The rule and exercises of holy living. In which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every vertue, and the remedies against every vice, and considerations serving to the resisting all temptations. Together with prayers containing the whole duty of a Christian, and the parts of devotion fitted to all occasions, and furnish'd for all necessities.

Ad. Sect. 7, 8, 10.

A ••orm of prayer or interces∣sion for all estates of people in the Christian Church. The parts of which may be added to any other formes: and the whole office intirely as it lyes is proper to be said in our preparation to the holy Sacrament, or o•• the day of celebration.

1. For our selves.

O thou gracious Father of mercy, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy upon thy servants who bow our heads, and our knees, and our hearts to thee: pardon and forgive us all our sins, give us the grace of holy repentance and a strict obe∣dience to thy holy word; strengthen us in the inner man with the power of the holy Ghost for all the parts and duties of our calling & holy living: preserve us for ever in the unity of the holy Ca∣tholick Church, & in the integrity of the Chr••stian faith, and in the love of God, and of our neigh∣bours, and in hope of life Eternal. Amen.

2. For the whole Catholick Church.

O holy Jesus King of the Saints, and Prince of the Catholick Church, preserve thy spouse whom tho•• hast purchased with thy right hand, and redeemed and cleansed with thy blood; the whole Catho∣lick Church from one end of the Earth to the o∣ther; she is founded upon a rock, but planted in the sea. O preserve her safe from schisme, heresy, and sacriledge. Unite all her members with the bands of Faith, Hope and Charity, and an external communion, when it shall seem good in thine eyes: let the daily sacrifice of prayer and Sacra∣mental thanksgiving never cease, but be for ever presented to thee, and for ever united to the inter∣cession of her dearest Lord, and for ever prevail for the obtaining for every of its members grace and blessing, pardon and salvation. Amen

3. For all Christian Kings, Princes and Governours.

O King of Kings, and Prince of all the Rulers of the Earth, give thy grace and Spirit to all Christian Princes, the spirit of wisdom and coun∣sel, the spirit of government and godly fear: Grant unto them to live in peace and honour, ••hat their people may love and feare them,

and they may love and fear God: speak good unto their hearts concerning the Church, that they may be nursing Fathers to it, Fathers of the Fa∣therlesse, Judges and Avengers of the cause of Widowes, that they may be compassionate to the wants of the poor, and the groans of the oppres∣sed, that they may not vex or kill the Lords peo∣ple with unjust or ambitious wars, but may feed the ••lock of God, and may inquire after and do all things which may promote peace, publick honesty and holy religion, so administring things present, that they may not fail of the everlasting glories of the world to come, where all thy faithful people shall reign Kings for ever. Amen.

4. For al the orders of them that minister about H. things

O thou great Shepherd and Bishop of our souls, Holy and Eternal Jesus, give unto thy servants the Ministers of the Mysteries of Christian religi∣on the Spirit of prudence and sanctity, faith and charity, confidence and zeal, diligence and watch∣fulnesse, that they may declare thy will unto the people faithfully, and dispense the Sacraments rightly, and intercede with thee graciously and ac∣ceptably for thy servants. Grant O Lord, that by a holy life and a true beliefe, by well doing and pa∣tient suffering (when thou shalt call them to it) they may glorifie thee the great lover of souls, and after a plentiful conversion of sinners from the errour of their wayes they may shine like the stars in glory. Amen.

Give unto thy servants the Bishops a discern∣ing Spirit that they may lay hands suddenly on no man, but may depute such persons to the Mi∣nisteries of religion, who may adorn the Gospel of God, & whose lips may preserve knowledge, & such who by their good preaching, & holy living may advance the service of the Lord Jesus. Amen.

5. For our neerest relatives, as Husband, Wife, Children, Family, &c.

O God of infinite mercy, let thy loving mercy and compassion descend upon the head of thy ser∣vants [my wife, or hu••band] children and family: be pleased to give them health of body and of spirit, a competent portion of temporals, so as may with comfort support them in their journey to Heaven: preserve them from all evil and ••ad accidents, de∣fend them in all assaults of their enemies, direct their persons & their actions, sanctify their hearts and words, and purposes, that we all may by the bands of obedience and charity be united to our Lord Jesus, and alwayes feeling thee our merciful and gracious Father, may become a holy family, discharging our whole duty in all our relations, that we in this life being thy children by adoption and grace, may be admitted into thy holy family hereafter for ever to sing praises to thee in the Church of the first-born, in the family of thy re∣deemed ones. Amen.

6. For our Parents, our Kinred in the flesh, our Friends and Benefactors.

O God merciful and gracious, who hast made [my Parents,] my Friends and my Benefactors mi∣nisters of thy mercy and instruments of provi∣dence to thy servant, I humbly beg a blessing to descend upon the heads of [name the persons or th•• relations] Depute thy holy Angels to guard their persons, thy holy spirit to guide their souls, thy providence to minister to their necessities: and let thy grace and mercy preserve them from ••he bitter pains of eternal death, and bring them ••o everlasting life through Jesus Christ. Amen.

7. For all that lye under the rod of war, famine, pestilence: to be said in the time of plague, or war, &c.

O Lord God Almighty, thou art our Father, we

are thy children, thou art our Redeemer, we thy people purchased with the price of thy most pre∣cious blood, be pleased to moderate thy anger to∣wards thy servants, let not thy whole displeasure arise, lest we be consumed and brought to no∣thing. Let health and peace be within our dwel∣lings, let righteousness and holyness dwell for ever in our hearts, & be express'd in all our actions, and the light of thy countenance be upon us in all our sufferings, that we may delight in the service and in the mercies of God for ever. Amen.

O gracious Father and merciful God, if it be thy wil, say unto the destroying Angel, it is enough, and though we are not better then our brethren who are smitten with the rod of God, but much worse, yet may it please thee, even because thou art good, and because we are timerous and sinful, not yet fitted for our appearance, to set thy mark upon our foreheads, that the Angel thy Minister of thy justice may passe over us, and hurt us not: let thy hand cover thy servants and hide us in the clefts of the rock, in the wounds of the holy Jesus, from the present anger that is gone out against us: that though we walk thorough the valley of the shadow of death we may fear no evil, and suf••er none: and those whom thou hast smitten with thy rod, support with thy staff, and visit them with thy mercies and salvation, through Jesus Christ. Amen.

8. For all women with childe and for unborn children.

O Lord God who art the Father of them that trust in thee, and shewest mercy to a thou∣sand generations of them that fear thee, have mercy upon all women great with childe [*] be pleased to give them a joyful & a safe deliverance; & let thy grace preserve the fruit of their wombs, and conduct them to the holy Sacrament of Bap∣tisme, that they being regenerated by thy Spirit,

and adopted into thy family and the portion and duty of Sons, may live to the glory of God, to the comfort of their parents and friends, to the edification of the Christian Common-wealth, and the salvation of their own souls thorough Jesus Christ. Amen.

9. For all estates of Men and Women in the Christian Church.

O Holy God, King Eternal, out of the infinite st••re-houses, of thy grace and mercy give unto all Virgins chastity, and a religious spirit; to all per∣sons dedicated to thee and to religion, continence and meekness, an active zeal, and an unwearied spirit: to all married paires faith and holinesse: to widows and fatherless, and all that are op∣pressed, ••hy pa••ronage, comfort and defence: to all Christian women simplicity and mod••s••y, hu∣mility and chastity, p••tience a••d charity▪ give unto the poor, to all ••hat are robbed and spoiled of their goods, a competent suppor••, and a con∣tented spirit, and a treasure in heaven hereafter: give unto prisoners and captives, to them that toil in the mines, and row in ••he gall••es strength of body and of spirit, liberty and redemption, com∣fort and restitution: to all that travel by land thy Angel for their guide, and a holy and prospe∣rous return: to all that travel by sea freedom from Pirates and shipwrack, and bring them to the Ha∣ven where they would be: to distressed and scru∣pulous consciences, to melancholy and disconso∣late persons, to all that are afflicted with evil and unclean spirits give a light from heaven, great grace and proportionable comforts, and ••imely deliverance; give them patience and resignation; let their sorrows be changed into grace and com∣fort, and let the s••orm waft them certainly to the regions of rest and glory.

Lord God of Mercy give to thy Martyrs, Confessors and all thy persecuted, constancy and prudence, boldness and hope, a full faith and a ne∣ver failing charity: To all who are condemned to death do thou minister comfort, a strong, a quiet, and a resigned spirit: take from them the fear of death, and all remaining affections to sin, and all imperfections of duty, and cause them to dye full of grace, full of hope: and give to all faithfull, and particularly to them who have recommended themselves to the prayers of thy unworthy ser∣vant, a supply of all their needs temporal and spi∣ritual, and according to their several states and necessities, rest and peace, pardon and refresh∣ment: and shew us all a mercy in the day of judg∣ment. Amen.

Give O Lord, to the Magistrates equity, sinceri∣tie, courage and prudence, that they may protect the good, defend religion, and punish the wrong doers: Give to the Nobility wisdom, valour, and loyalty: To Merchants justice and faithfulnesse: to all Artificers and Labourers truth and honesty: to our enemies forgivenesse and brotherly kind∣nesse.

Preserve to us the Heavens and the Ayre in healthful influence and disposition, the Earth in plenty, the kingdom in peace and good govern∣ment, our marriages in peace, and sweetnesse and innocence of society, thy people from famine and pestilence, our houses from burning and robbery, our persons from being burnt alive, from banish∣ment and prison from Widowhood & destitution, from violence of pains and passions, from tempests and earth-quakes, from inundation of waters, from rebellion and invasion, from impatience and inordinate cares, from tediousnes of spirit and de∣spair, from murder, and all violent accursed

and unusual deaths, from the surprize of sudden and violent accidents, from passionate and unrea∣sonable fears, from all thy wrath, and from all our sins, good Lord deliver and preserve thy servants for ever. Amen.

Represse the violence of all implacable warring and tyrant Nations: bring home un∣to thy fold all that are gone astray: call into the Church all strangers: increase the number and holinesse of thy own people: bring infants to ripenesse of age and reason; confirm all baptized people with thy grace and with thy Spirit: in∣struct the Novices and new Christians: let a great grace and merciful providence bring youthful persons safely and holily through the indiscreti∣ons and passions and temptations of their younger years: & those whom thou hast or shalt permit to live to the age of a man, give competent strength and wisdom, take from them covetousnesse and churlishnesse, pride and impatience▪ fill them full of devotion and charity, repentance and so∣briety, holy thoughts and longing desires after Heaven and heavenly things: give them a holy and a blessed death, and to us all a joyful resurre∣ction through Jesus Christ our Lord: Amen.