Albertus Magnus

The Opera Omnia of the Universal Doctor, rendered into English

Works › The Mariale: Questions on “Missus est”

Volume 37 · pp. 313–314

Continuation of the Response to Questions 221, 222, 223

Latin (Borgnet)English
p. 313

inquam, qui imitabitur Jacob peregrinantem, servientem, contrahentem, fugientem, repatriantem.

Dicimus enim, quod regnum Christi figuratum fuit in regno David et in regno Salomonis. Sed regnum David significat regnum Christi praesens super militantem Ecclesiam, quae est in bello contra vitia, et cum effusione sanguinis, et castigatione corporis, et crucifixione carnis cum vitiis et concupiscentiis. Regnum autem Salomonis figurat regnum triumphantis Ecclesiae, quae est in visione pacis, ubi non auditur malleus nec securis, sicut dicitur de templo quod aedificavit Salomon 1. Sed sedet ibi populus Domini in pulchritudine pacis, et in tabernaculis fiduciae, et in requie opulenta 2. Unde sedes David appellatur hic regnum per gratiam in praesenti: per domum Jacob intelligitur regnum gloriae in futuro: unde potissime ponitur ibi Jacob qui charitatem signat, juxta illud: Abraham genuit Isaac: Isaac autem genuit Jacob 3, id est, fides spem, spes vero charitatem. Unde non est domus Adae: quia non est ibi terrena, sed caelestis conversatio. Non Abrahae vel Isaac: quia fides et spes evacuabuntur: sola autem charitas numquam excidet: unde regnabit in domo Jacob in aeternum. Unde Bernardus 4: "Denique quid magnum promittitur ei qui sedet super Cherubim, quem Propheta vidit sedentem super solium excelsum et elevatum 5, sedere in throno David, patris sui? Sed novimus quamdam aliam Jerusalem ab ea quae nunc est, in qua regnavit David, significatam, multo ista nobiliorem, multo ditiorem. Hanc igitur puto hic fuisse significatam, illo videlicet usu loquendi, quo saepe reperis in Scripturis significans poni pro significato. Tunc sane dedit illi Deus sedem David, patris sui, quando constitutus est rex ab eo super Sion, montem sanctum ejus 6. Sed hic Propheta de quo regno dixerat, expressius aperuisse videtur in eo quod non in Sion posuit, sed super Sion. Nam ideo fortassis dictum est super Sion, quia in Sion quidem regnavit David: super Sion vero regnum est illius, de quo dictum est ad David: De fructu ventris tui ponam super sedem tuam 7. De quo et dictum est per alium Prophetam: Super solium David, et super regnum ejus sedebit 8. Vides quia ubique reperis super: super Sion, super sedem, super solium, super regnum. Dabit ergo ei Dominus Deus sedem David, patris ejus, non typicam, sed veram, non temporalem, sed aeternam, non terrenam, sed caelestem. Quae idcirco, ut jam dictum est, memoratur fuisse David: quia haec in qua temporaliter sedit, aeternae illius gerebat imaginem.

"Et regnabit in domo Jacob in aeternum, et regni ejus non erit finis. Hic quoque si domum Jacob temporalem accipimus, quomodo in illa quae aeterna non est, in aeternum regnaturus est? Quaerenda est ergo domus aeterna Jacob, in qua regnet in aeternum, cujus regni non erit finis. Annon denique domus illa Jacob exasperans impie abnegavit eum, et insipienter respuit ante faciem Pilati, quando illo perhibente: Regem vestrum crucifigam? uno ore respondendo clamavit: Non habemus regem nisi Caesarem? 9 Require itaque Apostolum, et discernet tibi eum qui in occulto Judaeus est, ab illo qui est in manifesto: et quae in spiritu est circumcisionem, ab ea quae sit in carne, et spiritualem Israel a carnali, et filios Dei Abrahae a filiis carnis. Non enim, inquit, omnes qui ex Israel sunt ii sunt Israelitae, neque qui semen Abrahae sunt, omnes filii 10. Sequere ergo et dic: Similiter non omnes qui ex Jacob, hi reputandi sunt in domo Jacob. Jacob quippe ipse est qui Israel. Solos igitur qui in fide Jacob perfecti inventi sunt, reputa in domo Jacob, vel potius ipsos noveris fore spiritualem et aeternam domum Jacob, in qua regnabit Dominus Jesus in aeternum. Quis ex nobis est qui juxta interpretationem nominis Jacob, supplantet diabolum de corde suo, luctetur cum vitiis et concupiscentiis suis, ut non regnet peccatum in suo mortali corpore, sed regnet in eo Jesus, et nunc quidem per gratiam, et in aeternum per gloriam? Beati in quibus Jesus regnabit in aeternum: quia et ipsi cum eo regnabunt et regni ejus non erit finis. O quam gloriosum est illud regnum, in quo reges congregati sunt, convenerunt in unum, ad laudandum scilicet et glorificandum eum, qui super omnes est Rex regum, et Dominus dominantium, de cujus splendidissima contemplatione fulgebunt justi sicut sol in regno Patris eorum! O si et mei peccatoris meminerit Jesus in beneplacito populi sui, cum venerit in regnum suum! O si me in illa die quando traditurus est regnum Deo et Patri, visitare dignabitur in salutari suo, ad videndum scilicet in bonitate electorum suorum, ad laetandum in laetitia gentis suae, ut laudetur etiam a me cum haereditate sua! Veni interim, Domine Jesu, aufer scandala de regno tuo quod est anima mea, ut regnes tu qui debes in ea. Venit enim avaritia et vindicat in me sibi sedem: jactantia cupit dominari mihi, superbia vult mihi esse rex: luxuria dicit, ego regnabo: ambitio, detractio, invidia, et iracundia certant in meipso, de meipso cujus ego potissimum esse videar. Ego autem quantum valeo resisto, renitor quantum juvor, Dominum meum Jesum reclamo, ipsi me defendo, quia ipsius me juris cognosco. Ipsum mihi Dominum teneo et dico: Non habeo regem nisi ipsum Dominum Jesum. Veni ergo, Domine, disperge illos in virtute tua, et regnabis in me. Quia tu es ipse rex meus, et Deus meus 11."

I say, who will imitate Jacob wandering, serving, contracting, fleeing, and returning to his homeland.

For we say that the kingdom of Christ was figured in the kingdom of David and in the kingdom of Solomon. But the kingdom of David signifies the present kingdom of Christ over the militant Church, which is in battle against vices, and with the shedding of blood, and chastisement of the body, and crucifixion of the flesh with its vices and concupiscences. But the kingdom of Solomon figures the kingdom of the Church triumphant, which is in the vision of peace, where neither hammer nor axe is heard, as is said of the temple that Solomon built 1. But there the people of the Lord sits in the beauty of peace, and in tabernacles of confidence, and in abundant rest 2. Whence the throne of David is here called the kingdom through grace in the present; by the house of Jacob the kingdom of glory in the future is understood. Whence Jacob is placed there especially, because he signifies charity, according to that: Abraham begot Isaac, and Isaac begot Jacob 3, that is, faith begets hope, but hope charity. Whence it is not the house of Adam, because there the conversation is not earthly but heavenly. Not the house of Abraham or Isaac, because faith and hope will be emptied away, but charity alone never falls away; whence he will reign in the house of Jacob forever. Whence Bernard says 4: "In short, what great thing is promised to him who sits upon the Cherubim, whom the Prophet saw sitting upon a throne high and lifted up 5, that he should sit on the throne of David his father? But we know that a certain Jerusalem other than that which now is, in which David reigned, was signified, much nobler than this one, much richer. Therefore I think this one was signified here, by that usage of speech, namely, by which often in the Scriptures you find the signifying thing placed for the thing signified. Then truly God gave him the throne of David his father, when he was constituted king by him over Zion, his holy mountain 6. But here the Prophet seems to have disclosed more expressly concerning what kingdom he had spoken, in that he did not put in Zion but over Zion. For perhaps it was said over Zion for this reason, because David indeed reigned in Zion, but over Zion is the kingdom of him concerning whom it was said to David: From the fruit of your womb I will place one upon your throne 7. And concerning him it was said through another Prophet: He will sit upon the throne of David and upon his kingdom 8. You see that everywhere you find upon: upon Zion, upon the throne, upon the seat, upon the kingdom. Therefore the Lord God will give him the throne of David his father, not typical but true, not temporal but eternal, not earthly but heavenly. This is therefore remembered to have been David's, as has already been said, because that on which he sat temporally bore the image of that eternal one.

"And he will reign in the house of Jacob forever, and of his kingdom there will be no end. Here also, if we take the house of Jacob temporally, how will he reign forever in that which is not eternal? Therefore the eternal house of Jacob must be sought, in which he may reign forever, of whose kingdom there will be no end. Surely did not that house of Jacob, provoking, impiously deny him and foolishly reject him before the face of Pilate, when, as he testified, Shall I crucify your king? it cried out with one mouth in response: We have no king except Caesar? 9 Therefore seek the Apostle, and he will distinguish for you the one who is a Jew in secret from the one who is so in the manifest, and the circumcision which is in spirit from that which is in flesh, and spiritual Israel from carnal Israel, and the sons of God of Abraham from the sons of the flesh. For not all, he says, who are from Israel are Israelites, nor are all who are the seed of Abraham sons 10. Therefore follow and say: similarly, not all who are from Jacob are to be reckoned in the house of Jacob. For Jacob himself is Israel. Therefore reckon only those who are found perfect in the faith of Jacob in the house of Jacob, or rather know that they themselves will be the spiritual and eternal house of Jacob, in which the Lord Jesus will reign forever. Who among us is there who, according to the interpretation of the name Jacob, supplants the devil from his heart, wrestles with his vices and concupiscences, so that sin may not reign in his mortal body, but Jesus may reign in him, and now indeed through grace, and forever through glory? Blessed are those in whom Jesus will reign forever, because they too will reign with him and of his kingdom there will be no end. O how glorious is that kingdom, in which kings have been gathered and have come together into one, namely to praise and glorify him who above all is King of kings and Lord of lords; from the most splendid contemplation of him the just will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father! O if Jesus should remember even me, a sinner, in the good pleasure of his people, when he comes into his kingdom! O if on that day, when he is about to hand over the kingdom to God and the Father, he will deign to visit me in his salvation, namely to see in the goodness of his elect, to rejoice in the joy of his nation, so that he may be praised also by me with his inheritance! Come meanwhile, Lord Jesus, take away scandals from your kingdom, which is my soul, so that you, who ought to, may reign in it. For avarice comes and claims a seat for itself in me; vainglory desires to dominate me; pride wishes to be king for me; lust says, I will reign; ambition, detraction, envy, and anger contend in myself, concerning myself, whose I should most of all seem to be. But I resist as much as I am able, I struggle back as much as I am helped, I call upon my Lord Jesus, I defend myself for him, because I know myself to be of his right. I hold him as Lord for myself and say: I have no king except the Lord Jesus himself. Come therefore, Lord, scatter them in your power, and you will reign in me. Because you yourself are my king and my God 11."

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Notes

  1. 3 Kings 6:7. (III Regum, VI, 7.) ↩
  2. Isaiah 32:18. (Isa. XXXII, 18.) ↩
  3. Matthew 1:2. (Matth. I, 2.) ↩
  4. St. Bernard, Homily 4 on Missus est. (S. Bernardus, Homilia 4 super Missus est.) ↩
  5. Isaiah 6:1. (Isa. VI, 1.) ↩
  6. Psalm 2:6. (Psal. II, 6.) ↩
  7. Psalm 131:11. (Psal. CXXXI, 11.) ↩
  8. Isaiah 9:7. (Isa. IX, 7.) ↩
  9. John 19:15. (Joan. XIX, 15.) ↩
  10. Romans 2:28 and following; 9:6 and 7. (Ad Roman. II, 28 et seq.; IX, 6 et 7.) ↩
  11. Psalm 43:3. (Psal. XLIII, 3.) ↩