and afflictions, not only immovable, mild, and patient, but even joyful and content, as if He now kept His marriage-banquet. And as a little water rather strengthens than extinguishes a full-kindled fire, so, by the increase of His torments-which were small in respect of His excessive love-His content and desire of suffering far greater was more and more enkindled and augmented. Consider, further, that He endured all this by no external violence,* nor for any selfinterest; but, as He told thee, for thy love, and that thou mightest imitate Him, and exercise thyself in the virtue of patience. And then, penetrating into that which He desires thou shouldst do, and into the pleasure thou shouldst afford Him by this thy practice of patience, produce acts of a compassionate will, to bear not only this cross patiently and joyfully, but any greater; that so thou mayest imitate Him more perfectly, and please Him more abundantly. And imprinting in thy mind a lively image of these His sufferings, and of His constancy therein, be ashamed to think thy patience so much as a shadow of His, or that thy affections are really any at all being compared with His; and tremble that the least thought of not enduring for the love of thy Lord should remain in thy heart. *As our Lord Himself testifies in these words: I lay down My life that I may take it again. No man taketh it away from Me; but I lay it down of Myself, and I have power to lay it down: and I have power to take it up again. John x. 17, 18. crucified is book to 6. Thy crucified Jesus, my beloved, is the best book thou canst read in, and the liveliest image thou Christ canst look upon to draw the perfect portrait of the best all virtues.* For, it being the book of life, it read. not only informs thy understanding by words, but also inflames thy will by example. The world is full of books, yet all of them together cannot so speedily and perfectly teach the true means of obtaining all virtues, as doth the right contemplation of Christ upon His cross. But they who employ much time in deploring their Saviour's Passion and admiring His patience, and apply it not at all to their particular practice when occasions are offered, do like unto those soldiers who before the skirmish talk of great matters and speak high words in their tents, but who, at the first sight of the advancing enemy, take fright, quit their colours, cast down their arms, and utterly forsake the field. And, indeed, what thing can be more silly, cowardly, and untrustworthy than to contemplate, as in a most clear glass, the virtues of our Lord and Saviour, loving them and admiring them, and presently to forget them and disesteem them as soon as any occasion is presented wherein to exercise ourselves in their imitation. * St. Thomas of Aquin, when paying a visit on one occasion to his friend St. Bonaventure, inquired of him what were the books out of which he derived the sublime thoughts found in his writings. 'Believe me,' replied the seraphic Doctor, pointing to the crucifix, 'from studying this book I draw all that I read, preach, or write, and my soul receives greater light at the foot of the crucifix than from all literary works whatsoever.' St. Philip Beneti, falling into his agony, called for his Book, and calmly expired embracing the crucifix. is best CHAPTER XXVIII. OF SENSIBLE DEVOTION, AS ALSO OF SPIRITUAL DRYNESS AND the effects it 1. SENSIBLE devotion proceeds sometimes from a Devotion natural inclination, sometimes from the devil, known by and sometimes from God's grace. * And by the produces. fruits of it thou mayest best judge from which of these springs it issueth. For if thence thou art no whit moved to amendment of life, thou mayest justly fear it comes either from thy enemy or from thy own nature; and the more sweetness thou feelest, the more shouldst thou be suspicious whence it floweth. How to spiritual 2. When, therefore, thy soul is replenished with profit from spiritual sweetness, question not whence it sweetness. cometh, nor adhere much unto it. But still stick steadfastly to the acknowledgment of thine own baseness, abstracting thy heart from all other delights or desires than only that which it takes in God and His good pleasure. Thus will these short sweetnesses, whether they spring from thy own nature or thine enemy's suggestion, be truly turned to thy comfort and profit.t * 'Sensible devotion which arises first in the bodily heart is to be held suspected, because it may be wrought by a good or a bad angel; but the devotion that descends from the superior will can only be wrought by God. If it be uncertain whence the sweetness came, a man may, by the exercise of the will, adjoining himself to God, remain secure from all harm. The same rule holds good in case of visions, revelations, and other extraordinary favours.' F. Baker's (O.S.B.) Note to the Cloud of Knowing and Unknowing, chap. xlviii. †The desire of finding comfort in what we do is natural to all; but this being the desire of the natural man, they who proceed on Three causes of spiritual 3. Dryness, or desolation of the soul, in like manner, may proceed either out of our own natural Defect, or from the Devil, or from God. From dryness. the Devil; who thereby strives to render the soul tepid and tedious in her spiritual exercises, and so to draw better principles than those which nature suggests, never seek present comforts in what they do, but perform all duties with the hope of finding everlasting comfort in the possession of God. Hence, all their business is centred in this one point:-What is the will of God; What duties He requires of them for gaining everlasting life : and having settled this point, to make it the principal business of their whole lives, to perform such duties with the greatest fidelity, and in the best manner they are able, according to the circumstances in which they are. And whilst the end of all they do is to come at length to the presence of God, their great solicitude is so to perform all, that this may be the effect of what they do; but as to all other effects which regard this life only, whether in temporal blessings, interior peace, or sensible and present comforts, they endeavour to bring their mind to as great an indifferency as they are able, leaving these blessings wholly to the pleasure of God, to grant or deny them, as it shall seem good to His eyes. If He be favourable at any time in giving such encouragements to infirm nature, they receive them with thanksgiving, but without depending on them: and if He shows no favour in this way, they go on still with an equal fidelity; because it is not the present comforts of God they here work for, but God Himself in the life that is yet to come. Nature will never fail of desiring what is so pleasing to it; and piety, while yet imperfect, is ever solicitous for these encouragements; but he who is more advanced, is jealous of all sensible consolations, because he observes how ready self-love is to lay hold of them; and, therefore, being apprehensive lest the sense of these comforts become some motive in the exercise of prayer, he chooses rather to renounce or pass them by than rejoice in them; that so the love of God and duty may have the whole influence on whatever he does, and that he may perform no part of his duty, because of the comforts found in it, but because it is the will of God he should be faithful in it. 'This is the most perfect rule a Christian can follow in this mortal state, and those who are yet at a distance from perfection, though they cannot come up to it, ought yet to keep their eye upon it, so as to secure themselves against unreasonable disquiets, which otherwise will prove their discouragement in all duties.' Instructions for Particular States, 1718, pp. 72-74. her by degrees to leave them, and look after earthly solace. From Ourselves; either because we stand in fear of ourselves by reason of our sins, or because we are negligent in the practice of our devotions. From God; Who therefore permits this dryness to excite us to more diligence, and abstract us from all other cares and curiosities but those only which concern our Creator, or have some relation unto His honour or our own perfection. Or finally, to teach us not to trust or rest in spiritual joys, but to depend wholly on His holy will and pleasure, as that resigned soul did who said: The Lord gave, and the Lord hath taken away: as it hath pleased the Lord so is it done: blessed be the name of the Lord." Search out the cause 4. When, therefore, thou feelest this dryness of devotion, enter into thyself, and search out thereof, the cause thereof; and having found it, fight against it not to recover that sensible sweetness of grace, but to expel far from thee whatsoever is displeasing to the Divine Majesty. thy ac customed 5. And let it be thy continual care to keep on thy and keep on accustomed practices of piety, notwithstanding exercises. this dryness in thy soul. Yea, though thou seemest to labour in vain, yet prosecute them with greater diligence, and drink of that bitter poison of desolation with a prompt and peaceable resolution. And if it be so mingled with the thick dregs of a troubled mind, that thou knowest not how to swallow † Job i. 21. |