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night come, and I be no longer able to see Thee, O my Light, but Thou shouldst flee from me for ever, and forsake me.

Far be it, O Goodness, O Love, far be this from Thee, and far be it from me for ever. I will not delay to come to Thee, and to seek this Devout purvirtue [here think of some virtue] so necessary for me, in order pose. that I may please Thee. For I love Thee with my whole heart. O Thou the Light of mine eyes, my only Refuge, loose Thou these knots that are wreathed together by my wickedness: loose Thou the chains which keep me back from that liberty which by Thy Blood Thou hast gained for me. Grant Thou unto me the wings of a dove, that I may fly unto Thee, and find rest. Raise Thou me up aloft above the high places of this earth, that in vain the net may be spread before mine eyes; that I may see the works of Thy hands, and learn where is wisdom, where is strength, where is understanding, where is length of days and life, where is the light of the eyes and peace. But where is rest, save in Thee? Where the light of the eyes, save in Thee the true Light? Where length of days, but in Thee, Who art my Life, Whom beyond all life I love? There be four things which are little upon the earth, but they are exceeding wise: the ants are a people not strong, yet they prepare their meat in the summer: the conies are but a feeble folk, yet make they their houses in the rocks: the locusts have no king, yet go they forth all of them by bands: the spider taketh hold with her hands, and is in kings' palaces. For these purposes Thou dost send me to the ant, that I may seek Thee while Thou mayst be found, and the good which faileth not; and Thou dost command me to be wise as the serpent, and harmless as the dove. Blessed be Thou for ever: lo, our harvest is already come, and Thou biddest me labour for that meat which endureth unto everlasting life, that is Thyself, Who endurest for ever and ever:

And where, O my soul, shall be thy chamber? Will it not be in the holes of the rock? And Thou art my Rock, Christ Jesus, and Thou alone art my refuge. O that I might so drink this day of that Spiritual Rock, that I might no more thirst for ever for the solace of the creature. O that I who have been sent as a sluggard to the ant, and to the dove to learn simplicity, and to the serpent to learn wisdom, may have Thee every where present with me, and speaking in all created things; because Thou through them art speaking unto me,―speaking, alas, too often to one who is both deaf and dumb; and yet even to the deaf Thou continuest still to speak. O let Thy voice, I pray Thee, sound in my ears, so that I may hear Thee, and hear every creature exhorting me to love Thee. Let every thing that hath breath praise Thee, O Lord, and let all Thy works continually say, He hath made us and preserveth us that we may serve thee, in order that thou, a worm, b Proverbs xxx. 25-28.

a Baruch iii. 14.

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mayst serve our God. Every creature crieth aloud to me, Who is great as our God? the very sight and beauty of them thus speaks. And why do they thus cry aloud? but that I may come to Thee, that I may hear Thee, and may serve Thee. And shall not I whom Thou hast bought at so great a price, shall I not glorify Thee, and serve Thee, O Lord, in my body and in my soul, that by true virtue I may please Thee alone,-Thee, Who alone art my God, the God of my heart, my All. Thou art my Maker, and my God, and my Father, and my Lord. Thy Flesh is my meat indeed, and Thy Blood is my drink indeed, that I may live, and may live in Thee, which with all my strength I do desire.

Communica

RULES CONCERNING THE WISDOM OF THE WORLD.

FIRST observe, as Thou art walking through the streets and the tion with fields, the industry of men, which each exercises in his own matters, God. and from thence gather some spiritual fruit.

Secondly, from all creatures accustom thyself to do the same; and determine with thyself to gain wisdom at one time from this creature, at another time from that, as the voice of wisdom teaches.

Method of

Thirdly, in this manner seize the handle of pious discourse; and on thy way as thou goest, to pass thy time pleasantly, seek out what spiritual pious dis- consideration may be elicited from this or that circumstance; and thou wilt find many things presenting themselves to thee, and that too with great delight, as subjects of conversation.

course.

In the fourth place, you may examine closely the natures of those things by which, in Holy Scripture, Christ is shadowed forth, as for instance, a ship, or tree, or the sun, or light.

Fifthly, search out diligently what even natural evil habits thou hast, and Use of an study to overcome them, by the contrary ones. I conceive no wisevil habit. dom to be greater than this; since as I have often said, the very best habit is contracted by use and time as easily as the worst.

For the sixth rule. In like manner as covetous men endeavour to make gain out of every thing, so do thou, O ascetic liver, use thyself; and whether good or evil things occur, see that thy mind be not cast down in any thing from its proper state: and conform thine own to the Divine will.

For the seventh. As the children of this world ambitiously adhere to men of honour, so do thou, scholar of virtue, observe those who are most attached to virtue, and studious of holiness; and as far as thou art able keep up an intercourse with them.

Note thy pas

Eighthly, consider what passions are most strong in thee, by God's grace, and use these for advance in holiness: for instance, art thou proud? sions, and make use of this pride, and raise thy mind to things truly high spiritual and lofty, look down upon the things of earth, despise man's judgments compared with those of God. Suffer not thyself to be de

use them for

progress.

servedly chargeable with that folly, by which the lovers of the world prefer things of a moment to those that are eternal;-vain things to those that are true; the creature to the Creator and the chiefest Good.

Ejaculations.

"The children of this world are in their generation wiser than the children of light." St. Luke xvi. 8.

"To be carnally minded is death." "Who is blind but My servant ?"

Rom. viii. 6.

Isaiah xlii. 19.

66 Turn away mine eyes lest they behold vanity, and quicken Thou me in Thy way." Psalm cxix. 37.

"Thou also shalt light my candle, the Lord my God shall make my darkness to be light." Psalm xviii. 28.

"Lead me forth in Thy truth and learn me, for Thou art the God of my salvation in Thee hath been my hope all the day long." Psalm xxv. 4.

66

Try me, O God, and seek the ground of my heart; prove me, and examine my thoughts." Psalm cxxxix. 23.

IMAGE THE NINETEENTH.

CONSIDER HOW IN DEATH THOU WILT WISH TO HAVE CULTIVATED ANY PARTICULAR VIRTUE; AND MAKE USE OF LIFE AND OPPORTUNITY.

Reflect now, if thou wilt not wish in death (A) to have followed virtue rather than vice. For at that time Virtue (B) alone will stand by thee, and be a consolation to thee; when Sin (C) and its worm shall torment thee, when Death (D) shall terrify thee, and the Demon (E) will be ready at hand to hurry away the impenitent soul. When even thine intimate friends (F), and they that are flesh and blood, shall carry away thy riches: when Occasion (G) shall have departed; when all worldly pleasures and sports (H) shall have perished. When out of all thy earthly possessions nothing will remain to thee, but the winding-sheet (I). When thy friends and kindred (K) will follow indeed thy funeral procession to the grave, but, alas, must desert thee there, and leave thee to earth and forgetfulness: and however eagerly thou mayst desire (L) their society, yet thou canst obtain it not. On the other hand, the Righteous man (M), being refreshed by Virtue, and by good Angels, shall have death converted into life, and sorrow changed into joy. O with what tranquillity of mind will the righteous man, with what perturbation of mind will the sinner approach unto the Judgmentseat of God (N)!

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