3. It was never heard. O Lord, from the beginning of the world, that thou didst ever despise him that called upon thee, or forsake any man that abides in thy fear, or that any person who trusted in the Lord, was ever confounded. But if I come to thee, I bring an unworthy person to be united unto thee; if I come not, I shall remain unworthy for ever; if I refuse thy invitation, I fear to lose thee; if I come, I fear to offend thee, and that will lose thee more, and myself too at last. I know, O God, I know, my sins have separated between me and my God; but thy love and thy passion, thy holiness and thy obedience hath reconciled us: and though my sins deter me, yet they make it necessary for me to come: and though thy greatness amazes me, yet it is so full of goodness, that it in

vites me.

4. O therefore, blessed Saviour, who didst for our sakes take upon thee our passions and sensibilities, our weaknesses and our sufferings, who wert hungry after the temptation of the devil, weary and thirsty in thy discourse with the woman of Samaria, who didst weep over Lazarus, wert afflicted in the garden, scourged in the palace of the high priest, nailed on the Cross, pierced with a spear, wrapped in linen, laid in the grave, and so art become a merciful high priest, and pitiful to our infirmities; be pleased to receive a weary sinner, an over burdened conscience, an afflicted polluted soul into thy care and conduct, into thy custody and cure. I know that a thousand years of tears and sorrow, the purity of angels, the love of saints, and

the humiliation of the greatest penitent, is not suffi→ cient to make me worthy to dwell with thee, to be fed with thy body, and refreshed with thy blood, to become bone of thy bone, and flesh of thy flesh, and spirit of thy spirit.

5. But what I cannot be of myself, let me be made by thee; I come to thee wounded, and bruised, and bleeding; for thou art my physician, arise then with healing in thy wings; I am thirsty and faint, as the hart longeth after the water brooks, so longeth my soul after thee, O God; thou art the eternal fountain, from whence spring the waters of comfort and Salvation; I am hungry, and empty, and weak, and I come unto thee, because thou hast the words of eternal life; O send me not away empty, for I shall faint and die. O let virtue go forth from thee and heal all my sickness; heal my sores, wash my stains, enlighten my darkness, turn me from all vain imaginations and illusions of the enemy, all perverseness of will, all violence and inordination of passions, sensual desires and immoderate anger, malice and pride, the spirit of envy, and of detraction; let not sin reign in my members, nor the devil lead my will captive, nor the world abuse my understanding, and pollute my conversation.

6. O Jesus, be unto me what thy name imports, a Saviour: and let this Sacrament be a savor of life, and thy holy body the bread of life, and thy precious blood, the purifier of my sinful life Grant I may receive these divine mysteries for the amendment of my life, and a preservative against my

sins; for the increase of virtue, and the perfection of my spirit. Grant that I may from thee thus, sacramentally, communicated, derive prevailing Grace for the amendment of my life; spiritual wisdom, for the discerning the ways of peace; the spirit of love, and the spirit of purity, that in all my life I may walk worthy of thy gracious favors which thou givest to me unworthy; that I may do all my works in holiness and right intention, that I may resist every temptation, with a never-fainting courage, and a caution never surprized, and a prudence never deceived.

7. Holy Saviour, I come to thee upon thy invitation, and thy commandment; I could not come to thee but by thee; O let me never go from thee any more, but enter into my heart; feed me with thy word, sustain me with thy Spirit, refresh me with thy comforts. Be thou my wisdom and my righteousness, my sanctification and Redemption. Let me receive this holy nutriment, as the earnest of an eternal inheritance, as a defence against all spiritual danger, for the conquest of all the powers of the enemy, as an incentive of evangelical charity, and a strengthening of my faith, for the increasing of a holy hope, and the consummation of a heavenly love, that thou being one with me, and I with thee, may by thee be gracious in the eyes of thy heavenly Father, and receive my portion among the inheritance of sons, O eternal and most gracious Saviour and Redeemer Jesus. Amen. Amen.

SUNDAY

SUNDAY EVENING.

IT is well, that thou, O Saviour of men, that thou art pleased to be a daily sacrifice for us, and to become heavenly bread to feed our souls. Certain it is that we, by our daily failings, and the remaining pollution of our sins, trequently sink down to the bottom of thy displeasure. But do thou grant that, being refreshed by the Sacrament, renewed by thy Grace, strengthened by thy Spirit, and comforted with thy favor; my heart and my affections may be lifted up on high.

O grant that by thee my soul may be lifted up to thee, with a pure mind, with an unfeigned Religion, with an unblamable faith and exalted devotion, with filial piety and a profound reverence: For thou art the true God, the word of life, the bright image and splendor of thy Father's glory, the reward of saints, and the Lord of angels, the brightness of an eternal light, the unspotted mirror of everlasting purity.

An Act of Love.

Thee alone, O Lord, my soul desires. If we live by every word proceeding out of thy mouth— what felicity is it to live upon Thee the eternal word, meditating on thy mercies, praising thy name, and rejoicing in thy Salvation!

O blessed Jesus, Thou hast said it is thy delight

to

to be with the sons of men: Thou hast made thyself the companion of our journies, the light of our ignorance, the remedy of our infirmity, dwell with me, O God, and delight in thy servant. Grant that I may never offend Thee, that I may never grieve thy Holy Spirit, that I may not provoke the Angel of the everlasting Covenant to anger. But Thou delightest in the works of thy hand, in the graces of thy Spirit, in thy own excellences and glories. Endue me with thy graces, fill me with thy excellences; let me communicate of thy Spirit; for Thou canst not else delight in me. But this Thou hast said, that Thou delightest in the sons of men, because Thou truly lovest us. Blessed be thy name for ever and ever.

O blessed Saviour, I adore the secrets of thy eternal wisdom, I admire the mysteriousness of our Salvation; and I love and praise, and give all thanks to Thee the Author of our spiritual life, the deliverer that came out of Sion, the Redeemer of thy people, the spoiler of all spiritual wickedness in heavenly places, the conqueror over sin and death: Thou hast taken from our enemies all their armor, and divided the spoil. Grant that I may account all things but loss, in comparison of Thee, and endeavor to be made conformable to Thee, in the imitation of thy actions, and in obedience to thy Laws; in the fellowship of thy sufferings, in the communion of thy graces, and participation of thy glories; that, beginning here to praise thy name, I may, hereafter, rehearse and adore thy excellences for ever and ever. Amen.