The spiritual conflict writen in Italian by a deuout seruant of God ; and lately translated into English out of the same language.

Of the Will: and of the ende whereuuto wee must di∣rect all our acti∣ons.

Chap. 5. (Book 5)

To become one spirit with God, it is not enough to haue good desires, and to bee prompt and ready to good workes; if we doe not all as moued by him, and to the end only to please him. In this we shal haue a great conflict with nature: for nature beeing drawen and moued by some particular commoditie or de∣light, many times more subtil∣lie, and sweetly, doth fasten & feed it selfe in spiritual thinges than in other things, wher vp∣on

when any thing hapeneth, proposed and willed by God, sodainly it doth will, and desire it, not as moued by the will of God, nor to the ende only he may haue the same will with him, but for some good or contentment, which it deri∣ueth from willing the thinges willed by God. To auoyd this snare, which will hinder thee in the way of perfection; and to accustome thee to will, and worke euery thing, both as moued by god, and with pure intention to please him only (who wilbe only the be∣ginning and finall ende of all our actions and thoghts) thou shalt obserue this maner; when any thing willed by God, shall offer it selfe vnto thee, doe not

incline thy will vnto it, before thou hast first lifted thy vnder standing into God, to see that it is his will: that thou desire it, both because his wil is such, and also to please him onely. And by this will thy wil being moued, and drawne, let it after∣wards bend it selfe to will it, as a thing willed by God and for his good plesure only, and glorie: And in like manner when thou wouldest refuse the things not willed by God refuse thou not vntill firste thou haste fixed the eye of thy minde, on his diuine will, in such maner as we haue said. And consider that many times it shall seeme vnto thee that thou hast this motiue, and yet it is not so: for nature doth se∣cretly

seeke itself, wherefore it oftentimes happeneth, that that which is willed, or is refused meerely or principally for our owne interest, doth seeme to vs to bee willed, or not willed, to please or not to displease God.

Therefore in the beginning of euery action, spoyle thy selfe as much as thou canst of all mixture, whereby thou maiest intermeddle any of thine owne interest: and determine not to worke or refuse any thing, till first thou feele thy selfe moued and drawen vnto it by the one∣ly and pure will of God. If in those actions which quickely passe, thou canst not alwayes actually feele this motion, con∣tent thy selfe with a virtuall in∣tention,

to please in euery thing thy Lord God alone: but in the others, it is expedient to feele it actually in the beginning, as I haue saide, and when the long continuance of the saide acti∣ons bring daunger to make this exercise forgotten: take heede that thou renew it often, and keepe it waking, euen to the last, to auoyde the deceits of nature, which is euer ready to turn to it selfe, and therfore ve∣ry often in processe of time al∣tereth the obiects, and chaun∣geth the endes of our workes.

The seruant of God which is not circumspect in this, ma∣ny times beginneth a woorke with a motion for to please his Lorde onely; but after, by lit∣tle and little, not taking heede

to himselfe, holdeth on in such sort, delighting in the same, that hee forgetteth the diuine pleasure, and doth so conuert him selfe to this delight, or some profite or honour that may happen vnto him, that if the same God doe hinder him by infirmitie, or other accident, or by the meanes of anye of his creatures, hee remayneth wholly troubled, disquieted, and malecontente, and wyth greate difficultie is hee drawen to will so much as his Lorde would haue of him. Where∣fore recollect thy selfe well, and keepe alway this holie motiue quicke and liuelye in all thy workes. The which is of so great force and vertue, as a manne woulde hardly beleeue,

so that a thing, (lette it bee base and little as thou wilt) doone with this intent, to please God onely, and for his onely glory, is infinitely more woorth than many other thinges, of moste greate price, and valew, which are doone without this motiue.