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Chapter 54PrecesPriv.1.54

Preces Quotidianae

The Inner Conflict and Deliverance

Learning to echo Paul's confession of indwelling sin and his thankfulness for Christ's deliverance.

according to my inner self. V.✦ 22. But I sense another law in my members. V.✦ 23. fighting against the law of my mind, and taking me captive under the law of sin.✦1 I'm a wretched man! Who will free me from this body of death?✦2 Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ. — V.✦ 24.

Grace Overflowing Unto Repentance

Rejoicing that grace abounds where sin abounded, and begging for the repentance that comes through God's kindness.

For where the offense abounded, there grace abounded all the more.✦ Rom.✦3 v. 20.✦4 O Lord, your kindness leads me to repentance.✦ Oh! give me repentance at last, that I may come to my senses and turn from the devil's snares, by whom I am held captive to his will.✦5 Let the time already past of my life be enough for fulfilling the will of lust, when I walked in sensuality, carousing, drinking-bouts, and the rest of luxury's confusion.✦6

The Precious Blood and the Saving Name

Calling upon the spotless Lamb, whose blood redeems, and upon the saving name given to all the world.

But, O Lamb, spotless and undefiled, who redeemed me with your precious blood,✦7 1 Pet. 19. By that blood of yours, have mercy, and save me: by that blood, and by that name of yours, outside of which no other name has been given to people under heaven by which we must be saved.✦ Acts✦8 iv.✦ 12.✦ Lord, you know my foolishness, and my offenses aren't hidden from you.

Desire and Groaning Laid Bare

Placing every desire and every hidden groan before the Lord, who sees and hears.

Lord, all my desire is before you, and my groaning is not hidden from you. Ps.9 38. 9.✦

Spare the Waiting Ones

Pleading that those who wait on God will not be put to shame because of us.

May those who wait not be put to shame because of me.10

Read the original Latin

secundum interiorem hominem, Vers. 22. Sed aliam legem sentio in membris meis, Vers. 23. repugnantem legi mentis mese, et captivantem me in lege peccati. Infehx ego homo, Quis me liberabit de corpore mortis hujus? Gratia Deo per Jesum Christum, — Vers. 24.

Quod, ubi abundavit delictum, ibi superabundavit gratia. om. v. 2. O Domine, benignitas tua ad poenitentiam me deducit. Oh! da mihi aliquando peenitentiam ad resipiscendum a diaboli laqueis, a quo captivus teneor ad ipsius voluntatem. Sufficiat mihi praeteritum vitze tempus, ad voluntatem concupiscentie consummandam, cum ambulaverim in luxuriis, comessationibus, potationibus, et reliqua luxurie confusione.

Sed, o Agne, immaculate et incontaminate, Qui me pretioso tuo sanguine redemisti, 1 Pef. i. 19. illo sanguine tuo miserere, et serva me: illo sanguine, atque illo nomine tuo, extra quod non est aliud nomen datum hominibus sub coelo, in quo oporteat nos salvos fieri. 4cf. iv. 12. Domine, tu scis insipientiam meam, et delicta mea a te non sunt abscondita.

Domine, ante te omne desiderium meum, et gemitus meus a te non est absconditus. P5. xxxviii. 9.

Non erubescant in me qui exspectant

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Rom.7.22 — For I delight in the law of God, according to the inner person.
  2. ↩Rom.7.23 — But I see another law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members.
  3. ↩Rom.7.23 — But I see another law in my members, waging war against the law of my mind, and making me captive to the law of sin which is in my members.
  4. ↩Rom.7.24 — Wretched man that I am! Who will rescue me from this body of death?
  5. ↩Rom.7.25 — Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord! So then, I myself with my mind serve the law of God, but with my flesh, the law of sin.
  6. ↩Rom.5.20 — The law came in alongside so that the trespass might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.
  7. ↩Rom.5.20 — The law came in alongside so that the trespass might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.
  8. ↩Rom.5.20 — The law came in alongside so that the trespass might increase; but where sin increased, grace abounded all the more.
  9. ↩Rom.2.4 — Or do you despise the riches of his kindness and forbearance and patience, not knowing that the kindness of God leads you to repentance?
  10. ↩2Tim.2.26 — and that they may come to their senses and escape from the snare of the devil, having been captured by him to do his will.
  11. ↩1Pet.4.3 — For the time that has passed is sufficient for carrying out the will of the Gentiles—having walked in sensuality, passions, drunken revelries, drinking bouts, and lawless idolatries.
  12. ↩1Pet.1.18-1Pet.1.19 — knowing that you were not redeemed with perishable things—silver or gold—from your futile way of life handed down from your fathers, 1Pet.1.19 — but with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot
  13. ↩Acts.4.12 — And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
  14. ↩Acts.4.12 — And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
  15. ↩Acts.4.12 — And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
  16. ↩Acts.4.12 — And there is salvation in no one else; for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.
  17. ↩Ps.38.9 — I am utterly numb and crushed to the ground; I groan because of the anguish of my heart.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Source 'mese' read as 'meae' (my mind).
  2. 2 ↩Source 'Infehx' read as 'Infelix' (wretched).
  3. 3 ↩Source reads 'om.'; treated as a corrupt citation label for Romans, matching the Rom 5:20 wording in s1 and the citation pattern used nearby (book / chapter / verse fragments).
  4. 4 ↩Source reads '2.'; rendered as '20.' because the quoted Latin is Romans 5:20. If the witness truly intends another reference, restore '2.'
  5. 5 ↩Source 'peenitentiam' read as 'poenitentiam' (repentance).
  6. 6 ↩Source spellings treated as vitae (vitze), concupiscentiae (concupiscentie), and luxuriae (luxurie).
  7. 7 ↩Source ends with '1 Pef.'; most plausible intended citation is '1 Pet.' (1 Peter), matching the Lamb / precious-blood language of 1 Pet. 1:19 and the following 'i. 19.' fragments.
  8. 8 ↩Source prints '4cf.'; in sequence with 'iv.' and '12.' and the Acts 4:12 wording in s4, the most plausible intended book label is 'Act.' (Acts).
  9. 9 ↩Printed 'P5.' is treated as the psalm abbreviation 'Ps.'; neighboring 'xxxviii.' and '9.' complete a citation to Ps. 38:9.
  10. 10 ↩Fragment continues into the next section (te, Domine, Domine virtutum); likely Psalm 68:7 Vulgate (Ps 69:6). 'in me' rendered as 'because of me' in the psalmic sense of shame incurred through the speaker.

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