Page:TheParadiseOfTheChristianSoul.djvu/96



God the  Holy  Ghost,  Have  mercy  on  us.

Holy Trinity,  one  God,  Have  mercy  on  us.

Afterwards recite  the  Rosary by  three  decades,  thus; At the  beginning  of  each  decade, or  at  the  three  greater beads, say the  Lord's  Prayer, with the  Angelic  Hymn, taken out of  the  seventh  chapter  of the  Apocalypse:  Benediction, and glory,  and  wisdom,  and thanksgiving, honour,  and power, and  strength,  to  our God for  ever  and  ever. And at each  of  the  smaller  beads, say the  words  of  the  seraphic Thrice Holy,  in  the  sixth  chapter of  Isaias, adding  the  Doxology  of  the  Church. Holy, holy, holy,  Lord  God  of  Hosts. The whole  earth  is  full  of  his glory. Glory be  to  the  Father, and  to  the  Son,  and  to the  Holy  Ghost: as  it  was  in the  beginning,  is  now,  and ever shall  be,  world  without end. Amen.

Cornelius &amp; Lapide,  on  the sixth chapter  of  Isaias, testifies that  this  exercise, which he calls  a short  Doxology, was much  and  very  profitably practised by  many  learned  and pious men.

1. It  is  a profession  of  faith in the  Most  Holy  Trinity against heretics  and  infidels.

2. It  is  a religious  exercise of faith, hope,  charity, gratitude, and  other  virtues.

3. It  is  an  incitement  to devotion, and  to  spiritual  joy, to enable  us  to  bear  temptations and  adversities  with  fortitude, generously  to  overcome all difficulties  and  hardships; and, as  it  were,  after  the  example of  the  royal  prophet, to say. Bless the  Lord  at  all times.

4. We  emulate,  in  our  measure, the  life  and  office  of angels,  while  we  thus  continually renew  our  endeavours to praise  God;  since  this  is what  the  angels  do  incessantly in heaven,  and  what  we  shall do there  with  them  hereafter. For the  life  and  office  of  an angel  is,  in  reality, to  praise God. Thus, in  fact,  we  begin here  to  be  blessed,  and to have  our  conversation  in heaven;  for  we  rise  above earthly things, and  are  occupied with  God  and  his praises. So far  Cornelius.

Further we  are  thus  reminded to  accustom  ourselves to the  practice  and  exercise  of a right  intention,  that  we  may refer all  things  to  the  greater glory of  God.

Thus, too,  we  put  off,  and cut away  by  little  and  little that corrupt  and  hurtful  affection of  zeal  for  our  own  glory, which seems  rooted  in  our very nature;  and,  on  the  other hand, we profess  that  all glory is  due  to  God  alone, as the  supreme  source  of  all  good, and to  us  nothing  but  confusion.

In order  to  excite  and  nourish in  us  these  and  similar  pious