The office of the valiant woman: the field, the girded loins, the lamp, the spindle, the open hand, the double garments (Prov. 31:16–21)

But since the prudent matron considers that the victuals of the wayvia / patria: the way / the homeland do not suffice a man for eternity, therefore fifthly it is added: "She hath considered a field, and bought it: with the fruit of her hands she hath planted a vineyard."¹ That field, according to Augustine, is the kingdomregnum: kingdom of heaven, in which are fruits ever green, as is clear from the last [chapter of the] Apocalypse; and in Psalm 49:11 it is said: "With me is the beauty of the field." And the faithful [soul] considers that homelandvia / patria: the way / the homeland by the discursive reasoning of infused faith, and from the faithex fide: as faith teaches; with a genitive, from the faith of [scripture] of scripture hopes for it in return for the light [burden] of a momentary tribulation; and so that which is not now seen perceptiblysensibilis: perceptible works in us a weight of eternal glory, and [works in us] the willing patience of persecution for justice, which according to the voice of Truth, Matthew 6, is the price of this field.² Hence why, both on account of the example of the martyrs and of the just who live holily, and on account of the theological virtuesvirtus: power (faculty) / virtue (moral habit) infused from above, did our mothermater nostra: our mother, in hope of the good to come, plant a vineyard, that is, the higher churchecclesia: church of the clergyclerus; clericus: the clergy; cleric, to gladden the rest of the field? And this by the merit of the whole church, which is the fruit of 481its power of meriting. And would that this vineyard may not, through idleness or demerit, pass into a garden of herbs.³

Hence, since this field, in respect of tilling and possessing it, requires careful and ordered labour, therefore sixthly it is added of the aforesaid valiant woman that "she hath girded her loins with strength, and hath strengthened her arm." For a handmaid serving so great a bridegroomsponsa / sponsus: bride / bridegroom in readiness not only binds fleshly concupiscences with the girdle of the Lord’s precept, but does all her works by the rule [that lies] between abundance and defect, lest she commit spiritual adultery with another man, so that she is ready for every work to be done in the Lord’s field; and for these is required the strength to resist and prevail over all spiritual enemies.⁴ And it seems that by the aforesaid field can be understood, in predication by cause, the very headcaput: head of the church, by participation in whom all the predestinatepredestinatus, -i: the predestinate (sg. "a predestinate [person]") are the kingdom of heaven; who, although according to nature they are perceptible, yet the aspect by which they are the church and potentially beatifiable is imperceptibleinsensibilis: imperceptible; of a thing that cannot feel, without sensation.⁵ To reduce this potency to act, assiduous labour is required, and that exercise strengthens the power of working; and therefore it is said expressly that "she hath strengthened her arm"; nor is this exercise too wearisome. Therefore seventhly it is added: "She hath tasted, and seen that her traffic is good: her lamp shall not be put out in the night." "Those," says Augustine, "who have a palate, by which one tastes, so sweetened by earthly things that labour for blessedness seems to be bitter to them: to them heaven is not dear."⁶ But a good conscience sets right the taste of the soul; and if [conscience] is pricked by sin, all the things by which the soul would be nourished seem bitter. The [soul], therefore, that sweetly 482delights in the Lord exposes to the exercise of divine praise not only all her own things but herself; for such a one meanwhile tastes in [her] acts how sweet the Lord is, until the deepest sweetness, hidden for those that fear God, has flowed in.⁷ Nor can it be objected that this woman did not see how she was to work, because of the darkness of the night in which she makes her way; for the lamp will burn continually, while she always has [her] eye and affection [on it], hoping in the Lord, the word of the Lord continually bestowing, as oil, the consolation of scripture and the continuitycontinuacio: continuity of beneficence; and [she is] gladdened by this light with the oil of devotion.⁸

Hence eighthly it is added: "She hath put out her hand to strong things, and her fingers have taken hold of the spindle"; where this good wool-working matron, by the hand and finger, specifies more expressly than above the application of power and prudence to working sedulously. For hands and fingers are nearer than the arm to the act of working; and the work of this woman can be called strong, since it proceeds collectively from the forces of the universal church, the whole body of the devil resisting with all its instruments.⁹ But as to the sense to be had concerning the spindle, the great doctor Augustine says that he will not keep silent from our charitycaritas: charity what his master has given [him] by inspiration. First, then, he supposes that a christian knows well what he has done in the past, but does not know what or how he will do in the future. Secondly it is supposed that the pious christian fears for the good work to come and rejoices over the past, and, that he may persevere in good works, watches cautiously, lest perhaps, neglecting the things to come, he lose the past; and so he has a firm conscience of what has been done, and not of what is to be done. Thirdly he supposes that in the art of spinning, what of the wool-work is wound on the distaff is not yet worked into the form of thread, but is drawn from it to the spindle, not the reverse. 483From these it is drawn out that holy mother church, while by subtle working she takes hold of her past work according to the sense of scripture, takes hold of the spindle with her fingers, since she makes the earlier thing later, as happens with those who spin; yet there is a connection, since in past work the arms must be strengthened, the conscience made secure and hope founded for gaining the rewards to come: "Whatever you work," he says, "let the whole firmness of the mind be at the spindle, since what hangs on the distaff is passed to the spindle, not the reverse."¹⁰ And according to this lesson the faithful [man] would not be anxious nor aspire to a great state in the world in the future, but would earnestly pass meritorious work into the past, trusting that so he will be humbler for the future. And this solicitude for the distaff the bridegroom forbids in Matthew, chapter 6. Let us therefore cast the treasure of merit into the memory of our bridegroom, who, hanging on the cross, would not leave the memory of the passion untransferred into the past, although the Jews falsely said: "If he be the king of Israel, let him now come down from the cross: and we will believe him," Matthew 27:40.¹¹ And hence the conclusion follows pertinently: "She hath opened her hand to the needy, and stretched out her hands to the poor." For [she], telling [herself] not to forget beneficence and communion, from the seventh proposition, and knowing, from the proposition next before, that the firm hope of reward is only of a perfect work fully past, applies herself to making further almselemosina: alms.¹² "Hoping in the Lord," says Augustine, "she says to herself: 'Give, Lord, because I have given; forgive, because I have forgiven; deal mercifully with me, because I have done [mercy].'" For in James 2:12 it is written: "Judgment without mercy to him that hath not done mercy." "Let one who has," he says, "a full purse, storehouse or barn, spinning wholesomely, transfer from the distaff to the spindle." And much more is the spiritual work of mercy to be worked earnestly; and it is known from the text how the church gives more largely to the needier 484of that which he needs, but exercises the power of defence in [the case of] the poor.¹³

From these it follows tenthly that the husband of such a matron "shall not fear for [his] house in the cold of snow: for all [his] domestics are clothed with double garments." "How," says Augustine, "should the Lord fear for his domestics, who are membersmembrum: member of such a matron, since in Romans 8:30 it is written: 'Whom he predestinated, them he also called. And whom he called, them he also justified. And whom he justified, them he also glorified'?" Therefore neither Christ nor the church will fear for its members from the snowy persecution, in which "the charity of many shall grow cold" (as is said in Matthew 24:12), since all of the house of the church are clothed with double garments.¹⁴ This garment is most precious, since it is really the bridegroom himself. Hence in Galatians 3:27 it is said: "As many of you as have been baptized in Christ have put on Christ." Those, therefore, who are both predestined and work virtuously besides, worthily praising Christ divinely and humanly, are clothed with double garments. But foreknownprescitus, -i: the foreknown heretics who are baptized, having a temporary baptismal grace, and afterwards barely confess in Christ one simple nature (for example, only the divinity or only the humanity, as the Photinians and Manichees), are clothed, as servants of the church, with a single garment, lest they pretend that they would will to persevere finally if they had had the garment.¹⁵ But the wicked, according to Augustine, are clothed only with the form of the sacrament, and the good with the work and final imitation.¹⁶