After the enemies
have been put to flight and the citizens have been pacified, I think nothing now
stands in the way but that the city of ours might expect that which is the
"peace" of God "which passes all understanding" (Phil. 4:7). And "how
great" is "the multitude of sweetness, which God has hidden for those who love
him" {Ps. 30:20). "He has hidden," it says. Therefore, why marvel if
any lover of the world does not know that which God has hidden for those who
love Him? For those who fasten hope on false and deceptive goods are not
able to find out what are true goods. So it is that they say: "Who shows
us goods?" (Ps. 4:6). For it is manna, hidden and completely unknown
except to those who taste it. For it is such sweetness of the heart, and
not of the flesh, that no carnal person whomever is able to have known it.
"You have put joy in my heart" (Ps. 4:7). Corporeal delights, like the
body itself, can be seen by the bodily eyes; eyes of the flesh cannot see the
delights of the heart and also not even the heart itself. Therefore by
what way could he know spiritual delights unless he makes a point of entering
into his heart and dwelling within? Therefore it is said to him: "Enter
into the joy of your Lord" (Matt. 25:21). This inner joy is for spiritual
persons. That sweetness which is felt within is that son of Leah who is
born in the fifth place. For joy is one of the principal affections, as I
have said above. However, when it has been set in order, this can rightly
be numbered among the sons of Jacob and Leah. For we certainly have
ordered and true joy when we rejoice concerning true and inner goods. The
Apostle wished to animate us to the desire for such offspring when he said:
"Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say rejoice" (Phil. 4:4). And the
Prophet: "Rejoice in the Lord and exult you just, and glory all you with an
upright heart" (Ps. 31:11). For such offspring Leah gladly despised the
mandrakes so that she would be able to have such a son. In fact, the mind
that delights in the praise of men does not deserve to experience what inner joy
is. However, after the birth of Gad and Asher, Leah rightly gave birth to
such a son because except by means of abstinence and patience the human mind
cannot reach true joy. Therefore it is necessary that he who wishes to
rejoice concerning the truth exclude not only false pleasure but also vain
disquiet. For he who until now delights in the lowest things is especially
unworthy of inner enjoyment, and he who is disquieted by vain fear is not able
fully to enjoy spiritual sweetness. Truth condemned false joy when he
said: "Woe to you who now laugh" (Luke 6:25). He extirpated vain disquiet
when he admonished his hearers, saying: "Do not fear those who kill the body,
for they are not able to kill the soul" (Matt. 10:28). We rise above one
of these by abstaining. We trample the other by being patient. And
so by means of Gad false delight is extirpated; by means of Asher, vain
disquiet. These are Gad and Asher who exclude false joy and introduce true
joy. Now I think, following this there will be no question why this
particular son is called Issachar if Issachar is certainly interpreted "reward".
For what else do we seek with so many and so great labors? What, I say,
other than true joy do we await with such persevering forbearance? We
receive as it were a kind of pledge, like a kind of first fruits of this reward,
as often as we enter into that inner joy of our Lord and taste it partially.
