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Chapter 76BenjaminMinor.1.76

CAPUT LXXVI. Quam sit rarum, vel quam jucundum, spirituales theorias in usum adducere et in oblectamentum vertere

The Rare Ascent

The chapter opens by describing the rarity and labor of climbing the mountain of contemplation and standing there, urging the reader to learn to dwell.

How rare are those who climb this far — either because they won't, or because they can't. It's very rare to climb this mountain, but far rarer to stand on its summit and linger there; rarest of all, though, is to live there and rest in the mind: "Who," he says, "will ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in his holy place?" .1 First comes climbing; afterward comes standing. There is labor in standing, to be sure, but more in climbing. Many, indeed, failed in the climb itself because of the excessive labor of ascending; many came down too quickly from its steep summit because of the labor of standing. This may have seemed unbearable to them, since not only is this mountain climbed only through great labor, but remaining there without great difficulty isn't granted either.2 But maybe you've already climbed, and you've already learned to stand there — and even this should not be enough for you.

The Joy of Dwelling

Through persistent practice, dwelling on the mountain becomes a delight, and the Psalmist marvels at both the difficulty of ascent and the sweetness of rest.

Learn to live there and make it your home, and whenever your mind wanders away, return to it again. Without a doubt, with enough practice it will eventually become a delight for you—so much so that you can stay there constantly without any effort; in fact, it will be more painful for you to linger anywhere else than to stay there. What a wonderful joy it is to be able to remain on this mountain without labor. Peter bears witness: drawn by such a great and unfamiliar sweetness, he cries out, "It is good for us to be here." How blessed is the person who has been able to climb this mountain and find rest in their mind! Oh, how great! Oh, how rare! Lord, who will dwell in your tabernacle?✦3 Or who will rest on your holy mountain? And indeed it's a great thing to be able to ascend and stand; still greater, though, is to be able to dwell there, to be able to rest. To ascend and stand belongs to virtue; to dwell and rest belongs to happiness.4 Both, surely, are great; both are worthy of wonder. The Prophet marvels at both, but the first for the greatness of its difficulty, the second for the greatness of its delight.5 The wonder at the difficulty is that cry: Who will ascend the mountain of the Lord, or who will stand in his holy place? .6 The wonder at the delight is that cry: Lord, who will dwell in your tabernacle, or who will rest on your holy mountain?

Prayer for the Holy Mountain

The chapter concludes with an exclamation on the blessedness of dwelling and a prayer for God's light and truth to lead to the holy mountain.

To climb and stand—what strength, and what kind! To dwell and rest—what blessedness, and what kind! Who's fit for that work? Who's worthy of this gift?7 Lord, who will climb? Lord, who will stand on your holy mountain?✦ Send out your light and your truth; they've led me and brought me to your holy mountain and into your tabernacles.✦

Read the original Latin

O quam rari sunt, vel quia nolunt, vel quia nequeunt qui hucusque ascendunt. Rarum valde in hunc montem ascendere, sed multo rarius in ejus vertice stare, et ibi moram facere; rarissimum autem ibi habitare et mente requiescere: Quis, inquit, ascendet in montem Domini, aut quis stabit in loco sancto ejus? . Prius ascendere est, postea stare. In stando quidem labor, sed in ascendendo major. Multi quidem in ipsa ascensione defecerunt, propter nimium laborem ascendendi, multi ab arduo ejus vertice ocius descenderunt, propter laborem standi. Hoc fortassis eis intolerabile videbatur, quoniam non solum in hunc montem, nisi per magnum laborem non ascenditur, verum etiam sine magna difficultate ibi immorari non datur. Sed forte jam ascendisti, jam ibi stare didicisti, nec hoc sufficiat tibi.

Disce ibi habitare et mansionem facere, et qualicunque mentis evagationem abstractus illuc super redire. Absque dubio per multum usum quandoque vertetur tibi in oblectamentum, intantum, ut absque ulla laboris difficultate possis ibi assiduus esse, quinimo poena potius tibi sit alibi, quam ibi moram aliquam facere. Mira jucunditas in hoc monte sine labore morari posse. Petro attestante, qui tanta et tam insolita suavitate allectus, exclamat: Bonum est nos hic esse. O felicem qui potuit in hunc montem ascendere, et mente requiescere! O quam magnum! O quam rarum! Domine quis habitavit in tabernaculo tuo?

aut quis requiescet in monte sancto tuo? Et quidem magnum est ascendere posse et stare; majus tamen est posse inhabitare, posse requiescere. Ascendere et stare, est virtutis; inhabitare et requiescere, est felicitatis. Utrumque utique magnum, utrumque admiratione dignum. Utrumque Propheta miratur, sed illud pro magnitudine difficultatis, istud pro magnitudine jucunditatis. Admiratio difficultatis est illa exclamatio: Quis ascendet in montem Domini, aut quis stabit in loco sancto ejus? . Admiratio jucunditatis est illa exclamatio: Domine quis habitabit in tabernaculo tuo, aut quis requiescet in monte sancto tuo?

Ascendere et stare, o quanta, qualisque fortitudo, inhabitare, et requiescere, o quanta, qualisque beatitudo! Quis ad id opus idoneus, quis hoc munere dignus? Domine, quis ascendet; Domine, quis stabit in monte sancto tuo? Emitte lucem tuam et veritatem tuam, ipsa me deduxerunt et adduxerunt in montem sanctum tuum, et in tabernacula tua.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩Ps.14.1;Ps.16.1 — To the choirmaster. Of David. The fool says in his heart, "There is no God." They are corrupt, they have done abominable deeds; there is none who does good. Ps.16.1 — A Davidic psalm. Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
  2. ↩Ps.24.3;Ps.25.3;Ps.15.1;Ps.16.1 — Who shall ascend the hill of the LORD, and who shall stand in his holy place? Ps.25.3 — Indeed, all who wait for you shall not be put to shame; those who are treacherous shall be put to shame, empty-handed. Ps.15.1 — A Psalm of David. LORD, who may sojourn in your tent? Who may dwell on your holy hill? Ps.16.1 — A Davidic psalm. Keep me safe, O God, for in you I take refuge.
  3. ↩Ps.43.3;Ps.44.3 — Send out your light and your truth; let them lead me, let them bring me to your holy mountain, to your dwelling places. Ps.44.3 — For it was not by their own sword that they took the land, nor did their own arm save them; but it was your right hand, your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩Source sentence is only a period, likely residual punctuation from a sentence-split after the psalm quotation in s2; no independent Latin content to translate.
  2. 2 ↩Latin uses a dense double-negative construction (non solum... nisi per magnum laborem non ascenditur, verum etiam... non datur). Rendered as positive English sense: ascent only by great labor; lingering not given without great difficulty.
  3. 3 ↩Source has perfect habitavit; neighboring continuation and the standard psalm form use future habitabit. Rendered as the intended psalm sense (future).
  4. 4 ↩virtutis / felicitatis are genitives of belonging: ascending-and-standing is of virtue (strength/moral power); dwelling-and-resting is of happiness (blessedness). Neighboring Latin later pairs these with fortitudo and beatitudo.
  5. 5 ↩illud / istud mark the nearer contrast: illud = ascending and standing (difficulty); istud = dwelling and resting (delight).
  6. 6 ↩Source sentence is only a period; almost certainly a segmentation artifact after the preceding question, not intentional content.
  7. 7 ↩munere may mean gift, office, or privilege; rendered as gift to match beatitudo as bestowed joy rather than mere task.

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