pardon me, and take me to Thy heart, and change my heart in such a way that I may please Thee in the time to come, as much as I have displeased Thee in the time that is past. For Thy love I now renounce all the pleasures the world can give me, and resolve rather to lose my life than Thy grace. Tell me what I can do to please Thee, for I wish to do it. I care not for pleasures, honours, riches; I only wish for Thee, my God, my Joy, my Glory, my Treasure, my Life, my Love, my All. Give me, Lord, Thy help, in order to be faithful to Thee. Grant that I may love Thee, and then do with me what Thou wilt.
Second Point.
Not only does Solomon exclaim that the riches of this world are vanity which cannot satisfy, but he says that they are pains which torment the mind. " Behold, all is vanity and vexation of spirit." (Eccles. i. 14.) Poor sinners! they think to be happy in sin; but they only find bitterness and remorse. " Destruction and unhappiness is in their ways, and the way of peace have they not known." (Ps. xiv. 7.) What peace, what peace! No, saith God, " There is no peace, .... unto the wicked." (Isa. xlviii. 22.) In the first place, sin bears about with it the fear of Divine Justice. If any one has a powerful enemy, he can neither eat nor sleep in peace; and he who has God for an enemy, how can he rest in peace? " but destruction shall be to the workers of iniquity." (Prov. x. 29.) When he who is living in sin feels the earth quake, and hears the thunders roar, Oh! how he trembles? Every leaf that moves affrights him. " A dreadful sound is in his ears." (Job xv. 21.) He is ever flying away without seeing who follows him. " The wicked flee when no man pursueth." (Prov. xxviii. i.) And who pursues him? Even his own sin. After Cain had killed his brother Abel, he said " that every one that findeth me shall slay me." (Gen. iv. 14.) And although the Lord assured him that no one should hurt him: " Therefore, whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold;" nevertheless, Holy Scripture tells us, that Cam ever went from one place to another. Who was the persecutor of Cain but his own sin?
