Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/686

 will rest. For thou,  O Lord, hast singularly  settled  me  in hope. And now  what  is  my hope? Is it  not  the  Lord? and my  substance  is  with thee. Uphold me  according to thy  word,  and  I shall  live; and let  me  not  be  confounded in my  expectation. In thee, O Lord, have  I hoped;  let me never  be  confounded. Deliver me in  thy  justice,  &amp;c.

And what  is  thy  Will,  O most  loving  Father,  but  that should love  thee? Behold, thou commandest  me  to  love thee with  all  my  heart  and with all  my  mind,  &amp;c.; but give what  thou  commandest, and command  what  thou  wilt. For thou  seest  how  many  are the hindrances  which  we  suffer to  thy  Will,  and  obstacles to thy  Love,  while  the  corruptible body  is  a load  upon the soul. I wish, indeed,  so to  love  thee;  and  I am  delighted with  thy  law  according to  the  inward  man; but  I see  another  law  in  my  members fighting  against  the  law of my  mind,  so  that  I do  not the good  which  I will.

Alas! unhappy man  that  I am! who shall  deliver  me from  the  body  of  this  death? Thy grace,  by  Jesus  Christ our Lord. Grant, therefore, that I may  not  lose  my  soul by loving  it,  but  that,  by  a saving  hate,  I may  keep  it  to life  eternal.

But I hear  too,  that  if  any man love  the  world,  or  the things which  are  in  the  world, the charity  of  God  is  not  in him. Therefore let  love  as strong,  nay,  stronger  than death, drive  out  of  my  heart that wicked  love,  that  there may be  nothing,  especially when I depart  out  of  this world, able  to  separate  me from  the  love  which  is  in Christ  Jesus  our  Lord.

Let the  force  of  thy  love swallow me  up,  that,  for  the love of  thy  love,  I may  die  to the  world,  because  thou,  for the love  of  my  love,  hast vouchsafed to  die  upon  the Cross.

O God, who  feedest  me hitherto  from  my  youth; oh, forsake me  not  even  to  old age, and  when  my  strength fails me! For in  journeying through this  desert  to  the