The paradise of the Christian soul/Chap. II. Litany of Penitents

by Jacob Merlo Horstius

CHAPTER II.

LITANY OF PENITENTS.

Collected out of Holy Scripture.

By the use of which the sinner's heart is awakened to the hope of pardon and the love of penance.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, have mercy on us.

Lord, have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

God the Father of heaven, Have mercy on us.

God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.

God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.

Holy Trinity, one God, Have mercy on us.

I.

O God who desirest not the death of the wicked, but rather that he be converted and live, Have, &c.	Ezech. xxxiii.
Who sparedst not the angels that sinned, but didst thrust them down to be tormented in hell,	2 Pet. ii.

Who calledst Adam after his fall to the acknowledgment of his sin, and to repentance, Have mercy on us.	Gen. iii.
Who didst cast out from thy presence impious Cain, when he despaired of pardon.	Gen iv.
Who, by the ark, didst mercifully save Noe from the flood that destroyed the ungodly,	Gen vii.
Who didst bring out Lot from the midst of sinners,	Gen. xix.
Who, when the children of Israel cried to thee in their distress, didst deliver them from the cruel bondage of Pharao,	Ibid.
Who gavest the law to Moses in the mount, when he had fasted forty days,	Exod. xxxiv.
Who, at the prayer of Moses, forgavest the sins of thy trespassing people,	Exod. xxxii.
Who savedst Jonas when he cried to thee out of the whale’s belly,	Jonas ii.
Who sparedst the Ninivites when they fasted and did penance in sackcloth,	Jonas iii.

II.

Who didst bring David, by Nathan, to acknowledge his sin, Have mercy on us.	2 Kings xii.
Who didst remit the sin of David when he confessed it, and did penance in sackcloth,	Ibid.
Who gavest him the choice of three plagues for the sin of numbering the people,	2 Kings xxiv.
Who didst spare Achab when humbled and penitent,	3 Kings xxi.
Who didst hearken to Judith when she prayed in haircloth and ashes for the deliverance of the people,	Judith ix.
Who didst deliver Ezechias and his people from the army of the Assyrians, when they called upon thee with fasting, in sackcloth and ashes,	4 Kings xix.
Who didst hearken to Manasses when penitent, and restoredst him to his kingdom,	2 Par. xxxiii.

Who madest Esther, when she fasted, to find favour in the eyes of king Assuerus,	Esth. xiv.
Who didst deliver Mardochai from the gibbet, when he called upon thee in sackcloth and ashes.	Ibid. xvi.
Who didst succour the Machabees, when they fasted and invoked thee in sackcloth and ashes,	1 Mac. iii.
Who has commanded the priests to weep, pray, and offer sacrifices for the people,	Joel ii.

III.

Who camest into this world to save sinners, have mercy on us.	1 Tim. i.
Who, in coming to redeem the world, didst send John before thee to be a preacher of penance,
Who givest him to be a mirror of penance, by his wonderful austerity in food and apparel,
Who thyself didst fast forty days and forty nights,
Who, rich in mercy, for the exceeding charity wherewith thou lovedst us, even when we were dead in sins, hast quickened us together in Christ,
Who, by thy grace, didst call Matthew sitting in the custom house,
Who didst testify that the publican received the grace of justification, when he struck his breast in sorrow and humility,
Who didst heal the paralytic of his disease, when thou hadst first forgiven him his sins,
Who, by the example of the prodigal son returning to his father, has given to sinners the hope of pardon and forgiveness.
Who didst open a fountain of living water to the woman of Samaria,
Who broughtest salvation to the house of Zacchseus, when he was penitent and made restitution,
Who didst graciously hear the woman of Canaan, when persevering in her prayer,
Who didst mercifully pardon the woman taken in adultery,

Who didst receive and eat with publicans and sinners,	Luke v., xv.
Who didst forgive Mary Magdalene her many sins, because she loved much,	Luke vii.
Who, by graciously looking on Peter when he thrice denied thee, didst move him to acknowledge his sin, and to shed tears of penitence,	Luke xxii
Who when hanging on the cross, didst promise Paradise to the penitent robber,	Luke xxiii.
Who didst no sin, yet didst bear our sins in thy body upon the tree,	1 Pet. ii
Who wast bruised for our sins,	Isaias liii.

IV.

Who lovest all things that are, and hatest none of the things which thou hast made, Have mercy on us.	Wisd. xi.
Who provest thy elect, as gold in the furnace,	Wisd. iii.
Who, when we sin, givest us time and place for repentance,	Wisd. xii.
Who scourgest every son whom thou receivest and lovest,	Heb. xii.
Who rebukest and chastisest such as thou lovest,	Apoc. iii.
Who art not willing that any should perish, but that all should return to penance,	2 Pet. iii.
Who camest to seek and to save that which was lost,	Luke xix.
Who hast mercy upon all, and overlookest the sins of men for the sake of repentance,	Wisd. xi.
Who wert made the propitiation for our sins,	1 John ii.
Who hast mercy upon sinners, when they turn to thee in fasting, weeping, and mourning,	Joel ii.
Who wilt have mercy, and not sacrifice,	Matt. ix.
Who camest not to call the just but sinners to penance.	Ibid.
Who, by thy benignity, leadest us to penance.	Rom. ii.
Who didst call Paul by a miracle, when he was a persecutor and devastator of the churches,	Acts ix.

Who didst give him sight when he was three days fasting and praying,	Acts ix.
Who, when we have done penance, no more rememberest any of our sins,	Ezech. xviii.
Gracious and merciful God, who art patient, and rich in mercy, and ready to repent of the evil,	Joel ii.

V.

Be favourable, O Lord, and spare us.

From all evil, Deliver us, O Lord.

From all sin, Deliver us, O Lord.

From a sudden and unhappy death, Deliver us, O Lord.

By thy baptism and holy fasting, Deliver us, O Lord.

By thy labours and sorrows, Deliver us, O Lord.

By thy blood which thou hast shed for the remission of our sins, Deliver us, O Lord,

In the day of tribulation and distress, and of thy dreadful judgment, Deliver us, O Lord.

VI.

We sinners. Beseech thee, hear us.

That thou wouldst vouchsafe to bring us to true penance, We beseech thee, hear us.

That we may judge ourselves, and so escape thy judgment,

That, while there is time, we may bring forth fruit worthy of penance,

That, as we have yielded our members to serve uncleanness and iniquity, to iniquity; so now we may yield them to serve justice, to sanctification,

That we may never again give place to the devil, or let the sun go down upon our anger,

That denying iniquity and worldly desires, we may live soberly, justly, and godly,

That we may chastise our bodies, and bring them into subjection,

That sin may not reign in our mortal body,

That we may not yield our members as the instruments of iniquity,

That we may not love the world, nor the things which are in the world,

VII.

That we may not be conformed to this world, but may be reformed in the newness of our mind, We beseech Thee, hear us	Rom. xii.
That we may not be more wise than it behoves, but may be wise unto sobriety,	Ibid.
That we may not be drunk with wine, wherein is luxury,	Eph. v.
That, as true members of Christ, we may crucify our flesh with its vices and concupiscences,	Gal. v.
That no evil speech may proceed from our mouth, but that which is good to the edification of faith,	Eph. iv.
That all bitterness, anger, and indignation may be put away from us,	Ibid.
That we may not be made desirous of vainglory,	Gal. v.
That we may put off the old man with his deeds, and put on the new man in justice and holiness of truth,	Eph. iv.
That we may not live according to the flesh, but may mortify the deeds of the flesh by the spirit,	Rom. viii.
That we may never despise the riches of thy goodness, patience, and long-suffering,	Rom. ii.
That, in going with confidence to the throne of grace, we may obtain mercy, and find grace in seasonable aid,	Heb. iv.
That, by putting on the armour of God, we may be able to stand against the deceits of the devil,	Eph. vi.
That we may work out our salvation with fear and trembling,	Phil. ii.
That we may count all things loss for Christ’s sake,	Phil. iii.
That, being dead to sins, we may live to justice,	i Pet. ii.
That, through the many tribulations of this world, thou wouldst vouchsafe us entrance into the kingdom of God,	Acts xiv.
That thou wouldst vouchsafe to burn and purge us here, and hereafter to spare us for ever,

That thou wouldst vouchsafe graciously to hear us.

Son of God, We beseech thee, hear us.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

Christ, hear us.

Christ, graciously hear us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Christ, have mercy upon us.

Lord, have mercy upon us.

Our Father, &c.

V. And lead us not into temptation.

R. But deliver us from evil.

V. O Lord, deal not with us according to our sins.

R. Neither reward us according to our iniquities.

V. O Lord, remember not our old sins.

R. Let thy mercies quickly overtake us, for we are become exceeding poor.

V. Help us, O God, our Saviour.

R. And for the glory of thy name, O Lord, deliver us, and be merciful to our sins for thy name’s sake.

V. From my secret sins, cleanse me, O Lord.

R. And from the sins of others spare thy servant.

V. Remember not, O Lord, our sins, nor those of our parents.

R. Neither take vengeance on our sins.

V. Deliver not to beasts, O Lord, the souls that confess to thee.

R. And forget not the souls of thy poor for ever.

V. O Lord, turn away thy face from my sins.

R. And blot out all my iniquities.

V. Give me again the joy of thy salvation.

R. And strengthen me with a perfect spirit.

V. Lord, hear my prayer.

R, And let my cry come to thee.

Let us pray.

O God, who rejectest not any, but of thy tender mercy art reconciled by penance to the greatest sinners, favourably regard our humble supplications, that so we may be able to fulfil thy commandments. O God, who justifiest the wicked, and desirest not the death of the sinner, we humbly entreat of thy majesty, graciously to protect thy servants who trust in thy mercy, and constantly to preserve them by thy heavenly aid; that we may continually serve thee, and never by any temptations be separated from thee.

O God, who desirest not the death, but the repentance of sinners, most tenderly regard the weakness of our human condition, and of thy goodness further our endeavours; that, by thy infinite mercy, we may happily obtain pardon of our sins, constancy in thy service, and finally, the rewards promised to those who persevere to the end; through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.