CHAPTER X.

My daughter had the small-pox. They sent for a
physician from Geneva, who gave her over. Father La
Combe then came in to visit, and pray with her. He
gave her his blessing; and soon after she wonderfully
recovered. The persecutions of the New Catholics
against me continued and increased; yet, for all that, I
did not fail to do them all the good in my power. My
daughter’s mistress came often to converse with me,
but much imperfection appeared in her discourses,
though they were on religious subjects. Father La
Combe regulated many things in regard to my daugh¬
ter, which vexed her mistress so much, that her former
friendship was turned into coldness. She had grace,
but suffered nature too frequently to prevail. I told
her my thought on her faults, as I was inwardly directed
to do; but though, at that time, God enlightened her
to see the truth of what I said, and she has been more
enlightened since, yet the return of her coldness
towards me ensued upon it. The debates between her
and my sister grew more tart and violent. My daugh¬
ter, who was only six years and a half old, by her little
dexterities, found a way to please them both, choosing
to do her exercises twice over, first with the one, then
with the other, which continued not long; for as her
mistress generally neglected her, doing things at one
time, and leaving them at another, she was reduced to
learn only what my sister and I taught her. Indeed

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the changeableness of my sister was so excessive, that,
without great grace, it was hard to suit one’s self to it;
and yet she appeared to me to surmount herself in
many things. Formerly, I could scarce bear her man¬
ners; but I have since loved everything in God, who
has given me a very great facility to bear the faults of
my neighbor, with a readiness to please and oblige
everyone, and such a compassion for their calamities or
distresses as I never had before.

I have no difficulty to use condescension with
imperfect persons; I should be secretly smitten if I
failed therein; but with souls of grace I cannot bear
this human manner of acting, nor suffer long and fre¬
quent conversationa It is a thing which few are cap¬
able of. Some religious persons say that these conver¬
sations are of great service. I believe it may be true
tor some, but not for all; for there is a period wherein
it hurts, especially when it is of our own choice; the
human inclination corrupting everything. The same
things which would be profitable, when God, by his
Spirit, draws to them, become quite otherwise, when
we of ourselves enter into them. This appears to me
bo clear, that I prefer being a whole day with the worst
of persons, in obedience to God, before being one hour
with the best, only from my own choice and inclina¬
tion.

The order of divine providence makes the whole
rule and conduct of a soul entirely devoted to God.
While it faithfully gives itself up thereto, it will do all
things right and well, and will have everything it wants,
without its own care; because God in whom it confides,
makes it every moment do what he requires, and fur¬
nishes the occasions proper for it. God loves what is

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of his own order, and of his own will, not according to
the idea of the merely rational or even enlightened
man; for he hides these persons from the eyes of
others, in order to preserve them in that hidden purity
for himself.

But how comes it that such souls commit any faults;
because they are not faithful, in giving themselves up
to the present moment. Often too eagerly bent on
something, or wanting to be over-faithful, they slide
into many faults, which they can neither foresee nor
avoid. Does God then leave souls which confide in
him ? Surely not. Sooner would he work a miracle
to hinder them from falling, if they were resigned
enough to him. They may be resigned as to the gen¬
eral will, and yet fail as to the present moment. Being
out of the order of God, they fall. They renew such
falls as long as they continue out of that divine order.
When they return into it, all goes right and well.

Most assuredly if such souls were faithful enough,
not to let any of the moments of the order of God slip
over, they would not thus fall. This appears to me as
clear as the day. As a dislocated bone out of the place
in which the economy of divine wisdom had fixed it>
gives continual pain till restored to its proper order, so
the many troubles in life, come from the soul not abid¬
ing in its place, and not being content with the order
of God, and what is afforded therein from moment to
moment. If men rightly knew this secret, they would
all be fully content and satisfied. But alas ! instead of
being content with what they have, they are ever wish¬
ing for what they have not; while the soul, which enters
into the divine light begins to be in paradise. What
is it that makes paradise ? It is the order of God,

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245

which renders all the saints infinitely content, though
very unequal in glory ! From whence comes it that so
many poor indigent persons are so contented, and that
princes and potentates, who abound to profusion, are
so wretched and unhappy? It is because the man who
is not content with what he has, will never be without
craving desires; and he who is the prey of an unsatis¬
fied desire, can never be content.

All souls have more or less of strong and ardent
desires, except those whose will is lost in the will of
God. Some have good desires, so as to suffer martyr¬
dom for God; others thirst for the salvation of their
neighbor, and some pant to see God in glory. All this
is excellent. But he who rests in the divine will,
although he may be exempt from all these desires, is
infinitely more content, and glorifies God more. It is
written concerning Jesus Christ, when he drove out of
the temple those who profaned it, “ The zeal of thine
house hath eaten me up.” John ii. 17. It was in that
moment of the order of God, that these words had
their effect. How many times had Jesus Christ been in
the temple without such a conduct ? Does not he occa¬
sionally say of himself, that his hour was not yet come?

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