Chapter XI
THE MYSTICAL ARK
the exit itself. Let us be silent for now concerning those who live cheerfully and rest while they lie pleasantly in the inner parts of their tent—not to call it a palace. The two persons mentioned above are anxious concerning the coming of the Lord: both he who struggled in suspense for the coming of the Lord, while sitting in the doorway and enduring patiently the trouble of his warfare; and that one who labored almost impatiently in longing for the object of his expectation while standing in the doorway and waiting for the hour of his visitation. Do you wish to hear how unwillingly he lived who stood in the entrance of his cave? "O Lord take my soul from me, for I am no better than my fathers" (3 Kings 19:4). However,
I ask, why is it that he who stood thus in suspense in this place covered his face when he experienced the Lord passing by? Perhaps in the presence of the Lord he recognized more perfectly his own imperfection and was ashamed for his imperfection to be seen? You who feared to be seen nevertheless wished to see. O how many there are who already believe that they are prepared and yet tremble with fear at the very moment of His visitation where previously there was no fear. And they now fear to be making the going forth that previously they eagerly sought.
Chapter XI How, after much weariness oftheir longing, some are usually, others are not usually lifted up above themselves by visiting grace
Behold one who, standing, waits.
It is read that he neither went out the doorway nor ran to meet the Lord. Nevertheless, he looked out from the cave but with a covered face. He heard the voice of one passing by as He passed by. And he who already sighed for rest knew from the showing of the Lord what he now ought to do. However, at the coming of the Lord the other person springs forth from the tent and runs to meet the One who approaches with an uncovered face. He brings Him in, feeds Him, and receives the promise of the Lord according to the wish of his longing. He plies the Lord Sabaoth with questions and enters into that secret place of divine judgments when he receives foreknowl-
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
edge of future things. However, what does it mean that from his place Elijah pays attention to the Lord's passing by, except that from those things which take place round about us by divine providence, he understands accurately the government of divine ordering and the grace of its cooperation? While a strong wind is followed by an earthquake, earthquake by fire, and fire by a still small voice, the presence of the Lord passing by is perceived. So it is that while the mind often suddenly feels itself completely shaken by certain great and marvelous disturbances, at one time thrown down by great terror, at another time melted by great grief or disordered by shame, and again brought to great tranquillity and even security of soul, beyond hope and expectation, whether it wills it or not— it ponders the operation of visiting grace and recognizes very clearly that these things are brought about by divine power. We have God present and passing by, as it were, when we are not yet capable of cleaving for a long time to the contemplation of that light. To hear the voice of the Lord (or even the voice of His instrument) giving warning is to know from his inspiration what His good, pleasing, and perfect will is. But that one who goes out from a tent, as it were, running to meet the Lord who approaches, sees face to face after having gone out. So he who has been led outside of himself by ecstasy of mind contemplates the light of highest wisdom without any covering or shadow of figures and finally not by a mirror and in an enigma but in simple truth, so to speak. He draws the interior vision outward when by means of great reconsideration and vigorous examination he makes what he saw by ecstasy comprehensible and expressible to himself and now by proof of reason and now again by the application of similitudes he draws it forth for the understanding of all. But the bull-calf from which the Lord is fed is sacrificed when the mind of man, having been strengthened by these levels of advancement, cuts off by the good pleasure of his own will what earlier he willingly cherished and protected; when he puts limits on his own pursuits or uses, so that he can hope to cleave more perfectly to divine contemplation and to be more acceptable to divine mercy. We feed the iLord when by the sacrifices of our virtues and by the enlarged intention of a restricted life we nurture and increase the good pleasure of His charity in us: "Behold," He says, "I knock at the door; if anyone will open to me, I