was given me by a continual infusion, not as I had imagined, by the efforts of the head, or force of thought in meditating on GOD, but in the bottom of the will, where I tasted with unutterable sweetness the enjoyment of the beloved object, yet not as I came to do afterwards, by an essential union, but by a real union in the will, which brought me to discern, in a happy experience, that the soul was created to enjoy its GOD.

As this union is the most perfect of all those which are operated in the powers, its effect is also much greater; for tho' the union of the other powers enlightens the understanding, and absorbs the memory; yet, if they are not accompanied with that of the will, they are of little use as they produce only transient effects. The union of the will subjects the soul to GOD, conforms it to all his pleasure, causes self-will gradually to die, and lastly drawing with it the other powers, by means of the charity with which it is filled, it causes them gradually to be reunited in the center, and lost therein, as to their own nature and operations.

THIS loss is called the Annihilation of the pow ers, for tho' in themselves they still subsist, yet they seem annihilated to us, in proportion as charity fills and inflames, it becomes so strong, as by degrees to surmount all the activity of the will of man, subjecting it to that of GoD, in such sort that when the soul is docile, and leaves itself to be purified, and emptied of all that which it has of its own, opposite to the will of GOD, it finds it self by little and little, detached from every mo

tion

tion of its own, and placed in a holy indifference, wishing nothing but what GOD does and wills, But this never can be effected by the activity of our own will, even tho' it were employed in continual acts of resignation; because these, tho' very virtuous, are so far one's own actions, and cause the will to subsist in a multiplicity, in a kind of separate distinction or dissimilitude from GOD.

WHEN "the Will of the creature entirely submits to that of the Creator, suffering freely and voluntarily and yielding only a concurrence to the divine will (which is its absolute submission-) suffering itself to be totally surmounted and destroyed, by the operations of Charity. This absorbs the will into itself, consummates it in that of GOD, and purifies it from all narrowness, dissimilitude, and propriety or selfishness.

THE case is the same with the other two powers, whereinto, by means of charity, the two o ther theological virtues, Faith and Hope are introduced. Faith so strongly seizes on the understanding, as to make it decline all reasonings, all particular illuminations and illustrations, how sublime soever; which sufficiently demonstrates, how far visions, revelations, extasies, &c. differ from this, and hinder the soul from being lost in GoD: For tho' by them it appears lost in him for some transient moments, yet it is not a true loss; since the soul which is entirely lost in GOD finds itself again no no more. Faith then makes the soul lose every distinct light, in order to place it in its own pure light.

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As we see that the sun with his general light, entirely covers or drowns all the little distinct lights of the stars, which (in its absence) glow, and are brightly discernible; yet don't give us a light whereby we may see things, as they are, in their proper forms and colours: So visions and extasies, however discernible by reason of their little extent, (being very narrow and partial) cannot confirm us in the truth; they are too liable to make us mistake by their uncertain glimmering. It is the same case with all the inward openings which are not from true FAITH. This Faith is the gift of the holy spirit, which, as it arises, undeceives the soul from the misconceptions occasioned by the others, and obscuring all the self-pleasing lights, puts it in the pure and sacred light of truth, which, altho' much less gratifying, is a thousand fold more secure than all others and is properly the true light of this life, until that JESUS CHRIST, the eternal Light, rises in the Soul, and enlightens it himself. He who enlighteneth every man that cometh into the world, of the new life in GoD.This is elevated, but I have yielded myself to be carried away by that spirit which has caused mé to write.

THE memory too, finds all its little activities surmounted by degrees, and absorbed in hope, and finally the powers are all concentered and lost in pure Charity, which ingulphs them into itself by means of their sovereign the WILL, for the Will is the sovereign of the powers, as Charity is the Queen of the Virtues, and unites them all in herself.

THIS reunion which is thus made is called, the central union or unity-because that by means of the Will and Charity, all are reunited, in the center of the Soul in GoD, our ultimate end. According to St. John,-He who dwelleth in Charity, or Love, dwelleth in GOD, for God is Love.

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THIS union of my will to thine, oh my GOD, and this ineffable presence was so sweet and powerful, that I was compelled to yield to its delightful power,-which was strict and severe to my minutest faults.

CHAP.

CHAP. XI.

Y Senses (as I have described) were con

M tinually mortified, and under perpetual

restraint. For it should be well noted, that to conquer them totally, it is necessary to deny them the smallest relaxation, until the victory is compleated. We see those who content themselves in practising great outward austerities, and yet by indulging their senses in what is called innocent and necessary, they remain for ever unsubdued; so that austerities, however severe, will not conquer the senses. To destroy their power, the most effectual means is, in general, to deny them firmly what will please, to give them every thing that disgusts; and to persevere in this, until they are reduced to be without appetite or repugnance. But if we attempt, during the warfare, to grant them any relaxation, we act like those, who, under pretext of strengthening a man, who was condemned to be starved to death, should give him from time to time a little nourishment, which indeed would prolong his torments, and postpone his death.

IT is just the same with the death of the sen ses, the powers, the understanding, and self will; for if we do not eradicate every remains of self subsisting in these, we support them in a dying life to the end. This state and its termination, are clearly set forth by St. Paul. He speaks of bearing about in the body the dying of the Lord Jesus. (2 Cor. iv. 10.) but, lest we should rest here, he fully distinguishes this, from the state

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