blessed for ever, wast treacherously betrayed, and apprehended, and bound as a malefactor; how Thou wast set at nought by Herod, and his men of war, and forsaken of all Thy disciples, and denied by Peter; and all this to save us sinful men. O Lord Jesus, was ever, &c. I remember how Thou, O God of truth, wast accused by false witnesses, how Thou whom all the angels adore, wast blindfolded and buffeted, and mocked, and spit upon, and stripped naked, and scourged; and all this that we might be healed by Thy stripes, and to save us sinful men. O Lord Jesus, was ever, &c. I remember, Lord, how Thou that art the great Judge of heaven and earth, wast Thyself dragged to the judgment-seat, and condemned; how Thou, O King of heaven, wast crowned with thorns, and oppressed with the weight of Thy own cross, and all this to save us sinful men. O Lord Jesus, was ever, &c. I remember, O blessed Saviour, how Thou, who art the Lord of glory, and the sole Author of life, wast put to a most ignominious death; how Thy hands and Thy feet were nailed to a cross; how Thou wast crucified between two thieves, and numbered with the transgressors; how Thou hadst a potion given Thee to embitter Thy very last gasp, and all this to save us sinful men. O Lord Jesus, was ever, &c. I remember, O gracious Lord, how when Thou wert hanging on the very cross, Thou wast scoffed at and reviled; how infinitely then Thou wert afflicted and bruised for our transgressions, when the iniquities of us all were laid on Thy shoulders; how Thou didst then express an anguish greater than all the tortures of Thy crucifixion, when Thou didst cry out, My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me? and how Thou didst at the last give up the ghost, and die Thyself, that we might live. O Lord Jesus, was ever, &c. I unfeignedly believe, O gracious Lord, that Thou didst suffer all this for sinful men, and in particular for me, when we were all Thy utter enemies, and had nothing in us to move Thee to pity us but our extreme misery, nothing to move Thee to save us but our great unworthiness, and Thy great mercy. O the depth of the riches of Thy love, blessed Lord, how unutterable is Thy mercy, and Thy love past finding out! O all ye holy angels, behold and wonder, wretched man hath sinned against God, and God Himself has suffered the sinner's punishment! Was there ever sorrow like that which my Lord and my God endured for me? Was there ever love like that love my Lord and my God hath shewed me ? O ye blessed host of heaven, who rejoice at the conversion of one single sinner, adore and praise my crucified Saviour, who died for the sins of the world; adore and praise that unknown sorrow, that wonderful love, which you yourselves must needs admire ! O my gracious Lord, my heart is now full of the sense of Thy love, and what have I to return to Thee, but love again! 'Tis all I have to offer Thee; accept it, O merciful Lord, imperfect as it is, and do Thou daily heighten my sense of Thy love to me, that I may daily heighten my love to Thee! O Thou infinite lover of souls, with all my heart I love, I praise, I adore Thy love to me; but, alas! I can never do it enough! I O do Thou at last, gracious Lord, translate me to Thy kingdom of glory, that there may love Thee to the uttermost capacity of a creature, and praise Thee to all eternity. Amen, Lord Jesus. Amen. Amen. v. Charity with all Men. Acts of Charity. O Lord God, I do from henceforth resolve to love my neighbour as myself, and to love him not in word only, but in deed and in truth. I do from my heart forgive all men their trespasses; do Thou, Lord, forgive them also. Lord, bless them that hate me, and do good to them that have any way despitefully used me; 0 repay them good for evil, O my God, bless all those that I have any way wronged; have mercy on all those to whose sins I have been in any way accessory, and give them all grace to forgive me. Amen. Amen. Our Father which art in heaven, &c. Test the sincerity of your feelings by performing as far as you are able the six corporal works of mercy, which are:-1. To feed the hungry and to give drink to the thirsty; 2. To clothe the naked; 3. To harbour the stranger and needy; 4. To visit the sick; 5. To minister unto prisoners and captives; 6. To bury the dead. If you find the Examination too difficult, or are afraid you shall not rightly perform it, or meet with any scruples or troubles of conscience in the practice of it, go, as the Church directs you, to some discreet priest, and open your grief to him. Disclose all the wounds of your soul to him as your spiritual Physician, and gladly follow his advice and directions; and whilst he gives you "the benefit of absolution," bow down your head, and with great humility call upon God for mercy ; and beg of Him that He would be pleased to pronounce the sentence of absolution in heaven, whilst His minister absolves you upon earth.1 1 "You are advised by the Church, under whose discipline you live, that before you are to receive the Holy Sacrament, or when you are visited with any dangerous sickness, if you find any one particular sin, or more, that lies heavy upon you, to disburden yourself of it into the bosom of your confessor, who not only stands between God and you to pray for you, but hath the power of the keys committed to him, upon your true repentance, to ahsolve you in Christ's name from those sins which you have confessed to him,"-Jeremy Taylor's Golden Grove, p. 159. |