The Practice of the Presence of God the Best Rule of a Holy Life Part 3

_To the Same_.

I have received from Mrs. ----, 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 persons can live satisfied without the practice of _the presence of_ G.o.d. For my part. I keep myself retired with Him in the fund or centre of my soul as much as I can; and while I am so with Him I fear nothing, but the least turning from Him is insupportable.

This exercise does not much fatigue the body; it is, however, proper to deprive it sometimes, nay often; of many little pleasures which are innocent and lawful, for G.o.d will not permit that a soul which desires to be devoted 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 G.o.d in a holy freedom; we must do our business faithfully; without trouble or disquiet, recalling our mind to G.o.d mildly, and with tranquility, as often as we find it wandering from Him.

It is, however, necessary to put our whole trust in G.o.d, 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 exercise of _the presence of_ G.o.d we are _with Him_ who is our end, it is then useless to return to the means; but we may continue with Him our commerce of love, persevering in His holy presence, one while by an act of praise, of adoration or of desire; one while by an act of resignation or thanksgiving; and in all the ways which our spirit can invent.

Be not discouraged by the repugnance which you may find in it from nature; you must do yourself violence. At the first one often thinks it lost time, but you must go on, and resolve to persevere in it to death, notwithstanding all the difficulties that may occur. I recommend myself to the prayers of your holy society, and yours in particular. I am, in our LORD,

Yours, &c.

SEVENTH LETTER.

I pity you much. It will be of great importance if you can leave the care of your affairs to ----, and spend the remainder of your life only in wors.h.i.+ping G.o.d. He requires no great matters of us; a little remembrance of Him from time to time; a little adoration; sometimes to pray for His grace, sometimes to offer Him your sufferings, and sometimes to return Him thanks for the favors He has given you, and still gives you, in the midst of your troubles, and to console yourself with Him the oftenest you can. Lift up your heart to Him, sometimes even at your meals, and when you are in company: the least little remembrance will always be acceptable to Him. You need not cry very loud; He is nearer to us than we are aware of.

It is not necessary for being with G.o.d to be always at church: we may make an oratory of our heart wherein to retire from time to time to converse with Him in meekness, humility and love. Every one is capable of such familiar conversation with G.o.d, some more, some less: He knows what we can do. Let us begin, then. Perhaps He expects but one generous resolution on our part. Have courage. We have but little time to live; you are near sixty-four, and I am almost eighty. Let us live and die with G.o.d. Sufferings will be sweet and pleasant to us while we are with Him; and the greatest pleasures will be, without Him, a cruel punishment to us. May He be blessed for all. Amen.

Accustom yourself, then, by degrees thus to wors.h.i.+p Him, to beg His grace, to offer Him your heart from time to time in the midst of your business, even every moment, if you can. Do not always scrupulously confine yourself to certain rules, or particular forms of devotion, but act with a general confidence in G.o.d, with love and humility. You may a.s.sure ---- of my poor prayers, and that I am their servant, and particularly

Yours in our LORD, &c.

EIGHTH LETTER.

_(Concerning wandering thoughts in Prayer.)_

You tell me nothing new; you are not the only one that is troubled with wandering thoughts. Our mind is extremely roving; but, as the will is mistress of all our faculties, she must recall them, and carry them to G.o.d as their last end.

When the mind, for want of being sufficiently reduced by recollection at our first engaging in devotion, has contracted certain bad habits of wandering and dissipation, they are difficult to overcome, and commonly draw us, even against our wills, to the things of the earth.

I believe one remedy for this is to confess our faults, and to humble ourselves before G.o.d. I do not advise you to use multiplicity of words in prayer: many words and long discourses being often the occasions of wandering. Hold yourself in prayer before G.o.d, like a dumb or paralytic beggar at a rich man's gate. Let it be _your_ business to keep your mind in the presence of the LORD. If it sometimes wander and withdraw itself from Him, do not much disquiet yourself for that: trouble and disquiet serve rather to distract the mind than to re-collect it: the will must bring it back in tranquility. If you persevere in this manner, G.o.d will have pity on you.

One way to re-collect the mind easily in the time of prayer, and preserve it more in tranquility, is _not to let it wander too far at other times_: you should keep it strictly in the presence of G.o.d; and being accustomed to think of Him often, you will find it easy to keep your mind calm in the time of prayer, or at least to recall it from its wanderings.

I have told you already at large, in my former letters, of the advantages we may draw from this practice of the presence of G.o.d: let us set about it seriously, and pray for one another.

Yours, &c.

NINTH LETTER.

The enclosed is an answer to that which I received from ----; pray deliver it to her. She seems to me full of good will, but she would go faster than grace. One does not become holy all at once. I recommend her to you: we ought to help one another by our advice, and yet more by our good examples. You will oblige me to let me hear of her from time to time, and whether she be very fervent and very obedient.

Let us thus think often that our only business in this life is to please G.o.d, and that all besides is but folly and vanity. You and I have lived about forty years in religion (_i.e._, a monastic life).

Have we employed them in loving and serving G.o.d, who by His mercy has called us to this state and for that very end? I am filled with shame and confusion when I reflect on one hand upon the great favors which G.o.d has done, and incessantly continues to do me; and on the other, upon the ill use I have made of them, and my small advancement in the way of perfection.

Since by His mercy He gives us still a little time, let us begin in earnest: let us repair the lost time: let us return with a full a.s.surance to that FATHER of mercies, who is always ready to receive us affectionately. Let us renounce, let us generously renounce, for the love of Him, all that is not Himself; He deserves infinitely more. Let us think of Him perpetually. Let us put all our trust in Him. I doubt not but we shall soon find the effects of it in receiving the abundance of His grace, with which we can do all things, and without which we can do nothing but sin.

We cannot escape the dangers which abound in life without the actual and _continual_ help of G.o.d: let us then pray to Him for it _continually_. How can we pray to Him without being with Him? How can we be with Him but in thinking of Him often? And how can we often think of Him, but by a holy habit which we should form of it? You will tell me that I am always saying the same thing. It is true, for this is the best and easiest method I know; and as I use no other, I advise all the world to do it. We must _know_ before we can _lore_. In order to _know_ G.o.d, we must often _think_ of Him; and when we come to _love_ Him, we shall then also think of Him often, for our heart will be with our treasure. This is an argument which well deserves your consideration.

I am, Yours, &c.

TENTH LETTER.

I have had a good deal of difficulty to bring myself to write to Mr.

----, and I do it now purely because you and Madam ---- desire me.

Pray write the directions and send it to him. I am very well pleased with the trust which you have in G.o.d: I wish that He may increase it in you more and more. We cannot have too much in so good and faithful a Friend, who will never fail us in this world nor in the next.

If Mr. ---- makes his advantage of the loss he has had, and puts all his confidence in G.o.d, He will soon give him another friend, more powerful and more inclined to serve him. He disposes of hearts as He pleases. Perhaps Mr. ---- was too much attached to him he has lost. We ought to love our friends, but without encroaching upon the love due to G.o.d, which must be the princ.i.p.al.

Pray remember what I have recommended to you, which is, to think often on G.o.d, by day, by night, in your business, and even in your diversions. He is always near you and with you: leave Him not alone.

You would think it rude to leave a friend alone who came to visit you: why then must G.o.d be neglected? Do not then forget Him, but think on Him often, adore Him continually, live and die with Him; this is the glorious employment of a Christian. In a word, this is our profession; if we do not know it, we must learn it. I will endeavor to help you with my prayers, and am, in our LORD, Yours, &c.

ELEVENTH LETTER.

I do not pray that you may be delivered from your pains, but I pray G.o.d earnestly that He would give you strength and patience to bear them as long as He pleases. Comfort yourself with Him who holds you fastened to the cross. He will loose you when He thinks fit. Happy those who suffer with Him: accustom yourself to suffer in that manner, and seek from Him the strength to endure as much, and as long, as He shall judge to be necessary for you. The men of the world do not comprehend these truths, nor is it to be wondered at, since they suffer like what they are, and not like Christians. They consider sickness as a pain to nature, and not as a favor from G.o.d; and seeing it only in that light, they find nothing in it but grief and distress.

But those who consider sickness as coming from the hand of G.o.d, as the effect of His mercy, and the means which He employs for their salvation--such, commonly find in it great sweetness and sensible consolation.

I wish you could convince yourself that G.o.d is often (in some sense) nearer to us, and more effectually present with us, in sickness than in health. Rely upon no other Physician; for, according to my apprehension, He reserves your cure to Himself. Put, then, all your trust in Him, and you will soon find the effects of it in your recovery, which we often r.e.t.a.r.d by putting greater confidence in physic than in G.o.d.

Whatever remedies you make use of, they will succeed only so far as He permits. When pains come from G.o.d, He only can cure them. He often sends diseases of the body to cure those of the soul. Comfort yourself with the sovereign Physician both of the soul and body.

Be satisfied with the condition in which G.o.d places you: however happy you may think me, I envy you. Pains and sufferings would be a paradise to me while I should suffer with my G.o.d; and the greatest pleasures would be h.e.l.l to me if I could relish them without Him. All my consolation would be to suffer something for His sake.

I must, in a little time, go to G.o.d. What comforts me in this life is, that I now see Him _by faith_; and I see Him in such a manner as might make me say sometimes, _I believe no more, but I see_. I feel what faith teaches us, and in that a.s.surance and that practice of faith, I will live and die with Him.

Continue then always with G.o.d: it is the only support and comfort for your affliction. I shall beseech Him to be with you. I present my service.

Yours, &c.