THE FRENCH EDITOR'S REMARKS ON THE LIFE OF LADY GUION. 66 F to any the state of long-continued proba tion she underwent seem strange, it is for "want of duly observing what St. PAUL says of "JESUS CHRIST himself. For it became him, for "whom are all things, and by whom are all things, "in bringing many sons unto glory, to make the captain of their salvation perfect through suffer 66 66 ings; Heb. xi. 10. The same Apostle farther "assures us, that souls which GOD had cho66 sen, He also did predestinate to be conformed to "the image of his Son.' Rom. viii. 9. This pri"vation, by which she was purified and prepared "for service, ought therefore not to astonish "such readers as have never heard of any thing "like it. It was the same in substance which "was experienced by the great Patriarchs, JoB "and DAVID, and by many other enlightened "souls, the memory of whose sanctity is had in "honour at this day. It is a state consummated 66 by the sacrifice of eternal salvation, or a con"sent to continue for ever, if GOD pleases so to "direct it, and for his glory, in this same state of rigorous privation, which so many saints have undergone; and wherein they would rather 66 Rrr "chuse "chuse, as will be seen here, hell itself than the "least sin: A state which is at last followed "with that of the purest union with God, and "according as it pleases him, with gifts and 66 graces of very high degrees. Here will be seen "examples of several sorts, and of some as sub"lime as any that are to be met with any where. "As there are in it many things which pass the "natural comprehension of the human mind, it "will be well, in reading them, to remember "that saying of St. PAUL, The things of GOD "knoweth no man, but the spirit of GOD.' And "again, He that is spiritual judgeth all things, "yet he himself is judged of no man.' 1 Cor. ❝ ii. 11, 15. "This advice of the Apostle ought to make "us very cautious of condemning the ingenuity, "with which this purified soul has described, "without disguise, a part of the persecutions "which have been stirred up against her by all "scits of persons. It will be seen in the course "of this history, and especially toward the end "of it, that GOD permitted her to pass over in "silence the most considerable part, which regards her last persecutions and her imprison66 ment. 66 "As to what appertains to her first proba❝tions in her family, of which she lays open the particulars, not very favourable to the per"sons she speaks of, she has made use of so many precautions, to prevent any one's passing a "judgment to their disadvantage, that assuredly "none of those any way interested can have any 66 reason of discontent, from such instances of "mortification and patience here given, as may serve to the edification of souls and to the glo 66 ry of God. Here is not any such action exposed as to fix a blemish on them, such as "God has permitted the sacred writers to fix on the families of Jacob, David, and several "other saints who were honoured not the less 66 on that account. 'Tis only certain domestic "vexations which he permitted; and she has sufficiently made the apology for the domestic persons by whom she has been exercised. She "has declared, over and over, that they had at "heart the fear of God, a sincere piety, and a "good share of virtue and of charity; that their "manner of acting toward her was a dispensa"tion of God to purify her, to which end he "shut their eyes, that they might fall into the "mistakes necessary to produce the effect he designed by it; and that, after that use had "been made of it, all returned from their pre"judices, humbled themselves before her, ac"knowledged the solidity of her virtue, and even "became her panegyrists. 66 "A reader of any discernment ought not, in "these occurrences, to dwell on the thoughts of "the person who commits the faults, and look "on himself as above such weaknesses. He “ought rather to fear, if God placed him in such "probations, and left him to himself, that he ❝ would do a hundred times worse, and perhaps 66 never recover from it. It is only for the per"son who receives such treatments, to look at "them with meekness, silence, patience, suppres❝sion of the movements of nature, benignity, "benificence to every neighbour, thanksgiving to God, in order to be edified and built up “thereby; and to pray to God for grace to en"able him to imitate CHRIST in the like trials, 502 DR. TAULERUS AND A BEGGAR, ❝so never had an ill day: Nor have I ever been "unhappy, since I have learned always to resign "myself to his will, being very certain of this, "that all his works are perfectly good: And "therefore I never desire any thing else but the 66 good pleasure of God." Then said the Docsor, "But what if the good pleasure of God "should be to cast you hence into hell?" "If he "would do so," replied the other, "I have two "arms to embrace him with; the one whereof is "profound humility, by which I am united to his "holy humanity; the other is love or charity, "which joins me to his divinity. Embraced with "these two arms he would descend with me thi"ther, if thither he ordered me: And there I had "infinitely rather be with him, than in paradise "without him.” Hereby the doctor learned that a true resignation to the divine will, accompanied with profound humility of heart, is the shortest way to attain God's love, After that, he asked him again from whence he came. The poor man answered God sent him. The doctor enquired of him where he found God. He replied, “ Í found him when I had renounced "all the creatures." "And where did you leave "him?" said the Doctor. He replied, " With "the poor in spirit, the pure in heart, and men "of charity. But who are you?” says the di"vine. "I am a king," says the Beggar. "Where " is your kingdom?" says the former. "In my "soul," says the latter: "I have learned to bring "into subjection, and to govern my senses, as "well outward as inward, with my affections and "passions, which kingdom is undoubtedly su"perior to all the kingdoms of this world." The doctor then asked him by what means he had attained to such perfection. He answered, By "silence, |