Sweete thovghtes of Iesvs and Marie, or, Meditations for all the feasts of ovr B. Saviovr and his B. Mother togeither with Meditations for all the Sundayes of the yeare and our Sauiovrs Passion : for the vse of the daughters of Sion : diuided into tvvo partes / by Thomas Carre ...

PRAYERS TAKEN OVT OF THOMAS A KEMPIS.

A Prayer for the Loue of vertue; and the hatred of Vice.

O Lord God of vertues, to whom euery best thing belongs, ingraue the loue of thy most sweet name vpon my hart. Plant the rootes of true vertues in me, and make the seedes of holie Me∣diation, with the vardant freshnes of good works, increase and sprout vp, least I re∣maine idle in thy howse, like an vnfruit∣full tree; but rather tille me as a fruitfull oliue, and absolutelie roote out, and redu∣ce to nothing, whatsoeuer thou findest vi∣cious in me. Grant me grace to hate my vices, giue me force, victoriously to con∣quer my passions, to mortifie my concu∣piscences, and to suppresse the motions of my pride in me, to appease anger, to

expelle sloath, to detest auarice, to re∣pulse bad sadnesse, to contemne glorie, to flie honour, and to renounce all earth∣lie consolations; so that nothing that is terreane, fraile, vaine, curious, carnall, fawning, harsh, couetous, base, false, or feyned, may touche, moue, intice, catch insnare, or seduce my hart.

Grant that I may loath all terreane things, earnestly desire eternall things, loue what euer is good, attaine to all ver∣tue, know the prime truth, and enioy eternall felicitie. Grant that I may meete with a blessed and happie howre of death; and in the interim continually walke in thy feare and loue. Free my hart from all creatures, and from euerie thing which might hinder or obscure the same. Grant that I may bee simple, pure, and all gle∣wed to thee, and wholie adheare vnto thee. Grant me true internall, and diuine peace, and that I may possesse a quiete minde, deuoide of all perturbation.

Grant, that I may not be viciously affe∣cted to anie temporall thing: nor desire to be knowne, cared for, or be foolishlie loued by men; because they all seduce, and are seduced, who inordinatly desire,

or loue any thing out of thee. Permitt me not to drawe anie one to me by flatterie and obsequiousnesse: but wisely to remo∣ue all men from my selfe, and securely direct them to thee; and not to loue or looke vpon anie thing in man, or any creature, saue what is thine, and for what they were made.

A Prayer for patience in time of tribulation, and anguish of hart.

O My beloued Lord God, my holy Father, I am not worthie to be com∣forted, and visited by thee, but to be chasticed and whipped with sharpe stripes. I haue well deserued manie afflictions and tribulations, because I haue grecuiously offended, and been vngratful for thine innumerable benefits. I am not worthy, as are the rest of good faithfull Christians, and my deuout bretheren, to be recrea∣ted with diuine consolations, and to be numbred among the heauenly banqueters But I humbly beseeche thee, ô my holy Father, my deare and pious Lord, make me one of the least of thy hyreling, that I may at least be one of their laste ser∣uants,

whose footstepps I am not worthie to kisse. Let them enioy manie and great consolations, whom thou louest and ho∣norest by speciall priuiledge of loue. But let it be a great and most acceptable pre∣sent to me, who am the least, and most miserable of all, that thou sparest me not, but dost afflict me with manifold contra∣dictions and sorowes.

Giue patience, ô pious Lord, and let all tribulation and anxietie, be farre more wishfull and welcome to me, then anie con∣solation. And grant that I may accept of, and suffer this, particularly for thine ho∣nour, not out of a desire of adding to mine owne aduantage, or hope of a greater re∣ward. Let no gaine be greater to me, then cheerefullly to suffer for thy honour, to desire to be vnderualued, and annihila∣ted euen to the ground; and in verie deede to bee made subiect, and humbly to be throwne downe vnder the feete of all men. O Soueraigne Truth, My God, eternall light, ingraue this into my hart, that I may waxe vile in mine owne eyes, and that I may contemne my selfe, and esteeme my selfe in this world, as a bannished pil∣grime, a poore vnknowne man, a negle∣cted

solitary person, abandoned by euerie creature: and that I may no where seeke for hope and solace, saue in thy selfe a∣lone. Nay, grant that I may repute my selfe as one dead vpon earth, and buried to the world, whose memorie is alreadie longe a goe past by, and hath left no other foote∣stepps, or markes of it selfe, saue a poore miserable graue, which lyes hidd vnder ground. Grant, ô eternall Wisdome of the Father, that I may frequently and se∣riously run ouer these things in my hart, and continually fixe it vpon my laste things, by a deepe consideration: and so prepare my selfe for future iudgement, running out before thy face, by prayers and lamentations.

A Prayer to prayse God feruently.

MY God, my praise, and my glorie? I earnestly desire to prayse thee with as loude a voice, and as deuoute a hart, as euer anie creature praysed thee in heauen or earth. I ardently desire to ho∣nour thee, with as great and worthy an honour, as euer thou wast honored by anie Sainte in thy Celestiall Kingdome. I wish to venerate and loue thee, with as ardent

affection, and as amorous a hart, as euer anie deuout and perfect person, did, or doth loue thee in this world. Let the heate of thy sacred and pure loue, be alwayes renewed in me, and inflame my reynes and hart, as a fire descending from aboue. Let it purifie and burne all my interiour partes that nothing of vicious, may remayne in me, which may offend the eyes of thy Maiestie. O my God, thou true searcher of my hart, all my desires are in thy sight, and all my grones, for my manifold de∣fects, to wit, my Spirit often failes through the want of inward sweetnesse and charitie. I offer vp therefore to thee the desire of my desire, to the honour of thy name. Receiue my hartes desires as a morning Sacrifice, and let my prayers ascend vnto thee, as an euening incense, and please thee for euer. Amen.