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THE second petition of the pure heart desires that the kingdom of its
Father may come at once; viz., either that whereby Christ reigns day by day
in the saints (which comes to pass when the devil's rule is cast out of our
hearts by the destruction of foul sins, and God begins to hold sway over us
by the sweet odour of virtues, and, fornication being overcome, charity
reigns in our hearts together with tranquillity, when rage is conquered;
and humility, when pride is trampled under foot) or else that which is
promised in due time to all who are perfect, and to all the sons of God,
when it will be said to them by Christ: "Come ye blessed of My Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world;"
(as the heart) with fixed and steadfast gaze, so to speak, yearns and longs
for it and says to Him "Thy kingdom come." For it knows by the witness of
its own conscience that when He shall appear, it will presently share His
lot. For no guilty person would dare either to say or to wish for this, for
no one would want to face the tribunal of the Judge, who knew that at His
coming he would forthwith receive not the prize or reward of his merits but
only punishment.
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