V. 3. Way of Perf. ch. xli. 2.

St. Matt. iv. 5 : “ Tunc diabolus statuit eum super pinna-
culum templi.”

102 THE WAY OF PERFECTION, [CHAP. XVI.

must have felt, although he did not know the reason why,
for God did not permit him to understand it ! Blessed
be such immense pity and mercy. How ashamed we
Christians ought to feel, as I said above, at constraining
our Lord to combat daily this unclean beast ! There
was need for Thine arms to be so strong, O Lord, but
how was it that they were not weakened by the many
tortures Thou didst endure upon the cross ? Oh, how
soon all hurts that are borne with love heal again !
I believe that if Thy life had lasted longer, the love
Thou hast for us would have healed Thy wounds, without
need of any other medicine. O my God, who will apply
such a lotion to all the trials which give me pain and
trouble ? How eagerly I should desire them, if they
were to be cured by such a health-giving ointment !
It seems extravagant for me to speak thus, as my actions
are in such contrast to it, yet divine love does greater
things than this. But lest I should seem fond of what
is sensational (as indeed I am), and that I may not set
you a bad example, I will not tell you about them.^^

6. But, to return to what I was saying — God knows
that He can attract certain souls to Himself by means
of divine favours : He sees they are on the way to be
lost, but He does not wish it to happen through any

12 Escorial edition, ch. xxvi. God can sometimes raise a
worldly soul to perfect contemplation, and the reasons for His
doing so. This chapter is very noteworthy.

CHAP. XVI.] IMPERFECT SOULS. IO3

fault of His, therefore, though they are in a bad case and
are lacking in goodness. He gives them consolations,
delights, and tenderness of devotion, which begin to
excite their desires ; He even sometimes raises them to
contemplation, although but rarely, and for a very
short time. This is to prove whether such a grace
will induce them to prepare themselves to enjoy His
favours more often. But if they do not respond to
Thee, and are unwilling to pardon their enemies, then
pardon us, O Lord, for it is a terrible misfortune for a
soul which Thou hast thus drawn to Thee to become
attached afterwards to any earthly thing. I feel sure
there are many souls which our Lord God puts to this
proof, but few who correspond rightly to the favour,
for when He acts thus, unless we offer any hindrance,
I am convinced that He never ceases bestowing His
graces until He has brought us to a very high state of
prayer. If we do not yield ourselves to Him as entirely
as He gives Himself to us,^* He does what suffices, by
leaving us to mental prayer, and visiting us now and
then, as servants working in His vineyard. But the
other souls are His beloved children, whom He will not
allow to quit His side, nor will He leave them, since they
do not wish to forsake Him. He seats them at His table

^ Castle, M. iv. ch. iii. 9, 10 ; M. v. ch. i. 2, 3 ; ch. ii. 4, 5 ;
ch. iii. 2, 6, 12.

Castle, M. v. ch. i. 3. Life, ch. xi. 2-4 ; ch. xxii. 18, 19.

104 the way of perfection. [chap. XVI.

and ministers to them so far/® that (as they say) He takes *

the meat from His own mouth to feed them with.^® '

7. O happy custody, my daughters ! O joyful re- ;

nunciation of things so trifling and so base, which leads
us to such a blessed state ! What does it matter if all :

the world blames you and deafens you with abuse, while !

you are resting meanwhile in the arms of God ? He is j

powerful to deliver you from all. Once, only, did He j

command that the world should be created, and it was
created — with Him, to will is to do.^® Except for the j

greater gain of those who love Him, He will not permit
them to be spoken against ® : His love for them is not
so weak. Then why, my sisters, should we not show ^

Him all the love we can ? See, what a rich exchange j

— to give our love for His ; to give it to Him, Who can i

J

give us all things, while we can do nothing without His \

aid. But what is it that we do for Thee, O Lord, our :

Creator ? We do nothing, but make a paltry resolution.

If, then. His Majesty wills that we should purchase all i

things by this mere nothing, let us not be so mad as to |

refuse it. 'i

St. Luke xii. 37 : “ Et transiens ministrabit illis.”

Psalm liv. 15 : “ Qui simul mecum dulces capiebas cibos.”

Rel. iv. 6.

Life, ch. xl. 30.

Psalm ch. xxxii. 19 : “ Ipse dixit et facta sunt.”

Philip, ii. 13 : ” Qui operatur in vobis et velle et perficere.”

2® Way of Perf. ch. xvii. Castle, M. vi. ch. xi. 12.

CHAP. XVI.] ALL TO AIM AT IT. IO5

8. O Lord, all our ills come from not fixing our eyes
on Thee : if we looked at nothing else but where we are
going, we should soon arrive, but we fall a thousand
times and stumble and go astray, because we do not
keep our gaze bent on Him Who is the “ Way.” It
looks so new to us that one would think nobody had
walked in it before. Indeed, this is a grievous pity :
one would think we were not Christians at all, nor had
ever read the Passion in our lives. Lord have mercy
on us — we are touched in a point of honour ! If people
tell us not to notice it, we at once call them unchristian
— I laugh, or I grieve sometimes, at what I hear of such
foibles in the world, as I do at my own foibles in religion.
To be undervalued in the least is unbearable to us : we
at once cry out : ” We are not angels, nor saints ! ”

That is true enough. God deliver us, my daughters, when
we fall into any imperfection, from saying : ” We are
not angels ! We are not saints ! ” Although we are
not, still, it is the greatest help to believe that, with the
aid of God, we can be, if we strive our hardest. There
is no fear of His failing to do His part, if we do ours.
Since we came here for nothing else, let us put our hands
to the plough, as they say. Let there be nothing
which we know would further our Lord’s service that
we dare not undertake, with the assistance of His grace.

21 St. Luke ix. 62 : “Nemo mittens manum suam ad aratrum,
et respiciens retro, aptus est regno Dei.”

I06 THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. XVII.

I wish such audacity to exist in this house — it always
increases humility. Ever nourish this holy daring, for
God aids the valiant, and is no respecter of persons.
Both to you and me. He will give the help needed. I
have wandered from' my subject, to which I will return ;
that is, instruction on mental prayer and contemplation.
It may appear presumptuous on my part, but you will
excuse everything. Perhaps you may understand my
rough style better than other more polished writings.
May our Lord grant me His assistance. Amen !