perhaps find more difficulty to renounce a favourite amusement, than to bestow a large sum in alms. We the more easily deceive ourselves in small things, as we believe them innocent, and imagine ourselves less attached to them. Nevertheless, we may easily perceive by our concern when it pleases God to deprive us of them, how excessive and inexcusable our enjoyment of, and attachment to them was. Besides, if we are negligent on small occasions, we shall hourly give offence to our family, our domestics, and the world. They cannot imagine that we are sincerely pious, when in particular instances they perceive us remiss and irregular. What reason have they to believe, that we should without hesitation make the greatest sacrifices, when they see that we decline the smallest! But what

is of all other things the most dangerous is, that this neglect of trivial matters, accustoms the soul to infidelity. It grieves the holy spirit, we become abandoned to our own will, and regard as nothing an offence against God. On the contrary, perfect love esteems nothing little, every thing that can either please or displease God, seems important to it. Not that perfect love fills the soul with uneasiness and scruples, but it sets no bounds to its fidelity. It works simply with God; and as it does not embarrass itself with things that God requires not of it, so it never hesitates a moment upon what he does require, whether it be great or small. It is not then by uneasiness that we become faithful, but by a sentiment of love, which is free from the fears and disquiets of a scrupulous soul. We are as it were drawn on by the love of God, nor do we wish to act otherwise than we do. While God urges the soul, incessantly impels it with regard to the smallest particulars, and seems to deprive it of all liberty, it finds itself enlarged,

and enjoys a profound peace in him. O how happy is the soul in this state! As for those who have naturally less exactness, they ought to observe a more inviolable law with regard to small matters. They are tempted to despise them; to count them as nothing; they do not enough consider the consequence of them; they do not represent to themselves the insensible progress of the passions; they even forget their own fatal experiences. They choose rather to promise themselves an imaginary steadiness, and to confide in their own courage, which has so often deceived them, than to be subject to a continual fidelity. It is a trifle they say: yes it is a trifle, but such a trifle as is every thing to you, a trifle to which you are so attached as to refuse to part with it to God, a trifle which in order to excuse the refusal of, you despise in words, but in reality such a trifle as you keep back from God, and will prove your destruction. It is not a greatness of soul which induces us to despise small things: on the contrary, it is by having too limited views, that we regard any thing as small, which is attended with such important consequences.

The more difficulty we find in attending to small things, the more we ought to fear our negligence, mistrust ourselves, and place invincible barriers between us and our remissness. "He that contemneth small things shall fall by little and little." Lastly, judge by yourself, would you live in harmony with a friend who owed every thing to you, and who would, through duty, serve you on such occasions as he called great, but would not subject himself to have either regard or complacency you in the common intercourse of life? Fear not this continual attention to small things. At first some steadiness and courage will be necessary; but it is a self

for

denial you deserve, that you have occasion for, that will constitute your peace and security, without it you God will by degrees render this

cannot have either.

state sweet and easy.

True love is attentive, without

pain or contention.

CHAP. XV.

On the Advantages of Silence and Recollection.

You should now endeavour to be as silent as the decency of human intercourse will permit. Silence produces the presence of God, prevents many haughty and offensive words, and finally suppresses much raillery, and the passing many dangerous judgments on our neighbour. Silence humbles the spirit, and by degrees detaches it from the world; it creates a kind of solitude in the heart, such as you desire: it will supply all your wants in those perplexities you experience. Provided you never speak unprofitably, you will have many vacant moments, even in the midst of company in which you are detained against your will. You wish for liberty to pray to God: and God who knows better than you what is needful for you, mortifies you by placing you in a state of perplexity and subjection. The mortification that comes by the direction of God, will be more beneficial to you than the delights of prayer, made according to your own choice and fancy. You are not ignorant that so much retirement is not necessary in order to love God: when he affords you leisure, you must take it, and profit by it, till then exercise your faith, by firmly believing that whatever he gives you is.

best for you. Lift up your heart often to him, without any outward demonstration: speak only through necessity, and suffer patiently whatever comes across you. God deals with you according to your wants, and as you are sensible of the truths of religion, you require more to be mortified than to receive fresh lights. The only thing I dread for you, in this state, is dissipation, but this you may avoid by silence.

If you are faithful to remain silent when it is not necessary for you to speak, God will not, in his mercy, suffer you to be dissipated by useful conversation. When you have but little time at your own disposal, neglect not to manage that little; half-a-quarter of an hour employed with this fidelity, in the midst of your embarrassments, will be more profitable to you in the sight of God, than whole hours dedicated to him when you have more leisure. Besides several short intervals of the day, collected together, will make something considerable, and perhaps may be attended with this advantage, that you may in this state call more frequently on God, than if he had given you the liberty of enjoying certain stated times for devotion. To love, to be silent, to suffer, to act contrary to your own inclination, in order to accomplish the will of God, by accommodating yourself to that of your neighbour, this is your lot; and happy are you to bear the cross, which God gives you from his own hand in the course of his providence. The mortifications which we choose ourselves, or which are imposed on us, do not destroy self love so effectually as those which God daily distributes to us. They have nothing in them which can support our self will, and coming immediately from a merciful providence, they bring with them a grace proportioned to all our neces

L

sities. We have therefore nothing to do, but daily, without any further regard, to resign ourselves to God, who carries us in his arms as a tender mother does her child. Let us believe, hope, and love with all the simplicity of children; in all our necessities, let us, full of love and confidence, turn our eyes towards our heavenly Father: behold what he says, "Can a woman forget "her sucking child, that she should not have compas"sion on the Son of her womb? Yea, they may forget, "yet will I not forget thee."

CHAP. XVI. '

On too great a Sensibility in Troubles.

Let

THIS sensibility does not depend on ourselves, but is, by our Creator, interwoven with our constitution, in order to exercise our patience and resignation. us then enter into his designs. Temptations are necessary for us, but let us remember he always proportions them to our strength. Those within us as well as those that are from without, all tend to crown us with victory, if we are faithful in the combat. Inward temptations are, however, more useful, as they more immediately humble us, and make us sensible of our inward corruption. Those from without only serve to shew us the malignity of our neighbour, while those that proceed from within, make us sensible that we are as much depraved in our dispositions, as the rest of the world. Let us then, with a humble peaceful confidence, support all our inward rebellions, and all the temptations that spring from our own hearts, as well as the storms