under thy protection; reject me not, as I have deserved. Protect me and have pity on me, a miserable sinner. Obtain for me the forgiveness of my sins; obtain for me holy perseverance, the love of God, a good death, and a happy eternity. I hope all things of thee, because thou art most powerful with God. Make me holy, since thou hast it in thy power to do so, by thy holy intercession.
O Mary! in thee do I confide, in thee do I place all my hopes, next to thy divine Son Jesus.
MEDITATION XVI.
Jesus suffering for our Sins.
1. Seeing men lost in their sins, God was pleased to take pity on them; but his divine justice required satisfaction, and there was no one capable of making adequate satisfaction. On this account he sent into the world his own Son, made man, and loaded him with all our offences: The Lord laid on him the iniquity, of us all,1 so that he might pay our debts, satisfy divine justice, and save mankind.
O eternal God! what more couldst Thou have done to induce us to confide in Thy mercy, and to attract our hearts to Thy love, than give us even Thy own Son? But how could I, after all that Thou hast done for me, have been guilty of so many offences against Thee? O my God! for the love of this Thy Son, have pity on me.
I am sorry above every evil for having offended Thee. And though I have grievously offended Thee, I desire to love Thee with the greatest fervor; give me strength so to love Thee.
2. The eternal Father having loaded his Son with all our crimes, was not content even with such satisfaction from him, as would have amply atoned for us all, but, as
