Which treats of the answer to another question, explaining
what the desires are that suffice to cause the evils
aforementioned in the soul.
WE might write at greater length upon this matter of the
night of sense, saying all that there is to say concerning the
harm which is caused by the desires, not only in the ways
aforementioned, but in many others. But for our purpose that which
has been said suffices; for we believe we have made it clear in
what way the mortification of these desires is called night, and
how it behoves us to enter this night in order to journey to God.
The only thing that remains, before we treat of the manner of
entrance therein, in order to bring this part to a close, is a
question concerning what has been said which might occur to the
reader.
2. It may first be asked if any desire can be sufficient to
work and produce in the soul the two evils aforementioned --
namely, the privative, which consists in depriving the soul of the
grace of God, and the positive, which consists in producing within
it the five serious evils whereof we have spoken. Secondly, it may
be asked if any desire, however slight it be and of whatever kind,
suffices to produce all these together, or if some desires produce
some and others produce others. If, for example, some produce
torment; others, weariness; others, darkness, etc.
3. Answering this question, I say, first of all, that with
respect to the privative evil -- which consists in the soul's
being deprived of God -- this is wrought wholly, and can only be
wrought, by the voluntary desires, which are of the matter of
mortal sin; for they deprive the soul of grace in this life, and
of glory, which is the possession of God, in the next. In the
second place, I say that both those desires which are of the
matter of mortal sin, and the voluntary desires, which are of the
matter of venial sin, and those that are of the matter of
imperfection, are each sufficient to produce in the soul all these
positive evils together; the which evils, although in a certain
way they are privative, we here call positive, since they
correspond to a turning towards the creature, even as the
privative evils correspond to a turning away from God. But there
is this difference, that the desires which are of mortal sin
produce total blindness, torment, impurity, weakness, etc. Those
others, however, which are of the matter of venial sin or
imperfection, produce not these evils in a complete and supreme
degree, since they deprive not the soul of grace, upon the loss of
which depends the possession of them, since the death of the soul
is their life; but they produce them in the soul remissly,
proportionately to the remission of grace which these desires
produce in the soul.[191] So that desire which most weakens grace
will produce the most abundant torment, blindness and defilement.
4. It should be noted, however, that, although each desire
produces all these evils, which we here term positive, there are
some which, principally and directly, produce some of them, and
others which produce others, and the remainder are produced
consequently upon these. For, although it is true that one sensual
desire produces all these evils, yet its principal and proper
effect is the defilement of soul and body. And, although one
avaricious desire produces them all, its principal and direct
result is to produce misery. And, although similarly one
vainglorious desire produces them all, its principal and direct
result is to produce darkness and blindness. And, although one
gluttonous desire produces them all, its principal result is to
produce lukewarmness in virtue. And even so is it with the rest.
5. And the reason why any act of voluntary desire produces in
the soul all these effects together lies in the direct contrariety
which exists between them and all the acts of virtue which produce
the contrary effects in the soul. For, even as an act of virtue
produces and begets in the soul sweetness, peace, consolation,
light, cleanness and fortitude altogether, even so an unruly
desire causes torment, fatigue, weariness, blindness and weakness.
All the virtues grow through the practice of any one of them, and
all the vices grow through the practice of any one of them
likewise, and the remnants[192] of each grow in the soul. And
although all these evils are not evident at the moment when the
desire is indulged, since the resulting pleasure gives no occasion
for them, yet the evil remnants which they leave are clearly
perceived, whether before or afterwards. This is very well
illustrated by that book which the angel commanded Saint John to
eat, in the Apocalypse, the which book was sweetness to his mouth,
and in his belly bitterness.[193] For the desire, when it is carried
into effect, is sweet and appears to be good, but its bitter taste
is felt afterwards; the truth of this can be clearly proved by
anyone who allows himself to be led away by it. Yet I am not
ignorant that there are some men so blind and insensible as not to
feel this, for, as they do not walk in God, they are unable to
perceive that which hinders them from approaching Him.
6. I am not writing here of the other natural desires which
are not voluntary, and of thoughts that go not beyond the first
movements, and other temptations to which the soul is not
consenting; for these produce in the soul none of the evils
aforementioned. For, although a person who suffers from them may
think that the passion and disturbance which they then produce in
him are defiling and blinding him, this is not the case; rather
they are bringing him the opposite advantages. For, in so far as
he resists them, he gains fortitude, purity, light and
consolation, and many blessings, even as Our Lord said to Saint
Paul: That virtue was made perfect in weakness.[194] But the
voluntary desires work all the evils aforementioned, and more.
Wherefore the principal care of spiritual masters is to mortify
their disciples immediately with respect to any desire soever, by
causing them to remain without the objects of their desires, in
order to free them from such great misery.
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