is the most noble and sublime of all operations. It was by this that he learned the difference between being born of the flesh, or of the will of man, and being born of Gop. (John i. 13.) The operations of the flesh are those of carnal men; those of the will of man are such as are virtuous, being done from the good disposition of the man: But those which I am speaking of are of the will of GOD, wherein man has no share, except the submission or consent which he gives thereto; which was the case of MARY, who said, "Behold the "handmaid of the LORD, be it unto me according to thy word." She gave her consent, not only for herself, for the incarnation of the word 'in her, but for all who are regenerated in JESUS CHRIST, that the word should be communi cated to them; that, as Eve's consent to the Tempter had caused death to enter into all her children, so MARY's consent to GOD might com municate the life of the word to all that are born of God.

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Ir is for this that JESUS CHRIST is the way, the truth, and the life; that he comes to enlight en every man that cometh into the world: He came to his own; and to as many as received him be gave power to become sons of GOD: And to such anly is he known in his most intimate com munications.

Öн what admirable communications were those which passed betwixt MARY and St. JOHN, at the foot of the Cross! A filiation, or sonship all divine; which the LORD is willing to extend down to me, all unworthy as I am thereof, and

to

to communicate a mother's fruitfulness, affection and tenderness, even to this poor nothing! I mean the fruitfulness of hearts and spirits. Our LORD was willing, in order to instruct me to the bottom of this mystery, in favour of others, that the girl (she whom I have spoke of) should have need of this succour. I proved her every way; and when I was not willing that she should stay with me in silence, I saw her inward condition affected by it, and even her bodily strength fail, till she was just ready to faint away. When I had made a sufficient number of trials hereof, to comprehend these manners of communications, her extreme necessities passed away. I began to discover, especially with,Father La Combe, that the interior communication was carried on, even when he was afar off, as well as when he was near. Sometimes our LORD made me stop short, when in the midst of my occupations; and I was favoured with such a flow of grace as that which I felt when with him; which I have also experienced with many others, though not in a like degree; but more or less feeling their infidelities, and knowing their faults by inconceivable impressions, without ever having been mistaken therein.

IN

CHAP. XIV.

N this long malady the love of God, and of him alone, made up my whole occupation, I seemed so entirely lost in him, as to have no sight of myself at all. It seemed as if my heart never came out of that divine ocean, having been drawn into it through deep humiliations. Oh loss which is the consummation of happi

ness,

ness, though operated through crosses and through deaths!

JESUS, as an infant, was then all living in me; and I lived no more. I was then taught, oh my Love, that thy state of infancy should not be the only one which I must bear. These words were imprinted in me, as a real state into which I must enter, (Matt. viii. 20.) "The "foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests, but the son of man hath not where to "lay his head." This I have since experienced in all its extent, having no sure abode, no refuge among my friends, who were ashamed of me, and openly renounced me, when universally decried; nor among my relations, most of whom declared themselves my adversaries, and were my greatest persecutors; while others looked on me with contempt and indignation. My state began to be like that of JOB. I might say with DAVID, (Psal. xix. 7, 8.-xxii. 6. xxxi. 11.) "For thy sake I have borne reproach; shame

hath covered my face; I am become a stranger to my brethren, and an alien unto my mother's children: A reproach to men, and despis"ed of the people."

ONE night when I was awake, CHRIST shewed me to myself, under the figure of the woman in the Revelations, (Rev. 12.) for as the brazen serpent represented CHRIST, tho' not really himself, so this figure shadowed out my state. The moon was under her feet, a crown of thorns upon her head, and surrounded with the sun, being with-child, cried in the pangs of childbirth. He showed hereby that my soul was above the vicissitudes and inconstancy of events; that I was covered and penetrated with the sun

of

of righteousness; that the twelve stars were the fruits of this state, and the gifts of God, as a crown on my head; that I was big with a fruit, which was the spirit which God would have me communicate to all my children; that the devil was the frightful dragon who would strive to devour that fruit, and to make horrible ravages over all the earth round about me; but that GoD would preserve this fruit, that it should not be lost; (So I trust, in spite of the storm, that all I have had to say or write will be preserved,) that the devil in his rage, at not succeeding in his design against the fruit, would fall the more fiercely on myself, and would raise a flood against me to swallow me up; that this flood would be calumny, which would rush to carry me down with rapidity; but that the earth would open itself to receive this flood; that is to say, that this calumny would gradually fall to the ground, and there die away.

He showed me all the world in a rage against me, without any one daring to appear for me; and assured me in the ineffable silence of his eternal Word, that he would give me vast numbers of children, which I should bring forth by the cross. I left it to him to do with me whatever he pleased, esteeming my whole and sole. interest to be placed, entirely in his divine Will. He gave me to see how the devil was going to stir up an outrageous persecution against prayer, that it should prove the source of the same prayer, or rather the means which GOD would make use of to establish it. He gave me to see farther how he would guide me into the wilderness, where he would cause me to be nourished for a time, and times, and half a time. The wings,

which were to bear me thither, were the resig nation of my whole self to his holy will, and the love of the same will. I think I am at pre sent in that wilderness, separated from the whole world in my imprisonment; and I see already accomplished in part what was then shown me. Can I ever express the mercies which my GoD has bestowed on me? No; they must ever remain in himself, being of a nature not to be described, by reason of their purity, and immensity.

In my sickness I was often in all appearance at the point of death. I fell into convulsions from violent pains in my bowels, which lasted a long time with violence. Father La Combe administred the sacrament to me, the Prioress of the Ursulines having desired him to do it as their priest was then not at home. I was well satisfied to die, as was he also in the expectation of my departure. For being united in GoD after a manner so pure, and so spiritual, death could not separate us, but on the contrary would have more closely united us. Father La Combe, who was on his knees at my bed-side, remarking the change of my countenance, and how my eyes faded, seemed ready to give me up for dying; when GOD inspired him to lift up his hands, and with a strong voice, which was heard of those who were in my chamber, at that time almost full, to command Death to relinquish. Instantly it seemed to be stopped: And thus GOD was pleased wonderfully to raise me up again; yet for a long time I continued extremely weak, during all which our LORD still gave me new testimonies of his love. How many times was he pleas ed to make use of his servant to restore me to life, when I was almost on the very point of expiring!