Intro to the Mystical Life

IN order to avoid a misunderstanding to which the very title of this work might lead, it cannot be too forcibly stated that the Mystical Life is not with any infallible certainty the outcome of our own personal effort, however rightly that effort may have been made. Let us suppose that a soul has realized all the proper conditions of recollection and generosity that we are about to describe. is it certain that the Mystical Life will result from such effort as effect of cause? Certainly not. we shall presently hear the greatest mystical writers themselves declare that this life is the gift of God, a gift which He makes to whom He pleases, and when He pleases, we shall hear them affirm that it is absurd to suppose that we can ever hope to win this grace for ourselves through our personal industry.