You remember the blessing of the pure in heart, that they
shall see God? There would be little hope in that promise for the soul
that knew itself to be impure, if it were not for the other side of
it--that the vision of God, which is the most terrible of all things,
can give purity to the most sin-stained soul. In that vision, all desire
and all fear have an end, because there is nothing left either to desire
or to dread. That vision we may delay or hasten. We may delay it, if we
allow our prudence, or our shame, or our comfort, to get in the way: we
may hasten it, if we cast ourselves at every moment of our pilgrimage
upon the mercy and the love of God. His one desire is that we should be
satisfied; and if He seems to put obstacles in our way, to keep us
waiting, to permit us to be miserable, that is only that we may learn to
cast ourselves into love and service--which is the one way to His heart.
But now I must be going, for I have said all that you can bear. Will you
remember this--not to reserve yourself, not to think others unworthy or
hostile, but to cast your love and trust freely and lavishly, everywhere
and anywhere? We must gather nothing, hold on to nothing, just give
ourselves away at every moment, flowing like the stream into every
channel that is open, withholding nothing, retaining nothing.
Pages:
97
98
99
100
101
102
103
104
105
106
107
108
109
110
111
112
113
114
115
116
117
118
119
120
121