The Ascent of Mount CarmelChapter XXII. The benefits of not rejoicing in natural goods

Many are the benefits which the soul reaps when it withdraws the heart from this joy. For beside disposing itself for the love of God, and the other virtues, it makes a way for personal humility and universal charity towards our neighbours. When our affections, free from the influence of natural goods, which are deceitful, rest upon no one, the soul is free to love all men reasonably and spiritually, as God wills them to be loved. No one deserves to be loved except for his goodness, and when we love in this way, our love is pleasing unto God, and in great liberty, and if there be attachment in it there is greater attachment to God. For then the more this love grows, the more also grows our love of God, and the deeper our love of Him the more we shall love our neighbour: for the principle of both is the same.

2. Another great benefit is the perfect observance of our Saviour’s words: ‘If any man will come after Me, let him deny himself.’* Now the soul can never do this, if it has any joy in its natural endowments; for he who has even the slightest self-esteem, neither denies himself nor follows Christ.

3. Another great benefit of this self-denial is, that it makes the soul tranquil, empties it of the sources of distractions, controls the senses, and especially the eyes. The spiritual man, seeking no joy, will neither look upon, nor suffer his other senses to be occupied with, these endowments, that he may not be attracted by them, nor be led to waste time or thought upon them, like the crafty serpent which stops its ears that it may not hear the incantations, so that they make no impression upon it, ‘according to the likeness of a serpent, like the deaf asp that stoppeth her ears.’f If we set a guard over our senses, which are the doors of the soul, we shall thereby guard and increase its purity and tranquillity also.

4. Another benefit, of no less importance, which those who have made progress in the mortification of this joy,

~ S. Matt. xvi. 26 t+ Polvib. 5: |

obtain, is this: impure objects and the knowledge of them no longer impress, and sully the soul, as in their case to whom this joy is still somewhat pleasurable. This mortification and self-denial grows into a spiritual pureness of soul and body, of mind and sense, which issue in a certain angelical conformity with God, rendering both soul and body a worthy temple of the Holy Ghost. Man cannot be so pure if his heart entertains any joy in these natural gifts and graces. It is not necessary to have given consent to any impure act, for this joy is sufficient to sully the soul and senses with the knowledge of evil, as it is written: ‘The Holy Spirit of discipline will withdraw Himself from thoughts that are without understanding, * that is, from thoughts not directed to God by right reason.

5. Another general benefit is this: beside our deliverance from the evils already mentioned, we are delivered also from innumerable other follies and evils, spiritual and temporal, especially from that contempt which falls to the lot of all those who value themselves, or rejoice either in their own natural gifts or in those of others. In this way we shall be esteemed as wise and excellent men, as in truth all are who make no account of natural goods, but only of those which are pleasing unto God.

6. These benefits issue in a final one, which is a certain generosity of mind, as necessary in the service of God as liberty of spirit, by which temptations are easily overcome, afflictions endured, and by which virtues grow and thrive.