▾
John of the Cross, Dark Night of the Soul
⎗←→⎘
▾
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.
Explains the third[1] line of the second stanza.
IT is very clear that it was a happy chance for this soul to go forth with such an enterprise as this, for it was its going forth that delivered it from the devil and from the world and from its own sensuality, as we have said. Having attained liberty of spirit, so precious and so greatly desired by all, it went forth from low things to high; from terrestrial, it became celestial; from human, Divine. Thus it came to have its conversation in the heavens, as has the soul in this state of perfection, even as we shall go on to say in what follows, although with rather more brevity.
2. For the most important part of my task, and the part which chiefly led me to undertake it, was the explanation of this night to many souls who pass through it and yet know nothing about it, as was said in the prologue. Now this explanation and exposition has already been half completed. Although much less has been said of it than might be said, we have shown how many are the blessings which the soul bears with it through the night and how happy is the chance whereby it passes through it, so that, when a soul is terrified by the horror of so many trials, it is also encouraged by the certain hope of so many and such precious blessings of God as it gains therein. And furthermore, for yet another reason, this was a happy chance for the soul; and this reason is given in the following line:
In darkness and in concealment.