Salmos 1
Ambrose of Milan · Comentário Patrístico (catena)
Salmos 1:1
(Vers. 1) "Blessed is the man who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked." How fitting, how opportune a beginning! For just as those who have undertaken some solemnity of a contest usually propose a prize to be displayed, boast of the honor of the crown, so that they may gather with greater enthusiasm for the competition and strive with more determined effort: in the same way, our Lord Jesus has set forth the glory of the heavenly kingdom, the grace of perpetual rest, the blessedness of eternal life as incentives for human virtue. Moreover, when the emperor advances to war, he promises a donative to the soldiers, as well as promotions in military ranks, so that the hope of rewards may assuage their labors and conceal the fear of danger. Like a herald, therefore, of a great emperor, the holy David exhorts the soldiers, calling them athletes and expressing the reward, saying: Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked. He begins with the reward, in order to elevate the weight of the future contest; he sends forth the reward, so that each person, leaping over the anxieties and labors of present affairs in their heart, may eagerly strive to obtain the blessedness of the future. Blessed, he said, is the man. What more could be given to a man, than that nothing more could be given to God by Apostolic authority (I Tim. VI, 15 and 16)? For blessed indeed, and the only one powerful, and king of kings, and lord of lords, God is called. He alone is powerful, he alone is king of kings, he alone is lord of lords, yet he does not exceed the power of blessedness. He has given us a common partnership in his name, which is considered worthy of divine honor. Let us now consider in what manner the Blessed man spoke, and not only the Blessed men: since both sexes are called to grace. Did he exclude women from the fellowship of beatitude because he called only the man blessed? Far be it; for God did not exclude females from the fellowship of creation, because he created the man first. For God said: Let us make man in our image, and after our likeness... And God said, Let us make man in our image, after our likeness: and let them have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the fowl of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the earth, and over every creeping thing that creepeth upon the earth. So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:26-27). In man, both are represented: in man, the sex is expressed. But just as when the word "man" is used, both are included: so when the word "man" is mentioned, the woman of whom that man is the husband is understood. Furthermore, She shall be called Woman, for she was taken out of Man (Genesis 2:23). Also, it is added that when the nature of two things is the same, their actions cannot be distinct: and when their work is equal, surely their reward is equal as well. Therefore, Scripture does not omit the partner of the union when it speaks of man, for it also does not remain silent about the partner of nature when it speaks of human. Therefore, just as there we read of man being made, and although there is one nature, we cannot deny that the principal sex was created first: so here, when we read of man, we also recognize the female sex as the principal part. Therefore, the studies of virtue are equal, because the prerogative of creation is equal. But why do you debate about gender, when it is not the struggles of the body, but of the soul, that require attention, which do not have a gender? Therefore, do not discern honor there, do not distribute rewards, where gender is not discerned. However, do not be careless if the one who was first called to exercise was the one who fell last. The one who started poorly should follow, not lead; so that she may be more modest after the experience. Eve deviated from the order of nature, she should have waited for the one who came before. The clever serpent began from behind; therefore the Prophet turns back to the higher one, assuredly one who would not have fallen unless he had followed from behind. Finally, he called us back from falling before he challenged us to the palm of victory. Blessed, he said, is the man who has not gone in the counsel of the wicked. See where you are called blessed, O man: not in wealth, not in power and honors, not in noble birth, or in beauty and attractiveness, not in bodily health, in which there is no good of nature; finally, they not only have an easy change into opposites, but also serve as a means of sin for those who do not know how to use them. For who is righteous for the sake of money? Who is humble in positions of power? Who is merciful for the sake of nobility? Who is pure for the sake of appearance? These allurements are more for sin than fruitful for the progress of virtue. What does he then want to say that he preferred to say: He did not leave, and he did not stand, as if from the past; when he could say: Blessed is the man who does not go in the counsel of the wicked, and does not stand in the way of sinners, and does not sit in the seat of the pestilent? See the doctrine; for he is not immediately blessed who is not wicked or a sinner, because of the uncertainty of the outcome. For it is not written in vain: Before death do not praise anyone (Ecclus. 11:30). Therefore, as long as someone is in this life, they cannot be praised with a definite statement, since they can still fall into error; however, the person who concludes life without stumbling is rightly considered blessed, as they enjoy the company of the blessed. But perhaps you will say: By what reason, then, did he elsewhere say: Blessed is he that understandeth concerning the needy and the poor (Ps. XL, 1)? For he did not say blessed is he that understands, but that one who understands; because those who do good, in the very work and by which they are tested, find the reward of their work in that same work. Indeed, the blessed fruit is the good deed of conscience. However, those who restrain themselves from evil are not immediately blessed if they have deviated from fault once or twice, but if they are able to avoid the contagion of sin throughout their whole life. Now it occurs, why he prefers to say 'blessed' not he who has fulfilled some duty of piety, but he who has restrained himself from the plan of the impious. For it seems that he is more praiseworthy who has fulfilled the duty of virtue than he who has escaped sin. For neither an ox, nor a horse, nor a stone have been accustomed to be in sin, or to sit on the throne of pestilence. But those things do not have the fruit of blessedness, which do not have the sense of virtue. But how do they reach the reward of the law, who do not have the intention of following the law? Therefore, I see the proposed opinion concerning rational beings, that is, concerning us. But for us, the beginning of goods is the abstaining from sins; for we read: Turn away from evil, and do good (Psalm 36, 27). For this is the order of discipline, that you strive from lower things to more perfect ones; lest you be frightened by the weight of greater things, which you should be provoked to from the beginning of lighter things. The Scripture teaches us that the ladder is like a scale of piety (Gen. XXVIII, 12), through which holy Jacob, a man of discipline, saw the angels of the Lord ascending and descending. He was presented to us as an example, so that we may know that we should gradually advance in virtue through him, and thus be able to strive from the lowest to the highest, if we progress step by step from small things to those that appear higher in the human nature. Always keep these scales in front of you. Do not be afraid, oh man, to climb these steps of discipline. The first step is close to the ground, the next is similar to the previous one. Thus, one ascends to the highest through equal steps. Do not despise, oh man, that first step as if it were the lowest. That first ascent separates you from the earth; you tread the air where you have lifted your foot from the ground. Placed in virtue, you rise when you leave the earth; you leave the earth if you turn away from sin. Therefore, the beginning of the journey to virtue is to abstain from sin. But so that we may know that this teaching is of doctrine, listen to the Law saying: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder (Exodus XX, 14 and 15); for these precepts seemed to be appropriate for the imperfect. Finally, the Lord Jesus himself, knowing the imperfect, answered him who asked by what works one might attain eternal life: You shall not commit adultery, you shall not commit murder, you shall not steal, etc. (Matthew XIX, 18). Then, to the one who said that he had done all these things, He added more perfect things, saying: Sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven (Ibid., 21). And He taught that there is such a difference between avoiding evil and imitating good, that he rejected the latter, who considered the former easy for himself. But because he had not yet attained the former, he was unable to adapt himself to the latter. For if he had loved his neighbor, he could have provided assistance to the poor out of his own inheritance. Therefore, ascend the first step of the Law, so that you may reach the celestial summit of the Gospel. Hence, I believe that, as if placed under the Law, the holy Prophet warns more against following the customs of the Law in the first psalm rather than proposing to follow them. However, in the fortieth psalm (Psalm 40:1 et seq.), which is written from the perspective of the Savior, the exhortation is more about virtue rather than the suppression of error; for it speaks of the passion of the Savior (Ibid., 6 et seq.). And therefore, as we can understand, the dispenser of the Gospel also, when we heard Him say, 'Blessed are the merciful' (Matthew 5:7); and in the psalm of His own passion, and in the Gospel, He crowned mercy. But let us now adore the explanation of the psalm, and let us examine the prophetic power. "Blessed is the man, he says, who has not walked in the counsel of the wicked, and has not stood in the way of sinners, and has not sat in the seat of the pestilence." We can say that there are three kinds of sins, which are here thought to be expressed, thought, action, and persistence; and that he is called blessed who has not even thought what is evil. For how can he be blessed, who is to be condemned on the day of judgment by his accusing thoughts? Even if he deceived a man, escaped the witness, evaded the accuser, he will not be able to avoid being his own accuser, whom he should fear the most; because he will have both the accuser and the confessing defendant. Therefore, blessed is he who has not even thought of what is evil, and has not committed sin (for sometimes we sin without even thinking; for we do not escape sin by much speaking), and has not persisted in sin. Or like this: blessed is he who has not even thought of what would be an error, or has not remained in that thought, or certainly has not persisted in those thoughts that he has recognized as full of error. But whether these things are rightly understood, whoever reads them will judge. For someone who has once thought evil, should not have remained in it, nor persisted. But even if he did not persist, he could not be blessed; because he stayed in what he thought wickedly. Even if he did not stay, nevertheless, by the very fact that he thought evil, whether he has the fruit of blessedness, he should seek a compassionate interpreter. Finally, because no one can say that he has a pure heart, even if the thought is venial, is the action of sins venial? Finally, if someone has a venerable station, is it also full of blessedness because they did not persist in crime? Then, how could someone who did not even think about wicked things, continue to sin or persist? In order for someone to be blessed, they must rightly observe these three things, but the order is different. First, they must not persist in sin; second, they must not stand in it; third, they must not think that it is an error. For someone who did not persist, they could still stand; for someone who did not stand, they could still think; but for someone who did not even think, they are truly blessed. Therefore, I also thought that another tradition should not be neglected, in which we assert that three degrees are made in a straight line: that one who wants to be blessed should not go in the counsel of the wicked, that is, should not walk in their thoughts; secondly, should not stand in the way of sinners; thirdly, should not sit in the seat of pestilence. Therefore, you who have become a Christian in the Church, or who strive for grace, abstain from the counsels of the wicked, so that you can say: Do not destroy my soul with the wicked, O God, and my life with bloodthirsty men (Psalm 25:9). And do not think about wicked things. What are those things, except those that are conceived against God's will? First, our duty is towards God; second, towards our parents. Indeed, the enemy often inserts different thoughts in our minds, and therefore the Prophet wisely believed that thoughts, rather than sudden inspirations, should be held accountable for wrongdoing. So, have you refrained from the counsels of the wicked? Rightly so, but you are not immediately blessed. Also, be careful not to stand in the path of sinners. How often are the words of divine Scripture set forth? Indeed, because we are all under sin, it is not required of you beyond nature that you do not sin; for even an infant of one day is not without sin; but that you do not remain in sin in a certain prolonged state. Not all are wicked; therefore you are called back from all impious thoughts and associations; but all are sinners; therefore you are admonished to stop sinning. If there has been a lapse of youth, the process of maturity should correct it. Therefore, do not have involvement in more serious matters, do not stand in lighter matters. You have this also said by the Lord in Isaiah: Go out of Babylon, fleeing from the Chaldeans (Isaiah 48:20): this means: And if you entered into the confusion of vices, go out. It was not necessary to enter; but you entered, compelled by the law of the flesh, and being captivated by the law of sin, go out, leave or rather, free yourself from heavy servitude. You could not refrain from entering into sin due to your weakness: sobriety to exit from sin is given to you. Therefore, leave Babylon, fleeing from the Chaldeans. Babylon is confusion, which does not maintain the order of virtues; for, confused by allurements, we commit sins. The Chaldeans are those who, with a vain zeal for superstition, explore the courses of the stars and sow the errors of wicked paganism. Flee from them, lest they capture you, lest they ensnare you with the heavy noose of captivity. Abraham was a Chaldean, but he fled from the Chaldeans and before the Law; you were born under the Law, flee from the wicked. He rejected the inheritance of his fathers, in order to possess the inheritance of faith; you abandon the succession of the body, acquire the inheritance of devotion. But if you do not remain in sin, you are not blessed in this way; you still have something that you should lack. There are many temptations, many deviations from virtue: the heavy allurements of pleasures, the heavy fuel of avarice, the desire for power, the ambition for honor, which, like a certain poison, corrupt the minds of men and contaminate their souls with the poisonous decay of vices. This is the seat of pestilence on which the Scribes and Pharisees sat, who impose heavy burdens on men, but they themselves do not want to move them with their finger. He expelled from the temple of the Savior their chairs those who boasted of their honor, sought for primacy in honor; those who used priesthood or the honor of primacy for profit; those who, indulging in gluttony, did not observe the proper restraint of abstinence. This is the true pestilence. Finally, the sons of Eli were sons of pestilence. In this certain seat of vices, Scripture prohibits us from bending our neck and reclining the strength of the whole body. Therefore, pay attention to the characteristics. "And he did not stand in the way of sinners, and he did not sit in the seat of the pestilence." The path of this life, the course, is not in doubt; for the Scripture itself says: In the way in which I walked, they hid a snare for me (Psalm 141:4) . And: Agree with your adversary quickly, while you are with him on the way (Matthew 5:25) . Indeed, since we run the course of this life, we have a path on which we walk daily, until we reach the end. Although we do not appear to go bodily, we are progressing. For just as those who are sleeping in ships are carried by the winds into port; although there is no sensation of sailing for those who are resting, nonetheless the course urges them to the end and impels them unknowingly: so as the span of our life flows by, each one is led by the hidden course to his own end. Hence it is said: Rise, you who sleep (Ephesians 5:14); for you are sleeping, and your time is passing: and see lest while you sleep for a long time, time may pass by. Therefore, even if you sleep, your heart remains awake, your heart does not strike. If your heart is not idle, your time is not idle. You are on a journey, oh man, walk so that you may arrive; lest the night overtake you on the way, lest the days of life be consumed before you hasten the progress of virtue. You are a traveler of this life; everything passes, everything happens after you. You see everything on this path, and you pass by. You have seen the beauty of trees, the greenness of plants, the purity of springs, and whatever else delights the eyes; it was pleasant to behold, it delighted to pay attention for a while; while you paid attention, you passed by. Again while you walk, you came across a rocky and rugged path, hollows of cliffs, steep mountains, dense forests. You grew tired, yet you continued on. Such is life, in which neither the prosperous moments last, nor the adversities endure. Therefore, do not let the favorable circumstances lift you up, or the adversities break you, or the pleasing things delay you, or the sad things hold you back. Always hurry towards the end, hurry so that you may arrive. However, choose the path before you run. There are two ways: one of the righteous, the other of sinners; one of equity, the other of iniquity, of which the Prophet said: And see if there be in me the way of iniquity (Psalm 138:24). Therefore, not only is our life a way, but even in our very life there is either the way of virtue or the way of iniquity. Beware, therefore, that greed does not place its steps in you, and that you become a path of crime; that neither dishonesty, nor lust, become a path worn down by those who travel the way of iniquity and vices. It is allowed for you to choose whom you will follow, either the just or the unjust. The path of the just is narrower, the path of the unjust wider: the former is narrower in its sobriety, the latter wider in its drunkenness, so as to be able to contain those who are wavering; the latter has the allurements of this world, the former has the rewards of the future. In the former, the fruits are more immediate, in the latter, hope is slower; for those things which are sweet do not delay long expectation, but have an immediate fulfillment; but that which is serious is sought through labor, because it is scarcely grasped by a blessed thought; for no eye has seen, nor ear heard, what God has prepared for those who love Him. We often find it difficult to believe things we cannot see: and so the soul is restless, and it turns its thoughts here and there like eyes. Then there occur to it various kinds of things, and they overwhelm it. If it aims at eternal things, it chooses virtue; if at present things, it sets pleasure before everything. A grievous and unjust struggle against the pleasures of the present; here is liberty in one's desires, there slavery in wrongs, doing what you do not wish, and refraining from what you desire; here feasting, there fasting; here intemperance in joys, there perseverance in tears; here dancing, there prayer; here sweet songs, there mournful groanings. Indeed it is written: The heart of the wise is in the house of mourning, but the heart of fools is in the house of mirth. It is better to hear the rebuke of the wise, than for a man to hear the song of fools (Ecclesiastes 7:5-6). But few hear these words, and even fewer follow them. People are more attracted to the sweet sin that gratifies the desires of the hearer in the present, than to the sad virtue that encompasses the hope of faith, as if wrapped in a bitter shell of toil. Blessed and marvelous, therefore, is he who, situated in the choice of such paths, has not been swayed by the allurements of pleasure; so that he may establish his step above treacherous and perverse ways. It is not said to him: Woe to you who have forsaken the straight paths, by going on the ways of darkness! (Eccl. VIII, 16)! Therefore, we know what the path of sin is, in which the Prophet warns us not to stand; but also Ecclesiastes teaches, who says: Do not stand in evil speech, that is, do not persist in evil words, likewise in disapproved actions. As for how to stand in good, the same holy Prophet instructs, saying: Our feet were standing in your courts, O Jerusalem. (Psalm 122:2) Standing is required in Jerusalem, fleeing from Babylon. And to Moses it is said: But you stand with me (Deut. V, 31), who fled from Egypt, and stood with the Lord. And in the Gospel (Matt. XX, 9), those who stood until the eleventh hour received equal pay for their work. And the virgins who stood until the arrival of the bridegroom deserved to enter together into the wedding feast; but those who left and returned afterwards are excluded by the authority of the Lord's sentence (Matt. XXV, 10). Therefore, we have learned not to stand in the path of sinners, but to stand in the duty of virtue; for it is written: But you stand by faith (Rom. XI, 20). Now let us consider what it is: And he did not sit on the chair of pestilence. And indeed, we have stated that not a simple assembly in such a throne as is used, should be criticized. For what fault would envy have? But since the eyes of the Lord are always upon the faithful of the earth; placed as if under the sight of an emperor, and like being placed in a certain ministry, we ought to stand. A soldier stands in readiness, he does not sit; a soldier in arms does not turn back, but rather rouses and raises up. And so it is said to the soldiers of Christ: Behold now, bless ye the Lord, all ye servants of the Lord, who stand in the house of the Lord (Ps. 133:1). But on the contrary, wickedness sits on a leaden weight, because it is fixed in sin and cannot separate itself from it. Indeed, those who are deeply rooted in error and eagerly cling to vices are said to sit, because they do not want to rise or listen to the one who says: Arise, after thou hast sat down (Ps. 126:2). Finally, this Prophet himself elsewhere says: 'Princes sat and spoke against me' (Psalm 119:23). Do we not know that such a powerful force is the long-standing habit of sinning, that it excludes nature, which although it is curable for salvation, is found to be incurable by the passage of time with unhealed wounds? Therefore, let us not remain in vice; but let each person, even if they were, leap away from sin, as it is written (Proverbs 5:3) about the woman of the streets. Do not fix your gaze on it, but leap away, do not delay; may they find you leaping when the years of youth pass by. But, what is more serious, many are not ashamed of indulging in bodily pleasure even in old age, and they have led a spotted life up to the age of senility. For the disease of lust is conceived in the innermost viscera, and with the passing of time it accumulates. Therefore, beware of the wicked counsels, do not let such thoughts penetrate your mind; lest it be said of you: Has anyone put fire into their bosom, and their clothes were not burned (Prov. VI, 2)? For surely he who once kindles the flame of a burning crime in the bosom of his mind will quickly set fire to the clothing of his own body. And just as a fire, leaping onto a pile of straw, clings and remains until it consumes everything it has seized, so too a tiny spark of sin, if it has been ignited by the fuel of vices, stirs up a great conflagration. Therefore, do not remain in sin. Finally, you have placed your foot above the abyss of guilt, quickly remove it; lest pollution rise above your sole and, being easily deceived by a fall, you remain in the mud. Therefore, vices must first be avoided, lest they then give way to more serious ones. For just as those who roll in mud, the more they roll, the more they become dirty; so too, those who once besmear themselves with the filth of wickedness, unless they quickly leap out, bring upon themselves a heavier cloud of disgrace with each passing day of their muddy conversation. And so, a foul odor from that land and a destructive whirlpool contracts a certain pestilence of souls, and with the breath of healthy thoughts corrupted, a pitiable plague of boiling passions rages. Hence a deadly virus infects the minds, hence sickness creeps upon the bodies, weakness upon the souls. For there is an evil weakness, the weakness of error, the weakness of greed, the weakness of insatiable desire. These are the riches, as Ecclesiastes says: There is an evil weakness that I have seen under the sun, that riches are kept to the harm of those who possess them (Ecclesiastes 5:12). Tell me, O Ecclesiastes, what is the cause of this evil weakness? He will answer, because greedy hope devours many. Insatiable greed is the voracity of desire. He who desires silver does not know satisfaction. Wealth stretches, but does not fill. And even if someone is satiated with riches, there is no one to allow him to sleep. Indeed, all his days are in darkness, sorrow, anger, weakness, and rage. How can one sleep, who is preoccupied with guarding gold? Who frets about profit, calculates interest, and counts his money? Therefore, illness is an evil that takes away the good tranquility of the mind. Illness is a bad thing, luxury, lust, desire, pleasure, secular ambition, which quickly corrupts the health of sobriety. Ultimately, all the corruption in this world is a pestilence. Therefore, do not touch it, do not defile it. It is a plague, it contaminates; it is a disease, it pollutes. Do not taste the things that are all for corruption through their very use, as the Apostle said (Colossians 2:21-22), who also proclaims elsewhere: The root of all evil is greed (1 Timothy 6:10); it causes illnesses, it inserts pains. Finally, those who desire it, subject themselves to many pains (Ibid.). This is a pestilence, which often makes warm things neither warm nor cold, but rather lukewarm, which Jesus will vomit out of his mouth because of their serious sins. This is what provokes not only some, but all sicknesses. Every head in pain, every heart in sadness (Isaiah 1:5-6). From head to toe, ulcers of sins. Every head is in pain, when those who are wise are valued here, they are tormented by greed; for the mind of the wise is in their head. This can also be applied to the leaders of the Church: Every heart is in sorrow, when we understand earthly things, and we bury the sharpness of our heart in bodily pleasures. Hence the Lord says (Ezekiel 11:19) to those like this, that He will give them a heart of flesh. A vile disease of diseases creeps from the feet to the head, when they suffer from contagion, when they share with others, if anyone is deprived of the fulfillment of desire, a widow cannot conquer her modesty, invade her land; and everyone with difficulty transfers their illnesses to one another. How often do the elderly groan because they cannot drink for a long time? How often do they grieve because they have ceased to be prostitutes, when they have the desire to be prostitutes? How often are virtues of drunken people a disgrace in stories, sins praised, chastity mocked, continence laughed at, mercy made a mockery! These are the diseases that spread their evils to many. From a few corrupt individuals, it reaches everyone. They sit in councils, undermining the sober ones, belching out their drunkenness; they sit in taverns, fighting over drunkenness. Among them is a harlot, full of wine, smiling at one, burning another, and inflaming everyone with the fire of lust. If a modest person passes by, they blush and criticize them; if someone is immoral, they are praised by everyone and, like a disease, they pass into the souls of individuals. For he who is notorious in wickedness, leads many into the imitation of error. So while they imitate another's sin, they commit their own evil. Do not sit among those whom the holy Prophet fled. Imitate him, fleeing for sure, not sitting, who says: I do not sit in the council of the wicked, and I will not enter with those who do evil (Psalm 26:4). By what reason did you flee from them, David, explain to us. Show us these parts, so that we too can flee from them, lest we become infected by their contagion: They are corrupt, he says, and have become abominable. There is none who does good, not even one (Psalm 14:1). Therefore, generally speaking, this can be referred to all those who are wicked; specifically, it can be referred to those who mock good things, which Aquila called τίς trashtalkers, because these people are truly sick, who by mocking the good, cause a great deal of confusion in the minds and corrupt the souls. How many things the blessed man said that one should abstain from! And he even adds more. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms
Salmos 1:1
What a delightfully apt beginning! Those who wish for a grand display and a great celebration to add glory to the games generally promise a prize. They make much of the honor of the crown to be conferred. All this is to make the contestants more eager to take part and to strain every nerve in order to win. This is what our Lord Jesus does. He promises us the glory of a heavenly kingdom, the sweetness of everlasting rest, the happiness of eternal life. — COMMENTARY ON TWELVE PSALMS 1:13
Salmos 1:2
(Verse 2.) "But in the law of the Lord was his will, and in his law he shall meditate day and night"; that is, blessed is he who does these things with counsel, reason, prudence; for even a small child can abstain from those things which have been said, not by virtue, but by impossibility and ignorance of sinning. Even an irrational beast can comply, to which there is no power of counsel, no sense of error. Therefore, this is the fourth thing that follows, in which the definition of a blessed man is distinguished from a beast; because a wise man is subject to the law by will, not by necessity. For it matters greatly; because in willingness, there is the reward of fruit; in necessity, there is the obedience of dispensation. For thus the Apostle taught us, saying: If I do this willingly, I have a reward: but if against my will, a dispensation of stewardship is entrusted to me (I Cor. IX, 17). But the proper order is that you should first love the law, and secondly meditate upon it. Whoever loves, fulfills the commandments of the law willingly; whoever fears, observes them against their will. We have also received this teaching of God's justice in the Law. For it is written: Hear, O Israel: The Lord thy God is one God (Deut. VI, 4). And thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy strength. And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thy heart, and thou shalt tell them to thy children, and thou shalt speak of them sitting in thy house, and walking on thy journey, and lying down, and rising up. And thou shalt bind them as a sign on thy hand, and they shall be as frontlets before thy eyes: and thou shalt write them upon the posts of thy house, and on thy gates (Ibid., 5-9). And below: And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you but to love the Lord your God and walk in all his ways (Deut. 10:12)? Wisdom also says: Desire therefore my words, love them, and you will have discipline (Wis. 6:12). Wisdom is clear and never fades, and it is easily seen by those who love her, and found by those who seek her. Therefore, we are lawfully taught by the holy Prophet to have the will in the Law and meditation according to the Law. The will in the Law is present not only in intention, but also in action. The first is the will, the second is the operation. Finally, the Lord responded to the one who said to Him: 'If you wish, you can make me clean', 'I will, be clean' (Matthew 8:2-3), in order to demonstrate that our actions should be preceded by a prior will. Ultimately, the law seeks volunteers because the law of the Lord is blameless, converting the soul. However, no one turns unless they turn by their own will. But the volunteer hides and steals the meaning of work. Therefore, day and night he meditates on the Law; in which the intention of reading is not so much required as the affection for keeping the Law. For he fully meditates who is his own law, having the Law written in his heart. However, the eagle set the day only, not the night. Not so much differing from others, as referring to something else; because whoever meditates on the Law is always in the light, he does not have night. For the work of whomsoever shines, he cannot certainly walk in darkness; because his justice shines like light. Let our life meditate on the Law, let our conversation meditate, let our actions meditate, let our understanding meditate on the mysteries of heaven. For the Law is an example and a shadow of heavenly things, a shadow of future goods, which he who believes in the Law recognizes in the Gospel. Let him meditate in darkness and in light, that is, in adversity and in prosperity. For the law commands that you love your Lord. Whoever loves, in every state, must keep the affection of lasting love. A father loves his son, he loves him even when he rebukes him, he loves him even when he beats him with a stick; for whoever spares his stick, hates his son. The Lord also chastises us, and loves us. Therefore, even when we commit worthy discipline, he still loves us, for he also receives the offender. For the Lord chastises every son he receives. And when you are chastised, love; for you are chastised so that you may be received. For what great thing is it, if you then love the Lord your God, when you have abundance of all things, when you enjoy your desires, when you rejoice in honors, riches, and children. And we are accustomed to show gratitude to the person from whom we have received a favor. Finally, when Job was praised by heavenly judgment, the devil said this (Job, 1, 10 and 11): It is not surprising if he is grateful to God, to whom so great prosperity is present; but it is to be proved then, if he loses all these and performs the duty of a pious worshiper. Therefore, the first virtue is that you are not broken by adversity, nor are you elated by success. The Law teaches you not to relax your purpose in affliction, nor to assume despair; you should not say, 'My strength and my power have brought me this' (Deuteronomy 8:17), but rather recognize that everything is to be attributed to divine mercy. Isaiah cries out: The one who is in distress will not be put to shame until the time comes (Isaiah VIII, 22). Drink this first (Isaiah IX, 1). What is this, drink this first? Let us separate the mystical, pursue the moral teachings that the letter instructs. Because of serious errors, serious contritions and vexations of the people are said to come; and it is necessary for them to precede, so that mercy may follow. So drink first the tribulation; for through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God; drink, so that the sense of tribulation may be poured into your innermost being: drink with patient affection, mourning the pain. For when you have turned in lamentation, then will you reconcile the offended Lord to yourself. Therefore, drink this first, that you may be in sorrow and distress. Quickly, joy pours forth error. The people, having become fat and thickened, rise up to play, and they turn away from the Lord. It profits you to have a contrite heart. Drink this first, that your sacrifice may be accepted by the Lord. Let the Apostle teach you what this is: Drink this first, that is, the cup of tribulation. For tribulation produces patience. (Rom. 5:3-4) There cannot be patience unless there was first tribulation. Tribulation, it is said, produces patience, and patience produces proven character, and proven character produces hope. And hope does not disappoint. Drink first from the cup of tribulation, so that afterwards the drinks of many virtues may be served to you. And to show you that tribulation is drunk, you heard the Prophet say today: You have given us to drink the wine of compunction. (Psalm 59:5). And in the following he says: And you will give us drink with tears, in measure (Psalm 79:6). In measure he seeks drink, not beyond measure, lest he be unable to bear it. Finally, with what great affection he prayed for this, he approved by his own example, who mingled his drink with weeping (Psalm 101:10), so that the mercy of the Lord might incline towards him. Therefore, drink this first, so that you may drink the second (for this is the time to insert the mystical). Drink the first Old Testament, so that you may drink the New Testament. Unless you drink the first, you will not be able to drink the second. Drink the first, so that you may quench your thirst; drink the second, so that you may obtain the satisfaction of drinking. In the Old Testament there is compunction, in the New there is joy. See how the Lord has opposed the arts of the devil for his servants. He deceived one with the food of deceit, in order to deceive all in one; but Jesus, with the food of salvation, redeemed all, in order to reform even him who had been deceived. He devised the golden cup of Babylon so that whoever drank more would thirst more; and because the drink could not be pleasing, he lured them to drink with a price of gold. He served his own wine, for which he also sought the approval of metals. But truly the Lord Jesus poured out water from a rock, and all drank. Those who drank in a figure were satisfied; those who drank in truth were intoxicated. Good drunkenness, which would pour forth joy, not bring confusion; good drunkenness, which would establish the step of a sober mind; good drunkenness, which would bestow the gift of eternal life. Therefore, drink this cup of which the Prophet said: 'And thy cup which inebriateth, how goodly is it!' (Psalm 22:5) And let it not trouble you that the golden cup belongs to Babylon; for you also drink the cup of wisdom, which is more precious than gold and silver. Therefore, drink both the cup of the Old and the New Testament; for in both you drink Christ. Drink Christ, for He is the vine; drink Christ, for He is the rock that gushed forth water; drink Christ, for He is the fountain of life; drink Christ, for He is the river, whose torrents gladden the city of God; drink Christ, for He is peace; drink Christ, for from His womb flow rivers of living water; drink Christ, that you may drink the blood by which you were redeemed; drink Christ, that you may drink His words; His words are the Old Testament, His words are the New Testament. The divine Scripture is drunk, and the divine Scripture is devoured when the juice of the eternal word descends into the veins of the mind and the powers of the soul. Finally, man does not live by bread alone, but by every word of God. Drink this word, but drink in its proper order. First, drink in the Old Testament: quickly drink, and then in the New Testament. And as he himself hastens, he says: Galilee of the Gentiles and parts of Judea, people who walk in darkness, see a great light; you who dwell in the region of death, a light will shine upon you (Isaiah 9:1-2). So drink quickly, so that a great light may shine upon you; not an everyday light, nor a light of the day, nor of the sun, nor of the moon; but that light which excludes the shadow of death. For those who are in the shadow of death cannot see the light of the sun and the day. And as if to someone inquiring from you about such great splendor, such great grace, it responds: For a child has been born to us, a son has been given to us (Isaiah, 6). The child, because he has been born of a Virgin; the son, because he has been born of God, is the author of such a great light. A child is born to us. To us who believe; not to the Jews who did not believe; to us, not to the heretics; to us, not to the Manicheans; he is born to us, because the Word became flesh, and dwelt among us; he is born to us, because he took flesh from the Virgin, because a man is born from Mary. Flesh is born to us, the Word is given. What is ours is born among us: what is above us is given to us. We have strayed far enough, as we think, but not without purpose; to show that even in troubles we must love the Lord and not turn away from Him, since often tribulation follows joy, and joy follows tribulation. Finally, blessed is the one who is not broken by tribulation and follows the law. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms
Salmos 1:3
(Verse 3.) And it shall be like a tree that is planted by the courses of water, which will yield its fruit in its season. And its leaf shall not wither, and whatever it does, it shall prosper. What is this blessedness that is compared to the tree, unless we understand it to be in paradise, that blessed place, the tree of life produced from the earth in the midst of other trees? Among many trees that were beautiful to behold and good for food, even this tree was produced from the earth, and it was in the midst of paradise, so that the other trees flourished with its greenness. What we call this wood, except by which salvation comes to us? And rightly this earth produced it, because the Virgin gave birth to him, who was earth according to the Author's sentence, which was spoken to him: You are dust, and to dust you shall return (Gen. III, 19). It is also beautifully read among other woods; either because it was among the apostles who were learning, or because it was in the midst of the mind and heart, as he himself said: There is one among you whom you do not know (John I, 26). And elsewhere he says: 'But I am in your midst' (Luke 22:27). Finally, he also said about Solomon himself: 'The tree of life is for all who grasp it' (Proverbs 3:18). Therefore, blessed is the one who imitates the Lord Jesus, who is the tree of life, the tree of wisdom, planted in the womb of the Virgin by the will of the Father. It is planted by him to remain forever, in order to bear fruit in its season. For this plantation, which had the richness of spiritual grace within itself, could not wither. Finally, Jesus, full of the Holy Spirit, returned from the Jordan. These are the waters that are spoken of in the Gospel: 'Out of his heart will flow rivers of living water.' He said this about the Spirit, whom those who believed in him were going to receive. (John 7:38). There is also another tradition, because there are waters which Jeremiah prohibits us from drinking, saying: What have you to do with the way of Egypt, that you may drink the water of Geon (Jeremiah II, 18)? There is also the Tigris river flowing past the Assyrians. There is also the Euphrates flowing into Babylon. There is also the Phison, which in Latin interpretation is called commutation of mouths, encircling the land of Evilath, where there is gold, and the gold of that land is good; and the carbuncle stone, and the green stone. Deservedly there, the exchange was made, so that the faithfulness of promises is not held; but deceit is in their mouth, where there is good gold; for greed breaks faith, and does not hold the simplicity of words. Precious ornaments also change the mind and soul; so that there is one thing in the heart, another in speech. In those regions, the Jews were captives of the rivers, taken to Egypt, and to the Assyrians, and to the Babylonians, where they sat upon the banks of the river Babylon, and wept for their sorrow; and as the Prophet himself testifies (Psal. CXXXVI, 1 et seq.); there they hung up their instruments, and cast away all joy, where they endured more severe things. Finally, the remaining ten tribes were led to the Assyrians; however, the two tribes of Judah and Benjamin, because of a more serious crime, went to Babylon. For the daughter of the priest who committed adultery was punished more severely than the others, for she stained the honor of the priestly lineage with shameful disgrace. Just as they were in very serious temptations, so our Savior subjected Himself to many temptations, so that He would not pass over any of our struggles. Therefore, it is rightly said that He was planted beside the course of these rivers, not in their courses, so that you might understand that He was near, not immersed. This was His first encounter with flesh and blood. Finally, He says: Father, remove this cup from Me; yet not what I want, but what You want (Matthew 26:39). There was the temptation of riches, when all the kingdoms of the earth offered themselves as enemies if the Lord would worship him by bowing down. There are the courses of two rivers, the Gihon and the Pison. He struggled against the princes of the world: there was in his very passion a contest against the tempters, whom the Hebrew interpretation calls Persians, who presented false testimonies. Against those who said, 'Let him come down now from the cross, and we will believe him' (Mark 15:32), which the devil suggested. You have the rivers Tigris and Euphrates. However, the Apostle also includes that there is a fourfold struggle for us, saying: For our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the world's rulers of this darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in the heavens (Ephesians 6:12). These are the rivers that flow out of paradise. Therefore, I believe that anyone who desires to return to paradise must cross these courses of water. The same holy Prophet expressed this not idly, demonstrating that those who would undergo all temptations should already owe themselves the rest of paradise. Thus he says: My eyes descended because of the course of waters (Psalm CXVIII, 136). For just as there is a fiery sword at the entrance to paradise, so that whoever returns may return through fire, burning his sins, testing his gold: so the one who returns, returns through these courses. And the saints rightly say: We passed through fire and water (Psalm LXV, 12). Regarding those journeys, Isaiah says: 'If you pass through water, the rivers will not overwhelm you' (Isaiah 43:2). Which rivers? Listen to David speaking about those who hasten to paradise: 'Perhaps our soul would have passed through intolerable water' (Psalm 124:5). Although some interpret these four temptations as follows: You shall walk upon the asp and the basilisk, and you shall trample upon the lion and the dragon (Psalm 90:13). That He walked in His incarnation, trampled in His passion, or may trample in the handing over of the kingdom, which He will hand over to the Father, when He will have emptied all principality. But the Eagle beautifully said that which has been transplanted, that is, transferred, because He was first planted in the Virgin, then transferred to paradise; just as He said to the thief: Amen, I say to you, today you shall be with Me in paradise (Luke 23:43). Therefore, this tree will bear fruit in its season. Earthly trees are said to not bear fruit, but to bear; but the tree of life and wisdom bears fruit, that is, it bestows and gives. Again, this comes to mind: If the tree is wisdom, why will it bear fruit in its season, and not always? So that it may not be burdensome for us to think this of Christ; but you, who have read that the Lord will set a faithful and prudent steward (Luke XII, 42) over His household, to give them their measure of wheat in due season, in due season, not always, surely should not be disturbed. Wisdom can always bear fruit; but because it is wisdom, it should give wisely, distributing prudently, if ever we are deserving or able to receive full measure. Just as in this final time it will bear fruit, so too will it provide good fruit among the nations; so that we may be able to attain and preserve fellowship in his resurrection. Now we are unable, we cannot endure this hateful age. For here there is corruption, and we must be cautious not to corrupt the good fruit that the tree of life would bring; because now we are corrupt, but there we will be incorruptible: when the dead, he says, will rise incorruptible, and we will be changed. For it is necessary that this corruptible be clothed with incorruption, and this mortal be clothed with immortality (1 Cor. XV, 52 and 53). Therefore, what profit is it for someone who is dying to receive what death will take away from him? Therefore, wisdom knows at what time it should give to whom, which never loses a leaf of its own tree. And so, let us consider what the fruit of wisdom is, that we may contemplate its leaf. The fruit is internal; the leaf by which the fruit is either protected from the heat of the sun or from the cold. The fruit appears to be faith, peace, doctrine, the excellence of true knowledge, good intention, the reasoning of mysteries. A good life preserves these fruits: even if it perceives evil, it loses them. But God said to the sinner: 'Why do you declare my justices?' (Psalms 49:16) In the mystical sense, the fruit is, in the moral sense, the leaf through the contemplation of heavenly mysteries. For virtues without faith are like leaves; they may appear green, but they cannot be of any benefit. They are blown by the wind because they have no foundation. As much as the Gentiles possess mercy, they possess sobriety; but they do not have fruit because they do not have faith! Leaves quickly fall when the wind blows. And some Jews have chastity, practice reading diligently, and have great diligence; but they are without fruit and are like leaves. These are perhaps the leaves that Jesus found on that fig tree, but he did not find any fruit (Matthew 21:19). The mystical [sacraments] save and free [us] from death; however, moral virtues are ornaments of beauty, not aids to redemption. Moreover, the Lord Himself teaches that mystical [sacraments] excel moral virtues in His Gospel, saying about Mary, who sat at the Lord's feet and listened to His word, while Martha was busy with her service and complained that her sister did not help her in serving at the table: Martha, Martha, you are worried and distracted by many things; there is need of only one thing. Mary has chosen the better part, which will not be taken away from her (Luke 10:41-42). If she who served at the table of Christ did not contribute to hearing the word she eagerly desired, to whom can we contribute our diligent efforts to attain eternal knowledge? And yet, let neither our faith lack in her service, nor our knowledge lack in operation like Mary's, so that neither the leaves are without fruit, nor the fruit is unprotected by natural safeguards, and be exposed to harm. We can also understand this, that Adam and Eve clothed themselves with leaves, seeking earthly garments, because the resurrection of the Lord's body was being prophesied; for the flesh, which had previously been accustomed to perish instead of the leaves, would not perish in Christ; and all the righteous, who, according to the Gospel, were born of the Virgin to imitate the tree of wisdom in their lives and actions. For the Greek says, 'Will he not give his fruit?' which can be translated as 'Will the blessed one not give fruit?', in Greek; but in Latin it is said thus: because the blessed one will give fruit, namely in his resurrection, when he is able to give perpetually. And so it may be understood, that the fruit of it shall be above the wood, referring to the cross, upon which all things shall prosper. In which there is clear evidence that this is said about the Savior. For only His actions can be praised in all things and have prosperous outcomes. But the eagle shall be guided, He says: which also seems to refer to any man whom the Lord directs with heavenly favor. For the steps of a man are directed by the Lord, and the prophet David requested that his prayer be directed in the sight of God (Psalm 140:2). But the Lord himself directed his works so that they were not bent by any twist of error. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms
Salmos 1:4
(Verso 4.) Segue-se: Os ímpios não são assim, não são assim; mas como a poeira que o vento afasta da face da terra; isto não acontece com o homem abençoado, que é abençoado porque não andou no conselho dos ímpios, nem se interpôs no caminho dos pecadores, nem se assentou na roda dos escarnecedores, desejando corromper por acreditar ou viver erroneamente; quem se deleita na Lei e nela medita; ou, como a águia partiu, ele ressoará na Lei: para que possa ressoar os preceitos da Lei em sua vida, e seu comportamento seja como o deles, cujo som se espalhou por toda a terra. Talvez aqui o som do ensino humano possa sair; mas ali, onde é permitido ser visto face a face, aparentemente se faz uma expressão mais completa da palavra. Portanto, não como aquele abençoado que fará estas coisas, que será como uma árvore plantada, todos os seus feitos prosperarão, assim serão os ímpios. Portanto, repetiu, quer aquele que escreveu, quer aquele que acrescentou depois (como pensam alguns), ao repetir a frase poderá tornar-se mais confirmado, dizendo: Não assim os ímpios, não assim, que serão como pó; pois são terrenos, e assim como o pó é jogado fora pelo vento, também serão jogados fora e espalhados pelo Espírito Santo, que sopra sobre a alma fértil e fecunda como costumava fazer o vento sul. Desse vento se diz no Cântico dos Cânticos: Vinde, ó vento sul (Cant. IV, 16), para que a ternura do ar mais suave relaxe os campos dos nossos corações, que estavam fechados pelas duras geadas do inverno e negados o abraço das sementes acolhedoras. É bom para nós que sopre este vento, que possa guiar com segurança os navios que transportam as provisões necessárias para Salomão ao seu templo e para o porto. Mas este vento só sopra quando aquele vento forte, o vento norte, deixa de soprar. Portanto, ou a Igreja ou a alma piedosa diz: Levanta-te, vento norte, e vem, vento sul (ibid.); isto significa: Você, vento norte, retire-se, e você, vento sul, venha: sopre em meu jardim para que as flores não sejam espalhadas, mas preservadas. Portanto, a alma cheia das flores da piedade tem um jardim, ou ela mesma é o jardim, que dá frutos; a alma que está aberta à impiedade tem pó, que é estéril de frutos. Na verdade, o Senhor tornou isso frutífero; mas juntou para si o pó da impiedade. Por que você se vangloria, cheio de impiedade? É porque você é poderoso em honras e abundante em riquezas? Você não percebe que você é pó e será espalhado e disperso? Eu vi, diz ele, o homem ímpio exaltado e exaltado como os cedros do Líbano; e passei, e eis que ele já não existia (Sal. XXXVI, 35 e 36). Por que te glorias de que muitos serviços te rodeiam, muitos amigos cobrem os teus lados, e numerosos cavalos te seguem, dos quais nos explicas a linhagem, como se fosse a raça dos teus antepassados. Você prefere a riqueza porque alimenta seus companheiros nas festas. Eu gostaria que você alimentasse os necessitados; Gostaria que vocês não fossem ministros de piadas, mas sim apoiadores de desejos. Você se vangloria de ceder imediatamente a alguém que é promissor, e as pessoas o evitam como um animal selvagem ou fera. Você acha que essas coisas são alguma coisa? Você não ouve que eles passam por todos como uma sombra? Para que servem as vestes consulares ou os mantos triunfais brilhando com ouro? Você sairá nu: ninguém o reconhecerá como cônsul de lá. Para que servem inúmeras posses? Eles são públicos, não seus. Hoje você os segura, amanhã outro os segura. Quando você sai, outro entra. Mal você move o pé, outro dá um passo. Quantos existiram antes de você, quantos governarão depois de você, e você acha que isso é privado? Quem já resgatou as riquezas da morte? Não, quem tem riquezas que não foram compelidas à morte? Quem a riqueza retirou do submundo? A quem o poder foi dispensado da punição? O pó é maldade, assim como o pó é o poder dos ímpios: traz trevas, não pode dar salvação. Assim que um vento forte começa a soprar, ele o espalha e o dissolve: perturba o ar, desnuda o chão; quando a poeira é lançada, ela desaparece como fumaça, derrete como cera. Por isso, muitos levantaram a questão de saber se a Escritura divina parece afirmar que a natureza perecerá; especialmente porque em outro lugar diz: Eu os esmagarei como o pó ao vento, e como a lama das ruas os eliminarei (Salmo 17:43); e em outros lugares: Eis que todos os adversários serão envergonhados e envergonhados; pois serão como se não existissem (Isaías 41:11). Portanto, primeiro pergunto: eles acham que a impiedade está de acordo com a natureza ou está além da natureza? Se afirmam seguir a natureza, é certo que a sua opinião está errada. Afinal, deixe-os dizer se o pecado está de acordo com a natureza ou não. Mas é certo que pecar é desviar-se do que é segundo a natureza. O que, portanto, é tão absurdo a ponto de dizer que parece menos perverso ser pecador do que ímpio; quando é o mais amargo de tudo, o que parece ser uma ofensa contra Deus? Mas se agir impiamente não é contrário à natureza, então viver impiamente de acordo com a natureza não deve ser considerado um pecado, nem digno de reprovação; pois ninguém é censurado por agir de acordo com a natureza. Conclui-se, portanto, que a impiedade está além da natureza. Então, como é que as Escrituras provocam a destruição dos costumes, das naturezas que serão destruídas, isto é, das naturezas perecíveis, quando a impiedade não é natural, mas está além da natureza? Pois o que não tem algo, não o perde: nem pode perecer aquela substância que não existia. Pois mesmo uma poeira perturbada é transformada na substância da água, ou no ar, ou no fogo, isto é, muitas vezes parece transitar para outra natureza. Portanto, não perece no nada, mas transita para outra coisa. O que impede, portanto, que mesmo aquele que é esmagado pelo poder e pela razão da palavra, como o pó, não se dissipe no nada, mas se transforme para melhor; para que ele se torne um homem espiritual vindo do terreno, e para que o barro das ruas seja apagado de tal forma que tudo o que é áspero e sujo seja removido, e tudo o que é liso e limpo permaneça? E o que ele diz sobre os adversários de Jerusalém: Eles são como se não existissem; certamente ele poderia ter dito: Eles não existirão. Mas quando ele diz: Eles serão confundidos e reverenciarão; certamente você entende que eles existirão em substância e no progresso da conversão, mas não serão adversários como foram. And so, due to the lack of wickedness, they will not be, they will be changed with faith and devotion. Além disso, em outros lugares é dito da perspectiva de um pecador: 'E suportarei a ira de Deus, porque pequei, até que ele justifique o meu julgamento' (Miquéias 7:9). Pois Deus, desejando converter o pecador, castiga-o e queima-o para purificá-lo. Por isso é dito: 'E ele me trará para a luz' (ibid.). Pois até o fogo queima e derrete a cera, para purificá-la; e somos provados pelo fogo; e a fumaça é purificada quando todo o material é consumido, e não passa pela sua natureza. E assim, a alma, purificada de toda mancha, visa o que falta, e não o que não falta. Por isso Balaão diz: 'Que a minha alma morra a morte dos justos' (Números 23:10), significando que sua queda e certos usos perversos deveriam morrer, e que ele deveria se acostumar com a vida dos justos; pois Deus deseja que todas as coisas sejam salvas. Assim, Salomão também diz: 'Deus não fez a morte, nem se alegra com a destruição dos vivos' (Sabedoria 1:13). Ele fez a alma existir; ele criou o homem para a incorrupção, a quem fez à sua imagem. Mas os homens, desviando-se do dom da natureza, sujeitaram-se à morte, para que se corrompam como os seres terrenos. Mas Deus obriga, através de tribulações, ao arrependimento, para que, através do arrependimento, aquele mau acidente de maldade possa ser queimado e consumido, e perecer; and that place of the soul, which was the possession of the accident of impiety, may be open for the reception of virtue and grace. É certo, porém, que é preciosa a natureza da alma que, feita à semelhança de Deus, admite a recepção de toda virtude; uma vez que não está privado da comunhão do conhecimento celestial. Agora pensamos que sobra o que está constantemente na boca de todos, razão pela qual Deus, por cuja vontade nem o pardal mais inútil cai, e diante de quem se contam os cabelos da cabeça, disse através de Isaías: Assim todas as nações serão como uma gota de um balde, e como um grão de pó na balança, e serão avaliadas como cuspe (Isaías 40:15). Assim todas as nações perecerão como uma gota de um balde, e como cuspe perecerão, e serão inúteis. Mas você, que sabe que o nosso Deus não considerou as nações inúteis, como disse a Abraão: Todas as nações serão abençoadas por meio de você (Gen. XII, 3); e como falou ao Filho por meio de Davi: Eu te darei as nações como herança (Sal. II, 8); e ainda: Todas as nações o servirão (Sal. LXXI, 11); você que leu que Deus ofereceu seu Filho para a salvação de todas as nações, a fim de salvar os pecadores (Rm. VIII, 32); você deve considerar o poder do sentimento divino nesta passagem. Pois através da contemplação das criaturas celestes, que são muitas (assim como o céu, que é muitas vezes maior que a terra, é considerado por muitos um mero ponto em comparação com o céu), as nações foram estimadas como gotas de um balde, do qual pertence toda a plenitude. Dessa plenitude celestial, portanto, as nações são estimadas como gotas caindo. Pois como poderiam parecer grandes, quando a própria terra em que existem as nações é uma pequena parte do mundo, e a inclinação da balança, pela qual Deus operou todas as coisas, é tão pequena que as nações são como uma pequena porção? Ao mesmo tempo, reconheça através desta escala que Deus criou todas as coisas com justiça, e nas próprias nações há naturalmente algo em que a justiça parece ter mesmo uma pequena quantidade, e que o próprio cuspe existe como uma porção interna da universalidade de todo o corpo. Portanto, aqui se prega mais a misericórdia, porque quem vem buscar o que se perdeu não desprezou aquela gota d'água como insignificante, e levantou o momento da balança; e dando-lhe a substância de um bom corpo com seu cuspe, ele se dignou a reunir todas as nações em um só corpo da Igreja. Contudo, entre as nações e Israel, não se pode de forma alguma dizer que estejam desprovidos da justiça divina de Deus; pois o próprio Moisés disse de Israel: Eis um povo sábio e tenaz na disciplina, uma grande nação (Deuteronômio IV, 6). E para que vocês saibam que acima do nosso mérito a bondade de Deus transbordou, o Apóstolo, interpretando esta passagem profética, disse: Deus obrigou todos à desobediência para que tivesse misericórdia de todos (Rm 11:32-33). E acrescentou: Oh, profundidade das riquezas da sabedoria e do conhecimento de Deus! Quão insondáveis são seus julgamentos e seus caminhos incalculáveis! Quem conheceu a mente do Senhor ou quem foi seu conselheiro? Quem já deu a Deus, para que Deus os retribua? (Romanos 11:34-35). Mas o Profeta, introduzindo esta passagem, diz: Assim todas as nações foram consideradas como uma gota de um balde (Is. 40:15), e o resto, para que saibais que este entendimento concorda com a interpretação Apostólica. Mas o que é mais evidente do que isso é que não parece trazer naturezas perecíveis, uma vez que o próprio santo Profeta afirmou: Pois os ímpios não se levantam novamente no julgamento. Pois ele não disse: Eles não ressuscitarão; mas ele diz: Eles ressuscitam, mas não para julgamento. Porém, quem ressuscita, de fato é e permanece; mas porque não acreditou em Cristo, já foi julgado; e, portanto, não entra em julgamento aquele a quem permanece a pena do julgamento já consumado. E no que diz respeito à ressurreição, há de fato muitos testemunhos nas Escrituras divinas, que não negligenciamos nos livros de consolação e ressurreição. Mas com relação ao que diz: Os ímpios não se levantam novamente no julgamento; segundo o Evangelho, esta é uma afirmação absoluta, porque nem todos serão julgados. Contudo, o Apóstolo diz: Porque todos devemos comparecer perante o tribunal de Cristo, para que cada um receba o que é devido pelo que fez no corpo, seja bem ou mal (2 Coríntios 5:10). Muitas pessoas pensam que estas coisas são contraditórias; e não percebem que o Salvador falou sobre os infiéis e ímpios, aqueles que não criam no Senhor Jesus. Pois Ele disse: 'Quem crê em mim não será julgado, mas quem não crê já foi julgado, porque não acreditou no nome do Filho Unigênito de Deus'. Este é o julgamento, porque a luz veio ao mundo, e os homens amaram mais as trevas do que a luz; pois suas ações eram más. (João 3:18, 19). Portanto fica claro sobre quem foi dito, isto é, sobre aqueles que não creram no Senhor Jesus. O Apóstolo, embora tenha dito “todos”, certamente falou sobre aqueles que acreditaram, mas eles prestarão contas de suas próprias ações no dia do julgamento. Além disso, ele mesmo diz em outro lugar (Rom. II, 15) que o testemunho de nossa consciência será revelado no dia do julgamento, quando nossos pensamentos nos acusarão ou nos defenderemos, como está escrito, e os segredos ocultos do coração serão revelados. Mas o que é mais claro do que isto, que ele diz em outro lugar: 'Todos nós ressuscitaremos, mas nem todos seremos mudados.' (I Cor. XV, 15) Porque o justo será transformado em incorrupção, permanecendo a verdade do corpo. Daniel também diz: 'O julgamento foi estabelecido e os livros foram abertos.' (Dan. VII, 10) Ele, portanto, mostra que haverá julgamento futuro, especialmente quando em outro lugar ele diz o mesmo: 'Muitos que dormem no pó da terra ressuscitarão, alguns para a vida eterna, e outros para o opróbrio e confusão eterna; e aqueles que entendem brilharão como o brilho do firmamento, e muitos dos justos como as estrelas para todo o sempre.' (Dan. XII, 2 e 3) O que é esse julgamento dos juízes titulares, e o que é senão o livro aberto da nossa consciência, contendo a série dos nossos pecados? Embora seja desprezível considerar isso como se fosse um julgamento semelhante ao julgamento humano. Diferente é o julgamento de Cristo, onde se revela a própria consciência, que não pode se esconder do juiz das coisas ocultas: onde os pensamentos resplandecem diante dEle, que ainda diz aos que pensam: Por que pensais mal em vossos corações (Mateus 9:4)? Quando falava aos judeus, dizia a todos: para que ninguém pensasse que coisas ocultas poderiam enganá-lo, para que ninguém pensasse que uma testemunha de erro oculto poderia escapar com paredes fechadas. E assim também o Evangelista dá testemunho, dizendo: Mas Jesus conhecia os seus pensamentos. Como então ele diz: Os livros estão abertos? Certamente não escrito a tinta, mas pelos vestígios dos pecados e pela contaminação dos crimes. O livro da sua consciência será aberto, o livro do seu coração será aberto, a nossa culpa será recitada. Há um livro onde há um tablet; antes, há livros inscritos onde há tábuas inscritas, que são inscritas pelo Espírito Santo com o ensino apostólico, como lemos, com Paulo dizendo: Tu és a nossa epístola... inscrita não com tinta, mas com o Espírito do Deus vivo: não em tábuas de pedra, mas em tábuas de carne do coração (II Cor. III, 2 e 3). Portanto, estas tábuas do coração, inscritas com o Espírito Santo, serão recitadas. Se você fizer bem, as Escrituras permanecerão. Cuide para não tirar a graça do Espírito Santo; veja que você não apaga, e escreva seus crimes com tinta, para que não chegue o dia do julgamento, e o Juiz diga: Que os livros sejam lidos, que as tábuas de seus feitos sejam lidas; e deixe-o dizer a você: eu escrevi suas tábuas, por que você destruiu minhas marcas? Eu escrevi meus presentes, como você destruiu minhas ofertas e escreveu seus insultos? Você não leu o que escrevo? Não te disse pela boca do meu Profeta: A minha língua é a pena de um escriba veloz (Salmos 44:2); mas o julgamento pertence à Palavra. Portanto, muitos que dormiram no túmulo ressuscitarão da terra, aqueles que fizeram o bem para a ressurreição da vida; e aqueles que praticaram o mal para a ressurreição do julgamento (João 5:28-29). O que Daniel diz, 'para a vida eterna', diz o Salvador, 'para a ressurreição da vida'. Da mesma forma, o que Daniel diz, 'para vergonha e desprezo eterno', diz o Salvador, 'para a ressurreição do julgamento'. Portanto, não nos é proveitoso irmos a julgamento, nem é proveitoso não irmos; para que não pareçamos condenados ou carreguemos o peso do julgamento nesta contaminação de vícios. O profeta pede que o Senhor não entre em julgamento com o seu servo (Salmos 142:2); quanto mais deveríamos temer o julgamento do Senhor? Considere que o Senhor misericordioso perdoará: quanto será revelado que eu pensava estar oculto? Que vergonha, que embaraço haverá para mim, quando aquele a quem afirmei ensinar aos outros, eu mesmo for considerado culpado exatamente daquilo de que estava acusando os outros? E, portanto, uma vez que tanto o Salvador como João no Apocalipse falaram de dois tipos de ressurreição, e João disse: “Bem-aventurado aquele que tem parte na primeira ressurreição” (Apocalipse 20:6), estes de fato chegam à graça sem julgamento. Mas aqueles que não vierem para a primeira ressurreição, mas estiverem reservados para a segunda, serão queimados até cumprir o tempo entre a primeira e a segunda ressurreição, ou se não cumprirem, permanecerão mais tempo no castigo. Portanto, oremos para que na primeira ressurreição possamos merecer ter uma parte. Há aqueles que ressuscitaram na paixão de Cristo; e são claramente bem-aventurados estes que receberam a graça de Cristo e ouviram a Sua voz, da qual está escrito: Vem a hora em que os mortos ouvirão a voz do Filho de Deus, e os que a ouvirem viverão (João 5:25). E: Eles entraram na cidade santa (Mateus 27:53). Penso que significa mais a cidade celestial do que esta Jerusalém terrena, que Ele deixou, reprovada, porque entraram nesta a pé, mas naquela celestial por méritos. Mas tomemos também cuidado para não nos levantarmos deste túmulo terreno. Há aqueles que, enquanto vivos, estão rodeados e cheios de mortos, cuja garganta é uma sepultura, não de palavras de vida, mas de morte. Se ressuscitarmos dos mortos aqui, também ressuscitaremos lá. Se não formos ossos secos aqui, mas tivermos recebido o orvalho da Palavra, a umidade do Espírito Santo, viveremos lá. Assim, Jesus nos ressuscitará aqui com Sua voz poderosa, como ressuscitou Lázaro, e através de Seus discípulos Ele nos libertará das cadeias da morte e nos conduzirá a Betânia, onde estava Lázaro, ou seja, a casa da obediência. E Ele nos convidará para Seu banquete aqui, e ali nos reclinaremos com Ele, e ali sempre festejaremos com Ele, e ali o perfume, que só o traidor lamentou ter sido desperdiçado, será perfumado para nós. - Comentários sobre os Doze Salmos Davídicos
Salmos 1:5
(Verse 5.) Therefore the wicked do not rise in judgment. That is, they do not rise to share in the fate of those who will be judged; nor do sinners rise in the council of the righteous. You see that the wicked arise, but they do not rise in the judgment of the righteous, because sinners, though they do not rise in the council of the righteous, do rise in judgment. Hence, those who have believed well and have also put their faith into action will not be judged, but will rise in the council of the righteous. But sinners who cannot rise among the righteous will rise in judgment. You have two orders. The third remains for the impious, since they did not believe and have already been judged; and therefore they do not arise in judgment, but for punishment: for they loved darkness more than light (John 3:19); and therefore their judgment is punishment, and perhaps the punishment of darkness. And it could indeed be understood that those who have evil deeds, believing nevertheless in Christ, desiring indeed to live rightly; but being overcome by the allurements of sin, they loved darkness more than light: that is, they loved both, but darkness more. But because he warned about those who did not believe, I think that it should be understood that they loved darkness, and not light; for light is Christ. Therefore, those who did not believe in the light are absurd to be believed to have loved the light, which they did not know. For they did not know, nor did they understand, they walk in darkness, as it is written (Psalm 81:5). — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms
Salmos 1:6
(Verse 6.) It follows: For the Lord knows the way of the righteous, and the way of the wicked shall perish. Pay attention to the meaning: The wicked do not rise in judgment, for the Lord knows the way of the righteous. Certainly He knows their ways, whose steps are directed by the Lord. They are the steps of men who are guided by the Lord. They are guided by the Lord and the ways of man. The Lord knows these ways, which are straight and tend toward that life of which it is said: I am the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6). This is the good way: but the way of the world is crooked. It does not deign to know that way. For it recognizes those who are its own, who do its works: but to those who do wickedness, the Lord says: Depart from me, all you workers of iniquity, I do not know you (Luke 13:27). They are not unknown due to ignorance, but because they are unworthy of the knowledge of God. However, he said beautifully: 'And the way of the wicked shall perish.' Latinus separated 'iter' to mean 'way' and as if distinguished 'iter' from 'via'; but the Greek said 'via' in both cases. However, Latinus did not speak in vain, for the Lord said: 'I am the way,' he did not say: 'I am the journey.' But he said the 'way' of the wicked shall perish, not the wicked themselves. He preserves the substance of those who, if they convert, will lose only the way of wickedness, which neither was nor will be from the beginning. Therefore, what is accidental perishes: what is substantial remains. But the wicked perish in such a way as it is said: The soul that sins, it shall die (Ezekiel XVIII, 4); so that by the sting of sin, they do not perish by the dissolution of their entire substance. — Commentaries on the Twelve Davidic Psalms