inwardly and powerfully towards all the virtues. If he still
progresses in the works of virtue, he must again meet with Christ,
by the annihilation of self. Let him not seek his own things; let
him set before him no extraneous ends; let him be discreet in his
actions; let him set God always before him, and the praise and glory
of God; and let him so continue till his death; then his reason
will be enlightened and his charity increased, and he will become
more pious and apt for all the virtues. We shall set God before us
in every good work; in bad works we cannot set Him before us. We
shall not have two intentions--that is to say, we shall not seek God
at the same time as something else, but all our intention must be
subordinated to God and not contrary to Him, but of one and the same
kind, so that it may help us and give us an impulse which may lead
us more easily to God. Then and then only is a man in the right
road. Moreover, we shall rest rather upon Him who is our aim and our
goal and the object of our love, than upon the messengers whom He
sends us--that is to say, His gifts. The soul will rest constantly
upon God, above all the adornments and presents which His messengers
may bring. The messengers sent by the soul are intention, love, and
desire. They carry to God all our good works and virtues. Above all
these, the soul will rest on God, its Beloved, above all
multiplicity. This is the manner in which we shall meet Christ all
through our life, in all our actions and virtues, by right
intention, that we may meet Him at the hour of our death in the
light of glory.

This mode, as you have learnt, is called the active life. It is
necessary to all men; or at least they must not live in a manner
contrary to any virtue, though they may not attain the degree of
perfection in all the virtues which I have described. For to live