Chapter I. Of the nature and causes of the interior life

ARTICLE I. In whcU the interior life consists, The interior life consists in two sorts of acts, yiz. in thoughts and in affections. It is in this only that perfect souls differ from imperfect, and the blessed from those who are still living on earth. Our thoughts, says St. Bernard, ought to be "ever following after truth, and our affections ever abiding in the fervour of charity." In this manner, our mind and heart being closely applied to God, being fully possessed by God, in the very midst of exterior occupations we never lose sight of Him, and are always engaged in the exercise of His love.

Good and bad religious differ from each other only in the nature of their thoughts, their judgments, and their affections. In this also consists the difference between angels and devils, and it is this that makes the former holy and blessed, and the latter wicked and miserable. Accordingly we ought to watch with extreme care over our interior, and pay continual attention to regulate our judgments according (o truth, and to keep our affections in subordination to charity.

§ ni. The essence of the spiritual and interior life consists in two things : on the one hand^ in the operations of God in the soul, in the lights that illumine the understanding, and the inspirations that affect the will ; on the other, in the co-operation of the soul with the lights and movements of grace. So that to hold communion with God, and to dispose ourselves to receive from Him larger and more frequent communications, we must possess great purity of heart, great strength of mind, and observe a constant and inviolable fidelity in co-operating with God, and following the movement of His Spirit in whatever direction it may impel us.

One of the occupations of the interior life is the examining and ascertaining particularly three sorts of things in our interior. First, what comes from our own nature — our sins, our evil habits, our passions, our inclinations, our affections, our desires, our thoughts, our judgments, our sentiments ; secondly, what comes from the devil — his temptations, his suggestions, his artifices, the illusions by which he tries to seduce us unless we are on our guard ; thirdly, what comes from God — His lights, His inspirations, the movements of His grace, His designs in our regard, and the ways along which He desires to guide us. In all this we must examine and see how we conduct ourselves, and regulate our behaviour by the Spirit of God.

We must carefully observe what it is that the Holy Spirit most leads us to, and in what we most resist Him ; at the beginning of our actions ask grace to perform them well, and mark even the slightest movements of our heart.

We ought not to devote all our time of recollection to prayer and reading, but employ a portion in examining the disposition of our heart, in ascertaining what passes there, and discovering what is of God, what is of nature, and what is of the devil ; in conforming ourselves to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and strengthening ourselves in the determination of doing every thing and suffering every thing for God.

ARTICLE II. How we ought to imitate the interior life of God.

We ought to imitate the interior life of God in this, that He possesses within Himself an infinite Life, as well by the operation of the understanding, by which He is the principle of the Person of the Word, as by that of the will, by which He is the principle of the Person of the Holy Spirit. Moreover, He acts externally to Himself, according to His good pleasure, by the production and government of the universe, without this exterior action causing any diminution or any change in His interior life ; in such wise that in respect thereto He acts externally, as though He were not acting at all.

This is our model : in the first place, we ought to have within ourselves and for ourselves a most perfect Life by a constant application of our understanding and will to God. Then we shall be able to go out of ourselves for the service of our neighbour without prejudice to our interior life, not giving ourselves up wholly to others, nor applying ourselves to exterior occupations, except by way of diversion, so to say; and thus our principal business will ever be the interior life. Tuu8 eato vhiqu>e, says St. Bernard to Pope Eugenius ; concha esto, non cancUis. Do not give thyself up to thy neighbour, so as to be no longer thine own ; possess thyself always ; fill thyself with grace as a reservoir ; then thou wilt be of use in communicating thereof to others. Be not like a canal, through which the water passes without staying therein.

This advice of St. Bernard ought to be the rule of evangelical labourers. But often they do the very-reverse. They pour themselves forth entirely ; they exhaust themselves for others, and remain themselves dry. All the marrow of their soul, if one may use the expression, all the vigour of their mind, spends itself in their exterior actions. There remains scarcely any thing for the interior.

Hence it follows, that unlesfe they take care, they have just ground to fear that, instead of being raised to heaven, according to the excellence of their vocation, they will be of the number of those who will be detained the longest time in purgatory and placed in the lowest ranks in glory.

Article III

How it is that we make so little progress in the interior life.

This proceeds from two causes :

1. Exterior objects attract us to them by the appearance of some good which flatters our pride or our sensuality. This happens especially to those whose feelings are warm and who easily take fire.

2. The devil, exciting the phantoms of the imagination, awakening the recollection and the image of past things, corrupting and inflaming the humours of the body as occasions offer, produces in us disquietudes, scruples, and a variety of passions. This he effects chiefly in those who not having their heart as yet thoroughly purged, give him more hold upon them and are more in his power.

3. Our soul does not enter into itself except with pain, seeing there nothing but sins, miseries, and confusion. So that to avoid this distressing and humiliating sight, it hurries instantly out again, and goes to seek its consolation in creatures^ unless we keep it carefiilly to its duty.