Madame Guyon - Spiritual Torrents, 1853 by gnosisclassics

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SPIRITUAL TORRENTS, BY

MADAME

M. B.

DE LA MOTHE GUYON.

TRANSLATED BY

55©tt{i ^Parallel

A. E. FORD.

passages

FEOM

THE WRITINGS OF EMANUEL SWEDENBORG.

BOSTON: PUBLISHED BY OTIS CLAPP, HOOL

1853.

y!^"

Entered, according to Act of Congress, in the year 1853, by

OTIS CLAPP, In the Clerk's

Office of the District

Court of the District of Massachusetts.

BOSTON: PRINTED BY JOHN WILSON AND SON, ITo. 22,

School Street.

PREFACE BY THE TRANSLATOR.

Madame Guyon can be

The

writings of

rYiio

have accepted the heavenly doctrines of the

H she

were really one of the few, who, in the

.eached the celestial state,

by those

best appreciated

first

New

Jerusalem.

Christian Church,

cannot but be, that the voluminous

productions of her pen should throw light upon a path which tially

essen-

the Same under an imperfect as under a perfect form of Chris-

ianity.

If any of the

New

Church profession are disposed to look in what

they read chiefly for truth ofjlQctrine f they will take offence at this little treatise, and perhaps at the very idea of putting it forth in the interests of the

who

New

believe that the

cases, a higher love

and who,

many

Church. first

But they who put

doctrine below

Christian Church has produced, in

and charity than the

New Church

life,

many

has yet realized,

in perusing the records of past excellence, can pass over the

which spring from a

errors

false

doctrinal system,

and

feel

themselves addressed, elevated, and strengthened by the living spirit

which reigns in them, will probably draw something from

this little

work, which they cannot, in the same degree, find in any of the practical writings as

borg himself.

yet extant in the

The mistakes

New

Church, save those of Sweden-

to be found in

Madame Guyon

are not,

indeed, very likely to mislead; for who, at this day, not educated in

such views, would think of looking to penances and bodily austerities as

means of

it reasonable and scriptural to worship the The truths of life, on the other hand, taught

grace, or find

Virgin and the Saints

by her and

by her experience, are

illustrated

eternal,

address every prepared mind with a living energy.

and cannot fail to

translator's preface,

Even "with regard to her doctrinal errors, it may be said with truth, by no means in her what they are in others. She uses, for example, the common language of those who divide the Godhead that they are

into Three Persons

;

yet

it is

had deep views, peculiar Though she would have stated

plain that she

to herself, respecting the Divine Unity.

her creed concerning the Person of Christ in the words of the

Roman

more certain than that she had a living recognition of the Omnipotence of the Lord as the centre of all spiritual life, and that she referred every thing she had or expected to Him. She be-

Communion, nothing

lieved in Purgatory; yet read her little treatise on

that the idea she entertained of tions

which the writings of the

it,

and you

New

Church describe in the world of

spirits.

That her invocation of the Virgin and the Saints

of which

we have

in the Preface to the Torrents

—was

ferent thing from the superstitious practice generally

term,

may

will find

approximates closely to the vasta-

— an example

interiorly a dif-

known under that " I could life

appear from the following extract from her

no longer see the Saints nor the holy Virgin out of God; but I used to see

them

Him, without being able, except with great difficulty, them from Him; and although I tenderly loved certain

all in

to distinguish

saints, as St. Peter, St. Paul, St.

Magdalene,

St. Theresa, all

indeed

who excelled in the life of the interior, I yet could not conceive of them distinctly, or invoke them out of God; " as well as from a passage in her Justifications, in which she resolves the invocation of saints into

communion " with them. But some things commonly alleged against Madame Guyon

" union

errors are, in the opinion of the translator,

most important truths,

by the doctrines of the New Church. The charge of u mysticism," so commonly preferred against her writings, by which term, when used in the way of reproach, something which

fully sustained

—

soars above stood,

common apprehension

into the unintelligible

— comes from those who know much of

religion

under-

science,

and

by perception. " Whatever the spiritual man then speaks," says Swedenborg, " merely natural men say that they do not perceive, and likewise that it is not so; and if only mention nothing or very

little

be made of what it

mystical."

necessity,

internal or spiritual, they either ridicule

— A. C. 5022.

Her

or call

quietism, or passivity, is almost of

by such minds, construed into a letting of the hands hang for influx. But that she did not so understand

down, and a waiting her own language

manifest from

many

passages of her writings,

translator's preface. " Short " Some persons, when they hear the

of which the following, from the twenty-first chapter of her

Method of Prayer,"

one

prayer of silence spoken

of,

suppose falsely that the soul in this state

But it is certain that it acts here more nobly and more wisely than ever before, since it is moved of God Himself, and acts by his Spirit. St. Paul demands that we remains stupid, dead, and inactive.

should suffer ourselves to 'be moved [led] by the Spirit of God.'

Rom.

viii.

I do not say that we must not act, but that we must

14.

movements of grace.

act in dependence on the

an action

soul is

When

full of repose.

effort,

and, for that reason,

when

This action of the

acts of itself, it acts with

sensible of its

own

action; but,

acts in dependence on the spirit of grace, its action is so

free, so easy, so natural, that it

fore, action;

but action so

soul appears not to act, because

Her language

appears not to act.

There

there-

is,

noble, so peaceable, so tranquil, that the it

acts as

were naturally."

in reference to annihilation has also been misunder-

stood to signify the eradication of

desire

all

and

But a

affection.

candid examination will find her views, considered as popular state-

New

ments, in remarkable accordance with the teachings of the

Church

;

for,

while she holds, in

effect,

that

" all the concupiscences

of the natural are to be extirpated" (A. C. 5647), she says nothing inconsistent with the idea that to

accommodate

it,

that

thus to subordinate it." recognition of the

may

" not

are

— A. C. 5247.

New Church

to reject the natural,

but

be in agreement [with the internal], Annihilation with her

truth, that

man,

only a

in himself considered,

is previous to regeneration, is a " nothing " [see D. P. and that there is to be an entire abstinence from all that this 19], " nothing " would suggest, either to the will or the understanding. Thus she understands by it only that entire separation from the

or such as he

New

proprium which the doctrines of the

main end of the Christian

Church teach to be the

religion.

So with regard to the "divine life."

Some

of her figures

expressions might lead one to suppose that she viewed

and

as a kind of

by Pantheism; but her show that she recognizes that distinction

absorption into Deity, like that contended for

definite statements

between the creature and the Creator which Swedenborg has stated with precision, when he

tells us,

proprium

celestial one,

still,

as of himself.

though a

that

man

in his highest state has a

from which he continues to act

Madame Guyon even

states, in other terms,

what

translator's preface.

—

Swedenborg has declared, "That a man, in proportion as he is more nearly conjoined to the Lord, appears to himself to be more distinctly at his own disposal, and perceives more evidently that he is the Lord's." D. P. 42. Sufficient proof of this may be found in

—

the Second Part of the following treatise.

But, although those points in

the strong conviction of the translator, that

it is

Madame. Ghiyon which have been most excepted

to,

and have most provoked controversy, are most in agreement with the doctrine of life of the New Church, still he does not design to recommend this or any of her works, in any other point of view than as containing popular statements of what, in the writings of the

Church,

stated

truly,

more widely, and with

New

scientific preci-

They are a presentation in the concrete of what is given by Swedenborg in the abstract form ; and so will be useful in explaining, sion.

confirming, and, through the

medium

of the affections, enforcing, his

higher and truer developments of a Divine Truth. It

with

hoped that

Church

this little

work may serve

commend

the

New

and examination of those as yet little acquainted a certain class in the religious community who have

to the notice

There

it.

learned to appreciate her writings, chiefly through the excellent

her prepared by Professor Upham. such to

find,

from

this little

the teachings of the

New

may

life

work, the coincidence between her and

Church, on the deepest subjects of the

And, when they learn that Swedenborg developed the

interior life.

profound wisdom so conspicuous in his theological works from

Word, they

will surely be induced to

solemnly affirms

be matter of surprise to

New Church

may

examine whether what he

not be true, viz. that the Divine

Word

the

foretells

be established after that founded by the Lord through

the apostles should have come to an end; that that Church commenced

and that its doctrines, which himwas the divinely-prepared medium for making known to the world, present Christianity in its final and perfect form. Te who seek examine whether it be not developed, in a manner to satisfy at truth

in the middle of the last century; self

once the demands of your rational faculty and your religious affections,

from

its

only genuine fountain,

of Swedenborg

;

and,

— the Word of God — in the writings

you discover

there, let no

human

regards

keep you from acknowledging the fact openly to the world, that others

may

find

where you have found.

LETTER OP THE AUTHOR her confessor:

SERVING AS A PREFACE

Hail

Jesus,

Mary, Joseph

in their names, and to obey your reverence, that I begin

writing what I

know

not myself [beforehand], endeavoring,

as far as possible, to give

my mind and my pen

by the impulse of God, without other motion that of the hand. inclination to

But, as

mix what

our

infidelities,

and impurities among the divine

you

to distinguish

not being able to join to discover

Him, and

itself to

them

;

all

but

and our natural does,

may

mix my own motes hope that our Lord

and that

this impurity,

the Sun, will serve the better

display His purity to

acknowledge, then, that will be

rays, I

moved

my own

own with what God

so betray me, unawares, as that I shall

will enable

to be

which

more advantage.

shall turn out to

from our Lord, myself having no share in

be good ;

seeing

author's letter.

viii

that,

when

and

that, if

I begin to write, I do not

any thoughts of

this

know what

kind should enter

it is

to be

my mind,

should consider them as distractions, and any regard I should

pay

them

will be

my very

as great infidelities.

my own;

and, as I

All that shall prove worthless

know

that this will be submitted,

dear Father, to your light, I write simply and without

reflection,

what comes

into

my mind, leaving to your

Reverence

the care of separating the vile from the precious, the

from the divine, and error from the

truth.

human

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

PART

CHAPTER 1.

Souls touched of

God

Him.

are impelled to seek

2, 3.

But in

different

ways, which are explained by a comparison, and reduced to three.

As soon

return to the

first

as a soul is touched of

Him

true and sincere,

God, and

He gives

it,

its

after

cleansing effected by confession and contrition,

a certain instinct to return to

may be

Him more

perfectly, so

Him. Then it feels that it is not created for the amusements and trifles of the world, but that it has a centre and an end,* that

* It

and

is to

[entirely] united to

be observed, that so far as

lives according to

His precepts,

prium, which elevation

heaven.

Man

prium while he

by him

;

but

does not

there

that he

thus elevated above his pro-

because

such elevation,

not sensibly perceived

it is

or, as it

the interior understanding and interior will of

and thence a conversion of the face of man as This, however,

manifested to the good

conversion of the face

an attraction unto 2

Him

the Lord

elevated above his pro-

out of the light of the world into the light of

know

lives in the world,

still

man acknowledges

so far

were, attraction of

man

unto the Lord,

to his spirit unto

man after death;

perpetual to the Lord, and there as to a

common

centre.

for

is,

— A. E. 646.

Him.

then the it

were,

SPIRITUAL TORHENTS.

whither it

must endeavor

to return,

and out of which

can never find true repose.

communicated to the soul in a very high measure, though higher with some than with others, according to the designs which God has with them but they ail have a loving impatience to be 2.

This instinct

;

purified,

and

return to their

pared to

ways and means necessary to source and origin. They may be com-

to take the

rivers,

which, after issuing from their sources,

flow with a perpetual course into the sea.

Some

moving majestically and slowly, and others more rapidly. But there are some rivers and torrents which run with a frightful impetuosity All the burdens you might that nothing can check. put upon them, and all the dikes you might erect to hinder their course, would serve only to redouble its these rivers you see

violence. 3.

It is

thus with these souls.

Some advance gently

towards perfection, never arriving at the ing

very late

;

sea, or reach-

being satisfied to lose themselves in

some stronger and more rapid river, which hurries them along with itself to the sea. Others, of the second kind, proceed thither more decidedly and rapidly than the first. They even carry along with them but to the sea a large number of smaller streams ;

they are dull and sluggish in comparison with the

who hurry on with fit

for very

much

few purposes.

last,

impetuosity that they are

one dares

sail

on them,

them with any merchandise, except in certain and at certain times. They are mad, headlong

or trust places

streams, dashing themselves against rocks, creating

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

by their sound, and stopping for nothing. The second, on the other hand, are more agreeable and more useful. Their majesty is pleasing to behold they terror

;

are quite loaded with merchandise

and

;

all

persons

venture upon them without fear or danger. It is

proposed to consider, by the help of grace,

these three class of persons, under the three figures

above mentioned, beginning with the

first,

and ending

aptly with the last.*

CHAPTER Of the

first

way, which

active

and of

firmities, usages, occupations, sel,

II.

meditation, 1

advantages,

—

&c,

What

—

it is, its in-

Important coun-

is the source of almost all the disputes and which have been raised about the passive ways and of the

a disregard of which

difficulties

unreasonable things laid to their charge, 10

—12.

Souls fitted for medi-

tation: they should be led thereby to the affections.

Advice touching

dryness and want of power, 13, 14. Spiritual and interior reading, books and authors, are attacked without good reason, 15, 16. Advice touching

both good and bad, 17—19. Capacity and incapacity of The simple more hopeful than great reasoners.

directors,

Souls

of the

first

kind are those who,

souls.

after their

conversion, give themselves to meditation, or to the

works themselves of charity

ward

austerities

;

* There are three kinds of

who

by degrees

remove certain striking men

are in love to the Lord, those

neighbor, and those

they practise some out-

in a word, they endeavor

to purify themselves, to

who

;

sins,

within the church, namely, those

who are

in charity towards their

are in the affection of truth.

— A.

C. 3653.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

and even some venial ones of a voluntary kind. labor* according to their little

and

They

strength to advance by

little

but do so feebly and slowly.f

little,

their source

not abundant, a drought almost

There are even places,

exhausts them.

They do

where they are quite dried up. cease to flow from their source

at such times,

;

but

it is

not, indeed, in so feeble a

manner as scarcely to be perceived.^ These rivers and if, for the carry no merchandise, or but little public good, they must be made to do so, it is requisite for this purpose that art should make good the defects of nature, and find means to swell them, either by emptying into them some ponds, or by joining to them other rivers of the same kind, and thus increaswhereby, by helping one another, ing their waters ;

;

* That the confirmation of truth shall

he serve"]

of faith,

is,

also signified

because spiritual truth, which

confirmed by labor and combat.

[by

six years

called the truth

— A. C. 8975.

f In the spiritual church -which the sons of Israel represented, some who are in the truths of faith, and

there are two kinds of men,

—

not in correspondent good of

life;

and some who are in the good

They who are

of charity, and in correspondent truth of faith.

in the

good of charity, and in correspondent truth of faith, are they who constitute the very church itself, and are men of the internal church.

In the internal sense of the word, these are they who are called the Sons of Israel for

these are of themselves free, because they are in good,

they who are led of the Lord by good are free

in the truth of faith,

and not

in correspondent

of the external spiritual church. sense of the word, are

;

but they who are

good of

life,

are

men

These are they who, in the internal

meant by Hebrew

servants.

— A.

C. 8974.

$ They who love truth for the sake of truth from external or natural affections, when they hear truth, also rejoice but they do ;

not think about a

life

according to

the internal, while they are ignorant of

nevertheless, it.

— A.

flows in

C. 10, 683.

from

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. they

may

be made capable of carrying some small

boats, not to the sea, but to

some of those commanding

which we shall speak hereafter.

rivers of 3.

These souls are usually but

They labor on the

riorly.

beyond meditation is

to say, they

and seldom get

outside,

is,

for others

most

for the

fit

carry mer-

have nothing

some small boats, that

of corporal mercy.

inte-

which reason they are not

and God makes use of them, to convey

engaged

They do not commonly

for great things.

chandise, that

for

;

little

part, only

do some works

Moreover, to derive profit from

them, they must have emptied into them the ponds of sensible graces, or be united to others in the monastic life

;

which

case,

many, of middling endowments in

grace, succeed in carrying a little boat, but not to the

sea itself (which

during this 4.

It is

life,

God), into which they do not enter

though they do in the next.

not meant that these souls are not sanctified

way.

this

There

is,

number of

indeed, a large

commonly esteemed as very virtuous, who do not go beyond it; God giving them lights** excellent souls

adapted tiful,

to their state,

which sometimes are very beau-

and excite the admiration of ordinary Christians.

Some even

of these souls, towards the end of

receive

some passive

fulness

which they have maintained in

lights,

proportioned to the faiththeir

way

* They who are of the external church are clearly in

and obscurely

life,

in its internals ; whereas they

who

its

but,

externals,

are of the internal

church are clearly in internals, and obscurely in externals.

— A.

8762.

f Every man, when he

regenerating,

first

becomes a

man

of the

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

most

for the

all their

—

ner,

part, they do not get out of themselves

graces and lights, being after a created

mean, proportioned

to their capacity,

man-

—

are

distinguished, perceived, and accompanied with fer-

vors ;* and the more these lights are distinguished, perceived, and accompanied with fervors, the

more they

attach themselves thereto, thinking there can be no-

thing greater in this

life.

The most favored of these souls practise virtue with much generosity. They have a thousand holy 5.

inventions and a thousand practices for seeking God,

and continuing

His presence.

All, however, is

done

own proper efforts, aided and assisted by Their own operation appears to exceed that of grace. God, and that of God only concurs with their own.f 6. I believe that one who should endeavor to move

their

these souls to a higher kind of prayer, would not suc-

external church, but afterwards a

who

man

of the internal church ;

they

are in the internal church are in superior intelligence and wisdom

to those

who

are of the external church,

interiorly in heaven.

and on that account

also

— A. C. 7840.

* They think of the Lord as of another man, and not as of God; and they think of love to Him from a certain worldly love. f The first state [of those who are reformed and become spiritual] is, that they suppose they do good, and think truth from themselves thus from proprium, knowing no otherwise at that time; and when it is

told

them that

indeed, reject

it,

all

good and

all

truth

but do not acknowledge

from the Lord, they do not, it

in heart, because they are

not sensible, nor do they inwardly perceive, that any thing flows in

from any other source than from themselves. are reformed are at

Lord

first in

proprium; but

Inasmuch

such a state, therefore they are

still

they are led of

themselves being ignorant of

it.

Him by

— A. C. 2G78.

as all

who

left of the

their proprium,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. ceed

and

;

as they

this for several reasons.

The

first is, that,

have nothing supernatural, except in proportion

to their labor, if

you take

which give water only will

from them, you

their labor

stop the flow of their graces

You

they being like pumps,

;

in proportion as they are

even observe in these souls a great

worked.

facility in

reasoning,* and in availing themselves of their faculties,

an activity always vigorous and strong, a desire

something further and something

to be always doing

new towards

perfecting themselves, and in their times

of dryness an anxiety to throw

them

off,

as well as

their faults. 7.

These souls are greatly tossed between high and

At one time they do wonders,

low.

languish and creep

* But that the Lord

Him and

they do not hold an even tenor

Inasmuch

of progress.

love to

;

good

as the

main principle of wor-

and that every thing which

itself,

of charity towards the neighbor

every thing which asserts and confirms this

very obscurely

;

at another they

good, and that

truth, they

know but

yea 3 they even entertain doubts herein, and admit

reasonings against

;

and

so long as

they are in such a state,

impossible for the light of truth from the Lord to flow in.

it is

— A. C.

2935.

f In this verse [Glen. xxi. 14] is described of what quality in the beginning is the state of those who are reformed, viz. that they are carried

Lord

away

to think

into various errors

much about

;

eternal

faith ; but because they do this

on them of the

for it is impressed life,

thus

much about

from proprium, as was

needs wander hither and thither, as in doctrine so in

the truths of

said,

life,

they must

catching at

that as truth which was inseminated from infancy, or which pressed upon them by others, or which besides that they are led

ignorant

of.

— A.

C. 2679.

away by various

is imthought of by themselves,

affections

which they are

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

ship resides with

them

in the faculties,*

when

these

whether from want of labor on their part, or of correspondence on the part of God, faculties are dried up,

they

into discouragement, or else

fall

selves with

and

austerities,

efforts

overwhelm them-

They do not

themselves, what they have lost.

like these other souls, a deep peace or

distractions,! but,

recover,

possess,

calm in their

on the contrary, are always on the

combat them, or to complain of them. They commonly scrupulous, and entangled in their own ways, J unless they happen to be gifted with a considalert to

are

erable strength of mind. 8.

These

souls, then, should not be led to passive

This would be to ruin them beyond help, by

prayer.

man

* The good in which he [the

of the external church]

not from a spiritual origin, but from a natural origin.

T In the beginning, he [the

man who

of tranquillity ; but as he passes into

— A.

regenerating]

new life,

so also

is,

C. 8977. in a state

he passes into an

untranquil state ; for the evils and

falsities which he had before imand show themselves, and disturb him, and at length such a degree that he is immersed in temptations and vexations

bibed, emerge to

from the diabolical crew, who are in the continual endeavor to destroy

new

the state of this

peace ;

for,

life.

But

still

he has inmostly a state of

unless this were the case, he could not engage in combat.

— A.C. 3696.

^ That the spiritual are held entangled in the as to the truths of faith, the case

is this

scientific natural,

the spiritual have not a

perception of good and truth like the celestial, but, instead thereof,

they have conscience, &c.

They who are

— A.

C. 2831.

in the affection of truth think, inquire,

whether a thing be true or not true, whether

when they

are confirmed that

it is

think, inquire, and debate what threshold,

and

true, or that it is:

and debate

be so or not so; it is

so,

and

they further

thus they stick in the very

are incapable of being admitted into wisdom, until they

are void of doubt.

— A.

C. 2718.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

taking from them their means * of advancing towards

God.

For,

you take from a person who

who has

to travel, but

obliged

neither boats nor coaches nor

any means of progress but walking, the use of his

you put it out of his power to go forward and so, if you take from these souls their own operation,! which is their feet, they would never make any profeet,

;

gress.

Here,

I think, is the

at present take place

source of the disputes which

among persons given

to prayer.

Those who are in the passive kind of prayer, knowing * In this verse [Gen. xxi. 14]

beginning

away

carried

Lord

the state of those

into various errors

to think

much about

who ;

eternal

described of

what quality

in the

are reformed, viz. that they are

for it is life,

impressed on them of the

thus

much about

of faith ; but because they do this from proprium, as

was

the truths said,

they

must needs wander hither and thither, as in doctrine so in life, catching at that as truth which was insemenated from infancy, or which is impressed upon them by others, or which is thought of by themselves; besides that they are led away by various affections which they are ignorant of: they are like fruits as yet unripe, whereunto form, beauty,

and

flavor cannot be in a

shoots,

moment imparted;

or they are like tender

which cannot in a moment put forth

the ear.

most part erroneous, are yet such as

may

separated, partly

made

ments and juices

may

into

serve to promote growth;

and these things afterwards, when reformation

grow up

flower, or

Nevertheless, the things which then enter, although for the

is effected,

serviceable for introducing as

are partly

were nourish-

into the subsequent life, partly are adapted, as far

be, to the goods

and truths afterwards implanted of the Lord,

and partly serve spiritual things for ultimate plans thus they serve as continual means for reformation, which means follow in perpetual :

connection and order. •j-

Inasmuch as

all

— A.

C. 2679.

who are reformed are

at first in such a state,

therefore they are left of the Lord in proprium ; but of

Him by

2678.

still

they are led

their proprium, themselves being ignorant of

it.

— A.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

the good they derive from

on the contrary, who are in medita-

walk

in it

tion,

would confine

;

others,

an inexpressible here

way, which would be

all to their

loss

What

and injury.

to be

done

We must take the middle course, and ascertain

whether souls are 10.

would have everybody

it,

fit

for the

The experienced

one way or the other.

director

may know

their unwillingness to continue in

this

a state of repose

by the Spirit of God, by a swarm of faults and failings into which they fall, almost without seeing or knowing them ;? or, in case they are persons of a human discretion and prudence, by a certain dexterity in covering up their faults from themselves and others, by an attachment to their feelings, and by a large number of faults which cannot here be enumerated, but which the experienced director and

to give themselves

will

know.f

Must

to be led

they, then, be left all their

a skilful director, he will not

much beyond

this.

believe themselves

fit

in reasoning

vast

fail

number

advance them of souls,

who

only for meditation, would reach

* Besides that they [in the

life

they are happy enough to find them

I believe, that, if

first state

of reformation] are led

various affections which they are ignorant

of.

— A. C. 2679.

away

f They who do not suffer themselves to be regenerated, but only reformed, do not act from affection, but from obedience. If they be to

seem is

to themselves to act

from the heart and from a free principle,

for the sake of somewhat of self-glory, which makes

it to

be so

apperceived; nor do they act truth for the sake of truth, nor good for the sake of good,

glory

but for the sake of the delight arising from that

thus neither do they exercise charity towards the neighbor for

the sake of the neighbor, but that they

may

be recompensed.

— A.

C. 8987.

may be

seen and that they

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. the highest degree of perfection,

an accomplished

who

director.

they only found

would a director that he would help

far

in grace be from injuring,

making them walk according extent of the Divine will towards them

them

vastly,

;

to the

whole

so that they

should neither run before grace, nor be slack to follow it,

but should second and correspond to

of ordinary

endowments

in grace,

A director

it.

on the contrary,

checks the progress of souls, hinders them from advancing, and appropriates them to himself. 11.

The experienced

then,

director,

these souls to deal less in reasonings, and

will

incline

more in affec-

them gradually of their reasoning habits,*' substituting good affections! in place of them and if he sees them growing by degrees in simplicity, and finding more delight in affection than in reasoning, the latter drying up by little and little, it is a sign that there is something to be done in these souls, on tions

;

he will

strip

behalf of spiritual

life.

12. It is to be observed, however, that if the habit

of reasoning should cease from weakness in the person,

and these souls should

feel

themselves inclined,

not to love, but only to be inactive from stupidity and

mental indolence, they should be led to active exercise. If they cannot

* There are spirits

by the understanding, they should

who

ing no perception of what

are disposed to reason on all subjects, hav-

good and true

the less perception they have.

;

nay, the more they reason,

— A. C. 1385.

f The rational is not born from sciences and knowledges, but of the affection of sciences and knowledges ; as may appear solely from this, that

no one can possibly become rational, unless some delight or

affection of sciences

and knowledges influence him.

— A.

C. 1895.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

at least

and the

affection

will.

For souls who

begin to experience spiritual dryness by grace are not

more imperfect, the more they experience of

it :*

the contrary, they have an instinct to pursue them-

combat themselves, and to pursue the find it again and follow it. They

selves, in order to

light in order to

must, then, be assisted, and be led, not to strip themselves,

but to

They should not be

ing.

but to run with little ability,

labor

little

all their

until

led to seek states of repose,

strength, according to their

shall please

God

to relieve their

walking by some conveyance, or rather,

according to ble

the will rather than the understand-

fill

original comparison, until these fee-

streams find the river or the great estuary,

which receives them into

its

bosom, and

carries

them

into the sea. 13. I

know not why

there

such an outcry against

and the persons who write and speak

spiritual books,

of interior ways.

maintain that they can do no

harm, except to some who choose to be ruined

own ful,

pleasure, to

whom' not only these things

for their

are hurt-

but every thing besides, being like spiders

change flowers into poison.

To humble

souls desirous

of perfection, they cannot be prejudicial, seeing

impossible that they should understand and

* As to what further regards desolation,

it is

who it

make use

on account of appe-

and truths are received according to appetite, and the desires which are from appetite, when they are obtained, constitute what is satisfactory and happy: wherefore, in the other life, they

tite

;

who

for goods

are in desolation are frequently refreshed, and enjoy their desires.

such vicissitudes

all are perfected.

— A.C. 6110.

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. of them,

the gift therefor

not imparted to them

what books soever they may read, they cannot imagine to themselves states which, inasmuch as they are supernatural, are not to be apprehended by the for,

but only by experience.*

imagination,

even to

Moreover,

one should be willing to deceive himself, and

make use

had met with in reading, the by the questions he would put, would

of terms he

skilful director,

quickly detect the deception.

Besides which, the state

of a soul in any given degree implies

quences of that

state,

all

the conse-

and perfection advances step by

step with interior progress.! It is

not meant to deny that there are souls advanced

in prayer,

who

will have faults apparently greater than

those of ordinary souls

;

but these faults are not alike

either as to nature or as to quality. 14.

The second reason

cannot do hurt, so

many

to be

is,

for saying that these

because they enjoin so

separations from the world, so

books

many deaths, many things

conquered and destroyed, that the soul would

never have strength enough for the undertaking, interior

were not in a true

should undertake the task,

And

state.

would

even

if its

if it

derive from the

very practices recommended only the result which

meditation yields, which destruction of

self.

only a laboring at the

The whole

difference

is,

that the

But whereas it is not known from any internal sensation or perwhat good is, therefore also such things cannot come to be known; for what a man is ignorant of, this he does not understand, *

ception

notwithstanding

its

being presented to him.

— A. C. 5365. — A. Index.

| Perfection increases towards interior things.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

22 soul

would not

—a

principle,

act

by a

divine, but only

by a virtuous

thing which, the experienced director

would soon discover. 15. For this reason a soul should never undertake to lead itself in the ways of religion, nor be afraid of having a director too much enlightened. To seek any other than such an one would be to deceive one's self, and, from mere cowardice, to limit the Spirit of God by limiting the perfection it bestows to this or that particular.

What

conclude from this

is,

that the most spiritual

Such an one will be useful, in whatever degree the person may be and God will grant to you, ye who hope for nothing supernatural, by this man, so dear to Him, what He would not director should always be chosen.

;

grant to you by yourselves. 16.

But

as for those directors

to themselves,

own

who would

vancing,

—

appropriate souls

them

in their

who would put

limits to

fain conduct

way, and not in God's

His graces, and

who

;

fix barriers to

hinder them from ad-

as for these directors,

say,

but one way, and who would fain make

all

walk in

it,

the mischief they do to souls

because they keep them fixed, things which prevent self to

the world remediless,

all their lives, to certain

God from communicating Him-

them without bounds.

What

an account will they not have to render

these souls

duct them,

If they

why do

to advise

for

have not light enough to conthey not suffer them to go to

masters more advanced

enough

who know

They should have

themselves.

charity

should do in

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. the spiritual

life, it

seems

me,

we do

in schools.

Scholars are not kept always in the same class

they

;

and the teachers of the

are transferred to higher ones,

Sixth form and the Fifth do not intermeddle with the

O human

teaching of Philosophy.

mystical and divine science

so necessary, strained,

and yet thou

and tortured

school of prayer of

it,

men have

sciences

and yet so much care

so little account,

ye are of !

thou art so great and

art neglected, limited, con-

Oh, shall there never be a

Alas

spoiled

taken of you

to make a study They have endeavored to

by seeking

all.

give rules and measures to the Spirit of God, which

without measure.

There

no soul which

not capable of prayer,

and which cannot and ought not

to apply itself thereto.

17.

The

coarsest and dullest persons are capable of

know to

this

from experience.

it.

who were unwilling

and who, throw

fidence in

up me,

entirely I

;

for

to give themselves thereto,

having done so

after

Certain persons applied

me, who had an almost invincible incapacity

prayer,

for a

but, as they

time, wished

had great con-

obliged them, by a gentle violence,

to continue in spite of their

repugnance and the

advantage they thought themselves reaping believed themselves quite unfit for after persevering for several years,

it.

;

for

little

they

These persons,

reached a high de-

They have confessed to me, of their own accord, that, if I had not been firm, they should have given all up, and have been lost. Now, if these souls had fallen in with some directors, they would have told them without hesitation, that their gree of infused prayer.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

having passed four and

years in praying, without

five

being able either to meditate or to be warmed with the

love of God, or becoming

God

perfect,

was a sign that

did not call them to this kind of prayer.

more fit than others to answer and, if you are faithful, you will

you

impotent souls

the designs of

God

are

;

who

succeed better than those high reasoners

make

Poor,

rather

a study of prayer than pray.

18. I say yet further, that the poor souls

who appear

and incapable, are very well adapted

so impotent

contemplation, provided they do not grow weary of

knocking at the door, and of waiting with humble patience until soners,*

opened

it is

These great rea-

them.

understandings so

these

moment

cannot remain a

that

fertile

in silence before God,

they

who

appear to have an admirable

facility,

and a perpetual

who know

so well

how

stream of words,

account of their prayer and of

all its

give an

parts,

who can

always pray as they like

and with the same methods,

who who

all

expatiate at will on

the subjects they take up,

are so well pleased with themselves

lights,

who

prayer, will

and

their

on the preparations and methods of never in the least advance in it, and after

refine

ten or twenty years of such practice will be

same.

how

O my God

will

men undertake

to testify love to love itself

a wretched creature * The is

own

spirits

who

reason

to be loved,

much

still

the

to teach others

Alas

do we

when even set

about

in the other life perceive little

what

true and good ; wherefore neither can they be admitted into the

interior angelic societies, for nothing of intelligence can be

cated to them there.

— A.

C. 6324.

communi-

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

by plan and method ? The most ignorant in this matter are the most skilful ; and the case is the same, but in a vastly higher degree, with the Divine Love.

Wherefore,

19.

prudent director

that has never prayed applies to

you

how, teach him to love God heartily himself headlong into love,* and he queror.

he has a nature

;

a poor soul

to be taught

make him

cast

will soon be con-

adapted to love,

little

let

him do his best, and wait in patience till love itself shall make him love, in its own way, rather than yours. Simple, short, moving subjects, requiring litreasoning, are the best ones for beginners.

tle

truths, read

and somewhat digested

much

than those of prayer, will do as

Solid

at other times

as meditation

but make them employ the period of prayer in loving

much. * For nothing lives in the external of which

that

is,

man

but affection

;

the reason

because the affection of good descends from the

from

celestial love,

which

vivifies all into

which

celestial,

it flows.

—

A. C. 1589. All delight, blessedness, and happiness

cording to the quality of the love, such happiness.

— A.

C. 2718.

solely

from love; but ac-

the delight, blessedness, and

SPIRITUAL TOKKEXTS.

CHAPTER

III.

Of the second way of the soul's return to God, which is passive, hut a way of light, and of the two introductions into it. 3 6. Description of these souls, and their great advantages. 7 17. Several necessary cautions and observations touching these souls the way of leading them their dispositions, practices, perfections, imperfections, and trials.

1, 2.

—

still

—

;

Souls

;

of the second kind are like those large

which move with slow and stately

rivers

pomp and

flow with

majesty.

The eye

which has a certain order.

their course,

steps.

They

distinguishes

They

are la-

den with merchandise, and can themselves go to the sea without emptying into

reach

only at a late period, their advance being

grave and slow.

never enter

it,

Moreover, there are some which

losing themselves for the most part in

other greater rivers, or else ending in some

Many

sea.

But they

other rivers.

chandise,

arm

of these rivers serve only to carry mer-

with which

they

heavily

are

burdened.

They can be checked by dams, and turned certain places. sive

way of

They They

Such are the souls who are

light.

Their source

are laden with gifts, graces,

who

aside at

in the pas-

very abundant.

and heavenly

are the admiration of their age,

saints

of the

favors.

and very many

shine in the church like brilliant stars have

never passed this degree.

These souls are of two kinds.

Those of the one kind begin by the common way, and are afterwards 2.

drawn

to passive contemplation

God, who

by the goodness of

takes pity on their labor, so unfruitful,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. dry,

and arid

;

or does

reward their

first faithful-

ness.

The

others are taken as

are seized

by the

heart,

were

and

all at

They

once.

themselves loving

feel

without having become acquainted with the object of

For there

their love.

and human of

this difference

between divine

love, that the latter supposes a

its object,

because, as

it is

knowledge

without, the senses must

be determined thereto, and the senses are determined to

only because

communicated

The

eyes see, and the heart loves.

same with divine

love.

Since

and

its

make

takes

end, there

its

absolute

should

the heart

This, however, does not in-

use of absolute power and violence,

except in some cases where

His might.

the

first princi-

no necessity that

assault, without offering battle

God makes

not the

acquainted with Himself [beforehand].

unable to resist Him.

fer that

case

God has an

control over the heart of man, and ple

them

does so to display

takes these souls, then, as was said,

making them burn all of a sudden though, in common, He gives them only flashes of light, which dazzle them and carry them away. 3. Nothing is so full of light and so ardent as these souls directors are delighted when they have them ;

under

their care.

And

as the labor of these souls is

not thorough-going, they are early made perfect, according to the degree which they have to perfect. as

God

For

does not exact of them a perfection so eminent

as from those next to be

spoken

of,

nor a purification

so thorough, their defects are sooner removed.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

not meant that the souls

It is

much

of do not appear

are speaking

higher than those that come

For

next, to such as have not divine discernment.

they reach, exteriorly, a remarkable degree of perfection,

God

exalting their natural^ capacity in an eminent

They have wonderful

degree.

Him, God adapting Himself

states of

union with

to their capacity ,f

which

exalts in a certain extraordinary manner.

But

still

these persons are never truly annihilated, and

God

does not commonly take them out of their

hood, that they 5.

may

lose themselves in

own

self-

Him.

Notwithstanding, these souls excite the admira-

and astonishment of men. God gives them gifts upon gifts, graces upon graces, lights upon lights, tion

visions, revelations, interior words, ecstasies, ravish-

ments, &c.

It appears as if

He had no

other care than

to enrich

and beautify them, and to communicate

them His

secrets.

* The spiritual

man

All delights are for them. not the interior rational man, but the inte-

rior natural; the interior rational

what the

difference is

often told above.

t As

between

it is

man

the spiritual

what and

what pertains

to the other

called celestial;

celestial

— A. C. 4402.

scure with the spiritual

[arcanum],

man has been

viz. that this ob-

illuminated by the Lord's Divine

Human,

an arcanum which cannot be explained to the apprehension, for

an influx of the Divine which would be described; only some idea may be had of it from this, that if the Supreme Divine itself

it is

flowed into such good as has been described, defiled with so

and

any

falses, it

could not be received; and

respect, the

man who had

if it

many evils

should be received in

such good would feel infernal tor-

ment, and they would perish. But the Divine Human of the Lord may flow in with such persons, and illuminate such good, as the sun flows into the dense clouds

the colors of the dawn.

which are in the morning variegated into

— A.

C. 2716.

;;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. It is

not that they do not bear great crosses and

violent temptations, which are like dark shades, which

only serve to exalt the splendor of their virtues ;* for these temptations are repelled with vigor, these crosses are borne with strength,

of them,f — they

are all fire

They have

all love.

— they even wish and flames,

languor,

all

great hearts, ready to undertake

In a word, in a very

every thing.

for

little

while they

and the miracles of their age. God makes use of them to do miracles, and it appears as are prodigies

if it

were enough that they desire a thing

grant

them.

seems as though

to accomplish all their desires

They

wills.

and

for

God

delighted

to effectuate all their

are in a high degree of mortification

they practise great austerities, some more and some less,

according to their state and degree,

—

for

many degrees, and some arrive much more eminent than others. In same way there are many different degrees.

every state there are at a perfection

the

The director can hurt these souls much, or help them much, because, if he does not understand their way, he will either oppose them, causing them much pain, as was the case with St. Theresa (which, how7.

ever,

not the thing chiefly to be feared), or else he

* Temptations also give the quality of the apperception of good

and

truth,

by the

opposites which evil spirits then infuse ; from the

opposites apperceived are procured relatives, from which all quality

no one knows what good

knows what is not good A. C. 5356. nor what truth is, unless he knows what is not true. f There are some who willingly endure to be vastated, and thereby to put off the false principles which they had brought with them out

for

is,

unless he also

—

of the

world.— A.

C. 1107.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

30 will admire

them too much, and

will let

the esteem in which he holds them.

them know

This

the great

hurt most commonly done to souls, because their minds

made to being made to run

are thus diverted to themselves, and they are

God, instead of

rest in the gifts of after

God by His

The design

gifts.

God

in thus distributing,

pouring out profusely, His graces to them,

them

and even is

draw

Himself; but they make a quite different use

They

of His mercies.

them, they ponder

rest in

them, they look at them, they appropriate them to themselves ;• and from this come vanities, self-complacencies, self-esteem, preference of one's self to others,

and often the ruin and destruction of the 8.

interior.f

These souls are admirable as regards themselves

and sometimes, by

others, especially if they

* In the beginning,

;

special grace, they can greatly help

all

who

have been sinners.

But they

are reformed suppose that good

from

themselves, and thence that by the good which they do they merit salvation ; for to imagine that

salvation

by the good which they do they merit

a sure consequence of imagining good to be from them-

selves, for the one coheres with the other.

The truth which were not given; for

given by the Lord

man

— A. C. 4174.

at first received as if

cures for himself truth ; and so long as he supposes this, he

ual theft.

before regeneration supposes that he prois

in spirit-

— A. C. 5747. man

f With

about to be regenerated, the case

affection of truth is very

and of end

for the

impure

;

for there is in it

thus, that his

first

an affection of use

sake of himself, for the sake of the world, for the

sake of glory in heaven and the like things, which look towards himself,

less

but not towards the community, the Lord's kingdom, and towards the Lord.

theless, it

Such an

affection

still

must needs precede: never-

successively purified of the Lord.

— A. C. 3089.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

most part, so fit to lead others as those next described. For as they are very strong in God, and in an eminent degree, they have a certain horror are not, for the

towards sinners,

and often experience aversion towards

sin,

and certain antipathies which yet have some-

thing of grace in them.

If they are superiors, they

are without a certain motherly compassion for sinners

and

as they

;

have never themselves experienced the

miseries that are told them, they are astonished, and

They exact too high a degree from others, and do not put them in the

harangue about them. of perfection

way to

thereto by

little

and

meet with souls in the

little

* and

;

they chance

state of weakness,! they

not help them according to the degree they are

in,

and

according to the designs of God, and they often even

They

put them out of their right way.

find

diffi-

cult to converse with imperfect souls, preferring their

own

solitude

and

their

own

the accommoda-

life to all

tions of charity * Their good [of those who are in doctrinals of faith], so to speak, being hard, not suffering

itself to

be bended, not communicative, thus

not in heaven, but upon the threshold to heaven.

f It

effected a turning,

when the

foregoing, then there

this a

mourning

;

for

then they are

insinuated, and with good a

new freedom, thus a new proprium.

A man whose

rational

in the truth of faith, is

When

this turning

and becomes inverse

state is changed,

new

— A.

such that he

debilita-

and with

C. 5773.

only in truth, although

and not at the same time

altogether of this character; he

will-desire,

to the

tempta-

let into

whereby the things of the proprium are weakened and

ted, and good

C. 3459.

namely, that they are led by truth to good, and

that afterwards from good they are led to truth.

takes place, or

tion,

— A.

to be known that with those who are regenerating there

in the

good of charity,

morose, impatient, opposite to

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

One who

without being

listens to these persons

divinely enlightened will believe that they are in the

same ways with those of the last degree, and even more advanced. They make use of the same terms, such as death,

annihilation, &c.

loss,

own way,

true, that in their

;

and

it is

indeed

they die, are annihilate,

For often

they lose themselves in God.

their facul-

suspended in prayer, and they even lose

ties are lost or

the control of them, so that they cannot avail them-

them

selves of

them all that they Thus these souls are

or operate with

;

have being received passively. passive, but are

still

in light, in love, in strength.

you examine things closely and converse with them, you will see that they have very good and even admirable wills. Their desires are the greatest and loftiest possible

they carry perfection as far as

they are detached

;

virtue, but in a

way

Notwithstand-

they love poverty.

and always

ing, they are

will

will be proprietary

even of

so delicate that only the divine

eyes can discover it.* all others,

tising,

self

viewing every one as in the

and punishing: he

and endeavor

false, instantly

rebuking, chas-

without pity, neither does he apply him-

bend the minds of others

;

for

he regards every

—

thing from truth, and nothing from good. A. C. 1949. * The reason that man ought not to claim any thing to himself

which is,

so far

as he

may

in the light in

is in

the reason

and good,

in the truth,

which the angels in heaven are and so far is in intelligence and wisdom; and so ;

intelligence

and wisdom,

why man ought

that nothing of truth and good

and

to claim truth

be in the truth; and so far as he

in that light, so far he

far as he is

from the Lord, thus ought not

that he

this because it is so.

— A.

so far he

in happiness.

This

acknowledge, in faith of the heart,

from himself, but

C. 5749.

all

from the Lord

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. 10.

The

whose lives are way. These souls

greater part of the saints,

so admirable, have been led

this

are so laden with merchandise that their course

very

must be done with them 1 Will they never quit this way ? No, not unless they are helped by a miracle of providence, and led by a director divinely enlightened, who shall dispose them neither slow.

What,

then,

to resist these graces, nor to look at

them, but to go

beyond them, so that they shall not stop in them for a moment. For these lookings at themselves are like dams which keep water from flowing on its way. Their director should explain to them that there 11 is

a surer

way

them,

for

— that of

faith

;

and that God

by reason of their weakness. Their director, I repeat, should lead them on from the sensible to the supernatural, from the perceived and cergives these favors only

tain* to the very deep and very certain darkness f of faith. He should not seem to lay any stress upon all this experience. it,

should not

make them

write about

unless the soul should be so notably advanced in

way, that, having knowledges necessary he should deem *

be known,

necessary to have them put in wri-

They who have conscience do not swear, and

still

less

they who

men: these do not even confirm by reasons with themselves, and amongst

have a perception of good and truth, that latter

its

themselves ; but only say that these are

still

it is so,

is,

or that

further removed from an oath.

celestial

it is

not so

wherefore,

— A. C. 2842.

t " I will give thee the treasures cf darkness, and the hidden wealth of hiding places, that thou mayest know that I am Jehovah," Isa. xlv. 3;

where the treasures of darkness and the hidden wealth

of hiding places denote such things as relate to heavenly wisdom or intelligence,

which are hidden from the natural man.

— A.

C. 10,227.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

Even then

ting.

write

;

would be better they should not

for it is also true [of others] that they

should

build nothing on these knowledges, but only on Providence.

It is

to labor for

good to know the designs of God, and their accomplishment but Providence ;

alone ought to furnish the means, and lead to their execution.

Here there

no room

God

these things are from

should be

left

behind.

for

being deceived.

seek to determine whether

It is also unprofitable to

or not, inasmuch as they

For,

they are from God,

they will be brought to pass by Providence by our giving up ourselves thereto shall not be deceived 12.

;

and

they are not,

These souls experience much more

entering on the

way

do not stop at them.

of faith than the

the most part, they do not enter on

difficulty in

first

;

unless

it,

and, for

God

has

some extraordinary design with them, and destines them to lead others. For, as that which they have is so great and so decidedly from God that they are assured of it, and have even seen their predictions accomplished, they do not believe that there is any and therefore thing greater in the church of God ;

they cling to

— they

it.

These persons are

weak

They would not take a

false

and towards sinners. step, so carefully

they

discreet, prudent,

often feel too strong a zeal towards the

will,

do they guard themselves

but what

they will very imperfectly and very strongly.*

* That " between

me and

signifies that he assented, but

or reformed,

;

may appear from

internal sense; which

thee, still

what

this

" [Gen.

xxiii.

15],

willed from self, viz. to be prepared

the sense of the letter applied to the

treats of reformation.

was said above by

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

O God how many ways !

there,

which appear

of spiritual appropriation are

as great virtues to souls not highly

enlightened, but which appear as great faults, exceed-

who

ing dangerous to those

way regard

this

subtle faults

ed to them

as virtues

the light to

and,

;

are so

For souls of

what the others consider as discover them is not impart-

when they

spoken

are

about the

matter, they do not comprehend. 13.

These souls are firm in their opinions

Ephron, " The

field

I give thee, and the cave which

;

and, as

therein I give

thee," verse 11; by which words was signified that they were willing to prepare themselves as to the things pertaining to the church faith, that is

are reformed

reform themselves.

may

such,

That the

first state

of those

and

who

be seen, n. 2046; but when they are far-

ther advanced in the knowledges of truth or of faith, then

second state, that they assent indeed, but

still

will

from

self.

is their,

— A. C.

2960. * All have the faculty of understanding and being wise ; but that

one

wiser than another

cribe to the

Lord

all

because they do not in like manner as-

things of intelligence and wisdom, which are all

things of truth and good ; they

who

ascribe all things to the Lord are

wiser than others, since all things of truth and good which constitute

wisdom flow

from heaven, that

cribing of all things to the

heaven, for thus is

it is

is,

from the Lord there.

Lord opens the

interiors of

man

The

as-

towards

acknowledged that nothing of good and truth

from himself; and in proportion as

this is

acknowledged, in the

same proportion the love of self departs, and with the love of self the thick darkness from falses and evils in the same proportion also man comes into innocence, and into love and faith to the Lord hence ;

;

conjunction with the Divine, influx thence, and illustration.

— A. C.

10, 227.

When

of his cies,

he [the spiritual man] superadds any thing of himself and

own thought,

then, for the most part, the sensual with

and the rational with

its

its falla-

appearances, prevail, and effect that he

can scarce acknowledge any pure truth, such as the celestial acknowledge.

— A. C. 2715.

SPIKITUAL TOEKENTS.

cK)

and eminent, they are the more assured concerning them. They have rules and measures in their obediences, and [their own] prudence their grace is great

always accompanies them.

In a word, they are strong

and living in God, although they appear dead. They are indeed dead as to their own proper operation, receiving light passively

;

but they are not dead as to

their inmost.*

These souls also often enjoy interior

14.

peace, and

delightful

certain

silence, a

God,

absorptions in

which they distinguish and describe very well

but

;

they have not that secret desire to be nothing which belongs to the

They

last.

be noth-

desire, indeed, to

ing by a certain perceived annihilation, a deep hucertain

mility,

under the boundless

prostration

weight of the divine greatness, which for

them

bear, the

more strongly they

weight of the divine presence.

All this

difficult

feel

this

an anni-

where one stops by the way without being

hilation

They have

annihilated.! * For

man

the sentiment of annihila-

in genuine humiliation divests himself of all ability to

think and do any thing from himself, and lends himself altogether to

the Divine.

— A.

C. 6866.

f Regeneration

nothing else than for the natural to be sub-

jugated, and the spiritual to obtain the dominion; and the natural

then subjugated, when natural

it is

reduced to correspondence

reduced to correspondence,

;

and when the

then no longer

resists,

but

commanded, and obeys the dictates of the spiritual, in nearly the same manner as the acts of the body obey the dictates of the will, and as the speech with the countenance is according to the acts as

it is

influx of the thought: hence

it is

evident that the natural ought alto-

gether to become as nothing, in respect to willing, in order that

may become

spiritual.

— A.

C. 5651.

man

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. tion,

but not the reality

sentiment

for this

;

37 sus-

still

tains the soul [in its own proper life], and is a state more satisfactory to it than any other, inasmuch as it is more sure, and they have a confident knowledge of it.*

Such

15.

most

souls, for the

God, except

part, do not

come

with the exception of some

after death,

whom God destines to be the lights of His church, or whom He would sanctify in a more eminent manner.f These He strips, by little and lit-

privileged ones,

But, as there are few coura-

of all their riches.

tle,

geous enough, after possessing so willing to lose

them

can be expressed

— fewer

go beyond this degree

than the

;

that they should not " and that, as there are many mansions in

so,

* Hence celestial

— who

there are few

goods, to be

God being perhaps

design of

all,

many

it is

that the spiritual have not love to the Lord like the

consequently neither have they humiliation, which

;

tial in all

worship, and by which good from the Lord

may

essen-

flow in.

—

A.C. 2715.

" The field I give thee, and the t It was said above by Ephron is therein I give it thee," Gren. xxiii. 11; by which words :

cave which

was

signified that

they were willing to prepare themselves as to the

things pertaining to the church and to faith, that selves.

That the

be seen, n. 2046

state of those

first ;

in this verse

;

still

followed

the Lord the body,

come

;

faith,

will

from

but a third state

lieve they are reformed is

is,

reform them-

are reformed

such,

by a fourth

then

self, is

their second state, that they

and

this is the state treated of

described presently, that they be-

by the Lord.

This

state, viz. that

the third state, which

they perceive

it to

be from

but there are few who arrive at this state in the it

may

but when they are further advanced in the

knowledges of truth or of assent indeed, but

who

being an angelic state

into this state in another

life.

yet they

— A. C. 2960.

who

life

are regenerate

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

John

the house of His Father,"

should

xiv. 2, they

may be

This

occupy only this lower one.

for

want

of courage on their part, or for want of enlightened directors.

Those who lead them would

haps, that they had destroyed them, falling

from those eminent

believe, per-

they saw them

and graces. But let the hidden things

gifts

among

us leave the causes of this of God's Providence. 16.

Some

gifts, but,

of these souls do not enjoy these free

instead of them, a generous, deep-seated

strength, a secret love, gentle and peaceable, pervad-

ing and vigorous, which consummates their perfection in

concealing and

disguising their faults, always giving

them some good

and

their

Such are

life.

skilful

color or pretext. 17.

The

trials

spoken of are

also

They come from * That they

* experienced by the souls

who

extraordinary as their state.

the Devil

;

and although they are

are reformed are reduced to ignorance of truth

or desolation, even to grief

and desperation, and that then

receive comfort and help from the Lord,

brought into this

not in the state,

at this

They who are such

reason that few are reformed.

being informed,

have just

life

life is

They who are

desolation are reduced even to desperation.

— A.

they

as to be capable of

of the body, yet in another

which in another

called vastation or desolation.

first

day unknown, by life,

are

well known, and

in such vastation or C. 2694.

Temptations are nothing else but the combats of evil with the

—

who are attendant on man. A. C. 741. Whereas it is known to few, if to any, what is the nature and manner of temptations, because few at this day undergo temptations, and they who do undergo them know no other than that it is someangels j-

what inherent is

in themselves which

the subject of such suffering,

permitted briefly to explain the matter.

They are

evil

spirits,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

extremely violent, and quite other in appearance from those which are to follow, they notwithstanding serve

them

who

Devil,

malice

They are given up upon them the utmost

for a support.

exercises

still

to the

of his

but they are entirely protected, despite the

;

fury of

frightful

malignant

these

spirits.^

re-

quires a high degree of light to discover the support

concealed under a state so terrible gives one to

know

CHAPTER Of

the third

and of

way of

its first

souls returning to God,

degree.

figure of a torrent.

—

—10.

prieties, obstacles, effects,

What happens it

A brief

The

IV.

which

way of faith, way under the

the passive

description of this

inclination of the soul to God,

to a soul called to the passive

way of faith.

its

pro-

—18.

fire.

Description of

way, and of the state of a soul in

enjoys therein would be hurtful, did not

in order to advance

but experience

explained under the figure of

the first degree of this third

The repose

;

it.

God take

19, 20.

thence

it.

regards souls of the third degree, what shall

say, except that they are like

torrents which ? They have f

have their source in high mountains who, on such occasions, excite man's his

falses

memory whatsoever he has thought

and

evils,

and

stir

or done from his infancy.

This the evil spirits can effect in so cunning and malicious a manner

—

A. C. 751. But the Lord by angels protects man and restrains the evil spirits from wandering out of due bounds, and bringing on man a greater A. C. 741. inundation than he is capable of sustaining. as cannot be described.

—

A. C. Index. f Mountains denote the good of love. Mountain denotes the Lord, hence things celestial.

—

Ibid,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

40 source in

their

God

Himself, and enjoy not a mo-

ment's rest until they are lost in Him.

and

stops them,

for this reason they are not

They

with any thing.

Nothing burdened

and run with

are quite bare,

a rapidity which strikes fear into the boldest. torrents run irregularly hither all

places on their

and

way which can

thither,

These through

them passage.

afford

Their beds are not regular like the others, nor progress subject to any rule.

You

their

them running

see

wherever they can make their way, without stopping for

They dash themselves against

any thing.

and

fall

rocks,

Sometimes, in

in loud-sounding cataracts.

passing through grounds which are not firm, their

waters become impure, by sweeping the soil along with

them

in their rapid course.

in depths

and

considerable

make

Sometimes they are

and are not found again

gulfs,

distance

and when,

;

lost

for a

length, they

their appearance for a brief space, it is only to

plunge anew into some deeper and longer torrents delight

to*

show themselves

gulf.

These

for a time

and

then disappear, and to dash themselves against the rocks.

Their course

so swift that the eye does not

nothing but a general roar,

confused and darksome.

But, at length, after falling

distinguish it; there

from many steeps into

gulfs, after

being

much beaten

against the rocks, after having been again and again lost

and recovered, they reach the

sea,

where they

happily lose themselves, never to find themselves again. 2.

that

There it

it is

that this torrent, in the exact degree

has been poor, mean, useless, destitute of mer-

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. chandise,

its

admirably enriched.

own

For

not rich

wealth, like other rivers which possess

only a certain amount of merchandise, or certain rarities,

but rich by the wealth of the sea

its

back the largest ships

these ships, that in the sea, 3.

It is

it is

;

the sea that bears

to say, itself, because, being lost

has become one and the same with

it is

it.*

be observed, however, that the river

thus fallen into the sea does not lose

although

It carries

itself.

changed and

lost that

nature,

its

it is

no longer

what it always was but its essence is now confounded and lost, not as to reality,, but as to quality. For it so takes the quality of the to be

known.

It is still

;

ocean's water, that nothing proper to itself

longer discernible

and the more

;

abysses

plunges in and continues in the sea, the more its

own

any

itself,

loses

and assumes the quality of the sea in

quality,

its stead. \

4. fit 1

For what purposes Its capacity is

the sea

itself.

not this poor torrent

without limits, since

Its riches are

it is

now

that of

immense, — though

it-

* The Lord removes the proprium of man, and gives from His

own, and in that he dwells. j-

— A. E. 254.

That by destroying every substance which I have made from

the faces of the ground,

were destroyed when

signified

it is vivified

man's proprium, which

made

alive, appears

off it

from what

was said above concerning proprium. Man's proprium is wholly evil and false, and so long as it remains, so long man is dead; but when he undergoes temptations, then it is dispersed, that is, it is loosened and tempered by truths and goods from the Lord, and thus it is viviIts not appearing, and not fied, and appears as if it was not present. being any longer hurtful, is signified by destroying, although it is never destroyed, but remains.

— A. C. 731.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

42 self i

has none,

— since they are those of the sea

itself.

then capable of enriching the whole earth.

It is

Who can describe thee, or the gain happy loss which was then made by this river, useless and good for nought, despised and shunned; that headlong !

stream to which the smallest boat might not be trusted, because, unable to

keep

itself

and losing

itself so

would have swallowed it up in its own ruin ? What say you to the lot of this torrent, ye great often,

flowing with so

rivers

much

for the vast

your faces

who are the who wonder at you

majesty,

joy and admiration of the tribes

amount of merchandise displayed upon This poor torrent, which you looked

upon with scorn, or at least with compassion, which was a thing rejected by all the world, which appeared fit for nothing, what has become of it, and for what now is it good nor, rather, for what is it not good 1

— ;

What since it

is it

that

lacks

You

are

now

you carry the wealth you have, its

abundance, or to bring to

servants,

its

either to unload

new supply

wealth.

But before we speak of the happiness of a soul thus lost in God, we must begin at the source, and then proceed by degrees. 5. The soul, having its source, as was said, in God, has a continual inclination to return to as

is its

first

principle,

Him

;

because,

also its last end.-

* Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the ending, signifies that the Lord

the self-substituting and only subsisting, from [first] prin-

ciples to ultimates, all in all of

from

whom

are all things, and consequently the

heaven and the church.

— A.

It.

29.

SPIRITUAL TOKRENTS.

would be boundless, were it not interrupted or checked, or altogether stopped, by continual sin and unfaithfulness. This is the reason why man's heart is in perpetual motion, and can find no rest until it has returned to its origin and its centre, which is God * Its course

;

like fire, which, being separated

from

its

proper sphere,

in continual agitation, never resting until it has

when, by one of the miracles of nature, though an element so active of itself that it returned

thither,

consumes every thing by

its

energy,

enjoys a perfect

rest.f

Ye poor

will never find

into

Him

who

souls

are seeking rest in this

for there all

;

life,

you

Seek to enter again

except in God.

your longings and pains,

all

your agitations and anxieties, will be reduced to the unity of repose. 6.

It is to

be observed, that the nearer

the nearer

its centre,

although the speed of

But

increasing.

withholds city,

it, it

increasing

though It is the

its

return thither

perpetually

its

incredible velo-

centre

;

so that,

velocity augments, its activity diminishes.

same with the soul

soon as sin ceases to

when the

lusts arising

from the love

and the world are taken away, inasmuch as these

what take away peace

him

no obstacle any longer

approaches

* For heavenly peace flows in, of self

upward with an

as/ it

approaches

approaches a state of repose,

as soon

darts

fire

;

for

at length to place rest in restlessness,

because he delights in

lusts are

they infest the interiors of man, and cause

and peace in disturbance,

evils.

f No one can be gifted with this peace, but he who is led of the Lord, and is in the Lord, that is, in heaven, where the Lord is all in

all.— A.C. 5662.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

44 hold

and

back,

which

if,

runs indefatigably to find

impossible,

nothing would hinder swift that

Not only more

its

would reach

its

but the nearer

so,

again

were exempt from

course, which

its

God

sin,

would be

destination forthwith.

approached to God, the

speed would be augmented, while at the same

time this speed would become more peaceful. the repose, or rather peace (since

For

not then re-

pose, but a peaceful coursing), would increase, so that

peace would redouble crease

its

speed, and speed

would

in-

peace.

its

That which then causes disturbance is its sins and imperfections, which check for some time the course 7.

more or less, according to the greatness Then the soul becomes fully aware of

of this soul

of the fault. its activity.

If,

proper sphere, bit of

wood

activity,

when

fire

ascending again to

should meet with obstacles, such as a

or of straw,

and consume

would resume

this obstacle or

the greater the resistance, the

be increased. a longer

If it

were a

and stronger

activity

a moment, and would check

its

ardor to overcome

itself to its centre.

obstacles the

course but very

all

It is also to fire

activity

and would ;

;

serve only to increase

new

hindrance

its

wood,

will observe that the obstacle

with would ing

former

its

would require to consume it but if it would be consumed in

bit of

were only a piece of straw,

You

its

which the

fire

its velocity,

little.

meets

giv-

obstacles in joining

be observed, that the

should meet with, and the more

considerable they were, the more they would retard its

course

;

and

if it

were always finding new ones,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

many

they would be so

objects serving to keep

attached to themselves, and to hinder

ing to if

We know from always putting wood upon

its

are

origin.

be always keeping

from return-

experience, that, the

fire,

under, and preventing

shall

from

mounting upwards.

The case is the same with souls. Their natural and propensities incline them to God. "Were not for the hindrances they meet with, they would 8.

instincts it

run incessantly, without ever stopping in their course. These hindrances are their sins and faults, which put obstacles in the

way

God

of their return to

in propor-

tion as they are strong and enduring, so that,

they

are sinning incessantly, they are arrested without ever

reaching the goal

and

;

they die in

possibility of ever reaching

in the

way

it,

being then no longer

and course [of amendment], and

made by

lesser degree of obstruction, such as is

go into the

of love did not

consumed. so

little,

way

fire

all

being

Others, dying in a

terminated as regards them.*

sin,

they have

sin,

venial

of purgatory, that all which the fire

consume in

this life

may

then be finally

much or their own

Others, again, advance just so

as the obstacles

which they put in

are stronger or weaker.

Such souls

have never committed mortal sin must,

of course, advance

more than

others.

* The Lord never operates unless from consequently in fulness ; for

first

This

principles

true for

by ultimates,

does not reform and regenerate

man

otherwise than by truths in ultimates, which are natural truths; and

from

this circumstance it

is,

that such as

the quality of

man

in the

world, such he remains after his departure out of this world to eternity.

— A. E. 1087.

SPIRITUAL TOKEENTS.

46 the most part

pleasure " in

but

;

still, it

making

his mercies

most abounded," Rom. I

who have not

make an

abound where

own

fact,

with regard

righteousness in

righteousness,

all

the

If they are virgins, they

it extends.*''

— and

idol of their purity,

own

sin has

v. 20.

this disorderly attachment, this

of their

takes

sinned, comes from their having

a high opinion of their

points to which

God

think one of the reasons for this

to those

and

seems as

so of the rest

esteem and love

an obstacle harder to

be overcome than the greatest sins

;

f because

can-

not have so strong an attachment to sins, which are so ugly in themselves, as

eousness

we have

our

;

leaves such souls to take pleasure in their tity,

own

and God, who never violates our

while

delights to purge

away the

right-

liberty,

own filth

sanc-

of the

most miserable. And, to ensure the success of His purpose, he gives them a fire both stronger and * If

man

believed, as

from the Lord, and

all evil

priate good to himself,

priate evil to himself,

the truth, that all good and truth are

and

falsity

and make

from

hell,

he would not appro-

meritorious ; nor would he appro-

and make himself guilty of

it.

— D. P. 320.

f Man, by means of these two faculties [freedom and rationality], can be so far reformed and regenerated, as he can be led by them to

acknowledge that

all

the truth and good which he thinks

Lord, and not from himself.

— D. P. 87.

from the

^ If the freedom of willing evil, and of making

it as of reason by was taken away from the natural man, liberty and rationality would perish, and at the same time will and understanding and he could not be led away from evils, and be reformed thus

confirmations,

;

not be conjoined to the Lord, and live to eternity: wherefore the Lord so guards freedom with .

D. P. 97.

man, as man does the pupil of

his eye.

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

more ardent, which, by its activity, consumes these gross faults more easily than a lighter fire consumes lighter obstacles.

make

seems even as

display His power, and

and

show how He can

and even make them

who were never

polluted.

The

I write, find in

consuming in a moment

drances.

They mount

aloft

than those

and for whom,'

themselves a great

all their faults

with so

much

and hinthe

which held them back was stronger and

force, as that

They

harder to be consumed.

impeded by notable habits * but

faults,

this fire

;

and

fairer

souls then which have sinned,

dropping the others, fire,

delighted

though so deformed, in

re-establish them,

their first state,

10.

God

these guilty souls the throne of His love, that

He might perfect

often find themselves

contracted from former

consumes them and goes on,

this repeatedly, until it finds

no more to operate

must be observed, that the more it goes on consuming, the more it grows, and the easier are the so that at obstacles it meets with to be consumed

on.

;

last they are

ing

its

nothing but straws, which,

course, only

make

far

This being premised and understood, apply

it,

and

from check-

more ardent.

understand the case as

it is.

easy to

It will

well, therefore, to take the soul in its first state,

go on regularly,

(which

I see

wills

11.

and

God, who dictates these things,

only as they are committed to paper),

so.

God, designing

make

the soul His own, in

* The evils and falses which he had before imbibed emerge and

come

forth.

— A.

C. 3696.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

He may

order that

manner very by making it

little

lose

Himself in a wonderful

known

to ordinary believers, begins

estrangement from Him-

feel interiorly its

self.

As soon

it feels

and knows

inclination implanted in

and which was,

estrangement, the

to return to its principle,

were, extinguished by sin, wakes

up.

feels,

with pain and trouble, the

then conceives a true grief for

tion causes

evil

its

which

feeling thus inspired into the soul causes

to seek out the

means of getting

rid of this pain,

and of entering into a certain repose which off,

and

sins,

this aliena-

it.

The restless it

its

sees afar

but the sight of which serves only to redouble this

restlessness,

reaching 12.

its

and

desire of pursuing

it.*'

Some

that they

and increase

must seek God

follow after

want of being instructed their interior, and there

of these souls, for

Him

without going out of themselves,

turn themselves to meditation, and to seeking without that which they will never find except within.

meditation, for which they are

adapted (because God,

who

commonly very

desires

from them, does not allow them

wound

in the

little

something

to attain

else

any thing by

this exercise), serves only to increase their desire

while their

This

heart, they

would

;

for,

fain

apply the plaster without, and this only soothes their * But yet, inmostly,

in a state of peace; for, unless he were

lie is

in such a state in his inniosts,

much

he would not engage in combat, inas-

as he has continual respect to that state, as

wherein he

engaged.

— A.

C. 369C.

an end, in the combats

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. disease, not heals

They

it.

fight for a long time by-

help of this exercise, and their combat redoubles their

And

impotence.

these souls, of

whom God

takes

do not meet with some one who can

care Himself,

show them that they have taken the wrong

course, they

only lose their time, and will continue to lose

it,

long as they remain without this succor.

But God,

13.

them

and

mercy,

fails

by His Providence,

this succor

transitorily

full of

all

were only

if it

This succor

few days.

for a

not to bring

not

sought by themselves, although they are well aware that something

remedy

at the

they find

is ;

wanting to them, without guessing but,

by purely providential means,

without looking

for

it.

For, as they are

God

properly the true children of Providence,

them, without extraordinary methods,

need

of,

in a way, as

When,

14.

all

they have

were, quite natural.

therefore, these souls are instructed

some one providentially sent within, and they

to them, that they are

not in the way of progress, because their

when

sends

wound

would apply the remedy without,

—

they are instructed, I say, to turn within them-

selves,

and seek in the inmost of

their hearts

what

they vainly seek abroad, they discover, with an aston-

ishment that at once delights and surprises them, that they have within themselves the treasure they were seeking afar off.*

They languish with joy

in their

* The Lord flows in with good through man's inmosts, and there conjoins truth: their root

Man

little

must be

in the inmost.

— A.

C. 2879.

concerned at this day about the things which are

transacting interiorly within him, inasmuch as external things occupy

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

They are all astonished that prayer them any thing, and that the more

new-found

liberty.

no longer

costs

they gather in their thoughts, and go deeply within themselves, the more they experience an indiscribable delight that transports and carries

them away,

so that

they would fain never cease from this state of love and

inward concentration.^ Observe, delicious as

have

hasten

you

if it

what they experience,

please, that

appears, does not,

faith, detain

they are destined

them, but disposes them ever to

something with which they

after that certain

are not yet acquainted.!

The

longer but ardor and love.

soul

nothing any

It thinks itself already in

him wholly; and to him who is wholly occupied by external things, is, when external things are the ends of life, internal things are of no account. Hence it is evident why those things which are transacting inwardly in man are at this day concealed and altogether unknown. Such an obscurity of intellect never existed among the A. C. 5224. ancients: their wisdom was to cultivate interior things. * The delights which are perceived in things extreme, or corporeal,

that

—

are respectively vile ; for every delight

the more

ceeds to things internal.

delights become

f Good, with

man

— A.

may

becomes viler it

pro-

much

the more pleasant and

C. 996.

during regeneration, has continually a purpose

of inverting the state, and of reducing

truth

such that

Wherefore, as was said, as external things

are in order unfolded or unswathed, so

happy

proceeds to external things, and happier the more

into such

an order that

not be in the prior place, but in the posterior, as

agree-

able to the state of heaven: this purpose, however, lies deeply concealed, nor

is it

perceived until

it is

effected.

The case herein

with conjugial love, which does not appear in infancy and childhood,

but

still lies

treasured up, nor does

things are so arranged that it

produces

3610.

all

means

come

can manifest

forth until all

and single

in the

mean time

itself

;

suitable to itself, or they are produced.

— A. C.

;

SPIRITUAL TOEREXTS. paradise;*

for

what

experiences within being

nitely sweeter than all the pleasures of earth,

them without to enjoy, for

infi-

leaves

and would leave the whole world moment, in its inmost, what it expeone regret,

riences.

The

soul, then,

perceives that

almost uninterrupted.

prayer becomes

its

Its love increases

from day to

day, becoming so ardent that the soul cannot contain it.

Its senses are so

much

concentred, and a state of

recollection so takes entire possession of

thing drops from the hands. petually, 15.

would

it,

that every

fain love per-

and meet with no interruption.

And

as the soul, in this state, is not strong

enough not to be dissipated by conversations, it shuns and fears them. It would be always in solitude, and be always enjoying the embraces of It

has within

itself a

Director

who

its

does not suffer

to take pleasure in any thing, nor to

without reproving coldness,

and making

it,

how much

well-beloved.

commit a

* After man, by the opening of his internal,

fault

by His

sensible,

the fault displeases

Him.f is

introduced into

heaven, and receives light from thence, then the same affections which the angels of heaven enjoy, together with their pleasantnesses and

—

communicated to him. A. E. 942. f " And all the churches shall know that I am He that searcheth the reins and hearts," Rev. ii. 23. That hereby is signified the acknowledgment of all who are in the church, that the Lord alone knows and explores the exteriors and interiors, and the things pertaining to faith and love, appears from the signification of searching, when delights, are

predicated of the Lord, as denoting that

He alone knows and

explores

and from the signification of the reins, as denoting the truths of faith, and their purification from falsities, concerning which we shall speak in what follows and from the signification of hearts as denoting the A. E. 167. goods of love. ;

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

These coldnesses of God, by reason of

faults, are

penances more dreadful to the soul than the heaviest chastisements.

It is

hasty word.*

reproved for an idle look -and a

seems as

God had no

than to correct and reprove

and that

He It

also, to see that it

has

applies Himself only to accomplish

astonished

itself,

and others

changed more in one month,

its

— yea,

even in a day,

way, than in several years by the other.

this

God

other care

perfection.

this soul,

amend and

belongs to Thee alone to

purify

the soul.

The

soul

taught concerning

cations, without If

it is

all

kinds of mortifi-

having ever heard them spoken

of.

about to eat any thing gratifying to the taste,

held back as by an invisible hand

a garden,

can see nothing there,

hold a flower, or look at placed sentinels over

all its

if it

senses.

goes into

cannot even if

God had

It dares

not listen

seems as

it.

—

can apply to itself now those words of Scripture, that it is " surrounded with hedges to a piece of news.

and thorns," Hosea itself in

any

ii.

liberties,

;

feels

if it

would indulge

itself

pierced to the

for,

quick. * " Take heed of His face," Ex. xxiii. 21.

That

it signifies

holy

fear, appears from the signification of taking heed to a face, when is

said concerning the Lord,

ing to fear, lest

who

be angry on account of

tered on account of prevarications. — A.

" Lest thou embitter Him." by

That

evils, or lest

be embit-

C. 9306.

it signifies

aversion from

Him

falses derived from evil, appears from the signification of embit-

when concerning the Lord, who, in denoting to avert by falses derived from evil

tering, or inciting anger, is

here meant by an angel, as denot-

the angel, as

derived from evils

;

this case, for falses

are aversions from the Lord. — A. C. 9308.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. It would fain sume itself with

held at

then, especially in the beginning, conausterities.

all to earth, so

therefrom.

Its

God has

much

seems

does

as if

another

way

no longer

it feel itself

words are nothing but

still

fire

detached

and flames.

of punishing this

soiil,

somewhat more advanced, which is, by makafter Then ing Himself felt more strongly after its fall. It would the poor soul is swallowed up in confusion. it is

prefer the severest chastisement to this loving-kindness

of God, following to die,

16.

would

and

The

to be

soul

upon

its fall,

which makes

ready

swallowed up with shame.

fain impart

then so it

full

what

to all the world.

every one to love God.

Its feelings

it feels,

that

would teach

towards

Him

are

so lively, so pure, so remote from interest, that those directors,

who, without being themselves experienced

in these ways, should hear

speak, would believe

had reached the height of perfection. beautiful thoughts, which it commits admirable facility, and which are deep, mate feelings

;

there being

It is fertile in to writing

with

and

inti-

lively,

now no more

reasonings,

The and occupied by

nothing but the strongest and most ardent love. soul during the day feels itself seized

a divine force, which ravishes and consumes

holds

night and day without

its

it, and knowing what it

The eyes close of themselves, and can scarcely be opened. It would fain be blind, deaf, and dumb, that does.

nothing might hinder

enjoyment.

It is like those

who are so occupied and possessed know not what they do, and are own masters. If these persons wish

intoxicated persons

with wine that they

no longer their

its

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

book

to read, the

enough

in a

for

from their hands

falls

a single line

;

them, and they can scarcely read a page

whole day, whatever industry they may use

the purpose.

for

not that they understand what

they read, for they do not think upon

but

;

that one word of God, or the approach of a book, awakens the secret instinct w hich animates and inT

flames them, so that love closes both their lips and their eyes.

For

17.

this reason it is that they

cannot make use

of vocal prayers, not being able to pronounce them.

A pater

seen or heard of the

not pray.

for

like,

Nevertheless,

mighty than fear to

itself,

who

do amiss, nor

He who

doubt that

holds it is

itself;

for, if it

it feels

that

compels

would keep them an hour.

used to this knows not what

it it

ails it

;

can-

cannot resist one more

away.

any concern of

cannot

this

kind

thus bound does not allow

Himself who does

it,

should seek to exert

He who

having never

knows not why

carries it

feels

poor soul not

for,

occupies

nor to defend

itself for prayer,

closes its

mouth, and

by a sweet and lovely violence

keep

silence.

This does not so as to speak

mean

;

but that, besides doing

itself

loses that heavenly peace,

and

sensibly that a spiritual dryness supervenes.

great violence hereby, feels

that the creature cannot resist,

effort

requisite, therefore, that the soul should suffer itself

to be

way

;

moved and

at the divine option,

and not

after its

own

one then has a director who has no expe-

rience in these matters,

and who

insists

upon vocal

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

prayer, besides inflicting on the soul great constraint,

he does

The

18.

an irreparable mischief. soul at this time experiences a desire of

suffering so vehement, that die.

one,

causes

sible to gain indulgences,

any desire

The

19.

to languish

make amends for It would and satisfy God. It now begins fain

and

the sins of every to find it

impos-

and love does not allow

to shorten its sufferings.

soul in this state believes that

rior silence,

because

its

operation

it is

in inte-

so sweet, so easy,

and so tranquil, that it no longer perceives it. It believes itself to have reached the summit of perfection, and sees nothing more

be done than to enjoy the

good of which it is possessed. This degree lasts for and, a long time, and goes on gradually increasing ;

who do not get beyond it lives, who yet come to be saints

very often, there are souls

but are in

it all

their

and the admiration of

The

all

mankind.

soul, in this degree, has certain transitory

short drynesses, which do not take

but which serve to advance

out of

its

and

degree,

it.

20. These souls, however, so ardent and so desirous

of God, begin to rest in this state, and insensibly to lose their loving activity in running after

God, content-

ing themselves with their enjoyment, which they believe to be

God

their

course would be an irreparable misfortune to

them,

them

Himself.

This resting and ceasing from

God, from His

infinite love, did

as speedily as possible

from

not withdraw

this state,

and

intro-

duce them into the one next to be described. But, before speaking of

this, it will

something about the imperfections of

be well to say

this degree.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS,

CHAPTER 1

—

3. Imperfections

exterior.

state.

of this

first

degree, as well interior as in relation to the

A mistake often made in it.

—10.

Mark

of passiveness in this

Imperfections and mistakes of this degree continued.

14. Spiritual counsel.

—19.

Spiritual drynesses intermingled with a

tender but interested loye, which requires the

and

trials

purifications of

the succeding degree.

The of,

soul, while in the degree I

can advance greatly in

it,

have just spoken

and does

love to love, and from cross to cross

and

often,

so proprietary, that

go only at a tortoise pace, though

and

to others to

rent

it falls

may be

said to

appears to itself

run with unbounded speed.

The

tor-

here in a level country, and has not yet reached

the declivity of the mountain, where itself

going from

but

;

it it

so,

down and

throw

take a course destined no more to be

checked. 2.

The

esteem of

faults of the soul in this degree itself,

* are a certain

more hidden and more deeply rooted

than it was before receiving these graces and favors from * The spiritual church

is such that it must be introduced by truth and then be without perception of good, unless according to the quantity and quality which lies concealed in the affection of truth,

into good,

at which time

cannot be distinguished from the delight of self-love

and the love of the world, which is together in that A. C. 3325. believed to be good.

—

affection,

and

— SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. God,*'

— a certain secret undervaluing and contempt of whom it sees

others,

—a

before the coming of the

John

who would have

down

called

and a

their faults,

tain hardness towards sins a*nd sinners,

that of St.

own way,f

so far distant from its

a proneness to be scandalized

fire

own

certain confidence in its virtue, so that

Spirit,

out of heaven upon

seems to

salvation and

itself

a secret pride, especially at

ing, perceptible to others

own

so that It

would

trou-

fain be

claims to itself the gifts

and deals with them

of God,

maintains a collected or reserved bear-

its

—

incapable of sinning,

first,

bled at faults committed openly.

impeccable

cer-

zeal like

Holy

the Samaritans, that they might be consumed, J

—

were

as if they

its

own.§

* The spiritual, inasmuch as they have not perception like the celestial,

do not know that divine truth becomes rational truth with

man when he

regenerated.

from the Lord

all truth is

;

but

They say, indeed, that all good and when these exist in their rational,

still,

they suppose them to be their own, and thus as selves

;

wills this.

were from them-

— A. C. 3394.

When

he [the spiritual man] has done any thing good,

delight of his to others.

they cannot be separated from their own proprium, which

life to

—A. C.

make mention

it,

and thus

and the truth which

there, also grows soft. §

Such

the

itual, viz. that

the

2715.

X For truth without good is altogether stiff, and when good as an end, that stiffness begins to soften ; but good soft,

it is

to prefer himself

first

insinuated, inasmuch as

— A. C. 7068.

state of all

who

Respects

in itself

becomes good

are reformed and become spir-

they do not believe they are reformed of the Lord, but

of themselves; that

thought of truth

is,

that every thing of the will of good and the

from themselves: in

this state, also,

they are suf-

fered of the Lord to remain for a time, because otherwise they could

not be reformed.

— A.

C. 2946.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

own weakness and poverty in the has of its own strength so that it

It forgets its

rience

;

distrust of itself,

and

not afraid to expose

expeloses

itself to

occasions of sin.

Although

all

these faults, and

many

others, are to

be found in persons of this degree, they do not them,*'

and

even appears as

they had more humility

than others, because their humility

But wait

only,

and these

The grace they

them

more guarded.f

faults will give themselves,

in due time, to be both seen and 3.

feel so

felt.

strongly within being to

a testimony that they have nothing to fear, they

speak rashly without a divine mission. fain

know

communicate what they

feel

all

They would the world.

Hereby they do some good, it is true, to others for their words, all fire and flames, kindle the hearts of those who listen to them but besides that they do not accomplish the good they would do if they were ;

;

in that degree in

which the divine order disposes the

* The same appears also from this, that the spiritual man does not know what is evil; he scarce believes any thing to be evil but what is contrary to the commandments of the decalogue, being ignorant

and thought, which are innumerable, and them evils. A. C. 2715. f That to bend themselves denotes exterior humiliation, and is of those who are in truth, and that to bow themselves denotes interior humiliation, and is of those who are in good, see n. 5682. of the evils of affection

neither reflecting on them, nor calling

—

A.C. 7068. ^ It

is to

thence from

be observed, that falsities,

man

cannot be purified from

unless the unclean things that are in

evils,

and

him emerge

even into the thought, and are there seen, acknowledged, discerned, A. E. 580. rejected.

—

and

For the evils and falses which he had before imbibed, emerge and

come

forth

and disturb him.

— A. C. 3696.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. communicate what

soul to

has, their graces being

not yet in their fulness, they give of their penury instead of giving only of their abundance, in conse-

quence of which they grow dry themselves.

you

have seen several basins of water underneath a fountain, the fountain alone giving of its fulness,

and the

others dispensing, the one into the other, only from the fulness which the source communicates to them,

can understand how,

the source

verted while the basins

still

you

stopped up or di-

continue to flow, they will

be certain, having no longer any source, to be exhaust-

The

ed and dried up. degree

happens

to souls of this

they wish to be sending abroad their waters

continually, not perceiving, until late, that the water

they have

only for themselves, and that they are

not in a degree suited for communication, because they

They

are not sources themselves.

precious perfume

grance

are like bottles of

exhale themselves, whose fra-

left to

so delightful that

we do not take

notice

how

rapidly they waste away. It is easy, in this degree, to

be deceived by tak-

ing the means for the end ;* and as

lasts very

long

* There are things essential, and there are things instrumental.

In order that what

what

mental

essential

may

produce an

effect, it

must have

instrumental, as a means whereby to act; and as the instruis

formed, so

it acts.

instrumentals not being matters of

meant that they should not be regarded as an end, but essentials; for so far as instrumentals are regarded as an end, so far essentials withdraw themselves and vanish. Thus if the scientific be

concern,

regarded as an end, and truths are of no concern, the truths at length so vanish away that it cannot be apperceived whether they are truths: also, if truths are

regarded as an end, and good

at length so vanishes

away

as not to be.

— A.

of no concern, good

C. 5948.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

with some souls, and there are even some that do not get beyond cially

But

it, it is

towards

its

common

to take this state,

conclusion, for a state of perfection.

There

this is a great mistake.

resemblance to

espe-

it, it is

has passed through

all

true

a considerable

and, unless the director

;

the states, he will easily believe

that the soul has reached the highest point,

What

when

it is

really very far distant from

it.

readily to persuade him,

the fact that the soul prac-

with an admirable strength. It and finds nothing hard, " be-

tises all the virtues

easily

overcomes

cause love

serves the

itself,

strong as death," Cant.

iii.

must also be observed, that the virtues appear to have come into the heart without any trouble ;* for the soul of which I am speaking does not think upon them, since it is altogether taken up with a general If you ask love, without motive or reason for loving. it what it does in prayer and during the day, it will But what motive or what reatell you that it loves. 5.

* "

And

they

filled their vessels

it signifies scientifics,

pears from the signification of gifted;

and from the

from the

with corn " [Gen.

xlii.

That

25].

that they were gifted with good from truth, apfilling,

because gratis, as denoting

signification of vessels as being scientifics,

signification of corn as

truth.— A. C. 5295. « To bring back their

silver

ability of theirs, appears

and

being good from truth, or the good of

[Ibid].

That

it signifies

without any

from the signification of buying with

silver,

as being to procure from one's self for one's own: here, therefore, to

bring back silver [or,

what

to give gratis, or without

any

ability of theirs

the same, that nothing of aid was from them.

—A. C.

5499]: as also in Isaiah, " Every one that thirsteth, go ye to the waters;

and he who hath no

silver,

go ye, buy and eat, and go ye, buy,

without silver and without price, wine and milk;"

lv. 1.

— 5296.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. son have you for loving All that

knows for what

to suffer

that

is,

loves.

this it

knows nothing.

and that

loves,

But perhaps

burns

the sight

it is

what your Well-beloved has undergone, O soul which thus moves in you a willingness to suffer ? of

—

Alas

—

Is it

will say, they

do not come into

thoughts.

then a desire to imitate the virtues you see in

do not think. — What, then, — About — the view you have of the you do — away your beauty of Him who loves you that do not look beauty. — How heart — with you, then — do not know only the

Him

this I

is it

I love.

Is it

carries

at this

inmost recesses of

wound

heart a deep

wound;

trouble,

and

find

smart.

The soul now

finished all;

feel in

so delightful, that I repose in

pleasure in

for,

believes

though

that

of the defects I

full

has gained and

have just mentioned, and a whole host of others exceedingly dangerous, which are better

in the

felt

following degree than they can then be expressed, rests in the perfection it thinks it has acquired

stopping at the means, because end,

takes

would always remain attached

did not lead this torrent (which

lake on the summit of a mountain)

them them,

;

for if

and, the

God

a peaceful

to the declivity of

* I have experienced, as also on several other occasions, though

without reflection, that affections can act and be varied, to

without ideas of thought:

affections, with their varieties

of thoughts, although the

out ideas of thought

;

effect,

thus, that there are indefinite states of

and successions (which are the principles

man

cannot perceive those thoughts), with-

from which

may

be inferred that celestial states

are such from which come spiritual things.

—

D. 3127.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

the mountain, that

might cast

itself

down, and take

a course the more rapid in proportion to the depth of

its fall

seems to

that the soul in this

degree,

first

even with the most advanced, has a certain habit of concealing invents

defects both from itself

its

and pretexts

excuses

them out ingenuously, not by tain love of

its

own

much

never speaks

;

design, but from a cer-

excellence,

and from a certain

habitual dissimulation under which It has not so

and from others.

conceals

peace [as afterwards] in

itself,

its

mis-

on the contrary, it finds itself wonderfully cast down. It has a certain eagerness to be purified from them, which it speaks about to others. § The eries

which are most

faults

* Nearly similar to this rate

man.

new

Man

life,

the case with the

In the beginning he

passes into a quil state.

visible

others are

new

life

those

of a regene-

in a state of tranquillity ; but as

he also passes at the same time into an untran-

— A.C. 3696.

accustomed from infancy to make a show of friendship,

of benevolence, and of sincerity, and to conceal the thoughts of his

own proper

will: hence

from habit he contracts a moral and

in externals, whatever he

habit

is,

man

that

scarcely

not attend to them. X Peace

ful with the

§ xvi.

may

civil life

The effect of this and also that he does

be in internals.

knows

his interiors,

— H. H. 492.

the inmost in every delight, even in

man who

in good.

— A. C. 8455.

what

undelight-

" Let not any one make a residue of it until morning M [Ex. That it signifies that they should not be so solicitous about 19].

acquiring

of themselves, appears from this, that the

manna was

given every morning, and that worms were born in the residue

which

signified that the

;

Lord daily provides necessaries, and that

thus they ought not to be solicitous about acquiring them of themselves.

— A. C. 8478.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. which cause

most pain.

relish of the gifts of

stronger than ever

itself

way

ordinary

and

strained

swarm

along with tary

a secret desire to attract notice

;

it is

;

all

the

exterior

when

beset by

falls

its

;

a con-

;

some

into

too ready to judge of others

these faults,

attachments

modesty.

affected

self-reflections,

visible fault

has a secret love of

a high esteem of its extra-

;

composed bearing

certain

has a sensible taste and

God.

.and,

;

has a thousand proprie-

devotions

prayer to the duties of the family,

and, preferring

;

the cause of a

it is

whom

thousand sins committed by those among

resides.* 8.

This

a matter of the highest importance

manner

the soul, feeling itself drawn in a

for

;

sweet

and so strong, would fain be always alone and in prayer, and it prays more than comports with its state either exterior or interior.

Its

exterior faults

give rise to a thousand reports, lead to a thousand faults,

and cause a neglect of essential obligations

its interior

;

ones, by degrees, exhaust the strength of

the soul and

its

power of loving, and cause

times of

spiritual dryness, which, not being of the divine order,

hurt 9.

instead of doing

Two unhappy

* With

man

first affection

any good.

consequences result from

about to be regenerated the case

of truth

very impure ; for there

in it

this.

thus, that his

affection of

use and of end for the sake of himself, for the sake of the world, for the sake of glory in heaven, and the like things, which look towards himself, but not towards the community, the Lord's kingdom, and still

less

towards the Lord.

nevertheless,

it is

Such an

affection

must needs

successively purified of the Lord.

— A.

precede:,

C. 3089..

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

The

that the soul desires too

first is,

much

to be in

when it has a facility therefor the second is, that when it has thereby exhausted its loving power, inasmuch as this is by its own fault, it prayer and solitude,

;

has not the same strength in the dryness which supervenes

finds

;

prayer, and

thereto

seeks

;

objects;**

difficult

very

'apt to

shorten the time assigned

amusement,

at times, in exterior

into dejection, discouragement, dis-

it falls

tress, believing that

can to bring

continue so long in

has lost

all,

and does

all it

back again the presence and the love

of God.

But

10.

if it

were

sufficiently strong to

hold an

equal course, and not to do more in abundance than in dryness,

would meet

all

demands.

ing towards the neighbor, towards

no complaisance, thinking little to

please him.

;

practises

a great matter to relax a a certain severity

It feels

observes an austere silence where place

uncomply-

It is

whom

whereas, on other occasions,

and

they are out of it is

apt to talk

on without end concerning, the things of God. A woman will have scruples about complying with her husband's wishes, about conversing with him, about * The good of truth or spiritual good of the spiritual

church

;

given indeed to the

man

but whereas every delight of the love of self

and of the world, which had before constituted their life, extinguishes that good, inasmuch as they are opposite, therefore the pure good of truth cannot long abide with that man, but is tempered from the Lord by the delights of the loves which had before been of his life: for, unless that good was so tempered, it would become undelightful to

him, and would thus be loathsome.

Such

with those who are regenerating. — A. C. 8487.

celestial

good at

first

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

walking or partaking of some amusement with him

;

but will have none whatever about talking two whole hours, unnecessarily,

This

other sex.

of one

with devotees

a dreadful mistake.

discharge our duties, of whatever nature they

and whatever trouble

may

the

ought to

may

be,

cause us, even though

we may think ourselves guilty of some faults in the way of doing them.* By this course we shall reap vastly more spiritual profit, not in the way we exmakes us die to ourselves. It seems even as if our Lord gave us to understand that this was pleasing to Him, by the grace He communicates to us in thus doing. I knew a person, who, pect, but because

in playing cards to oblige her husband, experienced a

stronger and more intimate union than she ever ex-

perienced in prayer

mon

;

and

was a thing of com-

this

occurrence in all she did to gratify the wishes of

her husband,

might

feel

notwithstanding the

for it

;

and

repugnance she

she failed in this point, in

order, as she thought, to do better, she felt distinctly

that she

was leaving her proper

of God.

estate

and the order

This did not prevent the person

speak-

ing of from often committing such faults, because the attraction to an interior state

and the excellence of

God at this day is meant principally the temple, both morning and evening. But mouth in a worship of the God does not consist essentially in this, but in a life of the worship of worship is according to the order of Heaven. The worship uses: this also worship, but it is altogether of no avail, unless of the mouth is *

the worship of

there be worship of the

and the former, that latter.

— A.

C. 7884.

life;

for this latter

may become

worship

of the heart,

worship, must proceed from this

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

prayer, which are preferred to this apparent waste of time, insensibly carry the soul away, and put

wrong

And

track.

this appears as sanctity in the

greater number. 11. Still, however, souls destined for faith do not

commit these

God

errors for a long time

them causes them

desires to lead

therefore

And

short.

for faith,

in to

or frequently.

His divine order,* and feel wherein they come

the difference between a soul destined

and another,

is,

that the latter continues in

these devotions without difficulty

;

like tearing

out his heart to withdraw him from this tranquil love

but the other has no peace even in peace

he has

satisfied his

duty

until

itself,

and when he does continue

;

in this peaceful state, notwithstanding the instinct to

leave

it, it is

him inward 12. It

an unfaithfulness which

happens also that the

peculiar to

man

(at least, if

become

ijtself

its

this

still

interior repose.

long more strongly for a

more difficult for him to he has some little firmness) and

thing in proportion as

enjoy

by means of

soul,

feels

strongly attached or attracted to it is

sure to cause

pain.

death and this contrariety,

For

it is

;

fixed in his desires

opposition, willing

* By living according to order is here meant to be led of the Lord by good, but to live not as yet according to order is to be led by truth; and when man is led by truth, the Lord does not appear;

wherefore also

good; light.

it is

man then

otherwise

— A. C. 8572.

goes in darkness, in which he does not see

when man

led by good, then he sees in the

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. yet more strongly that which

denied him.*

This

trouble of not being able to have repose except by

and causes

halves, increases the repose of the soul,

drawn so strongly, it two souls and that it seems as if two conversations at one and the same time, and as if the more interior of them were vastly stronger than But if the soul would quit the duties the exterior. f incumbent on it for prayer, it no longer finds any thing, and its attraction perishes J that, even in action,

feels itself

there were within

13. I do not

mean prayer which

and which we have prescribed * The end of refusal, affection

may

accepts,

others in civil

by things nearly similar

life

it is

the end that the favor

By Adam and

which was a

is led by the Lord by which man leads

civil life

to refuse, to

be done from affection, thus not only from

thinking, but also from willing.

Man

to those

a customary thing in

may

sometimes that

thence also increased, and thus

passes from thinking well into willing well. in spiritual life

of obligation,

to ourselves as matter

when any one

be insinuated;

his wife

celestial church.

— A.

C. 4366.

understood the most ancient church, Spiritual things with

them were

alto-

gether distinct from natural things; the former residing in their spiritual

mind, and the latter in their natural mind; and hence they

did not immerse any thing spiritual in their natural mind, as case with

men who

are spiritual-natural.

£ With respect to use, the case that

is,

is this,

in love towards their neighbor,

pleasures, which

— A. C. 617.

living delight, do

that they

who are

from which love

the

in charity

delight in

not regard the enjoyment of

pleasures except for the sake of use; for charity

no charity unless

there be works of charity, inasmuch as charity consists in exercise or use.

He who

loves his neighbor as himself never perceives the delight

of charity except in the exercise thereof, or in use ; wherefore a charity

life

of uses

therefore every pleasure which

receives its delight from use.

— A. C. 997.

life

from charity

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

68 of duty

for in

;

we should not

this

But

reasons beyond our control.

we would

carried

selves

within

make

fain

For

duty.

let

he can.

secret

feel

our-

drawing us

force

action

mean

option, but that of absolute

a person has time, after meeting all

incumbent on him,

the duties

prayer;

own

our

is at

Neither by

ourselves.

that which

speak of a prayer

perpetual, where

away by

except for

fail,

him bestow on

In this case

it,

him

let

indeed,

will be of

give

the time

all

unbounded

service

must take care also, not, under pretence of obligation, to impose upon ourselves non-necessary actions. Love for one's husband, for our children, to him.

for

the care of the household, can easily insinuate

itself

under cover of what

necessary

so also

;

natural eagerness to finish a thing once begun. all this will easily

to flatter itself.

But

be discovered by a soul not inclined

This

not so dangerous [a mistake

as the other], 14.

When

the state of recollection

soul does not usually

tioned

but

;

very deep, the

into the faults last

men-

does into those already mentioned,

of undue

seclusion.

begins,

fall

When

the

state

dryness

be feared that the person will

over-burden himself with occupations, by reason of the pain which the senses experience in remaining

long in prayer.

But one must be firm here, and

be as exact as in the time of recollection. a person painful,

knew

who prayed most when prayer was most hardening

herself

against

the

pain

itself.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

But

this

hurtful

the

violent effort required for

it,

health, because

and the pain

of the

inflicted

the senses and the understanding, which, not being able to fix on any object, and being deprived of the

sweet correspondence which formerly kept

God,

suffers, in

that

the

consequence, such dreadful torments,

would rather undergo the greatest than the violence it must make use of in

order to remain with

In this case the pain it,

near to

soul

austerities

God without intolerable,

were, in a rage.f

sensible support.*

and nature

The person

put

whom

speak used to pass, at times, two and three hours in succession in this painful species of prayer

God had to be

and, as

;

given her great courage, she suffered herself

devoured by her pain, although she

She has confessed

senses to be in a rage.

her

felt

me, that

the most extraordinary austerities would have appear-

ed a pastime to her, compared with a continuance in this

state.

Sometimes she actually resorted

ness.

But, as the use of so

* To humble one's word which signifies

many

effort of his

compelling himself, as

pelling himself.

"And

and

violence with persons

for

a person to

compel himself, as

passages in the Word.

formed in the

much

self is expressed in the original

to aftiict;

means, in the internal sense, very

which was no small unfaithful-

austerities for relief,

may

himself,

appear from

Alan's celestial proprium

thought; and

he does not obtain

appears, he will never obtain

— A. C. 1937.

she called his

tongue by a

afilict

by not com-

name Naphtali " [Gen. xxx.

this signifies the quality thereof,

That 8]. namely, of the temptation in which

man

overcomes, and also of the resistance which arises from the natural man, appears from the signification of name, and of calling a name, being quality. See n. 144, <fec. A. C. 3928.

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

might destroy the health of mind and body,

so feeble I

think

better neither to

diminish nor to increase

prayer on account of changes in

the state

of the

feelings.

The

15.

states of dryness, so painful

and

of which I have just spoken, which pass

states,

much

not

spiritual persons

and the severest

distressing,

among

certain

enlightened for terrible

trials

from God, belong only

and are often caused by Nevertheless, souls who have gone

to this first degree of faith,

exhaustion.*

through them believe that they are dead, and write

and speak of them,

as of the

most painful passage of

the spiritual

It is true

they have no experience

life.f

and very often the soul has not go on, though this is so small a matter.

of the contrary

courage to

;

For, in these pains, which are like a burning soul

is left to

feel,

;

and

the

them by God, who withdraws from

His sensible aid cause them

fire,

;

but

still it

the senses which

because, being accustomed to act, to see, to taste,

and having never experienced

the like privations, and finding no place beside where

* It

the delights of his [the spiritual man's]

life to

be instructed

in truths, and to be illustrated in such things as relate to his soul,

thus to his spiritual ritual

life

labors

life;

and

wherefore,

suffers,

when

those things

fail, his

spi-

whence come grief and anxiety.

—

A.C. 8352. f They who have not been instructed concerning the regeneration of man, suppose that man can be regenerated without temptation, and some that he is regenerated when he has undergone one temptation; but

it is to

known

that without temptation no one

—

regenerated,

A. C. 8403. and that several temptations succeed one after another. the Lord temptations appears absent. A. E. 700. In as ^

—

SPIRITUAL TOEE.ENTS.

they can be nourished,* they are reduced to a frightful state of despair, f

The

soul

is far

from not being, on these occasions,

in a state of vigor

degree of courage.

pain

Its

of long duration

is it

remains firm,

;

if it

glorious to

it,

neither

the soul at

for the strength of

;

has some

it can sustain such a burden would turn backward to seek for nourishment, or else it would give over altogether. 16. For this reason, our Lord does not long delay

this time is not

very long.

return

prayer

such that

returns sometimes before

And

finished.

in a still stronger

When

* tual

life,

natural

he does not return at the

conclusion of the prayer,

manner.

the good of charity

does so during the day It

When

life.

sures, that

deprived of all

delight or good, as he calls

t Spiritual

it.

temptations

A.C. 8351. X Where man

he re-

which makes

spiri-

removed, which had made

removed, then

this delight is if

appears as

to be insinuated

then the delight of pleasures

temptation; for he believes,

even the

man comes

into

he be deprived of the delight of plealife

;

— A.

for his natural life consists in that

C. 8413.

commonly brought

are

in temptations,

despair.

which are combats against

—

evils

and fights for him; which also man may know from this, that when he is in temptations he interiorly resists; for, unless he interiorly resisted, he would not and

falses, the

Lord flows in from the

conquer, but would yield.

interior,

This interior resistance at the time does

not come to the apperception of man, because when he

in obscurity

from the

evil

after temptations, with those

and

who

falses of evil

in temptations

which assault; but

are in the perception of truth.

—

A.C. 10,686. § After every spiritual temptation

come

illustration

and

affection,

thus pleasantness and delight; pleasantness from illustration by truth,

and delight from the

affection of good.

— A. C. 8367.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

pented of having caused suffering to

so well, or that

what

trie

soul

loves

desired to recompense with usury

had endured for His sake. If the absence continues for some days, the pains are such that they It calls Him merciful and cruel. are intolerable. It it

Him

asks of slay

it.

But

and returns it

He this

has

only that

amiable lover smiles at

put on

would always be

wounded

its

wound a balm new wounds,

feeling

He may its

pain,

so sweet that

that

might

always enjoy the delight of a healing which restores to

not only

it,

its

first

health, but a health yet

abundant.*'

Hitherto we have seen nothing but the mere sports of love, to which the soul would easily

become accus-

tomed

if its

souls,

who complain

know

not that they are only feints, slight foretastes

Friend did not change His course.

Poor

of the inconstancies of love,

you

and specimens of what is to follow. The hours of absence seem to you days, weeks, months, and years.

You

are to learn, at your

own

cost, to

become more

* That these are words of despair [" Were there no sepulchres in Egypt 1 Thou hast taken us to die in the wilderness," Ex. xiv. 11] is evident. With those who are in despair, which is the last state of temptation, such things also are thought, and then they are as

were on a

declivity, or as it

thought there

angels, for every

comes even but lapses. lapse, he

it attended to by the and when the temptation has a limited power;

not at all hurtful, neither

man

to the last limit of his power, then

Then, however, that

is,

when he

man endures no further, is

in the inclination to

elevated by the Lord, and thus liberated from despair.

this case, for the

were in the lapse to hell; but such

most part, he

brought into a state of hope, and

thence into a clear state of consolation, and also into a state of satisfaction.

— A. C. 8165.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

generous, and to let your Spouse go and return with-

out saying any thing to Him.

seem

to myself to see

young brides. They are in the deepest grief, when their husband leaves them for ever so short a time. They bewail three days of absence as if He were dead, and they fight as much as they can against This love appears strong and great, letting Him go. It is the pleasure they yet it is by no means so. their enjoy in seeing spouse that they weep for. It is their own satisfaction that they seek. For if it were the pleasure of their husband, they would be as well these

pleased with the pleasure which

finds

apart from

them, in walking, in hunting, or otherwise, as with

that which

enjoys with themselves.

an interested love, although

fore,

such to the soul that

loves

loved.

because

is is

It is, there-

does not appear

which, on the contrary, believes

;

Him true,

lovely

worthy

to be

poor souls, that you love

Him

only because

;

but you love also

for the plea-

sure which you find in this exercise of loving.*' 18. Nevertheless, for

you are

willing,

you

say, to suffer

Him who is your Friend. It is true you He is the witness and companion

are, pro-

of your

vided

suffering.

You

you

but you would have him

this

;

Reward

wish no reward

serves as a

yet initiated; for

medium

for

it,

you

say.

know your

of conjunction with those

suffer-

who

they who are not yet initiated in good and

grant

are not

its affec-

who are not yet fully regenerated, cannot do otherwise than think also of reward, because in doing good they do it not from the affection of good, but from the affection of somewhat blessed and

tion, that is,

happy

in regard to themselves.

— A. C. 3816.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

and accept

ing,

therewith.

it,

— you

there,

would have him gratified then, any thing, you will ask,

more natural and right than wishing that He for whom we suffer should know it, accept it, and be Oh, how greatly are you mistaken pleased with it ? Jealous love will by no means let you enjoy the pleasure you take in seeing Him pleased with your griefs. You must learn to suffer, without His exhibiting any sign, either of seeing, of accepting, or of knowing it. It is too much for you to be accepted. What pain undergo on this would one not condition 1 What to know that He who loves us sees our pains, and has an infinite pleasure in them, oh this is the !

—

highest of pleasures to a generous heart. less,

those

am who

Neverthe-

convinced that the highest generosity of

belong to the state under consideration

does not go beyond this limit. 19.

But

to suffer

without our Lover's knowing

and when he appears

what we do

to please

to despise

Him, and

and turn away from to feel nothing but

aversion for what seemed to delight see

Him

formerly

recompense with coldness and dreadful

tance what

we do only

cease to do

;

to see

to please

Him

Him, and

rewarding

all

deavors only with terrible hidings of his face ourselves to be stripped, that

He had

;

dis-

yet not

our ento suffer

without complaint, of

all

formerly given as pledges of His love,

and which the soul believed

own

it,

love, its faithfulness

and

to see ourselves stripped of

had payed

its sufferings

for ;

its

not only

them without complaining,

but to see others enriched with our spoils, yet with-

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. out failing to do, as before,

Friend, absent though after

Him,

that can please our

not to cease running

;

from unfaithfulness or surprise, we

if,

moment,

stop for a

all

redouble our speed, without

fearing or looking at the precipices in our way, though

we is

fall

and

fall

again a thousand times, though the soul

so covered with

own proper

mud and

so wearied that

strength, to die and expire

loses its

by these con-

tinual fatigues (or if, at times, its Friend turns round and looks at it, He gives it again life and prevents it from dying, so much delight does this look afford at length,

until,

it),

cruel, that

this, I say,

all

its

divine Friend becomes so

suffers it to expire for

want of help

;

—

belongs not to this stage, but to the

following one.* It

must be observed here, that the degree

spoken of

the soul very greatly

do not get beyond * It

to be

God

very long, unless

;

have

as I

said,

it.

known that without temptation no one

have just

designs to advance

and very many,

and that several temptations succeed one

Man, who

being regenerated,

after another.

regenerated,

— A. C. 8403.

at length so far reduced

repeated desolations and supports, that he no longer wills to be his

own, but the Lord's.

—A. C. 6138.

Temptations are continual despairings concerning salvation, in the beginning slight, but in process of time grievous,

till

at last there

doubt almost negative concerning the presence of the Divine and His aid.

The

spiritual

life

generally brought to this extreme in

temptations; for so the natural

life is

the inmost, in the midst of despair, against the falses.

— A. C. 8567.

extinguished, inasmuch as then is

held by the Lord in combat

SPIRITUAL TORREXTS.

CHAPTER The second degree of the passive way of this

way.

—14.

—

VI.

— A short description of 5.

efforts to

avoid

it.

Gradations and progresses in this degree, in which occur various

The various uses and abuses

manifestations of Jesus Christ to the soul. thereof successively, whereby the soul or third degree of this passive

faith.

Entrance on this degree, and useless

The

way

forwarded to the mystical death,

of faith.

torrent beginning to find the declivity of

the mountain begins likewise the second degree of the

passive this

way of faith*

The

soul

was so peaceful on

mountain, and enjoyed there such a state of

had no thought of ever Nevertheless, for want of declivity falling from it. and descent, these waters of heaven were beginning, by the pause they thus made on the earth, to become For there is this difference between waters putrid. that do not flow nor discharge themselves and those delightful

repose, that

that do, that the

first,

(unless they be

those great lakes which resemble their rest is their ruin.

it,)

But when,

the

sea,

are spoiled,

and

after leaving their

source, they have a ready issue, the more rapidly they

run, the more pure they keep. 2.

You

will observe (as I have already said of this

* During the continuance of temptations, on one part are excited evils,

and the

falses of evils ;

good which appertain

A. C. 10,686.

man.

on the other, goods, and the truths of

Hence he

in a turbulent state.

—

— SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. soul), that,

when God imparted to

faith,

Him

as its centre.

(though

gave

the gift of passive

an instinct to hasten towards

also

But unfaithful

this instinct

believes itself full of fidelity), the soul

extinguishes

without advancing,

would be inactive God did not wake up this

repose, and

its

by causing it to find the declivity of the mountain, where it must fall headlong almost in instinct

spite of itself.

which

believed itself in possession of for ever.

murmur

tranquil waters begin to its

waves

down.

own

once to lose the calm

It feels itself at

Its

a tumult begins in

;

they run and cast themselves headlong

;

But whither do they run

destruction [as

If they could will

Alas

their

seems].

any thing, they would hold back,

But

and return

impossible

the declivity has been reached, and they

must

fall

their former

from one descent

calmness.

another.

yet no consideration about abyss or loss. (the soul) continues visible,

degree.

agitated,

and

follows wave, and, in the

and

falls

fall,

this

There

The water

not lost in this

headlong

;

wave

they meet and dash

against one another. 3.

This water, however, meets with certain level

spots in the declivity of this mountain, where

some

little

ness of

relaxation.

its

own

It is

takes

pleased with the clear-

waters, and sees that

its

falls,

its

and the dashing of its waves against the rocks, have served only to make it more pure. It finds courses,

itself delivered

from

believes that

has reached already the place of

its

loud and stormy period, and rest,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

78 believes this

much

the

readily, because it

cannot doubt, that the state through which passed has served greatly to purify to be

For it

it.

has just

sees itself

and no longer perceives the stench

clear,

which certain stagnant places emitted at the top of the mountain. It has even acquired a certain propensity to

fall;

that

has gained a knowledge, in

is, it

some measure, of what to see, by the trouble of

itself is.

has been made

passions, or rather of its

its

waves, that they were not destroyed, but only hushed to sleep.* 4.

its

when it was on the way to this last spot, it

As,

to destruction, its

peace

its

;

own

so,

mountain on the way

declivity of the

believed itself

and had no further hope of recovering now, when

waves,

when

no longer hears the sound

sees itself flowing so gently

and pleasantly over the sand, it forgets its former suffering, and believes not that it will ever return for it sees itself to have acquired more purity, and is ;

not afraid of becoming putrid, since

it is

at rest here, but flows in the gentlest

Poor torrent

way imaginable.!

not absolutely

and pleasantest

thou thinkest thou

* The tempted are in interior anxiety, even to desperation, in which they are kept more especially, for the end that they may finally be confirmed in this, that all things are of the Lord's

that they are saved by is

nothing but evil;

wherein they conquer.

Him

alone,

and that

mercy,

in themselves there

which truths they are confirmed by combats

— A.C. 2334.

signified by f That not temptations only, but also consolation is by consucceeded are Schaddai, is because all spiritual temptations solation, which has been given [me] to know from experience in the

other

life.

For when any one there

suffers hardships

from

evil spirits,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. found

hast

Thou

art

waters

rest,

and hast reached

79 very abode

its

The

gaze

creatures

own

beginning to take pleasure in thy

themselves in the

mirror which these waters make, and think themselves

most

But what

fair.

thy surprise, when, in flowing

along so softly over the sand, thou meetest, pectedly, with a

declivity yet

all

unex-

steeper, longer,

and

more dangerous than the first 1 * Thus begins again the murmuring of the torrent, which was a moderate sound at first, but which now becomes insupportable. It makes a noise and uproar still greater than before. It has now scarcely a bed to run in, but falls from rocks to rocks, going headlong without order or reaIt frightens

son.

every one with

are afraid to approach

Poor torrent

sweepest with thy

mad

career

thee :

thou

its

noise,

thou

and

what all

wilt

that

Thou

thou encounterest in

feelest only the

declivity that

No,

hurries thee forward, and believest thyself lost.

no, fear not

happiness

;

all

it.

thou art not

lost,

not yet attained.

and other losses are needful.

but the period of thy

For

Thou

this,

art

other falls

only begin-

ning thy course.

At length

this

running torrent

feels

that

has

reached again the lower part of the mountain and the by

infestations, excitations to evil,

wards when the

and

evil spirits are

and persuasions

removed, he

to falses, after-

received by the angels,

brought into a state of comfort, by delights conformable to his

genius.

— A. C. 5628.

* Temptations are continual despairings concerning salvation, in the beginning slight, but in process of time grievous.

— A.

C. 8567.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

level country.

regains

even a greater one

;

former calmness, and

its

and, after having passed long

years in these alternations,

upon the third

enters

degree. 6.

After having passed some years in this tranquil

place, of which, as

we have

perpetual possession,

—

thought to keep

said, it

after

having acquired the

tues, as it thought, in all their extent,

— the

vir-

soul, be-

and thinking yet enjoy a happiness beyond all fear

lieving all its passions to be dead,

more confidently of loss,

is all

astonished to find, that, instead of going

higher, or at least maintaining an equal state,

reached, without looking for

mountain.

it,

has

the declivity of the

begins, with astonishment, to expe-

rience an inclination for the things

had

left.

sees this delightful calm all at once beginning to be

Distractions

disturbed.

come

The

together and throw each other down.

fight

soul finds

way, nothing but seasons of

nothing but stones in

its

drought and

Disgust comes into

aridity.

They

in crowds.

its

prayers

and its passions, which it believed to be dead, but which were only laid asleep, rouse up into life. It would 7. It is quite astonished at this change. whence it has fallen, or, at least, stop where it is. But this cannot be it has reached It the crest of the mountain, and it needs must fall. does its best to recover from its falls it does what it either ascend again

;

can to hold back, and stay devotion.

redoubles

itself

its

some

penances.

best to bring back the delight of

its

species of

does

former peace.

seeks solitude with the hope of finding

there.

its

But

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. It sees that

the fault

all its

labor

own.

It resigns itself to suffer the humiliation which

in vain.

and abominates

results from this,

adjust things, but

must take

course,

its

would fain The torrent

sin.

cannot be done.

and sweep along

that stands

all

in its way.

The

soul, seeing that

God, goes about ture

but

;

finds

none whatever, and

fulness serves only to frighten

no further support in

to see if it can find it in the crea-

finds

this its unfaith-

yet more.

knowing what

length, the poor soul, not

do, everywhere lamenting the loss of its Well-beloved, is all

He presents Himself again it had lost Him for ever, it is at

astonished to find that

to her.

Believing that

once enraptured with the view.

much

the more happy, because

has brought with

Him new

greater distrust of itself.* as at

first,

to stop

gently, fearing It

;

When man

perceives that

new

blessings, a It

itself so

purity, a

has no longer a desire,

runs incessantly, but quietly,

its

treasure,

which

because the loss of

was

its

peace.

the more so

keenly

should again

in temptations, the goods of love

and the truths of

It fears to displease

felt.

it,

again an interruption of

dreads to lose again

precious to

esteems

Him,

lest

faith are not then appropriated to him, but afterwards.

For, during

the continuance of temptations, on one part are excited evils and the falses of evils :

on the other, goods and the truths of good appertaining

man: hence he

opened

;

in a turbulent state.

this state the internal is

but, after temptation, he has serenity, and in that state goods

and the truths of good are brought A. C. 10,686. now open.

—

by the Lord

into the internal

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

withdraw Himself. to

Him, and not 9.

endeavors to be more faithful

make an end

of the means.

Notwithstanding, this repose carries

away,

and makes it more neglectful. It cannot help yielding itself up to its delights, and would fain be

ravishes

it,

always alone.

It is still

To drag

or intemperance.

prayer

actuated by a spiritual avidity it

forth from solitude

like plucking out its very soul.

and

It is yet

more proprietary than before, that which it delights in being yet more delicate, and its taste having become more nice by the pain it has suffered. It appears to be in a new repose.

when suddenly

goes on quietly,

10. It

meets

with a new descent more decided and longer than the first.

It falls, all at once, into

would

fain hold back,

but in vain

run along the rocks from one astonished to find that

it is

and worship, and that

losing

must

fall,

another.

all relish for

it.

It finds

;

and

prayer

nothing but

"What formerly gave

death at every step.

;

surprise

requires the greatest self-

compulsion to continue in brings

new

it life

now

death.

no longer

any peace, but, on the contrary,

feels

a trouble and agitation deeper than ever, as well in

regard to the passions, which awake with the more strength the more reference

crosses,

they

appeared extinct, as with

which are multiplied without,

whilst the soul finds itself more

them. gnoans, that

It it is

arms

itself

cast

down

weak

with patience, ;

has thus abandoned

in supporting it

complains to it,

but

its

weeps, its

Spouse

complaints are

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

renews to

finds all

evil that hurries

good

troubled, the

complaints.

its

;

more it Every thing becomes death

The more

not heard.*'

difficult, it feels

a tendency to

away.

11. Nevertheless

cannot rest in the creature after

having tasted the Creator.

runs yet more earnestly

;

and the stronger the rocks and other obstacles that oppose its passage, the more bent it is on redoubling course.

its

dove sent forth from the ark, which,

It is like the

" not finding any spot of earth on which she could rest her foot" [Gen. alas

what

viii.

will

return to the ark, his

hand

compelled to return.

9], is

poor dove do when

this

the good

to take it again

about the ark, seeking

Noah

It does

rest,

But would

will not put forth

nothing but hover

but not able to find

it.

moans about the ark, until the divine Noah, having pity upon her perseverance and her moanings, at length opens the door, and receives her with acceptIt

ance. 12.

O method

altogether admirable and loving of

the Divine Goodness

only to

make

hides Himself that that

He may draw

He may

be sought

the soul after

apparently, that

fall,

deals thus with the soul,

He may

for.

Him.f

Lord

wills the end,

knows, but not

the end, which

"And

which

man and ;

salvation.

they said,

He flies He lets it

have the pleasure of

* The prayers of those who are in temptations are for the

hasten forward more rapidly.

the salvation of

little

heard;

man; which end

the Lord does not act for prayers against

— A.

Nay"

C. 8179.

[Ex. xix.

which usually attends temptation,

may

2].

That

signifies

doubt

appear from the refusal, and

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

sustaining and lifting

and vigorous

who

;

Thou who

up.

art strong

hast never experienced these de-

vices of love, these apparent jealousies, these avoidings,

lovely to the soul that has gone through them, but terrible to the

one that

who knowest nothing

— thou,

I say,

of these dealings of the divine

intoxicated with the continual posses-

love, because

sion of thy Well-beloved is for

under them,

—

He hides

(or, if

Himself,

so short a time that thou canst not judge, from

long and wearisome absence, of the blessedness of his presence)

— thou

own

hast never experienced thine

Where-

weakness, and the need thou hast of His aid.

as, these poor souls thus left destitute begin to lean

no longer upon themselves, but only on their WellThe severities of this Well-beloved have beloved.*4 made his favors yet more desirable. 13. These souls often commit faults by reason of the

weak

which they are reduced, and because

state to

that they nevertheless went to his house.

here treated concerning the

first state

Inasmuch

by Lot

of the church, which

good of charity, but in external worship, and whereas, before

comes to also

by a

this state,

he must be reformed, which reformation

certain species of temptation, but

light with those

who

the angels

first said,

to his house.

very

therefore these circum-

somewhat of temptation,

viz. that

that they would stay all night in the street, and

that Lot pressed them, and thus that they turned

came

man

effected

which temptation

are in external worship ;

stances are mentioned, which imply

in the

down

— A. C. 2334.

him, and

* The tempted are in interior anxiety even to desperation, in

which they are kept more especially be confirmed in

this,

they are saved by but

evil;

for the

end that they

Him

alone,

and that

in themselves there

in which truths they are confirmed

they conquer.

may

finally

that all things are of the Lord's mercy, that

— A. C. 2334.

by combats

nothing

which

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

no longer find any supports.

their

senses

faults

make them

much ashamed,

These

that they would

hide themselves, were this possible, from their Wellbeloved.

Alas

the dreadful confusion in which

He shows them

they are involved,

for a

moment.

king Ahasuerus, that they

His countenance

reaches out to them His sceptre,

may

not die

caresses, so brief

and so tender, serve only

their confusion at

having displeased Him.

but His

;

to increase

At other times he makes them feel by His severities how much their unfaithfulness displeases Him. O God if these souls could be reduced to powder, they would gladly be so. They throw themselves into a !

thousand postures to repair the injury they have done

God.

And if, by some

which they look upon

trifling

quicknesses of temper

as crimes, they

have hurt their

neighbor, what reparations do they not

They carry

this

make

for it

so far, that they believe themselves

had done him some great wrong, and ask his pardon for it. But it is pitiful to see the state of the poor soul, when, by some fault, it guilty therefor, as if they

has been capable of expelling

makes use of

all

* This latter fear,

and

Well-beloved.*

viz. in

which the good are,

of admiration respecting the divine, and also

without holy fear

with

its

endeavors to amend;

salt,

somewhat unsavory,

and consequently

does not

called holy fear, is

of love.

Love

or like food unseasoned

insipid; but love with fear is like salted

The fear of love is, lest in any salt. manner the Lord should suffer hurt, or in any manner a neighbor; thus lest in any manner good and truth should suffer hurt, consequently lest should the holy of love and faith, and thence of worship. food,

which yet does not taste of

— A.C. 3718.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

Him. But the more it runs, the more He flies. Or, if He stops, it is only for some moments, that it may take breath, and enjoy thereafter a little repose. But the more it advances, the more the repose becomes brief and delicate. 14. The poor soul sees well that it must needs die for it no longer finds life in any thing every thing becomes to it death and the cross. Prayer, reading, cease to run after

;

conversation,

all is

death.

any thing, neither

for

nor

dies to these things

and

disrelish, that

it.

no longer has a relish

for the practice of the virtues,

for aiding the sick,

constitutes a virtuous it

nor for any thing else which It loses all this, or rather

life. ;

doing them with so much pain

they become a kind of death to

length, after having fought long but ineffectu-

ally,* after a long succession of sorrows

of dyings and livings, * The case

and of repose,

begins to perceive

similar in the other life with spirits,

how

who by

truths

are initiated into good, and especially into this, that all good and truth flows in from the Lord ; and

when they apperceive

that what-

ever they think and will flows in, and thus that they cannot think

and

will

from themselves, they are then repugnant

their ability, believing that thus

their

to the

own proper

life

utmost of

would be

annihilated; and so all delight would perish, for they place delight in proprium; and, moreover, if they cannot act

themselves, nor believe what

what

good from

true from themselves, they think that

they should hang down their heads, doing nothing and thinking nothing of themselves, and should wait for influx.

them

to think,

Thus

it is

permitted

even to such a degree, that they almost conclude with

themselves that they are not willing thence to receive good and truth,

but from elsewhere, where there

Sometimes also

it is

not such a deprivation of proprium.

given them to inquire where they

may

find it;

but afterwards, when they know where to find it, they who are regenerating return, and from freedom choose to be led of the Lord as

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

how much more

has abused the mercies of God, and profitable this state of death

For,

when

than that of

and

sees its Well-beloved return,

life.

finds

more it advances the more purely it possesses Him, and that the state which precedes enjoyment is one of purification, it gives itself up in good earnest that the

to death

its

* submitting

;

will.

and involve a

by small degrees

It loses

thereby prepared for a

be an act of propriety,

taught what

It is

fault.

full liberty to

perceives then, that the

Him would

endeavor to retain

comings and goings

Well-beloved, and giving him

and come as

of.

to all the

new

its

capable

it is

own enjoyment, and

state.

must be observed, that the more the soul advances, the shorter, simpler, and purer are its enjoyments and the longer, harder, and more anguishing are its trials and this, until the soul But, before

speak of

this, it

;

has lost

all

[proprietary] enjoyment, never to find

Then comes the

again. f

third degree, which

The former

burial, putrefaction.

loss,

called

[the second]

terminates with death, and goes no further. to -willing

and thinking

they are also then informed, that they are to

and with

receive a heavenly proprium such as the angels have,

proprium likewise blessedness and happiness

eternity.

this

— A.

5660.

* The privation of the

life

of truth from itself

tion of truth, but is its vivification

have

life

from

itself is

not

life

real •f

life, viz.

When,

;

itself,

then

but when

when

for

has not

it is

life,

by good from the Lord, who is

not the extinc-

except such

deprived of that,

therefore, the order

truth appears to itself

it is

as in

is life itself.

—A.

C. 3607.

be inverted, then the former

delight of pleasures expires, and becomes none, and a

from a

life

then gifted with

spiritual origin is insinuated in its place.

new

[delight]

— A. C. 8413.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

CHAPTER Section

VII.

Third degree of the passive way of faith in

its

beginnings, and in

its

progress through several particular deaths leading to total death, burial,

—

putrefaction, and ashes. 5 8. Duration of this transit, in which one should neither advance of himself nor go back. 9 13. The stripping of the soul, and its three kinds. 14 19. First degree of this stripping,

—

which has relation to gifts and necessity and its effects.

You

favors, or the

As up

new

last, all at

Its

are

once recov-

strength, and so on until they really expire.

a lamp, that has exhausted its

soul.

when they

see these dying persons,

thought to have breathed their ering

ornaments of the

its

supply of

darts

oil,

flame, from time to time, in the midst of its

obscurity, but only to die the sooner, so the soul

shoots forth some gleams which last but a few

ments.

length,

in vain for

longer against this death.

moisture in

the

Sun

There

up, that

any

to fight

no more radical

of righteousness has so dried

must of necessity expire. 2. But what else does this loving Sun aim His rigorous heats, but to consume the soul the poor soul, thus burned up, believes itself it

mo-

because the torment

And

all

endures does not allow

As long

with

ice,

perceive the nature of

its

Sun was covered with

clouds, and gave His rays to be

felt

a temperate

believed itself

all

suffering.

manner, fire,

though

felt it

as the

His heat, and

was but

slightly

;

SPIRITUAL TOBBENTS.

But when

warmed.

it is

darts His rays perpendicu-

burnt and dried up, without

larly, it feels itself all

believing that

even receiving any warmth.

gracious deception

O Love

at once gentle

Hast thou lovers only to deceive them Thou woundest these souls, and then, conthus ? cealing Thy dart, makest them run after the author Thou drawest them after Thee, and of their wound. showest Thyself to them ; and, when they would posand cruel

Thou

sess Thee,

fleest

When Thou

away.

seest the

soul reduced to extremities, and losing breath by the

earnestness with which

to it for a

moment, that

only that

may

made

Thou showest Thyself

runs,

may

recover

to die a

thousand times more rigorously.* Innocent Destroyer once

imparting

life

and

when they

spiritual,

celestial.

But

Thou not

the expiring

kill

soul,

away again ? Thou woundest to death it

sufferer ready to expire, is signified

in the

word by

are in that state, they recede from things celestial

and recede this

still

Rigorous Lover

dost

* This state [concealment or receding]

evening

but

thousand and a

anew, only to wrest

Thy sport. when Thou seest the

This, then,

and,

Why

Wherefore give wine

life,

to such as contain nothing spiritual

and

concealment or receding does not come to pass by

the Lord's concealing Himself or receding, but by themselves doing

no longer be withheld from their proprium, because Wherefore this state arrives when they are left to themselves or their proprium; and so far as they are thus left, or are immersed in the proprium, so far they recede from those things which are of heaven, and so far good is unperceivable to them, so ; for they can

it is

not expedient.

and truth obscure.

Hence

it is

evident, that the Lord does not conceal

Himself, but that the man, the spirit and the angel, conceals himself.

— A.C. 5964. 7

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

Thou

Alas

ones.

most

wound that Thou mayst inflict new men die commonly but once, and the

healest his !

cruel tormentors

lengthen out

were

life

were wont, in persecutions, to

indeed to the criminal

but they

;

when they had destroyed him

satisfied

once.

But Thou, with less pity, takest life from us a thousand and a thousand times, and givest it anew. 4. O life, which we cannot lose without so many O death, which we cannot have but by the deaths Thou wilt come at the end of loss of so many lives But to what purpose ? Perhaps this soul, this life. after it has been swallowed up in thy bosom, will enjoy its Well-beloved. It would be but too happy but it must undergo another torment. if this were so It must be buried, undergo putrefaction,* and be !

;

brought

to dust.

But, perhaps,

will not suffer

any

more, since bodies that putrefy are past sensation.

and

it is

not so with the soul.

* The

first

rational

successively ripens, it is

its

and nothingness are vastly

burial, putrefaction,

more painful than death

till

goes on suffering

itself,

in the beginning like unripe fruit,

the seeds within are deposited in

;

which

and when

of such an age as to begin to separate itself from the tree, then

which n. 2636.

state full, concerning

with which

man

gifted of the Lord,

But the other

when he

the same fruit in good ground, in which there

rational

regenerated,

a decay of those parts

which encompass the seeds, and the seeds themselves shoot forth from

and emit a root, and also a stem above ground; which stem grows into a new tree, .and unfolds itself, even at length into new fruits, and afterwards into gardens and paradises according to their inmosts,

the affections of good and of truth which are received. xiii. 3.1,

f In

;

John

this verse

xii. .24.

[Gen.

See Matt.

^- A. C. 2657.

xli.

31]

it is

treated concerning the last state

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. This degree of death

exceedingly long, and

sometimes twenty or thirty years, unless with

lasts

those

And,

signs.

has special de-

said that very few

as I

now

the other degrees, I

yond

whom God

concerning

souls

say that

went "beyond fewer go be-

still

this.-''

It is a

circumstance that has astonished

sons, to see those

who have

many

per-

lived holy lives like the

angels die in terrible distress, and almost in despair of salvation.

how

finished

death gress,

They

account for

it.

astonished, and

know

The reason

that

God was

is,

not they

degree of the mystical

in this

their lives

and, as

;

are

pleased to hasten their pro-

redoubled their sufferings, as happened in

Taulere's case. I shall be told, in reply, that these persons

saints perfected according to their degree

degree.

This

true

but

;

still

the one under consideration, — a

were

and in their

they had not passed circumstance which

does not interfere with their being saints.

large

by the church who

number have been canonized

experienced this degree only on their deathbeds, and

of desolation,

regeneration.

when The

state of desolation,

there

which

increasing grievousness.

* The good to

desperation, which proximately precedes

subject

itself in

here continued concerning the last

a state of desperation, and concerning

which truth

implanted causes them not only

acknowledge, but also to believe, that reformation

This

the third state, which

they perceive

it to

from the Lord.

followed by a fourth state, viz. that

be from the Lord ; but there are few

at this state in the life of the body,

A.C. 2960.

its

— A.C. 5280, 5281.

who

arrive

being an angelic state.

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

many

also never entered

upon

when

Accordingly,

it.

meet with persons who speak of the rapidity with which they are advancing, I cannot help saying that I

They

they are deceived.

And 6.

having passed

for their

a mistake.

this, it is

proves to be the case in the end.

this

Accordingly, those souls

union in the of that

no doubt,

which they do not get beyond

in those interior states

but as

are all perfected,

way

who

are in a state of

degree, which marks the beginning

first

of naked faith of which I

speaking, do

wrong to adopt for themselves the rules which apply The stripping of the soul to more advanced states. must be left to God. He will do it to perfection, while the soul will second this stripping and the

whole process of death without interposing any ob-

But

stacle.

make

to do

of one's self

common

of a divine a

to spoil all,

and

Thus you

see

state.

some, who, from having read or heard that the soul

must be stripped of

about

all, set

themselves, and

continue always thus without progress strip their

Himself;

own

selves,

for, it

God

;

they

for, as

does not clothe

them with

must be observed, the Divine pur-

pose in unclothing

impoverishes only to

only to

make

rich,

clothe

becoming in

upon.

secret

Himself the substitute

for all

from the

not the case with those

soul.

This

act in this matter

deed, by

that

They

from themselves.

their faults the gifts of

God

takes

;

away

who

lose, in-

but they do

not, for all that, possess God. 7.

In this degree the soul cannot sufficiently suffer

itself to

be stripped, emptied, impoverished, killed

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. and

does to sustain itself

all it

be laid down.

preserving a

ble loss, since it is

person

itself;

but

wished

to let the

lamp go

to let a

lamp

need only refrain

it,

would then go out of

while saying

if,

which ought to

life

the while that he

all

out,

he kept putting

oil

from time to time, the lamp would never burn

same with the

It is the

out. it

and

oil into it,

nothing but irrepara-

who intended

go out without extinguishing

from putting

takes ever so

—

itself,

a word,

if it

little

soul,

in this degree,

if,

to itself.

life

If it solaces

does not suffer itself to be stripped, puts forth any act of

will postpone its death as long,

life

— in

whatsoever,

and longer, than

its

life lasts.*

Poor souls

you

shall give

persons

utmost

who

do not fight against death, and death I see

life.

to reach the surface

every thing they can * It

them in imagination like Such struggle to the of the water, and hold by

are drowning.

here in advance

they cling to

;

life

as long as

be told, in a few words, how the case

with that conjunction, namely, with the conjunction of the external or natural

man with

man, from the

first

internal or spiritual

The external or natural knows that there is an man: wherefore, when a man is reformed, and

the internal or spiritual.

age of

only, neither

life

begins to become spiritual or internal, then the natural at for it

taught that the natural

man

is to

first

be subdued, that

rebels;

is, all

its

concupiscences to be extirpated, together with those things which

confirm them. that so

Hence, when the natural

shall totally perish

that the natural

and

the spiritual.

and

is left

to itself, it thinks

know

otherwise than

wholly ignorant that there are immense

then draws back, and

— A.C. 5647.

man

for it does not

things in the spiritual;

ineffable

thinks thus,

is all,

;

and when the natural man not willing to be subjected to

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

they have any strength, and do not drown until they are exhausted.

thus with these souls.

It is

utmost that they may not perish

fight to the

They only

it is

lack of strength and power from which they expire.

God, desirous of promoting

this death,

and pitying

the soul, cuts off the hands by which

strong hold, and compels

to the bottom.

It cries out

with

God

without pity, and

He shows none

His great mercy that

thing to

its

you

hand

hold

up.

and be inexorable to

it,

Suffer to

no burial

such an one as

yourselves, into the

it,

have no resting-place,

Become brass and, if you see it Love will give it and dust will come

complaints.

its

become

;

body.

its

knows

any

lawful for you to stretch out a

as the heavens have

die, give

spiritual

are not allowed to contribute

death, by plunging

water, neither

Give no succor to this

guides, in this course of His.

And

to the soul

Be co-workers with God, ye

this juncture.

soul.

fall

strength by reason of the pain

all its

but in vain.

it feels,

thus to

keeps such

of:

burial

together. 9.

Crosses

now

;

crosses are multiplied

;

and

the more they are multiplied, the weaker the soul

becomes

to bear them, so that it

able to carry

them any time

afflicting at this

longer.*'

is,

seems to

itself

What

peculiarly

that the state of pain always

begins with something which appears to *

When

the state

going, then there

the

soul

changed, and becomes inverse to the fore-

mourning;

for

then they are

let into temptation,

whereby the things of the proprium are weakened and A. C. 5773.

not

debilitated.

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. faulty in

It believes itself to

itself.

have contributed

to this evil state.*'

At length

the soul

insensibility.

reduced almost to a state of

begins to grow accustomed to

its

pains, to be convinced of its impotence, of its uselessness,

and

It consents

to despair of itself.

even to the

from on high, and it thinks that God them away justly. has taken It does not even hope ever to enjoy them again. When it sees some gracious soul, its pain is redoubled, and it feels itself plunged into the deepest It fain would imitate them of its nothingness. but, seeing its efforts useless, it is compelled to die and Then it says, in the words of breathe its last. " The thing which I greatly feared has Scripture, come upon me," Job iii. 25. What to lose God, itsays, and to lose him for ever, without hope of ever loss of all favors

;

—

Him

finding for time

again

What

and eternity

Him we know

;

to be deprived of love

no longer able

to be

be so lovely

Oh,

is it

Divine Lover of the soul, to repulse

and and

to turn

loses

believes in truth,

away from

itself, it

(as

it,

unless

seems) for ever

it !

to love

not enough,

Thy

creature,

also loses love,

The poor

indeed, to have sustained this loss

soul ;

but,

never loved more strongly or more purely.

* When, therefore, ultimate truth

taken away, and so he has

nothing whereby to defend himself against those who are natural, he

then comes into temptations, and all

merely natural, especially of

now

accused by evil

spirits,

speaking against goods.

who

are

Thence

are spiritual anxieties, and thence the torments which are called

torments of conscience.

false

influx

These things appear to

and communication.

— A. C. 5036.

man

as if in himself

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

96 It

has indeed lost the vigor and sensible power of

love, but

has not lost love

yet

plain that the fact

cannot exist without love, and

on the contrary,

The poor

never loved more truly. it,

itself

soul cannot believe

so; for the soul

if it

did not love God,

must needs love some other thing. But the soul in this state is far enough from taking pleasure in any thing whatever.*

10. This does not

bend towards the

mean

that the senses do not

now

This, in fact,

creatures.

stitutes the great cause of grief to the soul,

regards the revolt of the passions, and

its

spouse.

purify itself; but

that

it falls

it is

back again into a sewer more

thinks

filthy

and

had left. It does not see gets muddy and falls by mere dint of running,

and that love drawing

transporting

Nevertheless,

running in

this state, that it

with garments

the earnestness of 11. Its * Truth

so vehemently

after itself so swiftly, that it

false steps.

It goes

upon

fain wash, whiten,

no sooner washed than

noisome than that which that

would

which

involuntary

faults, as dreadful transgressions, which bring

the hatred of

con-

its

and

does not see

much ashamed of knows not what to do.

it is

all torn,

and

loses all

has in

course.

Spouse helps

to strip it for

two reasons.

said to be not conspicuous, because truth in a state of

desolation appears as if

it fled

away

;

but yet

present, for all

truth and good, which at any time have been given by the Lord to

man,

to a spirit,

and

an angel, remain, and nothing

taken from

them, but in a state of desolation they are obscured by the proprium, so as not to appear.

made

But when a

present and conspicuous.

state of light returns, they are

— A. C.

6122.

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

The

first

that

is,

has spotted

97 garments, so

its

and magnificent, by its vain self-complacencies, and that it has appropriated to itself the gifts of God by very many reflections and regards of selfThe second is, because in running it would love.* beautiful

be impeded by this load

much

the very fear of losing so

would hinder it in its course. what has become of thee ? Thou 12. Poor soul delight the of thy Spouse, and He took wert formerly the utmost pleasure in adorning and beautifying thee riches

and now thou

art so naked, so tattered, so poor, that

thou wouldst not dare either to look at thyself, or to appear before Him.

The men who now look

after having in former times

at thee,

admired thee, when

they see thee thus tattered, believe either that thou hast become mad, or that thou hast committed the greatest crimes, and thereby compelled thy Spouse to

abandon

thee.

Spouse, who

They do not

perceive that this jealous

loves this soul only for Himself, seeing

amusing herself with her ornaments, that she was taking a pleasure in them and indulging seeing this, I say, self- admiration on their account,! that

she was

—

and that she was ceasing * With

man

Him

about to be regenerated, the case

affection of truth is

and of end

to look at

very impure; for there

in order to

is this,

in it

that his

first

affection of use

for the sake of himself, for the sake of the world, for the

sake of glory in heaven and the like things, which look towards himself,

less

but not towards the community, the Lord's kingdom, and towards the Lord.

— A.

still

C. 3089.

f The truth which is given by the Lord is at first received as if it were not given for man before regeneration supposes that he procures for himself truth; and so long as he supposes this, he is in spirit;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

look at herself, and that she was weakening the love

Him by

she had for

and makes

her,

loving herself too much, strips

her beauty and riches vanish from

all

before her eyes.

The

abundance of

soul, in the

pleasure in looking at itself:

which attract

itself

Poor, vain thing that

Spouse.

that, if

ugly that it

it is

took them away,

would be

It sees

its

not that

Spouse

would become so Moreover,

frightful to itself.

neglects to follow the Spouse in His courses, into

the deserts and wherever

complexion and

how

to lose

goes

;

jealous

Love

Thou do in thus thwarting this proud and taking away from it what Thou hadst given, it may learn to know what it is, and that, being

that

naked and stripped of in its course

nothing might hold

all,

little

;

facilities to good,

this,

the divine virtue

and truth His,

That

that

back

it is

its

the beauty

garments

its

all

its

jewelry that

takes from

as its

soul

ornaments,

;

all

its

and, after

face, which

unable to practise actively.*

to claim to one's self,

and

to attribute to self

good

and merit, is to take from the Lord what A. C. 5747. 2609, &c.

for righteousness

may

* It

which are

takes from

ual theft.

afterwards

this

strip

its

gifts, graces, and favors, which are

encumbers

Our Lord begins then and little, to take away

13.

tial,

fears to spoil its

jewels.

its

well dost

one,

away from

steal it

beautiful only with the beauties of

it is

and

sees excellences in

and

its love,

goods, takes a

its

be seen, n.

treated in what it

reduced

—

now

follows concerning the internal celes-

all things in the

natural into order, under a

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

The first degree taking away of graces,

its

stripping consists in the

gifts,

and favors, and of love

14.

and perceived.

sensible

stripped of them.

feels

It sees that its

itself

gradually

Spouse takes back

had given it. It is at first but what most afflicts it loss

degrees the riches he

greatly afflicted at this

;

not the loss of these riches, but the displeasure of

is,

For it believes it to be from anger that He thus takes back what he had given. It sees well the bad use it has made of them, and the self-complacency it has indulged on account of them, and is Spouse.

its

so filled with

shame

confusion.*

It submits,

Wherefore dost

for it that it is

Thou

ready to die with to Him, Thou hadst

and dares not say

take back what

general [principle] to the end that conjunction might be effected of scientifics

spiritual

with the truths of the church, and by those truths with good,

and by

this

good with the internal

celestial;

but

because the reduction of scientifics into order under a general [prin-

than by vastations of good and and by subsequent supports, therefore both the

ciple] cannot be effected otherwise

desolations of truth,

former and the latter are treated of in what now follows in the internal sense.

— A.

C. 6109.

precious stones are signified the knowledge of truth and good.

— A. E. 294. Garments

signify the truths

which pertain to the understanding.

—

A. E. 240. Whereas good is the very essence, and truth is the existence thence, A. C. 4985. by beautiful in form is signified the good of life.

—

and

When heaven

flows in,

falses thence derived,

removes the hindrances, which are

which reside

in the natural

evils

mind, or in the

man; and these cannot be removed, except by a living acknowledgment of them by man, and grief of mind on account of them. Hence it is that in temptations man experiences anguish from natural

the evils and falses rising up into the thought; and in proportion as

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

100

given

bad use

For

sees itself to deserve this

Him in a way Him what it suffers.* as

Although

afterwards.

and broken

keeps silence,

But

sighs.

much

it is

weeping over the righteous

by He

out of

its

Spouse that

Him

mistake. it

that

tears

its

so deeply

of all

its

felt,

riches,

where-

soul perceives at once

its

to manifest to its

It strives

not offended.

and

The anger

pleased Him.

inflictions

power to abuse His little on the evil use it

not concerned for the loss of His

provided

gifts,

The

tears

its

for thinking so

has made of them.

and

Him all offended

sees

has put

fault

not so deep

astonished to find,

at it for

and

interrupts this silence

so pitiable as to manifest to

that, in looking at its Spouse,

benefits,

by the

has made of them, and in deep silence

looks at

15.

that

testifies

grief

come from having

Spouse, justly offended,

its

dis-

thinks no longer of the loss

but only of that anger.

his sins, makes himself guilty, and same proportion temptations are made

throws

he then acknowledges

supplicates

deliverance, in the

serviceable

to him.

— A. E. 897.

* That they [Joseph's brethren] were charged with theft was that there might be effected conjunction ; for man, until he

regenerated,

cannot otherwise than believe so [that he procures truth for himself],

says indeed with his

faith

mouth from

and good of charity

believe this until faith

acknowledges

implanted in good:

from the heart.

to the intent that conjunction this, that so

doctrine, that all the truth of

from the Lord

;

but

it is

still

he does not

then that he

first

That they were charged with theft

might be

from some time

effected, is evident also

Joseph brought them back to himself, and

for

kept them in thought concerning that deed, and afterwards that he A. C. 5747. manifested himself to them, that is, conjoined.

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. thousand postures to appease Him.

itself into a

and

sighs, its groans,

This

its grief.*

Friend

to notice

yet another fault displeasing to

it.

puts on a face as its tears,

back

all

;

Himself dries

O God! what

it.

new

joy

bounties of love after

has done f He does not, however, give it its former riches ; but the soul is not troubled !

itself too

consoled, and cherished by it

weep a long time, He

were appeased

and consoles

esteeming

at this,

to this soul to see these

what

its

weak, he pretends not

is still

16. After having left

Its

are the expressions of

its tears,

but, as the soul

;

101

happy its

Well-beloved.

much

receives His caresses with so

dares not

throws past * While

man

eyes.

its

into

evils

But

man

among truths

first

good sinks and

forgetfulness,

effecting of the

with the truths of the external, a commotion ;

it is this

commotion which

signified

for is

then they undergo another arrangement

here [Glen. xlv. 3] meant, and which

their being in consternation.

exists manifests itself

confusion that

as present

regenerating, and conjunction

good of the internal takes place

lift

in being looked at,

by an anxiety

The commotion which then

arising from the change of the

former state, namely, from a privation of the delight which had been in that state: this commotion also manifests itself by anxiety con-

cerning the past

life

in that internal good

discarded to what was lowest.

and the internal

— A. C. 5881.

itself

were

f Something shall now be said concerning consolations after tempAll who are regenerating by the Lord undergo temptations,

tations.

and and

after temptations experience joys. falses of

man

When,

therefore, the evils

are removed, then temptations are finished; and,

these being finished, joy flows in through heaven from the Lord, and fills

his natural

solations,

mind.

which

all

This joy receive

speak from experience.

what

who undergo

— A. E. 897.

here understood by conspiritual temptations:

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

102

drowns

new

itself in these

thinking no more on

its

caresses of

Spouse, and,

its

past wretchedness,

feeds

and rests on these caresses. Hereby it compels its Spouse to be displeased anew, and to strip it yet further.

must be observed, that God does not take from the soul its riches except by little and little, something at one time, something at another. The weaker the soul is, the longer is the process of stripping it; and the stronger it is, the sooner it is finished: inasmuch as God strips the latter more frequently and of more things at once. But hard as is this stripping, that is it is only of outside things and superfluities to say, only of gifts, graces, and favors, but not of This is done in succession, by reason of other things. 17. It

—

;

the soul's weakness.*

This proceeding

ble, it is so great a love of

could never believe the soul

that,

God

so admira-

for the soul, that

For

previous to experience.

made up

full of itself, so

did not deal with

one

of self-love,

thus,

would

perish.f

* Man,

when he

tion of spiritual truth

regenerating, which

effected

by the implanta-

and good, and then by the removal of what

The reason is because all things which the man had thought, intended, and done from infancy, have added themselves to his life; and have made it, and also have formed such a connection among themselves that one cannot be moved away unless all are moved away together with it. evil

and

false, is

not hastily regenerated, but slowly.

—

A.C. 9334. f Hence

it is

evident that the former

altogether destroyed; that

is,

evils

new

the

intent that

life,

which

and life

life,

falses

which

of hell,

must be

must be removed,

of heaven,

may

to the

be implanted.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. 18. It will be asked, perhaps,

—

103

If the gifts of

are so hurtful, wherefore impart them

God

gives

them from His exceeding goodness, to draw the soul from sin and from attachment to the creatures, and to turn it back to Himself; * and if he did not give them, But these verythe soul would be always criminal. gifts with which He graciously endows it, in order to detach it from the creature and from itself, and to win from it for Himself the love at least of gratitude, wretched as to make use of for selfself-admiration, turning its attention away and love from the Giver to them. Self-love is so deeply rooted this creature is so

in the creature that these gifts have served to increase it

for it finds in itself

;

exist before;

new charms, which

immerses

itself into itself;

This cannot in any wise be done hastily; for every

with

its

has connection with

falses,

all evils

evil,

and

did not clings to

being inrooted

their falses;

such evils and falses are innumerable, and their connection manifold that

Hence

evident that the

it is

cannot be destroyed suddenly ;

gether expire.

— A.

for, if

in a

of hell with

life

suddenly, he would alto-

C. 9336.

* During the process of man's regeneration, he

Lord

cannot be comprehended, not even by the angels,

but only by the Lord.

man

and is

kept by the

kind of mediatory good, which serves for introducing

genuine goods and truths

;

but after these goods and truths are intro-

duced, they are separated thence. state of the old

man

That man may be led from the

into the state of the new, the concupiscences of

the world must be put

off,

and the

affections of

heaven must be put on.

Since, therefore, the states of his life are to be so

much changed,

cannot be otherwise than that he should be a long time held in a sort of middle good; that

is,

in a

good which partakes. both of the affections

of the world, and of the affections of heaven; and, unless he be kept in this middle good, he in no wise admits heavenly goods

— A.C. 4063.

and

truths.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

104

appropriates to itself what was God's; and

itself;

growing too familiar with Him, forgets the slavery out of which He has delivered it, and a thousand things God, it is true, could deliver it from all of this kind. this, just as

can deliver

of his concupiscences

reasons

The

19.

soul,

its

does not do

thus stripped of the divine

and begins and that its

its self-love,

not as rich as

long to

but

;

the huge mass for

Himself alone.

something of

loses it is

known

man from

believed,

Spouse.

It sees, I say, that it

gifts,

to see that

riches be-

has

made a

wrong use of them, and consents that He shall keep them and take them back. It says I will be rich :

with the riches of

Spouse, and, although

keeps

them, we shall always be in a community of goods

will not lose

having lost these

them. gifts

becomes even glad

of God, since

;

finds itself

disencumbered, and more lightly equipped for progress

in a word,

grows accustomed, by degrees,

being stripped, and perceives that

and serviceable the matter.

and, as

its

ments.

it.

It is

has been good

no longer troubled about

It arranges its habits as well as

it is fair, it is satisfied-

pleasing to

its

Spouse, by

own garments,

its it

that

may

will still be as

agreeable qualities and

was with

all

its

orna-

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

Section

105

II.

20—24. The second degree of the stripping of the soul, having reference to its habits, or its facility in practising good exteriorly, and in a sensible manner. The causes of it, which are, that it attributed that good to itself, and had complacency in it, instead of acknowledging how powerless it is

and

destitute, in itself, of all good.

20.

While the soul

thinking only about living in

peace in this state of loss, and sees clearly the good

coming on

by the bad use

itself

from given

thereby, and the injury

it,* it is all it

had

had made of the

astonished that

its

a breathing space only by reason of

who had

weakstrip from its

garments.

Poor soul

what wilt thou do now

much worse than necessary, and

Now

taken

gifts

Spouse,

ness, comes, with yet greater harshness, to it its

inflicted

it is

before

these

thus naked,

Spouse

reproach to Himself.

the sweetness of

not seemly to be deprived of them.

— shows

Thou

case

garments are

that the soul resists with all

It exhibits to its

the riches

for

;

The

that this it

didst bestow

Thy

love

exterior actions of virtue.

;

might.

reasons for not walking

its

Alas

its

would be matter of says, I

upon me,

but

could

have

lost all

— Thy still

gifts,

perform

used to perform charities.

* The state is here [Gen. xxxii. 5] described as to its quality when inversion takes place, namely, when truth is made subordinate to good, that is, when they who have been in the affection of truth begin to be in the affection of good. But that such inversion and subordination take place does not appear except to those who are regenerate, and not to the regenerated except those who reflect.

—

A. C. 4245. 8

106

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

prayed with diligence, although Thou hadst taken away Thy sensible graces but to lose all this is I

;

what

cannot consent

ing to

spouse

station,

to.

was

and respected

still

dressed accord-

in the world as

my garments, this upon Thyself. No matter, poor

but,

;

reproach

must consent

if I

Thou

to this loss.

Thou

thyself.

lose

Thy

will bring

soul

thou

;

dost not yet

know

believest that thy garments are thine

own, and that thou canst always make use of them.* But I have gained them at the cost of so much care,

—

and Thou didst give them me labors I underwent for Thy sake.

must

— No matter

thou

;

lose them.

The

21.

soul, after doing its

stripped

itself

feels

reward of the

as a

Every thing becomes insipid relish for

any thing

;

to it

keep them,

and

little.

has no longer a

;

little

works of charity are

f all

tended with disgust, and

utmost

them by

it falls

into a state

has no power to perform them. $

had

at-

where

its

disgusts

* There remain after temptations several states of truth and good thence derived, to which the thoughts

may

be bended by the Lord.

—

A.C. 2334. f

"To

slay all this congregation with

hunger" [Gen.

xvi. 13].

from a defect of delight and of good, they were expiring, appears, &c. It may be expedient briefly to say how the case

That

it signifies,

herein

When

is.

that,

the good of charity

to be insinuated,

spiritual life, then the delight of pleasures

natural

When

life.

temptation

;

for

sures, that he

this delight is

he believes,

deprived of all

delight or good, as he calls

it.

which makes

removed, which had made

removed, then

man comes

into

he be deprived of the delight of plealife

;

for his natural life consists in that

— A.C. 8413.

$ Spiritual life consists in exercises according to truths, consequently in uses ; for they who are in spiritual life have an appetite fo r

and

desire truths with a view to life ; that

is,

that they

may

live

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

107

pains before, but not impotency. But now" it. Flesh from and is taken away all power heart It even loses " the rememfaileth it," Ps. lxxiii. 26.

and

its

brance " (ver. 6) of them for a long time, although the inclination thereto

still

remains

;

that being, as it

were, the last garment which must be removed. 22. This

done very gradually, and in a painful

manner because the soul sees all the time that this It no longer has come to pass from its own fault. dares to make any objections; for what it might say ;

would only anger

whose

excite the displeasure of its Spouse,

worse to

than death.

itself better, to see that it

that all belongs to trustful of itself,

its

and

has nothing of

loses

its

own, and

It begins to

Spouse.-*

know

begins to

be dis-

by degrees the love

had

for itself. according to them, thus with a view to uses.

far, therefore, as

they

can imbibe truths, according to which they are to effect uses, so far they are in spiritual life, because so far in the light of intelligence-

and wisdom.

When,

state of shade comes,

therefore, truths fail, as

which

signified

—

the case

by evening A.C. 6119.

in the

when a

Word,

6110, then spiritual life is in distress. * In this chapter [Gen. xxiv.] it is treated throughout of spiritual theft,

which consists in any one claiming to himself the good and This is a thing of so great moment, is from the Lord.

truth which that a

man

after death cannot be admitted into heaven, until

acknowledges in heart that nothing of good and truth is from himself, but from the Lord, and that whatever is from himself is nothing but evil.

— A.C. 5758.

f The tempted are in interior anxiety, even to desperation, in which they are kept more especially for the end that they may finally be confirmed in this, that all things are of the Lord's mercy, that

they are saved by but

evil, in

conquer.

Him

alone,

and that in themselves there

nothing

which truths they are confirmed by combats wherein they

— A.C. 2334.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

108

But

does not yet hate itself;

for,

although naked,

it is still fair.

It regards its

Lover from time to time with a pitiable

word it is cast down at His displeasure. It thinks it would be a small matter to be stripped, if it had only not displeased its Spouse, and if it had not made itself unworthy to wear His look, but says not a single

nuptial garments. 23. If

was overwhelmed

were taken a,way,

at first,

when

seeing itself naked.

would not appear before its Spouse. standing, it must acquiesce and run, in fain

What

riches

more the shame of So much ashamed is it, that it

feels vastly

tion, everywhere.

its

shall

Notwiththis condi-

not be allowed to

must appear thus in public. The world begins -to think less of it. They say: Is this the soul that was the admiration of men and conceal itself

of angels

See

;

how

has fallen

redoubled by these words, because

Spouse has stripped

He may

that

He it

justly.

This

all.

Its confusion is

knows that its does what it can,

some measure clothe

do nothing of the kind

will

—

mercy

a boundless

;

ments pleased the soul while they covered dered

from seeing what

24. It

advanced

thus

of a sudden.

far

but

for its it,

gar-

and hin-

was.

in perfection, to see itself fall

thinks that this must be in

consequence of faults which

back anew

;

very astonishing to a soul, which believed

itself to all

again

after thus stripping

;

but

had corrected coming

mistaken.

soul was concealed under

its

because the

garments, which hindered

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. it

from seeing

was.*

itself .as it

109

It is a dreadful

to be in the state of a soul thus

naked of the

thing

gifts

and

graces of God, and no one without experience of

would belier

it.f

Section III.

25—28. Third degree of the stripping of the soul as to the third degree of the passive

way

ence to the heauty of the soul, or

its

led

from the second

perceived acts of the divine virtues,

instead of which there come faults of surprise.

God hereby brings the

This third kind has refer-

of faith.

Consequences of this. 29

soul to a sensible despair.

—33.

How

Also, to a true

34 —38. Interval and itself and to true purity. by an increased intensity of the preceding operations

knowledge and hatred of respite followed

even to mystical death.

But

25.

all this

retain its heauty ness,

;

and destroys

would be little, if the soul were to but the Spouse turns it into ugliHitherto the soul has submitted

it.

to be stripped of gifts, graces, for

good

has lost

and

good things, such

all

and

favors,

facility

as austerities,

care of the poor, facility in helping the neighbor

but

Nevertheless

has not lost the divine virtues.

must now lose them them is concerned for, as regards their reality, they are impressed on the soul more strongly than ever.

also, as far as the practice of

;

When

itself to

truth was in the

have dominion, then

of itself cannot see whether

first

falses it

place, that

is,

when

be truth, but must see

seemed

intermixed themselves

;

for truth

from good.

—

C. 4256.

f When, therefore, the order place manifestly, that

then the natural temptations.

man

is,

when

in fear

— A. C. 4256.

inverted, and good takes

its

prior

begins to have dominion over truth,

and

straitness,

and

also enters into

SPIRITUAL TOL'ItEMTS.

110

It loses virtue as virtue,

but

only" to find it again in

Jesus Christ. This altogether humble soul becomes, as seems to

all

things so easily, and found pleasure in

that

suffered It,

finds

The senses lose they would rebel. It

cannot endure any thing.

their orderliness,

and seem

can neither mortify thing by is

wich

This soul so patient,

proud.

itself, all

own

its

itself,

as if

nor guard

worse, this soul thus disfigured defiles

believes, every

creatures.

moment, and wounds complains with the

from any

itself

endeavors, as formerly

;

and, what itself, as

with the Spouse, " The itself

—

Cant. v. 7. watchmen found me, and wounded me" 26. It must be said, however, that persons in this

do not commit any voluntary faults.*

state

God

shows them in general such a depth of corruption in themselves, that they would gladly say with Job, " Oh that I might hide myself in hell until the anger of

God was

passed! " Job xiv. 13.

For

must not be

God So much is suffers the soul to fall into any real sin. it appears in its though own sight that this the case, as the most miserable of all creatures, yet, when called upon to make confession, it finds no faults of detail

thought, that, either at this time or subsequently,

which

being

full

has committed, and only accuses

of miseries and of having sentiments con-

trary to its desires. * It

further to be

It is

known

of God's glory, that, in

that the evil which enters into the

thought does not hurt man, because spirits

from

itself of

hell,

and

evil is continually infused by-

continually repelled by the angels; but

evil enters into the will,

then hurts.

— A.

C. 6204.

when

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. giving this soul to experience

utmost,

does not suffer

Ill

corruption to the

its

What

to fall into sins.*

makes its grief so dreadful is, that it is, as it were, overwhelmed with the purity of God a purity which ;

causes

to see

enormous

there

the smallest motes of imperfection

sins,

by reason of the

infinite distance

between the purity of God and the impurity

of the creature, this sinful

Adam.

that

sees

came forth pure from the hands of God, and that has contracted not only the sin of

Adam, but

innumerable actual sins,f so that

its

also

confusion

beyond what words can express. What causes men to despise it is, not any particular fault they then observe, but only that, not seeing

much

formerly to do with so they infer that

that

all

used

ardor and faithfulness,

has fallen.

this,

however, they

are greatly deceived.

This explanation

may

* All temptations appear anxieties

and

griefs,

and as

serve for

and thus torment the conscience

who keeps

;

the

follows,

by reason that they are

evil,

were damnations ;

into the state of his evils, consequently

the Lord by angels,

what

amongst

for

then

evil spirits,

and

interior

man

is let

who accuse

but yet the angels defend, that

man

in hope

and

trust,

is,

which are

the powers of combat from an interior whereby he resists.

— A.

6097.

He who

perceive that

thinks from an illustrated rational

man

may

hence see and

cannot be regenerated without combat, that

without spiritual temptations

;

and further that he

is,

not regenerated

by one temptation, but by several for there are very many kinds of evil which constituted the delight of the former life, that is, the old All those evils cannot be subdued at once and together; for they life. inhere pertinaciously, inasmuch as they were rooted in the parents :

from many ages backwards, and hence are innate in man, and confirmed by actual evils of himself from infancy. A. C. 8403.

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

112 for all that I

which those

may express, perhaps too strongly, and who have not experience in these things

might take in a bad sense.

must

also be

observed, that,

when

corruption, of putrefaction, of defilement,

speak of

&c,

the destruction and consumption of the old

mean

man by

the central conviction and inmost experience of the

depth of impurity and propriety that there

man,

him what he is in himself without God, causes him to cry out with David, " I am a worm, and no man " Ps. xxii. 6 and with Job, " If I wash myself with snow-water and make my hands never so clean, yet shalt Thou plunge me in the ditch, and mine own clothes shall abhor me," Job ix. which, showing

;

30, 31.

27.

does not, then, commit the

This poor soul

faults it thinks

more pure.

The

faculties being

does

for it

;

truth

is,

interiorly,

senses and the

without supports, especially the senses,

they wander uncertainly. this soul

was never,

that, the

towards

God

Moreover, as the course of

redoubles in speed, and

for-

more and more, it is not to be wondered at defiled by the muddy places through which

gets itself

that it

it is

must needs pass

towards

its

and, as

all its

attention

Well-beloved (although

ceive this, because

not think about steps.

;

So true

is this,

all

that, while

in running),

creatures,

turned

does not per-

nor consider where

itself,

most criminal of

engaged

does

plants

its

believes itself the

yet commits not a

single voluntary fault, although all its faults appear to

as such.

Still it

does commit

many

faults of

;

113

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. Often, indeed,

surprise.

does not see

faults,

its

except after they have been committed. 28. It cries to its Spouse to stretch out His for its help

but

;

careful not to do

in a sensible manner, although

The

invisible hand.f is

to "fall,"

but

may

at least

with an

the very time

when

for the design of the Spouse, in suffering

;

xxxvii. 24),

sustains

soul sometimes thinks that

getting on better, but then

does worst

hand

but yet without "hurting itself" (Ps. that

is,

recognize

its

an entire despair of

* Moreover, they

who

may no longer rest upon itself, own impotence, % and conceive "I

so that it can say,

itself, §

are in temptations, and not in some other

active life than that of prayers, they do not

know

that, in case the

temptations were intermitted before their full accomplishment, they

would not be prepared

for

heaven, thus that they cannot be saved

which account also the prayers of those who are in temptations are little

heard

which end

;

for the

Lord

wills the end,

knows, but not

prayers against the end, which

man is

;

the salvation of

man

for

— A.C. 8179.

salvation.

t So long as temptation continues, absent, because he

which

and the Lord does not act supposes that the Lord

disturbed by evil genii, and that to such a degree

as sometimes to be reduced to a state of despair, in which he can

scarce believe that

any God

exists

nevertheless the Lord

— A.C.

more present than is to him credible. % That man may become spiritual, it should become of no account, that itself.

is,

then

840.

necessary that his natural

should have no power at all of

— A.C. 5651. There are several reasons

why

despair

the last of desolation

and temptation, of which it is allowed to adduce only the following: by despair is produced an effectual and sensible acknowledgment that nothing of truth and good is from self, and that men are of themselves damned, but are delivered by the Lord from damnation, and that A. C. 6144. vation flows in by truth and good.

—

sal-

114

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

have lost

hope, and I shall live no longer," Job

all

xvii. 15.

29. itself,

Now and

that the soul begins truly to hate

know

make

our Lord did not

which

itself,

never would do,

what it is. All the knowledges one has of himself by light, of whatever degree they may be, have not power to make the soul "

truly hate itself.* lose

feel

He who

and he who hateth

it,

loveth his soul shall

his soul shall save it,"

John xii. 25. This is the only experience, I which can truly give the soul to know its

depth of wretchedness. true purity

other

repeat, infinite

way can

give a

: gives it only on the and not in the inmost, where the impurity, not being pressed out and so removed, remains

gives any,

if it

surface,

hidden.

* The same appears also from

know what

evil;

this,

that the spiritual

he scarce believes any thing

man

to be evil

does not

but what

contrary to the commandments of the decalogue, being ignorant of the evils of affection and thought, which are innumerable, and neither reflecting on

them, nor calling them

delights of lusts

evils; moreover he regards the and of pleasures no otherwise than as good, and the

delights of self-love he both indulges and approves and excuses, not

knowing that such things another

life.

affect his spirit,

and determine

its

quality in

— A. C. 2715.

f The proprium of innocence is, that one knows, acknowledges, believes, not with the mouth, but with the heart; that nothing

and

but evil

from

self,

that his proprium

proprium which

When man

and that

all

good

from the Lord; consequently,

nothing but black, namely, both the voluntary

is evil,

and the

intellectual proprium

which

is false.

and faith from the heart, then the Lord flows in with good and truth, and insinuates into him a heavenly proprium which is bright and shining. It is impossible for any one is

in this confession

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

Now

30.

that

depths of the soul,

its

God

115

searches out, in the very

radical impurity,

which

the

and that propriety which God would destroy. He presses it, and so forces it out. If you take a sponge full of impurity and wash it ever you will so much, you will only cleanse the outside effect of that self-love

make

not

squeeze out

God

does.

and thus This is what

clean within, unless you press

the filth

all

contains.

it,

presses this soul in a painful, agonizing

manner, and thereby brings out what was most deeply

hidden within

When

the soul perceives the stench of this impu-

thinks

rity, it

defiled

it.

but

;

some new

it is

;

and

so long as

it is

geon makes an

not opened.

while

But when the

and thus

in absence

to be observed that

its

al-

ofTensiveness.

he be in this acknowledgment and is

in self-annihilation, yea, in self-

from himself, and thus in a state of

receiving the divine of the Lord.

* It

offensive

undergoing defilement be-

from the heart; for then he

aversion,

sick at the

was hidden, and much more dangerous,

to be in true humiliation, unless

faith

This imposthume was just as

patient thinks he

sur-

and squeezes out the pus,

incision,

though there was no complaint of

The

was

no disgust at

feels

the patient complains of the stench, and

stomach.

filth

it is

now only One who

perceived

in the process of removal,*'

has an imposthume in some part it

whereby

This

quite the contrary.

there before, unseen

because

filthiness

— A.

man

C. 3994.

cannot be purified from evils, and

falsities, unless the unclean things which are in him emerge even into the thought, and are there seen, acknowledged, discerned, and rejected. A. E. 580.

thence from

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

116 cause

The

suppurates, whereas

external,

it is

the very contrary.*'

it is

true, is defiled

for a short

time, but only to the end that both the external

may be

the internal

dealt thus with the soul,

Self-love,| that

imposthume, would never be cleansed it

Unless

purified at last.

and

God

frightful

and the more

;

should be covered with beautiful garments, the

would go, and the more it would turn inwardly, and ruin, without suspicion of the mischief it was working, all the noble parts. deeper

31. I say, then, that this way, so abject, so poor,

so filthy,

without

alone able to purify thoroughly

is it,

we should always be

might appear very neat. should show the soul what

;

and

needful that

that,

although we

filthy,

itself is, to the

God

very bot-

This grace of faith to suffer one's self to be

tom.

stripped always has to do with the most deep-seated

and those most hidden in self-love, with certain darling sins which nature presses to her bosom, and guards with jealous care which others do not

faults,

;

regard as faults

;

but which, on the contrary, appear

to be virtues, so that, in losing them,

seems as

* All temptations appear evil by reason that they are interior and griefs, and as it were damnations for then man is let

anxieties

;

into the state of his evils, consequently

accuse, and thus torment the conscience.

amongst

evil

spirits,

who

— A. C. 6097.

quality of self-love, viz., that it f Hence may appear what is the as was shown above, n. 2045, race, human the of destructive only is not order; and, consequently, heavenly of destructive also is it that but in

nothing but impurity, defilement, profaneness, and

that there

hell itself,

however

it.

—

A. C. 2057.

different the

appearance

may

be to those who are

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

we were

losing virtue

117

For virtue

itself.*'

not

truly-

acquired except by the opposite temptations, as written,

that

it is

not tempted, what doth he

know?"

The more attached we Ecclus. xxxiv. 9.f are to a virtue, the more we are exercised with regard same virtue. The faults of other ways are known by those in them more superficially. Those which God searches out in the inmost of such souls would pass for perfections with the others, who have, in fact, an admirable prudence, a great wisdom, a to this

They

thousand proprieties which they cherish dearly. have courage

But those

they are great souls.

speaking of no longer have any thing at is

There

all.

with them nothing but weakness on weakness, im-

potence on impotence.

There

not

Others go by what

least proprietism.

them the and subsist

left to is,

by something great they go from sanctity to sanctity. These go by what they have not. Accordingly :

* As to what concerns mourning on account of truths derived from the proprium, which

signified

offering themselves for servants

that with those

who

their rending their

(Gen. xliv. 13),

are regenerated, there

namely, that they are led by truth

to good,

good they are

this

the state is

of the

insinuated. •f-

"When

garments and to be

effected

known

a turning,

and that afterwards from

turning takes place, or when

changed, and becomes inverse to the foregoing, then there

mourning;

things

left to truth.

it is

for

then they are

let

into temptation,

whereby the

proprium are weakened or debilitated, and good

— A.

C. 5773.

Temptations also give the quality of the apperception of good

and truth by the opposites which

evil spirits

then infuse

;

from the

opposites apperceived are procured relatives, from which all quality is; for

no one knows what good

good, nor what truth

is,

unless he also

unless he knows what

knows what

not true.

— A.

not

C. 5356.

SPIRITUAL TOUHENTS.

118 they are

removed from attaching themselves to having lost all. Being so ugly and so

far

any thing,

whereto should they attach themselves

filthy,

The most favored

32.

most

the offscouring of the world

part,

always thwarted. as for them,

What

seems as

of these souls are, for the

others do if

they are

admired

;

but,

they spoiled every thing

They succeed

and are In a word, in spite of themthey must do justice on themselves, and see

they undertook.

in nothing,

approved of in nothing. selves, all

happiness in their Spouse, and

all

misery in them-

selves.* It could not he believed, except

what nature

left

own

indeed, our

itself

nature

from experience,

capable of.f

left to itself is

Indeed,

worse than

all

the devils .J 33.

For

this reason, it

must not be thought that

the soul, in the wretched state that has been described, * Whatsoever comes from man, or the proprium, to every one, is

He who

nothing but evil

from the Lord.

;

also that

nothing but

;

and angel,

since all good,

— A. C. 10,808.

from his own

which appertains

regenerated acknowledges and believes that the good

and the truth with which he the Lord

spirit

evil.

whatever

— A.

affected

not from himself, but from

from himself or from his proprium

C. 5354.

shown me by lively experience, that a man and a yea an angel, considered in himself, that is, all his proprium, is the vilest excrement and that, left to himself, he would breathe nothing but hatred, revenge, cruelty, and the most foul adulteries. These j-

It has been

spirit,

;

things are his proprium and his will.

— A.

C. 987.

$ Freedom derived from the proprium is to indulge in all kinds of Such things are from freedom derived from the propleasures, &c. it is evident what is man's quality when he is in that Hence prium. A. C. 5786. that he is a devil under human form. namely, freedom,

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

119

was never better sustained by left a little to itself, which makes all this disorder, the soul having no part in it. This poor widowed soul, running hither and thither

forsaken of God.

Him :*

Well-beloved,

after its I

have

last,

but

said,

with.

only nature,

It is so

and die in

not only greatly defiled, as

wounded by the thorns it meets it must needs breathe its

fatigued that its

course without succor.

The greatest blessing the soul can receive in this way is, that God should show it no pity and, when He would greatly promote the progress of a soul, He ;

run even to death.

lets it

moments life

should lose

lest it

for a

—

it is

all spirit,

few

new

by reason of its weakness, and mere weariness should

to rest.

When

34.

thing which overjoys and gives

poor soul

to the

compel a

—a

he stops

moment

he sees

this,

and the poor

;

he casts a look upon

soul,

it for

this look, finds itself

and love-stricken anew, in a way so strong, that it is beside itself, and as it were swooning with delight. It would fain say to Him Alas why hast seized

much ? " Give me a little rest can swallow down my spittle," Job vii. 19.

Thou made me run until I '•

that I might find

Him

forth" (Cant.

face to face.

Him

viii.

But, alas

* For then [in temptations]

consequently

among

alone, that I 2),

when man

evil spirits,

is let

who

from an

the

man

interior

hope and

whereby he

trust,

resists.

might lead

and might see

Him

thinks to hold

Him,

into the state of his evils,

accuse,

conscience; but yet the angels defend, that

who keeps

and thus torment the

is,

the Lord by angels,

which are the powers of combat

— A. C. 6097.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

120

away

sought Him,"

says, "

and did not find Him," Cant. iii. 1. Inasmuch as, by this look from its Spouse, the soul has become more loving, it redoubles its course to find Him. Nevertheless it was stopped so long as the look lasted. flies

For

again.

this reason the

Spouse looks

at the soul as little

and then only when he sees that

as possible,

Were

losing courage.

only strong enough,

go much faster without stopping.

could

If a traveller could

walk continually, without need of rest or of nourishment, he could go much faster

but he needs both

;

the one and the other on account of his weakness

both impart new strength to him, which

given him

because of his need, and because his nature would sink this

he were deprived of

it.

the same in

way.

35.

The

because

its course,

running

soul, then, really dies here at the

fails

all

the active force necessary for

For, although

it.

in a passive state,

it still

had not

has been hitherto

lost its active

although this activity was not apparent to attraction

experienced,

* Celestial

men

made

man], they are in

therefore, truths fail, as

spiritual life

of shade, that

signified

is,

its feel-

so strong

the case

a natural

— A. C. 3301.

when a

by evening in the Word,

state of shade

n. 6110, then

of spiritual death, for they are not then kept in

Hence there

death, that

the

in distress; for such things present themselves as are is,

light, as heretofore,

prium.

itself:

run without

as to truth, that they can combat with the infernals.

When,

power,

are such, that, before they put off that state [the

state of the old or former natural

comes, which

end of

but are remitted in some part into their prois

presented from the shade an image of spiritual

of damnation.

— A. C. 6119.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. ing or knowing

will

but is

after thee " (Cant.

run

how

The Spouse

it.

— By losing

121

says, "

Draw us, and

It runs,

3).

sun which

It is like the

all.

indeed;

constantly hastening without reaching a state of

rest.

The soul

loses

death, to run beneath other skies

hidden in the

will be

This

sea.

or rather, to speak

;

sun which vanishes from our

truly, it is like the

hemisphere, where

by the mystical

in this state,

all,

no longer

being

visible,

the sepulchre,

where the

soul undergoes another kind of death, and experiences its

own

The

36.

that

noisomeness, as will be stated. self-hatred of the soul in this state

cannot endure

nothing of

itself

but

treat

thus.

It thinks that it is its

Him

ness which causes

disgust.

just the other way,

case

draw

it after

Him, and seems

When

the iron

pure.

and take away

weakness, only that

appears at it

all,

its

He may

be carried.

progress,

not that the flies

only to

make

to defile it only to fire to first

purify

grow

easy to see that

He makes it experience its may lose all its own proper

strength, and all self-dependence

ing of

put into the

its rust, it

has been purified.

itself to

noth-

own noisome-

It sees

— that

black and dingy, but afterwards it

it is

Spouse has good cause

It thinks its

itself.

that

it is

can say

God, or before the creatures, or

ing, either before

before

Now

evil.

such

cannot look upon

itself.

by a side-long glance.

except

itself

;

and

that, despair-

it Himself, and it may suffer For how vigorous so ever may still walks like a child but when

carry

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

122 it is

rest,

God and God God

steps of

it,

although

are boundless, because

steps

its

carries

appears to

they are the

Himself.

37. This soul, yet more, sees others decked with its

own

When

spoils.

accost

;

decked with

sees a holy soul,

dares not

how

only sees with admiration,

all

taken away from

itself.

such a soul, and

feels itself

abyss of nothingness,

much

the ornaments which the Spouse has

But although

admires

plunged into the very yet cannot desire to have

unworthy of them. It thinks it would be profaning them to put them on one so covered with filth and impurity. It even rejoices to see, that, though itself excites sorrow in them, so

its

does

feel itself

Well-beloved, there are others

who

are His favorites.

It is far

removed from the jealousy of the

when

wished to have and keep

glad that

Him

period,

first

always

on the

does not look at

that

contrary,

He may

not be sickened by the sight, and that

may

enjoy Himself with others,

happy as

whom

ornaments, although

the

decked therewith,

esteems

God

in having gained the favors of their

regards

it,

;

for,

them

sees

does not believe that they

make

them happy. If it esteems them blessed at seeing them decked therewith, it is because they are pledges of the love of 38.

When

its

of these souls,

Well-beloved.

holds itself thus lowly in the presence

whom

not the good which putrefaction

its

destined

regards as queens,

nakedness, to cause

naked, only to be Himself

its

its it.

knows

death, and

He makes

clothing.

its it

" Put on

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. Jesus Christ," says St. Paul,

Himself

only to be

Jesus Christ, hilates

its

shall also rise with

;

and

nor dangerous

proprietary

anni-

by degrees,

evil

own

which makes

eyes

not true

not evil of which they are

for, in this state,

;

Him."

apparent carrying away

this

these souls so filthy in their evil,

kills

into Himself.

For the

involuntary.

14.

of virtue takes place only

like the other losses evil

xiii.

" If we are dead with

life.

only to transform

This loss

Rom.

123

they have no proper will,

nor determination to any thing whatsoever.*

What

defiles

them

certain instances of precipita-

and quickness, which pass immediately, though not without filling them with confusion and certain tion

;

faults

which are only in the sentiments.

a soul sees the beauty of a certain virtue,

mediately, as seems to

example,

if it

precipitation

not the case, as

as it thinks.

By what

literal sense, is

it it

moment

im-

For

speaks words either of

of exaggeration,

falls

into the opposite vice.

loves truth,

guilty of lying every is

it,

As soon it

;

and thinks

though, in

itself

fact, this

does not speak otherwise than loves gentleness, hasty feelings

enters into the

mouth [Matt. xv.

11, 17

— 19],

understood food of every kind, which, after

its

in the

use in

the body, goes through the belly into the draught; but, in the spiritual sense,

by the things which enter

into the

mouth, are understood

all

memory, and also from the world, which things also correspond to food; and those things which enter into the thought, and not at the same time into the will, do not render a man unclean, for the memory and the thought thence

things which enter into the thought from the

derived pertaining to will

man

properly the man.

are only as the entrance to him, since the

— A. E. 580.

SPIRITUAL TORBENTS.

124

come unexpectedly over it. It is so with all the other And the more important the virtues are, and the more the soul clings to them (because they appear more essential to it), the more they are forcibly plucked away from it, to its great pain and anguish.

virtues.

Section IY. 9

—

Entrance of the soul on the mystic death as regards its senses, its and even its perceptible inmost. 42 45. Important observa-

41.

—

faculties,

tions

39.

The poor

this state.

at length, to lose itself

thing

with

;

having lost

soul, after

or, rather, it is

horrible fatigues.*'

by an

utter despair of

Prayer in this degree

make use

faculties,

its

destined,

any

destined to die overwhelmed

painful, because,

all, is

very

no longer able to the exercise of which is

the soul

and God has withdrawn from it a certain sweet and profound calm which used to sustain it, it comes to resemble those poor children entirely taken from

who run

it,

hither and thither seeking food, without find-

ing any one to give

now

appears

them.

difference, that the

value *

"And

xli. 56].

tion,

this cause, prayer

who

to be entirely lost, as with those

were never accustomed

its

From

to its practice

pain of losing

known from

;

it is

but with this felt

because

previous possession, whereas

the famine was upon all the faces of the land" [Gen.

That

it signifies

when

the desolation

was even

to despera-

appears from the signification of famine, as being desolation;

and from the

which when the famine

nified desperation, because

utmost and

upon

signification of land [earth], as being the natural:

all the faces of

said to be, thereby

then the desolation

everywhere ;

last state of desolation is desperation.

— A.

is sig-

for the

C. 5369.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. others feel no trouble from

do not know

its

support in the creatures

privation because they

its

It can

value.

and

;

Still, it

finds

there remains to

in them.

fain cast itself

delighted in formerly

them withdraws from them it

times,

from impetuosity,

and would

often goes astray, it

it is

thing satisfying

headlong into the things alas

no longer find any

if it feels itself, at

bent and carried towards them,

without yet finding any

125

much

but

bitterness, that

quickly

;

and

possible,

nothing but the pain of

its

unfaith-

fulness.

The imagination

thrown into utter disorder, and allows of scarcely any rest. The three faculties of the soul [the understanding, the memory, and the 40.

will] gradually lose their

have none at

all.

life,

This

so that, in the end, they

very painful to the soul,

which had learned to delight in a certain secret and tranquil something

and

especially

the

will,

which comforted the other

faculties in their death

and

impotence. 41. This certain something which in the inmost,

what

costs

most

a prop or stay,

to surrender,

and

what the soul endeavors most strongly to retain for the more subtle it is, the more it appears divine and It would readily consent never to make necessary. use of the other two faculties, and not even of that of the will in a distinct and perceptible manner, if this favorite something might be left it. For how should without subsist soul means, and a without this, in particular, so pure, that it would seem to be the end to which every thing in religion tends, and the reward ;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

126

for all its labors

in all

its

What, indeed, does a

labors, but to

inmost, that

testimony in

tbis

God

a child of

have

soul desire,, its

All spirituality

centres in this experience.

Nevertheless,

must be given up,

like all the rest,

and be succeeded by the dreadful experience of the

miseries

are

full

operates the death of the soul

edness the soul

may

which makes the

life

would not

die

;

This

of. ;

for

if this

feel,

what

all

truly

whatever wretch-

certain something,

of the soul, were not yielded up,

and, in like manner,

if this

cer-

up without its feeling its would have a support, and would never die. It knows and easily understands, that it must pass long and dreadful periods of darkness that it must .give up all delights, all sentiments however For this reason it bears up subtle they may be. the privation of its props and its under strongly tain something were given miseries,

;

— (especially

delights

and wise)

are enlightened

the case with those

is this ;

but

to give

almost imperceptible support, and fall

into wretchedness

we can never is

life

* That

This

—

to this

are not

the point where

Tnen it is that mortal fears and upon the heart, which seems endowed

lost.

agonies seize

with

and the very dust, it.

certain

from weakness,*

consent, because, in fact,

required to consent to

reason

fall

up a

who

only to feel

its

man may become

death.f

spiritual, it is necessary that his natural

should become of no account, that

is,

should have no power at

all of

itself.— A. C. 5651. f The external or natural

man from

the

first

age of

life rules,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

The

loss, then, of this

the experience of

its

127

imperceptible support, and

wretchedness, are the two things

which cause death. 42. so

The

soul has need to be very faithful in a time

naked and

so hard, lest

should suffer

voluntary comfort and refreshment

say voluntary

regards to

its

And

this state.

the

itself, it is

;

and the turn-

for as regards the practice of austerities,

tified,

senses

towards the creatures voluntarily, seeking

to turn

ing of

its

incapable of them in

more such souls have been mor-

and so brought into a

which, to the

state

unexperienced, appeared like death, the more inclination have they towards the opposite, without being

aware of

themselves, like one out of his right

mind who goes wandering hither and thither. And if you would hold them back too rigorously, besides its

being useless, this application to the external

would retard and hinder death. 43. What, then, is to be done ful to

must be

care-

do nothing to soothe the senses in a criminal

and imperfect manner

we must

;

them, and some-

suffer

times refresh them in things innocent, from charity. neither

knows that there

when a man

an internal or

spiritual

from being natural or external, then the natural at it is

taught that the natural

concupiscences

confirm them. that so

man

is all,

ineffable things

the spiritual.

Hence, when the natural

shall totally perish ; for

thinks thus,

and

in the

C. 5647.

man

rebels ; for is,

is left to itself, it

does not

all its

those things which

know

thinks

otherwise than,

wholly ignorant that there are immense spiritual;

then draws back, and

— A.

first

be subdued, that

to be extirpated, together with

that the natural

and

man; wherefore

reformed and begins to become spiritual or internal

and when the natural man not willing to be subjected

to,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

128

For

as they are not capable of the operations that are

going on within, to constrain and force them would be to ruin the health, and even the powers of the

mind, and perhaps the connived

at, as

All this must be

interior.

we do with

children, without being

too severe in refusing things permitted.

What

44.

saying

degree under consideration.

applicable only to the

For,

the soul should

proceed thus in the period when grace

strong and

would be doing wrong. And indeed, our Lord, infinite in His mercy, Himself shows the course which ought to be pursued for, at the beginning, vigorous,

;

presses the poor senses so closely, that

them no

gives

enough that they desire any thing to have it snatched away from them a look, a word, the smallest gratification, would cause boundquarter.

It is

less suffering.

God

acts thus, in order to deliver the

senses from their imperfect operation, and

interior

binds them inwardly, in a

them

costs

of all

the

;

make them

and while he weans them outwardly,

way

gentle that

scarcely any thing to deprive themselves

they even find more sweetness in this than in

possession

sufficiently

all

things.

But when they

are

purified and introverted, God, desiring to

draw the soul away from

itself

by a movement in

exactly the opposite direction,* permits the senses to * It is

to be

known that with

effected a turning,

those

who are regenerated there

namely, that they are led by truth

to good,

and that afterwards from good they are led to truth. When this turning takes place, or when the state is changed and becomes inverse to the foregoing, then there into temptation, &c.

— A.C. 5773.

mourning;

for

then they are let

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

129

extrovert themselves, and diffuse themselves towards

This appears to the soul a great im-

the exterior.

purity

nevertheless, the thing

its state,

and

then appropriate to

do otherwise would be to purify ourDivine

selves otherwise than according to the

and

will,

to incur defilement.

may

45. This does not hinder but that faults

committed

in this extroversion of the senses

but the

;

confusion redounding thence to the soul, and faithful-

making use of it, constitute the dunghill whereon it goes more quickly through putrefaction. "All things work together for good to them who

ness in

Rom.

love,"

viii.

Here, accordingly,

28.

They look the soul we

lose all the esteem of the creatures.

on you with scorn, and used formerly to admire

say, Is not this

How

and ugly

that

come

so unsightly

not look upon me, by reason that

Alas

sun that has made

for it is the

Cant.

And now

third degree, which

has be-

the soul replies,

that

black

;

thus unsightly,"

enters all at once into the

that of burial

and putrefac-

tion.

CHAPTER Third Degree of the passive way of naked 1

—

The finished

state of the soul's death.

corruption or putrefaction.

—16.

Its

VIII. faith, in its

5—7.

consummation. 8—13. Its

Its burial.

reduction to ashes.

Counsels as to guidance in these states, which are followed by a

all

The

torrent, as

we have

said,

new

—20. life.

has gone through

imaginable roarings and tossings.

has been

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

130

hurled against the rocks,

—

its whole progress being nothing but a tumbling from one rock to another; but it has all along kept in sight, and we have not

yet seen

swallowed up from the view.

begins to lose itself in gulf after gulf. this time, a certain steady pace,

and broken

tate, confused,

although so precipi-

now

but

;

But now it It had, up to

plunges with

greater impetuosity into deep caverns.

still

a long time invisible

;

then

perceive

It is for

for a little,

but rather by the ear than by the eye, and deeper.

makes

only to dash itself into a gulf yet

appearance

its

falls

from abyss

abyss, from precipice

to precipice, until at length it falls into the abyss of

the sea, where, losing again, having 2.

The

all

shape,

become the sea

soul, after

many

never finds

deaths of ever-increasing

severity, expires at length in the

arms of

without perceiving those very arms. expires than

and

loses all action of

itself

itself.

life,

love,

but

no sooner

however simple

subtle, all desire, inclination, choice, all interior

The nearer

repugnances and oppositions. death, the weaker

became

;

and

languishing and agonizing, has

its

still

life, life,

drew

although

and there

some hope, although its death was inevitable.*' But now there is hope no longer. The torrent must make its plunge, and be seen no more. might

still

* Truth of

remain

to the soul

has not

itself

life,

only a vessel recipient of good truth except what

of truth from itself

;

from good.

but from good, inasmuch as truth

and

in good there

is life,

Wherefore the privation of the

not the extinction of truth, but

but not in life

is its vivifica-

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

O God what

a case

is this

were precipices are now abysses.

131

Where, formerly, The soul falls, with

a rush, into an abyss of miseries from which there

no day of deliverance. great

but the further

;

goes from bad to worse

that any degree, at

for

;

of that which

it.

finds them, so

it is

to be observed,

commencement, partakes much

its

of that which precedes, and, at

much

not so

advances, the more abysses

meets with, and the more dreadful that

abyss

first this

its close,

to follow.*'

begins to feel

also to

It is

each degree includes an infinity of

observed, that other degrees.

man,

among

is still

the living

man, although he manner, in the

he has

worship and prayer

must

;

but

The

all

lose not only all

God, but God Himself, in

Him, not tion ; for

has not

in like

some

still

There remains

who

life

medium, that

all

as in itself

medium.

life

not

f Arrangement

but for ever.f from

life

life, viz.,

derive

itself,

then

but when

;

— A. C. 3607.

may be a medium, must

— A.

gift

appearance, and lose

it is

by good from

somewhat from

each, namely, from the internal and external ; otherwise

conjoining

attempts

prayer and every

then gifted with real

it is

is life itself.

still

soon taken from

this is

truth appears to itself to have

except such

deprived of that,

soul

for one, two, or three years,

when

life,

the Lord, *

soul,

remains in a dead body a certain heat which

extinguished by degrees.-

it.

The

formerly was.

buried,

the shape of a

still

of this degree, has

first

a certain secret and hidden impression of God,

as there is

;

inspires fear.

resemblance to what to

death and before he

after his

it is

not a

C. 5822.

effected

by removal and concealment; not that

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

132

All facility in doing good and

taken away from

remains naked and stripped

it.*

active virtue are

all

The world, which formerly thought so much it. They still keep up an outward show of respect for it but it is only that hide it away in the earth, and they may bury it,

all.

it,

begins to be afraid of

;

—

see

no longer.

be observed, that

It is to

it is

which

visible fault

thus produces the contempt of men, but the inability

which was formerly done with so much

to do the good,

Formerly, whole days were passed in the

facility.

church, or in visiting the sick poor, often contrary to

duty but now those things cannot be done any longer. ;

at any time the Lord removes or conceals mercy, but

regenerating if

is let

into his

own

removed and concealed, the

when he who

then the Lord appears to him as

evils,

and

evils interposing themselves

effect-

ing this; comparatively as thick clouds, which present themselves before the sun,

and cause

* In regard to

his absence

this,

that there

deficiency of truth, the case cises according to truths,

life,

that

to uses.

is,

that they

spiritual death

may

for

live according to

the case in the

who

are in to

they can imbibe truths, according to

effect uses, so far

they are in spiritual

them, thus with a view

truths

fail,

there

and desire truths with a view

the light of intelligence and wisdom.

by evening

when

Spiritual life consists in exer-

so far in

nified

— A. C. 5696.

consequently in uses ; for they

far, therefore, as

which they are to

this:

have an appetite

spiritual life

and concealment.

life,

When,

because

therefore,

when a state of shade comes, which is Word, then spiritual life is in distress

sig-

;

for

such things present themselves as are of shade, that is, of spiritual death; for they are not then kept in light, as heretofore, but are remitted, in some part, into their proprium

from the shade an image of

hence there

spiritual death, that

is,

presented

of damnation.

—

A. C. 6119. f-

So in David:

"My

father

and

and Jehovah gathereth me," Ps.

mother have forsaken me, 10; where father and

xxviii.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

133

This poor soul will soon be given over entirely

to forge tfulness.

thing, that

into the earth, and

The

creatures cast

thought of no more.

it is

one casts dust upon

so loses every

little it

entirely poor.

and

little

and

it,

Every

trodden under foot.

must needs be that thou shouldst see If the body could see while they were all this. burying it, what distress would it not feel 1 The Poor

soul,

soul sees

with

this, sees

all

but cannot help

terror,

must suffer itself to be buried, covered with earth, and crushed by all the creatures. 6. This is a state where there are excellent crosses; the more excellent, the more the soul believes itself to It

it.

have deserved them. rified at itself. if

God

he would abandon

begins accordingly to be hor-

casts

lie

because indeed

thou must

in the sepulchre.

it,

would be yet more

it,

now

afflictive.!

observes that of himself he true.

— A.

very

must is

the

is,

and that any other

shuns the creatures

mother denote good and truth, which are said

know any thing

and that

It sees, also, that this

for ever.

fitting place for

soul,

seems as

sees that there

likelihood of getting out of

remain there

man

continues there in peace, although with fright-

ful horrors, little

Poor

it for ever.*'

have patience, and continue to It

so far that

it off

have forsaken, when

not able to do any thing good, or

C. 3703.

* Temptations are continual despairings concerning salvation, in the

beginning slight, but in process of time grievous,

till

at last there

doubt almost negative concerning the presence of the Divine and His aid.

— A.C. 8567.

f Peace

the inmost in every delight, even in what

lightful with the

man who

in good.

— A. C. 8455.

undelight-

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

134 in

good earnest, because done on

to be

sion towards it

The world speaks

it.

nothing more

and that they

behalf,

its

sees there

ill

an aver*

feel

it,

and regards

no longer except as a corpse which has lost the

of grace, and

life

nothing but to be buried in

for

fit

the earth.

The

alas

soul bears patiently this abject state.

how

what

even this state sweet, compared with

to follow

in the sepulchre,

old

man

was

tried

How

glad would

only

corrupts by

be to remain !

The

Formerly,

little.

by weakness and faintings

;

but now, the

corruption, which hitherto

its

did not know, because

need not putrefy

and

little

soul sees the depth of it

But

was impossible

conceive what self-love and propriety

for it to

All this

are.*'

goes on in the inmost of the soul, without the senses

having any share in

it.

O God

what horror

the soul thus to see itself putrefying if scorns, affect

is it

All troubles,

and contradictions of the creatures cease

it.

It is

even insensible to the privation of the

sun of righteousness.

knows

that that does not

* But in proportion as those loves [the love of self and the love of the world] are removed, heavenly love, flowing in from the Lord,

begins to appear, yea, to shine bright in the interior

same proportion man begins yea, afterwards, that he this

was

his

proprium.

to see that

in the unclean

and

man

in evil

filthy,

;

and

and the

and

in the false,

lastly, that

— A. C. 2041.

f But the other rational with which man is gifted of the Lord, when he is regenerated, is like the same fruit in good ground, in which there is a decay of those parts which encompass the seeds; and the seeds themselves shoot forth from their inmosts, and emit a root, and also a

stem above ground.

— A. C.

2657.

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

But

shine in the tombs.

135

to feel its corruption is

God

what

what would it not sufNevertheless it must be borne, and the fer rather 7 soul must experience to its inmost depths * what But these, perchance, are sins, and God itself is. beholds me with horror. Yet what can be done 7 it

cannot bear.

Great

—

— there

must bear it, 9. But still,

no remedy.

went through this putrefaction without having God to see me, I could be w ell pleased. I

What But It

troubles

alas

the aversion that

ought

to suffice thee that

ruption, but bearest

not even know

The

10.

although, indeed, thou dost

;

that thou dost not will

cannot endure stench

The pain

itself.

so great, that

Nothing any longer

worthy of

all

scorn.

but

this gives it

feels

and

right

;

its

and,

so full of horror

Others see

out-

It sees itself

it.

only with horror

no concern, since the self-nausea

own noisomeness if it

affects

of suf-

no longer

it is

concerned at any thing that can be done to wardly.

canst

Others judge of

soul thus in corruption

own

fering its

Thou

it.

causes thee.

at itself, that

thou dost not love cor-

not judge of this matter thyself.

by the pain

cause Him.

what canst thou do

poor, forsaken creature,

convince

sees souls living in

that they are

God,

believes

* The fear of love hurt, or in

is, lest in any manner the Lord should suffer any manner a neighbor; thus lest in any manner good

and truth should

suffer hurt,

consequently lest should the holy of

love and faith, and thence of worship; but this fear

not alike with one person as with another.

— A. C. 3718.

various,

and

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

136

unworthy

itself

approach them.

plunges into

putrefaction as into the place appropriate to it.* 11. It

most plainly that

sees

delighted that

leaves

God

not troubled that

puts

away,

for it

It is

even

deserves this.

does not look on

any longer

and bestows

in its putrefaction,

;

all

that

His

on others; that they are the objects of His affection, and that itself inspires Him only with

graces

horror.

But what odor of

ill

It fain

that

would not

sin.

not loving. is

mind

is,

that the

matters not, says the soul,

sin.

the sport of

all

the creatures,

thinks no longer about loving or

It believes

no longer

such as

for

incapable of love,

itself

itself.

worse than one in the more natural in the corruption

in the depths of hell with all the devils.f

do not

love

its

corruption should ascend even to God.

its

putrefy, that I

that I if I

cannot make up

common

—

has become

state, since

bodies deprived of

life.

12. Well, perhaps, this corruption will last but a little

* It

Alas

while.

quite

otherwise.

will

last

impossible for any one to be in true humiliation, unless he

be in this acknowledgment and faith from the heart [that nothing

but is

evil is

from

self,

and that

all

good

from the Lord]

in self-annihilation, yea, in self-aversion. •f

When man

spirits, those

tempted, he

for

;

then he

— A. C. 3994.

also near hell.

From

things flow in which occasion anxiety to

the hells by

man

in tempta-

tions.— A. C. 8131. In a

state of desolation,

when man

not damnation, but the fear of damnation.

being regenerated, there

— A. C. 6140.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

137

and go on continually increasing, except towards the end, when putrefaction becomes dust, and several years,

what

ashes returns to ashes.

The poor

13.

torrent goes like one wild from abyss

from precipice to precipice, from corruption

to abyss,

to corruption

all

;

its

members

are attacked at the

same time. It is all over with it there is an end of It seems as all good resolutions, of all austerities. Poor if all its senses and faculties were in confusion. ;

soul,

what

wilt thou do in such a plight

Thou must

needs resolve to be eternally the food of worms.

own

thee with the

conscience upbraids

which thou hast

What

fallen.

the state of this torrent,

when

antly over the plain, and gulfs

frightful

into

state

from

a difference between it

was flowing pleas-

now when

Yet

Thine

this

its

plunging

lot

and

its

destiny.

by slow degrees, the soul gets used to corruption it perceives it less, and it becomes

its

length,

;

natural to

it,

except at certain times

a stench

enough

mortal.

Poor

the top of the

when

exhales

were

not im-

to cause its death,

torrent,

wert thou not better off on

mountain than now

then some light corruption

;

Thou hadst

but now, though thou

runnest rapidly and nothing checks thee, thou passest

through places so

dirty, so foul

petre, and every kind of

filth,

with sulphur,

salt-

that thou earnest with

thee their detestable stenches.* *

state of temptation respectively to the state after it is also as

the state of a pit or a prison, filthy and unclean ; for

when man

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

138

At length

14.

perceive to

its

stench so grievously, to get accustomed

to continue in

it,

it quietly without hope of ever and without being able to do any it,f end and thus 'its members, its flesh,

escaping from thing for this

;

its entire self, is

that

the poor soul begins no longer to

annihilated and becomes dust.

annihilation % begins

tempted, then unclean falses appertaining

exaggerate even

despair

stench likewise

-f

Such

thence perceived.

that

man

when

then in an

presented to

it is

can there be exhibited

and a

him who

the appearance of the

in temptation,

and

also in

— A. C. 5246. a state of desolation by the priva-

this passage is described

tion of truth, the last of tion

hence

as a mist exhaled from dirty places,

sphere which encompasses vastation.

This state also,

(all spiritual states

life

to the sight), appears

near him, and excite the evils and and likewise detain him therein, and

spirits are

to him,

unclean and filthy state.

view in the other

what

before,

for,

;

Then

which state

the last of that state

is,

That desperaremoved the delight

desperation.

because thereby

of self-love, and the love of the world, and in the place of

insinuated the delight of the love of good and of truth; for desperation with those to be regenerated relates to the spiritual life, conse-

quently to the privation of truth and good of truth

A.C. 5279. X That the

case

for,

when they

are deprived

spiritual

life.

thus [that there are alternations of heat and

cold], every regenerate person

whilst he

;

and good, they despair concerning the

in things corporeal

may know by

experience, viz., that

and worldly, he

then absent and

remote from things internal, so that he not only thinks nothing about

them, but then feels in himself, as

were, a coldness; but

things corporeal and worldly are quiescent, that then he charity.

alternate; flow,

may

when

in faith

and

known by experience, that these states are wherefore when things corporeal and worldly begin to over-

also be

and are desirous

to gain dominion, then

nesses and temptations, until he

he comes into

strait-

reduced to such a state that the

; ;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. stench so ever

emitted, there

marks of humanity

remained some

was an But now there is nothThe soul no longer suffers any thing

offensive corpse, but

;

the remains of a man.

still

ing but ashes.

from the it

still

139

odor

ill

naturalized to these things

;

ceases to look at any thing,

who

and

person

like a

no more, and who never will be any more.

does neither good nor 15. Formerly,

evil.

was

thinks no more about

horrified at itself;

degree of

It is in the last

it.

now,

wretchedness without being affected with any horror at

Formerly,

it.

munion from now,

used to dread the Holy Com-

of grace

God

as a matter of course.

done

as if

from nature, and

no longer any sense either of pain or of plea-

The only thing

sure.

or dishonoring

fear of infecting

seems to approach

All that there

is,

that

its

ashes rest in peace,

without hoping ever to be any thing but ashes. While it

perceived

putrefying

;

its

stench,

but now,

was

still

aware that

was

has gone through this state,

and nothing either within or without

affects it

any

longer.

At length reduced to nonentity, there is found in its ashes a germ of immortality, which, preserved underneath them, will take life in due time.* But 16.

external until it

man

does obeisance to the internal, which

quiescent, and, as

When

then there

the state

were,

annihilated,

— A.

never can do C. 933.

changed, and becomes inverse to the foregoing,

mourning

;

for then

they are

let into temptation,

whereby

the things of the proprium are weakened and debilitated, and good

140

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

this it does not

know, and

has no thought of being

ever revived or resuscitated.*

The

17.

faithfulness of the soul in this state con-

made

in suffering itself to be buried, crushed,

sists

to walk,

without stirring any more than a dead person

in enduring its

own noisomeness

in its grave

;

and in

suffering itself to putrefy in the full extent of the

Divine

without seeking any means of avoiding

will,

the putrefaction.

Some would apply balm

or essences,

that they might not perceive the stench of their cor-

No, no, poor souls; leave yourselves just what you are. Submit to the sense of your noisomeIt is requisite you should know it, and should ness.

ruption.

see the bottomless abyss of corruption there is within

By applying balm,

mean

some good and prevent the stench of it. Oh do not thus you would be doing yourselves a mischief. God bears with you why should you not bear with yourselves ? If you look closely at the matter, you will even see, that you.

and virtuous means,

seeking, by

to cover over this corruption !

insinuated; and with good a

freedom, thus a *

" And he

new proprium.

said,

Peace be

signifies that it is well, let

fication of peace, as

and from the

new

;

will-desire,

and with

this

— A. C. 5773.

to you, fear

them not

not" [Gen.

xliii.

23].

a new

That

despair, appears from the signi-

denoting to be well, of which in what follows

signification of

fear not,' as being not to despair; for, in

the internal sense, a change of state

treated

of,

that they should no

own proper ability, and they should be gifted with them from the

longer procure to themselves truths by their

by truths good, but that Lord and whereas they supposed that ;

they should lose the pro-

prium, thus freedom, consequently all the delight of in despair, as

evident from what goes before.

— A.

life,

they were

C. 5662.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

141

what you do to remove this ill odor involves a kind of violence, and that it is more natural and better that you should perceive it.

18. In

opinion the Director should give very

or no relief to such a person, especially if he

little

has tolerable strength of mind

;

if this

should not be

would be necessary to sustain him since otherwise he might be destroyed by the inwardness of For the pain of putrefaction goes to the his distress. Other pains are more very marrow of the bones. exterior, and do not penetrate so deeply.^ But as regards strong and able souls, the less they are succored, sustained, and strengthened, the sooner they Do not, therefore, show them are reduced to dust. pity leave them in their apparent state of uncleanness, a state which yet is most pleasing to God, the case,

;

—

until from these ashes there

The

19.

born a new

life.

soul reduced to nothingness ought to con-

tinue therein, without wishing,

when

it is

dust, to get

out of this state, or desiring, as formerly, to live again.

longer

is.

should continue as something that no

Then

that the torrent plunges into

the sea, and loses itself there, never again to find itself in itself,

— having

thing with the sea 20.

Then

it is

become one and the same

itself.

that this dead thing feels, by degrees,

without feeling, that

its

ashes are reviving and taking

who have consciences, there arises hence [from and combat] a dull or still pain but, with those who perception, an acute pah}; and so much the more acute, as the per* With those

infestation

ception

;

interior.

— A.

C. 1668.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

142 a new

life.

But

this takes place so gradually, that it

appears like a dream, or a slumber in which

had a

There

delightful vision.

forming

itself

is,

we have

worm

were, a

from their ashes, and taking

life

This constitutes the last degree, which

degrees.

beginning of the divine and truly interior

life,

by the

which

contains degrees without number, and in which the soul advances without limit,f in like

manner

as the

torrent can always go further into the sea, and take

more of

qualities to itself, the longer

its

dwells

there. * For where they [those to be regenerated] are deprived of truth

and good, they despair concerning the spiritual life hence they have delight and blessedness when they emerge out of desperation. :

A. C. 5279. f

What

meant by the multiplication of truth from good

briefly to be

When

told.

man

in good, that

is,

in love towards

his neighbor, then also he is in the love of truth : hence so far as he is

in that good, so far he

the soul in gates

its

itself,

body.

and

itself in truth

if it

affected with truth, for good

be the good of genuine charity,

and by truth

indefinitely; for there

either to good or truth, the infinite being in all

because

all

indefinite

and

in truth as

As, therefore, good multiplies truth, so

single things are

from the

infinite

and

propa-

propagates

no end given single things,

nevertheless, that

can never reach to the

infinite,

inasmuch as no proportion

and the

infinite.

— A. C. 5356.

given between the

finite

SPIRITUAL TOEKENTS.

CHAPTER

143

IX.

Fourth Degree of the passive way of faith, which" is the beginning of the divine life. 1 4. Passage from the human to the divine state, and to

—

the resurrection of the soul in of this

life

and of

its

God

in the divine

life.

—13.

Description

properties, gradations, identity, indifference

—16.

;

senti-

duty Power and views of the soul in reference to others, to itself, to its state, to its actions, its word, and 20—21. Of the inclinations of Jesus Christ in it. 22—27. its faults. Several observations to guard against mistake as to its progress, its crosses,

ments of the soul;

being in God;

its

of faithful correspondence.

its exterior.

peace, &c.

Its

—19.

— Conclusion.

When

sea, it

its

the torrent begins to lose itself in the

can be distinguished for a considerable time.

by degrees,

Its

motion

its

proper form, and assumes that of the sea.

proper to

itself, still

itself,

this

loses all

The

degree and begin-

preserves for a time something

but, after a while, loses every thing

of this kind.

even to a state if

until,

manner, leaving

soul, in like

ning to lose

visible,

body that has gone through decay, of ashes, is still dust and ashes but, ;

any one should now swallow these ashes, there

would remain nothing proper to it, since it would have become one and the same thing with the person The soul hitherto, however dead and taking them. putrefied, has retained its

has not lost

it.

It is

own

proper essence, and

only in this degree that

it is

truly taken out of itself.* * Then he

in self-annihilation, yea, in self-aversion,

in absence from himself,

the Lord.

— A. C. 3994.

and thus

in a state of receiving the Divine of

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

144

All that has taken place hitherto, has taken place in the proper capacity of the creature

creature

taken out of

own

thing of

own capacity, and God Himself. As

when

taken from

the Divine, which becomes

— not

essentially,

rent possesses

human,

its

to lose itself in

essence and

but mystically.*

more poor and miserable

now

(or, rather, is

its

Then

the treasures of the sea

all

its

lose itself in the sea), the soul,

itself to

in like manner, parts with the

ence

receives

the tor-

no longer any

and takes that of the sea

it,

the

enters the sea, loses

that there remains

essence, so

now

but

its

a boundless capacity in rent, for example,

;

subsist-

the tor-

and the

was, the more glorious

is.f

2. It is in this

recover

life,

and

sible degrees.

who were them

tomb, then, that the soul begins to

makes

light

Then

may

its appearance by insenbe said with truth, " Those

in darkness have seen a great light,

that sat in the region of the

has the day arisen," Matt.

iv.

shadow of death

There

16.

and

in Ezekiel

a beautiful figure of this resurrection, where the dry * Man's proprium is wholly evil and so long

man

dispersed, that

is, it is

nified

of is

what

so long as it remains,

temptations, then

it is

and appears as if it was not and not being any longer hurtful, is sig-

it is vivified,

Its not appearing

by destroying (Gen.

remains.

and

loosened and tempered by truths and goods

from the Lord, and thus present.

false,

when he undergoes

dead; but

vii. 4),

although

it is

never destroyed, but

— A. C. 731. one can have an exquisite perception of what is

good, yea,

blessed and happy, unless he has been in a state of what

not good, not blessed, and not happy.

From

this

he acquires a sphere

of perception, and this in the degree in which he was in the opposite

state.—-A. C. 2694.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. bones recover sage

John

" The hour cometh, and

now

the dead shall hear the voice of the Lord,"

v. 25.

you

This other pas-

again by degrees.

life

also applicable

when

is,

145

feel

coming forth from the sepulchre, how do in yourselves a germ of life springing up by

souls

insensible degrees

are all astonished to find a

These ashes

taking possession of you.

secret force

You

are reviving.

The poor

You

soul

find yourselves in a

new

whose only thought was

country.

dwell

quietly in the sepulchre experiences an agreeable surprise.

knows not what

and

to believe

to think.

It supposes that the sun has shot in his rays through

—

but soon some chink or opening for a little season, It is yet more astonished when it feels to pass. that this secret power is taking possession yet more strongly of its entire nature, and that by degrees it receiving a

new

never again to be lost * not

life

;

that one can be perfectly assured against falling in this

life,

but because such a loss could not happen

But

without the blackest unfaithfulness. life

not like that formerly enjoyed;

God," Col.

lives

God

iii.

;

perfect

and works, Gal.

ii.

a "life

The

life.

no longer," no longer operates by lives," acts,

new

this

soul

itself,

but

This goes

20.

on increasing by degrees, so that the soul becomes * The spiritual man, who to be celestial, of

which

it is

here

made the first

sixth day,

treated,

when he begins

the evening of the

Sabbath, which was represented in the Jewish church by the sanctification of the Sabbath from

morning which

the evening: the celestial

spoken of presently.

— A.

C. 86.

man

the

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

146

with the perfection of God, rich with His

perfect

and loving with His

riches,

The

great as

soul perceives well, that

But now no more

appeared, had been in

it is

;

new

takes a

any thing. It

What

to be possessed

God

possession.

possessed.

only to lose life

God *

before,

God,

and,

;

the soul cannot want for

life,

gain has

things

all

but in God,

they are

own

its

had

made

not

for all its

has lost the created for the uncreated,

nothingness for itself,

life

only with the

being the principle of

all it

possesses no longer, but

or, rather, it lives

losses

love.

— not

given to

to be possessed

by God.

himself.

all

;

Its riches

it,

not in

itself,

but

are boundless

It feels its capacity f perpetually

increasing, growing in breadth Its capacity

seems to

and extent every day. be growing boundless.^ All the

virtues are given back to * The Divine Love

again, but in God.

such that what

is its

own

wills should be

another's, thus man's and angel's; all spiritual love

most

so the Divine Love.

f Every one

which

who

such, and

— D. P. 43.

either

capable of being

damned

or saved has a certain measure

the evil, or they

filled:

who

are damned,

have a certain measure of evil and the false and the good, or they who are saved, have a certain measure of good and of truth. This ;

measure with every one

is filled

greater measure, some

a lesser.

in the other life; but

This measure

some have a

procured in the

world by the affections which are of the love: by how

much

the

more any one had loved evil and the false thence, so much the greater measure he had procured to himself; and by how much the more any one had loved good and the truth thence, so much the greater is his A. C. 7984. measure.

—

^ During man's initiation into truth, and thence into good, all that he learns is obscure to him but when good is conjoined to him, and he thence regards truth, it then becomes clear to him, and this ;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

147

was stripped by little and little, so it is enriched and revivified only by degrees. The more it is lost in God, the greater becomes 5.

It is to observed, that as it

its capacity,

— just

as the torrent, the

lost

in the sea, becomes the more enlarged and boundless,

having no other limits than those of the sea itself:* it

partakes then of

all its qualities.

strong, boundless, firm is

in the end,

— just

;

has lost

as a person

The all

soul becomes

means, but

who should walk on make use

the earth to cast himself into the sea would

of walking as a means to reach the sea, and then give it

plunge himself therein.

This divine

the soul.f

successively

more and more

a thing be, or whether

When man

so.

things ; for he

and

life

becomes altogether natural

the soul no longer feels

;

now he

for so,

in this state, he then begins to

from a centre

tion as he proceeds, in the

sees

no longer in doubt whether

but he knows that

now proceeds from

perceives, as

itself,

it is,

and that

it is

know innumerable

the good and truth which he believes

to the circumferences ;

same proportion he

and

in propor-

sees the things

are round about, and successively extends his views

which

by a continual

removal and dilatation of their boundaries.

Thenceforth also he commences from every object in the space within these boundaries; and hence, as from new centres, he produces new circumferences, and so forth. Thence the light of truth from good increases immensely, and becomes as a continuous lucidity for he is then in the light of heaven, which is from the Lord. A. C. 3833. ;

—

* For the celestial are in truth

itself, concerning which the spiriand hence the celestial can see indefinite things appertaining to that truth, and thus, by virtue of the light, they can see, as it were, the whole heaven. A. C. 2715. f The more nearly man is conjoined to the Lord, the more dis-

tual dispute;

—

tinctly he appears to himself as if

indirectly he takes notice that he

he was his own, and the more

the Lord's.

— D. P. 42.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

148

knows

itself,

God, compre-

sees nothing of

itself, it

hends nothing of him, distinguishes nothing of him.

There

nothing more of love, of lights, or of know-

God no

ledges.

longer appears to

thing distinct from itself ; but thing, except that is,

action,

indifferent

all is

it.

was necessary

order to do virtuous works ; f actions

no longer

;

* every thing

now,

distinction

all

taken away, actions having no lon-

The meanest

highest, provided

the divine * there

action

God

so as well as the

be in the order of

movement

When man

for

to practise virtue in

ger any proper virtues, but every thing being the soul.

Here

one and the same to this soul,

God

among

itself

prayer

Formerly,

all alike is 7.

;

some-

except in Him.

lives,

and action

as before,

it,

no longer knows any

and that

is,

no longer subsists and

prayer is

God

God and

any thing which should be

for ; J

of such a quality, then in every

work which he does

divine worship ; for then he has respect to the divine in every

thing ; he venerates and he loves

A.C. 10,143. t The good

it,

consequently he worships

it.

—

of the will consists in doing good from good, but the

good of the understanding in doing good from truth.

These goods

appear as one to those who do good from truth, but still they differ much from each other; for to do good from good is to do it from a perception of good, which perception

whereas, to do good from truth

is to

given with none but the celestial

from science and

thence derived, but without perception that

it is so,

intellect

only because the

person has been so instructed by others, or has concluded so of himself

his intellectual faculty,

which may be

fallacious truth.

—

A.C. 4169. X As

far, therefore, as

lives in divine order;

man

lives in those

and as

far all things are disposed in

far as

commandments,

so far

lives in divine order, so

him by the Lord, according

to the

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. from proper choice,

if it

149

be not in this order, would

not be attended with the same

but would cause

effect,

God by reason of unfaithfulmean that the soul goes out of

the soul to go out from

This does not

ness.

degree, or of the state of being lost to

its

itself,

but

only out of the divine movement, which makes things one and

same

the

state,* so that the soul is

being in one

indifferent is

things God, not by view, applica-

all

and thought, but by

tion,

and

it,

all

way

gives itself

All

another.

thereto, as it

were, naturally.

This

becomes, so to speak, natural; and the

life

soul acts, as

were, naturally. f

that impels

all

thing

;

without being troubled about any

it,

without thinking, willing, or choosing any

thing.J

remains well-pleased, without care or con-

cern about order which

itself,

not thinking any more about

from him in the heavens,

viz.,

— A. C. 2634.

his scientifics.

* The

It gives itself

human

truth ; and this

itself,

both his rationals and

and hence the angelic,

truth, that

man

itself,§

from the

to think

does not think from himself, but

it is given him to think from the Lord, himself.— D. P. 321.

that

in all appearance as

from

f For the Lord wills to communicate to every one what is his; thus the celestial, so that it may appear to man as his own, although it is

not his.

— A.

C. 1937.

X But the third

or inmost degree

diately apply divine truths to

life,

opened with those who imme-

and do not

first

them from the memory, and thereby bring them called the celestial degree. § is

When,

This

therefore, those truths are conjoined to good, then

regenerated

;

for then

be believed and what

imbued with

— A. E. 739.

reason concerning

into doubt.

truths,

he no longer looks from truths at what

man is

be done, but from good, because he

and has them in himself; nor has he concern

150

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

and not distinguishing of

The

it.

in order to speak

its interior

soul has nothing of all this.

has no

The

further thought about recollection or wandering.

soul

no longer within,

no longer necessary rior

itself

Him there any more.

does not seek for

surrounded by the

all

shut

and above,

It is

in its inte-

Him

no longer thinks about finding

;

altogether in God.

it is

for it to

there

;

were

If a person

and without, below

sea, within

the sea were on all sides, he

would have

no choice of one place more than another, but need only remain as he 9.

even so

with the soul.

it is

Accordingly, this soul gives itself no concern to

seek any thing or to do any thing.

and that

is,

ing,

enough.

that

suffer.

natural nature.

it is

;

made Its

is,

that

— Noth-

it is it ;f

does

made

it is

unchangeable, but entirely

has passed, as

— But what

knowing

It suffers all that

to do.

peace

person and a person ence

— But what does

the constant answer, nothing, nothing.

all

its

It continues as it

were, into a thing of

difference is there all in

the

God who

human 1

causes

whereas, before,

between

— The

to act,*'

this

differ-

without

was nature which

about truths from any other source than what he can see from his own good, and he sees continually more and more, for they are produced

—

thence as offsprings from their parents. A. C. 8772. * But they who are regenerated, because they are in good

they are able derived,

to perceive,

what good

is,

and that

in through the internal

man

it is

from the Lord, and that

into the external,

being altogether ignorant thereof.

f In

manner

and

flows

this continually,

— A. C. 3325.

all these cases, the ruling principle is

the minutest particulars], though the like

itself,

from the intelligence and wisdom thence

man

perpetually present [in not conscious of

it.

the presence of the Lord with the celestial angels;

they do not know

it, still it is

the Lord's presence.

— A. C. 4226.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. acted. evil

but

;

as appears to

It does,

doing in a ready

lives satisfied, peaceable,

God

alone

all

things,

neither good nor

it,

and unwavering manner whatever is its it

guide

;

for, at

it is

ask

what

willed,

could not

away

heart loses all

giving

its

lon-

you should It

tell.

can no

All desires are taken

because, being in the

;

to do.

now no

soul

ger has any will proper to itself; and,

longer exercise any choice.

made

the time of

The

lost all will.

151

all

all proclivity, bias,

and in the centre, the

and

activity, as it loses

The

repugnance and contrariety.*

longer has a career or movement.

torrent

It is at rest,

being

in its end.

But what

the nature of the contentment with

which the heart

thus pervaded

10.

—

It is the content-

ment of God himself, boundless, general, without knowing or understanding what satisfies it for now, ;

all

sentiments, tastes, views, particular observations,

however it,

delicate, are

neither

taken away

nor

love,

;

nothing touches

knowledge, nor

intelligence.

That certain something, which formerly occupied without occupying

it, is

removed, and there

nothing

left it.

* Whoever lives in good, and believes that the Lord governs the universe, and that from love and charity,

and

all

him alone comes the truth which

the good which

life,

being, he

in such a state that

dom, and therewith

also with peace

;

for

then he trusts only in the is

certain that then

tend to his good, blessedness, and happiness to eternity.

A. C. 2892.

we live, move, and have our he can be gifted with heaveDly free-

Lord, and counts other things of no concern, and all things

of faith, yea, that from

thus that from him

him comes is

all

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

152

But

very different from that of

this insensibility is

death, of the grave, of corruption.

was a privation of

that time

and of inclination towards

life,

things, a disgust, a separation, an impotence as of a

dying person, an insensibility as of one dead; but

now

it is

an elevation above these things, which does

not deprive of them, but makes them of no account.

dead person

deprived of

the functions of

all

life,

but by that impotence which death occasions, or that disgust which belongs to the dying raised

up in

glory, he

means of preserving

all

that

full

life

but

;

life,

without the

by making use of the

means by the germ of immortality he possesses, he does not feel what anisenses

;

and, being above

all

mates him, although he sees himself to be in 11. I cannot express this better than it

When

to death.

one

rates itself, there is

without But,

when

his

feels the separation of

When

the soul thus sepa-

no longer any sensation

and death makes a separation from

the

When

vified.

new

life,

dies,

his soul from his body.

life.*

by comparing

man he

all.

raised up, he feels himself revi-

re-animated, he experiences in his

God is the soul of his soul, the life of such way that He makes Himself the, as it

state that

life,

were, natural principle of * The appropriation of the

life

it,

without the soul's

feel-

of the Lord comes from His love

and mercy towards the universal human race, in that He wills to give Himself and what is His to every one, and that He actually gives so far as they receive that is, so far as they act in the life of good and in ;

the

a divine as

was

And whereas

such

proceeds continually from the Lord, therefore His

life,

of truth, as likenesses

life

effort

said, is appropriated.

and images of him.

— A.

C. 3742.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. ing or perceiving

may

intimateness, if I

that

tions of 12.

subtle

life,

may be

The

use the word.

but without feeling

When we

unity and

its

walks, and performs

lives, acts,

by reason of

153 its

soul feels

all

the func-

soul.*

its

have some delight in God, however

when we know our

;

interior retire-

ments, certain languors, pains, loves, desires, enjoy-

ments, these things do not constitute the degree

speaking

but quite another.

of,

cannot be tasted,

felt,

selves than ourselves,

For, in

seen, because he is

God

this,

more our-

not distinct from us.f

If a

person could live without eating, in great disgust for food, he

would

and afterwards

at first feel the disgust,

the impossibility of eating, but he would not feel any

Here the soul has no inclination or relish any thing. Something like this takes place, indeed,

fulness. for

and

in the state of death

burial, but still there is a

There, the want of appetite was from dis-

difference.

gust and impotence, but here,

it is

* In all these cases the ruling principle the minutest particulars], though the like

manner

do not know it is

man

from plenitude and

perpetually present [in

not conscious of

it.

the presence of the Lord with the celestial angels ; they

it, still it is

said that the

Lord

have now described

the Lord's presence.

Consequently,

continually to be thought

of, this

when

that I

what is meant by it; not that man is to hold and sensibly on that one theme, which may

his thoughts perpetually

however be done on the outset [and be persisted in] until such a habit A. D. 4226. of unconscious continuity is acquired.

—

f The spiritual

celestial

man

cannot think but from perception, and the

cannot think but from conscience: the perception of

the former, like conscience,

from the Lord, and

him whence it is but the thought and appears to him as from himself. to

;

of the latter

— A. C. 2552.

does not appear

from the rational,

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

154

abundance; just as, if a person could live on air, lie would be full without feeling his fulness, nor how it had come to him. He would not be empty, nor unable to eat or to

knowing how

but only free from any neces-

by reason of

of eating,

sity

taste,

the

air,

fulness,

entering through

without his all

his pores,

God

as in the

should so pervade him.

The

13.

soul, in this state, is in

atmosphere proper and natural to nance of

new

its

why

and nothing all desires

Its peace

and

no more

which we breathe.

feel the air

full,

life,

lacking to

are taken

for the mainte-

it,

feels

Him

Nevertheless,

and

away from

than

this is the reason it.

great, but not as in other states.*

the state which has been passed through,

was an inanimate peace a certain state of burial whence there In issued, at times, exhalations which disturbed it. the state of dust it was in peace, but an unfruitful it

;

peace, as

storms

a dead body should be in peace amid the

of the sea and

would not dead state

;

the

their assaults

;

bottom of the *

and

placed high above them, as

were surveying the waves, and listening

fury from

He who in peace ;

evil befalls

A. C. 5660.

them nor be troubled about them its makes it insensible. But in the case we

feel

are considering, the soul if it

most furious waves.

its

top of a mountain, without fearing or, if

sea,

you

which

will, as if is

one were at the

always tranquil, whilst

gifted with a heavenly proprium

for

to their

also in tranquillity

he trusts in the Lord, and believes that nothing of

him, and knows that concupiscences do not infest him.

— SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. was in

the surface

The

agitation.

155

senses

may

suffer

pain, but the inmost of the soul maintains its equa-

nimity, because

He who

possesses

it is

immutable.

14. This supposes the faithfulness of the soul in whatever

relapse into

state

itself.

almost boundless in just as, if the fallen into

is,

may

fall

;

therefrom

for,

and

But here the soul makes advances God, and can advance incessantly ;

sea were without

bottom, a person

would go deeper and deeper

for ever, and,

more of its beauties and treasures he would discover. Thus it is with the soul in God.* 15. But what must it do to be faithful to God? Nothing, and less than nothing. It should give itself up to be possessed, acted, moved without resistance, the further he descended into the ocean, the

to continue in its natural, consistent state, awaiting

the events of each

moment and

receiving

them from

Providence without augmenting or diminishing any thing

;

suffering itself to be led in every thing with-

out sight or reason, and without reflection

moved,

;

being

were, by instinctive impulse, without

thought about the better or more perfect way, but yielding itself

naturally state in

;

to all impulses, as

were, quite

continuing in the equal and consistent

which God has placed

* In the former [the celestial]

and

it is

it,

without troubling

given to know, acknowledge,

perceive, that the affections of good are innumerable, like the

societies in

heaven.

They who

— A.

C. 2718.

are in the affection of good, from perception

know

that

it is so [that he who loves his neighbor from good, loves the Lord], and immediately see an open field of wisdom leading even to the Lord.

A. C. 2718.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

156

do any thing, but leaving to God the care not of originating occasions, and of executing them making acts of abandonment, but continuing therein

itself to

;

state.

16.

The

soul cannot act, in ever so small a measure,

without being guilty of an unfaithfulness; just in the state of death and putrefaction, suffer

itself

without doing

putrefy

as,

ought to

desiring

The man who is expiring perceives a disgust at all the means which might support his lastly, life next, an inability to make use of them do any thing.

;

and every thing becomes useless

dies,

all

these states,

to him.

requires great faithfulness to suffer

one's self to be stripped, to quit nourishment

gust supervenes, and to leave time, however

subtle they

all

may

for all that belongs to its

and

for doing,

in God's way.

duty

;

— no longer

when

dis-

things at the right be.

soul has all without having any thing.

ing,

But now the It

has

facility

for acting, for speak-

in its

own way, but

Faithfulness, here, does not consist

in ceasing from every thing, like one dead, but in

doing nothing except from the vivifying principle by

which

bias for

soul in this state has no

any thing, but yields

governs it

animated.

it,

itself to

the will that

and does nothing but occupy the

state

put into, without care or concern upon the

subject.* * They

who

are in the perception of the Lord's presence are in

the perception that all and single things which befall them tend to their good,

and that

tranquillity.

— A.

evils

C. 6963.

do not reach them; hence they are

;;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. 17.

The

soul cannot speak about

does not see

which

though

it,

state, since it

its

does see the actions of

For, although there are then

exercises.

157

extraordinary things in

its

longer what they were in

life

many

experience, they are no

its

preceding states,

when

some share in them (which was being But now the most divine and wonder-

the creature had

proprietary).

ful things are, as it were, quite natural to the soul

does them without thinking of them

which gives

principle

and by over evil

spirits, J

with whose * acts

When

the same

them in it were, a sovereign power

and even over the

interests

to the soul does

life

It has,

it.f

;

persons

spirits of

charged, — but

out of

all

they [truths] are in the interior man, he then no longer

from the memory, but from the bent of his inclination

;

till

length the things insinuated flow spontaneously into acts, being inscribed on the interior

appears as

if it

memory; and what comes

were innate.

— A.

forth from this

C. 3843.

f But when he [man] loses this freedom, he then receives from the Lord heavenly freedom, which is a thing altogether unknown to those

who

are in the freedom derived from the proprium; these latter

suppose that

if this

would nothing of

freedom were

life

to be

taken away from them, there

remain, when nevertheless their real

com-

life

mences; and real delight, blessedness and happiness with wisdom, then comes, because this freedom

from the Lord.

— A.

C. 5786.

X In combats of temptations, it is permitted evil spirits to bring forth all the evil and false with man, and to combat from that ground

but when they are conquered, for

it is

no longer allowed them to do so;

they instantly perceive in man, that good and truth is

From know

instantly

the very sphere of a

man

how

is,

other things.

with

confirmed.

the perception of spirits, and so superior to that of men.

Such

whom

the case

confirmed in truth and good, they

what answer they

will receive,

This appears evidently with a regenerate spiritual evil spirits are alike present, as with

man, but then they are subjugated and

serve.

and

man

an unregenerate

— A. C. 1695.

SPIKITUAL TORRENTS.

158

itself.

no longer proprietary,

it is

any reserve

and

;

state so sublime,

if it

it is

which has no longer any existence

want of

light to express

itself, as

because that which

It is

thing, passes all expression

and

has no longer

cannot say any thing about a

not because

it is

;

afraid of vanity,

neither

in the lower degrees.

has, without having any

its

extreme simplicity

This does not hinder but that there

purity.*'

occur a thousand things which are, as accidents of this state, and not of it

is it for

were, the crumbs that

fall

its

were, the

essence, of which

These accidents

can speak very well.f

from the eternal

which

are the sparks

which

They

give token

there a source of

are, as it

feast

the soul begins in time. that there

may

and

fire

flames; but to speak of their beginning and their * Those affections do not come in the understanding under any species of ideas, but to the

words.— A. E.

sensative perception, under a which cannot possibly be described by

interior

species of delights of the will,

826.

The reason why they

[celestial angels]

appear simple

because

they cannot speak concerning the holy things of heaven and the

church

;

for those things

with them are not in the memory, whence

all

and thence in the understanding; not as thought, but as the affection of good in its form, which does not descend into discourse, and, if it should descend, would not speak but discourse comes, but in the

only express a tone. t Hence

third heaven.

and domestic

— A. E. 829.

evident what love towards the neighbor

life,

for other things

in the

which concern the moral,

civil,

these also are works which they do from affection;

but they are not such works as they understand by neighbor or brother, and companion, for they derive somewhat from the world,

likewise from

what

useful for themselves and their

own

;

they are

the derivations and productions of the uses before mentioned, and are

such things as proceed from their thought, concerning which therefore

they can discourse.

— A. E. 828.

;

SPIRITUAL TOBRENTS. end,

159

neither able to do this, nor desire

it is

ing no knowledge of them, except so far as

God

to give that

knowledge

at the

it,

moment

hav-

pleases

of speak-

ing or writing.

Does not the soul see its faults ? or does it not commit any ? It commits them, * and knows them better than ever

new

especially at the beginning of this

;

Those which

life.

commits are much more

subtle and delicate than formerly. better because

has

its

eyes open

;

knows them

but

it is

not con-

cerned about them, and can do nothing to get rid of

them.

It is sensible, indeed,

some

when

but this dust

falls

make

effects. f

has been guilty

unfaithfulness, or has committed a fault, of a

certain cloud, or of the rising

either

itself,

fall,

up of a kind of dust

the soul doing nothing

or to cleanse itself from its

All such endeavors of the soul would, at

* Such progressions and derivations are perpetual with the

who

regenerated, from his infancy even to the last of his

the world, and also afterwards, even to eternity

never be so regenerated as that in any measure he perfect.

— A.

man

life

and yet he can

;

may

be said to be

C. 5122.

f For I have been now for four years in such a state that I have neither thought nor spoken any thing from myself; but I still see that

when I seem to be, as it were, myself in thinking or speaking, yet upon inquiry there are others immediately found who have prompted it.

When

I spake with them, therefore, in the morning, after they

had considered awhile, it was given to say that this was well, inasmuch as if there is any thing evil thought or spoken, it is not mine, but wherefore it is not appropriated by me. If was from myself, the evil would be properly appropriated by me, and thus I should add actual evil to actual evil.

proceeds from evil

spirits,

I should believe that

the contrary, whatever

good

from the Lord

;

so that as I

not attribute merit to myself from thinking, speaking, or doing good,

160

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. be useless, and would even serve only to

this time,

increase

impurity, so that the soul would feel the

its

second contamination to be worse than the idea of return

saying return,

we presuppose

in God,

case

it is

there arises

and

alienation,

we remain

only needful that

when

All

first.

out of the question here, because, in

some

Him.

are

The

cloudiness in

little

the middle region of the atmosphere

if the wind then moves the clouds, but does not scatter them, rather the contrary. We must leave the sun to scatter them himself. The more subtle and delicate

blows,

;

—

the clouds are, the sooner he does it.* 18.

Oh,

the soul were sufficiently faithful never

to regard itself, so neither do I

what advances would

commit

faith, or in the truth of faith,

and whatever

evil

of the case to be

he seems

what

present and persuaded

him.

He, therefore, who

sin therein.

character as to believe that the fact

it is,

him

it is,

that

is,

guiltless of then

that there are evil spirits it,

who

of such a in true

committing

to himself to do, believing

make

not

still

sin

the truth

who have been

the evil is not thus appropriated to

— S.D. 4228.

* There are with

man* clouds

so large

and

so dense, that,

were he

aware of them, he would wonder how the rays of light from the Lord could ever pass through them, so that he could be regenerated. are the clouds abiding with the spiritual

man

they are not so large, because he

man; but with the is

Such

celestial

principled in love towards

the Lord, and this love being implanted in his will part, he therefore does not receive conscience like the spiritual man, but the perception

new

As will

—

A. C. 1044. what concerns the heavenly proprium, it exists from the which is given by the Lord, and differs from man's proprium

of goodness and thereby of truth from the Lord. to

in this, that they no longer regard themselves in all

which they do, and in

all

and

single things

and single things

which they learn and

teach; but they then regard the neighbor, the public, the church, the

kingdom of the Lord, and

so the

Lord himself.

— A. C. 5660.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. Its

own proper views

which sustain

are,

in the sea,

161

were,

little

and hinder

scending deeper, as long as their support

shrubs

from deIf

lasts.

weight of the

their branches are very delicate, the

body breaks them down, and the soul is stopped only for a few moments but if, by some notable unfaithfulness, the soul should look at itself voluntarily, and ;

would be stopped as long as continued, and its loss would be very

for a length of time, it its

self-regard

great. 19.

The

faults of this state are certain slight

tions or views of self, which are born

same moment; certain breezes of

and

emo-

die the

self-regard, which,

passing over this tranquil sea, produce wrinkles on •its

surface.

But these

faults are dissipated

and become continually more and more

by degrees,

subtle.

—

The soul, on leaving the tomb, finds itself without knowing how it has come to pass, and with20.

out thinking of

— clothed with

all

the inclinations

and this, not by distinct* views of Jesus Christ or practices, but by state, finding them all on any ;

occasion

when they

out thought of

its

are necessary to be acted, with-

own

;

just as a person

treasure locked up, without thinking about in time of need.

The

soul

who has it,

finds

a it

surprised, that, without

having reflected on the states of Jesus Christ nor on

His inclinations, finds

for ten, twenty, or thirty years, it yet

them imprinted on

itself

states.

These

incli-

nations of Jesus Christ are humility, poverty, submis* Thence the light of truth from good increases immensely and

becomes as a continuous lucidity.

— A.

C. 3833.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

162

and His other virtues. The soul finds that every thing demanded by these virtues takes place within sion,

but so

itself;

easily,

become natural

that

seems as

they had

to it.*

God

Then

from

whom

draws continually and without end

what

21.

that

its

treasure

suitable to itself, without

alone,

any diminution or

drying up of the source. f Then it is truly clothed with Jesus Christ. It is properly He who is acting, speaking,

and conversing in the

soul

Jesus Christ being the principle of

For its

this reason, the

neighbor

its

;

our Lord

movements.

no more a

trial to it

heart enlarges every day to contain him.

no longer any inclination either

ment

;

has

for action or for retire-

what

desires only to be

made

each moment. 22.

the soul can

this state, J I leave it

make boundless advances in to those who know them by

experience to describe them

;

the necessary light not

* Conjunction with truth, therefore, cannot take place with

man

which he has imbibed by doctrines are insinuated from the external man into the interior. When they are in the until those things

interior

man, he then no longer

bent of his inclination,

till

acts

from the memory, but from the

at length the things insinuated flow spon-

taneously into acts, being inscribed on the interior memory, and what

comes forth from

this

appears as

if it

were innate.

— A.

C. 3833.

f When man is in this state [when good is conjoined to him], he A. C. 3833. then begins to know innumerable things.

—

X is

The apperception of truth is from good, inasmuch as the Lord good and gives apperception when he thence receives truth, it ;

then increases indefinitely; the case herein seed, which grows into a tree,

and produces

next produce a garden, and so on.

like that of a little

little seeds,

— A. C. 5355.

and these

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

being given

163

them

and

as regards its higher degrees,

soul not being sufficiently advanced in

know them.

I will

God

only say, that

to see

it is

easy

by the length of time required for those steps which the soul must take in order to attain to God,

to see,

that

we do not reach

we think

so quickly as

for

and that the most spiritual and enlightened souls mistake the consummation of the passive state of light

and

love for the

whereas

why fer

only the beginning of

end of the one we are considering,

souls do not advance

The reason

it.

because they do not suf-

themselves to be sufficiently stripped, or because

they do 23.

too early.

As long

practice or prayer, until there

one finds delight in any given it

comes a

certain difficulty

should never be disrelish for

it,

and pain in doing

absolute inability

left,

— never,

together with a ;

for to wait for

to wait for miracles.

God

gives

such miracles only to certain souls, which have not the requisite light for this stripping, and

person to instruct them thereto

;

for

who have no

which end

causes them, of His absolute power, to do what they

do not know. 24. It

and passive wearinesses

be observed, that, in the way of light

love, there are drynesses, aridity, pains, ;

but they are neither of the duration nor

the quality of those I have described in the

way of

naked faith. Wherefore care should be taken not to mistake here. It belongs to the director to judge of all.

Happy

25. It

the soul which finds an experienced one.

must

also be observed, that

what

say of

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

164

Christ begins

the inclinations of Jesus

way

the

of naked

throughout Christ,

faith begins

;

although the soul,

way, has no distinct views of Jesus

has yet a desire to conform

It desires the cross, humility,

states.

wards

all its

desire disappears,

this

leaning or

secret

as soon as

inclination

itself to

poverty

His

after-

;

and there remains a the

for

same things,

which grows continually deeper and deeper, acquiring simplicity,

and becomes, day by day, more intimate

and more hidden.

But they is

inclination, bias,

may

be, are terms

tendency, however delicate

which imply something which

not possessed, and which

without us.

But now

the inclinations of Jesus Christ constitute the state of the soul, are proper to natural.

They

it,

habitual, and, as

were,

are as things not different from itself,

own proper

and proper life Jesus Christ exercising them Himself without going out from Himself, and. the soul exercising them with Him

but as

its

essence,

;

exerand in Him, without going out from Him cising them not as something distinct, which it knows, ;

sees, proposes, practises,

ral to

&c,

it.

but as something most natu-

All the actions of

life,

such as respiration,

done naturally, without thinking about them and not by rule or measure, but according to need, all

are

—

;

without special purpose on the part of the person

doing them.

It is the

same

as regards the inclina-

tions of Jesus Christ in this degree

;

and

this state is

continually growing, in proportion as the soul

trans-

formed into Him, and becomes one and the same thing with Him.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

But

26.

are there, then,

the soul

God

165

no crosses in

this state

strong, with the strength of

God him-

and heavier ones

more them divinely. Formerly, the cross delighted the soul, and it loved and cherished it but now it thinks no more about it it sufThe cross becomes, like every fers it to come and go. self,

gives

than before

;

but

yet

crosses,

bears

;

thing else,

God

it,

though

but only the pain, the trouble, the deep

suffering,

Crosses are crosses no more

occupation of suffering.

God

they are

In other states, the cross

vanced

;

but in

this, it is

every thing else that

27.

virtue,

prominent in proportion as the state

all

;

has from

The

;

and, for this reason, they do not sanc-

;

tify but divinize.

and

this does not prevent

that

moment

God

ad-

to the soul, as also is

makes the to

life

of the soul,

all

moment being God to it.* is quite common,

exterior of these persons

and nothing extraordinary

be seen in

it.

The

more they advance, the more free they become, having nothing uncommon which appears externally, except to those who are capable of receiving it. Here all is seen, without seeing, in

God, such as

really is.f

* There are several kinds of temptations, which in general are celestial, spiritual,

and natural, which ought not

in the least to be

In the case of those who are in love towards the Lord,

confounded.

whatever assaults

this

celestial temptation.

love produces an inmost torture, which

In the case of those who are in love towards

the neighbor or charity, whatever assaults this love produces torment

and

—

A. C. 847. by a certain internal animadvertence, whether a thing be good, and whether it be true for the Lord insinuates this, inasmuch as they are conjoined to the Lord by love. A. C. 2831. of conscience,

They

this

[the celestial]

spiritual temptation.

know

instantly,

;

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

166

reason that this state

is for this

not subject to delu-

There are no visions, revelations,

sion.*

ravishments, changes. state,

which

ecstacies,

All this belongs not to this

quite above

it all.

This

way

simple,

pure, and naked, seeing nothing except in God, as

God

sees

it,

and by His eyes.

CONCLUSION OP THE AUTHOR IN THE FORM OF A LETTER TO

HER CONFESSOR. It is

go on here, there being a

my thoughts]. I believe I have drawn much from my natural light. f You will easily

total

too

not permitted

blank [in

distinguish such passages.

have made reflections

was perhaps more from nature than from grace that I have been impelled to write and I desire, indeed, here to make my confession of this, and frankly to avow that I have even committed, to the effect that it

towards the conclusion, some faults in

my memory

which had come *

What

perception

at this day no one

;

having retained

certain lights in regard to this state, to is

at this

in prayer, instead of losing day

a thing most unknown, because

which the ancients were, and particularly the most ancient; the latter of whom, from perception, knew whether a thing was good, and consequently whether it was true. There was an influx into their rational from the Lord, is

in the perception in

through heaven, whereby instantly, when they thought concerning any thing holy, they perceived whether it was so, or whether it was not so.— A.C. 2144. f The state of the celestial man is, that he is in good, and from good knows all truths, and never thinks and speaks from truths concerning good,

still less

from

scientifics

concerning good.

— A. C. 3301.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. them.*

Moreover,

167

have not distinguished, in the

what is natural and what is divine, what is God and what my own. I pray God that He will show it to you. I have not read this paper after writing it, and I

state that I

in,

When

have been much interrupted.

I left the sense

unfinished, I read over a line or two, or a few words, in order to continue.

against your wishes.

know

not

have done

This has happened to

times, but I have not read

over afterwards.

me I

have

not been careful to say every thing about the several states, or to avoid repetitions.

leave all this to your

discernment, praying our Lord to enlighten you, that

you may distinguish the

self-love has

* For the all

men

from the true, and what

false

sought to mix with His

light.

of the celestial church are such, that they perceive

the truths and goods of heaven from the Lord, by influx into their

interiors,

whence they see goods and truths inwardly in themselves, and have no need to learn them by a posterior way, or

as implanted, to treasure

them up

in their

memory.

— A. E. 739.

END OP PART

FIRST.

;

PART

II.

CHAPTER

More particular description of divine

what

several properties of the resuscitated and True liberty and resuscitated life distinguished from not such. Job a figure of it. 3. Beginning of the apostolic life. 1, 2.

life.

Facility of its functions its fruits. is

counsel not to enter

;

How virtue

practised in

common in outward appearance.

it,

upon

from, one's self;

especially humility.

Its ecstatic joy.

5—8.

Blessedness of being

9—11. Perfect abanfrom the prudence of our own wisdom, under pretence of the glory of God. A ray of glory escaped from

lost in

God, and of abandoning one's self to God.

donment

rarely practised,

which

results

the interior.

had

forgotten to say that this

which true liberty* think

it,

given

the state in

not a liberty, as some

;

which deprives or exempts one from doing This

things.

rather a privation than liberty

such persons believe themselves

free,

;

for

because, having

a disrelish for good things, they no longer practise

them.

The

liberty I speak of

the soul has a facility for

order of *

God and

He who

may be

freedom, and he

and in

freedom

does them itself;

for to

led in good from good to good

manifest that such are in blessedness and in happiness*

for there is nothing

things which are in the

state,

in the heavenly proprium

be led of the Lord

hence

all

of its

not of this nature

which disturbs.

— A. C. 5660.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

170

the more easily, the longer and the

more painfully

has been deprived of them. that I do not understand the state of

I confess

resuscitation

who

sons,

and divine

impotence and the loss of soul

restored to true

raised

spoken of by some per-

life

remain, notwithstanding, all

The

days in

this state, the

for, in

;

life.

all their

man

actions of a

up from the dead are actions of

life

;

and

the

soul, after its resurrection, continues to be without

life, it is,

To be

up.

actions

opinion, dead or buried, but not raised

raised up, the soul ought to do the

and do them only doing them in God.

used to do before

without any

difficulty

Did not Lazarus, the functions of

;

its

losses,

after his resurrection,

life

as before

And

converse with men.

Accordingly,

who

2. I

to eat

and

believe themselves to

yet are straitened and cannot

pray, that they are not raised up.

thing

all

This will serve as an example.

say of those

be in God, and

perform

Jesus Christ,

His resurrection, was pleased even

after

same

For here every

restored to the soul a hundred fold.*

There

a beautiful figure of this in Job,

look upon as a mirror of the whole spiritual

You

see

gifts

and graces

how God ;

strips

him

whom life.f

of his goods, which are

then of his children, which

is strip-

When man, by

the truths of faith,

being introduced to the

good of charity, he then undergoes temptations ; but, when he the good of charity, temptations cease, for then he

A. C. 8968. f That the book of Job

it.

— A.C. 3540.

in heaven.

a book of the ancient church

as has been mentioned, from the representative in

—

evident,

and figurative

style

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

171

ping him of his faculties or good works, these being our children and our dearest productions

;

God

by which is meant the loss of the virtues then he makes him to putrefy, rendering him an object of horror, of infection, and of contempt it seems, even, as if this holy man committed faults, and that he was deficient in resignation. He is accused by his friends of being justly punished by reason of his crimes there remains no sound part in him. But after he has rotted on the dunghill, and takes from

him

his health,

;

there remains nothing but his bones, and he corpse,

God

mere

does not give him back every thing, goods,

and

children, health, It is the

same

life.

after the resurrection

;

given

all is

back, together with an admirable facility in

making

use of them, without incurring defilement, without attaching one's self to them, and without appropriating

them

as formerly.

All

done in God, divinely,

using things as not using them. is

true

liberty and

true

to Jesus Christ in his death,

his resurrection,"

Rom.

you

viii.

make you Here

hard

all ;

it is

if a

shall be like

No.

own

him

" If the Son

liberty.

that the apostolic

injuring one's

and,

ye have been like

ye shall be free indeed " (John

36), but free with His

out at is

free,

Is it being free to be

vi. 5.

under inability and restrictions shall

In this state there

life.

person

self, is

life

begins.

nothing that

"With-

God

wills

called to instruct, to preach,

&c, he does it with a wonderful facility, which costs him nothing, and without its being necessary for him to prepare his discourse, since he is well able to prac-

172

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. what our Lord Jesus Christ says

to His disciples, " that they should not think beforehand of what they should say, but that, when it was time to speak, He tise

would give them a wisdom which no one should be able to resist," Matt. x. 19.

This

given only at a late period, and after dread-

have been endured

ful inabilities

and, the more severe

;

But one

they have been, the greater the liberty.

must not put himself in this state of himself; for, as God would not be the principle of such a state, the result would not be what was aimed at.* Those who are in

wonderful conver-

this state effect

without thinking about them. be said of this resurrection life, " that sions,

are given with it,"

In this

virtue

state, the soul

virtues have become, as to

it,

so that

cannot practise virtue as

practises

them

all

it signifies

ling to procure

The

able to apply itself

until

among them.f morning " [Ex. xvi.

abuse of good divine, in that they were

•wil-

of themselves for themselves, appears from the

making a residue

signification of

it.

without seeing or

distinction

" And the men made a residue of That

things good

were, habitual and natural

make any

to them, or to

20.]

all

11.

vii.

knowing them, and without being

may indeed

cannot even see or distinguish

;

Wisdom,

until the morning, as denoting to

be solicitous about the acquirement of good of themselves (see above,

Good divine; it is called when what is alike exists in ultimates, but from a contrary Good exists from a contrary origin when from man, not from origin.

n. 8478), consequently denoting abuse of

abuse

the Lord.

— A.

f The case truth is

not

C. 8480.

this

initiated

made

with the iniation of truth into good, that, before

and rightly conjoined,

it is

indeed with man, but

as of him, or as his property ; but, as soon as

it is

initiated

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

173

When

it hears some one uttering words of humility, and greatly abasing himself, it is all surprised and

astonished to discover that itself does not practise the It starts as

like.

humble

itself, it

which

and,

should try

would be rebuked for it as for an it would be unable to accom-

has passed has placed

below

For, in order to humble ourselves,

something

;

what

;

[at the

it is

in has placed

if it

because the state of annihilation through

;

Indeed,

unfaithfulness. plish

from a lethargy

same time], the above

all

its

annihilation and

humility.

we must

nothing cannot abase

its

first

itself

below

state it actually

humility and

by a transformation into God. Thus both from

all

virtue

its inability

comes

elevation.*

For this reason, these souls are very ordinary in outward appearance, and have nothing to distinguish them from others, except that they do no evil 5.

any one.

ordinary.f

For, as regards the exterior, It is

for this

very

reason that they are very

in*his good, then it is appropriated to

him;

then vanishes out of his

external memory, and passes into the internal, or, what it

it is

the same,

vanishes in his natural or external man, and passes into the rational

man, and puts on the man himself, and makes his human, human. A. C. 3108. * Hence it is that the spiritual have not love to the Lord like the consequently, neither have they humiliation, which is essencelestial

or internal

that

is,

his quality as to the

—

;

tial in all

for

worship, and by which good from the Lord

may

flow in

an elated heart never receives such good, but an humble heart.

—

A.C. 2715. f These are in the third heaven, and are the wisest of all. Such do those become in the world, who immediately apply to life the divine things which they hear, turning nal,

and worshipping the Lord

alone.

away from

evils as infer-

These persons, being in

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

174

known; a circumstance which upholds their state,* and makes them live in peace, without care or

little

concern about any thing whatever.

They have a boundless

joy, though not sensibly

perceived, arising from the fact that they neither fear, desire,

For which cause,

nor wish for any thing.

nothing can either disturb their peace or lessen their

David experienced

joy.

who

they

are in thee,

this,

when he

said,

Lord, are like persons

who

per-

are transported with joy,"

Ps. lxxxvi.

son transported with joy no longer sees or thinks about himself; great,

not

known

"All

and

feels

his joy, although very

by reason of

to himself

his trans-

port. 7.

and

The

soul, in truth, is in a state

ecstasy, unattended

of transport

by any pain, because God has

capacity almost without bounds. Those which are attended with a loss of sensation produce this effect only from the weakness of those

enlarged

its

ecstasies

and, as there

innocence, appear to others as infants ;

pride in their speech, they also appear simple.

nothing of '

— D. L. W. 427.

" To seduce, if possible, even the elect " [Mark xiii. 22] signifies who are in the life of good and truth, and thence with the Lord; these are they who in the Word are called the elect. They seldom appear in the company of those who veil profane worship under what is holy or, if they appear, they are not known, for the Lord hides, A. C. 3900. and thus protects them. *

those

;

—

When man

in such a [passive] state, he can also be gifted

| with peace by the Lord; for then he trusts solely in the Lord, and is

cares nothing for other things.

Thus,

man would

live in peace,

he must be in a passive state, and never in an active one, except by reaction

and concurrent

that the state

is still

action,

which

a passive one.

—

also S.

come from the Lord,

D. 635.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

who

and yet they excite the

are the subjects of them,

The weakness comes from soul, as it were, away from

admiration of the world.

God drawing

this, that

lose

itself, to

175

the

in Himself, but the soul being neither

pure enough nor strong enough to endure that drawing, it

God should

necessary either that

drawing the

soul,

cease from

whereby the ecstasy comes

end, or that nature should succumb and expire, as has

happened many times. But here the ecstasy has place perpetually, and not for a few hours only, without violence or injury,

God having

purified

and strength-

ened the subject to the degree necessary this It

wonderful ecstasy.

seems to me, that ecstasy results when God goes

forth from Himself; but I fear of saying

then

is,

what

What

erroneous.

drawn

that the soul

afraid to- affirm this for

ecstasy, because lost in

it is

I will

drawn out of

God, leaving behind

its

it,

but a blessed be abyssed

itself to

imperfections, and

own narrow and limited qualities, that share in those of God himself. how glorious is 8. O blessed nothingness

its

mination

miseries, poverties, fatigues

ye rewarded, and more than rewarded

which cannot be expressed thou not made believed,

for all

What

thy losses

when thou wast

that what caused thee

say

forth from itself expe-

riences that an ecstasy takes place with

and

for bearing

in the

much

gain,

may

thy

ter-

how

are

O happiness O soul hast !

Couldst thou have

mud and

the dust,

horror was destined

to procure thee happiness so great as that

which thou

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

176

now

enjoyest ?* If any one had told thee, thou couldst

not have believed

how good

ence,

Learn now, by thy own experi-

it.

it is

God, and that they who

to trust in

put their confidence in

Him shall never be

confounded.

abandonment! what good dost thou not effect in a soul and what advances would it not make if it only !

knew how to find thee sorrows would

yield itself

But, alas

to the

From how many knew how to

at the outset.f

not be delivered,

hand

if it

God from

the

first

people will not abandon themselves,

Those who do

and trust in God.

and who

this,

believe that they are so well established in the princi-

abandoned only

ple, are

* Despair

which

and not in

reality.

this further account, that the satisfaction of life

from the Lord

in figure,

may

be made sensible;

for,

when they come

out of that state, they are those who, being condemned to death, are

liberated from prison.

contrary to heavenly

desolations

and temptations

are perceived, and hence

life

also, states

impressed a

sense and perception of the satisfaction and happiness of heavenly

and perception of what

for the sense

life;

satisfactory

and happy

cannot come from any other source than from relation to things con-

may

trary.

To the

lations

and temptations are brought to the utmost

intent, therefore, that full relations

be had, deso-

— A.

pitch.

6144.

f It is,

in the

to be

known

that the Divine Providence

most singular of

all things;

stream of Providence are conveyed continually to

may be

the appearance of the means

of Providence

things to

him

;

who put

;

trust to themselves alone,

and that they are in the

and attribute

any one

a state of peace.

in the

whatever

in the stream

and attribute

all things to

to themselves.

themselves; for

to allow

a Provi-

to be

known

in the stream of Providence, so far

— A. C. 8478.

all

stream of Providence who

they are in the opposite, inasmuch as they refuse dence to the Divine, and claim

universal, that

felicities,

their trust in the Divine,

and that they are not

also, that, so far as

and that they who are

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

They wish

177

abandon themselves in one thing, and not in another. They would make terms with God, and put limits as to how far they will submit to His doings.

They

are willing to give themselves up, but

only on such and such conditions.

abandoning ourselves

we do

while

it is

;

not.

not

this is

;

imagining that we do

it,

whole and entire abandonment

excepts nothing, reserves nothing, neither death nor life,

nor perfection nor salvation, nor paradise nor hell.

Cast yourselves headlong, poor souls, into this state of

abandonment

from

Walk

it.

nothing but good will come to you

in assurance

upon

this

stormy

sea,

supported by the word of Jesus Christ, "Who has pro-

mised

abandon themselves St. Peter,

meet

who shall forsake all, and Him. But, if you sink with

to take care of those

we only had all

be assured that faith to

it is

from your

little faith.

advance unhesitatingly, and

dangers without even looking at them, what

good would not betide us craven heart considering

Thou

how

What

fearest thou,

art afraid of losing thyself

little

Alas

thou art worth, what great mat-

Yes thou wilt lose thyself, if thou hast strength enough to abandon thyself to God, but thou wilt lose thyself in Him. I cannot repeat often enough, ter is that

how all

;

blessed such a loss

is.

the world to this holy

Why

can I not persuade

abandonment

do preachers preach any thing beside

And why

* The Lord, in order to render any one blessed and happy, wills a total submission, that

is,

that he should not be partly his own, and

partly the Lord's; for there are then two Lords, serve at the

same time, Matt.

vi.

24.

whom man

total submission

cannot is

also

178

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

But

10.

alas! people are so blind, that they con-

sider this as madness, lack of prudence, something

women

only for

fit

or feeble minds, but quite unsuitable

great minds. It is something too low for them they must needs lead themselves with their own measure of prudence. This track is unknown to for

;

them, because they are wise and prudent to themselves

;

but

it is

revealed to the humble,

who

mit to be annihilated, and

who can

sub-

are willing to be the

foot-ball of the Divine Providence, leaving to It full

power to exercise and treat them as It will, making no resistance, and giving themselves no concern about what the world will say. Oh, what trouble this prudence of our

own own

own

has to become nothing, both in

its

by losing all esteem of itself because of its corruption, and in those of the creatures, by being willing to be their laughing-stock * eyes,

meant by the Lord's words in Matthew " "Whosoever loveth father and mother above me is not worthy of me, and whosoever loveth son and daughter above me is not worthy of me," x. 37. By father and :

mother are

signified in general those things

which are of man's pro-

prium from what is hereditary, and by son and daughter those things A. C. 6138. which are of man's proprium from what is actual.

—

* The enmity which is put [Gen. iii. 15] is between the love of man's proprium and the Lord, thus also between man's own prudence, and the Divine Providence of the Lord; for one's own prudence is

unceasing in the exaltation of is

its

unceasing in the depression of

head, and the Divine Providence

it.

man was

sensible of this, he

would be enraged and exasperated against God, and would perish but, whilst he is not sensible of it, he may be enraged and exasperated against men and against himself, and also against fortune, by which ;

means he does not

perish.

Providence continually leads

Hence

man

it is

that the Lord by his Divine

in freedom.

— D. P. 211.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

own may

People wish, according to their

keep a good standing that they

but

only to glorify themselves.

it is

willing to be nothing in the eyes

179

of*

declarations, glorify

To be God,

God

;

really

remain

in a state of entire abandonment, and even in despair, to give ourselves to

to acquiesce

Him when we

and not

to look

are

most repulsed,

when we

at ourselves

are on the brink of the abyss,

—

this is

something

very uncommon, and what constitutes perfect aban-

donment. There flows down,

11.

into the faculties like a

even in

this life,

and the senses, something which

shedding forth of glory from within

not common.

at times,

It is

His transfiguration.

;

but this

being as Jesus Christ was in

This

an eminent grace, and

attended with great purity.

CHAPTER 1

—

II.

Firmness, trials, elevation, exalted peace and purity of the soul become divine and abandoned by state. 6 8. All is then purely God to it. 9 12. The loss of false liberty is rewarded with liberty in God. Wonderfulness of this state, in which all is divinely sure, equal, and

—

indifferent.

The

soul, after

having reached a divine

state, is,

immovable rock, not to be shaken or blows of any kind, except when the Lord

as I have said, an

trials

wills that

should do something contrary to usage

and common wont.

If,

in that case,

does not yield

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

180

at the first impulse,

which

straint

cannot

inflicts

resist

;

and

a pain of con-

compelled, by

it is

a force which cannot be expressed, to do

what

wills.

puts

these souls in a state of perfect abandonment,

who

To rehearse

Him

resist

would

the strange trials to which

in nothing, is out of the question

be understood.

neither

;

All that can be said

that

is,

does not leave them the shadow of a thing, which

God

can be said to be either in

And He

lifts

them above

that nothing less than

God

is for

all

by the

loss of all,

Himself, either in heaven

or on earth, can stop them.

them, because there

or out of God.

Nothing can captivate

them no wickedness

any

thing whatsoever, by reason of their union with God,

who, in concurring with sinners, contracts nothing of

their

wickedness

by reason

His

essential

purity. 2.

that

This

than can be expressed

real

;

the soul participates in the purity of God, or

rather, all its proper purity (which

only a gross

kind of purity) having been abolished, the sole purity of in

God in Himself subsists in this a way so real, that the soul is in

of evil, and, as * Because

it is

the truth,

it is

given by the Lord,

it.*

to be believed that the lives

but the Lord.

follows that a

;

but

perfect ignorance

were, unable to commit

heaven and earth, and that none

when

nothingness

man

This,

Lord governs

From

this faith,

cannot commit sin

he knows that spirits who believe that they live from themselves, and govern themselves, excite those things in the man, which, though in him, are not excited by himself, because he then lives in a passive S. D. 635. state, and suffers himself to be governed [by the Lord]. for

—

— SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

181

however, does not hinder but that there

from

this state

may

be a

fall

although such a thing scarcely ever

;

happens, by reason of the profound annihilation the soul

is in,

alone

which leaves

can cause

no propriety

what no longer

for

sin,

and propriety

;

cannot

sin.

So much

this the case, that the

speaking of find great

when they go what

difficulty in confessing.

accuse themselves, they

souls I

For,

know

not

condemn, not being able to find in themselves any thing that lives, and can have willed to accuse or

to offend

lost in

God

;

can they will it,

— and

God,

because their will

God cannot

child

who

it.

If they are told to confess, they

fact is

For

lips

it,

what

will sin, so neither

told,

You must

;

no longer discover any

all is so lost in

no longer any accuser within

You have committed itself

4. fast,

it,

;

that there

remains well

But when

such a

which has done

Say that you have done

God it

;

pleased, without seeking to be so.

lips,

confess this,

and without reproach or remorse.

thing of conscience

nothing in

little

not knowing what he says, or whether the

so or not,

it,

but they speak

;

suggested to them, like a

the soul, in this state, can

said to

entirely

who should be

says

and

because they are very humble

with the

this

fault, it finds

and,

if it is said,

will say so with the

without grief or repentance. Its

peace

then so unchangeable and so stead-

that nothing in the world or in

* Perception spiritual

not conscience.

have conscience.

The

— A. C. 597.

all hell

celestial

can

affect

have perception, the

182 it

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

moment.*

for a

suffering

The senses but when they are

;

still

that they cry out, if the person

he examines himself, he that

nothing

I suffer

acknowledge that he state

in,

overwhelmed by

questioned, or

will find nothing in himself

In the midst of inconceivable pains,

suffering.

he says,

remain subject to

;

not being able to say or to

by reason of the divine and the blessedness which he expesuffers

riences in his centre or highest part.

There

here, a separation of the

is,

two

parts, the

lower and the higher, so entire and perfect, that they live together like strangers that

do not

know

each

and the most extraordinary pains do not prevent the perfect peace, tranquillity, joy, and unmovaother, f

bleness of the higher part, as the joyful and divine state of the higher does not hinder

in the lower, in

this

without mixture or confusion

any way. 5.

— and

extreme suffering

you would

attribute

any thing

thus transformed and become God,

at once, not being able to

will refuse it

find in itself

any thing

which can be named, affirmed, or understood in a perfect negation. *

He who is

and peace

;

befalls him,

for

From

which

to a soul

this arises the difference

gifted with a heavenly proprium is also in tranquillity

he trusts in the Lord, and believes that nothing of

and knows that concupiscences do not

infest him.

evil

— A. C.

5660.

f Spiritual things with them [those of the most ancient church] were altogether distinct from natural things, the former residing in their spiritual mind,

and the

latter in their natural

mind

;

and hence

they did not immerse any thing spiritual in their natural mind, as the case with

men who

are spiritual natural.

— A. E. 617.

;

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

183

of the terms [applied to this state], and the use of

expressions which

who

those

difficult to explain,

it is

This arises also from the lost

annihilation

its

any more than

fact, that, as

that

all

and God subsists within itself,

except to

are in a similar condition.

it, it

the soul has

was proper

can attribute nothing to

can to God, because

knows any thing but Him

to itself,

alone, of

Whom

no longer can say

nothing. 6.

Thus

question

all

God

this

soul

no longer about seeing

for

;

all

here

things in

the

God

them in Him. For example I see, in a chamber, what there is different from the chamber itself, though included in it but if for to see things is to distinguish :

;

every thing were transformed into this chamber, or if

every thing were taken from the chamber,

see nothing but the

All creatures,

— every

gences,

chamber

should

itself.

celestial, terrestrial, or

pure

intelli-

thing disappears and vanishes, and

God Himself as He was sees God only everyGod to it, not in the way of

there remains nothing but

before

where

;

creation.

The

* and

all

soul

thought, view, light, f but by identity of state and * In such a state were the most ancient people,

who were celestial men; for whatever they apprehended by any sense was to them a medium of thinking concerning the things of the Lord, thus concerning the Lord and His kingdom, and hence was the delight which they derived from things worldly and terrestrial.

When man

things, &c.

— A.

C. 3702.

know innumerable Thence the light of truth from good increases immensely, is

in this state, he then begins to

and becomes as a continuous heaven, which

lucidity ; for he

from the Lord.

— A.

C. 3833.

then in the light of

184

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

consummation of unity and God by participation,* so that ;

see itself,

as this unity

makes

no longer able

it is

also cannot see

any thing [but God] anyHence such a soul would be as indifferent at being for a whole eternity with devils as with angels. it

where.

Devils are to possible

for it

uncreated in

all,

—

as every thing else, to

for the

;

all

God

;

see

created

and

it is

no longer

being out of the

uncreated essence alone

is all

and

as well in a devil as in a saint,

although in a different manner.

But

this

so real that

soul to be otherwise.

it is

impossible for the

Accordingly,

should join to condemn thing of less account to

it,

would be a

their censure

than a buzzing

creatures

if all

fly.

This

would not be from obstinacy and firmness of will, as people think, but from the impossibility of any longer being concerned about

itself,

because

no longer sees

* All who are led by the Divine Providence of the Lord are elevated from proprium, and then see that every good and truth

from the Lord in

man

;

yea, they also see, that that which

perpetually the Lord's, and never man's.

from the Lord

— D. P. 316.

f In regard to the life of every one, whether man or spirit or angel, it flows in solely from the Lord, who is life itself, and diffuses

Himself through the universal heaven, also through

hell, thus into

every individual therein, and this in an incomprehensible order and series

;

but the

to his character

life :

which flows in

good and truth

good; whereas good and truth wicked, and is

is is

even changed into

received by every one according

received as good and truth by the received as evil and false by the evil

and the

false in

comparatively as the light of the sun, which diffuses

objects of earth, but is object,

them.

This

itself into all

received according to the quality of each

and becomes of a beautiful

color in beautiful forms,

and of an

ugly color in ugly forms. This is an arcanum in the world, but A. C. 2888. another life nothing is better known.

—

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

You

itself.

poses you to do

will

—

know nothing

neither do I think about

God and God's what God's will it

will to is,

rather than that

—

that which carries

and

— But

along.

or look at.

;

no longer know

why do you do

not

this

myself up to

I give

— Well, why — 1

It car-

my proper self having no longer He

goes that

instrument which

and God

way

;

do not see

my own

accordingly, I

;

have

lost all

not capable of

understanding any reason, nor of giving any for conduct, for I no longer have any conduct.*

however, ciple

infallibly, so

than the

I act,

long as I have no other prin-

infallible principle.

This blind abandonment soul I

no longer- have any interest separate

from Him, because, by losing myself, interest of

God

or understand

carried along with God,

am but an

that

;

me, and

alone causes this movement. acts,

understand nothing knowing nothing ; * all is

know

along, because,

any being, I

know

pray, dis-

Was

because that will has become, as

were, natural to me.

ries

and that

you

directed you, and gave

His

What,

shall ask of this soul, this thing

185

a thing of state to the

speaking of ; because, having become one

and the same with God, having lost

all

can see

God

dissimilarity, propriety,

only

;

for,

distinction,

* For they [angels in love to the Lord] see in themselves whether the things which they hear are true or not, and they see this not

from any sight in the thought, like others, but from the truth in their understanding ; for all truths with

on their

which

affections,

which derive their essence from

love to the Lord.

affections.

— A. E. 826. 13

them

affection of

are inscribed celestial love,

Thus truths with them make one with their

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

186 there

no longer room

abandon one's

abandonment, because to

for

one must needs be something, and

self

have the power of disposing of one's 8.

The

soul I

God with

speaking of

the sea, so that

having absorbed

done by the

along, and yet

has lost

that

all

has the

boundless sea

It is the sea

itself.

not carried along,

proper to

and having

;

sea, it acts as the sea

nature

its

but because, in losing

but without

sea,

it is

no other movement than the not that by

blended in

scanty and limited waters,

being distinguished from the sea that carries

no longer.

state, because, the

its

shares in all that

itself;

— mingled

no longer by choice and will

sea,

but by

liberty,

this state, lost

have spoken of

finds itself

ebb and flow of the

because

is,

Jesus Christ, as St. Paul says,

with Him, as the river

and

self.*

has these qualities,

proper qualities,

all its

longer has any others than those of the sea, and can

never be any thing but the sea.

This does not mean, as does not so retain could not draw

though

this is

forth in a

He will not

do.

what

His divine bosom, but 9.

we have

* For

man

God might

will say to

man

does not lose

cast

does not do

said, acts then, in a

But some one

take away from

said, that the soul

God willed, He moment from the sea,

nature as a creature, and

ture, as

have

nature, that,

its

forth from

This crea-

so.

manner, divinely.

me, — In

his liberty.

its

Not

this

;

way you is now

in genuine humiliation divests himself of all ability to

think and do any thing from himself, and leaves himself altogether to the Divine,

and thus accedes

to the Divine.

— A.

C. 6866.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

187

without liberty by an excess of liberty, because he has freely lost

the uncreated liberty, which

soul

appears to

fined within

is it

Who

men

of Jesus Christ

who can

— Thou hast

describe thee, f

said,

Rom.

God

life,

says this

nor princi-

shall be able to separate us

Now,

this expression,

Himself. J

Well, great

— was the — Frequently the

where was thy confidence

infallibility of

holy Paul

are confident/'

35, 38.

viii.

Loss,

from the love

are confident," excludes all doubt.

saint,

&c,

nor powers,

do.

great saint, " that neither death, nor

therefrom,"

to do

and can do

all,

shall ever be able to separate us

palities,

and

thou canst fear and apprehend

death, damnation

being con-

its

all things,

can do

Oh, wonderful state

10.

and what

no state or condition to which

does not adapt itself;

nothing that other

whole earth

large, that the

It is free to

any thing whatever.*

only as a point, without

it.

There

nothing.

and so

so free

no longer narrowed,

limited, or confined, as regards

The

created liberty.

all

Freedom derived from the proprium

is to

let-

indulge in all kinds of

pleasures, to despise others in comparison with one's self, to subject

them

to himself as servants.

But when he

loses this freedom,

then receives from the Lord heavenly freedom, which altogether

unknown

to those

— A. C. 5786.

proprium.

The perceptions of the

who

a thing

are in freedom derived from the

celestial

man

can never be described

;

for

they extend to the most minute and particular things, with

all

variety, according to states

X It

that the

— A. C. 521.

an eternal truth that the Lord governs heaven and earth;

also, that

and circumstances.

no one all

lives

life

from himself, except the Lord; consequently,

flows in, good of life

from the Lord, and

evil of

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

188

ters of this great apostle, this mystical doctor,

read by the world,

yet does not understand them,

although the whole mystic way, progress,

and

the divine

its

are

beginning,

its

end, are described therein, and even

life itself

— the world does not understand whom

these things in them, but a person to

the under-

standing of them has been imparted sees them there plainer than the day.

11.

the

men who

find

hard

themselves up to God, could but experience

give

this,

they

would acknowledge, that, although the way which led to it was extremely hard, one single day of this state

— —

many years of suffering. But by what route does God lead men thither 1 By ways quite the opposite to those we imagine for ourselves. He builds by casting down He gives life by taking it well rewards so

;

away.

Oh,

if I

methods

derful

But

who life

could only

must be

tell

He makes

silent,

what

does, and the

— man cannot

receive

from

hell.

This

which he

may

the faith of the heavens

it,

— those Here

me.*

are in this state can understand

faith, in

won-

use of to reach this point

when man

in this

be when in good, then evil cannot be affixed

and appropriated to him, because he knows that it is not from himself, but from hell. When man is in this state, he can then be gifted A. C. 6325. with power; for then he will trust solely in the Lord.

—

* But these things, although they are clear to those who are in the light of heaven, are

still

obscure to those

who

are in the light of

the world; thus to most persons at this day, and perhaps so obscure as to be scarcely intelligible.

Nevertheless, inasmuch as these things

are treated of in the internal sense, and are of such a nature, the

opening of them

when

not to be dispensed with

there will be illustration.

— A. C. 4402.

a time

about to come

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. there

no more need of place or of time

thing

alike

all

;

God should

would

189

places are good, so that

much at ease means being now useless,

all

there as elsesince the soul

Being eminently in

has infinitely surpassed them. the end, there

;* every

the order

lead them into Turkey, such persons

find themselves as

where,

nothing more to be looked

for.f

Here all is God; God is everywhere, and in and thus the soul is equal in all. Its prayer is

12. all

;

God Himself

;

J always equal, never

although the soul does not perceive

by a

When man

no impatience in the

man

so far as

not in

from

man

so far

it,

all the is

its facul-

in a state of love or of heavenly affection, he

then in an angelic state, namely, as

and

God

at times,

if,

some overflowing of His glory over

diffuses *

otherwise than

of consistence ;§ and

state

—

interrupted,

is is

affection ; for impatience is

it,

so far

not in time.

a corporeal

affection,

in time ; but so far as a

This

were, not in time, if there be

man

joy and gladness which are of affection, in that,

in them, time does not appear to

manifest in a sort of image

him

;

for

when

then in the

man. The affection of genuine love withdraws man from corporeal and worldly objects for it elevates his mind towards heaven, A. C. 3827. and thus withdraws it from the things of time. arrived spiritual need of doctrihas at good has no more who He nals, which are from others, for he is in the end whither he was tending, and no longer in the means; and doctrinals are nothing else A. C. 5997. but the means of arriving at good as the end. Human Lord's Divine all and all doctrine, the is worship For X A. C. 2811. insomuch that it is worship itself, and doctrine itself. internal

;

—

•j-

—

what concerns divine worship from

But

with those who are in the Lord's celestial kingdom,

effected

as to

with those

such

celestial good, it is

not

and prayers, of the same quality kingdom; thus not by truths from

confessions, adorations,

who

are in the spiritual

the memory, but by truths from the heart, which act as one with the love itself in which they are.

— A.

C. 10,295.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

190

and

ties

state,

senses,

works no change in

inmost

this

which ever continues the same.

Mary, who

possessed this state in a degree more perfect than any creature can have

it,

was

indifferent about remaining

or not remaining on earth after the ascension of her

Son.

And

she would have remained thus throughout

eternity, if such

Such a soul

had been the good pleasure of God.

not concerned about solitude, or inter-

course with the world

all

;

alike to

It is

it.

longer desirous of being delivered from the body, in order to be united to

God without

into the object of its love,

longer thinks about loving. love from Himself, and

state is not such that

it is

medium.

but transformed

state it is not only united,

;

changed

which causes that

For

loves God,

state,

Who

although this

impossible to be lost.

CHAPTER

III.

Perfect union, or Deiformity, explained by a comparison.

1, 2.

In this

—

These

and despised, are of great value, as also their actions but they are few in number, and of different degrees. 6, 7. The secrets of God are manifested to these hidden souls, and by them to others. 10, 11. 8, 9. Permanence and growth of this state, although unequally. All proper capacity is to be lost the capacity, participated from God by

souls, apparently ordinary ;

;

transformation, grows boundlessly.

There occurs to me me well suited to the

The good is

is first

a comparison which seems subject, taken

separated from the bad,

from grain.

— whereby

indicated conversion and separation from sin.

After

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. the grain

thus separate and pure,

longer

but

;

When

to flour,

that

all

which

coarse,

by kneading.

were defiling the only to

make

seems as

if,

we make bread of this operation, we

making it dark and dingy, and and whiteness and this, a pastry which is by no means as

delicacy

;

Subsequent-

beautiful in appearance as the flour was. ly, this

pastry

put to the

destined for the king's mouth,

by kneading

and annihilates causes

You bread

it,

but

who

and so changes

to pass into his

own

fare

even so

baked,

into himself,

not enough that the

handled and eaten even by the king, though

end

digestion,

and

substance.

for

which

destined.

changed into his substance, unless

and

consumes,

this is the very highest privilege it could enjoy,

the

it is

not only unites

eats, digests,

will observe, that it is is

must

fire.

But, after the bread

with such souls. to himself

flour,

its

the bran.

nothing but the finest

there remains

taking from

thus

not impurities, for they exist no

it,

purified from every thing foreign, it

necessary to

still

must be ground

When

diseases, &c.

by affliction, crosses, ground and reduced

remove from

191

and thereby

loses all its

it is

and

cannot be

annihilated by

own

proper form

quality.

This comparison serves well to express

states of the soul,

the

that of union and the great differ-

and transformation, in which, the soul, become one with God and be transformed

ence .between in order to

—

all

and changed into Him, must, of necessity, be not only eaten, but digested, that thus, after losing all that is

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

192 properly

its

thing with

own,

God

This state

may become one and

very

little

known *

for

;

much spoken of.f O strait is the way that leads to thee all," since thou art God Himself! it

same

the

not

which reason,

state of life

O love,

how

purest of

love, boundless

and independent, incapable of being limited by any thing whatsoever 3.

Notwithstanding, these souls appear as

were very ordinary, as

have

said,

they

because they have

nothing in the exterior to distinguish them, except a boundless liberty, which often scandalizes souls limited to whom, inasmuch ; than what they have, all which they possess not themselves seems to be bad.

and confined within themselves as they see nothing better

But the ple and

condemn

liberty they

so innocent,

eminent than

all

in these souls, so sim-

a holiness incomparably

that they believe holy.

It is thus

are to understand the passage which says, " that

the iniquity of a

who

man

does well," Ecclus.

more worth than a woman

xlii.

rent faults of these persons,

who

;

because the appa-

alone can deserve to

* The arcanum which here [Gen. xxix. 7] are few

who

n. 2636),

f But

lies

hid

is,

that there

ever arrive at a full state (concerning which state see

and thus who can be regenerated.

— A. C. 3787.

as these subjects are of such a nature, that they transcend

the apprehension of the natural man, and cannot be seen except in the light in this

day

illustrate

which the rational or internal are, because

them no

further,

inasmuch as the

transcending the apprehension,

more into the shade.

man

is,

which light few at

few are regenerated, therefore

— A.

C. 3596.

illustration,

it is

better to

unknown and

not to bring them into light, but

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

193

be considered as men, are of more worth than the

good deeds of

others, effeminate in comparison with

who do good

them,

so feebly, though in appearance

because the works of the latter have no so fervently more power than the principle from which they spring, which is nothing but the endeavor of a weak creature although an endeavor exalted and ennobled [by But souls perfected in the Divine Unity act grace]. and so in God, from a principle of boundless power their small actions are more acceptable to God than the many heroic actions of others, which appear so great before men. ;

—

;

This

why

the reason

souls of this degree are

not concerned, and do not seek to do any great things,

being satisfied to be as they are each moment.

vert

many

Mary, on earth, after the ascension Wert thou pressed with anxiety to con-

wert thou doing, of thy Son

What

souls

—

do great things

— Such a soul

does more, without doing any thing, towards convert-

hundred preachers who are Mary did more for the church

ing a kingdom, than

not in this state.

fi.Ye

while she did nothing, than I

do not mean that

souls to

many

known

God

the apostles together.

does not often permit these

this is

by no means

so, since

persons are directed to them, to

communicate a vivifying

many

all

whom

principle, thereby

very

they

winning

But this is done withmere Providence. care or anxiety, by Oh if men knew the glory which these persons, others to Jesus Christ.

often the offscouring of the world, render

they would be astonished and delighted.

For

God, it is

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

194

who render

properly they

God

a glory worthy of

God, without thinking about doing

so, because,

God

them in God, He derives from Himself them a glory worthy of Himself.* acting in

Oh, how many souls, quite seraphic in appearStill, there are ance, are far distant from this state 5.

in this state, as in all the others, souls

The

divine.

next to her,

divine

many

Mary was

life,

reach

it,

less,

Those who reach

usually, only a little before

be that God, wishing to make use of

death, except

them and

do wonders by them, should,

or less

progress in this state more or

according to the design of God. in the present

privileged above all

special end, advance

them

in this way.

for

Such

some cases,

however, are exceedingly rare.f 6.

For God hides them

His bosom and under the

most ordinary life, that they may be Himself alone, although they are His favored

exterior of the

known to

Here the

ones.

secrets of

Gcd

in Himself,

and of

Himself in these pure creatures, are manifested, not in the

way

of speech, view, light, but

by the know-

* The Divine cannot look at any thing else than the Divine, and

cannot look at that elsewhere than in things created from it is

that the Lord

so conjoined to

man,

thing which has relation to the Divine Lord.

itself.

Hence

and angel, that every not from them, but from the spirit,

In a word, the Lord cannot have an abode, and dwell with

man and

angel, except in His own, and not in their proprium; for evil.— D. P. 53. f They who are regenerating do not all arrive at this [the celestial] state, but some, and the greatest part at this day only to the first; some only to the second; some to the third, fourth, and fifth; few to the sixth; and scarcely any one to the seventh. A.C. 13. this is

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

God

ledge of a soul

flows from

that all

speak,

finds in itself, as

memory

itself

this divine depth,

astonished

without

soul

When that

doubt that

who

Lord, and from

under to the

astonished to find

does not know, and did not

them

who

Him

the angels, there

are in good,

look at truths.

is all

cannot

in writing them.§

are in good from truth look through truths

f That in the good of

man

really possesses

the Lord ; but they

the manifesta-

be acquainted with, though

believe itself to

itself, if

when

such a soul writes,

writes of things

* They

it,

to others is the manifestation of

itself.

ever

or recollection, like an invaluable

treasure which one does not observe until he

its

the necessity of manifesting tion of

such

possessed such things, f It were, a deep [well] of knowledge,

having thought that without

And when

dwelling in them.^'

to write or

195

and thence in

upward

truth, are in the

— A. C. 8771.

which flows in from the Lord through

love,

truth, which truth

lived in love to the Lord,

would manifest itself from and love towards the neighbor,

manifest not only from those things which exist in heaven, but also

from those which exist in inferior nature.

— A. C. 6323.

f In the interior man is the good which continually flows in from the Lord, and there conjoins itself with truths, and makes them to be

and next

faith,

to be charity.

man

what

but from good, because he

joined

good, then

looks from truths at

himself. §

— A.

When,

therefore, these truths are con-

regenerated;

for

then he no longer

and what is to be done, imbued with truths; and has them in

to be believed

C. 8772.

Ey Adam and

his wife

understood the most ancient church,

The men of that church, being principled in love to the Lord, had divine truths inscribed upon them, and thence knew from influx the things corresponding in the natural man,

which was a

celestial church.

which are called spiritual influx

scientifics

had

place,

;

in a word, with the

which

men

of that church

from the spiritual mind into the

SPIRITUAL TOEJEtENTS.

196 This

not the case with others

They

their experience.

their lights precede

who see at a and who describe

are like persons

distance things they do not possess,

things they have seen, the soul

known, understood,

are speaking of

a treasure within himself; after its manifestation,

sessed 7.

although

has

all

until

along pos-

it.

This does not, however,

God

meaning. longer

one who contains

does not see

But

&c.-*

is,

—

in this soul, or rather the soul

acts

express well

still

no longer

God

but

;

God comprehends

the instrument.!

acts,

and

it is

Himself

all

and causes them to be manifested by this soul to others and then, in drawing them from its inmosts, it knows that they were there, although, by being lost to itself, it could never have reflected upon

treasures,

;

them.

sure that any soul in this degree will

understand me, and know very well the difference natural, and thus into the things which are therein, which things they

saw according A.C. 617.

to their quality, as in

a mirror, from correspondence.

* That they who are of the Lord's spiritual church are interiorly natural, is because they only acknowledge that for truth which they

have imbibed from parents and masters, and afterwards have themselves confirmed with themselves, and do not see inwardly and perceive whether truth be from any other source than from this, that they have confirmed celestial:

hence

interiorly natural.

with themselves.

otherwise with the

that the latter are rational, but the former

— A.

C. 6240.

| It is known in the learned world that the principal cause and the instrumental act together as one cause man, inasmuch as he is a form recipient of the Lord's life, is an instrumental cause, but life ;

the principal cause

from the Lord

instrumental as

its life,

when yet

it is

;

this latter life is felt in the

not

its.

— A.

C. 6325.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. between

and other

this

and enjoys them

things

The

states.

first sees

we enjoy

these

the sun; the

second has become the sun himself, which does not enjoy nor think upon his This state

own

light.

very permanent, and there

change as to the inmost of

except an increased pro-

it,

And, as God is infinite, He can divinize a soul ever more and more, and that by enlarging its capacity. Mary, as I have said elsewhere, was

gress in God.

And

entirely filled with grace at her first conception. this is well discovered to the soul.

God when

fulness of

She was in the

she conceived the "Word, and

—

yet she grew almost boundlessly until her death.

How,

she was

full, as

—

the angel assures us, could

was because God enlarged her capacity every day, losing her and expanding her in Himself, as the water we have spoken of spreads itself ever wide and wider in proportion as it is lost in the sea, in which it is perpetually abyssing itself, she be filled yet more

without ever going forth from 9.

who

God

deals in like

They

they are not

all

small vessel,

one

;

but

* For the all

manner with

are in this degree have

others less.

these souls.

full, is

amount of

much

filled

does not contain as much.

men

All

God, but some more,

are all in a state of fulness, but

in an equal

when

it.

fulness.

as a large

The

case

of the celestial church are such, that they perceive

the truths and goods of heaven from the Lord by influx into their

interiors;

whence they see goods and truths inwardly in themselves, and have no need to learn them by a posterior way, or

as implanted, to treasure

them up

in their

memory.

— A. E. 739.

198

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

the same with these souls

they

all

have the fulness of

God, but according to the capacity of receiving, and

whom God

thus there are those to

For

city daily.

this reason, the

enlarges this capa-

souls live in

more they are ennobled, their capacity becoming continually more immense, without there being any thing for them either to desire or to do. For they always have God in fulness, God never allowing a moment's void in them; for, in proportion as He increases and enlarges, in the same proportion He fills with Himself. It is the same as with the air divine state the

this

;

a small apartment tains

air;

is full

enlarge

air,

this

but a large one con-

apartment more and

more, and just in that degree, infallibly though imperceptibly, the air will

always be getting admission.

In the same manner, without change of state or of

and without

any thing new, the But the capasoul increases in fulness and largeness. city of the soul can never be increased in this manner, disposition,

feeling

except by annihilation, because, up to this time, the soul has a repugnance to being enlarged. 10.

well to explain here a point of some

importance, which tradiction in

is,

that there

saying that the soul must be annihi-

lated in order to pass into God,

proper to

which

it,

while yet

and

lose

what

speak of a certain capacity

retains.

There are two capacities.

The one

proper to the

and limited when receive the gifts of God, but

creature,

and

this capacity is small

purified,

it is

adapted to

not

an apparent con-

God Himself; because what we

receive in ourselves

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS. than ourselves, as what

is less is

confined in a vessel

extended, although more precious, than the

less

which receives

vessel

199

But the capacity

it.

am now

speaking of

a capacity

of being extended, and of becoming lost continually

more and more in God.

This has place after the soul

has lost that propriety which fixed

in itself,

and

when, being no longer held back or straitened in itself

(because

annihilation,*

its

particular form, has disposed

by taking from it all to flow into God, so

and flows abroad in Him who cannot be comprehended), the more it abysses itself in

that

loses itself,

Him, the more

extends

itself

and becomes boundless,

sharing in His perfections.! 11. It is a capacity of ever

* Regeneration

growing and extending

nothing else than for the natural to be subju-

gated, and the spiritual to obtain the dominion; and the natural

then subjugated when natural

it is

reduced to correspondence

reduced to correspondence,

;

and,

when the

then no longer reacts, but

commanded, and obeys the dictates of the spiritual in nearly the same manner as the acts of the body obey the dictates of the will, and as the speech with the countenance is according to the Hence it is evident that the natural ought influx of the thought. altogether to become as nothing in respect to willing, in order that A. C. 5651. man may become spiritual. When it [the old natural] has become as nothing, then man is •f acts as it

—

gifted with

a new natural, which

called the spiritual natural

called spiritual from this, because the spiritual

what acts by or through it, and manifests itself by it as the cause by the effect. When this is the case, man then receives good from the. Lord; and, is

when he

receives good, he

with truths, he

gifted with truths ; and,

when he is gifted when he

perfected in intelligence and wisdom ; and,

perfected in intelligence and wisdom, he

eternity.— A. C. 5651.

blessed with happiness

200

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

more and more into

Him

joined to

God, being able to be transformed

in an ever-increasing degree, just as water, its

source, blends with

ever more and

more.

God being

our original,

nature such that

has created us with a

can be united and transformed so

as to make one with Himself.

CHAPTER The

IV.

all divine. They have no more and why. 3 5. Their sufferings are without reflection, but by impression. 6—8. The greatness of these sufferings, which, however, do not impair their repose or contentment, by reason of their deification, which grows boundlessly but gradually. 9 12. Neither goods nor evils can any longer impair their peace, just as God is neither troubled nor changed by His sight of men's sins, because all redounds to His glory.

1, 2.

first

impulses of these souls are

—

reflections,

—

The

remain as

soul, then, has it is,

the impulses of this state are

leading.f

and its

nothing to do here but to

to follow, without resistance, all

mover.

All

its

first

impulses in

from God,*' and constitute His

This

infallible

not the case in the lower states,

* For the truths with them [those of the Lord's celestial kingdom] are inscribed on their love : wherefore, prescribed, they do

at the

when they do from love what is

same time from

thought concerning them from what

—

truths, without

any

doctrinal, thus without calling

forth from the memory. A. C. 10,295. respect to perception of good and truth in things celestial With f interior the angels have this from the Lord, and the spiritual, and ancient church had it, and the celestial have it who most men of the

them

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

201

except after the soul has begun to taste and delight in its

centre

but even then

it is

any one who should observe

not so infallible

this rule,

in this highly advanced state,

;

and

without being

would be

likely to go

astray. 2. This, then, is the

led, viz.,

way

which such a soul

following, blindly and without leading,

the impulses which are from God, without reflection.

Here

find difficulty in resorting to

But

so.

fort,

and the soul would

reflection is banished,

all

since

it,

even

desired to

if it

might perhaps, by making the

ef-

succeed in this, reflections must be shunned above

every thing else

;

because reflection

capable of leading

him out

of God.

man back

Now I

the only thing

into himself,

say, that, if

forth from God, he will never sin sin, it is

;

man

and

and taking does not go

that, if

he does

because he has gone forth from Him, which

The

can only be done by propriety.

soul cannot

return into itself except by reflection, which would be

a hell like that which befell the

first

angel,

who, in

looking at himself with complacency, instead of considering

what he owed

God, loved himself, and

became a devil.* And this state would be so much the more horrible, as the other should be more advanced. are in love to the Lord: they

know

instantly,

by a

certain internal

animadvertence, whether a thing be good and whether

be true; for

the Lord insinuates this, inasmuch as they are conjoined to the Lord

—

love. A. C. 2831. * With respect to the state of a

man of the church, the case is this:

during the progress of regeneration, he learns truth for the sake of

SPIRITUAL TOBEENT8.

202 3. It will

be objected, that, according to

can be no suffering in this state the interior, but there

have said)

— because,

reflection in order to

may be will

—

(there

this, there

none as to

as to the senses, as I

suffering,

must be

said, there

and

reflection

which constitutes the principal and most painful part All this

of suffering.

true in a certain sense

the fact that souls far inferior to these suffer,

it is

one time in the way of

the

and,

;

way

of impression,

reflection,

to be

and

at another in

understood that

those of this degree cannot suffer otherwise than by

This does not hinder that the

impression.

undergone

pain

without limits, and much more severe

than that which results from reflection; just as one fire impressed upon him would more sensibly than one who should be burnt

burnt by having the feel it

reflection

from the

fire.*

good, for he has the affection of truth to this intent; but, after he

regenerated, he then acts from truth and good.

When

arrived

at this state, he ought not to betake himself to his former state; for, if he should do this, he would reason (ratiocinate) from truth concerning the good in which he is, and would thereby pervert his state; for all reasoning (ratiocination) ceases, and ought to cease, when man is in

state to will

from the

will,

what

true and good; for then he thinks and acts

consequently from conscience, and not from the underif he should from this again, he would A. C. 3652. and sink therein.

standing as before; and, into temptations

* There are several kinds of temptations, which in general be divided into the

fall

—

celestial, spiritual,

and natural

never to be confounded with each other.

;

may

and these ought

Celestial temptations

can

have no place except with those who are principled in love towards the Lord; and spiritual temptations with those only who are in charity towards their neighbor.

— A. C. 847.

SPIRITUAL TORKENTS.

But

thoughts by the

suffer

way

— God

they must suffer

;

see

God

direct their

will be

Him

in a

by a

self-reflection,

God what

make them

do this in the way of

will not

but

accompanied with

moment what

direct sight, not

— just

beatified

Himself, and what

in the creatures

and in them-

without exercising self-regard or

self-reflection,

takes place out of selves,

not

of reflection so as to

He may show them

reflection.

spirits

— Will

asked,

203

but continuing firmly attached, abyssed, and lost in

God.* This

a point as to which

many

spiritual per-

sons are deceived, since they believe that nothing can

known

or suffered except by reflection.

contrary, the knowledges

and

the

kind

sufferings of this

are very light in comparison with the others.

All suffering that

distinguished and

knows

although commonly expressed in such high

itself,

terms, does not equal that of these souls,

who do not

know

assert that

they

two

their suffer,

sufferings,

and who cannot

because of the great separation of the

parts.

It is

both true that they suffer extreme

anguish, and that they suffer nothing, and are in a state of perfect contentment.

I believe that if

such

a soul were led into hell,

would endure

cruel

* For God

its

everywhere, and yet not in space ; wherefore,

as well within as without an angel, and hence an angel can see Grod;

that

is,

the Lord, both within and without himself,

thinks from love and wisdom; without,

wisdom.

— D.L.W. 130.

— within, when he

when he thinks of

love

and

204

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

pains in this manner, in complete contentment

not

;

contentment caused by a sight of the good pleasure of God, but an essential contentment by reason of the blessedness

transformed interior.

its

which makes these souls

as regards all

indifferent

extreme suffering does not prevent per-

suffering, as

Those who have experienced

happiness.

can well understand It is

this

This does not prevent, as I have said, extreme

states.

fect

this,

it.

not here as in the passive state of love, in

which the soul

so rilled with sweetness, or with

love for suffering and for the good pleasure of God.

This

not at

by a

tion, in

which

that

so.

This state comes about

the case.

all

loss of all things in all

The

God

;

by a

state of deifica-

God, without the soul

established

sovereign good, without change.

state;

for

when many enjoy

having

by permanent

happiness,

first place,

gives

perception, not distinct itself,

in a

its

perfect

from a permanent

God

state.

a deep-

previous gives,

in the

the light of this state, and next, the delight

at length,

;

transitorily,

state in its

It is in

seated beatitude, where nothing can cross that happiness

seeing

soul's

;

in the

next,

way

of confused

gives the

state

permanent manner, and establishes the soul

it for ever.

I shall

be told that, the soul being established in

this state, there is fact

less

nothing further for

just the other

work

to be

way

;

there

to do.

The

always a bound-

done on the side of God, though not

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

God

on that of the creature.

soul all at once, but

has been said,

which

little

who love Thee I" made David cry 9.

;

and then, as

Thy goodness which Thou who fear (Ps. xxxi. 19) and

was the sight of

this state

which

out so often after he was purified

sin.

These souls can no longer be astonished, either

any grace that

may

little

can always deify more and more, since

hast laid up for those

does not divinize the

and

increases the capacity of the soul,

an unfathomable abyss. " O God how great

from his

205

related to them, or at any sin that

know thoroughly both

be committed, since they

God which causes the man which is the source

and the

the goodness of

one,

wickedness of

of the other.

The whole world might perish without their being troubled by

it,

Are

upon them.

God

did not impress this concern

they, then, no longer jealous for the

honor of God, since they no longer afflict themselves No ; at the sins which are committed by the world ?

They

by no means. as

are jealous for the glory of

God Himself is. God is, of necessity,

obliged

reference

love His

own

and out of Himself in others,

He does He does in

cannot be

glory more than any other can in Himself,

God

Himself.

;

and

Nevertheless,

all

that

displeased at the sins of the whole world,*' nor at the * The Lord

as far from cursing

Who

and being angry with any one

can believe that the Lord, who

omniscient and omnipotent, and rules the universe in wisdom, and

as heaven

from earth.

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

206

men, although, in order that He might save them all, He was incarnate, and took a suffering and mortal body, and laid down His life. These souls also would give a thousand lives to save them,

ruin of

all

Who

because God,

them share

God

has transformed them, has made

own

in His

And

does.

the salvation of all

qualities,*

although

own

yet does not

For

it is

fail

whatever in which

way

either in the is

against

God

honor

but

for

;

still

sin

—

from their ruin.

God should permit any

thing

not necessarily glorified,

of justice

he does

the

Him

on God's

of mercy.

who

This,

transgresses

thereby an active dis-

side there

no passive

must needs be that the transgressor's should, against his own will, redound to the

dishonor, and

own

all

— although,

not always effectual,

not the intention of him

indeed,

;

them

to derive glory

impossible that

it all

does truly desire

salvation,

fault, that grace is

God

men, and gives

grace necessary for their their

and they see

glory of God.f thus infinitely above all infirmities, dust,

— that

is,

angry with such miserable

with men, who scarce know any thing that they do,

Wherefore and can do nothing of themselves but what is evil! with the Lord there is never to be angry, but to be merciful.—

A. C. 1093. *

The nature and quality of the Lord's love transcends all understanding, and is more especially incredible to those who do not know what the celestial love is, in which the angels are. Those

human

angels, for the sake of saving a soul from hell,

death ;

yea, if

was

in their power, they

make no account

would endure

hell for such

a soul.— A. C. 2077. t For such

the state and such

the equilibrium of all things in

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS.

207

Although God, from His nature, cannot be offended, he who offends Him deserves boundless punishment, by reason of the wicked will which he 11.

has to offend and dishonor this infinite Goodness.

he does not does

cerned

effect this as

and

;

his

far as

regards God, he yet always

own

action and will are con-

this will is so malignant, that, if it could

God His

would do so.* It is, therefore, this malignant will on the part of the subject which makes the guilt, and not the action ; for if a person whose will is lost, abyssed, and transformed in God, were reduced by absolute necessity to commit take from

deeds of

sin,

—

martyrs to do, This

as certain tyrants compelled the virgin

— they would

do them without

sin.

plain.

But

12.

divinity, it

to return

no concern about

I say that these souls

sin, because,

can have

although they hate

without bounds, they are no longer painfully affected another evil of

life,

that evil returns upon

punishment, and that

mission for the sake of the

Lord turns

all

it is

him who does

inevitable.

amendment

and becomes the

it,

This

of evil:

called its per-

still,

however, the

the evil of punishment into good, so that nothing but

—

A. C. 592. good is from the Lord. * These two loves [the love of

self,

and the love of the world] and so far as man is

increase, so far as the reins are given them,

advanced into them

;

and at length they increase beyond measure, so own kingdom, but also

that they not only desire to govern all in their

beyond

its

when they that

is,

borders, even to the ends of the earth : yea, those loves,

are unrestrained, ascend even to the

to such

God

of the universe;

a height that they who are in them wish to climb

into the throne of God,

self.— A. C. 7375.

and to be worshipped instead of God Him-

208

SPIRITUAL TORRENTS,

by the sight of

since they see

And

although, were

own

life

to prevent the

they would do

it, if

God

sees

it.

needful for them to give their

God

commission of a single

sin,

so willed, yet this is without

action, without desires, without inclination, without

—

all in a peron their side, fect state of death, in which they no longer see things save as God sees them, and no longer judge of them

choice, without eagerness

save as

judges.

THE END.

\iM