themselves as they ought, and so much the greater are the benefits as they are given without any merit of ours; and on this account the true penitent ought to be the more grateful. With this spirit I will greatly extol the infinite liberality of Almighty God towards me, and with a silent admiration I will yield myself vanquished by it. [1]
POINT II.
Then will I break out into a canticle of praise with great affection, saying the words of this Psalm, " Bless the Lord, O my soul, and all that is within me bless His holy name. Bless the Lord, O my soul, and forget not all He hath done for thee. He remitteth all thy sins and healeth all thy infirmities. He redeemeth thy life from destruction, and crowneth thee with mercy and compassion. He satisfieth thy desire with good things, and reneweth thy youth like the eagle's. He hath not dealt with me according to my sins, nor rewarded me according to mine iniquities. As far as the east is from the west, so far hath He removed mine iniquities from me. As a father hath compassion on his children, so hath the Lord compassion on those that fear Him, for He knoweth our weakness, and He remembereth that we are dust." [2]
Colloquy. — O God of my soul, if the mercies are so great which Thou hast done me, what shall I do not to be remiss in thanksgivings? I desire to procure with Thy aid that which Thou hast begun in me by Thy mercy; and seeing Thou hast pardoned my sins, I will never more return to them; seeing Thou hast delivered me from death, I will not again subject myself to it; seeing Thou hast crowned me with mercies, I will give Thee the glory of all my crowns. Add, O Lord, this mercy to the former, to fill my desire with Thy good things of heaven, giving me grace to ac-
