Jesus in agony and dying on the Cross, and beseech His mercy, saying: "My God, my God, why hast Thou forsaken me?" (St. Matt, xxvii. 46.) But let the effect of this be, to humble thee yet more at the thought, that he deserves no consolations who has offended God; and yet more to enliven thy confidence, knowing that God does all things, and permits all, for thy good: " All things work together unto good " (Rom. viii. 28). Say with great courage, even when thou dost feel most troubled and disconsolate: "The Lord is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear?" (Ps. xxvi. 1). Lord, it is Thine to enlighten me, it is Thine to save me; in Thee do I trust: " In Thee, O Lord, have I hoped; let me never be confounded " (Ps. xxx. 1). And thus keep thyself in peace; knowing there never was any one who placed his hopes in God and was lost: " No one hath hoped in the Lord, and hath been confounded" (Eccl. ii. 11). Consider, thy God loveth thee more than thou canst love thyself: what dost thou fear? David comforted himself, saying: " The Lord is careful for me" (Ps. xxxix. 18). Say to Him, therefore, Lord, into Thy arms I cast myself; I desire to have no thought but of loving and pleasing Thee; behold me ready to do what Thou requirest of me. Thou dost not only will my good, Thou art careful for it; unto Thee, then, do I leave the care of my salvation. In Thee do I rest, and will rest for evermore, since Thou wiliest that in Thee I should place all my hopes: " In peace, in the selfsame, I will sleep and I will rest; for Thou, O Lord, singularly hast settled me in hope" (Ps. iv. 9, 10).
" Think of the Lord in goodness" (Wisd. i. 1). In these words the Wise Man exhorts us to have more confidence in the Divine mercy than dread of the Divine justice; since God is immeasurably more inclined to bestow favors than to punish, as St. James says: " Mercy exalteth itself above judgment "
