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Blessed is the human being whom you will instruct, O Lord, and you will teach
him of your law. Psalm 93:12
1. Four things necessarily must be paid close attention for the one wanting to
study any science: what kind of person should be the student, who should be the teacher,
what should be the skill and what should be the benefit. These things which are about to
be considered are proposed in the proposed verse for those wanting to approach the
divine science, which is properly named theology: for theology is, as Augustine says,
VIII De civitate 1, a statement or reason concerning God. Through this it is shown who
is the suitable hearer of theology, who is the primary and principal teacher, what the
subject matter is and what the benefit is.
First it is described as to the suitableness on the part of the student. For if you
might ask who is the suitable hearer of this science, it is not a beast or a brute animal, but
a rational and intellectual human being: human being, the verse says. Second as to the
authority on the part of the master. For if you ask who is the principal teacher: it is God,
glorious and sublime: whom you, the verse says, will instruct and teach. Third as to the
contents on the part of the material. For if you ask what is the doctrine or subject matter:
it is the law of the Lord: about your law, the verse says. Fourth as to the efficaciousness
on the part of the end. For if you ask what is its benefit: blessed, the verse says. For
what is more useful, or what is more desirable than to be blessed?
I
2. Therefore, the verse states: Blessed is the human being whom you will instruct,
O Lord etc. The hearer and student in this science should be a human being, not a brute
animal or a beast. A threefold condition makes the human being the suitable hearer of
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that science, which pertains to a human being by nature: humility of the soul with piety of
faith, the passion of desire with the careful attention of study, purity or serenity of the
mind’s eye with mental tranquility.
3. [Therefore the first condition, which makes a human being a suitable student
and hearer of this science, is humility of the soul with piety of faith], so that the student
or hearer in this science is subject and pious, so that he listens with all reverence. It is
necessary that the student first enter the schools and subject himself humbly to a master;
but by listening not to speak against, rather piously and faithfully assent, since this
doctrine is most high, but the gate of the school is low and the master is of great
authority. For the gate is Christ, who says about himself in John 10:9: I am the gate;
who humbled himself, taking the form of a slave, Phil. 2:7. For that reason, if someone
presumes to enter while stretching his neck, he will smash his head on the entrance way.
Therefore by the first point of entry he repels the arrogant, he admits the humble. Hence
Augustine, Ad Dioscorum: “You will find no other way for preparing to purse truth
zealously than what is discovered by him who sees the weakness of our steps like God.
The first step humility, the second humility, the third humility; and as often as you would
ask, I would say the same.”1 For that reason Math. 11:25 says: You have hidden these
things from the wise and prudent, and you have revealed them to children. Now walking
humbly, according to Augustine, in II De Doctrina Christiana, “the task is to grow meek
with piety, not to contradict the Scriptures, whether understood or not understood, as if
we could understand something better on our own;”2 but rather the task is to captivate his
own intellect to the obedience of Christ, “to remove every gloom of earthly reasons; and
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2
Epist. 118, c. 3, n. 22 (PL 33, 442).
Chp. 7, n. 9 (PL 34, 39).
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the vapor of every worldly wisdom withdraws from eyes of purified faith. The authority
is divine to which we give belief, the doctrine is divine which we follow,” as Leo says.3
For if something is false, there it is reproved; if something is true, there it is approved;
but if something is found to the contrary, in no way is it doubted to be completely false.4
As Isaiah 7:9 says, according to the other translation: Unless you will believe, you will
not understand. “For the weak gaze of the human mind cannot be fixed on so excellent a
light, unless it is invigorated by being nourished through the justice of faith.”5 The
mysteries of Scripture, “unless faith believes, speech cannot explain.” Accordingly Rom.
9:20 says that for the person wanting to investigate the mysteries of God: O man, who
are you, who makes answer to God? Now on the contrary, about that true, humble and
pious disciple of truth, Simeon, it is said in Luke 2:25: There was a man in Jerusalem,
just and God-fearing, awaiting the redemption of Israel, and the Holy Spirit was in him.
Just through humility and obedience; God-fearing, through piety and reverence; awaiting
the redemption of Israel, through eternal wisdom; and for that reason the Holy Spirit was
in him, through indwelling grace.
4. The second condition, which makes a person a suitable student and hearer in
this science, is the passion of desire with the careful attention of study, so that the student
is passionate and zealous for this doctrine, so that he listens with all complaisance and
diligence. For after entering the school and complying with those who are designated by
‘master,’ it is necessary to desire fervently and anxiously, by desiring to investigate
diligently, since fervent desire produces diligent study. Since this science is of the
greatest value, because a man does not know its price, Job 28:13; it is also of the greatest
3
Sermo 27, c. 1.
Ref is to Augustine - check
5
Augustine, De trinitate, I, c. 2, n. 4 (PL 42, 822).
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depth, Eccl. 7:25: The great deep, who will search it out? For that reason the gift of
wisdom is not given except to those fervently desiring and because of love fo it, it is
given to those condemning and despising all else, Wisdom 7:7-8: I desired it, and
understanding was given to me; I prayed, and the spirit of wisdom came into me, and I
preferred the spirit of wisdom to kingdoms and thrones, and I regarded riches to be
nothing in comparison to it. And furthermore Daniel, since he was a man of desires,
received through revelation the understanding of mysteries.6 Now since [this science] is
of the greatest depth, it is not discovered except by those who are studious and who
diligently investigate. Furthermore Prov. 8:34 says: Blessed is the human being who
hears me, [and] who keeps vigil daily at my doors, and who keeps watch at the doorposts
of my entrance way. Who hears, with reverence; and keeps vigil, with watchfulness; and
keeps watch at the doorposts, with great diligence. Concerning study and desire together,
Math. 13:44: The kingdom of heaven is like a treasure hidden in a field, which, the
person who finds it, hides it, and because of his joy he goes and sells all that he has and
buys that field. The field, sacred Scripture; the treasure, wisdom, but hidden, since it is
entangled in the mysteries of Scripture; which the person who finds it, the one who is
passionate and zealous, because of his desire sells all that he has and buys that field.
Gregory: “he prepares the field who, having sold all things and renouncing all fleshly
pleasures, tramples on all fleshly desires by keeping heavenly discipline,”7 since, as
Proverbs 3:13-14 says: Blessed is the human being who finds wisdom; and later:
Acquiring it is better than the trading of silver and gold.
Note Bonaventure’s use of Daniel in the Prologue to the Itinerarium, paragraph 3: “For no one
is disposed in any way for those divine contemplations which lead to ecstasies of the mind without being,
like Daniel, a person of desires (translation Hayes, 39).”
7
In Evang., hom. 11, n. 1 (PL 76, 1115B).
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5. The third condition, which makes a human being the suitable hearer of that
science, is purity of the eye with mental tranquility: so that the student of the truth is
holy and tranquil, because he listens with great tranquility and cleanliness of heart. For
after entering and complying, after desire and study, it is necessary to purge and clean the
mind’s eye and quiet the mind: For Blessed are the pure of heart, since they will see
God, Math 5:8. The intellectual eye is soiled now and then by the dust of vain glory,
darkened by the gloom of sensual phantasms, stained by the rot of carnal delights,
disturbed by the confusion of the passions. For that reason it is purified through
simplicity of intention, by no study pleasing to human beings, but only by the love of
intellectual beauty should he be zealous for wisdom. That is the simple eye and the clean
heart: for the clean heart and the simple heart are one and the same. [The heart] is
purified through chastity. For the ray of eternal truth only flows into clean souls, since,
as Wisdom 1:4 says: wisdom will not enter into a malevolent soul, nor dwell in a body
subject to sin; but comes into holy souls, indeed the brilliance of eternal light and the
mirror without stain are the image of the majesty and goodness of God. Accordingly the
Apostle, desirous of wisdom, states in 1 Cor 7:7: I desire that all people be like myself,
that is, continent and chaste. [The heart] is cleaned through the transcendence of the
mind, in so far as the clouds of phantasms are not able to gather there, since the animal
man does not perceive those things which pertain to God: for it is folly to him and he
cannot understand, I Cor 2:14. He is quieted and pacified by constraining and ordering
the passions. The agitated mind cannot gaze on the truth, but by being quieted becomes
wise. Hence Boethius at the end of I De consolatione:
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“You too, if you want
Clearly to see the truth
And to walk the right road straight,
Cast out joy,
Cast out fear,
Rid yourself of hope and grief.
The mind is clouded, checked,
Where these hold sway.”8
Sirach 27:12: The holy human being abides in wisdom like the sun. Holy, pure
and quiet; abides, stably in wisdom, like the sun; but a stupid man, who is agitated by the
passions, is changed like the moon. When the intellectual eye has been purified and
cleaned and the mind quieted, the student of wisdom can be rapt with Paul up to the third
heaven, that is all the way up to intellectual vision. But he does not know whether in the
body or out of the body, since, as Exodus 33:20 states: A person cannot see me and live,
“whether because we will only see after this life, or because we see only this much, as
much as we are dead to carnal affections, so that holding the world dead to us, we are
really dead to this world, and we say what the Apostle said: The world is crucified to me
and I to the world,”9 Gal 6:14. Behold, the suitable hearer of this doctrine.
II
6. But who is the principle teacher? The verse adds: whom you, O Lord, will
instruct and teach, so that instruction is referred to those beginning and less competent,
but doctrine to those more advanced. But concerning the excellence of this master it
8
Boethius, The Consolation of Philosophy, in Boethius: The Theological Tractates, Loeb
Classical Library, trans. S. J. Tester (Harvard: Harvard University Press, 1997), 173.
9
Augustine, De trinitate, II, c. 17 (PL 42, 863s).
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seems to say more than needed; for that reason something must be said concerning the
mode of teaching by which its doctrine is rendered authentic and confirmed. It teaches
by the wonders of what is done, by the inspirations of what is revealed and by the
witnesses and ministries of the saints.
First, then, it teaches through the wonders of what is done, both of nature and of
grace, and of justice; and through the works of creation, administration and reparation, in
such a way that in all things the divine wisdom comes to our mind and represents itself as
a craftsman. For wherever his vestiges are, although there may be more in one place and
less in another, we gather together what is scattered. There is no creature so poor in
which there is not mode, species, and order, and through this God leads us to wisdom.
For that reason saint Job says (Job 12:7-9): Question the beasts, and they will teach you;
the flying things of the air, and they will point out to you; speak to the earth and it will
reply to you and the fish of the sea will tell a tale. For All these things the hand of God
made. And Solomon states, Prov. 6:6: Go to the ant, O lazy man, and consider his ways,
and you will learn wisdom. The works of nature, although they are miracles, happen
everyday, and by the continued course of their normalcy they nullify and destroy
admiration. For that reason for the education of the faithful, God does some things
beyond the usual course of nature, which especially lead to admiration and are properly
called miracles. It would take a long time to recount these works, but yet it is a useful
and beautiful thing to reflect on these works, Wisdom 12:18-19: It is under your power,
since what you want you can do; and through such works you taught your people. But
whoever is not educated through works, are sometimes educated through beatings, Jer.
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31:18: You afflicted me, and I am educated like the wild young bull. For that reason in
the Psalm it is said: Your discipline will teach me (Ps. 17:36).
Second, it teaches through inspirations or oracles of revelations; and he
accomplishes this either through sensible apparitions, as in certain ways he appeared to
the Patriarchs; or through imaginary visions, as he educated the Prophets; or through
internal anointings, in the way he educated the Apostles, simple and ignorant laymen, I
Cor. 2:10: God revealed to us through his Spirit; and II Peter 1:21: Not by human will
was prophecy conveyed at anytime; but holy men and women of God spoke as they were
inspired by the Holy Spirit. “For that reason, he chose those born humbly, the illiterate,
those not honored, so that whatever they were and whatever great thing they did, it would
be him in them and he would accomplish it.”10 On this manner of teaching, I John 2:27:
Have no need that someone teaches you, but God’s anointing teaches you about all
things. The Savior promises this anointing to his disciples in John 14:26: Now the Holy
Spirit, the Paraclete, whom the Father will send in my name, he will teach you all things;
and 16:13: When the Spirit of truth will come, he will teach you all truth. In the person
of the Church Jeremiah rejoices that he had received this, Lamentations 1:13: From on
high he sent a fire into my bones and he educated me.
Third he teaches through the witnesses of the saints, who signed for this truth by
their blood and swore to it by their death. They give testimony who saw, heard and
handled, as John states, I John 1:1: What we heard, what we saw, and what our hands
touched, concerning the word of life. But the evidence of a more certain truth is much
more wonderful, that the world came to believe through such contemptible witnesses.
Hence Augustine, XXII De civitate cap. 5: “Christ sent a few fishermen with nets of
10
Augustine, City of God, XVIII, c. 49 (PL 41, 611).
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faith to the sea of this age, uneducated men in the liberal disciplines and men completely
unpolished in terms of the doctrines of those arts, not men expert in grammar, not men
armed with dialectic, not men puffed up with rhetoric, and yet they took out of every race
so many fishes from every genus and the philosopher themselves, wonderful as they are
rare.” And later: “It is incredible that a very few men, of mean birth and the lowest rank
and no education, should have been able so effectually to persuade the world, and even
its learned men of so incredible a thing.” - Not only through the witness of others, he
even educated the people through the incarnate Word itself, Hebr. 1:1-2: Formerly God
spoke to the Fathers through the Prophets, recently in these days he spoke to us through
his Son. That belonged to the very height of grace, Tit. 2:11-12: The grace of God our
Savior appeared to all men and women, instructing us etc. He taught in words, signs and
examples; hence the man expert in the law said, Math. 22:16: Master, we know that you
are truth and that you teach the way of Good through the truth. For on account of signs
[his] teaching was a matter to express wonder at; hence Mark 1:22, 27: They were
astonished about his teaching, saying: Is this some new doctrine? that with power he
commands unclean spirits.
Not only through the very incarnate Word and the witness of the Apostles and
martyrs, but through the service of doctors, Eph. 4:11-12: He gave some as apostles, yet
some as prophets, but others as evangelists, still others as pastors and doctors for the
fulfillment of ministry. Therefore in those three ways of teaching it renders an authentic
doctrine, while it is confirmed by wonders, oracles and witnesses. Behold the one who or
the kind of student, and the teacher or specific master in this science.
III
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10. But what is the subject matter or contents? You will instruct and teach about
your law. Therefore this doctrine contains the law of the Lord. Divine law, as contained
in Sacred Scripture, is the law of perfect truth, perfect charity, perfect sweetness. The
law of perfect truth, I say, that illuminates the intellect in two ways: first in terms of
precepts, second in terms of judgments. Of the truth of what is taught, Prov. 6:23: The
commandment is a lamp, and the law a light; a light, I say, according to the truth to
which no darkness of falsity or error can be mixed. Psalm 118, 142: Your justice is
justice forever, and your law, truth. But since this truth is not only passed on through
plain words, but also handed over though mystical words, for that reason in the Psalm
118:18: Open my eyes, and I will consider the wonders of you law.
Second, it is the law of perfect truth in terms of judgments, Rom. 2:12: Whoever
sinned against the law, will be judged according to the law. Accordingly, Deut. 28:5859: Unless you will keep and fulfill all the words of this law, the Lord will increase your
misfortunes. Judgments are contained not only in the Old Law, but even in the New Law,
Hebr. 10:28-29: A man making void the Law of Moses dies without any mercy on the
word of two or three witnesses; how much worse punishments do you think he deserves
who has trodden under foot the Son of God and has insulted the Spirit of grace.
11. Second, the divine law is the law of perfect charity that inflames the affect;
and this in two ways: first as to precepts that inform or order to charity; second as to
promises that inflame to charity. Concerning the contents of the law in terms of precepts
that order or inform to charity, Math. 22:35-40: Some doctor of the law questioned him,
tempting him: Master what is the most important commandment in the law? And he
responded: You will love the Lord your God with your whole heart, and your whole soul,
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and your whole mind. This is the greatest and first commandment. Now the second is
like it: You will love your neighbor as yourself. On these two commandments depends
the entire law and the Prophets. Paul, Gal. 5:14: Every law is fulfilled in one statement:
You will love your neighbor as yourself. Therefore the fullness of the law is love, as it is
said in Rom. 13:10. For as Augustine says, I De doctrina, “The law commands only
charity, and blames only cupidity.”11
Concerning the contents of the law as to promises that inflame to charity, Prov.
3:1-2: O my son, lest you are forgetful of my law, let your heart guard my precepts: for
they put before you length of days and years of life and peace. For the Law, both Old and
New, promises only peace, since among all desirable goods, peace is the more desirable
good. Hence Augustine, XIX De civitate, cap. 11: “So great is the good of peace, that
[even] in earthly and mortal matters nothing is customary to be heard with more pleasure,
nothing more desirable to be longed for, in the end nothing better can be found.” But the
Old Law promises temporal peace, the New Law promises eternal peace, yet both
promise peace. Psalm (118:165): Great peace have those who love your law. And since
the law inflames to charity through those promises, for that reason the law is called ‘hot,’
Deut. 33:2: At his right had the law with fire.
12. Third, the divine law is the law of perfect sweetness that entices the spiritual
taste, and this in two ways: as to divine charisms, and as to divine proclamations. And
about the contents of the law as to charisms Rom. 8:2 states: The Law of the Spirit of life
freed me from the law of sin and death. Through ‘spirit of life’ are understood the
charisms of the graces which are contained in the sacraments of divine law. This spirit is
most sweet, Sirach 24:27: My spirit over sweet honey. For that reason the Psalm (18:811
cap. 35, n. 39 (PL 34, 34).
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11): The unstained Law of the Lord, converting souls; and later: The true judgments of
the Lord vindicated in themselves, desirable beyond gold and every precious stone, and
sweeter than honey and the comb.
Of the contents of the law as to divine proclamations, Psalm 77:1-6: Listen
closely, my people, [to] my law; and later: Telling the praises of the Lord and his virtues,
and his wonderful deeds which he accomplished. Since the law of the Lord contains
those things, for that reason the Psalm adds; And he raised up a witness in Jacob and
placed the law in Israel. How great a sign he commanded to our fathers to make [them]
into his sons, so that another generation may know them. Now since all the words of
Sacred Scripture resound nothing other than the proclamations of divine praise, for that
reason Sirach 43:29: We say many things and fall short in words, but the consummation
of speech is He is all. And adds: Glorifying the Lord, exalt him as much as you can, he
will yet far exceed: for he is above all praise and his magnificence is wonderful.
Therefore in the name of the law the universal content of Sacred Scripture is expressed,
which is occupied with six things as far as it is the law of truth, charity and sweetness:
either, teachings, judgments, precepts, promises, charisms, or proclamations.
IV
13. Finally what is the benefit or efficacy is shown and made clear when the
verse states: Blessed is the one whom you will instruct and teach. It says blessed;
someone is blessed, according to Augustine, XIII De trinitate, cap. 5, “who has whatever
he wants and wants nothing evilly.” But Boethius, III De consolatione: “Beatitude is the
perfect state of all goods by being gathered together;” which is impossible except in some
single good, in which all are gathered together. Now this is the highest good; therefore to
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be blessed is nothing but to see the highest good, possess the highest good, to rejoice over
the highest good.
14. Therefore, in the first place someone is blessed who sees the highest good
transparently. In this condition, beatitude consists in obscure vision, Math. 13:16:
Blessed the eyes who see what you see. Te Apostle explains how it is seen in this way, I
Cor. 13:12: Now we see through a mirror and in an enigma, but then face to face.
Beatitude for this condition consists in unobstructed vision; which is signified in I Kings
10:8: Queen Sheba said to Solomon: Blessed your men and blessed your servants, those
who stand before you always and hear your wisdom. The blessed are said to stand
through the mental elevation, before God through unobstructed contemplation, but they
hear through the reception of illuminations and revelations. Tobit was longing for this
blessed vision, Tobit 13:20: Blessed will I be if their will remain of my seed to see
Jerusalem resplendent; that resplendence of which John speaks in Rev. 21:23: The city
needs neither the sun nor the moon, because the resplendence of God will illuminate it,
and its lamp is the Lamb.
15. Second someone is blessed who posses the highest good or holds it
perpetually, without fear of losing it. Hence Augustine defines beatitude, XII De civitate,
cap. 12: “Beatitude is that a man or woman can fully enjoy the unchangeable good which
is God without any difficulty, and that he will remain in him forever neither held back by
any doubt, nor deceived by any error.” For that reason in the Psalm it is said: Blessed
are they who dwell in your house, they will praise you forever and ever. To dwell is to
possess securely; hence Prov. 3:18 says about wisdom: The tree of life is for those who
will take hold of it, and happy the one who will hold it.
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16. Third, someone is blessed who in this and about this good rejoices joyfully.
Hence of the union of the blessed it is said in the Psalm (88:16): Blessed the people who
knows rejoicing. That people knows rejoicing who enjoys the highest good for delight,
Luke 14:15: Blessed the one who eats bread in the kingdom of God. The one who feeds
on bread in the kingdom of God, is the one who enjoys with delight the highest good,
which is the bread having in itself every delight and every sweetness of flavor, Wisdom
16:20.
17. So therefore it is clear in the proposed verse who is the fitting hearer of this
science, who is the principle master or doctor, what is the subject matter and what is the
benefit; also through this verse it is described both as to the suitability on the part of the
student, as to the authority on the part of the master, and as to the content on the part of
the subject matter and as to the efficacy on the part of the end. Therefore may the true
and highest master of this doctrine make us suitable hearers, and made so, instruct us
about his law, so that through observation of the law and study of sacred reading we may
deserve to come to the intended end, which is the reward of eternal beatitude. That he
might deem us worthy to present us, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit lives and
reigns forever and ever. Amen.