Part I, Chapter I

The Description of True Devotion

Containing instructions and exercises for conducting the soul from her first desire till she be brought to a full resolution to embrace a devout life.

You aspire to devotion, my dearest Philothea, because, being a Christian, you know it to be a virtue extremely pleasing to the Divine Majesty. But since small faults, committed in the beginning of any undertaking, grow in the progress infinitely greater, and become in the end almost irreparable, you must first know what the virtue of devotion is; for since there is but one true devotion, and many which are false and deceitful, if you cannot distinguish that which is true, you may easily deceive and amuse yourself in following some fantastical and superstitious devotion.

As Aurelius painted all the faces of his pictures to the air and resemblance of the woman he loved, so every one paints devotion according to his own passion and fancy. He that is addicted to fasting thinks himself very devout if he fasts, though his heart be at the same time filled with rancor, and scrupling to moisten his tongue with wine, or even with water, through sobriety, he makes no difficulty to drink deep of his neighbor’s blood, by detraction and calumny. Another considers himself devout because he recites daily a multiplicity of prayers, though immediately afterwards he utters the most disagreeable, arrogant, and injurious words amongst his domestics and neighbors; Another cheerfully draws an alms out of his purse to relieve the poor, but cannot draw meekness out of his heart to forgive his enemies. Another readily forgives enemies, but never satisfies his creditors but by constraint. These, by some, are esteemed devout, while, in reality, they are by no means so.

As Saul’s servants sought David in his house, but Michol, laying a statue in his bed, and covering it with his clothes, made them believe it was David himself, so many persons, by covering themselves with certain external actions belonging to devotion, make the world believe that they are truly devout, whereas they are in reality nothing but statues and phantoms of devotion.

True devotion, Philothea, presupposes, not a partial, but a thorough love of God. For inasmuch as divine love adorns the soul, it is called grace, making us pleasing to the Divine Majesty; inasmuch as it gives us the strength to do good, it is called charity; but when it is arrived at that degree of perfection by which it not only makes us do well, but also work diligently, frequently, and readily, then it is called devotion.

As ostriches never fly, as hens fly low, heavily, and but seldom, and as eagles, doves, and swallows fly aloft, swiftly and frequently, so sinners fly not at all towards God, but lie, grovelling on earth, with only earthly objects in view. Good people, who have not as yet attained to devotion, fly towards God by their good works, but rarely slowly and heavily; but devout souls ascend to Him by more frequent, prompt, and lofty flights. In short, devotion is nothing else but that spiritual agility and vivacity by which charity works in us, or we work by her, with alacrity and affection; and as it is the business of charity to make us observe all God’s commandments, generally and without exception, so it is the part of devotion to make us observe them more fully and with diligence. Wherefore he who observes not all the commandments of God cannot be esteemed either good or devout; since to be good he must be possessed of charity; and to be devout, besides charity, he must show a cheerfulness and alacrity in the performance of charitable actions.

As devotion, then, consists in a certain excellent degree of charity, it makes us not only active and diligent in the observance of God’s commandments, but it also excites us to the performance of every good work with an affectionate alacrity, though it be not of precepts, but only of counsel.

For as a man newly recovered from any infirmity walks as much as is necessary for him, but yet slowly and at his leisure, so a sinner, just healed of his iniquity, walks as far as God commands him, yet slowly and heavily, till such time as he attains to devotion; for then, like a man in sound health, he not only walks, but runs, and springs forward in the way of God’s commandments; and, moreover, advances with rapidity in the paths of his heavenly counsels and inspiration.

To conclude: charity and devotion differ no more from each other than fire does from flame; for charity is a spiritual fire, which, when inflamed, is called devotion. Hence it appears that devotion adds nothing to the fire of charity but the flame, which makes it ready, active, and diligent, not only in the observance of the commandments of God, but also in the execution of his heavenly counsels and inspirations.

About ReligiousBookshelf.com · A Supernerd Media project