26. Therefore let spiritual delights succeed to the place of carnal delights in holy chastity; reading, prayer, psalm, good thought, frequency in good works, hope of the world to come, and a heart upward; and for all these giving of thanks unto the Father of lights, from Whom, without any doubt, every good gift, and every perfect gift, as Scripture bears witness, cometh down.69    James i. 17 For when, in stead of the delights of married women, which they have in the flesh of their husbands, the use of other carnal delights is taken, as it were to solace them, why should I speak of the evils which follow, when the Apostle hath said in short, that the widow, who lives in delights, living is dead.70    1 Tim. v. 6 But far be it from you, that ye be taken with lust of riches instead of lust of marriage, or that in your hearts money succeed to the place of love of a husband. For looking into men’s conversation, we have often found by experience, that in certain persons, when wantonness hath been restrained, avarice hath increased. For, as, in the senses themselves of the body, they who see not hear more keenly, and discern many things by touch, nor have such as have the use of their eyes so great life in their touch; and in this instance it is understood that, when the exertion of the power of attention71    Intentione hath been restrained in one approach, that is, of the eyes, it puts itself forth into other senses, more ready with keenness to distinguish, as though it essayed to supply from the one what was denied in the other; thus also often carnal lust, being restrained from pleasure of sensual intercourse, with greater strength reaches itself forth to desire money, and when turned away from the one, turns itself with more glow of passion to the other. But in you let the love of riches grow cold together with the love of marriage, and let a pious use of what property you possess be directed to spiritual delights, that your liberality wax warm rather in helping such as are in want than in enriching covetous persons. Forsooth into the heavenly treasury are sent not gifts to the covetous, but alms to the needy, which above measure help the prayers of widows. Fastings, also, and watchings, so far as they disturb not health, if they be spent in praying, singing psalms, reading, and meditating in the Law of God, even the very things which seem laborious are turned into spiritual delights. For no way burdensome are the labors of such as love, but even of themselves delight, as of such as hunt, fowl, fish, gather grapes, traffic, delight themselves with some game. It matters therefore what be loved. For, in the case of what is loved, either there is no labor, or the labor also is loved. And consider how it should be matter for shame and grief, if there be pleasure in labor, to take a wild beast, to fill cask and purse,72    Cupa et sacculus to cast a ball, and there be no pleasure in labors to win God!

CAPUT XXI.

26. Deliciae spirituales viduis sint loco carnalium. Deliciae igitur spirituales deliciis carnalibus in sancta castitate succedant; lectio, oratio, psalmus, bona cogitatio, bonorum operum frequentatio, spes futuri saeculi, et cor sursum: atque de his omnibus gratiarum actio Patri luminum, a quo sine ulla dubitatione omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum, Scriptura teste, descendit (Jacobi I, 17). Nam quando pro deliciis nuptarum quas in carne virorum habent, aliarum carnalium deliciarum tanquam in solatium usus assumitur, quid ego dicam quae sequantur mala, cum breviter Apostolus dixerit, viventem mortuam esse viduam quae in deliciis vivit (I Tim. V, 6)? Absit autem a vobis ut divitiarum cupiditate capiamini pro cupiditate nuptiarum, et in cordibus vestris nummus viri amori succedat. Intuentes enim hominum conversationem, saepe experti 0448 sumus, in quibusdam lascivia compressa crevisse avaritiam. Nam sicut in ipsis sensibus corporis acutius audiunt qui non vident, et tangendo multa discernunt, nec tanta vivacitate tangunt qui oculis utuntur; ubi intelligitur ex uno aditu, id est, luminum, repressa intentione sentiendi, eam se in alios sensus promptiorem dignoscendi acumine exserere, tanquam ex altero conetur implere quod negatur in altero: ita etiam saepe carnalis cupiditas a concumbendi voluptate cohibita, majoribus viribus in pecuniae se porrigit appetitum, et illinc aversa, huc se impetu ardentiore convertit. In vobis autem amor divitiarum simul frigescat cum amore nuptiarum; et pius usus rerum quas possidetis, ad spirituales delicias conferatur, ut liberalitas vestra magis ferveat adjuvandis egenis quam ditandis avaris. In thesaurum quippe coelestem non mittuntur dona cupidorum, sed eleemosynae pauperum, quae in immensum modum orationes adjuvant viduarum. Jejunia quoque ac vigiliae in quantum valetudinem non perturbant, si orando, psallendo, legendo, et in lege Dei meditando insumantur, in delicias spirituales etiam ipsa quae videntur laboriosa vertuntur. Nullo modo enim sunt onerosi labores amantium, sed etiam ipsi delectant, sicut venantium, aucupantium, piscantium, vindemiantium, negotiantium, ludo aliquo sese oblectantium. Interest ergo quid ametur. Nam in eo quod amatur, aut non laboratur, aut et labor amatur. Et vide quam pudendum et dolendum sit, si delectat labor ut fera capiatur, ut cupa et sacculus impleatur, ut pila jaciatur, et non delectat ut Deus acquiratur.