Conversion and previous
employment. * Satisfaction in God’s presence. * Faith our duty. *
Resignation the fruit of watchfulness.
THE first time I saw Brother
Lawrence was upon the 3rd of August, 1666. He told me that GOD had
done him a singular favour, in his conversion at the age of
eighteen.
That in the winter, seeing a tree
stripped of its leaves, and considering that within a little time,
the leaves would be renewed, and after that the flowers and fruit
appear, he received a high view of the Providence and Power of GOD,
which has never since been effaced from his soul. That this view
had perfectly set him loose from the world, and kindled in him such
a love for GOD, that he could not tell whether it had increased in
above forty years that he had lived since.
That he had been footman to M.
Fieubert, the treasurer, and that he was a great awkward fellow who
broke everything.
That he had desired to be
received into a monastery, thinking that he would there be made to
smart for his awkwardness and the faults he should commit, and so
he should sacrifice to GOD his life, with its pleasures: but that
GOD had disappointed him, he having met with nothing but
satisfaction in that state.
That we should establish
ourselves in a sense of GOD’s Presence, by continually conversing
with Him. That it was a shameful thing to quit His conversation, to
think of trifles and fooleries.
That we should feed and nourish
our souls with high notions of GOD; which would yield us great joy
in being devoted to Him.
That we ought to quicken, i.e.,
to enliven, our faith. That it was lamentable we had so little; and
that instead of taking faith for the rule of their conduct, men
amused themselves with trivial devotions, which changed daily. That
the way of Faith was the spirit of the Church, and that it was
sufficient to bring us to a high degree of perfection.
That we ought to give ourselves
up to GOD, with regard both to things temporal and spiritual, and
seek our satisfaction only in the fulfilling of His will, whether
He lead us by suffering or by consolation, for all would be equal
to a soul truly resigned. That there needed fidelity in those
drynesses, or insensibilities and irksomenesses in prayer, by which
GOD tries our love to Him; that then was the time for us to make
good and effectual acts of resignation, whereof one alone would
oftentimes very much promote our spiritual advancement.
That as for the miseries and sins
he heard of daily in the world, he was so far from wondering at
them, that, on the contrary, he was surprised there were not more,
considering the malice sinners were capable of: that for his part,
he prayed for them; but knowing that GOD could remedy the mischiefs
they did, when He pleased, he gave himself no farther
trouble.
