The spiritual man, or, The spiritual life reduced to its first principles . y dear to Him, and bring more profit tothe Church and to souls in one hour than others, who have FOURTH GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 243 not attained this divine union, could in several years, Letus, then, strive to unite ourselves intimately to Jesus Christ,to procure by all means, and to increase continually, thisdivine union ; let us beg this grace incessandy, withoutputting ourselves in pain about any other, because the restwill assuredly come, and, if only we are united to Him, wemust soon become rich,
The spiritual man, or, The spiritual life reduced to its first principles . y dear to Him, and bring more profit tothe Church and to souls in one hour than others, who have FOURTH GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. 243 not attained this divine union, could in several years, Letus, then, strive to unite ourselves intimately to Jesus Christ,to procure by all means, and to increase continually, thisdivine union ; let us beg this grace incessandy, withoutputting ourselves in pain about any other, because the restwill assuredly come, and, if only we are united to Him, wemust soon become rich, virtuous and perfect. It is easyfor God, says the Sage, to raise a poor man from his misery,and crown him with riches and honors. And the Prince ofthe Apostles, writes : The God of all grace, who hath calledus into His eternal glory in Christ Jesus, after you havesuffered a little, will Himself perfect you, and confirm you,and establish you. To Him be glory and empire, for everand ever. Amen. CHAPTER V, FIFTH GENERAL PRINCIPLE OF THE SPIRITUAL LIFE. Purity of HE fifth general principle of the spiritual lifeis purity of intention, which holds a rank soelevated, and reaches to so high a point of ex-cellence, that it gives value to all our actions,and by a spiritual alchemy converts all into gold,pearls, diamonds and rubies. The intention forwhich we perform an action is of the same import-ance to the action as the root is to the tree, the soulto the body, form to matter; so that our action is noble orvile, eminent or abject, laudable or blameworthy, deservingof recompense or chastisement, according to the nature andquality of the intention, which renders it good if it be goodin itself, and perfect if it be very good, according to thatsaying of St. Paul : If the root be holy, the branches arealso holy. On the contrary, if the intention be vicious, itextends its virus to the action, and corrupts it entirely, goodthough it apparently be, producing in it an effect simila
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