Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/280

 me so  long? O that I had  died  before  offending thee! I will never  displease  thee  more; I will  love thee, O infinite  goodness; give  me  only  the  grace  of perseverance! give me  thy  holy  love! [Excite your heart to  contrition, and  make  a firm  resolution .]

III. Consider that  when  the  number  of  sins  exceeds a certain limit,  God  abandons  the  sinner. “The Lord patiently  expecteth,  that  when  the  day  of judgment  shall  come,  he  may  punish  them  in  the fulness of  their  sins.”  (2  Mach.  vi.  14.)  When,  then, my brethren,  you  are  tempted  again  to  sin,  never more say: I will  confess  my  sins  afterwards. If God should let  you  die  first,  if  he  should  entirely  desert you, what  would  become  of  you  for  all  eternity? Alas! how many  in  this  way  have  been  lost! They too hoped  for  pardon,  but  the  hour  of  death  came, and they  were  lost. O tremble, for  fear  the  same thing should  befal  you.

He deserves  no  mercy  who  takes  advantage  of  the goodness of  God  to  offend  him. God has  already pardoned you  so  many  sins. You have  reason  enough to fear  that  God  will  not  forgive  the  next  mortal  sin you commit. Thank him  for  having  waited  for  you so kindly  and  so  long,  and  make  the  firm  resolution rather to  suffer  death  than  to  commit  sin  again.

From this  day  forward,  always  say: O my  God! I have often  offended  thee! I will not  employ  the remnant of  my  life  in  displeasing  thee  more; no, thou dost  not  merit  such  treatment  as  this. I will employ it  only  in  loving  thee,  and  in  sorrow  for  the sins I have  committed  against  thee  I repent  of  them with my  whole  heart. My Jesus,  I am  anxious  to love  thee; wilt  thou  give  me  strength  and  help  me? Amen. [ Excite in  your  soul  a sorrow  for  sin,  and make  a firm  resolution.]