That a man schulde not geve him to idelnesse ne lightli leve the grace that were gyven
Avoiding Spiritual Idleness
The reader is cautioned against settling into spiritual idleness after overcoming initial temptations.
to him from God.1 After you've escaped these temptations, or if our Lord has kept you from them—as in His mercy He has done for many—so that you haven't been much delayed by them, it's good not to turn your rest into idleness; many people rest too soon.
The Path of Interior Knowledge
The author encourages the pursuit of self-knowledge as a gateway to knowing God, while emphasizing that this path is a matter of grace-led calling rather than obligation.
But if you're willing, you should begin a new labor: enter into your own soul through meditation to understand what it is, and through that knowledge, come to a spiritual knowledge of God. As Saint Augustine says, "By the knowledge of myself, I shall gain the knowledge of God." I'm not saying it's necessary or a duty for you—or for anyone else—to labor this way, unless they feel stirred by grace and, as it were, called to it.
Discernment in Spiritual Gifts
God distributes diverse gifts to different people, and one should only move from one spiritual practice to another when clearly called by grace.
Our Lord gives various gifts wherever He wills; He doesn't give all gifts to one person, nor one gift to everyone, except for charity, which is common to all.2 And therefore, if a man or a woman has received a gift from our Lord—such as devotion in prayer or in the Passion of Christ, or any other, however small—do not leave it too soon for another, unless he truly feels a better one, when God is willing to give it. Nevertheless, afterward, if it is withdrawn somewhat, and he sees a better and feels his heart stirred toward it, then it seems a calling from our Lord to the better, and then is the time to follow after in order to gain it.
Read the original Latin
to him of God.
Aftir this, whanne thou hast ascapid siche temptacions, or ellis oure Lord hath so kepid thee, as He hath doon many of His merci, that thou hast not ben mykil taried with non siche, thanne it is good to thee that thou turne not thi reste into idelnesse; for there is many man that taketh reste upon Him to sone. But thou schalt, yif thou wolt, bigynne a newe travaile, and that is for to entre into thyn owen soule bi meditacion, for to knowe what it is, and bi the knowynge therof for to come to the goostli knowynge of God. For as Seynt Austyn seith: "Bi the knowynge of mysilf, I schalle gete the knowing of God." I seie not that it is nedeful to thee and dette for to travaile so, ne to noon othir man, but yif he fele him stired bi grace and as it were callid therto. For oure Lord gyveth sundri giftes whereso He wole, not oon man al, ne alle men oon, outaken charité whiche is comyn to alle. And therfore, yif a man or a woman have receyved a gifte of oure Lord, as devocion in praier or in the passion of Crist, or ony othir be it nevere so litil, leve it not to soone for noon othir, but yif he felid sothfastli a betere, whanne God wole give it. Neverthelees aftirward yif hit be withdrawen sumwhat, and he see a betere and felith his hert stired therto, thanne semeth it a callynge of oure Lord to the betere, and thanne is tyme for to folwe aftir for to gete it.
Notes
Scala Perfectionis (The Scale of Perfection) companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
- A built-in timed stillness practice that grows from 2 minutes to 10
- Gentle progression through the tradition — the app remembers where you are on the ascent