A prayer to God, which the Christian soul may make every day, thereby to declare the sentiments which she desires to have at the point of death wherein are discover'd the acts of all the highest virtues, and especially the divine virtue of contrition, and a perfect love of God.

A Prayer to God , Which the Christian Soul may make every day , thereby to declare the Sentiments which she desires to have at the point of Death . Wherein are discover'd the Acts of all the highest Virtues , and especially the Divine Virtue of Contrition , and a perfect Love of God .

O My Lord , and my God , in that uncertainty in which thou art pleased that I should live , as well in relation to the time and place , as manner of my Death , I come to adore the Orders of thy Divine Providence , for what thou hast appointed from all Eternity ; and not knowing what the Sentiments of my Soul may be at that Hour , I do at present , that which I desire should be done then , and I humbly pray thee to accept and ratifie against that time , what I declare and protest at present .

I give thee thanks , O my Lord , and my God , at this Instant , instead of the last moment of my Life , when possibly being deprived both of Speech and Reason , I may not be able either to speak or think of thee . I thank thee , First , for giving me a Birth , and that I was not left without a Being . Secondly , That thou wert pleased that I should be Born in a Place among Christians and in a time when the Light of the Gospel is shining upon us , where as thou mightst have caused my Nativity to have happened in an Age of darkness , and in a Country of Infidels . 3dly . That thou hast regenerated me by Baptism , when thou mightst let me have died in my Mothers Womb , as so many others have , before they could receive it .

I adore thee , O my God , as the Original of my Life in Nature , as the Original of my Generation by Grace , as the last end of my Soul , and as my last Felicity in Glory ! Thou art the first Verity , and I firmly believe what thou hast said : Thou are the Sovereign Fidelity , and I incessantly hope what thou hast promised : Thou art the Supreme Goodness , and I love only , and would love only that which thou art .

't is thou , O my God , Father , Son , and Holy Ghost , One in Essence , and Three in Persons , who hast Created me by the Effect of thy Power , who hast Redeemed me by the Excess of thy Bounty , who hast Sanctifyed me by the Infusion of thy Grace , who hast guided me by the Conduct of thy Providence , and who hast Ordained me to the participation of thy Glory .

For this end thou hast admitted me into the Bosome of the Church thy Spouse , there thou hast illuminated my Soul with thy purest Lights , there thou hast upheld me with thy most Holy Graces , there thou hast touched me with thy most tender Motions , there thou hast prepared for me thy most Venerable Sacraments , there thou hast Fed me with the Sacred Body of Jesus Christ , thy only Son my Saviour , and there thou hast as often showr'd down upon my Soul the Gifts and Graces , of thy Divine Spirit .

O what Love ! O what Benefactions ! O what Condescentions ! O what Favour ! O what Graces ! O what Mercies have been vouchsafed to this poor Soul ! That in return for so many Blessings , ( of which thou only knowest the number and the value ) hath during the whole Course of its Life performed nothing but Impieties , Infidelities , Ingratitude , Iniquities and Crimes surpassing in Number the Hairs of my Head , and Days of my Life .

But , O my Lord God , the more shame belongs to me for having offended , the more Glory is due to thee for pardoning my Offences : And Sins without number , like mine , require a Mercy without end , like thine .

And to such an Inexhaustible Mercy I approach , repenting for having so long offended thee , My Lord and my God , so lately known thee , and so little loved thee .

Were I never to enjoy more time then this moment , I would imploy it all in the Love of thee , O Sovereign Goodness ! Because thou art what thou art , and because thou only dost merit the Love and Adoration of all thy Creatures .

't is for thy sake alone , O eternal Love , who art ever Lovely , and never sufficiently beloved , that I detest all the Sins of my Life ; because they are contrary to thy adorable Sanctity . And I detest these Sins on the same motive that my Lord Jesus Christ detested them at his Agony in the Garden , and on the same Motive , on which thou , O my God , Father , Son and Holy Ghost , One in Essence , and Three in Persons , doest detest them . And I humbly offer in Reparation of that Outrage and displeasure , which mine Iniquities have done thee , the Love and Obedience of my Blessed Saviour Jesus Christ to atone for , and supply the defects of mine .

In expiation of these Iniquities of my Life , I accept of Death , as a Traytor whom thou hast most justly Condemned to die ; I accept the Destruction of this Body which has been the Foundation of so many Intemperances , and the Subject of so many Sins ; I accept of the Destruction of my whole Being in Homage to that Soveraign Dominion which thou hast over me ; I accept of all Derelictions , all Bitterness of Spirit , all Anguishes , all Pains , all Temptations , and all Evils , ( except only that of Sin and thy displeasure ) as all the satisfaction which I can pay thy Adorable Majesty .

Not being able to do more , I beseech thee , O my Lord , and my God , to remember that I am the Work of thy Hands the Purchase of thy Blood , the Conquest of thy Cross , the Wages of thy Death , and the effect of thy Love . To thy Death I Unite mine , and to thy Love I Unite mine ; protesting that I admit no sentiments but those which are agreeable to the Faith of the Catholick Church , and I disclaim , O Lord , all hopes and dependance , but in thy Merits , Love and Goodness .

If ever any thing appears in my Actions contrary to this , I disavow it , I renounce it . And I desire that the last Motion of my heart may be a Motion of Adoration to do thee Homage for my Being , since that very being belongs more to thee than to my self ; O Father of Mercies and God of all Comforts , under whose Command are all the Powers of my Soul , make my Life to expire in an Act of Love , raised by a clear apprehension of thy Excellency and Goodness , and so vigorously exerted towards thee , the great and proper Object of Love , that being begun here it may continue to all Eternity .

It is true , O my God , that after all this my Fears are great , because my Crimes are so , and thy Judgments very terrible . But it is also true that notwithstanding all those Fears , yet my hope is still greater , since thou art Merciful and apt to pardon ; thy Mercy is transcendently Great , and thou dost Pardon without measure ; thy Mercy is Infinite , and thou dost Pardon without end ; thou art all Mercy , and Mercy it self , and thou Pardonest all .

Full of this ravishing and most sweet Confidence which I have in thee , I hope to see thy Blessings in the Land of the Living , where thou art the Resurrection and the Life ; and Adoring again thy Power that Created me , thy Goodness that Redeemed me , thy Wisdom which hath enlightned me , thy Providence which hath Governed me , thy Mercy which hath forgiven me so many Sins . I Adore also thy Justice ; and I submit my self intirely to the time by thee appointed for my Judgment , with this Confidence and Trust , that thy Divine Goodness will not then cast me off , but will it self answer for me to thy Justice , and that I shall eternally sing of , and Celebrate , thy Mercies , World without end . Amen .