Bonaventure, on Wis 12:18

“But thou being master of power, judgest with tranquillity; and with great favour disposest of us: for thy power is at hand when thou wilt.”

“Third, the instruction of the people of God in both is shown. But you, ruler, etc. Having shown the punishment of adversaries and the mercy of the judge in punishing, here he shows the instruction of the people of God in both, and first he touches upon the example by which he instructs; second, the mercy concerning which he instructs: You have taught; third, the manner by which he instructs: For if enemies; fourth, the end on account of which he instructs: When therefore to us. (Verse 18). But you, etc. I have rightly said that you show your strength and power to the incorrigible; autem stands for "but": you, master of power, etc. This can be understood intransitively, so that the sense is: you, master of power, that is, powerful; or transitively, thus: master of power, that is, Lord of all powers, namely both angelic and human: in the Psalm: "The Lord of hosts, he is the King of glory." You judge with tranquility, that is, without disturbance of intellect or affection; James one: "With whom there is no change"; Isaiah forty-two: "He shall bring forth judgment in truth; he shall not be sad nor troubled." And with great reverence, in effect, that is, with great moderation, you govern us, not like that judge "who neither feared God nor regarded man," Luke eighteen. For power is at hand to you, whenever you will: behold, the cause of tranquility in judging and of reverence in governing or in executing, namely because he is omnipotent: in the Psalm: "Whatsoever he willed, he did." But it is objected that according to the order of understanding, power precedes will, not will power. Therefore it ought to say: willing is at hand to you when you are able, not being able when you will. It must be said that power precedes in being, but will in acting: whence he is able to do many things which he does not do, because he does not will them.”

Imported from an open dataset — not yet checked against the printed edition.