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Chapter IV

Of the sweet and tender love of God which proceeds from His dwelling in the soul in the prayer of quiet, termed here " the divine breasts."

1. " Thy breasts are better than wine." 2. These words apply to the prayer of quiet. 3. Its effects. 4. It confers happiness. 5. Other benefits. 6. Mother and babe; a comparison. 7. Earthly and heavenly joys. 8. Rewards of self-surrender. 9. A prayer for divine union. 10. Insignificance of our service. 11. Self-oblation.

"THY BREASTS ARE BETTER THAN WINE "

I. O MY daughters! What great mysteries are contained in these words! May God permit us to experience them, for they are indescribable. When His Majesty in mercy answers this prayer of the Bride, He begins to enter into a friendship with her soul which, as I said, can be1 understood only by those who have enjoyed it. I have written very fully about it in two books ^ which, if it be the will of God, will be given you after my death. The subject is there treated minutely and thoroughly, which I knew you would need, therefore I shall do no more than touch upon it now. I do not know whether I shall explain it here in the same words that our Lord was pleased that I should use then.

  1. The soul is now convinced, by a feeling of extreme internal sweetness, that it must be near our Lord.* This sweetness is not a simple feeling of devotion which moves us pleasantly so that we shed tears abundantly either over the Passion of our Lord or our past sins. In this state, which I call the " prayer of quiet " because of the peace it brings to the powers, the soul receives great consolations. Yet sometimes, when the spirit is not so

2 Life, chapters xiv. and xv., xviii. and xix. Way of Perf. chapters xxx. and xxxi.

3 " The soul in quietude before God insensibly imbibes the sweetness of His presence without reasoning about it. . . . It so joys in the sight of its Bridegroom's presence that reasoning on the subject would be superfluous. . . . The soul has no need of the memory during this repose, for her Lover is with her. Nor does she want the imagination, for what use is it to recall the image either exteriorly or internally of Him who is before us? . . . O God, eternal God, when by Thy sweet presence Thou dost cast Sweet perfumes within our hearts . . . the will, like the spiritual sense of smell, remains peacefully employed in realising, unwittingly, the matchless blessing of having God present with the soul " (S. Francis of Sales, Treatise of the Love of God, bk, vi., oh. ix.). absorbed by sweetness, it enjoys in a different manner. The whole creature, both body and soul, is enraptured as if some very fragrant ointment, resembling a delicious perfume,2 had been infused into the very centre of the being, or as if we had suddenly entered a place redolent with scents coming not from one, but from many objects; we do not know from which it rises nor what it is, although it entirely pervades our being. ^ So it is with this most sweet love of our God: with the greatest suavity it enters the soul, which feels happy and satisfied, but cannot understand the reason nor how this great good entered it.

  1. The soul fears losing it, and is loath to move or speak or even to look about, lest it should disappear. But I have explained in my other writings how to behave in order to benefit by this favour, which I only mention here that you may understand what I am describing. I will therefore merely say that our Lord thus shows that He desires so close a friendship with the soul that nothing may come between them. Great truths are here imparted to the mind, which, although too dazzled to realise what the light is, now perceives the vanity of the world.

The soul does not see the good Master who teaches it,' although clearly conscious of His presence. Still, it is left with greatly increased knowledge and such growth and strength of virtue as to be unable to recognise its former self. The one desire of such a person is to praise God, and while in this excess of delight she is so inebriated and absorbed as to appear beside herself. Indeed, she seems in a state of divine intoxication, and does not know what she wants, or says, or for what she asks. In short, she is unconscious of self, and yet not so absorbed but that she understands something of what is happening. 4. When, however, this most wealthy Bridegroom wishes to enrich and caress her still more. He so draws her to Him that she is like a person fainting with extreme joy and pleasure." The soul appears to itself to be upheld in those divine arms and pressed to His sacred side and divine breasts. It only knows how to enjoy, sustained as it is by the divine milk with which its Spouse continues to nourish it, and to increase its

® Life, ch. xiv. 8, 9. Way of Perf., ch. xxxi. i. "The Babe himself gave Simeon hght to recognise Him, as He enlightens the soul to recognise Him during the prayer of quiet."

' Way of Perf., ch. xxv. i.

8 Isaias Ixvi. 12, 13: Ad ubera portabimini, et super genua blandientur vobis. Quomodo si cui mater blandiatur, ita ego consolabor vos, et in Jerusalem consolabimini. St. Thomas Aquinas remarks that in the preceding degrees the soul loves and is beloved in return; it seeks and is sought for, calls and is called. But in this, in some wonderful and unspeakable manner, it rises and virtues that He may caress it more, and that it may deserve daily to receive new favours from Him. On awaking from this slumber and heavenly inebriation, it feels amazed and confused, and I think that, in a sacred frenzy, it might then utter the words: " Thy breasts are better than wine."

  1. For when first the spirit felt carried out of itself, nothing higher seemed possible of attainment; but now, finding itself in a higher state and plunged in the unspeakable greatness of God, and seeing how it has been nourished, it makes the tender comparison: ' ' Thy breasts are better than wine." For, as an infant does not know how it grows or is nourished — indeed often, without any effort of its own, the milk is put into its mouth — so it is in this case with the graces infused into the soul; it knows nothing itself, nor does anything, and is unable to perceive whence, nor can it imagine how, this great good came to it. It only realises that this is the keenest delight that can be felt in this life, even if all the world's joy and happiness could be enjoyed at once. The soul finds that it has been strengthened and benefited without knowing how it has merited such a boon. It has been taught great truths without seeing its Teacher, and been confirmed in virtue and caressed by Him Who best knows how, and Who has the power to do so. It knows not

is upraised, seizes and is seized, and is united by the bond of love to God, in solitude with Him. Opuse. 65. to what to compare this except the endearments of ■$ mother who tenderly loves her child, and feeds and fondles it.'

  1. This metaphor is most appropriate, for the soul is upraised without using the powers of the mind, much in the same way as a babe, who when he is thus feasted and pleased, yet has not the intelligence to grasp the reason why. But the soul was not quite so passive in the preceding state of slumber and intoxication, for it was not entirely quiescent, but both thought and acted to a certain extent. Realising its nearness to God, it cries with truth: ' ' Thy breasts are better than wine." ^' What a favour is this, my Spouse! what a delicious banquet and what precious wine dost Thou give me, one drop of which makes me forget all created things and go forth from all creatures and from myself, no longer to crave for the pleasures and delights that my sensual heart has longed for until now! Great is this favour and unmerited by me! Since His Majesty has

*'Way of Perf., ch. xxxi. 7. Castle, M. iv. ch. in. 9. The following paragraph is from the manuscripts of Las Nieves and Consuegra.

^^ Way of Perf., ch. xviii. i. Castle, M. v. ch. i. 10; ii. ri. " The bodily pleasures," says St. Bernard, " which used to intoxicate us like wine, are superseded by the spiritual delights that flow from Thy breasts. The plenitude of grace which flows from Thy breasts profits my soul more than the scathing rebuke of superiors " {On the Canticles, serm. ix. 6. Migne, P.L., t. clxxxiii. c. 817). See also St. John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul, bk. ii. ch. xxiii. II, 12. II increased it and drawn me still closer to Him, well may I cry: " Thy breasts are better than wine." Thy mercies in the past were great, O my God, but this far surpasses them, as I take less share in it myself, therefore it is much more sublime in every way.

  1. Great are the joy and delight of the soul which advances thus far, O my daughters! May our Lord grant us to understand, or rather, I should say, taste, for in no other way can we understand the happiness of the soul in such a case. If the earth could collect together all its riches, its pleasures, its honours and its feasts, — if all these could be enjoyed simultaneously without the trials that accompany them (which is impossible), yet in a thousand years they could not bring the bliss that is enjoyed in a single moment by the soul God has brought thus far. St. Paul declares that " the sorrows of this world are not worthy to be compared to the happiness that we look for," " but I say that they are not worthy to be compared nor could they earn one hour of this gladness, satisfaction, joy and delight here given to the soul by God Himself. I do not think they can be weighed with one another, nor can the baseness of earthly things merit such tender caresses from our Lord, nor a love so demonstrative and so tasted by the soul.

" Rom. viii. 18: Existimo enim quod non sunt condignae passiones hujus temporis ad friiuram gloriam quae revelabitur in nobis.

  1. How trivial are our sorrows compared with this! Unless borne for God, they are worthless, and even then His Majesty proportions them to our strength, because our misery and cowardice make us dread them so keenly. Ah, Christians! ah, my daughters! For the love of God, let us arise from sleep! Remember how He does not wait until the next life to reward our love for Him, but begins to pay us even here! O my Jesus! who can express all that we gain by casting ourselves into the arms of our Lord and plighting with Him this troth: " I to my Beloved, and His turning is towards me," ^^ and " He cares for my affairs and I care for His." ^* Do not let us be so self-seeking as to put our own eyes out, as the proverb says.

  2. Again do I ask Thee, O God, and beseech Thee, by the blood of Thy Son, to grant me this grace, " Kiss me with the kiss of Thy mouth," for what am I without Thee, Lord? What worth do I possess apart from Thee? If I wander but one step from Thee, where shall I go? O Lord of mercy, my only Good! What more do I seek in this life than a union so close that there can be nothing to divide me from Thee? With such a companion, what can be hard? With Thee by my side, what dare I not attempt for Thy sake? What thanks do I deserve? Have I not rather incurred great blame

^^ Cant. vii. 10. Ego dilecto meo, et ad me conversio ejus. 1* Castle. M. vii. cb iii. i. Rel. iii. 20. for my remissness in Thy service? Thus, with my whole heart, I beg Thee, like Saint Augustine, to " give what Thou askest and ask what Thou wilt! " ^* and with Thine aid I will recoil from nothing.

  1. I see indeed, 1* O my Bridegroom, that Thou art mine, nor can I deny it. For my sake didst Thou come to earth; for my sake didst Thou undergo so many trials; for me wast Thou scourged with many stripes; for me dost Thou remain in the most Blessed Sacrament and now Thou dost show me such signal favours! Yet, O holy Bride, how can I utter these words with thee? What can I do for my Bridegroom? Truly, sisters, I do not know how to escape from this dilemma! What can / be for Thee, O my God? What can a soul do for Thee which is given to such evil habits as mine, except lose the graces Thou hast given it? What service canst Thou hope for on my part? And even if, by Thine aid, I should accomplish something, what need can an all-powerful God have of the deeds of a wretched worm?

  2. O Love! In how many ways do I long to say these words, and it is love alone which dares to cry with the Bride: "I love my Beloved! " and which gives us the right to believe that this our true Lover has need of us.

" Da quod juhes, et juhe quod vis (St. August., Confess., bk, x. ch. xxix.).

1^ From here to the end of the chapter from the manuscripts of Las Nieves and Consuegra. and that He is my Spouse and my chief good. Then, since He gives us leave, daughters, let us cry again: " My Beloved to me and I to my Beloved." ^^ Thou to me. Lord? Then, if Thou comest to me, why doubt that I can do much to serve Thee? Henceforth, Lord, I desire to forget self, to seek only how to serve Thee, and to have no other will but Thine. But, alas, my strength has no power! Thou art all-powerful, my God! All that I can give Thee is my firm resolve, and henceforth I give it Thee, to serve Thee by my actions.

Footnotes

  1. Cant, i I; Meliora sunt ubera tua vino. ↩

  2. Castle, M. iv. ch. ii. 6; M. vi. ch. ii. 14. s " Often, by the sudden visitation of God, we are filled with perfumes sweeter than any made by man, so that the soul is enraptured with delight and, as it were, caught up into an ecstasy of spirit, becoming unconscious that it still dwells in the flesh" (Cassian, Conferences, iv. ch. v. Migne, P.L., t. xlix. c. 589). ↩

Chapter 5 of 8