Commentary on the Book of Sentances

The material cause is signified² by the name of "rivers" in the plural, not the singular, so that not only the matter or subject of the whole book would be touched upon in general, but even that of the individual books in detail. On account of which it must be noted, that just as there is a fourfold property of a material river, so there is a fourfold propterty of a spiritual river, concerning which, according to the fourfold difference, are the four Books of the Sentances. For I consider³ the material river in regards to its duration, and I find its perenniality. For just as Isidore says:⁴ "The river is a perennial flowing." I consider it according to its extension, and I find its spaciousness. For in this is a river is distinguished from a rivulet. I consider it according to its motion, and I find its circulation. For just as it is said in the first chapter of Ecclesiates:⁵ "To the place, whence rivers flow, they return" etc. I consider⁶ its effect, and I find its cleansing. For a river, on account of the abundance of its waters cleanses the lands, through which it runs, to the extent that it is not polluted.⁷ And since every one speaking figuratively speaks figuratively according to some similitude,⁸ with metaphors drawn from this fourfold condition, a river is found to be fourfold in spiritual things, as we can gather from the Scriptures.

 
First, on account of its perenniality a river is said to be an emanation of persons, since that emanation alone is without beginning, without end.⁹ This river is spoken of in the seventh chapter of Daniel says:¹⁰ "The Ancient of Days sat, and a fiery and swift river went forth from His face." That Ancient of Days is the eternal Father, whose antiquity is eternity. That Ancient One "sat," since not only is eternity in Him, but also immutability.¹¹ "From the face of that Ancient One a fiery and swift river went forth," that is, from the loftiness of His divinity proceeded the fulness of love and the fulness of virtue: the fulness of virtue in the Son,¹² therefore the river was swift; the fulness of love in the Holy Spirit, and therefore the river was fiery.

 
Third, on account of its circulation a river is said to be the incarnation of the Son of God, since, just as in a circle the last is conjoined with the beginning, so in the incarnation the highest is conjoined with the lowest, that is God to slime,⁷ and the first to the last, as the eternal Son of God to the man established on the sixth day. This river is spoken of in the twenty-fourth chapter of Ecclesiates:⁸ "I like the river Dorix, and as an aquaduct have gone forth from paradise." Dorix is interpretated medicine of generation, and this is figurative way of speaking, to be understood conversely, that is, as a generation of medicine. For the incarnation of the Son of God was nothing other than a generation of medicine: "For truly has He born our wearinesses and carried our infirmities."⁹ Therefore rightly is the incarnation of the Son called the river Dorix. And Christ¹⁰ himself truly says concerning Himself: "I like the river Dorix," that is, as a medicinal river, "and as an aquaduct I have gone forth from paradise." This nature of water is this,¹¹ that as much as it ascends, it descends. Such was the going-forth of the incarnation, according to what is said in the Psalm:¹² "From the highest Heaven His going forth, and His meeting even unto His highest." And the sixteenth chapter of John:¹³ "I have gone forth from the Father and I came into the world; again I leave the world and I go to the Father," and so He made a circle. Also concerning this river as regards His going forth from His mother can be expounded, that , which is said in the tenth chapter of Esther in the dream of Mordechai:¹⁴ "A tiny rivulet sprung into the river, and was converted into light and into the sun." Who, I beseech, is this tiny rivulet but the most humble virgin? She sprang into the river, when She generated Christ, who was not only a river by¹⁵ the abundance of grace, but also is called the light of wisdom and the sun of justice, according to what is said of Him in the first¹⁶ chapter of John: "He was the true light" etc.

Fouth, on accout of cleansing a river is said to be the dispensation of the Sacraments, which without themselves being polluted cleanse us from befoulments of sins. This river is spoken of in the twenty-second chapter of the Apocalypse:¹⁷ "He showed me the river of living waters, splendid as crystal, proceeding from the throne of God and of the Lamb." The dispensation of the Sacraments is said to be a river "spendid as crystal" on account of the clarity and brilliance, which it leaves in the souls, who are cleansed in this river. The river is also said to be "of living waters" on account of the efficacy of grace, which vivifies the soul. This river also "proceeds from the throne of God and of the Lamb." For sacramental grace proceed from God as from an author¹⁸ and efficient cause, from Christ as from a mediator and from the one who merited it. On account of which all the Sacraments are said to have efficacious grace from the passion of Christ, whence Augustine testifies:¹⁹ "From the side of the sleeping Christ / there flowed the Sacraments, while blood and water flowed from there."

All these rivers are contained at once and in order in the second¹ chapter of Genesis, where it is said, that "the river went forth from the place of delight, which from there divided into four sources: the name of the first, Phiso, the name of the second, Gehon, the name of the third, Tigris, and the name of the fourth, Euphrates." That river going forth form Paradise is the entire matter of this book. The four rivers proceeding from this one are the special matter of the four books, just as one can easily adapt, who wants to diligently explain² the interpretations of the aforesaid names. For "Phiso" is interpreted "mouth of change," and in this is signified the emanation of persons. For just as from the material mouth there proceeds the word and spirit, so from the mouth of the Father comes forth the Son and Holy Spirit, as is said in the twenty-fouth chapter of Ecclesiates:³ "I went forth from the mouth of the Most High, first born before every creature." This the Son says Himself, who is the Word and Wisdom of the Father. And in the Psalm:⁴ "By the word of the Lord the heavens have been made firm: and by the spirit of His mouth" etc. "Gehon" is interpreted "sand," and in this is signified the extension of clean things. For just as the universe of creatures is compared to the sea on account of its spaciousness, so the sands on account of their numerosity, as is said in the first chapter of Ecclesiates:⁵ "Sand of the sea and drops of the rain: who can count thee?" "Tigris" is interpreted "arrow", and in this is signified the incarnation of the Son of God. For just as in an arrow iron has been conjoined with wood, so in Christ the fortitude of divinity has been conjoined to the pliability of humanity. And just as an arrow flies from the bow and wood to strike adversaries, so did Christ climbing the Cross destroy the adversary. This is that arrow, which is spoken of in the thirteenth chapter of Kings:⁶ "Arrow of the Lord's salvation, and arrow of salvation against Syria." "Euphrates" is interpreted "fruit-bearing", in which is signified the dispensation of the Sacraments, which not only purge the soul from fault, but even fecundate it in grace. Which has been signified in the last chapter of the Apocalype,⁷ where it is said, that along the crystaline river "there was a wood bearing fruit, whose leaves were for medicine."

 
Therefore since four are the rivers, four are the depths of the rivers corresponding to the aforesaid rivers.

The depth of the eternal emanation is the loftiness of the divine existence [esse], of which there can be understood that which is said in the seventh chapter of Ecclesiates:⁸ "Deep profundity, who will find it?" Truly a deep profundity and a profound depth, so that the Apostle might exclaim in the eleventh chapter to the Romans⁹ and say: "O depth of the riches of the wisdom and the knowledge of God, how incomprehensible are His judgements, and unsearchable His ways!" Truly incomprehensible judgements, because profound. For the judgements of God are as the many of the abyss.¹⁰ and as is said in the first chapter of Ecclesiates:¹¹ "Depth of the abyss, who has measured it?" This profundity is signified in the eleventh chapter of Job:¹² "Perhaps you perceive the footprints of God and repair even to the perfect Omnipotent? More lofty than Heaven, and what will you make? more profound than Hell, and whence will you know [cognosces]?" as if he were to say: "you are not able of yourself": therefore the Apostle counsels in the third chapter to the Ephesians:¹³ "Be rooted and founded upon charity, so that you may be able to comprehend" etc..

And this depth the Master investigates in the first book. For the loftiness of the divine existence (esse) consists in two things, namely in the noblest emanations, which are generation and procession, and¹⁴ in the noblest conditions, which are the highest wisdom, omnipotence and perfect will, concerning which is the first book. For in the first part he deals with the Most Holy Unity and Trinity, in the second, in fact¹⁵ with a special tract, he deals with His abovesaid threefold condition or property.

 
The depth of creation is the vanity of the created existence (esse). For the creature in as much as it vanishes, so much more does it tend to a depth, either vanishing through fault or through punishment. On account of this it is said through the Prophet in the person of a man, who vanished through fault, in the Psalm:¹⁶ "I have been thrust into the slime of the deep, and there is no substance." And again the Prophet praying, lest he vanish through punishment: "Do not submerge me, he said, storm of water, nor swallow me, depth" etc..

This depth the Master investigates in the second / book.

¹ Verses 10-14, where the Vulgate adds "to irrigate Paradise" after "of delight" and enumerates the names of the rivers in this fashion: "The name of one, Phison,... and the name of the second river, Gehon,...Indeed the name of the third river, Tigris,...Moreover the fourth river, is itself the Euphrates." Many codices A F G I S W Y etc. with editions 1, 2, 3, 6 spell the name of the second river thus "Gyon." ≈ A little before this codex M has "according to thier order" in place of "in order".
²  Codex ee and edition 1 have "consider".
³  Verse 5, where the Vulgate has prodivi [went forth] for prodii [went forth.]
⁴  Psalm 32:6.
⁵  Verse 3, in which text the Vatican manuscript with the Vulgate adds "and the days of the world" after "rain". ≈ A little before we have substituted from codices A C G H I O R S T U Y Z bb ee ff and edition 1 "numerosity" for "innumerableness," though each reading has the same meaning.
⁶  Verse 17.
⁷  Verse 2, where the Vulgate reads: "The tree of life bearing twelve fruits, bearing its own fruit throughout every month and the leaves of the wood were for the healing of the nations."
⁸  Verse 25.
⁹  Verse 33, in which text, trusting in the codices and edition 1, we have added "and how unsearchable are His ways," which the Vatican edition omitts.
¹⁰  Psalm 35:7, where the Vulgate reads: "Thy judgements are as the many of the abyss."
¹¹  Verse 2.
¹²  Verse 7 and 8.
¹³  Verse 17 and 18.
¹⁴  The Vatican edition has a confused reading, in which the conjunction "and" is omitted and there is put in its place a period, so that with the following preposition "in" there begins a new sentance: we have emended this from the manuscrips and edition 1.
¹⁵  There has been inserted here in the Vatican edition the following sentance: "which he begins in distinction 35: And since we observed above" etc., which we have removed as an interpolation on the authority of the codices and edition 1.
¹⁶  Psalm 68:2. The text of Sacred Scripture just following is found in the same Psalm 68:16.

The depth of the incarnation is the merit of the humanity³ of Christ, which was so great, as truly can be said to be deep, as if not having a terminus nor bottom. Of this there can be understood that which is said in the second chapter of Jona:⁴ "Thou has cast me forth into the depth in the heart of my mother, and the river surrounded me." This can be said of Christ, who was so humiliated, that truly he could be said to be "cast forth" and "abject," as is said in the fifty-third chapter of Isaiah:⁵ "And we have seen him, and there is no beauty in him, and we desired him: dispised and the last of men" etc. Truly therefore He calls himself "cast-forth," but where? "in the depth of the sea and of the river." For the passion of Christ is compared to the sea on account of the bitterness of its penalty, but also⁶ to a river on account of the sweetness of its charity. For the most sweet Heart of Jesus Christ was stirred with such great a tenderness of love for⁷ us, that it did not seem heavy for Him to sustain for us an extreme and most bitter kind of death.

And this depth the Master investigates in the third book. For the merit of Christ consists in two things, namely in His Passion, through which He redeemed us, and in His action, through which He formed us, which consists in His works of virtue, of gifts, and of precepts, concerning which two things is the third book. For in the first part the incarnation and passion are dealt with, in which consists our redemption, in the second⁸ the virtues, gifts, and precepts, in which consist our formation.

 
The depth of the sacramental dispensation is the efficay of a perfect medicine. For so great is the efficacy of the sacramental medicine, that it exceeds the human mind, so that it can truly be called a depth. This is spoken of in the fifty-first chapter of Isaiah:⁹ "Thou has placed a depth of the sea as Thy way, so that they might pass over free." That depth, in which the Egyptians were submerged and the sons of Israel¹⁰ passed over free and were saved, is the efficacy of the Sacraments, in which the works of darkness are destroyed and the arms of light and the gifts of graces are confered, through which man is transfered from the power of darkness into the Kingdom of the Son of God of charity. This efficacy of the Sacraments is a depth of a sea and of a river: of a sea,¹¹ in as much as at first it frees from fault and introduces one into the bitterness of penitence; of a river, in as much as it frees from misery and introduces one into the sweetness of glory.¹² Which was presaged best of all in the sons of Israel, for whom as they went forth from Egypt the sea was dried up, and they passed over "through dry land in its midst," just as is said in the fifteenth chapter of Exodus;¹³ and for those entering into the land of promise the river was dried up, and they passed over through its midst, just as is said in the fourth chapter of Josuah.¹⁴

This depth the Master investigates in the fourth book. For the efficacy of the perfect medicine consists in two things, namely in its healing a variety of depressing infirmaties and in its freeing from the totality of worsening miseries; and concerning these two is the entire fourth book. For in the first part he deals with the manifold healing, which the seven Sacraments effect. In the second¹⁵ he deals with perfect healing, to which they lead, like the glory of the resurrected, who truly and faithfully harvested in the Sacraments of the Church; and contrariwise with the punishments of the wicked, who contemned the Sacraments of the Church.

 
Moreover from the investigation of the four depths in the four books there comes the result, namely the revelation of four hidden things.

This hidden thing the Master, replete with wisdom from on high, brought to light through the investigation of the first book. For with the noblest emanations and properties seen and undterstood, he points out for us the magnitude of the divine substance, according as this is possible to travelers.

The second hidden thing is the order of divine wisdom, which is spoken of in the twenty-eighth⁴ chapter of Job: "Where is wisdom found? and what is the place of understanding? it is hidden from the eyes of all the living." Truly hidden, because, just as is said in the same place,⁵ "wisdom brought from hidden places"; thus, as is understood, she requires the investigation of profundity not in herself, but in her works, in which she sparkles. Whence it is said in the first⁶ chapter of Ecclesiates, that "one is the Most High Creator, who pours her forth upon all His works."

Therefore the Master manisfests this hidden thing in the investigation of the second book. For having seen the order of goods and evils, it is clear to us, in what manner the wisdom of God has been ordained from eternity and in what manner from ancient times, before the earth was made.⁷

The third hidden thing is the fortitude of the divine power, which is spoken of in the third chapter of Habakuk:⁸ "The horns are in His mands; there His fortitude has been hidden"; this is said of Christ hanging upon the Cross, where the fortitude of virtue lay hidden beneath the mantle of infirmity. And "this is the sacrament hidden from the ages," which is spoken of in the third chapter to the Ephesians:⁹ "To me the least of all the Saints has been given this grace: to preach among the Gentiles the good news [evangelizare] of the unsearchable riches of Christ and to enlighten all, concerning that which is the dispensation of the sacrament hidden by the ages in God." This is the hidden sacrament, the sacred secretr, that¹⁰ the mighty God, to conquer the enemy, put on the arms of our infirmity; which is a thing unheard of by the ages.

However¹¹ in the investigation of the third book, where it is shown, that Christ in His infirmity conquered the opposing power, the fortitude of the divine power is manifested. For if He conquered by means of infirmity, what would He have done, if He had fought by means of virtue? And if "the weak [body] of God is stronger than men," the arm of God "who will weaken it?"¹² Truly is there revealed, that indescribable fortitude of Him, whose infirmity is so strong.

The fourth hidden thing is the sweetness of the Divine Mercy, which is spoken of in the Psalm:¹³ "How great the multitude of Thy sweetness, Lord, which Thou has hidden for those who fear Thee!" Truly hidden and reserved, for those who fear, is the sweetness of Mercy, because, just as is said in the Psalm:¹⁴ "The Mercy of the Lord is from eternity unto eternity upon those who fear Him, and upon those, who hope in His Mercy."

This sweetness is manifested in the inestigation of the fourth book. For having seen, in what way God dismisses sins in the present, and what manner¹⁵ are the medicines He applies to our wounds, and what manner are the rewards He will give in the future, the sweetness of the Divine Mercy is opened to us.

Therefore this public-exhibition [propalatio] of the hidden things is the general purpose [finis] of the book, to which the Master of the Sentances, willingly leading and being lead, has investigated the depths of the preceeding rivers by the grace of the Holy Spirit. For He is the extraordinary investigator of secrets and depths, according to that which is said in the second chapter of the First Letter to the Corinthians:¹⁶ "The Spirit investigates all things, even the depths of God." Driven by the charity of this Spirit and enlightened by His light and clarity, the Master composed this work and searched the depths of rivers; with this Spirit also helping, he has been made the revealer of hidden things. For he is that very one, of whom it is written in the second chapter of Daniel:¹⁷ "He reveals depths and hidden things; and he knows / those things constituted in darkness."

Therefore in what has just been said in the present book, the material, formal, efficient and final cause are made clear.