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expect a successor.' That which interests the world has no charms for me, nay, it vexes me. I am old and weary. I would be at peace. Let others fret, and toil, and strive, but not I. It becometh not me; nay, would that all could see as I now see. Would that I had ever seen as I now see. Then should I not have sinned and suffered as I have.

A holy father has said: "The man who fears GOD, as he ought, and trusts in Him, gathers from the very root of pleasure, and has possession of the whole fountain of joy; and as a spark falling upon a wide ocean quickly disappears, so whatever events happen to the man who fears GOD, these, falling as it were upon an immense ocean of joy are quenched and destroyed." This is my aim. I desire that every spark of earthly desire should be quenched in me, and be swallowed up in the ocean of God's love.

Once peace and I were strangers to each other. I was at enmity with others. I was at enmity with myself. There was a war of lusts in my soul and body; for I had lost peace with Thee my GOD, Thee the only peace; but now being reconciled to Thee, O my Peace, I desire to be at peace entirely within and without. I know this cannot be perfectly as yet. I know that here I must be tempted. I know that here there will be sorrow, and persecutions; but I desire to begin this peace now, and to perfect it in eternity. I desire to be like some still river in which the heavens are seen, and if a breeze shall ruffle it at times, or a cloud pass between earth and heaven, and efface the beauteous image, yet shall it be but for a moment; and soon the everlasting hills, and the heavens themselves shall be seen again mirrored in perfect stillness, whilst the stream flows on and on towards ocean. Thus may I, O my God, glide on into eternity in holy peace, with heavenly hopes reflected upon the still surface of my soul.

1 S. Aug. In Johan. Ev. Tr. xxxii. s. 9.

2 S. Chrys. De Stat. xviii.

Arise then, O blessed JESUS, Prince of peace, and as Thou didst rebuke the winds, and say Peace unto the waves, and they were still, so still Thou now the tempest of my passions. As Thou didst grant to Mary to choose the better and the eternal part, and to sit at Thy sacred Feet in perfect peace, so grant unto me to hear, and see, consider, and love Thee, and Thee only; that all earthly desires may sink down, and my soul may be hushed and still before Thee. As Thou, O Blessed JESUS, didst say Peace to Thy troubled disciples when they were gathered together after Thy Passion, so give peace to me who sorrowfully remember how often I have forsaken Thee and lost Thee, and how full of peril is my condition whilst I live. In Thy peace let me live, and in Thy peace die, and rise, and ascend, and dwell for ever. For Thy peace is all peace. I need no more. as I can receive it now I ask, and beseech Thee to bestow Thy peace upon me, that I may be enlarged to receive in greater measure, and hereafter enjoy the multitude of peace: when I behold Thee the Prince of Peace, Who art what Thou givest, and givest what Thou art.

Devotions.

O LORD, open Thou my lips.

In such measure

And my mouth shall show forth Thy praise.

Our FATHER, Which art in heaven, Hallowed be Thy Name. Thy kingdom come. Thy will be done on earth, as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread. And forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive them that trespass against us. And lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil: for Thine is the kingdom, The power and the glory, For ever and ever. Amen.

Psalm lxxi. (see p. 85.)

L

Psalm xxix.

Bring unto the LORD, O ye mighty, bring young rams unto the LORD: ascribe unto the LORD worship and strength.

Give the LORD the honour due unto His Name: worship the LORD with holy worship.

It is the LORD, that commandeth the waters: it is the glorious GOD, that maketh the thunder.

It is the LORD, that ruleth the sea; the voice of the LORD is mighty in operation: the voice of the Lord is a glorious voice.

The voice of the LORD breaketh the cedar-trees : yea, the LORD breaketh the cedars of Libanus.

He maketh them also to skip like a calf: Libanus also, and Sirion, like a young unicorn.

The voice of the LORD divideth the flames of fire; the voice of the LORD shaketh the wilderness: yea, the LORD shaketh the wilderness of Cades.

The voice of the LORD maketh the hinds to bring forth young, and discovereth the thick bushes: in His temple doth every man speak of His honour.

The LORD sitteth above the water-flood: and the LORD remaineth a King for ever.

The LORD shall give strength unto His people: the LORD shall give His people the blessing of peace. Glory be to the FATHER, &c.

As it was in the beginning, &c.

S. John xiv.

Let not your heart be troubled: ye believe in God, believe also in Me. In My FATHER'S House are many mansions: if it were not so, I would have told you. I go to prepare a place for you. And if I go and prepare a place for you, I will come again, and receive you unto Myself; that where I am, there ye may be also. And whither I go ye know, and the way ye know.

Thomas saith unto Him, LORD, we know not whither Thou goest; and how can we know the way? JESUS saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the FATHER, but by Me. If ye had known Me, ye should have known My FATHER also: and from henceforth ye know Him, and have seen Him. Philip saith unto Him, LORD, shew us the FATHER, and it sufficeth us. JESUS saith unto him, Have I been so long time with you, and yet hast thou not known Me, Philip? he that hath seen Me hath seen the FATHER; and how sayest thou then, Shew us the FATHER? Believest thou not that I am in the FATHER, and the FATHER in Me? the words that I speak unto you I speak not of Myself: but the FATHER that dwelleth in Me, He doeth the works. Believe Me, that I am in the FATHER, and the FATHER in Me: or else believe Me for the very works' sake. Verily, verily, I say unto you, He that believeth on Me, the works that I do shall he do also; and greater works than these shall he do; because I go unto My FATHER. And whatsoever ye shall ask in My Name, that will I do, that the FATHER may be glorified in the SoN. If ye shall ask any thing in My Name, I will do it. If ye love Me, keep My commandments. And I will pray the FATHER, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with you for ever; even the Spirit of truth; Whom the world cannot receive, because it seeth Him not, neither knoweth Him: but ye know Him; for He dwelleth with you, and shall be in you. I will not leave you comfortless: I will come to you. Yet a little while, and the world seeth Me no more; but ye see Me: because I live, ye shall live also. At that day ye shall know that I am in My FATHER, and ye in Me, and I in you. He that hath My commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me: and he that loveth Me shall be loved of My FATHER, and I will love him, and will manifest Myself to him. Judas

saith unto Him, not Iscariot, LORD, how is it that Thou wilt manifest Thyself unto us, and not unto the world? JESUS answered and said unto him, If a man love Me, he will keep My words: and My FATHER will love him, and We will come unto him, and make our abode with him. He that loveth Me not keepeth not My sayings and the word which ye hear is not Mine, but the FATHER'S which sent Me. These things have I spoken unto you, being yet present with you.

But

the Comforter, which is the HOLY GHOST, Whom the FATHER will send in My Name, He shall teach you all things, and bring all things to your remembrance, whatsoever I have said unto you. Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you: not as the world giveth, give I unto you. Let not your heart be troubled,

:

neither let it be afraid. Ye have heard how I said unto you, I go away, and come again unto you. If ye loved Me, ye would rejoice, because I said, I go unto the FATHER for My FATHER is greater than I. And now I have told you before it come to pass, that, when it is come to pass, ye might believe. Hereafter I will not talk much with you: for the prince of this world cometh, and hath nothing in Me. But that the world may know that I love the FATHER; and as the FATHER gave Me commandment, even so I do. Arise, let us go hence.

1 S. John ii. 1-17.

My little children, these things write I unto you, that ye sin not. And if any man sin, we have an advocate with the FATHER, JESUS CHRIST the righteous: and He is the propitiation for our sins and not for our's only, but also for the sins of the whole world. And hereby we do know that we know Him, if we keep His commandments. He that saith, I know Him, and keepeth not His commandments, is a liar, and the truth is not in him. But whoso keepeth His Word,