'But, for one who desires to approach God, it is
necessary to become the enemy of His enemies; and, as I find nothing
that is worse than myself, nor that is more inimical to Him, I am
compelled to hold myself in more aversion than anything else whatever,
and will even despise myself and count it to be worthless. And, on the
other hand, I will detach my spirit from all the goods of both this
world and the other, which I will henceforth regard as if they had no
existence. I have implored God neither to suffer me to rejoice
interiorly nor to grieve over any created thing, so that I may never be
seen to shed a single tear. And I have begged Him to take away from me
the freedom of my will, so that I may no longer do what pleases me, but
only what is according to His pleasure: all these things I have obtained
from his clemency.'
