Page:The Catholic prayer book.djvu/536

 When my  friends,  assembled  round  me,  shall compassionate my  sufferings,  and  weep  for  my approaching  dissolution,

When all  my  senses  shall  fail,  and  this  world  for ever vanish  from  my  view,

When the  symptoms  of  death  shall  appear,  and the last  tears  shall  trickle  down  my  cheeks, When tortured  by  the  pangs  of  death,  and  oppressed  with  lengthened  agony,

When the  last  heavy  sighs  of  my  heart  shall press my  soul  to  leave  my  body,

When my  soul,  fluttering  at  my  lips,  shall  be  on the  point  of  beholding  her  Almighty  Judge,

When my  soul  shall  at  length  depart  from  this valley of  tears,  and  leave  my  body  pale,  cold, and hideous,

When I shall  stand  all  alone  before  my  Judge, and behold  at  one  glance  all  the  sins  of  my life,  and  all  thy  claims,  O my  God,  on  my  love,

When thou  shalt  pronounce  that  awful  sentence, which no  human  power  can  revoke,  and  no human  art  elude,

V. Through  thy  painful  agony  and  precious  death,

R. Deliver  us,  O Jesus!

GOD, who  hast  condemned  our  bodies  to  death, but has  given  us  immortal  souls  to  enjoy  thee eternally, and  hast  concealed  from  us  the  day  and hour of  our  death,  that  we  may  always  expect  and prepare for  our  last  hour,  grant  that  a holy  and  penitential life  may  ensure  for  us  the  happiness  of  a tranquil  death. O Divine Jesus! whose precious death should  lighten  our  sorrows, I fervently  conjure thee, by  the  bitterness  thou  didst  endure  on  the