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A56724 The third part of the soul's delight collected and composed out of the works of the glorious virgin, St. Teresa of Iesus (author of the reformation of the Holy Order of the B.V. Mary of the Mount Carmell,) by the R.F. Paul of St. Vbald, religious of the same order, for the comfort of those that are more spirituall, and haue supernaurall prayer.; Jesus Maria Joseph Teresia. The soul's delight. Teresa, of Avila, Saint, 1515-1582.; Paul, of St. Ubald, Brother. 1654 (1654) Wing P876B; ESTC R218976 49,433 122

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and by conderation or meditation come to the contemplation of those things which are eternall for meditation is a discourse of the vnderstanding by which we labour to find out the truth of things which being found the vnderstanding doth rest beholding that truth with content which is contemplation In meditation we are like a shippe at Sea tending towards its port of hauen through many dangers and crosse winds for there come's one crosse wynd of an euil representation then that of an other distraction then a tempest of some great temptation then the heauy waues of the sensitiue appetites and passions though not allwayes giuing vs very litle rest but as the shippe with contrary wynds and swelling sea 's doe tosse vs too and froe thinke then what great labour must the Superiour part take in this case therefore great dilligence and art is to be vsed to get forward and secure our selues that all difficultyes ouercome we may rest at length in the hauen of sweet contemplation which is but a simple view or beholding of the knowen truth with content for there we are like a shippe at anker and rest in the hauen so long and so much desired and wished for by which you see that meditation is the high path way to contemplation and without the long vse and practise of it that rich iewell of contēplation is not had 9. Contemplation thus described hath three degrees the one naturall the other supernaturall the last diuine by the first we contemplat God as the authour and creatour of all things and naturall verityes in them as many philosophers did in the second by a supernall light infused we contemplat God as the authour of grace of whom we receiue spirituall fauours and benefits for we are borne the children of wrath and by grace in baptisme we are made the children of God and come to know the workes of grace by the third which is diuine as proceeding from the gift of the Holy Ghost called wisdome we contemplat God and his diuine perfections as that he is infinit immense eternall goodnesse it selfe c. to these three degrees of contemplation there are three appetites or facultyes in vs corresponding the sensitiue the rationall and the spirituall by the first we loue God for our being as our creatour by the second we affect him for his many benefits of grace as our chiefe benefactour by the third we loue him for his diuine perfections only as worthy of all loue for himselfe and according to these three we may regulat all our actions in this life of these that proceede according to the first S. Paul said The naturall man 1. Co. rinth 2. v 14 Collos 3. v. 5. that is he that followeth sensuality receiueth not the things of the spirit of God of the second that tend to Christian perfection he sayes mortify your members which are vppon the earth of the third it is said by God to Abraham Gen. 17. v. 1. walke before me that is in his Holy presence and be perfect as Abraham and Dauid did who said to God the meditation of my heart is allwayes acceptable in thy sight for those doe all things for the honour and glory of God 10. Yet misticall diuines doe speake of an other degree of contemplation which they call Sapientia vnitiua an vniting wisdome and it doth consist in the affection of the will rather then in the operation of the vnderstanding for by anagogicall or ardent acts of loue and diuine aspirations the will inflamed in a manner without the operation of the vnderstanding getteth out of it selfe earnestly endeauoring to be vnited and to adheare actually to God this is of great perfection But that diuine contemplation of which I spoake formerly is an act of the vnderstanding suspended in admiration of eternall things proceeding from the gift of wisdome with an inward gust and experimentall taste of celestiall sweetnes for beholding so many rare and stang things together the vnderstanding stands in admiration this admiration causeth a serious attention this attention bringeth a pure and very cleere knowledg of Eternall verityes with so great inward gust and sweetnes th●● the vnderstanding remaines wholy suspended hence diuine loue increaseth the soul is inflamed and knoweth not what to doe with her selfe 11. The effects of this diuine loue are many but those principally An extasy by which the soul seemeth to goe out of her selfe with seruour of spirit to be transformed into her beloued then liquefaction which is a kind of tenderdesse or melting of the soul that the pores all open she might drawe her beloued into her selfe as the spunge doth water Vnion by which they are vnited and doe touch each other as we see two things ioyned together mutuall inhesion by which hey now vnited doe strictly embrace each other Penetration by which with cordiall affections she getteth within her beloued Transformation by which she 〈…〉 to be changed into the forme and perfections of her beloued Zeale by which she doth so burne that she can endure no Society of any in that good which she doth possesse these effects of loue are more forcibly produced when the thing beloued is in her possession but if her beloued be absent her desyre to enioy him is so vehement and this is called feruour that it doth procure an other effect of loue called languor by which out of the excessiue griefe and paine which for his absence she doth conceiue she is often in danger to dye for in deede it is able to procure a separation of body and soul and it doth happen to some you may read of these things more at large in seuerall bookes but chiefely in the booke written by the R. Fr. Iohn of Iesus Maria called the instruction of the nouices and that which he wrote of oration and contemplation in the treatise of the passions note that all the degrees of prayer and contemplation of which our Holy Mother speakes may be reduced to those formerly mentioned as the prayer of recollection quiet prayer sleepe of the soul vnion c. which are supernaturall and haue contemplation 12. As for a rapt it is a certaine eleuation by which the soul is exalted by the spirit of God to supernaturall things with a kind of abstraction from the senses you must obserue heere that a rapt doth include a violence which doth not consist in that the soul is carryed towards God by reason that is agreable to her nature but because she is with so great swiftnes carryed from the senses by that abstraction yet the senses as is formerly said are not wholy lost vnles it be when the rapt is in the height but they are much altered by reason of that sudden and violent abstraction of the soul from them yet they doe well perceiue in that rapt when the body is eleuated from the ground that the body is in that height which causeth great admiration in the soul so that the rapts properly doe not consist
secure way is to be indifferent to be disposed of as his diuine Maiesty shall thinke fitt and esteeme our selues vnworthy of any fauours 16. Our Holy Mother doth giue vs notice of other deceits which are incident to manie that haue some degree of supernaturall prayer and doe vse great and indiscreet pennances and thereby doe bring themselues to great weaknesse and of others who by nature are delicat tender and weake these soules feeling in prayer those gusts and ouer ioyed with consolations and inward sweetnesse doe languish or rather through weaknesse yeald as one whose spirits are decaying and failing and doe leaue themselues in a manner dead as if they were in a kind of rapt by which nature is extreamly hurt and more weakned and they think it to be some effect of prayer or the spirit of God that doth worke so in them and therefore they remaine in that manner for some houres to gether 17. But they must resist that weakenesse and shake of that sluggish disposition for it is no other and if that weaknesse doth proceede from too much austerity or pennance by the aduise of their Ghostly Father or directour they must eat and drink sleepe and recreat themselues well for some dayes vntill they acquire strength for as is said indiscreet pennance is hurtfull to body and soul and if it doth proceede from the tendernesse or weake constitution of nature they must be more employed in the actiue life and outward things then in the solitary or contemplatiue life for the very solitude is able to make them weaker and therefore let them be obedient being applyed to outward things and let them be sure that this is very gratfull to God and they no lesse saints for as I said sanctity doth not consist in contemplation or hauing visions or such like but in true vertue and conformity of our will to the will of God 18. So that if obedience command the actiue more or rather then the contemplatiue to be obserued we must be wholy indifferent and resigned to embrace it with content also euery complexion is not fitt for solitude contemplation and much recollection for some that giue themselues to this cannot goe forward nor profit by reason of their indisposition of nature that would be saints if they had applyed themselues to the charitable and humble workes of the actiue life for though Martha gaue her selfe to the practise and exercise of the actiue lyfe yet she was a S. as well as her sister Mary Magdalen who gaue her selfe wholy to the contemplatiue 19. So that they must in this case resist that weaknesse and belieue for certaine that it is no effect of supernaturall prayer for in this sort of prayer the body is rather comforted and delighted then troubled or weakned by reason the ouer great content and ioy of the soul doth redowne to the body and it doth partake of her inward felicity as it is knowen by experience vnlesse it be in the prayer of vnion when the soul powers and senses are wholy vnited and drowned in Gods diuine essence for though then the body be destitute of all force this doth not continue but for a short tyme as I said elswhere and it doth returne to it selfe againe with strength content and great satisfaction and in that vnion though the body be for a short tyme as dead yet the soul it more liuely inwardly with God which in that other she cannot be but heauy and dull without any good effect yea rather with many euil and hurtfull to body and soul Obserue also if God be pleased to giue you any of those fauours of Rapts visions Reuelations or other supernaturall things of that sort whether you be terrifyed or fearfull at first for commonly if they be true they worke that effect in the soul though soone after she is in great quietnes and content moreouer you must not goe to prayer through curiosity to know any thing by reuelation nor adheare to your owne opinion or proper iudgment concerning any thing reuealed but easily submit to the saying of your directour or other learned men Likewise marke whether they be of vaine things without any necessity or profit to your selfe or others and note that whensoeuer by visions words or any such which you haue in these degrees of supernatutall prayer you find not your soul bettered in humility or that you perceiue in your selfe any litle smoake of selfe interest proper esteeme or vaine glory make no accompt of them but set them at naught as false and proceeding from Sathan but the prayer or vision bringing humility with it is to be much esteemed and God highly praysed with many thankes for it 20. Deere Christian soul you may read of these things more at large in the life of our Holy Mother and in the bookes which she wrote called the castle of the soul or the mansions and the way of perfection for I haue collected these thence only that they which God doth bring to these degrees or haue visions or reuelations may vnderstand reading this litle treatise what prayer they haue and whether their visions be true or false that they may not be troubled or in continuall feare of being deceiued by the deuil as our Holy Mother was which will be a great comfort to their mynd and quietnes to their conscience THE VII CHAPTER Of some obseruations for the better vnderstanding of what is said concerning Prayer 1. WHereas in the treatise of Prayer there is often mention made of the sensitiue appetite inferiour and superiour part of man also of seuerall degrees of contemplation which I suppose are knowen to the learned I thought good for the better satisfaction of the ignorant and vnlearned to speake somewhat of them in the conclusion of this worke The sensitiue appetite is a faculty consisting of two members in the inferiour part of man and hath its seat in the liuer and heart or as others say in the heart only and it hath for its obiect sensible good or euil as it is apprehended by the imagination as conuenient or disconuenient the members or partes of it are the concupiscible and irascible The office of the concupiscible part is to incline to and be moued to that which is good or agreable to it and to decline and shun that which is euil or contrary to it The office of the irascible part is to fight against the difficultyes which may occurre in the acquisition of the good and shuning the euil in these two the eleauen passions which are in man are resident six in the concupiscible and fiue in the irascible 2. The passion is a motion of the sensitiue part which is moued by the apprehension of some good or euil as conuenient or disconuenient pleasing or displeasing to it The passions of the concupiscible are loue desyre ioy or gladnes hatred flight griefe or sadnesse Loue is a propension of the appetite towards that which is apprehended as good desire or concupiscence is a