THE THIRTY-FIRST CHAPTER.

A Prayer to the Father of Heaven.

Look now, I beseech Thee, O most merciful Father, on Thine Only-begotten Son, and see how He hath suffered for Thy glory in the work of our redemption. See how the Only One of Thy love, equal to Thee in glory, equal in power, hath been disgraced between two thieves, and condemned to the shameful death of the Cross. Look upon His persevering obedience and patience, how with longing desire He hath borne for Thy honour all these pains, and all this bitterness, and contempt, and shame, and wrong, and all 254His horrible torments; and how He hath exhausted and spent Himself beyond His human strength, with true resignation, and without any help from others, in order that He might accomplish Thy gracious will. This is Thy Beloved Son, in Whom Thou art well pleased. This is that true Jacob, Who, suffering persecution from Esau, the Jewish people, hath walked humbly through the Jordan alone, with the weight of His Cross, that He might come back again to Thee with great riches, and an exceeding multitude of men. This is that true Joseph, Thy dearest Son, sent by Thee in search of His brethren, whom He found in Dothaim, that is, in the midst of great sin and iniquity, but who was devoured by an evil beast, that is to say, by the pestilential poison of envy. This is Jesus, the good Shepherd, Who laid down His life for His sheep, and sought everywhere so earnestly for the one sheep that was lost, and Who, when He had found it, after exceeding labour, and drawn it out, and led it away from the filth of sin, laid it so lovingly on His shoulders, and brought it back to the sheep-fold.

O Father of Mercies! see, I beseech Thee, how Thy sweet Son hath borne alone on His Cross the sins of the whole world; and how He Who never sinned, washed away all our filth and uncleanness in His own most pure Blood, and consumed 255them in the heat of His burning love. He Whom Thou hadst appointed Judge, and to Whom Thou hadst given all power of judgment, out of His love hath been sentenced to death, and hath died, in order that He might redeem all who were guilty, and free them from their debts by paying the price of His own innocent Blood.

O Father of heaven, how brightly doth Thy divine image shine forth in Thy most holy Son? How easy is it to know, through Thy Divine Word, Thy tender and Fatherly Heart? Now clearly do we acknowledge, that whosoever seeth Thy Son, seeth Thee also, and by the mercy of Thy beloved Son, we do indeed understand how Thou art the Father of mercies, and the God of all consolation. See, most sweet Father, here is Thy obedient Son, Who so thirsted after Thine honour, that out of zeal and love for Thy house, He wasted His Heart’s blood, and the marrow of His bones, and was dried up like a potsherd, in order that He might lead all men along with Him to Thee, and that they might love, and thank, and praise Thee for ever. Ah! what am I, a poor little worm of earth, that for my sake Thou sparedst not Thine only-begotten Son? How hast Thou loved me, whom Thou hast redeemed at such a price! And, of a truth, if Thy Fatherly Heart could have thought of anything better, this, too, would have been given as the 256price of my salvation, and for the perfecting thereof. What shall I render Thee, O most holy Father, for all this Fatherly trust, and kindness, and love, which Thou hast shown me through Thy Only-begotten Son? Of a truth, if for Thy love my heart could be divided, at every single moment of time, into as many little parts as there are little blades of grass on the earth, or drops of water in the sea, or particles of dust and sand on the mountains and in the valleys; and if each single part could ceaselessly praise Thee with a exceeding great gratitude, and serve and wait on Thee as diligently, and obey Thee as simply, and venerate and worship Thee as worthily, and love Thee with as great detachment, as even lieth within the desire of all the blessed; and if, moreover, each part could suffer for Thy honour as much as it should desire to suffer, until the last judgment day; yet not even then could I in any wise satisfy Thee, or worthily repay Thee for Thy incomprehensible love, which Thou hast poured upon me through Thine Only One.

O most gracious Father! Thou height of riches, depth of consolations, abyss of mercy, source and river of grace, origin of all good, abyss of holiness, paradise of delights, joy of heaven, full content of the blessed, on Whom I see the angels desire to look, behold! I praise, and laud, and 257thank and glorify, and extol, and magnify Thee, and all my inward parts confess, honour, and bless Thy holy Name; for Thy goodness, and loving-kindness, and grace and mercy towards me, are exceeding great. And although I am a vessel of uncleanness, stained and spotted with many sins, and unworthy to praise Thee, yet am I bound and ought to praise Thee, by every right. Nay, how can I ever cease from Thy praise, when Thou ceasest not to show kindness unto me? Therefore, vouchsafe in Thy mercy to be praised by me, a vile sinner; since Thou shrinkest not from bestowing daily on me, Thy most neglectful servant, so many gifts and graces, and showing me so great and Fatherly faithfulness and love. Behold! again I offer Thee, most loving Father, this same only and beloved Son of Thine; in union with that love; whereby Thou gavest Him then for me, when Thou didst desire Him to take my nature, and afterwards to undergo the gibbet of the Cross. Nor in all my understanding can I think of aught more noble, or more worthy, or more acceptable to Thy Majesty. Moreover, I offer Thee also this sweet Son of Thine, in union with that love, whereby He offered himself as the highest sacrifice of praise, when on the altar of the Cross; with a loud cry and burning tears; He commended His soul into Thy hands, and Himself, the 258great High Priest, entered the Holy of Holies, and uncovered the veil of the old tabernacle, and consecrated new Sacraments, not in the blood of sheep; and when anointed, not by the Jewish high-priest, with natural oil, but by thee, His God and Father, with the oil of gladness, He washed away all the sins and trespasses of Thy people in His own Blood. In addition to this I offer Thee His guiltless death, with all the merits of His bitter Passion, and of the blessed and spotless Virgin Mary, and of all the blessed, to Thy eternal glory, for all my sins, iniquities, and negligences; also, for all the living and the dead, for whom Thou wishest me to pray, O my God, and for whom I am bound to pray, that Thy holy Name may be blessed, and praised, and honoured by them for ever and ever. Amen.