Volume III, Treatise V, Chapter XIII

Of Other Advantages Which Arise from Obeying the Superior as We Would Christ Himself

Ture are several other considerable advantages in looking upon our superior as Christ himself, and obeying him as if Christ himself had commanded. The first is, that this very consideration will give us new strength, as also a firm hope of success in the performance of what is commanded us. There is this difference between God’s and man’s commands—that man oftentimes commands what we cannot perform, without giving us strength to execute it, whereas God never commands impossibilities, and always helps to the performance of his orders by the assistance of his divine grace. Now, in religion we stand in need of the encouragement which confidence in God brings along with it, upon account of several difficulties we meet with, and therefore nothing can be of greater advantage to us than to consider that it is God who commands us—that it is God has put us in this or that employment, and that he will infallibly give us such strength as shall be necessary to acquit ourselves well of it. It is one of the greatest comforts which missioners living in heretical or heathen countries can have, to consider amidst all their dangers and sufferings that they undergo all in obedience to God’s commands, and therefore may say with the Psalmist, “‘Save me, O God, forI am thine”—Ps., exviii. 94. St. Chrysostom, upon these words of Christ to his disciples, “Behold it is I who send you” (Luke 10:3),—says, that the Son of God declared hereby that, however weak his disciples were, however strong their enemies, however imminent their dangers, yet they ought not to lose courage, because they were going by his order. “It is I”, says he, “who send you”; and this is as if he had said, do not be afraid, it is I that send you, I am able to rescue you from danger, and give you victory over all your enemies. This was the comfort the apostles had in the laborious conversion of the world, and we ought to have the like in all the employments and functions in which we are engaged by obedience, saying, it is God that sends me, it is God that commands me, he will give me strength and courage to perform his commands, and to execute his will. When God ordered Habacuc to take the dinner he had prepared for his harvest people and to carry it to Daniel, who was prisoner at Babylon in a lion’s den, the prophet answered, “Lord, I never was at Babylon, nor do I know the lion’s den; and immediately an angel took him up by the hair of his head, and carried him to Babylon, setting him at the mouth of the den” —Dan.., xiv. 34, 35. This shows us how ready and how willing God is to assist us in the execution of his commands.

By obeying our superior as if he were Jesus Christ, we live in a continual submission and resignation to the divine will, which is another of its benefits, and an admirable help to preserve ourselves in a constant and uninterrupted love of God, and in continual prayer. For, to produce continually acts of conformity to the will of God, and to place all our content and satisfaction in accomplishing it, must needs be a very profitable way of praying and an excellent manner of living constantly in God’s presence.

Moreover, he that acts thus never troubles himself at what is commanded him, for he is only and always intent upon doing the will of God. All his time is taken up therein. This is the manna he lives upon, and in this alone he places all his joy and satisfaction.

Besides all this, how great is the peace and quiet he enjoys who sees God in the person of his superior, and looks upon himself as in the hands of God, who, he is confident, will take care of him! He can say with the prophet, “in this hope will I sleep and rest in peace” (Psalms 4:9) ‘It is God that takes care of me, I shall want for nothing” (Psalms 22:1) I am in very good hands, and it is certain that nothing can happen to me which God wills got to happen, and which he does not design for my good.

Did we but once accustom ourselves to see God in our superior, and make account that we live with God, not men, we should find a great increase in virtue and in spiritual treasures. But it is not bare speculation will make us thus happy. One who had lived long in religion, said that he had lived therein above twenty years before he could comprehend what it was to obey his superior as Jesus Christ, or what it was to serve God, and not man, in his superior; and you perhaps think that you comprehend it perfectly by only hearing it spoken of. No; this speculation does not suffice; we must put our hand to work, and practise what I have said, and in the way I have described, if we desire to be perfect in obedience, and to enjoy all those bles: sings which are annexed thereunto.

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