Letter, Sala Balust no. 121. To a certain lady
MADAM, I desire to know how your hart stands affected at this tyme. For if we look to the week, wherein we are, it is belonging to the holy Ghost, whose property is to give light to the understanding, and to infuse love into the will; and even strength into the body also; by means of which three loaves of bread, we shall have some what to set before our friend, who comes hungry, and weary from the high way. For the hunger that our hart feels (which walks as it were out of itself whilst it employs itself upon creatures) this holy Ghost is wont to take away, and to give us the bread of fullness, and satisfaction. And woe be to us, if we feel not that great defect, which is in things created; and if we convert nor ourselves to god in our very hearts; at least now when they are weary, with finding imperfections, & wants, in those things, wherein we hoped that they might obtain repose.
O my dear God, and when shall we maintain our souls in perfect faith and purity towards thee, and be sincerely loyal to Jesus Christ our Lord, who is the spouse thereof, giving him our love, all entire, and wholly free, from mingling itself with the baseness of creatures? When shall we be able to understand this truth, that he who is to own our souls, is Christ our Lord, and that he created us for himself, and that he only is fit for us? Is it not enough, that we have tried so often by experience, how ill the world is wont to serve us; and that our soul could never find any true repose or peace, but only when coming to know her own misery, and poorness, it went to God, and was embraced by him. Is not one of those short fits of time more worth than their whole life, who sacrifice themselves to vanity, and to the confusion of this ignorant world, wherein they live? Or shall it not now at length be time to say to all things created, I know you not, that so I may provide a clean and ready place, for the reception of him, who created you all of nothing?
I am extremely glad, that we have to do with a Holy ghost, which is so very holy, as that he would not come even to the disciples themselves of our Lord, till even his own precious body were taken out of their sight. That so we may know the condition of this holy spirit to be such, as that we must provide a temple for it where no other thing may dwell, or else it will not enter there. And I am highly glad, that you by the grace of this spirit, will have prepared yourself; and that you will have received him, and that you, and he, are well content with one another. Rejoice you with this Holy ghost, for he is joy it self. And remember, that the Apostle S. Paul requires us, not to contristate the holy spirit of God, whereby we are marked out, for the day of redemption, which is of the judgement of the latter day.1
He contristates this Spirit, who with a dull and dejected hart, goes faintly and negligently about his service, & who doth things, which displease this most sovereign guest, who as himself is fire, so will he have his servant full of fervour, and requires that he go about his work, with great life. And that he ever be casting on the wood of good works, and blowing it with holy thoughts, that so this celestial fire, may not be quenched in us, since our very life consists in keeping it alive. And so if we maintain this fire in us, it will maintain us in him, though yet still it be true, that he first gives us that, which afterward we give to him. So that, in this respect, your ladyship will have been fed at a good table, this week; since you will have celebrated, the Feast of the holy ghost, not according to flesh and blood, as they do, who use to content themselves with the talk and tumult of great Festivities, but you will have celebrated it, in Spirit, according to the advice of our Lord, John. 4. who requires to be Spiritually adored.
Let us now consider how it stands with you, concerning the sent & odour of the Festivitie, of the Body of our Lord, which is now near at hand. For it will be an extreme shame, for a Christian hart, not to hunger and aspire, toward this holy bread, before the Festivitie itself arrive; since the three kings those wise men of the Gospel, had a sent of it so fare of; yea and the prophets, and Patriarcks had the like a long time, before his Incarnation. What more happy news can there be, then to see Christ our Lord, pass amongst us in our streets, and through our hands communicating, and conversing with men? And to have him set before our eyes; & to find him (whom neither the whole earth, nor all the heavens can comprehend) shut within the narrow curtain of the accidents of bread, and after all ●his, to make his entrance into our unworthy woeful breasts.2
Take heed you hear not this news with deaf ears; but awake your hart, and require it to be very attentive to so great a favour, and work of God; and that it instantly cast up, whatsoever other meat it may have swallowed; that so being full of hunger, it may grow all full, of this celestial bread, where upon the Angels feed. And bid it be sure, to watch now, that so it may not then fall a sleep. And since it is the work of the holy Ghost you must beg grace, whereby you may be able to find the effect of that Feast of the body of our Lord▪ which was conceived by the same holy Ghost. And so when that Feast of his most holy body shall be come, the Holy Ghost will also come with it; because the Holy Ghost descended into the world, through the merits of Christ our Lord. And when his Body shall be given us, we shall receive the holy Ghost, together with it; according to the rate of that good disposition, which we shall have. So that one Festivity must help and be a preparation for another; and must give us hunger to feed upon the fruit of the other. For it is not here as it happens in the banquets of this world; which are made by flesh and blood. Where they who have fed full, at noon have no mind at all to their meat at night. But the soul goes feeding with afresh appetite, from one Festivitie to another; and so that is accomplished, which God promised. The threashing of your corn shall last till you go to vintage; and till the new time of seed, and you shall eat your bread in abundance.3
The goodness of God be blessed, which so liberally provides for us; and that, not in any mean fashion, but by giving his very self to us. The son is given to us, and the Holy Ghost for his sake; and these two persons; giving themselves; the father cannot choose but be also given. In fine the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost are ours. We already begin, even here, that mutual contract, which we are to perfect in heaven. Let us give him humbly thankes, for his mercies. Let us prepare ourselves for the receiving of new favours and with hearts exalted above the earth, let us celebrate the Festivities of heaven, to the end that we may pass from these temporal joys; to those eternal, wherein I humbly beseech our Lord that you may one day see yourself. Amen.
Footnotes
Chapter 44 of 57