CHAPTER I Concerning contemplation and its excellence If the One with the key of knowledge allows, I wish through a gift of His inspiration to unlock somewhat the mystical ark of Moses, by presenting the results of our nightly work. And if in this hidden place of divine secrets and distant storehouse of knowledge there is something hidden, which our humble self can draw out for the benefit of others, we will hesitate neither to explain it publicly nor to offer it for common use. While much has been profitably said on this topic, much still remains. The mystical meaning of the ark in the allegorical sense, that is, as it represents Christ, has been articulated by learned persons and investigated by more penetrat- ing minds before. Despite this, we do not presume to be guilty of carelessness by now saying something about it in the moral sense. However, so that our zealous concern for it be made sweeter, and our sense of wonder at it be made stronger, let us consider the opinion of that finest Prophet, who calls it the ark of sanctification. He says, “Rise up Lord to your resting place; you and the ark of your sanctification” (Ps. 131:8). “Ark of sanctification”: Do we think that which is called the ark of sanctification received its name from its reality? Let us pay careful attention and profoundly recall that, whatever it is, it is called an ark of sanctification for you, whom our learned teacher taught saying: “You will be holy just as I also am holy” (Lev. 11:44). Therefore, you being sanctified today, tomorrow and on the third day, do not fail to pay attention to what it means for you, that it is called the ark of sanctification. If Moses is correctly to be believed, we know that whoever touches it issanctified (Exod. 29:37). If the power of sanctification does go furry from it, then all worthy people will seek to touch it. Would that someone be found among you, a man such as the one from Ramathaim, who having put on vestments of glory befitting a high priest, would thus be worthy to enter into the I Joly of Holies and be cleansed from his impurities not only by seeing but by touching this thing called the ark of sanctification. But what will I say about that one if perchance he was given the key of knowledge by Him who opens and no man closes, thus enabling him to see what this ark of sanctification contains? Indeed, I think something precious was placed in this ark. I very much wish to know what this ark is, which can sanctify those who approach it, and thus which can worthily be called an ark of sanctification. However, concerning Wisdom, I do not doubt that it is Wisdom herself who conquers malice (Wisd. 7:30). No less do I know that from the beginning whoever was restored to health was restored to it by Wisdom (Wisd. 9:19). But it also is sufficiently certain that no person can please God unless Wisdom is with him. Does anyone doubt that it pertains to sanctification for a person to be cleansed of all his im- purities, and for the mind of anyone to be purified of all malice and wickedness? These are the things that pollute a person. However, he is purified by Wisdom when She, attacking more bravely, con- quers malice, that is, reaching powerfully from one end of the earth to the other and setting all things in order pleasantly (Wisd. 8:1). And I think to be purified in this way is to be sanctified. When the Lord began to teach Moses about the construction of the tabernacle, He first instructed him about building the ark, in order to indicate from this that all other things were to be constructed for the benefit of the ark. I think no one doubts that the ark is first and foremost among the holy places within the tabernacle of the covenant. Therefore, a seeker, except one who doubts that Mary chose the better part, easily recognizes that this sacred structure signifies grace. But what is that best part which Mary chose (Luke 10:42) except to be free from preoccupations and to see how sweet the Lord is? (Cf. Ps. 33:9.) For as Scripture says, while Martha was solicitous, Mary, sitting at the feet of the Lord, heard His word. And so by hearing she understood and by understanding she saW the highest Wisdom of God, which, since hidden in the flesh,cannot be seen by eyes of the flesh; and while sitting and listening inthis manner, she was free from Preoccupations for contemplation of highest truth. This is the part that the elect and the perfect will never have taken from them. This is surely an activity without limits. For contemplation of truth begins in this life but is celebrat- ed forever in the next. Surely by contemplation of truth a person is educated for justice and perfected for glory. Thus you cor- rectly see that by this sacred structure, preferred above everything else because of its dignity, is meant the grace of contemplation. O how singular a grace! O so singularly preferred, for we are sanctified by it in this life and made happy by it in the next. Therefore, if the ark of sanctification means the grace of contempla- tion, then this grace is justly coveted, for whoever receives it is not only purified by it but sanctified too. Doubtless nothing else either so purifies the heart of all its worldly pores or so ans 7 jaa = the love of heavenly things. Certainly constan' truth purifies and ee contempt of the world cleanses and love of God makes us holy.CHAPTER IV The definition, individually, of contemplation, meditation and thinking And so it seems that it can be defined thus: Contemplation is the free, more penetrating gaze of a mind, suspended with wonder concerning manifestations of wisdom; or certainly as it was deter- mined by a distinguished theologian of our time who defined it in these words: Contemplation is a penetrating and free gaze of a soul extended everywhere in perceiving things; but meditation is a zeal- ous attention of the mind, earnestly pursuing an investigation con- cerning something. Or thus: Meditation is the careful gaze of the soul employed ardently in a search for truth; thinking, however, is the careless looking about of a soul inclined to wandering. And so it seems that it is a shared characteristic of the essence of these three, as it were, that they are a kind of sight of the soul. For when nothing is observed by the mind, not one of these can be named or said to exist. However, it is a shared characteristic of contemplation and meditation to be employed concerning beneficial things, and to be engaged principally—nay continually—in the pursuit of wis- dom and knowledge. But certainly in this they usually differ greatly from thinking, which is accustomed to relax at almost every moment in improper and frivolous things, and without any re- straint of discretion to rush or to go headlong into everything. In truth it is a shared characteristic of contemplation and thinking that they move about here and there by a certain kind of free motion and according to a spontaneous command and are not impeded from the impulse of their going about by any difficult hindrance. However, in this they differ greatly from meditation, the pursuit of which is always, with whatever labor of activity and difficulty of soul, to grasp any lofty things whatsoever, to break through obstructions, to penetrate into hidden things. Nevertheless, it often happens thatin its wandering thoughts the soul may encounter something that it strives strongly to know and pursues that vigorously. But when the mind for the satisfaction of its own desire begins to pursue such inquiry, already, by thinking it goes beyond the mode of thinking, and thinking passes over into meditation. Certainly, it is usual that something similar occurs concerning meditation. For after a certain truth has been sought for a long while and is found at last, the mind usually receives it with strong desire, marvels at it with exultation, and for a long time clings to the wonder of it. Already, this is to go beyond meditation by meditating, and meditation passes over into contemplation. And so, it is the property of contemplation to cling with wonder to the manifestation of its joy. And in this, assuredly, it seems to differ as much from meditation as from thinking. For thinking, as has already been said, always turns aside here and there with a rambling walk, while meditation always aims, with fixed advancement, toward further things.