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Marvellous are the benefits that the soul derives
from self-denial in this rejoicing: some of these are
spiritual and some temporal.2. The first is that
the soul, by restraining its rejoicing as to things
of sense, is restored from the distraction into which
it has fallen through excessive use of the senses,
and is recollected in God. The spirituality and the
virtues that it has acquired are preserved; nay, they
are increased and increase continually.[604]
3. The second spiritual benefit which comes from
self-denial in rejoicing as to things of sense is
exceeding great. We may say with truth that that
which was sensual becomes spiritual, and that which
was animal becomes rational; and even that the soul
is journeying from a human life to a portion which is
angelical; and that, instead of being temporal and
human, it becomes celestial and divine.
For, even as a man who seeks the pleasure of
things of sense and sets his rejoicing upon them
neither merits nor deserves any other name than those
which we have given him -- that is, sensual, animal,
temporal, etc. -- even so, when he exalts his
rejoicing above these things of sense, he merits all
those other names -- to wit, spiritual, celestial,
etc.
4. And it is clear that this is true; for,
although the use of the senses and the power of
sensuality are contrary, as the Apostle says, to the
power and the exercises of spirituality,[605] it
follows that, when the one kind of power is
diminished and brought to an end, the other contrary
kinds, the growth of which was hindered by the first
kinds, are increased.
And thus, when the spirit is perfected (which is
the higher part of the soul and the part that has
relations with God and receives His communications),
it merits all these attributes aforementioned, since
it is perfected in the heavenly and spiritual gifts
and blessings of God.
Both these things are proved by Saint Paul, who
calls the sensual man (namely, the man that directs
the exercise of his will solely to sense) the animal
man, who perceives not the things of God. But this
other man, who lifts up his will to God, he calls the
spiritual man, saying that this man penetrates and
judges all things, even the deep things of God.[606]
Therefore the soul gains herein the marvellous
benefit of a disposition well able to receive the
blessings and spiritual gifts of God.
5. The third benefit is that the pleasures and the
rejoicing of the will in temporal matters are very
greatly increased; for, as the Saviour says, they
shall receive an hundredfold in this life.[607] So
that, if thou deniest thyself one joy, the Lord will
give thee an hundredfold in this life, both
spiritually and temporally; and likewise, for one joy
that thou hast in these things of sense, thou shalt
have an hundredfold of affliction and misery.
For, through the eye that is purged from the joys
of sight, there comes to the soul a spiritual joy,
directed to God in all things that are seen, whether
Divine or profane. Through the ear that is purged
from the joy of hearing, there comes to the soul joy
most spiritual an hundredfold, directed to God in all
that it hears, whether Divine or profane. Even so is
it with the other senses when they are purged.
For, even as in the state of innocence all that
our first parents saw and said and ate in Paradise
furnished them with greater sweetness of
contemplation, so that the sensual part of their
nature might be duly subjected to, and ordered by,
reason; even so the man whose senses are purged from
all things of sense and made subject to the spirit
receives, in their very first motion, the delight of
delectable knowledge and contemplation of God.
6. Wherefore, to him that is pure, all things,
whether high or low, are an occasion of greater good
and further purity; even as the man that is impure is
apt to derive evil from things both high and low,
because of his impurity. But he that conquers not the
joy of desire will not enjoy the serenity of habitual
rejoicing in God through His creatures and works. In
the man that lives no more according to sense, all
the operations of the senses and faculties are
directed to Divine contemplation.
For, as it is true in good philosophy that each
thing operates according to its being, and to the
life that it lives, so it is clear, beyond
contradiction, that, if the soul lives a spiritual
life, the animal life being mortified, it must be
journeying straight to God, since all its spiritual
actions and motions pertain to the life of the
spirit. Hence it follows that such a man, being pure
in heart, finds in all things a knowledge of God
which is joyful and pleasant, chaste, pure,
spiritual, glad and loving.
7. From what has been said I deduce the following
doctrine -- namely that, until a man has succeeded in
so habituating his senses to the purgation of the
joys of sense that from their first motion he is
gaining the benefit aforementioned of directing all
his powers to God, he must needs deny himself joy and
pleasure with respect to these powers, so that he may
withdraw his soul from the life of sense.
He must fear that since he is not yet spiritual,
he may perchance derive from the practice of these
things a pleasure and an energy which is of sense
rather than of spirit; that the energy which is of
sense may predominate in all his actions; and that
this may lead to an increase of sensuality and may
sustain and nurture it. For, as Our Saviour says,
that which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that
which is born of the spirit is spirit.[608]
Let this be closely considered, for it is the
truth. And let not him that has not yet mortified his
pleasure in things of sense dare to make great use of
the power and operation of sense with respect to
them, thinking that they will help him to become more
spiritual; for the powers of the soul will increase
the more without the intervention of these things of
sense -- that is, if it quench the joy and desire for
them rather than indulge its pleasure in them.
8. There is no need to speak of the blessings of
glory that, in the life to come, result from the
renunciation of these joys. For, apart from the fact
that the bodily gifts of the life of glory, such as
agility and clarity, will be much more excellent than
in those souls who have not denied themselves, there
will be an increase in the essential glory of the
soul corresponding to its love of God, for Whose sake
it has renounced the things of sense aforementioned.
For every momentary, fleeting joy that has been
renounced, as Saint Paul says, there shall be laid up
an exceeding weight of glory eternally.[609] And I
will not here recount the other benefits, whether
moral, temporal or spiritual, which result from this
night of rejoicing; for they all are those that have
already been described, and to a more eminent degree;
since these joys that are renounced are more closely
linked to the natural man, and therefore he that
renounces them acquires thereby a more intimate
purity. |