# The Writings of Saint Patrick, the Apostle of Ireland/The Hymn, or 'Breastplate'

The Genuine Writings of Patrick.
I.— THE HYMN, OR 'BREASTPLATE.'
1.
BIND myself to-day,
To a strong power, an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe in a Threeness with confession of a Oneness in the Creator of Judgment.
2.
I bind myself to-day,
To the power of the birth of Christ, with His baptism,
To the power of the crucifixion, with His burial,
To the power of His resurrection, with His ascension.
To the power of His coming to the judgment of doom.
3.
I bind myself to-day,
To the power of the ranks of cherubim,Col. i. 16.
In the obedience of angels,Heb. i. 14.
In the service of archangels,Rev. xxii. 9.
In the hope of resurrection unto reward,Acts xxiii. 6.
In the prayers of patriarchs,Gen. xxviii. 20.
In the predictions of prophets,1 Pet. i. 12.
In the preachings of apostles.Matt. xxviii. 19, 20
In the faiths of confessors,Acts vii. 55–60.
In the purity of holy virgins.Rev. xiv. 4.
In the acts of righteous men.Matt. V. 16.
4.
I bind myself to-day,
To the power of heaven, Psa. cxlviii. 1. The light of sun,
The brightness of moon,Psa. cxlviii. 3.
The splendour of fire,
The speed of lightning, Psa. cxlviii. 7, 8.
The swiftness of wind, Psa. civ. 4.
The depth of the sea,
The stability of earth, Psa. civ. 5.
The firmness of rocks.
5.
I bind myself to-day,
To the power of God to guide me, Deut. xxxiii. 27. The might of God to uphold me,
The wisdom of God to teach me, Col. iii. 16. The eye of God to watch over me,
The ear of God to hear me, ​The word of God to speak for me,1 Pet. iv. 11.
The hand of God to protect me,
The way of God to lie before me, The shield of God to shelter me,Psa. xviii. 1, 2.
The host of God to defend me,2 Kings vi. 17.
Against the snares of demons,
Against the temptations of vices,
Against [the lusts] of nature, Eph. vi. 10-17.
Against every man who meditates injury to me,
Whether far or near,
Alone and in a multitude.
6.
I summon to-day around me all these powers,
Against every hostile merciless power directed against my body and my soul.Jude 20. Against the incantations of false prophets,Acts xiii. 8–12.
Against the black laws of heathenism,
Against the false laws of heretics, Against the deceit of idolatry,1 John v. 21. Against the spells of women, and smiths, and Druids,
Against all knowledge which hath defiled man's body and soul.Jude 10.
7.
Christ protect me to-day,
Against poison, against burning, Mark xvi. 18. Against drowning, against wound, Acts xxviii. 22–25.
8.
Christ with me, Christ before me,
Christ behind me, Christ within me,
Christ beneath me, Christ above me,
Christ at my right, Christ at my left,
Christ in breadth, Christ in length, Christ in height. Eph. iii. 18, 19.
9.
Christ in the heart of every man who thinks of me,
Christ in the mouth of every man who speaks to me,
Christ in the eye of every man that sees me,
Christ in the ear of every man that hears me.
10.
I bind myself to-day.
To a strong power, an invocation of the Trinity,
I believe in a Threeness with confession of a Oneness in the Creator of Judgment.
11.
Salvation is the Lord's,Psa. iii. 8. Salvation is the Lord's,
Salvation is Christ's,Rev. vii. 10. Let Thy salvation, O Lord, be ever with us.Isa. xxv. 9.
* ↑ The figures refer to the notes at the end of the book.