20. Concerning the Gift of Fortitude, and the Virtues Which Draw Their Origin Therefrom

THE fourth gift of God conferring beauty on the mind, is Spiritual Fortitude. Just as the three preceding gifts adorn a man within and without in the active life, and dispose, order and perfect him, so thk gift adorns a man inwardly and outwardly in the life of the affections. This Spiritual Fortitude raises the mind above all temporal things, and exhibits to the reason the pro perties of the Persons, that is, the Father's power, the Son's wisdom, and the Holy Spirit's goodness, and it inflames him who is affected with a certain kind of sensible love, so that he may disencumber and liberate himself from all things in his mem ory, and that reason may contemplate eternal truth in all its works, and that, affected by sensible love, he may continually impress and sink himself into the goodness of God. And finally all the powers of the soul, as well external as internal, raise themselves up into the mind, and are united to it, so that a man of that disposition ignores and estimates at little value every thing that is in the world ; nor can any other creature compel him — nay, nor hinder nor oppose him— so as not to be able as often as he desires to entrust and offer himself to the divine goodness, which is a proof that he is henceforth freed and loosed from all creatures nor can by any of them be held captive or ensnared. For this reason he is strong, because he has conquered all earthly things and all powers of the mind, and has united and elevated each one in all his actions.

Moreover out of this Fortitude and the enkindling disposition proceed the rendering of praise and honour, devotion, inward and holy prayers of the mouth, of the heart, of the intention, and of actions least of all feigned, and by these very matters the sensible desire, or the enkindling of affection, is increased.

For that very object, which is eternal truth, infinite wisdom and devotion or bounty, is so delectable in its appearance that desire constantly enlarges with greater increases. Further, by this very desire and intuition a man's heart is wounded and inwardly perceives itself pierced and consumed with sorrow under a certain introversion in itself. And the oftener it turns itself thither, the more grievous does the wound become, but sometimes so great a consolation and sweetness is inwardly opened to a man, that he scarcely knows how to contain himself, and knows not how he should bear himself. For he thinks that no one has ever experienced the things which he is experiencing, and from thence arises jubilee, because he cannot restrain himself. Sometimes when he is situated apart in secret, away from men (for God desires not his friends to be affected with ignominy), such an impatience possesses him outwardly and inwardly with so great a vehemence, that in all his powers and members there is so joyous an experience that he imagines with a bursting heart he will yield up the ghost, and this brings about in him inebriation and ecstasy. Thus indeed

$b GIFT OF FORTITUDE

God makes his friends to be happily foolish. Sometimes this ecstasy is wont to grow to so great a height that the matter becomes serious, and more frequently he is compelled to break out into shouting whilst he is being spiritually touched or pricked — when he himself perceives or understands it, either by a bare introversion into the coruscation of divine light, or its reflection. But from all these actions an immense desire is engen dered in each of the separate virtues, of satisfying God, the gift of this divine Fortitude effecting and performing this*. And these are they concerning whom the Lord speaks : " Blessed are those who spiritually hunger and thirst after justice." For it is by this justice that set free and delivered from all creatures, in intention, desire or affection, in soul, body, eyes, hands, and our whole faculty altogether, we are raised up again, so that we yield and offer up to God, both in time and in eternity our praise and honour, nor do we in this self-same thing receive or seek delectation. For that brings about double-mindedness, and is a hindrance to justice ; although he who in this way leads a life devoted ' to love will never lack great delectations. He who has thus perfectly followed out this gift of spiritual Fortitude as we have said, may be rightly compared to the angelical spirits of the fourth rank and is to be received into their choir and fellowship. But thos,e spirits are called Powers, that is Powerful Princes before the Throne of the Mos-t Adorable Trinity, who together with their whole powers are uplifted in the most consuming affection without intermission ; they are strengthened in themselves to contemplate the Most Holy Trinity; and they are all able to enlighten by means of this elevated affection, all those like themselves, in the application and joining together in love. For they rule even the three ranks of the lowest hierarchy, whenever they are burning with a more ardent love than they, and they are endowed with a brighter understanding than those who have the active life to control, to govern, and to rule. Moreover these— which is the highest act — never cease continually to praise God with all their powers ; and they are able to hold demons in check, lest they should, in accordance with their own wicked and perverse desire, injure or offer hindrances to men. We whoever has followed up this Spiritual Fortitude possesses a certain similitude both of the divinity of God and the humanity of Christ. For in accordance with the nature of the Eternal Father, the memory contemplates without ceasing the unity of its own fertile, paternal nature, and out of the Wisdom (which is the Son) of the Two Persons in One, by mutual contemplation, there flows forth or proceeds an immense and infinite Love, that is the Holy Spirit, by which love the Father and the Son are bound together and conjoined in unity ; and these Two Persons ever hunger after love, which hunger is nothing else than the desire of flowing forth continually into Unity, and to be active without intermission within the Most High Trinity.

But as regards His humanity, Christ together with all the powers of His soul and body, with all His senses and members, both was and is drawn up into desire, and He Him self in all His actions and whole life, follows after and looks towards His Father's honour, and reverentially renders praises and thanks to the Father ; but He thoroughly denied Himself, which was great humility, and willed to discharge our debt and to satisfy justice. Whosoever obtains this gift of Spiritual Fortitude by this means has adorned the fourth element of fire, that is, his free will, with singular virtues. Fire is truly an ornament to the rest of the elements-, and claims amongst them the chief place and dignity for itself, and by its own nature and inherent nobility is always borne on high ; and in all creatures it moves and works subtilly. Nor is it absurd to compare it to freedom of will, touched or aroused by the gift of divine Fortitude, because too, a will of that kind strives and struggles to flame ever upwards with immense desire ; and this verily, by a divine 'bestowal or gift, is con ferred on the soul, so amid all that the world contains, it can no longer tarry with delight in creatures. It burns therefore with a fire, desire having been drawn upward ; and thus no one shall be able to attack it thus adorned with the true dignity and nobility of the virtues, since forsooth, it pertains to the excellence and nobility of the virtues,,