A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ E-Book

St. John of the Cross

• Herausgeber: Charles River Editors
• Kategorie: Religion und Spiritualität
• Sprache: Englisch

Seitenzahl: 370

Veröffentlichungsjahr: 2018

Beschreibung

Chios Classics brings literature's greatest works back to life for new generations.  All our books contain a linked table of contents.

St. John of the Cross was a Roman Catholic mystic and poet in the 16th century. A Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ is a classic poem detailing the soul's relationship with God.

Leseprobe

A SPIRITUAL CANTICLE OF THE SOUL AND THE BRIDEGROOM CHRIST

..................

St. John of the Cross

CHIOS CLASSICS

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Copyright © 2015 by St. John of the Cross

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TABLE OF CONTENTS

INTRODUCTION

PROLOGUE

THE BRIDE

ARGUMENT

EXPLANATION OF THE STANZAS

NOTE

STANZA I

THE BRIDE

STANZA II

STANZA III

STANZA IV

STANZA V

ANSWER OF THE CREATURES

NOTE

STANZA VI

THE BRIDE

STANZA VII

STANZA VIII

NOTE

STANZA IX

NOTE

STANZA X

NOTE

STANZA XI

NOTE

STANZA XII

NOTE

STANZA XIII

THE BRIDEGROOM

EXPLANATION

NOTE

STANZAS XIV, XV

THE BRIDE

EXPLANATION

STANZA XV

NOTE

STANZA XVI

NOTE

STANZA XVII

NOTE

STANZA XVIII

NOTE

STANZA XIX

NOTE

STANZAS XX, XXI

THE BRIDEGROOM

NOTE

STANZA XXII

NOTE

STANZA XXIII

NOTE

STANZA XXIV

THE BRIDE

NOTE

STANZA XXV

NOTE

STANZA XXVI

NOTE

STANZA XXVII

NOTE

STANZA XXVIII

NOTE

STANZA XXIX

NOTE

STANZA XXX

NOTE

STANZA XXXI

NOTE

STANZA XXXII

NOTE

STANZA XXXIII

NOTE.

STANZA XXXIV

THE BRIDEGROOM

NOTE

STANZA XXXV

NOTE

STANZA XXXVI

THE BRIDE

NOTE

STANZA XXXVII

NOTE

NOTE

STANZA XXXIX

STANZA XL

INTRODUCTION

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THE PRESENT VOLUME OF THE works of St. John of the Cross contains the explanation of the ‘ Spiritual Canticle of the Soul and the Bridegroom Christ.’ The two earlier works, the ‘ Ascent of Mount Carmel ‘ and the ‘ Dark Night of the Soul’ dealt with the cleansing of the soul, the unremittant war against even the smallest imperfections standing in the way of union with God; imperfections which must be removed, partly by strict self-discipline, partly by the direct intervention of God, Who, searching ‘ the reins and hearts ‘ by means of heavy interior and exterior trials, purges away whatever is displeasing to Him. Although some stanzas refer to this preliminary state, the chief object of the ‘ Spiritual Canticle ‘ is to picture under the Biblical simile of Espousals and Matrimony the blessedness of a soul that has arrived at union with God.

The Canticle was composed during the long imprisonment St. John underwent at Toledo from the beginning of December 1577 till the middle of August of the following year. Being one of the principal supporters of the Reform of St. Teresa, he was also one of the victims of the war waged against her work by the Superiors of the old branch of the Order. St. John’s prison was a narrow, stifling cell, with no window, but only a small loophole through which a ray of light entered for a short time of the day, just long enough to enable him to say his office, but affording little facility for reading or writing. However, St. John stood in no need of books. Having for many years meditated on every word of Holy Scripture, the Word of God was deeply written in his heart, supplying abundant food for conversation with God during the whole period of his imprisonment. From time to time he poured forth his soul in poetry; afterwards he communicated his verses to friends.

One of these poetical works, the fruit of his imprisonment, was the ‘ Spiritual Canticle,’ which, as the reader will notice, is an abridged paraphrase of the Canticle of Canticles, the Song of Solomon, wherein under the image of passionate love are described the mystical sufferings and longings of a soul enamoured with God.

From the earliest times the Fathers and Doctors of the Church had recognised the mystical character of the Canticle, and the Church had largely utilised it in her liturgy. But as there is nothing so holy but that it may be abused, the Canticle, almost more than any other portion of Holy Scripture, had been misinterpreted by a false Mysticism, such as was rampant in the middle of the sixteenth century. It had come to pass, said the learned and saintly Augustinian, Fray Luis de Leon, that that which was given as a medicine was turned into poison, so that the Ecclesiastical authority, by the Index of 1559, forbade the circulation of the Bible or parts of the Bible in any but the original languages, Hebrew, Greek, and Latin; and no one knew better than Luis de Leon himself how rigorously these rules were enforced, for he had to expiate by nearly five years’ imprisonment the audacity of having translated into Castilian the Canticle of Canticles.

Again, one of the confessors of St. Teresa, commonly thought to have been the Dominican, Fray Diego de Yanguas, on learning that the Saint had written a book on the Canticle, ordered her to throw it into the fire, so that we now only possess a few fragments of her work, which, unknown to St. Teresa, had been copied by a nun.

It will now be understood that St. John’s poetical paraphrase of the Canticle must have been welcome to many contemplative souls who desired to kindle their devotion with the words of Solomon, but were unable to read them in Latin. Yet the text alone, without explanation, would have helped them little; and as no one was better qualified than the author to throw light on the mysteries hidden under oriental imagery, the Venerable Ann of Jesus, Prioress of the Carmelite convent at Granada, requested St. John to write a commentary on his verses. He at first excused himself, saying that he was no longer in that state of spiritual exuberance in which he had been when composing the Canticle, and that there only remained to him a confused recollection of the wonderful operations of Divine grace during the period of his imprisonment. Ann of Jesus was not satisfied with this answer; she not only knew that St. John had lost nothing of his fervour, though he might no longer experience the same feelings, but she remembered what had happened to St. Teresa under similar circumstances, and believed the same thing might happen to St. John. When St. Teresa was obliged to write on some mystical phenomena, the nature of which she did not fully understand, or whose effect she had forgotten, God granted her unexpectedly a repetition of her former experiences so as to enable her to fully study the matter and report on it. Venerable Ann of Jesus felt sure that if St. John undertook to write an explanation of the Canticle he would soon find himself in the same mental attitude as when he composed it.

St. John at last consented, and wrote the work now before us. The following letter, which has lately come to light, gives some valuable information of its composition. The writer, Magdalen of the Holy Ghost, nun of Veas, where she was professed on August 6, 1577, was intimately acquainted with the Saint.

‘ When the holy father escaped from prison, he took with him a book of poetry he had written while there, containing the verses commencing “ In the beginning was the Word,” and those others: “I know the fountain well which flows and runs, though it be night,” and the canticle, “ Where hast thou hidden thyself ? “ as far as “ Ο nymphs of Judea” (stanza XVIII.). The remaining verses he composed later on while rector of the college of Baeza (1579-81), while some of the explanations were written at Veas at the request of the nuns, and others at Granada. The Saint wrote this book in prison and afterwards left it at Veas, where it was handed to me to make some copies of it. Later on it was taken away from my cell, and I never knew who took it. I was much struck with the vividness and the beauty and subtlety of the words. One day I asked the Saint whether God had given him these words which so admirably explain those mysteries, and he answered: “ Child, sometimes God gave them to me, and at other times I sought them myself.” ‘

The autograph of St. John’s work which is preserved at Jaen bears the following title:

‘ Explanation of Stanzas treating of the exercise of love between the soul and Jesus Christ its Spouse, dealing with and commenting on certain points and effects of prayer; written at the request of Mother Ann of Jesus, prioress of the Discalced Carmelite nuns of St. Joseph’s convent, Granada, 1584.’

As might be expected, the author dedicated the book to Ann of Jesus, at whose request he had written it. Thus, he began his Prologue with the following words: ‘ Inasmuch as this canticle, Reverend Mother (Religiosa Madre) seems to have been written,’ etc. A little further on he said: ‘ The stanzas that follow, having been written under the influence of that love which proceeds from the overflowing mystical intelligence, cannot be fully explained. Indeed, I do not purpose any such thing, for my sole purpose is to throw some general light over them, since Your Reverence has asked me to do so, and since this, in my opinion too, is the better course.’ And again: ‘ I shall, however, pass over the more ordinary (effects of prayer), and treat briefly of the more extraordinary to which they are subject who, by the mercy of God, have advanced beyond the state of beginners. This I do for two reasons: the first is that much is already written concerning beginners; and the second is that I am addressing myself to Your Reverence at your own bidding ; for you have received from Our Lord the grace of being led on from the elementary state and led inwards to the bosom of His divine love.’ He continues thus: ‘ I therefore trust, though I may discuss some points of scholastic theology relating to the interior commerce of the soul with God, that I am not using such language altogether in vain, and that it will be found profitable for pure spirituality. For though Your Reverence is ignorant of scholastic theology, you are by no means ignorant of mystical theology, the science of love, etc.’

From these passages it appears quite clearly that the Saint wrote the book for Venerable Ann of Jesus and the nuns of her convent. With the exception of an edition published at Brussels in 1627, these personal allusions have disappeared from both the Spanish text and the translations, nor are they to be found in Mr. Lewis’s version. There cannot be the least doubt that they represent St. John’s own intention, for they are to be found in his original manuscript. This, containing, in several parts, besides the Explanation of the Spiritual Canticle, various poems by the Saint, was given by him to Ann of Jesus, who in her turn committed it to the care of one of her nuns, Isabelle of the Incarnation, who took it with her to Baeza, where she remained eleven years, and afterwards to Jaen, where she founded a convent of which she became the first prioress. She there caused the precious manuscript to be bound in red velvet with silver clasps and gilt edges. It still was there in 1876, and, for aught we know, remains to the present day in the keeping of the said convent. It is a pity that no photographic edition of the writings of St. John (so far as the originals are preserved) has yet been attempted, for there is need for a critical edition of his works.

The following is the division of the work : Stanzas I. to IV. are introductory; V. to XII. refer to the contemplative life in its earlier stages; XIII. to XXL, dealing with what the Saint calls the Espousals, appertain to the Unitive way, where the soul is frequently, but not habitually, admitted to a transient union with God; and XXII. to the end describe what he calls Matrimony, the highest perfection a soul can attain this side of the grave. The reader will find an epitome of the whole system of mystical theology in the explanation of Stanza XXVI.

This work differs in many respects from the ‘ Ascent’ and the ‘ Dark Night.’ Whereas these are strictly systematic, proceeding on the line of relentless logic, the ‘Spiritual Canticle,’ as a poetical work ought to do, soars high above the divisions and distinctions of the scholastic method. With a boldness akin to that of his Patron Saint, the Evangelist, St. John rises to the highest heights, touching on a subject that should only be handled by a Saint, and which the reader, were he a Saint himself, will do well to treat cautiously : the partaking by the human soul of the Divine Nature, or, as St. John calls it, the Deification of the soul (Stanza XXVI. sqq.). These are regions where the ordinary mind threatens to turn; but St. John, with the knowledge of what he himself had experienced, not once but many times, what he had observed in others, and what, above all, he had read of in Holy Scripture, does not shrink from lifting the veil more completely than probably any Catholic writer on mystical theology has done. To pass in silence the last wonders of God’s love for fear of being misunderstood, would have been tantamount to ignoring the very end for which souls are led along the way of perfection; to reveal these mysteries in human language, and say all that can be said with not a word too much, not an uncertain or misleading line in the picture: this could only have been accomplished by one whom the Church has already declared to have been taught by God Himself (divinitus instructus), and whose books She tells us are filled with heavenly wisdom (coelesti sapientia refertos). It is hoped that sooner or later She will proclaim him (what many grave authorities think him to be) a Doctor of the Church, namely, the Doctor of Mystical theology.

As has already been noticed in the Introduction to the ‘ Ascent,’ the whole of the teaching of St. John is directly derived from Holy Scripture and from the psychological principles of St. Thomas Aquinas. There is no trace to be found of an influence of the Mystics of the Middle Age, with whose writings St. John does not appear to have been acquainted. But throughout this treatise there are many obvious allusions to the writings of St. Teresa, nor will the reader fail to notice the encouraging remark about the publication of her works (p. 100). The fact is that the same Venerable Ann of Jesus who was responsible for the composition of St. John’s treatise was at the same time making preparations for the edition of St. Teresa’s works which a few years later appeared at Salamanca under the editorship of Fray Luis de Leon, already mentioned.

Those of his readers who have been struck with, not to say frightened by, the exactions of St. John in the ‘ Ascent’ and the ‘ Dark Night,’ where he demands complete renunciation of every kind of satisfaction and pleasure, however legitimate in themselves, and an entire mortification of the senses as well as the faculties and powers of the soul, and who have been wondering at his self-abnegation which caused him not only to accept, but even to court contempt, will find here the clue to this almost inhuman attitude. In his response to the question of Our Lord, ‘ What shall I give thee for all thou hast done and suffered for Me ? ‘ ‘ Lord, to suffer and be despised for Thee ‘—he was not animated by grim misanthropy or stoic indifference, but he had learned that in proportion as the human heart is emptied of Self, after having been emptied of all created things, it is open to the influx of Divine grace. This he fully proves in the ‘ Spiritual Canticle.’ To be made ‘ partaker of the Divine Nature,’ as St. Peter says, human nature must undergo a radical transformation. Those who earnestly study the teaching of St. John in his earlier treatises and endeavour to put his recommendations into practice, will see in this and the next volume an unexpected perspective opening before their eyes, and they will begin to understand how it is that the sufferings of this time—whether voluntary or involuntary—are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us.

Mr. Lewis’s masterly translation of the works of St. John of the Cross appeared in 1864 under the auspices of Cardinal Wiseman. In the second edition, of 1889, he made numerous changes, without, however, leaving a record of the principles that guided him. Sometimes, indeed, the revised edition is terser than the first, but just as often the old one seems clearer. It is more difficult to understand the reasons that led him to alter very extensively the text of quotations from Holy Scripture. In the first edition he had nearly always strictly adhered to the Douay version, which is the one in official use in the Catholic Church in English-speaking countries. It may not always be as perfect as one would wish it to be, but it must be acknowledged that the wholesale alteration in Mr. Lewis’s second edition is, to say the least, puzzling. Even the Stanzas have undergone many changes in the second edition, and it will be noticed that there are some variants in their text as set forth at the beginning of the book, and as repeated at the heading of each chapter.

The present edition, allowing for some slight corrections, is a reprint of that of 1889.

BENEDICT ZIMMERMAN, PRIOR, O.C.D.

St. Luke’s, Wincanton, Somerset, Feast of St. Simon Stock, May 16, 1909.

PROLOGUE

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INASMUCH AS THIS CANTICLE SEEMS to have been written with some fervour of love of God, whose wisdom and love are, as is said in the book of Wisdom, so vast that they reach ‘ from end unto end,’ and as the soul, taught and moved by Him, manifests the same abundance and strength in the words it uses, I do not purpose here to set forth all that greatness and fulness the spirit of love, which is fruitful, embodies in it. Yea, rather it would be foolishness to think that the language of love and the mystical intelligence—and that is what these stanzas are—can be at all explained in words of any kind, for the Spirit of our Lord who helps our weakness—as St. Paul saith—dwelling in us makes petitions for us with groanings unutterable for that which we cannot well understand or grasp so as to be able to make it known. ‘ The Spirit helpeth our infirmity . . . the Spirit Himself requesteth for us with groanings unspeakable.’ For who can describe that which He shows to loving souls in whom He dwells ? Who can set forth in words that which He makes them feel ? and, lastly, who can explain that for which they long ?

2. Assuredly no one can do it; not even they themselves who experience it. That is the reason why they use figures of special comparisons and similitudes; they hide somewhat of that which they feel and in the abundance of the Spirit utter secret mysteries rather than express themselves in clear words.

3. And if these similitudes be not received in the simplicity of a loving mind, and in the sense in which they are uttered, they will seem to be effusions of folly rather than the language of reason; as any one may see in the divine Canticle of Solomon, and in others of the sacred books, wherein the Holy Ghost, because ordinary and common speech could not convey His meaning, uttered His mysteries in strange terms and similitudes. It follows from this, that after all that the holy doctors have said, and may say, no words of theirs can explain it; nor can words do it; and so, in general, all that is said falls far short of the meaning.

4. The stanzas that follow having been written under the influence of that love which proceeds from the overflowing mystical intelligence, cannot be fully explained. Indeed I do not purpose any such thing, for my sole object is to throw some general light over them, which in my opinion is the better course. It is better to leave the outpourings of love in their own fulness, that every one may apply them according to the measure of his spirit and power, than to pare them down to one particular sense which is not suited to the taste of every one. And though I do put forth a particular explanation, still others are not to be bound by it. The mystical wisdom —that is, the love, of which these stanzas speak—does not require to be distinctly understood in order to produce the effect of love and tenderness in the soul, for it is in this respect like faith, by which we love God without a clear comprehension of Him.

5. I shall therefore be very concise, though now and then unable to avoid some prolixity where the subject requires it, and when the opportunity is offered of discussing and explaining certain points and effects of prayer : many of which being referred to in these stanzas, I must discuss some of them. I shall, however, pass over the more ordinary ones, and treat briefly of the more extraordinary to which they are subject who, by the mercy of God, have advanced beyond the state of beginners. This I do for two reasons: the first is, that much is already written concerning beginners; and the second is, that I am addressing those who have received from our Lord the grace of being led on from the elementary state and are led inwards to the bosom of His divine love.

6. I therefore trust, though I may discuss some points of scholastic theology relating to the interior commerce of the soul with God, that I am not using such language altogether in vain, and that it will be found profitable for pure spirituality. For though some may be altogether ignorant of scholastic theology by which the divine verities are explained, yet they are not ignorant of mystical theology, the science of love, by which those verities are not only learned, but at the same time are relished also.

7. And in order that what I am going to say may be the better received, I submit myself to higher judgments, and unreservedly to that of our holy mother the Church, intending to say nothing in reliance on my own personal experience, or on what I have observed in other spiritual persons, nor on what I have heard them say— though I intend to profit by all this—unless I can confirm it with the sanction of the divine writings, at least on those points which are most difficult of comprehension.

8. The method I propose to follow in the matter is this: first of all, to cite the words of the text and then to give that explanation of them which belongs to the subject before me. I shall now transcribe all the stanzas and place them at the beginning of this treatise. In the next place, I shall take each of them separately, and explain them line by line, each line in its proper place before the explanation.

THE BRIDE

..................

Where hast Thou hidden Thyself,

And abandoned me in my groaning, Ο my Beloved ?

Thou hast fled like the hart,

Having wounded me.

I ran after Thee, crying ; but Thou wert gone.

II

Ο shepherds, you who go

Through the sheepcots up the hill,

If you shall see Him

Whom I love the most,

Tell Him I languish, suffer, and die.

Ill

In search of my Love

I will go over mountains and strands;

I will gather no flowers,

I will fear no wild beasts;

And pass by the mighty and the frontiers.

iv

Ο groves and thickets

Planted by the hand of the Beloved;

Ο verdant meads

Enamelled with flowers,

Tell me, has He passed by you ?

v

ANSWER OF THE CREATURES

A thousand graces diffusing

He passed through the groves in haste,

And merely regarding them

As He passed

Clothed them with His beauty.

vi

THE BRIDE

Oh ! who can heal me ?

Give me at once Thyself,

Send me no more

A messenger

Who cannot tell me what I wish.

VII

All they who serve are telling me

Of Thy unnumbered graces;

And all wound me more and more,

And something leaves me dying,

I know not what, of which they are darkly speaking.

VIII

But how thou perseverest, Ο life,

Not living where thou livest;

The arrows bring death

Which thou receivest

From thy conceptions of the Beloved.

ix

Why, after wounding

This heart, hast Thou not healed it ?

And why, after stealing it,

Hast Thou thus abandoned it,

And not carried away the stolen prey ?

χ

Quench Thou my troubles,

For no one else can soothe them;

And let mine eyes behold Thee,

For thou art their light,

And I will keep them for Thee alone.

xi

Reveal Thy presence,

And let the vision and Thy beauty kill me.

Behold the malady

Of love is incurable

Except in Thy presence and before Thy face.

xii

Ο crystal well !

Oh that on Thy silvered surface

Thou wouldest mirror forth at once

Those eyes desired Which are outlined in my heart !

xiii

Turn them away, Ο my Beloved !

I am on the wing:

THE BRIDEGROOM

Return, My Dove !

The wounded hart Looms on the hill

In the air of thy flight and is refreshed.

xiv

THE BRIDE

My Beloved is the mountains,

The solitary wooded valleys,

The strange islands,

The roaring torrents,

The whisper of the amorous gales;

xv

The tranquil night

At the approaches of the dawn,

The silent music,

The murmuring solitude,

The supper which revives, and enkindles love, xvi

xvi

Catch us the foxes,

For our vineyard hath flourished;

While of roses

We make a nosegay,

And let no one appear on the hill.

xvii

Ο killing north wind, cease !

Come, south wind, that awakenest love !

Blow through my garden,

And let its odours flow,

And the Beloved shall feed among the flowers.

xviii

Ο nymphs of Judea !

While amid the flowers and the rose-trees

The amber sends forth its perfume,

Tarry in the suburbs,

And touch not our thresholds.

xix

Hide thyself, Ο my Beloved !

Turn Thy face to the mountains.

Do not speak,

But regard the companions

Of her who is travelling amidst strange islands,

xx

THE BRIDEGROOM

Light-winged birds,

Lions, fawns, bounding does,

Mountains, valleys, strands,

Waters, winds, heat,

And the terrors that keep watch by night;

xxi

By the soft lyres

And the siren strains, I adjure you,

Let your fury cease,

And touch not the wall,

That the bride may sleep in greater security,

xxii

The bride has entered

The pleasant and desirable garden,

And there reposes to her heart’s content;

Her neck reclining

On the sweet arms of the Beloved.

xxiii

Beneath the apple-tree

There wert thou betrothed;

There I gave thee My hand,

And thou wert redeemed

Where thy mother was corrupted.

xxiv

THE BRIDE

Our bed is of fevers

By dens of lions encompassed,

Hung with purple,

Made in peace,

And crowned with a thousand shields of gold.

xxv

In Thy footsteps

The young ones run Thy way;

At the touch of the fire,

And by the spiced wine,

The divine balsam flows.

xxvi

In the inner cellar

Of my Beloved have I drunk ; and when I went forth

Over all the plain

I knew nothing,

And lost the flock I followed before.

xxvii

There He gave me His breasts,

There He taught me the science full of sweetness.

And there I gave to Him

Myself without reserve;

There I promised to be His bride.

xxviii

My soul is occupied.

And all my substance in His service;

Now I guard no flock,

Nor have I any other employment:

My sole occupation is love.

xxix

If, then, on the common land

I am no longer seen or found,

You will say that I am lost;

That, being enamoured,

I lost myself; and yet was found.

xxx

Of emeralds, and of flowers

In the early morning gathered,

We will make the garlands,

Flowering in Thy love,

And bound together with one hair of my head.

xxxi

By that one hair

Thou hast observed fluttering on my neck,

And on my neck regarded,

Thou wert captivated;

And wounded by one of my eyes.

xxxii

When Thou didst regard me,

Thine eyes imprinted in me Thy grace:

For this didst Thou love me again,

And thereby mine eyes did merit

To adore what in Thee they saw.

xxxiii

Despise me not,

For if I was swarthy once

Thou canst regard me now ;

Since Thou hast regarded me,

Grace and beauty hast Thou given me

xxxiv

THE BRIDEGROOM

The little white dove

Has returned to the ark with the bough ;

And now the turtle-dove

Its desired mate

On the green banks has found.

xxxv

In solitude she lived,

And in solitude built her nest;

And in solitude, alone

Hath the Beloved guided her,

In solitude also wounded with love.

xxxvi

THE BRIDE

Let us rejoice, Ο my Beloved !

Let us go forth to see ourselves in Thy beauty.

To the mountain and the hill,

Where the pure water flows;

Let us enter into the heart of the thicket.

xxxvii

We shall go at once

To the deep caverns of the rock

Which are all secret,

There we shall enter in

And taste of the new wine of the pomegranate.

xxxviii

There thou wilt show me

That which my soul desired;

And there Thou wilt give at once,

Ο Thou, my life !

That which Thou gavest me the other day.

xxxix

The breathing of the air,

The song of the sweet nightingale,

The grove and its beauty

In the serene night,

With the flame that consumes, and gives no pains.

xi

None saw it;

Neither did Aminadab appear.

The siege was intermitted,

And the cavalry dismounted

At the sight of the waters.

ARGUMENT

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THESE STANZAS DESCRIBE THE CAREER of a soul from its first entrance on the service of God till it comes to the final state of perfection—the spiritual marriage. They refer accordingly to the three states or ways of the spiritual training—the purgative, illuminative, and unitive ways, some properties and effects of which they explain.

The first stanzas relate to beginners—to the purgative way. The second to the advanced—to the state of spiritual betrothal; that is, the illuminative way. The next to the unitive way—that of the perfect, the spiritual marriage. The unitive way, that of the perfect, follows the illuminative, which is that of the advanced. The last stanzas treat of the beatific state, which only the already perfect soul aims at.

EXPLANATION OF THE STANZAS

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NOTE

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THE SOUL, CONSIDERING THE OBLIGATIONS of its state, seeing that ‘ the days of man are short; ‘ that the way of eternal life is strait; f that ‘ the just man shall scarcely be saved; ‘ that the things of this world are empty and deceitful; that all die and perish like water poured on the ground; that time is uncertain, the last account strict, perdition most easy, and salvation most difficult; and recognising also, on the other hand, the great debt that is owing to God, Who has created it solely for Himself, for which the service of its whole life is due, Who has redeemed it for Himself alone, for which it owes Him all else, and the correspondence of its will to His love; and “remembering other innumerable blessings for which it acknowledges itself indebted to God even before it was born: and also that a great part of its life has been wasted, and that it will have to render an account of it all from the beginning unto the end, to the payment of ‘ the last farthing,’ when God shall ‘ search Jerusalem with lamps; ‘ that it is already late, and perhaps the end of the day : in order to remedy so great an evil, especially when it is conscious that God is grievously offended, and that He has hidden His face from it, because it would forget Him for the creature,—the soul, now touched with sorrow and inward sinking of the heart at the sight of its imminent risks and ruin, renouncing everything and casting them aside without delaying for a day, or even an hour, with fear and groanings uttered from the heart, and wounded with the love of God, begins to invoke the Beloved and says:

STANZA I

..................

THE BRIDE

..................

Where hast Thou hidden Thyself,

And left me to my sorrow,

Ο my Beloved !

Thou hast fled like the hart,

Having wounded me.

I ran after Thee, crying ; but Thou wert gone.

In this first stanza the soul, enamoured of the Word, the Son of God, the Bridegroom, desiring to be united to Him in the clear and substantial vision, sets before Him the anxieties of its love, complaining of His absence. And this the more so because, now pierced and wounded with love, for which it had abandoned all things, even itself, it has still to endure the absence of the Beloved, Who has not released it from its mortal flesh, that it might have the fruition of Him in the glory of eternity. Hence it cries out,

‘ Where hast Thou hidden Thyself ? ‘

2. It is as if the soul said,’ Show me,Ο Thou the Word, my Bridegroom, the place where Thou art hidden.’ It asks for the revelation of the divine Essence; for the place where the Son of God is hidden is, according to St. John, ‘ the bosom of the Father,’ which is the divine Essence, transcending all mortal vision, and hidden from all human understanding, as Isaias saith, speaking to God,’ Verily Thou art a hidden God.’ From this we learn that the communication and sense of His presence, however great they may be, and the most sublime and profound knowledge of God which the soul may have in this life, are not God essentially, neither have they any affinity with Him, for in very truth He is still hidden from the soul; and it is therefore expedient for it, amid all these grandeurs, always to consider Him as hidden, and to seek Him in His hiding-place, saying,

‘ Where hast Thou hidden Thyself ? ‘

3. Neither sublime communications nor sensible presence furnish any certain proof of His gracious presence; nor is the absence thereof, and aridity, any proof of His absence from the soul. ‘ If He come to me, I shall not see Him; if He depart, I shall not understand.’ That is, if the soul have any great communication, or impression, or spiritual knowledge, it must not on that account persuade itself that what it then feels is to enjoy or see God clearly and in His Essence, or that it brings it nearer to Him, or Him to it, however deep such feelings may be. On the other hand, when all these sensible and spiritual communications fail it, and it is itself in dryness, darkness, and desolation, it must not on that account suppose that God is far from it; for in truth the former state is no sign of its being in a state of grace, nor is the latter a sign that it is not; for ‘ man knoweth not whether he be worthy of love or hatred ‘ f in the sight of God.

4. The chief object of the soul in these words is not to ask only for that affective and sensible devotion, wherein there is no certainty or evidence of the possession of the Bridegroom in this life; but principally for that clear presence and vision of His Essence, of which it longs to be assured and satisfied in the next. This, too, was the object of the bride who, in the divine song desiring to be united to the Divinity of the Bridegroom Word, prayed to the Father, saying, ‘ Show me where Thou feedest, where Thou liest in the midday.’ For to ask to be shown the place where He fed was to ask to be shown the Essence of the Divine Word, the Son; because the Father feedeth nowhere else but in His only begotten Son, Who is the glory of the Father. In asking to be shown the place where He lieth in the midday, was to ask for the same thing, because the Son is the sole delight of the Father, Who lieth in no other place, and is comprehended by no other thing, but in and by His beloved Son, in Whom He reposeth wholly, communicating to Him His whole Essence, in the ‘ midday,’ which is eternity, where the Father is ever begetting and the Son ever begotten.

5. This pasture, then, is the Bridegroom Word, where the Father feedeth in infinite glory. He is also the bed of flowers whereupon He reposes with infinite delight of love, profoundly hidden from all mortal vision and every created thing. This is the meaning of the bride-soul when she says,

‘ Where hast Thou hidden Thyself ? ‘

6. That the thirsty soul may find the Bridegroom, and be one with Him in the union of love in this life— so far as that is possible—and quench its thirst with that drink which it is possible to drink of at His hands in this life, it will be as well—since that is what the soul asks of Him—that we should answer for Him, and point out the special spot where He is hidden, that He may be found there in that perfection and sweetness of which this life is capable, and that the soul may not begin to loiter uselessly in the footsteps of its companions.

7. We must remember that the Word, the Son of God, together with the Father and the Holy Ghost, is hidden in essence and in presence, in the inmost being of the soul. That soul, therefore, that will find Him, must go out from all things in will and affection, and enter into the profoundest self-recollection, and all things must be to it as if they existed not. Hence, St. Augustin saith: ‘ I found Thee not without, Ο Lord; I sought Thee without in vain, for Thou art within.’ God is therefore hidden within the soul, and the true contemplative will seek Him there in love, saying,

‘ Where hast Thou hidden Thyself ? ‘

8. Ο thou soul, then, most beautiful of creatures, who so longest to know the place where thy Beloved is, that thou mayest seek Him, and be united to Him, thou knowest now that thou art thyself that very tabernacle where He dwells, the secret chamber of His retreat where He is hidden. Rejoice, therefore, and exult, because all thy good and all thy hope is so near thee as to be within thee; or, to speak more accurately, that thou canst not be without it, ‘ for lo, the kingdom of God is within you.’ So saith the Bridegroom Himself, and His servant, St. Paul, adds: ‘ You are the temple of the living God.’ What joy for the soul to learn that God never abandons it, even in mortal sin; how much less in a state of grace !

9. What more canst thou desire, what more canst thou seek without, seeing that within thou hast thy riches, thy delight, thy satisfaction, thy fulness and thy kingdom; that is, thy Beloved, Whom thou desirest and seekest ? Rejoice, then, and be glad in Him with interior recollection, seeing that thou hast Him so near. Then love Him, then desire Him, then adore Him, and go not to seek Him out of thyself, for that will be but distraction and weariness, and thou shalt not find Him; because there is no fruition of Him more certain, more ready, or more intimate than that which is within.

10. One difficulty alone remains: though He is within, yet He is hidden. But it is a great matter to know the place of His secret rest, that He may be sought there with certainty. The knowledge of this is that which thou askest for here, 0 soul, when with loving affection thou criest,

‘ Where hast Thou hidden Thyself ? ‘

11. You will still urge and say, How comes it, then, that I find Him not, nor feel Him, if He is within my soul ? It is because He is hidden, and because thou hidest not thyself also that thou mayest find Him and feel Him; for he that will seek that which is hidden must enter secretly into the secret place where it is hidden, and when he finds it, he is himself hidden like the object of his search. Seeing, then, that the Bridegroom whom thou lovest is ‘ the treasure hidden in the field ‘ of thy soul, for which the wise merchant gave all that he had, so thou, if thou wilt find Him, must forget all that is thine, withdraw from all created things, and hide thyself in the secret retreat of the spirit, shutting the door upon thyself—that is, denying thy will in all things—and praying to thy Father in secret. Then thou, being hidden with Him, wilt be conscious of His presence in secret, and wilt love Him, possess Him in secret, and delight in Him in secret, in a way that no tongue or language can express.

12. Courage, then, Ο soul most beautiful, thou knowest now that thy Beloved, Whom thou desirest, dwelleth hidden within thy breast; strive, therefore, to be truly hidden with Him, and then thou shalt embrace Him, and be conscious of His presence with loving affection. Consider also that He bids thee, by the mouth of Isaias, to come to His secret hiding-place, saying, ‘ Go, . . . enter into thy chambers, shut thy doors upon thee ‘ ; that is, all thy faculties, so that no created thing shall enter : ‘ be hid a little for a moment,’ that is, for the moment of this mortal life; for, if now during this life which is short, thou wilt ‘ with all watchfulness keep thy heart,’ as the wise man saith, God will most assuredly give thee, as He hath promised by the prophet Isaias, ‘ hidden treasures and mysteries of secrets.’ The substance of these secrets is God Himself, for He is the substance of the faith, and the object of it, and the faith is the secret and the mystery. And when that which the faith conceals shall be revealed and made manifest, that is the perfection of God, as St. Paul saith, ‘ When that which is perfect is come,’ then shall be revealed to the soul the substance and mysteries of these secrets.