The Dialogue

How the commandments cannot be observed by those who do not observe the counsels ; and how every state, which a man may choose, if he have a good and holy will, is pleasing to God.

"I HAVE told thee of those, who, with the knife of two blades (that is hatred of vice and love of virtue), for love of Me, cut out the venom of their own sensuality, and, with the light of reason, held and possessed and acquired the gold contained in those mundane things that they desired to keep. But, he who desires to practise great perfection, despises them in deed as well as in thought. These are they, as I told thee, who observe the counsel actually, which was given to them and left by My Truth. And those who retain possession of the things of the world, are those who observe the commandments in action, but the counsels in thought only, and not in deed. For, inasmuch as the counsels are bound up in the commandments, no one can

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observe the latter who does not observe the former, at least in thought, that is to say, that they possess the riches of the world humbly and without pride, as lent to them and not their own ; for they are only given to you for your use through My goodness, since you only possess what I give you, and can only retain what I allow you to retain. I give you as much of them as I see to be profitable for your salvation, and in this way should you use them, for a man, so using them, observes the commandment, loving Me above everything, and his neighbour as himself ; for he lives with a pure divested heart, casting riches away from himself in desire and love, and only possessing them in accordance with My will. Such a man therefore, though he possess his riches in deed, observes the counsel in thought, having cut out of his heart the poison of disordinate love and affection. Such as these are in common charity. But those who observe the commandments and counsels in deed as well as in thought are in perfect charity.

" With true simplicity they observe the counsel which My Truth, the Word Incarnate, gave to that young man who asked, saying : What must I do, Master, to inherit Eternal life ? to whom He replied : Observe the commandments of the Law, and the young man answering, said : I have observed them. Jesus then said : It is well ; now, ifthou wilt be perfect, go, sell all that thou hast and give to the poor. And the young man was sad, because he still held his riches with too much love.

" But these perfect ones observe that counsel, abandoning the world with its pleasures, macerating the body with penance and with watching, with humility and continual prayers. The others, dwelling in common charity, who do not raise themselves above their worldly possessions in deed, do not on that account lose eternal life, inasmuch as they are not fettered by them. But, if they wish to possess the things of the world, they should do so in the way that I have told thee, and they do not offend in so possessing them, because everything is good and perfect, and created by Me, Who am the Supreme Good, for the service of My rational creatures ; not that My rational creatures may

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become the slaves and servants of the delights of the world, but that, if it pleases them to hold worldly possessions (not desiring to go on to the great perfection), they may hold them not as their servants but as their lords. And they should give their love and desire to Me, possessing every other thing, not as their own, but as lent to them, as I told thee. For I am no Acceptor of creatures, or of conditions, but rather of holy desires ; wherefore, in whatever condition a man may choose to be, he may have a good and holy will and be pleasing to Me. But who will possess in this way ? Those who have destroyed the venom, with hatred of their own sensuality and love of virtue. Having destroyed the venom of disordinate desire, and ruled it with love and fear of Me, a man can choose and hold the condition he prefers, and, in either, he will be capable of receiving eternal life, although the greater perfection and the more pleasing to Me, be to raise himself in deed as well as in thought from every thing of the world. But he who does not wish to rise to this perfection, his fragility not allowing him to do so, can remain in the ordinary state, according to his vocation, and this My goodness has ordered so that no one may have excuse for sinning, whatever his condition may be. And truly they have no excuse, because I have condescended to their passions and weaknesses in such a way that they, wishing to remain in the world, can do so, possessing riches, retaining their dignities, living in the state of matrimony, bringing up their children, and striving for them, and remaining in whatever condition they may choose, provided that they truly cut out the venom of their own sensuality, which gives eternal death. And rightly is their own sensuality called venom, because, as a sting gives pain to the body, and finally causes its death unless it is cast out, or some medicine taken, so does the scorpion of worldly delight to the soul ; not that temporal things, in themselves, contain any venom, for they are good and made by Me, Who am Supreme Good, and therefore can be used as man pleases with holy fear and true love, but I am speaking of the sting of the perverse will of man. I say, then, that it envenoms the soul and gives it death, unless

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it is drawn out of the heart and the affection, and vomited by holy confession, for confession is a medicine which cures this sting, though it seems bitter to sensual self-love. Thou seest then how deluded are they who can possess and have Me, fleeing sadness and obtaining cheerfulness and consolation, and who, nevertheless, desire evil under colour of good, and give themselves up to the acquiring of gold with disordinate love. But, because they are blinded with much infidelity, feeling themselves envenomed, yet not per ceiving how they are stung, they take not the remedy, and bear the cross of the Devil, tasting the earnest money of Hell."