Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/237

 I. Admiration  of  the  majesty  of  God  and  the  divine perfections which  we  contemplate.

II. Joy and  contentment,  because  God  is  absolutely perfect in  Himself,  infinitely  good  to  others,  and  admirable in  all  His  works.

III. Praise and  thanksgiving  for  His  favors  and  benefits, with  a  desire  of  seeing  and  enjoying  Him  in  order to honor  and  obey  Him.

IV. Zeal of  God's  glory  and  the  good  of  souls,  wishing that all  the  world  may  come  to  the  knowledge  and  love of their  Redeemer.

V. Confidence  in  the  goodness  and  Providence  of God,  united  with  a  filial  respect,  and  the  fear  of  being separated fro.m  Him  by  sin,  and  a  sincere  regret  for  having ever  incurred  His  just  indignation.

VI. Desire of  the  heavenly  things  which  we  contemplate. Everything on  earth  ought  to  appear  trifling  to us,  when  we  look  up  to  heaven  and  say  with  the  prophet, "How lovely  are  Thy  tabernacles,  O  Lord  of  hosts!  my soul  languisheth  and  fainteth  in  the  courts  of  the  Lord." (Ps. lxxxiii.  2.)  "As  the  hart  panteth  after  the  fountains of  water,  so  my  soul  panteth  after  Thee,  O  God!"" (Ps.  xli.  2.)

By entertaining  such  affections  as  these,  we  ought  to aim  at  that  happy  state  in  which,  "beholding  the  glory of  God  with  face  uncovered,  we  maybe  transformed  into the  same  image  from  glory  to  glory,  as  by  the  Spirit  of  the Lord." (2 Cor.  iii.  18.)  We  should  thus  endeavor  to  become like  to  Him,  by  uniting  our  wills  with  His,  and  by increasing  daily  more  and  more  in  the  knowledge  and love of  Him,  until  at  length  passing  from  this  dark  pilgrimage of  human  life,  we  may  arrive  at  our  own  bright native country,  and  enjoy  the  beatific  vision  for  all  eternity.