Letter 3. To the Religious of Veas

He gives them some spiritual advice, full of heavenly instruction, and worthy of perpetual remembrance

JESUS, MARY

Be in your souls, my daughters in Christ.

Your letter greatly consoled me, and may our Lord reward you for it. It was not from want of will that I have refrained from writing to you, for truly do I wish you all good ; but because it seemed to me that enough had been said already to effect all that was needful, and that what is wanting, if indeed anything be wanting, is not writing or speaking — whereof ordinarily there is more than enough — but silence and work. For whereas speaking distracts, silence and action collect the thoughts, and strengthen the spirit. As soon therefore as a per son understands what has been said to him for his good, he has no further need to hear or to discuss ; but to set himself in earnest to practise what he has learnt with silence and attention, in humility, charity, and contempt of self ; not turning aside incessantly to seek after novelties which serve only to satisfy the desire in outward things — failing however to satisfy it really— and to leave it weak and empty, devoid of interior virtue. The result is unprofitable in every way ; for a man who, before he has digested his last meal, takes another —the natural heat being wasted upon both — cannot convert all this food into the substance of his body, and sickness follows. It is most necessary, my daughters, to know how to avoid the devil and our own sensuality, for if we do not we shall find ourselves to be very un profitable servants, very far away from the virtues of Christ ; and in the end we shall awake from our sleep to find our toil and labour to have been the reverse of what they were. The lamp which we believed to be alight will be found extinguished, because the breath whereby we thought to kindle it, served perhaps to put it out. There are no means to avoid this, and preserve spirituality, better than suffering, doing good works, silence, custody of the senses, the practice of, and the inclination to solitude, forgetfulness of creatures, and of all that is going on, even if the world were to come to an end. Never fail, whatever may befall you be it good or evil, to keep your heart quiet and calm in the tenderness of love, that it may suffer in all cir cumstances. For so momentous a thing is perfection, and so priceless is spiritual joy, and may God grant that this may be enough ; for it is impossible to make progress but by the way of good works and suffering courageously, always in silence. I have heard, my daughters, that the soul which is ready to talk and converse with creatures, is not very ready to converse with God ; for if it were, it would be at once drawn forcibly inwards, be silent and avoid all conversation ; for God would thai the soul should delight in Him rather than in any creature, however excellent and profitable it may be. I commend myself to your charitable prayers ; and do you rest assured that, scant as my charity is, it is so bound up in you that I never forget those to whom I owe so much in our Lord. May He be with lis all. Amen.

FR. JOHN OF THE CROSS.

From GRANADA : the 22nd of Nov., 1587.