Almighty God, merciful Father! Every day Thy voice calling me to
repentance and grace resounds in my ears, encouraging me and all sinful
souls unto conversion: Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith the Lord,
and I will not cause mine anger to fall upon you; for I am merciful,
saith the Lord, and I will not keep anger forever. Only acknowledge thine
iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against the Lord, thy God. But
alas! I am not sufficient of myself, as of myself to convert myself unto
Thee. As little as the Ethiopian can change his skin and as little as the
leopard can change its spots, so little can I cease to do evil and do
good by my natural powers, inasmuch as the thoughts and intents of my
heart are inclined to evil from my youth up continually. Has Thy grace
wrought so much in me that I have determined that I will arise and
reconcile myself with Thee on account of my sins, and offer unto Thee a
broken and contrite heart, yet, alas! satan, the accursed one, will cast
a thousandfold hinderances in the way. My own sinful flesh and blood
prevent me, that the good that I will I cannot accomplish, but remain in
sin and finally be destroyed therein. Wherefore, Abba, dear Father, I
bend and bow my knees in deep humility before Thee, and ask for the sake
of Thy infinite mercy: convert me, O Lord, and I shall be converted, help
me, and I shall be helped, let Thy grace, my God, not be in vain in me,
but as Thou hast given to will, so do Thou also give to accomplish it.
Destroy the wantonness of the infernal villain, prevent the suggestions
of my perverted heart, that my holy resolution may not be hindered or
entirely destroyed. Open my eyes that I may heartily know, painfully
lament, and bitterly bewail my sins. Give me a divine sorrow over my
transgressions, which will bring repentance unto salvation, which may
never be repented of. Do Thou not, O Lord, permit me to be destroyed
under the burden of sin, nor to despair with Cain and Judas, but do Thou
turn to me, and be merciful unto me, behold my misery and affliction, and
forgive all my sins. Show me Thy dear and merciful heart, Father, which
desireth not the death of a sinner, but that he may be converted and
live; speak gently to my soul, and say that mercy shall go for justice,
and that Thou wilt no more remember my transgressions. Show me with the
finger of Thy divine grace unto Jesus, the crucified one, how he died for
my sins and rose again for my justification. Open to me for a refuge his
bloody wounds, in which so many poor sinners have found comfort and
salvation. Create also a clean heart within me and renew a right spirit
within me; cast me not away from Thy countenance and take not Thy Holy
Spirit from me; comfort me again with Thy help, and the joyful Spirit
preserve me in a firm resolution to amend my sinful life, and as long as
I live to serve Thee in righteousness and holiness, as is pleasing in Thy
sight. O Lord, hear me, alas! Lord! be merciful, O Lord! hearken to
remember and do what I ask, for Jesus Christ's sake. Amen!