CHAPTER XI.

OF REST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD — ITS FRUITS — INWARD SILENCE — GOD COMMANDS IT — OUTWARD SILENCE.

npHE soul, being brought to this place, needs no other preparation than that of repose : for the presence of God during the day, which is the great result of prayer, or rather prayer itself, begins to be iniiiilive and almost continual. The soul is conscious of a deep inward happiness, and feels that God is in it more truly than it is in itself. It has only one thing to do in order to find God, which is to retire within itself. As soon as the eyes are closed, it finds itself in prayer.

It is astonished at this infinite happiness ; there is carried on within it a conversation which outward things cannot interrupt. It might be said of this method of prayer, as was said of Wisdom, "All good things together come to me with her" (Wisdom of