Letter XLIV. To a Lady

Purity of Christian friendships: God is their bond. — The world is insipid to those who love God. — Humility must supply the want of courage.

My God, dearest daughter, how I love your heart since it wishes to love nothing but its Jesus and for its Jesus! Alas! could it possibly be that a soul which considers this Jesus crucified for her, should love anything outside him? Could it be that after so many true movements of fidelity, which have so often made us say, write, sing, breathe and sigh, Vive Jesus! we should will, like Jews, to cry out: Let him be crucified, let him be killed in our hearts? O God! my child, I say very true child, how strong shall we be if we continue to keep ourselves united to one

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37° »SV. Francis de Sales.

another by this cord dyed in the crimson blood of our Saviour! For no one will attack your heart without finding resistance from you, and from my heart, which is quite dedicated to yours.

I have seen it, this wretched letter. The wicked, says David, have told me their fables, but not as your law* O God! how insipid is this compared with the sacred divine love which lives in our hearts!

You are right; as once for all you have declared the invariable resolutions of your soul, and he pretends not to be willing to acknowledge them, do not answer a single word until he speaks otherwise; for he does not understand the language of the cross, nor we that of hell.

You do well also to receive these few words I say to you with tenderness of love: for the affection I have for you is greater and stronger than you would ever think.

You are glad that the troublesome girl has left you: a soldier must have gained much in the war, when he is very glad of peace. We shall never have perfect sweetness and charity, if they are not practised amid repugnances, aversions, and disgusts. True peace does not lie in not fighting but in conquering: the conquered fight no longer, yet they have not true peace. Well, we must greatly humble ourselves for being still so little masters of ourselves, and so much lovers of ease and rest.

The child who is about to be born for us is not come to rest himself, nor to have his conveniences, either spiritual or temporal, but to fight, to mortify himself, and to die. So, then, henceforward, since we have not courage, let us at least have humility.

I will see you soon; keep quite ready on the tip of your tongue what you will have to say to me, so that, however little leisure we have, you may be able to pour it out into my soul: meantime, press closely this divine baby to your heart, that you may, with that soul, inebriated with heavenly love, breathe forth these sacred words of love: My beloved to me, and I to him. He shall abide between my breasts*

So, my dearest daughter, may this divine love of our hearts be for ever on our breast, to inflame and consume us by his grace! Amen.