THE TWO LAST PRAYERS OF WILLIAM LATE VISCOUNT STAFFORD, At his Execution on Tower-Hill, Wednesday the 29 th. of Dec. 1680
The one in Latin, the other in English.
LONDON: Printed in the Year 1681.
THe last Speech of the late Viscount Stafford having been already made Publick, the true Copy of these last Prayers; The One in Latin, the other in English, falling into my Hands, I thought the Publication of them would not be unacceptable to the Curious. I have therefore for their sakes Published them without any Descant of mine own; having only added the Translation of the Latin Prayer, for the Satisfaction of those, that understand not that Language.
The Two Last Prayers of William late Viscount STAFFORD, at his Execution on Tower-Hill; Wednesday the 29th. Day of December 1680.
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AGnosco (Domine JESU) peccata mea, multa & magna, pro quibus timeo; sed spero in misericordiâ & miserationibus tuis, quarum non est numerus: Secundum igitur magnam misericordiam tuam miserere mei, & [Page] secundum multitudinem miserationum tuarum dele iniquitatem meam. Si Peccata mea magna sunt, major est misericordia tua: Si multa, infinitae sunt miserationes tuae. Si ego commisi, undè me possis condemnare, tu non amisisti, unde potes, & soles salvare. Credenti in potentiâ tuâ, & dicenti, Domine, si vis, potes me mundare, tu statim respondisti, Volo, mundare: Credo, quod ipse speravit, imploro, quod ipse imploravit. Dic. igitur animae meae, Salus tua ego sum: Sana me, Domine JESU, & sanabor: Salvum me fac, & salvus ero, & misericordias tuas in aeternum cantabo. Nè projicias me igitur à faciê tuâ, & Spiritum sanctum tuum nè auferas à me; Sed redde [Page] mihi laetitiam falutaris tui, & Spiritu principali confirma me. Tu dixifti, dulcissime JESU, Convertimini ad me, & ego convertar ad vos: Ego me ex toto corde meo, ex totâ animâ meâ, ex totâ mente meâ, converto ad te; converte te igitur, misericordissime, ad me indignum famulum tuum, quem pretioso sanguine redemisti. Tu dixisti, Qui me confessus fuerit coram hominibus, confitebor & ego eum coram patre meo, qui in caelis est. Ego te & Sanctam tuam Religionem Catholicam vivens confiteor, & moriens, adjuvante gratiâ tuâ, confitebor: dignare me igitur suscipere, & confiteri coram patre tuo, qui in Coelis est. In tuâ promissione, non in meâ justitiâ confido. Vitam, [Page] quam dedisti mihi, libentèr tibi reddo secundum beneplacitum tuum: in manus tuas commendo Spiritum meum, qui moriens Spiritum tuum in manus aeterni Patris commendasti. In pace igitur in id ipsum dormiam & requiescam: quoniam to, Domine, singularitèr in spê constituisti me.
Amen, JESU, Amen.
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I Acknowledge (O Lord JESUS) my Sins, Many and Great, for which I fear; But I hope in thy Mercy and Commiserations, whereof there is no number: Have Mercy therefore upon Me according to thy Great Mercy, and according to the Multitude [Page] of thy Commiserations, blot out mine Iniquity. If my Sins are great, thy Mercy is greater; If they are many, thy Commiserations are Infinite: If I have Committed That, for which thou mayest Condemn me, thou hast not lost that, by which thou canst, and usest to Save. To him, that believing in thy Power said, Lord, If Thou wilt, Thou canst make me clean; Thou presently answeredst, I will, be clean: I believe, what he hoped for, I Implore, what He Implored. Say therefore to my Soul, I am thy Salvation: Heal Me, O Lord JESUS, and I shall be healed: Save Me, and I shall be saved, and will sing forth thy Mercies for ever. Cast me not therefore away from thy Face, and take not thy Holy Spirit from Me; But render [Page] me the joy of thy Salvation, and Confirm me with thy Principal Spirit. Thou, most Sweet JESUS, hast said, Turn to Me, and I will turn to You: I turn to Thee with all my Heart, with all my Soul, with all my Mind; Turn thou therefore, O most Merciful, unto Me thine unworthy Servant, whom thou hast redeemed with thy most Precious Blood Thou hast said, He that shall confess me before Men, I also will Confess him before my Father which is in Heaven. I, Living Confess; and Dying, by the help of thy Grace, will Confess Thee, and thy Holy Catholick Religion: Vouchsafe Therefore to Receive Me, and Confess Me before thy Father which is in Heaven. I confide in thy Promise, not in mine own Justice. [Page] The Life which Thou hast given Me, I willingly render unto Thee according to thy good Pleasure. Into Thy Hands do I commend m [...] Spirit, who Dying commended thy Spirit into the Hands of thy Eternall Father. In Peace therefore upon the same will I sleep and take my rest; because thou, O Lord, hast singularly constituted me in hope.
Amen, JESUS, Amen.
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THou hast said, O Lord, He that loves Father or Mother more than me, is not worthy of me. I acknowledge, most dear Lord, that I love my Wife and [Page] Children as much, as a loving Husband and tender Father can love a most deserving Wife and most dutiful Children; But to shew, that I love thy Divine Majesty more than them, and mine own Life to boot, I willingly render and forsake both for the love of thee, and rather than to offend thee, though by the contrary I may have Life and all Worldly advantages, both for my self and them. Receive therefore, dear JESUS, this voluntary Oblation of both, take us into thy Protection, O Helper in Tribulations, in Opportunities. Be thou a Judg and a Spouse to the Widow, a Father to the Orphans, and Salvation to all our Souls. I rejoyce to have so dear a Pledge, to offer and present thee for all thy Blessings and Benefits bestowed upon us, and for [Page] thy sake, who offeredst thy self to Death for us, even the most Ignominious Death upon the Cross. Receive therefore, sweet JESUS, this poor Oblation of mine, though all I am able to offer thee, in union of all thy Oblations of thy most sacred Life, Death, and Passion; and of all those divine Oblations, which have been, are, and ever shall be offered upon thy holy Altar: All which I offer thee, and by thy hands to thy eternal Father. O Father, look upon the Face of thy CHRIST, and turn away thy Face from my Sins. O holy MARY, Mother of GOD, all the holy Angels and Saints of Heaven, vouchsafe to make Intercession for me, that what I deserve not for my self, may by your Merits and Intercession be bestowed upon me. [Page] Amen, JESU, Amen. Grant and ratify, what I ask, for thy Names sake. Amen.