hired at such high wages, stand here all the day idle? No, gladly will I take upon me thy sweet yoke and light burden. I will bear thee and glorify thee in my body; and whatever my hand is able to do, by thy grace I will do for thee earnestly, who workest thus for me, all in all, and hast thus wrought my salvation in the midst of the earth. For he that sows sparingly shall also reap sparingly; but if we are not weary in well-doing, oh, how abundantly shall we reap in due time, and carry our sheaves with joyfulness! Then shall we be satisfied with the plenty of thy house, and eat bread in thy kingdom for ever, if, in this brief moment of life, we do violence to thy kingdom, and eat bread in the sweat of our face. Why, then, does my slothful hand work poverty, when the hand of the industrious gets riches? I hear one who says, He that gathers in the harvest is a wise son, but he that snorts in the summer is the son of confusion. Behold, now is the acceptable time, and the present life is the time of harvest; now is the day of salvation, during which we may gather many sheaves of merits and of thy grace; but the winter will come, in which none will be able to work. For death is 1 Prov. x. 4, 5. not slow, and time flies, that cannot be recalled. Grant me not to forget them, but to labour by good works to make sure my calling, that I may not begin to be lukewarm, and thou begin also to vomit me out of thy mouth.2 XVIII. EXERCISE For mortification of curi- O Lord Jesus Christ, in whom are hid all the treasures of knowledge and wisdom, oh, that I may know thee, know myself! Oh, that I may know thy will! For that knowledge only is sufficient for me, by which I may be wise and be saved; and may know thee, see thee, and in thee possess all things, and this the more and the more perfectly the less vain curiosity here has distracted me to different things. For one thing is necessary, and that is eternal life, that we may know thee alone. Are these things true? Do I believe thee with a lively faith? And do I live, think, speak, and act in thy presence, like one who believes them? And do I hope in thee, the only hope! and do I love thee, Ŏ infinite goodness, who art here most present with me? I do believe, Lord; help my 1 Ecclus. xiv. 12. unbelief. I hope in thee alone, and I know that I shall not be confounded; for vanity of vanities, and all is vanity; and as, for love of thee, I am above all things sorry that I have offended thee, so with my whole heart I love thee above all things. And what is there now that can separate me from thee, O Jesus, O my life, O charity most lovely, O God of my heart and my all! Why, then, my soul, should I seek to inquire into things that are too high for me, and above my ability? Why should I turn my eyes to vanity, and not to thee, O Jesus! in whom alone is our salvation? But, alas! the ground of our heart, through negligence left uncultivated, brings forth thorns and briers; and our soul, finding no rest in itself, is constrained to wander abroad; and when it slackens in looking into itself, its carelessness of self makes it curious about other things. And yet all wisdom, and knowledge, and experience is vain, which does not profit for eternity. What is it, then, but affliction of the spirit, which cannot be satisfied, nor find rest in any creature, but in thee only, in whom are all things? Oh, happy is the soul to which thou only art all things, that sees in thee all, that receives from thee all, and directs to thee Ecclus. iii. 22. all, O God of my heart and my all! XIX. EXERCISE For peace and tranquillity of soul. To be used frequently by pious persons. For the peace of God surpasses all understanding. I acknowledge, O Lord Jesus, most present to me, that thy place is in peace! Thou, who art our peace, our centre, and our rest, thou only art all my good. What, then, do I wish or hope for now beside thee? What have I to fear or sorrow for out of thee? Thou art my love, thou art my fear. Stay with me, O Lord, I beseech me, and let my soul repose in thee, and delight in thee; for what is there to be compared to the peace which is in thee, since it surpasses all understanding? and a secure and quiet mind, in which thou dwellest, is better than a continual feast.3 Forbid it, then, O Lord, that this thing, N., should trouble me, or that without thee I should pursue this thing, or lament the loss of that. For nothing can bring me any good, if I want thy peace; and what else can I want, if I have thee, who art 1 Phil. iv. 7. 2 Ps. lxxv. 3. 3 Prov. iii. 15. all good? Why, for filth and thorns like these, N., lose thee, man's highest good; thee, I say, the peace of my soul? Let the children of this world have what they please, but I will be glad in thee, and be joyful in God my Jesus. And when thou hast scattered this cloud of vanity, and shown me the light of thy will, I hope and most humbly pray that thy peace and serenity may fill and rejoice my heart. Though I had all things, should I not be nothing, and have nothing with it all, if I had not thee? and ought I not to renounce all things, if I would be thy disciple? Why, then, have them at all, if I cannot have thee with them, if they would take away or lessen my only good, the peace of my soul? And yet it is that our heart may rest in them, that they are desired and pursued. But in this who has ever succeeded? Nay, the heart is restless ever, until it has found rest in thee alone. For, being capable of enjoying the highest good, it cannot be filled and satisfied with any thing short of thee. This I know, this I believe; this bygone ages and all creatures declare. But why not reject that good? Why not admit that evil, which, while it is at a distance and without the walls, disquiets my soul, like an enemy, by its very bear ing and look? Forbid it, Lord; avert it from thy servant, whose peace, and all whose good is indeed to rest entirely in thy will. Thou knowest what is best, both in public and private, for the glory of thy name, and for my own salvation; but since I know it not, why do I hope or fear, why grieve or rejoice, save only in thy will? Well I know that, come what may, nothing will happen, not a hair of my head will perish, not a leaf of a tree, not a grain of sand will stir without thy providence; so that I ought never to be surprised by, nor complain of, any event, for it is thy will that it shall be done; nay, mine too; because I have so often resigned it to thee, as I now resign it to thee again, to whom, with all things else, I entirely belong. Therefore, O eternal Wisdom, I most humbly beseech thee never to do, or permit any thing to be done, according to my foolish will; but rather let all things happen to me according to thy word and pleasure. Thy will alone is the most prosperous wind, by aid of which may I be able to arrive safe, amid the many billows of this life, to the harbour of salvation and a happy eternity. Amen. XX. EXERCISE Are these things true? On the right use of wealth. Yes, most true indeed, for they Most useful for the rich in this world, that they may have this woe to the rich changed into the beatitude of the poor. Read, O ye rich, and understand. O most bountiful God, to whom the world with its fulness belongs, who hast no need of our goods, but distributest thy goods so largely to us; I acknowledge, that from thy bountiful hand I received those goods that I have. But are they really goods? Tell me, I beseech thee, O good Jesus, eternal Truth, why these words of thine wound and disquiet me, Woe to you that are rich, for you have your consolation; and testifiest of the rich man that he received good things in his lifetime, but in the end was buried in hell ?? are the words of the eternal Truth. How, then, is it that we call them goods, and with so much anxiety try to procure them? Is it that they will make their possessors good, and more acceptable to thee, the highest Good? But I hear that it is not the rich, but the poor, whom thou hast chosen in this world.' And If thou be rich, thou shalt not be free from sin. And again, They that will become rich fall into temptation, and into the snare of the devil, and into many unprofitable and hurtful desires, which plunge men into perdition.3 But they help us, perhaps, to serve thee more easily. Yet I hear, You cannot serve God and Mammon; and again, He that loves gold shall not be justified, for there is not a more wicked thing than to love money; and again, Blessed is the man that has not gone after gold, nor put his trust in money, nor in treasures. The poor in spirit, too, thou pronouncest blessed, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.8 Is it thus that we glory in these good things, and call those who have them happy, though thou, the eternal Truth, denouncest to them Woe? Nay, more: Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. And again, It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of hea-11 Jas. ii. 5. ven. 1 Luke vi. 24. 2 Ib. xvi. 23. Oh, voice of the Lord, that breakest the cedars, and discoverest the thick woods! Do I believe this, O my God? Do I truly believe thee, O eternal 3 1 Tim. vi. 9. T 2 Ecclus. xi. 104 Matt. vi. 24. 6 Ib. x. 10. 8 Matt. v. 3. Truth? Ah, how wretched am I, to be brought into such danger by the fleeting goods that for a brief moment are lent to me, as possibly to be separated by them from thee, my greatest good, and plunged into perdition and the worst of misfortunes! What shall I do to thee, O keeper of men? Why hast thou placed me in so slippery a state and position? What shall I do, that by temporal goods I may not lose the eternal? Thou commandest me not to set my heart upon riches; if they abound, not to be high-minded; to honour thee with my substance, or rather with thine; for I brought nothing into this world, and certainly can carry nothing out. I am thy steward; but when thou comest, alas! to reckon with thy servant, how can it be that I shall be found faithful? Difficulties surround me on every side. But behold, I know what I will do. Rather than perish eternally, I will cast all away for thy sake, and thou wilt repay it me with what is far better. Straight is the way, and narrow is the gate; but, rather than be shut out from thee, most gladly will I lay down, or rather lay up with thee my all. For I know that thou, who keepest thyself for me, art able to keep that Prov. iii. 9. which I deposit with thee, O my God and my all! Thou hast said, O eternal Truth, not to religious and monks only, but to every Christian, Unless a man (in affection at least,) renounce all that he possesses, he cannot be my disciple. Therefore I renounce all, and, by the bowels of thy mercy, I most humbly beseech thee, enable me to be thy disciple, O Lord, our salvation and our life! Thou delightest not in the death and perdition of any one; take, therefore, away from me the concupiscence of the eyes, and accept this my desire, by which I renounce in my soul's affection, and am ready to renounce in effect all things rather than offend thee; and to be poor with Lazarus, rather than be rich with the glutton. Therefore, I cheerfully offer thee my heart and my all; that is, thy own. Dispose of them as thou pleasest; for if they are thine, as indeed they are, I am unjust if I usurp thy right. So be it, then, whether I am deprived of them by the violence of men, the ruin of wars, the malice of Satan, injury from weather, or any other accident, I will look to thee alone, and will say patiently and humbly with Job, The Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away, blessed be the name of the Lord. |