Page:Beautifulpearlso00oreirich.djvu/489

 respect of  heavenly  things;  why  then  dost  thou  not give up  all  thy  possessions  to  Christ,  to  obtain  those that are  heavenly  and  eternal?"

Then the  judge,  learned  in  all  the  foolish  science of this  world,  said  to  Brother  Giles,  pure  and  simple as he  was:  "  God  hath  filled  thee  with  the  wisdom  of divine  folly;  but  tell  me.  Brother  Giles,  dost  thou believe  there  is  a  man  in  all  the  world,  who  would conform  his  exterior  actions  to  that  which  he  believes inwardly?" And Brother  Giles  answered him: "  See,  my  beloved:  it  is  most  certain  that  all the  Saints  have  made  it  their  study  to  put  in  practice, as  perfectly  as  possible,  all  that  they  knew  or understood  to  be  the  will  of  God;  and  all  those things  which  they  could  not  actually  carry  out  externally, they  fulfilled  in  the  holy  desires  of  their will,  in  such  wise  that  the  impossibility  of  exterior fulfillment  was  made  up  for  by  the  desires  of  the soul.

Again, Brother  Giles  said:  "  If  there  were  a  man to  be  found  who  had  perfect  faith,  in  a  little  space of  time  he  would  arrive  at  a  state  of  perfection,  in which  it  would  be  given  him  to  know,  with  full  certainty, his  salvation.  What  good  can  prosperity or  temporal  advantage  in  this  world  do  to  the miserable  man  who  expects  eternal  perdition? What  hurt  or  harm  can  any  temporal  adversity  of this  life  do  to  the  man  who,  with  firm  faith,  looks forward  to  eternal,  consummate,  and  supreme  bliss? Nevertheless,  however  great  a  sinner  a  man  may be,  let  him  never  despair  so  long  as  he  lives  of  the infinite  mercy  of  God;  because  there  is  not  a  tree in  the  world  so  thorny,  or  so  knotty  and  gnarled,  but can  be  planed,  and  polished,  and  adorned  and  made beautiful  by  men;  and  so  also,  there  is  no  man  in the  world  so  iniquitous  and  sinful,  but  God  can  convert him  and  adorn  him  with  singular  graces,  and many gifts  of  virtue."

No one  can  gain  any  knowledge  of  God,  or  intimacy with  Him,  but  by  the  virtue  of  humility; inasmuch as  the  direct  way  to  ascend  is  first  to descend. All the  perils  and  the  great  falls  which have taken  place  in  this  world  have  arisen  from  no other  cause  than  exaltation  of  the  mind  through pride. This is  seen  in  the  fall  of  the  devil,  who  was cast out  of  heaven,  and  in  the  fall  of  our  first  father Adam, who  was  cast  out  of  Paradise,  because  of the  exaltation  of  the  mind,  namely,  disobedience; and again  in  the  instance  of  the  Pharisees,  of whom  Christ  speaks  in  the  Gospels,  and  in  many other examples.

And so,  on  the  contrary,  all  the  good  works which have  ever  taken  place  in  this  world  have been produced  entirely  by  humility  of  mind,  as  is proven  by  the  blessed  and  most  humble  Virgin Mary, and  by  the  publican,  and  by  the  holy  thief on the  cross,  and  by  many  other  examples  in  the Scriptures. And therefore  it  would  be  well  for  us, if we  could  find  a  great  and  heavy  weight,  that  we might  carry  it  always  fastened  round  our  neck,  so that  it  might  always  draw  us  downwards,  that  is  to say,  continually  cause  us  to  humble  ourselves.

A Brother  once  asked  Brother  Giles:  "Tell me,  Father,  how  may  we  escape  from  this  pride?" To which  Brother  Giles  replied:  "  My  Brother, set  this  fact  before  thee,  that  thou  canst  never hope  to  flee  pride,  except,  first  of  all,  thou  place thy  mouth  where  thy  feet  are;  but  if  thou  consider the  gifts  of  God  thou  wilt  know  well  that thou  owest  it  to  Him  to  bow  thy  head.  And  again, if  thou  consider  well  thy  defects,  and  the  many offences  which  thou  has  committed  against  God, thou  wilt  find  sufficient  cause  to  humble  thyself. But  woe  to  those  who  would  be  honored  even  for their  sins!  There  is  a  degree  of  humility  in  him who  knows  himself  to  be  the  enemy  of  his  own  welfare. There  is  a  degree  of  humility  also  in  him, who  renders  to  another  the  things  which  belong  to him,  and  does  not  attribute  them  to  himself;  which is  to  say,  that  all  good,  and  all  virtue  which  man finds in  himself,  he  must  not  attribute  to  himself, but solely  to  God,  from  whom  proceeds  every  grace, every virtue  and  every  good.

But all  sins  and  evil  passions  in  the  soul,  and whatever vice  man  finds  in  himself,  he  must  take as his  own,  considering  that  they  proceed  from  himself alone,  and  from  his  own  malice,  and  not  from any other. Blessed is  the  man  who  knows  himself, and reputes  himself  vile  before  God  and  men! Blessed is  he  who  judges  himself,  and  condemns himself, and  not  another:  for  he  shall  not  be  judged in the  great,  and  terrible  final  judgment. Blessed