better to earn their livelihood and to serve GOD! One of them read from time to time, while the others were at work, and not one went out without asking leave of the eldest. They wove ribbands, or spun, and the strong supporting the weak. They separated these poor girls, and others beside them, in several villages, and drove them out of the church.

It was then the friars of this very order whom our LORD made use of to establish prayer in I know not how many places. And, into the places where they went, they carried a hundred times more books of prayer than those which their brethren had burned. The hand of GoD appeared to me wonderfully in these things. I had then occasion to know these friars in the way I am going to tell.

ONE day that I was sick, a brother, who has skill in diseases, and is useful therein, being come for a charitable collection, and hearing I was ill, came in to me, and gave me medicines proper for my disorder. We entered into a conversation which revived in him the love he had for GOD, which he acknowledged had been too much stifled by his great occupations. I made him comprehend that there was no employments which should hinder him from loving GOD, and from being occupied within himself. He readily believed me, as he already had a good share of piety, and of an interior disposition. Our LORD conferred on him many favours, and gave him to be one of my true children. What is wonderful is, that all those whom he has given me are brought forth by me on the cross, in which sense he causes me to fill up that which is behind of his

passion:

passion (Col. i. 24.) Oh goodness of God thus to associate poor creatures to his great mysteries!

WHEN OUR LORD gives me children after this manner, he gives them a very particular affection for me. They cannot forbear calling me their mother; which has been the case of many, and Several whom I did not

some of great note.

know but by their letters, have seen me in dreams resolving all their difficulties. I have found that when our LORD honours a soul with spiritual fruitfulness, he gives it what is necessary to nourish and support its children, according to their different degrees. I was sometimes so filled with these divine communications that I have been ready to cry out, "Oh, my LORD, give me hearts to relieve "myself of my fulness." When some of my children came to me, or new ones were given me, in whom grace was already strong, I was eased and comforted; they also felt an inconceivable plenitude of grace, and a greater gift of prayer, each according to their degree; which surprized them greatly at the first, and made them, when necessity separated me from them, feel a great want of me. But afterwards they experimentally comprehended this mystery; and when necessity separated me from them, or I did not know them, having never seen them, instructions and consolations were communicated to them even afar off.

THE

CHAP. XIX.

HERE were there some good young women, who were particularly given me; and especially one who had felt a very great attraction to come to me: And our LORD gave her

by

by me all she had need of; but when at a dis tance from me, she was strongly tempted, and then afraid to return to me; yet when she took courage and came, her pains and fears were all dissipated, and she experienced, while she was with me, that fulness of grace which is come by JESUS CHRIST: Yet after this she was tempted so far as to imagine me to be a sorceress: And that it was thereby, that I had driven away from her the evil spirit which had assaulted her, and that I had foretold her what would befall her, which actually did happen accordingly. Under such an impression on her mind she came to me, but opened not her lips. I knew her uneasiness, told her of it, and she confessed it. When we were at church, I said to her, "If it is an evil "spirit which causes me to act towards you, let "him continue to torment you; if it be a good

spirit I pray that during the service you may "partake of that spirit." At the very beginning of the service her soul flowed with a peace of pa. radise, and was in so great an union with GOD, that she scarce knew whether she was in earth or in heaven. After that manner was our com, munion, and then she said in herself; " Qh, "how certain I am now that it is God who "moves and guides her!" After prayers were over, she said to me, "Oh my mother, how fully sensible have I been that God is all in all " in you! I have been in paradise.

29

WHEN at any time after this she made slips, and concealed them from me, or covered them with disguises, I felt it at first; and that our LORD who loves and accepts of nothing but pure sincerity, rejected her therein. I saw, or rather experienced, how God rejects sinners from his

bosom

bosom. All the cause of God's rejection is in the will and inclination of the sinner. If that will ceases, how horrible soever he be, GoD purifies him in his love, and receives him into his grace; but while that will remains, the rejection continues; though for want of ability seconding his inclination, he should not commit the sin he is inclined to, yet he never can be admitted into grace till the cause ceases, which is this wrong will, rebellious to the divine law. If that once ceases, GoD then totally removes the effects of sin, which stain the soul, by washing away the new defilements which he has contracted. If that sinner dies in the time that his will is rebellious and turned towards sin, as death fixes for ever the disposition of the soul, and the cause of its impurity is ever subsisting, such soul can never be received into GoD; its rejection must be eternal, as there is such an absolute opposition betwixt essential purity and essential impurity. And as this soul, from its own nature necessarily tends to its own centre, it is continually rejected from thence, by reason of its impurity, subsisting not only in the effects, but in their cause. the same way in this life. This cause, so long as it subsists, absolutely hinders the grace of GoD from operating in the soul. But if the sinner comes to die truly penitent, then the cause, which is the wrong will, being taken away, there remains only the effect or impurity caused by it. He is then in a condition to be purified. GOD of his infinite mercy has provided a laver of love and of justice, a painful laver indeed, to purify this soul. And as the defilement is greater or less, so is the pain; but when the cause is utterly taken away, the pain entirely ceases. Now, I say, it is the very same here. Souls are re

It is

ceived into grace, as soon as the cause of sin ceases; but they do not pass into GOD himself, till all its effects are washed away. If they have not courage to let him, in his own way and will, thoroughly cleanse and purify them, they never enter into the pure divinity in this life.

As this

purification, is not effected but by pain, and the destruction of all the selfish wisdom and desires, this is the cause, why many pious souls, highly applauded of men, have still need of farther purification. Those who have not come so far as to be quite fixed in the pure love of God, are ever liable to change, and to transgress in some points in the will, or natural inclination, till they be dead to themselves, and passed into GOD, who renders the will in this state immutable; all that nature, that leaven which may be ever making it rise again, which is self-love in its many forms, some of them seeming both lawful and commendable in the sight of men, being thoroughly purged away, which God is very willing to do for us in this life: But this is not effected but by severe and extreme pains to us, and the loss of every support of artful corrupt self. Hence the souls truly changed into his image, are more rare than I can set forth or express.

To return to my subject, I experienced that this young woman stuck to me still by a certain secret tie, as a sinner does to his GoD, from whence he may still be received in him, when the cause of the rejection ceases. GOD incessantly solicits this will to cease to be rebellious, and spares nothing on his side for this good end. The will is free, yet grace follows it still. As soon as the will ceases to rebel, it finds grace at the door; ready to introduce its unspeakable benefits. Oh

the