Chapter 10. The Fourth Means of Attaining the Kingdom! of God.

BUT because this doctrine is very diffi cult, and very few understand it, and much less wish to experience it, therefore our Leader hath pointed out the fourth "way," and this very narrow. He says : " The kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent alone bear it away/' (St. Mat thew, chap. xi. 12.) As if He had said: I^arn aware that it will appear a paradox to men, that those should be happy who are poor, and those miserable who are rich ; on the contrary, that we should rejoice in afflictions, and weep in prosperity ; neither was I ignorant, that few are they who would wish to lose present goods, in order to acquire future ones ; and to choose pre sent evils, that so they might avoid those to come. But I who am Truth, must speak the truth; therefore I now add, that the kingdom of heaven can be taken only by the violent ; therefore have I said in another place : " How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of heaven. For it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of heaven." And again : " How narrow is the gate, and

straight is the way that leadeth to life, and few there are that find it !" And in another place I have said, that the kingdom of heaven is like unto a treasure hidden in a field; and to a precious " pearl' ' which cannot be purchased unless we sell every thing; hence it is necessary for us to be deprived of every thing on earth, if we wish to possess in heaven this heavenly treasure and precious pearl. In St. Luke I have likewise plainly assured you : " Every one of you that doth not renounce all that he possesseth, cannot be my disciple/' (chap. xiv. ver. 33.) And although this "renuncia tion" is to be understood as relating to the affection of the mind ; yet since a real dis position to part with all temporal goods, should the honour of God or our own salva tion require it, is no easy matter, and which few accomplish, I have therefore added other similitudes concerning him who wished to build a tower, and had not wherewith to finish it ; and of a king who was about to wage war against another king, and had not sufficient forces to engage with him, with any hope of victory. Now if the erection of a tower, without a great sum of money, and a war against a powerful king, without a great army, be difficult and almost impossible things, how much more difficult will it be to accomplish both of these ^at the same time ? But we must accomplish both, if we wish to gain heaven; for a tower is to be built which must reach

to heaven ; that is, good works are to be performed which will merit eternal life : and at the same time, we have to fight against numerous and powerful enemies, viz. im pure spirits, who with all their might endea vour to hinder the building of the tower. We have a figure of this conflict ^ in the children of Israel, who, when they wished to rebuild Jerusalem that had been destroyed by the Chaldeans, were obliged with incre dible toil and anxiety, to build with one hand and to fight with the other, on account of the neighbouring nations that attacked them."" From these considerations it is manifest, that the kingdom of heaven can not be obtained without great toil and labour, by those who are wedded to earthly objects, who do not tame the concupiscence of the flesh, nor have learned to fight with their invisible enemies. But he who wishes seriously to apply, by the grace of God, to Christian perfection ; to consider, not care lessly, but most attentively, the words of Christ ; and to follow His example and that of the saints, gradually the way will be opened before him ; his strength will increase ; his enemies diminish ; and by the charity of God in Christ Jesus, his yoke will begin to appear sweet and his burden light ; and then will be accomplished the

• " Of them that built on the wall and that carried bur dens, and that laded; with one of his hands he did the work, and with the other he held a sword." (2 Esdras, chap. iv. 17.)

words of Isaias : " They that hope in the Lord shall renew their strength, they shall take wings as eagles, they shall run^ and not be weary, they shall walk and not faint.'* (chap. xl. ver. 31.) And they will exclaim with the royal Prophet : " I have run the way of thy commandments, when thou didst enlarge my heart." It was not truly a difficult thing for St. Antony to spend so many sleepless nights ; nay, even the night appeared too short through the sweetness he enjoyed from the divine contemplation, for he complained of the sun, paying: <f Why dost thou hinder me by rising at this timo, and withdrawing me from the brightness of my true Light?" Neither was it difficult for him (as well as many others like him) to prolong their fasting through a whole week, since they were refreshed with the heavenly bread of divine contemplation. Neither was ^ it painful for St. Austin, to be deprived of those carnal pleasures to which he had been addicted from his youth, when once he began to taste the sweetness of divine love, and the delight of inward contemplation. Where fore no one, whoever he may be, ought to despond ; but rather to hope in the power of the Most High, who, as He hath made us for Himself, will also draw us to Him self and place us in His kingdom, by the

• Cassian, (Colloquy Sth, chap. 31.) merits of His Son, by whose precious blood we have been redeemed.

Wherefore, Christian soul, thou shouldst not despond on account of the difficulty of the way, but hope in the Lord, who would not have invited thee to seek His kingdom in the first place, unless He had been prepared to aid thee by His most powerful assistance. Courageously therefore com mence the journey. There is no occasion here for deliberation. If the labour be great, great also is the reward ; and if the numerous forces of the enemy hinder thee, greater is the power of God who assists thee. And if many of every age and sex have been enabled to arrive at the kingdom by this way, why mayest not thou also obtain the same ? They were not made of stone or iron, but of flesh ; they were mortal and frail, and therefore they could do nothing of themselves, but only by the Lord their God. Canst not thou therefore, though weak and infirm, do the same by the Lord thy God? (t Cast thyself upon Him," says St. Austin, " fear not ; He will not withdraw Himself, that thou shouldst fall : securely cast thyself upon Him ; He will receive thee, and will help thee."* God is faithful, He cannot deceive. Two things only are required of thee ; one, that thou most firmly resolve to prefer the glory of God and thy eternal salvation before all

things else ; the other, that thou confide not in thy own strength, or in thy own wisdom, but in the power of God and His infinite love. If thou wilt comply with these two conditions, " the crooked shall become straight, and the rough ways plain" to thee; and thou wilt serve the Lord with joy and exultation, and " wilt sing in the ways of the Lord; for great is the glory of the Lori"

THE

ETERNAL HAPPINESS OF THE SAINTS,