Book I, Chapter XIV Summary and Analysis

St. John writes about the final line of the first stanza of the "Stanzas of the Soul." The house is the person's sensual nature, which is put to rest by the trip through the dark night. During this dark night, in addition to the lack of sensual pleasure, the soul has other trials and temptations, including the spirit of blasphemy, which causes the Christian to want to speak out loud blasphemous statements. A perverse or giddy spirit may also descend upon the Christian. God intends to bring through the second night of darkness, or the night of the spirit those beginners who are tormented with these trials. It depends on the strength of a person's soul and faith as to how severe their trials will be and how long they will last. God determines which...