Which begins to treat of the fifth kind of good wherein the
will may rejoice, which is the supernatural. Describes the nature
of these supernatural good things, and how they are distinguished
from the spiritual, and how joy in them is to be directed to God.
IT now behoves us to treat of the fifth kind of good thing
wherein the soul may rejoice, which is the supernatural. By this
term we here understand all the gifts and graces given by God
which transcend natural virtue and capacity and are called gratis
datae. Such as these are the gifts of wisdom and knowledge which
God gave to Solomon, and the graces whereof Saint Paul speaks[629]
-- namely, faith, gifts of healing, the working of miracles,
prophecy, knowledge and discernment of spirits, interpretation of
words and likewise the gift of tongues.
2. These good things, it is true, are also spiritual, like
those of the same kind of which we have to speak presently; yet,
since the two are so different, I have thought well to make a
distinction between them. The practice of these has an intimate
relation with the profit of man, and it is with a view to this
profit and to this end that God gives them. As Saint Paul says:
'The spirit is given to none save for the profit of the rest;'[630]
this is to be understood of these graces. But the use and practice
of spiritual graces has to do with the soul and God alone, and
with God and the soul, in the communion of understanding and will,
etc., as we shall say hereafter. And thus there is a difference in
their object, since spiritual graces have to do only with the
Creator and the soul; whereas supernatural graces have to do with
the creature, and furthermore differ in substance, and therefore
in their operation, and thus of necessity the instruction which we
give concerning them differs also.
3. Speaking now of supernatural graces and gifts as we here
understand them, I say that, in order to purge ourselves of vain
joy in them, it is well here to notice two benefits which are
comprised in this kind of gift -- namely, temporal and spiritual.
The temporal benefits are the healing of infirmities, the
receiving of their sight by the blind, the raising of the dead,
the casting out of devils, prophesying concerning the future so
that men may take heed to themselves, and other things of the
kind. The spiritual and eternal benefit is that God is known and
served through these good works by him that performs them, or by
those in whom and in whose presence they are performed.
4. With respect to the first kind of benefit -- namely, the
temporal -- supernatural works and miracles merit little or no
rejoicing on the part of the soul; for, without the second kind of
benefit, they are of little or no importance to man, since they
are not in themselves a means for uniting the soul with God, as
charity is. And these supernatural works and graces may be
performed by those who are not in a state of grace and charity,
whether they truly give thanks and attribute their gifts to
God,[631] as did the wicked prophet Balaam, and Solomon, or whether
they perform them falsely, through the agency of the devil, as did
Simon Magus, or by means of other secrets of nature. These works
and marvels, if any of them were to be of any profit to him that
worked them, would be true works given by God. And Saint Paul
teaches us what these are worth without the second kind of
benefit, saying: 'Though I speak with the tongues of men and of
angels, and have not charity, I am become as a sounding bell or
metal. And though I have prophecy and know all mysteries and all
knowledge; and though I have all faith, even as much as may
remove[632] mountains, and have not charity, I am nothing, etc.'[633]
Wherefore Christ will refuse the requests of many who have
esteemed their good works in this way, when they beg Him for glory
because of them, saying: Lord, have we not prophesied in Thy name
and worked many miracles? Then Christ will say to them: 'Depart
from Me, workers of iniquity.'[634]
5. A man, then, should rejoice, not when he has such graces
and makes use of them, but when he reaps from them the second
spiritual fruit, namely that of serving God in them with true
charity, for herein is the fruit of eternal life. For this cause
Our Saviour reproved the disciples who were rejoicing because they
cast out devils, saying: 'Desire not to rejoice in this, that
devils are subject to you, but rather because your names are
written in the book of life.'[635] This, according to good theology,
is as much as to say: Rejoice if your names are written in the
book of life. By this it is understood that a man should not
rejoice save when he is walking in the way of life, which he may
do by performing good works in charity; for where is the profit
and what is the worth in the sight of God of aught that is not
love of God? And this love is not perfect if it be not strong and
discreet in purging the will of joy in all things, and if it be
not set upon doing the will of God alone. And in this manner the
will is united with God through these good things which are
supernatural.