That to him who loveth God is sweet above all things and in all things
Behold, God is mine, and all things are mine! What will I more, and
what more happy thing can I desire? O delightsome and sweet world! that
is, to him that loveth the Word, not the world, neither the things that
are in the world.(1) My God, my all! To him that understandeth, that
word sufficeth, and to repeat it often is pleasing to him that loveth
it. When Thou art present all things are pleasant; when Thou art
absent, all things are wearisome. Thou makest the heart to be at rest,
givest it deep peace and festal joy. Thou makest it to think rightly in
every matter, and in every matter to give Thee praise; neither can
anything please long without Thee but if it would be pleasant and of
sweet savour, Thy grace must be there, and it is Thy wisdom which must
give unto it a sweet savour.
2. To him who tasteth Thee, what can be distasteful? And to him who
tasteth Thee not, what is there which can make him joyous? But the
worldly wise, and they who enjoy the flesh, these fail in Thy wisdom;
for in the wisdom of the world is found utter vanity, and to be
carnally minded is death. But they who follow after Thee through
contempt of worldly things, and mortification of the flesh, are found
to be truly wise because they are carried from vanity to verity, from
the flesh to the spirit. They taste that the Lord is good, and
whatsoever good they find in creatures, they count it all unto the
praise of the Creator. Unlike, yea, very unlike is the enjoyment of the
Creator to enjoyment of the Creature, the enjoyment of eternity and of
time, of light uncreated and of light reflected.
3. O Light everlasting, surpassing all created lights, dart down Thy
ray from on high which shall pierce the inmost depths of my heart. Give
purity, joy, clearness, life to my spirit that with all its powers it
may cleave unto Thee with rapture passing man’s understanding. Oh when
shall that blessed and longed-for time come when Thou shalt satisfy me
with Thy presence, and be unto me All in all? So long as this is
delayed, my joy shall not be full. Still, ah me! the old man liveth in
me: he is not yet all crucified, not yet quite dead; still he lusteth
fiercely against the spirit, wageth inward wars, nor suffereth the
soul’s kingdom to be in peace.
4. But Thou who rulest the raging of the sea, and stillest the waves
thereof when they arise, rise up and help me. Scatter the people that
delight in war.(2) Destroy them by Thy power. Show forth, I beseech
Thee, Thy might, and let Thy right hand be glorified, for I have no
hope, no refuge, save in Thee, O Lord my God.
(1) 1 John ii. 15. (2) Psalm lxviii. 30.