Book III. of J E s u s Christ. 13^

thy only Begotten Son, and the BlelTed ^pi.ic riie Comforter^ will I render Honour and ThanKf^ivir.o; for evermore. Defcend then, Blefled God, incothac Soul, for which thou haft exprelTed Co ^vca: a Ten- dernefs, and let thy Prefence fill me with Giadncfs : For chou art my Healthy my Joy and my Glory, my Hope and my Refuge in the Day of Diiirefs.
I muft confefs wtih Sorrow, that my Love is \veak| and my Virtue impcrfed ; nor can the One be fup- ported without thy Grace, or the other be cheriOied, unlefs thou fan the Holy Fire, and feed it with thy Heavenly Comforts. O vifit me then with thy Sal- vation, and make me to improve under thy Holy Difcipline. Deliver and purihe my Heart from all corrupt AfFecftions, and irregular Paffions ; heal my Spiritual Difeafes, and take away that Drofs and Filth, which obftruds my purer Delights of Divine Love, difcompofes my Patience, and fiiakes my la- tentionsof Perfeverance.
For Love is great arid powerful, an excellent Vir- tue, and mighty Advantage in Welldoing. It lightens the heavielt Burthens, makes Difhculties ealie, and fmooths the rugged Ways of Duty ; takes our the Bitternefs of Sufferings, and gives them a delighcful Relifh. This is the Principle, which hres us with a vigorous and adive Zeal, infoires brave and noble Attempts, and fpurs us on with an impatient Defire of (till higher Degrees of Perfedion. For Love ever labours to be uppermoft, and difdains to take up with;? low and^ vulgar Attainments. It hates Confinement^: and would fain get loofe from all Woridiy Aifections ;. that fo its inward and Ipiritual Prolpeds may not be intercepted by any Temporal Good or Evil, which darken and block it up. In Love is the Perfedicn of Pleafure and Strength ,• it is higher than Heaven ; brpader than the Sea ; it fills the ipacious Univer(e, for it is born of God ; The firft and belt of all [m ^' K Cica-
i|4 ^f tfte 3!^ttatton Book III.
Creatures : And, as it came from Him, fo ic never reih till it have got above all Finite Beings, and cen- ter again in that Only, that Infinite Good^ from whence it originally fprung.
Tlie Perfon aded by it flies with eager Hafte, does every thing with Cheerfulnefs and Pleafure, and fuf- fers no Impediments to ftop him in his Courfe : He gives all things liberally, and yet poffeffes All,becaufe his Soul is united to that Supreme Good, in and from whom is all Perfedion. He looks not fo much at the Gift as the Giver, and be the Quality of that what it will, ic only ferves to render him more grateful to its Author. Love knows no Bounds, no Meafure ,♦ but thinks it can never do enough f and attempts things even above its Strength, not confidering fo much what it is able, as what it is delirous and difpofed to efFed • The Vehemence of Defire takes oiFali fenfe of Diffi- culty, and thinks nothing fo great, but that it may and ought to aim at it. And hence proceed thofe mighty and aftonifliing Atchievements, which Love does daily fering to pafs. where the Fire continues ftrong, and is not damped by Sloth and Faint- heartednefs.
Love is eternally awake, never tired with Labour^ nor opprefled with AfBidion, nor difcouraged by Fear ; But, like a clear and ftrong Flame, is ever mounting upwards, and makes its way through all Oppofition. Ic cries continually in the Ears, (for fervent Love is that Cry which pierces the Ears) of the moft Higheft, and all the Language of Devout Souls inflamed with it, is to this EfFed : My God, My Love, thou art my All, and I am entirely Thine. Enlarge my Heart, and make me capable of yet more Love ; that I may feel and feaft upon the Sweetnefs of the delightful Affe- ctions, and even melt away and lofe my felf in the Extafies and Charms of this heavenly Difpofition. In- creafe and blow up this divine Flame^thac^not contene
tQ