Volume I, Treatise I, Chapter XI

That the Business and Concern of Our Spiritual Advancement Are to be Undertaken not Ina General, but in a Particular Manner; and of What Great Importance It 1s to Put in Execution the Good Intentions with Which God Inspires Us

THE great masters of a spiritual life tell us, that one of the means most conducive to our advancement, is not to content ourselves with applying to it in a general manner, but that we must descend to particulars. Cassian relates that the Abbot Moyses, one day, in a spiritual conference, asked his religious, “‘ What was it they aimed at by all their praying, fasting, watching, and other austerities?” When they answered, ‘‘ That it was the kingdom of heaven:” he replied, “I know very well that heaven is your last and great end; but what is the immediate and particular object by which you mean to attain your last end?” (Cass. Col. V. cap. iii. and iv.) For asa husbandman, whose principal view is to reap a plentifal crop, applies, with all possible.care, to cultivate his land well, and to root out the weeds; because these means are necessary to be taken, in order to attain the object of his desires: and as a merchant, who aspires to nothing but riches, seriously considers what particular commerce may be most conducive to the increase of his wealth, then embarks into that business with his whole stock, and devotes his whole time and industry to it. In like manner, although the chief business ofa reliyious is to work out his salvation, nevertheless, it will not be sufficient for him to undertake it in general, saying, “I intend to save my soul; I will become a perfect religious;” but he must consider in particular, what vice or passion chiefly opposes his advancement, what virtue he stands most in need of. It is upon these two points he must continually exercise himself, so that advancing gradually, and reflecting with attention, sometimes on one action, sometimes on another, he may more easily attain the perfection he desires. An ancient father of the desert gave the same advice to an anchoret, who, after having a long time persevered with diligence and fervour in devotion, became at last so negligent in the discharge of his spiritual exercises, that he fell into a state of tepidity and indifference; at length desiring to recover his former fervour, but imagining that all the avenues to it were closed against him, he knew not where to begin to open a passage. Upon which, the good father, in order to console and encourage him, told him this parable——A certain man, says he, having a field, which was all overrun with briers and thorns, sent his son to stub and clear it. The young man, perceiving the laborious task imposed on him by his father, lost courage, and fell asleep the first day, and the second day he did the same, for which his father reprehended him, saying, Son you must not look upon this work all together, and in the gross, as if you were to do it all at once; but you must undertake every day as much as you can easily perform. The son _ followed the father’s advice, and in a short time the whole field was cleared.

But the chief obstacle to our advancement in virtue, and to our receiving new graces from God, is our not putting into execution those good desires with which he inspires us; so that, by the bad use we make of his gifts, we compel him to withhold his hand. In the affair of perfection, he treats us as scholars are treated by a writing-master, who, until they form their first letters well according to the copy already given, will not allow them to get a new one. The longer we refrain from making good use of the graces God has given us, the longer he defers to give us new ones; and the more we endeavour to put in practice those good inspirations which he sends us in time of prayer, the more he is inclined to bestow on us his heavenly gifts. Doctor Avila says, that he who makes good use of the lights God has given him, shall receive additional ones from him; but he that neglects to make good use of those already received, can have no pretensions to ask for others; for he may be justly answered, why do you desire to know the will of God, when you do not accomplish it in these things wherein you already know it? (M. Avila, lib. i. de las. ep. fol. 241.) If you do not put in practice the good desires which he gives you, how can you expect that he will confer on you greater favours? With what confidence can you entreat him in your prayers, to bestow on you such a gift, which you stand in need of, if you omit to amend those faults, which, by his holy inspirations, he has so often reminded you to correct? I cannot comprehend how any person, who wilfully and deliberately persists even in one fault, how trivial soever it may appear, can lift up his eyes, or open his lips, to beg of God new and extraordinary graces. If we desire to obtain them, let us be careful to put in execution the holy inspirations which he sends us.

It is the opinion of all the saints, that he who makes good use of the grace he has received, deserves to obtain new ones; but, on the contrary, he who does not employ the first well, becomes undeserving of any more, Solomon, in the book of Wisdom, gives a good reason why the manna, which resisted the violence of fire, dissolved and corrupted as soon as the first ray of the sun appeared. “Itis, O Lord,” says he, “that it might be known to all, that we ought to prevent the sun to bless thee.” (Wisdom 16:28) Thus, in order to punish the indolence of those, who would not rise before the sun, to avail themselves of his benefits towards them, God permitted that the first beam of the sun should deprive them of food for the whole day. The same thing is beautifully represented to us by our Saviour, in the parable of the nobleman, who, going into a far country, to take possession of a kingdom, called his servants, and divided amongst them his money, that they might trade during his absence; and, at his return, having demanded an account of them, he appointed them governors of as many cities as they had gained talents: to him that gained ten talents, he gave the government of ten cities, and to him that gained five talents, he gave the government of five cities. (Luke 19:12) This plainly shews us, that as this nobleman was pleased to recompense the fidelity and industry of is servants with such excessive liberality as to give him who gained ten talents, the government of ten cities; so, Almighty God, if we faithfully correspond with the inspirations he sends us, will shower down his graces and blessings on us in abundance; but on the other hand, if we do not diligently follow the motions of grace, we will not only be deprived of what we have received, but we will be severely punished, as the unprofitable servant was, who did not lay out to advantage the talent he had received.

It is said of Apelles, that in whatsoever business he was engaged, he never let pass a day without exercising himself in his own profession, by painting something or other. For this purpose he always endeavoured to find out some time amid his other employments, and to excuse himself from going into company, was wont to say, “This day I have not as yet drawn one stroke with iny pencil;” so that, by this means, he became a most excellent painter. In like manner, you will become a perfect religious, if you let no day pass without making some advancement in virtue: practise daily some act of mortification—correct some fault you were accustomed to commit,and you will quickly find, that your _ life will become every day more perfect. When you examine your conscience at noon, and perceive that you have done nothing that morning conducive to your improvement, that you have mortified yourself in nothing, that you have performed no act of humility when occasions offered themselves; believe that you have lost so much time, and make a firm resolution not to let the remaining part of the day pass in the same manner. You will find it impossible to observe this rule, without gradually advancing, and making in a short time a considerable progress in the way of perfection.

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