VISIO QUARTA, cap. XIX
The Soul's Two Powers at Work and Rest
The soul balances its upward striving toward God with its embodied labor, filling the body to its God-given limits and cycling between effort and rest.
The soul has two powers by which it balances the effort and the rest of its pursuits with equal strength: so that when one power rises toward God through deep feeling, and the other occupies the whole body that it inhabits by working in it — because it takes delight to work in the body, since that was formed by God, and the body itself, as a work, is quick to be brought to completion. It also fills the whole of that body as it rises into the brain and into the heart, and into the blood, and into the marrow; and it does not lift it beyond or more than the body's own capacity can bear, because although the soul, while remaining in the body, strives to accomplish very many good things, yet it cannot go further than divine grace grants it. It also works many times according to the flesh's craving for as long as it takes until the blood is somewhat dried up through fatigue in the veins and sweat is emitted through the marrow; and then it withdraws into rest until it warms the flesh's blood and refills the marrow. And so the body rouses itself to keep watch and refreshes itself for work, because while it sometimes gives in to carnal desires, it more often incurs weariness from them; but once it has recovered its strength from there, it turns itself wholly back to the service of God.
Turning to the Words of David
The soul's Godward desire is met by the words of David, which are given for the varied exercise of soul and body.
But when it works according to its desires, lifting itself toward God, it follows the words of David, who says as I am inspired: The words of David, and the meaning by which they ought to be received,for the various exercises of soul and body.
Read the original Latin
Et anima duas vires habet, quibus laborem et quietem studiorum suorum aequali fortitudine temperat, ita ut cum altera in altitudinem Deum sentiendo ascendat, et cum altera totum corpus in quo est possideat in illo operando, quia in corpore operari delectatur, quoniam illud a Deo formatum est, et ipsa opus corporis ad perficiendum velox est. Ipsa etiam in cerebrum, et in cor, ac in sanguinem, et in medullam, et in totum corpus illud implendo ascendit; nec illud ultra nec plus quam possibilitas ipsius corporis valet levat, quia quamvis anima in corpore manens plurima bona operari studeat, plus tamen procedere non potest quam divina gratia ei concedit. Ipsa quoque multoties secundum gustum carnis tandiu operatur, quousque sanguis per fatigationem in venis aliquantum exsiccetur, et sudor per medullam emittatur, et tunc per quietem se subtrahit, usque dum sanguinem carnis calefaciat et medullam repleat. Et sic corpus ad vigilandum excitat, et ad laborem recreat, quia dum aliquando carnalibus concupiscentiis insistit, taedium illarum saepius incurrit, sed dum exinde vires suas reparaverit, ad servitium Dei se totam reflectit. Cum autem secundum desideria sua operatur, ad Deum se levans, verba David sequitur, qui me inspirante dicit:
Verba David et sensus quo accipi debent ad diversas animae et corporis exercitationes pertinentia.
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