ves to be able to receive and endure this
happiness, even if it can at first be only in a small degree, so that we
shall not be condemned _by our own pain_ to leave the Presence of
God altogether and consequently lose Celestial Pleasures; let us at
least prepare ourselves to remain near enough to know something of
this tremendous living.

It was this Divine Activity which on the night of the Too Great
Happiness so anguished my imperfect soul. But that night, and that
anguish, taught my soul what she could never have learnt by any
other means, and what it was I learnt I find myself unable to pass on
to anyone; but that night was for my soul the turning-point of her
destiny, that night altered my soul for evermore; that night I knew
God as deeply as He can be known whilst the soul is in flesh.

* * *

God uses also a peculiar drawing power. All souls feeling desire
towards God are to a greater or lesser degree conscious of this, and,
as we know, frequently remain conscious of it as a desire and
nothing further to the end of life in flesh. By means of it He draws a
soul towards Himself until, because of it, the whole being is willing
to make efforts at self-improvement, and this is the essential: it is
this cleaning up of the character, this purification, which alone can
bring us to the point where we can receive God's communications of
Himself (in other words, ecstasies and periods of reunion with
Celestial-living). Ecstasies inspire and awaken the soul: they
convince the mind absolutely of the existence of another form of
living _and of God Himself._

After ecstasy the efforts of the entire being are bent on trying to
perfect itself, and extraordinary Graces may be freely and almost
continually given to us in order to make improvement more rapid for
us. The feeling for God which before ecstasy was a deep (and often
very painful) longing for God now increases to a burning,
never-ceasing desire for Him: only three thoughts can be said to truly
occupy a person from this stage onwards--how to please God, how
to get nearer to Him, how to show practical gratitude. He may
increase the flow of His Power to a soul till she is in great distress,
longing to leap out of the body owing to the immensity of God's
attraction. This attraction at times has a very real and sensible effect
upon the body: it feels to counteract gravity, it makes the body feel
so light it is about to leave the ground; it affects walking, and
unaccountab