Chapter IV.
(Vers. 1.)
(Verse 1.) After this, I saw an open door in heaven. Through the door, Christ is understood, who says: I am the door: by me if any man enter in, he shall be saved (John 10:9). This door is said to be open; because to all who desire to come to him, even though they may be weighed down by many sins, he does not hesitate to open the door of his mercy, as he himself says in the Gospel: Come to me, all you that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest (Matthew 11:28). But the Church is designated by heaven. But if everyone who enters through the door into the sheepfold, that is, into the holy Church, will be saved: what about the reprobates, whose countless number are contained within the holy Church, by what means did they enter? Let us ask the Lord about this; for He says: 'He who does not enter through the door into the sheepfold, but climbs up another way, he is a thief and a robber' (John 10:1). Therefore, whoever does not want to observe what they promised in baptism, they did not enter through the door into the sheepfold, but climbed up another way. And the first voice, which I heard, was like a trumpet speaking with me, saying: The first voice we can understand as the Old Testament: but it seems better to me that we understand it as the voice of John the Baptist, of whom it is written: And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest: for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare his ways; To give knowledge of salvation unto his people by the remission of their sins (Luke 1:76). But John himself calls himself a voice, saying: I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Isaiah (John 1:23, from Isaiah 40:3). And because his preaching spread everywhere, the voice of his preaching is said to be like a trumpet. But let us hear what this voice says: Come up here, and I will show you what must happen after this; that is, leave earthly things behind and raise your mind to heavenly things. In another way: John the Evangelist is playing the role of the people here, who believed in Christ through John the Baptist, and many at that time considered John to be the Christ. But John was urging his listeners to lift up their minds, when he said that he was not the Christ, but another who would come after him, saying: I am not the Christ; but there is one who is coming after me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire (John 1:27); and again: He must increase, but I must decrease (John 3:30). He also instructed his disciples to ascend upwards when he taught them that he must be left behind and that they should follow Christ. Then it follows: And I will show you what must happen after this; as if he were saying: If you elevate your heart above, that is, if you have followed Christ in faith, you will be able to easily recognize what I am teaching and what is to come, even with him teaching.
(Vers. 2.)
(Version 2.) And immediately I was in the spirit; that is, when I began to believe in Christ, I became a spiritual person from a carnal one. And behold, a throne was set in heaven, and someone was sitting on the throne. By heaven, as we have said before, the Church is signified: but the throne set in heaven signifies the hearts of the saints dwelling in the Church. And the one who was seen sitting on the throne is God, who dwells and resides in the hearts of his saints, as the Apostle says: For the temple of God is holy, which you are (I Cor. III, 17).
(Vers. 3.)
(Verse 3.) And he who sat there was like the appearance of jasper stone and sardius. Jasper is of a green color, and sardius of a red: therefore, through the greenness of jasper, the divinity of our Savior is signified, and through the redness of sardius, his humanity is designated. Therefore, our Savior contains both the greenness of jasper within himself, because according to his divinity he is equal to the Father in all things, and the redness of sardius, because according to his humanity, he exists as a perfect man, as it is written: Perfect God, perfect man, existing from a rational and human soul and flesh (Creed under the name of Athanasius).
And there was a rainbow around the throne, similar to an emerald vision. In Genesis we read that God said to Noah: I will set my bow in the clouds of the sky, and I will remember my everlasting covenant, which is a covenant between God and every living soul (Gen. IX, 13). Therefore, by the rainbow, which appears as a sign of God's mercy to humans dwelling on the earth, the mercy of God is appropriately understood. Therefore, the rainbow, that is, the bow, surrounded the throne of God, that is, the Church; because by surrounding us with His mercy, He protects and governs us, and defends us from invisible enemies: For in Him, as the apostle says, we live, move, and exist (Act. XVII, 28). The bow is said to have a resemblance to an emerald, which is of excessive and most pleasing greenness: but the jasper, of which we have spoken above, is of a green color, like the emerald. But its greenness is dull: but the greenness of the emerald is clear, whose beauty draws the eyes of those who behold it to marvel at it. Therefore, through the greenness of the jasper, as we have said, the divinity of our Savior is understood; which is obscure and covered by certain clouds; because no human mind can comprehend the divinity of our Redeemer as it really is: and the more the mind raises itself to explore it, the thicker darkness is presented to it. Indeed, the clarity of the emerald's greenness properly signifies the mercy of the Lord; for the mercy of the Lord is so clear that no person possessing a sound mind can ignore it. For who can ignore the immense mercy of God, which He has displayed and continues to display towards the human race, even though it cannot be perfectly explained in words? But even the fact that the greenness of this stone sharpens dull eyes, if one looks at it, can be likened to the mercy of God; for when we lie in sin and our crimes weigh us down, we have dull eyes of the mind. But when we consider the mercy of God, how He has brought back even prostitutes, thieves, and all kinds of sinners, as well as their persecutors, to salvation through repentance, we are reformed in hope of forgiveness. And because we were already held in the pit of destruction, looking at the mercy of the Lord and presuming it, we flee to Him whom we have offended, that we may be liberated from everlasting death by His mercy. The Psalmist, perceiving this mercy of God and unable to explain it in words, called God Himself His mercy, saying: My God, my mercy (Psalm 143:1-2).
(Vers. 4)
(Verse 4) And around the throne were twenty-four thrones, and seated on the thrones were twenty-four elders, clothed in white garments, with golden crowns on their heads. The twenty-four elders in this book sometimes symbolize the Fathers of the Old Testament, sometimes the Fathers of the New Testament, and sometimes both together; but in this passage, they represent the Fathers of the Old Testament, who are said to have sat on the twenty-four seats; for when we sit, we rest from labor. Therefore, twenty-four books of the Old Testament are designated by the sedilia. Therefore, twenty-four elders were seen sitting on twenty-four thrones; because the Fathers of the Old Testament, in a certain manner, rested from the labors and cares of this world, in the reading and meditation of divine books. But it is necessary for us to inquire, since the seat signifies the Church, why these sedilia are said to be arranged around the seat. Clearly, because whoever desires their home to be safe from robbers and enemies, surrounds it with a wall, a fence, or a barrier. Similarly, the Church is fortified against heretics and pagans who wish to overthrow the faith of Christ in it, by the books of the Old Testament; for it proves that what it worships was predicted long before the coming of Christ, and it repels the attacks of those who desire to overthrow the faith of Christ. Those who are said to have been old men were clothed in white garments and had golden crowns on their heads: the white garments symbolize the purity of life, while the golden crowns represent good works.
(Vers. 5.)
(Verse 5.) And out of the throne (that is, out of the Church) come lightning, and voices, and thunderings. Miracles are represented by lightning, which God works through his saints. Preaching is symbolized by voices. But thunderings represent the terror of the fires of hell. For the holy preachers oppose the eternal torments prepared for the wicked to those whom they are unable to free from vices through the allurements of celestial love, so that, if they cannot win them over with enticements, they can at least restrain them from vices through terrors. And seven burning lamps before the throne. What the seven lamps are, he himself explains when he says: ‘Which are the seven spirits of God.’ By the seven spirits of God we should understand the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, which the prophet Isaiah says have rested upon the Lord: ‘And the spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and fortitude, the spirit of knowledge and godliness; and he shall be filled with the spirit of fear of the Lord.’ (Isaiah 11:2). Therefore, these seven lamps, that is, the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit, are said to burn before the throne, that is, before the sight of His Church; because without the light of these virtues, placed in the darkness of this world, we cannot proceed along the paths of life to our heavenly home. However, the fact that Christ received these seven gifts from the Holy Spirit pertains to the mystery of His humanity; for according to His divinity, He could not increase in any way, without which nothing could exist.
But it can be asked why the prophet started with these seven gifts by saying that they were going to descend upon Christ, and he began with the greater ones and descended to the lesser ones. But it will not seem without reason if it is carefully examined. For since our Lord Jesus Christ descended from that celestial blessedness, in which He was equal to the Father in all things, to the earthly realms and deigned to become man, and He willed to be diminished by the angels whom He Himself had created, it is not inappropriate that He received these seven gifts by descending. For He fulfilled the will of the Father by descending and humbling Himself unto death, as the Apostle says: He humbled Himself even unto death, death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). But we who are lifted from the pit of perdition to heavenly things, begin with the smaller things, so that by growing we may reach the greater things.
But let us briefly explain how these seven gifts descended upon Christ according to the will of the Lord. The Spirit of wisdom rested upon the man Christ when the Son of God, according to his divinity, who is called the wisdom of the Father, descended upon him.
The spirit of intelligence rested upon him, when he was enriched with all virtues, as it is written in the Gospel: Jesus increased in wisdom, and age, and grace before God and men (Luke 2:52).
After understanding comes counsel. Counsel is derived from consultation; for if some danger threatens us, we seek counsel from a wise person, to learn how we may avoid the danger. Similarly, when we desire to attain some worldly dignity, we seek counsel on how we may achieve what we desire. Therefore, Christ is our counselor, who gives counsel on how to avoid eternal dangers; and the counsel He gives, He Himself fulfills, by delivering us from eternal perils. Similarly, he gives advice on how we can attain the inheritance of paradise and leads us to those joys themselves. Therefore, the spirit of counsel descends upon the man Christ, while he receives the teaching of the Gospel from the Holy Spirit, in which the counsel consists for all those desiring to be saved.
The Spirit of strength also rested upon Christ when he appeared among men to defeat the ancient enemy. He spoke about this strength in the Gospel, saying: When a strong man fully armed guards his own house, his possessions are safe. But when someone stronger attacks and overpowers him, he takes away all his weapons that he trusted in, and distributes the spoils (Luke 11:21).
Knowledge follows strength. Amongst humans, there are many types of knowledge; for there are different types of knowledge in various arts. There is knowledge in literature, in worldly laws, in increasing temporal things, and also knowledge in preventing dangers; there are also many who, through the subtlety of their senses, foresee certain future events. However, these types of knowledge are possessed sometimes by good people and sometimes by evil people; but the knowledge that descends upon Christ can only be possessed by the good. How great it was, as great as no mind could comprehend: for in him are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge (Coloss., II, 3). Therefore, it seems to me that, through the spirit of knowledge, some fact of his should not be understood; for our Savior foresaw that if he were to avoid the company of sinful men, many wicked ones would be condemned to the pit of despair, so he desired to conform himself to sinners through the communion of his body, eating and drinking with them, not rejecting even the touch of prostitutes: he also promised paradise at the beginning of his confession to the thief (Luc. XXIII, 43), in order to give hope of forgiveness to all sinners who desire salvation. But the Pharisees, not having the spirit of knowledge, criticized him; because he ate with tax collectors and sinners. But he, having the spirit of knowledge, said to them: It is not the healthy who need a doctor, but the sick. I did not come to call the righteous, but sinners to repentance (Matthew 9:12 et seq.).
But it is not necessary for us to say anything about the spirit of piety. For what is so pious as he who did not commit sin, nor was deceit found in his mouth (1 Peter 2:22); and even though he could be delivered from death by his own power, he allowed himself to be held, bound, spat upon, slapped, flogged, and crucified for the salvation of the human race.
But the spirit of the fear of the Lord, who is placed last, pertains to passion; not because he was forced by fear to die for the salvation of the human race, but we should understand fear for obedience, of which he himself says: I came not to do my own will, but the will of him who sent me, the Father (John 6:36). For we also say that the son, who is obedient to the fleshly father in all things, fears the father, although that obedience is not of fear, but of love. About which fear the Psalmist says: The fear of the Lord is holy, enduring forever (Psalm 19:9); but it is not fear, but the love of God, that will endure forever.
Now, how these seven gifts of the Holy Spirit pertain to each of the faithful must be briefly explained. And because we, who lay in the snare of perdition through the guilt of the first transgression, are led back to heavenly things by the mercy of God from lower things, that is, we begin with the fear of God, in order to advance to higher things, that is, to wisdom. And just as Christ descended to us through these stages by humbling himself and perfected our salvation by dying, so we must ascend to him through the same stages; namely, by doing his commandments, which are contained in the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit. Therefore, the spirit of the fear of the Lord rests upon every sinner, when, considering his sins and fearing the just judgment of God and the punishments of eternal fire which are prepared for the wicked, he turns to repentance and tears, and begins to weep bitterly for what he has done delightfully.
But the spirit of piety rests upon any sinner who hears the scripture saying: As water extinguishes fire, so almsgiving extinguishes sin (Sirach 3:33); and the Lord saying: Give alms, and behold, all things are clean to you (Luke 11:41), begins to feed the needy, clothe the naked, and start practicing other works of piety; so that by showing mercy to others, he may make God propitious to himself, whom he had offended by sinning. Hence, the prophet Daniel also sought to admonish the most impious king to redeem his sins through acts of charity and mercy towards the poor.
One ascends to the spirit of knowledge through piety; for although someone may seem to possess knowledge, they are foolish if they live wickedly. For what is more foolish than to cast out the fear of God from the mind, to indulge in vices, and to hasten towards destruction with rapid course? Therefore, if foolishness is to serve vices, and knowledge is to forsake vices and turn completely to God with the whole mind, whoever begins to lament their own sins through the spirit of fear and strives to be merciful towards the needy through the spirit of piety, in order to make themselves merciful by showing mercy to others as God does, it is necessary for them to possess the spirit of knowledge through the gift of the Holy Spirit. For whoever desires to convert to God, it is necessary for them to abandon vices. And whoever desires to abandon vices, it is necessary for them to learn through the teaching of divine Scriptures or through the preaching of holy men what the types of vices are, how they ensnare people, and how they can be extinguished. They must also learn about the deceits of demons and how to fight against them. Therefore, this is to possess the knowledge of the spirit.
And because Solomon says that he who adds knowledge also adds labor (Ecclesiastes 1:18); knowledge leads to the strength of the spirit. For just as any warrior does not fight against the one whom he holds captive in chains, but rather against the one who wants to resist him, so the devil does not fight against the one whom he holds bound by the chains of sin, but rather against the one who ceases to sin and turns back to God with all his mind. Therefore, whoever through repentance and acts of piety deserves to be freed from the bonds of the devil and desires to wage war against him through the spirit of knowledge, necessarily must receive the gift of fortitude from the Holy Spirit: With this gift, he can completely extinguish inner enemies, that is, vices, and overcome external enemies, namely, humans, through patience, and repel all the arrows of demons with the shield of faith.
From fortitude, one ascends to counsel: but the counsel of our salvation consists in the evangelical precepts. Therefore, whoever has been able to extinguish vices in themselves through the spirit of fortitude, it is necessary for them to pass to the examination of the commands of the Gospel, and to hide them in their heart; where they will find counsel on how to ascend to the summit of perfection.
And because the commandments of the Gospel cannot be kept without virtues, one ascends from the spirit of counsel to understanding, in which the perfection of all virtues consists. Indeed, faithful receive the gift of understanding from the Holy Spirit, and they deserve to be enriched with all virtues; for he possesses true understanding, who is enlightened by faith, who is purified by chastity, adorned by patience, fortified by humility, who shines with charity, and is consummated by other virtues.
And because one reaches the summit of perfection through the exercise of virtues, wisdom is placed above the intellect, in which all perfection consists. Our Lord speaks about this perfection in the Gospel, saying: If you wish to be perfect, go, sell all that you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven; and come, follow me (Matthew 19:21). There are indeed many who try to reach the summit of perfection suddenly, but because they do not ascend through the steps of virtues, they easily fall. For what profit is it to abandon material possessions, if one does not cast off anger, hatred, drunkenness, envy, pride, empty glory, and other vices that kill the soul? For it is not profitable to climb a tree to escape a lion, if one carries a snake in their bosom and perishes from its venom. And the Lord does not say that one is perfect merely by abandoning material possessions, but by also following Him. But we follow him when we imitate. Therefore, in order to reach the highest level of perfection, one must climb in steps that are appropriate to one's ability. First, by renouncing vices and living a life of virtue, one ascends to the contemplative life, in which one is joined only to Christ, who is the wisdom of the Father and the Son of God, and becomes a citizen of the heavenly Jerusalem.
Now let us briefly demonstrate how the descent of Christ through the seven gifts of the Holy Spirit corresponds to the ascent of the faithful. The final step of Christ's descent is the fear of God, through which we have said his passion and death were designated, and the first step of the conversion to God. The death of the Lord is fitting for those who lament their sins through the spirit of the fear of the Lord, because in the death of the Lord consists the forgiveness of all sins. And the forgiveness of sins could not be perfect if he had not died for us.
The sixth step of the descent of Christ is piety, and the second step of the ascent of repentant sinners. Piety of the faithful is congruent with the piety of the Lord; because He bestowed His mercy on those who were miserable in their souls, liberating them from eternal death by His own death, and they bestow their mercy on those who are miserable in their bodies, by generously providing them with the necessities of the body, about which He will say in judgment: 'Truly, I say to you, as you did it to one of the least of these my brothers, you did it to me.' (Matt. 25:40)
The first step of Christ's descent is knowledge, and the third step of the faithful's ascent. The spirit of knowledge, which is given to the faithful, corresponds to the spirit of knowledge, which was offered to Christ as a human; because he, in order to save sinners, was not unwilling to conform himself to them: and these, in order to escape sins, flee to him through the spirit of knowledge, who has the power to forgive sins.
The fourth degree of Christ's descent is fortitude, and likewise the fourth degree of the ascent of the faithful. However, the fortitude of the faithful corresponds to the fortitude of Christ; because by that fortitude, they conquer the devil, just as Christ also conquered, by the fortitude of Christ, not their own; as he himself says: Without me, you can do nothing (John XV, 5).
The third stage of Christ's descent is the spirit of counsel, and the fifth of the ascension of the faithful. The counsel of the faithful is united with the counsel of Christ when they submit themselves to the observance of the precepts of the Gospel, in which the perfect counsel of all the saints consists.
The second step of Christ's descent is understanding, and the sixth step of the believers' ascent. However, the understanding of the believers is congruent with the understanding of Christ, since they deserve to perceive the same virtues that he himself perceived through his Spirit, and the same virtues that his saints deserve to perceive from him.
The first step of Christ's descent is wisdom, and the seventh step of the faithful's ascent; for Christ is the wisdom of the Father, and from Him all wisdom arises. Therefore, the saints who are united to the Lord through the operation of virtues, receive wisdom from Him, in which the sum of all goodness consists (Prov. 3:13). He speaks to them through Solomon, saying: If anyone loves wisdom, let him turn to me and find it; and when he finds it, he is blessed if he holds onto it.
(Vers. 6.)
(Verse 6) It follows: And before the throne there was as it were a sea of glass, like crystal. We read that in the temple of Solomon there was a bronze sea in which the priests would wash before approaching the altar to offer sacrifices (2 Chronicles 4:6); but the splendor of the bronze is quickly obscured by a certain darkness. Therefore, the bronze sea signifies the Mosaic law, which through its dark letters obscures the brilliance of spiritual understanding. When brass is polished by a file, its brightness is revealed; so too, the spiritual understanding, which is obscured on the surface of the letters in the Law, is made manifest through the grace of God when carefully examined by faithful men. Therefore, the priests were washed in this sea; because through sacrifices and certain legal observances, certain sins of the old people were cleansed. Therefore, the glassy sea and crystal are appropriately understood as the New Testament. But in this sea we find three things, the sea, glass, and crystal: therefore, history is designated through the sea, moral intelligence through glass, and spiritual intelligence through crystal. Therefore, it is not incongruous for moral intelligence to be understood through glass, from which mirrors are made, because just as a person can see anything ugly on their face in a mirror, moral intelligence reveals whatever vices can exist in human souls. But by crystal, which is clearer than all gems, and which often even emits flames of brilliance and fire, the spiritual intelligence is expressed, which illuminates dark things in divine Scriptures, illuminates the minds of spiritual senses with flames, and even ignites some with love for God and love for the celestial homeland.
And in the midst of the throne and around the throne, there were four living creatures full of eyes in front and behind. This cannot be understood according to history; for such a small number cannot occupy the circumference of the throne and its middle. But it is to be understood in a spiritual sense. Therefore, the four living creatures signify not only the four evangelists, but also all the doctors of the Church who follow their teaching. The four living creatures stand around the throne, because the doctors of the Church defend the people entrusted to them from both visible and invisible enemies with all their power. They stand in the middle of the seat, because they never cease to remind each one of them to make progress in all virtues and good works. Therefore, these four animals are seen to have had eyes in front and behind, because holy preachers examine both the future and the past. They have them in front of their eyes, because they show their listeners what they should beware of and what they should desire, while looking at the day of judgment, the condemnation of the wicked, and the glory of the righteous. They have eyes behind, because while they observe the lives of their predecessors, they themselves progress in their imitation, and they place their lives and teachings before their listeners, so that they themselves may progress in their imitation.
(Vers. 7.)
(Verse 7) And the first creature was like a lion, and the second creature like a calf, and the third creature had a face like a man, and the fourth creature was like a flying eagle. The four figures of the creatures are not all explained in the same way by the authorities; but it has been handed down to us by the ancient ones that we understand through the lion Mark, through the calf Luke, through the man Matthew, and through the flying eagle John; because Mark begins from the desert, Luke from the priesthood of the Jews, Matthew from the man, that is, from the generation of Christ, and John from the divinity of Christ. But some, following a different order, think that Matthew was designated by the lion, Mark by the calf, Luke by the man, and John by the eagle. For they say that Matthew was designated by the lion, who is the king of beasts, because he narrated that Christ descended according to human nature from a royal lineage (Matt. 2:2): he also says that a star appeared at the time of his birth, which showed that he was the King of heaven and earth, of angels and men: it also led the Magi, as if the King of the world, to worship him from the East: but it also says that the king of the earth, that is, Herod, was troubled at the time of his birth with all his ministers; because just as any king who is of little power, if he knows that another king who is of great power is coming against him to invade his kingdom, trembles and is troubled (Ibid. 3): so Herod was troubled by Christ coming in the flesh, who was to become the King of the world, and all Jerusalem with him; for the gifts that he narrates the Magi offered to Christ demonstrate that he is the King, God, and Lord of all creatures. But they say that Mark, because of the simplicity of his language, wrote about Christ in the form of a calf; Luke, however, wrote about Him in the form of a man, since he has more fully traced out His human birth than the rest. For from him we have learned how the birth of Christ was announced by an angel, how He was born, how He was placed in a manger, how He was circumcised, how He was presented in the temple, and how He grew up to mature age. There is no one who denies that John was chosen by the eagle.
(Vers. 8.)
(Verse 8.) And each of the four living creatures had six wings, and they were full of eyes all around and within. By the number six, which is perfect, the perfection of the saints is symbolized, to which no one can rise except through the teaching of the Gospel: For the Law brought no one to perfection (Hebrews 7:19). But if you combine the six wings of the four living creatures, you will find twenty-four. Therefore, it seems to me that they have the same significance as the twenty-four thrones, which we said signify the twenty-four books of the Old Testament. But since the seats always stick to the ground, those who rest in them bend somewhat towards the ground; but the wings, to which they are attached, lift them up to the heights. Therefore, in the old Testament, the seats were for the ancient fathers; because understanding them literally, they were not able to raise themselves perfectly to their spiritual understanding: but these seats were turned into wings for the fathers of the new Testament; because understanding the books of the old Testament spiritually, they are daily lifted up to heavenly things through their teachings.
But because this number, that is twenty-four, is often found in this book, it pleased us to say a few things about the mysteries of this number. The parts of this number are one, two, three, four, six, eight, twelve. The one that is placed at the beginning signifies one God: indeed, the two that follow indicate two testaments: the three pertain to the Trinity: after the three, not unsuitably, four follow, because through the teaching of the four Gospels the faith in the Holy Trinity has been made known to us: after the four, six, which is a perfect number, follow; because without the teaching of the Gospel no one could ascend to the summit of perfection; because the Law, as the Apostle says, did not lead anyone to perfection (Ibid.): after six, eight follow, because there are eight virtues that fight against vices, without the operation of which no one is able to ascend to the height of perfection: after eight, twelve follow, because through the teaching of the apostles we come to faith, which is the mother of all virtues.
Therefore, it is said that these four animals are full of eyes both in their surroundings and inside. We must understand the whole body through its surroundings; for when Ezekiel spoke about those animals, he said that their whole body was full of eyes (Ezek. 1). Therefore, the saints have eyes in the back, when they hear the threat of the Lord saying: No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God (Luke 9:62); they strive with all their might not to be reminded of the evil deeds they have done in the past, and they never cease to set the eyes of their minds on the preservation of humility. They keep watch before their eyes, when, hearing the voice of the Lord saying: Blessed is that servant, whom when his lord shall come he shall find watching (Matt. 24:46); they cease not in their work whatever good they are able to do, so that at the time of their death, when the Lord comes, they may be found prepared. They keep watch to their left, when they repel with the shield of faith all the temptations of the devil from their minds; they keep watch to their right, when they carefully guard against being exalted for their good works. Whether they have eyes on the right or on the left, they cannot lift them up to prosper or bend them down to adversity. They have eyes below, as they trample on carnal desires by extinguishing them: they have eyes above, as they yearn with their whole mind for the heavenly homeland: they have eyes within, as they guard their hearts from base thoughts.
And they did not have rest day and night, saying: Holy, Holy, Holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. For the rest of the wicked is the present life; they are followed by tribulation, which has no end. But the righteous are afflicted in this world, so that they may possess eternal rest, as the Apostle Paul says: Through many tribulations we must enter the kingdom of God. (Acts 14:21). Otherwise: The saints do not have rest, because they do not cease from praising God and praying, as the Lord says: It is necessary to pray always and not to faint (Luke 18:1) ; and the Apostle Paul speaks, saying: Pray without ceasing, give thanks in all things (1 Thessalonians 5:17). But we must inquire how we can pray without interruption. For there are many who, though they are constant in prayers, psalms, and the celebration of Mass, and give abundant alms, are still inflamed with pride, burning with the fires of greed, accumulating money by whatever means they can. To the extent that they even mistreat the poor, whom they should have shown mercy to, with certain arguments, in order to increase their own wealth from the meager belongings of those poor, saying that they are doing this legally, when this law is not of God, but a trick of the devil. But even in monasteries there are many who are devoted to vigils, psalms, prayers, and the celebration of Mass, and yet they are often and easily inflamed with anger. Some of them, indeed, serve drunkenness and gluttony; some even carry hatred in their hearts for a long time; some seek favors and praises of men in the good things that they seem to do; some are weighed down by envy, others by detractions, or other vices. And what more? They corrupt and defile all the holiness that they claim with unworthy behaviors and actions.
Therefore, to demonstrate the blindness of these people, I will propose a certain similarity. There was a man stuck in the mud up to his neck; and when he saw someone passing by, he extended his hand and cried out, saying, 'Have mercy on me, and pull me out of this mud.' And when he extended his hand to pull him out, he submerged the hand that he had extended in the mud. And when the one who came to pull him out wanted to leave, he again demanded to be rescued. And when he stretched out his hand a second time to unearth it, the other person submerged his hand in the mud once again. And as he did this more frequently, the angry person said, Why do you ask to be unearthed when you want to persist in your own danger? And because you love your own destruction, possess what you have chosen. Similarly, these people constantly pray to God to be freed from vices; and yet they embrace these vices in such a way that they cannot be torn away from them in any way. Let us therefore set before our eyes two people: one who is learned, constantly praying, singing psalms, and celebrating masses; and yet subject to certain vices: and the other who is unlearned, an idiot, yet faithful, fearing and loving God, loving their neighbor, patient, and humble. Who among these do you think has kept the sentiment of the apostles, in which it says: 'Pray without ceasing' (Ibid.); that person who prays constantly and is subject to certain vices, or that person who does not know how to pray but is nevertheless free from vices and dedicated to good works? Clearly, the innocence and good works of the latter shine forth more to God than the words of the former, whose life is tainted by certain vices. Therefore, the person who prays without ceasing is the one who prays to God with a devout mind and tongue at appropriate times and is diligent in good works. When he sleeps or is occupied with some necessary works of human life, his works shine in the sight of God, and they themselves are his intercessors before God, as the angel speaks to Cornelius, saying: Your prayers and alms have been remembered in the sight of God (Acts 10:4).
But let us hear what these four living creatures say incessantly: Holy, holy, holy, Lord God Almighty, who was, and who is, and who is to come. By calling God thrice holy, they demonstrate the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. And when they say: Lord God Almighty, they move from plurality to singularity, showing that the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit are one in dominion, one in divinity, one in omnipotence. But it must be asked, why do they say that the Holy Trinity is invoked incessantly, when the holy men of God are sometimes occupied in prayers, sometimes in reading, sometimes in preaching, or in various other necessities? Therefore, the holy preachers, while they retain the faith of the Holy Trinity in their minds and profess it with their mouths, while they fulfill the works of faith, while they preach the same faith and works of faith to whomever they can, while they also beseech and praise the same triune and one God in prayers and thanksgiving, while according to the Apostle, whether they eat or drink, they do all things in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, they incessantly invoke the holy Trinity (I Cor. X, 31). But what follows: He who was, and who is, and who is to come; has already been said above.
(Vers. 9, 10.)
(Verse 9, 10) And when those animals gave glory and honor and blessing to the one sitting on the throne, the one living forever and ever; the twenty-four elders fell down before the one sitting on the throne and worshiped the one living forever and ever. In this place, the four animals represent the four Gospels: the twenty-four elders can be understood as the Fathers of the New Testament. Therefore, the four animals give glory and honor and blessing to the one sitting on the throne, the one living forever and ever; because the teaching of the Gospel is read and proclaimed throughout the whole world, through which glory and honor and blessing is given to the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Therefore, at the voice of the four living creatures, the twenty-four elders fell down before the one sitting on the throne and worshipped the living one forever and ever, because the holy ones of God, established throughout the whole world, upon hearing the teaching of the Gospel, humble themselves in the sight of God so that they may live with Him forever and ever. And they would cast their crowns before the throne, saying: We have previously stated that the crowns were designated for good works. Therefore, the holy ones send their crowns before the throne, giving everything good that they do back to God, not to themselves, according to the precept of the Apostle: Let the one who boasts, boast in the Lord (2 Cor. 10:17).
(Vers. 11.)
(Verse 11) Let us hear what they say: Worthy are you, O Lord our God, to receive glory and honor and power. Earlier, the four living creatures gave glory and honor and blessing to God. But here, the twenty-four elders say that they have received glory and honor and power from God, exchanging power for blessing. But what can anyone give to God, or what can God receive from anyone, since He Himself created everything, and without Him nothing can exist, and as it is said in the Gospel: Without me you can do nothing (John 15:5)? For if the saints can do nothing without God, what can they give to Him? Therefore, because the nature of humans is such that they are not able to have any good from themselves unless they receive it from Him, who is supremely good, God gives to His saints so that they may reward Him. For God has promised the kingdom of heaven to His saints, but only if they have rendered the price of good works for it. And because the chosen ones do not have this price unless they receive it from Him, He Himself gives the price so that they may purchase eternal life from Him. Therefore, the saints give glory to God when they do anything good, because they do it with the intention of glorifying God through themselves, as He Himself says in the Gospel: 'Let your good works be seen, and let them glorify your Father, who is in heaven' (Matthew 5:16). For even John says that Peter glorified God through his death (John 21:19). They give honor when they seek the honor of God, not their own, in everything they do. The blessing is placed third in importance above, but here it is virtue: and because the saints, while doing great things, are blessed by men, virtue is fittingly connected with blessing. But as for the great works that the saints do, they detest the praises of men, as the book of Acts of the Apostles indicates to us. For when Peter and John had healed a lame man, and all eyes were fixed on them, as if they had done this by their own power, Peter, avoiding the blessings of the eyes, said to them: Men, brothers, why do you look at us as if we had made this man walk by our own power or piety? The God of Abraham, and the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob has raised up his Son Jesus (Acts 3:12). And in the following (passage): In whose name stands this healthy person before you. Similarly, when Paul and Barnabas had healed a sick person in Lystra and the people wanted to sacrifice to them, they tore their clothes and said: Men, why are you doing these things? We are also human beings, just like you (Acts 14:14). We can understand this also about Christ, who, according to his humanity, has clearly received glory, honor, and power.
It follows: Because you created all things, and they existed for your will, and they were created. If this is to be understood in the sense that also that which is written: Who made the things that are to come; therefore, all creatures were in the power and will of God before they were created: but they were created at the time when God disposed. May He, who created all things out of nothing, deign to create in us a clean heart, who lives and reigns forever and ever, amen.
De Visione Tertia.
After the description of the structure of the Church, it is fittingly indicated by the opening of the book, by which the opening of the divine Scriptures is signified, because after the Church was founded among the Gentiles by the holy apostles and other preachers, the books of the Old and New Testament were explained by the holy doctors according to the apostolic faith.