第二章

本章續論同一主題，並以幾個細膩的比喻，說明靈性結合與神婚之間的區別。

一、以想像神視引入神婚。二、神訂與神婚有別。三、神婚是長久的。四、神訂則不然。五、神婚恆常持續。六、聖保祿論神婚。七、靈魂在結合中的喜樂。八、確信天主內住。九、靈魂的平安。十、基督為神性結合所作的祈禱。十一、此祈禱的成就。十二、第七重居所中靈魂不變的平安。十三、除非她冒犯天主。十四、第七重居所以外的爭戰。十五、以比喻說明這一切。

一、現在我們要談神性的神婚；雖然今生還不能完整領受這崇高的恩寵——因為只要一背離天主，這大恩便隨之喪失。天主第一次賜下這恩寵時，會以一個想像中的神視，把祂至聖的人性顯現給靈魂，使她能夠領會所領受的最高恩賜。對其他人，祂可能以不同方式顯示。我提到的那位人士，在領了聖體後，看見吾主如復活後那般，充滿光輝、美麗與威嚴。⁴⁰³祂對她說：從此以後，她要如同看顧自己的事一般看顧祂的事，祂也會照顧她的事；祂還對她說了其他話，她當時領會得明白，卻說不出那般清楚。這乍看或許並非新事，因為吾主先前也曾如此向她顯現；⁴⁰⁴但這次與以往大不相同，令她既驚又嘆——不僅因為所見的形象鮮明、所聽到的話語有力，更因為這一切發生在靈魂的最深處；除了前面所說的那一次外，她在那裡從未見過其他神視。

二、你們要明白：這重居所所見的神視，與前幾重居所所見的大不相同；神訂與神婚之別，也如同已締婚約的人與已在聖事中永結同心的夫婦之別。我已向你們說過：⁴⁰⁵我所以用這個比方，並非因為有更合適的，而是這「訂親」所牽涉的並非我們的肉身狀態，就好像靈魂是脫離形體的精體一般。神婚更是如此，因為這項奧祕的結合發生在靈魂最內在的中心，那裡本是天主自己所當居住之處；要進入那裡，我相信連門都不需要。我說「不需要門」，是因為我先前描述的一切，似乎都透過感官和官能而來，就像吾主人性的顯現那樣；但神婚的結合卻大不相同：此時天主在靈魂的中心出現，不再是想像的神視，而是遠比以往所見更為奧祕的理智神視，就像復活後的吾主並未經門而入便出現在宗徒中間，說「Pax vobis」（願你們平安）。⁴⁰⁶

三、這奧祕是如此隱微、天主如此頃刻間賜予靈魂的恩寵又是如此崇高，使她感到極致的喜樂——這種喜樂只能這樣形容：吾主在那一刻俯允把祂自己屬天的榮光顯示給靈魂，其方式遠比任何神視或神性甘飴都更細微。就我所能明白的，靈魂（我是說這靈魂的精神）與天主合一了。⁴⁰⁷天主自己就是神，祂樂意向某些人顯明祂對我們的愛達到何等地步，好讓我們讚頌祂的偉大。祂竟然俯就與受造物結合，像人間兩位締結婚盟的伴侶那般緊緊相繫，永不再離開她。

四、神訂則不同，和結合之祈禱的恩寵一樣，常會解散；兩者雖在結合中暫成一物，仍可再分，各自仍是個別的存有。這恩寵一般都迅速而過，事後靈魂覺察得到：祂的陪伴已不在身旁。

五、但在與吾主的神婚中則非如此：靈魂始終住在自己的中心，與她的天主同在。結合之祈禱可用兩支蠟燭來作比喻：兩支燭尖彼此緊貼，只見一點燭光；或者說燭芯、蠟、焰三者合而為一，但兩支蠟燭仍可分開，分開後各自獨立；燭芯也可以從蠟中抽出。神婚則像天上的雨落入江河溪流，成為同一片水，雨與河水再也分不開；或像細流匯入大海，從此不再能與海分離。神婚也可比作一間房子：一束明亮的光從兩扇窗戶透進，入內時雖分為二，到屋中卻合為同一束光。

六、聖保祿說：「與主結合的便是與祂成為一神」，⁴⁰⁸或許指的就是這最崇高的婚盟——它以陛下藉結合與靈魂相連為前提。這位宗徒又說：「在我看來，生活原是基督，死亡乃是利益。」⁴⁰⁹我想這句話也可以由那靈魂在此時道出；因為我先前所說的小蝶此刻死於至深的喜樂——因為基督就是她的生命。

七、這一切在日後會從效果上愈發明顯：靈魂藉一些奧祕而強烈、不容誤認的內在直覺，清楚察覺是天主在賜給她「生命」。這些覺察雖無法言傳，卻切切實實；它們帶來如此懾人的情感，使她不禁發出愛的感嘆：「我生命的生命，扶持我的大能！」還有其他類似的祈求。⁴¹⁰因為從天主懷抱的天主性中——那裡，天主似乎始終把這靈魂緊緊摟於懷——湧出乳河般的甘泉，慰藉城堡內的僕役。我想祂要讓他們在某種程度上也分享靈魂所享受的富饒；因此從那吞沒小溪的大河中，時不時流出幾滴水來，滋養身體上的諸種能力——淨配與新娘的僕役。

八、人若猛然被推進水裡，絕不會毫無所覺；此處情形同樣如此，而且更加明顯。若不是有水源，那麼大量的水不可能灑在我們身上——因此靈魂確知，內裡必定有某位在射出這些箭，並且活化她自己的生命；也確知有一輪太陽，這奪目的光芒正是從精神的深處流向各個官能。

九、我已說過，靈魂本身從不離開這中心，也不失去那位賜平安者所賜的平安——祂當年在宗徒齊聚時就曾賜給他們。⁴¹¹我覺得吾主這句問安所含的意義，遠比字面所顯示的更深遠；祂對榮耀的瑪達肋納說「平安的去吧」時亦是如此。⁴¹²吾主的話語會在我們內發生實效；⁴¹³在此情況下，必定在那些已準備好的靈魂內發生了效果：她們已把一切屬肉體的東西從自身驅除，只保留屬神的部分，好與未受造的聖神結成這天上的結合。毫無疑問，若我們為了愛天主而把一切屬受造物的從自己身上騰空，同一位主必以祂自己充滿我們。

十、吾主耶穌基督曾為祂的宗徒們祈禱（具體出處我一時記不起來），求他們與聖父、與祂自己合而為一——如同我們的主耶穌基督在聖父內、聖父在祂內那樣！⁴¹⁴我不知道還有什麼愛能大過這個！願沒有人退縮不敢前來領受，因為陛下又說：「我不僅為他們祈求，也為那些將藉他們的話相信我的人祈求」；⁴¹⁵並宣告：「我在他們內。」⁴¹⁶

十一、天主佑助！這些話何等真實！身處這祈禱境界、在自己內見到它成就的靈魂，對此領會何等清楚！若非我們自己的過失，大家本都能有這分領會；因為我們的君王、我們的主耶穌基督的話語絕不落空——是我們自己有失：我們沒有把自己預備好，沒有除去一切能遮擋這光的阻礙，好讓我們在這明鏡中照見自己——那面早已印著我們肖像的明鏡。⁴¹⁷

愛的大能啊，靈魂！
要把你畫在我的心上；
縱有任何巧匠，
技藝再精，也無法
如此把你的形象刻印其中！
是愛賜給你生命——
那麼，美麗的靈魂，
若你迷失了自己，
必能在我胸中見到你的肖像——
靈魂啊，請在我內尋找你自己。

十二、回到正題。天主把靈魂置於祂自己的居所，那居所就在靈魂的最中心。有人說，吾主所住的至高諸天（empyreal）不像其他諸天那樣旋轉；同樣地，官能與想像的慣常活動，此時也彷彿都不會以任何傷害靈魂、擾亂其平安的方式進行。

十三、我這樣說，是否意味著天主把靈魂領到這地步後，她就必定得救、不會再陷於罪中呢？⁴¹⁸我並非這個意思。每當我說靈魂似乎穩當時，你們必須理解為：只在陛下仍如此保守她、而她也不冒犯祂的這段期間。無論如何，我能確知一件事：即使這樣一位靈魂已察覺自己所在的崇高境地，並已安居多年，她仍不自以為安全，反而比以往更加小心，連最小得罪天主的事都力求避免。正如我稍後會說明的，她極為渴望事奉祂，並因看見自己所能做的與所當做的相比實在太少，而時時感到痛苦與羞愧。這本身就是不輕的十字架，是一種嚴厲的克苦；她愈能做艱苦的補贖就愈歡喜。對她來說，最大的補贖就是天主奪去她的健康與力量，使她什麼補贖也做不成。我在別處已告訴過你們這讓她多麼痛苦，如今更勝從前。這必是因為她如同一棵嫁接在靠水之樹幹上的樹，因水的滋養而更加青翠、結實累累。⁴¹⁹這靈魂——她的精神已真正與我所描述的那屬天之水合而為一——所渴望的一切又何足為奇呢？

十四、回到我原先所寫的。並不是說諸官能、感官和情感都能持續享受這分平安；靈魂本身確實如此，但其他諸居所裡仍會有爭戰、受苦與疲乏的時刻，不過通常都不會因此失去這分平安。「靈魂的中心」或「精神」本身實在難以描述，甚至難以相信；姊妹們，我解釋不清楚，反倒救了你們，免得你們受誘惑不相信我——因為一個靈魂竟能同時背負十字架、承受痛苦，內裡卻仍有平安，這確實難以想像。

十五、讓我舉一兩個比喻——願天主容它們派上用場；就算派不上用場，我自己也知道所說為真。一位國王住在皇宮裡，他的國境之內或許戰亂頻仍、災變不斷，他卻仍端坐於王位之上。同樣，其他居所裡縱有喧囂鬨動、野獸咆哮，這一切都進不了第七重居所，也無法把靈魂從其中驅走。心靈雖為這些紛擾惋惜，卻不致被擾亂，更不會因此失去平安；因為情感已馴伏至此地步，不敢闖進這裡——一闖進來，只會又一次敗下陣去。就像整個身體雖然疼痛，只要頭腦尚清醒，便不會跟著一同痛。我自覺這些比喻並不高明——我也不滿意——但實在找不到更好的。你們要怎麼想都可以：我所告訴你們的，句句是真話。

TREATS OF THE SAME SUBJECT: EXPLAINS, BY SOME DELICATELY DRAWN COMPARISONS, THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SPIRITUAL UNION AND SPIRITUAL MARRIAGE.

1. The spiritual nuptials introduced by an imaginary vision. 2. Spiritual betrothal and marriage differ. 3. Spiritual marriage 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.

1. 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 Humanity, reveals Himself to the soul so that it may understand and realize the sovereign gift it is 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.⁴⁰³ 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;⁴⁰⁴ 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 distinction between 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 you⁴⁰⁵ that though I make this comparison because there is none more suitable, yet this betrothal is no more related to our corporal condition 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 is required,’ for all I have hitherto described seems to come through the senses and faculties 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.’⁴⁰⁶

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 spiritual delight. As far as can be understood, the soul, I mean the spirit of this soul, is made one with God⁴⁰⁷ 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 grace 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.

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 distinct; 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,’⁴⁰⁸ 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.’⁴⁰⁹ 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 effects as time goes on, for the soul learns that it is God Who gives it ‘life,’ by certain secret intuitions too strong to be misunderstood, and keenly felt, although impossible to describe. These produce such over-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.⁴¹⁰ 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 streamlet 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.⁴¹¹ I think this salutation of our Lord contains far deeper meaning than the words convey, as also His bidding the glorious Magdalen to ‘go in peace.’⁴¹² Our Lord’s words act within us,⁴¹³ and in these cases they must have wrought their effect in the souls already disposed to banish from within themselves 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 Apostles, (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!⁴¹⁴ 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’;⁴¹⁵ and He declared: ‘I am in them.’⁴¹⁶

11. 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 fail. It is we who fail by not disposing ourselves fitly, nor removing all that can obstruct this light,so that we do not behold ourselves in this mirror wherein our image is engraved.⁴¹⁷ 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.

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 disturb its peace.

13. 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?⁴¹⁸
   ’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, without 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. 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 Acta Ss. p. 554, circa finem.  I do not mean this: whenever 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 consider 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 by God of health and strength to perform any. I told you 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.⁴¹⁹ Why marvel at the longings of this soul whose spirit has truly 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 enjoy 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 or even to believe in, that I think, sisters, my inability to explain my meaning saves your being tempted to disbelieve me; it is difficult to understand 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.