''^us being, that we should not think ourselves happy to be able to acquit ourselves of part of the debt we owe Him for having served us, without asking Him for fresh mercies and favours? I am loth to 'Re/, ix. 15.
'" St. Matt. iv. 20: 'Relictis retibus secuti sunt eum,' " St. Luke xvii. 10: 'Servi inutiles sumus: quod debuimus facere fecimus,' CHAP. I.] THIRD MANSIONS 77 use this expression, yet so it is, for He did nothing else during the whole time He lived in this world but serve us.
15. Think well my daughters, over some of the points I have treated, although confusedly, for I do not know how to explain them better. Our Lord will make you understand them, that you may reap humility from your dryness, instead of the disquietude the devil strives to cause by it. I believe that where true humility exists, although God should never bestow consolations, yet He gives a peace and resignation which make the soul happier than are others with sensible devotion. These consolations, as you have read, are often given by the Divine Majesty to the weakest souls who, I suppose would not exchange them for the fortitude of Christians serving God in aridities: we love consolations better than the cross! Do Thou, O Lord, Who knowest all truth, so prove us that we may know ourselves.
CHAPTER 11/ CONTINUES THE SAME SUBJECT AND SPEAKS OF ARIDITIES IN PRAYER AND THEIR RESULTS: OF THE NECESSITY OF TRYING OURSELVES AND HOW OUR LORD PROVES THOSE WHO ARE IN THESE MANSIONS.
1. Imperfections of dwellers in the first three mansions. 2. Our trials shoiv us our weakness. 3. Humility learnt by our faults. 4. Love of money. 5. Liberty of spirit. 6. On bearing contempt. 7. Detachment proved by trials. 8. Virtue and humility are the essentials. 9. Perfection requires detachment. 10. We should try to make rapid progress. 11. Leave our cares in God's hands. 12. Humility more necessary than corporal Penances. 13^ Con- solations rarely received until the fourth mansions. 14. Advan- tages of hearing of them. 15. Perfection consists in love, not in reward. 16. St. Teresa's joy at seeing other souls favoured. 17. These graces should be striven for. 18. Obedience and direction, 1 9. Misguided zeal for others.
I. I HAVE known some, in fad:, I may say numerous souls, who have reached this state, and for many years Uved, apparently, a regular and well-ordered life, both of body and mind. It would seem that they must have gained the mastery over this world, or at least be extremely detached from it, yet if His Majesty sends very moderate trials they become so disturbed and disheartened as not only to astonish but to make me anxious about them. Advice is useless; having practised virtue for so long they 78 CHAP. II.] THIRD MANSIONS 79 think themselves capable of teaching it, and believe that they have abundant reason to feel miserable.
2. The only way to help them is to compassionate their troubles;' indeed, one cannot but feel sorry at seeing people in such an unhappy state. They must not be argued with, for they are convinced they suifer only for God's sake, and cannot be made to understand they are ad:ing imperfectly, which is a further error in persons so far advanced. No wonder that they should feel these trials for a time, but I think they ought speedily to overcome their concern about such matters. God, wishing HisA eled: to realize their own misery, often temporarily A^ withdraws His favours: no more is needed to prove ] to us in a very short time what we really are.* y 3. Souls soon learn in this way; they perceive their faults very clearly, and sometimes the discovery of how quickly they are overcome by but slight earthly trials is more painful than the subtrad:ion of God's sensible favours. I consider that God thus shows them great mercy, for though their behaviour may be faulty, yet they gain greatly in humility. Not so with the people ot whom I first spoke; they believe their condudt is saintly, and wish others to agree with them. I will give you some examples which will help us to understand and to try ourselves, without waiting for God to try us, since it would be far better to have prepared and examined ourselves beforehand.
4. A rich man, without son or heir, loses part of ' See letter concerning Francisco de Salcedo. Nov. 1576. Vol. II, * Wa'^ of Perf. ch. xxxviii. 7.
8o THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
his property,^ but still has more than enough to keep himself and his household. If this misfortune grieves and disquiets him as though he were left to beg his bread, how can our Lord ask him to give up all things for His sake? This man will tell vou he regrets losing his money because he wished to bestow it on the poor.
5. I believe His Majesty would prefer me to conform to His will, and keep peace of soul while attending to my interests, to such charity as this. If this person cannot resign himself because God has not raised him so high in virtue, well and good: let him know that he is wanting in liberty of spirit; let him beg our Lord to grant it him, and be rightly disposed to receive it. Another per- son has more than sufficient means to live on, when an opportunity occurs for acquiring more property: if it is offered him, by all means let him accept it; but if he must go out of his way to obtain it and then continues working to gain more and more — however good his intention may be (and it must be good, for I am speaking of people who lead prayerful and good lives), he cannot possibly enter the mansions near the King.
6. Something of the same sort happens if such people meet with contempt or want of due respcd:. God often gives them grace to bear it well, as He loves to see virtue upheld in public, and will not have it condemned in those who practise it, or else because these persons have served Him faithfully, and He, our supreme Good, is exceedingly good to us all; nevertheless, these persons are disturbed, and ' Way of Per/, ch. xxxviii. 10. Concep, ch. ii, 11,12. Life^ xi. 3.
CHAP. II.] THIRD MANSIONS 8i cannot overcome or get rid of the feeling for some time* Alas! have they not long meditated on the pains our Lord endured and how well it is for us to suffer, and have even longed to do so? Thev wish every one were as virtuous as thev are; and God grant they do not consider other people to blame for their troubles and attribute merit to themselves!
7. You may think, my daughters, that I have wandered from the subjed:, for all this does not concern you: nothing of the sort occurs to us here, where we neither own nor wish for any property, nor endeavour to gain it, and no one does us any wrong. The instances I have mentioned do not coincide exactly, yet conclusions applicable to us may be drawn from them, which it would be neither well nor necessary to state. These will teach you whether you are really detached from all you have left; trifling occasions often occur, although perhaps not quite of the same kind, by which you can prove to yourselves whether you have obtained the mastery over your passions.
8. Believe mc, the question is not whether we wear the religious habit or not, but whether we ^ pradlise the virtues and submit our will in all ^ things to the will of God. The objed: of our life must be to do what He requires of us: let us not ask that our will may be done, but His. If we have not yet attained to this, let us be humble, as I said above. Humility is the ointment for our wounds; if we have it, although perhaps He may defer His coming for a time, God, Who is our Physician, will come and heal us.
82 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. n.
9. The penances performed by the persons I spoke of are as well regulated as their life, which they value very highly because they wish to serve our Lord with it — in which there is nothing to blame — so they are very discreet in their mortifications lest they should injure their health. Never fear they will kill themselves: they are far too sensible! Their love is not strong enough to overcome their reason; I wish it were — that they might not be content to creep on their way to God: a pace that will never bring them to their journey's end!
10. We seem to ourselves to be making progress, yet we become weary, for, believe me, we are walk- ing through a mist; it will be fortunate if we do not lose ourselves. Do you think, my daughters, if we could travel from one country to another in eight days, that it would be well to spend a year on the journey, through wind, snow, and inundations and over bad roads?* Would it not be better to get — ^ it over at once, for it is full of dangers and serpents? Oh, how many striking instances could I give you of this! God grant that I have passed beyond this state myself: often I think that I have not. V / 1 1. All things obstrud: us while prudence rules our actions; we are afraid of everything and therefore fear to make progress — as if we could reach the in- ner chambers while others make the journey for us! As this is impossible, sisters^^fer the love of God let us exert ourselves, and Ieave~ouE^Feis0ir and * St. Teresa very probably had in her mind her journey to make a foundation at Seville, when the boat, which was crossing the Guadal- quivir, narrowly escaped being carried down the river by the current. Found, ch, xxiv. 6 CHAP. II.] THIRD MANSIONS 83 ouc leai:s4ft--Hts-4iaflds, paying no attention to the weaknesses of nature which might retard us. Let our Superiors, to whom the charge belongs, look after our bodies; let our only care be to hasten to our Lord's presence — for though there are few or no indulgences to be obtained here, yet regard for health might mislead us and it would be none the better for our care, as I know well.
12. I know, too, that our bodies are not the chief fadiors in the work we have before us; they are accessory: extreme humility js the principal point. It is the want of this, I believe, that stops people's progress. It may seem that we have made but little way: we should believe that is the case, and that our sisters are advancing much more rapidly than we are. Not only should we wish others to consider us the worst of all; we should endeavour to make them think so. If we ad: in this manner, our soul will do well; otherwise we shall make no progress and shall always remain the prey to a thousand troubles and miseries. The way will be difficult and wearisome without '^^]f-rfn'^"T'i^ti^"j weighed down as we are by the burden and frailties of hu- man nature, which are no longer felt in the more interior mansions.
13. In these third mansions the Lord never fails to repay our services, both as a just and even as a merciful God, Who always bestows on us far more than we deserve, giving us greater happiness than could be obtained from any earthly pleasures and amusements. I think He grants few consolations here, except, perhaps, occasionally to entice us to 84 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
prepare ourselves to enter the last mansions by showing us their contents. There may appear to you to be no difference except in name between sensible devotion, and consolations and you may ask why I distinguish them. I think there is a very great difference,but I may be mistaken.
1 4. This will be best explained while writing of the fourth mansion, which comes next, when I must speak of the consolations received there from our Lord. The subjed; may appear futile, yet may prove useful by urging souls who know what each man- sion contains to strive to enter the best. It will solace those whom God has advanced so far; others, who thought they had reached the summit, will be abashed, yet if they are humble they will be led to thank God.
15. Those who do not receive these consolations may feel a despondency that is uncalled for, since perfecftion does not consist in consolation but in greater love; our reward will be in proportion to this, and to the justice and sincerity of our ad:ions. Perhaps you wonder, then, why I treat of these interior favours and their nature. I do not know; ask him who bade me write this. I must obey Superiors, not argue with them, which I have no right to do.
16. I assure you that when I had neither received these favours,* nor understood them by experience, or ever expected to (and rightly so, for I should have felt reassured if I had known or even con- jectured that I was pleasing to God in any way), * Life, ch. xii. 2. Rel. vii. 3.
CHAP. II.] THIRD MANSIONS 85 yet when I read of the mercies and consolations ^ that our Lord grants to His servants, I was delighted and praised Him fervently. If such as myself ad:ed thus, how much more would the humble and good glorify Him! I think it is worth while to explain these subjecfls and show what consolations and delights we lose through our own fault, if only for the sake of moving a single soul to praise God once.
17. When these joys are from God they come laden with love and strength, which aid the soul on its way and increase its good works and virtues. Do not imagine that it is unimportant whether you try to obtain these graces or no; if you arc not to blame, the Lord is just: what He refuses in one way, His Majesty will give you in another, as He knows how; His secret ways are very mysterious, and doubtless He will do what is best for you.
18. Souls who by God's mercy are brought so far (which, as I said, is no small mercy, for they are likely to ascend still higher) will be greatly bene- fited by practising prompt obedience. Even if they are not in the religious state, it would be well if they, like certain other people, were to take a v^ dired:or,^so as never to follow their own will, which is the cause of most of our ills. They should not choose one of their own turn of mind^ (as the say- ing goes), who is over prudent in his acftions, but should select one thoroughly detached from worldly things; it is very helpful to consult a person who has learnt and can teach this. It is encouraging to see that trials which seemed to us impossible to ''Life, ch. xili. 29. * Rel. vii. 18.
86 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. ii.
submit to are possible to others, and that they bear them sweetly. Their flight makes us try to soar, like nestlings taught by the elder birds, who, though they cannot fly far at first, little by little imitate their parents: I know the great benefit of this. However determined such persons may be not to offend our Lord, they must not expose themselves to temptation: they are still near the first mansions to which they might easily return. Their strength is not yet established on a solid foundation like that of souls exercised in sufferings, who know how little cause there is to fear the tempests of this world and care nothing for its pleasures: beginners might succumb before any severe trial. Some great persecution, such as the devil knows how to raise to injure us, might make beginners turn back; while zealously trying to withdraw others from sin they might succumb to the attacks made upon them.
19. Let us look at our own faults, and not at other persons'. People who are extremely corred: themselves are often shocked at everything they see'; however, we might often learn a great deal that is essential from the very persons whom we censure. Our exterior comportment and manners may be better — this is well enough, but not of the first importance. We ought not to insist on every one following in our footsteps, nor to take upon ourselves to give instructions in spirituality when, perhaps, we do not even know what it is. Zeal for the good of souls, though given us by God, may " If'as of PerJ. ch. vii. G. Castle, M. i. cli. ii. 20, 21.
CHAP. II.] THIRD MANSIONS 87 often lead us astray, sisters; it is best to keep our rule, which bids us ever to live in silence and in hope.'* Our Lord will care for the souls belong- ing to Him; and if we beg His Majesty to do so, by His grace we shall be able to aid them greatly. May He be for ever blessed!
'" Isa. XXX. 15: 'In silentio et in spe erit fortitudo vestra.' Rule §13.
THE FOURTH MANSIONS CHAPTER I.
HOW SWEETNESS AND TENDERNESS IN PRAYER DIFFER FROM CONSOLATIONS. EXPLAINS HOW ADVANTAGEOUS IT WAS FOR ST. TERESA TO COMPREHEND THAT THE IMAGINATION AND THE UNDERSTANDING ARE NOT THE SAME THING. THIS CHAPTER IS USEFUL FOR THOSE WHOSE THOUGHTS WANDER MUCH DURING PRAYER.
1. Graces received in this mansion. 2. Mystic favours. 3. Tempta- tions bring humility and merit. 4. Sensible devotion and natural joys. 5. Sweetness in devotion. 6. St. Teresa's experience of it. 7. Love of God, and how to foster it. 8. Distractions. 9. They do not destroy divine union. 10. St. Teresa^ s physical distractions. 11. How to treat distractions. 12. They should be disregarded. 13. Self-knowledge necessary.
1. Now that I commence writing about the fourth mansions, it is requisite, as I said,' to commend myself to the Holy Ghost and to beg Him hence- forth to speak for me, that I may be enabled to treat these matters intelligibly. Henceforth they begin to be suoernatural and it will be most difficult to speak clearly about them,* unless His Majesty ' First Mansions, ch. i. i.
* There are two kinds of contemplation: acquired or natural, and infused or supernatural. In their widest sense, including many remark- able phenomena of Natural religion, and, of course, the most wonder- ful manifestations recorded in the Old Testament, thev form the svs- CHAP. I.] FOURTH MANSIONS 89 undertakes It for me, as He did when I explained the subjed: (as far as I understood it) somewhat about fourteen years ago.' I believe I now possess more light about the favours God grants some souls, but that is different from being able to elucidate them.* May His Majesty enable me to do so if it would be useful, but not otherwise.
2. As these mansions are nearer the King's dwell- ing they are very beautiful, and so subtle are the things seen and heard in them, that, as those tell us who have tried to do so, the mind cannot give C a lucid idea of them to those inexperienced in the matter. People who have enjoyed these favours, especially if it was to any great extent, will easily comprehend me.
3. Apparently a person must have dwelt for a long time in the former mansions before entering these; although in ordinary cases the soul must have been in the last one spoken of, yet, as you must often have heard, there is no fixed rule, for God gives when, tem called Mysticism and are the proper object of Mystical theology. Natural or acquired contemplation is based upon an idealistic turn of mind which enables the soul to gaze upon the Godhead (simple gaze, as St. Teresa calls it) without approaching Him by the laborious pro- cess of reasoning, and in so doing embraces Him with its aftective powers; like a person who, devoid of technical skill, takes in and is enamoured by, the beauty of a painting. Infused contemplation is the highest act of the Gifts of the Holy Ghost of Knowledge and Wisdom. It is often impossible, nor is it always essential, to determine where acquired contemplation ends and infused contemplation begins. But it should be borne in mind that both the one and the other are opera- tions and not merely a passive state or mere fruition. Even the highest form of contemplation, the Beatific Vision, is a supernatural act of the soul, an operation of unending duration. A ship moved by a gentle i^ breeze is rightly said to be actually sailing though the rowers are at rest. * Life, ch. xii. ii. ^ Life, ch. xvii. 7.
7 90 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. i.
how, and to whom He wills* — the goods are His own, and His choice wrongs no one.^ The poison- ous reptiles rarely come into these rooms, and, if , they enter, do more good than harm. I think it is far better for them to get in and make war on the soul in this state of prayer; were it not tempted, >J the devil might sometimes deceive it about divine consolations, thus injuring it far more. Besides, the soul would benefit less, because all occasions of gaining merit would be withdrawn, were it left continually absorbed in God. I am not confident that this absorption is genuine when it always remains in the same state, nor does it appear to me possible for the Holy Ghost to dwell constantly within us, to the same extent, during our earthly exile.
4. I will now describe, as I promised, the differ- ence between sweetness in prayer and spiritual consolations. It appears to me that what we acquire for ourselves in meditation and petitions to our Lord may be termed * sweetness in devotion.'^ It is natural, although ultimately aided by the grace of God. I must be understood to imply this in all I say, for we can do nothing without Him. This * Philippus a SS. Trinitate, Summa Theologia Mystic^e, pars iii. tract, i. disc. iii. art. 2. Life, ch. xv. 11, xxii. 22, 23. Way of Per/, ch. xvi 4, xli. 2. Concep. ch. v. 3.
* S. Matt. XX. 15: 'Aut non licet mihi quod volo facere?'
' Way ofPerf, ch. xix. 8. Castle, M. iv. ch. ii. 4. The first three mansions of the Interior Castle correspond with the 'first water,' or the prayer of Meditation, explained in ch. xi-xiii. of the Lfe; the fourth mansion, or the prayer of Quiet, with the 'second water,' Life, ch. xiv. and xv.; the fifth mansion, or the prayer of Union, with the 'third water,' Life,c\i. xvi. and xvii.; and the sixth mansion, ecstasy, etc., with the 'fourth water,' Life, ch. xviii.-xxi.
CHAP. I.] FOURTH MANSIONS 91 sweetness arises principally from the good work we perform, and appears to result from our labours: well may we feel happy at having thus spent our time. We shall find, on consideration, that many temporal matters give us the same pleasure — such as unexpectedly coming into a large fortune, sud- denly meeting with a dearly-loved friend, or suc- ceeding in any important or influential affair which makes a sensation in the world. Again, it would be felt by one who had been told her husband, brother, or son was dead, and who saw him return to her alive. I have seen people weep from such happi- ness, as I have done myself. I consider both these joys and those we feel in religious matters to be natural ones. Although there is nothing wrong about the former, yet those produced by devotion spring from a more noble source — in short, they begin in ourselves and end in God. Spiritual con- solations, on the contrary, arise from God, and our nature feels them and rejoices as keenly in them, and indeed far more keenly, than in the others I described.
5. O Jesus! how I wish I could elucidate this point! It seems to me that I can perfedlly distinguish the difference between the two joys, yet I have not the skill to make myself understood; may God give it me! I remember a verse we say at Prime at the end of the final Psalm; the last words are: *Cum dilatasti cor meum' — *When Thou didst dilate my heart.' ^ To those with much experience, this suf- fices to show the difference between sweetness in prayer and spiritual consolations; other people will * Ps. cxviii. 32. Way of P erf. ch. xxriii. 1 1.
92 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. i.
require more explanation. The sensible devotion I mentioned does not dilate the heart, but gener- ally appears to narrow it slightly; although joyful at seeing herself work for God, yet such a person sheds tears of sorrow which seem partly produced by the passions, I know little about the passions of the soul, or I could write of them more clearly and could better define what comes from the sensi- tive disposition and what is natural, having passed through this state myself, but I am very stupid. Knowledge and learning are a great advantage to every one.
6. My own experience of this delight and sweet- ness in meditation was that when I began to weep over the Passion I could not stop until I had a severe headache;^ the same thing occurred when I grieved over my sins: this was a great grace from our Lord. I do not intend to inquire now which of these states of prayer is the better, but I wish I knew how to explain the difference between the two. In that of which I speak, the tears and good desires are often partly caused by the natural disposition, but al- though this may be the case, yet, as I said, these feel- ings terminate in God. Sensible devotion is very desirable if the soul is humble enough to under- stand that it is not more holy on account of these sentiments, which cannot alwavs with certainty be ascribed to charity, and even then are still the gift of God.
7. These feelings of devotion are most common with souls in the first three mansions, who are nearly always using their understanding and reason ' Lije, ch. iii. i.
CHAP. I.] FOURTH MANSIONS 93 in making meditations. This is good for them, for they have not been given grace for more; they should, however, try occasionally to elicit some adts such as praising God, rejoicing in His goodness and that He is what He is: let them desire that He may be honoured and glorified. They must do this as best they can, for it greatly inflames the will. Let them be very careful, when God gives these sentiments, not to set them aside in order to finish their accustomed meditation. But, having spoken fully on this subjed: elsewhere,'" I will say no more now. I only wish to warn you that to make rapid progress and to reach the mansions we wish to enter, it is not so essential to think much as to love much: therefore you must pracftise whatever most excites you to this. Perhaps we do not know what love is, nor does this greatly surprise me. Love does not,! \,'^ consist in great sweetness of devotion, but in a ' fervent determination to strive to please God in all ( things, in avoiding, as far as possible, all that would offend Him, and in praying for the increase of the ' glory and honour of His Son and for the growth of the Catholic Church. These are the signs of love; do not imagine that it consists in never thinking of anything but God, and that if your thoughts wander a little all is lost."
8. I, myself, have sometimes been troubled by this turmoil of thoughts. I learnt by experience, but little more than four years ago, that our thoughts, or it is clearer to call it our imagination, are not '^^ found, ch. V. 2. Wa'j of P erf. ch. xxxi. 6, 12. LiJCy ch. xv. lo, ch. XXX. 19.
94 THE INTERIOR CASTLE [chap. i.
V the same thing as the understanding. I questioned a theologian on the subjed;; he told me it was the fact, which consoled me not a little. As the under- standing is one of the powers of the soul, it puzzled me to see it so sluggish at times, while, as a rule, the imagination takes flight at once, so that God alone can control it by so uniting us to Himself* that we seem, in a manner, detached from our bodies. It puzzled me to see that while to all appearance the powers of the soul were occupied with God and recolledled in Him, the imagination was wander- ing elsewhere.
9. Do Thou, O Lord, take into account all that we suffer in this way through our ignorance. We err in thinking that we need only know that we must keep our thoughts fixed on Thee. We do not under- stand that we should consult those better instructed than ourselves, nor are we aware that there is any- thing for us to learn. We pass through terrible trials, on account of not understanding our own nature and take what is not merely harmless, but good, for a grave fault. This causes the sufferings felt by many people, particularly by the unlearned, who pradiise prayer. They complain of interior trials, become melancholy, lose their health, and even give up prayer altogether for want of recognizing that we have within ourselves as it were, an interior world. We cannot stop the revolution of the heavens as they rush with velocity upon their course, neither can we control our imagination. When this wanders we at once imagine that all the powers of the soul follow it; we think everything CHAP. I.] FOURTH MANSIONS 95