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. XII. Treats of the same.

88. KNow that thou canst not fetch one step in the way of the Spirit, till thon en∣deavourest to conquer this fierce Enemy, thy own judgment: And the Soul that will not know this hurt, can never be cured. A sick

man that knows his Disease, knows for certain that although he is adry, yet it is not good for him to drink, and that the Physick prescribed him, though it be bitter, yet is profitable for him: Therefore he believes not his Appetite, nor trusts in his own Judgment, but yields him∣self up to a skilful Physitian, obeying him in e∣very thing, as the means of his Recovery and Cure: The knowledge that he is sick, helps him not to trust to himself, but to follow the wise judgment of his Doctor.

89. We are all sick of the Disease of self-love, and our own judgment; we are all full of our selves; we are always desiring things hurtful to us; and that which does us good, is unpleasant and irksom to us: 'Tis necessary therefore for him that is Sick, to use the means of Recovery; which is, not to believe our own judgments and distemper'd sentiments, but the wise Judgment of the spiritual and skilful Physitian, without re∣ply or excuse, despising the seeming reasons of self-love; and so, if we obey, we shall certainly recover, and this love of ours, which is the Ene∣my of our ease, and peace, and perfection, and the spirit, will be overcome.

90. How often will thine own judgment de∣ceive thee? and how much wilt thou change thy judgment with shame, when thou hast trusted to thine own self? If any man should deceive thee twice or thrice, wouldst thou ever trust him more? Why therefore, dost thou repose con∣fidence in thine own judgment, which has so of∣ten cozen'd thee? O blessed Soul, believe it no

more, believe it not; subject thy self with true submission and follow blindfold this Obedi∣ence.

91. Thou wilt be much satisfied to have an ex∣perienced Guide, and wilt esteem him a great Happiness; but 'twill little avail thee, if thou valuest thine own judgment more than his Counsel, and dost not submit to it in all truth and simplicity.

92. Suppose a great man be sick of a dange∣rous Disease: He has in his House a famous and skilful Physitian; and he quickly knows the Di∣sease, the causes, the conditions, and the state of it, and knowing for certain that that Distemper is to be treated with severe Cauteries, he orders Lenitives for it: Now is not this a great disor∣der? If he is sure that Lenitives will do little good, and that Cauterizing is the proper way, why does he not apply it to him? Because, al∣though the sick person would have his health, yet the Physitian knows best, and that he is not di∣sposed to take those strong Medicines, and therefore like a wise man, orders him gentle Lenitives; because though he may not present∣ly get up again by 'em, yet he keeps the Disease from being mortal.

93. What matter is it, if you have the best Director in the World, if yet notwithstanding you want true submission? although he be a man of skill and knows the grievance and the re∣medy, he doth not apply the proper Physick, which concerns you most to deny your Will; because he knows your very Heart and Spirit,

that it is not disposed to let the infirmities of your own judgment be removed. So you will never be cured, and it will be a Miracle, if he can keep you in Grace, with so fierce an Enemy of your Soul about you.

94. Thy Director will scorn all manner of Favours, if he be a wise man; as if thy Spirit may not be well grounded, believe him, obey him, embrace his Counsel, because with this con∣tempt, if the Spirit be feigned and of the Evil One, the secret Pride formed by him that coun∣terfeits these Spirits, will soon be known; but if the Spirit be real, though thou find'st displea∣sure in this humiliation, it will serve thee for an extraordinary good.

95. If the Soul take delight in esteem, and in having the favours which it receives from God made open and publick; if it doth not obey and believes not its Director, which thinks meanly of 'em, 'tis all a lye and cheat, and the Devil is that Angel that transforms himself. The Soul seeing that the skilful Director despises these cheats, if the Spirit be evil, withdraws the feign∣ed affection which it shewed him, and indeavours by little and little to get from him, seeking some other that its cheats may take with: for the proud can never keep company with those that humble 'em: but on t'other side, if the spirit be true and of God, by these means the love and constancy increases by induring 'em, desiring much more its own contempt, from whence the soundness and sincerity of the Spirit becomes qualified without deceit.