Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/503

 Lord! I am thy  servant,  and the son  of  thy  handmaid. What, then,  O Lord,  wouldst thou have  me  do? My heart is ready,  ready  to  do  what thou commandest,  ready  to shun  what  thou  forbiddest. I know that  not  every  one pleases thee  that  says  to  thee, Lord, Lord,  but  he  that  keeps thy commandments. O Jesus, Master! have mercy  on me,  and  teach  me  to  do  thy will; that  I may  not  be  a servant  that  knows  his  Lord’s will, but  does  it  not,  and  so be  worthy  to  be  beaten  with many stripes. Give what thou commandest,  and  command  what  thou  wilt.

O Jesus, good  Shepherd! who camest  from  heaven,  to visit  thy  sheep,  as  a shepherd visits his  flock,  and  feedest, too, thy  sheep  in  the  richest pastures. But who  is  there that feeds  a flock,  and  does not eat  of  its  milk  and  of  its flesh? yet thou  feedest  thy sheep with  thy  own  Flesh  and Blood, nay,  layest  down  thy life for  thy  sheep.

Behold, O good  Shepherd, I have gone  astray  like  a sheep  that  is  lost; I am  wandering in  trackless  ways,  and find no  pasture. Seek thy sheep again,  lay  me  on  thy shoulders, and  carry  me  back to the  place  of  pasture,  where thou hast  first  placed  me,  and nothing will  be  wanting  either to  my  body  or  soul. Give me bread  out  of  the  earth  to nourish  the  one,  and  with  the Bread of  Heaven  strengthen the other,  that  I may  not  faint by the  way.

O Jesus, most  loving  Redeemer, who  hast  loved  us, and given  thyself  for  us,  to redeem  us  from  all  iniquity, and to  purify  to  thyself  an acceptable  people. We were sold for  nothing,  and  were to be  redeemed  without  money: yet  with  a price,  oh, with how  great  a price  were we bought  For  we  were not redeemed  with  corruptible things,  like  gold  and silver, but  with  thy  precious Blood. Forgive us,  then,  our debts, for  which  thou  hast paid so  ample  a price. But if thou  shouldst  mark  iniquities, who  shall  endure  it,  since there is  none  to  redeem  or  to save  us? For who  is  there beside thee,  who  can  forgive sins? Not a brother,  nor  any man will  redeem  us,  for  with thee alone,  O supreme  Redeemer, is  there  mercy  and plentiful redemption!

O Jesus, my  Saviour,  and most loving  Physician! who camest into  the  world  to save  sinners,  who  hast  thyself borne our  infirmities,  and carried our  sorrows,  having been thyself  tempted  in  all