1. About the fourth vice, which is spiritual gluttony, there is a lot to be said, because there is hardly one of these beginners who, no matter how well they proceed, does not fall into one of the many imperfections that these beginners are born to from this vice. through the flavor they find in the principles in the spiritual exercises.
Because many of these, delighted with the flavor and taste that they find in such exercises, seek more the flavor of the spirit than its purity and discretion, which is what God looks at and accepts in the entire spiritual path. For this reason, in addition to the imperfections that they have in claiming these flavors, the delicacy that they already have makes them go out a lot from foot to hand, going beyond the limits of the medium in which they consist and earn virtues. Because, attracted by the taste that they find there, some kill themselves with penances, and others weaken with fasting, doing more than their weakness suffers, without order and advice; before they try to steal the body to whom they must obey in such; and some even dare to do so even though they have been ordered otherwise.
2. These are most imperfect, people without reason, who postpone subjection and obedience, which is penance of reason and discretion, and for this reason it is a more acceptable and pleasing sacrifice to God than all the others, to corporal penance, which, leaving this other On the other hand, it is nothing more than the penance of beasts, since they also move like beasts due to the appetite and taste that they find there. In which, since all the extremes are vicious, and in this way of proceeding they do their will, they grow in vices rather than in virtues; because, at least, already in this way they acquire spiritual gluttony and pride, since they do not go in obedience (what they do).
And the devil drives many of these so much, fueling this gluttony for tastes and appetites that increases them, that since they can't do it anymore, they either change or add or vary what they are commanded, because all obedience regarding this is acceding to them. In which some get so bad that, for the same case that they go through obedience to such exercises, they lose their desire and devotion to do them, because their only desire and pleasure is to do what moves them; all of which by chance it would be better for them not to do.
3. You will see many of these very stubborn with their spiritual teachers because they grant them what they want, and there they half force it out; and if not, they become sad as children and walk reluctantly, and it seems to them that they do not serve God when they do not let them do what they would like. Because, as they walk close to their own taste and will, and this they have for their God, after they take it away and want to put them in the will of God, they become sad and loose and lack. They think that to like them and be satisfied is to serve God and satisfy him.
4. There are also others who, due to this delicacy, have so little known their baseness and their own misery and so cast aside the loving fear and respect that they owe to the greatness of God, (that) they do not hesitate to argue a lot with their confessors about being left commune many times. And the worst thing is that many times they dare to receive communion without a license and the opinion of the minister and steward of Christ, only because of his opinion, and they try to cover up the truth. And for this reason, with an eye to receiving Communion, they make confessions as they wish, having more covetousness in eating than in eating cleanly and perfectly; since it would be more healthy and holy to have the opposite inclination, begging their confessors not to send them to come so often; although humble resignation is better between the one and the other, but the other daring is something for great harm and their punishment for such temerity.
5. These, in receiving Communion, everything goes to procure some feeling and taste more than to reverence and praise God in themselves with humility; They think that they have done nothing, which is to judge God very lowly, not understanding that the least of the benefits that this Blessed Sacrament does is the one that touches the senses, because the greatest is the invisible of the grace that it gives; that, because the eyes of faith are placed on it, God often removes those other sensitive tastes and flavors. And so, they want to feel God and like him as if he were understandable and accessible, not only in this, but also in the other spiritual exercises, all of which is very great imperfection and very contrary to God's condition, because it is impurity in faith.
6. They have the same in the prayer that they exercise, they think that all the business of it is to find taste and sensitive devotion, and they try to get it out, as they say, by force of arms, tiring and tiring the powers and the head; and, when they have not found such pleasure, they become very disconsolate thinking that they have not done anything. And because of this claim they lose their true devotion and spirit, which consists of persevering there with patience and humility, distrusting themselves, just to please God. For this reason, when they have not once found taste in this or that exercise, they are very reluctant and repugnant to return to it, and sometimes they leave it; that, finally, they are, as we have said, similar to children, who do not move or act by reason, but by taste.
Everything goes to them to seek pleasure and comfort of spirit, and for this reason they never get tired of reading books, and now they take one meditation, now another, hunting for this pleasure with the things of God; to which God very justly, discreetly and lovingly denies them, because, if this were not the case, they would grow by this gluttony and spiritual delicacy into untold evils. For which reason it is very convenient for these to enter the dark night that we have to give, so that they purge themselves of these trifles.
7. Those who are thus inclined to these tastes, also have another very great imperfection, and that is that they are very lazy and reluctant to go the rough path of the cross; because the soul that gives itself to taste, naturally gives in its face all displeasure of self-denial.
8. These have many other imperfections that are born from here, which the Lord at times heals them with temptations, dryness, and other hardships, since everything is part of the dark night. Of which, in order not to lengthen, I do not want to deal more here, but only to say that spiritual sobriety and temperance carries a very different temper of mortification, fear and subjection in all its things, making it clear that there is no perfection and value of things in the multitude and taste of works, but in knowing how to deny himself in them; for which they must try to do everything they can on their part, until God wants to purify them in fact by entering the dark night, to which I am hurrying to arrive with these imperfections.