-love in all its aspects.
In every way it can become a sacrament: there is nothing in it which
is not holy, in no way does the marriage bond of the body separate
the spirit from acceptableness to God.

But I was some time before I could arrive at this, and could see
marriage as the physical prototype in this physical world of the
spiritual union with Himself in the spiritual world. And this was
arrived at, not by prudish questionings and criticisms, but by
remembering that this relationship between men and women is His
thought, His plan, not ours. We are responsible for our part in it only
in so far as to keep the bond of it pure and clean and sweet, and
submit ourselves in all things _as completely and orderly as possible
to His plans, whatever they may be._ In this attitude of
unquestioning, unresisting submission, the Holy Spirit finds a swift
and easy channel through us. It is our opposition to the passage of
the Holy Will which causes all the distress and uneasiness of life. He
has no wish to impose distress and suffering upon us. His Will
towards us is pure joy, pure love, pure peace, pure sweetness. This
bond of earthly marriage is of the flesh and can be kept by the body,
and yet the heart, mind, and soul remain in lovely perfect chastity;
and I found that this exquisite freedom--after prolonged endeavours
on the part of the soul and the creature--was at length given them as
a gift by act of grace, and remained in permanence without variation.

* * *

We know that these things are deep mysteries and largely hidden;
but this I know: as the heart feels love in itself for God, in that same
instant comes God into the soul of the lover. Now, where God is we
know that there is neither evil, nor sadness, nor unhappiness, nor
any recollection of such things; therefore, to be a great and constant
lover to Him is to be automatically lifted from all unhappinesses.

This is our wisest and our best desire, to be a splendid lover to our
Most Glorious God.

The more I see of and talk with other people, the more I see how
greatly changed I am. I am _freed._ They are bound. I find them
bound by fears, by anxieties, by worries, by apprehensions of evil
things, by sadness, by fears of death for their loved ones or for
themselves. Now, we are freed of all these things _if we keep to the
Way,_ which is the Road of Love. This change we do not bring
about for ourselves, and do not perhaps even realise that it can be
effected. F