ense of very great unworthiness lies a
profound pain, an agony. To cure this pain we must turn the heart to
give love, to think love, and immediately we think of this great
condescension as being for love's sake--as love seeking for love--we
are consoled. Then all is well, all is joyful, all is divine. The more
simple, childlike, and unpretentious we can be, the more easily we
shall win our way through. Pretentiousness or arrogance in Man can
never be anything but ridiculous, and a sense of humour should
alone be sufficient to save us from such error. For the same reason it
is impossible to regard human ceremonies with any respect or
seriousness, for they are not childlike but childish. How often the
heart and mind cry out to Him, "O mighty God, I am mean and
foolish--mean in that which I have created by my vain imaginings,
my pride, my covetousness; but in that which Thou hast made me I
am wonderful and lovely--a thing that can fly to and fro day or night
to Thy hand!"

The difficulties of the creature should not be raised on some
self-glorifying pinnacle merely because the fickle variable heart at lasts
learns the exercise of Fidelity. Do we not see a very ordinary dog
practising this same fidelity as he waits, so eager that he trembles,
outside his master's door, having put on one side every desire save
his desire to his master whom, not seeing, he continues to await; and
this out of the generosity of his heart! And we? Only by great
difficulty, long endeavour, bitter schooling, and having at last
accomplished it we name each other saints or saintly. Let us think
soberly about these things; are we then so much less than a dog that
we also cannot accomplish this fidelity--so that though hands and
feet go about daily duties the heart and mind are fixed on the Master?
Then the Master becomes the Beloved.

_Of Blessing God_

At first when the creature is being taught to bless God it shrinks
back in a fright, crying, "What am I that I should dare to bless
Almighty God, I am afraid to do it; I am too unworthy; let me wait
till I am more righteous, till I have done more works." Then the
divine soul counsels it so: "Think no more about thyself, moaning
and groaning over thine unworthiness and trusting to progress in
works. Cease thinking of thyself, and rise up and think only of God.
Thou wilt never be worthy, and all thy works are nothing and thy
learning of no count whatever; and as to thy righteousness, is it not
wri