The fifth kind of goods, in which the Will has Joy: the Supernatural. Their nature, and the difference between them and Spiritual Goods. How Joy in them is to be directed unto God,

I HAVE now to speak of the fifth kind of goods in which the

soul rejoices, and which I call Supernatural. By these I

mean all those gifts and graces of God, which surpass our

natural powers and capacities, called by theologians gratis date—such as the gifts of ‘wisdom and understanding ’* given to Solomon, and those mentioned by 8S. Paul, namely

‘faith, the grace of healing, working of miracles, discerning

of spirits, the interpretation of speeches, and the gift of

tongues.’f Though these are all spiritual gifts, like those of which I am about to speak, still, owing to the great difference between them, I have made a distinction. These gifts have an immediate reference to the edification of others, and are given for that special end, as the Apostle saith: ‘The

manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man unto profit,’ +

speaking of these gifts. But the spiritual gifts lie simply

between the soul and God, in the intercourse of the Intellect and the Will, as I shall explain hereafter. There is, therefore, a difference between them in respect of their object. The spiritual gifts are concerned with God and the soul, but the supernatural gifts, with which I have now to do, are intended for the edification of others; they differ, too, in their nature, and consequently in their functions, and the doctrine concerning them is therefore of necessity different also.

As to the Supernatural gifts and graces, in this sense, I observe, with reference to self-denial in the matter of Joy, that they involve two grand Temporal and Spiritual benefits.

* 3 Kings iv. 29. t 1 Cor. xii. 9, 10. t 1 Cor. xii. 7,

of

the tion

The Temporal benefits are the healing of the sick, giving sight to the blind, the raising of the dead to life, the casting out of devils, foretelling of future events, and others of this kind. The Spiritual and Eternal benefits are, that God is known and served through these works by him who doeth them, and by those for whom and before whom they are wrought. Now as to the first benefit, namely, the temporal: these supernatural acts and wonders merit little or no rejoicing on the part of the soul, for without the spiritual benefit, they are of little or no profit to men, because of themselves, they are not means of Union with God—that being Charity. Moreover, they may be wrought in persons not in a state of grace and of charity; for they may be either the work of God, as in Balaam the impious prophet, or the work of the devil, as in Simon Magus, or the effects of mere natural but secret causes. _These marvellous works, if any of them, profit him who works them, are true, and the gifts of God. S. Paul tells us what the value of these works is, when they are not accompanied by the second benefit, saying: ‘ If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, and have not Charity, I am become as sounding brass, or a tinkling cymbal. And if I should have prophecy, and should know all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I should have all faith, so that I could remove mountains, and have not Charity, I am nothing.’* Many men who have thought much of their own good works, when asking to be admitted unto His glory, saying, ‘Have not we prophesied in Thy name... and done many miracles in Thy name?’ will receive for their only answer: ‘ Depart from Me, you that work iniquity.’t Man, therefore, ought to rejoice, not in the possession and exercise of these gifts, but in that he elicits from them the

* 1 Cor. xiii. 1, 2. + S. Matt. vii. 22, 23.

second spiritual benefit, namely, serving God in true Charity, wherein consists the fruit of everlasting life. Our Lord rebuked His disciples when they returned to Him with joy because they had power over evil spirits, saying, ‘ Rejoice not in this, that spirits are subject unto you: but rejoice in this, that your names are written in Heaven.* The meaning of which, according to sound Theology, is: Rejoice, if your names are written in the Book of Life. Man, therefore, ought not to rejoice, unless he is walking in the right way, doing his good works in Charity. For of what profit is anything in the sight of God which is not His love? Now Love cannot be perfect if it is not strong enough and wise enough to purify itself from all Joy in these things, and to find it only in doing the Will of God. It is in this way that the will is united to God in these supernatural goods.