The complete works of Saint John of the Cross of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The complete works of Saint John of the Cross, of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel translated from the original Spanish by David Lewis ; edited by the Oblate Fathers of Saint Charles ; with a pref. by Cardinal Wiseman. Volume 1 [you are here] The complete works of Saint John of the Cross, of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel translated from the original Spanish by David Lewis ; edited by the Oblate Fathers of Saint Charles ; with a pref. by Cardinal Wiseman. Volume 2 The complete works of Saint John of the Cross of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Volume 1 CONTENTS OF THE FIRST VOLUME. THE ASCENT OF MOUNT CARMEL. STANZAS 1 PROLOGUE 3 BOOK I. The Nature Of The Obscure Night, The Necessity Of Passing Through It In Order To Attain To The Divine Union: And Specially The Obscure Night Of Sense And Desire, With The Evils Which These Inflict On The Soul. CHAPTER I. Two Kinds Of This Night, Corresponding With The Division Of The Soul Into Higher And Lower 8 CHAPTER II. The Nature And Cause Of The Obscure Night 9 CHAPTER III. The First Cause, The Privation Of The Desire 11 CHAPTER IV. The Necessity Of Passing Truly Through The Obscure Night Of Sense, Which Is The Mortification Of The Desire 13 CHAPTER V. Continuation Of The Same Subject. Proofs From Scripture 18 CHAPTER VI. Two Great Evils Of The Desires. Negative And Positive. Proofs From Scripture 23 CHAPTER VII. The Desires Torment The Soul. Proofs And Illustrations 27 CHAPTER VIII. The Desires Darken The Soul. Proofs And Illustrations 29 CHAPTER IX. The Desires Pollute The Soul. Proofs From Scripture 33 CHAPTER X. The Desires Make The Soul Lukewarm, And Enfeeble Virtue. Proofs And Illustrations 37 CHAPTER XI. The Necessity Of Freedom From All Desires, However Slight, For The Divine Union 39 CHAPTER XII. The Nature Of Those Desiues Which Suffice To Injure The Soul 44 CHAPTER XIII. How The Soul Enters By Faith Into The Night Of Sense 47 CHAPTER XIV. Explanation Of The Second Line Of The Stanza 61 CHAPTER XV. Explanation Of The Last Lines Of The Stanza 53 BOOK II. Proximate Means Of Union, Faith. The Second Night Of The Spirit. CHAPTER I. Explanation Of The Second Stanza 54 CHAPTER II. The Second Part, Or Cause, Of This Night — Faith. Two Reasons Why It Is Darker Than The First And Third 56 The First Volume. CHAPTER III. Faith, The Dark Night Of The Soul. Proofs From Season And The Holy Scriptures 57 CHAPTER IV. How The Soul Must Be In Darkness, In Order To Be Duly Guided By Faith To The Highest Contemplation 61 CHAPTER V. The Union Of The Soul With God. A Comparison 65 CHAPTER VI. The Three Theological Virtues Perfect The Powers Of The Soul, And Bring Them Into A State Of Emptiness And Darkness. Proofs From S. Luke And Isaias 70 CHAPTER VII. The Straitness Of The Way Of Life. The Detachment And Freedom Necessary For Those Who Walk In It. The Detachment Of The Intellect 74 CHAPTER VIII. No Creature, No Knowledge, Comprehensible By The Intellect, Can Subserve As Proximate Means Of Union With God 80 CHAPTER IX. Faith Is The Proximate And Proportionate Means Of The Intellect By Which The Soul May Attain To The Divine Union Of Love. Proofs From The Holy Scriptures 85 CHAPTER X. The Divisions Of The Apprehensions And Acts Of The Intellect 87 CHAPTER XI. Of The Hurt And Hindrance Resulting From Intellectual Apprehensions Supernaturally Produced Through The Instrumentality Of The Exterior Senses. How The Soul Is To Be Guided Under Such Circumstances 88 CHAPTER XII. Of Natural And Imaginary Apprehensions. Their Nature. They Cannot Be Proportionate Means Of Union. The Evil Results Of Not Knowing How To Detach Oneself From Them In Time CHAPTER XIII. The Signs To Be Observed By The Spiritual Man That He May Know When To Withdraw The Intellect From Imaginary Forms And Discursive Meditations 101 CHAPTER XIV. The Fitness Of These Signs. The Necessity Of Observing Them For Spiritual Progress 104 CHAPTER XV. Of The Occasional Necessity Of Meditating And Exerting The Natural Faculties On The Part Of Those Who Begin To Enter On The Contemplative State 112 CHAPTER XVI. Of Imaginary Apprehensions Supernaturally Represented To The Fancy. They Cannot Be Proximate Means Of Union With God 114 CHAPTER XVII. Of The Ends And Ways Of God In Communicating Spiritual Blessings To The Soul Through The Interior Senses. Answer To The Question Proposed 122 CHAPTER XVIII. How Souls Are Injured Because Their Spibitual Directors Do Not Guide Them Aright Through These Visions. How These Visions, Though From God, Become Occasions Of Error 128 CHAPTER XIX. Visions, Revelations, And Locutions, Though True And From God, May Deceive. Proofs From Holy Scripture 133 CHAPTER XX. Proofs From Scripture That The Divine Locutions, Though Always True, Are Not Always Certain In Their Causes 142 CHAPTER XXI. God Is At Times Displeased With Certain Prayers, Though He Answers Them. Illustrations Of His Anger With Such Prayers 147 CHAPTER XXII. It Is Not Lawful, Under The New Law, As It Was Under The Old, To Enquire Of God By Supernatural Ways. This Doctrine Profitable For The Understanding Of The Mysteries Of Our Holy Faith. Proofs From S. Paul 155 CHAPTER XXIII. Of The Purely Spiritual Apprehensions Of The Intellect 167 CHAPTER XXIV. Of The Two Kinds Of Spiritual "Visions" Which Come By The Supernatural Way 169 CHAPTER XXV. Of Revelations. Their Nature And Division 174 CHAPTER XXVI. The Intelligence Of Pure Truths. Two Kinds Thereof. The Conduct Of The Soul Therein 175 CHAPTER XXVII. Of The Second Kind Of Revelations, The Disclosure Of Secrets And Hidden Mysteries. How They May Subserve And Hinder The Divine Union. Of The Many Delusions Of The Devil Incident To Them 184 CHAPTER XXVIII. Of The Interior Locutions Which Occur Supernaturally. Their Different Kinds 188 CHAPTER XXIX. Of The First Kind Of Words Formed By The Mind Self-Recollected. The Causes Of Them. The Advantages And Disadvantages Of Them 189 CHAPTER XXX. Of Interior Words Formally Wrought In A Supernatural Way. Of The Dangers Incident Thereto, And A Necessary Caution Against Delusions 195 CHAPTER XXXI. Of The Interior Substantial Locutions: The Difference Between Them And The Formal. The Profitableness Of Them. The Resignation And Reverence Of The Soul In Respect Of Them 199 CHAPTER XXXII. Of Intellectual Apprehensions Resulting From The Interior Impressions Supernaturally Effected. The Sources Of Them. The Conduct To Be Observed By The Soul, So That These Apprehensions Shall Not Hinder It On The Way Of Union 201 BOOK III. The Purgation And Active Night Of The Memory And The Will. CHAPTER I. Of The Natural Apprehensions Of The Memory : Which Is To Be Emptied Of Them, That The Soul, According To That Faculty, May Be United With God 206 CHAPTER II. Three Kinds Of Evils To Which The Soul Is Liable, When Not In Darkness, With Respect To The Knowledge And Reflections Of The Memory. Explanation Of The First 213 CHAPTER III. Of The Second Evil, Coming From The Evil Spirit Through The Natural Apprehensions Of The Memory 216 CHAPTER IV. Of The Third Evil, Proceeding From The Distinct Natural Knowledge Of The Memory 217 CHAPTER V. The Profitableness Of Forgetfulness And Emptiness, With Regard To All Thoughts And Knowledge, Which Naturally Occur To The Memory 219 CHAPTER VI. Of The Second Kind Of Apprehensions: The Imaginary And Supernatural 221 CHAPTER VII. The Evils Inflicted On The Soul By The Knowledge Of Supernatural Things If Reflected Upon. Their Number 222 CHAPTER VIII. Of The Second Evil: The Danger Of Self-Conceit And Presumption 224 CHAPTER IX. Of The Third Evil: The Work Of The Devil Through The Imaginary Apprehensions Of The Memory 226 CHAPTER X. Of The Fourth Evil Of The Distinct Supernatural Apprehensions Of The Memory: The Impediment To Union 228 CHAPTER XI. Of The Fifth Evil, Resulting From The Imaginary Supernatural Apprehensions: Low And Unseemly Views Of God 228 CHAPTER XII. The Benefits Of Withdrawing The Soul From The Apprehensions Of The Imagination. Answer To An Objection. The Difference Between The Natural And Supernatural Imaginary Apprehensions 230 CHAPTER XIII. Of Spiritual Knowledge As It Relates To The Memory 236 CHAPTER XIV. General Directions For The Guidance Of The Spiritual Man In Relation To The Memory 238 CHAPTER XV. Of The Obscure Night Of The Will. Proofs From Deuteronomy And The Psalms. Division Of The Affections Of The Will 240 CHAPTER XVI. Of The First Affection Of The Will. What Joy Is. Its Divers Sources 243 CHAPTER XVII. Of Joy In Temporal Goods. How It Is To Be Directed 244 CHAPTER XVIII. Of The Evils Resulting From Joy In Temporal Goods 247 CHAPTER XIX. The Benefits Resulting From Withdrawing Our Joy From Temporal Things 263 CHAPTER XX. The Joy Of The Will In Natural Goods Is Vanity. How To Direct The Will To God Therein 256 CHAPTER XXI. The Evils Of The Will's Rejoicing In Natural Goods 258 CHAPTER XXII. The Benefits Of Not Rejoicing In Natural Goods 262 CHAPTER XXIII. Of The Third Kind, Sensible Goods. Their Nature And Varieties. The Regulation Of The "Will" With Respect To Them 264 CHAPTER XXIV. The Evils Which Befall The Soul, When The Will Has Joy In Sensible Goods 267 CHAPTER XXV. The Spiritual And Temporal Benefits Of Self-Denial In The Joy Of Sensible Things 269 CHAPTER XXVI. The Fourth Kind Of Goods : Moral Goods. How The Will May Lawfully Rejoice In Them 273 CHAPTER XXVII. Seven Evils To Whtch Men Are Liable If The Will Rejoices In Moral Goods 276 CHAPTER XXVIII. The Benefits Of Repressing All Joy In Moral Goods 281 CHAPTER XXIX. The Fifth Kind Of Goods, In Which The Will Has Joy The Supernatural. Their Nature, And The Difference Between Them And Spiritual Goods. How Joy In Them Is To Be Directed Unto God 283 CHAPTER XXX. The Evils Resulting From The Will's Rejoicing In This Kind Of Goods 285 CHAPTER XXXI. The Benefits Of Self-Denial In The Joy Of Supernatural Graces 290 CHAPTER XXXII. The Sixth Kind Of Goods In Which The Will Rejoices. Their Nature. The First Division Of Them 291 CHAPTER XXXIII. Of The Spiritual Goods Distinctly Cognisable By The Intellect And The Memory. The Conduct Of The Will With Respect To Joy In Them 293 CHAPTER XXXIV. Of The Sweet Spiritual Goods Which Distinctly Affect The Will. Their Diversities 293 CHAPTER XXXV. The Subject Continued. The Ignorance Of Some People In The Matter Of Images 297 CHAPTER XXXVI. How The Joy Of The Will In Sacred Images Is To Be Referred To God, So That There Shall Be No Hindrance In It, Or Occasions Of Error 300 CHAPTER XXXVII. Motive Goods Continued. Oratories And Places Of Prayer 302 CHAPTER XXXVIII. The Right Use Of Churches And Oratories. How The Soul Is To Be Directed Through Them Unto God 305 CHAPTER XXXIX. Continuation Of The Same Subject 307 CHAPTER XL. Of Some Evils To Which Men Are Liable Who Indulge In The Sensible Sweetness Which Results From Objects And Places Of Devotion 308 CHAPTER XLI. Of The Three Kinds Of Devotional Places. How The Will Is To Regulate Itself In The Matter 309 CHAPTER XLII. Of Other Motives To Prayer Adopted By Many, Namely, Many Ceremonies 312 CHAPTER XLIII. How The Joy And Strength Of The Will Is To Be Directed In These Devotions 313 Chaper XLIV. Of The Second Kind Of Distinct Goods In Which The Will Vainly Rejoices 317 THE OBSCURE NIGHT OF THE SOUL. BOOK I. Of The Night Of Sense. CHAPTER I. Of The Imperfections Of Beginners 327 CHAPTER II. Of Some Imperfections To Which Beginners Are Liable In The Matter Of Pride 329 CHAPTER III. Of The Imperfections Of Avarice, In The Spiritual Sense 333 CHAPTER IV. Of The Imperfection Of Luxury, Spiritually Understood 335 CHAPTER V. Of The Im Perfections Of Anger 338 CHAPTER VI. Of The Imperfections Of Spiritual Gluttony 339 CHAPTER VII. Of The Imperfections Of Envy And Spiritual Sloth 343 CHAPTER VIII. Explanation Of The First Line Of The First Stanza 345 The First Volume. CHAPTER IX. Of The Signs By Which It May Be Known That The Spiritual Man Walking In The Way Of This Night Or Sensitive Purgation 348 CHAPTER X. How They Are To Conduct Themselves Who Have Entered The Obscure Night 353 CHAPTER XI. Explanation Of The Second Line Of The First Stanza 356 CHAPTER XII. Of The Benefits Of The Night Of Sense 359 CHAPTER XIII. Of Other Benefits Of The Night Of Sense 365 CHAPTER XIV. The Last Line Of The First Stanza Explained 369 BOOK II. Of The Night Of The Spirit. CHAPTER I. The Second Night ; That Of The Spirit. When It Begins 373 CHAPTER II. Of Certain Imperfections Of Proficients 375 CHAPTER III. Introduction 377 CHAPTER IV. The First Stanza Spiritually Explained 379 CHAPTER V. Obscure Contemplation Is Not A Night Only, But Pain And Torment Also For The Soul 380 CHAPTER VI. Of Other Sufferings Of The Soul In This Night 384 CHAPTER VII. The Same Subject Continued. Other Afflictions And Trials Of The Will 388 CHAPTER VIII. Other Trials Of The Soul In This State 393 CHAPTER IX. How It Is That This Night Enlightens The Mind While It Brings Darkness Over It 396 CHAPTER X. Explanation Of This Purgation By A Comparison 402 CHAPTER XI. A Vehement Passion Of Divine Love The Fruit Of These Sharp Afflictions Of The Soul 405 CHAPTER XII. How This Awful Night Is Like Purgatory. How The Divine Wisdom Illuminates Men On Earth With That Light In Which The Angels Are Purified And Enlightened In Heaven 409 CHAPTER XIII. Other Sweet Effects Of The Dark Night Of Contemplation 412 CHAPTER XIV. The Last Lines Of The First Stanza Spiritually Explained 417 CHAPTER XV. Explanation Of The Second Stanza 419 CHAPTER XVI. How The Soul Journeys Securely When In Darkness 419 CHAPTER XVII. Obscure Contemplation 18 Secret 426 CHAPTER XVIII. How This Secret Wisdom Is Also A Ladder 431 CHAPTER XIX. The Mystic Ladder Has Ten Degrees. Explanation Of The First Fiye Of Them 433 CHAPTER XX. Of The Other Five Degrees 438 CHAPTER XXI. The Meaning Of 'Disguised.' The Colours In Which The Soul Disguises Itself 441 CHAPTER XXII. Happiness Of The Soul 445 CHAPTER XXIII. The Wonderful Hiding-Place Of The Soul, Which The Devil, Though He Penetrates Into Other Higher Places, Cannot Enter 446 CHAPTER XXIV. The Last Line Of The Second Stanza Explained 452 CHAPTER XXV. Third Stanza Explained 454 Digitized by Google. Digitized by Google. Digitized by Google. Includes indexes v. 1. The ascent of Mount Carmel -- The obscure night of the soul -- v. 2. Spiritual canticle between the soul and Christ -- The living flame of love -- Instructions and cautions -- Letters -- Spiritual maxims -- Poems Electronic reproduction Master and use copy. Digital master created according to Benchmark for Faithful Digital Reproductions of Monographs and Serials, Version 1. Digital Library Federation, December 2002 digitized Description based on print version record Digitized