The following pages were written by a well-known French religious writer of the 17th century, Father Jean Baptiste Saint-Jure (1588-1657), and are an extract from his great work entitled THE KNOWLEDGE AND LOVE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, which was the constant companion during life of the saintly Curé of Ars. To them has been added a further extract from the writings of St. Claude de la Colombiére (1641-1682).