a the 5 they e thelme flying a pon the Ihan on danger we run, the more limited the time we ar e, askí allowed for seeking protection, we should be proportionably eager to provide against all these the set things. Thus, all this occurring at death, it is sai evident that it is chiefly then we should lift our eyes and heart to God, to implore his help and to ask of him all his graces of which we have so pressing a need. But who can doubt this? It is not, therefore, necessary to occupy the reader's time by adducing its proofs. It will be sufficient only to say, that it is of little importance to make the long and continuous prayers. This is extremely difficult on these occasions, and is by no means gyer; necessary. It is sufficient to ask of God briefly both the pardon of sins, the help of his grace, the strengthening of faith, victory over temptations to which we find ourselves exposed; we need no more to obtain of God all these evidences of his love and of his goodness. If, however, we have the mind sufficiently at liberty to make an extended prayer, we may avail ourselves of this form. sere Fases oubt ould sees the care Paul PRAYER. I cast myself at thy feet, merciful Father, to ask of thee all the helps and all the graces of which I stand in need at this juncture. This is the only mean I can employ that nothing may be omitted. Indeed, LORD, I am doubtless ignorant of some of the favors which are requisite to me. I know neither all my miseries nor all the designs of thy goodness which could afford me a remedy for them. But I know, LORD, that thou knowest all things of which I am ignorant. Thus I take the resolution to conduct myself, not by my feeble and limited lights, but by thine, which are infinite, and from which absolutely nothing can be hid. Give to me, then, O my God, all which thou seest thyself I need in the sad estate in which I find myself. Deny me nothing of that which may be necessary to me, of that which may even be useful to me. Above all, O my God, establish my faith, confirm my hope, inflame my love; complete, by the efficacy of thy Spirit, the severance of all my attachments for the earth, and make my heart to turn solely to thee. Thee may it seek, thee may it find, to thee may it be united in holiness, never to be separated, either in time or eternity. I ask of thee nothing for my body; let it suffer and die, and return to the dust from whence it was taken : to this I consent. But, my God, I implore thy clemency and thy goodness for my soul. Suffer it not to perish, 0 merciful Father; suffer not that so many favors thou hast granted it should all be in vain; suffer not that the precious blood of thy Son, which wa shed for it, should have been in this respect without effect. Give me all that is necessary to profit by this prodigy of thy love and of thy goodness. I know that my sins are opposed to it; I know that they incessantly call to thy justice to destroy and to punish me. But, my God, all these sins have been fully and perfectly expiated by the sacrifice which thy Son hath offered thee on the cross; and thou hast besides pledged thyself to forget all those of which we ask thy pardon with faith and with repentance. Thus would I ask, O my God. I entreat thee in the name of thy Son, and by all the merit of his death, to grant it. Blot out, LORD, blot out by a full and entire remission, all the impurities of my life. Look not upon what I have done, but upon what thy Son hath done and suffered for me. Turn my actions to consider the bitter passion of my Redeemer; in order that as much as I have displeased thee in myself, I may please thee in this dear object of thy love, in whom I hope to live and to die, not being able otherwise to reign with thee in thine immortality and glory. CHAPTER XIII. THE DYING SHOULD EXCITE THEMSELVES TO LOVE GOD WITH A LOVE OF INTEREST. ANOTHER care which we should take, and which is extremely important, is that of exciting ourselves to love God, and to love him ardently and sincerely. In fact, the love of God is the great principle of all the good we are enabled to do, and we may assure ourselves that we are more or less advanced in piety and in sanctification as this love is more fervent or more languid. Thus laboring to give new force to this love, is to take the shortest way and most effectual method to promote our sanctification, and consequently our salvation. But what should we do to excite ourselves to love God? This is easily shown. There is a twofold love of God; an interested and a disinterested love. By the first, we love God as our supreme good; as the foundation, the author, and the source of our happiness. By the second, we love him by gratitude for his goodness, and by admiration for his other perfections. We should love in both these two ways. a We have, when dying, great inducement for th first of these duties. In fact, that which hinders us from loving God in this manner during life, is the attachment we feel for the things of time and sense. The Creator and the creature are like the two poles of our heart: we remove from the one as we approach the other. Thus the love of temporal advantages naturally creates the most formidable obstacles which hinder us from loving God. The love of the world is "enmity against God," as speaks an Apostle. Since, then, we powerfully love the world during life, as it is the great object of our heart, it is not astonishing that we have such difficulty in loving God with that description of love which we call the love of interest. But it is not thus at death. This death itself removes this obstacle which hinders us from the performance of this duty. It does it even in two ways. First, by the state of languor, weakness and dejection into which it casts us. This alone is sufficient either to destroy entirely, or at least to suspend for a time the love of the perishing advantages of sense. In fact, a sick man reduced to the last extremities, thinks not any longer, either of pleasures, or amusements, or any other objects of this kind; or if he does think of them, it is coldly and without emotion. In a word, all this affects him not |