suffering and wretched state, it is then that God appears; and if any
founded in that vigour of love, becomes weaker day by day and gradually disappears; and vanishing thus, it is certain that it takes no part in anything that happens in the man, but is separate. But as it does not show itself anywhere, it provides no consolation to the soul, but the contrary; for, no longer finding that the will resists, the soul believes it is agreeing to everything, and that it has joined with the animal will, which is the only one perceptible. 31. You will, perhaps, remember what I said before; that, at the beginning of God's loving activity, nature and the senses became, as it were, extinguished and subdued. It is true; but the spirit of self by those very victories became high-minded, more tenacious of what it considers good, and still more indomitable. God, who is determined to subdue it, uses an apparent resurrection of the nature which the soul supposed dead. But note that He does not use nature until He has removed its corruption, destroyed it and separated the superior will from what rendered it violent and criminal. He extracts the venom of the viper, and then uses it as an antidote for the spirit. Whoever comes to know the wonderful dynamic of grace and the wisdom of God in bringing man to a total sacrifice of self, will be filled with delight, and, insensible as he may be, will die with love. The little traces of it which have been revealed to my heart have often overwhelmed me. 32. Faithfulness in this stage requires us to suffer loss, to the whole extent of the designs of God, without being anxious about ourselves, sacrificing to God all our interests both for time and for eternity. Nothing must be made an excuse for reserving or retaining the slightest atom, for the least reservation is the cause of an awful loss, as it prevents our death from being total. We must let God work his absolute will, and let the winds and tempests beat on us on every side, submerged, as we may often be, beneath the waves. 33. A wonderful thing is seen here; far from being estranged by our suffering and wretched state, it is then that God appears; and if any weakness has been apparent, He gives us a token of his presence, as if to assure the soul for a moment that He was with it in its trouble. I say for a moment, for it is of no use subsequently as a support, but is rather intended to point the way and invite the soul to the further loss of self. 34. These states are not continuous in their violence; there are remissions, which, while they provide space for taking breath, make the subsequent trial more painful. For nature will use anything to