Section I: On the Prudence That Men Bound by Solemn Vows Claim from the First Choir of Angels

S. Doctor SUPPOSES here those three Hierarchical operations, to Purify, to Illuminate, and to Perfect; and by the names of Angels he proves at once private persons on account of certain excellences, and also rectors and Princes on account of their governance. Thus Matth. 11. John is called an Angel; and II. Reg. 14. and 19. David is compared to an Angel. So too in Apoc. the Rectors of the Churches are called Angels.

Therefore he first applies the supreme Hierarchy to the Religious, and to all perfect in vows.

He calls the Religious SERAPHIM, named from the divine fires of Charity, to whom he applies Heb. I. Who maketh his angels spirits, and his ministers a flame of fire, and Apoc. 10. I saw an Angel, whose face was as the sun, and his feet as a pillar of fire. And Isa. 6. One of the Seraphim flew to me, and in his hand a live coal, etc. Therefore thus the servants of God, kindled, ought to imitate the nature of fire: for fire is always raised upward, it consumes rust, and resolves earthly things into itself; it is moved most swiftly, it spreads itself to all things to be converted to itself.

THUS the Religious, kindled with the fire of Charity, will be proved, if they ascend swiftly, despising earthly things; if they strive to resolve all things into the love of God; if they work swiftly and with speed, as it is said: Isa. 18. Go, ye swift angels, and Ezech. I. Whithersoever the Spirit went, the wheels were lifted up following him, for the spirit of life, etc.; that is, they ought to shine with the best example of Charity, for the life of the religious is the exemplar of others. Therefore Deuter. 17. They shall receive the exemplar of the law from the priests, and I Timot. IV. Be thou an example of the faithful.

They ought moreover to PURIFY others, as it is said Malach. III. He shall sit like a refiner's fire, and shall purge the sons of Levi. Therefore the Seraphim say to Isaias: Thy iniquity shall be taken away, and thy sin shall be purged.

They ILLUMINATE also, Matth. V. You are the light of the world, Ephes. V. Walk as children of the light in love.

FROM the Seraphim of Isa. VI. shining forth, he argues what kind of flame the religious ought to shine with, for the example of others.

FIRST they are said to have been two, whereby is expressed their dwelling together in Charity. Therefore also the Lord sent his disciples two by two. Lucae X. and Ecclesiasticus IV. It is better that there be two together than one: for they have the advantage of their society. And Genes. XIX. Two Angels were sent into Pentapolis. Whereby a grave precept of prudence is given, that life in the Coenobia is safer than in the solitude of the Anachoretic life.

SECONDLY, those Seraphim were not seated, but stood. Whence in Psalm. 121. Our feet were standing in thy courts, O Jerusalem.

HIEREMIAE VI. Stand upon your ways, and see, and ask which is the good way? and Psalm. V. In the morning I will stand before thee, and will see, and Habac. II. I will stand upon my watch, and Apoc. VIII. An Angel stood near the altar of the temple. Therefore the unwearied raising of the intention to God is handed down in all things.

Each had six wings singly, that is twelve, whereby the spiritual and corporal works of mercy are signified, and they were joined one to another, as is said Ezech. I. With these wings he ought swiftly to work for the salvation of all.

With these wings they veiled their hands and their feet, by working, that they might not be seen, of which Matth. VI. Let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doth. Therefore he veils his head, hands, and feet, who desires neither in the beginning, nor in the end, nor in the middle to be praised for his works.

THESE flew, because the religious ought always to be borne higher into God. Whence Psalm. 54. Who will give me wings, etc. Therefore with the multiplied motion of spiritual wings, they ought assiduously by contemplation and action to ascend on high, never languishing, nor ever idling.

THESE cried: HOLY, HOLY, HOLY, one to the other, because in the Divine praises they are held to cry out perpetually. Thrice they pray, that they may be rightly instructed, promoted, and brought to salvation. Therefore Ioan. XVII. Sanctify them in truth, that they themselves may be sanctified, and consummated in one, etc.

WHEN indeed the lips of Isaias, defiled, were purged with a burning coal, and it kindled him, that he might offer himself for the divine missions, it expresses that the religious, most pure in themselves, are held bound to purify others with holy fire, to illuminate, and to kindle them unto works of salvation; thus Moses Num. XI. purged Mary the leper by prayers in a figure, and S. Job his friends, Iob in the last chapter.

There FOLLOWS the order of the Cherubim from the wisdom, with which religious men are held to be endowed and to illuminate others. Now this wisdom is practical, or prudence, as the holy Doctor advertises, Lib. I. cap. 3., which is not worldly wisdom, of which Lucae XVI. The children of this world are more prudent than the children of the light, which is in the avaricious; nor ought it to be the prudence of the flesh, which is death, as is said Rom. VIII., and it is in the voluptuous, because this wisdom is not found in the land of them that live sweetly, Iob 28.; nor ought it to be diabolical, of which Isa. V. Woe to you that are wise in your own eyes, etc. Therefore recourse must be had to the wisdom that is from above, which is chaste, peaceable, etc.

Now TWO Cherubim of gold are indicated Exodi 25., because there must be in them a twofold wisdom, and prudence. One of the things to be done concerning themselves and their neighbor: the other of the things to be done concerning God; and both golden, that is of Charity. Therefore gold most pure is given for the Cherubim, primo Paral. 28., which signifies the purity of conscience, from which it follows that they see God, which is beatitude, given to the clean of heart. Then indeed it follows that, radiated with divine light, they see most clearly (as the holy Doctor says). Therefore the Cherubim Ezech. I. and Apoc. IV. were full of eyes before and behind, because men compared to the Angels, the Cherubim, by the grace of circumspection, and the gift of providence, which are parts of prudence, see gilded on every side, they provide, and each keeps watch over the perils of the other. Whence also the Cherubim looked upon one another above the Propitiatory.

THESE are raised up into God with holy quiet. Therefore God dwells in them, who sitteth over the Cherubim; and these also draw others. Therefore Ezech. X. when the Cherubim were lifted up, the others also were lifted up; for upon the holiness of the religious hangs also the salvation of seculars. Therefore Iudith, cap. 8., says: and now, brethren, since you are the priests in the people of God, upon you depends their soul.

THESE are the interpreters of God; therefore in a figure from the propitiatory, between the two Cherubim, the voice of God went forth, Num. VII. and Ezech. I.: The sound of the wings of the Cherubim was as the voice of God.

THESE ought to keep the way of the tree of life, and to show it with the flaming sword, as is said Genes. III., and to cry out to all that word of Hierem. VI. This is the way, walk ye in it.

The THIRD order is that of the Thrones, in which Divine Justice dwells, Psalm. IX. Thou sittest upon the throne, who judgest justice.

God dwells upon the humble, as Isa. 66. says, and Dan. VII. His throne is a flame of fire. These are the Religious, as Origenes expounds there: For as the Thrones are the seats of God, compacted and joined into one, as D. Hieronymus says, cap. 7. de coelesti Hierarchia; so the religious, compacted into one place of quiet, are the Thrones of the Most High: These are the ivory Thrones, shadowed forth in the Throne of Solomon, of which II. Paral. IX. III. Reg. X. and Cant. II., the symbol of chastity, in which God rests, who feeds among the lilies: Therefore he rested in the womb of the B. Virgin, which is called ivory, Cant. V.

They ought to be Thrones of Sapphire, of which Ezech. I.

Ezech. I. The likeness of the Throne was as the appearance of a Sapphire. Now the Sapphire is a gem of heavenly color, starred, which signifies heavenly conversation. In the Sapphire the Law of Moses was written by God: so the religious are raised up from earthly things by poverty. To them it is said Isa. LVIII. I will lift thee up above the height of the earth, and I will feed thee with the inheritance of Jacob thy father, etc.

See the holy Doctor there, wonderfully eloquent, on how he becomes the best of religious who shall have drawn these lessons from things above.