Book III, Chapter XLIX

Of the Desire of Eternal Life, and How Great Things Are Promised to Them that Fight

1. Son, when thou perceivest a longing after eternal bliss to be infused into thee from above, and that thou desirest to go out of the dwelling of this body, that thou mayst contemplate my brightness, without any shadow of change; dilate thy heart, and with all thy affection embrace this holy inspiration. Return very great thanks to the divine bounty, which deals so favorably with thee, which mercifully delivers thee, ardently excites thee, and powerfully raises thee up, lest by thy own weight thou fall down to the things of the earth. For it is not by thy own thought or endeavors that thou attainest to this, but only by the favor of heavenly grace and the divine visit; that so thou mayst. advance in virtues and greater humility, and prepare thyself for future conflicts, and labor with the whole affection of thy heart to stick close to me, and serve me with a fervent will.

2. Son, the fire often burns, but the dame ascends not without smoke; so also some people’s desires are on fire after heavenly things, and yet they are not free from temptation of fleshly affection; and, therefore, it is not altogether purely for God’s honor that they do what they so earnestly request of him. Such also is oftentimes thy desire, which thou hast signified to be so wrong. For that is not pure and perfect, which is infected with self-interest.

3. Ask not what is delightful and commodious for thee, but what is pleasing and honorable to me; for if thou judgest rightly, thou oughtest to follow my appointment rather than thy own desire, and to prefer it before all that thou desirest. I know thy desire, and I have often heard thy sighs. Thou wouldst be glad to be at present in the liberty of the glory of the children of God; thou wouldst be pleased to be now at thy eternal home, and in thy heavenly country abounding with joy; but that hour is not yet come; for there is yet another time, viz. a time of war, a time of labor and trial. Thou wish-est to be replenished with the Sovereign Good, but thou canst not at present attain to it. I am [that Sovereign Good]; wait for me, saith the Lord, till the kingdom of God comes.

4. Thou must yet be tried upon earth, and exercised in many things. Consolation shall sometimes be given thee; but to be fully satisfied shall not be granted to thee. Take courage therefore, and be valiant 4a well in doing as in suffering things repugnant to nature. Thou must put on the new man, and be changed into another man. Thou must oftentimes do that which is against thy inclination, and let alone that which thou art inclined to. That which is pleasing to others shall go forward, that which thou wouldst have shall not succeed; that which others say, shall be hearkened to; what thou sayest shall not be regarded: others shall ask, and shall receive; thou shalt ask, and not obtain.

5. Others shall be great in the esteem of men; but of thee no notice shall be taken. To others this or that shall be committed • but thou shalt be accounted fit for nothing. At this, nature will sometimes repine, and it will be no small matter if thou bear it with silence. In these and many such like things, the faithful servant of the Lord is used to be tried, how far he can renounce himself, and break himself in all things. There is scarce any one thing in which thou standest so much in need of mortifying thyself, as in seeing and suffering the things that are repugnant to thy will; and especially when that is commanded which seems to thee incongruous and to little purpose. And because, being under authority, thou darest not resist the higher power, therefore thou art apt to think it hard to walk at the beck of another, and wholly to give up thy own sentiment.

6. But consider, son, the fruit of these labors, how quickly they will end, and their exceeding great reward; and thou wilt not be troubled at them, but

17 strongly comforted in thy sufferings. For in regard of the little of thy will, which thou now willingly forsakest, thou shalt forever have thy will in heaven. For there thou shalt find all that thou wiliest, all that thou canst desire. There thou shalt enjoy all good without fear of ever losing it. There thy will, being always one with mine, shall desire nothing foreign or private. There no one shall resist thee, no man shall complain of thee, no man shall hinder thee, nothing shall stand in thy way; but all that thou desirest shall be there together present, and shall replenish thy whole affection, and shall satiate it to the full. There I will give thee glory for the affronts which thou hast suffered; a garment of praise for thy sorrow; and for thy having been seated here in the lowest place, a royal throne for all eternity. There will the fruit of obedience appear, there will the labor of penance rejoice,’ and humble subjection shall be gloriously crowned.

7. Bow down thyself, then, humbly, at present, under the hands of all; and heed not who it was that has said or commanded this; but let it be thy great care, that whether thy superior, or inferior, or equal, desire any thing of thee, or hint at any thing, thou take all in good part, and labor with a sincere will to perform it. Let one man seek this, and another that; let this man glory in this thing, another ih that, and be praised a thousand thousand times; but thou, for thy part, rejoice neither in this nor in that, but in the contempt of thyself, and in my good pleasure and honor alone. This is what thou oughtest to wish, that, whether in life or in death, God may be always glorified in thee.

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