Letter, Sala Balust no. 111. To a devoted religious Friend of his

I Have received your letter, and that which I am to answer is this. You must know, that there is not any one in this life, who can think to live without troubles; & that to complain of them, is to complain of being a man, since we were borne to bear them. And if it seem to you, that when you were shut up, you carried your soul more recollected; you are to consider on the other side, that Obedience in doing those things, which displease one's self, and the humility of performing mean offices, is no small fruit to the soul. And believe you this truth, that the man, who is careful to recollect himself, and who puts his confidence in God, doth many times find himself more recollected in streets, and public places, then if he were in his Cell. And they who tie their devotion to any particular kind of place, do instantly lose it, when they leave the place, yea and many times in that very place, it fails them. And this grows in regard they are resolved to have it there, and strive not to find it in all places, and in all those works, to which they attend by their Obedience; upon this Obedience, you must greatly procure to ground yourself, without choosing this, or that. Since Obedience is a thing so acceptable to God, that it exceeds all that, which a man may do under the conduct of his own will, how good soever it may seem. Father Lewis of Granada will pass shortly by you, and I would have you do that with great confidence, which he shall advice you. The Holy Ghost be ever with you.

I am such an enemy of these change of place, & I hold the very desires thereof so fit to be suspected; as that I am made slow in giving answer to what you writ concerning them; till by your prayers we may get more light to guide us. For otherwise, we shall go as bad as blindefould; and perhaps you may fall upon worse encounters, than they are, which you would avoid. I beseech you solicit the matter with our Lord; & when I shall have satisfied mine own hart, I will impart it unto you, In the mean time I recommend to you much, that you keep your soul in peace. For it happens to some, that they both lose theyre time, and the good opportunity, which God gives them, by thinking much upon that other, which they desire to obtain; & so they grow to lose, both the one, and the other.

Make you account, that there is but one day of life left, for you; and that that day is the morning, when you awake. And spend you that, as if it were your last, with all the care that possibly you can. And when the desire of doing any other thing occurs, make this answer. Do not think of to morrow; and exercise yourself, in breaking your will. For when a man flies from the opportunity, which he hath to break it, it is like flying out of the field. And because such a one flies like a coward, and carries his weakness in his company; therefore when the occasion presents itself afterward, he finds, that he is as fare from strength, as before; the reason hereof is, because he changed his place, but not his mind: give you a good account of that house, and of the opportunity, which there you have; and so you shall get a tongue, wherewith you may ask a better, at the hands of our Lord; For otherwise they may say unto you, that he who conducts ill that which he hath already in his care, to what end should one trust a greater matter, in his hands?