Wnuen the soul hath got into her central tendency, or in other words, is returned through recollection into herself; from that moment the central attraction becomes a most potent action, infinitely sumpassing in its energy every other species. * Nothing, indeed, can equal the swiftness of this tendency to the centre: and though an action, yet itis so noble, so peaceful, so full of tranquillity, so natural, and so spontaneous, that it appears to the soul as if she did not act at all.n7708 ¶1
Wuen a wheel rolls. slowly, we can easily. distinguish its parts; but when its motion is rapid, we can distinguish nothing. So the soul which rests in Gop, hath an activity exceedingly noble and elevated, yet altogether peaceful: and the more peaceful she is, the swifter is her course; because she is proportionably given up to that Spirit by which she is moved and directed.n7708 ¶2
Tis attracting Spirit is no other than Gop himself, who, in drawing us, causes us to run unto him. How well did.the spouse understand this, when she said, “ Draw me, and we will run after thee.”—Cant. i. 3.. Draw me unto thee,O my divine Centre, by the secret springs of my existence, and all my powers and senses shall follow the potent magnetism! This simple attraction is both an ointment to heal, and a perfume to allure: “ we follow,” saith sshe, “the fragrance of thy perfumes;” and ipearel cee ek ee eee een7708 ¶3
| though so powerfully magnetic, it is followed by the soul freely, and without con- | straint, for it is equally delightful as forei- Cid | ble; and, whilst it attracts by its potency, Hy | it charmsfwith its sweetness. “ Draw me,” ey | saith the spouse, “and we will run after | thee.” She speaketh of and to herself: | “ draw me,”....behold the unity of the centre a which attracteth! “we will run,”’—behold | the correspondence and course of all the senses and powers, in following that attrac- : tion! | InsTEeap then of promoting idleness, we promote the highest activity, by inculcating a total dependence on the Spirit of Gop, as i our moving principle; for itis “in him,” and by him alone, “ that we live and move, and have our being.”—Acts xvii. 18. This meek dependence on the Spirit of God is indispensably necessary to reinstate the soul in its primeval unity and simplicity, that she may thereby attain the end of her creation. We must, therefore, forsake our multifarious activity, to re-enter the simplicity and unity of God, in whose image we ; were originally formed. The Spirit is | one and manifold.”— Wisdom vii. 22. And his unity doth not preclude his multiplicity. We enter into his unity when we are united unto his’ Spirit, and have one and the same spirit with him; and we are multiplied in ‘ respect to the outward execution of his will, without any eégression from our state of union: so that, when we are wholly moved by the divine Spirit, which is infinitely active, our activity must, indeed, differ widely in its energy and: degree from that which is merely our own.n7708 ¶4
We must yield ourselves to the guidance of “ Wisdom, which is more moving than any motion;” (Wisdom vii. 24.) and, by abiding in dependence on its action, our activity will be truly efficient. ‘ All things were made by the Word, and without him was not any thing made, that was made.” —John i. 3. God originally formed us in his own likeness; and he now informeth us with the Spirit of his Word, that “ Breath of Life,” (Gen. ii. 7.) which was inbreathed at our creation, in the participation whereof the image of God consisted; and this life is a life of unity, simple, pure, intimate, and always fruitful. The Devil having broken and deformed the divine image in the soul, the agency of the same Word, whose Spirit was inbreathed. at our creation, is absolutely necessary for its renovation; and it can only be renewed by our being passive under him who is to renew it: but who can restore the image of God within us in its primeval form, save he himself who is ‘‘ the essential image of his Father ?”n7708 ¶5
Our activity should, therefore, consist in endeavouring to acquire, and maintain, such a state as may be most. susceptible of divine impressions, most flexile to all then7708 ¶6
MESS GGG Ree eee operations of the Eternal Word. Whilst a tablet is unsteady, the painter is unable to delineate a true copy: so every act of our own selfish and proper spirit is productive of false and erroneous lineaments; it interrupts the work, and defeats the design of this adorable painter: we must then remain in peace, and move only when he moves us: “ Jesus Christ hath the life in himself,’ (John v. 26.): and he should be the life of every living thing.n7708 ¶7
As all action is estimable only in proportion to the dignity of the efficient principle, this action is incontestably more noble than any other. Actions produced by a divine principle, are divine; but creaturely actions however good they appear, are only human, or at best virtuous, even when accompanied by grace. Jesus Christ saith, “he hath the life in himself:” All other beings have only a borrowed life; but then7708 ¶8
Word hath the life in himself; and being communicative of his nature, he desireth to communicate it to man. We should therefore, make room for the influx of this life, which can only be done by the ejection of the Adamical life, the suppression of the activity of self. This is agreeable to the assertion of St. Paul: “If any man be in Christ, he is aiznew creature: old things are passed away; behold, all things are become new!” (2 Cor. v. 17.) but this state can be accomplished only by, dying to ourselves, and to all our own activity, that the activity of God may be substituted in its stead.n7708 ¶9
Insteap, therefore, of prohibiting aetivity, we enjoin it; but in absolute dependence on the Spirit of God, that his activity may take place of our own. This can only be effected ‘by the concurrence of the creature; and this concurrence can only be yielded by moderating and restraining our own activity, that the activity of God may gradually gain the ascendency, and finally absorb all that is ours, as distinguishable from it.n7708 ¶10
Jesus Curist hath exemplified this in the Gospel: Martha did what was right; but because she did it in her own spirit, Christ rebuked her. ‘The spirit of man is restless and turbulent; for which reason it does little, though it would appear to do much. “ Martha,” saith Christ, “thou art~careful, and troubled about many things; but one thing is needful; and Mary hath chosen that good part, which shall not be taken away from her.”—Luke x. 41, 42. And what was it that Mary had chosen? Repose, tranquillity, and peace. She apparently ceased. to act, that the Spirit of Christ might act in her; she ceased to live, sthat Christ might be her life. This shows us how necessary it is to renounce ourselves, and all our activity, to follow Christ Jesus; and we cannot, follow him, ban7708 ¶11
” SH ee without being animated with his. Spirit.n7708 ¶12
Now that his Spirit might gain admission in us, it is necessary that our own proper Wn)n7708 ¶13
spirit should be first expelled: “ He that is jomed unto the Lord,’ saith St. Paul,n7708 ¶14
“is one spirit with him:” (1 Cor. vi. 17.)n7708 ¶15
and David. said, “It was good for him to draw near unto the Lord, and to put his !n7708 ¶16
trust in him :?—Psa. lxxiii. 28. This drawingn7708 ¶17
' near unte God is the beginning of union.n7708 ¶18
: Divine union has its commencement, its progression, and its consummation. — It is first.an inclination and, tendency towardsn7708 ¶19
- God: when the soul is introverted, in the manner before described, it gets within the influence of the central attraction, and aequires an eager desire after union: on a nearer approach unto God, it adheres to him; and, growing stronger and stronger in its adhesion, it finally, becomes one ; that is, “one spirit with him;” and it is thus the spirit which had wandered and ‘strayed from God, returns again unto its proper source.n7708 ¶20
Into this process, which is the divine motion, and the Spirit of Jesus Christ, We must necessarily enter.. St. Paul saith, “If any man hath not the Spirit of Christ he is none of his:” (Rom. viii.-9.) therefore, to be Christ’s, we must be filled with his Spirit; and to be filled with his Spirit, we it must be emptied of our own. The apostle, in the same passage, proves the neces--n7708 ¶21
K sity of this divine influence, or motion: * As many,” saith he, ‘as are led by the Spirit of God, they are the sons of God.” —Rom, vii. 14.. The spirit of divine filiation is then the spirit of divine action, or motion: he therefore adds, “Ye have not received the spirit of bondage again to fear; but ye have received the spirit of adoption, whereby ye cry Abba, Father.”n7708 ¶22
Tuis spirit is no other than the spirit of Christ, through which we participate of his filiation; “And this spirit beareth witness with our spirit that we are the children of God.”—Rom. viii. 16. When the soul yields herself to the influence and motions of this blessed spirit, she feels the testimony of her divine filiation; and she feels also, with superadded joy, that she hath received not the spirit of bondage, but of liberty, even “ the liberty of the children of God.” She then finds that she acteth freely and sweetly, though with vigour and infallibility.n7708 ¶23
Tue spirit of divine action is so necessary in all things, that St. Paul, in the same passage, foundeth that necessity on our ignorance with respect to what we pray for: ‘The Spirit,” saith he “also helpeth our infirmities; for we know not what we should pray for as we ought; but the Spirit itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot ben7708 ¶24
4h iTSa5 t a Ha Tes rer iass sin en nn peasy te ih uttered.” This is positive: if we know not what we stand in need of, nor pray as’ we ought to do, for those things which are necessary; and if the spirit which is in us, and to which we. resign ourselves, asks and intercedes for us; should we not give unlimited freedom to its action, to its ineffable groanings in our behali#? This Spirit is the Spirit of the Word, which is always heard, as he saith himself: “J know that thou hearest me always ;” (John xi. 42.) and if we freely admit this Spirit to pray and intercede for us, we also shall be always heard. The reason of this is given us by the same apostle, that skilful mystic, and master of the internal life, Where he adds, “ He that searcheth the heart, knoweth what is the mind of the Spirit; because he maketh intercession for the saints, according to the will of God :”—Rom. viii, 27. That is to say, the Spirit demandeth only that which is conformable to the will of God; and the will of Ged is that we should be saved; that we should become perfect: he therefore intercedeth for that which is necessary for so great an end.n7708 ¶25
Wuy should we then burden ourselves with superfluous cares, and fatigue and weary ourselves in the multiplicity of our ways, ‘“ Let us rest in peace?” God himself inviteth us to cast our cares, our anxieties, upon him; and he eomplains inn7708 ¶26
Isaiah, with ineffable goodness, that the soul had expended its powers and its treasures on a thousand external objects, and mistook its path to happiness, which: was attainable by means much more facile: ““ Wherefore,” saith God, “ do you spend money for that which is not bread? and your labour for that which -satisfieth not? Hearken diligently unto me, and eat ye that which is good, and let your soul delight itself in fatness.”—Isa. lv. 2.n7708 ¶27
Dip we but know the blessedness of thus hearkening unto God, and how greatly the soul is strengthened and invigorated thereby, “ All flesh would surely be silent before the Lord ;” (Zech. ii. 13.) all would cease and be still, “as soon as he appeareth. But to engage us farther in a boundless resignation, God assures us, by the same prophet, that we should fear nothing in this abandonment, because he takes a care of us, surpassing the highest tenderness of which we can form an idea: “ Can a woman,” saith he, “ forget her sucking child, that she should. not have compassion on the son of her womb? Yea, she may forget; yet will not I forget thee.’—lIsa. xlix.. 15. O blessed assurance, pregnant with consolation! Who after this, shall be fearful of resigning themseives wholly to the dispensations and guidance of their God?n7708 ¶28
Se ete eee ee een7708 ¶29