whose life is governed and directed in all its points by the salutary teaching of the sacred truths of the Word, must possess internal tranquillity of mind—a state of comparative happiness arising from his conviction of the Divine superintendence—which makes him bear the toils and perplexities of this lower state with patience, and impresses him with an increased sense of the Lord's divine providence, whose goodness orders and directs his steps from this world to the heavens.
November Twenty-fifth.
THE PERFECTION OF THE LAW OF THE LORD.
The law [or doctrine] of the Lord is perfect, converting [or restoring] the soul."—Psalm xix. 7.
THE law of the Lord, or the doctrine of the Lord, is founded upon love to Him, and charity towards our neighbour. As man's ruling love constitutes the very essence of his life, and also determines his quality and character, of how great importance is it that the objects of such love should be in accordance with the Divine will! If our minds were a blank, ready to receive any impression, good or evil, the difficulty would not be so great to have heavenly love planted therein; but when it is known that man by nature is under the dominion of all kinds of evil, inasmuch as he is under the dominion of self-love and the love of the world, it behoves him to perform the work of repentance, and commence the spiritual life without delay, before evil principles become rooted, the judgment perverted, and the things of religion so distasteful in consequence of lengthened opposition to their
