THE TWENTY-FIFTH CHAPTER.

A devout prayer for the forgiveness of sins, and for resignation, and the love of Jesus.

O Most merciful Lord Jesus Christ, behold I, a wretched and vile sinner, cast myself, with all the humility that I can, into Thy footprints, and with entire faith and full trust in Thy measureless goodness, and with inward sorrow for all my sins, with deep sighs, bitter contrition, and burning tears, I confess to Thee all the iniquities of my past life. O gracious Jesus, by Thine infinite mercy, have pity on me, I pray; open to me the bowels of Thy loving-kindness; turn to me, a poor sinner, and guilty worm of earth, the eyes of Thy divine grace and clemency. For to whom, O sweet Jesus, laden as I am with, and buried in, numberless sins, can I fly for refuge, save to Thee, who art full of mercy? Therefore, all my evils, all my ingratitude, sensuality, anger, disobedience, levity, want of mortification, and lust; all these together I throw into the abyss of Thy divine mercy and grace, and into the sacred and bleeding Wounds which in this 200horrible torment Thou hast received for my salvation; and I pray Thee, O my God, that Thou wouldst so wash away all these in Thy precious and most pure Blood, that no remembrance of them may endure before Thee.

O loving Jesus, my only comfort, I come to Thee with the full and earnest desire of loving Thee fervently, and of avoiding all that may draw me away from Thy love, so that I may deserve to be made one with Thee in affection, and will, and love. For Thou art all my hope; Thou art my consolation and my refuge. However much I may be troubled and cast down by my sins, yet am I no less gladdened and lifted up by Thy measureless goodness, and the merits of Thy most Sacred Passion. For whatever I have done wrong, hath been blotted out by Thy most bitter Death. Whatever is wanting to me, is abundantly filled up in me by the merits of Thy most holy Incarnation and Passion. And although my sins be great and numberless, yet are they little when compared with Thy measureless mercy. Wherefore, I trust in Thy infinite goodness, that Thou wilt never suffer me to perish, whom Thou hast created to Thine own image and likeness. Oh! despise me not, whose flesh, and blood, and brother, Thou hast vouchsafed to become. I hope, too, that Thou wilt never condemn me, whom Thou 201hast redeemed with such labour, and bought for so dear a ransom. O gentle Jesus! in Whom my soul trusteth, and Whom from the most inward marrow of my heart, I desire to love, make me now to feel Thy tenderness and loving-kindness, for Thou art not ignorant of my frailty. Thy Father in heaven judgeth no man, but He hath given over all my sins to Thy judgment. The Holy Spirit also hath given all judgment to Thee, and whatever I have done wrong against Him, by neglecting His grace, by not obeying His instincts, by not following His attractions, by not fulfilling His requirements and vocation, and lastly, by hindering, times without number, His loving work, by my own selfishness, and restless busy-doing;—all this He hath left to Thee, and cast it all upon Thee. All my salvation is in Thy hand; whatsoever Thou pardonest is forgiven. So long as Thou wilt, O sweet Jesus, there will never be wanting to me the means of salvation. O pitiful Jesus, have mercy upon me, for Thy Holy Name’s sake! For what else is the meaning of this Thy name, Jesus, sweeter than honey, and the honey-comb, except a “Saviour”? Wherefore, O good Jesus, be to me Jesus. Why wilt Thou be angry with the leaf which is blown about by the wind; why wilt Thou punish the withered straw? Why wilt Thou be forgetful of 202me, who am but a frail vessel of clay, which Thine own hands have made? Although I have offended Thee, yet am I a man wholly conceived in iniquity. Let Thy grace come down upon me, and Thy Wounds flow over me; let the healing balm of Thy Precious Blood be near my soul, and I shall be safe, for I am ready to fulfil Thy most gracious will. What wilt Thou have me to do, Lord? Behold! I offer my whole self to Thee, my body, soul, senses, memory, understanding, will, and all that I am, and I am ready to bear whatever Thou wouldst have me bear in time and eternity, want and abundance, abandonment and suffering. O Jesus, my only Love, grant that I may love Thee from my heart, and nothing do I ask, except to love Thee perfectly. Suffer me to be Thy lover. Thou hast commanded me, indeed, to love Thee with my whole heart, but give what Thou hast commanded, and command what Thou wilt. Pierce, I pray Thee, this heart of mine, with the sweet dart of Thy fiery love, that I may languish for love of Thee all the days of my life. Grant that I may love Thee from my heart, as Thou wouldst Thyself have me love Thee. Make me to see, O my God, how much Thou lovest me, that my whole life long, and with my whole strength, I may strive to return Thy love, and satisfy it. O kind Jesus, so fill 203and inebriate my heart with Thy sweet love, that all the world may be turned for me into a disgust and a cross. O loving Jesus, I long to love Thee, to receive Thee, to eat Thee, to embrace Thee with the arms of my soul, to treasure Thee up in my inmost heart, where no man can take Thee from me, where I may enjoy Thee alone, and where I may rest with Thee in peace, never more to be troubled. There Thou wilt give me richly to drink of the river of Thy heavenly and divine doctrine; there Thou wilt teach me Thy more secret paths, whereby I may come to Thee in all safety and certainty; there Thou wilt be wholly my leader, and Thou wilt hide me in Thy sweet wounds, and in Thy loving Heart, until the winter of sin is over and past, and the cruel storm of temptation is hushed, and the bright sun of Thy divine grace shineth through the whole depth of my soul, setting my heart utterly on fire, and causing it to flourish in all virtue. Amen.