the
loaves of bread, and that of the Widow, and both speak of persistent
importunity. If we would find God, we must besiege Him.

Of entry to Christ's Process first it is necessary that we try in
everything to please Him: subjecting our plans, desires, thoughts,
intentions, to His secret approval, asking ourselves, Will this please
Him best, or that?

Then the soul commences to truly know, and to respond to, Christ.

But she is not satisfied: she requires more. Woes may assail the
whole creature: Christ offers no alleviation. He leads her straight
into the woes: will she follow, will she hold back? The point to
remember here is this, that whether we follow Christ or no we shall
have woes: if we forsake Him, we are not rid of woes; if we follow
Him, we are not rid of woes--not yet, but later we become eased,
and even rid, by means of Consolations, for God is able by His
Consolations to entirely overbalance the woe and make it happy
peace, though the cause of the woe remains. Remember this in the
days of visitation, and follow Christ, no matter where He leads.
Christ leads _through_ the woe, because it is the shortest way. The
unguided soul wanders _beside_ the woe, hating and fearing it,
unable to rid herself of it, gaining nothing by it, suffering in vain,
and no Companion comes to ease the burden with His company.

The progress of our spiritual advance would feel to be that because
we become more and more aware of the failure of earthly
consolations and amusements, and more and more aware of the
suffering, the sin, and the evil that there is about us, so more and
more our desires go out towards the good, and more and more we
turn to Christ. Then Christ may deliberately make Himself
non-sufficient for the soul, and if He so does she must reach out after the
Godhead; then by means of more woes the soul and the creature
clamour more and more after the Godhead and will not be satisfied
with less than the Godhead, and, continuing to clamour, are brought
by Christ to the new birth, the Baptism of the Holy Ghost.

Immediately the soul and creature become rid of Woe; and, living a
life altogether apart from the world, in a marvellous crystal joy they
taste of the Godhead and of Eternal Pleasures.

This for a short time only: we have entered the Kingdom, but are
still the smallest of spiritual children: tenderly, wonderfully God
cares for us, but we must grow, we must learn heavenly manners. So
Jesus Christ calls us ag