icent temple for the praise of Thy name: and for eight days together he celebrated the feast of the dedication thereof; he offered a thousand victims as peace-offerings, and brought the Ark of the Covenant in a solemn manner into the place prepared for it, with sound of trumpet and jubilee. And I, a wretch and the vilest of men, how shall I bring Thee into my house, I, who can hardly spend one half-hour devoutly, and would that I had even once spent one half-hour as I ought! O my God, how much did they endeavor to do to please Thee! Alas, how little is it that I do! How short a time do I spend, when I prepare myself to communicate! Seldom am I wholly recollected, very seldom free from all distraction. And yet, surely, in the life-giving presence of Thy deity no unbecoming thought should occur, nor anything created take up my mind; for it is not an angel, but the Lord of angels, whom I am to entertain.
And yet there is a very great difference between the Ark of the Covenant with its relics, and Thy most pure body with its unspeakable virtues; between those sacrifices of the Law which were figures of things to come, and the true sacrifice of Thy body which is the accomplishing of all those ancient sacrifices. Why, then, am I not more inflamed, considering Thy venerable presence? Why do I not prepare myself with greater care to receive Thy sacred gifts, seeing that these ancient holy patriarchs and prophets, yea, kings also and princes, with the whole people, have shown so great affection of devotion towards Thy divine worship? The most devout King David danced before the ark of God with all his might, commemorating the benefits bestowed in times past on the fathers. He made musical instruments of sundry kinds; he published psalms and appointed them to be sung with joy; he himself likewise often sung them,
