CHAPTER I. What true Devotion is.
YOU aim at a
devout life, dear child, because as a Christian you know that such devotion is
most acceptable to God’s Divine Majesty. But seeing that the small errors people
are wont to commit in the beginning of any under taking are apt to wax greater
as they advance, and to become irreparable at last, it is most important that
you should thoroughly understand wherein lies the grace of true devotion;—and
that because while there undoubtedly is such a true devotion, there are also
many spurious and idle semblances thereof; and unless you know which is real,
you may mistake, and waste your energy in pursuing an empty,
profitless shadow. Arelius was wont to paint all his pictures with the features
and expression of the women he loved, and even so we all colour devotion
according to our own likings and dispositions. One man sets great value on
fasting, and believes himself to be leading a very devout life, so long as he
fasts rigorously, although the while his heart is full of bitterness;—and while
he will not moisten his lips with wine, perhaps not even with water, in his
great abstinence, he does not scruple to steep them in his neighbour’s blood,
through slander and detraction. Another man reckons himself as devout because
he repeats many prayers daily, although at the same time he does not refrain
from all manner of angry, irritating, conceited or insulting speeches among his
family and neighbours. This man freely opens his purse in almsgiving, but
closes his heart to all gentle and forgiving feelings towards those who are
opposed to him; while that one is ready enough to forgive his enemies, but will
never pay his rightful debts save under pressure. Meanwhile all these people
are conventionally called religious, but nevertheless they are in no true sense
really devout. When Saul’s servants sought to take David, Michal induced them
to suppose that the lifeless figure lying in his bed, and covered with his
garments, was the man they sought; and in like manner many
people dress up an exterior with the visible acts expressive of earnest
devotion, and the world supposes them to be really devout and spiritual-minded,
while all the time they are mere lay figures, mere phantasms of devotion.
But, in
fact, all true and living devotion presupposes the love of God;—and indeed it
is neither more nor less than a very real love of God, though not always of the
same kind; for that Love one while shining on the soul we call grace, which
makes us acceptable to His Divine Majesty;—when it strengthens us to do well,
it is called Charity;—but when it attains its fullest perfection, in which it
not only leads us to do well, but to act carefully, diligently, and promptly,
then it is called Devotion. The ostrich never flies,—the hen rises with
difficulty, and achieves but a brief and rare flight, but the eagle, the dove,
and the swallow, are continually on the wing, and soar high;—even so sinners do
not rise towards God, for all their movements are earthly and earthbound.
Well-meaning people, who have not as yet attained a true devotion, attempt a
manner of flight by means of their good actions, but rarely, slowly and
heavily; while really devout men rise up to God frequently, and with a swift
and soaring wing. In short, devotion is simply a spiritual activity and liveliness by means of which Divine
Love works in us, and causes us to work briskly and lovingly; and just as
charity leads us to a general practice of all God’s Commandments, so devotion
leads us to practise them readily and diligently. And therefore we cannot call
him who neglects to observe all God’s Commandments either good or devout,
because in order to be good, a man must be filled with love, and to be devout,
he must further be very ready and apt to perform the deeds of love. And
forasmuch as devotion consists in a high degree of real love, it not only makes
us ready, active, and diligent in following all God’s Commands, but it also
excites us to be ready and loving in performing as many good works as possible,
even such as are not enjoined upon us, but are only matters of counsel or
inspiration. Even as a man just recovering from illness, walks only so far as
he is obliged to go, with a slow and weary step, so the converted sinner
journeys along as far as God commands him but slowly and wearily, until he
attains a true spirit of devotion, and then, like a sound man, he not only gets
along, but he runs and leaps in the way of God’s Commands, and hastens gladly
along the paths of heavenly counsels and inspirations. The difference between
love and devotion is just that which exists between fire and flame;—love
being a spiritual fire which becomes devotion when it is
fanned into a flame;—and what devotion adds to the fire of love is that flame
which makes it eager, energetic and diligent, not merely in obeying God’s
Commandments, but in fulfilling His Divine Counsels and inspirations.
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