the soul loosing her forces and the vse of her powers and senses is like to yeald the Ghost and thus with loue and excesse of ioy both she and all the powers are not themselues but sopited and like to one as is said wholy senslesse and the ioy and content which is heere had by farre exceedeth that of the former degree yet his diuine maiesty with this not contented to manifest his loue the more to this his beloued spouse he bringeth her into a solitude beyond all that is created and this is the fourth step or degree called vnion where all are absorpt and drowned ouer head and eares for she and all the powers are wholy vnited to God and ingulfed in the depth of his diuinity and she is become one and the same with God quite forgetting all that is in heauen and earth and the very body which during the tyme of vnion is voyde of sense and in a manner dead neither doth she know whether she be in the body or no. in this vnion she doth not continew long perhaps halfe an hour or there about before some of the powers doe returne to them selues and often not finding the like content as one should say in their owne house they goe willingly back againe and are drowned in the same depth and burned with the same fire and in this coming and going some houres may be spent but not in the totall or perfect vnion of all for as our Holy Mother saith it is so strong and forcible that our weake nature is not able to endure it long but by degrees his diuine Maiesty doth enable the soul and make her capable for receiuing those supernaturall fauours and diuine communications 12. In this totall vnion the soul knoweth nothing as is said but enioyeth a content and happinesse surpassing sense yet what she doth enioy or how she vnderstandeth not but doth remaine absorpt and vnited to the diuine essence and thus she is become God's captiue tyed and chayned fast by loue and hath no power to free her selfe vntill his Maiesty be pleased to set her at liberty neither would she though she could esteeming it a greater captiuity to be left to her owne liberty and farre more liberty to be in that sweet and happy captiuity this is a greater and more eminent gift and fauour then all the former it is a most blessed vnion or coniunction a most diuine transformation a most happy death a true deification and most happy life in God 13. Note that in that quiet prayer the will only is vnited and not the other powers in that other of the sleepe of the powers the will and the powers are vnited but so that they are not perfectly vnited or wholy lost but in this vnion they are all wholy and perfectly lost vnited and in gulfed in the diuine essence and they are wholy dead to all the world drowned in vnspeakable delight and the profit of the soul in this degree is vnexplicable her loue is come to so great a height that nothing but the enioying of God wholy and perfectly can giue her content Therefore his diuine Maiesty doth lead her to an other step or degree farre beyond her selfe and all that hath beene sayd eleuating her spirit and opening her eyes to set and know somwhat of his greatnesse and the treasure of his celestiall glory with visions and reuelations of high matters hidden and most profund misteryes and this is called and exstasy or rapt where she vnderstands cleerly and plainly how all things created are a meere shadow and nothing compared with what she then doth enioy and see in God and this rapt some tymes is so forcible and vehement that it doth eleuat the very body with the soul from the earth and remayneth hanging in the ayre and it doth so participat of the inward ioy and glory of the soul that it doth loath to be longer on earth and faine would be inuested with immortality for all eternity and after these great raptes commonly when the soul returneth to her selfe the body as yet and perhaps for some dayes will not be able to vse its owne functions nor the powers and senses are themselues but all are out of order for they are as yet drunk with the memory of the glory and delight which they enioyed and the introuersion and application of the powers and senses is so great that they cannot but with difficulty attend as yet to any outward things and though they see and heare at those tymes yet they neither well see nor know what they see or heare this soul now is no more her owne but wholy belongeth to God for she hath consigned her selfe her will and the keyes therof vnto his diuine Maiesty so that she liueth not now but Christ doth liue in Gal. 2. v. 20. her in so much that she myndeth nothing but the honour glory and praise of God and heartely desireth and laboureth that all may loue and praise him for euer her vertues are solid and of great perfection her loue is so excessiue that her life on earth is a continuall martyrdome and death by reason of her forcible and languishing desyre to be dissolued and be with her beloued Christ Iesus in glory for all Eternity 14. Thus deere Christian soul our Sauiour doth reward euen in this mortall and myserable lyfe the litle labour and endeauours of a louing soul O who would not labour for so great a good and willingly serue so good a Lord O who would not affect so true a louer and deere a frend o who would not freely forsake all this world for the loue of so bountifull and Gracious a God O Blessed Lord praysed and exalted for euer and euer mayst thou be who art so choyse of vs and ha'st prepared so great happinesse for such wormes of the earth as we all thy creatures loue and praise thee for euer more Amen THE II. CHAPTER Of Recollection and quiet Prayer more in particular 1. WHereas this recollection is so great and inward and the powers not troubled with the noyse of worldly and vaine thoughts and that God is there present what must the soul doe in this recollection first she must consider that he is there only attending to giue audience and ready then to heare her petition and that she can without any impediment speake to him being so neere for as our Holy Mother sayth the In her life chap. 27. soul seemes to haue other eares and tongue inwardly and needeth not speak loud or cry out with noyse of inward words or consider him in heauen or a farre of or without her selfe to be heard or vnderstood but she may rest there with him for he is not a frend of many words and accustome the vnderstanding to worke very slowly and as it were in silence carefully attending to what is said and with what reuerence and confidence she speaketh to him and if the vnderstanding can be kept quiet sweetly beholding that
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
presence of his diuine Maiesty without words or with Luke 18. v. 13. the Publican casting his eyes to the earth expecting with humility what shall be sayd to him it will be of great profit and increase vertuous desyres in the soul contempt of the world and strong resolutions to serue God and amend their liues and this the soul doth vnderstand by sweet inspirations and secret whispers by which he speaketh vnto her heere she doth offer her selfe and her will wholy to God to be employed euer after in his seruice 2. Though some yea religious after coming so farre and hauing forsaken the world and giuen themselues to God doe returne back to the flesh pots of Egipt and as a dog to his vomit to be more worldly then euer and to seeke for familiarityes and frendships and they take back againe from God euen against his will what formerly they freely gaue him THEIR VVILL which they did dedicat vnto his diuine Note Maiesty to be employed only in his seruice which againe they dispose of as of their owne and the world and what is in it which for his sake they forsooke they seeke after more earnestly then before they left it and thus they draw their mynd and affection from God applijng them selues to base vile and transitory things notwithstanding the experience they often had by many comforts and consolations of Gods goodnesse and loue when they did proceede sincerly 3. And one thing may be much admired to wit that these vngratfull people do goe to prayer as boldly and without all feare as if they had done no iniury to God nor wronged themselues and they are not ashamed to aske or expect spirituall comforts and fauours of his diuine Maiesty after so great an affront are these to be regarded or fauoured more by God certainly they deserue it not vnlesse with a humble submission and acknowledgment of their abuse and wrong committed they returne to his Maiesty forsaking all and restoring what was vniusty taken away without which this recollection is not had againe for it doth consist in this that the powers are introuerted and not troubled with any vaine or worldly thoughts as is formerly said But they who goe on with their endeauours to please God doe easily find how sweet and good our Lord is to those that loue and doe seeke after him 4. It is a comfortable thing to speake of the next degree to which they are brought after that recollection and of what passeth there and seriously to consider it is most ioyfull and pleasing but to feele it is in excesse delightfull this is in Quiet Prayer where the soul is placed to rest without labouring or discourse heere she is feasted with varietyes of heauenly comforts diuine consolations and ioyfull delights farre surpassing sense heere she doth begin to taste of the food of Angells and is reposed in the bed of sweet content certainly if all the honours pastines and pleasures of this world were in one and to continue and be enioyed for euer yet compared with one only moment of the ioy content and satisfaction which heere are had all that would appeere to be meere nothing for as farre as the heauens doe exceede the earth in greatnesse and perfection without any proportion so doe these spirituall comforts without any equality or proportion exceede all the others words cannot expresse what it is but those happy soules can best tell and declare it that by experience hath often knowen and felt the sweetnesse of it 5. This Quiet prayer doth consist in this that the soul and all the powers after labouring to find out whom she doth deerely loue are brought by his diuine Maiesty from that laborious discoursing and searching for him to the place of rest that is farre within her selfe where in great silence and peace of all the powers she doth enioy his presence and is vnited to him strongly by loue and doth remaine in his sweet embracements with great content and satisfaction and this is therefore called quiet prayer by reason there is no discoursing nor noyse of inward wordes vsed in it where with the soul and powers were often weryed searching to find him but all are silent and quiet not that they doe omit to worke but it is so sweetly done that it is scarcely perceiued by reason they are in contemplation and with one simple looke they are in admiration with great ioy and doe feelingly vnderstand more in an instant then they could attaine to with all the discourses possible let not any thinke that the soul doth see any image or shape wherein God doth appeere when his presence is named heere but only that she hath a fixt memory with a liuly faith that he is there and that by the effects which she doth find in her selfe it appeeres as a great ioy and inward satasfaction of all the powers Also a light which procureth a most humble and reuerentiall respect in the soul with a kind of certainty of his presence with which she is so contented delighted as if nothing more rested to be desyred in this world and this content doth redowne euen to the body which is neuer wery whiles that quit content doth hold 6. And obserue that as it is former 's said the will being only vnited the other powers which are not so doe keepe he often in warre and doe molest her much endeauouring to bring her from her rest and content to passe the tyme as we may say with themselues but their labour is in vaine and the contrary doth often happen for she doth cause them to returne to their quiet rest with her for she doth labour to keepe in that litle spark of fire of the loue of God esteeming it as of right she ought of great worth for thence if she be not in the fault in tyme may proceede a great fire and flames of diuine loue for she doth now by experience well know how great good it is to adheare to God who giâ—â—th that small begining as a liuly token of his affection and earnest penny to bind the bargaine and confirme the agreement betwixt them to wit that she must not be longer of this world though liuing in it but of those whose conuersation is in heauen and dispose her selfe for greater and higher matters and to be disposed of only by his diuine Maiesty who hath now chosen her to be of his priuat chamber and to seeke after nothing but what shall be to his honour and glory O admirable dignity and happinesse 7. Let not any soul that is come to this state vnderualue her selfe nor think it want of humility to conceiue that she is fauoured by God for one will be more thankfull that he knoweth the greatnesse of the gift or benefit and dignity of the person that giueth it then if they did not marke it or did forget it or would not acknowledg it but she must with an humble submission and holy presumption acknowledg that she
liue but a painfull life or rather a tormenting Martyrdome and lingering death so that all her desyre is to be dissolued and be with Christ yet though the paine which she doth suffer is very great her inward ioy is no lesse if not more but you shall see what she speakes of rhese degrees 5. The first after vnion is when the soul like vnto a flame proceeding or ascending from a well kindled fire burning with the fire of diuine loue goeth out of her selfe ascending vpwards and some tymes it goeth to a great height farre beyond the fire whence it doth proceede and this doth seeme to those that went no further to be the same with vnion but it differs much For vnion is like to the fire which only burneth inwardly not giuing any flames ascending vpwards but this going out of her selfe is like flames ascending vpwards from the fire and not to the fire it selfe so that this fire increasing and not able by reason of its vehemency to containe it selfe from blasing foorth the sweet wynd of the Holy Ghost blowing on it the soul is eleuated out of her selfe and as this firye flame increaseth it doth more and more consume in her all terrene affection and leaueth her farre purer and with greater freedome and liberty then in vnion and though she knoweth not how it came to passe yet she cannot but admire to see such an alteration and change in her selfe and her profit to be farre greater and with very great ioy 6. At other tymes his diuine Maiesty is pleased that the soul be struck and wounded at the very heart with a fearefull noyse in the most inward of her substance by a certaine delicat subtile and penetratiue impulse and as it were with a firy dart or bolt on a sudden proceeding from a thunder she not knowing how or by whom it came and though she hath hence great paine her ioy and comfort is farre greater then in the former and though this noyse is not heard with corporall eares for it is inward and a very silent noyse yet instantly heard and vnderstood by the soul and she doth cleerly and perfectly know that she is so called vppon by God as with a whistle and that she cannot but heare it and suddenly feele a great certainty of his presence and it is of that Maiesty and efficacy that it causeth all the powers and senses instantly to be recollected attentiue and giue their attendance though at that present they were much distracted and they dare not then moue or stire and this celestiall call impulse or firy dart doth so inflame her that she is burning and a consuming with the fire of diuine loue penetrating through her very bowells and the very inward substance of the soul and her paine by reason of the wound and the vehemency of loue is so great that she cannot containe her selfe but lament and with most sweet and amorous words complaine of her paine not being able to doe otherwise to her deerely beloued whom she knoweth to be present and will not manifest himselfe which is a spurre to forward and augment both loue and paine and though this paine is with vnspeakable delight it doth not continue long but cometh and goeth and allwayes doth leaue the soul inflamed with diuine loue her desyre to please him and serue his maiesty in great matters doth increase and her only feare is least she should become vngratfull for this and his other great fauours and benefits which doth encourrage her dayly to better her life to content him the more 7. Note that in this rapt the powers and senses are not suspended nor drowned but all stand in admiration to see the soul in so great paine worthy of compassion and yet with vnspeakable delight they wonder much what this should be and they can neither helpe nor disturbe her but remaine in their attendance with admiration In these degrees it doth happen that the soul hath many strong and sudden motions when one doth heare a good sermon or God well spoaken of or praised or musick or at the sight of some sweet and deuout picture and this cometh with an impulse in the depth or most inward of the soul so vehement sudden and swift that she cannot resist it more then a chyld to a Gyant but away she is taken and eleuated sometymes aboue all that is created where she hath the visions and reuelations formerly mentioned and with the greatnesse of the glory and Maiesty which she beholdeth in God she is much terrified and doth conceiue a reuerentiall feare which causeth the very haires of her head to stand and then she doth grieue that she or any other euer offended à Lord of so high and incomprehensible a dignity power and Maiesty and some tymes it is so excessiue that the body in the rapt is eleuated forcibly a great height from the earth as loathing all things on earth and tending to the place where it doth expect to be in endlesse happinesse 8. Neither is the soul and powers for a long tyme after these great rapts perfectly themselues for they are not yet out of that sweet sleepe or risen from that delightfull drunknesse for they had Ps 35. v. 9. taken plentifully of the varietyes and abundance of his house and drunke without measure of the torrent of those diuine liquours with so excessiue delight that they for a tyme after know not where they are or what they doe 9. Also when they returne to themselues all things of this world are so disgustfull and displeasing to them by reason of the great ioy they had that they haue an auersion from them and would not daine if they could to vse the least of them 10. She declareth an other degree or sort of rapt which she doth call a flight of the soul farre different from the rest and greater this she doth compare to a fire that suddenly falling doth fire and burne all whence proceedeth a great flame so as the soul is suddenly fired all ouer and doth burne so strongly with the fire of diuine loue that her spirit like vnto a great flame with a most swift flight getteth out of herselfe in such a delicat and subtile manner that it is admirable and in an instant she is placed where she doth see and vnderstand many great misteryes together with all clearnesse and truth and she doth not only see the Holy Trinity and speake with euery person but also doth obtaine some particular fauour of each of them 11. Likewise she doth relate that God doth shew how all creatures are contayned in his diuine essence and may be seene as in a faire christiall glasse suppose saith she that there were a great round cristiall glasse greater then all the world without which there is nothing and in which all things are included and seene very cleerly the same conceiue of God in whom really and truly all things are contayned and euen the very thoughts words and deedes of euery
one in particular may be plainly seene she sayth that this vision was one of the greatest fauours which God did vnto her and that a soul hath great neede of a strong courage to behold what are there chiefly the horrid and foul sinns committed against his diuine Maiesty and the many abuses and iniuryes which dayly are done to him in the world this is able and sufficient she sayes to cause a separation and an absolute diuision of the soul from the body if God had not giuen her strength to bere it or disposed of her otherwise 12. She doth also speake of an other sort of rapt farre beyond the rest and saith that it is more then a rapt for it is a very vehement and eminent rapt and of great value and worth this suddenly at the hearing God well spoaken of or calling to mynd that he is absent whom she doth loue most entirely and often without any of both she doth find in her selfe a vehement motion and desyre to be with him which is so forcible that in an instant it doth penetrat the soul wholy she knoweth not how it is but doth feele it and is not able to resist it and she is taken and powerfully carryed beyond all that is created and placed in a strang solitude desolat and destitute of any comfort from heauen and earth and she doth conceiue that none of any of both would keepe her company or be a comfort to her in that desolation neither doth she desyre any comfort or company from them but would there willingly suffer and dye 13. And it doth happen as she saith that his diuine Maiesty doth communicat him selfe to her in so subtile and admirable a way that it cannot be vnderstood lesse expressed by any but by himselfe but she hath so cleere a knowledge then left in her of his greatnesse and goodnesse and his other incomprehensible perfections that it doth increase her loue and augment her paine and torments loue doth burne and consume her her desyre to be with him is able to separat the soul from the body and she doth not know how to help her selfe but by death and therefore dye she would to enioy his blessed presence in glory this torment is the greater that the memory of him is so perfect and cleere notwithstanding he doth absent himselfe which addeth much to her affliction 14. In other degrees or rapts the ioy doth mitigat her paine but in this she is destitute of all ioy or consolation and left in the furnace of tribulation which is a very strong martyrdome and so painfull that as ioy and ouer much delight in the other degrees did suspend the powers and senses so paine doth in this and it is of so great vehemency that the very body doth partake with her of it and it is so disioynted that aâ— the members seeme broaken and for many dayes after no one member can be moued without great and vnexplicable paine 15. It is able to moue a stony heart to read how our Holy Mother doth describe it in her life and what lamentation In her life chap. 20. and loud cryes she giueth out to express her paine only desyrous to be dissolue and be with Christ and for her greate torment in that solitude she is put in mynd of that verse I watch and am as she Ps 101 v 3. solitary sparrow alone in the toppe or roofe of the house and she thinketh then that she is so and in that case and solitarinesse she doth remember these words Ps 41. v. 4. 12. without procuring it where is thy God as if it were said to her where is he in whom thou ha'st placed all thy confidence where is he why doth not he now helpe thee in this distressed case hath he so forsaken thee whom thou do'st so deerely loue and seeke after now he hath left thee destitute of all comfort and consolation if he had loued thee he would not forsake thee thus are all thy labours come to this that thou art left in desolation without comfort or helpe from heauen and earth where is thy God this God so permitting doth duble her paine and increase her desyre so vehemently to see and be with him that it is sufficient to take away many liues if she had them and that saying of S. Paul was represented vnto her I Gal. â— v. 14. am crucified to the world and the world to me so that she remaines in the greatest torment that may be imagined as it were crucifyed betwixt heauen and earth 16. Our Holy Mother doth compare this paine to the paines of Purgatory it is so excessiue and when the soul doth perceiue that his diuine Maiesty is to bring her into this solitude and anguishes of death for truly it is no other she naturally doth feare and tremble but once that she is in it she would not be out of it true it is that the sensitiue or inferiour part cannot but loath it being so ouer painfull and apt to separat the body from the soul yet the superiour or spirituall part taketh content in so suffering for the loue of God esteeming it as in deede it is of great value and profit fot in this she is most like vnto our Sauiour Crucified destitute of any comfort Math. 27. v. 46. from heauen or earth which caused him to say my God my God as what ha'st thou for saken me and therefore she doth reiect all that formerly were wont to comfort her to remaine in this paine and conformity to Christ our Sauiour suffering for as the gold by fire she in this is tryed purified and refined as if she were come from Purgatory her loue is now purer and so excessiue great that nothing can content or satisfy her burning desyre but the possession and enioying of God wholy as he is and not any particular part of him and since she cannot iustly procure her owne death to be with him with great tendernesse of heart she doth lament and bewayle her long bannishment resigning her selfe wholy to his diuine disposing and earnestly praying that her liuing as yet in this case may be very highly to his honour and glory which she doth allwayes and in all things regard more then her selfe and desyre rather then her ease or to be free from her paine though she were certaine it should continue to the world's end 17. In this paine dying life and excesse of loue towards God our Holy Mothers soul was commonly in her later dayes and the impulses of loue were so penetratiue and forcible in her that with the vehemency of one great impulse of loue her pure and blessed soul departed the body not of any other sicknesse and ascended into glory where she doth most happily enioy him whom she so deerely loued this she did declare appeering to the venerable Mother Catherin of Iesus Prioresse of Beas the very day of her death I beseech his diuine Maiesty to grant this diuine loue
18. make that admirable vowe to doe in all things what she conceiued or should be informed were most to God's honour and glory or of most perfection which is a wonderfull thing and a rare act to tye her selfe so strictly vnder the penalty of a mortall sin doing the contrary But this is the efficacy and effect of diuine loue and this she did exactly performe during her life and her desyre of god's glory and honour was so great that she prayed earnestly that his diuine Maiesty would depriue her of the fauours which he bestowed vppon her and giue them to others that might doe more good with them for the conuersion of soul's and the good of his Church only that he might be the more honored glorified and praised 9. One of these soules though but simple and ignorant will doe more good in the Church of God then many eloquent preachers with all their art and learning Consider S. Francis who had no learning and our Holy Mother a simple woman yet it is admirable to see what great good they haue done in the Church of God and how many thousand soules by their meanes were and are daily saued and so of others who did the like the spirit of God doth efficaciously concurre with them and their words doe powerfully moue such as they conuerse with to a vertuous life and the loue of God of these things you may read more at large in her life and workes for I doe speake but briefly of them heere to giue some small notice of what his diuine Maiesty is graciously pleased to worke in the soules which dispose themselues and endeauour in what they can to loue and serue him that others may be encourraged to vse this Holy exercise of prayer in which God doth communicat his fauours and gifts to deuout soules and giue them a taste of those ioyes which are in heauen I beseech his diuine maiesty to graunt this gift of prayer to many for his glory and the good of his Holy Church Amen THE V. CHAPTER Of seuerall other eleuations of the spirit and how they differ from vnion 1. OVr Holy Mother doth declare that they that come to perfect vnion commonly haue visions and reuelations extasis flights and rapts and that though the extasis flights and rapts seeme to be one and the same thing yet in truth they are not as they who haue experience of them by their effects can easily obserue in themselues I shall touch briefly some of them heere and so with God's help end this worke leauing the reader to peruse them more fully in her workes whence I haue collected these and where they are farre more plainly exprest then I doe heere 2. The difference betwixt vnion and these others and of these betwixt themselues is knowen by their effects and first the effects of vnion are inward only the soul alone enioying that happinesse of which I spoake in the former chapter for the body is senslesse and destitute of any operation or comfort I speake of the totall or perfect vnion but in the extasis or raâ—â—â— the effects are inward and outward for the body is not destitute of its operations also one may resist the vnion though with great paine but not the others for often on a sudden the soul is surprised and carryed away she then not thinking of God and vnlesse the rapt be very great or in the height for then she knowes nothing as in the vnion the senses are not lost and one may perceiue that the head is drawen after she spirit and somtymes by the force of the spirit the whole body is eleuated vpp into the ayer and the party then seing the body so farre aboue ground doth begin to feare and wonder at it yet in this both body and soul haue great comfort and ioy 3. Heere the soul doth obserue the great power of God to whom there can be no resistance but when he is pleased he will eleuat both soul and body without our consent and against our will for at these tymes as we are nothing so we can doe nothing with our selues but he as Lord of all disposeth of his owne as he thinks fit so that the soul is carryed in these rapts she knoweth not whither how or by whom but away she must goe and for her greater comfort his diuine Maiesty is often pleasd to shew vnto her the kingdome of heauen and what glory he hath prepared there for his true seruants for euer at other tymes the Angells then some saints also his magnificent power and he doth make 2. Gor. 12. v. 4 her vnderstand high misteryes and great secrets of which as S. Paul saith it is not lawfull to speake also she doth see the Queene of Angells the Mother of God in great glory and the sacred humanity of our Sauiour in vnspeakable Maiesty and glory and when he is so pleased she doth enioy the sight and company of the most Holy Trinity and at other tymes she is endued with the spirit of Prophecy and knowledg of things to come and the vnderstanding of the Holy Scripture our Holy Mother In her life chap. 37. Mans 7. chap. 1. doth relate as by obedience she was commanded how the holy Trinity did appeere vnto her in the very center of her soul and that she could not but see euery person and the admirable glory and Maiesty that was present she did speake to euery person in particular and they to her in which her ioy and content was so great that it cannot be imagined and it is no wonder if the senses should not returne to their owne functions from so great happinesse that they doe there enioy neither would they willingly vnlesse it were as seruants doe to obey and fullfill the will and command of their Lord for his Maiesty will often haue it so either for her spirituall profit the good of others or his owne honour and glory 4. She also doth relate how she was in a rapt eleuated and taken to behold the kingdome and Glorious inhabitants of heauen her owne parents and some frends and was brought to the blessed throne of God to behold how the eternall Se her life chap. 38. word the second person of the holy Trinity the sonne of God is resident in the bosome of his Father and she saith that the soul in these occasions can doe nothing of it selfe nor behold litle or much but only what our Lord will haue her to see or know and as there be seuerall degrees of eleuations of the spirit or rapts in euery one of them the light is greater the knowledg more and purer the alienation from all things created more perfect the vertues more solid humility chiefly more profound and the loue of God increasing as they ascend one degree after an other is so ordent and vehement that the soul doth loath to liue on earth and her absence or separation from God is so heauy a loade that she doth