Of some evils to which men are liable who indulge in the sensible sweetness which results from objects and places of devotion,

The spiritual man is subject to many evils in this matter if he will walk therein in the way of sensible sweetness. These evils are Interior as well as Exterior. As to the first: he will never attain to that interior recollection which consists in overlooking and forgetting all sensible sweetness, nor will he acquire substantial self-recollection, and solid virtue. }

As to the second, he unfits himself for praying in all places alike, and he can only pray in. those which are to his taste. Thus he will frequently neglect his prayers, because, as they say, he can pray only out of his own book.

Besides, this affection for particular places is the source of many inconsistencies; for those who indulge it never continue in the same place, nor even in the same state of life; at one time here, at another there; to-day in one cell, tomorrow in another; they make their arrangements in one

oratory to-day, and the next in another. Of such people are those whose life is spent in changing their state and manner of living. As these people are influenced solely by that fervour and sensible sweetness which they find in spiritual things, and as they never do violence to themselves so as to become spiritually self-recollected by the denial of their will and by voluntary endurance of inconveniences; so whenever they see a place which seems to them better adapted for devotion, or a state of life better suited to their tastes and inclinations, they run after it at once, and abandon that wherein they were before. Being thus under the dominion of sensible sweetness, they are eager in the search after novelty, for sensible sweetness is uncertain and rapidly passes away,