Book I, Chapter IV

The more thou withdrawest thyself from solace of creatures, the more will I heap upon thee spi ritual joys

(On these words) — “ The more thou withdrawest thyself from all solace of creatures, the more will I heap upon thee spiritual joys.” B. iii. c. 12.

Question. — How must we despise those consolations which come from creatures, to obtain those which proceed from the Creator?

Answer. — By renouncing all satisfaction and support that might be hoped from creatures, to lean upon and rejoice in God Alone.

The spiritual and supernatural life consists in so detaching ourselves from created things, as to have God only for the object and aim of all our designs. Thence comes an abundance of Divine consolations, which are augmented in proportion as we reject those which come from creatures. These are of three sorts. The first are completely carnal; the second less material; the third still a little less gross, and more spiritual.

In order to belong to God only, and to repose in

20 WHAT CONSOLATIONS WE MUST REJECT

Him Alone, it is necessary to reject them all. This seems hard; but it is the way to arrive at perfect I repose, according to the maxim of our author, who assures us in a hundred places, that the more we despise the delights of the earth, the more we render ourselves worthy of those of Heaven.

1. The first sort of consolations and pleasures that the world offers us, is entirely carnal, and consists of all that flatters the senses. A lady, for example, who is absorbed in the world, seeks for satisfaction in the pleasures of life, such as cards, balls, banquets, promenades, parties where they jest and laugh; in these she tries to get rid of her ill humour, and to relieve her low spirits, persuaded that she could not exist without them. In consequence, the things of God, and the exercises of devotion, are a weariness to her. If she had resolution to withdraw from these vain amusements, and to moderate her passion for pleasure, she would find solid happiness in God. At first the remembrance of her past joys might trouble her, and be a temptation; but if by a noble effort she broke all the ties which bind her to the world, if she devoted herself to good works, if she associated with pious persons, if she loved to hear the word of God, and often went to worship the Lord where He is present in the church, she would soon feel wonderful peace and tranquillity. Whenever she felt dejected, she would only have to shut herself up in her oratory to unburden her heart to God; she would often come out cheered. And if she hates solitude, a single conversation with devout and spiritual persons, would be a greater relief to her than all the diversions in the world.

To assure herself of the truth of what I say, she may ask persons of her own station, who make a profession of piety, and learn from them if they are happy, and if their minds are at rest. There is none who

TO OBTAIN THOSE OF THE CREATOR.

will not answer, that amidst the greatest austerities her heart is more full of joy than it was among the delights of this world, which, being false, ever leave the heart full of remorse and vexation. Worldly people, when they suffer any pain, either of body or spirit, generally seek to divert themselves with things without, to see and hear curious things; they give themselves hotly and eagerly to such pursuits, and have their minds so full of them, as to be always talking of them.

This separates them much from God, though the objects which attract them are often not altogether evil in themselves. One who seeks God, who desires in good earnest to love Him, does otherwise. She withdraws within herself, has recourse to our Lord, takes comfort in Him. As for external things, she takes what are necessary, without becoming attached to them and then God gives her such overflowing joy, communicates to her so much strength, that continually despising the things of the world more and more, her heart is filled with perfect satisfaction.

2. The second and less gross sort of consolation drawn from creatures, is that which is sought in outward things by many men, otherwise virtuous and opposed to the false maxims of the world, who forget that by these external joys, they deprive themselves of much heavenly consolation.

They seek it, indeed, in indifferent things; but they sin in this, that they rest on them, as on a solid foundation. For example, in a religious community a handmaid of God, otherwise well-intentioned, has a confidante to whom she unfolds her troubles, without whom she thinks she could not live; and when she has related all that weighs on her heart, she feels herself relieved of a burthen. Yet we often deceive ourselves. We think to have relieved ourselves, and are more oppressed than before, because

22 WHAT CONSOLATIONS WE MUST REJECT, in thus opening our hearts, our view was to satisfy ourselves, rather than to please God, and enable ourselves to serve Him better; which leaves a weight that depresses the spirit instead of relieving it, though we are not conscious of it. 44 If there lurk in thee," says our author, 44 any self-seeking, behold, this it is that hindereth thee, and weigheth thee down." B. iii. c. 11.

People think they gain much when they tell all their sufferings to a friend in private. But they murmur, they complain, they mourn over their sorrows, they give way to self-love; and as they lean on the creature, and not on God, they find themselves left in a narrowness of heart, which is the effect or the punishment of too much self-seeking. A noble and generous spirit will easily deprive himself of all human consolation; and if in affliction, will be contented to speak of it to God, when conversing with Him, and when God communicates Himself in prayer; or if he needs counsel, will turn to some spiritual person, who will encourage him to bear his cross courageously.

There are indeed interior sufferings, which proceed not so much from the weakness of the soul, as from the temptations of the Evil One in these we must often have recourse to a prudent director, not only to ask counsel, but also to seek courage and fortitude. And this sort of self-seeking is not a sin, it is reasonable and necessary, and I condemn those only in which much time is lost in useless conversation. We undoubtedly do ourselves great wrong, when, for want of confidence in God, we seek in creatures a relief and a cure which are to be found in Him Alone.

To know how to converse with Jesus in our heart, is the first and most useful of all knowledge. When we can make it our custom, we receive from it the fruits of perpetual consolation, solid peace, and an abundance of all sorts of spiritual wealth. B. ii. c. 2. We should i

TO OBTAIN THOSE OF THE CREATOR. 28 accustom ourselves to it early, instead of seeking in created objects a relief for pains which we suffer only because we do not labour to mortify our passions and to rid ourselves of our vices. None but spiritual I persons who always seek the presence of Our Lord can attain to this familiar intercourse. Those who love the society of the great, who delight in hearing news, in jesting, and telling amusing tales, cannot inwardly rejoice in Him.

Of all things in the world it is most desirable to be able to withdraw within ourselves, and the only way to learn this thoroughly, is to avoid company, and to converse with Jesus only. The Master is come, and calleih for thee. John xi. 28. If you are wise, arise quickly, and come unto Him. Imitate Magdalen, who, knowing that Jesus was come, hastily left the Jews who were with her in the house to comfort her, so impatient was she to speak to Him and to hear His words.

3. The third sort of consolation which is received from creatures, is specious, and appears very innocent. It appears wholly good, and tending to God’s honour. Yet we must be content to part with it; it is God’s will; that we may say, the Lord is all my Good, and all my consolation. It is His pleasure, for example, that we should not be too eager to hear a certain preacher, to visit a certain church, to converse with a certain devout person, to perform certain other practices which we think very holy, but in which self-love has often a great part.

It is not that we absolutely condemn them, or forbid their use, when they are necessary or profitable to the soul which desires to be wholly devoted to God; but we must be ready to leave them, when there is danger of our secret attachment to them turning us from a greater good; and God is not pleased that we should complain of His Providence, when He deprives us of the opportunity and means of making use of

24 WHAT CONSOLATIONS WE MU8T REJECT, them; for then we cannot do better than attach ourselves to Him, and trust in His infinite goodness.

What I say may also be applied to the voluntary penances, and other pious exercises in which some put their whole confidence. Whatever pleasure and profit we find in them, God often permits us to be compelled to interrupt, or abandon them entirely, or to retrench them much more than we would. It is incredible how much we profit by this in simple love, because we make it our happiness to do what God pleases, to enjoy God Himself, and not the means which He gives us to attain to Him. We learn this by experience, when He deprives us of certain spiritual pleasures which supported our devotion. If we complain of it, and lament, it is a sign of undue attachment, and of want of resignation to the will of Him, Who, infinite as He is, cannot fully satisfy our desires.

In such cases we cannot enjoy the sweet comfort which our Lord is wont to give to mortified persons, who feel only disquiet and contempt for all that is not God. These persons being attached to Him, He gives them a full and abundant share of His joy, which penetrates them wholly, and fills them with inexpressible happiness. This is the fruit of an entire abnegation of self, when, having put all our interests, temporal and spiritual, in the hands of the Lord, we desire only to obtain from Him what it is His will that we should ask. Thus a good man is fully satisfied when God is pleased; His whole pleasure is to see God’s will done, according to these words of our author “ Frame thy desires wholly according to My good pleasure; be not a lover of thyself, but an earnest follower of My will." B. iii. c. 11.

There are truly other consolations which are the resources of self-love in aridity and sorrow; but that which alone supports and rejoices a soul that truly loves our Lord, is the accomplishment of God’s designs

TO OBTAIN THOSE OF THE CREATOR. 25 I in us, and this is acquired by purity of intention, which leads us in all times and in all things to regard only the Divine Will; “ Say thou this in every thing, Lord, if this be pleasing unto Thee, so let it be.” B. iii. c. 15.

I The more a man strives to purify himself, the sweeter I and more spiritual are the consolations which he receives from Heaven. Now he purifies himself by the care that he takes to purify his intention, which is the more holy, the less he regards his own desires, and the more he seeks those of God. And what is God’s great desire? Undoubtedly that His Will be done, for His Heart and His Will are the same.

We may even say, that all the perfections of God are, as it were, contained in His Will; for He wills what His Wisdom prescribes, what His Justice ordains, and what His Goodness demands; and in i consequence we cannot unite ourselves more closely to Him, than by abandoning ourselves entirely to His guidance. The shortest way of arriving at perfect resignation, is to mortify our desires; for the more dead we are to ourselves, the more capable are we of the gifts of God. “ Since few strive to die entirely to themselves, most men remain so enslaved to their passions, that the Spirit never gains the mastery over the flesh.” Therefore our author concludes thus “ All lieth in our dying,” B. ii. c. 12, renouncing ourselves entirely.

To this the Saints exhorted their disciples. St. Ignatius recommends nothing to his followers so; much as entire abnegation, and continual mortifica- tion in all things. St. Ambrose, and after him all founders of religious orders, made it a first precept to their children, to overcome themselves, and to raise themselves above all earthly things. St. Francis took great care to instruct and accustom his to despise the praise of man, and not to put their trust in crea-

26 WHO IS WILLING TO BE THOUGHT GUILTY, )

tures. All, in a word, have done the same. St. Paul said to the first believers Ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. They that are

Christ’s, have crucified the flesh with the affections and lusts. Col. iii. 3. Gal. v. 24. The Book of the Imitation of Christ is full of this doctrine.