PRAYERS,

OR

MEDITATIONS;

WHEREIN THE MIND IS STIRRED PATIENTLY TO SUFFER ALL AFFLICTIONS HERE, TO SET AT NOUGHT THE VAIN PROSPERITY OF THIS WORLD, AND ALWAYS TO LONG FOR THE EVERLASTING

FELICITY. COLLECTED OUT OF CERTAIN HOLY

WORKS, BY THE MOST VIRTUOUS AND

GRACIOUS PRINCESS CATHERINE,

QUEEN OF ENGLAND, FRANCE,

AND IRELAND.

A. D. 1546.

"If ye be risen again with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God. Set your affection on things that are above, and not on things which are on the earth." Col. iii.

Most benign Lord Jesus, grant me thy grace, that it may always work in me, and persevere with me unto the end. Grant me that I may ever desire and will that which is most pleasant and most acceptable to thee.

Thy will be my will, and my will be to follow alway thy will.

Let there be alway in me one will, and one desire with thee; and that I have no desire to will or not to will, but as thou wilt.

Lord, thou knowest what thing is most profitable and most expedient for me.

Give, therefore, what thou wilt, as much as thou wilt, and when thou wilt.

Do with me what thou wilt, as it shall please thee, and shall be most to thine honour.

Put me where thou wilt, and freely do with me in all things after thy will.

Thy creature I am, and in thy hands, lead and turn me where thou wilt.

Lo, I am thy servant, ready to do all things that thou ▲ commandest; for I desire not to live to myself, but to thee. Lord Jesus, I pray thee, grant me grace, that I may never set my heart on the things of this world, but that all worldly and carnal affections may utterly die and be mortified in me.

Grant me above all things that I may rest in thee, and finally quiet and pacify my heart in thee.

For thou, Lord, art the very true peace of heart, and the perfect rest of the soul, and without thee all things are grievous and unquiet.

My Lord Jesus, I beseech thee, be with me in every place, and at all times; and let it be to me a special solace, gladly, for thy love, to lack all worldly solace.

And if thou withdraw thy comfort from me at any time, keep me, O Lord, from desperation, and make me patiently to abide thy will and ordinance.

O Lord Jesus, thy judgments are righteous, and thy providence is much better for me than all that I can imagine or devise.

Wherefore, do with them in all things as it shall please thee, for it may not but be well, all that thou doest.

If thou wilt that I be in light, be thou blessed; if thou wilt that I be in darkness, be thou also blessed.

If thou vouchsafe to comfort me, be thou highly blessed; if thou wilt I live in trouble and without comfort, be thou likewise ever blessed.

Lord, give me grace gladly to suffer whatsoever thou wilt shall fall upon me, and patiently to take at thy hand good and bad, bitter and sweet, joy and sorrow; and for all things that shall befall unto me, heartily to thank thee. Keep me, Lord, from sin, and I shall dread neither death nor hell.

Oh what thanks ought I to give unto thee, who hast suffered the grievous death of the cross, to deliver me from my sins, and to obtain everlasting life for me.

Thou gavest us most perfect example of patience, fulfilling and obeying the will of thy Father, even unto the death.

Make me, wretched sinner, obediently to use myself after thy will in all things, and patiently to bear the burden of this corruptible life. For though this life be tedious,

and as a heavy burden for my soul, yet, nevertheless, through thy grace, and by example of thee, it is now made much more easy and comfortable, than it was before thy incarnation and passion.

Thy holy life is our way to thee, and by following of thee we walk to thee who art our Head and Saviour. And yet, except thou hadst gone before, and showed us the way to everlasting life, who would endeavour to follow thee? seeing we are yet so slow and dull, having the light of thy blessed example, and holy doctrine to lead and direct us.

O Lord Jesus, make that possible, by grace, which is impossible to me, by nature.

Thou knowest well that I may little suffer, and that I am anon cast down and overthrown with a little adversity; wherefore, I beseech thee, O Lord, to strengthen me with thy Spirit, that I may willingly suffer for thy sake all manner of trouble and affliction.

Lord, I will acknowledge unto thee all mine unrighteousness, and I will confess unto thee all the unstableness of my heart.

Oftentimes a very little thing troubleth me sore, and maketh me dull and slow to serve thee.

And sometimes I purpose to stand strongly, but when a little trouble cometh, it is to me great anguish and grief, and of a very little thing riseth a grievous temptation to me.

Yea, when I think myself to be sure and strong, and that, as it seemeth, I have the upper hand, suddenly I feel myself ready to fall with a little blast of temptation.

Behold, therefore, good Lord, my weakness, and consider my frailness, best known to thee.

Have mercy on me, and deliver me from all iniquity and sin, that I be not entangled therewith.

Oftentimes it grieveth me sore, and in a manner confoundeth me, that I am so unstable, so weak, and so frail, in resisting sinful motions.

Which, although they draw me not always to consent, yet nevertheless, their assaults are very grievous unto me. And it is tedious to me to live in such battle, albeit, I perceive that such battle is not unprofitable unto me. thereby I the better know myself, and mine own infirmi ties, and that I must seek help only at thy hands.

For

O Lord God of Israel, the lover of all faithful souls, vouchsafe to behold the labour and sorrow of me, thy poor

creature.

Assist me in all things with thy grace, and so strengthen me with heavenly strength, that neither my cruel enemy, the fiend, neither my wretched flesh, which is not yet subject to the spirit, have victory or dominion over me.

Oh what a life may this be called where no trouble nor misery lacketh! where every place is full of snares of moryal tal enemies.

For one trouble or temptation overpast, another cometh speedily; and the first conflict enduring, a new battle suddenly ariseth.

Wherefore, Lord Jesus, I pray thee, give me grace to rest in thee above all things, and to quiet me in thee above all creatures; above all glory and honour, above all dignity and power, above all cunning and policy, above all health and beauty, above all riches and treasure, above all joy and pleasure, above all fame and praise, above all mirth and consolation, that man's heart may take or feel besides thee.

For thou, Lord God, art best, most wise, most high, most mighty, most sufficient, and most full of all goodness, most sweet, and most comfortable, most fair, most loving, most noble, most glorious; in whom all goodness most perfectly is. And therefore, whatsoever I have besides thee, it is nothing to me; for my heart may not rest nor fully be pacified but only in thee.

O Lord Jesus, most loving spouse, who shall give me wings of perfect love, that I may fly up from these worldly miseries, and rest in thee? O when shall I ascend to thee, and see and feel how sweet thou art? When shall I wholly gather myself in thee, so perfectly that I shall not, for thy love, feel myself, but thee only, above myself, and above all worldly things; that thou mayest vouchsafe to visit me in such wise as thou dost visit thy most faithful lovers. Now, I often mourn and complain of the miseries of this life, and with sorrow and great heaviness suffer them. For many things happen daily to me which oftentimes trouble me, make me heavy, and darken mine understanding. They hinder me greatly, and put my mind from thee, and so encumber me many ways, that I cannot freely and clearly desire thee, nor have thy sweet consolations, which with thy blessed saints are always present. I beseech thee, Lord Jesus, that the sighings and inward desires of my heart may move and incline thee to hear me.

Ó Jesus, King of everlasting glory, the joy and comfort of all Christian people that are wandering as pilgrims in

the wilderness of this world, my heart crieth to thee by still desires, and my silence speaketh unto thee, and saith, How long tarrieth my Lord God to come to me!

Come, O Lord, and visit me; for without thee I have no true joy; without thee my soul is heavy and sad.

I am in prison, and bound with fetters of sorrow, till thou, O Lord, with thy gracious presence, vouchsafe to visit me, and to bring me again to liberty and joy of spirit, and to show thy favourable countenance unto me.

Open my heart, Lord, that I may behold thy laws, and s ng teach me to walk in thy commandments.

Make me to know and follow thy will, and to have always in my remembrance thy manifold benefits, that I may yield due thanks to thee for them.

But I ackowledge and confess for truth, that I am not able to give thee worthy thanks for the least benefit that thou hast given me.

O Lord, all gifts and virtues that any man hath in body or soul, natural or supernatural, are thy gifts and come of thee, and not of ourselves, and they declare the great riches → of thy mercy and goodness unto us.

And though some have more gifts than others, yet they all proceed from thee, and without thee the least cannot be had.

O Lord, I account it for a great benefit, not to have many worldly gifts, whereby the laud and praise of men might blind my soul, and deceive me.

Lord, I know that no man ought to be abashed or miscontent that he is in a low estate in this world, and lacketh the pleasure of this life, but rather to be glad and rejoice thereat. For so much as thou hast chosen the poor and meek persons, and such as are despised in the world, to be thy servants and familiar friends.

Witness thy blessed apostles, whom thou madest chief pastors and spiritual governors of thy flock, who departed from the council of the Jews, rejoicing that they were counted worthy to suffer rebuke for thy name.

Even so, O Lord, grant that I, thy servant, may be as well content to be taken as the least, as others are to be greatest; and that I be as well pleased to be in the lowest place as in the highest; and as glad to be of no reputation in the world, for thy sake, as others are to be noble and famous.