1. From where, for greater clarity of what has been said and what has to be said, it is convenient to note here that this purgative and loving news or divine light that we say here, is in the same way in the soul, purging it and disposing it for unite it with itself perfectly, that the fire has been in the wood to transform it into itself. Because the material fire, when applied to the wood, the first thing it does is begin to dry it, throwing out the humidity and making it cry the water that it has in itself; then it turns black, dark and ugly, and even has a bad smell, and, drying it little by little, it brings to light and throws out all the ugly and dark features that it has contrary to fire; and, finally, beginning to inflame him from the outside and warm him up, he comes to transform him into himself and make him as beautiful as fire itself. In which there is no passion on the part of the wood or its own action, save the gravity and quantity thicker than that of fire, because the properties of fire and actions it has in itself; because it is dry, and dry; it is hot, and it warms; it is clear and enlightens; it is much lighter than before, the fire working on it these properties and effects.
2. In this same way, then, we must philosophize about this divine fire of love of contemplation, which, before uniting and transforming the soul in itself, first purges it of all its contrary accidents; make her bring out her ugliness and make her black and dark, and thus she seems worse than before and more ugly and abominable than she used to be. Because, as this divine purge goes on removing all the bad and vicious humors, which because they are deeply rooted and settled in the soul, she did not notice them, and thus did not understand that she had so much evil in herself; and now, in order to cast them out and annihilate them, they hold them up to his eye, and he sees them as clearly illuminated by this dark light of divine contemplation (although it is no worse than before, neither in himself nor with regard to God), as he sees what he sees in himself. that she did not see before, it seems clear to her that it is wrong, that not only is it not there for God to see, but that it is there for him to hate it, and that he already hates it. From this comparison we can now understand many things about what we are saying and intend to say.
3. First of all, we can understand how the same light and loving wisdom that has to be united and transformed in the soul, is the same that at the beginning purges and disposes it; just as the same fire that transforms the wood into itself by incorporating itself into it, is the one that was first arranging it for the same effect.
4. Secondly, we will see how these penalties are not felt by the soul on the part of said wisdom, since, as the Wise Man says (Wisdom 7, 11), all goods together come to the soul with it, but from part of the weakness and imperfection that the soul has to not be able to receive without this purgation its divine light, softness and delight (as well as the wood, which cannot be transformed after the fire is applied to it until it is prepared), and for that sucks so much Which the Ecclesiastic (51, 29) approves well, saying what he suffered to come to unite with her and enjoy her, saying thus: My soul agonized in her, and my entrails were clouded in acquiring it; therefore I will possess good possession.
5. Third, we can get the way of suffering from those in purgatory out of the way. Because the fire would not have power in them, even if it were applied to them, if they did not have imperfections in which to suffer, which are the matter in which the fire can there; which finished, there is nothing more to burn; as here, finished the imperfections, the pain of the soul ends and the joy remains.
6. Fourth, we will draw from here how the way that is purged and purified by means of this fire of love, it is more inflamed in love; just as the wood, in the way and pace that is being arranged, is getting hotter. Although this inflammation of love is not always felt by the soul, but sometimes when contemplation stops attacking so strongly, because then the soul has a place to see and even enjoy the work that is being done, because it is discovered; because it seems that they raise the hand of the work and take the iron out of the oven so that it seems in some way the work that is being done; and then there is room for the soul to see in itself the good that it did not see when the work was going on. Likewise, when the flame stops hurting the wood, a place is given so that it can be seen how much it has inflamed it.
7. Fifth, we will also draw from this comparison what has been said above, it is convenient to know how it is true that after these reliefs the soul returns to suffer more intensely and thinly than before. Because, after that sample, which is done after the external imperfections have been purified, the fire of love returns to hurt what is about to consume and purify more inside. In which the suffering of the soul is more intimate and subtle and spiritual, as the most intimate and thin and spiritual imperfections and more deeply rooted in the interior become thinner. And this happens in the same way as in the wood: when the fire goes deeper inside, it goes with more force and fury, disposing of what is most interior to possess it.
8. Sixth, the cause will also be removed from here because it seems to the soul that all good has come to an end and that it is full of evils, since nothing else reaches it at this time except all bitterness; as well as the wood, that air or anything else gives in it more than consuming fire. But, after other samples are made like the first ones, you will enjoy the inside more, because the purification has already been done inside.
9. Seventh, we will conclude that, although the soul enjoys herself very widely in these intervals (so much so that, as we said, sometimes it seems to her that they will not return again), nevertheless, when they have to return soon, she does not stop feeling , if it notices (and sometimes it makes itself noticed) a root that remains, that does not allow the joy to be fulfilled, because it seems that it is threatening to attack again; and when it is so, it soon returns. In short, what is to be purged and illustrated further inside, one cannot well hide from the soul about what has already been purified; as well as in the piece of wood what is to be illustrated more inside is very noticeable the difference that it has from what was purged; And when this purification rushes deeper inside, it is not surprising that it seems to the soul once again that all the good has come to an end, and that it no longer thinks of returning to the goods, since, put into more interior passions, all the good from outside he was blinded.
10. Bearing, then, in front of our eyes this comparison with the news that has already been given about the first verse of the first song of this dark night and its terrible properties, it will be good to get out of these sad things of the soul and start now to discuss the fruit of their tears and their happy properties, which begin to be sung from this second verse:
With eagerness in loves inflamed.