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It now behoves us to treat of the fifth kind of good
thing wherein the soul may rejoice, which is the
supernatural. By this term we here understand all the
gifts and graces given by God which transcend natural
virtue and capacity and are called gratis datae. Such
as these are the gifts of wisdom and knowledge which
God gave to Solomon, and the graces whereof Saint
Paul speaks[629] -- namely, faith, gifts of healing,
the working of miracles, prophecy, knowledge and
discernment of spirits, interpretation of words and
likewise the gift of tongues.2. These good things,
it is true, are also spiritual, like those of the
same kind of which we have to speak presently; yet,
since the two are so different, I have thought well
to make a distinction between them. The practice of
these has an intimate relation with the profit of
man, and it is with a view to this profit and to this
end that God gives them.
As Saint Paul says: 'The spirit is given to none
save for the profit of the rest;'[630] this is to be
understood of these graces. But the use and practice
of spiritual graces has to do with the soul and God
alone, and with God and the soul, in the communion of
understanding and will, etc., as we shall say
hereafter.
And thus there is a difference in their object,
since spiritual graces have to do only with the
Creator and the soul; whereas supernatural graces
have to do with the creature, and furthermore differ
in substance, and therefore in their operation, and
thus of necessity the instruction which we give
concerning them differs also.
3. Speaking now of supernatural graces and gifts
as we here understand them, I say that, in order to
purge ourselves of vain joy in them, it is well here
to notice two benefits which are comprised in this
kind of gift -- namely, temporal and spiritual. The
temporal benefits are the healing of infirmities, the
receiving of their sight by the blind, the raising of
the dead, the casting out of devils, prophesying
concerning the future so that men may take heed to
themselves, and other things of the kind. The
spiritual and eternal benefit is that God is known
and served through these good works by him that
performs them, or by those in whom and in whose
presence they are performed.
4. With respect to the first kind of benefit --
namely, the temporal -- supernatural works and
miracles merit little or no rejoicing on the part of
the soul; for, without the second kind of benefit,
they are of little or no importance to man, since
they are not in themselves a means for uniting the
soul with God, as charity is. And these supernatural
works and graces may be performed by those who are
not in a state of grace and charity, whether they
truly give thanks and attribute their gifts to
God,[631] as did the wicked prophet Balaam, and
Solomon, or whether they perform them falsely,
through the agency of the devil, as did Simon Magus,
or by means of other secrets of nature.
These works and marvels, if any of them were to be
of any profit to him that worked them, would be true
works given by God. And Saint Paul teaches us what
these are worth without the second kind of benefit,
saying: 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and
of angels, and have not charity, I am become as a
sounding bell or metal. And though I have prophecy
and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and though
I have all faith, even as much as may remove[632]
mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing,
etc.'[633]
Wherefore Christ will refuse the requests of many
who have esteemed their good works in this way, when
they beg Him for glory because of them, saying: Lord,
have we not prophesied in Thy name and worked many
miracles? Then Christ will say to them: 'Depart from
Me, workers of iniquity.'[634]
5. A man, then, should rejoice, not when he has
such graces and makes use of them, but when he reaps
from them the second spiritual fruit, namely that of
serving God in them with true charity, for herein is
the fruit of eternal life. For this cause Our Saviour
reproved the disciples who were rejoicing because
they cast out devils, saying: 'Desire not to rejoice
in this, that devils are subject to you, but rather
because your names are written in the book of
life.'[635]
This, according to good theology, is as much as to
say: Rejoice if your names are written in the book of
life. By this it is understood that a man should not
rejoice save when he is walking in the way of life,
which he may do by performing good works in charity;
for where is the profit and what is the worth in the
sight of God of aught that is not love of God?
And this love is not perfect if it be not strong
and discreet in purging the will of joy in all
things, and if it be not set upon doing the will of
God alone. And in this manner the will is united with
God through these good things which are supernatural. |