|
In the history
of the world few persons have
attained that high degree
of spirituality reached
by Madame Guyon.
Born in a
corrupt age, in a nation marked
for its degeneracy; nursed
and reared in a church, as
profligate as the world in
which it was embedded; persecuted
at every step of her career;
groping as she did in spiritual
desolation and ignorance,
nevertheless, she arose to
the highest pinnacle of pre-eminence
in spirituality and Christian
devotion.
She lived
and died in the Catholic Church;
yet was tormented and afflicted;
was maltreated and abused;
and was imprisoned for years
by the highest authorities
of that church. Her sole crime
was that of loving God. The
ground of her offense was
found in her supreme devotion,
and unmeasured attachment
to Christ. When they demanded
her money and estate, she
gladly surrendered them, even
to her impoverishment, but
it availed nothing. The crime
of loving Him in whom her
whole being was absorbed,
never could be mitigated,
or forgiven.
She loved
only to do good to her fellow-creatures,
and to such an extent was
she filled with the Holy Ghost,
and with the power of God,
that she wrought wonders in
her day, and has not ceased
to influence the ages that
have followed.
Viewed from
a human standpoint, it is
a sublime spectacle, to see
a solitary woman subvert all
the machinations of kings
and courtiers; laugh to scorn
all the malignant enginery
of the papal
inquisition, and silence,
and confound the pretentions
of the most learned divines.
She not only saw more clearly
the sublimest truths of our
most holy Christianity, but
she basked in the clearest
and most beautiful sunlight
while they groped in darkness.
She grasped with ease the
deepest and sublimest truths
of holy Writ, while they were
lost in the mazes of their
own profound ignorance.
One distinguished
divine was delighted to sit
at her feet. At first he heard
her with distrust; then
with admiration. Finally he
opened his heart to the truth,
and stretched forth his hand
to be led by this saint of
God into the Holy of Holies
where she dwelt. We allude
to the distinguished Archbishop
Fenelon, whose sweet spirit
and charming writings have
been a blessing to every generation
following him.
Madame Guyon
was a true Catholic when protestantism
was in its infancy. There
can be no doubt that God,
by a special interposition
of His Providence, caused
her to commit her life so
minutely to writing. The duty
was enjoined upon her by her
spiritual director, whom the
rules of her church made it
obligatory upon her to obey.
It was written while she was
incarcerated in the cell of
a lonely prison. The same
all-wise Providence preserved
it fromdestruction. We have
not a shadow of doubt that
it is destined to accomplish
tenfold more in the future
than it has accomplished in
the past. Indeed, the Christian
world is only beginning to
understand and appreciate
it, and the hope and prayer
of the publisher is, that
thousands may, through its
instrumentality, be brought
into the same intimate communion
and fellowship with God, that
was so richly enjoyed by Madame
Guyon.
|
| Advantages of Distance
Learning |
There are several advantages to taking
courses online instead of
in a traditional classroom.
Here are a few:
-
Taking online courses from home
doesn't require commuting.
This saves you time
and money; Time that
you don't have to spend
in the car and money
that you don't have
to spend on gas and
car maintenance.
-
You can complete most of the coursework
for online classes when
it's convenient for
you. Most online courses
are asynchronous, which
means you don't have
to attend a lecture
at a particular place
and time. You can review
what would traditionally
be lecture material
and work on assignments
before or after work,
during your lunch hour,
or after the kids have
gone to bed-whenever
it best fits your schedule.
-
Being able to take classes from
home and working on
assignments on your
own schedule enable
you to be home with
your children. This
can save you child care
costs.
-
Online courses address physical
accessibility issues
that some disabled persons
and senior citizens
encounter when taking
traditional classes.
You don't have to worry
about gaining access
to a campus building
or being forced to sit
in uncomfortable desks
for one or more hours
at a time. Instead,
you access the course
materials from home
through your computer.
The furniture you use
is your own so it's
most likely comfortable.
And you have the luxury
of being able to get
up and stretch whenever
you need to do so without
interrupting an entire
classroom full of students.
|
|
