Two Reasons God Allows It

But for God’s permission and allowance there is a twofold reason. The first is this. Being forsaken by the Lord for a short time, and seeing in all humility the weakness of our own heart, we may not be puffed up over the purity of heart granted to us before by his visitation. And by finding that when we are forsaken by him we cannot possibly recover our former purity and delight by any groaning or effort of our own, we may also learn that our earlier gladness of heart came not from our own earnestness but from his gift, and that for the present it must be sought once more from his grace and enlightenment. The second reason for this allowance is to test our perseverance, our steadfastness of mind and our real desires, and to show in us with what purpose of heart and what earnestness in prayer we seek the return of the Holy Spirit when he leaves us. It is also so that, when we discover how much effort it takes to seek that spiritual gladness and the joy of purity once they are lost, we may learn to guard them more carefully once they are secured, and to hold them with a firmer grip. For people are generally more careless about keeping whatever they think can easily be replaced.