CAPUT LXXXV. Quam sit jucundum, et dulce contemplationis gratiam familiare habere
Benjamin’s Joy in the Bridal Chamber
Benjamin lingers delightedly in the interior bridal chamber, enjoying the mutual love and beauty of his beloved, personified as Wisdom.
Indeed, in churches of this kind, Benjamin gladly lingers and takes wonderful delight—and when he can no longer contain his joy, he is carried beyond himself and, through a mental rapture, is lifted to the heights. For if our Benjamin did not rest with delight in contemplating interior things, without doubt what is written about him by Moses would not hold: "Benjamin," he says, "the Lord's most beloved, will dwell in him with confidence; all day long he will remain as if in a bridal chamber, and between his shoulders he will rest." What do you think is the reason this Benjamin stays all day in the bridal chamber, that he rests there continually—so much so that he won't even go out for an hour? But this we know: that in bridal chambers the bridegroom and the bride usually stay together, busy themselves with each other in loving attentions, hold one another in mutual embraces, and are cherished by reciprocal love.1 So she is marked, if I am not mistaken, by the privilege of wondrous beauty and unmatched form—whoever she is, that beloved of our Benjamin—and he can never grow weary of her companionship, and from her embraces he won't want to be away even for an hour.
The Beloved Is Wisdom
The beloved is identified as Wisdom, called sister and friend, and Benjamin rests with her without growing weary, alluding to Wisdom literature.
But if we already recognize that this is the voice of this Benjamin, we don't doubt at all how great the beauty of his beloved is: "I said to Wisdom, 'You are my sister,' and I called prudence my friend." Do you want to hear that he can't grow weary of the beauty of this beloved of his, whom he calls sister and friend because of a chaste and most ardent love? "Entering into my house," he says, "I will rest with her."
Desire Deepened by Familiarity
The companionship of Wisdom brings pure joy and increases desire rather than lessening it, burning more fiercely with love.
For her company has no bitterness, and living with her brings no weariness, but gladness and joy, and good delight in her friendship. Let each person say what they think; I find no other cause that holds him so tightly bound within that he can't step out even for a moment. But one thing I do know: whoever burns with longing for a friend like this loves her more the more intimately he knows her, and the more often he enjoys her embraces, the more fiercely he burns with desire for her. Indeed, frequent companionship with her tends not to lessen desire but to increase it, and to kindle the fire of love more fiercely.2
Ecstasy and Scriptural Harmony
Benjamin remains in ecstasy, resting between the shoulders of Wisdom, and this state is harmoniously witnessed in Rachel’s death, the disciples’ falling, and the psalmist’s mention of Benjamin in mental ecstasy.
So it's no wonder this Benjamin stays all day as if in the bridal chamber: he enjoys the sweetness of such a bride, and resting between her shoulders, he delights continually in her love. How frequent, do you think, are the ecstasies of mind he undergoes? How often, carried off into ecstasy, is he led above himself, while, stunned by the greatness of her beauty, he hangs suspended in wonder at her—and without a doubt what is written of him is fulfilled: "Benjamin, a young man in ecstasy of mind." It's well worth noticing how the testimonies of Scripture meet and match one another. For what the prophet shows through Rachel's death, and what the evangelist notes through the disciples' falling, the Psalmist expresses in Benjamin through ecstasy of mind.3
Read the original Latin
In hujusmodi siquidem ecclesiis Benjamin, libenter immoratur, mirabiliter delectatur, et cum seipsum prae gaudio jam capere non possit, supra seipsum ducitur, et per excessum mentis in summa elevatur. Nisi enim in interiorum contemplatione, Benjamin noster delectabiliter requiesceret, de eo procul dubio per Moysen scriptum non esset: Benjamin, ait, amantissimus Domini habitabit in eo confidenter, tota die quasi in thalamo commorabitur, et inter humeros illius requiescet. Quid putas causae est quod iste Benjamin tota die in thalamo moram facit, quod ibi jugiter requiescit, intantum ut nec ad horam saltem exire velit? Illud autem scimus quod in thalamis soleant sponsus et sponsa simul morari, amoris obsequiis, in alterutrum occupari, mutuis amplexibus, et charitate alterna confoveri. Mirandae ergo pulchritudinis, et formae singularis, ni fallor, praerogativa pollet, quaecunque sit illa Benjamin nostri dilecta, et cujus contubernium nunquam fastidire valet, et a cujus amplexibus, nec ad horam abesse volet. Sed si jam vocem hujus Benjamin, esse noscimus, quantae pulchritudinis sit ejus dilecta minime dubitamus: Dixi sapientiae, soror mea es, et prudentiam vocavi amicam meam. Vultis audire quod non possit fastidire hujus dilectae suae pulchritudinem, quam sororem et amicam vocat, propter castam et ardentissimam dilectionem? Intrans in domum meam, inquit, conquiescam cum illa.
Non enim habet amaritudinem conversatio illius, nec taedium convictus ipsius, sed laetitiam, et gaudium, et in amicitia ipsius delectatio bona. Dicat quisque quid sentiat, ego aliam causam non invenio, quae illum intrinsecus ita ligatum teneat, ut nec ad modicum quidem exire valeat. Unum autem scio, quia quisquis hujusmodi amicae desiderio flagrat, quanto eam familiarius novit, tanto amplius amat, et quo frequentius ejus fruitur amplexibus, eo vehementius ejus desiderio aestuat. Ejus siquidem frequens conturbernium, solet sane desiderium, non minuere, sed augere, et amoris incendium acrius inflammare. Mirum ergo non est, cur iste Benjamin, tota die quasi in thalamo commoratur, qui talis sponsae dulcedine fruitur, et inter humeros illius requiescens, ejus amore jugiter delectatur. Quam putas frequentes mentis excessus patitur, quam saepe in extasim raptus, supra seipsum ducitur, dum pulchritudinis ejus magnitudine attonitus, in ejus admiratione suspenditur, et impletur absque dubio quod de eo legitur: Benjamin adolescentulus in mentis excessu.
Notandum sane quomodo sibi occurrant testimonia Scripturarum. Quod enim propheta per Rachelis interitum, quod evangelista designat per casum discipulorum, Psalmista exprimit in Benjamin, per mentis excessum.
Notes
- 1 ↩charitate alterna: rendered as 'reciprocal love' per default amor/charitas policy; charity would also fit if theological-virtue force is preferred.
- 2 ↩Source reads conturbernium; translated as intended contubernium (companionship), matching earlier chapter usage.
- 3 ↩First parallel clause omits an explicit verb; designat from the second clause (or a synonym such as 'shows/marks') is understood. mentis excessum is the technical contemplative term for rapture/ecstasy beyond ordinary reasoning.
Benjamin Minor (The Twelve Patriarchs / Preparation of the Mind for Contemplation) companion
A daily portion of stillness
Chosen Portion delivers one short contemplative reading and a guided moment of silence each day — the ascent, one step at a time.
Chosen Portion is the paced doorway into this collection: it portions the dense mystical treatises into one daily reading plus guided silence, exactly as the 14-day plan teaches.
- Daily bite-sized excerpts from the contemplative classics, never a wall of text
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