The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying : together with Prayers and acts of virtue

Bound in full dark brown calf, spines with six raised bands, blind covers tooling with double rules Leaf tooled designs in corners, marbled end pages, edges of pages dyed red. Some minor scuff market and worn at bottom left edge of spine. Two previous owner's bookplates on marbled end papers and gift inscription on front end paper dated 1858. Internally in very clean condition, very good+ condition.

The first half of Holy Dying delivers practical suggestions for cleansing and building up the soul in godly fashion. The latter half includes a memorial sermon both for a friend of his and for Christians who have died generally. Taylor's work has received praise not just for its devotional merit, but also for the delicate musicality of its prose. This book is the second volume in a two-volume devotional set. quoted from Christian Classics Ethereal Library online.

Jeremy Taylor was a Church of England cleric known for his poetic style of writing, who was chaplain in ordinary to King Charles I. Following the Parliamentary victory over the king, Taylor was briefly imprisoned several times. After the Restoration he became Bishop of Down and Connor in Ireland. The Rule and Exercises of Holy Dying was first published in 1651.