The union of the soul with God. A comparison.

What I have hitherto written will, in some degree, explain the nature of that estate which I have called the union of the soul with God, and therefore, what now follows will be so

much the more intelligible. It is not my intention at present

to describe, in particulars, what is the union of the intellect, of the will, and of the memory; what is the transient, and what the permanent union of these faculties, and what also is the perfect union: of this I shall speak hereafter, and the matter will be more clear when I come to discuss it in its

* S. John ix. 39. VOL. I.: F

;

proper place, having before me a vivid example of it; then the matter will be clear, each particular observed and susceptible of a better decision. Now I am speaking only of the perfect and permanent union in the substance of the soul and its powers, so far as the union is a habit. Because, in reference to actual union, I shall explain hereafter how there is not, and cannot be, any permanent union in this life in the faculties of the soul, but only that which is transient.

In order then to understand what this union is, we must remember that in every soul, even that of the greatest sinner in the world, God dwells, and is substantially present. This union or presence of God, in the order of nature, subsists between Him and all His creatures. By this He preserves them in being, and if He withdraws it they immediately perish and cease to be. And so when I speak of the union of the soul with God, I do not mean this substantial presence which is in every creature, but that union and transformation of the soul in God by love which is only then accomplished when there subsists the likeness which love begets. For this reason shall this union be called the union of likeness, as the other is essential or substantial union; this latter one is natural, the other is supernatural, which takes effect when two wills, the will of God and the will of the soul, are conformed together, neither desiring aught repugnant to the other. Thus the soul, when it shall have driven away from itself all that is contrary to the divine will, becomes transformed in God by love.

This is to be understood not only of that which is contrary in act but also in habit, so that not only voluntary acts of imperfection must be got rid of, but the habit thereof as well, And because no creature can, by any actions or capabilities of its own, attain to that which is God, the soul must be therefore detached from all created things, from all | actions and capabilities of its own, that is from its own

understanding, taste, and feeling, so that passing by everything which is unlike to, and not in conformity with God, it may attain to the receiving of His likeness, and resting upon nothing which is not His will, it may be so transformed in Him. Though it be true, as I have said, that God

is always in every soul, bestowing upon it, and preserving to it, by His presence, its natural being, yet for all this He does not always communicate the supernatural life.. For this is given only by love and grace, to which all souls do not attain; and those who do, do not in the same degree, for some arise to higher degrees of love than others. That soul, therefore, has greater communion with God, which is most advanced in love, that is, whose will is most conformable to the will of God. And that soul which has reached perfect conformity and resemblance is perfectly united and supernaturally transformed in God, For which cause, therefore, as I have already explained, the more the soul cleaves

to created things, relying on its own strength, by habit and inclination, the less is it disposed for this union, because it does not completely resign itself into the hands of God, that He may transform it supernaturally. The soul has need, therefore, to be detached from these natural contrarieties and dissimilarities, that God, who communicates Himself to it naturally, in the order of nature, may also

communicate Himself supernaturally, in the order of grace.

This is the meaning of S. John when he said, ‘born,

not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of

man, but of God.’* It is as if he had said, ‘ He gave power to be made the sons of God,’ that is, to be transformed in God, only to those who are ‘born, not of blood, not of natural temperaments and constitutions, ‘nor of the will of the flesh,’ nor of our natural free will and capacities, and

* §. John i. 13. F2

still less of the will of man, which includes every form of intellectual judgment and comprehension. To none of these gave He power to be made sons of God in all perfection, but only to those who are born of God; to those regenerated by grace, first of all dead to all that is of the old man, rising above themselves to that which is supernatural, and receiving from God their new birth and sonship, surpassing every thought of man. For as our Lord saith, ‘ Unless a man be born again of water and the Holy Ghost, he cannot enter into the kingdom of God.’* He who shall not have been born again of the Holy Ghost shall not see the kingdom of God, which is the estate of perfection. To be born again of the Holy Ghost in this life perfectly, is to be a soul most like unto God in purity without any stain of imperfection. Thus the pure transformation by participation of union may be effected, though not essentially.

In order that we may have a clearer notion of the one and the other, let us consider the following illustration: the sun, with its rays, strikes a window; but if that window be stained and unclean, the sun cannot shine throughout nor transform it perfectly into itself, as it would have done, had it been clean and unsullied. This depends not on the sun but on the window, so that if the latter were perfectly clean, the rays of the sun would so shine through it, and so transform it as to make it seem identical with the rays and to give forth the light thereof, though in truth the window, while it appears.one with the rays of the sun, preserves still its own separate and distinct substance. In this case we might say that the window isa ray or light by participation.

Thus the soul resembles the window; the divine light of the presence of God in the order of nature, perpetually

* $. John iii. 5.

strikes upon it, or rather dwells within it. The soul then by resigning itself —in removing from itself every spot and stain of the creature, which is to keep the will perfectly united to the will of God; for to love Him is to labour to detach ourselves from, and to divest ourselves of, everything which is not God, for God’s sake— becomes immediately enlightened by, and transformed in, God; because He communicates His own supernatural Being in such a way that the soul seems to be God Himself and to possess the things of God. Such an union is then wrought when God bestows on the soul that supreme grace which makes the things of God and the soul one by the transformation whith renders the one a partaker of the other. The soul seems to be God rather than itself, and indeed is God by participation, though in reality preserving its own natural substance as distinct from God as it did before, although transformed in Him, as the window preserves its own substance distinct from that of the rays of the sun shining through it and making it light.

Hence it becomes more evident that the fitting disposition

for

for this union is, not that the soul should understand, taste,

feel, or imagine anything on the subject of the nature of God, or any other thing whatever, but only that pureness and love which is perfect resignation, and complete detachment from all things for God alone. And as there cannot be any perfect transformation without perfect pureness, so in proportion to that pureness will be the enlightenment, illumination,. and union of the soul with God, yet not wholly perfect if the soul be not wholly purified and clean. The following illustration will make this plain: conceive a picture painted with exquisite taste and delicate finish, the lines of which are so admirably formed that by reason of their singular fineness they can with difficulty be observed. Now, he whose vision is imperfect will see only the less

love.

An

perfect portions of the picture, and he whose vision is clearer will see more of its beauties, and another with still better eyesight will see more, and, finally, he whose vision is the most perfect will see the most delicate excellencies of it, for the painting has so much beauty that the more it is observed the more remains to be seen. All this is applicable to those souls who are enlightened by God and in Him transformed. For though it be true that every soul, according to its measure, great or little, may attain to this union, yet all do not in an equal degree, but only as our Lord shall give unto each; as it is with the blessed in heaven, there some see

God more-perfectly than others, and yet all see Him and all

are satisfied and happy, for each one is filled with the vision according to his merits, greater or less. Hence it comes to pass, that though souls in this life enjoy equal peace and tranquillity in their state of perfection, everyone being satisfied, nevertheless some of them may be more advanced than the rest, in a higher degree of union, and yet all equally satisfied according to their several dispositions, and the knowledge they have of God. But that soul which does not attain to that degree of purity corresponding with the light and vocation it has received from God, will never obtain true peace and contentment, because it has not attained to that detachment, and emptiness of its powers, which are requisite for this pure union.