Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/65

 me, or  who  have  ever  injured me. I am sorry,  from  the  bottom of  my  heart,  that  I have offended thee. O Lord, be merciful  to  my  sins.

This is  a most  easy  and  excellent method  of  making  frequently an  act  of  contrition.

Another hindrance  is  temptation, which  urges  us  to  sin, and hinders  us  from  following the  Divine  will. Hence one who  is  freed  from  past sins, both dreads  and  seeks  to avoid  those  which  are  future. But who  can  fly  from  them without the  help  of  God? Therefore, from the  knowledge we  have  of  our  own weakness, and of  the  power of so  many  enemies, to  whom our life  is  always  exposed,  we Pray,

And lead  us  not  into temptation.

We acknowledge,  O Lord, that without  thee  we  can  do nothing,  and  that  all  our  sufficiency is  of  thee;  let  not, then, thy  grace  desert  us,  nor permit us  to  be  driven  back, and beaten  down  by  any  temptation of  the  world,  the  flesh, or the  devil. Thou seest  our frailty, and  the  great  power and craft  of  those  who  tempt thy creatures,  so  dearly  redeemed. We doubt  not,  that all things  are  brought  about by the  loving  counsel  of  thy providence; and  that  not  to suffer,  but  to  be  conquered by temptation,  is  evil. Suffer us not,  then,  O Lord,  to be  tempted  beyond  what  we are  able,  lest  perchance  we fail  under  the  temptation; but help us  to  overcome  it. Let but thy  grace  prosper  us,  and the victory  will  be  easy.

Another hindrance  is  the punishment we  often  meet  with when freed  from  guilt. The many adversities  of  this  life, as famine, wars,  diseases, loss of property,  reputation, life, sometimes affects  severely  even pious minds. So that  we  have cause finally  to  pray.

But deliver  us  from  evil.

That which  our  feelings  incline us  to  think  evil,  is  not so in  reality,  and  in  itself, unless it  is  made  so  through our fault. For from  thee,  O Lord,  proceed  all  things,  whether life  or  death,  honour  or poverty; how,  then,  can  they be evil, when  they  proceed from the  Highest  Good? These, however,  become  evil, not unfrequently,  through  our fault, that  is  to  say,  through our impatience,  cowardice, and mistrust. Strengthen us, then, with  thy  grace  and  comfort, and  make  all  things  work together for  good  to  those  that love thee. Here cut  and  burn me, as  a physician  the  patient who draws  his  last  hope  of life  from  these  remedies,  however severe. Here correct  and chastise me,  as  a father  the son for  whom  the  inheritance is reserved. Nay more,  prove, and try,  and  purify  me,  as a refiner  the  gold  which  is