CHAPTER III

THIS CHAPTER CONTINUES THE SAME SUBJECT AND SPEAKS OF ANOTHER KIND OF UNION WHICH THE SOUL CAN OBTAIN WITH THE HELP OF GOD. THE IMPORTANCE OF LOVE OF OUR NEIGHBOUR IN THIS MATTER. THIS IS VERY USEFUL TO READ.
1. Zeal for souls left by divine union. 2. The soul may fall from such a state. 3. How divine union may always be obtained. 4. Union with the will of God the basis of all supernatural union. 5. Advantage of union gained by self-mortification. 6. Defects which hinder this union. 7. Divine union obtained by perfect love of God and our neighbour. 8. Love for God and our neigh- bour are proportionate. 9. Real and imaginary virtues. 10. Illusionary good resolutions. 11. Works, not feelings, procure union, 12. Fraternal charity will certainly gain this union.
1. LeT us now return to our little dove and see> what graces God gives it in this state. This implies - that the soul endeavours to advance in the service of our Lord and in self-knowledge. If it receives the grace of union and then does no more, thinking itself safe, and so leads a careless life, wandering off the road to heaven (that is, the keeping of the
CHAP. III. | FIFTH MANSIONS 10
commandments) it will share the fate of the butter- fly that comes from the silkworm, which lays some eggs that produce more of its kind and then dies for ever. I say it leaves some eggs, for I believe God will not allow so great a favour to be lost but that if the recipient does not profit by it, others will. For while it keeps to the right path, this soul, with its ardent desires and great virtues, helps others and kindles their fervour with its own. Yet even after having lost this it may still long to benefit others and delight to make known the mercies shown by God to those who love and serve Him.
2. I knew a person to whom this happened. Al- though greatly erring, she longed that others should profit by the favours God had bestowed on her and taught the way of prayer to people ignorant of it, thus helping them immensely.* God afterwards bestowed fresh light upon her; indeed the prayer of union had not hitherto produced the above effeéts in her. How many people there must be to whom our Lord communicates Himself, who like Judas, are called to the Apostleship and made kings by Him, as was Saul, yet who afterwards lose every- thing by their own fault! We should learn from this, sisters, that if we would merit fresh favours and avoid losing those we already possess, our only safety lies in obedience and in following the law of God. This I say, both to those who have received these graces and to those who have not.
3. In spite of all I have written, there still seems some difficulty in understanding this mansion. ‘The
' Life, ch. vii. 18. Way of Perf. xli. 8.
* Life, ch, vii. 21.
106 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [cuap. 11.
advantage of entering is so great that it is well that none should despair of doing so because God does not give them the supernatural gifts described _ above. With the help of divine grace true union can always be obtained by forcing ourselves to re- nounce our own will and by following the will of God in all things.’
4. Oh, how many of us affirm that we do this, and believe we seek nothing else—indeed we would die for the truth of what we say ! If this be the case I can only declare, as I fancy I did before, and I shall again and again, that we have already obtained this grace from God. Therefore we need not wish for that other delightful union described above, for its chief value lies in the resignation of our will to that of God without which it could not be reached.* Oh, how desirable is this union! The happy soul which has attained to it will live in this world and in the next without care of any sort. No earthly events can trouble it, unless it should see itself in danger of losing God or should witness any offence offered Him. Neither sickness, poverty, nor the loss of any one by death affects it, except that of persons useful to the Church of God, for the soul realizes thoroughly that God’s disposal is wiser than its own desires. 2
5. You must know that there are different kinds
* Found. ch. v. 10. ‘These shall not attain to the true liberty of a pure heart, nor to the grace of a delightful familiarity with Me, unless they first resign themselves and offer themselves a daily sacrifice to Me: for without this, divine union neither is nor will be obtained.’ Jmitation,