Chapter XXI
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
Chapter XXI That a multitude of divine showings always accompanies the frequent use of the three last kinds of speculation We also ought neither to neglect nor to pass over without careful consideration that which is promised by the voice of the Lord when it said to Moses: "I will speak to you from above the propitiatory," that is "from between the two cherubim" (Exod.
25:22). Think how great and what sort of a thing it is to consider God at any hour when there may be a need and in any sort of necessity to seek and receive divine counsel when it may be necessary.
If you do this, then you will be able to notice how necessary and beneficial it is to possess these last three modes of speculation familiarly. "Whence I will speak to you." From what place, I ask, or whence? "From above the propitiatory and from between the two cherubim." Therefore, if he wishes to possess the divine oracle familiarly, let a man ascend to a high heart and by means of the mind's going above that aforementioned propitiatory, let him take a place between the two cherubim so that by means of the third kind of contemplation he may ascend to the fifth and sixth. After the mind has been elevated above the propitiatory it is turned toward the place between the two cherubim when the contemplative soul, going beyond not only the corporeal but even the spiritual creation by means of a sublime consideration, is suspended in wonder at the supreme Unity and Trinity. We are raised up, as it were, above the propitiatory to the mirror of this wonder when from investigation of the rational creature and consideration of the divine image we are advanced higher toward recognition of Divinity. We run to and fro in the middle, between the propitiatory and the two cherubim as it were, when from the mutual combination of the three last speculations we progress more fully toward the perfection of each speculation. And so we ought gladly to run to and fro between these three kinds of manifestations and by means of the mirror and image of the supreme Trinity and Unity to penetrate more deeply into the speculation of the glory of the same Trinity and Unity.
If we willingly reconsider and frequently draw into consideration and admiration that which we have recognized concerning the worth of
THE MYSTICAL ARK
the rational creature and the worth and splendor of the Creator, then we shall be worthy to recognize from divine showings those things concerning the same kinds of manifestations which we were unable to understand previously. This is what is promised to you when it is said: "Whence I will speak to you." Therefore, think how beneficial it is to reconsider often the mysteries of our faith and to have them frequently in memory, since from such effort we shall be able to obtain a multitude of divine showings. Therefore if we can neither see by ecstasy of mind nor comprehend by means of pure and clear understanding those things which we believe concerning the Trinity of persons and the Unity of substance in God, nevertheless, insofar as it is possible for us, let us draw into frequent consideration those things which we receive from the Catholic tradition and hold by faith. The result of this will be that from such effort we can deserve an abundance of divine showings. For indeed,
I think that the consolation of divine showings will not be completely foreign to those who both often and willingly behold by the eye of faith the hidden secrets of divine mysteries. How much more familiar will the consolation be expecially to those who, contemplating these things continually by the eye of understanding and seeing them often by means of ecstasy of mind, are not able to satisfy their longing? Therefore, whoever carries out the function of Moses; whoever accepts the pastoral office; upon whom it finally rests according to the Lord's command to lead the people of the Lord out of the house of bondage, through the wilderness and into the promised land— this person certainly ought to move about by means of free flight everywhere among those three kinds of contemplation which have been previously mentioned. This he should do so that he may always be found more worthy, who ought to be instructed worthily from the oracle of the Lord and made certain above any uncertainty as often as may be necessary concerning both his ignorance and the ignorance of his people. Therefore, if you desire to recognize from divine inspiration what is the good and perfect will of God, you must always be ready and disposed toward these last three kinds of manifestations. By the merits of this exercise perhaps you will be worthy to test the truth of that promise: "Whence I will speak to you."
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
Chapter XXH That in every kind ofcontemplation it happens that a contemplative person may enter into ecstasy of mind Although it is usual and seems proper in the two last kinds of contemplations to see by means of ecstasy of mind, however, on the contrary in the first four kinds it is a common thing and almost ordinary to rise up into contemplation without any alienation of the soul.
Nevertheless every kind of contemplation can and usually does happen in both modes. Among those things which are subject to the first kinds of contemplation we are able to learn some things from divine showing and also to perceive them with the eye of contemplation by means of ecstasy of mind. Again, we are accustomed, as we have knowledge and the ability, to draw those things which pertain to the two last kinds of contemplation into consideration according to the ordinary state of the soul and to see them also by means of contemplation. But since those things which pertain to the last two always go beyond the discernment of the human mind, when the mind draws them into consideration according to the state of soul usual for all, or, on the contrary, when the human mind itself goes beyond itself and passes into alienation in order to perceive something more penetratingly and more clearly in these things, it is necessary to express this very thing mystically and suitably in an angelic form rather than a human representation.
However, we know from the mystical example of Moses that all these kinds of contemplation can be perceived by means of ecstasy.
But on the other hand we know from the work of Bezeleel considered as a typological foreshadowing that they can be drawn into contemplation without any ecstasy of mind.
In order that Moses might be able to see the ark and both cherubim from a divine showing, he ascended the mountain and entered into the cloud.
However, in order that Bezeleel might look at and labor on that mystical work, it is read that he had to seek out and approach neither a mountain nor a cloud. What does it mean to approach a mountain except to rise up to a high heart according to the prophetic statement? But then a cloud covers a mountain of this sort when the memory of everything exterior is forgotten by the mind. Moses
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remains on this mountain for six days; on the seventh day from the middle of the cloud he is called to a conversation with the Lord. As has been noted, we are occupied with our works for six days; on the seventh day, we rest. Therefore, we spend six days, as it were, on this mountain, when with much labor and great activity of soul we accustom ourselves to remain longer in such a state of sublimity.
However, one comes to the seventh day, as it were, when so much lifting up of the mind is changed into pleasure for the mind and is approached without any labor at all. The soul now arrives at the seventh day, as it were, when in that state of sublimity it is finally at some time composed in supreme tranquillity so that it lays aside not only all care and anxiety but almost goes beyond the entire limit of the human ability to suffer. When the Lord calls, the soul is admitted to a conversation with the Lord when on account of divine inspiration and showing it is admitted into that abyss of divine judgments. Moses enters into the middle of the cloud when the human mind, having been engrossed by the boundlessness of divine light, is put into a state of sleep with supreme forgetfulness of self.
So you can marvel, and you ought justly to marvel, how there the cloud harmonizes with the fire, and the fire with the cloud: the cloud of ignorance with the fire of illuminated understanding; ignorance and forgetting of things known and experienced with the showing and understanding of things previously unknown and unexperienced up to that point. For at one and the same time human understanding is illumined with respect to divine things and darkened with respect to human things.
This peace, darkening and illumining of the uplifted soul are summed up by the Psalmist in a few words when he says: "In peace, in the same,
I will sleep and I will rest" (Ps. 4:9). In truth, the soul finds peace when, after it has been led above itself, it in no way feels the vexation of the human ability to suffer. It sleeps in this peace when, after it has been lulled to sleep in supreme tranquillity, whatever it has been accustomed to think about when not intoxicated now comes to it with forgetfulness.
For he who sleeps does not know those things which are around him— indeed he does not even know himself. Therefore alienation of mind is rightly expressed by "sleep." By alienation the mind is absent from usual places and while occupied by sleep, as it were, it goes away from human things for contemplation of divine
RICHARD OF ST. VICTOR
things. And then it falls asleep "in the same" when by means of contemplation and wonder it rests in Him to whom it is one and the same thing to be everything that is, and who alone can truly say, "I am who I am" (Exod.
3:14). Therefore, what Moses indicates by the seventh day, David more openly calls it "peace." And what for the former is "to enter the middle of a cloud," this is for the latter, "to fall asleep." And what one says by "he rests in the same," this is what the other says by "he goes up and remains with the Lord."
And so according to the similitude of Moses, as it were, after ascending to the summit of the mountain, he enters into the midst of the cloud, and at that time he sees and contemplates the aforementioned ark and cherubim by means of a showing from the Lord, when after having been snatched away into sublime things by raising up and alienation of mind, the soul is advanced on account of divine inspiration to those six kinds of contemplations which we have already described. It was said to Moses: "See that you make all things just as they have been shown to you on the mountain"
(Exod. 25:40). If all things were shown to him on the mountain by the Lord, therefore he was shown not only the cherubim but also the ark. This is what I have already said above, namely that the things pertaining to any kind of contemplation whatsoever are able to be seen in ecstasy of mind by means of a showing from the Lord.
But nonetheless from the work of Bezeleel it can be concluded that any of these things can be and are accustomed to be drawn into contemplation without any ecstasy of mind. For what,
I ask, does it mean to make the ark, to clothe it with gold, to encircle it with a crown, to cover it with the propitiatory, and to add the cherubim, except to acquire the art of the above-mentioned kinds of contemplations, to learn and put into use one contemplation after another by much effort and labor, and, finally, to consummate the work at some time and in the end to be perfect in all things? But in order that I may be silent concerning the ark, what shall I say concerning the cherubim themselves? Do we read that Bezeleel climbed the mountain or entered a cloud in order to form them or see them when they had been formed? From this it is clearly meant to be understood that those two last kinds of contemplation, whose characteristic quality seems to be that they are exercised in ecstasy of