CHAPTER VI.

Of the foretaste of divine consolations, with which God sometimes allures beginners.

IT was his custom to go into his chapel after matins, and sitting down upon his chair to take a little rest. He sat there but a short time, until the watchman announced the break of day; when, opening his eyes, he used to fall at once on his knees, and salute the rising morning star, heaven’s gentle queen, with this intention 24that, as the little birds in summer greet the daylight, and receive it joyously, even so did he mean to greet with joyful longings her, who brings the light of the everlasting day; and he did not merely say these words, but he accompanied them with a sweet still melody in his soul.

Once at this time, while he sat thus at rest, he heard within him something which rang so tenderly, that his whole heart was stirred by it. The voice sang in tones sweet and loud, as the morning star uprose, these words:—"Stella maris Maria hodie processit ad ortum: Mary the morning star has risen to-day.” This strain resounded in him with such unearthly sweetness, that it filled his whole soul with gladness, and he sang with it joyously. After they had thus sung together, he was embraced in a way ineffable, and it was said to him at the time:—The more lovingly thou embracest me, and the more spiritually thou kissest me, so much the more ravishingly and lovingly shalt thou be embraced by my glory. Upon this he opened his eyes, and, the tears rolling down his cheeks, he saluted the rising morning star according to his custom. When this first salutation was ended, he next saluted with a 25venia²²   A monastic term, which means to kneel down and kiss the ground. the gentle Eternal Wisdom in the words of the prayer, beginning “Anima mea desideravit te, “&c. This was followed by a third salutation, with another venia, which he addressed to the highest and most fervent of the Seraphim, even to the one who flames upwards in hottest and fieriest love towards the Eternal Wisdom, and this he did with the intention that the spirit should so inflame his heart with divine love, that he might both be on fire himself and enkindle the hearts of all men with his loving words and teaching. These were the salutations which he made every morning.

One night in the carnival time, when he had prolonged his prayer until the watchman’s horn announced the daybreak, the thought came to him:—Sit a little longer, before thou greetest the bright morning star. Thereupon, his senses being thus for a short time lulled to rest, it seemed to him that the heavenly spirits began with loud voice to intone the beautiful responsory, “Surge et illuminare, Jerusalem (Isaias lx. 1): Arise and be illuminated, Jerusalem;” and it rang with exceeding sweetness in his soul. They had scarcely sung a little, when 26his soul became so full of the heavenly strain, that his frail body could bear no more, and, opening his eyes, his heart overflowed, and the burning tears streamed down his cheeks.

Once at this time, as he was sitting thus, it seemed to him in a vision that he was carried into another land, and that his angel stood there before him full tenderly at his right hand. The Servitor sprang up at once, and, embracing his dear angel, clung round him, and pressed him to his soul as lovingly as he could, so that there was naught between them, as it appeared to him. Then in sorrowful accents and with weeping eyes he exclaimed out of the fulness of his heart:—O my angel, whom the faithful God has given me for my consolation and guard, I pray thee, by the love thou hast for God, not to leave me. The angel answered him and said:—Canst thou not trust God? Behold, God has so lovingly embraced thee in His eternity, that He will never leave thee.

It came to pass once, after the time of his sufferings was over, that early one morning he was surrounded in a vision by the heavenly spirits. Whereupon he besought one of the bright princes of heaven to show him the manner of God’s secret dwelling in his soul. The 27angel answered thus:—Cast, then, a joyous glance into thyself, and see how God plays His play of love with thy loving soul. He looked immediately, and saw that his body over his heart was clear as crystal, and that in the centre of his heart was sitting tranquilly, in lovely form, the Eternal Wisdom; beside whom there sat, full of heavenly longing, the Servitor’s soul, which, leaning lovingly towards God’s side, and encircled by God’s arms, and pressed close to His divine heart, lay thus entranced and drowned in love in the arms of the beloved God.