Letter XXX. To a Lady

Of resignation in trials, and of Christian mildness.

jyth August, 16 12. Well, what do you want me to say, my dearest daughter, about the return of our miseries, except that in presence of the enemy we must again take up arms, and courage to fight more strongly than ever? I see no very great things in the letter. But, my God! carefully beware of entering into any sort of distrust: for this heavenly goodness does not let you fall into these faults to abandon you, but to humble you, and to make you hold more tightly and firmly to the hand of mercy.

You please me extremely by continuing your exercises amid the interior drynesses and weakness which have returned upon you. For, since we only want to serve him for the love of himself, and since the service we pay him amid drynesses is more agreeable to him than that we give amid sweetnesses, we ought also to like it better, at least with our superior will; and though according to our taste and self-love, sweetnesses and tendernesses may be nicer, still, drynesses, according to the taste of God and his love, are more profitable. So dry meats are better for the dropsical than wet, though they always love the wet better.

For your temporal means, as you have tried to put them right, and could not, you must now use patience and resignation, willingly embracing the cross which has fallen to your share; and as occasions arise you must practise the advice I have given about this.

Remain in peace, my dearest daughter; say often to our Lord that you want to be what he wants you to be, and to suffer what he wants you to suffer. Resist faithfully your impatiences by exercising not only on all occasions, but without occasions, holy mildness and sweetness towards those who are troublesome to you; and God will bless your design. Good night, my dearest daughter: God only be your love. I am in him with all my heart, your, &c.