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The Second Book: Admonitions drawing toward inward things. Chapter 1. Here begins the book concerning the inward life. 'The kingdom of God is within you,' says the Lord. Turn yourself with your whole heart to the Lord, and forsake this wretched world, and your soul shall find rest. Learn to despise outward things and to give yourself to inward things, and you shall see the kingdom of God come within you. For the kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Spirit, which is not given to the ungodly. Christ will come to you, showing you His consolation, if you have prepared for Him within a worthy dwelling. All His glory and beauty is from within, and there He takes His delight.
Frequent is His visitation with the inward man, sweet His converse, gracious His consolation, much His peace, His familiarity exceedingly wonderful. Come now, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this Bridegroom, that He may deign to come to you and dwell in you. For thus He says: 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and we will come to him, and make our abode with him.' Give place therefore to Christ, and deny entrance to all others. When you have Christ, you are rich, and He suffices you. He will be your provider and faithful steward in all things, so that you need not hope in men. For men are quickly changed and fail swiftly; but Christ abides forever, and stands firmly by even unto the end.
No great confidence is to be placed in a frail and mortal man, even though he be useful and beloved; nor is much sadness to be taken from this, if at times he opposes and contradicts you. Those who are with you today may be against you tomorrow; and conversely, they are often turned about like the wind. Place your whole confidence in the Lord, and let Him be your fear and your love. He will answer for you, and will do well, as shall be best. You have not here an abiding city, and wherever you may be, you are a stranger and a pilgrim, nor shall you ever have rest unless you are inwardly united to Christ. Why do you gaze about here, since this is not the place of your rest? In the heavens ought your dwelling to be, and all things are to be looked upon as in passing.
All things pass away, and you together with them. See that you do not cling to them, lest you be entangled and perish. Let your thought be with the Most High, and let your supplication be directed to Christ without ceasing. If you know not how to contemplate high and heavenly things, rest in the passion of Christ, and gladly dwell in His sacred wounds. For if you flee devoutly to the wounds and precious marks of Jesus, you shall feel great consolation in tribulation, nor shall you much care for the contempt of men, and you shall easily bear the words of those who detract from you. Jesus Christ the Lord was also despised in the world by men, and in the greatest need was forsaken by acquaintances and friends amid reproaches. The Lord Jesus willed to suffer and be despised; and do you dare to complain of anything?
Christ had adversaries and gainsayers, and do you wish to have all as friends and benefactors? Whereby shall your patience be crowned, if no adversity befalls you? If you wish to suffer nothing contrary, how shall you be a friend of Christ? Endure with Christ and for Christ, if you wish to reign with Christ. If once you had entered perfectly into the inward parts of Jesus, and had tasted a little of His ardent love, then you would care nothing for your own advantage or disadvantage, but would rather rejoice over reproach inflicted upon you; because the love of Jesus makes a man despise himself. The lover of Jesus, and the true inward man, free from inordinate affections, can freely turn himself to God, and lift himself above himself in spirit, and rest in fruition.
He to whom all things are savoured as they are, not as they are spoken of or esteemed, this man is truly wise, and taught by God more than by men. He who knows how to walk from within, and to weigh outward things but little, requires not places, nor awaits times, for the holding of devout exercises. The inward man quickly recollects himself, because he never pours himself out wholly to outward things. No outward labour hinders him, nor occupation necessary for the time. But as things befall, so he accommodates himself to them. He who is well disposed and ordered within does not care for the strange and perverse doings of men. A man is hindered and distracted just so much as he draws things to himself. If you were rightly yourself, and well purged, all things would turn to your good and profit.
Therefore many things often displease you and frequently disturb you, because you are not yet perfectly dead to yourself, nor separated from all earthly things. Nothing so stains and entangles the heart of man as impure love toward creatures. If you refuse to be comforted outwardly, you shall be able to contemplate heavenly things, and frequently to rejoice within. Chapter 2. On submission, and the rule of a superior. Do not weigh greatly who is for you or against you, but do this and take care, that God be with you in everything you do. Have a good conscience, and God will well defend you. For whom He has willed to help, no man's perversity shall be able to harm. If you know how to be silent and to suffer, you shall without doubt see the help of the Lord.
He knows the time and the manner of delivering you, and therefore you ought to resign yourself to Him. It is God's to help, and to deliver from all confusion. Often it is very profitable, for the keeping of greater humility, that others know our faults and reprove them. When a man humbles himself for his faults, then he easily appeases others, and lightly makes satisfaction to those angry with him. God protects the humble and delivers him; the humble He loves and consoles; to the humble man He inclines Himself; to the humble He gives grace full and great; and after his abasement He raises him to glory. To the humble He reveals His secrets, and sweetly draws and invites him to Himself. The humble man, having received affront and confusion, is well enough at peace, because he stands in God and not in the world.
Do not reckon that you have made any progress, unless you feel yourself to be inferior to all. Chapter 3. On the good, peaceable man. First put yourself in peace, and then you shall be able to bring others to peace. A peaceable man profits more than one well learned. A passionate man turns even good into evil, and easily believes evil. A good, peaceable man turns all things to good. He who is well at peace suspects no one. But he who is ill-content and stirred up is agitated with various suspicions; he neither rests himself, nor allows others to rest. He often says what would be better for him to do, and neglects what he himself is bound to do. Have therefore first a zeal over yourself, then you shall be able also justly to be zealous for your neighbour.
You know well how to excuse and to gloss over your own deeds, yet you are unwilling to accept the excuses of others. It would be more just that you should accuse yourself and excuse your brother. If you wish to be borne with, bear with another. See how far you are still from true charity and humility, which knows not how to be indignant or angry with anyone, save only with itself. It is no great thing to converse with the good and meek, for this is naturally pleasing to all, and everyone gladly has peace, and loves more those who think with him. But to be able to live peaceably with the hard and perverse, or the undisciplined, or those who contradict us, is a great grace, and a most praiseworthy and manly deed. There are some who keep themselves in peace, and have peace also with others.
And there are some who neither have peace, nor let others remain in peace; they are burdensome to others, but to themselves they are always more burdensome. And there are some who keep themselves in peace, and study to bring others back to peace. And yet our whole peace in this wretched life is rather to be placed in humble suffering than in not feeling things contrary. He who knows better how to suffer shall keep the greater peace. He is the conqueror of himself, and lord of the world, the friend of Christ, and heir of heaven. Chapter 4. On a pure mind and simple intention. By two wings is a man lifted up from earthly things, namely by simplicity and purity. Simplicity ought to be in the intention, purity in the affection. Simplicity reaches toward God, purity lays hold and tastes.
No action shall hinder you, if you are inwardly free from all inordinate affection. If you intend and seek nothing but the good pleasure of God and the profit of your neighbour, you shall enjoy inward liberty. If your heart were right, then every creature would be a mirror of life and a book of holy doctrine. There is no creature so small and mean that it does not represent the goodness of God. If you were inwardly good and pure, then you would see all things without hindrance and apprehend them well. A pure heart penetrates heaven and hell. As each one is within, so does he judge outwardly. If there is joy in the world, surely the man of pure heart possesses it. And if there is anywhere tribulation and anguish, this an evil conscience knows best.
As iron put into the fire loses its rust and is made wholly glowing, so a man wholly turning himself to God is stripped of his sluggishness and is transmuted into a new man. When a man begins to grow lukewarm, then he dreads a little labour, and gladly receives outward consolation. But when he begins perfectly to conquer himself, and to walk manfully in the way of God, then he reckons as less those things which before he felt to be grievous to him. Chapter 5. On self-consideration. We cannot trust ourselves too much, because grace is often lacking to us, and little light is in us, and this we quickly lose through negligence. Often too we do not perceive how blind we are within. Often we act ill, and worse excuse ourselves.
And we are sometimes moved by passion, and think it zeal. We reprove small things in others, and pass over our own greater ones. We perceive and weigh quickly enough what we endure from others; but how much others endure from us, we do not heed. He who would well and rightly weigh his own things, would not have cause to judge harshly of another. The inward man sets the care of himself before all cares; and he who diligently attends to himself easily keeps silent about others. You shall never be inward and devout unless you keep silence about others and look especially to yourself. If you attend wholly to yourself and to God, what you perceive outwardly will move you but little. Where are you, when you are not present to yourself? And when you have run through all things, what have you profited, yourself being neglected?
If you wish to have peace and true union, you must set aside all else and keep yourself alone before your eyes. You shall therefore profit much, if you keep yourself free from all temporal care. You shall greatly fail, if you set store by anything temporal. Let nothing be high, nothing great, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable to you, save what is purely God or of God. Reckon as wholly vain whatever consolation comes to you from any creature. The soul that loves God despises and looks down upon all things beneath God. God alone is eternal and immense, filling all things, the solace of the soul and the true gladness of the mind. Chapter 6. On the gladness of a good conscience. The glory of a good man is the testimony of a good conscience. Have a good conscience, and you shall always have gladness.
A good conscience is able to bear very much, and is very glad amid adversities. An evil conscience is always fearful and restless. You shall rest sweetly, if your heart does not reprove you. Do not rejoice unless you have done well. The wicked never have true gladness, nor feel inward peace, because 'there is no peace for the ungodly,' says the Lord. And if they say, 'We are in peace, no evils shall come upon us, and who shall dare to hurt us?' believe them not, for suddenly the wrath of God shall arise, and their deeds shall be brought to nothing, and their thoughts shall perish. To glory in tribulations is not grievous to one who loves, for so to glory is to glory in the cross of the Lord. Brief is the glory which is given and received from men.
Sorrow always accompanies worldly glory. The glory of good men is in their consciences, and not in the mouth of men. The gladness of the righteous is of God and in God, and their joy is of the truth. He who desires true and eternal glory does not care for the temporal. And he who seeks temporal glory, or does not from the heart despise it, is convicted of loving heavenly glory the less. He has great tranquillity of heart who cares neither for praises nor reproaches. He will easily be content and at peace whose conscience is clean. You are no holier if you are praised, nor viler if you are reproached. What you are, that you are; nor can you be said to be better than you are in God's witness. If you heed what you are within yourself, you will not care what men say of you outwardly.
Man looks on the face, but God on the heart. Man considers the deeds, but God weighs the intention. Always to act well, and to think humbly of oneself, is the mark of a humble soul. To refuse to be consoled by any creature is the mark of great purity and inward confidence. He who seeks no testimony for himself from without, plainly shows that he has wholly committed himself to God. 'For not he who commends himself is approved,' says blessed Paul, 'but whom God commends.' To walk with God within, and to be held by no affection without, is the state of the inward man. Chapter 7. On the love of Jesus above all things. Blessed is he who understands what it is to love Jesus, and to despise himself for the sake of God.
You must leave the beloved for the Beloved, because Jesus wills to be loved alone above all things. The love of a creature is deceitful and unstable; the love of Jesus is faithful and enduring. He who clings to a creature shall fall with that which is perishable; he who embraces Jesus shall be made firm in Him. Love Him, and keep Him as your friend, who when all forsake you will not leave you, nor suffer you to perish in the end. From all things must you one day be separated, whether you will or no. Keep yourself with Jesus, living and dying, and commit yourself to His faithfulness, who alone can help you when all others fail. Your Beloved is of such a nature that He will admit no rival, but wills alone to have your heart, and to sit, like a king upon His own throne.
If you knew how to empty yourself of every creature, Jesus would gladly dwell with you. You shall find well-nigh all lost, whatever you have placed in men outside of Jesus. Do not trust nor lean upon a windy reed, for 'all flesh is grass, and all its glory shall fall as the flower of the grass.' You shall be quickly deceived if you look only to the outward appearance of men. But if you seek your solace and gain in others, you shall often feel loss. If you seek Jesus in all things, you shall surely find Jesus. But if you seek yourself, you shall indeed find yourself, but to your own ruin. For a man is more harmful to himself, if he seeks not Jesus, than the whole world and all his adversaries. Chapter 8. On the familiar friendship of Jesus.
When Jesus is present, all is good, nor does anything seem difficult. But when Jesus is not present, all is hard. If Jesus speaks but one word, great consolation is felt. Did not Mary Magdalene at once rise from the place where she wept, when Martha said to her, 'The Master is here, and calls you'? Happy hour, when Jesus calls you from tears to the joy of the spirit! How dry and hard are you without Jesus! How foolish and vain, if you desire anything outside of Jesus! Is not this a greater loss than if you lost the whole world? What can the world bestow without Jesus? To be without Jesus is a grievous hell, and to be with Jesus a sweet paradise.
If Jesus be with you, no enemy shall be able to harm you. He who finds Jesus finds a good treasure, nay, a good above every good. And he who loses Jesus loses exceedingly much, and more than the whole world. Most poor is he who lives without Jesus, and most rich is he who is well with Jesus. It is a great art to know how to converse with Jesus, and to know how to keep Jesus is great prudence. Be humble and peaceable, and Jesus will be with you. Be devout and quiet, and Jesus will abide with you. You can quickly put Jesus to flight and lose His grace, if you choose to turn aside to outward things. And if you put Him to flight and lose Him, to whom then will you flee, and what friend then will you seek? Without a friend you cannot long live; and if Jesus be not to you a friend above all, you shall be exceedingly sad and desolate.
You act foolishly therefore, if you trust or rejoice in any other. It is to be chosen rather to have the whole world against you than Jesus offended. Of all that are dear, therefore, let Jesus be the special Beloved. Let men be loved for the sake of Jesus, but Jesus for His own sake. Jesus Christ alone is singularly to be loved, who alone is found good and faithful above all friends. For His sake and in Him let both friends and enemies be dear to you, and for all these He is to be entreated, that all may know and love Him. Never desire to be singularly praised or loved, for this belongs to God alone, who has none like Himself. Nor desire that anyone be occupied with you in his heart, nor be you occupied with the love of anyone.
But let Jesus be in you, and in every good man. Be pure and free within, without entanglement in any creature. You must bear a bare and pure heart toward Jesus, if you wish to be at leisure and to see how gracious is the Lord. And in truth you shall not attain to this, unless you be prevented and drawn in by His grace, so that, all else being emptied out and dismissed, you alone may be united with God. For when the grace of God comes to a man, then he is made mighty for all things. And when it withdraws, then he will be poor and infirm, and as it were left only to scourges. In these things you ought not to be cast down, nor to despair, but with equanimity to stand to the will of God, and to endure all things that come upon you to the praise of Jesus Christ.
For after winter follows summer, after night the day returns, and after the storm a great calm. Chapter 9. On the lack of all consolation. It is no grievous thing to despise human consolation when divine consolation is present. It is a great thing, yea a very great thing, to be able to do without both human and divine consolation, and for the love of God to be willing gladly to endure exile of heart, and in nothing to seek oneself, nor to look to one's own merit. What great matter is it, if you are cheerful and devout when grace comes? That hour is desirable to all. Sweetly enough does he ride whom the grace of God carries. And what wonder if he feel no burden, who is carried by the Almighty, and led by the supreme Leader? We gladly have something for consolation, and a man is with difficulty stripped of himself.
Saint Lawrence overcame the world together with the High Priest, because he despised all that seemed delightful in the world, and for the love of Christ patiently bore even that Sixtus, the High Priest of God, whom he most dearly loved, should be taken from him. Therefore by love of the Creator he overcame the love of man, and for human consolation he rather chose the good pleasure of God. So do you also learn, for the love of God, to leave a necessary and beloved friend. Nor take it grievously when you are forsaken by a friend, knowing that we must all at length be parted from one another. A man must strive much and long within himself, before he learns fully to overcome himself, and to draw his whole affection fully unto God.
When a man relies upon himself, he easily slips back into human consolations. But the true lover of Christ and the diligent follower of the virtues does not fall back upon those consolations, nor seek such sensible sweetnesses; rather he seeks strong temptations and exercises, and to bear hard labors for Christ. Therefore, when spiritual consolation is given by God, receive it with thanksgiving, and understand it to be the gift of God and not your own merit, and be not lifted up. Do not rejoice too greatly nor presume vainly, but rather be the more humble for the gift, more cautious also and more fearful in all your actions; for that hour will pass, and temptation will follow.
When consolation is taken away, do not at once despair, but with humility and patience await the heavenly visitation; for God is able to give back to you fuller grace and consolation. This is nothing new, nor strange to those who have experienced the way of God; for in the great saints and in the ancient prophets there was often such an alternation. Thus one, while grace was present, used to say: I said in my abundance, I shall not be moved forever. But when grace was absent, he tells what he experienced within himself, adding: Thou didst turn away Thy face from me, and I became troubled. Yet amid these things he by no means despairs, but the more earnestly entreats the Lord, and says: To Thee, O Lord, will I cry, and to my God will I make supplication.
At length he reaps the fruit of his prayer, and testifies that he was heard, saying: The Lord heard, and had mercy on me; the Lord became my helper. But in what way? Thou hast turned, he says, my mourning into joy for me, and hast encompassed me with gladness. And if it was thus done with the great saints, we who are weak and poor must not despair, if we are sometimes in coldness and sometimes in fervor; for the Spirit comes and goes, according to the good pleasure of His own will. Whence blessed Job says: Thou visitest him at daybreak, and suddenly Thou provest him. Upon what, therefore, can I hope, or in what ought I to trust, save in the sole great mercy of the Lord, and in the sole hope of heavenly grace?
For whether there be present good men, or devout brethren, and faithful friends, or holy books, or fair treatises, or sweet songs and hymns—all these help but little, and have but little savor, when I am forsaken by grace and left in my own poverty. Then there is no better remedy than patience, and the denial of myself in the will of God. I have never found anyone so religious that he did not sometimes feel the withdrawal of grace, or perceive some diminution of fervor. No saint was ever so highly rapt or enlightened who was not tempted before or after. For he is not worthy of the high contemplation of God who has not been exercised for God's sake by some tribulation.
For the tribulation that goes before is wont to be a sign of consolation to follow. For to those proved by temptations heavenly consolation is promised. To him that overcometh, He says, I will give to eat of the tree of life. Divine consolation is also given, that a man may be stronger to endure adversities. Temptation likewise follows, lest he be exalted because of the good. The devil does not sleep, nor is the flesh yet dead. Therefore cease not to prepare yourself for the conflict, for on the right hand and on the left are enemies who never rest. Chapter 10. On gratitude for the grace of God. Why do you seek rest, since you were born to labor—to patience rather than to consolation, and to bear the cross rather than to gladness?
Who even among worldly men would not gladly receive spiritual consolation and gladness, if he could always obtain it? For spiritual consolations surpass all the delights of the world and all the pleasures of the flesh. For all worldly delights are either base or empty; but spiritual delights alone are pleasant and honorable, sprung from the virtues and poured by God into pure minds. Yet no one can always enjoy these divine consolations according to his desire, for the time of temptation does not long cease. False freedom of soul and great self-confidence are greatly contrary to the heavenly visitation. God does well in giving the grace of consolation, but man does ill in not at once rendering it back to God with thanksgiving.
And therefore the gifts of grace cannot flow into us, because we are ungrateful to the Giver, and do not pour all back to the fountain-source. For grace is ever due to him who worthily gives thanks or renders it back; and what is wont to be given to the humble is taken away from the proud. I want no consolation that takes away my compunction, nor do I covet contemplation that leads to exaltation. For not everything lofty is holy, nor every desire pure, nor everything sweet good, nor everything dear pleasing to God. I gladly accept the grace whereby I may be found more humble and more fearful, and become more ready to forsake myself. He who is taught by the gift of grace, and instructed by the scourge of its withdrawal, will not dare to attribute any good to himself, but will rather confess himself poor and naked.
Give to God whatever is God's, and ascribe to yourself what is your own. That is: render thanks to God for the grace, but to yourself alone the blame, and account that a fitting penalty is due for the fault. Set yourself always in the lowest place, and the highest shall be given you; for the highest does not stand without the lowest. The greatest saints before God are the least in their own eyes, and the more glorious they are, the more humble in themselves; full of truth and heavenly glory, not greedy of vainglory, and being founded and confirmed in God, they can in no way be lifted up. And those who ascribe to God whatever good they have received seek not glory from one another, but desire the glory that is from God, and seek God in themselves and in all His saints; they long above all things to praise Him, and ever press on toward Him.
Be therefore grateful in the least, and you shall be worthy to receive greater things. Let the least be to you as the greatest, and the contemptible as a special gift. If the dignity of the Giver be regarded, no gift will seem small or too mean. For it is not small that is given by the most high God; even if He bestow penalties and scourges, it ought to be welcome, for whatever He permits to befall us He always does for our salvation. He who desires to retain the grace of God, let him be grateful for the grace given, patient when it is taken away; let him pray that it be restored, and be cautious and humble lest he lose it. Chapter 11. On the fewness of the lovers of the cross. Jesus has many lovers of His heavenly kingdom, but few bearers of His cross.
He finds many companions of His table, but few of His abstinence. All wish to rejoice with Christ, but few are willing to endure anything for His sake. Many follow Jesus to the breaking of the bread, but few to the drinking of the cup of His passion. Many venerate His miracles, but few follow the shame of the cross. Many love Jesus so long as adversities do not befall them. Many praise and bless Him so long as they receive some consolations from Him. But if Jesus hide Himself, and leave them but a little while, they fall either into complaint or into excessive dejection.