LETTER XXXI. 

Irenaeus had asked S. Ambrose whether God had greater love for those who had believed from their early years than for those, who had been converted later in life. In answering this question, S. Ambrose enters into the history of the Jewish and Christian Churches, which he considers as set forth under the figures of David's two wives.

AMBROSE TO IRENAEUS, GREETING.

1. You have wisely thought it a subject of inquiry, whether there be any difference in God's love towards those who have believed from their childhood, and those who have believed in the course of their youth or more advanced age; for this also has not been past over nor left unnoticed in the sacred Scriptures. For it is not without meaning that the Lord our God says to the Prophet Joel,  Lament to me for the spouse girded with sackcloth and for the husband of her youth, expressing his grief for the Synagogue, who, before, in her virginity, had been espoused to the Word of God, or, it may be, for a soul which had fallen from her good deeds, that by the heinousness of her sins she had incurred hatred, and through the defilement of impiety and the stains of unbelief had become miserable and despised, and far removed from the grace of that Spouse which had before been counted worthy to be told,  I will  betroth thee unto Me in righteousness and in judgment and in loving kindness and in mercies. 

2. Not without reason is she considered miserable, who has lost gifts of so great a price, and suffered so grievous a loss of her dowry of virtues as to be deprived of the Spouse of her virginity. For according to our merits the Word of God either lives or dies in us; for if our desires and works are good, the Word of God lives and acts in us: if our thoughts and actions are darksome, the Sun of righteousness sets within us. And therefore He bids lamentation to be made for such a soul. For as they have cause of congratulation and feasting with whom the Bridegroom dwells, so that soul is to be mourned for, from whom the Spouse has been taken, as it is written of the Apostles in the Gospel; for  when the Bridegroom shall be taken away from them, then shall they fast in those days. 

3. Thus too this soul, in former times when she possessed the Virgin Word, had joy and gladness. And therefore she fasted not, because it was the season of feasting and refreshment; the Bridegroom was present bestowing by His presence the riches of plenty, stores of heavenly food, and dropping  wine, whereby the hearts of men are made glad. But after she lost the Bridegroom by her acts, she is commanded to do penance in sackcloth for her sins, and to bewail herself, because Christ, Who is the Virgin Word, died and was crucified for her.

4. If this soul was espoused from early age, and never bore any other yoke, but from the beginning dedicated the maiden flower of her faith to Christ and as a virgin was united to Him in early days in the mysteries of piety, received a training in holiness as a heifer does the yoke; she is the very soul of the ancient Jewish stock from the family of the patriarchs, who, had she kept her course of faith without stumbling, would have been counted worthy of great things, the Spouse of the Virginal Word, as she who lays hold of Wisdom,  and as a mother shall she meet him, and receive him as a wife married of a virgin. 

5. The other likewise is procured from the Gentiles, and both are the Spouse of the One Word, which is a great mystery. And this is set forth to you in the book of Kings; since David had two wives, Ahinoam the Jezreeli-tess and Abigail whom he obtained afterwards; the first more severe, the latter full of mercy and grace, an hospitable and liberal soul, who saw the Father with open face, having beheld His glory; she who received the divine dew of paternal Grace, as the interpretation of the name signifies. Now what is the dew of the Father, but the Word of God, Who has filled the hearts of all with the moisture of faith and justice?

6. Well therefore does the true David say to this soul what was said to Abigail,  Blessed is the Lord God of Israel which sent thee this day to meet me. And again he says to her,  Go up in peace to thine house; see, I have hearkened to thy voice, and have accepted thy person. Lastly in the Song of Solomon these are the words of the Bridegroom to the Bride,  Let me see thy countenance; let me hear thy voice. 

 7. And at the time she was dismissed, for she had another husband who in Hebrew was called Nabal, which in Latin means foolish, a man harsh, inhospitable, uncourteous, ungrateful, who knew not how to repay good offices; but after his death, she was  set free from the law of her husband, and the prophet David took her to wife. By this marriage the mystery of the Church which was to be called from among the Gentiles is signified, for she, having lost the husband to whom she had been married, became converted to Christ, bringing with her a dowry of piety, of humility and faith, enriched also with the patrimony of mercy.

8. But in this place it is not this wife, but that Ahinoam, who was evilly disposed towards her brother, wherefore her brother was made a trouble to her, and in their person it is said,  thou makest us to be a bye-word among the heathen, and that the people shake their heads at us. The devil, finding her off her guard, fell upon her as a lion, and deprived her of her charms, rooted up  her vine and fig-tree under which she used to repose, and caused her fruit to wither.

9. But now God, having compassion on them, thus dried up and withered by drought, saith to the prophet,  Lament  to Me for virgin girded with sackcloth and for the husband of her youth, that is to say, over the dead husband of this soul or of the Synagogue. And with her He expostulates in another place, forasmuch as she had forgotten her resolution, forgotten His grace, had wandered from discipline, and had lost her former affections as a wife. Lastly therefore He reproves her with His words, calling to mind and repeating her tenderness and her expressions of affection: 'Didst Thou not call me one of Thy household, the parent and guide of Thy virginity.'

10. Wherefore for this soul, to whom through her infidelity the Word of God is dead, and this Virgin Word is dead also, He appoints grief and brings in an Intercessor, that so she may be called to penitence, and may thereby earn compassion. But she who is of prudent understanding and very beautiful to look upon, was gained for him, like Abigail, in battle; her adversaries were conquered, and her husband, he who, surrounded by spiritual wickedness, struggled and fought not to lose his beautiful wife, being dead. On her her victorious and loving Spouse confers sweetness and grace, cleansing her from all that might obscure her beauty, and taking off from her the garments of her captivity, that so, laying aside all the hairs of her head, that is, the curls of sins, which seem to be superfluous parts of our person (for  if a man have long hair it is a shame unto him), she may strive to come  in the unity of the faith, unto a perfect man, unto the measure of the stature of the fulness of Christ, that she may lay aside all trouble of mind, and founded in love may grow up in the Lord Jesus, and make increase of the whole body.

11. This is that soul whom the Law shews to thee under the figure of a beautiful woman, and  if thou seest her among the captives, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife, it says to thee,  thou shalt bring her home to thine house, that thou mayest commit to her the whole interior of thy house, the possession of all thy secrets, that thou mayest take away her superfluities, and cut off her transgressions; and with a razor not too sharp, lest it come to evil, may cut off the slough of thy passions, and thy idle senses. Wherefore it is said,  she shall shave  her head, that so the  wise man's eyes that  are in his head may meet with no hindrance. And  she shall remain, it is said,  in thine house a full month, bewailing the sins of her nativity, and the lies of her wicked father the devil, who would fain  gather what he hath not laid, that so, cleansed by the purification of this mystic number, she may obtain the keys of marriage.

12. And it is well said,  After that thou shalt go in unto her, bidding thee to enter wholly into thy soul, and collect thyself within her, and so dwell in her that thou mayest be not in the flesh but in the spirit, and purpose to associate her to thyself in the commerce of life, knowing that she will communicate to thee of her goods, and that filled with her grace thou mayest say,  I  was a witty child, and had a good spirit; and she may answer thee,  I will take thee, and bring thee into my mother's house, and unto the chamber of her that conceived me. 

13. She then shall be thy life, she shall find thee and kiss thee.  And it shall be, if thou hast no delight in her, because she chastiseth her body, and bringeth it into slavery, thou shalt not suffer her to be a slave, that is, to the lusts of the body, nor subject her to the flesh, but suffer her to remain free; thou shalt not alienate her, for this were to sell her, nor shalt thou despise her, but shalt allow her to serve God in the chastity of faith and sobriety of good works. Farewell: love me, for I love you.

EPISTOLA XXXI.

 Quaerenti IRAENEO  num eos qui statim a pueritia, et eos qui jam aetate provectiores crediderint, diversa charitate Deus diligat; respondet sanctus Praesul in Scriptura Deum Synagogae, quae prius fidelis fuerat, lapsum doluisse; postea tamen charitatem suam transtulisse ad Ecclesiam, ut per duas uxores David, nec non Moysis de muliere captiva locum significatur. 

AMBROSIUS IRENAEO salutem.

1. Differentia charitatis utrum sit aliqua apud Deum, eorum qui a pueritia crediderint, et eorum  1065D qui juventutis aut posterioris aetatis processu, prudenter requirendum putasti; nam hoc quoque Scriptura divina non praetermisit, neque intactum reliquit. Siquidem Dominus Deus noster ad Joel prophetam non otiose ait:  Lamentare ad me super Sponsam   praecinctam sacco in virum ejus virginalem (Joel I, 9), dolens Synagogam, quae antea virginitate sua desponsata Dei Verbo foret, vel animam certe quae  1066A de bonis meritis decidisset; ita offendiculum incidisse peccatorum flagitiis, ut odia contraheret, et inquinamento impietatis, ac perfidiae obsoleta sordibus, miserabili esset despectui, longe mutata ab illius Sponsae gratia, quae ante meruerat audire:  Sponsabo te mihi in fide et justitia et misericordia (Ose. II, 19).

2. Nec immerito lamentabilis pronuntiatur, quae tantorum munerum amiserat pretium, et virtutum dotalium tam grave subierat dispendium, ut ei virginalis Sponsus eriperetur. Nostris enim meritis Verbum Dei nobis aut vivit, aut moritur; nam si bona studia atque opera nostra sint, vivit atque operatur in nobis Dei Verbum: si tenebrosae cogitationes operationesque nostrae sint, occidit nobis sol  1066B justitiae (Malac. IV, 2). 915 Et ideo lamentandum praecepit pro ea anima. Nam sicut illis gratulandum et epulandum est, cum quibus Sponsus est; ita illi animae lugendum, cui Sponsus fuerit ereptus, sicut de apostolis scriptum est in Evangelio: quoniam  cum auferetur ab eis Sponsus, tunc jejunabunt in illis diebus (Matth. IX, 15).

3. Ergo et haec anima habebat ante laetitiam et exsultationem, cum haberet παρθενικὸν λόγον. Et ideo non jejunabat, quia dies erant epularum et refectionis; cum adesset Sponsus, invehens quibus aderat, ubertatis affluentias, coelestis alimenti copias, vini rigatus, quo corda hominum laetificantur: sed posteaquam Sponsum factis suis amisit, jubetur in cilicio agere poenitentiam peccatorum suorum, et  1066C deflere semetipsam; quia mortuus est et crucifixus pro ea Christus, qui est παρθενικὸς λόγος (Psal. CIII, 15).

4. Si a prima aetate convenit, nec alterius anima haec videtur experta copulam; sed a principio virginalem fidei suae florem Christo dicavit, atque ipsi primis foederata pietatis mysteriis sacros juvencula cultus recepit; ipsa est Israelitica anima veteris prosapiae ex genere patriarcharum, quae si inoffensum fidei servasset curriculum, magni meriti foret Sponsa Verbi virginalis, tamquam illa quae apprehendit justitiam, et obviabit illi quasi mater, et quasi mulier a virginitate suscipiet illam (Eccl. XV, 2).

5. Altera quoque est acquisita ex gentibus, et utraque Sponsa unius Verbi, quod est magnum  1066D mysterium. Idque tibi demonstratur in libro Regnorum (I Reg. XXV, 39); si quidem David duas uxores habuit Achinaam Jezrahelitem, et Abigaeam acquisitam sibi postea: illam rigidiorem, istam misericordiae plenam et gratiae, hospitalem ac liberalem animam, quae revelata facie Patrem vidit, speculata ejus gloriam; quae suscepit divinum illum paternae gratiae rorem, ut habet nominis interpretatio. Quid  1067A autem ros Patris, nisi Dei Verbum, quod humore fidei atque justitiae infudit corda universorum?

6. Pulchre igitur huic animae verus dicit David, quod illi Abigaeae dictum est:  Benedictus Dominus Deus Israel, qui misit te hodie huc obviam mihi, et benedicti mores tui (Ibid., 32 et seq.). Et iterum dicit ei:  Ascende in pace in domum tuam. Vide, jam audivi vocem tuam, et reveritus sum faciem tuam (Ibid.). Denique in Canticis etiam haec verba sunt Sponsi ad Sponsam:  Ostende mihi faciem tuam, et insinua mihi vocem tuam (Cant. II, 14).

7. Et tunc quidem dimissa est, quoniam alterum habebat virum, qui dicebatur Hebraice Nabal, Latine insipiens, durus, inhospitalis, inhumanus, ingratus qui officia nesciret referre: sed posteaquam  1067B defunctus est vir ejus, solutam a lege viri accepit eam sibi in uxorem propheta David. Per cujus copulam Ecclesiae crediturae ex gentibus significantur mysteria, quae amisso viro, cui ante juncta fuerat, transivit 916 ad Christum, censu pio dives, humilitatis et fidei, misericordiae quoque dotata patrimonio.

8. Sed hoc loco non ista deploratur, sed illa Achinaam, quae fuit male fortis in fratrem; et ideo illi frater factus est in commotionem. Unde ex persona eorum dictum est:  Posuisti nos in parabolam in gentibus, commotionem capitis in populis (Psal. XLIII, 15). Quam nutantem inveniens diabolus, sicut leo diruit, et jucunditatem ejus abstulit (Mich. IV, 4): vineam ejus et ficum evertit, sub quibus solebat ante requiescere,  1067C et arescere fecit fructus ejus.

9. Quos aridos miseratus, atque albentes siccitate nimia, dicit ad prophetam Deus:  Lamentare ad me super Sponsam praecinctam cilicio, et super virum ejus virginalem (Joel I, 9), id est, super animae hujusmodi vel Synagogae virum mortuum. Cui loco alio expostulans dicit (Ose. IV, 6), eo quod oblita propositi sui, oblita charitatis, immemor gratiae, devia disciplinae, superiorem uxoris affectum amiserit. Meritoque suis eam sermonibus redarguit, memorans et retexens ejusdem blanditias, et pietatis vocabula: Non sicut domesticum me vocabas, et patrem et initiatorem virginitatis tuae.

10. Ergo huic animae cui per intemperantiam ejus mortuum est Dei Verbum, et ille παρθενικὸς λόγος occidit,  1067D luctum incidit, intercessorem adhibet; ut vocetur ad poenitentiam, quo possit mereri misericordiam. Illa autem quae bona intellectu, et decora in aspectu valde, sicut Abigaea acquisita sibi erat in praelio; devictis adversariis, et mortuo viro, qui vallatus nequitiis spiritalibus repugnabat ac resistebat, ne sibi speciosa uxor adimeretur (I Reg. XXV, 30): quasi victor et diligens Sponsus jucunditatem confert et gratiam, emundans eam ab omnibus pulchritudinis  1068A ejus impedimentis, et exuens vestimentis captivitatis; ut depositis omnibus capitis sui capillis, id est, peccatorum criniculis, qui quasi superflui nostro in corpore videntur:  Quoniam si vir comam nutriat, ignominia est illi (I Cor. XI, 54); in unitate fidei, in virum perfectum, in mensuram aetatis plenitudinis Christi studeat occurrere (Ephes. IV, 13); ut omnem deponat animi perturbationem, et charitate fundata augeatur in Domino Jesu, et universo acquirat incrementum corpori.

11. Haec est anima illa, quam Lex demonstrat tibi in specie mulieris bonae, quam si videris in praeda, et concupieris accipere in uxorem tibi:  Induces, inquit,  eam in domum tuam (Deut. XXI, 11 et seq.); ut tota ei committas interiora domus tuae,  1068B omnium tuorum viscerum possessionem, auferas ejus superflua, tondeas lapsus; et novacula non satis acuta, ne faciat dolum, tuarum exuvias passionum, atque inanes sensus recidas. Ideo ait:  Rades ejus caput; quo nulla obstacula patiantur oculi sapientis, qui sunt in capite ejus.  Et sedebit, inquit,  triginta diebus in domo tua (Eccles. II, 14), peccata propriae deplorans nativitatis, et commenta 917 nequissimi patris diaboli, qui vult congregare, quae non generavit (Jerem. XVII, 11); ut hujus mystici numeri purificatione mundata, conjugii claves adipiscatur.

12. Et pulchre ait:  Postea intrabis ad eam; ut totus ingrediaris in animam tuam, atque intra ipsam te colligas, et in ea habites, apud eam commoreris, in ipsa tibi sit omnis conversatio; ut sis non in  1068C carne, sed in spiritu, et proponas adjungere eam tibi ad consortium vitae, sciens quoniam communicabit tecum de bonis; et perfunctus ejus gratia dicas:  Puer autem eram ingeniosus, et sortitus sum animam bonam (Sap. VIII, 19). Et illa tibi respondeat:  Assumam te, et inducam te in domum matris meae, et in secretum ejus, quae me concepit (Cant. III, 4). Bona mater animarum Hierusalem illa, quae in coelo est.

13. Erit ergo uxor tua, et inveniens te osculabitur te.  Et si postea displicuerit tibi (Deut. XXI, 14); quod castiget corpus suum, et servituti redigat, non patieris eam servire, id est, voluptatibus corporis, nec subjicies eam carni, sed liberam permanere patieris: nec alienabis eam, hoc est enim vendere:  1068D nec contemnes eam, sed permittes servire eam Deo suo in castitate fidei, et bonorum operum sobrietate. Vale, et nos dilige; quia nos te diligimus.