Let him, therefore, rouse up himself from temporal things, and let him recollect himself within himself, that is to say, to the centre of his soul, where is the lively image of God; here let him hearken attentively, as though he heard Almighty God speaking from a high turret; or as though he held him fast, being present in his soul; or as though there were no other persons in the world, besides God and himself. Nay, I say more, let him quite forget himself, and those things which he does; for, as one of the ancient holy fathers says, prayer is then every way complete, when he that prays does not consider that he is before God in prayer, and this is to be done, not only in the end of the exercise, but in the midst, and in every part of meditation. For, as often as this spiritual sleep shall sweetly oppress anyone, that is to say, when the understanding is drowned as it were in a sleep, (but the will watching) let him quietly enjoy this delicate meat as long as it shall last. But when it is digested, let him return again to meditation, in which we must behave ourselves like a gardener who, when he waters a bed of his garden, after he has once sprinkled it with water, waits awhile until it be drunk in, then sprinkles again, that at last it may thoroughly wet the earth, that it may become more fruitful. But what the soul, cast into this heavenly sleep and illuminated with the splendour of this eternal light does enjoy—what satiety! what charity! what internal peace!—no tongue is able to express. This is that peace which surpasses all understanding; this is that felicity, greater than which cannot be imagined in this vale of misery.

There are many so inflamed with this fire of divine love that their interiors, at the very memory of this blessed name, without any meditation at all before, do rest in joy. These need no more consideration or discourses to love God than a mother needs motives to love her child or the bride her husband. Others there are so absorbed in God, not only in prayer but also in outward business, that they wholly forget themselves and all creatures for the love of him. Neither are these effects of divine love to be admired, seeing worldly love causes oftentimes greater matters in the minds of men that it makes them mad. What, shall we attribute less efficacy to grace than unto nature and sin? When, therefore, the soul shall feel this operation of divine love, in what part of prayer soever it happens, let him never refuse it; although he spent all the time of this exercise in it, without any manner of consideration at all, for that point he purposed to meditate upon (except he be specially obliged unto it) for, as St. Augustine says, vocal prayer ought to be left if it hinders devotion, so, meditation ought to be deferred if it hinders contemplation. But as it is necessary to leave meditation for this affection and to ascend from the lesser to the greater, so, oftentimes, this contemplation is to be left for meditation, when it is so vehement that the corporal health receives some damage thereby. This oftentimes happens to those who, taken with the pleasure of this divine sweetness, give themselves too indiscreetly to these exercises, and use them too immoderately, to whom (as a certain doctor saith) this will be the best remedy: that they desist from contemplation, turning their minds to some other good affection, as of compassion in meditating on the sufferings of our Savior, or about the sins and miseries of this world, to exonerate the heart, diverting it from that too much intension.