do so absolutely, to have made their calling and election sure, and yet upon some trying emergency, even these men have been vanquished and ensnared, and so entirely lost, not only to the practice, but by degrees to the very principle of goodness, as to wallow and be hardened past all feeling in the most enormous and scandalous sins. Such are the stars of heaven struck down to the earth, with a sweep of the dragon's tail. How many on the other hand (which sustains me with comfort) who have lain grovelling in dust and filth, profligate and ignorant, as well as averse to all goodness, yet even these abandoned wretches thou hast wonderfully raised, when they seemed to be just sinking into hell. Thus may we frequently observe the living die unexpectedly, and the dead in trespasses and sins, as much to our surprise, raised to a life of righteousness and hope: light clouded over with darkness, and darkness breaking forth into marvellous light. Publicans and harlots seizing heaven by violence, and the children of the kingdom cast into utter darkness.

a

And whence all this, but because they ascended into that mountain of pride into which the first pattern of disobedience went up an angel, but came down a devil? whereas the meek and humble are the persons chosen and called, sanctified and built up a meet habitation for the majesty of the great God, through the Spirit of his grace. With these thou enjoyest holy and chaste delights: dwelling in their hearts by thy presence, and making them thy temple, which is the highest honour our human nature is capable of.

For this soul of ours, which thou hast created by thy word, though not of thy own substance; nor

yet of any elementary matter, but out of nothing: this rational, intellectual, and spiritual being, ever living, and ever in motion, (upon which thou hast impressed thy likeness, and consecrated it to thyself by the laver of regeneration) is put into a capacity of receiving thy Divine Majesty, and so contrived, as to be filled with thee, and nothing else but thee. When it is in possession of thee its desires are satisfied, and nothing besides remains an object of its wishes. But while it continues to desire any external object, it manifestly betrays the want of thee within; because when thou art there it seeks for nothing beyond thee.

For since thou art the supreme and universal good, in thee possessing all things, it cannot want any thing that is good. But if it do not desire that which is the sum of all good, some other good will necessarily be sought after, because it hath not yet attained to all, nor yet to the chief good, and aims at the possession of the creature rather than the Creator. And so long as the creature is the object of its desires, those desires are never to be satisfied; for some fresh thing is ever presenting itself, and the soul still remains empty and discontented, because out of its element, and destitute of its proper happiness. For nothing is so, but the utmost perfection it is qualified for, and such alone is that blessed Original, after whose image it was made at first. Now thou art pleased thus to communicate thyself only to such, who desire nothing but thee. Such thou makest holy, as thou art holy, pure and worthy of thee such esteemest thy friends, who counting all things but as dross and dung, propose no other end, no other bliss but to gain thee alone.

And this is the blessedness, which thy mercy hath bestowed upon man: this is the honour, with which thou hast distinguished thy favoured creature, and exalted him far above the rest of the works of thy hands. And now, O Lord, at length I have found out the place where the great, the good, the mighty God is pleased to dwell. Even in that soul which thou hast formed into a resemblance of thy own excellences; which seeks, and loves, and longs for thee alone; but not in that, which divides its affections, and either loves thee, and desires thee not, or loves and longs for other things besides thee.

MEDITATION LII.

The Knowledge of God.

I HAVE gone astray like a sheep that was lost, seeking thee with great anxiety without, when yet thou art within, and dwellest in my soul, if it desire thy presence. I wandered about the villages and streets of the city of this world, inquiring for thee every where, and found thee not; because I expected to meet that abroad, which all the while I had at home. I sent my messengers into all quarters, and charged my bodily senses to make strict search, and bring back a true report, but all to no purpose; because I took a wrong method, and employed those who were not qualified for the discovery. This error I now perceive, because thou hast enlightened and showed me the right way; for though thou art within me, yet none of these sentinels could give any account how thou camest thither.

My eyes declare if God have no colour, he came not in at those doors; my ears, if he made no noise, did not pass this way; my nose, if he did not affect the smell, he entered not by me; my palate, if he have no taste, he could not enter here; my touch, if he be not a bodily substance, I can give no account of him. These qualities then do not belong to thee, my God, because I am not conscious of any such impressions upon thy approach. For thou hast not the form of a body, nor the whiteness of light, nor the sparkling of precious stones, nor the

harmony of music, nor the fragrancy of flowers, or ointments, or spices, nor the delicious taste of honey, nor the charms of those things that are pleasant to the touch, nor any other qualities by which our senses are entertained. When I seek after God, I pursue a happiness very different from all these; for to suppose him such a being, as even brutes are capable of feeling with the organs of sense, were to think most unworthily, most absurdly of him.

And yet I cannot but acknowledge, that in God I expect to find a certain light above all other light, too bright for mortal eyes to behold; a powerful voice above all other voices, too strong for any ear to hear; a sweetness above all other sweets, too exquisite for any taste to relish. A light shining without being confined by any determined space; a voice sounding without losing itself in air; a fragrant perfume without the assistance of winds to waste it. Such is my God, and there is none that can be compared unto him: and such is the object, which my soul loves and longs after.

Too

And too late it was, that I set my heart upon thee, O my beloved, whose beauty was from everlasting, and yet is always new and blooming. long did 1 pursue thee in vain, while running after the beauteous creatures thou hast made, and thinking there to find thee. Thou wast with me, but I was not with thee; and those things kept me at a distance from thee, which yet could not subsist except in and by thee. I asked the earth, if it was not my God, and it answered No; and all that it contains, unanimously agreed in the same confession. I asked the sea, the great depths, and all the vast and strange variety of creatures, living and engendered in those watery regions; they replied, We

X