Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/128

 where, as  in  the  sacred  temple of  thy  glory. Thou hast, however, sanctified  my  soul, which is  much  more  noble and capacious  than  the  corporeal world,  like  a temple, m a particular manner  to  thy worship, and  consecrated  it to  be  an  habitation  for  thyself, and  thus  I am  able  to behold  thee  dwelling  in  the innermost recesses  of  my  soul; here, in  holy  silence,  I may converse with  thee  thyself; here I may  enjoy  myself  with thee; here I may  propitiate thee with  my  service; here adore thee,  here  ask  thee  to bestow  on  me  this  holiness and purity. And this,  O my Lord,  I now  desire  to  do, and to  obtain,  with  my  whole heart, and  with  all  the  powers of my  soul.

4. I will  endeavour,  too, O Lord, and  I now  propose to myself,  with  my  whole strength, to  flee  from  all  impure and  inordinate  affections and all  the  stains  of  the  soul, by which  a temple  sacred  to thee  might  be  violated  and profaned; because, O Lord, as doubtless  thou  necessarily very much  lovest  thine  own holiness, so,  of  necessity,  thou greatly hatest  sin,  and  abhorrest  all  impurity.

5. Lastly,  to  thee,  as  the  author, the  end,  the  rule,  and  the pattern of  all  holiness,  from which, to  which,  and  according to  which,  all  things  in heaven  and  earth  are  sanctified, be  glory,  blessing,  and thanksgiving, from  all  creatures in  heaven  and  earth. Amen.

1. O my  Lord,  thou  art called good  by  reason  of  thy natural perfection,  by  reason of thy  holiness,  and  by  reason or  thy  beneficence,  which may be  called  bounty. This is no  more  than  thy  natural inclination to  communicate thy blessings  to  inferior  things and creatures,  according  to the  capacity  of  each.

Oh, how  truly  beautiful dost thou  show  thyself,  O Lord! When thou  wert  in need  of  nothing,  and  wert all-sufficient to  thyself,  thou didst nevertheless  create  all things out  of  nothing,  and draw them  forth  out  of  the abyss of  their  nothingness; giving them  essence,  form, beauty, desire  for  good  and aversion for  evil,  strength, functions, force,  motion,  situation, measure,  order,  perfection, and  bounds,  as  was proper and  agreeable  for each. And this  thou  didst, not for  any  convenience  or benefit  to  thyself,  but  to them,  that  they  might  participate in  thy  blessings,  each according to  his  capacity, and taste  the  fruit  of  thy bounty. Therefore all  things