done in me ever, but my own be powerless, so that nothing whatever that is not thine may be found in me.

But since my will cannot be wholly inactive, I desire that whatever way it moves, it may move not alone, but, O Lord, ever in union with thine, which only is holy and right. Thus, with thy grace, I desire, thus I resolve, and thus I protest before thy heavenly court.

3. As often, then, as I ask any thing of thee, O Lord, I intend to ask nothing except through Jesus Christ, thy Son, having my own in perfect conformity with his most holy desires. Therefore, O merciful Father, though mine do not, yet thy Son's gracious desires, at any rate, merit acceptance. Thus thou displayest thy justice to him, and thy mercy to me, and effectest thy own honour and glory. The will of thy most dear Son, O my God, wills, desires, and commands, that I should be meek and humble of heart, patient, bountiful, and full of love; it desires me to live to thee, and die to myself. Grant, gracious Father, the fulfilment of this desire of his, which is so good and holy; for so will thy own also be satisfied, to the increase of his honour, praise, and glory, as well as of all the most Holy Trinity.

4. Because, O Lord, I can do no good of myself, grant me

the grace to suffer thee to do whatever thou wilt, and for my doing to acquiesce in thine, that thou mayest do in me only that which pleases thee most. And that there may be in me nothing displeasing to thee, adorn me with holy virtues, by giving me increase of faith, hope, and charity, humility of spirit, purity of heart, and all those virtues, gifts, and graces, which thou knowest to be necessary for me, and whatever effect of thy grace thou findest deficient in either my body or soul; that I may be able to please thee better, to serve thee more worthily and faithfully, and to love thee more perfectly.

I beseech thee also to grant me the grace to arrive at the degree of perfection to which thou desirest me from eternity to attain; and to give me also the aids, means, and dispositions necessary for its attainment.

5. Yet more, with all the strength of my soul I beg of thee true contrition for all my sins, and the full remission of them, with the gift henceforth to choose rather to die in my body a thousand times, than once to die in my soul.

6. So good art thou, dearest Lord, and by thy mercy thou thyself so incitest me to pray, that I, who am dust and ashes, venture to ask, not only for that which thou hast, but for that even which thou art thy

self, though the lowest of thy suppliants, I ask, say, with all the humility I am able, to enjoy thee singly and alone, to breathe and repose in thee only, and not on any of thy gifts, however excellent, noble, precious, or divine.

7. I ask for the clearest enlightenment of my understanding to know chiefly three things. First, to know most perfectly thy most holy will, and to fulfil it entirely. Secondly, to know my own vileness, ingratitude, and unworthiness of all good. Lastly, to have a perfect knowledge of all the moral virtues and their acquirement, that the simple, pure, and sincere love of thee may grow in me more

and more.

8. Finally, I beseech thee to be pleased to accept my prayers, not as proceeding

from myself, but, as it were, inspired by thee, and to unite them with the prayers of thy Son Jesus Christ, of his most holy Mother, of the holy Angels, Apostles, Martyrs, Doctors, Virgins, Confessors, &c. of the Church, both triumphant and militant, for obtaining, as well for my neighbour as myself, the abovenamed graces and gifts, both spiritual and corporal: regarding not my person, O Lord, but theirs, whose merits and prayers I offer to thee, through Jesus Christ thy Son, from whom proceeds and is derived every meritorious work and every good desire. And may this all turn to the eternal honour and glory of the most glorious Trinity, worthy of the utmost adora tion and love. Amen.

1. O Lord, most pure and most worthy possessor of the hearts of men, I give thee most cheerfully the entire possession and direct control of all that I have, by renouncing every earthly affection and

1 Matt. xxii. 30.

sensual delight; so that if I could enjoy all the pleasures of sense, and gratifications of the flesh, which are commonly tasted, and possessed, and desired by all men; and even if I could enjoy these without sin, I would still, neverthe

less, with the freest consent, renounce them, and most readily abandon them, just as I renounce and abandon them now, that so I may please thee the more, and the more purely live, and conform myself to thee.

2. I reject, moreover, not only every carnal, but also every sensual delight; of the eyes, for instance, that they may not look upon those objects which appear fair, delightful, or curious in men's eyes, or even upon any created thing whatever that can affect them.

So also I renounce every other delight that my senses might derive from any created thing whatsoever; and with my whole heart I desire this to be fulfilled in me, only that I may delight in thee the more, and become the more acceptable to thee. For when I shall have burst through all ensnaring enticements, and

have purged my heart of every earthly taste and delight, then, and not till then, will it conform itself to thee more easily, and unite itself to thy heart, O my dearest Jesus; and so I shall be able to obtain thy happy vision, as thou hast said, Blessed are the clean of heart, for they shall see God. Extinguish in me, then, O Lord, and tear out utterly by the roots, every carnal and sensual appetite.

3. Nay, that I may please thee the more, and the more purely serve thee and love thee, I not only reject all those tastes, pleasures, and delights, but resolve also not to be anxious even for those of the spirit, except so far as they may help to excite in me disgust for what are sensual; that all my delight, pleasure, and consolation may be in thee alone, and in the pleasure of thy most holy will. Amen.

1. My God, who art King of kings, and Lord of lords, I overflow with consolation, and my heart leaps for joy 1 Luke xiv. 33.

when I reflect that thou art absolute Lord of all things, and of myself also, the last and the least among them all. I give myself, therefore, to

none but thee; nor will I have or possess any other thing for my good and treasure but thee; so that, were the possession and dominion of the whole world to be offered me, with all its opulence, splendour, and power, I would reject it at once, as I do now freely and spontaneously reject it; nor it alone, but all other things that the heart of man can desire in this life; and that for love of thee alone, 2. And that none of these may retain a particular hold upon my soul, after I have renounced them all, I profess, O Lord, that if it were thy will that I should now be stripped of the clothing that covers me, and deprived of all my comforts, I could bear it contentedly, in order the more to conform myself to thee, who hast hung naked on the cross for me, and in my nakedness, O Lord Jesus, to please thee the more.

If I were to be forcibly thrust out of the house in which I live, and it would please thee more, O Lord, for me to live with the wild beasts in the forest, or to stay in any other mean place whatsoever, I would be content to do it.

3. Should I ever be deprived of the better kinds of food and fruits of the earth, and have nothing but hard bread and water for my sustenance, I will be content, and will thank thee for it; since I do not deserve even that for my many offences. Ah, Lord! impress this truth upon my heart; help me, and let me not have even the smallest affection for those empty goods of the world, or any created thing, however exquisite and precious; but let all my good, my treasure, and my riches be in thee, and my heart repose on thee alone. Amen.

1. O God of infinite majesty, ruler and prime mover of the universe, whom all things obey, my heart burns

1 Luke ix. 23.

with desire whenever I reflect, as I do very often, how I may please thee, and conform myself to thy will in all things; and therefore I now freely

and spontaneously offer and resign to thee my whole self; but especially my will, the free possession of which I deliver and make over to thee, since I have no power of my own over any thing else. This, therefore, I now subject to thy most holy will, by all things, and in all things, with the fullest practice and exercise of holy obedience, by renouncing plainly, with firm determination, as far as I am able, my own free wish and will.

2. And, relying upon thy grace, I purpose always to obey thee in every thing, as well difficult as easy, by embracing anew, and most cheerfully accepting all thy holy precepts, and, as far as is permitted by the nature of my vocation and duty, thy counsels also; desiring that they may be my constant rule, a lamp to my feet, and light to my paths; that thy words may be sweet to my palate, and their fulfilment sweeter than honey and the honeycomb. May thy will be a crown upon my head, and to do what thou, my God, vouch

safest to command and to counsel us, a chain of gold upon my neck. Henceforward I will not have my will rebellious to thee ever, even in the least thing, but always so exactly conformed to thine, as to be grieved and tormented by the very thoughts and impulses that may be opposed to it.

3. For love of thee I subject also this will of mine to all my superiors in all the things that are consonant, or not expressly opposed to thy divine law. And be their

commands ever so difficult or irksome, by thy aid I propose, nevertheless, to perform them promptly.

4. Ah! Lord take, take away from me at length entirely my own will, and let there be no mark or trace of my will in me any more, but all that is mine be thine. Burn it out and reduce it to ashes with the hot fire of thy love, that, by the destruction and removal of evil from within me, I may come out at last all pure and acceptable to thee. Amen.

1. Would that, O my God! for the boundless love which thou displayest to me, I might 1 Ps. cxviii. 131.

love thee in return, as thou deservest and oughtst to be loved.

2. Would that, O my Lord!