XII.
Act of Fear of God
Blessed are all they that fear the Lord.
Right fear is a certain anxiety of heart which restrains a man from an unlawful use of his members, exterior senses, and interior affections, in order that the soul may not, either wholly or in part, be so separated from God, or seek pleasure in any creature, as to cool the fervour of the spirit.
I. When I consider thy
boundless majesty and greatness, O fearful and terrible
Lord, before whom tremble
all the spirits of heaven, earth,
and hell, I sink down, utterly
confused at my monstrous unworthiness, into the depths
of my own nothingness, fearing exceedingly to offend thee,
and to be separated from thy
divine grace, which has happened to many others, because they walked not uprightly in thy sight.
2. Therefore when I think only that I may offend thee by venial and mortal sins, I shudder and tremble in every limb, mostly because I confess myself to be utterly weak and helpless, and able to do nothing at all without thy special grace.
3. I confess, too, O Lord, that this fear, notwithstanding, is very useful and necessary for me; and I therefore earnestly beg it of thee, and entreat thee to increase it in me, and imprint it on my soul, while I say with the Psalmist, “Pierce thou my flesh with thy fear, for I am afraid of thy judgments.”
CHAPTER VI.
A HOLY CONTEMPLATION OF THE ATTRIBUTES OF GOD,
For eliciting virtuous affections and acts.
From Blasius Palma, Canon Regular of St. Paul.
PREFACE.
All the divine excellences and perfections, considered
