Mistrust of oneself and confidence in God are most
necessary,
but if they were alone, not only would we not have the victory over
ourselves,
but we would fall into many evils. Because of these reasons, in
addition
to others, we need
exercise, which is the third thing proposed
above.
This exercise must be done principally with the intellect and with the
will.
As to the intellect, we must guard it from two things that dream of
fighting
it.
One is ignorance, which darkens and impedes the knowledge of the truth,
the
intellect's proper object. Hence with the exercise we must make the
intellect
bright and clear, so that it might see and discern good, which is so
necessary
to purify the soul from her disordered passions and decorate her with
holy
virtues. We can obtain this light in two ways.
The first and most important is prayer, asking the Holy Spirit that he
might
deign to pour it into our hearts. If we truly seek God alone, we will
do
this always when we seek to do his holy will and when we subject
everything,
even our judgment, to the decision of our spiritual father.
The other way is a continual exercise of profound and loyal
consideration
of things
to see them as they are, whether good or bad:
according
to how the Holy Spirit teaches and not according to their external
appearance,
which is how they represent themselves to the senses and is how the
world
judges them.
When this consideration is done as necessary, it makes us understand
clearly
that what the blind and corrupt world loves and desires, and the
various
ways and means of procuring them, ought to be held as nothing, as
vanity
and lies. We understand that earthly honors and pleasures are nothing
other
than vanities and afflictions of the spirit, that what bring true glory
are
the injuries, infamies, and quiet tribulations the world gives us; that
disdain
for the world is worth more than being its master; that one ought to
appraise
the humble knowledge of oneself higher than all the sciences. We
realize
that forgiving our enemies and doing good to them are magnanimities and
among
the things that make us resemble God more closely; that glad obedience
to
the most vile creatures out of love for God is more magnanimous and
generous
than commanding great princes. We come to know that conquering and
mortifying
our very appetites, however small, is worth more praise than taking
many
cities by storm
(Proverbs 16.32), than conquering powerful armies
with
weapons in hand, than performing miracles and raising the dead.
(note)