Chapter 28

Of the great remedy which groweth against these tentations, by seeking a wise and well experiented ghostly Father; who must be entirely informed and credited; and how the ghostly Father ought to proceed with such persons; & of the fruit which riseth from these temptations.

IT useth, in these temptations, to put men to much difficulty, that they are plainly to declare them to their Ghostly Father; in regard that they are things so wicked, and so deformed, that they deserve not to be mentioned; and even the very naming of them doth strike with horror. And yet on the other side, if they declare them not very much at large, and do not express every thought, though never so little, it seemeth to them that they made no good confession; and so they never go well satisfied, whether they speak, or be silent; but with the same affliction that they had before.

Such¹ persons as these, are to seek a wise and well experienced ghostly Father, to whom they must lay open the roots of the temptation; in such sort as that he may be satisfied, and posses●e the business. And the penitent must give entiere credit to him, for therein consisteth the remedy of these persons, who either for the little that they know, or the much passion that they have, are wholly unfit to judge themselves. Now this ghostly Father, must pray much to our Lord, for the recovery of his patient; nor must he be made weary, if the penitent do many times ask him the same questions; nor for other weaknesses, which such, use to have. Nor must he wonder at them, nor despise him for them; but he must carry a cordial, and deep compassion towards him; and² correct him, in the spirit of meekness, as S. Paul saith; lest himself grow also to be tempted, either in that, or somewhat else; & so he find to his cost, how great humane weakness is. He must recommend to him, the reformation of his life, and to resort to the remedies of the Sacraments; & then assure him, that there is no thought so deformed, and so wicked, as that it can defile the soul, unless it consent; and let him give him, good hope, that, by the mercy of our Lord, he shallbe delivered in fit time; & that, in the mean while, he must content himself to suffer that torment, by those executioners, in discharge of his sins, and in imitation of that, which Christ Jesus suffered. The penitent, being thus comforted, and carrying his Cross with patience; and offering himself to the will of our Lord to carry it all his life, if it be pleasing to God, shall gain more by that vinegar and gall, which the Devil gave him, then by the honey of devotion which himself desired.

From hence it groweth, that our soul being in the flower of her beginnings; doth enter upon yielding the fruit of perfect men; since for merly, we were sucking the milk of devotion, and now we can eat the bread with the³ crust. Sustaining ourselves by the hard stones of temptation, which he did cast before us, to try whether or no we were the sons of God, as he proceeded with our Lord himself. Thus do we fetch honey out of poison; and health out of being wounded; & we come out of the tentations, well tried, with a million of other blessings. For which yet, we must not give the devil thankes, whose intention was not, to make Crowns for us, but Chairs. But⁴ the thankes we are to give, is to God, that supreme & Omnipotent Good; who would never suffer any evil to happen, if it were not to draw good from thence, in a superior kind of manner. Nor would he suffer that enemy, who is both his and ours, to afflict us; if it were not for the great confusion of that enemy, and for the good of him that is afflicted; as it is written, That⁵ God will scoff at these scoffers, & he that dwelleth in heaven will deride them. For although this dragon play his part, and doth, in the sea of this world, make a jest, as it were, of tempting, and vexing the servants of God; yet it is God, who indeed doth make a jest of him; because he draweth good, out of the others mischief. And whilst the devil thinks, that he doth virtuous men most harm, it is then that he doth them most good; whereat he is so confounded, and ashamed, that through his pride and envy, he could wish that he had not begun that enterprise, which fell out so much, to the advantage of him whom he hateth. And that mischief, and snare, which he prepared for others, hath cast itself about his own neck; and he is choked with envy, to see that the persons whom he tempted, go free a way, with this cheerful song in their mouths, The⁶ s●are is broken, and we are free: our help is from our Lord, who made heaven, and earth.

Footnotes

1. It is no ●ner●aile if so many make themselues away for despair, who are not catholics; for they want this great, and sovereign means of comfort. ↩

2. Gala●● ●. ↩

3. Note the true difference between beginners and proficients in spirit. ↩

4. The infinite power, & wisdom, & goodness of God. ↩

5. Psal. 2. ↩

6. Psal. ●●●. ↩