1. HAVING hitherto treated of a contemplative life in general, the nature and end of it, together with the necessary disposition required in souls that, according to their vocation or profession, are desirous to pursue the exercises belonging thereto, the next thing that in relation to the said state deserves our consideration is the guide whose directions we may and ought to follow therein; for certainly a guide must needs be had, since it is evident that in our present state of corrupt nature, we have no light so much as to discover that there is any such way, and much less to direct and enable us to walk in paths so much above, yea, so directly contrary to the designs and interests of nature.
2. Now, since in every good, faithful, and true Christian (as
3. Besides these two guides, we neither have nor can have any other within us, and with both these good Christians are continually attended. Whatsoever, therefore, is not the teaching of the Divine Spirit is the suggestion of the false teacher, who is His and our enemy, the which took possession of the souls of men upon Adam's transgression, whose fault was the not attending to the teaching of God's Holy Spirit (which then was the only internal teacher), but instead thereof, hearkening to the flattering temptations of his wife, seduced by the devil. And from Adam this false light is communicated to all his posterity, so as naturally we have no other. But the new heavenly teacher, the Holy Spirit, is freely given us by means of the divine word and sacraments; it being a new divine principle imprinted in our spirits, raising them to God, and continually soliciting us to walk in His ways.
4. Our misery is, that whereas by mortal sins the divine light is for the time wholly extinguished, so as to the producing of any considerable good effect upon the will, it is not so on the other side, that by grace the false teacher should be totally expelled or silenced, but it remains even in the most perfect, and God knows even the best are too much inclined often to hearken to it. Those that are less perfect, though in matters of necessary duty and obligation they follow the conduct of the Divine Spirit, yet in lesser matters they for the most part, are moved with no other principle than that of corrupt nature, by which they incur defects, the which, though in themselves venial, yet do much obscure the divine light, and weaken its efficacy. Yea, even in those things wherein such imperfect souls do for the substance of the action and its essentials follow the direction of God's Spirit, yet, by mixing of sensual interests and ends, suggested by the false teacher, they do diminish its lustre, beauty, and value. And so subtle is the spirit of nature, that it oft makes its false suggestions pass for divine inspirations, and seldom misses the insinuating its poison in some degree, either into the beginning or continuation of our best actions.
5. From these unquestionable grounds thus truly laid, it follows evidently that in all good actions, and especially in the internal ways of the spirit which conduct to contemplation and perfection, God alone is our only master and director; and creatures, when He is pleased to use them, are only His instruments. So that all other teachers whatsoever, whether the light of reason, or external directors, or rules prescribed in books, &c., are no further nor otherwise to be followed or hearkened to, than as they are subordinate and conformable to the internal directions and inspirations of God's Holy Spirit, or as God invites, instructs, and moves us to have recourse unto them, by them to be informed in His will, and by Him enabled to perform it; and that if they be made use of any other ways, they will certainly mislead us.
6. This is by all mystical writers acknowledged so fundamental
a truth, that without acknowledging it and working according
to it, it is in vain to enter into the exercises of an internal
7. Now, to the end that this so important a verity may more distinctly be declared and more firmly imprinted in the minds of all those that desire to be God's scholars in the internal ways of His divine love, they are to take notice that the inspirations which are here acknowledged to be the only safe rule of all our actions, though of the same nature, yet do extend further, and to more and other particular objects, than the divine light or grace, by which good Christians, living common lives in the world, are led, extends to; yea, than it does even in those that seek perfection by the exercises of an active life.
8. The light and virtue of common grace afford generally, to
all good Christians that seriously endeavour to save their souls,
such internal illuminations and motions as are sufficient to direct
them for the resisting of any sinful temptation, or to perform
any necessary act of virtue, in circumstances wherein they are
obliged, though this direction be oft obeyed with many
circumstantial defects, and their actions are so far and no further
meritorious and pleasing to God than as they proceed from such
internal grace or inspiration. But as for other actions, which
in their own nature are not absolutely of necessary obligation,
the which, notwithstanding, might be made instrumental to the
advancing and perfecting of holiness in their souls (such as are
the ordinary and usually esteemed indifferent actions of their
lives), to a due improvement of such actions, they have neither
the light nor the strength, or very seldom, by reason that they
9. But as for contemplative livers, those I mean that have made a sufficient progress towards perfection, besides the common grace, light, or inspirations necessary for a due performance of essential duties, the which they enjoy in a far more sublime manner and degree, so as to purify their actions from a world of secret impurities, and subtle mixture of the interests and ends of corrupt nature, invisible to all other souls--besides this light, I say (which is presupposed and prerequired), they walk in a continual supernatural ligbt, and are guided by assiduous inspirations in regard of their most ordinary, and, in themselves, indifferent actions and occurrences, in all which they clearly see how they are to behave themselves, so as to do the will of God, and by them also to improve themselves in the divine love; the which extraordinary light is communicated unto them only by virtue of their almost continual recollectedness, introversion, and attention to God in their spirits.
10. More particularly by this internal divine light an internal
liver is or may be directed: 1. In the manner and circumstances,
when, where, and how any virtue may most profitably
and perfectly be exercised; for as for the substantial act of such
a virtue, and the necessary obliging circumstances in which it
cannot, without mortal sin, be omitted, the light of common
sanctifying grace will suffice to direct. 2. In the manner,
frequency, length, change, and other circumstances of internal
prayer 3. In actions or omissions, which, absolutely considered,
may, seem in themselves indifferent, and at the present
11. Generally and ordinarily speaking, when there is proposed the doing or not doing of any external work, and that both of them are in themselves lawful, the divine inspiration in contemplative souls moves to the not doing; because the abstaining from much external working, and the increasing in internal solitude of spirit, is more suitable to their present state, and to that abstraction of life which they profess--except when the doing may prove a more beneficial mortification to self-love, or other inordinate affection of corrupt nature.
12. The special points and matters of omissions, which
(among others) are usually the objects of such divine calls and
inspirations, may be such as these, viz.: 1. To eschew unnecessary,
though permitted, conversations and correspondences
with others, either by speaking or writing. 2. To be very wary
and sparing in the use of the tongue. 3. Not solicitously to
avoid occasions of mortifications or afflictions 4. To avoid the
encumbering ourselves with business not pertaining to us. 5.
To fly honours, offices, care over others, and the like. 6. Not,
to crave this or that unnecessary thing or commodity, but to be
content without them. 7. Not to question or expostulate why
such a thing was said or done, but to hold patience, and to let
13. As for extraordinary supernatural inspirations, illuminations, apparitions, voices, conversations with spirits, messages from heaven, &c., a spiritual internal liver is forbidden to pretend to, or so much as desire them; yea, rather to pray against them, lest he should abuse them to vanity and pride; and, moreover, never to admit or esteem them for such, and much less to put in execution anything that seems to be such a way commanded, till they have been first examined, judged, and approved by superiors, &c. But of this particular we shall speak more hereafter.
14. The divine inspirations, lights, impulses, or calls, of which
we here speak, are: 1. either such as are immediately communicated
to the soul alone; 2. or also mediately with the concurrence
of some other person or thing, to wit, by the mean of an
external director; or also by the use and reading or hearing
read spiritual or other pious books. We will, in the first place,
treat of this latter way of understanding the divine will, be-