John, Ascent of Carmel 2 27

CHAPTER XXVII


Which treats of the second kind of revelation, namely, the disclosure ofhidden secrets. Describes the way in which these may assist the soul towardunion with God, and the way in which they may be a hindrance; and how thedevil may deceive the soul greatly in this matter.

1 WE were saying that the second kind of revelation was the manifestation ofhidden mysteries and secrets. This may come to pass in two ways. The firstwith respect to that which God is in Himself, wherein is included the revelationof the mystery of the Most Holy Trinity and Unity of God. The second is withrespect to that which God is in His works, and herein are included the otherarticles of our Catholic faith, and the propositions deducible from themwhich may be laid down explicitly as truths. In these are included and compriseda great number of the revelations of the prophets, of promises and threateningsof God, and of other things which have happened and shall happen concerningthis matter of faith. Under this second head we may also include many otherparticular things which God habitually reveals, both concerning the universein general as also in particular concerning kingdoms, provinces and statesand families and particular persons. Of these we have examples in abundancein the Divine writings, both of the one kind and of the other, especiallyin all the Prophets, wherein are found revelations of all these kinds. Asthis is a clear and plain matter, I will not here spend time in quoting theseexamples, but will only say that these revelations do not come to pass byword alone, but that God gives them in many ways and manners, sometimes byword alone, sometimes by signs and figures alone, and by images and similitudesalone, sometimes in more than one way at once, as is likewise to be seenin the Prophets, particularly throughout the Apocalypse, where we find notonly all the kinds of revelation which we have described, but likewise theways and manners to which we are here referring.

2. As to these revelations which are included under our second head, God grants them still in our timeto whom He will. He is wont, for example, to reveal to some persons how manydays they still have to live, or what trials they are to suffer, or whatis to befall such and such a person, or such and such a kingdom, etc. Andeven as regards the mysteries of our faith, He will reveal and expound tothe spirit the truths concerning them, although, since this has already beenrevealed once, it is not properly to be termed revelation, but is more correctlya manifestation or explanation of what has been revealed already.

3. In this kind of revelation the devil may meddle freely. For, as revelations of thisnature come ordinarily through words, figures and similitudes, etc., thedevil may very readily counterfeit others like them, much more so than whenthe revelations are in spirit alone. Wherefore, if with regard to the firstand the second kind of revelation which we are here describing, as touchingour faith, there be revealed to us anything new, or different, we must inno wise give our consent to it, even though we had evidence that it was spokenby an angel from Heaven. For even so says Saint Paul, in these words: Licetnos, gut Angelus de coelo evangelizet vobis praeterquam quod evangelizavimusvobis, anathema sit.(452) Which signifies: Even though an angel from Heavendeclare or preach unto you aught else than that which we have preached untoyou, let him be anathema.

4. Since, then, there are no more articles to berevealed concerning the substance of our faith than those which have alreadybeen revealed to the Church, not only must anything new which may be revealedto the soul concerning this be rejected, but it behoves the soul to be cautiousand pay no heed to any novelties implied therein, and for the sake of thepurity of the soul it behoves it to rely on faith alone. Even though thetruths already revealed to it be revealed again, it will believe them, notbecause they are now revealed anew, but because they have already beensufficiently revealed to the Church: indeed, it must close its understandingto them, holding simply to the doctrine of the Church and to its faith, which,as Saint Paul says, enters through hearing.(453) And let not its credenceand intellectual assent be given to these matters of the faith which havebeen revealed anew, however fitting and true they may seem to it, if it desirenot to be deceived. For, in order to deceive the soul and to instil falsehoodsinto it, the devil first feeds it with truths and things that are probablein order to give it assurance and afterwards to deceive it. He resemblesone that sews leather with a bristle, first piercing the leather with thesharp bristle, after which enters the soft thread; the thread could not enterunless the bristle guided it.

5. And let this be considered carefully; for,even were it true that there was no peril in such deception, yet it greatlybehoves the soul not to desire to understand clearly things that have respectto the faith, so that it may preserve the merit of faith, in its purity andentirety, and likewise that it may come, in this night of the understanding,to the Divine light of Divine union. And it is equally necessary to considerany new revelation with ones eyes closed, and holding fast the propheciesof old, for the Apostle Saint Peter, though he had seen the glory of theSon of God after some manner on Mount Tabor, wrote, in his canonical epistle,these words: Et habemus firmiorem propheticum sermonem; cui bene factitisattendentes, etc.(454) Which is as though he had said: Although the visionthat we have seen of Christ on the Mount is true, the word of the prophecythat is revealed to us is firmer and surer, and, if ye rest your soul uponit, ye do well.

6. And if it is true that, for the reasons already described,it behoves the soul to close its eyes to the aforementioned revelations whichcome to it, and which concern the propositions of the faith, how much morenecessary will it be neither to receive nor to give credit to other revelationsrelating to different things, wherein the devil habitually meddles so freelythat I believe it impossible for a man not to be deceived in many of themunless he strive to reject them, such an appearance of truth and securitydoes the devil give them? For he brings together so many appearances andprobabilities, in order that they may be believed, and plants them so firmlyin the sense and the imagination, that it seems to the person affected thatwhat he says will certainly happen; and in such a way does he cause the soulto grasp and hold them, that, if it have not humility, it will hardly bepersuaded to reject them and made to believe the contrary. Wherefore, thesoul that is pure, cautious, simple and humble must resist revelations andother visions with as much effort and care as though they were very periloustemptations. For there is no need to desire them; on the contrary, thereis need not too desire them, if we are to reach the union of love. It isthis that Solomon meant when he said: 'What need has a man to desire andseek things that are above his natural capacity?'(455) As though we wereto say: He has no necessity, in order to be perfect, to desire supernaturalthings by supernatural means, which are above his capacity.

7. And as the objections that can be made to this have already been answered, in the nineteenthand twentieth chapter of this book, I refer the reader to these, saying onlythat the soul must keep itself from all revelations in order to journey,in purity and without error, in the night of faith, to union.


CHAPTER XXVIII


Which treats of interior locutions that may come to the spirit supernaturally.Says of what kinds they are.

1 THE discreet reader has ever need to bear in mind the intent and end whichI have in this book, which is the direction of the soul, through all itsapprehensions, natural and supernatural, without deception or hindrance,in purity of faith, to Divine union with God. If he does this, he will understandthat, although with respect to apprehensions of the soul and the doctrinethat I am expounding I give not such copious instruction neither do Iparticularize so much or make so many divisions as the understanding perchancerequires, I am not being over-brief in this matter. For with respect to allthis I believe that sufficient cautions, explanations and instructions aregiven for the soul to be enabled to behave prudently in every contingency,outward or inward, so as to make progress. And this is the reason why I haveso briefly dismissed the subject of prophetic apprehensions and the othersubjects allied to it; for there is so much more to be said of each of them,according to the differences and the ways and manners that are wont to beobserved in each, that I believe one could never know it all perfectly. Iam content that, as I believe, the substance and the doctrine thereof havebeen given, and the soul has been warned of the caution which it behovesit to exercise in this respect, and also concerning all other things of thesame kind that may come to pass within it.

2. I will now follow the samecourse with regard to the third kind of apprehension, which, we said, wasthat of supernatural locutions, which are apt to come to the spirits of spiritualpersons without the intervention of any bodily sense. These, although theyare of many kinds, may, I believe, all be reduced to three, namely: successive,formal and substantial. I describe as successive certain words and argumentswhich the spirit is wont to form and fashion when it is inwardly recollected.Formal words are certain clear and distinct words(456) which the spirit receives,not from itself, but from a third person, sometimes when it is recollectedand sometimes when it is not. Substantial words are others which also cometo the spirit formally, sometimes when it is recollected and sometimes whenit is not; these cause in the substance of the soul that substance and virtuewhich they signify. All these we shall here proceed to treat in their order.


CHAPTER XXIX


Which treats of the first kind of words that the recollected spirit sometimesforms within itself. Describes the cause of these and the profit and theharm which there may be in them.

1 These successive words always come when the spirit is recollected and absorbedvery attentively in some meditation; and, in its reflections upon that samematter whereon it is thinking, it proceeds from one stage to another, formingwords and arguments which are very much to the point, with great facilityand distinctiveness, and by means of its reasoning discovers things whichit knew not with respect to the subject of its reflections, so that it seemsnot to be doing this itself, but rather it seems that another person is supplyingthe reasoning within its mind or answering its questions or teaching it.And in truth it has good cause for thinking this, for the soul itself isreasoning with itself and answering itself as though it were two personsconvening together; and in some ways this is really so; for, although itis the spirit itself that works as an instrument, the Holy Spirit oftentimesaids it to produce and form those true reasonings, words and conceptions.And thus it utters them to itself as though to a third person. For, as atthat time the understanding is recollected and united with the truth of thatwhereon it is thinking, and the Divine Spirit is likewise united with itin that truth, as it is always united in all truth, it follows that, whenthe understanding communicates in this way with the Divine Spirit by meansof this truth, it begins to form within itself, successively, those othertruths which are connected with that whereon it is thinking, the door beingopened to it and illumination being given to it continually by the Holy SpiritWho teaches it. For this is one of the ways wherein the Holy Spirit teaches.

2. And when the understanding is illumined and taught in this way by thismaste r, and comprehends these truths, it begins of its own accord to formthe words which relate to the truths that are communicated to it from elsewhere.So that we may say that the voice is the voice of Jacob and the hands arethe hand of Esau.(457) And one that is in this condition will be unable tobelieve that this is so, but will think that the sayings and the words comefrom a third person. For such a one knows not the facility with which theunderstanding can form words inwardly, as though they came from a third person,and having reference to conceptions and truths which have in fact beencommunicated to it by a third person.

3. And although it is true that, inthis communication and enlightenment of the understanding, no deception isproduced in the soul itself, nevertheless, deception may, and does, frequentlyoccur in the formal words and reasonings which the understanding bases uponit. For, inasmuch as this illumination which it receives is at times verysubtle and spiritual, so that the understanding cannot attain to a clearapprehension of it, and it is the understanding that, as we say, forms thereasonings of its own accord, it follows that those which it forms are frequentlyfalse, and on other occasions are only apparently true, or are imperfect.For since at the outset the soul began to seize the truth, and then broughtinto play the skilfulness or the clumsiness of its own weak understanding,its perception of the truth may easily be modified by the instability ofits own faculties of comprehension, and act all the time exactly as thougha third person were speaking.

4. I knew a person who had these successivelocutions: among them were some very true and substantial ones concerningthe most holy Sacrament of the Eucharist, but others were sheer heresy. AndI am appalled at what happens in these days -- namely, when some soul withthe very smallest experience(458) of meditation, if it be conscious of certainlocutions of this kind in some state of recollection, at once christens themall as coming from God, and assumes that this is the case, saying: 'God saidto me . . .'; 'God answered me . . .'; whereas it is not so at all, but,as we have said, it is for the most part they who are saying these thingsto themselves.

5. And, over and above this, the desire which people havefor locutions, and the pleasure which comes to their spirits from them, leadthem to make answer to themselves and then to think that it is God Who isanswering them and speaking to them. They therefore commit great blundersunless they impose a strict restraint upon themselves, and unless their directorobliges them to abstain from these kinds of reflection. For they are aptto gain from them mere nonsensical talk and impurity of soul rather thanhumility and mortification of spirit, if they think, 'This was indeed a greatthing' and 'God was speaking'; whereas it will have been little more thannothing, or nothing at all, or less than nothing. For, if humility and charitybe not engendered by such experiences, and mortification and holy simplicityand silence, etc., what can be the value of them? I say, then, that thesethings may hinder the soul greatly in its progress to Divine union because,if it pay heed to them, it is led far astray from the abyss of faith, wherethe understanding must remain in darkness, and must journey in darkness,by love and in faith, and not by much reasoning.

6. And if you ask me whythe understanding must be deprived of these truths, since through them itis illumined by the Spirit of God, and thus they(459) cannot be evil, I replythat the Holy Spirit illumines the understanding which is recollected, andillumines it according to the manner of its recollection,(460) and that theunderstanding cannot find any other and greater recollection than in faith;and thus the Holy Spirit will illumine it in naught more than in faith. Forthe purer and the more refined in faith is the soul, the more it has of theinfused charity of God; and the more charity it has, the more is it illuminedand the more gifts of the Holy Spirit are communicated to it, for charityis the cause and the means whereby they are communicated to it. And althoughit is true that, in this illumination of truths, the Holy Spirit communicatesa certain light to the soul, this is nevertheless as different in qualityfrom that which is in faith, wherein is no clear understanding, as is themost precious gold from the basest metal; and, with regard to its quantity,the one is as much greater than the other as the sea is greater than a dropof water. For in the one manner there is communicated to the soul wisdomconcerning one or two or three truths, etc., but in the other there iscommunicated to it all the wisdom of God in general, which is the Son ofGod, Who communicates Himself to the soul in faith.

7. And if you tell methat this is all good, and that the one impedes not the other, I reply thatit impedes it greatly if the soul sets store by it; for to do this is tooccupy itself with things which are clear and of little importance, yet whichare sufficient to hinder the communication of the abyss of faith, whereinGod supernaturally and secretly instructs the soul, and exalts it in virtuesand gifts in a way that it knows not. And the profit which these successivecommunications will bring us cannot come by our deliberately applying theunderstanding to them, for if we do this they will rather lead us astray,even as Wisdom says to the soul in the Songs: 'Turn away thine eyes fromme, for they make me to fly away.'(461) That is so say: They make me to flyfar away from thee and to set myself higher. We must therefore not applythe understanding to that which is being supernaturally communicated to it,but simply and sincerely apply the will to God with love, for it is throughlove that these good things are communicated and through love they will becommunicated in greater abundance than before. For if the ability of thenatural understanding or of other faculties be brought actively to bear uponthese things which are communicated supernaturally and passively, its imperfectnature will not reach them, and thus they will perforce be modified accordingto the capacity of the understanding, and consequently will perforce be changed;and thus the understanding will necessarily go astray and begin to formreasonings within itself, and there will no longer be anything supernaturalor any semblance thereof, but all will be merely natural and most erroneousand unworthy.

8. But there are certain types of understanding so quick andsubtle that, when they become recollected during some meditation, they inventconceptions, and begin naturally, and with great facility, to form theseconceptions into the most lifelike words and arguments, which they think,without any doubt, come from God. Yet all the time they come only from theunderstanding, which, with its natural illumination, being to some extentfreed from the operation of the senses, is able to effect all this, and more,without any supernatural aid. This happens very commonly, and many personsare greatly deceived by it, thinking that they have attained to a high degreeof prayer and are receiving communications from God, wherefore they eitherwrite this down or cause it to be written. And it turns out to be nothing,and to have the substance of no virtue, and it serves only to encourage themin vanity.

9. Let these persons learn to be intent upon naught, save onlyupon grounding the will in humble love, working diligently, suffering andthus imitating the Son of God in His life and mortifications, for it is bythis road that a man will come to all spiritual good, rather than by muchinward reasoning.

10. In this type of locution -- namely, in successive interiorwords -- the devil frequently intervenes, especially in the case of suchas have some inclination or affection for them. At times when such personsbegin to be recollected, the devil is accustomed to offer them ample materialfor distractions, forming conceptions or words by suggestion in theirunderstanding, and then corrupting(462) and deceiving it most subtly withthings that have every appearance of being true. And this is one of the mannerswherein he communicates with those who have made some implicit or expressedcompact with him; as with certain heretics, especially with certain heresiarchs,whose understanding he fills with most subtle, false and erroneous conceptionsand arguments.

11. From what has been said, it is evident that these successivelocutions may proceed in the understanding from three causes, namely: fromthe Divine Spirit, Who moves and illumines the understanding; from the naturalillumination of the same understanding; and from the devil, who may speakto the soul by suggestion. To describe now the signs and indications by whicha man may know when they proceed from one cause and when from another wouldbe somewhat difficult, as also to give examples and indications. It is quitepossible, however, to give some general signs, which are these. When in itswords and conceptions the soul finds itself loving God, and at the same timeis conscious not only of love but also of humility and reverence, it is asign that the Holy Spirit is working within it, for, whensoever He grantsfavours, He grants them with this accompaniment.(463) When the locutionsproceed solely from the vivacity and brilliance of the understanding, itis the understanding that accomplishes everything, without the operationof the virtues (although the will, in the knowledge and illumination of thosetruths, may love naturally); and, when the meditation is over, the will remainsdry, albeit inclined neither to vanity nor to evil, unless the devil shouldtempt it afresh about this matter. This, however, is not the case when thelocutions have been prompted by a good spirit; for then, as a rule, the willis afterwards affectioned to God and inclined to well-doing. At cer taintimes, nevertheless, it will happen that, although the communication hasbeen the work of a good spirit, the will remains in aridity, since God ordainsit so for certain causes which are of assistance to the soul. At other timesthe soul will not be very conscious of the operations or motions of thosevirtues, yet that which it has experienced will be good. Wherefore I saythat the difference between these locutions is sometimes difficult to recognize,by reason of the varied effects which they produce; but these which havenow been described are the most common, although sometimes they occur ingreater abundance and sometimes in less. But those that come from the devilare sometimes difficult to understand and recognize, for, although it istrue that as a rule they leave the will in aridity with respect to love ofGod, and the mind inclined to vanity, self-esteem or complacency, neverthelessthey sometimes inspire the soul with a false humility and a fervent affectionof the will rooted in self-love, so that at times a person must be extremelyspiritually-minded to recognize it. And this the devil does in order thebetter to protect himself; for he knows very well how sometimes to producetears by the feelings which he inspires in a soul, in order that he may continueto implant in it the affections that he desires. But he always strives tomove its will so that it may esteem those interior communications, attachgreat importance to them, and, as a result, give itself up to them and beoccupied in that which is not virtue, but is rather the occasion of losingvirtue as the soul may have.

12. Let us remember, then, this necessary caution,both as to the one type of locution and as to the other, so that we may notbe deceived or hindered by them. Let us treasure none of them, but thinkonly of learning to direct our will determinedly to God, fulfilling His lawand His holy counsels perfectly, which is the wisdom of the Saints, andcontenting ourselves with knowing the mysteries and truths with the simplicityand truth wherewith the Church sets them before us. For this is sufficientto enkindle the will greatly, so that we need not pry into other deep andcurious things wherein it is a wonder if there is no peril. For with respectto this Saint Paul says: It is not fitting to know more than it behoves us(464)to know.(465) And let this suffice with respect to this matter of successivewords.


CHAPTER XXX


Which treats of the interior words that come to the spirit formally bysupernatural means. Warns the reader of the harm which they may do and ofthe caution that is necessary in order that the soul may not be deceivedby them.

1 THE interior words belonging to the second type are formal words, which atcertain times come to the spirit by supernatural means, without the interventionof any of the senses, sometimes when the spirit is recollected and at othertimes when it is not. I call them formal because they are communicated tothe spirit formally by a third person, the spirit itself playing no partin this. And they are therefore very different from those which we have justdescribed; because not only is there this difference, that they come withoutany such intervention of the spirit itself as takes place in the other case;but also, as I say, they sometimes come when the spirit is not recollectedand even when it is far from thinking of the subject of what is being saidto it. This is not so in the first type of locution -- namely, that of successivewords -- which always has some relation to the subject which the soul isconsidering.

2. These words are sometimes very clearly formed and sometimesless so; for they are frequently like conceptions in which something is saidto the spirit, whether in the form of a reply to it or in that of anothermanner of address. Sometimes there is only one word; sometimes there aretwo or more; sometimes the words succeed one another like those alreadydescribed, for they are apt to be continuous, either instructing the soulor discussing something with it; and all this comes to pass without any partbeing played therein by the spirit, for it is just as though one person werespeaking with another. In this way, we read, it came to pass with Daniel,who says that the angel spoke within him.(466) This was a formal and successivediscourse within his spirit, which instructed him, even as the angel declaredat the time, saying that he had come to instruct him.

3. When these wordsare no more than formal, the effect which they produce upon the soul is notgreat. For ordinarily they serve only to instruct or illumine with respectto one thing; and, in order to produce this effect, it is not necessary thatthey should produce any other effect more efficacious than the purpose towhich they are leading. And when they are of God they invariably work thisin the soul; for they make it ready and quick to do that which it is commandedor instructed to do; yet at times they take not from it the repugnance orthe difficulty which it feels, but are rather wont to increase these, accordingas God ordains for the better instruction, increased humility and greatergood of the soul. And this repugnance most commonly occurs when the soulis commanded to do things of a high order, or things of a kind that may exaltit; when things are commanded it that conduce to its greater lowliness andhumility, it responds with more readiness and ease. And thus we read in Exodusthat, when God commanded Moses to go to Pharao and driver the people, heshowed such great repugnance that He had to command him three times to doit and to perform signs for him; and all this was of no avail until God gavehim Aaron for a companion to take part of the honour.(467)

4. When, on the other hand, the words and communications are of the devil, it comes to passthat the soul responds with more ease and readiness to things that are ofgreater weight,(468) and for lowlier things it conceives repugnance. Thefact is that God so greatly abhors seeing souls attracted by high positionthat, even when He commands and obliges them to accept such positions, Hedesires them not to be ready and anxious to command. It is this readinesswhich God commonly inspires in the soul, through these formal words, thatconstitutes one great difference between them and those other successivewords: the latter move not the spirit so much, neither do they inspire itwith such readiness, since they are less formal, and since the understandinghas more to do with them. Nevertheless successive words may sometimes producea greater effect by reason of the close communication that there is at timesbetween the Divine Spirit and the human. It is in the manner of their comingthat there is a great difference between the two kinds of locution. Withrespect to formal words the soul can have no doubt as to whether or no itis pronouncing them itself, for it sees quite ready that it is not, especiallywhen it has not been thinking of the subject of that which has been saidto it; and even when it has been so thinking it feels very clearly and distinctlythat the words come from elsewhere.

5. The soul must no more attach importanceto all these formal words than to the other, or successive, words; for, apartfrom the fact that to do so would occupy the spirit with that which is nota legitimate and proximate means to union with God -- namely, faith -- itmight also very easily cause it to be deceived by the devil. For sometimesit is hardly possible to know what words are spoken by a good spirit, andwhat by an evil spirit. By their effects they can hardly be distinguishedat all, since neither kind produces effects of much importance: sometimes,indeed, with imperfect souls, words which come from the devil have more efficacythan have these others, which come from a good spirit, with souls that arespiritual. The soul, then, must take no account of what these words may express,nor attach any importance to them, whether the spirit from which they comebe good or evil. But the words must be repeated to an experienced confessor,or to a discreet and learned person, that he may give instruction and seewhat it is well to do, and impart his advice; and the soul must behave, withregard to them, in a resigned and negative way. And, if such an expert personcannot be found, it is better to attach no importance to these words andto repeat them to nobody; for it is easy to find persons who will ruin thesoul rather than edify it. Souls must not be given into the charge of anykind of director, since in so grave a matter it is of the greatest importancewhether one goes astray or acts rightly.

6. And let it be carefully notedthat a soul should never act according to its own opinion or accept anythingof what these locutions express, without much reflection and without takingadvice of another. For strange and subtle deceptions may arise in this matter;so much so that I myself believe that the soul that does not set itself againstaccepting such things cannot fail to be deceived by many of them. 7. And since we have treated of these deceptions and perils, and of the cautionto be observed with regard to them, in Chapters seventeen, eighteen, nineteenand twenty of this book, I refer the reader to these and say no more on thismatter here; I only repeat that my chief instruction is that the soul shouldattach no importance to these things in any way.


CHAPTER XXXI


Which treats of the substantial words that come interiorly to the spirit.Describes the difference between them and formal words, and the profit whichthey bring and the resignation and respect which the soul must observe withregard to them.(469)

1 THE third kind of interior words, we said, is called substantial. Thesesubstantial words, although they are likewise formal, since they are impressedupon the soul in a definitely formal way, differ, nevertheless, in that substantial words produce vivid and substantial effects upon the soul, whereas wordswhich are merely formal do not. So that, although it is true that everysubstantial word is formal, every formal word is not therefore substantial,but only, as we said above, such a word as impresses substantially on thesoul that which it signifies. It is as if Our Lord were to say formally tothe soul: 'Be thou good'; it would then be substantially good. Or as if Hewere to say to it: 'Love thou Me'; it would then have and feel within itselfthe substance of love for God. Or as if it feared greatly and He said toit: 'Fear thou not'; it would at once feel within itself great fortitudeand tranquility. For the saying of God, and His word, as the Wise Man says,is full of power;(470) and thus that which He says to the soul He producessubstantially within it. For it is this that David meant when he said: 'See,He will give to His voice a voice of virtue.'(471) And even so with Abraham,when He said to him: 'Walk in My presence and be perfect':(472) he was thenperfect and walked ever in the fear of God. And this is the power of Hisword in the Gospel, wherewith He healed the sick, raised the dead, etc.,by no more than a word. And after this manner He gives certain souls locutionswhich are substantial; and they are of such moment and price that they arelife and virtue and incomparable good to the soul; for one of these wordsworks greater good within the soul than all that the soul itself has donethroughout its life.

2. With respect to these words, the soul should do nothing.It should neither desire them nor refrain from desiring them; it should neitherreject them nor fear them. It should do nothing in the way of executing whatthese words express, for these substantial words are never pronounced byGod in order that the soul may translate them into action, but that He mayso translate them within the soul; herein they differ from formal and successivewords. And I say that the soul must neither desire nor refrain from desiring,since its desire is not necessary for God to translate these words into effect,nor is it sufficient for the soul to refrain from desiring in order for thesaid effect not to be produced. Let the soul rather be resigned and humblewith respect to them. It must not reject them, since the effect of thesewords remains substantially within it and is full of the good which comesfrom God. As the soul receives this good passively, its action is at no timeof any importance. Nor should it fear any deception; for neither theunderstanding nor the devil can intervene herein, nor can they succeed inpassively producing this substantial effect in the soul, in such a way thatthe effect and habit of the locution may be impressed upon it, unless thesoul should have given itself to the devil by a voluntary compact, and heshould have dwelt in it as its master, and impressed upon it these effects,not of good, but of evil. Inasmuch as that soul would be already voluntarilyunited to him in perversity, the devil might easily impress upon it the effectsof his sayings and words with evil intent. For we see by experience thatin many things and even upon good souls he works great violence, by meansof suggestion, making his suggestions very efficacious; and if they wereevil he might work in them the consummation of these suggestions. But hecannot leave upon a soul effects similar to those of locutions which aregood; for there is no comparison between the locutions of the devil and thoseof God. The former are all as though they were not, in comparison with thelatter, neither do they produce any effect at all compared with the effectof these. For this cause God says through Jeremias: 'What has the chaff todo with the wheat? Are not My words perchance as fire, and as a hammer thatbreaketh the rock in pieces?'(473) And thus these substantial words are greatlyconducive to the union of the soul with God; and the more interior they are,the more substantial are they, and the greater is the profit that they bring.Happy is the soul to whom God addresses these words. Speak, Lord, for Thyservant heareth.(474)



John, Ascent of Carmel 2 27