CHAPTER III.
That an ardent Desire of our Spiritual Advancement is a Means and Disposition most proper for obtaining Favours from God.
What renders so very necessary this desire, and as T may say, this hunger and thirst for our spiritual advancement, is, that we cannot have a better disposition than this is for obtaining from God the perfection we aim at. St. Ambrose says, that the Lord is so well pleased with the man who feels this longing desire, that he fills his soul with graces and favours; and in support of this assertion, he quotes these words of the Blessed Virgin in her canticle : " The Lord has filled the hungry with good things." (Luke, i. 35.) The Royal Prophet has said the same before: "The Lord has filled the einpty soul, and has satiated the hungry and thirsty soul with good things." (Ps. cvi. 9.)
Here then we see, as has been observed in a former chapter, that, in recompense of their good-will, the fervour whereof is most pleasing in his eyes, God has heaped his favours and riches on those, who have had so great a zeal for perfection as, in a manner, to have hungered and thirsted after it. An angel appeared to Daniel, and told him his prayers were heard, because " he was a man of desires." (Dan. ix. 23.) The desire David had of building a temple was so pleasing to God, that though he did not permit him to carry his design into execution, yet, as if he had executed it, the Lord, to recompense him, confirmed the crown to his posterity. In fine, so earnest was Zacheus's desire of seeing the Redeemer, that Jesus first looked up to him in the sycamore tree, saying, " Zacheus, make haste and come down, for this day I must abide in thy house." (Luke, xix. 5.) But the truth of this maxim is still more clearly set forth by Solomon, who speaking of wisdom, which is nothing else than God himself, says: " Wisdom is easily seen by those that love it, and is soon found by them that seek it." (Wis. vi. 13.) But do you know with what facility it is found? u It preventeth them that covet it, and it sheweth itself first to them." (Ib. vi. 1 4.) It is at hand the moment you wish for it. " He that rises early to seek it shall not go far before he meets it, he shall find it sitting at his door." (Ib. vi. 15.) How infinite is the goodness and mercy of God! He is not content with coming to seek us and to knock often at our door; "Behold," says he, in the Apocalypse, "howl stand at your door and knock?" (Ap. iii. 20);
