HIGH MATTERS AND THE HIDDEN JUDGMENTS OF GOD ARE
NOT TO BE SCRUTINIZED
THE VOICE OF CHRIST
MY CHILD, beware of discussing high matters and God's hidden
judgments -- why this person is so forsaken and why that one is
favored with so great a grace, or why one man is so afflicted and
another so highly exalted. Such things are beyond all human
understanding and no reason or disputation can fathom the judgments of
God.
When the enemy puts such suggestions in your mind, therefore,
or when some curious persons raise questions about them, answer with
the prophet: "Thou art just, O Lord, and righteous are Thy
judgments";[40] and this: "The judgments of the Lord are true and
wholly righteous."[41] My judgments are to be feared, not discussed,
because they are incomprehensible to the understanding of men.
In like manner, do not inquire or dispute about the merits of
the saints, as to which is more holy, or which shall be greater in the
kingdom of heaven. Such things often breed strife and useless
contentions. They nourish pride and vainglory, whence arise envy and
quarrels, when one proudly tries to exalt one saint and the other
another. A desire to know and pry into such matters brings forth no
fruit. On the contrary, it displeases the saints, because I am the
God, not of dissension, but of peace -- of that peace which consists
in true humility rather than in self-exaltation.
Some are drawn by the ardor of their love with greater
affection to these saints or to those, but this affection is human and
not divine. I am He who made all the saints. I gave them grace: I
brought them to glory. I know the merits of each of them. I came
before them in the blessings of My sweetness. I knew My beloved ones
before the ages. I chose them out of the world -- they did not choose
Me. I called them by grace, I drew them on by mercy. I led them safely
through various temptations. I poured into them glorious consolations.
I gave them perseverance and I crowned their patience. I know the
first and the last. I embrace them all with love inestimable. I am to
be praised in all My saints. I am to be blessed above all things, and
honored in each of those whom I have exalted and predestined so
gloriously without any previous merits of their own.
He who despises one of the least of mine, therefore, does no
honor to the greatest, for both the small and the great I made. And he
who disparages one of the saints disparages Me also and all others in
the kingdom of heaven. They are all one through the bond of charity.
They have the same thought and the same will, and they mutually love
one another; but, what is a much greater thing, they love Me more than
themselves or their own merits. Rapt above themselves, and drawn
beyond love of self, they are entirely absorbed in love of Me, in Whom
they rest. There is nothing that can draw them away or depress them,
for they who are filled with eternal truth burn with the fire of
unquenchable love.
Therefore, let carnal and sensual men, who know only how to
love their own selfish joys, forbear to dispute about the state of
God's saints. Such men take away and add according to their own
inclinations and not as it pleases the Eternal Truth. In many this is
sheer ignorance, especially in those who are but little enlightened
and can rarely love anyone with a purely spiritual love. They are
still strongly drawn by natural affection and human friendship to one
person or another, and on their behavior in such things here below are
based their imaginings of heavenly things. But there is an
incomparable distance between the things which the imperfect imagine
and those which enlightened men contemplate through revelation from
above.
Be careful, then, My child, of treating matters beyond your
knowledge out of curiosity. Let it rather be your business and aim to
be found, even though the least, in the kingdom of God. For though one
were to know who is more holy than another, or who is greater in the
kingdom of heaven, of what value would this knowledge be to him unless
out of it he should humble himself before Me and should rise up in
greater praise of My name?
The man who thinks of the greatness of his own sins and the
littleness of his virtues, and of the distance between himself and the
perfection of the saints, acts much more acceptably to God than the
one who argues about who is greater or who is less. It is better to
invoke the saints with devout prayers and tears, and with a humble
mind to beg their glorious aid, than to search with vain
inquisitiveness into their secrets.
The saints are well and perfectly contented if men know how to
content themselves and cease their useless discussions. They do not
glory in their own merits, for they attribute no good to themselves
but all to Me, because out of My infinite charity I gave all to them.
They are filled with such love of God and with such overflowing joy,
that no glory is wanting to them and they can lack no happiness. All
the saints are so much higher in glory as they are more humble in
themselves; nearer to Me, and more beloved by Me. Therefore, you find
it written that they cast their crowns before God, and fell down upon
their faces before the Lamb, and adored Him Who lives forever.
Many ask who is the greater in the kingdom of heaven when they
do not know whether they themselves shall be worthy of being numbered
among its least. It is a great thing to be even the least in heaven
where all are great because all shall be called, and shall be, the
children of God. The least shall be as a thousand, and the sinner of a
hundred years shall die. For when the disciples asked who should be
greater in the kingdom of heaven they heard this response: "Unless you
be converted and become as little children, you shall not enter into
the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whosoever shall humble himself as
this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven."[42]
Woe to those, therefore, who disdain to humble themselves
willingly with the little children, for the low gate of the heavenly
kingdom will not permit them to enter. Woe also to the rich who have
their consolations here, for when the poor enter into God's kingdom,
they will stand outside lamenting. Rejoice, you humble, and exult, you
poor, for the kingdom of God is yours, if only you walk in the truth. |
Of deeper matters, and God's hidden judgments which
are not to be inquired into
"My Son, beware thou dispute not of high matters
and of the hidden judgments of God; why this man is thus left, and
that man is taken into so great favour; why also this man is so
greatly afflicted, and that so highly exalted. These things pass all
man's power of judging, neither may any reasoning or disputation have
power to search out the divine judgments. When therefore the enemy
suggesteth these things to thee, or when any curious people ask such
questions, answer with that word of the Prophet, Just art Thou, O
Lord, and true is Thy judgment,(1) and with this, The judgments of the
Lord are true, and righteous altogether.(2) My judgments are to be
feared, not to be disputed on, because they are incomprehensible to
human understanding.
2. "And be not given to inquire or dispute about
the merits of the Saints, which is holier than another, or which is
the greater in the Kingdom of Heaven. Such questions often beget
useless strifes and contentions: they also nourish pride and vain
glory, whence envyings and dissensions arise, while one man arrogantly
endeavoureth to exalt one Saint and another another. But to wish to
know and search out such things bringeth no fruit, but it rather
displeaseth the Saints; for I am not the God of confusion but of
peace;(3) which peace consisteth more in true humility than in
self-exaltation.
3. "Some are drawn by zeal of love to greater
affection to these Saints or those; but this is human affection rather
than divine. I am He Who made all the Saints: I gave them grace, I
brought them glory; I know the merits of every one; I prevented them
with the blessings of My goodness.(4) I foreknew my beloved ones from
everlasting, I chose them out of the world;(5) they did not choose
Me. I called them by My grace, drew them by My mercy, led them on
through sundry temptations. I poured mighty consolations upon them, I
gave them perseverance, I crowned their patience.
4. "I acknowledge the first and the last; I
embrace all with inestimable love. I am to be praised in all My
Saints; I am to be blessed above all things, and to be honoured in
every one whom I have so gloriously exalted and predestined, without
any preceding merits of their own. He therefore that shall despise
one of the least of these My people, honoureth not the great; because
I made both small and great.(6) And he who speaketh against any of My
Saints speaketh against Me, and against all others in the Kingdom of
Heaven."
They are all one through the bond of charity;
they think the same thing, will the same thing, and all are united in
love one to another.
5. "But yet (which is far better) they love Me
above themselves and their own merits. For being caught up above
themselves, and drawn beyond self-love, they go all straightforward to
the love of Me, and they rest in Me in perfect enjoyment. There is
nothing which can turn them away or press them down; for being full of
Eternal Truth, they burn with the fire of inextinguishable charity.
Therefore let all carnal and natural men hold their peace concerning
the state of the Saints, for they know nothing save to love their own
personal enjoyment. They take away and add according to their own
inclination, not as it pleaseth the Eternal Truth.
6. "In many men this is ignorance, chiefly is it
so in those who, being little enlightened, rarely learn to love any
one with perfect spiritual love. They are still much drawn by natural
affection and human friendship to these or to those: and as they
reckon of themselves in lower matters, so also do they frame
imaginations of things heavenly. But there is an immeasurable
difference between those things which they imperfectly imagine, and
these things which enlightened men behold through supernatural
revelation.
7. "Take heed, therefore, My son, that thou treat
not curiously those things which surpass thy knowledge, but rather
make this thy business and give attention to it, namely, that thou
seek to be found, even though it be the least, in the Kingdom of God.
And even if any one should know who were holier than others, or who
were held greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven; what should that
knowledge profit him, unless through this knowledge he should humble
himself before Me, and should rise up to give greater praise unto My
name? He who considereth how great are his own sins, how small his
virtues, and how far he is removed from the perfection of the Saints,
doeth far more acceptably in the sight of God, than he who disputeth
about their greatness or littleness.
8. "They are altogether well content, if men
would learn to be content, and to refrain from vain babbling. They
glory not of their own merits, seeing they ascribe no good unto
themselves, but all unto Me, seeing that I of my infinite charity have
given them all things. They are filled with so great love of the
Divinity, and with such overflowing joy, that no glory is lacking to
them, neither can any felicity be lacking. All the Saints, the higher
they are exalted in glory, the humbler are they in themselves, and the
nearer and dearer are they unto Me. And so thou hast it written that
they cast their crowns before God and fell on their faces before the
Lamb, and worshipped Him that liveth for ever and ever.(7)
9. "Many ask who is greatest in the Kingdom of
Heaven, who know not whether they shall be worthy to be counted among
the least. It is a great thing to be even the least in Heaven, where
all are great, because all shall be called, and shall be, the sons of
God. A little one shall become a thousand, but the sinner being an
hundred years old shall be accursed. For when the disciples asked who
should be the greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven, they received no
other answer than this, Except ye be converted and become as little
children, ye shall not enter into the Kingdom of Heaven. But
whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, the same shall be
greatest in the Kingdom of Heaven."(8)
10. Woe unto them who disdain to humble
themselves willingly with the little children; for the low gate of the
kingdom of Heaven will not suffer them to enter in. Woe also to them
who are rich, who have their consolation here;(9) because whilst the
poor enter into the kingdom of God, they shall stand lamenting
without. Rejoice ye humble, and exult ye poor, for yours is the
kingdom of God if only ye walk in the truth. |