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Exclamation VIII

  1. O Lord my God, truly "Thou hast the words of life," ' wherein men can find all they crave, if they but seek it! But what wonder is it if we forget Thy words, seeing the state of folly and disorder to which our sins have reduced us?

  2. O my God! God! God and Maker of all Creation! What is all this creation compared with what Thou canst create, dost Thou but will? Thou art omnipotent: Thy works are incomprehensible.1 Permit not Thy words ever to become effaced from my mind: " Come unto Me all you that labour and I will refresh you." ■* What more can we desire or seek, Lord? Why are worldlings lost, save through seeking happiness?

  3. Good God! Good God! How is it. Lord? How pitiful! What utter blindness to seek for happiness where it cannot be found. Have pity, Creator, on Thy creatures! Remember, we do not understand ourselves, or know what we want, nor do we ask aright! Lord, give us light! See! we need it more than did the man who was born blind, for he longed to see the light but could not, while we do not wish to see it.2

  4. Oh! ill past remedy, needing Thee to manifest both Thy power and Thy mercy. O true God of mine! How hard a thing I crave of Thee! No less than that Thou shouldst love those who love not Thee: shouldst open to those who do not knock — shouldst cure those who wish to ail, and who foster their maladies.

  5. Thou didst declare, my Master, that Thou camest to seek sinners:3 these are the real sinners! Look not on our blindness, my God, but on the streams of blood shed by Thy Son for us. Let Thy mercy shine forth amidst such monstrous wickedness. Remember, Lord, we are " the work of Thy hands;4 " succour us by Thy goodness and mercy!

Footnotes

  1. St. John vi. 69: Domine, ad quern ihimus? verba vites cBterncB hahes. ↩

  2. Job ix. 10: Qui facit magna et incomprehensibilia. , ' St. Matt. xi. 28: Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis et onerati estis, et ego reficiam vos. ↩

  3. St. Matt. ix. 13: Non enim veni vocare justos, sed peccatores. ^ Isaias Ixiv. 8: Opera manuum tuarum omnes nos. ^ St. John vii. 37: Si quis siiit, venial ad me, et bibat. — Way of Perf., ch. xix. 4. EXCLAMATIONS. QI wilt give it them. Thou Thyself hast promised it, and Thy word cannot fail — but alas! if from having lived long in this furnace of passion, they have become insensible to its flames, and are too careless to realise their great danger, what cure is there for them, my God? Thou camest into the world to remedy such ills; begin Thy work. Lord, for Thy pity is best shown in the most desperate evils. 3. See, Lord, Thine enemies grow bolder — have mercy on those so merciless to themselves, whose miserable condition prevents their wishing to draw near to Thee: do Thou come to them, O my God! I ask this in their name: I know that when they are enlightened and have returned to their senses, having begun to taste Thy sweetness, they will rise from the death of sin. V 4. O Life, Who givest life to all! refuse not this most delicious water, promised by Thee to all who desire it. Behold, I long for it, Lord; I ask for it, I come to Thee! Hide not this water from me: Thou knowest how I need it, since it is the only cure for a soul wounded by Thee. 5. O Lord, how many kinds of fever inflame men's hearts in this life! What cause have we for fear! Some of these ardours consume the soul, yet others purify it and prepare it to enjoy Thee for ever. V 6. O living waters, springing from the wounds of my God, how abundantly you ever flow to sustain us! Safely ↩

  4. Ps. xxxiii. 9: Gústate et videte quoniam suavis est Dominus. ↩

Chapter 8 of 16