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| Chapter I. St. Ambrose, reflecting upon the account he will have to give of his talents, determines to write, and consoles himself with certain examples of God's mercy. Then recognizing his own deficiencies desires that he may be dealt with like the fig-tree in the Gospel, and expresses a hope that words will not fail him in his endeavour to preach Christ. PREVIOUS SECTION - NEXT SECTION - HELP
Chapter I.
St. Ambrose, reflecting upon the account he will have to
give of his talents, determines to write, and consoles himself with
certain examples of God’s mercy. Then recognizing his own
deficiencies desires that he may be dealt with like the fig-tree in the
Gospel, and expresses a hope that words will not fail him in his
endeavour to preach Christ.
1. If, according to
the decree of heavenly truth, we have to give account of every idle
word which we have spoken,3161 and if every
servant will incur no small blame when his lord returns, who, either
like a timid money-lender or covetous owner, has hidden in the earth
the talents of spiritual grace which were entrusted to him in order
that they might be multiplied by increasing interest, I, who, although
possessed of but moderate ability, yet have a great necessity laid on
me of making increase of the sayings of God entrusted to me, must
rightly fear lest an account of the profit of my words be demanded of
me, especially seeing that the Lord exacts of us effort, not
profit. Wherefore I determined to write something, since, too, my
words are listened to with greater risk to modesty than when they are
written, for a book has no feeling of modesty.
2. And so distrusting indeed my own ability,
but encouraged by the instances of divine mercy, I venture to compose
an address, for when God willed even the ass spoke.3162 And I will open my mouth long
dumb, that the angel may assist me also, engaged in the burdens of this
world, for He can do away with the hindrances of unskilfulness, Who in
the ass did away those of nature. In the ark of the Old Testament
the priest’s rod budded;3163 with God it is
easy that in Holy Church a flower should spring from our knots
also. And why should we despair that God should speak in men, Who
spoke in the thorn bush?3164 God did
not despise the bush, and would He might give light also to my
thorns. Perhaps some may wonder that there is some light even in
our thorns; some our thorns will not burn; there will be some whose
shoes shall be put off their feet at the sound of my voice, that the
steps of the mind may be freed from bodily hindrances.
3. But these things are gained by holy
men. Would that Jesus would cast a glance upon me still lying
under that barren fig-tree,3165 and that my
fig-tree might also after three years bear fruit.3166 But whence should sinners have so
great hope? Would that at least that Gospel dresser of the
vineyard, perhaps already bidden to cut down my fig-tree, would let it
alone this year also, until he dig about it and dung it, that he may
perchance lift the helpless out of the dust, and lift the poor out of
the mire.3167 Blessed
are they who bind their horses under the vine and olive,3168 consecrating the course of their
labours to light and joy: the fig-tree, that is, the tempting
attraction of the pleasures of the world, still overshadows me, low in
height, brittle for working, soft for use, and barren of
fruit.
4. And perhaps some one may wonder why I, who
cannot speak, venture to write. And yet if we consider what we
read in the writings of the Gospel, and the deeds of the priests, and
the holy prophet Zacharias is
taken as an instance, he will find that
there is something which the voice cannot explain, but the pen can
write. And if the name John restored speech to his
father,3169 I, too, ought
not to despair that although dumb I may yet receive speech, if I speak
of Christ, of Whom, according to the prophet’s word:
“Who shall declare the generation?”3170 And so as a servant I will announce
the family of the Lord, for the Lord has consecrated to Himself a
family even in this body of humanity replete with
frailty.E.C.F. INDEX & SEARCH
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