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important; } - -</style> -</head> -<body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual -Torrents, by Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents - -Author: Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon - -Translator: A. W. Marston - -Release Date: April 4, 2008 [EBook #24989] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER *** - - - - -Produced by Free Elf, David Wilson and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - - - - - -</pre> - - - - -<hr class="pg" /> - -<div class="tnote"> -<h3>Transcriber's note:</h3> -<p>This eBook contains the front matter from a combined edition of <cite>A Short Method of Prayer</cite> -and <cite>Spiritual Torrents</cite>, but only contains the text of <cite>A Short Method of Prayer</cite>.</p> -</div> -<div class="frontmatter"> - -<h1><a name="png.001" id="png.001"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">i</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span><small>A</small><br - />Short Method of Prayer<br - /><small><span>AND</span></small><br - />Spiritual Torrents.</h1> - -<p class="auth"><small>BY</small><br - />J. M. B. DE LA MOTHE GUYON.</p> - -<p class="transl"><strong>Translated from the Paris Edition of 1790</strong><br - /><small>BY</small><br - />A. W. MARSTON.</p> - -<p class="publ"><big>LONDON:</big><br - />SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, LOW, & SEARLE,<br - /><small>CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 FLEET STREET.<br - />1875.<br - />[<em>All rights reserved.</em>]</small></p> - -<p class="printer"><a name="png.002" id="png.002"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">ii</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY<br - />EDINBURGH AND LONDON</p> - -</div> -<div class="preface"> - -<h2><a name="png.003" id="png.003"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">iii</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span><i>PREFACE TO THE<br - />ENGLISH PROTESTANT EDITION.</i></h2> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="first"><span class="smc">Some</span> apology is perhaps needed when a Protestant -thus brings before Protestant readers the works of -a consistent Roman Catholic author. The plea must -be, that the doctrine and experience described are -essentially Protestant; and so far from their receiving -the assent of the Roman Catholic Church, their -author was persecuted for holding and disseminating -them.</p> - -<p>Of the experience of Madame Guyon, it should be -borne in mind, that though the glorious heights of -communion with God to which she attained may be -scaled by the feeblest of God’s chosen ones, yet it is -by no means necessary that they should be reached -by the same apparently arduous and protracted path -along which she was led.</p> - -<p>The “Torrents” especially needs to be regarded -rather as an account of the personal experience of -the author, than as the plan which God invariably, -or even usually, adopts in bringing the soul into a -state of union with Himself. It is true that, in order -that we may “live unto righteousness,” we must be -<a name="png.004" id="png.004"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">iv</span><span class="ns">] - </span>“dead indeed unto sin;” and that there must be a -crucifixion of self before the life of Christ can be -made manifest in us. It is only when we can say, “I -am crucified with Christ,” that we are able to add, -“Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in -me.” But it does not follow that this inward death -must always be as lingering as in the case of Madame -Guyon. She tells us herself that the reason was, -that she was not wholly resigned to the Divine will, -and willing to be deprived of the gifts of God, that -she might enjoy the possession of the Giver. This -resistance to the will of God implies suffering on -the part of the creature, and chastisement on the -part of God, in order that He may subdue to Himself -what is not voluntarily yielded to Him.</p> - -<p>Of the joy of a complete surrender to God, it is -not necessary to speak here: thousands of God’s -children are realising its blessedness for themselves, -and proving that it is no hardship, but a joy unspeakable, -to present themselves a living sacrifice to God, -to live no longer to themselves, but to Him that died -for them, and rose again.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">A simple trust in a living, personal Saviour; a -putting away by His grace of all that is known to be -in opposition to His will; and an entire self-abandonment -to Him, that His designs may be worked out in -and through us; such is the simple key to the hidden -sanctuary of communion.</p> - - -<h2><a name="png.005" id="png.005"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">v</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span><i>A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER.</i></h2> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<h2 class="chap nogap">CONTENTS.</h2> - -<div class="toc"> -<table summary="Table of Contents for this book"> -<tr><td class="chap"><small>CHAP.</small></td><td></td><td class="pg"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">I.</td><td>PRAYER POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES, BY THE MOST SIMPLE</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.017">1</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">II.</td><td>FIRST DEGREE OF PRAYER</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.022">6</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">III.</td><td>SECOND DEGREE OF PRAYER, CALLED HERE THE PRAYER OF SIMPLICITY</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.029">13</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">IV.</td><td>SPIRITUAL DRYNESS</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.032">16</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">V.</td><td>ABANDONMENT TO GOD</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.034">18</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">VI.</td><td>SUFFERING</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.037">21</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">VII.</td><td>MYSTERIES</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.039">23</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">VIII.</td><td>VIRTUE</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.041">25</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">IX.</td><td>PERFECT CONVERSION</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.043">27</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">X.</td><td>HIGHER DEGREE OF PRAYER, THAT OF THE SIMPLE PRESENCE OF GOD</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.046">30</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XI.</td><td>REST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD—INWARD AND OUTWARD SILENCE</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.051">35</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XII.</td><td>SELF-EXAMINATION AND CONFESSION</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.055">39</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap"><a name="png.006" id="png.006"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">vi</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>XIII.</td><td>READING AND VOCAL PRAYER</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.058">42</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XIV.</td><td>THE FAULTS AND TEMPTATIONS OF THIS DEGREE</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.060">44</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XV.</td><td>PRAYER AND SACRIFICE EXPLAINED BY THE SIMILITUDE OF A PERFUME</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.063">47</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XVI.</td><td>THIS STATE NOT ONE OF IDLENESS, BUT OF ACTION</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.067">51</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XVII.</td><td>DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR ACTIONS</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.079">63</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XVIII.</td><td>EXHORTATIONS TO PREACHERS</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.087">71</a></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">XIX.</td><td>PREPARATION FOR DIVINE UNION</td><td class="pg"><a href="#png.093">77</a></td></tr> - -</table> -</div> - -<h2><a name="png.007" id="png.007"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">vii</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span><i>SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.</i></h2> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<h2 class="chap nogap">CONTENTS.</h2> - - -<div class="toc"> -<table summary="Table of Contents for second book"> -<tr><td colspan="3"><h2><i>PART I.</i></h2></td></tr> -<tr><td class="chap"><small>CHAP.</small></td><td></td><td class="pg"><small>PAGE</small></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">I.</td><td>THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH SOULS ARE LED TO SEEK AFTER GOD</td><td class="pg">91</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">II.</td><td>OF THE FIRST WAY, WHICH IS ACTIVE AND MEDITATIVE</td><td class="pg">94</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">III.</td><td>OF THE SECOND WAY, WHICH IS THE PASSIVE WAY OF LIGHT</td><td class="pg">103</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">IV.</td><td>OF THE THIRD WAY, WHICH IS THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH, AND OF ITS FIRST DEGREE</td><td class="pg">111</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">V.</td><td>IMPERFECTIONS OF THIS FIRST DEGREE</td><td class="pg">125</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">VI.</td><td>SECOND DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH</td><td class="pg">139</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">VII.</td><td>SECT. I.—COMMENCEMENT OF THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE - PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH—FIRST DEGREE OF THE SPOLIATION OF THE SOUL</td><td class="pg">151</td></tr> - -<tr><td></td><td>SECT. II.—SECOND DEGREE OF THE SPOLIATION OF THE SOUL</td><td class="pg">164</td></tr> - -<tr><td><a name="png.008" id="png.008"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">viii</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span></td><td>SECT. III.—THIRD DEGREE OF SPOLIATION</td><td class="pg">169</td></tr> - -<tr><td></td><td>SECT. IV.—ENTRANCE INTO MYSTICAL DEATH</td><td class="pg">179</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">VIII.</td><td>THIRD DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH, IN ITS CONSUMMATION</td><td class="pg">185</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">IX.</td><td>FOURTH DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH, WHICH IS THE COMMENCEMENT OF THE DIVINE LIFE</td><td class="pg">193</td></tr> - - -<tr><td colspan="3"><h2><i>PART II</i>.</h2></td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">I.</td><td>MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF THE RESURRECTION LIFE</td><td class="pg">211</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">II.</td><td>STABILITY, EXPERIENCE, ELEVATION, AND EXTREME PURITY OF THE ABANDONED SOUL</td><td class="pg">221</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">III.</td><td>PERFECT UNION OR DEIFORMITY</td><td class="pg">231</td></tr> - -<tr><td class="chap">IV.</td><td>ACTIONS AND SUFFERINGS OF THOSE IN A STATE OF UNION WITH GOD</td><td class="pg">240</td></tr> -</table> -</div> - - - -<h2><a name="png.009" id="png.009"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">ix</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span><small>A</small><br - /><big><i>SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER</i>.</big></h2> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<p class="quote pgbrk"><small>“Walk before me, - and be thou perfect.”—<span class="smc">Gen.</span> xvii. 1.</small></p> - -<h2><a name="png.011" id="png.011"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">xi</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span><i>AUTHOR’S PREFACE.</i></h2> - -<hr class="tiny" /> - - -<p class="first"><span class="smc">I did</span> not write this little work with the thought -of its being given to the public. It was prepared -for the help of a few Christians who were desirous -of loving God with the whole heart. But so many -have requested copies of it, because of the benefit -they have derived from its perusal, that I have -been asked to publish it.</p> - -<p>I have left it in its natural simplicity. I do not -condemn the opinions of any: on the contrary, I -esteem those which are held by others, and submit -all that I have written to the censure of persons -of experience and learning. I only ask of all that -they will not be content with examining the outside, -but that they will penetrate the design of the -<a name="png.012" id="png.012"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">xii</span><span class="ns">] - </span>writer, which is only to lead others to <span class="allsc">LOVE</span> - <span class="smc">G</span><span class="allsc">od</span>, -and to serve Him with greater happiness and success, -by enabling them to do it in a simple and -easy way, fit for the little ones who are not capable -of extraordinary things, but who truly desire to <em>give -themselves to God</em>.</p> - -<p>I ask all who may read it, to read without prejudice; -and they will discover, under common expressions, -a hidden unction, which will lead them -to seek for a happiness which all ought to expect -to possess.</p> - -<p>I use the word <em>facility</em>, saying that perfection is -easy, because it is easy to find God, <em>when we seek -Him within ourselves</em>. The passage may be quoted -which says, “Ye shall seek me, and shall not find -me” (John vii. 34). Yet this need not occasion -any difficulty; because the same God, who cannot -contradict Himself, has said, “He that seeketh -findeth” (Matt. vii. 8). <em>He who seeks God, and -who yet is unwilling to forsake sin, will not find -Him, because he is seeking Him where He cannot -be found</em>; therefore it is added, “Ye shall die in -your sins.” <em>But he who sincerely desires to forsake -<a name="png.013" id="png.013"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">xiii</span><span class="ns">] - </span>sin, that he may draw near to God, will find Him -infallibly</em>.</p> - -<p>Many people imagine religion so frightful, and -prayer so extraordinary, that they are not willing -to strive after them, never expecting to attain to -them. But as the difficulty which we see in a -thing causes us to despair of succeeding in it, and -at the same time removes the desire to undertake -it; and as, when a thing appears both desirable -and easy to be attained, we give ourselves to it -with pleasure, and pursue it boldly; I have been -constrained to set forth the advantage and the -<em>facility</em> of this way.</p> - -<p>Oh! if we were persuaded of the goodness of -God toward His poor creatures, and of the desire -which He has to communicate Himself to them, -we should not imagine so many obstacles, and -despair so easily of obtaining a good which He is -so infinitely desirous of imparting to us.</p> - -<p>And if He has not spared His own Son, but -delivered Him up for us all, is there anything He -can refuse us? Assuredly not. We only need a -little courage and perseverance. We have so much -<a name="png.014" id="png.014"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">xiv</span><span class="ns">] - </span>of both for trifling temporal interests, and we have -none for the “<em>one thing needful</em>.”</p> - -<p>As for those who find a difficulty in believing -that it is easy to find God in this way, let them -not believe all that they are told, but rather let -them make trial of it, that they may judge for -themselves; and they will find that I say very -little in comparison with that which is.</p> - -<p>Dear reader, study this little work with a simple -and sincere heart, with lowliness of mind, without -wishing to criticise it, and you will find it of good -to you. Receive it with the same spirit as that in -which it is given, which is no other than the longing -that you may be led to <em>give yourself unreservedly -to God</em>. My desire is that it may be the -means of leading the simple ones and the children -to their Father, who loves their humble confidence, -and to whom distrust is so displeasing. Seek -nothing but <em>the love of God</em>; have a sincere desire -for your salvation, and you will assuredly find it, -following this little unmethodical method.</p> - -<p>I do not pretend to elevate my sentiments above -those of others, but I relate simply what has been -<a name="png.015" id="png.015"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">xv</span><span class="ns">] - </span>my own experience as well as that of others, and -the advantage which I have found in this simple -and natural manner of going to God.</p> - -<p>If this book treats of nothing else but the <em>short -and easy method of prayer</em>, it is because, being -written only for that, it cannot speak of other -things. It is certain that, if it be read in the spirit -in which it has been written, there will be found -nothing in it to shock the mind. Those who will -make the experience of it will be the most certain -of the truth which it contains.</p> - -<p>It is to Thee, O Holy Child Jesus, who lovest -simplicity and innocence, and who findest Thy -delight in the children of men, that is to say, with -those amongst men who are willing to become -children;—it is to Thee, I say, to give worth and -value to this little work, impressing it on the heart, -and leading those who read it to seek Thee within -themselves, where Thou wilt take Thy rest, receiving -the tokens of their love, and giving them -proofs of Thine.</p> - -<p>It is Thy work, O Divine Child! O uncreated -Love! O silent Word! to make Thyself beloved, -<a name="png.016" id="png.016"></a><span class="ns">[p </span><span - class="pgmark">xvi</span><span class="ns">] - </span>tasted, and heard. Thou art able to do it; and -I even dare to say that Thou wilt do it, by means -of this little work, which is all to Thee, all of -Thee, and all for Thee.</p> - -</div> -<div class="main"> -<h1><a name="png.017" id="png.017"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">1</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span><small>A</small><br - />SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER.</h1> - - -<hr class="tiny" /> - -<h2 class="chap">CHAPTER I.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">ALL ARE COMMANDED TO PRAY—PRAYER THE GREAT -MEANS OF SALVATION, AND POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES BY -THE MOST SIMPLE.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>Prayer</span> is nothing else but the <em>application of -the heart to God</em>, and the interior exercise -of love. St Paul commands us to “pray without -ceasing” (1 Thess. v. 17). Our Lord says: “Take -ye heed, watch and pray.” “And what I say unto -you, I say unto all” (Mark xiii. 33, 37). All, then, -are capable of prayer, and it is the duty of all to -engage in it.</p> - -<p>But I do not think that all are fit for -<a name="png.018" id="png.018"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">2</span><span class="ns">] - </span>meditation; and, therefore, it is not that sort of prayer -which God demands or desires of them.</p> - -<p>My dear friends, whoever you may be, who -desire to be saved, come unto God in prayer. “I -counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, -that thou mayest be rich” (Rev. iii. 18). It is -easily to be obtained, far more easily than you -could ever imagine.</p> - -<p>Come, all ye that are athirst, and take this water -of life freely (see Rev. xxii. 17). Do not amuse -yourselves by hewing out to yourselves “broken cisterns -that can hold no water” (Jer. ii. 13). Come, -hungry souls, who find nothing that can satisfy you, -and you shall be <em>filled</em>. Come, poor afflicted ones, -weighed down with griefs and sorrows, and you -shall be comforted. Come, sick ones, to the great -Physician, and do not fear to approach Him because -you are so weak and diseased: expose all your -diseases to Him, and they shall be healed.</p> - -<p>Come, children, to your Father; He will receive -you with open arms of love. Come, wandering -and scattered sheep, to your Shepherd. Come, sinners, -to your Saviour. Come, ignorant and foolish -<a name="png.019" id="png.019"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">3</span><span class="ns">] - </span>ones, who believe yourselves incapable of prayer; -it is you who are the most fitted for it. Come -all without exception; Jesus Christ calls you -all.</p> - -<p>Let those only refuse to come who have no heart. -The invitation is not for them; for we must have a -heart in order to love. But who is indeed without -heart? Oh, come and give that heart to God, and -learn in the place of prayer how to do it! All those -who long for prayer are capable of it, who have -ordinary grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which -is freely promised to all who ask it.</p> - -<p>Prayer is the key of perfection and of sovereign -happiness; it is the efficacious means of getting rid -of all vices and of acquiring all virtues; for the way -to become perfect is to live in the presence of God. -He tells us this Himself: “Walk before me, and be -thou perfect” (Gen. xvii. 1). Prayer alone can bring -you into His presence, and keep you there continually.</p> - -<p>What we need, then, is an attitude of prayer, in -which we can <em>constantly</em> abide, and out of which exterior -occupations cannot draw us; a prayer which -<a name="png.020" id="png.020"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">4</span><span class="ns">] - </span>can be offered alike by princes, kings, prelates, magistrates, -soldiers, children, artisans, labourers, women, -and the sick. This prayer is not mental, but <em>of -the heart</em>.</p> - -<p>It is not a prayer of thought alone, because the -mind of man is so limited, that while it is occupied -with one thing it cannot be thinking of another. -But it is the <span class="allsc">PRAYER OF THE HEART</span>, which cannot -be interrupted by the occupations of the mind. -Nothing can interrupt the prayer of the heart but -unruly affections; and when once we have tasted of -the love of God, it is impossible to find our delight -in anything but Himself.</p> - -<p>Nothing is easier than to have God and to live -upon Him. He is more truly in us than we are -in ourselves. He is more anxious to give Himself -to us than we are to possess Him. All that we -want is to know the way to seek Him, which is so -easy and so natural, that breathing itself is not -more so.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Oh, you who imagine yourselves incapable of -religious feeling, you may live in prayer and in -<a name="png.021" id="png.021"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">5</span><span class="ns">] - </span>God as easily and as continuously as you live by -the air you breathe. Will you not, then, be inexcusable -if you neglect to do it, after you have learned -the way?</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.022" id="png.022"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">6</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER II.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">FIRST DEGREE OF PRAYER—MEDITATION AND MEDITATIVE -READING—THE LORD’S PRAYER—PASSAGE FROM THE -FIRST DEGREE TO THE SECOND.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>There</span> are two means by which we may be led -into the higher forms of prayer. One is <em>Meditation</em>, -the other is <em>Meditative Reading</em>. By meditative -reading I mean the taking of some truths, either -doctrinal or practical—the latter rather than the -former—and reading them in this way:—Take the -truth which has presented itself to you, and read -two or three lines, seeking to enter into the full -meaning of the words, and go on no further so -long as you find satisfaction in them; leave the -place only when it becomes insipid. After that, take -another passage, and do the same, not reading -more than half a page at once.</p> - -<p>It is not so much from the amount read that -we derive profit, as from the manner of reading. -<a name="png.023" id="png.023"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">7</span><span class="ns">] - </span>Those people who get through so much do not -profit from it; the bees can only draw the juice -from the flowers by resting on them, not by flying -round them. Much reading is more for scholastic -than for spiritual science; but in order to derive -profit from spiritual books, we should read them in -this way; and I am sure that this manner of reading -accustoms us gradually to prayer, and gives us a -deeper desire for it. The other way is <em>Meditation</em>, -in which we should engage at a chosen time, and -not in the hour given to reading. I think the -way to enter into it is this:—After having brought -ourselves into the presence of God by a definite -act of faith, we should read something substantial, -not so much to reason upon it, as to fix the -attention, observing that the principal exercise -should be the presence of God, and that the -subject should rather fix the attention than exercise -reason.</p> - -<p>This <em>faith in the presence of God within our -hearts</em> must lead us to enter within ourselves, collecting -our thoughts, and preventing their wandering; -this is an effectual way of getting rid of -<a name="png.024" id="png.024"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">8</span><span class="ns">] - </span>distracting thoughts, and of losing sight of outward -things, in order to draw near to God, who -can only be found in the secret place of our -hearts, which is the <i>sancta-sanctorum</i> in which He -dwells.</p> - -<p>He has promised that if any one keeps His commandments, -He will come to him, and <em>make His -abode</em> with him (John xiv. 23). St Augustine -reproaches himself for the time he lost through -not having sought God at first in this way.</p> - -<p>When, then, we are thus buried in ourselves, -and deeply penetrated with the presence of God -within us—when the senses are all drawn from -the circumference to the centre, which, though -it is not easily accomplished at first, becomes -quite natural afterwards—when the soul is thus -gathered up within itself, and is sweetly occupied -with the truth read, not in reasoning upon it, -but in feeding upon it, and exciting the will by -the affection rather than the understanding by consideration: -the <em>affection</em> being thus touched, must -be suffered to <em>repose</em> sweetly and at peace, <em>swallowing</em> -what it has tasted.</p> - -<p><a name="png.025" id="png.025"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">9</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>As a person who only masticated an excellent -meat would not be nourished by it, although he -would be sensible of its taste, unless he ceased -this movement in order to swallow it; so when the -affection is stirred, if we seek continually to stir -it, we extinguish its fire, and thus deprive the soul -of its nourishment. We must swallow by a <em>loving -repose</em> (full of respect and confidence) what we -have masticated and tasted. This method is very -necessary, and would advance the soul in a short -time more than any other would do in several years.</p> - -<p>But as I said that the direct and principal -exercise should be the <em>sense of the presence of God</em>, -we must most faithfully <em>recall the senses</em> when they -wander.</p> - -<p>This is a short and efficacious way of fighting -with distractions; because those who endeavour -directly to oppose them, irritate and increase them; -but by losing ourselves in the thought of a present -God, and suffering our thoughts to be drawn to -Him, we combat them indirectly, and without thinking -of them, but in an effectual manner. And -here let me warn beginners not to run from one -<a name="png.026" id="png.026"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">10</span><span class="ns">] - </span>truth to another, from one subject to another; but -to keep themselves to one so long as they feel a -taste for it: this is the way to enter deeply into -truths, to taste them, and to have them impressed -upon us. I say it is difficult at first thus to retire -within ourselves, because of the habits, which are -natural to us, of being taken up with the outside; -but when we are a little accustomed to it, it becomes -exceedingly easy; both because we have -formed the habit of it, and because God, who only -desires to communicate Himself to us, sends us -abundant grace, and an experimental sense of His -presence, which renders it easy.</p> - -<p>Let us apply this method to the Lord’s Prayer. -We say “Our Father,” thinking that God is within -us, and will indeed be our Father. After having -pronounced this word <em>Father</em>, we remain a few -moments in silence, waiting for this heavenly -Father to make known His will to us. Then we -ask this King of Glory <em>to reign</em> within us, abandoning -ourselves to Him, that He may do it, and -yielding to Him the right that He has over us. -If we feel here an inclination to peace and silence, -<a name="png.027" id="png.027"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">11</span><span class="ns">] - </span>we should not continue, but remain thus so long -as the condition may last; after which we proceed -to the second petition, “Thy will be done on -earth, as it is in heaven.” We then desire that God -may accomplish, in us and by us, all His will; -we give up to God our heart and our liberty, that -He may dispose of them at His pleasure. Then, -seeing that the occupation of the will should be -love, we desire to love, and we ask God to give -us <em>His love</em>. But all this is done quietly, peacefully; -and so on with the rest of the prayer.</p> - -<p>At other times we hold ourselves in the position -of sheep near to the Shepherd, asking of Him our -true food. O Divine Shepherd! Thou feedest Thy -sheep with Thine own hand, and Thou art their -food from day to day. We may also bring before -Him our family desires; but it must all be done -with the remembrance by faith of the presence of -God within us.</p> - -<p>We can form no imagination of what God is: a -lively faith in His presence is sufficient; for we -can conceive no image of God, though we may of -Christ, regarding Him as crucified, or as a child, -<a name="png.028" id="png.028"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">12</span><span class="ns">] - </span>or in some other condition, provided that we -always seek Him within ourselves.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">At other times we come to Him as to a Physician, -bringing our maladies to Him that He may heal -them; but always without effort, with a short -silence from time to time, that the silence may be -mingled with the action, gradually lengthening the -silence and shortening the spoken prayer, until at -length, as we yield to the operation of God, He -gains the supremacy. When the presence of God -is given, and the soul begins to taste of silence -and repose, this experimental sense of the presence -of God introduces it to the second degree of -prayer.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.029" id="png.029"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">13</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER III.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">SECOND DEGREE OF PRAYER, CALLED HERE “THE PRAYER -OF SIMPLICITY.”</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>The</span> second degree has been variously termed -<em>Contemplation</em>, <em>The Prayer of Silence</em>, and <em>of -repose</em>; while others again have called it the -<em>Prayer of Simplicity</em>; and it is of this last term -that I shall make use here, being more appropriate -than that of <em>Contemplation</em>, which signifies -a degree of prayer more advanced than that of -which I speak.</p> - -<p>After a time, as I have said, the soul becomes -sensible of a facility in recognising the presence of -God; it collects itself more easily; prayer becomes -natural and pleasant; it knows that it leads to -God; and it perceives the smell of His perfumes.</p> - -<p><a name="png.030" id="png.030"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">14</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>Then it must change its method, and observe -carefully what I am about to say, without being -astonished at its apparent implausibility.</p> - -<p>First of all, when you bring yourself into the -presence of God by faith, remain a short time in -an attitude of respectful silence. If from the beginning, -in making this act of faith, you are sensible -of a little taste of the presence of God, remain as -you are without troubling yourself on any subject, -and keep that which has been given you, so long -as it may remain.</p> - -<p>If it leaves you, excite your will by means of -some tender affection, and if you then find that -your former state of peace has returned, remain in -it. The fire must be blown softly, and as soon as -it is lighted, cease to blow it, or you will put it -out. It is also necessary that you should go to -God, not so much to obtain something from Him, -as to please Him, and to do His will; for a servant -who only serves his master in proportion to -the recompense he receives, is unworthy of any -remuneration.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Go, then, to prayer, not only to enjoy God, but -<a name="png.031" id="png.031"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">15</span><span class="ns">] - </span>to be as He wills: this will keep you equal in -times of barrenness and in times of abundance; -and you will not be dismayed by the repulses of -God, nor by His apparent indifference.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.032" id="png.032"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">16</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER IV.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">ON SPIRITUAL DRYNESS.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>As</span> God’s only desire is to give Himself to the -loving soul who desires to seek Him, He -often hides Himself in order to arouse it, and compel -it to seek Him with love and fidelity. But -how does He reward the faithfulness of His beloved! -And how are His apparent flights followed -by loving caresses!</p> - -<p>The soul imagines that it is a proof of its fidelity -and of its increased love that it seeks God with -an effort, or that at least such seeking will soon -lead to His return.</p> - -<p>But no! This is not the way in this degree. -With a loving impatience, with deep humility and -abasement, with an affection deep and yet restful, -with a respectful silence, you must await the return -of your Beloved.</p> - -<p><a name="png.033" id="png.033"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">17</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>You will thus show Him that it is <em>Himself</em> alone -that you love, and His good pleasure, and not the -pleasure that you find in loving Him. Therefore -it is said, “Make not haste in time of trouble. -Cleave unto Him, and depart not away, that thou -mayest be increased at thy last end” (Ecclus. ii. -2, 3). Suffer the suspensions and the delays of -the visible consolations of God.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Be patient in prayer, even though you should -do nothing all your life but wait in patience, with -a heart humbled, abandoned, resigned, and content -for the return of your Beloved. Oh, excellent -prayer! How it moves the heart of God, and -obliges Him to return more than anything else!</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.034" id="png.034"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">18</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER V.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">ABANDONMENT TO GOD—ITS FRUIT AND ITS IRREVOCABILITY—IN -WHAT IT CONSISTS—GOD EXHORTS US TO -IT.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>It</span> is here that true <em>abandonment</em> and consecration -to God should commence, by our being deeply -convinced that all which happens to us moment by -moment is the will of God, and therefore all that -is necessary to us.</p> - -<p>This conviction will render us contented with -everything, and will make us see the commonest -events in God, and not in the creature.</p> - -<p>I beg of you, whoever you may be, who are -desirous of giving yourselves to God, not to take -yourselves back when once you are given to Him, -and to remember that a thing once given away -is no longer at your disposal. <em>Abandonment</em> is the -key to the inner life: he who is thoroughly abandoned -will soon be perfect.</p> - -<p><a name="png.035" id="png.035"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">19</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>You must, then, hold firmly to your abandonment, -without listening to reason or to reflection. A -great faith makes a great abandonment; you must -trust wholly in God, against hope believing in hope -(Rom. iv. 18). <em>Abandonment</em> is the casting off of all -care of ourselves, to leave ourselves to be guided -entirely by God.</p> - -<p>All Christians are exhorted to abandonment, for -it is said to all, “Take no thought for the morrow; -for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have -need of all these things” (Matt. vi. 32, 34). “In -all thy ways acknowledge Him, and He shall direct -thy paths” (Prov. iii. 6). “Commit thy works -unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established” -(Prov. xvi. 3). “Commit thy way unto -the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall bring -it to pass” (Ps. xxxvii. 5).</p> - -<p>Abandonment, then, ought to be an utter leaving -of ourselves, both outwardly and inwardly, in the -hands of God, forgetting ourselves, and thinking -only of God. By this means the heart is kept -always free and contented.</p> - -<p>Practically it should be a continual loss of our -<a name="png.036" id="png.036"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">20</span><span class="ns">] - </span>own will in the will of God, a renunciation of -all natural inclinations, however good they may appear, -in order that we may be left free to choose -only as God chooses: we should be indifferent to -all things, whether temporal or spiritual, for the -body or the soul; leaving the past in forgetfulness, -the future to providence, and giving the present -to God; contented with the present moment, which -brings with it God’s eternal will for us; attributing -nothing which happens to us to the creature, but -seeing all things in God, and regarding them as -coming infallibly from His hand, with the exception -only of our own sin.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Leave yourselves, then, to be guided by God as -He will, whether as regards the inner or the outward -life.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.037" id="png.037"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">21</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER VI.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">OF SUFFERING WHICH MUST BE ACCEPTED AS FROM -GOD—ITS FRUITS.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>Be</span> content with all the suffering that God may -lay upon you. If you will love Him purely, -you will be as willing to follow Him to Calvary as -to Tabor.</p> - -<p>He must be loved as much on Calvary as on -Tabor, since it is there that He makes the greatest -manifestation of His love.</p> - -<p>Do not act, then, like those people who give themselves -at one time, and take themselves back at -another. They give themselves to be caressed, and -take themselves back when they are crucified; or -else they seek for consolation in the creature.</p> - -<p>You can only find consolation in the love of the -cross and in complete abandonment. He who has -no love for the cross has no love for God (see -<a name="png.038" id="png.038"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">22</span><span class="ns">] - </span>Matt. xvi. 24). It is impossible to love God without -loving the cross; and a heart which has learned -to love the cross finds sweetness, joy, and pleasure -even in the bitterest things. “To the hungry -soul every bitter thing is sweet” (Prov. xxvii. 7), -because it is as hungry for the cross as it is hungry -for God.</p> - -<p>The cross gives God, and God gives the cross. -Abandonment and the cross go together. As soon -as you are sensible that something is repugnant to -you which presents itself to you in the light of -suffering, abandon yourself at once to God for that -very thing, and present yourself as a sacrifice to -Him: you will see that, when the cross comes, it -will have lost much of its weight, because you will -desire it. This will not prevent your being sensible -of its weight. Some people imagine that it is not -suffering to feel the cross. The feeling of suffering -is one of the principal parts of suffering itself. Jesus -Himself was willing to suffer it in its intensity.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Often the cross is borne with weakness, at other -times with strength: all should be equal in the will -of God.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.039" id="png.039"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">23</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER VII.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">ON MYSTERIES—GOD GIVES THEM HERE IN REALITY.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>It</span> will be objected that, by this way, mysteries -will not be made known. It is just the contrary; -they are given to the soul in reality. Jesus -Christ, to whom it is abandoned, and whom it follows -as the <em>Way</em>, whom it hears as the <em>Truth</em>, and -who animates it as the <em>Life</em>, impressing Himself -upon it, imparts to it His own condition.</p> - -<p>To bear the conditions of Christ is something far -greater than merely to consider those conditions. -Paul bore the conditions of Christ on his body. “I -bear in my body,” he says, “the marks of the Lord -Jesus” (Gal. vi. 17). But he does not say that he -reasoned about them.</p> - -<p>Often Christ gives in this state of abandonment -views of His conditions in a striking manner. We -must receive equally all the dispositions in which -<a name="png.040" id="png.040"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">24</span><span class="ns">] - </span>He may be pleased to place us, choosing for ourselves -to abide near to Him, and to be annihilated -before Him, but receiving equally all that He gives -us, light or darkness, facility or barrenness, strength -or weakness, sweetness or bitterness, temptations -or distractions, sorrow, care, uncertainty; none of -these things ought to move us.</p> - -<p>There are some persons to whom God is continually -revealing His mysteries: let them be faithful -to them. But when God sees fit to remove them, -let them suffer them to be taken.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Others are troubled because no mysteries are -made known to them: this is needless, since a loving -attention to God includes all particular devotion, and -that which is united to God alone, by its rest in -Him, is instructed in a most excellent manner in all -mysteries. He who loves God loves all that is of -Him.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.041" id="png.041"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">25</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER VIII.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">ON VIRTUE—ALL VIRTUES GIVEN WITH GOD IN THIS -DEGREE OF THE PRAYER OF THE HEART.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>This</span> is the short and the sure way of acquiring -virtue; because, God being the principle of all -virtue, we possess all virtue in possessing God.</p> - -<p>More than this, I say that all virtue which is not -given inwardly is a mask of virtue, and like a garment -that can be taken off, and will wear out. But -virtue communicated fundamentally is essential, true, -and permanent. “The King’s daughter is all glorious -within” (Ps. xlv. 13). And there are none who -practise virtue more constantly than those who acquire -it in this way, though virtue is not a distinct -subject of their thought.</p> - -<p>How hungry these loving ones are after suffering! -They think only of what can please their Beloved, -and they begin to neglect themselves, and to think -<a name="png.042" id="png.042"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">26</span><span class="ns">] - </span>less of themselves. The more they love God, the -more they hate themselves.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Oh, if all could learn this method, so easy that it -is suited for all, for the most ignorant as for the most -learned, how easily the whole Church would be reformed! -You only need to love. St Augustine -says, “Love, and do as you please;” for when we -love perfectly, we shall not desire to do anything -that could be displeasing to our Beloved.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.043" id="png.043"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">27</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER IX.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">OF PERFECT CONVERSION, WHICH IS AN EFFECT OF THIS -METHOD OF PRAYER—TWO OF ITS AIDS, THE ATTRACTION -OF GOD, AND THE CENTRAL INCLINATION OF THE -SOUL.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstartq"><small>“</small><span class="drop">T</span><span>urn</span> ye unto Him from whom the children of -Israel have deeply revolted” (Isa. xxxi. 6). -Conversion is nothing else but a turning from the -creature to God. Conversion is not perfect, though it -is necessary for salvation, when it is merely a turning -from sin to grace. To be complete, it must be a -turning from without to within.</p> - -<p>The soul, being turned in the direction of God, -has a great facility for remaining converted to Him. -The longer it is converted, the nearer it approaches -to God, and attaches itself to Him; and the nearer -it approaches to God, the more it becomes necessarily -drawn from the creature, which is opposed to -God.</p> - -<p><a name="png.044" id="png.044"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">28</span><span class="ns">] - </span>But this cannot be done by a violent effort of the -creature; all that it can do is to remain turned in -the direction of God in a perpetual adherence.</p> - -<p>God has an <em>attracting virtue</em>, which draws the soul -more strongly towards Himself; and in attracting -it, He purifies it: as we see the sun attracting a -dense vapour, and gradually, without any other effort -on the part of the vapour than that of letting itself -be drawn, the sun, by bringing it near to himself, -refines and purifies it.</p> - -<p>There is, however, this difference, that the vapour -is not drawn freely, and does not follow willingly, -as is the case with the soul.</p> - -<p>This manner of turning within is very simple, and -makes the soul advance naturally and without effort; -because God is its centre. The centre has always -a strong attractive power; and the larger the centre, -the stronger is its attractive force.</p> - -<p>Besides this attraction of the centre, there is given -to all natural objects a strong tendency to become -united with their centre. As soon as anything is -turned in the direction of its centre, unless it be -stopped by some invincible obstacle, it rushes -<a name="png.045" id="png.045"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">29</span><span class="ns">] - </span>towards it with extreme velocity. A stone in the air -is no sooner let loose, and turned towards the earth, -than it tends to it by its own weight as its centre. -It is the same with fire and water, which, being no -longer arrested, run incessantly towards their centre.</p> - -<p>Now I say that the soul, by the effort it has made -in inward recollection, being turned towards its -centre, without any other effort, but simply by the -weight of love, falls towards its centre; and the -more it remains quiet and at rest, making no movement -of its own, the more rapidly it will advance, -because it thus allows that attractive virtue to draw it.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">All the care, then, that we need have is to promote -this inward recollection as much as possible, -not being astonished at the difficulty we may find in -this exercise, which will soon be recompensed with -a wonderful co-operation on the part of God, which -will render it very easy. When the passions rise, a -look towards God, who is present within us, easily -deadens them. Any other resistance would irritate -rather than appease them.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.046" id="png.046"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">30</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER X.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">HIGHER DEGREE OF PRAYER, WHICH IS THAT OF THE SIMPLE -PRESENCE OF GOD, OR ACTIVE CONTEMPLATION.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>The</span> soul, faithfully exercising itself in the affection -and love of its God, is astonished to find -Him taking complete possession of it.</p> - -<p>His presence becomes so natural, that it would -be impossible not to have it: it becomes habitual -to the soul, which is also conscious of a great calm -spreading over it. Its prayer is all silence, and God -imparts to it an intrinsic love, which is the commencement -of ineffable happiness.</p> - -<p>Oh, if I could describe the infinite degrees which -follow! But I must stop here, since I am writing -for beginners, and wait till God shall bring to light -what may be useful to those more advanced.<sup><a href="#fn.1" name="fna.1" id="fna.1">1</a></sup> I -<a name="png.047" id="png.047"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">31</span><span class="ns">] - </span>can only say, that, at this point, it is most important -that all natural operation should cease, that God -may act alone: “Be still, and know that I am God,” -is His own word by David (Ps. xlvi. 10).</p> - -<p>But man is so attached to his own works, that he -cannot believe God is working, unless he can feel, -know, and distinguish His operation. He does not -see that it is the speed of his course which prevents -his seeing the extent of his advancement; and that -the operation of God becoming more abundant, absorbs -that of the creature, as we see that the sun, in -proportion as he rises, absorbs the light of the stars, -which were easily distinguishable before he appeared. -It is not the want of light, but an excess of light, -which prevents our distinguishing the stars.</p> - -<p>It is the same here; man can no longer distinguish -his own operation, because the strong light absorbs -all his little distinct lights, and makes them fade -away entirely, because God’s excess surpasses them -all. So that those who accuse this degree of prayer -of being a state of <em>idleness</em>, are greatly deceived; and -only speak thus from want of experience. Oh, if -they would only prove it! in how short a time they -<a name="png.048" id="png.048"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">32</span><span class="ns">] - </span>would become experimentally acquainted with this -matter!</p> - -<p>I say, then, that this failure of work does not -spring from scarcity, but from abundance.</p> - -<p>Two classes of persons are silent: the one because -they have nothing to say, the other because they -have too much. It is thus in this degree. We are -silent from excess, not from want.</p> - -<p>Water causes death to two persons in very different -ways. One dies of thirst, another is drowned: the -one dies from want, the other from abundance. So -here it is abundance which causes the cessation of -natural operation. It is therefore important in this -degree to remain as much as possible in stillness.</p> - -<p>At the commencement of this prayer, a movement -of affection is necessary; but when grace begins to -flow into us, we have nothing to do but to remain at -rest, and take all that God gives. Any other movement -would prevent our profiting by this grace, which -is given in order to draw us into the <em>rest of love</em>.</p> - -<p>The soul in this peaceful attitude of prayer falls -into a mystic sleep, in which all its natural powers -are silenced, until that which had been temporary -<a name="png.049" id="png.049"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">33</span><span class="ns">] - </span>becomes its permanent condition. You see that the -soul is thus led, without effort, without study, without -artifice.</p> - -<p>The heart is not a fortified place, which must be -taken by cannonading and violence: it is a kingdom -of peace, which is possessed by love. Gently following -in His train, you will soon reach the degree of -<em>intuitive</em> prayer. God asks nothing extraordinary and -difficult: on the contrary, He is most pleased with -childlike simplicity.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">The grandest part of religion is the most simple. -It is the same with natural things. Do you wish to -get to the sea? Embark upon a river, and insensibly -and without effort you will be taken to it. Do you -wish to get to God? Take His way, so quiet, so -easy, and in a little while you will be taken to Him -in a manner that will surprise you. Oh, if only you -would try it! How soon you would see that I am -telling you only too little, and that the experience -would far surpass any description that could be given! -What do you fear? Why do you not throw yourself -at once into the arms of Love, who only stretched -them out upon the cross in order to take you in? -<a name="png.050" id="png.050"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">34</span><span class="ns">] - </span>What risk can there be in trusting God, and abandoning -yourself to Him? Oh, He will not deceive you, -unless it be by giving you far more than you ever -expected: while those who expect everything from -themselves may well take to themselves the reproach -which God utters by the mouth of Isaiah: “Thou -art wearied in the greatness of thy way; yet saidst -thou not, There is no hope” (Isa. lvii. 10).</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.051" id="png.051"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">35</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XI.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">OF REST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD—ITS FRUITS—INWARD -SILENCE—GOD COMMANDS IT—OUTWARD SILENCE.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>The</span> soul, being brought to this place, needs no -other preparation than that of repose: for <em>the -presence of God</em> during the day, which is the great -result of prayer, or rather prayer itself, begins to be -<em>intuitive</em> and <em>almost continual</em>. The soul is conscious -of a deep inward happiness, and feels that God is in -it more truly than it is in itself. It has only one thing -to do in order to find God, which is to retire within -itself. As soon as the eyes are closed, it finds itself -in prayer.</p> - -<p>It is astonished at this infinite happiness; there is -carried on within it a conversation which outward -things cannot interrupt. It might be said of this -method of prayer, as was said of Wisdom, “All good -things together come to me with her” (Wisdom of -<a name="png.052" id="png.052"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">36</span><span class="ns">] - </span>Solomon vii. 11), for virtue flows naturally into the -soul, and is practised so easily, that it seems to be -quite natural to it. It has within it a germ of life and -fruitfulness, which gives it a facility for all good, and -an insensibility to all evil. Let it then remain faithful, -and seek no other frame of mind than that of -simple rest. It has only to suffer itself to be filled -with this divine effusion.</p> - -<p>“The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth -keep silence before Him” (Hab. ii. 20). The reason -why inward silence is so necessary is, that Christ, being -the eternal and essential Word, in order that He may -be received into the soul, there must be a disposition -corresponding with what He is. Now it is certain -that in order to receive words we must listen. Hearing -is the sense given to enable us to receive the -words which are communicated to us. Hearing is -rather a passive than an active sense, receiving, and -not communicating. Christ being the Word which is -to be communicated, the soul must be attentive to -this Word which speaks within it.</p> - -<p>This is why we are so often exhorted to listen to -God, and to be attentive to His voice. Many -<a name="png.053" id="png.053"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">37</span><span class="ns">] - </span>passages might be quoted. I will be content to mention -a few: “Hearken unto me, O my people; -and give ear unto me, O my nation” (Isa. li. 4). -“Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, and all the -remnant of the house of Israel” (Isa. xlvi. 31). -“Hearken, O daughter, and consider, and incline -thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy -father’s house; so shall the King greatly desire thy -beauty” (Ps. xlv. 10, 11).</p> - -<p>We must <em>listen</em> to God, and be attentive to Him, -<em>forgetting ourselves</em> and all self-interest. These two -actions, or rather passions—for this condition is -essentially a passive one—arouse in God a “desire” -towards the “beauty” He has Himself communicated.</p> - -<p>Outward silence is extremely necessary for the -cultivation of inward silence, and it is impossible to -acquire inward silence without having a love for -silence and solitude.</p> - -<p>God tells us by the mouth of His prophet, “I -will allure her, and bring her into the wilderness, -and speak to her heart” (marginal reading of Hosea -ii. 14).</p> - -<p><a name="png.054" id="png.054"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">38</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>To be inwardly occupied with God, and outwardly -occupied with countless trifles, this is impossible.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">It will be a small matter to pray, and to retire -within ourselves for half an hour or an hour, if we -do not retain the unction and the spirit of prayer -during the day.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.055" id="png.055"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">39</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XII.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">SELF-EXAMINATION AND CONFESSION.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>Self-examination</span> should always precede -confession. Those who arrive at this degree -should expose themselves to God, who will not fail -to enlighten them, and to make known to them the -nature of their faults. This examination must be -conducted in peace and tranquillity, expecting more -from God than from our own research the knowledge -of our sins.</p> - -<p>When we examine ourselves with an effort, we -easily make mistakes. We “call evil good, and good -evil;” and self-esteem easily deceives us. But when -we remain exposed to the searching gaze of God, -that Divine Sun brings to light even the smallest -atoms. We must then, for self-examination, abandon -ourselves utterly to God.</p> - -<p>When we are in this degree of prayer, God is not -<a name="png.056" id="png.056"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">40</span><span class="ns">] - </span>slow to reveal to us all the faults we commit. We have -no sooner sinned than we feel a burning reproach.</p> - -<p>It is God Himself who conducts an examination -which nothing escapes, and we have only to turn -towards God, and suffer the pain and the correction -which He gives. As this examination by God is -continual, we can no longer examine ourselves; and -if we are faithful to our abandonment to God, we -shall soon be better examined by the divine light -than we could be by all our own efforts. Experience -will make this known. One thing which often causes -astonishment to the soul is, that when it is conscious -of a sin, and comes to confess it to God, instead of -feeling regret and contrition, such as it formerly felt, -a sweet and gentle love takes possession of it.</p> - -<p>Not having experienced this before, it supposes -that it ought to draw itself out of this condition to -make a definite act of contrition. But it does not -see that, by doing this, it would lose true contrition, -which is this <em>intuitive love</em>, infinitely greater than anything -it could create for itself. It is a higher action, -which includes the others, with greater perfection, -though these are not possessed distinctly.</p> - -<p><a name="png.057" id="png.057"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">41</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>We should not seek to do anything for ourselves -when God acts more excellently in us and for us. It -is hating sin as God hates it to hate it in this way. -This love, which is the operation of God in the soul, -is the purest of all love. All we have to do then is -to remain as we are.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Another remarkable thing is, that we often forget -our faults, and find it difficult to remember them; -but this must not trouble us, for two reasons: The -first, that this very forgetfulness is a proof that the -sin has been atoned for, and it is better to forget all -that concerns ourselves, that we may remember God -alone. The second reason is, that God does not -fail, whenever confession is needful, to show to the -soul its greatest faults, for then it is He Himself -who examines it.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.058" id="png.058"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">42</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XIII.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">ON READING—VOCAL PRAYER—REQUESTS.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>The</span> proper manner of reading in this degree is, -as soon as we feel attracted to meditation, to -cease reading, and remain at rest.</p> - -<p>The soul is no sooner called to inward silence, -than it should cease to utter vocal prayers; saying -but little at any time, and when it does say them, -if it finds any difficulty, or feels itself drawn to -silence, it should remain silent, and make no effort -to pray, leaving itself to the guidance of the Spirit -of God.</p> - -<p>The soul will find that it cannot, as formerly, present -definite requests to God. This need not surprise -it, for it is now that “the Spirit maketh -intercession for the saints, according to the will of -God. The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for -we know not what we should pray for as we ought; -<a name="png.059" id="png.059"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">43</span><span class="ns">] - </span>but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with -groanings which cannot be uttered” (Rom. viii. -26, 27).</p> - -<p>We must second the designs of God, which are -to strip the soul of its own works, to substitute His -in their place.</p> - -<p>Let Him work then, and bind yourself to nothing -of your own. However good it may appear to you, -it cannot be so if it comes in the way of God’s -will for you. The will of God is preferable to all -other good. Seek not your own interests, but live -by abandonment and by faith.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">It is here that <em>faith</em> begins to operate wonderfully -in the soul.</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.060" id="png.060"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">44</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XIV.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">THE FAULTS COMMITTED IN THIS DEGREE—DISTRACTIONS, -TEMPTATIONS—THE COURSE TO BE PURSUED RESPECTING -THEM.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>As</span> soon as we fall into a fault, or have wandered, -we must turn again within ourselves; because -this fault having turned us from God, we should as -soon as possible turn towards Him, and suffer the -penitence which He Himself will give.</p> - -<p>It is of great importance that we should not be -anxious about these faults, because the anxiety only -springs from a secret pride and a love of our own -excellence. We are troubled at feeling what we are.</p> - -<p>If we become discouraged, we shall grow weaker -yet; and reflection upon our faults produces a vexation -which is worse than the sin itself.</p> - -<p>A truly humble soul does not marvel at its weakness, -and the more it perceives its wretchedness, -the more it abandons itself to God, and seeks to -<a name="png.061" id="png.061"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">45</span><span class="ns">] - </span>remain near to Him, knowing how deeply it needs -His help. God’s own word to us is, “I will instruct -thee, and teach thee in the way which thou -shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye” (Ps. -xxxii. 8).</p> - -<p>In distractions or temptations, instead of combating -them directly, which would only serve to augment -them, and to wean us from God, with whom -alone we ought to be occupied, we should simply -turn away from them, and draw nearer to God; -as a little child, seeing a fierce animal approaching -it, would not stay to fight it, nor even to look -at it, but would run for shelter to its mother’s arms, -where it would be safe. “God is in the midst of -her, she shall not be moved: God shall help her, -and that right early” (Ps. xlvi. 5).</p> - -<p>If we adopt any other course of action, if we -attempt to attack our enemies in our weakness, we -shall be wounded, even if we are not entirely defeated; -but remaining in the simple presence of -God, we find ourselves immediately fortified.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">This was what David did: he says, “I have set -the Lord always before me; because He is at my -<a name="png.062" id="png.062"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">46</span><span class="ns">] - </span>right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my -heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also -shall rest in hope.” It is also said by Moses, -“The Lord shall fight for you, and ye shall hold -your peace” (Exod. xiv. 14).</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.063" id="png.063"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">47</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XV.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">PRAYER AND SACRIFICE EXPLAINED BY THE SIMILITUDE OF -A PERFUME—OUR ANNIHILATION IN THIS SACRIFICE—SOLIDITY -AND FRUITFULNESS OF THIS PRAYER AS SET -FORTH IN THE GOSPEL.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>Prayer</span> ought to be both petition and sacrifice.</p> - -<p>Prayer, according to the testimony of St John, -is an incense, whose perfume rises to God. Therefore -it is said in the Revelation (chap. viii. 3), -that an angel held a censer, which contained the -incense of the prayers of saints.</p> - -<p>Prayer is an outpouring of the heart in the presence -of God. “I have poured out my soul before -the Lord,” said the mother of Samuel (1 Sam. i. 15). -Thus the prayers of the Magi at the feet of the -infant Jesus in the stable of Bethlehem were signified -by the incense which they offered.</p> - -<p>Prayer is the heat of love, which melts and dissolves -the soul, and carries it to God. In proportion -<a name="png.064" id="png.064"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">48</span><span class="ns">] - </span>as it melts, it gives out its odour, and this -odour comes from the love which burns it.</p> - -<p>This is what the Bride meant when she said, -“While the King sitteth at His table, my spikenard -sendeth forth the smell thereof” (Cant. i. 12). -The table is the heart. When God is there, and -we are kept near to Him, in His presence, this -presence of God melts and dissolves the hardness -of our hearts, and as they melt, they give forth their -perfume. Therefore the Bridegroom, seeing His -Bride thus melted by the speech of her Beloved, says, -“Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness, perfumed -with myrrh and frankincense?” (Cant. iii. 6).</p> - -<p>Thus the soul rises up towards its God. But in -order to this, it must suffer itself to be destroyed -and annihilated by the force of love. This is a -state of <em>sacrifice</em> essential to the Christian religion, -by which the soul suffers itself to be destroyed and -annihilated to render homage to the sovereignty of -God; as it is written, “The power of the Lord is -great, and He is honoured of the lowly” (Ecclus. -iii. 20). And the destruction of our own being confesses -the sovereign being of God.</p> - -<p><a name="png.065" id="png.065"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">49</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>We must cease to be, so that the Spirit of the -Word may be in us. In order that He may come -to us, we must yield our life to Him, and die to self -that He may live in us, and that we being dead, our -life may be hidden with Christ in God (Col. iii. 3).</p> - -<p>“Come unto me,” says God, “all ye that be -desirous of me, and fill yourselves with my fruits” -(Ecclus. xxiv. 19). But how can we be filled with -God? Only by being emptied of self, and going -out of ourselves in order to be lost in Him.</p> - -<p>Now, this can never be brought about except by -our becoming nothing. Nothingness is true prayer, -which renders to God “honour, and glory, and -power, for ever and ever” (Rev. v. 13).</p> - -<p>This prayer is the prayer of truth. It is worshipping -the Father in spirit and in truth. In -<em>spirit</em>, because we are by it drawn out of our -human and carnal action, to enter into the purity of -the Spirit, who prays in us; and in <em>truth</em>, because -the soul is led into the truth of the <span class="allsc">ALL</span> of God, -and the <span class="allsc">NOTHING</span> of the creature.</p> - -<p>There are but these two truths, the <span class="allsc">ALL</span> and the -<span class="allsc">NOTHING</span>. All the rest is untruth.</p> - -<p><a name="png.066" id="png.066"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">50</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>We can only honour the <span class="allsc">ALL</span> of God by our -<span class="allsc">NOTHINGNESS</span>; and we have no sooner become nothing, -than God, who will not suffer us to be empty, -fills us with Himself. Oh, if all knew the blessings -which come to the soul by this prayer, they would -be satisfied with no others: it is the pearl of great -price; it is the hidden treasure. He who finds it -gladly sells all that he has to buy it (Matt. xiii. 44, -46). It is the well of living water, which springs -up into everlasting life (John iv. 14). It is the -practice of the pure maxims of the gospel.</p> - -<p>Does not Christ Himself tell us that the kingdom -of God is within us? (Luke xvii. 21). This kingdom -is set up in two ways. The first is, when God is so -thoroughly master of us that nothing resists Him: -then our heart is truly His kingdom. The other way -is, that by possessing God, who is the sovereign Lord, -we possess the kingdom of God, which is the height -of felicity, and the end for which we were created. -As it has been said, <em>to serve God is to reign</em>.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">The end for which we were created is to enjoy -God in this life, and men do not believe it!</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.067" id="png.067"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">51</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XVI.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">THIS STATE OF PRAYER NOT ONE OF IDLENESS, BUT OF NOBLE -ACTION, WROUGHT BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, AND IN DEPENDENCE -UPON HIM—THE COMMUNICATION OF HIS LIFE -AND UNION.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>Some</span> people, hearing of the prayer of silence, -have wrongly imagined that the soul remains -<em>inactive</em>, <em>lifeless</em>, and <em>without movement</em>.</p> - -<p>But the truth is, that its action is more noble and -more extensive than it ever was before it entered this -degree, since it is moved by God Himself, and acted -upon by His Spirit. St Paul desires that we should -be <em>led by the Spirit of God</em> (Rom. viii. 14). I do -not say that there must be no action, but that -we must act in dependence upon the divine movement. -This is admirably set forth by Ezekiel. The -prophet saw wheels which had the spirit of life, and -wherever this spirit was to go, they went; they went -on, or stood, or were lifted up, as they were moved, -<a name="png.068" id="png.068"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">52</span><span class="ns">] - </span>for the spirit of life was in them: but they never -went back (see Ezek. i. 19–21). It should be the -same with the soul: it should suffer itself to be moved -and guided by the living Spirit who is in it, following -His direction, and no other. Now this Spirit will -never lead it to go backwards, that is, to reflect upon -the creature, or to lean upon itself, but always to go -forward, pressing continually towards the mark.</p> - -<p>This action of the soul is a restful action. When -it acts of itself, it acts with effort; and is therefore -more conscious of its action. But when it acts in -dependence upon the Spirit of grace, its action is so -free, so easy, so natural, that it does not seem to act -at all. “He brought me forth also into a large -place; He delivered me, because He delighted in -me” (Ps. xviii. 19).</p> - -<p>As soon as the soul has commenced its course -towards its centre,<sup><a href="#fn.2" name="fna.2" id="fna.2">2</a></sup> - from that moment its action -becomes vigorous—that is, its course towards the -centre which attracts it, which infinitely surpasses -the velocity of any other movement.</p> - -<p>It is action then, but an action so <em>noble</em>, so <em>peaceful</em>, -<a name="png.069" id="png.069"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">53</span><span class="ns">] - </span>so <em>tranquil</em>, that it seems to the soul as though it -were not acting at all; because it rests, as it were, -naturally. When a wheel is only turning with a -moderate speed, it can easily be distinguished; but -when it goes quickly, no part of it can be distinctly -seen. So the soul which remains at rest in God -has an action infinitely noble and exalted, yet very -peaceful. The greater its peace, the greater is its -velocity, because it is abandoned to the Spirit, who -moves it and makes it act. This Spirit is God -Himself, who draws us, and in drawing makes us -run to Him, as the Bride well knew when she said, -“Draw me, we will run” (Cant. i. 4). Draw me, O -my Divine Centre, by my inmost heart: my powers -and my sensibilities will run at Thy attraction! This -attraction alone is a balm which heals me, and a -perfume which draws. “We will run,” she says, “because -of the savour of Thy good ointments.” This -attracting virtue is <em>very strong</em> but the soul follows it -<em>very gladly</em>; and as it is equally strong and sweet, it -attracts by its strength and delights by its sweetness.</p> - -<p>The Bride says, “Draw me, we will run.” She -speaks of herself, and to herself: “Draw <em>me</em>;” there -<a name="png.070" id="png.070"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">54</span><span class="ns">] - </span>is the unity of the object which is attracted: “<em>We</em> -will run;” there is the correspondence of all the -powers and sensibilities which follow in the train of -the centre of the heart.</p> - -<p>It is not then a question of remaining in idleness, -but of acting <em>in dependence upon the Spirit of God</em>, -who animates us, since it is in Him that “we live, -and move, and have our being” (Acts xvii. 23). -This calm dependence upon the Spirit of God is -absolutely necessary, and causes the soul in a short -time to attain the simplicity and unity in which it -was created. It was created one and simple, like -God. In order, then, to answer the end of our creation, -we must quit the multiplicity of our own actions, -to enter into the simplicity and unity of God, in -whose image we were created (Gen. i. 27). The -Spirit of God is “one only,” “yet manifold” (Wisdom -of Solomon vii. 22), and its unity does not prevent -its multiplicity. We enter into God’s unity when -we are united to His Spirit, because then we have -the same Spirit that He has; and we are multiplied -outwardly, as regards His dispositions, without leaving -the unity.</p> - -<p><a name="png.071" id="png.071"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">55</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>So that, as God acts infinitely, and we are of one -spirit with Him, we act much more than we could do -by our own action. We must suffer ourselves to be -guided by Wisdom. This “Wisdom” is more moving -than any motion (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 24). Let -us, then, remain in dependence upon His action, -and our action will be vigorous indeed.</p> - -<p>“All things were made by (the Word); and without -Him was not anything made that was made” -(John i. 3). God, in creating us, created us in His -image, after His likeness (Gen. i. 26). He gave to -us the Spirit of the Word by the breath of life (Gen. -ii. 7), which He breathed into us when we were -created in the image of God, by the participation of -the life of the Word, who is the image of His Father. -Now this life is one, simple, pure, intimate, and -fruitful.</p> - -<p>The devil having disfigured this beautiful image, -it became necessary that this same Word, whose -breath had been breathed into us at our creation, -should come to restore it. It was necessary that it -should be He, because He is the image of the -Father; and a defaced image cannot be repaired by -<a name="png.072" id="png.072"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">56</span><span class="ns">] - </span>its own action, but by the action of him who -seeks to restore it. Our <em>action</em> then should be, to -<em>put ourselves</em> into a position to suffer the action of -God, and to allow the Word to retrace His image -in us. An image, if it could move, would by -its movement prevent the sculptor’s perfecting it. -Every movement of our own hinders the work of -the Heavenly Sculptor, and produces false features.</p> - -<p>We must then remain silent, and only move as -He moves us. Jesus Christ has <em>life in Himself</em> -(John v. 26), and He must communicate life to all -who live.</p> - -<p>That this action is the most noble cannot be -denied. Things are only of value as the principle -in which they originate is noble, grand, and elevated. -Actions committed by a divine principle are <em>divine -actions</em>; whereas the actions of the creature, however -good they may appear, are <em>human actions</em> or -at best they are virtuous actions, if they are done -with the help of grace.</p> - -<p>Jesus says that He has life in Himself; all other -beings have but a borrowed life, but the Word has -life in Himself; and as He is communicative, He -<a name="png.073" id="png.073"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">57</span><span class="ns">] - </span>desires to communicate this life to men. We must -then give place to this life, that it may flow in us, -which can only be done by evacuation, and the loss -of the life of Adam and of our own action, as St -Paul assures us: “If any man be in Christ, he is -a new creature: old things are passed away; behold -all things are become new” (2 Cor. v. 17). This -can only be brought about by the death of ourselves -and of our own action, that the action of God may -be substituted for it. We do not profess, then, to be -without action, but only to act in dependence upon -the Spirit of God, suffering His action to take the -place of our own. Jesus shows us this in the -gospel. Martha did good things, but because she -did them of her own spirit, Christ reproved her for -them. The spirit of man is turbulent and boisterous; -therefore it does little, though it appears to -do much. “Martha, Martha,” said Jesus, “thou art -careful and troubled about many things; but one -thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good -part, which shall not be taken away from her” -(Luke x. 41, 42).</p> - -<p>What had she chosen, this Magdalene? Peace, -<a name="png.074" id="png.074"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">58</span><span class="ns">] - </span>tranquillity, and repose. She apparently ceased to -act, that she might be moved by the Spirit of God; -she ceased to live, that Christ might live in her.</p> - -<p>This is why it is so necessary to renounce ourselves -and all our own works to follow Jesus; for we -cannot follow Him unless we are animated with His -Spirit. In order that the Spirit of Christ may dwell -in us, our own spirit must give place to Him. “He -that is joined to the Lord,” says St Paul, “is one -spirit” (1 Cor. vi. 17). “It is good for me to draw -near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God” -(Ps. lxxiii. 28). What is this “drawing near”? It -is the beginning of union.</p> - -<p>Union has its beginning, its continuation, its completion, -and its consummation. The commencement -of union is an inclination towards God. When the -soul is converted in the manner I have described, -it has an inclination to its centre, and a strong -tendency to union: this tendency is the commencement. -Then it adheres, which happens when it -approaches nearer to God; then it is united to Him, -and finally becomes one with Him—that is, it -becomes one spirit with Him; and it is then that -<a name="png.075" id="png.075"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">59</span><span class="ns">] - </span>this spirit, which proceeded from God, returns to -Him as its end.</p> - -<p>It is, then, necessary that we should enter this -way, which is the divine motion, and the Spirit of -Jesus Christ. St Paul says, “If any man have not -the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His” (Rom. -viii. 9). To be Christ’s, then, we must suffer ourselves -to be filled with His Spirit, and emptied of -our own: our hearts must be evacuated. St Paul, -in the same place, proves to us the necessity of this -divine motion: he says, “As many as are led by -the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God” (Rom. -viii. 14).</p> - -<p>The divinely-imparted Spirit is the Spirit of -divine sonship; therefore, the same apostle continues, -“Ye have not received the spirit of bondage -again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of -adoption, whereby we cry, Abba, Father” (Rom. -viii. 15). This spirit is no other than the Spirit of -Christ, by whom we participate in His Sonship; -and this “Spirit itself beareth witness with our -spirit that we are the sons of God.”</p> - -<p>As soon as the soul leaves itself to be moved by -<a name="png.076" id="png.076"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">60</span><span class="ns">] - </span>the Spirit of God, it experiences the witness of this -divine sonship; and this witness serves the more to -increase its joy, as it makes it know <em>that it is called to -the liberty of the sons of God</em>, and that the spirit it -has received is not a spirit of bondage, but of liberty.</p> - -<p>The Spirit of the divine motion is so necessary for -all things, that Paul founds this necessity upon our -ignorance of the things that we ask for. “The Spirit,” -he says, “helpeth our infirmities; for we know not -what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit -itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which -cannot be uttered.” This is conclusive: if we do not -know what to pray for, nor how to ask as we ought -for what is necessary for us, and if it is needful that -the Spirit who is in us, to whose motion we abandon -ourselves, should ask it for us, ought we not to leave -Him to do it? He does it “with groanings which -cannot be uttered.”</p> - -<p>This Spirit is the Spirit of the Word, who is always -heard, as He says Himself: “I know that Thou -hearest me always” (John xi. 42). If we leave it to -the Spirit within us to ask and to pray, we shall always -be answered. Why so? O great apostle, mystic -<a name="png.077" id="png.077"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">61</span><span class="ns">] - </span>teacher, so deeply taught in the inner life! teach us -why. “It is,” he adds, “because He that searcheth -the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, -because He maketh intercession for the saints according -to the will of God;” that is to say, this Spirit -only asks that which it is God’s will to give. It is -God’s will that we should be saved and that we -should be perfect. He asks, then, for all that is necessary -to our perfection. Why, after this, should we be -burdened with superfluous cares, and be wearied in -the greatness of our way, without ever saying, There -is no hope in ourselves, and therefore resting in -God? God Himself invites us to cast all our care -upon Him, and He complains, in inconceivable goodness, -that we employ our strength, our riches, and our -treasure, in countless exterior things, although there -is so little joy to be found in them all. “Wherefore -do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and -your labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken -diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, -and let your soul delight itself in fatness” (Isa. lv. 2).</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">Oh, if it were known what happiness there is in -thus hearkening unto God, and how the soul is -<a name="png.078" id="png.078"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">62</span><span class="ns">] - </span>strengthened by it! All flesh must be silent before -the Lord (see Zech. ii. 13). All self-effort must cease -when He appears. In order still further to induce us -to abandon ourselves to Him without reserve, God -assures us that we need fear nothing from such abandonment, -because He has a special individual care -over each of us. He says, “Can a woman forget -her sucking-child, that she should not have compassion -on the son of her womb? Yea, she may forget, -yet will I not forget thee” (Isa. xlix. 15). Ah, words -full of consolation! Who on hearing them can fear -to abandon himself utterly to the guidance of God?</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.079" id="png.079"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">63</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XVII.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR ACTIONS—THOSE -OF THE SOUL IN THIS CONDITION ARE INTERIOR, -BUT HABITUAL, CONTINUED, DIRECT, PROFOUND, -SIMPLE, AND IMPERCEPTIBLE—BEING A CONTINUAL -SINKING IN THE OCEAN OF DIVINITY—SIMILITUDE OF -A VESSEL—HOW TO ACT IN THE ABSENCE OF SENSIBLE -SUPPORTS.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>The</span> actions of men are either exterior or interior. -The <em>exterior</em> are those which appear outwardly, -and have a sensible object, possessing neither good -nor evil qualities, excepting as they receive them from -the interior principle in which they originate. It is -not of these that I intend to speak, but only of interior -actions, which are those actions of the soul by which -it <em>applies itself</em> inwardly to some object, or <em>turns away</em> -from some other.</p> - -<p>When, being applied to God, I desire to commit -an action of a different nature from those which He -<a name="png.080" id="png.080"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">64</span><span class="ns">] - </span>would prompt, I turn away from God, and I turn -towards created things more or less according to the -strength or weakness of my action. If, being turned -towards the creature, I wish to return to God, I must -commit the action of turning away from the creature, -and turning towards God; and thus the more perfect -is this action, the more complete will be the conversion.</p> - -<p>Until I am perfectly converted, I need several -actions to turn me towards God. Some are done all -at once, others gradually; but my action ought to -lead me to turn to God, employing all the strength of -my soul for Him, as it is written, “Therefore even -now, saith the Lord, turn ye even to me with all your -heart” (Joel ii. 12). “Thou shalt return unto the -Lord thy God … with all thine heart and with -all thy soul” (Deut. xxx. 2). God only asks for our -heart: “My son, give me thy heart, and let thine -eyes observe my ways” (Prov. xxiii. 26). To give -the heart to God is to have its gaze, its strength, and -its vigour all centred in Him, to follow His will. We -must, then, after we have applied to God, remain -always turned towards Him.</p> - -<p><a name="png.081" id="png.081"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">65</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>But as the mind of man is weak, and the soul, being -accustomed to turn towards earthly things, is easily -turned away from God, it must, as soon as it perceives -that it is turned towards outward things, resume its -former position in God by a simple act of return to -Him.</p> - -<p>And as several repeated acts form a habit, the soul -contracts a habit of conversion, and from action it -passes to a habitual condition.</p> - -<p>The soul, then, must not seek by means of any -efforts or works of its own to come near to God; this -is seeking to perform one action by means of others, -instead of by a simple action remaining attached to -God alone.</p> - -<p>If we believe that we must commit no actions, we -are mistaken, for <em>we are always acting</em>; but each one -must act according to his degree.</p> - -<p>I will endeavour to make this point clear, as, for -want of understanding it, it presents a difficulty to -many Christians.</p> - -<p>There are <em>passing</em> and <em>distinct</em> actions, and <em>continued</em> -actions; <em>direct</em> acts and <em>reflected</em> acts. All cannot -perform the first, and all are not in a condition to -<a name="png.082" id="png.082"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">66</span><span class="ns">] - </span>perform the others. The first actions should be committed -by those who are turned away from God. -They ought to turn to Him by a distinct action, more -or less strong according to their distance from Him.</p> - -<p>By a <em>continued</em> action I understand that by which -the soul is completely turned towards its God by -a <em>direct</em> action, which it does not renew, unless it -has been interrupted, but which exists. The soul -being altogether turned in this way, is in love, and -remains there: “And he that dwelleth in love, -dwelleth in God” (1 John iv. 16). Then the soul -may be said to be in a habitual act, resting even -in this action. But its rest is not idle, for it has -an action <em>always in force</em>, viz., <em>a gentle sinking in -God</em>, in which God attracts it more and more -strongly; and, following this attraction, and resting -in love, it sinks more and more in this love, and -has an action infinitely stronger, more vigorous, -and more prompt, than that action which forms -only the return. Now the soul which is in this -<em>profound and strong action</em>, being turned towards its -God, does not perceive this action, because it is -direct, and not reflex; so that persons in this -<a name="png.083" id="png.083"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">67</span><span class="ns">] - </span>condition, not knowing how rightly to describe it, say -that <em>they have no action</em>. But they are mistaken; -they were never more active. It would be better -to say they do not distinguish any action, than -that they do not commit any.</p> - -<p>The soul does not act of itself, I admit; but it -is drawn, and it follows the attracting power. -Love is the weight which sinks it, as a person -who falls in the sea sinks, and would sink to infinity -if the sea were infinite; and without perceiving -its sinking, it would sink to the most profound -depths with an incredible speed. It is, then, incorrect -to say that no actions are committed. All -commit actions, but all do not commit them in -the same manner; and the abuse arises from the -fact, that those who know that action is inevitable -wish it to be <em>distinct</em> and <em>sensible</em>. But sensible -action is for beginners, and the other for those -more advanced. To stop with the first would be -to deprive ourselves of the last; and to wish to -commit the last before having passed the first -would be an equal abuse.</p> - -<p>Everything must be done in its season; each -<a name="png.084" id="png.084"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">68</span><span class="ns">] - </span>state has its commencement, its progress, and its -end. There is no act which has not its beginning. -At first we must work with <em>effort</em>, but afterwards -we enjoy the fruit of our labour.</p> - -<p>When a vessel is in the harbour, the sailors have -a difficulty in bringing it into the open sea; but -once there, they easily turn it in the direction in -which they wish to navigate. So, when the soul -is in sin, it needs an effort to drag it out; the -cords which bind it must be loosened; then, by -means of strong and vigorous action, it must be -drawn within itself, little by little leaving the -harbour, and being turned within, which is the -place to which its voyage should be directed.</p> - -<p>When the vessel is thus turned, in proportion as -it advances in the sea, it leaves the land behind -it, and the further it goes from the land, the less -effort is needed to carry it along. At last it begins -to sail gently, and the vessel goes on so rapidly -that the oars become useless. What does the pilot -do then? He is contented with spreading the sails -and sitting at the helm.</p> - -<p><em>Spreading the sails</em> is simply laying ourselves -<a name="png.085" id="png.085"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">69</span><span class="ns">] - </span>before God, to be moved by His Spirit. <em>Sitting -at the helm</em> is preventing our heart from leaving -the right way, rowing it gently, and leading it -according to the movement of the Spirit of God, -who gradually takes possession of it, as the wind -gradually fills the sails, and impels the vessel forward. -So long as the vessel sails before the wind, -the mariners rest from their labour. They voyage -farther in an hour, while they rest in this manner -and leave the ship to be carried along by the -wind, than they would in a much longer time by -their own efforts; and if they wished to row, besides -the fatigue which would result from it, their labour -would be useless, and would only serve to retard -the vessel.</p> - -<p>This is the conduct we should pursue in our inner -life, and in acting thus we shall advance more in a -short time by the Divine guidance, than we ever -could do by our own efforts. If only you will try -this way, you will find it the easiest possible.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">When the wind is contrary, if the wind and the -tempest are violent, the anchor must be thrown in -the sea to stop the vessel. This <em>anchor</em> is trust in -<a name="png.086" id="png.086"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">70</span><span class="ns">] - </span>God and hope in His goodness, waiting in patience -for the tempest to cease, and for a favourable -wind to return, as David did: “I waited patiently -for the Lord,” he says, “and He inclined unto -me” (Ps. xl. 1).</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.087" id="png.087"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">71</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XVIII.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">THE DRYNESS OF PREACHERS, AND THE VARIOUS EVILS -WHICH ARISE FROM THEIR FAILING TO TEACH HEART-PRAYER—EXHORTATION -TO PASTORS TO LEAD PEOPLE -TOWARDS THIS FORM OF PRAYER, WITHOUT AMUSING -THEM WITH STUDIED AND METHODICAL DEVOTION.</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>If</span> all those who are working for the conquest -of souls sought to win them <em>by the heart</em>, leading -them first of all to prayer and to the inner -life, they would see many and lasting conversions. -But so long as they only address themselves to -the outside, and instead of drawing people to -Christ by occupying their hearts with Him, they -only give them a thousand precepts for outward -observances, they will see but little fruit, and that -will not be lasting.</p> - -<p>When once the heart is won, other defects are -easily corrected. This is why God particularly -asks for the <em>heart</em>. By this means alone would be -<a name="png.088" id="png.088"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">72</span><span class="ns">] - </span>prevented the drunkenness, blasphemy, lewdness, -enmity, and robbery which are prevalent in the -world. Jesus Christ would reign universally, and -the Church everywhere would be revived.</p> - -<p>Error only takes possession of the soul in the -absence of faith and prayer. If men could be -taught to <em>believe simply</em> and to <em>pray</em>, instead of -disputing amongst themselves, they would be gently -led to Christ.</p> - -<p>Oh, how inestimable is the loss of those who -neglect the inner life! Oh, what an account will -they have to render to God who have the charge -of souls, for not having discovered this hidden -treasure to all those whom they serve in the -ministry of the Word!</p> - -<p>The excuse given is that there is <em>danger</em> in this -way, or that ignorant people are incapable of -spiritual things. The oracle of truth assures us -that God has hid these things from the wise and -prudent, and has revealed them to babes. And -what danger can there be in walking in the -only true way, which is Jesus Christ, in giving -ourselves to Him, looking to Him continually, -<a name="png.089" id="png.089"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">73</span><span class="ns">] - </span>putting all our trust in His grace, and tending, -with all the forces of our souls, to His pure -love?</p> - -<p>Far from the simple ones being <em>incapable</em> of this -perfection, they are the most suitable for it, because -they are more docile, more humble, and -more innocent; and as they do not reason, they -are not so attached to their own light. Having -no science, they more readily suffer themselves to -be guided by the Spirit of God: while others who -are blind in their own sufficiency resist the divine -inspiration.</p> - -<p>God tells us, too, that it is to the <em>simple</em> He -gives understanding by the entrance of His Word -(Ps. cxix. 130). “The testimony of the Lord is -sure, making wise the <em>simple</em>” (Ps. xix. 7). “The -Lord preserveth the <em>simple</em>: I was brought low, and -He helped me” (Ps. cxvi. 6).</p> - -<p>O ye who have the oversight of souls! see that -you do not prevent the little ones from going to -Christ. His words to His disciples were, “Suffer -little children to come unto me, and forbid them -not; for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke -<a name="png.090" id="png.090"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">74</span><span class="ns">] - </span>xviii. 16). Jesus only said this to His disciples, because -they wished to keep the children away from -Him. Often the remedy is applied to the body, -when the disease is at the <em>heart</em>. The reason why -we have so little success in seeking to reform men, is -that we direct our efforts to the outside, and all -that we can do there soon passes off. But if we -were to give them first <em>the key of the interior</em>, the -outside would be reformed at once with a natural -facility.</p> - -<p class="pgbrk">And this is very easy. To teach them to seek -God in their heart, to think of Him, to return to -Him when they find they have turned away, to do -all and suffer all for the sake of pleasing Him—this -is to direct them to the source of all grace, -and to make them find there all that is necessary -for their sanctification. O you who serve souls! I -conjure you to put them first of all into this way, -which is Jesus Christ; and it is He who conjures -you to do this by the blood He has shed for the -souls He confides to your care. “Speak to the -heart of Jerusalem” (Isa. xl. 2, marg.) O dispensers -of His grace, preachers of His Word, -<a name="png.091" id="png.091"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">75</span><span class="ns">] - </span>ministers of sacraments! establish His kingdom; -and, in order to establish it truly, make it reign -over <span class="allsc">HEARTS</span>. For as it is the heart alone which -can oppose His empire, it is by the subjection of -the heart that His sovereignty is most honoured. -Alas! we seek to make <em>studied</em> prayers; and by -wishing to arrange them too much, we render -them impossible. We have alienated children from -the best of Fathers, in seeking to teach them a -polished language. Go, poor children, and speak -to your Heavenly Father in your natural language: -however uncultivated it may be, it is not so to -Him. A father loves best the speech which is -put in disorder by love and respect, because he -sees that it comes from the heart: it is more to -him than a dry harangue, vain and unfruitful -though well studied. Oh, how certain glances of -love charm and ravish Him! They express infinitely -more than all language and reason. By -wishing to teach how to love <span class="smc">Love</span> Himself with -method, much of this love has been lost. Oh! it -is not necessary to teach the art of loving. The -language of love is barbarous to him who does not -<a name="png.092" id="png.092"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">76</span><span class="ns">] - </span>love; and we cannot learn to love God better -than by loving Him. The Spirit of God does not -need our arrangements; He takes shepherds at His -pleasure to make them prophets; and, far from -closing the palace of prayer to any, as it is imagined, -He leaves the doors open to all, and Wisdom -is ordered to cry in the public places, “Whoso -is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that -wanteth understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat -of my bread, and drink of the wine which I have -mingled” (Prov. ix. 4, 5). Did not Christ thank -His Father that He had hidden these things from -the wise and prudent, and had revealed them to -babes? (Matt. xi. 25.)</p> - - - - -<h2 class="chap"><a name="png.093" id="png.093"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">77</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>CHAPTER XIX.</h2> - -<h3 class="chap">AFTER THE PRECEDING WAYS, THERE REMAINS AN AFTER -WAY, PREPARATORY TO DIVINE UNION, IN WHICH WISDOM -AND JUSTICE MAKE THE PASSIVE PURIFICATION -OF THE SOUL, ALL WHICH IS TREATED IN DETAIL IN -THE FOLLOWING TREATISE, ENTITLED “SPIRITUAL -TORRENTS.”</h3> - - -<p class="chapstart"><span>It</span> is impossible to attain divine union by the way -of meditation alone, or even by the affections, -or by any luminous or understood prayer. There -are several reasons. These are the principal.</p> - -<p>First, according to Scripture, “No man shall see -God and live” (Exod. xxxiii. 20). Now all discursive -exercises of prayer, or even of <em>active contemplation</em>, -regarded as an end, and not as a preparation for the -<em>passive</em>, are exercises of life by which we cannot see -God, that is, become united to Him. All that is of -man, and of his own industry, however noble and -elevated it may be, must die.</p> - -<p>St John tells us that “there was silence in heaven.” -<a name="png.094" id="png.094"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">78</span><span class="ns">] - </span>Heaven represents the depths and centre of the soul, -where all must be in silence when the majesty of God -appears. All that belongs to our own efforts, or to -ourselves in any way, must be destroyed, because -nothing is opposed to God but appropriation, and all -the malignity of man is in this appropriation, which -is the source of his evil; so that the more a soul -loses its appropriation, the more it becomes pure.</p> - -<p>Secondly, in order to unite two things so opposed -as the purity of God and the impurity of the creature, -the simplicity of God and the multiplicity of the -creature, God must operate alone; for this can never -be done by the effort of the creature, since two things -cannot be united unless there is some relation or resemblance -between them, as an impure metal would -never unite with one that was pure and refined.</p> - -<p>What does God do then? He sends before Him -His own Wisdom, as fire will be sent upon the earth -to consume by its activity all the impurity that is -there. Fire consumes all things, and nothing resists -its activity. It is the same with Wisdom; it consumes -all impurity in the creature, to prepare him for -divine union.</p> - -<p><a name="png.095" id="png.095"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">79</span><span class="ns">]<br - /></span>This impurity, so opposed to union, is appropriation -and activity. <em>Appropriation</em>, because it is the -source of the real impurity which can never be united -to essential purity; as the sun’s rays may touch the -mud but cannot unite with it. <em>Activity</em>, because God -being in an infinite repose, in order that the soul may -be united to Him, it must participate in His repose, -without which there can be no union, because of the -dissemblance; and to unite two things, they must be -in a proportionate rest.</p> - -<p>It is for this reason that the soul can only attain -divine union by the rest of its will; and it can only -be united to God when it is in a <em>central rest</em> and in -the purity of its creation.</p> - -<p>To purify the soul God makes use of wisdom as fire -is used for the purification of gold. It is certain that -gold can only be purified by fire, which gradually -consumes all that is earthly and foreign, and separates -it from the gold. It is not sufficient that the earth -should be changed into gold; it is necessary that the -fire should melt and dissolve it, to remove from it -all that is earthly; and this gold is put in the fire so -many times that it loses its impurity, and all necessity -<a name="png.096" id="png.096"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">80</span><span class="ns">] - </span>of purification. Then it is fit to be employed in the -most excellent workmanship.</p> - -<p>And if this gold is impure in the end, it is because -it has contracted fresh defilement by coming in contact -with other bodies. But this impurity is only -superficial, and does not prevent its being used; -whereas its former impurity was hidden within it, and, -as it were, identified with its nature.</p> - -<p>In addition to this, you will remark that gold of an -inferior degree of purity cannot mix with that of a -superior purity. The one must contract the impurity -of the other, or else impart its own purity to it. Put -a refined gold with an unrefined one, what can the -goldsmith ever do with it? He will have all the -impurity taken from the second piece, that it may be -able to mix with the first. This is what St Paul tells -us, that “the fire shall try every man’s work of what -sort it is;” he adds, that if any man’s work should be -found to deserve burning, he should be saved “so as -by fire” (1 Cor. iii. 13, 15). That means, that though -there are some works which are good, and which God -receives, yet, so that he who has done them may be pure, -they too must pass through the fire, in order that all -<a name="png.097" id="png.097"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">81</span><span class="ns">] - </span>appropriation, that is, all that was his own, may be -taken from them. God will judge our righteousness, -because “by the deeds of the law there shall no -flesh be justified,” but by “the righteousness of God, -which is by faith” (Rom. iii. 20, 22).</p> - -<p>This being understood, I say that, in order that -man may be united to his God, wisdom and -divine justice, like a pitiless and devouring fire, -must take from him all appropriation, all that is -terrestrial, carnal, and of his own activity; and -having taken all this from him, they must unite -him to God.</p> - -<p>This is never brought about by the labours of -the creature; on the contrary, it even causes him -regret, because, as I have said, man so loves what -is his own, and is so fearful of its destruction, that -if God did not accomplish it Himself, and by His -own authority, man would never consent to it.</p> - -<p>It will be objected to this, that God never deprives -man of his liberty, and that therefore he -can always resist God; for which reason I ought -not to say that <em>God acts absolutely, without the consent -of man</em>. In explanation I say, that it is sufficient -<a name="png.098" id="png.098"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">82</span><span class="ns">] - </span>that man should give a <em>passive consent</em>, that -he may have entire and full liberty; because having -at the beginning given himself to God, that He -may do as He will both with him and in him, he -gave from that time an <em>active</em> and general assent to -all that God might do. But when God destroys, -burns, and purifies, the soul does not see that all -this is for its advantage; it rather believes the -contrary: and as at first the fire seems to tarnish -the gold, so this operation seems to despoil the -soul of its purity. So that if an <em>active</em> and <em>explicit</em> -consent were required, the soul would find a difficulty -in giving it, and often would not give it. All -that it does is to remain in a passive contentment, -enduring this operation as well as it can, being -neither able nor willing to prevent it.</p> - -<p>God then so purifies this soul of all natural, distinct, -and perceived operations, that at last He makes -it more and more <em>conformed</em> to Himself, and then -<em>uniform</em>, raising the passive capacity of the creature, -enlarging it and ennobling it, though in a hidden and -unperceived manner, which is termed mystical. But -in all these operations the soul must concur passively, -<a name="png.099" id="png.099"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">83</span><span class="ns">] - </span>and in proportion as the working of God becomes -stronger, the soul must continually yield to Him, -until He absorbs it altogether. We do not say, then, -as some assert, that there must be no <em>action</em>; since, -on the contrary, this is <em>the door</em>; but only that <em>we must -not remain in it</em>, seeing that man should tend towards -the perfection of his end, and that he can never -reach it without quitting the first means, which, -though they were necessary to introduce him into the -way, would greatly hinder him afterwards, if he -attached himself obstinately to them. This is what -Paul said, “I forget those things which are behind, -and reach forth unto those things which are before; -I press toward the mark” (Phil. iii. 13, 14).</p> - -<p>Should we not consider a person destitute of -reason who, after undertaking a journey, stopped at -the first inn, because he was assured that several had -passed it, that a few had lodged there, and that the -landlord lived there? What the soul is required to -do, then, is <em>to advance towards its end</em>, to take the -shortest road, not to stop at the first point, and, -following the advice of St Paul, to suffer itself to be -“led by the Spirit of God” (Rom. viii. 14), who will -<a name="png.100" id="png.100"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">84</span><span class="ns">] - </span>lead it to the end for which it was created, which is -the enjoyment of God.</p> - -<p>It is well known that the sovereign good is God; -that essential blessedness consists in union with God, -and that this union cannot be the result of our own -efforts, since God only communicates Himself to the -soul according to its capacity. We cannot be united -to God without passivity and simplicity; and this -union being bliss, the way which leads to it must be -the best, and there can be no risk in walking in it.</p> - -<p>This way is not <em>dangerous</em>. If it were, Christ -would not have represented it as the most perfect -and necessary of all ways. All can walk in it; and as -all are called to blessedness, all are called to the -enjoyment of God, both in this life and in that -which is to come, since the enjoyment of God is -blessedness. I say the enjoyment of God Himself, -not of His gifts, which can never impart essential -blessedness, not being able fully to satisfy the soul, -which is so constituted that even the richest gifts of -God cannot thoroughly content it. The desire of -God is to give Himself to us, according to the capacity -with which He has endowed us; and yet we fear -<a name="png.101" id="png.101"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">85</span><span class="ns">] - </span>to leave ourselves to God! We fear to possess Him, -and to be prepared for divine union!</p> - -<p>You say, <em>we must not bring ourselves to this condition</em>. -I agree to that; but I say too, that no one ever -could bring himself to it, since no man could ever -unite himself to God by his own efforts, and God -Himself must do the work.</p> - -<p>You say that some pretend to have attained it. I -say that this state cannot be feigned, any more than -a man dying of hunger can for any length of time -pretend to be satisfied. It will soon be known -whether or no men have attained this end.</p> - -<p>Since, then, none can arrive at the end unless he -be brought there, it is not a question of introducing -people to it, but of showing them the way which -leads to it, and begging them not to rest in those -practices which must be relinquished at God’s command.</p> - -<p>Would it not be cruelty to show a fountain to a -thirsty man, and then hold him bound, and prevent -his going to it, leaving him to die of thirst? That is -what is being done now. Let us all be agreed both -as to the way and the end. The way has its -<a name="png.102" id="png.102"></a><span class="ns">[p</span><span - class="pgmark">86</span><span class="ns">] - </span>commencement, its progress, and its terminus. The more -we advance towards the terminus, the farther we go -from the commencement; and it is impossible to -reach the terminus but by constantly going farther -from the starting-point, being unable to go from one -place to another without passing through all that -comes between them: this is incontestable.</p> - -<p>Oh, how blind are the majority of men, who pride -themselves upon their learning and talent!</p> - -<p>O Lord! how true it is that Thou hast hidden Thy -secrets from the wise and prudent, and hast revealed -them unto babes!</p> - -<hr class="footnote" /> -<div class="footnote"> - -<p><a href="#fna.1" name="fn.1" id="fn.1">1.</a> This subject is pursued in the treatise entitled “Spiritual -Torrents.”</p> - -<p><a href="#fna.2" name="fn.2" id="fn.2">2.</a> See <a href="#png.043">chap. ix</a>.</p> - -</div> - -</div> - -<hr class="pg" /> - - - - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual -Torrents, by Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER *** - -***** This file should be named 24989-h.htm or 24989-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/9/8/24989/ - -Produced by Free Elf, David Wilson and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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-almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents - -Author: Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon - -Translator: A. W. Marston - -Release Date: April 4, 2008 [EBook #24989] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER *** - - - - -Produced by Free Elf, David Wilson and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - - - - - - - - - +--------------------------------------------------------------+ - | | - | Transcriber's note: | - | | - | This eBook contains the front matter from a combined edition | - | of _A Short Method of Prayer_ and _Spiritual Torrents_, but | - | only contains the text of _A Short Method of Prayer_. | - | | - +--------------------------------------------------------------+ - - - - -A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER - -and - -SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. - -BY -J. M. B. DE LA MOTHE GUYON. - - -Translated from the Paris Edition of 1790 -BY -A. W. MARSTON. - - -LONDON: -SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, LOW, & SEARLE, -CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 FLEET STREET. -1875. - -[_All rights reserved._] - - - - -PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY -EDINBURGH AND LONDON - - - - -_PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH PROTESTANT EDITION._ - - -Some apology is perhaps needed when a Protestant thus brings before -Protestant readers the works of a consistent Roman Catholic author. The -plea must be, that the doctrine and experience described are essentially -Protestant; and so far from their receiving the assent of the Roman -Catholic Church, their author was persecuted for holding and -disseminating them. - -Of the experience of Madame Guyon, it should be borne in mind, that -though the glorious heights of communion with God to which she attained -may be scaled by the feeblest of God's chosen ones, yet it is by no -means necessary that they should be reached by the same apparently -arduous and protracted path along which she was led. - -The "Torrents" especially needs to be regarded rather as an account of -the personal experience of the author, than as the plan which God -invariably, or even usually, adopts in bringing the soul into a state of -union with Himself. It is true that, in order that we may "live unto -righteousness," we must be "dead indeed unto sin;" and that there must -be a crucifixion of self before the life of Christ can be made manifest -in us. It is only when we can say, "I am crucified with Christ," that we -are able to add, "Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ liveth in -me." But it does not follow that this inward death must always be as -lingering as in the case of Madame Guyon. She tells us herself that the -reason was, that she was not wholly resigned to the Divine will, and -willing to be deprived of the gifts of God, that she might enjoy the -possession of the Giver. This resistance to the will of God implies -suffering on the part of the creature, and chastisement on the part of -God, in order that He may subdue to Himself what is not voluntarily -yielded to Him. - -Of the joy of a complete surrender to God, it is not necessary to speak -here: thousands of God's children are realising its blessedness for -themselves, and proving that it is no hardship, but a joy unspeakable, -to present themselves a living sacrifice to God, to live no longer to -themselves, but to Him that died for them, and rose again. - -A simple trust in a living, personal Saviour; a putting away by His -grace of all that is known to be in opposition to His will; and an -entire self-abandonment to Him, that His designs may be worked out in -and through us; such is the simple key to the hidden sanctuary of -communion. - - - - -_A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER._ - -CONTENTS. - - - CHAP. PAGE - I. PRAYER POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES, BY THE MOST SIMPLE 1 - - II. FIRST DEGREE OF PRAYER 6 - - III. SECOND DEGREE OF PRAYER, CALLED HERE THE PRAYER OF SIMPLICITY 13 - - IV. SPIRITUAL DRYNESS 16 - - V. ABANDONMENT TO GOD 18 - - VI. SUFFERING 21 - - VII. MYSTERIES 23 - - VIII. VIRTUE 25 - - IX. PERFECT CONVERSION 27 - - X. HIGHER DEGREE OF PRAYER, THAT OF THE SIMPLE PRESENCE OF GOD 30 - - XI. REST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD--INWARD AND OUTWARD SILENCE 35 - - XII. SELF-EXAMINATION AND CONFESSION 39 - - XIII. READING AND VOCAL PRAYER 42 - - XIV. THE FAULTS AND TEMPTATIONS OF THIS DEGREE 44 - - XV. PRAYER AND SACRIFICE EXPLAINED BY THE SIMILITUDE OF A PERFUME 47 - - XVI. THIS STATE NOT ONE OF IDLENESS, BUT OF ACTION 51 - - XVII. DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR ACTIONS 63 - - XVIII. EXHORTATIONS TO PREACHERS 71 - - XIX. PREPARATION FOR DIVINE UNION 77 - - - - -_SPIRITUAL TORRENTS._ - -CONTENTS. - - -_PART I._ - - CHAP. PAGE - I. THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH SOULS ARE LED TO SEEK AFTER GOD 91 - - II. OF THE FIRST WAY, WHICH IS ACTIVE AND MEDITATIVE 94 - - III. OF THE SECOND WAY, WHICH IS THE PASSIVE WAY OF LIGHT 103 - - IV. OF THE THIRD WAY, WHICH IS THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH, - AND OF ITS FIRST DEGREE 111 - - V. IMPERFECTIONS OF THIS FIRST DEGREE 125 - - VI. SECOND DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH 139 - - VII. SECT. I.--COMMENCEMENT OF THE THIRD DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE - WAY OF FAITH--FIRST DEGREE OF THE SPOLIATION OF THE SOUL 151 - - SECT. II.--SECOND DEGREE OF THE SPOLIATION OF THE SOUL 164 - - SECT. III.--THIRD DEGREE OF SPOLIATION 169 - - SECT. IV.--ENTRANCE INTO MYSTICAL DEATH 179 - - VIII. THIRD DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH, IN ITS - CONSUMMATION 185 - - IX. FOURTH DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH, WHICH IS THE - COMMENCEMENT OF THE DIVINE LIFE 193 - - -_PART II._ - - I. MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF - THE RESURRECTION LIFE 211 - - II. STABILITY, EXPERIENCE, ELEVATION, AND EXTREME PURITY OF THE - ABANDONED SOUL 221 - - III. PERFECT UNION OR DEIFORMITY 231 - - IV. ACTIONS AND SUFFERINGS OF THOSE IN A STATE OF UNION WITH GOD 240 - - - - -_A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER._ - - -"Walk before me, and be thou perfect."--Gen. xvii. 1. - - - - -_AUTHOR'S PREFACE._ - - -I did not write this little work with the thought of its being given to -the public. It was prepared for the help of a few Christians who were -desirous of loving God with the whole heart. But so many have requested -copies of it, because of the benefit they have derived from its perusal, -that I have been asked to publish it. - -I have left it in its natural simplicity. I do not condemn the opinions -of any: on the contrary, I esteem those which are held by others, and -submit all that I have written to the censure of persons of experience -and learning. I only ask of all that they will not be content with -examining the outside, but that they will penetrate the design of the -writer, which is only to lead others to LOVE GOD, and to serve Him with -greater happiness and success, by enabling them to do it in a simple and -easy way, fit for the little ones who are not capable of extraordinary -things, but who truly desire to _give themselves to God_. - -I ask all who may read it, to read without prejudice; and they will -discover, under common expressions, a hidden unction, which will lead -them to seek for a happiness which all ought to expect to possess. - -I use the word _facility_, saying that perfection is easy, because it is -easy to find God, _when we seek Him within ourselves_. The passage may -be quoted which says, "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me" (John -vii. 34). Yet this need not occasion any difficulty; because the same -God, who cannot contradict Himself, has said, "He that seeketh findeth" -(Matt. vii. 8). _He who seeks God, and who yet is unwilling to forsake -sin, will not find Him, because he is seeking Him where He cannot be -found_; therefore it is added, "Ye shall die in your sins." _But he who -sincerely desires to forsake sin, that he may draw near to God, will -find Him infallibly_. - -Many people imagine religion so frightful, and prayer so extraordinary, -that they are not willing to strive after them, never expecting to -attain to them. But as the difficulty which we see in a thing causes us -to despair of succeeding in it, and at the same time removes the desire -to undertake it; and as, when a thing appears both desirable and easy to -be attained, we give ourselves to it with pleasure, and pursue it -boldly; I have been constrained to set forth the advantage and the -_facility_ of this way. - -Oh! if we were persuaded of the goodness of God toward His poor -creatures, and of the desire which He has to communicate Himself to -them, we should not imagine so many obstacles, and despair so easily of -obtaining a good which He is so infinitely desirous of imparting to us. - -And if He has not spared His own Son, but delivered Him up for us all, -is there anything He can refuse us? Assuredly not. We only need a little -courage and perseverance. We have so much of both for trifling temporal -interests, and we have none for the "_one thing needful_." - -As for those who find a difficulty in believing that it is easy to find -God in this way, let them not believe all that they are told, but rather -let them make trial of it, that they may judge for themselves; and they -will find that I say very little in comparison with that which is. - -Dear reader, study this little work with a simple and sincere heart, -with lowliness of mind, without wishing to criticise it, and you will -find it of good to you. Receive it with the same spirit as that in which -it is given, which is no other than the longing that you may be led to -_give yourself unreservedly to God_. My desire is that it may be the -means of leading the simple ones and the children to their Father, who -loves their humble confidence, and to whom distrust is so displeasing. -Seek nothing but _the love of God_; have a sincere desire for your -salvation, and you will assuredly find it, following this little -unmethodical method. - -I do not pretend to elevate my sentiments above those of others, but I -relate simply what has been my own experience as well as that of -others, and the advantage which I have found in this simple and natural -manner of going to God. - -If this book treats of nothing else but the _short and easy method of -prayer_, it is because, being written only for that, it cannot speak of -other things. It is certain that, if it be read in the spirit in which -it has been written, there will be found nothing in it to shock the -mind. Those who will make the experience of it will be the most certain -of the truth which it contains. - -It is to Thee, O Holy Child Jesus, who lovest simplicity and innocence, -and who findest Thy delight in the children of men, that is to say, with -those amongst men who are willing to become children;--it is to Thee, I -say, to give worth and value to this little work, impressing it on the -heart, and leading those who read it to seek Thee within themselves, -where Thou wilt take Thy rest, receiving the tokens of their love, and -giving them proofs of Thine. - -It is Thy work, O Divine Child! O uncreated Love! O silent Word! to make -Thyself beloved, tasted, and heard. Thou art able to do it; and I even -dare to say that Thou wilt do it, by means of this little work, which is -all to Thee, all of Thee, and all for Thee. - - - - -A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -ALL ARE COMMANDED TO PRAY--PRAYER THE GREAT MEANS OF SALVATION, AND -POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES BY THE MOST SIMPLE. - - -Prayer is nothing else but the _application of the heart to God_, and -the interior exercise of love. St Paul commands us to "pray without -ceasing" (1 Thess. v. 17). Our Lord says: "Take ye heed, watch and -pray." "And what I say unto you, I say unto all" (Mark xiii. 33, 37). -All, then, are capable of prayer, and it is the duty of all to engage in -it. - -But I do not think that all are fit for meditation; and, therefore, it -is not that sort of prayer which God demands or desires of them. - -My dear friends, whoever you may be, who desire to be saved, come unto -God in prayer. "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the fire, that -thou mayest be rich" (Rev. iii. 18). It is easily to be obtained, far -more easily than you could ever imagine. - -Come, all ye that are athirst, and take this water of life freely (see -Rev. xxii. 17). Do not amuse yourselves by hewing out to yourselves -"broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer. ii. 13). Come, hungry -souls, who find nothing that can satisfy you, and you shall be _filled_. -Come, poor afflicted ones, weighed down with griefs and sorrows, and you -shall be comforted. Come, sick ones, to the great Physician, and do not -fear to approach Him because you are so weak and diseased: expose all -your diseases to Him, and they shall be healed. - -Come, children, to your Father; He will receive you with open arms of -love. Come, wandering and scattered sheep, to your Shepherd. Come, -sinners, to your Saviour. Come, ignorant and foolish ones, who believe -yourselves incapable of prayer; it is you who are the most fitted for -it. Come all without exception; Jesus Christ calls you all. - -Let those only refuse to come who have no heart. The invitation is not -for them; for we must have a heart in order to love. But who is indeed -without heart? Oh, come and give that heart to God, and learn in the -place of prayer how to do it! All those who long for prayer are capable -of it, who have ordinary grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit, which is -freely promised to all who ask it. - -Prayer is the key of perfection and of sovereign happiness; it is the -efficacious means of getting rid of all vices and of acquiring all -virtues; for the way to become perfect is to live in the presence of -God. He tells us this Himself: "Walk before me, and be thou perfect" -(Gen. xvii. 1). Prayer alone can bring you into His presence, and keep -you there continually. - -What we need, then, is an attitude of prayer, in which we can -_constantly_ abide, and out of which exterior occupations cannot draw -us; a prayer which can be offered alike by princes, kings, prelates, -magistrates, soldiers, children, artisans, labourers, women, and the -sick. This prayer is not mental, but _of the heart_. - -It is not a prayer of thought alone, because the mind of man is so -limited, that while it is occupied with one thing it cannot be thinking -of another. But it is the PRAYER OF THE HEART, which cannot be -interrupted by the occupations of the mind. Nothing can interrupt the -prayer of the heart but unruly affections; and when once we have tasted -of the love of God, it is impossible to find our delight in anything but -Himself. - -Nothing is easier than to have God and to live upon Him. He is more -truly in us than we are in ourselves. He is more anxious to give Himself -to us than we are to possess Him. All that we want is to know the way to -seek Him, which is so easy and so natural, that breathing itself is not -more so. - -Oh, you who imagine yourselves incapable of religious feeling, you may -live in prayer and in God as easily and as continuously as you live by -the air you breathe. Will you not, then, be inexcusable if you neglect -to do it, after you have learned the way? - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -FIRST DEGREE OF PRAYER--MEDITATION AND MEDITATIVE READING--THE LORD'S -PRAYER--PASSAGE FROM THE FIRST DEGREE TO THE SECOND. - - -There are two means by which we may be led into the higher forms of -prayer. One is _Meditation_, the other is _Meditative Reading_. By -meditative reading I mean the taking of some truths, either doctrinal or -practical--the latter rather than the former--and reading them in this -way:--Take the truth which has presented itself to you, and read two or -three lines, seeking to enter into the full meaning of the words, and go -on no further so long as you find satisfaction in them; leave the place -only when it becomes insipid. After that, take another passage, and do -the same, not reading more than half a page at once. - -It is not so much from the amount read that we derive profit, as from -the manner of reading. Those people who get through so much do not -profit from it; the bees can only draw the juice from the flowers by -resting on them, not by flying round them. Much reading is more for -scholastic than for spiritual science; but in order to derive profit -from spiritual books, we should read them in this way; and I am sure -that this manner of reading accustoms us gradually to prayer, and gives -us a deeper desire for it. The other way is _Meditation_, in which we -should engage at a chosen time, and not in the hour given to reading. I -think the way to enter into it is this:--After having brought ourselves -into the presence of God by a definite act of faith, we should read -something substantial, not so much to reason upon it, as to fix the -attention, observing that the principal exercise should be the presence -of God, and that the subject should rather fix the attention than -exercise reason. - -This _faith in the presence of God within our hearts_ must lead us to -enter within ourselves, collecting our thoughts, and preventing their -wandering; this is an effectual way of getting rid of distracting -thoughts, and of losing sight of outward things, in order to draw near -to God, who can only be found in the secret place of our hearts, which -is the _sancta-sanctorum_ in which He dwells. - -He has promised that if any one keeps His commandments, He will come to -him, and _make His abode_ with him (John xiv. 23). St Augustine -reproaches himself for the time he lost through not having sought God at -first in this way. - -When, then, we are thus buried in ourselves, and deeply penetrated with -the presence of God within us--when the senses are all drawn from the -circumference to the centre, which, though it is not easily accomplished -at first, becomes quite natural afterwards--when the soul is thus -gathered up within itself, and is sweetly occupied with the truth read, -not in reasoning upon it, but in feeding upon it, and exciting the will -by the affection rather than the understanding by consideration: the -_affection_ being thus touched, must be suffered to _repose_ sweetly and -at peace, _swallowing_ what it has tasted. - -As a person who only masticated an excellent meat would not be nourished -by it, although he would be sensible of its taste, unless he ceased this -movement in order to swallow it; so when the affection is stirred, if we -seek continually to stir it, we extinguish its fire, and thus deprive -the soul of its nourishment. We must swallow by a _loving repose_ (full -of respect and confidence) what we have masticated and tasted. This -method is very necessary, and would advance the soul in a short time -more than any other would do in several years. - -But as I said that the direct and principal exercise should be the -_sense of the presence of God_, we must most faithfully _recall the -senses_ when they wander. - -This is a short and efficacious way of fighting with distractions; -because those who endeavour directly to oppose them, irritate and -increase them; but by losing ourselves in the thought of a present God, -and suffering our thoughts to be drawn to Him, we combat them -indirectly, and without thinking of them, but in an effectual manner. -And here let me warn beginners not to run from one truth to another, -from one subject to another; but to keep themselves to one so long as -they feel a taste for it: this is the way to enter deeply into truths, -to taste them, and to have them impressed upon us. I say it is difficult -at first thus to retire within ourselves, because of the habits, which -are natural to us, of being taken up with the outside; but when we are a -little accustomed to it, it becomes exceedingly easy; both because we -have formed the habit of it, and because God, who only desires to -communicate Himself to us, sends us abundant grace, and an experimental -sense of His presence, which renders it easy. - -Let us apply this method to the Lord's Prayer. We say "Our Father," -thinking that God is within us, and will indeed be our Father. After -having pronounced this word _Father_, we remain a few moments in -silence, waiting for this heavenly Father to make known His will to us. -Then we ask this King of Glory _to reign_ within us, abandoning -ourselves to Him, that He may do it, and yielding to Him the right that -He has over us. If we feel here an inclination to peace and silence, we -should not continue, but remain thus so long as the condition may last; -after which we proceed to the second petition, "Thy will be done on -earth, as it is in heaven." We then desire that God may accomplish, in -us and by us, all His will; we give up to God our heart and our liberty, -that He may dispose of them at His pleasure. Then, seeing that the -occupation of the will should be love, we desire to love, and we ask God -to give us _His love_. But all this is done quietly, peacefully; and so -on with the rest of the prayer. - -At other times we hold ourselves in the position of sheep near to the -Shepherd, asking of Him our true food. O Divine Shepherd! Thou feedest -Thy sheep with Thine own hand, and Thou art their food from day to day. -We may also bring before Him our family desires; but it must all be done -with the remembrance by faith of the presence of God within us. - -We can form no imagination of what God is: a lively faith in His -presence is sufficient; for we can conceive no image of God, though we -may of Christ, regarding Him as crucified, or as a child, or in some -other condition, provided that we always seek Him within ourselves. - -At other times we come to Him as to a Physician, bringing our maladies -to Him that He may heal them; but always without effort, with a short -silence from time to time, that the silence may be mingled with the -action, gradually lengthening the silence and shortening the spoken -prayer, until at length, as we yield to the operation of God, He gains -the supremacy. When the presence of God is given, and the soul begins to -taste of silence and repose, this experimental sense of the presence of -God introduces it to the second degree of prayer. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -SECOND DEGREE OF PRAYER, CALLED HERE "THE PRAYER OF SIMPLICITY." - - -The second degree has been variously termed _Contemplation_, _The Prayer -of Silence_, and _of repose_; while others again have called it the -_Prayer of Simplicity_; and it is of this last term that I shall make -use here, being more appropriate than that of _Contemplation_, which -signifies a degree of prayer more advanced than that of which I speak. - -After a time, as I have said, the soul becomes sensible of a facility in -recognising the presence of God; it collects itself more easily; prayer -becomes natural and pleasant; it knows that it leads to God; and it -perceives the smell of His perfumes. - -Then it must change its method, and observe carefully what I am about to -say, without being astonished at its apparent implausibility. - -First of all, when you bring yourself into the presence of God by faith, -remain a short time in an attitude of respectful silence. If from the -beginning, in making this act of faith, you are sensible of a little -taste of the presence of God, remain as you are without troubling -yourself on any subject, and keep that which has been given you, so long -as it may remain. - -If it leaves you, excite your will by means of some tender affection, -and if you then find that your former state of peace has returned, -remain in it. The fire must be blown softly, and as soon as it is -lighted, cease to blow it, or you will put it out. It is also necessary -that you should go to God, not so much to obtain something from Him, as -to please Him, and to do His will; for a servant who only serves his -master in proportion to the recompense he receives, is unworthy of any -remuneration. - -Go, then, to prayer, not only to enjoy God, but to be as He wills: this -will keep you equal in times of barrenness and in times of abundance; -and you will not be dismayed by the repulses of God, nor by His apparent -indifference. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -ON SPIRITUAL DRYNESS. - - -As God's only desire is to give Himself to the loving soul who desires -to seek Him, He often hides Himself in order to arouse it, and compel it -to seek Him with love and fidelity. But how does He reward the -faithfulness of His beloved! And how are His apparent flights followed -by loving caresses! - -The soul imagines that it is a proof of its fidelity and of its -increased love that it seeks God with an effort, or that at least such -seeking will soon lead to His return. - -But no! This is not the way in this degree. With a loving impatience, -with deep humility and abasement, with an affection deep and yet -restful, with a respectful silence, you must await the return of your -Beloved. - -You will thus show Him that it is _Himself_ alone that you love, and His -good pleasure, and not the pleasure that you find in loving Him. -Therefore it is said, "Make not haste in time of trouble. Cleave unto -Him, and depart not away, that thou mayest be increased at thy last end" -(Ecclus. ii. 2, 3). Suffer the suspensions and the delays of the visible -consolations of God. - -Be patient in prayer, even though you should do nothing all your life -but wait in patience, with a heart humbled, abandoned, resigned, and -content for the return of your Beloved. Oh, excellent prayer! How it -moves the heart of God, and obliges Him to return more than anything -else! - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -ABANDONMENT TO GOD--ITS FRUIT AND ITS IRREVOCABILITY--IN WHAT IT -CONSISTS--GOD EXHORTS US TO IT. - - -It is here that true _abandonment_ and consecration to God should -commence, by our being deeply convinced that all which happens to us -moment by moment is the will of God, and therefore all that is necessary -to us. - -This conviction will render us contented with everything, and will make -us see the commonest events in God, and not in the creature. - -I beg of you, whoever you may be, who are desirous of giving yourselves -to God, not to take yourselves back when once you are given to Him, and -to remember that a thing once given away is no longer at your disposal. -_Abandonment_ is the key to the inner life: he who is thoroughly -abandoned will soon be perfect. - -You must, then, hold firmly to your abandonment, without listening to -reason or to reflection. A great faith makes a great abandonment; you -must trust wholly in God, against hope believing in hope (Rom. iv. 18). -_Abandonment_ is the casting off of all care of ourselves, to leave -ourselves to be guided entirely by God. - -All Christians are exhorted to abandonment, for it is said to all, "Take -no thought for the morrow; for your Heavenly Father knoweth that ye have -need of all these things" (Matt. vi. 32, 34). "In all thy ways -acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Prov. iii. 6). "Commit -thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established" (Prov. -xvi. 3). "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He shall -bring it to pass" (Ps. xxxvii. 5). - -Abandonment, then, ought to be an utter leaving of ourselves, both -outwardly and inwardly, in the hands of God, forgetting ourselves, and -thinking only of God. By this means the heart is kept always free and -contented. - -Practically it should be a continual loss of our own will in the will -of God, a renunciation of all natural inclinations, however good they -may appear, in order that we may be left free to choose only as God -chooses: we should be indifferent to all things, whether temporal or -spiritual, for the body or the soul; leaving the past in forgetfulness, -the future to providence, and giving the present to God; contented with -the present moment, which brings with it God's eternal will for us; -attributing nothing which happens to us to the creature, but seeing all -things in God, and regarding them as coming infallibly from His hand, -with the exception only of our own sin. - -Leave yourselves, then, to be guided by God as He will, whether as -regards the inner or the outward life. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -OF SUFFERING WHICH MUST BE ACCEPTED AS FROM GOD--ITS FRUITS. - - -Be content with all the suffering that God may lay upon you. If you will -love Him purely, you will be as willing to follow Him to Calvary as to -Tabor. - -He must be loved as much on Calvary as on Tabor, since it is there that -He makes the greatest manifestation of His love. - -Do not act, then, like those people who give themselves at one time, and -take themselves back at another. They give themselves to be caressed, -and take themselves back when they are crucified; or else they seek for -consolation in the creature. - -You can only find consolation in the love of the cross and in complete -abandonment. He who has no love for the cross has no love for God (see -Matt. xvi. 24). It is impossible to love God without loving the cross; -and a heart which has learned to love the cross finds sweetness, joy, -and pleasure even in the bitterest things. "To the hungry soul every -bitter thing is sweet" (Prov. xxvii. 7), because it is as hungry for the -cross as it is hungry for God. - -The cross gives God, and God gives the cross. Abandonment and the cross -go together. As soon as you are sensible that something is repugnant to -you which presents itself to you in the light of suffering, abandon -yourself at once to God for that very thing, and present yourself as a -sacrifice to Him: you will see that, when the cross comes, it will have -lost much of its weight, because you will desire it. This will not -prevent your being sensible of its weight. Some people imagine that it -is not suffering to feel the cross. The feeling of suffering is one of -the principal parts of suffering itself. Jesus Himself was willing to -suffer it in its intensity. - -Often the cross is borne with weakness, at other times with strength: -all should be equal in the will of God. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -ON MYSTERIES--GOD GIVES THEM HERE IN REALITY. - - -It will be objected that, by this way, mysteries will not be made known. -It is just the contrary; they are given to the soul in reality. Jesus -Christ, to whom it is abandoned, and whom it follows as the _Way_, whom -it hears as the _Truth_, and who animates it as the _Life_, impressing -Himself upon it, imparts to it His own condition. - -To bear the conditions of Christ is something far greater than merely to -consider those conditions. Paul bore the conditions of Christ on his -body. "I bear in my body," he says, "the marks of the Lord Jesus" (Gal. -vi. 17). But he does not say that he reasoned about them. - -Often Christ gives in this state of abandonment views of His conditions -in a striking manner. We must receive equally all the dispositions in -which He may be pleased to place us, choosing for ourselves to abide -near to Him, and to be annihilated before Him, but receiving equally all -that He gives us, light or darkness, facility or barrenness, strength or -weakness, sweetness or bitterness, temptations or distractions, sorrow, -care, uncertainty; none of these things ought to move us. - -There are some persons to whom God is continually revealing His -mysteries: let them be faithful to them. But when God sees fit to remove -them, let them suffer them to be taken. - -Others are troubled because no mysteries are made known to them: this is -needless, since a loving attention to God includes all particular -devotion, and that which is united to God alone, by its rest in Him, is -instructed in a most excellent manner in all mysteries. He who loves God -loves all that is of Him. - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -ON VIRTUE--ALL VIRTUES GIVEN WITH GOD IN THIS DEGREE OF THE PRAYER OF -THE HEART. - - -This is the short and the sure way of acquiring virtue; because, God -being the principle of all virtue, we possess all virtue in possessing -God. - -More than this, I say that all virtue which is not given inwardly is a -mask of virtue, and like a garment that can be taken off, and will wear -out. But virtue communicated fundamentally is essential, true, and -permanent. "The King's daughter is all glorious within" (Ps. xlv. 13). -And there are none who practise virtue more constantly than those who -acquire it in this way, though virtue is not a distinct subject of their -thought. - -How hungry these loving ones are after suffering! They think only of -what can please their Beloved, and they begin to neglect themselves, and -to think less of themselves. The more they love God, the more they hate -themselves. - -Oh, if all could learn this method, so easy that it is suited for all, -for the most ignorant as for the most learned, how easily the whole -Church would be reformed! You only need to love. St Augustine says, -"Love, and do as you please;" for when we love perfectly, we shall not -desire to do anything that could be displeasing to our Beloved. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -OF PERFECT CONVERSION, WHICH IS AN EFFECT OF THIS METHOD OF PRAYER--TWO -OF ITS AIDS, THE ATTRACTION OF GOD, AND THE CENTRAL INCLINATION OF THE -SOUL. - - -"Turn ye unto Him from whom the children of Israel have deeply revolted" -(Isa. xxxi. 6). Conversion is nothing else but a turning from the -creature to God. Conversion is not perfect, though it is necessary for -salvation, when it is merely a turning from sin to grace. To be -complete, it must be a turning from without to within. - -The soul, being turned in the direction of God, has a great facility for -remaining converted to Him. The longer it is converted, the nearer it -approaches to God, and attaches itself to Him; and the nearer it -approaches to God, the more it becomes necessarily drawn from the -creature, which is opposed to God. - -But this cannot be done by a violent effort of the creature; all that it -can do is to remain turned in the direction of God in a perpetual -adherence. - -God has an _attracting virtue_, which draws the soul more strongly -towards Himself; and in attracting it, He purifies it: as we see the sun -attracting a dense vapour, and gradually, without any other effort on -the part of the vapour than that of letting itself be drawn, the sun, by -bringing it near to himself, refines and purifies it. - -There is, however, this difference, that the vapour is not drawn freely, -and does not follow willingly, as is the case with the soul. - -This manner of turning within is very simple, and makes the soul advance -naturally and without effort; because God is its centre. The centre has -always a strong attractive power; and the larger the centre, the -stronger is its attractive force. - -Besides this attraction of the centre, there is given to all natural -objects a strong tendency to become united with their centre. As soon as -anything is turned in the direction of its centre, unless it be stopped -by some invincible obstacle, it rushes towards it with extreme -velocity. A stone in the air is no sooner let loose, and turned towards -the earth, than it tends to it by its own weight as its centre. It is -the same with fire and water, which, being no longer arrested, run -incessantly towards their centre. - -Now I say that the soul, by the effort it has made in inward -recollection, being turned towards its centre, without any other effort, -but simply by the weight of love, falls towards its centre; and the more -it remains quiet and at rest, making no movement of its own, the more -rapidly it will advance, because it thus allows that attractive virtue -to draw it. - -All the care, then, that we need have is to promote this inward -recollection as much as possible, not being astonished at the difficulty -we may find in this exercise, which will soon be recompensed with a -wonderful co-operation on the part of God, which will render it very -easy. When the passions rise, a look towards God, who is present within -us, easily deadens them. Any other resistance would irritate rather than -appease them. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -HIGHER DEGREE OF PRAYER, WHICH IS THAT OF THE SIMPLE PRESENCE OF GOD, OR -ACTIVE CONTEMPLATION. - - -The soul, faithfully exercising itself in the affection and love of its -God, is astonished to find Him taking complete possession of it. - -His presence becomes so natural, that it would be impossible not to have -it: it becomes habitual to the soul, which is also conscious of a great -calm spreading over it. Its prayer is all silence, and God imparts to it -an intrinsic love, which is the commencement of ineffable happiness. - -Oh, if I could describe the infinite degrees which follow! But I must -stop here, since I am writing for beginners, and wait till God shall -bring to light what may be useful to those more advanced.[1] I can only -say, that, at this point, it is most important that all natural -operation should cease, that God may act alone: "Be still, and know that -I am God," is His own word by David (Ps. xlvi. 10). - - 1. This subject is pursued in the treatise entitled "Spiritual - Torrents." - -But man is so attached to his own works, that he cannot believe God is -working, unless he can feel, know, and distinguish His operation. He -does not see that it is the speed of his course which prevents his -seeing the extent of his advancement; and that the operation of God -becoming more abundant, absorbs that of the creature, as we see that the -sun, in proportion as he rises, absorbs the light of the stars, which -were easily distinguishable before he appeared. It is not the want of -light, but an excess of light, which prevents our distinguishing the -stars. - -It is the same here; man can no longer distinguish his own operation, -because the strong light absorbs all his little distinct lights, and -makes them fade away entirely, because God's excess surpasses them all. -So that those who accuse this degree of prayer of being a state of -_idleness_, are greatly deceived; and only speak thus from want of -experience. Oh, if they would only prove it! in how short a time they -would become experimentally acquainted with this matter! - -I say, then, that this failure of work does not spring from scarcity, -but from abundance. - -Two classes of persons are silent: the one because they have nothing to -say, the other because they have too much. It is thus in this degree. We -are silent from excess, not from want. - -Water causes death to two persons in very different ways. One dies of -thirst, another is drowned: the one dies from want, the other from -abundance. So here it is abundance which causes the cessation of natural -operation. It is therefore important in this degree to remain as much as -possible in stillness. - -At the commencement of this prayer, a movement of affection is -necessary; but when grace begins to flow into us, we have nothing to do -but to remain at rest, and take all that God gives. Any other movement -would prevent our profiting by this grace, which is given in order to -draw us into the _rest of love_. - -The soul in this peaceful attitude of prayer falls into a mystic sleep, -in which all its natural powers are silenced, until that which had been -temporary becomes its permanent condition. You see that the soul is -thus led, without effort, without study, without artifice. - -The heart is not a fortified place, which must be taken by cannonading -and violence: it is a kingdom of peace, which is possessed by love. -Gently following in His train, you will soon reach the degree of -_intuitive_ prayer. God asks nothing extraordinary and difficult: on the -contrary, He is most pleased with childlike simplicity. - -The grandest part of religion is the most simple. It is the same with -natural things. Do you wish to get to the sea? Embark upon a river, and -insensibly and without effort you will be taken to it. Do you wish to -get to God? Take His way, so quiet, so easy, and in a little while you -will be taken to Him in a manner that will surprise you. Oh, if only you -would try it! How soon you would see that I am telling you only too -little, and that the experience would far surpass any description that -could be given! What do you fear? Why do you not throw yourself at once -into the arms of Love, who only stretched them out upon the cross in -order to take you in? What risk can there be in trusting God, and -abandoning yourself to Him? Oh, He will not deceive you, unless it be by -giving you far more than you ever expected: while those who expect -everything from themselves may well take to themselves the reproach -which God utters by the mouth of Isaiah: "Thou art wearied in the -greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope" (Isa. lvii. -10). - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -OF REST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD--ITS FRUITS--INWARD SILENCE--GOD COMMANDS -IT--OUTWARD SILENCE. - - -The soul, being brought to this place, needs no other preparation than -that of repose: for _the presence of God_ during the day, which is the -great result of prayer, or rather prayer itself, begins to be -_intuitive_ and _almost continual_. The soul is conscious of a deep -inward happiness, and feels that God is in it more truly than it is in -itself. It has only one thing to do in order to find God, which is to -retire within itself. As soon as the eyes are closed, it finds itself in -prayer. - -It is astonished at this infinite happiness; there is carried on within -it a conversation which outward things cannot interrupt. It might be -said of this method of prayer, as was said of Wisdom, "All good things -together come to me with her" (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 11), for virtue -flows naturally into the soul, and is practised so easily, that it seems -to be quite natural to it. It has within it a germ of life and -fruitfulness, which gives it a facility for all good, and an -insensibility to all evil. Let it then remain faithful, and seek no -other frame of mind than that of simple rest. It has only to suffer -itself to be filled with this divine effusion. - -"The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence before -Him" (Hab. ii. 20). The reason why inward silence is so necessary is, -that Christ, being the eternal and essential Word, in order that He may -be received into the soul, there must be a disposition corresponding -with what He is. Now it is certain that in order to receive words we -must listen. Hearing is the sense given to enable us to receive the -words which are communicated to us. Hearing is rather a passive than an -active sense, receiving, and not communicating. Christ being the Word -which is to be communicated, the soul must be attentive to this Word -which speaks within it. - -This is why we are so often exhorted to listen to God, and to be -attentive to His voice. Many passages might be quoted. I will be -content to mention a few: "Hearken unto me, O my people; and give ear -unto me, O my nation" (Isa. li. 4). "Hearken unto me, O house of Jacob, -and all the remnant of the house of Israel" (Isa. xlvi. 31). "Hearken, O -daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine own -people, and thy father's house; so shall the King greatly desire thy -beauty" (Ps. xlv. 10, 11). - -We must _listen_ to God, and be attentive to Him, _forgetting ourselves_ -and all self-interest. These two actions, or rather passions--for this -condition is essentially a passive one--arouse in God a "desire" towards -the "beauty" He has Himself communicated. - -Outward silence is extremely necessary for the cultivation of inward -silence, and it is impossible to acquire inward silence without having a -love for silence and solitude. - -God tells us by the mouth of His prophet, "I will allure her, and bring -her into the wilderness, and speak to her heart" (marginal reading of -Hosea ii. 14). - -To be inwardly occupied with God, and outwardly occupied with countless -trifles, this is impossible. - -It will be a small matter to pray, and to retire within ourselves for -half an hour or an hour, if we do not retain the unction and the spirit -of prayer during the day. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -SELF-EXAMINATION AND CONFESSION. - - -Self-examination should always precede confession. Those who arrive at -this degree should expose themselves to God, who will not fail to -enlighten them, and to make known to them the nature of their faults. -This examination must be conducted in peace and tranquillity, expecting -more from God than from our own research the knowledge of our sins. - -When we examine ourselves with an effort, we easily make mistakes. We -"call evil good, and good evil;" and self-esteem easily deceives us. But -when we remain exposed to the searching gaze of God, that Divine Sun -brings to light even the smallest atoms. We must then, for -self-examination, abandon ourselves utterly to God. - -When we are in this degree of prayer, God is not slow to reveal to us -all the faults we commit. We have no sooner sinned than we feel a -burning reproach. - -It is God Himself who conducts an examination which nothing escapes, and -we have only to turn towards God, and suffer the pain and the correction -which He gives. As this examination by God is continual, we can no -longer examine ourselves; and if we are faithful to our abandonment to -God, we shall soon be better examined by the divine light than we could -be by all our own efforts. Experience will make this known. One thing -which often causes astonishment to the soul is, that when it is -conscious of a sin, and comes to confess it to God, instead of feeling -regret and contrition, such as it formerly felt, a sweet and gentle love -takes possession of it. - -Not having experienced this before, it supposes that it ought to draw -itself out of this condition to make a definite act of contrition. But -it does not see that, by doing this, it would lose true contrition, -which is this _intuitive love_, infinitely greater than anything it -could create for itself. It is a higher action, which includes the -others, with greater perfection, though these are not possessed -distinctly. - -We should not seek to do anything for ourselves when God acts more -excellently in us and for us. It is hating sin as God hates it to hate -it in this way. This love, which is the operation of God in the soul, is -the purest of all love. All we have to do then is to remain as we are. - -Another remarkable thing is, that we often forget our faults, and find -it difficult to remember them; but this must not trouble us, for two -reasons: The first, that this very forgetfulness is a proof that the sin -has been atoned for, and it is better to forget all that concerns -ourselves, that we may remember God alone. The second reason is, that -God does not fail, whenever confession is needful, to show to the soul -its greatest faults, for then it is He Himself who examines it. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -ON READING--VOCAL PRAYER--REQUESTS. - - -The proper manner of reading in this degree is, as soon as we feel -attracted to meditation, to cease reading, and remain at rest. - -The soul is no sooner called to inward silence, than it should cease to -utter vocal prayers; saying but little at any time, and when it does say -them, if it finds any difficulty, or feels itself drawn to silence, it -should remain silent, and make no effort to pray, leaving itself to the -guidance of the Spirit of God. - -The soul will find that it cannot, as formerly, present definite -requests to God. This need not surprise it, for it is now that "the -Spirit maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God. -The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we should -pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, -with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. viii. 26, 27). - -We must second the designs of God, which are to strip the soul of its -own works, to substitute His in their place. - -Let Him work then, and bind yourself to nothing of your own. However -good it may appear to you, it cannot be so if it comes in the way of -God's will for you. The will of God is preferable to all other good. -Seek not your own interests, but live by abandonment and by faith. - -It is here that _faith_ begins to operate wonderfully in the soul. - - - - -CHAPTER XIV. - -THE FAULTS COMMITTED IN THIS DEGREE--DISTRACTIONS, TEMPTATIONS--THE -COURSE TO BE PURSUED RESPECTING THEM. - - -As soon as we fall into a fault, or have wandered, we must turn again -within ourselves; because this fault having turned us from God, we -should as soon as possible turn towards Him, and suffer the penitence -which He Himself will give. - -It is of great importance that we should not be anxious about these -faults, because the anxiety only springs from a secret pride and a love -of our own excellence. We are troubled at feeling what we are. - -If we become discouraged, we shall grow weaker yet; and reflection upon -our faults produces a vexation which is worse than the sin itself. - -A truly humble soul does not marvel at its weakness, and the more it -perceives its wretchedness, the more it abandons itself to God, and -seeks to remain near to Him, knowing how deeply it needs His help. -God's own word to us is, "I will instruct thee, and teach thee in the -way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye" (Ps. xxxii. -8). - -In distractions or temptations, instead of combating them directly, -which would only serve to augment them, and to wean us from God, with -whom alone we ought to be occupied, we should simply turn away from -them, and draw nearer to God; as a little child, seeing a fierce animal -approaching it, would not stay to fight it, nor even to look at it, but -would run for shelter to its mother's arms, where it would be safe. "God -is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved: God shall help her, and -that right early" (Ps. xlvi. 5). - -If we adopt any other course of action, if we attempt to attack our -enemies in our weakness, we shall be wounded, even if we are not -entirely defeated; but remaining in the simple presence of God, we find -ourselves immediately fortified. - -This was what David did: he says, "I have set the Lord always before me; -because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my -heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in -hope." It is also said by Moses, "The Lord shall fight for you, and ye -shall hold your peace" (Exod. xiv. 14). - - - - -CHAPTER XV. - -PRAYER AND SACRIFICE EXPLAINED BY THE SIMILITUDE OF A PERFUME--OUR -ANNIHILATION IN THIS SACRIFICE--SOLIDITY AND FRUITFULNESS OF THIS PRAYER -AS SET FORTH IN THE GOSPEL. - - -Prayer ought to be both petition and sacrifice. - -Prayer, according to the testimony of St John, is an incense, whose -perfume rises to God. Therefore it is said in the Revelation (chap. -viii. 3), that an angel held a censer, which contained the incense of -the prayers of saints. - -Prayer is an outpouring of the heart in the presence of God. "I have -poured out my soul before the Lord," said the mother of Samuel (1 Sam. -i. 15). Thus the prayers of the Magi at the feet of the infant Jesus in -the stable of Bethlehem were signified by the incense which they -offered. - -Prayer is the heat of love, which melts and dissolves the soul, and -carries it to God. In proportion as it melts, it gives out its odour, -and this odour comes from the love which burns it. - -This is what the Bride meant when she said, "While the King sitteth at -His table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof" (Cant. i. 12). -The table is the heart. When God is there, and we are kept near to Him, -in His presence, this presence of God melts and dissolves the hardness -of our hearts, and as they melt, they give forth their perfume. -Therefore the Bridegroom, seeing His Bride thus melted by the speech of -her Beloved, says, "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness, -perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?" (Cant. iii. 6). - -Thus the soul rises up towards its God. But in order to this, it must -suffer itself to be destroyed and annihilated by the force of love. This -is a state of _sacrifice_ essential to the Christian religion, by which -the soul suffers itself to be destroyed and annihilated to render homage -to the sovereignty of God; as it is written, "The power of the Lord is -great, and He is honoured of the lowly" (Ecclus. iii. 20). And the -destruction of our own being confesses the sovereign being of God. - -We must cease to be, so that the Spirit of the Word may be in us. In -order that He may come to us, we must yield our life to Him, and die to -self that He may live in us, and that we being dead, our life may be -hidden with Christ in God (Col. iii. 3). - -"Come unto me," says God, "all ye that be desirous of me, and fill -yourselves with my fruits" (Ecclus. xxiv. 19). But how can we be filled -with God? Only by being emptied of self, and going out of ourselves in -order to be lost in Him. - -Now, this can never be brought about except by our becoming nothing. -Nothingness is true prayer, which renders to God "honour, and glory, and -power, for ever and ever" (Rev. v. 13). - -This prayer is the prayer of truth. It is worshipping the Father in -spirit and in truth. In _spirit_, because we are by it drawn out of our -human and carnal action, to enter into the purity of the Spirit, who -prays in us; and in _truth_, because the soul is led into the truth of -the ALL of God, and the NOTHING of the creature. - -There are but these two truths, the ALL and the NOTHING. All the rest is -untruth. - -We can only honour the ALL of God by our NOTHINGNESS; and we have no -sooner become nothing, than God, who will not suffer us to be empty, -fills us with Himself. Oh, if all knew the blessings which come to the -soul by this prayer, they would be satisfied with no others: it is the -pearl of great price; it is the hidden treasure. He who finds it gladly -sells all that he has to buy it (Matt. xiii. 44, 46). It is the well of -living water, which springs up into everlasting life (John iv. 14). It -is the practice of the pure maxims of the gospel. - -Does not Christ Himself tell us that the kingdom of God is within us? -(Luke xvii. 21). This kingdom is set up in two ways. The first is, when -God is so thoroughly master of us that nothing resists Him: then our -heart is truly His kingdom. The other way is, that by possessing God, -who is the sovereign Lord, we possess the kingdom of God, which is the -height of felicity, and the end for which we were created. As it has -been said, _to serve God is to reign_. - -The end for which we were created is to enjoy God in this life, and men -do not believe it! - - - - -CHAPTER XVI. - -THIS STATE OF PRAYER NOT ONE OF IDLENESS, BUT OF NOBLE ACTION, WROUGHT -BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, AND IN DEPENDENCE UPON HIM--THE COMMUNICATION OF -HIS LIFE AND UNION. - - -Some people, hearing of the prayer of silence, have wrongly imagined -that the soul remains _inactive_, _lifeless_, and _without movement_. - -But the truth is, that its action is more noble and more extensive than -it ever was before it entered this degree, since it is moved by God -Himself, and acted upon by His Spirit. St Paul desires that we should be -_led by the Spirit of God_ (Rom. viii. 14). I do not say that there must -be no action, but that we must act in dependence upon the divine -movement. This is admirably set forth by Ezekiel. The prophet saw wheels -which had the spirit of life, and wherever this spirit was to go, they -went; they went on, or stood, or were lifted up, as they were moved, -for the spirit of life was in them: but they never went back (see Ezek. -i. 19-21). It should be the same with the soul: it should suffer itself -to be moved and guided by the living Spirit who is in it, following His -direction, and no other. Now this Spirit will never lead it to go -backwards, that is, to reflect upon the creature, or to lean upon -itself, but always to go forward, pressing continually towards the mark. - -This action of the soul is a restful action. When it acts of itself, it -acts with effort; and is therefore more conscious of its action. But -when it acts in dependence upon the Spirit of grace, its action is so -free, so easy, so natural, that it does not seem to act at all. "He -brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because He -delighted in me" (Ps. xviii. 19). - -As soon as the soul has commenced its course towards its centre,[2] from -that moment its action becomes vigorous--that is, its course towards the -centre which attracts it, which infinitely surpasses the velocity of any -other movement. - - 2. See chap. ix. - -It is action then, but an action so _noble_, so _peaceful_, so -_tranquil_, that it seems to the soul as though it were not acting at -all; because it rests, as it were, naturally. When a wheel is only -turning with a moderate speed, it can easily be distinguished; but when -it goes quickly, no part of it can be distinctly seen. So the soul which -remains at rest in God has an action infinitely noble and exalted, yet -very peaceful. The greater its peace, the greater is its velocity, -because it is abandoned to the Spirit, who moves it and makes it act. -This Spirit is God Himself, who draws us, and in drawing makes us run to -Him, as the Bride well knew when she said, "Draw me, we will run" (Cant. -i. 4). Draw me, O my Divine Centre, by my inmost heart: my powers and my -sensibilities will run at Thy attraction! This attraction alone is a -balm which heals me, and a perfume which draws. "We will run," she says, -"because of the savour of Thy good ointments." This attracting virtue is -_very strong_ but the soul follows it _very gladly_; and as it is -equally strong and sweet, it attracts by its strength and delights by -its sweetness. - -The Bride says, "Draw me, we will run." She speaks of herself, and to -herself: "Draw _me_;" there is the unity of the object which is -attracted: "_We_ will run;" there is the correspondence of all the -powers and sensibilities which follow in the train of the centre of the -heart. - -It is not then a question of remaining in idleness, but of acting _in -dependence upon the Spirit of God_, who animates us, since it is in Him -that "we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts xvii. 23). This calm -dependence upon the Spirit of God is absolutely necessary, and causes -the soul in a short time to attain the simplicity and unity in which it -was created. It was created one and simple, like God. In order, then, to -answer the end of our creation, we must quit the multiplicity of our own -actions, to enter into the simplicity and unity of God, in whose image -we were created (Gen. i. 27). The Spirit of God is "one only," "yet -manifold" (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 22), and its unity does not prevent -its multiplicity. We enter into God's unity when we are united to His -Spirit, because then we have the same Spirit that He has; and we are -multiplied outwardly, as regards His dispositions, without leaving the -unity. - -So that, as God acts infinitely, and we are of one spirit with Him, we -act much more than we could do by our own action. We must suffer -ourselves to be guided by Wisdom. This "Wisdom" is more moving than any -motion (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 24). Let us, then, remain in dependence -upon His action, and our action will be vigorous indeed. - -"All things were made by (the Word); and without Him was not anything -made that was made" (John i. 3). God, in creating us, created us in His -image, after His likeness (Gen. i. 26). He gave to us the Spirit of the -Word by the breath of life (Gen. ii. 7), which He breathed into us when -we were created in the image of God, by the participation of the life of -the Word, who is the image of His Father. Now this life is one, simple, -pure, intimate, and fruitful. - -The devil having disfigured this beautiful image, it became necessary -that this same Word, whose breath had been breathed into us at our -creation, should come to restore it. It was necessary that it should be -He, because He is the image of the Father; and a defaced image cannot be -repaired by its own action, but by the action of him who seeks to -restore it. Our _action_ then should be, to _put ourselves_ into a -position to suffer the action of God, and to allow the Word to retrace -His image in us. An image, if it could move, would by its movement -prevent the sculptor's perfecting it. Every movement of our own hinders -the work of the Heavenly Sculptor, and produces false features. - -We must then remain silent, and only move as He moves us. Jesus Christ -has _life in Himself_ (John v. 26), and He must communicate life to all -who live. - -That this action is the most noble cannot be denied. Things are only of -value as the principle in which they originate is noble, grand, and -elevated. Actions committed by a divine principle are _divine actions_; -whereas the actions of the creature, however good they may appear, are -_human actions_ or at best they are virtuous actions, if they are done -with the help of grace. - -Jesus says that He has life in Himself; all other beings have but a -borrowed life, but the Word has life in Himself; and as He is -communicative, He desires to communicate this life to men. We must then -give place to this life, that it may flow in us, which can only be done -by evacuation, and the loss of the life of Adam and of our own action, -as St Paul assures us: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new creature: -old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" (2 Cor. v. -17). This can only be brought about by the death of ourselves and of our -own action, that the action of God may be substituted for it. We do not -profess, then, to be without action, but only to act in dependence upon -the Spirit of God, suffering His action to take the place of our own. -Jesus shows us this in the gospel. Martha did good things, but because -she did them of her own spirit, Christ reproved her for them. The spirit -of man is turbulent and boisterous; therefore it does little, though it -appears to do much. "Martha, Martha," said Jesus, "thou art careful and -troubled about many things; but one thing is needful; and Mary hath -chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her" (Luke x. -41, 42). - -What had she chosen, this Magdalene? Peace, tranquillity, and repose. -She apparently ceased to act, that she might be moved by the Spirit of -God; she ceased to live, that Christ might live in her. - -This is why it is so necessary to renounce ourselves and all our own -works to follow Jesus; for we cannot follow Him unless we are animated -with His Spirit. In order that the Spirit of Christ may dwell in us, our -own spirit must give place to Him. "He that is joined to the Lord," says -St Paul, "is one spirit" (1 Cor. vi. 17). "It is good for me to draw -near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God" (Ps. lxxiii. 28). What -is this "drawing near"? It is the beginning of union. - -Union has its beginning, its continuation, its completion, and its -consummation. The commencement of union is an inclination towards God. -When the soul is converted in the manner I have described, it has an -inclination to its centre, and a strong tendency to union: this tendency -is the commencement. Then it adheres, which happens when it approaches -nearer to God; then it is united to Him, and finally becomes one with -Him--that is, it becomes one spirit with Him; and it is then that this -spirit, which proceeded from God, returns to Him as its end. - -It is, then, necessary that we should enter this way, which is the -divine motion, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ. St Paul says, "If any man -have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. viii. 9). To be -Christ's, then, we must suffer ourselves to be filled with His Spirit, -and emptied of our own: our hearts must be evacuated. St Paul, in the -same place, proves to us the necessity of this divine motion: he says, -"As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God" -(Rom. viii. 14). - -The divinely-imparted Spirit is the Spirit of divine sonship; therefore, -the same apostle continues, "Ye have not received the spirit of bondage -again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby we -cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. viii. 15). This spirit is no other than the -Spirit of Christ, by whom we participate in His Sonship; and this -"Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the sons of -God." - -As soon as the soul leaves itself to be moved by the Spirit of God, it -experiences the witness of this divine sonship; and this witness serves -the more to increase its joy, as it makes it know _that it is called to -the liberty of the sons of God_, and that the spirit it has received is -not a spirit of bondage, but of liberty. - -The Spirit of the divine motion is so necessary for all things, that -Paul founds this necessity upon our ignorance of the things that we ask -for. "The Spirit," he says, "helpeth our infirmities; for we know not -what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh -intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered." This is -conclusive: if we do not know what to pray for, nor how to ask as we -ought for what is necessary for us, and if it is needful that the Spirit -who is in us, to whose motion we abandon ourselves, should ask it for -us, ought we not to leave Him to do it? He does it "with groanings which -cannot be uttered." - -This Spirit is the Spirit of the Word, who is always heard, as He says -Himself: "I know that Thou hearest me always" (John xi. 42). If we leave -it to the Spirit within us to ask and to pray, we shall always be -answered. Why so? O great apostle, mystic teacher, so deeply taught in -the inner life! teach us why. "It is," he adds, "because He that -searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit, because He -maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God;" that -is to say, this Spirit only asks that which it is God's will to give. It -is God's will that we should be saved and that we should be perfect. He -asks, then, for all that is necessary to our perfection. Why, after -this, should we be burdened with superfluous cares, and be wearied in -the greatness of our way, without ever saying, There is no hope in -ourselves, and therefore resting in God? God Himself invites us to cast -all our care upon Him, and He complains, in inconceivable goodness, that -we employ our strength, our riches, and our treasure, in countless -exterior things, although there is so little joy to be found in them -all. "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and your -labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and -eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness" -(Isa. lv. 2). - -Oh, if it were known what happiness there is in thus hearkening unto -God, and how the soul is strengthened by it! All flesh must be silent -before the Lord (see Zech. ii. 13). All self-effort must cease when He -appears. In order still further to induce us to abandon ourselves to Him -without reserve, God assures us that we need fear nothing from such -abandonment, because He has a special individual care over each of us. -He says, "Can a woman forget her sucking-child, that she should not have -compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she may forget, yet will I not -forget thee" (Isa. xlix. 15). Ah, words full of consolation! Who on -hearing them can fear to abandon himself utterly to the guidance of -God? - - - - -CHAPTER XVII. - -DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR ACTIONS--THOSE OF THE SOUL IN -THIS CONDITION ARE INTERIOR, BUT HABITUAL, CONTINUED, DIRECT, PROFOUND, -SIMPLE, AND IMPERCEPTIBLE--BEING A CONTINUAL SINKING IN THE OCEAN OF -DIVINITY--SIMILITUDE OF A VESSEL--HOW TO ACT IN THE ABSENCE OF SENSIBLE -SUPPORTS. - - -The actions of men are either exterior or interior. The _exterior_ are -those which appear outwardly, and have a sensible object, possessing -neither good nor evil qualities, excepting as they receive them from the -interior principle in which they originate. It is not of these that I -intend to speak, but only of interior actions, which are those actions -of the soul by which it _applies itself_ inwardly to some object, or -_turns away_ from some other. - -When, being applied to God, I desire to commit an action of a different -nature from those which He would prompt, I turn away from God, and I -turn towards created things more or less according to the strength or -weakness of my action. If, being turned towards the creature, I wish to -return to God, I must commit the action of turning away from the -creature, and turning towards God; and thus the more perfect is this -action, the more complete will be the conversion. - -Until I am perfectly converted, I need several actions to turn me -towards God. Some are done all at once, others gradually; but my action -ought to lead me to turn to God, employing all the strength of my soul -for Him, as it is written, "Therefore even now, saith the Lord, turn ye -even to me with all your heart" (Joel ii. 12). "Thou shalt return unto -the Lord thy God ... with all thine heart and with all thy soul" (Deut. -xxx. 2). God only asks for our heart: "My son, give me thy heart, and -let thine eyes observe my ways" (Prov. xxiii. 26). To give the heart to -God is to have its gaze, its strength, and its vigour all centred in -Him, to follow His will. We must, then, after we have applied to God, -remain always turned towards Him. - -But as the mind of man is weak, and the soul, being accustomed to turn -towards earthly things, is easily turned away from God, it must, as soon -as it perceives that it is turned towards outward things, resume its -former position in God by a simple act of return to Him. - -And as several repeated acts form a habit, the soul contracts a habit of -conversion, and from action it passes to a habitual condition. - -The soul, then, must not seek by means of any efforts or works of its -own to come near to God; this is seeking to perform one action by means -of others, instead of by a simple action remaining attached to God -alone. - -If we believe that we must commit no actions, we are mistaken, for _we -are always acting_; but each one must act according to his degree. - -I will endeavour to make this point clear, as, for want of understanding -it, it presents a difficulty to many Christians. - -There are _passing_ and _distinct_ actions, and _continued_ actions; -_direct_ acts and _reflected_ acts. All cannot perform the first, and -all are not in a condition to perform the others. The first actions -should be committed by those who are turned away from God. They ought to -turn to Him by a distinct action, more or less strong according to their -distance from Him. - -By a _continued_ action I understand that by which the soul is -completely turned towards its God by a _direct_ action, which it does -not renew, unless it has been interrupted, but which exists. The soul -being altogether turned in this way, is in love, and remains there: "And -he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God" (1 John iv. 16). Then the -soul may be said to be in a habitual act, resting even in this action. -But its rest is not idle, for it has an action _always in force_, viz., -_a gentle sinking in God_, in which God attracts it more and more -strongly; and, following this attraction, and resting in love, it sinks -more and more in this love, and has an action infinitely stronger, more -vigorous, and more prompt, than that action which forms only the return. -Now the soul which is in this _profound and strong action_, being turned -towards its God, does not perceive this action, because it is direct, -and not reflex; so that persons in this condition, not knowing how -rightly to describe it, say that _they have no action_. But they are -mistaken; they were never more active. It would be better to say they do -not distinguish any action, than that they do not commit any. - -The soul does not act of itself, I admit; but it is drawn, and it -follows the attracting power. Love is the weight which sinks it, as a -person who falls in the sea sinks, and would sink to infinity if the sea -were infinite; and without perceiving its sinking, it would sink to the -most profound depths with an incredible speed. It is, then, incorrect to -say that no actions are committed. All commit actions, but all do not -commit them in the same manner; and the abuse arises from the fact, that -those who know that action is inevitable wish it to be _distinct_ and -_sensible_. But sensible action is for beginners, and the other for -those more advanced. To stop with the first would be to deprive -ourselves of the last; and to wish to commit the last before having -passed the first would be an equal abuse. - -Everything must be done in its season; each state has its commencement, -its progress, and its end. There is no act which has not its beginning. -At first we must work with _effort_, but afterwards we enjoy the fruit -of our labour. - -When a vessel is in the harbour, the sailors have a difficulty in -bringing it into the open sea; but once there, they easily turn it in -the direction in which they wish to navigate. So, when the soul is in -sin, it needs an effort to drag it out; the cords which bind it must be -loosened; then, by means of strong and vigorous action, it must be drawn -within itself, little by little leaving the harbour, and being turned -within, which is the place to which its voyage should be directed. - -When the vessel is thus turned, in proportion as it advances in the sea, -it leaves the land behind it, and the further it goes from the land, the -less effort is needed to carry it along. At last it begins to sail -gently, and the vessel goes on so rapidly that the oars become useless. -What does the pilot do then? He is contented with spreading the sails -and sitting at the helm. - -_Spreading the sails_ is simply laying ourselves before God, to be -moved by His Spirit. _Sitting at the helm_ is preventing our heart from -leaving the right way, rowing it gently, and leading it according to the -movement of the Spirit of God, who gradually takes possession of it, as -the wind gradually fills the sails, and impels the vessel forward. So -long as the vessel sails before the wind, the mariners rest from their -labour. They voyage farther in an hour, while they rest in this manner -and leave the ship to be carried along by the wind, than they would in a -much longer time by their own efforts; and if they wished to row, -besides the fatigue which would result from it, their labour would be -useless, and would only serve to retard the vessel. - -This is the conduct we should pursue in our inner life, and in acting -thus we shall advance more in a short time by the Divine guidance, than -we ever could do by our own efforts. If only you will try this way, you -will find it the easiest possible. - -When the wind is contrary, if the wind and the tempest are violent, the -anchor must be thrown in the sea to stop the vessel. This _anchor_ is -trust in God and hope in His goodness, waiting in patience for the -tempest to cease, and for a favourable wind to return, as David did: -"I waited patiently for the Lord," he says, "and He inclined unto me" -(Ps. xl. 1). - - - - -CHAPTER XVIII. - -THE DRYNESS OF PREACHERS, AND THE VARIOUS EVILS WHICH ARISE FROM THEIR -FAILING TO TEACH HEART-PRAYER--EXHORTATION TO PASTORS TO LEAD PEOPLE -TOWARDS THIS FORM OF PRAYER, WITHOUT AMUSING THEM WITH STUDIED AND -METHODICAL DEVOTION. - - -If all those who are working for the conquest of souls sought to win -them _by the heart_, leading them first of all to prayer and to the -inner life, they would see many and lasting conversions. But so long as -they only address themselves to the outside, and instead of drawing -people to Christ by occupying their hearts with Him, they only give them -a thousand precepts for outward observances, they will see but little -fruit, and that will not be lasting. - -When once the heart is won, other defects are easily corrected. This is -why God particularly asks for the _heart_. By this means alone would be -prevented the drunkenness, blasphemy, lewdness, enmity, and robbery -which are prevalent in the world. Jesus Christ would reign universally, -and the Church everywhere would be revived. - -Error only takes possession of the soul in the absence of faith and -prayer. If men could be taught to _believe simply_ and to _pray_, -instead of disputing amongst themselves, they would be gently led to -Christ. - -Oh, how inestimable is the loss of those who neglect the inner life! Oh, -what an account will they have to render to God who have the charge of -souls, for not having discovered this hidden treasure to all those whom -they serve in the ministry of the Word! - -The excuse given is that there is _danger_ in this way, or that ignorant -people are incapable of spiritual things. The oracle of truth assures us -that God has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and has -revealed them to babes. And what danger can there be in walking in the -only true way, which is Jesus Christ, in giving ourselves to Him, -looking to Him continually, putting all our trust in His grace, and -tending, with all the forces of our souls, to His pure love? - -Far from the simple ones being _incapable_ of this perfection, they are -the most suitable for it, because they are more docile, more humble, and -more innocent; and as they do not reason, they are not so attached to -their own light. Having no science, they more readily suffer themselves -to be guided by the Spirit of God: while others who are blind in their -own sufficiency resist the divine inspiration. - -God tells us, too, that it is to the _simple_ He gives understanding by -the entrance of His Word (Ps. cxix. 130). "The testimony of the Lord is -sure, making wise the _simple_" (Ps. xix. 7). "The Lord preserveth the -_simple_: I was brought low, and He helped me" (Ps. cxvi. 6). - -O ye who have the oversight of souls! see that you do not prevent the -little ones from going to Christ. His words to His disciples were, -"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for of -such is the kingdom of God" (Luke xviii. 16). Jesus only said this to -His disciples, because they wished to keep the children away from Him. -Often the remedy is applied to the body, when the disease is at the -_heart_. The reason why we have so little success in seeking to reform -men, is that we direct our efforts to the outside, and all that we can -do there soon passes off. But if we were to give them first _the key of -the interior_, the outside would be reformed at once with a natural -facility. - -And this is very easy. To teach them to seek God in their heart, to -think of Him, to return to Him when they find they have turned away, to -do all and suffer all for the sake of pleasing Him--this is to direct -them to the source of all grace, and to make them find there all that is -necessary for their sanctification. O you who serve souls! I conjure you -to put them first of all into this way, which is Jesus Christ; and it is -He who conjures you to do this by the blood He has shed for the souls He -confides to your care. "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem" (Isa. xl. 2, -marg.) O dispensers of His grace, preachers of His Word, ministers of -sacraments! establish His kingdom; and, in order to establish it truly, -make it reign over HEARTS. For as it is the heart alone which can oppose -His empire, it is by the subjection of the heart that His sovereignty is -most honoured. Alas! we seek to make _studied_ prayers; and by wishing -to arrange them too much, we render them impossible. We have alienated -children from the best of Fathers, in seeking to teach them a polished -language. Go, poor children, and speak to your Heavenly Father in your -natural language: however uncultivated it may be, it is not so to Him. A -father loves best the speech which is put in disorder by love and -respect, because he sees that it comes from the heart: it is more to him -than a dry harangue, vain and unfruitful though well studied. Oh, how -certain glances of love charm and ravish Him! They express infinitely -more than all language and reason. By wishing to teach how to love Love -Himself with method, much of this love has been lost. Oh! it is not -necessary to teach the art of loving. The language of love is barbarous -to him who does not love; and we cannot learn to love God better than -by loving Him. The Spirit of God does not need our arrangements; He -takes shepherds at His pleasure to make them prophets; and, far from -closing the palace of prayer to any, as it is imagined, He leaves the -doors open to all, and Wisdom is ordered to cry in the public places, -"Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth -understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink of the -wine which I have mingled" (Prov. ix. 4, 5). Did not Christ thank His -Father that He had hidden these things from the wise and prudent, and -had revealed them to babes? (Matt. xi. 25.) - - - - -CHAPTER XIX. - -AFTER THE PRECEDING WAYS, THERE REMAINS AN AFTER WAY, PREPARATORY TO -DIVINE UNION, IN WHICH WISDOM AND JUSTICE MAKE THE PASSIVE PURIFICATION -OF THE SOUL, ALL WHICH IS TREATED IN DETAIL IN THE FOLLOWING TREATISE, -ENTITLED "SPIRITUAL TORRENTS." - - -It is impossible to attain divine union by the way of meditation alone, -or even by the affections, or by any luminous or understood prayer. -There are several reasons. These are the principal. - -First, according to Scripture, "No man shall see God and live" (Exod. -xxxiii. 20). Now all discursive exercises of prayer, or even of _active -contemplation_, regarded as an end, and not as a preparation for the -_passive_, are exercises of life by which we cannot see God, that is, -become united to Him. All that is of man, and of his own industry, -however noble and elevated it may be, must die. - -St John tells us that "there was silence in heaven." Heaven represents -the depths and centre of the soul, where all must be in silence when the -majesty of God appears. All that belongs to our own efforts, or to -ourselves in any way, must be destroyed, because nothing is opposed to -God but appropriation, and all the malignity of man is in this -appropriation, which is the source of his evil; so that the more a soul -loses its appropriation, the more it becomes pure. - -Secondly, in order to unite two things so opposed as the purity of God -and the impurity of the creature, the simplicity of God and the -multiplicity of the creature, God must operate alone; for this can never -be done by the effort of the creature, since two things cannot be united -unless there is some relation or resemblance between them, as an impure -metal would never unite with one that was pure and refined. - -What does God do then? He sends before Him His own Wisdom, as fire will -be sent upon the earth to consume by its activity all the impurity that -is there. Fire consumes all things, and nothing resists its activity. It -is the same with Wisdom; it consumes all impurity in the creature, to -prepare him for divine union. - -This impurity, so opposed to union, is appropriation and activity. -_Appropriation_, because it is the source of the real impurity which can -never be united to essential purity; as the sun's rays may touch the mud -but cannot unite with it. _Activity_, because God being in an infinite -repose, in order that the soul may be united to Him, it must participate -in His repose, without which there can be no union, because of the -dissemblance; and to unite two things, they must be in a proportionate -rest. - -It is for this reason that the soul can only attain divine union by the -rest of its will; and it can only be united to God when it is in a -_central rest_ and in the purity of its creation. - -To purify the soul God makes use of wisdom as fire is used for the -purification of gold. It is certain that gold can only be purified by -fire, which gradually consumes all that is earthly and foreign, and -separates it from the gold. It is not sufficient that the earth should -be changed into gold; it is necessary that the fire should melt and -dissolve it, to remove from it all that is earthly; and this gold is put -in the fire so many times that it loses its impurity, and all necessity -of purification. Then it is fit to be employed in the most excellent -workmanship. - -And if this gold is impure in the end, it is because it has contracted -fresh defilement by coming in contact with other bodies. But this -impurity is only superficial, and does not prevent its being used; -whereas its former impurity was hidden within it, and, as it were, -identified with its nature. - -In addition to this, you will remark that gold of an inferior degree of -purity cannot mix with that of a superior purity. The one must contract -the impurity of the other, or else impart its own purity to it. Put a -refined gold with an unrefined one, what can the goldsmith ever do with -it? He will have all the impurity taken from the second piece, that it -may be able to mix with the first. This is what St Paul tells us, that -"the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is;" he adds, that -if any man's work should be found to deserve burning, he should be saved -"so as by fire" (1 Cor. iii. 13, 15). That means, that though there are -some works which are good, and which God receives, yet, so that he who -has done them may be pure, they too must pass through the fire, in order -that all appropriation, that is, all that was his own, may be taken -from them. God will judge our righteousness, because "by the deeds of -the law there shall no flesh be justified," but by "the righteousness of -God, which is by faith" (Rom. iii. 20, 22). - -This being understood, I say that, in order that man may be united to -his God, wisdom and divine justice, like a pitiless and devouring fire, -must take from him all appropriation, all that is terrestrial, carnal, -and of his own activity; and having taken all this from him, they must -unite him to God. - -This is never brought about by the labours of the creature; on the -contrary, it even causes him regret, because, as I have said, man so -loves what is his own, and is so fearful of its destruction, that if God -did not accomplish it Himself, and by His own authority, man would never -consent to it. - -It will be objected to this, that God never deprives man of his liberty, -and that therefore he can always resist God; for which reason I ought -not to say that _God acts absolutely, without the consent of man_. In -explanation I say, that it is sufficient that man should give a -_passive consent_, that he may have entire and full liberty; because -having at the beginning given himself to God, that He may do as He will -both with him and in him, he gave from that time an _active_ and general -assent to all that God might do. But when God destroys, burns, and -purifies, the soul does not see that all this is for its advantage; it -rather believes the contrary: and as at first the fire seems to tarnish -the gold, so this operation seems to despoil the soul of its purity. So -that if an _active_ and _explicit_ consent were required, the soul would -find a difficulty in giving it, and often would not give it. All that it -does is to remain in a passive contentment, enduring this operation as -well as it can, being neither able nor willing to prevent it. - -God then so purifies this soul of all natural, distinct, and perceived -operations, that at last He makes it more and more _conformed_ to -Himself, and then _uniform_, raising the passive capacity of the -creature, enlarging it and ennobling it, though in a hidden and -unperceived manner, which is termed mystical. But in all these -operations the soul must concur passively, and in proportion as the -working of God becomes stronger, the soul must continually yield to Him, -until He absorbs it altogether. We do not say, then, as some assert, -that there must be no _action_; since, on the contrary, this is _the -door_; but only that _we must not remain in it_, seeing that man should -tend towards the perfection of his end, and that he can never reach it -without quitting the first means, which, though they were necessary to -introduce him into the way, would greatly hinder him afterwards, if he -attached himself obstinately to them. This is what Paul said, "I forget -those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things which -are before; I press toward the mark" (Phil. iii. 13, 14). - -Should we not consider a person destitute of reason who, after -undertaking a journey, stopped at the first inn, because he was assured -that several had passed it, that a few had lodged there, and that the -landlord lived there? What the soul is required to do, then, is _to -advance towards its end_, to take the shortest road, not to stop at the -first point, and, following the advice of St Paul, to suffer itself to -be "led by the Spirit of God" (Rom. viii. 14), who will lead it to the -end for which it was created, which is the enjoyment of God. - -It is well known that the sovereign good is God; that essential -blessedness consists in union with God, and that this union cannot be -the result of our own efforts, since God only communicates Himself to -the soul according to its capacity. We cannot be united to God without -passivity and simplicity; and this union being bliss, the way which -leads to it must be the best, and there can be no risk in walking in it. - -This way is not _dangerous_. If it were, Christ would not have -represented it as the most perfect and necessary of all ways. All can -walk in it; and as all are called to blessedness, all are called to the -enjoyment of God, both in this life and in that which is to come, since -the enjoyment of God is blessedness. I say the enjoyment of God Himself, -not of His gifts, which can never impart essential blessedness, not -being able fully to satisfy the soul, which is so constituted that even -the richest gifts of God cannot thoroughly content it. The desire of God -is to give Himself to us, according to the capacity with which He has -endowed us; and yet we fear to leave ourselves to God! We fear to -possess Him, and to be prepared for divine union! - -You say, _we must not bring ourselves to this condition_. I agree to -that; but I say too, that no one ever could bring himself to it, since -no man could ever unite himself to God by his own efforts, and God -Himself must do the work. - -You say that some pretend to have attained it. I say that this state -cannot be feigned, any more than a man dying of hunger can for any -length of time pretend to be satisfied. It will soon be known whether or -no men have attained this end. - -Since, then, none can arrive at the end unless he be brought there, it -is not a question of introducing people to it, but of showing them the -way which leads to it, and begging them not to rest in those practices -which must be relinquished at God's command. - -Would it not be cruelty to show a fountain to a thirsty man, and then -hold him bound, and prevent his going to it, leaving him to die of -thirst? That is what is being done now. Let us all be agreed both as to -the way and the end. The way has its commencement, its progress, and -its terminus. The more we advance towards the terminus, the farther we -go from the commencement; and it is impossible to reach the terminus but -by constantly going farther from the starting-point, being unable to go -from one place to another without passing through all that comes between -them: this is incontestable. - -Oh, how blind are the majority of men, who pride themselves upon their -learning and talent! - -O Lord! how true it is that Thou hast hidden Thy secrets from the wise -and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes! - - - - - -End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual -Torrents, by Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER *** - -***** This file should be named 24989.txt or 24989.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/9/8/24989/ - -Produced by Free Elf, David Wilson and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This -book was produced from scanned images of public domain -material from the Google Print project.) - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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