Chap. V Of the Consideration of One’s Self
1. We cannot trust much to ourselves, because we often want grace and understanding.
There is but little light in us, and this we quickly lose through negligence.
Many times also we perceive not that we are so blind interiorly.
We often do ill, and do worse in excusing it.
We are sometimes moved with passion, and we mistake it for zeal.
We blame little things in others, and pass over great things in ourselves.
We are quick enough at perceiving and weighing what we suffer from others: but we mind not what others suffer from us.
He that would well and duly weigh his own deeds, would have no room to judge hard of others.
2. An internal man prefers the care of himself before all other cares: and he that diligently attends to himself is easily silent with regard to others.
Thou wilt never be internal and devout, unless thou pass over in silence other men’s concerns, and particularly look to thyself.
If thou attend wholly to thyself, and to God, thou wilt be little moved with what thou perceivest without thee.
Where art thou, when thou art not present to thyself?
And when thou hast run over all things, what profit will it be to thee, if thou hast neglected thyself?
If thou desirest to have peace and true union, thou must set all the rest aside, and turn thy eyes upon thyself alone.
3. Thou wilt then make great progress, if thou keep thyself free from all temporal care.
But if thou set a value upon any thing temporal, thou wilt fail exceedingly.
Let nothing be great in thy eyes, nothing high, nothing pleasant, nothing agreeable to thee, except it be purely God, or of God.
Look upon as vain, all the comfort which thou meetest with from any creature.
A soul that loveth God despiseth all things that are less than God.
None but God eternal and incomprehensible, who fills all things, is the comfort of the soul, and the true joy of the heart.