Rivers Of Grace

Omnia flumina intrant in mare, et mare non redundat; ad locum unde exeunt flumina revertuntur ut iterum fluant. Flumina ista sunt flumina gratiarum, de quibus Ioannis septimo: Qui credit in me sicut dicit Scriptura flumina de ventre eius fluent. Mare, a quo flumina habent ortum, est divinae largitatis immensitas, quae non angetur nec minuitur; Magnus enim Dominus noster et magna virtus eius; et sapientiae eius non est numerus. Ad hoc mare redeunt flumina gratiarum actionum, ut iterum fluant; Ioannis quarto: Qui biberit ex aqua hac, quam ego dabo ei, fiet in eo fons aquae salientis in vitam aeternam. Ab hoc exeunt; Iacobi primo: Omne datum optimum et omne donum perfectum desursum est. Et sicut flumina cessant esse et siccantur, cum cessant fluere et quiescunt; sic et dona gratiarum; Psalmus: Tu dirupisti fontes et toerrentes, per largitatem; tu siccasti fluvios Ethan, per iudicii severitatem. Sanctus Bonaventura, Commentarius In Ecclesiasten, Cap I Source: Here, p 13

All the rivers flow into the sea and the sea is not full, to the place whence they came the rivers return that they flow out again. 1 Spiritually the rivers are the rivers of grace, concerning which the seventh chapter of John says: 'He who believes in me, as Scripture says, rivers will flow from his bosom.' 2 The sea, from which the rivers have their rising, is the immensity of the Divine largess, which does not narrow nor diminish. 'Great is our Lord and great His virtue, and His wisdom is without reckoning.' 3 To this sea the rivers of the deeds of grace return, as again they flow out. In the fourth chapter of John: 'He who drinks from this water which I shall give to him, there shall be a fount of water in him leaping up to eternal life' 4 From this they go out. In the first chapter of James: 'Every best and perfect gift comes down from above.' 5 And like rivers they cease and dry up, when they cease to flow and they stop. So even the gifts of grace. In the Psalm: 'You open up the founts and the torrents,' for largess, and 'you dry up the rivers of Ethan' for the severity of judgement. 6 Saint Bonaventura, Commentary on Ecclesiastes, Chapter 1 1 Eccles 1.7 2 Jn 7.38 3 Ps 146.5 4 Jn 4.13 5 James 1.17 6 Ps 73.15