Page:Beautifulpearlso00oreirich.djvu/499

 enjoyment of  the  Divine  sweetness;  and  a  sweet and quiet  and  tender  enjoyment  of  the  soul,  which is suspended  and  ravished  through  its  intense  admiration of  the  glory  of  supernal  and  heavenly things, and  an  inward  burning  consciousness  of that  celestial  and  unspeakable  glory."

O servant  of  the  Heavenly  King,  who  wouldst learn the  mysteries  and  the  needful  and  holy  precautions of  the  doctrine  of  the  spiritual  life,  open well the  ears  of  thy  soul,  and  receive  with  true  desire of  heart,  and  lay  up  carefully  in  the  storehouse of thy  memory,  the  precious  treasures  of  doctrine and of  spiritual  warning  which  I  deliver  to  thee! By these  thou  shalt  be  illuminated  and  directed  in thy  way,  namely,  the  way  of  the  spiritual  life,  and guarded against  the  malignant  and  subtle  assaults of thine  enemies  whether  visible  or  invisible;  and with a  humble  audacity  thou  shalt  pass  securely over the  tempestuous  sea  of  this  present  life,  until thou arrive  at  the  desired  haven  of  eternal  salvation. Therefore, my  son,  harken,  and  give  good  heed  to what  I  tell  thee!

If thou  wouldst  see  well,  pluck  out  thine  eyes, and be  blind;  if  thou  wouldst  hear  well,  be  deaf; and if  thou  wouldst  speak  well,  become  dumb;  if thou  wouldst  advance,  stand  still,  and  advance  with thy mind;  if  thou  wouldst  work  well,  cut  off  thy hands, and  work  with  thy  heart;  if  thou  wouldst love much,  hate  thyself;  if  thou  wouldst  live  well, mortify thyself;  if  thou  wouldst  gain  much  and  be rich,  first  lose  all,  and  become  poor;  and  if  thou wouldst enjoy  peace,  afflict  thyself,  and  be  ever  in fear,  and  suspect  thine  own  self;  if  thou  wouldst  be exalted  and  have  great  honor,  humble  and  abase thyself; if  thou  wouldst  be  held  in  great  reverence, despise thyself,  and  do  reverence  to  him  who  reviles thee; if  thou  wouldst  that  it  should  be  well  with thee, sustain  all  evil  things;  and  if  thou  wouldst be blessed,  desire  that  all  should  speak  ill  of  thee; and if  thou  wouldst  have  true  and  eternal  rest,  then toil, and  suffer,  and  desire  to  have  every  temporal affliction. O what  great  wisdom  it  is  to  know  how to do  and  to  work  out  these  things.

But because  these  are  very  great  and  high  things, God giveth  the  grace  only  to  a  few. But, of  a  truth, I tell  thee,  he  who  shall  study  them  well  and  put them in  practice,  shall  not  need  to  go  to  Bologna, or to  Paris,  to  learn  any  other  theology;  for  if  a man  live  a  thousand  years,  and  have  nothing  exterior to  do,  and  nothing  to  say  with  his  tongue,  I tell  thee  that  he  will  have  enough  to  do  to  exercise himself within  his  own  heart,  laboring  solely  for  the purification and  the  right  direction  and  the  justification of  his  own  soul.

A man  should  neither  will,  nor  see,  nor  hear,  nor speak of  anything,  save  in  so  far  as  it  be  useful  to his  soul. The man  who  does  not  know  himself,  is not  known  by  God. And, therefore,  woe  to  us,  when we receive  the  gifts  and  graces  of  the  Lord  without knowing their  worth! but still  more  woe  to  him who receiveth  them  not,  neither  knoweth  them,  nor yet careth  to  acquire  them! Man, who  is  made  in the  image  of  God,  changeth  himself  as  he  wills,  but the good  God  never  changeth.

He who  would  know  much  should  labor  much, and should  humble  himself  much,  abasing  himself and inclining  his  head  even  to  the  earth  so  that  his belly goeth  along  the  ground;  and  then  the  Lord would give  him  much  science  and  wisdom. The perfection of  wisdom  is  to  act  always  virtuously,  to guard  well  against  all  defects  and  all  occasions  of defect,  always  considering  the  judgment  of  God.

Brother Giles  said  once  to  one  who  desired  to  go to  the  secular  schools  to  learn  science:  "  My Brother,  wherefore  wouldst  thou  seek  secular  learning?  For  I  would  have  thee  to  know,  that  the  sum of  all  science  is  to  love  and  to  fear,  and  with  these two  things  thou  hast  enough;  for  so  much  wisdom sufficeth  a  man  as  he  can  make  use  of  and  no  more. He  needeth  no  more.  Be  not  solicitous  to  study much  for  the  good  of  others,  but  be  solicitous,  and study,  and  labor  for  the  things  that  are  profitable to  thyself;  for  it  often  comes  to  pass,  that  we  desire to  know  much  science  for  the  sake  of  others,  and but  little  for  our  own  sake;  but  I  tell  thee,  the Word  of  God  is  not  to  the  speakers,  or  to  the  hearers, but  to  the  true  doers  of  His  Word.

"There have  been  those  who,  not  knowing  how  to swim,  have  gone  into  the  water  to  help  others  who were  drowning;  and  so  it  happened  that  they  were