I. I HAVE wandered far from my subject, but no one

will blame me who realises the importance of what I
have said. Let us return, my sisters, to speak of the
love we ought to feel for others, and which is lawful for
us: that which I call entirely spiritual. I am not sure
whether I understand what I am speaking about : at
any rate, I think there is no need to say much about
this love, for I fear very few people possess it : if our
Lord has granted it to any one amongst you, she should
thank and praise Him fervently, for she must have
attained great perfection, and perhaps we shall profit
by her example. I will say something about it, on the

^ Valladolid edition, ch. vii. j Esccrial, ch. ix.

CHAP. VI.]

SUPERNATURAL LOVE.

41

chance of its proving useful : although the other sort of
love is that we generally feel, for the sight of virtue, if
we desire to win it, makes us love it. God grant us the
grace to understand it and to strive to gain it. Please
God I may even understand it myself, far more that I
may succeed in explaining it, for I hardly know when
love is spiritual and when it is partly sensual, nor how to
speak of it. I am like a person who hears a voice in the
distance, but cannot distinguish the words : for sometimes
I do not understand what I write, and yet our Lord is
pleased to grant that it should be correct. At times I may
talk nonsense : it is most natural to me to do nothing well.

2. It seems to me that when God has clearly shown
the soul what this world is, and that another world
exists, and how different the two are — how that one is
eternal while the other is but a dream — when the differ-
ence is seen between loving the Creator or the creature
(which can only be found out by experience, not by holding
a mere idea or opinion on the matter, but by perceiving
and proving what is gained by the one and lost by the
other), when the soul understands what the Creator is
and what the creature, with many other truths which our
Lord manifests with certainty and conviction to those who
seek to learn from Him in prayer, or to whom He chooses
to reveal these verities — then that soul loves in a way

2 Life, ch. vii. 33-37 ; ch. xvi. 12 ; ch. xxx. 6. Castle, M. ii.
ch. i. 12.

42 THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. VI.

very different from ours, who have not advanced thus far.
It may seem needless to you, my sisters, to speak of
this. You will say you know it already. God grant you
do ; that you know it practically ; that it is graven in
your hearts, so that you never forget it even for as
short a time as a “ Memento.” If you know it, you
will see that I speak the truth in saying that souls
which God has drawn so far feel such a love. These
are generous, noble spirits, who are not content with
loving anything so wretched as a mortal body, whatever
beauties and attractions it may possess. Though the
sight gives them pleasure, and they praise the Creator
for it, yet as for dwelling on such qualities — no ! I
mean by ‘"dwelling” on them that these souls should
love any one for such things, for this would seem to
them loving a nothingness, a shadow : they would feel
such shame as not to dare afterwards, wdthout horrible
confusion, to tell God that they loved Him.

3. You will tell me that such persons do not know how
to love or to repay the affection felt for them. At any
rate, they care little for the latter ; although they natur-
ally feel a momentary pleasure in being loved, yet, re-
turning to their senses, they see this is but folly, unless
the liking comes from one who can help them by counsel
or by prayer.^ All other affection wearies them, for they

® Escorial, ch. x. Of the great gain of being loved in such a
way.

CHAP. VI.] SUPERNATURAL LOVE. 43

know it cannot profit, but may even injure them. Yet
they are grateful for it, and requite it by commending
their friend to God, thinking her attachment forms a
debt laid on them by our Lord, from Whom they believe
it comes. Seeing nothing amiable in themselves, they
think that others love them for the love of God, and leave
His Majesty to reward them, as they beg Him to do.
Then they feel free from their debt, and think no more
about it. In my opinion, unless this fondness for us
is felt by those who can lead us to perfection, it is often
great blindness to wish to be loved.

4. Notice, that when we wish for any one’s love, it
is always for the sake of self-interest or pleasure : those
who are perfect, however, have so trodden under-foot all
worldly goods, delights and joys, that, even if they
wished, as we might say, they could care for nothing
outside God and speaking to others about Him ; there-
fore what gain can human love bring them ? They cease
to care for it, realising this truth so clearly that they
laugh at the thought of how anxious they used to be as
to whether their affections were returned or no ; for,
pure as our love may be, it is natural to wish for it to be
repaid. Yet this repayment is but a thing of straw,
an airy nothing, blown to and fro by the wind, for after
we have been dearly loved, what remains to us ? There-
fore perfect souls care nothing whether they are cherished
or no, except it be by those who can profit them,' as I

44

THE WAY OF PERFECTION.

[chap. VI.

said ; for human nature quickly tires of helping those
we do not care for. Do you fancy such hearts can love
or think of none except God alone ? Indeed, they love
others far more, with a truer, more generous and intense
affection. In a word, this is true love. These souls are
ever more ready to give than to receive,^ even with
their Creator. This, I say, merits the name of love,
for all other base affections have but usurped the
title.

5. You may wonder, if such persons do not love
what they see, what it is that they love. They do love
what they see, and are drawn by what they hear, but
what they see and hear is what is stable. If they care
for any one, they do not arrest their eyes on the body,
but at once look into the soul to see if it contains aught
they can love, or if not, whether it has germs or in-
clinations which show that, by digging deep enough
they will find gold within the mine ; loving this soul,
no trouble wearies them, no service is too hard for them
willingly to render it, for they wish their affection for
it to last, which they know is impossible unless their
friend possesses virtue and the love of God.® I say it
is impossible, though the other should render them
immense services and even seek to die for them, and
if she should do them every kindness in her power :

* Acts XX. 35 : “ Beatius est magis dare quam accipere.”

® Castle, M, vi, ch, xi. 10. Life, ch. xxiv. 8. Rel. i. 16 ; ii, 8.

CHAP. VI.] SUPERNATURAL FRIENDSHIP. 45

though she should possess every natural attraction,
yet they could not force their wills to love her nor to
remain attached to her. They know, and have learnt
by experience, what these are worth, and cannot be
cheated with false coin ; they see their minds are not
in unison, so that they cannot continue to love each
other, for if their friend does not love God nor keep
His law, they fear their attachment must end with this
life and they will go to different regions. These souls
in which our Lord has instilled true wisdom hold the
affection which ends in this world no higher than its
proper value — nay, they hold it cheaper ! To those
who care for worldly things such as pleasure, honour,
and riches, it is of some worth if their friend be wealthy,
for the sake of the gaiety and amusement he provides.®
Those who have spurned such things beneath their
feet care little or nothing for such friendships. If they
have any affection for such a one, it is a longing to bring
their soul to love God so that they themselves can love
her, for, as I said, they realise that no other sort of fond-
ness can last, but will cost them dear. Therefore they
make every effort to benefit their friend, and would lose
a thousand lives to help her in the least. O priceless
love, thus imitating the Captain of aL love, Jesus, our
only good !

6 Life, ch. ii. 4 ; ch. v. 9 ; ch. xxi. i. Way of Perf. ch. xli. 4, 5.

46

THE WAY OF PERFECTION. [CHAP. VII.