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Show If - y.JW-k CHAPTER XXII. Open, O Lord, my heart in Thy law, and teach me to walk in Thy commandments. command-ments. Give me to understand Thy will, and to commemorate with areat reverence, all Thy benefits, as well in general as in particular, so that I may be able to worthily return thanks for them. Iknow, and confess, indeed, that I am not able to return Thee due thanks of praise, not even of the least. I am less than any of Thy benefits bestowed on me; and when I consider Thy excellence, my spirit fainteth before be-fore the greatness thereof. All things that we have in soul and body, and what outwardly, and inwardly, naturally natur-ally and supernaturally we possess, are Thy benefits, and we celebrate Thy bounty, mercy and goodness, from whom we have received all good. Although Al-though one hath received more, another an-other less, yet all are Thine, and without with-out Thee even the least cannot be had. He who hath received greater things, cannot glory of his own merit, nor extol himself above others, nor exult over the lesser; because he is indeed greater and better who attributeth less to himself and is more humble and devout de-vout in returning thanks. And he es-teemeth es-teemeth himself the vilest of all men, and judgeth himself the most un worthy. Is fitetd to receive sreater blessing. All things are from Thee, and therefore there-fore Thou art praised in all. Thou knowest what is expedient to be given to each; and why this one hath less, and the other more, is not ours to decide, but Thine, with whom are determined the merits of each. For Thou, O God, hast chosen the poor and humble, and those that are despised by the world,, for Thy familiar friends and domestics. The Apostles themselves are wlt- nesses, whom Thou hast appointed over all the whole earth. And yet they lived in this world without complaint, so humble and simple, sim-ple, without any malice or guile, and they even rejoiced to suffer reproaches for Thy name, and what things the world flies from, those they embraced with .sreat affection. For Thy will and the love of Thy honor ought to take precedence of all things, and to comfort and please one more than any benefits whatsoever that have been or can be riven. Nothing ought to give so great a joy to one that loveth Thee and know-eth know-eth all Thy benefits as the accomplishment accomplish-ment of Thy willin himself, and the .good pleasure of Thy eternal appointment. |