Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/274

 says the  Wise  Man,  "  will  not  enter  into  a  malicious  soul, nor  dwell  in  a  body  subject  to  sin." (Wis. i.  4.)  Remember that  your  Advocate  is  uncreated  wisdom  itself.

I. "  Behold,  what  manner  of  charity  the  Father  hath bestowed  upon  us,  that  we  should  be  named,  and  should be  the  sons  of  God!" (1 John  iii.  1.)  This  Father  of mercy  was  not  satisfied  with  sending  His  only  Son  to redeem  us;  He  has  also  adopted  us  for  His  children. This favor  is  greater  in  proportion  to  the  meanness  of the  person  adopted,  the  dignity  of  God  who  adopts you, and  the  sublime  condition  to  which  He  elevates you. What is  more  vile  or  base  than  man,  and  what more exalted  than  God? As to  his  body,  man  is  nothing but a  composition  of  the  dust  of  the  earth,  subject  to  a thousand  infirmities,  and  destined  to  become  ultimately the food  of  loathsome  worms. As to  His  soul  He  is constantly  subject  to  sin,  an  abyss  of  ignorance,  and  a model  of  inconstancy. Reflect how  contracted  are  his intellectual faculties,  how  small  is  His  portion  of  knowledge, and  to  what  miseries  He  is  subject. Hence Job exclaims, "  What  is  man,  that  Thou  shouldst  magnify him,  or  why  dost  Thou  set  Thy  heart  upon  him?" (Job vii. 17.)

II. On the  other  hand,  God,  who  has  adopted  you, is infinitely  great,  good,  and  almighty. What a  dignity it is  to  be  the  adoptive  Son  of  such  a  being! If it were  considered  a  wonderful  elevation  in  the  Patriarch Joseph to  be  taken  out  of  prison  and  made  Lord  of Egypt  (Gen.  xli.  40),  in  Saul  to  have  been  taken  by  the Prophet when  seeking  his  father's  asses,  and  anointed