The Autobiography of Madame GuyonGuyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte
Religion
The Autobiography of Madame Guyon
Guyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de la Motte
Catholics -- France -- Biography; Guyon, Jeanne Marie Bouvier de La Motte, 1648-1717
For some time I was ignorant of this. As I knew that all my letters
were kept from me, I ceased to wonder at receiving none. I lived in
this house with my little daughter in a sweet repose, which was a very
great favor of Providence. My daughter had forgotten her French, and
among the little girls from the mountains had contracted a wild look
and disagreeable manners. Her wit, sense and judgment, were indeed
surprising, and her disposition exceedingly good. There were only some
little fits of peevishness, which they had caused to arise in her,
through certain contrarieties out of season, caresses ill applied, and
for want of knowing the proper manner of education. But the Lord
provided in regard to her. During this time my mind was preserved calm
and resigned to God. Afterward that good sister almost continually
interrupted me; I answered everything she desired of me, both out of
condescension, and from a principle which I had to obey like a child.
When I was in my apartment, without any other director than our Lord by
His Spirit, as soon as one of my little children came to knock at my
door, he required me to admit the interruption. He showed me that it is
not the actions in themselves which please Him, but the constant ready
obedience to every discovery of His will, even in the minutest things,
with such a suppleness, as not to stick to anything, but still to turn
with Him at every call. My soul was then, I thought, like a leaf, or a
feather, which the wind moves what way soever it pleases and the Lord
never suffers a soul so dependent upon, and dedicated to Him, to be
deceived.
Most men appear to me very unjust, when they readily resign themselves
to another man, and look upon that as prudence. They confide in men who
are nothing, and boldly say, "Such a person cannot be deceived." But if
one speaks of a soul wholly resigned to God, which follows him
faithfully, they cry aloud, "That person is deceived with his
resignation." Oh, divine Love! Dost thou want either strength,
fidelity, love, or wisdom, to conduct those who trust in thee and who
are thy dearest children? I have seen men bold enough to say, "Follow
me, and you shall not be misled." How sadly are those men misled
themselves by their presumption! How much sooner should I go to him who
would be afraid of misleading me; who trusting neither to his learning
nor experience, would rely upon God only!
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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