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Act of zeal.

master, whether it be any lust of the flesh, or of the eyes, or pride of life*, but Thee most loving Jesus, King of kings, and Lord of lords, -to please Thee only in righteousness and holiness: for I know that if I please men I cannot be Thy servant2.

O that I could lead all to Thee by good example and by virtue, from darkness to the Light, from error to the Way, from falsehood to the Truth. I desire to be spent, and more than spent", for Thy glory, and the salvation of those most near to me, that they may perceive, and love, and know, that my Lord Jesus," He is the God," and that there is none else beside Thee, my Redeemer. Be Thou my succour, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation, for in Thee only, O Lord, have I put my trust, let me never be confounded: in Thee is my salvation and my glory: God is my help, and my hope is in Thee: for my father and my mother have forsaken me, but Thou, O Lord, I hope, hast taken me up. In Thee have I been strong even from my mother's womb. Thou art my Protector, therefore I will love Thee, O Lord my strength, with all my heart, and with all my mind, with all my soul, and with all my might. Whom have I in Heaven but Thee? And there is none upon earth that I desire in comparison of Thee. Let the boundless and honied power of Thy love, O most sweet Jesus, swallow me up, that I may die from love of Thy love, Who hast of love to me vouchsafed to die. Amen.

Act of love.

RULES FOR EXERCISING ONESELF CONCERNING THE DIVINE

PERFECTIONS.

FIRST, practise the exercise of treated of in many places above. to the Divine Goodness.

Faith, Hope, and Charity, which have been
For these Christian virtues unite the soul

Communion

with God.

Secondly, communion with God, whereby man from created things ascendeth up to God, and from the perfections of the creature is carried on to admiration and love of the Divine perfections. Thirdly, purity of intention in all our actions, so far as it is pos- Right intensible to exercise this.

tion.

Fourthly, resignation, whereby each man dedicates and consecrates all that he has, and especially his will, to the Divine will, and in all things conforms himself to it.

Resignation.

Fifthly, prayer of the affections, which some call recollection. This I just briefly mention here, because we shall treat of it more largely hereafter, when we come to speak of such contemplations.

X 1 John ii. 16.

y Rev. xix. 16.

z Gal. i. 10.

a 2 Cor. xii. 15.

b 1 Kings xviii. 39.

Ejaculations.

"Like as the hart desireth the water-brooks, so longeth my soul after Thee, O God."

"My soul is athirst for God, yea even for the living God; when shall I come to appear before the presence of God" Psalm xlii. 1, 2.

“My heart hath talked of Thee: seek ye My face: Thy face, Lord, will I seek." Psalm xxvii. 9.

66

My soul thirsteth for Thee, my flesh also longeth after Thee." Ps. lxiii. 2. "Great is the Lord, and highly to be praised, in the city of our God, even upon His holy hill." Psalm xlvii. 1.

"Who is he among the clouds that shall be compared unto the Lord, and what is he among the gods, that shall be like unto the Lord" Psalm lxxxix. 6, 7. "Great is the Lord and marvellous, worthy to be praised; there is no end of His greatness." Psalm cxliv. 3.

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IMAGE THE TWENTY-EIGHTH.

IN EVERY THING BY PRAYER AND SUPPLICATION WITH THANKSGIVING LET THY REQUESTS BE MADE KNOWN UNTO GOD; FOR WITHOUT HIM THOU CANST DO NOTHING.

All these things thou hast weighed in vain, unless God be with thee. Pray therefore for that virtue which thou needest; first and above all things through the Passion of Christ (A), and trample Sin under thy foot (B). And now after thy prayer and meditation with respect to it, seize some Occasion (C) of practising that virtue,-earnestly asking God for the attainment of it (D). For "unto which of the Saints canst thou turn (E) ?" "the Heavens are not clean in His sight," and even "His Angels He chargeth with folly." Pray thou fervently, as one who is at the point of death (F), or situated in the greatest danger. Pray for Faith (G), for Hope (H), for Charity (I), for Humility (K), for Liberality (L), for Chastity (M), for Temperance (N), for Meekness (O), for Diligence (P), and ever mindful of Divine charity pray thou also for the whole Church (Q), for thy Parents and Superiors (R); pray for those under thee, as David did, and for those committed to thy charge (S), for thy Benefactors (T), for thine Enemies (V), for Sinners, that they may be converted (W).

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