第二章

繼續同一主題，談到祈禱中的枯乾及其結果：我們自己嘗試的必要性以及我們的主如何證明那些在這些居所中的人。

1. 前三宅居住者的缺陷。 2. 我們的考驗暴露了我們的弱點。 3. 從我們的錯誤中學到謙卑。 4、愛錢。 5.靈性的自由。 6.關於蔑視。 7. 經試驗證明的分離。 8、美德和謙虛是必要的。 9. 完美需要超然。 10.我們應該努力取得快速進展。 11. 把我們的憂慮交在天主的手中。 12. 謙卑比肉體的苦行更重要。 13. 直到第四重居所才得到安慰。 14. 聽到他們的好處。 15. 完美在於愛，而不在於回報。 16. 聖女小德蘭看到其他靈魂受到青睞而感到高興。 17. 這些恩典應該努力爭取。 18. 服從和指導， 19. 對他人的誤導性熱情。

1. 1. 我認識一些人，事實上，我可以說很多靈魂，他們已經達到了這種狀態，並且多年來顯然在身體和心靈上都過著有規律和井然有序的生活。看來他們一定已經掌握了這個世界，或者至少是與這個世界極度超然，但如果陛下發出非常溫和的考驗，他們就會變得如此不安和沮喪，不僅讓我驚訝，而且讓我對他們感到焦慮。忠告是沒有用的；修行美德這麼久，他們認為自己有能力傳授美德，並相信自己有充分的理由感到痛苦。

2. 2. 幫助他們的唯一方法就是同情他們的煩惱；⁹⁷確實，看到人們處於如此不幸的境地，我們不能不感到遺憾。不能與他們爭辯，因為他們相信自己只是為了天主而受苦，並且不能讓他們理解他們的行為不完美，這是迄今為止先進的人的進一步錯誤。難怪他們會暫時感受到這些考驗，但我認為他們應該很快就會克服對這些事情的擔憂。天主希望祂的選民認識到他們自己的苦難，常常暫時收回祂的恩惠：在很短的時間內不需要更多的東西來向我們證明我們到底是什麼。 ⁹⁸

3. 3. 靈魂很快就會以這種方式學習；他們非常清楚地認識到自己的過失，有時發現自己很快就被地上的輕微考驗所克服，這比天主明顯的恩惠被減少更痛苦。我想，神如此向他們施了極大的憐憫，雖然他們的行為可能有過失，但他們在謙卑上卻獲益匪淺。我首先談到的那些人卻並非如此。他們相信自己的行為是神聖的，並希望別人同意他們的看法。我給你們舉一些例子，幫助我們了解並考驗自己，而不是等待神來考驗我們，因為如果我們事先做好準備並省察自己，那就更好了。

4. 4. 一個沒有兒子或繼承人的富人失去了部分財產，⁹⁹ 但仍然有足夠的錢來維持自己和家人的生活。如果這種不幸讓他感到悲傷和不安，就好像他被留下來乞討麵包一樣，我們的主怎麼能要求他為了他的緣故放棄一切呢？這個人會告訴你，他很遺憾失去了自己的錢，因為他希望把錢捐給窮人。

5. 5. 我相信陛下希望我能夠順從祂的旨意，在關注我的利益和這樣的慈善事業的同時保持心靈的平靜。如果這個人不能放棄自己，因為天主沒有把他的美德提升到如此高的水平，那麼讓他知道他缺乏精神的自由；讓他祈求我們的主賜予他，並正確地接受它。另一個人有足夠的手段來維持生計，當有機會獲得更多財產時：如果向他提供，無論如何讓他接受；但如果他必須不遺餘力地獲得它，然後繼續努力獲得越來越多的東西——無論他的意圖有多好（而且一定是好的，因為我說的是那些過著祈禱和美好生活的人），他不可能進入國王附近的居所。

6. 6. 如果這些人受到蔑視或缺乏應有的尊重，也會發生同樣的事情。天主常常賜給他們恩典，使他們能夠很好地承受它，因為他喜歡看到美德在公共場合得到維護，並且不會譴責那些實踐美德的人，或者因為這些人忠實地侍奉他，而他，我們的至善，對我們所有人都非常好；然而，這些人卻感到不安，並且在一段時間內無法克服或擺脫這種感覺。 ¹⁰⁰ 唉！難道他們沒有長久地思考我們的主所遭受的痛苦，以及我們受苦是多麼美好，甚至渴望這樣做嗎？他們希望每個人都像他們一樣有道德；天主保佑他們不會把自己的麻煩歸咎於別人，而是把功勞歸咎於自己！

7. 7. 我的女兒們，你們可能會認為我偏離了主題，因為所有這些都與你們無關：我們這裡沒有發生過類似的事情，我們既不擁有也不希望擁有任何財產，也不試圖獲得它，也沒有人對我們有任何傷害。我所提到的例子並不完全一致，但可以從中得出適用於我們的結論，這是既不好也沒有必要陳述的。這些會告訴你你是否真的脫離了你所剩下的一切；一些瑣碎的事情經常發生，儘管可能不完全相同，但你可以透過這些事情向自己證明你是否已經控制了自己的熱情。

8. 8.相信我，問題不在於我們是否有宗教習慣，而在於我們是否實踐美德，是否在一切事情上將我們的意志服從天主的旨意。我們生活的目標必須是遵行祂對我們的要求：讓我們不要祈求我們的旨意得以實現，而是祈求祂的旨意得以實現。如果我們還沒有達到這一點，讓我們保持謙虛，正如我上面所說的。謙卑是治療我們傷口的藥膏；如果我們擁有它，儘管也許他可能會推遲一段時間，但作為我們醫生的神將會來醫治我們。 9. 我所說的那些人所進行的懺悔就像他們的生命一樣受到嚴格的管制，他們非常重視生命，因為他們希望用生命來服務我們的主——這沒有什麼可責備的——所以他們在苦行中非常謹慎，以免損害他們的健康。別擔心他們會自殺：他們太明智了！他們的愛還不足以戰勝他們的理智；我希望如此——他們可能不滿足於在通往天主的路上緩慢前行：這種步伐永遠不會將他們帶到旅程的終點！

10. 10. 我們自己似乎在取得進步，但我們卻變得疲倦，因為，相信我，我們正在迷霧中行走；如果我們不迷失自己，那就是幸運的。我的女兒們，你們認為，如果我們能在八天內從一個國家旅行到另一個國家，那麼在旅途中度過一年的時間，經歷風、雪、洪水和糟糕的道路，是否會更好？ ¹⁰¹ 立即結束這不是更好嗎，因為它充滿了危險和蛇？哦，我可以給你舉出多少驚人的例子！天主保佑我自己已經超越了這種狀態：我常常認為我還沒有。

11. 11、萬事為難，謹慎為行；我們害怕一切，因此害怕進步－就好像我們能到達內室，而其他人卻替我們踏上旅程！因為這是不可能的，姊妹們，為了天主的愛，讓我們竭盡全力，把我們的理性和恐懼交在祂的手中，不去注意可能阻礙我們的本性的弱點。讓負責的上級照顧我們的身體；讓我們唯一關心的是趕緊趕到我們的主面前——因為雖然這裡很少或根本沒有贖罪券，但是，對健康的關注可能會誤導我們，而且據我所知，這對我們的關心來說並沒有什麼好處。

12. 12. 我也知道，我們的身體並不是眼前工作的主要因素；我們的身體並不是我們工作的主要因素。它們是輔助性的：極度謙卑才是要點。我相信，正是這種缺乏阻礙了人們的進步。看起來我們進展甚微：我們應該相信情況確​​實如此，而且我們的姊妹們進步得比我們快得多。我們不僅應該希望別人認為我們是最糟糕的，而且應該希望別人認為我們是最糟糕的。我們應該努力讓他們這麼認為。如果我們這樣做，我們的靈魂就會做得很好；否則，我們將不會取得任何進展，並且將永遠成為成千上萬麻煩和痛苦的犧牲品。如果沒有自我放棄，這條路將會是艱難而令人厭倦的，因為我們被人性的負擔和脆弱所壓垮，而這些在更內部的居所中不再感受到。

13. 13. 在這第三重居所中，主永遠報答我們的服務，既是一位公正的天主，又是一位仁慈的天主，他總是給予我們遠遠超過我們應得的，給我們比任何塵世的快樂和娛樂所能獲得的更大的幸福。我認為他在這裡並沒有給予太多安慰，除了偶爾向我們展示裡面的東西來引誘我們準備進入最後的居所。在你看來，明智的奉獻和安慰之間除了名稱之外沒有什麼區別，你可能會問我為什麼要區分它們。我認為有很大的區別，但我可能是錯的。

14. 14. 這一點在寫第四重居所時會得到最好的解釋，接下來我必須談到在那裡從我們的主那裡得到的安慰。這個主題可能看起來毫無意義，但透過敦促那些知道每座居所包含什麼的靈魂努力進入最好的居所，可能會被證明是有用的。它將安慰那些迄今為止天主已經推進的人；其他自認為已經達到頂峰的人會感到羞愧，但如果他們謙虛，他們就會感謝天主。

15. 15. 那些沒有得到這些安慰的人可能會感到不必要的沮喪，因為完美並不在於安慰，而在於更大的愛；我們的回報將與此以及我們行為的正義性和誠意成正比。那麼，也許你想知道為什麼我要討論這些內在的恩惠及其本質。我不知道;問他是誰讓我寫這篇的。我必須服從上級，而不是與他們爭論，這是我沒有權利這樣做的。

16. 16. 我向你們保證，當我既沒有接受過這些恩惠時，¹⁰² 也沒有透過經驗理解它們，也沒有期望過（這是正確的，因為如果我知道或什至推測我以任何方式取悅天主，我應該感到讀到他），然而，當我放心我們的主們安慰他​​的僕人。如果像我這樣行事，謙卑善良的人會更榮耀祂！我認為有必要解釋這些主題，並展示我們因自己的過錯而失去了多少安慰和快樂，即使只是為了感動一個靈魂一次讚美天主。

17. 17. 當這些喜樂來自天主時，它們就滿載著愛和力量，幫助靈魂走上正軌，增加其善行和美德。不要以為你是否嘗試獲得這些恩典並不重要；事實上，你是否試圖獲得這些恩典並不重要。如果你不該受責備，主是公正的：他以一種方式拒絕的，陛下將以另一種方式給你，正如他知道的那樣；他的秘密方式非常神秘，毫無疑問他會做對你最好的事情。

18. 18. 靠著天主的仁慈而走到這一步的靈魂（正如我所說，這是不小的仁慈，因為他們很可能會升得更高），如果實行及時的服從，將會大有裨益。即使他們不處於宗教狀態，如果他們像其他某些人一樣，選擇一位董事，¹⁰³，這樣就永遠不會遵循自己的意願，這也是我們大多數弊病的原因。他們不應該選擇一個自己的心性¹⁰⁴（俗話說），行動過於謹慎，而應該選擇一個徹底超脫世俗的人；諮詢一個學過並且可以教授這一點的人是非常有幫助的。令人鼓舞的是，我們似乎無法忍受的考驗對其他人來說卻是可能的，而且他們甜蜜地忍受了這些考驗。它們的飛翔讓我們嘗試翱翔，就像老鳥教導的雛鳥一樣，它們雖然一開始飛不遠，但一點一點地模仿它們的父母：我知道這樣做的巨大好處。無論這些人決心不冒犯我們的主，他們都不能讓自己暴露在誘惑之下： 他們仍然靠近他們可以輕鬆返回的第一座居所。他們的力量還沒有像在苦難中鍛鍊的靈魂那樣建立在堅實的基礎上，他們知道沒有理由害怕這個世界的暴風雨，也不關心它的快樂：初學者可能會在任何嚴峻的考驗面前屈服。一些巨大的迫害，例如魔鬼知道如何提出來傷害我們，可能會讓初學者退縮；當他們熱心地試圖使他人脫離罪惡時，他們可能會屈服於對他們的攻擊。

19. 19. 讓我們看看自己的過失，而不是別人的過失。自己極為正確的人常常會對他們所看到的一切感到震驚¹⁰⁵；然而，我們常常可以從我們所譴責的人那裡學到很多重要的東西。我們的外表舉止和舉止可能會更好——這已經足夠了，但不是最重要的。我們不應該堅持讓每個人都追隨我們的腳步，也不應該在我們甚至不知道靈性是什麼的情況下承擔起給予靈性指導的責任。姊妹們，雖然天主賜給我們對靈魂福祉的熱心，但可能常常使我們誤入歧途；最好遵守我們的規則，它要求我們永遠生活在沉默和希望中。 ¹⁰⁶ 我們的主會照顧屬於祂的靈魂；如果我們懇求國王陛下這樣做，靠著祂的恩典，我們將能夠為他們提供很大的幫助。願他永遠蒙福！

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 show 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. Consolations rarely received until the fourth mansions. 14. Advantages 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, 19. Misguided zeal for others.

1.

1. I HAVE known some, in fact, I may say numerous souls, who have reached this state, and for many years lived, 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 think themselves capable of teaching it, and believe that they have abundant reason to feel miserable.

2.

2. The only way to help them is to compassionate their troubles;⁹⁷ 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 suffer only for God’s sake, and cannot be made to understand they are acting 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 His elect to realize their own misery, often temporarily withdraws His favours: no more is needed to prove to us in a very short time what we really are.⁹⁸

3.

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 subtraction 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 of whom I first spoke; they believe their conduct 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.

4. A rich man, without son or heir, loses part of his property,⁹⁹ 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 you he regrets losing his money because he wished to bestow it on the poor.

5.

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 person 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.

6. Something of the same sort happens if such people meet with contempt or want of due respect. 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 cannot overcome or get rid of the feeling for some time.¹⁰⁰ 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? They wish every one were as virtuous as they are; and God grant they do not consider other people to blame for their troubles and attribute merit to themselves!

7.

7. You may think, my daughters, that I have wandered from the subject, 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.

8. Believe me, the question is not whether we wear the religious habit or not, but whether we practise the virtues and submit our will in all things to the will of God. The object 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. 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.

10. We seem to ourselves to be making progress, yet we become weary, for, believe me, we are walking 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?¹⁰¹ 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.

11.

11. All things obstruct us while prudence rules our actions; we are afraid of everything and therefore fear to make progress—as if we could reach the inner chambers while others make the journey for us! As this is impossible, sisters, for the love of God let us exert ourselves, and leave our reason and our fears in His hands, 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.

12. I know, too, that our bodies are not the chief factors in the work we have before us; they are accessory: extreme humility is 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 act 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 self-renunciation, weighed down as we are by the burden and frailties of human nature, which are no longer felt in the more interior mansions.

13.

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 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.

14.

14. 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 subject may appear futile, yet may prove useful by urging souls who know what each mansion 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.

15. Those who do not receive these consolations may feel a despondency that is uncalled for, since perfection 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 actions. 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.

16. I assure you that when I had neither received these favours,¹⁰² nor understood them by experience, or ever expected to (and rightly so, for I should have felt reassured if I had known or even conjectured that I was pleasing to God in any way), 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 acted thus, how much more would the humble and good glorify Him! I think it is worth while to explain these subjects 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.

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 are 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.

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 benefited 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 director,¹⁰³ 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 mind¹⁰⁴ (as the saying goes), who is over prudent in his actions, 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 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.

19. Let us look at our own faults, and not at other persons’. People who are extremely correct themselves are often shocked at everything they see¹⁰⁵ ; 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 often lead us astray, sisters; it is best to keep our rule, which bids us ever to live in silence and in hope.¹⁰⁶ Our Lord will care for the souls belonging 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!