Chapter I - Of the Heart and its Government
- Through love of God, though shalt readily accomplish whatsoever thou wilt...whereas if by thy own forces thou attempt anything, thou wilt effect nothing.
- Man's life on earth is a continual warfare...In this warfare thou must watch, and thy watching must consist in purifying and quieting thy spirit in all its motions.
- When any sudden storm of passions and sensual unquietness ariseth in thy soul, be always ready with speed to settle and pacify the same, in not granting it too much liberty to start or wander out of the right way.
- Note that thou do this ever, not with force or violence, but with great mildness; for thy principal exercise must be to quiet thy soul and heart...that always they be at rest.
Chapter II - Of the Soul's care to settle herself in quietness
- When thou hast attained to this good peace, thou shalt without toil or travail, be led to great matters in much security, and shalt obey and suffer injuries without disturbance.
- If at any time thou be so afflicted that thou canst not attain this quietness, then fly thou to prayer, after the example of our Savior in the garden, and depart not from it, but persevere as did He, until thou find thy will conformable to God's will, being pacified and reposed.
- When we endeavor that all things be done conformable to our own will, then, whatsoever falleth out otherwise, doth afflict, trouble and disquiet us.
Chapter III - How this dwelling of peace is built by little and little
- Our Lord saith, "Blessed are the peaceable." All that He requireth of thee is that, when thy passions raise thee up, thou shouldest sit down again, keeping thyself quiet in all thy works, thoughts and emotions.
- But as a house is not built in one day, so thou must not think in one day to attain to this perfect peace and inward rest.
- The foundation of [the spiritual house] is humility.
Chapter IV - To obtain this quiet the soul must rid of all other comfort
- Thou must be earnest to embrace tribulations, and esteem them as thy sisters, and wish to be despised by all men, and that none do comfort thee but God. Let this be thy settled persuasion, that only God is thy whole joy, and that all other things be but thorns to thee.
- Think thou to thyself, that if thou wert led to some place, where thou shouldst receive some disgrace and affornt, yet thou wouldst go willingly and with joy, being sure that God is with thee.
- Thou must also force thyself to be glad whe nanyone wrongeth thee with injurious words, and despiseth or rebuketh thee.
- To suffer with Christ crucified is the only true glory; but to follow one's own will and desires, endeth in perdition.
- When thy will desireth anything that seemeth holy, yet be not hasty, but submit all to God in great humility, beseeching of Him that His will alone may be done in thee.
- And do thou acknowledge how easily thou mayest be deceived under the appearance of good, by indiscreet zeal, which - like a false prophet - sheweth the look of a lamb, but is inwardly a ravening wolf. For whatsoever separateth the soul from humility, and leaveth her in vexation and unquietness, sheweth by its fruits that it is a wolf, and not a sheep.
- If it chance thee to fall, be not troubled. Humble thyself only again before our Lord, and, acknowledging thy weakness, be advised against some other occasion. For [it may be that] God permitted it so to fall out, to abate some secret pride, which is in thee, unknown to thyself.
Chapter V - How the soul must be in solitude that God may work
- Seeing that thy soul is the temple of God, in which He doth lodge, do thou keep it void of all other things for Him alone. For alone He desireth to find thee, alone without thoughts, alone without desires, alone without thy own will.
- Do not thy will, but let God's will be done in thee.
- O holy solitariness! O wilderness of joy, where we may be alone with God. Take off thy shoes and enter this holy ground, O my soul!
