Volume II, Treatise III, Chapter XXVII

How We Are to Exercise Ourselves in the Second Degree of Humility, by Means of Prayer

One of the most important rules of the constitutions of the Society, is that we have spoken of, in one of the foregoing chapters; wherein our holy founder tells us, “that as the people of the world seek earnestly the honour, glory, and reputation which the world gives; so, they who truly follow Jesus Christ, ought ardently to desire whatever is opposite to this spirit of the world; thereby to become, in a manner, like their divine master; wherefore they must desire-always to be covered with injuries, affronts, false accusations, and all sorts of ignominy.” Nay, he requires further, “that all they, who offer themselves to be admitted into the Society, should be examined, whether they truly have such a desire.” It seems indeed harsh enough that a man who has offered violence to himself in leaving the world, and whose wounds, which he has received in it, are still fresh, should be questioned by so strict and so severe arule. But this shews what perfection our institution requires of us; since it is for admitting those only, who are altogether weaned from themselves, and truly dead to the world; and though this is very hard, and supposes great perfection, yet the rule requires still further, “that should it happen, that any one through human frailty, feels not yet this desire, he is to be examined, whether he has not at least a longing to have such a one;” and provided he has, and is disposed to suffer every thing patiently on all occasions, it orders him to be received. And indeed, what better disposition can be wished for, in order to learn or make progress, than to have a will of doing so? To learn any art whatsoever, it is sufficient to have really a desire for it, and to apply ourselves to it in good earnest. A religious life is a school of virtue and perfection; wherefore enter into it with an intention to do your duty well, and with Almighty God’s grace you will infallibly succeed therein.

Let us do the same as to the exercise we speak, of, and let us proceed step by step. You say that you feel not in yourself, as yet, a desire of being despised, but that you would fain have that desire. Begin, therefore, with that desire in your prayer, to exercise yourself in the virtue of humility, and say with the prophet: ‘“‘ My soul has longed always to desire thy justifications.” (Psalms 118:20). O how far am I from having these ardent desires, which so many have had to be despised! But I would fain, O my God, come to the point at least of wishing earnestly, to have these desires. Thus will you be in the right way; for this is a good beginning and disposition to obtain them. Persevere in your prayers, insist still thereon, beg of God to soften your heart; and remain some days in such desires as these, which are very agreeable unto him, and which he attends to most willingly. ‘ The Lord has heard the desire of the poor; he has given ear to the inclination of their hearts.”“—(TPsal. x. 41.) God will quickly give you the desire of suffering something for the love of him, and of doing penance for so many sins you have committed; and when he shall have inspired you with so good a disposition; can you better employ that desire to suffer, than to be despised for his sake? And can you better bestow your penance, than in making reparation for your sins? It was in this spirit that David expressed himself to his servants, who urged him to revenge himself upon Simei, that cursed him—“Let him alone,” said he, ‘‘ the Lord, for his cursing me, will perhaps bestow some favour upon me this day; it may be he will receive the injuries done me, as a part of that satisfaction and chastisement which my offences deserve.” (2 Kings 16:11,12)

But when, by the mercy of God, you begin to feel these desires of being despised for the love of him, that thereby you may be made like to Jesus Christ; believe not that then the work is done, and that you have already acquired humility. On the contrary, reckon that you are then to begin to plant and to root it in your heart. You must therefore endeavour not to pass slightly over such desires, but to fix your mind as much as you can upon them, and continue a long time in prayer, till these thoughts become strong enough to be reduced to acts; when you Shall arrive so far and seem to bear patiently the occasions of being despised, there will yet occur in the act itself several occasions of being despised; several degrees and steps will still remain, before you can get to the top of humility.

In the first place, you must accustom yourself to suffer patiently all the different occasions of humiliation, which may present themselves; whereby you will have enough to do for some time; and it may be, even for a very long time. After this, you must go forward, and never stop till you are come to that pass, as to receive contempt and injuries with as much joy, as the people of the world receive riches and honours; so that you may truly say with the prophet-— ‘“‘T have rejoiced in the way of thy testimonies, as much as in all riches.” (Psalms 118:14)

‘It is natural for us to rejoice when we obtain something which we have desired, and to rejoice more or less, as we have desired that thing with more or less passion. Examine yourself upon this rule, you will thereby be able to judge whether you really desire to be despised, and whether you make any progress in humility. One may use also the same rule in order to all other virtues.

But that humility may make a greater impression upon our heart, by means of prayer, and that this means may be more advantageous to us, we must in our meditation descend to the particular causes of humiliation, which every day may happen to us; we must make a lively representation of them to ourselves, and so by the prospect of them, be encouraged to form acts of humility. We must strongly insist and fix ourselves thereupon, till we have entirely overcome the aversion we feel thereunto, and have fully gained what we aimed at: For thus vice is rooted out of our heart, and virtue fixes itself therein, and flourishes more and more. What goldsmiths do in refining gold, may serve us for a very good comparison in this point. When they have melted the gold in the crucible, they throw into it a grain of sublimate; wherenpon the gold begins immediately to rise in large bubbles, till the sublimate is consumed; and then what boiled up, falls again, and the gold is reduced to what it was before. They then throw in a second grain of sublimate, and the gold begins again to boil up, but with less force than at first; and as soon as the sublimate is again consumed, the agitation presently ceases. They then put in a little more of it, which causes only a bare fuming or heaving, in the gold. In fine, some more is put in the fourth time, but that works no more effect upon the gold, than if none at all had been thrown in; because it is then wholly refined and purified; and that is an infallible sign it is so. This shews what we must do in prayer. Throw ina grain of sublimate; image to yourself, in a lively manner, an occasion of suffering some mortification and contempt, and if you then begin to foam and be troubled, dwell upon that idea, till the fervour of prayer has wholly consumed this grain of sublimate; till you have mastered what disturbs you, and are become quite calm. The day after, throw in a new grain of sublimate, and fancy some mortification and humiliation; if you them feel that nature rises’and boils up in you, persist in considering of the affront, till you have wholly digested it, and are become: qnitecalm; continue afterwards to practise the same thing several times, and when: that grain of sublimate, that lively idea of an. affroat or injury, raises no more. trouble or foaming in your breast, and that at the sight of all affronts and injuries which you can imagine, you shall find yourself in an equal temper and tranquillity of mind, then you may’stop; for that ia 5 sign that the gold is refined and. purified, and that the perfection of humility § is

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