nestly supplicates the gift of the Spirit of love to

Christ.

37.

watching, when we watch for God the Author of the universe, who fills all things; whose greatness exceeds all comprehension! O that vile as I myself am (His own servant however still, though but a feeble one) He might vouchsafe to rouse even me from the slumber of S. Luke xii. indolence, so to kindle in me that fire of divine love, that the flame of His love, the longing after His exceeding great kindness, might sparkle in me more brightly than the stars, and the heavenly fire continue to keep alive within for ever. O that I were composed of such materials, as would continually feed, support, and nourish that fire; and cherish that flame, never to know decline, never to cease from burning still more strongly. O that I were worthy of such honour, that my lamp might burn through the livelong night in the temple of my Lord, to give light to all that enter into the house of my God. Grant to me, O Lord, I beseech Thee, in the 1 Cor. xiii.8. name of Thy Son Jesus Christ, my God, that charity which never faileth, that my lamp may know [only] how to burn, never know how to be extinguished; that it may maintain life in myself, and shed its light on others [around me.] Do Thou, O Christ, our own most Sweetest Saviour, vouchsafe to kindle our lamps, that they may ever burn brightly in Thy temple, and receive never-failing light from Thee, the [true] never-failing Light. That so our darkness may be lightened, and the darkness of the world banished from around us. So communicate Thy light, I beseech Thee, my Jesus, to this lamp of mine, that by its light I may obtain a vision See Heb. iv. of that Holiest of Holies, whereinto Thou, the eternal High Priest, [*hast for ever entered, through the Portals of thy mighty Temple*], so as that I may only see Thee, and of con- look to Thee, long after Thee, for ever. That setting stant "look- my love on Thee only, I may behold Thee, long for ing unto Thee, wait on Thee, with my lamp ever lighting and Jesus." burning in Thy presence. Be it thine I implore Thee,

and of light in Christ;

14-16, and x. 19-22.

most loving Saviour, to reveal Thyself to us that knock [for admittance to Thy presence]-that learning to know Thee, we may love Thee alone, love Thee exclusively; long after Thee only; meditate on Thee only, by day and by night; and make only Thee the subject of our thoughts; and that Thou mayest vouchsafe to inspire us with such a measure of Thy love, that our love and affection for Thee may be such as is fitting towards Thy divine [and heavenly] nature; that Thy kindness may occupy all our inmost souls, and Thy love take possession of us wholly, Thy charity filling all our senses. That we may know no other love but Thine, who art the Everlasting [Lord]. That so there may be found in us that boundless love, that never can be quenched by the many waters of this air, and earth, and sea, according

to that word 'Many waters cannot quench love.' And Ŏ Song of Sothat this may be realized in us even in part, by Thy gra- lomon, viii. cious gift, our Lord Jesus Christ, to whom be glory for ever and ever. Amen."

7.

No. VII.

ST. COLUMBANUS'S INSTRUCTION ON THE SUBJECT "OF JESUS CHRIST
THE LIVING FOUNTAIN, AND OF COMING TO HIM FOR DRINK."—
Given as INSTRUCTION XIII. p. 74, in FLEMING.

diffident of

"Impressed with a strong sense of the misery of hu- The preachman life, as brought before us in the observations of er though every-day experience, and with solemn reverence at the his abilities, same time for the divine oracles, we have been led to ex- must in hibit, in the discourses which you have already heard, faithfulness however inelaborate their style, the best efforts, feeble labour to the though they be, of our humble ability; and however this way of talking on our part may haply appear super- the enforce

VOL. III.

best of his

power in

ment of Christian truth.

Christ the Spring of living waters, how to

be approached

and applied by the believer.

fluous in the eyes of others, yet to ourselves it seems ap-
propriate enough that the discourse should begin with
allusions of a personal nature, such as these. For it is
not so much the indolence of others, as our own, that we
are endeavouring to arouse. And moreover, although
to the perfect in wisdom these advances towards wisdom
[which we are engaged in] may prove not entirely satis-
factory, still for beginners, and poor lukewarm creatures
like ourselves, they must be regarded as unavoidable, and
well adapted enough to our case.
For what cannot be
concealed, what cannot be kept silent, without doing
harm, it is inexpedient to hide and inexpedient to hush.
For this reason therefore it seemed to us better to speak,
even in a homely style, than to observe silence. For we
have judged it to be undoubtedly safer to employ our
conversation on such topics as these, than on others that
are either idle or frivolous.

"Lend then your ear once more, brethren dearly beloved, to our observations, as [persons] convinced of the necessity of paying attention to the lessons which you hear, [on such occasions as this]. And refresh your thirst, yet not so as to extinguish it, at the waters of this divine fountain, concerning which we are now desirous to speak. Drink, yet not so as to be satiated. For the Living Fountain, the Fountain of Life, now summons us S. John vii. to himself, and says, Whosoever is athirst let him come unto me and drink." Observe what it is you are to drink. Let Isaiah inform you; let the Fountain Himself inform you: And they have forsaken me, the Fountain of living water, saith the Lord." It is the Lord then Himself, Jesus Christ, our God, that is the Fountain of Life, and He therefore invites us to Himself the Fountain, that we may drink. He drinks who loves Him; he drinks who takes his fill of the Word of God; who has a perfect love for Him, a perfect longing after Him: he drinks, who is inspired with a burning love for wisdom.

37.

Isa. lv. 1.
Jer. ii. 13.

Let us

Gentiles then drink with eagerness from that [Fountain] which the Jews forsook [*For to us also as well as to other Gentiles may apply that saying about 'those who open not their mouths, and we too may be exhorted to open the mouth of our inner man, to eat with anxious haste and eagerness that bread which cometh down from S. John vi. heaven.*]

6

33.

have en

with Him.

In order then that we may eat of this Bread-that we The more may drink of this Fountain, [both of which are one and] of Christ His people the same Jesus Christ our Lord, (who speaks of Himself as though He were to be used by us for food, [under the joyed, so title of] the living bread, which giveth life to this world; much the and in like manner pointing to Himself as the Fountain, more will He saith, Whosoever is athirst, let him come unto me and after unin they long drink,' concerning which Fountain also the prophet saith, terrupted For with thee, is the Fountain of Life.' See whence that communion Fountain flows; for it is from the same source from P. xxxvi. which the bread also descends; because it is the same 9. One who is the Bread and the Fountain, the Only Son, our God, the Lord Christ, whom we ought unceasingly to hunger after; and although we are eating of Him in loving Him, although we devour Him by our longing after Him, yet let us continue our longing after Him, as though hungry still. In like manner, that we may always drink of Him, the Fountain, with exceeding pleasure, drink of Him unceasingly in the full eagerness of our longing after Him, and be delighted with His grateful sweetness, (for the Lord is sweet and pleasant,) though we do eat of Him and drink, yet let us ever still hunger and thirst for Him. For this our food and drink can never be entirely consumed nor exhausted; for although used, it is not spent ; though drunk of, it doth not waste; because our bread is eternal, and our Fountain is ever flowing, and ever sweet. Whence the prophet saith, Ho ye that thirst, come to the Fountain.' For this Foun- Isa. lv. tain is for such as thirst, not for those who feel satiety;

v. 6.

The pre

Christ to

them that

receive Him.

Col. ii. 3.

·

See S. Matt. and therefore it is that He invites to Himself the hungry and thirsty, upon whom elsewhere he pronounced a blessing;-who are never satisfied with drinking, but the more they have swallowed, the more thirsty will they be. "What reason have we, brethren, to desire, and seek ciousness of after, and love unceasingly, that Fountain of Wisdom, the Word of God on High, in whom are hidden,' as the apostle saith, all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge,' [treasures] which he is inviting those that are thirsty to draw upon. Art thou thirsty?-drink [here] of the Fountain of Life. Art thou hungry?-eat [here] of the Bread of Life. Blessed are they that hunger for this bread, and thirst after this fountain. For [though they be] always eating and drinking, yet retain they their desire to be eating and drinking still. For exceedingly delicious must be that food, which is continually made use of for meat and drink, and yet is continually the ob ject of hungering and thirst; ever fresh upon the taste, and ever still desired-whence the Royal prophet is led Psa. xxxiv. to use that exclamation, O taste and see how sweet, how gracious, the Lord is !'

8.

He is wis

and life,unto

"Let us then, brethren, obey this call, in which we are dom, light, invited to the Fountain of Life, by [Him who is] the His people. Life, who is the Fountain not only of living water, but the Fountain also of eternal life: the Fountain of Light, and the Fountain of Illumination; for from Him are all these things, wisdom, life, light everlasting. He is the Author of Life, the Fountain of Life. He is the Creator of light, He the Fountain of illumination. And therefore, thinking lightly of the things that are seen, and [*soaring high toward heaven, let us seek to drink like fishes, yet as fishes endued with the height of reason and sagacity*] of [that] living water that springeth uv unto life

The preach

eternal.

"O that thy summons may bring me thither to that er anxiously Fountain, Thou God of Mercy, Thou Lord of Goodness,

implores