1. Many more imperfections than the ones that many of these beginners have about each vice, which to avoid prolixity I leave, touching on some of the most important ones, which are the origin and cause of the others.
And so, regarding this vice of lust (leaving aside what it is to fall into this sin in the spiritual, since my intention is to deal with the imperfections that have to be purged by the dark night) they have many imperfections, which could be called spiritual lust, not because it is so, but because it comes from spiritual things. Because many times it happens that in the same spiritual exercises, without being in their hands, awkward movements and acts arise and occur in sensuality, and sometimes even when the spirit is in much prayer, or exercising the Sacraments of Penance or Eucharist . Which, without being, as I say, in his hand, come from one of three causes:
2. The first, they often come from the taste that the natural has in spiritual things; because, as the spirit and sense like, with that recreation each part of man is moved to delight according to his portion and property; because then the spirit moves to the recreation and pleasure of God, who is the upper part; and sensuality, which is the inferior portion, moves at ease and sensual delight, because it does not know how to have and take another, and it then takes the most conjoined to itself, which is the clumsy sensual. And so, it happens that the soul is in much prayer with God according to the spirit, and, on the other hand, according to the sense it feels rebellions and movements and sensual acts passively, not without great reluctance on its part; which often occurs in Communion, which, as in this act of love the soul receives joy and gift, because this Lord is made to it, for that is what it is given to, sensuality also takes its own, as we have said, to its mode. That, as, finally, these two parts are a supposition, ordinarily both participate in what one receives, each one in its own way; because, as the Philosopher says, whatever is received is in the container in the manner of the container itself. And so in these principles, and even when the soul is already used, as imperfect sensuality is, it receives the spirit of God with the same imperfection many times. That, when this sensitive part is reformed by the purgation of the dark night that we will say, it no longer has these weaknesses; because it is not she who already receives, but before she is received in the spirit; and so he has everything then in the spirit's way.
3. The second cause, from which these rebellions sometimes come, is the devil, who, to unsettle and disturb the soul while it is in prayer or tries to have it, tries to raise these clumsy movements naturally, with which, if something of them is given to the soul, it does a lot of damage. Because not only because of the fear of this do they slacken off in prayer, which is what he intends, to start fighting with them, but some give up praying altogether, it seeming to them that in that exercise those things happen to them more than out of it. as it is the truth, because the devil puts them more in that than in anything else, because they stop the spiritual exercise. And not only that, but he comes to represent very ugly and clumsy things to them very vividly, and sometimes very jointly about any spiritual things and people that take advantage of their souls, to terrify and intimidate them; in such a way that those who pay attention to it still do not dare to look at anything or pay attention to anything, because then they stumble upon it.
And this in those who are touched by melancholy happens with such efficiency and frequency, that it is a great pity for them, because they suffer a sad life, because this work reaches so much in some people when they have this bad mood, that it seems clear to them that they feel they have I get access to the devil, without being free to avoid it, although some of these people can avoid such access with great strength and work. When these clumsy things happen to such people through melancholy, ordinarily they do not get rid of them until they are cured of that quality of humor, unless the soul enters the dark night, which successively deprives it of everything.
4. The third origin, from which these clumsy movements usually come and make war, is usually the fear that these clumsy movements and representations already have; because the fear that sudden memory gives them in what they see or treat or think, makes them suffer these acts through no fault of their own.
5. There are also some souls, of such tender and despicable nature, that when any taste of spirit or prayer comes to them, then the spirit of lust comes with them, which intoxicates them in such a way and gives away sensuality, that they find themselves as if engulfed in that juice and taste of this vice; and lasts one with the other passively; and sometimes they find that clumsy and rebellious acts have taken place. The cause is that, as these natives are, as I say, despicable and tender, with any alteration their humors and blood are removed, and these movements occur from here; because the same thing happens to them when they are kindled in anger or have some uproar or grief.
6. Sometimes also in these spirituals, as well in speaking as in doing spiritual things, a certain verve and gallantry arises with memory of the people before them, and they treat with some vain taste; which is also born of spiritual lust, as we understand it here; which ordinarily comes with complacency in the will.
7. Some of these hobbies have spiritual relationships with some people, which are often born of lust, and not of spirit; which is known to be so when, with the memory of that hobby, the memory and love of God no longer grows, but remorse in the conscience. Because, when the hobby is purely spiritual, when it grows, that of God grows, and the more he remembers her, the more he remembers God and feels like God, and growing in one he grows in the other; because that has the spirit of God, that the good increases with the good, because there is similarity and conformity. But when such love is born from said sensual vice, it has the opposite effects; because the more the one grows, the more the other and memory together decrease; because, if that love grows, then he will see that he starts getting cold in God's and forgetting him with that memory and some remorse in his conscience; and, on the contrary, if the love of God grows in the soul, it gradually cools off in the other and forgets him, because, since they are opposite loves, not only does one not help the other, but rather the one that predominates extinguishes and confuses the other. another and strengthens itself, as the philosophers say. For which reason our Savior said in the Gospel (Jn. 3, 6) that what is born of flesh is flesh, and what is born of spirit is spirit, that is: the love that is born of sensuality, ends in sensuality, and the one that of spirit, stops in the spirit of God and makes him grow. And this is the difference between the two loves to know them.
8. When the soul enters the dark night, all these loves make sense; because the one strengthens and purifies, which is what is according to God, and the other removes and finishes; and, at first, he makes them both lose sight of, as will be said later.