praise thee, and with silent voices celebrate thy bounty. The heavens show forth the glory of God, and the firmament declareth the work of his hands.[1]
2. But thy bounty shines far the most gloriously forth in the human race. Thou hast created us to thy own image and likeness, and hast imprinted on us the mark of thy countenance. Thou hast given us understanding, memory, and will, by which we are made capable of thy divine glory and happiness. Thou hast also provided us with divine aids and graces, that we might merit and obtain such eminent blessings. Thou hast assigned us angels to be our guardians and rulers. Lastly, thou hast created the whole world, and hast given it us, stored abundantly with good things, to shelter and to comfort us. What greater benefits than these, what more astonishing bounty, can be imagined or devised? Especially, when thou hast made all these things in order to bring us safely by means of them to the heavenly mansions, and to make us partakers of thy own happiness.
3. Therefore, whatever I am, and whatever I can do, I return thee thanks, O Lord, with innumerable thanksgivings, for such extraordinary bounty, and invite all creatures to praise and bless thee. All ye works of the Lord, bless the Lord, praise and exalt him above all for ever.
4. I rejoice, O Lord, that thou art so bountiful, and givest even thyself, throwing thyself as it were away, to base and worthless things; that thou delightest to help the weak, to raise up the fallen, and exalt the* humble. Wherever necessity, poverty, or misery is most pressing, there thou displayest ever the true character 01 bounty, in pouring out the most liberally thy treasures, and the most readily bringing thy aid.
5. I am grieved and sorry that I have not followed the example of this thy bounty; that I have been cruel, harsh, and unkind towards my neighbour, and have not employed for his relief the blessings, mental and worldly, that I possess, but often the very reverse. I now, therefore, most humbly beg pardon of thee with my whole heart; and, by thy help, I propose to amend this vice of illiberality, and to be kind, sweet-tempered, and amiable towards all; and this through the desire of following the example of thy divine bounty.
And because thy love proximately and immediately flows from thy bounty, and extends itself to all thy creatures, by which thou wilt have them partakers with thee of thy blessings, I implore thee to inflame my heart with its fire,
- ↑ Psal. xviii. 1.
