DEVOTIONAL EXERCISES

FOR PERSONS IN PRIVATE.

Litany.

O HOLY, blessed, and glorious Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Ghost, have mercy upon me a miserable sinner.

Remember not, Lord, my offences, nor the offences of my forefathers; neither take thou vengeance of my sins: spare me, good Lord, spare thy servant whom thou hast redeemed with thy most precious blood, and be not angry with me for ever.

From all evil and mischief; from sin and its penalties; from the crafts and assaults of the devil or man; from thy wrath, and from everlasting damnation, good Lord, deliver me.

From all blindness of heart; from pride, vainglory, and hypocrisy; from envy, hatred, and malice, and all uncharitableness, good Lord, deliver

me.

From all inordinate and sinful affections; and from all the deceits and idolatries of the world, the flesh, and the devil, good Lord, deliver me.

From all sedition, privy conspiracy, and rebellion; from all false doctrine, heresy, and schism;

from hardness of heart, and contempt of thy word and commandment, good Lord, deliver me.

By thine agony and bloody sweat; by thy cross and passion; by thy precious death and burial; by thy glorious resurrection and ascension; and by the coming of the Holy Ghost, good Lord, deliver

me.

In all time of my tribulation; in all time of my prosperity; in the hour of death, and in the day of judgment, good Lord, deliver me.

Sinner as I am, and unworthy to pray for myself, yet I beseech thee to hear me praying for others, as thou hast commanded, O Lord God. And that it may please thee to rule and govern thy holy Church universal in the right way; to bless and preserve all Christian rulers and magistrates; and to illuminate all bishops, priests, and deacons with true knowledge and understanding of thy holy word; I humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

That it may please thee to give to all thy people increase of grace to hear meekly thy word, to receive it with pure affection, and to bring forth the fruits of the Spirit; that it may please thee to bring into the way of truth all such as have erred, and are deceived; to succor, help, and comfort, all who are in danger, necessity, and tribulation of any kind; to strengthen such as do stand; to comfort and help the weak-hearted; and to raise up those who fall; and finally to beat down Satan under our feet; I humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

That it may please thee to give to all thy servants true repentance; to forgive us all our sins, negligences, and ignorances; and to endue us with the grace of thy Holy Spirit to amend our lives according to thy holy word; I humbly beseech thee, O Lord.

O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, grant me thy peace. O Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world; have mercy upon me.

O God, merciful Father, who despisest not the sighing of a contrite heart, nor the desire of such as are sorrowful; mercifully assist my prayers which I make before thee in all my troubles and adversities, whensoever they oppress me; and graciously hear me, that those evils which the craft and subtilty of the devil or man worketh against me, may, by thy good providence, be brought to naught; that I, thy servant, being hurt by no persecutions, may evermore give thanks unto thee in thy holy Church; through Jesus Christ our Lord.

O Lord, arise, help me, and deliver me for thy name's sake, for thou hast made many and precious promises to those who trust in thy name. Our fathers trusted in thee, and thou didst deliver them.

Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Ghost; as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.

O Lord, let thy mercy be showed upon me, as I do put my trust in thee. Deal not with me. according to my sins; neither reward me according to my iniquities. From all my enemies, bodily and spiritual, defend me, O Christ. Graciously look upon my trials and afflictions. With pity behold the sorrows and conflicts of my heart. Mercifully forgive the sins of thy servant. Favourably with mercy hear my prayers. Both now and ever, stretch forth thine almighty arm, and grant me thy salvation. O God, make clean my heart within me; and take not thy Holy Spirit from me.

I humbly beseech thee, O Father, mercifully to look upon my infirmities, and for the glory of thy name, turn from me all those evils that my follies and sins, my broken vows, and frequent backslidings, most justly have deserved; and grant, that in all my troubles, I may put my whole trust and confidence in thy mercy, and evermore serve thee in holiness and pureness of living, to thy honor and glory, though our only Mediator and Advocate, Jesus Christ our Lord.

A Prayer for Sunday Morning.

MATT. vi. 6. When thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and, when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father, which seeth in secret, shall reward thee openly.

BLESSED LORD! who hast invited and commanded us to pray unto thee; O let thy Spirit help my infirmities; and do thou so dispose my mind, and prepare my heart, that my prayers and praises may be acceptable in thy sight, for the sake of Jesus Christ. Amen.

O how amiable are thy dwellings, thou Lord of hosts! My soul hath a desire and longing to enter into the courts of the Lord; my heart and my flesh rejoice in the living God.

Yea, the sparrow hath found her an house, and the swallow a nest, where she may lay her young; even thy altars, O Lord of hosts, my King and my God.

Blessed are they that dwell in thy house: they will be alway praising thee.

Blessed is the man whose strength is in thee; in whose heart are thy ways.

Who going through the vale of misery, use it for a well; and the pools are filled with water.

They will go from strength to strength, and unto the God of gods appeareth every one of them in Sion.

O Lord God of hosts, hear my prayer; hearken, O God of Jacob.

Behold, O God, our defender, and look upon the face of thine Anointed.