A Prayer for the Gifts of God's Holy Lord my GOD, who by thy Son our Saviour Jefus Chrift, haft "promised thy holy Spirit to them who ask " him of thee; I beseech thee to give him "to me in all the graces and affiftances of "which I ftand in need. I ask him in all "humility and earneftnefs, as the greatest ά bleffing I can receive; I ask him in the "fenfe of my own weakness and infirmities, as knowing without his continual infpirations I can defire nothing that is good, "nor do any thing that is acceptable to "thee: O therefore let him be with me, " and remain with me, and moft powerfully affift and fupport me in all trials and "temptations when I moft need his help. "Let him be unto me a Spirit of fancti"fication to purify my corrupt nature, a Spirit of counfel in all difficulties, of di"rection in all doubts, of courage in all 66 dangers, of conftancy in all perfecutions, "of comfort in all troubles, especially in « times of fickness, and at the hour of death, *C and of submission and refignation to thy } "holy "holy will and pleasure in all afflictions "that are most grievous to flesh and blood. "Leave me not a moment to my own ❝ human frailty without his affistance; but "let him conftantly infpire me with fear, "love and devotion towards thee; with "truth, juftice, and charity towards my "neighbour; and with abftinence and fo« briety towards my felf. And because I "live in evil times, and am in danger of being deceived by the wiles and falfe pre"tenfions of Men, let him be alfo unto me 66 a Spirit of wisdom, and conduct, and dif"cretion, that in all my converfations I may "be able to difcern truth from hypocrify, " and fincere, undefigning and faithful, from "falfe, defigning, and flattering friends. J "Furthermore I beseech thee, let him be " unto me a Spirit of patience under all crof fes, and in all provocations; a Spirit " of trust and stedfast repose of mind in thy "care and providence; a Spirit of humi lity to make me quiet and eafie in my "felf, meek and gentle to others, and to "free me from all the fin and torment of "pride, envy and ambition: And finally fo « let him guide me and govern me through "the whole courfe of my fhort life here, that " I may "I may not fail to obtain everlafting Life, through Jefus Christ our Lord. Amen. 56 CHAP. LVI. That we ought to renounce our felves, and to imitate Christ, in taking up our Cross. -I. SON JESUS-CHRIST. ON, fo much as thou art able to go out of thy felf, fo much wilt thou be enabled to enter into, and abide in me. Like as to defire nothing outwardly, caufeth internal Peace; fo to relinquish himself inwardly, uniteth the Soul unto GOD. I would have thee learn a perfect renunciation of thy felf in my will, without contradiction and complaint. Follow me: I am the way, the truth, and the life". Without a way, there is no walking; without truth, there is no knowing, without life, there is no living. I am the Way thou oughteft to follow; the Truth thou oughteft to believe; the Life thou oughteft to hope for. I am the Way that cannot mif a John xiv. 6. lead; " lead; the Truth that cannot err; the Life that cannot end. I am the ftraitest Way; the fupreme Truth; the true Life, the bleffed Life, the Life uncreate. If thou continue in my Way, thou shalt know the truth, and the truth fhall make thee free ', and thou fhalt lay hold of eternal Life. II. If thou wouldst enter into life, keep the commandments. If thou wouldst know the truth, believe my words. If thou wouldst be perfect, fell all thou haft. If thou wouldst be my Difciple, deny thy felf. If thou wouldft inherit a blessed Life, defpife the prefent Life.Ifthou wouldst be exalted in Heaven, abafe thy felf upon Earth. If thou wouldst reign with me, carry the Crofs with me. For the fervants of the Crofs alone find the way of Blifs, and of the true Light. THE SOUL. I. Lord Jefus, feeing thy Life was a mortified Life, and to the world contemptible, grant me the grace to imitate thee in being willing to fuffer worldly contempt. For the fervant is not greater than his lord, nor the difciple above his mafter. Let thy fervant be exercised in thy Life, because John viii. 32. c Matth, xix. 17. d Matth. x. 24. therein therein doth my Salvation, and true Holinefs confift. Whatfoever I read, or hear out of that, gives me no refreshment, no true delight. JESUS-CHRIST. IV. Son, fince thou knoweft these things, and haft read them all; happy art thou, if thou do them. He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, be it is that loveth me: And I will love him, and will manifeft my felf unto him: And will make him to fit down with me in the Kingdom of my Fathers. THE SOUL. Lord Jefus, as thou haft faid, and promised, even fo be it, and grant me to fee the accomplishment thereof. I have received, I have received the Crofs from thy hand; and as thou haft laid it upon me, I will bear it with conftancy even unto death. Verily the life of a true Reclufe, is a Cross, and leads to Paradise. I have engaged, go back I cannot; nor is it by any means fit that I should repent of my holy resolution. e John xiii. 17. f John xiv. 21. A a 8 Apoc. iii. 21. V. Cou |