Chapter I.

We are taught by David and Solomon how to take counsel with our own heart. Scipio is not to be accounted prime author of the saying which is ascribed to him. The writer proves what glorious things the holy prophets accomplished in their time of quiet, and shows, by examples of their and others’ leisure moments, that a just man is never alone in trouble.

1. The prophet David taught us that we should go about in our heart as though in a large house; that we should hold converse with it as with some trusty companion. He spoke to himself, and conversed with himself, as these words show: “I said, I will take heed to my ways.”549    Ps. xxxix. [xxxviii.] 1. Solomon his son also said: “Drink water out of thine own vessels, and out of the springs of thy wells; ”550    Prov. v. 15. that is: use thine own counsel. For: “Counsel in the heart of a man is as deep waters.”551    Prov. xx. 5. “Let no stranger,” it says, “share it with thee. Let the fountain of thy water be thine own, and rejoice with thy wife who is thine from thy youth. Let the loving hind and pleasant doe converse with thee.”552    Prov. v. 17–19.

2. Scipio,553    Cic. de Off. III. 1. Scipio, born b.c. 234. He was the greatest Roman of his time, a famous general and the conqueror of Hannibal. His exploits in Africa won him the surname of Africanus. Owing to jealous intrigues he in b.c. 185 left Rome and retired to his estate, where he passed the rest of his days in peaceful employments. Cicero (de Off. III. 1) relates on Cato’s authority that he used to say: “Nunquam se minus otiosum esse quam cum otiosus, nec minsolum quam cum solus esset.” therefore, was not the first to know that he was not alone when he was alone, or that he was least at leisure when he was at leisure. For Moses knew it before him, who, when silent, was crying out;554    Ex. xiv. 16. who, when he stood at ease, was fighting, nay, not merely fighting but triumphing over enemies whom he had not come near. So much was he at ease, that others held up his hands; yet he was no less active than others, for he with his hands at ease was overcoming the enemy, whom they that were in the battle could not conquer.555    Ex. xvii. 11. Thus Moses in his silence spoke, and in his ease laboured hard. And were his labours greater than his times of quiet, who, being in the mount for forty days, received the whole law?556    Ex. xxiv. 17. And in that solitude there was One not far away to speak with him. Whence also David says: “I will hear what the Lord God will say within me.”557    Ps. lxxxv. [lxxxiv.] 8. How much greater a thing is it for God to speak with any one, than for a man to speak with himself!

3. The apostles passed by and their shadows cured the sick.558    Acts v. 15, 16. Their garments were touched and health was granted.

4. Elijah spoke the word, and the rain ceased and fell not on the earth for three years and six months.559    1 [3] Kings xvii. 1. Again he spoke, and the barrel of meal failed not, and the cruse of oil wasted not the whole time of that long famine.560    1 [3] Kings xvii. 16 ff.

5. But—as many delight in warfare—which is the most glorious, to bring a battle to an end by the strength of a great army, or, by merits before God alone? Elisha rested in one place while the king of Syria waged a great war against the people of our fathers, and was adding to its terrors by various treacherous plans, and was endeavouring to catch them in an ambush. But the prophet found out all their preparations, and being by the grace of God present everywhere in mental vigour, he told the thoughts of their enemies to his countrymen, and warned them of what places to beware. And when this was known to the king of Syria, he sent an army and shut in the prophet. Elisha prayed and caused all of them to be struck with blindness, and made those who had come to besiege him enter Samaria as captives.561    2 [4] Kings vi. 8 ff.

6. Let us compare this leisure of his with that of others.562    Cic. de Off. III. 1, § 2. Other men for the sake of rest are wont to withdraw their minds from business, and to retire from the company and companionship of men; to seek the retirement of the country or the solitude of the fields, or in the city to give their minds a rest and to enjoy peace and quietness. But Elisha was ever active. In solitude he divided Jordan on passing over it, so that the lower part flowed down, whilst the upper returned to its source. On Carmel he promises the woman, who so far had had no child, that a son now unhoped for should be born to her.563    2 [4] Kings iv. 16. He raises the dead to life,564    2 [4] Kings iv. 34. he corrects the bitterness of the food, and makes it to be sweet by mixing meal with it.565    2 [4] Kings iv. 41. Having distributed ten loaves to the people for food, he gathered up the fragments that were left after they had been filled.566    2 [4] Kings iv. 44. He makes the iron head of the axe, which had fallen off and was sunk deep in the river Jordan, to swim by putting the wooden handle in the water.567    2 [4] Kings vi. 6. He changes leprosy for cleanness,568    2 [4] Kings v. 10. drought for rain,569    2 [4] Kings iii. 17. famine for plenty.570    2 [4] Kings vii. 1.

7. When can the upright man be alone, since he is always with God? When is he left forsaken who is never separated from Christ? “Who,” it says, “shall separate us from the love of Christ? I am confident that neither death nor life nor angel shall do so.”571    Rom. viii. 35, 38. And when can he be deprived of his labour who never can be deprived of his merits, wherein his labour receives its crown? By what places is he limited to whom the whole world of riches is a possession? By what judgment is he confined who is never blamed by any one? For he is “as unknown yet well known, as dying and behold he lives, as sorrowful yet always rejoicing, as poor yet making many rich, as having nothing and yet possessing all things.”572    2 Cor. vi. 9 ff. For the upright man regards nothing but what is consistent and virtuous. And so although he seems poor to another, he is rich to himself, for his worth is taken not at the value of the things which are temporal, but of the things which are eternal.

107 CAPUT PRIMUM.

0145B

A Davide ac Salomone nobis praeceptum, qua ratione cum corde nostro conversandum sit, proindeque Scipionem dicti, quod ei tribuitur, primum auctorem non reputandum. Quam pulchra in otio suo perpetraverint sancti prophetae: horum atque aliorum otia conferuntur, ostenditurque numquam solum aut in angusto justum esse.

1. David propheta docuit nos tamquam in ampla domo deambulare in corde nostro, et conversari cum eo tamquam cum bono contubernali; ut ipse sibi diceret, et loqueretur secum, ut est illud: Dixi, custodiam vias meas (Psal. XXXVIII, 2). Salomon quoque filius ejus ait: Bibe aquam de tuis vasis, et de puteorum 0145C tuorum fontibus (Prov. V, 15); hoc est tuo consilio utere. Aqua enim alta, consilium in corde viri (Prov. XX, 5). Nemo, inquit, alienus particeps sit tibi. Fons aquae tuae sit tibi proprius: et jucundare cum uxore, quae est tibi a juventute. Cervus amicitiae et pullus gratiarum confabulentur tecum (Prov. V, 17, 18).

2. Non ergo primus Scipio scivit solus non esse, cum solus esset; nec minus otiosus, cum otiosus esset: scivit ante ipsum Moyses, qui cum taceret, clamabat (Exod. XIV, 15): cum otiosus staret, praeliabatur; nec solum praeliabatur, sed etiam de hostibus, quos non contigerat, triumphabat (Exod. XVII, 11 et seq.). Adeo otiosus, ut manus ejus alii sustinerent: nec minus 108 quam caeteri negotiosus, qui otiosis manibus expugnabat hostem, quem non poterant 0145D vincere qui dimicabant. Ergo Moyses et in silentio 0146 loquebatur, et in otio operabatur. Cujus autem majora negotia, quam hujus otia, qui quadringinta diebus positus in monte, totam Legem complexus est, et in illa solitudine qui cum eo loqueretur, non defuit (Exod. XXIV, 15 et seq.)? Unde et David ait: Audiam quid loquatur in me Dominus Deus (Psal. LXXXIV, 9). Et quanto plus est si cum aliquo Deus loquatur, quam ipse secum!

3. Transibant apostoli, et umbra eorum curabat infirmos. Tangebantur vestimenta eorum, et sanitas deferebatur (Act. V, 16).

4. Sermonem locutus est Elias, et pluvia stetit nec cecidit super terram tribus annis et sex mensibus. Iterum locutus est, et hydria farinae non defecit, 0146C et vas olei toto famis diurnae tempore non est exinanitum (III Reg. XVII, 1 et seq.).

5. Et quoniam plerosque delectant bellica; quid est praestantius, exercitus magni lacertis, an solis meritis confecisse praelium? Sedebat Elisaeus in uno loco, et rex Syriae magnam belli molem inferebat populo patrum, diversisque consiliorum acervabat fraudibus, et circumvenire insidiis moliebatur: sed omnes ejus apparatus propheta deprehendebat, et vigore mentis per gratiam Dei ubique praesens, cogitationes hostium suis annuntiabat, et monebat quibus 109 caverent locis. Quod ubi regi Syriae manifestatum est, misso exercitu, clausit prophetam. Oravit Elisaeus, et omnes illos caecitate percuti fecit, et captivos intrare in Samariam, qui venerant obsidere 0146D eum (IV Reg. VI, 8 et seq.).

0147A 6. Conferamus hoc otium cum aliorum otio. Alii enim requiescendi causa abducere animum a negotiis solent, et a conventu coetuque hominum subtrahere sese; et aut ruris petere secretum, captare agrorum solitudines, aut intra urbem vacare animo, indulgere quieti et tranquillitati: Elisaeus autem aut in solitudine Jordanem transitu suo dividit (IV Reg. II, 8); ut pars defluat posterior, superior autem in fontem recurrat: aut in Carmelo resoluta difficultate generandi, inopina sterilem conceptione fecundat: aut resuscitat mortuos: aut ciborum temperat amaritudines, et facit farinae admixtione dulcescere: aut decem panibus distributis, reliquias colligit, plebe saturata: aut ferrum securis excussum, et in fluvii Jordanis mersum profundum, misso in aquas ligno, 0147B facit supernatare: aut emundatione leprosum, aut siccitatem imbribus, aut famem mutat fecunditate (IV Reg. IV, 16 et seq., et alibi.)

7. Quando ergo justus solus est, qui cum Deo semper est? Quando solitarius est, qui numquam separatur a Christo? Quis nos, inquit, separabit a dilectione Christi? Confido quia neque mors, neque vita, neque angelus (Rom. VIII, 35). Quando autem feriatur a negotio, qui numquam feriatur a merito, quo consummatur negotium? Quibus autem locis circumscribitur, cui totus mundus divitiarum possessio est? Qua aestimatione definitur, qui numquam opinione comprehenditur? Etenim quasi ignoratur et cognoscitur: quasi moritur, et ecce vivit: quasi tristis, et semper laetior: ut egenus, et largus: ut qui 0147C nihil habeat, et possideat omnia (II Cor. VI, 8). Nihil enim spectat vir justus, nisi quod constans et honestum est. Et ideo etiamsi alii videatur pauper, sibi dives est: qui non eorum quae caduca, sed eorum quae aeterna sunt, aestimatione censetur.