A heavenly treasure of confortable meditations and prayers written by S. Augustin, Bishop of Hyppon in three seuerall treatises of his meditations, soliloquies, and manual. Faithfully translated into English by the R. F. Antony Batt monke, of the holy order of S Bennet of the Congregation of England

A profitable Prayer. CHAPT. XL.

O Lord God almightie, who art Tri∣nitie in vnitie, who art alwaies in al thinges, and wert before all thinges, and wilt be in all thinges euerlastingly, one blessed God during all eternitie. To thee (this day and all the dayes of my life) I cōmende my soule, my bodie, my seeing, hearing, taste, smelling and touchinge, all my cogitations, affections, wordes, and actions; all thinges that I haue without & within me: my sense, and vnderstanding, my memorie, faith, and beleife, and my constancie in well doinge: all these I com∣mende into the handes of thy powerfull protection, to the end, that all the nightes and daies, howers and moments of my life, thou wilt vouchsafe to preserue them.

Heare me, o sacred Trinitie, and pre∣serue me from all euill, from all scandall, from all offence mortall, from all the de∣ceiptes and vexations of the diuell, and of mine ennimies visible and inuisible, by

the prayers of the Patriarchs, by the me∣ritts of the Prophets, by the suffrages of the Apostles, by the constancie of Martyrs, by the faith of Cōfessors, by the chastity of Virgins, and by the intercession of al those Saints and holy men, that haue pleased and faithfullie serued thee since the worlde began, roote out of my hart all vaine glo∣rious ostentation, and increase in me the spiritt of compunction, appease my pride, and make perfect my humilitie. Stirre me vp to teares and contrition, and mollifie my hart being as harde as a stone.

Deliuer me, o Lord, and my soule from all the snares of my ghostlie enimie, and preserue me in the performance of that, which is most pleasing vnto thee. Teache me to doe thy will, o Lord, because thou art my God. Giue me (o Lord) a perfect sense and intelligence, wher••by I may be able to knowe and acknowledge thy mar∣uailous greate kindenesse. Graunt that my petitions may be such, as that they may be pleasing to thee, and profitable to my selfe. ••raunt me teares proceeding from my whole affection, which may be able to dissolue the bandes of my sinnes.

Heare me, o my Lord and my God. Heare me, o light of mine eies. Heare what I demaunde, and graunt that thou mayest heare what I demaunde. If thou

despise me, I shall perishe and be consu∣med, if thou respect me, I shalbe receiued. If thou examine my righteousnes, I shalbe founde to be as a deade man, stinking throughe rottennes: but if thou beholde me with the eie of thy mercie, thou wilt therby raise me (being through sinne like a corrupt carkase) from the sepulcher of mine iniquitie. Whatsoeuer o Lord thou hatest in me, expell and ••oote out of me, and plante in me the spirit of chastitie and continencie, to the end that whatsoeuer I shall demaunde of thee, in my demaunde I may not offende thee.

Take from me that which is hurtfull, and giue me that which is profitable. Giue me a medicine o Lord, by which the soa∣res of my soule may be healed. Bellowe vppon me, o Lord, thy feare, compunction of hart, humilitie of minde, and a cons∣cience free from all sinne. Graunt me grace o Lord, that I may alwares be able to liue in charitie with my brethren, not forget∣ting mine owne sinnes, not prying into those of other men. Pardon my soule, Par∣don my sinnes, Pardon mine offences, Par∣don mine abominations. Visit me being weakened, cure me being diseased, refresh me being wea••ied, raise me being deade.

Giue me (o Lord) a harte, that may feare thee, a minde that may loue thee,

a sense that may conceiue thee, eares, that may heare thee, eies, that may see thee. Take pittie (o God) take pittie of me, and beholde me from the sacred seat•• of thy sacred maiestie, and illuminate the darkenes of my harre with the bright bea∣mes of thy light. Giue me (o Lord) discre∣tion to be able to discerne betweene good and cuill, and endue me with an vnder∣standing, that is alwaies watchfull. I hum∣bly craue pardon of all my sinnes, I hum∣bly craue it o Lord) of thee, from whom, and by whom, I hope to findefauoure in time of necessitie.

O Marie mother of God, mother of Iesus Christ our Lord, thou sacred and vn∣spotted virgin, vouchsafe to make interces∣sion for me vnto him, who made thee a worthy temple for himselfe to dwell in. O S. Michael, S. Gabriel, S. Raphael, o holy quires of Angells, and Archangells, of Patriarches and prophetes, of Apostles and Euangelists, of Martyrs and Confes∣sors, of Priests, and Leuites, of Monkes and Virgins, and of all such as haue liued righ∣teously, I presume to beleeche you (euen for his sake, by whome you haue been ele∣cted, and by whose contemplation, you are she much delighted) that you will be plea∣sed to pray for me a poore sinner vnto him our God, that I may be deliuered from

the furious ••awes of the infernall feinde, and from that death, which shall neuer haue end. Vouchsafe o Lord according to thy meekenes and vnspeakeable mercie, to make me partaker of eternall felicitie.

Graunt (o Lord Iesu) that Priestes may liue in concorde and amitie, and that Kin∣ges and Princes, ruling as they ought to doe, may be vnited in peace and tranquil∣litie. I humbly craue grace (o Lord) for the whole Catholique Church for men & women, for Religious persons, and for secular people, for all Christian magistra∣tes, and for all that beleiue in thee, and la∣boure for thy holy loue, that they may perseuer in doing well, all the dayes of their liues. Graunt o Lord and king eter∣nall to Virgins, chastitie; to Religious per∣sons that haue dedicated themselues vnto thee, the guift of continencie; to maried folkes, holinesse: to suche as are truly sor∣rowfull for theire sinnes, forgiuenesse; to widowes and orphans succour, protection to those that are poore; to pilgrims a safe returne; comforte, to such as mourne; to the faithfull departed, the repose of hea∣uen, to marriners and such as sayle on the sea, theire desired porte or hauen; to those that haue attained to perfection, grace to perseuere; to beginners and proficients in vertue grace to doe better; to sinners and

to suche as offende (as to me poore wret∣che) that they may speedily amende.

O most milde and mercifull Lord and Sauiour, the sonne of the liuinge God, the worldes redeemer, amongst all men, and in all thinges, I confesse my selfe to be a miserable sinner; neuerthelesse I beseeche thee most sweete and soueraigne father, that thou wilt not cast me as an abiect out of thy fauour. Yea rather o Lord, thou King of Kinges, who hast determined and decreede the length of each mans life, graunt me a deuoute desire to amend mine; Stirre vp my sluggishe soule, to the end that att all times, and in all thinges, it may seeke, desire, loue, and feare thee, who in al places art three and one, and putt in practice that which is pleasing vnto thee.

Especiallie I beseech thee, o holy father who art blessed and glorious ••or euer, that thou wilt mercifullie preserue all those that in theire prayers, are mindfull of me, & haue commended themselues to mine, albeit little worthe and of noe valewe: those likewise that haue shewed towards me, any deede of charitie or pittie, or are ioyned to me in blood and affinitie, aswell those that are deade, as those that yet liue in this mortall bodie, to the end (that thou guiding and assisting them) they may not perishe euerlastingly. In gene∣rall

I beseeche thee, o Lord, to aide and succoure all Christians that are yet liuinge, and on those that are deade, to bestowe absolution, and life euerlasting.

Finallie (o Lord) I most humbly and hartely beseeche thee, (who art 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 and 〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉〈 in non-Latin alphabet 〉 the beginning and the ending) that when the time is come that I must die, thou wilt be a milde and mercifull iudge, and a per∣petuall protector to me against the accusa∣tions and snares of the diuell my ancient aduersary, admitting me, for euer into the societ••e of the holy Angells, and of all thy Saints in thy heauenly cittie, where thou art blessed and praysed during all eternitie. Amen.