lectures11-13-第12节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
account of his inner need of sacrifice：
〃'On this path；' M。 Vianney said； 〃it is only the first step
that costs。 There is in mortification a balm and a savor without
which one cannot live when once one has made their acquaintance。
There is but one way in which to give one's self to God that
is； to give one's self entirely； and to keep nothing for one's
self。 The little that one keeps is only good to trouble one and
make one suffer。' Accordingly he imposed it on himself that he
should never smell a flower； never drink when parched with
thirst； never drive away a fly； never show disgust before a
repugnant object； never complain of anything that had to do with
his personal comfort； never sit down； never lean upon his elbows
when he was kneeling。 The Cure of Ars was very sensitive to
cold； but he would never take means to protect himself against
it。 During a very severe winter； one of his missionaries
contrived a false floor to his confessional and placed a metal
case of hot water beneath。 The trick succeeded； and the Saint
was deceived： 'God is very good；' he said with emotion。 'This
year； through all the cold； my feet have always been warm。'
〃＇179＇
＇179＇ A。 Mounin： Le Cure d'Ars； vie de M。 J。 B。 M。 Vianney；
1864； p。 545； abridged。
In this case the spontaneous impulse to make sacrifices for the
pure love of God was probably the uppermost conscious motive。 We
may class it； then； under our head 3。 Some authors think that
the impulse to sacrifice is the main religious phenomenon。 It is
a prominent； a universal phenomenon certainly； and lies deeper
than any special creed。 Here； for instance； is what seems to be
a spontaneous example of it； simply expressing what seemed right
at the time between the individual and his Maker。 Cotton Mather；
the New England Puritan divine； is generally reputed a rather
grotesque pedant； yet what is more touchingly simple than his
relation of what happened when his wife came to die？
〃When I saw to what a point of resignation I was now called of
the Lord；〃 he says； 〃I resolved； with his help； therein to
glorify him。 So； two hours before my lovely consort expired； I
kneeled by her bedside； and I took into my two hands a dear hand；
the dearest in the world。 With her thus in my hands； I solemnly
and sincerely gave her up unto the Lord： and in token of my real
RESIGNATION； I gently put her out of my hands； and laid away a
most lovely hand； resolving that I would never touch it more。
This was the hardest； and perhaps the bravest action that ever I
did。 She 。 。 。 told me that she signed and sealed my act of
resignation。 And though before that she called for me
continually； she after this never asked for me any more。〃＇180＇
＇180＇ B。 Wendell： Cotton Mather； New York； no date； p。 198。
Father Vianney's asceticism taken in its totality was simply the
result of a permanent flood of high spiritual enthusiasm； longing
to make proof of itself。 The Roman Church has； in its
incomparable fashion； collected all the motives towards
asceticism together； and so codified them that any one wishing to
pursue Christian perfection may find a practical system mapped
out for him in any one of a number of ready…made manuals。＇181＇
The dominant Church notion of perfection is of course the
negative one of avoidance of sin。 Sin proceeds from
concupiscence； and concupiscence from our carnal passions and
temptations； chief of which are pride； sensuality in all its
forms； and the loves of worldly excitement and possession。 All
these sources of sin must be resisted； and discipline and
austerities are a most efficacious mode of meeting them。 Hence
there are always in these books chapters on self…mortification。
But whenever a procedure is codified； the more delicate spirit of
it evaporates； and if we wish the undiluted ascetic spiritthe
passion of self…contempt wreaking itself on the poor flesh； the
divine irrationality of devotion making a sacrificial gift of all
it has （its sensibilities； namely） to the object of its
adorationwe must go to autobiographies； or other individual
documents。
＇181＇ That of the earlier Jesuit； Rodriguez； which has been
translated into all languages； is one of the best known。 A
convenient modern manual； very well put together； is L'Ascetique
Chretienne； by M。 J。 Ribet； Paris； Poussielgue； nouvelle edition；
1898。
Saint John of the Cross； a Spanish mystic who flourishedor
rather who existed； for there was little that suggested
flourishing about himin the sixteenth century； will supply a
passage suitable for our purpose。
〃First of all； carefully excite in yourself an habitual
affectionate will in all things to imitate Jesus Christ。 If
anything agreeable offers itself to your senses； yet does not at
the same time tend purely to the honor and glory of God； renounce
it and separate yourself from it for the love of Christ； who all
his life long had no other taste or wish than to do the will of
his Father whom he called his meat and nourishment。 For example；
you take satisfaction in HEARING of things in which the glory of
God bears no part。 Deny yourself this satisfaction； mortify your
wish to listen。 You take pleasure in SEEING objects which do not
raise your mind to God： refuse yourself this pleasure； and turn
away your eyes。 The same with conversations and all other
things。 Act similarly； so far as you are able； with all the
operations of the senses； striving to make yourself free from
their yokes。
〃The radical remedy lies in the mortification of the four great
natural passions； joy； hope； fear； and grief。 You must seek to
deprive these of every satisfaction and leave them as it were in
darkness and the void。 Let your soul therefore turn always：
〃Not to what is most easy； but to what is hardest；
〃Not to what tastes best； but to what is most distasteful；
〃Not to what most pleases； but to what disgusts；
〃Not to matter of consolation； but to matter for desolation
rather；
〃Not to rest； but to labor；
〃Not to desire the more； but the less；
〃Not to aspire to what is highest and most precious； but to what
is lowest and most contemptible；
〃Not to will anything； but to will nothing；
〃Not to seek the best in everything； but to seek the worst； so
that you may enter for the love of Christ into a complete
destitution； a perfect poverty of spirit； and an absolute
renunciation of everything in this world。
〃Embrace these practices with all the energy of your soul and you
will find in a short time great delights and unspeakable
consolations。
〃Despise yourself； and wish that others should despise you；
〃Speak to your own disadvantage； and desire others to do the
same；
〃Conceive a low opinion of yourself； and find it good when others
hold the same；
〃To enjoy the taste of all things； have no taste for anything。
〃To know all things； learn to know nothing。
〃To possess all things； resolve to possess nothing。
〃To be all things； be willing to be nothing。
〃To get to where you have no taste for anything； go through
whatever experiences you have no taste for。
〃To learn to know nothing； go whither you are ignorant。
〃To reach what you possess not； go whithersoever you own nothing。
〃To be what you are not； experience what you are not。〃
These later verses play with that vertigo of self…contradiction
which is so dear to mysticism。 Those that come next are
completely mystical； for in them Saint John passes from God to
the more metaphysical notion of the All。
〃When you stop at one thing； you cease to open yourself to the
All。
〃For to come to the All you must give up the All。
〃And if you should attain to owning the All； you must own it；
desiring Nothing。
〃In this spoliation； the soul finds its tranquillity and rest。
Profoundly established in the centre of its own nothingness； it
can be assailed by naught that comes from below； and since it no
longer desires anything； what comes from above cannot depress it；
for its desires alone are the causes of its woes。〃＇182＇
＇182＇ Saint Jean de la Croix； vie et Oeuvres； Paris； 1893； ii。
