The Life of St. Teresa of Jesus

Preface by David Lewis Annals of the Saint's Life Prologue

I. Childhood and early Impressions−−The Blessing of pious Parents−−Desire of Martyrdom−−Death of the

Saint's Mother

II. Early Impressions−−Dangerous Books and Companions−−The Saint is placed in a Monastery

III. The Blessing of being with good people−−How certain Illusions were removed

IV. Our Lord helps her to become a Nun−−Her many Infirmities

V. Illness and Patience of the Saint−−The Story of a Priest whom she rescued from a Life of Sin

VI. The great Debt she owed to our Lord for His Mercy to her−−She takes St. Joseph for her Patron

VII. Lukewarmness−−The Loss of Grace−−Inconvenience of Laxity in Religious Houses

VIII. The Saint ceases not to pray−−Prayer the way to recover what is lost−−All exhorted to pray−−The great

Advantage of Prayer, even to those who may have ceased from it

IX. The means whereby our Lord quickened her Soul, gave her Light in her Darkness, and made her strong in

Goodness

X. The Graces she received in Prayer−−What we can do ourselves−−The great Importance of understanding what our Lord is doing for us−−She desires her Confessors to keep her Writings secret, because of the special Graces of our Lord to her, which they had commanded her to describe

XI. Why men do not attain quickly to the perfect Love of God−−Of Four Degrees of Prayer−−Of the First

Degree−−The Doctrine profitable for Beginners, and for those who have no sensible Sweetness

Life of St Teresa of Jesus [with accents] 3

XII. What we can ourselves do−−The Evil of desiring to attain to supernatural States before our Lord calls us

XIII. Of certain Temptations of Satan−−Instructions relating thereto

XIV. The Second State of Prayer−−Its supernatural Character

XV. Instructions for those who have attained to the Prayer of Quiet−−Many advance so far, but few go farther

XVI. The Third State of Prayer−−Deep Matters−−What the Soul can do that has reached it−−Effects of the great Graces of our Lord

XVII. The Third State of Prayer−−The Effects thereof−−The Hindrance caused by the Imagination and the

Memory

XVIII. The Fourth State of Prayer−−The great Dignity of the Soul raised to it by our Lord−−Attainable on

Earth, not by our Merit, but by the Goodness of our Lord

XIX. The Effects of this Fourth State of Prayer−−Earnest Exhortations to those who have attained to it not to go back nor to cease from Prayer, even if they fall−−The great Calamity of going back

XX. The Difference between Union and Rapture−−What Rapture is−−The Blessing it is to the Soul−−The

Effects of it

XXI. Conclusion of the Subject−−Pain of the Awakening−−Light against Delusions

XXII. The Security of Contemplatives lies in their not ascending to high Things if our Lord does not raise them−−The Sacred Humanity must be the Road to the highest Contemplation−−A Delusion in which the Saint was once entangled

XXIII. The Saint resumes the History of her Life−−Aiming at Perfection−−Means whereby it may be gained−−Instructions for Confessors

XXIV. Progress under Obedience−−Her Inability to resist the Graces of God−−God multiplies His Graces

XXV. Divine Locutions−−Delusions on that Subject

XXVI. How the Fears of the Saint vanished−−How she was assured that her Prayer was the Work of