graven thee in My hands: thy walls are always before my eyes" (Is. xlix. 16). Beloved soul, says the Lord, what dost thou fear or mistrust? I have thee written in My hands, so as never to forget to do thee good. Art thou afraid of thine enemies? Know that the care of thy defence is always before Me, so that I cannot lose sight of it. Therefore did David rejoice, saying to God: " Thou hast crowned us as with a shield of Thy good will" (Ps. v. 13). Who, O Lord! can ever harm us, if Thou with Thy goodness and love dost defend and encompass us round about? Above all, animate thy confidence at the thought of the gift that God has given us of Jesus Christ: "God so loved the world as to give His only-begotten Son" (St. John iii. 16). How can we ever fear, exclaims the Apostle, that God would refuse us any good, after He has vouchsafed to give us His own Son? "He delivered Him up for us all; how hath He not also, with Him, given us all things?" (Rom. viii. 32.)
" My delights are to be with the children of men" (Prov. viii. 31). The paradise of God, so to speak, is the heart of man. Does God love Thee? Love Him. His delights are to be with thee; let thine be to be with Himself, to pass all thy lifetime with Him, in the delight of whose company thou hopest to spend a blissful eternity. Accustom thyself to speak with Him alone, familiarly, with confidence and love, as to the dearest friend thou hast, and who loves thee best.
II.
It is Easy and Agreeable to Entertain One's Self with God.
If it be a great mistake, as has been already said, to converse mistrustfully with God, — to be always coming before Him as a slave full of fear and confusion comes before his prince,
