Good Days And Speech

Quis est homo qui vult vitam, et cupit videre dies bonos? Talis interrogatio proposita est quam omnium sequatur assensus. Quis est enim qui possit dicere, aut vitam nolo, aut dies bonos videre non cupio. Sed utinam sic vitam perpetuam quaereremus, sicut in ista temporali corda defigimus. Bonos autem dies, non istos dicit in quibus caducis delectationibus occupamur, sed illos qui vere boni sunt, et summa sanctitate versantur. Cohibe linguam tuam a malo, et labia tua ne loquantur dolum. Hoc est velle videre dies bonos, si lingua nostra aliquid non loquatur incompetens. Malum est enim omne prohibitum; et quidquid veritati repugnat, tali appellatione discernitur. Intende vero subtilius, qui prius cohiberi dicit linguam, quam, cum loqui volumus, anterius commovemus. Addidit, labia ne loquantur dolum, quae linguae motum protinus consequuntur, et quasi quadam harmonia sociata amborum modulamine humanus sermo peragitur. Dolus est autem, quando fallimus audientem, ut quod creditur ad auxilium, inferre videatur incommodum. Quod meriot prohibetur, quia purae conscientiae constat semper adversum. Cassiodorus, Expositio In Psalterium, Psalmus XXXIII Source: Migne PG 70.237b-c

Who is the man who wishes to live, and desires good days? 1 Such a question proposed is that to which everyone will give assent. For who is able to say that he does not want life, or that he does not desire good days? But that we sought eternal life as much as we fix the heart on this temporal state. For the good days he speaks of are not like those in which we are occupied in fallen pleasures, but those which are true goods, even care for the height of sanctity. Guard your tongue from evil, and let not your lips speak wickedness. 2 This is to wish to see good days, if our tongue does not speak something inane. For everything prohibited is evil, and whatever opposes the truth is understood by such a name. Yet attend more carefully, for first he says 'guard your tongue', which is the earlier motion of wishing to speak. He then adds, 'lest your lips speak wickedness,' which follows the prior motion of the tongue, and as a certain harmony both associate for the working of human speech. For it is wicked, when we lie to one who is listening to us, so that what is thought to help, may be found to bring forth trouble. Which rightly, then, is prohibited, because it is the pure conscience that always stands against the enemy. Cassiodorus, Commentary On The Psalms, Psalm 33 1 Ps 33.12 2 Ps 33.13