Second Conversation

That he had always been governed by love, without selfish views; and that having resolved to make the love of GOD the end of all his actions, he had found reasons to be well satisfied with his method. That he was pleased when he could take up a straw from the ground for the love of GOD, seeking Him only, and nothing else, not even His gifts.

He said that love had always guided him, without any selfish motives. He had resolved to make the love of GOD the purpose of all his actions. He found good reasons to be satisfied with this approach. He was pleased when he could pick up a straw from the ground for the love of GOD. He sought only God and nothing else, not even his gifts.

That he had been long troubled in mind from a certain belief that he should be damned; that all the men in the world could not have persuaded him to the contrary; but that he had thus reasoned with himself about it: I engaged in a religious life only for the love of GOD, and I have endeavored to act only for Him; whatever becomes of me, whether I be lost or saved, I will always continue to act purely for the love of GOD. I shall have this good at least, that till death I shall have done all that is in me to love Him. That this trouble of mind had lasted four years; during which time he had suffered much. But that at last he had seen that this trouble arose from want of faith; and that since then he had passed his life in perfect liberty and continual joy. That he had placed his sins betwixt him and GOD, as it were, to tell Him that he did not deserve His favors, but that GOD still continued to bestow them in abundance.

He had long been troubled by the belief that he would be damned. No one in the world could have convinced him otherwise. But he reasoned with himself: I entered religious life only for the love of GOD, and I have tried to act only for him. Whatever happens to me, whether I am lost or saved, I will always act purely for the love of GOD. At least I will have this comfort: until I die, I will have done all I can to love him. This troubled him for four years, and he suffered greatly during that time. But at last he saw that his trouble came from a lack of faith. Since then, he had lived in perfect freedom and continual joy. He had placed his sins between himself and GOD, as if to tell him he did not deserve his favors. But GOD continued to bestow them abundantly.

That in order to form a habit of conversing with GOD continually, and referring all we do to Him, we must at first apply to Him with some diligence: but that after a little care we should find His love inwardly excite us to it without any difficulty.

To develop the habit of talking with God continually and turning to him in all we do, we must make some effort at first. But after a little care, we will find that his love prompts us from within to do this without difficulty.

That he expected after the pleasant days GOD had given him, he should have his turn of pain and suffering; but that he was not uneasy about it, knowing very well, that as he could do nothing of himself, GOD would not fail to give him the strength to bear it.

He expected that after the pleasant days God had given him, his turn for pain and suffering would come. But he was not worried. He knew he could do nothing on his own, and that God would surely give him strength to bear it.

That when an occasion of practicing some virtue offered, he addressed himself to GOD, saying, LORD, I cannot do this unless Thou enablest me: and that then he received strength more than sufficient.

Whenever he had an opportunity to practice a virtue, he turned to GOD and said, LORD, I cannot do this unless you enable me. Then he received more than enough strength.

That when he had failed in his duty, he only confessed his fault, saying to GOD, I shall never do otherwise, if You leave me to myself; it is You who must hinder my falling, and mend what is amiss. That after this, he gave himself no further uneasiness about it.

When he failed in his duty, he simply confessed his fault to God. He said, I will always do wrong if you leave me to myself. You must keep me from falling and put right what is wrong. After that, he worried no more about it.

That we ought to act with GOD in the greatest simplicity, speaking to Him frankly and plainly, and imploring His assistance in our affairs, just as they happen. That GOD never failed to grant it, as he had often experienced.

We should act with God in complete simplicity. We should speak to him openly and plainly, and ask for his help with our affairs as they arise. God never failed to give that help, as Brother Lawrence had often experienced.

That he had been lately sent into Burgundy, to buy the provision of wine for the society, which was a very unwelcome task for him, because he had no turn for business, and because he was lame and could not go about the boat but by rolling himself over the casks. That however he gave himself no uneasiness about it, nor about the purchase of the wine. That he said to GOD, It was His business he was about, and that he afterwards found it very well performed. That he had been sent into Auvergne, the year before, upon the same account; that he could not tell how the matter passed, but that it proved very well.

He had recently been sent to Burgundy to buy wine for the community. This was a very unwelcome task because he had no talent for business. He was also lame and could only move around the boat by rolling himself over the casks. Even so, he did not worry about the task or the purchase of the wine. He told God that he was doing God's business, and afterward he found that it had been done very well. The year before, he had been sent to Auvergne for the same purpose. He could not say how it happened, but that too turned out very well.

So, likewise, in his business in the kitchen (to which he had naturally a great aversion), having accustomed himself to do everything there for the love of GOD, and with prayer, upon all occasions, for His grace to do his work well, he had found everything easy, during fifteen years that he had been employed there.

Likewise, he had a natural dislike of working in the kitchen. But he became accustomed to doing everything there for the love of God. He also prayed at every opportunity for God’s grace to do his work well. As a result, he found everything easy during the fifteen years he worked there.

That he was very well pleased with the post he was now in; but that he was as ready to quit that as the former, since he was always pleasing himself in every condition, by doing little things for the love of GOD.

He was very happy in his current position, but he was just as ready to leave it as his previous one. He was content in every situation because he did little things for the love of God.

That with him the set times of prayer were not different from other times; that he retired to pray, according to the directions of his Superior, but that he did not want such retirement, nor ask for it, because his greatest business did not divert him from GOD.

For him, the appointed times of prayer were no different from other times. He withdrew to pray as his Superior directed. But he did not need or ask for time alone to pray, because even his busiest work did not distract him from God.

That as he knew his obligation to love GOD in all things, and as he endeavored so to do, he had no need of a director to advise him, but that he needed much a Confessor to absolve him. That he was very sensible of his faults, but not discouraged by them; that he confessed them to GOD, but did not plead against Him to excuse them. When he had so done, he peaceably resumed his usual practice of love and adoration.

He knew he was obliged to love God in all things, and he tried to do so. Therefore, he did not need a spiritual director to advise him, but he greatly needed a confessor to absolve him. He was keenly aware of his faults, but they did not discourage him. He confessed them to God, but did not argue with God to excuse them. Afterward, he peacefully resumed his usual practice of love and adoration.

That in his trouble of mind, he had consulted nobody, but knowing only by the light of faith that GOD was present, he contented himself with directing all his actions to Him, i.e., doing them with a desire to please Him, let what would come of it.

In his distress, he consulted no one. But he knew through the light of faith alone that God was present. He was content to direct all his actions toward him, that is, to do everything with a desire to please him, whatever might happen.

That useless thoughts spoil all: that the mischief began there; but that we ought to reject them, as soon as we perceived their impertinence to the matter in hand, or our salvation; and return to our communion with GOD.

Useless thoughts spoil everything. That is where the trouble began. But we should reject them as soon as we realize they have nothing to do with the task at hand or our salvation. Then we should return to communion with God.

That at the beginning he had often passed his time appointed for prayer, in rejecting wandering thoughts, and falling back into them. That he could never regulate his devotion by certain methods as some do. That nevertheless, at first he had meditated for some time, but afterwards that went off, in a manner he could give no account of.

At first, he often spent his prayer time pushing away wandering thoughts, only to fall back into them. He could never follow set methods in his devotion, as some people do. Nevertheless, he had meditated for a while at first. Later, he stopped meditating, though he could not explain how that happened.

That all bodily mortifications and other exercises are useless, except as they serve to arrive at the union with GOD by love; that he had well considered this, and found it the shortest way to go straight to Him by a continual exercise of love, and doing all things for His sake.

All bodily self-denial and other practices are useless unless they help us unite with God through love. He had thought carefully about this. He found that the shortest way was to go straight to God, continually practicing love and doing everything for his sake.

That we ought to make a great difference between the acts of the understanding and those of the will: that the first were comparatively of little value, and the others, all. That our only business was to love and delight ourselves in GOD.

We should make a clear distinction between acts of the understanding and acts of the will. Acts of understanding are worth comparatively little, while acts of will are everything. Our only business is to love GOD and delight in him.

That all possible kinds of mortification, if they were void of the love of GOD, could not efface a single sin. That we ought, without anxiety, to expect the pardon of our sins from the Blood of JESUS CHRIST, only endeavoring to love Him with all our hearts. That GOD seemed to have granted the greatest favors to the greatest sinners, as more signal monuments of his mercy.

No form of self-denial, however extreme, could erase a single sin without the love of God. We should expect forgiveness for our sins through the blood of Jesus Christ, without anxiety. We need only strive to love him with all our hearts. God seemed to have given the greatest favors to the greatest sinners, as clearer examples of his mercy.

That the greatest pains or pleasures of this world, were not to be compared with what he had experienced of both kinds in a spiritual state: so that he was careful for nothing and feared nothing, desiring only one thing of GOD, viz., that he might not offend Him.

The greatest pains and pleasures of this world could not compare with those he had experienced in his spiritual life. So he worried about nothing and feared nothing. He desired only one thing from God: that he might not offend him.

That he had no scruples; for, said he, when I fail in my duty, I readily acknowledge it, saying, I am used to do so: I shall never do otherwise, if I am left to myself. I fail not, then I give GOD thanks, acknowledging the strength comes from Him.

He said he had no doubts about this. When I fail in my duty, I readily admit it, saying, I am used to doing this. I will never do otherwise if left to myself. When I do not fail, I thank GOD, acknowledging that my strength comes from him.