Chapter XVI.

The Holy Spirit is that large river by which the mystical Jerusalem is watered. It is equal to its Fount, that is, the Father and the Son, as is signified in holy Scripture. St. Ambrose himself thirsts for that water, and warns us that in order to preserve it within us, we must avoid the devil, lust, and heresy, since our vessels are frail, and that broken cisterns must be forsaken, that after the example of the Samaritan woman and of the patriarchs we may find the water of the Lord.

176. But lest perchance any one should speak against as it were the littleness of the Spirit, and from this should endeavour to establish a difference in greatness, arguing that water seems to be but a small part of a Fount, although examples taken from creatures seem by no means suitable for application to the Godhead; yet lest they should judge anything injuriously from this comparison taken from creatures, let them learn that not only is the Holy Spirit called Water, but also a River, as we read: “From his belly shall flow rivers of living water. But this He said of the Spirit, Whom they were beginning to receive, who were about to believe in Him.”207    John vii. 38, 39.

177. So, then, the Holy Spirit is the River, and the abundant River, which according to the Hebrews flowed from Jesus in the lands, as we have received it prophesied by the mouth of Isaiah.208    Is. lxvi. 12. This is the great River which flows always and never fails. And not only a river, but also one of copious stream and overflowing greatness, as also David said: “The stream of the river makes glad the city of God.”209    Ps. xlvi. [xlv.] 4.

178. For neither is that city, the heavenly Jerusalem, watered by the channel of any earthly river, but that Holy Spirit, proceeding from the Fount of Life, by a short draught of Whom we are satiated, seems to flow more abundantly among those celestial Thrones, Dominions and Powers, Angels and Archangels, rushing in the full course of the seven virtues of the Spirit. For if a river rising above its banks overflows, how much more does the Spirit, rising above every creature, when He touches the as it were low-lying fields of our minds, make glad that heavenly nature of the creatures with the larger fertility of His sanctification.

179. And let it not trouble you that either here it is said “rivers,”210    S. John vii. 38. or elsewhere “seven Spirits,”211    Rev. v. 6. for by the sanctification of these seven gifts of the Spirit, as Isaiah said,212    Isa. xi. 2. is signified the fulness of all virtue; the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and strength, the Spirit of knowledge and godliness, and the Spirit of the fear of God. One, then, is the River, but many the channels of the gifts of the Spirit. This River, then, goes forth from the Fount of Life.

180. And here, again, you must not turn aside your thoughts to lower things, because there seems to be some difference between a Fount and a River, and yet the divine Scripture has provided that the weakness of human understanding should not be injured by the lowliness of the language. Set before yourself any river, it springs from its fount, but is of one nature, of one brightness and beauty. And do you assert rightly that the Holy Spirit is of one substance, brightness, and glory with the Son of God and with God the Father. I will sum up all in the oneness of the qualities, and shall not be afraid of any question as to difference of greatness. For in this point also Scripture has provided for us; for the Son of God says: “He that shall drink of the water which I will give him, it shall become in him a well of water springing up unto everlasting life.”213    S. John iv. 14. This well is clearly the grace of the Spirit, a stream proceeding from the living Fount. The Holy Spirit, then, is also the Fount of eternal life.

181. You observe, then, from His words that the unity of the divine greatness is pointed out, and that Christ cannot be denied to be a Fount even by heretics, since the Spirit, too, is called a Fount. And as the Spirit is called a river, so, too, the Father said: “Behold, I come down upon you like a river of peace, and like a stream overflowing the glory of the Gentiles.”214    Isa. lxvi. 12. And who can doubt that the Son of God is the River of life, from Whom the streams of eternal life flowed forth?

182. Good, then, is this water, even the grace of the Spirit. Who will give this Fount to my breast? Let it spring up in me, let that which gives eternal life flow upon me. Let that Fount overflow upon us, and not flow away. For Wisdom says: “Drink water out of thine own vessels, and from the founts of thine own wells, and let thy waters flow abroad in thy streets.”215    Prov. v. 15, 16. How shall I keep this water that it flow not forth, that it glide not away? How shall I preserve my vessel, lest any crack of sin penetrating it, should let the water of eternal life exude? Teach us, Lord Jesus, teach us as Thou didst teach Thine apostles, saying: “Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon the earth, where rust and moth destroy, and where thieves break through and steal.”216    S. Matt. vi. 19.

182. For He intimates that the thief is the unclean spirit, who cannot find entrance into those who walk in the light of good works, but if he has caught any one in the darkness of earthly desires, and in the midst of the enjoyment of earthly pleasures, he spoils them of all the flower of eternal virtue. And therefore the Lord says: “Lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither rust nor moth destroy, and where thieves do not break through and steal. For where thy treasure is, there will thy heart be also.”

183. Our rust is wantonness, our rust is lust, our rust is luxury, which dim the keen vision of the mind with the filth of vices. Again, our moth is Arius, our moth is Photinus, who rend the holy vesture of the Church with their impiety, and desiring to separate the indivisible unity of the divine power, gnaw the precious veil of faith with sacrilegious tooth. The water is spilt if Arius has imprinted his tooth, it flows away if Photinus has planted his sting in any one’s vessel. We are but of common clay, we quickly feel vices. But no one says to the potter, “Why hast Thou made me thus?”217    Rom. ix. 20. For though our vessel be but common, yet one is in honour, another in dishonour.218    Rom. ix. 21. Do not then lay open thy pool, dig not with vices and crimes, lest any one say: “He hath opened a pool and digged it, and is fallen into the pit which he made.”219    Ps. vii. 15.

184. If you seek Jesus, forsake the broken cisterns, for Christ was wont to sit not by a pool but by a well. There that Samaritan woman220    S. John iv. 6. found Him, she who believed, she who wished to draw water. Although you ought to have come in early morning, nevertheless if you come later, even at the sixth hour, you will find Jesus wearied with His journey. He is weary, but it is through thee, because He has long sought thee, thy unbelief has long wearied Him. Yet He is not offended if thou only comest, He asks to drink Who is about to give. But He drinks not the water of a stream flowing by, but thy salvation; He drinks thy good dispositions, He drinks the cup, that is, the Passion which atoned for thy sins, that thou drinking of His sacred blood mightest quench the thirst of this world.

185. So Abraham gained God after he had dug the well.221    Gen. xxi. 30. So Isaac, while walking by the well, received that wife222    Gen. xxiv. 62. who was coming to him as a type of the Church. Faithful he was at the well, unfaithful at the pool. Lastly, too, Rebecca, as we read, found him who sought her at the well, and the harlots washed themselves in the blood in the pool of Jezebel.223    1 [3] Kings xxii. 36.

CAPUT XVI.

Spiritum sanctum flumen esse magnum, cujus munere mystica Jerusalem irrigatur. Eumdem fonti suo, 0739D id est, Patri ac Filio aequalem esse, atque in Scriptura significari. Illius aquam sitit Doctor sanctus: 0740A sed ut ea conservetur in nobis, diabolum, cupiditatem, ac haeresim admonet vitari oportere; cum nobis vasa sint fragilia: descrendos etiam contritos lacus, ut Domini aquam Samaritanae patriarcharumque exemplo inveniamus.

156. [Alias cap. XX.[ Sed ne quis forte tamquam pusillitatem Spiritus redarguat, et hinc velit quamdam facere distantiam magnitudinis, quod aqua portio videatur esse fontis exigua: quamquam creaturarum exempla minime divinitati aptanda videantur; tamen ne quid ex hac quoque creaturae comparatione praejudicent, discant non solum aquam, sed etiam flumen dictum Spiritum sanctum, secundum quod lectum est: Flumina de ventre ejus fluent aquae vivae. Hoc autem 632 dicebat de Spiritu, quem 0740B incipiebant accipere, qui credituri erant in eum (Joan. VII, 38, 39).

157. Ergo flumen est Spiritus sanctus, et flumen maximum, quod secundum Hebraeos de Jesu fluxit in terris, ut ore Esaiae accepimus prophetatum (Esai. LXVI, 12). Magnum hoc flumen, quod fluit semper, et numquam deficit. Nec solum flumen, sed etiam profusi impetus, et magnitudinis redundantis, sicut etiam David dixit: Quia fluminis impetus laetificat civitatem Dei (Psal. XLV, 5).

158. Neque enim civitas illa Jerusalem coelestis meatu alicujus fluvii terrestris abluitur: sed ille ex vitae fonte procedens Spiritus sanctus, cujus nos brevi satiamur haustu, in illis coelestibus Thronis, Dominationibus et Potestatibus, Angelis et Archangelis 0740C redundantius videtur effluere, pleno septem virtutum spiritalium fervens meatu. Si enim fluvius riparum editis superfusus exundat, quanto magis Spiritus omnem supereminens creaturam, cum reliqua tamquam inferiora nostrae mentis arva perstringat, coelestem illam creaturarum naturam effusiore quadam sanctificationis ubertate laetificat!

159. Nec moveat quod vel hic dixit flumina (Joan. VII, 38), vel alibi septem spiritus (Apoc. V, 6); his enim sanctificationibus septem spiritalium, sicut Esaias dixit (Esai. XI, 2), significatur plenitudo virtutum: spiritus sapientiae et intellectus, spiritus consilii atque virtutis, spiritus cognitionis atque pietatis, spiritus timoris Dei. Unum ergo flumen, sed multi spiritalium donorum meatus. Hoc igitur 0740D flumen exit ex fonte vitae.

160. Nec hic rursus sensum tuum ad inferiora detorqueas, 0741A quia quaedam diversitas videtur esse fontis et fluminis; et tamen ad omnia prospexit Scriptura divina, ne infirmitas humani caperetur ingenii vilitate sermonum. Proponas tibi licet quodvis flumen, e fonte est; unius tamen naturae, unius splendoris et gratiae. Dic sane et tu Spiritum sanctum unius cum Filio Dei et Deo Patre esse substantiae, unius claritatis et gloriae. Capiam fidele compendium de unitate virtutis, nec verebor aliquam de diversitate magnitudinis quaestionem. Nam etiam in hoc nobis Scriptura prospexit; dicit enim Dei Filius: Qui biberit de aqua, quam ego dabo ei, fiet in eo fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam (Joan. IV, 14). Hic fons utique gratia spiritalis est fluvius ex vivo fonte procedens. Fons igitur vitae etiam Spiritus sanctus est.

0741B 161. Advertis ergo ex verbis ipsius divinae significari magnitudinis unitatem, nec posse Christum etiam a perfidis fontem negari; cum fons dicatur et Spiritus. Et sicut flumen dicitur Spiritus, ita et Pater dixit: Ecce ego decurro in vos, sicut fluvius pacis, et sicut torrens inundans gloriam gentium (Esai. LXVI, 12). 633 Quis autem dubitet flumen esse vitae Dei Filium, de quo aeternae vitae flumina profluebant?

162. Bona ergo aqua, spiritalis gratia: quis hunc fontem dabit pectori meo? In me saliat; in me fluat vitae largitor aeternae. Superfluat in nobis fons iste, non effluat. Dicit enim sapientia: Bibe aquam de tuis vasis, et de puteorum tuorum fontibus, inque plateis 0741C tuis superfluant aquae tuae (Prov. V, 15, 16). Quomodo hanc aquam tenebo, ne effluat, ne labatur? Quomodo vas meum conservabo, ne qua penetrans rima peccati, aeternae vitae distillet humorem? Doce nos, Domine Jesu, doce sicut docuisti apostolos tuos, dicens: Nolite thesaurizare vobis thesauros in terra, ubi aerugo et tinea exterminat, et ubi fures effodiunt et furantur (Matth. VI, 19).

163. Furem videlicet immundum spiritum esse significat, qui in bonorum operum luce gradientibus non possit obrepere: in tenebris autem saecularium cupiditatum, et inter oblectamenta terrestrium si quem ceperit voluptatum, omni virtutis aeternae flore despoliet. Et ideo Dominus dicit: 0742A Thesaurizate vobis thesauros in coelo: ubi neque aerugo neque tinea exterminat; et ubi fures non effodiunt et furantur. Ubi enim fuerit thesaurus tuus, ibi erit et cor tuum.

164. Aerugo nostra lascivia est, aerugo nostra libido est, aerugo nostra luxuria est, quae flagitiorum sordibus aciem mentis obducunt. Tinea rursus nostra Arius est, tinea nostra Photinus est, qui sanctum Ecclesiae vestimentum impietate sua scindunt; et unitatem divinae potestatis 634 individuam separare cupientes, sacrilego morsu pretiosum fidei velamen obrodunt. Funditur aqua, si Arius dentem impresserit: effluit, si aculeum suum in alicujus vas Photinus infixerit. Vile figmentum sumus, cito vitia sentimus. Sed nemo dicit figulo: Quid me 0742B fecisti sic (Rom. IX, 20)? Nam etsi vile vas nostrum, aliud tamen in honore, aliud in contumelia est. Noli ergo aperire lacum tuum, noli fodere vitiis atque criminibus, ne quis dicat: Lacum aperuit, et effodit eum: et incidit in foveam, quam operatus est (Psal. VII, 16).

165. Si Jesum quaeritis, contritos lacus deserite; Christus enim non ad lacum, sed ad puteum sedere consuevit. Ibi eum Samaritana illa quae credidit, illa quae aquam haurire cupiebat, invenit (Joan. IV, 6). Quamvis mane venire debueris, tamen etiamsi serius veneris, etiam sexta hora Jesum fatigatum ab itinere invenies. Fatigatus est, sed in te; quia diu te quaesivit, tua illum tamdiu incredulitas fatigavit. Non offenditur tamen, si modo venias: 0742C petit bibere, daturus. Bibit autem non aquam praetermeantis rivuli, sed salutem tuam: bibit affectum tuum, bibit calicem, hoc est, passionem illam tuorum criminum redemptricem; ut tu sitim istius mundi, sacri potus cruore restinguas.

166. Sic Abraham Deum posteaquam puteum fodit, emeruit (Gen. XXI, 30). Sic Isaac dum ad puteum deambulat (Gen. XXIV, 62), venientem illam in typo Ecclesiae accepit uxorem (Ibid., 67). Fidelis ad puteum, infidelis ad lacum. Denique et Rebecca sicut legimus, petitorem invenit ad fontem, et meretrices in lacu Jezabel se cruore laverunt (III Reg. XXII).