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nor that of actual love of God. which agrees to souls in all acts of the divine 
love; hut this mystical union is that of the powers, or of the understanding 
nnd will, which, by their vital actions, are closely united to God. For the 
intellect, divested of all corporeal images, is penetrated with the clear light 
and infinite brightness of the divine wisdom, and the will is closely joined 
to God by the most ardent love, which is like a fire consuming all earthly 
affections. In this state, the soul is dissolved in tenderness and sweetness, 
and being, as it were , reduced to nothing, falls into the abyss of eternal 
love, knowing and feeling nothing but love, with inexpressible joy and 
pleasure, which manifests itself even in the body, which almost faints 
away, and loses all its strength. The soul shuts her eyes without intending 
it, and if she opens them again, scarce sees anything with them. So the 
seraphic St. Theresa. 
The fruits of this most sublime, supernatural state of the soul are, 
according to the same Saint, most ardent desires, heroic resolutions, an 
abhorrence and clear knowledge of the vanity of the world. 
The soul here sees manifestly the excess and infinite magnificence 
•of the divine goodness and mercy; her own entire inability to do the least 
thing towards deserving it, and her utter unworthiness and baseness. 
As when the sun casts its full light into a chamber, every mote be¬ 
comes visible, so the soul in this state has so distinct and full a view of all 
her miseries, that she seems even incapable of any vain-glory. 
The manner of this perfect union is pretty uniform; but its effects 
vary, and it is often accompanied with many other heavenly communica¬ 
tions and inebriations of spirit. 
“Could you but know, could you but know. 
How sweet it is to stay, 
In God’s own loving arms at night 
And do His work all day; 
What happy minds the holy have 
When most they seem in pain , 
And what a load the sinner bears, 
However great his gain!” 
— Anon. 
