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St. Gregory the Great on Contemplation
from Book V
of his
Moralia
in Job
Job Ch. 4 Ver. 12. Now a hidden word was spoken to me.
50. For the invisible Son is called ‘the hidden Word,’ concerning Whom John
saith, In the beginning was the Word. [John 1, 1] Which he the same
person teaches to be ‘hidden’ in that he adds, and the Word was
with God, and the Word was God. But this ‘hidden Word’ is delivered to
the minds of the Elect, when the power of the Only-Begotten Son is made
manifest to believers. By ‘the hidden word’ we may also understand the
communication of inward Inspiration, concerning which it is said by John,
His anointing teacheth you of all things. [1 John 2, 27] Which same
inspiration on being communicated to the mind of man lifts it up, and
putting down all temporal interests inflames it with eternal desires, that
nothing may any longer yield it satisfaction but the things that are above,
and that it may look down upon all, that, from human corruption, is in a
state of uproar below. And so to hear ‘the hidden word’ is to receive in
the heart the utterance of the Holy Spirit. Which same indeed can never be
known save by him, by whom it may be possessed. And hence it is said by the
voice of Truth concerning this hidden utterance, And I will pray the
Father, and He shall give you another Comforter, that He may abide with, you
for ever; even The Spirit of Truth, whom the world cannot receive. [John
14, 16. 17.] For as that ‘Comforter,’ after the Ascension of the Mediator,
being another Consoler of mankind, is in Himself invisible, so He inflames
each one that He has filled to long after the invisible things. And because
worldly hearts are set upon the things that are seen alone, the world
receiveth Him not, because it doth not rise up to the love of the things
that are unseen. For worldly minds, in proportion as they spread themselves
out in interests without, contract the bosom of the heart against the
admission of Him. And because out of mankind there are few indeed, who,
being purified from the pollution of earthly desires, are opened by that
purification to the receiving of the Holy Spirit, this word is called ‘a
hidden word,’ since, surely, there are particular persons that receive that
in the heart, which the generality of men know nothing of. Or truly this
same inspiration of the Holy Spirit is ‘a hidden word,’ in that it may be
felt, but cannot be expressed by the noise of speech. When, then, the
inspiration of God lifts up the soul without noise, ‘a hidden word’ is
heard, in that the utterance of the Spirit sounds silently in the ear of the
heart. And hence it is added;
And mine ear as it were stealthily received the veins of the whispering
thereof.
51. The ear of the heart ‘receives stealthily the veins of heavenly
whispering,’ in that both in a moment and in secret the inspired soul is
made to know the subtle quality of the inward utterance. For except it bury
itself from external objects of desire, it fails to enter into the internal
things. It is both hidden that it may hear, and it hears that it may be
hidden; in that at one and the same time being withdrawn from the visible
world its eyes are upon the invisible, and being replenished with the
unseen, it entertains a perfect contempt for what is visible. But it is to
be observed that he does not say, Mine ear received as it were by stealth
the whispering thereof; but the veins of the whispering thereof;
for ‘the whispering of the hidden word’ is the very utterance of inward
Inspiration itself; but ‘the veins of the whispering’ is the name for the
sources of the occasions whereby that inspiration itself is conveyed to the
mind. For it is as if It opened ‘the veins of its whispering,’ when God
secretly communicates to us in what ways He enters into the ear of our
understandings. Thus at one time He pierces us with love, at another time
with terror. Sometimes He shews us how little the present scene of things
is, and lifts up our hearts to desire the eternal world, sometimes He first
points to the things of eternity, that these of time may after that grow
worthless in our eyes. Sometimes He discloses to us our own evil deeds, and
thence draws us on even to the point of feeling sorrow for the evil deeds of
others also. Sometimes He presents to our eyes the evil deeds of others,
and reforms us from our own wickedness, pierced with a wonderful feeling of
compunction. And so to ‘hear the veins of Divine whispering by stealth,’ is
to be made to know the secret methods of divine Inspiration, at once gently
and secretly.
52. Though we may interpret whether ‘the whispering’ or ‘the veins of
whispering’ in another way yet. For he that ‘whispers’ is speaking in
secret, and he does not give out, but imitates a voice. We, therefore, so
long as we are beset by the corruptions of the flesh, in no wise behold the
brightness of the Divine Power, as it abides unchangeable in itself, in that
the eye of our weakness cannot endure that which shines above us with
intolerable lustre from the ray of His Eternal Being. And so when the
Almighty shews Himself to us by the chinks of contemplation, He does not
speak to us, but whispers, in that though He does not fully develope
Himself, yet something of Himself He does reveal to the mind of man. But
then He no longer whispers at all, but speaks, when His appearance is
manifested to us in certainty. It is hence that Truth saith in the Gospel,
I shall shew you plainly of the Father. [John 16, 25] Hence John
saith, For we shall see Him as He is. [1 John 3, 2] Hence Paul saith,
Then shall I know even as also I am known. [1 Cor. 13, 12.] Now in
this present time, the Divine whispering has as many veins for our ears as
the works of creation, which the Divine Being Himself is Lord of; for while
we view all things that are created, we are lifted up in admiration of the
Creator. For as water that flows in a slender stream is sought by being
bored for through veins, with a view to increase it, and as it pours forth
the more copiously, in proportion as it finds the veins more open, so we,
whilst we heedfully gather the knowledge of the Divine Being from the
contemplation of His creation, as it were open to ourselves the ‘veins of
His whispering,’ in that by the things that we see have been made, we are
led to marvel at the excellency of the Maker, and by the objects that are in
public view, that issues forth to us, which is hidden in concealment. For
He bursts out to us in a kind of sound as it were, whilst He displays His
works to be considered by us, wherein He betokens Himself in a measure, in
that He shews how Incomprehensible He is. Therefore, because we cannot take
thought of Him as He deserves, we hear not His voice, yea, scarcely His
whispering. For because we are not equal to form a full and perfect
estimate of the very things that are created, it is rightly said, Mine
ear as it were by stealth received the veins of whispering; in that
being cast forth from the delights of paradise, and visited with the
punishment of blindness, we scarcely take in ‘the veins of whispering;’
since His very marvellous works themselves we consider but hastily and
slightly. But we must bear in mind, that in proportion as the soul being
lifted up contemplates His excellency, so being held back it shrinks from
His righteous perfectness [rectitudinem]. And hence it is rightly
added;
Ver.13. In the horror of a vision of the night.
53. The horror of a vision of the night is the shuddering of secret
contemplation. For the higher the elevation, whereat the mind of man
contemplates the things that are eternal, so much the more, terror-struck at
her temporal deeds, she shrinks with dread, in that she thoroughly discovers
herself guilty, in proportion as she sees herself to have been out of
harmony with that light, which shines in the midst of darkness [intermicat]
above her, and then it happens that the mind being enlightened entertains
the greater fear, as it more clearly sees by how much it is at variance with
the rule of truth. And she, that before seemed as it were more secure in
seeing nothing, trembles with sore affright from her very own proficiency
itself. Though, whatever her progress in virtue, she does not as yet
compass any clear insight into eternity, but still sees with the
indistinctness of a certain shadowy imagining. And hence this same is
called a vision of the night. For as we have also said above, in the
night we see doubtfully, but in the day we see steadily. Therefore because,
as regards the contemplating the ray of the interior Sun, the cloud of our
corruption interposes itself, nor does the unchangeable Light burst forth
such as It is to the weak eyes of our mind, we as it were still behold God
‘in a vision of the night,’ since most surely we go darkling under a
doubtful sight. Yet though the mind may have conceived but a distant idea
concerning Him, yet in contemplation of His Greatness, she recoils with
dread, and is filled with a greater awe, in that she feels herself unequal
even to the very skirts of the view of Him. And falling back upon herself,
she is drawn to Him with closer bonds of love, Whose marvellous sweetness,
being unable to bear, she has but just tasted of under an indistinct
vision. But, because she never attains to such an height of elevation,
unless the importunate and clamorous throng of carnal desires be first
brought under governance, it is rightly added,
When deep sleep falleth upon men.
54. Whoever is bent to do the things which are of the world, is, as it
were, awake, but he, that seeking inward rest eschews the riot of this
world, sleeps as it were. But first we must know that, in holy Scripture,
sleep, when put figuratively, is understood in three senses. For sometimes
we have expressed by sleep the death of the flesh, sometimes the
stupefaction of neglect, and sometimes tranquillity of life, upon the
earthly desires being trodden underfoot. Thus, by the designation of sleep
or slumbering the death of the flesh is implied; as when Paul says, And I
would not have you to be ignorant, brethren, concerning them which are
asleep. [1 Thess. 4, 13] And soon after, Even so them also which
sleep in Jesus will God bring with Him. [ver. 14] Again, by sleep is
designated the stupefaction of neglect; as where it is said by that same
Paul, Now it is high time to awake out of sleep. [Rom. 13, 11] And
again, Awake, ye righteous [Vulg.], and sin not. [1 Cor. 15,
34] By sleep too is represented tranquillity of life, when the carnal
desires are trodden down; as where these words are uttered by the voice of
the spouse in the Song of Songs, I sleep, but my heart waketh. [Cant.
5, 2] For, in truth, in proportion as the holy mind withholds itself from
the turmoil of temporal desire, the more thoroughly it attains to know the
things of the interior, and is the more quick and awake to inward concerns,
the more it withdraws itself out of sight from external disquietude. And
this is well represented by Jacob sleeping on his journey. He put a stone
to his head and slept. He beheld a ladder from the earth fixed in heaven,
the Lord resting upon the ladder, Angels also ascending and descending. For
to ‘sleep on a journey’ is, in the passage of this present life, to rest
from the love of things temporal. To sleep on a journey is, in the course
of our passing days, to close those eyes of the mind to the desire of
visible objects, which the seducer opened to the first of mankind, saying,
For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be
opened. [Gen. 3, 5] And hence it is soon afterwards added, She took
of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her,
and he did eat. And the eyes of them both were opened. [ver. 6, 7.]
For sin opened the eyes of concupiscence, which innocence kept shut. But to
‘see Angels ascending and descending,’ is to mark the citizens of the land
above, either with what love they cleave to their Creator above them, or
with what fellow-feeling in charity they condescend to aid our infirmities.
55. And it is very deserving of observation, that he that ‘lays his head
upon a stone,’ is he who sees the Angels in his sleep, surely because that
same person by resting from external works penetrates internal truths, who
with mind intent, which is the governing Principle of man, looks to the
imitating of his Redeemer. For to ‘lay the head upon a stone’ is to cleave
to Christ in mind. Since they that are withdrawn from this life's sphere of
action, yet whom no love transports above, may have sleep, but can never see
the Angels, because they despise to keep their head upon a stone. For there
are some, who fly indeed the business of the world, but exercise themselves
in no virtues. These, indeed, sleep from stupefaction, not from serious
design, and therefore they never behold the things of the interior, because
they have laid their head, not upon a stone, but upon the earth. Whose lot
it most frequently is, that in proportion as they rest more secure from
outward actions, the more amply they are gathering in themselves from
idleness an uproar of unclean thoughts. And thus under the likeness of
Judaea the Prophet bewails the soul stupefied by indolence, where he says,
The adversaries saw her, and did mock at her sabbaths. [Lam. 1, 7]
For by the precept of the Law there is a cessation from outward work upon
the Sabbath Day. Thus her ‘enemies looking on mock at her sabbaths,’ when
evil spirits pervert the very waste hours of vacancy to unlawful thoughts.
So that every soul, in proportion as it is supposed to be devoted to the
service of God, by being removed from external action, the more it drudges
to their tyranny, by entertaining unlawful thoughts. But good men, who
sleep to the works of the world, not from inertness, but from virtue, are
more laborious in their sleep than they would be awake. For herein, that by
abandoning they are made superior to this world's doings, they daily fight
against themselves, maintaining a brave conflict, that the mind be not
rendered dull by neglect, nor, subdued by indolence, cool down to the
harbouring of impure desires, nor in good desires themselves be more full of
fervour than is right, nor by sparing itself under the pretext of
discretion, may slacken its endeavour after perfection. These are the
things she is employed withal: she both wholly withdraws herself from the
restless appetite of this world, and gives over the turmoil of earthly
actions, and in pursuit of tranquillity, bent on virtuous attainments, she
sleeps waking. For she is never led on to contemplate internal things,
unless she be heedfully withdrawn from those, which entwine themselves about
her without. And it is hence that Truth declares by His own mouth, No
man can serve two Masters. [Matt. 6, 20] Hence Paul saith, No man
that warreth entangleth himself with the affairs of this life, that he may
please him that hath chosen him to be a soldier. [2 Tim. 2, 4] Hence
the Lord charges us by the Prophet, saying, Be still [Vacate,
be at leisure], and know that I am the Lord. [Ps. 46, 10] Therefore,
because inward knowledge is not cognisable by us, except there be a rest
from outward embarrasments, the season of the hidden word, and of the
whisperings of God, is in this place rightly set forth, when it is said,
In the horror of a vision of the night, when deep sleep falleth upon men,
in that truly our mind is never caught away after the force and power of
inward contemplation, unless it be first carefully lulled to rest from all
agitation of earthly desires...
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