2. You have intimated your doubt of what spirit it is said that he Rom. viii. 26. maketh intercession for us with groanings that cannot be uttered. Let us then refer to what has gone before, that the passage may make plain what we are seeking. Likewise, it is said, the Spirit helpeth our infirmities. Does it not seem to you that this is the Holy Spirit, for He is our Helper, as He to Whom it is said, Ps. xxvii. 9. Thou hast been my succour, leave me not neither forsake me, O God of my salvation?
3. For what other Spirit could teach Paul how to pray? The Spirit of Christ, like Christ Himself, S. Luke xi. 1. teaches His disciples to pray, for who could teach us, after Christ, but His Spirit, Whom He sent to teach us, and to direct our prayers, 1 Cor. xiv. 15. for we pray with the Spirit and we pray with the understanding also. That the understanding may pray well, the Spirit goes before and Ps. cxliii. 10. leads it forth into the right way, so as to prevent carnal things, or what either falls below or exceeds its strength, from secretly stealing over it. 1 Cor. xii. 7. For the manifestation of the Spirit is given to every man to profit withal. It is written also, S. Matt. vi. 33. Seek great things, and small things shall be added unto you; seek heavenly things, and earthly things shall be added unto you.
4. Wherefore He wishes us to seek greater things, not to linger upon earth. And He knows what to bestow upon us, 1 Cor. xii. 11. dividing unto every man severally as He will. Sometimes, knowing our capacity, which we are ignorant of, He says to us, Ye cannot receive it now. I ask for myself thesufferings of martyrdom, S. Matt. xxvi. 41. the Holy Spirit is willing, but sees the weakness of my flesh, and lest, while I seek for greater things I should lose what is less, says to me, ‘Thou canst not bear this.’ What opportunities have I not hadand yet when near the goal I have been held back[183].The good physician knows what food is suitable to each disease, and to each season, for the benefit of health. Sometimes food seasonably taken restores health; but if a man eat food unseasonably or of an improper kind, it is dangerous to him.
5. Therefore since we know not what to pray for, nor how to pray, the Holy Spirit prays for us; for He is the Spirit of Jesus our Advocate, and He prays with groans unutterable, for Christ also mourns for us. And God the Father says, Jer. iv. 19. My bowels, My bowels, I am pained at the very heart. We often read too of Him as being indignant and grieved. He groans to take away our sins, and to teach us to do penance. For there are pious groans, and of prevailing power with God, whereof the Prophet speaks, Ps. xxxviii. 9. And my groaning is not hid from Thee. For he did not hide himself, like Adam, but said, Behold I am the shepherd, 1 Chron. xxi. 17. but these sheep, what have they done? it is I that have sinned, let Thine hand be on me.
6. Hence then cometh the groaning of the Spirit of God,and those groans of the Prophet[184], truly unutterable because they are divine. So those words which Paul heard in heaven are 2 Cor. xii. 4. unspeakable, which it is not lawful for a man to utter, but what is hidden from man is known to God. Now He Who is the Searcher of hearts Rom. viii. 27. knows all things, but the things which He searches are those which the Spirit hath cleansed. God therefore knoweth what the Spirit prays for, and what is the wisdom of the Spirit Which intercedes for the saints, as it is written, Ib. For the Spirit maketh intercession for us. For those for whom Christ suffered, and whom He cleansed by His Blood, for them the Spirit also intercedes.
Farewell: love me as a Son, for I too love you.
LETTER XXXVII.
A.D. 387.
SIMPLICIAN, to whom this and the following Letters, and several later ones, are addressed, seems, from what little we know of him, to have been a very learned and yet simple-minded man. He was older than S. Ambrose, who speaks in this Letter of his ‘fatherly love’ towards himself, and was probably his adviser in the early days of his episcopate, and possibly, as the Benedictine Editors, (note on Letter lxv,) suggest, his ‘father in the faith,’ as having prepared him for his ordination, or even taught him as a catechumen at Rome in earlier days. Paulinus tells us that when S. Ambrose was on his death-bed he overheard some of his Clergy discussing the probabilities as to his successor, and when they mentioned Simplician’s name, he said “as if he were taking part in the convention, ‘Trahitur autem sapientia de occultis.’” Certainly Simplician was unanimously chosen his successor.
In this Letter he dwells in detail upon the theme that goodness is true freedom and sin slavery, which he illustrates at great length and with much rarity of argument. It is one of the most interesting of his expository Letters.