Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/499

 low me. Of what  art  thou afraid? My ways  are  beautiful ways;  and  when  thou hast entered  there,  thy  steps shall not  be  straitened: I have made the  crooked  straight, and the  rough  ways  plain. My yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden light. I, who  am  thy guide, will  also  be  thy  helper, and at  the  last  thy  exceeding great reward.

Let every  tongue,  O Father, give  thee  thanks  for  the superabundance of  thy  love, because thou  sparedst  not  the only Son  of  thy  heart,  but deliveredst him  to  death  for us all,  that  we  might  have him as  a faithful  Advocate  in thy  presence  in  heaven.

For behold,  he  stands  for us before  thee,  crowned  with glory and honour  at  the  right hand of  thy  Majesty,  for  he  is our  flesh  and  our  brother. Look, O Lord,  upon  the  face of thy  Christ,  who  became obedient to  thee  even  to  the death of  the  Cross; nor  let the scars  of  his  wounds  depart from  thy  eyes  for  ever, that thou  mayest  remember how great  is  the  satisfaction which thou  hast  received  from him.

And what  thanks  shall  a man  like  me,  a poor  creature of dust,  render  thee,  O Lord Jesus, most  Mighty  and  Jealous? For what  shouldst thou have  done  for  my  salvation that  thou  hast  not  done? From the  sole  of  thy  foot  to the  crown  of  thy  head,  thou hast sunk  thy  whole  self  in the  waters  of  suffering,  that thou mightst  draw  me  entirely out of  them; and  they  have entered even  into  thy  soul, for thou  hast  given  even  thy own soul  to  death,  that  thou mightst restore  to  me  mine which I had  lost.

Behold, then,  thou  hast laid me  under  a twofold obligation. For I am  thy debtor, both  for  thy  own  life, which thou  hast  given  for  me, and also  for  my  own  which thou hast  given  to  me,  once  in creation,  and  once  in  redemption. I have nothing  but  it that  I can  give  thee  more justly in  return.

But for  thy  precious  soul, that was  so  afflicted,  I know not what  sufficient  requital can be  made  by  a man. For though I should  give  thee  for it the  heaven  and  the  earth, with all  the  furniture  of  them, assuredly I could  not  even  so reach  the  measure  of  my  debt. But it  is  of  thy  bounty,  O Lord,  that  I give  thee  myself, which I both  owe  and  can give.

I must love  thee,  O Lord, with my  whole  heart,  my whole  soul,  and  my  whole