That our only business(in this life) is to love and delight ourselves in GOD through Jesus Christ. Therefore, we should live our whole life as though we are alone with Jesus in the world.

l. That we ought, once for all, whether lay or religious, heartily to put our whole trust in GOD, and make a total surrender of ourselves to Him, secure that He would not deceive us.

2. That we should establish ourselves in a sense of GOD's Presence, by continually conversing with Him. That it was a shameful thing to quit His conversation, to think of trifles and fooleries. (Those living and working in the secular world may choose to silently repeat the Holy Name of Jesus in order to stay recollected during the many powerful distractions during the day)

-Be not discouraged by the repugnance which you may find in it from nature, particularly in the beginning or during times of infirmity; you must do yourself violence. At the first, one often thinks it lost time; but you must go on, and resolve to persevere in the recollection of God's Holy Presence to death, notwithstanding all the difficulties that may occur. After a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to continual recollection without any difficulty

-I do not say that therefore we must put any violent constraint upon ourselves. No, we must serve GOD in a holy freedom, we must do our business faithfully, without trouble or disquiet; recalling our mind to GOD mildly and with tranquillity, as often as we find it wandering from Him.

That useless thoughts spoil all: that the mischief began there; but that we ought to reject them, as soon as we perceived their impertinence to the matter in hand, or our salvation; and return to our communion with GOD.

3. That he was more united to GOD in his outward employments, than when he left them for devotion in retirement. That we need only to recognize GOD intimately present with us, to address ourselves to Him every moment, that we may beg His assistance for knowing His will in things doubtful, and for rightly performing those which we plainly see He requires of us, offering them to Him before we do them, and giving Him thanks when we have done.

4. That in this conversation with GOD, we are also employed in praising, adoring, and loving him incessantly, for His infinite goodness and perfection.

5. That as he knew his obligation to love GOD in all things, and as he endeavoured so to do, he had no need of a director to advise him, but that he needed much a confessor to absolve him.

6. When I decided to accept, until the end of my days, all the troubles and cares and things I disliked about my life, I found myself changed all at once; and my soul, which till that time was in trouble, felt a profound inward peace, as if she were in her centre and place of rest.

7. That all bodily mortifications and other exercises are good only as they serve to bring us to the union with GOD by love; other than this, they are useless. That he had well considered this, and found that, rather than by bodily mortifications, it the shortest way to go straight to Him by a continual exercise of love, and doing all things for His sake.

-That many do not advance in the Christian progress, because they stick in penances, and particular exercises, while they neglect the love of GOD, which is the end. That this appeared plainly by their works, and was the reason why we see so little solid virtue. That there needed neither art nor science for going to GOD, but only a heart resolutely determined to apply itself to nothing but Him, or for His sake, and to love Him only.

8. That our sanctification did not depend upon changing our works, but in doing that for GOD's sake, which we commonly do for our own. That it was lamentable to see how many people mistook the means for the end, addicting themselves to certain works, which they performed very imperfectly, by reason of their human or selfish regards. That the most excellent method he had found of going to GOD, was that of doing our common business without any view of pleasing men, and (as far as we are capable) purely for the love of GOD.

9. That it was a great delusion to think that the times of prayer ought to differ from other times. that we are as strictly obliged to adhere to GOD by action in the time of action, as by prayer in its season.

10. That we ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of GOD, who regards not the greatness of the work, but the love with which it is performed. ll. He was never hasty nor loitering, but did each thing in its season, with an even uninterrupted composure and tranquillity of spirit.

12. He complains much of our blindness; and cries often that we are to be pitied who content ourselves with so little. GOD, saith he, has infinite treasure to bestow, and we take up with a little sensible devotion which passes in a moment. Blind as we are, we hinder GOD, and stop the current of His graces. But when He finds a soul penetrated with a lively faith, He pours into it His graces and favours plentifully; there they flow like a torrent, which, after being forcibly stopped against its ordinary course, when it has found a passage, spreads itself with impetuosity and abundance.

-Yes, we often stop this torrent, by the little value we set upon it. But let us stop it no more: let us enter into ourselves and break down the bank which hinders it. Let us make way for grace; let us redeem the lost time, for perhaps we have but little left; death follows us close, let us be well prepared for it; for we die but once, and a miscarriage there is irretrievable.

l3. Ah, how sweet is it to suffer with GOD! however great the sufferings may be, receive them with love. "Tis paradise to suffer and be with Him; so that if in this life we would enjoy the peace of paradise, we must accustom ourselves to a familiar, humble, affectionate conversation with Him: we must hinder our spirits wandering from Him upon any occasion: we must make our heart a spiritual temple, wherein to adore Him incessantly: we must watch continually over ourselves, that we may not do, nor say, nor think anything that may displease Him. When our minds are thus employed about GOD, suffering will become full of unction and consolation.

-Take courage, offer Him your pains incessantly, pray to Him for strength to endure them. Above all, get a habit of entertaining yourself often with GOD, and forget Him the least you can. Adore Him in your infirmities, offer yourself to Him from time to time; and, in the height of your sufferings, beseech Him humbly and affectionately (as a child his father) to make you conformable to His holy will. I shall endeavour to assist you with my poor prayers.

14. By continual practice of the Presence of God, He perfectly fulfilled the First Commandment, and the one thing necessary. He accepted God's will in all things, and he passed his life in continual joy...