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Show If v P: 1 j v - ( I CH PTER XXXIV. Beholf my God and my all! What would I more, and what greater happiness hap-piness can I desire? O sweet and savory word! but to him that loveth the word, not the world nor the things that are in the world. My God and my all! To one that under-standeth under-standeth sufficient is said; to one that loveth. to repeat it often is delightful. For when thou art prejent. all things yield delight; but when thou art absent, ab-sent, all things grow loathsome. Thou makest a tranquil heart, great peace, and festive joy. Thou makest us to think well of all things, and in all things to praise Thee, nor can anything without Th?e afford any lasting pleasure: pleas-ure: but if it is to be agreeable and pleasing to us. Thy grace must be present, pres-ent, and it must be seasoned with the savor of Thv wisdom. I To whom Thou impartest a relish, what will not be rightly agreeable to him? And to him that relisheth Thee not, what can ever yield true delight? But the wise of the world and the wise- according ac-cording to the flesh are destitute of Thy wisdom, for in the former is found much vanity and in the latter death. I But they that follow Thee, by the j contempt of worldly things and the j mortification of the flesh, are found to j be wise indeed; for they are translated ! from vanity to truth, from the flesh to the spirit. Such as these have a relish of God: and whatever good is found in creatures, crea-tures, they refer it all to the praise of ' their Maker. But great, yes, very great, is the difference dif-ference between the relish of the Cre- dior ana ine creature, or eternity and of time, of light uncreated, and of light unlightened. O Light perpetual! transcending all created lights, dart forth that light from above, which may penetrate "all the secret recesses of my heart. Cleanse, cheer, enlighten and enliven my spirit with its powers, that with joyful ecstacy it may cleave to Thee. Oh. when will this blessed and desirable de-sirable hour come, that thou mayst fill me with Thy presence, and become to me all in a!!? So long as this is not granted, my joy will not be full. As yet. alas! the old man is living in me; he is not wholly whol-ly crucified, he is not perfectly dead. ! He still lusteth strongly against the spirit, he wageth war with me. neither suffereth he the kingdom of the soul to be quiet. But Thou, who rulest over the power of the sea, and helpest the motion of its waves, arise and help me. ! Scatter Thou the nations that delight in wars, and crush them in Thy might. Show forth. I beseech Thee. Thy wonderful won-derful works, and let Thy right hand be glorified. For there is no hone nor refuge for me but in Thee, O Lord my God. |