An exhortation to works of mercy, and to the love of wisdom.
An exhortation to practise workes of mercie. 12. With commendation of wisdom: 23. (& obseruing due times) not to omite for anie feare, or sham fastnes, to say the truth, 34. also to be diligent, meke, and liberal.
1Son, defraud not the poor of alms, and turn not away thy eyes from the poor.Figliuolo non defraudare il povero della limosina, e non rivolger dal povero gli occhi tuoi.SONNE defraude not the almes of the poore, and turne not away thyne eies from the poore.Fili, eleemosynam pauperis ne defraudes, / et oculos tuos ne transvertas a paupere. 2Despise not the hungry soul: and provoke not the poor in his want.Non disprezzare colui, che ha fame, e non inasprire il povero nella sua indigenza.Despise not the hungrie soule: and exasperate not the poore in his pouertie.Animam esurientem ne despexeris, / et non exasperes pauperem in inopia sua. 3Afflict not the heart of the needy, and defer not to give to him that is in distress.Non affliggere il cuor del meschino; e non digerire il soccorso a chi è in angustia.Afflict not the hart of the needie, and deferre not the gift to him that is in distresse.Cor inopis ne afflixeris, / et non protrahas datum angustianti. 4Reject not the petition of the afflicted: and turn not away thy face from the needy.Non rigettar la preghiera del tribolato e non volger la faccia dal meschinello.Reiect not the petition of him that is afflicted: and turne not away thy face from the needie.Rogationem contribulati ne abjicias, / et non avertas faciem tuam ab egeno. 5Turn not away thy eyes from the poor for fear of anger: and leave not to them that ask of thee to curse thee behind thy back.Non rivolgere gli occhi tuoi dal mendico irritandolo; e non dare occasione, che ti maledicano dietro le spalle que', che ti pregano;From the poore turne not away thine eies for anger: and leaue not to them that aske of thee, to curse thee behinde thy backe.Ab inope ne avertas oculos tuos propter iram: / et non relinquas quærentibus tibi retro maledicere. 6For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitterness of his soul, shall be heard, for he that made him will hear him.Perocché la imprecazione di colui, il quale amareggiato di cuore ti maledice, sarà esaudita, ed esaudirallo colui, che lo creò.For the prayer of him that curseth thee in the bitternes of his soule, shal be heard: and he that made him, wil heare him.Maledicentis enim tibi in amaritudine animæ, / exaudietur deprecatio illius: / exaudiet autem eum qui fecit illum. 7Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poor, and humble thy soul to the ancient, and bow thy head to a great man.Sii affabile alla turba dei poveri, e umiliati di cuore dinanzi a' seniori, e abbassa la testa dinanzi ai grandi.Make thyself affable to the congregation of the poore, and to the ancient humble thy soule, and to a great man bow thy head.Congregationi pauperum affabilem te facito: / et presbytero humilia animam tuam, / et magnato humilia caput tuum.
8Bow down thy ear cheerfully to the poor, and pay what thou owest, and answer him peaceable words with mildness.Porgi senza annoiarti l'orecchio al povero, e soddisfa al tuo debito; e rispondi a lui con benignità, e mansuetudine.Bow downe thyne eare to the poore without sadnesse, and render thy debt, and answer him peaceable wordes in mildenes.Declina pauperi sine tristitia aurem tuam, / et redde debitum tuum, / et responde illi pacifica in mansuetudine. 9Deliver him that suffereth wrong out of the hand of the proud: and be not fainthearted in thy soul.Libera dalla man del superbo colui, che soffre l'ingiuria, e non sia ciò gravoso all'anima tua.Deliuer him that suffereth iniurie out of the hand of the proud: and be not faynt harted in thy soule.Libera eum qui injuriam patitur de manu superbi, / et non acide feras in anima tua. 10In judging be merciful to the fatherless as a father, and as a husband to their mother.Nel giudicare sii misericordioso qual padre verso i pupilli, e tieni luogo di marito alla loro madre:In iudging be merciful to pupils as a father, & as an husband to their mother:In judicando esto pupillis misericors ut pater, / et pro viro matri illorum: 11And thou shalt be as the obedient son of the most High, and he will have mercy on thee more than a mother.E tu sarai qual ubbidiente figliuol dell'Altissimo; e questi sarà buono con te più di una madre.and thou shalt be as the obedient sonne of the Highest, and he wil haue mercie on thee more then a mother.et eris tu velut filius Altissimi obediens, / et miserebitur tui magis quam mater. 12Wisdom inspireth life into her children, and protecteth them that seek after her, and will go before them in the way of justice.La sapienza a' suoi figliuoli infonde la vita; e accoglie quei, che la cercano, e va loro innanzi nella via della giustizia.Wisdom inspireth life to her children, and receaueth them that seeke after her, and wil goe before them in the way of iustice.Sapientia filiis suis vitam inspirat: / et suscipit inquirentes se, / et præibit in via justitiæ. 13And he that loveth her, loveth life: and they that watch for her, shall embrace her sweetness.E chi ama lei, ama la vita, e quelli, che di gran mattino ne vanno in traccia, goderanno di sua soavità.And he that loueth her, loueth life: and they that shal watch to her, shal embrace her sweetnes.Et qui illam diligit, diligit vitam, / et qui vigilaverint ad illam complectentur placorem ejus. 14They that hold her fast, shall inherit life: and whithersoever she entereth, God will give a blessing.Quelli, che ne avranno il possesso recheranno la vita, e dovunque ella entrerà, vi sarà la benedizione di Dio.They that shal hold her, shal inherite life: and whither soeuer he shal enter, God wil blesse him.Qui tenuerint illam, vitam hæreditabunt: / et quo introibit benedicet Deus.
15They that serve her, shall be servants to the holy one: and God loveth them that love her.Chi serve a lei, presta ossequio al Santo; e gli amatori di lei son amati da Dio.They that serue her, shal be seruants to the holie: and them that loue her God loueth.Qui serviunt ei obsequentes erunt sancto: / et eos qui diligunt illam, diligit Deus. 16He that hearkeneth to her, shall judge nations: and he that looketh upon her, shall remain secure.Colui, che la ascolta, sarà giudice delle nazioni, e chi in lei tien fiso lo sguardo, riposerà senza sospetto.He that heareth her, shal iudge nations: and he that beholdeth her, shal remayne confident.Qui audit illam judicabit gentes: / et qui intuetur illam permanebit confidens. 17If he trust to her, he shall inherit her, and his generation shall be in assurance.Se egli si fida di lei, avralla per suo retaggio, e saranne confermato e figliuoli il possesso.If he beleue her, he shal inherite her, and her creatures shal be in confirmation:Si crediderit ei, hæreditabit illam, / et erunt in confirmatione creaturæ illius: 18For she walketh with him in temptation, and at the first she chooseth him.Perocché ella cammina con lui per mezzo alle tentazioni, e da principio lo prova.because in tentation she walketh with him, and first of al she chooseth him.quoniam in tentatione ambulat cum eo, / et in primis eligit eum. 19She will bring upon him fear and dread and trial: and she will scourge him with the affliction of her discipline, till she try him by her laws, and trust his soul.Ella manda sopra di lui timori, e paure per esercitarlo, e lo affligge colla sferza di sua dottrina fino a tanto, che ella abbia fatto sperimento de' suoi pensieri, onde si fidi del cuor di lui.Feare and dread, and probation she wil bring vpon him: and she wil torment him in the tribulation of her doctrine, til she trie him in her cogitations, and credite his soule.Timorem, et metum, et probationem inducet super illum: / et cruciabit illum in tribulatione doctrinæ suæ, / donec tentet eum in cogitationibus suis, / et credat animæ illius. 20Then she will strengthen him, and make a straight way to him, and give him joy,Ed ella gli darà fermo stato, e appianerà a lui la strada, e daragli allegrezza.And she wil establish him, and make a direct way vnto him, and reioyce him,Et firmabit illum, et iter adducet directum ad illum, / et lætificabit illum: 21And will disclose her secrets to him, and will heap upon him treasures of knowledge and understanding of justice.E svelerà a lui i suoi arcani; e lo arricchirà di un tesoro di scienza, e di cognizione della giustizia.and wil disclose her secretes to him, and wil heape vpon him as treasures knowlege and vnderstanding of iustice.et denudabit absconsa sua illi, / et thesaurizabit super illum scientiam et intellectum justitiæ.
22But if he go astray, she will forsake him, and deliver him into the hands of his enemy.Ma se egli uscirà di strada, ella lo abbandonerà, e lo lascerà in potere del suo nemico.But if he goe amis, she wil forsake him, and deliuer him into the handes of his enimie.Si autem oberraverit, derelinquet eum, / et tradet eum in manus inimici sui. 23Son, observe the time, and fly from evil.Figliuolo bada al tempo, e schiva il male.Sonne obserue time, and avoyd from euil.Fili, conserva tempus, / et devita a malo. 24For thy soul be not ashamed to say the truth.Per l'amor dell'anima tua non vergognarti di dire la verità.For thy soule be not ashamed to say the truth.Pro anima tua ne confundaris dicere verum: 25For there is a shame that bringeth sin, and there is a shame that bringeth glory and grace.Perocché havvi un rossore, che tira seco il peccato; ed havvi un rossore, che tira seco la gloria, e la grazia.For there is shame that bringeth sinne, & there is shame that bringeth glorie and grace.est enim confusio adducens peccatum, / et est confusio adducens gloriam et gratiam. 26Accept no person against thy own person, nor against thy soul a lie.Non aver riguardo chicchessia in tuo danno; e non mentire a spese dell'anima tua.Accept no face against thine owne face, nor against thy soule a lie.Ne accipias faciem adversus faciem tuam, / nec adversus animam tuam mendacium. 27Reverence not thy neighbour in his fall:Non risparmiare il tuo prossimo nelle sue cadute:Reuerence not thy neighbour in his offence: nor kepe in a wordNe reverearis proximum tuum in casu suo, 28And refrain not to speak in the time of salvation. Hide not thy wisdom in her beauty.E non rattener la parola nel tempo dì salute: non celare la tua sapienza quando ella dee farsi onore.in time of saluation. Hide not thy wisdom in the beautie thereof.nec retineas verbum in tempore salutis. / Non abscondas sapientiam tuam in decore suo: 29For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and understanding, and knowledge, and learning by the word of the wise, and steadfastness in the works of justice.Perocché la lingua è quella, che fa conoscere la sapienza; e il buon giudizio, e la scienza, e la dottrina si trova nelle parole dell'uom sensato: ma il suo forte consiste nelle opere di giustizia.For by the tongue wisdom is discerned: and vnderstanding, and knowlege, and doctrine by the word of the wise, and steedfastnes in the workes of iustice.in lingua enim sapientia dignoscitur: / et sensus, et scientia, et doctrina in verbo sensati, / et firmamentum in operibus justitiæ. 30In nowise speak against the truth, but be ashamed of the lie of thy ignorance.Non contraddire in verun modo alla parola di verità; ed abbi vergogna della bugia detta da te per ignoranza.Doe not gaynesay the word of truth by any meanes, and be ashamed of the lie of thyne vnskilfulnes.Non contradicas verbo veritatis ullo modo, / et de mendacio ineruditionis tuæ confundere.
31Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, but submit not thyself to every man for sin.Non ti vergognare di confessare i tuoi peccati; ma non ti soggettare a verun uomo per far peccato.Be not ashamed to confesse thy sinnes, and submite not thy self to euerie man for sinne.Non confundaris confiteri peccata tua, / et ne subjicias te omni homini pro peccato. 32Resist not against the face of the mighty, and do not strive against the stream of the river.Non resistere in faccia al potente; non tentare di rompere l'impeto di una fiumana.Resist not against the face of the mightie, neither labour against the streame of the riuer.Noli resistere contra faciem potentis, / nec coneris contra ictum fluvii. 33Strive for justice for thy soul, and even unto death fight for justice, and God will overthrow thy enemies for thee.Ma per la giustizia adopra tutte le tue forze in pro dell'anima tua, e sino a morte combatti per la giustizia, e Dio per te espugnerà i tuoi nemici.For iustice contend for thy soule, and vnto death striue for iustice, and God wil ouerthrow thyne enemies for thee.Pro justitia agonizare pro anima tua, / et usque ad mortem certa pro justitia: / et Deus expugnabit pro te inimicos tuos. 34Be not hasty in thy tongue: and slack and remiss in thy works.Non essere spedito di lingua, e poco buono, e lento nell'operare.Be not hastie in thy tongue: and vnprofitable, and remisse in thy workes.Noli citatus esse in lingua tua, / et inutilis, et remissus in operibus tuis. 35Be not as a lion in thy house, terrifying them of thy household, and oppressing them that are under thee.Non essere in casa tua come un lione, con isbalordire i tuoi domestici, e opprimere quelli, che ti sono soggetti.Be not as a lion in thy house, ouerthrowing them of thy houshold, and oppressing them that are subiect to thee.Noli esse sicut leo in domo tua, / evertens domesticos tuos, et opprimens subjectos tibi. 36Let not thy hand be stretched out to receive, and shut when thou shouldst give.Non sia la tua mano stesa a ricevere, e contratta a dare.Let not thine hand be stretched out to receiue, and closed to geue.Non sit porrecta manus tua ad accipiendum, / et ad dandum collecta.
4:1
Calmet
Alms. Greek, "life," and of what is necessary to support it. Si non pavisti, occidisti. St. Thomas Aquinas (II. 2. q. 32:5.) quoting the offices of St. Ambrose, though the sentence is not to be found there. (Calmet)
Cornelius a Lapide
Christians are not master of what is superfluous, no more than those who have the goods of the Church. (St. Chrysostom) (Cornelius a Lapide)
Haydock
Turn. Greek, "draw not after thee indigent eyes." (Haydock)
Calmet
Make not the poor wait long for relief, 2 Corinthians 9:7., Romans xii 8., and Proverbs 8:28. (Calmet)
Seneca
Qui tarde dat, diu noluit. (Seneca, Ben. 1:1.)
Plaut
Fames et mora bilem in nasum concitant. (Plaut.)
4:5
Haydock
For....anger, and behind, etc., is not in Greek. (Haydock)
Calmet
He thrice repeats the same injunction, Exodus 22:22. (Calmet)
Worthington
Deal not cruelly with the poor; for God will revenge their injuries. (Worthington)
4:7
Haydock
Of the. Greek, "and bow," etc. (Haydock)
Calmet
Submission to magistrates is enforced. (Calmet)
4:8
Haydock
And...owest, is not in Greek. (Haydock)
Calmet
People in office must attend to all. (Calmet)
4:15
Calmet
One. Or "sanctuary." They shall be honoured like priests, Isaias 61:6. Birth, rather than merit, gave a title to the Jewish priests; but those who are wise shall minister in a more glorious temple. (Calmet)
4:18
Challoner
In temptation, etc. The meaning is, that before wisdom will choose any for her favourites, she will try them by leading them through contradictions, afflictions, and temptations, the usual noviceship of the children of God. (Challoner)
Haydock
Greek, "for sideways or through crooked paths she shall walk with him at first, (19.) she," etc. (Haydock)
4:21
To him. And explain why she has treated him so roughly.
4:22
Haydock
Enemy. Greek, "ruin." This road leads to eternal misery. (Haydock)
4:23
Time. For all things, Ecclesiastes 3:1. All depends on the proper season.
4:24
Ashamed, to ask for relief, (ver. 25.; Calmet) or to say the truth, as the martyrs have done. This is not in Greek.
4:25
Sin. Thus to refuse asking for what is necessary to support life, would be criminal.
Calmet
Grace. When we refrain from doing things truly shameful, Ecclesiasticus 41. (Calmet)
Worthington
To abhor sin is glorious; but to yield to it, through shamefacedness, or not to reprove it, is vicious. (Worthington)
4:27
Fall. Excuse not his faults, (Calmet) lest thou partake in them.
4:28
Haydock
Hide, etc., is not in the Alexandrian copy, though inserted by Grabe. (Haydock)
Calmet
Ostentation is blameable; still we must speak in defence of the truth. (Calmet)
4:29
Tongue. Greek, "by speech, wisdom shall be known, and instruction by the word of the tongue."
4:30
Haydock
Lie. Greek, "of thy want of information." Yet Grabe and the Complutensian edition have lie, etc. (Haydock)
Worthington
Always yield to the truth, (Calmet) and never tell a lie, but speak the truth at proper times. (Worthington)
4:32
Calmet
River. Useless resistance is to be avoided; and when it is requisite to oppose the demands of the great, we must do it with reserve, ver. 33. (Calmet)
4:33
Haydock
Strive. Greek, "unto death strive for the truth, and the Lord God will fight for thee." (Haydock)
Calmet
The saints were modest, but intrepid. (Calmet)
Worthington
All must rather lose their lives than act against justice or truth. (Worthington)
4:34
Works. Perform what thou hast promised.
4:18
In temptation, etc.... The meaning is, that before wisdom will choose any for her favourite, she will try them by leading them through contradictions, afflictions, and temptations, the usual noviceship of the children of God.
4:5
Geue not occasion by thy hard dealing with the poore, that they curse thee.
4:6
For if thou geue cause, God who is their protector, wil reuenge them against thee.
4:17
They that folow wisdom shal be safe.
4:25
Through shamfastnes to yeld vnto sinne: or not to reproue sinne, is vicious.
But to be ashamed, and to abhorre sinne is very good and necessarie.
4:30
Al men are bonde to say the truth at conuenient times, v 23. And euer bond to auoide vntruthes.
4:33
Euerie one is bond •ather to lose his life, then to do against iustice, o• to denie the truth.
4:3
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies on the Statues to the People of Antioch 6.10
… Again, I declare this not for the purpose of accusing those who have taken flight, for it is said, “Add not more trouble to a heart that is vexed;”
4:8
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 Treatise Concerning the Christian Priesthood 3.16
… induce it often to act in these same respects without shame, in order that a man should not be irritated when accused, nor be provoked by continual importunity to become an enemy where he ought to bring aid, he instructs him to be affable and accessible to the suppliant, saying, “Incline thine ear to a poor man and give him a friendly answer with meekness.”
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 35
“But he submits not to be put off in any other way.” Well then, as that wise man commanded,
St John Chrysostom † AD 407 The Homilies of St. John Chrysostom 51
… but adorn it with gentleness, with humility, make it worthy of the God who is entreated, fill it with blessing, with much almsdoing. For it is possible even with words to do alms. “For a word is a better thing than a gift,” and “answer the poor man peaceably with meekness.”
4:9
St Ambrose of Milan † AD 397 On the Duties of the Clergy 1.16
… So, too, it may be said to a person of power: Why didst thou not aid the widow, the orphans also, when enduring wrong? Wast thou powerless? Couldst thou not help? I made thee for this purpose, not that thou mightest do wrong, but that thou mightest check it. Is it not written for thee “Save him that endureth wrong?”
4:10
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.114
In Solomon: “Be merciful to the orphans as a father, and as a husband to their mother; and thou shalt be the son of the Highest if thou shalt obey.”
4:21
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Letters of St. Augustin 93.52
52. Such conduct the Scripture has not passed over in silence; for we read, “There is a shame which bringeth sin, and there is a shame which is graceful and glorious.”
4:24
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Against the Arians. (Orationes contra Arianos IV.) 1.1.4
… For what beseemed him more, when he would dance forth against the Saviour, than to throw his wretched words of irreligion into dissolute and loose metres? that, while ‘a man,’ as Wisdom says, ‘is known from the utterance of his word
4:25
St Jerome † AD 420 The Letters of St. Jerome 66.6
… “There is a shame that leadeth to death and there is a shame that leadeth to life.”
4:28
St Athanasius of Alexandria † AD 373 Defence Against the Arians (Apologia Contra Arianos) 6
… And this they did with an honourable and righteous intention, for what they suffered proves to what straits the other Bishops were reduced. And they are memorials and records against the Arian heresy, and the wickedness of false accusers, and afford a pattern and model for those who come after, to contend for the truth unto death
St Augustine of Hippo † AD 430 Expositions on the Book of Psalms 119.12
96. Lastly, he next saith, “I have seen an end of all consummation: but Thy commandment is exceeding broad” ( ver. 96 ). For he had entered into the sanctuary of God, and had understood the end. Now “all consummation” appeareth to me in this place to signify, the striving even unto death for the truth,
4:29
St Cyprian of Carthage † AD 258 Three Books of Testimonies Against the Jews 3.97
In Solomon, in Ecclesiasticus: “Be not hasty in thy tongue, and in thy deeds useless and remiss.”
4:30
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 15.10
10. The true Christ, the Only-begotten Son of God, comes no more from the earth. If any come making false shows
4:31
St Irenaeus of Lyons † AD 202 Against Heresies 4.26.1
… For thus it was that the Lord discoursed with the disciples after His resurrection from the dead, proving to them from the Scriptures themselves “that Christ must suffer, and enter into His glory, and that remission of sins should be preached in His name throughout all the world.”
St Cyril of Jerusalem † AD 386 The Catechetical Lectures of S. Cyril 13.8
… And, since they are many, and the rest of our time is narrowed into a short space, listen now to a few of the more important as time permits; and having received these beginnings, be diligent and seek out the remainder. Let not thine hand be only stretched out to receive, but let it be also ready to work
4:1
The voice "defraud," or, as it is in Greek, στερέω, signifies that alms are owed to the poor, and that he has a right to them, not from justice, but from charity, so that, namely, he may ask from the rich man bread, clothing, or money owed to him by the rich man from charity, by which as it were a goad he incites the rich man to give it. The sense is: Give bread to the poor; because that bread is the poor man's, that is, owed to the poor man; whence if you deny it to him, you do him injury, because you defraud him of a thing owed to him. This is what St. Basil says in that passage of the Gospel: I will pull down my barns. "But you," he says, "are you not a spoiler, who regard as your own those things which you have received to be dispensed? It is the bread of the hungry, which you hold; the tunic of the naked, which you preserve in your chamber; the shoe of the barefoot, which wastes away with you; the money of the needy, which you possess buried. Wherefore you do injury to so many poor as you were able to give to." And, what you may marvel at more, St. Ambrose denies, sermon 81, that anyone can call his own the goods which he possesses: "But you say (he says): what is unjust, if, when I do not seize what belongs to others, I carefully preserve what is my own? O shameless utterance! Do you call them your own? Which? From which hidden places did you bring them into this world?" And soon after: "It is no less a crime to take from one who has, than, when you can and abound, to deny to the needy." Nor does St. Jerome think otherwise, who writes to Hedybia in this manner, epistle 110, Question I: "If you have more than is necessary to you for food and clothing, distribute that, and know yourself to be a debtor in that." I add St. Chrysostom, who, speaking to the people of Antioch, says: "Does he (he says) require anything grave and burdensome from us? He wishes us to make necessary those things exceeding necessity, and those which are stored away uselessly and unprofitably, these he wishes to be well distributed." And somewhat later: "You are, O man, a steward of your own things, no less than he who dispenses the goods of the Church." And soon after: "You did not receive them for this, that you might consume them in delights; but that you might distribute them in alms: do you indeed possess your own things? The things of the poor are entrusted to you, whether you possess them from just labors or from paternal inheritance." And St. Bernard, epistle 42 to Henry of Sens, thus says: "It is ours, the poor cry out, what you pour out; it is cruelly taken from us, what you spend uselessly." Ours, that is, it is owed to us not from justice, but from charity. Finally, St. Augustine in Psalm CXLVII: "The superfluous of the rich," he says, "are necessary to the poor; he retains what belongs to others, who holds these things." Moreover, lest anyone say these things are said in a preaching manner through exaggeration, didactically and scholastically St. Thomas II II, Question LXVI, article 7, thus defines: "Things which some have in superabundance are owed by natural law to the sustenance of the poor." The same, In IV, distinction XV, Question II, article 4, asserts this to be the common opinion of all theologians. Wherefore St. Francis, as St. Bonaventure and others testify in his acts, those things which were given to him as it were to a poor man, if some poorer person asked him for alms, he straightway not so much gave as yielded by right. Whence, hearing of the hunger of a certain old woman, he said: "My brother, let us restore this alien thing (pointing to his cloak) which I was holding, until the possessor of a more just title should appear. Now there has appeared a certain very poor sister of ours, to whom I ask that you send this little cloak of mine, with some bread from alms collected, which when the Brothers shall have carried, let them say that it was being given to her as her own: for I reckon that those things which are conferred upon us turn to our use, until a more needy one comes along." But see the wonderful providence and recompense of God: at the same time some of the Papal attendants brought so many ells of cloth as sufficed to clothe St. Father and his companions. For alms, in Greek it is ζωήν, that is life, that is livelihood, or those things which pertain to the preservation of life. Hence ζωή and βίος signify both livelihood and life, equally as Hebrew חיים chaim, as is evident in Proverbs XXVII, 27, in Hebrew. Hence that commonly worn saying: βίος βίῳ δεόμενος, that is, life has need of livelihood. Whence the Zurich version translates: Do not defraud the poor of livelihood. When therefore it is said in Greek μὴ ἀποστερήσῃς ζωήν τοῦ πτωχοῦ, that is, do not deprive the beggar of life, that is livelihood; the sense is, as it were: Do not deprive the poor man of his livelihood, as it were his life. It gives a new goad to alms; for it signifies that from alms, namely from livelihood, the life of the poor man depends; so that, if you deprive him of alms and livelihood, you deprive him also of life: for this cannot be preserved without livelihood. Whence the Syriac version translates: My son, do not mock the life of the poor; the Arabic: Do not mock the livelihood of the poor. says Palacius. In Greek it is μὴ παρέλκυσῃς, that is, do not draw out the eyes of the needy, so that, namely, they ought to gaze upon you for a long time and beg for alms; but give it quickly, both so that you may free him from the long trouble of looking upon you and begging; and so that you do not keep him long in suspense and doubt about your gift, and thus afflict him. Whence the Syrian translator renders it, do not afflict the poor man of low birth; the Zurich version, do not prolong the eyes of the needy in hope for a long time; the Arabic, do not harm by sight one afflicted with pain; then so that you may quickly succor his necessity as well as his desire; then so that by your promptness and speed in giving, you may make your alms better and more pleasing, and may comfort the poor man more, according to that saying of the Apostle: "He that showeth mercy, with cheerfulness," Rom. XII, 8; and: "He gives twice who gives quickly." For he who gives alms after long prayers signifies that he gives them unwillingly and under compulsion, and does not so much give as sell them for a price, namely, to exchange them for laborious prayers and troublesome cries; or rather to have them almost forcibly extorted from him against his will. Imitate therefore Abraham, of whom it is said Gen. XVIII, 2: "There appeared to him three men standing near him; whom when he saw, he ran to meet them, etc., and said: Lord, if I have found favor in thy sight, pass not by thy servant," etc. Wherefore St. Ambrose in book I On Abraham, chapter V: "Learn," he says, "how diligent you ought to be, so that you may be able to go before your guest, lest someone else go before you and deprive you of the abundance of a good gift." And St. Chrysostom on chapter XVIII of Genesis: "He runs," he says, "and flies, an old man; for he saw the prey which he was hunting: he did not call his servants, as if to say: It is a great treasure, a great business; I ought to bring this merchandise myself, lest so great a profit slip away."
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AND DO NOT EXASPERATE THE POOR IN THEIR WANT, — that is to say, The poor man has enough harshness in his hunger and want: do not therefore add another to him, and exasperate him by your dissimulation, contempt, slowness, tedious and harsh words, as some are accustomed to rebuke begging poor, when they ought to console them, and thus they add afflictions to the afflicted. In Greek again it is μὴ παρελκύσῃς, that is, do not drag out the poor man; the Syriac, do not forget the spirit of a contrite man; the Zurich version, do not keep anyone suspended in their want. For thus you will seem to despise him. Our translator seems to have read μὴ παροργίσῃς, that is, do not exasperate, do not embitter, do not provoke to anger. Excellently Gregory of Nyssa, in the oration On This is what is sanctioned in Canon Law, dist. 86, can. Pasce. "Feed the dying of hunger: if you did not feed him, you killed him." Which sentence Gratian there, and St. Thomas II II, Question XXXII, article 5, attribute to St. Ambrose in the book On Duties; but today, neither there, nor elsewhere in St. Ambrose is it found. Yet something similar is found in St. Augustine in Psalm CXVIII: "This is," he says, "to kill a man, to deny him the means of his life; beware lest you shut up the salvation of the poor within your coffers, and as if in tombs bury the life of the poor." Again St. Ambrose, in the book On Naboth: "Your walls," he says, "you clothe with gold, men you leave naked; a naked man cries out before your house, and you neglect him, and you are concerned with what marbles you may pave your floors: the poor man seeks money, and does not have it; a man asks for bread, and your horse has gold under its teeth." Furthermore ζωή, and sustenance, signifies not only food, but also clothing, medicines, dwelling, and whatever is suitable for maintaining life, all of which almsgiving provides: "Whence it has many forms," says Rabanus. "Not only therefore he who gives food to the hungry, drink to the thirsty, clothing to the naked, lodging to the stranger, a hiding place to the fugitive, visitation to the sick or imprisoned, redemption to the captive, support to the weak, guidance to the blind, consolation to the sad, healing to the infirm, the way to the wanderer, counsel to the delirious, and to each needy person what is necessary to him; but also he who gives pardon to the sinner gives alms: and he who corrects with the rod, to whom power is given, or restrains with some discipline, and yet forgives from his heart the sin by which he was harmed or offended by him, or prays that it be forgiven him, not only in that he forgives and prays, but also in that he corrects and punishes with some corrective penalty, gives alms, he who shows mercy." All of which Rabanus transcribed from St. Augustine's Enchiridion, chapter LXXI and LXXII, who also adds the reason, saying: "For many good things are bestowed on the unwilling, when their utility is consulted, not their will; because they are found to be enemies to themselves, but those are rather their friends whom they think to be enemies." And the same St. Augustine in Psalm CIII: "Very badly," he says, "does he love who hears well and acts badly; if you can give, give; if you cannot, make yourself affable: God crowns goodness within, where he does not find ability; let no one say: I do not have; charity is not disbursed from the purse." AND TURN NOT AWAY YOUR EYES FROM THE POOR, — so that, when the poor man looks intently at you seeking alms, you do not turn your gaze from him, and transfer it elsewhere. Whence Tobias, chapter IV, 7, commands his son: "Turn not away your face from any poor man; for so it shall come to pass that neither shall the face of the Lord be turned away from you." Therefore Sirach wishes that, if I see a poor man, I fix my eyes upon him, so that with that confidence he may ask from me; for if he sees me turn my eyes from him, he will begin to despair, and thus will not ask, and will persist in his misery. From love of the poor: "O servant of Christ, endowed with love of God and men, do not despise your brother, do not pass by, do not turn away as if from a crime, as if from an expiation, as if from something else to be shunned and forbidden. You are his member, though broken by calamity. To you, though you pass by with a strong spirit, the poor man is left and to God: for perhaps with these words I may move you to shame."
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The a priori reason is, first, that he who gives alms quickly to the needy removes all their misery; but he who gives slowly removes only part of the misery, leaving part behind. For example, he who helps the hungry on the third day permits them to go hungry for the first two days; which is indeed a great misery and torment: if he had helped them immediately, he would have taken away those two prior days of hunger and misery from them. Therefore, he who gives quickly gives more than he who gives slowly; because he removes all affliction from the person and places them in a state of rest and comfort. St. Basil gives this reason in homily 6 on the Rich: "Now when you have the means," he says, "what prevents you from giving liberally? Is not the poor person present? Are not the storehouses full? Is not the reward prepared by the Lord? Is not the commandment clear? The hungry man is consumed by famine, the naked man stiffens with cold, and you defer alms to tomorrow. Hear Solomon: Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again, and tomorrow I will give thee; for thou knowest not what the next day may bring forth." And St. Gregory in the third part of the Pastoral, admonition 21: "Let not," he says, "what ought to be given sooner be given late, let them hear what is written: Say not to thy friend: Go, and come again, and I will give to thee tomorrow." And Nazianzen, oration 16: "Let not even night," he says, "interrupt the offices of mercy for you. Say not: Coming back, come, and I will give it to you on the next day, lest anything come between your intention and the benefit; for that beneficence alone is true which admits no delay." Second, that he who gives quickly quickly fulfills the desire which torments the needy; but he who gives slowly allows them to be tormented by their desire: For hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul. Therefore, just as the body is tortured when stretched beyond its natural measure and position on the rack; so likewise the soul is tortured when stretched by the extension of hope and long expectation of the desired thing. What therefore the rack is to the body, the extension of hope or delay of the hoped-for thing is to the soul. If therefore you free a person immediately from the bodily rack, if you can, and do not delay even for a moment; why do you not likewise immediately free the same person from the rack of the soul, that is, from the torture of hope and desire? This is what Sirach signifies here saying: "Delay not to give to him that is in need." Seneca gives this reason in book II of On Benefits: "Nothing," he says, "is so bitter as to hang long in suspense; they bear the cutting off of their hope with a more equal mind than being dragged along." And Solomon, Proverbs XIII, 12: "Hope that is deferred afflicteth the soul; but the desire that cometh is a tree of life." The Septuagint: Better is he who begins to help the heart than he who promised and put off in hope. In the Hebrew there is an elegant opposition: Hope deferred weakens the heart, or is a weakness of the heart. To this weakness the tree of life is well opposed, which brings health and strength. Third, that he who gives quickly shows a benevolent mind, namely that he gives willingly; but he who gives slowly shows a miserly and malevolent mind, or at least a less benevolent one. Moreover, a gift and alms is valued most from the mind and benevolence of the giver. Therefore a small gift given quickly and with a liberal mind is far more pleasing than a large one given slowly and reluctantly, with a miserly or sluggish mind. Seneca gives this reason in book II of On Benefits: "I think it most true," he says, "what that friend said: as much gratitude is taken away as delay is added." Therefore Democritus, as Stobaeus reports, used to say: "If you wish to do well by someone, give as quickly as possible; for delay makes it ungrateful and unlovable, whatever you give." The same Seneca in the Proverbs: "Goodness becomes twofold," he says, "when speed is added; he is less deceived to whom it is denied more quickly, what he could have received." St. Gregory Nazianzen On the Love of the Poor: "For the grace of a benefit," he says, "is doubled by promptness and speed," according to that saying of Publius the Mime: "He who gives quickly gives twice;" and that of Lucian, as Ausonius translates it: If you do something good, do it quickly; for what is done quickly Will be pleasing: slow grace makes it ungrateful. He adds fourthly that Sirach says that whoever neglects the prayers of a poor man asking for alms despises and saddens him, and then drives him to anger and impatience, so that he curses evils upon the one denying alms, of all which God is the avenger, who is the father of the poor. Seneca gives this reason in book II of On Benefits, chapter 1: "As it seemed to our ancestors," he says, "no thing costs more dearly than that which is bought with prayers. So much so that we even prefer to pray to the gods, to whom we supplicate most honorably, silently and within ourselves. A begging word is troublesome, burdensome, and must be spoken with downcast face: I ask." The same author, in book II of On Benefits, chapter VII, asserts that "a benefit given grudgingly is like stone bread, which a hungry man must receive, but it is harsh." Such is that passage in Proverbs XX, 17: "Bread of deceit is sweet to a man;" that is, it seems sweet, "and afterwards his mouth shall be filled with gravel." Wherefore the Bride, celebrating the Bridegroom's liberality in the Song of Songs V, 14: "His hands," she says, "are turned of gold, full of hyacinths;" "turned," because easy, agile, prompt to give; "of gold," because they bestow gold; "full of hyacinths," because they conciliate the favor of all, and bind all to themselves with love. To this pertains the saying of Diogenes: "Hands are not to be extended to friends with fingers closed," that is to say, it is not enough to show yourself a friend to friends; but benevolence must be joined to friendship. Thus Laertius in book VI. Finally: "He who gave late, long refused," says Seneca in book I of On Benefits, chapter 1. And Philo: "Beneficence," he says, "like the moon never appears more beautiful than when it is full." Pliny, in the Panegyric of Trajan, commends swift beneficence. "Thus noble and abundant fountains, so that they may benefit everywhere, hasten to flow; thus swiftly do things sent from heaven reach the earth; thus finally that divine mind, which governs this whole world, whatever it thought, it immediately did," says Eumenius the orator in his oration to Constantine, chapter X. Xenophon, examining in the Life of Agesilaus whether the Persian king or Agesilaus came nearer to the Divine: "He thought it splendid," he says, "that he should accomplish business more slowly; this man rejoiced most when he sent away men who had obtained most swiftly what they desired." Of Cimon thus writes Aemilius Probus: "Attendants with money always followed him, so that if anyone needed his aid, he would have something to give immediately, lest by delaying he should seem to refuse." Golden is the voice of King Theodoric in Cassiodorus, book III, epistle 40: "In our conscience it is a kind of injury to delay what would be beneficial; nor can we esteem as pleasant that which has been suspended by an ungrateful delay." For, as the same author says in book XII, epistle 8: "This is to suspend good desires, which is to perpetrate unlawful things." Wherefore of the Emperor Gratian thus writes his teacher Ausonius of Bordeaux: "You surpass hope, you anticipate desires, you outrun wishes; and what the swiftness of our mind affects in the manner of the gods, is preceded by benefits going before: it is yours to bestow rather than ours to wish more swiftly." This therefore is kingly, this is divine.
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AND TURN NOT AWAY THY FACE FROM THE NEEDY. — In Greek, μὴ ἀποστρέψῃς, that is, turn not away, so that, namely, looking at something else, you despise the poor man forgotten. Note: this is a variation and explanation of the preceding, namely: "Turn not your eyes from the poor man." For face signifies eyes. For many, when they see and hear a poor man asking, immediately turn away either their face or their eyes; lest the poor man, seeing them look upon him, should hope and demand alms from them; and therefore should desist from his hope. For our frailty is subject to many cases and inconveniences; you should hope that what happened to another could happen to you: thus you will be stirred to bring aid, if you have taken on the spirit of him who then implores your help while in distress: if anyone lacks food, let us share it; if anyone comes naked, let us clothe him."
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This is what Solomon says in Proverbs, chapter XXI, 14: "A gift in secret pacifieth anger, and a present in the bosom the greatest wrath." Third, it can be understood of the anger of God, which the anger and curse of the poor man provokes, that is to say, Do not turn away thy face from the poor man; and by this neglect and contempt of him provoke anger, because he himself, being angry, will lay his complaints against thee before God, and imprecating his curse upon thee, will bring down his vengeance upon thee. This is what he adds: AND LEAVE NOT (an occasion to) THOSE WHO SEEK THEE BEHIND THY BACK (that is, secretly, behind thy back, since they dare not do so openly and to thy face) TO CURSE THEE. — The Greek and Syriac, and give him not place to curse thee; the Arabic, make not for him a way against thee, that he may curse thee; the Zurich version, nor give anyone occasion to curse thee ill. The sense therefore is, that is to say, By thy turning away and anger give not occasion to the poor who seek and ask alms from thee, that they may curse thee behind thy back, that is, may imprecate evils from God. He adds the reason:
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his, and the Creator of him heareth the voice of his crying; and the Arabic, for in his wrath he curseth from the depths of his heart, and the Creator of him heareth the voice of his humiliation; and the Zurich version, for the Creator of him shall hear the prayer of him who curseth thee ill in the bitterness of his soul. Akin to this is that saying of Solomon in Proverbs XXI, 13: "He that stoppeth his ear against the cry of the poor, he also shall cry, and shall not be heard." For this is the just law of retaliation. A similar one concerning the widow and the orphan was sanctioned in Exodus XXII, 22. Sigebert recounts a fitting example of this matter in his Chronicle, in the time of Pope Sabianus, in the year of Christ 605, and from him Cardinal Baronius in the Annals of the same year mentioned, concerning certain sailors, who when a poor man asking for alms had answered foolishly, "that they had nothing in their ship but stones," he answering and imprecating said: "Let it be true therefore, what you say." Which being said, all things were turned into stones, the color however and form remaining the same in each. Wherefore Nazianzenus in his Tetrastichs gives these spurs to almsgiving: 1. Cast away all things: let Christ alone be thy riches. 2. The riches which thou stretchest forth are not thine. 3. Prefer God as thy debtor before all; he repayeth with heavenly scepters for a morsel. 4. He nourisheth and covereth the poor, feeding God. 5. The poor man came to me: but in vain? Christ, I fear lest, seeking thy help, I depart again from thee bearing nothing at all. For what one denieth to another, he seeketh in vain. Furthermore Palacius notes that God doth not hear the imprecations of every poor man; but, if a just poor man, he says, in a grave matter justly asketh, and thou unjustly deniest, God shall hear the bitter imprecation, and shall justly condemn thee as unjust. It will be otherwise if thou deniest for any good reason; for there are certain poor men who are wicked, and so bold and importunate, that unless thou givest immediately whatever they ask, they imprecate all manner of curses. These God doth not hear, but rather repelleth and rejecteth them.
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he refers all things to the poor, because the discourse here is continuous concerning them, as if to say: Be affable to the assembly of the poor; but also, if there be any among them who are presbyters, that is, elders or magnates, who have fallen from their rank and been reduced to poverty, honor them, and humble yourself before them: for a noble person on account of poverty has not lost his nobility and honor; but rather, if he be upright and patient, he has increased it, and just as eternity of God the Father shines forth in an elder, so the nobility of God the Son shines forth in a magnate. AND HUMBLE THY SOUL TO THE PRESBYTER. — These words are wanting in the Greek and Syriac. By presbyter understand both one advanced in age, namely an elder, as the Zurich version translates it; and one of rank and order, namely a priest; for to him especially is entrusted the care of the soul, which therefore ought to be humbled before him, so that he may allow himself to be instructed, led, ruled, absolved and perfected by him. AND TO THE MAGNATE (in Greek μεγιστᾶνι, that is, to a magnate), HUMBLE THY HEAD. — The Arabic version: submit thyself to the prefects of the city; the Syriac: humble thy head to the rulers of the city; the Zurich version: submit thy head to the man of rank; for μεγιστᾶνες are called as it were μέγιστοι. Thus μάγνητες, that is, magnetes, among the Macedonians were called those whom we call senators, or princes and heads of the city. Whence also they call the highest magistrate Magnetarch, as Livy testifies, book V of the Macedonian War. To magnates therefore, as such, submission and reverence are due, which Sirach accordingly commands to be shown to them. For there are some plebeians, whether rustics or foolish and arrogant, who wish to deal with magnates as with equals, as peer with peer, associate with associate: by which they justly offend magnates, and therefore such magnates strive to humble and chastise them.
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Excellently St. Chrysostom, homily 21 on the Epistle to the Romans, explaining that passage of chapter XII: He that sheweth mercy, with cheerfulness, gives the cause and incentive: "Who," he says, "receiving a kingdom is sad? Who receiving the remission of sins remains in sorrow? Do not therefore regard the expense of money, but rather the fruit which comes from that expense. For if he who sows rejoices, even though he sows in uncertainty; how much more he who cultivates heaven as it were a field." Finally, "God loveth a cheerful giver," II Corinthians IX, 7; not him who is affected with sorrow, as if the money expended on the poor were lost: to whom St. Cyprian should be heard, tract. On Works and Almsgiving: "Do you fear," he says, "lest your patrimony perhaps fail, if you begin to work from it generously? When did it happen that the just could lack the necessities of life? To Daniel shut in the lion's den as prey to the lions by the king's command, food is divinely provided; and do you fear lest he who works for you and merits the Lord should lack sustenance? Whence comes this unbelieving thought? whence this impious and sacrilegious meditation?" etc. AND RENDER THY DEBT. — This is wanting in the Greek and Syriac: by "debt" understand both almsgiving and affability and readiness in hearing the poor. Whence the Arabic version renders, render to him an answer and peace in meekness; the Zurich, perform your duty; for duty signifies debt, namely, all that we ought to exhibit to another, whether that debt be from justice, or from charity, or from mercy, or from affability and modesty, or from any other virtue. Moreover the rich often owe the poor much from justice for wares, services, labors, etc., exhibited to them by them, and in paying these back they are slow, tardy and difficult, because they wish to rule the poor proudly, and think that everything is owed to them by them as if by subjects. In this matter they sin not only against charity, but also against justice. Therefore Sirach commands them to render to the poor every debt, first of justice, then of charity and the other virtues. From this place it is clear that almsgiving is not something free, but is a debt. Whence St. Ambrose in the book On Naboth, chapter XII: "Therefore you render a debt," he says, "not give what is not owed." And therefore Scripture says to you: "Incline thy ear to the poor, and render thy debt." And St. Augustine on Psalm CXLVII, before the middle: "Seek," he says, "how much God has given you, and from it take what suffices. The rest, which lies superfluous, is the necessity of others; therefore the superfluous is the necessary of the poor; the property of others." And sermon 219 On the Seasons: "Whatever, except moderate food and reasonable clothing, remains over, should not be reserved for luxury, but be laid up in the heavenly treasure through almsgiving to the poor. For whatever God has given us more than is necessary, He has not given it specially to us, but has sent it through us to be distributed to others; and if we do not give it, we have seized the property of others." The same says St. Jerome, or whoever is the author, in the Rule of Monks, chapter VI, cited by Gratian in the Decretals. AND ANSWER HIM PEACEFULLY (correct with the Romans, peacefully; for this is what the Greek εἰρηνικά signifies) IN MEEKNESS, — that is to say, Answer the poor meekly and kindly with those things which bring peace and serenity to their mind, which do not stir up anger and indignation, so that they may bless you, not curse you, as was said in verse 5. The Syriac, answer him peace (those things which are of peace, those things which make peace and calm the mind) with meekness; the Zurich, answer him in a friendly manner with meekness. Truly St. Ambrose, or whoever is the author (for it does not seem to be Ambrose's), in the First Epistle to Timothy chapter IV: "The whole," he says, "sum of our (Christian) discipline is in mercy and piety."
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AND YOU SHALL NOT BEAR IT BITTERLY IN YOUR SOUL, — that is, "tediously, or unwillingly," says Rabanus, "because he shows that he does not have the fervor of charity toward his neighbor, who does not strive to snatch him from the enemy." Where note: The word acide can first be taken for acede, so that it is an adverb derived from acedo and acedia, for which commonly (though barbarously) accidia is said. Whence also some codices here have accide, as it is probable that the Latin Interpreter translated it, just as also in chapter VI, 26: "Do not grow weary in his bonds;" and chapter XXII, 16: "You shall not grow weary in foolishness," where in Greek it is μὴ ἀκηδιάσῃς. Wherefore acide, or accide, is to be pronounced with the penultimate syllable long: for it corresponds to the long vowel η, which is in the Greek etymology ἀκηδία and ἀκηδής, that is, acedia, torpor, tedium, sloth, sadness, thus called from κῆδος, that is, care, labor, and the privative α; whence ἀκηδής is the same as without care, devoid of labor, careless, negligent, torpid, acedus. The sense therefore is: this liberation of the injured party, which I said is to be rendered, do not bear in your soul bitterly, that is, with tedium and sadness, as if to say, Let it not be tedious to you to render it, lest you be acedus, sluggish, slow and tardy in liberating him; but liberate him willingly, cheerfully and swiftly. Thus Jansenius. The Greek favors this, which has μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς, that is, do not be fainthearted, which the Roman Interpreter translated, you shall not grow weary; for acedus is fainthearted. For the daughters of acedia are fainthearted-ness, fear, torpor, sadness, tedium, slowness, despair. The Zurich version: do not let your spirit fail. Secondly, acide in Latin and properly, with Lyran, you should derive not from acedia (for thus acede should have been said, not acide), but from acor and acidus, so that it is the same as with difficulty, angrily, unwillingly, indignantly, or, as Rabanus says, unworthily, with an acid and morose countenance, as if you had drunk vinegar, or eaten a sour apple; for sour fruits trouble the teeth and stupefy them, and therefore contract the jaws and exhibit an acid face. For the fainthearted, when a difficult task occurs, which they judge themselves unequal to, or to which they succumb from smallness of spirit, in order to shake it off, become angry and indignant, showing an acid and angry face; to whom magnanimity and a cheerful spirit are needed. Wherefore in Greek it is μὴ ὀλιγοψυχήσῃς, that is, do not be fainthearted. But if you take acide in the second way, the sense here will be, as if to say, This liberation of the injured party do not bear bitterly in your soul, that is, do not bear it with difficulty, do not become angry at it and indignant, as if it were a difficult and troublesome matter, but rather undertake and render it cheerfully and willingly.
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Briefly, Palacius: He refers this whole verse to the poor, as if to say: Judge willingly and swiftly for the wretched, or judge in giving to each his own, that is, conduct their case against the powerful; and in judging, or in conducting their cases, act as a father of orphans, and as a husband to their mother, that is, to the widow, as if to say: Defend and protect them so eagerly and strenuously, as if you were the father of orphans and the husband of their widow, who is their mother; the Syriac: be to orphans as a father, and support widows, and you will be as a son of the Most High.
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Greek and Roman: And thou shalt be as the son of the Most High (τοῦ Ὑψίστου, that is, of God), and he loveth thee more than thy mother. Note: The subject is God, not wisdom; for God is he who showeth mercy to the poor and orphans, as above v. 6: "But he that made him will hear him." Whence the Arabic: And thou shalt be as the son of God the Most High, and he shall love thee more than thy mother loved thee. Wherefore Gregory Thaumaturgus in the Metaphrase: "And he loved thee, he says, as a mother loves the fruit of her womb;" and the Zurich version: The Most High loveth thee more than thy mother. But how great is a mother's love, God showeth to Isaiah XLIX, 15: "Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? And if she should forget, yet will not I forget thee;" and St. Chrysostom, homily 35 to the People of Antioch, treateth at length, concluding: "No mother feareth so much as God;" and homily 2 on Romans: "Who, he says, is not kind to his children? And if even beasts are so, are they not held by their bowels? But God loveth us more than any of us: yet our mother beareth our bowels, God hath bowels;" and St. Augustine, sermon 63 On the Seasons: "God is a merciful father, and the Church a merciful mother." "More, he says, do we hold the causes of widows and orphans to be pursued and more earnestly to be followed, than to be protected by us, or by all, divine assertion maketh manifest." The same, canon 2: "To orphans protection, he says, even the Godhead commanded to be given." For this patronage of the wretched and desolate is a sacrifice most pleasing to God, according to that: "Pure religion and undefiled before God and the Father is this: To visit the fatherless and widows in their tribulation," James I, last verse. I have assigned the reasons there. Job himself did the same; whence before God, counting it to his praise, he allegeth it, that he might obtain like help from him; for thus he saith cap. XXIX, 11: "The ear that heard me blessed me, because I had delivered the poor man that cried out, and the fatherless that had no helper. The blessing of him that was ready to perish came upon me, and I comforted the heart of the widow. I was eyes to the blind, and feet was I to the lame. I was a father to the poor. And I broke the jaws of the wicked man, and out of his teeth I took away the prey." Similar things he hath cap. XXXI, verse 16 and following. More examples on this matter from St. Ambrose doth Sozomen recount, lib. VII Hist. cap. XXIV. Understand these things of orphans and widows who have a just cause, and in it are unjustly oppressed by the powerful. For if they favour an unjust cause, the law of Exodus XXII is to be followed: "Thou shalt not have pity on a poor man in judgment," lest through unjust mercy thou pervert justice, adjudging an unjust cause to the poor man. deign; therefore to acide rather soundeth the impatience and indignation of a difficult and morose man, than acedia and torpor of carelessness. Whence the Complutensian version rendereth, be not impatient; the Syriac, let not thy spirit be shortened, that is, be patient, strong and long-suffering; the Arabic, be not weary of truth, that is, of the patronage of truth and innocence. Wherefore our Interpreter, rendering acide, is not barbarous, as some think; but excellently Latin. For thus Plautus calleth bitter, troublesome, wrathful, sharp-tongued, biting men, most acid. The same in the Pseudolus: "Hath that man, he says, vinegar in his breast?" The same in the Bacchides: "Now I shall try whether thou hast sharp vinegar in thy breast." And Horace, Satires I: But the Greek, after he is drenched with Italian vinegar: that is, after he is rebuked with the bitter sharpness of the Italian; for the vinegar of Italy is sharp, keen, biting, and therefore acid from acuendo, because it sharpeneth foods and the tongue, and giveth them its sourness. The sense therefore is, as if to say: When there cometh to thee one to be freed from the hand of the proud, suffering injury, bear it not acide, that is, conceive not therefrom vexation of mind, impatience, moroseness, anger, as if an equally heavy burden were offered thee to bear upon thy shoulders and unequal to thee; show not thyself in freeing him to be acid, bitter, difficult and morose, as if thou fearest to offend the powerful and proud, and therefore darest not contend; be not angry and indignant; but with great, tranquil, merciful, serene and generous mind succour him, protect and free him, thinking that thou defendest God's cause, that thou art the defender of justice, that thou actest as the patron of mercy, that thou guardest the rights of orphans and the poor, and therefore art the subduer of injustice, the scourge of pride, the avenger of injury. AND FOR A HUSBAND TO THEIR MOTHER. — The Syriac, be thou as a father to orphans, and for a husband to the widow; the Arabic, be thou to orphans in place of a father, and in the likeness of a husband to widows. Whence Pope Gelasius, epistle to Gerontius and Peter Bishops, and it is found dist. 87, can. 1, committeth to them the patronage of widows and orphans: seek protection; therefore God is present to them, and the king or prince, "whose imperial majesty is the safeguard of salvation," as Pliny says in the Panegyric of Trajan: "For God gives a prince," says he, "who may discharge toward mankind the office of His vicegerent." Thus concerning Solomon, a king both pious and powerful, and more concerning Christ, David prophesied in Psalm LXXI, verse 12: "He shall deliver the poor from the mighty, and the poor man that hath no helper." Thus also Theodoric, the wise king of the Goths, says in Cassiodorus, book III of the Variae, chapter XX: "Among the glorious cares of the commonwealth, which we turn over in constant thought with God's aid, it is a comfort to our heart to relieve the humble, so that against the power of the proud we may raise the barrier of our mercy, nor shall anything be permitted among us of that audacity whose purpose is proudly to trample upon things." From this learn how great is the utility and how great before God is the weight and merit of almsgiving, so that with reason the Venerable Bede said in Proverbs: "It is the salvation of the rich to succor the necessities of the poor. The hand of the poor is the treasury of Christ." To this pertains the Arabian proverb, which is found in the printed collections, Century I, number 80: "The generous man is near to God, near to men, near to paradise, far from the fire of hell," that is to say, The generous man is blessed, not only in this world, but also in the next, because he will be near to God. Indeed, Seneca also in his Sayings: "Almsgiving," he says, "benefits not so much those who receive as those who give." Wherefore truly did St. Paul say: "It is more blessed to give than to receive," Acts XX, 35. See the remarks there. Furthermore, St. Chrysostom, homily 35 and 68 to the People: "God," he says, "wishes to be fed by you (in the poor), that He may feed you; to be clothed, that He may clothe you. Despise money therefore, lest you be despised; that you may be rich, give your wealth liberally; that you may gather, scatter; imitate the sower. Sow in blessings, that from blessings you may reap." The same, homily 32 on the Second Epistle to Timothy: "Almsgiving," he says, "is the friend of God, always near to Him, and easily obtains the gift of grace for whomsoever it wishes, provided only that it is not harmed by us, that it suffers no injury from us. But it suffers injury when we wish to work it from plunder; if, however, it be pure, it affords great confidence to those who give it. Such is its virtue, and such its power." He then adds: "But it also dissolves the very bonds of sins, puts to flight darkness, extinguishes fire, mortifies the worm, expels the gnashing of teeth. To this gate the heavens are opened, and as a queen entering, none of the gatekeepers, none of the guards who stand at the gates, dares to say: Who are you? or whence? but all receive her with honor. For she is truly a queen, a queen making men like unto God. Be merciful, He says, as your Father is merciful. For she is winged and very light, having golden wings, and a flight befitting the Angels; for it is written: Thy wings are like the wings of a dove covered with silver, and her neck in the brightness of gold. Like a dove indeed To and is taken for therefore, for this reason, on account of this merit of almsgiving; for to him He subjoins a fitting and as it were equally proportioned retribution and reward, that is to say, If you have protected the orphan as a father, the widow as a husband, God in turn will show Himself to you as a father for a reward, and will care for you as a son, indeed He will be more indulgent to you than a mother is wont to be toward her children. You shall therefore be a son of God the Most High, because obedient to His precepts, you have shown mercy to orphans and widows, and consequently you shall be as it were a certain earthly god. For as the son of man is man, so the son of God is God, especially if he imitates the proper gift of divinity, namely beneficence and mercy. This is the reason a priori, which gives the most powerful incentive to almsgiving. This is what St. Hilary says in Psalm LI: "Thus let us be changed by gold (given in almsgiving), that from earthly we become heavenly, and from mortal we become eternal." And Clement of Alexandria, book I of the Stromata: "Man who does good," he says, "is the image of God." Gregory of Nazianzus, in oration 16 On Caring for the Poor: "Nothing is so divine in man as to do good. Be to the wretched a god, imitating God's mercy, etc. For there is no thing whatsoever by which one so much conciliates God's benevolence as by mercy." St. Gregory of Nyssa, in the book On the Beatitudes. Blessed are the merciful. If the name of merciful, he says, befits God, to what else does the word of Christ exhort you, except that you become God, as it were marked with the proper mark of divinity?" St. Leo, sermon 10 On Lent: "There is no," he says, "devotion of the faithful in which the Lord delights more than that which is bestowed upon His poor, and where He finds the care of mercy, there He recognizes the image of His own piety." The Gentiles learned the same thing from Solomon, Sirach and the Hebrews. Pliny, book II, chapter VII: "God, he says, to help one mortal by another mortal, and this is the way to eternal glory. By this way the Roman leaders went." Seneca in the Proverbs: "What is it to give a benefit? to imitate God." The same, in the book On the Form of Life: "God, he says, you will love; but you will imitate him in this, that he is able to benefit us all, and to harm none. For, as Plato says in the Timaeus: 'God is the supreme good, above all substance and all nature, whom all things seek, since he himself is of full perfection, and is not unworthy of fellowship.' And Aristotle, book I of the Ethics, chapter XVII: 'The good, he says, the more common it is, the more divine it is.' AND HE WILL HAVE MERCY (In Greek ἀγαπήσει, that is, will love) ON YOU MORE THAN A MOTHER. — He reads correctly with the smooth breathing with the Complutensian Interpreter ἡ μήτηρ σου. Why some read less correctly with the rough breathing ἡ μήτηρ σου, and translate, and your mother will love you more. Wonderful is God's condescension, by which he deigns to be not only a father, but also a mother, indeed more than a mother, to those who are merciful and charitable toward orphans and widows, according to that passage in Isaiah XLIV, 2: "Thus says the Lord who made and formed you, your helper from the womb;" and verse 24: "Your Redeemer, and he who formed you from the womb;" and chapter XLVI, 3: "Hear me, O house of Israel, you who are carried from my womb, who are borne from my bowels; even to your old age I am the same, and even to your gray hairs I will carry you: I have made, and I will bear; I will carry, and I will save;" and chapter XLIX, 15: "Can a woman forget her infant, so as not to have pity on the son of her womb? and if she should forget, yet will not I forget you. Behold, I have written you in my hands." For this reason Philo, Orpheus and other ancient Philosophers and Theologians call God πατρομήτορα and μητροπάτορα, that is, father-mother and mother-father, because he associates the indulgence of a mother with the omnipotence of a father. On which matter I have said more in Acts XVII, verse 27, and in the First Epistle of St. John, chapter I, 1: "The cause is, says Palacius, and as it were the reason a priori, because paternal affection and maternal affection are much greater in God than they are in a father or mother in the ordinary sense. For since God has communicated that affection to created things, he has reserved a greater one for himself, so that he might pursue us with greater affection. For no creature is capable of so much affection as he himself has, who has infinite all things that he has. You will also note how by a concise reasoning princes and judges can have God bound to them as a father and mother, namely, by keeping justice toward orphans and widows." For the poor and afflicted, since they are destitute of all human aid, by their right claim divine help and royal grace is bestowed. Mercy is a virgin having golden wings, circumspect in all things, and beautifully girded, having a countenance white and gentle, she is winged, light, and always stands before the royal throne. When we are judged, she suddenly comes, and frees us from impending punishments, covering us with her wings. God desires this more than innumerable sacrifices."
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The second part of this chapter is that in which he returns to wisdom as it were to his primary theme: for just as in chapter III, verses 32 and 33, he leapt from wisdom to almsgiving, as it were from genus to species: so here he springs back from almsgiving to wisdom, as it were from species to genus, from hypothesis to thesis. For he had said in the preceding verse that God would have mercy on the merciful as it were on sons, more than a mother: now he demonstrates this same thing in detail, namely how much God through his wisdom bestows upon them and communicates to them. Wherefore he enumerates sixteen offices and benefits of wisdom, which she confers upon her sons, whom he said to be merciful. The first is, "Wisdom inspireth life into her children;" the second, "She receiveth those that seek her;" the third, "She goeth before in the way of justice;" the fourth, "They that watch for her shall embrace her pleasantness;" the fifth, "Whoso entereth in to her, God shall bless;" the sixth, "They that serve her shall be obedient to the holy one;" the seventh, "Those who love her, God loveth;" the eighth, "He that heareth her shall judge nations;" the ninth, "He that considereth her shall remain confident;" the tenth, "If he believe in her, he shall inherit her;" the eleventh, "They shall be in the confirmation of his creature;" the twelfth, "In temptation he walketh with him;" the thirteenth, verse 20, "He shall establish him;" the fourteenth, "He shall make him joyful;" the fifteenth, "He shall uncover his hidden things to him;" the sixteenth, "He shall heap up upon him knowledge and understanding of justice." The first therefore is, "Wisdom inspireth life into her children," namely, the life of grace and glory, which is supernatural, heavenly, divine, blessed and eternal life. He compares wisdom to a mother. For just as a mother animates and vivifies her children in the womb, and breathes natural life into them, so wisdom inspireth supernatural life into hers. The pelican is said to draw blood from its breast, and by sprinkling it upon its young already dead, or rather failing and dying, to vivify them. Wisdom is like the pelican. Whence the pelican is a symbol of Christ, who by his blood vivified us, dead in sin, by breathing into us the spirit of grace and charity. Hear St. Jerome, epistle 29 to Præsidius, tome IX, or whoever is the author; for the style shows it is not St. Jerome, but rather an assumption of an epistle containing fables about the phoenix, viper, pelican, etc.: "The pelicans," he says, "when they find their young killed by a serpent, dead, mourn; and they strike themselves and their sides, and with blood shaken out they thus revive the bodies of the dead." The same is found in St. Augustine on Psalm CI, in the Kiranides, in Isidore, in Gesner, and in Aldrovandus book X On Birds, chapter XII, in the Onocrotale; for they judge this to be the pelican, as much as St. Jerome in Psalm CI, Pliny and Oppianus. But concerning the truth of this matter St. Augustine rightly doubts. Albert, Gesner and Aldrovandus deny it; who however adds that the Horus and Egyptians relate that the Egyptian vulture loves its young most ardently, and if ever the faculty of nourishment fails, lest they perish from hunger, it inflicts a wound upon its thigh, and gives them the flowing blood to drink: but the pelican loves its young so much that while it strives to extinguish the fire kindled around the nest by fowlers by fanning with its wings, it burns and scorches them for itself. The same is related by Pierius. Gesner adds that the pelican is perhaps called the Egyptian vulture already mentioned. Such a vulture, such a pelican is Christ to us, who is himself the uncreated and incarnate Wisdom of God; for he himself feeds and vivifies us by his blood on the cross, and his flesh in the Eucharist. Moreover, since this wisdom is unique, it likewise has a unique life, by which it itself lives, which it communicates to its children through inspiration, except that this life in itself is by nature, but is communicated to children through grace. The symbol and beginning of this was in the raising of Lazarus; for Christ, crying out: "Lazarus, come forth," recalled him from death to life, John XI. He does the same to any sinner, while he vivifies him dead in sin by the breath of grace as it were a son of wisdom. Again this sentiment can very aptly be understood of created wisdom; for it itself inspireth life, that is, vital and vivifying doctrine, namely, the norm of living well and blessedly, into hers. Whence The Arabic translator renders it, Wisdom corrects her sons, and shall go forth in every word of hers; the Syriac, Wisdom instructed her sons, and shall illuminate all who understand her. Just as therefore the light of the sun is life-giving, and breathes life into plants and animals: so also wisdom, which is spiritual and divine light, according to that passage in Psalm 35, 10: "For with thee is the fountain of life." Who is this fountain? surely light, which explaining it adds: "And in thy light we shall see light." Let teachers note this, and those who with great labor instruct and illuminate others unto virtue, let them console and stir themselves up, thinking that by illuminating others they confer life upon them, not animal, natural and temporal life; but heavenly, supernatural and eternal. Hence, just as God, breathing into Adam the breath of life, animated and vivified him, Genesis 2, 7: so likewise Christ, breathing into the Apostles the Holy Spirit, John chapter 20, made them not merely a living soul, but a life-giving Spirit, so that, namely, they might vivify very many others unto God by their holiness and spirit. Thirdly, the Greek texts no longer have ἐψύχωσεν, that is, animated, vivified, inspired life, as our version reads; but ἀνύψωσεν, that is, exalted. Whence the Zurich version renders it, Wisdom exalts her sons; because she makes the rude learned, the foolish wise, the earthly heavenly, men angels. Moreover, because she makes them kings, rulers, leaders, governors, teachers of others; for it is the part of the wise to rule and teach those less wise. Again Clement of Alexandria, book VII of the Stromata, reads ἐνεφυσίωσε, that is, breathed into, or insufflated Wisdom her sons; that is, by insufflating life she inspires it in them, as our version renders it. He alludes to the vital breath which God inspired into Adam, Genesis chapter 2. For to inflate here does not signify to puff up, but to inspire wisdom and life. "For not (says Clement of Alexandria, book VII of the Stromata) did the Lord generate pride and arrogance in those who are in singular doctrine; but to have confidence in truth, and to be magnificent in knowledge, which is delivered through the Scriptures; to become a despiser of those things which draw toward sin: which the word inflate signifies, teaching the magnificence of wisdom, which is implanted in those who through doctrine are sons." Tertullian in the Scorpiace, chapter 9, reads, "Sophia slew her sons"; but rather it appears that Tertullian took this sense from Proverbs chapter 9, 2, than from this place, as Pamelius noted there. Symbolically, uncreated Wisdom, namely God himself, is essential and uncreated life, which he breathes into his sons, by infusing into them created life, namely grace and charity, which is as it were the supernatural soul of soul and man. Where our Lessius rightly notes, book VI On the Divine Perfections, chapter 5: "Life," he says, "is said both of vital substance, as it is soul and angelic nature; and of vital operation, which indeed in the one operating, from whom it emanates, remains; such as understanding, loving, feeling, desiring, moving oneself. In both ways God is life (setting aside imperfections), nor only life, but first life, and eternal life, and the very fullness and universality of life, the origin and consummation of all life, principle and end: in whom also all things, which do not live, are life. For he is supervital essence, and superessential life, having within himself most eminently and most simply all vital substance, and causally embracing it, and outside himself forming, preserving and perfecting each according to its kind. He is his own vital operation, namely, his own understanding, his own love, his own joy, his own blessedness. From that supervital fountain all things, which in any way live, draw life, and vital faculties and movements increase, some more excellent, others less excellent, according to the degree and order of each. Hence all life both of plants, and of animals, and of men, and of demons, and of Angels; all life natural and supernatural of this age and the future, temporal and eternal. Finally, just as he is the superessential being of all existing things, so the supervital life of all living things, as St. Dionysius says, chapter 6 On the Divine Names. Life is attributed to God, especially by reason of intelligence and wisdom; for this is the first and supreme life, or vital operation, from which all other life proceeds. For from wisdom flows love: and through these all other things are created and formed. Then in His very wisdom all things live; for to be understood by Him, and to be formed by His intellect is a certain being, and the life of intelligible things; and the understanding of a thing is that thing itself in an intelligible manner. Therefore divine wisdom is the life of all things, and through it God lives to Himself and to all, and all things live to Him, and are present to Him, and shine forth in Him, and remain immutably in Him from all eternity unto all eternity. AND RECEIVETH THOSE THAT SEEK HER,—as if to say, Wisdom, like a mother and teacher, draws to herself those who are zealous for her, as if with outstretched hand, and of her own accord receives them into her discipline, nourishment, faith and protection. Whence the Zurich version translates it, and embraces her followers. Whence St. Dionysius: "Receiveth," he says, that is, hears their prayers. Moreover and more fully Hugo, discussing this receiveth: "Receiveth," he says, that is, takes up on high, so that all their thought and conversation may be in heaven." Again "receiveth," to protect; whence in the Psalms: "Our receiver and protector;" and Psalm XL: "But thou for my innocence hast received me;" and Psalm CXXXVIII: "Thou hast received me from my mother's womb." Likewise "receiveth," to refresh, Matthew chapter XI: "Come to me, all you that labour, and are burdened, and I will refresh you." In which sense it is said Psalm III: "I slept and rose up; because the Lord hath received me;" and Matthew XVIII: "Whosoever shall receive one, etc., receiveth me." Likewise "receiveth," to instruct; "receiveth," to glorify. Psalm CXLVI: "The Lord receiving the meek." Isaiah XLII: "Behold my servant, I will receive him." Hugo continues: "He receiveth the timid as a lord, the hungry as a father, the ignorant as a teacher, the wretched as God." AND SHALL GO BEFORE IN THE WAY OF JUSTICE,—as if bearing a torch, showing what is just and holy, what is unjust and impious, and admonishing and exhorting His own to pursue justice, and thus bringing it about that they walk in the way of justice with clear and steady step. A type of this was the pillar of fire by night going before the camp of the Hebrews, which led them safe and secure into the promised land, of which I have spoken in Exodus XIII and Numbers IX; whence Jeremiah speaks of it securely in chapter XVII, 16: "And I was not troubled, following thee as a shepherd." Furthermore uncreated Wisdom, namely Christ, goes before us in the way of justice, not only by His doctrine and example, but also by His preventing grace, by which He stirs up and strengthens the weak will to works of justice, and suggests their occasions, removes temptations, and smooths every way of justice, and renders it easy and expedient. Christ therefore goes before us, as a shepherd goes before sheep, leading them to pastures, protecting them from the wolf, showing the way, and directing them in all things: and as a father goes before his son, leading him, having taken his hand, through rough places and cliffs, according to that Psalm LXXII, 24: "Thou hast held my right hand, and in thy will thou hast guided me." Moreover He goes before, as a leader goes before soldiers to battle, equally to victory and triumph, according to that Micah II, 13: "He shall go up opening the way before them, etc. And the Lord at the head of them." See the things said there.
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AND THEY THAT WATCH FOR HER SHALL EMBRACE HER PLEASANTNESS. — "Pleasantness," that is, peacefulness, sweetness, pleasantness and joy of wisdom. For this is what the Greek εὐφροσύνη signifies. For just as Wisdom, created and uncreated, namely Christ, is life: so also is it the ineffable sweetness and joy of the wise and holy soul. The Syriac translator renders it, and they that look upon her shall perceive the will, or desire from the Lord, namely they shall perceive that which they wish, desire and long for, and therefore shall rejoice. For the desire of a beloved thing that is absent brings forth joy and gladness, if the beloved and desired thing becomes present, and we enjoy it. Whence the Zurich Bible, they who come to her in the morning shall be filled with joy. Note: That "vigilaverint" signifies first to rise in the morning to seek wisdom; for the dawn is friendly to wisdom and the Muses. Again, that wisdom offers itself and comes to meet those who in the morning studiously and carefully investigate her; these are, as the Greek texts have it, ὀρθρίζοντες πρὸς αὐτήν, that is, those who rise early, or who wake early in the morning and rise to seek her. Thus the Psalmist, Psalm LXII, 1: "O God, my God," he says, "to thee do I watch from the break of day;" and Isaiah, XXVI, 9: "My soul hath desired thee in the night," he says, "but yet my spirit in my heart from the morning shall watch to thee;" and Moses, Deut. VI, verse 7: "Thou shalt meditate upon them (the words of God and wisdom) sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, sleeping and rising." See the things said there. Therefore love and the solicitude of the lover produces watchfulness: if the love of Christ shall have inflamed thee, thou shalt be roused at the earliest dawn from sleep, thinking of and loving nothing else but Christ. Then shalt thou feel pleasantness, or that wisdom is most peaceful and most pleasant; then shalt thou taste how sweet the Lord is; then shalt thou have a foretaste of how blessed is eternity, which God hath promised to his own, namely to those devoted to wisdom. Then shalt thou rejoice to God with the Angels, according to that word of St. Job cap. XXXVIII, 7: "When the morning stars praised me together, and all the sons of God made a joyful noise." These things know and understand those who in the morning devote themselves to prayer and meditation on wisdom. A symbol of this sweetness of wisdom was the manna, having in itself every delight, and every flavor of sweetness, which those who watched had to gather before the rising of the sun, lest it melt, Wisdom XVI, 27: "For that," he says, speaking of the manna, "which could not be destroyed by fire, immediately when a little ray of the sun warmed it, it melted: that it might be known to all, that we ought to prevent the sun to bless thy gifts, and to adore thee at the rising of the light." Wherefore St. Bernard, sermon 70 in the Canticles: "In the beginning of thy watchings," he says, "make haste; however much thou shouldest even anticipate the watchings themselves, thou shalt find him, thou shalt not come before him: it is rash in such a matter to claim for thyself either something earlier, or more, and he loves more, and before." The same Bernard, sermon On the Seven Gifts of the Holy Spirit: "All," he says, "we seek wisdom, all we desire it; but he seeks in vain, who seeks it in his bed; neither is it found in the land of those living sweetly: thy bed is there, and there dost thou seek a giant? If ye seek," he says, "seek, be converted and come. Whence dost thou seek? From thy bed. Whence art thou converted? From thy pleasures," he says, "turn away." For "pleasantness," others render it "malacia," that is, the most settled peace of mind, with the scruples and anxieties of mind and conscience removed, like a tranquil sea, agitated by no winds or waves. Mystically, this wisdom is the Mother of God, the Mother of Christ, who delivers all who flee to her from any anguish and disturbance of mind, and makes them serene and tranquil. Whence St. Bonaventure in the Mirror: "To thee," he says, "O Lady, I cried out in the anguish of my soul: and thou didst make my conscience serene." Morally, note that the effect and certain sign of true wisdom and holiness is placidity, namely a calm, quiet, cheerful spirit; for holiness and a holy conscience produce this, because it assimilates the soul to God. But God is himself placidity, tranquility, cheerfulness. Wherefore St. Ephrem established the perfection of virtue and holiness in this quietness of spirit; for thus he writes in volume I, tract. On True Renunciation: "Our entire struggle is placed in this, that we may rest from and be freed from those perturbations which are within us, and renounce true tumults, with the entire multitude of depraved thoughts which are brought upon us by those adverse powers. True renunciation indeed is this, to enjoy internal peace and quietness of spirit, and to guard it. When therefore you persist before God in prayer, beware lest your beautiful vessels, in which you minister to God, that is your thoughts, be snatched away by your enemies. And how, I pray, or in what will you minister to God of all things, with your thoughts captured, that is snatched away, and as it were led into captivity? For God does not need that mouth or tongue pray. But the worship pleasing to God is this, that thoughts, and all the strength and power of the soul, with the whole mind without any distraction be borne toward God." The same, tract. On the Beatitudes, thus arranges them: "Blessed is he who is wholly free from all earthly things of this vain life in the Lord, and embraces God alone as good and merciful. Blessed is he who refreshes his fellow servants with spiritual joy, from the fruit of virtues which he cultivated by his labor, so that he might bear fruit in the Lord. Blessed is he in whose breast the memory of God has always dwelt; for he will be altogether as a heavenly Angel upon earth, offering sacrifice to the Lord with fear and love. Blessed is he who in his cell, in the Lord, as a heavenly Angel, retains chaste thoughts, and praises him with his own mouth, who has power over all spirits. Blessed is he who has become as Seraphim and Cherubim, and in divine and spiritual service is never idle, but continually glorifies the Lord. Blessed is he who is always full of spiritual joy, and does not grow sluggish in bearing the sweet yoke of the Lord: for he shall be crowned in glory." Divinely indeed St. Cyprian, book II, epistle 2 to Donatus, thus describes the sublimity of a holy spirit in this quietness despising, nay laughing at, all earthly things, both prosperous and adverse: "One therefore calm and faithful tranquility, one solid and firm security, if anyone extracted from the whirlwinds of this disturbing world, founded in the station of a saving harbor, lifts his eyes to heaven from the earth, and admitted to the service of the Lord, and now near to his God in mind, glories that whatever appears sublime and great among others in human affairs lies within his own conscience. He can now desire nothing, wish for nothing from the world, who is greater than the world." And soon after: "As the sun naturally radiates, day illuminates, a fountain waters, rain sprinkles: so the heavenly spirit pours itself in, after the soul knowing its author gazing toward heaven, becomes higher than the sun, and more sublime than all this earthly power, begins to be what it believes itself to be. You therefore, whom the heavenly militia of spiritual camps has already marked, hold an uncorrupted, hold a sober discipline with religious virtues. Let there be for you either constant prayer, or reading; now speak with God, now God with you: let him instruct you with his precepts, let him dispose you; whom he has made rich, no one will make poor." Finally St. Augustine, book I On the Sermon of the Lord on the Mount, chapter IX, explaining that passage of Matthew V, 9: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called the children of God;" thus defines wisdom: "Wisdom is the contemplation of truth, making peaceful the whole man, and receiving the likeness of God;" because it makes the wise man like God, placid, serene, tranquil, unperturbed, exalted, both in adversities and in prosperities, as if some angel walking in the flesh.
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AND WHITHERSOEVER (howsoever) HE SHALL ENTER (some read more clearly and more connectedly, they shall enter, not wisdom, but he who shall have held it), GOD SHALL BLESS—that is to say, Whithersoever the wise man shall enter, the blessing of God shall accompany him, by which God shall bless all his journeys and actions, and shall prosper them, and shall lead them to a happy outcome and remarkable fruit. The Syriac again translates it in two ways: those who seek it shall receive the will (that is, the desire, namely that which they wish and desire) from the Lord. And soon after: and the place which the Lord hath blessed, the house of their dwelling; the Arabic: and their dwelling is a dwelling which God hath blessed; the Zurich: whithersoever he shall enter, the favour of the Lord shall come. This is what Moses promised to the wise Israelites, namely those fearing God, in Deuteronomy, chapter XXVIII, verse 2: "If thou wilt hear the voice of the Lord thy God, to do and keep all his commandments, etc. Blessed shalt thou be in the city, and blessed shalt thou be in the field, etc.; blessed shall be thy barns, and blessed thy remainders. Blessed shalt thou be coming in and going out;" and verse 8: "The Lord shall send forth a blessing upon thy storehouses, and upon all the works of thy hands, and shall bless thee in the land which thou shalt receive." Thus he blessed Abraham, Isaac and Jacob; nay, even for Jacob's sake he blessed the unfaithful Laban his father-in-law. Whence Laban, when Jacob wished to depart, beseeching him to remain: "I shall find, saith he, favour in thy sight: I have learned by experience that God hath blessed me for thy sake," Genesis XXX, 27. Siracides alludes to the history of Obededom, into whose house the ark of God entered, and therefore God blessed the master of the house and his whole family, II Kings VI. If God blessed Obededom on account of the entrance of the ark, how much more shall he bless the soul into which divine Wisdom, that is, Holiness, shall enter? The sense therefore is, that is to say, those who devote and as it were consecrate themselves to wisdom, that they may learn it and teach others, and by this means worship it with latria, that is, with a certain sacred and religious worship, these are as it were mystical priests, who exhibit to God in the temple, namely in the Church, a liturgy, that is, a sacred ministry, while they teach others to worship God with latria, to live piously, and to act wisely in all things. It signifies therefore first that the students and cultivators of wisdom shall be of such honour that they shall be as it were λειτουργοί, that is, priests of the temple and of God. It alludes to that passage in Isaiah LXI, 6, where the Septuagint, using the same name, translates: "And you shall be called the priests of the Lord, and the ministers of our God," that is, you shall be called priests of the Lord, and ministers of the sacred things of God. St. Paul likewise alluded to this, when he calls himself and others heralds of wisdom, namely of the Gospel, λειτουργούς, that is, priests of God, who sacrifice to God the Gospel, that is the Gospel, that is, the preaching of the Gospel they offer to God, as it were a mystical victim, but most pleasing, Romans XV, 16. See the remarks there. In a similar manner the Blessed Henry Suso was called Minister of Eternal Wisdom, as I said in chapter I, 15. Let philosophers and theologians note these things, students or doctors of philosophy and theology, both speculative and practical, whether teachers or disciples; let them know that they are mystical priests of God, and that they sacrifice to God the study and teaching of wisdom. Secondly, consequently it indicates that the student of wisdom ought to worship and live in it so purely, chastely and holily, just as if they were priests and performed sacred functions in the temple. Whence the Syriac translates: his ministers (of wisdom), ministers of holiness; and the Arabic: his ministers, ministers pure and holy. Whence Palacius thus explains it: They shall obey the holy one, that is, holiness: "Let no one think, saith he, that he loves wisdom or serves it, if he does not obey holiness; for as, according to Paul, II Timothy, chapter II, 19, let every one that calleth on the name of the Lord depart from iniquity, so let him depart from iniquity who serves wisdom. Why so? Because wisdom is holiness. Therefore, as he who gives himself wholly to wisdom ought to believe that he has given himself to holiness: so he who has given his part to iniquity, let him believe that he has wholly taken himself away from wisdom. Thou now, reader, understandest why the Angel said to Mary: That which shall be born of thee shall be holy, namely, because, as true Wisdom of God was born of the Virgin, so also the Holiness of God was born; it is altogether necessary that infinite wisdom be infinite holiness." Thus Palacius. Thirdly, that God shall love them as his own priests, shall have them as his most intimate and familiar ones, shall protect and bless them. Whence he subjoins: "And those who love her, God shall love; " the Syriac and Arabic: "and the dwelling of her (wisdom) God shall love." Moreover, this worship exhibited to created wisdom, equally as victim and sacrifice, is metaphorical and mystical; but worship truly exhibited to uncreated Wisdom (for this is God) and incarnate (for this is Christ), is properly so called; for both Christ as man and as God is to be worshipped and adored; for this man, namely Jesus Christ, subsists in the person of God, and is God. AND GOD LOVETH THEM THAT LOVE HER. — The Zurich Bible: the Lord loveth her lovers (of wisdom). Understand wisdom both as created and as uncreated and incarnate. Whence Palacius thus explains it, as if to say: "Do not believe, if you have dedicated yourself entirely to the worship and love of Wisdom, that God will therefore be offended, as if angry, because you do not worship him, worshipping wisdom. Not at all. Rather the contrary; because wisdom proceeded from the mouth of God, God is, namely, the Son of God born from God. But necessarily God the Father will love him who has loved his Son most dearly. Therefore, if a Christian bears nothing else in his memory save Christ, the Father will not on that account, as if envious of Christ's glory, pursue the Christian with hatred; but rather, as if desirous of his glory, will love him who loves Christ more ardently." Tropologically, from this maxim learn that to serve wisdom and God is true freedom, indeed the highest nobility and dignity; for such is the priesthood and the office of sacrificing, which Sirach attributes to him who serves wisdom, when he makes him a mystic and λειτουργόν of God. Hence Francis Piccolomini in his work On the Principles of Virtues, grade 2, chapter XXXVII, proposes two paradoxes, and demonstrates that they are most true. The first is: "The best use of human freedom is the use of true servitude to it." The second is: "It is better for man to serve than to reign; and the entire perfection of man's kingdom is placed in servitude." The foundation of the truth of both statements is this, that true servitude congruent to the nature of a thing is that by which inferiors are subjected to their superior; but when on the contrary superiors are subjected to inferiors, that is a perversion of the nature of things, and an arrangement contrary to nature; not however natural servitude, and because lower things are perfected by higher things, hence it comes to pass that, while by nature they serve, they enjoy their perfection. Thus the body by nature serves the soul, the soul serves reason and mind, the mind serves God; and as the body is perfected by the soul, the soul by the mind, so the mind is perfected by God. Man then rightly uses the office of freedom, when he prefers those things which are consonant with the laws and will of God; but when he does this, he is subjected to a true and legitimate master, and from this arises the truth of the first statement, which was that the best use of freedom is the use of true and natural servitude. Similar to this is what is said by Theologians: "To serve God is to reign;" as also to serve a just prince and rightly instituted laws. For this is true: first, because that servitude is the right use of freedom; secondly, because, while we make God our leader, we make freedom our prince, since God is freedom itself; thirdly, because joined to a king we are said to reign with him; but God is King of kings: but joined to servants we are said to put on the vile condition of servitude; thus when we are servants with servants, joined to a king we are kings. Finally, because men so disposed truly do what by nature rightly formed they ought to will and prefer. The other statement was that it is better for man to serve than to reign. And justly indeed. For while man commands and reigns, he enjoys good to the extent that he does what is consonant with the will and decrees of God, and therefore in this is placed the perfection of his rule, that he obey God and his laws; no one therefore reigns rightly unless he serves rightly; and because he serves rightly, therefore he reigns well. Hence we indicate greater dignity of man and a more excellent condition of his when we call him a servant of God than when we call him a king and prince of the world. We must strive therefore to serve our superiors with genuine servitude; we must beware of that servitude which subjects us to inferiors, and enslaves us to baser things, as happens when reason obeys sense, and sense obeys the body. Therefore the most noble and royal servitude is to serve God. For God exalts, glorifies, and makes blessed those who serve Him, and makes them kings and priests, Apocalypse cap. V, 10. Moreover this servitude of God, as our Lessius rightly teaches, lib. I De Perfect. divin. cap. VI, consists in four things: First, in the knowledge of God, and of those things which pertain to Him, for this is the foundation of all obedience and service. Second, in the offices of charity and benevolence, while we rejoice in His goods, and congratulate Him upon them from the innermost affection of our soul; while we strive with all diligence to promote His glory, devoting our soul, body, cares and thoughts to the protection and amplification of His dignity. Thus good courtiers devoted entirely to their prince do: for they everywhere extol his virtues and power, so that all may be drawn to his love and obedience, nor do they suffer his name to be harmed by anyone. Third, in the offices of religion, while we worship Him with sacrifices, ceremonies, hymns, praises, prayers, vows. This is the office of the Angels and Saints in heaven, who are wholly intent upon honoring, praising, and blessing God. Therefore perfect servitude of God is eternal life, and our blessedness. Fourth, in the keeping of His commandments, and in the office of virtue, while we do something good, so that we may obey His commandments, or so that we may gratify Him. But that this is of the greatest importance is evident from this, that the least good of God, inasmuch as it is God's, is to be esteemed more than all the good of creatures, insofar as it pertains to the creatures themselves. Hence it comes to pass that God promises us eternal life for each good work, and indeed Himself together with all His goods; responding to us in effect as much as we wish to give Him in affection of good. We give Him in affection all His good, He renders to us in effect the same good; for His love is efficacious, ours inefficacious.
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Therefore 'to judge' signifies, first, the dignity and aptitude for judging, and thus no one is fit to judge and rule unless he be wise. Whence the Syriac version translates, 'he who hears me shall judge truth'; the Arabic, 'he who obeys me shall judge in truth.' Second, the act, because true and worthy judges and princes chosen by God, or sevens, if thou believest in him, thou shalt inherit it. But the Greek Complutensian texts read as the Latin Vulgate, in the third person; for they have, ἐὰν ἐμπιστεύσῃ, that is, if he shall have believed in him; if he shall be faithful to wisdom; if he shall firmly cleave to it, as the Roman texts translate. The Syriac, if he shall have believed in me, he shall inherit me; the Arabic appears to have read, ἐν πίστει; for it translates, in my truth he shall inherit me. To the word ἐμπιστεύσῃ, it is, into πίστιν (that is, faith in wisdom) he shall have delivered himself, if he shall have wholly entrusted and committed himself to its faith, and to render it word for word, shall have confided; the Zurich version, if he shall have proved himself faithful to it, he shall be its heir, both in this life through grace, and rather in the future through glory, and that certain and secure, so that there be no danger of losing it; for wisdom, equally as God, does not forsake the wise man, namely the just, unless he first forsake it, as St. Augustine defines it, which the Council of Trent, sess. VI, cap. xi and xiii, confirms. AND THEY SHALL BE IN THE POSSESSION (namely, of the possession and inheritance of wisdom) OF HIS CREATURES. — For in Greek it is, καὶ ἐν κατασχέσει ἔσονται αἱ γενεαὶ αὐτῶν, that is, and in the occupation, detention, possession, firm retention, embrace, guardianship of wisdom, there shall be generations, that is, sons, both carnal and especially spiritual of those who, namely, shall have wholly entrusted themselves and committed themselves to be imbued and ruled by wisdom, as if to say, 'Creatures,' that is, sons of those who devote themselves to wisdom, and therefore inherit it, shall tread in the footsteps of their parents, and with all their strength shall strive and labour, that they may embrace this ancestral possession of wisdom, left to them by their parents as it were by hereditary tradition, and fully confirm it for themselves. Note the frequent enallage among the Hebrews and in Ecclesiastical usage, by which it passes from the singular number to the plural: whence it says 'of them,' for 'of him,' who, namely, shall have believed in wisdom, because τὸ of him is taken universally for all, or any: for whosoever shall have believed in wisdom, shall inherit it. Wherefore some Greek and Latin codices for αὐτῶν, that is, of them, read αὐτοῦ, that is, of him. Whence the Zurich version translates, and the offspring of the same shall retain possession. Second, the Arabic and Syriac translate τὸ γενεαί, generations, that is, ages. Whence thus the Syriac transfers it, if he shall have believed in me, he shall inherit me, and shall receive me through all generations of the age; the Arabic, in my truth he shall inherit me, and I shall endure for him through all generations of the age. So that the fidelity, constancy and eternity of wisdom may be signified, by which it never forsakes its own; but is perpetually present to them, teaches them, protects them, rules and leads them to eternal beatitude. Third, Jansenius thinks that here the possession is treated, not so much of wisdom as of the earth, as if to say, The wise man and his sons shall possess the earth, and shall be confirmed in its possession, according to that of Psalm CXI: 'Mighty upon earth shall be his seed, the generation of the righteous shall be blessed.' And that saying of Christ: 'Blessed are the meek (for the wise are humble and meek), for they shall possess the earth,' Matt. v, 4. In this manner Ecclesiasticus said in the preceding verse that the wise are priests: here he adds that they are likewise kings and judges of the world. Whence St. Peter, addressing the faithful, says: 'You are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood,' I Peter II, 9. AND HE THAT LOOKETH UPON HER, SHALL REMAIN CONFIDENT. — The Greek texts here vary. For the Roman texts read, προσελθών, that is, he who shall have approached her; the Complutensian, προσέχων, that is, he who attends or applies himself to her; whence our translator renders it: 'He that looketh upon her.' For he who applies himself to anyone and listens to him, is accustomed to look upon him and gaze upon him. Perhaps also our translator read in the Greek, προσορῶν, that is, he who looketh upon her. Thus, namely, that he himself apply himself to wisdom, and in turn wisdom exhibit herself to him as something to be looked upon and gazed upon. For 'shall remain,' the Greek is κατασκηνώσει, that is, shall dwell, namely in wisdom, as in a refuge, 'confident' and secure, according to that of Psalm xc, 1: 'He that dwelleth in the aid of the Most High, shall abide in the protection of the God of heaven.' Hence the Syriac translates, he who hearkens to me shall dwell within me; the Arabic, he who receives my word shall dwell in length of days. For confident, in Greek it is πεποιθώς, which the Zurich Bible translates as secure; others translate it as relying on, certain, trusting; according to that passage in Proverbs, chapter xxviii, verse 1: "The just man is as confident as a lion, without fear," both because he is confident, and certain and resolved that nothing will separate him from the love and charity of wisdom, and he speaks with the Apostle: "Who shall separate us from the charity of Christ? I am certain (in Greek πέπεισμαι, that is, I am confident, I am fully persuaded) that neither death, nor life," etc., Romans viii. 35; and because he is confident that God, who has bestowed upon him so great a gift of wisdom, will also bestow other lesser things: "They that trust in the Lord, as mount Sion: they shall not be moved for ever," Psalm cxxiv, 1. Thus Susanna, falsely accused of adultery: "Weeping she looked up to heaven: for her heart had confidence in the Lord," Daniel xiii, 35.
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πειρασμῷ, and thus a manuscript codex has it, which the Roman [edition] cites.) HE WALKETH WITH HIM. — First, Palacius explains it thus, that is to say, Wisdom is present with her own in temptation, and comforts and strengthens them. He alludes to the Angel walking with the three boys in the Babylonian furnace, and protecting them from the fire, Daniel III, 49. For in like manner Wisdom walks with her own and protects them. Whence David, accompanied by her, says Psalm XXII, 4: "I will fear no evils, for thou art with me." And Paul I Corinthians XII, 9: "The power of God (in my infirmity) is made perfect." Why? because, as Christ says to him: "It is enough," the grace which is present with thee, "my grace." And meanwhile acknowledge to whom thou owest victory in temptation. For thou canst not arrogate it to thy own strength, but to Wisdom, which walks with thee in temptation; and therefore Peter, abandoning her and joining himself to the Jews, enemies of Christ, fell into temptations and denied Christ, Matthew XXVI. But it is plain from the Greek that this verse has quite another sense, which reads thus: ὅτι διεστραμμένως πορεύσεται μετ' αὐτοῦ ἐν πρώτοις, that is, because obliquely, distortedly, harshly she will walk with him in the first place, or in the beginning, that is to say, Wisdom, and God, who is the first Wisdom, is accustomed to prove her student and disciple at the outset through temptations and all manner of hardships, and in the first place chooses him, that is, makes choice of him in the beginning, explores and proves him through adversities, whether he be docile, steadfast and worthy of her, before she insinuates herself to him and comforts him, as he says in verse 21. For he proves what was said in the preceding verse: "If he shall believe in her," that is, if he shall show himself faithful to her (Wisdom), "he shall inherit her," that is to say, in order that Wisdom may explore the fidelity and constancy of her followers, she is accustomed to harass him with temptations, in which if he persists faithful and steadfast, then at length Wisdom embraces him as a suitable and worthy disciple, comforts, instructs, perfects him, and loads him with all her goods and gifts. The Syriac gives this sense, when it translates, on the contrary (from the opposite side) I will walk with him, and in the beginning I will tempt (prove, test) him; and the Arabic, which says: in opposition I will proceed with him: for first I will sadden him. But most clearly the Zurich [version] translates this verse and the following ones up to verse 24 thus: For perversely at first she is accustomed to contend with such a one, and to terrify him by casting fear upon him, and to torment him with her discipline, until his faith of mind shall be established, and she shall have made him proved through her laws: then at length she turns herself again in the straight way, and reveals her secrets to him made glad: then she enriches him with knowledge and the knowledge of justice. But if he shall fail, she abandons him, and permits him to the power of his ruin. From this verse was taken that old custom of Athens and the Academies of proving those who came there for the sake of study: for at Athens they were accustomed to receive new scholars with mockery, insults, hisses, laughter, and to prove their patience and modesty, and thus they admitted the approved ones to the Academy, as St. Gregory of Nazianzus relates in oration 20, where [he tells of] St. Basil coming to Athens men of prudence, were and are wise, such as Moses, Samuel, David, Solomon, who therefore prayed God for wisdom to govern, saying: "Give me her that sitteth by thy throne, the wisdom," etc., Wisdom IX, 4, and therefore he received her implanted in him by God, III Kings III, 12. Thus also the Apostles were judges of the world, because they heard Wisdom incarnate speaking in the flesh. Third, everyone who obeys Wisdom shall judge the nations, on the day of judgment; for all the wise, that is, the Saints, will approve the sentence of Christ, according to that: "Know you not that the saints shall judge this world? Know you not that we shall judge angels?" I Corinthians VI, 3. And that: "The just shall judge nations, and shall rule over peoples," Wisdom III, 8. Finally, he who hears Wisdom is spiritual: "For the sensual man perceiveth not these things that are of the Spirit of God;" but he who is "spiritual judgeth all things," I Corinthians II, 15.
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τὸ γενεαί, that is, generations, here could be understood as fruits and products, namely, riches and estates, which wisdom brings to the wise and just man, and which wisdom as it were generates. Thus in chapter i, verse 21, concerning wisdom it is said: "She shall fill all his house with generations," that is, with her fruits. And in chapter vi, 20: "Soon thou shalt eat of her generations." And in chapter xxiv, 26: "By my generations ye shall be filled." Therefore Sirach signifies here that the riches and works of the wise are stable and perpetual. Fourthly, Palacius understands by creatures the virtues, heroic actions and deeds, which the just man begets and creates for himself through wisdom and the grace of God. "For just as, he says, the rational soul in the body, so infused grace and virtues are not generated, but created in the soul. For just as no power of nature can induce the soul into the body, so neither can it induce infused grace and virtues into the soul. Therefore infused grace and virtues are creatures of the pious. These creatures are not consumed in the fire of temptation, because they are not hay, stubble, or chaff: rather they are confirmed, because they are silver and gold. The carnal man, as one who is chaff, when the fire of tribulation comes, fails and is not strengthened: the spiritual man, because he is as gold tried in the furnace, is confirmed and does not vanish. Do you ask the cause of this difference? The author adds it: Because God walks with the pious man in temptation, whose flame He converts into gold: as He once did, when He walked with the youths in the fire of Babylon." Yet these creatures are more mystical than literal: yet they are very well suited to this place. Anagogically: "The works of the just shall be in confirmation, says Rabanus, because they shall be preserved for the reward of eternal inheritance, for the love of which he did all things; so that their acceptor then says with the Prophet: This is my rest for ever and ever: here will I dwell, for I have chosen it." Finally, it would be very fitly understood here that κατάσχεσις, that is, possession and confirmation, could be taken not of the wise man, but of wisdom possessing and ruling the wise man, as if to say: All γενεαί, that is, generations, namely, children, riches and works of the wise, are in κατασχέσει, that is, in the dominion and governance of wisdom: wisdom itself as it were occupies, moderates, rules, directs, prospers the wise man and all that is his, and leads them to a happy outcome. For the Greek κατέσχημαι, that is, κάτοχός εἰμι, is a verb peculiar to those who are borne as if by another's will, as those who are reduced into the power of some god, who moderates them according to his power, and possesses and acts upon them as he pleases. Thus Lucian says, αὐτῷ Θεῷ κατέσχημαι, that is, I am occupied, borne and ruled by God himself. Happy is he who is ruled by God as his rider! Happy is he whom the wisdom of God rules! See what is said in Apocalypse vi, 2. By this phrase Sirach signifies that wisdom is so much the inheritance of the wise man, that conversely rather he himself is the inheritance of wisdom: for wisdom is an inheritance not so much passive as active, which namely acts upon, rules and leads the wise man to all good. it is remembered to have been thus harassed. I once saw a similar custom in Cologne of the Ubii, namely, that new philosophers were tested not only by words but also by blows, saying that thus beanishness was to be put off. For Beanus, they said, according to each letter of the name, is an ass knowing nothing of the life of students. But one must beware here lest anything be excessive. Much more in all Religious communities are novices usually tested by various and harsh trials, both that they might explore whether their purpose is serious and solid; and that they might prepare them for enduring any hardships in the Religious life; and especially that they might make them humble, docile, obedient; concerning which see Cassian, book IV, On the Institutes of Renunciation, chapter iii: "Therefore, he says, whoever seeks to be received into the discipline of the coenobium is not admitted at all before, standing guard at the doors for ten days or more, he has demonstrated proof of his perseverance and desire, and likewise of his humility and patience. And when, having thrown himself at the knees of all the Brothers passing by, and having been deliberately refused and despised by all, as if he were seeking to enter the monastery not from religious motive but from necessity; and having also been affected by many injuries and reproaches and given proof of his constancy, and having declared by the tolerance of reproaches what sort he will be in temptations, and thus having been received with his mental ardor tested; the greatest care is taken to inquire whether any contamination of even one coin from his former possessions has clung to him." Then in chapters vii and viii, he relates that novices are accustomed to be tested in hospices by serving the sick, and then to be handed over to a master, who torments, tames and breaks not only their passions but also their wills. God does the same with all the Saints, especially the eminent and heroic ones, such as the martyrs, concerning whom it is said in Wisdom III, verse 5: "Though afflicted in few things, they shall be well rewarded in many." The Greek text more significantly has, ὀλίγα παιδευθέντες, μεγάλα εὐεργετηθήσονται, that is, chastened with small afflictions, they shall be benefited with great benefits or felicities. The Wise man adds the reason: "Because God tried them, and found them worthy of himself. As gold in the furnace he proved them, and as a victim of holocaust he received them, and in time there shall be respect for them. The just shall shine, and shall run to and fro like sparks among the reeds." This is what the Apostle says in Romans v, 4: "Tribulation worketh patience; and patience trial; and trial hope; and hope confoundeth not: because the charity of God is poured forth in our hearts, by the Holy Ghost, who is given to us." Thus Rabanus.
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translates: First indeed I sadden him, and I bring upon him fear and terror, and I prove him in the trials by which I try him, so that, when I come to my time, and my doctrine is immersed in his heart, I may incline myself to him, and gather him to me, and reveal to him all my secrets; and the Syriac: I shall instil fear and trembling in him, and I shall search him in my trials until justice, whereby his heart shall be filled (he shall receive consolation) in me, I shall turn, I shall be strengthened with him, and I shall reveal to him all my hidden things. The first way, therefore, by which God deals with his own, is the way of affliction, fear, sadness: this is then followed by the way of consolation, freedom, joy, the greater in proportion as the sadness that preceded was greater. Hence the justification of the impious begins from fear and terror of death, judgment, hell, etc., as the Council of Trent teaches in session VI, chapter vi. On the contrary, the first way by which the demon deals with his own is the way of joy, wantonness and pleasures; but this is soon followed by the way of sadness, anguish and lamentation both of this life and of hell, to which it leads. Whence seriously, but late, they shall say: "We are wearied in the way of iniquity and perdition, and we have walked difficult ways; but the way of the Lord we have not known. What hath pride profited us? or what advantage hath the boasting of riches brought us? All those things have passed away as a shadow." AND HE SHALL TORMENT HIM IN THE DISCIPLINE OF HIS DOCTRINE. — In Greek, ἐν παιδείᾳ αὐτῆς, that is, in the discipline, or chastisement of his. For wisdom, or Christian Ethics, chastises and cuts away all the motions of gluttony, anger, pride, concupiscence innate in us, and thus torments us, just as petulant and wanton children are tormented by the discipline and rod of the master: for παιδεία is the education, chastisement, instruction of children. For man, being a sensual being, is like a child who is governed by sense, not by reason, and therefore must be chastised with a childish rod, not slain with a hostile sword. Is not the libidinous man continually tormented by his flesh, stimulated to lust, continually in turn driven by the law of God to chastity? Is not the avaricious man tormented by the law of God, which extorts money from him as if eyes, and commands it to be distributed to the poor? Is not he who is driven by the spirit of vengeance tormented by the law of charity, which commands enemies to be loved, he who would cut his enemy into a thousand pieces if he could? UNTIL HE TRY (and by trying explore) HIM IN HIS THOUGHTS. — Some wrongly read his instead of his. For in Greek it is δικαιώμασιν αὐτῆς, that is, in her justifications, which the Hebrews call bechuccotach, that is, in her statutes and laws, whether, namely, he faithfully subjects himself to the laws of wisdom in all things, however troublesome to nature and flesh. Thus let his mind believe, so that he may trust in her constancy, and so that she may safely communicate and entrust to him her dogmas, as one who has given such proof. Hence it is clear that τὸ his refers to wisdom, not to her disciple.
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and explored, he shall place him in a stable and firm state of virtue and peace. These words are wanting in the Greek. AND HE SHALL LEAD A STRAIGHT PATH TO HIM, — as if to say: He shall make a more expeditious way, with difficulties removed, by which he may return to him; or the most convenient way coming to him, he shall lead a straight path to him. For in Greek it is καὶ πάλιν ἐπανήξει κατ' εὐθεῖαν πρὸς αὐτόν, that is, and again he shall return straight to him. For he had said in verse 18 that wisdom at first walks obliquely and crookedly with the disciple, to prove him; but here he says that the same returns straight to him who has now been proved, that is, she shows him a straight, plain and serene countenance, she cheers and consoles him: for just as the oblique way is that of affliction and trial, so on the contrary the straight way is that of consolation and exultation. Whence the Arabic also translates, so that I may incline myself to him, and gather him to me. Hence also follows:
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Note: τὸ shall treasure up, that is to say, not moderately, but abundantly shall he enrich him, as it were with a great treasure. That saying of the Arabs is celebrated: "Acquire gold for yourself in measure, and knowledge without measure." It is found among the Arabic proverbs, Century 2, number 29. Morally learn here how many good things obedience brings forth, by which one obeys, both the voice and law, and the inspiration of divine wisdom.
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his fall, that is to say, He shall allow him to be carried into his own fall and ruin, into which, deserting the way of wisdom and salvation, he willingly falls and precipitates himself. Whence the Syriac translator renders it, if he turn away from me, I shall cast him off and give him into the hands of robbers; the Arabic, if he shall leave me, I shall overthrow him, and shall deliver him to robbers. The Zurich version, he permits him to the power of his own ruin. For the Hebrews by personification attribute a hand to any thing, and by it signify power, dominion, action. Thus they say: You shall not come into the hands of sin, that is, you shall not sin, you shall not be subject to sin. So here a hand is given to ruin, that is, right and power over him who falls. This is what Paul says in Hebrews vi, 4: "For it is impossible for those who were once illuminated, and have tasted also of the heavenly gift, and were made partakers of the Holy Ghost, have moreover tasted the good word of God, and the powers of the world to come, and are fallen away, to be renewed again to penance, again crucifying to themselves the Son of God, and making him a mockery." Note the personification: For throughout this whole passage wisdom is introduced as a person and pedagogue who teaches his disciples, and first terrifies and chastises them, then consoles and gladdens those who obey; but abandons the contumacious and allows them to be carried into ruin: by which he signifies first, that the law of God (for this is practical wisdom) is at first grievous and burdensome to the sinner, because it resists his desires and cuts them off; but to him already justified and accustomed to the law it is easy and pleasant. Second, God who is eternal and uncreated wisdom, those whom he calls to himself and to his obedience and kingdom, he first tries and afflicts, then strengthens and exhilarates, as I said a little before.
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Note: The Greek συντήρησον can be translated, observe and preserve; for time must not only be observed, but also preserved, as it were a most precious thing granted to us by God for acquiring immortal riches, namely virtues, grace and eternal glory. The demons and wicked companions endeavor to snatch this gem of time from us, such as chatterers, jesters, etc., who are therefore called thieves of time, who urge us to squander it with them, and to spend it on vain things, indeed harmful and damning ones. Sirach therefore commands that this time, like a most excellent treasure, and if lost irrecoverable, be preserved most diligently, by spending it on works of virtue, and by abstaining from vices. Whence he adds: "And depart from evil." From συντήρησον is said συντήρησις, that is, synteresis, which signifies the attention of the mind and the stimulus of conscience continually admonishing it, lest it commit anything against itself, and that it preserve itself whole and untouched by vices on all sides. Whence the Syrian translates, preserve time; and Palacius, "preserve time," he says, that is, use the opportunity. For this reason the sacred Letters say: "All things have their time." And the more refined authors depict opportunity as having hair on the face, the back of the head bare, so that, unless you seize it by the hair from the face, you cannot seize it from the back of the head. Perhaps a deeper sense is, that you know how to use the time of the present life, lest, while you strive to avoid its losses, you fall into the losses of eternal life. A third and deeper sense is: For the impious life flees; time goes like vapor, shadow, smoke, cloud, etc. But the pious are commanded to hold and preserve time; which they accomplish when they do the works of eternity in time. And, although what they now do is temporal; yet they hold it with them eternally in heaven enduring. For our merits and crowns will endure eternally with us, Christ saying: "Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven," etc. How great is the value of time, the damned understand, who for one hour of penance would give the whole world, and would willingly undergo all labors and torments. Whence the Satirist: I mourn the loss of things, but more I mourn the loss of days: A king can help with things, no one with days. And Seneca, epistle 118: "Nature has not given us time so benignly and liberally," he says, "that it is permissible to waste any of it;" and soon after: "From this time so narrow and swift, and carrying us away, what good is it to send the greater part into nothing?" This time is the moment, on which depends Eternity, either most blessed, or most miserable. Again, time can be taken for the malice of the time and the age, as if to say, This age is full of snares and temptations; observe those therefore, and "depart from evil," according to that of the Apostle: "See, brethren, how you walk carefully, not as unwise, but as wise, redeeming the time, because the days are evil," Ephesians v, 15. See the things said there.
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it, in which there is no dwelling place because of thy confusion. Fourth, Our translator carefully renders: "For thy soul's sake be not ashamed to speak the truth." For all the following passages up to verse 33 concern the shame by which one is ashamed to speak the truth. Whence they recount many species of this evil of shame. For Sirach passes from the genus to the species most usual, or certainly to an example everywhere obvious. For he had said: "Avoid evil;" now he says: "Avoid evil shame; for thus thou wilt avoid all evil, of which this shame is the cause." Perhaps also Our translator once read in the Greek exemplar, λέγειν τὸ ἀληθές, that is, to speak the truth. Now τὸ for the soul can be taken in two ways: first, as if to say, Be not ashamed, fear not to speak the truth for thy soul, that is, for thy life to be freed from the danger of death, infamy, or similar evil; do not esteem life so highly that for its sake thou deniest the truth, but say with Paul: "I do not make my soul more precious than myself," Acts xx, 24; and with David, Psalm cxviii, 109: "My soul is in my hands always," so that I may deliver and spend it for the truth. The sense therefore is, as if to say, Let not life be dearer to thee than truth, so that for its sake thou deniest this, nor dost thou kill and slay it before shame and fear: for shame is a part and species of fear; do not therefore violate the truth, so that thou mayest preserve life; but if one or the other must be lost, rather lose life than truth. Thus Palacius. Second and more aptly to the following passages, take soul for conscience, as if to say, "For thy soul," that is, for the salvation of thy soul, so that namely thou mayest preserve thy soul, that is, thy conscience unharmed by guilt and punishment, be not ashamed, nor fear to speak the truth, so that the reason may be signified why the truth is not to be blushed at, namely, the salvation of one's own soul, which is lost through perverse shame of confessing the truth, says Jansenius. "For he who, says Christ in Luke ix, shall be ashamed of me and my words, the Son of man shall be ashamed of him, when he shall come in his majesty." But one is ashamed to confess the truth and Christ, not only he who denies the faith, but also he who does not defend the reputation and innocence of his neighbor, when he can and ought; or he who does not correct the sinner; or he who is ashamed to confess his own sin, when he ought; or he who does not defend the truth, when it is oppressed; which cases Sirach expounds and sets forth in the following verses. In faith the matter is clear: for the martyr, for the soul, that is, for the salvation of the eternal soul, ought not to be ashamed, nor to fear, but to confess intrepidly the true and orthodox faith, according to that in Romans x, 10: "For with the heart man believeth unto justice; but with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." Again the matter is clear in lying or pernicious silence, namely when someone from shame is silent about the truth, by which he could and ought to have freed another from unjust death or similar harm. Therefore in general, "for thy soul," so that namely thou mayest avoid mortal sin, which brings death to the soul, "be not ashamed to speak the truth." For, as St. Gregory says on that passage of Job xxxi: "If I have hidden my sin as a man," book XXII of the Morals, chapter xxiii: "It is a customary vice of the human race, both to commit sin by slipping, and to hide what is committed by denying it, and to multiply what is convicted by defending it." Hence that common saying: "Error begets arrogance." Note: Shame, or modesty, is properly not a virtue, but a natural passion, such as anger, compassion, pain, fear; for shame is a part or companion of fear. For shame is nothing other than fear of disgrace, or infamy. If therefore the disgrace be true, shame will be good, as when one is ashamed of drunkenness, or a similar vice: but if the disgrace be false, shame will be evil, as when one is ashamed of an omitted vice, for example, that he does not get drunk with the drunken, that he is not impudent with the impudent: just as anger is good, by which we are angry at crime and criminals; evil, when we are angry because of denied desires, or some other vain cause. For it is the part of virtue to govern shame, anger and other passions of the soul, and to use them for good, and to prevent them from going astray and being carried into evil. Therefore Sirach teaches here in particular, in which things shame is good, and in which evil. Thus Aristotle, book IV of the Ethics, chapter ix, teaches that shame is not a virtue, but a natural passion. For: "It is defined," he says, "as a certain fear of disgrace; but it exists similarly to fear, which is concerned with things to be feared. For those who are affected by shame blush; but those who fear death grow pale. It appears therefore that both in some way pertain to the body: which indeed seems to pertain to perturbation rather than to a habit." The same teaches Damascenus, and from him St. Thomas II II, Question CXLIV, article 1, where he says: "Shame is not a virtue, but a laudable passion." You will say: Aristotle in book III of the Ethics, chapter viii, calls shame a virtue, saying: "This appears most similar to that which is placed in the first place, since it is produced by virtue: for shame and the desire of what is honorable, namely of honor, and the flight from disgrace, which is base, produces it." I answer, it is called a virtue, that is a semi-virtue, a seed of virtue, a way to virtue; because it arises from the desire of what is honorable, and fear of infamy, which are principles of virtue, and a spur to it. It can also be said to be a certain natural virtue, because it is a fitting constitution befitting us by nature. Finally, it is properly called a virtue when it is an act not natural, but freely elicited, so that we are ashamed of sin or vice, and freely flee from it and abhor it. Whence Plato in the Protagoras says: "Justice and shame are gifts of Jupiter transmitted through Mercury to men, which would adorn cities, and would reconcile citizens by mutual benevolence." And after a few words: "For all ought to be partakers of these." The same in the Sophist says, "Homer asserts that, when certain gods, then especially the hospitable God among men, who are partakers of just shame, dwell, and inspect the insults and injuries of men." Hence shame, since it is fear of infamy, pertains to the irascible appetite: for anger is the guardian of fame and honor. Moreover, shame especially befits boys, virgins and youths, in whom it is often excessive. Whence it is not to be completely cut away, but moderated and directed to good. Hence Plutarch, in the tract On Vicious Shame, says: "The farmer, when he prunes the vine, carefully applies his hand, fearing lest he cut away something of those things which are healthy. So in vicious shame, beware lest you unwisely cut away even genuine shame." And he adds: "Nurses also, while they frequently wipe away filth from infants more vigorously, sometimes along with the filth draw away and injure the flesh; so those who expel bad shame are sometimes wont to injure even good shame." But St. Ambrose in book I of the Duties, chapter xviii: "A beautiful virtue is shame, etc., the companion of modesty, by whose society chastity itself is safer: for shame is a good companion in governing chastity; which, if it present itself to those things which are first dangers, will not allow chastity to be rashly violated."
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Note: "Confusion" here does not signify ignominy, which in Greek is called ἀτιμία, but shame, as also frequently elsewhere: for the Greek word αἰσχύνη signifies this. Moreover, St. Gregory understands by confusion a perturbation of the mind of the penitent; for shame induces this: explaining indeed that passage from Job iii: "Let darkness seize upon it," in book IV of the Morals cap. xvii: "Because," he says, "in darkness the eye is confused, this very confusion of our mind through penitence is called darkness. For, just as misty darkness obscures the day by a gathering of clouds, so confusion with disturbed thoughts beclouds the mind. Concerning which it is said by someone: There is confusion that brings glory. For when we bring back to mind our evil deeds through penitence, we are soon confounded with grave sorrow, a tumult of thoughts resounds in the soul, sorrow wears down, anxiety devastates, the mind turns to affliction, and is as it were obscured by a certain cloud of darkness. For this darkness of confusion had salutarily oppressed the minds of those to whom the Apostle said: What fruit therefore had you then in those things, of which you are now ashamed? Let therefore this day of sin be seized by darkness, that is, let the allurement of wickedness, the affliction of penitence with fitting sorrow, disturb." The same more clearly, book I, homily 10 on Ezekiel: "Just as," he says, "shame is praiseworthy in evil; so it is reprehensible in good. For to be ashamed of evil is wisdom; but to be ashamed of good is folly. Whence it is written: There is confusion that brings sin, and there is confusion that brings glory. For he who is ashamed in doing penance for the evils he has done, attains to the freedom of life; but he who is ashamed to do good, falls from the state of righteousness, and tends toward damnation." Such was the shame of Lucretia, who, fearing the false infamy of adultery, with which Tarquinius threatened to defame her, allowed herself to be violated by him: here therefore worldly and vicious shame brought forth sin, and indeed infamy and death, which she thought to escape by the same means. On the contrary, the shame of St. Susanna, by which she was ashamed to sin in the sight of God, and therefore willingly exposed herself to the danger of infamy which the unchaste elders threatened her with, brought her grace and glory both among men and with God, Daniel xiii. Hear also St. Bernard, sermon to the Knights of the Temple, cap. xii: "There is shame that brings sin, and shame that brings glory. Good shame is that by which you are confounded at having sinned, or certainly at sinning: and although perhaps every human judge may be absent, you revere the divine aspect as human with so much greater reverence, the more truly you think God purer than man; and you offend him so much more gravely by sinning, the more it is certain that all sin is far from him. Shame of this kind undoubtedly puts to flight disgrace, prepares glory, while it either does not admit sin at all, or certainly, once admitted, punishes it through penitence, and expels it through confession, if indeed this also is our glory, the testimony of our conscience. But if anyone is ashamed to confess that very thing by which he is moved to compunction, such shame brings sin, and loses glory from conscience, when shame, inept and with the door of the lips shut, does not permit that evil, which the compunction from the depths of the heart strives to expel, to go forth, whereas he ought rather to say with the example of David: And I will not keep silence, O Lord, thou knowest. He too, reproving himself, I think, over the foolish and irrational shame of men: For I held my peace, he says, and my bones grew old." Moreover, St. Ephrem refers this shame to the following verse, and places it after it, as I shall presently show. A notable example of good shame is given by St. Jerome regarding Pammachius, epistle 36 to the same: For Pammachius, a Roman Consul, after the death of Paulina his wife, the daughter of St. Paula, publicly professed himself a monk, and was not ashamed to make himself a spectacle to the city and to the world. Hear St. Jerome: "For who would believe that a great-grandson of Consuls, and the glory of the stock of Furius, would walk among the purple of Senators, clothed in a dark tunic, and not be ashamed to see the eyes of his companions, that he might mock those who mocked him? There is confusion that leads to death; and there is confusion that leads to life. The first is the virtue of a monk, to despise the judgments of men, and always to remember the Apostle saying: If I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ, Galatians cap. 1. St. Gregory gives the example of David dancing before the ark, I Kings xvi, 14; for thus he says in book XXVII of the Morals cap. xxxix: "What others may think of his deed, I know not; I marvel at David dancing more than fighting. For by fighting he subdued enemies; but by dancing before the Lord he conquered himself." Thus the Martyrs, Apostles and Prophets, having experienced mockery and blows from the impious, bore these bravely for God, and did not consider them a shame to themselves, but glory, as the Apostle teaches in Hebrews xi. Finally, St. Augustine in epistle 48, citing this passage from Ecclesiastes: "Confusion, he says, brings sin, when anyone is ashamed to change a perverse opinion, lest he be thought inconsistent, or be held by his own judgment to have erred for a long time. But confusion brings grace and glory, when anyone is ashamed of his own iniquity, and by repenting is changed for the better." And St. Gregory, connecting this passage from Ecclesiastes with that from Ezekiel iii, 9: "As an adamant, and as a flint have I made thy face," understands in the adamant honor, in the flint ignominy: "If, he says, thou art honored by thy hearers, if thou art struck or despised, so that neither by the honor bestowed may thy tongue be restrained by shame, nor by contempt be silent from weakness." St. Ambrose in Psalm xliii, explaining that verse 16: All the day long my shame is before me, and the confusion of my face hath covered me. "What, he says, is the confusion of Christ, but the cross, that he hung naked upon it? And well all the day: because from the time he was fixed to the cross, until the ninth hour darkness was made, and after the ninth hour light shone forth until evening." He then adds: "But, just as there is confusion that brings sin; so there is confusion that abolishes sin: such as the confusion of the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, through whom sins are washed away. There is also every confusion good, which thou endurest for the name of Christ, and exceedingly glorious; if, for example, in persecution it be the law, that a Christian be beaten, that he lose dignity, that he be deprived of privilege, that he be led into chains." For, as Nazianzenus says, Iamb. 23: It is the highest glory to bear disgrace for piety.
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Secondly, the Greek πρόσωπον signifies both a person and a face. Again, the Hebrews by נשא פנים neso panim, that is, to accept a face, signify the acceptance of persons. Whence some translate thus: do not accept a person against your soul (for in Greek it is ψυχῆ), and do not be confounded at your fall; and thus they explain it, against your soul, that is, against yourself, as if to say: If anyone should harm your reputation, do not so regard his person, although great and powerful, that you do not dare to defend yourself or protect your innocence. For in such a case shameful fear is harmful and brings ruin to a man. Thirdly, Palacius thus explains it, as if to say: Do not esteem anyone more than yourself, so that for his sake you sin; let no one be more precious to you than yourself. Therefore he adds: "Nor a lie against your soul;" that is, if a lie is a mortal sin, namely, against your soul, for the sake of no man lie, namely, for the love or fear of no one. If your soul is so precious that God would shed His own for it; why do you not esteem it at the same price? The following passages have the same meaning: "Do not fear your neighbor in his fall;" that is, fear nothing from your neighbor threatening you with falls and ruins, so that on account of his threats you "retain the word in the time of salvation." Fourthly, the Zurich Bible, in its customary manner, freely translates: do not yield to any face, which would be to the damage of your soul; nor blush to your own destruction, that is, as Vatablus explains it, do not yield to anyone's ferocity or blandishments, so as not to speak and do what is just. This sense is very apt, and you may thus rightly adapt the Latin Vulgate version to it, as if to say: You will not accept the "face" or person of the powerful "against your face," that is, against yourself, so that, namely, from shame and fear of the powerful person you lie, or keep silent about the truth, which it is necessary to speak, either for yourself or for your neighbors; and thus by your lie or harmful silence you bring your own or others' reputation, life, or soul and conscience into present and eternal danger. Whence the Greek texts add, and do not fear to your fall, or to your destruction; so that, namely, from excessive reverence and shame of someone, you fall into sin, death, infamy, etc. Hence also the Vulgate version adds: "Nor a lie against your soul," namely, accept, or sustain, or yield to it, so that you allow your soul," that is, your conscience, life, or reputation to be oppressed or defamed by someone powerful from shame; because, namely, from cowardice you do not dare to resist him; but oppose him confidently and courageously, and protect the truth and yourself and your soul. For the latter hemistich is the same as the former, and explains it in the Hebrew manner. Therefore "against your soul," that is, against yourself, or against your conscience. Thus Jansenius. Wherefore it is the same, "You will not accept a lie against your soul," with what he said a little before: "For your soul do not be ashamed to speak the truth." For Sirach repeats sentences, and says and inculcates the same thing in various ways. Prudently Plutarch in the book On Vicious Shame: "Often," he says, "fleeing the smoke of disgrace we rush into fire. Excellently Zeno, when he had come upon a young man walking secretly near the walls and heard that he was fleeing a friend, from whom he was asked to bear false witness: What do you wish, he said, coward? He dared to harm you with evil and injustice, and is not ashamed; and you do not dare to resist him for justice?" Certainly, one must stand firm and unashamed for the truth, and against the shameless put on shamelessness, lest fleeing vain shame we incur the truth, and wishing to avoid Scylla we fall into Charybdis: for he who lies from base shame, perjures himself, etc., lest he offend a friend; this man will incur far greater infamy and vengeance before God and men, on account of the lie and perjury committed, etc. A notable example is found in St. Sother, virgin and martyr, who, although she otherwise veiled her face through devotion to modesty and chastity, nevertheless uncovered it in her martyrdom and boldly opposed it to the tyrant, and willingly and fearlessly exposed it to the executioner to be struck. Hear St. Ambrose in his Exhortation to Virgins, near the end: "But Sother did not care for her own face, who, although she was very beautiful in appearance and a noble virgin of the lineage of great men, put aside the consulships and prefectures of her parents through sacred faith, and did not acquiesce when ordered to make sacrifice. The savage persecutor commanded her to be struck with palms, so that the tender virgin might yield to pain or to shame. But she, when she heard this voice, opened her face, unveiled and uncovered to martyrdom alone, and willingly met the injury, offering her face, so that there might be made a sacrifice of martyrdom where shame's temptation is wont to be. For she rejoiced in the loss of beauty, that the danger to her integrity might be removed." And soon after: "She bore these triumphant scars of martyrdom, so that she might preserve the image of God which she had received." The same author, in book III On Virgins: "St. Sother, he says, in the time of persecution, elevated even by servile insults to the height of passion, even gave her very face itself, which among all the tortures of the body is accustomed to be free from injury and to look upon torments rather than to endure them, to the executioner: so strong and patient that when she offered her tender cheeks to punishment, the executioner would fail in striking before the Martyr would yield to injury." Secondly, that is, of consolation, life, or reputation; the Syriac version translates it, and the Bonds of the Just, Nathan and Alexandrian, book 23. From this it is declared, we are taught in these few things: First, do not accept the face against your own face, do not be a hypocrite, and do not yield to any of your offenses, do not absorb the person of the powerful, or the reputation of anyone, either from fear or from shame, allow your soul, that is, your conscience, life, or reputation to be oppressed. Second, Gerson translates it, accepting a person, to accept faces, signifies acceptances of persons. Whence some thus translate it: do not accept a person against your soul, and do not be confounded at your fall. Third, freely Vatable, do not yield to anyone's ferocity or blandishments. Fourth, do not yield to any face what might be to the damage of your soul, nor blush to your own ruin. ruins, so that on account of his threats you retain the word. He did not bend his face, he did not turn his mouth: not in the time of salvation," which is to say, true faith, groaning, not tears he gave. Finally, when you both profess and preach virtue. Thus also Rabanus explains all these things concerning Martyrs. This is the first species of worldly and evil shame, by which someone does not dare to speak the truth out of reverence for the powerful, and lies, or consents to a lie, to his own and his soul's ruin. There follows a second, by which someone is ashamed to correct a neighbor who sins or errs, concerning which he says: In Greek, εἰς κάλλωσιν, that is, for ornament, or beauty. Which, first, some thus explain, as if to say, Do not hide wisdom, so that you might appear to be beautiful and fair, namely, learned and wise. Second, better others, as if to say, Do not hide wisdom, when it ought to be revealed and adorned, when, namely, it is beautiful and fitting to bring it forth: which happens when through it God's glory and the salvation of neighbors is sought to be promoted; which he said a little before: "in the time of salvation." Whence the Zurich version translates it, do not hide your wisdom, so that you might render it illustrious. We therefore owe this honor, not to ourselves, but to wisdom, so that we might utter it, when through this it is adorned; but when it is ridiculed and despised by the foolish, it ought to be kept silent and hidden, lest we give what is holy to dogs, nor cast pearls before swine, who might trample them and defile them, as Christ warns in Matthew VII, 6. Third, this is that species of evil shame and silence, by which someone from shame is silent about wisdom, when it itself ought to be honored and adorned by speech. To this pertains that passage from Proverbs XI, verse 26: "He who hides grain, he says, shall be cursed among peoples; but blessing shall be upon the head of those who sell." Which D. Gregory explaining in the third part of the Pastoral, admonition 26: "To hide grain, he says, is to retain within oneself the words of holy preaching; but such a person shall be cursed among peoples, because in the fault of silence alone he is condemned to the punishment for many, whom he could have corrected."
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as if to say: Let it not shame you to correct your neighbor when he falls into some sin or error. Whence he adds:
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Secondly, "Be not ashamed of your neighbor in his fall," that is to say, Do not fear to visit your neighbor and console him, nor be ashamed of him, when you see him fallen from his honored state into poverty and disgrace: nor retain at that time the word of salvation, namely a consolatory word, by which you may raise him up, instruct him, sustain him, as the friends of Job did, visiting and consoling him in his affliction. Thirdly, Palacius refers these things to encouraging Martyrs in persecution, that is to say, Be not ashamed, that is, do not fear your neighbor threatening you with falls and deeds from the teacher: for works, because they are real, are more vocal than words. Thus Lyra. Otherwise Jansenius: By these words, he says, it is signified what kind of doctrine is the subject, namely, that which is the foundation of justice, that is, by which men are strengthened in good works. Otherwise also Palacius: Just as, he says, the doctrine of the teacher is recognized by the word; so "foundation," or firmness and constancy of mind is recognized in the works of justice: for if in time of persecution you work justice, not turning away from it in the least, you show yourself to be firm. Do you wish to see all these things as in a mirror? Set before your eyes the life of Christ. You will see him saying: "I have not hid thy justice within my heart: I have declared thy truth and thy salvation." But hear how dearly it cost him not to hide this wisdom: "But thou, O Lord, remove not thy mercy far from me. For evils without number have surrounded me," etc. Therefore in the tongue of Christ wisdom, sense, knowledge and doctrine are recognized, and in his works the firmness of mind. The Greeks for all these things have only: for from speech wisdom is recognized, and from the words of the tongue learning; the Syriac, do not hide your wisdom, for wisdom is recognized in speech, and understanding in conversation; the Arabic, Because knowledge is recognized from eloquence, and the tongue causes understanding to err. For speech is the mirror and image of the mind. Whence Socrates to a young man: "Speak," he says, "that I may see you (your mind, prudence, senses)." For words are the vehicle of the mind. Speech is the interpreter of the soul. Discourse is the light by which the heart, and those things which are in the heart, are seen. Truly Seneca in the Proverbs: "Speech," he says, "is the image of the soul; as the man, so the speech." And Menander: "The character of a man is recognized from his speech." Moreover the foundation of speech is the work of justice, which the Hebrews say: "Not speech is the root, but work," that is to say, We ought always to do more than to say. More in conducting affairs does the thing than words avail. What is a tree without roots, such is speech without work. What the Orator said of virtue, "it is a thing, not words;" the same you may say of knowledge. Those who compare this age with the age of the fathers, say that the fathers had more conscience, less knowledge; but we have more knowledge, less conscience. Have you acquired knowledge? I praise it; but more so, if you have acquired conscience: for true knowledge is to be so handled, that you become better rather than more learned, that you instruct the heart more than you sharpen the mind, says Palacius.
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For truth is so divine a thing that it is God Himself, says Palacius. St. Augustine applies these words in Book III Against Parmenian, chapter 6, against the Donatists, who foolishly resisted truth, just as they resisted the edict of Emperor Constantine: "Is it not written," he says, "Do not contradict truth in any way? But against whom is there contradiction, if not against truth, when one resists even a king who commands something in accordance with truth? But a human king who threatens, or who judges for a time, is troublesome: not so that King, Who is also AND OF THE LIE OF YOUR LACK OF LEARNING (in Greek ἀπαιδευσίας, that is, of lack of discipline, ignorance, inexperience) (that is, spoken without discipline, ignorantly, inexpertly, rashly, imprudently), TO CONFOUND. — Thus the Roman and Greek texts, some of them, although the Complutensian, Zurich and others omit τῷ mendacio, and read only, from your lack of learning to confound. But even then through lack of learning is understood a lie, or falsehood, by which truth is contradicted; for the discourse proceeded from that: for just as truth is a divine thing, so a lie is a diabolical thing. For the Devil is "a liar and the father of it," namely of the lie, John chapter VIII, 44. It is therefore most shameful to fall away from the camps of truth to the camps of lies (for this is to pass from the camps of God to the camps of the devil), especially for a Christian man, whose whole praise and salvation consists in truth. This is the fourth species of evil shame, opposed to the second of verse 27. For just as there he commanded shame to be overcome, which holds back a man from correcting a neighbor who sins; so conversely here he admonishes him who is corrected, lest from proud shame he contradict truth, and falsely deny that he has committed the sin of which he is accused, or wish to excuse and defend it as if rightly done. Whence concerning the same he adds: "Be not ashamed to confess thy sins." The sense therefore is, as if to say, If you have spoken any lie through imprudence, thoughtlessness, precipitation, ignorance, when you notice this, do not defend it, but confound it, recall and amend it: for shame is praiseworthy, by which one humbly acknowledges and confesses an error; but it is blameworthy, by which one proudly strives to defend an error, lest he appear to have erred; for to be unwilling to be ashamed of what is shameful is a mark of great shamelessness; and to be unwilling to repent of what is to be repented of is a mark of arrogant impenitence. The Zurich version favors this exposition, when it translates, beware lest you contradict truth in any way, wherefore let the shame of false inexperience confound you. Secondly, Jansenius aptly expounds it thus, as if to say, Let it shame you to be caught lying, while through your imprudence, ignorance and boldness you contradict truth, so that what is said, "from the lie to confound," may be understood of a lie not committed, but being committed; for this aptly corresponds to what preceded: "Do not contradict the word of truth," and therefore "from the lie to confound," as if to say, And therefore let it shame you to lie, because through a lie you contradict truth. The Syriac version favors this exposition: Do not chatter against truth, and restrain yourself from follies; and the Arabic: Do not oppose equity, nor contend with it, and turn back from your offenses, and turn yourself away from them. Whence St. Augustine, book III Against Parmenian, chapter VI, applying these things to heretics who resist the faith, such as Parmenianus and the Donatists: "But to whom," he says, "is there contradiction, if not to truth, when even a king commanding something in accordance with truth is resisted? But a human king who threatens, or who judges for a time, is troublesome: not so that King, Who also of this life's shame, the shame and ignominy of the future age you may flee;" and St. Augustine in the place cited: "It is better," he says, "to endure some blushing before one person than on the day of judgment before so many thousands of men, with grave rejection, to waste away marked." Secondly, by thinking that confession is no shame to anyone, but glory, because through it we triumph over pride, sin, ourselves and the devil. Whence the Nazianzen in the place already cited: "Make it clear," he says, "that you seriously and from your heart hate the sin, while you expose it as worthy of contumely, and as it were hold it up to ridicule, and celebrate a triumph to God." Illustrious examples of this triumph are recounted by Climacus, grade 4 and 5 on Penance. 31. BE NOT ASHAMED TO CONFESS THY SINS. — This is the fifth species of evil shame, by which one blushes to confess sins. Sirach does not speak precisely of Sacramental Confession, since that had not yet been instituted at that time; but generally of confession, by which one who is legitimately questioned, admonished or corrected concerning a sin, falsely denies it. Wherefore St. Bernard rightly exclaims, epistle 185 to Eustachius: "O shame, he says, devoid of reason, enemy of salvation, ignorant of all honor and honesty. This is plainly that which the Wise Man speaks of, confusion bringing forth sin. Is it then shameful for a man to be overcome by God, and is it counted a reproach to be humbled under the mighty hand of the Most High? For thus that glorious king David: To thee only have I sinned, and have done evil before thee, that thou mayest be justified in thy words, and mayest overcome when thou art judged. The highest kind of victory, to yield to divine majesty; and not to resist the authority of the mother Church, is the highest honor and glory. O perversity! It is not shameful to be defiled, yet it is shameful to be washed! There is shame (according to the Wise Man) bringing forth glory; if namely one is ashamed to sin: if not, let one be ashamed at least to have sinned; and thus you will not lack even late glory; shame bringing back what guilt had driven away. In the second place of blessedness are those whose iniquities are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. An honorable covering, of which he speaks: Confession and beauty in his sight. Who would grant me to see thee in golden raiment, that we may say also to thee: Thou hast put on confession and comeliness, thou art clothed with light as with a garment." The same, sermon 4 among the lesser ones: "It is better, he says, in evil deeds a humble confession, than in good deeds a proud boasting." The same, in Meditations chapter XXXVII: "All things are washed away in confession, conscience is cleansed, bitterness is taken away, sin is put to flight, tranquility returns, hope revives, the spirit becomes cheerful. After Baptism there is no other remedy than the refuge of confession. Let there be therefore devout contrition of heart, true confession of mouth, discreet mortification of flesh, sudden rooting out of vices, joyful exhibition of good works." And soon after: "Feigned confession is not confession, but double confusion. For the simulation of misery excludes the mercy of God. Nor does dignity have place, where there has been presumption of dignity. Sirach borrowed this saying from Solomon, Proverbs XVIII, 17: 'The just man is first accuser of himself.' Where I shall say more about confession. AND SUBJECT NOT THYSELF TO EVERY MAN FOR SIN, that is to say, Be not ashamed to confess thy sins; but be ashamed of the sin itself, so that thou submit thyself to no man (for in Hebrew, not to every man, is the same as to no man) soliciting thee to sin in order to commit it. In the former hemistich therefore Sirach exhorts to confession of sin committed, in the latter he dissuades from consent to commit it. Thus Rabanus, the Interlinear Gloss and Palacius. This sense is required by the Greek, do not submit thyself to a foolish man; and by the Syriac, do not subject thyself to a foolish man; and by the Arabic, do not contend with the unwise, and do not give thy name to the foolish. Otherwise Lyra, that is to say, Do not subject thyself to any man, so as to confess thy sins to any man; but to him alone who knows them, and can apply or show thee a salutary remedy for them. Otherwise also Jansenius, who, in order to connect all these things together, thus explains it, that is to say, Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, while thou art reproved by a wise man, or superior and judge concerning them, and "for sin" committed by thee do not "subject thyself to any man," that is make thyself liable to a greater, and to new reproof and vengeance, if namely thou art found to be a liar, while thou wishest to deny, or excuse the sins committed. Wherefore "do not resist against the face of the mighty," for sin, namely committed by thee; that is, when a judge, or any other, who can refute thy lies and avenge them, reproves thee for sin, do not defend thyself against him with lies, "nor strive against the force of the river," that is, nor against the power of him who attacks thee with truth. For this is the same as if thou shouldst strive against the force, that is the violence of a river. But this exposition, although more connected, yet seems less full, and more forced, and the Greek, Syriac and Arabic text are opposed to it.
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Note: These two verses, namely 30 and 31, which are thus found in the Latin Vulgate: "Be not ashamed to confess thy sins, and submit not thyself to every man for sin. Resist not against the face of the mighty, nor strive against the course of the river," are otherwise found in the Greek codices, which also transpose the members of sentences, namely some they place before, some after; thus they have, be not ashamed to confess thy sins, strive not against the course of the river. Submit not thyself, or bow not thyself to a foolish man, nor yield to the face of the mighty. Moreover the Syriac approaches the Greek; yet it differs somewhat from it; thus it has: be not ashamed to confess thy sins, and resist not the foolish. Submit not thyself to the mad, and contend not against the Lord. namely a prince or master; and the Arabic, be not ashamed to confess thy sins; contend not with the unwise, and give not thy name to the foolish: contend not with a prince. But these versions and readings do not cohere so aptly as the Latin Vulgate: wherefore its author, the Latin Interpreter, appears to have had a more correct Greek exemplar, as here both the orthodox Interpreters confess and have noted, and not only they, but also the heterodox, indeed the cacodox in faith. This maxim of Sirach is illustrated by the fable of the reed and the olive among Aesop: "Concerning strength," he says, "the reed and the olive contended; when the olive reviled the reed, as being weak and easily yielding to all winds, the reed, saying nothing, remained silent. And after waiting a little, when a sharp wind blew, the reed, shaken and bent by the winds, easily escaped; but the olive, when it resisted the winds, was broken by force. The moral: The fable signifies that those who do not resist the times and those superior to them are better than those who contend with the more powerful." Moreover Nazianzenus, epistle 57 to Eudoxius, adapts this proverb to nature, as if to say, "Strive not against the course of the river," that is, strive not against the inclination of nature, according to that: You will do and say nothing if Minerva is unwilling.
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by virtue; but especially for justice properly so called: for we ought to contend for it as it were for our soul, because from justice and virtue depends the present and eternal happiness of the soul, and therefore virtue is the health of the soul, indeed the soul of the soul. For let no one say: The defense of justice does not pertain to me. He adds: "Contend for your soul," that is to say, While you contend and fight for justice, you fight for your soul, indeed you fight for God, who is the first and uncreated truth and justice, and who gave you your soul, that you might fight for it and for truth even unto death. Whence Dionysius in his address to Antony in the Melissa, part I, chapter XXI: "Truth," he says, "is God, inasmuch as it is one, not many according to nature. For truth indeed is one; but falsehood is manifold. For Christ also says: I am the way, the truth, and the life," John XIV. Hence Iamblichus in Stobaeus, discourse II on Truth: "Truth," he says, "as its Greek etymology indicates, is concerned with God and the incorrupt action of God." For in Greek truth is called ἀλήθεια, which is from ἀλεῖ, that is grinds, θεῖα, that is divine, namely because it is occupied with God and divine things, and is itself as it were ἄλημα, that is the flour of God and Divinity. Note the Grecism, by which the passive verb agonizare is taken actively like a deponent for agoniza, contend, fight, struggle, battle, combat; for the Greeks use the passive ἀγωνίζομαι more frequently than the active ἀγωνίζω, for contend, combat, etc. In a similar manner our Author uses certari for certare, chapter XI, 9. Moreover τὸ agonizare has emphasis, that is to say, For your soul, so that namely you save your soul, exert all your strength, and with your whole effort contend for justice, namely with that contention and struggle with which the dying in their agony struggle with death. For in these things nature, in order to protect itself and its own life, brings forth all its strength, and exerts the extreme of its power. Whence many struggle free from the danger of death, and are restored to life. Or rather, "agonizare," that is contend most keenly for justice, just as once the wrestlers and Olympic victors in the contest contended for the crown even unto death. He alludes to the Olympic contests and similar ones of the Greeks. For in Greece there were four sacred contests, which they called agones, namely the Nemean, Pythian, Isthmian, and Olympic, concerning which see Budaeus in the Pandects. Concerning these same there is an epigram of Archilochus: Four sacred contests are said to be for the Argives, Two for mortals born, and two for the celestials. To Phoebus, and to Jupiter himself, to Archemorus, and to little Melicertes, Apples, wild olives, parsley, prizes, and pine were. To this also the Apostle alluded, I Corinthians IX, verse 25: "Every one that striveth for the mastery, refraineth himself from all things; and they indeed that they may receive a corruptible crown; but we an incorruptible one." See the remarks made there and Apocalypse III, at the end. Most excellently Philo, in the book That Every Good Man is Free: "I have watched," he says, "at some time those contending in the pancration: one striking with fists and kicks, and contending with all his strength for victory, finally departing weary and uncrowned from the stadium; another fleshy, sinewy, muscular, and full of true athletic spirit, as if made of stone and iron yielding nothing to blows, overcoming his adversary by patience alone, and finally obtaining victory." And immediately turning to morals, as he is accustomed: "I consider a good man similar to this," he says, "who, being strongly confirmed, by a fixed purpose of mind brings it about that his adversary becomes exhausted first in inflicting injuries, before he himself does anything contrary to his own judgment." And St. Jerome to Heliodorus: "What are you doing in your father's house, delicate soldier? Where is the rampart? Where is the ditch? Where is winter spent under tents? Behold from heaven the trumpet sounds. Behold with the clouds the Emperor armed goes forth to make war on the world. And you go from your chamber to battle: you go forth from the shade into the sun? A body accustomed to tunics does not bear the burden of armor; a head covered with linen refuses the helmet: a hand soft from idleness is roughened by the hard hilt." Such a champion of justice was St. John the Baptist, who, contending for the right of matrimony and correcting the adulterer Herod, was crowned by him with the laurel of martyrdom. Similar were the other Martyrs. Such also was Judas, Jonathan and the other Maccabees, who for justice, that is, for the just defense of their country and the Church, fought most valiantly against Antiochus, and therefore God, fighting for them, nay for justice itself, made them victors and glorious, so that a few routed vast armies of enemies, as is related in the book of Maccabees. Let soldiers therefore contend for justice even unto death: nay, let every faithful person placed in temptation, as a soldier of Christ, fight for God and justice against the demon, the world and concupiscence even unto death, considering that the matter concerns his soul and its eternal salvation. See St. Cyprian, Exhortation to Martyrs, and Tertullian in the Scorpiaco and Exhortation to Martyrs. Furthermore, Sirach appropriately subjoins this sentiment to the preceding one, as if to say: "I said: Do not resist against the face of the mighty." But understand this, if the mighty one does not compel you to sin, or solicit you to it; for if he does solicit you, I say and decree: "Contend for justice, struggle for your soul;" which Palacius thus explains, as if to say: If your silence conduces to the danger or harm of justice, then cast yourself into the agony of death for it. Contend against the whole world for piety, as St. Athanasius contended against almost the entire Arian world. You will not contend alone, you will not sustain the struggle alone; God stands for you. Resist therefore those who assail justice. Understand this, if resistance falls upon you by duty, or if religion and faith, or the salvation of your neighbors depends upon your resistance. Otherwise you are not so much obliged to resist an unjust ruler, especially if you do not hope that remedy will come from your resistance. Thus St. Cornelius, the glorious Pontiff and martyr, with great and unconquered heart resisted Decius, Gallus and Volusian the Emperors, who were compelling all to idolatry, and was the leader and author of resistance for the Romans and other Christians. Wherefore in the year of the Lord 255, his head cut off, crowned with the laurel of martyrdom, he flew to heaven; and not long after St. Leo I, his successor in the pontificate, on the Appian Way, where he had undergone the illustrious struggle of faith, erected a temple as it were an eternal theater of glory in his honor. The same St. Cyprian, his contemporary and fellow soldier, celebrates him with great praises of virtue, in his first epistle to Cornelius: "It cannot sufficiently be expressed," he says, "what great exultation there was there, etc., that you were there a leader of confession to the brethren, so that, while you went before to glory, you made many companions of glory; and you persuaded the people to become confessors, while you were the first prepared to confess for all. The virtue of the preceding bishop was there publicly approved, the union of brotherhood was shown, while among you there was one mind and one voice, the whole Roman Church confessed." And in book IV, epistle 2 to Antonianum concerning Cornelius: "The battle is still being waged, and the struggle is celebrated daily." And further down: "What virtue in his assumed episcopate! what strength of mind! what firmness of faith! which we ought with simple heart both to perceive fully and to praise, that he sat intrepid in Rome in the priestly chair at that time, when the tyrant hostile to the priests of God threatened things both speakable and unspeakable; when he would hear far more patiently and tolerably that a rival prince be raised against him, than that a priest of God be established in Rome. Is not this one, dearest brother, to be proclaimed with the highest testimony of virtue and faith? Is he not to be reckoned among the glorious Confessors and Martyrs, who sat so long a time awaiting the executioners of his body and the avengers of the raging tyrant; who would have invaded Cornelius resisting against the deadly edicts, and threats, and tortures, and torments, trampling them under foot by the vigor of faith, either with the sword or fixing him to the cross, or burning him with fire, or tearing his bowels and limbs with some unheard of kind of punishment? Even if the majesty of the Lord protecting, and the goodness protecting the priest whom He willed to make and made, yet Cornelius, as far as his devotion and fear pertains, suffered whatever he could suffer; and the tyrant, conquered afterwards by arms and war, he conquered first by his priesthood." Contemporary and equal in fortitude to St. Cornelius was St. Babylas, Patriarch of Antioch, who, when the Emperor Decius entered the church with great retinue and pomp, expelled him from it with greater courage and virtue, and therefore underwent glorious martyrdom: wherefore also after his death, buried in Daphne, he expelled demons from there. Admiring which, St. John Chrysostom, in his book Against the Gentiles, exclaims: "O unconquered spirit, and exalted mind! O heavenly breast and angelic constancy! For indeed the Holy Scriptures had instructed him that all the things of this world are nothing but a shadow and a dream, and if anything is more vain than these. Therefore he directed his thought to that supreme King sitting upon the Cherubim, beholding the abysses, to that glorious throne, to the myriads of Angels, to the thousands of Archangels."
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they are joined together, as we often see them joined. For since in man there is one and the same soul, which speaks through the tongue and works through the hand, and it itself is of limited and scanty attention and power, if it applies and exerts the whole of itself in the tongue, it has little remaining which it can exert in the hand and action, especially since the tongue and hand, speech and action are very different and almost contrary. Whence it is commonly said: A tongue not idle, a mind idle. Wherefore Seneca prudently admonishes Lucilius, epistle 72: "The sum of all things," he says, "will be this: I command you to be slow of speech." Indeed, the Psalmist also, Psalm XXXVIII, 2: "I said," he says, "I will keep my ways, that I offend not in my tongue." St. Augustine gives the reason there. "For the tongue is not in vain in play," he says, "except because it easily slips. Keep therefore thy ways, and offend not in thy tongue; consider what thou art about to say, examine it, consult the inner truth, and thus bring it forth to the outer hearer." There St. Ambrose: "There are other ways," he says, "which we ought to follow; others which we ought to keep: to follow the ways of the Lord, to keep our own, lest they be directed to fault. But thou canst keep them if thou speakest not hastily." Furthermore, this saying, since it is general, can be adapted to various cases: First, to promises, as if to say: Be not swift in promising, slow in fulfilling the promise. Secondly, to commands and orders, as if to say: Be not swift in commanding, slow in working, so that thou givest many orders and commands to others; but art unwilling thyself to put thy hand to the work. For a true leader of a household and of war will not say to his men: Do this thus, soldiers; but, let us go, let us do it, fellow soldiers. And he will go first before his men and put his hand to the work, as Julius Caesar both said and did. Thirdly, to the lazy and slothful, of whom there are many who are talkative, remiss in laboring, so that their whole sense, motion and life seem to be in the tongue, and consequently their hands insensible, immobile and as if dead. Fourthly, to the proud, who boast greatly of themselves, when they accomplish nothing by works. Such is that soldier Thraso in the Comic poet, who proclaimed his deeds in wars with full mouth, when he was unwarlike, sluggish and most timid. Fifthly, to teachers and preachers, who teach much by word, but accomplish nothing by works. Whence that Hebrew saying is similar to them: "The Talmud without works is not great Talmud;" or: "Teaching without works is not teaching," as if to say: Teaching or the teacher is not to be magnified, who lives otherwise than he teaches. For such teaching falls upon hearts, as rain falls upon rocks, as a certain wise man says; for true teaching requires that each one live according to it, lest morals dissent from speech: "For the kingdom of God is not in speech, but in power," I Corinthians IV, 20. Sixthly, to the idle, talkative, garrulous, slanderous, who by their garrulity and slander create danger for themselves and others: "For a slippery mouth worketh ruin," says Rabanus. Whence St. James, chapter 1, verse 19: "Let," he says, "every man be swift to hear, but slow to speak, and slow to anger. For the anger of man worketh not the justice of God." Thus Zeno, hearing a garrulous youth: "The ears," he says, "have flowed into the tongue," signifying that it is the part of a youth to hear much, to speak little, as Laertius testifies, book VII, chapter 1. The same thou mayest say of the idle and talkative: "The hands of this one have flowed into the tongue." And, as Theocritus of Chios used to say: "All his household goods are in his mouth, and a single dwelling place." The same when Anaximenes was about to speak, thus prefaced it: "A river of words begins, a drop of mind," signifying that he was multiloquous, but little wise, as Stobaeus reports, sermon 34. Such are the slothful and garrulous. Finally, R. Sammai in Pirke Avoth: "I wish thee," he says, "sparing in speaking, much in doing." To this maxim is opposed the apologue of the lion and the ass found in Cyril, lib. I of Moral Apologues, cap. XVI, whose title is: Speak with a thin voice, and act with a great deed. "The ass, a companion preceding the lion, when he perceived from afar a band of wolves, began to emit a voice from a distance, so that the enemy herd, struck by its vastness, would depart. But when the enemies recognized from the clamor that this was an ass, standing fixed they began to laugh, knowing that so great a sound of the breast in no way corresponded to the virtue of the heart. Then the lion, perceiving the voice, immediately ran to his companion and said: Friend, what is the matter with you, that you have cried out? — to which he replied: My brother, a herd of wolves appeared, which I terrified with a great voice, and it does not move; but soon at the scent of you it disappeared not without my amazement. To this the lion, prudently smiling: If you know, he said, the wicked wolf is cunning, he mocks the clamor, and fears virtue alone, he ridicules the barking of a dog, provided he escapes the bite." The same thing is then confirmed by the example of a soldier and rum experienced soldier does not fear the war trumpet, but the sword; and the learned philosopher does not fear the clouds' thunder, but the lightning. For what is clamor except the sound of an evacuated breast and poured forth mouth? Indeed, empty things sound more, and windy things crackle. Wherefore, dearest one, he who uses clamors is in no way feared by the wise man. Since he is known to be windy and empty without the solidity of virtue. By clamor indeed the flame of anger is kindled in the furnace of the heart, from which smoke is immediately drawn forth, and with reason obscured the splendor of virtue is darkened. For from the light of reason virtue arises. Wherefore it is more prudently accomplished that, the empty appearance being spurned, the matter is finished by greatness of voice. Thus the regular motion of the heavens, since it is a virtuous act, is completed with great virtue without sound. Which being said, the confused ass departed from the society of the lion."
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That saying of Dionysius is famous in Sophocles' Tragedy: Whoever betakes himself to the tyrant's dwelling Becomes his slave, even if he came as a free man. Which Aristippus corrected, adding: "He is not a slave, if he came there as a free man;" signifying that a wise man, who is free from hope and fear, is free even if he serves. See Laertius, book II, chapter 8. Therefore, if the master is by nature prone to anger, let him tame and restrain it by that wisdom. Hence the ancients depicted a lion inclining its head to the owl, which is the symbol of wisdom, to signify that the wrathful and savage ought to submit their head, their anger and ferocity to wisdom, so that they may subject themselves to it, and be moderated, restrained and governed by it, lest they precipitate themselves to ruin and rush into destruction. Now indeed, just as it is wisely said: "Be not like a lion;" so likewise you should say: "Be not like a fox in your house;" so that by your cunning, deceits and frauds you do not deceive your own, circumvent them, ensnare them: and it often happens that he who insinuates himself into the leadership of a household or state with craft and enters like a fox, reigns in the same as a lion. Moreover, it is better to be a lion than a fox; for lions, says Pliny in book VIII, chapter 16, "lack deceit and suspicion; nor do they look with sidelong eyes, and they do not wish to be looked upon in a different manner." Whence it is a proverb of the Hebrews in Sanhedrin, chapter 4: "Be rather the tail of lions than the head of foxes," that is to say, Take care that you be rather the last among magnanimous and noble men than the first among cunning and deceitful ones. This is relevant to what is related in Aesop's Fables concerning the lioness, who, when the fox boasted that she bore many offspring, replied that she bore only one, but a lion. He mentions the tail, because "the tail is the index of the lion's spirit, as the ears are of horses," says Pliny in book VIII, chapter 16. For this reason the same Hebrews say: "Worship the fox (as well as the lion) in its time," that is to say, Cultivate and respect a cunning and deceitful man, whom Apuleius calls a fox-man, when he is in honor and dignity, or when you have need of his work; if not so that he may benefit you, at least so that he may not harm you. Thus Abraham worshipped the sons of Heth, Gentiles and Canaanites, and therefore crafty and powerful ones, Genesis 23:12. And this is a singular remedy by which servants preserve and protect themselves in a house in which the master is a lion; namely, that by humility, respect, patience, gentleness, and attention, they break the lion's angers and spirits, and soften and tame it: for the lion spares him who humbles himself, and strikes down the one who resists. Truly indeed the Poet: It is enough for the magnanimous lion to have prostrated bodies. Hear Pliny, book VIII, chapter 16, in whom is credibility: "To the lion alone among beasts belongs clemency toward suppliants; he spares the prostrate: and when he rages, he first roars at men rather than at women; at infants, only in great hunger. Libya believes that understanding reaches them of prayers. I have certainly heard of a captive Getulia returning, who said that she had mitigated the attack of many in the forests by her speech, daring to say that she was a fugitive woman, weak, and a suppliant to the animal of all the most generous, and commanding others, unworthy of its glory as prey."
4:36
Let Christians learn from Christ and St. Paul this saying: "It is more blessed to give than to receive," Acts XX, 35. See the remarks there. Indeed, Aristotle in the Ethics teaches that it is more proper to virtue to do good, εὐποιεῖν, than to receive good, εὐπασχεῖν, that is, to bestow a benefit than to accept one. Memorable is the saying of Artaxerxes, king of the Persians, who was surnamed Longimanus from his longer hand; for when he was mocked as if monstrous on this account, he replied cleverly: "God gave to himself, as to a prince and wise man, the longer hand for giving, namely the right hand, very long; but the other hand for taking away, namely the left hand, he gave contracted and very short. For it is more regal to add than to take away; to give than to receive." Thus God is long-handed for giving, short-handed for receiving. So Plutarch in the Apophthegms of Kings. Finally, to this and the preceding verse pertains that saying of the Nazianzen in the Tetrastichs, by which he teaches that power is to be shown not by harming, but by helping, not by receiving, but by giving: Do not display your strength by harming others, But by doing good, if you desire to follow God. It agrees with Ben-Sira, Sirach in the Alphabet, letter Thau: "Let your hand be so liberal to you," he says, "as if you were always satisfied, and not as if you had only just now become satisfied, but were hungry before. For those who are always satisfied are beneficent and generous: but those who have been hungry at some time, and remember it, are sparing in giving, being mindful of their own want." Moreover, Aristotle, in book V of the Ethics, chapter III, among the great-souled and the qualities of greatness of soul, assigns this as one of the principal: "The great-souled man," he says, "is such that he benefits others, but is ashamed to be benefited himself. For that is the mark of excellence, this of one who is surpassed, and it is of such a kind that he repays more: thus it will come about that he who first conferred a benefit, moreover should be in debt and appear to have received a benefit. Neither is Thetis said to commemorate benefits to Jupiter, nor the Lacedaemonians to the Athenians; but only those by which they were benefited. It is also the mark of the great-souled man to ask something from no one, or scarcely at last, but to serve others readily." And this is the reason a priori of the saying of Sirach. They seem moreover to remember those to whom they have done kindly; but those from whom they have received, not at all; since he who has received is less than he who conferred the benefit; but they themselves wish to be superior, whence also they are accustomed to hear those things pleasantly, these unpleasantly. And for this reason
Machine translation from the Latin, not reviewed.
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · Vulgata Clementina · original Douay-Rheims (Douay 1609-10), transcription by EEBO-TCP (CC0) · La Sacra Bibbia, tradotta dalla Volgata da Antonio Martini (1769-1781) (LaParola (laparola.net), Martini OSIS text, Public domain (LaParola's electronic edition marks it 'Dominio pubblico')). Public domain.