Letters of Madame Guyon

Letters of Madame Guyon

Madame Guyon
Sixty-two letters and two poems from the French mystic imprisoned in the Bastille for her faith. Guyon writes on the reign of Christ in the heart, self-abandonment, the silent operations of grace, and the interior way to union with God. Her most famous poem, "A Little Bird I Am," was written in prison — a hymn of trust from a caged soul that sings because it belongs to its Master.

Source: gutenberg.org · Modernized for readability

✦ Table of Contents · 66 Chapters
0 Preface 1 Sketch of Her Life 2 Letter 1: Reign of Christ in the Heart 3 Letter 2: Turn from Self to Christ 4 Letter 3: Assurance 5 Letter 4: Humility the Effect of Love 6 Letter 5: Divine Communications 7 Letter 6: Joy in Persecutions 8 Letter 7: Liberty in Christ 9 Letter 8: Melancholy Avoided 10 Letter 9: God's Care of the Soul Committed to Him 11 Letter 10: Power of the Adversary 12 Letter 11: Unction of Grace 13 Letter 12: Spiritual Oneness 14 Letter 13: Vicissitudes in Experience 15 Letter 14: Patience with the Faults of Others 16 Letter 15: How to Distinguish the Movements of God 17 Letter 16: State of Simplicity 18 Letter 17: Quenching the Spirit 19 Letter 18: Suffer the Crucifixions and Reductions of Self 20 Letter 19: Reprove in Love 21 Letter 20: Silent Operation of Grace 22 Letter 21: Limit Not Your Sphere 23 Letter 22: Secret of Divine Operations upon the Soul 24 Letter 23: No Union with Selfish Souls 25 Letter 24: Never Yield to Discouragement 26 Letter 25: Weakness and Imperfection 27 Letter 26: Advancement 28 Letter 27: Greatness of Spiritual Poverty 29 Letter 28: Assistance Rendered by One Soul to Another 30 Letter 29: Simplicity and Power of the Word 31 Letter 30: Forgetfulness of Self 32 Letter 31: Diversity of Means of Sanctification 33 Letter 32: Comfort in Affliction 34 Letter 33: Bearing Fruit in Union with Christ 35 Letter 34: Desolate State 36 Letter 35: Self-Abandonment 37 Letter 36: No Dependence on Instruments 38 Letter 37: Child of God Soon to Die 39 Letter 38: Union of Souls in God 40 Letter 39: Secret Operations of Grace 41 Letter 40: To a Young Friend 42 Letter 41: Letter to Her Spiritual Guide 43 Letter 42: Glory of God the One Desire 44 Letter 43: Spiritual Union and Aid 45 Letter 44: Live in the Present 46 Letter 45: How to Administer Reproof 47 Letter 46: Bearing the States of Christ 48 Letter 47: Our Imperfections Should Not Hinder Our Labors for Others 49 Letter 48: Death, Resurrection 50 Letter 49: Grace Deeply Interior 51 Letter 50: Self-Renunciation 52 Letter 51: Unexpected Faults 53 Letter 52: Apostolic State 54 Letter 53: Painful Experience 55 Letter 54: Ecstasy of the Mind and Heart 56 Letter 55: A View of Self 57 Letter 56: State of a Soul in Union with God 58 Letter 57: State of Rest in God 59 Letter 58: Great Humiliations 60 Letter 59: Repose of the Soul in God 61 Letter 60: Power of Casting Out Evil Spirits 62 Letter 61: State of a Soul Re-United to God 63 Letter 62: Concise View of the Interior Way 64 A Little Bird I Am 65 God Everywhere