already.
He told me, that all consists in one hearty renunciation of everything
which we are sensible does not lead to GOD; that we might accustom
ourselves to a continual conversation with Him, with freedom and in sim-
plicity. That we need only to recognize GOD intimately present with us,
to address ourselves to Him every moment, that we may beg His assistance
for knowing His will in things doubtful, and for rightly performing
those which we plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him
before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have done.
That in this conversation with GOD, we are also employed in praising,
adoring, and loving him incessantly, for His infinite goodness and
perfection.
That, without being discouraged on account of our sins, we should pray
for His grace with a perfect confidence, as relying upon the infinite
merits of our LORD. That GOD never failed offering us His grace at each
action; that he distinctly perceived it, and never failed of it, unless
when his thoughts had wandered from a sense of GOD's Presence, or he had
forgot to ask His assistance.
That GOD always gave us light in our doubts, when we had no other design
but to please Him.
That our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in
doing that for GOD's sake, which we commonly do for our own. That it
was lamentable to see how many people mistook the means for the end,
addicting themselves to certain works, which they performed very
imperfectly, by reason of their human or selfish regards.
That the most excellent method he had found of going to GOD, was that of
doing our common business without any view of pleasing men, [Gal. i.
10; Eph. vi. 5, 6.] and (as far as we are capable) purely for the
love of GOD.
That it was a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to
differ from other times. that we are as strictly obliged to adhere to
GOD by action in the time of action, as by prayer in its season.
That his prayer was nothing else but a sense of the presence of GOD, his
soul being at that time insensible to everything but Divine love: and
that when the appointed times of prayer were past, he found no
difference, because he still continued with GOD, praising and blessing
Him with all his might, so that he passed his life in continual joy;
yet hoped that GOD would give him somewhat to suffer, when he should
grow stronger.
That we ought, once for all, heartily to put our whole trust in GOD, and
make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, secure that He would not
deceive us.
That we ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of
GOD, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which
it is performed. That we should not wonder if, in the beginning, we
often failed in our endeavours, but that at last we should gain a habit,
which will naturally produce its acts in us, without our care, and to
our exceeding great delight.
That the whole substance of religion was faith, hope, and charity; by
the practice of which we become united to the will of GOD: that all
beside is indifferent and to be used as a means, that we may arrive at
our end, and be swallowed up therein, by faith and charity.
That all things are possible to him who believes, that they are less
difficult to him who hopes, they are more easy to him who loves, and
still more easy to him who perseveres in the practice of these three
virtues.
That the end we ought to propose to ourselves is to become, in this
life, the most perfect worshippers of GOD we can possibly be, as we hope
to be through all eternity.
That when we enter upon the spiritual we should consider, and examine to
the bottom, what we are. And then we should find ourselves worthy of
all contempt, and such as do not deserve the name of Christians, subject