1. O how wondrous is the depth of the words of God! It is a delight to attend to this, a delight, with grace as guide, to penetrate its inmost parts. As often as we probe it by understanding, what else do we do but enter into the shadiness of woods, that in its coolness we may be hidden from the heats of this world? There, by reading, we pluck the freshest herbs of its sentences, and by pondering we ruminate upon them. In that discourse which was made to you, dearest brethren, the day before yesterday, it was said how the creatures shown signify either our Redeemer, or His four evangelists, and all the perfect.
The power of these creatures is expressed yet more subtly, that we too, weak and contemptible as we are, may, so far as the Lord grants, stretch ourselves toward the imitation of them. For behold, it is said: Verse 12: 'Where the impulse of the spirit was, thither they went.' In the elect and the reprobate the impulses are different. In the elect, namely, is the impulse of the spirit; in the reprobate, the impulse of the flesh. For the impulse of the flesh drives the soul to hatred, to pride, to uncleanness, to rapine, to outward glory, to cruelty, to treachery, to despair, to wrath, to quarrels, to pleasures.
But the impulse of the spirit draws the mind to charity, to humility, to continence, to bounteous mercy, to inward progress, to works of piety, to faith in things eternal, to hope of the joy that follows, to patience, to peace, to the consideration of mortal life, to tears. Wherefore it is necessary that we ought always to consider with great care, in everything we do, what impulse leads us: whether our thought is driven by the impulse of the flesh or by the impulse of the spirit. For to love earthly things, to prefer the temporal to the eternal, to have outward goods not for necessary use but to covet them for pleasure, to seek vengeance upon an enemy, to rejoice at a rival's fall — this is the impulse of the flesh.
But on the contrary, to love heavenly things, to despise earthly ones, to seek transitory things not for the fruit of pleasure but for the use of necessity, to be grieved at an enemy's death — this is the impulse of the spirit. And because all the perfect ever exercise themselves in these virtues, it is rightly now said of the holy creatures: 'Where the impulse of the spirit was, thither they went.' 3. But we must know that very often the impulse of the flesh cloaks itself under the veil of the spiritual impulse, and the thought itself lies to itself, that what it does carnally it does spiritually.
For often a man, overcome by the goads of anger, is inflamed against wrongdoers more than is needful under zeal for avenging justice, and, passing the bounds of justice in his vengeance, acts cruelly what he supposes himself to do justly. The impulse of the flesh is therefore veiled in him under the appearance of the spirit, when what is believed to be done justly is not held within the restraint of discretion. And often another, being devoted to excessive mildness, sees the vices of his subjects, and refuses to correct these through the ferment of zeal, and by not correcting them cruelly multiplies them in his people; and so it comes to pass that his leniency is hostile both to himself and to his subjects, for he who accounts the torpor of his mind to be patience, by the spirit of the flesh removes himself far from the impulse of the spirit.
Therefore the first thought ought to rouse us to the searching of our own heart, lest we be led by the open impulse of the flesh to certain things which we do, and lest the soul, seduced by depraved delights, recognize things to be evil and yet do them. But the second concern ought to make us watchful, lest the impulse of the flesh secretly subject itself as if under the impulse of the spirit, and feign to us that the faults we commit are virtues. 4. But we must know that the graver faults are those which imitate virtues under an assumed appearance, because those known in the open cast the mind down into confusion and draw it to penitence; but these not only do not humble it to penitence, but even lift up the mind of the doer, while they are thought to be virtues.
But that which had been said above concerning the holy creatures is, that it may be more deeply confirmed, again repeated: In the same place — 'They turned not back when they went.' 5. Because all the elect so tend toward good things that they do not return to perpetrating evils: 'For he that shall persevere unto the end, the same shall be saved' (Matthew 10:22). And as it is said through Solomon: 'The path of the just, as a shining light, goeth forwards and increaseth even to the perfect day' (Proverbs 4:18).
For in their souls the good desire and the understanding of the inmost light is already a part of the day; but because they advance in virtue even to the end of life, they then come to the perfect day when, brought to the heavenly kingdoms, in that light which they desire they shall lack nothing any more. There follows: Verse 13: 'And the likeness of the creatures, and their appearance was like that of burning coals of fire, and like the appearance of lamps.' 6. The appearance of the creatures is compared to burning coals of fire and to lamps.
For whosoever touches a coal is set on fire, because he who cleaves to a holy man, from the constant sight of him, from the practice of his conversation, from the example of his work, receives that he may be kindled into the love of truth, may flee the darkness of his sins, may burn in the desire of light, and may already burn through true love — he who before lay dead in iniquity in so far as he lay cold. But lamps scatter their light farther, and, though they are in one place, shine in another. For he who is strong in the spirit of prophecy, in the word of doctrine, in the grace of miracles — his reputation shines far and wide like a lamp;
and all who hear of his good deeds, because through these they rise to the love of heavenly things, in that they show themselves forth by good works, shine as it were from the light of the lamp. Because therefore holy men kindle certain persons placed near them, as if by touching, into the love of the heavenly homeland, they are coals. But because they give light to certain persons placed far off, they become lamps to their journey, lest these fall into the darkness of sin. But this difference lies between coals and lamps, that coals indeed burn, but do not drive away the darkness of the place in which they lie; whereas lamps, because they shine with a great light of flames, put to flight the darkness diffused all around.
From which fact it is to be noted that there are very many of the saints so simple and hidden, concealing themselves in lowlier places under great silence, that their life can scarcely be recognized by others. What then are these but coals? Who, though they have ardor through the fervor of the spirit, yet do not have the flame of example. Nor do they conquer the darkness of sins in the hearts of others, because they altogether shun to have their life known. To themselves indeed they are kindled, but to others they are not in the example of light.
But those who both hold forth examples of virtues and show the light of good work by their life and word to those who journey, are rightly called lamps, because both through the ardor of desire and through the flame of the word they drive out the darkness of error from the hearts of sinners. He therefore who lives well in secret, but profits not at all the advancement of another, is a coal. But he who, set in the imitation of holiness, shows the light of rectitude from himself to many, is a lamp, because he both burns for himself and shines for others. There follows: In the same place — 'And this was the vision running about in the midst of the creatures, a brightness of fire, and out of the fire lightning going forth.' 8.
Fire is seen running about in the midst of the creatures, because unless those winged creatures received warmth from the fire of truth, they themselves would not burn into the likeness of coals and lamps. For by the name of fire the Holy Spirit is wont to be signified. Of whom in the Gospel the Lord says: 'I am come to send fire on the earth; and what will I, but that it be kindled?' (Luke 12:49). For when the carnal mind receives the Holy Spirit, kindled with spiritual love it bewails the evil it has done. And the earth burns, when, the conscience accusing itself, the heart of the sinner is scorched and is consumed in the sorrow of penitence. Hence again it is written: 'Thy God is a consuming fire' (Deuteronomy 4:24).
For because He renders the mind which He has filled clean from the rust of sins, our Creator is called both fire and consuming. The Holy Spirit therefore is said to run about in the midst of the creatures as a brightness of fire and lightning going forth from the fire, because, filling the whole Church, in the hearts of the elect He casts forth from Himself the flames of love, that after the manner of lightning He may strike through terror, and may kindle sluggish hearts into His love. 1209. 9. But because the Holy Spirit, God before the ages, is coeternal with the Father and the Son, we must ask why He is said to run about. For everyone who runs about approaches a place in which he was not, and forsakes the place in which he was.
By what reason then should we say that the Spirit runs about, when all things are within Him, and there is nowhere any place where He is not? As it is written: 'The Spirit of the Lord hath filled the whole world' (Wisdom 1:7). And yet, when the praise of wisdom was being described, it was added: 'For in her is the spirit of understanding, unique, manifold, subtle, noble' (Wisdom 7:22). And a little after: 'Steadfast among men' (ibid., 23). 10. In which words again a great question arises for us, why this Spirit who fills all things is called at once movable and steadfast. But if we recur to the usage of human custom, we more quickly find the meaning of the speaker.
For a man who runs about everywhere in the region in which he is, without doubt meets one everywhere, so that suddenly, where he is not believed to be, he is found. The Almighty Spirit therefore, that His presence everywhere might be signified, is said to be at once movable and steadfast. Steadfast, because by His nature He contains all things; but He is called movable because everywhere He meets even those who know it not. Holding therefore all things He is steadfast; showing Himself present to all, He is called movable.
The brightness of fire therefore, and the lightning going forth from the fire, runs about among the winged creatures, because the Holy Spirit is present at once to each and to all, and kindles those whom He touches, and illumines those whom He kindles, so that, kindled after their former coldness, they may burn, and through the fire of love which they have received may give back the flames of examples. For the lightning going forth from this fire strikes sluggish minds, and by striking rouses and inflames them, so that after the love of Him, burning and shining alike, they may run. Whence elsewhere it is written: 'His throne was flames of fire, its wheels kindled fire' (Daniel 7:9). For those who are guardians of souls, and have taken up the burdens of feeding the flock, are by no means permitted to change places.
But because, placed in one spot, they bear the presence of the Godhead within themselves and burn, the throne of God is called a flame of fire. But those who, for the love of the Lord, run about in preaching, are His wheels of burning fire, because when out of desire for Him they run about through various places, from there they themselves burn and kindle others. 11. Yet the running and mobility of the Spirit can be understood by inquiry into another consideration. For in the hearts of the saints, according to certain virtues He ever abides, but according to certain others He comes about to withdraw, and having come withdraws.
For in faith, hope, and charity, and in other good things without which the heavenly homeland cannot be reached — such as humility, chastity, justice, and mercy — He does not forsake the hearts of the perfect. But in the virtue of prophecy, the eloquence of doctrine, the exhibition of miracles, He is sometimes present to His elect, sometimes withdraws Himself. He is present that they may be lifted up, and He withdraws Himself that they may be humbled. He is present that He may glorify them by the virtue shown, He withdraws that they may know themselves by His virtue withdrawn. He is present to show what they are through Him, He withdraws to make plain who or of what sort they remain without Him.
In these virtues therefore, without which life is by no means attained, the Holy Spirit abides in the hearts of His elect; whence He is rightly declared to be steadfast. But in those virtues through which the power of holiness is shown, He is sometimes mercifully present, and sometimes mercifully withdraws; whence He is rightly named movable. The Spirit is therefore said to be running about and movable, because in signs and virtues He is not continually possessed according to the wish of each one. And well is He declared to run about among the holy creatures. For running belongs to swiftness. And the Spirit runs about among the perfect, because even if He has withdrawn from their heart for a moment, He more swiftly returns. There follows: Verse 14.
— 'And the creatures went and returned, in the likeness of flashing lightning.' 12. Since above it was said, 'They turned not back when they went,' by what reason is it now said, 'The creatures went and returned'? These things seem greatly contrary to one another, that they went and returned not, and that they went and returned. But we recognize more readily how it is to be understood if we carefully distinguish two lives, namely the active and the contemplative. For in the one we can remain fixed, but in the other we can by no means hold the mind intent. For when we forsake our torpor and rouse ourselves to the zeal of good work, whither do we go but to the active life?
From which we ought by no means to turn back afterward, because he who after it returns to the torpor of negligence, to the wickednesses of depravity which he had left, without doubt knows not how to be a heavenly creature. But when from the active life we rise to the contemplative, because the mind cannot long stand in contemplation, but all that it beholds of eternity through a glass and in a riddle it sees as if by stealth and in passing, the soul, repelled by its very weakness from the immensity of so great a height, slips back into itself. And it is necessary that it return to the active life, and continually exercise itself in the practice of good work, so that when the mind cannot rise to contemplate heavenly things, it may not refuse to do whatever good it can.
And so it comes to pass that, aided by its own good acts, it rises again to the higher things into contemplation, and receives the food of love from the pasture of contemplated truth. In which, because the very weakness of corruption cannot long hold itself, returning again to good works, it is fed by the memory of God's sweetness, and is nourished outwardly by pious acts, but inwardly by holy desires. For hence it is said of perfect men returning after their contemplation: 'They shall utter the memory of Thy sweetness' (Psalm 145:7). For the sweetness of the inmost delight, because in whatever way they can, as though from some lightning-flash, they touch it by foretasting, they strive by ever recalling and speaking to utter forth its memory. Whence also the Psalmist aptly admonishes us, saying:
'Light is risen to the just, and joy to the right of heart. Rejoice, ye just, in the Lord, and give praise to the remembrance of His holiness' (Psalm 97:11-12). Who again says: 'How great is the multitude of Thy sweetness, O Lord!' (Psalm 31:20). Which indeed how great it was he could by no means have known, unless he had in some measure tasted it by contemplating. Hence again he says: 'I said in my ecstasy, I am cast away from before the eyes of Thine eyes' (ibid., 23). For unless, lifted up in the excess of mind, he had known the sweetness of eternal delight, still held in this world he would not have discerned how far cast away he lay. The creatures shown therefore go and return not, and go and come back;
because holy men neither fall down from the active life which they have grasped into iniquities, nor, from the contemplative which they cannot hold continually, do they slip back into the active. For as has been said, overcome by the very weight of their own weakness, repelled they return to themselves, that going they may learn what they desire, and returning may know where they lie. Going, let them understand where they are not yet; returning, what they are. 13. But how these holy creatures return is shown when it is added: 'In the likeness of lightning.' And well are the returning creatures compared to flashing lightning, for holy men,
when they fly up to contemplate heavenly things, when they bind the first-fruits of their spirit in the love of the heavenly homeland, but, weighed down by the burden of human conversation, return to themselves, they proclaim to their brethren the heavenly good things which they were at least able to contemplate through a glass, and kindle their minds into the love of that inmost brightness, which they can neither see as it is, nor speak of as they saw it. But speaking, they strike and inflame the hearts of the hearers with their words. As flashing lightning therefore they return, who, when they speak of heavenly things, because through them the supernal light gleams forth, inflame the minds of the hearers into the love of the heavenly homeland. After the manner of flashing lightning, therefore, when by speaking they strike, they scatter the fire of spiritual desire. 14.
In another way also the holy creatures go and come back. For they go when they are sent into preaching to instill the grace of the heavenly gift, and, that they may draw men to the faith, they do wondrous things before unbelievers; but they come back, because, attributing these to the power of the almighty Lord, they do not ascribe to themselves what they have done. For when they do stupendous things, they are lightning, because they smite, terrify, illumine, and kindle the hearts of the beholders. Whence it is written: 'In the light Thy arrows shall go, in the brightness of the lightning of Thy weapons' (Habakkuk 3:11). The arrows of the Lord are the words of the saints, which smite the hearts of sinners. But these arrows have weapons. You know, brethren, that warrior men cast arrows, but are protected by weapons.
When therefore they add miracles to their words, they arm themselves as it were with weapons, lest they themselves be struck: 'In the light Thy arrows shall go,' because the words of God go forth in the open. But because the deeds of miracles ought to accompany the sentences of the holy doctors, it is rightly subjoined: 'In the brightness of the lightning of Thy weapons,' because while Thou addest to them the weapons of miracles, the minds of persecutors are dazzled by lightning, so that they presume not to persecute them. These creatures therefore go and return in the likeness of flashing lightning, because after the saints do wondrous things among men, after they inflame the hearts of the hearers by scattered light, they return to give glory to their Author, that they may render praise to Him through whom they know they can do such things. 15.
So Peter, when, having healed a man who had been lame from his mother's womb, he wrought a sign at which all who knew it greatly marveled, said: 'Why do you wonder at this? Or why do you look upon us, as though by our own power or authority we had made this man to walk? The God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob, the God of our fathers, hath glorified His Son Jesus' (Acts 3:12-13). And a little after: 'In the faith of His name, this man whom you have seen and known, His name hath strengthened' (ibid., 16). Working the sign indeed, he dazzled the eyes of the beholders with the light of the miracle; but keeping humility, and rendering the praise to its Author, he returned as it were whence he had come, because the light of the lightning showed whence it had been.
The holy creatures therefore, when they come to work signs, and when they return inwardly within their own selves to render glory to their Author, are lightning, because both by showing miracles and by affording examples of humility, they smite and inflame the minds of the beholders. 16. But in everything they do, they therefore ever return to the praise of the Creator, that in that virtue which they receive they may persist in true stability. For if they attributed anything to themselves, in that which they had received they could not stand. Whence well is it also said through Solomon: 'Unto the place from whence the rivers come, they return, that they may flow again' (Ecclesiastes 1:7). For whether in virtues, or in doctrine, what else are holy men but rivers which water the dry earth of the hearts of carnal men?
But whether in the work which they do, or in the words of doctrine, they would more quickly be dried up, unless through the intention of the heart they ever anxiously returned to the place from whence they come. For if they returned not inwardly to the heart, and bound not themselves in the love of the Creator with the fetters of desires, both the hand fails from that which it was doing, and the tongue withers from that which it was speaking. But inwardly they ever return through love, and that which they pour forth working and speaking in public, they draw in secret from the fountain of love within them. For by loving they learn what by teaching they utter. Unto the place therefore from whence the rivers come, they return, that they may flow again, because they ever draw the water of wisdom from thence where it rises, lest, when it has run, it be dried up.
Through everything therefore that we do, let us return with an anxious mind to the fountain of the true light. Let us render thanks to our Creator for the good things which we receive, and let us suppliantly say to Him with Isaiah the prophet: 'Thou hast wrought all our works for us' (Isaiah 26:12). For our good deeds are His works, whose tenderness was not content to raise us up, unless He also bowed Himself down for us. For if God, coeternal with the Father before the ages, had not become man in time, when would temporal man have relished things eternal? The descent therefore of Truth became the ascent of our humility. Let us give Him glory, let us give Him praise, who lives with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, world without end. Amen.