Page:Thecompleteascet01grimuoft.djvu/508

 To come  to  what  is  practical:  It  is  necessary  to  know that God  is  present  in  us,  in  a  manner  different  from that in  which  he  is  present  in  other  creatures;  in  us  he is  present  as  in  his  own  temple  and  his  own  house. Know you  not,  says  the  Apostle,  that  you  are  the  temple  of God,  and  that  the  Spirit  of  God dwelleth  in  you?  Hence our Saviour  says,  that  into  a  soul  that  loves  God,  he comes  with  the  Father  and  Holy  Ghost,  not  to  remain there  for  a  short  time,  but  to  dwell  in  it  forever, and there  to  establish  an  everlasting  habitation. ''If, any one  love  me,. . .  my  Father  will  love  him,  and  we  will come  to  him,  and  will  make  our  abode  with  him.''

The kings  of  the  earth,  though  they  have  their  great palaces, have,  notwithstanding,  their  particular  apartments in  which  they  generally  live. God is  in  all  places; his presence  fills  heaven  and  earth;  but  he  dwells  in  a particular  manner  in  our  souls,  and  there,  as  he  himself tells us  by  the  mouth  of  the  Apostle,  he  delights  to  remain as  in  so  many  gardens  of  pleasure. I will  dwell in  them,  and  will  walk  among  them,  and  I  will  be  their  God. There he  wishes  us  to  love  him  and  to  pray  to  him:  for he remains  in  us  full  of  love  and  mercy,  to  hear  our  supplications, to  receive  our  affections,  to  enlighten  us,  to govern  us,  to  bestow  on  us  his  gifts,  and  to  assist  us  in all  that  can  contribute  to  our  eternal  salvation. Let us then  often  endeavor,  on  the  one  hand,  to  enliven  our faith in  this  great  truth,  and  annihilate  ourselves  at  the sight of  the  great  majesty  that  condescends  to  dwell within us;  and  on  the  other,  let  us  be  careful  to  make acts at  one  time  of  confidence,  at  another  of  oblation,