wer the
wording. The greater the prayer, the shorter in words, though the
longer the saying of it, for each syllable will needs be held up upon
the soul before God, slowly and, as it were, in a casket of fire, and
with marvellous joy. And there are prayers without words, and
others without even thoughts, in which the soul in a great stillness
passes up like an incense to the Most High. This is very pure, great
love; wonderful, high bliss.

* * *

In the earlier stages of progress, when the heart and mind suffer
from frequent inconstancy, loss of warmth, even total losses of love,
set the heart and mind to recall to themselves by reading or thinking
some favourite aspect of their Lord Jesus Christ. It may be His
gentleness, or His marvellous forgiveness, as to Peter when "He
turned and looked at him" after the denial; for so He turns and looks
upon ourselves. Or it may be His sweetness that most draws us. But
let us fasten the heart and mind upon whichever it may be, and in the
warmth of admiration _love will return to us._

* * *

The mode of entrance into active contemplation I would try to
convey in this way. The body must be placed either sitting or
kneeling, and supported, or flat on the back as though dead. Now the
mind must commence to fold itself, closing forwards as an open rose
might close her petals to a bud again, for every thought and image
must be laid away and nothing left but a great forward-moving love
intention. Out glides the mind all smooth and swift, and plunges
deep, then takes an upward curve and up and on till willingly it
faints, the creature dies, and consciousness is taken over by the soul,
which, quickly coming to the trysting-place, _spreads herself_ and
there awaits the revelations of her God. To my feeling this final
complete passing over of consciousness from the mind to the soul is
by act and will of God only, and cannot be performed by will of the
creature, and is the fundamental difference between the
contemplation of Nature and the contemplation of God. The creature
worships, but the soul alone knows contact. And yet the mode of
contemplation is a far simpler thing than all these words--it is the
very essence of simplicity itself; and in this sublime adventure we
are really conscious of no mode nor plan nor flight, nought but the
mighty need of spirit to Spirit and love to Love.

* * *

The picking out and choosing of certain persons, and the naming of
them "elect" and "chose