Holy living in which are described the means and instruments of obtaining every virute, 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 occasians [sic], and furnished for all necessities / by Jer. Taylor.

A prayer to be said on the Feast of Christmas, or the birth of our blessed Saviour Jesus; the same also may be said upon the feast of the Annunciation, and Purification of the B. Virgin Mary.

O Holy and Almighty God Father of mer∣cies, Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of thy love and Eternal mercies, I adore and praise and glorifie thy infinite and un∣speakable love, and wisdom, who hast sent thy Son from the bosom of felicities to take upon him our nature and our misery, and our guilt, and hast made the Son of God to be∣come the Son of Man, that we might become the Sons of God, and partakers of the divine nature: since thou hast so exalted humane na∣ture, be pleased also to sanctifie my per∣son, that by a conformity to the humility and laws and sufferings of my dearest Saviour I

may be united to his spirit, and be made all one with the most Holy Jesus. Amen.

O holy and Eternal Jesus, who didst pity mankinde lying in his blood, and sin and mi∣sery, and didst choose our sadnesses and sor∣rows, that thou mightest make us to partake of thy felicities: Let thine eyes pity me, thy hands support me, thy holy ••eet tread down all the difficulties in my way to Heaven; let me dwell in thy heart, be instructed with thy wisdom, moved by thy affections, choose with thy will, and be clothed with thy righteous∣ness that in the day of Judgment I may be found having on thy garments, sealed with thy impression; and that bearing upon every faculty and member the character of my el∣der brother, I may not be cast out with strangers and unbleivers. Amen.

O Holy and ever blessed spirit, who didst overshadow the holy Virgin Mother of our Lord and causedst her to conceive by a mi∣raculous and mysterious manner: be pleased to overshadow my soul, and en∣lighten my spirit, that I may conceive the holy Jesus in my heart, and may bear him in my minde, and may grow up to the fulness of the stature of Christ, to be a per∣fect man in Christ Jesus. Amen,

To God the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ. To the eternall Son that was incar∣nate and born of a virgin. To the spirit of the Father and the Son be all honour and glory, worship and adoration, now and for ever. Amen.