but haft entirely planted and fettled thy felf in him alone; thou fhalt find thy felf in a state of Union, and Peace; becaufe nothing will relish fo well, nor please thee fo much, as the good pleasure of the Divine Will. Whofoever therefore fhall, in fimplicity of heart, lift up his intention unto God, and empty himself of all inordinate love, or diflike of any created thing whatsoever; that perfon will be in the fittest difpofition for the reception of Grace, and worthy the gift of Devotion. For the Lord beftoweth his Bleffings there, where he findeth the vessels empty. And by how much the more perfectly a Man renounceth the things below, and the more he dieth to himself by a contempt of himself, fo much the quicker doth Grace come, fo much the more abundantly doth it enter, and fo much the higher doth it lift up the free and unengaged heart.

a

IV. Then fhall he fee the loving-kindnefs of the Lord, then fhall he flow in the riches of his Grace, then fhall he stand amazed at his own abundance, and his heart shall be enlarged within him, because the hand of the Lord is with him, and he hath committed himself entirely to his difpofal

* Ifaiah Ix.

for

for evermore. Lo! Thus fhall the Man be bleffed, that feeketh the Lord with his whole heart, and receiveth not his Soul in vain. This Man in receiving the Holy Eucharist is worthy the ineftimable Grace of Union with GOD; because in this action he hath no regard to his own particular devo tion, and confolation; but above all devotion and confolation, to the Honour and Glory of GoD.

CHAP. XVI.

That we ought to lay open our neceffities to to Chrift, and to implore his Grace.

I.

The VOICE of the DISCIPLE.

O

Sweetest, and most loving Lord, whom now with devout longings I defire to receive; thou knoweft my weaknefs, and the neceffity I labour under; thou understandest in what a diftreffed condition I lie both as to misery and fin; how often I am bowed down with grief and affliction of fpirit, tormented with temptations, diforder'd with paffion, and defiled with fin. For remedy, to thee I come; for comfort

and

and relief, thee I pray to. I fpeak to one, who knoweth all things, to whom all my inward parts are naked and open, and who alone canft most compleatly comfort and help me. Thou knoweft what good things I more efpecially want, and how very flender and low my ftock of virtue is.

my

II. Behold, I ftand before thee poor- and naked, begging Grace, and imploring Mercy. Refresh the bowels of thy poor famifh'd beggar, inflame my frozen benumbed foul with the fire of thy Love, enlighten blind eyes with the fhine of thy Prefence. Turn all earthly things into bitternefs to me; all croffes and afflictions into patience; all things here below, and things created, into contempt and oblivion. Lift up my heart to thee in Heaven, fix it there, and fuffer me to come down no more to roam the Earth. Do thou alone from this very moment become fweet unto my Soul, even for ever and ever; fince thou alone art my meat, and my drink, my love, and my joy, my fweetnefs, and my whole and fole Good.

"

III. O that, by the power of thy Prefence thou wouldst fet me all in flames, confume me entirely, and transform me into thy felf; to the end I may be made one

Spirit with thee, by the Grace of an internal Union, and the diffolution of a flaming Love! Let me not, I beseech thee, be fent away empty; Suffer me not to retire from thy Prefence hungry and thirfty; but cooperate with me mercifully, as thou haft often co-operated with thy Saints marvelloufly. What wonder, if I became all fire by virtue of my Union with thee, and were wholly loft and confumed in my felf and my own nature; fince thou art a Fire ever burning, and never decaying; a Love purifying the heart, and enlightning the understanding?

CHAP. XVII.

Of the ardent Love, and most paffionate Defire of the Devout Soul to receive Christ.

I.

The VOICE of the DISCIPLE.

Wi

ITH the greatest devotion, and an ardent Love, with the whole affection of my heart, and fervour of my foul, I defire to receive thee, O Lord, even in the fame manner as many Saints, and

devout perfons have in Communicating defired thee, fuch as have moft highly pleas'd thee in holiness of Life, and have been blefs'd with a moft exalted devotion. O my GoD, thou Love Eternal, my whole and only Good, my Happiness Everlasting! I defire to receive thee with the most vehement longings, and most awful and profound reverence, that any of thy Saints ever had, or could possibly feel.

II. And altho' I am unworthy to receive all those sentiments of devotion, yet nevertheless I offer unto thee the whole affection of my heart, begging thee to accept it, in the same manner as if I alone had all those, fo highly pleafing unto thee, and transportingly inflamed defires; yea more, whatsoever devout refentments a pious mind can poffibly conceive, or defire, all these with the utmost veneration, and from the bottom of a heart full' of love and gratitude, I prefent and offer unto thee. I defire not to referve any thing to my felf, but to make a most free and chearful Oblation of all I have and

am, to thy use. My Lord and my GoD, my Creator, and my Redeemer, I defire to receive thee this day with the fame affection, reverence, praife and honour; with the fame gratitude, worthinefs and love;