Purge Thou me, O Lord, or I shall never be pure; wash Thou me, and then
alone shall I be clean. For Thou requirest not frames or feelings, not
pride and self-conceit, but truth in the inward parts; and wilt make me
to understand wisdom secretly.
O God, Thou art good, and I am bad; and for that very reason I come. I
come to be made good. I adore Thy goodness, and I long to copy it: but I
cannot unless Thou helpest me. Purge me. Make me clean. Cleanse me
from my secret faults, and give me truth in the inward parts. Do what
Thou wilt with me. Train me as Thou wilt. Punish me if it be necessary.
Only make me good.
Amen.
Thou knowest, Lord, the secrets of our hearts. Shut not Thy merciful
ears to our prayer; but spare us, O Lord, most holy! O God, most mighty!
Thou worthy Judge Eternal, and suffer us not, for any temptation of the
world, the flesh, or the devil, to fall from Thee. I, Lord, am I: and
what I am--a very poor, pitiful, sinful person. But Thou, Lord, art
Thou; and what Thou art--Perfect! Thou art Goodness itself. And
therefore Thou canst, and Thou wilt, make me what I ought to be at last,
a good person. To Thee I can bring the burden of this undying I, which I
carry with me, too often in shame and sadness. I ask Thee to help me to
bear it. Guide me, teach me, strengthen me, till I become such as Thou
wouldst have me be: pure and gentle, truthful and high-minded, brave and
able, courteous and generous, dutiful and useful like Thy Son, Jesus
Christ.
Amen.