Book I, Chapter VII

I cause all devout persons to pass through severe trials

j (On these words) — “ I cause all devout persons to pass through severe trials a.” ’ j

Question. — Who are the truly devout? j

Answer. — Those who are resolved to live well, and I a Probably, B. i. c. 13. “ All the Saints parsed through many tribulations and temptations, and profited thereby; ** or, iii. 49. “ The faithful servant of the Lord is wont to be tried/* j

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38 ALL TRULY DEVOUT think only of increasing in virtue, and becoming ever 1 I more closely united with God.

I There are some who make a profession of serving » God, who appear good sort of people, and are so in » fact, but who yet are not all which would entitle us to be called devout. The perfectly devout are those who, not only in idea, but in practice, prefer nothing to the honour of God, and the accomplishment of i His Holy will, above all, in what concerns their own perfection. But even among those who have some concern for their salvation, and some fear of God, there are too many who are yet unable to comprehend this doctrine. What then we must well consider, and what our Author particularly remarks, is, that God disciplines severely the truly devout, that He sends them very heavy trials, and that it is thus that He deals with those who devote themselves for ever to * His service. These trials are of three sorts.

1. Of the first are contradictions and hindrances from man. How many Christians do we see living in great tranquillity, and apparently prospering in all things They are esteemed, praised, and preferred I above others; they are well satisfied with them- selves, and when they reflect on the state of their affairs, they perceive nothing but prosperity and t peace. But if they thoroughly examine their own hearts, they must acknowledge that they have not yet I firmly resolved to give themselves up wholly to our Lord, and to place their whole joy and happiness in -Him. Our Lord, on His part, does not reckon them among those whom it is His pleasure to try, to perfect, to conform to His own Image, as the Apostle says, All that will live godly in Christ Jesus shall ’ suffer persecution, 2 Tim. iii. 12.

A doctor, much enlightened in spiritual things, has.

I said boldly and well, that God would rather suffer Heaven and earth to perish, than His own to be

PASS THROUGH SEVERE TRIALS. 39

I untried. Saint Theresa asserts, that from the moment ‘ that a person conceives the design of devoting himself

wholly to God, a thousand tempests arise against him. Hence it appears, that too great a calm is not!

I a good sign. And this because our nature, always 1 passionately desirous of pleasure, cannot die to itself,

; or reach any high degree of holiness, except through suffering.

For years, and even to the hour of death, it is the will of God that some, for the good of their souls, be considered by their whole community as criminals., When the causes are investigated, it is at length dis- 1 covered, that either none exist, or they are very slight. ■ Yet before the truth is ascertained, the subject is; much canvassed, murmurs and complaints abound,

all is suspected, all misunderstood.

In fact, it appears manifestly that God is pleased ‘ to exercise further the virtue of those who are resolved to live a holy life Became you are pleasing to God, said the Angel to Tobias, you must needs be tried by temptation. Tobit xii. 13. Vulg. The i religious King David suffered most bitterly. Abraham, Joseph, and innumerable other Saints, trode the same path; and he who is not always ready to endure i calumnies, persecutions, outrages, can hardly attain ( i to a moderate degree of virtue.

It is certain, then, that the true spirit of God’s children has ever been to seek no rest in this world, but to wear themselves out in labours for the love, of our Lord. It is by the narrow way that Providence leads them. Alas how grievously self-deceived are, t they who, seeing themselves welcome everywhere, \ esteemed and sought by all, imagine themselves much beloved by God, and worthy of blessings from above One says in his heart, “ I live in peace in the monastery; I have no enemies; my superiors think highly of me.” * I am liked abroad,” says another, “ and everye 2

ALL TRULY DEVOUT

body esteems me.” This comforts and rejoices them, • But if they sought for the cause of this sweet repose, ] this general approbation, they might undoubtedly; attribute it to their lukewarmness, and to their want of t zeal for spiritual improvement. This is the real cause why they are so tranquil, and why, while others are I tempest-tossed, they abide yet in calm.

I I know that some of the righteous enjoy great tranquillity; but if they are not persecuted, they have inward crosses, which, though concealed, are for them I true martyrdoms. Our Saviour began to suffer from i men from the time that He began to teach them, and did suffer from them till His death. Everywhere St. Paul met with enemies who sought only to destroy him. St. Benedict encountered almost insurmount- able difficulties in the institution of his order; St.

Ignatius was hardly ever at rest, and his life was a i series of persecutions. The societies in which God ) is best served, are those most cruelly warred against I by the world. How much did the order of St. Francis suffer in its beginnings and what difficulty had St. i Theresa in establishing her reform Were not all nations, all the powers of the earth, opposed to the establishment of the Church?

j Know then, that if you once resolve to serve God,

you must endure severe attacks from the world, which hates holiness. This is because the evil one, whenever he has power, stirs up his partizans against those who strive to do well, and God permits it to accomplish the designs of His providence on the elect.

I 2. The second sort of trial for the Righteous consists in inward sufferings. For as soon as a man is resolved to walk in the narrow way, God, who takes great delight I in contributing to the execution of so noble a design,; sends him crosses of this nature; and it is thus that He commonly deals with those whom He sees pre*!

I pared to make great progress in spirituality. We must j

PASS THROUGH SEVERE TRIALS*

pass through frightful deserts, and endure long nights; that is, we must remain long in barrenness and dark- ness, said a holy man, if we desire to be detached, not l only from external things, but from ourselves, and thus to conquer the self-love which is so natural to us. Now this is done by the privation of spiritual joys, and by struggles with temptation. For these. compel the soul to make the greatest efforts to over- I come itself, and to resolve again and again that it will I live for God alone. It is thus by these that it acquires great habits of virtue.

God established this law from the time that our first parents sinned, and it has ever been His custom to give His friends something to exercise their patience from within or from without, often from both. St. Ignatius being asked, whereby he thought a man might I most profit in the spiritual life, replied, by sufferings, When there are none from without, God causes them to arise from within; and when He has some great design for a soul, He treats it as He treated Job I formerly, He afflicts it in every way; and the afflictions 1 which He sends it are not slight, they are very severe, and apparently beyond human endurance.

In this He follows the order which He has established in nature. The labourers have sowed, then comes winter, during which the com takes root, and • all plants gather strength, to put forth their flowers iri I spring, and bear their fruits in summer. Thus after; the reception of grace, the chill of aridity comes instantly, that the Divine seed may germinate, and in due time produce excellent fruits of all good works.

3. The third trial of the virtue of great Saints con- sists also in inward sufferings, but of so strange a nature, that we need not fear to compare them to those of another world. Undoubtedly, these exercises of heroic patience, when well used, draw down upon 1 persons perfectly resigned to the Divine will extrae 3

TRIALS OF THE TRULY DEVOUT.

j ordinary graces; but these occasions are rare, and, I there are few capable of enduring such excessive sufferings. Yet God, who is pleased to try His own; severely, sends them from time to time to those in I whom He especially delights, and it is a sure proof that He desires their perfection; for by these violent shocks devotion is more deeply rooted in the soul,

’ which thus strengthened produces far more excellent f and more frequent acts of virtue. Besides, as we hereby make much satisfaction to Divine Justice, we ordinarily come forth more clean and more enlightened.

1 Thus the light as well as the comfort received are more pure and more abundant.

i There are many, however, who make a jest of all i this, and say boldly, that grace has no part in these sufferings, and that they are only the effects of a gloomy melancholy. But the experience of so many innocent persons, whom God has thus severely tried, shows that there is here a secret, hidden to human philosophy. St. Gertrude writes of herself, that she endured very great sufferings. The blessed Angela i suffered terribly. Those who have written best on the mystical life, as the blessed Jean-de-la- Croix, Blosius,

I Jean-de- Jesus-Maria, and many others, have composed, books on purpose to explain sufferings of this kind.

Of those whom I have known to be most attached to; our Lord, a large proportion have suffered strange internal combats.

Many, knowing nothing of this thorny path, counsel i those whom they see walking in it, to distract and I divert themselves. But this is useless; for their i torment continues, and none but God can deliver them from it. He will not do it so quickly, because I by permitting them still to suffer, He deals with them as a gardener does with his garden, when he carefully prunes the trees, and roots up the weeds. As for those who fear these sharp trials, and dare not resign •

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WHAT IT IS TO HOLD CONVERSE WITH JESU8. 43 themselves into the hands of our Lord, they will assurl edly ever remain imperfect, though they often fatter themselves that all is well, and though they appear quite contented with their state.

I CHAPTER VIII.