Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/34



The present  age,  fertile  as  it  is  in  writers,  has  produced  a variety  of  books  serviceable  to  Christian  piety. Some furnish lessons  and  instructions  on  the  spiritual  life; some suggest devout  meditations,  and  subjects  for  holy  affections; others, again,  contain  prayers,  offices,  litanies,  and  forms  of devotional  exercises. So little  need  have  we  to  complain  of scantiness  in  the  sources  of  devotion,  that  we  are  all  but overwhelmed by  their  variety  and  number.

It seemed  to  me,  therefore,  no  unprofitable  labour  to survey  the  gardens  and  pleasure-grounds  of  every  author, — to cull  thence  the  most  notable  plants,  flowers,  and  shrubs, and to  plant  with  them  a new  kind  of  Paradise  of  pleasure, or rather  of  piety; and  thus  to  comprise  in  one  small  volume, suitable for  daily  use,  the  juice  and  sap  of  all  those  whose object is  the  cultivation  of  goodness. This is  my  purpose and design,  which  thou  wilt  learn  more  fully  from  the  plan of the  book,  which  I now  subjoin.

I. Since  prayer  is  the  desire  of  some  good,  and  to  act  for the sake  of  an  end  is  proper  to  man,  it  is  a question  what  is the  end  proposed  to  one  who  prays? It is  God,  who  is man’s  Supreme  End  and  Sovereign  Good. As is  right,  therefore, at  the  ‘outset,  and  in  the  First  Part,  the  most  Holy