The Practice of Piety

But, O my Lord, thou knowest that since the loss of thine image) by the fall of my first unhappy parents) I cannot love thee with all my might, and my mind as I should. Therefore as thou didst first cast thy love upon me, when I was a child of wrath, and the lump of the ⟨p. 1025⟩lost and condemned world; so now, I beseech thee, shed abroad thy love by thy spirit, through all my faculties and affections: that though I can never pay thee in that measure of love, which thou hast deserved: yet I may endeavour to repay thee in such a manner, as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy; that I may in truth of heart, love my neighbour for thy sake, and love thee above all for thine own sake. Let nothing be pleasant unto me, but that which is pleasing unto thee. And, sweet Saviour, suffer me never to be lost nor cast away whom thou hast bought so dearly, with thine own most precious blood. O Lord, let me never forget thine infinite ⟨p. 1026⟩love, and this unspeakable benefit of my redemption, without which it had been better for me never to have been, then to have any being.

But, O my Lord, thou knowest that since the losse of thine image) by the fall of my first vnhappy parents) I cannot loue thee with all my might, and my minde as I should. Therefore as thou didst first cast thy loue vpon mee, when I was a childe of wrath, and the lumpe of the ⟨p. 1025⟩lost and condemned world; so now, I beseech thee, shed abroad thy loue by thy spirit, through all my faculties and affections: that though I can neuer pay thee in that measure of loue, which thou hast deserued: yet I may endeauour to repay thee in such a manner, as thou vouchsafest to accept in mercy; that I may in truth of heart, loue my neighbour for thy sake, and loue thee aboue all for thine owne sake. Let nothing be pleasant vnto me, but that which is pleasing vnto thee. And, sweet Sauiour, suffer me neuer to be lost nor cast away whom thou hast bought so dearely, with thine own most precious blood. O Lord, let me neuer forget thine infinite ⟨p. 1026⟩loue, and this vnspeakeable benefit of my redemption, without which it had beene better for me neuer to haue been, then to haue any being.