best preparation for obtaining greater grace on a future occasion.

"If a man hath been distracted by external consolation, he returneth from it very indisposed. Avoid much talking, remain in secret and enjoy thy God, for thou possessest Him Whom the whole world could not take away from thee.

"I am He to Whom thou oughtest to surrender thyself entirely, so that thou mayest live free from every care, not in thyself, but in Me."1

CHAPTER XIII.

THE DEVOUT SOUL OUGHT WITH ALL ITS HEART TO SEEK

M

UNION WITH CHRIST IN THE SACRAMENT.

ZHO, O Lord, will give me to find Thee alone, and to open to Thee my whole heart, and to enjoy Thee as my soul desires? Who will give

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me not to be despised by any man, not to be moved or regarded by any creature, but cause that Thou alone shalt speak to me and I to Thee, as the lover speaks to the beloved, and feast with Thee as friend with friend ?? This I desire, this I pray for, that I may be wholly united to Thee, that I may draw off my heart from all

1 Galat. ii. 20. "The life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God."

2 Exod. xxxiii. 11. "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."

created things, and learn through the Holy Communion, and its frequent celebration, more and more to have a foretaste of things celestial and eternal.

O Lord my God, when shall I be wholly united to Thee, and absorbed by Thee, and completely forgetful of myself? Thou in me and I in Thee, thus joined together as one, grant, O Lord, that we may remain.

2. Truly Thou art my Beloved, "the chiefest among ten thousand," 1 with Whom my soul would rejoice to abide all the days of its life.

Truly Thou art He Who bringeth me peace, in Thee is greatest peace and true rest, out of Thee is labour, grief, and infinite misery.

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Verily Thou art a God that hidest Thyself."2 Thy counsel is not with the wicked, but Thy word is with the humble and simple minded.

O, how pleasant, O Lord, is Thy spirit, Thou Who, to prove Thy loving-kindness towards Thy children, deignest to refresh them with sweetest bread descending from heaven!

"For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is"3 to all His faithful! To them Thou givest Thyself to eat and to enjoy, as a daily solace, and to raise their hearts heavenward.

3. For what other nation is there so glorious as the Christian race? Or what creature under heaven is there as beloved as the devout soul, to whom God approacheth that He may feed him with His own glorious body?

1 Solomon's Song v. 10. 2 Isaiah xlv. 15. 3 Deut. iv. 7.

Oh ineffable grace! Oh wonderful condescension! Oh profound love, so lavishly bestowed upon man! But what shall I render unto God for such grace, for such remarkable love?1 There is nothing which I can give more acceptable than a total giving up of my heart to my God, and a close conjunction with Him. When my soul is completely united with God then will all my powers rejoice. Then will He say unto me, "If thou desire to be with Me, I am willing to be with thee." And I will answer, Deign, O Lord, to remain with me; I indeed desire to be with Thee; this is all my desire,-that my heart may be united to Thee."

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CHAPTER XIV.

ON THE ARDENT DESIRE OF SOME DEVOUT FOR
THE BODY OF CHRIST.

H how great is Thy goodness, which Thou hast laid up for them that fear Thee."3 When I consider with what very great devotion and affection some of the devout approach Thy Sacrament, O Lord, I am very often confounded and put

1 Ps. cxvi. 12. "What shall I render unto the Lord for all His benefits toward me?"

2 S. Luke xxiv. 29. "Abide with us: for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent."

3 Ps. xxxi. 19.

to shame that I approach Thine altar and the table of the Holy Communion with so much indifference, so much coldness; that I am still so barren, so wanting in love; that in the presence of my God I am not entirely aroused, not so strongly drawn and affected as many good men have been; men who, from their eager desire of communion and the earnest love of their hearts, have not been able to withhold from tears, but with heart and voice alike have cried unto Thee, O God, the Living Fountain,1 unable to lessen or to quench their thirst by any means, unless they had received Thy body with all joy and avidity of spirit.

2. O, what true and ardent faith was theirs! probably the real proof of Thy sacred presence! For those whose heart burns so eagerly within them, because of the companionship of Jesus, recognize their Lord indeed in the breaking of bread.

Far from me oftentimes are such affection and devotion, such fervent love and ardour.

Be Thou merciful unto me, O good Lord, be propitious, be mild, and grant to Thy poor afflicted servant, sometimes to feel somewhat of the heartfelt affection of Thy love in the Holy Communion, that my faith may grow stronger, my hope in Thy goodness increase, and that the love once thoroughly excited, and tried with heavenly manna, may never fail.

3. But Thy mercy is able to give me the grace I de

Ps. xlii. 2. "My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God." 2 S. Luke xxiv. 32. "Did not our heart burn within us, while He talked with us by the way, and while He opened to us the Scriptures?" Ibid. 35. "He was known of them in breaking of bread."

sire, and when the day of Thy glory shall arrive, to visit me most mercifully in the spirit of love.1

For though I do not burn with such eager desire as some of Thy specially devoted ones, yet of Thy mercy I have a desire for that deep and earnest longing; and I pray and entreat that I may be made partaker with all Thine earnest lovers, and be numbered with their holy assembly.

CHAPTER XV.

THE BLESSING OF DEVOTION IS ACQUIRED BY HUMILITY AND BY ABNEGATION OF SELF.

T behoveth thee persistently to seek the blessing of devotion, earnestly to desire it, patiently and confidently to wait for it, thankfully to receive it, humbly to preserve it, carefully to use it; and to leave with God the bounds of the heavenly visitation, and its measure, when it cometh to thee.

"When thou feelest little or no devotion within thee, thou must indeed humble thyself, but still must not be too much cast down, nor beyond measure saddened. Oftentimes in one brief instant God gives what for a long time He hath denied; sometimes He granteth at the end of the prayer what He delayed to grant at the beginning.

1 2 Cor. ix. 8. "God is able to make all grace abound toward you."