A Short Prayer.

Behold, O God our Defender, and be Thou my strong-hold whereunto I may always resort; in Thee, O Lord, I believe, in Thee I hope, and Thee with my whole heart I love, O my God. Be not Thou far from me, Thou art my succour, haste Thee to help me. I am bought with Thy blood, but standing in slippery places, and girt about with the snares and pitfalls which my own soul hath occasioned. Draw Thou me unto Thee, with the cords of Thy love. O that I had wings like a dove, so that I might fly unto Thee, and faint no more; that by Thy grace I may so follow Thee, my Shepherd, and cleave unto Thee with my whole heart. To Thee, O Jesu, hath this poor one been left: 0 Father of mercies aid me I pray Thee, me an orphan, for without Thee I can do nothing. For Thou art my God, my one and only Hope, my Helper, my Defender, the Horn of my Salvation, and Lifter up of my head.

A Longer Prayer.

Thou callest me, O Lord, to follow Thee, and callest me most lovingly, The divine not by sign only, nor by motion, nor by the whisperings of a light calling. breath of air, but by the strong crying of Thine own example, of Thy tears, and of Thy blood. In such-wise Thou callest even me a slave, yea invitest me by the hand-writing not of death but of life, by which Thou dost promise eternal things, if I will follow. Do I believe this? Oh, how powerfully, how lovingly doth Thy word, Thy tears, and Thy blood draw me unto Thee; and Thy heart speaketh unto my heart. And yet how is it thus? how is it that my heart in the midst of my body is not like melting waxk, and that my lips have not trembled at giving utterance to Thy words? Is it not great glory that- -should thus be allowed to follow his Lord? But, alas, my God, wretched man indeed that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death, this which weigheth down my soul, so that I cannot

Confession of our own misery.

follow Thee, and attain unto all good. I delight indeed in Thy law after the inward man: but I see another law in my members, warring against the law of my mind, and bringing me into captivity to the law of sin which is in my members. Lo the good that I would, I do not; but the evil which I would not, that I do. I wish to follow Thee whithersoever Thou goest, and to run the way of Thy commandments, and will imitate Thy goodness.

But what is it that holdeth me back? Vanity of vanities, the vanity of this world, and this corruptible body presseth down the soul, and the earthly

k Psalm xxii. 14.

me.

Man stand

tabernacle weigheth down the mind, that museth upon many things, and wisheth to ascend unto Thee. O Lord, I beseech Thee behold my affliction, see how they are increased that trouble me: many are they that rise against They are come about me like bees, and are even as the fire among the thorns: but in Thy Name, O Lord, shall I not destroy them? I am thrust sore that I might fall, but the Lord is my helpm. For what creature shall not be again dissolved into nothing without Thee, in Whom all things live, and move, and have their being? What man frail and weak can stand without Thee on the slippery ground of this life? I be- eth on slipseech Thee, Who art my hope, let not that foot of pride come pery ground. against me, that I should trust in my own strength, for in that case I cannot stand. For I am sure that without Thee I am nothing, know nothing, and can do nothing, set as I am in the midst of enemies, in the midst of snares and of troubles. Thou, O Lord, workest all our works in us”, this I know and I will not trust in my bow, it is not my sword that shall help "The right hand of the Lord bringeth mighty things to pass." "The Lord is my strength and my song, and is become my salvation: for in Thee I shall discomfit an host of men, and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall."

me.

It is God that girdeth me with strength of war, and maketh my way perfect. He maketh my feet like harts' feet, and setteth me up on high. He We must teacheth my hands to fight, and mine arm shall break even a bow of trust in God. steel. I will follow upon my enemies, and overtake them, neither will I turn again until I have destroyed them: I will smite that they shall not be able to stand, but fall under my feet. Blessed be the Lord my strength, Who teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. This is my God, my Saviour, He is my defence so that I shall not fall.

He shall deliver me

from the snare of the hunter, and from the slanderous tongue. For how canst Thou forget me, whom Thou hast graven upon the palms of Thy handso. Thou canst not, even though a mother forget her sucking child. Through Thee will we overthrow our enemies, and in Thy Name will we tread them under that rise up against us. It is Thou that savest us from our enemies, and puttest them to confusion that hate us. O Lord, O Lord, my safety, make me safe, for Thou knowest that I am but a little child. I know not how to go out or come ino.

Application

I will thank Thee, for Thou hast heard me, and art become my salvation; Thou art my God, and I will praise Thee. O come hither, and hearken, all ye that fear God, and I will tell you what great to Commuthings He hath done, and will do for my soul.

Are they not

uion.

1 Wisdom ix. 15.

m Psalm cxviii. 12, 13.

n Isaiah xxvi. 12.

• Isaiah xlix. 16.

P 1 Kings iii. 7.

great things indeed, immeasurable, infinite, incomprehensible, unsearchable ? For truly to-day, O my soul, the Lord hath done great things for us, and why do we not rejoice? Jesus will eat His passover with us, yea He will be Himself our passover; and this is the passing over of the Lord. Lord, abide with us, for it is towards evening and the day is far spent. Behold my enemies have come about me helpless, and what shall I do, or rather what wilt Thou do? Like as wax melteth at the fire, so let the ungodly perish at the presence of God; but let the righteous be glad, and rejoice before God; the poor shall eat, and be satisfied, let them also be merry, and joyful, for in Thy Name, O Jesu, will we tread them under that rise up against us.

O put not your trust in princes, nor in any child of man, for there is no help in them, but in Jesus my God; neither is man strong in his own strength and God doth not delight in any man's legs, and cursed be the man that trusteth in man, and maketh flesh his arm1. But O good Jesu, my strength and my praise Thou art, and art become my salvation. The Lord is my strong rock, and my defence, my Saviour, my God, and my might, in Whom I will trust, my buckler, the horn also of my salvation, and my refuge: my Saviour, Thou wilt free me from iniquity. I will call upon the Lord, so shall I be safe from mine enemies. Let not the wise man glory in his wisdom, neither let the mighty man glory in his might, let not the rich man glory in his riches: but let him that glorieth glory in this, that he understandeth and knoweth Thee3, for Thou shalt light my candle, O Lord, and Thou shalt make my darkness to be light. Thou art my shepherd, Who I hope knowest me, Thy wandering sheep, and wilt bring me back on Thy shoulders to the eternal pastures. Thou wilt speak for me good things in Thy Father's sight: Thou only art my refuge, my Helper, my Defender against my wrathful enemies. Behold their pride, and have regard to my low estate. Look, O God, upon the face of Thine Anointed, and shew Thyself, for Thou never failest them that put their trust in Thee, but those who trust in themselves, and bringest down those that glory in their own might. The poor man committeth himself unto Thee, Thou Who searchest the heart, and all our ways. Lo I am poor, and helpless, and fatherless. Take Thou the needy from the dust, and lift Thou the poor man out of the mire of these imperfections (here name them); raise Thou him that is poor, that he may be well-pleasing to Thee in it, and may sit with princes, and may occupy the throne of glory, and may love Thee as I desire, and may praise Thee, and glorify Thee, for ever and ever. Amen.

4 Luke xxiv. 29.

Jer. xvii. 5.

$ Jer. ix. 23, 24.

RULES FOR OBTAINING CONFIDENCE IN GOD, AND DISTRUST OF SELF IN ALL PRAYER AND ACTION.

FIRST of all, consider how many undertakings in various matters have turned out ill, when to all appearance thou hadst concerted thy plans most carefully.

Secondly, attempt nothing without having first obtained the favour of God, and having sought by prayer for the Divine blessing, for without the grace of God we can do nothing. Therefore, before you enter upon business of any moment, exercise at all events contrition, and call upon God, saying, O God, make speed to save, Lord be Thou my Helper. A verse which, Cassian says, the Fathers in old time were often wont to use.

Thirdly, give thanks to God for success, and do so if thou canst by drawing near to the most holy Sacrament. Never attribute any thing to thyself, but to God, and that too testify sometimes by express words. For as persons in Religious Orders have avoided even the words" mine" and "thine;" so, for all it is suitable that no man should appropriate and ascribe any thing to himself, but that the injunction may be fulfilled that if any man speak, let him speak as the oracles of God; if any man minister, let him do it as of the ability which God giveth, that God in all things may be glorified'.

Fourthly, twice every day in self-examination, or at least once, give thanks to God, and receive every good and every ill as from His hand.

Fifthly, arrange beforehand either in the morning or over night, what things are to be done during the day, and for each thing ask help with deep humility and distrust of self.

Sixthly, ask no benefit of man until thou hast first humbly sought it of God, the free giver of all things, and so to speak, hast thus obtained it of Him, for men are but His dispensers. God Himself is the Lord, without Whom men cannot dispense favours, however desirous they may be to do so: neither can they withhold any thing from thee, when it has seemed good to His Divine goodness to grant it.

In the seventh place, moreover, it tends towards distrust of self in one's own matters not to lean on one's own prudence, but on the Divine foresight, and in addition to ask in humility the counsel and aid of others. It is assuredly a sign of great arrogance and self-confidence, that a man should think that wisdom dwelleth with himself alone and should seek advice of no one, or in doing so, merely apply to those who would rather praise and flatter his own counsels than direct him. On the other hand, it is certain that man is distrustful of himself, and is trustful towards God, when he depends on the goodness of another rather than on his own. The effect of this in such dispositions is that they become resigned to all the commands of their superiors: they decline nothing, they are ambitious of nothing when they are thus distrustful of themselves.

Ninthly, this also is a sign of distrust of self and an instance of the practice

t 1 Pet. iv. 11.

of it, never to say, “ I will do,” “I have done," "I promise,” with strong asseveration, but rather to say "I will accomplish so and so by the grace and help of God," "I will grant it if God shall deign to vouchsafe His aid," and at the same time to lift the heart unto God, and to ask His help.

Ejaculations.

"Not unto us, O Lord, not unto us, but unto Thy Name give the praise." Of Thee and in Thee, and for Thee are all things, my God, my all. Psalm cxv. 1. "Thou hast been my succour, leave me not, neither forsake me, O God of my salvation." Psalm xxvii. 11.

"It is a good thing to give thanks unto the Lord, and to sing praises unto Thy Name, O Most Highest." Psalm xcii. 1.

66

Every day will I give thanks unto Thee, and praise Thy Name for ever and ever." Psalm cxlv. 2.

"All Thy works praise Thee, O Lord, and Thy Saints give thanks unto Thee." Psalm cxlv. 10.

"I am poor and needy, but the Lord careth for me." Psalm xl. 20.

"Salvation belongeth unto the Lord, and Thy blessing is upon Thy people." Psalm iii. 8.

"In Thee I shall discomfit an host of men, and with the help of my God I shall leap over the wall." Psalm xviii. 29.

“Preserve me, O God, for in Thee have I put my trust; O my soul, thou hast said unto the Lord, Thou art my God, my goods are nothing unto Thee." Psalm xvi. 1, 2.