OURSELVES
WE MUST not rely too much upon ourselves, for grace and
understanding are often lacking in us. We have but little inborn
light, and this we quickly lose through negligence. Often we are not
aware that we are so blind in heart. Meanwhile we do wrong, and then
do worse in excusing it. At times we are moved by passion, and we
think it zeal. We take others to task for small mistakes, and overlook
greater ones in ourselves. We are quick enough to feel and brood over
the things we suffer from others, but we think nothing of how much
others suffer from us. If a man would weigh his own deeds fully and
rightly, he would find little cause to pass severe judgment on others.
The interior man puts the care of himself before all other
concerns, and he who attends to himself carefully does not find it
hard to hold his tongue about others. You will never be devout of
heart unless you are thus silent about the affairs of others and pay
particular attention to yourself. If you attend wholly to God and
yourself, you will be little disturbed by what you see about you.
Where are your thoughts when they are not upon yourself? And
after attending to various things, what have you gained if you have
neglected self? If you wish to have true peace of mind and unity of
purpose, you must cast all else aside and keep only yourself before
your eyes.
You will make great progress if you keep yourself free from all
temporal cares, for to value anything that is temporal is a great
mistake. Consider nothing great, nothing high, nothing pleasing,
nothing acceptable, except God Himself or that which is of God.
Consider the consolations of creatures as vanity, for the soul that
loves God scorns all things that are inferior to Him. God alone, the
eternal and infinite, satisfies all, bringing comfort to the soul and
true joy to the body. |
Of self-esteem
We cannot place too little confidence in
ourselves, because grace and understanding are often lacking to us.
Little light is there within us, and what we have we quickly lose by
negligence. Oftentimes we perceive not how great is our inward
blindness. We often do ill and excuse it worse. Sometimes we are
moved by passion and count it zeal; we blame little faults in others
and pass over great faults in ourselves. Quickly enough we feel and
reckon up what we bear at the hands of others, but we reflect not how
much others are bearing from us. He who would weigh well and rightly
his own doings would not be the man to judge severely of another.
2. The spiritually-minded man putteth care of
himself before all cares; and he who diligently attendeth to himself
easily keepeth silence concerning others. Thou wilt never be
spiritually minded and godly unless thou art silent concerning other
men's matters and take full heed to thyself. If thou think wholly
upon thyself and upon God, what thou seest out of doors shall move
thee little. Where art thou when thou art not present to thyself? and
when thou hast overrun all things, what hath it profited thee, thyself
being neglected? If thou wouldst have peace and true unity, thou must
put aside all other things, and gaze only upon thyself.
3. Then thou shalt make great progress if thou
keep thyself free from all temporal care. Thou shalt lamentably fall
away if thou set a value upon any worldly thing. Let nothing be
great, nothing high, nothing pleasing, nothing acceptable unto thee,
save God Himself or the things of God. Reckon as altogether vain
whatsoever consolation comes to thee from a creature. The soul that
loveth God looketh not to anything that is beneath God. God alone is
eternal and incomprehensible, filling all things, the solace of the
soul, and the true joy of the heart. |