^*r^\(.
'
...
.
'v .r ^J!}'-
..I'l
30-V
f
.
^y,_^;-..
>
-,
|//,
.'.
im'
•3 ^Vr
;?'''•<
-
^
-'.''
"
f'
•
.^ -0^
P
V
V
\..
-v..
''^.
^
,/
o
x^
Oo^
V
^ct.
^^•.
'^iS^.>^\v^ '^
.^^''.•^,
^^-^^
LETTERS ^
,
OF
MADAME GUYON; .:\
SELECTIONS OF HER RELIGIOUS THOUGHTS AND EXPERIENCES, TRANSLATED AND RE-ARRANGED N
FROM HER PRIVATE CORRESPONDENCE; INCLUDING %
HER CORRESPONDENCE WITH FENELON, ABRIDGED.
By MRS.
P. L.
UPHAM.
NEW YORK: W.
C.
PALMER,
Jr.,
14
1870.
BIBLE HOUSE.
year xS^o, by Act of Congress, in the Entered, according to
MRS. In
P.
L-
District the Clerk's Office of the
"^
UPHAM, Coyt
for the District of
Printers, Boston. Rand, Avery, a^Frye,
Maine.
IX^
PREFACE.
Madame Guyon's correspondence wag very extensive, occupying five printed volumes. Her style of writing is somewhat diffuse. The writer does not undertake a literal and full translation of her letters, but has endeavored, in a concise way, to give a just expression of her religious sentiments and experiences.
Her correspondence withF^nelon tained, principally, in the
her letters.
fifth
is
con-
volume of
In translating this correspond-
ence, the writer has also
made a
selection
of such letters, and such portions of them, as she
deemed of
niost value.
Correspond-
ence between persons so distinguished naturally
As
awakens deep far as
interest.
can be ascertained from dates,
PREFACE.
IV
this
correspondence commenced in the year the year of Madame Guyon's release
1688,
—
from prison, and embraces only two years. Fenelon embraced the doctrine of pure love, and suffered meekly all the persecutions he received on this account. He was the steadfast friend and advocate of Madame Guyon
and her principles, to the close of his life. Fenelon was a man of high position, a man of talents, learning, and piety, and greatly respected and boloved. The following extract is taken from the conclusion of all Madame Guyon^s writings
:
—
" If ever these writings
fall
into the hands
of others, either before or after I
my
death,
pray them not to examine them scrupu-
lously,
but endeavor to draw from them
whatever instruction state.
God
is
adapted to their
will enlighten the
humble."
P. L.
New York,
1870.
UPHAM.
SKETCH OF HER LIFE Jeannie Marie Mothe, of
Madam Guyon.
was born
France, April 13, 1648,
M.
name
the maiden at
Montargis, in
She was married
to
in
1664, and became the mother
of four children.
In July, 1676, she was sepa-
J.
Guyon,
rated from her husband
by
Madam Guy-
death.
on was one of that number, who, the
common
Reformers
;
standard of piety, are called to be
and on
this
account, she
suffered
She was several times im-
great persecutions. prisoned.
advance of
in
At one time
eight months
;
and subse-
quently four years in one of the towers of the celebrated Bastile. on, she
After her release from pris-
was banished
for the
remainder of her
days to Blois, on the river Loire.
At
the time
of her release from the Bastile, she was fifty-four
years
of
age.
Her 1^
sufferings
from the
V
cold,
SKETCH OF HER LIFE.
VI
damp
walls of the prison, in winter, and the con-
fined air in
summer, with other privations and
hardships, greatly impaired her constitution,
and
rendered her a sufferer to the close of her days.
She died June
9,
1717, aged sixty-nine years.
During her imprisonment, she wrote her Autobiography, which has been translated into
Another work of
lish.
hers,
"
The
Eng-
Torrents,"
has recently been translated, very happily, by
Mr. Ford. Also two and J.
" Concise
W.
View
Metcalf.
essays, "
of the
It is not
Method of Prayer,"
Way
by
of God,"
known by
the writer,
that her other works have been translated, with
the exception of some of her poems
Cowper;
and "The Life and Experience of
Madam Guy on," husband.
by William
in
two volumes, written by
my
P. L. U.
OOl^TElSTTS.
1. 2.
Reign of Christ in the heart, Turn away from Self to Christ, .
11
.
.
•
.
.
,
,
,14
3.
State of Assurance,
16
4.
Humility the Effect of Love,
18
5.
Divine Communications,
20
6.
Joy in Persecutions,
22
Liberty in Christ,
24
27
10.
Melancholy Avoided, God's Care of the Soul, Power of the Adversary,
34
7.
8.
9.
29
31
11.
Unction of Grace,
12.
Spiritual Oneness,
36
13.
Vicissitudes in Experience,
38
14.
Patience with the Faults of Others,
15.
How
16.
State of Simplicitt,
17.
Quenching the Spirit,
18.
Suffering Crucifixions
19.
63
20.
Reprove in Love, Silent Operation of Grace,
21.
Limit not your Sphere,
57
.
TO distinguish the Movements of God,
,
,41
,
.
43
46 48
and Reductions of
Self,
50
55
22.
Secret of Divine Operations,
59
23.
No Union with
67
24.
Never yield to Discouragement,
Selfish Souls, .
,
vii
,
.69
.
CONTENTS.
VUl 25.
Weaknesses. Imperfections,
26.
State of Advancement,
27. 28.
Greatness of Spiritual Poverty, Assistance Rendered,
29.
Simplicity
30.
Forgetfulness of Self,
31.
Diversity of Means of Sanctification,
32.
Comfort
33.
Bearing Fruit in Union with Christ, Desolate State,
34.
71
73 .
77 79
81 .
,
.
.
,83
in Affliction,
85
Self- Abandonment,
36.
No Dependence on
37.
Child of God, Soon to Die,
38.
Union of Souls in God,
39.
Secret Operations of Grace,
.
87
91
93
Instruments,
.
.
.
.95 97
99 101
40.
To A Young Friend,
41.
Final Letter to her Spiritual Guide,
42.
44.
Glory of God, the one Desire, Spiritual Union and Aid, Live in the Present,
45.
How
103
.
.
.
Bearing the States of Christ,
47.
Imperfections no Hinderance,
.105
....
108 110 112
TO administer Reproof,
46.
48.
.
...
and Power of the Word,
35.
43.
,75
....,,. .
114 .
,
,
.116 118
JDeath, Resurrection,
120
49.
Grace Deeply Interior,
122
50.
Self-Renunciation,
124
51.
Unexpected. Faults,
126
62.
Apostolic State,
128
53.
Painful Experience,
130
54.
Ecstasy of the Mind and Heart,
.
.
.
.132
65.
A
56.
State of a Soul in Union with God,
.
.
.136
57.
State of Best in God,
View of
134
Self,
138
CONTENTS.
IX
68.
Great Humiliations,
140
59.
Repose of the Soul in Gtod,
142
60.
Power of casting out Devlls,
61.
State of
62.
Concise View of the Interior
a Soul
144
re-united to God,
.
Way,
.
.
.146
.
.
.148
CORRESPONDENCE. 1. 2. 3.
4. 5.
6. 7.
8.
9.
10. 11. 12.
13. 14.
15. 16.
17. 18.
Madame Guyon to Fenelon, Fenelon to Madame Guyon, Madame Guyon to Fenelon, FENELON to Madame Guyon, Madame Guyon to Fenelon, Fenelon to Madame Guyon,
159 162 .
.
.
Madame Guyon to Fi&nelon, FfiNELON to Madame Guyon, Madame Guyon to Fenelon, Fenelon to Madame Guyon, Madame Guyon to F£:nelon, Madame Guyon to Fenelon FENELON TO Madame Guyon, Madame Guyon to Fenelon, FfiNELON TO Madame Guyon, Madame Guyon to Fenelon, Fenelon to Madame Guyon, Madame Guyon to Mr. Poiret,
...
164 167
170 173
176 181
184 187
190
194 197 200
203
206 209
212
SELECTIONS FROM HER POETRY. 1
A
2.
God Everywhere,
Little Bird
I
am,
214 215
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
REIGN OF CHRIST IN THE HEART I
HAVE read your
with
great
my
letter,
pleasure.
It
is
dear brother,
my
highest
happiness to see the reign of Jesus Christ
extending people.
itself in
An
the
hearts
of God's
external religion has too
much
usurped the place of the religion of the heart.
The
ancient
Isaac, Jacob,
is
Enoch, Job
The
with God.
saints
— Abraham,
— lived
interiorly
reign of Christ on earth
nothing more nor less than the subjec-
tion of the
whole soul to himself.
the world are opposed to this reign. pray, " in
Thy
Heaven
will be
;"
done on
Alas
I
Many
earth as
it is
but they are unwilling to be 11
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
12
crucified to the world,
God
lusts.
and to
theii sinful
designs to bring his children,
naturally rebellious, through the desert of crucifixions
— through
the promised
the wilderness, into
But how maqy to be
the temptations in
rebel,
bond-slaves in
land.
and choose rather Egypt, than
suffer
the reductions of their sensual appetite.
Since Jesus Christ appeared on earth, there
a general belief that the kingdoms
is
of this world will ultimately be subject to
dominion.
his
may ask, who by now yielding up
But we
hastens his coming, his
own
heart to his entire control
Our Lord imposed no nies
on
enter into the closet
heart;
to speak but
rigorous ceremo-^
He
his disciples. ;
?
taught them to
to retire within the
few words;
to
open
their hearts, to receive the descent of the
Holy
Spirit.
The holy Sabbath has not only an external, but a deeply spiritual It
meaning.
symbolises the rest of the holy soul, in
REIGN OF CHRIST IN THE HEART. union with God.
Oh
I
that
all
13
Christians
might know the coming of Jesus Christ in the soul in
!
Might
live in
God, and God
them
God
alone
knows how much 2
I
love you,
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
14
TURN FROM SELF TO CHRIST
You
my dear my heart.
are not forgotten,
has engraven you on
God
E. If
you
have not consented to the thoughts that have crossed your mind, do not be
on account of them.
afflicted
The examination
and dwelling upon these thoughts, brings
them again
to
life.
/
Be on your guard"
against everything that entangles you in self.
God
is
a Father
who
bears with the
innocent faults of his children, and wipes
away
the stains they have contracted.
greatest
doubt
wrong you can do
He
his love.
and purity of the
to
God
The is
to
regards the simplicity
intention.
It is right to
cherish great self-distrust, to realise your
weakness and
Confide as
stop here. as
you hope
Do not at
not all
helplessness
less
afflict
;
but do not
much more
in
God,
from yourself. yourself, because
you do
times realise a sensible confidence
TURN FROM SELF TO CHRIST. in
15
God, and other consoling, happy
Walk by faith, and
not by sight, or positive
perception of the good you crave.
my
Let
'
us,
dear E., be closely united, and walk
together;
not according to the
might choose, but according to
God
states.
chooses for us.
I love
you
tenderly.
way we the way
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
.6
ASSURANCE.
Notwithstanding
my
all
that
dear M., in opposition to
have
cannot
There
is
one
within
doubt
of
upon
my
heart,
immutability.
my
state, I
its
reality.
me an inward
to the truth, so deep, that
could not shake
said to me,
is
it.
Tt is
the world
all
the
testimony
work of God
and partakes of
It
seems to
me
own
his
that
the
all
difficulties
of theologians concerning this
state, arise
from viewing
it,
not in the light
of divine truth and power, but in the light of the creature. itself, is it
it
the creature, in
only weakness and sin
pleases
make
It is true,
God
;
but
when
to new-create the soul,
one with himself,
it is
and
then trans-
formed into the likeness of
Christ.
Who will dare limit the Who will say that God,
power of God
infinite as it is free,
of love as
whose love
?
is
cannot give such proofs
he pleases, to
his
creatures?
ASSURANCE.
Has he
not the right to love
17
me
as he does?
Yes, he loves me, and his love I
do not doubt
And
it.
is
he loves you, too,
dear M., in the same manner. manifested,
love
eternal
God drawn
out,
infinite.
— the
— expressed
This
is
heart of
towards his
creature.
we
In this state, secrets
Who
will so
understand the mutual
and the
Lover
of the
deny the truth of the Lord,
as to question this
? f
my
beloved in assert, I
"It
When
so,
—
I
his
witness of men,
witness of
God ? 2^
!
"
" If
how much "
my
deceived."
My
we
hold
does one
am
smile inwardly and say, "
am
I
arms, in vain
not
is
mine and I
beloved.
beloved
is
receive the
greater is the
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
18
HUMILITY THE EFFECT OF LOVE. ASSURE you, you are very dear to me.
I
I rejoice
very
When
soul.
much I
in the progress of your
speak of progress,
we in,
charge a vessel, the more ballast the lower
have in the in
self.
/<
The
when
sinks, so the
soul, the
lower
we
void of love.
we
put
are abased
side of the scales
it is
in
more love we which
empty; so the soul
elevated, is
only
it
is
it
As when
descending, not in mounting. •
"
weight," says St. Augustine.
is
elated
is
Love
is
Let
4is
our so
charge ourselves with the weight of love, as to bring
down
self to its just level.
Let
its
depths be manifested by our readiness
to
bear the cross, the humiliations, the
sufferings,
which
are
purification of the soul. is
our exaltation.
among you our Lord.
shall
"
necessary
to
the
Our humiliation
Whosoever
is
least
be the greatest," says
HUMILITY THE EFFECT OF LOYE.
my
you,
I love
dear child, in the love ol
the Divine Master,
by love it
who
Oh what
so abased himself
a weight
!
!
caused so astonishing a
to earth,
— from
beautiful Christ,
die to
God
passage
to
in
fall,
man! the
is love,
/but
God
since
from heaven
There
Imitation
''Love to be unknown."
all
19
is
a
of
Let us
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
20
DIVINE COMMUNICATIONS.
God communicates and
blesses,
himself to pure soulsj
through them, other souls,
a stati of receptivity.
are in
which water
little rills,
who
All these
others, little
com-
pared with the fountain from which they flow,
own,
hav^ no determinate choice of their bi" t
are governed
Lord and Master. comxnunicative.
Gud
if
himself,
will of their
The nature
God would
of
God
is
cease to be
he should cease to communicate
by
love, to the
_,^J^_^oul emptied of
The seven are
nearest to
pure soul.
a vacuum, so
air rushes to
throne,
by the
God
As
the
£Qls the
self.
blessed spirits
those
angels
God, and to
around
the
who approach
whom
he com-
municates himself the most abundantly. St.
John, perhaps,
was
better
prepared
than any of the apostles to receive the
Word,
incarnate, dwelling in the soul.
DIVINE COMMUNICATIONS.
On
the
bosom of
nity with him,
Jesus,
— in close
— John learned the
and depths of divine account our Lord
love.
It
affi-
heights
was on
this
said to his mother, " see-
ing the disciple stand by
Woman
21
whom
behold thy Son."
he loved,
He knew
the
loving heart of John would give her a place in his
own home.
God communicates himself to us in proportion as we are prepared to receive him. And in proportion as he diffuses himself in us, we are transformed in him, and bear his image.
O, the astonishing depths of
God's love! giving himself to souls appropriated of
and their
self,
becoming
their end,
their final principle, their fulness, all.
dis-
and
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
22
JOY IN PERSECUTIONS.
AM very
I for
God
my
grateful to you,
my
your sympathy in
^
dear
apparent
sir, ills.
has not permitted that I should con-
sider
them otherwise than
trust
what appears
I
destroy the truth
to
the end, establish
will, in
blessings.
Those who
it.
maintain the inward reign of the Holy Spirit will yet suffer
There
maAy
persecutions.
nothing of any value but the
is
love of God, and the accomplishment of his
This
will.
is
pure and
substantial
man
taketh from
This joy no
happiness. us. It is
my
only desir
into the hands of
without
fears,
to
abandon myself
God, without
without
any
scruples,
agitating
thoughts.
Since
I
am
there,
O
Lord,
be otherwise than happy?
how can
When
I
divine
Love has enfranchised the soul, what power
JOY IN PERSECUTIONS. can
How
fetter it?
pears to a heart that I
my
love thee,
sake.
Thou
soul,
and the
no other forsake I
hands.
my
life of
in
me
love
I
the soul of my^
my is
that I have
life,
Let
than thine.
This
all
Lover
the world lives,
and
the deep abyss
hide myself in these
many
perse-
O, abandonment! blessed aban-
Happy
!
itself,
my
separate
none
much
Lord,
donment
with himself!
creatures only for thy
all
him.
I
fills
seems to
it
art so
;
cutions.
more
God
me my in
live
where
life
small the world ap-
Lord, not only with a
sovereign love, but
thee alone, and
23
can All
but in
soul from
pluck is
union with him.
who
the soul
God.
God
What ?
me from my
well,
when
no
lives
can
Surely,
Father's
the soul
is
in
/^
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
24
LIBERTY
When
indeed."
in the soul,
it
free,
ye shall be
man of sin is new man established
and the
destroyed,
As a
CHRIST.
Son make ye
" If the \Lfree
m
the
finds itself in perfect liberty.
bird let loose from
its
cage, the soul
goes forth, unfettered, to dwell in the im-
mensity of God.
The
restricts the soul at
natural selfish
every point
God, the great /am,
;
life
and even
unseen, or deprived
is
of his glory.
"When Paul asked,
me " I
from
this
"Who
body of death
shall deliver ?
"
he added,
thank God, through Jesus Christ our
Lord."
That
is,
when by
God^ the new man soul,
I
quently,
shall
when
is
the grace of
established in
be delivered.
my
And, subse-
deliverance came, he cried
out in transport, "I Christ liveth in
live,
me!"
and yet not
I.
He was now no
25
LIBERTY IN CHRIST.
more occupied of Christ live
and
mated by him, If another
himself, but
him
act in
as the
soul
body would obey
body
he was ani-
;
is
of the soul.
animated our body, the this
new
soul
become the moving-spring of its
Thus
Jesus Christ
new man.
Jesus
let
;
would
operations.
becomes the
And what can
it
life
of the
be more
free,
more enlarged, than the soul of Jesus? His nature
divine,
is
eternal,
boundless.
Alas! to what a narrow point does self reduce us
!
Who
that looks at the freedom
and expansion of the the
new man,
soul, as it puts
Christ Jesus, will not crush
the reptile self to the dust, that the
God may
on
again, as in
its
first
life
of
creation,
animate the soul ? This liberty
is
as the eagles' wings, of
which the prophet speaks, which the soul on high.
The dove
carries
that lighted
on Jesus, was an emblem, not only of innocence, but of freedom,
3
— of
liberty^ of
LETTERS OF MADiJl GUYON.
26
to
soar
please
God
spirit it
and dwell in God. to give
May-
you an experience and you
of this liberty.
Quit
find the freedom
and enlargement of the
All in AU.
self,
will
MELANCHOLY AVOIDED.
27
MELANCHOLY AVOIDED. I
ASSURE you,
my
dear M., I sympathize
deeply in your sufferings
but
;
entreat
I
you, give no place to despondency. is
a dangerous temptation,
—a
This
refined, not
a gross temptation of the adversary.
Mel-
ancholy contracts and withers the heart,
and renders
it
unfit to receive the impres-
sions of grace.
It
magnifies and gives a
false coloring to objects,
and thus renders
Your
your burdens too heavy to bear. ill-health
and the
have from state.
his
friends,
little
consolation
help
to
you
nourish this
God's designs, regarding you, and
methods of bringing about these de-
signs, are infinitely wise.
There are two methods of serving children.
want
One
is,
for present pleasure.
deny them present
them
all
Another
pleasure for
they is,
to
greater
God is a wise Father, and chooses best way to conduct his children.
good. the
to give
Httle^^
1/
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
28
T
A
sad exterior
is
more
than attract to piety.
sure
It is
repel
to
necessary to
serve God, with a certain joyousness of spirit,
with a freedom and openness, which
renders
it
manifest that his yoke
that
is
neither
it
is
easy
a burden nor inconve-
nience. If
you would please God, be happy
and
others,
useful to
must
you
yourself,
renounce this melancholy disposition. is better
to divert your
recreations,
is
mind with innocent
than to nourish melancholy.
When I was my father's, a
a
little
child, a
very godly man,
nephew
better to cherish a desire to please
than a fear of displeasing him." desire to please
an
spirit.
cheerful,
For
" It
God,
Let the
God, and honor him, by
exterior all sweet, all
and
of
who ended
days by martyrdom, said to me,
his
It
humble,
all
cordial
arouse and animate your
this I pray.
Ever yours.
GOD^S CARE OF THE SOUL.
29
GOD'S CARE OF THE SOUL COMMITTED TO HIM.
O, THAT you could
how much God
friend,
upon
draws
painter
image pleases him,
dear
rSs~a
loves you.
what
canvas
his
so
my
realize,
God
is
now
pre-
paring your soul, by these inward cruci-
draw upon
fixions, to
He
cherishes
own
likeness.
you as the mother her only
He would
son.
his
it
have you yield readily to
his will, even as the branches of the tree
are
moved by
wind.
ment
God, he
be
naturally,
arrest
same
you
care of you.
and be
if
you
embarrassed to discern the
of God.
providencies
the
your abandon-
will take
yield readily to his will,
less
movements
breath of
light
In proportion to to
When you will
the
of
You
will follow
led, as it
God.
right to incline
3*
were, by the
God
you mistake.
them
will
God
gently
has the
and move the heart
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
30
as to possess
it.
When
the soul
fectly yielding, it loses all its
ency, so to
moment which
it is
Let there in
per-
consist-
speak, in order to take any
the shape that
water takes
own
is
God
gives
it
;
as
the form of the vases in
all
put,
and
also all the
colors.
be no longer any resistance
your mind, and your heart will soon
mingle in the ocean of love float easily^ and
be at
rest.
;
you
will
POWER OF THE ADVERSARY.
31
POWER OF THE ADVERSARY. I
AM deeply
many,
afflicted that so
some good
the present day, and even
at
per-
sons, allow themselves to be openly seduced
Has not our Lord
by the Evil One.
warned us against "false prophets, and the lying wonders of the last days ? " true prophets
of
the
Lord
spoken —haveThus
in the
saith
'"
the
All
name LordP
Nothing gives the enemy greater advantage than the love of extraordinary manifestations.
I
believe these external
ments are a device of the
draw away
one,
interior
The tendency is
An eminent
Word of God, tranquil way of faith.
to
of
communications
all
make
the soul die to^elf.
saint remarks, that
sha^ad
often experienced illuminations from
angel of
to
souls from the
and from the
from God,
evil
move-
darkness,
more
enticing, than those that
pleasing,
the
more
came from God.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
32
Those delusory manifestations, however, leave the soul in a disturbed state, while
those that quilise
and
come from God humble,
tran-
Him.
The
those,
which
establish the soul in
most dangerous seductions are
assume the garb of semblance of
religion
and have the
truth.
among
Elias appeared alone
four hun-
These prophets
dred prophets of Baal.
were much agitated, attracting great
at-
tention, " crying aloud," etc.
When
Elias
was
told
by the angel, that
Mount Horeb,
he would see the Lord in
He saw a great God was not
he hid hiraself in a cave. trembling of
earth.
There came a great whirlwind.
there.
God was little
the
Then
not there.
zephyr.
God
there
\uas in the
came a
still
small
voice.
The only
true
and
safe
revelation, is
the internal revelation of the Lord Jesus Christ in the soul. voice."
"
My
sheep hear
my
This involves no disturbance of
POWER OF THE ADVERSARY.
33
our freedom, of the natural operations of the
mind
;
but produces a beautiful har-
monious action of
beseech you,
soul.
I
name
of the
from
all
all
the powers of the
my
friend,
in the
Lord, to separate yourself
these delusions of the adversary.
/
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
34
UNCTION OF GRACE. Friday morning, the much, on account of
you know.
It
15th, I suffered very-
the individual^
seemed
to
him should be
the all of self in
destroyed.
I perceived, that
he
although the
from
proceeded
uttered,
inward work of the
upon
spirit
without his perceiving
effect of these truths lost.
'Souls are
was
in
it,
power-
that the
some degree
won more by
of grace — by the
the
his heart,
his reasoning faculty operated so fully,
God
me, that
wished that
truths
whom
the unction
weapons of love
— than
by the power of argument. Are not the truths you too
much
utter,
seems to be
ear, as
friend,
elaborated by the intellect, and
polished by the imagination
directness.
my
lost, for
They
want of fall
?
Their
effect
simplicity
and
pleasantly on the
a lovely song, but do not reach and
move the
heart.
There
is
a lack of unction.
UNCTION OF GRACE.
Are you not always laboring
new jtnd
for
35
something your
original, thus exhibiting
own
powers of mind, rather than the simple -'N
Jrath
?
Receive this suggestion, and light will
be given you upon
To
plainly?
only, is
truth
Do
it.
speak the
desire.
I
all
morning prayed, rather
I
speak too
and the
truth, I
have this
to be taken out of
the world, than to disguise the truth.
have proclaimed
in its
it,
great Congregation, and that Thou, heart
Thou
is
purity, in the
it
will
Lord, hast distilled
or rather,
;
O
be seen it
in
my
Sovereign Truth, that
art there thyself, to manifest thyself
plainly,
weak
O
I
and that Thou dost make use of
things to confound the strong.
truth
and
love.
In
Him
yours.
God
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
36
SPIRITUAL ONENESS.
My
my
union with you,
steadily
increasing.
dear child,
you
bear
I
,
in
is
my
heart with a deep and absorbing interest,
and seem anxious
to
communicate
How
of souls,
close,
made one
Whosoever
There
brother."
more
is is
it,
do
my
!
the union
is
Our Savior
!
when he
the
sister
and
union of souls in
Heaven possess each
— a union which does
other in
not interrupt
the possession ai God, although
it is
dis-
from God.
Let your soul have within Yes.
my
In this manner, pure as delightful,
the saints in
tinct
of
will
mother,
said,
no union more pure,
strong, than the
Christ
God;
shall
same
Father, the
dear
in Christ
expressed
beautifully "
how
you
my own
the abundant grace poured into soul.
to
When
God, there
is
it,
a continual
in union with
the heart
is
no Nay^ —
it is
Yes^ be
it so^
SPIRITUAL ONENESS.
which reverberates through the Yes,
suppleness,
this
37 soul.
This
the
heart
renders
agreeable to the heart of the Spouse.
was thus with Mary, Lord, her,
when
of the Lord, be
word. "
It
the mother of our
the angel messenger
she replied, it
" Behold, the
unto
me
came
to
handmaid
according to thy
was thus with
soul of Samuel,
It
when he
the child-like said,
"
Speak,
Lord, for thy servant heareth. "
It
thus with our divine Lord, " Lo,
I
was
come
to do thy will.
Yours in the fellowship of the Saints.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
38
VICISSITUDES IN EXPERIENCE.
As
the outgoings of
the living man, while
life
we
proceed from
live in ourselves,
we have a strong will and and many fluctuating states.
eager desires,
But
in pro-
portion as our will passes into the will of
God, the
which are the offspring
desires
of the will, are subjugated, and the soul
is
reduced to unity in God. „_^»«—
-^g the soul advances in the
movements
natural or selfish
its
and
it
depends
exercises,
less
and there
life
of God,
decrease
on mere emotional
is really less
variation
of the emotions.
Rest assured,
it
is
same God who
the
causes the scarcity and the abundance, the rain
and the
low
states, the peaceful
warfare, are
fair
The high and
weather.
each
good
and the in
their
state of
season.
These vicissitudes form and mature the
VICISSITUDES IN EXPERIENCE. interior, as
the different seasons
the year.
Each change
compose
by which
and
to try your faith
will be a help
you
soul, if
inward
in your
experience, or external condition, test,
39
a new-
is
and love
towards perfecting your
receive
it
with love and sub-
mission.
Leave yourself
Love
Love. it
therefore in the
hands of
always the same, although
is
causes you often to change your position.
He who loves
prefers
one state to another,
abundance more than
scarcity,
God orders otherwise, loves the God more than God himself. God loves you let this thought ;
all states.
who
when
gifts
of
equalise
Let him do with us as with the
waves of the
sea,
and whether he takes us
to his
bosom, or casts us upon the sand,
that
leaves us to our
is,
own
barrenness,
all
is well.
For myself,
Lord orders
I
for
am me.
pleased with
all
the
I hold myself ready
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
40
to suffer, not only imprisonment but death perils
— on — sea among
everywhere
perils
on the
all is
good
forever.
in
perils
the land
—
false brethren;
Him,
to
whom
I
am
united
PATIENCE WITH OTHERS.
41
PATIENCE WITH THE FAULTS OF OTHERS. LOVE you very much,
I
my
my
any
love could be of
dear M.
If
would
avail, it
console you, for I feel a greater tenderness
and sympathy express.
I
for you,
am more
than
am
I
able to
certain than ever, that
God
designs you for himself.
riorly
with N., as being entirely reconciled.
Make not
too
much account of
his passionate temper, his
Live exte-
his coldness,
contempt.
It is
not by these you are to regulate your conduct, but
and
by a motive more elevated
Let your heart endure
his glory.
Him, who
bitterness, for the love of
ferred grief to pleasure.
do no violence to
to your
At
own
accommodate yourself
to give
— God
the
his
pre-
same time,
sacred feelings,
to him, in order
him a pleasure he cannot
appreciate.
Regard your present condition, as a means
God to
has given you, to manifest your love
himself,
by a willingness 4#
to
sacrifice
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
42
Reject not this cross, shall
yourself.
rather say crown,
let
all
God and
plished between
not
be accom-
your
soul, in
manner, that the struggle
such a quiet
with your
and
I
own
feelings will not be per-
ceived.
While you
are bearing this daily cross
crucifixion
this real
will sustain you, love. us. let
All I love
this
is
—
I
tenderly.
make amends
devotedly yours.
certain
God
from the fulness of
alike good,
you
am
when God
God for
all.
is
loves
In
his
with
you
;
Him
DIVINE MOVEMENTS.
HOW TO You
43
DISTINGUISH THE MOVEMENTS OF GOD.
enquire,
how one who
follow the ipovements of God's distinguish
these
desires to spirit,
may
from
the
movements,
There
natural operations of the mind.
is
not, at all times, a positive certainty regard-
ing divine movements. should
become
If
infallible
we were
as
were the
so,
we
angels
as pure in our intentions.
that
is, if
We
must walk with God,
donment and
it
in entire aban-
uncertainty, at the risk of
sometimes making mistakes, which in the infancy of experience
who
unavoidable.
He
wishes for a particular inspiration, or
direction
own
is
in
common
matters,
which
his
reason and judgment can determine,
is liable to
A pure
deception.
soul acts in simplicity,
and with-
out certainty, being persuaded that what is
good comes from God, and what
is
not
""^
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
44
good from
self-activity
tions
;
The
self.
— the more
greater the simplicity,
separate from the mingling of
— the
purer are these opera-
because the soul in this state
a simple instrument, that the is
in her, moves, so that
which speaks and not ner
of speaking,
it
to
only
Word, which the
is
Word
This man-
herself.
relates
is
matters of
importance, and not to the minute concerns of every-day
life.
consecrated
etc.,
to
it
shall
Word, soul,
Christ.
you before
they bring kings,
divine
found in the
exigencies^ is
wholly
The
in all
that is "
When
magistrates
and
be given .you in that
hour what ye shall speak. "
This method
— by — moment leaves the soul
always
unencumbered, and ready
for the slightest
of divine leading
t'le
^
breath of the Lord.
pure soul,
is
hour and by the free
and
This breath, in the
as the gentle zephyr,
and not
as the whirlwind, which shakes the earth.
Do
not then expect to have anticipated
movements,
or
movements beforehand from
45
DIVINE MOVEMENTS.
God. that
I
have an experience of
God
often
makes known
many
years,
his will, only
in the time of action. If a
pure soul, wholly sacrificed to God,
undertake something contrary to
should the will
of God,
it
would
feel
a slight
repugnance, and desist at once. does not
feel this
repugnance,
let
If
one
the act
A mother who
be performed in simplicity.
holds her child by a leading-string, loosens it,
that
it
may walk
;
but
if
about to make
a mis-step, she draws the
string.
repugnance which a holy soul thing, is as
when
leading-string.
feels to
The do a
the mother draws the
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
46
STATE OF SIMPLICITY. EXPERIENCED recently, a marked per-
I
God
ception of your state, as one in which
took
and
delight,
infinite designs,
glory.
God
I
saw
upon which he h^d
regarding himself and his
clearly the
desired to bring
you
— the
means
to
in the way —
be used, and the obstacles the mutual
which
state to
sympathy and confidence he
required between us
— and
the openness
and freedom of communication necessary for
we
our mutual benefit, and that
should
not hesitate to speak freely of each other's faults.
The
peculiarity
rience, needs I
you remark
in
some explanation.
my
expe-
You
say
do not seem to be wounded, nor blame
myself when
which self
I
reproved for a
reply simply, there
remaining in
indifferent state
me
to be
is
fault.
no more of
wounded.
you notice
To
in
me,
This arises
STATE OF SIMPLICITY.
47
from the state of innocency and infancy in
which
I find
holds
me
so far
removed from myself, or from
my
impossible for
me
natural state, that to take a painful
a fault traces
Our Lord
myself.
it is
committed by me,
is
on the soul;
external,
which
is
am
infer that I
is
it
it
which
my
blind to
something
Do
are in the natural
God, have
But
souls,
faults, as
Souls
life,
have
real
it
as soon as
economy
is
they see and
transformed
into
a writing traced on
sand when the wind
souls in
The
faults.
a paper written over with ink
them.
defacing
not
and penetrating,
strongly marked, therefore
the
as
discovers the slightest fault.
faults, as
feel
leaves no
it
easily removed.
light of truth is so subtle
that
When
view of myself.
is it is
high, the traced.
wind
This
is
of divine wisdom, relating to
union and harmony with God.
Oh!
the greatness and simplicity of the
way
of Truth!
apprehension of
How it
unlike the world's
48
MADAM GUYON.
LETTERS OF
QUENCHING THE SPIRIT Desiring to follow closely the divine leading, I expressed to
you the other day,
some sentiments you were not receive.
perceived
I
once,' that
at
account of your resistance,
From
more.
I
on
could say no
experience,
this
able to
although
painful as regards yourself, I learnt the
extreme delicacy of the
seeks
spirit that
to aid others ;^>and the strength of man's
freedom to oppose ized, also, for,
I
my
this operation.
I real-
inability to act of myself;
as soon as the spirit in
had nothing
to
say.
I
me was
sUent,
had, however,
the extreme satisfaction of knowing, that this
good
that I
spirit
would
alone conducted
;
and
not, in the least degree, add,
nor diminish from It
me
its
operations.
was from a knowledge, gained by
experience,
of
the
purity of this divine
extreme delicacy and spirit,
that I remarked
QUENCHING THE
SPIRIT.
to you, the other day, that
receive
the
I should
nicate to
if
49
you did not
instructions I then imparted,
have nothing farther to commuyou.
O,
how
pure
and how
unlike the impetuous operation of man's spirit, is this
operation of
Qod
!
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
50
SUFFER THE CRUCIFIXIONS AND REDUCTIONS OF SELF.
All
the graces of the Christian, spring
from the death of
patiently the afflictions,
overflowing
life.
Let
self.
us, then, bear
which reduce
There
this
a suffering in
is
connection with confusions and uncertainties,
Unbounded
very trying to bear.
pa-
tience is necessary, to bear not only with ourselves, but
with others, whose various
tempers and dispositions are not congenial
with our own. spirit will
" Offences,"
occur while
we
— wounds of
live in the flesh.
These offences must be borne
in silence,
and thus subjugated and controlled by the spirit
we
of grace.
feel,
more or
By
a law of our nature?
less,
the influence of the
we move. While we honor, we think,
spheres in which
cross, the affliction that let
the
true
comes from God,
us remember, that these instruments,
CEUCIFIXIONS OF SELF. disagreeable,
SO
the true
are
51 cross
that
providence daily furnishes us.
Do
not sully the cross and
tions,
by your murmurs and
Let us welcome any
what we selves
mar
are,
and
trials,
and lead us
find our all in
Jesus Christ says, "
opera-
its
reflections.
that teach us
to renounce our-
God.
He who
renounces
my disciple."
not
all
that he hath, cannot be
Of
all
possessions, that of ourselves
is
most dangerous. Please present
your brother. misfortunes.
formity to
I I
the
^
my
regards
cordial
to
sympathize deeply in his
use this expression, in con-
common
usage, but
express the sentiments of
my
it
does not
heart.
I
am
convinced that the loss of wealth, worldly honor, persecutions,
ments to unite us
are
the
best instru-
to Jesus Christ.
All evils,
or apparent evils, are great blessings
they unite us to our All in All.
God
to sustain him.
I
when pray
His sufferings only
62
LETTERS OF
increase
my
our Lord. all is
weU
is there.
MADAM GUYON.
sympathy and love
My
health
is
in the depths of
still
my
for
him
feeble,
heart.
in
but
God
REPROVE
REPROVE It
IN LOVE.
IN LOVE.
important to use great care and ^l^
is
sweetness in reproving others.
when
only
alone with
the
Reprove
person,
and
own time, but the moment of God. As we are not free from faults ourselves, we must not expect too much from others. Be yourself very humble and
take not your
child-like,
and
pathetically full
this character will act syrii-
on
others.
of sweetness
tiently
did
disciples,
he
and
Jesus Christ charity.
bear with his
How
was pa-
imperfect
even with Judas, without anger,
without bitterness, and even without coldness.
How
lowly was Jesus
imparts to his
ones no tyrannic power.
They use no
violence in
dealing with souls, but say
with John, " Behold the
who
" did not
He
break the bruised reed." little
He
!
taketh
5^
away
Lamb
of God,
the sins of the world."
a.
—
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
54
Our Lord
" rejoiced
in
unusual manner, such as else in Scripture,
thee,
O
when
we
find
an
in
spirit,"
nowhere
he said, " I thank
Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
because thou hast hid these things from the wise and prudent, and revealed
How
unto babesP presence of a ease
!
•
It
restraint,
happy are we
little
child;
them the
in
how much
at
imposes on us no burden of of fear, of
management!
It is
in this childlike disposition of meekness,
of sweetness, of innocency, that
we
should
seek to benefit others.
In the love of Jesus, yours.
SILENT OPERATION OF GRACE.
55
SILENT OPERATION OF GRACE. PERCEIVE, by your
I
you
letter,
are in
doubt about the grace which passes inte-
from heart to
riorly
an
We
heart.
illustration of this in the
our
touched
Lord,
perceive that virtue
when is
notice
woman who said
"he
:
" I
gone out of me."
In a similar manner, without words, one heart heart,
But it,
may communicate grace to another as God imparts grace to the soul.
if
the soul
not in a state to receive
is
the grace of the interior
municated, passage
"
;
as
K
is
expressed
they are not
in
illustrates,
another
children
peace, your peace will return to
This
not com-
is
according to
of
you again."
my
view,
pure interior communications of the grace of God, from heart to heart, which the soul relishes in silence, is
often
more
of words.
and which silence
efficacious than a multitude
56
MADAM GUYON.
LETTERS OF
At our tion
for
last interviews I
had an
inclina-
but finding in you an
silence,
communion,
aversion to silent
entered
I
into conversation, but without any interior
my
correspondence on
part, and, evidently,
without any benefit to you. teach you,
my
dear child, there
God would is
a silence
of the soul through which he operates, filling it
diffused
with the unction of grace, to be
on other hearts who are in a
state
of receptivity, often more efficacious than
words to replenish the
We find this nature.
The
still
soul.
harmonious action in
sun, the
The
shine in silence.
moon, and voice
of
God
heard in the silence of the soul. operation of grace
from God, and
is
may
in silence, as it
stars,
it
is
The comes
not reach and pass
from soul to soul without the noise of
words? it
means
O, that
all
Christians
knew what
to keep silence before the
Lord
LIMIT NOT
LIMIT NOT
Let me urge your heart
YOUR SPHERE.
YOUR SPHERE.
my
you,
child, to enlarge
to
or, rather, suffer it
;
57
become
enlarged by grace.
This contraction shuts
you up
and hinders an agree-
in yourself,
which we should ever main-
able openness tain,
even towards those
who have no ourselves.
An
open, frank exterior wins confidence.
Let
much
relish
particular
it
with
affinity
not appear, that you have so
for
yourself,
What seems regarded by
we
as not to think of to us a virtue is
God
as a fault;
shall so perceive,
others.
sometimes
and which
when we have
clearer
light.
You seem
to
certain sphere,
mark out
and
you think you do
if
for yourself
you go beyond
yourself
an
a it,
injury.
Thus, while you have an apparent movement, you are
whose
centre
only describing a
and circumference
circle, is
self.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
58
I entreat
you, pass beyond the narrow
bounds of
self;
—
suffer yourself to
be led
and way of God. much more happy and
out of self into the will
Thus you useful.
will be
If I
loved you
less,
I
should be
less severe.
Let God be the sovereign Master over our hearts, and instruct, and reprove, and operate, in us,
by
himself, or through others,
as pleases him.
Adieu.
God
bless you,
my
child.
SECRET OF DIVINE OPERATIONS.
59
SECRET OF DIVINE OPERATIONS UPON THE SOUL.
Do
not suppose, Dear
to be purified
by great
dinary events^
All
Sir,
trials
It
you are
and
extraor-
accomplished in you
is
by the suppleness of your state of infancy.
that
will,
— by
must be so on account
God
of the pride of your natural reason.
conducts the soul in a
human
philosophy.
the
way opposed
Hence
to
the necessity
of being reduced to the state of infancy,
and
we
to the subjection of the will. call
the death of the will^
is
What^
the passage
of our will into the will of God.
This
change implies not only a change in externals,
desires
but the inward subjection of the
and sentiments of the
heart.
most persons, who commence the life,
stop short.
They cannot submit
the interior crucifixion, the
Here
religious
to
which lays prostrate
whole of the natural carnal
life,
and
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
60
consequently there follows a mingling of the spirit of the flesh with grace, and is
which produces such monsters
this
Do we
the religious world.
not read in
Scripture, that in consequence of the
ance of the sons of
God
who
earth with wickedness, they
so filled the
drew down a
deluge of wrath upon the world? this
with the in
alli-
with the daughters
of men, giants were born,
from
it
in
It
abominable alliance of the
is
flesh
who appear mighty men, men of produced and sustained. One
spirit,
that
those
all
the world, as "
renown," are
may
be
full
life,
while appa-
dead to the external things of the
rently
Thus they
world. things,
joints
of the natural
and
are
in
alive
dead to
the most essential
— dead in name, but not in
By an authority God accomplishes we
relish of
reality.
as gentle as efficacious,
when we him. The
his will in us,
have surrendered our souls to consent
inferior
give to his operations, and our
them,
is
sweet and sustaining, in
SECRET OF DIVINE OPERATIONS.
61
proportion to the perfection of our aban-
God
donment.
with violence.
does not arrest the soul
He
such a manner, that
adjusts
we
things in
all
follow
him
happily,
even across dangerous precipices. So good is
Divine
this
Master, so well does he
understand the methods of conducting the soul, that it
runs after him, and makes
haste to walk in the path he orders.
Suppleness of soul
consequence to
its
is,
therefore, of vital
progress.
It is
the
work
God to eifect this. Happy are the souls, who yield to his discipline. God renders of
the soul, in the
commencement, supple
follow illuminated reason;
to
afterwards to
way of faith. He then conducts by unknown steps, causing it to
follow the
the soul
enter into the
which
is
wisdom
of Jesus
so different from
all
its
Christ
former
experience, that without the testimony of
divine filiation, which remains in the soul in
a manner hidden, and the ease and
liberty
the
soul finds
6
in
this
unknown
62
MADAM GUYON.
LETTERS OF
way,
it
would
consider itself
being
as
separated continually from God, being as
it
were, to act of
Human wisdom
itself.
and the powers of the soul
being here
lost,
controlled
by the wisdom of Jesus
born in the soul,
it
increases in
Christ,
propor-
its
even unto the stature of a perfect
tions,
man
left,
in Christ Jesus.
The
soul,
having
now
passed into God,
is in its
proper place, and will be happy,
provided
it
its
remains fixed and separate from
former manner of acting.
Reason may its
strength,
hesitations
at times
oppose with
and cause some
fears,
God,
but, being fixed in
;
impossible for the soul to change and, after the experience of sufferings, suffers
of love.
to be
There
is
drawn
to nature.
The
The
and naturalness of
ease
causes, at times,
is
some
it is ;
useless self,
it
in the current
now no more
soul
some
course
its
many
having their origin in
itself
all
of violence
in its natural state.
fear,
this
some
state
anxiety.
SECRET OF DIVINE OPERATIONS. It is as
and
in
much the nature of man, originally, his new creation in the likeness of be in God, and to be there in
Christ, to
perfect enlargement, simplicity,
cence, as
it
is
and inno-
the nature of water to flow
When man
in its channel. be,
63
one of
his state is
as he should
is
infinite ease
without limitations, because he
and
created
is
sovereign, or master of himself, and cannot
be subjected by anything created, although he
subjected to God,
is
called subjection, affinity
if
may
that
be
which brings the soul into
with God, and makes
it
partaker
of his nature.
Be
therefore persuaded, that
no violence in dealing with the
commotion
the
in
God
soul.
arises
soul,
tions.
of
all
when
that it
is
is
the soul
is
This
from the
resistance of man's will to divine
When
uses
opera-
disenfranchised
opposed to the will of
God
not arrested either by desires or
repugnancies,
it
runs without stopping or
weariness in the way.
This
is
what
is
64
LETTERS OF
called death,
was never true
When by the
;
much
but the soul
self;
alive
it
;
now
lives the
of God.
life
God
the soul becomes one with
own
loss of its
purposes,
them
— death to
so
the
life,
MADAM GUYON.
and
is
it
will
and
life, it
has
important to follow
but they are purposes in God, and
have in them nothing of rapport to self
is
self.
All that has
God
no more, and
Being passed into God, the soul
and transformed
This
in him.
mystics
call Resurrection.
used in
this
or natural
To
life.
life is
to the will or
But
way, does not bear
signification.
the former
is
is all.
changed
is
what
the
the
word
its
usual
resuscitate is to revive
But
in this case, the will,
consumed, and gives place
life
of God.
Thus
the
Holy
Spirit operates effectively in the soul, trans-
forming
it
into the likeness of the
Son
of
God.
Now the soul
participates in the qualities
of God, one of which qualities,
communicating
itself to
is
that of
other souls.
Or
SECRET OF DIVINE OPERATIONS. rather, it is as
65
a stream, which, being lost
in a large river, follows the course of the
communicating
river,
where the
itself
communicates, watering where
drawing into
itself all
which are destined selves in the great
river
waters,
it
the smaller rivers,
alike
lose
to
These
ocean of Love.
streams have no independent
life,
them-
but pro-
ceed from, and flow back into their origin.
Here
is
consummation of
the
ness, as Jesus "
One
in
it,
us,^^
There Blessed
is
divine
are
those
How many rivers,
souls in one-
Christ has expressed
reality
in
this
truth.
who comprehend
walk side by
it
side along these
and yet never mingle
their waters
And many
there are, also,
who
eagerness,
to precipitate
themselves into
this
divine
haste with
stream, and flow together, as
the souls of the celestial ones, in the ful-
ness of divine love.
This
is
not a chimera of the fancy
the wonderful
economy 6^
of divinity.
;
it is
It is
the
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
66
end and object of the creation of the soul
— the
end and compass of
the efforts
all
Here
of God, regarding his creatures.
consummated from
all
the
termination,
glorious
derives
All beside are only
their existence.
means approaching
the
God
glory,
is
this final end, this
and
absorption of
the soul in Deity.
Here
ravishes the soul.
A light which
the light which
is
precede, but follows the soul in
does not progress
its
man
unfolding more and more, as a
in a
dark cavern, discovers the concealed places,
when he has remained
only
in
it
for
some
time.
This
is
the pure Theology in which
instructs the angels
and the
saints.
who having
teaches only to his children,
abandoned self
their
become
This
we
It is
Theology of Experience, that God
the
us,
God
is
own wisdom,
their
wisdom and
the law of wisdom,
— the way of the are one.
he has
Lord
my
their
him life.
friend, for
in us.
In
him
NO UNION WITH SELFISH SOULS.
67
NO UNION WITH SELFISH SOULS.
There
are
some
These are
great suffering. full
souls which cause
of compromises, speculations
man
souls,
and hu-
arrangements, and desiring others to
accommodate themselves and
selfish
to their
humors
I find myself unable to
inclinations.
administer in the least degree to their love
and when
;
plaisant,
a
I
would be a
Master, more
myself, restrains me.
I
gives them.
I
little
self-
com-
powerful than
cannot give such
persons any other place in
God
me
my
heart,
than
cannot adapt myself
to their superficial state, neither respond to their professions of friendship
very repulsive to
The
my
;
these are
feelings.
love which dwells in
my
heart, is
not a natural love, but arises from a depth
which with
rejects,
it,
what is not in correspondence
or rather
what
with the heart of God.
is
I
not in unison
cannot be with
LETTERS OF
68
MADAM GUYON.
a child without caressing child-like
ment.
I
do not regard the
ness with God.
;
God
and on earth
attach-
exterior,
its affinity
The only
the union of souls in
in heaven,
nor with a
soul without a tender
the state of the soul
is
it,
but
and one-
perfect union, ;
such as exists
after the resurrec-
tion, life takes effect in the soul.
NEVER YIELD TO DISCOURAGEMENT.
69
NEVER YIELD TO DISCOURAGEMENT.
Do
not be disheartened,
my
friend,
A
account of your slow progress.
martyrdom
is
sometimes
in our nature,
—
long
necessary,
in
from the con-
order to purify our souls
cealed faults of self-love
on
interwoven
faults
and strengthened by long
As you cannot control at agitations of nature, arm yourself
indulgence.
once the
with patience, to accomplish the task
by
little
;
not in the
way
of direct
but rather by ceasing from
effort,
little
effort,
remain-
ing quiet, permitting neither gestures nor
words to betray your
we enter as we enter
Could grace,
into the highest state of
into a room,
easily accomplished. is
straight,
pass
;
feelings.
But
it
alas
I
might be the door
and there are many deaths to
in a word, death to
self.
^
It is this
long martyrdom, or dying of the old of sin, which causes
all
man
the pains of the
70
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
interior
life.
It is rare to find persons,
are willing to die entirely to fore
few reach the highest
Have good to
draw a
but
when
she
rolls
!
severance,
courage.
self,
and
who
there-
state of grace.
It is
a great work
large ship from her moorings,
she
is in
What
how easily when by per-
the waters,
happiness,
you have triumphed over nature,
to find yourself in the a'bundant waters of
grace!
I
God to He wiU.
pray
to the work.
put his
own hand
In Him, devotedly yours.
\j/^
WEAKNESS AND IMPERFECTIONS.
71
WEAKNESS AND IMPERFECTION. RECIPROCATE youi friendship, madam,
I
with
my
all
Our
heart.
knows how happy any possible
better to be feeble,
which
our own.
is
was
the pure soul
now
Master
to serve
you in "7~-
madam,
I
when God
\
it
is
leaves us
in their
frailties,
own
once thought, that
I
from
free
God
see otherwise.
dren with
eyes,
all faults,
but
clothes his chil-
that they
may
be humble
and be concealed from
The Tabernacle
the eyes of the world.
was covered with the skins of the beasts, while the Temple of Herod was ornamented with gold.
Let us not
afflict
account of our
littleness
God
it,
since
children.
not raise that
it
V
weakness, than to have a strength
in our
I
am Oh
I
way.
divine
so orders
When itself,
needs.
a
but
infirmities,
but become as
little
lets
ourselves on
and
child
falls, it
another do for
little
canit all
A
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
72 It
does not depend on ourselves to
the presence of
Let the
God more
or less sensible.
desire for a lively sense of this
presence, be crucified to the
Tak6 what child,
God
make
who gives
given you.
is
eats
and
you the
Be
w^ill
sleeps
of God.
as the
and
little
grows.
best nourishment, al-
though not always the sweetest to the taste.
you.
Adieu
I
my
heart sympathises with
ADVANCEMENT.
73
ADVANCEMENT. During the process of the and advancement,
tion
only of
but of
itself,
God and even
it
soul's purifica-
loses sight not
things else, except
all
of the distinct apprehension
;
there are no longer distinct,
and perceptions of
draw the soul
God.
Let
all
This
go in the
origin,
and
the soul
things to
creatures in
God,
it
in
from God.
yet in
is
itself,
and
it
its
order.
end and
finds all
itself, it
sees
it
God,
it
draws
God and
But when
itself.
in oneness with
with
necessary
without going out from God.
When all
lost in
is
divine
the soul has returned to
lost,
becom-
into oneness with
When
is
is,
bounded views
Christ, the soul
ing identical with Christ. in order to
That
humanity.
of our Lord, in his
the soul
aii is
carries all creatures
God, and sees nothing separate Seeing
all
in God,
it
sees all
things in the true light, as with the eye of 7
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
74
God.
This
is
what David
calls, "
Seeing
light in thy light.
May God what
say,
I
give
and
you understanding of and acquiescence
docility
in the truths,
which he causes to penetrate
your
make no
soul.
freely dil
I
my
for self, is
mirror, soul,
it
it
parent,
presents
least reserve
My
obstructs the view of God.
seems to me, only
is
clear
and
trans-
what the Master
and the execution of
and transparent.
vou
but express
as a strong breath against a
reflecting ;
The
thoughts.
rfenders the soul
to
reserves,
his
will
always increasingly pure
May God
be
all
in all
GREATNESS OF SPIRITUAL POVERTY.
75
GREATNESS OF SPIRITUAL POVERTY.
Do not measure yourself by others, who may not be led as you are. God chooses to enrich
some
souls with brilliant gifts,
but he has chosen you, stripped of
This
the depths of spiritual poverty.
all,
is
in
the
perfect self-renouncement, without which,
one cannot be the disciple of the Lord All other states,
Jesus.
they
may
are
be,
however elevated
inferior
naked, state of the soul.
to It
all
in favor of his Beloved.
It is
of the
enemy
remains of
what
is
;
is
pure,
a
state,
is
which despoils the lover of which the soul
this
he possesses a state in
shielded from all inroads
who can
self in
reach only what
the creature, and not
enclosed in God.
God has chosen you for himself alone. You are the sanctuary, which is open only to the high priest, in
which
ark of the covenant
— the
is
contained the
essential will of
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
76
God
— the
sacred place, encompassed by
the clouds, where the glory of
Oh!
blessed poverty of
state the gifts
a
soul
is
God
spirit,
appears.
in
which
enriched with the best
God can bestow
Measure not your advancement by tion to the road passed over, but
rela-
by rapport
There yet remains a great
to the end.
road to pass over, since
God
himself
is
the
way.
The more designs, the
fully
more
I
you
enter
love you.
into
his
ASSISTANCE ONE TO ANOTHER
77
ASSISTANCE RENDERED BY ONE SOUL TO ANOTHER.
The
interest
my
welfare,
I
dear F.,
your
in
feel
spiritual
very great
is
deeply absorbing, that I slept but
— so little
during the past night, presenting you in prayer before our Lord. conviction, that
heart
by
my
God
is
have an inward enriching
humble instrumentality
you on one
while he elevates debases
I
you on the
;
your thus,
side,
he
by commu-
other,
nicating his gi'ace through so unworthy a
channel as myself. to
me
your
state,
The
when
intelligence from you.
own
dered
it,
many
years hence, this
operations
for
his
will
be
Spirit has revealed I
have received no
God
has thus
glory;
or-
and when
method of God's
better
known
— the
assistance rendered by one soul to another,
without the mediation of the body use he has
made 7^
— the
of this feeble instrument
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
78 to
communicate
to
you
his grace, will serve
to substantiate this divine truth
venly
mode
There interior
is
and hea-
of operation. therefore for you, a
means of
advancement, which no distance
of place can interrupt.
It
will be only
from lack of correspondence on your that
it
will be diverted.
least for in' union
God
desires
a time, until your soul
with himself.
communication discharging
is
it,
at
is entirely
This method of
only a superior fountain
itself into
rivers bearing
part,
another
;
or,
as
each other to the same
two
sea.
Receive then this poor heart in the
ful-
ness of Christ's love, and believe me, no
one can be more I
am.
fully united to
you than
SIMPLICITY OF THE WORD.
SIMPLICITY
You
79
AND POWER OF THE WORD.
my
enquire,
friend,
why
do not
I
use obscure terms and extraordinary expressions,
in explaining the
My
Scriptures.
Lord teaches me, that while there
are
no
writings so profound as the Gospels, there are
And
none so simple. of
simplicity
soul
gives
expression.
When we
beyond
experience,
our
difficulty,
that
further,
simplicity
cf
speak of a state
we do
with
so
and have recourse to learning to
aid us, and use forced expressions.
In the
natural,
there
Scripture,
simple expressions of
deep
are
sentiments,
adapted to the wants of each soul
— to
those less and more advanced.
The word the soul
;
it
of
God
enters the centre of
has a penetrating quality
operative efficiency.
produce the same
No
effect
;
;
an
words of man can at least,
such as come from souls,
who
none but are pure
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
80
channels of the word of God.
good pleasure of our Lord,
It is
the
to express
and
reproduce himself upon the self-abandoned
Who
soul.
does not admire the profound
mystery of the creation of the world, where
God produced all things by his word ? When God created man, he formed him
— the
of the dust of the earth of matter — made
God
not rob
of dust, that he might
the
Word.
is
— the breath of
This dust of the earth became
living breath
Christ
But man thus
of his glory!
created, received the spirit
the
lowest form
When
of God.
formed in the
soul, he
Jesus
imparts not
only a clear understanding of the word,
but
is
the
soul.
dwells,
himself the
Word, reproduced
Those only
fulfill
in
whom
Christ
the word, or have the
accomplished in them.
Such only
fully to interpret the word.
It is
in
word
are able
not learn-
ing which best explains the truths of God,
but the reproduction of these truths in the life
— the experience of them.
81
FORGETFULNESS OF SELF.
rORGETFULNESS OF SELF I I
CANNOT compliment you, dear
am
sir,
and
persuaded, that you will expect from
me, only the simplicity of the
me to You
This simplicity leads our Lord gives me.'
The
this simplicity.
christian.
say, only
what
need more of
frequent self-returns
unworthiness, although
much on your it may have the
appearance of humility,
is
you make, dwelling
True
self-love.
alone is
;
it
has
so
simplicity
its
only a refined
God
regards
eye fixed upon him, and
not drawn towards self; and
it
is
as
pleased to say humble as great things. All our uneasy feelings and reflections, arise
from
self-love,
of piety they simplicity
where we
we
assume.
The
lack of
many wounds. Go if we remain in ourselves,
inflicts
will,
shall carry
distresses.
may
whatever appearance
If
everywhere our sins and our
we would
live in peace,
we
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
82
must
sight of
lose
and
infinite
hinder
But
You
it
withhold
The time
in the
The
into
its is
calling
the only
—
the possession of
is
short
;
of
benefits, is
and
disarrange
who
and great
your
wherefore spend
compass and surroundings of
as a person
dress
These
itself,
God from God
single eye sees only
instead
in the
in
to this,
it is
thing he desires heart.
running
from
it
original.
you.
unchangeable God.
more and more
soul
rest
have a tendency to establish
self-returns
the
and
self,
self ?
You
God.
act
being called before a king,
regarding
the
king and his
occupied only with his appearance.
you —
God
own
wishes to
to destroy self;
and you
wish to preserve w^hat he would destroy.
Be more It is
afraid of self than of the evil one.
the spirit of Satan to exalt self above
God, and
this spirit is fostered
continual returns
own
by these
you make upon your
doings and misdoings, which leaves
no place in your mind of God.
for the
occupation
MEANS OF SANCTIFICATION.
83
DIVERSITY OF MEANS OF SANCTIFICATION.
Although
there are impenetrable myste-
God's dealings with souls, in order to
ries in
promote
their sanctification,
true that
it is
each soul, aside from the ordinary means,
common
to
all,
has a specific training, and
method of the divine order can alone
this
The means
accomplish the work. another
sanctifies
my
You,
crosses
way
friend, will
and severe
little,
itself,
pride, ral
sufferings,
but in the
The
necessary for you
child-like, ;
Forget yourself as the
whom many of
not be led by great
therefore
has chosen a child, myself, to be your
helper.
the
is
that
not sanctify you.
of helpless infancy.
yielding soul
God
may
to
eyes are turned, and become
helpless one,
but
man
lets
who cannot take
another care for
it.
care
The
presumption and vanity, of the natu-
man, must give place to the
and simplicity of the
child.
littleness
Says our
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
84
S?^viour,
become
Except ye be converted, and
as
into the shall
"
we
kingdom of heaven." learn that
greatness, that
God for
children, ye cannot enter
little
it is littleness,
and not
God requires of his child me a maternal yearning
has given
your
soul.
I
sympathize deeply in your
wants and burdens.
Be
God
are
of the
O, when
of
Love
assured, the eyes
upon you.
treat you, yield to the influences
which are
in operation to restore your soul to I
can
in
all
offer
no apology
things, I
obey
my
for
my
Lord.
I en-
letter
God, ;
for
COMFORT IN AFFLICTION.
COMFORT I
85
IN AFFLICTION.
ASSURE you, Dear
I
Sir,
sympathize
With
my
deeply in your
afflictions.
heart I present
you before our Lord.
have prayed, and called to
still
all
I
you are
pray, that if
participate in the sufferings of
Jesus Christ, you
may
partake also of his
You
patience and submission. the Lord at
all
find
will
times near your heart,
you seek him by a simple and
when
sincere
He
will
be your support and consolation in
this
desire to
do and
time of trouble, fear
suffer his will.
if
you go
and agitation of
to him, not with
spirit,
but with calm,
confiding love.
Jesus said to the blind man, whose eyes
he anointed with clay, waters of Siloam'' quil.
"
Go wash
— waters
soft
in the
and
tran-
O, that you might experience the
abiding peace which Christ gives.
O, that
you might become reduced to the simplicity 8
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
86 of the
little
child
!
It is
the child
who
proaches the nearest to Jesus Christ.
whom
the child
carries in his attractive,
is
It is
he takes in his arms and
bosom.
O,
child-like
the sufferings you are
how
lovely,
simplicity!
now
how
May
experiencing,
render you, child-like and submissive to the will of your Father. bids
my
My
ill
writing more fully.
you, and you are very dear to
Amen.
ap-
Jesus, help.
all
health for-
God loves me in him.
BEARING FRUIT WITH CHRIST.
87
BEARING FRUIT IN UNION WITH CHRIST.
God
has united
oneness of his
my
own
soul to yours in the
nature,
and when
all
the obstructions on your part are removed,
you "
realize
will
We
have
many
this
same divine union.
masters, as said St. Paul,
This Fa-
but only one Father in ChrisV^ ther unites himself to us
of his
own
nature,
by the impartation
and from
commu-
this
nication, of himself to the soul, proceeds
our spiritual paternity
;
power by
or the
which we communicate to others what we
We
from him.
receive
how
sensible
this
itself to
All the gifts either
more
we
in others.
the subject
^ho
It
it
always
receives
and graces of the
sensible
render
In some individuals
more manifest than
adapts
not always
power, or aid
others, is imparted. is
are
it.
spirit are
and apparent,
or
spiritual
and inward,
power of
receptivity in the individual.
according
more
to
the
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
88
seems to
It
you, there
is
me
that
when
I
am
with
only a simple, imperceptible
transmission from
my
You
soul to yours.
do not perceive any marked
and
results,
they are not great, because you are not in
a state to receive much, and often interrupt
me by
speaking, which causes in
me
we were
to-
a vacillation of grace.
Tf
some considerable time without
gether
you
distraction,
marked
results.
would It
is
more
perceive
the desire of
that there should be, between us,
God
perfect
interchange of thoughts, of hearts, of souls
—a
flux
when At
and
reflux,
such as there will be
souls are new-created in Christ Jesus.
present,
my
soul in relation to yours,
as a river which
draw and
enters
invite the
is
into the sea, to
smaller river to lose
itself also in the sea.
This are in grace,
truth,
— the
fruitfulness of souls
who
God, whereby they communicate
— however
much
nevertheless, a truth.
it
is
rejected,
is,
This flux and reflux
BEARING FRUIT WITH CHRIST.
communication,
of
the
like
89
ebbing and
flowing of the great ocean-current, secret of the heavenly hierarchy,
is
the
and makes
a communication from superior orders to inferior,
of the
— and of
same
During of
God
and
equality,
order.
communication
eternity, the
all
the Father,
saints,
between angels
and
and the Son, to angels
their reciprocal
communi-
cation to each other, will be a well-spring
The design
of blessedness.
of God, in the
creation of men, has been to associate to
himself living beings, to
communicate
himself.
whom He
he could
could create
nothing greater than likenesses of himself. All the splendor of angels and saints,
God two
but
from God.
light reflected
saints,
is
could not see himseil reflected in
without their participating of these fruitfulness
qualities,
communication. consists, in that
mation of
this
In this
life all
perfection
which makes the consum-
same
8*
and reciprocal
perfection in heaven
LETTERS OP MADAM GUYON.
90
No
one nan be perfect,
as the is,
if
he
Father in heaven
is
is
not perfect
perfect; that
partaking of his nature.
Jesus Christ
is
the Father of souls
;
his
generation, or the souls that are begotten
of him, are eternal in their nature as he
The
figure, "
giving us his flesh to eat,"
is.
is
the nourishment he gives the soul in com-
munication with himself; or himself reproduced, or
Word soul.
is
begotten in us.
The
the essential, undying
life
eternal
of the
DESOLATE STATE.
91
DESOLATE STATE. Believe me, dear madam,
will not
hope
still
your confidence
in
J
God
on account of your present
fail,
desolate
take a deep
your spiritual welfare, and
interest in
earnestly
I
As
state.
plunges
winter
the
deeper the roots of the trees in the
plunges
wintry state of the
the
so
earth,
it
sou.
Remem-
deeper in humiliation.
ber the confidence of Job, " Although he
Although
slay me, I will trust in him. "
stripped of
all
consolation,
and
desolation of nothingness,
from,
God
in
rejoice
her foliage;
yet
;
let
God
self for her child,
affords
and
separate
is^
therefore
and
you may be
loves to sacrifice herfinds her life in
happiness; thus die to
it
relation to
When
you may yet
neither flowers nor fruit
The mother
happy.
of,
in the
Let the earth be stripped of
self.
appear
— out
left
what
self,
in
God.
your weaknesses
rise
up before
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
92 you,
when you would weep
over some
some
unguarded
error
judgment, or
in
do as
expression,
having
hands
the
little
who
to its mother,
carries
as
believe
you love the
arms
?
God
loves you, as
say, "
discovery of your
emptiness,
and while is
to
is
it
fill
" I
weakness and
an evidence of God's love
is
ground
for humiliation, it
When
also of thanksgiving.
God
much
A mother may
forget, yet I will never forget thee
The
Can
fall.
one enfolded in your
little
Does he not
its
cheerfully wipes
them, and consoles him after the
you not
who
child,
mud,
the
into
fallen
this
it
pleases
void with his grace,
cause of thankfulness
;
but
at all times this fullness,
we
if
we
it is
realized
should be in
danger of appropriating the grace of
God
to ourselves.
Thus, our times of desolation
are necessary,
and we should accept them
joyfully,
as
a portion of the bread our
father gives us.
Yours
in tender sympathy.
SELF-ABANDONMENT.
93
SELF-ABANDONMENT.
The at
death of
once.
death.
It
some time a
for
is
not accomplished
self is
living
Its opposite, spiritual life, is repre-
sented by EzekiePs vision of the dry bones. First, the
bones were rejoined; afterwards
covered with sinews
peared
and
;
finally,
then the flesh ap-
the spirit of the
When
animated them. incline
;
towards God,
the soul begins to
it
removed.
God, these obstructions are
The
to illustrate
many obas we yield
finds
structions; but in proportion to the will of
Lord
following simile will help
my
idea.
The
rivers
empty
themselves into the sea, before they lose themselves there.
ing
its
Wave by wave
course, seems to urge
river, to lose itself in the sea.
to the soul
follow-
onward the
God
some waves of pure
imparts love, to
urge on the soul to himself; but as the river
does not lose
itself in the
sea, until
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
94 its
own
waters are exhausted, so the soui
reaches God, and loses
when
the
means
As
an end.
itself in
God, only
of supply from self are at
the waves, which are precip-
itated into the sea, roll
many
times before
they are lost in the sea, so the soul under-
many
goes
changes, before
it
is
received
into God.
The
results of self-crucifixion are
because
We
God
lose
place.
then becomes
self,
We
all
to the soul.
and substitute God
take
receive the Infinite.
away This
the is
happy,
in its
finite,
blessed.
and
NO DEPENDENCE ON INSTRUMENTS.
95
NO DEPENDENCE ON INSTRUMENTS.
What
shall I
which you I
say regarding the state in
find yourself, in relation to
have no movement either to promote our
re-union, or hinder
it.
Let God
you leaning upon him,
or
on the creature,
ture?
If
reed,
which
Are
upon the
crea-
a bruised
is
it
whom
he finds
necessary afterwards to reject.
me
designs to remove
any wish
may die to
to retain
you ?
God
I
have
forbid.
He
make you
any confidence in the creature. longer design to use
benefit.
impurity,
with
through me.
If
on account of
his
God
my
pure
pride.
I
for
your
flowing
me I
He
my own
light
permit
given you any assurance of
What am
me
might have mingled
I
he
If
from you, can
design this separation, to
may no
is
direct.
God sometimes
will fail you.
makes use of instruments, it
me ?
to err,
it
have never
my infallibility.
but an erring creature
?
Leave
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
96
me, leave me, and unite yourself only to
God, who
Means
will never mislead you.
They
are good, only in the order of God. injure us, if
remove
me
we
rest
in them.
from you, acquiesce in
God
If
his will,
with a devotion worthy of a child of God.
Be humble, and courageous enough your fault, in leaning
Men
of the world
the child of
God
may
believe me,
you
will
in our dear Lord. lost in him,
you
I
may
What-
be between us,
always be dear to
me
when you
are
hope,
will find this little drop
of water, (myself) in the
of love.
flesh.
be obstinate, but
should be supple.
ever separation there
own
to
on an arm of
same
great ocean
CHILD OF GOD SOON TO DIE.
97
CHILD OF GOD SOON TO DIE.
HAVE had a presentiment
I
would not survive
you the most on
whom
I
rejoice in
and the only friend persecutions
rely, in the
which threaten me.
you
I lose in
this illness.
faithful,
could
that
my
I feel
your happiness.
I
loss,
but
could envy
you.
Death only lends a helping hand to
rend
away the veil, which hides infinite Our Lord has strongly cemented
beauties.
our souls.
May
divine Master rest
for all those,
I
benediction
upon you.
of the
Go, blessed
and receive the recompense prepared
soul,
Go,
the
we
who
are wholly the
separate in the
cannot say a
name
last adieu, for
forever united in him.
I
of the Lord
we
and
spirit,
9
at
shall
be
hope, in the good-
ness of God, to be present with hea^;
Lord's.
the
you
in
time of your
98
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
departure,
and to receive with you, the
divine Master
my
who
is
waiting for you.
Be
ambassador in the courts above, and
say to him
I love
him.
UNION OF SOULS IN GOD.
99
UNION OF SOULS IN GOD.
The
assurance you give
of your soul with mine, tion.
It is
is
me
of the union
a great consola-
my
a union to which
fully responds, not in
a
way
transport, but in the depths of peace is
nothing of nature in
in Jesus
of our lost
condition,
Oh
abandonment.
where
Christ,
We
Christ.
all
!
;
there
a union
It is
it.
heart
of emotional
are one in a sense
and one
in
self-
blessed oneness with
and there
evils perish;
remains only the casualities
inseparable
from the state of humanity.
How
derful is this
are
all
God,
its
the evils of our fallen
nature,
removed from the depths of the
and the in
won-
sacred min-
a poor creature with
gling of
where
operation — the
its
soul, in its elemental
original!
are united in
water
There
Him,
all
— these
being
the
is lost
little
little
soul,
ones
drops of
reassembled in the divine ocean
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
100
How
swiftly
and flow into one channel, when
other,
the
do the streams embrace each
obstructions
become pure
souls
one
flow into
in Jesus Christ, they
with
another
entire separation
with God. has
When
I
the
same
Purity of soul consists in an
rapidity.
it
removed
are
the
The
from
self,
and re-union
soul can return to self;
power, and
therefore
is
not
infallible.
Our
my
union,
dear friend,
dent of the relish or disrelish of things
and
events.
me without
separated from
from
God
;
You
for it
seems
to
is
indepen-
all
could
created
not be
being separated
me, that
I
am
one with him, and inseparable, and you are the
same
;
and
thus,
Him, and one with each
we
are one in
other.
Ever yours, in the heart of Jesus,
SECRET OPERATIONS OF GRACE.
101
SECEET OPERATIONS OF GRACE.
My
heart has been tenderly united to
you, during
my
all
bodily sufferings.
proportion as the outward
God seems
reduced, of
my
a secret
more the
to be
your soul
may
than formerly, they are no is
has been
be
less
marked
less real.
in your heart,
fire
There
which burns This
continually, although imperceptibly.
keen and
continual
you, because
more
sensible
soul.
This
state oil
;
it
operation
and marked operations of the
is,
I
apprehend, your ordinary
with occasionally the unction of the
upon the concealed
you a sweet and
God.
bear two marked
divine presence
—
results
of the
interior recollection,
a continual amen in your heart
9^
fire,
clear manifestation
of the loving presence of
You
enfeebles
consumes so rapidly the
of grace poured
to give
life
Although the operations of
soul.
God upon
man
In
;
and
a true and
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
102
just response to all God's dealings with
your
soul.
I realise
This union
a very close union with you. is
not in the emotions, and not
in the will of man, but in the will of God. It is
a union, from which I could no more
separate
myself, than
from
God;
it
is
a fulfillment of the prayer of our Lord, *^
that they
It is
may
be one, as
we
are one."
a union which death cannot interrupt,
but will substantiate more and more fully in
God.
Ever yours, in our Lord.
TO A YOUNG FRIEND.
103
TO A YOUNG FRIEND.
You
my
are very dear to me,
not think
I
you
can render
Do
child.
God
ha¥e forgotten you.
alone
Give yourself
happy.
wholly to him, never more to take yourself
Love
back.
him with within
Retire often
your
all
the
closet
commune with God.
heart to
heart.
your
of
Do
not
pray to him in a constrained and formal
manner, but
all
simple and natural.
loves better the affectionate
language of
the heart, than the cold and
thoughts of the
intellect.
God
discursive
The prayer
of
love softens the heart.
Do
We
not shrink from your ordinary duties.
are often
more united
to
God, in our
daily avocations, than in retirement.
reason closely,
is,
our good Father holds us more
when we
temptations. times,
The
are
most
exposed to
Endeavor to maintain,
at all
harmony and oneness with God.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
104
You
have only to abandon yourself wholly
to divine love,
that devolve
and perform
upon you.
Do
all
the duties
not be restive,
and thus mar God's beautiful design and
upon your
operation
bosom of
rest,
soul*
your inquietudes, and
all
allow him to carry you, as a
borne by
its
Place in his
mother.
This
child is
little
little
one has
only to regard, lovingly, the smiles of
its
tender mother.
God
you a wise discernment
will give
as to food and drink,
of
life.
He
but not to a
calls life
and
all
the pleasures
us to a temperate
too austere.
We
avoid the too much and the too
life,
should little
in
eating and drinking. I
pray our divine
Lord, to enlighten,^
strengthen and comfort your heart.
LETTER TO HER SPIRITUAL GUIDE.
105
LETTER TO HER SPIRITUAL GUIDE.
-FINAL
The
state in
which
away from me
Father, takes
liberty to address
Spiritual
remains in
from
me
so
realize
I all
things,
my
entirely, the
you any longer
Guide.
detachment
I find myself,
as
my
great a
that
there
only a triumphant, dominant
which acknowledges no master but
love,
Love.
It is
my
experience, that the closer
the union of the soul with God, the more it is
separated from
creature.
all
dependence on the
I find also, that the secret
tions of divine love
upon the
soul,
opera-
cannot
be expressed.
These operations do not
consist in sweet
and
neither in
flattering expressions,
consolations, in
the
ordinary
way, but in the discovery of mysterious truths
;
truths,
which give so profound a
knowledge of God, that the soul can find no language to give expression to these views.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
106
To
and
speak,
He
with God.
"
When
divine
the
becomes what
and
Word
whole,
Word
this
Paul
is
Some
it
should
was
was no more Mary Mag-
it
who
lived in her.
says, " I live, yet not
me."
liveth in
Word
wills
soul
Magdalene
dalene, but Jesus Christ, St.
was done.
it
operates in the
When Mary
become.
made
spake,
any obstruction, the
without
soul,
same thing
to act, is the
In the
I,
Christ
same manner, the
my
incorporated into
soul.
time since, there was given
me
a
view of the States of Mary, the mother of our Lord.
and
my
I
soul
divine love.
was alone
itself,
ner
of
my
The
I will
hands,
was conveyed
souls.
divine
God It
for
chamber,
filled
with
Word seemed
show thee the
— a perfect
— the heart of Mary.
love of
my
was completely
say within me, "
work
in
"
to
chief
nothing in
In this
man-
to me, the inexpressible
men
—
his operation in pure
was shown me,
that her silence
and acquiescence in the wiU of God
;
her
LETTER TO HER SPIRITUAL GUIDE. entire self-crucifixion
and hidden
worthy of imitation
and that
;
107
were
life
this
same
love
which had operated so powerfully
upon
this soul,
draw
other souls
to
make an
emptied of
desired to
self,
to her states,
also
effusion of the
and
same grace and
love in them, as in her.
O
how
how marvellous
great are thy wonders,
thy operations on is lost
human
divine love
hearts
My
!
in the depths of thy secret
soul
wonders
Silence, silence — only silence I
my
write to you,
time, to bid
you a
Father, for thor last
final adieu.
I
can no
longer listen to any other teachings, than this divine is
Word
of eternal Truth, which
spoken in the depths of
however
far
separated
relation of Director,
you
dear in the affections of
pure love, which
is
my
heart.
But
from you, in the are very near
my
heart
;
and
in that
alone the operation of
our Lord Jesus Christ.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
108
GLORY OF GOD THE ONE DESIRE.
What on
have
we
to desire in
heaven and
God ? But it is glory of God as he
earth, only the glory of
necessary to desire the desires
He who
it.
has absolute power
over the heart of man, has a plan of operations
;
he does
all
things in their time
waits until the hour into the world, our
is
come.
In
;
Lord could have convertall its
but the economy of his wisdom did
When
not so direct. "
he
coming
ed the world at once, and destroyed vices
;
Mine hour
is
I
hear our Lord say,
not yet come^^^ and wishing
neither to advance nor retard, for a
moment,
the hour that his Father had appointed, I
am
plunged into
my
nothingness.
We are
only instruments in his hands, which he
may
lay aside, or use according to his good
pleasure.
We
should be so dead to
to be indifferent, whether he
us or not.
self,
as
makes use of
GLORY OF GOD THE ONE DESIRE. Remain,
therefore,
hand of God.
and by you, to cast
my
dear friend, in the
Let him accomplish
all his
I
love you.
10
in you,
good pleasure, whether
down, or build up.
how much
109
God knows
LETTERS OF JV^ADAM GUYON.
110
SPIRITUAL UNION AND AID. Spiritual union, very clear in
may
my
not be able to give you a definite
impression of this you,
a state of the soul
is
perception, although I
it
state.
In order to benefit
became necessary
into your state, to have
me
for
to enter
an experimental
knowledge, an endurance and suffering of the
same
state.
By
have
this experience I
been brought into closer relation to God, partaking more fully of the Christ-like nature
by being rendered capable of bearing
the infirmities of others. also,
And
I
have had,
a clearer idea of that quality of God,
whereby he multiplies holy
souls,
communication of himself.
In this expe-
rience, the soul appears to be in
God
in her, as
first
by the
God, and
cause, drawing
and
penetrating the soul nearest to himself, and
by penetration,
in
this
soul,
through her instrumentality, souls.
drawing,
many
other
SPIRITUAL UNION AND AID.
Ill
Although by these powerful rays the soul itself
may seem
other souls, yet
by
it is
efficiency;
his
this efficiency,
to penetrate
God who draws them
and he communicates
most powerfully,
that there seems to
is this soul,
be no space between the the souls tality.
first
moved by the agent
There
is
to those in
So pure and
closest contact with himself.
transparent
and draw
Mover and
or instrumen-
a difference between the
ray and the body of the sun, although difficult to separate the
the divine ray, which
It is
it is
ray from the sun. is
transmitted
through this soul, as the natural ray through the
medium
same
rays, transmitted through
and from soul
common tion
is
These
of the atmosphere.
to soul, unite
centre,
many
them
in
and thus the bond of
complete in God.
I
ma^
ness of expression
is
wanting
one filia-
not ex-
press myself so as to be understood.
your light supply, what
souls,
May
in clear-
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
112
m
LIVE
THE PRESENT.
Do not expect, my dear E., that the will of God will be made apparent to you in The most remarkIt was by an
any extraordinary way.
able events occur naturally.
order of the Emperor, that Joseph, being
of the house and lineage of David, went to
be taxed at Bethlehem, where the holy child Jesus
was
water was near to
down God, of
The fountain of Hagar, when she laid
born.
the child to die
my friend,
his
mth
thirst.
Behold
in the present arrangement
providence
for
you, and submit
wisely to passing events.
He
sees the end
from the beginning, and plans wisely his children.
limited
view
O, to
how good his
far
for
to submit our sight,
reaching
through time and eternity
Remember, to
the present
moment comes
you as the moment of God.
his glory,
and every succeeding
Use
it for
moment
LIVE IN THE PRESENT.
Thus the present becomes the
[n
mo-
we must render account God. May God be All in All to us every passing moment, now and forever.
ment, for which to
eternal
113
10^
LETTERS oF MADAM GUYON.
114
HOW TO
A
SINGLE word, spoken in the
more weight,
have
spirit
of
with humility and sweetness, will
Christ,
than
ADMINISTER REPROOF.
many words
The reason
in
correcting
uttered in our
is this
:
when
others,
own
spirit.
passion mingles
may
with correction, although the truth
be
spoken, Jesus Christ does not cooperate
with
Therefore, the person
us.
rected
by what we
to the
manner of
firmed in the
evil.
Christ speaks
by
cious,
correction, is
more con-
In proportion as Jesus
without
self,
his
us, or
word
without
is
effica-
and turns the heart of the person to
whom we I
opposed
say, but, being
us,
the minglings of
is jiot cor-
know
speak, to receive
there are
ingly, his
what we
some who
resist,
say.
know-
word, but our passionate zeal
does not correct them. It is
God
moment of may see real
important to wait the
to correct others.
We
HOW faults,
TO ADMINISTER REPROOF.
may
but the person
115
not be in a state
to profit by being told their faults.
It is
not wise to give more than one can receive.
This
is
what
I call
preceding the
light,,
—
the light shines so far in advance of the person, that
Lord
Our
does not benefit him.
it
said to his apostles, " I
have
many
but you cannot bear
things' to say to you,
them now."
The prophet
says, the
Lord
carries his
A
children in his arms, as a nurse.
nurse
could wish that the child could walk alone,
Let
but she waits in patience the time.
us do the same, and never discourage the
weak. with the
Let us not destroy the good grain
Who
tares.
does not admire
long suffering patience of
may add
God ?
to St. Paul's words, all
"
*
the
And
I
unworthy
who admire it, how few imitate it If those to whom God has given so much grace, have so many faults themselves, with how much patience should they bear with those who are less favored. as I am, and of those !
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
116
t
BEARING THE STATES OF CHRIST.
my
During
late severe illness,
impression rested on
my
a strong
mind, that
was
I
called to participate in the last sufferings
of Jesus heart was, all
The language
Christ. 1
thy will
I
am
In thus yielding
heart, as
new bond
of
alli-
and these words,
"I
wiU
was
the
I realized ;
betroth thee unto
a
me
forever,"
voice of the Bridegroom to
Paul
my
called to sacrifice his be-
ance with Christ
When
my
ready, O, Father, to suffer
Abraham when loved Isaac,
of
said,
''
I
my
soul.
bear in
my
body
the marks of the Lord Jesus," he did not refer to
any external marks in the
flesh,
to bearing the states of Jesus Christ.
David
are expressed
all
In
the states of Christ,
with the difference only there the type
but
and the original.
is
between
Job was an
eminent instance of being reduced to nothingness,
and
also of exaltation
by the favor
BEARING THE STATES OF CHRIST.
Those who pass through the
of God. furnace,
117
and
with Christ, are pre-
suffer
pared to wear the white robe, which adorns the bride, the
Lamb's
Their souls
wife.
become the dwelling-place of the
Most
High.
Are
not
palaces,
those
subterranean
which we read of in
which are reached erns,
beautiful
after crossing
fable,
deep cav'
and so hidden that none can
them, only those to
whom
and
find
the secret
is
revealed, representative of the interior pal-
ace of the soul, where the Lord inhabits; "
The
king's daughter
is all
glorious with-
LETTERS OF
118
MADAM GUYON.
OUR IMPERFECTIONS SHOULD NOT HINDER OUR LABORS FOR OTHERS. Although
am
I
so
weak and unworthy
God uses me for The many defects of
in myself,
the good of
others.
our tempera-
rnent, should not hinder our labors in behalf
These
of others.
faults
have nothing to do
with the grace, which operates effectively
on the souls
for
himself,
reveals
mothers in
Israel,
dence in them their
;
whom we
labor.
God
through the fathers and
and thus increases while, at the
confi-
same time,
weaknesses forbid placing too much
dependence on them.
Although our Lord acquaints us with his designs regarding others,
we may
and the aid
render them, yet this should not
give us the least desire to aid them, only in the
order
of his providence.
Neither
we be arrested in his work, although God souls we aid repulse the effort.
should the will
make good
the results in due time.
LABORS FOR OTHERS. implies great death to
It
our hand as
it
self,
never to put
work of the Lord,
selfishly to the
does, also, never to go a step out of
the path in which he leads us.
mingle his
119
self,
work.
we
retard, rather
Nature
is
When we
than advance,
so corrupt that
it
deeply infests spiritual things, and so subtle as to conceal itself under all artifices. I
do not know
thus.
why
God knows, and
I
have written you
that is sufficient
120
MADAM GUYON.
LETTERS OF
DEATH, RESUEEECTION. This
When to
their
cry, as
no time to be disheartened.
is
the sinful lusts rebel, leave
a child from
them
Let them
cravings.
disorderly
whom we
away
take
a dangerous yet pleasing toy.
Strengthen
You
yourself for crosses and humiliations. will soon be
is
made
alive in Jesus Christ.
The
extraordinary peace
the
oommmencement
you have
of the resurrec-
tion-life.
This peace
is
cause th e
new
given
yet,
you,
I assure
whole
soul.
life is it
tasted,
not invariable, be-
will
As God has
little
soon
by
little,
fill
your
rapidly advanced
inward death, and caused you to run, with a giant step, in the
and
this,
way
of self-crucifixion,
notwithstanding
tions of the carnal
man, he
all
the opposi-
will also thus
rapidly advance the resurrection.
The
loss,
of
all
things of the earthly
which follows the recuscitated
life,
life,
will
be
DEATH, RESURRECTION.
The death and
deep and extended.
which precede the
121 burial
resurrection, cannot
com-
pare with that total loss, which follows the resuscitated ent,
and
in
life.
This
new
a
is
state.
something
You
differ-
will
arise
from the sepulchre, as the Spouse of the Beloved.
consumed
All is
in myself, not in the
ordinary way, but in a total loss there remains nothing or
known.
It
self is carried
so that
which can be named
seems to me, the death of
almost to
many unknown this
;
infinity, it
steps.
makes
Since this morning,
unworthy creature experiences a
greater reduction of self
Die, live
again
;
;
lose yourself,
so
still
than ever before.
and
find yourself
then you will have experience of
this state.
11
MADAM GUYON.
LETTERS OF
122
GRACE DEEPLY INTERIOR.
While you
perceive nothing sensible, or
apparent, in your religious state, there
same
at the
time, e^ddence to others of a
hidden spring of
God
life
within your soul.
does not give you the sweet rain
which,
falling, clothes all
the surface of the
soul with verdure, but he gives
deep
and
and
flowers,
upon the earth This
in the
said, the life of
as grass,
is
and withers
in the even-
refers to the natural life,
flourishes in the
man
which groweth
also true of the selfish life of
life,
you
-substantial fruits, ripening
in the morning,
ing.
means
which are born and die David
for eternity.
you the
and produce, not herbs
flourish,
same day, but
is
by which
well-spring,
live
up
is,
morning of the
but
man.
it
It
spiritual
but no sooner does the sun of right-
eousness arise in his warmth, than this withers and
is
cut down.
The
life
righteous
GRACE DEEPLY INTERIOR. are as a tree planted
whose
leaf i3
by the
123
rivers of water,
always green.
This
is
be-
cause the roots are well watered by the deep-flowing current.
God heart.
soul
is
never ceases to operate in your
The
calm, resigned state of your
proof of
Take good
this.
Do not God will
care of your health.
labor beyond
your
strength.
abundantly reward you for your labors of love in behalf of others.
he never
my I
fails to
These are labors
recompense.
I
pray God,
dear F., to preserve you for his work.
have
many
Your time
is
things to say, but I forbear. precious.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
121
SELF-RENUNCIATION.
God
designs you,
my
friend, for himself
but he will lead you by a way, entirely
opposed to what you have marked
out.
He
self-
does this in order to destroy your
This
love.
accomplished only by the
is
overthrow of
all
your
purposes,
precon-
ceived views, natural reason and sagacity. Self-love
many
has
hiding-places.
You
alone can search them out.
God
seek the
honor that cometh from man, and love to
occupy a high
position.
reduce you to
littleness,
Believe me, dear
spirit.
in grace, not
books truths,
;
God
and poverty of sir,
you
will
grow
by knowledge acquired from
not from reasonings upon divine
but by an efflux from God.
efflux will reach
and
fill
much occupied
ing, reading
and
This
your soul, in pro-
portion as you are emptied of are so
wishes to
self.
You
of yourself in speak-
writing, that
you give no
SELF-RENUNCIATION.
Make room, and God
place to God.
come
many
speak of your
cares.
give yourself wholly to
cares
idence,
I entreat
self to
dom. so
God
you
to
and
yield
Him become
Let
You will then much need.
May you
by long
In the
self-leadings,
God.
effect
his Prov-
name of God, renounce your own wis-
years of planning.
dom, your
God, these
and arrange by
what you cannot
you
If
be greatly diminished.
will
will think for you,
you
will
in.
You will
125
up your-
your wis-
find the place of rest,
read this
letter,
with depend-
ence on the Spirit, which has dictated
and without regard your heart will I
is
life, it
if
God
destroys the natural
only to give you himself.
deavor to be nothing, that all.
what
Take courage, and be
have written.
persuaded that
When
void,
space.
11*
and
to the instrument,
testify to the truth of
it,
God
En-
God may
himself
fills
be the
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
126
UNEXPECTED FAULTS. Yesterday, uttered
I
some words
much
very
after
the
left
a
;
not like the pangs of penitence experienced, but
more
subtle
and
was
more
the
Whether
soul it
was
suffering
formerly
I
and
interior
acquiescent.
the words I uttered too the
precipitately, or
reflections
that
lowed, which caused this suffering,
A
not determine.
could
seemed
we
see the
ocean reject certain things, which again more deeply into I
I
fol-
part of myself
thrown out of God, as
to be
I
and suffered
hastily,
consequence
in
parlor,
seemed to myself
its
it
receives
bosom.
Thus
be rejected, and
to
without any power to make the least move-
ment that
to return, I
was
rejected.
remain where
moment he
KI
should
and without even a
God
received
afflict
I
was
regret
willing to
placed me, until the
me
again to himself.
myself on account of this
UNEXPECTED FAULTS.
127
experience,
which was new and unexpected,
I believe it
would be wrong, and
more the
soul.
The depths
remain unchanged
— fixed
sully
still
my
soul
God.
He
of
in
removes the impurity, that has exteriorly sullied
it,
and holds the soul
still
his
own.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
128
APOSTOLIC STATE. HAVE read your
I
great pleasure. is to
become
all
letter,
The
my
dear F., with
true Apostolic state
things to
all
men
;
that
is,
to impart to each one spiritually, according
to his
Only those who are
necessities.
reduced to
littleness
and
power of communicating
this
have
simplicity,
They
grace.
have also the ability to sympathise deeply in the states of others
measure
;
their burdens,
in great heaviness
on
of bearing in
some
and are sometimes This
their account.
communication of grace and
aid,
is
not
necessarily restricted to the personal pres-
ence of the individual.
We may be " absent
in body, yet present in spirit," after the
manner
of God's operations;
angelic powers
communicate
and as the to us.
It is
only by the enlightening of God's Spirit, that
we
we
realise the state of those to
are spiritually united.
whom
APOSTOLIC STATE.
Unity of souls
129
experienced, not only
is
who have
with those in the body,
affinity
with ourselves, but also with those out of the body.
I realise
with the holy prophet
David, a correspondence and unity, which
You
renders our souls one in God.
will
experience this unity with the saints more fully,
when
away.
perception of self
all
Ye are come to an
"
Paul says,
St.
innumerable company of angels spirits
was in
of just
in the
men made
the
David
perfecf^^
They were both deeply
The
Christians.
interior
— to
Old Testament, what Paul was
New.
the
taken
is
Apostles,
after
having received the Holy Ghost, spake This
languages.
This
is
a
also
They communicated
meaning. cording
has
to
the
speaking the word
word
by the manna, and the the Lord Jesus Christ,
bread of
life
in the soul.
grace, ac-
one.
— the efficacious
word, which replenishes the nourishing, life-giving
spiritual
of each
necessities
all
is
soul.
represented
reality is
who
is
This
found in
himself the
Amen, Jesus
!
130
LETTERS OF
MADAME GUYON.
PAINFUL EXPERIENCE.
my
To-day
health
better,
is
myself able to reply to your
be accepted; whether
letter.
God
the view of yourself that
and I find
gives you
relates
it
Let
to
your
fallen condition in general, or to particular
faults
;
but add nothing
your own
These continual
reflections.
reflex acts of the
mind do not help you
they do not remove the
all
that
is
I
which render you almost insup-
portable to yourself. plishes the
;
am not yourself so many
faults.
surprised that you find in evils, evils
view by
to this
When
God' accom-
work of purification, he removes
opposed
to the divine inflowing
life.
These
now
evils
of your nature, which are
apparent, and which were deeply con-
cealed, are perceived
they are places.
by you only because
passing out from their hiding-
have so deep
All persons do not
a knowledge of themselves
;
therefore do
PAINFUL EXPERIENCE. not suffer so much, because
131
all
are not
destined to so profound a death and burial
Be
while in the body. bitter cup.
until after
more
silent,
and drink the
These humiliations
your state
is in
which they slight,
some
will
and only
the death and burial
is
will endure
degree, perfected
become more and at
intervals, until
consummated.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
132,
ECSTACY OF THE MIND, AND THE WILL OR HEART. — THE DIFEERENCE.
The
some degree united and by
the true state,
is
;
When
the
will
loss of the
This loss of the will
which
love
is
any violence
the controlling
and the soul
follows,
reduced to unity
;
as
is
a permanent
is
effected without
is
to nature. exercise,
love.
ecstasy,
and
to
God, only by the
loses itself in will
man can be in God but the soul
intellectual part of
natural
the
in
exercise of love, the stronger the love, the
greater the submission of the soul to the
object beloved.
Sacred love does not bind
the soul to a resignation, in parts,
but draws
wholly in
it fully,
until
some of
it is
its
absorbed
this divine oneness.
The mind may tend towards
its
divine
object, with ardor, but the will not con-
curring, causes dissonance
impetuous transports.
and swooning,
I call this
or
moment-
THE MIND AND WILL. ary ecstasy
it
;
133
cannot long endure without
separating the soul from the body.
The is,
difference
between these two
states
as that of water, retained in the air
a machine, and of a
river,
into the sea, as ordered
by
running naturally
by the grand Archi-
tect of the universe.
Love, which carries
the will in
changes the whole
man; This loss
its
train,
this is the divine, the true ecstasy. is
what
of the
is
called transformation,
soul in
God.
It
is
and
certain,
however, that the creature always remains
a being distinct from God. 12
134
LETTERS OF
MADAM GUYON.
A VIEW OF The
SELF.
activity of the natural selfish
life, is
the greatest obstacle to your progress.
Al-
low of nothing which gives sustenance to this
Be on your guard
life.
against ap-
Applaud not yourself when you
plause.
have done
well.
Admit no
reflections in
regard to the good you have accomplished, so that all that nourishes gelf-complacency
may
die.
Possess your soul in peace as possible effort
;
not by
;
by
letting
Be
bles you.
as
we
do not
go everything that trou-
you may
quiet, that
you discover your stop,
as
but by ceasing from
leave water to settle
When to
effort,
much
when errors
settle,
agitated.
and
sins,
under whatever good pretext,
remedy them. Rather abandon yourself
at once to
you,
all
God, that he
that
assure you,
is
you
may
destroy, in
displeasing to
him.
I
are not capable of your-
A VIEW OF SELF.
135
Your
to correct the least fault.
self,
remedy
is
abandonment
maining quiet in
to
his hands.
only
God, and If
you
re-
dis-
covered the depth of inward corruption in
your heart, your courage would this
account,
part, the
them
God
On
!
conceals from us, in
view of our
sins,
and discovers
to us, only as he destroys them.
Rest assured,
God
and mercy.
When
You you
loves you.
Have
take care of you.
by.
fail
are in trouble,
Have good
will be well.
You
will
faith in his love
will see farther
to write me.
our Lord.
He
by and
do not
fail
courage, and
are very dear to
me
all
in
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
136
STATE OF A SOUL IN UNION WITH GOD. Although, I
in the latter part of
my
life,
do not perceive those marked states of
abandonment and submission, interior sorrows,
such as
I
neither of
formerly expe-
rienced, this does not prove that these dis-
no longer
tinct states
exist;
but the soul
having become more fully established in
God,
it
makes
less affected
account of them, or
less
is
As
by external impressions.
pure flowing v/ater leaves no trace where it
passes, so these distinct states leave
durable impression.
have
and
lost
its
aversion,
own
The
God.
in
unto 1
seems to
of
resistance
qualities
It is
cannot write so fully of
"
soul
and runs, without ceasing
into its Original.
as formerly.
no
on
this
my
states of
account
I
mind
My soul, in its depths, rests My peacCj says Christ, / give
you.^^
pray for the church
;
I
mourn
at time
STATE OF A SOUL WITH GOD. that
God
so
is
known and
little
137
loved
;
but
these feelings are transient, and the soul is
God
ready to take any impression that gives
While
it.
sistency of
seems to have no con-
it
own, so to speak,
its
itself to the state of others
Sometimes even
facility.
stories, to children,
and
adapts
it
with wonderful
amusing
relating
to those
who
can-
not be entertained in any other way.
The God,
is
sometimes permitted
things to come, to
this state of
soul, in
union with to
foretell
which appear very obscure
man, but which
are, nevertheless, infalli-
God.
bly true, because proceeding from
The knowledge
of the event, and
come
explanation, will time.
The
soul
is
ready for nothing.
from ture. itself,
God what
is
;
The
its
fuU
in the fulness of
ready for anything; All that is true
comes
not true, from the crea-
soul does not seek to justify
nor produce humiliation, but passes
on, disregarding
self,
12^
and absorbed
in
God.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
138
STATE OF REST IN GOD. do not reply to you, Dear
If I
soon as you might expect,
it is
hold myself in reserve, until
I
Sir,
as
because
I
have a move-
to write,
and not from any want of
regard to you.
Relative to the distinct,
ment
voluntary acts of
ment,
would be
it
state, to
to
appropriation
have given to
still
far as I
to give
him.
It
the
my
because such acts
acts,
know,
My same
self-
remaining; whereas,
Sovereign, I
soul
all
that I
I
am
have nothing more
is
at rest in his will.
in regard to prayer, or
petitions.
The
method of
prayer, all other prayer
foreign to
it.
request,
present
imply something of
my
and as
is
difficult, in
make such
would seem
renounce-
resignation,
soul having a very simple
When
it
seems
would make a
and as soon as the soul knows
distinctly
what
it
demands, there
is
some-
thing which goes before to accomplish
it,
STATE OF REST IN GOD.
139
When
without the utterance of words. the soul utters words, or
^f the prayer
spirit is
makes
petitions,
accompanying approves, the
made with
ease.
If the spirit
do
not cooperate, the words are uttered with difficulty, or
not at
all.
God
takes the
place of self in the soul, and there prays for things agreeable to his will.
state of the soul, in
which
it
This
is
a
has no desire
to originate prayer, but loves to be silent in the presence of
rience
more
express. it
means
God.
This
satisfactory than I
O, that
all
the earth
is
an expe-
am
able to
knew what
to keep silence before the
Lord
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
140
GREAT HUMILIATIONS. I
It
HAVE a
clear discernment of
seems to me,
God
as
of truth,
sees
it
some measure
I see it in ;
that
is,
your state
in the pure light
— the reasons why you
suffer,
and
the blessed results of these sufferings.
I
have known that the period of discipline
would be suffer
long,
and very long, because you
not only on your
own
also for the benefit of others.
account, but
God
you to accomplish great things and
destines
for his glory,
exterior humiliations in your case not
being suited to his designs, he makes use of concealed humiliations, yourself and God.
I will
Paul.
my
My
strength
It will
grace is
repeat to
sufficient for
to
you St.
thee
perfect in weakness.
be in companionship with humil-
iations, that
into sin
is
made
only to
by our Lord
the words addressed "
known
and
you
will
error,
be saved from falling
and be prepared
to be
GREAT HUMILIATIONS.
come
a vessel
fit
for the Master's use.
You
and when you
of these humiliating states,
think they have entirely passed away,
they will suddenly revive.
But
your humiliation, the more
you
141
from time to time, a return
will experience
may
•
to perform his
most
the greater
God
will use
excellent works.
In this state of entire self-reduction and humiliation, your words will be clothed
with power.
am
" I fire
—a if
come," says our Lord, "
on the
earth."
O
sacrifice for the
the
be
fires
martyr of Pure Love,
good of
others,
already kindled
bosom, shrink not!
to bring
If
in
you were
what your
less to
God, he might spare you.
Do
not hesitate to speak to
sufferings,
because
It is not so. plicity,
If
it
me
of your
appears to you useless.
you speak of them
in sim-
your heart will be relieved, and
strengthened.
with you.
I
God
know how bless you.
to sympathise
142
•
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
REPOSE OF THE SOUL IN GOD.
Having given up myself wholly and loving can
I find
sure
?
Him
far better
any opposition
How
can
I
God,
to
than myself, to his
how
good plea-
do otherwise than yield
How
to one I love better than myself?
can a soul withdraw from the dominion of a Sovereign, that heart
"
?
What
it
loves with the whole
can separate us from the
love of God, in Christ Jesus
while
we remain
possibility
in this
?
"
life,
Although, there
is
a
of sinning, and of separation
from God, and
it
is true,
that the
soul
remains in oneness with Him, only by the continuance of his mercy, and that should leave
it, it
if
would immediately
he fall
into sin, yet I cannot have the least fear,
that
my God
will leave
me, or that
1 shall
ever separate myself in any degree from his love.
The
creature can take
no glory
to
itself,
REPOSE OF THE SOUL IN GOD. to whatever state
may
it
— the sense
express
of God, to keep
how
jealous,
God seems seem
I
that
cannot
I
have of the goodness
what
is his
watchful he
so truly
O
arrive.
you might comprehend what
143
all
own
How
!
over the soul
is
things to me, that
I
to see nothing, to love nothing, relish
what he causes me
nothing, only
and
love
relish
himself.
in
to see,
am
I
only
capable of loving and submitting to him,
much
so
my
he
is
I believe
life.
God
blindfold, without questioning or reasoning.
God is
is
;
How
this is sufficient.
the freedom of the soul in
you not doubt,
away from
O
God.
that
when
I
God, can
how God
take far
!
I
!
of self
O may is
taken
the creature, there remains only I
have any
or appropriate aught as
can
all
him
immense
it ?
How
self-interest,
mine?
In
what
strange the thought
removed from the possession of
am
lost.
God
is.
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
144
POWER OF CASTING OUT EVIL Although
many
for
SPIRITS.
profound
years,
truths have been revealed to me,
and God
has manifested his power through me, in
my
an extraordinary manner,
state
has
invariably been one of infancy, simplicity
and candor.
me
God's
has rendered
grace
equally willing to
lie
concealed, or to
execute his will more publicly.
seven years, without
was accomplished,
During
my knowing how
it
as soon as I have ap-
proached some persons, possesed by demons, the
evil
realised
spirits
have
depg.rted.
simply a desire to relieve them,
and
this desire, or prayer, has
in a
way unknown
I
have
I
been answered
Of
to myself.
have no goodness nor power at
only the capacity of a child
all.
— of
myself, I
have
letting
myself be used by God, as pleases Him.
My life appears natural. I am encompassed with infirmities. My health is greatly im-
CASTING OUT EVIL SPIRITS.
My
paired.
infirmities
are
a
145 balance-
wheel, a counterpoise to exaltation. life
is
Yet
ever flowing, without any thought
of the means of sustaining
the air
it
;
as
we live
without thinking of the air
breathe.
13
in
we
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
146
STATE OF A SOUL KE-UNITED TO GOD. In reply to your enquiry,
my am
concerning
dren,
that exteriorly, I
My
like.
state,
my
dear chil-
would
I
say,
open, simple, child-
resembles a drop of
interior
water, mingling and lost in the ocean, and
no more discerning
— the
itself,
only surrounding, but absorbing divine immensity, the
enjoys
all
objects in
and obscurity light
soul
God.
it.
In this
discerns
All
is
This has been
Thus,
my
state
and
darkness
in respect to itself;
on the part of God.
to me.
sea not
God
all
is
is all
more than
thirty years, although in latter years I
have
realized greater depths in these experiences.
Think of the bottomless sea what is thrown ;
therein,
continues
reaching the end.
weight of the
sinking,
Thus
without
divine love is the
soul, that sinks it
deeper in God.
"
God
is
ever
deeper and
Love, and he
who
A SOUL RE-UNITED TO GOD. dwells in love, dwells in God, and
O
him. "
immensity
147
God
in
I
Jesus Christ, the embodiment of truth
and
love, has explained the
fulfilling
them.
So when the
passed into God, the the soul, as
thou truth,
by
art
it
was
thyself the
which
thyself,
is
Scriptures by
Word
is
in Christ.
soul
has
fulfilled in
O
Love
pure, naked, simple
expressed, not
through me.
Amen.
by me, but
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
148
CONCISE YIEW OF THE INTERIOR WAY.
The
God
soul seeks
in faith not by the
reasonings of the mind and labored
efforts^
but by the drawings of love; to which in* clinations soul,
God
responds^ and instructs the
which co-operates
actively,
puts the soul in a passive
by
tion,
and
then
where he
all,
causing great progress,
way of
enjoyment, then by priva-
accomplishes first
state,
God
finally by
What do we way ? It is to within us.
pure Love.
understand by the Interior seek the
Luke
kingdom of God
17, 21.
We
find
kingdom only where God has placed within the soul. then, to
findP
becomes necessary,
and observations, w^hich
in the pride of reason, has located
around
Word
it,
withdraw the eyes of the soul from
external landmarks
man,
It
this
it,
and
rest the
of the Lord,
—
eye in "
faith,
on the
Seek and ye shall
This seeking, involves an interior
VIEW OF THE INTERIOR WAY. activity of the soul;
and searching
nation,
When the is
developed
of
God
God more
God, and that
— to
it
it
is
hidden.
kingdom
Interior recol
and the
perceptible
pre-
and agree-
was supposed,
that the
only the thought of
was necessary
to force the
concentrate the thoughts with
God.
violence to find
some
what
within, this little.
God was
presence of
mind
after
less difficult,
Formerly
able.
by
little
becomes
sence of
a desire, a determi-
the soul has thus earnestly sought
kingdom
lection
149
This
is
true
in
sense, but, as the soul cannot long
endure this tension, and as the kingdom of
God
is
not found in the external vestments
of the soul, but in is
of
little
avail.
its
So
depths, this labor little
progress
is
made, the soul becomes discouraged, and
who fears nothing so much as of God in the soul, makes an
the evil one,
the reign effort to
draw the
soul to externalities.
In order to accomplish this object, he takes two methods, either by excessive la-
13^
LETTERS OP MADAM GUYON.
150 bors,
persuading the soul that this
way
to
the
is
God, and thus choking the
find
internal process of the interior this tension of the
life, or,
mind, of which
I
by
have
Neither of these methods open in
spoken.
the soul, the interior way.
You
reply,
plished?
how, then,
in all things all
within, draws near
and teaches him a
to him,
accom-
answer, God, seeing the heart
I
him who seeks him
of
is this life
;
and,
by
this
just moderation
retrenchment of
excess in externals, the soul begins to
perceive the peaceful kingdom.
within
itself
a guide,
who
It realizes
provides for
necessities, according to divine laws,
takes
away
a guide
its
who
the burdens that sin imposes
who
does not foster corrupt nature,
nor forbid innocent pleasures.
When
the soul begins to perceive this
kingdom, and that the King himself manifested in some degree,
munes, (and step),
O,
my
we may Beloved,
it
thus com-
call this the I
is
second
have sought thee
VIEW OF IHE with
the strength of
all
WAY.
JNT^JRIOR
my
heart, in the
me
place where thou hast taught thee,
and
I
have there found thee
and nights have
I
All the desires of
But now
I
151
to seek
Days
!
passed in seeking thee.
my
heart go after thee.
have found thee.
pray thee
I
to reign as Sovereign, to establish
empire in alone.
my
I will resign to
have to myself;
all
ness, hast given to
At from ingly,
I will
soul.
this stage
the
all
that thou,
to
is
advance
regard, lov-
way
of
or place
it,
with
all
might hinder the
was a
its
first
any
The
progress.
its
soul has been active, in the
this
by thy good-
operation of God, without a
obstacle in the
and
the right I
me.
work
desire either to
destroy,
do thy will
of progress, the soul ceases
Its
self.
thee
thine
stage, to
power, that which
kingdom
great effort
of ;
God
within
for habit
rendered interior recollection very
difficult,
and the powers of the soul did not reunite themselves in one centre.
had
easily
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
152
Now the
the soul seeks no longer to combat
which hindered
obstacles,
within, but lets
its
return
God combat and
act in
Saying,
the soul.
it is
time O, Lord, that
thou shouldst take possession of thy king-
dom
Do
!
desire,
on
pray thee, exclusively.
so, I
my
part,
I
only to observe thine
operation.
This commencement of the reign of God,
and of the passive way, relished
by the
very highly
is
The
soul.
passes
soul
days, and even years, separated from creature enjoyments without weariness.
much more by
vances very little
time, than
years. fections, little
It is
by
all
ad-
way, in
this
the efforts of
many
not without faults and imper-
but divine love diminishes them
by little,
or does not permit the soul to
become disturbed by them, discouraged and
its
cause to fear
;
it
lest it
The
supposes that
done, and that
it
become
love hindered.
state is called passive love.
is
It
This
soul sees all
the
no
work
has only to pass into
VIEW OF THE INTERIOR WAY. eternity,
and
to enjoy this
who already gives much fulness. But it
good Sovereign,
himself to the soul in so
onward progress of thq
soul,
becomes no longer doubtful, whether the
soul
of
in the
153
to
is
remain in the passive enjoyment
God and
his
communications.
begins to feel a drawing, to only be
all
of his
riences
what
from the
It
the soul,
God first
The
gifts. is
or, rather,
now
expe-
exile
of the
has an impression, that
very painful, for
This exile
God
it
is
temptations,
is
at
important to
from the commencement of in the
depth of the soul to the
possession of him, there are
is
enjoy-
hears a voice in the depth of
notice, that,
state
not
soul's
soul
Christ, the
reigns there alone.
seeking
God
by the author of
called,
the Imitation of heart.
soul
things in the soul, but there
to reign separate
ment
let
The
sorrows.
marked by a
many
trials,
Every successive purifying' process.
Persons often mistake, and take the
first
LETTERS OF MADAM GUYON.
154
When God
purification for the last.
reigns
alone in the soul, separate from the action of
and
self,
self is destroyed, it is
any previous
When
state.
the soul has ceased from
operations,
selfish
exterminated,
its
be without him. believing
with so faults
it
to
soul
is
compreit
would
thus afflicted,
and seems to have
care,
had not before perceived.
it
with the spouse in the Canticles,
have washed
them?"
sin is
become more ap-
wishes
The
own
has lost the virtues, acquired
much
that
It says,
"I
it
defects
by itself, and what
it is
its
and the man of
God
parent, because
hend what
beyond
my
You do
feet,
how
not perceive, O, soul
you do not
beloved, that
shall I sully
sully
them
in
going to " open to the spouse," and that if
you contract some
will
remove
become more it is
it
slight impurity,
so perfectly, that
beautiful.
In the
you
mean
he
will
time,
not the desire of the spouse to become
beautiful in her
own
eyes, but to see only
VIEW OF THE INTERIOR WAY.
When
the beauty of her Lover. is
and
faithful in this state,
to die to
itself,
she
the beauty of her
beauty
shall
be
is
pleased only with
Beloved, and says his
my
But
beauty.
necessary to advance beyond
much
the soul
really desires
it
is
this, for, after
being despoiled of her beauty, a selfishness
155
greater to
it
would be
appropriate
to herself, the beauty of her Beloved.
His
beauty must remain untarnished, unappropriated
by her; she must leave him
and remain
in her nothing, for the nothing
her proper place.
This
which regards God
alone.
is
all,
is
Perfect Love,
COREESPOiNDENCE BETWEEN
MADAME GUYON AND FMELON. ABRIDGED.
MADAME GUYON TO
159
FIINELON.
I.
m
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. Agreeably der
me any
to
your kind
oflFer, sir,
to ren-
assistance in your power, I take
the liberty to send you some writings, which I earnestly desire
any regard
you
to criticise, without
myself personally
to
:
spare
nothing which seems to be more of self than of God.
I desire only his glory.
wish, also, to
ask your advice regarding
the records of my out,
during the
life,
which I have written
last six years,
by
particular
request of friends.
Shall
journal, or preserve
and continue
have not found record
But
my
I
diflScult,
my
same
destroy this it ?
I
heretofore, to
and the mercies of God.
to continue this journal
diflScult
of
follies,
it
I
would be more
on account of the greater simplicity
inward
for
state,
which
is
one and the
more than eight years. 14*
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
160 I
ought to apologize,
sir,
for
sending you
the manuscripts so badly written, and other-
wise so imperfect; not having re-read them.
God gives me great confidence in am more and more persuaded you person designated
in
my dream,
you.
I
are the
eight years
since."^
It is
pleted
more than four years since
my Commentary
tures.
I com-
on the Holy Scrip-
These explanations of Scripture
have proceeded from a simple reading of the text.
I
have not had recourse to the
writings of learned men.
And
ments would be more perfect followed too
much my own
these com-
if I
had not
inclination, in
* This dream is related by Madame Guyon in her " Autobiography," vol. ii., chap 17, and is as follows " I saw, in my dream, a great number of beautiful birds, which all the persons around me were eager to catch. Among them was one of extraordinary beauty, which all were bent upon pursuing. I made no effort myself, but all the birds came and offered themselves to me. They would fly away, and then return again. And, very much to my surprise, this beautiful bird came to me and did not fly away. He gave himself to me. beautiful above ail others, although But this beautiful bird, he has not yet come to me, is not unknown. And I am certain, that, either before or after my death, he will give himself wholly to God.'' :
—
—
—
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. continuing to write without the divine
which
writings
I
pray
may be
in-
my God those who read my
flux, not clearly discerning, at the time,
error,
161
able to discern.
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
162
II.
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
The manuscripts you have sent me, madame, have afforded
me
great pleasure.
I
have found nothing in them which has not edified
me very much. Be
sincerely,
assured, I speak
and not in a complimentary way.
Regarding the history of your hesitate to say that it.
son.
God
And
I
do not
you should not destroy
draw from
will
life,
it
fruit in its
sea-
the same simplicity which has
enabled you, in compliance with the request of friends, to
make these
records, should
lead you, also, to preserve and continue
them from time
to time, as
you are able
give expression to your inward states.
to I
am well aware, without experimental knowledge of the
fact, that, the
nearer one ap-
proaches to God, the more simple and uni-
form
is his state,
and the more
difficult it
FENELON TO MADAME
becomes
to give expression to this
God
It is
163
GUYOxNT.
alone that
fills
state.
and occupies the
mind. I think
you should write
and yet cautiously, uals, all,
in reference to individ-
and as concisely as possible but, above
in
;
the liberty of the Spirit of God.
Your views and
explanations of Scripture
have been written, the
in simplicity
movement
madame, service.
I
am
I believe,
according to
of the Spirit of God.
In him,
very much devoted to your
LETTEES OF MADAME GUYON.
164
III.
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
For
several days past,
prayer for you,
in a state of continual
state
have been
sir, I
which may be compared,
—a
in its ardor
and strength, to a flame which cannot be extinguished.
This was the state of prayer
of Jesus Christ.
And
spirits before the
throne are compared to
it is
thus the seven
seven lamps which burn day and night.
Bear with
me when
I
say, there yet
re-
mains in your heart some opposition to the free operation of God's Spirit this
;
prayer of the Spirit within
not be so intense.
I
otherwise
me would
have often realized a
similar state for others, but never for
one a prayer so intense and
lasting.
treat you, let the designs of
God be
accomplished in your heart and lieve
God
destines
you
to
life.
any
I en-
fully
I be-
become a burning
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
165
and shining light to his church; and that he wishes
you should receive
that
nor regarding
God
in
it
;
and
with great sim-
it
by
plicity, neither rejecting it ity,
you
I should say this to
false humil-
any human
light.
my mind
of his
leaves no doubt in
holy will regarding you.
And he
will
use his
accomplish his work.
he
is
^uniting
me
own instruments It is for this
purpose
most pure
to you, in the
and intimate manner; and
this,
notwith-
standing the difference in our external
cumstances, and difference in Oh,
spects.
how
worthy of God, soul
!
is
beth,
other re-
all
communion of
Our blessed Lord, by his It
sanctified in the
by the
cir-
pure, simple, divine, and
establishes this union.
John was
to
visit of
Mary.
was
soul with
incarnation, in this
womb
way
of Eliza-
It is a partici-
pation of the heavenly hierarchy,
where the
blessed spirits flow together in harmony.
Oh
that Christians
in Christ Jesus
!
knew
their high calling
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
166
me
Let
way
tell
of faith
you the beginnings of the
diflFer
or from that state eternal
And
Wisdom,
am
I
much from the end, when Jesus Christ, the
very
is
revealed in the soul.
certain, that, after
having a deep
experience of the evils of your natural state,
God
you
in
you apart
for
will manifest himself to
a remarkable manner, and set his glory.
I jBnd myself so
that
it
letter.
is
ill
of a violent fever,
with difficulty I reply to your
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON,
167
IV.
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
Nothing
me
moves
madame, than your
And
yet
I
you are
in
the hands
come and see you?
It
all
my
you
:
Your
the Lord.
main
of
state
sensibly, ill
life
of God.
I
am
Shall I
Neglect no means I ask last
it
in the
name
letter will
embedded
in
my
seems to me that our union
increasing.
health.
cannot be troubled, because
that can help
of
more
in
re-
heart.
God
is
united to you, not only
on the days of our special religious vices, but on all other days.
I
am
ser-
read-
ing with great pleasure, and slowly, your explanations of Paul's Epistles. special interest in
what
I
have a
relates to the
in-
terior life.
I find
myself often undecided in refer-
ence to small matters,
— whether
to do.
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
168
or not to do
and have no decided choice.
;
There are reasons on both
must
I
The experience
do ?
at times, in following in
which
much
my
What
sides.
have had,
I
movements,
first
have subsequently perceived
I
to proceed in this
made me hesitate way. And then, on the
other hand,
begin to hesitate
of selfishness, has
if I
my
reason,
God
uncertainty increases.
Each day
humbles me.
many
I find
slight to mention,
things, too
and
little
which con-
•
moment
tribute, at the
to cause
me
by these
little
clearly
my
depths of voluntarily,
While
of their occurrence,
to die little
by
matters that I discover so
natural
self.
But
aversions, I
am
and
the
not hindered,
by any of these external
I continue to realize
many
things. distrac-
tions, I realize also, increasingly, a
interior peace,
It is
little.
sweet
and more and more of the
presence of God. If the oflSce of bishop
me, and I refuse
it,
is
conferred upon
believing I can be
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
more useful
to
am than diocese, am I
remain where
perform the duties of a
169
I
liberty to follow these convictions ?
to at
Pray-
over this matter, and please answer me, according to the light
God
gives you.
Shall I read your letters to Mr. C. ? I
am
reading slowly your commentary
on the Pentateuch. 15
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
170
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
You
are so truly the Lord^s,
exercises over you
sir,
and he
such watchful care,
that I assure you without any hesitation, that,
when
cide
upon any matter, God
at the
it
is
necessary for you to de-
moment when
it
will
give you,
becomes necessary
to decide, a strong inclination either to re-
fuse or accept
am
it,
according as
certain, that, in the
is
his will.
I
present state of
your heart, you are not hindered from
fol-
lowing God's will by any voluntary movement. is
Involuntary distractions,
when one
not hindered by them, by making too
much account
of them, purify the soul
and the knowledge of them
will
the soul for another state, which
with
you, afar
oflf,
—a
without any distractions
state ;
of
prepare is
yet,
purity,
a state where
all
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. the powers
unity
;
in
of the
which
make only one
reduced to
are
soul
171
mind and heart
state the
act.
Your prayer
easy, because God,
is less
wishing to become your principle, takes
away your own thoughts, stitute
what
God
will.
is
more
in order to sub-
accordance with his
in
way
leading you, not by the
is
of great crosses and violent conflicts,. but
by the way of come too
You
littleness.
too childlike
little,
God has chosen a
cannot be-
and there-
;
child to be
your
companion, to teach you the route of
little
fore
children.
When you
littleness,
God
image
:
you
renew within you
will
will
reach this state of
live
no more.
his
Jesus
Christ will live in you.
To accomplish Holy fire
Spirit.
He
will
before his face
his Spirit before
work of the
this is the
;
his
send the devouring that
is,
he
will
send
word, in order that
the Spirit burn and destroy
all
that
and then Jesus Christ the Word
is evil
will
:
be
172
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
formed
in
you
;
you
be changed into
will
his image, from glory to glory. is
''
Our God
a consuming fire/' I cannot
Christ,
now speak
which
will
of this
be of
know
It is to this blessed life,
which
only by the
you
death of
self,
in
things.
all is
life
extent.
infinite
will
SuflSce to say,
new
reached
that I invite
you.
Do
not read at present the whole of the
Pentateuch, but only that
which relates
of
it
to the passage of the Israel-
ites across the
Land.
portion
Red Sea
into the
Promised
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
173
VT.
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. I
FIND
nothing
;
myself willing that
is,
yet
to
I find
me,
My
all
a garrison besieged, the walls
lation
my
I
am
broken
all
from
my
friends
:
it
is
apparent in
countenance, and in the tones of
And
tions.
It is only
yet
I
my
weakness that makes have a
I
nation to the place of prayer
my
that
my
have no great tempta-
the temptations strong.
there,
as
I cannot conceal this state of deso-
voice.
find
incli-
sides, like the
leaves of the tree in springtime.
down.
And
natural aversions and
nations pushing out, on
wills,
will, as it
fixed in this state.
is
my
God
I will all that
•and will nothing of myself.
seems
and willing
all,
;
temptations are great
disincli-
and, :
I
when
do not
inward recollection and enjoy-
ment of God
I anticipated
15*
;
and,
it
seems to
^
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
174
me, I accomplish nothing.
my
of
In the depths
being, I find a repose in
God
but,
;
in the business of the day, there is less
recollection or perception of God.
sometimes tempted to hasten matters outstrip myself, and get
beyond
am
I ;
to
this state
:
but I content myself to leave to each mo-
ment
its
all
barren, and
distractions. I
am
my
The
heart.
my
count of
seems
it
is
so in
me, some-
to
was no place
times, as if there
soul
much occupied
so
external duties, that
My
for
God
in
distress I realize on ac-
low
state
;
and
my
desire to
be wholly the Lord's alone sustains me. I
am
satisfied,
from present experience,
that the enjoyment of repose, and the oc-
cupation of the soul, in this way,
is
turn of selfishness very dangerous. thus the
soul
is
a re-
And
retarded by the same
means that was
helpful in a previous stage
of progress.
understand that means are
to
I
be used only as a proof of our
fidelity
and subjection to God, and not as real sup-
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. ports to the soul.
a state after
of which
Relish of retirement
God becomes
having made use of
draw
us
this
is
jealous,
means
to
Unhappy he
from ourselves.
who amuses
175
himself with the
gifts
of
grace, as the natural
man with
the endow-
ments of Nature.
Wisdom,
too
becomes a
snare.
I
cannot find
either peace or despoilment
clog to
my
steps
human,
:
it is
in
it
a heavy
LETTERS OP MADAME GUYON.
176
VIL MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
The
point of consideration most impor-
tant for you,
sir, is
in the will of
God.
himself; and
all
God
you must
so.
will
desires to lead you
he requires of you
permit him to do this,
own
the loss of your
And,
in
is
to
order to
suffer yourself to die daily,
and moment by moment, by means of the passing events of
life
:
suffering
all
your
repugnances to be consumed in you, by not regarding them,
The way will, is *
of pure
let
them
faith, in
suffer
and
die.
the loss of the
so barren to Nature, that the soul
sees nothing, and holds to nothing seemingly.
But
moved, the soul another.
when one prop
often,
And
finds
itself
is
re-
clinging to
at this point, letting
go the
hold of some things, the will awakens even to a firmer grasp of
some other things.
MADAME GUTON TO FENELON.
177
Aside from the usual way in which God leads souls, there
propriate to
each one. persons
a specific leading, ap-
the state
And
I
so near
cisely in the sities,
is
have never known two alike as to be led pre-
same way.
giving to each
character,
and
and character of
And
these diver-
one an individual
leading adapted to
that
character, redound to the glory of God.
What might
cause the death of another
might not answer
for you, on
account of
the greater depth of your interior. sufi'ering of
The
advancing souls arises from
resistance to God^s will, although this will
may
not always be understood at the time.
This resistance, however innocent, causes a disturbed state of the soul.
We
must not judge of the propriety of
God's dealings with us by our disrelish of these dealings. lost his
own
will is so well
relish or
He who
has
balanced as to
be easily moved by God, when the right
moment comes
for a decision.
The
per-
LETTERS OP MADAME GUYON.
178'
feet will of
God, by whieh the soul
troduced to
its first principle,
consummation of unity very certain
in
is in-
and to the
God, although
in itself, leaves the soul, in its
incipient state of progress, to a thousand
Certainty would be a prop,
uncertainties.
and hinder the
You may
not be able, at present, to un-
derstand what will.
Nor
a state
is
so
loss of the will.
is it
meant by the
easy to give expression to
exalted,
union with God.
loss of the
^^
and implying
The Torrents " ^
adapted to persons in
all
is
such well
stages of prog-
ress.
The more
resolute and fixed your will
becomes, the greater your sensibility to natural
aversions and faults, because
the increased opposition of the will to that
is evil.
But be encouraged
a tree, which, dying at
:
its stock, is
it is
of all
as
pushing
out only false buds, which serve only to * ' The Torrents," by Madame Guyon, translated from the French by Kev. Mr. Ford.
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. consume
and hasten
its sap,
179
As
death.
its
you reach the state of death, which
is
pre-
ceded by an experience of your misery
and
poverty, great
be
truths will
dis-
covered to you, known only to those who
Then you
are taught of God.
will
know
God alone is truth. Oh that I could express to you what I now perceive of the designs of God, in you
giving
his
of truth,
spirit
which
searches you out, and leaves you in possession of nothing in order to possess you
himself! as
you
Leave
are,
with
yourself, then,
God
self the happiest of
God
;
all
empty,
and consider your-
men, because the most to
make you the
father of a great people,
— a people pecu-
feeble.
liar,
designs
humble, docile, childlike
;
and; on this
account, he will lay deep the foundation
By
of your spiritual edifice.
the loss of
all
things you will obtain infinite riches, infinite
freedom.
You
will
say with Paul (2 Cor.
be constrained to
xii.
10),
"There-
180
LETTERS OP MADAME GUYON.
fore I take pleasure in infirmities, in re-
proaches, in necessities, in persecutions, in distresses, for Christ's sake
I
am
weak, then
am
I strong."
;
for
when
FENELON TO MADAME GUI ON.
181
YIII.
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
AM
I
quite certain,
madame, that none
can comprehend the state of pure love,
except those who have experienced
No
it.
one knows the depths of the Spirit of God, but the Spirit
itself.
He, therefore, who
has no experience of this state judges imperfectly, according to his limited view.
on
is
to wait
It
account am silent, and am willing until it pleases God to give me a
this
I
clear knowledge or experience of this state.
understand the state of death which
I St. ''
Paul depicts, expressed by these words,
It is
no more
I that live,
in me," to be a state in cified to the world, that
not
God
;
but Jesus Christ
which one is,
to
all
is
cru-
that
is
a state in which one feels no
condemnation, without, at the same time, possessing any righteousness of his 16
own
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
182
a state in which one glories only in the Lord, and speaks of himself as of another,
and fears not
to say of himself, or of the
God
in him, sublime things, be-
grace of
cause such an one in
reached this
state, the
summated, but
life is
in the soul increases
will
self,
dwelling
When
one has
out of
is
God, and God in him.
death of self This
not.
state,
con-
of
God
from day to day, and
be increasing through
In this
life
is
righteousness
eternity.
all
is
not only im-
puted, but really possessed by the soul,
by the indwelling of the These are state I
view
my
spirit
views on an experience or
have not yet reached.
it,
no one
to the selfish in this
is infallible,
life.
are
state
of God.
The
But, as I
although dead
faults
committed
involuntary, ordinarily,
and not those of actual disobedience to God's known
Yesterday
will.
I
committed a trespass against
a person
who
to me.
This fault humbled, although
is
by nature very disagreeable it
did
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
propose to visit him
not distress me.
I
this morning, to
make
suitable reparation
wrong.
for the
Every day, certain
I see
that
movements
my faults
self is
;
and so
so natural
will not leave
At
me
and
not dead.
must conclude the poison
tion.
183
is
I
am quite I
realize
evil, that I
within, and
without a violent opera-
times, I find
it
necessary to amuse
myself in various ways, as a child plays.
There
is
a
little
child here,
whom Nothing affords me the thought that I am
years old, with
two and a half
I play
so
sometimes.
much
pleasure as
uuited to you in God.
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
184
IX.
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. HAVE
I
light of
recently,
in
the
spirit-
— the mutual dependence of one
upon another, and the
how
Oh,
seen clearly, in the
God, the origin and nature of
ual unions, soul
sir,
results of union.
beautiful are our advancing steps
clearer light of
God
!
The
soul,
being created originally in the
image of
God, and being restored
image by
to this
means of the personal incarnation of the Word, receives a part of or attributes.
his divine nature
In receiving a part of this
nature, the soul receives the quality of pro-
ductiveness, or grace.
power of communicating
It is thus in union
with
God
;
and,
being made a partaker of the nature of
God, that soul unites this
itself to soul,
way communicates
grace, as
and in
God com-
municates himself, his essence and nature
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
The
soul being
God and of God, it draws and
penetrates
and power, in
185
to his creatures.
other souls,
by means of the divine opera-
tion through this soul, as an absorbing and reflecting .
Although those
medium.
inter-
vening rays may seem of themselves to
draw
others,
God
it is
It is not
first cause.
alone
who
acts as
easy to separate the
ray from the body of the sun, although is
And
distinct.
those
souls
who
it
are
nearest to God, or in closest union with
bim, possess the most of this power. it is
God
who draws and
alone
in himself to one another
;
Yes
unites souls
the intervening
soul presenting no obstacle, on account of its
purity and transparency, but
rather as a
medium
of grace.
It
is
communication
for the
thus one soul bears the
burden of another
soul.
God has caused me account.
serving
to
It
is
in this
way
on
your
suffer
In advancing to this state of
union, the soul will encounter whirlwinds
of temptation, but the truth of 16*
God
will
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
186 stand.
The
vessel,
although
by
beaten
the winds and waves, will assuredly reach
God
a safe harbor. I
have found
is pilot.
it diflficult
to give expres-
sion to this experience.
May your
supply what
Have
is
lacking.
ness to express to
my
opposed to
me your
light
the good-
views, even
if
own.
Please read fifty-fourth chapter of Isaiah,
me your
and give
views of
opened the Bible several times of
understanding of
is
that
increasing,
persons
is
wonderful.
late
to
and God has given me an
this chapter,
The grace
have
I
it.
it
God
adapted to gives
and the
increasing. I
me
my
state.
to aid souls
number of such The
results
are
remain with you, ever the
same, one in God.
FENELON TO MADAME <JUYON.
187
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. Since yesterday, I have desired to write you, madame, although I had resolved not to do so before seeing you, which, I trust,
often think of you, and
will
be soon.
find
myself more and more united
in
God.
and
it
am
I
one with you in the
seems to me we
one in him.
God
that
I
I
am
remain always
shall
as confident as
me through
blesses
you
to
Infinite,
you
you.
are,
My
thoughts of you are always blessed, because I never see you out of God, and see
God through you, without Sometimes
you.
doubts and state
;
all
in
experience some
little
regarding
this
temptations
but they quickly vanish, having no
real foundation.
and
I
resting at
at the
Our union
is
established,
same time increasing.
I
agree
with you, there are no unions so blessed
LETTERS OP MADAME GUYON.
188
as the union of souls in God, although I
can give no very definite expression of this state of union.
I could not speak of
any one
particular thought I have of you, although
you so
I think of
It is a general
often.
view or impression of you, accompanied with great peace and enjoyment in God.
My
confidence in you
is
unbounded, on
ac'
count of your goodness, your simplicity,
your knowledge and experience of the deep things of God, and, count of the designs of
finally,
God
on ac-
in relation to
myself through you. I have read twice the fifty-fourth chap-
ter of Isaiah.
It represents the glory
fruitfulness of the is
at
first
spouse.
as
the barren
Souls
draw other
Church of
whom God
to
of
self,
which
is
a
and forsaken destines
the soul
is
state, stripped of
way
the natural heart.
when
which
to
souls to himself pass at first
through the wilderness all
Christ,
and
full
the
of tribulation
But subsequently,
prepared,
God
enriches
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. her and renders her fruitful in
Thus
it
is
with you.
I
am
189 himself.
not able to
speak of what you are to others, but I
know what you happy
to see
are to me.
you
soon,
and
I shall
to sit
in prayerful recollection before
Be persuaded
*I
Lord.
you
God. in whole-
You know with what recollections I am yours in our
hearted simplicity. grateful
write
be most
with you
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
190
XI.
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
You have
explained,
sir,
in
few words,
the nature of the union of souls in God,
union existing in great simplicity of a union in which
is
is
in
I
find
you
in
of
God,
The greater my union
with God, the greater I realize, at times, a
established
is
it
God.
in you.
state,
no space or nothing
separating, because
God and and God
—a
my
union with you.
more perceptible over-
flowing and drawing of
your soul with
mine into the fulness of God, and yet in the same purity and simplicity. I
am
not
surprised that doubts some-
times arise in state.
your mind concerning
It is so with myself;
ish in the
but they van-
thought that God takes pleasure
to glorify himself in his children,
weakest.
this
And, besides
this, I
even the
have a
cer-
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
191
tain indifference to all that relates to I desire, first of
personally.
all,
the glory
of God, whatever becomes of me.
yesterday,
was questioning
I
of myself induced this state the Lord,
was
if it
erating through
;
if I
Only
had not
and I asked
his Spirit that
me on
me
was op-
other souls, that a
person who was then present might experience the results of this operation.
immediately this person,
my
ignorant of sible
who was
And
entirely
prayer, experienced a sen-
communication of grace, and spoke to
me of the great peace and enjoyment God which had just been imparted her soul.
mind
God
It has
been impressed on
of to
my
for several days past, that the love of for his creatures
like a torrent,
to receive
it
goes out of himself
and blesses
all
hearts open
and that the love which the
;
holy soul experiences and diffuses
is
only
a portion of this same love.
Yesterday
was
I
had a strong impression (I
sick in bed) that I
was
called to bear
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
192
the cross of Christ to a
still
greater degree
was
than ever before.
All I could do
say, " Let thy will,
God be accomplished
in
And
me."
anew, to bear
my
in
!
thus surrendering myself
all
sufferings in union with
Lord, and for the good of his church,
these words were given
pouse thee to .me forever
me ;
^^ :
I will
in loving kindness,
in mercies "
and
es-
yea, I will be-
troth thee unto me, in righteousness,
ii.
to
and
(Hosea
19, 20).
Notwithstanding
my
presentiment that
I should not die very soon, I was so
yesterday, I thought
my
end was near.
the evening, I had a strong that I should recover viction, I
God's
;
conviction
and, with this con-
and such
enlargement of
heart, as greatly to increase
But
my
I can speak to
physical
no persons
here of these peculiar exercises.
I
know
not best to see you too frequently,
it is
and
In
experienced such a fulness of
Spirit,
strength.
ill
I
know our Lord can supply
the lack
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. of personal
interviews
;
and even
193
now,
am writing, I find my soul so united you as to make me realize that no dis-
while I to
tance or space in the natural world can terrupt the intercourse of souls
in-
made one
God.
in
I
am, in him,
be. 17
all
to
you he makes me
to
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
194
XII.
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. Last
night,
for the first time
sir,
since
our acquaintance, I had a very singular
You
dream of you.
plicity in relating will yet
become
am
it
;
and
is
it
my
but no matter
much
as
only
;
will smile at
little
:
sim-
you
of a child as I
children that can
enter into the kingdom of heaven. I saw- in
You were and about
my dream
on the summit of the mountain, to descend.
persons present,
to descend.
together, and
There were a few
who had with
culty ascended the
were
a very deep valley.
great
mountain, which
You and
I
diflS-
we
were seated
were gliding along down the
summit, without any movement of our own. This descent of the valley, or declivity, was
marked with deep furrows, or regular intervals, which
made
it
ridges, at
easier to
MADAME GUYON TO FBNELON.
195
ascend the mountain, but seemed to present an obstacle to our descending in the
manner
which we were seated, making
in
no movement ourselves. rent difficulty bility
But
this
appa-
was obviated by the
flexi-
of the mountain, which seemed to
abase itself in these ridges, as the waves of
sea; so that
tjie
we descended
easily,
along by the movement of
carried
the
mountain.
One of tne persons who had ascended the mountain
—a
and, while she
woman
— stopped
you,
was conversing with you,
hindered you from descending, and hindered, also, the I
movement of the mountain.
was arrested with you, and understood,
that, as I
count,
suffered I
much.
I
When
this
woman
was more strongly bound
than ever tual.
ac-
While you were being arrested, I
were.
drew,
was descending only on your
should be retarded as long as you
I
;
with-
to
you
and our inclination was mu-
said to
you, "
my
child
1
how
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
196
much
I
have
suflfered,
while you have been
woman You replied, I, too, have suflFered much for I was removed from my right position, and where my inclination led me but I am taught a lesson to let nothing hinder me J^ After this, we descended very rapidly, and with great hindered by this
!
''
^'
;
;
:
and repose of soul
delight,
We
in soul.
found ourselves, unawares, in a room at the
base of
also a
the mountain,
few persons of great innocence and
purity, like ourselves. liberty
you from
^
where were
I said to you,
which you have given me
My me
child
^
^^
The
to call
pleases me, and removes
the restraint that I have hitherto
experienced." Here
very clear to me. trate its depths.
is
my
dream. It seems
I will leave
you
to pene-
FENELON TO MADAME GUION,
197
XIII.
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. I
READ with pleasure, madame,
that
all
comes from your pen, and pray that you
may you
follow freely the inclination to write
very much
me
;
God
and, be assured, I shall be
am
I
edified.
by a cordial reception of
so in advance, I
all.
am
you should make reserves of what
yond
my
depth
;
gives
but
I
willing is
be-
pray you to make no
reserves as to what I need, and, especially, to
reduce
God
me
to the simplicity of a
has given you an
your dream.
to
by
my
the
understanding of
Please enlighten me.
I per-
human wisdom,
personi-
ceive readily that fied
woman,
progress.
is
a great hinderance
Does
this relate
past, or to the present time
in the state in
me?
child.
?
Am
to the I
which you are arrested by
What do you understand by 17*
now the
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
198
room
mouDtain?
at the base of the
express to
me
Please
unreservedly your thoughts
on the dream. If
you know any point
which
in
I
fail,
any one thing which hinders the free operation of God's Spirit, I entreat plainly,
without any reserve
you to ;
tell
for I desire
only the accomplishment of God's will else
is
nothing to me.
my wisdom must
die
;
know
I
but
I
all
I
orders, without
any
more can
do
I
me by your
accept
all
ing
all
it
can do
that
self-reserves.
prayers ?
may
well that is
God What
Will you do the rest for
?
I
am
willing to pro-
gress as fast or as slowly as
whatever
all
:
God must
to hold myself in the crucible. strike the blow.
me
cost me.
the suiferings I
cient unto the day
is
God
pleases,
I count as noth-
may
endure.
'^
SuflS-
the evil thereof."
He
who permits
the evil will bring good out
of the
Besides, I would not think of
evil.
good relative
to myself; for I desire to lose
sight of myself, in order that God's will
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
may be
fully accomplished.
have you
feeble both in for
my
in
God.
tion,
My
on
suffer
my
would not
account.
mind and body, and
external duties. I
I
199
But
my
I
am
unfitted
soul rests
take time for rest and recrea-
and amuse myself as well as seasons of prayer are
I can.
irregular,
and
partake rather of silent meditation than of petition.
My
prayer
riding or walking. position,
my
judge from
how
is
most natural when
When
I
take a fixed
thoughts wander.
this expression of
humiliating
is
my
You
my
can
feelings
experience.
You
know, as well as myself, what God permits
me
to be to you.
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
200
XIV. MADAME GUYON TO FENELON. Nothing
your progress,
arrests
The view
the present time.
my dream
in
at the base of the mountain, these
words express must
my
views
He who
:
The base
first descend.
ascend.
of the
I
have no other
wisdom.
And
this,
God
will help
subject to divine wisdom.
to
You do
human you
to
well to
nothing in the past and present hinder
you
;
but also you must reject nothing in
the future. I
moun-
light regarding
the woman, only as representing
let
ascends
was the point from which you were
tain
at
In regard to the
relates to the future.
room
sir,
Leave
to
God
things to come.
perceive very clearly that you are
drawn more and more plicity I
reach.
to that state of sim-
have so much desired you might It will cost
you much,
I
know, to
MADAME GUYON TO FENELON.
own
die to your
201
natural wisdom; and
you
be turning back upon yourself.
will often
But do not understand me
as saying that
you should not
act of yourself,
become passive
but, rather, that you should
act at
;
and thus
times in simplicity, not waiting
all
for a special
movement, but leaving your
heart always open to God, as a room
open
to
go
your eye
and out as one pleases.
ever towards
is
direction, in
in
you must walk
God
and teach you
you
will
all
at the right
for light
on,
having
is
things.
acts
He
will give to
utter.
moment needed,
not the product of reasoning. as a little child,
You who
not by reasoning, but in a childlike
way and
in
good
faith.
Faith embraces what ble.
faith
for a special
moment words
must become simple
and
always be with you,
Inspiration comes in the
and
While
God
your guide, and not waiting
movement.
is left
God
is
next to impossi-
many difAfter having taken away all
exercises our faith in
ferent ways.
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
202
our sensible supports, and making us ize
how good
is
the
real-
way of self-despoilment,
he exercises again our faith by renewing these sensible experiences.
And when
he
awakens again these perceptible emotions, he purifies them, and by these exercises enlarges the capacity of the soul
the same time, the soul remains, in interior, in perfect peace. is
and, at
;
its
deep
Thus the
soul
rendered active and multiplied in
its
ex-
ercises,
without becoming less simple and
pure.
It is
qualities of
now partaking more of the God, who is himself one, and
varied in his operations.
may
This experience
not be understood by you at the pres-
ent time
;
but
it is
important, because
sometimes the case,
that, for
want of
it is
light,
the soul does not readily acquiesce in this divine leading.
how
Oh,
how great
is
God, and
manifold are his operations on the
soul of
man
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
203
XV. FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. In relating to you, raadame, what M. D.
M. has
told
warn you
me,
I
have had
who speak with you And also great confidence.
apparently in
my
I desire to let
recent sufferings on account
Crowds of
of certain scandalous reports. reflections
have rushed
and caused
me
iating side.
And
me on
I could
thoughts, and
them, than I could
asmuch
upon
mind,
the most humil-
no more dissipate
the grief attending
fly in
the
air.
But,
in-
as I held myself firmly to God, to
sufier all his will, I believe I sin.
And
this
scourging to crucify
vanity,
my
almost insupportable grief.
All has appeared to
these
view to
to use great discretion with per-
sons
you know
in
my
I believe
ambition,
God
will
committed no
make use of
my
pride,
my false wisdom.
my
My
LETTERS OP MADAME GUYON.
204 soul
is
lieve
now again at it ?
—
rest
and
;
have never been so closely
I
united to you as
now
and
;
been increasing during
My
union has
this this
all
suffering.
sufferings on account of this scandal
have led me resignation,
moved by
to think of
your state of quiet
and enjoyment of God, un-
external things, however
How
ing to the natural man.
been ray fears
which
my
ture cries aloud at the
good to see
great have
natural
prudence
eyes of the world
in the
all
afflict-
be drawn into a path
lest I
demolishes
and wisdom
is
— can you be-
first
even of a servant, as was
Na-
But
alarms.
her weakness,
!
—
it
afraid
St.
Peter,
my
ill
who
had been so courageous.
Whether
owing
is
it
health, occupations, or
but very
prayer
what
is still
realize
the
in
time for prayer;
usual
more strange,
any regret at
consequences.
I
state of
negligence, I find
facility or
little
i.e.,
to
I
its loss,
form.
And,
do not seem to nor fear of the
was never more exposed
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. to temptations thaa here (at court)
would seem, therefore, that more.
I
count of
my
of
my
faults
more
it
should pray-
I
and bold
self,
invariably, at
in
lection, united to
and yet,
;
in the depths
have never been more
free,
like
my
and
;
experience cutting regrets on ac-
interior, I
tranquil,
205
and never more
my all
conduct.
child-
I find
my-
times of inward recol-
God
depths of
in the
soul.
I shall rejoice to see
pointed.
I
expressing at large
brance of
you on the day
ap-
deny myself the pleasure of
all
my
remem-
grateful
The
your favors.
bonds
which unite us do not require complimentary words, although, in truth, I
owe you
very many, not complimentary, but very sincere.
When
I
remember you,
plunge myself deeper
God, where
I 18
in
the
it
is
only to
unknown of
wish to lose myself forever.
LETTERS OP MADAME GDYON.
206
XVI. MADAME GUYON TO PENELON. I PERCEIVE, liad
sir,
by your
not then received
last, that
my letter
matters more fully than peat at the present time.
you
explaining
necessary to
re-
It is true that
my
is
soul is too deeply centred in
God
to
make
much account
of what takes place in the
outside world
and
;
evil reports are too
com-
mon to alarm me. I knew you would suffer much and I knew, also, that all would ;
be overruled
your good.
for
I
believe
you have not only been preserved from sin in this
your
faith
trial,
and abandonment strengthened.
Rest assured,
am, God
will
astray, or
but your soul purified,
that,
weak and unworthy as
never permit
me
to lead
do you the least injury.
known from
the
I
you have
commencement of our
quaintance, that, as
it
I
ac-
was the design of
MADAME G[JYON TO FENELON.
God
to aid
you by means of one so
ly unsuitable
suflfered
follow the
to
When
much.
dictate,
And
suffer.
I
me,
I fear I displease
would
and thus neglect
God
a time to follow the inspirations
much
him.
I
close
between himself and the soul crated to him ble to
!
It
seems
act of myself,
to
originate a find
movement
is
May
the union
fully conse-
me
impossi-
from the
separate
divine will manifested in me.
gives
cannot in
I
the least degree go contrary to his will.
how
for
have suffered
to-day on this account.
our Lord teach you
too
I
human prudence
rules which
and wisdom
entire-
the eyes of the world,
in
you would have have
207
If I try to
or plan of acting, I
myself helpless as an
infant,
and with-
What I do must have a corresponding movement or life-power from within. One must pass through many
out strength.
deaths in order to reach this state, and do the will of God, as the angels in heaven
from an intuitive perception of his
will.
LETTERS OF MADAME GUYON.
208
something to become passive, and
It is
cease from self-interested movements it is
more
but
;
become passively active
to
doing the will of God.
This
is
in
an experi-
ence that few, comparatively, reach, because they have not courage enough to die to the extent that
reach
this
this state
state.
One who has reached
possesses an indomitable cour-
age and firmness at
necessary, in order to
is
whatever
cost.
to
execute
And,
all
also,
God's will
such an one
experiences a corresponding infantile weakness or inability to do what
God's
will.
You,
strength from will
sir,
will
is
contrary to
always receive
God when you need
never leave you
for a
it.
moment.
God
He
loves you beyond expression, as he testifies in
my
heart.
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON.
209
XVII. FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. I
HAVE
just returned from the country,
madame, where
I
have remained
and found myself much
some
little
five days,
at ease, excepting
anxieties on your account.
I
have relished to some degree the things around me, and, at the same time, have ex-
much
perienced
owing I
to
my
lassitude
state of
have realized
indifi'erence,
health.
ill
in all a
and a quiet submission
and
And
yet
union with God, Noth-
to his will.
ing at the present time embarrasses
rae,
—
neither the diflSculties I encounter, neither
my
faults,
These
nor what others think of me.
faults are humiliating
my
enough
is
ment of
heart, they appear trivial,
suflferings
and
occasioned by them.
things pass with 18*
but,
peace in God and enlarge-
so great
the
;
me
also
All
so naturally, and with
LETTERS OP MADAME GUYON.
210 SO
little
tempted
And what
sion
is
proceeds
to believe that this state
from indifference and a life.
am sometimes
solicitude, that I
of
loss
spiritual
strengthens this impres-
having no burden of prayer, noth-
ing to desire.
And
proached God
in
yet I have never ap-
a manner so
childlike,
so deep, so continual, so one with himself.
Many things around me might prove a temptation and a snare but God tempers them ;
in such a
manner
that
my heart neither rests
nor desires to rest in any thing but God.
Like Noah's dqve, I
a
it
returns to the ark.
had written you a long
little
whirlwind of
among my
affairs, it is
your griefs and
tions, in the
just
depths of
what you say
ceived.
I
am
you, and leading is,
but, in
;
scattered
papers, and I have searched a
long time without finding in all
letter
in
in all
your consola-
my
I
heart.
your
confident
me by
to follow always
I participate
it.
need
letter just re-
God you.
where God
is
leading
My
desire
leads,
how-
FENELON TO MADAME GUYON. ever blind the
vided
I
way
know he
is
;
and
will
leading me.
an open question with me.
accustomed to find
it
reason
not easy at
all
I
do
am to
pro-
so,
This
my way times
211
so
is still
much
along, I
submit
way God is leading me. searching me out and I am in
readily to the
But God
is
;
the right path, following your instructions,
which
come from the Lord.
I believe
him, madame, I
am
In
yours increasingly and
without reserve. I anticipate the
soon.
God
all,
pleasure of seeing you
ourselves nothing.
LETTERS OP MADAME GUYON.
212
XVIIL MADAME GUYON TO
The
What
ago. ple,
chapter of the book I
thirteenth
you expresses
sent
I
MR. POIRET."^
my
some years
state
now experience
is
more sim-
more naked, more nothing, and more
God; a
and so reduced
state so exalted,
me nothing Love seems now an ex-
regarding myself, as to leave to say of myself.
istence in
and
me independent
my
tween
will
those
were
know
distinct acts its
former
life.
* This
is
much
itself
God all
am
God.
not
is,
The
any more in
exercises
the last of the series of is
I
distinction be-
will of
and
the soul possesses
lished letters, and It is
make any
and the
soul seems not to
:
my volitions,
distinct acts of the soul.
able ordinarily to
all
of
which
and God
is
things in him
Madame Guyon's pub-
addressed to the celebrated Mr. Poiret.
abridged in the translation.
MADAME GUYON TO MR.
them by any
purely, and not possessing right of self-appropriation.
nor reason about
flect is
no
alone
I
state. is
my
my
213
POIRET.
I
state,
cannot re-
because
it
remain nothing, and God
life.
If I should indulge in
scruples or fears or care or self-returns in
any way,
I
have so
little
from God's as one choice.
God
who
should go out of
state.
I
interest for myself, aside
will, that I
seem
in this respect
has no perception, emotions, or
I remain nothing.
is all
my
in
all.
God
is,
and
214
LETTERS TO MADAME GUY ON.
HER POETRY.
SELECTIONS FEOM
A LITTLE BIRD
AM.
I
A
LITTLE bird I am, Shut from the fields of air And in my cage I sit and sing
To Him who
placed
me
Well pleased a prisoner Because,
my God,
Nought have
it
there
to be,
pleases thee.
I else to do.
I sing the whole day long
And He whom Doth
He
most I love
my
listen to
caught and bound
But
still
Thou
to please
song.
my
he bends to hear
wandering wing
me
sing.
hast an ear to hear,
A heart to love and bless And, though
my
:
notes were e'er so rude,
Thou wouldst not hear
the less
Because thou knowest, as they
That
My
love, sweet love, inspires
cage confines
Abroad
I
But, though
them
fly
wing
is
closely bound,
My heart's at liberty. My prison-walls cannot control The
flight,
all.
me round
cannot
my
;
fall,
the freedom, of the soul.
SELECTIONS FROM HER POETRY. 215 Oh
it is
!
These
good to soar and bars above, whose purpose I adore, bolts
To Him Whose Providence I love And in thy mighty will to find The joy,
the freedom, of the mind.
GOD EVERYWHERE TO THE SOUL THAT LOVES HIM. Thou by long experience tried, Near whom no grief can long abide, how full of sweet content My Lord
—
!
—
1 pass my years
of banishment!
All scenes alike engaging prove
To
souls impressed with sacred love
Where'er they dwell, they dwell in In heaven, in earth, or on the
To me
thee,
sea.
remains nor place nor time
My country is in every clime. I can be
calm and
On any
shore, since
While place we
The
free
from care
God
is
there.
seek, or place
we shun,
soul finds happiness in none
But, with a
God
to guide
'Tis equal joy to
go or
our way,
stay.
Could I be cast where thou art not, That were indeed a dreadful lot But regions none remote I call, Secure of finding
God
in
all.
—
LETTERS TO MADAME GUYON.
216
My
country, Lord, art thou alone
No
other can I claim or own.
The
point where
all
My law, my love,
I love
For
my I
I
am
wishes meet,
only sweet.
God, but with no love of mine.
have none to give.
I love thee, Lord
For
my
life's
by thy
life
as nothing
Emptied, and
Thou, Lord,
;
I ;
lost,
but
all
the love
is
and rejoice to be and swallowed up in
alone, art all thy children
In thee the bless'd abide,
Fountain of
thine.
live.
And there is none beside. From thee the streams of blessedness
Our
:
life
—
thee.
need
proceed
and all-abounding grace, and our dwelling-place.
source, our centre,
K
.^^^~
-^^^
-^'
v^'-
j\
V.
,\X^
.^
>
"
*-
^
V
r\.
.
^r^:
*
,
o.
c^.
c'^-
"
'
v-^-
^^
*. -^o v--*^^
'<-
*'^v75^"
'"*^iC^\"
,.
'f^
V '^^
^
u
,
^-^^
.^^^
\
V
,^^
^^^
-0
A-«^
*
^:.,
^-^\.
v^
^ ^/r?p^'^^
X^' ^'''^/y^?^^
J- ,\^
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS
005 852 880 8
'V