Dark Night of the Soul

⁹⁹[Lit., ‘from a narrow prison.’] ¹⁰⁰[i.e., between sense and spirit.] ¹⁰¹Psalm cxlvii, 17 [D.V. and A.V.]. ¹⁰²Wisdom ix, 15. ¹⁰³[Lit., ‘Continues with other imperfections.’] ¹⁰⁴[i.e., ‘deadening of the mind.’] ¹⁰⁵Osee ii, 20. ¹⁰⁶1 Corinthians xiii, 11. ¹⁰⁷[Ephesians iv, 24.] ¹⁰⁸Psalm xcvi, 2 [A.V., xcvii, 2]. ¹⁰⁹[Lit., ‘not attaining.’] ¹¹⁰Psalm xvii, 13, [A.V., xviii, 12]. ¹¹¹Job vii, 20. ¹¹²Psalm xxxviii, 12 [A.V., xxxix, 11]. ¹¹³Job xxiii, 6. ¹¹⁴Job xix, 21. ¹¹⁵[There is a reference here to Job vii, 20: cf. sect. 5, above.] ¹¹⁶Jonas ii, 1. ^{117 118}Psalm lxxxvii, 6-8 [A.V., lxxxviii, 5-7]. ¹¹⁹Psalm lxxxvii, 9 [A.V., lxxxviii, 8]. ¹²⁰Jonas ii, 4-7 [A.V., ii, 3-6]. ¹²¹Ezechiel xxiv, 10. ¹²²Ezechiel xxiv, 11. ¹²³Wisdom iii, 6. ¹²⁴Psalm lxviii, 2-4 [A.V., lxix, 1-3]. ¹²⁵[i.e., purgatory.] ¹²⁶Job xvi, 13-17 [A.V., xvi, 12-16]. ¹²⁷Lamentations iii, 1-20. ¹²⁸Job xii, 22. ¹²⁹Psalm cxxxviii, 12 [A.V., cxxxix, 12]. ¹³⁰[Lit., ‘like to the dead of the world (or of the age).’] ¹³¹Psalm cxlii, 3 [A.V., cxliii, 3-4]. ¹³²Psalm xxix, 7 [A.V., xxx, 6]. ¹³³[Lit., ‘and play his tricks upon it.’] ¹³⁴ B. Bz., C, H. Mtr. all have this long passage on the suffering of the soul in Purgatory. It would be rash, therefore, to deny that St. John of the Cross is its author, [or to suppose, as P. Gerardo did, that he deleted it during a revision of his works]. An admirably constructed synthesis of these questions will be found in B. Belarmino, De Purgatorio, Bk. II, chaps. iv, v. He asks if souls in Purgatory are sure of their salvation. This was denied by Luther, and by a number of Catholic writers, who held that, among the afflictions of these souls, the greatest is this very uncertainty, some maintain that, though they have in fact such certainty, they are unaware of it. Belarmino quotes among other authorities Denis the Carthusian De quattuor novissimis, Gerson (Lect. I De Vita Spirituali) and John of Rochester (against Luther’s 32nd article); these writers claim that, as sin which is venial is only so through the Divine mercy, it may with perfect justice be rewarded by eternal punishment, and thus souls that have committed venial sin cannot be confident of their salvation. He also shows, however, that the common opinion of theologians is that the souls in Purgatory are sure of their salvation, and considers various degrees of certainty, adding very truly that, while these souls experience no fear, they experience hope, since they have not yet the Beatific vision.
Uncertainty as to their salvation, it is said, might arise from ignorance of the sentence passed upon them by the Judge or from the deadening of their faculties by the torments which they are suffering. Belarmino refutes these and other suppositions with great force and effect. St. John of the Cross seems to be referring to the last named when he writes of the realization of their afflictions and their deprivation of God not allowing them to enjoy the blessings of the theological virtues. It is not surprising if the Saint, not having examined very closely this question, of which he would have read treatments in various authors, thought of it principally as an apt illustration of the purifying and refining effects of passive purgation; and an apt illustration it certainly is. ¹³⁵Lamentations iii, 44. ¹³⁶[Lamentations iii, 9.] ¹³⁷Lamentations iii, 9. ¹³⁸Lamentations iii, 28. ¹³⁹[Lit., ‘at the Divine things.’] ¹⁴⁰Psalm lxxii, 22 [A.V., lxxiii, 22]. ¹⁴¹1 Corinthians ii, 10. [Lit., ‘penetrates all things.’] ¹⁴²Wisdom vii, 24. ¹⁴³2 Corinthians vi, 10. ¹⁴⁴[Lit., ‘with a certain eminence of excellence.’] ¹⁴⁵[Lit., ‘... sweetness, with great eminence.’] ¹⁴⁶Exodus xvi, 3. ¹⁴⁷Wisdom xvi, 21. ¹⁴⁸[Lit., ‘from every kind.’ But see Tobias viii, 2. The ‘deprived’ of e.p. gives the best reading of this phrase, but the general sense is clear from the Scriptural reference.] ¹⁴⁹Tobias viii, 2. ¹⁵⁰Isaias lxiv, 4 [1 Corinthians ii, 9]. ¹⁵¹[Lit., ‘be made thin.’] ¹⁵²Isaias xxvi, 17-18. ¹⁵³[Philippians iv, 7.] ¹⁵⁴[We have here split up a parenthesis of about seventy words.] ¹⁵⁵[Lit., ‘and wept.’] ¹⁵⁶Lamentations iii, 17. ¹⁵⁷Psalm xxxvii, 9 [A.V., xxxviii, 8]. ¹⁵⁸[Lit., ‘... sees itself, it arises and is surrounded with pain and affliction the affections of the soul, that I know not how it could be described.’ A confused, ungrammatical sentence, of which, however, the general meaning is not doubtful.] ¹⁵⁹Job iii, 24. ¹⁶⁰Job xxx, 17. ¹⁶¹Job xxx, 16. ¹⁶²Lamentations iii, 17. ¹⁶³Wisdom vii, 11. ¹⁶⁴Ecclesiasticus li, 28-9 [A.V., li, 19-21]. ¹⁶⁵[Lit., ‘more delicate.’] ¹⁶⁶[Lit., ‘fury.’] ¹⁶⁷[The sudden change of metaphor is the author’s. The ‘assault’ is, of course, the renewed growth of the ‘root.’] ¹⁶⁸[Lit., ‘... from the soul, with regard to that which has already been purified.’] ¹⁶⁹[Lit., ‘not enlightened’: the word is the same as that used just above.] ¹⁷⁰[The word translated ‘over’ is rendered ‘gone’ just above.] ¹⁷¹[Lit., ‘in loves’; and so throughout the exposition of this line.] ¹⁷²[Lit., ‘cling,’ ‘adhere.’] ¹⁷³[Lit., ’shut up.’] ¹⁷⁴[Here, and below, the original has recogidos, the word normally translated ‘recollected’] ¹⁷⁵Psalm lviii, 10 [A V., lix, 9]. ¹⁷⁶Deuteronomy vi, 5. ¹⁷⁷Psalm lviii, 15-16 [A.V., lix, 14-15]. ¹⁷⁸Psalm lxii, 2 [A.V., lxiii, 1]. ¹⁷⁹[Lit., as in the verses, ‘in loves.’] ¹⁸⁰[For cievro, hart, read siervo, servant, and we have the correct quotation from Scripture. The change, however, was evidently made by the Saint knowingly. In P. Gerardo’s edition, the Latin text, with cervus, precedes the Spanish translation, with ciervo.] ¹⁸¹Job vii, 2-4. ¹⁸²[No cabe: Lit., ‘it cannot be contained,’ ‘there is no room for it.’] ¹⁸³Isaias xxvi, 9. ¹⁸⁴Psalm l, 12 [A.V., li, 10]. ¹⁸⁵[Lit., ‘enamoured.’] ¹⁸⁶Lamentations i, 13. ¹⁸⁷Psalm xi, 7 [A.V., xii, 6]. ¹⁸⁸The Schoolmen frequently assert that the lower angels are purged and illumined by the higher. Cf. St. Thomas, Summa, I, q. 106, a. 1, ad. 1. ¹⁸⁹[Lit., ‘and softens.’] ¹⁹⁰[More literally, ‘is sick.’] ¹⁹¹Psalm xxxviii, 4 [A.V., xxxix, 3]. ¹⁹²[Lit., ‘the beginnings.’] ¹⁹³The Saint here treats a question often debated by philosophers and mystics—that of love and knowledge. Cf. also Spiritual Canticle, Stanza XVII, and Living Flame, Stanza III. Philosophers generally maintain that it is impossible to love without knowledge, and equally so to love more of an object than what is known of it. Mystics have, however, their own solutions of the philosophers’ difficulty and the speculative Spanish mystics have much to say on the matter. (Cf., for example, the Médula Mistica, Trat. V, Chap. iv, and the Escuela de Oración, Trat. XII, Duda v.) ¹⁹⁴St. John i, 5. ¹⁹⁵[Lit., ‘the yearning to think of it.’] ¹⁹⁶[The word translated ‘estimation’ might also be rendered ’ reverent love.’ The ‘love of estimation,’ which has its seat in the understanding, is contrasted with the ‘enkindling’ or the ‘love of desire,’ which has its seat in the will. So elsewhere in this paragraph.] ¹⁹⁷St. John xx, 1 [St. Matthew xxvii, 62-6]. ¹⁹⁸St. John xx, 15. ¹⁹⁹[Lit., ‘outskirts,’ ’suburbs.’] ²⁰⁰Canticles v, 8. ²⁰¹Genesis xxx, 1. ²⁰²Ephesians iv, 4. ²⁰³Canticles viii, 1. ²⁰⁴St. Matthew x, 36. ²⁰⁵[Lit., ‘The line, then, continues, and says thus.’ In fact, however, the author is returning to the first line of the stanza.] ²⁰⁶[Lit., ‘taste.’] ²⁰⁷Some have considered this description exaggerated, but it must be borne in mind that all souls are not tested alike and the Saint is writing of those whom God has willed to raise to such sanctity that they drain the cup of bitterness to the dregs. We have already seen (Bk. I, chap. xiv, sect. 5) that ‘all do not experience (this) after one manner... for (it) is meted out by the will of God, in conformity with the greater or the smaller degree of imperfection which each soul has to purge away, (and) in conformity, likewise, with the degree of love of union to which God is pleased to raise it’ (Bk. I, chap xiv, above). ²⁰⁸Osee xiii, 9. ²⁰⁹Psalm xvii, 12 [A.V., xviii, 11]. ²¹⁰Psalm xvii, 13 [A.V., xviii, 12]. ²¹¹Isaias v, 30. ²¹²Psalm xxx, 21 [A.V., xxxi, 20]. ²¹³‘Propter hoc Gregorius (Hom. 14 in Ezech.) constituit vitam contemplativam in charitate Dei.‘ Cf. Summa Theologica, 2a, 2ae, q. 45, a. 2. ²¹⁴Jeremias i, 6. ²¹⁵Exodus iv, 10 [cf. iii, 2]. ²¹⁶Acts vii, 32. ²¹⁷[Or: ‘and they know not how to say it nor are able to do so.’] ²¹⁸[Lit., ‘to him that rules them.’] ²¹⁹[Lit., ‘that is set most far away and most remote from every creatures.’] ²²⁰Baruch iii, 31. ²²¹Psalm lxxvi, 19-20 [A.V., lxxvii, 18-19]. ²²²[Lit., ‘of the roundness of the earth.’] ²²³Job xxxvii, 16. ²²⁴[Lit., ‘rises to scale, know and possess.’] ²²⁵Psalm lxxxiii, 6 [A.V., lxxxiv, 7]. ²²⁶St. Luke xiv, 11. ²²⁷Proverbs xviii, 12. ²²⁸Genesis xxviii, 12. ²²⁹[Lit., ‘and annihilating oneself.’] ²³⁰‘Ut dicit Bernardus, Magna res est amor, sed sunt in eo gradus. Loquendo ergo aliquantulum magis moraliter quam realiter, decem amoris gradus distinguere possumus‘ (D. Thom., De dilectione Dei et proximi, cap. xxvii. Cf. Opusc. LXI of the edition of Venice, 1595). ²³¹[The word translated ’step’ may also (and often more elegantly) be rendered ‘degree.’ The same word is kept, however, throughout the translation of this chapter except where noted below.] ²³²Canticles v, 8. ²³³Psalm cxlii, 7 [A.V., cxliii, 7]. ²³⁴Psalm lxvii, 10 [A.V., lxviii, 9]. ²³⁵[Lit., ‘to enter (upon).’] ²³⁶Canticles iii, 2. ²³⁷Psalm civ, 4 [A.V., cv, 4]. ²³⁸St. John xx. ²³⁹[The word in the Spanish is that elsewhere translated ’step.’] ²⁴⁰Psalm cxi, 1 [A.V., cxii, 1]. ²⁴¹[Lit., ‘makes in him this labour of eagerness.’] ²⁴²Genesis xxix, 20. ²⁴³[Lit., ‘how much God merits.’] ²⁴⁴Canticles viii, 5. ²⁴⁵Jeremias ii, 2. ²⁴⁶Psalm lxxxiii, 2 [A.V., lxxxiv, 2]. ²⁴⁷Genesis xxx, 1. ²⁴⁸[Lit., ‘On this hungering step.’] ²⁴⁹Isaias xl, 31. ²⁵⁰Psalm xli, 2 [A.V., xlii, 1]. ²⁵¹Psalm lviii, 5 [A.V., lix, 4]. ²⁵²Psalm cxviii, 32 [A.V., cxix, 32]. ²⁵³1 Corinthians xiii, 7. ²⁵⁴Exodus xxxii, 31-2. ²⁵⁵Psalm xxxvi, 4 [A.V., xxxvii, 4]. ²⁵⁶Canticles i, 1. ²⁵⁷Canticles iii, 4. ²⁵⁸[Lit., ‘attain to setting their foot.’] ²⁵⁹Daniel x, 11. ²⁶⁰‘Dum Deum in ignis visione suscipiunt, per amorem suaviter arserunt‘ (Hom. XXX in Evang.). ²⁶¹[i.e., direct, not mediate.] ²⁶²St. Matthew v, 8. ²⁶³St. John iii, 2. ²⁶⁴St. John xvi, 23. ²⁶⁵[Lit., ‘that it dislocates the sight of all understanding.’] ²⁶⁶1 St. Peter v, 9. ²⁶⁷[Lit., ‘a better undershirt and tunic.’] ²⁶⁸[Lit., ‘this whiteness.’] ²⁶⁹Osee, ii, 20. ²⁷⁰Psalm xvi, 4 [A.V., xvii, 4]. ²⁷¹1 Thessalonians v, 8. ²⁷²Psalm xxiv, 15 [A.V., xxv, 15]. ²⁷³Psalm cxxii, 2 [A.V., cxxiii, 2]. ²⁷⁴Canticles iv, 9. ²⁷⁵Lamentations iii, 29. ²⁷⁶Ibid. [For the quotation, see Bk. II, chap. viii, sect. 1, above.] ²⁷⁷Canticles i, 3. [A.V., i, 4.] [For ‘chambers’ the Spanish has ‘bed.’] ²⁷⁸Canticles iii, 10. ²⁷⁹[Or ‘health.’] ²⁸⁰Romans viii, 24. ²⁸¹i.e., in the original Spanish and in our verse rendering of the poem in The Complete Works of St. John of the Cross, Ed. by E. Allison Peers, Vol. II (The Newman Press, Westminster, Md.). ²⁸²i.e., in the original Spanish and in our verse rendering of the poem in The Complete Works of St. John of the Cross, Ed. by E. Allison Peers, Vol. II (The Newman Press, Westminster, Md.). ²⁸³[The Spanish also admits of the rendering: ‘remain shut off from it by darkness.’] ²⁸⁴Matthew vi, 3. ²⁸⁵Canticles iii, 7-8. ²⁸⁶Canticles vi, 10 [A.V., vi, 11-12]. ²⁸⁷Job i, 1-11. ²⁸⁸Such is the unanimous opinion of theologians. Some, with St. Thomas (Pt. III, q. 57, a. 6), suppose that the appearance which converted St. Paul near Damascus was that of Our Lord Jesus Christ in person. ²⁸⁹Exodus vii, 11-22; viii, 7. ²⁹⁰Job xli, 25. ²⁹¹[Lit., ’step.’ Cf. Bk. II, chap. xix, first note, above.] ²⁹²Canticles i, 1. ²⁹³Canticles viii, 1. ²⁹⁴The word translated ‘at rest’ is a past participle: more literally, ’stilled.’ ²⁹⁵[Lit., ‘twice repeats’—a loosely used phrase.] ²⁹⁶H omits this last phrase, which is found in all the other Codices, and in e.p. The latter adds: ‘notwithstanding that the soul is not wholly free from the temptations of the lower part.’ The addition is made so that the teaching of the Saint may not be confused with that of the Illuminists, who supposed the contemplative in union to be impeccable, do what he might. The Saint’s meaning is that for the mystical union of the soul with God such purity and tranquillity of senses and faculties are needful that his condition resembles that state of innocence in which Adam was created, but without the attribute of impeccability, which does not necessarily accompany union, nor can be attained by any, save by a most special privilege of God. Cf. St. Teresa’s Interior Castle, VII, ii. St. Teresa will be found occasionally to explain points of mystical doctrine which St. John of the Cross takes as being understood. ²⁹⁷[Lit., ‘twice repeated.’] ²⁹⁸Wisdom xviii, 14. ²⁹⁹Canticles v, 7. ³⁰⁰Canticles iii, 1. ³⁰¹Thus end the majority of the MSS. Cf. pp. lxviii–lxiii, Ascent of Mount Carmel (Image Books edition), 26–27, on the incomplete state of this treatise. The MSS. say nothing of this, except that in the Alba de Tormes MS. we read: ‘Thus far wrote the holy Fray John of the Cross concerning the purgative way, wherein he treats of the active and the passive [aspect] of it as is seen in the treatise of the Ascent of the Mount and in this of the Dark Night, and, as he died, he wrote no more. And hereafter follows the illuminative way, and then the unitive.’ Elsewhere we have said that the lack of any commentary on the last five stanzas is not due to the Saint’s death, since he lived for many years after writing the commentary on the earlier stanzas.