CHAPTER IV.

FURTHER EXPLANATION OF THE SAME SUBJECT; EXPLAINS THIS PRAYER. THE

IMPORTANCE OF BEING ON ONE'S GUARD, AS THE DEVIL EAGERLY DESIRES TO TURN

SOULS BACK FROM THE RIGHT PATH.

1. The spiritual espousals. 2. The prayer of union resembles a betrothal. 3.

Before the spiritual nuptials temptations are dangerous. 4. The great good

done by souls faithful to these graces. 5. Religious subject to the devil's

deceptions. 6. Satan's strata-gems. 7. Why they are permitted. 8. Prayer and

watchfulness our safeguards. 9. God's watchfulness over such souls. 10.

Progress in virtue. 11. Insignificance of our actions compared with their

reward. 12. St. Teresa's motives for writing on prayer.

1. You appear anxious to know what has become of the little dove and where

she obtains rest, since obviously she can find it neither in spiritual

consolations nor in earthly pleasures but takes a higher flight. I cannot

tell you until we come to the last mansion: God grant I may remember or have

leisure to write it. It is nearly five months since I began this work, and

as my head is too weak to read it again, no doubt it will be very

disconnected and full of repetitions: however, as it is only for my sisters,

that will matter little. Yet I should like to express myself more fully

about the prayer of union and will make use, to the best of my scanty wits,

of a comparison. Later on we will speak of the little butterfly, which is

never still, for it can find no true repose, yet always fertile, doing good

both to itself and others. [199] You have often heard that God spiritually

espouses souls: may He be praised for His mercy in thus humbling Himself so

utterly. Though but a homely comparison, yet I can find nothing better to

express my meaning than the Sacrament of Matrimony although the two things

are very different. In divine union everything is spiritual and far removed

from anything corporal, all the joys our Lord gives and the mutual delight

felt in it being celestial and very unlike human marriage, which it excels a

thousand times. Here all is love united to love; its operations are more

pure, refined, and sweet than can be described, though our Lord knows how to

make the soul sensible of them.

2. I think this union does not attain as far as the spiritual espousals but

resembles the preliminaries that take place when two people are

contemplating a betrothal. Their suitability and willingness for the

alliance are first discussed; then they may be allowed to see one another

sometimes so as to come to a decision. Thus it is in the spiritual

espousals: when the preliminary agreement has been made and the soul

thoroughly understands what great advantages she will gain, having resolved

to fulfil the will of her Spouse in all things and to do all she can to

please Him, His Majesty Who knows well whether this is so in reality, wishes

in return to gratify His bride. He therefore bestows this favour upon her,

visits her and draws her into His presence, as He wishes her to know Him

better. We might compare the prayer of union to a visit, for it lasts but a

very little while. [200] There is no longer any question of deliberation,

but the soul in a secret manner sees to what a Bridegroom it is betrothed;

the senses and faculties could not, in a thousand years, gain the knowledge

thus imparted in a very short time. The Spouse, being Who He is, leaves the

soul far more deserving of completing the espousals, as we may call them;

the enamoured soul in its love for Him makes every effort to prevent their

being frustrated. Should it grow neglectful and set its affections on

anything except our Lord, it will forfeit everything: this loss is as great

as are the favours the soul has continually received, which are precious

beyond description. [201]

3. O Christian souls! you whom God has brought thus far! I implore you for

His dear sake not to grow careless, but to avoid all occasions of sin; you

are not strong enough yet to undergo temptation, as you will be after the

espousals which take place in the next mansion. Here the betrothed are, as

they say, only acquainted by sight, [202] and the devil will spare no

pains to oppose and prevent their nuptials. Afterwards, when he sees the

Bride is wholly given to her Bridegroom, he is afraid to interfere, having

learnt by experience that if he molests her, while he loses much, she will

gain greatly in merit.

4. I can assure you, my daughters, [203] that I have known people far

advanced in the spiritual life who had reached this state of prayer yet whom

the devil reclaimed by his subtlety and wiles: as I have often said, all

hell leagues together against such souls because the loss of one of them

entails the perdition of many more, as Satan is well aware. If we considered

how many men God draws to Himself by means of one, we should praise Him

fervently. Think of the multitudes converted by the martyrs or by one young

maiden like St. Ursula! Again, of how many victims the evil one was deprived

by St. Dominic, St. Francis, and other founders of religious orders. How

many more he loses, even now, through Father Ignatius [Loyola], who founded

the Company [of Jesus]! As we read their lives, we learn that they received

such graces from God. How was this great good done except by their efforts

not to forfeit, through any fault of theirs, these divine espousals? Oh, my

daughters, how willing our Lord is to grant us the same graces! In fact,

there is even more urgent need now for persons to prepare for such favours,

since there are fewer who care for His honour. We love ourselves too much

and are too prudent to give up any of our rights. What a deception! May God

in His mercy give us light, lest we sink into such darkness.

5. You may question or be in doubt on two points. Firstly: if the soul is

entirely united with the will of God, as I have stated, how can it be

deceived, since it ever seeks to follow His pleasure? Secondly, how can the

devil enter and work such havoc as to destroy your soul while you are so

utterly withdrawn from the world and constantly frequent the Sacraments?

[204] At the same time you enjoy the society of angels (as we might call

them) and by the mercy of God you desire nothing but to serve and please Him

in all things? [205] It is not surprising that people in the world should

run such risks. I admit you have the right to say this, for God has shown us

signal mercy; but, as I said above, knowing as I do that Judas was amongst

the Apostles and that he held constant with God Himself, to

Whose words he listened, I learn that the state of religion does not make us

safe.

6. To your first question I reply that doubtless if such a soul is always

faithful to the will of God, it cannot be lost; the evil one, however, comes

with his keen subtlety and, under the pretext of good, leads it astray in

some trivial matter and causes it to commit small defects which he makes it

believe are harmless. Thus, little by little, the reason is obscured and the

will is weakened while the devil fosters his victim's self-love, until, by

degrees, he succeeds in withdrawing it from union with the will of God and

makes it follow its own will.

7. The answer to your first inquiry will serve for the second. No enclosure

can be too strict for Satan to enter nor any desert too remote for him to

visit. Besides, God may permit him to tempt the soul to prove its virtue;

for as He intends it to enlighten others, it is better for it to fail in the

beginning than when it might do them great harm.

8. We must beg God constantly in our prayers to uphold us by His hand; we

should keep ever in our minds the truth that if He leaves us, most certainly

we shall fall at once into the abyss, for we must never be so foolish as to

trust in ourselves. After this I think the greatest safeguard is to be very

careful and to watch how we advance in virtue; we must notice whether we are

making progress or falling back in it, especially as regards the love of our

neighbour, the desire to be thought the least of all and how we perform our

ordinary, everyday duties. If we attend to this and beg Our Lord to

enlighten us, we shall at once perceive our gain or loss.

9. Do not suppose that after advancing the soul to such a state God abandons

it so easily that it is light work for the devil to regain it. When His

Majesty sees it leaving Him, He feels the loss so keenly that He gives it in

many a way a thousand secret warnings which reveal to it the hidden danger.

[206]

10. In conclusion, let us strive to make constant progress: we ought to feel

great alarm if we do not find ourselves advancing, for without doubt the

evil one must be planning to injure us in some way; it is impossible for a

soul that has come to this state not to go still farther, for love is never

idle. Therefore it is a very bad sign when one comes to a stand-still in

virtue. She who aspires to become the spouse of God Himself, and has treated

with His Majesty and come to such an understanding with Him, must not leave

off and go to sleep. [207]

11. To show you, my daughters, how Christ treats the souls He takes for His

brides, I will now speak of the sixth mansions. You will then see how little

in comparison is all that we can do or suffer in His service to prepare

ourselves for the reception of such immense favours. Perhaps our Lord

decreed that I should write this in order that the knowledge of the great

reward to come, and of His infinite mercy in seeking to give and to manifest

Himself to such worms as we are, might make us forget our wretched, petty,

earthly pleasures and run on our way with eyes fixed on His grandeur,

inflamed with love for Him.

12. May He enable me to explain some of these difficult matters; if our Lord

and the Holy Ghost do not guide my pen, I know the task will prove

impossible. 1 beg Him to prevent my saying anything unless it will profit

you. His Majesty knows that, as far as I can judge, I have no other wish but

that His Name may be glorified and that we may strive to serve a Lord Who

thus recompenses our efforts even in this world. What, then, will be our joy

in heaven where it will be continuous, without the interruptions, labours,

and dangers of this tempestuous sea of life? Were it not for the fear of

losing or offending Him, we should wish to live until the end of the world

[208] in order to work for so great a God--our Lord and our Spouse. May His

Majesty enable us to render Him some service free from the many faults we

always commit, even in good works! Amen.

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[199] Compare: 'habebit fructum in respectione animarum sanctarum' (Breviar.

Rom. Ant. ad Laudes de Com. Virg.); 'quasi apis argumentosa Domino

deservisti' (Ibid. Feast of St. C+ªcilia.)

[200] Life, ch. xviii.

[201] Way of Perf. ch. i. 10.

[202] Phil. a SS. Trinit. l.c. p. iii. tract. i. disc. ii. art. 2.

[203] Contrast with this paragraph what the Saint says in her Life, ch. xix.

-º 8.

[204] Life, ch, xxxvi. 26; xxxix. 14. Found. ch. i. 1-4.

[205] Way of Perf. ch. i, 2; xiii. 3. Found. ch. i. 3.

[206] Life, ch. xix. 9.

[207] Life, ch. xix. 7.

[208] Rel. ix. 19.

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