Love supplies all that is wanting for our salvation; it contains abundantly every good thing, and lacks not even the presence of the supreme object of our desires.
It is by love alone that we turn to G.o.d, are transformed into His likeness, and are united to Him, so that we become one spirit with Him, and receive by and from Him all our happiness: here in grace, hereafter in glory. Love can find no rest till she reposes in the full and perfect possession of the Beloved.
It is by the path of love, which is charity, that G.o.d draws nigh to man, and man to G.o.d, but where charity is not found G.o.d cannot dwell. If, then, we possess charity we possess G.o.d, for "G.o.d is charity."[61]
There is nothing keener than love, nothing more subtle, nothing more penetrating. Love cannot rest till it has sounded all the depths and learnt the perfections of its Beloved. It desires to be one with Him, and, if it could, would form but one being with the Beloved. It is for this reason that it cannot suffer anything to intervene between it and the object loved, which is G.o.d, but springs forward towards Him, and finds no peace till it has overcome every obstacle, and reached even unto the Beloved.
Love has the power of uniting and transforming; it transforms the one who loves into him who is loved, and him who is loved into him who loves. Each pa.s.ses into the other, as far as it is possible.
And first consider the intelligence. How completely love transports the loved one into him who loves! With what sweetness and delight the one lives in the memory of the other, and how earnestly the lover tries to know, not superficially but intimately, all that concerns the object of his love, and strives to enter as far as possible into his inner life!
Think next of the will, by which also the loved one lives in him who loves. Does he not dwell in him by that tender affection, that sweet and deeply-rooted joy which he feels? On the other hand, the lover lives in the beloved by the sympathy of his desires, by sharing his likes and dislikes, his joys and sorrows, until the two seem to form but one.
Since "love is strong as death,"[62] it carries the lover out of himself into the heart of the beloved, and holds him prisoner there.
The soul is more truly where it loves than where it gives life, since it exists in the object loved by its own nature, by reason and will; whilst it is in the body it animates only by bestowing on it an existence which it shares with the animal creation.[63]
There is, therefore, but one thing which has power to draw us from outward objects into the depths of our own souls, there to form an intimate friendship with Jesus. Nothing but the love of Christ and the desire of His sweetness can lead us thus to feel, to comprehend and experience the presence of His Divinity.
The power of love alone is able to lift up the soul from earth to the heights of Heaven, nor is it possible to ascend to eternal beat.i.tude except on the wings of love and desire.
Love is the life of the soul, its nuptial garment, its perfection.[64]
Upon charity are based the law, the prophets, and the precepts of the Lord.[65] Hence the Apostle wrote to the Romans: "Love is therefore the fulfilling of the law,"[66] and in the first Epistle to Timothy: "The end of the commandment is charity."[67]
CHAPTER XIII
OF THE NATURE AND ADVANTAGES OF PRAYER--OF INTERIOR RECOLLECTION
Of ourselves we are utterly unable to attain to charity or any other good thing. We have naught to offer to the Lord, the Author of all, which was not His already.
One thing alone remains to us: that in every occurrence we should turn to Him in prayer, as He Himself taught us by word and example. Let us go to Him as guilty, poor, and miserable, as beggars, weak and needy, as subjects and slaves, yet as His children.
Of ourselves we are utterly dest.i.tute. What can we do but cast ourselves at His feet in deepest humility, holy fear mingling in our souls with love, peace, and recollection?
And while we are fain to draw nigh with all lowliness and modesty, with minds sincere and simple, let our hearts burn with great desires, with ardour and heartfelt longings. And so let us supplicate our G.o.d, and lay before Him with entire confidence the perils which menace us on every side. Let us freely, unhesitatingly, and in all simplicity, confide ourselves to Him, and offer Him our whole being, even to the last fibre, for are we not in truth absolutely His?
Let us keep nothing for ourselves, and then will be fulfilled in us the saying of Blessed Isaac, one of the Fathers of the Desert, who, speaking of this kind of prayer, said: "We shall be one being with G.o.d, and He will be all in all to us, when that perfect charity by which He loved us first has entered into our inmost hearts."[68]
This will be accomplished when G.o.d alone becomes the object of all our love, our desires, our striving, of all our efforts and thoughts, of all that we behold, speak of, hope for; when that union which exists between the Father and the Son, and between the Son and the Father shall be found also in our mind and soul.
Since His love for us is so pure, sincere, and unchanging, ought not we in return to give Him a love constant and uninterrupted?
So intimate should be our union with Him that our hopes, thoughts, prayers breathe only G.o.d.[69] The truly spiritual man should set before him, as the goal of all his efforts and desires, the possession even in a mortal body, of an image of the happiness to come, and the enjoyment even here below of some foretaste of the delights, the life, and glory of Heaven.
This, I say, is the end of all perfection--that the soul may become so purified from every earthly longing, and so raised to spiritual things, that at last the whole life and the desires of the heart form one unbroken prayer.
When the soul has thus shaken off the dust of earth and aspires unto her G.o.d, to Whom the true religious ever directs his intention, dreading the least separation from Him as a most cruel death; when peace reigns within and she is delivered from the bondage of her pa.s.sions and cleaves with firmest purpose to the one Sovereign Good, then will be fulfilled in her the words of the Apostle: "Pray without ceasing,"[70] and "in every place, lifting up pure hands, without anger and contention."[71]
When once this purity of soul has gained the victory over man"s natural inclination for the things of sense, when all earthly longings are quenched and the soul is, as it were, transformed into the likeness of pure spirits or Angels, then all she receives, all she undertakes, all she does, will be a pure and true prayer.
Only persevere faithfully in thy efforts and, as I have shown from the beginning, it will become as simple and easy for thee to contemplate G.o.d and rejoice in Him in thy recollection as to live a purely natural life.
CHAPTER XIV
THAT EVERYTHING SHOULD BE JUDGED ACCORDING TO THE TESTIMONY OF OUR CONSCIENCE
There is also another practice which will tend greatly to thy progress in spiritual perfection, and will aid thee to gain purity of soul and tranquil rest in G.o.d. Whatever men say or think of thee, bring it before the tribunal of thine own conscience. Enter within thyself, and there, turning a deaf ear to all else, set thyself to learn the truth. Then wilt thou see clearly that the praise and honour of men bring thee no profit, but rather loss, if thou knowest that thou art guilty and worthy of condemnation in the sight of truth. And, just as it is useless to be honoured outwardly by men if thy conscience accuse thee within, so in like manner is it no loss to thee if men despise, blame, or persecute thee without, if within thou art innocent and free from reproach or blame. Nay, rather, thou hast then great reason to rejoice in the Lord in patience, silence, and peace.
Adversity is powerless to harm where sin has no dominion; and just as there is no evil which goes unpunished, so is there no good without recompense.
Seek not with the hypocrites thy reward and crown from men, but rather from the hand of G.o.d, not now, but hereafter; not for a pa.s.sing moment, but for eternity.
Thou canst, therefore, do nothing higher nor better in every tribulation or occurrence than enter into the sanctuary of thy soul, and there call upon the Lord Jesus Christ, thy helper in temptation and affliction. There shouldst thou humble thyself, confessing thy sins, and praising thy G.o.d and Father, Who both chastises and consoles.
There dispose thyself to accept with unruffled peace, readiness, and confidence from the hands of G.o.d"s unfailing Providence and marvellous wisdom all that is sent thee of prosperity or adversity, whether touching thyself or others. Then wilt thou obtain remission of thy sins;[72] bitterness will be driven from thy soul, sweetness and confidence will penetrate it, grace and mercy will descend upon it.
Then a sweet familiarity will draw thee on and strengthen thee, abundant consolation will flow to thee from the bosom of G.o.d. Then thou wilt adhere to Him and form an indissoluble union with Him.
But beware of imitating hypocrites who, like the Pharisees, try to appear outwardly before men more holy than they know themselves in truth to be. Is it not utter folly to seek or desire human praise and glory for oneself or others, while within we are filled with shameful and grievous sins? a.s.suredly he who pursues such vanities can hope for no share in the good things of which we spoke just now, but shame will infallibly be his lot.
Keep thy worthlessness and thy sins ever before thine eyes, and learn to know thyself that thou mayest grow in humility.
Shrink not from being regarded by all the world as filthy mud, vile and abject, on account of thy grievous sins and defects. Esteem thyself among others as dross in the midst of gold, as tares in the wheat, straw among the grain, as a wolf among the sheep, as Satan among the children of G.o.d.
Neither shouldst thou desire to be respected by others, or preferred to anyone whatsoever. Fly rather with all thy strength of heart and soul from that pestilential poison, the venom of praise, from a reputation founded on boasting and ostentation, lest, as the Prophet says, "The sinner is praised in the desires of his soul."[73]
Again, in Isaias, we read: "They that call thee blessed, the same deceive thee, and destroy the way of thy steps."[74] Also the Lord says: "Woe to you when men shall bless you!"[75]
CHAPTER XV
ON THE CONTEMPT OF SELF: HOW IT IS ACQUIRED: ITS PROFIT TO THE SOUL
The more truly a man knows his own misery, the more fully and clearly does he behold the majesty of G.o.d. The more vile he is in his own eyes for the sake of G.o.d, of truth, and of justice, the more worthy of esteem is he in the eyes of G.o.d.
Strive earnestly, therefore, to look on thyself as utterly contemptible, to think thyself unworthy of any benefit, to be displeasing in thine own eyes, but pleasing to G.o.d. Desire that others should regard thee as vile and mean.
Learn not to be troubled in tribulations, afflictions, injuries; not to be incensed against those that inflict them, nor to entertain thoughts of resentment against them. Try, on the contrary, sincerely to believe thyself worthy of all injuries, contempt, ill-treatment and scorn.