Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/329

 vation. By your  prayers  and merits obtain  for  me,  I beseech  you,  of  God,  by  the guidance of  his  grace,    so to  live  this  day  that  I may live with you, rejoice with you and  praise  God  with  you  in  eternity. Amen.

From Philip  Rovenius,  Archbishop  of  Philippi,  Vicar  of  Hollaud,  in his  Institutes  of  Christian  Piety,  and  F.  Mart,  of  the  Mother  of God,  of  the  Order  of  Barefooted  Carmelites,  in  his  Practice  of Christian  Philosophy,  who  may  be  more  fully  consulted  on  the force and  excellence  of  this  sort  of  exercise.

A good person  who  desires to praise  God  without  ceasing, and  with  little  labour  to gain  much  merit, may  enter into such  a compact  as  this with God. At certain  fixed signs, as the  sound  of  a hell, the sight  of  the" sky,  the  striking the  breast,  &c. (for  signs may  he  taken  and  multiplied at  will),  he  may  wish  for,  and take  satisfaction  in  whatever work  that  is  good  and  pleasing to  God  which  has  ever been,  or  is  on  that  day,  or will,  or  can  ever  be  done hereafter.  Again,  he  may  at all  such  times  wish  to  offer himself  to  God,  mourn  for his  sins, renew  vows  previously made,  adore  or  praise God,  Ac.

To what  an  enormous amount of  guilt  would  one bind himself  who  were  to  resolve that,  whenever  he  heard a bell, or  looked  at  the  sky,  Ac., he would  wish  confirmed,  and take satisfaction  in  all  the evil ever  done,  and  hereafter to be  done! Can that  which is of  such  efficacy  in  the  case of what  is  bad,  fail  to  possess a large  amount  of  virtue and  merit  in  its  application to  good? Of such  a compact  the  following  is  a formula:

O most bountiful  Father  of mercies,  my  God,  my  Lord, and my  Creator! From thee, by thee,  and  in  thee,  are  all things; for in  thee  we  live, move, and  are,  and,  therefore, in right  of  thy  supreme  dominion all  things  serve  thee. Hence it  is  that  I also  am thine,  as  I now  give  thee  myself, by  a perpetual  engagement to  be  thy  servant  for ever; that every  moment  of my  life,  and  all  that  is  within me and  around  me,  may  bless thy name. But as  the  necessities of  this  life  do  not  admit of my  mind  being  incessantly occupied in  thy  praises,  I desire,  O Lord,’  to  establish with thee  this  compact.

Whenever I look  up  to  the sky, or  strike  my  breast,  or behold  a sacred  image; whenever I hear  the  clock,  or  the signal for  Mass,  or  the  eleva-