Of the desire after eternal life, and how great blessings are promised
to those who strive
“My Son, when thou feelest the desire of eternal happiness to be poured
into thee from above, and longest to depart from the tabernacle of this
body, that thou mayest contemplate My glory without shadow of turning,
enlarge thine heart, and take in this holy inspiration with all thy
desire. Give most hearty thanks to the Supreme Goodness, who dealeth
with thee so graciously, visiteth thee so lovingly, stirreth thee up so
fervently, raiseth thee so powerfully, lest thou sink down through
thine own weight, to earthly things. For not by thine own meditating or
striving dost thou receive this gift, but by the sole gracious
condescension of Supreme Grace and Divine regard; to the end that thou
mayest make progress in virtue and in more humility, and prepare
thyself for future conflicts, and cleave unto Me with all the affection
of thy heart, and strive to serve Me with fervent will.
2. “My Son, often the fire burneth, but the flame ascendeth not without
smoke. So also the desires of some men burn towards heavenly things,
and yet they are not free from the temptation of carnal affection. Thus
therefore they are not acting with an altogether simple desire for
God’s glory when they pray to Him so earnestly. Such, too, is
oftentimes thy desire, when thou hast imagined it to be so earnest. For
that is not pure and perfect which is tainted with thine own
self-seeking.
3. “Seek thou not what is pleasant and advantageous to thyself, but
what is acceptable and honourable unto Me; for if thou judgest rightly,
thou must choose and follow after My appointment rather than thine own
desire; yea, rather than anything that can be desired. I know thy
desire, and I have heard thy many groanings. Already thou longest to be
in the glorious liberty of the children of God; already the eternal
home delighteth thee, and the heavenly country full of joy; but the
hour is not yet come; there remaineth still another season, even a
season of warfare, a season of labour and probation. Thou desirest to
be filled with the Chief Good, but thou canst not attain it
immediately. I AM that Good; wait for Me, until the Kingdom of God
shall come.
4. “Thou must still be tried upon earth, and be exercised in many
things. Consolation shall from time to time be given thee, but abundant
satisfying shall not be granted. Be strong therefore, and be thou brave
both in working and in suffering things which are against thy nature.
Thou must put on the new man, and be changed into another man. Thou
must often do what thou wouldst not; and thou must leave undone what
thou wouldst do. What pleaseth others shall have good success, what
pleaseth thee shall have no prosperity. What others say shall be
listened to; what thou sayest shall receive no heed. Others shall ask
and receive; thou shalt ask and not obtain. Others shall be great in
the report of men, but about thee shall nothing be spoken. To others
this or that shall be entrusted; thou shalt be judged useful for
nought.
5. “For this cause nature shall sometimes be filled with sadness; and
it is a great thing if thou bear it silently. In this and many like
things the faithful servant of the Lord is wont to be tried, how far he
is able to deny himself and bring himself into subjection in all
things. Scarcely is there anything in which thou hast need to mortify
thyself so much as in seeing things which are adverse to thy will;
especially when things are commanded thee to be done which seem to thee
inexpedient or of little use to thee. And because thou darest not
resist a higher power, being under authority, therefore it seemeth hard
for thee to shape thy course according to the nod of another, and to
forego thine own opinion.
6. “But consider, My Son, the fruit of these labours, the swift end,
and the reward exceeding great; and thou shalt find it no pain to bear
them then, but rather the strongest solace of thy patience. For even in
exchange for this trifling desire which thou hast readily forsaken,
thou shalt always have thy will in Heaven. There verily thou shalt find
all that thou wouldst, all that thou canst long for. There thou shalt
have all good within thy power without the fear of losing it. There thy
will, ever at one with Mine, shall desire nothing outward, nothing for
itself. There no man shall withstand thee, none shall complain of thee,
none shall hinder, nothing shall stand in thy path; but all things
desired by thee shall be present together, and shall refresh thy whole
affection, and fill it up even to the brim. There I will glory for the
scorn suffered here, the garment of praise for sorrow, and for the
lowest place a throne in the Kingdom, for ever. There shall appear the
fruit of obedience, the labour of repentance shall rejoice, and humble
subjection shall be crowned gloriously.
7. “Now therefore bow thyself humbly under the hands of all men; nor
let it trouble thee who said this or who ordered that; but take special
heed that whether thy superior, thy inferior, or thy equal, require
anything from thee, or even show a desire for it; take it all in good
part, and study with a good will to fulfil the desire. Let one seek
this, another that; let this man glory in this, and that man in that,
and be praised a thousand thousand times, but rejoice thou only in the
contempt of thyself, and in Mine own good pleasure and glory. This is
what thou art to long for, even that whether by life or by death God
may be ever magnified in thee.”(1)
(1) Philippians i. 20.