A MOTHER'S ADVICE

 

TO HER DAUGHTER.

 

TRANSLATED FROM THE FRENCH.

 

SECTION 1. Some Directions for Devotion.

 

 As you are now, dear daughter, of an age capable of being instructed in the obligations of Christianity, I have thought it my duty no longer to delay the giving you some little directions, which will make your life happy, as well as religious, if you follow them.

 

 There are, dear child, many kinds of devotion, which are both burthensome and unprofitable too. As the Heathen had each an idol according to his own fancy, so now a days, men devise a sort of religion, each to his own humor: some make religion consist only in repeating so many prayers, psalms, chapters, &c.; and provided they omit nothing of the task which they have prescribed themselves, they think they have done their duty, and that GOD must be satisfied with the tribute of their lips, though the world has full possession of their hearts. The piety of others is to be always abroad, about what they call works of charity; and of others, to pass great part of their lives at church, neglecting their families; to be busied in matters, which, though good in themselves, are not' so for them, but in such degree only as they are consistent with the principal duties incumbent on them, in that state of life wherein GOD has placed them.

 

 I hope that you will be secure from all these errors, if you follow faithfully what the LORD enables me to say to you. And I trust in his goodness it may be a means of obtaining for you such grace, as may confirm and establish you in his love.

 

 As you consist of soul and body, both must be regulated. I begin with the nobler part. My child, "you are the temple of GOD," if so be, that "GOD dwell in you by faith." His will is, that he may reign in you; and how can he reign there, if he does not dwell there

 

 Be very careful therefore not to profane his temple. Do not force him to withdraw himself, by committing any willful sin; and if such a misfortune should happen, delay not one moment to return to him, and to invite him in the bitterness of your soul, to enter again into his habitation. If you let him be long absent, it is much to be feared$ he may not return: there is indeed no danger on his part, for he always desires to return into the heart of man; but man, when gone astray, and at a distance from GOD, hardens his heart, and that more and more, the longer he is absent. Let not a vain fear, (which ignorant persons call humility,) hinder your returning to GOD, as soon as you are fallen from him. This is of the last consequence, arid, without it, it is not possible to lead a Christian life.

 

But as it is far better not to commit offences than to repent of them, I must give you a preservative to secure you from them.

 

 The rule which GOD gave to ABRAHAM, was, "Walk before me," or in my presence, "and, be thou perfect." (Gen. 17: 1.) And DAVID says, "I have set GOD always before me; therefore I shall not fall." (Psa. 16: 8.) You see then, that the way to exercise your faith is, " to walk in his presence." This- is indispensably necessary.

 

SECTION 2: Of the Divine Presence.

 

 There are two ways of maintaining a sense of this divine presence. The first, is prayer; the second, doing the will of GOD in your daily business.

 

As for your prayer, you see plainly, that you must address yourself inwardly to him, who dwells within you; and that it would be an useless trouble to seek him, as afar off, whom you have so very near you. It may be a satisfaction, to you to hear what ST. AGUSTINE says upon this subject. He thus laments his having sought GOD out of himself: ' I sought thee, O my GOD, (says he,) in heaven, in earth, and in the creatures, and I found thee not there: I sought thee afar off, and thou wert very near. As soon as I sought thee in my heart, I found thee there.' (Confess. Book x. chap. vi. and 27:)

 

 Pray to him with faith, confidence, and love, and ever from the heart. - Let love more than books instruct your devotion. Ask what you want, with confidence in his goodness: think often what CHRIST has suffered for you; but above all, beseech him to be your Master, and to teach you himself to pray. Say often to him, LORD, I am but a child, I know not what to say. Receive with a full conviction what ST. PAUL affirms: (Rom. viii. p26:) "We know not what we should pray for, as we ought; but the SPIRIT itself maketh intercession for us, with groanings which cannot be uttered." Beseech, then, the HOLY SPIRIT to ask for you the power to do what he requires of you.

 

 You may sometimes consider GOD as your Master, and keep close to him as a scholar, who desires only to be instructed; saying to him, from the bottom of your heart, Teach me, O divine Master, to do thy will, and to please thee: and then continuing in silence, as to hear him, say With SAMUEL, "Speak, LORD, for thy servant heareth." And with DAVID, "Teach me thy statutes. I will hear what the LORD GOD will speak." (Psa. lxxxv. 8,)

 

 Think, then, that he says to you, as in Psa. xlv. 1O, 11, "Hearken, O daughter, and consider; incline thine ear; forget also thine own people, and thy father's house, (i. c., the world:) So shall the King have pleasure in thy beauty; for he is the LORD thy God, and worship thou him."

 

 Sometimes you may behold GOD as a King, and beseech him, that his kingdom may come, and that he may reign within you. Present your heart to him, that he may take possession of it; and make himself obeyed, there, with an absolute authority. Say unto him, O my GOD, subdue this rebellious heart to perfect subjection. He says to you, "Behold, thy King cometh full of meekness." (Matt. 21: 5.) Bid your heart, then, "open, that the King of glory may come in." After which, make a thorough resignation of yourself to this divine King: continue in his presence with reverence, ready to receive his orders, as he shall please to give them.

 

 At other times you may behold him as your Father, and be filled with grateful acknowledgments of his goodness in taking you for his child. For if this quality of Father engages him to enrich you with his graces, and makes you inheritor of his kingdom, it obliges you at the same time to love him above all things, and to endeavor to please him in all you do: and this should engage you to speak to him often with freedom, and confidence in his goodness. A child is familiar with his father, who is pleased with the expressions of its love, excuses its weaknesses, and easily forgives them. O thou best of Fathers, keep me as a little child; so you should say to him: then continue in peace, as in the arms of your Father, without any other care, than to do his will.

 

 Say to him often, My Father! My Father!-" Ye have received," says ST. PAUL, " the SPIRIT of adoption, whereby we cry Abba, Father; the SPIRIT itself bearing witness with our spirit, that we are the children of GOD." (Rom. viii. 15,"16.) And again, "Because ye are sons, GOD has sent forth the SPIRIT of his SON into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father." (Gal. 4: 6.) This word crying, well expresses a child's manner of speaking to a father whom he loves: love makes him rather cry, than say, My Father! My Father! And as a little child, who in its fondness cries only Father, insinuates a thousand nameless things to a father's heart; so when by the-SPIRIT of adoption, we cry only this word, GOD hears and accepts our addresses' to him. The term crying, shows plainly, that GOD is not satisfied with an unmeaning lifeless word, which the tongue pronounces out of custom, but in which the heart has no share: it must be_ a cry from the bottom of the heart, to recognize so gracious a father.

 

 Sometimes present yourself to JESUS CHRIST as one sick, and all over wounded by sin. Behold him as an affectionate Physician, who comes to cure you; nay, more, to take your diseases upon himself: " The chastisement of our peace is upon him, and by his stripes we are healed." Fear not then to draw near to him, however full of sores you may be; and say to him, with the leper, "LORD, if thou wilt,-thou canst make me clean: " then continue in silence, exposed before him, as an object of his compassion. The diseased wretch, who, with few words, only shows his maladies, moves pity much more, than he who exaggerates them with an affected eloquence. It is sufficient to dwell upon such a thought as this: "Heal me, O LORD, lest my wounds be corrupted: Speak but one word, and thy servant shall be whole."

 

 Always behold him as your SAVIOR and REDEEMER, who redeems, you from the guilt and slavery in which you had willfully engaged yourself. Say with DAVID, "Bless the LORD, O my soul, who forgiveth all thine iniquities, who healeth all thy diseases, who redeemeth thy life from destruction." (Psa. ciii. 92-4.) But with what a price has the redeemed you Even with all his blood, his life, in a word, with his whole self. He became a slave to make you free; and he asks nothing more of you, but your hearty consent to be delivered from your captivity. There is no deliverance for you but by him; and you will be your own enemy, if you hinder him. He says himself,

 

 "If the SON make you free, ye shall be free indeed." (John viii. 36.) You belong to him by the title of acquisition; you are his dominion, and his inheritance.

 

As his blood is the price of your redemption, beseech him to wash you in it. Keep yourself close to him, as it were to receive the blood that flows from his wounds. Say to him, LORD, I am oppressed, undertake for me." (Isai. xxxviii. 14.) Then, after acknowledging his goodness, with the tenderest sentiments of love and gratitude, keep yourself in silence by him, while he pleads for you by all the merits of his sufferings.

 

You must endeavor to continue in a spirit of prayer all the day long, by fervent ejaculations suitable to the subject of your morning's meditations; sometimes invoking GOD as your Master, King, Father, &c., agreeable to the directions here given.

 

 The other way I recommended to you of maintaining a sense of the divine presence, was, the doing the will of GOD in your daily business. - Now the will of GOD is continually revealed to you in the daily dispensations of Providence; and our business is faithfully to follow it from moment to moment, cheerfully accepting all that befalls us, (sweet or bitter, pleasing or vexatious,) whether from the hand of GOD by afflictions, or from men by ill usage, or from ourselves by imprudence and mistakes; and in doing thus, we cannot be received; for it is most certain, that whatever happens to us, (excepting only sin,) is the will of God.

 

SECTION 3: How to pass the Day religiously.

 

 RISE, and go to bed, at a certain hour; for where there is no fixed rule, disorders will soon ensue. You should not he late in the morning, nor sit up later than ten at night. As soon as you awake, present your first thoughts to the LORD, and offer him the first-fruits of the day.

 

 As soon as you rise, fail not to fall on your knees before GOD; it is an homage due to his supreme Majesty. As soon as you are dressed, spend half an hour in devotion. There unite yourself to the sacrifice which CHRIST made of himself to the eternal FATHER, and offer yourself to him, that he may do with you, and in you, what he pleases. Let your principal exercise be an absolute submission to the whole will of GOD; be subject, be entirely subject to it. To serve him is to reign.

 

 Be not long in dressing. Remember, time is a precious talent, that must be accounted for. Be not affected or expensive in your clothes; and, on the other hand, be not dirty: be dressed clean, so as to give no offence. Let your virtue, candor, and discretion, make you distinguished, and not what you wear. They must be very destitute of solid merit, who seek distinction by dress and equipage.

 

 Never pass the morning without reading some spiritual book, such as Thomas a Kempis, John Arndt, or the like. Read little, but with relish and application. Read slowly, that you may profit by it: and when you come from devotion, be careful not to dissipate your thoughts, but preserve what you have received thereby, as a precious liquor, which you fear will be evaporated. The fire kindles in prayer; but it soon goes out, if it be not kept up the rest of the day. The fuel you must feed it with, is frequent recollection, and acts of love, thanksgiving, and oblation of yourself to GOD; and, as it were, sinking inwards, to find him there, who is the centre of your soul.

 

 But above all other books, my advice is, that you read the Holy Scripture, which will show you particularly, what Christianity engages you to. Read it often: make it your principal study: let it be your daily bread. You will learn there, from CHRIST himself, what you must do not to offend him. You will see there, what he has done and suffered for you: your religion is there in its purity.

 

 You will be there encouraged by the examples of the Patriarchs of the old Law, as well as of those who were the first pillars of Christianity; and therefore, my dear child, I advise you not to pass one day, without reading a certain portion of it. Sometimes you may read where the book opens, but let your general method be, to read it in order, beginning where you left off last, that you may better understand its beauties, and relish its sweetnesses. Read with humility, not to appear knowing, but to edify and nourish your soul; that you 'may be fully instructed in your duty, and what the covenant which GOD has made with you, obliges you to.

 

 You may pass your afternoon at work, and in visiting your friends: but never spend an afternoon without reserving some part of it for recollection and prayer. At night, examine yourself, and make an act of contrition: then continue with tranquillity in the presence of GOD until you drop, asleep. This will make you rest well. Rise again in the same dispositions, and persevere in this inward " peace of GOD, which passeth all understanding."

 

 It must be a general rule with you, to endeavor to suppress all vain and useless thoughts, and stop the working of your head, to preserve that of your heart. When many reflections crowd upon your mind, give them no entertainment, but let them drop, that you may open your heart to GOD. Continue the day as\you began it, that so from time to time you may repose in GOD.

 

SECTION 4:

 

Concerning Mortification.

 

 EVERY day deny yourself some satisfaction, like PAUL; who was "always bearing about in his body the dying. of the LORD JESUS." (2 Cor. 4: 1O.)

 

As for-the eyes, which are a source of numberless sins, we may mortify these by shutting our eyes against all outward objects, that we may gather the force of the mind inward, and apply it to GOD. We should moreover mortify the eyes, in refusing them all objects of mere curiosity. This kind of mortification is very profitable, and can by no means prejudice the health.

 

 The tongue must be mortified, in refraining from saying any thing that may feed vanity, or vent enmity: we must keep 'a continual guard upon our lips, that we may not say what tends to our own commendation, or our neighbor's disparagement. The taste too must be mortified, by refusing it what it most delights in, and using it to what it least cares for: this may be done so privately, that nobody may perceive it; and with such discretion, that our health be not impaired. The hearing must be mortified, by rejecting all flattery, and every kind of conversation that tends to corrupt the heart; and it must be brought to delight itself in attending to the word of GOD, and to the secret whispers of his SPIRIT.

 

 You must subdue and mortify your body, by renouncing all delicacy and luxurious ease, and sometimes by breaking your rest a little, to spend the time in devotion. But the true and principal manner of chastising the body, which you may, and ought to do in all times and places, is, to bear, for the love of GOD, all the inconveniences of life which happen in the order of his providence; the cold, the heat, a bad bed, a restless night, ill health, the neglect of persons we live with, the unhandiness of servants, the ill-will of men, their scorn, and their calumnies; in fine, our own faults, and the pain we find in conquering our vicious inclinations.

 

 The most beneficial and difficult humiliation is, that which arises from our own follies, wretchedness, and sins but we must bear it patiently, and proceed herein, as if, for the love of GOD, we had the care of some person infected with the leprosy, whose sores we were to wash every day, without being tired, or offended at his putrid ulcers.

 

 It is necessary then, my dear child, that your prayer be ever accompanied with a true and solid mortification. Let us not deceive ourselves, prayer and mortification are two sisters, so essentially linked together, that when one diminishes, the other must decay with it. Oftentimes dryness, or want of devotion in prayer, is occasioned' merely by want of mortification. GOD is jealous, and withdraws himself, for the punishment of our neglecting that self denial which he has commanded. Make then daily, as I have directed you, this double sacrifice to GOD, in refusing what pleases you most, and in doing what is most repugnant to your natural inclination. Do not flatter yourself in this point: be sincere with God, and perform what you do for his sake, as having no other view but to please him; for he regards the intention, as much or more than the action.

 

 Give yourself to GOD with a heart upright, sincere, and disengaged: mortify and deny yourself continually. When you find your inclinations tending towards the creatures, and your mind and heart taken with them, you must return to GOD with a humble confidence, dropping the worldly thoughts, and enduring the pain they give you so as to continue in tranquility before God. But avoid, as much as possible, the occasions of sin, and die to all the little satisfactions and desires of talkativeness and curiosity.

 

Do not make yourself uneasy for the troubles, temptations, and continual vicissitudes, to which human nature is subject, but bear them meekly, and accustom yourself to peace and tranquility of spirit.

 

 You ought to do every thing in the order of GOD, and for GOD's sake; and to regard every thing that happens, as the appointment of GOD, as the manifestation of his will, which, to Fulfill in the present moment, should be as the food of your soul. Mind not what others think to be better or more holy: the order of GOD manifested in the course of his providence, must be the only rule of your conduct.

 

 Keep always an inward solitude, without which the outward is unprofitable. By an inward solitude, I mean, that you should shut out the thoughts of the world and yourself, that your mind may be vacant to GOD; but you should not disturb yourself for things that come into your mind against your will. All that we desire with passion and eagerness, is not of GOD. GOD dwells in peace.

 

SECTION 5: Some Rules for Conversation.

 

 Your conversation should be mild, with good breeding, and without debate. Be never obstinate in an argument, but give way freely: make no person uneasy, and bear with the faults of others.

 

 Never talk of your neighbor, but to his advantage; and, as much as you can, take the part of the absent, who is evil spoken of. Judge nobody, and be backward to believe ill reports. Speak simply the truth, without exaggeration.

 

 Let your conversation be free and cheerful, but without vanity. Avoid flatterers, and those who commend you: think them your true friends, who tell you of your faults; and be assured, that they who commend them, mean only to make a jest of you. Never make a friendship with persons that take too great freedoms: do not so much as keep them company. Choose for your friends, persons of piety and good sense give them full liberty to tell you of your faults, and be pleased with them for so doing, without which, (take what pains you please besides,) you will never be truly good.

 

 Never break with your friends, unless they prove vicious; in which case, you should not have begun a friendship. Never suffer men to take any freedom, with you, but carry yourself with gravity towards them. Do not receive frequent visits from any man. Never give room to suspect that you give any preference in your heart, which good breeding obliges you to conceal: but, being civil to all men, be familiar with none. Never be alone with a man, nor give any an opportunity of saying what you ought not to hear. Guard well the avenues of your heart: if once the bank be broken down, you cannot hinder an inundation.

 

 Give alms according to your substance. Visit the sick. Be particularly careful of the poor. Comfort the afflicted, and afflict nobody. Let all your works be done with discretion and charity.

 

 Be meek and peaceable: have no odd humors. Never blame without reason, that when you have reason, you may be more minded. Never reprove with passion. Treat your servants with great firmness, and with love, but with little familiarity. When they are sick, do not put them out of your house, if you can help it; but if their disease be such as makes a removal necessary, sweeten it by kind treatment, and plentiful provision for them elsewhere. Remember that your own servants have the first title to your charity.

 

Hurt nobody, not even in spirit; and speak not what you think may make any body uneasy. Be ready to pardon injuries, and give no one occasion to practice that virtue upon your account. Never make a jest of any body, it is a notable grievous sin.

 

 In fine, my daughter, often implore the assistance of GOD; and if you follow these directions, you will be happy in this world, and in the next.