第一章

本章說明靈魂蒙天主賜予更大恩惠時，反而遭受更深重的苦楚；列舉若干此類苦楚，並指引第六重居所的靈魂當如何承擔。本章對正在歷受內在考驗的人尤有助益。

1. 聖神恩惠所點燃的愛。 2. 主使靈魂的渴慕更熾烈。 3. 進入最後居所所需的勇氣。 4. 伴隨天主恩惠的考驗。 5–6. 追求完善的靈魂所遭受的強烈指責；聖女大德蘭本身的經歷。 7. 光明靈魂對讚美的厭惡。 8–10. 這種厭惡化為淡漠；謙遜；對天主光榮的熱忱。 11. 對讚美或責備全然漠然。 12. 愛仇人。 13. 肉身的苦楚。 14. 聖女大德蘭的身體疾病。

1. 承聖神的助祐，我現在要談的是第六重居所。靈魂在這裡因愛其淨配而受傷，比以往更渴望獨處，在身分職責所許可的限度內，遠離一切可能打擾的事物。她對他所享受的神見已深深烙印在靈魂裡，唯一的渴望就是再次見到他。我已說過，²⁰⁹在這祈禱中，即使藉著想像，也看不見任何可稱為「神見」的東西。我之所以稱之為「神見」，是因為我用了比喻的說法。

2. 靈魂此時已決意，除了我們的主以外不再接受任何淨配；但他對靈魂急切盼望完婚的心意暫且不理，要讓這渴望愈燃愈烈，讓這遠超一切恩惠的至善，以靈魂自身付出的代價換取。為獲得如此巨大的益處，我們所必須忍受的不過是微薄代價——但我向你們保證，女兒們，正是這種對即將到來之事的信念，才能鼓起勇氣去承擔十字架。

3. 我的天主啊！要進入第七重居所，一個人內外必須承受多少磨難！每當思及此處，我不禁擔憂——若事先知情，人的脆弱恐怕幾乎無法承受，縱使所得看來何等豐厚，也難有勇氣去面對。然而，靈魂若已抵達第七重居所，便無所畏懼，²¹⁰甘願為天主承受一切，從那幾乎不間斷的結合中汲取力量。

4. 我想最好告訴你們在這境況中必然遭遇的某些考驗。也許不是所有靈魂都要走這條路，但我認為，凡曾享受這些真正天上恩惠的人，不可能完全不受任何塵世苦難。因此，雖然起初我並未打算談這個題目，後來我想，若有某個處於此境的靈魂，知道天主賜予這種恩惠的人通常會遭遇什麼，或許能得到很大的安慰——因為那時她們似乎真的一切都失落了。

5. 我不按固定順序列舉這些考驗，只照記憶所及，從最輕微的說起。首先是針對這樣的人所發出的強烈指責，來自與她共同生活的人，乃至素不相識、卻自稱曾在某時見過她的人。他們說她要冒充聖人，走宗教極端，欺騙世人，藉此貶低從不如此張揚、卻比她更好的基督徒——其實她不過是努力更完整地盡本分罷了。她以為的朋友棄她而去，說出最傷人的話：他們深信她的靈魂已迷失，她顯然受了迷惑，一切都是魔鬼的傑作，她會像某某人一樣在他手中喪亡，她是在敗壞美德的名聲。他們大聲嚷嚷說她在欺騙告解神父，並舉出其他以同樣方式走向滅亡的人為例，種種嘲諷不一而足。²¹¹ 6. 我認識一個人，情況惡化到她擔心再也找不到願意為她聽告解的神父；但這是長篇故事，此刻不便細說。最難受的是，這些困擾並未隨時間消散，而是伴隨她終生，因為一個人告誡另一個人不要與她這類人往來。你們也許說，也有人為她說話。我的女兒們啊，對她好的人與恨她的人相比，又有幾個？

7. 除此之外，讚美比責備更讓這樣的靈魂痛苦，因為她清楚地認識到，自己所有的善都是天主的恩賜，絕非出於自身——況且不久前她德行尚薄，還陷身於嚴重的罪過。²¹²因此，受到稱讚至少在初期會令她難以忍受；儘管後來因多種原因，靈魂對讚與貶都漸趨淡然。

8. 首先，經驗告訴她，人說人好話與說壞話同樣輕易，因此她對兩者不再有所偏重。其次，主賜予她更大的光明，她認識到自身沒有任何善是屬於自己的，一切都是祂的恩賜，於是忘卻自我，讚頌天主的恩典，彷彿那些恩典是在別人身上發現的一般。

9. 第三個原因是，她認識到別人從見證天主所賜予她的恩典中得了益處，便認為天主讓他們在她身上發現並不存在的美德，是為了他們的好處。10. 第四，凡尋求天主的光榮勝過尋求自己光榮的靈魂，都能擺脫初學者往往深受其苦的誘惑——以為人的讚美會帶給她同樣傷害他人的後果。這些靈魂也不太介意人的輕視，只要藉著她們，有人哪怕稱頌一次天主就夠了——不管以後如何。

11. 這些及其他種種理由，在某程度上緩解了人的讚美昔日所帶來的巨大痛苦；然而，除非靈魂已對人們的言語完全置之不理，否則仍會感到若干不適。她受到世人不應得的尊崇，比遭受任何毀謗都更為難受；而當她終於對讚美幾乎漠然之際，對責備就更不在乎了——甚至感到愉悅，聽來如同和諧的樂音。

12. 此話千真萬確：考驗不但沒有令靈魂沮喪，反而使她更為堅強，因為經驗教會她從中獲得的莫大益處。她不認為那些迫害她的人是在冒犯天主，而認為天主許可他們這樣做，是為了她更大的益處。²¹³這信念如此堅定，使她對這些人懷有特殊的感情，視他們為比那些稱讚她的人更真誠的朋友、更大的恩人。²¹⁴

13. 主通常這時還會賜予嚴重的身體病痛。這是更沉重的十字架，尤其是劇烈疼痛來臨時；若痛得猛烈，我認為這是塵世最艱難的考驗。我說的是外在考驗；但最嚴峻的肉身痛苦也會滲入我們存在的內裡，同時影響精神和身體，使受苦的靈魂在煎熬中不知如何是好，寧願立刻以殉道的方式一死了之，也不願如此受苦。然而這些劇烈的苦楚不會持續太久，因為天主從不給我們超出承受能力的事，且總是先賜予我們忍耐。

14. 現在說說在這境況中人們通常會遭遇的其他考驗和各種疾病。我認識一個人，自四十年前²¹⁵主開始賜予她所述的恩惠起，她就再也說不出有哪一天不在痛苦和各種苦難中度過——我說的是身體的病弱，此外還有加諸於她的沉重十字架。²¹⁶確實，她從前過著惡劣的生活，因此與她所應得的地獄相比，這些苦楚對她而言算不得什麼。²¹⁷主對那些冒犯祂較少的人，另有其他的引領方式；但我始終願意選擇受苦的道路，哪怕只是為了效法我們的主耶穌基督，何況受苦確實在許多方面對我們大有裨益。然而，若我能描述這重居所中所遇的內在苦楚，其餘的一切相形之下都微不足道——只是那些苦楚實在難以言說。

15. 先說與一位膽小怯懦、缺乏經驗的告解神父相遇所帶來的考驗——在他眼中幾乎什麼都不安全；他對一切非尋常的事情都感到畏懼和懷疑，尤其在他察覺到任何不完美的靈魂身上更是如此，因為他認為天主所賜恩惠的對象必定是天使，而這在我們活在肉身之際是不可能的。²¹⁸他立刻將一切歸於魔鬼或憂鬱症。對後者，我並不感到驚訝；世上這類事太多了，惡者以此方式造成如此大的傷害，以致告解神父有充分的理由對此保持警覺。

16. 可憐的靈魂本身也深陷同樣的恐懼，向告解神父求取裁斷，神父若予以定罪，那折磨和沮喪只有親身經歷過的人才能體會。²¹⁹這些靈魂所受的嚴峻考驗之一，尤其是那些從前過著惡劣生活的人，就是相信天主允許她們受騙，是為了懲罰她們的罪。正在領受這些恩惠時，她們感到安全，不得不相信這些恩惠出自天主的神；但這種狀態極為短暫，而她們的惡行卻始終橫亙眼前，因此每當——這是必然的——她們在自己身上發現任何過失，這些令人痛苦的念頭便捲土重來。²²⁰

17. 告解神父若予以安慰，靈魂會暫時平靜，儘管之後又回到原先的憂慮；但若神父加重她的恐懼，苦楚便幾乎難以承受。尤其是靈性枯竭接踵而來時，心靈感覺好像從未思念過天主，也永遠無法再思念祂。旁人談到祂，彷彿在說一個很久以前聽說過的人。

18. 這一切尚不足以說明全部，還有另一種痛苦：認為無法讓告解神父明白實情，自己是在欺騙他。²²¹縱使這個人仔細地審察良心，知道她甚至將心中最初的念頭都告訴了神師，這也於事無補。她的理解力太昏暗，無法辨別真相，相信此時佔據上風的想像力所呈現的一切，又輕信魔鬼向她暗示的謊言——主無疑允許惡者來試探她。惡神甚至想讓她以為天主已棄絕她。重重考驗攻擊這個靈魂，造成極度痛苦而難以忍受的內在折磨，我只能拿地獄中喪亡者的苦楚來比擬，因為在這考驗的風暴中找不到任何安慰。²²²

19. 靈魂若向告解神父尋求安慰，所有的惡魔似乎都在幫助他更加折磨她。有位告解神父接待一位如此受苦的人，以為她的情況必定非常危險，因為如此多的事情困擾著她；因此，待她從考驗中平復後，他要她每次再度發生時就告訴他——結果卻發現這使事情比以前更糟。她完全失去對自我的掌控：她雖識字，卻連通俗語言寫的書也無法理解，彷彿從未認識字母一般，因為她的心智無法運作。²²³

20. 總而言之，在這樣的風暴中，除了等待天主的憐憫，別無他法——祂會在意想不到之際，藉著一句偶然的話語或一個不期而至的情境，突然驅散所有這些悲傷；隨即一切愁雲盡散，心靈充滿光明，比以往更為喜樂。²²⁴靈魂讚頌我們的主天主，有如從險惡的戰役中凱旋的勇士——因為得勝的是祂。靈魂清楚地意識到這勝利並非出於自己，因為所有自衛的武器似乎都在敵人手中。她因此認識到自己的軟弱，以及若天主捨棄人，人自己能做的是多麼渺小。

21. 這真理此刻無需明證，因為過去的經驗已告訴靈魂她的全然無能；她認識到人性的虛空，以及我們是多麼可憐的受造物。儘管仍處於寵愛的狀態而未曾墮失——因為縱有這些折磨，她沒有冒犯天主，也不會為任何塵世之事而這樣做²²⁵——然而這份寵愛深藏難見，使受苦者相信她無論現在還是過去，都從未擁有對天主之愛的最微弱火花。²²⁶她若曾行過善事，或若陛下曾賜予她恩惠，那一切似乎不過是夢境或幻覺，而她的罪過卻歷歷在目。

22. 耶穌啊！看到一個靈魂被如此遺棄，是何等的悲傷；正如我所說，任何塵世的安慰何等無濟於事！姊妹們，若你們有朝一日陷入這境況，不要以為富有而自立的人比你們更有資源應對這些困苦。不，不！提供那種安慰，就像把世界上所有的歡樂擺在死刑犯面前：非但無法減輕，反而增加他們的痛苦。我所說的那些靈魂也是如此：她們的安慰必須從上而來，塵世沒有任何東西能幫助她們。這位偉大的天主希望我們承認祂的主權和我們自身的苦難——這對那些要繼續前行的人是極為重要的一課。

23. 若這樣的考驗持續多日，可憐的靈魂能做什麼？祈禱對安慰心靈毫無作用，任何安慰都無法進入；心智甚至無法把握口禱詞句的意義；至於心禱，在這時候根本無從談起，因為各項官能都力不從心。獨處傷害靈魂，而與人相處或交談卻是新的折磨。受苦者縱使盡力掩藏，也太過疲憊沮喪，對周圍的一切都感到格格不入，情況終究會顯露出來。

24. 靈魂又如何能說清楚自己的病在何處？她的痛苦難以言說，被無名的苦楚和精神的煎熬折磨著。對付這些十字架最好的辦法——我說的不是從中得到解脫，因為我不知道有什麼能做到這一點，而是讓人能夠承擔它們——就是從事外在的愛德工作，並信賴天主的憐憫，祂從不讓那些仰望祂的人失望。²²⁷願祂永受讚頌！阿們。

25. 魔鬼也會引發一些外在考驗，因較不尋常，在此不必詳述。這些苦楚輕微得多，因為無論惡魔如何作為，我相信牠們從未能如上述那樣成功地癱瘓靈魂的官能或擾亂靈魂。理性能夠看出邪靈所能造成的傷害不會超過天主所許可的範圍；只要心智未失其能力，一切苦楚相比之下都微不足道。

26. 這重居所中所遇的其他內在苦楚，我將在描述主在此所賜予的各種祈禱和恩惠時再行討論。後面這些苦楚，從其對身體的影響來看，雖有一些更難以忍受，卻不配稱為十字架，我們也無權這樣稱呼。事實上，它們是來自天主的大恩惠，靈魂在苦楚中即能認識這一點，同時意識到自己距離能配受這些恩惠還有多遠。

27. 靈魂在第七重居所入口處所感受的這種深切折磨，還伴隨著許多其他苦楚，我會提及其中一些；但要全部講述是不可能的，也無法加以描繪，因為它們來自另一個遠比其餘更高的泉源。我在描述較低層次的考驗時已頗感力不從心，對那些更高的考驗就更無能為力了。願天主藉著聖子的功德，在一切事上助祐我！阿們。

THIS CHAPTER SHOWS HOW, WHEN GOD BESTOWS GREATER FAVOURS ON THE SOUL, IT SUFFERS MORE SEVERE AFFLICTIONS. SOME OF THE LATTER ARE DESCRIBED AND DIRECTIONS HOW TO BEAR THEM GIVEN TO THE DWELLERS IN THIS MANSION. THIS CHAPTER IS USEFUL FOR THOSE SUFFERING INTERIOR TRIALS.

1. Love kindled by divine favours. 2. Our Lord excites the soul’s longings. 3. Courage needed to reach the last mansions. 4. Trials accompanying divine favours. 5. Outcry raised against souls striving for perfection. 6. St. Teresa’s personal experience of this. 7. Praise distasteful to an enlightened soul. 8. This changes to indifference. 9. Humility of such souls. 10. Their zeal for God’s glory. 11. Perfect and final indifference to praise or blame. 12. Love of enemies. 13. Bodily sufferings. 14. St. Teresa’s physical ills. 15. A timorous confessor. 16. Anxiety on account of past sins. 17. Fears and aridity. 18. Scruples and fears raised by the devil. 19. Bewilderment of the soul. 20. God alone relieves these troubles. 21. Human weakness. 22. Earthly consolations are of no avail. 23. Prayer gives no comfort at such a time. 24. Remedies for these interior trials. 25. Trials caused by the devil. 26. Other afflictions. 27. Preparatory to entering the seventh mansions.

1. BY the aid of the Holy Ghost I am now about to treat of the sixth mansions, where the soul, wounded with love for its Spouse, sighs more than ever for solitude, withdrawing as far as the duties of its state permit from all that can interrupt it, The sight it has enjoyed of Him is so deeply imprinted on the spirit that its only desire is to behold Him again. I have already said that,²⁰⁹ even by the imagination, nothing is seen in this prayer that can be called sight. I speak of it as ‘sight’ because of the comparison I used.

2. The soul is now determined to take no other Bridegroom than our Lord, but He disregards its desires for its speedy espousals, wishing that these longings should become still more vehement and that this good, which far excels all other benefits, should be purchased at some cost to itself. And although for so great a gain all that we must endure is but a poor price to pay, I assure you, daughters, that this pledge of what is in store for us is needed to inspire us with courage to bear our crosses.

3. O My God, how many troubles both interior and exterior must one suffer before entering the seventh mansions! Sometimes, while pondering over this I fear that, were they known beforehand, human infirmity could scarcely bear the thought nor resolve to encounter them, however great might appear the gain. If, however, the soul has already reached the seventh mansions, it fears nothing: boldly undertaking to suffer all things for God,²¹⁰ it gathers strength from its almost uninterrupted union with Him.

4. I think it would be well to tell you of some of the trials certain to occur in this state. Possibly all souls may not be led in this way, but I think that those who sometimes enjoy such truly heavenly favours cannot be altogether free from some sort of earthly troubles. Therefore, although at first I did not intend to speak on this subject, yet afterwards I thought that it might greatly comfort a soul in this condition if it knew what usually happens to those on whom God bestows graces of this kind, for at the time they really seem to have lost everything.

5. I shall not enumerate these trials in their proper order, but will describe them as they come to my memory, beginning with the least severe. This is an outcry raised against such a person by those amongst whom she lives, and even from others she has nothing to do with but who fancy that at some time in her life they recollect having seen her. They say she wants to pass for a saint, that she goes to extremes in piety to deceive the world and to depreciate people who are better Christians than herself without making such a parade of it. But notice that she does nothing except endeavour to carry out the duties of her state more perfectly. Persons she thought were her friends desert her, making the most bitter remarks of all. They take it much to heart that her soul is ruined—she is manifestly deluded—it is all the devil’s work—she will share the fate of so-and-so who was lost through him, and she is leading virtue astray. They cry out that she is deceiving her confessors, and tell them so, citing examples of others who came to ruin in the same way and make a thousand scoffing remarks of the same sort.²¹¹ 6. I know some one who feared she would be unable to find any priest who would hear her confession, to such a pass did things come; but as it is a long story, I will not stop to tell it now. The worst of it is, these troubles do not blow over but last all her life, for one person warns the other to have nothing to do with people of her kind. You will say that, on the other hand, some speak in her favour. O my daughters, how few think well of her in comparison with the many who hate her!

7. Besides this, praise pains such a soul more than blame because it recognizes clearly that any good it possesses is the gift of God and in no wise its own, seeing that but a short time ago it was weak in virtue and involved in grave sins.²¹² Therefore commendation causes it intolerable suffering, at least at first, although later on, for many reasons, the soul is comparatively indifferent to either.

8. The first is that experience has shown the mind that men are as ready to speak well as ill of others, so it attaches no more importance to the one than to the other. Secondly, our Lord having granted it greater light, it perceives that no good thing in it is its own but is His gift, and becomes oblivious of self, praising God for His graces as if they were found in a third person.

9. The third reason is that, realizing the benefit reaped by others from witnessing graces given it by God, such a one thinks that it is for their profit He causes them to discover in her virtues that do not exist. 10. Fourthly, souls seeking God’s honour and glory more than their own are cured of the temptation (which usually besets beginners) of thinking that human praise will cause them the injury they have seen it do to others. Nor do these souls care much for men’s contempt if only, by their means, any one should praise God at least once—come what may afterwards.

11. These and other reasons to a certain extent allay the great distress formerly given by human praise which, however, still causes some discomfort unless the soul has become utterly regardless of men’s tongues. It is infinitely more grieved at being undeservedly esteemed by the world than by any calumny; and when at last it becomes almost indifferent to praise, it cares still less for censure, which even pleases it and sounds like harmonious music to the ears.

12. This is perfectly true; the soul is rather strengthened than depressed by its trials, experience having taught it the great advantages derived from them. It does not think men offend God by persecuting it, but that He permits them to do so for its greater gain.²¹³ So strong is this belief that such a person bears a special affection for these people, holding them as truer friends and greater benefactors than those who speak well of her.²¹⁴

13. Our Lord now usually sends severe bodily infirmity. This is a far heavier cross, especially if acute pain is felt: if this is violent, I think it is the hardest of earthly trials. I speak of exterior trials; but corporal pains of the worst kind enter the interior of our being also, affecting both spirit and body, so that the soul in its anguish knows not what to do with itself and would far rather meet death at once by some quick martyrdom than suffer thus. However, these paroxysms do not last long, for God never sends us more than we can bear and always gives us patience first.

14. Now to speak of other trials and illnesses of many kinds which generally occur to people in this state. I knew some one who, from the time when, forty years ago,²¹⁵ our Lord began to bestow on her the favour described, could not affirm with any truth that she had been a single day without pain and other kinds of suffering: I am speaking of physical infirmities besides heavy crosses sent her.²¹⁶ True, she had led a wicked life and therefore held these troubles very light in comparison with the hell she had deserved.²¹⁷ Our Lord leads those who have offended Him less by some other way, but I should always choose the way of suffering, if only for the sake of imitating our Lord Jesus Christ; though, in fact, it profits us in many other manners. Yet, oh! the rest would seem trifling in comparison could I relate the interior torments met with here, but they are impossible to describe.

15. Let us first speak of the trial of meeting with so timorous and inexperienced a confessor that nothing seems safe to him; he dreads and suspects everything but the commonplace, especially in a soul in which he deters any imperfection, for he thinks people on whom God bestows such favours must be angels, which is impossible while we live in our bodies.²¹⁸ He at once ascribes everything to the devil or melancholy. As to the latter, I am not surprised; there is so much of it in the world and the evil one works such harm in this way that confessors have the strongest reasons for anxiety and watchfulness about it.

16. The poor soul, beset by the same fears, seeks its confessor as judge, and feels a torture and dismay at his condemnation that can only be realized by those who have experienced it themselves.²¹⁹ For one of the severe trials of these souls, especially if they have lived wicked lives, is their belief that God permits them to be deceived in punishment for their sins. While actually receiving these graces they feel secure and cannot but suppose that these favours proceed from the Spirit of God; but this state lasts a very short time, while the remembrance of their misdeeds is ever before them, so that when, as is sure to happen, they discover any faults in themselves, these torturing thoughts return.²²⁰

17. The soul is quieted for a time when the confessor reassures it although it returns later on to its former apprehensions, but when he augments its fears they become almost unbearable. Especially is this the case when such spiritual dryness ensues that the mind feels as if it never had thought of God nor ever will be able to do so. When men speak of Him, they seem to be talking of some person heard of long ago.

18. All this is nothing without the further pain of thinking we cannot make our confessors understand the case and are deceiving them.²²¹ Although such a person may examine her conscience with the greatest care, and may know that she reveals even the first movement of her mind to her director, it does not help her. Her understanding being too obscure to discern the truth, she believes all that the imagination, which now has the upper hand, puts before her mind, besides crediting the falsehoods suggested to her by the devil, whom doubtless our Lord gives leave to tempt her. The evil spirit even tries to make her think God has rejected her. Many are the trials which assault this soul, causing an internal anguish so painful and so intolerable that I can compare it to nothing save that suffered by the lost in hell, for no comfort can be found in this tempest of trouble.²²²

19. If the soul seeks for consolation from its confessor, all the demons appear to help him to torment it more. A confessor who dealt with a person suffering in this manner thought that her state must be very dangerous as so many things were troubling her; therefore, after she had recovered from her trials, he bade her tell him whenever they recurred: however, he found this made matters worse than ever. She lost all control over herself: although she had learnt to read, yet she could no more understand a book in the vulgar tongue than if she had not known the alphabet, for her mind was incapable of acting.²²³

20. In short, there is no other remedy in such a tempest except to wait for the mercy of God Who, unexpectedly, by some casual word or unforeseen circumstance, suddenly dispels all these sorrows; then every cloud of trouble disappears and the mind is left full of light and far happier than before.²²⁴ It praises our Lord God like one who has come out victorious from a dangerous battle, for it was He Who won the victory. The soul is fully conscious that the conquest was not its own as all weapons of self-defence appeared to be in the enemies’ hands. Thus it realizes its weakness and how little man can help himself if God forsake him.

21. This truth now needs no demonstration, for past experience has taught the soul its utter incapacity; it realizes the nothingness of human nature and what miserable creatures we are. Although in a state of grace from which it has not fallen—for, in spite of these torments, it has not offended God, nor would it do so for any earthly thing²²⁵ —yet so hidden is this grace, that the sufferer believes that neither now, nor in the past, has she ever possessed the faintest spark of love for God.²²⁶ If at any time she has done good, or if His Majesty ever bestowed any favours on her, they seem to have been but a dream or a fancy, while her sins stand clearly before her.

22. O Jesus! how sad it is to see a soul thus forsaken, and how little, as I said, can any earthly comfort avail! Do not imagine, sisters, if you are ever brought to such a state, that rich and independent people have more resources than yourselves in these troubles. No, no! to offer such consolations would be like setting all the joys of the world before people condemned to death: far from mitigating, it would increase their torture. So with the souls I spoke of: their comfort must come from above—nothing earthly can help them. This great God wishes us to acknowledge His sovereignty and our own misery—an important point for those who are to advance still farther.

23. What can the poor soul do if such a trial lasts for many days? Prayer makes no difference as far as comforting the heart, which no consolation can enter, nor can the mind even grasp the meaning of the words of vocal prayer: mental prayer is out of the question at such a time, since the faculties are unequal to it. Solitude harms the soul, yet society or conversation is a fresh torment. Strive as the sufferer may to hide it, she is so wearied and out of sorts with all around that she cannot but manifest her condition.

24. How can the soul possibly tell what ails it? Its pains are indescribable; it is wrung with nameless anguish and spiritual suffering. The best remedy for these crosses (I do not mean for gaining deliverance from them, for I know of nothing that will do that, but for enabling one to bear them) is to perform external works of charity and to trust in the mercy of God, which never fails those who hope in Him.²²⁷ May He be for ever blessed! Amen

25. The devils also bring about exterior trials which being more unusual need not be mentioned. They are far less painful, for whatever the demons may do, I believe they never succeed in paralysing the faculties or disturbing the soul in the former manner. In fact, the reason is able to discern that the evil spirits can do no more harm than God permits; and while the mind has not lost its powers, all sufferings are comparatively insignificant.

26. I shall treat of other internal afflictions met with in this mansion when describing the different kinds of prayer and favours bestowed here by our Lord. Although some of these latter pains are harder to endure, as appears by their bodily effects, yet they do not deserve the name of crosses, nor have we the right to call them so. Indeed, they are great graces from God as the soul recognizes amidst its pangs, realizing how far it is from meriting such graces.

27. This severe torture felt by souls just at the entrance of the seventh mansion is accompanied by many other sufferings, some of which I will mention: to speak of them all would be impossible, nor could I portray them because they come from another and far higher source than the rest. If I have succeeded so ill in writing of trials of a lower kind, much less could I treat of the others. May God assist me in all things, through the merits of His Son! Amen.