CHAPTER II.

CONTINUES THE SAME SUBJECT, EXPLAINING BY A COMPARISON IN WHAT DIVINE

CONSOLATIONS CONSIST: AND HOW WE OUGHT TO TRY TO PREPARE OURSELVES TO

RECEIVE THEM, WITHOUT ENDEAVOURING TO OBTAIN THEM.

1. Physical results of sensible devotion. 2. Effects of divine consolations.

3. The two fountains. 4. They symbolize two kinds of prayer. 5. Divine

consolations shared by body and soul. 6. The incense within the soul. 7.

Graces received in this prayer. 8. Such favours not to be sought after.

1. GOD help me! how I have wandered from my subject! I forget what I was

speaking about, for my occupations and ill-health often force me to cease

writing until some more suitable time. The sense will be very disconnected;

as my memory is extremely bad and I have no time to read over what is

written, even what I really understand is expressed very vaguely, at least

so I fear. I think I said that spiritual consolations are occasionally

connected with the passions. These feelings of devotion produce fits of

sobbing; I have even heard that sometimes they cause a compression of the

chest, and uncontrollable exterior motions violent enough to cause bleeding

at the nose and other painful effects. [124]

2. I can say nothing about this, never having experienced anything of the

kind myself; but there appears some cause for comfort in it, because, as I

said, all ends in the desire to please God and to enjoy His presence. What I

call divine consolations, or have termed elsewhere the 'prayer of quiet,' is

a very different thing, as those will understand who, by the mercy of God,

have experienced them.

3. To make the matter clearer, let us imagine we see two fountains with

basins which fill with water. I can find no simile more appropriate than

water by which to explain spiritual things, as I am very ignorant and have

poor wits to help me. [125] Besides, I love this element so much that I

have studied it more attentively than other things. God, Who is so great, so

wise, has doubtless hidden secrets in all things He created, which we should

greatly benefit by knowing, as those say who understand such matters.

Indeed, I believe that in each smallest creature He has made, though it be

but a tiny ant, there are more wonders than can be comprehended. These two

basins are filled in different ways; the one with water from a distance

flowing into it through many pipes and waterworks, while the other basin is

built near the source of the spring itself and fills quite noiselessly. If

the fountain is plentiful, like the one we speak of, after the basin is full

the water overflows in a great stream which flows continually. No machinery

is needed here, nor does the water run through aqueducts.

4. Such is the difference between the two kinds of prayer. The water running

through the aqueducts resembles sensible devotion, which is obtained by

meditation. We gain it by our thoughts, by meditating on created things, and

by the labour of our minds; in short, it is the result of our endeavours,

and so makes the commotion I spoke of, while profiting the soul. [126] The

other fountain, like divine consolations, receives the water from the source

itself, which signifies God: as usual, when His Majesty wills to bestow on

us any supernatural favours, we experience the greatest peace, calm, and

sweetness in the inmost depths of our being; I know neither where nor how.

5. This joy is not, like earthly happiness, at once felt by the heart; after

gradually filling it to the brim, the delight overflows throughout all the

mansions and faculties, until at last it reaches the body. Therefore, I say

it arises from God and ends in ourselves, for whoever experiences it will

find that the whole physical part of our nature shares in this delight and

sweetness. While writing this I have been thinking that the verse 'Dilatasti

cor meum,' 'Thou hast dilated my heart,' [127] declares that the heart is

dilated. This joy does not appear to me to originate in the heart, but in

some more interior part and, as it were, in the depths of our being. I think

this must be the centre of the soul, as I have since learnt and will explain

later on. I discover secrets within us which often fill me with

astonishment: how many more must there be unknown to me! O my Lord and my

God! how stupendous is Thy grandeur! We are like so many foolish peasant

lads: we think we know something of Thee, yet it must be comparatively

nothing, for there are profound secrets even in ourselves of which we know

naught. I say 'comparatively nothing' in proportion with all the secrets

hidden within Thee, yet how great are Thy mysteries that we are acquainted

with and can learn even by the study of such of Thy works as we see! [128]

6. To return to the verse I quoted, which may help to explain the dilation

begun by the celestial waters in the depths of our being. They appear to

dilate and enlarge us internally, and benefit us in an inexplicable manner,

nor does even the soul itself understand what it receives. It is conscious

of what may be described as a certain fragrance, as if within its inmost

depths were a brazier sprinkled with sweet perfumes. Although the spirit

neither sees the flame nor knows where it is, yet it is penetrated by the

warmth, and scented fumes, which are even sometimes perceived by the body.

Understand me, the soul does not feel any real heat or scent, but something

far more subtle, which I use this metaphor to explain. Let those who have

never experienced it believe that it really occurs to others: the soul is

conscious of it and feels it more distinctly than can be expressed. It is

not a thing we can fancy or gain by anything we can do; clearly it does not

arise from the base coin of human nature, but from the most pure gold of

Divine Wisdom. I believe that in this case the powers of the soul are not

united to God, but are absorbed and astounded at the marvel before them. I

may possibly be contradicting what I wrote elsewhere; [129] nor would this

be surprising, for it was done about fifteen years ago, and perhaps God has

given me since then a clearer insight into the matter. I may be entirely

mistaken on the subject, both then and now, but never do I wilfully say what

is untrue. No; by the mercy of God, I would rather die a thousand times than

tell a falsehood: I speak of the matter as I understand it. I believe that

in this case the will must in some way be united with that of God. The after

effects on the soul, and the subsequent behaviour of the person, show

whether this prayer was genuine or no: this is the best crucible by which to

test it.

7. Our Lord bestows a signal grace on the soul if it realizes how great is

this favour, and another greater still if it does not turn back on the right

road. You are longing, my daughters, to enter into this state of prayer at

once, and you are right, for, as I said, the soul cannot understand the

value of the graces there bestowed by God upon it, nor the love which draws

Him ever closer to it: we should certainly desire to learn how to obtain

this favour. I will tell you what I know about it, setting aside certain

cases in which God bestows these graces for no other reason than His own

choice, into which we have no right to enquire.

8. Practise what I advised in the preceding mansions, then--humility,

humility! for God lets Himself be vanquished by this and grants us all we

ask. [130] The first proof [131] that you possess humility is that you

neither think you now deserve these graces and consolations from God, nor

that you ever will as long as you live. You ask me: 'How shall we receive

them, if we do not try to gain them?' I answer, that there is no surer way

to obtain them than the one I have told you, therefore make no efforts to

acquire them, for the following reasons. The first is, that the chief means

of obtaining them is to love God without self-interest. The second, that it

is a slight lack of humility to think that our wretched services can win so

great a reward The third, that the real preparation for them is to desire to

suffer and imitate our Lord, rather than to receive consolations, for indeed

we have all offended Him. The fourth reason is, that His Majesty has not

promised to give us these favours in the same way as He has bound Himself to

bestow eternal glory on us if we keep His commandments. We can be saved

without these special graces; He sees better than we do what is best for us

and which of us love Him sincerely. I know for a certain truth, being

acquainted with some who walk by the way of love (and therefore only seek to

serve Jesus Christ crucified), that not only they neither ask for nor desire

consolation, but they even beg Him not to give it them during this life:

this is a fact. Fifthly, we should but labour in vain: this water does not

flow through aqueducts, like that we first spoke of, and if the spring does

not afford it, in vain shall we toil to obtain it. I mean, that though we

may meditate and try our hardest, and though we shed tears to gain it, we

cannot make this water flow. God alone gives it to whom He chooses, and

often when the soul is least thinking of it. We are His, sisters, let Him do

what He will with us, and lead us where He will. If we are really humble and

annihilate ourselves, not only in our imagination (which often deceives us),

but if we truly detach ourselves from all things, our Lord will not only

grant us these favours but many others that we do not know even how to

desire. May He be for ever praised and blessed! Amen.

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[124] 'A clear description of an attack of hysteria with the significant

remark that she herself had never experienced anything of the kind'. (Dr.

Goix, quoted by P. Gr+¬goire, La pr+¬tendue hyst+¬rie de Sainte Th+¬r+¿se, Lyon,

Vitte, 1895, p. 53.)

[125] Way of Perf. ch. xix. 5; also St. John of the Cross, Ascent of Mount

Carmel, bk. ii, ch. xiv, 2, and xxi. 3.

[126] Life, ch. x. 2.

[127] Ps. cxviii. 32. Life, ch. xvii. 14,

[128] Life, ch. xiv. 9. Way of Perf. ch. xxviii. 11.

[129] Life, ch. xiv. 3: 'The faculties are not lost, neither are they

asleep; the will alone is occupied in such a way that without knowing how it

has become a captive it gives a simple consent to become the prisoner of

God.' Ibid. -º 4: 'The other two faculties help the will that it may render

itself capable of the fruition of so great a good; nevertheless, it

occasionally happens even when the will is in union that they hinder it very

much.' See also Way of Perf. ch. i. 8.

[130] Way of Perf. ch. xvi. i. Life, ch. xxii. 16.

[131] Philippus a SS. Trinitate, l.c. art. 3.

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