rom us, and never again has any
power over us, for the will has become superior to lust, and there is
a finish to all such contending: this moral healing is more impressive
than any physical healing. Before this miracle is performed for us,
we have suffered many things, as much as we can bear: subtle and
astonishing temptations of mind and body and spirit "call to
remembrance the former days in which after ye were illuminated ye
endured a great fight of afflictions" (Heb. x. 32).

This person that writes formerly supposed that no creature was
admitted to the blessedness of being in any way with God in Spirit
without they were already become a saint; but this is not so, and He
accepts the sinner long before he is a saint (if ever we become one in
this world, which is doubtful), provided the will is always held good
towards God.

This is the mighty Process of Christ which he desires to perform for
all. Of the tears we shed over it the less mention the better; they are
precious tears, necessary tears, cleansing tears, and if we will not
lend ourselves to this Process of Christ we may have as many tears
for our portion and no benefit from them in the way of advancement.
Let us weep the tears that God Himself will wipe away.

So then in the first stage the Soul tastes of the sweet companionship
of Jesus. In the second, of the might and graciousness of Christ; in
the third, of the fullness of God and His unspeakable delights. "Thou
shalt give them to drink of Thy pleasures, as out of the river" (Psalm
xxxvi.).

In the third stage of God-Consciousness a great change takes place
in our relationship to God. Besides the magnitude of the alterations
of the inner life--the sweeping spiritual changes--the body also
shares in a change, for, whilst we formerly prayed to God with a
bowed head and a hidden face, we now become unable to pray or
approach Him except with a raised head and an uncovered face. This
change is not from any thought or intention of our own, but we are
forced to it by a sweet necessity. In a company of persons praying,
all those in the third stage could be immediately known by this
necessity of the raised and bared face if we were not taught by the
Holy Spirit never to reveal to others that we are in the third stage
except in special instances. For this reason it is not possible to enter
true communion with God in a public place of worship unless we
can conceal ourselves from others. For the face undergoes a