strong and hearty; and it is a thirst, which, instead of pain, imparts great pleasure to us. It is true, that it is only in heaven we shall be perfectly satisfied, according to these words, " I shall be satisfied when I shall see thee in thy glory" (Ps. xvi. 15) ; and these others, " They shall be inebriated with the plenty of thy house." (Ps, xxxv. 9.) However, the above words of the Wise Man must be understood according to the interpretation of St. Bernard, who says, we shall never be in such manner satisfied with the sight of God as to be without a desire of, and thirst after his sight; because, instead of giving us disgust, it will excite in us perpetually a new desire of seeing and enjoying him. In the Apocalypse, St. John, speaking of the blessed who assisted at the throne, and before the Lamb, says, "That they sung as it were a new song." (Apoc. xiv. 3.) This is to show us, that this song will always contain, something new, and will excite in us new joy, and new admiration, which will make ua continually cry out, as the children of Israel did in first seeing the manna fall in the desert, "Manhu?" that is to say, "What is this?" It is just so with spiritual things here below ; for being an emanation from those above, they, in consequence, participate of their qualities and virtue. On the one hand they satisfy and fill our hearts, and on the other, they excite in us extreme hunger and thirst. The more we devote ourselves to them, the more we relish them; and the more we enjoy them, the more we continually hunger and thirst after them. But then this very hanger will be a kind of satiety, and this thirst a most sweet and agreeable refreshment to the soul. All this ought to excite in us a high idea of spiritual things; it ought to make us set a great value on them, and devote ourselves to them with such zeal and fervour, that regardless of, and scorning all the allurements and vanities of this world, we may say with the prince of the apostles, " Lord, it is good for us to be here." (Matt. xvii. 4.)
CHAPTER V.
That the Desire a Man has of becoming perfect in Virtue, is a great Mark that he is in a State of Grace.
What ought urge us to wish still more ardently for our advancement in perfection, and to renew our efforts to please God daily still more and more, and what ought, at the same time, to be of
