XXVIII. Sapientia ad eamdem rem.

XXVIII. Sapientia ad eamdem rem.

Who can find a strong woman? Far away and from the farthest ends, his worth is trusted in her; the heart of her man will not lack for spoils. He will give him good and not evil all the days of his life. She sought wool and linen, and she worked with the counsel of her own hands. It has become like a ship carrying its own bread from afar, whose sense is such. A person who desires to be faithful should cast aside feminine frivolity and earnestly seek a manly strength that shows itself in gentleness, because then, as if from afar, his glory will arise through fame, and like from the farthest reaches, his praise will emerge, when God is glorified because of his good works. Therefore, let those who are of greater virtue place their confidence in Him, so that they may honor the virtues they exhibit, since wrongful plunder does not need to usurp any praise for itself. For he seeks both gentleness and harshness, knowing where he should be gentle and where he should be harsh, since he carefully considers what is appropriate for each person in their behavior, just as it is in their actions. And so, one becomes a bearer [REDACTED] the help of the highest Giver, carrying the sins of others, which stray far from the path of truth, as if wandering; and while providing others with what is necessary for life, and also what is needed for the present journey, one does not spare oneself in many perilous temptations of perverse floods, so that all who faithfully imitate him may be brought to the harbor of salvation. But who among men, diligent in wickedness, will find wisdom, that is, the woman who casts off softness and exists with strength? For neither because of weariness, nor because of the long journey will it be set aside, but it must be sought until it is found, since it is the food by which no one can be satisfied, and the brightness by which all ornaments shine, and the stone that adorns gold. It discerns all things that need to be understood in creation, and it places them in the diligent parts of its works in various ways, nor does it cease from these, because all usefulness is found in it. For far away in the heavens and from the furthest ends of the earth, in the earthly realm, while he discerns spiritual and secular matters, a faithful person values his soul so much that he appreciates it in such a way that he gathers it to himself in contemplative contemplation and in actual action, wisely doing all that he does. For it has pleased the heart of the most powerful and all-powerful God, in whom there is no necessary need, but rather the fullness of all things: He does not look to anything outside Himself, nor does He expect to receive anything from anyone, because He abounds in all good things. Therefore, the same God gives her everything that is commendable and glorious, and does not allow the contradiction of His name in the length of days during which she remains with God, because she has always been with Him and will always remain with Him. But she also sought gentleness in her secret devotion, like wool, and piety, like linen, and she performed heavenly works with careful diligence of counsel. In all the works she wisely accomplished, she protects the children of men, so that they do not walk naked before God, and she does not allow them to be idle, because she shows them many works in which they can engage; for she is always accustomed to work. Therefore, it is very faithful, in which fidelity it is likened to a ship, carrying all good and necessary things to people, and which belongs to Him who, being the craftsman of the world, grants the heavenly kingdom to the powerful for their just labors. But this same faith of wisdom openly provides the food that all who wish to be saved must be nourished by, from the beginning of the world until its end, so that they do not falter in their journey and the labor of their souls, but that, being nourished by it, they may reach the fullness of that satisfaction where they will no longer hunger.