seates, & reiect me not frō thy seruants, for I am thy ser [...]ant, and sonne of thy handmaid, a [...]an infirme, and of smal time, and too little to vnderstand thy Iudgment and Lawes

Ecclesiast. 36.

O God of al, haue mercy vpon vs, and haue respect vnto vs, and shew the light of thy cōmise­rations to vs, and shew thy feare vpon Nations, which haue not sought thee, that they may know there is no God, but thou, & may declare thy worthy thinges.

Ierem. 10.

O Lord I know that the way of man is not his owne, neither is it of mā, that he may walk & direct his goinges. Correct me o Lord but with iudgment, and not in thy fu­ry, lest thou peraduenture bring me a­gaine to nothing. Poure forth thine indignation vpon Nations that haue not knowne thee, and vpon Countries that haue not called vpon thy name.

O Lord expectatiō of Israel, al which Ier. 17. forsake thee, wil be confounded: they which goe backe from thee wil be writ­ten in the earth; because they haue for­saken the vaine of liuing waters, our lord. Heale me o lord, and I shal be hea­led: saue me, and I shal be saife, because [Page 130] thou art my praise.

I besech thee, o Lord god great and Dan. 9. terrible, keeping couenant, and mercy to those that loue thee, and k [...]pe thy commandementes: we haue s [...]med, we haue wrought iniqiuty, and [...]one wic­kedly, and gone away, and d [...]parted frō thy commaundementes, an [...] iudgmētes. We haue not obeyed thy seruantes the Prophets, which haue spoken in thy name, to our Kinges, to our Princes, to our Fathers, and to al the people of the land. O Lord, iustice is to thee, but to vs confusion of face: o Lord, confusi­on of face vnto vs, & to our kngies to our Princes & Fathers, who haue sin­ned. But to thee Lord [...]ur g [...]d, mercy & propitiatiō, because we haue gone back frō thee, & haue not heard the voice of the Lord our god, that we might walke in his law. O our God, heare the paier of thy seruant, & his petitions.

Ieremias in orat. cap. 5. lament.

O Lord remember what haith chanced vnto vs, and haue respect vnto our re­proach. Our inheritance is conuerted [Page 131] to aliens, and our houses vnto straun­gers. We are made pupils, without fathers or mothers as widowes. But o Lord thou shalt remaine for euer, thy state, from generation, to generation. Why wilt thou forgeat vs for euer? Wilt thou long time forsake vs? O lord conuert vs vnto thee, and we shal be conuerted.

Baruch. 2.

O Lord looke downe vpon vs, ftom thy holy house, and in­cline thine eare and heare vs. Open thine eyes and see, because the dead that be in hel, whose spirit is ta­ken from their bowels, wil not geue honour and iustification to our Lord. But the soule which is sad for the great­nesse of euil, & goeth crooked & weak, & fainting eyes, and an hungry soule, doth geue glory and iustice to thee our Lord. And now o Lord omnipotent, Cap. 3. god of Israel, a soule in distresse, & troubled spirit, cryeth vnto thee: o Lord heare, and haue mercy, for o god thou art merciful, and haue mercy vpon vs, because we haue sinned before thee: [Page 132] Remember not the iniquities of our fa­thers, but remember thy hand, and thy name in this time, because thou art lord our God, and we wil praise thee o lord.

Eccelsiasticus. 23.

O Lord Father and ruler of my life, forsake me not in their counsel, suffer me not to fal in that reproach. Who doth impose scour­ges in my thought, and doctrine of wis­dome in my heart, that they spare me not in their ignorances, and their of­fences appeare not, and that mine igno­rances may not increase, and mine of­fences multiplied, and my sinnes aboūd, and I may fal in the sight of mine ad­uersaries, & 'my enemy may reioyce? O Lord, Father, and god of my life, forsake me not in thought of them. Arrogancy of mine eyes, geue not vn­to me, & al euil desire, turne from me.

A prayer for repentant sinners out of S. Clement Constut. Ap. l. 8. c. 12.

ALmighty euerlasting god, Lord of al, Crearor and gouernour of the world, who hast placed mā for the ornament thereof, by Christ, & geuen him the law, natural and written, that as a reasonable creature he might haue a rule to liue according vnto it: & if he should sinne in any thing, thou hast deliuered vnto him the foundation of penance, thy goodnesse: looke vpon them that bow downe the n [...]ckes of thier soule & body, vnto the [...], because thou desirest not the death of a sinner, but Ier. 18. penance, that he may returne from his euil way and liue. Thou that didest admitte Ionas 3. 1. Tim. 2. the penāce of the Niniuites, who woul­dest al men to be saued, & cōe to the know­ledge of truth.

Who receaued with fatherly affectiō Luc. 15. by penance, the sonne that lasciueously had consumed his portion: receaue now also the penance of them, that pray vn­to thee, because there is none, that sin­neth not against thee. If thou wilt obse [...]e Ps. 129. [Page 134] our iniqities o Lord, o Lord who shal be able to endure it? Because with thee there is redemption, and bring them againe into thy holy church, restoring vnto thē their former dignity & honour, by Christ our God and Sauiour, by whom glory & adoratiō be vnto thee in the holy Ghost for euer. Amen.

A prayer for deuotion and spiritual knowledg: out of S. Ephrem l. de armatura spirituali cap. 8.

O Lord Iesus Christ, open the eares and eyes of my heart, that I may heare and vnderstand thy wordes, and obey thy wil. I am a pil­grim on earth, keepe not hidden from me thy commaūdemēts. Open my eyes, that I may vnderstand, the thinges that are admirable in thy law.

A prayer stiring vp to geue thankes to god for his benefites: out of S. Augustine in his booke de spi­ritu & litera cap. 17.

VNhappie and wretched mā that I am, how much ought I to loue my god, who made me when I was not, redeemed me when I was lost. I was not, & he made me of nothing, not a stone, not a tree, not a bird, or any other of such creatures, but he would haue me to be a man. He gaue me to liue, to haue sense, to vnderstand. I was perished, and he descended to mortality, tooke mortality vpon him, suffered his passion, ouercame death, and so restoared me. I was perished & gone away, because I was sould in my sinnes, he came after me that he might redeeme me, and he so much loued me, that for me he would pay the price of his bloud, and with such a couenant re­duced me, from banishment, and redee­med me from slauery. Also he called me by his owne name, that his memorial might alwaies be vpon me: he annoyn­ted me with oile of gladnes, with which [...]e him self was annointed, that of him, that is annointed, I might be annoin­ted, and of Christ, might be called a Christian. So his grace and mercy haue [Page 136] alwaies preuented me, for my deliuerer haith often deliuered me from many daungers. When I did erre, he redu­ced me: whē I was ignorant, he taught me: when I sinned, he corr [...]cted me: when I was sad, he comforted me: whē I fainted in hope, he strengthned me: when I sel, he lifted me vp: when I stoode, he susteined me: when I came, he receaued me. These and many other thinges, god haith done for me, of which, it is a pleasant thing to me, al­waies to speake, alwaies to thinke, al waies to geue thankes, that for al his benefites, I may alwaies praise & loue him.

A praier to God the holy Ghost, for grace & sanctification, out of S. Ciprian, l. de Spir. s.

COme holy Ghost, & from hea­uen enter into those that expect thy consolation. Sanctify the temple of our body, and conserate it for thy habitatiō, make the soules that de­sire thee, glad with thy presence, make the house worthy of such an in [...]abitant as thou art, adorne thy bride chamber, [Page 137] and compasse about the staying place of thy rest, with varieties of vertues, strew the pauements with change of coloures, let thy mansion shine with flaming car­buncles, and brightnesse of prec [...]ous stones, and the sweete odoures of al graces, send out their sauour within. Let the liquour of balsam [...]m, aboun­dantly perfume thy lodging, with his sweetnesse, and driuing from thence, whatsoeuer is corrupted, whatsoeuer is the seminary of corruption. Make this our ioy, stable and euerlasting, and confirme the renewing of thy creation, with incorruptible bewty for euer.

A Praier out of S. Gregory Nys­sene. l. de S. bap. in fine.

O Lord, thou truly art the pure and euerlasting Fountaine of goodnesse, who iustly forsa­king vs, hast mercifully taken pitie v­pon vs; hatedst vs, and art reconciled; hast cursed, and hast blessed vs; bani­shed vs out of paradise, & called vs back againe; put of from vs figge leaues, that vndecent cou [...]ring, and cloathed vs [Page 138] with a most preceous cloake; hast ope­ned the prison, and let the cōdemned forth; hast sprinkled vs with pure wa­ter, and clensed vs from filthinesse. If hereafter Adam be called vnto thee, he wil not be ashamed, nor his consci­ence reprouing him, for shame hide him self vnder the groue of paradise, nei­ther will the fyrie sword compasse it about, denying entrance to them that come to it, and making the place vnac­cessible. But al thinges to vs that were heires of sinne, are changed into ioy, & Paradise and heauen it self, lyeth open for man. Al creatures, both of this, & the world aboue, beforetimes at vari­ance, are made frendes & reconciled, and men with Angels, reuerencing their diuine learning, are at concord and a­greed. Therefore for al these thinges, let vs sing vnto god the hymne of ioy, which the mouth endued with the spi­rit, long since prophetically pronoun­ced with a lowde voice. Let my soule reioyce in our Lord, for he haith put vpon me a sauing cloake, and compassed me about with a coate of gladnesse: as to a spouse [Page 139] he haith fitted a myter to me, and adorned me as a bride. The adorner of the spouse is Christ, who is and was before, & shal be blessed, now and euer. Amen.

A prayer meditating vpon the Maiestie of God out of S. Augustine Cōf. l. 1. c. 4.

WHat art thou, o my God, what art thou I besech thee, but my lord God, for who is lord but our lord, and who is god but our God? O highest, o best, o most mighty, most omnipotēt most merciful, and most iust, most secret, and most pre­sēt, most beutiful, & most strong, stab [...]e, and incōprehēsible, immutable, chaūg­ing al thinges, neuer new, neuer old, re­nuing al things, bringing the proud into ould age, and they are ignorant, al­wayes doing, euer quiet, gathering and not wanting, bearing, and filling and protecting, creating and norishing, and perfecting, seeking, when nothing is wanting vnto thee, thou louest, yet art not truobled, thou art ieleous, and art secure, thou repentest, and greuest not, thou art angry, & art quiet, thou chāg­est [Page 140] thy workes, yet chaungest not thy counsaile, thou receauest what thou fin­dest, & neuer lost, thou art neuer poore, yet reioycest with gaine, neuer coue­tous, and yet exactest vsery. There is largely bestowed vpon thee, that thou mightest be in debt, yet who haith any thing that is not thyne? Thou payest debtes, owing nothing, giuest debtes, loosing nothing. And what do we say, my god, my life, my holy sweetnesse, or what doth any man say, when he speak­eth of thee? and woe to thē that speake not of thee.

A prayer for al people out of S. Clement Const. l. 8. c. 18.

WE besech thee o lord, for thy holy church, which is dispersed through al places, which thou hast gottē with the precious bloud of thy Christ, that thou wil vouchsaif to keepe it [...]uiet and in tranquil­lity, to the end of the world. And we also intreat thee, for al Episcopal order, rightly handling the word of truth, & for al preisthood, for deacons, & the [Page 141] whole Cleargy, that being taught of thee, thou wilt replenish them with the holy Ghost.

Also we besech thee o Lord, for our King, and al that are placed in authori­ty, that by them, we may peaceably liue, and perseuering in quietnesse and cōcord, through al the time of our life, may glorify thee, by Iesus Christ, which is our hope. For Bishops, Preists, Dea­cons, Subdeacons, Lectors, Singers, Virgins, Widowes, Lay people, & for al, whose names thou knowest. Also we besech thee for this Citie, & al that dwel in it. For those that be sicke, & that suffer cruel seruitude, for banished persōs, & such as haue suffered forfaiture of their goodes. For al that trauel by sea, and vndertaking farre iournaies, that thou wilt be an assister, helper, & aider of them al. Also we besech thee for them that hate & persecute vs, for thy names sake, for those that be forth and in errour, that thou wilt bring thē to good, and appease their fury. Also we besech thee for the Cathecumens of the Church, and such as be vexed of the [Page 142] aduersary, and for our brethren that be penitents, that thou wilt perfect these in faith, deliuer the other from vexa­tion of the euil, receaue the penance of these, and pardon them and vs our of­fences. Also we pray for them, that are letted by iust cause, or absent, that ke­ping vs al in godlinesse, thou wilt ga­ther vs together into the Kingdome of thy Christ, god of al sensitiue and intel­lectual nature, and our King, constant in good, inculpable and without sinne: because vnto thee is al glory, worship, thankes-geuing, honour, & adoration, to the Father and Sonne, and the holy Ghost, both now and euer, world with­out end. Amen.

Out of the same S. Clement Const. l. 7. c. 4 7. so by him appointed, A prayer for morning. Athanas. l. de virg. When day appeareth say the Himn Glo­ria in ex­celsis. &c.

GLory in the highest to god, and in earth peace to men of good wil: we praise thee, we cele­brate thee, we blesse thee, we glorify thee, by the great high preist we adoare thee, god vnbegotten, one, vnacces­sible, [Page 143] alone for thy great glory, o Lord heauenly king, God, Father omnipotēt, o Lord god Father of Christ, the imma­culate Lābe, which taketh away the sin­nes of the world, receaue our prayer: thou that sittest vpon the Cherubim. Because thou alone art holy, thou alone Lord Iesus Christ of god, of al created nature, of our king, by whom glory ho­nour and worship is vnto thee.

A Praier out of S. Ciprian. Tom. 3.

HAgios, Hagios, Hagios, Holy, Holy, Holy. O holy of holies, Father of our Fathers, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, God of Iacob, God of Apostles, God of Prophets, God of Virgins, God of the wel liuing, God of the faithful, God and Father of our Lord Iesus Christ, we humble, cal vpon thee, and also besech thee, o on­ly begotten Sonne, who was begotten of the mouth of the highest, before the disposing of the world, and by mistery brought forh of the wombe of Mary the holy Virgin. Vouchsaif to bestow vpō [Page 144] vs that pray, spiritual encrease of holy desire, and integrity of heart, that our brest, by holy baptisme renewed, may perseuer saife from carnal sinnes.

We aske with an vnspotted faith▪ an vncorrupted mind, with a strong de­uotion, loue continual: that thou wilt suffer vs to florish in thy holy Church, because vnto thee we bend our knees, and bow downe our neckes, to whom Angels, and Archangels, thousandes of thousandes, of Martyrs, the queare of the Apostles, and glory of Prophets, [...]o make ioy, to whom al birdes do singe praises, whom the tongues confesse, of thinges celestial, terrestrial, and infer­nal. Al waters in heauen, and vnder heauen, confesse thee, the insensible thinges, perceaue thee. Thou art alone and besides thee, and without thee, there is none.

We besech thee o Lord, Father om­nipotent, who art conspicable to the onely Sonne, whose Angels and Arch­angels, obey thee. O Lord Father, we pray to thee, to geue vs a sound mind, a pure innocency, deuout sincerity, ho­ly [Page 145] cōscience, pure, sober, chast, walking in glorious faith, against al deceipts of the world. Graunt vs a brest defended against al threatninges of the deuil, & carnal inticements, that we may cary sounde, the signe of euerlasting saluati­on, lest we be entangled with the dead­ly snares of the violent and cruel ene­my.

Put away from vs, al vncleannes of the world, and al perswasion of the deuil, let him be snared, throwne downe, and ouercome, and put away from vs, as frō Sara thy seruant, Asmodeus the most Tob. 8. wicked deuil suppressed by the holy An­gel Raphael. And as thou wert present with Tobias, so vouchsaife to be present vnto me. And as thou shewed mercy vn­to Dan. 3. et 14. the three children in the fornace, and to Daniel: so vouchsaife to deale with vs thy seruantes. Thou which hast raised the dead, light [...]ed the blynd, geuen hea­ring to the deafe, speach to the dūme, going to the lame, soundnesse vnto lee­pers: so also geue to vs thy seruātes, who with al the power of our mynd beleeue that thou wert borne, suffered, art to [Page 146] come, to iudge the quick & dead.

Assist vs, as thou didest assist thine A­postles in bandes, Tecla, in the fyre, Paul, in persecutions, and Peter, in the waues. Thou who sittest vpon the sea­uen Thrones, at the right hand of the Father, looke vpon vs, and deliuer vs from the destruction of eternal death: one in one, the Father in the Sonne, the Sonne in the Father, the holy Ghost, by whom, and with whom, is to thee, in the holy Church, Honour, Power, Glo­ry, Maiesty, Authority, Benedictiō, Im­mortality, both now & for euer, al­waies, and world without end. Amen.

A Praier to auoide damnation, out of S. Andrew, Archbisbop of Cesarga, soone after S. Basile.

OVr Lord graunt that we shew­ing forth, by liuely workes, sincere and true faith in Christ, may neuer heare that terrible voice of Christ, Amen, Amen, I say vnto you, I Math. 25. Luc. 13. know you not. And that other, Departe from me al you workers of iniquity. But [Page 147] But may heare with open eares, that blessed and, euery way, desireable say­ing. Come you blessed of my Father, pos­sesse Ib. the Kingdome prepared for you, from the beginning of the world. By the grace, & clemency, and mercy of him, who for vs willingly did vndergoe the Crosse, that is of Christ, god and our Lord, with whom, to the Father, together with the holy and vinificant Spirit, be glory now, and euer, and world with­out end. Amen.

A Praier to the blessed Trinity, out of S. Augustine. Medit. ca. 32.

O Blessed Trinity, with my lips, and heart, and al the power I am able, I praise, I blesse, I worship thee, and to thy clemency and goodnesse geue thankes for al thy bene­fites, and sing an Himne of glory vnto thee, holy, holy holy. I cal vpon thee to come in me, and make me a temple worthy of thy glory. I besech the Fa­ther by the Sonne, I beseeh the Sonne by the Father, I besech the holy Ghost [Page 148] by the Father and the Sonne, that al vi­ces may be driuen away from me, and al holy vertues planted in me. Keepe me the worke of thy handes hoping in thee and trusting onely in thy mercy.

Keepe me I besech thee, here, and eue­ry where, now and euer, within & with out, that no place for the enemies, lye open in me. Thou art god omnipo­tent, the keeper & protector, of al that trust in thee, without whom, no man is saif, no man deliuered from daungers.

Thou art god, and besides thee, there is not any other god, neither in heauen aboue, nor in earth beneath, who dost wonderful, and meruelous, and vnscru­table thinges without number. Praise becometh thee, honour be cometh thee, himne becometh thee. To thee al An­gels, to thee the heauens, and al Po­testates, do say Himnes, and sing lau­des, incessantly, as creatures, to their Creator, seruantes, to their Lord, soul­diers, to their King: euery creature doth magnifie, euery spirit doth praise thee blessed and vndeuided Trinity.

An other praier to the blessed Tri­nity out of the same S. Aug. Meditat. cap. 33.

GRaunt vnto me o Lord, that so long as I am in this fraile bo­dy, my heart may praise thee, my tongue may praise thee, and al my bones may say, O Lord, who is like vn­to thee? Thou art god omnipotent, whom three in parsons, and one in sub­stance of Deity, we worship and adore. The Father, not begotten, the Sonne, the onely begotten of the Father, the holy Ghost, proceeding from both, and remaining in both, the holy and in­deuided Trinity, one god almighty, who, when we were not, hast mighti­ly made vs, and when by our offence, we were loste, by thy piety and good­nesse, thou hast meruelously repaired vs. Suffer vs not, I besech thee, to be vngrateful for so many benefites, and vnworthy so many mercies.

I do besech, intreate, and desire thee, increase my faith, increase my hope, in­crease my Charity. Cause vs by that I doe [Page 150] thy grace, to be alwaies stedfast in faith, and effectual in worke, that by right faith, and worthy workes of faith, by thy mercy, we may come to eternal life, that there seeing thy glory, as it is, we may adore thy Maiesty, and may say to­gether, whom thou shalt make worthy to see thy glory, Glory be to the Father that haith created vs, Glory to the Sōne who haith redemed vs, Glory to the holy Ghost, that haith sanctified vs, Glory to the highest & indeuided Tri­nity, whose workes, are inseperable, whose rule, remaineth without end.

Praise becommeth thee, Himne be­commeth thee, al honour is due to thee: To thee benediction and glory, to thee thankes-geuing, to thee our God, ho­nour, power, and strength, for euer. Amen.

A praier for al true beleeuers, both deceased, and liuing, out of S. Basil, in Anaphora: or whosoeuer in the primatiue Church authour ther of, but commonly attributed [Page 151] to S. Basile.

O Lord creatour of bodies and soules, remember at thy hea­uenly Altar, al those that are departed forth of this wretched world, and refresh them in thy Tabernacle, ful of al bewty. Passe them ouer beyond the horrible mansions of torment, and place them in thy most lightsome Ta­bernacles. Deliuer them from the wāt of light, and darknesse, and take them forth of tribulation and greif, and let thy countenance appeare peaceable vn­to them, neither enter into iudgment with them, nor seuerely examine their former life, but whether in word, or worke, they haue sinned, as men in flesh, forgeue & abolish their errours.

And conuerted, haue mercy on vs, which yet beliuing. For behould daily, we moue thee to anger, by our filthy and detestable maner of liuing.

Because there is one alone that haith not sinned, and deliuereth from sinne, our Lord and our Sauiour Iesus Christ, by whom we al hope to obtaine mer­cy, [Page 152] & remission of sinnes.

A praier for remission of sinnes, by the intercession of the B. Vir­gin, & al Sainctes, out of S. Augustine Med. cap. 35.

O Holy and most merciful Lord, be not made vntreatable vn­to me because of my sinnes, but for thy goodnesse, receaue the praiers of thy seruant, and graunt me the ef­fect of my petition and desire, the glo­rious Virgin Mary, thy Mother, my Lady, together, with al thy Sainctes, ma­king intercession, and praying, and ob­taining it. Amen.

The vsual Hymne of the Church, Te Deum: We praise thee God, compo­sed first (as witnesith S. Dacius Bishop of Milane lib 1. Cron. ca. 10.) betwene S. Ambrose his predecessour, & S. Augustine when he was baptised.

WE praise thee God: we con­fesse thee our lord.

Thee the euerlasting Father: al the world doth worship.

To thee al Angels: to thee the hea­uens, and vniuersall powers.

To thee the Cherubim and Seraphim: with vncessible voice do cry out.

Holy, Holy, Holy; Lord God of Saboath.

Ful are the heauens, and the earth: of thy maiestie of glory.

Thee the glorious Queare of the A­postles.

Thee the laudable number of Pro­phets.

Thee the whyte cloathed army of Martyres do praise.

Thee the holy church throughout the world doth confesse.

The Father of infinite maiestie.

Thy venerable true: & onely Sonne.

And also the holy Ghost the com­forter.

Thou o Christ the King of glory.

Thou art the euerlasting sonne of the Father.

Thou about to deliuer man: didest not abhorre the virgins wombe.

Thou hauing ouercome the sting of death: hast opened for beleeuers, the kingdome of heauen.

Thou sittest at the right hand of God: in the glory of the Father.

Thou art beleeued to be the Iudge that shal come.

We therefore beseech thee, succoure thy seruants, whō thou hast redeemed with thy pretious bloud.

Make vs with thy Sainctes to be re­warded with glory.

O Lord saue thy people: and blesse thy inheritance.

And gouerne them, and extoll them for euer.

Euery day we blesse thee.

And we praise thy name for euer: and for euer and euer.

Vouchsaife o Lord this day to keepe vs without sinne.

Haue mercy vpon vs o Lord: haue mercy vpon vs.

Let thy mercy o lord be vpon vs: euen as we haue hoped in thee.

In thee o Lord I haue hoped: let me not be confounded for euer.

The Hymne of the Angels Luc 2. with the additiō by S. Hilarius.

ANd with the Angel there was a multitude of the heauēly army, praysing god, and saying: glory in the highest to god: & on earth, peace to men of good wil. We praise thee, we blesse thee, we adore thee, we glo­rifie thee, we geue thakes vnto thee for thy great glory. O Lotd god, heauen­ly King, God Father omnipotent. O Lord, onely begottē sonne, Iesus Christ. O Lord god, Lambe of god, sōne of the Father who takest away the sinnes of the world, haue mercy vpō vs. Who takest away the sinnes of the world, receaue our prayer, who sittest at the right hād of the Father, haue mercy vpon vs. Be­cause thou alone holy, thou alone lord, thou alone most highest, o Iesus Christ, with the holy Ghost, in glory of god the Father. Amen.

A prayer, desiring pardon, and grace by Christes passion: out of S. Isaac l. de contemptu mundi c. 29.

O Lord that didest weepe ouer Lazarus, and poure forth the teares of thy cōpassiō on him, receaue the teares of my bitternesse, heale my passions with thy passions, cure my wounde with thy woundes, cleanse my bloud with thy bloud, and mingle with my body, the sweete odour of thy quickning body. Let that gawle which was geuē to thee to drink by thy enemies, make my soule sweete from the bitter­nesse, which the enimy aduersary, haith drunke vnto me. Let thy body, that was stretched forth vpon the wood of the Crosse, lift vp to th [...]e my mind, which by the deuils is drawne downeward: Thy head, which thou leanedst downe, on the tormentes of the Crosse, lift vp my head that is buffeted of my enemies. Thy most holy handes crucified with nailes, raise me vp to thee, from confu­siō of perditiō, as thy most sacred mouth haith promised: Thy face which receaued [Page 157] buffetinges, and spittinges vpon it, make cleane my face, defiled with cursed ini­quities. Thy soule which thou gauest vp first being on the Crosse, bring me to thee in thy glory. I haue not a sorowful heart to seeke thee, I haue not repentāce nor compunctiō, that bring againe chil­drē to their inheritance. O Lord I haue not entreating teares, my mynd is dark­ned with worldly thinges, nor can looke vnto thee with greefe, and my heart is withered for multitude of temptations, and can not be warmed, with teares of thy sweetnesse. But o Iesus Christ the treasure of good thinges, geue vnto me perfect repentance, a sorowful heart: That thereby I may hasten with my soule to seeke thee, for without that which is al goodnesse, I shal be an Aliē. Therefore o Iesus Christ geue me thy grace: The Father which from eternity without tyme begott thee, renew in me the light of thy image. I haue forsakē thee, do not thou forsake me: I haue gone out from thee, goe thou forth, to seeke & bring me into thy pastures, & number me among the sheepe chosen in thy [Page 158] sight, and place me with them in the portion of the riches of thy s [...]crets, whose habitacle is a clensed heart, & in it, let be seene the brightnes of thy reue­lations, which are the consolation, and refreshing of those, which haue labou­red for thee in tribulations, and al kinde of afflictions, of which, graunt we may be worthie, by the grace and holi­nesse of our Sauiour, then, and in the world to come. Amen.

Augustine l. med. cap. 11.

With al our heart and mouth we con­fesse, praise, and blesse thee god, the Father vnbegotten, thee the onely be­gotten Sonne, thee holy Ghost, comfor­ter, holy and indiuided Trinity: praise be to thee, world without end. Amen.

Direction out of scripture.

IN the middest of the Church I wil Ps. 21. see Ps. 34. 83. 112. 116. &c. praise thee.

You that feare our Lord praise him: al you seede of Iacob, glorify him.

Al Nations praise our Lord: al ye people praise him, because his mercy is confirmed vpon vs, and the truth of our Lord remaineth for euer.

Reioyce and praise together, you de­serts Is. 52. see c. 49. et Zach. 2. of Ierusalem: because our Lord haith comforted his people, redemed Ierusalem. Our Lord haith prepared his holy arme in the eyes of al Nations, and al the endes of the earth, shal see the saluation of our god.

Daughter of Syon praise, o Israel cry Sophon. 3. out for ioy, and reioice in al thy heart daughter of Ierusalem, our Lord haith taken away Iudgmēt, haith ouerthrone thine enemies, the King of Israel is lord in the midst of thee, thou shalt not feare euil any longer.

At midnight, Paule and Silas, pray­ing, Act. 16. did praise god.

Direction out of S. Basile, l. quaes. diffuse explicat. quaest. 37.

WE ought to preuent the morning, and rise to praier, lest the day find vs sleeping and in bed, according to him that saith, Mine eyes haue preuented the morning, Ps. 118. that I might meditate thy wordes: of which thinges, they must at no time be negli­gent, whose purpose is to liue agreably to the glory of god and his Christ.

A Meditation before praier out of S. Nilus lib. de oratione.

PRaier is a communication of the minde with god. Therefore in what state ought the minde to be, that it may be stretched forth to his Lord. If Moyses, when he endeuored Exod. 3. to come to the Bush which he saw, was forbiden, vntil he loosed the showes of his feete: how must not he that wil see and conuerse with him, which ex­cedeth al sense and cogitation, cast a­way frō him selfe al troubled know­ledg? Thou cāst not pray purely, if thou be entangled with earthly thinges and businesse, and burdened with daily cares.

As he which is [Page 161] is bound, can not runne: so the mind that serueth passions, can not behoulde the place of spiritual praier: for it is drawne hither and thither with trou­bled cogitations, and haith no fixed & setled state.

If thou consider thy condition, thou wilt rather weepe, protesting thy self a wretch, by the example of Isay, because Is. 6. thou being vnpure, and in the middest of vnpure people, darest stande before the Lord of hostes. Know that the ho­ly Angels exhort vs to praier, and stand with vs with ioy, praying for vs. If thersore we become negligent, and en­tertaine cōtrary cogitations, we great­ly prouoke them, because they striue so much for vs, and we for our selues, re­fuse to pray to god, but rather neglec­ting their ministery, and their Lord, & forsaking god, keepe company with vn­cleane deuils. If thou desirest to pray, transport thy self from earthly thinges, to heauē, & haue thy conuersatiō there, not onely in wordes, but in angelical action and more heauenly knowledg.

S. Athanasius in lib. de virginitate.

WHen day appeareth, thou shalt recite this psalme.

Benedicite omnia opera &c. And say the Hymne, Gloria in excelsis.

Al you workes of our Lord, blesse Canticle of the 3. Chil­drē Dan. 3. in the burnīg fournace. you our Lord: praise him, and extoll him for euer.

Blesse our Lord, ye Angels of our Lord: ye heauens blesse our Lord.

Al waters that be aboue the heauens blesse ye our Lord: blesse our Lord al ye powers of our Lord.

Sunne & moone, blesse ye our Lord: starres of heauen, blesse ye our Lord.

Shoure and dew, blesse ye our Lord: euery spirit of God, blesse ye our Lord.

Fyre and heate, blesse ye our Lord: could & sommer, blesse ye our Lord.

Dewes and hoare frost, blesse ye our Lord: frost & cold, blesse ye our Lord.

Ice and snow, blesse ye our Lord: nightes & daies, blesse ye our Lord.

Light and darknesse, blesse ye our Lord: lightninges and cloudes, blesse [Page 163] ye our Lord.

Let the earth blesse our Lord: let it praise & extol him for euer.

Mountaines and litle hilles, blesse ye our Lord: al thinges that spring in the earth, blesse ye our Lord.

Blesse our Lord ye fountaines: seas & riuers, blesse ye our Lord.

Whales, and al that moue in the vva­ters, blesse ye our Lord: blesse our lord al ye foules of the aire.

Al beasts and cattel, blesse ye our Lord: sōnes of m [...]n, blesse ye our lord.

Let Isra [...]l blesse our Lord: let it praise and extol him for euer.

Preistes of our Lord, blesse ye our Lord: seruants of our Lord, blesse ye our Lord.

Spirits and soules of the iust, blesse ye our Lord: holy and humble men of heart, blesse ye our Lord.

Ananias, Azarias, Mizael, blesse ye our Lord: praise, and extol him for euer. Because he haith deliuered vs from hel, and saued vs from the hand of death, preserued vs from the mi­dle of the burning flame, & pulled vs [Page 164] forth from the middest of the fyre.

Confesse to our Lord, because he is good: because his mercy is for euer.

Al you that be Religious, blesse our Lord, god of gods, praise and confesse vnto him, because his mercy is for euer.

A Meditation vpon the same out of S. Zeno Bishop of Verona, sermoutb. in Dan.
He was martyred vnder Ga­lienus about the yeare 260.

O Wonderful burning, o verily ser 2. a spectacle worthy of god. They which heare it, do feare, they which kindled it, do burne, they which were throwne into the fyre, goe forth of the fournace, sanctified & saif, by our Lord Iesus Christ.

Somtimes, after a great punishmēt there followeth a greater glory, espe­cially in diuine thinges, in which hap­py men with earnest deuotion, rather preserue their Religion, then life.

Vnderstand, o Christian with a be­leeuing ser. 5. heart, a thing meruelous & re­nowmed [Page 165] by al example of vertues.

Three Hebrew children, greater thē the constancy of old men, stronger then the force of yong men, equal to themselues, defended with the mistery of the Trinity, firme in one faith of the vnity in equality, glorious by the victory of suffering. These, a barbarous King, commaunded to be burned, because they contemned to worship his statua, who, when they were cast into the four­nace of burning fire, the greedy fire de­uoutly receaueth them the fawning fla­mes, refresh them, couered with dew.

A meruelous thing, shadow, is with­in, burning, is witho [...]t: within, an Himne is song, without lamenting is heard. O great power of god, the bur­ners are burned in the burning, and they that were set on fire, are suruiuors in the burning, & triumphing, go forth of the fournace, our Lord Iesus Christ ser. 6. performing it. Reioice o Christian, & constantly feare god, if thou wilt not feare the fire of the deuil. Behold the children are not hurt with the compas­sing flames, with the roaring fournace. [Page 166] They confounde the barbarous king, are reu [...]nged of their burners, they see god, death doth passe into life, feare into glory: who would not desire, so to burne? Awake o Christian, and casting 8. away al sluggishnesse, of secular sleepe, opening the eares of thy heart, learne vertue of children.

The Canticle of Zachary, father of S. Iohn Baptist. Luc. 1.

ANd Zachary his father, was re­plenished with the holy ghost, and he prophesied saying.

Blessed be our Lord God of Israel: be­cause he haith visited and wrought the redemption of his people.

And haith erected the horne of sal­uation to vs, in the house of Dauid his seruant.

As he spake by the mouth of his ho­ly prophets, that are from the begin­ning.

Saluation from our enemies, & from the hand of al that hate vs.

To worke mercy with our fathers: and to remember his holy Testament.

The oath which he sware, to Abra­ham Gen. 22. our Father, that he would geue to vs.

That without feare, being deliuered from the hand of our enemies, we may serue him.

In holinesse and Iustice before him al our daies.

And thou child shalt be called the pro­phet Malach. 3. of the highest: for thou shalt goe before the face of our Lord to prepare his waies

To geue knowledg of saluation to his people: vnto remission of their sin­nes.

Through the bowels of the mercy of Zachar. 3. Malach. 4. our god, in which the Orient from on high, haith visited vs.

To illuminate them that sit in dark­nesse and in the shadow of death: to direct our feete into the way of peace.

Glory be to the Father &c.

A Praier of praise and thanks-geuing to God for his Benefites, out of S. Clement Coustitut. SS. Apost. lib. 7. cap. 38.

WE geue thankes to thee, o Lord omnipotent, for al thy benefites, because thou hast not taken thy mercies & pittie a­way from vs, but in euery generation, and generation, doest saue, deliuer, suc­cour, defend. For thou hast succou­red in the daies of Enos and Enoch, in the daies of Moyses and Iesu, in the daies of the Iudges, in the daies of Sa­muel, and Helias, and the Prophets, in the daies of Dauid, and the Kinges, in the daies of Hester and Mardocheus, in the daies of Iudith, in the daies of Iudas Machabeus and his brethren: and in our daies thou hast releeued vs by thy great high Preist Iesus Christ thy Sōne. For he haith both saued vs from the sword, and by norishing, deliuered vs from famine, and freed vs from sicknes, & defended vs from a wicked tongue.

For al thy gifts by Christ, we geue thankes, vnto thee, who hast geuen vs voice framed for confession. Thou hast lent vnto vs a tongue as an instrument for the Harpe and Organe. Thou hast graunted vnto vs, an agreable taist, a [Page 169] conuenient touching, sight to behould, hearing to apprehend voices, smelling to perceaue odoures, handes to worke, feete to walke, & al these thinges thou doest forme of a litle drop in the womb, and after information, bestowest an im­mortal soule, and bringest forth into light, man a reasonable creature, whom thou hast instructed with lawes, ador­ned with iustifications, and after dis­solution of his short time, hast promi­sed Resurrection. Therefore what life could be sufficient, or what excellency of praises would be enough, that we might geue thankes vnto thee. But this we are not able to performe answeara­bly to thy deseruinges: yet we ought deuoutly to performe it, so much as we are ab [...]e. For thou hast deliuered vs, from the impiety of them that worship many gods, and those that killed Christ. Thou hast freed vs from heresies, recal­led vs frō the errour of ignorance, sent Christ vnto men, that he might be mā, which was god onely begotten, hast placed vs in the comforter, appointed Angels ouer vs, dishonoured the deuil.

When we were not, thou hast made vs, being made, thou preseruest vs, thou ministrest life, geuest foode, hast pro­mised penance.

For al these thinges, glory be to thee and honour by Iesus Christ, now & e­uer, & for euer. Amen.

An other praier of praise or thankes out of the same S. Clement. Constit. SS. Apost. lib. 7. ca. 35.

GReat art thou o Lord, almighty and great is thy strength, and there is none end of thy wis­dome. Creatour, Sauiour, riche in graces, patient, and shewer of mercie, which takest not away saluation from thy creatures. For by nature thou art god, & sparest sinners, prouoking them to penance, for thy correction is ful of mercies. For how should we sustaine it, if we were called to sudaine Iudg­ment, when longe time expected, we hardly cast away infirmity. The hea­uens declare thy power, the earth poy­sed with stability, the sea wauing with [Page 171] agreable greatnes, feeding infinite mul­titudes of liuing creatures. The sande is bridled, trembling at thy commaun­dement, and causeth al men to crye, O Lord thy workes are magnified: thou hast Ps. 103. made al thinge in wisdome, the earth is re­plenished with thy workes.

The ardent armie of Angels, and the intellectual Spirits, doe say, one holy, & the Seraphim, together with the Che­rubims, Is. 6. with their sixe adorned winges, singing vnto thee an Himne of victory with a neuer ceasing voice, crye forth, Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord of Hostes, the heauen and earth, are ful of thy glory.

Also the other multitudes of orders Angels, Thrones, Dominations, Prin­cipalities, Potestates, Powers, crying forth, do say, Blessed be the glory of god, Ezechiel 3. from his place. But Israel, that is, the Church on earth, gathered together, of the gentiles, imitating the heauenly powers, day and night, with a ful heart and willing mind do sing, The Chariot Ps. 67. of god with ten thousandes manifould, thousandes of reioycers, our lord amōg them in Sinai in the holy. The heauen haith [Page 172] knowne him, because he arched it, res­ting vpon noe supporter, and made it stable as a four-square stone: who also gathered togethe [...] into one, the earth and water, and diffused the aire, from whence life & spirit should be drawne, to which he ioyned the fire for warm­nesse, and putting away of darknesse.

The company of starres is amazed, shewing forth him that numbreth them, Ps. 146. and declaring him, who nameth them. The liuing creatures also are astonished at him, that inspireth their life, and the trees at him that planteth them: Al which thinges created with thy word, denownce the greatnesse of thy power. Wherefore euery man ought with al his heart to geue praise vnto thee, by Christ for al those thinges, seeing by thee he posseseth them al, for thou art gracious in graunting benefites, and boutiful in shewing mercy, who alone art omnipo­tent: for when thou wilt, power is in thee, to be able to do it: For thy eter­nal Dan. 3. Dan. 14. Iou. 2. might cooleth the flame, bridl [...]th the lyons, maketh the whale gētle: suc­courreth the sicke, ouerthroweth pow­ers, [Page 173] destroyeth the army of enemies, & the proude multitude of people. Thou art in heauen, in earth, in the sea, in the vttermost bondes, thy selfe circumscri­bed with no bond: of thy greatnesse there Ps. 144. is no end. And o Lord, not we alone say this, but it is the oracle of thy seruant saying: And thou shalt know with thy heart, Deu. 4. that thy lord thy god, is god in heauen aboue, and in earth beneath, and there is no other but he, for there is no god but he alone. There is not an holy besides thee, lord god of knowledge, the God of Sainctes, holy aboue al that are holy. For they which are made holy, are vnder thy hād: thou art glorious, exalted, inuisible by nature, vnserchable in iudgmentes, whose life wanteth nothing, duration without chaunge, and variety, operatiō without labour, maiesty contained with no boundes, Comlinesse euerlasting, a mansion place vnaccessible, an habitati­on vntransmigrable, knowledge inter­minable, truth inuariable, a worke with out midle, power without deceiptes, rule without succession, strength with­out aduersary, the multitude of thine ar­my [Page 174] is greate. For thou art the father of wisdome, authour of nature by the Me­diatour, as cause, diposer of prouidence, Lawgiuer, replenisher of pouerty, re­uenger of the impious, and rewarder of those that be iust, of Christ God, and Father, and the Lord of those that wor­ship him, whose promise is infallible, iudgment incorruptible, sentence not entreatable, piety vnexhausted, benig­nity eternal, for whom, worthy & de­serued adoration is due to thee, of eue­ry reasonable and holy nature.

Iudith. 16.

LEt vs singe an Himne vnto our Lord: let vs sing an Himne vn­to our god.

Adonai, Lord thou art great and ex­cellent in power, and whom noe man can ouercome.

Let euery creature serue thee, be­cause thou hast said the word, and thinges were made, thou hast sent thy spirit, and they were created, and noe man can resist thy wil.

The mountaines shal be moued from [Page 175] the foundations with waters: the rocks shal melt as waxe before thy face, but they which feare thee, shal be great Ecclesiastic. 51. 1. 2. with thee in al thinges.

O Lord our King, I wil confesse vn­to thee, and praise thee god my Saui­our.

I wil confesse vnto thy name, be 10. 11. cause thou art made my helper & pro­tector.

I looked for the help of men, and it was not.

I remembred thy mercy o Lord, for thou deliuerest those that expect thee.

I haue called vpon our Lord, the Fa­ther of my Lord, that he would not leaue me in the day of tribulation, and in the time of the proude without helpe. I wil praise thy name dayly, and extol it 14. in confession, and my prayer is heard, and thou hast deliuered me from perditi­on, 15. 16. 17. and taken me forth from the wic­ked time. Therefore I wil confesse, & speake praise vnto thee, and blesse the name of our Lord.

Heu, heu, heu, o Lord god: behould Ierem. 32. thou hast made heauen and earth, in thy [Page 176] great strength, and stretched arme, no­thing wil be dificult to thee, who shew­est mercy on thousandes, and payest the iniquitie of the parents, into th [...] bo­some of their children after them, o most strong, great, and mighty, the Lord of hostes is thy name, great in coūsaile & incomprehensible in cogitation: whose eyes are open vpon al the wayes of the children of Adam, that thou mayest ren­der to euery one according to his wayes and according to the frute of his inuen­tions.

Blessed art thou, o lord god of our fa­thers, Dan. 3. and to be praised, and exalted for euer. And the blessed name of thy glory holy, and laudable, and exalted in al worldes. Blessed art thou in the holy temple of thy glory, and exceedingly to be praised, and eminently glorious for euer. Blessed art thou in the throne of thy kingdome, and superlaudable and extolled for euer. Blessed art thou, who behouldest the depthes, and sittest vpon the Cherubim, and laudable & extolled for euer. Blessed art thou in the firma­ment of heauen, and laudable and glori­ous [Page 177] for euer.

I wil ioy in our lord, and reioyce in Habacue. 3. god my Iesus.

A breefe excercise of meditations & prayers, for such as desire to obserue al canonical houres of prayer, vsed in the primatiue church: & stil among the religious: And first for prime or first houre of the day.

THe sunne is risen and man shal Ps. 103 goe forth to his labour, and worke vntil euening.

A wise man wil geue his heart, early Ecclesiast. 39. to watch to our lord, that made him, & wil make his prayers in the sight of the highest.

The kingdome of heauen is like to a Math. 20. man, that is an houshoulder, which went forth in the morning, to hyre workmen into his vineyard, and hauing made co­uenant with the workmen for a penie a day, he sent them into his vineyard.

And very earely the first of the sabothes, Mare. 16. they come to the monument, the sunne being now risen.

we must preuent the sunne to blesse Sap. 16. thee, and worshippe thee when the day appeareth.

whē morning was come al the cheefe Ma [...]h. 17. Prei [...]es▪ and aun [...]i [...]nts of the people consulted tog [...]ther, against Iesus, that they might put him to death, and they bring him bound, and deliuered him to Pontius Pilate, the pres [...]dent.

From the holy primatiue Fathers.

AT these houres, let vs y [...]ld thā ­kes, S. [...]ene­dictus in Regula. S. Ch [...]s [...]st. l. [...]. de o­rando De­um. to our Creatour, Matins, Prime, &c.

We ought in forsaking our beddes to preuent the sunne rysing, with diuine worshippe. Tel me with what coun­tenance wilt thou behould the sunne, except first thou hast adored him, that sendeth that most sweete light to thy eyes? Meditate in the holy s [...]riptures: Athanasius l de virgi­nitate. haue the psalter, and learne the psalmes: let th [...] sunne rysing see a booke in thy handes.

A meditation out of S. Athanasius ser. in id. profecti &c. inuenietis [Page 179] pullum alligatum &c.

THe scribes & pharasies came to­gether into the court of Cai­phas, & tooke counsaile against Iesus. For those most desperate men were ignorant, that his death would geue vnto vs immortalitie, and this descending procure vnto vs, our ascen­ding into heauen: for our lord arose the third day, from the deade, hauing spoy­led hel, trodden the enemy vnder foote, abolished death, broken the boundes of sinnes, wherewith we were holden, & deliuered those that were bound, say­ing: arise, let vs depart hence being de­liuered from the se [...]uitude of the deuil. Therefore let vs acknowledge our bene­factor, let vs glorifie the Father, with the Sonne, and holy Ghost, let vs con­fesse one deitie: for so ordering our life, we shal possesse the kingdome of heauē, in Christ Iesus our lord.

An other meditation out of S. Cipri­an de orat. dominica.

BEsides the houres which were aū ­ciently vsed, now both the spaces [Page 180] and Misteries, are encreased. For also we must pray in the morning; that the resurrection of our lord may be ce­lebrated by morning prayer. If in the holy scriptures Christ be the true sunne, and the true day, no hour is excepted from Christians, but God ought often & alwayes to be adored: that we which are in Christ, that is in the sunne and the day, apply our selues to supplicatiōs, and to pray al the day.

A meditation and prayer out of S. An­dreas Bishop of Cesaraea in Capadocia. c. vlt. in Apocalip.

SVrely our Lord is a consuming fyre, & warmeth the soule, which chastly and quietly, conuerseth with him, although it be could with sinne, & maketh it capable of that fyre, which was borne to cons [...]me vncleanes: Euen also as the sunne, whylest it doth more forceably reflect vpon a vessel of glasse, ful of water, by a certaine kind of boyling, and refraction, draweth fyre out of it, though being could. There­fore this being so, let vs exhibite our [Page 181] selues, not as a filthy and earthen vessel, or such as cannot receaue impression of the heauenly beames, but as the Temple Cor. 6. of the holy Ghost, and cleane and bright glasse, to the sunne of iustice, that is to Christ, who would al men to be saued, and 1. Tim. 2. come to the knowledge of truth: and doth bestow, and offer vnto al, so plentifully, and without offence, the grace of his brightnesse: although it be not equally participated of al, but according to the measure of the purity of the inward eye. Our merciful Lord that for our sake suf­fered in flesh, that is, Iesus Christ our God, graunt, that we may obtaine this pure and chaist eye of minde: To whom together with the Father and holy and viuificant spirit, is due, al glory, & ho­nour, and adoration, now and euer, & for euer. Amen.

A praier for this hour, out of S. Clement Constit. S. Apost. lib. 8. cap. 44.

O God of spirites and al flesh, in comparable, wanting nothing, who hast geuen the sunne to gui [...]e the day, and the moone & starres to rule the night: Behould vs now with thy merciful eyes, and receaue our mor­ning geuinges of thankes, & haue mercy vpon vs, for we haue not stretched forth our handes to a straung God, for there is not any new god to vs, but thou e­uerlasting and infinite, who hast geuen vnto vs by Christ, that we might be, & by him hast bestowed vpon vs, that we might be wel. Now by him make vs worthy of euerlasting life: to whom, with thee and the holy ghost, be glory, honour, and worship for euermore. Amen.

A Praier out of S. And [...]eas of Ce­sarea, super cap. 47.

GOd almighty graunt, that our conuersation and order of life be such, that it may be cause of confusion and deiection, vnto the de­uils, and bring occasion of gladnesse vn­to the Angels, that together with them [Page 183] we may celebrate a f [...]uity with voice of exultation, a [...]d sounde of conf [...]ssi [...]n, and may geue thankes for victory ob­tained against the wicked deuils, vnto Christ one god, with whom, glory is due to the Father and holy Ghost, now and euer, and world without end. Amen.

A Meditation vpon Christs being brought before Caiphas, out of S. Leo ser. 6. de pas. Domini.

IEsus being brought to Caiphas, cheife of the Preistes, whether the Scribes, and al the preistly order, were assembled, false testimonies are sought against our Lord, and Caiphas, to ex [...]ggerate the enuy of the speach which he heard, r [...]n [...] his garmentes, & not knowing what he signified by this ma [...]nesse, depriued him self of preistly [...]onour. O Caiphas, where is the Rati­onale of thy brest? Where is thy Girdle of continency? Where is thy Superhu­merale of vertues? Thou spoil [...]st thy selfe of that mistical and consecrated attyre, and with thine owne handes, [Page 184] pullest into Peeces, thy Pontifical ves­timents, forgeating that precept which thou hadst red of the cheife Preist: He Leuit. 22. shal not lay of the Cidaris from his head, and shal not breake in sunder his garments. But thou from whom this dignity was now alienated, thou thy self, to thy self, art executioner of reproach. And to manifest the end of the old Testament, belongeth the same rending in peeces of the preisthood.

Direction out of Scripture.

PIlate againe answearing, said vn­to Marc. 15. them, what wil you then that I do to the King of the Iewes? But they againe cryed, crucify him &c.

And it was the Third Hour.

Sodainly there was made a sound from Act. 2. heauen, and there appeared to them parted tongues, as it were of fire, and it [Page 185] sate vpon euery one of them, and they were al replenished with the holy Ghost v. 15. &c. It is the third Hour of the day.

Direction out of the Fathers. Ignatius Epist. ad Trallian.

At the Third Hour, Christ, by his Fa­thers permission, receaued sentence of Pilate. At the Sixt Hour, he was cru­cified. And at the Ninth Hour, yelded vp the Ghost. And before the Sunne setting, was taken from the Crosse and buried in a new Sepulchre.

We finde that in making praiers, the Ciprian. de orat. domin. see S. Hie­ronim. epist. 122. c. 16. ad Eustochium. three childrē with Daniel, obserued the Third Hour, Sixt Hour, and Ninth Hour, doubtlesse in mistery of the Tri­nity, which was to be manifested in the last times, & it was after made ma­nifest, that they were misteries in old times, that before, the iust men praied in that maner. For the holy Ghost des­cended vpon the Disciples at the Third Hour, who fulfilled the grace of our Lordes promise.

Make your praiers early in the mor­ning S. Clem. Co [...]st. S. Apost. l. 8. c. 4. at the Third Hour &c. At the 3. Hour, because at that hour, our Lord had sentence of Pilate.

A Meditation out of S. Basile, l. q. diffus. explicat. q. 37.

ABout the Third Hour, let vs a­rise to praier, remembring the guift of the spirit, which was geuen to the Apostles about the Third Act. 2. Hour. Let vs pray al with one minde, that we also may be made worthy, to rec [...]aue sanctification, asking of him di­rection and instruction, to that which is profitable, according to him that said O god create in me a new heart, and renew Ps. 50. a right spirit in my bowels. Cast me not away from thy face, and take not thy holy Spirit from me. Restoare vnto me the gladnesse of thy saluation, and confirme me with thy principal Spirit. And in an other place. Thy good Spirit wil lead me into the Ps. 142. right land.

A Meditation of Christes bearing his [Page 187] Crosse, out of S. Leo. ser. 8. pass. Domini.

OVr Lord deliuered ouer to the wil of raging men, to the scorne of his Kingly dignity, was commaunded to be the bearer of his owne punishment, that it might be fulfilled, which Esay the Prophet had foreseene saying, Behold a Child is borne, Is. 9. & a sonne is geuen vnto vs, whose rule is vpon his shoulders. Therefore when our Lord bore the tree of his Ctosse, which he would turne into the scepter of his power: this surely was a great scorne among the eyes of the vngodly, but it was shewed for a great mistery to true beleuers: because the most glorious c [...] ̄ ­querour of the deuil, & the most migh­ty subduer of the enemies strengthes, in a bewtiful shew, did carrie the Tro­phee of his triumphe, and bore vp [...]n his shoulders of inuincible patience, the signe of saluation, to be adored of al Kingdomes, as though euen th [...]n he would, with the Image it self of his worke, confirme al his followers, and [Page 188] say, He that doth not take his Crosse and Math. 10. follow me, is not worthy of me.

A prayer out of S. Basile de Ieiunio, concione. 1.

OVr Lord that haith brought vs vnto this instāt of tyme, vouch­saife to giue vnto vs, as to men in cumbate, that to these cumbates we may shew firmnes, and strength of con­stancie, and come to the appointed day of crouning, now of the remembrance of his sauing passion, and in the world to come, of retribution, according to our life, in the iust iudgment of Christ him selfe. To him be glory for euer Amen.

An other out of the same Father l. exercitam. ser. 6.

HE that cometh vnto god, ought to embrace pouerty, and in al thinges to be perced through with the feare of god, according to him, that said: Perce my flesh with thy feare, I haue feared for thy iudgmentes. Our Lord graunt vnto vs, that with al perfec­tion [Page 189] we may receaue those thinges, that are referred to the glory of god, and shew forth frutes worthy of the spirit, according to the wil of god, and coope­ration of our Lord Iesus Christ. Amen.

A prayer for graces of the holy Ghost: out of the masse attributed to S. Marke the Euangelist.

O Ruler, our lord Iesu Christ, the eternal word of the Father without beginning, who for our saluation didest become like vnto vs, in al thinges, excepting sinne, who sent thy holy Disciples, and Apostles, to preach and teach thy gospel, and to cure al sicknesse and infirmities in the people: now also o Lord, send forth thy light & truth, and illuminate the eyes of our minde, that we may vnderstand thy di­uine wordes: graunt that we be fitte hearers of them, & not onely hearers, but that we may be made doers of thy word: that we may encreace and bring forth good frutes, from thirtie to an hundred, that we may be accompted worthy of the kingdō of heauē. And let [Page 190] thy mercies soone lay hould on vs, for thou art our Euangelisme or message of good Sauiour, & keeper of our soules, and bodies, o Lord god, and we offer vnto thee glory, and thankes-giuing, & thrice holy himne, to the Father, and the Sonne, and holy Ghost, now and euer & world without end. Amen.

A meditation and prayer to the holy Ghost: out of S. Basil ser. de libero arbitrio.

MAry haith chosen the best part Luc. 10. which shal not be taken from her. O those precious teares like vnto Margarites flowing from her bles­sed eyes, o her diuine & obedi [...]nt eares, o manlike and wise minde, o swiftnesse of spiritual loue, greatly hasting to the vnpolluted brydegrōe, o prick of desire of a soule to god the word, o indisso­luble society of the spouse to the bryde­grome, imitate her o sonne, imitate her looking after nothing els, but him that said: I came to cast fire, and what wil I, but to haue it kinled, for there is an heate of the spirit stirring vp of mens heartes: [Page 191] wherefore that immaterial and diuine fire doth illuminate soules, and proueth them within, as gold not counterfaite in a fornace, and consumeth wickednes as stuble and thornes. For our God is a consuming fyre, who taketh vengeance in a flame of fyre, vpon them that know him not, and them, that obey not his gospel. This fyre wrought in the Apostles, whē Act. 2. they spake w [...]th fy [...]e tongues, this is the fyre that shyned with glory rounde Act. 9. about Paule, and illuminated his mind, but darkned the s [...]nce of his sight. For fleshly sight doth not receaue the force of that light. This fyre was seene to Exod. 3. Moyses in the bush. This fyre in the shape of a Chariot tooke away Helias. Blessed Dauid seeking after the actiō of this fyre, did say: Proue me o lord, & ex­amine Ps. 25. me, burne my reynes and my heart. This fyre warmed the heartes of Cleo­phas, Luc. 24. and him that trauailed with him, when our Sauiour talked with them af­ter his resurrectiō. Wherevpon the An­gels Ps. 103. and ministring spirites are termed a burning fyre. This fyre consuming the beame in the inward eye, maketh the [Page 192] minde pure, that receauing the natural strength of seeing, it may continually see the miracles of god, according to him that saith, Reueile mine eyes, & I wil Ps. 118. consider the meruelous thinges in thy Law.

Therefore this fyre driueth away de­uils, consumeth wickednesse, it is the force of resurrection, worke of immor­tality, illumination of holy soules, and confirmation of reasonable powers.

Let vs pray vnto this fire, that it wil also come into vs, that alwaies wal­king in the light, we neuer offend at al, but as lightes, shyning in the world, we keepe cōtinually the doctrine of life, that enioying God, with our Lord Ie­sus Christ, we may rest in life world without end. Amen.

S. Ephrem post Thren.

WO to me, to me burdeined with greatest sinnes. I haue sinned aboue the number of the sandes of the sea, and goe crooked 2. Par. 36. Luc. 18. with the burden of my sinnes, as loaden with a great weight of iron. For I dare not lift vp mine eyes, and beholde [Page 193] the highnesse of the heauens. There­fore to whom shal I flee, but to thee most merciful and gentle? O god haue Ps. 50. mercy on me, according to thy great mercy. And according to the multi­tude of thy miserations, blot out mine iniquitie. Wash me more o Lord from mine iniquity, and clense me from my sinne. Because I acknowledg mine ini­quity, and my sinne is alwaies against me. I haue sinned to th [...]e alone, and dore euil before th [...]e. I flee vnto thee for thine infinite piety. I haue pr [...]uo­ked thee, to th [...]e I returne, because of thine exceding clem [...]ncy. To thee, because of thy great beningnity and good­nesse, I runne back, and b [...]seeching, cry out. Turne thy face away from my Ps. 50. sinnes, and blot out al mine iniquities, for thy holy name. For I haue nothing which I may offer vnto thee, not any good workes, not cleanesse of heart. But I trust in thy mercies, and cast myself into them, asking, that thou wilt Ib. create a cleane heart in me, & confirme me with thy principal Spirit, lest I ea­sely fal againe into sinne: but from [Page 194] henceforth, may serue thee in holinesse and iustice, al the daies of my life. Be­cause thine is the kingdome, and Rule, world without end. Amen.

Direction out of scripture.

AT Noone tyme I wil declare, & Ps. 54. shew forth, and he wil heare my voice.

And after they came to the place, Luc. 23. Marc. 15. Math. 27. which is called Caluary, there they cru­cified him, &c. And it was almost the sixt hour.

Peter went vp to pray in the higher Act. 10. partes, about the sixt hour.

O tel me, thou whō my soule doth loue, Cant. 1. where thou feedest, where thou lyest, at noone tyme, lest I begin to wander after the flockes of my felowes.

M [...]k [...] your prayers at the sixt hour, Clem. Const. l. 8. c. 40. Cip. l. de o­rat. dom. because our lord was then crucified.

We finde that in praying, the three children with Daniel, obserued the third [Page 195] hour, sixt hour, and ninth hour. &c. Peter at the sixt hour ascending into the higher partes, was instructed both with the signe, & voice of god, admonishing him that he should admit al to the grace of saluation. And our lord being cruci­fied at the sixt hour, at the ninth hour washed away our sinnes with his bloud.

A Meditation vpon the Crosse for this Hour, out of S. Ciril, Archb. of Ierusalem, Ca­tech. 13. Illumin.

THe Tree of life is set into the earth, that the earth which was cursed, might enioy benedicti­on, and the dead, might be deliuered, and quickned. Therefore let vs not be ashamed to confesse, him that was cru­cified, but let vs confidently impresse with our fingers, the signe of the crosse on our forhead, and let the Crosse be made in al thinges els, in eating our bread, in drinking our drinke, & in go­ing forth, and entring in, before sleepe, in lying downe, in rysing, in going, & resting. Great is this saifguarde which for the poore is freely geuen, without [Page 196] labour for the weake, seeing this grace is of god, the signe of the faithful, and feare of [...]euils: for he triumphed ouer them in this signe. She wit forth bold­ly, for when they shal see the Crosse, they [...]member him that was crucifyed, they f [...]a [...]e him that c [...]ushed in peeces the Gen. 3. dragons head.

An other Meditation vpon the cru­cifying of Christ, out of S. Le­o. ser. 6. de pas. Do.

CHrist was crucified in the place called Golgatha. By the tree, the fall, by the tree is lifted vp, and by the taist of gal and vinegre, the baite of sinne is blotted out. Worthi­ly had our Lord said before he was be­trayed, When I shal be exalted, I wil draw Ioan. 12. al th [...]nges vnto me: That is, I wil plead al the cause of mankind, and that na­ture which was lost, I wil recal to inte­grity. Al infirmity shal be abolished in me, al woundes shal be healed in me. And that Christ drew al thinges vnto him, it is shewed, not onely by the suf­fering of our substance, but by alterati­on [Page 197] of al the world. For our Lord han­ging in his tormente, euery creature did groane with him, and al the ele­mentes together, did feele the nailes of the Crosse: nothing was free from that punishment: that drew both earth, and heauen, to communicate with it: that brake the rockes, opened the graues, vnlocked hel, and hid the beames of the Sunne, with horrour of grosse darck­nesse. The world did owe this testimo­ny to his Authour, that in the ending of their maker, al thinges would ha [...]e an end. Therefore, being deliuered from the power of darcknesse, & loosed from the bandes of our old cap [...]i [...]ity, with so great a price, so great a Sacra­ment: doe your endeuour, o most be­loued, that by no cunning, the deuil corrupt the integrity of your mindes. Let al that are regenerated by water & the holy Ghost, remember whom they haue renounced, and by what professi­on, they haue cast of from them selues, the yoke of tirannical ouerruling.

Let them neither in pros [...]erity nor ad­uersity, runne to the deadly help of the [Page 198] deuil. If god be for vs, Who is against vs? Rom. 8. Who spared not his owne Sonne, but gaue him for vs al: how haith he not also with him, geuen vs al thinges. who liueth and reigneth world without end. Amen.

A Meditation vpon Christes Pas. in Mount Caluary, out of S. A­thanasius, in passion. Saluat.

THey cast lottes for his coate, Math. 27. Ps 21. Ps. 15. that Christ might be our lotte, as the psalmist writeth, Our Lo [...]de is the portion [...]f mine inheritance, & my cuppe. Wherefore he suffereth 4 To this cō ­sent, Tertul. l. 2. cont. Marc Basil. in c. 5. leuit. Epiph. hae­res. 46. Chrisost. ho. 84. in Ioan Ambros. l. 5. ep. 9. August. de temp. ser. 71. et q. 161. ingen. and others▪ not in any other place, nor in any other Region, but in the place of Caluary, 4 which the Maisters of the Hebrewes say was the graue of Adam, for they af­firme that he was buried there after the curse. And if it be so, I can not but wonder at the peculiar conueniency & fitnesse of his passion: for it behoued that our Lord, desireous to make a re­nouation, should first renew Adam, that his sinne being loosed, he might quite take away sinne from mankind. And forasmuch as Adam heard spoken, [Page 199] vnto him, Thou art earth, & into earth Gen. 3. thou shalt returne: So now againe he might heare. Be thou raised that sleepest Is. 60. arise from the deade, and Christ wil ligh­ten thee. A [...]d againe. Arise & follow Ib. me, that thou tre [...]e not the earth any lon­ger, but maiest ascend to heauen. For it is needeful that our Sauiour being raised, Adam, and al descending of him, should be also raised with him. And as when Adam died we were al dead: so also our Lordes body being raised, of necessity al must be raised with him. For this is the minde of the wordes of Paule, wri­ting to the Corinthians, Euen as in A­dam, al men dye: so in Christ, al shal be 1. Cor. 15. quikned.

A Direction or Meditation out of S. Bafil [...] q. diffus. q. 37.

WE iudg praier to be necessa­ry at the Sixt Hour, for i­mitation of the Sainctes, that say. In the euening, and morning, & Ps. 54. Noone-time, I wil declare & shew, and he wil heare my voice. And that I may be deliuered from incursion, and Noon [...]-time [Page 200] d [...]uil: let the 90 psalme be said.

HE that dwelleth in the aide of This psalme is cited in the prayers for e­ [...]eni [...]g [...]lso, by the same S Basile his Direction. the highest, shal abide in the protection of the god of hea­uen.

He wil say to our Lord, thou art he that receaueth me, and my refuge, my god, I will ope in him.

Because he haith deliuered me from the s [...]a [...]e of h [...]nt [...]s, and from c [...]el sp [...]ach.

With his shoulders, he wil sh [...]dow thee, and vnder his winges t [...]u shalt trust.

His t [...]u [...]h shal compasse thee about with a sh [...]ld: thou shalt not be affraid of the feare of the night.

Of the arrow flying in the day, of the worke walking in darknesse, of in­cursion, and noone-time deuil.

A thousand shal fal from thy side, & ten thousandes on thy right hand: but he shal not approach to thee.

But thou shalt behould with thyne eyes: and see the rewarde of sinners.

Because o Lord thou art my hope: thou hast appointed the most high, for [Page 201] my refuge.

Euil shal not come to thee: and scourge shal not draw neare to thy Ta­bernacle.

Because he haith geuen charge to his Angels ouer thee, that they keepe thee in al thy waies.

They shal cary thee in their handes: lest peraduenture thou maist hitte thy foote at a stone.

Thou shalt walke vpon the Aspis & Basiliske: and treade vnder thy foote the Lyon and Dragon.

Because he haith trusted in me, I wil deliuer him: I wil protect him, because he haith knowne my name.

He haith cryed vnto me, and I wil heare him: with him I am in tribulati­on, I wil deliuer him, and I wil glorify [...]im.

I wil replenish him with length of daies, and I wil shew vnto him my sal­uation.

Glory be to the Father &c.

A praier vpon the P [...]ssion, out of S. Athanasius, in Euang. of the pasi­on [Page 202] & Crosse of Christ.

WHat must we doe here? No­thing els, but that we be­leue in Christ, and liue ac­cording vnto him, as paule saith, Be fo­lowers of me, as I also am of Iesus Christ. Philip. 3. Let vs stick vnto the Crosse, and liue worthy of it, and say the same wordes with Paul, God forbid I should glory, but in the Crosse of our Lord Iesus Christ. Gal. 6. For when we shal so haue liued, and be­leued in our Lord, we shal know his as­sumption into heauen, and his sitting at the right hand of maiesty, & behould the subiection of the Angels vnto him, and his comming againe with glory, whom the Angels foreshew, the Sainc­ctes doe singe vnto, and al seeing, re­ioice, and are glad in Christ Iesus, by whom to the Father, be glory and rule for euer. Amen.

An other out of S. Ephrem, S. de pas­sione Domini.

O Lord I worship thee, O di­uine, I blesse and praise thee, O holy, I besech thee, O god louer of men, I fal downe vnto thee, and glorify thee o Christ: that thou, the onely begotten Lord of al thinges, alone without sinne, art for me, a most vnworthy sinner, deliuered vnto death & death of the Crosse, that thou migh­test deliuer the soule of a sinner from the bondes of sinnes. And what shal I ren­der to thee for al these thinges o Lord?

O most bountiful, glory to thee. Glory to thee, o most merciful. Glo­ry to thee, o most patient. Glory to thee, that remittest the sinnes of al. Glory to thee, that didest descend, to saue our soules. Glory to thee, that wast incarnate in the Virgins wombe. Glory to thee, that wast borne for vs. Glory to thee, that wast held for our cause. Glory to thee, that wast bound. Glory to thee, that wast whipped. Glory to thee, that wast spitte vpon. Glory to thee, that wast mocked. Glory to thee, that wast crucified. Glory to thee, that wast buried. [Page 204] Glory to thee, that didest arise from the dead. Glory to thee, that art prea­ched. Glory to thee, in whom we be­leeue. Glory to thee, that wast assumpted into heauen. Glory to thee, who with great glory, sittest on the right hand of the Father, and againe shal come in the glory of the Father, & the holy Angels, to iudge euery soule that haith despised thee, and thy holy passi­ons, in that fearful and dreadful hour, when the powers of the heauens shal Math. 24. Luc. 21. be moued, when also the Angels & Ar­changels, Cherubim and Seraphim, shal come with feare and trembling in sight of thy glory: when agai [...]e, the foun­dations of the earth shal tremble, and euery liuing thing shal be affraid for the incomparable glory of thy great Maies­tye. I besech thee, that in that hour thy grace may hide me vnder thy winges and my soule may be deliuered frō that horrible fyre, gnashing of teeth, exter­nal darknesse, and euerlasting weping, that I may say, blessing, and thankes­geuing, to thee. Glory be to thee o Lord, who, according to the multitude [Page 205] of the mercies of thy great piety, hast vouchsaifed to saue me a sinner. who with the Father and holy Ghost, liuest and reignest, world without ende. Amen

S. Athanasins l. Meditat.

At the Sixt Hour, end thy praiers, with psalmes, weping, and teares, be­cause at this Hour, the Sonne of God did hang on the Crosse for thee.

S. Denis the Areopagite, S. Paules scholer: epist. ad S. Policarp.

DEmaund of him what he think­eth He meaneth A­poliphanes, the philoso­pher. of the Eclips of the Sūne, which hapned, when our Saui­our was crucified, for we were then both together, and stoode at Heliopolis, & did sodanly see, when the Moone obiec­ted it selfe to the Sunne, not being the time of their coniunction: and againe, when the same opposed it selfe, aboue the order of nature, to the midle lyne of [Page 207] the sunne, from the ninth hour to the evening. And recal further some other thing to his memory, for he knoweth also how that interposition was seene of vs, to begin frō the rysing of the sunne, and come to the last point of it: and af­ter to vanish away: and againe, that the interposition, and recession, did not chance from the same part of the sunne, but frō that, which (so to speake) was diametrically contrary. These are the wonderful thinges of that time, which Christ, the author of al thinges, is onely able to performe, who maketh great, and Iob. 5. mereulous thinges, of which there is noe number. If it be lawful for thee, and if thou canst, o Apoliphanes, refute The testi­mony of gen­tile Philoso­phers for Christ. these thinges against me, who was then both present with thee, & did behould, and examine al thinges, with greatest admiration. And I cannot devise where­vpon Apoliphanes then began, & con­ferring with me the thinges that were done, said thus: O Dionisius, these are the changing of diuine matters.

An other Meditation, how al creatures [Page 208] seemed to lament, at the death of Christ, out of S. Leo ser. 2. pas. Dom.

WHen Christ yelded vp the Ghost, al the elementes did tremble. The brightnesse of the sunne, couered with thick dark­nesse, did extraordinarily subiect the day to night. The earth weakned with deepe quakinges, did not retai [...]e it sta­bility. And the firme rockes, their strē ­gth being broken, fel into peeces. The veile of the Temple, with which the misteries of former thinges, were now noe longer to be shadowed, was cutte asunder. And the bodies of many Sainctes, being raised vp, to prepare the faith of the Resurrection, their graues lay open. Therefore o Iewes, against you heauen and earth haue geuen sen­tence. The sunne haith withdrawne his seruice, and the day from you, al the or­ders of the elementes, haue denied to serue you, and the ministery of the creature departing from his lawes, your blindnesse, your confusion was [Page 209] was signified. For you saying, His Math. 27. bloud be vpon vs, and vpon our children, this is worthily repayed vnto you, that what the wicked portion of your stocke hath lost, that the beleeuing fulnesse of the gentiles should obtaine. Therefore most beloued, let vs to whom our lord Iesus Christ crucified is not a scandal, nor 1. Cor. 1. foolishnesse, but the power of god and wis­dom of god, let vs, I say, the spiritual seede of Abraham, not begottē of the Issue of seruitude, but regenerated in the family of freedome, for whom brought forth with a strong hand & mightie arme, from vnder the oppressiō of the rule of Egipt, the true and immaculate lambe Christ is 1. Cor. 5. offered: let vs embrace the meruealous mistery of his sauing pasouer, and be re­formed to the image of him, that was conformed to our deformity, let vs be lifted vp to him, that made the dust of our baise condition, to be the body of his glory, and that we may deserue to be partakers of his resurrection, let vs in al thinges become agreable to his humi­lity, and patience. We haue vndertaken the warfare of a great name, the disci­pline [Page 210] of a great profession. It is not lawful for the folowers of Christ, to de­part from the kinges way, but worthy it is, that they wich tend vnto eternal thinges, be not occupied in thinges temporal▪ and because we are redemed with the pretious bloud of Christ, let vs glorify and beare g [...]d in our body, that we 1. Cor. 6. may deserue to come to those thinges, that are prepared for the faithful by Christ our Lord. Amen.

A prayer vpon Christs passion out of S. Gregory Nazianzen orat. in S. Pascha. in fine.

GOd was crucified, the sūne dark­ned, and lightned againe: for it behoueth creatures, to com­passionate with there creatour. The veale was cutte, water & bloud flowed out of his side, the earth quaked, the rockes were rent, the dead rysing, do testify the faith of the last and common resurrection. Al which thinges who is able worthily to praise? But none was such, as the miracle of my saluation, a few droppes of bloud reforming al the world. But o great and holy pasouer, [Page 211] and expurgation of al the world.

O word of God, and light, and life, and wisdome, and power, for I ioy at al thy names. O Issue, and cogitation, & seale of that great minde: o word in­telligible, and man visible, who bearest al thinges, crowned with the word of power: let vs suffer noe euil: stay the tiranny which the body beareth against vs. Thou seest o Lord, whom, & how it beareth downe, except we be purged by thy suffrage, or by thy self. But if we shal worthily be dissolued from this desire, and receaued in the celestial ta­bernacles: peraduenture there also, we shal acceptab [...]y sacrifice vnto thee, on thy holy Altare, o Father, and worde, and holy Ghost, because al glory, ho­nour, and power, is to thee for euer. Amen.

The Meditation or Preparation to Praier out of S. Cesarius, Bishop of Arles, Hom. 31.

LEt vs pray with sighing, & for­ceable crying or groāing, accor­ding to that prophetical saying: I did roare for the groaning of my heart. Ps. 37. Let vs pray, not with a sounding voice, but with a conscience, crying vnto our Lord. When we pray, so much as we are able: Let vs labour by the helpe of god, that noe extrauagant cogitation creepe into vs, lest peraduenture, we may haue one thing in our heart, and vtter an other with our mouth, lest by chaunce while our tongue praieth vnto god, our cogitation occupied with di­uers thinges, may goe away from the meaning of our praier, & so from thence procure sinne, from whence it might haue had remedy.

For if before any mighty persō, thou wouldest pleade any necessary cause, & sodainly turning from him, breaking of thy speach in the middest, thou shoul­dest busy thy self with some scurrilities: what iniury thinkest thou, thou should doe vnto that person with whom thou didest speake? or how shouldest thou procure his anger against thee? If ther­fore speaking with a man, we laboure with al intention of mind, lest thinking on any other thing, we may be thought to doe a wrong to him vnto whom we speake: When we speake vnto god, in praier, and alledg the miseries of our sinnes before so great a Maiesty, are we not ashamed, do we not blush, our sen­ses being made captiues, to runne about hither and thither, and with many busi­nesse, to abstracte our vnhappy minde, from behoulding the diuine Maiesty? And therefore euery one before he kne­leth downe in praier, by the helpe of god, let him put away al superfluous cogitations, from the intention of his minde, that our soule being inflamed with the feruour of the holy Ghost, may [Page 214] consume al vice with the fyre of com­punction, or praier, and disperse farre of, al wauering and wandering cogita­tions, that onely v [...]rtue and holy Me­ditations, may alwaies, finde place in our heartes.

Meditations & praiers for Euening.

LEt euery one take a Lambe thro­ughout their families, or houses. Exod. 12. And the whole multitude of Is­rael, shal offer it in sacrifice at the Eue­ning.

Let my praier be directed as incense Ps. 140. in thy sight: the lifting vp of my handes an euening sacrifice.

While it was euen, he sate downe Math. 26. Mar [...]. 14. Luc. 22. with his twelue Disciples. And whiles they were at supper, Iesus tooke bread and blessed, & brake, and he gaue to his Disciples, and said, Take ye & eate This is my body. And taking the Cha­lice, he gaue thankes, and gaue vnto them saying, Drinke ye al of this, for This is my bloud of the new Testamēt which shal be shed for many, vnto remission of sinnes,

When it was euening, there came a Math. 27. certaine riche man of Arimathea na­med Ioseph, who also himself, was Dis­ciple to Iesus. He went to Pila [...]e, and asked the body of Iesus. Then Pilate commaunded, that the body should be deliuered.

Watch therefore, for you know not Marc. 13 [...]: when the Lord of the house may come, whether late in the euening, &c.

I haue cryed to god, and our Lord Ps. 54. wil saue me.

In the euening I wil declare & shew, & he wil heare my voice.

A Meditation of S. Basile orat. in S. Iulittam.

When the day is ended, geue thākes vnto him, who haith geuen the same vnto vs, to serue our daily laboures, & fyre to ligh­ten night, and for the rest of the neces­sities of life. And let the night propose vnto vs other argumentes of praier.

When thou shalt looke vp vnto hea­uen, and haue thine eyes fixed on the bewtie of the starres: pray vnto the [Page 216] Lord of visible thinges, and adore god the best workman of al creatures, who made al thinges in wisdom, when thou shalt see al nature of liuing creatures, detained in sleepe. Againe adore him that looseth vs, though against our wil, by sleepe, from the continuance of la­boures, & by a litle rest, reduceth vs a­gaine to the force of our strength.

S. Clem. Const. Apost. lib. 8. cap. 4.

Make your praiers at the euening, geuing thankes, because our Lord haith geuen vs the night for a rest of our day laboures.

Daily come together in the morning, l. 2. c. 63. & euening, singing & praying in Chur­ches, in the euening saying the 140. psalme.

O Lord I haue cryed vnto thee, Ps. 140. heare me: Harken vnto my voice, when I shal crye vnto thee.

Let my praier be directed as incense in thy sight: the lifting vp of my handes, an euening sacrifice.

O Lord put a watch to my mouth: and a doare of standing about, to my lippes.

Decline not my heart into wordes of malice: to excuse excuses in sinnes.

With men that worke iniquity: and I wil not communicate with the cho­sen of them.

The iust shal correct me in mercie, and rebuke me: but the oyle of a sinner shal not annoint my head.

Because as yet also my praier in thinges of their delight: their Iudges are swallowed vp ioyned to the rocke.

They shal heare my wordes, because they were able: as the thicknesse of the earth, is broken out vpon the earth.

Our bones are scattered abroade, neare to hel: because to thee o Lord, o Lord mine eyes, in thee I haue trusted take not away my soule.

Keepe me from the snare which they haue laid for me, and from the scandals of those that worke iniquity.

Sinners shal fal in his nette: I am a­lone til I passe away.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

Clem. Const. Ap. l. 8. c. 41.

RAise vp and saue vs o God by thy Christ, lifting vp our selues, let vs desire the mercies of our lord and his commiserations, the Angel of peace, good and profitable thinges, christiā Princes, a peaceable euening, & night, and without sinne, & al the time of our life with out offence: let vs mu­tually commend one an other to the li­uing God by his Christ.

A thankes-giuing for the night.

Cap. 42. O God without beginning & end, creator of al thinges, king of al thinges intelectual, & sensible who hast made the day, for the workes of light, and the night for the rest of our weaknesse, for thine is the day, and the night, for thou hast ordained the light, and sunne; o gentle and good lord, now patiētly rec [...]aue this our euening thanks­geuing who leadest vs by the length of the day, and bringest vs to the begin­ning of the night, preserue vs, by thy [Page 219] ānoīnted, geue vnto vs a quiet euening, and night without sinne, and make vs worthy of euerlasting life, by thy Christ, by whom to thee be glory, ho­nour, and worshippe, in the holy Ghost for euer. Amen.

Cap. 43. O God of Fathers, and lord of mercy, who by thy wisdome hast made man a reasonable creature, and among thinges in earth, alone deare to god, & geuen authority vnto him, to rule them, and by thy sen­tēce hast appointed Princes, & preistes, them for security of our life, these for iust seruing of thee: o Lord omnipotent, now harken vnto vs, and shew thy mer­cy vpon this people, bending downe the neckes of their heart, and blesse them by Christ, by whom thou hast illightned vs, with the light of knowledge, & re­nealed thy selfe [...]to vs, to whom with thee, and the [...] Ghost, is due, worthy adoration of al reasonable, and holy nature, for euer. Amen.

A Meditatiō & praier for euening out of S. Athanasius hom. desemente.

MAny are carelesse in their praiers, & al the day long busie them selues, about worldly affaires, and contemne the holy workes of prayers. To this man our Sauiour Math. 12. Marc. 3. Luc. 6. 1. Tim. 2. may say, stretch forth thy hand, as Paule saith, I wil men to pray in al places, lifting vp holy handes. And let vs stretch forth our handes, and not onely in the day, but by night also. In the night stretch Ps. 133. forth your handes to the holies, and blesse our Lord, and let vs reach forth holy handes, those that be washed among inno­cents, Ps. 25. that caling vpon the God of al thinges, we may enioy his helpe, by Christ Iesus, our Lord, by whom glory be to God, together with the holy Ghost, now and [...]uer, and world with­out end. Amen.

A prayer of S. Policarpus.

O God Father of thy beloued, & Euseb. eccl. Hist. l. 3. cap. 15. Nicephor. eccl. Hist. l. 3. c. 35. blessed sonne, Iesus Christ, by whō, we haue receaued know­ledge of thee, God of Angels & powers, and of al creatures, and the whole kind of iust men, al which do liue before thee, I blesse thee, who hast vouchsaifed to bring me to this day, and this hour. Thou art true, and without falshood o God, therefore both in al thinges, I praise thee, and blesse thee, and glorify thee, by the eternal God, and high Preist Iesus Christ, thy welbeloued sōne, by whom, and with whom, to thee, with the holy Ghost, be glory, both now, and for euer hereafter. Amen.

S. Ephrem, paraenes. 42.

I Haue sinned against heauen, and be­fore thee, o Lord god omnipotent, and I am no more worthy to be cal­led thy child, or lift mine eyes vpward, and behould the highnesse of the heauēs, because of the multitude of my sinnes, nor to vtter thy glorious name, with the defiled lippes of me a sinner. For I haue made my selfe vnworthy, both of hea­uen, and earth, because I haue prouoked [Page 222] thee most best lord to anger, I besech thee, o Lord, I besech thee, cast me not away from thy face, depart not from me, lest I a wretch do perish. For except thy grace had defended me, I had bene lost: I should be as dust before the face of the wynde, as though I had neuer appea­red in this life. For since the time I haue forsaken thy way, no time haith bene ioyful vnto me. For if any day by chance hath seemed more pleasant, that was the most bitter of al. But I trust hereafter, thy grace which comforteth me, may prouide for my saluation. And now sup­pliant I flee vnto thee, and besech, that thou wilt receaue me againe, that haue erred from the path of iustice. Poure out on me the multitude of thy mercies, as thou didest long agoe vpon the pro­digal sonne, vnthriftely loasing the Luc. 7. Math. 9. Marc. 2. Luc. 5. Luc. 23. riches of thy grace. I haue defiled my life, haue mercy on me o God, and re­member not my life brought to extreme villannies. Haue mercy on me, as thou long agoe tookest mercy on the offen­der, and publican. Haue mercy on me, as thou tookest mercy on the theife; for [Page 223] he when he conuersed on earth, was de­spised of al men, as lost, and desperate: But thou receauedst him, and made him an inhabitant of the delightes of para­dise. Therefore receaue the repentance of thy vnprofitable seruant, for I also am contemned, and reiected of al, for thou didest come, o Lord, not to cal the iust, but sinners vnto penance. Glory be to thee, honour, and adoration is due to thee, with the Father, and holy Ghost, now, and world without end. Amen.

A prayer, vpon the passion of Christ, out of S. Ambrose medit. c. 6.

O Holy Father, behold thy most holy sonne, suffering so cruel thinges for me, haue respect o most merciful King, who it is, that suf­fereth, and in thy bounty remember, for whō he suffereth. O my Lord, is not this, that innocent, whom to redeme a seruant, thou hast deliuered thy sonne? Is not this, the authour of life, which as a sheepe, led vnto slaughter, and made obedient vnto thee euen vnto death, feared not to vndergoe the kind of most [Page 224] cruel death. Remember o dispenser of our whole saluation, that this is he: whom although thou begottest of thy power, yet thou wouldest haue him be­come partaker of my infirmity. Verily this is thy deity, which haith put on my nature: That ascended the tree of the Crosse, that in his assumpted nature, suf­fered greauous punishmēt. O my Lord, god, reduce the eyes of thy maiesty, v­pon the worke of vnspeakable piety. Behold thy sweete sonne, stretched forth in al his body. Looke vpon his guiltles handes, streaming with holy bloud, and pacified, forgeue the sinnes which my handes haue committed. Consider his naked side pearced with a speare, & re­nue me with that holy fountaine which I beleue to haue flowed from thence. See his immaculate feete, which stoode not in the way of sinners, but alwaies Ps. 1. walked in thy law, fastened with cursed nailes, & perfect my goinges in thy pathes, Ps. 16. and bountifully graunt, that I may hate al the waies of iniquity. Ps. 118.

O King of Sainctes, I besech thee, by this holy of holies, by this Redemer of [Page 225] me, make me to runne the way of thy com­maundementes, Ps. 118. that I may be vnited to him, which did not abhorte to be inue­sted with my flesh. Wilt thou not at­tend, o holy Father, vnto the head of thy yong dearest beloued Sōn, hanging down his bewtiful necke, resolued into most precious death? Behold, o most meeke Creatour, the humanity of thy beloued Sonne, and take mercy vpon the infirmity of thy weake creature. His naked breast is white, his bloudy side is redde, his stretched intrales do drye, his comly eyes do faint, his kingly mouth is pale, his longe armes be stiffe, his marmour thyghes, doe hange, the water of his blessed bloud, doth bewe [...]e his pearced feete. Behold o glorious Genitour, the torne mēbers of thy most grateful child, and with bounty remem­ber what my substance is. Vew the paine of God a man, and release the misery of man created. Behold the punishment of the Redemer, and forgeue the of­fence of him that is redemed. This is he o my Lord, whom thou hast striken Is. 53. for the sinnes of thy people, although he be [Page 226] thy welbeloued, in whom thou hast wel Math. 3. pleased thy self. This is that Innocent in whom deceipt was not founde, and yet he was deputed among the wicked. Is. 53.

A Praier out of S. Ciprian, in his Tom. 3. praier before his Martyrdome.

O Lord holy, Father holy, God holy, and holy my god. For who is greater then thou art? I render thankes & praise to thee, God of Abraham, God of Isaac, and God of Iacob, God of our Fathers, God of the Apostles, and God of the Prophets, and God of Martyrs, who wast before the disposing of the world, God of the li­uing, to come to iudge the quick, and the dead, which art the true God, who sittest vpon the Cherubim & Seraphim, the seate of thine honour, and behoul­dest the depthes, which seest al thinges before they be brought forth, who hast power to kil, and restoare againe, and Dan. 3. might to make the withered to florish, Thou Lord, ruler of al thinges, deli­uer me from this world, and heare me praying. Wo vnto my sinnes, when thou [Page 227] shalt rise vp to crush the earth together vnder what clifter of the rockes shal I hyde my self, from before thy power? To what mountaine shal I say, fal vpon Math. 25. me, and vnto what hil, couer me from before the feare of our Lord, when thou shalt arise to bruse the earth? I pray thee o Lord help me. Iudge me not according to my doinge, for I haue obeyed nothing in thy commaunde­mentes. Hear me praying, as thou har­dest Ionas, from the bely of the whale, Ion. 2. et 3. so heare me, and cast me forth, from death to life. Blotte out al my sinnes, and heare me praying, as thou didest heare the three children in the fournace Dan. 3. of fire, Ananias, Azarias & Mizael, & sent thine Angel with a showre of dew, and Nabuchodonosor ruler of the king­dome, was confounded. Heare me praying, as thou didest heare Daniel Dan. 14. from the Lyons denne, and sent Aba­cuc the Prophet, and he brought him diner. Heare me praying, as thou di­dest heare Tobias, and Sara, while they Tob. 3. prayed in the entry of their house, then the Angel Raphael offered for them. [Page 228] their prayers: And so heare thou my prayers, and admitte my petitions to thy holy Court, and presently send thy holy Angel, which may blot out al my sinnes as thou didest driue the vncleane spirit from Sara the daughter of Raguel, and illighten my heart, as thou di [...]st illu­minate the eyes of Tobias. Heare me praying, as thou didest heare Susanna, Dan. 13. amonge the handes of the Elders: so deliuer me frō this world, because thou art the louer of a pure conscien [...]e.

I besech thee, o Father of Maiesty, who in the end of times, hast taken mer­cy on vs, sending vnto vs Iesus Christ thy Sonne, our Lord, God, Sauiour, borne of the Virgin Mary, by the holy Luc. 1. Ghost: And I besech thee, sonne of the liuing God, which hast wrought so many miracles: I besech thee, o sonne of the liuing God, for al my sinnes cō ­mitted. Thou thy self, hast made a Testament for vs. Aske, and you shal Math. 7. receaue, knock, and it shal be opened vnto you. Whatsoeuer you shal aske my Father in my name, I aske it of my Father, that you may receaue it. I aske, that I may [Page 229] receaue, I seeke, that I may finde, I knocke, that it may be opened vnto me. I aske in thy name, that thou maist aske of thy Father, and it may be geuen to me. I am ready, for thy name, to shede a sacrifice of bloud, and vndergoe what torment soeuer. Thou art, o Lord, my helper and defender: defend me from mine aduersary. Thy Angel of light, protect me, because th [...]u hast said, that what, beleuing y [...]u shal aske b [...] praier, shal be geuen vn [...] you. Euery man is a lyer. Thou art true, as thou hast promised, thou hast power, o Lord, to geue me al thy heauenly sacrament, that I may be worthy to see the face of thy Sainctes. Let the spirit worke in me. Thy wil be done in me, because I haue freely promised, al the daies of my life, my selfe vnto thee, which sufferedst vnder Pon­tius Pilate, a good confession, who cru­cified, did descende, and didest treade vnder foote, the stinge of death. Death is subdued, the enemy the deuil, is van­quished. Thou didest arise againe, & appeared to thine Apostles. Thou sit­test at the right hande of the Father, [Page 230] which art to come, to iudge the quick and the dead. Thou shalt rule: deliuer me from the hand of him that seeketh my soule. By thy name, deliuer me frō the aduersary power, that thou maist geue help to bind mine enemy, because thou art a potent approuer and aduo­cate of the praiers and petitions of our soules. Day and night make intercessi­on for my sinnes, present my praier to thy Father.

And thou o Lord holy Father, vouch­saife to haue tespect vpon my praiers, as thou didest respect the guiftes of Abel. Vouchsaife to deliuer me from the euer­lasting fyre and punishment, and from al torment which thou hast prepared for the impious, by the good & blessed Ie­sus Christ our Sauiour, by whom to thee be praise, honour, power, & glory for euer. Amen.

A Meditation out of S. Iohn Cli­macus grad. 7. 28.

AT time of thy prayer, stande Grad. 7. tremblng, nor behaue thy self otherwise, then one areigned before the Iudge, that both by thine in­warde and outward behauiour, thou maist procure to thy self, the fauour of the iust Iudge.

To them that pray rightly, praier is Grad. 28. a Court, and Iudgment, and Tribunal of our Lord, before the Tribunal seate that is to be hereafter. Whosoeuer of vs goe to stand before, and speake with [Page 232] our King, let vs not take this course vnprepared, lest peraduenture he seing vs farre of, without armour, and not ha­uing on a stoale worthy the Kinges sight he commaunde his attendantes, and seruantes, to cast vs bound, farre from his face, into exile, & they vpbraid vnto our face, our negligent, and interrup­ted prayers.

A Meditation out of S. Basile, l, q. diffus. explicat. q. 37.

WHen the night beginneth, let petition be made, that the rest which we are to take, may be without offence, and free from al imaginations: for which in­tent also at this hour, it is necessary to say the 90. psalme.

HE that dwelleth in the help of Ps. 90. the highest, shal abide in the protectio [...] of the God of hea­uen.

He shal say to our Lord, thou art he that receaueth me, and my refuge, my god, I wil hope in him.

Because he haith deliuered me from the snare of hunters, and from cruel speach.

With his shoulders he wil shadow thee: and vnder his winges thou shalt trust.

His truth shal compasse thee about with a sheild: thou shalt not be af­fraid of the feare of the night.

Of the arrow flying in the day, of the work walking in darknesse, of in­cursion, and midday deuil.

A thousand shal fal from thy side, & ten thousandes on thy right hande: but he shal not approach to thee.

But thou shalt behold with thine eyes, and shalt see the reward of sinners.

Because o Lord thou art my hope, thou hast appointed the most high, for my refuge.

Euil shal not com to thee, & scourge shal not draw neare to thy Tabernacle.

Because he haith geuen charge to his Angels ouer thee, that they keepe thee in all thy waies.

They shal beare thee in their handes, lest peraduenture thou hitte thy foote [Page 234] at a stone.

Thou shalt walke vpon the Aspis & Basiliske: and treade vnder thy foote, the Lyon and Dragon.

Because he haith trusted in me, I wil deliuer him: I wil protect him, be­cause he haith knowne my name.

He haith cryed vnto me, and I wil heare him: with him I am in tribula­tion, I wil deliuer him, and I wil glo­rify him.

I wil replenish him, with length of daies: and I wil shew vnto him my sal­uation.

Glory be to the Father &c.

A Meditation out of S. Athanasius l. de virginitate.

IT is good to poure out teares be­fore our Lord, and to be mindful of the twelfth hour, because at that, our lord descended into hel, which be­holding him, quaked for feare saying, who is this that is come downe with au­thority, and great power? Who is this, that descending from heauen, was cru­cified by me, when I am death it self, & [Page 235] is not subdued? Who is it that haith broken the brasen gaites of hel, & she­uered in peeces the Adamant barres?

Who is it, that haith loosed the bands of them, which by me were de­tained [...]aptiues? Who is this, that by his death, haith throwne me downe in­to death.

Therefore at that hour, we ought to be more attentiue, & in the night time to cal vpon our Lord with teares.

A praier for Euening, appointed so, by Clemens, lib. 7. Constit. Apostol. cap: 28.

O Children, praise our Lord, praise the name of our Lord. We praise thee, we celebrate thee, we blesse thee, for thy great glo­ry, King of our Lord thine annointed, the immaculate Lambe, that taketh a­way the sinnes of the world. Praise be­commeth thee, Hymne becōmeth thee, Glory becommeth thee, God, & Fa­ther, by thy Sonne, in the holy Ghost, for euer. Amen.

Canticle of S. Sim. Luc. 2.

NOw thou doest dismisse thy seruant o Lord, according to thy word in peace.

Because mine eyes haith seene thy saluation.

Which thou hast prepared before the face of al people.

A Light to the reuelation of the gen­tiles, and the glory of thy people Is­rael.

Glory be to the Father, &c.

A Praier being as it were an abbr [...]ui­ate somme of mannes faith and sal­natiō, out of S. Sophronius, Arch Bishop of Constantinople, lib. de Angelorum excell.

O Lord, Sauiour, God & word, who rulest aboue, without be­ginning, & cōtaining al things who, in exceding strength, excellest, bringest life to al, feare to al: who, by thine onely beck, hast made the hea­uens and earth, and al thinges contai­ned within their compasse: who first in [Page 237] thy minde didest conceaue the Angels, and thy conceipt was thy worke, for what thou didest conceaue in thy minde, that with thy onely word thou hast ef­fected, and brought to passe. By and by with like art and facility, of the dust of the earth, thou framedst man, accor­ding to thine Image and similitude, and being made a litle meaner then Angels and adorned with free wil, thou hast appointed him King and Lord, of al created thinges, that he might enioy those good thinges, which thou hadst prepared for him in paradise, which he also so long enioyed, vntil snared & se­duced by the serpent & wife, he broke thy diuine commaundements, in eating the apple of the deadly tree: Where­fore he presently fel from his kingly dignity, and shutte forth of paradise, in­curred punishment worthy his deedes, that is, into weping, and seruile beha­uiour, into sweat, labour, and greife, into sadnesse and sorow, and which is truly the most bitter of al punishments, at last, into iustly deserued death, and dissolution into earth, from which, he [Page 238] was first taken and produced.

But thou o Lord, truly gentle and merciful, didest not despise that sub­stance, which aboue al deare vnto thee, the deuils tyranny had oppressed.

But being to effecte that dreadful mis­tery, which before al worldes thou had decreed, thou didest exinanite thy self that art the wisdome, & mind, & word, and Character, and Bound, and Image, and Seale, and Sonne, & expresse forme of the Father. For by the holy Ghost, thou didest both dwel in the chast Vir­gin, & receaued from her a birth which is aboue al reason. For thou didest not at al loose her Virginal clausures, but as when thou haddest not flesh, thou didest enter into her, by such meanes as thou knowest: so hauing receaued flesh thou didest goe forth of her againe, leauing the doare of her wombe shut as it was before.

Soone after, thou didest vndergoe thy Crosse, drinking gaule and vinegre mingled together, and pearced through with a speare, thrust into thy side.

At the length, freely suffering death [Page 239] hast destroyed death it self, and rewar­ded the whole world with immortality, and restoared perfectly the deformed I­mage: and that old malediction which by the tree was brought vpon men, thou hast b [...]otted out.

Therefore, o thou King and maker of al thinges, who alone, art the fra­mer of so great and admirable matters, and hast made al thinges that continu­ally are extant, for the common profit of mortal men, and art accustomed, not without Fatherly affection, to pu­nish those which haue deserued punish­ment, when sitting at thy Tribunal seat, thou shalt bring al men to iudgment. Vouchsaife me, with al that I remem­ber in my minde, to stand on thy right hand. O beholder of al thinges, and knower of secrets, forgeating al the of­fences that euer I committed, open vn­to me the doare of the immortal bride­chamber, that is thy heauenly glory.

O immortal Bride-groame, let vs heare the voice of blessing. O bounti­ful, accompt me in the number of the iust, and make vs partakers of thy ioy, [Page 240] by the praiers of thine vnspotted Mo­ther, making intercession for vs, and holy Angels and Apostles, and Pro­phets, and Martyrs, and al the Iust that euer were: who with the Father and holy Ghost, art blessed now & alwaies, and world without end. Amen.

A Meditation before sleepe out of [Page 241] Aurel. prudent. in Cathemer. himn. ante somnum.

O Worshipper of God, remem­ber, that thou hast bene rege­nerate with the sacred water of the font of baptisme, and renewed with Chrisme. Looke, that when be­ing oppressed with sl [...]epe, thou goest to bed, that thou signe [...]y forehead, and place of thy heart, with the signe of the Crosse. The Crosse putteth away al sinne, darknesse doth flee the Crosse. The soule dedicated to that signe, can not wauer. O you vaine phantasies of wandering dreames, be you farre, and farre of. O thou winding serpent, that by a thousand wiles, and deceiptful frau­des, doest trouble the quietnesse of the heart, depart hence, Christ is here, tremble, the signe which thou knowest, con­demneth thyne army. Although my fainting body lye downe a while to rest, yet in slūber it self I wil meditate on Christ.

An other out of S. Basile l. q. dif­fus. explicat. q. 37.

WHen the day is ended, let thankes geuing be made for those thinges that in it were geuen vnto vs, or happily done: and a confession made of s [...]ch thinges as we haue omitted, e [...]he [...] volun [...]a [...]ily, or o-otherwise: also whethe [...] [...]e sinne was committed sec [...]etly, [...]i [...]er in wordes, or in deedes, or in th [...] h [...]art, that for al these thinges, we may appease God by praiers. For consideration of thinges past, bringeth g [...]eat profit to this pur­pose, that afterward, we fal not into the like. Wherefore Dauid saith. Those Ps. 4. thinges which you say in your heartes, haue compunction of them in your lo [...]gi [...]ges.

The Confucor appointed by S. Da­masus.

I Confesse to God almighty, to the B. Mary euer Virgin B Mi [...]ha [...]l Archangel. B. Iohn baptist, to t [...]e holy Apostles Peter and Paule, and al Sainctes, that I haue greauously [...]ff [...]n­ded, in thought, word, and deede, through my fault, my fault, my greatest fault: Therefore I pray the B. Mary e­uer [Page 243] Virgin, B. Michael Archangel, B. Iohn Baptist, the holy Apostles Peter & Paule, and al Sainctes, to pray for me to our Lord God.

S. August. lib. Medit. cap. 10.

O Lord I know, I know, & con­fesse, that I am not worthy for thee to loue, but surely thou art not vnworthy whom I should loue. Truly I am vnworthy to serue thee, but thou art not vnworthy of the seruice of thy creature, therefore geue vnto me of that thou art worthy, and I shal be worthy of that I am vnworthy. Cause me as th [...]u wilt to cease from sinne, that I may serue thee as I ought. Graunt that I may so keepe, and gouerne, and end my life, that I may sleepe in peace, and rest in thee. Graunt me such end, that sleepe with rest, rest with security, se­curity in eternity, may receaue me. Amen.

S. Ephrem apud Seuer. Patriarch. Alex. in precat. Syr.

GRaunt vnto me, o my Lord, that waking, I may stand watchful in thy sight, and if I shal chance to sleepe againe, let my sleepe be with­out sinne. And if in my awaking, I shal commit any offence, by thy grace, o my Lord, graunt me pardon, and if in my sleepe I shal offend thy clemency, for­geue me. And by the Crucifix of thy humiliation, geue me the sleepe of rest, and deliuer me from [...]uil d [...]eames, and filthy imaginations, and bring me al night, into sleepe ful of quietnesse, lest thinges that be euil, and cogitations, ful of peruersity, haue dominion ouer me.

Geue me the Angel of light, to keepe al my members, and from cursed con­cupiscence deliuer me, by that liuely body which I haue eaten. I wil goe to bedde, and sleepe, and rest, and thy bloud be keeper of me, and of my soule, which is thy Image. Geue liberty to thy creature, and thy right hand▪ defend my body which thy handes haue framed, and compasse me about with a wal of [Page 245] mercies, as with an acceptable saifguard and trench, that when my body shal rest and sleepe, it may be kept by thy pow­er, and let my sleepe be as a perfume of sweete spices before thy Maiesty. Let not the euil one come to my lodging, by the intercession of her that brought thee forth, and by the Sacrifice that is offe­red by me, driue Sathan away. I wil heare and execute thy wil, o my Lord, that heapest also the night with the qui­etnesse of the iustice of Iesus Christ my R [...]deem [...]r, because thou art the true light, and thy glory dwelleth in light, and the children of light, doe adore thee dwelling in light, and abiding in light. Iesus the word, God, saue to lif, the deceased by thy Crosse, spare for thy mercy. And to thee, and the Father that sent thee, and to the holy Ghost, in al time be praise.

Aurel. Prudent. in Cathemer. Himn. ante somn.

O Fatther most high, whom no man at any time haith seene, & Christ the word of the Fa­ther, and holy Ghost. O one power, and light of this Trinity, God eue [...]las­ting of God, God sent from them bo [...]h, be present with me. The labour of the day is ended, & the hour of rest is come, and sleepe doth refresh againe our wea­ry limm [...]s. Graunt, that a delightful q [...]ietnesse, norish our wearied bod [...]e, and vaine Imaginations, haue no pow­er against vs.

Ioannes Virid. in Virid.

ALmighty euerlasting God, I geue thankes, that thou hast vouchsaifed, by thy grace, to keep [...] me this day from euil: & I besech thee, that whatsoeuer this day I haue offended, in thought, word or deede, thou wilt vouchsaife by thy passion and death, mercifully to pardon it to me a sinner, and hereafter, to keepe me from al daunger of body and soule, that I may in saifty arise, to praise the name of thy Maiesty, & be able gladly to serue thee [Page 247] with a pure heart, and a chast body, with thankes geuing. Amen.

Our Father which &c.

Ha [...]le Mary &c.

O Mary Mother of grace, Mother of mercy, defend vs from the enemy, & remember vs in the hour of death.

I beleue in God &c

S. Augustinus lib. Meditat. cap. 33.

GLory to the Father which crea­ted vs, glory to the Sonne who redemed vs, glory to the holy Ghost who haith sanctified vs, glory to the highest & indeuided Trinity, whose workes are inseperable, whose rule re­maineth without ende.

Praise becometh thee, Himne beco­meth thee, al honour is due to thee, blessing and brightnesse to thee, thanks geuing to thee, honour to thee, power and strength to our God, world with­out end. Amen.

Meditations & prayers before meate.

WHen thou shalt eate, and Deut. 8. shalt be f [...]l [...]ed, blesse thy Lord thy God &c.

[...] They shal eate, and pra [...]e our Lord. Is. 62. Math. 14.

He blessed and brake, and gaue the loues to his di [...]ciples.

Whether you eate, or drinke, &c. 1. Cor. 10. do al thinges to the glory of God.

S. Chrisost. hom. 79. ad popul. Antioch. de orat. ante med.

IT is needful for vs, both comming vnto, and going from table, to geue thankes to god. For a man prepared to this, wil neuer fal into drū ­kennes, or insolency wil neuer be bro­ken with surfet: but hauing expecta­tiō of prayer, imposed for a br [...]dle vpon his senses, wil with due modesty take of al thinges, set before him, and fil his soule and body, with much blessing. For a table taking beginning from prayer, wil neuer faile: but more plen­tifully then a fou [...]taine, wil bring vs al good thinges. Therefore let vs not [Page 249] pretermit so great a profit: for it is ab­surd, that our Seruāts should geue than­kes vnto vs, and goe away with bles­sing, if they receaue from vs, any part of those thinges, that be set before vs: and we which enioy so many good thinges, not to render so much honour to god.

S. Athanasius l. de virginit. siue meditat.

EAte thy bread, geuing thankes to god in this maner.

Blessed be god, who norisheth me from my youth, who geueth foode to al flesh: fil our heart with ioy and gladnesse, that in al thinges hauing suf­ficient, we may abound in euery good worke, in Christ Iesus our Lord, with whom, to thee be glory, honour, rule, to gether with the holy Ghost, world without end. Amen.

When thou shalt sit at table, and be­gin to breake bread, signing it three tymes, geue thankes in these wordes.

We geue thankes to thee o Father, for thy holy resurrectiō, by Iesus Christ [Page 250] whom thou hast made knowne vnto vs, that as this bread was somtyme disper­sed in many cornes, now gathered to­gether, is made but one, so thou wilt vouchsaife to gather together thy church, from the endes of the world, into thy kingdome, because thyne is power, and glory, world with out end. Amen.

S. Clem. Rom. lib. 7. Constitut. Apost. cap. 48. et S. Chris. in cap. 16. Mat. idem hab.
Precat. Syr. apud Seuer. Patriar. Alex. de eisdem.

GLory be to the Father, and to the Sōne, & to the holy Ghost. O Lord god graunt, this thy nurishment, and fulnesse, and plenty vpon this Table, which thou hast prepared for thy seruantes and worshipers, and multiply it in thy blessinges, and good­nesse, which doe not passe away, nor faile, because thou art good & mer­ciful ouer euery creature, which thy ho­ly handes haue framed, o Father, and Sonne, and holy Ghost, world without [Page 251] ende. Amen.

Aurelius Prudent. Cathomer. in Himn. ante cibum.

O Good Christ Crosse bearer, maker of light, omnipotent, holy, word begotten, borne of the Virgin, but before mighty in thy Father, before the starres, earth, & Sea were made: I besech thee, with a fa­uourable aspect, bow downe thy sauing face, with a chearful countenance, and shyne vpon vs, that vnder the honour of thy diuine power, we may receaue this foode.

S. Athanas. lib. de virgi­nitate, supra.

WHen thou shalt rise from ta­ble, againe geuing thankes, three times, thou maist say, Our gentle and merciful Lord, haith geuen meate to those that feare him.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Sonne, and to the holy Ghost.

And againe, after the glorification ended, finish thy praiers with these wordes.

God omnipoteut, and our Lord Ie­sus Christ, a name that is aboue al name, we geue thankes vnto thee, and praise thee, because thou hast vouchsaifed to make vs partakers of thy good thinges, thy earthly good thinges. We aske thee, and cal vpon thee o Lord, that thou wilt geue vs heauenly meate: & graunt that we reuerene and feare thy venerable and precious name, that we breake not thy commaundements.

Place thy name & iustifications in our heartes, sanctify our spirit and soule by thy beloued Sonne, our Lord Iesus Christ, with whom to thee be glory & rule world without end. Amen.

Precat. Syriac. apud Seuerum Pa­triarch. Alexand. in precat.

GLory be to god for his good­nesse, glory to god for his bles­singes glory to god, who haith [Page 253] fed vs, glory to god that haith filled vs, glory to our merciful god, who haith taken mercy on vs al, by the interces­sion of the Mother of god Mary, and al Sainctes, world wit [...]out end. Amen.

Prudentius supr. himn. post cibum.

NOw we haue fed our bodies, and receaued foode, which the weakenesse of our body requi­reth, let vs geue praise to god the Fa­ther, the Father that holdeth and ruleth the Cherubim his sacred seate, and his Seraphim leaning vpon his highest Throne.

S. Chrisostom. in cap. 16. Math.

GLory to thee o Lord, glory to thee o holy, glory to thee o King, because thou hast geuen vs meate, in gladnesse: fil vs with the ho­ly Ghost, that we may be found with­out shame, in thy sight, when thou shalt render to euery one according to their workes. Amen.

Missa Rom. D. Petro Apost. as­scripta. And vsed in the pri­matiue church.

O Lord Iesus Christ, let not the receauing of thy body, which I vnworthy presume to take, come to me to Iudgment, and condem­nation, but by thy piety, let it profit me for defēce of soul & body, & receauing cure, who liuest and reignest with God the Father in vnity of the holy Ghost God, world without end. Amen.

Laus Deo.