wert born! How eanst thou remain with a soul so ungrateful, so tepid, and, even at this moment, so little penetrated with a sense of thy divine presence.! O God, how hast thou multiplied thy mercies in favour of thy least deserving creature ! Should not the profusion of thy benefits terrify me, when I consider my poverty, misery, and inability to acknowledge or repay them? Yet, on the other hand, O divine Benefactor of my soul, when was I ever so rich as at present? Convinced, then, of my personal indigence, yet filled with gratitude for the dignity to which I am raised by the union I have contracted with my Redeemer, I will again offer thee, O King of heaven and earth, a victim of thanksgiving proportioned to thy gifts; I will offer thee a host of praise, immolated not only on this altar, but in the midst of my heart.
And thou, O Jesus, sweet and mild, and plenteous in mercy ( Psalm xxxv.), give ear to my earnest petition; let me be now so closely united to thee that I may become one with thee; create within me that humble, meek, and fervent heart, which will make me pleasing and acceptable in thy sight; let thy divine presence fill my soul with consolation and peace, and let thy mercies be now upon me, according to the hope I have placed in thee.
AT THE GLORIA IN EXCELSIS.
O GOD of my soul, worthy and adorable object of the praise and benediction of all creatures, permit me to sing to thee a new canticle, because in my favour thou hast done wonderful things. (Psalm xcvii. 1.) Permit me to bless thy adorable name, because thou art good, and thy mercy endureth for ever. In union with him who is the brightness of
