CONFERENCES ON THE SEVEN GIFTS OF THE HOLY SPIRIT

1. If you have risen together with Christ, seek the things which are above, where Christ is sitting at the right hand of God; taste [sapite] the things which are above, not those which are upon the earth ¹. -- Son, desiring [concupiscens] wisdom, preserve justice, and God will hold it out to you [praebebit illam tibi] ². The last words are in Ecclesiasticus, in which Ecclesiasticus shows, in what manner a man can obtain [adipisci] the gift of wisdom. It is true, that this gift is from God; but if you want to have it, it is proper, that you desire wisdom, because wisdom does not enter into the soul, unless it be brought towards it by a great affection, nor is it denied to the soul desiring it [desideranti]; whence in the Book of Wisdom: I wished, and sense was given to me; and I invoked, and there came to me the spirit of wisdom ³. After (having obtained) a desire for wisdom, justice ought to be observed, because wisdom is not in harmony [concordat] with iniquity; whence he says: preserve justice. Among other things this is most high justice, that a man be not ungrateful to God, but pour back the gifts collected by him upon the Giver. Whence in Ecclesiasticus: To the One giving me wisdom, I shall give glory ⁴, because, if you glory over [de] wisdom, by this very thing you lose wisdom; Jeremiah: Let not the wiseman glory in his wisdom, and let not the strongman glory in his fortitude ⁵. And the reason for this is given [causa huius redditur] in Ezechiel, where it is said: You, full of wisdom and comeliness, were in the delights of the paradise of God; in your comeliness you lost your wisdom ⁶. -- This is most high justice, that we give God the glory and ask wisdom from Him. Whence in the Canonical (Letter) of (St.) James: If one of you lacks wisdom, let him ask for it from God etc., in faith nothing (is) hesitating ⁷. And because I am going to speak of wisdom I am lacking wisdom, and similarly you the listeners; for that reason in the beginning let us beg the Lord ...

2. If you have risen together with Christ, etc.. That word is suitable [competit] for the present season and our proposal; that (word) is written in the Epistle which is read at Mass, and it is the word of the Apostle to the Colossians, in which the sacred Apostle urges us to obtain true wisdom and to flee from vain wisdom. He touches upon the first when he says: If you have risen together with Christ, seek the things which are above, etc.. He touches upon the second, when he says: not those which are upon the earth; in which he gives one to understand, that as the soul has a twofold power of sight, so does it have a twofold affection. It has one power of sight for heavenly and invisible things, it has another for earthly [terrena] and corruptible things; thus the soul also has a twofold affection: one is for eternal things, and the other is for temporal things. So also is it with the wisdom, which is from above, and the other, which is from below. He urges us towards the first and he discourages [dehortatur] us from that, which is upon the earth. -- That, which is from above, blessed James describes, saying: Do not glory and be evil against the truth. For this is not the wisdom descending from above, but earthly, animal, and diabolic ⁸. By such [ista] an entire solicitude one seeks to delight in every savor [suavitate], in the affluence of secular riches and in the experience of sensual delectations and in the excellence or in the ambition of secular ostentation [pompositatum]. Inasmuch as it makes a man solicitous, to delight with every savor in the affluence of riches, it is earthly; inasmuch as it makes a man solicitous, to delight in the experience of sensual delectations, it is animal; but inasmuch as it makes a man solicitous, to delight in the excellence and ambition of secular ostentation, it is diabolic; because the root of all evils (is) pride, and it is principally damned in the diabolic kingdom.

3. Of that threefold wisdom the Apostle says to the Corithianis: It is written: I shall destroy the wisdom of the wise, and reprove the prudence of the prudent ⁹. That is the wisdom, of which Jeremiah says: They are wise, to do evil things, however they do not know how to do well ¹⁰. To disperse that wisdom Christ died, became poor, afficted and humble, to teach us to beware of it. The Apostle to the Corinthians: Has God not made the wisdom of this world stupid? ¹¹ as if he says, when on the Cross He chose things contrary to wordly wisdom. The Apostle: It pleased God through the stupidity of preaching to save those who believe. Because the stupid (deed) belongs to God, it is wiser than men ¹². You appreciate the affluence of riches, and Christ chose poverty; you appreciate the experience of sensual delectations, and Christ chose the sharpness of the Passion; you appreciate the ambition of secular ostentation, and Christ wanted to be despised and emptied [consfusus]. And the wisdom of God did prevail; for that reason he says: Because the stupid thing belongs to God, it is wiser than men. Solomon in Proverbs says: I am the most stupid of men, and the wisdom of men is not with me. I have not learned wisdom and I have not known [novit] the wisdom of the saints ¹³. Christ was stupid by exterior appearance, when He withdrew [recessit] from the appetite of the stupid; more stupid, when He wanted to be afflicted; but most stupid, when He chose the death of the Cross and died by the most foul death. -- This is the wisdom of the saints. The Apostle: This is our glory, the testimony of our conscience, because not in carnal wisdom, but in the wisdom of God have we comported ourselves in this world ¹⁴. The Apostle: If anyone seems among you to be wise in this age, let him become stupid, so that he may be wise ¹⁵. And to the Phillipians he says: Many walk, (about) whom I often used to tell you, now however also crying I say, they are the enemies of the Cross of Christ, whose end (is) destruction, whose god is their belly, on account of animal wisdom; and (whose) glory (is) in their own confusion, on account of diabolic wisdom; who taste earthly things ¹⁶, that is, on account of earthly wisdom.

4. Do not therefore taste the things which are upon the earth, because Christ has been crucified, to empty that wisdom; and as Christ has died, to empty out [evacuare] and destroy vain wisdom; so has He risen again and ascended, to teach true wisdom and to establish (it) in our hearts. On the Cross He taught (us) to spurn the wisdom of the world, and going into heaven He taught us to seek after [appetere] the wisdom of God and to love [diligere] the Fount of life. Every wisdom of the world is to spurn that. However it is the greatest stupidity to empty out the death of Christ; which they do who taste the things which are upon the earth; for that reason it is proper to empty that wisdom and to seek after the wisdom which is from above.

5. But what is the wisdom, which is from above? The Wiseman says in Ecclesiastes: See, that only wisdom precedes stupidity, as much as light differs from darkness ¹⁷. Therefore he gives one to understand, that wisdom is light; the light, I say, descending from above from the Father of lights, from whom (is) every best given and every perfect gift ¹⁸. That light descends to illumine our cognitive power, to gladden our affective (power) and to thoroughly strengthen our operative (power). It descends from God Most High into the intellect, from the intellect into the affection, and even to the lowest (part), that is, operation. -- That there is light descending to illumine our intellective power, is clear, because there is written in the Book of Wisdom, that she is the warmth of eternal light, the reflection without spot of the Majesty of God and the image of His Goodness. And since she is one, she can do all things and remaining continually in herself she makes all things new and throughout the nations she transfers herself into holy souls and establishes them as friends of God and prophets. For God loves no one, except him with whom wisdom dwells. For she is more imposing than the sun and above every dispostion of the stars, compared to light she is found to be superior [prior] ¹⁹. Deservedly it is said that wisdom is the throne of God, and that (her) soul, which has been described as more beautiful than heaven, nay than the whole universe, is the throne of God.

6. Second, wisdom descends from above as a light to gladded our affective (power). Whence in Ecclesiasticus: Wine and music gladded the heart, and above both the delight of wisdom ²⁰. -- Wine and music gladded the heart, that is, from the exterior and according the species impressed, which are not the truth itself, but a certain similitude of the thing, nor do they fill the soul nor do they truly, but in the manner of a phantasm [phantastice], gladden it. But where there is a union according to truth, there is jocundity, where truth slips [illabitur] into the soul it both fills it full and gladdens it. Of that wisdom the Wiseman says: This one have I loved [amavi] ²¹ and I have placed her before (me), I have reckoned kingdoms and thrones and riches to be nothing in comparison to her ²²; above health and beauty have I loved her [speciem dilexi] ²³. Moreover all good things have come to me equally with her and innumerable honesty through her hands; and I have been gladden in all things since that wisdom went before me ²⁴. The Philsopher says, that wisdom has the greatest delectations. If it is a great thing to be brightened with wisdom, it is more (s0) to be gladdened (by her), inasmuch as one loves her Principle.

7. Third, wisdom descends from above as a light to thoroughly strengthen our operative (power) [operativam]. Whence in Ecclesiastes: Wisdom makes wisdom strong [confortavit sapientiam] above ten princes of the city ²⁵. Note, that no subcelestial virtue, neither earthly nor human, either heavenly or angelic, so thoroughly strengthens the soul, as supercelestial wisdom. Whence in the Book of Wisdom: Wisdom entered into the soul of the servant of God, and he stood against kings ²⁶. A strong contest did He give to him, so that he may conquer and know, that wisdom is more powerful than all ²⁷.

8. And thus this wisdom edifies the Church and the soul, to be a little dwelling of God and the house of God, (to be) I say, a pleasant house, a beautify house, and a oak-strong [robustus] house. There is said in Matthew: Everyone, who hears My words and does them, will be likened to the wise man, who built his house upon firm rock ²⁸. That house is principally built by wisdom: whence in Proverbs: Wisdom builds her own house, she carves out seven columns ²⁹. It is certain, that wisdom delights to be with men; whence she says: My delights: to be with the sons of men ³⁰. However, that wisdom does not dwell with us, is not a defect on her part, but on ours. If we want, the aforesaid light to dwell in us; it is proper, that we have the seven columns. -- But what are the seven columns of her house? Will I make them out of my head? Be off! Sacred Scripture suffiently explains them. Where therefore do we find them? Blessed James, describing the wisdom, which is from above, posits seven conditions for her, saying: First indeed, she is pure [pudica], then peaceable, modest, persuadable, consenting to good things, full of mercy and good fruits, not judging, without simulation [similitudine] ³¹. If I can explain those to you, I do not believe that I would waste [perdere] my words, nay I would give you a great way towards wisdom.

9. Those columns of hers are not but certain steps towards wisdom. Gather the seven columns. The first is purity [pudicitia] in the flesh; the second is innocence in the mind; the third is moderation [moderantia] in speech; the fourth is persuasibility [suadibilitas] in the affection, and the fifth is liberality in effect; the sixth is maturity in judgement and the seventh is simplicity in intention. Through these the house of wisdom is stablized.

10. The first column, I say, of the house of wisdom is purity in the flesh; whence he says: First indeed she is pure. Why is that first? Because this is that, by which it is proper to begin; for it is written in the Book of Wisdom: into a malevolent soul wisdom will not enter, nor will she dwell in a body subdued by sins ³². An impure [impudicum] body has been subdued by sins; for that reason wisdom cannot dwell in it. There is said in the Book of Wisdom: Since I knew, that I could not otherwise be continent, unless God gave it ³³. -- (St.) Gregory Nazianzen was a most pure [mundissimus] youth. It happened, that he was studying at Athens. On a certain night, as he slept, there came to him a very beautiful lady, having two attendants as virgins; he began to drive her away. And the lady said: "Do not flee me, because I do not come to corrupt you. I am Wisdom, and (my) two attendands are humility and Chastity or Purity. If you want me, who am Wisdom, keep those attendants (as your own), that is, Humility and Chastity, because where there is pride, there will be contumely; however where there is humility, there is wisdom" ³⁴. True virginity is that, in which wisdom is associated. Humility, with purity, is the principle column of wisdom. Solomon says: A luxurious thing wine, and a tumultuous thing, drunkeness; whoever delights in these, shall not be wise ³⁵; and elsewhere: Wine and women cause wisemen to apostatize and reveal those whoe are sensible [arguent sensatos] ³⁶. You have a ready [tractabile] example in Solomon, who apostatized on account of women even to the cult of idolatry; who nevertheless had been filled full with wisdom as a river ³⁷. If there was a tavern, in which a wine was sold, which induced the forgetfulness of every wisdom; I believe that no one would be so foolish, that he would buy that wine. I believe, that the eternal God by the highest dispensation of His counsel permitted Solomon to fall, to teach all men to flee women.

11. The second column of the house of wisdom is innocence in the mind; which is noted, when he says: then she is peacable. (St.) Augustine says, that "peace is the tranquility of order", that is, when a thing humbly subdues itself to its superior, regards itself equal to its peer and discretely presides over its inferior. All, who are sons of wisdom, have this order. It is said in Ecclesiaticus: For the sons of wisdom, the church of the just ³⁸. Whence (is) war? If you loved peace, obeyed your superior and presided in an orderly manner over your inferior, you would have peace. He who thoroughly troubles peace has destroyed the house of wisdom. It is written in Proverbs: He who is patient is governed by much wisdom; he who is impatient exalts his own stupidity ³⁹, and thus he perverts the house of wisdom. Blessed James: Who is the wise and disciplined man among you? Let him show from his good comportment his own accomplishment [operationem] in the meekness of wisdom ⁴⁰.

12. The third column of the house of wisdom is moderation in speech, and this is noted, when he says: modest. Above all things moderation is demanded [exigitur] in speech; whence in Ecclesiasticus: A wise man will keep silent until the (proper) time, however the lascivious and the imprudent will not observe the time ⁴¹. For every business there is a season and an opportunity ⁴². Is it not most high foolishness [insipientia], that a man pierce himself through and his neighbor with the same sword? Evil talk is killing listener and speaker. You cannot detract your neighbor, without slaying yourself with the same sword. If I say a word to scandalize [verbum scandalizationis], I cannot wound you, unless I also wound myself. So close is keeping-silent and wisdom, that the stupid one, who keeps silent, shall be reputed wise ⁴³; and the wiseman, who speaks much, is reputed stupid. With one word I can utter detractions, on account of this it is proper to weigh one's words ⁴⁴. Whence immoderation of speech is to be most highly feared. -- For talk, as an instrument, is expressive of wisdom, and for that reason it ought to be undertaken [moveri] according to the rule of wisdom. Whence it is written: The words of the mouth of the wiseman, grace ⁴⁵; and the Apostle: Let not any evil talk proceed from your mouth ⁴⁶. It is a thing to be wondered at [mirabile], when men sit at the table, to refresh themselves spiritually, and one devil speaks of temporal things and of detractions and all, who are at table, feed from that venum. Death and life in the hand of the tongue ⁴⁷. If the woman had kept silent, when the devil said to her: Why did God precept you, not to eat ⁴⁸ from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil? the devil would not have had occasion to tempt her further. And even the philosophers taught their disciples, to be silent; Cato: "The first virtue I think is to feast on one's own tongue". I believe, that the sins of the tongue are so great, that God has to make a world sufficient for them alone, if he rose forth to judge them. ⁴⁹.

13. The fourth column of the house of wisdom is that, which is persuasibility in affection; which is noted, when he says: persuadable, consenting to good things. There is no one who is persuadable in something good, unless he be kind; and this also agrees with wisdom. The malignant one is persuadable in something evil. It is written: Kind is the spirit of wisdom, and she will not free an abusive word [maledicum] from her lips ⁵⁰. Good persuasibility causes one to appreciate and love and to consent to (good) things; and as much as a man is wiser, so much is he more persuadable in good things. Whence in Proverbs: A golden earing and a shining pearl, she who exposes wisdom and an obedient ear ⁵¹. As an earing ornaments the ear, and a pearl upon a crown ornaments the face; so a good word ornaments wisdom. When the wiseman is exposed, he controlls himself [se habet], even if he is (so) ornamented. For if I correct myself in accord with a word of good admonition, what do I do, but ornament myself with that word? If nevertheless this pearl is proposed to the stupid, he tramples upon it as a dog. Whence in Proverbs: Do not expose a mocker, lest he hate you; expose (your) wisdom, and he will love you. ⁵². Dearest ones! it is better to be corrected by a wiseman than to be deceived by the adulation of the stupid ⁵³. Stupid (is he), when he is corrected, does not turn back from evil, nor is lead towards the good. He who is acquainted with his own defects, and those displease him, is wise. He who exposes a man and recalls him from evil, shows him more respect [obsequii], that if he gave him the whole world.

14. The fifth column of the house of wisdom is liberality in effect. Wisdom wants to have mercy in affection, but also in effect. This is noted, when he says: Full of mercy and good fruits ⁵⁴. By their fruits you shall know them ⁵⁵. Whence in Proverbs it is said: She opened her hand to the helpless and extended her palms to the poor man ⁵⁶. He opened his mouth to wisdom, and the law of clemency (is) on his tongue ⁵⁷. From the fruit of her hands ⁵⁸ she gave to the helpless. Wisdom teaches, that a man is to accomplish [faciat] not works of play [ludicra], but fruitful ones, because the fruit of good labors is glorious ⁵⁹. Among all fruitful works, the more fruitful are the works of mercy. Therefore give from the fruits of your hands.

15. Those who are appointed to the governement of others ought to have that mercy; whence in Acts: Therefore consider brothers, those men of good testimony from among you, full of the Holy Spirit and of wisdom, whom we are to constitute to dispense this work ⁶⁰. One would not be a wise dispenser, who stole the goods of God. If something is given to you to be dispensed to the household [familiaae], and you steal and place it in your purse; do you not believe, that the household of the lord would cry against you and call you the worst dispensor, and that the lord would say: Throw that useless servant into the outer darkness? ⁶¹ There is a greater wisdom, which can exist [esse], that the dispensor expend fruitfully those things which he has to dispense and which have been handed over to him to be dispensed. Such was blessed Stephen and Lawrence. The supreme pontiffs in the primitive Church did not vacate those lands ⁶²; now there is care for having temporal goods, not for dispensing them. He says: full of mercy; the Apostle: That which a man sows, this he also reaps ⁶³. If a lord gave his servant grain [blandum] to sow in his field, and he put the grain into a sack and did not sow it, the land would bear bad fruit, nay it would cry out against him. As mercy is a friend to wisdom, so avarice is its enemy. The avarous deride everyone, who do not love money. In Deuteronomy: Gifts thoroughly blind the eyes of the wise and change the words of the just ⁶⁴. -- They thoroughly blind the eyes, not the corporal ones, but the spiritual; therefore they bear away the light of wisdom. It is written: It is easier, for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven ⁶⁵, because he has a earthly and ponderous heart.

16. The sixth column of the house of wisdom is maturity in judgment; and this is noted, when he says: not judging. There is maturity in judgement, when a man does not judge rashly [temerarie]. Whence in Ecclesiasticus: A wise judge shall judge his own people ⁶⁶, that is, over whom he has authority. But if he transcends his authority, he is not a wise judge, but (his) judgment is rash. If he judges without authority, what is he? Certainly nothing. It is also proper, that the judgment of the wiseman have rectitude of zeal and clarity of knowledge [notitiate claritatem]. Of the first (it is said): The mouth of the just will meditate wisdom, and his tongue will speak judgement ⁶⁷. He is a just judge who is moved by a just zeal, approves all good things and reproves evil ones; but he who does not have upright zeal cannot judge well. Love [amor] and hatred pervert judgement. If you hate me you cannot judge me in an upright manner; and why? Because it seems to you, that all the things, which are in me, are evil. -- Likewise it is proper, that the judge have clarity of knowledge. In what manner am I to judge well of an unknown thing? Whence when the friends of Job showed him, that he was not just, saying: The just God does not punish the just; and nevertheless he punishes you; therefore you are not just; they wanted to judge of hidden matters. Job, hearing this, responded to them saying: Turn around and come, and I shall not find any wiseman among you ⁶⁸. For that reason blessed James says: Not judging, not that a man ought not to judge, by time and place, of a thing, of which he has certitude and authority and upright zeal; but because men judge evil (to be) good, and conversely good (to be) evil. It is better, if I ought to judge of another, that I have a good opinion [sentiam bene] (of him) rather than an evil one. A man ought to be more prone to clemently excuse, than to judge evilly. Nowadays [modo] all are judgers of worthless thoughts ⁶⁹. Therefore a man ought not transcend his authority nor judge rashly without rectitude of zeal and clarity of knowledge. Matthew: Do not judge, so as not to be judged ⁷⁰. That men judge the interior defects of another and neglect them in themselves, is most high stupidity. (St.) Gregory: "A spirit, as much as it is more curious to investigate another's things, so much is it the more stupid to know of its own".

17. The seventh and last column of wisdom is simplicity in intention, which is noted, when he says: without simulation. Of that it is said, that king Solomon made a great throne from ivory, and made in it six steps. The other columns are round-about [in gyro] but that one is the most principle and on the summit ⁷¹. Of that one the Apostle speaks, saying: Seek those things which are above ⁷²; and in Ecclesiastes: What does a wiseman have more than a stupid one, and what a poor man, except that he continues on to that place, where there is life? ⁷³ Certainly, where Christ is ⁷⁴, and when Christ will appear ⁷⁵, life will appear. -- But where is Christ? Certainly, above in Heaven; the Apostle Seek the things which are above. Therefore in Heaven there is Christ and life. Christ is the fount of wisdom, He himself is the foundation of this gift and its complement. The Apostle as a wise architect says: No one can place another foundation except that which has been placed, which is Christ Jesus ⁷⁶. As a certain Gloss says, a man holds himself in a manner contrary to a tree in root; for a tree has its roots below, a man above; and the spiritual edifice has its foundation above, but the corporal below; therefore Christ is the foundation of this gift. Likewise He is also its complement, because in Him have the treasures of wisdom and knowledge been hidden away ⁷⁷. In Him the house of wisdom is consummated. Whence it is said in Ecclesiastes: The eyes of the wiseman are in his head, that is in Christ: the stupid man walks in darkness ⁷⁸. In Christ is the consummation of every good thing. Whence in John: This is, moreover, eternal life, that they know Thee the Only True God and Him whom Thou has sent, Jesus Christ ⁷⁹. Those things which are above, we ought to desire, see and do; and to them may He thoroughly lead us who lives and reigns without end. Amen.

¹. Col 3:1-2.

². Eccli 1:33.

³. Ws 7:7.

⁴. Eccli 51:23.

⁵. Jer 9:23.

⁶. Ez 28:12-13.

⁷. Jm 1:5-6.

⁸. Jm 3:14-15.

⁹. 1 Cor 1:19; cf. Is 29:14.

¹⁰. Jer 4:22.

¹¹. 1 Cor 1:20.

¹². 1 Cor 1:21.

¹³. Prov 30:2-3.

¹⁴. 2 Cor 1:12.

¹⁵. 1 Cor 3:18.

¹⁶. Phil 3:18-19.

¹⁷. Eccle 2:13.

¹⁸. Jm 1:17.

¹⁹. Ws 7:26-29.

²⁰. Eccli 40:20.

²¹. Ws 8:2.

²². Ws 7:8.

²³. Ws 7:10.

²⁴. Ws 7:11-12.

²⁵. Eccle 7:10.

²⁶. Ws 10:16.

²⁷. Ws 10:12.

²⁸. Mt 7:24.

²⁹. Prov 9:1.

³⁰. Prov 8:31.

³¹. Jm 3:17.

³². Ws 1:4.

³³. Ws 8:21.

³⁴. Prov 11:2.

³⁵. Prov 20:1.

³⁶. Eccli 19:2.

³⁷. Eccli 47:16.

³⁸. Eccli 3:1.

³⁹. Prov 14:19.

⁴⁰. Jm 3:13.

⁴¹. Eccli 20:7.

⁴². Eccle 8:6.

⁴³. Prov 17:20.

⁴⁴. Eccli 28:29.

⁴⁵. Eccle 10:12.

⁴⁶. Eph 4:29.

⁴⁷. Prov 18:21.

⁴⁸. Gen 3:1.

⁴⁹. Cf. Iob 31:14.

⁵⁰. Ws 1:6.

⁵¹. Prov 25:12.

⁵². Prov 9:8.

⁵³. Eccle 7:6.

⁵⁴. Jm 3:17.

⁵⁵. Mt 7:16.20.

⁵⁶. Prov 31:20.

⁵⁷. Prov 31:26.

⁵⁸. Prov 31:16.

⁵⁹. Ws 3:15.

⁶⁰. Act 6:3.

⁶¹. Mt 25:30.

⁶². Cf. Act 6:2-4

⁶³. Gal 6:8.

⁶⁴. Dt 16:19.

⁶⁵. Mt 19:24.

⁶⁶. Eccli 10:1.

⁶⁷. Ps 36:30.

⁶⁸. Job 17:10.

⁶⁹. Jm 2:4.

⁷⁰. Mt 7:1.

⁷¹. 3 Kg 10:18-19.

⁷². Col 3:1.

⁷³. Eccle 6:8.

⁷⁴. Col 3:1.

⁷⁵. Col 3:4.

⁷⁶. 1 Cor 3:11,

⁷⁷. Col 2:3.

⁷⁸. Eccle 2:14.

⁷⁹. Jn 17:3.