/. The spiritual nuptials introduced by an imaginary vision. 2. Spiritual betrothal and marriage differ. 3. Spiritual mar- riage lasting. 4. Not so spiritual betrothal. 5. Spiritual marriage Permanent. 6. St. Paul and spiritual marriage. 7. The soul's joy in union. 8. Its conviction of God's indwelling. 9. Its peace. 10. Christ's prayer for the divine union of the soul. 11. Its fulfilment. 12. Unalterable peace of the soul in the seventh Mansion. 13. Unless it offends God. 14. Struggles outside the seventh Mansion. 15. Comparisons explaining this.
I. We now come to speak of divine and spiritual nuptials, although this sublime favour cannot be received in all its perfection during our present life, for by forsaking God this great good would be lost. The first time God bestows this grace. He, by an imaginary vision of His most sacred Human- ity, reveals Himself to the soul so that it may understand and realize the sovereign gift it is consistent in the use of these terms, which is not surprising, as she owns that she does not quite understand this subtle distinction.
^/ \f/ 270 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. 11.
receiving. He may manifest Himself in a different way to other people; the person I mentioned, after having received Holy Communion beheld our Lord, full of splendour, beauty, and majesty, as He was after His resurrection.' He told her that henceforth she was to care for His affairs as though they were her own and He would care for hers: He spoke other words which she understood better than she can repeat them. This may seem nothing new, for our Lord had thus revealed Himself to her at other times;* yet this was so different that it left her bewildered and amazed, both on account of the vividness of what she saw and of the words heard at the time, also because it took place in the interior of the soul where, with the exception of the one last mentioned, no other vision had been seen.
2. You must understand that between the visions seen in this and in the former mansions there is a vast difference; there is the same distincflion be- tween spiritual espousals and spiritual marriage as between people who are only betrothed and others who are united for ever in holy matrimony. I have told you' that though I make this comparison because there is none more suitable, yet this be- trothal is no more related to our corporal condition s than if the soul were a disembodied spirit. This is even more true of the spiritual marriage, for this secret union takes place in the innermost centre of the soul where God Himself must dwell: I believe that no door is required to enter it. I say, ' no door h CHAP. II.] SEVENTH MANSIONS 271 is required,' for all I have hitherto described seems to come through the senses and facuhies as must the representation of our Lord's Humanity, but what passes in the union of the spiritual nuptials is very different. Here God appears in the soul's centre, not by an imaginary but by an intellectual vision far more mystic than those seen before, just as He appeared to the Apostles without having entered through the door when He said: 'Pax vobis.'^ 3. So mysterious is the secret and so sublime the favour that God thus bestows instantaneously on the soul, that it feels a supreme delight, only to be described by saying that our Lord vouchsafes for the moment to reveal to it His own heavenly glory in a far more subtle way than by any vision or spi- ritual delight. As far as can be understood, the soul, I mean the spirit of this soul, is made one with God * Who is Himself a spirit, and Who has been pleased to show certain persons how far His love for us extends in order that we may praise His greatness. He has thus deigned to unite Himself to His creature: He has bound Himself to her as firmly as two human beings are joined in wedlock, and will never separate Himself from her.
4. Spiritual betrothal is different and like the grac!?^^ of union is often dissolved; for though two things^ are made one by union, separation is still possible ^ and each part then remains a thing by itself. This favour generally passes quickly, and afterwards the soul, as far as it is aware, remains without His company.
272 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
5. This is not so in the spiritual marriage with \/ our Lord, where the soul always remains in its centre with its God. Union may be symbolized by two wax candles, the tips of which touch each other so closely that there is but one light; or again, the wick, the wax, and the light become one, but the one candle can again be separated from the other and the two candles remain distincft; or the wick may be withdrawn from the wax. But spiritual marriage is like rain falling from heaven into a river or stream, becoming one and the same liquid, so that the river and rain water cannot be divided; or it resembles a streamlet flowing into the ocean, which cannot afterwards be disunited from it. This marriage may also be likened to a room into which a bright light enters through two windows — though divided when it enters, the light becomes one and the same.
6. Perhaps when St. Paul said, *He who is joined to the Lord is one spirit,'^ he meant this sovereign marriage, which presupposes His Majesty's having been joined to the soul by union. The same Apostle says: 'To me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.'' This, I think, might here be uttered by the soul, for now the little butterfly of which I spoke dies with supreme joy, for Christ is her life.
7. This becomes more manifest by its effedls as time goes on, for the soul learns that it is God Who gives it *life,' by certain secret intuitions too strong to be inisunderstood, and keenly felt, although impossible to describe. These produce such over- * I Cor. vi, 17: *Qui adhaeret Domino unus spiritus est.' ' Philip, i. 21: 'Mihi vivere Christus est, et mori lucrum.'
CHAP. II.] SEVENTH MANSIONS 273 mastering feelings that the person experiencing them cannot refrain from amorous exclamations, such as: * O Life of my life, and Power which doth uphold me!' with other aspirations of the same kind.* For from the bosom of the Divinity, where God seems ever to hold this soul fast clasped, issue streams of milk, which solace the servants of the castle. I think He wishes them to share, in some way, the riches the soul enjoys; therefore from the flowing river in which the little streamlat is swallowed up, some drops of water flow every now and then to sustain the bodily powers, the servants of the bride and Bridegroom. ( 8. A person who was unexpectedly plunged into water could not fail to be aware of it; here the case is the same, but even more evident. A quantity of water could not fall on us unless it came from some source — so the soul feels certain there must be some one within it who lances forth these darts and vivifies its own life, and that there is a Sun whence this brilliant light streams forth from the interior of the spirit to its faculties.
9. The soul itself, as I said, never moves from this centre, nor loses the peace He can give Who gave it to the Apostles when they were assembled together.^ I think this salutation of our Lord con- tains far deeper meaning than the words convey, as '' Such exclamations, in considerable number, form the Book of Ex- clamations published by Fray Luis de Leon. De Fuente thinks it was written in 1569, but as St. Teresa's spiritual betrothal took place on November 18, 1572, it seems, at least in parts, of a later date. The spiritual nuptials must be placed between the aforementioned year and May 1575, but it is not possible to ascertain the exact date. (For the Exclamations, see Minor Works). * St. John xx. 19.
274 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
also His bidding the glorious Magdalen to* go in peace."° Our Lord's words a5l within us," and in these cases they must have wrought their effedl in the souls already disposed to banish from within them- selves all that is corporal and to retain only what is spiritual, in order to be joined in this celestial union with the uncreated Spirit. Without doubt, if we empty ourselves of all that belongs to the creature, depriving ourselves of it for the love of God, that same Lord will fill us with Himself 10. Our Lord Jesus Christ, praying for His Apos- tles, (I cannot remember the reference), asked that they might be made one with the Father and with Himself, as Jesus Christ our Lord is in the Father and the Father in Him! " I do not know how love could be greater than this! Let none draw back from entering here, for His Majesty also said: *Not only for them do I pray, but for them also who through their word shall believe in Me '; '* and He declared:*! am in them.""* 1 1. God help me! how true these words are, and how clearly are they understood by the soul which in this state of prayer finds them fulfilled in itself! So should we all but for our own fault, for the words of Jesus Christ, our King and our Lord, cannot i fail. It is we who fail by not disposing ourselves ^ fitly, nor removing all that can obstrud: this light, '" St. Luke vii. 50.
" Supra, M. vi. ch. iii. 6. Life, ch. xxv. 5.
'' St. John xvli. 21: 'Ut omnes unum sint, sicut tu Pater in me, et ego in te, ut et ipsi in nobis unum sint.'
'* St. John xvii. 20: 'Non pro eis autem rogo tantum, sed et pro eis, qui credituri sunt perverbum eorum in me.'
'■* St, John xvii. 23: 'Ego in eis.'
CHAP. II.] SEVENTH MANSIONS 275 so that we do not behold ourselves in this mirror wherein our image is engraved.'* 12. To return to what I was saying. God places the soul in His own mansion which is in the very centre of the soul itself. They say the empyreal heavens, in which our Lord dwells, do not revolve with the rest: so the accustomed movements of the faculties and imagination do not appear to take place in any way that can injure the soul or dis- turb its peace.
I 3. Do I seem to imply that after God has brought the soul thus far it is certain to be saved and cannot fall into sin again?"* I do not mean this: whenever '■'This idea is expressed in St. Teresa's poem: 'Alma, buscarte has en Mi' (Poem lo, Minor W^orks).
Such is the power of love, O soul, To paint thee in my heart No craftsman with such art Whate'er his skill might be, could there Thine image thus impart!
'Twas love that gave thee life — Then, fair one, if thou be Lost to thyself, thou'lt see Thy portrait in my bosom stamped — Soul, seek thyself in Me. '^ In a letter dated May i 58 i, addressed to Don Alonso Velasquez, then bishop of Osma, St. Teresa writes as follows: 'She [herself] has received such an assurance of coming one day to the fruition of God that she almost imagines she has already come into possession of Him, without, however, the joy that will accompany it. She is in the same position as one who by legal contract has received a splendid property which will become his, and whose fruit he will enjoy at a given date. Until then he only holds the title-deeds, with- out being able to take possession of the property. Nevertheless my soul would not like to come immediately into the possession of God, for it does not believe that it has deserved such a grace. It only desires to continue in His service, even at the cost of terrible sufferings. It would not mind thus serving Him to the end of the world, after having received such a pledge.' St. John of the Cross, in treating of this subject {Spir.
276 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
I say that the soul seems in security, I must be understood to imply for as long as His Majesty thus holds it in His care and it does not offend Him. At any rate I know for certain that though such a person realizes the high state she is in and has remained in it for several years, she does not con- sider herself safe, but is more careful than ever to avoid committing the least offence against God. As I shall explain later on, she is most anxious to serve Him and feels a constant pain and confusion at seeing how little she can do for Him compared with all she ought. This is no light cross but a severe mortification, for the harder the penances she can perform, the better is she pleased. Her greatest penance is to be deprived bv God of health and strength to perform any. I told vou elsewhere what keen pain this caused her, but now it grieves her far more. This must be because she is like a tree grafted on a stock growing near a stream which \\ makes it greener and more fruitful.'^ Why marvel \\ at the longings of this soul whose spirit has truly 1 become one with the celestial water I described? 14. To return to what I wrote about. It is not intended that the powers, senses and passions should continually enjov this peace. The soul does so, indeed, but in the other mansions there are still times of struggle, suffering, and fatigue, though as a general rule, peace is not lost by them. This * centre of the soul' or 'spirit' is so hard to describe Cant, stanza xxii. 3) says: 'I believe that no soul ever attains to this state without being confirmed in grace in It.' See also Ribera, in the J eta Ss. p. 1^1^^, circa fine m.
"Ps. i. 3: * Et erit tamquam lignum quod plantatum est secus decursus aquarum, quod fructum Suum dabit in tempore suo.'
CHAP. II.] SEVENTH MANSTONS 277 or even to believe in, that I think, sisters, my in- ability to explain my meaning saves your being tempted to disbelieve me; it is difficult to under- stand how there can be crosses and sufferings and yet peace in the soul.
15. Let me give you one or two comparisons — God grant they may be of use; if not, I know that what I say is true. A king resides in his palace; many wars and disasters take place in his kingdom but he remains on his throne. In the same way, though tumults and wild beasts rage with great uproar in the other mansions, yet nothing of this enters the seventh mansions, nor drives the soul from it. Although the mind regrets these troubles, they do not disturb it nor rob it of its peace, for the passions are too subdued to dare to enter here where they would only suffer still further defeat. Though the whole body is in pain, yet the head, if it be sound, does not suffer with it. I smile at these comparisons — they do not please me — but I can find no others. Think what you will about it — I have told you the truth.
CHAPTER III.
THE GREAT FRUITS PRODUCED BY THE ABOVE-MENTIONED PRAYER. THE WONDERFUL DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THESE EFFECTS AND THOSE FORMERLY DESCRIBED SHOULD BE CAREFULLY STUDIED AND REMEMBERED.
1. Effects of the graces last received. 2. The soul only cares for God's honour. 3. But still performs its duties. 4. Other fruits of these favours. 5. The soul's fervent desire to serve God. 6. Christ divells within this soul. 7. And recalls it to fervour if negligent. 8. God's constant care of such souls. 9. Their peace and silence. 10. Few ecstasies in the Seventh Mansions. 11. Pro- bable reasons for this. 12. Allusions in Holy Scripture to this state. 13. Watchfulness of such souls. 14. Crosses suffered in this state.
1. The little butterfly has died with the greatest joy at having found rest at last, and now Christ lives in her.' Let us see the diflS^erence between her present and her former life, for the effedts will prove whether what I told you was true. As far as can be ascertained they are these: first, a self- forgetfulness so complete that she really appears not to exist, as I said,* for such a transformation has been worked in her that she no longer recog- nizes herself; nor does she remember that heaven, or life, or glory are to be hers, but seems entirely occupied in seeking God's interests. Apparently the words spoken by His Majesty have done their work: *that she was to care for His affairs, and He would care for hers.'' / 2. Thus she recks nothing, whatever happens, but lives in such strange oblivion that, as I stated, she seems no longer to exist, nor does she wish to be of ^ Castle, M. vii. ch. ii. l. Compare the references there given.
278 CHAP. III.] SEVENTH MANSIONS 279 any account in anything — anything! unless she sees that she can advance, however little, the honour and glory of God, for which she would most willingly die.
3. Do not fancy I mean, daughters, that she neg- ledis to eat and drink, though it brings no small torment to her, or to perform the duties of her state. I am speaking of her interior; as regards her exterior adions there is little to say, for her chief suffering is to see that she has hardly strength to v do anything. For nothing in the world would she / omit doing all she can which she knows would / / honour our Lord.
4. The second fruit is a strong desire for suffering, though it does not disturb her peace as before because the fervent wish of such souls for the ful- filment of God's will in them makes them acquiesce in all He does. If He would have her suffer, she is content; if not, she does not torment herself to death about it as she used to do. She feels a great interior joy when persecuted, and is far more peace- ful than in the former state under such circum- '- stances: she bears no grudge against her enemies, j nor wishes them any ill. Indeed she has a special love for them, is deeply grieved at seeing them in trouble, and does all she can to relieve them,* earnestly interceding with God on their behalf. She would be glad to forfeit the favours His Majesty shows her, if they might be given to her enemies instead, to prevent their offending our Lord.
^ Don Alvaro de Mendoza, Bishop of Avila, used to say that the best means of obtaining St. Teresa's friendship was to injure or insult her. Acta Ss, n. 1233. Rel. vii. 20.
28o THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. iii.
5. The most surprising thing to me is that the sorrow and distress which such souls felt because they could not die and enjoy our Lord's presence* are now exchanged for as fervent a desire of serving Him, of causing Him to be praised, and of helping others to the utmost of their power. Not only have they ceased to long for death, but they wish for a long life and most heavy crosses, if such would bring ever so little honour to our Lord. Thus, if they knew for certain that immediately on quitting their bodies their souls would enjoy God, it would make no difference to them, nor do they think of the glory enjoved by the saints, and long to share it. Such souls hold that their glory consists in helping, in any way. Him Who was crucified, especially as they see how men offend against Him, and how few, detached from all else, care for His honour alone. True, people in this state forget this at times, and are seized with tender longings to enjoy God and to leave this land of exile, especially as they see how little they serve Him. Then, returning to themselves and reflecfling how they possess Him continually in their souls, they are satisfied, offering to His Majesty their willingness to live as the most costly oblation they can make.^ They fear death no . more than they would a delicious trance.
^ Rel. viii. 15.
® Compare with the Saint's poem on self-oblation: 'Vuestro soy, para Vos naci' (Poem i. Minor Works).
Long life bestow, or straightway let me die; Let health be mine, or pain and sickness send; Honour or foul dishonour — be my path Beset by war or peaceful till the end.
My strength or weakness be as Thou dost choose, Since naught Thou askest shall I e'er refuse.
Say, Lord, what is it Thou dost will for me f CHAP. III.] SEVENTH MANSIONS 281 7. Such a soul, thoroughly detached from all things, wishes to be either always alone or occu- pied on what benefits the souls of others: she feels neither aridity nor any interior troubles, but a constant tender recolledtion of our Lord Whom she wishes to praise unceasingly. When she grows negligent, the same Lord arouses her in the way that I told you, and it is easy to see that this impulse ( I know not what term to use for it) comes from the interior of the soul, like the former im- petuous desires.^ It is now felt very sweetly, but is neither produced by the intelled: nor the memory, nor is there reason to believe the soul itself has an) share in it. This is so usual and so frequent thj whoever has been in this state must have noticec it. However large a fire may be, the flame never burns downwards, but upwards, and so this move- ment is seen to come from the centre of the soul whose powers it excites. Indeed, were nothing else gained by this way of prayer but the knowledge of the special care God takes to communicate Him- self to us and how He entreats us to abide with Him (for indeed I can describe it in no other way) I think that for the sake of these sweet and pene- trating touches of His love all our past pains would be well spent.
8. You will have learnt this by experience, sisters, for I think that when our Lord has brought us to the prayer of union. He watches over us in this way unless we negledt to keep His commandments. When these impulses are given you, remember that they come from the innermost mansion, where ' Castle, M. vi. ch. vi. 6.
19 282 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap.iii.
God dwells in our souls. Praise Him fervently, for it is He Who sends you this message, or love letter, so tenderly written, and in a cipher that only you can understand and know what He asks. By no means neglecfl to answer His^ Majesty, even though you may be occupied exteriorly and en- gaged in conversation. Our Lord may often be pleased to show you this secret favour in public; but it is very easy, as the reply should be entirely interior, to respond by an a6t of love or to ask with Saint Paul: *Lord, what wilt Thou have me to do?" Jesus will show you in many ways how to please Him. It is a propitious moment, for He seems to be listening to us and the soul is nearly always disposed by this delicate touch to respond with a generous determination.^ As I told you, this mansion differs from the rest in that, as I said,'° the dryness and disturbance felt in all the rest at times hardly ever enter here, where the soul is ~^>nearly always calm. It does not fear that this sub- / lime favour can be counterfeited by the devil, but feels a settled conviction that it is of divine origin . because, as above stated, nothing is here perceived * Acts ix. 6: 'Domine, quid me vis facere?'
'The words from 'know what He asks' to 'as I told you' are not in the original manuscript, but must have been written on a separate slip, as is proved by a marginal note in the handwriting of the Saint: 'Quando dice aqui: os pide, lease luego este papel.' This paper is now lost, but the passage it contained is preserved in the early manuscript copies of Toledo, Cordova and Salamanca, as well as in the first printed edition, and, through this, in the' old translations; hence both Wood- head and Dalton. have it in its proper place. It is, of course, not to be foUnd in the autograph published in 1882, nor in Fuente's Spanish editions nor in translations based upon these. The Spanish text will be found in (Euvres vi, 297 note.
CHAP. III.] SEVENTH MANSIONS 283 by the senses or faculties but His Majesty reveals Himself to the spirit, which He takes to be with Himself in a place where I doubt not the devil dares not enter, nor would our Lord ever permit him.
9. All the graces here divinely bestowed on the soul come, as I said, through no action of its own except its total abandonment of itself to God. They are given in peace and silence, like the building of Solomon's Temple where no sound was heard." It is thus with this temple of God, this mansion of His where He and the soul rejoice in each other alone in profound silence. The mind need not adl nor search for anything, as the Lord Who created it wishes it to be at rest and only to watch through a little chink, what passes within. Though at times it cannot see this, yet such intervals are very short, I believe because the powers are not here lost but only cease to work, being, as it were, dazed with astonishment.
I o. I, too, am astonished at seeing that when the soul arrives at this state it does not go into ecstasies except perhaps on rare occasions — even then they are not like the former trances and the flight of the spirit and seldom take place in public as they did before.'* They are no longer produced by any special calls to devotion, such as by the sight of a religious picture, by hearing a sermon (were it only the first few words), or by sacred music; formerly, like the poor little butterfly, the soul " III Reg. vi. 7.
'^*That is, so as to lose the senses' (marginal note in the Saints' handwriting). Rel. iii. 5.
184 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap.iii.
was so anxious that anything used to alarm it and make it take flight. This may be either because the spirit has at last found repose, or that it has seen such wonders in this mansion that nothing can frighten it, or perhaps because it no longer feels solitary since it rejoices in such Company.