Letters266 Letter CCLXVI. To Suger, abbot of s. Denys,* to comfort him on his death-bed. (A.n. 1151)
Letter CCLXVI. To Suger, abbot of s. Denys,* to comfort him on his death-bed. (A.n. 1151)
Bernard encourages him to meet death bravely, and expresses a great desire to see him before he dies.
To his dear and intimate friend SUGER, by the grace of God Abbot of S. Denys, Brother BERNARD wishes the glory which is within and the grace which cometh down from above.
Vol. II. 4g 1. Fear not, O man of God, to put off that man which is of the earth, which weighs you down to the earth and tries to sink you to hell. He it is that vexes, burdens, attacks you.
What have you to do with earthly coverings, who art about to go to heaven to be clad with the robe of glory? It is near, but it will not be given to one that is clothed. It is.able to clothe you, but not if you are already clothed upon. Be not distressed, then—nay, rejoice to be found naked and unclothed. God Himself wishes man to be clothed, but only when He is naked and unclothed. The man of God, then, will not return to God unless that which is of the earth first return to the earth, for these two are at enmity with each other, and there will be no peace till they are separated. And if peace do come it will not be the peace of the Lord nor with the Lord. You are not one of those who say, Peace, when there is no peace (Ezek. xiii. 10). The peace which passeth all understanding awaits you, the righteous wait for this peace to be given you, the joy of your Lord awaits you.
2. And I, my dearest friend, greatly long to see you once more that I may receive a dying man's blessing. But since it is not in man's power to choose his path I dare not, since I cannot be certain, promise certainly to come, but though I do not at present see how I can, I shall do all that I can to come. Perhaps I may come, perhaps may not; but whichever it is I have loved you from the first, I will love you without end. I say with all confidence that I cannot lose one so loved to the end. He is not lost to me, but he goes before, for my soul clings to his with a force which nothing can destroy, and is united by a bond which can never be broken. Only forget not me when you arrive where I hope to follow you, so that it may be granted me to come quickly to you. In the meanwhile never think that the sweetness of the thought of you can ever leave me, though the loss of your presence leave us grieving. Yet we must not doubt the power of God to give you even now to our prayers and to preserve you to us who have such need of you.
Charissimo et intimo amico suo SUGERIO, Dei gratia abbati Sancti Dionysii, frater BERNARDUS, gloriam quae ab intus est, et gratiam quae desuper venit.
1. Homo Dei, ne trepides exuere hominem illum qui de terra est, illum qui te deprimit usque ad terram, et conatur deprimere usque ad inferos. Iste est qui vexat, qui onerat, qui oppugnat. Quid tibi et terrenis exuviis, qui ad coelum iturus, stola gloriae mox indui habes? Praesto est, sed vestito non dabitur: vestire novit illa, non supervestire. Sustine ergo patienter, imo libenter accipe nudus et non vestitus inveniri. Denique et Deus ipse vult vestiri: sed cum nudus, non cum vestitus est. Homo Dei non revertetur ad Deum, nisi is qui de terra est et terra est, in terram ierit. Hi enim duo homines sibi invicem adversantur, nec erit pax, donec ab invicem separentur: et si pax fuerit, non erit pax Domini, non erit pax cum Domino. Non es tu de illis qui dicunt: Pax, et non est pax. Te exspectat pax illa, quae exsuperat omnem sensum; te exspectant justi donec retribuatur tibi; te exspectat gaudium Domini tui.
2. Et ego quidem, charissime, vehementer afficior ante videre te, ut benedictio morituri veniat super me. Et quoniam non est in homine via ejus, non audeo, unde certus non sum, pro certo polliceri: sed quod nondum video, quomodo possim, satis ago ut possim. Forte veniam, forte non veniam. Sed quodlibet horum sit, dilexi a principio, diligam sine fine. Fidenter dico, non possum perdere sic dilectum usque in finem. Non mihi perit, sed praeit, cujus animae mea adhaesit glutino quod non dissipabitur, et vinculo quod non dirumpetur. Tantum memento nostri cum perveneris quo nos praevenis: ut et nobis cito detur venire post te, et ad te pervenire. Interim tamen nullatenus putes quod tua dulcis memoria recedat a nostra, etsi praesentia dolentibus subtrahatur. Quanquam potens est Deus te adhuc nobis donare rogantibus, servare indigentibus: quod utique non est diffidendum.