CHAPTER
X.
HIGHER
DEGREE
OF
PRAYER,
WHICH
IS
THAT
OF
THE
SIMPLE
PRESENCE
OF
GOD,
OR
ACTIVE
CONTEMPLATION.
'T^HE
soul,
faithfully
exercising
itself
in
the
aflfec-tion
and
love
of
its
God,
is
astonished
to
find
Him
taking
complete
possession
of
it.
His
presence
becomes
so
natural,
that
it
would
be
impossible
not
to
have
it:
it
becomes
habitual
to
the
soul,
which
is
also
conscious
of
a
great
calm
spreading
over
it.
Its
prayer
is
all
silence,
and
God
imparts
to
it
an
intrinsic
love,
which
is
the
com-mencement
of
ineffable
happiness.
Oh,
if
I
could
describe
the
infinite
degrees
which
follow!
But
I
must
stop
here,
since
I
am
writing
for
beginners,
and
wait
till
God
shall
bring
to
light
what
may
be
useful
to
those
more
advanced.*
I
•
This
subject
is
pursued
in
the
treatise
entitled
"
Spiritual
Torrents.""
