25. Concerning the Gift of Counsel

THE fifth gift of the Holy Spirit bringing grace to the soul, is Counsel. Through the gift of Spiritual Fortitude a man is drawn and uplifted to God in praise and devotion ; and in the same way he is turned downwards in pity and compassion to men given up to sins ; and again he is drawn up to God by prayers and desires, so that hav ing pitied such unhappy persons, He may be stow His own grace upon them, relying on which they may turn themselves to His praise. But in order that he may obtain this, and that God may be praised, a certain hunger, with love and desire, is increased and grows. Thus God discloses and shows Him self to be most bounteous, most benevolent, most wealthy, most loveable, and most full of delights and unspeakable sweetness and joys ; and all these things a man of this kind

H4 GIFT OF COUNSEL looks upon in the Person of the Holy Spirit, who is boundless love. Moreover, discerning that this love is boundless and immeasurable, he is sure that he ought to follow after these qualities, seeing that infinite goodness is filled with infinite virtues also. Whilst therefore, he is considering, beholding and feeling love, and whatever it has divinely in itself of pre-determined and infused endowments and gifts, he readily perceives that God continually and without intermission flows on in Himself, together with all His gifts at all hours. And on account of this very thing he grows impatient with love, nor is he able to restrain or contain himself from flowing back again with all his powers towards incomprehensible goodness and the most august Trinity, and the most delightful Unity, as far as is possible, and thus again he flames with desire, and reflows towards the same Unity. Hence now flows the gift of divine Counsel, which is a certain touch or instinct in the mind of man, proceeding from the eternal generation of the Father, when He begets His own Son in His sublime mind, that is, begets Him above reason in the essence of the soul. And by this touch the soul is rendered noble and supernatural in a marvellous manner ; nevertheless it is not able to comprehend or under stand what that is which it perceives, notwithstanding he is greatly desirous to know ; but the more deeply he explores and beholds the less he attains it. And this is a certain singular or special operation of the Father in the memory of the soul, which it has obtained by that very thing, because it has -immersed or passed itself into the sublime Unity of its own mind, so lovingly, and with so great a hunger of desire or affection — not that it becomes the Unity of the divine nature, where the Father brings forth His Son, and possesses Him in the fecundity of His own nature, but yet where the 'Persons by the power of their charity inwardly reflow . with boundless love. For it perceives in no wise by a divine method this Unity at this step ; otherwise it would fall into that which is ignorant of the method, and into fruitful love. Moreover it perceives it in the manner of a creature which is not completely sublime, but there is a certain similiii6 GIFT OF COUNSEL tude of divine unity, and it excites an impatience of love. By this touch of soul and by that of the Son, that is, by the generation of the Eternal Wisdom, a certain magnificent light of the soul illumines the intellect, enlightening the reason with singular clearness. But the Wisdom of God supplies thi^'light in order that it may render the intellect of the soul like Himself, and may enlighten and lift up the same, and the reason receives the same light and radiation as often as with true affection and desire it uplifts itsielf, and impresses or submerges itself into Unity. But whatever the cause may be, by which the reason thus illuminated might wis»h to know for certain, or whatever may hinder itself lest it should not persist in this Unity, so pleasant and delightful to itself, even from hence does this touch, arise, whatsoever also it may be. Therefore prudently and diligently investigating and considering attentively, it discovers an upwelling spring in the depth of the mind itself, or of a certain living fountain out of a vital and fertile depth, which is the Unity of God, and the origin of the Persons, from which the unity of the soul depends and issues. For this depth is fertile, and the beginning and end' of all created things. Further, this welling spring and that touch is so marvellous and so extremely delightful to the intellect, is so pleasing and friendly, or so lovely to the will, and so desirable in no common degree, that the soul is seized upon by the impatience and heat of love, and by an immense desire. Again therefore, it attempts to investigate and to explore that which is in opposition to it, so that neither in God nor in itself is it able to stand still and dwell. It determines therefore, to perambulate and survey from the height to the depth the kingdom of its own soul ; and here great is the agility and swiftness of the reason. Therefore its looks towards that supreme thing for which, in the unity of its own mind, it has impressed itself, whence indisputably the three supreme forces derive their origin, and from the same quarter, that is, they reflow into the same unity of the mind, where moreover, that touch exists and is the upwelling spring of the divine fountain. And this unity of the mind is a ray and a spring n8 GIFT OF COUNSEL where all the .gifts of God are supplied and poured forth, according to the scale of virtues and in proportion to their dignity. .But however, at this step this same ray remains unrecognized, unless herein a certain impatience of love is felt. Furthermore those who are fitted for the active life perceive not this ray in so sublime a manner, since ,nevertheless, all their goodwill and all their love and the whole of their virtues receive and maintain their life in that self-same way. But that it is not felt by them in so lofty a manner follows from the fact that in the kingdom of the soul and its desire, they have not climbed far enough, but are still occupied below. But this rav streams down from

God on the uppermost reach of the soul, and as far as it can be felt and compre hended by the soul, it is a creature, but as far as it cannot be comprehended by it, it is God, and this is the cause of its impatience. But yet here the soul ever remains in unity, according to its intellect and by its faculties, indeed, it flows forth outwardly to work ; but according to the foundation or essence of its faculties, it persists within in the mind's unity. Meanwhile nevertheless, it should desire with all its power to follow up that delicious spring by means of unity, in order that it should find that living fount whence this spring issues ; but just as it attempts it with greater desire, so it becomes the more impatient and experiences a greater influx of love. But yet that which is created, or the creature's desire, is not able to follow up to God perfectly, because in a certain manner it works both in light and in created love ; whence it happens that at this step it always labours under an influx of love, which indeed is ^-something distinctive and a certain lofty similitude of the Ever Adorable Trinity. But perceiving that it avails or attains naught, but that it continually loses all its labour and striving, the sublime memory now reflects upon the whole kingdom of the soul, — if by any means aught be wanting therein which must be disposed, ordered or ruled.

Wherefore it despatches two messengers downwards into the soul's kingdom, one of which is the reason, with wisdom divinely enlightened ; the other is agility or s'peed, urged and impelled both by the Father's touch or instigation, as well as by the holy frenzy or influx of love dwelling in the soul. Speed compels it to hasten exceedingly through every kingdom, and this by the action of the Lord from whom it was dis patched, and by the impact and stimulus of the divine touch and of inflowing love. Enlightened reason moreover, studiously searches out and considers ; for it serves the Eternal Wisdom. Thus speed and enlightened reason run together in the kingdom, and order, rule and govern all things.

Moreover they discover the great need and defect of the virtues, and that the whole kingdom is void and despoiled of the adornment of excellent and virtuous actions'. Whatever the reason may be able to observe and perceive, nevertheless it has not whence it may give bountifully and help this need. At the same time therefore, again they run up toward unity, and open it up, and are conquered by sublime love by reason of the perfect tasting of God, and because of inflowing and languishing impatience. But love, when this message has been perceived — that there is so great a poverty of goods and adornment of virtues in the soul's kingdom — in like manner taking into partnership its own two daughters, that is to say, compassjon and generosity or devotion, with the illumined reason as their attendant, and with speed as the handmaid of them all, — they all hasten down at once into the soul's kingdom. And the enlightened reason rules and orders all things in accordance with justice. But love bestows all things liberally, and out of compassion takes pity upon every need; in this way a man of that kind has dominated, ruled and ordered the whole kingdom of the soul in accordance with reason, and regarded every necessity compassionately, has liber ally endowed the needy and necessitous of that kingdom, and finally has taken possession of that kingdom by means of love in unity. And this is called the affective, loving life of truth ; and those of such a character are they who excellently carry out the counsels of God, and love God with their whole soul. They are they of whom Christ speaks : " Blessed are the merciful for they shall obtain mercy." For such are truly merciful, that is to say, are those whom God and divine charity drive and impel to and fro in the kingdom of the soul, so that they take pity on the needs of all men. And they pursue the very mercy of God into unity to that point when no longer are they able to proceed further. Rightly enough are they compared to the angels of the sixth rank, to whose fellowship, company and order they belong. For the angelical spirits are called Dominations, because they dominate and command the five inferior ranks, and all these same inferior orders of angels and spirits enlighten, rule and ojjder the former, seeing that these are enlightened more fully beyond them, and are more highly adorned w'th virtues, and that there is given to them a spiritual usage and conversation with men, who are their like in virtues and clearness of life.

Finally these move heaven on behalf of the need of all creatures who live in earth, air and water.

These men have even a kind of likeness to the highest and the productive divine nature.

For the most glorious nature of God the Father, which is the first and chief cause of- all creatures, since it is productive, is unable to contain itself in the Unity of Paternity by reason of its productiveness ; indeed the same God the Father begets the Eternal Wisdom without cessation, which is the Son of the Father. And this Son of God is begotten without intervention, and is both begotten and yet remains according to this essence, unbegotten. For_ He is in the Father as though in His own proper and eternal fount, by Whom abiding or in Him indwelling He issues, and yet without going forth tarries. And nevertheless the Son is one and the same. For when the Father looks upon His own Son, Eternal Wisdom, and at the same time upon all created things, thereupon the Son is begotten, and is an other Person from the Father. And because the Father looks on the same His Son by means of the same Wisdom, by this very means the Son is begotten without cessation. Moreover grant that the Father's nature ever remains productive, yet nevertheless, according to His Essence, the Son is unbegot-

I24 GIFT OF COUNSEL ten. Since then there" is "the One Essence in the Three Divine Persons, therefore also Each of them is in Each. For where the nature is productive there the Son is in the Father, and the Father in the Son. But where the Father begets the Son, there the Son is of the Father. Finally where the Father looks upon His own Son, and at the same time upon all things in Him, there the Son is begotten. Yet herein nevertheless, there is none but one and the same Son by that productive nature. For neither by this generation whereby the Father begets His own Son does charity issue forth, which is the Holy Spirit. But where the Sun was begotten by the Father another Person from the same, whilst the Father is beholding Him begotten, and in Him and together with Him, and One together with Him, in Whom is the life of all creatures, He looks upon all things at the same time. And again the Son beholds the Father begetting and productive, and His own self and all things in Him. From this mutual beholding, I say, in the same productive nature, Love proceeds, which is the Holy Spirit, the bond of both, that is, of the Father and the Son. And this love embraces the Persons and penetrates Them, and causes Them to flow inwardly together again into unity, whereby the Father begets continually without cessation. But grant that They have reflowed inwardly together into unity, yet They are not able to remain on account of the productiveness of Their nature. And this begetting, and this reflowing into unity, is the working of the Holy Trinity ; and thus also is there the Trinity of Persons and the Unity of Nature. And by means of this Trinity the Adorable God brings about all His works. Moreover out of unity is the begetting and reflowing of Persons into the same, with measureless ardour of love and infinite desire and mutual complacency. But yet in the same unity They cannot tarry, for this unity is productive, and is the essence (or fount of properties) of the Persons ; and therefore, in that which is in accordance with this method of the divine way, it is supreme, and that which is below it is ignorant of the means. And by this reasoning the blessedness of God is not itself fruitful, since this unity, of which we are now speaking, con sists in the fruitfulness of nature ; whereby it happens that therein is no lasting fruition, when the fruitful blessedness of God in that which is ignorant of the means, and in the unity of the Persons according to Tneir personal properties is placed by immersion or diffusion within the essence of God, which regards not the means. But yet when this loftiest nature is filled with eternal wisdom, goodness, generosity, benevolence, boundless love and compassion, the Omnipotent Father, turning Himself towards lower things, looks upon, rules, controls and orders reasonably and discreetly all things which He has established, and draws them by His compassion, rewards them generously, binds and joins them with love to Himself, and impresses into unity as many as are worthy on account of their virtues.