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Show ! 1 wJ N I ; f; Ma; I I t l ' ' SWn&s CL'Kernpb.: BOOK 2 CHAPTER 8. Of Familiar Friendship With. Christ. When Jesus is present all is well, and nothing seems difficult; but when Jesus is absent, every thing is hard. When Jes?ue speaketh not within, consolation con-solation is little worth; but if Jesu3 speak only one word, we feel great consolation. con-solation. Did not Mary Magdalen instantly rise up from the place where she wept, when Martha caid to her: "The Master is come, and calleth fur thee?" Happy hour, when Jesus calleth thee from tears to joy of spirit. How dry and hard art thou without Jei?us-! How foolish and vain, if. thou desire anything out of Jesus! Is not this a greater loss to thee than if thou shouldst lose the whole world? 2. What can the world give thee without with-out Jeus? To be without Jesus is a grievous hell; to. be with Jefius a sweet para-disc. para-disc. If Jcrsus be with thee, no foe can harm thee. Whoever findeth Jesus findeth a good treasure yea, a good above every good. And he that loseth Jesus loseth much yea, more than the whole world. He that liveth without Jesus is in wretched poverty; and he who is with Jesus is meet rich. 3. It is a great art to know how to converse with Jeeus; and to know how to help Jesus is great' wisdom. Be humble and peaceable, and Jesus will be with thee. Be devout and calm, and Jesus will abide with thee. Thou mayst soon drive away Jesus, and lose His grace, if thou wilt turn asdde after outward things. And if thee drive Him from the? and lose Him, to whom wilt ihout fly? and whom, then, wilt thou seek for thy friend? Without a friend, thou canst not be ' nappny; ana it Jesus De nu a inena to thee above all. thou wilt indeed be sad and desolate. ! Thou dost foolishb', therefore, to trust in any other, or to rejoice in any other. We ought rather to choose to have the whole world against us than to offend Jesus. Of all. therefore, that are dear to thee let Jesus be thy: special beloved. 4. Let all beloved for Jesus' sake, but Jesus for His own sake. Jesus Christ alone is singly to be loved; for He alone is found good and faithful above all friends. For His sake, and in Him, let enemies as well as friends be dear to thee; and for all these thou miifet pray to Him, that all may know and love Him. Never desire to be singly praised or beloved; for this belongeth to God alone, who hath none like unto Himself. Him-self. Neither desire that anyone's heart should be much taken up with thee; nor do thou be much taken tin with the love of any one; but let Jesus be in thee, and in every good man. 5. Be pure and free interiorily. without with-out being entangled by any creature. Thou must be naked and boar a pure heart toward God, if thou wilt be free, and experience how sweet the Lord is. And, indeed, thou wilt never attain to this, unless thou be prevented and drawn by His grace, that so thou mayst be united to Him alone, when thou hast cast out and dismissed all others. oth-ers. For when the grace of God eometb. to a man, then is he powerful for al! things; and when it departefh, then Is he poor and weak, and left only, as It were, to scourgings. In these circumstances, he must not be dejected nor despair; but calmly remain, awaiting the will of God, arid bear for the glory of Jesus Christ whatever what-ever ohall befall him; because, after the winter cometh summer; fitter the night the day returneth; after the storm cometh a great calm. CHAPTER 9. Of the Want of All Consolation. It Is not hard to despise all human consolation when we have divine. But it is much, and very much, to be able to forego all comfort, both human hu-man and divine, and to be willing: to bear this interior banishment for God's honor, and to seek oneself in lothing, nor to think of one's own merit. What so great thing is it if thou be cheerful and devoted when grace comes? This hour is desiderable to all. He rides pleasantly enough who is carried by the grace of God. And what wonder If he feel no weight ! who i3 borne up by the Almighty, and led on by the Sovereign Guide. 2. We love to have something to comfort com-fort us, and it is with difficulty that a' man can put off himself. The holy Martyr Lawrence, with his Priest, overcome the world because he despised whatever seemed delightful in this world; and for the love of Chri?t he suffered the High Priest of God, Sixtus, whom he exceedingly loved, to be taken away from Him. He overcame, therefore, the love of man by the love of the Creator; and instead of the consolation he had in man, he made choice rather of God's gocd pleasure. So do thou also learn to part with an intimate and beloved friend for the love of God. And take it not to heart when thou art forsaken by a friend, knowing that at last we must all be eeparated one from another. 3. A man must have a great and a long conflict within himself before he can learn fully to overcome himself, and to direct his whole affection towards to-wards God. When a man stands upon himself, he easily inclines after human consolation:;. consola-tion:;. But a true lover of Christ and a diligent dili-gent pursuer of virtup, does not fall back upon comforts, nor seek such sensible sen-sible delights, but rather prefers hard exercise and to sustain severe labors for Christ. 4. Therefore, when God gives epiritous consolation, receive it with thanksgiving; thanksgiv-ing; but know that it is God's free gift, and no merit of thine. Be not lifted up, be not enjoved, nor vainly presume, but rather be the more humble for thia gift, more cautious, too, and fearful in all thy actions; for that hour will pass away, and temptation tempta-tion follow. When consolation shall be taken away from thee, do not presently dc-Hpair, dc-Hpair, but with humility and patience await the heavenly visitation, since God ie able to restore to thee more abundant consolation. Thi9 is no new nor strange occurrence to those who have known the way of GocTfor among the great Saints and ancient Prophets there has often been this kind of vicissitude. a. nence mere was one wno, vnen grace was with him, exclaimed; "I eaid in my abundance, I shall no: be moved forever." But when grace was withdrawn he tells what he experienced in himself, saying: "Thou hast turned away Thy face from me, and I became troubled."' Yet even then he despairerh not, but more earnestly prayeth to the Lord, and saith: "Unto Thee, O Lord, will I cry; and to my God will I make supplication." At length he receiveth the fruit of his prayer, and witneeseth that he was heard, eaying: "The Lord hath lieard, and hath had mercy on me; IhevLord hath become my helper." But in what way? "Thou hast turned," turn-ed," he eaith, "my mourning into joy, and Thou hast encompassed me with gladness." If it hath been chus with great Saints, we that are weak and poor must not be discouraged if Ave are sometimes fervent, sometimes cold, because the Spirlth cometh and goetli according to his own good pleasure. Wherefore, holy Job saith: "Then vk?itest him early in the morning, and on a sudden Thou truest him." 6. Wherein, then, can I hope, or in what must I put my trust, but in God's great mercy alone, and in the hope of heavenly grace? or whether I have with me good men or devout brethren, or faithful friends or holy books, or beautiful treatises, or mveet car tides and hymns, all these help but little, give me but little relish, when I am forsaken by grace and left in my own poverty. At such a time there is no better remedy than patience, and denying of myself according to the will of God. 7. I never found anyone so religious and devout as not sometimes to experience exper-ience withdrawal of grace, or feel a diminution di-minution of fervor. . No Saint was ever so sublimely rapt and illuminated as not to be tempted sooner or later. For he is not worthy the sublime contemplation con-templation of God who haa not, for God's sake, been exercised with some tribulation. For preceding temptation is usually a sign of ensuing consolation. For heavenly comfort is promised to such as have been proved by temptation. tempta-tion. "To him that shall overcome," saith the Lord, "I will give to eat of the tree of life." 8. Now, divine consolation is given, that a -man may the- better be able to support adversities. And temptation followeth, that he may not be elated by the good. The devil sleepeth not, neither is the flesh vet dead; therefore, thou must not cease to prepare thyself for the battle; For on the right hand and on the left are enemies that never rest. |