Cornelius a Lapide
Table of Contents
Synopsis of the Chapter
The 42 encampments of the Hebrews in the desert are listed. I had considered having them, as well as several other things, engraved in copper and printed here, but I judged it best to refrain lest the price of the book increase too much. Let the reader consult the tables of Adrichomius.
Vulgate Text: Numbers 33:1-56
1. These are the encampments of the children of Israel, who went out of Egypt in their companies under the hand of Moses and Aaron, 2. which Moses described according to the places of their camps, which they changed at the Lord's command. 3. Setting out therefore from Rameses in the first month, on the fifteenth day of the first month, the day after the Passover, the children of Israel went out with a high hand, in the sight of all the Egyptians, 4. who were burying their firstborn whom the Lord had struck (for He had also executed vengeance upon their gods), 5. and they encamped at Succoth. 6. And from Succoth they came to Etham, which is at the edge of the wilderness. 7. Setting out from there, they came opposite Pi-hahiroth, which faces Baal-zephon, and they encamped before Migdol. 8. And setting out from Pi-hahiroth, they passed through the midst of the sea into the wilderness: and walking three days through the desert of Etham, they encamped at Marah. 9. And setting out from Marah they came to Elim, where there were twelve springs of water and seventy palm trees: and they encamped there. 10. And departing from there, they pitched their tents by the Red Sea. And setting out from the Red Sea, 11. they encamped in the desert of Sin. 12. Departing from there, they came to Dophkah. 13. And setting out from Dophkah, they encamped at Alush. 14. And leaving Alush, they pitched their tents at Rephidim, where the people lacked water to drink. 15. And setting out from Rephidim, they encamped in the desert of Sinai. 16. And departing from the wilderness of Sinai, they came to the Graves of Craving. 17. And setting out from the Graves of Craving, they encamped at Hazeroth. 18. And from Hazeroth they came to Rithmah. 19. And setting out from Rithmah, they encamped at Rimmon-perez. 20. Departing from there, they came to Libnah. 21. From Libnah, they encamped at Rissah. 22. And leaving Rissah, they came to Kehelathah. 23. Setting out from there, they encamped at Mount Shepher. 24. Leaving Mount Shepher, they came to Haradah. 25. Setting out from there, they encamped at Makheloth. 26. And setting out from Makheloth, they came to Tahath. 27. From Tahath, they encamped at Terah. 28. Departing from there, they pitched their tents at Mithkah. 29. And from Mithkah, they encamped at Hashmonah. 30. And setting out from Hashmonah, they came to Moseroth. 31. And from Moseroth, they encamped at Bene-jaakan. 32. And setting out from Bene-jaakan, they came to Mount Gidgad. 33. Setting out from there, they encamped at Jotbathah. 34. And from Jotbathah, they came to Abronah. 35. And leaving Abronah, they encamped at Ezion-geber. 36. Setting out from there, they came to the desert of Zin, which is Kadesh. 37. And leaving Kadesh, they encamped at Mount Hor, on the borders of the land of Edom. 38. And Aaron the priest went up onto Mount Hor at the Lord's command: and he died there in the fortieth year of the exodus of the children of Israel from Egypt, in the fifth month, on the first day of the month, 39. when he was one hundred and twenty-three years old. 40. And the Canaanite king of Arad, who dwelt to the south, heard that the children of Israel had come into the land of Canaan. 41. And setting out from Mount Hor, they encamped at Zalmonah. 42. Departing from there, they came to Punon. 43. And setting out from Punon, they encamped at Oboth. 44. And from Oboth, they came to Iye-abarim, which is on the borders of the Moabites. 45. And setting out from Iye-abarim, they pitched their tents at Dibon-gad. 46. Departing from there, they encamped at Almon-diblathaim. 47. And leaving Almon-diblathaim, they came to the mountains of Abarim, opposite Nebo. 48. And setting out from the mountains of Abarim, they crossed to the plains of Moab, above the Jordan opposite Jericho. 49. And there they encamped from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim in the more level places of the Moabites, 50. where the Lord spoke to Moses: 51. Command the children of Israel and say to them: When you have crossed the Jordan, entering the land of Canaan, 52. destroy all the inhabitants of that land; break down their pillars and shatter their statues, and lay waste all the high places, 53. cleansing the land and dwelling in it; for I have given it to you as a possession, 54. which you shall divide among yourselves by lot. To the more numerous you shall give a broader portion and to the fewer a narrower one. To each as the lot falls, so shall the inheritance be assigned. The possession shall be divided by tribes and families; 55. but if you are unwilling to kill the inhabitants of the land, those who remain will be to you as thorns in your eyes and as spears in your sides, and they will be hostile to you in the land of your habitation: 56. and whatever I had planned to do to them, I will do to you.
Tropology: The 42 Stations as Lenten Days
Tropologically, just as the Hebrews went to Canaan through 42 encampments, or stations: so Christians through the 40 days of fasting strive toward the resurrection; hence it came about that these days of fasting were called Stations by the Fathers, both because in them Christians stood praying and watching, as it were journeying through the nations to the land promised in heaven; and because these station days were represented by the 42 stations of the Hebrews in the desert, as I showed from Saint Ambrose, Tertullian, and others at the end of Exodus xxiv. That Abbot in the Lives of the Fathers, book VII, chapter xxviii, wisely said: "Let a man labor until they possess Christ. Furthermore, let him, remembering the tribulation of his labor, guard himself on every side, fearing lest he lose such great labors. For God also led the children of Israel about through the desert for forty years for this reason, that remembering the tribulation of the journey they would not wish to turn back."
Verse 1: By the Hand of Moses and Aaron
1. "By the hand of Moses and Aaron" -- through Moses and Aaron, or under the leadership of Moses and Aaron: for the Hebrew "in the hand" signifies an instrumental cause, and has the same force as "through."
Verse 3: The Day After the Passover
3. THE DAY AFTER THE PASSOVER -- the day after the lamb was immolated, on the 14th day of the moon toward evening, that is, the 15th day of the moon, or day of the first month; for on this 15th day they went out of Egypt.
WITH A HIGH HAND -- with great power, strength, and terror of the Egyptians, that is, they went out powerfully, valiantly, and gloriously, since the Egyptians were already prostrated by so many plagues and by the slaying of the firstborn; whence they did not dare to impede the departure of the Hebrews any further or to detain them. Here the Chaldean translates: They went out openly, in the sight of all the Egyptians.
Verse 4: Vengeance Upon Their Gods
4. FOR HE HAD ALSO EXECUTED VENGEANCE UPON THEIR GODS -- because, that is, on the same night on which the Hebrews departed, God cast down the idols of Egypt, as I said at Exodus XII, 12, as if to say: Therefore the Hebrews went out with a high hand, in the sight of all the Egyptians, because the Lord had terrified them with the slaughter not only of the firstborn, but also of their very idols.
Verse 8: The Desert of Etham
8. "Walking through the desert of Etham." -- Therefore the desert of Etham was vast, on both sides of the Red Sea, as I said at Exodus xiv, 21 and 29. Therefore Abulensis incorrectly surmises from these words that the Hebrews did not cross but went around the Red Sea, so that they would remain continually in the same desert of Etham.
Verse 40: The Canaanite King of Arad
40. AND THE CANAANITE KING OF ARAD HEARD, etc., THAT THE CHILDREN OF ISRAEL HAD COME INTO THE LAND OF CANAAN. -- "Had come," that is, were approaching (for the word "had come" signifies an action begun, not completed), to invade it; supply: therefore he wished to prevent them and provoked them to war, but was defeated and slain by them, as was said at the beginning of chapter xxi.
Secondly, more clearly the Hebrew, Chaldean, Septuagint, Vatablus, and others join "in Canaan" with what precedes, and translate, "and the king of Arad heard, dwelling to the south in Canaan," that is, of Canaan; for he did not dwell in Canaan itself, but outside it, and was to its south, just like Amalek, as is clear from chapter xiv, verse 43, and 1 Kings xxx, 1. For the Hebrew beth, that is "in," often functions as a genitive, and according to this sense our Latin version seems to be understood, and should be read with Abulensis as: Arad who dwelt to the south in the land (not "into the land") of Canaan, that is, who dwelt to the south of the land of Canaan itself, says Abulensis.
Verse 49: From Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim
49. AND THERE THEY ENCAMPED, FROM BETH-JESHIMOTH TO ABEL-SHITTIM -- not as if the camp of the Hebrews stretched from Beth-jeshimoth to Abel-shittim, over twelve miles, as Rabbi Solomon claims: for then there would not be 42 but 41 encampments. The meaning therefore is, as if to say: The Hebrews first set up camp at Beth-jeshimoth, then at Abel-shittim, where the 42nd and last encampment was. So Abulensis.
Verse 52: Break Down Their Pillars
52. "Break down their pillars" -- in Hebrew, "break their engravings or pictures" (of the Canaanites), by which they depict their gods and worship them: for He here forbids idolatry; see what was said at Leviticus xxvi, 1.
LAY WASTE THE HIGH PLACES (namely altars and chapels in high places, consecrated to idols).
Verse 55: Thorns in Your Eyes and Spears in Your Sides
55. BUT IF YOU ARE UNWILLING TO KILL THE INHABITANTS OF THE LAND, etc., THEY WILL BE TO YOU AS THORNS IN YOUR EYES AND SPEARS IN YOUR SIDES -- as if to say: The Canaanites, if you spare them, will prick you like thorns and spears, and will vex and tear you apart with wars. This was one reason why God commanded all the Canaanites to be utterly destroyed; there was also a second, namely the impiety of those nations; and a third, namely that they might not be a scandal to the Hebrews and pollute them with their idols and vices. Therefore the Hebrews sinned when, in the course of time, prevailing over the Canaanites, they did not utterly destroy them, but out of laziness, or pity, or hope of tribute, or some other similar cause, spared them, whence afterward they could not be exterminated by them: but God turned this to good, namely so that these nations might be a kind of scourge for the Jews whenever they turned aside to idols, as is clear from Judges II, 22; and so that the Hebrews might have continual military exercise with them and not grow soft in idleness, as is clear from Judges III, 1. For this reason Scipio judged that Carthage, Rome's rival, should not be destroyed, so that it might serve as a whetstone for Roman youth.
Saint Jerome's Mystical Interpretation of the 42 Stations
Mystically Saint Jerome says: These 42 encampments, by which the Hebrews journeyed to Canaan, signify 42 paths by which the faithful journey to heaven: the first is Rameses, that is, "thunder of joy," by which, that is, through the thundering -- the preaching -- of the Apostles and others, unbelievers and the impious were converted to Christ and therefore rejoiced; the second is Succoth, that is, "tabernacles": because in this life, as pilgrims, we celebrate a continual feast of tabernacles and make our way toward heaven as toward our homeland; the third is Etham, that is, "fortitude": because all things difficult and adverse must be bravely overcome on this arduous way; the fourth is Pi-hahiroth, that is, "mouth of the noble," so that like noble and generous persons we may praise God with our mouths in adversity; the fifth is Marah, that is, "bitterness," namely of penance; the sixth is Elim, that is, "rams," namely the Apostles and the like: for we must follow these as leaders; the seventh is at the Red Sea, because through the waves and upheavals of this world, and even through martyrdom, one must journey to heaven; the eighth is Sin, that is, "hatred," because the faithful must endure great hatred and persecutions from both the devil and the world; the ninth is Dophkah, that is, "knocking," namely prayer, of which Christ says: "Knock, and it shall be opened to you"; the tenth is Alush, that is, "leaven," namely of the Gospel, which a woman, taking it, mixed with three measures of flour until the whole was leavened; the eleventh is Rephidim, that is, "weakening of the strong": for there, while Moses prayed, Joshua overthrew Amalek; the twelfth is Sinai, that is, "bush," that is, the harshness of life in which God appears and communicates His law and will to the soul.
The thirteenth is the Graves of Craving, in which gluttony and the gluttonous are buried; the fourteenth is Hazeroth, that is, "court," namely the vestibule of virtues, to show that those who have fallen through gluttony can rise again, and those who stand can fall: for at Hazeroth, Miriam, murmuring against Moses, was struck with leprosy and then healed; the fifteenth is Rithmah, that is, "sound" or "juniper," which preserves fire for a long time, so that if coals are covered with its ash, they last up to a year: that we may be fervent in spirit and proclaim the Gospel of the Lord with a clear sound and a raised voice; the sixteenth is Rimmon-perez, that is, "division of the pomegranate": because the multitude of believers has one heart and one soul: for in it there is variety and harmony of virtues; the seventeenth is Libnah, that is, "bricks," which the people making in Egypt groaned: because in this life we now grow and now diminish, and after the Ecclesiastical Order, we pass at times to the work of making bricks; the eighteenth is Rissah, that is, "bridle": for if after progress we descend again to the works of clay, we must be bridled, and our wandering and headlong course must be directed by the reins of Scripture; the nineteenth is Kehelathah, that is, "Church": because the wandering steps of those who run are pulled back by bridles to the Church, so that they may hasten to enter the doors they had previously abandoned; the twentieth is Shepher, that is, "beauty." See what bridles accomplish: they pull us back from vices and lead us into the choirs of virtues, to make us dwell in Christ, the most beautiful mountain.
Hence in the twenty-first we come to Haradah, that is, "astonishment and wonder": because we are astonished and marvel at the grace and virtues of Christ, so that our speech is surpassed by His praises; the twenty-second is Makheloth, that is, "assemblies," of which it is said: "Behold, how good and how pleasant it is for brethren to dwell in unity!" The twenty-third is Tahath, that is, "fear," of which the Apostle says: "Be not high-minded, but fear: for God resists the proud, but gives grace to the humble." The twenty-fourth is Terah, by which name the father of Abraham was called, who, in the apocryphal book of Genesis, having driven away the ravens that were devastating the crops of men, obtained the name of "driver" or "repeller": and so let us imitate Terah, and let us diligently prevent the birds of the sky, which hasten to devour the wheat sown by the roadside. The twenty-fifth is Mithkah, that is, "sweetness," that sweetness of which the Psalmist says: "How sweet are Your words to my taste: sweeter than honey and the honeycomb to my mouth!" The twenty-sixth is Hashmonah, that is, "haste," by which, hastening to what lies ahead, we forget what is past and stretch ourselves toward the future. The twenty-seventh is Moseroth, that is, "bonds" or "discipline," of which it is said in Isaiah chapter LIV: "Men of high stature shall come over to you and shall be yours, they shall walk after you, bound in chains." We remain in these bonds while with hasty step we proceed to the masters and wear down their thresholds, to be occupied with the precepts of virtues and the mysteries of Scripture. The twenty-eighth is Bene-jaakan, that is, "sons of necessity" or "of grinding," who, through fear of punishment and hell, deserting the devil, hasten to be reborn in Christ; of whom you may say with Zion: "I was barren and did not bear, etc. And where were these?" Isaiah XLIX. The twenty-ninth is Mount Gidgad, that is, "expedition" or rather "cutting," namely that we should not keep our sword from blood, as the Prophet says, Jeremiah XLVIII: "Cursed be he who does the works of the Lord deceitfully, and cursed be he who keeps his sword from blood," namely from devouring flesh, that is, slaying the vices of the flesh.
The thirtieth is Jotbathah, that is, "goodness," so that when we have arrived at the perfect man, at the priestly rank, we may imitate Him who said: "I am the good shepherd; the good shepherd lays down his life for his sheep." The thirty-first is Abronah, that is, "passage" or "crossing," so that we may gather examples from Scripture which teach us that here we have no abiding city, but must pass over to such a place, of a wonderful tabernacle, even to the house of God. The thirty-second is Ezion-geber, that is, "logs of a man," which is what we are in the hand of our craftsman God, making various vessels that are necessary in a great house. The thirty-third is Kadesh, that is, "holy," by antiphrasis, because here Moses and Aaron offend the Lord at the waters of strife and are forbidden to enter Canaan: for where there is a commandment, there is also sin; where there is sin, there is offense; where there is offense, there is death: that we may likewise remember that we are all condemned to death on account of sin. The thirty-fourth is Mount Hor: here Aaron dies on Mount Hor, that is, "of the mountain," namely in the loftiness of rank and virtue. The thirty-fifth is Zalmonah, that is, "little image," namely of the bronze serpent, that is, of Christ crucified, which we must continually gaze upon. Again, Zalmonah means "shadow": "For now we see through a glass darkly." The thirty-sixth is Punon, that is, "mouth of the mouth": "For with the heart one believes unto righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made unto salvation." The thirty-seventh is Oboth, that is, "Magi and soothsayers," such as those who fought against Moses and Aaron: so that we may know that we dwell among scorpions and yet must overcome their venom. The thirty-eighth is Iye-abarim, that is, "heaps of stones of those passing through," of which Zechariah says, chapter ix: "The holy stones are rolled upon the earth." These are they who go from virtue to virtue. There are also other stones which Jeremiah in chapter L commands to be removed from the way, lest they strike the feet of those walking through this world and hastening to pass on to other encampments. The thirty-ninth is Dibon-gad, that is, "temptation bravely understood," by which we understand that we ought not to lift ourselves up in pride: for before destruction the heart is lifted up, and before glory it is humbled. The fortieth is Almon-diblathaim, that is, "in contempt of wounds" or "reproaches": by which we learn that all sweet things and the allurements of pleasures in this world are to be despised, and that we must not be intoxicated with wine, in which are the reproaches of luxury. The forty-first is the mountains of Abarim, opposite Nebo. Abarim means "those passing over": because the saints, although they may be on the mountains of virtue, must nevertheless always ascend further into heaven. Nebo means "conclusion": there Moses dies, that is, the law ends, nor is its memory found, so that the grace of the Gospel may succeed, which extends without any end: "For their sound has gone out into all the earth, and their words to the ends of the world." The forty-second and last is Abel-shittim, that is, "mourning of thorns," so that we may learn at the end of life to weep with Saint Augustine over both ancient and recent sins, and not to depart from this life without penance, that we may say with the Psalmist, Psalm xxxi: "I was turned in my anguish while the thorn was fastened." For at Abel-shittim the Hebrews were slain on account of the worship of Baal-Peor; likewise the Midianites and Balaam. Again, here were done and said all the things which Moses wrote from this chapter to the end of Deuteronomy.
So Saint Jerome explains these 42 encampments, in his treatise On the 42 Encampments, addressed to Fabiola, and from him Rupert. In a nearly similar mystical way, Blessed Peter Damian explains these 42 encampments, book II, epistle 7, to Hildebrand.
On the Duty of Continual Progress in Virtue
Learn from this that the faithful must make progress in virtue throughout their whole life, and thus journey to the promised land in heaven. For, as Saint Bernard says: "To make progress is a kind of journeying." And as the Psalmist says, Psalm LXXXIII: "They shall go from virtue to virtue." And: "Blessed is the man whose help is from You; he has set ascents in his heart." On which words Saint Jerome writes thus: "He has set ascents in his heart, whoever is holy and daily stretches forward to what lies ahead and forgets what is past. Therefore there are also said to be in the psalter fifteen gradual psalms, and the first says: To the Lord, when I was in trouble, I cried. And in the second: I lifted up my eyes to the mountains, from whence my help shall come. And in the third: I rejoiced in the things that were said to me; and he always proceeds and advances and ascends to higher things. What he says is this: He has set ascents in his heart. He is the one who daily makes progress, who does not consider what he did yesterday, but what he should do today in order to advance. The saint places ascents in his heart, the sinner descents. Just as one who is holy daily advances, so one who is a sinner daily declines."
Wherefore Solomon in his Proverbs describes the just man thus: "But the path of the just is as a shining light that grows and increases unto the perfect day." The first reason for this is that all are bound to aspire to the perfection of the Christian life, and therefore to make progress in it daily. For this is the decree of Christ, Matthew v, 48: "Be perfect, as your heavenly Father also is perfect." And chapter XXII, 27: "You shall love the Lord your God with your whole heart, etc., and your neighbor as yourself." Whence Saint Augustine, book I of On Christian Doctrine, chapter XXII: "Then a man is best," he says, "when throughout his whole life he makes his way toward the unchangeable life and clings to it with his whole affection."
The second reason is that as long as we live in this life, we are in school: therefore, as genuine disciples of Christ, we must make progress in it daily. Whence Saint Bernard, epistle 141: "So, I beg you, so do, most beloved. For a disciple who makes progress is the glory of his master. Whoever does not make progress in the school of Christ is unworthy of His teaching."
The third reason is that "true virtue," as the same Saint speaks in his epistle to Abbot Guarinus, epistle 243, "knows no end, is not bounded by time. Whence is that saying: Charity never fails, 1 Cor. XIII, 8. And likewise: The patience of the poor shall not perish forever, Psalm IX, 19. And: The holy fear of the Lord endures forever and ever, Psalm XVIII, 10. The just man never considers that he has comprehended, Philippians III, 13; he never says: It is enough; but he always hungers and thirsts for justice; so that if he were to live forever, he would always, as much as lies in him, strive to be more just, and would always endeavor with all his strength to advance from good to better. For he does not give himself to the divine service for a year or for a time, like a hired servant, but for eternity. Hear finally the voice of the just man: I will never forget Your justifications, for by them You have given me life, Psalm CXVIII, 93. And again: I have inclined my heart to perform Your justifications forever, Psalm CXVIII, 112; not therefore for a time. Accordingly, his justice does not last for some time, but forever and ever. Therefore the everlasting hunger of the just man merits an everlasting refreshment. And although he is quickly consummated for a time, he is nevertheless judged to have fulfilled many ages, Wisdom IV, 13, because of the perpetuity of his virtue."
He then proves the same from the contrary, when he says: "By what reasoning can the brevity of time for the good prejudice their perpetual devotion, when it does not suffice to excuse the obstinate malice of the reprobate? For this reason, without doubt, the evil of an inflexible and obstinate mind is punished eternally, although it was perpetrated temporally, because what was brief in time or in deed is proven to be long in its persistent will," so that if he were never to die, he would never wish to cease sinning: indeed, he would always wish to live so that he might always be able to sin. Therefore it can also be said of him by contraries: He was consummated in a short time and fulfilled many ages, because he has deservedly received the equivalent of many, indeed of all ages, who at no time was willing to change his intention. Thus far Bernard.
The fourth reason is that he who does not wish to make progress, or thinks he has no need of further advancement, begins to fail. "However long we may have lived here," says Saint Augustine on Psalm LXIX, "however much we may have advanced here, let no one say: It is enough for me, I am just; he who said this has remained on the road, he has not known how to arrive. Where he said: It is enough, there he stuck. Consider the Apostle for whom it was not enough: and indeed, as Scripture testifies, He went about doing good and healing all, Acts x, 38. He passed through, therefore, not fruitlessly, not sluggishly, not lazily, but with a good pace, but as it is written of Him: He rejoiced as a giant to run the way, Psalm XVIII, 7. But you have stuck; He says He is not yet perfect, and you already boast of your perfection? Let those be confounded who say to you: Well done, well done." And the Mellifluous Doctor (Bernard, epistle 341): "Not to make progress is without doubt to decline. Therefore let no one say: It is enough, I wish to stay as I am, it is enough for me to be as I was yesterday and the day before. He who is like this sits down on the road, he halts on the ladder, where the Patriarch saw no one not ascending, Genesis XXVIII, 12. I say therefore: Let him who thinks he stands take heed lest he fall, 1 Cor. x, 12. It is steep and narrow; and not here, but in the Father's house are many mansions, John XIV, 2."
The fifth reason is that nothing in this world stands still: "O monk," says the same Abbot of Clairvaux, epistle 253, "do you not wish to advance? Do you then wish to decline? By no means; what then? This is how I wish to live, he says, and to remain where I have arrived; I neither allow myself to become worse, nor do I desire to become better. This therefore is what you want, which cannot be. For what stands still in this world? And certainly of man it was especially said: He flees like a shadow and never remains in the same state, Job chapter XIV, 2." And again elsewhere, epistle 341: "Let the example of worldly desire also move us. For what ambitious man have we ever seen content with the dignities he has obtained, not gasping after others? So too the eye of every curious person is not satisfied with seeing, nor is the ear filled with hearing. What of those who serve avarice, or are lovers of pleasures, or pursue the empty praises of men -- do not their insatiable desires also convict us of negligence and lukewarmness? Let us certainly be ashamed to be found less eager for spiritual goods."
Moreover, we obtain this progress, first, through the grace of God and through our own vigorous cooperation with it. This grace must be obtained by prayers, so that we may continually pray with the Psalmist: "Set before me, O Lord, the way of Your justifications, and I will always seek it."
Secondly, by setting before ourselves the examples of Christ and the Saints. Whence Saint Bernard, epistle 253: "He Himself," he says, "the author of man and of the world, as long as He was seen on earth and conversed with men -- did He stand still? Indeed, as Scripture testifies, He went about doing good and healing all, Acts x, 38. He passed through, therefore, not fruitlessly, not sluggishly, not lazily, but with a good pace, but as it is written of Him: He rejoiced as a giant to run the way, Psalm XVIII, 7." "But one thing, forgetting what is behind and stretching forward to what lies ahead, according to my intention I press on toward the prize of the heavenly calling." He therefore runs; whoever does not himself likewise run does not catch the runner. And what profit is it to follow Christ if one does not manage to reach Him? Therefore Paul used to say: So run that you may comprehend, Philippians III, 8. There, O Christian, fix the goal of your course and progress, where Christ placed His. He became, he says, obedient even unto death. However much therefore you may have run, if you have not reached death, you do not seize the prize.
Thirdly, through a serious and frequent examination of conscience. Whence Saint Augustine, sermon 15 On the Words of the Apostle: "You ask," he says, "what is it to walk? I say briefly: to make progress, lest perhaps you do not understand and walk more sluggishly. Make progress, my brothers, examine yourselves without deceit, without flattery, without soft words. For there is no one within you before whom you should be ashamed or boast. There is One within you, but He to whom humility is pleasing -- let Him test you. Test yourself also. Always be displeased with what you are, if you wish to arrive at what you are not yet. For where you were pleased with yourself, there you remained. But if you said: It is enough, then you have perished: always add, always walk, always make progress. Do not stay on the road, do not go back, do not wander off. He who does not progress stays; he who turns back to the things he had already left goes backward; he who apostatizes wanders off. A lame man going on the road walks better than a runner off the road."