2. "If grace were always granted quickly, and attended upon a desire for it, feeble man could not sustain it.

"Therefore the gift of devotion is to be waited for in good hope and humble patience.

"To thyself and to thy sins impute it when this grace is not bestowed, or when it is secretly taken away.

"Sometimes it is but a little thing which hindereth it or removeth it; if indeed that may be called a little thing, and not more properly a great thing, which preventeth so great a good. And when thou hast removed or completely subdued this little or great thing, thou shalt find what thou desirest.

3. "For when thou hast given thyself up to God with thy whole heart, not seeking this or that for thine own will and pleasure, but casting thyself wholly upon Him, then shalt thou straightway find thyself united and at peace with God for nothing will be so agreeable to thee, nothing so pleasing, as the good pleasure of the Divine will.

"Whosoever therefore, with simplicity of heart, shall raise his intention upward to God, and free himself from every inordinate desire or dislike for every created thing whatever, he will be most fitted to receive grace, and worthy of the gift of devotion. For the Lord gives His blessing there where He hath found empty vessels. And in proportion as a man perfectly renounceth what is low, and through contempt of himself dieth to himself, so doth grace descend more quickly, enter the heart more abundantly, and raise it, freed, higher.

4. "Then will his heart see, and flow, and wonder, and be dilated within itself, because the hand of the Lord is

with Him, and he hath placed himself wholly in His hand, even for ever.1

"Behold, thus shall the man be blessed '2 that seeketh God with all his heart, and receiveth his life not in vain. He, whilst receiving the blessed Eucharist, obtaineth the great blessing of Divine union, because he looketh to, not his own devotion and consolation, but, beyond all devotion and consolation, to the glory and honour of God."

CHAPTER XVI.

WE OUGHT TO MAKE KNOWN OUR WANTS TO CHRIST, AND TO ASK HIS GRACE.

MOST merciful and loving God, whom I now most devoutly desire to receive, Thou knowest my weakness, and the wants I suffer; in what a depth of wickedness and sin I lie; how often

I am weighed down, tempted, troubled, and defiled. For remedy I come to Thee; for consolation and relief I beseech Thee.

Thee, Who knowest all things, I address; Thee, to Whom my inmost thoughts are known, and Who alone art able perfectly to console me, effectually to help me. Thou knowest

1 Acts xi. 21. "And the hand of the Lord was with them." Ps. cxix. 2. 2 Ps. cxxviii. 4.

what good things I deserve more than others, and how I am in virtues.

poor

2. Behold, I stand before Thee, poor and naked, asking grace, imploring mercy! Refresh Thy hungering suppliant! Remove my coldness with the fire of Thy love; enlighten my blindness with the light of Thy presence! 1

All earthly things do Thou make bitter to me; let all grievous and opposing things teach me patience; all mean and all created things turn to contempt and oblivion. Lift my heart to Thee in heaven, nor let it wander upon the earth.

From this time forth be Thou alone ever pleasant to me, for Thou alone art my food and my drink, my hope and my joy, my pleasure and my whole good.

3. O that Thou wouldest throughly purge me by the fire of Thy presence, burning all that is dross in me, and melting me into Thee, so that I may be one with Thee, and that my spirit may be like unto Thine !2

Suffer me not to depart from Thee hungering and thirsting, but mercifully deal with me as Thou hast so often wonderfully dealt with Thy saints.

What so wonderful if I be utterly burnt up by Thee, and myself perish, since Thou art an ever-burning, neverfailing Fire, a Love which purifieth the heart and enlighteneth the understanding! 3

1 Rev. xxi. 23.

2 1 Cor. vi. 17.

3 Heb. xii. 29.

"The glory of God did lighten it."
"He that is joined unto the Lord is one spirit."
"For our God is a consuming fire."

CHAPTER XVII.

ON AN ARDENT LOVE AND STRONG DESIRE TO

RECEIVE CHRIST.

ITH the greatest devotion and most ardent love, with all the affection and fervour of my heart, I desire, O Lord, to receive Thee, as many saints and devout persons have, whilst communicating, desired Thee, men who were very pleasing to Thee by their sanctity of life, whose devotion was fervent.

O my God, Eternal Love, my Summum Bonum, Happiness without end, with the most vehement desire, with reverence most due, greater none of Thy saints ever felt or could feel, I desire to receive Thee!

2. And although I am unworthy to have all those feelings of devotion, yet I offer to Thee all the affection of my heart, even if I alone possessed all these very grateful desires stirred up within me.

But whatever the pious mind is able to conceive and to desire, all I offer, all I give to Thee, with the greatest veneration and the deepest fervour. Nothing do I desire to retain for myself, but spontaneously and most willingly to immolate myself and all that is mine to Thee.

O Lord my God, my Creator and my Redeemer, with such affection, reverence, praise, and honour, with such gratitude, dignity, and love, with such faith, trust, and

purity, do I desire to receive Thee this day as that with which Thy most blessed mother, the glorious Virgin Mary, received Thee and desired Thee, when she humbly and devoutly replied to the angel who brought her the joyful news of the mystery of the incarnation : "Behold the handmaid of the Lord; be it unto me according to Thy word."1

3. And just as Thy blessed forerunner, most excellent of saints, John the Baptist, joyful at Thy presence, leapt in the joy of the Holy Spirit whilst yet shut up in his mother's womb; and afterwards observing Jesus walking amongst men, truly humbling himself, exclaimed with devout affection: "But the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice:" SO I too desire to be inflamed with great and holy desires, and with my whole heart to present myself to Thee.

Wherefore the rejoicings of all devout hearts, all ardent affections, mental excesses, supernatural illuminations, and heavenly visions, all to Thee I offer up and present, together with all virtues and praises which have been or will be sung by every creature in heaven and on earth, for me and all those commended to me in prayer, that Thou mayest be worthily praised by all and be magnified for

ever.

4. Accept my vows, O Lord my God, and my desire for infinite praise and unmeasured benediction, which, according to the multitude of Thine ineffable majesty, are justly Thy due.