THE DESIRE OF ETERNAL LIFE; THE GREAT REWARDS
PROMISED TO THOSE WHO STRUGGLE
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, when you feel the desire for everlasting happiness
poured out upon you from above, and when you long to depart out of the
tabernacle of the body that you may contemplate My glory without
threat of change, open wide your heart and receive this holy
inspiration with all eagerness. Give deepest thanks to the heavenly
Goodness which deals with you so understandingly, visits you so
mercifully, stirs you so fervently, and sustains you so powerfully
lest under your own weight you sink down to earthly things. For you
obtain this not by your own thought or effort, but simply by the
condescension of heavenly grace and divine regard. And the purpose of
it is that you may advance in virtue and in greater humility, that you
may prepare yourself for future trials, that you may strive to cling
to Me with all the affection of your heart, and may serve Me with a
fervent will.
My child, often, when the fire is burning the flame does not
ascend without smoke. Likewise, the desires of some burn toward
heavenly things, and yet they are not free from temptations of carnal
affection. Therefore, it is not altogether for the pure honor of God
that they act when they petition Him so earnestly. Such, too, is often
your desire which you profess to be so strong. For that which is
alloyed with self-interest is not pure and perfect.
Ask, therefore, not for what is pleasing and convenient to
yourself, but for what is acceptable to Me and is for My honor,
because if you judge rightly, you ought to prefer and follow My will,
not your own desire or whatever things you wish.
I know your longings and I have heard your frequent sighs.
Already you wish to be in the liberty of the glory of the sons of God.
Already you desire the delights of the eternal home, the heavenly land
that is full of joy. But that hour is not yet come. There remains yet
another hour, a time of war, of labor, and of trial. You long to be
filled with the highest good, but you cannot attain it now. I am that
sovereign Good. Await Me, until the kingdom of God shall come.
You must still be tried on earth, and exercised in many things.
Consolation will sometimes be given you, but the complete fullness of
it is not granted. Take courage, therefore, and be strong both to do
and to suffer what is contrary to nature.
You must put on the new man. You must be changed into another
man. You must often do the things you do not wish to do and forego
those you do wish. What pleases others will succeed; what pleases you
will not. The words of others will be heard; what you say will be
accounted as nothing. Others will ask and receive; you will ask and
not receive. Others will gain great fame among men; about you nothing
will be said. To others the doing of this or that will be entrusted;
you will be judged useless. At all this nature will sometimes be sad,
and it will be a great thing if you bear this sadness in silence. For
in these and many similar ways the faithful servant of the Lord is
wont to be tried, to see how far he can deny himself and break himself
in all things.
There is scarcely anything in which you so need to die to self
as in seeing and suffering things that are against your will,
especially when things that are commanded seem inconvenient or
useless. Then, because you are under authority, and dare not resist
the higher power, it seems hard to submit to the will of another and
give up your own opinion entirely.
But consider, my child, the fruit of these labors, how soon
they will end and how greatly they will be rewarded, and you will not
be saddened by them, but your patience will receive the strongest
consolation. For instead of the little will that you now readily give
up, you shall always have your will in heaven. There, indeed, you
shall find all that you could desire. There you shall have possession
of every good without fear of losing it. There shall your will be
forever one with Mine. It shall desire nothing outside of Me and
nothing for itself. There no one shall oppose you, no one shall
complain of you, no one hinder you, and nothing stand in your way. All
that you desire will be present there, replenishing your affection and
satisfying it to the full. There I shall render you glory for the
reproach you have suffered here; for your sorrow I shall give you a
garment of praise, and for the lowest place a seat of power forever.
There the fruit of glory will appear, the labor of penance rejoice,
and humble subjection be gloriously crowned.
Bow humbly, therefore, under the will of all, and do not heed
who said this or commanded that. But let it be your special care when
something is commanded, or even hinted at, whether by a superior or an
inferior or an equal, that you take it in good part and try honestly
to perform it. Let one person seek one thing and another something
else. Let one glory in this, another in that, and both be praised a
thousand times over. But as for you, rejoice neither in one or the
other, but only in contempt of yourself and in My pleasure and honor.
Let this be your wish: That whether in life or in death God may be
glorified in you. |
Of the desire after eternal life, and how great
blessings are promised to those who strive
"My Son, when thou feelest the desire of eternal
happiness to be poured into thee from above, and longest to depart
from the tabernacle of this body, that thou mayest contemplate My
glory without shadow of turning, enlarge thine heart, and take in this
holy inspiration with all thy desire. Give most hearty thanks to the
Supreme Goodness, who dealeth with thee so graciously, visiteth thee
so lovingly, stirreth thee up so fervently, raiseth thee so
powerfully, lest thou sink down through thine own weight, to earthly
things. For not by thine own meditating or striving dost thou receive
this gift, but by the sole gracious condescension of Supreme Grace and
Divine regard; to the end that thou mayest make progress in virtue and
in more humility, and prepare thyself for future conflicts, and cleave
unto Me with all the affection of thy heart, and strive to serve Me
with fervent will.
2. "My Son, often the fire burneth, but the flame
ascendeth not without smoke. So also the desires of some men burn
towards heavenly things, and yet they are not free from the temptation
of carnal affection. Thus therefore they are not acting with an
altogether simple desire for God's glory when they pray to Him so
earnestly. Such, too, is oftentimes thy desire, when thou hast
imagined it to be so earnest. For that is not pure and perfect which
is tainted with thine own self-seeking.
3. "Seek thou not what is pleasant and
advantageous to thyself, but what is acceptable and honourable unto
Me; for if thou judgest rightly, thou must choose and follow after My
appointment rather than thine own desire; yea, rather than anything
that can be desired. I know thy desire, and I have heard thy many
groanings. Already thou longest to be in the glorious liberty of the
children of God; already the eternal home delighteth thee, and the
heavenly country full of joy; but the hour is not yet come; there
remaineth still another season, even a season of warfare, a season of
labour and probation. Thou desirest to be filled with the Chief Good,
but thou canst not attain it immediately. I AM that Good; wait for
Me, until the Kingdom of God shall come.
4. "Thou must still be tried upon earth, and be
exercised in many things. Consolation shall from time to time be
given thee, but abundant satisfying shall not be granted. Be strong
therefore, and be thou brave both in working and in suffering things
which are against thy nature. Thou must put on the new man, and be
changed into another man. Thou must often do what thou wouldst not;
and thou must leave undone what thou wouldst do. What pleaseth others
shall have good success, what pleaseth thee shall have no prosperity.
What others say shall be listened to; what thou sayest shall receive
no heed. Others shall ask and receive; thou shalt ask and not
obtain. Others shall be great in the report of men, but about thee
shall nothing be spoken. To others this or that shall be entrusted;
thou shalt be judged useful for nought.
5. "For this cause nature shall sometimes be
filled with sadness; and it is a great thing if thou bear it
silently. In this and many like things the faithful servant of the
Lord is wont to be tried, how far he is able to deny himself and bring
himself into subjection in all things. Scarcely is there anything in
which thou hast need to mortify thyself so much as in seeing things
which are adverse to thy will; especially when things are commanded
thee to be done which seem to thee inexpedient or of little use to
thee. And because thou darest not resist a higher power, being under
authority, therefore it seemeth hard for thee to shape thy course
according to the nod of another, and to forego thine own opinion.
6. "But consider, My Son, the fruit of these
labours, the swift end, and the reward exceeding great; and thou shalt
find it no pain to bear them then, but rather the strongest solace of
thy patience. For even in exchange for this trifling desire which
thou hast readily forsaken, thou shalt always have thy will in
Heaven. There verily thou shalt find all that thou wouldst, all that
thou canst long for. There thou shalt have all good within thy power
without the fear of losing it. There thy will, ever at one with Mine,
shall desire nothing outward, nothing for itself. There no man shall
withstand thee, none shall complain of thee, none shall hinder,
nothing shall stand in thy path; but all things desired by thee shall
be present together, and shall refresh thy whole affection, and fill
it up even to the brim. There I will glory for the scorn suffered
here, the garment of praise for sorrow, and for the lowest place a
throne in the Kingdom, for ever. There shall appear the fruit of
obedience, the labour of repentance shall rejoice, and humble
subjection shall be crowned gloriously.
7. "Now therefore bow thyself humbly under the
hands of all men; nor let it trouble thee who said this or who ordered
that; but take special heed that whether thy superior, thy inferior,
or thy equal, require anything from thee, or even show a desire for
it; take it all in good part, and study with a good will to fulfil the
desire. Let one seek this, another that; let this man glory in this,
and that man in that, and be praised a thousand thousand times, but
rejoice thou only in the contempt of thyself, and in Mine own good
pleasure and glory. This is what thou art to long for, even that
whether by life or by death God may be ever magnified in thee."(1) |