Chapter XXV
St. Anselm The Devotions of Saint Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury AROUSE thyself, O my soul, and stir up thine understanding and consider so far as thou canst what and how great is this Good. For if particular good things are delightful, consider earnestly how delightful must be that Good which comprehendeth the pleasantness of all particular goods; and that in a pleasantness not such as we have known by experience in things created, but surpassing that no less than the Creator surpasseth the creature. For if the life that is created be good, how good must be the Life that createth! If health that is made be pleasant, how pleasant must be that Health that is the cause of all health! If the wisdom be desirable that consisteth in the knowledge of things created, how desirable must be the Wisdom that wrought all things of nothing. Lastly, if there be many great delights in things delightful, what manner of delight and how great must these be in Him who made those very things themselves that are so delightful.
CHAPTER XXV
O WHO shall enjoy this Good! And what shall he have, and what shall he lack? Surely whatsoever he wisheth he shall have and whatsoever he wisheth not, he shall be without. For there shall be goods of body and of soul, such as eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man47 to conceive. Why then, poor child of man, dost thou wander hither and thither, seeking the goods of thy soul and body? Love the one Good wherein are all goods, and it sufficeth thee. Set thy desires upon that uncompounded Good which is all good, and it is enough. For what dost thou love, O my flesh, what dost thou desire, O my soul? If beauty delight thee, the righteous shall shine forth as the sun48: if swiftness or strength or freedom of body which nothing may hinder, they are as the angels of God,49 because it is sown a natural body, it is raised a spiritual body,50
spiritual, that is, in powers, not in nature. If a long life of health, there is an eternity of health; for the righteous live for evermore51 and the health of the righteous cometh of the Lord.52 If abundance,
1 Cor. ii. 9.
Matt. xiii. 43.
Matt. xxii. 30.
1 Cor. xv. 44.
Wisdom v. 15.
Ps. xxxvii. 40. The Latin word salus may mean either health or salvation.
St. Anselm The Devotions of Saint Anselm Archbishop of Canterbury they shall be satisfied when the glory of God shall appear.53 If drunkenness, they shall be made drunken with the plenteousness of God's house.54 If melody, there shall the choirs of angels sing together unto God for ever and ever. If any pleasure, so it be but chaste, Thou shalt give them drink of Thy pleasures as out of the river.55 If wisdom, the very Wisdom of God shall manifest itself to them.56 If friendship, they shall love God above themselves and one an other as themselves57; and God shall love them more than they love themselves; for they shall love Him and one another in Him; and He shall love Himself and them in Himself. If concord, they shall all have one will, for they shall have no will but God's will only. If power, they shall be almighty to do their own wills, even as God to do His; for as God shall be able to do what He willeth through His own power, so shall they be able to do what they will through His power; since, as they will nothing else but what
He wills, so He shall will whatsoever they will; and whatsoever He willeth cannot but be. If honour and riches, God shall set His good and faithful servants over many things58; yea, they shall be called sons of God, and gods59; and where His Son shall be, there also they shall be,60 heirs of God and joint-heirs with Christ.61 If true security, certainly they shall be as sure that those goods, or rather that Good, shall never and in no wise fail them as they shall be sure that they will not lose it of their own free will, and that God their lover will not take it against their wills from them that love Him, and that nothing mightier than God will separate God and them against their wills.62 But what
manner of joy and how great a joy must there be, where there is such and so great a Good! O thou human heart, thou hungry heart, thou heart acquainted with sorrow, nay overwhelmed by sorrow, how wouldest thou rejoice if thou didst abound in all these goods! Look into thine heart and ask it
Ps. xvii. 16. (In the English Prayer-Book version When I awake up after thy likeness, I shall be satisfied with it, but in the Vulg. I shall be satisfied when thy glory shall appear).
Ps. xxxvi. 8 (acc. to the Vulg.).
Ps. xxxvi. 8.
Probably with reference to John xiv. 21.
See Matt. xxii. 37-40.
Matt. xxv. 23.
1 John iii. 1, 2. John x. 34, 35.
John xiv. 3.
Rom. viii. 17.
Rom. viii. 39.