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John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul
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BOOK THE FIRST Which treats of the Night of Sense.
Chapter I. Sets down the first line and begins to treat of the imperfections of beginners.
Chapter V. Of the imperfections into which beginners fall with respect to the sin of wrath.
Chapter VI. Of imperfections with respect to spiritual gluttony.
Chapter VII. Of imperfections with respect to spiritual envy and sloth.
Chapter X. Of the way in which these souls are to conduct themselves in this dark night.
Chapter XI. Wherein are expounded the three lines of the stanza.
Chapter XII. Of the benefits which this night causes in the soul.
Chapter XIII. Of other benefits which this night of sense causes in the soul.
Chapter XIV. Expounds this last line of the first stanza.
BOOK THE SECOND Of the Dark Night of the Spirit.
Chapter I. Which begins to treat of the dark nights of the spirit and says at what time it begins.
Chapter II. Describes other imperfections which belong to these proficients.
Chapter III. Annotation for that which follows.
Chapter IV. Sets down the first stanza and the exposition thereof.
Chapter VI. Of other kinds of pain that the soul suffers in this night.
Chapter VII. Continues the same matter and considers other afflictions end constraints of the will.
Chapter VIII. Of other pains which afflict the soul in this state.
Chapter X. Explains this purgation fully by a comparison.
Chapter XIV. Wherein are set down and explained the last three lines of the first stanza.
Chapter XV. Sets down the second stanza and its exposition.
Chapter XVI. Explains how, though in darkness, the soul walks securely.
Chapter XVII. Explains how this dark contemplation is secret.
Chapter XVIII. Explains how this secret wisdom is likewise a ladder.
Chapter XX. Wherein are treated the other five steps of love.
Chapter XXII. Explains the third line of the second stanza.
Chapter XXIV. Completes the explanation of the second stanza.
Of the imperfections into which beginners fall with respect to the sin of wrath.
BY reason of the concupiscence which many beginners have for spiritual consolations, their experience of these consolations is very commonly accompanied by many imperfections proceeding from the sin of wrath; for, when their delight and pleasure in spiritual things come to an end, they naturally become embittered, and bear that lack of sweetness which they have to suffer with a bad grace, which affects all that they do; and they very easily become irritated over the smallest matter—sometimes, indeed, none can tolerate them. This frequently happens after they have been very pleasantly recollected in prayer according to sense; when their pleasure and delight therein come to an end, their nature is naturally vexed and disappointed, just as is the child when they take it from the breast of which it was enjoying the sweetness. There is no sin in this natural vexation, when it is not permitted to indulge itself, but only imperfection, which must be purged by the aridity and severity of the dark night.
2. There are other of these spiritual persons, again, who fall into another kind of spiritual wrath: this happens when they become irritated at the sins of others, and keep watch on those others with a sort of uneasy zeal. At times the impulse comes to them to reprove them angrily, and occasionally they go so far as to indulge it[1] and set themselves up as masters of virtue. All this is contrary to spiritual meekness.
3. There are others who are vexed with themselves when they observe their own imperfectness, and display an impatience that is not humility; so impatient are they about this that they would fain be saints in a day. Many of these persons purpose to accomplish a great deal and make grand resolutions; yet, as they are not humble and have no misgivings about themselves, the more resolutions they make, the greater is their fall and the greater their annoyance, since they have not the patience to wait for that which God will give them when it pleases Him; this likewise is contrary to the spiritual meekness aforementioned, which cannot be wholly remedied save by the purgation of the dark night. Some souls, on the other hand, are so patient as regards the progress which they desire that God would gladly see them less so.