Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/42

24 he ascended into heaven; that he will come at the end of the world to judge mankind; and that he will reward the good with eternal happiness, and condemn the wicked to the everlasting pains of hell. I believe these, and all other articles which the Holy Roman Catholic Church proposes to our belief, because thou, my God, the Infallible Truth, hast revealed them, and thou hast commanded us “to hear the Church, which is the pillar and the ground of truth.” In this faith I am ﬁrmly resolved, by thy holy grace, to live and die. (Matt. xviii. 17; 1 Tim. iii. 15.)

AN ACT OF HOPE.

MY God, who hast graciously promised every blessing, even heaven itself, through Jesus Christ, to those who keep thy commandments, relying on thy inﬁnite power, goodness, and mercy, and conﬁding in thy sacred promises, to which thou art always faithful, I conﬁdently hope to obtain pardon of all my sins; grace to serve thee faithfully in this life, by doing the good works thou hast commanded, and which, with thy assistance, I will perform; and eternal happiness in the next: through my Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ.

AN ACT OF CHARITY.

MY God, I love thee with my whole heart and soul, and above all things, because thou art inﬁnitely good and perfect, and most worthy of all my love; and for thy sake I love my neighbour as myself. Mercifully grant, O my God, that having loved thee on earth, I may love and enjoy thee for ever in heaven.