הV. Littera HE
Sermon 5 · Ps 118:33–40 · CSEL 62, pp. 82–108
V. LITTERA HE.
1. Sequitur quinta littera 'He', quae significat Latine 'est' uel, ut alibi inuenimus, 'uiuo'. conuenit sibi utraque interpretatio: qui enim est, uiuit, et qui uiuit, est. denique gentiles non sunt et ideo non uiuunt, sed mortui sunt. Iesus autem heri et hodie ipse est et in saecula,1 et qui est, uiuit: uiuo enim ego, dicit dominus.2 quomodo enim potest non esse qui uiuit? uiuit autem Iesus, qui etiam mortuos uiuificat et uocat quae non sunt tamquam quae sint.3 nihil mirum, si domino cedit natura, ut uiuificentur et mortui et incipiant esse quae non erant. et ideo, quia uia etiam uita est secundum illum qui ait: ego sum uia, ueritas et uita,4 uiam quaeramus, ut uitam habere mereamur. audiamus ergo illum qui uiuit in Christo; uiuit autem qui ait: sed nos qui uiuimus benedicimus te, domine;5 in Christo enim Iesu etiam quicumque mortuus fuerit uiuit.
2. Audiamus, inquam, quid dixit, ut uiueret: Legem mihi constitue, domine, uiam iustitiarum tuarum, et quaeram illam semper.6 miles qui ingreditur iter uiandi ordinem non ipse disponit sibi nec pro suo arbitrio uiam carpit nec uoluptaria captat compendia, ne recedat a signis, sed itinerarium ab imperatore accipit et custodit illud, praescripto incedit ordine, cum armis suis ambulat rectaque uia conficit iter, ut inueniat commeatuum parata subsidia. si alio ambulauerit itinere, annonam non accipit, mansionem paratam non inuenit, quia imperator his iubet haec praeparari omnia qui sequuntur nec dextra nec sinistra a praescripto itinere declinant. meritoque non deficit qui imperatorem sequitur suum: moderate enim ambulat, quia imperator non quod sibi utile, sed quod omnibus possibile considerat. ideo et statiuas ordinat: triduo ambulat exercitus, quarto requiescit die. eliguntur ciuitates, in quibus triduum, quatriduum et plures interponantur dies, si aquis abundant, commerciis frequentantur, et ita sine labore conficitur iter, donec ad eam urbem perueniatur quae quasi regalis eligitur, in qua fessis exercitibus requies ministretur.
3. Hanc legem uiandi esse praescriptam Christo ducente sanctis commeantibus, recognoscas uelim. profecti sunt enim et patres nostri de terra Aegypti per longa spatia terrarum: quorum statiuae omnes mansionesque descriptae sunt,7 donec Cades, id est ad sanctam terram, perueniretur. istae sunt statiuae filiorum Israel, quas descripsit Moyses ex praecepto domini. aduertimus ergo quis has ordinauerit mansiones, quomodo ambulare oporteret filios Israel. praeibat enim illos deus per diem in columna nubis, ut refrigeraret uiantibus, noctu autem in columna ignis, ut uiam ostenderet ambulantibus et tenebras dimoueret.8 lex uiarum columna erat et ignis et nubis: denique in columna nubis loquebatur ad eos. ubi uolebat exercitum requiescere a labore itineris, non mouebatur columna ignis nec transibat nebula lucis; quando autem uolebat exercitum mouere, prouehebatur et columna ignis in nocte, columna autem nubis in die. illa columna nubis specie quidem praecedebat filios Israel, mysterio autem significabat dominum Iesum in nube uenturum leui, sicut dixit Esaias,9 hoc est in uirgine Maria, quae nubes erat secundum hereditatem Euae, leuis erat secundum uirginitatis integritatem: leuis erat quae non homini quaerebat placere, sed domino, leuis erat quae non in iniquitate conceperat,10 sed spiritu superueniente generabat11 nec in delicto, sed cum gratia parturibat.
4. Aliter quoque hanc interpretationem sumere licet. uenit in nube leui Christus in Aegyptum, hoc est: uenit in susceptione corporis in hoc saeculum; in nube uenit quem nebula corporis obumbrabat, sed leuis erat caro quam nulla sua grauabant delicta. quomodo enim peccatis grauaretur suis, qui auferebat omnium peccata populorum? ecce, inquit, agnus dei, ecce qui tollit peccatum mundi.12 ante hesternum lectum est, quia stabat Iesus et habebat uestimenta sordida;13 mea enim peccata portabat, sumpsit uestimenta nostra, ut nos splendore inmortalitatis indueret. uenit in nube leui quasi iustitia — iniquitas enim in talento plumbeo sedet14 — Christus in corda iustorum, in quibus peccata non erant. et ideo bene lectum est hodie: quid retribuam domino pro omnibus quae retribuit mihi?15 pro nobis uerbum suscepit carnis infirmitatem, pro nobis esuriuit, uapulauit, crucifixus est, mortuus est, ut nobis, in quibus ante uita ignobilis et degener habebatur, inciperet mors esse pretiosa.16
5. Sed reuertamur ad confectionem itineris et ordinem mansionum. et tu sequere spiritaliter hanc legem uiandi, ut exeas ex Aegypto, et inde promouens fige tabernaculum in Sochoth.17 haec prima tibi statio sit: Sochoth prima mansio significat 'tabernaculum'. fige ergo tabernaculum quod in te est mentisque tuae stationem confirma, ut radicatus atque fundatus18 maneas in fide Christi. sequitur mansio in Myrra, hoc est in amaritudine: non omnes mansiones aequales sunt. inde uentum est in Helim, ubi fontes duodecim et septuaginta arbores palmarum;19 post amaritudinem, ne populus deficeret, debuerunt amoena et fecunda succedere. inde Rafidin,20 quod est 'laudatio iudicii'. inde sequitur Sina, habens in se et populi temptationem et legis promulgationem.21 uariantur merita mansionum, quia nullis iugis in hoc saeculo uiuendi potest esse successus. bonus igitur imperator alibi manna esurienti populo ministrauit, alibi potum de petra fluere, quo sitim populi restingueret, augusta prouisione praecepit, alibi legem dedit, alibi triumphos donauit, ut his beneficiis fotus exercitus nullum prolixi itineris sentiret laborem.
6. Itaque in illo populo typus fuit, in nobis ueritas. nos igitur committamus iter nostrum ductui domini Iesu, qui legem primo introduxit et antea per Iesum terram repromissionis in possessionem populo suo dedit. sed etiam, quando Moyses uidebatur ductor esse, aderat illi Iesus, aderat autem non palam nec aperte ductorem aut principem populi sese gerens; expectabat enim, donec Moyses tempus expleret suum, quo conpleto successit Iesus. itaque si consideres scripturam dicentem: erunt dies eorum anni centum uiginti,22 uidebis mysterium plenitudinis temporum et centum uiginti annos, post quos et Moyses in monte requieuit23 et Iesus manifeste mansionum suscepit principatum, ut iam non sub legis timore sit populus, sed resuscitatus a mortuis fructu uitae fruatur aeternae. ambulemus igitur secundum legis doctrinam, ut nobis lex dei sit.
7. Hanc uiam ambulans ecclesia dicit: ego flos campi et lilium conuallium, sicut lilium in medio spinarum.24 in totam enim terram fides populi credentis exiuit25 et in spatioso26 posuit pedes suos Christus, et ideo pulchre ait florem se esse campi. flos erat etiam Paulus, qui dicebat: bonus odor Christi sumus deo.27 et uere flos, qui poterat noua et uetera de sui cordis proferre thesauro.28 pulchre etiam lilium dicitur ecclesia: sicut enim lilium fulget, ita etiam splendent opera sanctorum. pulcherrime etiam dictum est lilium conuallium, quia in humilibus magis elucet gratia. sed hoc lilium in medio spinarum, hoc inter Iudaeos et haereticos, hoc inter sollicitudines istius saeculi, quae mentem hominis animumque conpungunt. possumus etiam aliter accipere, quia, sicut lilium inter spinas eminet, ita super omnes conuentus ecclesia dei refulget.
8. Refert etiam considerare, quod hoc lilium splendore circumfusum sit, intus autem quod habet rubeum sit, boni et ipsum odoris, eo quod caro Christi uelut mortalis diuinitatis claritudine circumsaepta caelestis habuerit protectionem gratiae. denique in posterioribus ait: fraternus meus candidus et rubeus,29 candidus claritate diuina, rubeus specie coloris humani, quem sacramento incarnationis adsumpsit. meritoque et ipsum quod est rubeum bene olet, quia caro Christi sine peccato est, quam perfidi contrectantes manus suas inquinauerunt, sancti uenerantes pietatis odore fragrarunt.
9. Accepit hunc odorem dominus Iesus fragrantis ecclesiae suae et ait: ecce proxima mea bona, et ecclesia dicit ad Christum: 'ecce bonus fraternus meus, ecce es bonus tamquam malum in lignis siluae'.30 huiusmodi pomum odoram gratiam habet, ut ceterorum pomorum fragrantiam uincat. Christus ergo adfixus ad lignum, sicut malum pendens in arbore, bonum odorem mundanae fundebat redemptionis, quia peccati grauis detersit faetorem et unguentum potus uitalis effudit. tamquam malum, inquit, in lignis siluae, ita consobrinus meus in medio filiorum,31 eo quod super prophetas et apostolos intima corda hominum uerborum suauitate mulcebat. sed non solum odor, uerum etiam cibus suauis in malo est: ergo cibus suauis est Christus.
10. In umbra, inquit, eius concupiui et sedi:32 legem enim acceperat, hanc sequebatur, hanc currebat uiam. in lege itaque requiescens in umbra Christi requiescebat. bona umbra, quae nos ab iniquitatis calore sola defendit. cui autem dubium, quod lex dei umbra sit Christi? quid est lex diei festi neomeniae, sabbatorum, nisi umbra futurorum?33 qui dies secundum legem Moysi, ut uideam sex dies et iterum septimum diem34 et sic perpetua saecula? qui mensis secundum legem Moysi, ut sciens mensem sciam primum mensis neomeniam et uera sancta in neomeniis offerenda?35 qui secundum legem Moysi annus ex illis diebus constat, de quibus ait: sex annis seruiet Hebraeus et septimo anno liberabitur,36 ut inueniantur sex anni, quibus aliquis operatur terram, septimo autem anno remittet illam proselytis et pauperibus et bestiis terrae?37 qui septimus annus, quo conceduntur debita omnia Hebraeis?38 in hac umbra requiescebat patrum fides et prophetarum sancta deuotio.
11. Dicit ergo congregatio religiosa uel sancta anima: in umbra eius concupiui et sedi. umbra est iubileus annus — quis enim eius mystica uidet, ut facie ad faciem cognoscat, quae anno quinquagesimo cum plena lege praescripta sunt?39 — sunt dies festi secundum legem primo mense decima mensis usque ad quartam decimam et inde usque ad uicesimam primam mensis,40 umbra est celebritas illa inter primum et septimum mensem in tempore illo anonymo, umbra est sanctificata libertas in sabbato, umbra est dies festus septimi mensis neomeniae et memoriale tubarum septimi mensis dies decimus, dies propitiationis. uides, quia monas et decas duo festi dies, item quintus decimus dies, dies tabernaculorum per octo dies,41 in umbra haec omnia: in umbra prima dies uocata et octaua dies uocata in umbra, quae in scenopegiis praescripta secundum legem.42
12. Constitue mihi aliquos ex circumcisione credentes, in lege doctos, obseruantiae sollicitae uiros et nunc euangelii agnitione inluminatos, spiritali saginatos gratia: dicit in his ecclesia, quae uidet Christum, quae sponsum recipit, quae cibo eius pascitur: in umbra eius concupiui et sedi et fructus eius dulcis in faucibus meis.43 qui fructus eius dulcis nisi praedicatio dominicae passionis, ut ipse ait: ecce hereditas domini filii, merces fructus uentris?44 qui enim dulcior fructus potest esse in faucibus nostris quam remissio peccatorum? et bene flos est ecclesia, quae fructum adnuntiat,45 hoc est dominum Iesum Christum, de quo dictum est Mariae: benedicta tu inter mulieres et benedictus fructus uentris tui.46
13. Ergo ubi gustauit fructum suauitatis, inpatiens ad perfectiora festinat dicens: introducite me in domum uini, constituite in me dilectionem, confirmate me in unguentis, stipate me in malis, quia uulnerata dilectionis ego sum. laeua eius sub capite meo et dextera eius amplexabitur me. adiuraui uos, filiae Hierusalem, in uirtutibus et fortitudinibus agri, si suscitaueritis et resuscitaueritis dilectionem, usque quo uoluerit.47 merito quaerit eum, merito desiderat, quia bene omnia in hoc cursu atque itinere disposuit imperator noster. primum omnium fidei fundamento tabernaculum hoc confirmandum putauit: deinde, si qua est nobis aspera atque arida et praerupta mansio, imperator tamen iste turbata discernit, arida inrigat, deserta fecundat. si quid amaritudinis, si quid temptationis, si quid infirmitatis est, ductor noster et amara temperat et sollicita mitigat, dura dissoluit et inualida confirmat.
14. Sicubi uult requiescere rex terrae exercitum suum, non ignobilem uicum, non commeatibus indigentem, non harenosa et nuda iumentium,48 sed urbem aedificiis nobilem, refertam et uberem copiarum aut agrum amoenum et uirentem pascuis aut nemorosa et campestria statiuis opportuna decernit. ergo si reges terrae norunt commoda prouidere sequentibus se, quanto magis deus, qui bonus est, nouit quemadmodum profutura disponat diligentibus se! ac primum si incognitum carpendum est iter, duces eliguntur uiarum qui praecurrant agmini.49 sed hoc imperatores isti iniuriosum sibi arbitrantur: deus autem praeibat, cum Hebraei facerent iter, denique in columna nubis loquebatur ad eos. et ut scias, quia praeibat, deus, inquit, praeibat illorum iter, die quidem in columna nubis ostendens illis uiam, noctu autem in columna ignis, et non deficiebat columna nubis interdiu.50
15. Hanc praecedentem nubis columnam sequens ecclesia non deficiente, ne ipsa deficeret, umbra eius refrigerabatur. et ideo dicit: in umbra eius concupiui et sedi et fructus eius dulcis in faucibus meis,51 quia a domino pascebatur deducta in locum pascuum et aquam refectionis.52 introducite me in domum uini,53 copiis praeparatis quaerit progredi ad aliam mansionem, in qua mysteriorum gratiam et laetitiae capiat suauitatem. hinc quoque promouens uerum iter ait: constituite in me dilectionem.54 bona statiua, ubi plenitudo est caritatis. confirmate me, inquit, in unguentis, stipate me in malis.55
16. Habes alias mansiones, ad quas ecclesia cum delectatione succedit. istae mansiones sunt crucis Christi et sepulturae, in quibus uulnerata est ecclesia, sed uulnere caritatis: uulnus enim est quod Christus excepit, sed unguentum est quod effudit, pomum est quod pependit. hoc pomum gustauit ecclesia et ait: et fructus eius dulcis in faucibus meis. et ut scias, quia pomum est dominus, legisti supra: tamquam malum in lignis siluae, ita consobrinus meus.56 nos quoque uulnus fatemur, cum praedicamus Christum crucifixum, sed bonus odor sumus deo,57 quia crux Christi Iudaeis scandalum, Graecis stultitia, nobis autem uirtus dei atque sapientia est.58 hoc uulnere ecclesia uulneratur, cum saluatoris sui praedicat mortem, sed hoc uulnus est caritatis. denique qui non credit negat, qui diligit confitetur: Manicheus negat, christianus fatetur. et ideo scriptum: utilia uulnera amici quam uoluntaria oscula inimici.59 pulchre ergo dicit ecclesia: quia uulnerata caritatis ego sum.60
17. Nudemus membra nostra bono uulneri, nudemus sagittae electae. sagitta haec Christus est, qui dicit: posuit me sicut sagittam electam.61 bonum ergo hac uulnerari sagitta. non mediocris mansionis iste processus: non omnes possunt dicere, quia uulnerati sunt dilectionis. dicebant apostoli, cum pro Christo lapidarentur et Christum praedicarent; dicebat Paulus, cum ter uirgis caederetur62 et die ac nocte Christum adorandum gentibus disputaret;63 dicunt hoc martyres, qui uulnerantur pro Christo et, quia uulnerari pro eius meruerunt nomine, plus diligunt.
18. Ad hanc ergo ueniens mansionem ecclesia, ad hunc processum, ut pro Christo filios suos offerat, ut excipiat uulnera caritatis, quasi bona fidei alimenta repperiens pietatisque fructus gustauit ipsa et hortari ceteros coepit dicens: gustate et uidete quoniam suauis est dominus.64 sicut malum, et in malo uulnus est, sed tamen suaue est. uenit iterum ad uallem botryonis,65 uidit ingentis uuam magnitudinis quam duo portari uix poterant, unus qui praecederet, alius qui sequeretur. gustauit mysterium, gustauit in Iesu Naue, gustauit in Caleph, qui dicebant populo: uidimus terram profluentem mel et lac.66 gustate et uidete quam suauis est dominus.67
19. Et addidit ecclesia dicere: laeua eius sub capite meo et dextera eius conplectetur me. adiuraui uos, filiae Hierusalem, in uirtutibus et fortitudinibus agri, si suscitaueritis et resuscitaueritis caritatem usque quo uoluerit.68 et istae mansiones sunt uia regalis incedentis sponsae: multae enim sunt mansiones apud patrem meum,69 testificatur dominus Iesus; ecce uenio et accersio uos.70 bona mansio sapientiae et siue in laeua eius siue in dextra bona mansio, quia uia regalis est. ideoque sapientes nuntii dicunt: uia regali ibimus, non deuertemus dextra neque sinistra, quoad usque transeamus terminos tuos.71 hoc dixerunt missi a Moyse nuntii ad regem Edom, hoc est 'terrenum', quia terrena omnia siue in dextra siue in sinistra mala sunt. mala mansio insipientia, mala mansio intemperantia, et ideo pertransit has mansiones Hebraeus; non deuertit ad eas, sed pertransit, ut perueniat ad sinistram sapientiae et dexteram et in ipsis maneat, ubi diuitiae simplicitatis,72 ubi gloria, ubi longitudo uitae est; longitudo enim uitae in dextera eius, ut ait Salomon, in sinistra autem eius diuitiae et gloria.73 in dextra uita est, in sinistra requies. utinam super sinistram eius requiescam, ne quaeram ceruicalia! uae enim his qui adsuunt ceruicalia, Ezechiel dicit.74 has mansiones praeparat ecclesiae suae bonus ductor et per uias sapientiae dirigit iter eius. denique laudat Sapiens uias eius: uiae eius uiae bonae et omnes semitae eius in pace.75
20. Sed quia sapientia, honestas, claritas ita perfecta sunt, si habeant caritatem — plenitudo enim legis caritas est76 —, suscitari et resuscitari uult caritatem. suscitari in ueteri testamento, resuscitari in nouo. caritas deus est,77 ut legimus, caritas Christus est. suscitatur tamquam leo et catulus leonis,78 ut Iudae ascendat ex germine; resuscitatur ut dormiens, ut recumbens, quia non humana, sed sua et patris maiestate est suscitatus a mortuis. unde ait scriptura: quis suscitabit illum? non enim poterat illum aut angelus aut potestas suscitare aliena, cum ipse alios resuscitaret. ergo cum hic dicit: si suscitaueritis aut resuscitaueritis caritatem usque quo uoluerit,79 de his dicit, qui resurrectionem eius possint congrue praedicare, ut audientibus ardorem fidei et deuotionis accendant. uel suscitatur Christus in his qui primum accedunt, resuscitatur in his qui postquam accesserint dormierunt. dormit ergo Christus in negligentibus, suscitatur in sanctis.
21. Habet ergo ecclesia per quae graditur: habet habitacula mansionum, in quibus requiescunt sancti, de quibus iste est qui dicit: legem mihi constitue, domine, uiam iustitiarum tuarum.80 bene ait 'statue', ut in pectore eius inmobilis et fixa permaneat nec aliquo saeculi turbine ab eius conuellatur affectu, ut ipse sibi lex sit, opus habens legis scriptum in corde suo.81
22. Et quaeram, inquit, illam semper:82 non est enim mediocre, quod requiritur — paradisi gratia, dei regnum, angelorum consortium inmortalitatisque domicilium. non ergo uno die quaeritur nec duobus aut paucis mensibus, sed quaeritur semper et quaeritur per omnia, ut merita in multa concurrant suffragia: διὰ παντός enim et 'omne tempus' significat et 'per omnia'. cum dicit igitur 'quaeram', sine fine dicit esse quaerendum. sed non satis est quaerere, nisi intellegas quod requiris.
23. Ideoque ait: da mihi intellectum, et perscrutabor legem tuam et custodiam illam in toto corde meo.83 quaerendum primum, deinde intellegendum perscrutandumque legis omne mysterium et in corde custodiendum. quis autem potest custodire legem dei, nisi intellectum acceperit? qui autem intellegit et scrutatur, scrutando in semitam mandatorum deducitur,84 in quo illud aduertendum, quia lex est iustitia, mandatum iudicium, sicut et in hac littera legimus. est legis uia stare in uiis legis, est uia iustitiarum secundum primum uersiculum.85 est ergo et testimoniorum uia: in uia testimoniorum tuorum delectabar;86 est et uia mandatorum: uiam mandatorum tuorum cucurri.87 interrogemus ergo has uias, ut dicatur nobis: state in uiis legis et interrogate semitas aeternas et uidete quae uia melior et ambulate in ea.88 cum omnes igitur ambulauerimus uias, ueniemus in omnium finem uiarum, qui ait: ego sum uia.89 Christus ergo finis uiarum; ipse est enim finis legis ad iustitiam omni credenti.90 hinc audeo dicere, quia finis iustitiarum Christus, qui est iustitia, finis testimoniorum Christus, de quo dictum est: estote mihi testes, et ego testis, dicit dominus, et puer meus quem elegi.91
24. Aduertimus igitur, quantum nobis ambulandum sit, ut ueniamus ad Christum, ambulandum in lege, quia finis legis est Christus.92 sine lege ergo non peruenitur ad Christum. unde manifestum est quod haeretici, qui legem ueteris non accipiunt testamenti, etsi dicant quod Christum teneant, tamen tenere non possunt finem, qui initium non tenuerint. ipse est Iesus initium et finis.93 oportet igitur, ut ambulemus secundum legem spiritalem, ut ueniamus ad legis finem dominum Iesum. oportet, ut sequamur testimonia, ut peruenire possimus ad magnum testimonium dominum Iesum. oportet etiam, ut in praeceptis domini ambulemus,94 ut perueniamus ad magnum praeceptum, de quo legistis: dictum est antiquis: non occides; ego autem dico uobis,95 hoc est: 'super omne praeceptum dico'. itaque non usurpatorie dixerim, sed uere, quia, sicut sunt sancta sanctorum, ita praeceptum est praeceptorum.
25. Sed ut ista seruare possimus, intellectum petamus a domino. intellegamus, quae sit circumcisio. circumcidit Iesus petrinis gladiis et abstulit obprobrium Aegypti a filiis Israel.96 petra Christus est:97 circumcidat te uerbum dei et gladius oris eius,98 et sic Aegypti carebis obprobrio. non igitur corporis, sed cordis intellegenda est circumcisio.99 si intellexeris legem, seruabis eam in corde tuo. Iudaeus in corde legem non seruat, sed in labiis legem recitat et legem ignorat. denique: populus hic, inquit, labiis me honorat, cor autem eorum longe est a me.100 quomodo potest legem tenere qui longe est a legis auctore? tertius uersiculus quid habeat, consideremus.
26. Deduc me in semitam mandatorum tuorum, quoniam uolui eam.101 quis hoc dicit nisi qui Christum sequitur? non potest alius hoc dicere nisi qui illud exequitur, quod scriptum est: post dominum deum tuum ambulabis et ipsi adhaerebis,102 quia ipse te deducit. quomodo deducat, audi: nisi qui tulerit crucem suam et post me secutus fuerit, non est me dignus.103 praecedit ergo Christus, ut nos sequamur. praecedit uerbum, principium Christus est: ideo Sapientia dicit: dominus creauit me principium uiarum suarum.104 aduertimus, quod et principium Christus et finis uiarum sit. non uereor, ne quis dicat: 'creatum ergo Christum adseris?' respondebo: ita creatum dico, quemadmodum factum legi, hoc est: factum ex muliere, factum sub lege,105 hoc est: secundum susceptionem carnis creatum, secundum quod est natus ex uirgine. creatus est, ut redimeret creaturas, homo factus est, ut homines a morte perpetua liberaret. creatus est, ut uias mihi demonstraret aeternas, quibus homo redire possit ad dei regnum. ergo quia principium est uiarum dei, hoc principium sequamur. primus uiam noui ingressus testamenti, ut uia nobis deuotionis sterneret iter. si ieiunamus, ante nos ille ieiunauit. si pro nomine dei sustinemus iniurias, prius ille sustinuit pro nostra redemptione. ceruices suas posuit in flagella, maxillas suas in palmas;106 ascendit crucem, ut doceret mortem non esse metuendam. denique quasi praecedens ait Petro: tu me sequere,107 et ideo Petrus cursum consummauit,108 quia secutus est Christum.
27. Sequitur uersus quartus: inclina cor meum in testimonia tua et non in auaritiam.109 'utilitatem' alii habent et puto, quod ideo mutatum sit, quia utilitas bonae rei uidetur esse expetenda potius quam declinanda. sed quia plerique lucrum pecuniarum utilitatem suam putant esse, ideo, si legimus 'utilitatem', non animae utilitatem accipere debemus prophetam declinare, sed utilitatem pecuniae. sanctus enim lucra ista non nouit, sed omnia haec detrimentum arbitratur, ut Christum lucretur.110 et recte: quod enim putamus lucrum esse pecuniae, damnum est animae, quia uirtutis est detrimentum. ergo secundum eos, qui ita acceperunt, ut optet propheta inclinari cor suum in testimonia et non in auaritiam, et nos congruimus ad sensum.111 atque utinam precem sancti sequentes et oremus quod ille orauit et quod oramus imitemur affectu! quid enim mihi prodest, si orem ut auertat cor meum dominus ab auaritia et ipse diebus ac noctibus pecuniae quaeram conpendia? si oramus sermone, conpatiamur et mente: audit sensum nostrum Iesus et cognoscens duobus istis non conuenire, sermoni et cupiditati, non exaudit loquentem. et ideo, qui bene uolebat orare, dicebat: orabo spiritu, orabo et mente; psallam spiritu, psallam et mente.112 ita magis audit orantem, si aspernatur auaritiam.
28. Sed quia inualidi sumus et plerumque uolentes auertere cor nostrum a pecunia uel auro uel argento capimur aspectu et agrum aut aedificium uidentes alienum concupiscimus, bene addidit propheta dicens: auerte oculos meos, ne uideant uanitates, in uia tua uiuifica me.113 etenim qui in uia est dei, uanitates non aspicit; uia perfecta Christus est. qui igitur in Christo est, quomodo potest uanitates aspicere, cum Christus in carne sua omnes mundi huius crucifixerit uanitates? auertamus igitur oculos nostros a uanitatibus, ne, quod oculus uiderit, animus concupiscat: mystica enim differamus interim. utinam hac interpretatione possimus reuocare ad diuersa circensium ludorum atque theatralium spectacula festinantes! uanitas est illa quam cernis. pantomimum aspicis, uanitas est: luctatores aspicis, uanitas est, quia cernis eos de uiridibus frondibus luctantes habere coronas; illi enim ueri sunt luctatores, qui aduersum huius saeculi luctantur inlecebras et non capit oculos suos palaestra membrorum. equos currentes aspicis, uanitas est, quia uane currunt qui ascendentem saluare non possunt. denique recursus ipse te doceat, quia uane currunt qui non directum conficiunt iter, obliuiscentes superiora et ea quae posteriora sunt adpetentes.114
29. Ante nos est Christus, ante nos brauium eius, ad quod peruenit qui non in incertum cucurrit nec reuocauit cursum suum, sed incitauit.115 ad hunc dirige oculos tuos, auerte ab spectaculis, auerte ab omni saeculari pompa. sicubi populares commoueris plausus, auerte ab his oculos tuos, inflecte, deprime et serua eos, ut erigas melioribus. erige ad caelum: uel nocte stellarum monilia, orbem lunae decorum, uel die solem aspice, specta mare, terram circumspice, ut opere facta diuino omnis creatura te pascat. quae formarum gratia in ipsis bestiis, quantus decor in hominibus, quanta in auibus pulchritudo! haec intuere, et non uidebis iniquitatem et contradictionem in ciuitate;116 haec uide, et non introibit mors per fenestras117 oculorum tuorum.
30. Si uideris mulierem ad concupiscendum eam,118 intrauit mors per fenestram; si uideris possessionem minoris aut uiduae et concupieris diripere eam, intrauit mors per fenestram; si uideris aliena monilia aurum argentum et concupieris ut extorqueas, intrauit mors per fenestram. claude ergo hanc fenestram, qua uideris alienae mulieris pulchritudinem, ne mors possit intrare; oculi tui non uideant alienam, ne lingua peruersum loquatur.119 tuam ergo fenestram claude, ne morti pateat intranti. sed etiam alienam fenestram caue: a fenestra enim domus suae intrat fornicaria.120 a fenestra sua intrat, tum intrat, cum aliquem petulantis oculi temptat lasciuia. exclude igitur hanc fenestram uerbi ostio,121 ne capiaris oculis meretricis et abripiaris palpebris.122 sed non una est fenestra, per quam mors consueuit intrare. est et fenestra uerborum, per quam sermones commeant meretricis, et ideo te ab aliena uxore custodi, ne te sermonibus gratiosis adoriatur; a fenestra enim domus suae intrat.123 intrat mors per oscula, et ideo caue, ne te laqueis labiorum suorum alliget. intrat mors, si te meretrix osculetur, intrat mors, si cito adquiescas loquenti. intrat mors, si loquaris, intrat mors, si multum loquaris — multiloquio enim peccatum incurritur124 —, intrat mors etiam si non loquaris et Christum timeas confiteri — ore enim confessio fit ad salutem125 —, intrat mors etiam per cauernas aurium, et ideo aures spinis sunt saepiendae,126 ut inlecebras meretricii sermonis excludas. haec moralia.
31. Sunt etiam mystici oculi, quos auertere debeas a uanitate; est enim et sensuum uanitas, quam oculi animae tuae uidere non debeant, quia illi eam uident quos apostolus damnat. unde ipso magis auctore discamus, quae uanitas et qui oculi sint. manifestum enim esse plerosque, qui uanitate sensus sui obscurati sunt corde127 et alienati a uita dei propter ignorantiam quae in ipsis est, propter caecitatem cordis eorum,128 illos tamen gentes apostolus dicit. ignoret igitur gentilis ille quod non didicit, ignoret quod non credidit: tibi ignorare non licet quod confiteris. Christus non in uanitate uenit, sed in uirtute. non inflauit sensum hominis, sed uiuificauit, non caecitatem cordis, sed inluminationem mentis operatus est. inflammauit cor tuum, ut conprehendas quae mandatorum caelestium ratio, quae animae substantia, quae uitae futurae gratia, in quo statu posthac erimus.
32. Erige igitur mentem, utere naturali ingenio: ad imaginem dei factus es,129 ut superna aspicias et terrena non quaeras. noli curuare ceruicem tuam mundi premendam pondere, noli inhiare auro atque argento, ne te saeculi uinculis alligandum praebeas. ideo dixit dominus: nolite possidere aurum atque argentum,130 ne nos auri atque argenti cupiditas auara possideat. noli ergo inserere collum tuum diaboli laqueis. strangulat auaritia pauperem in hoc saeculo, sed in perpetuum diues suis laqueis suffocatur, cuius sensus in uanitate est, in tenebris ambulat, qui in his laborat, quae sibi prodesse non possint. uanitas est sollicitudo uitae huius: unde non in crapula et ebrietate,131 non in deliciis corporis, sed in cognitione praeceptorum caelestium delectationem nostri debemus ponere. in uanitate currit, qui sibi successibus uidetur affluere saecularibus, qui tamquam umbra praetereunt.132 auerte igitur oculos tuos, ne uanitatem uideant.133
33. Sed non satis est ut tu auertas, ne forte uelis et non possis, offundat tibi diabolus uanitatum spectacula, incentiua inserat uoluptatum: pete ut dominus auertat oculos tuos, et haec gratia dei et hoc munus est domini, ut oculos animae nostrae a negotiis mundi huius auertat. beatitudo enim omnis a domino est; beatus autem uir, cui nomen domini spes eius et non respexit in uanitates et insanias falsas.134 qui non respicit haec, beatus est: qui autem respicit, insanus atque furiosus est. et ideo resipiscat unusquisque a furore saecularium cupiditatum, quae ita mentem animumque perturbant, ut compos sui esse non possit.
34. Si in nauigio fluctuante sis constitutus, auertis a sentina oculos, ne uomitum moueat tibi; si in ciuitate ambulans aliquid faetidi odora offendas, longe refugis atque declinas; si quid occurrat quod horreat oculus tuus, clauditur aut auertitur. in salo saeculi huius fluctuas, influit sentina uitiorum; in hoc nauigio tui corporis mouetur aestus cupiditatum, et non auertis oculos animae tuae, ne uideant sentinam libidinum, ne aspiciant mundi huius stercora, ne faetor inmundus nares repleat tuae mentis, in quibus spiritus sanctus esse consueuit, ut possis dicere: spiritus diuinus qui est in naribus meis?135 nares igitur animae tuae a faetore auertantur criminum diuersorum; est enim in his uelut quoddam insigne iudicii. unde dicitur sponsae: nares tuae sicut turris Libani prospiciens faciem Damasci,136 eo quod unguentum ueri sacerdotis, quod de capite descendit in barbam,137 hoc est odor ille diuinus, odor gratiae spiritalis, qui de patre in Christo erat et sacramento incarnationis descendit in terras, ut omnia fuso replerentur unguento, emineat praecelsi potestate iudicii et nares repleat animae, ut bene olentia discernat et faetida, suauia sanctorum, qui possunt dicere: Christi enim bonus odor sumus deo,138 faetida peccatorum.
35. Hae sunt nares sicut turris Libani praecelsa supra mundum, et ideo prospicit faciem Damasci, gentilem scilicet populum, odorans fidem eius, cuius gratia delictorum suorum detergeret faetorem. facies igitur Damasci fides est gentium nullo obumbrata amictu, nullo adoperta uestitu, nuda ac libera, caelo magis intenta quam terris. hanc speculantur et prospiciunt nares ecclesiae, quod suaue in ea et odorum est aspirationis et gratiae colligentes. et bene nares eius sicut turris Libani, quia in sacrificiis odor suauis ecclesiae est, in quibus est boni odoris hostia remissio peccatorum.
36. Sume igitur has nares, o homo, ut a graue olentibus florulenta secernas, et tunc uiuificabit te dominus.139 cum enim aduerterit quod de ipso petis, ut auertat oculos mentis tuae a uanitate, coeperatur animae tuae, ut, si specie aliqua capitur aut duritia et infirmitate non flectitur, flectat eam iugo uerbi et habenis suis regat, ut uoluntate dei abducatur a uitiis et uitae odorem capiat aeternae. non enim hic uita perfecta est, sed haec uita in umbra. ideo, ut homo Christus Iesus ex uirgine nasceretur, obumbrauit uirtus altissimi140 matrem futuram, quia in umbra descendit, ab umbra incipiens operari salutem hominis et consummaturus claritate solis aeterni. umbra est ergo uita haec: festina ad solem, ut te defendat ab umbrae huius frigore et calorem tibi profundat aestiuum. et ideo suadet orandum, ne fiat fuga nostra hieme aut sabbato,141 non tempus diemque significans, sed frigere nos meritis prohibens et bonorum operum esse ieiunos.
37. Disce nunc, quemadmodum auertat oculos eius, quem miseratur dominus, a uanitate. ex his enim quae secuntur hoc intellegere possumus; subiecit enim: statue seruo tuo eloquium tuum in timore tuo.142 initium esse sapientiae timorem domini dicit propheta.143 quod est autem initium sapientiae nisi saeculo renuntiare, quia sapere saecularia stultitia est?144 denique sapientiam huius mundi stultitiam esse apud deum apostolus dicit. sed et ipse timor domini, nisi secundum scientiam sit, nihil prodest, immo obest plurimum; siquidem Iudaei habent zelum dei, sed quia non habent secundum scientiam,145 in ipso zelo et timore maiorem contrahunt diuinitatis offensam. quod circumcidunt infantulos suos, quod sabbatum custodiunt, timorem dei habent; sed quia nesciunt legem spiritalem146 esse, circumcidunt corpus, non cor suum,147 ignem sabbato adolere formidant, cum lex sanctificationis die libidinum ignem prohibeat accendi.
38. Et quid de his dicam? sunt etiam in nobis qui habent timorem dei, sed non secundum scientiam, statuentes duriora praecepta, quae non possit humana condicio sustinere. timor in eo est, quia uidentur sibi consulere disciplinae, opus uirtutis exigere, sed inscientia in eo, quia non conpatiuntur naturae, non aestimant possibilitatem. non sit ergo inrationabilis timor. etenim uera sapientia a timore dei incipit nec est sapientia spiritalis sine timore dei; ita timor sine sapientia esse non debet. basis quaedam uerbi est timor sanctus.148 sicut enim simulacrum aliquod in basi statuitur et tunc maiorem habet gratiam cum in basi statua fuerit conlocata standique acceperit firmitatem, ita uerbum dei uel rationabile dei in timore sancto melius statuitur, fortius radicatur, hoc est in pectore timentis deum, ne labatur agrum de corde uiri, ne ueniant uolucres et auferant illud149 de incuriosi et dissimulantis affectu. sed etiam uerbo dei timor ipse aptari ad utilitatem et constabiliri uidetur, ut non sit alienus scientiae, sicut basis accepta statua non est aliena gratiae. timor ergo uerbi est locus, sicut in pace locus eius;150 timor quoddam studium uerbi, uerbum timoris est disciplina; plenus enim disciplinae timor non nutat ad lapsum.
39. Et quia basim uerbi timorem diximus, ne quid alienum scripturis posuisse nos quisquam putet, accipiat lectum de dei uerbo in Canticis canticorum: crura eius columnae marmoreae fundatae super bases aureas,151 significans columnas esse ecclesiae apostolos, qui fundati sunt in timore sanctorum. nam sicut Petrus, Iacobus et Iohannes et Barnabas columnae152 esse uidebantur ecclesiae et quicumque uicerit hoc saeculum fit columna dei, quam confirmat qui dicit: ego confirmaui columnas eius,153 ita et basis aurea timor plenus disciplinae, quia initium sapientiae154 est. in timore ergo sapientium apostolica praedicatio tamquam super basim auream columna firmatur. Christi igitur eloquio et apostolico sermoni tribunal est timor iusti et basis aurea plena prudentiae, simulacrum autem honorum tamquam effigies ueritatis sermo sanctorum. et uide tamquam basim auream esse sanctorum timorem; lege Esaiam, uide quantis subiecerit timorem, ut faceret inreprehensibilem et bonum timorem: spiritus, inquit, sapientiae et intellectus, spiritus consilii atque uirtutis, spiritus cognitionis atque pietatis, spiritus sancti timoris.155 quantis timorem subiecit, ut haberet quod sequi posset! informatur per sapientiam, instruitur per intellectum, consilio dirigitur, uirtute firmatur, cognitione regitur, pietate decoratur. tolle timorem domini; ita est inrationabilis et insipiens timor, unus ex illis: foris pugnae, intus timores,156 quibus adflictus esset et Paulus, nisi habuisset dominum consolantem.
40. Nec otiosum est in Prouerbiis: tunc intelleges timorem domini.157 quid est 'tunc'? id est: cum sapientiam inuocaueris et prudentiae dederis uocem tuam et si quaesieris illam ut pecuniam et ut thesauros scrutatus fueris eam, tunc intelleges timorem domini.158 et ideo, tamquam super basim bonam, dicit: statue seruo tuo eloquium tuum in timore tuo.159 plena disciplinae oratio, per quam docemur quemadmodum debeamus orare; unusquisque sermo doctrina est deprecandi. et quia docuit nos orare, qui sit istius orationis effectus ostendit.
41. Aufer obprobrium meum quod suspicatus sum.160 subobscure dictum uidetur, sed explanauit apostolus quod hic uidebatur obscurum, ubi ait: nihil quidem mihi conscius sum, sed non in hoc iustificatus sum.161 sciebat enim se esse hominem, etsi cauebat ut poterat, ne post suscepta baptismi sacramenta peccaret, ideoque delicti conscius sibi non erat; sed quia homo erat, peccatorem se fatebatur sciens unum esse Iesum lumen uerum,162 qui peccatum non fecit nec est inuentus in ore eius dolus,163 ipsum solum iustificari, qui uere alienus esset a lapsu. similiter ergo et propheta, etsi peccatum declinare cupiebat, tamen quasi deum repulsorem peccati esse cupiebat sui. uolebat auferri obprobrium quod suspicatus est, uel quia cogitauerat in corde et non fecerat et paenitentia licet abolitum suspectus tamen erat ne forte adhuc maneret eius obprobrium. et ideo deum precatur ut illud auferat, qui solus nouit quod nescire potest etiam ipse qui fecit. denique alibi ipse dixit propheta: scis obprobrium meum,164 quamquam istud obprobrium Christi sit, quod non est uerum obprobrium, sed gloria dei; crux enim Christi Iudaeis scandalum, Graecis stultitia.165
42. Illis ergo obprobrium, mihi uirtus est, per quam aduersarium repello, saeculum uinco, mihi sapientia, per quam insipientiae laqueos euado. hoc obprobrium thesauris Aegypti Moyses praetulit: maius, inquit, aestimans Aegypti thesauris obprobrium Christi.166 si obprobrium tuum gloria est, domine Iesu, quanta est gloria tua! tuae igitur gloriae participatione quid erimus, cuius sumus obprobrio gloriosi? dorsum meum posui in flagella, maxillas meas in palmas, os autem meum non auerti a confusione sputorum.167 ecce obprobrium tuum, domine, in quo salus est uniuersorum, in quo mundi redemptio. per quod obprobrium coepimus non erubescere qui erubescebamus, non confundi qui confundebamur. denique scriptum est: accedite ad eum et inluminamini, et uultus uestri non erubescent. hoc obprobrium auferri a nobis nolumus, obprobrium crucis domini Iesu, quo nostra auferuntur obprobria. sicut enim maledictum factus est,168 ut nostra maledicta deleret, homo factus est, ut leuaret hominis infirmitates, ita obprobrium factus est, ut omnium auferret obprobria.
43. Non uno tempore, non semel abstulit obprobria, aufert cotidie. peccatum incidimus, non unum, sed multa: cooperti sumus obprobrio et confusione.169 uenimus ad baptismum: dilutum est omne peccatum et cum peccato obprobrium. abstulit obprobrium meum dominus Iesus obprobrio suo, quia crucifixus est mihi, quia, quicumque baptizati sumus in Christo, in morte ipsius baptizati sumus.170 non habeo quod auferri petam. sed post baptismum incidi obprobrium, debeo agere paenitentiam, ut dicam: aufer a me obprobrium meum. si non agam paenitentiam, quomodo dicam: aufer a me obprobrium meum, cum hoc ipsum peccati obprobrium sit, quia non ago paenitentiam? si autem paenitentiam, ut oportet, ago, recte: aufer a me obprobrium meum quod suspicatus sum;171 iudicia enim tua dulcia.172
44. Quid timeo confiteri, quid timeo dicere peccata mea? quid uereor obprobrii mei mentionem facere apud eum, cuius iudicia dulcia sunt? quod seuerum in aliis, in Christo dulce est, in Christo suaue est, quia ipse suauis est; denique gustate et uidete quoniam suauis est dominus.173 dulcia iudicia confitenti, quia ipse dixit: ego sum ego sum, qui deleo iniquitates tuas, et memor non ero. tu autem memor esto et iudicemur; dic iniquitates tuas, ut iustificeris.174 dulcia iudicia agenti paenitentiam, quia ipse dixit: gaudium erit in caelis super uno peccatore paenitentiam agente quam in nonaginta et nouem iustis qui non indigent paenitentia.175 si dulcia sunt igitur iudicia domini, suauitatis fructus percipere elaboremus.
45. Uis scire quam dulcia iudicia domini? non resurgunt impii in iudicio.176 qui autem in iudicio resurgunt, habent spem ueniae, quoniam crediderunt. impii non sunt, peccatores esse possunt, fidem habent et, si culpam non declinarunt, per fidem credunt; qui autem credit in ipso non iudicatur.177 dulcia ergo iudicia credentibus. qui autem non credunt, non Christi iudicio damnati sunt, qui uenit non ut iudicet mundum, sed ut saluet et redimat,178 sed inpietatis suae subiere iudicium, qui in remissionem peccatorum credere noluerunt: non enim possunt ad eius pertinere beneficium quem cognoscere refutarunt. ergo qui non crediderunt in eo, iudicio eius uidentur indigni: iudicium enim eius quod sit, agnosce dicente ipso: hoc autem est iudicium, quia lux uenit in hunc mundum.179 dulce ergo quod lux est. dulce iudicium quod praecedit misericordia; sic enim scriptum est: misericordiam et iudicium cantabo tibi, domine.180
46. Et quia cognouit dulcia iudicia, dicit: ecce concupiui mandata tua; in tua iustitia uiuifica me.181 'bona iudicia' auctoritate ait. ecce amat libertatem fidei qui libertatem dedit, diligi se gaudet qui ideo uenit in hunc mundum, quia hunc mundum dilexit,182 amari se exigit qui omnes amat, quia caritas est.183 concupiuit mandata dei ut bonus seruus, ut cultor sedulus: concupiuit non ut amator meretriciam copulam, non ut auarus pecuniam, non ut luxuriosus lasciuiam. de illis enim lex dixit: non concupisces,184 dominum autem deum praecipit diligendum185 et tenero quodam atque interno amandum cupiditatis affectu. et quia amicus est qui diligit, seruus est qui timet, quasi amicus qui omnia fecerit quae praecepit ei dominus: uos, inquit, amici mei estis, si feceritis quae ego praecipio uobis.186
47. In tua iustitia uiuifica me.187 audet et dicit, eo quod illa uera sit uita quae uiuit secundum dei iustitiam,188 quam uiuebant apostoli, immo quam uiuunt: sunt enim qui uiuentes mortui sunt189 et qui mortui uiuunt. denique alii descendunt in infernum uiuentes,190 alii, cum sint corpore mortui, meritis suis uiuunt. sunt enim qui non gustabunt mortem, donec uideant filium hominis die iudicii reuertentem,191 quando cum gloria sancti resurgent.
V. LITTERA HE.
1. Next follows the fifth letter, He, which signifies in Latin is, or, as we find elsewhere, I live. Each interpretation accords with the other: for he who is, lives; and he who lives, is. Indeed, the Gentiles are not, and therefore they do not live, but are dead. Jesus, however, yesterday and today, and the same for ever,1 and he who is, lives: for I live, saith the Lord.2 How can he not be, who lives? But Jesus lives, who quickeneth even the dead, and calleth those things that are not as though they were.3 No wonder if nature yields to the Lord, that even the dead are quickened and the things that were not begin to be. And therefore, since the way is also the life, according to him who says, I am the way, the truth, and the life,4 let us seek the way that we may merit to have life. Let us hear, then, him who lives in Christ; and he lives who says, But we who live bless thee, O Lord;5 for in Christ Jesus even whosoever shall have died, lives.
2. Let us hear, I say, what he said in order that he might live: Set, O Lord, a law for me, the way of thy justifications; and I will seek it always.6 A soldier who enters upon a march does not himself arrange the order of his journeying, nor does he carve out a road of his own choosing, nor seize on pleasant short-cuts lest he depart from the standards; rather, he receives an itinerary from his commander and keeps it, advances in the prescribed order, marches under arms, and accomplishes his journey by the straight road, that he may find prepared supplies of provision. If he goes by another route, he does not receive his ration, he finds no prepared lodging, because the commander orders all these things to be made ready for those who follow him and turn aside neither right nor left from the prescribed itinerary. And rightly does he not fail who follows his commander: for he marches at a moderate pace, since the commander considers not what is convenient for himself but what is possible for all. So too he sets out his standing-camps: for three days the army marches, on the fourth day it rests. Cities are chosen in which three days, four days, and more days are interposed, if they abound in waters and are frequented by trade; and so the journey is accomplished without toil, until they reach that city which is chosen as it were a royal one, in which rest is supplied to the wearied troops.
3. I would have you recognize that this law of marching has been prescribed, with Christ as leader, for the saints on their journey. For our fathers also set out from the land of Egypt through long stretches of country, whose standing-camps and stations are all described,7 until they came to Cades, that is, to the holy land. These are the stations of the children of Israel which Moses described at the Lord's command. Let us consider, then, who it was who arranged these stations and how the children of Israel ought to walk. For God went before them by day in a column of cloud, that he might give cool refreshment to those journeying, and by night in a column of fire, that he might show the way to those walking and dispel the darkness.8 The law of their ways was the column of fire and of cloud: indeed in the column of cloud he spoke to them. When he wished the army to rest from the labor of journeying, the column of fire did not move, nor did the cloud of light pass on; but when he wished the army to move, both the column of fire was carried forward by night and the column of cloud by day. That column of cloud, in outward appearance, went before the children of Israel; but in mystery it signified the Lord Jesus coming on a swift cloud, as Isaiah said,9 that is, in the Virgin Mary — who was a cloud according to her inheritance from Eve, and swift according to the integrity of her virginity: swift was she who sought to please not man but the Lord; swift was she who had not conceived in iniquity10 but, the Spirit coming upon her, was bringing forth,11 and was bringing forth not in transgression but with grace.
4. It is also permitted to take this interpretation in another way. Christ came on a swift cloud into Egypt, that is, he came in the assumption of a body into this world; he came in a cloud whom the cloud of the body overshadowed, but the flesh was swift which no offenses of its own weighed down. For how should he be weighed down with his own sins, who took away the sins of all peoples? Behold, he says, the Lamb of God, behold him who taketh away the sin of the world.12 The day before yesterday it was read that Jesus stood and had filthy garments;13 for he was bearing my sins, he took on our garments, that he might clothe us with the splendor of immortality. He came on a swift cloud — for righteousness is swift, since iniquity sits in a leaden talent14 — Christ came into the hearts of the just, in whom there were no sins. And so it was well read today: What shall I render to the Lord for all the things that he hath rendered to me?15 For us the Word took on the weakness of flesh, for us he hungered, was beaten, was crucified, was put to death, that for us, in whom hitherto an ignoble and degenerate life was held, death might begin to be precious.16
5. But let us return to the order of the journey and the disposition of the stations. Do you also follow this law of journeying spiritually: go forth out of Egypt, and from there, advancing onward, pitch your tabernacle in Sochoth.17 Let this be your first standing-camp: Sochoth, the first station, signifies tabernacle. Pitch, then, the tabernacle which is in you, and confirm the standing of your mind, that rooted and grounded18 you may abide in the faith of Christ. Then follows the station at Marra, that is, in bitterness: not all stations are alike. From there it was come to Helim, where there were twelve fountains and seventy palm-trees;19 after bitterness, lest the people should fail, pleasant and fruitful places had to follow. Thence to Raphidim,20 which is the praise of judgment. Thence next Sina, having in itself both the people's tempting and the law's promulgation.21 The deserts of the stations are varied, because there can be no continuous prosperity of living in this world. Thus the good commander provided manna in one place for the hungry people, in another commanded drink to flow from the rock that he might quench the people's thirst — by august providence — in another gave the law, in another bestowed triumphs, that, refreshed by these benefits, the army might feel no toil from the long journey.
6. And so in that people there was the type, in us the truth. Let us, then, commit our journey to the leading of the Lord Jesus, who first introduced the law and earlier, through Joshua, gave the land of promise into possession to his people. But also, when Moses seemed to be the leader, Jesus was at his side; he was at his side, however, not openly bearing himself as the leader or prince of the people, for he was waiting until Moses fulfilled his time, and that time fulfilled, Jesus succeeded him. So if you consider the Scripture saying their days shall be a hundred and twenty years,22 you will see the mystery of the fullness of times and the hundred and twenty years, after which both Moses rested on the mountain23 and Jesus manifestly took up the leadership of the stations, that the people might no longer be under the fear of the law, but, raised from the dead, enjoy the fruit of life eternal. Let us walk, then, according to the doctrine of the law, that the law of God may be ours.
7. Walking this way, the Church says: I am the flower of the field and the lily of the valleys; as the lily among thorns.24 For the faith of the believing people went out into the whole earth,25 and Christ has set his feet in a wide place,26 and so beautifully she says she is the flower of the field. Paul too was a flower, who said: We are the good odor of Christ unto God.27 And truly a flower, who could bring forth from the treasure of his heart things new and old.28 Beautifully also is the Church called lily: for as the lily shines forth, so also the works of the saints shine. Most beautifully too is it said lily of the valleys, because grace shines more brightly in the lowly. But this lily is among thorns — that is, among Jews and heretics, that is, amid the cares of this world, which prick the mind and spirit of man. We can also take it otherwise: that, as the lily stands out among thorns, so above all assemblies the Church of God shines forth.
8. It is also worth considering that this lily is bathed in splendor without, but within is what it has of red — itself of good odor too — in that the flesh of Christ, mortal as it were, hedged about with the brightness of divinity, had the protection of heavenly grace. Hence she says further on: My kinsman is white and ruddy,29 white with divine brightness, ruddy with the appearance of human color, which by the sacrament of the incarnation he assumed. And rightly even that which is red has a good fragrance, because the flesh of Christ is without sin: which the perfidious have defiled by handling with their hands, but the saints, venerating it, have made fragrant with the odor of piety.
9. The Lord Jesus has received this odor of his fragrant Church, and says: Behold, my friend is good; and the Church says to Christ: 'Behold, good is my kinsman; behold, thou art good as the apple-tree among the trees of the wood'.30 An apple of this kind has so fragrant a grace that it surpasses the fragrance of all other fruits. Christ, then, fastened to the wood, like an apple hanging on the tree, was pouring out the good odor of the world's redemption, because he wiped away the heavy stench of sin and poured forth the ointment of life-giving drink. As the apple-tree, he says, among the trees of the wood, so is my kinsman among the sons,31 in that, above prophets and apostles, he was soothing the inmost hearts of men with the sweetness of his words. But not only the odor, but also the food in the apple is sweet: therefore Christ is sweet food.
10. Under his shadow, she says, I longed and sat:32 for she had received the law, she was following this, she was running this way. Resting, then, in the law she was resting in the shadow of Christ. A good shadow, which alone defends us from the heat of iniquity. And to whom is it doubtful that the law of God is a shadow of Christ? What is the law of the festal day, of the new moon, of sabbaths, but a shadow of things to come?33 What of the days according to the law of Moses, that I should see six days and again the seventh day,34 and so the perpetual ages? What of the month according to the law of Moses, that knowing the month I should know the new moon of the first month, and the true holy things to be offered on the new moons?35 What of the year, which according to the law of Moses consists of those days of which he says: Six years shall the Hebrew serve, and in the seventh year he shall be set free,36 that there be found six years in which one labors the earth, but in the seventh year he shall release it to strangers and to the poor and to the beasts of the earth?37 What of the seventh year, in which all debts are remitted to the Hebrews?38 In this shadow rested the faith of the fathers and the holy devotion of the prophets.
11. The religious assembly, then, or the holy soul says: Under his shadow I longed and sat. The jubilee year is a shadow — for who sees its mystic things, that he may know face to face the things that have been prescribed in the fiftieth year along with the full law?39 — there are festal days according to the law from the tenth of the first month up to the fourteenth, and from there to the twenty-first of the month;40 a shadow is that solemnity between the first and the seventh month in that unnamed time; a shadow is the sanctified liberty on the sabbath; a shadow is the festal day of the new moon of the seventh month, and the memorial of trumpets, the tenth day of the seventh month, the day of expiation. You see, then, that one and ten are two festal days, likewise the fifteenth day, the day of tabernacles for eight days,41 all these in shadow: in shadow the first day called and the eighth day called, in shadow, which are prescribed in the feasts of tabernacles according to the law.42
12. Set before me some who from the circumcision believe, learned in the law, men of careful observance, and now enlightened by the recognition of the gospel, fattened with spiritual grace: in such the Church speaks, who sees Christ, who receives the bridegroom, who is fed with his food: Under his shadow I longed and sat, and his fruit was sweet to my taste.43 What is his sweet fruit but the preaching of the Lord's passion, as he himself says: Behold the inheritance of the Lord — sons; the reward, the fruit of the womb?44 For what fruit can be sweeter in our taste than the remission of sins? And the Church is rightly the flower that announces the fruit,45 that is, the Lord Jesus Christ, of whom it was said to Mary: Blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb.46
13. And so when she has tasted the fruit of sweetness, impatient she hastens to more perfect things, saying: Bring me into the house of wine, set in me love, strengthen me with ointments, compass me about with apples, for I am wounded with love. His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. I have adjured you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and strengths of the field, if you raise up and rouse up love, until it shall be willing.47 Rightly does she seek him, rightly does she desire him, because well has our commander disposed all things in this course and journey. First of all, he thought this tabernacle was to be confirmed on the foundation of the faith. Then, if any station of ours is rough and dry and steep, that commander still distinguishes the disturbed places, waters the dry, makes fertile the deserts. If there is anything of bitterness, anything of temptation, anything of weakness, our leader both tempers the bitter and softens the troubled, dissolves the hard and confirms the weak.
14. Wherever the king of the earth wishes his army to rest, he assigns not an obscure village, not one short on supplies, not the sandy and bare resorts of pack-animals,48 but a city noble in buildings, abundant and rich in stores; or a pleasant field green with pastures; or wooded and open ground convenient for camps. So if the kings of the earth know how to provide conveniences for their followers, how much more does God, who is good, know how to dispose what shall profit those that love him! And first, if an unknown road must be traversed, guides of the way are chosen who run before the column.49 But the commanders of the world reckon this beneath them: God, however, went before, when the Hebrews made the journey, since indeed in the column of cloud he spoke to them. And that you may know that he went before — God, he says, was going before their journey, by day in a column of cloud showing them the way, but by night in a column of fire; and the column of cloud failed not by day.50
15. Following this column of cloud which went before her, lest she herself should fail, the Church, since the cloud failed not, was refreshed by its shadow. And so she says: Under his shadow I longed and sat, and his fruit was sweet to my taste,51 because she was being fed by the Lord, led down into a place of pasture and the water of refreshment.52 Bring me into the house of wine53 — with provisions prepared, she seeks to advance to another station, in which she may take the grace of the mysteries and the sweetness of joy. From here too, advancing on the true journey, she says: Set in me love.54 A good standing-camp, where the fullness of charity is. Strengthen me, she says, with ointments, compass me about with apples.55
16. You have other stations, to which the Church succeeds with delight. These stations are of the cross of Christ and of his sepulchre, in which the Church has been wounded — but with the wound of charity: for it is a wound that Christ has received, but ointment is what he has poured forth, an apple is what he has hung. This apple the Church has tasted, and says: And his fruit was sweet to my taste. And that you may know that the Lord is the apple, you have read above: As the apple-tree among the trees of the wood, so is my kinsman.56 We too confess a wound, when we preach Christ crucified, but we are the good odor unto God,57 because the cross of Christ is to the Jews a stumbling-block, to the Greeks foolishness, but to us the power of God and the wisdom of God.58 By this wound the Church is wounded, when she preaches the death of her Saviour, but this is a wound of charity. Indeed he who does not believe denies, he who loves confesses: the Manichee denies, the Christian confesses. And so it is written: More useful are the wounds of a friend than the willing kisses of an enemy.59 Beautifully, then, says the Church: for I am wounded with charity.60
17. Let us bare our limbs to the good wound, let us bare them to the chosen arrow. This arrow is Christ, who says: He hath set me as a chosen arrow.61 It is good, then, to be wounded with this arrow. No mean advance, this stage: not all can say that they are wounded with love. The apostles said it, when they were stoned for Christ and were preaching Christ; Paul said it, when he was thrice beaten with rods62 and was disputing day and night that Christ must be adored by the Gentiles;63 the martyrs say it, who are wounded for Christ and, because they have merited to be wounded for his name, love him the more.
18. Coming, then, to this station, to this advance — to offer her sons for Christ, to take wounds of charity — the Church, finding as it were good nourishment of the faith and tasting the fruit of piety herself, has begun to exhort the rest, saying: Taste, and see that the Lord is sweet.64 As an apple, even in the apple there is a wound, and yet it is sweet. She came again to the valley of the cluster,65 she saw the grape of huge size which two could scarcely carry, one going before, the other following. She tasted the mystery, she tasted in Joshua the son of Nun, she tasted in Caleb, who said to the people: We have seen a land flowing with milk and honey.66 Taste, and see how sweet the Lord is.67
19. And the Church added, saying: His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me. I have adjured you, O daughters of Jerusalem, by the powers and strengths of the field, if you raise up and rouse up charity, until it shall be willing.68 These too are stations of the royal way of the bride as she advances: for many are the mansions in my Father's house,69 the Lord Jesus testifies; behold I come and will take you up.70 A good station of wisdom, and whether on her left hand or on her right, a good station, because it is the royal way. And therefore the wise messengers say: We will go by the royal way, we will not turn aside to the right hand or the left, until we pass thy borders.71 So said the messengers sent by Moses to the king of Edom, that is, the earthly one, because all earthly things, whether on the right or on the left, are evil. Folly is an evil station, intemperance an evil station, and so the Hebrew passes by these stations; he does not turn aside to them, but passes through, that he may come to the left hand of wisdom and her right, and may abide in them, where are the riches of simplicity,72 where is glory, where is length of life; for length of life is in her right hand, as Solomon says, but in her left hand riches and glory.73 In her right hand is life, in her left rest. Would that I might rest upon her left hand, that I may not seek pillows! For Woe to those that sew pillows, says Ezekiel.74 These stations the good leader prepares for his Church, and through the ways of wisdom directs her journey. Indeed Wisdom praises her ways: Her ways are good ways, and all her paths are in peace.75
20. But because wisdom, honesty, and brightness are perfect only if they have charity — for the fullness of the law is charity76 — she wishes charity to be raised up and to be roused up. To be raised up in the Old Testament, to be roused up in the New. Charity is God,77 as we read; charity is Christ. He is raised up as a lion and a lion's whelp,78 that he should arise from the seed of Judah; he is roused up as one sleeping, as one reclining, because he was raised from the dead not by human, but by his own and the Father's majesty. Whence the Scripture says: Who shall raise him up? For neither angel nor any alien power could raise him, since he himself raised others. So when he says here: If you raise up or rouse up charity, until it shall be willing,79 he speaks of those who can fittingly preach his resurrection, that they may kindle the ardor of faith and devotion in their hearers. Or Christ is raised up in those who first approach, roused up in those who, after they have approached, have slept. Christ sleeps, then, in the negligent; he is roused up in the saints.
21. The Church, then, has the path by which she walks: she has the dwellings of stations in which the saints rest, of whom is this man who says: Set me, O Lord, a law, the way of thy justifications.80 Beautifully he says set, that it may abide unmoved and fixed in his breast and may not be torn from his affection by any whirlwind of the world, that he himself may be a law to himself, having the work of the law written in his heart.81
22. And I will seek it, he says, always:82 for what is sought is no mean thing — the grace of paradise, the kingdom of God, the fellowship of angels, and the dwelling of immortality. It is sought, then, not for one day, nor two, nor a few months, but is sought always, and is sought through all things, that merits may concur in many supports: for διὰ παντός signifies both every time and through all things. When he says, then, I will seek, he says it must be sought without end. But it is not enough to seek, unless you understand what you are seeking.
23. And so he says: Give me understanding, and I will search thy law and will keep it with my whole heart.83 First it must be sought, then must every mystery of the law be understood and searched out and kept in the heart. But who can keep the law of God, unless he have received understanding? He who understands and searches, by searching is led down into the path of the commandments,84 in which this is to be observed: that the law is justice, the commandment is judgment, as we also read in this letter. There is the way of the law — to stand in the ways of the law; there is the way of justifications according to the first verse.85 There is also, then, a way of testimonies: I have been delighted in the way of thy testimonies;86 there is also a way of commandments: I have run the way of thy commandments.87 Let us inquire, then, of these ways, that it may be said to us: Stand ye in the ways of the law and ask for the eternal paths and see which is the better way, and walk ye in it.88 When, therefore, we shall have walked all the ways, we shall come to the end of all ways, who says: I am the way.89 Christ, then, is the end of the ways; for he himself is the end of the law unto justice for everyone that believeth.90 Hence I dare say that Christ is the end of the justifications, who is justice; Christ is the end of the testimonies, of whom it is said: Be ye my witnesses, and I am a witness, saith the Lord, and my servant whom I have chosen.91
24. We see, then, how far we must walk that we may come to Christ — must walk in the law, because the end of the law is Christ.92 Without the law, then, one does not come to Christ. Whence it is plain that the heretics, who do not accept the law of the Old Testament, even if they say they hold Christ, yet cannot hold the end, having not held the beginning. He himself is Jesus the beginning and the end.93 We must, then, walk according to the spiritual law, that we may come to the end of the law, the Lord Jesus. We must follow the testimonies, that we may attain to the great testimony, the Lord Jesus. We must also walk in the precepts of the Lord,94 that we may attain to the great precept, of which you have read: It was said to them of old, Thou shalt not kill; but I say to you95 — that is, 'I speak above every precept'. So I would say not by any usurping but truly: that, just as there are holy of holies, so there is precept of precepts.
25. But that we may be able to keep these things, let us ask understanding from the Lord. Let us understand what circumcision is. Joshua circumcised with stone knives and took away the reproach of Egypt from the children of Israel.96 Christ is the rock:97 let the word of God circumcise thee, and the sword of his mouth,98 and so thou shalt be free of the reproach of Egypt. Not, then, of the body, but of the heart, is circumcision to be understood.99 If thou hast understood the law, thou shalt keep it in thy heart. The Jew does not keep the law in his heart, but recites the law on his lips and is ignorant of the law. Indeed: This people, he says, honoreth me with their lips, but their heart is far from me.100 How can he hold the law who is far from the law's author? Let us consider what the third little verse contains.
26. Lead me into the path of thy commandments, for I have desired it.101 Who says this but he who follows Christ? None other can say it but he who carries out what is written: After the Lord thy God thou shalt walk, and to him thou shalt cleave,102 because he himself leads thee. How he leads, hear: Unless one shall take up his cross and follow after me, he is not worthy of me.103 Christ, then, goes before, that we may follow. The Word goes before; the beginning is Christ: therefore Wisdom says: The Lord created me the beginning of his ways.104 We see, then, that Christ is both the beginning and the end of the ways. I do not fear lest anyone say: 'Do you assert, then, that Christ was created?' I shall reply: I say created in the same way as I read made, that is: made of a woman, made under the law,105 that is: created according to the assumption of the flesh, according to which he was born of a virgin. He was created, that he might redeem the creatures; he was made man, that he might free men from perpetual death. He was created, that he might show me the eternal ways by which man can return to the kingdom of God. Therefore, since he is the beginning of the ways of God, let us follow this beginning. He first entered upon the way of the New Testament, that he might pave the path of devotion for us. If we fast, he fasted before us. If for the name of God we endure injuries, he endured them first for our redemption. He gave his neck to the scourges, his cheeks to the palms;106 he ascended the cross, that he might teach that death is not to be feared. So, as one going before, he said to Peter: Follow thou me,107 and therefore Peter finished his course,108 because he followed Christ.
27. Then follows the fourth verse: Incline my heart to thy testimonies and not to covetousness.109 Others have to gain, and I think it has been changed because the gain of a good thing seems rather to be sought than to be turned aside from. But because most men think the gain of money to be their gain, therefore, if we read gain, we ought to take it that the prophet declines not the gain of the soul but the gain of money. For the holy man knows not such gains, but counts all these things loss, that he may gain Christ.110 And rightly: for what we think to be the gain of money is the loss of the soul, because it is detriment to virtue. Therefore, according to those who have so taken it that the prophet desires his heart inclined to testimonies and not to covetousness, we too agree as to the sense.111 And would that, following the prayer of the saint, we both might pray what he prayed and might imitate in affection what we pray! For what does it profit me, if I pray that the Lord turn my heart from covetousness, and I myself by day and night seek the profits of money? If we pray with the lips, let us suffer along with the mind: Jesus hears our sense, and recognizing that these two — speech and lust — do not agree, does not hearken to him who speaks. And so he who wished to pray well used to say: I will pray with the spirit, I will pray also with the mind; I will sing with the spirit, I will sing also with the mind.112 So he hears the one praying the more, if he despises covetousness.
28. But because we are weak, and often, wishing to turn our heart from money or gold or silver, are caught by the sight, and seeing another's field or building covet it, the prophet has well added, saying: Turn away my eyes that they may not see vanities; in thy way quicken thou me.113 For he who is in the way of God does not look upon vanities; the perfect way is Christ. He who is in Christ, then, how can he look upon vanities, since Christ in his flesh has crucified all the vanities of this world? Let us turn away our eyes, then, from vanities, lest, what the eye has seen, the mind covet — for the mystical things let us defer for a while. Would that by this interpretation we could call back those hastening to the various spectacles of circus games and theatrical shows! Vanity is what you behold there. You watch a pantomime — it is vanity; you watch wrestlers — it is vanity, because you see them holding crowns of green leaves for their wrestling; for those are the true wrestlers who wrestle against the enticements of this world, and the wrestling-ring of limbs does not capture their eyes. You watch horses running — it is vanity, because they run in vain who cannot save the one mounted on them. Indeed the very return-track itself should teach you that they run in vain who do not accomplish a straight course, forgetting the things that are above and seeking those that are behind.114
29. Christ is before us, his prize is before us, to which he has attained who has not run in uncertainty nor recalled his course but has urged it on.115 To him direct your eyes, turn them from spectacles, turn them from every worldly pomp. If somewhere you are stirred by popular applause, turn your eyes from these things, bend them, lower them, and keep them, that you may raise them to better things. Raise them to heaven: by night to the necklaces of stars, the comely orb of the moon; or by day, look upon the sun, behold the sea, look round upon the earth, that, by the works wrought by divine hand, every creature may feed thee. What grace of forms is in the very beasts, what beauty in men, what loveliness in birds! Look on these, and thou shalt not see iniquity and contradiction in the city;116 look on these, and death shall not enter through the windows117 of thine eyes.
30. If thou seest a woman to lust after her,118 death has entered through the window; if thou seest the possession of a child or a widow, and dost lust to plunder it, death has entered through the window; if thou seest another's necklaces, gold, silver, and lustest to extort them, death has entered through the window. Close, then, this window through which thou lookest upon the beauty of another's wife, lest death be able to enter; let not thine eyes look upon another's woman, lest thy tongue speak perversely.119 Close, then, thine own window, lest it lie open to entering death. But beware also of another's window: for from the window of her own house enters the harlot.120 From her own window she enters; she enters then, when by some lascivious behavior she tempts a man's wanton eye. Shut out, then, this window with the door121 of the word, lest thou be caught by the harlot's eyes and snatched away by her eyelids.122 But there is not one window only through which death is wont to enter. There is also the window of words, through which the harlot's speeches travel, and so guard thyself from another's wife, lest she assault thee with gracious words; for from the window of her own house she enters.123 Death enters through kisses, and so beware lest she bind thee with the snares of her lips. Death enters, if a harlot kisses thee; death enters, if quickly thou yieldest to her speech. Death enters if thou speakest, death enters if thou speakest much — for in much speaking sin is incurred124 —, death enters even if thou speakest not and fearest to confess Christ — for with the mouth confession is made unto salvation125 —, death enters even through the cavities of the ears, and so the ears are to be hedged with thorns,126 that thou mayest exclude the enticements of harlot speech. These things are moral.
31. There are also mystical eyes which thou oughtest to turn away from vanity; for there is also a vanity of the senses, which the eyes of thy soul ought not to see, because those eyes see it whom the Apostle condemns. Whence let us learn the more from him as our author, what is the vanity and what the eyes. For it is plain that those whom the Apostle calls 'Gentiles' are most who are darkened in heart by the vanity of their sense127 and alienated from the life of God on account of the ignorance which is in them, on account of the blindness of their heart.128 Let the Gentile be ignorant of what he has not learned, ignorant of what he has not believed: but to thee it is not lawful to be ignorant of what thou confessest. Christ has come not in vanity but in power. He has not puffed up the sense of man but quickened it; he has wrought not a blindness of the heart but an enlightenment of the mind. He has set thy heart on fire, that thou mayest comprehend what is the reason of the heavenly commandments, what the substance of the soul, what the grace of the life to come, in what state we shall hereafter be.
32. Lift up, then, thy mind, use thy natural ingenuity: thou hast been made to the image of God,129 that thou mayest look on heavenly things and not seek earthly. Do not bend thy neck to be pressed by the weight of the world, do not gape after gold and silver, lest thou offer thyself to be bound with the chains of this age. Therefore the Lord said: Possess not gold and silver,130 lest greedy lust of gold and silver possess us. Do not, then, thrust thy neck into the snares of the devil. Avarice strangles the poor man in this world, but in eternity the rich man is choked by his own snares, whose sense is in vanity, who walks in darkness, who labors at things which can profit him nothing. The solicitude of this life is vanity: whence we ought to set our delight not in surfeit and drunkenness,131 not in the delights of the body, but in the knowledge of the heavenly precepts. He runs in vanity who seems to himself to abound in worldly successes, who pass like a shadow.132 Turn away, then, thine eyes, lest they see vanity.133
33. But it is not enough that thou shouldst turn them away — lest perchance thou willest and canst not — for the devil pours upon thee the spectacles of vanities, plants the incentives of pleasures: pray that the Lord turn away thy eyes; and this is the grace of God and the gift of the Lord, that he turn away the eyes of our soul from the businesses of this world. For all blessedness is from the Lord; but blessed is the man whose hope is the name of the Lord and who hath not regarded vanities and false madnesses.134 He who regards not these things is blessed; but he who regards them is mad and frenzied. And so let each man come to his senses again from the frenzy of worldly desires, which so disturb the mind and spirit that one cannot be master of himself.
34. If thou art set in a tossing ship, thou turnest thine eyes from the bilge, lest it move thee to vomiting; if walking in the city thou meet some foul-smelling thing, thou fleest far away and dost turn aside; if anything occur which thine eye shudders at, it is closed or turned away. In the salt-flood of this world thou tossest, the bilge of vices flows in; in this ship of thy body the surge of lusts is stirred up — and dost thou not turn aside the eyes of thy soul, lest they see the bilge of lusts, lest they look on the dung of this world, lest the unclean stench fill the nostrils of thy mind, in which the Holy Spirit has been wont to be, that thou mayest say: The divine spirit which is in my nostrils?135 Let the nostrils, then, of thy soul be turned away from the stench of various crimes; for there is in them as it were a certain mark of judgment. Whence it is said to the Bride: Thy nose is as the tower of Lebanon, that looketh toward the face of Damascus,136 in that the ointment of the true priest, which descendeth from the head down upon the beard,137 that is, that divine odor, the odor of spiritual grace, which was in Christ from the Father, and by the sacrament of the incarnation descended onto the earth, that all things might be filled with the poured-out ointment, may stand high by the power of an exalted judgment, and may fill the soul's nostrils, that she may discern fragrant from foul, the sweet things of the saints — who can say: for we are the good odor of Christ unto God138 — from the foul things of sinners.
35. These are the nostrils, like the tower of Lebanon, lifted high above the world, and so they look upon the face of Damascus, that is, the Gentile people, smelling out its faith, by whose grace it might wipe away the stench of its offenses. The face of Damascus, then, is the faith of the Gentiles, overshadowed by no covering, hidden by no garment, naked and free, looking more toward heaven than toward earth. This the nostrils of the Church watch and look upon, gathering what in it is sweet and full of the odor of inspiration and grace. And rightly are her nostrils as the tower of Lebanon, because in the sacrifices of the Church there is a sweet odor, in which the remission of sins is the offering of good odor.
36. Take, then, these nostrils, O man, that thou mayest distinguish the heavily-scented from the flowery, and then the Lord shall quicken thee.139 For when he sees what thou askest of himself — to turn the eyes of thy mind away from vanity — he begins to act upon thy soul, that, if it is captured by some appearance, or by hardness and weakness is not bent, he may bend it with the yoke of the Word and rule it with his reins, that by the will of God it may be drawn away from vices and may take the odor of life eternal. For here life is not perfect, but this life is in shadow. Therefore, that the man Christ Jesus might be born of a virgin, the power of the Most High overshadowed140 the future mother, because he descended in shadow, beginning from a shadow to work the salvation of man, intending to consummate it in the brightness of the eternal sun. This life, then, is shadow: hasten to the sun, that he may defend thee from the cold of this shadow and pour upon thee a summer warmth. And so he urges us to pray that our flight be not in winter or on the sabbath,141 not signifying a time and a day, but forbidding us to grow cold in our merits and to fast from good works.
37. Learn now in what way he, of whom the Lord has compassion, turns away his eyes from vanity. From the things which follow we can understand this; for he has subjoined: Set thy word, O Lord, before thy servant in thy fear.142 The fear of the Lord, the prophet says, is the beginning of wisdom.143 But what is the beginning of wisdom but to renounce the world, since to be wise about worldly things is folly?144 Indeed the Apostle says that the wisdom of this world is folly before God. But also the very fear of the Lord, unless it is according to knowledge, profits nothing — nay rather, it does much harm; since indeed the Jews have a zeal of God, but because they have it not according to knowledge,145 in that very zeal and fear they incur the greater offense of the Divinity. That they circumcise their little ones, that they keep the sabbath, they have the fear of God; but because they know not that the law is spiritual,146 they circumcise the body, not their heart,147 they shrink from kindling fire on the sabbath, when the law of sanctification forbids the fire of lusts to be kindled on its day.
38. And what shall I say of these? There are also among us those who have the fear of God, but not according to knowledge — laying down sterner precepts than the human condition can bear. There is fear in this — that they seem to themselves to take counsel for discipline, to require the work of virtue; but there is ignorance in this — that they have no compassion on nature, do not estimate possibility. Let not, therefore, fear be irrational. For true wisdom begins from the fear of God, nor is there spiritual wisdom without the fear of God; just so, fear ought not to be without wisdom. Holy fear is a kind of base of the word.148 For just as some image is set up on a base, and then has greater grace when the statue has been set on its base and has received the firmness of standing, so the word of God or the rational thing of God is better set in holy fear, more strongly rooted — that is, in the breast of him who fears God — lest the field slip from the man's heart, lest the birds come and carry it off149 from the affection of the careless and dissembling. But also fear itself seems to be fitted to the word of God for usefulness and to be made stable, so that it is not foreign to knowledge, just as a base, having received its statue, is not foreign to grace. Fear, then, of the word is the place, like his place in peace;150 fear is a kind of zeal of the word; the word of fear is discipline; for fear full of discipline does not totter to a fall.
39. And because we have called fear the base of the word, lest anyone think we have set down something foreign to the Scriptures, let him receive it read from the word of God in the Song of Songs: His legs are marble columns founded upon golden bases,151 signifying that the columns of the Church are the apostles, who have been founded in the fear of the saints. For just as Peter, James and John, and Barnabas, were seen to be columns152 of the Church, and whoever shall have overcome this world becomes a column of God, whom he confirms who says: I have confirmed her columns,153 so also the golden base is fear full of discipline, because it is the beginning of wisdom.154 In the fear, then, of the wise, the apostolic preaching, as upon a golden base, is firmly fixed as a column. To the eloquence of Christ, then, and to the apostolic discourse, the fear of the just is a tribunal, the golden base full of prudence; but the image of honors, like the effigy of truth, is the speech of the saints. And see how the fear of the saints is as a golden base; read Isaiah, see how many things he has subjected to fear, that he might make fear blameless and good: the spirit, he says, of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and of strength, the spirit of knowledge and of piety, the spirit of holy fear.155 How many things he has subjected to fear, that it might have something it could follow! It is shaped by wisdom, instructed by understanding, directed by counsel, strengthened by virtue, ruled by knowledge, adorned by piety. Take away the fear of the Lord; so it is an irrational and foolish fear, one of those: Without are fightings, within are fears,156 by which Paul too would have been afflicted, had he not had the Lord to console him.
40. And not in vain in Proverbs: Then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord.157 What is then? It is: When thou shalt have called wisdom and given thy voice to prudence, and if thou shalt have sought her as money and as treasures shalt have searched her out, then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord.158 And so, as upon a good base, he says: Set thy word, O Lord, before thy servant in thy fear.159 A prayer full of discipline, by which we are taught how we ought to pray; every word is a doctrine of beseeching. And because he has taught us to pray, he shows what is the effect of this prayer.
41. Take away my reproach which I have suspected.160 It seems somewhat obscurely said, but the Apostle has explained what here seemed obscure, where he says: I am not indeed conscious to myself of anything, but I am not justified in this.161 For he knew himself to be a man, even though he was on guard, as best he could, lest after the sacraments of baptism received he should sin, and so he was not conscious to himself of any offense; but because he was a man, he confessed himself a sinner, knowing that there is one Jesus, the true light,162 who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth,163 who alone is justified, who alone was truly free from any fall. Likewise the prophet, even though he desired to turn aside from sin, yet desired God to be the repeller of his sin. He wished to have taken away the reproach which he suspected, either because he had thought it in his heart and had not done it — and although it was abolished by repentance, he was still in suspense lest perhaps the reproach of it might still remain — and so he prays God to take it away, who alone knows what even he himself can be unaware of who has done it. Indeed elsewhere the prophet himself said: Thou knowest my reproach.164 Yet that reproach is Christ's, which is not a true reproach but the glory of God; for the cross of Christ is to the Jews a stumbling-block, to the Greeks foolishness.165
42. To them, then, a reproach; to me it is power, by which I drive back the adversary, conquer the world; to me it is wisdom, by which I escape the snares of folly. This reproach Moses preferred to the treasures of Egypt: Esteeming the reproach of Christ greater riches than the treasures of Egypt,166 he says. If thy reproach is glory, O Lord Jesus, how great is thy glory! By participation, then, in thy glory what shall we be, who are made glorious by thy reproach? I have given my back to the scourges, my cheeks to the palms, but my face I have not turned away from the confusion of spittle.167 Behold, thy reproach, O Lord, in which is the salvation of all, in which the redemption of the world. By which reproach we have begun not to blush who used to blush, not to be confounded who used to be confounded. Indeed it is written: Come ye to him and be enlightened, and your faces shall not blush. This reproach we wish not to be taken away from us, the reproach of the cross of the Lord Jesus, by which our reproaches are taken away. For just as he was made a curse,168 that he might wipe away our curses, was made man, that he might lift away the weaknesses of man, so was he made a reproach, that he might take away the reproaches of all.
43. Not at one time, not once, has he taken away reproaches, but he takes them away daily. We fall into sin, not into one but into many: We are covered with reproach and confusion.169 We come to baptism: every sin is washed away and with the sin the reproach. The Lord Jesus has taken away my reproach by his reproach, because he was crucified for me, because whoever we are who have been baptized in Christ, in his death we have been baptized.170 I have nothing to ask to be taken away. But after baptism I have fallen into a reproach: I ought to do penance, that I may say: Take away my reproach from me. If I do not do penance, how shall I say Take away my reproach from me, since this very thing is the reproach of sin, that I do not do penance? But if I do penance, as I ought, rightly: Take away my reproach from me, which I have suspected;171 for thy judgments are sweet.172
44. Why do I fear to confess, why do I fear to speak my sins? Why do I shrink to make mention of my reproach before him whose judgments are sweet? What is severe in others is sweet in Christ, in Christ is suave, because he himself is suave; indeed taste and see that the Lord is suave.173 Sweet are his judgments to the one confessing, because he himself has said: I am, I am he that blot out thine iniquities, and I will not remember them. But do thou be mindful, and let us be judged together; speak thou thine iniquities, that thou mayest be justified.174 Sweet are the judgments to one doing penance, because he himself has said: There shall be joy in heaven over one sinner doing penance, more than over ninety-nine just who need no penance.175 If, then, the judgments of the Lord are sweet, let us labor to receive the fruit of his sweetness.
45. Wilt thou know how sweet are the judgments of the Lord? The wicked rise not in judgment.176 But those who do rise in judgment have the hope of pardon, since they have believed. They are not wicked; they may be sinners, they have faith, and if they have not avoided the fault, by faith they believe; but he who believeth in him is not judged.177 Sweet, then, are the judgments to the believing. But they who do not believe are not damned by Christ's judgment, who came not that he might judge the world, but that he might save and redeem,178 but they have undergone the judgment of their own impiety, who would not believe unto the remission of sins: for they cannot pertain to the benefit of him whom they have refused to know. Those, then, who have not believed in him are seen unworthy of his judgment: for what his judgment is, recognize him saying: And this is the judgment, that the light is come into this world.179 Sweet, then, is what is light. Sweet is the judgment which mercy goes before; for so it is written: Mercy and judgment will I sing to thee, O Lord.180
46. And because he has known that the judgments are sweet, he says: Behold, I have desired thy commandments; in thy justice quicken thou me.181 He says 'good judgments' on his own authority. Behold, he loves the freedom of faith, who has given freedom; he rejoices to be loved, who came into this world for this reason, that he loved this world;182 he requires to be loved, who loves all, because he is charity.183 He has desired the commandments of God as a good servant, as a diligent husbandman: he has desired them not as the lover the harlot's embrace, not as the miser money, not as the luxurious lasciviousness. For of these the law said: Thou shalt not covet,184 but bids that the Lord God be loved185 and be loved with a certain tender and inward affection of desire. And because he is a friend who loves, he is a servant who fears — as it were a friend, who shall have done all things which the Lord has commanded him: You, he says, are my friends, if you do the things which I command you.186
47. In thy justice quicken thou me.187 He dares and says it, in that this is the true life which lives according to the justice of God,188 which the apostles lived — nay rather, which they live: for there are those who, living, are dead189 and those who, dead, live. Indeed some go down living into hell,190 others, though dead in body, live by their merits. For there are those who shall not taste death until they see the Son of Man returning on the day of judgment,191 when the saints shall rise with glory.
- Scr. Hebr. 13, 8.Hebrews 13, 8.
- Scr. Ezech. 33, 11 (cf. Num. 14, 28).Ezekiel 33, 11 (cf. Num. 14, 28). Var. djvu apparatus prints "11 Ezech. 33, 11" — confirms Ezekiel attribution against the more common Num 14:28 reading.
- Scr. Rom. 4, 17.Romans 4, 17. Var. uocat — add. ea MXOv; tamquam] add. ea HMm2Oav; sint] sunt GMSm2Rm2av, cf. Explan. ps. 43. cap. 44; quae AOR, qui cet. av, cf. Explan. ps. 36. cap. 73; si om. O.
- Scr. Ioh. 14, 6.John 14, 6.
- Scr. Ps. 113, 26 (Vulg. 115, 18).Psalm 113, 26 (Vulg. 115, 18). Var. l. 21 uiuet O; l. 22 qui GMm1OPRm1a, dixerit Av; l. 23 domine om. P; iustificationum SOv. Heading apparatus: persequebantur] add. Explicit de littera quarta (litera IIII T) PT, om. cet. Incipit de V littera T, om. cet. l. 7 littera He] littere A; He] EPR; Latine significat av; l. 8 uiuit Oa, uiuo (uo in ras. m2) M; l. 10 sed] quia M; l. 11 pr. est om. O; qui est] add. et MXT; ego sum O; l. 12 dominus] add. deus AOPRv; enim om. P.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 33.Psalm 118, 33. Var. djvu reads Legem mihi consl it ue with broken spacing; corrected silently to Legem mihi constitue.
- Scr. cf. Num. 33.cf. Numbers 33. Var. l. 1 latine Mm1T; l. 2 uoluntaria MS, uoluptariar carptat]carpat Sm1, carpit Sm2; l. 3 accepit APm1Bm1; illum A; l. 4 commeatum JOm1Pml, commeantium a; l. 5 parata] add. sibi a; ambulat O; accepit APm1; l. 6 iis v; l. 7 sequuntur av; dextera Gv; l. 10 omnibus] add. sit Mm1; statuas MmlS; l. 12 quadriduum Pml; interponuntur MS; aquis] aliquis ASml, quis Oml, aliqui Rm2; l. 17 et om. O; l. 19 Chades AOR; l. 22 oporteret ambulare O; l. 25 demoueret AR; l. 29 illa] add. autem av.
- Scr. cf. Ex. 13, 21.cf. Exodus 13, 21.
- Scr. cf. Esai. 19, 1.cf. Isaiah 19, 1.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 50, 7.cf. Psalm 50, 7.
- Scr. cf. Luc. 1, 35.cf. Luke 1, 35.
- Scr. Ioh. 1, 29.John 1, 29.
- Scr. cf. Zach. 3, 3.cf. Zechariah 3, 3.
- Scr. cf. Zach. 5, 7.cf. Zechariah 5, 7.
- Scr. Ps. 115, 3 (Vulg. 116, 12).Psalm 115, 3 (Vulg. 116, 12). Var. l. 1 dominum] add. nostrum M; leue AGPRml; l. 2 nubis (a u in ras.) M, erat om. MSPRT; l. 3 uirginis GMSPa; leuis — domino om. O; l. 5 in om. AG\; l. 6 parturiebat GMXOav; l. 12 inquit] R\ml, add. iohannes a; l. 13 peccatum] peccata Aml, peccata O; l. 14 mei] in ea APR; l. 17 sedit MmlS, forte GMab, in—erant] quos peccata non onerant b; l. 19 uerbo GMm2; l. 20 infirmitatem cornis MSO; l. 21 habebatur ignobilis et degener O.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 115, 6 (Vulg. 116, 15) — pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum eius; applied here to mors esse pretiosa.cf. Psalm 115, 6 (Vulg. 116, 15) — pretiosa in conspectu Domini mors sanctorum eius; applied here to mors esse pretiosa.
- Scr. cf. Num. 33, 5 (Israel's first station: Sochoth).cf. Numbers 33, 5 (Israel's first station: Sochoth).
- Scr. cf. Eph. 3, 17 (in caritate radicati et fundati).cf. Ephesians 3, 17 (in caritate radicati et fundati). Var. (still p. 84) l. 25 promoueas GMSPRa; l. 25–26 Sochoth] sochot AMORTa, maht X, Sochth 9 MmlS, O; in Sochoth om. G; l. 26 tibi prima MS, statio tibi O, est significans O; l. 27 ergo fige O.
- Scr. cf. Num. 33, 8 + Ex. 15, 23 (Marra / amaritudo); cf. Num. 33, 9 (Helim).cf. Numbers 33, 8 + Ex. 15, 23 (Marra / amaritudo); cf. Num. 33, 9 (Helim).
- Scr. cf. Num. 33, 14 (Rafidin).cf. Numbers 33, 14 (Rafidin).
- Scr. cf. Num. 33, 15 (Sina).cf. Numbers 33, 15 (Sina).
- Scr. Gen. 6, 3.Genesis 6, 3.
- Scr. cf. Deut. 34, 5.cf. Deuteronomy 34, 5.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 1–2.Song of Songs 2, 1–2. Var. l. 1 mara GMm2Xm2ORm2av (Hebraici LXX. Megga uel Mooza Ex. 25, 23), cf. tractat. 16. 29; hoc] id O; l. 2 est om. O; duodecim] add. erant OPRv; sunt a; l. 3 populus ne MS; l. 4 debuerant MS; rafidim MS; l. 5 syna codd. praeter O, a; l. 7 nulli R, fort. nullus; l. 8 requiem alibi MS; l. 9 de petra potum G; restingueret MS, restingeret O, restringeret T; l. 14 postea Mm2; l. 16 alt. aderat] iesus illi a; l. 18 consideras M; l. 19 erant AMRml; l. 20 et—annos] et—annis a; l. 21 montem AR; l. 22 mansionis Ga, siue cepit a; l. 23 sit om. O; fructum APRml; l. 27 enim om. A, sit M\R; sides A; l. 28 pulcre* MR.
- Scr. cf. Rom. 10, 18 (in totam terram exiuit sonus eorum).cf. Romans 10, 18 (in totam terram exiuit sonus eorum).
- Scr. cf. Ps. 30, 9 (statuisti in loco spatioso pedes meos).cf. Psalm 30, 9 (statuisti in loco spatioso pedes meos).
- Scr. II Cor. 2, 15.2 Corinthians 2, 15.
- Scr. cf. Luc. 6, 45 (cf. Matth. 13, 52: noua et uetera).cf. Luke 6, 45 (cf. Matth. 13, 52: noua et uetera).
- Scr. Cant. 5, 10.Song of Songs 5, 10.
- Scr. Cant. 1, 14 (proxima mea) + Cant. 2, 3 (sicut malum in lignis siluae).Song of Songs 1, 14 (proxima mea) + Cant. 2, 3 (sicut malum in lignis siluae). Var. l. 3 pulcre M, paluere (sic) a; l. 4 fulgit Pml; l. 6 alt. hoc] add. est MXPmlv; l. 7 hoc] add. est Gm2Mm2v; saeculi huius MX, huius saeculi Ov; l. 8 animamque MXT; l. 13 morali Gmla, murali Ov; claritate O; circumsepta codd. av; l. 14 protectionem] plenitudinem O; l. 15 fraglarunt AMXPng, flagrarunt OPmlR, flaglarunt T; l. 17 rubeum est MS; l. 18 olet GmlMml; l. 20 fraglarunt AMXPng, etc.; l. 21 fraglantis AMSPm2, flagrantis Pml; l. 22 bona proxima mea MX; l. 23 fratruelis Gm2MSPT; es om. O; l. 24 odorem Ga; tantorum exlorum Mm2, odorum XPmlTm2; gratiarum; l. 25 fraglantiam AMNPm2R, flagrantiam OPml; l. 27 mundanae] diuinae Tm2; quia] que G, qua PR, quae a; fetorem AMOR, foetorem Pv.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 3.Song of Songs 2, 3.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 3.Song of Songs 2, 3.
- Scr. cf. Col. 2, 16–17 (umbra futurorum, corpus autem Christi).cf. Colossians 2, 16–17 (umbra futurorum, corpus autem Christi).
- Scr. cf. Ex. 20, 9–10 / Deut. 5, 13–14.cf. Exodus 20, 9–10 / Deut. 5, 13–14.
- Scr. cf. Ex. 40, 2 sqq.cf. Exodus 40, 2 sqq.
- Scr. Ex. 21, 2 / Deut. 15, 12.Exodus 21, 2 / Deut. 15, 12.
- Scr. cf. Ex. 23, 11.cf. Exodus 23, 11.
- Scr. cf. Deut. 15, 1–2.cf. Deuteronomy 15, 1–2.
- Scr. cf. Leu. 25, 10 sqq. (anni iubilei).cf. Leviticus 25, 10 sqq. (anni iubilei). Var. l. 1 unguentum G, positus uitale (sic); l. 2 inquid O; l. 5 est in malo MS, eius inquit O; l. 8 acceperat Pml; l. 9 itaque] autem MSv; l. 10 calore, s. scr. uel a sole M, om. GOa; sole GOEa, om. MXPT; defendebat O; l. 11 dei] diei O; quae lex est diei O; neumeniae Rml; l. 12, 14 Moysis v; l. 14 sciam] scias O; prima G; neomenia AGMX, neumeniam PRml; l. 15 neumeniis PRml; legem om. MmlS; l. 16 Moysis v; ex] ses GMmlav, cf. p. 87. 9; l. 17 septimo] a VIImo M; l. 18 aliqui ARml, aliquid Rm2; terra AORml, in terra Gm2; l. 19 proselitis AMXOPRa; l. 21 patrum fides requiescebat M, et om. a; l. 23 eius om. O; alt. umbra] aliud; eiusque inbeleus MSPR; l. 24 pr. faciem PmlR; agnoscat ad faciem O.
- Scr. cf. Leu. 23, 4–5 / Ex. 12, 18 (Pesach: 14th–21st of first month).cf. Leviticus 23, 4–5 / Ex. 12, 18 (Pesach: 14th–21st of first month).
- Scr. cf. Leu. 23, 21–43 (sabbath, neomeniae, dies expiationis, scenopegia/tabernacula).cf. Leviticus 23, 21–43 (sabbath, neomeniae, dies expiationis, scenopegia/tabernacula).
- Scr. cf. Ioh. 7, 2 (scenopegia).cf. John 7, 2 (scenopegia).
- Scr. Cant. 2, 3.Song of Songs 2, 3.
- Scr. Ps. 126, 3 (Vulg. 127, 3) — ecce hereditas domini filii, merces fructus uentris.Psalm 126, 3 (Vulg. 127, 3) — ecce hereditas domini filii, merces fructus uentris.
- Scr. cf. Cant. 2, 1.cf. Song of Songs 2, 1.
- Scr. Luc. 1, 42.Luke 1, 42. Var. l. 1 decima] add. die v; l. 3 quae deleui; l. 4 anonymo] annono MmlNml, anno nono Nm2Mmi, anno O, anno quinquagesimo Gm2Pm2Tm2a, add. qui iubileus dicitur Gm2Tm2a; sanctificata—umbra est om. AGmlSTml; l. 5 neumeniae PRml; l. 7 dies, dies] dies b; l. 9 scelschenophegiis (-loph- M) codd. a; l. 12 obseruantes sollicite O; l. 13 spiritalis (-li Rm2) agnitos AR; l. 14 recepit Oml; l. 16 qui MORv; l. 18 mercis AGmlR, quis Ov; l. 24 introduc AOR; l. 27 dilectiones (s eras.) M, charitatis a; l. 28 dextra O, complecticetur ab.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 4–7.Song of Songs 2, 4–7 (the long introducite me in domum uini … usque quo uoluerit citation that anchors the §§13–17 mansiones sequence). Cl. Sall. Iug. 79, 6: Petschenig flags a Sallustian classical echo at p. 89 l. 14, where Ambrose's harenosa et nuda iumentium re-uses the diction of Sallust, Bellum Iugurthinum 79, 6 (the description of waterless tracks unfit for pack-animals on the Carthaginian-Cyrenaican frontier). Same kind of intertext Petschenig flags in Daleth (Verg. Aen. 1/3/8) and Beth (Cic. Tusc., Iuu., Verg. Aen. 9, 638) — Ambrose's stylistic fluency with classical-Roman desert/march vocabulary.
- Scr. cf. Ex. 38, 9 / Deut. 31, 15 (column-of-cloud / tabernacle pillar).cf. Exodus 38, 9 / Deuteronomy 31, 15 (column-of-cloud / tabernacle pillar).
- Scr. [embedded in §14 narrative — no scripture lemma].[embedded in §14 narrative — no scripture lemma; the duces uiarum qui praecurrant agmini clause is Ambrose's own military-march metaphor, not a citation].
- Scr. Ex. 13, 21–22.Exodus 13, 21–22. Var. l. 1 amuro MmlS; l. 2 et resuscitaueritis om. S; dilectum Rmi; l. 5 hoc cursu] occursum O, occursu cet. a; itinere om. MS, in itinere O; iste om. O; turbata] statiua O; l. 13 arenosa OOav; l. 16 opportuna v; discernit O; l. 17 prouidere AMSPa; l. 18 nouum MS; quemammodum MS; disponit O; l. 20 agmina Mm2ST; l. 23 praeibat inquit O; illos AOmlOPRml, illis Rm2v; iter om. O; l. 24 autem noctu ABml; l. 25 defiebat R; l. 26 interdiem MSPTa, in die OS\; l. 27 columnam nubis O; l. 28 deficientem AORav, defecerit* MSOPRT.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 3.Song of Songs 2, 3.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 22, 2 (Vulg. 23, 2).cf. Psalm 22, 2 (Vulg. 23, 2).
- Scr. Cant. 2, 4.Song of Songs 2, 4.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 4.Song of Songs 2, 4.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 5.Song of Songs 2, 5.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 3.Song of Songs 2, 3.
- Scr. II Cor. 2, 15.2 Corinthians 2, 15.
- Scr. cf. I Cor. 1, 23–24 (Iudaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam … Christum dei uirtutem et dei sapientiam).cf. 1 Corinthians 1, 23–24 (Iudaeis quidem scandalum, gentibus autem stultitiam … Christum dei uirtutem et dei sapientiam).
- Scr. Prou. 27, 6.Proverbs 27, 6.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 5.Song of Songs 2, 5. Var. l. 1 dulcis eius fructus av; l. 2 pascebatur] add. et a; l. 3 pascue Am2; introduc ADOR; l. 4 uini om. GmlSR, add. uidet B, uide R, ab his MSPTa, inde O; praeparatus MS; l. 6 constitue ORml; l. 8 inquit me O, inquid GS; l. 9 in om. O; l. 10 dilectione GRmi, delectione Rml; l. 22 confitetur diligit MS; l. 23 confitetur MS; scriptum] add. est GvdMSav; otiliora Tm2a; l. 25 pulcre M; uulneratae Mm2; caritate Ga; l. 28 est christus O; posuisti S.
- Scr. Esai. 49, 2 — citation completes on p. 91 (sagittam electam).Isaiah 49, 2 — citation completes on p. 91 (sagittam electam).
- Scr. cf. II Cor. 11, 25.cf. 2 Corinthians 11, 25.
- Scr. cf. I Thess. 2, 9.cf. 1 Thessalonians 2, 9.
- Scr. Ps. 33, 9 (Vulg. 34, 9).Psalm 33, 9 (Vulg. 34, 9).
- Scr. cf. Cant. 2, 3.cf. Song of Songs 2, 3.
- Scr. cf. Num. 13, 24 (uallis Botri / botryonis).cf. Numbers 13, 24 (uallis Botri / botryonis).
- Scr. Num. 13, 28 + Ps. 33, 9.Numbers 13, 28 + Ps. 33, 9. Var. l. 1 bonum] add. est Rav; uulnerari hac O; l. 3 uulneratae AMRml; sunt dilectionis] caritatis ego sum Mm2; dilectione Oa; l. 9 pro om. O; l. 10 reperiens MOPRm2v; l. 11 coepit ceteros av; l. 12 dominus suauis est. Suauis est dominus O; sicut malum — 18 est dominus om. ST; l. 14 botrionis AMPRa, botri O; l. 15 alius] et alter M; l. 16 pr. gustauit om. Ma; hiesu AR; chaleph GM, chaleb Pa, Calebf; l. 17 iacet mel O; l. 18 quoniam O; l. 19 dicens M; l. 20 dextra AOR; amplexibitur O; adiuro M; l. 22 et resuscitaueritis om. O; l. 24 sunt om. O; regalis Om2; incedentes OPml; l. 25 meum] nostrum M; l. 26 ecce] et: ecce Ov; accerso AG; l. 27 dextera GMXav.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 6–7.Song of Songs 2, 6–7.
- Scr. Ioh. 14, 2.John 14, 2.
- Scr. Ioh. 14, 3.John 14, 3.
- Scr. Num. 20, 17.Numbers 20, 17.
- Scr. cf. II Cor. 8, 2.cf. 2 Corinthians 8, 2.
- Scr. Prou. 3, 16.Proverbs 3, 16.
- Scr. Ezech. 13, 18.Ezekiel 13, 18.
- Scr. Prou. 3, 17.Proverbs 3, 17. Var. l. 1 regalis est uia MS; ideo AR; l. 2 deuertimus APml, diuertimus Gm2MX, diuertimur O, deuertemus Rm2; in dexteram (dextram P) MSP, in dextera a, dextera e; l. 3 in sinistra AGm2R, in sinistram MSP; l. 4 nuntii missi a moyse O; moysen APml; l. 5 dextera MSav; l. 7 diuertit AGMORav; eos AR; l. 8 dextram O; l. 12 dextera MSOav; alt. sinistra A; l. 13 iis v; adsunt O\, assomant Mml; Hiezechihel MX, iezechiel OS\; l. 14 doctor P; itinera Mm2; l. 18 honesta IhmlR, et honesta O; caritas Gml; claritas honestas Gm2MS; perfecti Gml, perfectae Gm2Ov; l. 19 enim] ergo MN; est caritas MN.
- Scr. Rom. 13, 10.Romans 13, 10.
- Scr. I Ioh. 4, 8.16.1 John 4, 8.16.
- Scr. cf. Gen. 49, 9.cf. Genesis 49, 9.
- Scr. Cant. 2, 7.Song of Songs 2, 7.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 33.Psalm 118, 33.
- Scr. cf. Rom. 2, 14–15.cf. Romans 2, 14–15. Var. l. 20 est om. T; l. 22 tamquam] ut a; l. 25 qui G; suscitauit AGMOR, suscitabit M; l. 28 illum poterat O.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 34.Psalm 118, 34.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 34 (continued).Psalm 118, 34 (continued).
- Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 35.cf. Psalm 118, 35.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 33 (uia iustificationum, primus uersiculus).cf. Psalm 118, 33 (uia iustificationum, primus uersiculus).
- Scr. Ps. 118, 14.Psalm 118, 14.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 32.Psalm 118, 32.
- Scr. Hier. 6, 16.Jeremiah 6, 16.
- Scr. Ioh. 14, 6.John 14, 6.
- Scr. Rom. 10, 4.Romans 10, 4.
- Scr. Esai. 43, 10.Isaiah 43, 10.
- Scr. cf. Rom. 10, 4.cf. Romans 10, 4.
- Scr. cf. Apoc. 1, 8.cf. Revelation 1, 8.
- Scr. cf. Leu. 26, 3.cf. Leviticus 26, 3.
- Scr. Matth. 5, 21.22.Matthew 5, 21.22. Var. l. 1 state O; l. 2 et om. O; l. 3 alt. uia] add. inquit Pm2Rm2; l. 4 delecabor O; et om. O; uiam] uia Pml; l. 6 uetereas P; l. 8 omnium] omnem MT; l. 10 enim est Mmo; l. 16 est om. T; Christus est av; l. 17 ergo] enim MST; l. 19 non possint (possunt o), tenere av, possint MNOP; l. 20 tenuerunt a; est enim iesus O, Iesus est B; oportet — 23 Iesum om. Mmo; l. 23 legisti O; l. 26 uobis dico M; l. 28 sunt om. P.
- Scr. cf. Ios. 5, 9.cf. Joshua 5, 9 (Joshua circumcising Israel with stone knives at Gilgal and rolling away the reproach of Egypt — central Old Testament typology for §25's circumcisio cordis).
- Scr. cf. I Cor. 10, 4.cf. 1 Corinthians 10, 4.
- Scr. cf. Eph. 6, 17 / Apoc. 2, 16.cf. Ephesians 6, 17 / Apoc. 2, 16.
- Scr. cf. Rom. 2, 29.cf. Romans 2, 29.
- Scr. Esai. 29, 13.Isaiah 29, 13.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 35.Psalm 118, 35.
- Scr. Deut. 13, 4 (cf. v. 9.10).Deuteronomy 13, 4 (cf. v. 9.10).
- Scr. Matth. 10, 38.Matthew 10, 38.
- Scr. Prou. 8, 22.Proverbs 8, 22.
- Scr. Gal. 4, 4.Galatians 4, 4. Var. l. 2 quae] quid a; l. 3 Aegypti om. O; israhel P; l. 5 obprobrium PmlR, opprobriis MN; l. 7 non seruat legem O; in om. O; alt. legem om. MN; l. 8 labiis inquit P\RmlPm2; l. 10 latore Pml; l. 12 semita] (rest unclear in djvu); l. 13 sequitur Christum Aav; exequitur O; l. 14 exsequitur AmlSPR, sequitur O; l. 16 deducit] deducet GOv; l. 17 quis lin Cib; l. 18 sequutus AR; l. 19 praecedit et s. l. (etc.); om. Oml; l. 20 dicit sapientia MS; deus G; l. 24 legi] sub lege O; l. 26 e] et MST; creatus] sub lege creatus* O.
- Scr. cf. Esai. 50, 6.cf. Isaiah 50, 6.
- Scr. Ioh. 21, 22.John 21, 22.
- Scr. cf. II Tim. 4, 7.cf. 2 Timothy 4, 7.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 36.Psalm 118, 36.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 36 (continued).Psalm 118, 36 (continued).
- Scr. cf. Phil. 3, 8.cf. Philippians 3, 8. Var. l. 1 aiarum est O; l. 3 prius GXPRa; ingressus] add. est Gm2Mm2Oav; uia] uiam GMa, in uia O, et in hac uia deuotionis iter nobis sterneret v; l. 4 deuotionis sterneret nobis (om. iter) a; l. 5 domini AOv, eius a; l. 10 quartus] IIII GB, om. A; l. 12 alibi (vid. praeter AO uel aliqui s. scr. Tm2); iden] idea MNT; l. 14 suam om. O; l. 16 ista lucra MN; l. 19 illos G; l. 21 nos] uno Gml, non nos (his) MmlXPml; adsensu MOav; l. 22 pr. et om. O; l. 23 effectus dies AOav; oremus MST; conpatimur GmlS; mentem Pml; audit] add. et v; l. 26 sermonem O.
- Scr. I Cor. 14, 15.1 Corinthians 14, 15.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 37.Psalm 118, 37.
- Scr. cf. Phil. 3, 13.cf. Philippians 3, 13.
- Scr. cf. I Cor. 9, 26.cf. 1 Corinthians 9, 26. Var. l. 1 et om. O; l. 2 et mente psallam O; l. 3 aspernetur Gav; auaritia E; l. 5 pecuniae A\; auri uel argenti GMm2; l. 7 dicens] add. V O; uanitatem GUSOav, cf. p. 79, 19; l. 9 dei est MS; non aspicit—10 uanitates om. S; l. 11 auertamur G; l. 12 oculus] oculos AHml; l. 15 qua G; l. 16 mimum (in mg. m2 uel pantomimum) G, quando mimum O; l. 17 uiridis GPmlR, uiridi av, frondibus om. Gmlav; kentes corona ymna haberej Innlaxeos luctantes de putridis frondibus O; l. 18 sunt ueri O, sint MmlT; aduersus SOPRT; l. 19 et non] nec MST, non GOav; capat G, capiat Mm2OTm2av; eius Pml, eos cet. av; l. 20 ascendentes MST; l. 21 docet MSOmlT; l. 24 eius] est M; l. 26 adhuc GMmlPmlR, ad hoc Pm2; ab] a AOv; l. 27 secularium* O.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 54, 10 (Vulg. 55, 10).cf. Psalm 54, 10 (Vulg. 55, 10).
- Scr. cf. Hier. 9, 21.cf. Jeremiah 9, 21.
- Scr. cf. Matth. 5, 28.cf. Matthew 5, 28.
- Scr. cf. Prou. 23, 33.cf. Proverbs 23, 33.
- Scr. cf. Prou. 7, 6.cf. Proverbs 7, 6.
- Scr. cf. Col. 4, 3.cf. Colossians 4, 3.
- Scr. cf. Prou. 7, 5–6.cf. Proverbs 7, 5–6.
- Scr. cf. Prou. 7, 21.cf. Proverbs 7, 21. Var. l. 1 oculos tuos ab his av; meliores G; l. 2 monilia—p. 101, 4 in his uelut desunt in A; munilia O; l. 5 pulcritudo MS; l. 7 oculorum—9 fenestram non MmlST, tuas Mm2ST; l. 8 concupiscendam OmlO; l. 9 possessiones M; eripere O; intrabit M; per fenestras M, om. S, add. oculorum tuorum Mml; l. 11 munilia G; aurum argentum om. S; intrabit M; l. 12 qua RSm2, quam SmlTml; cum GMOPav; antequam Tm2; uides Sm2Rm2; l. 13 pulcritudinem M; non] ne a; l. 14 aliena MSORa; nec Mmla; l. 15 morte PmlRml; l. 16 tum intrat] cum intrat MT, om. OSOPav, add. per coptationem (sc. cogitationem) uel M; l. 18 ostio O; nec Ov; arripiaris Oa; palpebris] add. eius Gv; l. 19 non] add. ab S; est una Gav; per quam—uerborum om. S; quem Pml; l. 22 alt. intrat—23 alliget om. S; l. 23 labiorum tuorum laqueis O; tuorum om. praeter Pm2, a; si] add. loquax Om2T; te si M; meretris te av.
- Scr. cf. Prou. 10, 19.cf. Proverbs 10, 19.
- Scr. Rom. 10, 10.Romans 10, 10.
- Scr. cf. Eccli. 28, 24 (28).cf. Sirach 28, 24 (28).
- Scr. cf. Eph. 4, 17.cf. Ephesians 4, 17.
- Scr. Eph. 4, 18.Ephesians 4, 18.
- Scr. cf. Gen. 1, 27.cf. Genesis 1, 27.
- Scr. Matth. 10, 9.Matthew 10, 9. Var. l. 4 eloquenti O; alt. intrat—multum loquaris om. X; intrat mors si loquaris om. Ov; l. 5 spinae PmlRml; sunt spinis m; sermones GmlMml; moralia] add. sunt R; l. 7 autem etiam O; l. 8 debeant] add. cognosce quae sit uanitas sensuum quam oculi tui mystici uidere non debeant T (eadem post 'damnat' add. v); l. 9 unde] add. in MXT; l. 10 sunt GX; manifestum] add. est MMaXSt, l.l.OR s.t.; l. 11 sui om. GMXT; sint C; alienati] add. sunt O; l. 12 uita GOPR, uia cet. av; l. 16 christum PR; pr. in om. M; post uirtute add. non in antiquitate, sed in nouitate Gm2Tm2a; flauit M; l. 17 pr. sed—18 est om. S; l. 18 inflauit N; conprehendaris Rml, conprehenderes (R); l. 23 inheius P\corr.R; l. 24 nec Mm2; saeculi uinculis] saeculis MmlXOPRT; l. 25 nolite — p. 100, 1 nos aut om. M; l. 26 uos O; cupiditatis Pm2; aura* P.
- Scr. cf. Luc. 21, 34.cf. Luke 21, 34.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 143, 4 (Vulg. 144, 4).cf. Psalm 143, 4 (Vulg. 144, 4).
- Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 37.cf. Psalm 118, 37.
- Scr. Ps. 39, 5 (Vulg. 40, 5).Psalm 39, 5 (Vulg. 40, 5). Var. l. 1 quae MmlNT; l. 3 quae] quia Pml; possunt M; l. 4 modo in om. O; cogitatione Mm2Tm2STa; l. 7 afflure cet. praeter R; l. 8 uideant uanitates O; l. 11 offendat ei O; offundit PR; uoluptatum MmlSmlTml; l. 13 peteut] peteat O; et domini] dei est O; l. 14 animae—14 est om. N (?), ab inundi MR; huius mundi OP; l. 14 enim om. O; l. 21 insanias T; praesumpt- MS, quae] cum T; l. 22 commouetur (?); l. 23 NMNol forte T; odor (s. l.) nares T.
- Scr. Hiob 27, 3.Job 27, 3.
- Scr. Cant. 7, 4.Song of Songs 7, 4.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 132, 2 (Vulg. 133, 2).cf. Psalm 132, 2 (Vulg. 133, 2).
- Scr. II Cor. 2, 15.2 Corinthians 2, 15.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 37 (l. 23–24).cf. Psalm 118, 37 (l. 23–24). Var. l. 2 ouenjujtur a fetore O; fetore MS, foetore GP; l. 3 quoddam] perfit A; l. 6 ungentum P, sacerdotes Mml; descendit de capite Bv; l. 9 emineatque M; l. 10 fetida AOR, foetida XP; l. 12 a fae(fe-)tidis (Hm2)MSPTa, et foetida; l. 13 hae] ecce HmgBT, eae P, praecelsae a; l. 15 detergit MSPTa; l. 19 —um est—23 dominai om. M; l. 20 suauitatis GmlPT, est ecclesiae O; l. 23 uiuificauit Pml; auerterit O; l. 25 specie si O; et] aut Ov; l. 26 flectitur] flectatur (C); abouis GR, atieois Pml.
- Scr. cf. Luc. 1, 35.cf. Luke 1, 35.
- Scr. cf. Matth. 24, 20.cf. Matthew 24, 20.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 38.Psalm 118, 38.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 110, 10 (Vulg. 111, 10).cf. Psalm 110, 10 (Vulg. 111, 10).
- Scr. cf. I Cor. 1, 20.cf. 1 Corinthians 1, 20.
- Scr. cf. Rom. 10, 2.cf. Romans 10, 2.
- Scr. cf. Rom. 7, 14.cf. Romans 7, 14.
- Scr. cf. Rom. 2, 29.cf. Romans 2, 29. Var. l. 1 hic] haec GMmla; est om. fl; umbra] add. ea Oa; l. 3 profuturam a, in umbram a; ab] ad Gml; l. 4 caritate Av, charitatem OP; l. 5 ad] ut Mml; l. 6 descendat te M; abdueat in umbra Pm2; l. 6 frigoris; suadit PmlHml; ieiunis GSPR; aut] cet. av; significans] N; frigere AR; l. 10 quem] cui Tm2a; misereantur MSmlOTa; l. 11 sequuntur ARav; l. 12 enim] eum X; l. 14 qui] AMSGav; l. 15 est om. S; l. 17 iouumumma J; iniustus Pml; sabbato Rml; sabbata Oav; l. 21 esse spiritalem O; l. 22 quem—27 succedere om. S; adolere] add. non M; l. 23 diele PmlR; igne PmlS; accendi prohibeat MO; l. 25 his] Iudaeis Ov; iubeant T; l. 27 contradictio AMOPRav.
- Scr. cf. Eccli. 1, 14 (Vulg. 1, 16: initium sapientiae timor domini).cf. Sirach 1, 14 (Vulg. 1, 16: initium sapientiae timor domini).
- Scr. cf. Matth. 13, 4.cf. Matthew 13, 4.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 75, 3 (Vulg. 76, 3) — factus est in pace locus eius.cf. Psalm 75, 3 (Vulg. 76, 3) — factus est in pace locus eius.
- Scr. Cant. 5, 15.Song of Songs 5, 15.
- Scr. cf. Gal. 2, 9 (djvu prints "Gal. 3. 9" — apparent OCR typo for Gal. 2, 9, where Petrus/Iacobus/Iohannes are explicitly columnae of the Jerusalem church).cf. Galatians 2, 9 — Petschenig/Zelzer crosscheck (2026-04-30) confirms the printed apparatus reads Gal. 2, 9; the archive.org djvu's "Gal. 3. 9" was an OCR digit-slip. Apparatus footnote retained as Galatians 2, 9.
- Scr. Ps. 74, 4 (Vulg. 75, 4).Psalm 74, 4 (Vulg. 75, 4).
- Scr. cf. Ps. 110, 10 (Vulg. 111, 10).cf. Psalm 110, 10 (Vulg. 111, 10). Var. l. 1 inscii ex inscia M, inscitia PTa, eras. M; l. 3 eo] add. est av; non aestimanr—3 timor om. M; nec aestimant MOPR; l. 6 sicut] si Anl; simulachrum MP, aliquod simulachrum O; ll. 6.7 basis OPml; l. 7 in om. S; collocata fuerit M; locata A; conlocata—15 disciplina om. M; accipit GMa, accepit T; l. 8 uerbum uel ratio dei O; alt. uti om. O; l. 11 statuitur] add. et M; ueruium Rav; l. 14 dissimulantis O; l. 13 alienae APml, alieni Oml; l. 14 quidem Ot; quaedam MOPTv; studia Pm2, statua MJ\a, stitio Ov; l. 16 inuitat MNT; l. 17 basi A, basem Gml, uasin Pml, basin Rml; alienum] add. x AOav; l. 20 fundata MN; l. 21 sancto a; l. 22 pr. et om. \; uidebantur esse O; l. 23 et] sic et a; l. 25 bases (?)MNPRT; aureas AGvdPmlR, aureae Om2MSPm2T.
- Scr. Esai. 11, 2–3.Isaiah 11, 2–3.
- Scr. II Cor. 7, 5.2 Corinthians 7, 5.
- Scr. Prou. 2, 5.Proverbs 2, 5.
- Scr. Prou. 2, 3–5.Proverbs 2, 3–5.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 38.Psalm 118, 38. Var. l. 1 sapientia P; sapientum SPR; l. 2 basim GMv, basem cet. tt; confirmatur a; ergo Mm2O; l. 3 apostolo Rml; l. 4 sapientia M; simulachrum SOP; ueritatis lemma M\, om. MNRT; l. 5 et] est O; timorem sanctorum AOR; l. 5 fuerit APR; l. 7 kquid lln.lPml; l. 10 timoris sancti MN; l. 11 posset] sequitur M; quidam GXMOPRMla, om. Sml; l. 13 timori domini iste M, est ([om. a]) est nota Mm2; l. 17 intellegis O; l. 18 id est om. a; l. 21 intellige GPmlR; l. 26 qui] quis AO; l. 27 ostendit] add. Vn AGOPR (septimus uersus* av).
- Scr. Ps. 118, 39.Psalm 118, 39.
- Scr. I Cor. 4, 4.1 Corinthians 4, 4.
- Scr. cf. Ioh. 1, 9.cf. John 1, 9.
- Scr. I Petr. 2, 22.1 Peter 2, 22.
- Scr. Ps. 68, 20 (Vulg. 69, 20).Psalm 68, 20 (Vulg. 69, 20).
- Scr. cf. I Cor. 1, 23.cf. 1 Corinthians 1, 23.
- Scr. Hebr. 11, 26.Hebrews 11, 26.
- Scr. Esai. 50, 6 — citation completes on p. 106 (os autem meum non auerti a confusione sputorum).Isaiah 50, 6 — citation completes on p. 106 (os autem meum non auerti a confusione sputorum).
- Scr. cf. Gal. 3, 13.cf. Galatians 3, 13.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 43, 16 (Vulg. 44, 16) — cooperti sumus obprobrio.cf. Psalm 43, 16 (Vulg. 44, 16) — cooperti sumus obprobrio.
- Scr. Rom. 6, 3.Romans 6, 3.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 39.Psalm 118, 39.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 39 (continued — iudicia tua dulcia).Psalm 118, 39 (continued — iudicia tua dulcia).
- Scr. Ps. 33, 9 (Vulg. 34, 9).Psalm 33, 9 (Vulg. 34, 9). Var. l. 4 pr. quae] quae MmlXT; l. 7 crucis] scilicet O; l. 10 auferat O; l. 12 quod cotidie AR, cottidie OMST; l. 13 delutum A, dilictum Gml, deletum Om2MOBm2a; l. 16 sumus baptizati MtXP; l. 19 si non—21 meum om. Tn; l. 22 ut oportet possumus O; recte] add. dicit OmlMNQav; l. 23 meum om. AR; l. 24 dulcia] add. ait: quemodo oportet confiteri?; l. 25 pr. quid timeo] quomodo MmlNT, add. oportet TmS; l. 26 eum om. P; quid Vnl; l. 29 confitendi J.
- Scr. Esai. 43, 25–26.Isaiah 43, 25–26.
- Scr. Luc. 15, 7 (djvu prints "Lne. 16. 7" — apparent OCR/typo for Luc. 15, 7).Luke 15, 7 — Petschenig/Zelzer crosscheck (2026-04-30) confirms the printed apparatus reads Luc. 15, 7 (the lost-sheep parable, the standard gaudium in caelis super uno peccatore paenitentiam agente locus); the archive.org djvu's "Lne. 16. 7" combined an OCR garble of Luc. with a digit-slip from 15→16. Apparatus footnote retained as Luke 15, 7.
- Scr. Ps. 1, 5.Psalm 1, 5.
- Scr. Ioh. 3, 18.John 3, 18.
- Scr. cf. Ioh. 3, 17.cf. John 3, 17.
- Scr. Ioh. 3, 19.John 3, 19.
- Scr. Ps. 100, 1 (Vulg. 101, 1).Psalm 100, 1 (Vulg. 101, 1).
- Scr. Ps. 118, 40.Psalm 118, 40.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 118, 39 (recapitulation).cf. Psalm 118, 39 (recapitulation).
- Scr. cf. Ioh. 3, 16 + I Ioh. 4, 8 (caritas est).cf. John 3, 16 + I Ioh. 4, 8 (caritas est).
- Scr. Deut. 5, 21 (= Ex. 20, 17).Deuteronomy 5, 21 (= Ex. 20, 17).
- Scr. cf. Deut. 6, 5.cf. Deuteronomy 6, 5.
- Scr. Ioh. 15, 14.John 15, 14. Var. l. 1 dilexit hunc mundum O; se om. OMOPmlTa; omnis Mml; l. 4 luxoriustu ORml; l. 5 deum autem dominum MS; deum om. O; praecepit GMSPRab; tenere O, add. id est tenaci MNPTa; l. 7 alt. est om. MS; l. 5 inquit GPml.
- Scr. Ps. 118, 40 (recapitulation).Psalm 118, 40 (recapitulation).
- Scr. cf. Rom. 10, 3.cf. Romans 10, 3.
- Scr. cf. I Tim. 5, 6.cf. 1 Timothy 5, 6.
- Scr. cf. Ps. 54, 16 (Vulg. 55, 16).cf. Psalm 54, 16 (Vulg. 55, 16).
- Scr. cf. Matth. 16, 28.cf. Matthew 16, 28. Var. l. 10 audet] audit codd., audiet a; l. 11 sit uera av; quam] qua GmlMST; l. 12 quam] qui MSTa; sunt—14 uiuunt om. MmlST; l. 14 in die MS; l. 16 resurgent] add. Explicit quinta (V. M) littera. Incipit (de a) AOPR, om. cet.