Which begins to treat of the sixth kind of good wherein the
soul may rejoice. Describes its nature and makes the first
division under this head.
SINCE the intention of this work of ours is to lead the
spirit through these good things of the spirit even to the Divine
union of the soul with God, it will not behove both myself and the
reader to give our consideration to this matter with particular
care. For, in speaking of this sixth kind of good, we have to
treat of the good things of the spirit, which are those that are
of the greatest service to this end. For it is quite certain, and
quite an ordinary occurrence,[656] that some persons, because of
their lack of knowledge, make use of spiritual things with respect
only to sense, and leave the spirit empty. There will scarcely be
anyone whose spirit is not to a considerable degree corrupted by
sweetness of sense; since, if the water be drunk up before it
reaches the spirit, the latter becomes dry and barren.
2. Coming to this matter, then, I say that by good things of
the spirit I understand all those that influence and aid the soul
in Divine things and in its intercourse with God, and the
communications of God to the soul.
3. Beginning by making a division between these supreme kinds
of good, I say that good things of the spirit are of two kinds:
the one kind is delectable and the other painful. And each of
these kinds is likewise of two manners; for the delectable kind
consists of clear things that are distinctly understood, and also
of things that are not understood clearly or distinctly. The
painful kind, likewise, may be of clear and distinct things, or of
things dark and confused.
4. Between all these we may likewise make distinctions with
respect to the faculties of the soul. For some kinds of spiritual
good, being of knowledge, pertain to the understanding; others,
being of affection, pertain to the will; and others, inasmuch as
they are imaginary, pertain to the memory.
5. We shall leave for later consideration those good things
that are painful, since they pertain to the passive night, in
treating of which we shall have to speak of them; and likewise the
delectable blessings which we described as being of things
confused and not distinct, of which we shall treat hereafter,
since they pertain to that general, confused and loving knowledge
wherein is effected the union of the soul with God, and which we
passed over in the second book, deferring it so that we might
treat of it later[657] when we should make a division between the
apprehensions of the understanding. We shall speak here and now of
those delectable blessings which are of things clear and distinct.