dragon, Thou couldest pluck him thence. Save him then, O Good LORD; Tender LORD, save him, O save him, save him! Let him praise Thee and love Thee for ever, that Thou didst save him. Thou didst come to seek and save the lost save him. Thou didst come to seek and save the lost: save him, whom Thou didst come on earth to save. Thou hast said, "Whoso cometh unto Me, I will in no wise cast out." Give him grace, then, even in this (if it be so) his last hour, to come to Thee. Draw him to Thee by Thy Love; Thy Love is almighty. Give him loving sorrow for having offended Thee. Give him a contrite heart, which Thou wilt not despise. Thou hast said, "Ask, and ye shall receive." Give me perseverance in asking. What I ask not with my lips, make me to ask in my heart. May my longing ever ask Thee. Make my every thought of him a prayer to Thee, that Thou wilt hear. Hear me, Good LORD, not for my own worthiness, but because Thou art worthy to save whom Thou didst redeem. Hear me, for Thy Tender Mercy's sake, and make me love Thee more, and serve Thee better for this Thy great Love and Pity. O JESU my LORD and my GOD, JESU full of mercy, have mercy upon us, and set us on Thy Right Hand, to bless and adore and praise Thee for ever. Amen. 4. For the Sick. GOOD JESU, Physician of souls and bodies, make all sickness a healing medicine to the soul; soothe by Thy Presence each ache and pain; hallow all suffering by Thine All-holy Sufferings, and teach sufferers to unite their sufferings with Thine, to be hallowed by Thine. 5. For the Tempted. GOOD JESU, Who didst vouchsafe to be tempted as we, to overcome Satan for us, and in us; teach the tempted swiftly to hold to Thee; hold them, lest they fall; raise them, if they give way; cheer them, if they despond; make them to hold the tighter to Thee; and never let us for an instant let Thee go, until Thou bless us. 6. Against a besetting Temptation. JESU, most Tender and most Patient, Who didst bear for so many years all the wrongs and sins of men, and didst bear long with me, I am tempted to impatience and under this impatience, I . . . Good LORD, if Thou allowest this day any of these temptations to come upon me, I pray Thee to give me of Thy Patience; make me very patient by Thy Grace; grant that neither in these, nor in any other way, I may displease Thee in thought, word, or deed. I desire, now for then, perfectly to please Thee. Good JESU, accept |