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CHAPTER IV
Sets down the first stanza and the exposition thereof.
On a dark night, Kindled in love with yearnings—oh, happy chance!—
I went forth without being observed, My house being now at rest.
EXPOSITION
INTERPRETING this stanza now with reference to purgation, contemplation or detachment or poverty of spirit, which here are almost one and the same thing, we can expound it after this manner and make the soul speak thus: In poverty, and without protection or support in all the apprehensions of my soul—that is, in the darkness of my understanding and the constraint of my will, in affliction and anguish with respect to memory, remaining in the dark in pure faith, which is dark night for the said natural faculties, the will alone being touched by grief and afflictions and yearnings for the love of God—I went forth from myself—that is, from my low manner of understanding, from my weak mode of loving and from my poor and limited manner of experiencing God, without being hindered therein by sensuality or the devil.
2. This was a great happiness and a good chance for me; for, when the faculties had been perfectly annihilated and calmed, together with the passions, desires and affections of my soul, wherewith I had experienced and tasted God after a lowly manner, I went forth from my own human dealings and operations to the operations and dealings of God. That is to say, my understanding went forth from itself, turning from the human and natural to the Divine; for, when it is united with God by means of this purgation, its understanding no longer comes through its natural light and vigour, but through the Divine Wisdom wherewith it has become united. And my will went forth from itself, becoming Divine; for, being united with Divine love, it no longer loves with its natural strength after a lowly manner, but with strength and purity from the Holy Spirit; and thus the will, which is now near to God, acts not after a human manner, and similarly the memory has become transformed into eternal apprehensions of glory. And finally, by means of this night and purgation of the old man, all the energies and affections of the soul are wholly renewed into a Divine temper and Divine delight.
There follows the line:
On a dark night.
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What We're Reading
In this section we hope to highlight a good book that one of the CCEL staff or someone else is reading.
by Tim Perrine
Handbook of Faith, Hope, and Love is a book from which I have learned much. Written by Augustine in 420 C.E., Handbook offers insight into the Christian life that I found I could not ignore. Augustine does not merely teach the truths of the faith, but also how those truths can (and should!) change a person—so that true worship of God is possible for that person.
As the title suggests, Augustine teaches that true worship of God involves faith, hope, and love. He begins with this theme, and he ends with it. In between, Augustine works through what the believer should have faith in, what the believer should hope for, and what the believer should love.
