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Manuscript description Item 1 (Front matter) [Information on the first four leaves of this manuscript has been omitted.] Item 2 (Prayer), fols.4v-18r A Confession of Faith with Meditation and Prayer My Belief is in God ... trust in thee, O God, in thee O Father, Son, and Holy Ghost Item 3 (Prayer), fols.18v-22v A Prayer in the sickness of my girl Frances O Almighty and eternal God ... Our Father which art in Heaven etc 80 lines.[Frances is not recorded as surviving to adulthood. See also item 45.] Item 4 (Prayer), fols.22v-27v A Prayer when I was with Child O God to thee I give all ... grant for thy son my Redeemer's sake, to whom be glory and honour. Amen 104 lines.Item 5 (Prayer), fols.28r-29v A Prayer in time of Labour Lord Jesus since thou art pleased my time is come ... everlasting in the true belief of thee who art my only saviour. Amen 38 lines.Item 6 (Prayer), fols.30r-32v A Prayer after I was brought to bed My Lord and my God, to thee I give all prayer and thanks ... to thee alone is all praise due to perpetuity. Amen 50 lines.Item 7 (Prayer), fols. 32v-35r A Prayer when I was with Child Great God and Christ hear the prayer of me ... Grant that I may rejoice with thy Saints in glory 55 lines.Item 8 (Prayer), fols.35v-38v A Prayer when I continued with child, after I thought I should have fallen in labour My Christ and my Jesus ... and this I beg for thy son my saviours sake 58 lines.Item 9 (Prayer), fols. 38v-45v A Prayer when I was with Child O Great God Almighty ... and so let us praise thy holy name both now and ever. Amen. Amen 136 lines.Item 10 (Prayer), fols. 45v-49v A Prayer when I was with Child of Stuart O my God great Almighty ... who liveth and reigneth now and for evermore. Amen 83 lines.[Stuart Egerton was born in 1660 and died unmarried.] Item 11 (Verse), fols.50r-53r A Meditation mixed with Prayer Consider and hear me O Lord my God ... shall never be confounded, nor left destitute 67 lines.Item 12 (Prayer), fols.53v-56r O Lord I am vile, being sinful, but let me not run into despair Why I sit sighing here ask me no more ... Therefore to thee all honour, and power be given now and for evermore 50 lines.Item 13 (Prayer), fols.56r-59r A Prayer before the receiving: the Communion at Easter O great and glorious Lord God ... sweet Jesus, mercy to me miserable sinner 59 lines.Item 14 (Prayer), fols.59v-63r A Prayer before the receiving of the Communion O God, O my God, and the only God of all true believers ['xxx' inserted between 'only' and 'God', possibly covering a deletion.] ... which God of thy mercy grant me [One line inserted between lines 70 and 71. In the same hand.] 75 lines.Item 15 (Prayer), fols. 63v-65r A Prayer before the Communion My God, and my Lord, of thee I beg compassion ... This I beg for my Son my Saviour's sake 35 lines.Item 16 (Prayer), fols.65v-68v A Prayer before the Communion at Easter, being at the same time with Child This thy resurrection, I intend with thy leave ... I shall enjoy thy Heavenly Kingdom. Amen 60 lines.Item 17 (Prayer), fols.68v-71r A Prayer after delivery, before receiving the Communion on Christmas day Thou O Christ, which on this day ... evermore lauding and praising thee, my God my Saviour 45 lines.Item 18 (Prayer), fols.71r-73r A Prayer before receiving the blessed Sacrament My God let me not think ... and this I beg of thee, my God and only Saviour 38 lines.Item 19 (Meditation), fols.73r-76v A Meditation concerning Fasting, before the receiving of the holy Communion Now that I am come to the time to receive the blessed sacrament ... whether therefore you eat, or drink, do all to the glory of God 67 lines.Item 20 (Prayer), fol.78r A Prayer after I had received the Blessed Sacrament I was washed clean O Lord ... grant me for thy Son my only Saviour's sake. Amen 32 lines.Item 21 (Meditation), fols.78v-84r Considerations concerning Marriage Some account of marriage as an unhappy life ... grant all my friends to enjoy this happy and blessed friendship 110 lines.Item 22 (Meditation), fols.84r-87v Of Marriage and of Widows As concerning marriage, I would never have married ... they ever most loved, and lived with all 73 lines.Item 23 (Meditation), fols.88r-91v Against Sluggishness and Laziness in Religious duties The condition which we are in ... O my Soul for the Lord hath dealt graciously with thee 76lines.Item 24 (Meditation), fols.92r-96r A Persuasion of the Forgiving of Injuries Let us endeavour to follow this holy Doctrine ... and more than the tongue of me an unworthy sinner can express 83 lines.Item 25 (Meditation), fols.98r-100r A Meditation on the Confidence of forgiveness of sins Our sins are great, and what Creature can own they have none? ... with whom we shall inherit our salvation 33 lines.Item 26 (Meditation), fols.100r-102r Against Judging of others; with encouragement to bear affliction Let us not value this world as we see it full of varieties ... with assurance is our greatest consolation 44 lines.Item 27 (Meditation), fols.102v-103v To take care rightly to understand ourselves Let us not forget ourselves, but remember what we are ... we must go on to our house of hope, to our true eternity 28 lines.Item 28 (Meditation), fols.104r-106r A Meditation of purity before receiving the Communion We all ought to give our obedience to God ... and thankful heart for our redemption 42 lines.Item 29 (Devotional writing), fols.106v-107r An Exhortation to confidence in God's mercy Let us in affliction never doubt of God's mercy ... and sacrifice ourselves to his will as Abraham would his Son upon the Altar 18 lines.Item 30 (Devotional writing), fols.106r-108r Repent in Dust and Ashes That is truly to repent, without pride ... which was to give us a testimony of the mystery of our salvation 18 lines.Item 31 (Verse), fols.108v-109v Upon occasion of the unwinding of a skein of silk unwind me O Lord from my sins ... where I shall be blessed forever 23 lines.Item 32 (Prayer, Devotional writing), fols.109v-111v Upon recovery out of sickness after Delivery O Lord God to thee all thanks and praise belongs ... to whom I give all thanks and glory now and for evermore 35 lines.Item 33 (Prayer, Devotional writing), fols.111v-113r Upon the occasion of my Husband'sBirthday [John Egerton was born on 30th May 1623 .] O my God, the only and everlasting God ... and be you ever with him in his greatest extremity and distress 28 lines.Item 34 (Prayer), fols.113r-114v A Prayer for my Husband O my Christ give me once more leave to Petition thee ... call, and thou wilt hear 28 lines.Item 35 (Meditation, Devotional writing), fols.114v-118v Upon occasion of the death of my boy Henry If God be pleased to give me a Child ... to his glory and my comfort 85 lines.[Line inserted between the lines, after line 30.] [See also item 36.] Item 36 (Verse, Elegy, Devotional writing), fols.119r-v On my Boy Henry Here lies a Boy the finest child from me ... I mourn not for thy Birth, nor Cry [See also item 35.] 10 lines.Item 37 (Meditation, Devotional writing), fols.119v-121v When I lost my Dear Girl Kate My sorrow is great I confess ... so great a blessing as that sweet child upon me [See also the next two items (38 and 39).] 39 lines.Item 38 (Meditation, Devotional writing), fols.121v-125v On the same occasion It was God's pleasure to afflict me ... he may call us all to his blessed Kingdom to live with him forever [The occasion is the death of her daughter Kate (see also items 37 and 39)] 81 lines.Item 39 (Meditation, Devotional writing), fols.125v-127r On the same occasion In the sight of us the unwise ... so must my sorrow submit [The occasion is the death of her daughter Kate (see also items 37 and 38)] 23 lines.Item 42 (Verse, Elegy), fol. 127r Made on the sight of the Countes of Bridgewater's Picture On thy true Picture all may look ... Thy children cannot give thee praise too much 8 lines.Item 43 (Verse, Amorous writing), fol.127v Spoken Upon the receiving a cake of perfume made up in the shape of a heart My Dear I thank thee that thou hast so well ... To show that you and I are one, not two 6 lines.Item 44 (Meditation), fols.128r-130v A Contemplation upon the sight of a Cushion Everything I see reminds me of the Almighty power of God ... to the Exaltation of God's holy name 53 lines.Item 45 (Prayer), fols.130v-136r A Prayer in the sickness of my Girl Frances O Lord God Almighty ... O gracious and Loving Father, Amen, Amen 106 lines.[Frances is not recorded as surviving to adulthood. See also item 3.] Item 46 (Prayer), fols.136r-149r A Preparatory prayer before the receiving of the blessed Sacrament of the Lord's supper Most merciful Father, I thy poor Creature ... be all glory, honour and power, both now and evermore. Amen 282 lines.Item 47 (Contents list, Table), fols.150r-153r A Table [Table split into prayers, meditations and devotional pieces, and a 'spoken' section from fol.52r-53r] 81 lines. |