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ties in any thing out of, and befides me, or places his fatisfaction in any private and particular good, fhall never be established in true joy, nor have any cafe and enlargeease ment of heart, but fhall always be in plexity and distress of foul, and be embarrafs'd and encumber'd a thousand ways. Thou oughteft therefore to appropriate nothing of good to thy felf, nor to attribute any thing of virtue to any other person; but afcribe thou the whole to GOD, without whom Man hath nothing. I gave all, I will have all again; and do with great ftrictness require the tribute of acknowledgment and thanksgiving.

III. Lo, this is that truth, that puts to flight all pride and vain-glory. And if my grace, together wih true charity, once enter the heart, there will be no more envy, nor narrowness of fpirit, nor will felf-love, or private refpects, find room there any longer. For divine charity furmounts all things, and dilates and enlarges all the powers of the foul. If thou art truly wife, in me alone wilt thou rejoice, in me alone wilt thou hope: because there is none good but GOD only, who is to be blefs'd and prais'd above all, and in all.

. Matth. xix. 17.

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CHAP.

CHAP. X.

The Delightfulness of defpifing the World, and Serving GOD.

I.

I

Will again prefume to fpeak, O Lord, and will not be filent; I will fay in the ears of my GOD, of my Lord, and of my King, who fitteth in the higheft Heavens; O how plentiful is thy goodness, O Lord, which thou haft laid up for them that fear thee! But what art thou to them that love thee? What to them that ferve thee with their whole heart? Beyond all doubt, the pleasure of contemplating thee, which thou indulgeft to those that love thee, is impoffible to be exprefs'd. In this principally didft thou manifeft the tenderness of thy loving-kindness to me, in that when I was not, thou madeft me: and when I erred and ftrayed far from thee, thou broughteft me back again, to the end I might ferve thee And haft commanded me to love thee.

II. O thou overflowing fpring of everlasting Love, what fhall I fay of thee? How

a Pfal. xxxi, 21.

can I ever forget thee, who didft condefcend to remember me, even after I was dead, and loft, and become like a branch dry'd up and wither'd? Thou haft fhewn mercy unto thy fervant, beyond all that he could hope; and beyond all defert, haft prevented him with the offers of thy grace and tendereft Love. b What fhall I render back unto thee for all thy benefits? If I refolve to dedicate my self to thy fervice, what a poor return is that to thee, whom all created Nature is bound to ferve? I ought not to imagine that I do any great thing in ferving thee; but this rather appears to me great and wonderful, that thou fhouldft vouchfafe to admit to thy fervice fo poor and worthless a creature, and to make him one of the number of thy well-beloved fer

vants.

III. Behold, all that I have, and every thing wherewith I do, or can serve thee, is thine. Yea rather contrariwise, thou ferveft me more than I ferve thee. Behold the Heaven and the earth, which thou hast created for the fervice of Man, are always

b In the Original Latin: What shall I render back unto thee for this grace? For it is not given to all, to renounce the world, with all the things thereof, and to enter upon a Monaftick life.

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ready,

ready, and daily execute whatsoever thou haft commanded them: but this is not enough; for farther yet, thou haft ordained even the Angels for the fervice of Men. But what tranfcends all is, that thou thy felf haft vouchfafed to ferve Man, and haft promifed to give thy felf unto him.

IV. What fhall I return unto thee, for these innumerable benefits? I wish I could ferve thee all the days of my life! I wish I were fufficient to do thee worthy service, even for but one day! Verily thou art worthy of all fervice, all honour, and praise eternal. Verily thou art my Lord, and I thy poor fervant; who am bound with all my ftrength to ferve thee, nor ought I ever to be weary in chanting thy praifes. This is my perfuafion, this the defire of my foul: and whatever is wanting in me, do thou Vouchsafe to fupply and make up.

V. A great honour, a great glory is it, to ferve thee, and to despise all things for thy fake. For they fhall enjoy large meafures of grace, who have freely fubmitted to thy most holy fervice. They fhall find the most ravishing confolations of the Holy Spirit, who for love of thee, have renounced all carnal delights. They fhall obtain great liberty and enlargement of foul, who,

for thy name's fake, walk in the ftrait and narrow way, and have bid adieu to all worldly cares and incumbrances.

VI. O agreeable and delightful fervice of GOD, whereby Man is render'd truly free, truly holy! O bleffed dependence, which enters us of the Family of the Most High, raises us up to a level with the Angels, reconciles us to the Almighty, makes us a terror to evil Spirits, and recommends us to the love of all the Faithful! O to be embrac'd, and ever to be wifh'd fervice, that gains us the fovereign Good, and procures us a joy which never fhall have end!

CHAP. XI.

That we ought to examine and regulate the Defires of our Heart.

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JESUS-CHRIST.

ON, thou art ftill to learn many things, which thou haft not yet

SON

been thoroughly taught.

THE SOUL..

What are thofe, Lord?

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JESUS

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