Chapter 26

How the Devil endeavours, by means of the aforesaid temptations, to remove us from our devotion and good exercises; and that our remedy is, to increase therein; laying aside all superfluous desire of feeling spiritual sweetness in the soul; and to what end these also may be desired.

BUT some¹ weak man will say, These wicked thoughts take devotion from me, and the nearer I am to be devout and diligent in good works, the more they press me: & to the end that I may not hear them, I grow to have a desire to give over the good work that I began. But the answer is clear. For this, is that very thing, which the Devil went about, though he went by a kind of circling way; by bringing in thoughts of a different nature. Now² thy course must be, rather to increase in thy well doing, then to decay; as if one would do it, even of purpose to make the Devil retire with lost, when he thought to have gone on with gain. And if thou want tenderness of devotion, do not trouble thyself for that; for as much as our services, are not to be measured, otherwise then by the rate of our love; which³ consisteth not in tenderness of devotion, but in a frank offer and resolution of our will, to do that which God, and his Church commandeth; and to endure that, which his pleasure is, that we should suffer, for his contentment.

If some, who may seem to have left their pleasures of the world, for the service of God, did leave also the inordinate desire of sweet, and sensible devotions of the soul, they would live with more alacrity than now they have; and the Devil should not be able to find certain⁴ hairs of appetite, to take hold of, and thereby to turn their heads about, and to deceive & hurt them. Christ Jesus, died naked upon the Cross, and naked we should offer ourselves to him. And we should care for no other , than the doing of his holy will, as it is declared to us, by the commaundments of himself, and of his Church; and to receive with an⁵ amorous kind of obedience, that which he shallbe pleased to send, how hard soever it be: with equality of mind, we are to take from his hand, either affliction or consolation; and to give him thankes, both for the one and the other. S. Paul⁶ saith, That in all things we are to give thankes to God, because, as it is the mark of a good Christian, to love one that doth him hurt, for the love of God (since every one love's him, that doth him good) so to be⁷ thankful to God in adversity (not regarding the rough exterior that it carrieth, but the hidden favour which God doth send us, under that superscription) is the sign of a man who beareth other eyes in his head, then of flesh and blood; and that he loveth God, since, in that which is painful to him, he doth yet conform himself, to Gods will. And⁸ so we must not seek to fasten ourselves to the weak boughs of our own desires, though they may seem good; but to the strong pillar of the divine will; to the end, that obeying it (as hath been said) we may participate, according to our possibility, of that peaceful rest, and immutability, which resideth in that Will; and that we may decline those many changes, which in our hart we shallbe sure to find, if it give access to this kind of⁹ covetousness.

There is in very deed, little difference, between serving Christ for money, or else for consolation, and spiritual gust of thy soul, whether for heaven or for earth; if the last mark that I aim at, be this covetousness. Even Lucifer, (according to the opinion of many Doctors) did desire true felicity; but because he desired it not as he ought, and of whom he ought, & that it might be given him, when it should have pleased God; it served not his turn to have desired that which was good; but he sinned by not desiring it well; for so it came to be covetousness, & no good desire. In the same manner therefore do I declare, that we must not fasten ourselves to an earnest and disordered appetite of spiritual gusts; but offering ourselves to the Cross of our Lord, we must be glad to take what he shallbe pleased to give, whether it be sweet honey, or vinegar and gall.

Nor¹⁰ have I yet said this, as if these gusts were evil, or unprofitable of themselves, if men know how to make true use thereof; and if they receive them not as to dwell in them, but to procure more breath, and hart in the service of God; especially for beginners, who ordinarily, according to their, age have need of milk, like children. And¹¹ he that would nurse them, with the food that is fit for men; and seek, by that means, to make them perfect, upon a sudden: should commit a great error; and instead of helping, would do hurt. Every age, hath a several condition, and degree of strength, according to which the food and nourishment is to be applied. And, (as the well experienced, and holy Bernard saith) We must not fly, but walk forward in the way of perfection; and let no man think, that it is the same thing to understand it, and to possess it. And therefore, it our Lord impart these comforts, let them be received, towards the carrying of his Cross, with greater force. For as much, as it is his custom, to comfort his disciples in Mount Thabor, that so they may not be disquieted in the persecution of the Cross. And ordinarily, before the gall of tribulation come upon us, he sendeth the honey of comfort. And I never knew any man, mislike or undervalow spiritual Consolations, but such an one, as by whose soul, they had never passed.

But if our Lord be pleased to guide us, by the way of discomfort, and that we must needs hear the harsh and¹² painful language, whereof we were speaking; yet must we not be dismayed, at any thing that he sendeth; but with patience we must drink the Chalice, which the Father gives, even because he giveth it; and we must beg strength of him, that our weakness, may yield obedience thereunto. Nor yet on the other side, must thou conceive that I teach thee, not to have joy when our Lord doth visit, or not to have a sad feeling of his absence, when we find ourselves delivered over to our enemies, to be tempted, or afflicted by them. But that which I would say, is this, that (according to the force which God shall give us) we must procure to conform ourselves to his holy will, with obedience, and equality of mind; and in no case to follow our own: which infallibly willbe accompanied with discomfort and disconfidence, & such things as these.

Let¹³ us beseech our Lord, that he will open our eyes; for than we shall more clearly see then now we do, the very light of the sun. & that all things of the earth, yea and of heaven itself, are but very poor and unworthy of being desired, or enjoyed; if from them we sever, the will of our Lord. And that there is no one thing, how little soever, or how bitter soever it be otherwise, which if it be joined to the will of our Lord, is not of extreme value. Better it is, without comparison, to be in affliction, if our Lord require it, than (abstracting from his will) to be in heaven. And if once we did banish from ourselves, this secret covetousness, with resolution; there would fall of, withal, many evil fruits, which grow from thence; and we should gather others, in place thereof, of more worth; namely joy and peace; which use to be derived from the union of a soul, with the will of God. And so firm they would be withal, that tribulation itself, would not be able to take them from us. For as much as, although such persons do find themselves afflicted and forsaken, yet are they not in despair, no nor greatly troubled; as knowing that, to be the way of the Cross, to which they have offered themselves, and by which Christ did walk, as it appeared, when, being upon the Cross, he said to his Father, O¹⁴ my God, Why hast thou forsaken me? But shortly after he said, Into thy hands, O Father, I commend my spirit. Our Lord had also said already: Again¹⁵ Will I see you, and your hart shall rejoice, and no man shall take this joy from you For if a man enjoy this condition, there is no tribulation, which there, in the most inward part of his soul, doth much disquiet him; because there within, he is close united, to the will of him that sendeth it.

If thus we would carry ourselves, we should deceive the deceiver, which is the devil. For as much, as, by not being dismayed, nor retiring from our good course begun (notwithstanding the evil language he speaketh) but, on the other side, (taking that which our Lord doth send, with obedience, and giving of thankes) we depart without any hurt out of this skirmish, although it should last as long as we live. Yea we come to greater profit than we had before; since it gave us occasion to gain more crowns in heaven, in reward of that conformity which we had to the will of our Lord, without respecting our own, even in that, which was very painful to us.

Footnotes

1. Note this Chapter well, for it may profit much. ↩

2. Note. ↩

3. Note this well, and believe it; for it is a certain truth. ↩

4. We must take care that the Devil have no hold, to take us by. ↩

5. Pray for this blessing, for it is a great one. ↩

6. Ephes● 5. ↩

7. 5. Note,
   ↩

8. A sovereign receipt against all miseries of man's life, both interior and exterior. ↩

9. Of spiritual gust. ↩

10. Note. ↩

11. How great a blessing it is, to meet with a guide, who hath the gift of spiritual prudence. ↩

12. Of d●aboh●al tentat●os, and disolations. ↩

13. We ought to carry, a most cordial, and profound love, to the accomplishment of the holy & a●●e will of God in all things. ↩

14. Matt. 17. ↩

15. joan. 10. ↩