The Two Books of St. Ambrose, Bishop of Milan, on the Decease of His Brother Satyrus.

 Book I.

 1. We have brought hither, dearest brethren, my sacrifice, a sacrifice undefiled, a sacrifice well pleasing to God, my lord and brother Satyrus. I did

 11. He wept for what affected us, not Himself for the Godhead sheds no tears but He wept in that nature in which He was sad He wept in that in whic

 21. I feel, indeed, that my mind is touched by the repetition of thy services and the enumeration of thy virtues, and yet in being thus affected I fin

 31. So then, brother, I esteem thee happy both in the beauty of thy life and in the opportuneness of thy death. For thou wast snatched away not from u

 41. For if at any time there was a discussion between me and my holy sister on any matter, as to which was the preferable opinion, we used to take the

 51. But in what words can I set forth his simplicity? By this I mean a certain moderation of character and soberness of mind. Pardon me, I beseech you

 61. So that one may rightly say that the Holy Spirit has this day told us by the voice of the boy reader: “He that is innocent in his hands and of a c

 71. And certainly if they have ever found any consolation who have thought that death is the end of sensation and the failing of our nature, how much

 Book II.

 1. In the former book I indulged my longing to some extent, lest too sharp remedies applied to a burning wound might rather increase than assuage the

 11. Let, then, grief be patient, let there be that moderation in adversity which is required in prosperity. If it be not seemly to rejoice immoderatel

 21. We know, however, that it survives the body, and that being set free from the bars of the body, it sees with clear gaze those things which before,

 31. And who said this but he who asked for and obtained wisdom, to know how the world was made, and the power of the elements, the course of the year,

 41. But what remedy? “Who shall deliver me out of the body of this death? Thanks be to God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” We have a physician, let us

 51. All things, indeed, are believed to be, either because of experience, or on grounds of reason, or from similar instances, or because it is fitting

 61. However, before the season comes, those things also are not believed, for every season is not suited for the raising of seeds. Wheat is sown at on

 71. But let us now hear the prophet himself, who speaks thus: “The hand of the Lord was upon me, and the Lord led me forth in the Spirit, and placed m

 81. And this was not the only instance which our Lord Jesus Christ set forth, but He raised others also, that we might at any rate believe more numero

 91. So, then, man rose because man died man was raised again, but God raised him. Then it was man according to the Flesh, now God is all in all. For

 101. We see, then, that heaven is open to virtue, and that this is the privilege not only of a few: “For many shall come from the east and from the we

 111. Yet it is not every one’s business to sound each trumpet, nor every one’s business to call together the whole assembly, but that prerogative is g

 121. And therefore “blessed is he who keepeth the words of this prophecy,” which has revealed the resurrection to us by clearer testimony, saying: “An

 131. But I have seen what you, Gentiles, think of each other, and indeed it ought not to seem strange that you who worship beasts should believe that

111. Yet it is not every one’s business to sound each trumpet, nor every one’s business to call together the whole assembly, but that prerogative is granted to the priests alone,179    Num. x. 8. and the ministers of God who sound the trumpets, so that whosoever shall hear and follow thither where the glory of the Lord is, and shall with early determination come to the tabernacle of witness, may be able also to see the divine works, and merit that appointed and eternal home for the entire succession of his posterity. For then is the war finished and the enemy put to flight, when the grace of the Spirit and the energy of the soul act together.

112. And these are salutary trumpets also, if one believe with the heart, and confess with the mouth; “For with the heart man believeth unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation.”180    Rom. x. 10. For with this twofold trumpet man arrives at that holy land, namely, the grace of the resurrection. Let them, then, ever sound to thee, that thou mayest ever hear the voice of God; may the utterances of the Angels and Prophets ever incite and move thee, that thou mayest hasten to things above.

113. David was thinking of this purpose in his breast when he said: “For I will pass into the place of the marvellous tabernacle, even to the house of God, with the voice of exultation and thanksgiving, the sound of one that feasts.”181    Ps. xlii. [xli.] 4 [LXX.]. For not only are enemies overcome by the sound of these trumpets; but without them there could not be rejoicings, and festivals or new moons. For no one, unless he have received the promises of the Divine Word, and believes the message derived therefrom, can keep festivals or new moons, in which he desires to fill himself, freed from bodily pleasure and secular occupation, with the light of Christ. And sacrifices themselves cannot be pleasing to Christ unless confession of the mouth accompanies them, which according to custom stirs up the people to implore the grace of God at the priestly oblation.

114. Let us therefore be preachers of the Lord, and praise Him in the sound of the trumpet,182    Ps. cl. 3. not thinking little or lightly of its power, but such things as can fill the ear of the mind, and enter into the depths of our inmost consciousness, so that we think not that what suits to the body is to be applied to the Godhead, nor measure the greatness of Divine Power by human might, so as to enquire how any one can rise again, or with what kind of body he will come, or how that which has been dissolved can again coalesce, and what is lost be restored, for all these things are accomplished as soon as they are determined by the Divine Will. And it is not a sound of a trumpet distinguishable by the bodily senses which is expected, but the invisible power of the Majesty of heaven operates; for with God to will is to do; nor need we enquire into the force required for the resurrection, but seek its fruit for ourselves. Which will be accomplished all the more easily, if freed from faults we attain to the fulness of the spiritual mystery, and the renewed flesh receives grace from the Spirit, and the soul obtains from Christ the brightness of eternal light.

115. But those mysteries pertain not to individuals only, but to the whole human race. For observe the order of grace according to the type of the Law. When the first trumpet sounds, it collects those towards the east, as the chief and elect; when the second sounds, those nearly equal in merit, who, being placed towards Libanus, have abandoned the follies of the nations; when the third, those who as it were, tossed on the sea of this world, have been driven hither and thither by the waves of this life; when the fourth, those who have by no means been able sufficiently to soften the hardness of their hearts by the commandments of spiritual utterance, and therefore are said to be towards the north—for, according to Solomon, the north is a hard wind.183    Prov. xxvii. 16 [LXX.].

116. And so although all are raised again in a moment, yet all are raised in the order of their merits. And therefore they rise first, who yielding early to the impulses of devotion, and as it were going forth before the rising dawn of faith, received the rays of the eternal Sun. This one may rightly say either of the patriarchs in the course of the Old Testament, or of the apostles under the Gospel. And the second are they who, forsaking the rites of the Gentiles, passed from unholy error under the training of the Church. So, then, those first were of the fathers, those second of the Gentiles, for the light of faith took its beginning from those, among these it will remain to the end of the world. In the third place and in the fourth, those are raised who are in the south and in the north. The earth is divided into these four, of these four is the year made up, in these four is the earth completed, and from these four is the Church collected. For all who are considered to be joined to holy Church, by being called by the Divine Name, shall obtain the privilege of the resurrection and the grace of eternal bliss, for “they shall come from the east and west, and from the north and south, and shall sit down in the kingdom of God.”184    S. Luke xiii. 26.

117. For it is no small light wherewith Christ encompasses His world: since “His going forth is from the height of heaven, and His progress to the height thereof, nor is there any who can hide himself from His heat.”185    Ps. xix. [xviii.] 6. For with His Goodness He enlightens all, and wills not to reject but to amend the foolish, and desires not to exclude the hard-hearted from the Church, but to soften them. And so the Church in the Song of Songs and Christ in the Gospel invites them, saying: “Come unto Me, all ye who labour and are heavy laden, and I will refresh you; take My yoke upon you and learn of Me, for I am meek and lowly in heart.”186    S. Matt. xii. 28, 29.

118. And you may recognize also the voice of the invitation of the Church, for she says: “Awake, O north wind, and come, thou south, blow upon my garden, and let my ointment flow forth. Let my brother come down into his garden and eat the fruit of his precious trees.”187    Cant. iv. 16. For knowing even then, O holy Church, that from those also there would be fruitful works for thee, thou didst promise to thy Christ fruit from such as they, thou who didst first say that thou wast brought into the King’s chamber, loving His breast above wine, since thou lovedst Him Who loved thee, soughtest Him Who fed thee, and didst despise dangers for religion’s sake.

119. And then, O Bride, thou art called to come from Libanus, being in the Lord’s judgment all fair and without fault. For thus it is written: “Thou art all fair, my love, and there is no fault in thee. Come hither from Libanus, my bride, come hither from Libanus.”188    Cant. iv. 7, 8.

120. Afterwards, thou, fearing no rushing waters, no torrents coming down from Libanus, callest the north and south winds, wishing them to blow upon thy garden, that thy ointment may flow forth upon others, and that thou mayest offer to Christ in others the manifold fruits of thy productiveness.

111. Nec tamen omnium est utraque canere tuba, nec est omnium universam colligere synagogam: sed solis sacerdotibus, et ministris Dei canentibus 1348B ista praerogativa defertur (Num. X, 2 et seq.); ut quicumque audierit, secutus eo fuerit, ubi est Dei gloria, et ad tabernaculum testimonii praematura intentione convenerit: et opera possit spectare divina, et legitimum illud aeternumque domicilium in suae posteritatis seriem promereri. Tunc enim bellum conficitur, hostis fugatur; quando Spiritus gratia concinit, et mentis industria.

112. Sunt et illae salutares tubae, si corde credas, et ore confitearis: Corde enim creditur ad justitiam ore autem confessio fit ad salutem (Rom. X, 10). Hac igitur gemina tuba ad illam sanctam terram, resurrectionis scilicet gratiam, pervenitur; et ideo semper tibi concinant, ut semper audias Dei vocem: semper te angelorum prophetarumque oracula excitent 1348C atque commoveant, ut ad superiora festines.

113. Hanc intentionem David versabat in pectore, cum dicebat: Quoniam transibo in locum tabernaculi admirabilis, usque ad domum Dei; in voce exsultationis et confessionis, sonus epulantis (Psal. XLI, 5). Non enim soli hostes harum tubarum 1165 sonitu vincuntur: sed et delectationes, et dies festi, et neomeniae sine his esse non possunt. Nemo enim potest nisi divini hauriat promissa sermonis, et resultantibus credat oraculis, exsultare laetitia, dies festos aut neomenias agere, quibus se corporali gratia, et saeculari occupatione vacuatum, Christi repleri luce desideret. Sacrificia quoque ipsa Deo probata esse non possunt, nisi confessio vocis aspiret, quae sacerdotali oblatione ad obsecrandam Dei gratiam 1348D populos excitare consuevit.

114. Itaque simus praedicatores Domini, et laudemus eum in voce tubae (Psal. CL, 3), non exigua de virtute ejus et vilia sentientes, sed ea quae possint aurem mentis implere, et intimae conscientiae penetrare secretum; ut ea quae corpori conveniunt, divinitati non putemus aptanda: nec divinae magnitudinem 1349A potestatis humanis viribus metiamur; ut quaeramus quomodo quis resurgat, aut quali corpore veniat, aut quemadmodum soluta coeant, lapsa reparentur; haec enim arbitrio Dei simul ut statuuntur, implentur. Nec sensibilis tubarum exspectatur auditus, sed invisibilis potentia magnificentiae coelestis operatur; Deo enim velle pro facto est: nec resurrectionis requirendus nisus, sed fructus nobis est expetendus. Quae proclivius celebrabitur, si exinaniti vitiis plenitudinem spiritalis mysterii consequamur, gratiamque renovata caro sumat a spiritu, et fulgorem lucis aeternae anima mutuetur a Christo.

115. Sed non solum singulorum, verum etiam universitatis sunt ista mysteria. Adverte enim juxta typum Legis, ordinem gratiae. Cum tuba prima cecinerit, 1349B orientales congregat, quasi praecipuos et electos: cum secunda, suppares meritis, qui secundum libanum siti, dereliquerint ludibria nationum: cum tertia, eos qui tamquam in mari exagitati istius freto mundi, saeculi hujus fluctibus vacillaverint: cum quarta, illos qui duritiam mentium nequaquam satis potuerint eloquii spiritalis mollire praecepto; et ideo secundum boream vocati sunt, boreas enim secundum Salomonem durus est ventus (Prov. XXVII, 16).

116. Itaque licet momento resuscitentur omnes, omnes tamen meritorum ordine suscitantur. Et ideo primi resurgunt, qui maturo devotionis occursu, et quodam antelucano fidei exortu prodeuntes, solis aeterni radios receperunt. Quod vel de patriarchis juxta veteris seriem Testamenti, vel de apostolis 1349C juxta Evangelium jure memoraverim. Secundi autem, qui ritum gentium relinquentes, ab errore sacrilego transierunt in Ecclesiae disciplinam. Et ideo illi primi ex patribus, isti secundi ex gentibus; ab illis enim lux fidei coepit, in istis usque ad mundi occasum suscepta duravit. Tertii suscitantur, et quarti, qui ab austro, et qui ab aquilone sunt. His quatuor terra distinguitur, his quatuor annus includitur, his quatuor mundus 1166 impletur, his quatuor Ecclesia congregatur. Omnes enim qui sacrosanctae Ecclesiae copulati, divini nominis appellatione censentur, praerogativam resurrectionis et delectationis aeternae gratiam consequentur; quoniam venient ab Oriente et Occidente, ab Aquilone et Austro, et recumbent in regno Dei (Luc. XIII, 29).

1349D 117. Non enim exigua mundum suum Christus luce complectitur; quandoquidem a summo coelo egressio ejus, et occursus ejus usque ad summum ejus: nec est qui se abscondat a calore ejus (Psal. XVIII, 7). Omnes enim benignus illustrat, nec refutare levem, 1350A sed emendare vult: nec excludere durum Ecclesia, sed mollire desiderat. Et ideo in Canticis canticorum eos Ecclesia, in Evangelio Christus invitat dicens: Venite ad me omnes qui laboratis, et onerati estis: et ego reficiam vos. Tollite jugum meum super vos, et discite a me quia mitis sum et humilis corde (Mat. XI, 28, 29).

118. Ecclesiae quoque vocem invitantis agnosce; dicit enim: Exsurge, aquilo, et veni, auster; perfla hortum meum, et defluant unguenta mea. Descendat frater meus in hortum suum,et edat fructum pomiferarum suarum (Cant. IV, 16; V, 1). Sciens enim jam tunc etiam horum tibi fore opera fructuosa, Christo tuo fructum de talibus pollicebare: et quae primo te in cubiculum dixisti Regis inductam, diligens 1350B ubera super vinum, cum diligentem amares, lactantem quaereres, pericula pro religione contemneres.

119. Deinde a Libano, sponsa, rogaris ut venias, judicio Domini adhuc tota formosa, adhuc tota irreprehensibilis. Sic enim scriptum est: Tota es formosa, proxima mea, et reprehensio non est in te. Ades huc a Libano, sponsa, ades huc a Libano (Cant. IV, 7, 8).

120. Postea ipsa jam nullos aquae lapsus, jam nullos impetus descendentes a Libano pertimescens, aquilonem et austrum advocas, perflari cupiens hortum tuum; ut in aliis unguenta tua defluant, in aliis multiplices fecunditatis tuae fructus offeras Christo.