Letter 3. To Madame Rose Bourgeois, Abbesse du Puits d’Orbe

PUITS D’ORBE.

April i8, 1604.

• • • • • Your father has told me how much you are suffering.... The Lord be praised! This is the most sure and royal road to Heaven; and from what I hear, you are likely to travel along it for some time; your father tells me that you are still in the doctor's and surgeon's hands. I feel exceedingly for your sufferings, and commend them often to our Lord, that He may make them useful to you, and that at the last it may be said of you as of Job, “ In all these things he sinned not"* Courage, my good sister, my dear daughter; look at your Bridegroom, our King, crowned with thorns and stretched upon the cross, so that we “ may tell all His bones." * Bethink you that the bride's crown may not be softer than that of her Bridegroom. “As the rose^ among thorns, so is my love among the daughters."^ 'Tis but the natural place of the flower, no less so of the bride. Accept your cross, embrace it a thousand times daily for love of Him Who sends it you. It is a costly present, the gift of Love. Often set the Crucified Saviour before

• Job i. 22. ® Ps. xxil 17.

3 The Bishop puts ** Rose,” which was the Abbess’s Christian name, instead of “Lily,” as in the text

4 Cant. ii. 2.

your eyes, measure your sufferings with His; and yours will seem greatly the less. How great will be your eternal happiness, if you bear these little pains He sends you, patiently.

You are not mistaken in believing that I am near you in these trials; I am near in heart and affection, “ I pour out your complaints before Him, and show Him your trouble,” * and it is a great comfort to me. But, my dear daughter, be brave, have confidence: “ If thou wouldst believe, thou shouldst see the glory of God.”® What* do you take the bed of suffering to be but a school of humility, where we learn our weakness and misery, how vain, sensitive, and feeble we are? You have learnt the manifold imperfections of your soul on that bed; it is one great use of affliction that it teaches us to look into the depth of our nothingness and bad dispositions. But, my dear child, we must not be downcast thereby, we must rather cleanse and purify our minds the more, and make better use of confession than heretofore. These anxieties which have assailed you, do not surprise me; but do not be disturbed, or let yourself be carried away by the tide. Let the enemy rave at the door, let him knock and batter, and do his worst; we know that he cannot enter the soul save by the door of one’s own consent: keep that well shut, and there need be nothing to fear.

• Ps. cxlii. 2. * John xi. 4a

You ask me to say some words to you concerning the peace of the soul and humility; I gladly would, but I hardly know what I can say in so brief a space. You may well couple the two together; — ^the first cannot exist without the last. Nothing can really disturb us save self-love and self-esteem. If we have no tenderness of heart, no taste or sentiment for prayer, no inward sweetness in meditation, we begin directly to be downcast: — ^if we find it difficult to do right, if hindrances come between us and our good intentions, we grow anxious and eager to thrust them aside. Why is all this? Because we like consolation, ease, comfort We would fain pray in eau de naffe^ and exercise holiness by eating sugar, not considering how our Dear Lord fell on His Face in agony, while His sweat was, as it were, great drops of blood, through the intense conflict between His inclinations as Man and His resolution as God. And while self-love is one cause of our troubles, self-esteem is another. Why are we so astonished, disturbed, impatient when we commit some fault? Doubtless because we thought that we were good, stedfast, firm; and finding that it is quite otherwise, we are vexed and put out; whereas, if we realised what we are, so far from man*elling because we fall, we should rather marvel how we ever stand upright 1 But we like nothing save what is pleasant, * Eau de naffe is a scent made from orange flowers.

and we do not like to be brought face to face with our own weakness and worthlessness.

There are three things, my daughter, which, if we do, we shall be at peace: Let us strive earnestly to seek God's Honour and Glory in all things; let us do what little we can to that end under the guidance of our spiritual Father; and then let us leave the rest to God. He who makes God the object of all his intentions, and does what he can, has no reason to torment himself, or to be disturbed or fearful God is not terrible to those who love Him. He is satisfied with a little, for He knows so well that we have not much to give. Remember, too, that our Lord is called the Prince of Peace in Holy Scripture, and that wheresoever He is Lord alone. He keeps all things in peace. True, before peace. He sometimes requires, war; dividing the heart and soul from affections to which they cling; such as excessive self-love, self-confidence, complacency, and the like. And when He tears us from these cherished passions. He seems to be scarifying the very heart, and we can hardly help resisting a process which is so painful But even such resistance is not devoid of peace, if, however overwhelmed, we still strive to unite our will to that of our Lord, nailing it to His Cross, and working steadily on in our appointed course — even as He resigned His Will to His Father's. Surely it well befits the Prince of Peace to be at peace amidst war, and to possess sweetness amid all bitterness. Learn then that while we think we have lost our peace amid troubles, it is not really so if we are renouncing ourselves, and clinging to God's good pleasure, obeying Him in our daily duties. Learn, too, that we must suffer pain while God tears off the “ old man,” in order to put on the “ new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness.”* Nor need we be disturbed, or imagine ourselves displeasing to God, therefore. Be sure that all restless, excited thoughts do not come from God, the Prince of Peace, but are temptations of the enemy, to be rejected and banished.

Strive everywhere and in all things to be at peace. If trouble comes from within or without, receive it peacefully. If joy comes, receive it peacefully, without excitement. If we must needs fly from evil, let us do it calmly, without agitation, or we may stumble and fall in our haste. Let us do good peacefully, or our hurry will lead us into sundry faults. Even repentance is a work that should be carried on peacefully.

Read the 15th, 1 6th, and i8th chapters of “The Spiritual Combat,” which will fill up this outline.

Humility prevents our being worried by our own or other people's imperfections; why should we wonder * £plu iv« 24.

to find in others what abound in ourselves? Humility makes our heart tender towards both the perfect and imperfect; through reverence for the one, and compassion for the other. It makes us receive trials patiently, knowing that they are deserved; and blessings thankfully, knowing that they are undeserved. As to externals, I should advise you daily to make some act of humility, either in word or deed. Of course I mean words which really come from the heart, such as humbling yourself before an inferior; or in act, undertaking some lowly office in the house, or for others. Do not be distressed because you cannot meditate while confined to bed, for to bear the rod of the Lord is not less profitable than meditation, inasmuch as it is better to be on the Cross with our Saviour than merely to gaze upon Him. But I am sure that as you lie upon your bed you offer your heart to God a thousand times during the day, and that is enough. Be very obedient to your doctors; when they forbid anything, whether it be fasting, mental prayer, saying offices, all perhaps except ejaculatory prayer, I beg that by the respect and love you bear me, you will obey implicitly; it is God’s Will for you. “WTien you are cured and strong again, you will resume your path, and with God’s Blessing make great progress; our journey takes us beyond this world’s bounds and limits.

.... It is time forme to go to mass, where I shall offer our Dear Lord for you and your house, asking the Holy Spirit to inspire your every act and thought to His Glory and your own salvation. I pray that He may preserve you from useless anxieties and depression, and that He may rest in your heart, so that your heart may rest in Him. Amen.

r55.J IV.