Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/548

 cause thou  hast,  by  the  holy Cross, so  wonderfully  and lovingly redeemed  me  and the whole  world. Oh, how excellent, precious. and efficacious a victim  hast  thou immolated for  us  on  the  altar of the  Cross! Oh, how  greatly hast  thou  toiled,  how  much wast thou  straitened,  until thou hadst  accomplished  the sacrifice which  thou  hadst begun! By a tree  Satan  seduced and  ruined  us  of  old; but by  a Tree  again  thou  hast overcome our  enemy,  redeemed us  graciously,  and obtained for  us  eternal  salvation!

O precious wood! O potent sign! O glorious mystery, worthy  of  all  veneration! O excellent Tree,  that hast borne  the  fruit  of  life!

But alas! most loving  Jesus, with  what  toil,  what weariness hast  thou  carried  on thy  shoulders  that  heavy  burden of  the  Cross  along  that steep and  tedious  road  to Mount  Calvary! With what pain and  torture  were  thy most holy  Hands  and  Feet pierced through  with  nails, and fastened  to  the  Cross! How cruelly  hast  thou  endured to  have  thy  whole  body stretched out  upon  it,  so  that the joints  and  ligatures  of thy  limbs  were  loosened,  and all thy  bones  could  be  numbered! And why  all  this, but to  blot  out  the  handwriting of  the  decree  that  was against us,  and  take  it  out  of the  way,  fastening  it  to  the Cross? To wash  away,  I say, our sins  with  thy  own  innocent Blood,  and  rescind  the sentence of  condemnation passed upon  us,  and  so  reconcile all  things,  making  peace, by the  Blood  of  the  Cross, both as  to  the  things  on  earth, and the  things  that  are  in heaven.

Henceforth, O most  sweet Saviour Jesus  Christ,  most faithful Pastor  of  my  soul, receive me,  thy  unworthy creature, and  silly,  wandering sheep! Open to  me  thy Heart and  thy  Wounds,  that in them  I may  hide  myself, with my  miseries  and  sins, and be  protected  and  purified. Crucify in  me  my  flesh,  with its vices  and  concupiscences. Extinguish all  my  pride,  and tear out  of  me  my  vanity, with all  my  evil  affections. Renew also  a right  spirit within my  bowels. Awaken in me  an  earnest  and  effectual will towards  every  good work, with  sincerity  of  love, unweariedness of  service, and constancy  of  obedience to thee  alone; that  so  it  may be far  from  me  to  glory,  save in the  Cross  of  my  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  may the world  be  crucified  to  me, and I to  the  world. Thou hast said, If  I be  lifted  up  from the earth,  I will  draw  all things to  myself. Now there