Chapter I.

1. If any one will piously and soberly consider the sermon which our Lord Jesus Christ spoke on the mount, as we read it in the Gospel according to Matthew, I think that he will find in it, so far as regards the highest morals, a perfect standard of the Christian life: and this we do not rashly venture to promise, but gather it from the very words of the Lord Himself. For the sermon itself is brought to a close in such a way, that it is clear there are in it all the precepts which go to mould the life. For thus He speaks: “Therefore, whosoever heareth these words of mine, and doeth them, I will liken1 him unto a wise man, which built his house upon a rock: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat2 upon that house; and it fell not: for it was founded upon a rock. And every one that heareth these words of mine, and doeth them not, I will liken3 unto a foolish man, which built his house upon the sand: and the rain descended, and the floods came, and the winds blew, and beat upon that house; and it fell: and great was the fall of it.” Since, therefore, He has not simply said, “Whosoever heareth my words,” but has made an addition, saying, “Whosoever heareth these words of mine,” He has sufficiently indicated, as I think, that these sayings which He uttered on the mount so perfectly guide the life of those who may be willing to live according to them, that they may justly be compared to one building upon a rock. I have said this merely that it may be clear that the sermon before us is perfect in all the precepts by which the Christian life is moulded; for as regards this particular section a more careful treatment will be given in its own place.4

2. The beginning, then, of this sermon is introduced as follows: “And when He saw the great5 multitudes, He went up into a mountain:6 and when He was set, His disciples came unto Him: and He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying.” If it is asked what the “mountain” means, it may well be understood as meaning the greater precepts of righteousness; for there were lesser ones which were given to the Jews. Yet it is one God who, through His holy prophets and servants, according to a thoroughly arranged distribution of times, gave the lesser precepts to a people who as yet required to be bound by fear; and who, through His Son, gave the greater ones to a people whom it had now become suitable to set free by love. Moreover, when the lesser are given to the lesser, and the greater to the greater, they are given by Him who alone knows how to present to the human race the medicine suited to the occasion. Nor is it surprising that the greater precepts are given for the kingdom of heaven, and the lesser for an earthly kingdom, by that one and the same God, who made heaven and earth. With respect, therefore, to that righteousness which is the greater, it is said through the prophet, “Thy righteousness is like the mountains of God:”7 and this may well mean that the one Master alone fit to teach matters of so great importance teaches on a mountain. Then He teaches sitting, as behooves the dignity of the instructor’s office; and His disciples come to Him, in order that they might be nearer in body for hearing His words, as they also approached in spirit to fulfil His precepts. “And He opened His mouth, and taught them, saying.” The circumlocution before us, which runs, “And He opened His mouth,” perhaps gracefully intimates by the mere pause that the sermon will be somewhat longer than usual, unless, perchance, it should not be without meaning, that now He is said to have opened His own mouth, whereas under the old law He was accustomed to open the mouths of the prophets.8

3. What, then, does He say? “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.” We read in Scripture concerning the striving after temporal things, “All is vanity and presumption of spirit;”9 but presumption of spirit means audacity and pride: usually also the proud are said to have great spirits; and rightly, inasmuch as the wind also is called spirit. And hence it is written, “Fire, hail, snow, ice, spirit of tempest.”10 But, indeed, who does not know that the proud are spoken of as puffed up, as if swelled out with wind? And hence also that expression of the apostle, “Knowledge puffeth up, but charity edifieth.”11 And “the poor in spirit” are rightly understood here, as meaning the humble and God-fearing, i.e. those who have not the spirit which puffeth up. Nor ought blessedness to begin at any other point whatever, if indeed it is to attain unto the highest wisdom; “but the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom;”12 for, on the other hand also, “pride” is entitled “the beginning of all sin.”13 Let the proud, therefore, seek after and love the kingdoms of the earth; but “blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.”14

CAPUT PRIMUM. 1. Sermonem quem locutus est Dominus noster Jesus Christus in monte, sicut in Evangelio secundum Matthaeum legimus, si quis pie sobrieque consideraverit, puto quod inveniet in eo, quantum ad mores optimos pertinet, perfectum vitae 1230 christianae modum: quod polliceri non temere audemus, sed ex ipsis ejusdem Domini verbis conjicientes. Nam sic ipse sermo concluditur, ut appareat in eo praecepta esse omnia quae ad informandam vitam pertinent. Sic enim dicit: «Omnis ergo qui audit 1231 verba mea haec et facit ea, similabo eum viro sapienti qui aedificavit domum suam supra petram: descendit pluvia, venerunt flumina, flaverunt venti, et offenderunt in domum illam, et non cecidit; fundata enim erat super petram. Et omnis qui audit verba mea haec et non facit ea, similabo eum viro stulto qui aedificavit domum suam super arenam: descendit pluvia, venerunt flumina, flaverunt venti, et offenderunt in domum illam, et cecidit; et facta est ruina ejus magna.» Cum ergo non dixit, qui audit verba mea tantum, sed addidit dicens, qui audit verba mea haec; satis, ut arbitror, significavit, haec verba quae in monte locutus est, tam perfecte instruere vitam eorum qui voluerint secundum ea vivere, ut merito comparentur aedificanti super petram. Hoc dixi, ut appareat istum sermonem omnibus praeceptis quibus christiana vita informatur, esse perfectum: nam de hoc capitulo diligentius suo loco tractabitur.

2. Hujus igitur sermonis initium sic assumitur: Cum vidisset autem turbas multas, ascendit in montem, et cum sedisset, accesserunt ad eum discipuli ejus; et aperiens os suum docebat eos, dicens. Si quaeritur quid significet mons, bene intelligitur significare majora praecepta justitiae; quia minora erant quae Judaeis data sunt. Unus tamen Deus per sanctos Prophetas et famulos suos, secundum ordinatissimam distributionem temporum, dedit minora praecepta populo quem adhuc timore alligari oportebat; et per Filium suum, majora populo quem charitate jam liberari convenerat. Cum autem minora minoribus, majora majoribus dantur, ab eo dantur qui solus novit congruentem suis temporibus generi humano exhibere medicinam. Nec mirum est quod dantur praecepta majora propter regnum coelorum , et minora data sunt propter regnum terrenum, ab eodem uno Deo qui fecit coelum et terram. De hac ergo justitia quae major est, per prophetam dicitur, Justitia tua sicut montes Dei (Psal. XXXV, 7): et hoc bene significat, quod ab uno magistro solo docendis tantis rebus idoneo, locetur in monte. Sedens autem docet, quod pertinet ad dignitatem magisterii: et accedunt ad eum discipuli ejus, ut audiendis illius verbis hi essent etiam corpore viciniores, qui praeceptis adimplendis etiam animo propinquabant. Et aperiens os suum, docebat eos, dicens. Ista circumlocutio qua scribitur, Et aperiens os suum, fortassis ipsa mora commendat aliquanto longiorem futurum esse sermonem: nisi forte non vacet quod nunc eum dictum est aperuisse os suum, quod ipse in Lege veteri aperire soleret ora Prophetarum.

3. Quid ergo dicit? Beati pauperes spiritu; quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum. Legimus scriptum de appetitione rerum temporalium, Omnia vanitas et praesumptio spiritus (Eccle. I, 14, sec. LXX); praesumptio autem spiritus, audaciam et superbiam significat: vulgo etiam magnos spiritus superbi habere dicuntur; et recte, quandoquidem spiritus etiam ventus vocatur. Unde scriptum est, Ignis, grando, nix, glacies, spiritus tempestatis (Psal. CXLVIII, 8). Quis vero 1232 nesciat superbos inflatos dici, tanquam vento distentos? Unde est etiam illud Apostoli: Scientia inflat,charitas vero aedificat (I Cor. VIII, 1). Quapropter recte hic intelliguntur pauperes spiritu, humiles et timentes Deum, id est, non habentes inflantem spiritum . Nec aliunde omnino incipere oportuit beatitudinem; siquidem perventura est ad summam sapientiam: Initium autem sapientiae timor Domini (Eccli. I, 16); quoniam et e contrario, Initium omnis peccati superbia inscribitur (Id. X, 15). Superbi ergo appetant et diligant regna terrarum: Beati autem pauperes spiritu; quoniam ipsorum est regnum coelorum.