Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/694

 pleasure. If thy  divine  Providence has  ordained  for  me  a very  hard  struggle  and  sharp agonies of  death,  thy  will  be done. My heart  is  ready,  O God; but  preserve  and  increase within  me  the  faith and hope  of  thy  presence, goodness, and  mercy; and  forsake me  not,  O God,  my  Saviour, as  thy  Father  forsook not thee! Send to  me  also,

I pray, thee,  thy  holy  Angel, to support  and  strengthen me in  that  agony  with  his consolations, and  to  drive  far from me  all  the  power  of  the enemy; until, the  conflict over, I rejoice  with  triumph, and merit  to  obtain  of  thee  the crown of  life  which  thou  hast promised to  them  that  love thee and  persevere  to  the end. Amen.

First, I protest  that,  with all readiness  of  soul,  I accept from the  divine  Providence this and  all  other  crosses  and diseases whatsoever,  and  even death itself; most  fully  submitting my  own  will  to  the divine Will; and  acknowledging myself  to  be  most deserving, for  my  numberless sins, not  only  of  this  affliction, infirmity, and  death,  but  also of every  other  more  heavy punishment, and  even  of  hell itself.

I accept, moreover,  this sickness and  death  in  reverence of  the  most  holy  Passion of our  Lord  Jesus  Christ; uniting the  pains,  troubles, and afflictions  which  I suffer to the  afflictions,  troubles,  and most bitter  agonies  which  he endured  in  his  Life,  Passion, and Death; and  humbly  entreating him  to  vouchsafe  to accept  them  in  lieu  of  the pains which  I acknowledge to be  due  to  me  in  Purgatory for  the  punishment  of my  numberless  sins,  and  so for  the  remission  of  my  faults, especially those  which  weigh most upon  my  conscience, and which  I now  wish  had been confessed  with  greater care, and  obliterated  by  a more  earnest  satisfaction.

I protest that,  as  I have lived hitherto  in  the  true Faith of  the  Holy  Catholic and Apostolic  Church,  and have most  firmly  believed whatsoever she  has  believed and proposed  to  me  to  be believed,  and  in  particular the articles  of  the  Apostles'