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Chapter 12ErudR.1.12

Octavum capitulum de expositione hujus : Et custodire verba ejus quae in lege scripta sunt.

The Command to Guard God's Words

The king is commanded to guard God's words not merely in memory but through interior digestion and lived obedience, with love as the fulfillment of the law.

It follows: guard his words that are written in the law. In these words of God, love — but love strengthened by work — is commanded. Fear is rightly called the beginning of wisdom, hope its advance, and love its summit and perfection.✦ For this is what fulfills the law of the Decalogue: love — the keeping of its laws, it is said — because the fear of the Lord is all wisdom.✦ These two things, then — namely, fear and love — the Father and Lord requires of the king in these two chapters, as it is written: 'If I am the Lord, where is my fear? And if I am your Father, where is my love?'✦ The words of divine law — whoever loves, he guards them, because it is written: 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word.'✦1 Not in the way that reading is kept in the memory — for knowledge too puffs up, and is often destroyed by forgetfulness.✦ Not in the way that bread placed in a chest is kept — for it is often stolen by a thief, or gnawed by a mouse, or at least spoiled by its own age — but in the way that bread is preserved when it is eaten.

The Soul's Inner Feast on God's Word

God's words must be driven deep into the soul through discourse, digested by meditation, assimilated by affection, and expressed in good works.

Let God's words, then, be driven deep into the soul's inward parts through discourses; let this food be digested through frequent meditations, assimilated through fervent affections, and pass into honorable conduct and good works.

The Bride's Confession of Love

The bride's declaration 'I belong to my beloved' reveals a love so deep that language fails, and she uses nouns rather than verbs to express the substance of her devotion.

"Whoever loves me," he says.✦ What do you say, O bride? What do you say, as though you don't love him? She speaks in an indeterminate way, so that the very manner of her speaking may provoke you with a certain kind of reproach. "I," says the bride, "belong to my beloved, and his turning is toward me."✦2 So that the word might be rendered fully complete, something needed to be inserted, but no sufficient expression of inner affection could be found. For every true affection is less when expressed in speech than when conceived in the mind. For the inward movement of swords is lessened by the outward sound of lips, but because the heart's jubilation is neither fully expressed nor fully concealed — therefore, to declare the substance and solidity of love, she uses nouns or pronouns and not verbs.34

The King's Duty and the Unity of the Mystical Body

While others turn to worldly vanities, the king must keep every letter of the law, and through the unity of the mystical body, rulers and religious mutually support one another in diverse works of charity, as a single ray of light produces varied colors in different gems.

Let others turn to other things — to earthly wealth, to carnal feasts, to frivolous dignities; let them turn to frauds, to lawsuits, to beds and shameless acts, to vanities and mad delusions. Let another seek things against him, apart from him, before him. I desire nothing except him — I belong to my beloved, and his turning is toward me. But which words of the law will the king himself keep with such great diligence? Surely the precepts written in the law are such that before a ruler not one iota or serif should fall to the ground — which is why he himself must receive them with his own hands, according to his own ability, or through the hands of his subjects.✦ For some precepts concern the ruler, and others concern the subject — whether secular or even religious. Let the religious person train the body according to the path of strictness; let the ruler train the soul according to the rule of piety. And for the sake of the unity of the mystical body, the ruler fasts in the religious person, and the religious person awaits the reward of piety in the ruler. For from the same fount of love it comes about that Christ's faithful are engaged in different works of charity, according to the diverse differences of their states, just as a solar ray falling on a carbuncle — going forth ruddy or rebounding — makes the nearby air glow red, and according to the diversity of the material it renders and clothes the color as varied and diverse. The same fire is green in the emerald, which in the serenity of the sky is similar in the sapphire; it shows itself as matching in color in the species of jacinth; but in the topaz — which is the rarer, the more precious — it boasts in the color of almost all gems. Why go through each one individually?

One Love, Many Virtues

As the sun and fire produce many effects, the same love of Christ trains different people in different virtues, and in the eschatological fullness Christ will be all in all, with each saint finding in others what they lack.

You can see now that in many areas the single sun produces many effects, and so does fire. In the same way, the same love of Christ trains one person in prudence, strengthens another in patience, regulates another in temperance, and brings another into the balance of justice — because different duties are suited to different states of life.56 And although one person may possess what another lacks, nevertheless that person still finds in someone else what he himself is missing — until, according to the Apostle, Christ will be all in all, when no one will be lacking the full substance of any perfect virtue. Then He Himself will be, in everyone, the summit of blessedness and the fullness of virtue, to such a degree that He will be seen in the elect with such great fullness of majesty that He alone will seem to appear in them, and they will be known by His name — while the truth of each one's substance is preserved, and without any changeability. Then truly the hearts of the saints will be open to Him, and each one will glory not only in his own conscience but in the conscience of another.✦7891011

Deification: Air Made Light, Iron Made Fire

Drawing on Maximus the Confessor, the author illustrates how created nature united to God appears to be nothing other than divine—air illuminated seems to be light itself, and iron in fire seems to be fire—yet each preserves its own substance.

Just as Maximus, the monk and philosopher who interpreted the words of Gregory of Nyssa, maintains: air illuminated by the sun seems to be nothing other than light — not because it loses its own nature, but because light so completely fills it that one would believe the air itself to be light. In the same way, human nature joined to God through glory is said, in a certain manner of speaking, to be God — not that it ceases to be a created nature, but that it receives so great a participation in divinity that in it, nature is seen to be nothing other than what is divine, in a godlike way. As is shown in the last book on the City: through the bodies we shall bear, in every body we shall see, wherever we turn the eyes of our body, we shall behold the Lord himself in clear brightness. The same Maximus offers yet another example, bringing forward fire and iron. For iron, when it is blown upon in fire, dissolves into a liquid, and none of its nature seems to remain — the whole thing is turned into a fiery quality. Yet by reason alone is it known to preserve its own nature, even though liquefied.

Every Nature Seen as God

At the end of the world, every nature will be seen to be God while preserving its integrity, as the creature is turned toward God through ineffable, burning love.

Just as the whole of the air appears as light, and the whole of molten iron appears as fire — indeed, as fire itself — even though their substances remain intact, so it must be understood with sound reasoning that after the end of this world, every nature will be seen to be God, with nature's integrity still remaining, so that God, who in himself is incomprehensible, may in some way be grasped in the creature; and the creature itself may be turned toward God in a God-formed manner, in an ineffable way, through love — mobile into God, unceasingly ardent and sharp and burning hot, intently and perhaps intimately and unwaveringly.

Loving God Exceedingly

The command to keep God's commandments 'exceedingly' is resolved through the Song of Songs' 'young women who loved you exceedingly,' revealing that holy excess in love—loving God more than possessions, people, or self—is never blameworthy.

In this love, then, it has now become clear which words of the law the Lord has commanded kings and magistrates to keep, as it is written: You have commanded that your commandments be kept exceedingly.✦ How can 'exceedingly' be blameworthy, when 'not enough' never is? But this is more quickly resolved if one looks at the Canticles according to a single letter of the law: Young women, it says, have loved you exceedingly.✦ By 'young women' I understand the movements of love — novices who are clean, fervent, and fruitful, swept upward by the fire of a beginner's zeal. This is new wine, must from the vineyards of Engedi, which destroys old wineskins and bursts new flasks — namely, the fervor of love that surpasses all measure, when someone loves God with all their heart in His benefits, with all their soul in His promises, with all their strength in His judgments, and with all their mind or memory in His precepts.✦✦✦ Ah, let not the faithful soul, burning and delighting in this excess, fear being blamed for loving God too much — that is, if it loves Him sweetly, if prudently, if strongly, if more than its own possessions, if more than its own people, even more than itself.

Read the original Latin

Sequitur : Et custodire verba ejus quae in lege scripta sunt. In hiis verbis Dei dilectio, sed opère roborata, praecipitur. Timor enim principium sapientiae, spes profectus, et dilectio fastigium et perfectio merito appellatur. Haec est enim quae legem implet Decalogi : Dilectio, inquit, illius custodia legum est, quia omnis sapientia timor Domini. Haec igitur duo, timorem scilicet et amorem, a rege in hiis duobus capitulis requirit pater et Dominus, sicut scriptum est : Si ego Dominus, ubi est timor meus, et si ego pater sum, tibi est amor meus ? Verba igitur legis divinae qui diligit ille custodit, quia scriptum)est : Si quisdiligitme, sermonemmeum servabit. Non quo modo lectio in memoria custoditur ; nam et scientia inflat, et fréquenter oblivione deletur. Non quo modo panis qui in archa ponitur, nam fréquenter a fure tollitur vel a mure roditur, vel saltem propria vetustate corrumpitur, sed quo modo panis cum comeditur conservatur.

Traiciantur ergo verba Dei in animae viscera per sermones,digeratur cibus hic per fréquentes meditationes, assimiletur per ferventes affectiones, transeat in honestos mores et operationes.

Qui diligit, inquit, me. Quid dicis, o sponsa ? Quid dicis quasi eum non diligas ? Sic indeterminate loquitur ut ex modo loquendi quodam improperii génère provoceris. Ego, inquit sponsa dilecto, et ad me conversio ejus. Ut perfectum redderetur omnino verbum aliquod fuerat inserendum, sed non inveniebatur aliquod affectionis intrinsecae sufficiens expressivum. Omnis enim affectio vera minor est ore expressa quam mente concepta. Motum enim minuit intrinsecus gladiorum sonus, extrinsecus labiorum, sed quia cordis est jubilus, nec penitus exprimitur, nec penitus subticetur, ideo ut substantiam enuntiet et soliditatem dilectionis, nominibus aut pronominibus utitur et non verbis.

Convertantur alii ad alia, vel ad terrenas opes, vel ad carnales dapes, vel ad frivolas dignitates, ad fraudes, ad lites, ad cubilia et impuditias, ad vanitates et insanias falsas ; quaerat alia contra eum, praeter eum, ante eum, ego nihil desidero nisi eum, ego dilecto meo, et ad me conversio ejus. Va Sed quae verba legis rex ipse tanta diligentia s custodiet ? Utique quae in lege praecepta sunt, ut apud principem iota vel apex in terram non cadat quod non ipse manibus propriis secundum suam possibilitatem, vel manibus subditorum, excipiat. Alia enim sunt praecepta quae respiciunt principem, alia subditum saecularem vel etiam regularem. Exerceat regularis corpus secundum viam severitatis, princeps animum secundum regulam pietatis, et propter unitatem " corporis mistici princeps in regulari jejunat et regularis in principe praemium pietatis expectat. Ex eodem enim fonte dilectionis exoritur quod Christi fidèles secundum diversas statuum differentias in diversis caritatis officiis exercentur, sicut solaris radius in carbunculum incidens, rutilus egrediens vel reverberans aerem facit rutilare vicinum, et pro diversitate materiae colorem reddit et induit varium et diversum. Idem ignis est viridis in smaragdo qui serenitate cœli est similis in saphiro, jacincti speciebus se concolorem ostendit, in topacio vero, qui quo rarior est pretiosior est, omnium fere gemmarum colore superbit. Quid per singula ?

Jam videtis quod in multis multa sol unus operatur et ignis. Sic eadem Christi caritas hune exercet in prudentia hune roborat in patientia, illum modificat in temperantia, illum aequat in justifia, prout diversa diversis statibus competunt officia. Et licet unus habeat quod alii deest, habet tamen in altero quod sibi deficit in se ipso, donec Christus, secundum Apostolum, Deus, omnia in omnibus erit, quando nulli ad beatitudinem alicujus virtutis perfectae substantia deerit, eum Ipse in omnibus sit futurus cumulus beatitudinis, et plenitudo virtutis, adeo quod tanta majestatis plenitudine videbitur in electis ut fere solus videatur in illis, et ejus censeantur nomine, salva tamen veritate substantiae, et sine omni versibilitate vere tune corda sanctorum sibi erunt pervia, et unusquisque non modo in sua sed in alterius gloriabitur conscientia.

I Sicut enim Maximus monachus et philosophus, expositor verborum Gregorii Niseni asserit : Aer a sole illuminatus nihil aliud videtur esse nisi lux, non quia sui naturam perdat, sed quia lux in eo praevaleat, ut id ipsum luci esse quis credat. Sic humanafnatura Deo juncta per gloriam, quodam loquendi génère Deus esse dicatur, non quod desinat esse natura creata, sed quod eo tantam J divinitatis participationem accipiat ut in ea natura nihil nisi quod jdivinum sit deiformiter videatur, prout in ultimo libro de civitate monstratur, per corpora quae gestabimus in omni corpore quod videbimus, quaquaversum oculos nostri corporis duxerimus, ipsum Dominum perspicua claritate contemplabimur. Aliud vero ponit idem Maximus exemplum producens ignem et ferrum. Ferrum enim conflatum in igné in liquorem solvitur, et nihil de natura ejus remanere videtur, sed totum in igneam qualitatem vertitur, sola vero ratione suam naturam quamvis liquefactam servare cognoscitur.

Sicut ergo totus aer lux et totum ferrum liquefactum igneum, immo ignis, apparet, manentibus tamen eorum substantiis, ita sano intellectu accipiendum quia post finem hujus mundi omnis natura Deus esse videbitur, naturae integritate permanente, ut etiam Deus qui per se ipsum incomprehensibilis est in creatura, quodam modo comprehendatur ; ipsa vero creatura in Deum deiformiter modo ineffabili per caritatis mobile in Deum et incessabile calidum et acutum et superfervidum intente et forsan intime inflexibiliter convertatur.

In hac igitur caritate jam patuit quae sint verba legis quae praecepit Dominus custodiri regibus et magistratis, sicut scriptum est : Tu mandasti mandata tua custodiri nimis. Quomodo nimis ubi non satis ? Sed hoc citius solviturîsi quod in Canticis secundum unam legis litteram videatur : Adolescentulae, inquit, dilexerunt te nimis. Adolescentulas intelligo caritatis motus, novitios mundos fervidos et fecundos, igné fervoris novitii sursum raptos, hoc est vinum novum, mustum de vineis Engadi, quod veteres utres destruit et langunculas novas disrumpit, fervor scilicet caritatis qui superexcellit, cum quis Deum ex toto corde diligit in suis beneficiis, ex tota anima in promissis, ex omnibus viribus in judiciis suis, ex omni mente sive memoria in praeceptis. a Non igitur timeat fidelis animus fervens et fruens in hac nimietate culpari si nimis diligat Deum, hoc est si dulciter, si prudenter, si fortiter, si plus quam sua, si plus quam suos, si plus etiam quam seipsum.

Scripture echoes

  1. ↩1Cor.13.13 — And now faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.
  2. ↩Rom.13.10;Matt.22.40 — Love does no wrong to a neighbor; therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Matt.22.40 — On these two commandments the whole Law hangs, and the Prophets.
  3. ↩Mal.1.6 — A son honors his father, and a servant honors his master. If, then, I am a father, where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is my fear? says the LORD of Hosts to you, O priests who despise my name. And you say, 'How have we despised your name?'
  4. ↩John.14.23 — Jesus answered him, 'If anyone loves me, he will keep my word. My Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.'
  5. ↩1Cor.8.1 — Now concerning food offered to idols: we know that all of us possess knowledge. Knowledge puffs up, but love builds up.
  6. ↩John.14.21 — The one who has my commandments and keeps them is the one who loves me. And the one who loves me will be loved by my Father, and I will love him and will reveal myself to him.
  7. ↩Song.7.10 — Your palate is like the finest wine, flowing smoothly for my beloved, gliding over the lips of sleepers.
  8. ↩Matt.5.18 — For truly I tell you, until heaven and earth pass away, not one jot or one tittle will pass from the Law until all is fulfilled.
  9. ↩1Cor.15.28 — When all things are subjected to him, then the Son himself will also be subjected to the one who subjected all things to him, so that God may be all in all.
  10. ↩Ps.119.4 — You yourself have commanded your precepts, to be kept diligently.
  11. ↩Song.1.2-Song.1.3 — Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth, for your love is better than wine. Song.1.3 — The fragrance of your oils is good; your name is poured oil; therefore young women love you.
  12. ↩Song.1.14 — My beloved is to me a cluster of henna blossoms in the vineyards of En-gedi.
  13. ↩Deut.6.5;Matt.22.37 — And you shall love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength. Matt.22.37 — And he said to him, 'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.'
  14. ↩Matt.9.17 — Neither do people pour new wine into old wineskins; otherwise the skins burst, and the wine is spilled, and the skins are destroyed. But they pour new wine into fresh wineskins, and both are preserved.

Notes

  1. 1 ↩The normalized text shows merged tokens 'quisdiligitme' and 'sermonemmeum' and a parenthesis anomaly in 'scriptum)est'. The translation follows the most plausible intended reading: 'Si qui diligit me, sermonem meum servabit.'
  2. 2 ↩Conversio ejus rendered as 'his turning' to capture the bridegroom's movement toward the bride; could also mean 'his conversion' in a spiritual sense.
  3. 3 ↩Motum intrinsecus gladiorum is metaphorical and somewhat obscure; rendered as 'the inward movement of swords' following the gloss, though the precise referent is uncertain. The image may evoke the piercing inward motion of spiritual affections (cf. the 'sword of the Spirit' or compunction as a piercing).
  4. 4 ↩Jubilus rendered as 'jubilation' — a technical term for an inarticulate cry of joy, fitting the context of interior affection that exceeds speech.
  5. 5 ↩Caritas rendered as 'love' per lexeme policy default for charitas/caritas; the theological-virtue sense is preserved by the genitive 'of Christ' and the context of diverse offices.
  6. 6 ↩Prout rendered as 'because' to capture the explanatory force of the conjunction introducing the rationale for the varied distribution of virtues.
  7. 7 ↩Donec Christus … omnia in omnibus erit echoes 1 Corinthians 15:28 ('that God may be all in all') and/or Colossians 3:11. The Apostle is Paul. Candidate allusion preserved for tx-08 Moses resolution.
  8. 8 ↩Substantia rendered as 'substance' in the metaphysical sense of essential being, not material substance; the context is the completeness of virtue in each person.
  9. 9 ↩Adeo quod rendered as 'to such a degree that' to capture the result clause after adeo; ut introducing the result clause rendered as 'that'.
  10. 10 ↩Salva tamen veritate substantiae rendered as 'while the truth of each one's substance is preserved' — the ablative absolute with tamen carries a concessive force ('nevertheless preserved') that is rendered naturally.
  11. 11 ↩Tune is a variant spelling of tunc ('then'); translated accordingly.

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