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 endless Gehenna, 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, for these inordinate, unseemly, deformed, insincere, shameful, disgraceful 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 yea, and all miseries of this world. Behold me, LORD, self-condemned; Behold, LORD, and enter not into judgment with Thy servant. And now, LORD, 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; Out of the deep my soul crieth 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, corruption and the worm, 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. (92) FOR HOLY COMMUNION. O LORD, I am not worthy, I am not fit, of my soul; for it is all desolate and ruined; nor hast Thou in me fitting place But, as Thou didst vouchsafe to lie in the cavern and manger of brute cattle, as Thou didst not disdain to be entertained in the house of Simon the leper, as Thou didst not disdain that harlot, like me, who was a sinner, her polluted and loathsome mouth; So me too the ruined, wretched, and excessive sinner, deign to receive to the touch and partaking of Thy all-holy Body and Thy precious Blood. Listen, O LORD, our GOD, from Thy holy habitation, and from the glorious throne of Thy kingdom, O Thou who sittest on high with the FATHER, come Thou to sanctify the gifts which lie before Thee, and the things for which, they are brought near Thee. And grant to us communion, unto faith without shame, love without dissimulation, fulfilment of Thy commandments, alacrity for every spiritual fruit.: hindrance of all adversity, healing of soul and body, that we too, with all Saints, who have been well-pleasing to Thee from the beginning, may become partakers of Thy incorrupt and everlasting goods, which Thou hast prepared, O LORD, for them that love Thee; in whom Thou art glorified [Unto a pledge of communion. Acts. ii. 42. A memorial of the Dispensation. A showing forth of His death. 1 Eph. iii. 2. Cor. xi. 26. Luke xxii. 19. A communion of Body and Blood. Remission of sins. Matt. xxvi. 28. A riddance of things contrary. 1 Cor. v. 7. |