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First Advertisement.
2. The soul begins by thinking about spiritual mysteries with the help of imagination and the use of material images, being carried from creature to creature, and from knowledge to knowledge, (though with very little of that which it wants), and from these to the Creator. Then God is accustomed to take that soul by the hand, if he has not already called it in the very beginning, and leads it without reasoning by the way of pure faith. He forces the intellect to bypass by all considerations and reasonings, drawing it forward, raising it out of this material and sensible state, and leaving it to exist under a simple and obscure knowledge of faith. He does this so that the soul wholly aspires to its bridegroom upon the wings of Love, without any farther necessity of the persuasions and informations of the intellect; thereby drawing the soul to love him. He does this because in the intellectual manner the soul’s love is very faint, much dependent on men, and limited by cessations; even the cessations only falling within pauses and intervals. 3. The love for God will be for durable, strong, and firm based on: how little it depends on man and his knowledge, and the more it relies on God alone and his secret teachings by the mediation of pure faith. After the soul has already acquired the knowledge which all the contemplations and material images based on the creation can give her; the Lord raises her out of that state, by stripping her of reasoning, and leaving her in divine darkness, to the end she may march in the straight way, and be guided by pure faith, instead of the love that these earthly concepts direct, which are unweighty and thin. Instead let the soul suppose that the whole world, and all its most refined conceptions of the wisest understandings, can tell her nothing; and that the goodness and beauty of her Beloved infinitely surpasses all the world's knowledge, being persuaded that all men with their knowledge are too rude to inform her, and to conduct her to the true knowledge of God. 4. The soul ought then to advance forward with her love, leaving all her understanding behind. Let her love God as He is in himself, and not as her imagination says He is, framing Him within limits to her. And if she cannot know Him as He is in Himself, let her love Him without knowing Him, under the obscure veils of faith; in the same manner as a son loves a Father whom he has never seen, but fully believing those who have given him information of him, as if he had already seen him. 5. The soul, deprived of mental discourse, ought not to strain herself, nor solicitously seek for more clear and particular knowledge. Instead, even without the supports of sensible consolations or notices, with poverty of spirit, and deprived of all that the natural appetite requires; continue quiet, firm and constant, letting the Lord work His work, though she may seem to be alone, exhausted and full of darkness. And though this appears to her to be idleness, the only idleness is only of her own sensible and material activity; God is not idle, but is working true knowledge in her. 6. Finally, the more the Spirit ascends, the more the soul is removed from material and sensible objects. Many are the souls who have arrived and do arrive at this gate, but few have passed or do pass it, for want of the experimental guide, and those who have had, and actually have it, for want of a true subjection and entire submission. 7. They’ll say, that the will cannot love; but be inactive, if the intellect does not understand clearly and distinctly; for it is widely believed truth, that only what is known can be loved. To this I reply that though the intellect does not distinctly understand by reasoning, images and considerations, yet it understands and knows by an obscure, general and confused faith. This knowledge, though so obscure, indistinct, and general, and being supernatural, has nevertheless a more clear and perfect recognition of God than any sensible and particular notice, that can be formed in this life, because all material and sensible representations are infinitely deficient from the actuality God. 8. We know God more perfectly (says St. Denis - Mystic. Theol. c.I.§.2) by negatives, than by affirmatives. We think more highly of God, by knowing that he is incomprehensible, and above all our capacity, than by conceiving him under any image or created beauty, according to our rude understanding. A greater esteem and love then will flow from this confused, obscure and negative, than from any other sensible and distinct way; because that is more proper to God, and abstracted from creatures; and this, on the contrary, the more it depends on creatures, the less it has of God. [Trying to visualize God based on the creation is like discovering a strange footprint in the sand and then speculating on the image of the maker; this being one reason God has given us the humanity of Jesus as a beginning example of the Father's and the Son's infinity.]
Declaring what Contemplation and Meditation are,
9. St. John Damascene (Lib. 3. de fide, c.24.) and other saints say, that prayer is a springing out or elevation of the mind to God. God is above all creatures, and the soul cannot see him, nor converse with him, unless it raises itself above them all. This friendly conversation, which the soul has with God, that is to say, in prayer, is divided into contemplation and meditation. 10. When the mind considers the mysteries of our holy faith with attention, to know the truth of them, reasoning upon the particulars, and weighing the circumstances of the same, for the exciting of affections in the will; this mental discourse and pious act is properly called contemplation. 11. When the soul already knows the truth, (either by a habit acquired through reasoning, or because the Lord has given it particular light), it can fix the eyes of the mind on the demonstrated truth, beholding it sincerely with quietness and silence, without any necessity of considerations, reasonings, or other proofs of conviction; and the will loves it, admiring and delighting itself therein. This properly is called the prayer of faith, the prayer of rest, internal recognition or meditation. St. Thomas (2.2.q.180. Art. 3. p.4) with all the mystical masters says this form of prayer is a sincere, sweet, and still view of the eternal truth without reasoning, or reflection. But if the soul rejoices in, or eyes the effects of God in the creatures, and amongst them, in the humanity of our Lord Christ, as the most perfect of all, this is not perfect meditation; as St. Thomas (ibid.) affirms, since all these are means for knowing of God as he is in himself. And although the humanity of Christ is the most holy and perfect means for going to God, the chief instrument of our salvation, and the channel through which we receive all the good we hope for; nevertheless the humanity is not the chief good, which consists in seeing God. For Jesus Christ is far more in his divinity than his humanity. So he that thinks and fixes his meditation always on God, (because the divinity is united to the humanity), always thinks on, and beholds the deity of Jesus Christ; especially, the meditative man, in whom faith is more sincere, pure and exercised. [Note: the editor concludes that the Roman priests and nuns were instructed to think extensively, intensely, and obsessively on the crucifixion, passion, death, and humanity of Jesus; this contemplation on Christ's humanity was apparently their edicted route to devotion and humility. Perhaps this explains the pains and cautions, (Nos. 24-28), by which Molinos justifies meditation over contemplation, for apparently he was challenging the root of the form of worship edicted by the Roman sect.] 13. As often as the end is obtained, the means cease, and when the ship arrives in the harbor the voyage is over. So if the soul after it has been toiled and carried by means of contemplation, arrives at the stillness, tranquility, and rest of meditation, it ought then to cut off all reasonings, and rest quiet with an amorous attention, and simple vision of God; seeing and loving him, sweetly rejecting all the imaginations that present themselves, calming the mind in that divine presence, recollecting the memory, and fixing it wholly on God, being contented with a general and confused knowledge, which is had by the mediation of faith, applying the whole will to love him, in which is the fruit of enjoyment. 14. St. Denis (Myst. Theol.) says, As for you, most dear Timothy, in applying yourself to mystical speculations, separate yourself from the senses and operations of the intellect; from all sensible and intelligible objects, and universally from all things that are, and are not; and in an unknown and inexpressible way, as much as lies in the power of man, raise yourself to the union of him, who is above all nature and knowledge. Thus far the Saint supports our point precisely. 16. St. Thomas (Quest. 27. 2. ad secuedum ar.) says, It is the least thing, that the understanding can know of God in this life, but much what the will can have of love. 17. When the soul attains to this state, it ought wholly to retreat within itself, into its own pure and profound center; where the image of God is. There is amorous attention, silence, the forgetfulness of all things, the application of the will, with perfect resignation, hearing and talking with God hand to hand, and in such manner, as if there was no other but the two of them in the world. 18. The saints say with good reason that contemplation operates with toil, and with fruit; while meditation operates without toil, with quiet, rest, peace, delight, and far greater fruit; contemplation sows, meditation reaps; contemplation seeks, and meditation finds; contemplation chews the food, meditation tastes and feeds on it. 19. All this was said by mystical Bernard, upon these words of our Savior; Seek and you shall find, knock and it will be open for you. Reading puts solid food before the mouth, contemplation breaks it down, prayer gives it with flavor, meditation is sweetness itself, that makes one happy and restores. Thus you have an account what contemplation and meditation are, and the difference that occurs between them.
What is the Difference between the Acquired and Active Meditation, 20. Further, there are two ways of meditation: the one is imperfect, active and acquired; the other infused and passive. The active, (of which we have so far described), is what may be attained by our diligence, assisted with divine grace; we gathering together the faculties and senses, and preparing ourselves by every way that God would have. So says Boias and Arnaia. 21. St. Bernard (Psal. 85) recommends this active meditation, discoursing upon these Words, I will listen to what God says in me. And says: Mary chose the best part, although maybe Martha's humble behavior is no of less merit before God, however, regarding the choice made, Mary is praised, because that part is to be absolutely chosen; however, this part, if imposed on us, is to be patiently tolerated. 22. In like manner St. Thomas (Secund.q.182. art. 2.&3.) inculcates this acquired meditation in the following words; The more man unites his soul to God or that of another neighbor, the more the sacrifice is pleasant to God; therefore, it pleases God more that one applies one's soul or that of others to meditation than to action. Very clear Words to stop the mouth of those who condemn acquired meditation. 23. How much the nearer a man approaches his own soul, or the soul of another to God, so much the more acceptable is the sacrifice to God; from where it is inferred, (concludes the same saint), that the application of a man’s own soul, or the directing of another’s soul to meditation, is more acceptable to God, than directing his soul or any others to action. It cannot be said, that the saint speaks here of infused meditation, because it is not in the power of man, to apply himself to the infused meditation, but to the acquired form of meditation. 24. Although it is said that we may with the Lord’s help, set ourselves to acquired meditation; nevertheless, no man ought of his own head to be so bold, as to pass from the state of contemplation to this, without the counsel of an expert director, who shall clearly know whether his soul be called by God to this inward way; or for want of a director, the soul itself is to know it by some book, that discusses these matters, sent to him by divine providence, for discovering that, which without knowing what it was, he experimentally felt within his own heart. But though by means of the light which that book gives him he may obtain assurance enough, to leave contemplation for the quiet of meditation, yet his soul will still retain an ardent desire of being more perfectly instructed. 25. So that the soul may receive good instruction regarding the pursuit of meditation, I will detail the signs by which it shall know the call to meditation. The first and chief is an inability to contemplate; and if the soul contemplates, it will perform it with much disquiet and irksomeness; (provided that irksomeness does not proceed from a disorder of the body, or a melancholy humor, or a dryness, springing from the want of preparation). 26. It will be known not to be any of these defects, but rather a true call, when that soul passes a day, a month; no, and many months, without being able to discourse in prayer. The Lord guides the soul by meditation (says the holy Mother Teresa) and the mind finds it self much disabled from contemplating the passion of Christ, since meditation is nothing else but a seeking of God; the soul once finding him, and retaining the custom of seeking him of new, by the operation of the will, it will not be baffled with the intellect. Thus far the saint supports us. 27. The second sign is, that though it is wanting in sensible devotion, yet it covets solitude, and avoids conversation. The third, that the reading of godly books is usually tedious to it, because they speak not of the internal sweetness that is in its heart, though it know it not. The fourth, that though it find itself destitute of reasoning, yet it has a firm purpose of persevering in prayer. The fifth is, that it will experience a sense (with great confusion) of itself, abhorring guilt, and entertaining a higher esteem of God. 28. The other meditation is perfect and infused. Wherein (as St. Teresa says) God speaks to a man, sequestrating his intellect, questioning his thought, and seizing (as they say) the word in his mouth; so that if he would, he cannot speak, but with great pain. He understands, that without the noise of words, the divine Master is instructing him, suspending all his powers and faculties, because if at that time they should operate, they would do more hurt than good. These rejoice, but know not how they rejoice; the soul is inflamed with love, and conceives not how it loves; it knows that it enjoys what it desires, and knows not the manner of that enjoyment; well it knows, that that is not enjoyment which the intellect longs for. The will embraces it, without understanding how; but being unable to understand anything, perceives it is not that good, which can be merited by all the labors put together which are suffered upon earth for gaining it. It is a gift of the Lord of the soul, and of heaven, who in the end gives as he is, and to whom he pleases as he pleases. Such is his majesty in this, that it does everything, and his operation is above our nature. All this we have from holy Mother, [St. Teresa], in her way to perfection, chap. 25. From which it follows, that this meditation is infused, and freely given by the Lord to whom he pleases.
Fourth Advertisement. The Burden of this Book 29. The way of inward peace, is in all things to conform to the pleasure and disposition of the divine will. (Hugo Cardinalisin Pf. 13.) In everything we should submit our will to the will of God; because this is peace in our will: that it is according to God's will. Such as would have all things succeed and come to pass according to their own fancy, are not come to know this way, They did not know the way of peace, and therefore lead a harsh and bitter life, always restless and out of humor without treading the way of peace, which consists in a total conformity to the will of God. 30. This conformity is the sweet yoke that introduces us into the regions of internal peace and serenity. Hence we may know, that the rebellion of our Will is the chief occasion of our disquiet; and that because we will not submit to the sweet yoke of the divine will, we suffer so many straits and perturbations. Oh Soul! if we submitted our own to the divine will, and to all his disposition, what tranquility should we feel! what sweet peace! what inward serenity! What supreme felicity and earnest of bliss!. This then is to be the burden of this book. May it please God to give me his divine Light, for discovering the secret paths of this inward Way, and chief felicity of perfect Peace. |
