Letter, Sala Balust no. 35. To a lady, at Pentecost
GOd send you a good Feast of whitsuntide, not by hearsay, but by experience; & that, in this solemnity your hart may feel that which the faithful servants of Christ our Lord, when they were assembled in that meetingplace did feel, by the infusion of him into their souls, who deprived them of their weakness, and delivered them from their ignorances, and fulfilled the bosom of their souls, with so great joy, as might well give the world to understand; that the blood of Christ our lord was not shed in vain, nor his prayers to his Father made in vain; since by means thereof, a participation of the divinity, was communicated.
O how often, when they saw themselves so deified, and that they were made so richly the lovers and beloved of God, did they sing a world of praises to Jesus Christ, their lord and Master; as knowing well, that he had sent them this gift as he was God, and had deserved it for them as he was man. For according to what our lord himself had ptomised, the holy ghost as soon as he should become, was to make known Jesus Christ, our Lord, and to give testimony of him, John. 16 that so the Disciples, and the world might know him, and by knowing him might understand withal, that all good was to come to them by his means, and that they were to render him service, and express all gratitude to him, as to their true and abundant benefactor; and that so, they might remain faster tied to him by the cords of love, in his absence, then formerly they had been in presence; & might know by experience, what a puissant love the holy ghost is, and how ardently he makes that Blessed word of God, to be beloved, from whom himself proceeded, and in whom he reposes, and that they should make no difficulty to publish and proclaim him to the world, though it should cost them their lives.
If we had a part of this solemnity here within our very hearts, we should be sure to celebrate it exteriorly as we ought. And if our soul were bedewed with some drop of the water of this plentiful River which issues out of the throne of God, & of the lamb, the thirst of this whole world would be soon quenched in us, and we should be refreshed by this heavenly dew from that dryness, and stiffness wherein we yet remain so negligent, so barren, and so accursed.1
O how much would we find ourselves obliged to our Redeemer, when we should sensibly feel, that we were indeed redeemed by him, and that our sins were drowned, that our sorrows were spent, and abundance of joy imparted instead thereof. We would not then complain of pains, of banishments, of absence from what we love, of wanting those things which seem most necessary to us, and in sine of any inconvenience. For so powerful is this spirit, and the fire thereof, that it strives upward, and makes us so love & confide in God, that no water of sorrow, and affliction hath power to quench it, but it remains ever quick, and conveyed with such strength into the bowels of the soul (which are so mightily inflamed) that it kills that which life's ill; and causes, that even death itself cannot conquer him, who is mortified by the coming of this holy spirit.
This is that dear guest, who cures the wound, which the absence of Christ our lord had made in their hearts who loved him, and fills up that empty place, which was made therein by his departure. And now if he were able to comfort and free men from that sorrow, which was caused by the absence of Christ our lord himself, more easily will he be able to comfort us, in case of the absence of creatures, if we be in any pain thereby. This is he, who is so full of care of his orphans, who overshadowes them with strength, from on high, and who covers and keeps them warm under the mantle of his protection, and makes them know that they have of in heaven whom they may with confidence, but without presumption call Father; he repairs that which is ruined, he illuminates that which is dark, he heats that which is cold, he straightens that which is crooked, be refreshes that which is over wearied, and he is daily giving us new strength, which makes us fly up toward the mountain of God.
Madam, it will be reason that such an excellent present as this, should put us into great appetite, and that we sell all the affections of our hart, for the purchase of this jewel, which only is able to make us happy. The news of it passes before our doors, and the noise sounds in our ears, of how he comes down to men, and is glad of a habitation in their hearts; Let us not suffer him to pass by, but let us constrain him to visit, and comfort us, that we may serve him yet more. And considering in whose name we may desire him to stay with us, he will not need to be much entreated; for the Father sends him, through Jesus Christ his son our Lord.
Christ our Lord is he who obtained the holy ghost for us. For otherwises, what had that most high spirit to do, with coming down to us, who are but so much flesh, which is impure, and weak, and inclined to all kind of ill. This spirit exceeds us incomparably more, than the heavens exceed the earth, if it were not for that, he who is of heaven, being engendered by the Father, did abase himself so fare as to become man, the signification of which word is to be earthly. And so God being humaned, and tempored with our weakness, did labour and sweat, and, upon the cost of his life, did obtain for us, that this spirit which created the heavens, should abase itself so fare, as to dwell in those pots of clay.
Let us give thankes to Jesus Christ our Lord, and let us gather the fruit of his labours. And since the holy ghost comes down willingly to dwell with us, in contemplation of the merits of Christ our lord, let us not be so ungrateful for either of these two great favours, as thereby to lose them both. The most high will abase himself to these mean persons, that he may be their Father, and their guide, and how then can we be such woeful sots, as to say No, to him. Let us go forth to receive him with love, who comes with love, and let us do it with great desire, for where he is desired he is well content to stay. Let us be like him who said.
say. 26 My soul hath desired thee by night, and in spirit; and with the very bowels of my soul, I watch towards thee in the morning. By night he desires to enjoy thy holy Spirit, who finds himself to be afflicted, and places not his confidence in his own arm, but sends out sighs to this spirit, as to the comforter of the sorrowful, and the easer of all such as are in pain. And in the morning he will be content to watch, who makes it not one of his last cares, how it may be fit for him to furnish up that inward house; but the chief of them all is to consider, how he may be able to obtain this favour of our Lord. And being thus desired, and invoked, infallibly he will come; for so did Christ our lord himself, who was called the Desired of all the nations;
and he love's all such as desire to possess him.2
Let us call upon this holy Spirit, with the speech both of our tongues and of our souls; but, we must be sure that the house be not ill furnished, and so without provision, that after he shall be invited, and sat down at table, we may have nothing for him to eat. Let us mortify our flesh, for that is the food whereon he feeds, and which he likes so well. For as for the flesh which life's, he flies from it, as fare as he can, and it stinks worse to him, than a dead dog would to us. Let us mortify our own opinion and judgement, that so we may be ruled by his; for two heads will never govern a house well, if that which knows least be not swayed by that which knows most. And let us renounce all ourself conceits, for these are the Capital enemies of this heavenly spirit, which teaches us to say, Not my will but thy will be done. Let us be diligent to cleanse our conscience by penance, and confession, from all impurity, and every grain of dust, how little soever it may be. For this guest is most pure, and clean; and it is not fit to lodge him in such a house as may disgust him. Let us keep peace, both at home and abroad; for even unquiet and wrangling folks, are wont to dissemble their little brawls, for the honour of some principal guest.3
Having lodged him in our house, let us give him good attendance, since he hath made it a palace. For he is a mighty king, and it is against all reason, that having him with us at home, we should be gadding abroad to see vanities. Let us then shut up the doors, and cast ourselves prostrate at his feet, and let us tell him with truth, that there is nothing which shall draw us from him, and that we have given this answer to all the world, that it must leave us, and him alone together. And so let us enjoy him; for he is able to make us happy, and so as that nothing can deprive us thereof. If you carry the business thus, you shall be comforted in all that, wherein yet you have discomfort; and you shall drink of the River of the delights of God till even you be inebriated thereby. And I shall also be comforted when I shall see you in the hands of him who knows so well how to keep you, and instruct you, and eternally to save you. It is he, whom I beseech to be your succour.
Footnotes
Chapter 38 of 57