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THOSE are they then who are figurately spoken of in holy Scripture as
amphoterode'xion, i.e., ambidextrous, as Ehud is described in the book of
Judges "who used either hand as the right hand." And this power we also
can spiritually acquire, if by making a right and proper use of those
things which are fortunate, and which seem to be "on the right hand," as
well as of those which are unfortunate and as we call it "on the left
hand," we make them both belong to the right side, so that whatever turns
up proves in our case, to use the words of the Apostle, "the armour of
righteousness." For we see that the inner man consists of two parts, and if
I may be allowed the expression, two hands, nor can any of the saints do
without that which we call the left hand: but by means of it the perfection
of virtue is shown, where a man by skilful use can turn both hands into
right hands. And in order to make our meaning clearer, the saint has for
his right hand his spiritual achievements, in which he is found when with
fervent spirit he gets the better of his desires and passions, when he is
free from all attacks of the devil, and without any effort or difficulty
rejects and cuts off all carnal sins, when he is exalted above the earth
and regards all things present and earthly as light smoke or vain shadows,
and scorns them as what is about to vanish away, when with an overflowing
heart he not only longs most intensely for the future but actually sees it
the more clearly, when he is more effectually fed on spiritual
contemplations, when he sees heavenly mysteries more brightly laid open to
him, when he pours forth his prayers to God with greater purity and
readiness, when he is so inflamed with fervent of spirit as to pass with
the utmost readiness of soul to things invisible and eternal, so as
scarcely to believe that he any longer remains in the flesh. He has also a
left hand, when he is entangled in the toils of temptation, when he is
inflamed with the heat of desire for carnal lusts, when he is set on fire
by emotion towards rage and anger, when he is overcome by being puffed up
with pride or vainglory, when he is oppressed by a sorrow that worketh
death, when l he is shaken to pieces by the contrivances and attacks of
accidie, and when he has lost all spiritual warmth, and grows indifferent
with a sort of lukewarmness and unreasonable grief so that not only is he
forsaken by good and kindling thoughts, but actually Psalms, prayer,
reading, and retirement in his cell all pall upon him, and all virtuous
exercises seem by an intolerable and horrible loathing to have lost their
saviour. And when a monk is troubled in this way, then he knows that he is
attacked "on the left hand." Anyone therefore who is not at all puffed up
through the aid of vainglory by any of those things on the right hand which
we have mentioned, and who struggles manfully against those on the left
hand, and does not yield to despair and give in, but rather on the other
hand seizes the armour of patience to practise himself in virtue--this man
can use both hands as fight hands, and in each action he proves triumphant
and carries off the prize of victory from that condition on the left hand
as well as that on the fight. Such, we read, was the reward which the
blessed Job obtained who was certainly crawned (for a victory) on the right
hand, when he was the father of seven sons and walked as a rich and wealthy
man, and yet offered daily sacrifices to the Lord for their purification,
in his anxiety that they might prove acceptable and dear to God rather than
to himself, when his gates stood open to every stranger, when he was "feet
to lame and eyes to blind," when the shoulders of the suffering were
kept warm by the wool of his sheep, when he was a father to orphans and a
husband to widows, when he did not even in his heart rejoice at the fall of
his enemy. And again it was the same man who with still greater virtue
triumphed over adversity on the left hand, when deprived in one moment of
his seven sons he was not as a father overcome with bitter grief but as a
true servant of God rejoiced in the will of his Creator. When instead of
being a wealthy man he became poor, naked instead of rich, pining away
instead of strong, despised and contemptible instead of famous and
honourable, and yet preserved his fortitude of mind unshaken, when, lastly,
bereft of all his wealth and substance he took up his abode on the
dunghill, and like some stern executioner of his own body scraped with a
potsherd the matter that broke out, and plunging his fingers deep into his
wounds dragged out on every side masses of worms from his limbs. And in all
this he never fell into despair and blasphemy, nor murmured at all against
his Creator. Moreover also so little was he overcome by such a weight of
bitter temptations that the cloak which out of all his former property
remained to cover his body, and which alone could be saved from destruction
by the devil because he was clothed with it, he rent and cast off, and
covered with it his nakedness which he voluntarily endured, which the
terrible robber had brought upon him. The hair of his head too, which was
the only thing left untouched out of all the remains of his former glory,
he shaved and cast to his tormentor, and cutting off even that which his
savage foe had left to him he exulted over him and mocked him with that
celestial cry of his: "If we have received good at the hand of the Lord,
should we not also receive evil? Naked came I out of my mother's womb, and
naked shall I return thither. The Lord gave and the Lord hath taken away;
as it hath pleased the Lord, so is it done; blessed be the name of the
Lord." I should also with good reason call Joseph ambidextrous, as in
prosperity he was very dear to his father, affectionate to his brethren,
acceptable to God; and in adversity was chaste, and faithful to the Lord,
in prison most kind to the prisoners, forgetful of wrongs, generous to his
enemies; and to his brethren who were envious of him and as far as lay in
their powers, his murderers, he proved not only affectionate but actually
munificent. These men then and those who are like them are rightly termed
amphoterode'xion, i.e., ambidextrous. For they can use either hand as the
right hand, and passing through those things which the Apostle enumerates
can fairly say: "Through the armour of righteousness on the right hand and
on the left, through honour and dishonour, through evil report and good
report etc." And of this right and left hand Solomon speaks as follows in
the Song of songs, in the person of the bride: "His left hand is under my
head, and his right hand shall embrace me." And while this passage shows
that both are useful, yet it puts one under the head, because misfortunes
ought to be subject to the control of the heart, since they are only useful
for this; viz., to train us for a time and discipline us for our salvation
and make us perfect in the matter of patience. But the right hand she hopes
will ever cling to her to cherish her and hold her fast in the blessed
embrace of the Bridegroom, and unite her to him indissolubly. We shall then
be ambidextrous, when neither abundance nor want affects us, and when the
former does not entice us to the luxury of a dangerous carelessness, while
the latter does not draw us to despair, and complaining; but when, giving
thanks to God in either case alike, we gain one and the same advantage out
of good and bad fortune. And such that truly ambidextrous man, the teacher
of the Gentiles, testifies that he himself was, when he says: "For I have
learnt in whatsoever state I am, to be content therewith. I know both how
to be brought low and I know how to abound: everywhere and in all things I
am instructed both to be full and to De hungry, both to abound and to
suffer need. I can do all things in Him which strengtheneth me."
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