whether I carry an inordinate love to any of these things mentioned, which if I find that I do, I will endeavour to uproot it by force of this consideration, and with the exercise of mortification, for this is to die in life, and with profit, taking death, as it were, by the hand, so as not to feel it, as religious men do that abandon all things for Christ our Lord, whom I am to beseech to aid me herein, saying to Him:
Colloquy. — O Eternal God, in whose hands are the souls of the just, 18 and under whose protection the anguish of death doth not touch them, take from my soul the inordinate love of all visible things, that in departing from them it may have no feeling of anguish. O my soul, if thou desirest that these three bitternesses of death should not touch thee, love not those things that death can take from thee, for if thou possess them not with love, thou shalt leave them in death without distress or grief!
5. I am likewise to ponder in these considerations how great a madness it is to offend Almighty God, and to endanger my eternal salvation for things that I am so soon to abandon, resolving courageously with myself to avoid forthwith any person, or thing whatsoever, that may expose me to this peril, dying to it rather than for its sake to die to God, and separating it from me rather than it should " separate me" [1] from God; seeing for this our Saviour Christ said that He " came to send" " the sword" and " separation" [2] upon earth, separating from men all persons and things that might hinder their salvation.
Colloquy. — O sweet Redeemer, put forthwith into my hand the sword of mortification, that I may separate from me whatsoever might separate me from Thee, dying to all that is created, to live to Thee my Creator, world without end! Amen.
