約伯倫理 第 1255 章

52. A twofold solitude, of the heart and of the body. The one without the other does not profit. — In this place ought we to understand the solitude of the body, or the solitude of the heart? But what does the solitude of the body profit, if the solitude of the heart be lacking? For he who lives remote in body, but inserts himself into the tumults of human converse by thoughts of earthly desires, is not in solitude. But if anyone be pressed bodily by the crowds of the populace, and yet suffer in the heart no tumults of secular cares, he is not in the city.

And so to those who live well, first the solitude of the mind is granted, that they may press down the noise of earthly desires rising up within, that they may restrain, through the grace of supernal love, the cares of the heart bubbling up from the depths, and may drive away all the motions of light thoughts importunately offering themselves, like certain flies flitting about, from the eyes of the mind by the hand of gravity, and may seek for themselves some secret place with the Lord within themselves, where, the outward noise ceasing, they may silently speak with him through inner desires. (Old version XXIV.) 53. The silence of contemplation cannot be perfect in this life. — Of this secret of the heart it is said elsewhere: 'There was made silence in heaven, as it were for half an hour' (Rev. viii, 1).

For heaven is called the Church of the elect, which, while it intends toward the eternal and sublime things through the uplifting of contemplation, presses down the tumults of thoughts rising from the depths, and makes within itself a certain silence unto God. Which silence of contemplation, because it cannot be perfect in this life, is said to be made for half an hour. For while, to the unwilling mind, the tumultuous noises of thoughts thrust themselves in, they violently draw back to the beholding of earthly things the eye of the heart, even when it is intending upon sublime things. Whence it is written: 'The body which is corrupted weighs down the soul, and the earthly habitation presses down the sense that thinks upon many things' (Wisdom ix, 15).

This silence, then, is described as lasting not a whole but a half hour, because here contemplation is by no means brought to completion, however ardently it may be begun. This is also fittingly expressed through the prophet Ezekiel (Ezek. 40:5), who testifies that he saw, as the measure of the city set upon the mountain, a reed of six cubits and a hand's breadth in a man's hand. For the Church of the elect is set upon a mountain, because it is not founded upon base desires. But what is signified by the cubit if not action, and what by the number six if not the perfection of action, since the Lord is recorded to have completed all his works on the sixth day? What, then, does the hand's breadth above the six cubits suggest (Gen.

Gen. 2:1) if not the power of contemplation, which even now points to the beginnings of the eternal and seventh rest? For because the contemplation of eternal things is here by no means brought to completion, the measure of the seventh cubit is not fulfilled. And so the Church of the elect, because it accomplishes all that must be done, shows itself set upon the mountain as a city of six cubits. But because here it beholds only the beginnings of contemplation, it touches nothing of the seventh cubit but a hand's breadth. 54. The summit of contemplation is not attained unless we are freed from the oppression of outward cares.—But it must be known that we by no means attain the summit of contemplation unless we cease from the oppression of outward care.

We by no means behold our own selves, so as to know that there is one thing in us that is rational and rules, and another that is animal and is ruled, unless, having recourse to the secret of this silence, we are lulled to rest from every outward disturbance. This silence of ours was also well figured by Adam sleeping (ibid.), from whose side the woman soon came forth; because whoever is caught up to the understanding of inner things closes his eyes to visible things, and then within himself distinguishes both what ought manfully to hold command and what, being weak, may be subject—so that there may be in him one thing able to rule like a man, and another to be ruled like a woman. In this silence of the heart, then, while through contemplation we keep vigil inwardly, outwardly we as it were fall asleep.

Because, then, men who are removed—that is, estranged from carnal desires—inhabit this silence of the mind, the Lord gave to this wild ass a home in the wilderness, that it might not be pressed by the throng of temporal desires. [Job 39, Vulg. 25] 55. The saints, as long as they live, burn with desire for the heavenly homeland.—There follows: And his dwelling places in the land of saltness. Salt is wont to kindle thirst. And because holy men, as long as they abide in the tents of this life, are kindled by daily fervors with desire for the heavenly homeland, they are said to have their dwelling places in the land of saltness. For they are ceaselessly kindled to thirst, and thirst that they may be satisfied; as it is written: Blessed are they that hunger and thirst after righteousness, for they shall be filled (Matt. 5:6).