plative course. Ah, poor souls, what amiable and admirable light and love do we leave and lose for a vain curiosity!

THE THIRTIETH MAXIM.

That Crosses are to be suffered, not sought; to be taken, not made; to be concealed, not complained of.

sons of this

set forth.

IT is far better to take crosses, when, where, and The rea- how we find them, than to make them ouradvice are selves; for this is loss of time and nourishes self-love. Let us not therefore cast ourselves indirectly upon difficulties, or seek out occasions of humility and patience, but be ready to receive and accept with indifference such as befall us, and we shall find enough to do. Let us make as little outward show as may be of our inward sufferings, but keep them to ourselves,* till obedience and just reason induce us to reveal them, and then let us do it simply, sincerely, and resignedly. O, what peace, what profit, what pleasure shall we find in this practice? Complaints are commonly accompanied with self-seeking, and small troubles are sooner cured by quiet suffering than by much showing or speaking of them. Doth this cross come from men, or is it not rather permitted and provided by our beloved Lord from all eternity, to purify us from pride, to purge us from the love of creatures, and to dispose us for heaven and happiness?

*O, learn to endure a little for the love of God, without letting every one know it!' The Way of Perfection, p. 54.

THE THIRTY-FIRST MAXIM.

That Temptations cannot hurt us, if we cast our whole Care upon God. WHEN temptations, passions, repugnances, or repin

ings rage in the inferior part of our souls, we are presently to reflect :

Four rules in time of temptation.

1. That we have made choice of God's love for our

end, and resolve to stand by it till death.

2. That we must willingly submit to the trouble as long as it shall please God to permit it.

3. That we must continue in our practices of piety and recollection, as if we felt no afflictions; neither thinking of them nor fearing them, but assuring ourselves that nothing can injure us so long as we rely upon God and acknowledge our own weakness.

4. That prayer must be our chief refuge and support against all their surprises; and therefore we may say briefly and heartily:-'Perfect Thy strength, O powerful Lord, in my weakness; let Thy mercy triumph on the throne of my misery. I detest from my heart whatsoever is contrary to Thy holy will in this point, N. . . . and in all things. I resign myself to suffer it as long and in what manner Thou pleasest, though ever so repugnant to my crooked nature. Sweet Saviour, remain with me, and let Thy love reign in me, and then I shall neither want other company nor desire further comfort.'

THE THIRTY-SECOND MAXIM.

That we must rise above all Desolations, Derelictions, Afflictions, and Distractions, by means of generous Resolutions.

How we should con

duct ourselves in

1. In time of desolation, &c., we are not to dispute with ourselves, nor examine the causes or circumstances of our sufferings, for we are then such times. neither competent, nor unbiassed judges, but we must defer this until the time of prayer. Talk not now with your passionate, distressed, and biassed heart, but speak to God about some other thing, transcending and dissembling your trouble in some such manner as the following: Good God, when shall this pilgrimage have an end? My life is a continual warfare upon earth, wherein all is vanity, all is affliction of spirit, all is full of frailty, misery, instability. O Lord, what is man that Thou shouldst be mindful of him? A weak reed, shaken by every wind and stricken by every little cross and contrariety, burdensome to himself and troublesome to others. It is more profit and less danger to suffer desolation than to abound with consolation; to desire sensible love and contrition than to feel it; to resist temptations, distractions, passions, with patience and resignation than to have none at all.

2. This is a sign of high and heroic virtue :—

Four

signs of

I. To be resigned when it seems we neither heroic vir- are nor can be resigned.

tue.

II. To be patient when we are brimful of motions

to anger.

III. To be humble, meek, and quiet in time of sickness, serious business, multiplicity of employments.

IV. To be constant and invariable in all the diversities and varieties of our own changeable humours, dispositions, inclinations, internal invitations, external instigations.

The

3. Let us not think we lose our time when we are involuntarily distracted in prayer, but rather comfort ourselves in being deprived of all comfort, because we then remain in that state in

*

prayer of aridity is good and profitable.

which God would have us." Let us conceive ourselves as within the walls of a strong castle, without which are great noises, outcries, tumults, alarms, but we, safe and secure within, slighting their vain attempts. If

*Surely a matter of great comfort it is to a soul, and ought so to be esteemed, that in her will (which is her principal faculty and, indeed, all in all) she may be united to God in the midst of all distractions, temptations, and desolations; and that being so united, she will be so far from receiving any harm by them that she will, by their means, increase in grace, so that although she do not receive any extraordinary illuminations, nor any satisfaction to her natural will by such distracted prayer, yet doth she get that for which such illuminations and gusts are given, to wit, a privy but effectual grace to adhere unto God and to resign herself to Him in all His providence and permissions concerning her; and grace gotten by such an afflicting way of abnegation is far more secure, and merits more at God's hands, than if it had come by lightsome and pleasing consolations; since this is a way by which corrupt nature is transcended, self-love contradicted and subdued, even when it assaults the soul most subtly and dangerously, to wit, by pretending that all solicitudes and anxious discouragements caused by distractions do flow from divine love, and from a care of the soul's progress in spirituality. Lastly, this is a way by which charity and all divine virtues are deeply rooted in the spirit, being produced and established there by the same means that the devil uses to hinder the production of them in negligent and tepid souls, or to destroy them when they have been in some measure produced.' Sancta Sophia, vol. ii. treat. 3, sect. 1, ch. vi. § 8.

our desires be to love God, and our intentions to be with Him, and we hold no discourse with other allurements, we have made a good and profitable prayer.

THE THIRTY-THIRD MAXIM.

That Perfection consists in putting off all Propriety, and putting on pure and naked Charity.

THIS will make us love God above all things, and all things in and for Him only, uniting our spirits to God and in Him to our neighbours.

A method for exercising this spiritual unclothing of our souls:

Behold, O my Lord and Love, I totally and in general renounce all things but Thee, casting myself into the arms of Thy most holy disposition and protection. O my soul, return sweetly to thy seat of rest, repose quietly and confidently in the bosom of Divine Bounty, remain here without diverting or distracting thyself to other objects, rely securely upon His mercy and providence, cutting off all superfluous cares and solicitudes, and protesting that thou desirest nothing but the advancing of His honour, and the accomplishing of His will; His love, and Himself!

Take courage, my naked soul; for if thou art unclothed sometimes and deprived of thy Lover's embraces, of the feelings of His comforts, and of the pleasures of His presence, it is only that He Himself alone may possess thee. O my Lord and Lover, look upon this