Acts of Lobe.

ALMIGHTY and everlasting God, Thou art infinite in all excellencies and perfections, and therefore art the most proper object of the love and adoration of immortal souls; Thou art infinite in goodness and loving-kindness towards me, and therefore hast the justest claim to my heart.

O infinite Amiableness! when shall I love Thee without bounds, without coldness or interruption, which, alas, so often seize me here below? Let me never suffer any creature to be Thy rival, or to share my heart with Thee; let me have no other God, no other love, but only Thee.

Whatever is amiable in the creatures is derived from Thee, and is no farther amiable than it bears some impression of Thy amiableness; their goodness is imperfect, and mixed with much evil, but Thou only art perfectly excellent; O let the world never more have place in my heart! All my affections I withdraw from that to fix on Thee.

O dear Jesus, who didst love me to such a degree, that Thou wert pleased for my sake to endure a painful and shameful death, how is it possible I can live without loving Thee?

O how much is it the grief of my heart, that my love is so imperfect, so little fixed upon the most deserving object! O when shall I love Thee to the utmost capacity of a creature, and praise Thee to all eternity?

How afflicting is it to me not to love Thee as much as I desire! Alas, when shall I love Thee with all my strength? When shall all carnal affections die in me, and all things belonging to the Spirit live and grow in me? When shall I be willing to lay down my life for Thee, who hast shed Thy precious blood for me?

Grant, O God, that I may continually exercise upon earth what the blessed saints practise with so much fervour in heaven: the glories and pleasures of that happy region would be imperfect, if the flame of love did not continually burn before Thee.

Whoever loves, desires to please the beloved object; and according to the degree of love is: the greatness of desire: make me, O God, diligent and earnest in pleasing Thee; let me cheerfully discharge the most painful and costly duties, and forsake friends, riches, ease, and life itself, rather than disobey Thee.

Whoever loves, desires the welfare and happiness of the beloved object; but Thou, O dear Jesus, canst receive no addition from my imper

fect services: what shall I do to express my affection towards Thee? I will relieve the ne

cessities of my poor brethren, who are members | of Thy body; for he that loveth not his brother whom he hath seen, how can he love God whom he hath not seen?

I will pray without ceasing, and seriously meditate upon Thy precepts; I will hear Thy word with reverence and attention, and receive the holy sacrament with humility and devotion: for these are the methods Thou hast established of conversing with Thee, of uniting us to Thee, and are the only means whereby I can enjoy Thee here below.

Alas, how is all my time unprofitable, my labour lost, my actions and sufferings vain, when they are not employed in Thy service; when they are not endured for the love of Thee, my God!

I will long for Thy appearing, O blessed Jesus, because it will transform me into Thy | likeness; because it will enter me into the full enjoyment of Thee, and unite me to Thee for ever. The utmost labour of all my days is little enough, the service of my whole life short enough, and no more than sufficient to secure this eternal inheritance.

O crucified Jesus, in whom I live, and without whom I die! mortify in me all sensual de

sires; inflame my heart with Thy holy love, that I may no longer esteem the vanities of this world, but place my affections entirely on Thee.

Let my last breath, when my soul shall leave my body, breathe forth love to Thee, my God. I entered into life without acknowledging Thee, let me therefore finish it in loving Thee; O let the last act of life be love!

Acts of Conformity to the Will of God.

BLESSED will of God! how just and upright art Thou in all Thy determinations! How good and amiable in all Thy dispensations! They only love Thee not who know Thee not; and they who know Thee not, how miserable are they!

What art Thou, O Lord? and what am I? Thou art all wisdom, I am all blindness and ignorance. Choose Thou for me; let Thy holy will be done in me and by me; because if I should choose and will for myself, all would be vanity, rashness, and folly.

Thou art a God infinite in mercy and lovingkindness, therefore wilt order all things to my greatest advantage. Wo to me, when my will is not obedient and resigned to Thy blessed will in every thing!

O my God, Thou canst will nothing but that which is truly good, and I am capable of willing every thing that is monstrously evil; I therefore renounce my own will, I submit to be entirely governed by Thine.

The designs of Thy mercy are to make me happy to all eternity; and my perverse inclinations run after present pleasures, how contrary soever they may be to Thy gracious purposes. It is therefore reasonable, O Lord, that I should distrust my own guidance, and that Thy blessed will should direct all my ways.

Holiness is the path my God hath chalked out to everlasting bliss; may Thy holy will be accomplished in me, and then I shall be sanctified by Thy grace in this world, and glorified in the enjoyment of Thyself in the next!

Thy will, O blessed Jesus, is, that I should avoid all sin, and purify myself as Thou art pure; my own will does but too often prevail upon me to transgress Thy holy laws, which therefore I detest and abhor. Thy will shall │ be my rule, because it makes me do every thing that is good.

How true is it, O my Jesus, that Thou art!! my Lord and Master, my omnipotent Sovereign! How fit and reasonable therefore is it, that Thy will in every thing should be my choice and satisfaction!