Of the inner life
THE SECOND BOOK
COUNSELS
CALLING TO THE INNER LIFE
CHAPTER
OF THE INNER LIFE
The Kingdom of God is within you^ says the Lord.
Turn to the Lord with your whole heart, and forsake this wretched world: your soul shall find rest.
Learn to despise outward things, and to give yourself to inward things: you shall see the Kingdom of God come within you.
The Kingdom of God is peace and joy in the Holy Ghost;* it is not given to the wicked.
Christ will come to you and discover His consolation to you, if you prepare Him a worthy dwelling within you.
All His glory and beauty are from within;* and there it is that He takes His delight.
Many are His visits to the man of inward life. With such a one He holds dehghtful converse, granting him sweet comfort, much peace, and an intimacy astonishing beyond measure.
2. Come then, faithful soul, prepare your heart for this your Spouse, so that He may vouchsafe to come to you and dwell within you.
For so He says: // any man love Me, he will keep My word; and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him.*'
Make room therefore for Christ, and refuse entrance to all others.
When you have Christ, you are rich and have need of nought else.
He will provide for you, and be in all things your faithful procurator; you shall not need to look to men.
For men soon change and quickly fail; but Christ abides for ever,^ and stands by us steadily to the end. iLuke xvii, 21.
2 Romans xiv, 17.
8 Psalm xliv, 14.
*John xiv, 23.
6 John xii, 34.
Chapter
suffer with christ
3. We must not put any great trust in a fraU and mortal man, useful and beloved though he be; nor should we be much grieved if he sometimes oppose and contradict us.
They that to-day are with you, to-morrow may be against you; for men often veer right round, like the wind.
Put your whole trust in God; let Him be your fear and your love.
He will answer for you, and will graciously do for you as shall be best.
You have no lasting city here.^ Wherever you may be, you are a stranger and a pilgrim;'' nor will you ever have rest, except you be inwardly united with Christ.
4. Why do you stand and look about you here, when this is not the place of your rest?
Your true dwelling is in heaven. As for all earthly things, you should give them no more than the look of a passer-by.
All things are passing away, and you too along with them.
See that you do not cling to them, lest you be caught and perish.
Let your meditation be on the Most High,* and your petitions directed to Christ without ceasing.
If you know not how to meditate on high and heavenly things, rest in the passion of Christ, and love to dwell within His sacred wounds.
For if you fly devoutly to the wounds of Jesus and the precious marks of His passion, you shall feel great strengthening in tribulation; nor will you much care for the slights of men, but will easily bear words of detraction.
Christ also in this world was despised by men, and in His greatest need was forsaken by His acquaintances and friends, and left to endure insults alone.
Christ chose to suffer and be despised; and do you dare to complain of any man?
Christ had enemies and detractors; and would you have all men for your friends and benefactors?
How shall your patience be crowned, if you meet with no adversity?
If you are unwilling to suffer contradiction, how shall you be the friend of Christ?
Suffer with Christ and for Christ, if you desire to reign with Christ.
6. Had you but once entered perfectly into the heart of Jesus, and tasted a little of His burning love, then would you care nothing for your own convenience or inconvenience, but 1 Hebrews xiii, 14.
2 Psalm xxxviii, 13.