Bl. Henry Suso A LITTLE BOOK OF ETERNAL WISDOM
BLESSED HENRY SUSO’S PREFACE TO HIS BOOK
CHAPTER I.How Some Persons Are Unconsciously Attracted by God
CHAPTER II. WHAT HAPPENED BEFORE THE CRUCIFIXION
CHAPTER III. How It Was With Him on The Cross According to The Exterior Man
CHAPTER IV. How Very Faithful His Passion Was
CHAPTER V. How The Soul Attains Hearty Repentance and Gently Pardon Under the Cross
CHAPTER VI. How Deceitful The Love of This World is, And How Amiable God Is
CHAPTER VII. How Lovely God Is
CHAPTER X. The Third Thing.—Why God Permits His Friends To Suffer So Much Temporal Suffering
CHAPTER XI. On The Everlasting Pains of Hell
CHAPTER XII. On The Immeasurable Joys of Heaven
CHAPTER XIII. On The Immeasurable Dignity of Temporal Suffering
CHAPTER XIV. On The Unspeakable Advantages to Be Derived From Meditating on The Divine Passion
CHAPTER XVI. On The Worthy Praise of The Pure Queen of Heaven
CHAPTER XVII. On The Unutterable Heart-Rending Grief of The Pure Queen of Heaven
CHAPTER XVIII. How It Was With Him At That Hour in Regard of His Interior Man
CHAPTER XIX. On The Taking Down From the Cross
CHAPTER XX. On The Lamentable Separation of the Grave
CHAPTER XXI. How We Should Learn to Die, And of The Nature of An Unprovided Death
CHAPTER XXII. How One Should Live An Interior and Godly Life
CHAPTER XXIII. How We Ought Lovingly To Receive God
CHAPTER XXIV. A Prayer To Be Said When Thou Goest To Receive Our Lord’s Holy Body
The Servant.—Three things there are at which I marvel very much; one is, that Thou shouldst be beyond all measure so amiable Thyself, and yet so severe a judge of evil deeds. Lord, when I reflect on Thy severe justice, my heart with passionate voice exclaims: “Woe to all who persist in sin!” for did they but know the strict account of every single sin, which Thou wilt infallibly require, even from Thy very dearest friends, they would sooner pluck out their teeth and hair than ever provoke Thy anger! Woe is me! How very terrible is Thy angry countenance, how very intolerable Thy ungentle averted looks! So full of fire are Thy threatening words that they cut through heart and soul. Shield me, O Lord, from Thy wrathful countenance, and extend not Thy vengeance against me to the next world. Lo! when I only doubt, lest, because of my guilty deeds Thou mayest have turned Thy face angrily away from me, it is a thing so insupportable, that nothing in all this world is so bitter to me. Oh, my Lord and Father, how could my heart endure Thy angry countenance for ever! When I but seriously reflect on Thy countenance inflamed with anger, my soul is so horrified, all my strength is so shaken, that I can liken it to nothing else than to the heavens beginning to darken and grow black, to fire raging in the clouds, and to a mighty thunder rending them, so that the earth trembles, and fiery bolts dart down upon men. Lord, let no one confide in Thy silence, for verily Thy silence will soon be turned to dreadful thunder. Lord, the angry countenance of Thy Fatherly anger to that man who is fearful of provoking and losing Thee, is a hell above all hells. I will say nothing of that furious countenance of Thine which the wicked at the last day will have to behold in bitterness of heart. Woe, everlasting woe to those who shall have to expect so great a calamity!
Lord, all this is a profound mystery to my heart, and yet Thou sayest that Thou art so gracious and so good.
Eternal Wisdom.—I am the immutable good, and subsist the same and am the same. But that I do not appear the same, arises from the difference of those who view Me differently, according as they are with or without sin. I am tender and loving in My nature, and yet a terrible judge of evil deeds. I require from My friends childlike awe, and confiding love, in order that awe may restrain them from sin, and love unite them to Me in faith.