WEDNESDAY EVENING.

HAIL, sweet Jesus! Praise, and honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who wert declared guilty of death by the ungodly Jews, and wert condemned without a clause, that Thy unjust condemnation might be the means of freeing us from the 39guilt of those crimes; under which we justly lay. Give me grace to reject unkind and rash suspicions, and to bear without bitterness of spirit whatever evil may be said against me, or any unfavourable judgments which may be made concerning me, and grant that with the assistance of Thy grace I may always keep myself in a quiet and loving spirit.

Hail, sweet Jesus! praise, and honour, and glory, be to Thee, O Christ, who wert made for me the reproach of men and the outcast of the people, and didst not turn Thy most holy face, on which the angels desire to look, from shame and spitting. Grant that I may imitate Thy gentle patience; suffer me not to defile my soul by sin, but do Thou keep it unspotted for Thyself, so that after the darkness of this life, I may be wholly cleansed and found meet, to contemplate Thine eternal brightness.

Hail, sweet Jesus! praise, and honour, and glory be to Thee, O Christ, who didst vouchsafe for my sake, to be most cruelly buffeted and struck, and to be shamefully loaded with divers insults and reproaches.. Grant, I beseech Thee, that I may never 40shrink from being accounted vile and worthless, nor refuse to submit to whatever injuries Thou mayest permit to be inflicted upon me. Give me grace to be always ready to endure any troubles for Thine honour; may I receive whatsoever Thou in Thy Fatherly love, shalt send upon me; may I in all things give thanks, and give myself up wholly and entirely unto Thee.

Hail, sweet Jesus! praise, and honour, and glory, be to Thee, O Christ, who didst suffer Thyself to be laughed to scorn, and didst permit Thy most lovely face, the very sight of which is most perfect happiness, to be blindfolded for Thy greater shame. Grant, that the veil of ignorance being removed, I may be filled with the knowledge of Thy will; implant in my heart a continual remembrance of Thee grant that I may feel Thy presence in every place, and may love and always do that which is pleasing in Thy sight.

Hail, sweet Jesus! praise, and honour, and glory, be to Thee, O Christ, who for my sake wert for a whole night, mocked and tormented in various ways, by the sinful Jews. Thou knowest, O Lord, how hard I find it to bear even the slightest 41injury: Thou knowest how devoid I am of virtue, how sluggish is my will, how cold my desires. Mercifully therefore assist my weakness; and grant that I may not cowardly shrink from, or be wanting in any adversity. Grant that I may never lose my peace of mind, by reason of the wrongs that are done against me, nor become unsettled because of unjust accusations, but give me grace to offer them all up to Thee, with thanksgiving and everlasting praise.

Hail, sweet Jesus! praise, and honour, and glory, be to Thee, O Christ, who didst vouchsafe to be led, bound and loaded with scorn, to the profane judgment seat of Pilate, and Thyself the Judge of quick and dead, didst submit to be reproachfully gazed upon by him. Grant that I may submit myself to the powers that are ordained by Thee, may obey my equals, and may honour and love all mankind. Grant that I may not fear the judgments of others concerning me; but may hear them with a ready mind, and patiently endure them. May I follow Thee, I beseech Thee, not only when joy and prosperity smile upon 42me, but even when I am weighed down with sorrow and affliction.

Hail, sweet Jesus! praise, and glory, be to Thee, O Christ, King of heaven and earth, who didst testify that Thy kingdom is not of this world, that by this confession Thou mightest wean our hearts from the love of this present world. Grant I pray Thee, that I may thoroughly bid farewell to all affection for earthly and perishable things. May my heart never long after any of those things that perish, may it never love any thing without a holy purpose: but may I love Thee, the only true and everlasting good, may I continually sigh after, and cleave unswervingly unto Thee. Amen.