May 2
Daily Gleanings of the Saintly LifeThursday after Fourth Sunday in Lent
Forgetting those things which are behind, and reaching forth unto those things which are before. Philippians 3:13.
OFFER up thyself wholly to God, and fix the point of thy love upon His most blessed "increated" love; and there let thy soul and heart rest and delight, and be as it were resolved and melted most happily into the blessed Godhead; and then take that as a token, and be assured by it, that God will grant thy lovely and holy desire. Then shalt thou feel in a manner no difference betwixt honour and shame, joy and sorrow; but whatsoever thou perceivest to appertain to the honour of thy Lord, be it ever so hard and unpleasant to thyself, thou wilt heartily embrace it, yea, with all thy might follow and desire it: yet when thou wilt think thou hast done what is possible for thee, thou wilt think thou hast done nothing at all, yea thou wilt be ashamed and detest thyself, that thou hast so wretchedly and imperfectly served so noble and worthy a Lord; and therefore thou wilt desire and endeavour every hour to do and suffer greater and more perfect things than hitherto thou hast done, forgetting the things that are behind, and pressing forward to those that are before.
As many as the crosses which abound On every side our road which leads to heaven, So many tokens of Thy care are found To wean our fancies unto pleasure given; To aid Thy Spirit which with ours has striven, And bring us to the Cross of Thy deep woes. Here in the twilight of the silent even, While life's short day to sable darkness goes, My heart shall fly to Thee and rest in Thy repose.