Collation 2

COLLATION II.


On the gift of the fear of the Lord.

Summary. - Introduction and recapitulation, 1. - Two effects of the seven gifts: they expel the seven sins and introduce the seven virtues, 2. 3. - They are sought in the Lord's Prayer, 4. 5. - An invitation to the gift of fear: three things to be considered concerning it, 6. - Part I. On the origin of the fear of the Lord. It arises from a threefold consideration: first, the sublimity of God's power, 7.

Second, the perspicacity of divine wisdom, 8. - Third, the severity of divine vengeance. There are seven judgments of God, 9-12.

On these three united, 13.

Part II. On the usefulness of the same. It avails for three things, 14. - First, for obtaining the influx of grace, 15. - Second, for introducing the rectitude of justice, 16. - Third, for obtaining the illumination of wisdom, 17. - On these three united, 18. - Part III. On the perfection of the same. This consists in three things: first, in the perfect sanctification of conscience, 19. - Second, in the perfect promptitude of obedience, 20. - Third, in the perfect firmness of confidence, 21.

1. Come, children, hear me: I will teach you the fear of the Lord.

Listen in silence, and for your reverence good grace will come to you. The latter word is written in Ecclesiasticus, in which the Wise Man exhorts the good hearer to listen silently and with reverence to the word of God; for silence and reverence are not unprofitable to him, because through these good grace will come to him. What is good grace? Are there perhaps bad graces? Good is the grace that makes a man good; but grace is deceitful and beauty is vain, as is said in Proverbs. Grace freely given can coexist with mortal sin. This grace Ecclesiasticus regards as of little account, but the grace that makes one pleasing he highly esteems.

I have described this grace to you in a threefold manner, namely as to the origin of grace, as to the use of grace, and as to the fruit of grace. As to the origin of grace I said that grace is nothing other than an excellent gift and a perfect endowment, descending from the Father of lights through the Word incarnate, through the Word crucified, and through the Word inspired. And I said that that Word leads us back to the highest principle: and Dionysius notes this in treating the word: Every excellent gift etc., and he adds and says: "But also every procession of manifestations, set in motion by the Father, coming forth to us abundantly and beneficently as a unifying power, fills us and converts us back to the Father of lights."

As to the use of grace I said that the use of grace ought to be faithful, manly, and generous: therefore the grace that makes one pleasing is a perfect gift, by which we make good use of it and of other things. And the use of grace ought to be such that a man uses grace well: faithfully with respect to God, manfully with respect to himself, and generously with respect to his neighbor.

Third, as to the fruit of grace I said that grace heals from fault, strengthens in virtue, and consummates in glory.

And from this the following description of grace is given: that grace is the best endowment and the perfect gift, descending from the Father of lights, healing from evil, strengthening in good, and consummating in glory.

Healing grace is given in the seven Sacraments, is guarded in the seven exercises of justice, and is perfected in the seven works of mercy. Strengthening grace consists in the sevenfold habits of the virtues and in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Consummating grace consists in the seven beatitudes and in the seven endowments.

These are the seven groups of seven, which are numbered in the jubilee year. Concerning this multitude we have said that we cannot speak except about one group of seven, namely the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Let us beseech the Lord, etc.

2. The Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and piety, and the spirit of the fear of the Lord shall fill him . Concerning these spirits I wish you to understand that John in the Apocalypse saw in the midst of the throne and of the four living creatures a Lamb having seven horns and seven eyes, which are the seven spirits of God sent into all the earth. John sets forth a visionary image and expresses the truth.

He calls the gifts of the Holy Spirit horns and eyes. And why? You must understand that there is a certain efficacy of the gifts of the Holy Spirit by which all evils are combated; there is another efficacy of the gifts by which a person is equipped for all good things. And because strength resides in horns, therefore the gifts by which evils are combated he calls horns. And because the power of readiness resides in the eyes, therefore the gifts by which a person is equipped for all good things he calls eyes. - There are seven sins which are combated by the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. The first is the sin of pride, the second sin is envy, the third wrath, the fourth sloth, the fifth avarice, the sixth is gluttony, and the seventh is lust.

3. These vices are expelled by the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, and seven virtues are introduced, which Christ taught when he set forth the foundations of salvation on the mountain. The first virtue is voluntary poverty, concerning which it says in the Gospel: Blessed are the poor in spirit. The second is meekness or gentleness, concerning which it says in the Gospel: Blessed are the meek, etc. The third is mourning, concerning which it says in the Gospel: Blessed are those who mourn. The fourth is hunger for justice, concerning which it says in the Gospel: Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for justice. The fifth is mercy, concerning which it says in the Gospel: Blessed are the merciful. The sixth virtue is purity of heart, concerning which it says in the Gospel: Blessed are the pure of heart. And the seventh is peace, concerning which it says in the Gospel: Blessed are the peacemakers.

Through these seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, designated by the seven horns, the seven mortal sins are destroyed, and seven virtues are introduced. The gift of fear destroys pride and brings about the good of poverty; the gift of piety destroys envy and introduces meekness or gentleness of spirit; the gift of knowledge destroys wrath and introduces the gift of mourning — nothing is so contrary to wrath as serenity of mind — the gift of fortitude destroys sloth and introduces hunger for justice; the gift of counsel destroys avarice and introduces mercy; the gift of understanding destroys gluttony and introduces purity of heart; the gift of wisdom destroys lust and introduces peace.

Whence through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit all evils are destroyed, and all goods are introduced.

4. These seven gifts of the Holy Spirit are touched upon in the Lord's Prayer. These gifts are had only from the Father of lights; therefore Christ, wishing to teach us how we can obtain them, teaches us to ask for them in the Lord's Prayer. In the first part the gift of fear is sought, when he says: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. Second, piety is sought, when he says: Thy kingdom come. Third, the gift of knowledge is sought, when he says: Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Fourth, the gift of fortitude is sought, when he says: Give us this day our daily bread. Bread strengthens the heart of man. Fifth, the gift of counsel is sought, when he says: And forgive us our debts, as we also forgive our debtors. Sixth, the gift of understanding is sought, when he says: And lead us not into temptation. Seventh, the gift of wisdom is sought, when he says: But deliver us from evil. Amen.

5. In the first, our sanctification is sought, and this through the gift of fear, when he says: Our Father, who art in heaven; hallowed be thy name. Isaiah: Sanctify the Lord of hosts, and let him be your dread and your fear. In the second, the consummation of human salvation is sought, which is not obtained except through the gift of piety: judgment without mercy shall be done to him who has not shown mercy. This gift is touched upon when he says: Thy kingdom come. In the third part, the fulfillment of the divine law is sought through the gift of knowledge, which teaches to do good and to avoid evil. This gift is touched upon when he says: Thy will be done, etc. In the fourth part, the refreshment of eternal strength is sought, and this through the gift of strength or fortitude, when he says: Give us this day our daily bread. Bread strengthens the heart of man. In the fifth, the remission of sin is sought through the gift of counsel, when he says: And forgive us our debts, as, etc. In the sixth petition, the repulsion of hostile fraud is sought through the gift of understanding, when he says: And lead us not into temptation. In the seventh petition, the subjugation of carnal concupiscence is sought through the gift of wisdom, when he says: But deliver us from evil. Amen. It is impossible for the soul to tame its flesh unless it is filled with the gift of wisdom. To speak of these things would be lengthy.

6. Come, children, etc. These words are of the Prophet David, in which he invites the children of the grace of God and the children of adoption to learn this lesson: and he invites not only the little ones, but also the advanced and the aged and the decrepit. This is a lesson that ought to be taught in youth and never abandoned. Whence in Ecclesiasticus: Keep the fear of the Lord and grow old therein. And in Tobias it is said that Tobias begot a son, whom from his infancy he taught to fear God. This lesson, therefore, is for all. It is true that Sacred Scripture speaks of the fear of the Lord; and the fear of the Lord is handed down in Sacred Scripture. The preacher does as a man who is in a meadow and gathers flowers: he cannot gather them all, but he gathers some and makes from them a garland. It is said in Ecclesiasticus: The crown of wisdom is to fear the Lord. I wish to make for you a garland from the flowers that I have gathered, which for the present I wish to set before you. It seems to me that the fear of the Lord is a most beautiful tree planted in the heart of the holy man, which God waters continually: and when the tree is brought to perfection, then the man is worthy of eternal glory. I wish to describe for you the root of this tree and its branching together with its fruit. — Three things to be considered here I wish to tell you, so that together with you I may learn to fear God. I wish to describe for you what is the origin of divine fear, what its usefulness, and what its perfection.

And what is the root of the fear of the Lord? For it is necessary to go to the original principle, so that we may know by what way the fear of God arises in us. Now the fear of God arises in us first from the consideration of the sublimity of divine power, second, from the consideration of the perspicacity of divine wisdom, third, from the consideration of the severity of divine vengeance.

7. First, I say, the fear of God arises in us from the consideration of divine power. Whence in Jeremiah: There is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might: who would not fear thee, O king of nations ? For thine is the glory: among all the wise men of the nations and in all their kingdoms, who is like unto thee? He sets forth first the magnitude of divine power, when he says: There is none like unto thee, O Lord, etc.; whence in the book of Wisdom: As a drop of morning dew, so is the whole world before thee. Therefore who would not fear thee, unless he be impious and foolish? Wherefore it is also said in Malachi: The son honoreth the father and the servant his master: if then I be a father, where is my honor? And if I be a master, where is my fear? If a man is impious, he is in need of punishment; if he is foolish, he is in need of understanding. That it is the height of folly not to fear, the Lord says in Jeremiah: Hear, he says, O foolish people, who have no heart: who having eyes, see not, and ears, and hear not. Will you then not fear me, and will you not be grieved at my presence? I who have set the sand as the boundary of the sea, an everlasting decree, which it shall not pass beyond. Do you not fear me?

I say therefore that the fear arises in us first from the consideration of divine power.

8. Second, the fear of the Lord arises in us from the consideration of the perspicacity of divine wisdom. Whence Job: For he alone is, and no one can turn away his thoughts. And therefore I am troubled at his presence, and when I consider him, I am made fearful with dread.

He alone is, that is, from himself alone he has being, and all other things are from him. And just as all things flow from the first being, so God is the cause of all things. Therefore, if God is the cause of all things, there is no creature that is not naked in his eyes, because he himself sees and beholds the thoughts of men. Therefore Job, in the person of a man considering the divine wisdom that weighs all things, says: Considering him, I am troubled with fear. Whence, on that verse of the Psalm: He who looks upon the earth and makes it tremble, etc., the Gloss says: "Then God looks upon the earth and makes it tremble, when he illumines the earthly man by the regard of his grace and converts him to his original principle, through which all things are begun and governed. And then man trembles." - Therefore man ought greatly to consider what he thinks, what he speaks, and what he does, because God sees all things. Whence Boethius in the book On the Consolation says: "A great necessity of uprightness is imposed upon you, if you are unwilling to dissemble, since you do all things in the sight of a judge who discerns all things." And in Esther it is said: I saw you, Lord, as an Angel of God, and my heart was troubled by fear of your glory; for you are exceedingly wonderful, Lord, and your face is full of graces. - I saw you, Lord, as an Angel of God. An Angel sees and surveys all things, approves the good and rejects the evil; likewise, an Angel loves the good and hates the evil.

9. The third origin of the fear of the Lord is from the consideration of the severity of divine vengeance. Whence in Habakkuk: Lord, I have heard your report and was afraid. I heard, and my belly was troubled; at the voice my lips trembled. Let rottenness enter into my bones and swarm beneath me, that I may rest in the day of tribulation. He says: I have heard your report and was afraid, namely, that report when it shall be said: Depart, you cursed, into eternal fire. He says: Let rottenness enter into my bones, and let it swarm beneath me, that I may rest in the day of tribulation. Not only in the day of tribulation or severity of the last judgment, but of any other judgment whatsoever, because the judgments of God are many. Whence the Psalm: Pierce my flesh with your fear, for I have feared your judgments.

10. For there are seven judgments of God: six are in the present life, and the seventh is at death, and that one shall be doubled.

The first judgment of God is that of binding; the second judgment is that of blinding; the third judgment of God is that of obstinacy; the fourth judgment of God is that of abandonment; the fifth is that of scattering; the sixth is that of despair, and the seventh is that of condemnation.

The first, I say, judgment of God is that of binding, because the sinner, when he sins, is despoiled of gratuitous gifts and wounded in his natural endowments. And thus the sinner is bound by two chains, namely a proneness to evil and a difficulty toward good. By these two chains the sinner is bound into the hands of the devil, just as Peter was bound into the hands of Herod.

After this judgment follows another judgment, namely the judgment of blinding, which is figured in the book of Judges, where it is said that the Philistines, when they had captured Samson, gouged out his eyes and made him grind at the mill. For from sin man has darkness in his mind, such that he considers nothing to be sin; he thinks light to be darkness and darkness to be light, because his spiritual eyes have been blinded.

11. The third judgment of God is the judgment of obstinacy, namely when the heart of man can be softened neither by promises nor by threats nor by scourges nor by torments. Of such a one it is said: His heart shall be hardened as a stone. The wife of Lot was turned into stone. I would rather that my heart were turned into stone than that it should be so hardened.

The fourth judgment of God is the judgment of abandonment, namely when God abandons man and exposes him to every temptation and sin. The Psalm: When my strength shall fail, do not forsake me, O Lord. Depart not from me. It is a great peril when a father exposes his son in the midst of wolves.

The fifth judgment of God is the judgment of dissipation, when all things that a man does are ruined. He speaks nothing rightly, he does nothing prosperous, nothing ordered; nay, all that he does is wicked.

12. The sixth judgment of God is the judgment of despair, namely when the Lord takes away hope from man, and man believes himself to be deprived of eternal glory. Of such it is said: Despairing, they gave themselves over to lasciviousness, unto the working of all uncleanness, unto covetousness. This is the most terrible judgment. Into this judgment Judas fell; and this judgment is the greatest, such that in the present life no greater can be given.

The seventh judgment is in death, namely the judgment of condemnation. When a man dies in mortal sin, he is separated perpetually from eternal glory, and his soul is condemned to eternal fire until the end of the world, and then he will be punished also in body. Whence the Apostle says: The expectation of judgment is terrible. This judgment Habakkuk feared, but all the judgments of God David feared; whence he said: For I have feared because of thy judgments.

13. Gather together, then, these three considerations, namely the consideration of the sublimity of divine power, the consideration of the perspicacity of divine wisdom, and the consideration of the severity of divine vengeance. And who will there be who will not fear? Whence Job says: I always feared God as though waves were swelling over me, and I could not bear his weight. If you were in a small ship, when waves were surging over the ship from every side, you could not flee, because the waves would be on every side; you could not hide, because you could not conceal yourself, as a man hides himself against lightning; you could not even resist, because you would have nothing that you could set against the wave. Gather these three together; if it were so for you, you would fear greatly. And Job says: I always feared God as though waves were swelling over me. And why? I cannot flee on account of the sublimity of divine power, because if I ascend into heaven, thou art there; if I descend into hell, thou art present; if I take my wings at dawn and dwell in the uttermost parts of the sea, even there thy hand shall lead me, and thy right hand shall hold me. Likewise, I cannot hide on account of the perspicacity of divine wisdom, because God sees all things. Likewise, I cannot resist on account of the severity of divine vengeance, because he who sins is punished by eternal judgment. Whence in the Gospel: Do not fear those who kill the body and after this have nothing more that they can do; but I will show you whom you should fear: fear him who, after he has killed, has power to cast into gehenna. It is necessary, therefore, that we fear God. I would prefer to be in the greatest punishment of this world for seven thousand years than to endure the least eternal punishment. The Apostle: It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God, because God afflicts for eternity. — Behold, the origin of the fear of God. Consider the sublimity of divine power, the perspicacity of divine wisdom, and the severity of divine vengeance, that you may fear God.

14. But what usefulness is there in fearing God? Tobias says: Do not fear, my son; we lead indeed a poor life, but we shall have many good things if we fear God. The fear of God avails for three things, namely for obtaining the inflowing of divine grace, for introducing the rectitude of divine justice, and for obtaining the illumination of divine wisdom. In these three all good things are comprehended.

15. The first benefit of the fear of God, I say, is that the fear of God avails for obtaining the influx of divine grace. Whence Isaiah: To whom shall I look, except to the poor and contrite of spirit and the one trembling at my words? However powerful, rich, learned, and strong a man may be, unless he fears God, nothing avails him. Whence the Psalm: He shall not take pleasure in the strength of the horse, nor shall he be well pleased with the legs of a man: the Lord is well pleased with those who fear him, and with those who hope in his mercy; and the Apostle to the Philippians: Work out your salvation with fear and trembling. For it is God who works in you both to will and to accomplish according to his good will. We cannot have the grace of God except through the fear of God, because the mercy of the Lord is from eternity and unto eternity upon those who fear him. No one receives the grace of God unless he fears God. Bernard says: "In truth I have learned that nothing is equally efficacious for meriting, preserving, and multiplying the grace of God as if at all times you are found before God not to be wise in lofty things, but to fear. Fear, therefore, when grace has smiled upon you: fear, when it has departed: fear, when it returns again." He who does not have grace ought to fear greatly for himself; likewise, if the Lord restores to a man the grace he had lost, he ought to fear greatly for himself, lest he lose it and become ungrateful, and the last state of that man becomes worse than the first.

The fear of God therefore avails for obtaining the influx of divine grace.

16. Second, the fear of God avails for introducing the rectitude of divine justice. Whence Ecclesiasticus: The fear of the Lord drives out sin. For he who is without fear cannot be justified. Injustice does not enter the soul except through sin: but the first justification of the soul is that it be subject to the divine majesty. Once this fear is destroyed, it is necessary that what follows be destroyed. On account of this it is said in Ecclesiasticus: Son, coming to the service of God, stand in justice and fear, and prepare your soul for temptation; and Ecclesiasticus says: If you do not hold yourself steadfastly in the fear of the Lord, your house will quickly be overturned. Consider David, who says: Serve the Lord in fear, and rejoice in him with trembling.

17. Third, the fear of God avails for obtaining the illumination of divine wisdom, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. For the fear of the Lord is the extrinsic principle of wisdom and the intrinsic principle and the complement of wisdom; because there is servile fear, and this is the initiator of wisdom, because, just as the needle introduces the thread and does not remain with the thread, so servile fear introduces wisdom and does not remain with wisdom. Another is the fear of punishment and of offending God; and this is the intrinsic beginning of wisdom and the root of wisdom. The third is the fear of filial reverence: and this is the complement of wisdom, because the fullness of wisdom is to fear God.

18. Fear produces these three things in us, because the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom, and the root of wisdom is to fear God, and the fullness of wisdom is to fear God: Job: Behold, the fear of the Lord, that itself is wisdom. He who does not fear God knows nothing. And because the fear of the Lord avails for these three things, namely for obtaining the influx of divine wisdom, for introducing the rectitude of divine justice, and for attaining the illumination of divine wisdom; therefore Ecclesiasticus says: The fear of the Lord is like a paradise of blessing. And Solomon in Proverbs: The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, that they may turn aside from the ruin of death: Jeremiah: Know and see that it is evil and bitter that you have forsaken the Lord your God, and that the fear of me is not in you. If you do not fear God, you have lost grace, you have lost justice, and you have lost true wisdom. See therefore how evil and bitter it is that you have forsaken the Lord your God. Where there is no fear, there is neither wisdom nor justice nor grace. Psalm: Their throat is an open sepulchre, the poison of asps is under their lips, with their tongues they acted deceitfully, their feet are swift to shed blood: whose mouth is full of cursing and bitterness, destruction and unhappiness are in their ways etc.; there is no fear of God before their eyes. When a man does not have the fear of God, then his sense is turned to malice and goes forth like the poison of asps. Whence he says: Their throat is an open sepulchre, the poison of asps is under their tongue. There follows iniquity in deed: whence he says: With their tongues they acted deceitfully, their feet are swift to shed blood. When a man is disordered in affection with respect to thought, in speech with respect to utterance, and in deed with respect to effect; then he has nothing good. Whence he says: Their feet are swift to shed blood. Destruction and unhappiness are in their ways, and the way of peace they have not known, namely the way of the grace of the Holy Spirit. And why? Because there is no fear of God before their eyes.

Let us make a demonstration by reduction to the impossible. If you wish to strive to have grace, justice, and wisdom, and these cannot be had without fear: therefore the fear of God is necessary for you. Likewise, where there is no fear, there is foolishness, malice, and iniquity, destruction and unhappiness: but these are to be fled as the worst things: therefore etc. — Having considered therefore the origin and utility of the fear of the Lord, you ought to strive to have the fear of God.

19. The third particle of the fear of the Lord concerns the perfection of the fear of God. The perfection of the fear of God consists in three things, namely in perfect sanctification and cleansing of conscience, in perfect promptitude of obedience, and in perfect firmness of confidence. - First, I say, the perfection of the fear of God consists in perfect sanctification or cleansing of conscience. Hence the Apostle to the Corinthians: Let us cleanse ourselves from all defilement of flesh and spirit, perfecting sanctification in the fear of God. And how shall we perfect sanctification? It is said in Ecclesiasticus: Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, and in his sight will sanctify their souls, saying: if we do not do penance, we shall fall into the hands of the Lord and not into the hands of men. The Apostle to the Romans: Do you not know that the kindness of God leads you to repentance? But according to your hardness and impenitent heart, you treasure up for yourself wrath on the day of wrath and of the revelation of the just judgment of God.

Those who fear the Lord will prepare their hearts, that is, they will abstain and cease from sins. Let us therefore approach the cleansing of conscience. It is a wonder how a man can remain in mortal sin. When a man enters his dwelling, he enters a tomb. I do not believe that a man enters his dwelling unless he hopes that, should he die, God will have mercy on his soul. I have seen of spiritual men that when they had a slight venial sin, they could scarcely sleep. If I had a lion bound with me, how could I sleep? The enemy holds you bound if you are in mortal sin. Rise therefore and sanctify your soul. Do not halve your confession, but confess most perfectly and most completely. Let the fear of the Lord lead you to this.

20. Another particle of the perfection of the fear of the Lord consists in perfect promptitude of obedience. Hence in the book of Chronicles: Let the fear of the Lord be with you, and do all things with diligence: as if to say: do not be sluggish or negligent, because it is written in Ecclesiastes: He who fears God neglects nothing. If I believed that a thief was going to enter my chamber and carry off my treasure, I would not leave the window open. You must always fear God, because he who keeps the whole law but offends in one point has become guilty of all. And in Deuteronomy it is said: And now, Israel, what does the Lord your God ask of you, except that you fear him and keep all his commandments and walk in his ways? And Solomon says: Fear God and observe his commandments: this is the whole man, that is, the perfect man. Therefore if you wish to be perfect, fear God.

21. The third part of the perfection of the fear of the Lord consists in the perfect firmness of confidence: because the fear of the Lord is a tower of firmness and confidence, because it renders a person secure from every other fear. Psalm: His truth shall encompass you with a shield; you shall not fear the terror of the night, nor the arrow that flies by day, nor the pestilence that walks in darkness, nor the assault and the noonday devil. And in Proverbs: The fear of the Lord is a tower of strength. He who does not fear God must fear everywhere; and he who truly fears God has what no one can take from him. But he who fears something other than God has what ought to be taken from him. He who fears God cannot lose God. It is not so with money. If a man has money, he fears lest he lose it, and yet he is certain that he will lose it. But he who fears God is secure everywhere. How great is the multitude of your sweetness, O Lord, which you have hidden for those who fear you; there follows: You have perfected it for those who hope in you. Therefore the fear of God ought to be perfect, because it shall be well with those who fear God, because they shall come to the blessing of glory, to which may he who with the Father, etc., lead us.