Gregory of Nyssa

He teaches human wisdom, namely, the following of true wisdom and presents those things which have substance and are not subject to vanity. Indeed, this is the summit of human wisdom. In my opinion true wisdom and counsel are simply another kind of wisdom which provides for creation by which God makes all things. As the prophet says, “You have made all things in wisdom.” However, Christ is the power wisdom of God in whom all things are made and ordained. … “After I have seen these things,” Ecclesiastes says, “and judged in a scale being with non-being, I discovered the difference between wisdom and foolishness as when I had compared light with darkness. It seems to me that this example is a favorable judgment for that which is beautiful.” Because darkness has no substance while light does (if nothing obstructs the sun’s rays, we have no darkness), this example shows that evil does not exist by itself but is a deprivation of the good, while the good always remains fully itself and is not preceded by deprivation. However, anything contrary to the good lacks substance; it cannot exist by itself nor be complete because evil is a deprivation, not a substance. Therefore the difference between light and darkness, wisdom and foolishness, is similar.

He therefore teaches what human wisdom is, that to follow the real wisdom—which he also calls counsel, which brings about what truly is and has substance, and is not thought of as among futile things—to follow that is the sum of human wisdom. But real wisdom and counsel, on my reckoning, is none other than the Wisdom that is conceived of as before the universe. It is that wisdom by which God made all things, as the prophet says, “by wisdom you made all things” and “Christ is the power of God and the wisdom of God,” by which all things came to be and were set in order.… When I saw these things, he says, and weighed, as in a balance, what is against what is not, I found that the difference between wisdom and folly was the same as one would find if light wer.e measured ag.ainst the dark. I think it is appropriate that he uses the analogy of light in the discernment of the good. Since darkness is in its own nature unreal (for if there were nothing to obstruct the sun’s rays, there would be no darkness), whereas light is of itself, perceived in its own essence, he shows by this analogy that evil does not exist by itself. [Instead evil] arises from deprivation of the good, whereas good is always as it is, stable and steadfast, and does not arise from the deprivation of anything which is prior to it. What is perceived as essentially opposed to good, is not; for what in itself is not, does not exist at all; for evil is the deprivation of being, and not something that exists. Thus the difference is the same between light and darkness and between wisdom and folly.

Scripture refers the term “mourning” to any person subject to passion and who is grieved inwardly. Similarly, dancing signifies intense joy as we learn from the Gospel: “We piped to you, and you did not dance.” History says that the Israelites mourned Moses' death while David preceded the ark in dance when the Philistines returned it from captivity. David expressed himself in harmonious songs by striking his harp while his feet and body moved to the rhythm which revealed his disposition. Since man’s nature is two-fold, body and soul, mourning is beneficial for our corporeal existence (there are many occasions for affliction in this existence) because it enables us to prepare our souls for this harmonious dancing [of David]. Although we abhor dejection, the occasions for gladness are certainly more numerous. Continence is confining, humility is sad, suffering is burdensome and sorrow cannot equal these. However, “He who humbles himself shall be exalted,” and he who afflicts himself by poverty will be crowned. The person who subjects himself to violence and proves himself worthy through affliction in everything will rest in the patriarch’s [Abraham] bosom. This is our rightful place through the mercy of him who saved us, Jesus Christ, to whom be glory forever. Amen.

Now, therefore, is the moment for weeping, but the moment for laughing is in store for us through hope; for the present sorrow will become mother of the joy that is hoped for. Who would not spend all his life in lamentation and sadness, if he actually becomes acquainted with himself and knows his condition, what he once had and what he has lost, and the state his nature was in at the beginning and the state it is in at present? Then there was no death, disease was absent; “mine” and “yours,” those wicked words, were far away from the life of the first humans. As the sun was shared, and the air was shared, and above all the grace and praise of God were shared, so too participation in everything good was freely available on equal terms, and the disease of acquisitiveness was unknown, and there was no resentment over inferiority against superiors (for there was no such thing as superiority), and there were thousands of other things besides these, which no one could describe in words, since they utterly exceed in magnificence those mentioned—I mean equality in honor with the angels, freedom to speak before God, the contemplation of the good things in the realms above, our own adornment with the unspeakable beauty of the blessed nature, when we show in ourselves the divine image, glistening with beauty of soul.

Passionate and profound lamentation is called “mourning” in Scripture. Similarly, dancing also indicates the strength of joy, as we learn in the gospel, where it says, “We played to you, and you did not dance; we lamented, and you did not mourn.” In the same way history relates that the Israelites mourned at Moses’ death and that David danced as he went at the front of the procession of the ark, when he carried it away from the foreigners, not appearing in his usual clothes. It says that he sang, playing an accompaniment on his musical instrument, and moved to the rhythm with his feet, and by the rhythmic movement of the body made public his devotion. Since, then, a human being is twofold, I mean made of soul and of body, and correspondingly twofold also the life operating in each of them within us, it would be a good thing to mourn in our bodily life—and there are many occasions for lamentation in this life—and prepare for our soul the harmonious dance. For the more life is made miserable with sadness, the more occasions for joy accumulate in the soul. Selfcontrol is gloomy, humility is dreary, being punished is a grief, not being equal with the powerful is a reason for sorrow, but “the one who humbles himself will be lifted up,” and the one who struggles in poverty will be crowned, and the one covered with sores, who exhibits his life as thoroughly lamentable, will rest in the bosom of the patriarch. May we too rest in it, through the mercy of our Savior Jesus Christ, to whom be the glory forever.

The text reads “There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing,” words which will become clear only if we first look at them in the context of scripture and enable us to clearly know how the divinely inspired text is used for obtaining insight. The great David cries out in the Psalter “Walk around Zion, go round about her.” Solomon himself made a spiritual connection by yoking our capacity for love to wisdom and utters other words to unite us to virtue, “Honor her in order that she will embrace you.” If David bids us to walk around Zion and if Solomon says that wisdom will embrace those who honor her, we will not be mistaken about the meaning [of the text] before us which instructs us about an opportune time. Mount Zion is Jerusalem predominantly situated upon a mountaintop; therefore he who urges you to embrace her bids you to be united to that lofty manner of life in order to attain the peak of virtues as symbolized by Zion. He who wishes wisdom to dwell with you announces her embrace. And so, it is time to walk [perilambanein] around Zion and be embraced [perilambanesthai] by wisdom for the word “Zion” represents an exalted manner of life. However, wisdom in itself signifies every virtue. If we had known the opportune time for embracing as expressed by [Ecclesiastes], separation is perceived as superior to union. Ecclesiastes says “There is a time to embrace and a time to refrain from embracing.” Anyone joined to virtue is hostile to evil.… When we lovingly cling to the beautiful (that is, what is opportune) we alienate ourselves from any previous hostility. If you truly loved temperance, you hate its opposite. If you lovingly contemplate purity, you despise the foul stench of filth. If you cling to the good, you would indeed distant yourself from clinging to evil.

Those who look only to the literal meaning and support the superficial interpretation of the words perhaps fit the law of Moses to the text before us. In cases where the law enjoins the pelting with stones of persons convicted of a felony, we have learned examples from the scriptural account itself in the case of sabbath breakers, and the one who had stolen sacred things, and other offenses, for which the law imposed a penalty of stoning. For my part, if the Ecclesiast had not claimed that collecting stones was also something timely, about which no law directs and no event in biblical history suggests a comparable precept, I might agree with those who interpret the passage through the law, that the moment for throwing stones is when someone has broken the sabbath or stolen something dedicated. But as it is, the addition of the requirement to collect stones again, which is prescribed by no law, leads us to a different interpretation, so that we may learn what kind of stones it is which after being thrown must again become the property of the thrower.… We certainly ought to consider that thoughts destructive of evil are the very stones accurately aimed by the Ecclesiast, which must be continually cast and collected. [They are] cast to put an end to the one who rises in pride against our life and collected to keep the soul’s lap always full of such missiles, ready to be thrown at the enemy, whenever he may plan some fresh assault on us. Where, then, are we to collect stones, with which we shall stone the enemy to death? I have heard the prophecy that said, “holy stones roll about on the ground.” These might be the words which come down to us from the divinely inspired writings, which we should collect in our soul’s lap, to use at the right moment against those who vex us, and which when they are thrown destroy the enemy and yet do not leave the hand of the thrower. The one who pelts with the stone of selfcontrol the unbridled thought which gathers fuel for the fire through the pleasures defeats it with his attack and always keeps his weapons in his hand. Thus justice both becomes the stone against injustice and defeats it and is kept in the lap of the one who throws it. In the same way all thoughts directed to better things are destructive of worse things and do not leave the one who lives rightly in virtue. This, in my opinion, is “throwing stones at the right moment” and “collecting them at the right moment,” so that we always cast good volleys of stones for the destruction of what is bad, and the supply of such weapons never runs out.

“A moment for embracing and a moment for avoiding an embrace.” These ideas cannot possibly become clear to us unless the passage has first been interpreted through the Scripture, so that it has become clear to us in what connection the divinely inspired word consciously uses the word embrace. Great David exhorts us in the words of the psalm, “Circle Zion and embrace her,” and even Solomon himself, when he was describing poetically the spiritual marriage of the one in love with Wisdom, mentions a number of ways in which union with virtue becomes ours and adds this: “Honor her, so that she may embrace you.” If, then, David tells us to embrace Zion, and Solomon says that those who honor Wisdom are embraced by her, perhaps we have not missed the correct interpretation if we have identified the object which it is timely to embrace. For Mount Zion rises above the upper city of Jerusalem. Thus the one who urges you to embrace her is bidding you to attach yourself to high principles, so that you hasten to reach the very citadel of the virtues, which he indicates allegorically by the name Zion. And the one who makes you live with wisdom announces the good news of the embrace she will give you in the future. Therefore there is a moment for embracing Zion and for being embraced by Wisdom, since the name Zion denotes the pinnacle of conduct and Wisdom in herself means every instance of virtue. If we have learned through these words the right moment for embracing, we have been taught through the same words in what cases separation is more beneficial than union. For he says, “A moment for avoiding an embrace.” The one who has become familiar with virtue is a stranger to the state of evil.… So when the loving disposition clings to the good—that is the “right moment”—the result is surely estrangement from its opposite. If you really love selfcontrol, then of course you hate its opposite. If you look with love at purity, you obviously loathe the stink of filth. If you have become attached to the good, you surely avoid attachment to evil.

Persons who look only at the letter and the superficial sense also accommodate Ecclesiastes’ words to the Law of Moses which bids us to cast stones at law breakers. History has taught us about persons who break the Sabbath and who have stolen sacred objects in addition to other transgressions which the Law has commanded to be punished by stoning. If Ecclesiastes does not provide an opportunity to gather stones of which neither the Law nor any historical record speaks, I would concur with those who interpret the Law as an occasion to cast stones at any violator of the Sabbath or at anyone who removed sacred objects. Another occasion to gather stones which is not legislated offers us another interpretation, that is, it teaches us about this stone after it is cast; the person who threw the stone can possess it again.… We would be correct in understanding wood as any thought inclined to evil, so we must perceive these stones which Ecclesiastes rightly casts at the destructive thoughts of evil. We should always cast them and then gather them. An enemy comes to lay waste our noble life; however, the bosom of our souls must always be prepared to cast [stones] against the foe if we perceive that he is ready to assault us in another manner. Where do we gather stones to hurl against our foe? I have heard the prophet saying “for holy stones are rolled upon the land.” We must gather into our soul’s bosom these divinely inspired words which come down for use against our foes. Our casting of stones destroys the enemy, a deed closely associated [with the stone itself] because whoever casts the stone of temperance at an unchaste thought which feeds the fire through pleasure is victor and always bears a weapon in his hand. Once righteousness becomes a stone against injustice, it destroys this evil and is kept in our bosom. In this way everything we understand about the good which destroys evil is associated with a person who conducts himself virtuously. Thus our interpretation [of Ecclesiastes’ words] requires a time to cast stones and a time to gather them that we may always cast goodness to destroy evil and never lack such weapons.