The Missing Cross to Purity

This is taken from the writings of Miguel de Molinos (1640-1697), a Spanish priest who practiced inward silence, Quietism, to union with the Lord, and who came to Rome where he secured the support of the Pope and a large following. Later he was condemned by the church and sentenced to life imprisonment, dying from repeated torture by the Jesuits. He was a major contributor to the Guide to True peace, also on this web site. For a brief summary of his life from Fox's Book of martyrs, click here.(A Fox of no relation to George Fox.) If you have not read The Spiritual Guide, The First Part , you should read it first before reading this book; it speaks to a more advanced state where you enter tribulation, guided by the Spirit of God to blot out sins, cleanse the soul, and produce patience.

This simple priest's teachings, of listening quietly to the Lord, made a huge impact on the Roman sect. His methods were used successfully by thousands of priests, nuns, bishops, and perhaps even the pope. Their rosaries and beads were put aside. But his influence was gained at others' losses, particularly the Jesuits' and Dominicans.' With envy, they plotted to destroy him. If the tree is rotten from the inside, it cannot be reformed; the Roman sect, which Molinos tried to reform, devoured him through cruel murder. Molinos vastly reformed the Roman church, though not so much as to neutralize his judges and executioners, the Jesuits. Molinos was faithful to the end, refusing to compromise in any way, was found guilty of heresy, and was tortured to death. All of Molinos's teachings and followers were ruthlessly rooted out of the Roman sect by the Jesuits' ministry of torture and death. The Roman sect still today defends their actions as correct, accenting their continued depravity. This is the same sect that in the Middle Ages killed nine million souls, accused of witchcraft.

THE

Spiritual  Guide,

Which brings the soul to the getting of Inward peace.

by

Miguel de Molinos

The Second Part

This books consists of two parts: the First and Second.
The First Part is actually the First Book.
The Second Part actually the Third Book.
The Second Book, not published on this site, focuses on using spiritual fathers,
a necessary subject for those in the Roman faith of the 17th Century, but today irrelevant.

Of spiritual martyrdoms whereby God purges souls;
of meditation, infused and passive;
of perfect resignation, Inward humility, divine wisdom,
true annihilation, and internal peace.

(References in Latin are to the Latin Vulgate Bible, of which Chapter and Verse does not correspond to our modern Bibles)

CHAPTER I

The Difference between the Outward and Inward man.

THERE are two sorts of spiritual persons, internal and external. These [external, not inward seekers] seek God without, by discourse, by imagination and consideration. They endeavor mainly to get virtues, many abstinences, maceration of body, and mortification of the senses. They give themselves to rigorous penance; they put on sack-cloth, chastise the flesh by discipline, endeavor silence, bear the presence of God, forming him present to themselves in their idea of him, or their imagination, sometimes as a pastor, sometimes as a physician, and sometimes as a father and lord. They delight to be continually speaking of God, very often making fervent acts of love; and all this is art and contemplation. By this way they desire to be great, and by the power of voluntary and exterior mortifications, they go in quest of sensible affections and warm sentiments, thinking that God resides only in them, when they have them. This is the external way, and the way of beginners, and though it be good, yet there is no arriving at perfection by it; no, there is not so much as one step towards it, as experience shows in many, that after fifty years of this external exercise, are void of God, and full of themselves, having nothing of spiritual men, but just the name of such.

(Note: The translator from the original Italian to English had used the word meditation to be thinking on divine subjects, which is more clearly today understood by the term contemplation, so a switch of terms has been made to facilitate today's understanding of meditation to be a striving for silence. His use of the word meditation was in context of thinking about divine things, rather than striving to quiet the mind. Such meditation is curiously still in vogue with modern Christianity: i.e., thinking about a certain scripture passage, supposedly to determine its correct meaning. So terms within this document have been edited to be compatible with current usage; meditation is used for silent prayer, and contemplation is used for thoughtful discourse. But be aware, another version that you might find on the web, will have the usages switched. Whatever term used, it is clear that Molinos is an advocate of silence in prayer, while focusing the mind on God; or as George Fox and this site recommend, think only on the name of Jesus Christ, returning to the same thought when you find your mind wandering. Fox states that as you become aware of Christ within you, you should switch to thinking on Christ within, instead of just his name.)

There are others [internal or inward seekers] truly spiritual, which have passed by the beginnings of the interior way which leads to perfection and union with God; and to which the Lord called them by his infinite mercy, from that outward way, in which before they exercised themselves. These men retired in the inward part of their souls, with true resignation into the hands of God, with a total putting off and forgetting even of themselves; do always go with a raised Spirit to the presence of the Lord, by the means of pure faith, without image, form or figure, but with great assurance founded in tranquility and rest internal; in whose infused meeting and entertainment, the spirit draws with so much force, that it makes the soul contract inwardly, the heart, the body and all the powers of it.

These [internal  or inward seekers] souls, as they are already passed by the interior mortification, and have been cleansed by God with the fire of tribulation, with infinite and horrible torments, all of them ordained by his hand, and after his way, are masters of themselves, because they are entirely subdued and denied; which makes them live with great repose and internal peace; and although in many occasions they feel resistance and temptations, yet they become presently victorious, because being already souls of proof, and endued with divine strength, the motions of passions cannot last long upon them; and although vehement temptations and troublesome suggestions of the enemy may persevere a long time about them, yet they are all conquered with infinite gain; God being he that fights within them.

These [internal  or inward seekers] souls have already procured themselves a great light, and a true knowledge of Christ our Lord, both of his divinity and his humanity. They exercise this infused knowledge with a quiet silence in the inward entertainment, and the superior part of their souls, with a Spirit free from images and external representations, with a love that is pure and stripped of all creatures; they are raised also from outward actions to the love of humanity and divinity; so much as they enjoy, they forget, and in all of it they find that they love their God with all their heart and Spirit.

These [internal  or inward seekers] blessed and sublimated souls take no pleasure in anything of the world, but contempt and in being alone, and in being forsaken and forgotten by everybody. They live so disinterested and taken off, that though they continually receive many supernatural graces, yet they are not changed, no not at those inclinations, being just as if they had not received them, keeping always in the in-most of their hearts a great lowliness and contempt of themselves; always humbled in the depth of their own unworthiness and vileness. In the same manner they are always quiet, serene, and possessed with evenness of mind in graces and favors extraordinary, as also in the most rigorous and bitter torments. There is no news that cheers them; no success that makes them sad; tribulation never disturbs them; nor does the interior, continual and divine communication make them vain and conceited; they remain always full of holy and filial fear, in a wonderful peace, constancy and serenity.

CHAPTER II

Pursues the Same.

In the external way [in contrast to the superior internal way] they take care to do continual acts of all the virtues, one after another, to get to the attainment of them. They pretend to purge imperfections with industries, proportional to destruction; they take care to root up interests, one after another, with a different and contrary exercise. But though they endeavor never so much, they arrive at nothing, because we cannot do anything which is not imperfection and misery.

But in the inward way and loving entertainment in the presence divine, as the Lord is he that works, virtue is established, interests are rooted up, imperfections are destroyed and passions removed; which makes the soul free unexpectedly, and taken off, when occasions are represented, without so much as thinking of the good which God of his infinite mercy prepared for them.

It must be known that these souls [inward seekers], though thus perfect, as they have the true light of God, yet by it they know profoundly, their own miseries, weakness and imperfections, and that they yet want to arrive at perfection, towards which they are walking; they are afflicted and abhor themselves; they exercise themselves in a loving fear of God, and contempt of themselves, but with a true hope in God, and lack of confidence in themselves. The more they are humbled with true contempt and knowledge of themselves, the more they please God, and arrive at a singular respect and veneration in his presence. Of all the good works that they do, and of all that they continually suffer, as well within as without, they make no manner of account before that divine presence.

Their continual exercise is, to enter into themselves, in God, with quiet and silence; because there is his center, habitation and delight. They make a greater account of this interior retirement, than of speaking of God; they retire into that interior and secret center of the soul, to know God and receive his divine influence, with fear and loving reverence; if they go out, they go out only to know and despise themselves.

But know that few are the souls which arrive at this happy state; because few there are that are willing to embrace contempt, and suffer themselves to be refined and purified; upon which account, although there are many that enter into this interior way, yet it is a rare thing for a soul to go on, and not stick upon the entrance. The Lord said to a soul, "This inward way is tread by few; it is so high a grace, that none deserves it; few walk in it, because it is no other than a death of the senses; and few there be that are willing so to die and be annihilated; in which disposition this so sovereign a gift is founded."

Herewith you will undeceive yourself, and perfectly know the great difference which there is between the external and internal way, and how different that presence of God is which arise from contemplation, from that which is infused and supernatural, arising from the interior and infused entertainment, and from passive meditation; and lastly, you will know the great difference which is between the outward and inward man.

CHAPTER III

The means of obtaining peace internal,
is not the delight of sense nor spiritual consolation,
but the denying of self-love.

IT is the saying of St. Bernard, that to serve God, is nothing else but to do good and suffer evil. He that would go to perfection by the means of sweetness and consolation, is mistaken. You must desire no other consolation from God, than to end your life for his sake, in the state of true obedience and subjection. Christ our Lord's way was not that of sweetness and softness, nor did he invite us to any such, either by his words or example, when he said, — He that will come after me, let him deny himself, and let him take up his cross and follow me, (Matt. 16:24.) The soul that would be united to Christ, must be conformable to him, following him in the way of suffering.

You will scarce begin to relish the sweetness of divine love in prayer, but the enemy with his deceitful craftiness will be kindling in your heart desires of the desert and solitude, that you may without any bodies hindrance spread the sails to continual and delightful prayer. Open your eyes and consider that this counsel and desire is not conformable to the true counsel of Christ our Lord, who has not invited us to follow the sweetness and comfort of our own will, but the denying of our selves, saying,  to deny himself . As if he should say, He that will follow me, and come unto perfection, let him part with his own will wholly, and leaving all things, let him entirely submit to the yoke of obedience and subjection, by means of self-denial, which is the truest cross.

There are many souls dedicated to God, which receive from his hand great thoughts, visions, and mental elevations, and yet for all that, the Lord keeps from them, the grace of working miracles, understanding hidden secrets, foretelling future contingencies, as he communicates these things to other souls which have constantly gone through tribulations, temptations, and the true cross, in the state of perfect humility, obedience and subjection.

O what a great happiness is it for a soul to be subdued and subject! What great riches is it to be poor! What a mighty honor to be despised! What a height is it to be beaten down! What a comfort is it to be afflicted! What a credit of knowledge is it to be reputed ignorant! And finally, what a happiness of happinesses is it to be crucified with Christ! This is that lot which the Apostle gloried in, But far be it from me to glory except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ (Gal. 6: 14.) Let others boast in their riches, dignities, delights and honors; but to us there is no higher honor, than to be denied, despised and crucified with Christ.

But what a grief is this, that scarce is there one soul which despises spiritual pleasures and is willing to be denied for Christ, embracing his cross with love, Many are called, few are chosen , Mat 22, says the Holy Ghost; many are they who are called to perfection, but few are they that arrive at it; because they are few who embrace the cross with patience, constance, peace and resignation.

To deny one's self in all things, to be subject to another's judgment, to mortify continually all inward passions, to annihilate one's self in all respects, to follow always that which is contrary to one's own will, appetite and judgment, are things that few can do. Many are those that teach them, but few are they that practice them.

Many souls have undertaken, and daily do undertake, this way; and they persevere all the while they keep the sweet relish of their primitive fervor; but this sweetness and sensible delight is scarce done, but presently, upon the overtaking of a storm of trouble, temptation and dryness (which are necessary things to help a man up the high mountain of perfection) they falter and turn back; a clear sign that they sought themselves, and not God or perfection.

May it please God, that the souls which have had light, and been called to an inward peace, and by not being constant in dryness and tribulation and temptation, have started back may not be cast into outer darkness, with him that had not on him a wedding garment; although he was a servant, for not being disposed to giving himself up to self-love.

This monster must be vanquished, this seven-headed beast of self-love must be beheaded, in order to get up to the top of the high mountain of peace. This monster puts his head everywhere; sometimes it gets amongst relatives, which strangely hinder it with their conversation; to which nature easily lets itself be led; sometimes it gets with a good look of gratitude, into passionate affection, and without restraint, towards the confessor; sometimes into affection to most subtle spiritual vain-glories and temporal ones, and niceties of honor; which things stick very close; sometimes it cleaves to spiritual pleasures, staying even in the gifts of God, and in his graces freely bestowed; sometimes it exceedingly desires the preservation of health, and with disguise, to be used well, and its own proper profit, and conveniences; sometimes it would seem well, with very curious subtleties; and lastly, it cleaves with a notable propensity, to its own proper judgment and opinion in all things; the roots of which are closely fixed in its own will. All these are effects of self-love, and if they are not denied, is is impossible that a man would ever get up to the height of perfect meditation, to the highest, happiest of the loving union, and the lofty throne of internal peace.

CHAPTER IV

Of two spiritual martyrdoms,
by which God cleans the soul that he unites with Himself.

NOW you shall know that God uses two ways for the cleansing the souls which he would perfect and enlighten, to unite them closely to himself. The first (of which we will treat in this and the following Chapter) is with the bitter waters of afflictions, anguish, distress, and inward torments. The second is, with the burning fire of an inflamed love, a love impatient and hungry. Sometimes he makes use of both in those souls which he would fill with perfection; sometimes he puts them into the strong steeping of tribulations, and inward and outward bitterness, scorching them with the fire of rigorous temptation; sometimes he puts them into the crucible of anxious and distrustful love, making them fast there with a mighty force; because so much the greater as the Lord would have the illumination and union of a soul to be, so much the more strong is the torment and the purgation; because all the knowledge and union with God, arises from suffering, which is the truest proof of love.

O that you would understand the great good of tribulation! This is that which blots out sins, cleanses the soul, and produces patience. This in prayer inflames it, enlarges it, and puts it upon the exercise of the most sublime act of charity. This rejoices the soul, brings it near to God, calls it to, and gives it entrance into heaven. The same is that which tries the true servants of God, and renders them sweet, valiant and constant. That is it which makes God hear them with speed. In my trouble I cried to the Lord: and he heard me, (Ps. 18:6.) it is that which annihilates, refines and perfects them; and finally, this is that which of earthly, makes souls heavenly, of Human, divine, transforming them and uniting them in an admirable manner with the Lord's humanity and divinity. It was well said by  St. Augustine, that the life of the soul, upon earth is temptation. Blessed is the soul which is always opposed, if it does constantly resist temptation. This is the means which the Lord makes use of to humble it, to annihilate it, to spend it, to mortify it, to deny it, to perfect it, and fill it with his divine gifts. By this means of tribulation and temptation he comes to crown and transform it. Persuade yourself that temptations and fightings are necessary for the soul, to make it perfect.

O blessed soul, if you know how to be constant and quiet in the fire of tribulation, and would but let yourself be washed with the bitter waters of affliction, how quickly would you find yourself rich in heavenly gifts; how soon would the divine bounty make a rich throne in your soul, and a goodly habitation for you to refresh and solace yourself in it!

Know that this Lord has his repose no where but in quiet souls, and in those in which the fire of tribulation and temptation has burnt up the dregs of passion, and the bitter water of afflictions has washed off the filthy spots of inordinate appetites; in a word, this Lord reposes not himself any where, but where quietness reigns, and self-love is banished.

But you will never arrive at this happy state, nor find in your soul the precious pledge of peace internal, although you have gotten the better of the external senses by the grace of God, until it become purified from the disordered passions of concupiscence, self-esteem,  desire and thoughts, how spiritual so ever, and many other interests and secret vices, which lie within the very soul of you, miserably hindering the peaceable entrance of that great Lord into it, who would be united and transformed with you.

The very virtues acquired, and not purified, are a hindrance to this great gift of the peace of the soul; and more, the soul is clogged by an inordinate desire of sublime gifts, by the appetite of feeling spiritual consolation, by sticking to infused and divine graces, entertaining itself in them, and desiring more of them, to enjoy them, and finally, by a desire of being great.

O how much is there to be purified in a soul that must arrive at the holy mountain of perfection, and of transformation with God! O how disposed, naked, denied, annihilated ought the soul to be, which would not hinder the entrance of this divine Lord into it, nor his continual communication.

This disposition of preparing the soul, in its bottom, for divine entrance, must of necessity be made by the divine wisdom. If a seraphim is not sufficient to purify the soul, how shall a soul that is frail, miserable and without experience, ever be able to purify itself?

Therefore the Lord himself will dispose you and prepare you passively by a way you understand not, with the fire of tribulation and inward torment, without any other disposition on your side, than a consent to the internal and external cross.

You will find within yourself a passive dryness, darkness, anguish, contradictions, continual resistance, inward desertions, horrible desolations, continual and strong suggestions, and vehement temptations of the enemy; finally, you will see yourself so afflicted, that you will not be able to lift up your heart, being full of sorrow and heaviness, nor do the least act of faith, hope or charity.

Here you will see yourself forlorn and subject to passions of impatience, anger, rage, swearing, and disordered appetites, seeming to yourself the most miserable creature, the greatest sinner in the world, the most abhorred of God, deprived and stripped of all virtue, with a pain like that of Hell, seeing yourself afflicted and desolate, to think that you have altogether lost God; this will be your cruel cutting and most bitter torment.

But though you shall see yourself so oppressed, seeming to yourself to be proud, impatient and wrathful; yet these temptations shall lose their force and power upon you, they shall have no place in your soul, by a secret virtue, the sovereign gift of inward strength, which rules in the in-most part of it, conquering the most frightening punishment and pain, and the strongest temptation.

Keep constant, O blessed soul, keep constant; for it will not be as you imagine, nor are you at any time nearer to God, than in such cases of desertion; for although the sun is hid in the clouds, yet it changes not its place, nor a jot the more loses its brightness. The Lord permits this painful desertion in your soul, to purge and polish you, to cleanse you and disrobe you of yourself; and that you may in this manner be all his, and give yourself wholly up to him, as his infinite bounty is entirely given to you, that you may be his delight; for although you do groan, and lament, and weep, yet he is joyful and glad in the most secret and hidden place of your soul.

This chapter is specifically referenced and linked from the discussions of  Tribulation to calm the fears that seeking God and encountering supernatural opposition is too strange and should be avoided, rather than be accepted as the suffering that God allows as part of his purification process ( a mini-Hell, commonly known as tribulation) on earth. The rest of the book is provided too. H.W.

CHAPTER V

How important and necessary it is, to the interior soul,
to suffer blind this first and spiritual martyrdom.

To the end that the soul of earthly may become heavenly, and may come to that greatest good of union with God, it is necessary for it to be purified in the fire of tribulation and temptation. And although it be true, and a known and approved maxim, That all those that serve the Lord, must suffer troubles, persecutions and tribulations; yet the happy souls which are guided by God, by the secret way of the interior walk, and of purgative meditation, must suffer above all, strong and horrible temptations and torments, more bitter than those wherewith the martyrs were crowned in the primitive church.

The martyrs, besides the shortness of their torment, which hardly endured days, were comforted, with a clear light and special help, in hope of the near and sure Rewards. But the desolate soul that must die in itself, and put off, and make clean its heart, seeing itself abandoned by God, surrounded by temptations, darkness, anguish, affliction, sorrows and rigid droughts, does taste of death every moment in its painful torment and tremendous desolation, without feeling the least comfort, with an affliction so great, that the pain of it seems nothing else but a death prolonged, and a continual martyrdom; wherein with great reason it may be said, that although there be many martyrs, yet there are few souls which follow Christ our Lord with peace and resignation in such torments.

Then it was men that martyred them; and God comforted their souls; but now it is God that afflicts and hides himself; and the devils, like cruel executioners, have a thousand ways to torment the soul and body, the whole man being crucified within and without.

Your sorrows will seem to you insuperable, and your afflictions past the power of comfort, and that heaven rains no more upon you; you will feel yourself encircled with griefs, and besieged with sorrows internal, from the darkness of your powers, from the weakness of discourses; strong temptations will afflict you, painful distrusts and troublesome scruples; no light and Judgment will forsake you.

All the creatures will give you trouble; spiritual counsels will bring you pain; the reading of books, how holy so ever, will not comfort you, as it used to do. If they speak to you of patience, they will exceedingly trouble you. The fear of losing God through your un-thankfulness and want of returns, will torment you to the soul; if you groan and beg help of God, you will find, instead of comfort, inward reproof and disfavor; like another Canaanite Woman, to whom he made no answer at first, and then treated her as the creature he was speaking of. Mat 15:22-28

And although at this time the Lord will not abandon you, because it would be impossible to live one moment without his help, yet the succor will be so secret that your soul will not know it, nor be capable of hope and consolation; no, it will seem to be without remedy; suffering, like condemned persons, the pains of Hell, and it would change them, as such, with a violent death, which would be a great comfort; but (like those) the end of those afflictions and bitterness will seem impossible.

But if you, O blessed soul, should know how much you are beloved and defended by that divine Lord, in the midst of your living torments, you would find them so sweet, that it would be necessary that God should work a miracle, to let you live. Be constant, O happy soul, be constant and of good courage; for however intolerable you are to yourself, yet you will be protected, enriched, and beloved by that greatest good, as if he had nothing else to do, than to lead you to perfection, by the highest steps of love; and if you do not turn away but persevere constantly, without leaving off your undertaking, know, that you offer to God the most accepted sacrifice; so, that if this Lord were capable of pain, he would find no ease until he has completed this loving union with your soul. Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship. Rom 12:1

If from the chaos of nothing, his omnipotence has produced so many wonders, what will he do in your soul, created after his own image and likeness, if you keep constant quiet, and resigned, with a true knowledge of your nothing? Happy soul, which, even when it is disturbed, afflicted and disconsolate, keeps steady there within, without fleeing to seek exterior comforts.

Afflict not yourself too much, and with inquietude, because these sharp martyrdoms may continue; persevere in humility, and go not out of yourself to seek aid; for all the good consists in being silent, suffering, and holding patience with rest and resignation. There will you find the divine strength to overcome so hard a warfare; he is within you that fight for you; and he is strength itself.

When you shall come to this painful state of fearful desolation, weeping and lamentation are not forbidden your soul, while in the upper part of it, it keeps resigned. Who can bear the Lord's heavy hand without tears and lamentation? That great champion Job, even he lamented; so did Christ our Lord, in his forsakings; but their weepings were accompanied with resignation.

Afflict not yourself, though God do crucify you and make trial of your fidelity; imitate the woman of Canaan, who being rejected and injured, did importune and persevere, humbling herself and following him, though she were treated as she was. It is necessary to drink the cup and not go back; if the scales were taken from your eyes, as they were from Paul's, you would see the necessity of suffering and glory, as he did; esteeming more the being crucified, than being an Apostle.

Your good luck consists not in enjoying, but in suffering with quiet and resignation. St. Teresa appeared after her death to a certain soul, and told it, that she had only been rewarded for her pain; but had not received one dram of reward for so many ecstasies and revelations and comforts that she had here enjoyed in this world.

Although this painful martyrdom of horrible desolation and passive purgation be so tremendous, that with reason it have gotten the name of Hell amongst mystic divines, (because it seems impossible to be able to live a moment with so grievous a torment; so that with great reason it may be said, that he that suffers it, lives dying, and dying lives a lingering death) yet know, that it is necessary to endure it, to arrive at the sweet, joyous and abundant riches of high meditation and loving union; and there has been no holy soul, which has not passed through this spiritual martyrdom and painful torment. St. Gregory the Pope, in the two last months of his life; St. Francis of Assize two years and a half; St. Mary Maudlin of Pazzi five years; St. Rose of Peru fifteen years; and after such miracles, as made the world amazed, St. Dominick suffered it even until half an hour of his happy exit.

CHAPTER VI

THE other more profitable and meritorious martyrdom in souls already advanced in perfection and deep meditation, is, a fire of divine love, which burns the soul and makes it painful with the same love; sometimes the absence of its beloved afflicts it; sometimes the sweet, ardent and welcome weight of the loving and divine presence torments it. This sweet martyrdom always makes it sigh sometimes if it enjoys and has its beloved, for the pleasure of having him; so that it cannot contain itself; other times, if he does not manifest himself, through the ardent anxiety of seeking, finding and enjoying him; all this is panting, suffering and dying for love.

O that you could but come to conceive the contrariety of accidents that an enamored soul suffers! the combat so terrible and strong on one side; so sweet and melting and amiable on the other! the martyrdom so piercing and sharp with which love torments it; and the cross so painful and sweet withal, without ever being in the mind of getting free from it while you live!

Just so much as light and love increases, just so much increases the grief in seeing that good absent, which it loves so well. To feel it near itself is enjoyment; and never to have done knowing and possessing, it, consumes its life; it has food and drink near its mouth, while it wants either, and cannot be satisfied; it sees itself swallowed up and drowned in a sea of love, while the powerful hand that is able to save it, is near it; and yet does not do it; nor does it know when he will come, who it so much does desire.

Sometimes it hears the inward voice of its beloved, which courts and calls it; and a soft and delicate whisper, which goes forth from the secret of the soul, where it abides, which pierces it strongly, even like to melt and dissolve it, in seeing how near it has him within itself, and yet how far off from it, while it cannot come to possess him. This intoxicates it, degrades it, scares it, and fills it with dissatisfaction; and therefore love is said to be as strong as death, while it kills just as that does.

CHAPTER VII

Inward mortification and perfect resignation
are necessary for obtaining internal peace.

THE most subtle arrow that is shot at us from nature, is, to induce us to that which is unlawful, with a pretence, that it may be necessary and useful. O how many souls have suffered themselves to be lead away, and have lost the spirit by this gilded cheat! You will never taste the delicious manna unless you do perfectly overcome yourself even to die in yourself; because he who endeavors not to die to his passions, is not well disposed to receive the gift of understanding, without the infusion whereof it is impossible for him to go in into himself and be changed in his Spirit; and therefore those that keep without having nothing of it.

Never disquiet yourself for any accident; for inquietude is the door by which the enemy gets into the soul to rob it of its peace.

Resign and deny yourself wholly; for though true self-denial is harsh at the beginning, it is easier in the middle and becomes most sweet in the end.

You will find yourself far from perfection, if you do not find God in everything.

Know that pure, perfect and essential love consists in the cross, in self-denial and resignation, in perfect humility, in poverty of spirit, and in a mean opinion of yourself.

In the time of strong temptation, desertion and desolation, it is necessary for you to get close into your center, that you may still only look at and contemplate God, who keeps his throne and his abode in the bottom of your soul.

You will find impatience and bitterness of heart to grow from the depth of sensible, empty and mortified love.

True love is known, with its effects, when the soul is profoundly humbled, and desires to be truly mortified and despised.

Many there be, who, however they have been dedicated to prayer, yet have no relish of God; because in the end of their prayers, they are neither mortified nor attend upon God any longer; for obtaining that peaceable and continual attending, it is necessary to get a great purity of mind and heart, great peace of soul, and an universal resignation.

To the simple and the mortified, the recreation of the senses is a sort of death. They never go to it, unless compelled by necessity and edification of their neighbors.

The bottom of our soul, you will know, is the place of our happiness. There the Lord shows us wonders. There we engulf and lose our selves in the immense ocean of his infinite goodness, in which we keep fixed and unmovable. There, there resides the incomparable fruition of our soul and that eminent and sweet rest of it. An humble and resigned soul, which is come to this bottom, seeks no more than merely to please God, and the holy and loving spirit teaches it everything with his sweet and enlivening unction.

Amongst the saints there are some gigantic ones, who continually suffer with patience indispositions of body, of which God takes great care. But high and sovereign is their gift, who by the strength of the Holy Ghost, suffer both internal and external crosses with content and resignation. This is that sort of holiness so much the more rare, as it is more precious in the sight of God. The spiritual ones, which walk this way, are rare; because there are few in the world, who do totally deny themselves, to follow Christ crucified, with simplicity and bareness of spirit, through the lonesome and thorny ways of the cross, without making reflections upon themselves.

A life of self-denial is above all the miracles of the saints; and it does not know whether it be alive or dead; lost or gained; whether it agrees or resists. This is the true resigned life. But although it should be a long time before you come to this state, and you should think not to have made one step towards it, yet affright not yourself at this, for God uses to bestow upon a soul that blessing in one moment, which was denied it for many years before.

He that desires to suffer blindfold, without the comfort of God or the creatures, is gotten too far onwards to be able to resist unjust accusations which his enemies make against him, even in the most dreadful and interior desolation.

The spiritual man that lives by God, and in him, is inwardly contented in the midst of his adversities; because the cross and affliction are his life and delight.

Tribulation is a great treasure, wherewith God honors those that be his, in this life. Therefore evil men are necessary for those that are good; and so are the devils themselves, which by afflicting us do try to ruin us; but instead of doing us harm, they do us the greatest good imaginable.

There must be tribulation to make a man's life acceptable to God; without it, it is like the body without the soul, the soul without grace, the earth without the Sun.

With the wind of tribulation God separates, in the floor of the soul, the chaff from the corn.

When God crucifies in the inmost part of the soul, no creature is able to comfort it; no, comforts are but grievous and bitter crosses to it. And if it be well-instructed in the laws and discipline of the ways of pure love, in the time of great desolation and inward troubles, it ought not to seek abroad among the creatures for comfort, nor lament itself with them, nor will it be able to read spiritual books; because this is a secret way of getting at a distance from suffering.

Those souls are to be pitied, who cannot find in their hearts to believe, that tribulation and suffering is their greatest blessing. They who are perfect ought always to be desirous of dying and suffering, being always in a state of death and suffering; vain is the man who does not suffer; because he is born to toil and suffering; but much more the friends and elect of God.

Undeceive yourself, and believe, that in order to your soul's being totally transformed with God, it is necessary for it to be lost and be denied in its life, sense, knowledge, and power; and to die living, and not think of living; dying, and not think of dying; suffering, and not think of suffering; resigning up, and not regard resigning up itself, without reflecting upon anything.

Perfection, in its followers, receives not its glories but by fire and martyrdom, griefs, torments, punishments and contempt, suffered and endured with gallantry and courage; and he that would have some place to set his feet on and rest himself, and does not go beyond the reason of reason and of sense, will never get into the secret cabinet of knowledge, though by reading he may chance to get a taste and relish the understanding of it.

CHAPTER VIII

Pursues the Same Matter.

YOU must know, that the Lord will not manifest himself in your soul, until it is denied in itself, and dead in its senses and powers; nor will it ever come to this state, until being perfectly resigned, it resolves to be with God all alone; making an equal account of gifts and contempts, light and darkness, peace and war. In sum, that the soul may arrive at perfect quietness and supreme internal peace, it ought first to die in itself, and live only in God and for him; and the more dead it shall be in itself, the more shall it know God; but if it does not mind this continual denying of itself and internal mortification, it will never arrive at this state, nor preserve God within it; and then it will be continually subject to accidents and passions of the mind, such as are judging, murmuring, resenting, excusing, defending, to keep its honor and reputation, which are enemies to perfection, peace, and the Spirit.

Know that the diversity of states among those that are spiritual, consists only in dying all alike; but in the happy, which die continually, God has his honor, his blessing and delights here below.

Great is the difference which is between doing, suffering, and dying; doing is delightful and belongs to beginners; suffering, with desire, belongs to those who are proficient; dying always in themselves, belongs to those who are accomplished and perfect; of which number there are very few in the world.

How happy will you be, if you have no other thought, but to die in yourself! You will then become not only victorious over your enemies, but also over yourself; in which victory you will certainly find pure love, perfect peace, and divine wisdom.

It is impossible for a man to be able to think and live mystically in a simple understanding of the divine and infused wisdom, if he does not first die in himself by the total denying of sense, and the reasonable appetite.

The true lesson of the spiritual man, and that which you ought to learn, is, to leave all things in their place, and not meddle with any, but what your office may bind you to; because the soul which leaves everything to find God, does then begin to have all in the eternity it seeks.

Some souls there are, who seek freedom from stress; others without seeking have the pleasure of it; others have a pleasure in pain; and others seek the pain. The first do as good as nothing; the second are in the way towards it; the third run, and the last fly.

The disesteem of delights, and the counting of them torment, is the property of a truly mortified man.

Enjoyment and internal peace are the fruits of the Spirit divine; and no man gets them into his possession, if in the closet of his soul he is not a resigned man.

You see that the displeasures of the good pass presently away; but for all that, endeavor never to have them, nor to stop in them; for they damn your health, disturb your reason, and disquiet your spirit.

Amongst other holy counsels which you must observe, remember well this that follows. Look not upon other men's faults, but your own; keep silence with a continued internal conversation; mortify yourself in all things and at all hours, and by this means you will get free from many imperfections, and make yourself commander of great virtues.

Mortify yourself in not judging ill of anybody at any time; because the suspicion of your neighbor disturbs the purity of heart, discomposes it, brings the soul out and takes away its repose.

Never will you have perfect resignation, if you mind human respects, and reflect upon the little idol of what people say. The soul that goes by the inward way, will soon lose itself, if once it come to look at reason amongst the creatures, and in commerce and conversation with them. There is no other reason, than not to look at reason; but to imagine that God permits grievances to fall on us, to humble and annihilate us and make us live wholly resigned.

Behold how God makes greater account of a soul that lives internally resigned, than of another that does miracles, even to the raising of the dead.

Many souls there are, which, though they exercise prayer, yet because they are not mortified, are always imperfect and full of self-love.

Hold it for a true maxim, that no body can do a grievance or injury to a soul despised by itself, and one that is nothing in its own account.

Finally, be of hope, suffer, be silent, and patient; let nothing affright you; all of it will have a time to end. God only is he that is unchangeable; patience brings a man in everything. He that has God, has all things; and he that has him not, has nothing.

CHAPTER IX

For the obtaining of internal peace,
it is necessary for the soul to know its misery.

If the soul should not fall into some faults, it would never come to understand its own misery, though it hears men speak and reads spiritual books; nor can it ever obtain precious peace, if it does not first know its own miserable weakness; because there the remedy is difficult, where there is no clear knowledge of the defect. God will allow in you sometimes one fault, sometimes another, that by this knowledge of yourself, seeing yourself so often fallen, you may still believe that you are a mere nothing; in which knowledge and belief true peace and perfect humility is founded; and that you may still the better search into your mystery and see what you are, I will try to undeceive you in some of your manifold imperfections.

You are so quick and nice, that maybe if you were to simply trip as you walk or find your way disturbed, you would feel even Hell itself; or if you are denied what you expect or your pleasure opposed, you immediately react with resentment. If you spy a fault in your neighbor, instead of pitying him, and thinking that you yourself are liable to the same failing, you indiscreetly reprove him. If you see something useful to you and and cannot possess it, you grow sad and full of sorrow; if you receive a slight injury from your neighbor, you quarrel with him and complain about it. So that for any minor inconvenience, you are inwardly and outwardly agitated and loose yourself, [you have no control of you emotions].

You would show sorrow, providing the other person is patient with you; but if they are impatient, you lay the fault with much pains upon your companion, without considering, that you are the intolerant one yourself; and when the deep spite is over, you cunningly return to make yourself virtuous, giving documents and relating spiritual sayings with skillful wit, thereby avoiding mending your past faults. Although you do willingly condemn yourself, reproving your faults before others, yet you this do more to justify yourself with those who can see your faults,  so that you may still return again afresh to the former esteem of yourself, than through any effect of perfect humility, [false humility].

Other times you do subtly allege that it is not an error to be zealous for justice, that your complaints of your neighbor are for the most part virtuous, constant, and courageous, even to the giving up your life into the tyrant's hand, solely for the sake of divine love; yet you can scarcely hear the least word of anger without immediately being afflicted, troubled, and disturbed from any peace yourself. These are all industrious engines of self-love and the secret pride of your soul. Know therefore that self-love reigns in you, and that self-love is the greatest hindrance from purchasing this precious peace.

CHAPTER X

In which is showed and discovered what is the false humility,
and what the true; with the effects of them.

You must know that there are two sorts of humility; one false and counterfeit, the other true. The false one is theirs, who, like water which must mount upward, receive an external fall and artificial submission, to rise up again immediately. These avoid esteem and honor, so they appear to be humble; they say of themselves, that they are very evil, so that they may be thought good; and though they know their own misery, yet they are loath that others should know it. This is false humility, and pretended, and nothing but secret pride.

Those who have the true humility have gotten a perfect habit of it; these never think of it, but judge humbly of themselves; they do things with courage and patience; they live and die in God; they have no regard for themselves or the things of this world; they are constant and quiet in all things; they suffer disturbance with joy, desiring more of it, that they may imitate their dear and despised Jesus; they want to be thought little of and even mocked by the world; they are content with whatever God allots them, and are convinced of their faults with a pleasing shame. They are not humbled by the counsel of reason, but by the desire of the will. There is no honor that they seek, no injury to disturb them, no trouble to agitate them, and no prosperity to make them proud; because they are always immovable in their nothingness, and dwell within themselves in absolute peace.

And that you may be acquainted with interior and true humility, know, that it does not consist in external acts, in taking the lowest place, in going poor in clothes, in speaking submissively, in shutting the eyes, in affectionate sighing, nor in condemning your ways, calling yourself miserable, to give others to understand that you are humble. It consists only in the contempt of yourself, and the desire to be despised, with a low and profound knowledge, without concerning yourself, whether you are esteemed humble or not, though an angel should reveal such a thing to you.

The torrent of light by which the Lord with his graces enlightens the soul, does two things: 1) it discovers the greatness of God, and 2) at the same time the soul knows its own stench and misery; so much so, that no tongue is able to express the depth in which it is overwhelmed. It desires everyone to know of its humility, and it is so far from vain-glory and complacency that it sees the grace of God to be the mere goodness of him, and nothing but his mercy, with which God is pleased to take pity on it.

You shall never be hurt by men or devils, but by yourself, your own proper pride, and the violence of your passions; take heed of yourself, for you of yourself, are the greatest devil of all to yourself.

Have no mind to be esteemed because when God was made flesh, he was called fool, drunkard, and said to have a devil. Oh the folly of Christians! Folly that we should be willing to enjoy happiness, without being willing to imitate Him on the cross, in reproaches, humility, poverty, and in other virtues!

The truly humble man is at rest and ease in his heart; there he stands the trial of God, and men, and the devil himself, above all reason and discretion, possessing himself in peace and quietness, looking for, with all humility, the pure pleasure of God, as well in life as death. Things without do no more disquiet him, than if they never happened. The cross to him, and even death itself, are delights, though he makes no such show outwardly of it. But oh! Who do we speak of? For there are few of these sort of humble men in the whole world!

Hope, desire, suffer, and die without anyone knowing it; for thus consists the humble and perfect love. Oh how much peace will you find in your soul, if you would profoundly humble yourself, and even embrace contempt!

You will never be perfectly humble, though you know your own misery, unless you desire that all men should know it; then you will avoid praises, embrace injuries, despise everything, that makes a fair show, even to your own self; and if any tribulation comes upon you, blame none for it; but judge that it comes from God's hand, as the giver of every good.

If you would bear your neighbors faults, cast your eyes upon your own; and if you think to yourself, that you have made any progress in perfection by yourself, know that you are not humble at all, nor have yet made one step in the way of the Spirit.

The degrees of humility, are the qualities of a body in the grave; that is, to be in the lowest place, buried like one that's dead, to stink, and be corrupted to itself, to be dust, and nothing in ones own account; finally, if you would be blessed, learn to despise yourself, and to be despised by others.

CHAPTER XI

Maxims to know a simple, humble, and true heart.

Encourage yourself to be humble, embracing tribulations as instruments of your good; rejoice in contempt, and desire that God may be your only refuge, comfort and protector.

None, though he be ever so great in this world, can be greater than he that is in the eye and favor of God; and therefore the truly humble man despises whatever there is in the world, even to himself, and puts his only trust and repose in God.

The truly humble man suffers quietly and patiently internal troubles, and he is the man that makes great way in a little time, like one that sails before the wind.

The truly humble man finds God in all things; so that whatever contempt, injury or affront comes to him by means of the creatures, he receives it with great peace and internal quiet, as sent from the divine hand; and he greatly loves the instrument with which the Lord tries him.

He has not yet arrived at the profound humility that is taken with praise, though he does not desire it, nor seek it, but rather avoids it; because, to an humble heart, praises are bitter crosses, although it remains wholly quiet and immovable.

He has no internal humility who does not abhor himself, with a mortal, but a peaceable and quiet hatred withal. But he will never come to possess this treasure, who does not have a low and profound knowledge of his own vileness, rottenness, and misery.

He that  relies on excuses and replies, has not a simple and humble heart, especially if he does this with his superiors; because replies grow from a secret pride that reigns in the soul; and from there grows the total ruin of it.

Perfidiousness supposes little submission, and submission less humility; and both together, they are the fuel of unquietness, discord, and disturbance.

The humble heart is not disquieted by imperfections, though these do grieve it to the soul; because they are against its loving Lord; nor is he concerned that he cannot do great things; for he always stands in his own nothing and misery; no, he wonders at himself, that he can do anything of virtue, and presently thanks the Lord for it, with a true knowledge that it is God that does all, and remains dissatisfied with what he does himself.

The truly humble man, though he see all, yet he looks upon nothing to judge it, because he judges ill only of himself.

The truly humble man does always find an excuse to defend Him that mortifies him, at least in a sound intention. Who therefore would be angry with a man of good intention?

So much, (no more), does false humility displease God, as true pride does; because that is hypocrisy besides.

The truly humble man, though everything falls out contrary to him, is neither disquieted nor afflicted at it; because he is prepared, and thinks he deserves no less; he is not disquieted under troublesome thoughts, with which the devil seeks to torment him, nor under temptations, tribulations and desertions, but rather acknowledges his unworthiness, and is appreciative that the Lord chastises him by the devil's means, though he is a vile instrument; all he suffers seems nothing to him, and he never does a thing that he thinks worth any great matter.

He who has arrived at perfect and inward humility, although he is disturbed at nothing, as one who abhors himself, because he knows his imperfection in everything, his ingratitude and his misery, yet he suffers a great cross in enduring himself. This is the sign by which to know true humility of heart. But the happy soul, which has gotten to this holy hatred of itself, lives overwhelmed, drowned and swallowed up in the depth of its own nothing; out of which the Lord raises him by communicating divine wisdom to him, and filling him with light, peace, tranquility, and love.

CHAPTER XII

Inward solitude is that which chiefly brings a man
to the purchase of internal peace.

KNOW that although exterior solitude does much assist for the obtaining internal peace, yet the Lord did not mean this, when he spoke by his Prophet,  ( Hos. 2.14.) I will bring her into solitude, and speak privately to her.  But he meant the interior solitude, which jointly conduces to the obtaining the precious jewel of peace internal. Internal solitude consists in the forgetting all the creatures, in disengaging ones self from them, in a perfect nakedness of all the affections, desires, thoughts, and ones own will. This is the true solitude where the soul reposes with a sweet and inward serenity in the arms of its greatest good.

O what infinite room is there in a soul that is arrived at this divine solitude! O what inward, what retired, what secret, what spacious, what vast distances are there within a happy soul that has once come to be truly solitary! There the Lord converses and communicates himself, inwardly with the soul. There he fills it with himself, because it is empty; clothes it with light, and with his love, because it is naked; lifts it up, because it is low; and unites it with himself, and transforms it, because it is alone.

O delightful solitude, and giver of eternal blessings! O mirror, in which the eternal Father is always beheld! There is great reason to call you solitude; for you are so much alone, that there is scarce a soul that looks after you, that loves and knows you. O divine Lord! How is it that souls do not go from earth to this Glory! How come they to lose so great a good, through the love and desire of created things! Blessed soul, how happy will you be, if you do but leave all for God! Seek him only, breathe after none but him, let him only have your sighs. Desire nothing, and then nothing can trouble you; and if you do desire any good, however spiritual it is, let it be in such a manner, that you may not be disquieted, if you miss it.

With this liberty, if you will give your soul to God, taken off from the world, free and alone, you will be the happiest creature upon earth; because the most high has his secret habitation in this holy solitude; in this desert and paradise, is enjoyed the conversation of God, and it is only in this internal Retirement that that marvelous, powerful and divine voice is heard.

If you would enter into this heaven of earth, forget every care and every thought; get out of yourself, that the love of God may live in your soul.

Live as much as ever you can, abstracted from the creatures; dedicate yourself wholly to your creator, and offer yourself in sacrifice with peace and quietness of Spirit. Know, that the more the soul disrobes itself, the more way it makes into this interior solitude, and becomes clothed with God, and the more lonesome and empty of itself the soul gets to be, the more the divine Spirit fills it.

There is not a more blessed life than a solitary one; because in this happy life, God gives himself all to the creature, and the creature all to God by an intimate and sweet union of love. O how few are there that come to relish this true solitude!

To make the soul truly solitary, it ought to forget all the creatures, and even itself; otherwise it will never be able to make any near approach to God. Many men leave and forsake all things, but they do not leave their own liking, their own will, and themselves; and therefore these truly solitary ones are so few; therefore if the soul does not get off from its own appetite and desire, from its own will, from spiritual gifts, and from repose even in the Spirit itself, it never can arrive at this high felicity of internal solitude.

Go on, blessed soul! Go on, without stop, towards this blessedness of internal solitude. See how God calls you to enter into your inward center, where he will renew you, change you, fill you, clothe you, and show you a new and heavenly Kingdom, full of joy, peace, content and serenity.

CHAPTER XIII

In which is showed what infused and passive meditation, is,
and its wonderful effects.

You must know, that when once the soul is habited to internal recollection, and acquired meditation, that we have spoken of; when once it is mortified, and desires wholly to be denied its appetites; when once it efficaciously embraces internal and external mortification, and is willing to die heartily to its passions and its own ways, then God takes it alone by itself, and raise it more than it knows, to a complete repose, where he sweetly and inwardly infuses in it his light, his love and his strength, enkindling and inflaming it with a true disposition to all manner of virtue.

There the divine spouse, suspending its powers, puts it to sleep in a most sweet and pleasant rest. There it sleeps, and quietly receives and enjoys (without knowing it ) what it enjoys, with a most lovely and charming calm. There the soul raised and lifted up to this passive state, becomes united to its greatest good, without costing it any trouble or pains for this union. There in that supreme region, and sacred temple of the soul, that greatest good takes its complacency, manifests itself, and creates a relish from the creature, in a way above sense and all human understanding. There also only the pure Spirit, who is God, (the purity of the soul being incapable of sensible things) rules it, and gets the mastership of it, communicating to it its illustrations, and those sentiments which are necessary for the most pure and perfect union.

The soul coming to itself again from these sweet and divine embracings, becomes rich in light and love, and a mighty esteem of the divine greatness, and the knowledge of its own misery, finding itself all changed divinely, and disposed to embrace, to suffer, and to practice perfect virtue.

A simple, pure, infused, and perfect meditation, therefore is a known and inward manifestation which God gives of himself, of his goodness, of his peace, of his sweetness, whose object is God, pure, unspeakable, abstracted from all particular thoughts, within an inward silence; but it is God that delights us, God that draws us, God that sweetly raises us in a spiritual and pure manner, an admirable gift, which the divine majesty bestows to whom he will, as he will, and when he will, and for what time he will, though the state of this life be rather a state of the cross of patience, of humility, and of suffering, than of enjoying.

Never will you enjoy this divine nectar, until you are advanced in virtue and inward mortification; until you do heartily endeavor to fix in your soul a great peace, silence, forgetfulness and internal solitude. How is it possible to hear the sweet, inward and powerful voice of God in the midst of the noise and tumults of the creatures? And how can the pure spirit be heard in the midst of considerations and discourses of artifice? If the soul will not continually die in itself, denying itself to all these materialisms and satisfactions, the meditation can be no more but a mere vanity, a vain complacency and presumption.

CHAPTER XIV

Pursues the Same Matter.

GOD does not always communicate himself with equal abundance in this sweetest and infused meditation. Sometimes he grants this grace more than he does at other times; and sometimes he expects not that the soul should be so dead and denied, because this gift being his mere grace, he gives it when he pleases, and as he pleases; so that no general rule can be made of it, nor any rate set to his divine greatness; no, by means of this very meditation he comes to deny it to annihilate and die.

Sometimes the Lord gives greater light to the understanding; sometimes greater love to the will. There is no need here for the soul to take any pains or trouble; it must receive what God gives it, and rest united, as he will have it; because His Majesty is Lord, and in the very time that he lays it asleep, he possesses and fills it, and works in it powerfully and sweetly, without any industry or knowledge of its own; insomuch, that before ever it is aware of this so great mercy, it is gained, convinced, and changed already.

The soul which is in this happy state, has two things to avoid, the activity of human spirit, and interestedness. Our human spirit is unwilling to die in itself, but loves to be doing and discoursing after its way, being in love with its own actions. A man has need to have a great fidelity, and a divesting himself of selfishness, to get a perfect and passive capacity of the divine influences; the continual habits of operating freely, which it has, are a hindrance to its annihilation.

The second is interestedness in meditation itself. You must therefore procure in your soul a perfect divesting of all which is not God, without seeking any other end or interest, within or without, but the divine will.

In a word, the manner that you must use, on your part, to fit yourself for this pure, passive, and perfect prayer, is a total and absolute consignment of yourself into the hands of God, with a perfect submission to his most holy will, to be busied according to his pleasure and disposition, with a perfect resignation.

You must know, that few are the souls which arrive at this infused and passive prayer; because few of them are capable of these divine influences with a total nakedness and death of their own activity and powers; those only which feel it, know it so, that this perfect nakedness is acquired (by the help of God's grace) by a continual and inward mortification, dying to all its own inclinations and desires.

At no time must you look at the effects which are wrought in your soul, but especially herein; because it would be a hindrance to the divine operations, which enrich it, so to do; all that you have to do is to pant after indifference, resignation, forgetfulness, and, without your being sensible of it; the greatest good will leave in your soul a fit disposition for the practice of virtue, a true love of the cross, of your own contempt, of your annihilation, and greater and stronger desires still of your greater perfection, and the most pure and affective union.

CHAPTER XV

Of the two means, whereby the soul ascends up to infused meditation,
with the explication of what and how many the steps of it are. 

THE means whereby the soul ascends to the felicity of meditation and affective love, are two; the pleasure, and the desires of it. God at first fills the soul with sensible pleasures; because it is so frail and miserable, that, without this preventive consolation, it cannot take wing towards the fruition of heavenly things. In this first step it is disposed by contrition, and is exercised in repentance, meditating upon the Redeemer's passion, rooting out diligently all worldly desires and vicious courses of life; because the Kingdom of Heaven suffers violence, and the faint-heart, the delicate never conquer it, but those that use violence and force with themselves.

The second is the desires. The more the things of heaven are delighted in, the more they are desired; and from these ensue spiritual pleasures, desires of enjoying heavenly and divine blessings, and contempt of worldly ones. From these desires arises the inclination of following Christ our Lord, who said, I am the way, (John 14:6); the steps of his imitation, by which a man must go up, are charity, humility, meekness, patience, poverty, self-contempt, the cross, prayer, and mortification.

The steps of infused meditation are three. The first is satiety. When the soul is filled with God, it conceives a hatred to all worldly things; then it is quiet and satisfied only with divine love.

The second is intoxication. And this step is an excess of mind, and an elevation of soul, arising from divine love and satiety of it.

The third is security. This step turns out all fear. The soul is so drenched with love divine, and resigned up in such a manner to the divine good pleasure, that it would go willingly to Hell, if it did but know it so to be the will of the Most High. In this step it feels such a certain bond of the divine union, that it seems to it an impossible thing, to be separated from its beloved, and his infinite treasure.

There are six other steps of meditation, which are these, fire, unction, elevation, illumination, pleasure, and repose. With the first the soul is enkindled, and being enkindled, is anointed; being anointed, is raised; being raised, contemplates; contemplating, it receives pleasure; and receiving pleasure, it finds repose. By these steps the soul rises higher, being abstracted and experienced in the spiritual and internal way.

In the first step, which is fire, the soul is illustrated, by the means of a divine and ardent ray, in kindling the affections divine, and drying up those which are but human. The second is the unction, which is a sweet and spiritual liquor, which diffusing itself all the soul over, teaches it, strengthens it, and disposes it to receive and contemplate the divine truth; and sometimes it extends even to nature itself, corroborating it by patience, with a sensible pleasure that seems celestial.

The third is the elevation of the inner man over itself, that it may get fittest to the clear fountain of pure love.

The fourth step, which is illumination, is an infused knowledge, whereby the soul contemplates sweetly the divine truth, rising still from one clearness to another, from one light to another, from knowledge to knowledge, being guided by the Spirit divine.

The fifth is a savoury pleasure of the divine sweetness, issuing forth from the plentiful and precious fountain of the Holy Ghost.

The sixth is a sweet and admirable tranquility, arising from the conquest of fightings within, and frequent prayer; and this, very, very few have experience of. Here the abundance of joy, and peace is so great, that the soul seems to be in a sweet sleep, solacing and reposing itself in the divine breast of love.

Many other steps of meditation there are, as ecstasies, raptures, melting, deliriums, glee, kisses, embraces, exultation, union, transformation, espousing, and matrimony, which I omit to explain, to give no occasion to speculation. And because there are whole books which treat of these points; though they are all for him who finds nothing of them, any more than a blind man does of color, or a deaf man of music. In a word, by these steps we get up to the chamber and repose of the pacific King and the true Solomon.

CHAPTER XVI

Signs to know the Inner man, and the mind that is Purged.

THE signs to know the inner man by, are four. The first, if the understanding produce not other thoughts than those which stir up to the light of faith; and the will is so habituated, that it begets no other acts of love than of God, and in order to him. The second, if, when he ceases from an external work, in which he was employed, the understanding and the will are presently and easily turned to God. The third, if in entering upon prayer, he forgets all outward things, as if he had not seen nor used them. The fourth, if he carries himself orderly towards outward things, as if he were entering into the world again, fearing to embroil himself in business, and naturally abhorring it, unless when charity requires it of him.

Such a soul as this is free from the outward man, and easily enters into the interior solitude, where it sees none but God and itself in him; loving him with quiet and peace and true love. There in that secret center, God is kindly speaking to it, teaching it a new Kingdom, and true peace and joy.

This spiritual, abstracted and retired soul has its peace no more broken, though outwardly it may meet with combats; because through the infinite distance, tempests do never reach to that serenest heaven within, where pure and perfect love resides; and though sometimes it may be naked, forsaken, fought against and desolate, this is only the fury of the storm, which threatens and rages no where but without.

This secret love within, has four effects. The first is called illumination, which is a savory and experimental knowledge of the greatness of God, and of its own nothing. The second is inflammation, which is an ardent desire of being burnt, like the salamander, in this kind and divine fire. The third is sweetness, which is a peaceable, joyful, sweet and intimate fruition. The fourth, is a swallowing up of the powers in God; by which immersion the soul is so much drenched and filled with God, that it can't any longer seek, or will anything, but its greatest and infinite good.

From this fullest satiety, two effects arise. The first is, a great courage to suffer for God. The second is, a certain hope or assurance that it can never lose him, nor be separated from him.

Here in this internal retirement, the beloved Jesus has his paradise, to whom we may go up, standing and conversing on the earth. And if you desire to know who he is, who is altogether drawn to this inward retirement, with enlightened exemplification in God, I tell you, it is he that in adversity, in discomfort of Spirit, and in the want of necessities stands firm and unshaken. These constant and inward souls are outwardly naked and wholly diffused in God, whom they continually do contemplate. They have no spot; they live in God and of himself; they shine brighter than a thousand Suns; they are beloved by the Son of God; they are the darlings of God the Father, and elect spouses of the Holy Ghost.

By three signs is a mind that is purged, to be known, as St. Thomas says in a treatise of his. The first sign is diligence, which is a strength of mind, which banishes all neglect and sloth, that it may be disposed with earnestness and confidence to the pursuit of virtue. The second is severity; which likewise is a strength of mind against concupiscence, accompanied with an ardent love of roughness, vileness and holy poverty. The third is benignity and sweetness of mind, which drives away all rancor, envy, aversion and hatred against ones neighbor.

Until the mind is purged, the affection purified, the memory naked, the understanding brightened, the will denied and set a fire, the soul can never arrive at the intimate and affective union with God, and therefore because the Spirit of God is purity itself, and light and rest, the soul, where he intends to make his abode, must have great purity, peace, attention and quiet. Finally the precious gift of a purged mind, those only have, who with continual diligence do seek love and retain it, and desire to be reputed the most vile in the world.

CHAPTER XVII

Of Divine Wisdom.

Divine wisdom is an intellectual and infused knowledge of the divine perfections and things eternal; which ought rather to be called meditation than speculation; science is acquired and begets the knowledge of nature; wisdom is infused and begets the knowledge of the divine goodness. That desires to know what is not to be attained unto without pains and sweat. This desires not to know what it does know, although it understands it all. In a word, the men who are scientific entertain themselves in the knowledge of the things of the world; and the wise live swallowed up in God himself.

Reason enlightened in the wise is a high and simple elevation of Spirit, whereby he sees, with a clear and sharp sight all that is inferior to him, and what concerns his life and estate. This is that which renders the soul simple, illustrated, uniform, spiritual, and altogether introverted, and abstracted from every created thing. This moves and draws away with a sweet violence, the hearts of the humble and teachable, filling them with abundance of sweetness, peace, and pleasantness. Finally, the wise man says of it, that it brought him all good things at once.

You must know, that the greatest part of men lives by opinion, and judges according to the deceivableness of imagination and sense; but the man that's wise judges of everything according to the real verity, which is in it; whose business is to understand, conceive, penetrate into, and transcend every created being, even to himself.

It is a great property of a wise man to do much and say little.

Wisdom is discovered in the works and words of the wise; because he being absolute master of all his passions, motions, and affections is known in all his doings, like a quiet and still water, in which wisdom shines with clearness.

The understanding of mystical truths is secret and shut up from men who are purely scholastic, unless they be humble; because it is the science of saints, and none know it but those which heartily love and seek their own contempt. Therefore the souls, who by embracing this means, get to be purely mystical and truly humble, dive even to the profoundest apprehensions of the divinity; and the more sensually men do live according to flesh and blood, the greater distance are they at from this mystical science.

Ordinarily it is seen that in the man which has much scholastic and speculative knowledge, divine wisdom does not predominate; yet they make an admirable composition, when they both meet together. The men of learning, who by God's mercy have attained to this mystic science, are worthy of veneration and praise in religion.

The external actions of the mystical and wise, which they do rather passively than actively, though, they are a great torment to them, yet are ordered prudently by them, by number, weight, and measure.

The sermons of men of learning, who want the Spirit, though they are made up of divers stories, elegant descriptions, acute discourses, and exquisite proofs, yet are by no means the word of God; but the word of men, plated over with false gold. These preachers spoil Christians, feeding them with wind and vanity, and so they are, both of them, void of God.

These teachers feed their hearers with the wind of hurtful subtleties, giving them stones instead of bread, leaves instead of fruit, and unsavory earth mixed with poisoned honey instead of true food. These are they that hunt after honor, raising up an idol of reputation and applause, instead of seeking God's glory, and the spiritual edification of men.

Those that preach with zeal and sincerity, preach for God. Those that preach without them, preach for themselves. Those that preach the word of God with spirit, makes it take impression in the heart; but those that preach it without spirit, carry it no farther than to the ear.

Perfection does not consist in teaching it, but in doing it; because he is neither the greatest saint, nor the wisest man, that knows the truth most, but he that practices it.

It is a constant maxim, that divine wisdom begets humility; and that which is acquired by the learned, begets pride.

Holiness does not consist in forming deep and subtle conceits of the knowledge and attributes of God, but in the love of God, and in self-denial. Therefore it is more frequently observed, that holiness is more amongst the simple, and humble, than among the learned. How many poor old women are there in the world, which have little or nothing of human science, but are rich in the love of God! How many divines do we see that are over head and ears in their vain wisdom, and yet very bare in things of true light and charity!

Remember that it is always good to speak like one that learns, and not like one that knows; count it a greater honor to be reputed a mere ignoramus, than a man of wisdom and prudence.

However, the learned, who are purely speculative, have some little sparks of Spirit, yet these do not fly out from the simple bottom of eminent and divine wisdom, which has a mortal hatred to forms and specious. The mixing of a little science is always a hindrance to the eternal, profound, pure, simple, and true wisdom.

CHAPTER XVIII

Treating of the Same.

THERE are two ways which lead to the knowledge of God. The one remote, the other near. The first is called speculation; the second, meditation. The learned, who follow scientific speculation by the sweetness of sensible discourses, get up to God by this means, as well as they can, that by this help they may be able to love him. But none of those who follow that way which they call scholastic, ever arrives by that only, to the mystical way, or to the excellence of union, transformation, simplicity, light, peace, tranquility and love, as he does, who is brought by the divine grace by the mystical way of meditation.

These men of learning, who are merely scholastic, don't know what the Spirit is, nor what it is to be lost in God; nor are they come yet to the taste of the sweet ambrosia which is in the inmost depth and bottom of the soul, where it keeps its throne, and communicates itself with incredible, intimate and delicious affluence; no, some there are which do even condemn this mystical science, because they neither do understand nor relish it.

The divine who does not taste the sweetness of meditation, has no other reason to give for it, but because he enters not by the gate which St. Paul points to, when he says, Let no man deceive himself. If any man among you seems to be wise in this world, let him become a fool, that he may be wise. ( 1 Cor 3:18 ). If any one among you seem to himself to be wise, let him become a fool that he may be wise; let him show his humility by reputing himself ignorant.

It is a general rule; and also a maxim in mystic theology, that the practice ought to be gotten before the theory. That there ought to be some experimental exercise of supernatural meditation, before the search of the knowledge, and an inquiry after the full apprehension of it.

Although the mystical science does commonly belong to the humble and simple, yet notwithstanding that, men of learning are not incapable of it, if they do not seek themselves nor set any great value upon their own artificial knowledge; but more, if they can forget it, as if they never had it, and only make use of it, in its own proper place and time, for preaching and disputing when their turn comes, and afterwards give their minds to the simple and naked meditation of God, without form, figure or consideration.

The study, which is not ordered for God's glory only, is but a short way to Hell; not through the study, but the wind of pride, which begets it. Miserable is the greatest part of men at this time, whose only study is to satisfy the unsatisfiable curiosity of nature.

Many seek God and find him not; because they are more moved by curiosity than sincere, pure and upright intention. They rather desire spiritual comforts than God himself; and as they seek him not with truth, they neither find God nor spiritual pleasures.

He that does not endeavor the total denying of himself, will not be truly abstracted; and so can never be capable of the truth and the light of the Spirit. To go towards the mystical science, a man must never meddle with things which are without, but with prudence, and in that which his office calls him to. Rare are men who set a higher price upon hearing than speaking. But the wise and purely mystical man never speaks but when he cannot help it; nor does he concern himself in anything but what belongs to his office, and then he carries himself with great prudence.

The Spirit of divine wisdom fills men with sweetness, governs them with courage, and enlightens those with excellence who are subject to its direction. Where the divine Spirit dwells, there is always simplicity and a holy liberty. But craft and double-mindedness, fiction, artifices, policy and worldly respects, are Hell itself to wise and sincere men.

Know that he who would attain to the mystical science, must be denied and taken off from five things: 1) From the creatures, 2) From temporal things, 3) From the very gifts of the Holy Ghost, 4) From himself, and 5) He must be lost in God. This last is the most complete of all; because that soul only that knows how to be so taken off, is that which attains to being lost in God, and only knows where to be in safety.

God is more satisfied with the affection of the heart, than that of worldly science. It is one thing to cleanse the heart of all that which captivates and pollutes it, and another to do a thousand things, though good and holy, without minding that purity of heart which is the main of all for attaining of divine wisdom.

Never will you get to this sovereign and divine wisdom, if you have not strength, when God cleanses you in his own time, not only of your adherence to temporal and natural blessings, but further, to supernatural and sublime ones, such as internal communications, ecstasies, raptures, and other gratuitous graces, whereon the soul rests and entertains itself.

Many souls come short of arriving to quiet meditation, to divine wisdom and true knowledge, notwithstanding that they spend many hours in prayer, and receive the sacrament every day; because they do not subject and submit themselves wholly and entirely to him that has light, nor deny and conquer themselves, nor give up themselves totally to God, with a perfect divesting and disinteresting of themselves. In a word, until the soul be purified in the fire of inward pain, it will never get to a state of renovation, of transformation, of perfect meditation, of divine wisdom and affective union.

CHAPTER XIX

Of true and perfect annihilation.

You must know that all this fabric of annihilation has its foundation but in two principles. The first is, to keep ones self and all worldly things in a low esteem and value; from where the putting in practice of this self-divesting, and of self-renunciation and forsaking all created things, must have its rise, and that with the affection, and in deed.

The second principle must be a great esteem of God, to love, adore and follow him without the least interest of ones own, let it be never so holy. From these two principles will arise a full conformity to the divine will. This powerful and practical conformity to the divine will in all things, leads the soul to annihilation and transformation with God, without the mixture of raptures, or external ecstasies, or vehement affections. This way being liable to many illusions, with the danger of weakness and anguish of the understanding, by which path there is seldom any that gets up to the top of perfection, which is acquired by the other safe, firm and real way, though not without a weighty cross; because therein the highway of annihilation and perfection is founded; which is seconded by many gifts of light and divine effects, and infinite other graces, yet the soul that is annihilated must be unclothed of it all, if it would not have them be a hindrance to it in its way to deification.

As the soul makes continual progress from its meanness, it ought to walk on to the practice of annihilation, which consists in the abhorring of honor, dignity and praise; there being no reason that dignity and honor should be given to vileness and a mere nothing.

To the soul that is sensible of its own vileness, it appears an impossible thing to deserve anything; it is rather confounded and knows itself unworthy of virtue and praise; it embraces with equal courage all occasions of contempt, persecution, infamy, shame and affront; and as truly deserving of such reproaches, it renders the Lord thanks, when it lights upon such occasions, to be treated as it deserves; and knows itself also unworthy, that he should use his justice upon it; but above all, it is glad of contempt and affront, because its God gets great glory by it.

Such a soul as this always chooses the lowest, the vilest, and the most despised degree, as well of place, as of clothing, and of all other things, without the least affectation of singularity; being of the opinion, that the greatest vileness is beyond its deserts, and acknowledging itself also unworthy even of this. This is the practice that brings the soul to a true annihilation of itself.

The soul that would be perfect, begins to mortify its passions; and when it is advanced in that exercise, it denies itself; then with the divine aid, it passes to the state of nothing, where it despises, abhors and plunges itself upon the knowledge that it is nothing, that it can do nothing, and that it is worth nothing. From here springs the dying in itself, and in its senses, in many ways, and at all hours; and finally, from this spiritual death the true and perfect annihilation derives its original; insomuch, that when the soul is once dead to its will and understanding, it is properly said to be arrived at the perfect and happy state of annihilation, which is the last disposition for transformation and union, which the soul itself does not understand, because it would not be annihilated if it should come to know it. And although it do get to this happy state of annihilation, yet it must know that it must walk still on, and must be further and further purified and annihilated.

You must know, that this annihilation, to make it perfect in the soul, must be in a man's own judgment, in his will, in his works, inclinations, desires, thoughts, and in itself; so that the soul must find itself dead to its will, desire, endeavor, understanding and thought; willing, as if it did not will; desiring, as if it did not desire; understanding, as if it did not understand; thinking, as if it did not think, without inclining to anything, embracing equally contempts and honors, benefits and corrections. O what a happy soul is that which is thus dead and annihilated! It lives no longer in itself, because God lives in it. And now it may most truly be said of it, that it is a renewed Phoenix; because it is changed, spiritualized, transformed and deified.

CHAPTER XX

In which is showed how this nothing is the ready way
to obtain Purity of soul, perfect meditation,
and the rich treasure of peace internal.

The way to attain that high state of a mind reformed, whereby a man immediately gets to the greatest good, to our original state, and to the highest peace; is to arrive at his nothingness; endeavor, O soul, to be always buried in that misery. This nothing, and this acknowledged misery, is the means by which the Lord works wonders in your soul. Clothe yourself with this nothing, and with this misery, and see that this misery and this nothing be your continual food and habitation, even to the casting down of yourself to low therein; and then I assure you, for as you are nothing, the Lord will be the whole of your soul.

Why, do you think an infinite number of souls block the abundant current of the divine gifts? Because they want to be doing something, and have a desire to be great; all this is a departure from internal humility, and from their own nothingness; and therefore they prevent those wonders which that infinite goodness would work in them. They seek only the gifts of the Spirit, and become stuck without progress; they depart from the center of nothingness, and so the whole work is spoiled. They don't seek God with truth, and therefore they don't find him. For you must know that there is no finding God, but in the undervaluing of our own selves, and in our resulting nothingness.

We seek our selves every time we depart from our nothingness; and therefore we never get to quiet and perfect meditation. Creep in as far as ever you can into the truth of your nothingness, and then nothing will disquiet you. No, you will be humble and ashamed, losing openly your own reputation and esteem.

O what a strong bulwark will you find of that nothingness! Who can ever afflict you, if once you do retire into that fortress? Because the soul which is despised by itself, and in its own knowledge is nothing, is not capable of receiving grievance or injury from anybody. The soul which keeps within its nothing, is internally silent, lives resigned in any torment whatsoever, by thinking all suffering is no less than what it deserves. It shuns being suspicious of a neighbor; never looks at others faults, but only its own; is free from many imperfections, and becomes the owner of great virtue. While the soul keeps still and quiet in its nothingness, it perfects it, it enriches it, and the Lord draws his own image and likeness in it, without anything to prevent the Lord's actions.

By the way of nothingness you must come to lose yourself in God (which is the last degree of perfection) and happy will you be, if you can so lose yourself; then you will get yourself again, and find yourself most certainly. In this same shop of nothing, simplicity is made; interior and infused recollection is possessed, quiet is obtained, and the heart is cleansed from all manner of imperfections. Oh what a treasure will you find, if you shall once fix your habitation in nothingness; and if you once get but snug into the center of nothing, you will never concern yourself with anything that is without, (the great ugly large step at which so many thousand souls stumble), unless it be as your office [your appointed role by the Holy Spirit] may call you to it.

If you would only dwell in nothingness, (where the blows of adversity can never come), no thing will vex you or break your peace. This is the way of getting to the command of yourself, because perfect and true dominion does only govern in nothing; with the helmet of nothing you will be too hard for strong temptations and the terrible suggestions of the envious enemy.

Knowing that you are nothing, that you can do nothing, and are worth just nothing, you will quietly embrace passive dryness, you will endure horrible desolations; you will undergo spiritual martyrdoms and inward torments. By means of this nothing, you must die in yourself, many ways, at all times, and all hours.

Who must awaken the soul out of that sweet and pleasant sleep, if once it comes to take a nap in nothing? This is the way that David got a perfect annihilation, without so much as knowing it. Keeping yourself in nothing, you will bar the door against everything that is not God; you will retire also from your own self, and walk toward that internal solitude, where the divine spouse speaks in the heart of his bride, teaching her high and divine wisdom. Drown yourself in this nothing, and there shall you find a holy sanctuary against any tempest whatsoever.

By this way must you return to the happy state of innocence forfeited by our first parents, [Adam and Eve]. By this gate you must enter into the happy land of the living, where you will find the greatest good, the breath of charity, the beauty of righteousness, the straight line of equity and justice, and, in sum, every jot and title of perfection. Lastly, do not look at nothing, desire nothing, will nothing, nor endeavor nothing, and then in everything your soul will live reposed, with quiet and enjoyment.

This is the way to get purity of soul, perfect meditation and peace internal; walk therefore in this safe path, and endeavor to overwhelm yourself in this nothing, endeavor to lose yourself, to sink deep into it, if you are to have a mind that is annihilated, united, and transformed, [to the mind of Christ].

CHAPTER XXI

Of the high Felicity of internal peace, and the wonderful Effects of it.

THE soul being once annihilated and renewed with perfect nakedness, finds in its superior part a profound peace, and a sweet rest, which brings it to such a perfect union of love, that it is joyful all over. And such a soul as this is already arrived to such a happiness, that it neither wills nor desires anything but what its Beloved wills; it conforms itself to His will in all emergencies, as well of comfort as anguish, and rejoices also in everything to do the divine Good pleasure.

There is nothing that doesn't comfort it; nor does it want anything, but what it can well want. To die is enjoyment to it; and to live is its joy. It is as contented here upon earth, as it can be in paradise; it is as glad under privation, as it can be in possession; it is content in sickness as it can be in health; because it knows that everything that comes its way is the will of its Lord for it. This is its life, this is its glory, its paradise, its peace, its repose, its rest, its consolation and highest happiness.

If it were necessary for such a soul as this, which has gotten up by the steps of annihilation to the region of peace, to make its choice, it would choose desolation before comfort, contempt before honor; because the loving Jesus made great esteem of reproach and pain; if it first endured the hunger of the blessings of heaven, if it thirsted for God, if it had the fear of losing him, the lamentation of heart, and the fighting of the devil; now things are altered, and hunger is turned into satisfying, the thirst into satiety, the fear into assurance, the sadness into joy, the weeping into merriment, and the fierce fighting into the greatest peace. O happy soul, that enjoys here on earth so great a felicity! You must know, that these kinds of souls, (though few they are), are the strong pillars which support the Church, and such as lessen the divine indignation.

And now this soul that has entered into the heaven of peace, acknowledges itself full of God and his supernatural gifts, because it lives grounded in a pure love, receiving equal pleasure in light and darkness, in night and day, in affliction and consolation. Through this holy and heavenly indifference, it never loses its peace in adversity, nor its tranquility in tribulations, but sees itself full of unspeakable enjoyments.

And although the prince of darkness makes all the assaults of Hell against it, with horrible temptations, yet it makes head against them, and stands like a strong pillar; no more happening to it by them, than happens to a high mountain and a deep valley in the time of storm and tempest.

The valley is darkened with thick clouds, fierce tempests of hail, thunder, lightning and hail-stones, which looks like the picture of Hell; at the same time the lofty mountain glitters by the bright beams of the sun, in quietness and serenity, continuing clear, like heaven, immovable and full of light.

The same happens to this blessed soul; the valley of the part below is suffering tribulations, combats, darkness, desolations, torments, martyrdoms and suggestions; and at the same time, on the lofty mountain of the higher part of the soul, the true Sun casts its beams; it enflames and enlightens it; and so it becomes clear, peaceable, resplendent, quiet, serene, being a mere ocean of Joy.

So great therefore is the quiet of this pure soul, which is gotten up the mountain of tranquility, so great is the peace of its spirit, so great the serenity and cheerfulness that is within, that a remnant and glimmering of God do rebound even to the outside of it.

Because in the throne of quiet are manifest the perfections of spiritual beauty; here the true light of the secret and divine mysteries of our holy faith, here perfect humility, even to the annihilation of itself, the amplest resignation, chastity, poverty of spirit, the sincerity and innocence of the dove, external modesty, silence and internal fortitude, liberty and purity of heart; here the forgetfulness of every created thing, even of itself, joyful simplicity, heavenly indifference, continual prayer, a total nakedness, perfect disinterestedness, a most wise meditation, a conversation of heaven; and lastly, the most perfect and serene peace within, of which this happy soul may say what the wise man said of wisdom, that all other graces came along in the company with her.

This is the rich and hidden treasure, this is the lost coin of the gospel; this is the blessed life, the happy life, the true life, and the blessedness here below. O you lovely greatness that passes the knowledge of the sons of men! O excellent supernatural life, how admirable and unspeakable are you, for you are the very draught of blessedness! O how much do you raise a soul from earth, which loses in its view all things of the vileness of earth! You are poor to look upon; but inwardly you are full of wealth; you seems low, but are exceeding high; in a word, you are that which makes men live a life divine here below. Give me, O Lord, you greatest goodness, give me a good portion of this heavenly happiness and true peace, that the world, sensual as it is, is neither capable of understanding nor receiving.

CHAPTER XXII

A mournful Exclamation and lamentable Moan to God
for the Small Company of souls that arrive at perfection,
the Loving union and the divine transformation.

O divine Majesty, in whose presence the pillars of heaven do quake and tremble! O you goodness, more than infinite, in whose love the seraphims burn! Give me leave, O Lord, to lament our blindness and ingratitude. We all live in mistakes, seeking the foolish world, and forsaking you, who are our God. We all forsake you, the fountain of living waters, for the stinking dirt of the world.

O we children of men, how long shall we follow after lying and vanity? Who is it that has thus deceived us, that we should forsake God our greatest good? Who is it that speaks the most truth to us? Who is it that loves us most? Who defends us most? Who is it that does more to show himself a friend, who more tender to show himself a spouse, and more good to be a Father that our blindness should be so great, that we should all forsake this greatest and infinite goodness?

O divine Lord! What a few souls are there in the world, which do serve you with perfection! How small is the number of those, who are willing to suffer, that they may follow Christ crucified, that they may embrace the cross, that they may deny and condemn themselves! O what a scarcity of souls is there, which are disinterested and totally naked! How few are those souls which are dead to themselves and alive to God, which are totally resigned to his divine good pleasure! How few those, who are adorned with simple obedience, profound knowledge of themselves; and true humility! How few those, which with an entire indifference give up themselves into the hands of God, to do what he pleases with them! How few are there of those pure souls which be of a simple and disinterested heart, and which, putting off their own understanding, knowledge, desire and will, do long for self-denial and spiritual death! O what a scarcity of souls is there which are willing to let the divine creator work in them a mind to suffer, that they may not suffer, and to die, that they may not die! How few are the souls which are willing to forget themselves, to free their hearts from their own affections, their own desires, their own satisfactions, their own love and judgments! That are willing to be led by the highway of self-denial and the internal way! That are willing to be annihilated, dying to themselves and their senses! That are willing to let themselves be emptied, purified and unclothed, that God may fill and clothe and perfect them! In a word, how small, O Lord, is the number of those souls which are blind, deaf and dumb and perfectly contemplative!

O the shame of us the children of Adam! who, for a thing of mere vileness, do despise true felicity, and hinder our greatest good, the rich treasure and infinite goodness! Great reason has heaven to lament, that there are so few souls to follow its precious pathway. The ways of Zion do mourn, because none come to the solemn feasts; all her gates are desolate; her priests sigh, her virgins are afflicted, and she is in bitterness. Lam. 1:4

About Molinos:

An Account of the Persecutions of
Michael de Molinos,
a Native of Spain

[ An Excerpt taken from Fox's Book of martyrs, Chapter VI ]

 

Michael de Molinos, a Spaniard of a rich and honorable family, entered, when young, into priest's orders, but would not accept of any preferment in the Church. He possessed great natural abilities, which he dedicated to the service of his fellow creatures, without any view of emolument to himself. His course of life was pious and uniform; nor did he exercise those austerities which are common among the religious orders of the Church of Rome.

Being of a contemplative turn of mind, he pursued the track of the mystical divines, and having acquired great reputation in Spain, and being desirous of propagating his sublime mode of devotion, he left his own country, and settled at Rome. Here he soon connected himself with some of the most distinguished among the literati, who so approved of his religious maxims, that they concurred in assisting him to propagate them; and, in a short time, he obtained a great number of followers, who, from the sublime mode of their religion, were distinguished by the name of Quietists.

In 1675, Molinos published a book entitled Il Guida Spirituale, to which were subjoined recommendatory letters from several great personages. One of these was by the archbishop of Reggio; a second by the general of the Franciscans; and a third by Father Martin de Esparsa, a Jesuit, who had been divinity-professor both at Salamanca and Rome.

No sooner was the book published than it was greatly read, and highly esteemed, both in Italy and Spain; and this so raised the reputation of the author that his acquaintance was coveted by the most respectable characters. Letters were written to him from numbers of people, so that a correspondence was settled between him, and those who approved of his method in different parts of Europe. Some secular priests, both at Rome and Naples, declared themselves openly for it, and consulted him, as a sort of oracle, on many occasions. But those who attached themselves to him with the greatest sincerity were some of the fathers of the Oratory; in particular three of the most eminent, namely, Caloredi, Ciceri, and Petrucci. Many of the cardinals also courted his acquaintance, and thought themselves happy in being reckoned among the number of his friends. The most distinguished of them was the Cardinal d'Estrees, a man of very great learning, who so highly