After the Lord had fed the multitude, as mentioned in the previous chapter, they sought to make Him a king.1 For they concluded that He was capable of relieving their necessities, and that under such a king it seemed to them that they could never want. But the Lord Jesus, knowing their design, fled from them into a mountain, unknown to them, so that they could not then find Him. Our Lord, therefore, did not will to receive the honours of the world. And see how truly and unfeignedly He avoids them; for He sent away His disciples across the sea, and Himself ascended up into the mountain, so that if they sought Him any further amongst His disciples, they might not find Him. His disciples, however, were unwilling to be separated from Him, but He constrained them to enter into the ship, and to cross the sea. Their desire, indeed, was good, to wish to be always with their Lord ; but He had disposed differently. See, then, with regard to them, how reluctantly they depart from Him, and how the Lord Jesus forces them, signifying to them that it was His wish that they should go into the ship without Him ; upon which they humbly obeyed, however trying and hard it may seem to them. Thus daily does the Lord deal with us. For we would have Him never depart from us, but His pleasure is otherwise ; He goes and returns as He wills, but ever with a view to our profit. Therefore I should like you to hear what S. Bernard says on this conflict. He speaks thus : “When the Spouse has been sought for with watchings and supplications, and with a copious shower of tears, suddenly, whilst He seems to be ours, He escapes ; and then again presenting Himself to us as we weep for and pursue Him, He suffers Himself to be taken ; but not to be detained even for a short space of time, for suddenly again, whilst we think to hold Him, He eludes our grasp; but if the devout soul persist in prayers and tears, He will again return, and will not deny her the request of her lips.2 Yet soon again He will disappear, and be no longer seen, unless He is sought again with the whole desire of the heart. Thus, then, in this present life there may be frequent joy at the presence of the Spouse, yet not fulness of joy ; because, though His visitations bring delight, yet the interchange of presence and absence gives pain. And such vicissitudes the beloved soul must suffer, until once for all, delivered from the burden of the flesh, it makes its escape, and soars aloft on the wings of its desires, truly ranging over the plains of contemplation, and following with unimpeded mind the Spouse whithersoever He goeth. Nor yet even to every soul which has passed beyond this present scene will He so reveal Himself, but only to those who have by great devotion, vehement longing, and sweet affection proved themselves His true spouses, and worthy of receiving the approach and visitation of the Word when clothed in glorious apparel, and with the beauty of the Bridegroom.”3 Again the same Saint says: “Perhaps Jesus thus withdraws Himself, that He might be the more abundantly sought after, and held more firmly. For at one time ‘ He made as though He would have gone further ;4 2 not that He so willed, but He wished to hear, ‘Abide with us, for it is toward evening, and the day is far spent/” And a little afterwards he adds : “This same pious feint, or rather, salutary dispensation, which the Word in the Body sometimes expressed to the body, He does not cease to exercise by His Spirit in a special manner in devout souls now. Passing by, He wills to be invited to stop ; going away, He wishes to be recalled. To go, indeed, is a dispensation of Providence : to return is ever the desire of His will ; but both are full of wisdom, and wrought for purposes known to Himself. It is, then, manifest, that the soul is tried by these vicissitudes of the going away and coming back of the Word, as He Himself says, ‘ I go away, and come again unto you,’ and ‘ a little while and ye shall not see Me, and again a little while and ye shall see Me /5 Oh, a little while, yet not a little while ! Oh, a little while, and yet a long while, dear Lord ! A little while, Thou callest it, and we shall not see Thee. With all reverence for the word of the Lord, it is a long while, and much too long a while ; yet both are true : it is a little while viewed as to our deserts, a long while viewed in reference to our desires. You find both mentioned in the Prophet : ‘ Though it tarry, wait for it ; because it will surely come, it will not tarry/6 How can it both tarry, and not tarry; except that the coming will be expeditious if our deserts, and slow if our desires, are considered ? The soul, indeed, borne forward by its longings, and drawn by its desires, overlooks its merits, closes its eyes to His Majesty, opens them to the joy of seeing Him, trusting in His salvation, and confiding in Him entirely. Fearless at last, and unbashful, the soul recalls the Word, and trustingly invites His embraces, calling Him with wonted freedom, not 4 Lord/ but ‘ Beloved/ saying, i Return, my beloved/”7 Again elsewhere he says, “These alternations cease not in those who are spiritual, or in those rather whom He intends to make spiritual,8 visiting them every morning, and trying them every moment/” 8 Thus far S. Bernard.