Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/43

 the reader’s  heart  may  be  unaffected  with  these  virtues, nay, may  be  possessed  with  feelings  opposed  to  them,  nor even once  shrink  from  them  so  far  as  to  think  of  expelling them, for  which  reason  his  prayer  is  not  turned  into  his bosom. For by  gulping  down  unchewed  all  at  once  food already partially  eaten  by  others,  and  prepared  for  the palate and  taste  of  another,  he  loses  its  pleasantness  of  taste, and cannot  convert  it  into  the  blood  and  juice  that  are  necessary for  his  nourishment.

Now for  this  the  only  remedy  is  to  utter  the  holy  thoughts expressed in  books  of  devotion,  as  though  they  were  the spontaneous offspring  of  the  inmost  feeling  of  the  heart,  and to be  affected  conformably  to  them  ourselves; to  renounce before God  the  inward  affections  of  our  rebellious  nature, which we  discover  to  be  opposed  to  them,  and  to  endeavour to subdue  and  to  correct  them  by  his  grace.

For this  kind  of  devotion  the  safest  of  any  is  the  Lord’s Prayer, since  from  its  adaptation  to  the  wants  and  condition of  all,  it  cannot  but  suggest  matter  for  prayer  at  once suitable and  necessary  for  all  classes. Let it  not,  then,  seem strange to  thee,  good  reader,  to  see  in  this  new  Paradise exercises so  many  and  various  upon  the  Lord’s  Prayer. But marvel rather  with  me,  that  one  and  so  short  a prayer should be  so  pregnant  with  holy  meaning,  and  furnish  us with  exercises  of  devotion  in  such  varied  abundance.

But how  is  this  to  be  wondered  at,  when  the  great  Master of all  petitions  in  the  supreme  court  has  himself  arranged it and  dictated  it  to  us! The reader  may  find  its  eulogies amply and  beautifully  written  by  S.  Cyprian,  S.  Augustine, and others; but  they  are  inadmissible  within  the  narrow limits of  this  work.

We have  given  several,  and  indeed  new,  litanies,  but  their novelty need  offend  no  one,  for  they  consist  merely  of  words and sentences  from  Scripture. They represent  also  the principal attributes,  perfections,  offices,  benefits,  praises,  and eulogies, as  well  of  the  Divine  Nature  as  of  the  several  Persons in  the  most  Holy  Trinity; and  are  really  nothing  more than devout  aspirations,  such  as  any  one  may  frame  from Scripture in  a sound  acceptation  of  the  words.

In these  and  other  devotions,  the  good  reader  will,  if  I mistake  not,  have  abundant  matter  for  pious  feelings  and holy meditations. If, perchance,  any  one  is  wearied  by  their length, he  may  try  to  subdue  or  to  temper  this  feeling  with the love  of  God; if  ineffectually,  there  is  no  reason  why  the