and the Holy Ghost is worshipped and glorified, in all churches of the saints, one God, blessed for ever! Our Father, &.c. THURSDAY MORNING. ℗ ETERNAL GOD, my sovereign Lord, I acknowledge all am, all I have is thine. O give me such a sense of thy infinite goodness, that I may return to thee all possible love and obedience. I humbly and heartily thank thee for all the favours thou hast bestowed upon me; for creating me after thine own image, for thy daily preserving me by thy good providence, for redeeming me by the death of thy blessed Son, and for the assistance of thy Holy Spirit; for causing me to be born in a Christian country, for blessing me with plentiful means of salvation, with religious parents and friends, and frequent returns of thy blessed sacrament. I also thank thee for all thy temporal blessings; for the preservation of me this night, (-) for my health, strength, food, raiment, and all the other comforts and necessaries of life. O may I always delight to praise thy holy Name, and above all thy benefits, love thee, my great benefactor. And, O FATHER of mercies, shut not up thy bowels of compassion towards me, a vile and miserable sinner; despise not the work of thine own hands, the purchase of thy Son's blood. For his sake I most humbly implore forgiveness of all my sins. Lo, I come now to do thy will alone; and am resolved by thy assistance, to have no longer any choice of my own, but with singleness of heart to obey thy good. pleasure: "Father, not my will, but thine be done," in all my thoughts, words, and actions. O thou all-sufficient God of angels and men, who art above all, and through all, and in all, from whom, by whom, and in whom are all things; "in whom we live, move, and have our being;" may my will be as entirely and continually derived from thine, as my being and happiness are! I believe, O sovereign Goodness, O mighty Wisdom, that thou dost sweetly order and govern all things, even the most minute, even the most noxious, to thy glory and the good of those that love thee! I believe, O Father of the families of heaven and earth, that thou so disposest all events, as may best magnify thy goodness to all thy children, especially those whose "eyes wait upon thee." I most humbly beseech thee, teach me to adore all thy ways, though I cannot comprehend them: teach me to be glad that thou art King, and to give thee thanks for all things that befall me; seeing thou hast chosen them for me, and hast thereby set to thy seal that they are good. And for that which is to come, give me thy grace to do in VOL. 8.-K all things what pleaseth thee, and then, with an absolute submission to thy wisdom, to leave the issues of them in thy hand. O LORD JESU, I give thee my body, my soul, my substance, my fame, my friends, my liberty, my life; dispose of me, and all that is mine, as it seemeth best unto thee. They are not mine, but thine; claim me as thy right, keep me as thy charge, love me as thy child! Fight for me when I am assaulted, heal me when I am wounded, and revive me when I am destroyed. O help me with thy grace, that whatsoever I shall do or suffer this day may tend to thy glory. Keep me in love to thee, and to all men. Do thou direct my paths, and teach me to set thee always before me. Let not the things of this life, or my manifold concerns therein, alienate any part of my affections from thee; nor let me ever pursue or regard them, but for thee, and in obedience to thy will. Extend, O Lord, thy pity to the whole race of mankind: enlighten the Gentiles with thy truth, and bring into thy flock thy ancient people the Jews. Be gracious to thy holy Catholic Church, and grant that she may always preserve that doctrine and discipline which thou hast delivered to her. Grant, that all of this nation, especially our Governors and the Clergy, may, "whatsoever they do, do all to thy glory." Bless our nurseries of true religion and useful learning, and let them not neglect the end of their institution. Be merciful to all that are in distress, (-) that struggle with pain, poverty, or reproach: be thou a guide to them that travel by land or by water: give a strong and quiet spirit to those who are condemned to death, liberty to prisoners and captives, and ease and cheerfulness to every sad heart. O give spiritual strength and comfort to scrupulous consciences, and to them that are afflicted by evil spirits. Pity idiots and lunatics, and give life and salvation to all to whom thou hast given no understanding. Give to all that are in error the light of thy truth; bring all sinners to repentance, (-) and give to all heretics humility and grace to make amends to thy Church, by the public acknowledgment of a holy faith. Bless all my friends and relations, acquaintance and enemies: (-) unite us all to one another by mutual love, and to thyself by constant holiness; that we, together with all those who are gone before us in thy faith and fear, may find a merciful acceptance in the last day, through the merits of thy blessed Son, to whom with thee and the Holy Ghost, be all glory, world without end. Our Father, &c. THURSDAY EVENING. Particular Questions relating to Resignation and Meekness. 1. Have I endeavoured to will what God wills, and that only? 2. Have I received every thing that has befallen me, without my choice, as the choice of infinite wisdom and goodness for me, with thanks? 3. Have I (after doing what he requires me to do concerning them) left all future things absolutely to God's disposal? That is, Have I laboured to be wholly indifferent to whichsoever way he shall ordain for me? 4. Have I resumed my claim to my body, soul, friends, fame, or fortune, which I have made over to God; or repented of my gift, when God accepted any of them at my hands? 5. Have I endeavoured to be cheerful, mild, and courteous, in whatever I said or did? 6. Have I said any thing with a stern look, accent, or gesture Particularly with regard to religion? MY LORD and my GOD, thou seest my heart, and my desires are not hid from thee. I am encouraged by my happy experience of thy goodness, particularly this day past, to present myself before thee, notwithstanding I know myself unworthy of the least favour from thee. I am ashamed, when I think how long I have lived a stranger, yea, an enemy to thee, taking upon me to dispose of myself, and to please myself in the main course of my life. But I now unfeignedly desire to return unto thee, and renouncing all interest and property in myself, to give up myself entirely to thee: I would be thine and only thine for ever. But I know I am nothing, and can do nothing of myself; and if ever I am thine I must wholly be indebted to thee for it. O my God, my Saviour, my Sanctifier, turn not away thy face from a poor soul that seeks thee: but as thou hast kindled in me these desires, so confirm, increase, and satisfy them. Reject not that poor gift that I would make of myself unto thee, but teach me so to make it, that it may be acceptable in thy sight. Lord, hear me, help me, and show mercy unto me, for Jesus Christ's sake. To thee, O God, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost, my Creator, Redeemer, and Sanctifier, I give up myself entirely: May I no longer serve myself, but thee, all the days of my life. I give thee my understanding: may it be my only care to know thee, thy perfections, thy work, and thy will. Let all things else be as dung and dross unto me for the excellency of this knowledge. And let me silence all reasonings against whatsoever thou teachest me, who canst neither deceive, nor be deceived. I give thee my will : may I have no will of my own; whatsoever thou willest, may I will, and that only may I will thy glory in all things as thou dost, and make that my end in every thing; may I ever say with the Psalmist, "Whom have I in heaven but thee, and there is none upon earth that I desire beside thee." May I delight to do thy will, O God, and rejoice to suffer it. Whatever threatens me, let me say, "It is the Lord, let him do what seemeth him good;" and whatever befalls me, let me give thanks, since it is thy will concerning me. I give thee my affections, do thou dispose of them all be thou my love, my fear, my joy: and may nothing have any share in them but with respect to thee and for thy sake. What thou lovest, may I love, what thou hatest, may I hate, and that in such measures as thou art pleased to prescribe me. I give thee my body may I glorify thee with it, and preserve it holy, fit for thee, O God, to dwell in; may I neither indulge it, nor use too much rigour towards it; but keep it, as far as in me lies; healthy, vigorous, and active, and fit to do thee all manner of service, which thou shalt call for. I give thee all my worldly goods: may I prize them and use them only for thee. May I faithfully restore to thee, in thy Poor, all thou hast intrusted me with, above the necessaries of my life; and be content to part with them too, whenever thou, my Lord, shalt require them at my hands. I give thee my credit and reputation: may I never value them, but only in respect of thee; nor endeavour to maintain them, but as they may do thee service and advance thy honour in the world. I give thee myself and my all: let me look upon myself to be nothing, and to have nothing out of thee. Be thou the sole Disposer and Governor of myself and all I have; be thou my Portion and my All. O my God and my All, when hereafter I shall be tempted to break this solemn engagement, when I shall be prest to conform to the world, and to the company and customs that surround me, may my answer be, "I am not my own;" I am not for myself, nor for the world, but for my God. I will give unto God the things which are God's. God, be merciful to me a sinner. Have mercy, O Father of the spirits of all flesh, on all mankind, Convert all Jews, Turks, and Heathens to thy truth. Bless the Catholic Church; heal its breaches, and establish it in truth and peace. Preserve and defend all Christian Princes, especially our Sovereign and his Family. Be merciful to this nation; bless the Clergy with soundness of doctrine and purity of life; the Council with wisdom, the Magistrates with integrity and zeal, and the people with loyalty. Bless the Universities with learning and holiness, that they may afford a constant supply of men fit and able to do thee service. Shower down thy graces on all my relations, on all my friends, and all that belong to this family. Comfort and relieve those that labour under any affliction of body or mind; especially those who suffer for the testimony of a good conscience. Visit them, O gracious Lord, in all their distresses. Thou knowest, thou seest them under all. O stay their souls upon thee; and give them to rejoice that they are counted worthy to suffer for thy name's sake, and constantly to look unto the Author and Finisher of their faith. Supply abundantly to all their souls who are in prison, the want of thy holy ordinances, and in thy good time, deliver them, and be merciful unto them, as thou usest to be unto them that love thy name. Those that love or do good to me, reward seven-fold into their bosom : (—) those that hate me,(-) convert and forgive and grant us all, together with thy whole Church, an entrance into thine everlasting kingdom, through Jesus Christ; to whom with thee, and the blessed Spirit, Three Persons and One God, be ascribed all majesty, dominion, and power, now and for evermore. Amen. Our Father, &c. FRIDAY MORNING. ALMIGHTY and everlasting GOD, I bless thee from my heart, that of thy infinite goodness thou hast preserved me this night past, and hast with the impregnable defence of thy Providence, protected me from the power and malice of the Devil. Withdraw not, I humbly entreat thee, thy protection from me, but mercifully this day watch over me with the eyes of thy mercy; direct my soul and body, according to the rule of thy will, and fill my heart with thy Holy Spirit, that I may pass this day, and all the rest of my days, to thy glory. O Saviour of the world, GoD of Gods, Light of Light, thou that art the brightness of thy Father's glory, the express image of his person; thou that hast destroyed the power of the Devil, that hast overcome death, that sittest at the right hand of the Father; thou that will speedily come down in thy Father's glory to judge all men according to their works: be thou my light and my peace: destroy the power of the Devil in me, and make me a new creature. Ò thou who didst cast seven Devils out of Mary Magdalen, cast out of my heart all corrupt affections. O thou who didst raise Lazarus from the dead, raise me from the death of sin. Thou who didst cleanse the lepers, heal the sick, and give sight to the blind, heal the diseases of my soul: open my eyes, and fix them singly on the prize of my high-calling, and cleanse my heart from every desire, but that of advancing thy glory. O Jesus, poor and abject, unknown and despised, have mercy upon me, and let me not be ashamed to follow thee. O Jesus, hated, calumniated, and persecuted; have mercy upon me, and let me not be afraid to come after thee. O Jesus, betrayed and sold at a vile price, have mercy upon me; and make me content to be as my Master. O Jesus, blasphemed, accused, and wrongfully condemned, have mercy upon me, and teach me to endure the contradiction of sinners. Ó Jesus, clothed with a habit of reproach and shame, have mercy upon me, and let me not seek my own glory. O Jesus, insulted, mocked, and spit upon, have mercy upon me, and let me run with patience the race set before me. O Jesus, dragged to the pillar, scourged, and bathed in blood, have mercy upon me, and let me not faint in the fiery trial. O Jesus, crowned with thorns and hailed in derision; O Jesus, burthened with our sins, and the curses of the people; O Jesus, affronted, outraged, buffetted, overwhelmed with injuries, griefs, and humiliations; O Jesus, hanging on the accursed tree, bowing the head, giving up the ghost, have mercy upon me, |