Volume I, Treatise VIII, Chapter XV

Of the Conformity We Ought to Have to the Will of God in the Distribution of Natural Gifts and Talents

WE must all be content with the talents we have received from God, without envying others who are possessed of superior abilities. All persons stand in need of this instruction. For although several seem to surpass in some things, they have, notwithstanding, their defects, which counterpoise these advantages, and which render necessary to them the moderation and conformity we here speak of. It is our duty, then, to take precautions in this particular, and the more so, as the devil attacks many persons herein. You are, for example, in the course of your studies; and if, at the

public exhibitions, others signalise themselves more than you do, you will be apt presently to conceive in yourself a secret sort of envy. This envy, it is true, may not influence you so far as to afflict and torment yourself at your neighbour’s good, yet you will feel ashamed and chagrined on seeing that others have the precedence. Hence, will arise dejection and discontent, which may at last work so far upon you as to tempt you to quit your studies, and sometimes even religion itself; as in reality this temptation had made some do, because they had not laid strong foundations of humility. Some imagined they would become eminent for their studies, and acquire a great name and reputation; but the issue not answering their expectations, they conceive such shame and confusion that the devil, embracing this opportunity, fails not to suggest to them, that unless they quit religion they will never be free from the disgrace and confusion they have incurred.

This sort of temptation is not of a new date. We read in the chronicles of St. Dominick something like it, in the example of Albertus Magnus, who was master to St. Thomas of Aquin. This Albertus, as the history relates, had from his very infancy been a great client of the Blessed Virgin; recited daily some prayer in her honour, and, by her intercession, had been received at the age of sixteen into the order of St. Dominick. His talents at the time were by no means splendid; he seemed rather incapable of prosecuting his studies. In a word, seeing himself backward, while many of his fellow-students were making very considerable progress, he became so dissatisfied with himself, and the temptation pressed so heavily on him, that he was on the point of forsaking religion; and had certainly done it had he not, in this trouble of mind, received comfort from a miraculous vision. One night, in his sleep, he fancied he had reared a ladder to the wall of the monastery to make his escape, and, as he mounted, he beheld on the top of the wall four venerable matrons, of whom one seemed to be the chief. Having now approached them, one of the four gave hiin a violent push and threw him down to the bottom. He got up again, and was treated by another in the same manner: and being now ready to make the third attempt, one of them asked him what he intended, and upon what account he resolved to leave the order? He answered, quite confused, that he saw his fellow- Students daily making great progress in their studies, that all his own application and industry were to little purpose, and that it was shame made him leave religion. Whereupon the matron shewing him the Blessed Virgin; behold here present, said she, the mother of God and queen of heaven, whose servants only we are; recommend yourself to her, and we will also join our petitions with yours, that she will please to obtain of her Son those necessary qualities and helps for your success in your studies. Having said this she presented him to the Blessed Virgin, who, receiving him with a tender affection, asked what he desired? He told her it was to learn philosophy, wherein he had spent some time without any success. The Blessed Virgin exhorted him to take courage and con-

tinue his studies, and that he should become a learned and famous man. But to let you know it is to me you owe this favour, and not to your own capacity and parts, I here foretell you, upon a certain time, whilst you are in the public chair, you shall forget on a sudden all you knew before. He was extremely comforted at this vision; and after that time became so eminent not only in philosophy but in divinity also, and in holy Scripture, as is sufficiently attested and evinced by his writings left to posterity. Three years before his death, as he taught publicly at Cologne, he so far forgot all he knew before as not to retain a single idea of all he had formerly learned; and it may be that God permitted it to fall out so, in punishment of his want of conformity to his holy will, in the distribution of those talents he had received. When remembering the vision he had, when he designed to leave the order, he related the whole matter to his auditors, took leave of them, and retired to his monastery, where he employed the rest of his life in prayer and contemplation.

But lest we fall into the like inconveniences, we must necessarily take some precaution. Now what we stand most in need of is profound humility. For it is through want of humility that we content not ourselves with those few qualities and talents we have; it is for this reason we cannot bear that any one should consider us as possessed of less ability and capacity than our companions. How then would it be, if, on account of your incapacity, you were not allowed to continue your studies, and at the same time to see others advanced in the most sublime sciences, and become great divines, or famous preachers? For such a trial as this, you will stand very much in need of humility and resignation: nor must you have less need thereof at the end of your studies, if you see yourself not qualified for those employs which are assigned others; and if you have not parts or talents, either for the chair or exterior functions, or for the management of business at home. Those who have never studied are not to stand less upon their guard; for they may feel regret; one, that he knows not Latin; another, that he is not priest; and a third, that he has not sufficient knowledge and science to take part in the conversion of souls. And these temptations may come to work so upon them, and prove so strong and violent, as to make them lose the esteem of their vocation, as it sometimes happens, and even to endanger their salvation.

What we speak of here regards all in general; and each person in particular may apply it to his own state and condition, according to the circumstances he isin. For it is the duty of every one to conform himself to the divine will, to rest contented with the talents God has given him, and the condition he has placed him in; and not to desire and seek after any other thing, but what God pleases. St. Austin upon this passage of the Psalmist: ‘‘Incline my heart to the practice of your commandments, and not to avarice (Psalms 118:36), says, that avarice, by which name we understand all sorts of irregular desires, has been the occasion of all our misfortunes. What banished our first parents from paradise and robbed them of those great advantages they enjoyed was, that they wished to be more than what God had made them, and sought after more than God had bestowed upon them. ‘You shall become,” says the serpent, ‘(as gods; having the knowledge ef good and evil.” (Genesis 3:5) This was the bait and allnrement he made use of to delude them, and to work their destruction; and we have inherited this their desire of becoming gods, that is their folly, or rather their madness, in striving to be greater than we really are. This enemy of our’s was, by his argument, so successful against our first parents, that he makes use of the same even to this day against us; persuading and pushing us on, inasmuch as he is able, to desire to be more and greater than what God would have us be; and not to rest satisfied with the talents God has given us, or the condition he has placed us in. Itis for this reason, says St. Austin, the Royal Prophet asks of God, that he will give him a heart wholly disinterested, and a heart which is faithfully inclined to all that shall please the divine will, and that is entirely void of self-satisfaction, and self-interest. For by this word avarice, as we said before, he understands not only desire of riches, but also of honours, of glory, of pleasure, and all cupidity in general. And it is in this sense the apostle takes it, saying; ‘‘covetousness, or avarice, is the root of all evil.”

But though we had no other motive of contenting ourselves with those talents God has conferred upon us, and the state and condition wherein he has placed us, but purely that of the divine will; this motive alone might suffice to oblige us to a perfect conformity to the orders of his Providence. “All those things,” says St. Paul, “are the work of one and the same spirit, which gives and allots each one his share as it pleases.” (1 Corinthians 12:1) The apostle in this place makes use of the metaphor of a man’s body; of which we have spoken elsewhere when treating of the union which ought to be amongst religious persons: and he says, that as in the body of a man, God has placed the members as he pleased; and the feet have not murmured because they were not the head; nor the hands, because they were not the eyas: so in the body of the Church (the same may also be said of that of religion) God has ranged and placed the faithful as he pleased. It is not by pure chance that some are given one charge, some another: but it is by a special order of his Providence. So that if it please God you should be the feet, by what right would you aspire to be the head? And if he would have you be the hands, by what title would you endeavour to be the eyes? Oh, how profound are the judgments of God—how incomprehensible are they! “And what man is there who can penetrate into the secret designs of God?” All things, O Lord, come from you; and consequently we ought to praise you in all. You know what is most proper and expedient for each one, and why you confer more upon one than another; and it is not for us to search into the reason. For who knows what would become of us, had we received more knowledge and capacity? How do you know if you had been some great preacher, and had been followed and esteemed, but this would prove utter ruin to you; as to many others, whose pride and vanity precipitated them into their final perdition? The persons of great learning and parts are soonest carried away with a desire of being known and esteemed. If with the little capacity and knowledge you have, and that mean science, and perhaps less than mean, you are so presumptuous as to compare, and even prefer yourselves to others; and look upon it an injury done you, not to be selected for the most honourable functions; what would you do, if in reality you were masters of these rare qualities, and those so sublime and extraordinary talents and endowments? <“Wings are not granted the ant,” as the saying is, “but for her ruin:” and perhaps these great talents would not have been conferred upon you, but for your ruin. If we seriously reflect upon these things as we should do, and not look upon them through a disordered imagination, we should find sufficient reason to thank God all our life-time, for having placed us in this state of subjection and humility, and given us so scanty a portion of talents: and we might say with the pious 4 Kempis, “Lord, I look upon it as a most signal favour and happiness, not to have received a great many things, which might have gained the applause and esteem of men.” The saints knew very well the danger which accompanied these great gifts and advantages; and so, they not only abstained from desiring, but even dreaded them, as those possessed of them are so much exposed to the danger of vainglory; and thus the saints became more pleasing to God; who prefers humility of heart to sublimity of genius. Were we but well convinced that all things, except the accomplishment of God’s holy will, are but pure vanity, and could we persuade ourselves to repose and place our satisfaction and content in that of God; we should find nothing else worth our desiring or seeking after. If you, with those mean talents you have, and your limited science, can find wherewith to be more pleasing to God, why do you trouble yourself in seeking what you have not? If you have any reason for doing so, it is that you may please God more; but if, on the contrary, it pleases him more, that you remain in your ignorance, and poverty of knowledge, as certainly it must be that which pleases him most; since it is he who disposes of his gifts as he thinks best; why are you so concerned? Wherefore do you endeavour to be what God never designed you for, and what is not contenient you should be? The great and magnificent sacrifices of Saul were no wise grateful to God; because they were not conformable to his holy will. And those great and aspiring desires you conceive in yourself, will be as little pleasing to him; since our spiritual advancement consists not in being learned divines, or able preachers, nor in receiving great lights and helps, great talents, and great employs; but it consists in performing the will of God, in giving a faithful and just account of what he has committed to our charge, in improving well the talent he has been pleased to intrust us with. It is to this point only we are to direct our course; since it is only this God demands of us.

In order to elucidate this matter still more, let us compare men in the different states of life, to players on the stage. It is not from the character assigned him, but it is from the natural manner wherein he performs his part, that a player derives praise. So that if he who acts the peasant, represents him better than he who acts the emperor, he will be certainly more applauded and esteemed. It is the same with us in respect to God. What he regards in us during this life, which, properly speaking, is but a long comedy, and God grant to some of us it never prove a tragedy, is, not the character we bear in religion, one a superior, another a preacher, this a porter, that &® sacristan; but it is the manner wherein each acquits himself of his charge. If the inferior acquits himself better, and acts his part more to the life than the superior, he shall be more esteemed in the sight of God, and receive greater recompence and glory. This actor, perhaps, who succeeded ill in the part of a king, had he represented the shepherd, might have gained more honour, and been looked upon as the chief. So you may fail in the part of the preacher, or superior, and have good success in that of an infirmarian, or spiritual father. God knows very well how to mark out to all the part most proper for them; and distributes his talents, “to every one according to his capacity.” (Matthew 25:15) Wherefore we are to desire no part but what we already have. Our chief affair is to do to the life the part assigned us, and to give a good account of the talent we are entrusted with: for so we shall please God the more, and receive from him greater merit and recompence.

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