opportunity, disposition, and attraction of each person. The manner of our praying ought to be regulated by our experience. Those who have profited by regularity and set forms ought not to quit them; those who cannot subject themselves to such a method, should consider, with deference to the general opinion, that they are useful to others, and are recommended by the most pious and experienced persons. But, in a word, as rules are given not to embarrass, but assist us, when they only serve to perplex us, they should be laid aside. In fine, prayer always increases by the most simple and fixed prospects, so that there is no occasion for such a number of objects and considerations. We are with God as with a friend. At first we have a thousand things to say, and as many questions to ask; but after some time these particulars of conversation are exhausted, though it is impossible the pleasure of friendly intercourse can ever be so; though we have nothing more to say, we are pleased at being together, at seeing each other, at being conscious that we are near one another, and with delighting ourselves in the enjoyment of a sweet and pure friendship: we say nothing, but that silence is expressive: we know that we are agreed in all things, and that our two hearts are in perfect union; the one incessantly pours itself into the other. It is thus in our commerce with God, by prayer, that we are raised to a simple and familiar union with him, which is beyond all expression or words. Let us pray then, let us pray. Blessed be God, who hath not cast out my prayer, nor turned his mercy from me.

CHAP. IV.

On the conformity of our lives to that of Jesus Christ..

WE must imitate Jesus: that is, live as he lived; think as he thought, and conform ourselves to his image which is the seal of our sanctification. How different is our conduct! We, who are actual nothings, exalt ourselves, and imagine ourselves to be somewhat, while the Almighty becomes a worm, and no man. O Lord, I will with thee make myself of no reputation, and sacrifice to thee, all the pride and vanity that have hitherto possessed me. Assist this inclination, O my God; remove far from me all occasion of falling; "O turn away mine eyes, lest they behold vanity;" that I may see nothing but thee, and myself in thy presence; it is then that I shall know what I am, and what thou art. Jesus Christ, born in a stable, is constrained to fly into Egypt, passes thirty years of his life in the shop of a mean artificer, suffers hunger, thirst, and weariness; is poor, despised, and rejected; he preaches that the kingdom of heaven is come, but no one listens to him; the great and learned persecute him, they take him, and make him undergo the most cruel torments, they treat him as a slave, crucify him between two thieves, and prefer a murderer before him. This is the life that Jesus Christ has chosen, and yet we dread every kind of humiliation; the least slight is insupportable to us. Let us compare our lives with that of Jesus Christ; let us remember that he is the master and we the servants; that he is the Almighty, and we nothing but weakness,

yet he abases himself, and we exalt ourselves. Let us hereafter so frequently contemplate our own wretchedness, as not to despise any body but ourselves. Can we justly be provoked at others, and observe their faults, while we are so full of faults ourselves? Let us begin to walk in the path Jesus Christ has marked out for us, since it is he alone who can conduct us to himself. And how can we expect to find Jesus Christ, if we do not seek him in such states as he chose in this mortal life? that is to say, in solitude, in silence, in poverty, in misery, in persecutions and troubles; in the cross and all sorts of humiliations. The saints find him in heaven in the brightness of his glory, and in unspeakable pleasure; but it is after they have lived with him on earth, in reproaches, pains and humiliations.

To be a christian is to be an imitator of Jesus Christ. And in what can we imitate him but his humiliations? nothing else can unite us to him. As Almighty, we ought to adore him; as just, we ought to fear him; as good and merciful, we ought to love him with all our strength; as humble, submissive, despised, and mortified, we ought to imitate him. Let us not pretend to do this through our own strength: all that is in us resists it; let us comfort ourselves with this reflection, that God is with us. Jesus Christ was content to feel all our weaknesses; he is a compassionate high priest, who was content to be tempted in all points like as we are; let us then be strong in him who voluntarily became weak that we might be strong: let us enrich ourselves through his poverty, and say with confidence, "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." O Jesus, I would follow thee in the path which thou hast trod; but I can do so, only through thy grace. O abject

and humble Saviour, give me the true science of a christian, and a contempt for myself; and teach me that lesson, so incomprehensible to human wisdom, which is to die to myself by that detachment which produces true humility. Let us then in earnest apply ourselves to this business, that our hard rebellious hearts may be converted into the heart of Jesus Christ. Let us approach the sacred heart of Jesus, that it may animate ours, and destroy all the opposition it meets with. O divine Jesus, who for the love of me hath suffered so many reproaches and humiliations, so powerfully impress in my heart the esteem and love of thee, that I may truly desire to be a partaker of thy submissive life.

CHAP. V.

A prayer to give ourselves up entirely to God in solitude.

O God, I would willingly resign myself entirely to thee; strengthen, I beseech thee, this feeble will that sighs after thee: I stretch forth my hands to thee, do thou take hold of me; if I lack sufficient strength, attract me, I beseech thee, by the sweetness of thy odours; draw me after thee by the chains of thy love.

O how

Lord, to whom shall I belong if not to thee? vile a slavery is it to be devoted to ourselves, and to our passions! O how great is the liberty of the children of God! Alas, thou art not known. Happy is he who has found thee, and no longer seeks thee where thou art not thrice happy he who so trusts in God, as to depend on him alone.

But whence comes it, O my divine spouse, that we have not courage to break our sensual chains? Are these transitory vanities of more value than thou and thy eternal truth? Shall we be afraid to resign ourselves to thee? O egregious folly! this would be dreading to quit Egypt for the promised land; it would be murmuring in the desert, and loathing the manna, upon the remembrance of the flesh pots of Egypt. It is not I that give to thee, it is thou, my God, that givest all to me. I will not hesitate then to give thee, in return, my heart. O how great is the blessedness of being so retired with thee as to hear and see nothing that is unprofitable and vain, but to listen perpetually to thee!

O infinite wisdom! is not thy voice to be preferred to that of vain man? thou wilt speak to me, O God of love, thou wilt instruct me, and enable me to fly all vanity and falsehood; thou wilt feed me with thyself, and restrain in me all vain curiosity. Lord, when I meditate upon thy yoke, it appears too easy; and is this then the cross which I am to carry by following thee all the days of my life? hast thou no cup more bitter, that I may drink it, even to the dregs? is this peaceful retreat, under a holy discipline and among so many good examples, the severe penance which my sins have merited? O blessed love, all thy proceedings are the works of love: thou forbearest to strike in pity to my weakness; shall I then fear to approach thee? the crosses the world lays on its children should indeed affright; what blindness is it not to fear them! O infinite misery, which thy mercy alone can exceed! The less I have of light and courage, the more I stand in need of thy compassion. O my God, I have made myself unworthy of thee, but I may yet become a miracle of thy grace.