VI, PSALM 1xxiii. 25. Whom have I in heaven but thee; and what desire 1 on earth in respect of thee. I 1. LOVE (and have some cause to love) the earth: She is my tender nurse; she gives me food; 2. I love the air; her dainty sweets refresh 3. fellow-creature, I love the sea; she is my But, Lord of oceans, when compar'd with thee, *Polyphonian; i. e. many-sounding. + Purveyor; i. e. provider. Το 4. To heav'n's high city I direct my journey, But what is heav'n, great God, compar'd to thee? Without thy presence, heav'n's no heav'n to me. 5. Without thy presence, earth gives no refection 6. The highest honors that the world can boast The proudest flames, that earth can kindle, be 7. Without thy presence, wealth are bags of cares: Wisdom but folly: joy; disquiet, sadness: Friendship is treason; and delights are snares: Pleasures, but pain; and mirth but pleasing madness: Without thee Lord, things be not what they be, Nor have their being, when compar'd with thee. 8. In having all things, and not thee, what have I? I wish nor sea, nor land; nor would I be Refection; i, e. refreshprent. BONAVENT. Soliloq. Cap. 1. Alas! my God, now I understand (but blush to confess), that the bounty of thy creatures hath deceived mine eyes, and I have not observed that thou art more amiable than all the creatures; to which thou hast communicated but one drop of thy inestimable beauty : for who hath adorned the heavens with stars? who hath stored the air with fowl, the waters with fish, the earth with plants and flowers? But what are all these, but a small spark of divine beauty! S. CHRYS. Hom. v. in Ep. ad Rom. In having nothing, I have all things; because I have Christ. Having therefore all things in him, I seek no other reward: for he is the universal reward. EPIG. 6. Who would not throw his better thoughts about him, PSALM |