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ID	Title	Author	Corrected Date of Publication (TCP Date of Publication)	STC	Words	Pages
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

in God therefore woords of discourse must be omitted or that content lost 12. Our Holy Mother doth declare in In the castle of the soul mans 4. a good manner the difference betwixt the comforts and consolations which proceede from our discourse and that which his Maiesty giueth without our labour comparing them to water which in two wayes or manners doth water a garden the one is brought from a farre of with labour and through conducts or gutters and falling into some sisterne is distributed or cast heere and there to water the garden this is like the noyse and labour of the vnderstanding that with many reasons and discourses doth moue the will to some pious affection wherin she is comforted and delighted but the other is neere hand and at home increasing allwayes in silence and not perceiued whence it cometh but the sisterne is seene full and runing ouer which watereth the garden better more plentifully and without the labour of the gardener by reason the spring is in the bottome of the sisterne whence without noyse the water doth issue euen so the gusts and comforts had in quiet prayer doe proceede from the euer liuing spring that great God of glory and all consolation who is in the center of the soul and without any industry or labour on our part doth fill vp the sisterne of our heart with vnspeakable ioy whence not knowing how the water of comfort ouerflowing in silence runneth to all partes of the garden that is to all the powers senses and the very body it selfe watering and delighting all and they admire whence that so great content should be which they doe feele and in this sweet content and delightfull admiration they doe rest the other water doth penetrat but litle in comparison of this for this doth enter into the very depth and inward substance of the soul and leaueth her satisfied for a long tyme by reason it is more plentifull and in greater abundance 13. And this is the benefit of an humble soul for as water remaine's not on the tops of hills or mountaynes but fall's into the lowe places and valleys so The good of a humble soul the water of comforts and the grace of God cannot stay vppon the hills or mountaynes of proud and presumptuous spirits but doe fall into the valley of humility which is the humble heart that thinketh lowly of it selfe for he doth loue to be with the humble and vppon them his Holy Spirit doth rest and to them he giueth his grace and bestoweth such fauours vppon them that with the great content and inward ioy which they feele the powers and senses are suspended when he is so pleased and the waters of delight doe so recreat and comfort both soul and body that some being sick going to prayer and brought to this quietnesse are not only during the tyme of that prayer senslesse of any sicknesse but after prayer are voyde of all paine and in good health and many going to it with sore heades after that prayer are very well and this is a knowen thing by experience 14. So that this prayer leaueth great effects in body and soul for besyde what is said aboue it dilateth the heart and maketh the soul more capable of diuine fauours and free from seruile feare worldly affections and proper interest she now doth take delight in doing of pennances she regardeth not commodity or health so she may but please and serue God in any thing her faith is more liuly her desyre to suffer persecutions and wrongs for loue of him increaseth she doth more feare to offend God then all the torments and deuils of hell by reason she doth now loue him whom she doth then perceiue to be truly loue and praise worthy by all creatures for his owne goodnesse and perfections and therefore she doth vnderstand that it is an vnworthy thing to offend so high a Maiesty in the least thing which doth cause her to keepe a pure conscience as neere as she can her hope and confidence in his diuine Maiesty and desyre to enioy him in glory for euer is greater and more constant then formerly and thus are the labours of a louing soul well recompensed 15. O how highly then ought we to esteeme this benefit and desyre to please him who hath so great a care of vs O my deere Iesu the true louer of humble soules why are there not many more that by this way of prayer doe seeke after thee to partake of these diuine benefits and celestiall communications since thou art so good so liberall and willing to enrich all with these and many more heauenly blessings and fauours our Holy Mother sayes that the reason of it is In her life chap. 11. that we doe not dispose our selues as we ought and put on a strong resolution to forsake all things at once and our selues chiefly but doe reserue some interest or other that we ought for his pure loue vtterly to mortify and forsake though we esteeme them but small matters which really are of great importance though it were but our affection to our parents or frends or perhaps they doe not belieue what is written of these things by reason they seeme to them vnpossible and that what is sayd of these rare matters is but a flowrish of faire and sweet words and no reall truth but my God thou do'st well know that they are reall deedes and therefore the humble soules that goe on in thy seruice by this way of prayer thou do'st often make wonderfull to the world in their liues and workes which others doe not take to heart nor consider a right Therefore I beseech thy diuine Maiesty to giue all that shall read this booke and follow this path of prayer a true feeling of what is heere said for then they shall see and know this truth and how farre short all words and expressions are to what really and ioyfully is had in this blessed exercise of prayer THE III. CHAPTER Of the sleepe of the Powers 1. IN the former degree you haue seene what quiet prayer is and how sweetly the soul is pleased with the inward content and satisfaction which she doth feele therin so that she doth think that there is nothing more to be desyred in this life But whereas the power of God is infinit and his workes without limit we must conceiue allwayes greater matters of his diuine Maiesty and that as we dispose our selues with the grace of God increasing dayly in humility and loue he will impart his blessings and communicat his fauours more and more vnto vs. 2. Yet true it is that the least of these diuine and supernaturall communications is so sublime and transcending the capacity of our weake vnderstanding and is so comfortable and delightfull to the soul not vsed to the like that she doth esteeme it very much and thinketh that nothing more or greater can be had or desyred in this life But the wayes and inuentions of God

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

THE THIRD PART OF THE SOVL'S DELIGHT Collected and composed out of the workes of the GLORIOVS VIRGIN St. TERESA OF IESVS Author of the reformation of the Holy Order of the B. V. MARY of the MOVNT CARMELL BY THE R. F. PAVL OF St. VBALD RELIGIOVS OF THE SAME ORDER For the comfort of those that are more spirituall and haue supernaturall Prayer Sine intermissione Orate Pray without intermission 1. Thesal 5. v. 16. Meditatio cordis mei in conspectu tuo semper The meditation of my heart is allwayes in thy sight psal 18. v. 15. IN ANTWARP By WILLIAM LESTEENS in Hoochstrat at the signe of the Pellican 1654. THE THIRD PART Of the soul's delight wherein is treated of supernaturall prayer and seuerall degrees thereof THE FIRST CHAPTER A briefe relation of supernaturall Prayer 1. OVr Holy Mother S. Teresa in her life and her other woorkes doth declare and explicat this matter so well that I neede not speake much of it But by reason her workes or bookes cannot be had by euery one I will briefly say somwhat of it out of her for the comfort of pious soules and to encourrage many to goe forward in this Blessed exercise of mentall prayer seing to what great happinesse they may attaine by it 2. For the better vnderstanding of what is to be sayd you must obserue that as there are vertues which we call acquired by reason they are gayned by our labour industry and practise there be also vertues which we call infused that is not gained by our industry or labour but are giuen vs by the meere gift of God which are certaine habits of vertues that doth cause vs promptly and with facility to vse and produce vertuous acts these are infused into the soul she not knowing how but that she finds by the effects that it is a speciall gift of God which is suddenly perceiued and to which she could not attaine with the labour of many yeares 3. In like manner there is prayer acquired or naturall and infused or supernaturall that naturall is gayned by the long practise of it as we get other artes or trades by the dayly vse of them but this infused is in an instant giuen vnto vs by God and it doth cause vs to worke in a more perfect manner and more knowingly and more feelingly we not knowing whence or how it came and therefore it is called supernaturall being beyond our reach but sometyme this prayer is giuen only for that present and perhaps at other tymes yet it is not habituall because it is not permanent though supernaturall and this doth produce great and good effects in the soul but the other cometh with a presence of God so perfect that going to prayer though you were in diuerse occasions of businesse instantly before which were sufficient to distract a man a whole day suddenly set on your knees in prayer with a looke on that presence of God you are recollected and haue sufficient matter to employ the powers in so that the soul is in a great content with the inward satisfaction which she doth feele and this is not without contemplation and though the naturall contemplation delighteth the mynd and adorneth the soul much yet this other giueth more content and satisfaction in an instant then that is euer able to reach vnto with all industry possible 4. This is commonly giuen only to soules that are pure and after long labour in the practise of the other prayer mortification of their senses and passions and pennance for their sinns are wery of the world and doe loath the vanityes and pleasures thereof and doe aspire to the loue of God and true perfection these soules doe now desire solitude and doe betake themselues from all occasions into the most secret places they can find fit for their purpose to giue themselues to holy reading prayer and other spirituall exercises as the antient saints did into the wildernesse solitary and desart places to be employed and familiar with God alone 5. For these places are most fit for recollection and contemplation and the spirit of God hath this property that it desireth to be in priuat employed only in heauenly things and such as are eternall and this doubtlesse was the cause that in former tymes when there were more saints in the Church then now the Abbayes and monasteryes were built in remote and solitary places farre from the noyse of people where all things and euen the very solitude most did moue and inuite them to recollection and contemplation of diuine matters 6. For euery creature there doth teach vs to know our selues our creatour and his perfections for there we shall see nothing but the heauens ouer vs the earth vnder the water ebbing and flowing going and coming the trees hearbs and flowers now springing then faire soone after withering decaying and fading away the beasts feeding and bellowing the byrds flying and singing all of them in their kind manifesting and praising their common Lord the creatour of all things 7. The earth when we looke downe telleth vs that we are dust from it and must returne to it againe be we neuer so powerfull or great this dayly experience doth confirme the water and its courses shewes the vncertainty mutability and vnconstancy of the life of man and his vaine desyres the trees flowers and the rest doth shew how long a man is coming to perfection and on a sudden is gon by death the beastes tell vs with all others that we are not of our selues but haue a God who gaue vs our being infinit wise and prouident preseruing and prouiding for all in their owne kind when we looke vpwards we see the heauens and they tell vs that there is the place and seat of all felicity and happinesse where God and his Angells in glory are resident and that we are created to enioy God there and therefore ought to tend thither and labour to compasse it by seruing and praising him who hath so created vs and prouided for vs as to be with himselfe in all ioy and glory for all eternity this good and much more solitude affordeth in those desart places the soul then that is desirous of perfection and therefore doth retyre her selfe from occasions and in that solitude doth giue her selfe to more reading and praying to come to the more perfect knowledg and feeling of God that she may loue and serue him in a better and more eminent way then euer before must resolue to seeke after God alone all other things whatsoeuer neglected and forsaken which the great God of mercy and goodnesse obseruing and seing how that poore soul doth labour in prayer with her vnderstanding and will to find him by loue and is often tyred vsing great diligence heerein at length taketh compassion vppon her and eleuating her spirit doth set her at rest with great sweetnesse in a deepe recollection farre within her selfe in a solitude of an other kind where she enioyeth so perfect a feeling