This historic book may have numerous typos, missing text, images, or index. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. 1873. Not illustrated. Excerpt: ... faith has other prospects, on which its gaze is ever fixed. For there is an inner man which is being renewed in everlasting youth day by day as the outward man decays.* He is walking in another region, which has other skies and is lighted by other suns. 'The path of the just, ' says Solomon, f 'as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to perfect day.' Such was the path of the holy woman whose life we are now accompanying to its blessed close. Besides the sun of grace, which illuminates the path of every true Christian, the brightness of which is proportioned to his own fidelity to its light, Anna Maria had her supernatural sun, the splendour of which, as we have said, increased with her own increasing perfection, till it attained a seven-fold lustre. Every day she beheld its brilliance become more dazzling, as does that of the orb of day when nearing its summer solstice --the same, but 0, how different from the veiled luminary of the winter season! How could this gifted soul pause or think of rest with such an horizon around her, illuminated by so divine a light? Walking in the still dearer presence of the invisible God and in close union of soul with her Beloved, Anna Maria pressed on, not knowing what it was to seek a dispensation from any pain or penance which her mortal frame could bear or which holy obedience would permit her to lay upon it. She hastened on towards the goal, never pausing or reposing, as if she had attained to perfection; for, like the great Apostle, - she also counted not herself to have apprehended, but was ever following after to apprehend * 'But though our outward man is corrupted, yet the inward man is renewed day by day.' 2 Cor. iy. 16. t Prov. iv. 18. J Phil. iii. 12, 13. that wherein she had been apprehended by C...