mercy; and it is my desire never more to despise thee.
II. Alas! to how many are the admonitions given by God during life, become now in hell the most cruel swords that pierce their souls! In proportion as the mercies which God showed them were greater, so were their crimes more enormous. If, O Jesus, thou hadst condemned me to hell, as I have deserved, how great would have been my punishment, since thy graces and favours have been so abundant towards me! No, I will no longer be ungrateful to thee. Say to me what thou pleasest, and I will obey thee in all things. I am sorry for having so often offended thee; from henceforward I will not seek to please myself, but to please only thee, my God, and only good.
III. How cautious are men in their temporal affairs, and yet how negligent in the affairs of eternity! If a man have to receive a sum of money from another, he uses every expedient to obtain it as quickly as possible, saying: “ Who knows what may happen?” And yet, why do so many live months and years in sin? Because they do not say, when the soul is at stake: “ Who knows what may happen?” If money be lost, however valuable it may be, all is not lost; but if the soul be lost all is lost, and must be lost for ever, without hope of recovery. My beloved Redeemer, thou hast given me life that I may become worthy of thy grace; and yet I have often renounced thy grace for something worse than nothing. Pardon me, O infinite goodness, for I am sorry, from the bottom of my heart, for having done so. O Jesus, thou hast done too much to oblige me to love thee, and I desire to love thee to the utmost of my power. I love thee, my sovereign good, I love thee more than myself. Permit me not, O God, to cease to love thee any more. O Mary, holy queen, protect me.
