Prologue

Get thee home without delay; foregather there and play there, and muse upon thy conceptions.

Sirach 32:15–16

1. The zeal for wisdom has the prerogative that by pursuing its task it is the more sufficient unto itself. For in the case of external tasks a man requires the help of a great many, whereas in the contemplation of wisdom, the more someone persists on his own the more effectively he performs. Hence the Sage calls man back to himself in the words cited above, saying: get thee home without delay—that is: let you who are troubled come back from external affairs to your own mind, before one is taken up with something else and is distracted in looking after it. Accordingly, Wisdom 8:16 says: after entering my house, I will repose with her, that is, with wisdom.

2. Now just as for the contemplation of wisdom a person must take hold of his mind so as to fill his entire house with the contemplation of wisdom, all the more so must he be completely present inside through his concentration, namely so that it isn’t drawn off into diversions. Hence the Sage adds foregather there, that is, collect your entire concentration in that place. So then, once the inner house is completely cleared out and one is completely dwelling in it through concentration, the Sage sets forth what is to be done, adding and play there.

3. We should here note that the contemplation of wisdom is suitably compared to play on account of two features found in play.

First of all, play is delightful, and the contemplation of wisdom holds the greatest delight. Accordingly, in Sirach 24:27 the mouth of wisdom says: my spirit is sweeter than honey.

4. The second is that the activities of play are not directed towards something else, but are sought on their own account; this is also true of the delights of wisdom. For sometimes it happens that a person takes delight within himself in considering those things which he desires or which he proposes to do. Now this delight is directed to something external he is striving to achieve. Yet if this were lacking or delayed, no small affliction is added to such delight, in line with Proverbs 14:13: laughter shall be mingled with sorrow.

But the delight pertaining to the contemplation of wisdom holds the cause of delight in itself. Thus it allows no worry, as though awaiting something it lacks. For this reason Wisdom 8:16 says: her conversation hath no bitterness; and it hath no sorrow to live with her, that is, with wisdom. Hence divine wisdom compares its delightfulness to play: I was delighted for days on end, playing face to face with it (Prov 8:30). Understand the consideration of different truths on the different days. Accordingly, he adds: and muse upon thy conceptions, namely those through which a man acquires the knowledge of truth.