John Tauler · 49 of 121

Secondly, of the work and knowledge of grace. · 103.

But some one might now say, But do I know that God willeth exactly that of me? Yes, God willeth it, but do thou see and observe if thou art willing to have it! God will give thee all gifts, but what wiliest thou to accept from Him? If any of His gifts is despised, the fault lieth only in thee. But thou wilt perhaps say, God hath certainly ordained all things; therefore perhaps He hath put me in a condition that I should contract marriage, and have children, for whom I must procure temporal goods, that they may not suffer necessity. God hath ordained all things for the best, and if it be otherwise, it is no longer the order of God; man often ordereth it for himself, and then considers it still to be God’s decree. Perhaps you continue: Well, but granted that I hold it to be God’s will and order that I should come to perfection, perhaps I am not meet for it, to find myself well in it, as a purely poor life, and this perfection, are not intended for me, and I am not equal to act in what doth not belong to me, as a sick man is not fitted to cope in fight with a strong man. But I say the best belongeth to every man, and God will give it us if thou wilt take it, and it we are not worthy, we ought to strive to become worthy. Thus if we stand in the high place of life, we should make ourselves humble, and thus seize on lowliness in highness. But if we do not find it easy to attain to this, we should strive after all the ways that lead to it. If we are too weak and sick, we should call on God to help us, unite our weakness with His strength, and then what we cannot do. He fulfilleth in us. That is therefore the will of God, that we should thus hold His teaching; this also must be thy will, it thou wishest to be a friend of God and one spirit with God. If now a poor man hold the teaching of our Lord, and live after it, he then fulfilleth the dearest will of God; this maketh of him a true friend of God and one spirit with God.