Volume 13 · pp. 443–444
Sermon VII. On Blessed Agnes, Conclusion
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Sapientia hujus mundi stultitia est apud Deum. Ait etiam Paulus, I ad Corinth. VIII, 1: Scientia inflat, charitas vero ædificat. Super hunc locum ait Augustinus: « Præponenda est scientia scientiæ. Melius est enim scire infirmitatem nostram, quam naturas rerum: laudabilior est enim animus, cui nota est infirmitas sua, quam qui ea non respecta, siderum vias scrutatur, et terrarum fundamenta, et cælorum fastigia. »
2. Contra secundam gloriam bonorum, quæ est in puritate conscientiæ, reprobi gloriantur in humanæ laudis fatuitate. Contra hoc Apostolus ait I ad Corinth. III, 21: Nemo glorietur in hominibus. Et iterum, I ad Thess. II, 6: Nec quærentes ab hominibus gloriam, neque a vobis, neque ab aliis. Ille gloriam quærit ab hominibus, qui laudari desiderat ab hominibus. Stultum autem est, se bonum vel pulchrum propter hoc reputare, si bonus vel pulcher ab hominibus appelletur: talis enim non in corde, sed in facie gloriatur: sicut dicit Apostolus, I ad Corinth. V, 12: Qui in facie gloriantur, non in corde.
3. Contra tertiam gloriam bonorum, quæ est in effectu bonorum operum, impii gloriantur in malitia et in iniquitate: contra quos dicitur in Psal. LI, 3, 4 et 7: Quid gloriaris in malitia, qui potens, etc. Tota die injustitiam cogitavit lingua tua: sicut novacula acuta fecisti dolum. Sequitur: Propterea Deus destruet te in finem, evellet te, et emigrabit te de tabernaculo tuo, et radicem tuam de terra viventium. Ecce quid sequatur eos, qui in malitia et in iniquitate gloriantur. Cum enim pervenerint in finem hujus transitoriæ vitæ, in corpore et in anima pariter destruentur. Corpus enim illorum de tabernaculo hujus terrestris habitationis evelletur, ut in sepulcro a vermibus comedatur. Radix autem ipsorum, id est, anima per quam truncus corporis vixit, a terra viventium in regionem mortis perpetuæ demergetur, ut ibi absque ulla miseratione a dæmonibus affligatur.
4. Contra quartam gloriam electorum, quæ est in tribulationum varietate, mali gloriantur in divitiarum instabilitate. Contra tales dicitur in Psal. XLVIII, 7, 11 et 12: Qui confidunt in virtute sua: et in multitudine divitiarum suarum gloriantur. Relinquent alienis divitias suas, et sepulcra eorum domus illorum in æternum. Stultum igitur est in divitiarum multitudine gloriari, cum necesse sit homines in talibus gloriantes, alienis relinquere divitias suas, et oporteat etiam quod sepulcra infernalia sint domus illorum in æternum. Unde legitur Luc. XVI, 22: Mortuus est autem et dives, et sepultus est in inferno. Hinc dicit Eccles. X, 34: Qui gloriatur in substantia, paupertatem vereatur. Quam vero paupertatem verebitur? Certe paupertatem illius divitis qui, cum Lazarus in paupertate tribulabatur, ipse quotidie splendide epulabatur 1: sed postea ad tantam paupertatem devenit, quod etiam guttam aquæ, ad refrigerium ardentis linguæ petivit, sed obtinere non potuit.
The wisdom of this world is foolishness before God. Paul also says, in 1 Corinthians 8:1: Knowledge puffs up, but charity builds up. On this place Augustine says: "Knowledge is to be preferred to knowledge. For it is better to know our weakness than the natures of things: for the mind is more praiseworthy to which its own weakness is known, than the one which, not having considered those things, searches out the paths of the stars, and the foundations of the earth, and the heights of the heavens."
2. Against the second glory of the good, which is in purity of conscience, the reprobate glory in the foolishness of human praise. Against this the Apostle says in 1 Corinthians 3:21: Let no one glory in men. And again, 1 Thessalonians 2:6: Nor seeking glory from men, neither from you nor from others. He seeks glory from men who desires to be praised by men. But it is foolish to reckon oneself good or beautiful on account of this, if he is called good or beautiful by men: for such a one glories not in the heart, but in the face, as the Apostle says, 1 Corinthians 5:12: They who glory in face, not in heart.
3. Against the third glory of the good, which is in the effect of good works, the impious glory in malice and in iniquity: against them it is said in Psalm 51:3, 4 and 7: Why do you glory in malice, you who are powerful, etc. All day your tongue has devised injustice: like a sharp razor you have made deceit. It follows: Therefore God will destroy you unto the end, he will pluck you out, and he will remove you from your tabernacle, and your root from the land of the living. Behold what follows those who glory in malice and in iniquity. For when they have arrived at the end of this transitory life, they will be destroyed alike in body and in soul. For their body will be plucked out from the tabernacle of this earthly habitation, so that in the sepulcher it may be eaten by worms. But their root, that is, the soul through which the trunk of the body lived, will be sunk down from the land of the living into the region of perpetual death, so that there, without any pity, it may be afflicted by demons.
4. Against the fourth glory of the elect, which is in the variety of tribulations, the evil glory in the instability of riches. Against such persons it is said in Psalm 48:7, 11 and 12: They who trust in their own strength, and glory in the multitude of their riches. They will leave their riches to strangers, and their sepulchers will be their houses forever. Therefore it is foolish to glory in the multitude of riches, since it is necessary for men glorying in such things to leave their riches to strangers, and it must also be that infernal sepulchers are their houses forever. Hence it is read in Luke 16:22: But the rich man also died and was buried in hell. Hence Ecclesiasticus 10:34 says: He who glories in substance, let him fear poverty. But what poverty will he fear? Certainly the poverty of that rich man who, when Lazarus was troubled in poverty, himself feasted splendidly every day 1; but afterward he came to such poverty that he even asked for a drop of water for the cooling of his burning tongue, but could not obtain it.
5. Contra quintam gloriam bonorum, quæ est in infirmitatum frequentia, mali gloriantur in corporis sanitate ac robusta ætate. Contra hoc dicitur Proverb. XXVII, 1: Ne glorieris in crastinum, ignorans quid superventura pariat tibi dies. In crastino gloriantur, qui longævam et sanam vitam sibimetipsis promittunt, et propter hoc superbiunt, et lætantur. Et certe propter hanc stultam repromissionem multi damnati sunt. Unde dicitur Eccli. XXIX, 24: Repromissio nequissima multos perdidit diligentes, supple, hanc vitam transitoriam 2. Propter hoc etiam dicit Eccli. V, 1: Noli attendere ad possessiones iniquas, et ne dixeris: Est mihi sufficiens vita. Ibi dicit Glossa: « Causa avaritiæ est longæ vitæ repromissio. »
6. Contra sextam gloriam justorum, quæ est in cruce Domini nostri Jesu Christi, reprobi gloriantur in turpi, et confusibili voluptate. De istis dicit Paulus ad Philip. III, 18 et 19: Multi ambulant, quos sæpe dicebam vobis (nunc autem et flens dico) inimicos crucis Christi... quorum Deus venter est, et gloria in confusione ipsorum. Nota, quod inimici crucis Christi, in qua, et de qua virgo Filius virginem matrem virgini discipulo commendavit, præcipue sunt luxuriosi, quorum Deus est venter, et ea quæ sunt sub ventre: gloria enim eorum est in confusione, id est, de talibus gloriantur, de quibus potius confundi ac dolere deberent. Et certe horum finis est, nisi acriter pænituerint, interitus sempiternus. De talibus etiam dicitur in Psal. XCVI, 7: Confundantur omnes, qui adorant sculptilia: et qui gloriantur in simulacris suis. Simulacra luxuriosorum sunt fœda corpora mulierum, quas plus diligunt quam crucifixum qui passus est pro eis in cruce: et propter hoc procul dubio confundentur opprobrio sempiterno.
7. Contra septimam gloriam Sanctorum, quæ est in spe gloriæ filiorum Dei, reprobi gloriantur in præsentis gloriæ brevitate. Contra hoc dicitur Eccli. XI, 4: In vestitu ne glorieris umquam, nec in die honoris tui extollaris. Ibi dicit Glossa: « In honoribus mundanis non est superbiendum, quia transit mundus et concupiscentia ejus. » Hinc dicitur Isa. XL, 6 et 7: Vox dicentis? Clama. Et dixi: Quid clamabo? Omnis caro fænum, et omnis gloria ejus quasi flos agri. Exsiccatum est fænum, et cecidit flos, quia Spiritus Domini sufflavit in eo. Stulte itaque faciunt, qui propter pompaticum ornatum vestium, et propter momentaneum florem hujus sæculi, renuntiant spei æternæ gloriæ filiorum Dei.
Rogate igitur, etc.
5. Against the fifth glory of the good, which is in the frequency of infirmities, the evil glory in health of body and in robust age. Against this it is said in Proverbs 27:1: Do not glory in tomorrow, ignorant what the coming day may bring forth for you. Those glory in tomorrow who promise themselves a long and healthy life, and on account of this are proud and rejoice. And certainly on account of this foolish promise many have been damned. Hence it is said in Ecclesiasticus 29:24: A most wicked promise has destroyed many who love, supply, this transitory life 2. On account of this Ecclesiasticus 5:1 also says: Do not attend to unjust possessions, and do not say: Life is sufficient for me. There the Gloss says: "The cause of avarice is the promise of a long life."
6. Against the sixth glory of the just, which is in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, the reprobate glory in foul and shameful pleasure. Of these Paul says to the Philippians 3:18 and 19: Many walk, whom I often told you of, and now also weeping I say it, enemies of the cross of Christ... whose God is the belly, and their glory is in their shame. Note that the enemies of the cross of Christ, on which and from which the virgin Son commended the virgin mother to the virgin disciple, are especially the lustful, whose God is the belly and the things that are beneath the belly: for their glory is in shame, that is, they glory in such things over which they rather ought to be ashamed and grieve. And certainly the end of these persons, unless they have sharply done penance, is everlasting destruction. Of such persons it is also said in Psalm 96:7: Let all be confounded who adore carved images, and who glory in their own images. The images of the lustful are the foul bodies of women, which they love more than the Crucified One who suffered for them on the cross: and on account of this without doubt they will be confounded with everlasting disgrace.
7. Against the seventh glory of the Saints, which is in the hope of the glory of the sons of God, the reprobate glory in the brevity of present glory. Against this it is said in Ecclesiasticus 11:4: Do not glory ever in clothing, nor be exalted in the day of your honor. There the Gloss says: "One must not be proud in worldly honors, because the world and its concupiscence pass away." Hence it is said in Isaiah 40:6 and 7: The voice of one saying? Cry out. And I said: What shall I cry? All flesh is grass, and all its glory as the flower of the field. The grass has dried up, and the flower has fallen, because the Spirit of the Lord has breathed upon it. Therefore they act foolishly who, on account of the pompous adornment of garments and on account of the momentary flower of this age, renounce the hope of the eternal glory of the sons of God.
Pray therefore, etc.
Notes
- Luke 16:19. (Luc. XVI, 19.) ↩
- In the text of Ecclesiasticus 29:24 there is found: A most wicked promise has destroyed those directing, and has stirred them like the waves of the sea. (In textu Ecclesiastici, XXIX, 24 invenitur: Repromissio nequissima multos perdidit dirigentes, et commovit illos quasi fluctus maris.) ↩
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