Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/501



O most dear  Father,  Jesus Christ! who, by  thy  Blood, hast regenerated  us,  by  the defect of  our  first  birth,  children of  wrath  and  perdition, to be  children  of  God,  and heirs of  eternal  life: whence thy prophet  justly  calls  thee the Father  of  the  world  to come. We truly,  indeed,  confess, worship,  and  adore  thee as the  Father  and  author  of the  new  creature,  or  our  regeneration, the  Father  of  a new  love  unheard  of  hitherto. And behold,  how  good  a Father thou  art,  and  how  ready to assist  thy  children, thou  amply showest  in  this  very  thing, that thou  suppliest  us  with a form of  prayer, — with  the very words  by  which  we  may easily and  effectually  obtain whatever we  ask  of  thee,  or of  the  Father  in  thy  Name.

O Father of  our  Lord  Jesus Christ,  look  upon  the  face of Christ,  thy  Son,  as  often as we  make  our  supplication to thee,  as  by  his  instruction we are  taught.

And thou,  too,  Jesus  our Father, hear  us  as  often  as  in thy  own  words  we  humbly address thee,  saying: Hallowed be  thy  name.

O Jesus, the  great  Priest, who in  thy  days  didst  please God, and  wast  found  just,  and in the  time  of  wrath  wast made a reconciliation; who, not by  the  blood  of  others, but by  thy  own,  hast  entered once into  the  Holies! For it was  fitting  that  we  should have such  a High  Priest,  holy, innocent, undefiled,  separated from sinners,  who  needed not, as  the  other  priests,  to offer  sacrifices,  first,  for  his own sins,  and  then  for  the people’s.

Behold, thou  art  holy,  and holy is  thy  Name; for  such art thou  declared  to  be  by  the Angels, at  and  even  before thy birth; and  thy  eternal