3. Have I employed those parts of it in works of necessity and mercy, which were not employed in prayer, reading, and meditation?
O MY Father, my God, I am in thy hand; and may I rejoice above all things in being so: do with me what seemeth good in thy sight: only let me love thee with all my mind, soul, and strength.
I magnify thee for granting me to be born in thy church, and of religious parents; for washing me in thy baptism, and instructing me in thy doctrine of truth and holiness; for sustaining me by thy gracious providence, and guiding me by thy blessed Spirit; for admitting me, with the rest of my Christian brethren, to wait on thee at thy public worship: and for so often feeding my soul with thy most precious body and blood, those pledges of love, and sure conveyances of strength and comfort. O be gracious unto all of us, whom thou hast this day [or at any time] admitted to thy holy table. Strengthen our hearts in thy ways against all our temptations, and make us more than conquerors in thy love.
O my Father, my God, deliver me, I beseech thee, from all violent passions: I know how greatly obstructive these are, both of the knowledge and love of thee; O let none of them find a way into my heart, but let me ever possess my soul in meekness. O my God, I desire to fear them more than death; let me not serve these cruel tyrants; but do thou reign in my breast; let me ever be thy servant and love thee with all my heart.
Deliver me, O God, from too intense an application to even necessary business. I know how this dissipates my thoughts from the one end of all my business, and impairs that lively perception I would ever retain of thee standing at my right-hand. I know the narrowness of my heart, and that an eager attention to earthly things leaves it no room for the things of heaven. O teach me to go through all my employments with so truly disengaged a heart, that I may still see thee in all things, and see thee therein as continually looking upon me, and searching my reins; and that I may never impair that liberty of spirit, which is necessary for the love of thee.
Deliver me, O God, from a slothful mind, from all lukewarmness, and all dejection of spirit: I know these cannot but deaden my love to thee; mercifully free my heart from them, and give me a lively, zealous, active and chearful spirit; that I may vigorously perform whatever thou commandest, thankfully suffer whatever thou chusest for me, and be ever ardent to obey in all things thy holy love.
Deliver me, O God, from all idolatrous love of any creature. I know infinite numbers have been lost to thee, by loving those creatures for their own sake, which thou permittest, nay, even commandest to love subordinately to thee. Preserve me, I beseech thee, from all such blind affection: be thou a guard to all my desires, that they fix on no creature any farther than the love of it tends to build me up in the love of thee. Thou requirest me to love thee with all my heart: Undertake for me, I beseech thee, and be thou my security, that I may never open my heart to any thing, but out of love to thee.
Above all, deliver me, O my God, from all idolatrous self-love. I know, O God (blessed be thy infinite mercy for giving me this knowledge) that this is the root of all evil. I know, thou madest me, not to do my own will but thine. I know, the very corruption of the devil is, the having a will contrary to thine. O be thou my helper against this most dangerous of all idols, that I may both discern all its subtleties, and withstand all its force. O thou who hast commanded me to renounce myself, give me strength, and I will obey thy command. My choice and desire is, to love myself, as all other creatures, in and for thee. O let thy almighty arm so stablish, strengthen and settle me, that thou mayst ever be the ground and pillar of all my love.
By this love of thee, my God, may my soul, be fixed against its natural inconstancy: by this may it be reduced to an entire indifference as to all things else, and simply desire what is pleasing in thy sight. May this holy flame ever warm my breast, that I may serve thee with all my might; and let it consume in my heart all selfish desires that I may in all things regard, not myself but thee.
O my God, let thy glorious name be duly honoured and loved by all the creatures which thou hast made. Let thy infinite goodness and greatness be ever adored by all angels and men. May thy church, the Catholic seminary of divine love, be protected from all the powers of darkness. O vouchsafe to all, who call themselves by thy name, one short glimpse of thy goodness. May they once taste and see how gracious thou art, that all things else may be tasteless to them; that their desires may be always flying up towards thee, that they may render thee love, and praise, and obedience pure and chearful, constant and zealous, universal and uniform, like that the holy angels render thee in heaven.