1 Samuel 11:1

And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash, etc. Many faithful men of the Church, united in true love, often consented to serve humbly by obeying teachers, whom they esteemed as wise as serpents in frequent meditation on the Scriptures; but they did not fail to be as doves in keeping ecclesiastical peace. However, because there is nothing hidden that will not be revealed, the fabricators of errors and cultivators of perverse doctrines continually revealed themselves, showing that they did not have the enlightened eyes of the heart, nor could it be said of them, "Your eyes are like doves" (Cant. II); but rather they desired to remove the right eyes from all their listeners, that is, the senses of heavenly and supreme contemplation, and to deflect them to see only the left and perverse things, rendering them impotent in the daily battle we wage against spiritual wickedness in high places. For this reason Nahash wanted to gouge out the right eyes of the Jabeites, so that while they covered the left side of their faces with shields in battle, they would not be able to see what they should do against the enemy, or for their own salvation. For this reason the ancient enemy tries to deprive the faithful of heavenly light, to render them useless in every spiritual fight.

1. When I wished to assert the profundity of this sacred history in the preface of this work, I maintained that it could be seen especially in the fact that it was written by prophets. They indeed were accustomed to speak mystical things not only in words but also in deeds — to set forth plain things, yet to signify deep things. For since the Holy Spirit spoke through them, what they themselves said, as mere men, was plain, but it was profound and mystical, because the supreme and uncircumscribed Spirit was supplying the speech to men. Since, therefore, we are expounding the prophet Samuel as he speaks, we need all the greater diligence, inasmuch as he himself, sublimely taken up in the grace of the Holy Spirit, spoke outward things but saw inward things. He generally set forth carnal matters, but signified the innermost and spiritual realities. But since it is impossible by human effort to arrive at divine things, we must not trust in our own powers, but in the condescension of the Holy Spirit who, sent by the Redeemer, "has filled the whole world, and that which contains all things already has knowledge of every voice" (Wisdom 1:7). Let us hear, then, what the same prophet now relates concerning the undertakings of the Israelites. (1 Kings chapter 11, verses 1–2.) "And it came to pass," he says, "about a month later, Nahash the Ammonite went up and began to fight against Jabesh-gilead. And all the men of Jabesh said to Nahash: 'Accept us as allies, and we will serve you.' And Nahash the Ammonite answered them: 'On this condition I will make a covenant with you: that I gouge out the right eye of every one of you, and make you a reproach in all Israel.'" 2. If one seeks the historical sense, nothing can be stated more plainly, nothing understood more easily. But if we wish to follow the spiritual sense, let us first hear Paul speaking, who, looking upon the old things, says: "All these things happened to them in figure, but they were written for our sake, upon whom the ends of the ages have come" (1 Cor. 10:11). He also indicates that there are spiritual wars, saying: "Our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against principalities and powers, against the spiritual forces of wickedness in the heavenly places" (Eph. 6:12). Therefore, when Nahash is said to go up and fight against Jabesh-Gilead, the inner battles against vices are signified. By these…