By what has been said it follows that the meditations of these six parts are as the six wings of the Seraphim which God has upon earth, like unto those which the Prophet Isaias saw; [1] with which they depart from what is gross and earthly, and fly to that which is celestial and heavenly, where, after they have purified, illustrated, and perfected themselves, they fly likewise to purify, illustrate, and perfect others, desiring to have all burn with the love with which they burn; since these meditations conduce to all these ends, and in all of them ought all men to be exercised — even those that have most advanced, though with a different end and manner. And the reason is, that as in the three degrees of souls, the vegetative proper to plants, the sensitive proper to brute beasts, and the reasonable proper to men, the superior, besides his own works, does likewise the works of the inferior, though after a more excellent manner; so also (as St. Thomas says) [2] in the three states of people that' dedicate themselves to prayer and to the service of God, those which are proficients must exercise themselves in the meditations and works of the beginners, and the perfect in those of them both, but after a more perfect manner, drawing out of them the fruit which they intend with more advantage, that is, more perfect mortification of themselves, and a more excellent manner of imitating our Saviour Christ in His virtues.
Besides this, experience teaches, that when a great spirit or affection for any virtue whatsoever is predominant in a soul, upon what thing soever it meditates it takes occasion to feed and augment itself. If the spirit of humility predominate, whether he meditate upon hell or upon heaven, whether he think upon his own miseries or upon the divine excellences, he will draw out of all affections of humility. And if in his heart the spirit of love predominate, though
