to hell. I love thee, O my sovereign good, and I desire to love thee for ever. Grant me perseverance in good, and save me through that blood which thou hast shed for me. O Mary, my hope, intercede for me.
Meditation Eighteenth.
On the sinner's disobedience to God.
I. PHARAOH, when Moses announced to him the orders of God for the liberation of the Hebrews, insolently answered: Who is the Lord, that I should hear his word? I know not the Lord. Exod. v. 2. It is thus that the sinner replies to his own conscience when it intimates to him the divine precepts, which forbid him to do that which is evil: “ I know not God: I know that he is my Lord, but I will not obey him.” Thus have I too often addressed thee, O God, when I have committed sin. If thou hadst not died for me, O my Redeemer, I should not dare to crave thy pardon; but thou hast offered me thy pardon from the cross, if I be desirous of availing myself of it. I do indeed desire it; I am sorry for having despised thee, my sovereign good. I will rather die than offend thee any more.
II. Thou hast broken my yoke; thou saidst, I wilt not serve. Jer. ii. 20. The sinner, when tempted to commit sin, hears indeed the voice of God, saying to him: My son, do not revenge thyself, do not gratify thyself with that infamous pleasure, relinquish the possession of that which is not thine. But by yielding to sin, he replies: “ Lord, I will not serve thee. Thou desirest that I should not commit this sin, but I will commit it.” My Lord,
