The Ascent of Mount CarmelChapter XXIX. Of the first kind of words formed by the mind self-recollected

The causes of them. The advantages and disadvantages of them. AT all times when successive words take place, it is when the mind is collected and absorbed by some particular subject; and while attentively considering the matter which occupies its thoughts, it proceeds from one part of it to another, puts words and reasonings together so much to the purpose, and with such facility and clearness discovers by reflection things it knew not before, that it seems to itself as if it was not itself which did so, but some third person which addressed it interiorly, reasoning, answering, and informing. And in truth there is good ground for such a notion; the mind then reasons with itself as one man does with another, and to a certain extent it is so. For though it be the mind itself that thus reasons, yet the Holy Ghost very often assists it in the formation of these conceptions, words, and reasonings. Thus the mind addresses itself to itself as if to some other person.

2. For as the understanding is then united, and intently occupied, with the truth of that whereof it thinks, and as the Holy Spirit is also united with it; the understanding in this communion with the Divine Spirit, through the channel of that particular truth, forms successively within itself those other truths which relate to the matter before it; the Holy Ghost, the Teacher, opening the way and giving light. This is one way in which the Holy Ghost teaches us. The understanding, being thus enlightened and instructed by the great Teacher, while perceiving these truths, forms at the same time the words in question about those truths which it receives from another source. We may apply to this the saying of Isaac, ‘The voice, indeed, is the voice of Jacob; but the hands are the hands of Esau.’¹ He who is in this state cannot believe that the words and expressions do not proceed from some third person, not knowing how easily the understanding can form words about conceptions and truths which it derives from another person.

3. Now, though it is true that there can be no illusion in this communication, and in the enlightenment of the understanding; still illusions may, and do, frequently occur in the formal words and reasonings which the understanding forms about them. Inasmuch as the light then bestowed is most subtile and spiritual, so much so that it is beyond the capacity of the understanding, the result is that the understanding in its own strength forms these reasonings which in consequence are often false, apparently true, or imperfect. When a man has the clue of a true principle and then deals with it by his own abilities, or in the ignorance of his weak understanding, it is an easy thing for such an one to fall into delusions, and that too, in this way, as if a third person were addressing him. I have known one who had these successive locutions, but who, on the subject of the Most Holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, amid some most true, had others full of error.

4. I am terrified by what passes among us in these days.. Anyone, who has barely begun to meditate, if he becomes conscious of these locutions during his self-recollection, pronounces them forthwith to be the work of God, and, considering them to be so, says, God has spoken to me, or, I have had an answer from God. But it is not true: such an one has been only speaking to himself. Besides, the affection and desire for these locutions, which men encourage, cause them to reply to themselves, and then to imagine that God has spoken. The consequence is that they fall into great disorders, if they do not restrain themselves, and if their spiritual director does not command them to abstain from these interior discourses; for the fruit of them is foolishness and impureness of soul, and not the spirit of humility and mortification. They think that these locutions are great things, that God has been speaking to them, when in truth all was little more than nothing, or nothing, or less than nothing. For what is that worth which does not beget humility and charity, mortification, and holy simplicity and silence? These locutions, then, may prove a great hindrance to the divine union, because they lead astray the soul, that thinks much of them, from the abyss of faith, where the understanding ought to abide in obscurity, and in obscurity advance by faith in love, and not by much reasoning

5 You will object, and say, Why must the understanding deny itself in these truths, seeing that the Spirit of God enlightens it in them, and that they cannot for that reason proceed from the evil one? I answer, the Holy Ghost enlightens the recollected understanding, and in proportion to its recollection; and, as there can be no greater recollection of the understanding than in faith, the Holy Ghost will not enlighten it in any other way more than in that of faith. For the more pure and clean the soul in the perfection of a living faith the greater is the infusion of charity, and the greater the charity the greater the illumination, and the more abundant the graces Though it be true that in this illumination some light is given to the soul, yet the light of faith, wherein nothing is clearly seen, is in kind as different from it as refined gold from base metal, and in quantity as the sea exceeds a drop of water. In one way the soul receives the knowledge of one, two, or three truths; but in the other the Wisdom of God generally, which is His Son, in one simple universal knowledge communicated to the soul by faith.

6. If, again, you object and say that this is all good, and that it hinders not the other; my answer is, that it hinders very much if the soul makes any account of it; for by doing so the soul occupies itself with evident matters and of little moment, which hinder the communication of the abyss of faith, wherein God supernaturally and secretly teaches the soul, and trains it up, in a way it knows not, in virtues and in graces. We shall never profit by these successive locutions if we deliberately contemplate them with the understanding, for if we do this we shall lose all the good of them, as it is written, ‘Turn away thy eyes from me, for they have made me flee away.’² We must therefore, simply and sincerely, without applying the understanding to the matter of these supernatural communications, direct the will lovingly to God, because it is by love that these blessings are bestowed, and that in greater abundance than before. If the powers of the understanding, or of our other faculties, be actively applied to these things which are supernaturally and passively received, we shall find that our incapacity and ignorance will not reach them. They will therefore be modified and changed, and so we shall of necessity incur the hazard of delusions while forming these reasonings within ourselves. This will be neither supernatural itself, nor in any respect resemble it, but it will be something most natural and common.

7. There are some men whose understanding is so quick and penetrating that their conceptions, when they are self-recollected, naturally proceed with great facility, and form themselves into these locutions and reasonings so clearly as to make them think that God is speaking. But it is not so. All this is the work of the understanding, somewhat disengaged from the operations of sense; for it may do this and even more without any supernatural help whatever, by its own natural light This is a state of things of frequent occurrence, and many delude themselves into the belief that they have acquired the gift of prayer, and that God converses with them; they write down, or cause others to write for them, what they have experienced. And after all it is nothing: without the substance of virtue, and serving to no other end than to minister food to vanity.

8. Let such persons learn to disregard these locutions, and to ground the will in humble love; let them practise good works, and suffer patiently, imitating the Son of God, and mortifying themselves in all things: this, and not the abundance of interior discourses, is the road unto spiritual good.

9. These interior successive locutions furnish occasions to the evil spirit, especially when persons have an inclination or affection for them. For when they begin to recollect themselves, the devil offers to them materials for discursive reflections, suggesting thoughts and expressions to the understanding; and then, having deceived them by things that appear to be true, casts them down to the ground. Such is his dealing with those, who have entered into a compact with him, tacit or expressed. Thus he converses with some heretics, especially with heresiarchs; he informs their understanding with most subtle thoughts and reasonings, false, however, and erroneous. '

10. It appears, then, that these successive words may proceed from three sources: from the Holy Spirit, moving and enlightening; from the natural light of the understanding; and from the evil spirit suggesting. It will be rather a difficult matter to describe the signs and tokens, by which it may be known from which of these sources particular locutions proceed, but some general notions may be given. When the soul loves, and at the same time is humbly and reverently conscious of that love, it is a sign that these locutions come from the Holy Ghost, Who, whenever He grants us these graces, grants them through love. When they come from the vivacity and light of the understanding only, it is that which affects them without any operation of virtue— though the will may love naturally in the knowledge and light of those truths—and, when the meditation is over, the will remains cold, though not inclined to vanity or evil, unless the devil shall have tempted us anew. The locutions of the Holy Ghost cannot issue in this, for when they are over, the will is usually affectionately disposed towards God, and inclined to good, though sometimes, certainly, the will may be dry, even after the communications of the Holy Spirit, God thus ordering it for the profit of particular souls. At other times, too, the soul will not be very sensible of the operations or motions of these virtues, and yet what passes within will have been good. This is why I have said that it is sometimes difficult to distinguish one from another, because of the various effects which they sometimes have. The effects I have mentioned are the most. common, though sometimes more, and sometimes less. abundant. tinguish, for, though they dry up the love of God in the will, and incline men to vanity, self-esteem, or complacency: still they beget at times a certain false humility and fervent affection of the will founded on self-love, which requires for its detection great spirituality of mind. This the devil brings about, the better to conceal his presence. He is able perfectly well to produce tears by the impressions he makes, and he does so that he may inspire the soul with those affections, which he desires to excite. But he always labours to move the will so that men shall esteem these interior communications, and make much account of them, in order to induce them to give themselves up to them, and occupy themselves with what is not virtue, but rather an occasion of losing what virtue they may have.

12. Let us, therefore, abide by this necessary caution, in order to escape all perplexity and delusions; never to make any account of these locutions, from whatever source they may come, but learn how to direct our will courageously to God in the perfect fulfilment of His law and holy counsels, which is the wisdom of the saints, content with the knowledge of those truths and mysteries, in simplicity and sincerity, as the Church sets them forth, for these are sufficient to inflame our will; without thrusting ourselves into deep and curious investigations, where the absence of danger is a miracle. It was with reference to this that St. Paul exhorts us ‘not to be more wise than it behoveth to be wise.’³ Let this suffice on the subject of successive words.