Part 1, lesson 17. That our flesh is wholly opposed and re bellious to God and his divine Spirit

Q. I see plainly that the flesh is all sin: I can no longer doubt it; but I beg you nevertheless to make me see it more fully, in order to inspire me with a still greater horror of it.

A. The flesh is sin, in as much as it is wholly opposed to God, in as much as it combats against the spirit, and the spirit also combats against it.*

Q. What do you say ? is the flesh opposed to God and his divine Spirit?

A. Yes, Saint Paul himself says so.

Q. It acts, then, like Satan, who is always waging war against God, and is consequently of the same nature with him ?

A. Yes.

Q. I am no longer astonished, at your telling me that we must

• Caro concupiscit adverstis spiritum, spiritus autem adversxls carnem. Gal. v, 17.

hate our flesh, that we ought to have a horror of ourselves, and that man, in his present state, ought to be cursed, calumniated, persecuted by all: no, I am no longer surprised at it. In truth, there is no sort of evil or mis fortune, that ought not to fall upon man on account of his flesh.

A. You are right: all the hatred, maledictions and per secutions that fall upon the devil, should fall upon the flesh and its movements.

Q. But the devil is cursed, because he will not be converted to God, and can never be sub jected to him.

A. It is so also with the flesh, during all the time of this life; it is so corrupted, depraved, sullied, and perverted, that it can never be converted to God; it can not be subjected to him, says St. Paul.*

Q. But, if that is so, how was it possible for the saints who had a flesh like ours, to serve God in this world ?

A. Because, in them, the Holy Spirit, to whom their soul adhered, and by whom it was enlightened, carried the flesh with him, and subjected it to God in spite of itself.

Q. Was it in spite of itself?

A. Yes; for, in this life, the

• Legi enim Dei .non est subjecta ; nee enim potest. Rom, vii, 7.

flesh always remains what it is 5 and although, sometimes, the grace of God and the effusion of the Holy Spirit into it, make it rejoice in the Lord, as is said in Holy Scripture;* it is how ever always ready to resist them, and almost always with draws itself from them by force.

Q. But the devils never sing the praise of God, and can not rejoice.

A. They cannot in the state in which they are; God, how ever, if he wished it, could make them do so by his power, even in the midst of their depravation.

Q. But why does our flesh

• Cor meum et caro mea exultaverunt in Deum vivum. Ps. Ixxxiii, 3.

praise God sometimes, whilst the devils never praised him?

A. Because the devils are no longer in a state to hope or merit glory; but the flesh is given as a companion to the soul, which merits glory and hopes for it every day; so that, in man, the soul serves God, and adheres to him in his Spirit, and the flesh remains, in spite of itself, subjected to the Spirit, although it may not be submis sive to him.

Q. What do you mean by the flesh being subjected and not submissive.

A. The flesh is like the de mon, who, notwithstanding his opposition and rage, is subjected to the power of the divine Spirit, but nevertheless is not submis sive to his laws.

Q. Is the flesh so disposed, whilst the soul serves God in it ?

A. Yes; at the same time that I pray to God, and submit myself to him, whilst I raise my heart to God by the virtue of the Holy Spirit, at that very time the flesh separates itself from God, distracts itself with creatures, lowers itself towards the earth, and thus frequently diverts the soul from God.* At the time that the soul keeps itself in purity, the flesh plun ges itself into impurity and

• Deprimit sensum multa cogitantem. Sap. ix, 15.

all sort of dishonesty; at the same time that the soul enters in the holiness of God, the flesh mingles, denies, and pollutes it self with creatures; it no more ceases to be what it is, than does the demon.