Chapter LXIX
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
and messenger who alone remains with blessed Job in all of his punishment, who is eager to announce immediately the hurtful things perpetrated upon him because except by discretion the soul neither comprehends nor corrects the hurtful deeds of the virtues.
That boy does not know to die with the dying; discretion does not know how to fail through the loss of things or through the increase of temptations—rather it makes progress.
For the more we are pressed upon by painful temptations and the more we are exercised by frequent dangers, the more perfectly we are educated for discretion. Moreover, the losses of other virtues are often the profits of discretion. For Joseph knows to increase not only with those increasing, to make progress not only with those making progress, but truly to go from failure of the brothers to success and to acquire the profits of prudence from the losses of others. Such a son is deservedly named Joseph, since Joseph is interpreted "increase."
For this reason it is rightly said of him by his father: "Joseph is a growing son, a growing son and beautiful when seen" (Gen. 49:22).
And so, he is rightly called "increase," he is rightly called "growing son" who is always increasing, whose growth is not finished right up to the end.
Chapter LXIX How useful it is, and also how difficult , to conform perfectly to discretion The very dreams of Joseph bear witness to how great the excellence of this virtue is. The words of his father bear witness, where it is read: "But why shall your mother, your brothers, and I adore you on the earth?" (Gen. 37:10). Father, mother and brothers adore this Joseph since by either spontaneous will or the necessity of constraint they at one time or another conform to discretion inasmuch as the interior sun of the intellectual world, the eye of the heart— viz., the intention of the mind— is guided by discretion; keenness of reason is sharpened by discretion from which it arises; the whole fraternal union of virtues has bounds set by discretion; and any virtues that are not satisfied with his counsel or do not
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submit themselves to discretion himself quickly lose the name of virtue.
It is he who does not neglect the things neglected by his brothers; it is he who censures their excesses. When he is present they are not permitted to venture anything beyond their powers; when he is present they omit nothing by negligence. In his presence they are not permitted to turn aside to either the right or the left nor to act either sluggishly or precipitously nor to venture before the time or delay beyond the suitable time. For this reason there is that severe discord and almost implacable anger between him and the brothers, concerning which Scripture is not silent since it clearly reports that his brothers hate him and cannot say anything peaceable to him. For the admonitions of Joseph seem to them excessively severe, the instructions hard and the counsels unbearable.
For what is harder, what more difficult, than never to neglect what ought to be done and in all that one does never to disturb the manner, never to ruin order, and never to exceed proper measure?
Believe me, the soul demands nothing more difficult from itself than that it preserve proper measure in all its affection.
Indeed, often the brothers of Joseph, when attempting something great while "well done, well done" is shouted on every side, are accustomed to extend their hands not only to useless but also to impossible efforts.
Indeed, frequently affection of the soul is unbridled because of such shouting by flatterers, resulting in an immoderate audacity of presumption. Or rather, many times it is led by depraved intention of the mind to the crime of hypocrisy and is cast down. This is that crime, most evil and before others abominable because before all others it is hateful to God, of which Joseph accuses his brothers in the presence of their father, just as Scripture itself clearly declares when it says: "In the presence of the father,
Joseph accused his brothers of a most evil crime" (Gen.
37:2). The vice that God hates exceedingly is understood more rightly as none other than hypocrisy. Indeed, as Augustine bears witness, a pretended equity is not equity but a double inequity. This vice is uncovered by Joseph when ambushing evil is discovered and censured by discretion. At one time this vice ruins the sons; at another time the father corrects this vice. When in touching the affections he strikes too harshly and seizes for too long, however, he does not incline the soul to harmony.
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
Chapter LXX Concerning the manifold function of true discretion And so it pertains to Joseph to consider with foresight, to foresee cautiously, to seize skillfully, to reveal quickly, and to censure sharply not only this vice but any ambushing and hidden evil.
To the function of Joseph pertains the care and keeping of all his brothers; to it pertains the discipline of each one; to it, the arrangement of things to be done; to it, the foresight of future things.
It pertains to his function to give heed carefully and to discuss frequently how much progress the soul makes daily—or perhaps how much it fails—by what thoughts it is attacked more, by what affections it is more frequently touched. Joseph himself ought to know perfectly not only the vices of the heart but also the infirmities of the body according to which he requires that everyone seek health-giving remedies and apply what is found. He must know not only his vices but also the gifts of grace and the merits of virtues.
He must distinguish diligently and consider skillfully those things which are goods of nature and those things which are gifts of grace.
He ought to have at hand by what plan of temptations the evil spirit fights him; with what consolations of spiritual joys he abounds; how frequently the divine spirit visits him; how by it, although it is one, he is nevertheless not always touched in a uniform and similar manner, but he is filled now with the spirit of wisdom, now with the spirit of understanding, now with the spirit of counsel, or any other of its affections. And so that I may briefly conclude all, this Joseph of ours ought to know fully—insofar as it is possible—the total state and quality of the inner and outer person and to seek out skillfully and to investigate carefully not only what sort he is but also even what sort he ought to be.
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Chapter LXXI Concerning the two offspring ofreason, viz.
, grace ofdiscretion andgrace of contemplation By this Joseph the soul is continually instructed and at times is led to full knowledge of itself, just as by his uterine brother Benjamin it is at times lifted up to the contemplation of God. For just as we understand grace of discretion by Joseph, so we understand grace of contemplation by Benjamin. Both are born from this same mother because knowledge of God and of self are learned from reason. Benjamin is born long after Joseph because the soul that has not been practiced over a long time and educated fully in knowledge of self is not raised up to knowledge of God. In vain he raises the eye of the heart to see God when he is not yet prepared to see himself. Let a person first learn to know his own invisible things before he presumes that he is able to grasp at invisible divine things.
You must know the invisible things of your own spirit before you can be capable of knowing the invisible things of God.
If you are not able to know yourself, how do you have the boldness to grasp at those things which are above you?
Chapter LXXII How the soul is lifted up to contemplation ofGod by means offull knowledge of self The rational soul discovers without doubt that it is the foremost and principal mirror for seeing God. For if the invisible things of God are seen, being understood by the intellect by means of those things which have been made (cf. Rom.
1:20), where, I ask, have the traces of knowledge been found more clearly imprinted than in His image? We read and we believe that regarding the soul, humans have been made in the likeness of God (cf. Gen.
1:26) and therefore as long as we walk by faith and not by sight (cf.
2 Cor.
5:7), as long as we still see by a mirror and in an enigma (cf.
1 Cor.
13:12), we cannot fmd, as I have said, a mirror more apt for imagi-
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
native vision of Him than the rational spirit. Whoever thirsts to see his God— let him wipe his mirror, let him cleanse his spirit. And so the true Joseph does not cease to hold, wipe and gaze into this mirror incessantly: to hold it so that it does not adhere to the earth, after it has fallen down by means of love; to wipe it so that it does not become dirty from the dust of useless thoughts; to gaze into it so that the eye of his intention does not turn toward empty pursuits.
When the mirror has been wiped and gazed into for a long time, a kind of splendor of divine light begins to shine in it and a great beam of unexpected vision appears to his eyes. This light illumined the eyes of him who said: "The light of your face has been sealed upon us, Lord; you have put joy in my heart" (Ps. 4:7). Therefore, from the vision of this light that it wonders at within itself, the soul is kindled from above in a marvelous way and is animated to see the living light that is above it.
I say, from this vision the soul conceives the flame of longing for the sight of God, and it lays hold of a pledge. And so the mind that now burns with longing for this vision should know that if it already hopes for what it longs for, it already has conceived Benjamin himself. By hoping the mind conceives; by longing it goes into labor; and the more longing increases, the closer it comes to giving birth.
Chapter LXXIII How arduous and difficult it is to acquire the grace of contemplation
But nevertheless we know (for we have learned this, as Scripture teaches): "Because the hope that is delayed afflicts the soul"
(Prov.
13:12). For nothing so affects the soul in the same manner as impatient longing. What is sought more beneficially than the sweetness of this vision? What is sensed more pleasantly? What does the soul experience more joyfully? Rachel knows this, for it is impossible for reason not to know this since every other sweetness is bitter when compared to this pleasure. This is the reason that she is able neither to relax her effort nor to temper her longing. For this reason she has so much anxiety at giving birth and such immensity of grief. And for what reason do you think there is such greatness of
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grief except from endless effort and impatient longing? Daily it increases: labor from desire, and grief from labor.
It is increased continually: longing from effort and effort from longing. Nevertheless, Rachel knows that this matter is beyond her powers, and yet she is able to temper neither her effort nor her longing. For indeed, the mind by its own activity can never attain to such grace. This gift is from God; it is not a reward to man. But without doubt no person receives such and so much grace without a mighty effort and burning longing. Rachel knew this, and for that reason she multiplies effort and more passionately inflames her desire with daily increases. Indeed, in such anxiety of daily exertion, in such immensity of grief Benjamin is born and Rachel dies, because when the human mind is carried above itself it passes beyond all narrowness of human reasoning. All human reason succumbs to that which the mind catches sight of from the light of divinity when it has been raised above itself and snatched up in ecstasy. For what is the death of Rachel, except the failure of reason?
Chapter LXXIV Concerning that kind of contemplation which is above reason And so when Benjamin is born, Rachel dies, because the mind, having been carried away to contemplation, experiences how great the failure of human reason is. Did not Rachel die and did not the sense of all human reason fail in the Apostle when he said:
"Whether in the body or outside the body, I do not know; God knows"
(2 Cor.
12:2)? Therefore, let no person suppose that he is able to penetrate to the splendor of that divine light by argumentation; let no person believe that he is able to comprehend it by human reasoning. For if it were possible to approach that divine light by some argument or other then it would not be inaccessible.
And thereupon the Apostle indeed boasts not that he went to that but that without doubt he was snatched up: "I know," he says, "a man, whether in the body or outside the body I do not know; God knows; such a one was snatched up to the third heaven"
(2 Cor.
12:2). But what is this third heaven? That difference which is be-