Book I, Chapter I

To walk inwardly with God, and not to be kept abroad by any outward affection, is the state of a spiritual man

(On these words) — “To walk inwardly with God, and not to be kept abroad by any outward affection, is the state of a spi- ritual man.” B. ii. c. 6.

Question. — What is to walk with God?

Answer. — It is to be occupied internally with God; and this occupation requires three things.

1. The first is a continual attention to the Presence

of the Lord, on Whom one thinks incessantly, and Whom one cannot forget, because one loves Him I entirely, and labours for Him Alone. When a soul has firmly resolved to serve Him, and when she has during the day different exercises which bring her back to Him, should she wander ever so little, she has no difficulty in returning to His Presence, because the holy resolution she has taken, never to remain far from Him, having become a habit, she cannot lose i i the sweet remembrance of her Beloved.

2. The second thing necessary in order to walk with I God, is to do everything upon principle and through Grace, following the light of the Holy Spirit, and in entire dependance on assistance from on high. This n b 2 HOW TO WALK INWARDLY WITH GOD.!

I mode of acting distinguishes interior persons from those who are not so; for the latter decide on all they do, from merely human motives, consulting only their own natural reason, guided only by their own selfwill, and loving only what they themselves choose, and at most avoiding only what is manifestly sinful.

Devout minds adopt a very different rule. They converse with God within, and all their works are above nature, being the fruits of prayer; they labour to subdue their appetites, and to mortify their selfwill; they undertake nothing without commending i the issue thereof to God, and whatever they do, they i seek always to please Him. In this manner every 1 thing succeeds with them, for Heaven never fails to second their designs. Others act from whim, or by chance, or with the view to some human interest; these regard God Alone, and wish only what they know to be agreeable to Him. Their intentions are always upright; it is Grace which ever leads them to act; Grace, which regulates all their actions; they bind I themselves to her, never willingly quit her; in a word, they strive, as far as it is possible, to reach a state where they may possess God, be united to Him in spirit, and have no other guide nor Master than Him.

Those who have not experienced what we describe, will fancy that nothing could be more sad and irksome; but those who have tried it are persuaded of the contrary: they find nothing but happiness in it; for besides the extreme joy which the presence of their Lord occasions them, they have also this advantage, that He is always ready to give them salutary advice; as our author says, “ If you would retire within yourself to converse with God, you would hear the answers He would make you and, again, “ Blessed is the soul which heareth the Lord speaking within her, and receiveth from His mouth I the word of consolation.” B. iii. c. 1.

This, perhaps, cannot be attained all at once; but by the continual exercise of the presence of God, a devout; soul, whose intentions are always pure, becomes worthy at last that He should discover to her the designs which He has for her.

3. The third thing which the soul must do, in order never to lose the presence of her Beloved Spouse, is to become familiar with certain practices of piety, which may help her to rise continually towards Him, without ever relaxing or falling back into coldness; accustoming herself to internal exercises, by which she may learn to enjoy God and gently to enter into familiar intercourse with Him.

Now these exercises are, to meditate often on the Passion of Jesus Christ, to labour zealously either in acquiring some virtue which one has not, and in perfecting one’s self in it, or in subjugating some vice to which one is liable; and other similar efforts, which recall a man within himself, lest he should give himself up entirely to outward employments, inconsiderately and without profit.

Many satisfy themselves with the performance of duties to which they are strictly obliged, and from which they cannot reasonably be exempted. They join in prayer with tolerable attention, they go to the Choir at stated hours; and watch sufficiently over themselves to guard against committing gross sins; but beyond this they pass their lives softly, forming no lofty schemes for improvement, and making no extraordinary exertions to attain to perfection. It is not thus with those who may be termed interior and spiritual.

i They are always occupied within themselves, always on the watch to correct some defect, to purify themselves more and more, to grow in holiness, to walk in the presence of God, and to cherish familiarity I with the Saints. “ Blessed,” says our author, “ are they

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4 HOW TO WALK INWARDLY WITH GOD.

who enter far into things internal, and who endeavour to prepare themselves more and more, by daily ex- ercises, for the receiving Heavenly secrets.” B. iii. c. 1.,

Question. — What is not to be kept abroad by any outward affection?

Answer. — It is to take no interest in all that is without it is to be insensible, and as it were dead, to all that is external, however fascinating it may be, except as far as it may tend to the glory and service of God.

The world is filled with persons lamentably remote from this degree of perfection. Objects of sense have charms which win them; if the work which they are about pleases them, they cannot leave it. They must not then be called interior men, for this disordered affection makes them love to go out of themselves. That it rules in their heart is evident, for on occasion of a mere nothing it raises a great tumult within them and the strongest stirrings of the soul. A glass i broken by chance throws them into a passion; one ’ man burns with a longing wish to go to the theatre, or to be present at some show; another to see a prince with his retinue. What is there which will not stir up a restless and dissipated mind?

How often, even amongst those who profess higher things, do we see those who find pleasure in seeing fine houses, splendid palaces, even turning out of their road to satisfy their curiosity! Such things, they say, are not without their use in conversation; one should be able to speak on all subjects. They are never at a loss for specious reasons to cover their self-indulgence; but secretly it is the things themselves to which they are attached. How many religious await with impatience an order from their superior to leave a house of which they are weary, to go into another which they hope will suit them better How many others long passionately to see certain per-

HOW TO WALK INWARDLY WITH GOD. 5 sons, and to hold intercourse with them, not in order I to advance in virtue, but simply for their own grati- fication A man truly spiritual is dead to all that ’ flatters his senses.

But you will say, Must not a man be perfectly stupid, not to be affected by anything? Oh happy he who is insensible to that degree, that nothing touches him but the interests of God Alone Assuredly a soul which has once devoted herself to God,

I should be ashamed of loving and desiring anything but His glory Our author might complain with reason that in these times “ there are very few conj templative persons.” B. i. c. 31. He does not mean there are very few hermits; by ** contemplative, ” he means those whose heart and mind are perpetually fixed on God. He does not mean either, that one is obliged for this purpose to renounce all external occupation, since many of the saints have been able so happily to unite contemplation with action, that, without relinquishing their meditations on God, they have been employed day and night for the salvation of souls.

All that he requires is, that we should be so entirely detached from all that is external, as never to take a single step in order to see anything, however new or delightful, to which we are not induced by the consideration of some service to God. Even then we should carefully examine our motive, lest it should be a pretext to colour our self-love. We must go direct to God, and so fix our eyes upon His glory, as never to follow a certain natural excitement whereby most men are guided.

I 6 HOW TO OBTAIN