Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/693

 who wert  to  be  Death’s Conqueror, is  so  great  at  its approach?

But be  thou  blessed  for ever, my  Jesus,  because  it  was for the  consolation  of  thy weak members  that  thou  didst take upon  thee  those  marks  of weakness,  that  the  weakness of the  flesh  may  not  cast  us into  despair,  when  the  spirit is willing  to  suffer  and  to  die.

Ah, Lord! remember that vehement sorrow,  that  fear, that dread,  that  terrible  anguish, which,  on  the  very  eve of thy  most  bitter  Passion, rushed in  like  floods  of  water upon thy  soul,  so  that,  falling prostrate on  the  ground,  thou besoughtest of  thy  Father that this  chalice  might  pass from thee!

Remember that  most  cruel agony, and  that, alas! most bitter conflict,  with  which  thou hadst to  struggle  with  death, on that  most  woful  night, which wrung,  oh,  how  forcibly! from thy  whole  Body  thy Bloody Sweat.

Remember, O Lord,  what all this  was  for. Assuredly it was  for  us  men,  and  for  our salvation. Time indeed  shall be when  I too  shall  come  to that  hour; when  I too  shall enter into  that  garden,  that field of  battle,  and  have  to combat  with  death. Alas! O Lord, what  will  become  of me  then? Without thy  aid I shall not  be  able  to  hold out; unless thou,  who  invitest  all  who  labour  and  are heavy burdened  to  come  to thee  for  refreshment,  be  with me, and  fight  for  me,  I must fail and  yield  my  ground.

I too, indeed,  am  ready  to drink  of  thy  chalice: for  how shall I,  that  am  a sinner,  refuse it,  when  thou,  the  innocent Lamb,  hast  been  the  first to drink  it? I dare not,  then, pray to  escape  it: but  I do earnestly  pray  thee,  O Lord, to temper  for  me  this  cup, and so  to  assuage  its  bitterness from  the  fountain  of  thy grace and  consolation,  that I may neither  dread  it  nor shrink from  it: for  by  thy grace I can  do  all  things,  if thou  strengthen  me. But oh, how goodly  is  the  inebriating chalice of  thy  glory! Oh, the plenty  with  which  the Elect shall  be  inebriated  with the House  of  God! Oh, the torrent of  the  pleasure  of which  thou  shalt  give  thy friends to  drink! What is there  that  this  hope  and  expectation will  not  make  easy, pleasant, and  sweet? Surely all that  is  hard  and  heavy  in our  tribulation  is  made  light by that  eternal  weight  of glory!

But in  this,  O Lord,  not  my will,  but  thine  be  done. I ask not  for  a gentle  and  easy death; but for  one  which thou wiliest  and  knowest  will be for  thy  greater  glory  and my own  salvation. All this I commit to  thy  love  and