§43sanctus patriarcha Nephthalim erat palmes abundans.
The holy patriarch Naphtali was an abundant shoot.
unde Moyses dicit: Nephthalim satietas accipientium; replebitur benedictione a domino, mare et Africum possidebit exponens hoc quod Iacob dixerat, quod sit uitis remissa, hoc est per fidei gratiam uinculis mortis exutus, in quo significatur populus dei ad libertatem fidei et ubertatem uocatus gratiae, toto orbe diffusus, qui iugum Christi bono fructu uestiat et ligna uerae illius uitis, hoc est mysteria dominicae crucis ambiat nec timeat confessionis eius periculum, sed magis etiam in persecutionibus positus Christi nomine glorietur.
Wherefore Moses says: "Naphtali is the satiety of those who receive; he shall be filled with blessing from the Lord, he shall possess the sea and the south," explaining what Jacob had said, that he is a let-loose vine, that is, stripped of the bonds of death through the grace of faith, in which is signified the people of God called to the liberty of faith and the abundance of grace, diffused throughout the whole world, who may clothe the yoke of Christ with good fruit and encompass the wood of that true vine, that is, the mysteries of the Lord's cross, and may not fear the danger of his confession, but rather, even when placed in persecutions, may glory in the name of Christ.
§44hic est uere remissus a uinculis qui nullo nexu formidinis alligetur — unde et propheta dicit: exibunt et tripudiabunt sicut uituli resoluti uinculis — ideoque in germine suo decorem porrigit, quia in loco pascuo conlocatus et super aquam educatus refectionis per sacramenta regenerationis suae germinat bonum uerbi decorem et adsumitur in illam pulcherrimam Christi gratiam, qui potest uenustatem tui decoris augere.
This man is truly let loose from bonds, who is bound by no tie of fear — wherefore also the prophet says: "They shall go forth and leap like calves released from bonds" — and therefore he reaches out beauty in his bud, because having been placed in a place of pasture and brought up upon the water of refreshment, he buds forth the good beauty of the word through the sacraments of his regeneration, and is assumed into that most beautiful grace of Christ, who is able to increase the comeliness of your beauty.
§45denique super omnes decorus quod habet donat, quia nemo potest donare quod non habet, ideoque dictum est: dominus regnauit, decorem induit. induit enim decorem ecclesiae gratia, quae in illo lauacro deponens foeditatem omnium delictorum splendore gratiae caelestis enituit.
Finally, he who is beautiful above all gives what he has, because no one can give what he does not have, and therefore it was said: "The Lord has reigned, he has put on beauty." For he put on the beauty of the church by grace, which, laying aside in that washing the foulness of all offenses, shone forth with the splendor of heavenly grace.
ideoque sponsus de ea dicit: quaenam esthaecprospiciens tamquam diluculum, speciosa sicut luna, electa sicut sol, miraculum sicut ornatus? §46Nunc ut tamquam epilogo quodam concludamus historiam.
And therefore the bridegroom says of her: "Who is this looking forth as the dawn, fair as the moon, chosen as the sun, a wonder as an ornament?" Now let us conclude the history as if with a certain epilogue.
sicut et scriptura conclusa diuina, prophetiam sancti Iacob de sancti Ioseph nomine digeramus: filius ampliandus meus Ioseph, filius ampliandus meus zelandus, filius meus adulescentior, ad me reuertere. in quem consilium conferentes maledicebant et intendebant in eum domini arcum.
As the divine scripture also is concluded, let us arrange the prophecy of holy Jacob concerning the name of holy Joseph: "My son Joseph is to be increased, my zealous son is to be increased, my younger son, return to me." Against whom, bringing together counsel, they spoke evil and aimed at him the bow of the lord.
et contriti sunt cum potentia arcus eorum et dissoluti sunt nerui bracchiorum manus eorum per manus potentis Iacob, indeque praeualuit Istrahel a deo patris tui.
And they were crushed with the power of their bow, and the sinews of the arms of their hands were dissolved by the hands of the mighty Jacob, and thence Israel prevailed by the God of your father.
et adiuuit te deus meus et benedixit te benedictione caeli a summo et benedictione terrae habentis omnia propter benedictionem uberum et uuluae, benedictiones patris tui et matris.
And my God helped you and blessed you with the blessing of heaven from above, and with the blessing of the earth having all things because of the blessing of the breasts and of the womb, the blessings of your father and of your mother.
praeualuit super benedictiones montium manentium et desideriis collium aeternorum: erunt super caput Ioseph et super uerticem eorum quibus praefuit fratrum.
It prevailed over the blessings of the lasting mountains and with the desires of the eternal hills: they shall be upon the head of Joseph and upon the crown of those of his brothers whom he ruled.
§47quae causa est quod super omnes filios uberius Ioseph filium prosecutus est pater nisi quia in eo praefigurantia Christi uidebat mysteria? unde benedicens illum magis qui expectabatur quam illum qui uidebatur ait: filius ampliandus meus Ioseph. qui est ampliandus nisi Christus, cuius gratia semper augetur et finem processus sui non habet gloria? de quo et Iohannes dicit: illum oportet crescere, me autem minorari, quia per ipsius illud salutare perfectumque nomen cumulata est in hoc mundo et abundauit gratia - filius ampliandus meus - et ideo quia uidebant eum crescere fratres ei inuidere coeperunt, intellegibilis autem Ioseph et. zelum incidit ab iis quos magis fouebat.
What is the cause that the father pursued the son Joseph more abundantly than all the sons, except because in him he saw the prefiguring mysteries of Christ? Wherefore, blessing him who was expected more than him who was seen, he said: "My son Joseph is to be increased." Who is to be increased except Christ, whose grace is always increased and whose glory has no end of its progress? Of whom John also says: "He must increase, but I must decrease," because through that salutary and perfect name of his, grace was accumulated and abounded in this world — "my son is to be increased" — and therefore, because his brothers saw him increase, they began to envy him; but the spiritual Joseph also incurred envy from those whom he most cherished.
denique dicebat: non ueni nisi ad oues perditas domus Istrahel. et illi dicebant: nescimus unde sit. ille curabat eos et illi negabant eum.
Finally, he said: "I was not sent except to the lost sheep of the house of Israel." And they said: "We do not know where he is from." He cured them, and they denied him.
§48Filius inquit meus adulescentior.
"My younger son," he says.
re uera adulescentior, qui erat paene ultimus natu.
Truly younger, who was almost the last born.
denique et scriptura dicit: amabat eum Iacob, quia filius erat senectutis illi. quod etiam ad Christum refertur.
Finally, the scripture also says: "Jacob loved him, because he was to him the son of old age." Which also is referred to Christ.
senescenti enim mundo et iam occidenti inlucescens dei filius per Mariae uirginis partum serus aduenit.
For to a growing old and already setting world, the Son of God, shining forth through the birth from the Virgin Mary, arrived late.
tamquam filius senectutis secundum sacramentum suscepit corpus, qui erat ante saecula semper aput patrem.
As a son of old age, according to the sacrament, he received a body, who was always with the Father before the ages.
unde dicit.
Wherefore he says...