A Short Method of Prayer
***Links***
https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/9/8/24989/
The Project Gutenberg EBook of A
Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual
Torrents, by Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it
away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
Title: A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents
Author: Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon
Translator: A. W. Marston
Release Date: April 4, 2008 [EBook #24989]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ASCII
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER
***
Produced by Free Elf, David Wilson and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
book was produced from scanned images of public domain
material from the Google Print project.)
Transcriber's
note:
This eBook contains the front matter from a combined
edition
of _A Short Method of Prayer_ and _Spiritual
Torrents_, but
only contains the text of _A Short Method of
Prayer_.
A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER
and
SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.
BY
J. M. B. DE LA MOTHE GUYON.
Translated from the Paris Edition of 1790
BY
A. W. MARSTON.
LONDON:
SAMPSON LOW, MARSTON, LOW, & SEARLE,
CROWN BUILDINGS, 188 FLEET STREET.
1875.
[_All rights reserved._]
PRINTED BY BALLANTYNE AND COMPANY
EDINBURGH AND LONDON
_PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH PROTESTANT EDITION._
Some apology is perhaps needed when a Protestant thus brings
before
Protestant readers the works of a consistent Roman Catholic
author. The
plea must be, that the doctrine and experience described are
essentially
Protestant; and so far from their receiving the assent of the
Roman
Catholic Church, their author was persecuted for holding and
disseminating them.
Of the experience of Madame Guyon, it should be borne in mind,
that
though the glorious heights of communion with God to which she
attained
may be scaled by the feeblest of God's chosen ones, yet it is by
no
means necessary that they should be reached by the same apparently
arduous and protracted path along which she was led.
The "Torrents" especially needs to be regarded rather as an
account of
the personal experience of the author, than as the plan which God
invariably, or even usually, adopts in bringing the soul into a
state of
union with Himself. It is true that, in order that we may "live
unto
righteousness," we must be "dead indeed unto sin;" and that there
must
be a crucifixion of self before the life of Christ can be made
manifest
in us. It is only when we can say, "I am crucified with Christ,"
that we
are able to add, "Nevertheless I live, yet not I, but Christ
liveth in
me." But it does not follow that this inward death must always be
as
lingering as in the case of Madame Guyon. She tells us herself
that the
reason was, that she was not wholly resigned to the Divine will,
and
willing to be deprived of the gifts of God, that she might enjoy
the
possession of the Giver. This resistance to the will of God
implies
suffering on the part of the creature, and chastisement on the
part of
God, in order that He may subdue to Himself what is not
voluntarily
yielded to Him.
Of the joy of a complete surrender to God, it is not necessary to
speak
here: thousands of God's children are realising its blessedness
for
themselves, and proving that it is no hardship, but a joy
unspeakable,
to present themselves a living sacrifice to God, to live no longer
to
themselves, but to Him that died for them, and rose again.
A simple trust in a living, personal Saviour; a putting away by
His
grace of all that is known to be in opposition to His will; and an
entire self-abandonment to Him, that His designs may be worked out
in
and through us; such is the simple key to the hidden sanctuary of
communion.
_A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER._
CONTENTS.
CHAP.
PAGE
I. PRAYER POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES, BY
THE MOST
SIMPLE
1
II. FIRST DEGREE OF
PRAYER
6
III. SECOND DEGREE OF PRAYER, CALLED HERE THE
PRAYER OF SIMPLICITY 13
IV. SPIRITUAL
DRYNESS
16
V. ABANDONMENT TO
GOD
18
VI.
SUFFERING
21
VII.
MYSTERIES
23
VIII.
VIRTUE
25
IX. PERFECT
CONVERSION
27
X. HIGHER DEGREE OF PRAYER, THAT OF
THE SIMPLE PRESENCE OF GOD 30
XI. REST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD--INWARD
AND OUTWARD SILENCE 35
XII. SELF-EXAMINATION AND
CONFESSION
39
XIII. READING AND VOCAL
PRAYER
42
XIV. THE FAULTS AND TEMPTATIONS OF THIS
DEGREE
44
XV. PRAYER AND SACRIFICE EXPLAINED BY THE
SIMILITUDE OF A PERFUME 47
XVI. THIS STATE NOT ONE OF IDLENESS, BUT OF
ACTION
51
XVII. DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR
ACTIONS
63
XVIII. EXHORTATIONS TO
PREACHERS
71
XIX. PREPARATION FOR DIVINE
UNION
77
_SPIRITUAL TORRENTS._
CONTENTS.
_PART I._
CHAP.
PAGE
I. THE DIFFERENT WAYS IN WHICH
SOULS ARE LED TO SEEK AFTER GOD 91
II. OF THE FIRST WAY, WHICH IS ACTIVE AND
MEDITATIVE
94
III. OF THE SECOND WAY, WHICH IS THE PASSIVE
WAY OF LIGHT 103
IV. OF THE THIRD WAY, WHICH IS THE
PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH,
AND OF ITS FIRST
DEGREE
111
V. IMPERFECTIONS OF THIS FIRST
DEGREE
125
VI. SECOND DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF
FAITH
139
VII. SECT. I.--COMMENCEMENT OF THE THIRD DEGREE
OF THE PASSIVE
WAY OF FAITH--FIRST DEGREE OF THE SPOLIATION OF THE SOUL 151
SECT. II.--SECOND
DEGREE OF THE SPOLIATION OF THE
SOUL 164
SECT. III.--THIRD
DEGREE OF
SPOLIATION
169
SECT.
IV.--ENTRANCE INTO MYSTICAL
DEATH
179
VIII. THIRD DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF FAITH, IN
ITS
CONSUMMATION
185
IX. FOURTH DEGREE OF THE PASSIVE WAY OF
FAITH, WHICH IS THE
COMMENCEMENT OF THE DIVINE
LIFE
193
_PART II._
I. MORE PARTICULAR DESCRIPTION OF
SEVERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF
THE RESURRECTION
LIFE
211
II. STABILITY, EXPERIENCE, ELEVATION, AND
EXTREME PURITY OF THE
ABANDONED
SOUL
221
III. PERFECT UNION OR
DEIFORMITY
231
IV. ACTIONS AND SUFFERINGS OF THOSE IN A
STATE OF UNION WITH GOD 240
_A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER._
"Walk before me, and be thou perfect."--Gen. xvii. 1.
_AUTHOR'S PREFACE._
I did not write this little work with the thought of its being
given to
the public. It was prepared for the help of a few Christians who
were
desirous of loving God with the whole heart. But so many have
requested
copies of it, because of the benefit they have derived from its
perusal,
that I have been asked to publish it.
I have left it in its natural simplicity. I do not condemn the
opinions
of any: on the contrary, I esteem those which are held by others,
and
submit all that I have written to the censure of persons of
experience
and learning. I only ask of all that they will not be content with
examining the outside, but that they will penetrate the design of
the
writer, which is only to lead others to LOVE GOD, and to serve Him
with
greater happiness and success, by enabling them to do it in a
simple and
easy way, fit for the little ones who are not capable of
extraordinary
things, but who truly desire to _give themselves to God_.
I ask all who may read it, to read without prejudice; and they
will
discover, under common expressions, a hidden unction, which will
lead
them to seek for a happiness which all ought to expect to possess.
I use the word _facility_, saying that perfection is easy, because
it is
easy to find God, _when we seek Him within ourselves_. The passage
may
be quoted which says, "Ye shall seek me, and shall not find me"
(John
vii. 34). Yet this need not occasion any difficulty; because the
same
God, who cannot contradict Himself, has said, "He that seeketh
findeth"
(Matt. vii. 8). _He who seeks God, and who yet is unwilling to
forsake
sin, will not find Him, because he is seeking Him where He cannot
be
found_; therefore it is added, "Ye shall die in your sins." _But
he who
sincerely desires to forsake sin, that he may draw near to God,
will
find Him infallibly_.
Many people imagine religion so frightful, and prayer so
extraordinary,
that they are not willing to strive after them, never expecting to
attain to them. But as the difficulty which we see in a thing
causes us
to despair of succeeding in it, and at the same time removes the
desire
to undertake it; and as, when a thing appears both desirable and
easy to
be attained, we give ourselves to it with pleasure, and pursue it
boldly; I have been constrained to set forth the advantage and the
_facility_ of this way.
Oh! if we were persuaded of the goodness of God toward His poor
creatures, and of the desire which He has to communicate Himself
to
them, we should not imagine so many obstacles, and despair so
easily of
obtaining a good which He is so infinitely desirous of imparting
to us.
And if He has not spared His own Son, but delivered Him up for us
all,
is there anything He can refuse us? Assuredly not. We only need a
little
courage and perseverance. We have so much of both for trifling
temporal
interests, and we have none for the "_one thing needful_."
As for those who find a difficulty in believing that it is easy to
find
God in this way, let them not believe all that they are told, but
rather
let them make trial of it, that they may judge for themselves; and
they
will find that I say very little in comparison with that which is.
Dear reader, study this little work with a simple and sincere
heart,
with lowliness of mind, without wishing to criticise it, and you
will
find it of good to you. Receive it with the same spirit as that in
which
it is given, which is no other than the longing that you may be
led to
_give yourself unreservedly to God_. My desire is that it may be
the
means of leading the simple ones and the children to their Father,
who
loves their humble confidence, and to whom distrust is so
displeasing.
Seek nothing but _the love of God_; have a sincere desire for your
salvation, and you will assuredly find it, following this little
unmethodical method.
I do not pretend to elevate my sentiments above those of others,
but I
relate simply what has been my own experience as well as that of
others, and the advantage which I have found in this simple and
natural
manner of going to God.
If this book treats of nothing else but the _short and easy method
of
prayer_, it is because, being written only for that, it cannot
speak of
other things. It is certain that, if it be read in the spirit in
which
it has been written, there will be found nothing in it to shock
the
mind. Those who will make the experience of it will be the most
certain
of the truth which it contains.
It is to Thee, O Holy Child Jesus, who lovest simplicity and
innocence,
and who findest Thy delight in the children of men, that is to
say, with
those amongst men who are willing to become children;--it is to
Thee, I
say, to give worth and value to this little work, impressing it on
the
heart, and leading those who read it to seek Thee within
themselves,
where Thou wilt take Thy rest, receiving the tokens of their love,
and
giving them proofs of Thine.
It is Thy work, O Divine Child! O uncreated Love! O silent Word!
to make
Thyself beloved, tasted, and heard. Thou art able to do it; and I
even
dare to say that Thou wilt do it, by means of this little work,
which is
all to Thee, all of Thee, and all for Thee.
A SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER.
CHAPTER I.
ALL ARE COMMANDED TO PRAY--PRAYER THE GREAT MEANS OF SALVATION,
AND
POSSIBLE AT ALL TIMES BY THE MOST SIMPLE.
Prayer is nothing else but the _application of the heart to God_,
and
the interior exercise of love. St Paul commands us to "pray
without
ceasing" (1 Thess. v. 17). Our Lord says: "Take ye heed, watch and
pray." "And what I say unto you, I say unto all" (Mark xiii. 33,
37).
All, then, are capable of prayer, and it is the duty of all to
engage in
it.
But I do not think that all are fit for meditation; and,
therefore, it
is not that sort of prayer which God demands or desires of them.
My dear friends, whoever you may be, who desire to be saved, come
unto
God in prayer. "I counsel thee to buy of me gold tried in the
fire, that
thou mayest be rich" (Rev. iii. 18). It is easily to be obtained,
far
more easily than you could ever imagine.
Come, all ye that are athirst, and take this water of life freely
(see
Rev. xxii. 17). Do not amuse yourselves by hewing out to
yourselves
"broken cisterns that can hold no water" (Jer. ii. 13). Come,
hungry
souls, who find nothing that can satisfy you, and you shall be
_filled_.
Come, poor afflicted ones, weighed down with griefs and sorrows,
and you
shall be comforted. Come, sick ones, to the great Physician, and
do not
fear to approach Him because you are so weak and diseased: expose
all
your diseases to Him, and they shall be healed.
Come, children, to your Father; He will receive you with open arms
of
love. Come, wandering and scattered sheep, to your Shepherd. Come,
sinners, to your Saviour. Come, ignorant and foolish ones, who
believe
yourselves incapable of prayer; it is you who are the most fitted
for
it. Come all without exception; Jesus Christ calls you all.
Let those only refuse to come who have no heart. The invitation is
not
for them; for we must have a heart in order to love. But who is
indeed
without heart? Oh, come and give that heart to God, and learn in
the
place of prayer how to do it! All those who long for prayer are
capable
of it, who have ordinary grace and the gift of the Holy Spirit,
which is
freely promised to all who ask it.
Prayer is the key of perfection and of sovereign happiness; it is
the
efficacious means of getting rid of all vices and of acquiring all
virtues; for the way to become perfect is to live in the presence
of
God. He tells us this Himself: "Walk before me, and be thou
perfect"
(Gen. xvii. 1). Prayer alone can bring you into His presence, and
keep
you there continually.
What we need, then, is an attitude of prayer, in which we can
_constantly_ abide, and out of which exterior occupations cannot
draw
us; a prayer which can be offered alike by princes, kings,
prelates,
magistrates, soldiers, children, artisans, labourers, women, and
the
sick. This prayer is not mental, but _of the heart_.
It is not a prayer of thought alone, because the mind of man is so
limited, that while it is occupied with one thing it cannot be
thinking
of another. But it is the PRAYER OF THE HEART, which cannot be
interrupted by the occupations of the mind. Nothing can interrupt
the
prayer of the heart but unruly affections; and when once we have
tasted
of the love of God, it is impossible to find our delight in
anything but
Himself.
Nothing is easier than to have God and to live upon Him. He is
more
truly in us than we are in ourselves. He is more anxious to give
Himself
to us than we are to possess Him. All that we want is to know the
way to
seek Him, which is so easy and so natural, that breathing itself
is not
more so.
Oh, you who imagine yourselves incapable of religious feeling, you
may
live in prayer and in God as easily and as continuously as you
live by
the air you breathe. Will you not, then, be inexcusable if you
neglect
to do it, after you have learned the way?
CHAPTER II.
FIRST DEGREE OF PRAYER--MEDITATION AND MEDITATIVE READING--THE
LORD'S
PRAYER--PASSAGE FROM THE FIRST DEGREE TO THE SECOND.
There are two means by which we may be led into the higher forms
of
prayer. One is _Meditation_, the other is _Meditative Reading_. By
meditative reading I mean the taking of some truths, either
doctrinal or
practical--the latter rather than the former--and reading them in
this
way:--Take the truth which has presented itself to you, and read
two or
three lines, seeking to enter into the full meaning of the words,
and go
on no further so long as you find satisfaction in them; leave the
place
only when it becomes insipid. After that, take another passage,
and do
the same, not reading more than half a page at once.
It is not so much from the amount read that we derive profit, as
from
the manner of reading. Those people who get through so much do not
profit from it; the bees can only draw the juice from the flowers
by
resting on them, not by flying round them. Much reading is more
for
scholastic than for spiritual science; but in order to derive
profit
from spiritual books, we should read them in this way; and I am
sure
that this manner of reading accustoms us gradually to prayer, and
gives
us a deeper desire for it. The other way is _Meditation_, in which
we
should engage at a chosen time, and not in the hour given to
reading. I
think the way to enter into it is this:--After having brought
ourselves
into the presence of God by a definite act of faith, we should
read
something substantial, not so much to reason upon it, as to fix
the
attention, observing that the principal exercise should be the
presence
of God, and that the subject should rather fix the attention than
exercise reason.
This _faith in the presence of God within our hearts_ must lead us
to
enter within ourselves, collecting our thoughts, and preventing
their
wandering; this is an effectual way of getting rid of distracting
thoughts, and of losing sight of outward things, in order to draw
near
to God, who can only be found in the secret place of our hearts,
which
is the _sancta-sanctorum_ in which He dwells.
He has promised that if any one keeps His commandments, He will
come to
him, and _make His abode_ with him (John xiv. 23). St Augustine
reproaches himself for the time he lost through not having sought
God at
first in this way.
When, then, we are thus buried in ourselves, and deeply penetrated
with
the presence of God within us--when the senses are all drawn from
the
circumference to the centre, which, though it is not easily
accomplished
at first, becomes quite natural afterwards--when the soul is thus
gathered up within itself, and is sweetly occupied with the truth
read,
not in reasoning upon it, but in feeding upon it, and exciting the
will
by the affection rather than the understanding by consideration:
the
_affection_ being thus touched, must be suffered to _repose_
sweetly and
at peace, _swallowing_ what it has tasted.
As a person who only masticated an excellent meat would not be
nourished
by it, although he would be sensible of its taste, unless he
ceased this
movement in order to swallow it; so when the affection is stirred,
if we
seek continually to stir it, we extinguish its fire, and thus
deprive
the soul of its nourishment. We must swallow by a _loving repose_
(full
of respect and confidence) what we have masticated and tasted.
This
method is very necessary, and would advance the soul in a short
time
more than any other would do in several years.
But as I said that the direct and principal exercise should be the
_sense of the presence of God_, we must most faithfully _recall
the
senses_ when they wander.
This is a short and efficacious way of fighting with distractions;
because those who endeavour directly to oppose them, irritate and
increase them; but by losing ourselves in the thought of a present
God,
and suffering our thoughts to be drawn to Him, we combat them
indirectly, and without thinking of them, but in an effectual
manner.
And here let me warn beginners not to run from one truth to
another,
from one subject to another; but to keep themselves to one so long
as
they feel a taste for it: this is the way to enter deeply into
truths,
to taste them, and to have them impressed upon us. I say it is
difficult
at first thus to retire within ourselves, because of the habits,
which
are natural to us, of being taken up with the outside; but when we
are a
little accustomed to it, it becomes exceedingly easy; both because
we
have formed the habit of it, and because God, who only desires to
communicate Himself to us, sends us abundant grace, and an
experimental
sense of His presence, which renders it easy.
Let us apply this method to the Lord's Prayer. We say "Our
Father,"
thinking that God is within us, and will indeed be our Father.
After
having pronounced this word _Father_, we remain a few moments in
silence, waiting for this heavenly Father to make known His will
to us.
Then we ask this King of Glory _to reign_ within us, abandoning
ourselves to Him, that He may do it, and yielding to Him the right
that
He has over us. If we feel here an inclination to peace and
silence, we
should not continue, but remain thus so long as the condition may
last;
after which we proceed to the second petition, "Thy will be done
on
earth, as it is in heaven." We then desire that God may
accomplish, in
us and by us, all His will; we give up to God our heart and our
liberty,
that He may dispose of them at His pleasure. Then, seeing that the
occupation of the will should be love, we desire to love, and we
ask God
to give us _His love_. But all this is done quietly, peacefully;
and so
on with the rest of the prayer.
At other times we hold ourselves in the position of sheep near to
the
Shepherd, asking of Him our true food. O Divine Shepherd! Thou
feedest
Thy sheep with Thine own hand, and Thou art their food from day to
day.
We may also bring before Him our family desires; but it must all
be done
with the remembrance by faith of the presence of God within us.
We can form no imagination of what God is: a lively faith in His
presence is sufficient; for we can conceive no image of God,
though we
may of Christ, regarding Him as crucified, or as a child, or in
some
other condition, provided that we always seek Him within
ourselves.
At other times we come to Him as to a Physician, bringing our
maladies
to Him that He may heal them; but always without effort, with a
short
silence from time to time, that the silence may be mingled with
the
action, gradually lengthening the silence and shortening the
spoken
prayer, until at length, as we yield to the operation of God, He
gains
the supremacy. When the presence of God is given, and the soul
begins to
taste of silence and repose, this experimental sense of the
presence of
God introduces it to the second degree of prayer.
CHAPTER III.
SECOND DEGREE OF PRAYER, CALLED HERE "THE PRAYER OF SIMPLICITY."
The second degree has been variously termed _Contemplation_, _The
Prayer
of Silence_, and _of repose_; while others again have called it
the
_Prayer of Simplicity_; and it is of this last term that I shall
make
use here, being more appropriate than that of _Contemplation_,
which
signifies a degree of prayer more advanced than that of which I
speak.
After a time, as I have said, the soul becomes sensible of a
facility in
recognising the presence of God; it collects itself more easily;
prayer
becomes natural and pleasant; it knows that it leads to God; and
it
perceives the smell of His perfumes.
Then it must change its method, and observe carefully what I am
about to
say, without being astonished at its apparent implausibility.
First of all, when you bring yourself into the presence of God by
faith,
remain a short time in an attitude of respectful silence. If from
the
beginning, in making this act of faith, you are sensible of a
little
taste of the presence of God, remain as you are without troubling
yourself on any subject, and keep that which has been given you,
so long
as it may remain.
If it leaves you, excite your will by means of some tender
affection,
and if you then find that your former state of peace has returned,
remain in it. The fire must be blown softly, and as soon as it is
lighted, cease to blow it, or you will put it out. It is also
necessary
that you should go to God, not so much to obtain something from
Him, as
to please Him, and to do His will; for a servant who only serves
his
master in proportion to the recompense he receives, is unworthy of
any
remuneration.
Go, then, to prayer, not only to enjoy God, but to be as He wills:
this
will keep you equal in times of barrenness and in times of
abundance;
and you will not be dismayed by the repulses of God, nor by His
apparent
indifference.
CHAPTER IV.
ON SPIRITUAL DRYNESS.
As God's only desire is to give Himself to the loving soul who
desires
to seek Him, He often hides Himself in order to arouse it, and
compel it
to seek Him with love and fidelity. But how does He reward the
faithfulness of His beloved! And how are His apparent flights
followed
by loving caresses!
The soul imagines that it is a proof of its fidelity and of its
increased love that it seeks God with an effort, or that at least
such
seeking will soon lead to His return.
But no! This is not the way in this degree. With a loving
impatience,
with deep humility and abasement, with an affection deep and yet
restful, with a respectful silence, you must await the return of
your
Beloved.
You will thus show Him that it is _Himself_ alone that you love,
and His
good pleasure, and not the pleasure that you find in loving Him.
Therefore it is said, "Make not haste in time of trouble. Cleave
unto
Him, and depart not away, that thou mayest be increased at thy
last end"
(Ecclus. ii. 2, 3). Suffer the suspensions and the delays of the
visible
consolations of God.
Be patient in prayer, even though you should do nothing all your
life
but wait in patience, with a heart humbled, abandoned, resigned,
and
content for the return of your Beloved. Oh, excellent prayer! How
it
moves the heart of God, and obliges Him to return more than
anything
else!
CHAPTER V.
ABANDONMENT TO GOD--ITS FRUIT AND ITS IRREVOCABILITY--IN WHAT IT
CONSISTS--GOD EXHORTS US TO IT.
It is here that true _abandonment_ and consecration to God should
commence, by our being deeply convinced that all which happens to
us
moment by moment is the will of God, and therefore all that is
necessary
to us.
This conviction will render us contented with everything, and will
make
us see the commonest events in God, and not in the creature.
I beg of you, whoever you may be, who are desirous of giving
yourselves
to God, not to take yourselves back when once you are given to
Him, and
to remember that a thing once given away is no longer at your
disposal.
_Abandonment_ is the key to the inner life: he who is thoroughly
abandoned will soon be perfect.
You must, then, hold firmly to your abandonment, without listening
to
reason or to reflection. A great faith makes a great abandonment;
you
must trust wholly in God, against hope believing in hope (Rom. iv.
18).
_Abandonment_ is the casting off of all care of ourselves, to
leave
ourselves to be guided entirely by God.
All Christians are exhorted to abandonment, for it is said to all,
"Take
no thought for the morrow; for your Heavenly Father knoweth that
ye have
need of all these things" (Matt. vi. 32, 34). "In all thy ways
acknowledge Him, and He shall direct thy paths" (Prov. iii. 6).
"Commit
thy works unto the Lord, and thy thoughts shall be established"
(Prov.
xvi. 3). "Commit thy way unto the Lord; trust also in Him; and He
shall
bring it to pass" (Ps. xxxvii. 5).
Abandonment, then, ought to be an utter leaving of ourselves, both
outwardly and inwardly, in the hands of God, forgetting ourselves,
and
thinking only of God. By this means the heart is kept always free
and
contented.
Practically it should be a continual loss of our own will in the
will
of God, a renunciation of all natural inclinations, however good
they
may appear, in order that we may be left free to choose only as
God
chooses: we should be indifferent to all things, whether temporal
or
spiritual, for the body or the soul; leaving the past in
forgetfulness,
the future to providence, and giving the present to God; contented
with
the present moment, which brings with it God's eternal will for
us;
attributing nothing which happens to us to the creature, but
seeing all
things in God, and regarding them as coming infallibly from His
hand,
with the exception only of our own sin.
Leave yourselves, then, to be guided by God as He will, whether as
regards the inner or the outward life.
CHAPTER VI.
OF SUFFERING WHICH MUST BE ACCEPTED AS FROM GOD--ITS FRUITS.
Be content with all the suffering that God may lay upon you. If
you will
love Him purely, you will be as willing to follow Him to Calvary
as to
Tabor.
He must be loved as much on Calvary as on Tabor, since it is there
that
He makes the greatest manifestation of His love.
Do not act, then, like those people who give themselves at one
time, and
take themselves back at another. They give themselves to be
caressed,
and take themselves back when they are crucified; or else they
seek for
consolation in the creature.
You can only find consolation in the love of the cross and in
complete
abandonment. He who has no love for the cross has no love for God
(see
Matt. xvi. 24). It is impossible to love God without loving the
cross;
and a heart which has learned to love the cross finds sweetness,
joy,
and pleasure even in the bitterest things. "To the hungry soul
every
bitter thing is sweet" (Prov. xxvii. 7), because it is as hungry
for the
cross as it is hungry for God.
The cross gives God, and God gives the cross. Abandonment and the
cross
go together. As soon as you are sensible that something is
repugnant to
you which presents itself to you in the light of suffering,
abandon
yourself at once to God for that very thing, and present yourself
as a
sacrifice to Him: you will see that, when the cross comes, it will
have
lost much of its weight, because you will desire it. This will not
prevent your being sensible of its weight. Some people imagine
that it
is not suffering to feel the cross. The feeling of suffering is
one of
the principal parts of suffering itself. Jesus Himself was willing
to
suffer it in its intensity.
Often the cross is borne with weakness, at other times with
strength:
all should be equal in the will of God.
CHAPTER VII.
ON MYSTERIES--GOD GIVES THEM HERE IN REALITY.
It will be objected that, by this way, mysteries will not be made
known.
It is just the contrary; they are given to the soul in reality.
Jesus
Christ, to whom it is abandoned, and whom it follows as the _Way_,
whom
it hears as the _Truth_, and who animates it as the _Life_,
impressing
Himself upon it, imparts to it His own condition.
To bear the conditions of Christ is something far greater than
merely to
consider those conditions. Paul bore the conditions of Christ on
his
body. "I bear in my body," he says, "the marks of the Lord Jesus"
(Gal.
vi. 17). But he does not say that he reasoned about them.
Often Christ gives in this state of abandonment views of His
conditions
in a striking manner. We must receive equally all the dispositions
in
which He may be pleased to place us, choosing for ourselves to
abide
near to Him, and to be annihilated before Him, but receiving
equally all
that He gives us, light or darkness, facility or barrenness,
strength or
weakness, sweetness or bitterness, temptations or distractions,
sorrow,
care, uncertainty; none of these things ought to move us.
There are some persons to whom God is continually revealing His
mysteries: let them be faithful to them. But when God sees fit to
remove
them, let them suffer them to be taken.
Others are troubled because no mysteries are made known to them:
this is
needless, since a loving attention to God includes all particular
devotion, and that which is united to God alone, by its rest in
Him, is
instructed in a most excellent manner in all mysteries. He who
loves God
loves all that is of Him.
CHAPTER VIII.
ON VIRTUE--ALL VIRTUES GIVEN WITH GOD IN THIS DEGREE OF THE PRAYER
OF
THE HEART.
This is the short and the sure way of acquiring virtue; because,
God
being the principle of all virtue, we possess all virtue in
possessing
God.
More than this, I say that all virtue which is not given inwardly
is a
mask of virtue, and like a garment that can be taken off, and will
wear
out. But virtue communicated fundamentally is essential, true, and
permanent. "The King's daughter is all glorious within" (Ps. xlv.
13).
And there are none who practise virtue more constantly than those
who
acquire it in this way, though virtue is not a distinct subject of
their
thought.
How hungry these loving ones are after suffering! They think only
of
what can please their Beloved, and they begin to neglect
themselves, and
to think less of themselves. The more they love God, the more they
hate
themselves.
Oh, if all could learn this method, so easy that it is suited for
all,
for the most ignorant as for the most learned, how easily the
whole
Church would be reformed! You only need to love. St Augustine
says,
"Love, and do as you please;" for when we love perfectly, we shall
not
desire to do anything that could be displeasing to our Beloved.
CHAPTER IX.
OF PERFECT CONVERSION, WHICH IS AN EFFECT OF THIS METHOD OF
PRAYER--TWO
OF ITS AIDS, THE ATTRACTION OF GOD, AND THE CENTRAL INCLINATION OF
THE
SOUL.
"Turn ye unto Him from whom the children of Israel have deeply
revolted"
(Isa. xxxi. 6). Conversion is nothing else but a turning from the
creature to God. Conversion is not perfect, though it is necessary
for
salvation, when it is merely a turning from sin to grace. To be
complete, it must be a turning from without to within.
The soul, being turned in the direction of God, has a great
facility for
remaining converted to Him. The longer it is converted, the nearer
it
approaches to God, and attaches itself to Him; and the nearer it
approaches to God, the more it becomes necessarily drawn from the
creature, which is opposed to God.
But this cannot be done by a violent effort of the creature; all
that it
can do is to remain turned in the direction of God in a perpetual
adherence.
God has an _attracting virtue_, which draws the soul more strongly
towards Himself; and in attracting it, He purifies it: as we see
the sun
attracting a dense vapour, and gradually, without any other effort
on
the part of the vapour than that of letting itself be drawn, the
sun, by
bringing it near to himself, refines and purifies it.
There is, however, this difference, that the vapour is not drawn
freely,
and does not follow willingly, as is the case with the soul.
This manner of turning within is very simple, and makes the soul
advance
naturally and without effort; because God is its centre. The
centre has
always a strong attractive power; and the larger the centre, the
stronger is its attractive force.
Besides this attraction of the centre, there is given to all
natural
objects a strong tendency to become united with their centre. As
soon as
anything is turned in the direction of its centre, unless it be
stopped
by some invincible obstacle, it rushes towards it with extreme
velocity. A stone in the air is no sooner let loose, and turned
towards
the earth, than it tends to it by its own weight as its centre. It
is
the same with fire and water, which, being no longer arrested, run
incessantly towards their centre.
Now I say that the soul, by the effort it has made in inward
recollection, being turned towards its centre, without any other
effort,
but simply by the weight of love, falls towards its centre; and
the more
it remains quiet and at rest, making no movement of its own, the
more
rapidly it will advance, because it thus allows that attractive
virtue
to draw it.
All the care, then, that we need have is to promote this inward
recollection as much as possible, not being astonished at the
difficulty
we may find in this exercise, which will soon be recompensed with
a
wonderful co-operation on the part of God, which will render it
very
easy. When the passions rise, a look towards God, who is present
within
us, easily deadens them. Any other resistance would irritate
rather than
appease them.
CHAPTER X.
HIGHER DEGREE OF PRAYER, WHICH IS THAT OF THE SIMPLE PRESENCE OF
GOD, OR
ACTIVE CONTEMPLATION.
The soul, faithfully exercising itself in the affection and love
of its
God, is astonished to find Him taking complete possession of it.
His presence becomes so natural, that it would be impossible not
to have
it: it becomes habitual to the soul, which is also conscious of a
great
calm spreading over it. Its prayer is all silence, and God imparts
to it
an intrinsic love, which is the commencement of ineffable
happiness.
Oh, if I could describe the infinite degrees which follow! But I
must
stop here, since I am writing for beginners, and wait till God
shall
bring to light what may be useful to those more advanced.[1] I can
only
say, that, at this point, it is most important that all natural
operation should cease, that God may act alone: "Be still, and
know that
I am God," is His own word by David (Ps. xlvi. 10).
1. This subject is pursued in the treatise entitled
"Spiritual
Torrents."
But man is so attached to his own works, that he cannot believe
God is
working, unless he can feel, know, and distinguish His operation.
He
does not see that it is the speed of his course which prevents his
seeing the extent of his advancement; and that the operation of
God
becoming more abundant, absorbs that of the creature, as we see
that the
sun, in proportion as he rises, absorbs the light of the stars,
which
were easily distinguishable before he appeared. It is not the want
of
light, but an excess of light, which prevents our distinguishing
the
stars.
It is the same here; man can no longer distinguish his own
operation,
because the strong light absorbs all his little distinct lights,
and
makes them fade away entirely, because God's excess surpasses them
all.
So that those who accuse this degree of prayer of being a state of
_idleness_, are greatly deceived; and only speak thus from want of
experience. Oh, if they would only prove it! in how short a time
they
would become experimentally acquainted with this matter!
I say, then, that this failure of work does not spring from
scarcity,
but from abundance.
Two classes of persons are silent: the one because they have
nothing to
say, the other because they have too much. It is thus in this
degree. We
are silent from excess, not from want.
Water causes death to two persons in very different ways. One dies
of
thirst, another is drowned: the one dies from want, the other from
abundance. So here it is abundance which causes the cessation of
natural
operation. It is therefore important in this degree to remain as
much as
possible in stillness.
At the commencement of this prayer, a movement of affection is
necessary; but when grace begins to flow into us, we have nothing
to do
but to remain at rest, and take all that God gives. Any other
movement
would prevent our profiting by this grace, which is given in order
to
draw us into the _rest of love_.
The soul in this peaceful attitude of prayer falls into a mystic
sleep,
in which all its natural powers are silenced, until that which had
been
temporary becomes its permanent condition. You see that the soul
is
thus led, without effort, without study, without artifice.
The heart is not a fortified place, which must be taken by
cannonading
and violence: it is a kingdom of peace, which is possessed by
love.
Gently following in His train, you will soon reach the degree of
_intuitive_ prayer. God asks nothing extraordinary and difficult:
on the
contrary, He is most pleased with childlike simplicity.
The grandest part of religion is the most simple. It is the same
with
natural things. Do you wish to get to the sea? Embark upon a
river, and
insensibly and without effort you will be taken to it. Do you wish
to
get to God? Take His way, so quiet, so easy, and in a little while
you
will be taken to Him in a manner that will surprise you. Oh, if
only you
would try it! How soon you would see that I am telling you only
too
little, and that the experience would far surpass any description
that
could be given! What do you fear? Why do you not throw yourself at
once
into the arms of Love, who only stretched them out upon the cross
in
order to take you in? What risk can there be in trusting God, and
abandoning yourself to Him? Oh, He will not deceive you, unless it
be by
giving you far more than you ever expected: while those who expect
everything from themselves may well take to themselves the
reproach
which God utters by the mouth of Isaiah: "Thou art wearied in the
greatness of thy way; yet saidst thou not, There is no hope" (Isa.
lvii.
10).
CHAPTER XI.
OF REST IN THE PRESENCE OF GOD--ITS FRUITS--INWARD SILENCE--GOD
COMMANDS
IT--OUTWARD SILENCE.
The soul, being brought to this place, needs no other preparation
than
that of repose: for _the presence of God_ during the day, which is
the
great result of prayer, or rather prayer itself, begins to be
_intuitive_ and _almost continual_. The soul is conscious of a
deep
inward happiness, and feels that God is in it more truly than it
is in
itself. It has only one thing to do in order to find God, which is
to
retire within itself. As soon as the eyes are closed, it finds
itself in
prayer.
It is astonished at this infinite happiness; there is carried on
within
it a conversation which outward things cannot interrupt. It might
be
said of this method of prayer, as was said of Wisdom, "All good
things
together come to me with her" (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 11), for
virtue
flows naturally into the soul, and is practised so easily, that it
seems
to be quite natural to it. It has within it a germ of life and
fruitfulness, which gives it a facility for all good, and an
insensibility to all evil. Let it then remain faithful, and seek
no
other frame of mind than that of simple rest. It has only to
suffer
itself to be filled with this divine effusion.
"The Lord is in His holy temple: let all the earth keep silence
before
Him" (Hab. ii. 20). The reason why inward silence is so necessary
is,
that Christ, being the eternal and essential Word, in order that
He may
be received into the soul, there must be a disposition
corresponding
with what He is. Now it is certain that in order to receive words
we
must listen. Hearing is the sense given to enable us to receive
the
words which are communicated to us. Hearing is rather a passive
than an
active sense, receiving, and not communicating. Christ being the
Word
which is to be communicated, the soul must be attentive to this
Word
which speaks within it.
This is why we are so often exhorted to listen to God, and to be
attentive to His voice. Many passages might be quoted. I will be
content to mention a few: "Hearken unto me, O my people; and give
ear
unto me, O my nation" (Isa. li. 4). "Hearken unto me, O house of
Jacob,
and all the remnant of the house of Israel" (Isa. xlvi. 31).
"Hearken, O
daughter, and consider, and incline thine ear; forget also thine
own
people, and thy father's house; so shall the King greatly desire
thy
beauty" (Ps. xlv. 10, 11).
We must _listen_ to God, and be attentive to Him, _forgetting
ourselves_
and all self-interest. These two actions, or rather passions--for
this
condition is essentially a passive one--arouse in God a "desire"
towards
the "beauty" He has Himself communicated.
Outward silence is extremely necessary for the cultivation of
inward
silence, and it is impossible to acquire inward silence without
having a
love for silence and solitude.
God tells us by the mouth of His prophet, "I will allure her, and
bring
her into the wilderness, and speak to her heart" (marginal reading
of
Hosea ii. 14).
To be inwardly occupied with God, and outwardly occupied with
countless
trifles, this is impossible.
It will be a small matter to pray, and to retire within ourselves
for
half an hour or an hour, if we do not retain the unction and the
spirit
of prayer during the day.
CHAPTER XII.
SELF-EXAMINATION AND CONFESSION.
Self-examination should always precede confession. Those who
arrive at
this degree should expose themselves to God, who will not fail to
enlighten them, and to make known to them the nature of their
faults.
This examination must be conducted in peace and tranquillity,
expecting
more from God than from our own research the knowledge of our
sins.
When we examine ourselves with an effort, we easily make mistakes.
We
"call evil good, and good evil;" and self-esteem easily deceives
us. But
when we remain exposed to the searching gaze of God, that Divine
Sun
brings to light even the smallest atoms. We must then, for
self-examination, abandon ourselves utterly to God.
When we are in this degree of prayer, God is not slow to reveal to
us
all the faults we commit. We have no sooner sinned than we feel a
burning reproach.
It is God Himself who conducts an examination which nothing
escapes, and
we have only to turn towards God, and suffer the pain and the
correction
which He gives. As this examination by God is continual, we can no
longer examine ourselves; and if we are faithful to our
abandonment to
God, we shall soon be better examined by the divine light than we
could
be by all our own efforts. Experience will make this known. One
thing
which often causes astonishment to the soul is, that when it is
conscious of a sin, and comes to confess it to God, instead of
feeling
regret and contrition, such as it formerly felt, a sweet and
gentle love
takes possession of it.
Not having experienced this before, it supposes that it ought to
draw
itself out of this condition to make a definite act of contrition.
But
it does not see that, by doing this, it would lose true
contrition,
which is this _intuitive love_, infinitely greater than anything
it
could create for itself. It is a higher action, which includes the
others, with greater perfection, though these are not possessed
distinctly.
We should not seek to do anything for ourselves when God acts more
excellently in us and for us. It is hating sin as God hates it to
hate
it in this way. This love, which is the operation of God in the
soul, is
the purest of all love. All we have to do then is to remain as we
are.
Another remarkable thing is, that we often forget our faults, and
find
it difficult to remember them; but this must not trouble us, for
two
reasons: The first, that this very forgetfulness is a proof that
the sin
has been atoned for, and it is better to forget all that concerns
ourselves, that we may remember God alone. The second reason is,
that
God does not fail, whenever confession is needful, to show to the
soul
its greatest faults, for then it is He Himself who examines it.
CHAPTER XIII.
ON READING--VOCAL PRAYER--REQUESTS.
The proper manner of reading in this degree is, as soon as we feel
attracted to meditation, to cease reading, and remain at rest.
The soul is no sooner called to inward silence, than it should
cease to
utter vocal prayers; saying but little at any time, and when it
does say
them, if it finds any difficulty, or feels itself drawn to
silence, it
should remain silent, and make no effort to pray, leaving itself
to the
guidance of the Spirit of God.
The soul will find that it cannot, as formerly, present definite
requests to God. This need not surprise it, for it is now that
"the
Spirit maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will
of God.
The Spirit also helpeth our infirmities: for we know not what we
should
pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession
for us,
with groanings which cannot be uttered" (Rom. viii. 26, 27).
We must second the designs of God, which are to strip the soul of
its
own works, to substitute His in their place.
Let Him work then, and bind yourself to nothing of your own.
However
good it may appear to you, it cannot be so if it comes in the way
of
God's will for you. The will of God is preferable to all other
good.
Seek not your own interests, but live by abandonment and by faith.
It is here that _faith_ begins to operate wonderfully in the soul.
CHAPTER XIV.
THE FAULTS COMMITTED IN THIS DEGREE--DISTRACTIONS,
TEMPTATIONS--THE
COURSE TO BE PURSUED RESPECTING THEM.
As soon as we fall into a fault, or have wandered, we must turn
again
within ourselves; because this fault having turned us from God, we
should as soon as possible turn towards Him, and suffer the
penitence
which He Himself will give.
It is of great importance that we should not be anxious about
these
faults, because the anxiety only springs from a secret pride and a
love
of our own excellence. We are troubled at feeling what we are.
If we become discouraged, we shall grow weaker yet; and reflection
upon
our faults produces a vexation which is worse than the sin itself.
A truly humble soul does not marvel at its weakness, and the more
it
perceives its wretchedness, the more it abandons itself to God,
and
seeks to remain near to Him, knowing how deeply it needs His help.
God's own word to us is, "I will instruct thee, and teach thee in
the
way which thou shalt go: I will guide thee with mine eye" (Ps.
xxxii.
8).
In distractions or temptations, instead of combating them
directly,
which would only serve to augment them, and to wean us from God,
with
whom alone we ought to be occupied, we should simply turn away
from
them, and draw nearer to God; as a little child, seeing a fierce
animal
approaching it, would not stay to fight it, nor even to look at
it, but
would run for shelter to its mother's arms, where it would be
safe. "God
is in the midst of her, she shall not be moved: God shall help
her, and
that right early" (Ps. xlvi. 5).
If we adopt any other course of action, if we attempt to attack
our
enemies in our weakness, we shall be wounded, even if we are not
entirely defeated; but remaining in the simple presence of God, we
find
ourselves immediately fortified.
This was what David did: he says, "I have set the Lord always
before me;
because He is at my right hand, I shall not be moved. Therefore my
heart is glad, and my glory rejoiceth; my flesh also shall rest in
hope." It is also said by Moses, "The Lord shall fight for you,
and ye
shall hold your peace" (Exod. xiv. 14).
CHAPTER XV.
PRAYER AND SACRIFICE EXPLAINED BY THE SIMILITUDE OF A PERFUME--OUR
ANNIHILATION IN THIS SACRIFICE--SOLIDITY AND FRUITFULNESS OF THIS
PRAYER
AS SET FORTH IN THE GOSPEL.
Prayer ought to be both petition and sacrifice.
Prayer, according to the testimony of St John, is an incense,
whose
perfume rises to God. Therefore it is said in the Revelation
(chap.
viii. 3), that an angel held a censer, which contained the incense
of
the prayers of saints.
Prayer is an outpouring of the heart in the presence of God. "I
have
poured out my soul before the Lord," said the mother of Samuel (1
Sam.
i. 15). Thus the prayers of the Magi at the feet of the infant
Jesus in
the stable of Bethlehem were signified by the incense which they
offered.
Prayer is the heat of love, which melts and dissolves the soul,
and
carries it to God. In proportion as it melts, it gives out its
odour,
and this odour comes from the love which burns it.
This is what the Bride meant when she said, "While the King
sitteth at
His table, my spikenard sendeth forth the smell thereof" (Cant. i.
12).
The table is the heart. When God is there, and we are kept near to
Him,
in His presence, this presence of God melts and dissolves the
hardness
of our hearts, and as they melt, they give forth their perfume.
Therefore the Bridegroom, seeing His Bride thus melted by the
speech of
her Beloved, says, "Who is this that cometh out of the wilderness,
perfumed with myrrh and frankincense?" (Cant. iii. 6).
Thus the soul rises up towards its God. But in order to this, it
must
suffer itself to be destroyed and annihilated by the force of
love. This
is a state of _sacrifice_ essential to the Christian religion, by
which
the soul suffers itself to be destroyed and annihilated to render
homage
to the sovereignty of God; as it is written, "The power of the
Lord is
great, and He is honoured of the lowly" (Ecclus. iii. 20). And the
destruction of our own being confesses the sovereign being of God.
We must cease to be, so that the Spirit of the Word may be in us.
In
order that He may come to us, we must yield our life to Him, and
die to
self that He may live in us, and that we being dead, our life may
be
hidden with Christ in God (Col. iii. 3).
"Come unto me," says God, "all ye that be desirous of me, and fill
yourselves with my fruits" (Ecclus. xxiv. 19). But how can we be
filled
with God? Only by being emptied of self, and going out of
ourselves in
order to be lost in Him.
Now, this can never be brought about except by our becoming
nothing.
Nothingness is true prayer, which renders to God "honour, and
glory, and
power, for ever and ever" (Rev. v. 13).
This prayer is the prayer of truth. It is worshipping the Father
in
spirit and in truth. In _spirit_, because we are by it drawn out
of our
human and carnal action, to enter into the purity of the Spirit,
who
prays in us; and in _truth_, because the soul is led into the
truth of
the ALL of God, and the NOTHING of the creature.
There are but these two truths, the ALL and the NOTHING. All the
rest is
untruth.
We can only honour the ALL of God by our NOTHINGNESS; and we have
no
sooner become nothing, than God, who will not suffer us to be
empty,
fills us with Himself. Oh, if all knew the blessings which come to
the
soul by this prayer, they would be satisfied with no others: it is
the
pearl of great price; it is the hidden treasure. He who finds it
gladly
sells all that he has to buy it (Matt. xiii. 44, 46). It is the
well of
living water, which springs up into everlasting life (John iv.
14). It
is the practice of the pure maxims of the gospel.
Does not Christ Himself tell us that the kingdom of God is within
us?
(Luke xvii. 21). This kingdom is set up in two ways. The first is,
when
God is so thoroughly master of us that nothing resists Him: then
our
heart is truly His kingdom. The other way is, that by possessing
God,
who is the sovereign Lord, we possess the kingdom of God, which is
the
height of felicity, and the end for which we were created. As it
has
been said, _to serve God is to reign_.
The end for which we were created is to enjoy God in this life,
and men
do not believe it!
CHAPTER XVI.
THIS STATE OF PRAYER NOT ONE OF IDLENESS, BUT OF NOBLE ACTION,
WROUGHT
BY THE SPIRIT OF GOD, AND IN DEPENDENCE UPON HIM--THE
COMMUNICATION OF
HIS LIFE AND UNION.
Some people, hearing of the prayer of silence, have wrongly
imagined
that the soul remains _inactive_, _lifeless_, and _without
movement_.
But the truth is, that its action is more noble and more extensive
than
it ever was before it entered this degree, since it is moved by
God
Himself, and acted upon by His Spirit. St Paul desires that we
should be
_led by the Spirit of God_ (Rom. viii. 14). I do not say that
there must
be no action, but that we must act in dependence upon the divine
movement. This is admirably set forth by Ezekiel. The prophet saw
wheels
which had the spirit of life, and wherever this spirit was to go,
they
went; they went on, or stood, or were lifted up, as they were
moved,
for the spirit of life was in them: but they never went back (see
Ezek.
i. 19-21). It should be the same with the soul: it should suffer
itself
to be moved and guided by the living Spirit who is in it,
following His
direction, and no other. Now this Spirit will never lead it to go
backwards, that is, to reflect upon the creature, or to lean upon
itself, but always to go forward, pressing continually towards the
mark.
This action of the soul is a restful action. When it acts of
itself, it
acts with effort; and is therefore more conscious of its action.
But
when it acts in dependence upon the Spirit of grace, its action is
so
free, so easy, so natural, that it does not seem to act at all.
"He
brought me forth also into a large place; He delivered me, because
He
delighted in me" (Ps. xviii. 19).
As soon as the soul has commenced its course towards its
centre,[2] from
that moment its action becomes vigorous--that is, its course
towards the
centre which attracts it, which infinitely surpasses the velocity
of any
other movement.
2. See chap. ix.
It is action then, but an action so _noble_, so _peaceful_, so
_tranquil_, that it seems to the soul as though it were not acting
at
all; because it rests, as it were, naturally. When a wheel is only
turning with a moderate speed, it can easily be distinguished; but
when
it goes quickly, no part of it can be distinctly seen. So the soul
which
remains at rest in God has an action infinitely noble and exalted,
yet
very peaceful. The greater its peace, the greater is its velocity,
because it is abandoned to the Spirit, who moves it and makes it
act.
This Spirit is God Himself, who draws us, and in drawing makes us
run to
Him, as the Bride well knew when she said, "Draw me, we will run"
(Cant.
i. 4). Draw me, O my Divine Centre, by my inmost heart: my powers
and my
sensibilities will run at Thy attraction! This attraction alone is
a
balm which heals me, and a perfume which draws. "We will run," she
says,
"because of the savour of Thy good ointments." This attracting
virtue is
_very strong_ but the soul follows it _very gladly_; and as it is
equally strong and sweet, it attracts by its strength and delights
by
its sweetness.
The Bride says, "Draw me, we will run." She speaks of herself, and
to
herself: "Draw _me_;" there is the unity of the object which is
attracted: "_We_ will run;" there is the correspondence of all the
powers and sensibilities which follow in the train of the centre
of the
heart.
It is not then a question of remaining in idleness, but of acting
_in
dependence upon the Spirit of God_, who animates us, since it is
in Him
that "we live, and move, and have our being" (Acts xvii. 23). This
calm
dependence upon the Spirit of God is absolutely necessary, and
causes
the soul in a short time to attain the simplicity and unity in
which it
was created. It was created one and simple, like God. In order,
then, to
answer the end of our creation, we must quit the multiplicity of
our own
actions, to enter into the simplicity and unity of God, in whose
image
we were created (Gen. i. 27). The Spirit of God is "one only,"
"yet
manifold" (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 22), and its unity does not
prevent
its multiplicity. We enter into God's unity when we are united to
His
Spirit, because then we have the same Spirit that He has; and we
are
multiplied outwardly, as regards His dispositions, without leaving
the
unity.
So that, as God acts infinitely, and we are of one spirit with
Him, we
act much more than we could do by our own action. We must suffer
ourselves to be guided by Wisdom. This "Wisdom" is more moving
than any
motion (Wisdom of Solomon vii. 24). Let us, then, remain in
dependence
upon His action, and our action will be vigorous indeed.
"All things were made by (the Word); and without Him was not
anything
made that was made" (John i. 3). God, in creating us, created us
in His
image, after His likeness (Gen. i. 26). He gave to us the Spirit
of the
Word by the breath of life (Gen. ii. 7), which He breathed into us
when
we were created in the image of God, by the participation of the
life of
the Word, who is the image of His Father. Now this life is one,
simple,
pure, intimate, and fruitful.
The devil having disfigured this beautiful image, it became
necessary
that this same Word, whose breath had been breathed into us at our
creation, should come to restore it. It was necessary that it
should be
He, because He is the image of the Father; and a defaced image
cannot be
repaired by its own action, but by the action of him who seeks to
restore it. Our _action_ then should be, to _put ourselves_ into a
position to suffer the action of God, and to allow the Word to
retrace
His image in us. An image, if it could move, would by its movement
prevent the sculptor's perfecting it. Every movement of our own
hinders
the work of the Heavenly Sculptor, and produces false features.
We must then remain silent, and only move as He moves us. Jesus
Christ
has _life in Himself_ (John v. 26), and He must communicate life
to all
who live.
That this action is the most noble cannot be denied. Things are
only of
value as the principle in which they originate is noble, grand,
and
elevated. Actions committed by a divine principle are _divine
actions_;
whereas the actions of the creature, however good they may appear,
are
_human actions_ or at best they are virtuous actions, if they are
done
with the help of grace.
Jesus says that He has life in Himself; all other beings have but
a
borrowed life, but the Word has life in Himself; and as He is
communicative, He desires to communicate this life to men. We must
then
give place to this life, that it may flow in us, which can only be
done
by evacuation, and the loss of the life of Adam and of our own
action,
as St Paul assures us: "If any man be in Christ, he is a new
creature:
old things are passed away; behold all things are become new" (2
Cor. v.
17). This can only be brought about by the death of ourselves and
of our
own action, that the action of God may be substituted for it. We
do not
profess, then, to be without action, but only to act in dependence
upon
the Spirit of God, suffering His action to take the place of our
own.
Jesus shows us this in the gospel. Martha did good things, but
because
she did them of her own spirit, Christ reproved her for them. The
spirit
of man is turbulent and boisterous; therefore it does little,
though it
appears to do much. "Martha, Martha," said Jesus, "thou art
careful and
troubled about many things; but one thing is needful; and Mary
hath
chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her"
(Luke x.
41, 42).
What had she chosen, this Magdalene? Peace, tranquillity, and
repose.
She apparently ceased to act, that she might be moved by the
Spirit of
God; she ceased to live, that Christ might live in her.
This is why it is so necessary to renounce ourselves and all our
own
works to follow Jesus; for we cannot follow Him unless we are
animated
with His Spirit. In order that the Spirit of Christ may dwell in
us, our
own spirit must give place to Him. "He that is joined to the
Lord," says
St Paul, "is one spirit" (1 Cor. vi. 17). "It is good for me to
draw
near to God: I have put my trust in the Lord God" (Ps. lxxiii.
28). What
is this "drawing near"? It is the beginning of union.
Union has its beginning, its continuation, its completion, and its
consummation. The commencement of union is an inclination towards
God.
When the soul is converted in the manner I have described, it has
an
inclination to its centre, and a strong tendency to union: this
tendency
is the commencement. Then it adheres, which happens when it
approaches
nearer to God; then it is united to Him, and finally becomes one
with
Him--that is, it becomes one spirit with Him; and it is then that
this
spirit, which proceeded from God, returns to Him as its end.
It is, then, necessary that we should enter this way, which is the
divine motion, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ. St Paul says, "If
any man
have not the Spirit of Christ, he is none of His" (Rom. viii. 9).
To be
Christ's, then, we must suffer ourselves to be filled with His
Spirit,
and emptied of our own: our hearts must be evacuated. St Paul, in
the
same place, proves to us the necessity of this divine motion: he
says,
"As many as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of
God"
(Rom. viii. 14).
The divinely-imparted Spirit is the Spirit of divine sonship;
therefore,
the same apostle continues, "Ye have not received the spirit of
bondage
again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption,
whereby we
cry, Abba, Father" (Rom. viii. 15). This spirit is no other than
the
Spirit of Christ, by whom we participate in His Sonship; and this
"Spirit itself beareth witness with our spirit that we are the
sons of
God."
As soon as the soul leaves itself to be moved by the Spirit of
God, it
experiences the witness of this divine sonship; and this witness
serves
the more to increase its joy, as it makes it know _that it is
called to
the liberty of the sons of God_, and that the spirit it has
received is
not a spirit of bondage, but of liberty.
The Spirit of the divine motion is so necessary for all things,
that
Paul founds this necessity upon our ignorance of the things that
we ask
for. "The Spirit," he says, "helpeth our infirmities; for we know
not
what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh
intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered." This
is
conclusive: if we do not know what to pray for, nor how to ask as
we
ought for what is necessary for us, and if it is needful that the
Spirit
who is in us, to whose motion we abandon ourselves, should ask it
for
us, ought we not to leave Him to do it? He does it "with groanings
which
cannot be uttered."
This Spirit is the Spirit of the Word, who is always heard, as He
says
Himself: "I know that Thou hearest me always" (John xi. 42). If we
leave
it to the Spirit within us to ask and to pray, we shall always be
answered. Why so? O great apostle, mystic teacher, so deeply
taught in
the inner life! teach us why. "It is," he adds, "because He that
searcheth the hearts knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit,
because He
maketh intercession for the saints according to the will of God;"
that
is to say, this Spirit only asks that which it is God's will to
give. It
is God's will that we should be saved and that we should be
perfect. He
asks, then, for all that is necessary to our perfection. Why,
after
this, should we be burdened with superfluous cares, and be wearied
in
the greatness of our way, without ever saying, There is no hope in
ourselves, and therefore resting in God? God Himself invites us to
cast
all our care upon Him, and He complains, in inconceivable
goodness, that
we employ our strength, our riches, and our treasure, in countless
exterior things, although there is so little joy to be found in
them
all. "Wherefore do ye spend money for that which is not bread, and
your
labour for that which satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me,
and
eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in
fatness"
(Isa. lv. 2).
Oh, if it were known what happiness there is in thus hearkening
unto
God, and how the soul is strengthened by it! All flesh must be
silent
before the Lord (see Zech. ii. 13). All self-effort must cease
when He
appears. In order still further to induce us to abandon ourselves
to Him
without reserve, God assures us that we need fear nothing from
such
abandonment, because He has a special individual care over each of
us.
He says, "Can a woman forget her sucking-child, that she should
not have
compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she may forget, yet will I
not
forget thee" (Isa. xlix. 15). Ah, words full of consolation! Who
on
hearing them can fear to abandon himself utterly to the guidance
of
God?
CHAPTER XVII.
DISTINCTION BETWEEN EXTERIOR AND INTERIOR ACTIONS--THOSE OF THE
SOUL IN
THIS CONDITION ARE INTERIOR, BUT HABITUAL, CONTINUED, DIRECT,
PROFOUND,
SIMPLE, AND IMPERCEPTIBLE--BEING A CONTINUAL SINKING IN THE OCEAN
OF
DIVINITY--SIMILITUDE OF A VESSEL--HOW TO ACT IN THE ABSENCE OF
SENSIBLE
SUPPORTS.
The actions of men are either exterior or interior. The _exterior_
are
those which appear outwardly, and have a sensible object,
possessing
neither good nor evil qualities, excepting as they receive them
from the
interior principle in which they originate. It is not of these
that I
intend to speak, but only of interior actions, which are those
actions
of the soul by which it _applies itself_ inwardly to some object,
or
_turns away_ from some other.
When, being applied to God, I desire to commit an action of a
different
nature from those which He would prompt, I turn away from God, and
I
turn towards created things more or less according to the strength
or
weakness of my action. If, being turned towards the creature, I
wish to
return to God, I must commit the action of turning away from the
creature, and turning towards God; and thus the more perfect is
this
action, the more complete will be the conversion.
Until I am perfectly converted, I need several actions to turn me
towards God. Some are done all at once, others gradually; but my
action
ought to lead me to turn to God, employing all the strength of my
soul
for Him, as it is written, "Therefore even now, saith the Lord,
turn ye
even to me with all your heart" (Joel ii. 12). "Thou shalt return
unto
the Lord thy God ... with all thine heart and with all thy soul"
(Deut.
xxx. 2). God only asks for our heart: "My son, give me thy heart,
and
let thine eyes observe my ways" (Prov. xxiii. 26). To give the
heart to
God is to have its gaze, its strength, and its vigour all centred
in
Him, to follow His will. We must, then, after we have applied to
God,
remain always turned towards Him.
But as the mind of man is weak, and the soul, being accustomed to
turn
towards earthly things, is easily turned away from God, it must,
as soon
as it perceives that it is turned towards outward things, resume
its
former position in God by a simple act of return to Him.
And as several repeated acts form a habit, the soul contracts a
habit of
conversion, and from action it passes to a habitual condition.
The soul, then, must not seek by means of any efforts or works of
its
own to come near to God; this is seeking to perform one action by
means
of others, instead of by a simple action remaining attached to God
alone.
If we believe that we must commit no actions, we are mistaken, for
_we
are always acting_; but each one must act according to his degree.
I will endeavour to make this point clear, as, for want of
understanding
it, it presents a difficulty to many Christians.
There are _passing_ and _distinct_ actions, and _continued_
actions;
_direct_ acts and _reflected_ acts. All cannot perform the first,
and
all are not in a condition to perform the others. The first
actions
should be committed by those who are turned away from God. They
ought to
turn to Him by a distinct action, more or less strong according to
their
distance from Him.
By a _continued_ action I understand that by which the soul is
completely turned towards its God by a _direct_ action, which it
does
not renew, unless it has been interrupted, but which exists. The
soul
being altogether turned in this way, is in love, and remains
there: "And
he that dwelleth in love, dwelleth in God" (1 John iv. 16). Then
the
soul may be said to be in a habitual act, resting even in this
action.
But its rest is not idle, for it has an action _always in force_,
viz.,
_a gentle sinking in God_, in which God attracts it more and more
strongly; and, following this attraction, and resting in love, it
sinks
more and more in this love, and has an action infinitely stronger,
more
vigorous, and more prompt, than that action which forms only the
return.
Now the soul which is in this _profound and strong action_, being
turned
towards its God, does not perceive this action, because it is
direct,
and not reflex; so that persons in this condition, not knowing how
rightly to describe it, say that _they have no action_. But they
are
mistaken; they were never more active. It would be better to say
they do
not distinguish any action, than that they do not commit any.
The soul does not act of itself, I admit; but it is drawn, and it
follows the attracting power. Love is the weight which sinks it,
as a
person who falls in the sea sinks, and would sink to infinity if
the sea
were infinite; and without perceiving its sinking, it would sink
to the
most profound depths with an incredible speed. It is, then,
incorrect to
say that no actions are committed. All commit actions, but all do
not
commit them in the same manner; and the abuse arises from the
fact, that
those who know that action is inevitable wish it to be _distinct_
and
_sensible_. But sensible action is for beginners, and the other
for
those more advanced. To stop with the first would be to deprive
ourselves of the last; and to wish to commit the last before
having
passed the first would be an equal abuse.
Everything must be done in its season; each state has its
commencement,
its progress, and its end. There is no act which has not its
beginning.
At first we must work with _effort_, but afterwards we enjoy the
fruit
of our labour.
When a vessel is in the harbour, the sailors have a difficulty in
bringing it into the open sea; but once there, they easily turn it
in
the direction in which they wish to navigate. So, when the soul is
in
sin, it needs an effort to drag it out; the cords which bind it
must be
loosened; then, by means of strong and vigorous action, it must be
drawn
within itself, little by little leaving the harbour, and being
turned
within, which is the place to which its voyage should be directed.
When the vessel is thus turned, in proportion as it advances in
the sea,
it leaves the land behind it, and the further it goes from the
land, the
less effort is needed to carry it along. At last it begins to sail
gently, and the vessel goes on so rapidly that the oars become
useless.
What does the pilot do then? He is contented with spreading the
sails
and sitting at the helm.
_Spreading the sails_ is simply laying ourselves before God, to be
moved by His Spirit. _Sitting at the helm_ is preventing our heart
from
leaving the right way, rowing it gently, and leading it according
to the
movement of the Spirit of God, who gradually takes possession of
it, as
the wind gradually fills the sails, and impels the vessel forward.
So
long as the vessel sails before the wind, the mariners rest from
their
labour. They voyage farther in an hour, while they rest in this
manner
and leave the ship to be carried along by the wind, than they
would in a
much longer time by their own efforts; and if they wished to row,
besides the fatigue which would result from it, their labour would
be
useless, and would only serve to retard the vessel.
This is the conduct we should pursue in our inner life, and in
acting
thus we shall advance more in a short time by the Divine guidance,
than
we ever could do by our own efforts. If only you will try this
way, you
will find it the easiest possible.
When the wind is contrary, if the wind and the tempest are
violent, the
anchor must be thrown in the sea to stop the vessel. This _anchor_
is
trust in God and hope in His goodness, waiting in patience for the
tempest to cease, and for a favourable wind to return, as David
did:
"I waited patiently for the Lord," he says, "and He inclined unto
me"
(Ps. xl. 1).
CHAPTER XVIII.
THE DRYNESS OF PREACHERS, AND THE VARIOUS EVILS WHICH ARISE FROM
THEIR
FAILING TO TEACH HEART-PRAYER--EXHORTATION TO PASTORS TO LEAD
PEOPLE
TOWARDS THIS FORM OF PRAYER, WITHOUT AMUSING THEM WITH STUDIED AND
METHODICAL DEVOTION.
If all those who are working for the conquest of souls sought to
win
them _by the heart_, leading them first of all to prayer and to
the
inner life, they would see many and lasting conversions. But so
long as
they only address themselves to the outside, and instead of
drawing
people to Christ by occupying their hearts with Him, they only
give them
a thousand precepts for outward observances, they will see but
little
fruit, and that will not be lasting.
When once the heart is won, other defects are easily corrected.
This is
why God particularly asks for the _heart_. By this means alone
would be
prevented the drunkenness, blasphemy, lewdness, enmity, and
robbery
which are prevalent in the world. Jesus Christ would reign
universally,
and the Church everywhere would be revived.
Error only takes possession of the soul in the absence of faith
and
prayer. If men could be taught to _believe simply_ and to _pray_,
instead of disputing amongst themselves, they would be gently led
to
Christ.
Oh, how inestimable is the loss of those who neglect the inner
life! Oh,
what an account will they have to render to God who have the
charge of
souls, for not having discovered this hidden treasure to all those
whom
they serve in the ministry of the Word!
The excuse given is that there is _danger_ in this way, or that
ignorant
people are incapable of spiritual things. The oracle of truth
assures us
that God has hid these things from the wise and prudent, and has
revealed them to babes. And what danger can there be in walking in
the
only true way, which is Jesus Christ, in giving ourselves to Him,
looking to Him continually, putting all our trust in His grace,
and
tending, with all the forces of our souls, to His pure love?
Far from the simple ones being _incapable_ of this perfection,
they are
the most suitable for it, because they are more docile, more
humble, and
more innocent; and as they do not reason, they are not so attached
to
their own light. Having no science, they more readily suffer
themselves
to be guided by the Spirit of God: while others who are blind in
their
own sufficiency resist the divine inspiration.
God tells us, too, that it is to the _simple_ He gives
understanding by
the entrance of His Word (Ps. cxix. 130). "The testimony of the
Lord is
sure, making wise the _simple_" (Ps. xix. 7). "The Lord preserveth
the
_simple_: I was brought low, and He helped me" (Ps. cxvi. 6).
O ye who have the oversight of souls! see that you do not prevent
the
little ones from going to Christ. His words to His disciples were,
"Suffer little children to come unto me, and forbid them not; for
of
such is the kingdom of God" (Luke xviii. 16). Jesus only said this
to
His disciples, because they wished to keep the children away from
Him.
Often the remedy is applied to the body, when the disease is at
the
_heart_. The reason why we have so little success in seeking to
reform
men, is that we direct our efforts to the outside, and all that we
can
do there soon passes off. But if we were to give them first _the
key of
the interior_, the outside would be reformed at once with a
natural
facility.
And this is very easy. To teach them to seek God in their heart,
to
think of Him, to return to Him when they find they have turned
away, to
do all and suffer all for the sake of pleasing Him--this is to
direct
them to the source of all grace, and to make them find there all
that is
necessary for their sanctification. O you who serve souls! I
conjure you
to put them first of all into this way, which is Jesus Christ; and
it is
He who conjures you to do this by the blood He has shed for the
souls He
confides to your care. "Speak to the heart of Jerusalem" (Isa. xl.
2,
marg.) O dispensers of His grace, preachers of His Word, ministers
of
sacraments! establish His kingdom; and, in order to establish it
truly,
make it reign over HEARTS. For as it is the heart alone which can
oppose
His empire, it is by the subjection of the heart that His
sovereignty is
most honoured. Alas! we seek to make _studied_ prayers; and by
wishing
to arrange them too much, we render them impossible. We have
alienated
children from the best of Fathers, in seeking to teach them a
polished
language. Go, poor children, and speak to your Heavenly Father in
your
natural language: however uncultivated it may be, it is not so to
Him. A
father loves best the speech which is put in disorder by love and
respect, because he sees that it comes from the heart: it is more
to him
than a dry harangue, vain and unfruitful though well studied. Oh,
how
certain glances of love charm and ravish Him! They express
infinitely
more than all language and reason. By wishing to teach how to love
Love
Himself with method, much of this love has been lost. Oh! it is
not
necessary to teach the art of loving. The language of love is
barbarous
to him who does not love; and we cannot learn to love God better
than
by loving Him. The Spirit of God does not need our arrangements;
He
takes shepherds at His pleasure to make them prophets; and, far
from
closing the palace of prayer to any, as it is imagined, He leaves
the
doors open to all, and Wisdom is ordered to cry in the public
places,
"Whoso is simple, let him turn in hither: as for him that wanteth
understanding, she saith to him, Come, eat of my bread, and drink
of the
wine which I have mingled" (Prov. ix. 4, 5). Did not Christ thank
His
Father that He had hidden these things from the wise and prudent,
and
had revealed them to babes? (Matt. xi. 25.)
CHAPTER XIX.
AFTER THE PRECEDING WAYS, THERE REMAINS AN AFTER WAY, PREPARATORY
TO
DIVINE UNION, IN WHICH WISDOM AND JUSTICE MAKE THE PASSIVE
PURIFICATION
OF THE SOUL, ALL WHICH IS TREATED IN DETAIL IN THE FOLLOWING
TREATISE,
ENTITLED "SPIRITUAL TORRENTS."
It is impossible to attain divine union by the way of meditation
alone,
or even by the affections, or by any luminous or understood
prayer.
There are several reasons. These are the principal.
First, according to Scripture, "No man shall see God and live"
(Exod.
xxxiii. 20). Now all discursive exercises of prayer, or even of
_active
contemplation_, regarded as an end, and not as a preparation for
the
_passive_, are exercises of life by which we cannot see God, that
is,
become united to Him. All that is of man, and of his own industry,
however noble and elevated it may be, must die.
St John tells us that "there was silence in heaven." Heaven
represents
the depths and centre of the soul, where all must be in silence
when the
majesty of God appears. All that belongs to our own efforts, or to
ourselves in any way, must be destroyed, because nothing is
opposed to
God but appropriation, and all the malignity of man is in this
appropriation, which is the source of his evil; so that the more a
soul
loses its appropriation, the more it becomes pure.
Secondly, in order to unite two things so opposed as the purity of
God
and the impurity of the creature, the simplicity of God and the
multiplicity of the creature, God must operate alone; for this can
never
be done by the effort of the creature, since two things cannot be
united
unless there is some relation or resemblance between them, as an
impure
metal would never unite with one that was pure and refined.
What does God do then? He sends before Him His own Wisdom, as fire
will
be sent upon the earth to consume by its activity all the impurity
that
is there. Fire consumes all things, and nothing resists its
activity. It
is the same with Wisdom; it consumes all impurity in the creature,
to
prepare him for divine union.
This impurity, so opposed to union, is appropriation and activity.
_Appropriation_, because it is the source of the real impurity
which can
never be united to essential purity; as the sun's rays may touch
the mud
but cannot unite with it. _Activity_, because God being in an
infinite
repose, in order that the soul may be united to Him, it must
participate
in His repose, without which there can be no union, because of the
dissemblance; and to unite two things, they must be in a
proportionate
rest.
It is for this reason that the soul can only attain divine union
by the
rest of its will; and it can only be united to God when it is in a
_central rest_ and in the purity of its creation.
To purify the soul God makes use of wisdom as fire is used for the
purification of gold. It is certain that gold can only be purified
by
fire, which gradually consumes all that is earthly and foreign,
and
separates it from the gold. It is not sufficient that the earth
should
be changed into gold; it is necessary that the fire should melt
and
dissolve it, to remove from it all that is earthly; and this gold
is put
in the fire so many times that it loses its impurity, and all
necessity
of purification. Then it is fit to be employed in the most
excellent
workmanship.
And if this gold is impure in the end, it is because it has
contracted
fresh defilement by coming in contact with other bodies. But this
impurity is only superficial, and does not prevent its being used;
whereas its former impurity was hidden within it, and, as it were,
identified with its nature.
In addition to this, you will remark that gold of an inferior
degree of
purity cannot mix with that of a superior purity. The one must
contract
the impurity of the other, or else impart its own purity to it.
Put a
refined gold with an unrefined one, what can the goldsmith ever do
with
it? He will have all the impurity taken from the second piece,
that it
may be able to mix with the first. This is what St Paul tells us,
that
"the fire shall try every man's work of what sort it is;" he adds,
that
if any man's work should be found to deserve burning, he should be
saved
"so as by fire" (1 Cor. iii. 13, 15). That means, that though
there are
some works which are good, and which God receives, yet, so that he
who
has done them may be pure, they too must pass through the fire, in
order
that all appropriation, that is, all that was his own, may be
taken
from them. God will judge our righteousness, because "by the deeds
of
the law there shall no flesh be justified," but by "the
righteousness of
God, which is by faith" (Rom. iii. 20, 22).
This being understood, I say that, in order that man may be united
to
his God, wisdom and divine justice, like a pitiless and devouring
fire,
must take from him all appropriation, all that is terrestrial,
carnal,
and of his own activity; and having taken all this from him, they
must
unite him to God.
This is never brought about by the labours of the creature; on the
contrary, it even causes him regret, because, as I have said, man
so
loves what is his own, and is so fearful of its destruction, that
if God
did not accomplish it Himself, and by His own authority, man would
never
consent to it.
It will be objected to this, that God never deprives man of his
liberty,
and that therefore he can always resist God; for which reason I
ought
not to say that _God acts absolutely, without the consent of man_.
In
explanation I say, that it is sufficient that man should give a
_passive consent_, that he may have entire and full liberty;
because
having at the beginning given himself to God, that He may do as He
will
both with him and in him, he gave from that time an _active_ and
general
assent to all that God might do. But when God destroys, burns, and
purifies, the soul does not see that all this is for its
advantage; it
rather believes the contrary: and as at first the fire seems to
tarnish
the gold, so this operation seems to despoil the soul of its
purity. So
that if an _active_ and _explicit_ consent were required, the soul
would
find a difficulty in giving it, and often would not give it. All
that it
does is to remain in a passive contentment, enduring this
operation as
well as it can, being neither able nor willing to prevent it.
God then so purifies this soul of all natural, distinct, and
perceived
operations, that at last He makes it more and more _conformed_ to
Himself, and then _uniform_, raising the passive capacity of the
creature, enlarging it and ennobling it, though in a hidden and
unperceived manner, which is termed mystical. But in all these
operations the soul must concur passively, and in proportion as
the
working of God becomes stronger, the soul must continually yield
to Him,
until He absorbs it altogether. We do not say, then, as some
assert,
that there must be no _action_; since, on the contrary, this is
_the
door_; but only that _we must not remain in it_, seeing that man
should
tend towards the perfection of his end, and that he can never
reach it
without quitting the first means, which, though they were
necessary to
introduce him into the way, would greatly hinder him afterwards,
if he
attached himself obstinately to them. This is what Paul said, "I
forget
those things which are behind, and reach forth unto those things
which
are before; I press toward the mark" (Phil. iii. 13, 14).
Should we not consider a person destitute of reason who, after
undertaking a journey, stopped at the first inn, because he was
assured
that several had passed it, that a few had lodged there, and that
the
landlord lived there? What the soul is required to do, then, is
_to
advance towards its end_, to take the shortest road, not to stop
at the
first point, and, following the advice of St Paul, to suffer
itself to
be "led by the Spirit of God" (Rom. viii. 14), who will lead it to
the
end for which it was created, which is the enjoyment of God.
It is well known that the sovereign good is God; that essential
blessedness consists in union with God, and that this union cannot
be
the result of our own efforts, since God only communicates Himself
to
the soul according to its capacity. We cannot be united to God
without
passivity and simplicity; and this union being bliss, the way
which
leads to it must be the best, and there can be no risk in walking
in it.
This way is not _dangerous_. If it were, Christ would not have
represented it as the most perfect and necessary of all ways. All
can
walk in it; and as all are called to blessedness, all are called
to the
enjoyment of God, both in this life and in that which is to come,
since
the enjoyment of God is blessedness. I say the enjoyment of God
Himself,
not of His gifts, which can never impart essential blessedness,
not
being able fully to satisfy the soul, which is so constituted that
even
the richest gifts of God cannot thoroughly content it. The desire
of God
is to give Himself to us, according to the capacity with which He
has
endowed us; and yet we fear to leave ourselves to God! We fear to
possess Him, and to be prepared for divine union!
You say, _we must not bring ourselves to this condition_. I agree
to
that; but I say too, that no one ever could bring himself to it,
since
no man could ever unite himself to God by his own efforts, and God
Himself must do the work.
You say that some pretend to have attained it. I say that this
state
cannot be feigned, any more than a man dying of hunger can for any
length of time pretend to be satisfied. It will soon be known
whether or
no men have attained this end.
Since, then, none can arrive at the end unless he be brought
there, it
is not a question of introducing people to it, but of showing them
the
way which leads to it, and begging them not to rest in those
practices
which must be relinquished at God's command.
Would it not be cruelty to show a fountain to a thirsty man, and
then
hold him bound, and prevent his going to it, leaving him to die of
thirst? That is what is being done now. Let us all be agreed both
as to
the way and the end. The way has its commencement, its progress,
and
its terminus. The more we advance towards the terminus, the
farther we
go from the commencement; and it is impossible to reach the
terminus but
by constantly going farther from the starting-point, being unable
to go
from one place to another without passing through all that comes
between
them: this is incontestable.
Oh, how blind are the majority of men, who pride themselves upon
their
learning and talent!
O Lord! how true it is that Thou hast hidden Thy secrets from the
wise
and prudent, and hast revealed them unto babes!
End of the Project Gutenberg EBook of A Short Method Of Prayer And
Spiritual
Torrents, by Jeanne Marie Bouvières de la Mot Guyon
*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK SHORT METHOD OF PRAYER ***
***** This file should be named 24989.txt or 24989.zip *****
This and all associated files of various formats will be found in:
https://www.gutenberg.org/2/4/9/8/24989/
Produced by Free Elf, David Wilson and the Online
Distributed Proofreading Team at https://www.pgdp.net (This
book was produced from scanned images of public domain
material from the Google Print project.)
Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions
will be renamed.
Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no
one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the
Foundation
(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without
permission and without paying copyright royalties. Special
rules,
set forth in the General Terms of Use part of this license, apply
to
copying and distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works to
protect the PROJECT GUTENBERG-tm concept and trademark.
Project
Gutenberg is a registered trademark, and may not be used if you
charge for the eBooks, unless you receive specific
permission. If you
do not charge anything for copies of this eBook, complying with
the
rules is very easy. You may use this eBook for nearly any
purpose
such as creation of derivative works, reports, performances and
research. They may be modified and printed and given
away--you may do
practically ANYTHING with public domain eBooks.
Redistribution is
subject to the trademark license, especially commercial
redistribution.
*** START: FULL LICENSE ***
THE FULL PROJECT GUTENBERG LICENSE
PLEASE READ THIS BEFORE YOU DISTRIBUTE OR USE THIS WORK
To protect the Project Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting the free
distribution of electronic works, by using or distributing this
work
(or any other work associated in any way with the phrase "Project
Gutenberg"), you agree to comply with all the terms of the Full
Project
Gutenberg-tm License (available with this file or online at
https://gutenberg.org/license).
Section 1. General Terms of Use and Redistributing Project
Gutenberg-tm
electronic works
1.A. By reading or using any part of this Project
Gutenberg-tm
electronic work, you indicate that you have read, understand,
agree to
and accept all the terms of this license and intellectual property
(trademark/copyright) agreement. If you do not agree to
abide by all
the terms of this agreement, you must cease using and return or
destroy
all copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in your
possession.
If you paid a fee for obtaining a copy of or access to a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work and you do not agree to be bound by
the
terms of this agreement, you may obtain a refund from the person
or
entity to whom you paid the fee as set forth in paragraph 1.E.8.
1.B. "Project Gutenberg" is a registered trademark. It
may only be
used on or associated in any way with an electronic work by people
who
agree to be bound by the terms of this agreement. There are
a few
things that you can do with most Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works
even without complying with the full terms of this
agreement. See
paragraph 1.C below. There are a lot of things you can do
with Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works if you follow the terms of this
agreement
and help preserve free future access to Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic
works. See paragraph 1.E below.
1.C. The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation ("the
Foundation"
or PGLAF), owns a compilation copyright in the collection of
Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic works. Nearly all the individual
works in the
collection are in the public domain in the United States. If
an
individual work is in the public domain in the United States and
you are
located in the United States, we do not claim a right to prevent
you from
copying, distributing, performing, displaying or creating
derivative
works based on the work as long as all references to Project
Gutenberg
are removed. Of course, we hope that you will support the
Project
Gutenberg-tm mission of promoting free access to electronic works
by
freely sharing Project Gutenberg-tm works in compliance with the
terms of
this agreement for keeping the Project Gutenberg-tm name
associated with
the work. You can easily comply with the terms of this
agreement by
keeping this work in the same format with its attached full
Project
Gutenberg-tm License when you share it without charge with others.
1.D. The copyright laws of the place where you are located
also govern
what you can do with this work. Copyright laws in most
countries are in
a constant state of change. If you are outside the United
States, check
the laws of your country in addition to the terms of this
agreement
before downloading, copying, displaying, performing, distributing
or
creating derivative works based on this work or any other Project
Gutenberg-tm work. The Foundation makes no representations
concerning
the copyright status of any work in any country outside the United
States.
1.E. Unless you have removed all references to Project
Gutenberg:
1.E.1. The following sentence, with active links to, or
other immediate
access to, the full Project Gutenberg-tm License must appear
prominently
whenever any copy of a Project Gutenberg-tm work (any work on
which the
phrase "Project Gutenberg" appears, or with which the phrase
"Project
Gutenberg" is associated) is accessed, displayed, performed,
viewed,
copied or distributed:
This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with
almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it
away or
re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License
included
with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org
1.E.2. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work
is derived
from the public domain (does not contain a notice indicating that
it is
posted with permission of the copyright holder), the work can be
copied
and distributed to anyone in the United States without paying any
fees
or charges. If you are redistributing or providing access to
a work
with the phrase "Project Gutenberg" associated with or appearing
on the
work, you must comply either with the requirements of paragraphs
1.E.1
through 1.E.7 or obtain permission for the use of the work and the
Project Gutenberg-tm trademark as set forth in paragraphs 1.E.8 or
1.E.9.
1.E.3. If an individual Project Gutenberg-tm electronic work
is posted
with the permission of the copyright holder, your use and
distribution
must comply with both paragraphs 1.E.1 through 1.E.7 and any
additional
terms imposed by the copyright holder. Additional terms will
be linked
to the Project Gutenberg-tm License for all works posted with the
permission of the copyright holder found at the beginning of this
work.
1.E.4. Do not unlink or detach or remove the full Project
Gutenberg-tm
License terms from this work, or any files containing a part of
this
work or any other work associated with Project Gutenberg-tm.
1.E.5. Do not copy, display, perform, distribute or
redistribute this
electronic work, or any part of this electronic work, without
prominently displaying the sentence set forth in paragraph 1.E.1
with
active links or immediate access to the full terms of the Project
Gutenberg-tm License.
1.E.6. You may convert to and distribute this work in any
binary,
compressed, marked up, nonproprietary or proprietary form,
including any
word processing or hypertext form. However, if you provide
access to or
distribute copies of a Project Gutenberg-tm work in a format other
than
"Plain Vanilla ASCII" or other format used in the official version
posted on the official Project Gutenberg-tm web site
(www.gutenberg.org),
you must, at no additional cost, fee or expense to the user,
provide a
copy, a means of exporting a copy, or a means of obtaining a copy
upon
request, of the work in its original "Plain Vanilla ASCII" or
other
form. Any alternate format must include the full Project
Gutenberg-tm
License as specified in paragraph 1.E.1.
1.E.7. Do not charge a fee for access to, viewing,
displaying,
performing, copying or distributing any Project Gutenberg-tm works
unless you comply with paragraph 1.E.8 or 1.E.9.
1.E.8. You may charge a reasonable fee for copies of or
providing
access to or distributing Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works
provided
that
- You pay a royalty fee of 20% of the gross profits you derive
from
the use of Project Gutenberg-tm works
calculated using the method
you already use to calculate your
applicable taxes. The fee is
owed to the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, but he
has agreed to donate royalties under this
paragraph to the
Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation. Royalty payments
must be paid within 60 days following
each date on which you
prepare (or are legally required to
prepare) your periodic tax
returns. Royalty payments should be
clearly marked as such and
sent to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation at the
address specified in Section 4,
"Information about donations to
the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation."
- You provide a full refund of any money paid by a user who
notifies
you in writing (or by e-mail) within 30
days of receipt that s/he
does not agree to the terms of the full
Project Gutenberg-tm
License. You must require such a
user to return or
destroy all copies of the works possessed
in a physical medium
and discontinue all use of and all access
to other copies of
Project Gutenberg-tm works.
- You provide, in accordance with paragraph 1.F.3, a full refund
of any
money paid for a work or a replacement
copy, if a defect in the
electronic work is discovered and
reported to you within 90 days
of receipt of the work.
- You comply with all other terms of this agreement for free
distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm
works.
1.E.9. If you wish to charge a fee or distribute a Project
Gutenberg-tm
electronic work or group of works on different terms than are set
forth in this agreement, you must obtain permission in writing
from
both the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation and Michael
Hart, the owner of the Project Gutenberg-tm trademark.
Contact the
Foundation as set forth in Section 3 below.
1.F.
1.F.1. Project Gutenberg volunteers and employees expend
considerable
effort to identify, do copyright research on, transcribe and
proofread
public domain works in creating the Project Gutenberg-tm
collection. Despite these efforts, Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic
works, and the medium on which they may be stored, may contain
"Defects," such as, but not limited to, incomplete, inaccurate or
corrupt data, transcription errors, a copyright or other
intellectual
property infringement, a defective or damaged disk or other
medium, a
computer virus, or computer codes that damage or cannot be read by
your equipment.
1.F.2. LIMITED WARRANTY, DISCLAIMER OF DAMAGES - Except for
the "Right
of Replacement or Refund" described in paragraph 1.F.3, the
Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation, the owner of the Project
Gutenberg-tm trademark, and any other party distributing a Project
Gutenberg-tm electronic work under this agreement, disclaim all
liability to you for damages, costs and expenses, including legal
fees. YOU AGREE THAT YOU HAVE NO REMEDIES FOR NEGLIGENCE,
STRICT
LIABILITY, BREACH OF WARRANTY OR BREACH OF CONTRACT EXCEPT THOSE
PROVIDED IN PARAGRAPH F3. YOU AGREE THAT THE FOUNDATION, THE
TRADEMARK OWNER, AND ANY DISTRIBUTOR UNDER THIS AGREEMENT WILL NOT
BE
LIABLE TO YOU FOR ACTUAL, DIRECT, INDIRECT, CONSEQUENTIAL,
PUNITIVE OR
INCIDENTAL DAMAGES EVEN IF YOU GIVE NOTICE OF THE POSSIBILITY OF
SUCH
DAMAGE.
1.F.3. LIMITED RIGHT OF REPLACEMENT OR REFUND - If you
discover a
defect in this electronic work within 90 days of receiving it, you
can
receive a refund of the money (if any) you paid for it by sending
a
written explanation to the person you received the work
from. If you
received the work on a physical medium, you must return the medium
with
your written explanation. The person or entity that provided
you with
the defective work may elect to provide a replacement copy in lieu
of a
refund. If you received the work electronically, the person
or entity
providing it to you may choose to give you a second opportunity to
receive the work electronically in lieu of a refund. If the
second copy
is also defective, you may demand a refund in writing without
further
opportunities to fix the problem.
1.F.4. Except for the limited right of replacement or refund
set forth
in paragraph 1.F.3, this work is provided to you 'AS-IS' WITH NO
OTHER
WARRANTIES OF ANY KIND, EXPRESS OR IMPLIED, INCLUDING BUT NOT
LIMITED TO
WARRANTIES OF MERCHANTIBILITY OR FITNESS FOR ANY PURPOSE.
1.F.5. Some states do not allow disclaimers of certain
implied
warranties or the exclusion or limitation of certain types of
damages.
If any disclaimer or limitation set forth in this agreement
violates the
law of the state applicable to this agreement, the agreement shall
be
interpreted to make the maximum disclaimer or limitation permitted
by
the applicable state law. The invalidity or unenforceability
of any
provision of this agreement shall not void the remaining
provisions.
1.F.6. INDEMNITY - You agree to indemnify and hold the
Foundation, the
trademark owner, any agent or employee of the Foundation, anyone
providing copies of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic works in
accordance
with this agreement, and any volunteers associated with the
production,
promotion and distribution of Project Gutenberg-tm electronic
works,
harmless from all liability, costs and expenses, including legal
fees,
that arise directly or indirectly from any of the following which
you do
or cause to occur: (a) distribution of this or any Project
Gutenberg-tm
work, (b) alteration, modification, or additions or deletions to
any
Project Gutenberg-tm work, and (c) any Defect you cause.
Section 2. Information about the Mission of Project
Gutenberg-tm
Project Gutenberg-tm is synonymous with the free distribution of
electronic works in formats readable by the widest variety of
computers
including obsolete, old, middle-aged and new computers. It
exists
because of the efforts of hundreds of volunteers and donations
from
people in all walks of life.
Volunteers and financial support to provide volunteers with the
assistance they need, is critical to reaching Project
Gutenberg-tm's
goals and ensuring that the Project Gutenberg-tm collection will
remain freely available for generations to come. In 2001,
the Project
Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation was created to provide a
secure
and permanent future for Project Gutenberg-tm and future
generations.
To learn more about the Project Gutenberg Literary Archive
Foundation
and how your efforts and donations can help, see Sections 3 and 4
and the Foundation web page at https://www.pglaf.org.
Section 3. Information about the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive
Foundation
The Project Gutenberg Literary Archive Foundation is a non profit
501(c)(3) educational corporation organized under the laws of the
state of Mississippi and granted tax exempt status by the Internal
Revenue Service. The Foundation's EIN or federal tax
identification
number is 64-6221541. Its 501(c)(3) letter is posted at
https://pglaf.org/fundraising. Contributions to the Project
Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation are tax deductible to the full extent
permitted by U.S. federal laws and your state's laws.
The Foundation's principal office is located at 4557 Melan Dr. S.
Fairbanks, AK, 99712., but its volunteers and employees are
scattered
throughout numerous locations. Its business office is
located at
809 North 1500 West, Salt Lake City, UT 84116, (801) 596-1887,
email
business@pglaf.org. Email contact links and up to date
contact
information can be found at the Foundation's web site and official
page at https://pglaf.org
For additional contact information:
Dr. Gregory B. Newby
Chief Executive and Director
gbnewby@pglaf.org
Section 4. Information about Donations to the Project
Gutenberg
Literary Archive Foundation
Project Gutenberg-tm depends upon and cannot survive without wide
spread public support and donations to carry out its mission of
increasing the number of public domain and licensed works that can
be
freely distributed in machine readable form accessible by the
widest
array of equipment including outdated equipment. Many small
donations
($1 to $5,000) are particularly important to maintaining tax
exempt
status with the IRS.
The Foundation is committed to complying with the laws regulating
charities and charitable donations in all 50 states of the United
States. Compliance requirements are not uniform and it takes
a
considerable effort, much paperwork and many fees to meet and keep
up
with these requirements. We do not solicit donations in
locations
where we have not received written confirmation of
compliance. To
SEND DONATIONS or determine the status of compliance for any
particular state visit https://pglaf.org
While we cannot and do not solicit contributions from states where
we
have not met the solicitation requirements, we know of no
prohibition
against accepting unsolicited donations from donors in such states
who
approach us with offers to donate.
International donations are gratefully accepted, but we cannot
make
any statements concerning tax treatment of donations received from
outside the United States. U.S. laws alone swamp our small
staff.
Please check the Project Gutenberg Web pages for current donation
methods and addresses. Donations are accepted in a number of
other
ways including including checks, online payments and credit card
donations. To donate, please visit: https://pglaf.org/donate
Section 5. General Information About Project Gutenberg-tm
electronic
works.
Professor Michael S. Hart was the originator of the Project
Gutenberg-tm
concept of a library of electronic works that could be freely
shared
with anyone. For thirty years, he produced and distributed
Project
Gutenberg-tm eBooks with only a loose network of volunteer
support.
Project Gutenberg-tm eBooks are often created from several printed
editions, all of which are confirmed as Public Domain in the U.S.
unless a copyright notice is included. Thus, we do not
necessarily
keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition.
Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search
facility:
https://www.gutenberg.org
This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm,
including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary
Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to
subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks.