Chapter XXII. That being refreshed with the taste of Contemplation, he is made to understand Divine things

In the door then of this Paradise the Voice of the Divine Whisper is heard, and the most sacred and most secret Councel which is hidden from the Wise and Prudent, is revealed unto little ones. The hearing of which Voice, reason now does not only conceive, but also gratefully communicates it to the Will: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after Justice, because they shall be satiated, Mat. 5. v. 6. A profound Councel this indeed, and an inestimable Sacrament. A faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, which is come to us from Heaven, from the Royal Seats. There was made a great Famine on earth, and we all began to be in want, yea, were even come to extreme penury. In fine, we were compared to the Beasts without understanding, and were made like unto them: we insatiably hunger after even the very husks of Hogs. He who loves Money, is not satiated; he who loves Lasciviousness, is not satiated; he who seeks Glory, is not satiated. In a word, he who loves the World, is never satiated. I have known men who were satiated with this World, and that even nauseated every memory of it. I have known those who were satiated with Money, and satiated with Honours, satiated with the pleasures and curiosities of this World; nor moderately satiated neither, but even unto loathing of them. And it is easy for every one of us, through the Grace of God, to obtain this satiety or fulness, for abundance does not breed it, but contempt. So ye children of Adam, by greedily feeding upon the food of Swine, ye do not feed your hungry Souls, but the hunger of your Souls. For by this kind of food your needy appetite is only nourished, with this unnatural meat your hunger only is fed. And to speak out, taking for example one of those many things which human vanity covets and desires, I say; Mens bodies shall as soon be satiated with Air, as their hearts shall be satiated with Gold. Nor let the Covetous man take this ill: I say the same concerning the Ambitious, the Luxurious, and other vicious Persons. And if perhaps any one does not believe me, let him credit his own experience, and the experience of many. Who is there amongst you, Brethren, that would gladly be satiated, and have his desire filled? Let him begin to hunger after Justice, and he cannot but be satisfied. Let him desire that Bread of which there is such plenty in his Fathers House, and he shall find himself instantly to loath the husks of Hogs. Let him study but even a little to experiment the savour of Justice, that hereby he may desire it more and more, as it is written; He that eats me, shall still have hunger; he that drinks me, shall still have thirst, Eccl. 24. For this more natural desire, and more allied to the Spirit, does more vehemently occupy the heart of man, and more powerfully expel out of it all other desires. So, to wit, the strong man armed, is overcome by one stronger than he; so one nail is wont to be driven out by another. Blessed therefore are they who hunger and thirst after Justice, because they shall be satiated. Not indeed with that fulness with which no man shall be satiated, and live, but with all other things which formerly were unsatiably desired: that henceforth the Will ceasing to vindicate the body to her self to serve her former concupiscences, may wholly submit it to reason, and her self rather urge it to serve Justice unto Sanctification, not with less zeal than formerly she made it serve iniquity to iniquity.