The spiritual guide which disintangles the soul, and brings it by the inward way, to the getting of perfect contemplation, and the rich treasure of internal peace. / Written by Dr. Michael de Molinos, priest : with a short treatise concerning daily communion, by the same author. Translated from the Italian copy, printed at Venice, 1685.

CHAP. IX. The Soul ought not to be disquieted, nor draw back in the spiritual way, because it finds it self assaulted by temptations.

51. OUr own nature is so base, proud and ambitious, and so full of its own ap∣petites, its own judgment and opinions, that if temptations restrained it not, it would be undone without remedy. The Lord then seeing our misery and perverse inclination, and thereby moved to compassion, suffers us to be assaulted by divers thoughts against the faith, horrible temptations, and by violent and painful sugge∣stions of impatience, pride, gluttony, luxury, rage, blasphemy, cursing, despair, and an infi∣nite number of others, to the end we may know our selves and be humble. With these horrible temptations, that infinite goodness humbles our pride, giving us in them the most wholesom medicine.

52. All our righteousness (as Isaiah saith) are as filthy rags, * 1.1 through the stains of vanity, con∣ceitedness, and self-love. It is necessary they be purified with the fire of tribulation and tem∣ptation,

that so they may be clean, pure, perfect and agreeable to the eyes of God.

53. Therefore the Lord purifies the Soul, which he calls, and will have for himself, with the rough file of temptation, with which he po∣lishes it from the rust of pride, avarice, vanity, ambition, presumption, and self-conceitedness. With the same, he humbles, pacifies and exerci∣ses it, making it to know its own misery. By means thereof he purifies and strips the heart, to the end all its operations may be pure, and of inestimable value.

54. Many Souls when they suffer these pain∣ful torments, are troubled, afflicted, and dis∣quieted, it seeming to them, that they begin al∣ready in this life to suffer eternal punishments; and if by misfortune they go to an unexperien∣ced Confessor, instead of comforting them, he leaves them in greater confusion and perplexi∣ties.

55. That thou mayest not lose internal peace, it is necessary thou believe, that it is the goodness of divine mercy, when thus it hum∣bles, afflicts and trys thee; since by that means thy Soul comes to have a deep knowledge of it self, reckoning it self the worst, most impious and abominable of all Souls living, and hence with humility and lowliness it abhors it self. O how happy would Souls be, if they would be quiet and believe, that all these temptations are caused by the Devil, and received from the hand of God, for their gain and spiritual profit.

56. But thou'll say, that it is not the work of the Devil, when he molests thee by means of creatures, but the effect of thy neighbours fault and malice, in having wronged and injured thee. Know that that is another cunning and hidden temptation, because though God wills not the sin of another, yet he wills his own ef∣fect in thee, and the trouble which accrues to thee from another's fault, that he may see thee emproved by the benefit of patience.

57. Doest thou receive an injury from any man: there are two things in it, the sin of him that does it, and the punishment that thou suf∣ferest; the sin is against the will of God, and displeases him, though he permit it; the pu∣nishment is conform to his will, and he wills it for thy good, wherefore thou oughtest to receive it, as from his hand. The Passion and Death of our Lord Christ, were the effects of the wicked∣ness and sins of Pilate, and yet it is certain, that God willed the death of his own Son for our redemption.

58. Consider how the Lord makes use of another's fault for the good of thy Soul. O the greatness of the Divine Wisdom, who can pry into the depth of the secret and extraordinary means, and the hidden paths whereby he guides the Soul, which he would have purged, trans∣formed and deified.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Chap. 64.6.