Proverbs 3 · The Lantern

Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

My son, do not forget my instruction, and let your heart keep my commandments,

Those who forget the law are the ones who violate it; yet those who remember the law are the ones who live in accordance with the law. Likewise, those who observe the sayings of God are those who keep them, and those who destroy them are those who do not want to follow them.

What of this fact, that God in so many passages commands that all his precepts be kept and carried out? How can he command if there is no free choice? And what of that "blessed man" about whom the psalmist says that "his will has been according to the law of the Lord"?

My son, do not forget my law, etc. Here he teaches that works of mercy should be insisted upon, and that we should not trust in our own strength, but seek help from God. And he arranges all these things in a suitable order; for, after restraining from cruelty, after chastening from luxury, he adorns with good deeds the one whom he has taken to instruct himself.

for length of days and years of life and peace they will add to you.

Let loyal love and faithfulness not forsake you; bind them on your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart.

And find grace and good sense in the eyes of God and man.

Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and do not lean on your own understanding.

In all your ways know him, and he will make your paths straight.

Do not be wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn from evil.

Ignorance is constantly, so to speak, accompanied by rashness and leads people on to attach great importance to their wretched fancies. Thus those who are the victims of this malady entertain a great idea of themselves and imagine themselves possessed of such knowledge as no one can gainsay.

If there are any who are even in the catholic church and live evil lives, before they finish this life, let them hasten to give up the evil life, and let them not think that the catholic name is enough for salvation, if they do not do the will of God.… In Proverbs each one of us is commanded both to fear the Lord and to depart from evil.

Fear the Lord, etc. Just as it is in Job: Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding (Job XXVI). For indeed, all the perfect ought to abstain from all evils, so that they always consider the presence of the divine majesty with fear.

It will be healing to your navel and refreshment to your bones.

Honor the LORD from your wealth, and from the firstfruits of all your produce,

God approves of that alms which is furnished by just labors, as is written: "Honor the Lord with your labors and sacrifice to him with the fruits of your justice." For God abominates and refuses that alms which is furnished to him at the cost of another's tears.

We receive only the use of those possessions which we hold. We make use of the wealth loaned to us by God. We are, as it were, tenants by the revocable will of the grantor. When departing from this world, whether we like it or not, we leave everything behind on earth.

Honor the Lord with your substance, etc. Many give much to the poor, but from another's substance and harvests, which they have taken by force or fraud. Many give of their own, but do not honor the Lord in their giving, because they do it for human favor, and not for the love of the Heavenly Inspector.

and your barns will be filled with plenty, and your vats will burst with new wine.

The discipline of the LORD, my son, do not reject, and do not loathe his rebuke,

Wherefore seeing we also are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, let us lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, Looking unto Jesus the author and finisher of our faith; who for the joy that was set before him endured the cross, despising the shame, and is set down at the righ…

[Syncletica] also said, 'When the devil does not use the goad of poverty to tempt us, he uses wealth for the same purpose. When he cannot win by scorn and mockery, he tries praise and flattery. If he cannot win by giving health, he tries illness. If he cannot win by comfort, he tries to ruin the soul by vexations that lead us to act against our monastic vows.

My son, do not despise the discipline of the Lord, nor be weary of his correction, etc. There are those who serve the Lord in prosperity, but go astray in adversity.

for the LORD rebukes the one he loves, and as a father the son in whom he delights.

The Blessings of Wisdom

Happy is the man who finds wisdom, and the man who draws out insight,

for her profit is better than the profit of silver, and her yield than gold.

She is more precious than corals, and none of your delights are equal to her.

Length of days is in her right hand; in her left, riches and honor.

Someone may object: If the just man has no left hand, how is Wisdom written to have both a right hand and a left? A diligent reader will very easily judge how great is the difference between the right hand of Wisdom and the left, when he has noticed what things are said to be in her right and what in her left.

The Church says by the voice of the elect, "His left hand is under my head, and his right hand shall embrace me." The left hand of God, to wit prosperity in the present life, she has put under her head, in that she presses it down in the intentness of her highest love.

Length of days is in her right hand, etc. With the vision of his divinity, He grants the chosen ones in perpetual light, and in this present life, he strengthens and illuminates them with the sacraments and charisms of his incarnation. He gives them, who sell all things for themselves, a hundredfold in this time, and eternal life in the future age.

Her ways are ways of pleasantness, and all her paths are peace.

She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, and those who hold her fast are called happy.

But do you wish that I show you from the Scriptures that these several virtues, which we mentioned above, are called trees or shrubs? I bring forward as witness the most wise Solomon, saying concerning wisdom: "it is a tree of life", he says, "to all who embrace it".

'He is like a tree planted near running water, that yields its fruit in due season, and whose leaves never fade.' [Psalm 1:3] There are many who interpret these words very simply to mean that just as a tree, if planted near water, will take root and grow and not wither away because it has enough moisture, so in like manner one who meditates on the law of God will derive strengt…

The third mode of generation is by means of propagation, and this in a fourfold way: as of a growth coming from a seed, a tree from a root, a conceived offspring from the belly or womb of the mother, or children from a begetting father. In the first mode of generation, formal beauty is lacking, for in the seed the form is vague and hidden. It is not so in the case of the Son.

The LORD by wisdom founded the earth; he established the heavens by insight.

You will find it said in Proverbs, "God by wisdom founded the earth, and by prudence he prepared the heaven." Thus there is a certain prudence of God which one does not seek [except] in Christ Jesus.

Paul declares that it was said of the Son: "You, Lord, in the beginning laid the foundation of the earth, and the heavens are the work of your hands." Whether therefore the Son made the heavens, as also the apostle would have it understood, while he himself certainly did not alone spread out the heavens without the Father; or as it stands in the book of Proverbs, "the Lord in w…

The Lord founded the earth by wisdom, etc. God the Father through the Son created all things. Typically, however, He founded the earth by wisdom when He established the holy Church in the solidity of faith through Him; He stabilized the heavens with understanding when through the same He enlightened the sublime hearts of the preachers.

By his knowledge the deeps were split open, and the clouds drip dew.

My son, do not let them depart from your eyes; keep sound wisdom and discretion,

and they will be life to your soul and grace to your neck.

Then you will walk your way in safety, and your foot will not strike.

If you lie down, you will not be afraid; you will lie down, and your sleep will be sweet.

Do not fear sudden dread, or the storm of the wicked when it comes,

for the LORD will be your confidence, and will keep your foot from capture.

Do not withhold good from its owners, when it is in the power of your hand to do it.

Do not say to your neighbor, “Go and come back, and tomorrow I will give,” when it is with you.

Do not plot evil against your neighbor, while he dwells in safety with you.

Do not contend with a man without cause, if he has done you no evil.

Do not envy a man of violence, and do not choose any of his ways,

for the devious one is an abomination to the LORD, but his intimacy is with the upright.

The curse of the LORD is in the house of the wicked, but the dwelling of the righteous he blesses.

If it is the scoffers, he scoffs at them, but to the afflicted he gives grace.

From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members? Ye lust, and have not: ye kill, and desire to have, and cannot obtain: ye fight and war, yet ye have not, because ye ask not. Ye ask, and receive not, because ye ask amiss, that ye may consume it upon your lusts.

We add, in the next place, that neither is every one that prophesies holy, nor every one that casts out devils religious: for even Balaam the son of Beor the prophet did prophesy, though he was himself ungodly; as also did Caiaphas, the falsely-named high priest.

The Lord gives greater grace than does the friendship of the world, because this grants earthly goods for a time and things that are to be lost with sorrow; he bestows the eternal joy of life. On what sort he bestows this grace, however, he explains in succession.

The wise will inherit honor, but fools carry off dishonor.

Proverbs3

Trust in the LORD with All Your Heart

The Blessings of Wisdom