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The Interior Castle; Or, the Mansions. (including Some of Her Most Interesting Letters), And
The Interior Castle Or the Mansions And - including Some of Her Most Interesting Letters Author:Teresa General Books publication date: 2009 Original publication date: 1852 Original Publisher: T. Jones Notes: This is a black and white OCR reprint of the original. It has no illustrations and there may be typos or missing text. When you buy the General Books edition of this book you get free trial access to Million-Books.com where you can select... more » from more than a million books for free. Excerpt: THE THIED MANSIONS. CHAPTER I. THE SAINT SHOWS WHAT LITTLE SECURITY WE CAN HAVE WHILE WE LIVE IN THIS EXILE, THOUGH WE MAT HAVE EEACHED A HIGH DEGREE OP PERFECTION, ETC. To Those who, through the goodness of God, have conquered in these combats, and by perseverance have reached the Third Mansions, what shall we say but these words : " Blessed is the man that feareth the Lord?" His Majesty has conferred no small favour upon me, by making me now understand (for otherwise, I have little ability for such things) -- the meaning of these words in my own tongue. With reason do we truly call him " blessed," since, as far as we can understand, unless he turn back, he is secure of his salvation. Here you see, sisters, how important it is to have conquered in the former battles; for I consider it certain that our Lord never fails to place him, who has arrived so far, in security of conscience, and this is no small happiness. I said "in security of conscience ;" but I spoke incorrectly, for there is none in this life; and, therefore, always understand my meaning to be, except he forsake the way he has begun (there is no security). It is, indeed, a very great misery to live in this life where we must always be like those who have their enemies at the gate, who can neither eat nor sleep, but are obliged always to have their arms continually in their hands, -- always to be in anxiety and fear, lest the enemy make a breach on some side or other, and become masters of the castle. O my Lord, my God ! how canst Thou wish that a life so miserable should be loved ? It is impossible for us t...« less