[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]

which it will possess will likewise be very intimate and refined. The more intimate
and the more perfect the finished work is to be and to remain, the more intimate,
perfect and pure must be the labour; the firmer the edifice, the harder the labour.
Wherefore, as Job says, the soul is fading within itself, and its vitals are being
consumed without any hope.161 Similarly, because in the state of perfection toward
which it journeys by means of this purgative night the soul will attain to the
possession and fruition of innumerable blessings, of gifts and virtues, both according
to the substance of the soul and likewise according to its faculties, it must needs see
and feel itself withdrawn from them all and deprived of them all and be empty and
poor without them; and it must needs believe itself to be so far from them that it
cannot persuade itself that it will ever reach them, but rather it must be convinced
that all its good things are over. The words of Jeremias have a similar meaning in
that passage already quoted, where he says: 'I have forgotten good things.'162
10. But let us now see the reason why this light of contemplation, which is so
sweet and blessed to the soul that there is naught more desirable (for, as has been
said above, it is the same wherewith the soul must be united and wherein it must
find all the good things in the state of perfection that it desires), produces, when it
assails the soul, these beginnings which are so painful and these effects which are
so disagreeable, as we have here said.
1l. This question is easy for us to answer, by explaining, as we have already
done in part, that the cause of this is that, in contemplation and the Divine
inflowing, there is naught that of itself can cause affliction, but that they rather
cause great sweetness and delight, as we shall say hereafter. The cause is rather
the weakness and imperfection from which the soul then suffers, and the
dispositions which it has in itself and which make it unfit for the reception of them.
Wherefore, when the said Divine light assails the soul, it must needs cause it to
suffer after the manner aforesaid.
CHAPTER X
Explains this purgation fully by a comparison.
159
Job iii, 24.
160
Job xxx, 17.
161
Job xxx, 16.
162
Lamentations iii, 17.
63
FOR the greater clearness of what has been said, and of what has still to be said, it
is well to observe at this point that this purgative and loving knowledge or Divine
light whereof we here speak acts upon the soul which it is purging and preparing for
perfect union with it in the same way as fire acts upon a log of wood in order to
transform it into itself; for material fire, acting upon wood, first of all begins to dry
it, by driving out its moisture and causing it to shed the water which it contains
within itself. Then it begins to make it black, dark and unsightly, and even to give
forth a bad odour, and, as it dries it little by little, it brings out and drives away all
the dark and unsightly accidents which are contrary to the nature of fire. And,
finally, it begins to kindle it externally and give it heat, and at last transforms it
into itself and makes it as beautiful as fire. In this respect, the wood has neither
passivity nor activity of its own, save for its weight, which is greater, and its
substance, which is denser, than that of fire, for it has in itself the properties and
activities of fire. Thus it is dry and it dries; it is hot and heats; it is bright and gives
brightness; and it is much less heavy than before. All these properties and effects
are caused in it by the fire.
2. In this same way we have to philosophize with respect to this Divine fire of
contemplative love, which, before it unites and transforms the soul in itself, first
purges it of all its contrary accidents. It drives out its unsightliness, and makes it
black and dark, so that it seems worse than before and more unsightly and
abominable than it was wont to be. For this Divine purgation is removing all the
evil and vicious humours which the soul has never perceived because they have
been so deeply rooted and grounded in it; it has never realized, in fact, that it has
had so much evil within itself. But now that they are to be driven forth and
annihilated, these humours reveal themselves, and become visible to the soul
because it is so brightly illumined by this dark light of Divine contemplation
(although it is no worse than before, either in itself or in relation to God); and, as it
sees in itself that which it saw not before, it is clear to it that not only is it unfit to
be seen by God, but deserves His abhorrence, and that He does indeed abhor it. By
this comparison we can now understand many things concerning what we are
saying and purpose to say.
3. First, we can understand how the very light and the loving wisdom which
are to be united with the soul and to transform it are the same that at the beginning
purge and prepare it: even as the very fire which transforms the log of wood into
itself, and makes it part of itself, is that which at the first was preparing it for that
same purpose.
4. Secondly, we shall be able to see how these afflictions are not felt by the
soul as coming from the said Wisdom, since, as the Wise Man says, all good things
together come to the soul with her.163 They are felt as coming from the weakness
and imperfection which belong to the soul; without such purgation, the soul cannot
receive its Divine light, sweetness and delight, even as the log of wood, when the
fire acts upon it, cannot immediately be transformed until it be made ready;
wherefore the soul is greatly afflicted. This statement is fully supported by the
Preacher, where he describes all that he suffered in order that he might attain to
union with wisdom and to the fruition of it, saying thus: 'My soul hath wrestled
with her and my bowels were moved in acquiring her; therefore it shall possess a
good possession.'164
5. Thirdly, we can learn here incidentally in what manner souls are afflicted
in purgatory. For the fire would have no power over them, even though they came
into contact with it, if they had no imperfections for which to suffers. These are the
163
Wisdom vii, 11.
164
Ecclesiasticus li, 28-9 [A.V., li, 19-21].
64
material upon which the fire of purgatory seizes; when that material is consumed
there is naught else that can burn. So here, when the imperfections are consumed,
the affliction of the soul ceases and its fruition remains.
6. The fourth thing that we shall learn here is the manner wherein the soul,
as it becomes purged and purified by means of this fire of love, becomes ever more
enkindled in love, just as the wood grows hotter in proportion as it becomes the
better prepared by the fire. This enkindling of love, however, is not always felt by
the soul, but only at times when contemplation assails it less vehemently, for then it
has occasion to see, and even to enjoy, the work which is being wrought in it, and
which is then revealed to it. For it seems that the worker takes his hand from the
work, and draws the iron out of the furnace, in order that something of the work
which is being done may be seen; and then there is occasion for the soul to observe
in itself the good which it saw not while the work was going on. In the same way,
when the flame ceases to attack the wood, it is possible to see how much of it has
been enkindled.
7. Fifthly, we shall also learn from this comparison what has been said
above namely, how true it is that after each of these periods of relief the soul
suffers once again, more intensely and keenly than before. For, after that revelation
just referred to has been made, and after the more outward imperfections of the soul
have been purified, the fire of love once again attacks that which has yet to be
consumed and purified more inwardly. The suffering of the soul now becomes more
intimate, subtle and spiritual, in proportion as the fire refines away the finer,165 [ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
  • zanotowane.pl
  • doc.pisz.pl
  • pdf.pisz.pl
  • mons45.htw.pl
  • Wątki
    Powered by wordpress | Theme: simpletex | © (...) lepiej tracić niż nigdy nie spotkać.