John Tauler · 101 of 121

The third way of a poor, perfect life, when you contemplate God internally, is, that a man do not fly from what may kill him in spiritual things. · 88.

The best and only way to arrive at the true faith, which contains all love, is that man should be monopolised with the doctrines of our Lord, and lead a holy life; that he should be illumined with the teachings of Jesus, in order to know the awakening spirit and believe it. From this faith man must love without any attachment, then he loveth not men alone, but also the image and life of our Lord, which love is always good and meritorious. Even if such a man who were loved in the image and life of our Lord were still hampered with defects, he would not lose the reward. Christ said, “He who taketh up a prophet in the name of a prophet will receive the reward of a prophet.” He who discovereth that a man walketh on the road of Christ he should love him as a follower of Christ, he then receives the reward of a disciple of Christ. We should not only look on the image but also on the works, for there is the greatest importance. He who loveth outside the life of Christ his love is of the world or worldliness; this is wasted and bad; that which is not a pure truth and love is a pain to the spirit. He who will not be deceived with false lights and unrighteous loves must strive that his spirit may be emptied of all falsity, and that it may be inflamed by the love of the Holy Ghost. If the spirit standeth in purity everything showeth itself in its true light; if it is good the spirit remaineth in peace, if it is bad it loseth its peace: thus good men recognise all things through peace. In a pure heart nothing can err, evil must show itself, for that heart is like unto a clean looking-glass, in which one seeth all things which are held before it, and as everything is it showeth to the eye. So it is also with a pure spirit, which is united with God. God permitteth nothing to approach which could destroy the unity, what is of no value there will be thrown out. Pure men require not to see all things with difference of form, for appearances cause disturbance if one attendeth to them long; fallacy is treated by external forms, and the evil spirit clothes himself in them. In simplicity let a man take note of his heart, and let God work without any external images in this way the eye of reason remaineth clean and unmixed, and no mistake can occur; the evil spirit liketh not this purity, and flieth from it. The man who hath purity remaineth untempted by evil, for God worketh in a pure soul, and illumines it with the flame of divine love, and imparts His love to it. If the powers of evil feel this they avoid it as a thief flieth from the light in a house where he will steal. The sorcery of the devil is nothing else than a mixing up with sense and worldliness and its images, but if one avoideth these, if one throweth away all material images and interests then the enemy findeth no space.