the Lord, who reposes in it, and He will quickly calm the sea. I have taken the liberty to impart to you these good thoughts, that you may compare them with your own. It will serve again to rekindle and inflame them, if by misfortune (which God forbid, for it would be indeed a great misfortune) they should be, though never so little, cooled. Let us profit by the example and thoughts of this brother, who is little known of the world, but known of God, and abundantly blessed by Him. I will pray for you; do you pray instantly for me. I am, in our Lord, June 1, 1682 Yours,---------- Emptied for God Madame: I have received today two books and a letter from Sister ------ , who is preparing to make her “pro fession,” and upon that account de sires the prayers of your holy society, and yours in particular. I perceive that she reckons much upon them; pray do not disappoint her. Beg of God that she may make her sacrifice in the view of His love alone, and with firm resolution to be wholly de voted to Him. I will send you one of these books, which treat of the Pres ence of God, a subject which in my opinion contains the whole spiritual life; and it seems to me that whoever duly practises it will soon become spiritual. I know that for the right practice of it the heart must be empty of all other things, because God wills to possess the heart alone; and as He cannot possess it alone unless it be empty of all besides, so He cannot work in it what He would, unless it be left vacant to Him. There is not in the world a kind of life more sweet and delightful than that of a continual walk with God. Those only can comprehend it who practice and experience it; yet I do not advise you to do it from that motive. It is not pleasure which we ought to seek in this exercise; but let us do it from the motive of love, and because God would have us so walk. Were I a preacher, I should, above all other things, preach the practice of the Presence of God. Ah! knew we but the need we have of the grace and assistance of God, we should never lose sight of Him—no, not for a moment. Believe me; this very instant, make a holy and firm resolution nevermore wil fully to stray from Him, and to live the rest of your days in His sacred presence, for love of Him surrender ing, if He think fit, all other plea sures. Set heartily about this work, and if you perform it as you ought, be assured that you will soon find the
effects of it. I will assist you with my prayers, poor as they are. I recom mend myself earnestly to yours and those of your holy society, being theirs, and more particularly 1685 Yours,--------- Resolve to Persevere To the Same: I have received from Mdlle. ------ the things which you gave her for me. I wonder that you have not given me your thoughts of the little book I sent, to you, and which you must have received. Pray, set heartily about the practice of it in your old age; it is better late than never. I cannot imagine how religious per sons can live satisfied without the practice of the presence, of God. For my part, I keep myself retired with Him in the very center of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing, but the least turning away from Him is to me insupportable. This exercise does not much fatigue my body; yet k is proper to deprive it sometimes, nay often, of many little pleasures which are innocent and lawful, for God will not permit that a soul which desires to be de voted entirely to Him should take other pleasures than with Him: that is more than reasonable. I do not say that therefore we must put any violent constraint upon ourselves. No, we must serve God in a holy freedom; we must do our business faithfully, without trouble or disquiet, recalling our mind to God meekly, and with tranquillity, as oft en as we find it wandering from Him. It is, however, necessary to put our whole trust in God, laying aside all other cares, and even some particular forms of devotion, though very good in themselves, yet such as one often engages in unreasonably, because these devotions are only means to attain to the end. So when by this practice of the presence of God we are with Him who is our End, it is then useless to return to the means. Then it is that abiding in His holy presence, we may continue our com-; merce of love, now by an act of ador ation, of praise, or of desire; now by an act of sacrifice or of thanksgiving, and in all the manners which our mind can devise. Be not discouraged by the repug nance which you may find in it from nature; you must do yourself vio lence. Often, at the onset, one thinks it is lost time; but you must go on, and resolve to persevere in it to death, notwithstanding all the diffi culties that may occur. I commend myself to your prayers. I am, in our Lord, November 3, 1685 Yours,------ END. 19
of God
according to Thy heart. And then it seems to him (as in effect he feels it) that this God of love, satisfied with such few words, reposes again, and rests in the depth and center of his soul. The experience of these things gives him such an assurance that God is always deep within his soul, that no doubt of it can arise, what ever may betide. Judge from this what contentment and satisfaction he enjoys, feeling con tinually within him so great a trea sure. No longer is he in anxious search after it, but he has it open before him, free to take of it what he pleases. He complains much of our blind ness, and exclaims often that we are to be pitied who content ourselves with so little. God’s treasure, he says, is like an infinite ocean, yet a little wave of ifeeling, passing with the moment, contents us. Blind as we are, we hinder God and stop the cur rent of His graces. But when He finds a soul permeated with a living faith, He pours into it His graces and fa vors plenteously; into the soul they flow like a torrent which, after being forcibly stopped against its ordinary course, when it has found a passage, spreads with impetuosity its ,pent-up flood. Yes, we often stop this torrent by the little value we set upon it. But let us stop it no longer; let us enter into ourselves and break down the barrier which holds it back. Let us make the most of the day of grace; let us redeem the time that is lost, for perhaps we have but little left. Death follows us close; let us be well prepared for it; for we die but once, and a miscarriage' then is irretriev able. I say again, let us enter into our selves. Time presses, there is no room for delay; our souls are at stake. You, I believe, have taken such effectual measures that you will not be sur prised. I commend you for it; it is the one thing needful. We must, nev ertheless, always work at it, because not to advance in the spiritual life is to go back. But those whose spirits are stirred by the breath of the Holy Spirit go forward even in sleep. If the vessel of our soul is still tossed with winds and storms, let us awake
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