Selected quad for the lemma: spirit_n

Word A	Word B	Word C	Word D	Occurrence	Frequency Band	MI	MI Band	Prominent
spirit_n	heart_n	power_n	soul_n	6,944	5	4.6487	4	false

Text snippets containing the quad

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

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 ra●●● 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

to communicat himselfe to soules and bring them to his diuine loue are many and farre beyond our reach and vnderstanding and he is powerfull to giue them great gifts and vnknowen fauours though it is vnpossible for vs to expresse by words the fauours which we doe receiue in prayer being supernaturall vnlesse his diuine Maiesty be pleased to giue vs the ability to know the gift and how to make it to be vnderstood by words for there is great difference betwixt feeling and vnderstanding what we feele and as our Holy Mother saith it is one fauour to receiue a gift and an other to cause vs to vnderstand the supernaturall gift which we receiue In her life chap. 17. and an other to know how by words or examples to expresse it and cause it to be vnderstood by our directour 3. And this as a speciall fauour was In her life Chap. 30. granted vnto her by God aboue any that I haue seene or read that wrote of those diuine communications for the very cleerest of them all is obscure enough but she as one well experienced and instructed by the holy Ghost hath so plainly and clearly declared the seuerall wayes that in euery degree of prayer God worketh in the soul and what effects he doth produce in her and what in these occasions the is to doe and how to behaue her selfe that the directour knoweth reading her writings what to examin and the penitent how to vnderstand and declare herselfe that her directour may be well informed of her spirit and conceiue things aright which otherwise though neuer so learned without the experimentall knowledg of them he could not vnderstand nor she expresse and so the penitent soul by the Ghostly Father not vnderstanding her might suffer very much and be hindred of her spirituall profit as our Holy Mother and others that she writ of were and put rather backward then forward in prayer and vertue 4. Now to speake more of this degree then is spoaken in the first chapter seemes superfluous but deere Christian soul the more that such matters as these are repeated and some litle thing giuen better to be vnderstood the more profitable they are and not in any way superfluous therefore out of her workes I will adde to what is formerly said of these degrees and of this in particular that which I haue obserued which may be the better vnderstood by this example 5. A young chield desyring somwhat that he doth want not able to help himselfe doth fall a crijng and is not at rest vntill his Mother or nourse doth take him into her lappe or armes and giueth him the brest to suck with this he is silent and quiet and when he hath taken sufficiently and his belly is full as we may say he begins to slumber and fall a sleepe and at last he is soe heauily and deadly a sleepe that she takes the dugge out of his mouth and placeth him where she please to rest he not knowing nor feeling what is done to him or with him In like manner the soul in meditation is the child crijng for somwhat that she doth want and is not at rest vntill his diuine Maiesty doth take compassion vppon her seing her weryed and almost tired by the labour of the vnderstanding and will seeking to find him then taking her into his lappe he giueth her the teat of his holy presence which is supernaturall by which she begins to suck the sweet milk of deuotion and diuine consolation and is thereby made silent and contented this is quiet prayer then hauing taken sufficiently of that celestiall nectar in that quiet content with the dugge in her mouth as we may say or that diuine presence she is so ouer delighted and satisfyed and all the powers so ioyed that by degrees they begin to slumber or fall a sleepe forgetting by litle and litle all things of the world where they are and what they doe this is called the sleepe of the powers yet is not the soul in a dead sleepe for she holdeth the dugge as yet in her mouth and doe not omit to worke somewhat at last she is so replenished with that diuine liquor as one drunke and quite ouercome she falls into a dead sleepe she looseth the dugge and forgets absolutly all whatsoeuer is in heauen or earth and then she is put to rest yet where or how or by whom she knoweth not being drowned and in gulfed in the diuine essence with all her powers vnited the poore body for that present left quite forgotten senslesse and in a manner dead and this is called vnion that is the soul and all the powers are vinted to the diuine essence and she becomes one with God or as our Holy Mother sayth he taketh her and shut's her vpp within himselfe in the height of this vnion the soul knoweth and vnderstandeth nothing but soone after for it holds not long she knoweth what a great good she did enioy wherin all goodnesse is But now to the sleepe of the powers I returne which are not lost yet the ioy of the soul is so great that she knoweth not what to doe with her selfe through the vehemency of loue and she cannot containe her selfe her ioy and glory is so great she faine would cry out to giue notice to all creatures of her delight and paine for this excesse of loue is not without a delightfull paine that all might partake thereof and praise God she doth feele those effects in her selfe so perfectly that they put her farre beyond her selfe 6. And then she doth speake many words of loue in the praise of God without any order not knowing what to say or doe the will seemes to be in a kind of frensy with loue the vnderstanding doth see so many things together that she knoweth not what to fix vppon but is kept suspended in admiration the memory myndeth nothing but what is present so that the soul in this spirituall frensy and strang disposition knoweth not what best to doe whether to be silent or speake to lough or weepe for she is in a restlesse quietnesse and a sweet rest lessnesse through loue then to thinke of returning to vse the things of this world againe is very odious to her to walke is troublesome to speake and not of him is very painfull to eate is a kind of death though nature doth require it Se her life chap. 37. to sleepe is worse in fine all things which may in any wise hinder her of the enioying so great a good though for a moment and for her very health doth molest her and giueth her no satisfaction nor content 7. She doth not desyre to see or speake with any in this world but with such as are in the same frensy or sick of the same disease faine she would enioy God wholy and know nothing but him it seemes that S. Augnstine was sick of this disease when he sayd our heart o Lord is allwayes vnquiet vntill it

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