On Counsel
XLV. On Counsel
1. God is an admirable (lit. “good”) counsellor
to whoever is fearful of Him
and who performs good deeds for the love of Him.
2. God delivers counsel by means of faithfulness,
wisdom and good will,
and whoever believes in Him is not deceived.
3. God counsels man to do good,
so that He may bestow upon him
a great increase of glory.
4. God counsels man by means of freedom
to avoid committing sin,
so that he should not abstain from so doing against his will.
5. Man should not seek counsel from another
as to how he may commit evil deeds,
but rather as to how better he may refrain from so doing.
6. To seek counsel from someone who is ignorant of such
constitutes a very great sin against oneself,
and an offence against counsel <itself>.
7. Let he who wishes to find counsel
seek it in a wise man
who does not delight in doing evil.
8. I take great delight in a counsellor
who delivers counsel more for the sake of love
than <for those> of money or honour.
9. Whoever desires to deliver good counsel
should begin <by considering> God
and order such counsel to Him.[1]
10. Whoever desires to be well counselled,
should seek <such> counsel by means of truth,
faithfulness and humility.
[1] In medieval philosophy/theology, for something “to be ordered to an end” means, broadly speaking, that it is (conceived as being) directed towards its final causality or ultimate end/purpose and regulated thereby.