MEDITATIONS. 1. On Christian Duty. What shall I do that I may inherit eternal life? Keep the commandments. What shall we do? Mark x. 17. Repent and be baptized every one of you. Acts ii. 37, 38. What must I do to be saved? Believe on the LORD JESUS CHRIST. Acts xvi. 31. What shall we do then? (To the multi- He who hath two coats, let him impart to him tude.) that hath none. He that hath meat, let him do likewise. (To the publicans.) Exact no more than is appointed you. (To soldiers.) Do violence to no man; neither accuse any falsely; be content with your wages. Luke iii. 10-14. 1 E. g. Concede nobis, Domine Deus noster, ut hæc hostia salutaris, et nostrorum fiat purgatio delictorum, et tuæ propitiatio Majestatis, per, &c. -St. Gregory's Lib. Sacrament. p. 57. 2. On the Day of Judgment. FATHER Unoriginate, Only-begotten Son, merciful, pitiful, long-suffering, full of pity, full of kind yearnings, who lovest the just and pitiest the sinful, who passest by sins and grantest petitions, GOD of penitents, SAVIOUR of sinners, I have sinned before Thee, O LORD, and thus and thus have I done. How was I enticed by my own lust! Nor felt I fear nor shame at Thy incomprehensible glory, Thy awful presence, Thy fearful power, Thy exact justice, Thy winning goodness. I will call if there be any that will answer me; to which of the Saints shall I turn? O wretched man that I am, who shall deliver me from the body of this death? how fearful is Thy judgment, O Lord? when the thrones are set and Angels stand around, and men are brought in, the books opened, and the hidden things of darkness. who shall quench my flame? LORD, as Thou art loving, give me floods, give me to-day. For then will be the incorruptible Judge, the horrible judgment-seat, the answer without excuses, the unwearied worm, the indissoluble chains, the bottomless chaos, the impassable wall, the inconsolable cry, none to stand by me, none to plead for me, none to snatch me out. But I repent, LORD, O LORD, I repent. help Thou mine impenitence, and more, and still more, deformed, insincere, passions, that my confusion is daily before me, and the shame of my face hath covered me. Alas! woe, woe O me, how long? Behold, LORD, that I sentence myself to punishment everlasting, yea, and all miseries of this world. Behold me, LORD, self-condemned; Behold, LORD, and enter not into judgment with Thy servant. I humble myself under Thy mighty hand, I bend to Thee, O LORD, my knees, Let this cup pass from me! I stretch forth my hands unto Thee; and all my bones, and all that is within me. 3. On Human Frailness. Have mercy on me, LORD, for I am weak; a wind that passeth away, and cometh not again. I am dust and ashes, earth and grass, flesh and breath, corruption and the worm, a stranger upon the earth, dwelling in a house of clay, few and evil my days, in the morning, yet not until night, in a world of corruption, of few days, and full of trouble, coming up, and cut down like a flower, and as a shadow, having no stay. Remember this, O LORD, and suffer, remit; what profit is there in my blood, when I go down to the pit? By the multitude of Thy mercies, by the richess and excessive redundance of Thy pity; by all that is dear to Thee, all that we should plead, and before and beyond all things, by Thyself, by Thyself, O LORD, and by Thy CHRIST. LORD, have mercy upon me, the chief of sinners. O my LORD, let Thy mercy rejoice against Thy judgment in my sin. O LORD, hear, O LORD, forgive, O LORD, hearken, O LORD, hearken and do, do and defer not for Thine own sake, defer not, O LORD my GOD. |