The Imitation of Christ

he treatise “Of the Imitation of Christ” appears to have been

2 originally written in Latin early in the fifteenth century. Its exact date and

3 its authorship are still a matter of debate. Manuscripts of the Latin version

4 survive in considerable numbers all over Western Europe, and they, with the

5 vast list of translations and of printed editions, testify to its almost

6 unparalleled popularity. One scribe attributes it to St. Bernard of Clairvaux;

7 but the fact that it contains a quotation from St. Francis of Assisi, who was

8 born thirty years after the death of St. Bernard, disposes of this theory. In

9 England there exist many manuscripts of the first three books, called

10 “Musica Ecclesiastica,” frequently ascribed to the English mystic

11 Walter Hilton. But Hilton seems to have died in 1395, and there is no evidence

12 of the existence of the work before 1400. Many manuscripts scattered throughout

13 Europe ascribe the book to Jean le Charlier de Gerson, the great Chancellor of

14 the University of Paris, who was a leading figure in the Church in the earlier

15 part of the fifteenth century. The most probable author, however, especially

16 when the internal evidence is considered, is Thomas Haemmerlein, known also as

17 Thomas à Kempis, from his native town of Kempen, near the Rhine, about forty

18 miles north of Cologne. Haemmerlein, who was born in 1379 or 1380, was a member

19 of the order of the Brothers of Common Life, and spent the last seventy years

20 of his life at Mount St. Agnes, a monastery of Augustinian canons in the

21 diocese of Utrecht. Here he died on July 26, 1471, after an uneventful life

22 spent in copying manuscripts, reading, and composing, and in the peaceful

23 routine of monastic piety.

24 With the exception of the Bible, no Christian writing has had so wide a vogue

25 or so sustained a popularity as this. And yet, in one sense, it is hardly an

26 original work at all. Its structure it owes largely to the writings of the

27 medieval mystics, and its ideas and phrases are a mosaic from the Bible and the

28 Fathers of the early Church. But these elements are interwoven with such

29 delicate skill and a religious feeling at once so ardent and so sound, that it

30 promises to remain, what it has been for five hundred years, the supreme call

31 and guide to spiritual aspiration.

THE IMITATION OF CHRIST

4 (Texto do capítulo)

THE FIRST BOOK

7 ADMONITIONS PROFITABLE FOR THE SPIRITUAL LIFE

CHAPTER I

10 Of the imitation of Christ, and of contempt of the world and all its vanities

11 *He that followeth me shall not walk in darkness*,(1) saith the Lord.

12 These are the words of Christ; and they teach us how far we must imitate His

13 life and character, if we seek true illumination, and deliverance from all

14 blindness of heart. Let it be our most earnest study, therefore, to dwell upon

15 the life of Jesus Christ.

16 2. His teaching surpasseth all teaching of holy men, and such as have His

17 Spirit find therein the hidden manna.(2) But there are many who, though they

18 frequently hear the Gospel, yet feel but little longing after it, because they

19 have not the mind of Christ. He, therefore, that will fully and with true

20 wisdom understand the words of Christ, let him strive to conform his whole life

21 to that mind of Christ.

22 3. What doth it profit thee to enter into deep discussion concerning the Holy

23 Trinity, if thou lack humility, and be thus displeasing to the Trinity? For

24 verily it is not deep words that make a man holy and upright; it is a good life

25 which maketh a man dear to God. I had rather feel contrition than be skilful in

26 the definition thereof. If thou knewest the whole Bible, and the sayings of all

27 the philosophers, what should all this profit thee without the love and grace

28 of God? Vanity of vanities, all is vanity, save to love God, and Him only to

29 serve. That is the highest wisdom, to cast the world behind us, and to reach

30 forward to the heavenly kingdom.

31 4. It is vanity then to seek after, and to trust in, the riches that shall

32 perish. It is vanity, too, to covet honours, and to lift up ourselves on high.

33 It is vanity to follow the desires of the flesh and be led by them, for this

34 shall bring misery at the last. It is vanity to desire a long life, and to have

35 little care for a good life. It is vanity to take thought only for the life

36 which now is, and not to look forward to the things which shall be hereafter.

37 It is vanity to love that which quickly passeth away, and not to hasten where

38 eternal joy abideth.

39 5. Be ofttimes mindful of the saying,(3) The eye is not satisfied with seeing,

40 nor the ear with hearing. Strive, therefore, to turn away thy heart from the

41 love of the things that are seen, and to set it upon the things that are not

42 seen. For they who follow after their own fleshly lusts, defile the conscience,

43 and destroy the grace of God.

44 (1) John viii. 12. (2) Revelations ii. 17. (3) Ecclesiastes i. 8.

CHAPTER II

13 Of thinking humbly of oneself

14 There is naturally in every man a desire to know, but what profiteth knowledge

15 without the fear of God? Better of a surety is a lowly peasant who serveth God,

16 than a proud philosopher who watcheth the stars and neglecteth the knowledge of

17 himself. He who knoweth himself well is vile in his own sight; neither

18 regardeth he the praises of men. If I knew all the things that are in the

19 world, and were not in charity, what should it help me before God, who is to

20 judge me according to my deeds?

21 2. Rest from inordinate desire of knowledge, for therein is found much

22 distraction and deceit. Those who have knowledge desire to appear learned, and

23 to be called wise. Many things there are to know which profiteth little or

24 nothing to the soul. And foolish out of measure is he who attendeth upon other

25 things rather than those which serve to his soul’s health. Many words

26 satisfy not the soul, but a good life refresheth the mind, and a pure

27 conscience giveth great confidence towards God.

28 3. The greater and more complete thy knowledge, the more severely shalt thou be

29 judged, unless thou hast lived holily. Therefore be not lifted up by any skill

30 or knowledge that thou hast; but rather fear concerning the knowledge which is

31 given to thee. If it seemeth to thee that thou knowest many things, and

32 understandest them well, know also that there are many more things which thou

33 knowest not. Be not high-minded, but rather confess thine ignorance. Why

34 desirest thou to lift thyself above another, when there are found many more

35 learned and more skilled in the Scripture than thou? If thou wilt know and

36 learn anything with profit, love to be thyself unknown and to be counted for

37 nothing.

38 4. That is the highest and most profitable lesson, when a man truly knoweth and

39 judgeth lowly of himself. To account nothing of one’s self, and to think

40 always kindly and highly of others, this is great and perfect wisdom. Even

41 shouldest thou see thy neighbor sin openly or grievously, yet thou oughtest not

42 to reckon thyself better than he, for thou knowest not how long thou shalt keep

43 thine integrity. All of us are weak and frail; hold thou no man more frail than

44 thyself.

CHAPTER III

16 Of the knowledge of truth

17 Happy is the man whom Truth by itself doth teach, not by figures and transient

18 words, but as it is in itself.(1) Our own judgment and feelings often deceive

19 us, and we discern but little of the truth. What doth it profit to argue about

20 hidden and dark things, concerning which we shall not be even reproved in the

21 judgment, because we knew them not? Oh, grievous folly, to neglect the things

22 which are profitable and necessary, and to give our minds to things which are

23 curious and hurtful! Having eyes, we see not.

24 2. And what have we to do with talk about genus and species! He to whom the

25 Eternal Word speaketh is free from multiplied questionings. From this One Word

26 are all things, and all things speak of Him; and this is the Beginning which

27 also speaketh unto us.(2) No man without Him understandeth or rightly judgeth.

28 The man to whom all things are one, who bringeth all things to one, who seeth

29 all things in one, he is able to remain steadfast of spirit, and at rest in

30 God. O God, who art the Truth, make me one with Thee in everlasting love. It

31 wearieth me oftentimes to read and listen to many things; in Thee is all that I

32 wish for and desire. Let all the doctors hold their peace; let all creation

33 keep silence before Thee: speak Thou alone to me.

34 3. The more a man hath unity and simplicity in himself, the more things and the

35 deeper things he understandeth; and that without labour, because he receiveth

36 the light of understanding from above. The spirit which is pure, sincere, and

37 steadfast, is not distracted though it hath many works to do, because it doth

38 all things to the honour of God, and striveth to be free from all thoughts of

39 self-seeking. Who is so full of hindrance and annoyance to thee as thine own

40 undisciplined heart? A man who is good and devout arrangeth beforehand within

41 his own heart the works which he hath to do abroad; and so is not drawn away by

42 the desires of his evil will, but subjecteth everything to the judgment of

43 right reason. Who hath a harder battle to fight than he who striveth for

44 self-mastery? And this should be our endeavour, even to master self, and thus

45 daily to grow stronger than self, and go on unto perfection.

46 4. All perfection hath some imperfection joined to it in this life, and all our

47 power of sight is not without some darkness. A lowly knowledge of thyself is a

48 surer way to God than the deep searching of man’s learning. Not that

49 learning is to be blamed, nor the taking account of anything that is good; but

50 a good conscience and a holy life is better than all. And because many seek

51 knowledge rather than good living, therefore they go astray, and bear little or

52 no fruit.

53 5. O if they would give that diligence to the rooting out of vice and the

54 planting of virtue which they give unto vain questionings: there had not been

55 so many evil doings and stumbling-blocks among the laity, nor such ill living

56 among houses of religion. Of a surety, at the Day of Judgment it will be

57 demanded of us, not what we have read, but what we have done; not how well we

58 have spoken, but how holily we have lived. Tell me, where now are all those

59 masters and teachers, whom thou knewest well, whilst they were yet with you,

60 and flourished in learning? Their stalls are now filled by others, who perhaps

61 never have one thought concerning them. Whilst they lived they seemed to be

62 somewhat, but now no one speaks of them.

63 6. Oh how quickly passeth the glory of the world away! Would that their life

64 and knowledge had agreed together! For then would they have read and inquired

65 unto good purpose. How many perish through empty learning in this world, who

66 care little for serving God. And because they love to be great more than to be

67 humble, therefore they “have become vain in their imaginations.” He

68 only is truly great, who hath great charity. He is truly great who deemeth

69 himself small, and counteth all height of honour as nothing. He is the truly

70 wise man, who counteth all earthly things as dung that he may win Christ. And

71 he is the truly learned man, who doeth the will of God, and forsaketh his own

72 will.

73 (1) Psalm xciv. 12; Numbers xii. 8. (2) John viii. 25 (Vulg.).

CHAPTER IV

19 Of prudence in action

20 We must not trust every word of others or feeling within ourselves, but

21 cautiously and patiently try the matter, whether it be of God. Unhappily we are

22 so weak that we find it easier to believe and speak evil of others, rather than

23 good. But they that are perfect, do not give ready heed to every news-bearer,

24 for they know man’s weakness that it is prone to evil and unstable in

25 words.

26 2. This is great wisdom, not to be hasty in action, or stubborn in our own

27 opinions. A part of this wisdom also is not to believe every word we hear, nor

28 to tell others all that we hear, even though we believe it. Take counsel with a

29 man who is wise and of a good conscience; and seek to be instructed by one

30 better than thyself, rather than to follow thine own inventions. A good life

31 maketh a man wise toward God, and giveth him experience in many things. The

32 more humble a man is in himself, and the more obedient towards God, the wiser

33 will he be in all things, and the more shall his soul be at peace.

CHAPTER V

22 Of the reading of Holy Scriptures

23 It is Truth which we must look for in Holy Writ, not cunning of words. All

24 Scripture ought to be read in the spirit in which it was written. We must

25 rather seek for what is profitable in Scripture, than for what ministereth to

26 subtlety in discourse. Therefore we ought to read books which are devotional

27 and simple, as well as those which are deep and difficult. And let not the

28 weight of the writer be a stumbling-block to thee, whether he be of little or

29 much learning, but let the love of the pure Truth draw thee to read. Ask not,

30 who hath said this or that, but look to what he says.

31 2. Men pass away, but the truth of the Lord endureth for ever. Without respect

32 of persons God speaketh to us in divers manners. Our own curiosity often

33 hindereth us in the reading of holy writings, when we seek to understand and

34 discuss, where we should pass simply on. If thou wouldst profit by thy reading,

35 read humbly, simply, honestly, and not desiring to win a character for

36 learning. Ask freely, and hear in silence the words of holy men; nor be

37 displeased at the hard sayings of older men than thou, for they are not uttered

38 without cause.

CHAPTER VI

25 Of inordinate affections

26 Whensoever a man desireth aught above measure, immediately he becometh

27 restless. The proud and the avaricious man are never at rest; while the poor

28 and lowly of heart abide in the multitude of peace. The man who is not yet

29 wholly dead to self, is soon tempted, and is overcome in small and trifling

30 matters. It is hard for him who is weak in spirit, and still in part carnal and

31 inclined to the pleasures of sense, to withdraw himself altogether from earthly

32 desires. And therefore, when he withdraweth himself from these, he is often

33 sad, and easily angered too if any oppose his will.

34 2. But if, on the other hand, he yield to his inclination, immediately he is

35 weighed down by the condemnation of his conscience; for that he hath followed

36 his own desire, and yet in no way attained the peace which he hoped for. For

37 true peace of heart is to be found in resisting passion, not in yielding to it.

38 And therefore there is no peace in the heart of a man who is carnal, nor in him

39 who is given up to the things that are without him, but only in him who is

40 fervent towards God and living the life of the Spirit.

CHAPTER VII

28 Of fleeing from vain hope and pride

29 Vain is the life of that man who putteth his trust in men or in any created

30 Thing. Be not ashamed to be the servant of others for the love of Jesus Christ,

31 and to be reckoned poor in this life. Rest not upon thyself, but build thy hope

32 in God. Do what lieth in thy power, and God will help thy good intent. Trust

33 not in thy learning, nor in the cleverness of any that lives, but rather trust

34 in the favour of God, who resisteth the proud and giveth grace to the humble.

35 2. Boast not thyself in thy riches if thou hast them, nor in thy friends if

36 they be powerful, but in God, who giveth all things, and in addition to all

37 things desireth to give even Himself. Be not lifted up because of thy strength

38 or beauty of body, for with only a slight sickness it will fail and wither

39 away. Be not vain of thy skilfulness or ability, lest thou displease God, from

40 whom cometh every good gift which we have.

41 3. Count not thyself better than others, lest perchance thou appear worse in

42 the sight of God, who knoweth what is in man. Be not proud of thy good works,

43 for God’s judgments are of another sort than the judgments of man, and

44 what pleaseth man is ofttimes displeasing to Him. If thou hast any good,

45 believe that others have more, and so thou mayest preserve thy humility. It is

46 no harm to thee if thou place thyself below all others; but it is great harm if

47 thou place thyself above even one. Peace is ever with the humble man, but in

48 the heart of the proud there is envy and continual wrath.

CHAPTER VIII

31 Of the danger of too much familiarity

32 Open not thine heart to every man, but deal with one who is wise and feareth

33 God. Be seldom with the young and with strangers. Be not a flatterer of the

34 rich; nor willingly seek the society of the great. Let thy company be the

35 humble and the simple, the devout and the gentle, and let thy discourse be

36 concerning things which edify. Be not familiar with any woman, but commend all

37 good women alike unto God. Choose for thy companions God and His Angels only,

38 and flee from the notice of men.

39 2. We must love all men, but not make close companions of all. It sometimes

40 falleth out that one who is unknown to us is highly regarded through good

41 report of him, whose actual person is nevertheless unpleasing to those who

42 behold it. We sometimes think to please others by our intimacy, and forthwith

43 displease them the more by the faultiness of character which they perceive in

44 us.

CHAPTER IX

34 Of Obedience and Subjection

35 It is verily a great thing to live in obedience, to be under authority, and not

36 to be at our own disposal. Far safer is it to live in subjection than in a

37 place of authority. Many are in obedience from necessity rather than from love;

38 these take it amiss, and repine for small cause. Nor will they gain freedom of

39 spirit, unless with all their heart they submit themselves for the love of God.

40 Though thou run hither and thither, thou wilt not find peace, save in humble

41 subjection to the authority of him who is set over thee. Fancies about places

42 and change of them have deceived many.

43 2. True it is that every man willingly followeth his own bent, and is the more

44 inclined to those who agree with him. But if Christ is amongst us, then it is

45 necessary that we sometimes yield up our own opinion for the sake of peace. Who

46 is so wise as to have perfect knowledge of all things? Therefore trust not too

47 much to thine own opinion, but be ready also to hear the opinions of others.

48 Though thine own opinion be good, yet if for the love of God thou foregoest it,

49 and followest that of another, thou shalt the more profit thereby.

50 3. Ofttimes I have heard that it is safer to hearken and to receive counsel

51 than to give it. It may also come to pass that each opinion may be good; but to

52 refuse to hearken to others when reason or occasion requireth it, is a mark of

53 pride or wilfulness.

CHAPTER X

37 Of the danger of superfluity of words

38 Avoid as far as thou canst the tumult of men; for talk concerning worldly

39 things, though it be innocently undertaken, is a hindrance, so quickly are we

40 led captive and defiled by vanity. Many a time I wish that I had held my peace,

41 and had not gone amongst men. But why do we talk and gossip so continually,

42 seeing that we so rarely resume our silence without some hurt done to our

43 conscience? We like talking so much because we hope by our conversations to

44 gain some mutual comfort, and because we seek to refresh our wearied spirits by

45 variety of thoughts. And we very willingly talk and think of those things which

46 we love or desire, or else of those which we most dislike.

47 2. But alas! it is often to no purpose and in vain. For this outward

48 consolation is no small hindrance to the inner comfort which cometh from God.

49 Therefore must we watch and pray that time pass not idly away. If it be right

50 and desirable for thee to speak, speak things which are to edification. Evil

51 custom and neglect of our real profit tend much to make us heedless of watching

52 over our lips. Nevertheless, devout conversation on spiritual things helpeth

53 not a little to spiritual progress, most of all where those of kindred mind and

54 spirit find their ground of fellowship in God.

CHAPTER XI

40 Of seeking peace of mind and of spiritual progress

41 We may enjoy abundance of peace if we refrain from busying ourselves with the

42 sayings and doings of others, and things which concern not ourselves. How can

43 he abide long time in peace who occupieth himself with other men’s

44 matters, and with things without himself, and meanwhile payeth little or rare

45 heed to the self within? Blessed are the single-hearted, for they shall have

46 abundance of peace.

47 2. How came it to pass that many of the Saints were so perfect, so

48 contemplative of Divine things? Because they steadfastly sought to mortify

49 themselves from all worldly desires, and so were enabled to cling with their

50 whole heart to God, and be free and at leisure for the thought of Him. We are

51 too much occupied with our own affections, and too anxious about transitory

52 things. Seldom, too, do we entirely conquer even a single fault, nor are we

53 zealous for daily growth in grace. And so we remain lukewarm and unspiritual.

54 3. Were we fully watchful of ourselves, and not bound in spirit to outward

55 things, then might we be wise unto salvation, and make progress in Divine

56 contemplation. Our great and grievous stumbling-block is that, not being freed

57 from our affections and desires, we strive not to enter into the perfect way of

58 the Saints. And when even a little trouble befalleth us, too quickly are we

59 cast down, and fly to the world to give us comfort.

60 4. If we would quit ourselves like men, and strive to stand firm in the battle,

61 then should we see the Lord helping us from Heaven. For He Himself is alway

62 ready to help those who strive and who trust in Him; yea, He provideth for us

63 occasions of striving, to the end that we may win the victory. If we look upon

64 our progress in religion as a progress only in outward observances and forms,

65 our devoutness will soon come to an end. But let us lay the axe to the very

66 root of our life, that, being cleansed from affections, we may possess our

67 souls in peace.

68 5. If each year should see one fault rooted out from us, we should go quickly

69 on to perfection. But on the contrary, we often feel that we were better and

70 holier in the beginning of our conversion than after many years of profession.

71 Zeal and progress ought to increase day by day; yet now it seemeth a great

72 thing if one is able to retain some portion of his first ardour. If we would

73 put some slight stress on ourselves at the beginning, then afterwards we should

74 be able to do all things with ease and joy.

75 6. It is a hard thing to break through a habit, and a yet harder thing to go

76 contrary to our own will. Yet if thou overcome not slight and easy obstacles,

77 how shalt thou overcome greater ones? Withstand thy will at the beginning, and

78 unlearn an evil habit, lest it lead thee little by little into worse

79 difficulties. Oh, if thou knewest what peace to thyself thy holy life should

80 bring to thyself, and what joy to others, methinketh thou wouldst be more

81 zealous for spiritual profit.

CHAPTER XII

43 Of the uses of adversity

44 It is good for us that we sometimes have sorrows and adversities, for they

45 often make a man lay to heart that he is only a stranger and sojourner, and may

46 not put his trust in any worldly thing. It is good that we sometimes endure

47 contradictions, and are hardly and unfairly judged, when we do and mean what is

48 good. For these things help us to be humble, and shield us from vain-glory. For

49 then we seek the more earnestly the witness of God, when men speak evil of us

50 falsely, and give us no credit for good.

51 2. Therefore ought a man to rest wholly upon God, so that he needeth not seek

52 much comfort at the hand of men. When a man who feareth God is afflicted or

53 tried or oppressed with evil thoughts, then he seeth that God is the more

54 necessary unto him, since without God he can do no good thing. Then he is heavy

55 of heart, he groaneth, he crieth out for the very disquietness of his heart.

56 Then he groweth weary of life, and would fain depart and be with Christ. By all

57 this he is taught that in the world there can be no perfect security or fulness

58 of peace.

CHAPTER XIII

46 Of resisting temptation

47 So long as we live in the world, we cannot be without trouble and trial.

48 Wherefore it is written in Job, The life of man upon the earth is a trial.(1)

49 And therefore ought each of us to give heed concerning trials and temptations,

50 and watch unto prayer, lest the devil find occasion to deceive; for he never

51 sleepeth, but goeth about seeking whom he may devour. No man is so perfect in

52 holiness that he hath never temptations, nor can we ever be wholly free from

53 them.

54 2. Yet, notwithstanding, temptations turn greatly unto our profit, even though

55 they be great and hard to bear; for through them we are humbled, purified,

56 instructed. All Saints have passed through much tribulation and temptation, and

57 have profited thereby. And they who endured not temptation became reprobate and

58 fell away. There is no position so sacred, no place so secret, that it is

59 without temptations and adversities.

60 3. There is no man wholly free from temptations so long as he liveth, because

61 we have the root of temptation within ourselves, in that we are born in

62 concupiscence. One temptation or sorrow passeth, and another cometh; and always

63 we shall have somewhat to suffer, for we have fallen from perfect happiness.

64 Many who seek to fly from temptations fall yet more deeply into them. By flight

65 alone we cannot overcome, but by endurance and true humility we are made

66 stronger than all our enemies.

67 4. He who only resisteth outwardly and pulleth not up by the root, shall profit

68 little; nay, rather temptations will return to him the more quickly, and will

69 be the more terrible. Little by little, through patience and long-suffering,

70 thou shalt conquer by the help of God, rather than by violence and thine own

71 strength of will. In the midst of temptation often seek counsel; and deal not

72 hardly with one who is tempted, but comfort and strengthen him as thou wouldest

73 have done unto thyself.

74 5. The beginning of all temptations to evil is instability of temper and want

75 of trust in God; for even as a ship without a helm is tossed about by the

76 waves, so is a man who is careless and infirm of purpose tempted, now on this

77 side, now on that. As fire testeth iron, so doth temptation the upright man.

78 Oftentimes we know not what strength we have; but temptation revealeth to us

79 what we are. Nevertheless, we must watch, especially in the beginnings of

80 temptation; for then is the foe the more easily mastered, when he is not

81 suffered to enter within the mind, but is met outside the door as soon as he

82 hath knocked. Wherefore one saith,

83 Check the beginnings; once thou might’st have cured,

84 But now ’tis past thy skill, too long hath it endured.

85 For first cometh to the mind the simple suggestion, then the strong

86 imagination, afterwards pleasure, evil affection, assent. And so little by

87 little the enemy entereth in altogether, because he was not resisted at the

88 beginning. And the longer a man delayeth his resistance, the weaker he groweth,

89 and the stronger groweth the enemy against him.

90 6. Some men suffer their most grievous temptations in the beginning of their

91 conversion, some at the end. Some are sorely tried their whole life long. Some

92 there are who are tempted but lightly, according to the wisdom and justice of

93 the ordering of God, who knoweth the character and circumstances of men, and

94 ordereth all things for the welfare of His elect.

95 7. Therefore we ought not to despair when we are tempted, but the more

96 fervently should cry unto God, that He will vouchsafe to help us in all our

97 tribulation; and that He will, as St. Paul saith, with the temptation make a

98 way to escape that we may be able to bear it.(2) Let us therefore humble

99 ourselves under the mighty hand of God in all temptation and trouble, for He

100 will save and exalt such as are of an humble spirit.

101 8. In temptations and troubles a man is proved, what progress he hath made, and

102 therein is his reward the greater, and his virtue doth the more appear. Nor is

103 it a great thing if a man be devout and zealous so long as he suffereth no

104 affliction; but if he behave himself patiently in the time of adversity, then

105 is there hope of great progress. Some are kept safe from great temptations, but

106 are overtaken in those which are little and common, that the humiliation may

107 teach them not to trust to themselves in great things, being weak in small

108 things.

109 (1) Job vii. 1 (Vulg.). (2) 1 Corinthians x. 13.

CHAPTER XIV

49 On avoiding rash judgment

50 Look well unto thyself, and beware that thou judge not the doings of others. In

51 judging others a man laboureth in vain; he often erreth, and easily falleth

52 into sin; but in judging and examining himself he always laboureth to good

53 purpose. According as a matter toucheth our fancy, so oftentimes do we judge of

54 it; for easily do we fail of true judgment because of our own personal feeling.

55 If God were always the sole object of our desire, we should the less easily be

56 troubled by the erring judgment of our fancy.

57 2. But often some secret thought lurking within us, or even some outward

58 circumstance, turneth us aside. Many are secretly seeking their own ends in

59 what they do, yet know it not. They seem to live in good peace of mind so long

60 as things go well with them, and according to their desires, but if their

61 desires be frustrated and broken, immediately they are shaken and displeased.

62 Diversity of feelings and opinions very often brings about dissensions between

63 friends, between countrymen, between religious and godly men.

64 3. Established custom is not easily relinquished, and no man is very easily led

65 to see with the eyes of another. If thou rest more upon thy own reason or

66 experience than upon the power of Jesus Christ, thy light shall come slowly and

67 hardly; for God willeth us to be perfectly subject unto Himself, and all our

68 reason to be exalted by abundant love towards Him.

CHAPTER XV

52 Of works of charity

53 For no worldly good whatsoever, and for the love of no man, must anything be

54 done which is evil, but for the help of the suffering a good work must

55 sometimes be postponed, or be changed for a better; for herein a good work is

56 not destroyed, but improved. Without charity no work profiteth, but whatsoever

57 is done in charity, however small and of no reputation it be, bringeth forth

58 good fruit; for God verily considereth what a man is able to do, more than the

59 greatness of what he doth.

60 2. He doth much who loveth much. He doth much who doth well. He doth well who

61 ministereth to the public good rather than to his own. Oftentimes that seemeth

62 to be charity which is rather carnality, because it springeth from natural

63 inclination, self-will, hope of repayment, desire of gain.

64 3. He who hath true and perfect charity, in no wise seeketh his own good, but

65 desireth that God alone be altogether glorified. He envieth none, because he

66 longeth for no selfish joy; nor doth he desire to rejoice in himself, but

67 longeth to be blessed in God as the highest good. He ascribeth good to none

68 save to God only, the Fountain whence all good proceedeth, and the End, the

69 Peace, the joy of all Saints. Oh, he who hath but a spark of true charity, hath

70 verily learned that all worldly things are full of vanity.

CHAPTER XVI

55 Of bearing with the faults of others

56 Those things which a man cannot amend in himself or in others, he ought

57 patiently to bear, until God shall otherwise ordain. Bethink thee that perhaps

58 it is better for thy trial and patience, without which our merits are but

59 little worth. Nevertheless thou oughtest, when thou findeth such impediments,

60 to beseech God that He would vouchsafe to sustain thee, that thou be able to

61 bear them with a good will.

62 2. If one who is once or twice admonished refuse to hearken, strive not with

63 him, but commit all to God, that His will may be done and His honour be shown

64 in His servants, for He knoweth well how to convert the evil unto good.

65 Endeavour to be patient in bearing with other men’s faults and

66 infirmities whatsoever they be, for thou thyself also hast many things which

67 have need to be borne with by others. If thou canst not make thine own self

68 what thou desireth, how shalt thou be able to fashion another to thine own

69 liking. We are ready to see others made perfect, and yet we do not amend our

70 own shortcomings.

71 3. We will that others be straitly corrected, but we will not be corrected

72 ourselves. The freedom of others displeaseth us, but we are dissatisfied that

73 our own wishes shall be denied us. We desire rules to be made restraining

74 others, but by no means will we suffer ourselves to be restrained. Thus

75 therefore doth it plainly appear how seldom we weigh our neighbour in the same

76 balance with ourselves. If all men were perfect, what then should we have to

77 suffer from others for God?

78 4. But now hath God thus ordained, that we may learn to bear one

79 another’s burdens, because none is without defect, none without a burden,

80 none sufficient of himself, none wise enough of himself; but it behoveth us to

81 bear with one another, to comfort one another, to help, instruct, admonish one

82 another. How much strength each man hath is best proved by occasions of

83 adversity: for such occasions do not make a man frail, but show of what temper

84 he is.

CHAPTER XVII

58 Of a Religious life

59 It behoveth thee to learn to mortify thyself in many things, if thou wilt live

60 in amity and concord with other men. It is no small thing to dwell in a

61 religious community or congregation, and to live there without complaint, and

62 therein to remain faithful even unto death. Blessed is he who hath lived a good

63 life in such a body, and brought it to a happy end. If thou wilt stand fast and

64 wilt profit as thou oughtest, hold thyself as an exile and a pilgrim upon the

65 earth. Thou wilt have to be counted as a fool for Christ, if thou wilt lead a

66 religious life.

67 2. The clothing and outward appearance are of small account; it is change of

68 character and entire mortification of the affections which make a truly

69 religious man. He who seeketh aught save God and the health of his soul, shall

70 find only tribulation and sorrow. Nor can he stand long in peace, who striveth

71 not to be least of all and servant of all.

72 3. Thou art called to endure and to labour, not to a life of ease and trifling

73 talk. Here therefore are men tried as gold in the furnace. No man can stand,

74 unless with all his heart he will humble himself for God’s sake.

CHAPTER XVIII

61 Of the example of the holy fathers

62 Consider now the lively examples of the holy fathers, in whom shone forth real

63 perfectness and religion, and thou shalt see how little, even as nothing, is

64 all that we do. Ah! What is our life when compared to theirs? They, saints and

65 friends of Christ as they were, served the Lord in hunger and thirst, in cold

66 and nakedness, in labour and weariness, in watchings and fastings, in prayer

67 and holy meditations, in persecutions and much rebuke.

68 2. O how many and grievous tribulations did the Apostles, Martyrs, Confessors,

69 Virgins, endure; and all others who would walk in the footsteps of Christ. For

70 they hated their souls in this world that they might keep them unto life

71 eternal. O how strict and retired a life was that of the holy fathers who dwelt

72 in the desert! what long and grievous temptations they did suffer! how often

73 were they assaulted by the enemy! what frequent and fervid prayers did they

74 offer unto God! what strict fasts did they endure! what fervent zeal and desire

75 after spiritual profit did they manifest! how bravely did they fight that their

76 vices might not gain the mastery! how entirely and steadfastly did they reach

77 after God! By day they laboured, and at night they gave themselves ofttimes

78 unto prayer; yea, even when they were labouring they ceased not from mental

79 prayer.

80 3. They spent their whole time profitably; every hour seemed short for

81 retirement with God; and through the great sweetness of contemplation, even the

82 need of bodily refreshment was forgotten. They renounced all riches, dignities,

83 honours, friends, kinsmen; they desired nothing from the world; they ate the

84 bare necessaries of life; they were unwilling to minister to the body even in

85 necessity. Thus were they poor in earthly things, but rich above measure in

86 grace and virtue. Though poor to the outer eye, within they were filled with

87 grace and heavenly benedictions.

88 4. They were strangers to the world, but unto God they were as kinsmen and

89 friends. They seemed unto themselves as of no reputation, and in the

90 world’s eyes contemptible; but in the sight of God they were precious and

91 beloved. They stood fast in true humility, they lived in simple obedience, they

92 walked in love and patience; and thus they waxed strong in spirit, and obtained

93 great favour before God. To all religious men they were given as an example,

94 and they ought more to provoke us unto good livings than the number of the

95 lukewarm tempteth to carelessness of life.

96 5. O how great was the love of all religious persons at the beginning of this

97 sacred institution! O what devoutness of prayer! what rivalry in holiness! what

98 strict discipline was observed! what reverence and obedience under the rule of

99 the master showed they in all things! The traces of them that remain until now

100 testify that they were truly holy and perfect men, who fighting so bravely trod

101 the world underfoot. Now a man is counted great if only he be not a

102 transgressor, and if he can only endure with patience what he hath undertaken.

103 6. O the coldness and negligence of our times, that we so quickly decline from

104 the former love, and it is become a weariness to live, because of sloth and

105 lukewarmness. May progress in holiness not wholly fall asleep in thee, who many

106 times hast seen so many examples of devout men!

CHAPTER XIX

64 Of the exercises of a religious man

65 The life of a Christian ought to be adorned with all virtues, that he may be

66 inwardly what he outwardly appeareth unto men. And verily it should be yet

67 better within than without, for God is a discerner of our heart, Whom we must

68 reverence with all our hearts wheresoever we are, and walk pure in His presence

69 as do the angels. We ought daily to renew our vows, and to kindle our hearts to

70 zeal, as if each day were the first day of our conversion, and to say,

71 “Help me, O God, in my good resolutions, and in Thy holy service, and

72 grant that this day I may make a good beginning, for hitherto I have done

73 nothing!”

74 2. According to our resolution so is the rate of our progress, and much

75 diligence is needful for him who would make good progress. For if he who

76 resolveth bravely oftentimes falleth short, how shall it be with him who

77 resolveth rarely or feebly? But manifold causes bring about abandonment of our

78 resolution, yet a trivial omission of holy exercises can hardly be made without

79 some loss to us. The resolution of the righteous dependeth more upon the grace

80 of God than upon their own wisdom; for in Him they always put their trust,

81 whatsoever they take in hand. For man proposeth, but God disposeth; and the way

82 of a man is not in himself.(1)

83 3. If a holy exercise be sometimes omitted for the sake of some act of piety,

84 or of some brotherly kindness, it can easily be taken up afterwards; but if it

85 be neglected through distaste or slothfulness, then is it sinful, and the

86 mischief will be felt. Strive as earnestly as we may, we shall still fall short

87 in many things. Always should some distinct resolution be made by us; and, most

88 of all, we must strive against those sins which most easily beset us. Both our

89 outer and inner life should be straitly examined and ruled by us, because both

90 have to do with our progress.

91 4. If thou canst not be always examining thyself, thou canst at certain

92 seasons, and at least twice in the day, at evening and at morning. In the

93 morning make thy resolves, and in the evening inquire into thy life, how thou

94 hast sped to-day in word, deed, and thought; for in these ways thou hast often

95 perchance offended God and thy neighbour. Gird up thy loins like a man against

96 the assaults of the devil; bridle thine appetite, and thou wilt soon be able to

97 bridle every inclination of the flesh. Be thou never without something to do;

98 be reading, or writing, or praying, or meditating, or doing something that is

99 useful to the community. Bodily exercises, however, must be undertaken with

100 discretion, nor are they to be used by all alike.

101 5. The duties which are not common to all must not be done openly, but are

102 safest carried on in secret. But take heed that thou be not careless in the

103 common duties, and more devout in the secret; but faithfully and honestly

104 discharge the duties and commands which lie upon thee, then afterwards, if thou

105 hast still leisure, give thyself to thyself as thy devotion leadeth thee. All

106 cannot have one exercise, but one suiteth better to this man and another to

107 that. Even for the diversity of season different exercises are needed, some

108 suit better for feasts, some for fasts. We need one kind in time of temptations

109 and others in time of peace and quietness. Some are suitable to our times of

110 sadness, and others when we are joyful in the Lord.

111 6. When we draw near the time of the great feasts, good exercises should be

112 renewed, and the prayers of holy men more fervently besought. We ought to make

113 our resolutions from one Feast to another, as if each were the period of our

114 departure from this world, and of entering into the eternal feast. So ought we

115 to prepare ourselves earnestly at solemn seasons, and the more solemnly to

116 live, and to keep straightest watch upon each holy observance, as though we

117 were soon to receive the reward of our labours at the hand of God.

118 7. And if this be deferred, let us believe ourselves to be as yet ill-prepared,

119 and unworthy as yet of the glory which shall be revealed in us at the appointed

120 season; and let us study to prepare ourselves the better for our end. Blessed

121 is that servant, as the Evangelist Luke hath it, whom, when the Lord cometh He

122 shall find watching. Verily I say unto you He will make him ruler over all that

123 He hath.(2)

124 (1) Jeremiah x. 23. (2) Luke xii. 43, 44.

CHAPTER XX

67 Of the love of solitude and silence

68 Seek a suitable time for thy meditation, and think frequently of the mercies of

69 God to thee. Leave curious questions. Study such matters as bring thee sorrow

70 for sin rather than amusement. If thou withdraw thyself from trifling

71 conversation and idle goings about, as well as from novelties and gossip, thou

72 shalt find thy time sufficient and apt for good meditation. The greatest saints

73 used to avoid as far as they could the company of men, and chose to live in

74 secret with God.

75 2. One hath said, “As oft as I have gone among men, so oft have I

76 returned less a man.” This is what we often experience when we have been

77 long time in conversation. For it is easier to be altogether silent than it is

78 not to exceed in word. It is easier to remain hidden at home than to keep

79 sufficient guard upon thyself out of doors. He, therefore, that seeketh to

80 reach that which is hidden and spiritual, must go with Jesus “apart from

81 the multitude.” No man safely goeth abroad who loveth not to rest at

82 home. No man safely talketh but he who loveth to hold his peace. No man safely

83 ruleth but he who loveth to be subject. No man safely commandeth but he who

84 loveth to obey.

85 3. No man safely rejoiceth but he who hath the testimony of a good conscience

86 within himself. The boldness of the Saints was always full of the fear of God.

87 Nor were they the less earnest and humble in themselves, because they shone

88 forth with great virtues and grace. But the boldness of wicked men springeth

89 from pride and presumption, and at the last turneth to their own confusion.

90 Never promise thyself security in this life, howsoever good a monk or devout a

91 solitary thou seemest.

92 4. Often those who stand highest in the esteem of men, fall the more grievously

93 because of their over great confidence. Wherefore it is very profitable unto

94 many that they should not be without inward temptation, but should be

95 frequently assaulted, lest they be over confident, lest they be indeed lifted

96 up into pride, or else lean too freely upon the consolations of the world. O

97 how good a conscience should that man keep, who never sought a joy that passeth

98 away, who never became entangled with the world! O how great peace and quiet

99 should he possess, who would cast off all vain care, and think only of

100 healthful and divine things, and build his whole hope upon God!

101 5. No man is worthy of heavenly consolation but he who hath diligently

102 exercised himself in holy compunction. If thou wilt feel compunction within thy

103 heart, enter into thy chamber and shut out the tumults of the world, as it is

104 written, Commune with your own heart in your own chamber and be still.(1) In

105 retirement thou shalt find what often thou wilt lose abroad. Retirement, if

106 thou continue therein, groweth sweet, but if thou keep not in it, begetteth

107 weariness. If in the beginning of thy conversation thou dwell in it and keep it

108 well, it shall afterwards be to thee a dear friend, and a most pleasant solace.

109 6. In silence and quiet the devout soul goeth forward and learneth the hidden

110 things of the Scriptures. Therein findeth she a fountain of tears, wherein to

111 wash and cleanse herself each night, that she may grow the more dear to her

112 Maker as she dwelleth the further from all worldly distraction. To him who

113 withdraweth himself from his acquaintance and friends God with his holy angels

114 will draw nigh. It is better to be unknown and take heed to oneself than to

115 neglect oneself and work wonders. It is praiseworthy for a religious man to go

116 seldom abroad, to fly from being seen, to have no desire to see men.

117 7. Why wouldest thou see what thou mayest not have? The world passeth away and

118 the lust thereof. The desires of sensuality draw thee abroad, but when an hour

119 is past, what dost thou bring home, but a weight upon thy conscience and

120 distraction of heart? A merry going forth bringeth often a sorrowful return,

121 and a merry evening maketh a sad morning? So doth all carnal joy begin

122 pleasantly, but in the end it gnaweth away and destroyeth. What canst thou see

123 abroad which thou seest not at home? Behold the heaven and the earth and the

124 elements, for out of these are all things made.

125 8. What canst thou see anywhere which can continue long under the sun? Thou

126 believest perchance that thou shalt be satisfied, but thou wilt never be able

127 to attain unto this. If thou shouldest see all things before thee at once, what

128 would it be but a vain vision? Lift up thine eyes to God on high, and pray that

129 thy sins and negligences may be forgiven. Leave vain things to vain men, and

130 mind thou the things which God hath commanded thee. Shut thy door upon thee,

131 and call unto thyself Jesus thy beloved. Remain with Him in thy chamber, for

132 thou shalt not elsewhere find so great peace. If thou hadst not gone forth nor

133 listened to vain talk, thou hadst better kept thyself in good peace. But

134 because it sometimes delighteth thee to hear new things, thou must therefore

135 suffer trouble of heart.

136 (1) Psalm iv. 4.

CHAPTER XXI

70 Of compunction of heart

71 If thou wilt make any progress keep thyself in the fear of God, and long not to

72 be too free, but restrain all thy senses under discipline and give not thyself

73 up to senseless mirth. Give thyself to compunction of heart and thou shalt find

74 devotion. Compunction openeth the way for many good things, which dissoluteness

75 is wont quickly to lose. It is wonderful that any man can ever rejoice heartily

76 in this life who considereth and weigheth his banishment, and the manifold

77 dangers which beset his soul.

78 2. Through lightness of heart and neglect of our shortcomings we feel not the

79 sorrows of our soul, but often vainly laugh when we have good cause to weep.

80 There is no true liberty nor real joy, save in the fear of God with a good

81 conscience. Happy is he who can cast away every cause of distraction and bring

82 himself to the one purpose of holy compunction. Happy is he who putteth away

83 from him whatsoever may stain or burden his conscience. Strive manfully; custom

84 is overcome by custom. If thou knowest how to let men alone, they will gladly

85 let thee alone to do thine own works.

86 3. Busy not thyself with the affairs of others, nor entangle thyself with the

87 business of great men. Keep always thine eye upon thyself first of all, and

88 give advice to thyself specially before all thy dearest friends. If thou hast

89 not the favour of men, be not thereby cast down, but let thy concern be that

90 thou holdest not thyself so well and circumspectly, as becometh a servant of

91 God and a devout monk. It is often better and safer for a man not to have many

92 comforts in this life, especially those which concern the flesh. But that we

93 lack divine comforts or feel them rarely is to our own blame, because we seek

94 not compunction of heart, nor utterly cast away those comforts which are vain

95 and worldly.

96 4. Know thyself to be unworthy of divine consolation, and worthy rather of much

97 tribulation. When a man hath perfect compunction, then all the world is

98 burdensome and bitter to him. A good man will find sufficient cause for

99 mourning and weeping; for whether he considereth himself, or pondereth

100 concerning his neighbour, he knoweth that no man liveth here without

101 tribulation, and the more thoroughly he considereth himself, the more

102 thoroughly he grieveth. Grounds for just grief and inward compunction there are

103 in our sins and vices, wherein we lie so entangled that we are but seldom able

104 to contemplate heavenly things.

105 5. If thou thoughtest upon thy death more often than how long thy life should

106 be, thou wouldest doubtless strive more earnestly to improve. And if thou didst

107 seriously consider the future pains of hell, I believe thou wouldest willingly

108 endure toil or pain and fear not discipline. But because these things reach not

109 the heart, and we still love pleasant things, therefore we remain cold and

110 miserably indifferent.

111 6. Oftentimes it is from poverty of spirit that the wretched body is so easily

112 led to complain. Pray therefore humbly unto the Lord that He will give thee the

113 spirit of compunction and say in the language of the prophet, *Feed me, O

114 Lord, with bread of tears, and give me plenteousness of tears to drink*.(1)

115 (1) Psalm lxxx. 5.

CHAPTER XXII

73 On the contemplation of human misery

74 Thou art miserable wheresoever thou art, and whithersoever thou turnest, unless

75 thou turn thee to God. Why art thou disquieted because it happeneth not to thee

76 according to thy wishes and desires? Who is he that hath everything according

77 to his will? Neither I, nor thou, nor any man upon the earth. There is no man

78 in the world free from trouble or anguish, though he were King or Pope. Who is

79 he who hath the happiest lot? Even he who is strong to suffer somewhat for God.

80 2. There are many foolish and unstable men who say, “See what a

81 prosperous life that man hath, how rich and how great he is, how powerful, how

82 exalted.” But lift up thine eyes to the good things of heaven, and thou

83 shalt see that all these worldly things are nothing, they are utterly

84 uncertain, yea, they are wearisome, because they are never possessed without

85 care and fear. The happiness of man lieth not in the abundance of temporal

86 things but a moderate portion sufficeth him. Our life upon the earth is verily

87 wretchedness. The more a man desireth to be spiritual, the more bitter doth the

88 present life become to him; because he the better understandeth and seeth the

89 defects of human corruption. For to eat, to drink, to watch, to sleep, to rest,

90 to labour, and to be subject to the other necessities of nature, is truly a

91 great wretchedness and affliction to a devout man, who would fain be released

92 and free from all sin.

93 3. For the inner man is heavily burdened with the necessities of the body in

94 this world. Wherefore the prophet devoutly prayeth to be freed from them,

95 saying, Deliver me from my necessities, O Lord.(1) But woe to those who know

96 not their own misery, and yet greater woe to those who love this miserable and

97 corruptible life. For to such a degree do some cling to it (even though by

98 labouring or begging they scarce procure what is necessary for subsistence)

99 that if they might live here always, they would care nothing for the Kingdom of

100 God.

101 4. Oh foolish and faithless of heart, who lie buried so deep in worldly things,

102 that they relish nothing save the things of the flesh! Miserable ones! they

103 will too sadly find out at the last, how vile and worthless was that which they

104 loved. The saints of God and all loyal friends of Christ held as nothing the

105 things which pleased the flesh, or those which flourished in this life, but

106 their whole hope and affection aspired to the things which are above. Their

107 whole desire was borne upwards to everlasting and invisible things, lest they

108 should be drawn downwards by the love of things visible.

109 5. Lose not, brother, thy loyal desire of progress to things spiritual. There

110 is yet time, the hour is not past. Why wilt thou put off thy resolution? Arise,

111 begin this very moment, and say, “Now is the time to do: now is the time

112 to fight, now is the proper time for amendment.” When thou art ill at

113 ease and troubled, then is the time when thou art nearest unto blessing. Thou

114 must go through fire and water that God may bring thee into a wealthy place.

115 Unless thou put force upon thyself, thou wilt not conquer thy faults. So long

116 as we carry about with us this frail body, we cannot be without sin, we cannot

117 live without weariness and trouble. Gladly would we have rest from all misery;

118 but because through sin we have lost innocence, we have lost also the true

119 happiness. Therefore must we be patient, and wait for the mercy of God, until

120 this tyranny be overpast, and this mortality be swallowed up of life.

121 6. O how great is the frailty of man, which is ever prone to evil! To-day thou

122 confessest thy sins, and to-morrow thou committest again the sins thou didst

123 confess. Now dost thou resolve to avoid a fault, and within an hour thou

124 behavest thyself as if thou hadst never resolved at all. Good cause have we

125 therefore to humble ourselves, and never to think highly of ourselves, seeing

126 that we are so frail and unstable. And quickly may that be lost by our

127 negligence, which by much labour was hardly attained through grace.

128 7. What shall become of us at the end, if at the beginning we are lukewarm and

129 idle? Woe unto us, if we choose to rest, as though it were a time of peace and

130 security, while as yet no sign appeareth in our life of true holiness. Rather

131 had we need that we might begin yet afresh, like good novices, to be instructed

132 unto good living, if haply there might be hope of some future amendment and

133 greater spiritual increase.

134 (1) Psalm xxv. 17.

CHAPTER XXIII

76 Of meditation upon death

77 Very quickly will there be an end of thee here; take heed therefore how it will

78 be with thee in another world. To-day man is, and to-morrow he will be seen no

79 more. And being removed out of sight, quickly also he is out of mind. O the

80 dulness and hardness of man’s heart, which thinketh only of the present,

81 and looketh not forward to the future. Thou oughtest in every deed and thought

82 so to order thyself, as if thou wert to die this day. If thou hadst a good

83 conscience thou wouldst not greatly fear death. It were better for thee to

84 watch against sin, than to fly from death. If to-day thou art not ready, how

85 shalt thou be ready to-morrow? To-morrow is an uncertain day; and how knowest

86 thou that thou shalt have a to-morrow?

87 2. What doth it profit to live long, when we amend so little? Ah! long life

88 doth not always amend, but often the more increaseth guilt. Oh that we might

89 spend a single day in this world as it ought to be spent! Many there are who

90 reckon the years since they were converted, and yet oftentimes how little is

91 the fruit thereof. If it is a fearful thing to die, it may be perchance a yet

92 more fearful thing to live long. Happy is the man who hath the hour of his

93 death always before his eyes, and daily prepareth himself to die. If thou hast

94 ever seen one die, consider that thou also shalt pass away by the same road.

95 3. When it is morning reflect that it may be thou shalt not see the evening,

96 and at eventide dare not to boast thyself of the morrow. Always be thou

97 prepared, and so live that death may never find thee unprepared. Many die

98 suddenly and unexpectedly. For at such an hour as ye think not, the Son of Man

99 cometh.(1) When that last hour shall come, thou wilt begin to think very

100 differently of thy whole life past, and wilt mourn bitterly that thou hast been

101 so negligent and slothful.

102 4. Happy and wise is he who now striveth to be such in life as he would fain be

103 found in death! For a perfect contempt of the world, a fervent desire to excel

104 in virtue, the love of discipline, the painfulness of repentance, readiness to

105 obey, denial of self, submission to any adversity for love of Christ; these are

106 the things which shall give great confidence of a happy death. Whilst thou art

107 in health thou hast many opportunities of good works; but when thou art in

108 sickness I know not how much thou wilt be able to do. Few are made better by

109 infirmity: even as they who wander much abroad seldom become holy.

110 5. Trust not thy friends and kinsfolk, nor put off the work of thy salvation to

111 the future, for men will forget thee sooner than thou thinkest. It is better

112 for thee now to provide in time, and to send some good before thee, than to

113 trust to the help of others. If thou art not anxious for thyself now, who,

114 thinkest thou, will be anxious for thee afterwards? Now the time is most

115 precious. Now is the accepted time, now is the day of salvation. But alas! that

116 thou spendest not well this time, wherein thou mightest lay up treasure which

117 should profit thee everlastingly. The hour will come when thou shalt desire one

118 day, yea, one hour, for amendment of life, and I know not whether thou shalt

119 obtain.

120 6. Oh, dearly beloved, from what danger thou mightest free thyself, from what

121 great fear, if only thou wouldst always live in fear, and in expectation of

122 death! Strive now to live in such wise that in the hour of death thou mayest

123 rather rejoice than fear. Learn now to die to the world, so shalt thou begin to

124 live with Christ. Learn now to contemn all earthly things, and then mayest thou

125 freely go unto Christ. Keep under thy body by penitence, and then shalt thou be

126 able to have a sure confidence.

127 7. Ah, foolish one! why thinkest thou that thou shalt live long, when thou art

128 not sure of a single day? How many have been deceived, and suddenly have been

129 snatched away from the body! How many times hast thou heard how one was slain

130 by the sword, another was drowned, another falling from on high broke his neck,

131 another died at the table, another whilst at play! One died by fire, another by

132 the sword, another by the pestilence, another by the robber. Thus cometh death

133 to all, and the life of men swiftly passeth away like a shadow.

134 8. Who will remember thee after thy death? And who will entreat for thee? Work,

135 work now, oh dearly beloved, work all that thou canst. For thou knowest not

136 when thou shalt die, nor what shall happen unto thee after death. While thou

137 hast time, lay up for thyself undying riches. Think of nought but of thy

138 salvation; care only for the things of God. Make to thyself friends, by

139 venerating the saints of God and walking in their steps, that when thou

140 failest, thou mayest be received into everlasting habitations.(2)

141 9. Keep thyself as a stranger and a pilgrim upon the earth, to whom the things

142 of the world appertain not. Keep thine heart free, and lifted up towards God,

143 for here have we no continuing city.(3) To Him direct thy daily prayers with

144 crying and tears, that thy spirit may be found worthy to pass happily after

145 death unto its Lord. Amen.

146 (1) Matthew xxiv. 44. (2) Luke xvi. 9. (3) Hebrews xiii. 14.

CHAPTER XXIV

79 Of the judgment and punishment of the wicked

80 In all that thou doest, remember the end, and how thou wilt stand before a

81 strict judge, from whom nothing is hid, who is not bribed with gifts, nor

82 accepteth excuses, but will judge righteous judgment. O most miserable and

83 foolish sinner, who art sometimes in fear of the countenance of an angry man,

84 what wilt thou answer to God, who knoweth all thy misdeeds? Why dost thou not

85 provide for thyself against the day of judgment, when no man shall be able to

86 be excused or defended by means of another, but each one shall bear his burden

87 himself alone? Now doth thy labour bring forth fruit, now is thy weeping

88 acceptable, thy groaning heard, thy sorrow well pleasing to God, and cleansing

89 to thy soul.

90 2. Even here on earth the patient man findeth great occasion of purifying his

91 soul. When suffering injuries he grieveth more for the other’s malice

92 than for his own wrong; when he prayeth heartily for those that despitefully

93 use him, and forgiveth them from his heart; when he is not slow to ask pardon

94 from others; when he is swifter to pity than to anger; when he frequently

95 denieth himself and striveth altogether to subdue the flesh to the spirit.

96 Better is it now to purify the soul from sin, than to cling to sins from which

97 we must be purged hereafter. Truly we deceive ourselves by the inordinate love

98 which we bear towards the flesh.

99 3. What is it which that fire shall devour, save thy sins? The more thou

100 sparest thyself and followest the flesh, the more heavy shall thy punishment

101 be, and the more fuel art thou heaping up for the burning. For wherein a man

102 hath sinned, therein shall he be the more heavily punished. There shall the

103 slothful be pricked forward with burning goads, and the gluttons be tormented

104 with intolerable hunger and thirst. There shall the luxurious and the lovers of

105 pleasure be plunged into burning pitch and stinking brimstone, and the envious

106 shall howl like mad dogs for very grief.

107 4. No sin will there be which shall not be visited with its own proper

108 punishment. The proud shall be filled with utter confusion, and the covetous

109 shall be pinched with miserable poverty. An hour’s pain there shall be

110 more grievous than a hundred years here of the bitterest penitence. No quiet

111 shall be there, no comfort for the lost, though here sometimes there is respite

112 from pain, and enjoyment of the solace of friends. Be thou anxious now and

113 sorrowful for thy sins, that in the day of judgment thou mayest have boldness

114 with the blessed. For then shall the righteous man stand in great boldness

115 before the face of such as have afflicted him and made no account of his

116 labours.(1) Then shall he stand up to judge, he who now submitteth himself in

117 humility to the judgments of men. Then shall the poor and humble man have great

118 confidence, while the proud is taken with fear on every side.

119 5. Then shall it be seen that he was the wise man in this world who learned to

120 be a fool and despised for Christ. Then shall all tribulation patiently borne

121 delight us, while the mouth of the ungodly shall be stopped. Then shall every

122 godly man rejoice, and every profane man shall mourn. Then the afflicted flesh

123 shall more rejoice than if it had been alway nourished in delights. Then the

124 humble garment shall put on beauty, and the precious robe shall hide itself as

125 vile. Then the little poor cottage shall be more commended than the gilded

126 palace. Then enduring patience shall have more might than all the power of the

127 world. Then simple obedience shall be more highly exalted than all worldly

128 wisdom.

129 6. Then a pure and good conscience shall more rejoice than learned philosophy.

130 Then contempt of riches shall have more weight than all the treasure of the

131 children of this world. Then shalt thou find more comfort in having prayed

132 devoutly than in having fared sumptuously. Then thou wilt rather rejoice in

133 having kept silence than in having made long speech. Then holy deeds shall be

134 far stronger than many fine words. Then a strict life and sincere penitence

135 shall bring deeper pleasure than all earthly delight. Learn now to suffer a

136 little, that then thou mayest be enabled to escape heavier sufferings. Prove

137 first here, what thou art able to endure hereafter. If now thou art able to

138 bear so little, how wilt thou be able to endure eternal torments? If now a

139 little suffering maketh thee so impatient, what shall hell-fire do then? Behold

140 of a surety thou art not able to have two Paradises, to take thy fill or

141 delight here in this world, and to reign with Christ hereafter.

142 7. If even unto this day thou hadst ever lived in honours and pleasures, what

143 would the whole profit thee if now death came to thee in an instant? All

144 therefore is vanity, save to love God and to serve Him only. For he who loveth

145 God with all his heart feareth not death, nor punishment, nor judgment, nor

146 hell, because perfect love giveth sure access to God. But he who still

147 delighteth in sin, no marvel if he is afraid of death and judgment.

148 Nevertheless it is a good thing, if love as yet cannot restrain thee from evil,

149 that at least the fear of hell should hold thee back. But he who putteth aside

150 the fear of God cannot long continue in good, but shall quickly fall into the

151 snares of the devil.

152 (1) Wisd. v. 1.

CHAPTER XXV

82 Of the zealous amendment of our whole life

83 Be thou watchful and diligent in God’s service, and bethink thee often

84 why thou hast renounced the world. Was it not that thou mightest live to God

85 and become a spiritual man? Be zealous, therefore, for thy spiritual profit,

86 for thou shalt receive shortly the reward of thy labours, and neither fear nor

87 sorrow shall come any more into thy borders. Now shalt thou labour a little,

88 and thou shalt find great rest, yea everlasting joy. If thou shalt remain

89 faithful and zealous in labour, doubt not that God shall be faithful and

90 bountiful in rewarding thee. It is thy duty to have a good hope that thou wilt

91 attain the victory, but thou must not fall into security lest thou become

92 slothful or lifted up.

93 2. A certain man being in anxiety of mind, continually tossed about between

94 hope and fear, and being on a certain day overwhelmed with grief, cast himself

95 down in prayer before the altar in a church, and meditated within himself,

96 saying, “Oh! if I but knew that I should still persevere,” and

97 presently heard within him a voice from God, “And if thou didst know it,

98 what wouldst thou do? Do now what thou wouldst do then, and thou shalt be very

99 secure.” And straightway being comforted and strengthened, he committed

100 himself to the will of God and the perturbation of spirit ceased, neither had

101 he a mind any more to search curiously to know what should befall him

102 hereafter, but studied rather to inquire what was the good and acceptable will

103 of God, for the beginning and perfecting of every good work.

104 3. Hope in the Lord and be doing good, saith the Prophet; dwell in the land and

105 thou shalt be fed(1) with its riches. One thing there is which holdeth back

106 many from progress and fervent amendment, even the dread of difficulty, or the

107 labour of the conflict. Nevertheless they advance above all others in virtue

108 who strive manfully to conquer those things which are most grievous and

109 contrary to them, for there a man profiteth most and meriteth greater grace

110 where he most overcometh himself and mortifieth himself in spirit.

111 4. But all men have not the same passions to conquer and to mortify, yet he who

112 is diligent shall attain more profit, although he have stronger passions, than

113 another who is more temperate of disposition, but is withal less fervent in the

114 pursuit of virtue. Two things specially avail unto improvement in holiness,

115 namely firmness to withdraw ourselves from the sin to which by nature we are

116 most inclined, and earnest zeal for that good in which we are most lacking. And

117 strive also very earnestly to guard against and subdue those faults which

118 displease thee most frequently in others.

119 5. Gather some profit to thy soul wherever thou art, and wherever thou seest or

120 hearest good examples, stir thyself to follow them, but where thou seest

121 anything which is blameworthy, take heed that thou do not the same; or if at

122 any time thou hast done it, strive quickly to amend thyself. As thine eye

123 observeth others, so again are the eyes of others upon thee. How sweet and

124 pleasant is it to see zealous and godly brethren temperate and of good

125 discipline; and how sad is it and grievous to see them walking disorderly, not

126 practising the duties to which they are called. How hurtful a thing it is to

127 neglect the purpose of their calling, and turn their inclinations to things

128 which are none of their business.

129 6. Be mindful of the duties which thou hast undertaken, and set always before

130 thee the remembrance of the Crucified. Truly oughtest thou to be ashamed as

131 thou lookest upon the life of Jesus Christ, because thou hast not yet

132 endeavoured to conform thyself more unto Him, though thou hast been a long time

133 in the way of God. A religious man who exercises himself seriously and devoutly

134 in the most holy life and passion of our Lord shall find there abundantly all

135 things that are profitable and necessary for him, neither is there need that he

136 shall seek anything better beyond Jesus. Oh! if Jesus crucified would come into

137 our hearts, how quickly, and completely should we have learned all that we need

138 to know!

139 7. He who is earnest receiveth and beareth well all things that are laid upon

140 him. He who is careless and lukewarm hath trouble upon trouble, and suffereth

141 anguish upon every side, because he is without inward consolation, and is

142 forbidden to seek that which is outward. He who is living without discipline is

143 exposed to grievous ruin. He who seeketh easier and lighter discipline shall

144 always be in distress, because one thing or another will give him displeasure.

145 8. O! if no other duty lay upon us but to praise the Lord our God with our

146 whole heart and voice! Oh! if thou never hadst need to eat or drink, or sleep,

147 but wert always able to praise God, and to give thyself to spiritual exercises

148 alone; then shouldst thou be far happier than now, when for so many necessities

149 thou must serve the flesh. O! that these necessities were not, but only the

150 spiritual refreshments of the soul, which alas we taste too seldom.

151 9. When a man hath come to this, that he seeketh comfort from no created thing,

152 then doth he perfectly begin to enjoy God, then also will he be well contented

153 with whatsoever shall happen unto him. Then will he neither rejoice for much

154 nor be sorrowful for little, but he committeth himself altogether and with full

155 trust unto God, who is all in all to him, to whom nothing perisheth nor dieth,

156 but all things live to Him and obey His every word without delay.

157 10. Remember always thine end, and how the time which is lost returneth not.

158 Without care and diligence thou shalt never get virtue. If thou beginnest to

159 grow cold, it shall begin to go ill with thee, but if thou givest thyself unto

160 zeal thou shalt find much peace, and shalt find thy labour the lighter because

161 of the grace of God and the love of virtue. A zealous and diligent man is ready

162 for all things. It is greater labour to resist sins and passions than to toil

163 in bodily labours. He who shunneth not small faults falleth little by little

164 into greater. At eventide thou shalt always be glad if thou spend the day

165 profitably. Watch over thyself, stir thyself up, admonish thyself, and

166 howsoever it be with others, neglect not thyself. The more violence thou dost

167 unto thyself, the more thou shall profit. Amen.

168 (1) Psalm xxxvii. 3.

THE SECOND BOOK

85 ADMONITIONS CONCERNING THE INNER LIFE

CHAPTER I

88 Of the inward life

89 The kingdom of God is within you,(1) saith the Lord. Turn thee with all thine

90 heart to the Lord and forsake this miserable world, and thou shalt find rest

91 unto thy soul. Learn to despise outward things and to give thyself to things

92 inward, and thou shalt see the kingdom of God come within thee. For the kingdom

93 of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost, and it is not given to the wicked.

94 Christ will come to thee, and show thee His consolation, if thou prepare a

95 worthy mansion for Him within thee. All His glory and beauty is from within,

96 and there it pleaseth Him to dwell. He often visiteth the inward man and

97 holdeth with him sweet discourse, giving him soothing consolation, much peace,

98 friendship exceeding wonderful.

99 2. Go to, faithful soul, prepare thy heart for this bridegroom that he may

100 vouchsafe to come to thee and dwell within thee, for so He saith, if any man

101 loveth me he will keep my words: and my Father will love him, and we will come

102 unto him and make our abode with him.(2) Give, therefore, place to Christ and

103 refuse entrance to all others. When thou hast Christ, thou art rich, and hast

104 sufficient. He shall be thy provider and faithful watchman in all things, so

105 that thou hast no need to trust in men, for men soon change and swiftly pass

106 away, but Christ remaineth for ever and standeth by us firmly even to the end.

107 3. There is no great trust to be placed in a frail and mortal man, even though

108 he be useful and dear to us, neither should much sorrow arise within us if

109 sometimes he oppose and contradict us. They who are on thy side to-day, may

110 to-morrow be against thee, and often are they turned round like the wind. Put

111 thy whole trust in God and let Him be thy fear and thy love, He will answer for

112 thee Himself, and will do for thee what is best. Here hast thou no continuing

113 city,(3) and wheresoever thou art, thou art a stranger and a pilgrim, and thou

114 shalt never have rest unless thou art closely united to Christ within thee.

115 4. Why dost thou cast thine eyes hither and thither, since this is not the

116 place of thy rest? In heaven ought thy habitation to be, and all earthly things

117 should be looked upon as it were in the passing by. All things pass away and

118 thou equally with them. Look that thou cleave not to them lest thou be taken

119 with them and perish. Let thy contemplation be on the Most High, and let thy

120 supplication be directed unto Christ without ceasing. If thou canst not behold

121 high and heavenly things, rest thou in the passion of Christ and dwell

122 willingly in His sacred wounds. For if thou devoutly fly to the wounds of

123 Jesus, and the precious marks of the nails and the spear, thou shalt find great

124 comfort in tribulation, nor will the slights of men trouble thee much, and thou

125 wilt easily bear their unkind words.

126 5. Christ also, when He was in the world, was despised and rejected of men, and

127 in His greatest necessity was left by His acquaintance and friends to bear

128 these reproaches. Christ was willing to suffer and be despised, and darest thou

129 complain of any? Christ had adversaries and gainsayers, and dost thou wish to

130 have all men thy friends and benefactors? Whence shall thy patience attain her

131 crown if no adversity befall thee? If thou art unwilling to suffer any

132 adversity, how shalt thou be the friend of Christ? Sustain thyself with Christ

133 and for Christ if thou wilt reign with Christ.

134 6. If thou hadst once entered into the mind of Jesus, and hadst tasted yea even

135 a little of his tender love, then wouldst thou care nought for thine own

136 convenience or inconvenience, but wouldst rather rejoice at trouble brought

137 upon thee, because the love of Jesus maketh a man to despise himself. He who

138 loveth Jesus, and is inwardly true and free from inordinate affections, is able

139 to turn himself readily unto God, and to rise above himself in spirit, and to

140 enjoy fruitful peace.

141 7. He who knoweth things as they are and not as they are said or seem to be, he

142 truly is wise, and is taught of God more than of men. He who knoweth how to

143 walk from within, and to set little value upon outward things, requireth not

144 places nor waiteth for seasons, for holding his intercourse with God. The

145 inward man quickly recollecteth himself, because he is never entirely given up

146 to outward things. No outward labour and no necessary occupations stand in his

147 way, but as events fall out, so doth he fit himself to them. He who is rightly

148 disposed and ordered within careth not for the strange and perverse conduct of

149 men. A man is hindered and distracted in so far as he is moved by outward

150 things.

151 8. If it were well with thee, and thou wert purified from evil, all things

152 would work together for thy good and profiting. For this cause do many things

153 displease thee and often trouble thee, that thou art not yet perfectly dead to

154 thyself nor separated from all earthly things. Nothing so defileth and

155 entangleth the heart of man as impure love towards created things. If thou

156 rejectest outward comfort thou wilt be able to contemplate heavenly things and

157 frequently to be joyful inwardly.

158 (1) Luke xvii. 21. (2) John xiv. 23. (3) Hebrews xiii. 14.

CHAPTER II

91 Of lowly submission

92 Make no great account who is for thee or against thee, but mind only the

93 present duty and take care that God be with thee in whatsoever thou doest. Have

94 a good conscience and God will defend thee, for he whom God will help no

95 man’s perverseness shall be able to hurt. If thou knowest how to hold thy

96 peace and to suffer, without doubt thou shalt see the help of the Lord. He

97 knoweth the time and the way to deliver thee, therefore must thou resign

98 thyself to Him. To God it belongeth to help and to deliver from all confusion.

99 Oftentimes it is very profitable for keeping us in greater humility, that

100 others know and rebuke our faults.

101 2. When a man humbleth himself for his defects, he then easily pacifieth others

102 and quickly satisfieth those that are angered against him. God protecteth and

103 delivereth the humble man, He loveth and comforteth the humble man, to the

104 humble man He inclineth Himself, on the humble He bestoweth great grace, and

105 when he is cast down He raiseth him to glory: to the humble He revealeth His

106 secrets, and sweetly draweth and inviteth him to Himself. The humble man having

107 received reproach, is yet in sufficient peace, because he resteth on God and

108 not on the world. Reckon not thyself to have profited in anywise unless thou

109 feel thyself to be inferior to all.

CHAPTER III

94 Of the good, peaceable man

95 First keep thyself in peace, and then shalt thou be able to be a peacemaker

96 towards others. A peaceable man doth more good than a well-learned. A

97 passionate man turneth even good into evil and easily believeth evil; a good,

98 peaceable man converteth all things into good. He who dwelleth in peace is

99 suspicious of none, but he who is discontented and restless is tossed with many

100 suspicions, and is neither quiet himself nor suffereth others to be quiet. He

101 often saith what he ought not to say, and omitteth what it were more expedient

102 for him to do. He considereth to what duties others are bound, and neglecteth

103 those to which he is bound himself. Therefore be zealous first over thyself,

104 and then mayest thou righteously be zealous concerning thy neighbour.

105 2. Thou knowest well how to excuse and to colour thine own deeds, but thou wilt

106 not accept the excuses of others. It would be more just to accuse thyself and

107 excuse thy brother. If thou wilt that others bear with thee, bear thou with

108 others. Behold how far thou art as yet from the true charity and humility which

109 knows not how to be angry or indignant against any save self alone. It is no

110 great thing to mingle with the good and the meek, for this is naturally

111 pleasing to all, and every one of us willingly enjoyeth peace and liketh best

112 those who think with us: but to be able to live peaceably with the hard and

113 perverse, or with the disorderly, or those who oppose us, this is a great grace

114 and a thing much to be commended and most worthy of a man.

115 3. There are who keep themselves in peace and keep peace also with others, and

116 there are who neither have peace nor suffer others to have peace; they are

117 troublesome to others, but always more troublesome to themselves. And there are

118 who hold themselves in peace, and study to bring others unto peace;

119 nevertheless, all our peace in this sad life lieth in humble suffering rather

120 than in not feeling adversities. He who best knoweth how to suffer shall

121 possess the most peace; that man is conqueror of himself and lord of the world,

122 the friend of Christ, and the inheritor of heaven.

CHAPTER IV

97 Of a pure mind and simple intention

98 By two wings is man lifted above earthly things, even by simplicity and purity.

99 Simplicity ought to be in the intention, purity in the affection. Simplicity

100 reacheth towards God, purity apprehendeth Him and tasteth Him. No good action

101 will be distasteful to thee if thou be free within from inordinate affection.

102 If thou reachest after and seekest, nothing but the will of God and the benefit

103 of thy neighbour, thou wilt entirely enjoy inward liberty. If thine heart were

104 right, then should every creature be a mirror of life and a book of holy

105 doctrine. There is no creature so small and vile but that it showeth us the

106 goodness of God.

107 2. If thou wert good and pure within, then wouldst thou look upon all things

108 without hurt and understand them aright. A pure heart seeth the very depths of

109 heaven and hell. Such as each one is inwardly, so judgeth he outwardly. If

110 there is any joy in the world surely the man of pure heart possesseth it, and

111 if there is anywhere tribulation and anguish, the evil conscience knoweth it

112 best. As iron cast into the fire loseth rust and is made altogether glowing, so

113 the man who turneth himself altogether unto God is freed from slothfulness and

114 changed into a new man.

115 3. When a man beginneth to grow lukewarm, then he feareth a little labour, and

116 willingly accepteth outward consolation; but when he beginneth perfectly to

117 conquer himself and to walk manfully in the way of God, then he counteth as

118 nothing those things which aforetime seemed to be so grievous unto him.

CHAPTER V

100 Of self-esteem

101 We cannot place too little confidence in ourselves, because grace and

102 understanding are often lacking to us. Little light is there within us, and

103 what we have we quickly lose by negligence. Oftentimes we perceive not how

104 great is our inward blindness. We often do ill and excuse it worse. Sometimes

105 we are moved by passion and count it zeal; we blame little faults in others and

106 pass over great faults in ourselves. Quickly enough we feel and reckon up what

107 we bear at the hands of others, but we reflect not how much others are bearing

108 from us. He who would weigh well and rightly his own doings would not be the

109 man to judge severely of another.

110 2. The spiritually-minded man putteth care of himself before all cares; and he

111 who diligently attendeth to himself easily keepeth silence concerning others.

112 Thou wilt never be spiritually minded and godly unless thou art silent

113 concerning other men’s matters and take full heed to thyself. If thou

114 think wholly upon thyself and upon God, what thou seest out of doors shall move

115 thee little. Where art thou when thou art not present to thyself? and when thou

116 hast overrun all things, what hath it profited thee, thyself being neglected?

117 If thou wouldst have peace and true unity, thou must put aside all other

118 things, and gaze only upon thyself.

119 3. Then thou shalt make great progress if thou keep thyself free from all

120 temporal care. Thou shalt lamentably fall away if thou set a value upon any

121 worldly thing. Let nothing be great, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing

122 acceptable unto thee, save God Himself or the things of God. Reckon as

123 altogether vain whatsoever consolation comes to thee from a creature. The soul

124 that loveth God looketh not to anything that is beneath God. God alone is

125 eternal and incomprehensible, filling all things, the solace of the soul, and

126 the true joy of the heart.

CHAPTER VI

103 Of the joy of a good conscience

104 The testimony of a good conscience is the glory of a good man. Have a good

105 conscience and thou shalt ever have joy. A good conscience is able to bear

106 exceeding much, and is exceeding joyful in the midst of adversities; an evil

107 conscience is ever fearful and unquiet. Thou shalt rest sweetly if thy heart

108 condemn thee not. Never rejoice unless when thou hast done well. The wicked

109 have never true joy, nor feel internal peace, for there is no peace, saith my

110 God, to the wicked.(1) And if they say “we are in peace, there shall no

111 harm happen unto us, and who shall dare to do us hurt?” believe them not,

112 for suddenly shall the wrath of God rise up against them, and their deeds shall

113 be brought to nought, and their thoughts shall perish.

114 2. To glory in tribulation is not grievous to him who loveth; for such glorying

115 is glorying in the Cross of Christ. Brief is the glory which is given and

116 received of men. Sadness always goeth hand in hand with the glory of the world.

117 The glory of the good is in their conscience, and not in the report of men. The

118 joy of the upright is from God and in God, and their joy is in the truth. He

119 who desireth true and eternal glory careth not for that which is temporal; and

120 he who seeketh temporal glory, or who despiseth it from his heart, is proved to

121 bear little love for that which is heavenly. He who careth for neither praises

122 nor reproaches hath great tranquillity of heart.

123 3. He will easily be contented and filled with peace, whose conscience is pure.

124 Thou art none the holier if thou art praised, nor the viler if thou art

125 reproached. Thou art what thou art; and thou canst not be better than God

126 pronounceth thee to be. If thou considerest well what thou art inwardly, thou

127 wilt not care what men will say to thee. Man looketh on the outward appearance,

128 but the Lord looketh on the heart:(2) man looketh on the deed, but God

129 considereth the intent. It is the token of a humble spirit always to do well,

130 and to set little by oneself. Not to look for consolation from any created

131 thing is a sign of great purity and inward faithfulness.

132 4. He that seeketh no outward witness on his own behalf, showeth plainly that

133 he hath committed himself wholly to God. For not he that commendeth himself is

134 approved, as St. Paul saith, but whom the Lord commendeth.(3) To walk inwardly

135 with God, and not to be held by any outer affections, is the state of a

136 spiritual man.

137 (1) Isaiah lvii. 21. (2) 1 Samuel xvi. 7. (3) 2 Corinthians x. 18.

CHAPTER VII

106 Of loving Jesus above all things

107 Blessed is he who understandeth what it is to love Jesus, and to despise

108 himself for Jesus’ sake. He must give up all that he loveth for his

109 Beloved, for Jesus will be loved alone above all things. The love of created

110 things is deceiving and unstable, but the love of Jesus is faithful and

111 lasting. He who cleaveth to created things will fall with their slipperiness;

112 but he who embraceth Jesus will stand upright for ever. Love Him and hold Him

113 for thy friend, for He will not forsake thee when all depart from thee, nor

114 will he suffer thee to perish at the last. Thou must one day be separated from

115 all, whether thou wilt or wilt not.

116 2. Cleave thou to Jesus in life and death, and commit thyself unto His

117 faithfulness, who, when all men fail thee, is alone able to help thee. Thy

118 Beloved is such, by nature, that He will suffer no rival, but alone will

119 possess thy heart, and as a king will sit upon His own throne. If thou wouldst

120 learn to put away from thee every created thing, Jesus would freely take up His

121 abode with thee. Thou wilt find all trust little better than lost which thou

122 hast placed in men, and not in Jesus. Trust not nor lean upon a reed shaken

123 with the wind, because all flesh is grass, and the goodliness thereof falleth

124 as the flower of the field.(1)

125 3. Thou wilt be quickly deceived if thou lookest only upon the outward

126 appearance of men, for if thou seekest thy comfort and profit in others, thou

127 shalt too often experience loss. If thou seekest Jesus in all things thou shalt

128 verily find Jesus, but if thou seekest thyself thou shalt also find thyself,

129 but to thine own hurt. For if a man seeketh not Jesus he is more hurtful to

130 himself than all the world and all his adversaries.

131 (1) Isaiah xl. 6.

CHAPTER VIII

109 Of the intimate love of Jesus

110 When Jesus is present all is well and nothing seemeth hard, but when Jesus is

111 not present everything is hard. When Jesus speaketh not within, our comfort is

112 nothing worth, but if Jesus speaketh but a single word great is the comfort we

113 experience. Did not Mary Magdalene rise up quickly from the place where she

114 wept when Martha said to her, The Master is come and calleth for thee?(1) Happy

115 hour when Jesus calleth thee from tears to the joy of the spirit! How dry and

116 hard art thou without Jesus! How senseless and vain if thou desirest aught

117 beyond Jesus! Is not this greater loss than if thou shouldst lose the whole

118 world?

119 2. What can the world profit thee without Jesus? To be without Jesus is the

120 nethermost hell, and to be with Jesus is sweet paradise. If Jesus were with

121 thee no enemy could hurt thee. He who findeth Jesus findeth a good treasure,

122 yea, good above all good; and he who loseth Jesus loseth exceeding much, yea,

123 more than the whole world. Most poor is he who liveth without Jesus, and most

124 rich is he who is much with Jesus.

125 3. It is great skill to know how to live with Jesus, and to know how to hold

126 Jesus is great wisdom. Be thou humble and peaceable and Jesus shall be with

127 thee. Be godly and quiet, and Jesus will remain with thee. Thou canst quickly

128 drive away Jesus and lose His favour if thou wilt turn away to the outer

129 things. And if thou hast put Him to flight and lost Him, to whom wilt thou

130 flee, and whom then wilt thou seek for a friend? Without a friend thou canst

131 not live long, and if Jesus be not thy friend above all thou shalt be very sad

132 and desolate. Madly therefore doest thou if thou trusteth or findest joy in any

133 other. It is preferable to have the whole world against thee, than Jesus

134 offended with thee. Therefore of all that are dear to thee, let Jesus be

135 specially loved.

136 4. Let all be loved for Jesus’ sake, but Jesus for His own. Jesus Christ

137 alone is to be specially loved, for He alone is found good and faithful above

138 all friends. For His sake and in Him let both enemies and friends be dear to

139 thee, and pray for them all that they may all know and love Him. Never desire

140 to be specially praised or loved, because this belongeth to God alone, who hath

141 none like unto Himself. Nor wish thou that any one set his heart on thee, nor

142 do thou give thyself up to the love of any, but let Jesus be in thee and in

143 every good man.

144 5. Be pure and free within thyself, and be not entangled by any created thing.

145 Thou oughtest to bring a bare and clean heart to God, if thou desirest to be

146 ready to see how gracious the Lord is. And in truth, unless thou be prevented

147 and drawn on by His grace, thou wilt not attain to this, that having cast out

148 and dismissed all else, thou alone art united to God. For when the grace of God

149 cometh to a man, then he becometh able to do all things, and when it departeth

150 then he will be poor and weak and given up unto troubles. In these thou art not

151 to be cast down nor to despair, but to rest with calm mind on the will of God,

152 and to bear all things which come upon thee unto the praise of Jesus Christ;

153 for after winter cometh summer, after night returneth day, after the tempest a

154 great calm.

155 (1) John xi. 28.

CHAPTER IX

112 Of the lack of all comfort

113 It is no hard thing to despise human comfort when divine is present. It is a

114 great thing, yea very great, to be able to bear the loss both of human and

115 divine comfort; and for the love of God willingly to bear exile of heart, and

116 in nought to seek oneself, nor to look to one’s own merit. What great

117 matter is it, if thou be cheerful of heart and devout when favour cometh to

118 thee? That is an hour wherein all rejoice. Pleasantly enough doth he ride whom

119 the grace of God carrieth. And what marvel, if he feeleth no burden who is

120 carried by the Almighty, and is led onwards by the Guide from on high?

121 2. We are willing to accept anything for comfort, and it is difficult for a man

122 to be freed from himself. The holy martyr Laurence overcame the love of the

123 world and even of his priestly master, because he despised everything in the

124 world which seemed to be pleasant; and for the love of Christ he calmly

125 suffered even God’s chief priest, Sixtus, whom he dearly loved, to be

126 taken from him. Thus by the love of the Creator he overcame the love of man,

127 and instead of human comfort he chose rather God’s good pleasure. So also

128 learn thou to resign any near and beloved friend for the love of God. Nor take

129 it amiss when thou hast been deserted by a friend, knowing that we must all be

130 parted from one another at last.

131 3. Mightily and long must a man strive within himself before he learn

132 altogether to overcome himself, and to draw his whole affection towards God.

133 When a man resteth upon himself, he easily slippeth away unto human comforts.

134 But a true lover of Christ, and a diligent seeker after virtue, falleth not

135 back upon those comforts, nor seeketh such sweetness as may be tasted and

136 handled, but desireth rather hard exercises, and to undertake severe labours

137 for Christ.

138 4. When, therefore, spiritual comfort is given by God, receive it with giving

139 of thanks, and know that it is the gift of God, not thy desert. Be not lifted

140 up, rejoice not overmuch nor foolishly presume, but rather be more humble for

141 the gift, more wary and more careful in all thy doings; for that hour will pass

142 away, and temptation will follow. When comfort is taken from thee, do not

143 straightway despair, but wait for the heavenly visitation with humility and

144 patience, for God is able to give thee back greater favour and consolation.

145 This is not new nor strange to those who have made trial of the way of God, for

146 with the great saints and the ancient prophets there was often this manner of

147 change.

148 5. Wherefore one said when the favour of God was present with him, I said in my

149 prosperity I shall never be moved,(1) but he goeth on to say what he felt

150 within himself when the favour departed: Thou didst turn Thy face from me, and

151 I was troubled. In spite whereof he in no wise despaireth, but the more

152 instantly entreateth God, and saith, Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and will

153 pray unto my God; and then he receiveth the fruit of his prayer, and testifieth

154 how he hath been heard, saying, The Lord heard me and had mercy upon me, the

155 Lord was my helper. But wherein? Thou hast turned my heaviness into joy, Thou

156 hast put off my sackcloth and girded me with gladness. If it was thus with the

157 great saints, we who are poor and needy ought not to despair if we are

158 sometimes in the warmth and sometimes in the cold, for the Spirit cometh and

159 goeth according to the good pleasure of His will. Wherefore holy Job saith,

160 Thou dost visit him in the morning, and suddenly Thou dost prove him.(2)

161 6. Whereupon then can I hope, or wherein may I trust, save only in the great

162 mercy of God, and the hope of heavenly grace? For whether good men are with me,

163 godly brethren or faithful friends, whether holy books or beautiful discourses,

164 whether sweet hymns and songs, all these help but little, and have but little

165 savour when I am deserted by God’s favour and left to mine own poverty.

166 There is no better remedy, then, than patience and denial of self, and an

167 abiding in the will of God.

168 7. I have never found any man so religious and godly, but that he felt

169 sometimes a withdrawal of the divine favour, and lack of fervour. No saint was

170 ever so filled with rapture, so enlightened, but that sooner or later he was

171 tempted. For he is not worthy of the great vision of God, who, for God’s

172 sake, hath not been exercised by some temptation. For temptation is wont to go

173 before as a sign of the comfort which shall follow, and heavenly comfort is

174 promised to those who are proved by temptation. As it is written, To him that

175 overcometh I will give to eat of the tree of life.(3)

176 8. Divine comfort is given that a man may be stronger to bear adversities. And

177 temptation followeth, lest he be lifted up because of the benefit. The devil

178 sleepeth not; thy flesh is not yet dead; therefore, cease thou not to make

179 thyself ready unto the battle, for enemies stand on thy right hand and on thy

180 left, and they are never at rest.

181 (1) Psalm xxx. 6. (2) Job vii. 18. (3) Revelation ii. 7.

CHAPTER X

115 Of gratitude for the Grace of God

116 Why seekest thou rest when thou art born to labour? Prepare thyself for

117 patience more than for comforts, and for bearing the cross more than for joy.

118 For who among the men of this world would not gladly receive consolation and

119 spiritual joy if he might always have it? For spiritual comforts exceed all the

120 delights of the world, and all the pleasures of the flesh. For all worldly

121 delights are either empty or unclean, whilst spiritual delights alone are

122 pleasant and honourable, the offspring of virtue, and poured forth by God into

123 pure minds. But no man can always enjoy these divine comforts at his own will,

124 because the season of temptation ceaseth not for long.

125 2. Great is the difference between a visitation from above and false liberty of

126 spirit and great confidence in self. God doeth well in giving us the grace of

127 comfort, but man doeth ill in not immediately giving God thanks thereof. And

128 thus the gifts of grace are not able to flow unto us, because we are ungrateful

129 to the Author of them, and return them not wholly to the Fountain whence they

130 flow. For grace ever becometh the portion of him who is grateful and that is

131 taken away from the proud, which is wont to be given to the humble.

132 3. I desire no consolation which taketh away from me compunction, I love no

133 contemplation which leadeth to pride. For all that is high is not holy, nor is

134 everything that is sweet good; every desire is not pure; nor is everything that

135 is dear to us pleasing unto God. Willingly do I accept that grace whereby I am

136 made humbler and more wary and more ready to renounce myself. He who is made

137 learned by the gift of grace and taught wisdom by the stroke of the withdrawal

138 thereof, will not dare to claim any good thing for himself, but will rather

139 confess that he is poor and needy. Give unto God the thing which is

140 God’s,(1) and ascribe to thyself that which is thine; that is, give

141 thanks unto God for His grace, but for thyself alone confess thy fault, and

142 that thy punishment is deserved for thy fault.

143 4. Sit thou down always in the lowest room and thou shalt be given the highest

144 place.(2) For the highest cannot be without the lowest. For the highest saints

145 of God are least in their own sight, and the more glorious they are, so much

146 the lowlier are they in themselves; full of grace and heavenly glory, they are

147 not desirous of vain-glory; resting on God and strong in His might, they cannot

148 be lifted up in any wise. And they who ascribe unto God all the good which they

149 have received, “seek not glory one of another, but the glory which cometh

150 from God only,” and they desire that God shall be praised in Himself and

151 in all His Saints above all things, and they are always striving for this very

152 thing.

153 5. Be thankful, therefore, for the least benefit and thou shalt be worthy to

154 receive greater. Let the least be unto thee even as the greatest, and let that

155 which is of little account be unto thee as a special gift. If the majesty of

156 the Giver be considered, nothing that is given shall seem small and of no

157 worth, for that is not a small thing which is given by the Most High God. Yea,

158 though He gave punishment and stripes, we ought to be thankful, because He ever

159 doth for our profit whatever He suffereth to come upon us. He who seeketh to

160 retain the favour of God, let him be thankful for the favour which is given,

161 and patient in respect of that which is taken away. Let him pray that it may

162 return; let him be wary and humble that he lose it not.

163 (1) Matthew xxii. 21. (2) Luke xiv. 10.

CHAPTER XI

118 Of the fewness of those who love the Cross of Jesus

119 Jesus hath many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His Cross.

120 He hath many seekers of comfort, but few of tribulation. He findeth many

121 companions of His table, but few of His fasting. All desire to rejoice with

122 Him, few are willing to undergo anything for His sake. Many follow Jesus that

123 they may eat of His loaves, but few that they may drink of the cup of His

124 passion. Many are astonished at His Miracles, few follow after the shame of His

125 Cross. Many love Jesus so long as no adversities happen to them. Many praise

126 Him and bless Him, so long as they receive any comforts from Him. But if Jesus

127 hide Himself and withdraw from them a little while, they fall either into

128 complaining or into too great dejection of mind.

129 2. But they who love Jesus for Jesus’ sake, and not for any consolation

130 of their own, bless Him in all tribulation and anguish of heart as in the

131 highest consolation. And if He should never give them consolation, nevertheless

132 they would always praise Him and always give Him thanks.

133 3. Oh what power hath the pure love of Jesus, unmixed with any gain or love of

134 self! Should not all they be called mercenary who are always seeking

135 consolations? Do they not prove themselves lovers of self more than of Christ

136 who are always seeking their own gain and advantage? Where shall be found one

137 who is willing to serve God altogether for nought?

138 4. Rarely is any one found so spiritual as to be stripped of all selfish

139 thoughts, for who shall find a man truly poor in spirit and free of all created

140 things? “His value is from afar, yea from the ends of the earth.” A

141 man may give away all his goods, yet that is nothing; and if he do many deeds

142 of penitence, yet that is a small thing; and though he understand all

143 knowledge, yet that is afar off; and if he have great virtue and zealous

144 devotion, yet much is lacking unto him, yea, one thing which is the most

145 necessary to him of all. What is it then? That having given up all things

146 besides, he give up himself and go forth from himself utterly, and retain

147 nothing of self-love; and having done all things which he knoweth to be his

148 duty to do, that he feel that he hath done nothing. Let him not reckon that

149 much which might be much esteemed, but let him pronounce himself to be in truth

150 an unprofitable servant, as the Truth Himself saith, When ye have done all

151 things that are commanded you, say, we are unprofitable servants.(1) Then may

152 he be truly poor and naked in spirit, and be able to say with the Prophet, As

153 for me, I am poor and needy.(2) Nevertheless, no man is richer than he, no man

154 stronger, no man freer. For he knoweth both how to give up himself and all

155 things, and how to be lowly in his own eyes.

156 (1) Luke xvii. 10. (2) Psalm xxv. 16.

CHAPTER XII

121 Of the royal way of the Holy Cross

122 That seemeth a hard saying to many, If any man will come after Me, let him deny

123 himself and take up his Cross and follow Me.(1) But it will be much harder to

124 hear that last sentence, Depart from me, ye wicked, into eternal fire.(2) For

125 they who now willingly hear the word of the Cross and follow it, shall not then

126 fear the hearing of eternal damnation. This sign of the Cross shall be in

127 heaven when the Lord cometh to Judgment. Then all servants of the Cross, who in

128 life have conformed themselves to the Crucified, shall draw nigh unto Christ

129 the Judge with great boldness.

130 2. Why fearest thou then to take up the cross which leadeth to a kingdom? In

131 the Cross is health, in the Cross is life, in the Cross is protection from

132 enemies, in the Cross is heavenly sweetness, in the Cross strength of mind, in

133 the Cross joy of the spirit, in the Cross the height of virtue, in the Cross

134 perfection of holiness. There is no health of the soul, no hope of eternal

135 life, save in the Cross. Take up therefore, thy cross and follow Jesus and thou

136 shalt go into eternal life. He went before thee bearing His Cross and died for

137 thee upon the Cross, that thou also mayest bear thy cross and mayest love to be

138 crucified upon it. For if thou be dead with Him, thou shalt also live with Him,

139 and if thou be a partaker of His sufferings thou shalt be also of His glory.

140 3. Behold everything dependeth upon the Cross, and everything lieth in dying;

141 and there is none other way unto life and to true inward peace, except the way

142 of the Holy Cross and of daily mortification. Go where thou wilt, seek

143 whatsoever thou wilt, and thou shalt find no higher way above nor safer way

144 below, than the way of the Holy Cross. Dispose and order all things according

145 to thine own will and judgment, and thou shalt ever find something to suffer

146 either willingly or unwillingly, and thus thou shalt ever find thy cross. For

147 thou shalt either feel pain of body, or tribulation of spirit within thy soul.

148 4. Sometimes thou wilt be forsaken of God, sometimes thou wilt be tried by thy

149 neighbour, and which is more, thou wilt often be wearisome to thyself. And

150 still thou canst not be delivered nor eased by any remedy or consolation, but

151 must bear so long as God will. For God will have thee learn to suffer

152 tribulation without consolation, and to submit thyself fully to it, and by

153 tribulation be made more humble. No man understandeth the Passion of Christ in

154 his heart so well as he who hath had somewhat of the like suffering himself.

155 The Cross therefore is always ready, and every where waiteth for thee. Thou

156 canst not flee from it whithersoever thou hurriest, for whithersoever thou

157 comest, thou bearest thyself with thee, and shalt ever find thyself. Turn thee

158 above, turn thee below, turn thee without, turn thee within, and in them all

159 thou shalt find the Cross; and needful is it that thou everywhere possess

160 patience if thou wilt have internal peace and gain the everlasting crown.

161 5. If thou willingly bear the Cross, it will bear thee, and will bring thee to

162 the end which thou seekest, even where there shall be the end of suffering;

163 though it shall not be here. If thou bear it unwillingly, thou makest a burden

164 for thyself and greatly increaseth thy load, and yet thou must bear it. If thou

165 cast away one cross, without doubt thou shalt find another and perchance a

166 heavier.

167 6. Thinketh thou to escape what no mortal hath been able to avoid? Which of the

168 saints in the world hath been without the cross and tribulation? For not even

169 Jesus Christ our Lord was one hour without the anguish of His Passion, so long

170 as He lived. It behooved, He said, Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead,

171 and so enter into his glory.(3) And how dost thou seek another way than this

172 royal way, which is the way of the Holy Cross?

173 7. The whole life of Christ was a cross and martyrdom, and dost thou seek for

174 thyself rest and joy? Thou art wrong, thou art wrong, if thou seekest aught but

175 to suffer tribulations, for this whole mortal life is full of miseries, and set

176 round with crosses. And the higher a man hath advanced in the spirit, the

177 heavier crosses he will often find, because the sorrow of his banishment

178 increaseth with the strength of his love.

179 8. But yet the man who is thus in so many wise afflicted, is not without

180 refreshment of consolation, because he feeleth abundant fruit to be growing

181 within him out of the bearing of his cross. For whilst he willingly submitteth

182 himself to it, every burden of tribulation is turned into an assurance of

183 divine comfort, and the more the flesh is wasted by affliction, the more is the

184 spirit strengthened mightily by inward grace. And ofttimes so greatly is he

185 comforted by the desire for tribulation and adversity, through love of

186 conformity to the Cross of Christ, that he would not be without sorrow and

187 tribulation; for he believeth that he shall be the more acceptable to God, the

188 more and the heavier burdens he is able to bear for His sake. This is not the

189 virtue of man, but the grace of Christ which hath such power and energy in the

190 weak flesh, that what it naturally hateth and fleeth from, this it draweth to

191 and loveth through fervour of spirit.

192 9. It is not in the nature of man to bear the cross, to love the cross, to keep

193 under the body and to bring it into subjection, to fly from honours, to bear

194 reproaches meekly, to despise self and desire to be despised, to bear all

195 adversities and losses, and to desire no prosperity in this world. If thou

196 lookest to thyself, thou wilt of thyself be able to do none of this; but if

197 thou trustest in the Lord, endurance shall be given thee from heaven, and the

198 world and the flesh shall be made subject to thy command. Yea, thou shalt not

199 even fear thine adversary the devil, if thou be armed with faith and signed

200 with the Cross of Christ.

201 10. Set thyself, therefore, like a good and faithful servant of Christ, to the

202 manful bearing of the Cross of thy Lord, who out of love was crucified for

203 thee. Prepare thyself for the bearing many adversities and manifold troubles in

204 this wretched life; because so it shall be with thee wheresoever thou art, and

205 so in very deed thou shalt find it, wherever thou hide thyself. This it must

206 be; and there is no means of escaping from tribulation and sorrow, except to

207 bear them patiently. Drink thou lovingly thy Lord’s cup if thou desirest

208 to be His friend and to have thy lot with Him. Leave consolations to God, let

209 Him do as seemeth best to Him concerning them. But do thou set thyself to

210 endure tribulations, and reckon them the best consolations; for the sufferings

211 of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall

212 be revealed in us,(4) nor would they be even if thou wert to endure them all.

213 11. When thou hast come to this, that tribulation is sweet and pleasant to thee

214 for Christ’s sake, then reckon that it is well with thee, because thou

215 hast found paradise on earth. So long as it is hard to thee to suffer and thou

216 desirest to escape, so long it will not be well with thee, and tribulations

217 will follow thee everywhere.

218 12. If thou settest thyself to that thou oughtest, namely, to suffer and to

219 die, it shall soon go better with thee, and thou shalt find peace. Though thou

220 shouldest be caught up with Paul unto the third heaven,(5) thou art not on that

221 account secure from suffering evil. I will show him, saith Jesus, what great

222 things he must suffer for My Name’s sake.(6) It remaineth, therefore, to

223 thee to suffer, if thou wilt love Jesus and serve Him continually.

224 13. Oh that thou wert worthy to suffer something for the name of Jesus, how

225 great glory should await thee, what rejoicing among all the saints of God, what

226 bright example also to thy neighbour! For all men commend patience, although

227 few be willing to practise it. Thou oughtest surely to suffer a little for

228 Christ when many suffer heavier things for the world.

229 14. Know thou of a surety that thou oughtest to lead the life of a dying man.

230 And the more a man dieth to himself, the more he beginneth to live towards God.

231 None is fit for the understanding of heavenly things, unless he hath submitted

232 himself to bearing adversities for Christ. Nothing more acceptable to God,

233 nothing more healthful for thyself in this world, than to suffer willingly for

234 Christ. And if it were thine to choose, thou oughtest rather to wish to suffer

235 adversities for Christ, than to be refreshed with manifold consolations, for

236 thou wouldest be more like Christ and more conformed to all saints. For our

237 worthiness and growth in grace lieth not in many delights and consolations, but

238 rather in bearing many troubles and adversities.

239 15. If indeed there had been anything better and more profitable to the health

240 of men than to suffer, Christ would surely have shown it by word and example.

241 For both the disciples who followed Him, and all who desire to follow Him, He

242 plainly exhorteth to bear their cross, and saith, If any man will come after

243 Me, let him deny himself and take up his cross, and follow Me.(7) So now that

244 we have thoroughly read and studied all things, let us hear the conclusion of

245 the whole matter. We must through much tribulation enter into the kingdom of

246 God.(8)

247 (1) Matthew xvi. 24. (2) Matthew xxv. 41. (3) Luke xxiv. 46. (4) Romans viii.

248 18. (5) 2 Corinthians xii. 2. (6) Acts ix. 16. (7) Luke ix. 23. (8) Acts xiv.

249 21.

THE THIRD BOOK

124 ON INWARD CONSOLATION

CHAPTER I

127 Of the inward voice of Christ to the faithful soul

128 I will hearken what the Lord God shall say within me.(1) Blessed is the soul

129 which heareth the Lord speaking within it, and receiveth the word of

130 consolation from His mouth. Blessed are the ears which receive the echoes of

131 the soft whisper of God, and turn not aside to the whisperings of this world.

132 Blessed truly are the ears which listen not to the voice that soundeth without,

133 but to that which teacheth truth inwardly. Blessed are the eyes which are

134 closed to things without, but are fixed upon things within. Blessed are they

135 who search inward things and study to prepare themselves more and more by daily

136 exercises for the receiving of heavenly mysteries. Blessed are they who long to

137 have leisure for God, and free themselves from every hindrance of the world.

138 Think on these things, O my soul, and shut the doors of thy carnal desires, so

139 mayest thou hear what the Lord God will say within thee.

140 2. These things saith thy Beloved, “I am thy salvation, I am thy peace

141 and thy life. Keep thee unto Me, and thou shalt find peace.” Put away

142 thee all transitory things, seek those things that are eternal. For what are

143 all temporal things but deceits, and what shall all created things help thee if

144 thou be forsaken by the Creator? Therefore put all things else away, and give

145 thyself to the Creator, to be well pleasing and faithful to Him, that thou

146 mayest be able to attain true blessedness.

147 (1) Psalm lxxxv. 8.

CHAPTER II

130 What the truth saith inwardly without noise of words

131 Speak Lord, for thy servant heareth.(1) I am Thy servant; O give me

132 understanding that I may know Thy testimonies. Incline my heart unto the words

133 of Thy mouth.(2) Let thy speech distil as the dew. The children of Israel spake

134 in old time to Moses, Speak thou unto us and we will hear, but let not the Lord

135 speak unto us lest we die.(3) Not thus, O Lord, not thus do I pray, but rather

136 with Samuel the prophet, I beseech Thee humbly and earnestly, Speak, Lord, for

137 Thy servant heareth. Let not Moses speak to me, nor any prophet, but rather

138 speak Thou, O Lord, who didst inspire and illuminate all the prophets; for Thou

139 alone without them canst perfectly fill me with knowledge, whilst they without

140 Thee shall profit nothing.

141 2. They can indeed utter words, but they give not the spirit. They speak with

142 exceeding beauty, but when Thou art silent they kindle not the heart. They give

143 us scriptures, but Thou makest known the sense thereof. They bring us

144 mysteries, but Thou revealest the things which are signified. They utter

145 commandments, but Thou helpest to the fulfilling of them. They show the way,

146 but Thou givest strength for the journey. They act only outwardly, but Thou

147 dost instruct and enlighten the heart. They water, but Thou givest the

148 increase. They cry with words, but Thou givest understanding to the hearer.

149 3. Therefore let not Moses speak to me, but Thou, O Lord my God, Eternal Truth;

150 lest I die and bring forth no fruit, being outwardly admonished, but not

151 enkindled within; lest the word heard but not followed, known but not loved,

152 believed but not obeyed, rise up against me in the judgment. Speak, Lord, for

153 Thy servant heareth; Thou hast the words of eternal life.(4) Speak unto me for

154 some consolation unto my soul, for the amendment of my whole life, and for the

155 praise and glory and eternal honour of Thy Name.

156 (1) 1 Samuel iii. 9. (2) Psalm cxix. 125. (3) Exodus xx. 19. (4) John vi. 68.

CHAPTER III

133 How all the words of God are to be heard with humility, and how many consider

134 them not

135 “My Son, hear My words, for My words are most sweet, surpassing all the

136 knowledge of the philosophers and wise men of this world. My words are spirit,

137 and they are life,(1) and are not to be weighed by man’s understanding.

138 They are not to be drawn forth for vain approbation, but to be heard in

139 silence, and to be received with all humility and with deep love.”

140 2. And I said, “Blessed is the man whom Thou teachest, O Lord, and

141 instructest him in Thy law, that Thou mayest give him rest in time of

142 adversity,(2) and that he be not desolate in the earth.”

143 3. “I,” saith the Lord, “taught the prophets from the

144 beginning, and even now cease I not to speak unto all; but many are deaf and

145 hardened against My voice; many love to listen to the world rather than to God,

146 they follow after the desires of the flesh more readily than after the good

147 pleasure of God. The world promiseth things that are temporal and small, and it

148 is served with great eagerness. I promise things that are great and eternal,

149 and the hearts of mortals are slow to stir. Who serveth and obeyeth Me in all

150 things, with such carefulness as he serveth the world and its rulers?

151 Be thou ashamed, O Sidon, saith the sea;(3)

152 And if thou reason seekest, hear thou me.

153 For a little reward men make a long journey; for eternal life many will scarce

154 lift a foot once from the ground. Mean reward is sought after; for a single

155 piece of money sometimes there is shameful striving; for a thing which is vain

156 and for a trifling promise, men shrink not from toiling day and night.”

157 4. “But, O shame! for an unchangeable good, for an inestimable reward,

158 for the highest honour and for a glory that fadeth not away, it is irksome to

159 them to toil even a little. Be thou ashamed therefore, slothful and

160 discontented servant, for they are found readier unto perdition than thou unto

161 life. They rejoice more heartily in vanity than thou in the truth. Sometimes,

162 indeed, they are disappointed of their hope, but my promise faileth no man, nor

163 sendeth away empty him who trusteth in Me. What I have promised I will give;

164 what I have said I will fulfil; if only a man remain faithful in My love unto

165 the end. Therefore am I the rewarder of all good men, and a strong approver of

166 all who are godly.

167 5. “Write My words in thy heart and consider them diligently, for they

168 shall be very needful to thee in time of temptation. What thou understandest

169 not when thou readest, thou shalt know in the time of thy visitation. I am wont

170 to visit Mine elect in twofold manner, even by temptation and by comfort, and I

171 teach them two lessons day by day, the one in chiding their faults, the other

172 in exhorting them to grow in grace. He who hath My words and rejecteth them,

173 hath one who shall judge him at the last day.”

174 A PRAYER FOR THE SPIRIT OF DEVOTION

175 6. O Lord my God, Thou art all my good, and who am I that I should dare to

176 speak unto Thee? I am the very poorest of Thy servants, an abject worm, much

177 poorer and more despicable than I know or dare to say. Nevertheless remember, O

178 Lord, that I am nothing, I have nothing, and can do nothing. Thou only art

179 good, just and holy; Thou canst do all things, art over all things, fillest all

180 things, leaving empty only the sinner. Call to mind Thy tender mercies, and

181 fill my heart with Thy grace, Thou who wilt not that Thy work should return to

182 Thee void.

183 7. How can I bear this miserable life unless Thy mercy and grace strengthen me?

184 Turn not away Thy face from me, delay not Thy visitation. Withdraw not Thou Thy

185 comfort from me, lest my soul “gasp after thee as a thirsty land.”

186 Lord, teach me to do Thy will, teach me to walk humbly and uprightly before

187 Thee, for Thou art my wisdom, who knowest me in truth, and knewest me before

188 the world was made and before I was born into the world.

189 (1) John vi. 63. (2) Psalm xciv. 13. (3) Isaiah xxiii. 4.

CHAPTER IV

136 How we must walk in truth and humility before God

137 “My Son! walk before Me in truth, and in the simplicity of thy heart seek

138 Me continually. He who walketh before Me in the truth shall be safe from evil

139 assaults, and the truth shall deliver him from the wiles and slanders of the

140 wicked. If the truth shall make thee free, thou shalt be free indeed, and shalt

141 not care for the vain words of men.”

142 2. Lord, it is true as Thou sayest; let it, I pray Thee, be so with me; let Thy

143 truth teach me, let it keep me and preserve me safe unto the end. Let it free

144 me from all evil and inordinate affection, and I will walk before Thee in great

145 freedom of heart.

146 3. “I will teach thee,” saith the Truth, “the things which

147 are right and pleasing before Me. Think upon thy sins with great displeasure

148 and sorrow, and never think thyself anything because of thy good works. Verily

149 thou art a sinner, liable to many passions, yea, tied and bound with them. Of

150 thyself thou always tendest unto nothing, thou wilt quickly fall, quickly be

151 conquered, quickly disturbed, quickly undone. Thou hast nought whereof to

152 glory, but many reasons why thou shouldest reckon thyself vile, for thou art

153 far weaker than thou art able to comprehend.

154 4. “Let, therefore, nothing which thou doest seem to thee great; let

155 nothing be grand, nothing of value or beauty, nothing worthy of honour, nothing

156 lofty, nothing praiseworthy or desirable, save what is eternal. Let the eternal

157 truth please thee above all things, let thine own great vileness displease thee

158 continually. Fear, denounce, flee nothing so much as thine own faults and sins,

159 which ought to be more displeasing to thee than any loss whatsoever of goods.

160 There are some who walk not sincerely before me, but being led by curiosity and

161 pride, they desire to know my secret things and to understand the deep things

162 of God, whilst they neglect themselves and their salvation. These often fall

163 into great temptations and sins because of their pride and curiosity, for I am

164 against them.

165 5. “Fear thou the judgments of God, fear greatly the wrath of the

166 Almighty. Shrink from debating upon the works of the Most High, but search

167 narrowly thine own iniquities into what great sins thou hast fallen, and how

168 many good things thou hast neglected. There are some who carry their devotion

169 only in books, some in pictures, some in outward signs and figures; some have

170 Me in their mouths, but little in their hearts. Others there are who, being

171 enlightened in their understanding and purged in their affections, continually

172 long after eternal things, hear of earthly things with unwillingness, obey the

173 necessities of nature with sorrow. And these understand what the Spirit of

174 truth speaketh in them; for He teacheth them to despise earthly things and to

175 love heavenly; to neglect the world and to desire heaven all the day and

176 night.”

CHAPTER V

139 Of the wonderful power of the Divine Love

140 I bless Thee, O Heavenly Father, Father of my Lord Jesus Christ, for that Thou

141 hast vouchsafed to think of me, poor that I am. O, Father of Mercies and God of

142 all comfort,(1) I give thanks unto Thee, who refreshest me sometimes with thine

143 own comfort, when I am unworthy of any comfort. I bless and glorify Thee

144 continually, with thine only begotten Son and the Holy Ghost, the Paraclete,

145 for ever and ever. O Lord God, Holy lover of my soul, when Thou shalt come into

146 my heart, all my inward parts shall rejoice. Thou art my glory and the joy of

147 my heart. Thou art my hope and my refuge in the day of my trouble.

148 2. But because I am still weak in love and imperfect in virtue, I need to be

149 strengthened and comforted by Thee; therefore visit Thou me often and instruct

150 me with Thy holy ways of discipline. Deliver me from evil passions, and cleanse

151 my heart from all inordinate affections, that, being healed and altogether

152 cleansed within, I may be made ready to love, strong to suffer, steadfast to

153 endure.

154 3. Love is a great thing, a good above all others, which alone maketh every

155 heavy burden light, and equaliseth every inequality. For it beareth the burden

156 and maketh it no burden, it maketh every bitter thing to be sweet and of good

157 taste. The surpassing love of Jesus impelleth to great works, and exciteth to

158 the continual desiring of greater perfection. Love willeth to be raised up, and

159 not to be held down by any mean thing. Love willeth to be free and aloof from

160 all worldly affection, lest its inward power of vision be hindered, lest it be

161 entangled by any worldly prosperity or overcome by adversity. Nothing is

162 sweeter than love, nothing stronger, nothing loftier, nothing broader, nothing

163 pleasanter, nothing fuller or better in heaven nor on earth, for love was born

164 of God and cannot rest save in God above all created things.

165 4. He who loveth flyeth, runneth, and is glad; he is free and not hindered. He

166 giveth all things for all things, and hath all things in all things, because he

167 resteth in One who is high above all, from whom every good floweth and

168 proceedeth. He looketh not for gifts, but turneth himself to the Giver above

169 all good things. Love oftentimes knoweth no measure, but breaketh out above all

170 measure; love feeleth no burden, reckoneth not labours, striveth after more

171 than it is able to do, pleadeth not impossibility, because it judgeth all

172 things which are lawful for it to be possible. It is strong therefore for all

173 things, and it fulfilleth many things, and is successful where he who loveth

174 not faileth and lieth down.

175 5. Love is watchful, and whilst sleeping still keepeth watch; though fatigued

176 it is not weary, though pressed it is not forced, though alarmed it is not

177 terrified, but like the living flame and the burning torch, it breaketh forth

178 on high and securely triumpheth. If a man loveth, he knoweth what this voice

179 crieth. For the ardent affection of the soul is a great clamour in the ears of

180 God, and it saith: My God, my Beloved! Thou art all mine, and I am all Thine.

181 6. Enlarge Thou me in love, that I may learn to taste with the innermost mouth

182 of my heart how sweet it is to love, to be dissolved, and to swim in love. Let

183 me be holden by love, mounting above myself through exceeding fervour and

184 admiration. Let me sing the song of love, let me follow Thee my Beloved on

185 high, let my soul exhaust itself in Thy praise, exulting with love. Let me love

186 Thee more than myself, not loving myself except for Thy sake, and all men in

187 Thee who truly love Thee, as the law of love commandeth which shineth forth

188 from Thee.

189 7. Love is swift, sincere, pious, pleasant, gentle, strong, patient, faithful,

190 prudent, long-suffering, manly, and never seeking her own; for wheresoever a

191 man seeketh his own, there he falleth from love. Love is circumspect, humble,

192 and upright; not weak, not fickle, nor intent on vain things; sober, chaste,

193 steadfast, quiet, and guarded in all the senses. Love is subject and obedient

194 to all that are in authority, vile and lowly in its own sight, devout and

195 grateful towards God, faithful and always trusting in Him even when God hideth

196 His face, for without sorrow we cannot live in love.

197 8. He who is not ready to suffer all things, and to conform to the will of the

198 Beloved, is not worthy to be called a lover of God. It behoveth him who loveth

199 to embrace willingly all hard and bitter things for the Beloved’s sake,

200 and not to be drawn away from Him because of any contrary accidents.

201 (1) 2 Corinthians i. 3.

CHAPTER VI

142 Of the proving of the true lover

143 “My Son, thou art not yet strong and prudent in thy love.”

144 2. Wherefore, O my Lord?

145 3. “Because for a little opposition thou fallest away from thy

146 undertakings, and too eagerly seekest after consolation. The strong lover

147 standeth fast in temptations, and believeth not the evil persuasions of the

148 enemy. As in prosperity I please him, so in adversity I do not displease.

149 4. “The prudent lover considereth not the gift of the lover so much as

150 the love of the giver. He looketh for the affection more than the value, and

151 setteth all gifts lower than the Beloved. The noble lover resteth not in the

152 gift, but in Me above every gift.

153 5. “All is not lost, though thou sometimes think of Me or of My saints,

154 less than thou shouldest desire. That good and sweet affection which thou

155 sometimes perceivest is the effect of present grace and some foretaste of the

156 heavenly country; but hereon thou must not too much depend, for it goeth and

157 cometh. But to strive against the evil motions of the mind which come to us,

158 and to resist the suggestions of the devil, is a token of virtue and great

159 merit.

160 6. “Therefore let not strange fancies disturb thee, whencesoever they

161 arise. Bravely observe thy purpose and thy upright intentions towards God. It

162 is not an illusion when thou art sometimes suddenly carried away into rapture,

163 and then suddenly art brought back to the wonted vanities of thy heart. For

164 thou dost rather unwillingly undergo them than cause them; and so long as they

165 displease thee and thou strivest against them, it is a merit and no loss.

166 7. “Know thou that thine old enemy altogether striveth to hinder thy

167 pursuit after good, and to deter thee from every godly exercise, to wit, the

168 contemplation of the Saints, the pious remembrance of My passion, the

169 profitable recollection of sin, the keeping of thy own heart, and the steadfast

170 purpose to grow in virtue. He suggesteth to thee many evil thoughts, that he

171 may work in thee weariness and terror, and so draw thee away from prayer and

172 holy reading. Humble confession displeaseth him, and if he were able he would

173 make thee to cease from Communion. Believe him not, nor heed him, though many a

174 time he hath laid for thee the snares of deceit. Account it to be from him,

175 when he suggesteth evil and unclean thoughts. Say unto him, ‘Depart

176 unclean spirit; put on shame, miserable one; horribly unclean art thou, who

177 bringest such things to mine ears. Depart from me, detestable deceiver; thou

178 shalt have no part in me; but Jesus shall be with me, as a strong warrior, and

179 thou shalt stand confounded. Rather would I die and bear all suffering, than

180 consent unto thee. Hold thy peace and be dumb; I will not hear thee more,

181 though thou plottest more snares against me. The Lord is my light and my

182 salvation: whom then shall I fear? Though a host of men should rise up against

183 me, yet shall not my heart be afraid. The Lord is my strength and my

184 Redeemer.’(1)

185 8. “Strive thou like a good soldier; and if sometimes thou fail through

186 weakness, put on thy strength more bravely than before, trusting in My more

187 abundant grace, and take thou much heed of vain confidence and pride. Because

188 of it many are led into error, and sometimes fall into blindness well-nigh

189 irremediable. Let this ruin of the proud, who foolishly lift themselves up, be

190 to thee for a warning and a continual exhortation to humility.”

191 (1) Psalms xxvii. 1-3; xix. 14.

CHAPTER VII

145 Of hiding our grace under the guard of humility

146 “My Son, it is better and safer for thee to hide the grace of devotion,

147 and not to lift thyself up on high, nor to speak much thereof, nor to value it

148 greatly; but rather to despise thyself, and to fear as though this grace were

149 given to one unworthy thereof. Nor must thou depend too much upon this feeling,

150 for it can very quickly be turned into its opposite. Think when thou art in a

151 state of grace how miserable and poor thou art wont to be without grace. Nor is

152 there advance in spiritual life in this alone, that thou hast the grace of

153 consolation, but that thou humbly and unselfishly and patiently takest the

154 withdrawal thereof; so that thou cease not from the exercise of prayer, nor

155 suffer thy other common duties to be in anywise neglected; rather do thy task

156 more readily, as though thou hadst gained more strength and knowledge; and do

157 not altogether neglect thyself because of the dearth and anxiety of spirit

158 which thou feelest.

159 2. “For there are many who, when things have not gone prosperous with

160 them, become forthwith impatient or slothful. For the way of a man is not in

161 himself,(1) but it is God’s to give and to console, when He will, and as

162 much as He will, and whom He will, as it shall please Him, and no further. Some

163 who were presumptuous because of the grace of devotion within them, have

164 destroyed themselves, because they would do more than they were able, not

165 considering the measure of their own littleness, but rather following the

166 impulse of the heart than the judgment of the reason. And because they presumed

167 beyond what was well-pleasing unto God, therefore they quickly lost grace. They

168 became poor and were left vile, who had built for themselves their nest in

169 heaven; so that being humbled and stricken with poverty, they might learn not

170 to fly with their own wings, but to put their trust under My feathers. They who

171 are as yet new and unskilled in the way of the Lord, unless they rule

172 themselves after the counsel of the wise, may easily be deceived and led away.

173 3. “But if they wish to follow their own fancies rather than trust the

174 experience of others, the result will be very dangerous to them if they still

175 refuse to be drawn away from their own notion. Those who are wise in their own

176 conceits, seldom patiently endure to be ruled by others. It is better to have a

177 small portion of wisdom with humility, and a slender understanding, than great

178 treasures of sciences with vain self-esteem. It is better for thee to have less

179 than much of what may make thee proud. He doeth not very discreetly who giveth

180 up himself entirely to joy, forgetting his former helplessness and the chaste

181 fear of the Lord, which feareth to lose the grace offered. Nor is he very wise,

182 after a manly sort, who in time of adversity, or any trouble whatsoever,

183 beareth himself too despairingly, and feeleth concerning Me less trustfully

184 than he ought.

185 4. “He who in time of peace willeth to be oversecure shall be often found

186 in time of war overdispirited and full of fears. If thou knewest always how to

187 continue humble and moderate in thyself, and to guide and rule thine own spirit

188 well, thou wouldest not so quickly fall into danger and mischief. It is good

189 counsel that when fervour of spirit is kindled, thou shouldest meditate how it

190 will be with thee when the light is taken away. Which when it doth happen,

191 remember that still the light may return again, which I have taken away for a

192 time for a warning to thee, and also for mine own glory. Such a trial is often

193 more useful than if thou hadst always things prosperous according to thine own

194 will.

195 5. “For merits are not to be reckoned by this, that a man hath many

196 visions or consolations, or that he is skilled in the Scriptures, or that he is

197 placed in a high situation; but that he is grounded upon true humility and

198 filled with divine charity, that he always purely and uprightly seeketh the

199 honour of God, that he setteth not by himself, but unfeignedly despiseth

200 himself, and even rejoiceth to be despised and humbled by others more than to

201 be honoured.”

202 (1) Jeremiah x. 23.

CHAPTER VIII

148 Of a low estimation of self in the sight of God

149 I will speak unto my Lord who am but dust and ashes. If I count myself more,

150 behold Thou standest against me, and my iniquities bear true testimony, and I

151 cannot gainsay it. But if I abase myself, and bring myself to nought, and

152 shrink from all self-esteem, and grind myself to dust, which I am, Thy grace

153 will be favourable unto me, and Thy light will be near unto my heart; and all

154 self-esteem, how little soever it be, shall be swallowed up in the depths of my

155 nothingness, and shall perish for ever. There Thou showest to me myself, what I

156 am, what I was, and whither I have come: so foolish was I and ignorant.(1) If I

157 am left to myself, behold I am nothing, I am all weakness; but if suddenly Thou

158 look upon me, immediately I am made strong, and filled with new joy. And it is

159 great marvel that I am so suddenly lifted up, and so graciously embraced by

160 Thee, since I am always being carried to the deep by my own weight.

161 2. This is the doing of Thy love which freely goeth before me and succoureth me

162 in so many necessities, which guardeth me also in great dangers and snatcheth

163 me, as I may truly say, from innumerable evils. For verily, by loving myself

164 amiss, I lost myself, and by seeking and sincerely loving Thee alone, I found

165 both myself and Thee, and through love I have brought myself to yet deeper

166 nothingness: because Thou, O most sweet Lord, dealest with me beyond all merit,

167 and above all which I dare ask or think.

168 3. Blessed be Thou, O my God, because though I be unworthy of all Thy benefits,

169 Thy bountiful and infinite goodness never ceaseth to do good even to ingrates

170 and to those who are turned far from Thee. Turn Thou us unto Thyself, that we

171 may be grateful, humble, and godly, for Thou art our salvation, our courage,

172 and our strength.

173 (1) Psalm lxxiii. 22.

CHAPTER IX

151 That all things are to be referred to God, as the final end

152 “My Son, I must be thy Supreme and final end, if thou desirest to be

153 truly happy. Out of such purpose thy affection shall be purified, which too

154 often is sinfully bent upon itself and upon created things. For if thou seekest

155 thyself in any matter, straightway thou wilt fail within thyself and grow

156 barren. Therefore refer everything to Me first of all, for it is I who gave

157 thee all. So look upon each blessing as flowing from the Supreme Good, and thus

158 all things are to be attributed to Me as their source.

159 2. “From Me the humble and great, the poor and the rich, draw water as

160 from a living fountain, and those who serve Me with a free and faithful spirit

161 shall receive grace for grace. But he who will glory apart from Me, or will be

162 delighted with any good which lieth in himself, shall not be established in

163 true joy, nor shall be enlarged in heart, but shall be greatly hindered and

164 thrown into tribulation. Therefore thou must not ascribe any good to thyself,

165 nor look upon virtue as belonging to any man, but ascribe it all unto God,

166 without whom man hath nothing. I gave all, I will receive all again, and with

167 great strictness require I the giving of thanks.

168 3. “This is the Truth, and by it the vanity of boasting is put to flight.

169 And if heavenly grace and true charity shall enter into thee, there shall be no

170 envy, nor straitening of the heart, nor shall any self-love take possession of

171 thee. For divine charity conquereth all things, and enlargeth all the powers of

172 the soul. If thou art truly wise, thou wilt rejoice in Me alone, thou wilt hope

173 in Me alone; for there is none good but one, that is God,(1) Who is to be

174 praised above all things, and in all things to receive blessing.”

175 (1) Luke xviii. 19.

CHAPTER X

154 That it is sweet to despise the world and to serve God

155 Now will I speak again, O my Lord, and hold not my peace; I will say in the

156 ears of my God, my Lord, and my King, who is exalted above all, *Oh how

157 plentiful is Thy goodness which Thou hast laid up for them that fear

158 Thee!*(1) But what art Thou to those who love Thee? What to those who serve

159 Thee with their whole heart? Truly unspeakable is the sweetness of the

160 contemplation of Thee, which Thou bestowest upon those who love Thee. In this

161 most of all Thou hast showed me the sweetness of Thy charity, that when I was

162 not, Thou madest me, and when I wandered far from Thee, Thou broughtest me back

163 that I might serve Thee, and commandedst me to love Thee.

164 2. O Fountain of perpetual love, what shall I say concerning Thee? How shall I

165 be unmindful of Thee, who didst vouchsafe to remember me, even after I pined

166 away and perished? Thou hast had mercy beyond all hope upon Thy servant, and

167 hast showed Thy grace and friendship beyond all deserving. What reward shall I

168 render Thee for this Thy grace? For it is not given unto all to renounce this

169 world and its affairs, and to take up a religious life. For is it a great thing

170 that I should serve Thee, whom every creature ought to serve? It ought not to

171 seem a great thing to me to serve Thee; but rather this appeareth to me a great

172 and wonderful thing, that Thou vouchsafest to receive as Thy servant one so

173 poor and unworthy, and to join him unto Thy chosen servants.

174 3. Behold all things which I have are Thine, and with them I serve Thee. And

175 yet verily it is Thou who servest me, rather than I Thee. Behold the heaven and

176 the earth which Thou hast created for the service of men; they are at Thy

177 bidding, and perform daily whatsoever Thou dost command. Yea, and this is

178 little; for Thou hast even ordained the Angels for the service of man. But it

179 surpasseth even all these things, that Thou Thyself didst vouchsafe to minister

180 unto man, and didst promise that Thou wouldest give Thyself unto him.

181 4. What shall I render unto Thee for all these Thy manifold mercies? Oh that I

182 were able to serve Thee all the days of my life! Oh that even for one day I

183 were enabled to do Thee service worthy of Thyself! For verily Thou art worthy

184 of all service, all honour, and praise without end. Verily Thou art my God, and

185 I am Thy poor servant, who am bound to serve Thee with all my strength, nor

186 ought I ever to grow weary of Thy praise. This is my wish, this is my exceeding

187 great desire, and whatsoever is lacking to me, vouchsafe Thou to supply.

188 5. It is great honour, great glory to serve Thee, and to despise all for Thy

189 sake. For they shall have great grace who of their own will shall submit

190 themselves to Thy most holy service. They who for Thy love have cast away every

191 carnal delight shall find the sweetest consolation of the Holy Ghost. They who

192 enter the narrow way of life for Thy Name’s sake, and have put away all

193 worldly cares, shall attain great liberty of spirit.

194 6. Oh grateful and delightsome service of God, whereby man is made truly free

195 and holy! Oh sacred condition of the religious servant, which maketh man equal

196 to the Angels, well-pleasing unto God, terrible to evil spirits, and acceptable

197 to all faithful ones! Oh service to be embraced and ever desired, in which the

198 highest good is promised, and joy is gained which shall remain for evermore!

199 (1) Psalm xxxi. 19.

CHAPTER XI

157 That the desires of the heart are to be examined and governed

158 “My Son, thou hast still many things to learn, which thou hast not well

159 learned yet.”

160 2. What are they, Lord?

161 3. “To place thy desire altogether in subjection to My good pleasure, and

162 not to be a lover of thyself, but an earnest seeker of My will. Thy desires

163 often excite and urge thee forward; but consider with thyself whether thou art

164 not more moved for thine own objects than for My honour. If it is Myself that

165 thou seekest, thou shalt be well content with whatsoever I shall ordain; but if

166 any pursuit of thine own lieth hidden within thee, behold it is this which

167 hindereth and weigheth thee down.

168 4. “Beware, therefore, lest thou strive too earnestly after some desire

169 which thou hast conceived, without taking counsel of Me; lest haply it repent

170 thee afterwards, and that displease thee which before pleased, and for which

171 thou didst long as for a great good. For not every affection which seemeth good

172 is to be forthwith followed; neither is every opposite affection to be

173 immediately avoided. Sometimes it is expedient to use restraint even in good

174 desires and wishes, lest through importunity thou fall into distraction of

175 mind, lest through want of discipline thou become a stumbling-block to others,

176 or lest by the resistance of others thou be suddenly disturbed and brought to

177 confusion.

178 5. “Sometimes, indeed, it is needful to use violence, and manfully to

179 strive against the sensual appetite, and not to consider what the flesh may or

180 not will; but rather to strive after this, that it may become subject, however

181 unwillingly, to the spirit. And for so long it ought to be chastised and

182 compelled to undergo slavery, even until it be ready for all things, and learn

183 to be contented with little, to be delighted with things simple, and never to

184 murmur at any inconvenience.”

CHAPTER XII

160 Of the inward growth of patience, and of the struggle against evil desires

161 O Lord God, I see that patience is very necessary unto me; for many things in

162 this life fall out contrary. For howsoever I may have contrived for my peace,

163 my life cannot go on without strife and trouble.

164 2. “Thou speakest truly, My Son. For I will not that thou seek such a

165 peace as is without trials, and knoweth no adversities; but rather that thou

166 shouldest judge thyself to have found peace, when thou art tried with manifold

167 tribulations, and proved by many adversities. If thou shalt say that thou art

168 not able to bear much, how then wilt thou sustain the fire hereafter? Of two

169 evils we should always choose the less. Therefore, that thou mayest escape

170 eternal torments hereafter, strive on God’s behalf to endure present

171 evils bravely. Thinkest thou that the children of this world suffer nought, or

172 but little? Thou wilt not find it so, even though thou find out the most

173 prosperous.

174 3. “‘But,’ thou wilt say, ‘they have many delights, and

175 they follow their own wills, and thus they bear lightly their

176 tribulations.’

177 4. “Be it so, grant that they have what they list; but how long, thinkest

178 thou, will it last? Behold, like the smoke those who are rich in this world

179 will pass away, and no record shall remain of their past joys. Yea, even while

180 they yet live, they rest not without bitterness and weariness and fear. For

181 from the very same thing wherein they find delight, thence they oftentimes have

182 the punishment of sorrow. Justly it befalleth them, that because out of measure

183 they seek out and pursue pleasures, they enjoy them not without confusion and

184 bitterness. Oh how short, how false, how inordinate and wicked are all these

185 pleasures! Yet because of their sottishness and blindness men do not

186 understand; but like brute beasts, for the sake of a little pleasure of this

187 corruptible life, they incur death of the soul. Thou therefore, my son, go not

188 after thy lusts, but refrain thyself from thine appetites.(1) Delight thou in

189 the Lord, and He shall give thee thy heart’s desire.(2)

190 5. “For if thou wilt truly find delight, and be abundantly comforted of

191 Me, behold in the contempt of all worldly things and in the avoidance of all

192 worthless pleasures shall be thy blessing, and fulness of consolation shall be

193 given thee. And the more thou withdrawest thyself from all solace of creatures,

194 the more sweet and powerful consolations shalt thou find. But at the first thou

195 shalt not attain to them, without some sorrow and hard striving.

196 Long-accustomed habit will oppose, but it shall be overcome by better habit.

197 The flesh will murmur again and again, but will be restrained by fervour of

198 spirit. The old serpent will urge and embitter thee, but will be put to flight

199 by prayer; moreover, by useful labour his entrance will be greatly

200 obstructed.”

201 (1) Ecclesiastes xviii. 30. (2) Psalm xxxvii. 4.

CHAPTER XIII

163 Of the obedience of one in lowly subjection after the example of Jesus Christ

164 “My Son, he who striveth to withdraw himself from obedience, withdraweth

165 himself also from grace, and he who seeketh private advantages, loseth those

166 which are common unto all. If a man submit not freely and willingly to one set

167 over him, it is a sign that his flesh is not yet perfectly subject to himself,

168 but often resisteth and murmureth. Learn therefore quickly to submit thyself to

169 him who is over thee, if thou seekest to bring thine own flesh into subjection.

170 For the outward enemy is very quickly overcome if the inner man have not been

171 laid low. There is no more grievous and deadly enemy to the soul than thou art

172 to thyself, if thou art not led by the Spirit. Thou must not altogether

173 conceive contempt for thyself, if thou wilt prevail against flesh and blood.

174 Because as yet thou inordinately lovest thyself, therefore thou shrinkest from

175 yielding thyself to the will of others.

176 2. “But what great thing is it that thou, who art dust and nothingness,

177 yieldest thyself to man for God’s sake, when I, the Almighty and the Most

178 High, who created all things out of nothing, subjected Myself to man for thy

179 sake? I became the most humble and despised of men, that by My humility thou

180 mightest overcome thy pride. Learn to obey, O dust! Learn to humble thyself, O

181 earth and clay, and to bow thyself beneath the feet of all. Learn to crush thy

182 passions, and to yield thyself in all subjection.

183 3. “Be zealous against thyself, nor suffer pride to live within thee, but

184 so show thyself subject and of no reputation, that all may be able to walk over

185 thee, and tread thee down as the clay in the streets. What hast thou, O foolish

186 man, of which to complain? What, O vile sinner, canst thou answer those who

187 speak against thee, seeing thou hast so often offended God, and many a time

188 hast deserved hell? But Mine eye hath spared thee, because thy soul was

189 precious in My sight; that thou mightest know My love, and mightest be thankful

190 for My benefits; and that thou mightest give thyself altogether to true

191 subjection and humility, and patiently bear the contempt which thou

192 meritest.”

CHAPTER XIV

166 Of meditation upon the hidden judgments of God, that we may not be lifted up

167 because of our well-doing

168 Thou sendest forth Thy judgments against me, O Lord, and shakest all my bones

169 with fear and trembling, and my soul trembleth exceedingly. I stand astonished,

170 and remember that the heavens are not clean in thy sight.(1) If Thou chargest

171 Thine angels with folly, and didst spare them not, how shall it be unto me?

172 Stars have fallen from heaven, and what shall I dare who am but dust? They

173 whose works seemed to be praiseworthy, fell into the lowest depths, and they

174 who did eat Angels’ food, them have I seen delighted with the husks that

175 the swine do eat.

176 2. There is therefore no holiness, if Thou O Lord, withdraw Thine hand. No

177 wisdom profiteth, if Thou leave off to guide the helm. No strength availeth, if

178 Thou cease to preserve. No purity is secure, if Thou protect it not. No

179 self-keeping availeth, if Thy holy watching be not there. For when we are left

180 alone we are swallowed up and perish, but when we are visited, we are raised

181 up, and we live. For indeed we are unstable, but are made strong through Thee;

182 we grow cold, but are rekindled by Thee.

183 3. Oh, how humbly and abjectly must I reckon of myself, how must I weigh it as

184 nothing, if I seem to have nothing good! Oh, how profoundly ought I to submit

185 myself to Thy unfathomable judgments, O Lord, when I find myself nothing else

186 save nothing, and again nothing! Oh weight unmeasurable, oh ocean which cannot

187 be crossed over, where I find nothing of myself save nothing altogether! Where,

188 then, is the hiding-place of glory, where the confidence begotten of virtue?

189 All vain-glory is swallowed up in the depths of Thy judgments against me.

190 4. What is all flesh in Thy sight? *For how shall the clay boast against Him

191 that fashioned it?*(2) How can he be lifted up in vain speech whose heart is

192 subjected in truth to God? The whole world shall not lift him up whom Truth

193 hath subdued; nor shall he be moved by the mouth of all who praise him, who

194 hath placed all his hope in God. For they themselves who speak, behold, they

195 are all nothing; for they shall cease with the sound of their words, but the

196 truth of the Lord endureth for ever.(3)

197 (1) Job xv. 15. (2) Isaiah xxix. 16. (3) Psalm cxvii. 2.

CHAPTER XV

169 How we must stand and speak, in everything that we desire

170 “My Son, speak thou thus in every matter, ‘Lord, if it please Thee,

171 let this come to pass. Lord, if this shall be for Thine honour, let it be done

172 in Thy Name. Lord, if thou see it good for me, and approve it as useful, then

173 grant me to use it for Thy honour. But if thou knowest that it shall be hurtful

174 unto me, and not profitable for the health of my soul, take the desire away

175 from me’! For not every desire is from the Holy Ghost, although it appear

176 to a man right and good. It is difficult to judge with certainty whether a good

177 or an evil spirit move thee to desire this or that, or whether thou art moved

178 by thine own spirit. Many have been deceived at the last, who seemed at the

179 beginning to be moved by a good spirit.

180 2. “Therefore, whatsoever seemeth to thee desirable, thou must always

181 desire and seek after it with the fear of God and humility of heart, and most

182 of all, must altogether resign thyself, and commit all unto Me and say,

183 ‘Lord, thou knowest what is best; let this or that be, according as Thou

184 wilt. Give what Thou wilt, so much as Thou wilt, when Thou wilt. Do with me as

185 Thou knowest best, and as best shall please Thee, and as shall be most to Thine

186 honour. Place me where Thou wilt, and freely work Thy will with me in all

187 things. I am in Thine hand, and turn me in my course. Behold, I am Thy servant,

188 ready for all things; for I desire to live not to myself but to Thee. Oh, that

189 I might live worthily and perfectly.’”

190 A PRAYER TO BE ENABLED TO DO GOD’S WILL PERFECTLY

191 3. Grant me Thy grace, most merciful Jesus, that it may be with me, and work in

192 me, and persevere with me, even unto the end. Grant that I may ever desire and

193 wish whatsoever is most pleasing and dear unto Thee. Let Thy will be mine, and

194 let my will alway follow Thine, and entirely accord with it. May I choose and

195 reject whatsoever Thou dost; yea, let it be impossible for me to choose or

196 reject except according to Thy will.

197 4. Grant that I may die to all worldly things, and for Thy sake love to be

198 despised and unknown in this world. Grant unto me, above all things that I can

199 desire, to rest in Thee, and that in Thee my heart may be at peace. Thou art

200 the true peace of the heart, Thou alone its rest; apart from Thee all things

201 are hard and unquiet. In Thee alone, the supreme and eternal God, *I will lay

202 me down in peace and take my rest*.(1) Amen.

203 (1) Psalm iv. 8.

CHAPTER XVI

172 That true solace is to be sought in God alone

173 Whatsoever I am able to desire or to think of for my solace, I look for it not

174 here, but hereafter. For if I alone had all the solaces of this world, and were

175 able to enjoy all its delights, it is certain that they could not endure long.

176 Wherefore, O my soul, thou canst be fully comforted and perfectly refreshed,

177 only in God, the Comforter of the poor, and the lifter up of the humble. Wait

178 but a little while, my soul, wait for the Divine promise, and thou shalt have

179 abundance of all good things in heaven. If thou longest too inordinately for

180 the things which are now, thou shalt lose those which are eternal and heavenly.

181 Let temporal things be in the use, eternal things in the desire. Thou canst not

182 be satisfied with any temporal good, for thou wast not created for the

183 enjoyment of these.

184 2. Although thou hadst all the good things which ever were created, yet couldst

185 not thou be happy and blessed; all thy blessedness and thy felicity lieth in

186 God who created all things; not such felicity as seemeth good to the foolish

187 lover of the world, but such as Christ’s good and faithful servants wait

188 for, and as the spiritual and pure in heart sometimes taste, whose conversation

189 is in heaven.(1) All human solace is empty and short-lived; blessed and true is

190 that solace which is felt inwardly, springing from the truth. The godly man

191 everywhere beareth about with him his own Comforter, Jesus, and saith unto Him:

192 “Be with me, Lord Jesus, always and everywhere. Let it be my comfort to

193 be able to give up cheerfully all human comfort. And if Thy consolation fail

194 me, let Thy will and righteous approval be alway with me for the highest

195 comfort. *For Thou wilt not always be chiding, neither keepest Thou Thine

196 anger for ever*.”(2)

197 (1) Philippians iii. 20. (2) Psalm ciii. 9.

CHAPTER XVII

175 That all care is to be cast upon God

176 “My Son, suffer me to do with thee what I will; I know what is expedient

177 for thee. Thou thinkest as a man, in many things thou judgest as human

178 affection persuadeth thee.”

179 2. Lord, what Thou sayest is true. Greater is Thy care for me than all the care

180 which I am able to take for myself. For too insecurely doth he stand who

181 casteth not all his care upon Thee. Lord, so long as my will standeth right and

182 firm in Thee, do with me what Thou wilt, for whatsoever Thou shalt do with me

183 cannot be aught but good. Blessed be Thou if Thou wilt leave me in darkness:

184 blessed also be Thou if Thou wilt leave me in light. Blessed be Thou if Thou

185 vouchsafe to comfort me, and always blessed be Thou if Thou cause me to be

186 troubled.

187 3. “My Son! even thus thou must stand if thou desirest to walk with Me.

188 Thou must be ready alike for suffering or rejoicing. Thou must be poor and

189 needy as willingly as full and rich.”

190 4. Lord, I will willingly bear for Thee whatsoever Thou wilt have to come upon

191 me. Without choice I will receive from Thy hand good and evil, sweet and

192 bitter, joy and sadness, and will give Thee thanks for all things which shall

193 happen unto me. Keep me from all sin, and I will not fear death nor hell. Only

194 cast me not away for ever, nor blot me out of the book of life. Then no

195 tribulation which shall come upon me shall do me hurt.

CHAPTER XVIII

178 That temporal miseries are to be borne patiently after the example of Christ

179 “My Son! I came down from heaven for thy salvation; I took upon Me thy

180 miseries not of necessity, but drawn by love that thou mightest learn patience

181 and mightest bear temporal miseries without murmuring. For from the hour of My

182 birth, until My death upon the Cross, I ceased not from bearing of sorrow; I

183 had much lack of temporal things; I oftentimes heard many reproaches against

184 Myself; I gently bore contradictions and hard words; I received ingratitude for

185 benefits, blasphemies for My miracles, rebukes for My doctrine.”

186 2. Lord, because Thou wast patient in Thy life, herein most of all fulfilling

187 the commandment of Thy Father, it is well that I, miserable sinner, should

188 patiently bear myself according to Thy will, and as long as Thou wilt have it

189 so, should bear about with me for my salvation, the burden of this corruptible

190 life. For although the present life seemeth burdensome, it is nevertheless

191 already made very full of merit through Thy grace, and to those who are weak it

192 becometh easier and brighter through Thy example and the footsteps of Thy

193 saints; but it is also much more full of consolation than it was of old, under

194 the old Testament, when the gate of heaven remained shut; and even the way to

195 heaven seemed more obscure when so few cared to seek after the heavenly

196 kingdom. But not even those who were then just and in the way of salvation were

197 able, before Thy Passion and the ransom of Thy holy Death, to enter the kingdom

198 of heaven.

199 3. Oh what great thanks am I bound to give Thee, who hast vouchsafed to show me

200 and all faithful people the good and right way to Thine eternal kingdom, for

201 Thy way is our way, and by holy patience we walk to Thee who art our Crown. If

202 Thou hadst not gone before and taught us, who would care to follow? Oh, how far

203 would they have gone backward if they had not beheld Thy glorious example!

204 Behold we are still lukewarm, though we have heard of Thy many signs and

205 discourses; what would become of us if we had not such a light to help us

206 follow Thee?

CHAPTER XIX

181 Of bearing injuries, and who shall be approved as truly patient

182 “What sayest thou, My Son? Cease to complain; consider My suffering and

183 that of My saints. Thou hast not yet resisted unto blood.(1) It is little which

184 thou sufferest in comparison with those who have suffered so many things, have

185 been so strongly tempted, so grievously troubled, so manywise proved and tried.

186 Thou oughtest therefore to call to mind the more grievous sufferings of others

187 that thou mightest bear thy lesser ones more easily, and if they seem not to

188 thee little, see that it is not thy impatience which is the cause of this. But

189 whether they be little or whether they be great, study to bear them all with

190 patience.

191 2. “So far as thou settest thyself to bear patiently, so far thou dost

192 wisely and art deserving of the more merit; thou shalt also bear the more

193 easily if thy mind and habit are carefully trained hereunto. And say not

194 ‘I cannot bear these things from such a man, nor are things of this kind

195 to be borne by me, for he hath done me grievous harm and imputeth to me what I

196 had never thought: but from another I will suffer patiently, such things as I

197 see I ought to suffer.’ Foolish is such a thought as this, for it

198 considereth not the virtue of patience, nor by whom that virtue is to be

199 crowned, but it rather weigheth persons and offences against self.

200 3. “He is not truly patient who will only suffer as far as seemeth right

201 to himself and from whom he pleaseth. But the truly patient man considereth not

202 by what man he is tried, whether by one above him, or by an equal or inferior,

203 whether by a good and holy man, or a perverse and unworthy; but indifferently

204 from every creature, whatsoever or how often soever adversity happeneth to him,

205 he gratefully accepteth all from the hand of God and counteth it great gain:

206 for with God nothing which is borne for His sake, however small, shall lose its

207 reward.

208 4. “Be thou therefore ready for the fight if thou wilt have the victory.

209 Without striving thou canst not win the crown of patience; if thou wilt not

210 suffer thou refusest to be crowned. But if thou desirest to be crowned, strive

211 manfully, endure patiently. Without labour thou drawest not near to rest, nor

212 without fighting comest thou to victory.”

213 5. Make possible to me, O Lord, by grace what seemeth impossible to me by

214 nature. Thou knowest how little I am able to bear, and how quickly I am cast

215 down when a like adversity riseth up against me. Whatsoever trial of

216 tribulation may come to me, may it become unto me pleasing and acceptable, for

217 to suffer and be vexed for Thy sake is exceeding healthful to the soul.

218 (1) Hebrews xii. 4.

CHAPTER XX

184 Of confession of our infirmity and of the miseries of this life

185 *I will acknowledge my sin unto Thee;*(1) I will confess to Thee, Lord, my

186 infirmity. It is often a small thing which casteth me down and maketh me sad. I

187 resolve that I will act bravely, but when a little temptation cometh,

188 immediately I am in a great strait. Wonderfully small sometimes is the matter

189 whence a grievous temptation cometh, and whilst I imagine myself safe for a

190 little space; when I am not considering, I find myself often almost overcome by

191 a little puff of wind.

192 2. Behold, therefore, O Lord, my humility and my frailty, which is altogether

193 known to Thee. Be merciful unto me, and *draw me out of the mire that I sink

194 not*,(2) lest I ever remain cast down. This is what frequently throweth me

195 backward and confoundeth me before Thee, that I am so liable to fall, so weak

196 to resist my passions. And though their assault is not altogether according to

197 my will, it is violent and grievous, and it altogether wearieth me to live thus

198 daily in conflict. Herein is my infirmity made known to me, that hateful

199 fancies always rush in far more easily than they depart.

200 3. Oh that Thou, most mighty God of Israel, Lover of all faithful souls,

201 wouldst look upon the labour and sorrow of Thy servant, and give him help in

202 all things whereunto he striveth. Strengthen me with heavenly fortitude, lest

203 the old man, this miserable flesh, not being yet fully subdued to the spirit,

204 prevail to rule over me; against which I ought to strive so long as I remain in

205 this most miserable life. Oh what a life is this, where tribulations and

206 miseries cease not, where all things are full of snares and of enemies, for

207 when one tribulation or temptation goeth, another cometh, yea, while the former

208 conflict is yet raging others come more in number and unexpected.

209 4. And how can the life of man be loved, seeing that it hath so many bitter

210 things, that it is subjected to so many calamities and miseries. How can it be

211 even called life, when it produces so many deaths and plagues? The world is

212 often reproached because it is deceitful and vain, yet notwithstanding it is

213 not easily given up, because the lusts of the flesh have too much rule over it.

214 Some draw us to love, some to hate. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the

215 eyes, and the pride of life, these draw to love of the world; but the

216 punishments and miseries which righteously follow these things, bring forth

217 hatred of the world and weariness.

218 5. But, alas! an evil desire conquereth a mind given to the world, and thinketh

219 it happiness to be under the nettles(3) because it savoureth not nor perceiveth

220 the sweetness of God nor the inward gracefulness of virtue. But they who

221 perfectly despise the world and strive to live unto God in holy discipline,

222 these are not ignorant of the divine sweetness promised to all who truly deny

223 themselves and see clearly how grievously the world erreth, and in how many

224 ways it is deceived.

225 (1) Psalm xxxii. 5. (2) Psalm lxix. 14. (3) Job xxx. 7.

CHAPTER XXI

187 That we must rest in God above all goods and gifts

188 Above all things and in all things thou shalt rest alway in the Lord, O my

189 soul, for he himself is the eternal rest of the saints. Grant me, most sweet

190 and loving Jesus, to rest in Thee above every creature, above all health and

191 beauty, above all glory and honour, above all power and dignity, above all

192 knowledge and skilfulness, above all riches and arts, above all joy and

193 exultation, above all fame and praise, above all sweetness and consolation,

194 above all hope and promise, above all merit and desire, above all gifts and

195 rewards which Thou canst give and pour forth, above all joy and jubilation

196 which the mind is able to receive and feel; in a word, above Angels and

197 Archangels and all the army of heaven, above all things visible and invisible,

198 and above everything which Thou, O my God, art not.

199 2. For Thou, O Lord, my God, art best above all things; Thou only art the Most

200 High, Thou only the Almighty, Thou only the All-sufficient, and the Fulness of

201 all things; Thou only the All-delightsome and the All-comforting; Thou alone

202 the altogether lovely and altogether loving; Thou alone the Most Exalted and

203 Most Glorious above all things; in Whom all things are, and were, and ever

204 shall be, altogether and all-perfect. And thus it falleth short and is

205 insufficient whatsoever Thou givest to me without Thyself or whatsoever Thou

206 revealest or dost promise concerning Thyself, whilst Thou art not seen or fully

207 possessed: since verily my heart cannot truly rest nor be entirely content,

208 except it rest in Thee, and go beyond all gifts and every creature.

209 3. O my most beloved Spouse, Jesus Christ, most holy lover of my soul, Ruler of

210 this whole Creation, who shall give me the wings of true liberty, that I may

211 flee to Thee and find rest? Oh when shall it be given me to be open to receive

212 Thee to the full, and to see how sweet Thou art, O Lord my God? When shall I

213 collect myself altogether in Thee, that because of Thy love I may not feel

214 myself at all, but may know Thee only above every sense and measure, in measure

215 not known to others. But now I ofttimes groan, and bear my sad estate with

216 sorrow; because many evils befall me in this vale of miseries which continually

217 disturb and fill me with sorrow, and encloud me, continually hinder and fill me

218 with care, allure and entangle me, that I cannot have free access to Thee, nor

219 enjoy that sweet intercourse which is always near at hand to the blessed

220 spirits. Let my deep sighing come before Thee, and my manifold desolation on

221 the earth.

222 4. O Jesus, Light of Eternal Glory, solace of the wandering soul, before Thee

223 my mouth is without speech, and my silence speaketh to Thee. How long will my

224 Lord delay to come unto me? Let Him come unto me, His poor and humble one, and

225 make me glad. Let Him put forth His hand, and deliver His holy one from every

226 snare. Come, Oh come; for without Thee shall be no joyful day or hour, for Thou

227 art my joy, and without Thee is my table empty. I am miserable, and in a manner

228 imprisoned and loaded with fetters, until Thou refresh me by the light of Thy

229 presence, and give me liberty, and show Thy loving countenance.

230 5. Let others seek some other thing instead of Thee, whatsoever it shall please

231 them; but for my part nothing else pleaseth or shall please, save Thou, my God,

232 my hope, my eternal salvation. I will not hold my peace, nor cease to implore,

233 until Thy grace return, and until Thou speak to me within.

234 6. “Behold, here I am! Behold, I come to thee, for thou didst call Me.

235 Thy tears and the longing of thy soul, thy humbleness and contrition of heart

236 have inclined Me, and brought Me to thee.”

237 7. And I said Lord, I have called upon Thee, and I have longed to enjoy Thee,

238 being ready to reject everything for Thy sake. For Thou didst first move me to

239 seek Thee. Therefore, blessed be Thou, O Lord, who has wrought this good work

240 upon Thy servant, according to the multitude of Thy mercy. What then hath Thy

241 servant to say in Thy presence, save to humble himself greatly before Thee,

242 being alway mindful of his own iniquity and vileness. For there is none like

243 unto Thee in all marvels of heaven and earth. Excellent are Thy works, true are

244 Thy judgments, and by Thy Providence are all things governed. Therefore praise

245 and glory be unto Thee, O Wisdom of the Father, let my mouth and my soul and

246 all created things praise and bless Thee together.

CHAPTER XXII

190 Of the recollection of God’s manifold benefits

191 Open, O Lord, my heart in Thy law, and teach me to walk in the way of Thy

192 commandments. Grant me to understand Thy will and to be mindful of Thy

193 benefits, both general and special, with great reverence and diligent

194 meditation, that thus I may be able worthily to give Thee thanks. Yet I know

195 and confess that I cannot render Thee due praises for the least of Thy mercies.

196 I am less than the least of all the good things which Thou gavest me; and when

197 I consider Thy majesty, my spirit faileth because of the greatness thereof.

198 2. All things which we have in the soul and in the body, and whatsoever things

199 we possess, whether outwardly or inwardly, naturally or supernaturally, are Thy

200 good gifts, and prove Thee, from whom we have received them all, to be good,

201 gentle, and kind. Although one receiveth many things, and another fewer, yet

202 all are Thine, and without Thee not even the least thing can be possessed. He

203 who hath received greater cannot boast that it is of his own merit, nor lift

204 himself up above others, nor contemn those beneath him; for he is the greater

205 and the better who ascribeth least to himself, and in giving thanks is the

206 humbler and more devout; and he who holdeth himself to be viler than all, and

207 judgeth himself to be the more unworthy, is the apter for receiving greater

208 things.

209 3. But he who hath received fewer gifts, ought not to be cast down, nor to take

210 it amiss, nor to envy him who is richer; but rather ought he to look unto Thee,

211 and to greatly extol Thy goodness, for Thou pourest forth Thy gifts so richly,

212 so freely and largely, without respect of persons. All things come of Thee;

213 therefore in all things shalt thou be praised. Thou knowest what is best to be

214 given to each; and why this man hath less, and that more, is not for us but for

215 Thee to understand, for unto Thee each man’s deservings are fully known.

216 4. Wherefore, O Lord God, I reckon it even a great benefit, not to have many

217 things, whence praise and glory may appear outwardly, and after the thought of

218 men. For so it is that he who considereth his own poverty and vileness, ought

219 not only to draw therefrom no grief or sorrow, or sadness of spirit, but rather

220 comfort and cheerfulness; because Thou, Lord, hast chosen the poor and humble,

221 and those who are poor in this world, to be Thy friends and acquaintance. So

222 give all Thine apostles witness whom Thou hast made princes in all lands. Yet

223 they had their conversation in this world blameless, so humble and meek,

224 without any malice or deceit, that they even rejoiced to suffer rebukes for Thy

225 Name’s sake,(1) and what things the world hateth, they embraced with

226 great joy.

227 5. Therefore ought nothing so much to rejoice him who loveth Thee and knoweth

228 Thy benefits, as Thy will in him, and the good pleasure of Thine eternal

229 Providence, wherewith he ought to be so contented and comforted, that he would

230 as willingly be the least as any other would be the greatest, as peaceable and

231 contented in the lowest as in the highest place, and as willingly held of small

232 and low account and of no name or reputation as to be more honourable and

233 greater in the world than others. For Thy will and the love of Thine honour

234 ought to go before all things, and to please and comfort him more, than all

235 benefits that are given or may be given to himself.

236 (1) Acts v. 41.

CHAPTER XXIII

193 Of four things which bring great peace

194 “My Son, now will I teach thee the way of peace and of true

195 liberty.”

196 2. Do, O my Lord, as Thou sayest, for this is pleasing unto me to hear.

197 3. “Strive, My Son, to do another’s will rather than thine own.

198 Choose always to have less rather than more. Seek always after the lowest

199 place, and to be subject to all. Wish always and pray that the will of God be

200 fulfilled in thee. Behold, such a man as this entereth into the inheritance of

201 peace and quietness.”

202 4. O my Lord, this Thy short discourse hath in itself much of perfectness. It

203 is short in words but full of meaning, and abundant in fruit. For if it were

204 possible that I should fully keep it, disturbance would not so easily arise

205 within me. For as often as I feel myself disquieted and weighed down, I find

206 myself to have gone back from this teaching. But Thou, Who art Almighty, and

207 always lovest progress in the soul, vouchsafe more grace, that I may be enabled

208 to fulfil Thy exhortation, and work out my salvation.

209 A PRAYER AGAINST EVIL THOUGHTS

210 5. O Lord my God, be not Thou far from me, my God, haste Thee to help me,(1)

211 for many thoughts and great fears have risen up against me, afflicting my soul.

212 How shall I pass through them unhurt? how shall I break through them?

213 6. “I,” saith He, “will go before thee, and make the crooked

214 places straight.”(2) I will open the prison doors, and reveal to thee the

215 secret places.

216 7. Do, Lord, as Thou sayest; and let all evil thoughts fly away before Thy

217 face. This is my hope and my only comfort, to fly unto Thee in all tribulation,

218 to hope in Thee, to call upon Thee from my heart and patiently wait for Thy

219 loving kindness.

220 A PRAYER FOR ENLIGHTENMENT OF THE MIND

221 8. Enlighten me, Blessed Jesus, with the brightness of Thy inner light, and

222 cast forth all darkness from the habitation of my heart. Restrain my many

223 wandering thoughts, and carry away the temptations which strive to do me hurt.

224 Fight Thou mightily for me, and drive forth the evil beasts, so call I alluring

225 lusts, that peace may be within Thy walls and plenteousness of praise within

226 Thy palaces,(3) even in my pure conscience. Command Thou the winds and the

227 storms, say unto the sea, “Be still,” say unto the stormy wind,

228 “Hold thy peace,” so shall there be a great calm.

229 9. Oh send forth Thy light and Thy truth,(4) that they may shine upon the

230 earth; for I am but earth without form and void until Thou give me light. Pour

231 forth Thy grace from above; water my heart with the dew of heaven; give the

232 waters of devotion to water the face of the earth, and cause it to bring forth

233 good and perfect fruit. Lift up my mind which is oppressed with the weight of

234 sins, and raise my whole desire to heavenly things; that having tasted the

235 sweetness of the happiness which is from above, it may take no pleasure in

236 thinking of things of earth.

237 10. Draw me and deliver me from every unstable comfort of creatures, for no

238 created thing is able to satisfy my desire and to give me comfort. Join me to

239 Thyself by the inseparable bond of love, for Thou alone art sufficient to him

240 that loveth Thee, and without Thee all things are vain toys.

241 (1) Psalm lxxi. 12. (2) Isaiah xlv. 2. (3) Psalm cxxii. 7. (4) Psalm xliii. 3.

CHAPTER XXIV

196 Of avoiding of curious inquiry into the life of another

197 “My Son, be not curious, nor trouble thyself with vain cares. *What is

198 that to thee? Follow thou Me.*(1) For what is it to thee whether a man be

199 this or that, or say or do thus or thus? Thou hast no need to answer for

200 others, but thou must give an answer for thyself. Why therefore dost thou

201 entangle thyself? Behold, I know all men, and I behold all things which are

202 done under the sun; and I know how it standeth with each one, what he thinketh,

203 what he willeth, and to what end his thoughts reach. All things therefore are

204 to be committed to Me; watch thou thyself in godly peace, and leave him who is

205 unquiet to be unquiet as he will. Whatsoever he shall do or say, shall come

206 unto him, for he cannot deceive Me.

207 2. “Trouble not thyself about the shadow of a great name, nor about the

208 friendship of many, nor about the love of men towards thee. For these things

209 beget distraction and great sorrows of heart. My word should speak freely unto

210 thee, and I would reveal secrets, if only thou didst diligently look for My

211 appearing, and didst open unto Me the gates of thy heart. Be sober and watch

212 unto prayer,(2) and humble thyself in all things.”

213 (1) John xxi. 22. (2) 1 Peter iv. 7.

CHAPTER XXV

199 Wherein firm peace of heart and true profit consist

200 “My Son, I have said, Peace I leave with you, My peace I give unto you,

201 not as the world giveth give I unto you.(1) All men desire peace, but all do

202 not care for the things which belong unto true peace. My peace is with the

203 humble and lowly in heart. Thy peace shall be in much patience. If thou

204 heardest Me, and didst follow My voice, thou shouldest enjoy much peace.”

205 2. What then shall I do, Lord?

206 3. “In everything take heed to thyself what thou doest, and what thou

207 sayest; and direct all thy purpose to this, that thou please Me alone, and

208 desire or seek nothing apart from Me. But, moreover, judge nothing rashly

209 concerning the words or deeds of others, nor meddle with matters which are not

210 committed to thee; and it may be that thou shalt be disturbed little or rarely.

211 Yet never to feel any disquiet, nor to suffer any pain of heart or body, this

212 belongeth not to the present life, but is the state of eternal rest. Therefore

213 count not thyself to have found true peace, if thou hast felt no grief; nor

214 that then all is well if thou hast no adversary; nor that this is perfect if

215 all things fall out according to thy desire. Nor then reckon thyself to be

216 anything great, or think that thou art specially beloved, if thou art in a

217 state of great fervour and sweetness of spirit; for not by these things is the

218 true lover of virtue known, nor in them doth the profit and perfection of man

219 consist.”

220 4. In what then, Lord?

221 5. “In offering thyself with all thy heart to the Divine Will, in not

222 seeking the things which are thine own, whether great or small, whether

223 temporal or eternal; so that thou remain with the same steady countenance in

224 giving of thanks between prosperity and adversity, weighing all things in an

225 equal balance. If thou be so brave and long-suffering in hope that when inward

226 comfort is taken from thee, thou even prepare thy heart for the more endurance,

227 and justify not thyself, as though thou oughtest not to suffer these heavy

228 things, but dost justify Me in all things that I appoint, and dost bless My

229 Holy Name, then dost thou walk in the true and right way of peace, and shalt

230 have a sure hope that thou shalt again behold My face with joy. For if thou

231 come to an utter contempt of thyself, know that then thou shalt enjoy abundance

232 of peace, as much as is possible where thou art but a wayfaring man.”

233 (1) John xiv. 27.

CHAPTER XXVI

202 Of the exaltation of a free spirit, which humble prayer more deserveth than

203 doth frequent reading

204 Lord, this is the work of a perfect man, never to slacken his mind from

205 attention to heavenly things, and among many cares to pass along as it were

206 without care, not after the manner of one indifferent, but rather with the

207 privilege of a free mind, cleaving to no creature with inordinate affection.

208 2. I beseech Thee, my most merciful Lord God, preserve me from the cares of

209 this life, lest I become too much entangled; from many necessities of the body,

210 lest I be taken captive by pleasure; from all obstacles of the spirit, lest I

211 be broken and cast down with cares. I say not from those things which the

212 vanity of the world goeth about after with all eagerness, but from those

213 miseries, which by the universal curse of mortality weigh down and hold back

214 the soul of thy servant in punishment, that it cannot enter into liberty of

215 spirit, so often as it would.

216 3. O my God, sweetness unspeakable, turn into bitterness all my fleshly

217 consolation, which draweth me away from the love of eternal things, and

218 wickedly allureth toward itself by setting before me some present delight. Let

219 not, O my God, let not flesh and blood prevail over me, let not the world and

220 its short glory deceive me, let not the devil and his craftiness supplant me.

221 Give me courage to resist, patience to endure, constancy to persevere. Grant,

222 in place of all consolations of the world, the most sweet unction of Thy

223 Spirit, and in place of carnal love, pour into me the love of Thy Name.

224 4. Behold, food and drink and clothing, and all the other needs appertaining to

225 the support of the body, are burdensome to the devout spirit. Grant that I may

226 use such things with moderation, and that I be not entangled with inordinate

227 affection for them. To cast away all these things is not lawful, because nature

228 must be sustained, but to require superfluities and things which merely

229 minister delight, the holy law forbiddeth; for otherwise the flesh would wax

230 insolent against the spirit. In all these things, I beseech Thee, let Thy hand

231 guide and teach me, that I in no way exceed.

CHAPTER XXVII

205 That personal love greatly hindereth from the highest good

206 “My Son, thou must give all for all, and be nothing of thine own. Know

207 thou that the love of thyself is more hurtful to thee than anything in the

208 world. According to the love and inclination which thou hast, everything more

209 or less cleaveth to thee. If thy love be pure, sincere, well-regulated, thou

210 shalt not be in captivity to anything. Do not covet what thou mayest not have;

211 do not have what is able to hinder thee, and to rob thee of inward liberty. It

212 is wonderful that thou committest not thyself to Me from the very bottom of thy

213 heart, with all things which thou canst desire or have.

214 2. “Why art thou consumed with vain sorrow? Why art thou wearied with

215 superfluous cares? Stand thou by My good pleasure, and thou shalt suffer no

216 loss. If thou seekest after this or that, and wilt be here or there, according

217 to thine own advantage or the fulfilling of thine own pleasure, thou shalt

218 never be in quiet, nor free from care, because in everything somewhat will be

219 found lacking, and everywhere there will be somebody who opposeth thee.

220 3. “Therefore it is not gaining or multiplying of this thing or that

221 which advantageth thee, but rather the despising it and cutting it by the root

222 out of thy heart; which thou must not only understand of money and riches, but

223 of the desire after honour and vain praise, things which all pass away with the

224 world. The place availeth little if the spirit of devotion is wanting; nor

225 shall that peace stand long which is sought from abroad, if the state of thy

226 heart is without the true foundation, that is, if it abide not in Me. Thou

227 mayest change, but thou canst not better thyself; for when occasion ariseth and

228 is accepted thou shalt find what thou didst fly from, yea more.”

229 A PRAYER FOR CLEANSING OF THE HEART AND FOR HEAVENLY WISDOM

230 4. Strengthen me, O God, by the grace of Thy Holy Spirit. Give me virtue to be

231 strengthened with might in the inner man, and to free my heart from all

232 fruitless care and trouble, and that I be not drawn away by various desires

233 after any things whatsoever, whether of little value or great, but that I may

234 look upon all as passing away, and myself as passing away with them; because

235 there is no profit under the sun, and all is vanity and vexation of spirit.(1)

236 Oh how wise is he that considereth thus!

237 5. Give me, O Lord, heavenly wisdom, that I may learn to seek Thee above all

238 things and to find Thee; to relish Thee above all things and to love Thee; and

239 to understand all other things, even as they are, according to the order of Thy

240 wisdom. Grant me prudently to avoid the flatterer, and patiently to bear with

241 him that opposeth me; for this is great wisdom, not to be carried by every wind

242 of words, nor to give ear to the wicked flattering Siren; for thus do we go

243 safely on in the way we have begun.

244 (1) Ecclesiastes ii. 11.

CHAPTER XXVIII

208 Against the tongues of detractors

209 “My Son, take it not sadly to heart, if any think ill of thee, and say of

210 thee what thou art unwilling to hear. Thou oughtest to think worse of thyself,

211 and to believe no man weaker than thyself. If thou walkest inwardly, thou wilt

212 not weigh flying words above their value. It is no small prudence to keep

213 silence in an evil time and to turn inwardly unto Me, and not to be troubled by

214 human judgment.

215 2. “Let not thy peace depend upon the word of men; for whether they judge

216 well or ill of thee, thou art not therefore any other man than thyself. Where

217 is true peace or true glory? Is it not in Me? And he who seeketh not to please

218 men, nor feareth to displease, shall enjoy abundant peace. From inordinate love

219 and vain fear ariseth all disquietude of heart, and all distraction of the

220 senses.”

CHAPTER XXIX

211 How when tribulation cometh we must call upon and bless God

212 Blessed be thy name, O Lord, for evermore, who hast willed this temptation and

213 trouble to come upon me. I cannot escape it, but have need to flee unto Thee,

214 that Thou mayest succour me and turn it unto me for good. Lord, now am I in

215 tribulation, and it is not well within my heart, but I am sore vexed by the

216 suffering which lieth upon me. And now, O dear Father, what shall I say? I am

217 taken among the snares. Save me from this hour, but for this cause came I unto

218 this hour,(1) that Thou mightest be glorified when I am deeply humbled and am

219 delivered through Thee. Let it be Thy pleasure to deliver me;(2) for what can I

220 do who am poor, and without Thee whither shall I go? Give patience this time

221 also. Help me, O Lord my God, and I will not fear how much soever I be weighed

222 down.

223 2. And now amid these things what shall I say? Lord, Thy will be done. I have

224 well deserved to be troubled and weighed down. Therefore I ought to bear, would

225 that it be with patience, until the tempest be overpast and comfort return. Yet

226 is Thine omnipotent arm able also to take this temptation away from me, and to

227 lessen its power that I fall not utterly under it, even as many a time past

228 thou has helped me, O God, my merciful God. And as much as this deliverance is

229 difficult to me, so much is it easy to Thee, O right hand of the most Highest.

230 (1) John xii. 27. (2) Psalm xl. 16.

CHAPTER XXX

214 Of seeking divine help, and the confidence of obtaining grace

215 “My Son, I the Lord am a stronghold in the day of trouble.(1) Come unto

216 Me, when it is not well with thee.

217 “This it is which chiefly hindereth heavenly consolation, that thou too

218 slowly betakest thyself unto prayer. For before thou earnestly seekest unto Me,

219 thou dost first seek after many means of comfort, and refresheth thyself in

220 outward things: so it cometh to pass that all things profit thee but little

221 until thou learn that it is I who deliver those who trust in Me; neither beside

222 Me is there any strong help, nor profitable counsel, nor enduring remedy. But

223 now, recovering courage after the tempest, grow thou strong in the light of My

224 mercies, for I am nigh, saith the Lord, that I may restore all things not only

225 as they were at the first, but also abundantly and one upon another.

226 2. “For is anything too hard for Me, or shall I be like unto one who

227 saith and doeth not? Where is thy faith? Stand fast and with perseverance. Be

228 long-suffering and strong. Consolation will come unto thee in its due season.

229 Wait for Me; yea, wait; I will come and heal thee. It is temptation which

230 vexeth thee, and a vain fear which terrifieth thee. What doth care about future

231 events bring thee, save sorrow upon sorrow? Sufficient for the day is the evil

232 thereof.(2) It is vain and useless to be disturbed or lifted up about future

233 things which perhaps will never come.

234 3. “But it is the nature of man to be deceived by fancies of this sort,

235 and it is a sign of a mind which is still weak to be so easily drawn away at

236 the suggestion of the enemy. For he careth not whether he deceive and beguile

237 by true means or false; whether he throw thee down by the love of the present

238 or fear of the future. Therefore let not thy heart be troubled, neither let it

239 be afraid. Believe in Me, and put thy trust in My mercy.(3) When thou thinkest

240 thyself far removed from Me, I am often the nearer. When thou reckonest that

241 almost all is lost, then often is greater opportunity of gain at hand. All is

242 not lost when something goeth contrary to thy wishes. Thou oughtest not to

243 judge according to present feeling, nor so to take or give way to any grief

244 which befalleth thee, as if all hope of escape were taken away.

245 4. “Think not thyself totally abandoned, although for the time I have

246 sent to thee some tribulation, or have even withdrawn some cherished

247 consolation; for this is the way to the Kingdom of Heaven. And without doubt it

248 is better for thee and for all My other servants, that ye should be proved by

249 adversities, than that ye should have all things as ye would. I know thy hidden

250 thoughts: and that it is very needful for thy soul’s health that

251 sometimes thou be left without relish, lest perchance thou be lifted up by

252 prosperity, and desirous to please thyself in that which thou art not. What I

253 have given I am able to take away, and to restore again at My good pleasure.

254 5. “When I shall have given, it is Mine; when I shall have taken away, I

255 have not taken what is thine; for every good gift and every perfect gift(4) is

256 from me. If I shall have sent upon thee grief or any vexation, be not angry,

257 nor let thy heart be sad; I am able quickly to lift thee up and to change every

258 burden into joy. But I am just and greatly to be praised, when I do thus unto

259 thee.

260 6. “If thou rightly consider, and look upon it with truth, thou oughtest

261 never to be so sadly cast down because of adversity, but rather shouldst

262 rejoice and give thanks; yea, verily to count it the highest joy that I afflict

263 thee with sorrows and spare thee not. As My Father hath loved Me, so love I

264 you;(5) thus have I spoken unto My beloved disciples: whom I sent forth not

265 unto worldly joys, but to great strivings; not unto honours, but unto contempt;

266 not unto ease, but to labours; not unto rest, but to bring forth much fruit

267 with patience. My son, remember these words.”

268 (1) Nahum i. 7. (2) Matthew vi. 34. (3) John xiv. 27; Psalm xiii. 5. (4) James

269 i. 17. (5) John xv. 9.

CHAPTER XXXI

217 Of the neglect of every creature, that the Creator may be found

218 O Lord, I still need more grace, if I would arrive where neither man nor any

219 other creature may hinder me. For so long as anything keepeth me back, I cannot

220 freely fly unto Thee. He desired eagerly thus to fly, who cried, saying, Oh

221 that I had wings like a dove, for then would I flee away and be at rest. What

222 is more peaceful than the single eye? And what more free than he that desireth

223 nothing upon earth? Therefore must a man rise above every creature, and

224 perfectly forsake himself, and with abstracted mind to stand and behold that

225 Thou, the Creator of all things, hast among Thy creatures nothing like unto

226 Thyself. And except a man be freed from all creatures, he will not be able to

227 reach freely after Divine things. Therefore few are found who give themselves

228 to contemplation, because few know how to separate themselves entirely from

229 perishing and created things.

230 2. For this much grace is necessary, which may lift up the soul and raise it

231 above itself. And except a man be lifted up in the spirit, and freed from all

232 creatures, and altogether united to God, whatsoever he knoweth, whatsoever even

233 he hath, it mattereth but little. He who esteemeth anything great save the one

234 only incomprehensible, eternal, good, shall long time be little and lie low.

235 For whatsoever is not God is nothing, and ought to be counted for nothing.

236 Great is the difference between a godly man, illuminated with wisdom, and a

237 scholar learned in knowledge and given to books. Far nobler is that doctrine

238 which floweth down from the divine fulness above, than that which is acquired

239 laboriously by human study.

240 3. Many are found who desire contemplation, but they do not strive to practice

241 those things which are required thereunto. It is also a great impediment, that

242 much is made of symbols and external signs, and too little of thorough

243 mortification. I know not how it is, and by what spirit we are led, and what we

244 who would be deemed spiritual are aiming at, that we give so great labour and

245 so eager solicitude for transitory and worthless things, and scarcely ever

246 gather our senses together to think at all of our inward condition.

247 4. Ah, me! Forthwith after a little recollection we rush out of doors, and do

248 not subject our actions to a strict examination. Where our affections are set

249 we take no heed, and we weep not that all things belonging to us are so

250 defiled. For because all flesh had corrupted itself upon the earth, the great

251 deluge came. Since therefore our inmost affections are very corrupt, it

252 followeth of necessity that our actions also are corrupt, being the index of a

253 deficient inward strength. Out of a pure heart proceedeth the fruit of good

254 living.

255 5. We demand, how much a man hath done; but from how much virtue he acted, is

256 not so narrowly considered. We ask if he be strong, rich, handsome, clever,

257 whether he is a good writer, good singer, good workman; but how poor he may be

258 in spirit, how patient and gentle, how devout and meditative, on these things

259 many are silent. Nature looketh upon the outward appearance of a man, grace

260 turneth its thought to the heart. The former frequently judgeth amiss; the

261 latter trusteth in God, that it may not be deceived.

CHAPTER XXXII

220 Of self-denial and the casting away all selfishness

221 “My Son, thou canst not possess perfect liberty unless thou altogether

222 deny thyself. All they are enslaved who are possessors of riches, they who love

223 themselves, the selfish, the curious, the restless; those who ever seek after

224 soft things, and not after the things of Jesus Christ; those who continually

225 plan and devise that which will not stand. For whatsoever cometh not of God

226 shall perish. Hold fast the short and complete saying, ‘Renounce all

227 things, and thou shalt find all things; give up thy lust, and thou shalt find

228 rest.’ Dwell upon this in thy mind, and when thou art full of it, thou

229 shalt understand all things.”

230 2. O Lord, this is not the work of a day, nor children’s play; verily in

231 this short saying is enclosed all the perfection of the religious.

232 3. “My son, thou oughtest not to be turned aside, nor immediately cast

233 down, because thou hast heard the way of the perfect. Rather oughtest thou to

234 be provoked to higher aims, and at the least to long after the desire thereof.

235 Oh that it were so with thee, and that thou hadst come to this, that thou wert

236 not a lover of thine own self, but wert ready always to My nod, and to his whom

237 I have placed over thee as thy father. Then shouldest thou please Me

238 exceedingly, and all thy life should go on in joy and peace. Thou hast still

239 many things to renounce, which if thou resign not utterly to Me, thou shalt not

240 gain what thou seekest. I counsel thee to buy of Me gold tried in the fire,

241 that thou mayest be rich,(1) that is heavenly wisdom, which despiseth all base

242 things. Put away from thee earthly wisdom, and all pleasure, whether common to

243 men, or thine own.

244 4. “I tell thee that thou must buy vile things with those which are

245 costly and great in the esteem of men. For wonderfully vile and small, and

246 almost given up to forgetfulness, doth true heavenly wisdom appear, which

247 thinketh not high things of itself, nor seeketh to be magnified upon the earth;

248 many honour it with their lips, but in heart are far from it; it is indeed the

249 precious pearl, which is hidden from many.”

250 (1) Revelation iii. 18.

CHAPTER XXXIII

223 Of instability of the heart, and of directing the aim towards God

224 “My Son, trust not thy feeling, for that which is now will be quickly

225 changed into somewhat else. As long as thou livest thou art subject to change,

226 howsoever unwilling; so that thou art found now joyful, now sad; now at peace,

227 now disquieted; now devout, now indevout; now studious, now careless; now sad,

228 now cheerful. But the wise man, and he who is truly learned in spirit, standeth

229 above these changeable things, attentive not to what he may feel in himself, or

230 from what quarter the wind may blow, but that the whole intent of his mind may

231 carry him on to the due and much-desired end. For thus will he be able to

232 remain one and the same and unshaken, the single eye of his desire being

233 steadfastly fixed, through the manifold changes of the world, upon Me.

234 2. “But according as the eye of intention be the more pure, even so will

235 a man make his way steadfastly through the manifold storms. But in many the eye

236 of pure intention waxeth dim; for it quickly resteth itself upon anything

237 pleasant which occurreth, and rarely is any man found altogether free from the

238 blemish of self-seeking. So the Jews of old came to Bethany, to the house of

239 Martha and Mary, that they might see not Jesus, but Lazarus, whom he had raised

240 from the dead.(1) Therefore must the eye of the intention be cleansed, that it

241 may be single and right, and above all things which come in its way, may be

242 directed unto Me.”

243 (1) John xii. 9.

CHAPTER XXXIV

226 That to him who loveth God is sweet above all things and in all things

227 Behold, God is mine, and all things are mine! What will I more, and what more

228 happy thing can I desire? O delightsome and sweet world! that is, to him that

229 loveth the Word, not the world, neither the things that are in the world.(1) My

230 God, my all! To him that understandeth, that word sufficeth, and to repeat it

231 often is pleasing to him that loveth it. When Thou art present all things are

232 pleasant; when Thou art absent, all things are wearisome. Thou makest the heart

233 to be at rest, givest it deep peace and festal joy. Thou makest it to think

234 rightly in every matter, and in every matter to give Thee praise; neither can

235 anything please long without Thee but if it would be pleasant and of sweet

236 savour, Thy grace must be there, and it is Thy wisdom which must give unto it a

237 sweet savour.

238 2. To him who tasteth Thee, what can be distasteful? And to him who tasteth

239 Thee not, what is there which can make him joyous? But the worldly wise, and

240 they who enjoy the flesh, these fail in Thy wisdom; for in the wisdom of the

241 world is found utter vanity, and to be carnally minded is death. But they who

242 follow after Thee through contempt of worldly things, and mortification of the

243 flesh, are found to be truly wise because they are carried from vanity to

244 verity, from the flesh to the spirit. They taste that the Lord is good, and

245 whatsoever good they find in creatures, they count it all unto the praise of

246 the Creator. Unlike, yea, very unlike is the enjoyment of the Creator to

247 enjoyment of the Creature, the enjoyment of eternity and of time, of light

248 uncreated and of light reflected.

249 3. O Light everlasting, surpassing all created lights, dart down Thy ray from

250 on high which shall pierce the inmost depths of my heart. Give purity, joy,

251 clearness, life to my spirit that with all its powers it may cleave unto Thee

252 with rapture passing man’s understanding. Oh when shall that blessed and

253 longed-for time come when Thou shalt satisfy me with Thy presence, and be unto

254 me All in all? So long as this is delayed, my joy shall not be full. Still, ah

255 me! the old man liveth in me: he is not yet all crucified, not yet quite dead;

256 still he lusteth fiercely against the spirit, wageth inward wars, nor suffereth

257 the soul’s kingdom to be in peace.

258 4. But Thou who rulest the raging of the sea, and stillest the waves thereof

259 when they arise, rise up and help me. Scatter the people that delight in

260 war.(2) Destroy them by Thy power. Show forth, I beseech Thee, Thy might, and

261 let Thy right hand be glorified, for I have no hope, no refuge, save in Thee, O

262 Lord my God.

263 (1) 1 John ii. 15. (2) Psalm lxviii. 30.

CHAPTER XXXV

229 That there is no security against temptation in this life

230 “My Son, thou art never secure in this life, but thy spiritual armour

231 will always be needful for thee as long as thou livest. Thou dwellest among

232 foes, and art attacked on the right hand and on the left. If therefore thou use

233 not on all sides the shield of patience, thou wilt not remain long unwounded.

234 Above all, if thou keep not thy heart fixed upon Me with steadfast purpose to

235 bear all things for My sake, thou shalt not be able to bear the fierceness of

236 the attack, nor to attain to the victory of the blessed. Therefore must thou

237 struggle bravely all thy life through, and put forth a strong hand against

238 those things which oppose thee. For to him that overcometh is the hidden manna

239 given,(1) but great misery is reserved for the slothful.

240 2. “If thou seek rest in this life, how then wilt thou attain unto the

241 rest which is eternal? Set not thyself to attain much rest, but much patience.

242 Seek the true peace, not in earth but in heaven, not in man nor in any created

243 thing, but in God alone. For the love of God thou must willingly undergo all

244 things, whether labours or sorrows, temptations, vexations, anxieties,

245 necessities, infirmities, injuries, gainsayings, rebukes, humiliations,

246 confusions, corrections, despisings; these things help unto virtue, these

247 things prove the scholar of Christ; these things fashion the heavenly crown. I

248 will give thee an eternal reward for short labour, and infinite glory for

249 transient shame.

250 3. “Thinkest thou that thou shalt always have spiritual consolations at

251 thy will? My Saints had never such, but instead thereof manifold griefs, and

252 divers temptations, and heavy desolations. But patiently they bore themselves

253 in all, and trusted in God more than in themselves, knowing that the sufferings

254 of this present time are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall

255 be revealed in us.(2) Wouldst thou have that immediately which many have hardly

256 attained unto after many tears and hard labours? Wait for the Lord, quit

257 thyself like a man and be strong; be not faint-hearted, nor go aside from Me,

258 but constantly devote thy body and soul to the glory of God. I will reward thee

259 plenteously, I will be with thee in trouble.”(3)

260 (1) Revelation ii. 17. (2) Romans viii. 17. (3) Psalm xci. 15.

CHAPTER XXXVI

232 Against vain judgments of men

233 “My Son, anchor thy soul firmly upon God, and fear not man’s

234 judgment, when conscience pronounceth thee pious and innocent. It is good and

235 blessed thus to suffer; nor will it be grievous to the heart which is humble,

236 and which trusteth in God more than in itself. Many men have many opinions, and

237 therefore little trust is to be placed in them. But moreover it is impossible

238 to please all. Although Paul studied to please all men in the Lord, and to

239 become all things to all men,(1) yet nevertheless with him it was a very small

240 thing that he should be judged by man’s judgment.”(2)

241 2. He laboured abundantly, as much as in him lay, for the building up and the

242 salvation of others; but he could not avoid being sometimes judged and despised

243 by others. Therefore he committed all to God, who knew all, and by patience and

244 humility defended himself against evil speakers, or foolish and false thinkers,

245 and those who accused him according to their pleasure. Nevertheless, from time

246 to time he replied, lest his silence should become a stumbling-block to those

247 who were weak.

248 3. “Who art thou, that thou shouldst be afraid of a man that shall die?

249 To-day he is, and to-morrow his place is not found. Fear God and thou shalt not

250 quail before the terrors of men. What can any man do against thee by words or

251 deeds? He hurteth himself more than thee, nor shall he escape the judgment of

252 God, whosoever he may be. Have thou God before thine eyes, and do not contend

253 with fretful words. And if for the present thou seem to give way, and to suffer

254 confusion which thou hast not deserved, be not angry at this, nor by impatience

255 diminish thy reward; but rather look up to Me in heaven, for I am able to

256 deliver thee from all confusion and hurt, and to render to every man according

257 to his works.”

258 (1) 1 Corinthians ix. 22. (2) 1 Corinthians iv. 3.

CHAPTER XXXVII

235 Of pure and entire resignation of self, for the obtaining liberty of heart

236 “My Son, lose thyself and thou shalt find Me. Stand still without all

237 choosing and all thought of self, and thou shalt ever be a gainer. For more

238 grace shall be added to thee, as soon as thou resignest thyself, and so long as

239 thou dost not turn back to take thyself again.”

240 2. O Lord, how often shall I resign myself, and in what things shall I lose

241 myself?

242 3. “Always; every hour: in that which is little, and in that which is

243 great. I make no exception, but will that thou be found naked in all things.

244 Otherwise how canst thou be Mine and I thine, unless thou be inwardly and

245 outwardly free from every will of thine own? The sooner thou dost this, the

246 better shall it be with thee; and the more fully and sincerely, the more thou

247 shalt please Me, and the more abundantly shalt thou be rewarded.

248 4. “Some resign themselves, but with certain reservations, for they do

249 not fully trust in God, therefore they think that they have some provision to

250 make for themselves. Some again at first offer everything; but afterwards being

251 pressed by temptation they return to their own devices, and thus make no

252 progress in virtue. They will not attain to the true liberty of a pure heart,

253 nor to the grace of My sweet companionship, unless they first entirely resign

254 themselves and daily offer themselves up as a sacrifice; without this the union

255 which bringeth forth fruit standeth not nor will stand.

256 5. “Many a time I have said unto thee, and now say again, Give thyself

257 up, resign thyself, and thou shalt have great inward peace. Give all for all;

258 demand nothing, ask nothing in return; stand simply and with no hesitation in

259 Me, and thou shalt possess Me. Thou shalt have liberty of heart, and the

260 darkness shall not overwhelm thee. For this strive thou, pray for it, long

261 after it, that thou mayest be delivered from all possession of thyself, and

262 nakedly follow Jesus who was made naked for thee; mayest die unto thyself and

263 live eternally to Me. Then shall all vain fancies disappear, all evil

264 disturbings, and superfluous cares. Then also shall immoderate fear depart from

265 thee, and inordinate love shall die.”

CHAPTER XXXVIII

238 Of a good government in external things, and of having recourse to God in

239 dangers

240 “My Son, for this thou must diligently make thy endeavour, that in every

241 place and outward action or occupation thou mayest be free within, and have

242 power over thyself; and that all things be under thee, not thou under them;

243 that thou be master and ruler of thy actions, not a slave or hireling, but

244 rather a free and true Hebrew, entering into the lot and the liberty of the

245 children of God, who stand above the present and look upon the eternal, who

246 with the left eye behold things transitory, and with the right things heavenly;

247 whom temporal things draw not to cleave unto, but who rather draw temporal

248 things to do them good service, even as they were ordained of God to do, and

249 appointed by the Master Workman, who hath left nought in His creation without

250 aim and end.

251 2. “And if in any chance of life thou stand not in outward appearances,

252 nor judgest things which are seen and heard by the fleshly sense, but

253 straightway in every cause enterest with Moses into the tabernacle to ask

254 counsel of God; thou shalt hear a divine response and come forth instructed

255 concerning many things that are and shall be. For always Moses had recourse to

256 the tabernacle for the solving of all doubts and questionings; and fled to the

257 help of prayer to be delivered from the dangers and evil deeds of men. Thus

258 also oughtest thou to fly to the secret chamber of thy heart, and earnestly

259 implore the divine succour. For this cause we read that Joshua and the children

260 of Israel were deceived by the Gibeonites, that they asked not counsel at the

261 mouth of the Lord,(1) but being too ready to listen to fair speeches, were

262 deceived by pretended piety.”

263 (1) Joshua ix. 14.

CHAPTER XXXIX

241 That man must not be immersed in business

242 “My Son, always commit thy cause to Me; I will dispose it aright in due

243 time. Wait for My arrangement of it, and then thou shalt find it for thy

244 profit.”

245 2. O Lord, right freely I commit all things to Thee; for my planning can profit

246 but little. Oh that I did not dwell so much on future events, but could offer

247 myself altogether to Thy pleasures without delay.

248 3. “My Son, a man often striveth vehemently after somewhat which he

249 desireth; but when he hath obtained it he beginneth to be of another mind,

250 because his affections towards it are not lasting, but rather rush on from one

251 thing to another. Therefore it is not really a small thing, when in small

252 things we resist self.”

253 4. The true progress of man lieth in self-denial, and a man who denieth himself

254 is free and safe. But the old enemy, opposer of all good things, ceaseth not

255 from temptation; but day and night setteth his wicked snares, if haply he may

256 be able to entrap the unwary. Watch and pray, saith the Lord, lest ye enter

257 into temptation.(1)

258 (1) Matthew xxvi. 41.

CHAPTER XL

244 That man hath no good in himself, and nothing whereof to glory

245 Lord, what is man that Thou art mindful of him, or the son of man that Thou

246 visitest him?(1) What hath man deserved, that Thou shouldest bestow thy favour

247 upon him? Lord, what cause can I have of complaint, if Thou forsake me? Or what

248 can I justly allege, if Thou refuse to hear my petition? Of a truth, this I may

249 truly think and say, Lord, I am nothing, I have nothing that is good of myself,

250 but I fall short in all things, and ever tend unto nothing. And unless I am

251 helped by Thee and inwardly supported, I become altogether lukewarm and

252 reckless.

253 2. But Thou, O Lord, art always the same, and endurest for ever, always good,

254 righteous, and holy; doing all things well, righteously, and holily, and

255 disposing all in Thy wisdom. But I who am more ready to go forward than

256 backward, never continue in one stay, because changes sevenfold pass over me.

257 Yet it quickly becometh better when it so pleaseth Thee, and Thou puttest forth

258 Thy hand to help me; because Thou alone canst aid without help of man, and

259 canst so strengthen me that my countenance shall be no more changed, but my

260 heart shall be turned to Thee, and rest in Thee alone.

261 3. Wherefore, if I but knew well how to reject all human consolations, whether

262 for the sake of gaining devotion, or because of the necessity by which I was

263 compelled to seek Thee, seeing there is no man who can comfort me; then could I

264 worthily trust in Thy grace, and rejoice in the gift of new consolation.

265 4. Thanks be to Thee, from whom all cometh, whensoever it goeth well with me!

266 But I am vanity and nothing in Thy sight, a man inconstant and weak. What then

267 have I whereof to glory, or why do I long to be held in honour? Is it not for

268 nought? This also is utterly vain. Verily vain glory is an evil plague, the

269 greatest of vanities, because it draweth us away from the true glory, and

270 robbeth us of heavenly grace. For whilst a man pleaseth himself he displeaseth

271 Thee; whilst he gapeth after the praises of man, he is deprived of true

272 virtues.

273 5. But true glory and holy rejoicing lieth in glorying in Thee and not in self;

274 in rejoicing in Thy Name, not in our own virtue; in not taking delight in any

275 creature, save only for Thy sake. Let thy Name, not mine be praised; let Thy

276 work, not mine be magnified; let Thy holy Name be blessed, but to me let nought

277 be given of the praises of men. Thou art my glory, Thou art the joy of my

278 heart. In Thee will I make my boast and be glad all the day long, but for

279 myself let me not glory save only in my infirmities.(2)

280 6. Let the Jews seek the honour which cometh from one another; but I will ask

281 for that which cometh from God only.(3) Truly all human glory, all temporal

282 honour, all worldly exultation, compared to Thy eternal glory, is but vanity

283 and folly. O God my Truth and my Mercy, Blessed Trinity, to Thee alone be all

284 praise, honour, power, and glory for ever and for ever. Amen.

285 (1) Psalm viii. 4. (2) 2 Corinthians xii. 5. (3) John v. 44.

CHAPTER XLI

247 Of contempt of all temporal honour

248 “My Son, make it no matter of thine, if thou see others honoured and

249 exalted, and thyself despised and humbled. Lift up thine heart to Me in heaven,

250 and then the contempt of men upon earth will not make thee sad.”

251 2. O Lord, we are in blindness, and are quickly seduced by vanity. If I look

252 rightly within myself, never was injury done unto me by any creature, and

253 therefore I have nought whereof to complain before Thee. But because I have

254 many times and grievously sinned against Thee, all creatures do justly take

255 arms against me. Therefore to me confusion and contempt are justly due, but to

256 Thee praise and honour and glory. And except I dispose myself for this, namely,

257 to be willing that every creature should despise and desert me, and that I

258 should be esteemed altogether as nothing, I cannot be inwardly filled with

259 peace and strength, nor spiritually enlightened, nor fully united to Thee.

CHAPTER XLII

250 That our peace is not to be placed in men

251 “My Son, if thou set thy peace on any person because thou hast high

252 opinion of him, and art familiar with him, thou shalt be unstable and

253 entangled. But if thou betake thyself to the ever-living and abiding Truth, the

254 desertion or death of a friend shall not make thee sad. In Me ought the love of

255 thy friend to subsist, and for My sake is every one to be loved, whosoever he

256 be, who appeareth to thee good, and is very dear to thee in this life. Without

257 Me friendship hath no strength or endurance, neither is that love true and

258 pure, which I unite not. Thou oughtest to be so dead to such affections of

259 beloved friends, that as far as in thee lieth, thou wouldst rather choose to be

260 without any companionship of men. The nearer a man approacheth to God, the

261 further he recedeth from all earthly solace. The deeper also he descendeth into

262 himself, and the viler he appeareth in his own eyes, the higher he ascendeth

263 towards God.

264 2. “But he who attributeth anything good to himself, hindereth the grace

265 of God from coming to him, because the grace of the Holy Ghost ever seeketh the

266 humble heart. If thou couldst make thyself utterly nothing, and empty thyself

267 of the love of every creature, then should it be My part to overflow unto thee

268 with great grace. When thou settest thine eyes upon creatures, the face of the

269 Creator is withdrawn from thee. Learn in all things to conquer thyself for thy

270 Creator’s sake, then shalt thou be able to attain unto divine knowledge.

271 How small soever anything be, if it be loved and regarded inordinately, it

272 holdeth us back from the highest good, and corrupteth.”

CHAPTER XLIII

253 Against vain and worldly knowledge

254 “My Son, let not the fair and subtle sayings of men move thee. For the

255 kingdom of God is not in word, but in power.(1) Give ear to My words, for they

256 kindle the heart and enlighten the mind, they bring contrition, and they supply

257 manifold consolations. Never read thou the word that thou mayest appear more

258 learned or wise; but study for the mortification of thy sins, for this will be

259 far more profitable for thee than the knowledge of many difficult questions.

260 2. “When thou hast read and learned many things, thou must always return

261 to one first principle. I am He that teacheth man knowledge,(2) and I give unto

262 babes clearer knowledge than can be taught by man. He to whom I speak will be

263 quickly wise and shall grow much in the spirit. Woe unto them who inquire into

264 many curious questions from men, and take little heed concerning the way of My

265 service. The time will come when Christ will appear, the Master of masters, the

266 Lord of the Angels, to hear the lessons of all, that is to examine the

267 consciences of each one. And then will He search Jerusalem with candles,(3) and

268 the hidden things of darkness(4) shall be made manifest, and the arguings of

269 tongues shall be silent.

270 3. “I am He who in an instant lift up the humble spirit, to learn more

271 reasonings of the Eternal Truth, than if a man had studied ten years in the

272 schools. I teach without noise of words, without confusion of opinions, without

273 striving after honour, without clash of arguments. I am He who teach men to

274 despise earthly things, to loathe things present, to seek things heavenly, to

275 enjoy things eternal, to flee honours, to endure offences, to place all hope in

276 Me, to desire nothing apart from Me, and above all things to love Me ardently.

277 4. “For there was one, who by loving Me from the bottom of his heart,

278 learned divine things, and spake things that were wonderful; he profited more

279 by forsaking all things than by studying subtleties. But to some I speak common

280 things, to others special; to some I appear gently in signs and figures, and

281 again to some I reveal mysteries in much light. The voice of books is one, but

282 it informeth not all alike; because I inwardly am the Teacher of truth, the

283 Searcher of the heart, the Discerner of the thoughts, the Mover of actions,

284 distributing to each man, as I judge meet.”

285 (1) 1 Corinthians iv. 20. (2) Psalm xciv. 10. (3) Zephaniah i. 12. (4) 1

286 Corinthians iv. 5.

CHAPTER XLIV

256 Of not troubling ourselves about outward things

257 “My Son, in many things it behoveth thee to be ignorant, and to esteem

258 thyself as one dead upon the earth, and as one to whom the whole world is

259 crucified. Many things also thou must pass by with deaf ear, and must rather

260 think upon those things which belong unto thy peace. It is more profitable to

261 turn away thine eyes from those things that displease, and to leave each man to

262 his own opinion, than to give thyself to discourses of strife. If thou stand

263 well with God and hast His judgment in thy mind, thou wilt verily easily bear

264 to be as one conquered.”

265 2. O Lord, to what have we come? Behold a temporal loss is mourned over; for a

266 trifling gain we labour and hurry; and spiritual loss passeth away into

267 forgetfulness, and we rarely recover it. That which profiteth little or nothing

268 is looked after, and that which is altogether necessary is negligently passed

269 by; because the whole man slideth away to outward things, and unless he quickly

270 recovereth himself in outward things he willingly lieth down.

CHAPTER XLV

259 That we must not believe everyone, and that we are prone to fall in our words

260 Lord, be thou my help in trouble, for vain is the help of man.(1) How often

261 have I failed to find faithfulness, where I thought I possessed it. How many

262 times I have found it where I least expected. Vain therefore is hope in men,

263 but the salvation of the just, O God, is in Thee. Blessed be thou, O Lord my

264 God, in all things which happen unto us. We are weak and unstable, we are

265 quickly deceived and quite changed.

266 2. Who is the man who is able to keep himself so warily and circumspectly as

267 not sometimes to come into some snare of perplexity? But he who trusteth in

268 Thee, O Lord, and seeketh Thee with an unfeigned heart, doth not so easily

269 slip. And if he fall into any tribulation, howsoever he may be entangled, yet

270 very quickly he shall be delivered through Thee, or by Thee shall be comforted,

271 because Thou wilt not forsake him that trusteth in Thee unto the end. A friend

272 who continueth faithful in all the distresses of his friend is rare to be

273 found. Thou, O Lord, Thou alone art most faithful in all things, and there is

274 none other like unto Thee.

275 3. Oh, how truly wise was that holy soul which said, “My mind is

276 steadfastly fixed, and it is grounded in Christ.”(2) If thus it were with

277 me, the fear of man should not so easily tempt me, nor the arrows of words move

278 me. Who is sufficient to foresee all things, who to guard beforehand against

279 future ills? If even things which are foreseen sometimes hurt us, what can

280 things which are not foreseen do, but grievously injure? But wherefore have I

281 not better provided for myself, miserable that I am? Why, too, have I given

282 such heed to others? But we are men, nor are we other than frail men, even

283 though by many we are reckoned and called angels. Whom shall I trust, O Lord,

284 whom shall I trust but Thee? Thou art the Truth, and deceivest not, nor canst

285 be deceived. And on the other hand, Every man is a liar,(3) weak, unstable and

286 frail, especially in his words, so that one ought scarcely ever to believe what

287 seemeth to sound right on the face of it.

288 4. With what wisdom hast thou warned us beforehand to beware of men, and that a

289 man’s foes are they of his own household,(4) and that we must not believe

290 if one say unto us Lo here, or Lo there.(5) I have been taught by my loss, and

291 O that I may prove more careful and not foolish hereby. “Be

292 cautious,” saith some one: “be cautious, keep unto thyself what I

293 tell thee.” And whilst I am silent and believe that it is hid with me, he

294 himself cannot keep silence concerning it, but straightway betrayeth me and

295 himself, and goeth his way. Protect me, O Lord, from such mischief-making and

296 reckless men; let me not fall into their hands, nor ever do such things myself.

297 Put a true and steadfast word into my mouth, and remove a deceitful tongue far

298 from me. What I would not suffer, I ought by all means to beware of doing.

299 5. Oh, how good and peacemaking a thing it is to be silent concerning others,

300 and not carelessly to believe all reports, nor to hand them on further; how

301 good also to lay one’s self open to few, to seek ever to have Thee as the

302 beholder of the heart; not to be carried about with every wind of words, but to

303 desire that all things inward and outward be done according to the good

304 pleasure of Thy will! How safe for the preserving of heavenly grace to fly from

305 human approval, and not to long after the things which seem to win admiration

306 abroad, but to follow with all earnestness those things which bring amendment

307 of life and heavenly fervour! How many have been injured by their virtue being

308 made known and too hastily praised. How truly profitable hath been grace

309 preserved in silence in this frail life, which, as we are told, is all

310 temptation and warfare.

311 (1) Psalm lx. 11. (2) St. Agatha. (3) Psalm cxvi. 11; Romans iii. 4. (4)

312 Matthew x. 17, 36. (5) Matthew xxiv. 23.

CHAPTER XLVI

262 Of having confidence in God when evil words are cast at us

263 “My Son, stand fast and believe in Me. For what are words but words? They

264 fly through the air, but they bruise no stone. If thou are guilty, think how

265 thou wouldst gladly amend thyself; if thou knowest nothing against thyself,

266 consider that thou wilt gladly bear this for God’s sake. It is little

267 enough that thou sometimes hast to bear hard words, for thou art not yet able

268 to bear hard blows. And wherefore do such trivial matters go to thine heart,

269 except that thou art yet carnal, and regardest men more than thou oughtest? For

270 because thou fearest to be despised, thou art unwilling to be reproved for thy

271 faults, and seekest paltry shelters of excuses.

272 2. “But look better into thyself, and thou shalt know that the world is

273 still alive in thee, and the vain love of pleasing men. For when thou fleest

274 away from being abased and confounded for thy faults, it is plain that thou art

275 neither truly humble nor truly dead to the world, and that the world is not

276 crucified to thee. But hearken to My word, and thou shalt not care for ten

277 thousand words of men. Behold, if all things could be said against thee which

278 the utmost malice could invent, what should it hurt thee if thou wert

279 altogether to let it go, and make no more account of it than of a mote? Could

280 it pluck out a single hair of thy head?

281 3. “But he that hath no heart within him, and hath not God before his

282 eyes, is easily moved by a word of reproach; but he who trusteth in Me, and

283 seeketh not to abide by his own judgment, shall be free from the fear of men.

284 For I am the Judge and the Discerner of all secrets; I know how the thing hath

285 been done; I know both the injurer and the bearer. From Me went forth that

286 word, by My permission this hath happened, that the thoughts of many hearts may

287 be revealed.(1) I shall judge the guilty and the innocent; but beforehand I

288 have willed to try them both by a secret judgment.

289 4. “The testimony of men often deceiveth. My judgment is true; it will

290 stand, and it shall not be overturned. It commonly lieth hid, and only to few

291 in certain cases is it made known; yet it never erreth, nor can err, although

292 it seem not right to the eyes of foolish men. To Me, therefore, must men have

293 recourse in all judgment, and must not lean to their opinion. For there shall

294 no evil happen to the just,(2) whatsoever may be sent to him by God. Even

295 though some unjust charge be brought against him, he will care little; nor,

296 again, will he exult above measure, if through others he be clearly vindicated.

297 For he considereth that I am He who try the hearts and reins,(3) who judge not

298 outwardly and according to human appearance; for often in Mine eyes that is

299 found blameworthy which in the judgment of men is held worthy of praise.”

300 5. O Lord God, O Judge, just, strong, and patient, who knowest the frailty and

301 sinfulness of men, be Thou my strength and my whole confidence; for my own

302 conscience sufficeth me not. Thou knowest what I know not; and therefore ought

303 I under all rebuke to humble myself, and to bear it meekly. Therefore

304 mercifully forgive me as often as I have not done this, and grant me the next

305 time the grace of greater endurance. For better unto me is Thine abundant pity

306 for the attainment of Thy pardon, than the righteousness which I believe myself

307 to have for defence against my conscience, which lieth wait against me.

308 Although I know nothing against myself, yet I am not hereby justified,(4)

309 because if Thy mercy were removed away, in Thy sight should no man living be

310 justified.(5)

311 (1) Luke ii. 35. (2) Proverbs xii. 21. (3) Psalm vii. 9. (4) 1 Corinthians iv.

312 4. (5) Psalm cxliii. 2.

CHAPTER XLVII

265 That all troubles are to be endured for the sake of eternal life

266 “My Son, let not the labours which thou hast undertaken for Me break thee

267 down, nor let tribulations cast thee down in any wise, but let my promise

268 strengthen and comfort thee in every event. I am sufficient to reward thee

269 above all measure and extent. Not long shalt thou labour here, nor always be

270 weighed down with sorrows. Wait yet a little while, and thou shalt see a speedy

271 end of thine evils. An hour shall come when all labour and confusion shall

272 cease. Little and short is all that passeth away with time.

273 2. “Do earnestly what thou dost; labour faithfully in My vineyard; I will

274 be thy reward. Write, read, sing, weep, be silent, pray, endure adversities

275 manfully; eternal life is worthy of all these conflicts, yea, and of greater.

276 Peace shall come in one day which is known to the Lord; which shall be neither

277 day nor night,(1) but light eternal, infinite clearness, steadfast peace, and

278 undisturbed rest. Thou shalt not say then, *Who shall deliver me from the

279 body of this death?*(2) nor cry out, *Woe is me, for my sojourning is

280 prolonged*,(3) because death will be utterly destroyed, and there shall be

281 salvation which can never fail, no more anxiety, happy delight, sweet and noble

282 society.

283 3. “Oh, if thou sawest the unfading crowns of the Saints in heaven, and

284 with what great glory they now rejoice, who aforetime were reckoned by this

285 world contemptibly and as it were unworthy of life, truly thou wouldst

286 immediately humble thyself even to the earth, and wouldst desire rather to be

287 in subjection to all, than to have authority over one; nor wouldst thou long

288 for pleasant days of this life, but wouldst more rejoice to be afflicted for

289 God’s sake, and wouldst esteem it gain to be counted for nought amongst

290 men.

291 4. “Oh, if these things were sweet to thy taste, and moved thee to the

292 bottom of thine heart, how shouldst thou dare even once to complain? Are not

293 all laborious things to be endured for the sake of eternal life? It is no small

294 thing, the losing or gaining the Kingdom of God. Lift up therefore thy face to

295 heaven. Behold, I and all My Saints with Me, who in this world had a hard

296 conflict, now rejoice, are now comforted, are now secure, are now at peace, and

297 shall remain with Me evermore in the Kingdom of My Father.”

298 (1) Zechariah xiv. 7. (2) Romans vii. 24. (3) Psalm cxx.

CHAPTER XLVIII

268 Of the day of eternity and of the straitnesses of this life

269 Oh most blessed mansion of the City which is above! Oh most clear day of

270 eternity which the night obscureth not, but the Supreme Truth ever

271 enlighteneth! Day always joyful, always secure and never changing its state

272 into those which are contrary. Oh would that this day might shine forth, and

273 that all these temporal things would come to an end. It shineth indeed upon the

274 Saints, glowing with unending brightness, but only from afar and through a

275 glass, upon those who are pilgrims on the earth.

276 2. The citizens of heaven know how glorious that day is; the exiled sons of Eve

277 groan, because this is bitter and wearisome. The days of this life are few and

278 evil, full of sorrows and straits, where man is defiled with many sins,

279 ensnared with many passions, bound fast with many fears, wearied with many

280 cares, distracted with many questionings, entangled with many vanities,

281 compassed about with many errors, worn away with many labours, weighed down

282 with temptations, enervated by pleasures, tormented by poverty.

283 3. Oh when shall there be an end of these evils? When shall I be delivered from

284 the wretched slavery of my sins? When shall I be mindful, O Lord, of Thee

285 alone? When shall I rejoice in Thee to the full? When shall I be in true

286 liberty without any impediment, without any burden on mind or body? When shall

287 there be solid peace, peace immovable and secure, peace within and without,

288 peace firm on every side? Blessed Jesus, when shall I stand to behold Thee?

289 When shall I gaze upon the glory of Thy kingdom? When shalt Thou be to me all

290 in all? Oh when shall I be with Thee in Thy Kingdom which Thou hast prepared

291 from the foundation of the world for them that love Thee? I am left destitute,

292 an exile in a hostile land, where are daily wars and grievous misfortunes.

293 4. Console my exile, mitigate my sorrow, for towards Thee all my desire

294 longeth. For all is to me a burden, whatsoever this world offereth for

295 consolation. I yearn to enjoy Thee intimately, but I cannot attain unto it. I

296 long to cleave to heavenly things, but temporal things and unmortified passions

297 press me down. In my mind I would be above all things, but in my flesh I am

298 unwillingly compelled to be beneath them. So, wretched man that I am, I fight

299 with myself, and am made grievous even unto myself, while the spirit seeketh to

300 be above and the flesh to be beneath.

301 5. Oh how I suffer inwardly, while with the mind I discourse on heavenly

302 things, and presently a crowd of carnal things rusheth upon me whilst I pray.

303 My God, be not Thou far from me, nor depart in wrath from Thy servant. Cast

304 forth Thy lightning and scatter them; send out Thine arrows,(1) and let all

305 delusions of my enemy be confounded. Recall my senses unto Thyself, cause me to

306 forget all worldly things; grant me quickly to cast away and despise the

307 imaginations of sin. Succour me, O Eternal Truth, that no vanity may move me.

308 Come unto me, O Heavenly Sweetness, and let all impurity flee from before Thy

309 face. Pardon me also, and of Thy mercy deal gently with me, whensoever in

310 prayer I think on anything besides Thee; for truly I confess that I am wont to

311 be continually distracted. For often and often, where in the body I stand or

312 sit, there I myself am not; but rather am I there, whither I am borne by my

313 thoughts. Where my thought is, there am I; and there commonly is my thought

314 where that which I love is. That readily occurreth to me, which naturally

315 delighteth, or pleaseth through custom.

316 6. Wherefore Thou, who art the Truth, hast plainly said, Where your treasure

317 is, there will your heart be also.(2) If I love heaven, I gladly meditate on

318 heavenly things. If I love the world, I rejoice in the delights of the world,

319 and am made sorry by its adversities. If I love the flesh, I am continually

320 imagining the things which belong to the flesh; if I love the spirit, I am

321 delighted by meditating on spiritual things. For whatsoever things I love, on

322 these I readily converse and listen, and carry home with me the images of them.

323 But blessed is that man who for Thy sake, O Lord, is willing to part from all

324 creatures; who doth violence to his fleshly nature and crucifieth the lusts of

325 the flesh by the fervour of his spirit, so that with serene conscience he may

326 offer unto Thee a pure prayer, and be made worthy to enter into the angelic

327 choirs, having shut out from himself, both outwardly and inwardly, all worldly

328 things.

329 (1) Psalm lxxi. 12. (2) Matthew vi. 21.

CHAPTER XLIX

271 Of the desire after eternal life, and how great blessings are promised to those

272 who strive

273 “My Son, when thou feelest the desire of eternal happiness to be poured

274 into thee from above, and longest to depart from the tabernacle of this body,

275 that thou mayest contemplate My glory without shadow of turning, enlarge thine

276 heart, and take in this holy inspiration with all thy desire. Give most hearty

277 thanks to the Supreme Goodness, who dealeth with thee so graciously, visiteth

278 thee so lovingly, stirreth thee up so fervently, raiseth thee so powerfully,

279 lest thou sink down through thine own weight, to earthly things. For not by

280 thine own meditating or striving dost thou receive this gift, but by the sole

281 gracious condescension of Supreme Grace and Divine regard; to the end that thou

282 mayest make progress in virtue and in more humility, and prepare thyself for

283 future conflicts, and cleave unto Me with all the affection of thy heart, and

284 strive to serve Me with fervent will.

285 2. “My Son, often the fire burneth, but the flame ascendeth not without

286 smoke. So also the desires of some men burn towards heavenly things, and yet

287 they are not free from the temptation of carnal affection. Thus therefore they

288 are not acting with an altogether simple desire for God’s glory when they

289 pray to Him so earnestly. Such, too, is oftentimes thy desire, when thou hast

290 imagined it to be so earnest. For that is not pure and perfect which is tainted

291 with thine own self-seeking.

292 3. “Seek thou not what is pleasant and advantageous to thyself, but what

293 is acceptable and honourable unto Me; for if thou judgest rightly, thou must

294 choose and follow after My appointment rather than thine own desire; yea,

295 rather than anything that can be desired. I know thy desire, and I have heard

296 thy many groanings. Already thou longest to be in the glorious liberty of the

297 children of God; already the eternal home delighteth thee, and the heavenly

298 country full of joy; but the hour is not yet come; there remaineth still

299 another season, even a season of warfare, a season of labour and probation.

300 Thou desirest to be filled with the Chief Good, but thou canst not attain it

301 immediately. I AM that Good; wait for Me, until the Kingdom of

302 God shall come.

303 4. “Thou must still be tried upon earth, and be exercised in many things.

304 Consolation shall from time to time be given thee, but abundant satisfying

305 shall not be granted. Be strong therefore, and be thou brave both in working

306 and in suffering things which are against thy nature. Thou must put on the new

307 man, and be changed into another man. Thou must often do what thou wouldst not;

308 and thou must leave undone what thou wouldst do. What pleaseth others shall

309 have good success, what pleaseth thee shall have no prosperity. What others say

310 shall be listened to; what thou sayest shall receive no heed. Others shall ask

311 and receive; thou shalt ask and not obtain. Others shall be great in the report

312 of men, but about thee shall nothing be spoken. To others this or that shall be

313 entrusted; thou shalt be judged useful for nought.

314 5. “For this cause nature shall sometimes be filled with sadness; and it

315 is a great thing if thou bear it silently. In this and many like things the

316 faithful servant of the Lord is wont to be tried, how far he is able to deny

317 himself and bring himself into subjection in all things. Scarcely is there

318 anything in which thou hast need to mortify thyself so much as in seeing things

319 which are adverse to thy will; especially when things are commanded thee to be

320 done which seem to thee inexpedient or of little use to thee. And because thou

321 darest not resist a higher power, being under authority, therefore it seemeth

322 hard for thee to shape thy course according to the nod of another, and to

323 forego thine own opinion.

324 6. “But consider, My Son, the fruit of these labours, the swift end, and

325 the reward exceeding great; and thou shalt find it no pain to bear them then,

326 but rather the strongest solace of thy patience. For even in exchange for this

327 trifling desire which thou hast readily forsaken, thou shalt always have thy

328 will in Heaven. There verily thou shalt find all that thou wouldst, all that

329 thou canst long for. There thou shalt have all good within thy power without

330 the fear of losing it. There thy will, ever at one with Mine, shall desire

331 nothing outward, nothing for itself. There no man shall withstand thee, none

332 shall complain of thee, none shall hinder, nothing shall stand in thy path; but

333 all things desired by thee shall be present together, and shall refresh thy

334 whole affection, and fill it up even to the brim. There I will glory for the

335 scorn suffered here, the garment of praise for sorrow, and for the lowest place

336 a throne in the Kingdom, for ever. There shall appear the fruit of obedience,

337 the labour of repentance shall rejoice, and humble subjection shall be crowned

338 gloriously.

339 7. “Now therefore bow thyself humbly under the hands of all men; nor let

340 it trouble thee who said this or who ordered that; but take special heed that

341 whether thy superior, thy inferior, or thy equal, require anything from thee,

342 or even show a desire for it; take it all in good part, and study with a good

343 will to fulfil the desire. Let one seek this, another that; let this man glory

344 in this, and that man in that, and be praised a thousand thousand times, but

345 rejoice thou only in the contempt of thyself, and in Mine own good pleasure and

346 glory. This is what thou art to long for, even that whether by life or by death

347 God may be ever magnified in thee.”(1)

348 (1) Philippians i. 20.

CHAPTER L

274 How a desolate man ought to commit himself into the hands of God

275 O Lord, Holy Father, be Thou blessed now and evermore; because as Thou wilt so

276 it is done, and what Thou doest is good. Let Thy servant rejoice in Thee, not

277 in himself, nor in any other; because Thou alone art the true joy, Thou art my

278 hope and my crown, Thou art my joy and my honour, O Lord. What hath Thy

279 servant, which he received not from Thee, even without merit of his own? Thine

280 are all things which Thou hast given, and which Thou hast made. I am poor and

281 in misery even from my youth up,(1) and my soul is sorrowful unto tears,

282 sometimes also it is disquieted within itself, because of the sufferings which

283 are coming upon it.

284 2. I long after the joy of peace; for the peace of Thy children do I beseech,

285 for in the light of Thy comfort they are fed by Thee. If Thou give peace, if

286 Thou pour into me holy joy, the soul of Thy servant shall be full of melody,

287 and devout in Thy praise. But if Thou withdraw Thyself as too often Thou art

288 wont, he will not be able to run in the way of Thy commandments, but rather he

289 will smite his breast and will bow his knees; because it is not with him as

290 yesterday and the day before, when *Thy candle shined upon his head*,(2)

291 and *he walked under the shadow of Thy wings*,(3) from the temptations

292 which beset him.

293 3. O Father, righteous and ever to be praised, the hour cometh when Thy servant

294 is to be proved. O beloved Father, it is well that in this hour Thy servant

295 suffer somewhat for Thy sake. O Father, evermore to be adored, as the hour

296 cometh which Thou foreknewest from everlasting, when for a little while Thy

297 servant should outwardly bow down, but always live inwardly with Thee; when for

298 a little while he should be little regarded, humbled, and fail in the eyes of

299 men; should be wasted with sufferings and weaknesses, to rise again with Thee

300 in the dawn of the new light, and be glorified in the heavenly places. O Holy

301 Father, thou hast ordained it so, and so hast willed it; and that is done which

302 Thou Thyself hast commanded.

303 4. For this is Thy favour to Thy friend, that he should suffer and be troubled

304 in the world for Thy love’s sake, how often soever, and by whomsoever and

305 whosoever Thou hast suffered it to be done. Without Thy counsel and providence,

306 and without cause, nothing cometh to pass on the earth. It is good for me,

307 Lord, that I had been in trouble, that I may learn Thy statutes,(4) and may

308 cast away all pride of heart and presumption. It is profitable for me that

309 confusion hath covered my face, that I may seek to Thee for consolation rather

310 than unto men. By this also I have learned to dread Thine unsearchable

311 judgment, who afflictest the just with the wicked, but not without equity and

312 justice.

313 5. Thanks be unto Thee, because Thou hast not spared my sins, but hast beaten

314 me with stripes of love, inflicting pains, and sending troubles upon me without

315 and within. There is none who can console me, of all things which are under

316 heaven, but Thou only, O Lord my God, Thou heavenly Physician of souls, who

317 dost scourge and hast mercy, who leadest down to hell and bringest up again.(5)

318 Thy discipline over me, and Thy rod itself shall teach me.

319 6. Behold, O beloved Father, I am in Thy hands, I bow myself under the rod of

320 Thy correction. Smite my back and my neck that I may bend my crookedness to Thy

321 will. Make me a pious and lowly disciple, as Thou wert wont to be kind, that I

322 may walk according to every nod of Thine. To Thee I commend myself and all that

323 I have for correction; better is it to be punished here than hereafter. Thou

324 knowest all things and each of them; and nothing remaineth hid from Thee in

325 man’s conscience. Before they are, thou knowest that they will be, and

326 Thou needest not that any man teach Thee or admonish Thee concerning the things

327 which are done upon the earth. Thou knowest what is expedient for my profit,

328 and how greatly trouble serveth unto the scrubbing off the rust of sin. Do with

329 me according to Thy desired good pleasure, and despise not my life which is

330 full of sin, known to none so entirely and fully as to Thee alone.

331 7. Grant me, O Lord, to know that which ought to be known; to love that which

332 ought to be loved; to praise that which pleaseth Thee most, to esteem that

333 which is precious in Thy sight, to blame that which is vile in Thine eyes.

334 Suffer me not to judge according to the sight of bodily eyes, nor to give

335 sentence according to the hearing of the ears of ignorant men; but to discern

336 in true judgment between visible and spiritual things, and above all things to

337 be ever seeking after the will of Thy good pleasure.

338 8. Oftentimes the senses of men are deceived in judging; the lovers of the

339 world also are deceived in that they love only visible things. What is a man

340 better because by man he is reckoned very great? The deceiver deceiveth the

341 deceiver, the vain man the vain, the blind man the blind, the weak man the

342 weak, when they exalt one another; and in truth they rather put to shame, while

343 they foolishly praise. For as humble St. Francis saith, “What each one is

344 in Thine eyes, so much he is, and no more.”

345 (1) Psalm lxxxviii. 15. (2) Job xxix. 3. (3) Psalm xvii. 8. (4) Psalm cxix. 71.

346 (5) Job xiii. 2.

CHAPTER LI

277 That we must give ourselves to humble works when we are unequal to those that

278 are lofty

279 “My Son, thou art not always able to continue in very fervent desire

280 after virtues, nor to stand fast in the loftier region of contemplation; but

281 thou must of necessity sometimes descend to lower things because of thine

282 original corruption, and bear about the burden of corruptible life, though

283 unwillingly and with weariness. So long as thou wearest a mortal body, thou

284 shalt feel weariness and heaviness of heart. Therefore thou oughtest to groan

285 often in the flesh because of the burden of the flesh, inasmuch as thou canst

286 not give thyself to spiritual studies and divine contemplation unceasingly.

287 2. “At such a time it is expedient for thee to flee to humble and

288 external works, and to renew thyself with good actions; to wait for My coming

289 and heavenly visitation with sure confidence; to bear thy exile and drought of

290 mind with patience, until thou be visited by Me again, and be freed from all

291 anxieties. For I will cause thee to forget thy labours, and altogether to enjoy

292 eternal peace. I will spread open before thee the pleasant pastures of the

293 Scriptures, that with enlarged heart thou mayest begin to run in the way of My

294 commandments. And thou shalt say, ‘The sufferings of this present time

295 are not worthy to be compared with the glory which shall be revealed in

296 us.’”(1)

297 (1) Romans viii. 18.

CHAPTER LII

280 That a man ought not to reckon himself worthy of consolation, but more worthy

281 of chastisement

282 O Lord, I am not worthy of Thy consolation, nor of any spiritual visitation;

283 and therefore Thou dealest justly with me, when Thou leavest me poor and

284 desolate. For if I were able to pour forth tears like the sea, still should I

285 not be worthy of Thy consolation. Therefore am I nothing worthy save to be

286 scourged and punished, because I have grievously and many a time offended Thee,

287 and in many things have greatly sinned. Therefore, true account being taken, I

288 am not worthy even of the least of Thy consolations. But Thou, gracious and

289 merciful God, who willest not that Thy works should perish, to show forth the

290 riches of Thy mercy upon the vessels of mercy,(1) vouchsafest even beyond all

291 his own deserving, to comfort Thy servant above the measure of mankind. For Thy

292 consolations are not like unto the discoursings of men.

293 2. What have I done, O Lord, that Thou shouldst bestow any heavenly comfort

294 upon me? I remember not that I have done any good, but have been ever prone to

295 sin and slow to amendment. It is true and I cannot deny it. If I should say

296 otherwise, Thou wouldst rise up against me, and there would be none to defend

297 me. What have I deserved for my sins but hell and everlasting fire? In very

298 truth I confess that I am worthy of all scorn and contempt, nor is it fit that

299 I should be remembered among Thy faithful servants. And although I be unwilling

300 to hear this, nevertheless I will for the Truth’s sake, accuse myself of

301 my sins, that the more readily I may prevail to be accounted worthy of Thy

302 mercy.

303 3. What shall I say, guilty that I am and filled with confusion? I have no

304 mouth to utter, unless it be this word alone, “I have sinned, Lord, I

305 have sinned; have mercy upon me, forgive me.” Let me alone, that I may

306 take comfort a little before I go whence I shall not return even to the land of

307 darkness and the shadow of death.(2) What dost Thou so much require of a guilty

308 and miserable sinner, as that he be contrite, and humble himself for his sins?

309 In true contrition and humiliation of heart is begotten the hope of pardon, the

310 troubled conscience is reconciled, lost grace is recovered, a man is preserved

311 from the wrath to come, and God and the penitent soul hasten to meet each other

312 with a holy kiss.(3)

313 4. The humble contrition of sinners is an acceptable sacrifice unto Thee, O

314 Lord, sending forth a smell sweeter far in Thy sight than the incense. This

315 also is that pleasant ointment which Thou wouldst have poured upon Thy sacred

316 feet, for a broken and contrite heart Thou hast never despised.(4) There is the

317 place of refuge from the wrathful countenance of the enemy. There is amended

318 and washed away whatsoever evil hath elsewhere been contracted.

319 (1) Romans ix. 23. (2) Job x. 20, 21. (3) Luke xv. 20. (4) Psalm li. 17.

CHAPTER LIII

283 That the Grace of God doth not join itself to those who mind earthly things

284 “My Son, precious is My grace, it suffereth not itself to be joined with

285 outward things, nor with earthly consolations. Therefore thou oughtest to cast

286 away all things which hinder grace, if thou longest to receive the inpouring

287 thereof. Seek a secret place for thyself, love to dwell alone with thyself,

288 desire the conversation of no one; but rather pour out thy devout prayer to

289 God, that thou mayest possess a contrite mind and a pure conscience. Count the

290 whole world as nought; seek to be alone with God before all outward things. For

291 thou canst not be alone with Me, and at the same time be delighted with

292 transitory things. Thou oughtest to be separated from thy acquaintances and

293 dear friends, and keep thy mind free from all worldly comfort. So the blessed

294 Apostle Peter beseecheth, that Christ’s faithful ones bear themselves in

295 this world as strangers and pilgrims.(1)

296 2. “Oh how great a confidence shall there be to the dying man whom no

297 affection to anything detaineth in the world? But to have a heart so separated

298 from all things, a sickly soul doth not yet comprehend, nor doth the carnal man

299 know the liberty of the spiritual man. But if indeed he desire to be

300 spiritually minded, he must renounce both those who are far off, and those who

301 are near, and to beware of no man more than himself. If thou perfectly conquer

302 thyself, very easily shalt thou subdue all things besides. Perfect victory is

303 the triumph over oneself. For whoso keepeth himself in subjection, in such

304 manner that the sensual affections obey the reason, and the reason in all

305 things obeyeth Me, he truly is conqueror of himself, and lord of the world.

306 3. “If thou desire to climb to this height, thou oughtest to start

307 bravely, and to lay the axe to the root, to the end that thou mayest pull up

308 and destroy the hidden inordinate inclination towards thyself, and towards all

309 selfish and earthly good. From this sin, that a man loveth himself too

310 inordinately, almost everything hangeth which needeth to be utterly overcome:

311 when that evil is conquered and put under foot, there shall be great peace and

312 tranquillity continually. But because few strive earnestly to die perfectly to

313 themselves, and do not heartily go forth from themselves, therefore do they

314 remain entangled in themselves, and cannot be raised in spirit above

315 themselves. But he who desireth to walk at liberty with Me, must of necessity

316 mortify all his evil and inordinate affections, and must cling to no creature

317 with selfish love.”

318 (1) 1 Peter ii. 11.

CHAPTER LIV

286 Of the diverse motions of Nature and of Grace

287 “My Son, pay diligent heed to the motions of Nature and of Grace, because

288 they move in a very contrary and subtle manner, and are hardly distinguished

289 save by a spiritual and inwardly enlightened man. All men indeed seek good, and

290 make pretence of something good in all that they say or do; and thus under the

291 appearance of good many are deceived.

292 2. “Nature is deceitful and draweth away, ensnareth, and deceiveth many,

293 and always hath self for her end; but Grace walketh in simplicity and turneth

294 away from every appearance of evil, maketh no false pretences, and doeth all

295 entirely for the sake of God, in whom also she finally resteth.

296 3. “Nature is very unwilling to die, and to be pressed down, and to be

297 overcome, and to be in subjection, and to bear the yoke readily; but Grace

298 studieth self-mortification, resisteth sensuality, seeketh to be subdued,

299 longeth to be conquered, and willeth not to use her own liberty. She loveth to

300 be held by discipline, and not to have authority over any, but always to live,

301 to remain, to have her being under God, and for God’s sake is ready to be

302 humbly subject to every ordinance of man.

303 4. “Nature laboureth for her own advantage, and considereth what profit

304 she may gain from another; but Grace considereth more, not what may be useful

305 and convenient to self, but what may be profitable to the many.

306 5. “Nature willingly receiveth honour and reverence; but Grace faithfully

307 ascribeth all honour and glory to God.

308 6. “Nature feareth confusion and contempt, but Grace rejoiceth to suffer

309 shame for the name of Jesus.

310 7. “Nature loveth ease and bodily quiet; Grace cannot be unemployed, but

311 gladly embraceth labour.

312 8. “Nature seeketh to possess things curious and attractive, and

313 abhorreth those which are rough and cheap; Grace is delighted with things

314 simple and humble, despiseth not those which are rough, nor refuseth to be

315 clothed with old garments.

316 9. “Nature hath regard to things temporal, rejoiceth in earthly lucre, is

317 made sad by loss, vexed by any little injurious word; but Grace reacheth after

318 things eternal, cleaveth not to those which are temporal, is not perturbed by

319 losses, nor embittered by any hard words, because she hath placed her treasure

320 and joy in heaven where nought perisheth.

321 10. “Nature is covetous, and receiveth more willingly than she giveth,

322 loveth things that are personal and private to herself; while Grace is kind and

323 generous, avoideth selfishness, is contented with a little, believeth that it

324 is more blessed to give than to receive.

325 11. “Nature inclineth thee to created things, to thine own flesh, to

326 vanities and dissipation; but Grace draweth to God and to virtues, renounceth

327 creatures, fleeth from the world, hateth the desires of the flesh, restraineth

328 vagaries, blusheth to be seen in public.

329 12. “Nature is glad to receive some outward solace in which the senses

330 may have delight; but Grace seeketh to be comforted in God alone, and to have

331 delight in the chief good above all visible things.

332 13. “Nature doeth everything for her own gain and profit, can do nothing

333 as a free favour, but hopeth to attain something as good or better, or some

334 praise or favour for her benefits; and she loveth that her own deeds and gifts

335 should be highly valued; but Grace seeketh nothing temporal, nor requireth any

336 other gift of reward than God alone; neither longeth she for more of temporal

337 necessities than such as may suffice for the attaining of eternal life.

338 14. “Nature rejoiceth in many friends and kinsfolk, she boasteth of noble

339 place and noble birth, she smileth on the powerful, flattereth the rich,

340 applaudeth those who are like herself; but Grace loveth even her enemies, and

341 is not lifted up by the multitude of friends, setteth no store upon high place

342 or high birth, unless there be greater virtue therewith; favoureth the poor man

343 more than the rich, hath more sympathy with the innocent than with the

344 powerful; rejoiceth with the truthful, not with the liar; always exhorteth the

345 good to strive after better gifts of grace, and to become by holiness like unto

346 the Son of God.

347 15. “Nature quickly complaineth of poverty and of trouble; Grace beareth

348 want with constancy.

349 16. “Nature looketh upon all things in reference to herself; striveth and

350 argueth for self; but Grace bringeth back all things to God from whom they came

351 at the beginning; ascribeth no good to herself nor arrogantly presumeth; is not

352 contentious, nor preferreth her own opinion to others, but in every sense and

353 understanding submitteth herself to the Eternal wisdom and the Divine judgment.

354 17. “Nature is eager to know secrets and to hear new things; she loveth

355 to appear abroad, and to make experience of many things through the senses; she

356 desireth to be acknowledged and to do those things which win praise and

357 admiration; but Grace careth not to gather up new or curious things, because

358 all this springeth from the old corruption, whereas there is nothing new or

359 lasting upon earth. So she teacheth to restrain the senses, to shun vain

360 complacency and ostentation, to hide humbly those things which merit praise and

361 real admiration, and from everything and in all knowledge to seek after useful

362 fruit, and the praise and honour of God. She desireth not to receive praise for

363 herself or her own, but longeth that God be blessed in all His gifts, who out

364 of unmingled love bestoweth all things.”

365 18. This Grace is a supernatural light, and a certain special gift of God, and

366 the proper mark of the elect, and the pledge of eternal salvation; it exalteth

367 a man from earthly things to love those that are heavenly; and it maketh the

368 carnal man spiritual. So far therefore as Nature is utterly pressed down and

369 overcome, so far is greater Grace bestowed and the inner man is daily created

370 anew by fresh visitations, after the image of God.

CHAPTER LV

289 Of the corruption of Nature and the efficacy of Divine Grace

290 O Lord my God, who hast created me after thine own image and similitude, grant

291 me this grace, which Thou hast shown to be so great and so necessary for

292 salvation, that I may conquer my wicked nature, which draweth me to sin and to

293 perdition. For I feel in my flesh the law of sin, contradicting the law of my

294 mind, and bringing me into captivity to the obedience of sensuality in many

295 things; nor can I resist its passions, unless Thy most holy grace assist me,

296 fervently poured into my heart.

297 2. There is need of Thy grace, yea, and of a great measure thereof, that my

298 nature may be conquered, which hath alway been prone to evil from my youth. For

299 being fallen through the first man Adam, and corrupted through sin, the

300 punishment of this stain descended upon all men; so that Nature itself, which

301 was framed good and right by Thee, is now used to express the vice and

302 infirmity of corrupted Nature; because its motion left unto itself draweth men

303 away to evil and to lower things. For the little power which remaineth is as it

304 were one spark lying hid in the ashes. This is Natural reason itself,

305 encompassed with thick clouds, having yet a discernment of good and evil, a

306 distinction of the true and the false, though it be powerless to fulfil all

307 that it approveth, and possess not yet the full light of truth, nor

308 healthfulness of its affections.

309 3. Hence it is, O my God, that I delight in Thy law after the inward man,(1)

310 knowing that Thy commandment is holy and just and good; reproving also all

311 evil, and the sin that is to be avoided: yet with the flesh I serve the law of

312 sin, whilst I obey sensuality rather than reason. Hence it is that to will to

313 do good is present with me, but how to perform it I find not.(2) Hence I

314 ofttimes purpose many good things; but because grace is lacking to help mine

315 infirmities, I fall back before a little resistance and fail. Hence it cometh

316 to pass that I recognize the way of perfectness, and see very clearly what

317 things I ought to do; but pressed down by the weight of my own corruption, I

318 rise not to the things which are more perfect.

319 4. Oh how entirely necessary is Thy grace to me, O Lord, for a good beginning,

320 for progress, and for bringing to perfection. For without it I can do nothing,

321 but I can do all things through Thy grace which strengtheneth me.(3) O truly

322 heavenly grace, without which our own merits are nought, and no gifts of Nature

323 at all are to be esteemed. Arts, riches, beauty, strength, wit, eloquence, they

324 all avail nothing before Thee, O Lord, without Thy grace. For the gifts of

325 Nature belong to good and evil alike; but the proper gift of the elect is

326 grace—that is, love—and they who bear the mark thereof are held

327 worthy of everlasting life. So mighty is this grace, that without it neither

328 the gift of prophecy nor the working of miracles, nor any speculation,

329 howsoever lofty, is of any value at all. But neither faith, nor hope, nor any

330 other virtue is accepted with Thee without love and grace.

331 5. O most blessed grace that makest the poor in spirit rich in virtues, and

332 renderest him who is rich in many things humble in spirit, come Thou, descend

333 upon me, fill me early with Thy consolation, lest my soul fail through

334 weariness and drought of mind. I beseech thee, O Lord, that I may find grace in

335 Thy sight, for Thy grace is sufficient for me,(4) when I obtain not those

336 things which Nature longeth for. If I be tempted and vexed with many

337 tribulations, I will fear no evil, while Thy grace remaineth with me. This

338 alone is my strength, this bringeth me counsel and help. It is more powerful

339 than all enemies, and wiser than all the wise men in the world.

340 6. It is the mistress of truth, the teacher of discipline, the light of the

341 heart, the solace of anxiety, the banisher of sorrow, the deliverer from fear,

342 the nurse of devotion, the drawer forth of tears. What am I without it, save a

343 dry tree, a useless branch, worthy to be cast away! “Let Thy grace,

344 therefore, O Lord, always prevent and follow me, and make me continually given

345 to all good works, through Jesus Christ, Thy Son. Amen.”

346 (1) Romans vii. 12, 22. 25. (2) Romans vii. 18. (3) Philippians iv. 13. (4) 2

347 Corinthians xii. 9.

CHAPTER LVI

292 That we ought to deny ourselves, and to imitate Christ by means of the Cross

293 My Son, so far as thou art able to go out of thyself so far shalt thou be able

294 to enter into Me. As to desire no outward thing worketh internal peace, so the

295 forsaking of self inwardly joineth unto God. I will that thou learn perfect

296 self-denial, living in My will without contradiction or complaint. Follow Me: I

297 am the way, the truth, and the life.(1) Without the way thou canst not go,

298 without the truth thou canst not know, without the life thou canst not live. I

299 am the Way which thou oughtest to follow; the Truth which thou oughtest to

300 believe; the Life which thou oughtest to hope for. I am the Way unchangeable;

301 the Truth infallible; the Life everlasting. I am the Way altogether straight,

302 the Truth supreme, the true Life, the blessed Life, the uncreated Life. If thou

303 remain in My way thou shalt know the Truth, and the truth shall make thee

304 free,(2) and thou shalt lay hold on eternal life.

305 2. “If thou wilt enter into life, keep the commandments.(3) If thou wilt

306 know the truth, believe in Me. If thou wilt be perfect, sell all that thou

307 hast. If thou wilt be My disciple, deny thyself. If thou wouldst possess the

308 blessed life, despise the life which now is. If thou wilt be exalted in heaven,

309 humble thyself in the world. If thou wilt reign with Me, bear the cross with

310 Me; for only the servants of the cross find the way of blessedness and of true

311 light.”

312 3. O Lord Jesu, forasmuch as Thy life was straitened and despised by the world,

313 grant unto me to imitate Thee in despising the world, for the servant is not

314 greater than his lord, nor the disciple above his master.(4) Let Thy servant be

315 exercised in Thy life, because there is my salvation and true holiness.

316 Whatsoever I read or hear besides it, it refresheth me not, nor giveth me

317 delight.

318 4. “My son, because thou knowest these things and hast read them all,

319 blessed shalt thou be if thou doest them. He who hath My commandments and

320 keepeth them, he it is that loveth Me, and I will love him, and will manifest

321 Myself to him,(5) and I will make him to sit down with Me in My Father’s

322 Kingdom.”

323 5. O Lord Jesu, as Thou hast said and promised, even so let it be unto me, and

324 grant me to prove worthy. I have received the cross at Thy hand; I have carried

325 it, and will carry it even unto death, as Thou hast laid it upon me. Truly the

326 life of a truly devoted servant is a cross, but it leadeth to paradise. I have

327 begun; I may not return back nor leave it.

328 6. Come, my brothers, let us together go forward. Jesus shall be with us. For

329 Jesus’ sake have we taken up this cross, for Jesus’ sake let us

330 persevere in the cross. He will be our helper, who was our Captain and

331 Forerunner. Behold our King entereth in before us, and He will fight for us.

332 Let us follow bravely, let no man fear terrors; let us be prepared to die

333 bravely in battle, and let us not so stain our honour,(6) as to fly from the

334 cross.

335 (1) John xiv. 6. (2) John viii. 32. (3) Matthew xix. 17, 21. (4) Matthew x. 24.

336 (5) John xiv. 21. (6) 1 Mac. ix. 10.

CHAPTER LVII

295 That a man must not be too much cast down when he falleth into some faults

296 “My Son, patience and humility in adversities are more pleasing to Me

297 than much comfort and devotion in prosperity. Why doth a little thing spoken

298 against thee make thee sad? If it had been more, thou still oughtest not to be

299 moved. But now suffer it to go by; it is not the first, it is not new, and it

300 will not be the last, if thou live long. Thou art brave enough, so long as no

301 adversity meeteth thee. Thou givest good counsel also, and knowest how to

302 strengthen others with thy words; but when tribulation suddenly knocketh at

303 thine own door, thy counsel and strength fail. Consider thy great frailty,

304 which thou dost so often experience in trifling matters nevertheless, for thy

305 soul’s health these things are done when they and such like happen unto

306 thee.

307 2. “Put them away from thy heart as well as thou canst, and if

308 tribulation hath touched thee, yet let it not cast thee down nor entangle thee

309 long. At the least, bear patiently, if thou canst not joyfully. And although

310 thou be very unwilling to hear it, and feel indignation, yet check thyself, and

311 suffer no unadvised word to come forth from thy lips, whereby the little ones

312 may be offended. Soon the storm which hath been raised shall be stilled, and

313 inward grief shall be sweetened by returning grace. I yet live, saith the Lord,

314 ready to help thee, and to give thee more than wonted consolation if thou put

315 thy trust in Me, and call devoutly upon Me.

316 3. “Be thou more calm of spirit, and gird thyself for greater endurance.

317 All is not frustrated, though thou find thyself very often afflicted or

318 grievously tempted. Thou art man, not God; thou art flesh, not an angel. How

319 shouldst thou be able to remain alway in the same state of virtue, when an

320 angel in heaven fell, and the first man in paradise? I am He who lifteth up the

321 mourners to deliverance, and those who know their own infirmity I raise up to

322 my own nature.”

323 4. O Lord, blessed be Thy word, sweeter to my mouth than honey and the

324 honeycomb. What should I do in my so great tribulations and anxieties, unless

325 Thou didst comfort me with Thy holy words? If only I may attain unto the haven

326 of salvation, what matter is it what things or how many I suffer? Give me a

327 good end, give me a happy passage out of this world. Remember me, O my God, and

328 lead me by the right way unto Thy Kingdom. Amen.

CHAPTER LVIII

298 Of deeper matters, and God’s hidden judgments which are not to be

299 inquired into

300 “My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters and of the hidden

301 judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and that man is taken into so

302 great favour; why also this man is so greatly afflicted, and that so highly

303 exalted. These things pass all man’s power of judging, neither may any

304 reasoning or disputation have power to search out the divine judgments. When

305 therefore the enemy suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people

306 ask such questions, answer with that word of the Prophet, *Just art Thou, O

307 Lord, and true is Thy judgment*,(1) and with this, *The judgments of the

308 Lord are true, and righteous altogether*.(2) My judgments are to be feared,

309 not to be disputed on, because they are incomprehensible to human

310 understanding.

311 2. “And be not given to inquire or dispute about the merits of the

312 Saints, which is holier than another, or which is the greater in the Kingdom of

313 Heaven. Such questions often beget useless strifes and contentions: they also

314 nourish pride and vain glory, whence envyings and dissensions arise, while one

315 man arrogantly endeavoureth to exalt one Saint and another another. But to wish

316 to know and search out such things bringeth no fruit, but it rather displeaseth

317 the Saints; for I am not *the God of confusion but of peace;*(3) which

318 peace consisteth more in true humility than in self-exaltation.

319 3. “Some are drawn by zeal of love to greater affection to these Saints

320 or those; but this is human affection rather than divine. I am He Who made all

321 the Saints: I gave them grace, I brought them glory; I know the merits of every

322 one; *I prevented them with the blessings of My goodness*.(4) I foreknew

323 my beloved ones from everlasting, *I chose them out of the world;*(5) they

324 did not choose Me. I called them by My grace, drew them by My mercy, led them

325 on through sundry temptations. I poured mighty consolations upon them, I gave

326 them perseverance, I crowned their patience.

327 4. “I acknowledge the first and the last; I embrace all with inestimable

328 love. I am to be praised in all My Saints; I am to be blessed above all things,

329 and to be honoured in every one whom I have so gloriously exalted and

330 predestined, without any preceding merits of their own. He therefore that shall

331 despise one of the least of these My people, honoureth not the great; because I

332 made both small and great.(6) And he who speaketh against any of My Saints

333 speaketh against Me, and against all others in the Kingdom of Heaven.”

334 They are all one through the bond of charity; they think the same thing, will

335 the same thing, and all are united in love one to another.

336 5. “But yet (which is far better) they love Me above themselves and their

337 own merits. For being caught up above themselves, and drawn beyond self-love,

338 they go all straightforward to the love of Me, and they rest in Me in perfect

339 enjoyment. There is nothing which can turn them away or press them down; for

340 being full of Eternal Truth, they burn with the fire of inextinguishable

341 charity. Therefore let all carnal and natural men hold their peace concerning

342 the state of the Saints, for they know nothing save to love their own personal

343 enjoyment. They take away and add according to their own inclination, not as it

344 pleaseth the Eternal Truth.

345 6. “In many men this is ignorance, chiefly is it so in those who, being

346 little enlightened, rarely learn to love any one with perfect spiritual love.

347 They are still much drawn by natural affection and human friendship to these or

348 to those: and as they reckon of themselves in lower matters, so also do they

349 frame imaginations of things heavenly. But there is an immeasurable difference

350 between those things which they imperfectly imagine, and these things which

351 enlightened men behold through supernatural revelation.

352 7. “Take heed, therefore, My son, that thou treat not curiously those

353 things which surpass thy knowledge, but rather make this thy business and give

354 attention to it, namely, that thou seek to be found, even though it be the

355 least, in the Kingdom of God. And even if any one should know who were holier

356 than others, or who were held greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven; what should

357 that knowledge profit him, unless through this knowledge he should humble

358 himself before Me, and should rise up to give greater praise unto My name? He

359 who considereth how great are his own sins, how small his virtues, and how far

360 he is removed from the perfection of the Saints, doeth far more acceptably in

361 the sight of God, than he who disputeth about their greatness or littleness.

362 8. “They are altogether well content, if men would learn to be content,

363 and to refrain from vain babbling. They glory not of their own merits, seeing

364 they ascribe no good unto themselves, but all unto Me, seeing that I of my

365 infinite charity have given them all things. They are filled with so great love

366 of the Divinity, and with such overflowing joy, that no glory is lacking to

367 them, neither can any felicity be lacking. All the Saints, the higher they are

368 exalted in glory, the humbler are they in themselves, and the nearer and dearer

369 are they unto Me. And so thou hast it written that they cast their crowns

370 before God and fell on their faces before the Lamb, and worshipped Him that

371 liveth for ever and ever.(7)

372 9. “Many ask who is greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, who know not

373 whether they shall be worthy to be counted among the least. It is a great thing

374 to be even the least in Heaven, where all are great, because all shall be

375 called, and shall be, the sons of God. *A little one shall become a thousand,

376 but the sinner being an hundred years old shall be accursed*. For when the

377 disciples asked *who should be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven*,

378 they received no other answer than this, *Except ye be converted and become

379 as little children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But

380 whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same shall be greatest

381 in the Kingdom of Heaven*.”(8)

382 10. Woe unto them who disdain to humble themselves willingly with the little

383 children; for the low gate of the kingdom of Heaven will not suffer them to

384 enter in. Woe also to them who are rich, who have their consolation here;(9)

385 because whilst the poor enter into the kingdom of God, they shall stand

386 lamenting without. Rejoice ye humble, and exult ye poor, for yours is the

387 kingdom of God if only ye walk in the truth.

388 (1) Psalm cxix. 137. (2) Psalm xix. 9. (3) 1 Corinthians xiv. 33. (4) Psalm

389 xxi. 3. (5) John xv. 19. (6) Wisd. vi. 8. (7) Revelation iv. 10; v. 14. (8)

390 Matthew xviii. 3. (9) Luke vi. 24.

CHAPTER LIX

301 That all hope and trust is to be fixed in God alone

302 O Lord, what is my trust which I have in this life, or what is my greatest

303 comfort of all the things which are seen under Heaven? Is it not Thou, O Lord

304 my God, whose mercies are without number? Where hath it been well with me

305 without Thee? Or when could it be evil whilst Thou wert near? I had rather be

306 poor for Thy sake, than rich without Thee. I choose rather to be a pilgrim upon

307 the earth with Thee than without Thee to possess heaven. Where Thou art, there

308 is heaven; and where Thou are not, behold there death and hell. Thou art all my

309 desire, and therefore must I groan and cry and earnestly pray after Thee. In

310 short I can confide fully in none to give me ready help in necessities, save in

311 Thee alone, O my God. Thou art my hope, Thou art my trust, Thou art my

312 Comforter, and most faithful in all things.

313 2. *All men seek their own;*(1) Thou settest forward only my salvation and

314 my profit, and turnest all things unto my good. Even though Thou dost expose me

315 to divers temptations and adversities, Thou ordainest all this unto my

316 advantage, for Thou are wont to prove Thy beloved ones in a thousand ways. In

317 which proving Thou oughtest no less to be loved and praised, than if Thou wert

318 filling me full of heavenly consolations.

319 3. In Thee, therefore, O Lord God, I put all my hope and my refuge, on Thee I

320 lay all my tribulation and anguish; because I find all to be weak and unstable

321 whatsoever I behold out of Thee. For many friends shall not profit, nor strong

322 helpers be able to succour, nor prudent counsellors to give a useful answer,

323 nor the books of the learned to console, nor any precious substance to deliver,

324 nor any secret and beautiful place to give shelter, if Thou Thyself do not

325 assist, help, strengthen, comfort, instruct, keep in safety.

326 4. For all things which seem to belong to the attainment of peace and felicity

327 are nothing when Thou art absent, and bring no felicity at all in reality.

328 Therefore art Thou the end of all good, and the fulness of Life, and the soul

329 of eloquence; and to hope in Thee above all things is the strongest solace of

330 Thy servants. *Mine eyes look unto Thee*,(2) in Thee is my trust, O my

331 God, Father of mercies.

332 5. Bless and sanctify my soul with heavenly blessing that it may become Thy

333 holy habitation, and the seat of Thy eternal glory; and let nothing be found in

334 the Temple of Thy divinity which may offend the eyes of Thy majesty. According

335 to the greatness of Thy goodness and the multitude of Thy mercies look upon me,

336 and hear the prayer of Thy poor servant, far exiled from Thee in the land of

337 the shadow of death. Protect and preserve the soul of Thy least servant amid so

338 many dangers of corruptible life, and by Thy grace accompanying me, direct it

339 by the way of peace unto its home of perpetual light. Amen.

340 (1) Philippians ii. 21 (2) Psalm cxli. 8.

THE FOURTH BOOK

304 OF THE SACRAMENT OF THE ALTAR

305 A devout exhortation to the Holy Communion

306 The Voice of Christ

307 Come unto Me, all ye that labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh

308 you,(1) saith the Lord. The bread that I will give is My flesh which I give for

309 the life of the world.(2) Take, eat: this is My Body, which is given for you;

310 this do in remembrance of Me.(3) He that eateth My flesh and drinketh My blood

311 dwelleth in Me and I in him. The words that I speak unto you, they are spirit,

312 and they are life.(4)

313 (1) Matthew xi. 28 (2) John vi. 51. (3) Matthew xxvi. 26; Luke xxii. 19. (4)

314 John vi. 51, 63.

CHAPTER I

307 With how great reverence Christ must be received

308 The Voice of the Disciple

309 These are Thy words, O Christ, Eternal Truth; though not uttered at one time

310 nor written together in one place of Scripture. Because therefore they are Thy

311 words and true, I must gratefully and faithfully receive them all. They are