descending from heaven to conduct you thither. Treat him with an open heart, in all sincerity and fidelity, manifesting clearly to him the good and the ill which is in you without fear or dissimulation: and by this means your good shall be tried and more assured, and your ill shall be corrected and amended; you shall be relieved and strengthened in your afflictions, and moderate and even-tempered in your consolations. Place in him an entire confidence; mixed with holy reverence, in such a way as that the reverence may not diminish the confidence, nor the confidence prejudice the reverence due to him. Confide in him with the respect of a daughter towards her father; respect him with the confidence of a son towards his mother. In a word, this friendship ought to be firm and sweet, all holy, all sanctified, all divine, and all spiritual.
To this end, choose one amongst a thousand, saith Avila, and I say one amongst ten thousand; for there are fewer than can be imagined who are capable of this office. He must be full of charity, knowledge, and prudence. If any one of these three qualities is wanting in him there is danger; and therefore, I say again, ask him of God, and having obtained him, bless the Divine Majesty, remain constant, and seek no others, but rather go on with him innocently, humbly, and confidently, for so you will make most happy voyage.
CHAPTER V.
We must begin by purifying our Souls.
"When flowers appear in our land," says the Divine Spouse, "the time of cleansing and pruning is come." What are the flowers of our hearts, Philothea, but good desires. Now, as soon as they appear, the hand must be put to the knife, to prune off from our con-
