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← Holy Living and Holy Dying/Book 1 · The Rule and Exercises of Holy Living
Chapter 10HolyLiving.1.10

Rules of exercising this Consideration.

The Habitual Presence of God

We must cultivate a constant awareness of God's omnipresence to foster holy reverence in all our actions.

1. Keep bringing this thought back often: that God is everywhere, filling every place; and say with David, Psalm 139: 7-8. “Where shall I go from your Spirit, or where shall I flee from your presence?✦ If I go up into heaven, you are there; if I make my bed in hell, you are there,” etc.✦ If you keep this thought frequent, it will form a habitual awe and reverence toward God, and a fear in all your actions. For it is a great necessity and obligation to act without blame when we act before the Judge. Boethius.1

Adoration and Divine Attributes

Begin every religious act by fixing your heart on God's character and placing yourself solemnly in his presence.

1. V. On Consolation.2 He is infallible in his judgment, all-knowing in his knowledge, severe in his anger, powerful in his providence, and unbearable in his wrath and indignation.3 2. When you begin any act of religion, make an act of adoration—that is, solemnly worship God, place yourself in God's presence, and look on him with the eye of faith; and let your desires actually fix on him as the object of your worship, the reason for your hope, and the fountain of your blessing. For when you have placed yourself before him and kneel in his presence, it's most likely that all the following parts of your devotion will match the wisdom of such a grasp of him, and the glory of such a presence.45

Seeing God in Creation

Use the natural world as a mirror to perceive God's beauty and providence, thereby restraining the will from sin.

3. Let everything you see bring home to your spirit the presence, excellence, and power of God; and let your dealings with created things lead you to the Creator. That way you'll more often do what you do with a real eye to God's presence, because you keep seeing him in the mirror of creation.✦6 In the face of the sun you can see God's beauty; in the fire you can feel his heat warming you; in the water, his gentleness refreshing you. He is the one who comforts your spirit when you take restorative drinks; it is the dew of heaven that makes your field give you bread; and the breasts of God are the bottles that supply drink for your needs.✦✦7 This way of thinking, plain to everyone's experience, is a real help to our piety; and by this act of understanding, our wills are held back from violence and wrongdoing.

The Heart’s Private Chapel

Maintain a life of prayer by frequently withdrawing into the 'chapel of the heart' for short conversations with God.

4. In your private solitude, have frequent short conversations between God and your soul.8 Seven times a day I praise you; and in the night season also I thought of you while I was awake.✦✦ So did David; and every act of complaint or thanksgiving, every act of rejoicing or mourning, every petition and every turning of the heart in these exchanges, is a going to God, an appearing in his presence, and a setting him present before your spirit and your need. Long ago, a spiritual person called this “building a chapel to God in our heart.” It reconciles Martha’s work with Mary’s devotion, charity and religion, the necessities of our calling, and the work of devotion.9 For in this way, right in the middle of the work of your trade, you can withdraw into your chapel—your heart—and talk with God by frequent approaches and returns.

Love and Fear as Responses

Respond to God's presence with a balanced life of love, fear, and obedience, recognizing that we are his workmanship.

5. Present and offer to God acts of love and fear, which are the proper results of grasping this truth and the right way to practice this reflection.10 For as God is present everywhere by his power, he calls for reverence and godly fear; as he is present to you in all your needs and relieves them, he deserves your love; and since in every circumstance of our lives we find one or the other of these clearly shown, and in most things we see both, the fitting and proportionate response is that, to every such demonstration of God, we show we are aware of it—by admiring the divine goodness, or by trembling at his presence—always obeying him because we love him, and always obeying him because we fear to offend him.1112 This is what Enoch did, who in this way “walked with God.” 6. Let's remember that God is in us, and that we are in him: we are his workmanship—let's not deface it; we are in his presence—let's not pollute it with unholy and impure actions. God has “also done all our works in us” (Isaiah 26:12).13 xxvi. 12. And because he rejoices in his own works, if we defile them and make them displeasing to him, we walk crookedly with God, and he will walk crookedly toward us.14

God in the Neighbor and the World

Treat every person and place with sanctity, recognizing that God dwells within our brothers and in all creation.

7. “God is in the inmost parts of your brother”; when he needs it, refresh them — and then you give your alms in the presence of God, and to God; and he feels the relief you provide for your brother.✦15 8. God is in every place; therefore, treat every place as a church. Use the same decent behavior and devout bearing in all places that religion, custom, civility, and public manners teach you to use in churches—with this difference only: in churches, let your bearing also be religious in its outward forms and circumstances, but there and everywhere, let it be religious by abstaining from spiritual indecencies and remaining ready to do good deeds, so that it may not be said of us, as God once complained of His people, “Why has my beloved done wickedness in my house?” Jeremiah 11. 15, according to16 the Vulgate✦ edition. 9. God is in every creature; be cruel to none, and don't abuse anything through intemperance. Remember that the creatures, and every member of your own body, is one of the lesser cabinets and receptacles of God.17 They are the kind God has blessed with his presence, hallowed by his touch, and set apart from unholy use by making them belong to his dwelling.

The Marks of a God-Centered Life

A life lived in God's presence is characterized by frequent prayer, reliance on his counsel, and a deep, multifaceted relationship with him.

10. The one who walks as if in the presence of God is the one who talks with him in frequent prayer and frequent Communion; who runs to him in every need; who asks his counsel in every doubt; who opens all his wants to him; who weeps before him for his sins; who asks for remedy and support for his weakness; who fears him as a judge, reveres him as a lord, obeys him as a father, and loves him as a protector.

Read the original Latin

1. Let this actual thought often return, that God is omnipresent, filling every place; and say with David,Psal. xiii. 7, 8. “Whither shall I go from thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from thy presence? If I ascend up into heaven, thou art there: if I make my bed in hell, thou art there,” etc. This thought, by being frequent, will make an habitual dread and reverence towards God, and fear in all thy actions. For it is a great necessity and engagement to do unblamably when we act before the Judge,Boeth.

1. v. de Consol. who is infallible in his sentence, all-knowing in his information, severe in his anger, powerful in his providence, and intolerable in his wrath and indignation.

2. In the beginning of actions of religion, make an act of adoration, that is, solemnly worship God, and place thyself in God’s presence, and behold him with the eye of faith; and let thy desires actually fix on him as the object of thy worship, and the reason of thy hope, and the fountain of thy blessing. For when thou hast placed thyself before him, and kneelest in his presence, it is most likely all the following parts of thy devotion will be answerable to the wisdom of such an apprehension, and the glory of such a presence.

3. Let everything you see represent to your spirit the presence, the excellency, and the power of God; and let your conversation with the creatures lead you unto the Creator; for so shall your actions be done more frequently, with an actual eye to God’s presence, by your often seeing him in the glass of the creation. In the face of the sun you may see God’s beauty; in the fire you may feel his heat warming; in the water, his gentleness to refresh you: he it is that comforts your spirit when you have taken cordials; it is the dew of heaven that makes your field give you bread; and the breasts of God are the bottles that minister drink to your necessities. This philosophy, which is obvious to every man’s experience, is a good advantage to our piety; and, by this act of understanding, our wills are checked from violence and misdemeanour.

4. In your retirement, make frequent colloquies, or short discoursings, between God and thy soul. Seven times a-day do I praise thee: and in the night season also I thought upon thee, while I was waking. So did David; and every act of complaint or thanksgiving, every act of rejoicing or of mourning, every petition and every return of the heart in these intercourses, is a going to God, an appearing in his presence, and a representing him present to thy spirit and to thy necessity. And this was long since by a spiritual person called, “a building to God a chapel in our heart.” It reconciles Martha’s employment with Mary’s devotion, charity and religion, the necessities of our calling, and the employments of devotion. For thus, in the midst of the works of your trade, you may retire into your chapel, your heart, and converse with God by frequent addresses and returns.

5. Represent and offer to God acts of love and fear, which are the proper effects of this apprehension, and the proper exercise of this consideration. For, as God is everywhere present by his power, he calls for reverence and godly fear; as he is present to thee in all thy needs, and relieves them, he deserves thy love; and since, in every accident of our lives, we find one or other of these apparent, and in most things we see both, it is a proper and proportionate return, that, to every such demonstration of God, we express ourselves sensible of it by admiring the Divine goodness, or trembling at his presence; ever obeying him because we love him, and ever obeying him because we fear to offend him. This is that which Enoch did, who thus ‘walked with God.’

6. Let us remember that God is in us, and that we are in him: we are his workmanship, let us not deface it; we are in his presence, let us not pollute it by unholy and impure actions. God hath ‘also wrought all our works in us:’Isa. xxvi. 12. and because he rejoices in his own works, if we defile them, and make them unpleasant to him, we walk perversely with God, and he will walk crookedly towards us.

7. ‘God is in the bowels of thy brother;’ refresh them, when he needs it, and then you give your alms in the presence of God, and to God; and he feels the relief which thou providest for thy brother.

8. God is in every place; suppose it, therefore, to be a church: and that decency of deportment and piety of carriage, which you are taught by religion, or by custom, or by civility and public manners, to use in churches, the same use in all places; with this difference only, that in churches let your deportment be religious in external forms and circumstances also; but there and everywhere let it be religious in abstaining from spiritual indecencies, and in readiness to do good actions, that it may not be said of us, as God once complained of his people, ‘Why hath my beloved done wickedness in my house?’ Jer. xi. 15, secun. vulg. edit.

9. God is in every creature: be cruel towards none, neither abuse any by intemperance. Remember, that the creatures and every member of thy own body, is one of the lesser cabinets and receptacles of God. They are such which God hath blessed with his presence, hallowed by his touch, and separated from unholy use, by making them to belong to his dwelling.

10. He walks as in the presence of God that converses with him in frequent prayer and frequent communion; that runs to him in all his necessities; that asks counsel of him in all his doubtings; that opens all his wants to him; that weeps before him for his sins; that asks remedy and support for his weakness; that fears him as a judge; reverences him as a lord; obeys him as a father; and loves him as a patron.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Ps.139.7 — Where can I go from your Spirit? And where can I flee from your presence?
  2. ↩Ps.139.8 — If I ascend to the heavens, you are there; if I make my bed in Sheol, behold, you are there.
  3. ↩1Cor.13.12;Rom.1.20 — For now we see in a mirror, dimly; but then face to face. Now I know in part; but then I shall know fully, even as I have been fully known. Rom.1.20 — For since the creation of the world, his invisible attributes have been clearly perceived, being understood through the things that have been made: both his eternal power and divine nature. So they are without excuse.
  4. ↩Gen.27.28;Deut.33.13 — May God give you of the dew of heaven and the fatness of the earth, and abundance of grain and new wine. Deut.33.13 — And of Joseph he said: Blessed by the LORD be his land, with the finest produce of heaven above, with the dew, and with the deep that crouches beneath.
  5. ↩Isa.66.11-Isa.66.13 — so that you may nurse and be satisfied from the breast of her consolations, that you may drink deeply and delight in the abundance of her glory. Isa.66.12 — For thus says the LORD: Behold, I am extending peace to her like a river, and the glory of the nations like an overflowing stream; and you shall nurse, you shall be carried on her side, and you shall be bounced on her knees. Isa.66.13 — As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you, and in Jerusalem you shall be comforted.
  6. ↩Ps.119.164 — Seven times a day I praise you for your righteous rules.
  7. ↩Ps.63.6;Ps.119.55 — Like fat and rich fare my soul is satisfied, and with lips of joyful singing I praise you. Ps.119.55 — I remembered your name, O LORD, in the night, and I kept your law.
  8. ↩Matt.25.40 — And the King will answer them, 'Truly I tell you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.'
  9. ↩Jer.11.15 — What is my beloved doing in my house, performing the schemes of the many? And shall holy flesh be removed from you? For when you do evil, then you rejoice.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Taylor's 'engagement' means a binding obligation or constraining force, not social involvement; rendered 'obligation'.
  2. 2 ↩Abbreviation of Boethius, De consolatione philosophiae (The Consolation of Philosophy), completing the citation begun at the end of the previous section.
  3. 3 ↩Early modern 'sentence' = judicial verdict/judgment; 'information' = the knowledge or facts on which that judgment rests. Rendered as 'judgment' and 'knowledge' for contemporary clarity without changing the legal-theological force.
  4. 4 ↩Source 'apprehension' means a clear mental grasp or sense of God's presence, not fear; rendered as 'grasp of him'.
  5. 5 ↩Source 'answerable to' means proportionate or fitting to; rendered as 'match'.
  6. 6 ↩Early modern 'conversation' means intercourse/dealings with, not speech; rendered as 'dealings'. 'Glass' means looking-glass/mirror.
  7. 7 ↩Taylor's maternal image 'breasts of God' is retained as a source metaphor for divine nurture, not softened into generic 'care'.
  8. 8 ↩Source 'retirement' means withdrawing for private devotion, not leaving one's occupation.
  9. 9 ↩Source lists several goods brought into harmony: active work (Martha) with contemplative devotion (Mary), and vocational necessity with the practice of devotion; 'charity and religion' kept as a paired pair in that same reconciling list.
  10. 10 ↩Source 'apprehension' means grasping or awareness (of God's presence), not anxiety; rendered as 'grasping this truth' for clarity.
  11. 11 ↩Source 'accident' is used in the older sense of occurrence or circumstance, not mishap; rendered as 'circumstance'.
  12. 12 ↩Source 'express ourselves sensible of it' means show that we feel or are aware of it; rendered as 'show we are aware of it'.
  13. 13 ↩Quoted span modernizes archaic 'hath…wrought' while preserving the sense of Isaiah 26:12; citation continues in the next two sentence units (xxvi. / 12.).
  14. 14 ↩Source pairs 'walk perversely' with 'walk crookedly' for reciprocal contrary dealing; rendered with matched 'crookedly' to keep the mirror structure in plain English.
  15. 15 ↩Early modern “bowels” means the inmost/visceral self (and, with “refresh…when he needs it,” the brother’s bodily need). Rendered “inmost parts” to keep both the interior presence of God and the physical relief of almsgiving without the modern digestive sense.
  16. 16 ↩Source abbreviation ‘secun.’ expanded as secundum, ‘according to,’ introducing the Vulgate edition reference that follows.
  17. 17 ↩Taylor's 'cabinets and receptacles' keeps the image of small treasure-chambers or containers that hold God; left in place rather than flattened to generic 'vessels' or 'dwelling-places.'

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