says; _Then when a Man's desires are raised to a good pitch, and he is
competently well exercised in that way, there will appear to him some
small glimmerings of the Truth, as it were flashes of Lightning, very
delightful, which just shine upon him, and then go out; Then the more he
exercises himself, the oftner he'll perceive 'em, till at last he'll
become so well acquainted with them, that they will occur to him
spontaneously, without any exercise at all; and then, as soon as he
perceives any thing, he applies himself to the Divine Essence, so as to
retain some impression of it; then something occurs, to him on a sudden,
whereby he begins to discern the_ Truth _in every thing; till, through
frequent exercise, he at last attains to a perfect Tranquility; and that
which us'd to appear to him only by fits and starts, becomes habitual;
and that which was only a glimmering before, a constant Light; and he
obtains a constant and steady Knowledge._ Thus far _Avicenna_. Besides,
he has given an account of those several steps and degrees by which a
Man is brought to this perfection; till his Soul is like a polish'd
Looking-glass, in which he beholds the _Truth_: and then he swims in
pleasure, and rejoyces exceedingly in his Mind, because of the
impressions of _Truth_ which he perceives in it, When he is once
attain'd thus far, the next thing which employs him is, that he
sometimes looks towards _Truth_, and sometimes towards _himself_; and
thus he fluctuates between both, till he retires from himself wholly,
and looks only to-ward the Divine Essence; and if he do's at any time
look towards his own Soul, the only reason is, because that looks
to-wards God; and from thence arises a perfect Conjunction [with God.]

And, according to this manner which he has describ'd, he do's by no
means allow that this _Taste_ is attain'd by way of Speculation or
Deduction of Consequences. And that you may the more clearly apprehend
the difference between the perception of these sort of Men, and those