the highest degree; but when He favors thee by making thee feel his Presence, and know His desire that thou shouldst speak to Him as to that One Who loves thee above all, then express to Him thy feelings with freedom and confidence. " She preventeth them that Covet her, so that she first showeth herself unto them" (Wisd. vi. 14). When thou desirest His love, He takes the first step, without waiting till thou comest to Him; and presents Himself to thee, bringing with Him the graces and the remedies thou dost stand in need of. He only waits for thee to speak to Him, to show thee that He is near to thee, ready to hear and to comfort thee: " And His ears are unto their prayers" (Ps. xxxiii. 16).
By reason of His immensity, our God is in every place; but there *are two places above all where He has His own peculiar dwelling. One is the highest heaven, where He is present by that glory which He communicates to the blessed; the other is upon earth, — it is within the humble soul that loves Him: " who dwelleth with a contrite and humble spirit " (Is. lvii. 15). He, then, our God, dwelleth in the height of heaven; and yet He disdains not to occupy and engage Himself day and night with His faithful servants in their cabins or their cells. And there He bestows on them His divine consolations, each one of which surpasses all the delights the world can give, and which he only desires not who has no experience of them: " Oh, taste and see that the Lord is sweet " (Ps. xxxiii. 9).
Friends in the world have some hours in which they converse together, and others during which they are apart; but between God and thee (if thou wiliest) there shall never be one hour of separation: "Thou shalt rest, and thy sleep shall be sweet: the Lord will be at thy side" (Prov. iii. 24, 26). Thou shalt sleep, and God will place Himself at thy side, and watch with thee continually; " I will repose myself with
